Recently Avid contacted us and asked if we’d participate in a Community Q&A with the post-production team behind Alice in Wonderland. We asked a couple questions about the how editing for a 3D release may have changed editing style, and what new tools and workflows have changed the director/editor relationship. You can read these questions and their answers here.

You already know this, but it’s worth repeating. Good gear often makes tasks simpler and easier to accomplish high-quality results. But even the weakest of tools in the hands of an artist can deliver stunning results. Case in point…in the following video clip, an artist hand paints a Bushmaster ACR weapon using Microsoft Paint. Once again, artistry and ingenuity trumps “pro-level” tools.

Tyler Ginter has posted a fantastic video called “Why We Fight,” it’s a documentary short that focuses on the Afghanistan Special Forces called Strike Force Lion, on why they are fighting for their own freedom and way of life in Afghanistan. It was shot on the Canon 5D MKII.

Coldplay’s video for the track “Strawberry Swing” is one of the most innovative uses of stop motion I’ve ever seen. They collaborated with the creative group Shynola to reinvent the genre, using perspective and live elements in new ways, and the results are simply stunning.

Those who have frequented DVXuser over the years will no doubt recognize the name Macgregor. He’s been creating and sharing hauntingly beautiful short films for years now, and has quite the following of fans. Back in 2006, he made a short film called SIMILO with the DVX100 and a pre-production Cinemek 35mm lens adapter. The idea was to create a short film concept, to help raise funds to make a longer version of the same story.

As of summer 2009, principal photography on SIMILO has wrapped. Now they just need $25,000 to finish post-production and VFX on this sci-fi story. And Macgregor and producer Mike Hedge chose to use Kickstarter to raise those funds. They’ve already raised over $14,000 from the community, and you’ve got less than 2 1/2 days to pledge cash if you wish to join them. You can check out their Kickstarter project here, contributions can be as little as $1. Those who contribute $40 or more get onscreen credit and access to an HD download version of the film, and there are rewards for higher pledges as well ($4000 gets you an IMDB producer credit).

Why are we sharing this Kickstarter project here when we have no vested interest in it? I’m glad you asked. Because it’s the first Kickstarter short film project that came across my inbox that I personally chose to back, and it’s a good example of how to effectively use the Kickstarter concept as an independent filmmaker. Not to mention that Macgregor’s films are always extremely visually engaging, and this is a project that I’d love to see finished. So if you agree, head on over to their project page and support your local filmmakers.

Not sure who Macgregor is? Check out the teaser of SIMILO, embedded below. Note: some NSFW nudity.

SIMILO teaser from Macgregor on Vimeo.

Roger Ebert is a national treasure. Unfortunately, he’s been vocally silent since losing his voice in a thyroid cancer operation in 2006. This hasn’t kept him from speaking out in print, as he remains one of the most prolific film critics and his daily Twitter stream is an unending supply of fascinating links and commentary. Now, thanks in part to the audio from his DVD commentaries, he now has the computerized recreation of his own voice to speak with.

You are a constant inspiration and we love you, Roger.

Im case you’ve missed it, DVXuser’s BetrayalFest entry deadline is on March 5th, 2010 at 4pm Pacific Standard Time (GMT -8). If you are looking for some exposure and community feedback for an appropriate short film, you might want to look into this one. Details in this thread.

Need some pseudo film flash/film burn effects to dirty up your footage? Here’s a few freebies available in HD resolutions.

The upcoming Criterion release of Steven Soderbergh’s “Che” has an interesting featurette on the disc that talks about the Red One camera, and how it was used in production of this film.

You can watch the featurette “Che and the Digital Cinema Revolution” in the video playlist below. I’ve also posted a few thoughts on some of the interview quotes over at PVC.

Che and the Digital Cinema Revolution

Hand Held Hollywood caught up with Cinemek’s Jonathan Houser at DV Expo, and he had some interesting updates on what’s coming in future versions of Hitchcock. Jonathan also spoke to some of the interesting ways new customers are using the iPhone app. Check out the video embedded below.

DV EXPO ‘09 - Interview with Jonathan Houser, Creator of Hitchcock from Hand Held Hollywood on Vimeo.

FreshDV reader Leandro Marini has just started his own blog for Local Hero Post, a DI/finishing boutique shop in Santa Monica, CA. His first post is a good start, showing some before and after examples of shooting for a gritty DI with a muted negative. We look forward to keeping an eye on the content they put out. Thanks for the heads up, Leandro!

Filmmaker and instructor Jerome Courshon wrote in to let us know about an upcoming seminar on the topic of distribution. We’ve spoken at length with Jerome in the past, he has contributed both an excellent “Distribution 101″ video to the FreshDV tutorial vault, and he also was a valuable and informative voice in our most recent distribution podcast discussion. So I’m delighted to help highlight his latest distribution seminar, which will be held in LA this August. I’m including all the details below, check it out.

THE SECRETS TO DISTRIBUTION: Get Your Movie Distributed Now!
So you’ve made your movie. Congratulations! Or you’re going to make your movie. Excellent! What do you do to ensure the final step of your filmmaking journey, getting distribution? How do you play “the game”? Is there even a game??

The answer is YES. There is a game. A strategy. Whether you’re about to start shooting, have finished your final cut, are on the film festival circuit — or even if you’ve been turned down by distributors already — you CAN get distribution. It is not impossible, but there is a strategy that MOST producers & directors do not know or understand.

