via Photo.

JJ Abrams is on the set of Downton Abbey for some reason. (via)

via JJ Abrams is on the set of Downton Abbey for some reason. (via).

Shaun of the Dead (2003), Hot Fuzz (2007), The World’s End (2013) [x,x,x]

via paralysedbeaver: Shaun of the Dead (2003), Hot Fuzz (2007), The….

via Photo.

To celebrate 10 years since the filming of Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg & co. are posting photos from each day of filming over on Edgar’s blog. It’s pretty awesome.

via To celebrate 10 years ! since the filming of Shaun of the….

What’s most interesting, and perhaps revolutionary, about this slider is the fact that it is designed to work with standard EMP pipe which can be bought on the cheap at your local hardware store. Because the user has the option to use of any length of track depending on the shot (and do so cheaply), the Red Rocket Travel Slider is not only one of the best bargains that you’ll find in terms of travel sliders, but it’s also the most versatile. Of course, Nice Industries also has a set of premium six-foot carbon fiber tracks, which break down into two-foot sections for ultimate portability, to accompany the slider.

In addition to offering the Red Rocket Travel Slider at a discounted price through their Kickstarter, the fine folks over at Nice Industries are also offering the slider paired with their innovative Aviator Travel Jib at some of the higher donation levels. If you haven’t already seen the video for the Aviator, check it out below:

The Red Rocket slider, in tandem with the Aviator jib, looks to make one of the most portable (not to mention affordable) combinations for achieving highly complex and cinematic camera moves. I’m personally a huge fan of the jib/dolly combo (jolly?) because it provides one the most precise and versatile systems of camera movement short of getting out the Steadicam. The possibilities are endless, and the entry price point for achieving such camera  moves has never been this low.

What do you guys think? Do you see yourselves making use of the Red Rocket Travel Slider on your next set? What about the Red Rocket/Aviator combo for some sweet jolly moves? Let us know in the comments.

Links:

• Red Rocket Travel Slider — Kickstarter
• Aviator Camera Gear

Red Rocket Travel Slider Might Just Be the Most Portable and Versatile Slider You've Ever Seen « nofilmschool.

First, here’s a trailer for Olympus Has Fallen, the first of two films to hit theatres this year with a Die Hard in the White House story:

Here are highlights from Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt’s Academy Conversation:

Script Magazine also recently published an in-depth interview with both Rothenberger and Benedikt. While Olympus Has Fallen was an older spec that their newer representation asked the writing duo to dust off and update, Rothenberger and Benedikt point out in the written interview the importance of next idea:

CR: That’s one thing that we’ve learned as writers: no matter what you’re working on right this second, always be thinking the next fresh original idea that you can write.  As a writer, the most important thing that you have is a great idea.  And then, if you are truly a writer with the ability to put it on the page, you’ll be able to execute and have someone interested in it down the line.  But you constantly have to be generating fresh, original ideas.  That’s the life-blood of any writer.

KB:  … even for us, for example, Olympus Has Fallen would never have seen the light of day had we not moved out here in 2007 and wrote five other spec scripts at that time.  One of which got the attention of our new rep.  It was another script that we had written, on spec, for free while we were struggling.

For aspiring screenwriters here on NFS, we’ve talked about perseverance and what we can do to write our next screenplay. Hearing the long journey (and risks) that Rothenberger and Benedikt had to take along the way certainly inspires me to continue working on my craft every day, and reminds me that you never know which script will get someone’s attention about your writing, nor which script will actually sell.

Make sure you check out the complete Script Magazine interview with Rothenberger and Benedikt to learn more about their story, and thanks to Academy Conversations for sharing their video (had to refrain from saying, “I’d like to thank the Academy,” but I guess I just did).

What lessons from Rothenberger and Benedikt’s journey to you find most valuable for your own path as a screenwriter? Let us know in the Comments.

Links:

• Academy Conversations: Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt – YouTube
• ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ Screenwriters Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt — Script Magazine

[via Academy Nicholl Fellowship Facebook page]

The Nine-Year Overnight Success Story of the 'Olympus Has Fallen' Screenwriters « nofilmschool.

Mirroring the fragrance itself in its tone, mise-en-scène, and actress Léa Seydoux, this “filmercial” (thanks Fashionista for that gem!) is playful, seductive, and warm. It reminds me of the Nouvelle Vague films of France made in the late 1950s and 1960s, and obviously pays homage to François Truffaut’s Jules et Jim (my second favorite movie of all time). “Candy” is a precocious young woman with the joie de vivre of Jeanne Moreau’s “Catherine,” while “Julius,” Rodolphe Pauly, and “Gene”, Peter Gadiot, follow her around awestruck.

Even though the narrative is simple, the film about this ménage à trois garnered significant attention, so much so that a behind-the scenes-featurette was made. In it the characters as well as Coppola talk at length about the character of “Candy”, who seems to emulate the attitude and spirit Prada envisioned for their fragrance. Coppola also goes on to describe what it’s like to work with Anderson, stating that, “We’ve done a lot of different things together, so it’s quite natural to work together and to feel — you know — in sync about what we’re doing.”

What do you think about Anderson and Coppola’s short film? What do you make of filmmakers like this making commercials, and what does it indicate, if anything?

Link: Prada Candy L’Eau — YouTube

Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola Team Up to Make a Short Film for Prada Candy L'Eau Perfume « nofilmschool.

via Probably my favourite subtle scene from The Naked Gun.

Wayne’s World, reunited.

via Wayne’s World, reunited..