Film Flap

Action!

2009-09-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

I know it's been forever since I've written anything and I apologize. My life went pretty wacko while going to school and directing Midnyte, a web series for my job. As I've since been moved to contractor status, things have calmed down a bit. I think.

A lot of amazing things are happening that continue to inspire me that the internet is still the future for filmmakers with little or no money to work with. There is so much information (see the sidebar for some excellent blogs I frequent) and opportunity waggling in front of us, that we just need to grab it.

I'm inspired by Nina Paley's Sita Sings the Blues, an animated film with a distribution and profit model that is very exciting. It goes like this: release your movie everywhere possible for free, then sell the "containers" (DVDs, T-shirts, pins) to make money. It's the same as the Homestar Runner model only with a film. It's brilliant and is something we all could do. After all, we all have access to the same internet.

Finally, I'm doing another short film for school and have decided on an action slant. Entitled No Man's Land, it will feature an ensemble cast, machine guns, a deserted jail, explosions, body armor and RPGs. What else could you want in a microbudget movie?

Thawing Out

2009-07-09T04:12:00.000-07:00

It has been WAY too long since my last post and I apologize to all those out there who actually read this thing and derive any benefit from it. My job has totally sapped all my resources as of late, but I have missed being a blogger and have learned much since my last post that I want to pass on. I'm a big believer that the sharing of information is incredibly important is the filmmaking world and I want to continuing doing so.

I don't have much to share right now (hey, it's five in the morning), but promise that I'm going to get back on track and start to post things that can be of use to those with a camera and a passion to tell stories with it.

The first thing I need to do is get my domain name back. Filmflap.net lapsed due to an old credit card, and I missed the warning. I've emailed Godaddy (the name still appears registered to me) to fix the problem, get them their money and move on. Let's hope it really is that easy...

'Midnyte' Auditions Now Official

2009-01-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

Another exciting step in the production of 'Midnyte' is the casting notice. This is pretty serious because now I'm spreading the word all over the place that I'm working on a show, it's real and it comes out in a time frame that no one with all their marbles would attempt. Hey, all the best directors are crazy anyway, right?

Anyhoo, I'm always psyched about holding auditions. I love actors, and am always thrilled to see what they can bring to the table. The fact is, they have to do a good job or your sunk. It's hard to mess up a good script (in theory), but poor acting can do major damage to your credibility as a storyteller. Your audience needs to relate to your characters and feel something for them (love, hate, pity, whatever) even in a genre piece.

I want to see as many people as possible show up for the audition. It's always better to have too many choices rather than too few. I know there is no pay here, but I'm hoping the uniqueness of the story and the exposure possibilities (local Comcast On Demand airing) will draw plenty of interest.

If you live near Salt Lake City, click on the link at the top of the article for details. I'd love to see what you have to offer.

Midnyte is Coming...

2009-01-03T05:59:00.000-08:00

Now this is pretty exciting and/or scary. A really amazing opportunity has opened up for me to produce a short narrative series that will simultaneously air on both local Comcast On Demand (viewable for free) as well as the web. The epsisodes will be around five minutes each and there will be about twelve of them. They will be released weekly and the show will run for three months.

All kinds of things are zipping through my head right now, especially the marketing piece. Having any kind of narrative show/movie is very exciting but as I and others (major nod to Bill Cunningham of Pulp 2.0) have stressed, the best show in the world is only worthwhile if people see it. One of your hats has to be be promotion. And who better to promote it than the person who created it?

One of the first things you can do is to blog about your creation. Even if no one is reading it, when you have properly done your job and created a buzz around your baby, there will be lots of stuff for people to peruse. Nothing is more exciting to me than finding a neat project someone is putting together, then finding a blog with production information (like tricks you can use in your movies), cast photos and behind-the-scenes videos. I want to see that kind of thing.

So, I have setup a blog for my project entitled Midnyte is Coming. It's on a free blogger account, it's very barebones and will concern all information swirling around my latest Probably Bit Off More Than I Can Chew endeavor. I will be making my first entry as soon as I am done here. I hope you will join me.

Midnyte is set to debut on Friday March 13, 2009. Watch for it!

Reporter Throws Shoes at Senator Spaz

2008-12-18T11:36:00.000-08:00

Here's a spoof I just created that riffs on the George Bush being attack by a pair of shoes incident. There are also two other versions that can be found on the Lunawebs YouTube channel. Let me know what you think--comment below!

Embedding YouTube's HD Video

2008-12-13T16:02:00.000-08:00

The blog lives! Yes, I know it has been forever (over a month) since my last post, but my new job has been taking a lot of my creative juices. Rightly so, as they are paying me to be the video guy. They even have me blog once a week, which had me using posts I'd normally put up here, there.

The good news is that Lunawebs is more interested in short blog posts that take 10-15 minutes to put up and come from the week's experience. My stuff is usually way too bloated for work (it takes about an hour to typically post something here) so I can actually blog in two places without stepping on anyone's toes.

