News and links from around the internet focussing on filmmaking, film makers and more. Curated by @ukcameraman
Making a movie on a shoestring is easier than ever. Follow these pro tips to get started.
We are living in exciting times. You no longer have to have be a Hollywood big-shot with multi-million dollar investment to make a movie. The success of low-budget movies such as Kevin Smith's Clerks has given rise to a movement dubbed 'guerrilla filmmaking', involving low budgets, skeleton crews, simple props and a can-do attitude.
The future has arrived! Check out a selection of the best new cameras, gadgets and equipment aimed at making it easier than ever to make your own movie.
The invention of the stills camera that can shoot video, the HDSLR, has played a huge role in the continuing democratization of the filmmaking process. Quick definition: a Digital SLR or DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera uses mirrors to direct light from the lens to the viewfinder. An HDSLR is a DSLR that is capable of capturing high definition video.
Choosing a lens is one of the most important decisions you make as a filmmaker. Your depth of field, distortion, and overall composition are dependent on the lens you choose. But how do you go about shopping for camera lenses with so many brands and options out there? We'll break it down for you in our Video Camera Equipment Guide.
http://www.slrlounge.com/school/dslr-video-camera-equipment-guide-lensesAs an Indy production company, we are always challenged with money when we dive in to a project done by us. This with time has forced us to think effectively, and to us the trick has been, how do we use what we already have, own or have access to, to the maximum potential.
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?p=342107An award-winning animator is hoping to raise £10,000 to allow him to finish his latest short film.
Drew Roper, aged 26, has launched a campaign on crowd-funding website Kickstarter, urging members of the public to donate at least £1 towards his film, At-Issue.
Local New York news recently featured the story of an unmanned aerial vehicle (a UAV or drone) with a camera attached to it that crashed to the ground near Grand Central Station, in the middle of a busy part of midtown.
The drone's pilot, David Zablidowsky, was charged with a Class A misdemeanor for reckless endangerment. As the local ABC affiliate reported, "The FAA has yet to come up with concrete rules for unmanned aircraft systems, known as UAS or drones, but has said that 'UAS operations are currently not authorized in class b airspace which exists over major urban areas.'"
http://www.indiewire.com/article/how-safe-is-drone-filmmakingOscar-nominated film and TV actor John Hawkes had some advice to share for filmmakers on surviving in the film industry.
In an article published by Movie Maker Magazine, Hawkes said he has no formal education in moviemaking, but that he's picked up helpful hints through his profession by observing others on set and learning via filmmaking books. Considering the varying nature of the projects he takes on, from HBO's comedic "Eastbound and Down" to the more serious tone of Spielberg's film "Lincoln," Hawkes wisdom is well-earned.
First you need a great script. Then you need to write a business plan, then you gotta find investors. As part of this process, you will want to know how to leverage tax incentives and hire crew… And obviously, you'll want to know how to get your movie made!
Posted on 22. Oct, 2013 by steven schwartz
For people looking for work in offices, the resume is the currency of hope. For creatives looking to impress those who hire for video positions, the job is a little more complicated. To get work you have to a) have done work in the past, b) made some great-looking projects, and c) have some references from people who'll say they liked working with you. Video work counts even when you didn't get paid for it, so for those starting out, be willing to work for free just to get portfolio fodder. This two-part article from Fstoppers is filled with good advice and has examples of some great demo reels. One tip not mentioned – make your demo reel an ongoing project and update it periodically with fresh material.
http://blog.planet5d.com/2013/10/best-foot-forward-make-a-better-video-demo-reel/About a decade ago while I was attending the Vancouver International Film Festival, I ended the screening day over beers with a small group of critics. By the end of the evening, we came around to proclaiming John Carpenter the most underrated American filmmaker of our time. Here's a filmmaker who has made only one feature in the past decade, the low-budget "The Ward," yet his legacy is getting more respect than ever -- at least on home video. In 2013 alone, he's had six films debut on Blu-ray and one remastered in a gorgeous new edition, reason enough to revisit his legacy.
http://www.indiewire.com/article/why-john-carpenter-is-the-most-underrated-filmmaker-of-our-timeThe RX10 in video configuration – proof that all news shooters need a floppy hat.
Most of the web chatter yesterday was about Sony's new A7 and A7R full-frame cameras. These are small technological marvels but for me it may well be the RX10, launched at the same time, that is of more interest to video journalists.
http://www.newsshooter.com/2013/10/17/sony-rx10-a-video-journalists-delight/Popular documentaries like The Imposter have used literary and formal devices influenced by the style of New Journalism, established in the 1960s.
Know your past so you can tell your future can be applied to all forms of culture, and there was a recent, scintillating reminder of this truism for documentary filmmakers.
