Saturday 29 March 2014

7 Funding Tricks from 7 Documentary Filmmakers



7 Funding Tricks from 7 Documentary Filmmakers.

POV's Story Doctor Fernanda Rossi has been probing successful filmmakers about their budgets for the last few months. Here's what she's learned from seven of them.


http://www.pbs.org/pov/blog/storydoctor/2014/03/7-funding-tricks-from-7-documentary-filmmakers/

12 Incredible Tweeters That Post About Film Production



12 Incredible Tweeters That Post About Film Production.

There's lots to like about Twitter! One reason is for information, and for us some of our favorite Twitter accounts that we follow and enjoy learning from with regards to film production are listed below. If you have a 13th to add to the list then the comment section is yours below, so feel free to post a Twitter profile link or two, or comment on the 12 that I list here.

http://www.spidvid.com/blog/2014/03/12-tweeters-film-production/

Monday 24 March 2014

DIY Tips + Tricks from Indie Filmmakers



DIY Tips and Tricks from Indie Filmmakers.

Executive producer Zak Baggans and director Devin Lawrence have worked together on the Travel Channel's popular "Ghost Adventures" series, and they teamed up with TV veteran and DP Mark LaFleur to create their first feature film: Sympathy, Said the Shark. The democratization of film technology has put affordable, feature film quality tools in the hands of many, making DIY filmmaking truly possible. But it's not just the up and comers taking advantage of these tools. Even those established in the industry are using these tools to deliver their own projects, which is exactly what Zak, Devin and Mark are doing with their first film. Learn from Devin and Mark about their thoughts about indie filmmaking and its future. 

Stop the BBFC Killing Independent Film



Stop the BBFC Killing Independent Film.

There's a really intelligent and well-written breakdown of what this change is and why it matters over at MovieMail. Basically, the BBFC are changing the rules regarding what material on a DVD release can be exempt from classification, meaning that documentary and behind-the-scenes footage will now incur substantial per-minute fees from which they were previously exempt. This is being put together under the aegis of protecting children from being exposed to rude music videos on DVD (and, seriously, when the hell was the last time a kid watched a music video for the first time on DVD? There's a thing called YouTube which I understand is very popular nowadays), but will have a serious impact for independent distributors who depend on substantial extras on the releases of minority interest DVDs to give them even the slightest chance of breaking even in a difficult marketplace.

Friday 14 March 2014

Sam Mendes’s 25 Rules for Directors | Vanity Fair

At its spring gala, the Roundabout Theatre Company honored Sam Mendes, prolific director of theater—his King Lear and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are both currently playing in London—and films, including Skyfall and American Beauty.

The event, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, included speeches and performances from Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson, and Alan Cumming, who did a number from Cabaret, which Mendes is bringing to Broadway this season. Some Mendes collaborators weighed in via video, including one clip in which Judi Dench andDaniel Craig joined in singing "Cabaret."

After reviewing his career highlights, in depth, the British Academy Award winner said, "One of the things I love about Americans is you do massive ego trips incredibly well. Blimey. I don't think I've ever seen so many photographs of myself. I didn't even know they existed." Mendes also noted that while tributes are wonderful, they are backward looking, and then decided to share what he's learned along the way. "If there are any directors out there in the audience, or anyone who's interested in directing, I've written 25 steps towards becoming a happier director. These are them:



Thursday 13 March 2014

RedShark News - View from the top, pre NAB 2014: Larry Jordan on the state of video editing and post production

Larry Jordan is a well known video industry figure, whose webcasts are listened to in 175 countries. We asked him about editing, color correction, the cloud, and whether he's looking forward to April's NAB - the biggest show of the year...

www.redsharknews.com/post/item/1529-view-from-the-top,-pre-nab-2014-larry-jordan-on-the-state-of-video-editing-and-post-production

Tuesday 11 March 2014

The 25 Greatest Cinematographers In Film History | Taste of Cinema

Cinematographers – or 'directors of photography', if you're not into the whole brevity thing – have been the unsung heroes of cinema since the year dot. If the writer is a movie's synapses and the director is its heart, the DP is the eyes. Manipulating light, depth and perspective to elevate even the most simple stories into things of beauty, they are often filmmaking's unsung heroes.


www.tasteofcinema.com/2014/the-25-greatest-cinematographers-in-film-history

Monday 10 March 2014

FilmmakerLive

Amazing camera controls - Get the shots you want

Work as a team - Anyone, anywhere, real time

Virtual asset store - Quick digital location scouting

Plan and pitch your film - On your iPad or Surface



Wednesday 5 March 2014

Simplicity & Beauty: DP Sean Bobbitt Discusses the Stunning Cinematography of '12 Years A Slave' « No Film School

Of the many excellent films to hit theaters last year, few were as powerful (or as well shot) as the Best Picture Oscar winner, 12 Years A Slave. It's one of those rare films that transcends its utterly brutal subject matter and makes a powerful statement about the resiliency of the human spirit. Although much of that power is derived from terrific acting and direction, Sean Bobbitt's masterful cinematography plays a critical role in allowing the emotionality of the story and its characters to emanate from the screen. In a pair of excellent interviews with Cinefii and Time LightBox, Bobbitt explains not only how he managed to craft such a gorgeous film, but also his theories behind portraying violence through film, working with Steve McQueen, and much, much more. Stick with us for a crash course in dramatic cinematography.

http://nofilmschool.com/2014/03/simplicity-beauty-dp-sean-bobbitt-discusses-cinematography-of-12-years-a-slave/

Tuesday 4 March 2014

The 12 Most Desired Final Cut Pro X Features | Filmmaker Magazine

Final Cut Pro X (FCP X) was announced in April of 2011 and released in June of the same year. In the nearly three years since its release I have slowly increased the amount of work I do with it. As of this writing I am in the early stages of editing a feature-length documentary using Final Cut Pro X. I agree with the post-production masses that say Apple should have handled the launch of FCP X much better than it did. I could go on and on about what I wish they would have done differently. I won't. That is not the purpose of this article. It is also not a point-for-point comparison of editing apps. And I'm not here to debate whether it's a pro tool or not either. Many people have been cutting great things with FCP X just like with Avid, Premiere and previous versions of FCP. What I do want to do here is look at where FCP X currently is and what I hope Apple does to continue to grow it and make it better.

filmmakermagazine.com/84632-the-12-most-desired-final-cut-pro-x-features#.UxXyRKwgHCR

Sunday 2 March 2014

10 Fun and Fascinating Facts About the 2014 Oscar-Nominated Films



10 Fun and Fascinating Facts About the 2014 Oscar-Nominated Films.

Tomorrow night, we'll finally be able to cash in on those Oscar bets when the best of Hollywood are honored at the 86th Academy Awards. Nine feature films created by some of the greatest directors working today will compete for Best Picture gold. We've selected ten fun and fascinating facts about each movie, recognizing the extreme and sometimes unusual methods these filmmakers and stars employed to create a memorable motion picture.