Anyway, since one of my jobs is to create a YouTube presence for Lunawebs, I've been learning some cool stuff. One thing is that The Tube has recently supported HD video, complete with a widescreen player. All you have to do is upload in 1280 x 720 and YouTube will automagically give you a "play in HD" option to click on.

You can also embed in HD (see the giraffe above) by attaching the mystic "&ap=%2526fmt%3D22" onto the end of your video's URL. It's a great way to make your clips look great. We shoot with consumer-level HD Canon HF100s and they are the perfect camera (read: very affordable at $530) for uploading HD content to the web.

Judge for yourself. Then do it!

The Disparity of Performance

2008-10-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

While poking around on the web the other day I stumbled across a banner ad that touted NBC.com showing the old Buck Rogers TV show from the 80's. I was a faithful viewer when I was a kid and just had to check it out for a trip down nostalgia lane. It was just as I remember it, with every episode from the scant two seasons that it ran (the first was way better than the second).

If you have never seen this show, then you'll probably want to pass. I admit it's pretty awful, but also had a sort of goofy charm and optimism that that you don't get from television anymore. The success of Star Wars spun off a lot of copycats, but Buck was more of a remake of the old serials (which also inspired George Lucas) than a direct ripoff. Rogers was played by the likable Gil Gerard and Erin Gray starred as love interest Wilma Deering. Gerard's career would peak here, while Gray would go on to more success with the sitcom Silver Spoons.

When I went to NBC's site to check out some vid, a clip was featured (seen above) from one of the first season's last episodes. It was the excellently titled "Flight of the War Witch" and Buck was about to "leave the universe". It's a farewell scene between Buck and Wilma, which you'd normally expect to see in a train station, but here it's a spacecraft hangar (no trains leaving the known universe, I guess).

What I found interesting here (and something we should all note in our productions) is how both actors play the scene on completely different levels which turns the whole thing comic. Gray tries to hit her emotions out of the park, even getting the waterworks to flow. Gerard, on the other hand, is so wooden here you want to check him for a pulse. These two are supposed to have chemistry, but because of the way the actors are directed (or not) she comes across as cloying and him insensitive. It's all wrong and made me snicker.

There has to be some balance for this scene to play correctly. Either Gerard has to elevate emotionally or Gray has to underplay. The way it is now, you have to laugh. The cornball dialogue doesn't help and is made worse when one of the leads looks like he'd rather be elsewhere. Good chemistry can cover a multitude of sins, but only if you get your actors to connect properly.

How This Blog Helped Me Change Jobs

2008-10-21T06:17:00.000-07:00

I have posted recently about the viral ads that I was contracted to create for Lunawebs, a local web developer here in Salt Lake City. My last post was the actual ad that I created to help drive traffic to their site, and potentially create more work for me. Well, as it turns out, not only did I get more work, I got a job offer! Yep, I'm now the new Multimedia Director for Lunawebs, which is just a fancy name for "video guy." They are branching out into online video creation and I'll be the in-house person that creates it. I'm pretty excited.

This was not an overnight thing. I've known the business owner for many years (and Film Flap has been up for almost two), and he's followed my work for as long as I've had it online. It helped that I sent him a link every time I had something new to watch, and always asked his opinion. It was also a big help (and here's my point) that I had a blog with lots of stuff to peruse, which acts as an online resume that anyone can access at anytime from anywhere with a computer and an internet connection.

Even if you don't blog, having a singular spot for your video content can lead to good things. I have never been one to talk up my work as much as let the work do the talking. I love hearing honest opinions which have often led me to reevaluate and improve. It would be one thing if this was a difficult process, but the most popular video sharing site it the world is stupid easy to use. Are you using it?

Don't waste time. There are so many great tools at your disposal that can help you tell great stories and get them out there. Who knows, someone may even pay you to make crazy videos that you'd make for free anyway. It happend to me.

Viral Ad Number One

2008-10-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

Here's the first of hopefully many more "short-shorts" created for Lunawebs. This was shot in about two-and-a-half hours using a Canon Optura Pi SD camera, a Sennheiser ME-66 shotgun mic, and a little Lowel light kit. The actors and the location were local to Salt Lake City and I cut the thing in about two hours using Sony Vegas Pro 8.

Budget: A box of donuts (which I included in the shoot).

Feel free to leave your comments below.

Creating "Short-Shorts"

2008-10-03T06:24:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. Time for me to get off my butt and do something creative. Fortunately, there always seems to be something demanding my attention that can be a great exercise in the flexing of the creative filmmaking muscles department.

This time my job is to develop monthly viral ads for a local web firm, Lunawebs.com. The owner is a friend of mine, likes my work and has employed me in the past. He has given me a potentially unending assignment and creative freedom up the wazoo. The goal: create any video I want with their logo attached. That's it. I can literally do whatever I please (okay, nothing obscene), affix their logo and spread the thing all over the web (TubeMogul could be a good way to do that) with the intent of driving traffic to the Lunawebs site.

