Via Motionographer comes this unique approach to incorporating a shot list and project details in a work reel. Sweet.

In “We Cut Out The Dirty Parts” Norman Hollyn discusses public perception of the craft of editing, and how those impressions miss the mark.

In a shocking exposé amusing post over at Gizmodo the author informs readers that J.J. Abrams new film Cloverfield was NOT in fact shot on a garden-variety consumer camcorder. I for one am completely taken aback! I can’t be the only one that was certain that Paramount Studios backed a film with millions in financing knowing full well it would be shot on a camcorder bought at Best Buy…

Ok, enough messing around…while the Sony F23 WAS in fact used for much of the filming, there may actually be some truth to the camcorder rumors. Officially, Cloverfield was sourced with a mix of the F23, Grass Valley’s Viper and a few “handheld and intermediate cameras.” This article in Variety references a “lightweight Panasonic HD HandyCam” (can you say HVX200?) used for 1/8th of the film, and a “3-lb. Canon” used for about a third of the film. So perhaps Best Buy figured in there somewhere. UPDATE: Videography has a feature article on the production process, apparently the HVX was used quite a bit, and the F23 and Viper mainly for VFX shots (of which there were plenty).

“The HVX 200-shot images could look as genuine as everybody hoped, but if they weren’t robust enough to hold up to the heavy digital effects work required in post, all the realism gained would be lost. Oscar-winning character animation expert Phil Tippett’s company would be creating the CGI monster and Double Negative would create significant set extensions and backgrounds. And Banks wanted to give them the purest, cleanest images possible to start with and let them match the look of their completed shots to the lower-end footage after completing the composites. Footage from the Viper or F23, laid down to HDCam SR tape, would ensure the most flexibility possible in post and yield the most believable composites.”

Here is a Sony press release on the subject of the F23. And you can find out a lot more behind the scenes information in this extensive interview with Director Matt Reeves. Here is an interesting excerpt: Continue reading ‘Cloverfield Shot on a cheap Consumer Camera?’

In more interesting news for independent filmmakers it seems that IMDB has bought Withoutabox, the thriving community of indies and creative filmmakers. Amazon owns IMBD. Mike Curtis has the scoop.

Most independent filmmakers are familiar with the story of how director Robert Rodriguez created a feature for only $7,000. His film called El Mariachi was eventually picked up for US distribution and reportedly went on to earn over two million. It launched Rodriguez’s career and paved the way for larger budgets in the ensuing chapters of his Mariachi trilogy, Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. In the following two videos, the director shows scenes from El Mariachi and talks about how they accomplished so much on such a meager budget (they only shot 25 rolls of film!). Welcome to 10-Minute Film School, class is in session! For more indie flavor from this director, check out his Rebel Without a Crew book. Continue reading ‘10-Minute Film School with Robert Rodriguez’

During production of The Shining, Stanley Kubrick’s daughter Vivian made a behind the scenes documentary on the process. Even at 17 years of age she was an adept filmmaker and apparently a quite good at the art of interviewing as well, considering some of the very candid comments made by the film’s stars. The resulting 35-minute film is included in The Shining two-disc DVD release (also on HD-DVD and Blu-ray), and also happens to be up at Google Video. There is a version with Vivian Kubrick’s commentary as well. That one is really interesting, her commentary is very revealing about the process. She talks about the early model video tap that was used for playback on set, Garrett Brown’s mods to her Aaton camera rig, Jack Nicholson’s door-smashing technique, and much more. Finally, more food for thought on metaphors and “mistakes” in The Shining can be found here.

(Via Ticklebooth)

Slashfilm reports that the annual Black List was released last week, containing a ranking of the hot screenplays of 2007 that are making the rounds and stirring up buzz in Hollywood.

Despite what seem like endless negotiation meetings, the WGA and studios have not yet reached an agreement. Writers Guild of America members are still striking, and the whole mess is hitting the entire TV and Film industry hard. At the center of this argument is the question of what content is worth to the Studios, and ultimately the writers creating the content. It is unfortunate that so many other production positions are affected by the strike. Consider the following e-mail to the LA Times from Dale Alexander, a grip on the set of “The Office” (which shut down after only 5 days into the strike):

“…On my show we had 14 writers. There were also 2 cameramen, 2 camera assistants, 4 hair stylists, 4 makeup artists, 7 wardrobe people, 4 grips, 4 electricians, 2 craft service, 4 props people, 6 construction, 1 medic, 3 art department, 5 set dressers, 3 sound men, 3 stand-ins, 2 set PAs, 4 assistant directors, 1 DGA trainee, 1 unit manager, 6 production office personnel, 3 casting people, 4 writers assistants, 1 script supervisor, 2 editors, 2 editors assistants, 3 post production personnel, 1 facilities manager, 8 drivers, 2 location managers, 3 accountants, 4 caterers and a producer who’s not a writer. All 102 of us are now out of work.”
“Everyone should be paid their fair share, but does it have to be at the expense of the other 90% of the crewmembers. Nobody ever recoups from a strike, lost wages are just that, lost. We all know that the strike will be resolved. Eventually both sides will return to the bargaining table and make a deal. The only uncertainty is how many of our houses, livelihoods, college educations and retirement funds will pay for it.”