Where can you learn this? At producer Jerome Courshon’s groundbreaking 2-Day seminar,
“THE SECRETS TO DISTRIBUTION: Get Your Movie Distributed Now!”
http://www.Distribution.LA

WHO SHOULD ATTEND THIS SEMINAR:
- Those with a completed movie
- Those in production or post-production
- Those who intend to make a movie — Get a head start on what you need to know
- Learn what they do NOT teach you in film school

Bottom line? This seminar is about getting results and getting the deal, with key resources provided. This is about securing a viable distributor, whether you have a low budget movie OR a movie with names. If you are serious about getting your movie into the marketplace, then you should NOT miss this day.

We will also cover the newer distribution avenues, from digital downloading to marketing your movie online. Whichever route would be best for you, don’t spend years spinning your wheels, only to end with your movie collecting dust on your living room shelf.

“Without Jerome’s information and help, I’d never have gotten a studio distribution deal for my no ‘name’ feature. Not in a million years.”
– Vince Rocca, Producer, “Kisses & Caroms” (Released by Warner Bros.)

“When I went to Jerome’s seminar, I had been on the festival circuit for 6 months and thought I’d done everything possible to sell my film. I was wrong. This seminar was such a great breath of fresh air — and showed me how much I didn’t know about the distribution game! Informative and well worth every penny, I got a distribution deal 2 months later with a cash advance.”
– Lanre Olabisi, Producer/Director, “August the First”

“I’ve been a working actor for over 25 years and have relationships with many mainstream Distributors. When it was time to distribute my first feature film, I thought I knew it all. Jerome not only opened my eyes but opened doors, with my movie getting picked up for a nationwide release on DVD. Is Jerome’s seminar worth it? You can’t even put a price tag on the knowledge and connections that you’ll get from his seminar.”
– Jeff Rector, Writer/Director/Producer, “Revamped”

AT THE SEMINAR YOU WILL LEARN:
- The Theatrical Distribution game: What to do and what not to do with theatrical distributors
(Most filmmakers fail here, even when they have a killer movie)
- The 8 Basic Movie Distribution Models and how to navigate them
- Who all the Home Video Distributors are
(Do you know there are over 100 of them? Contact list provided at seminar)
- Press Kits, PR & Marketing
- Is your artwork & press kit REALLY up to snuff, or are you sending out inferior materials with your movie causing distributors to say ‘No’ before even watching it? (Happens all the time)
- Are Film Festivals worth your time & energy?
(Depends upon your movie)
- How to effectively use Film Festivals and Key Strategies to generate Buzz, Press & Awards
(It’s not just showing up like a rock star and watching your movie)
- Is the VSDA — now known as the EMA — important to attend?
(Do you know what the EMA is? Your success may depend on this)
- E & O Insurance: How to get it for thousands of dollars LESS than the going rate (You will need it for U.S. distributors)
- Digital Distribution
- Internet Distribution
- DIY Distribution (”DIY” means “Do It Yourself”)
- DIY Theatrical Distribution
- Plus Q & A

NEXT SEMINAR: LOS ANGELES
DATE: August 22 - 23, 2009 (Saturday - Sunday)
TIME: 10am - 6pm
LOCATION: Beverly Garland Hotel, 4222 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91602
COST: $299.00
TO REGISTER, GO TO: http://www.Distribution.LA

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Jerome Courshon is an award-winning Producer/Writer, whose first movie was ultimately released by Warner Bros. His challenging journey to achieve meaningful distribution gave birth to the creation of this powerful seminar in 2006. Since then, Jerome has assisted hundreds of filmmakers with securing real distribution through his seminars and speaking engagements, and has written for “MovieMaker Magazine,” “Indie Slate Magazine” and “Film Festival Today Magazine.” (Read/View some of his articles or podcasts, freely available at his website.)

Prior to the 4th of July holiday weekend here in the US, I posted about a new Zacuto iPhone video support solution. I mused about how seriously users would take this device for filmmaking purposes. Well, here’s a brand spankin’ new music video that a few filmmakers took very seriously, and shot entirely with the iPhone 3GS. And it wasn’t for lack of more expensive tools, given that they shot the behind the scenes footage on a Canon 5DMK2. I recommend taking a peek at the behind the scenes video first, it’s a nice look into the process of working with this very limiting camera. Check it out.

At the 2009 London SuperMeet, scheduled for Thursday at the Kensington Conference and Event Centre, distinguished film editor Walter Murch will be one of the featured speakers. As with any SuperMeet, there will be tons to see and hear, and of course the amazing raffle. If you are in the UK and can make it, I recommend this event very highly. Details and booking links here.

Where? - The Great Hall at the Kensington Conference and Event Centre
Kensington Town Hall,
Hornton Street,
London, W8 7NX

When? - Thursday, 25, June 2009 - 19:00 - 23:00 (Doors open 16:30)
How Much? - £15.00 each. £10.50 for Students with Valid I.D. (£20.00 at door) Includes 2 raffle tickets per person.
Any raffle prizes? - Of course. £2.00 per raffle ticket or 3 for £5.00
Who should attend? - Everyone who wants to learn more about Final Cut Studio, digital filmmaking and meet others who may know more than you do.
Food and Drink? - Food (free) and Cash Bars will be available.

VFX and color guru Stu Maschwitz has created an amazing tutorial on how to use the plugins Magic Bullet Looks and Colorista to effectively emulate in your own work the distinctive color palette shared by many of the blockbuster films you’ll see this summer. Stu also uses Adobe Kuler (which we love) to show some of the color theory behind film grading choices. We are pleased to bring you that tutorial here at FreshDV. Watch below, and click the fullscreen button to see large.