6January2009
Posted by admin under: Movie.
Check out this nice piece on why every major film company lie about their film’s budget. In most cases it’s to save face if the film doesn’t do well in the box office.
Read the piece here.
24December2008
Posted by admin under: Music Videos.
Here’s one of my favorite xmas songs of all time.. have a great holiday
23December2008
Posted by admin under: Festivals; Filmmakers; Filmmaking.
I found this podcast of a recent Denver Film Festival Panel discussion on DIY film-making, via Google. The panel covers some Indie filmmakers, who had films at this year’s festival and it provides some great insights of their process and what they are doing to get their film noticed.
Check it out here.
20December2008
Posted by admin under: Filmmakers; Filmmaking; Final Cut Pro; Movie.
Nola.com has uploaded a few videos showning the making of David Fincher’s new film ” The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Check them out here.
Also Apple has set up a page or two on their site breaking down the making from pre to post production, including the workflow they used to cut the film.
Check it out, here.
19December2008
Posted by admin under: Movie.
This past week, I was in the theater not once, or twice but four times. I saw two of the best films of the year, one not so great and one brilliant but very long film. First off the great films.
“MILK” is one of the best films of the year hands down. The acting, the direction and look help make this one of the few films deserving of all the hype. The director, Gus Van Sant did something great by using actual news footage and interviews in the story.
The second great movie was a big surprise to me. I like Clint Eastwood’s films but never got blown away. For me, they are good but a little slow. His new film, “Gran Torino” is great. Watching it, I keep thinking this is his senior citizen’s take on Dirty Harry, but it’s so much more than that. I not going to give anything away but say go see it.
Next up is a film that for some strange reason is getting a lot of buzz but there’s nothing to it except for one of the lead actor’s performance. “Frost / Nixon” is not a great film and this is me being generous. Frank Langella is great as Nixon but that’s all. The movie spends the first part of the film trying to set up the story of the big interview of 1977 and create this tension, which is just pointless. The best and only part of the film is the interviews, I know this was based on a play and they tried to “Open it up” but it just takes you out and you’re spending all your time waiting for the big fight. Here’s where my main problem with the movie starts. Ron Howard is a decent director, I used to like all his early works from “Night Shift” to “Cocoon.” I even liked “Gung Ho,” but one thing he isn’t is subtle. He treats the interviews as a fight match, we get it, but he does what Spike Lee has done in the past where he doesn’t know when to “throw in the towel.” At one point, I was waiting for a hot ring girl to come in the frame with a billboard showing interview day 3 or day 4. The other thing that bugged me about this film was he tried to treat it like a documetary. Through out the film all the major players (with the exception of nixon and frost), talk to the camera like they are being interviewed for a news story or documentary. It sort of like the film “When Harry Meet Sally,” where real life couples talked about meeting up. If Ron directed that he would have used famous people playing the couples and they would state how they meet.” Instead of giving you an insight to their world, you are taken out of the film. Oh look that’s Oliver Platt talking about DC oh there’s San Rockwell talking about writing a book.
Last but not least is “CHE.” I had the pleasure of seeing it as one film yesterday and it was great, a little long (at four hours plus) but well worth it. Steven Soderbergh did a brilliant job, it’s one great war movie, well really two. I liked the second film / half better but overall the film works in a lot of levels. Benicio Del Toro carries both films flawlessly. The only problem, I had was the first part, CUBA, it just felt long and I not sure why. The first part has more action and shows CHE coming to NY but there’s a disconnect somewhere. The second part in Bolivia feels more intimate and I connected with it better.
16December2008
Posted by admin under: Filmmakers; Filmmaking.
Check out these great videos where director Mike Leigh talks working with actors and his films.
See the video here.
Thanks to Film Directing Tips for the find.
11December2008
Posted by admin under: Filmmaking; Indiependent Film; Movie; My Untitled Feature.
Today, we will focus on another crew member on my film, The Gaffer. We had two gaffers on the film. Clayton Combe is first up.
What’s your job on this film?
I was the Gaffer on the film which means I worked with the Director of Photography to light the shots and was also the head of the electric department.
How did you get into this position?
I started off as a grip and then worked my way into the electrical department, with the ultimate goal of being a DP. Because so much of shooting is working with light, I got into Gaffing to learn more about the behavior of light and how to achieve certain effects firsthand. Now that I shoot more, I realize that my technical knowledge is absolutely invaluable to DPing efficiently.
What do you like best about it?
I enjoy being so hands-on, and keeping track of all the little things that are happening. And depending on the DP, I usually have a good amount of artistic freedom, which makes the experience more rewarding for me.
What do you like least about it?
The other side of that coin is that I don’t have final say on lighting, the DP does. Sometimes it’s tough to not do what I think works best, but again, it’s part of the job and sometimes the most important thing to do is to step back and let it go.
What advice you have for somebody who wants to get into this?
Keep your eyes and ears open. As you work your way up, you’re going to work under a lot of people who are very good at what they do, so figure out how they’re solving certain problems and creating certain effects. Listen to them call for a particular rig or type of light, and learn its name. If it’s a good time, ask your immediate superior a question or two. And above all, be nice. I will always hire people who bring a good vibe to set, even if they might not be as experienced.
How can people reach you or see more of your work?
All of my contact info and equipment package is available on my website. You can also see my DP Reel by going here.
5December2008
Posted by admin under: Festivals; Filmmakers; Filmmaking; Movie.
I just finished reading this great piece on indieWire.com. Eugene Hernandez gives some great advice on getting your film seen by the right people and festivals. It covers what you should focus if you get in to Sundance and if you don’t
Check it out here.
3December2008
Posted by admin under: Editing; Movie.
Head over to Bakkouz’s new post on 10 great film editing scenes and sequences. They did a great job of compiling the list of films which include “Run Lola Run” to “Psycho.” As always I had to add one of my own in the mix. It’s from one of my favorite directors Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s and his film “Delicatessen.”
See Bakkouz’ list here.
1December2008
Posted by admin under: Applications; Editing; Final Cut Pro.
Did you know on Apple’s Download web site you can find some great plug-ins and low cost applications that can assist you with your Final Cut Studio suite of applications.
Check them out here.
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