Continue reading ‘Where the WGA Strike Stands’

I discovered the Filmschool podcast some time ago, and have been slowly catching up on old episodes. In one episode back in December of 2006 Nathan and Mike interviewed reknown documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman. I was struck by the sheer amount of useful tips and knowledge dispensed by the director, and it dawned on me that this single podcast is more than just an intriguing interview…it is in fact an excellent tutorial on the basics of what it takes to be a documentary filmmaker. Wiseman is a wealth of insight and experience, and he shares freely. If you have a documentary bent, this particular podcast episode should be required listening. You can download the MP3 directly via this link, and I recommend subscribing to their podcast feed for more great content. A description of the episode follows:
Continue reading ‘How To Be a Documentary Filmmaker’

Exclusive FreshDV interview with Daniel Gurewitch
By Matt Jeppsen, Editor FreshDV

A Senior writer for College Humor TV, Daniel Gurewitch is actively involved in the screenwriting process for the site’s popular series of original online shorts. We caught up with Daniel recently to get a snapshot of how CHTV’s creative content comes to life.

Matt Jeppsen: Daniel, why don’t you give us a quick summary of how you came into this writing position at College Humor, and what your background is.

Daniel Gurewitch: I was a TV & Film major at Syracuse University, where I focused on screenwriting. I set out from college writing TV spec scripts with the distant hope of one day being paid to write comedy. CollegeHumor hired me as a receptionist, so instead of being a good receptionist, I started writing like crazy. My articles did well, the staff took notice, and they were kind enough to bring me on as an editorial assistant right around the time that CHTV was taking off. The other staff writers are hilarious, but they didn’t have a lot of screenwriting experience at the time, so that nudged me towards scripts. Also, Sam Reich (the director of CHTV) and I have similar comedy tastes and philosophies, so we’re a good team. I guess a lot of things clicked.

MJ: So do you feel that your Film/TV major from Syracuse really prepared you for the specifics of screenwriting in this role?
Continue reading ‘FreshDV Film School: Interview With Screenwriter Daniel Gurewitch’

So what’s a striking writer do with their time in the picket lines? Write, it seems. “Not the Daily Show” is one such outlet, and offers a slice of snarky insight that will remind you why you miss The Daily Show. This is why you want good writers on your side. Watch the video below. For another take on the WGA walkout, Variety has an article in which the IATSE takes aim at the strikers.
Continue reading ‘Writers Strike a Chord with “Not the Daily Show” Parody’

Splice Here, one of my new favorite reads, points to this New York Times article on the position of the Writers Guild of America strikers and how it relates to “big star” salaries.

“According to a report from the Writers Guild of America West, which represents the lion’s share of Hollywood writers, movie residuals were just $121.3 million in 2006, a mere drop in the $3 billion bucket. A big star, by contrast, can easily make $70 million or more from a single hit, if he or she enjoys a so-called first dollar gross deal.”

When you put it like that…ouch.

The creators of the independent film 10 MPH have released a practical DIY Filmmaking Handbook that covers all the steps they have taken to market their film, from branding and festival submissions to self-financed DVD release and theatrical tour. The manual is available as a 26 page PDF for a buck, or you can read it online free. Here’s what it covers:

INTRO
HISTORY
ONLINE EXPERIENCE
DESIGN & BRAND
FESTIVALS
PRESS
WHO DO YOU KNOW?
KEEP MAKING FILMS
SPONSORS
DVD RELEASE
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
THEATRICAL TOUR
DIY FOR EVERYONE?

(Via Cinematech)

We’ve covered the Writers Guild strike previously, below a short video that lays out the issues pretty plainly. But in an alternative take on the strike, one writer suggests that the WGA should concentrate on copyright instead of higher payouts that ultimately benefit an elite few.
Continue reading ‘A Short Video That Explains The WGA Strike’

Monday marked the start of the Writers Guild of America’s industry-wide strike. The decision came over the weekend after talks between the studios and the WGA broke down, with the media conglomerates still unwilling to pay residuals on “new media”…web video, streaming TV shows, and the money made from such content. There is also the issue of a higher rate for DVD residuals, the old contract rate was established back in the early days of VHS and it seems that nobody at the time anticipated how that landscape would develop as DVDs came into popularity. According to The Hollywood Reporter,

“writers get 1.8% of just 20% of wholesale DVD revenue. That formula translates to about $64,800 flowing to writers of a DVD that sells 1 million copies. The WGA would like to see that formula doubled, or more, when it comes to the selling of Internet downloads — even if, right now, sales of such are paltry when compared to DVDs.”

Regarding the online issue, Robert J. Elisberg has summed up the issue in a nutshell: Continue reading ‘What the WGA Strike Means to You’