While I do enjoy the creative freedom this give me, it also presented a conundrum. What the heck do you produce when no parameters of any kind are given? Is too much freedom no freedom at all? I was a bit lost at first, but I've finally focused my efforts and will begin to shoot the first of several "wordplays" in the middle of next week. I don't want to go into any detail yet, but I will say that they will (should) be funny, quirky, very short and utilize the microbudget mentality that I'm very fond of. This last part is very important because while my budgets will be micro, I do plan on paying everyone. Even if it ain't much.

So stay tuned. Every new "short-short" will appear here first, then get blasted all over the web soon thereafter. It will be a monthly experiment that should prove beneficial to all involved. Not to mention new things to write about!

'Middle of Nowhere' Up for Four Awards at Indy Mogul's '5 Minute Movie House'

2008-09-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

Back in February, I posted about how my short Middle of Nowhere received a little attention by getting on Indy Mogul's blog page via their 5 Minute Movie House weekly film contest. That was cool, but even cooler is what they're now doing after posting 30 short films: an awards contest!

Registered Mogulers vote on various categories for the nominated films. Middle of Nowhere is up for four awards which include Best Picture, Best Horror/Thriller, Best Special Effects, and Best Technical Achievement. The special effects nom is the most curious as my only effects were muzzle flashes added in post. So far no one who has seen the short has spotted this, so anyone voting would probably wonder why I was nominated in the first place. A true compliment.

I'm not a big fan of open voting in film competitions (they're just tests of who has the largest pool of family and friends), but it's fun anyway. We all make movies because we want people to see them, and the 5 Minute Movie House is a neat (and not to difficult) way to help this happen.

Voting ends on Sunday. No prizes have been listed, but a trip to New York to meet the Mogul Staff and appear in a podcast would sure be cool. Wes? Erik? Steve? Thoughts?

UPDATE: We won! Middle of Nowhere took three of the four awards including Best Picture! It's always nice to add 'award winning filmmaker' to your resume, even if the award is a T-shirt!

A Great Forgotten Short Film: '12:01pm'

2008-08-21T06:35:00.000-07:00

While showing my short film Middle of Nowhere to my son recently, I pointed out that the only shot of a clock references another short film. That film was called 12:01pm and was shown way back in 1990 on HBO. My girlfriend knew I was a huge Twilight Zone fan and insisted that I watch it, claiming it was brilliant. She was right, and I never forgot 12:01pm, which was the first film I ever saw about being caught in a time loop (although I seem to recall Doctor Who having a similar dilemma). Groundhog Day is an obvious decedent of this movie, as was mine.

My son was wondering if we could watch that original film, so I checked on YouTube. Sure enough, it was there, chopped into three parts. It stars the great character actor Kurtwood Smith, who is most famous for playing the gruff dad on That 70's Show. Here he is wonderful as Myron Castleman, a poor shlub doomed to repeat the same hour over and over, with memory intact. I also really liked Laura Harrington as Delores, the woman he talks to in the park. The real star is the story however (penned by Stephen Tolkin and Johnathan Heap and directed by Heap), as our hero tries desperately to get out of his one hour prison. Rod Serling would be proud.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

The Conservation of Shooting

2008-08-05T07:13:00.001-07:00

I had an interesting experience while shooting my last narrative short for my film class at the University of Utah. While I've never really had a ton of time to finish any project, this time out I had even less. I was given about a month to crank out a narrative and two weeks to create a documentary. Since I have no desire to attach my name to anything that is slapped together, I went full speed and produced two short films that I am proud of. It wasn't easy (especially with a full-time job and family commitments), but I did learn some interesting stuff.

Planning, of course, is paramount in the no budget world, but this time out I found myself often flying by the seat of my pants and improvising. I was at a real disadvantage not having actually visited my locations, which made it somewhat difficult to plan the shots out in my head. I had storyboarded anyway, but what you see on the stick-figured page is rarely what you get.

Make sure you arrive on set early, long before anyone else.

On my first of two half days of the shoot, I made sure I arrived as early as possible to the bus stop location. This gave me time to look around and plan out my shots more thoroughly. Funny thing, even though I had determined (with the help of my actress and her mother) this spot would work, I decided to drive along the bus route to see if there was something better. There was. The original stop was in front of a church, but just down the road the bus was going to stop in front of a vacant lot. Much better to show the void between the characters that would eventually meet there. A couple of phone calls directed everyone to the new location and we were off.

Sometimes, natural lighting IS really all you need.

I really hate cheap lighting setups. This seems to be a hallmark of microbudget fare, but I want no part of it. When I wrote The Payoff, I knew I only wanted sunlight or ambient lighting to illuminate my subject matter. I did this for two reasons. First, it lends to a more "realistic" feel of the visuals, and it is a lot faster. Time was my enemy on both my shoot days (I had about four hours each day) and had to go very fast. I had written the motel scenes in a room that faced the sun, and thats what I got. Drawing the first transparent curtain acted as diffusion and lit the room nicely, casting soft shadows (or a noir-ish silhouette) on my lead actor.

I was even more fortunate for the exterior shots. We were having a lot of overcast days, and I was praying they would stick around for my exteriors at the bus stop. Sure enough it held just long enough for me to get my shots. I did end up playing tag with the sun, but the more harsh lighting can only really be detected in the last shot where it worked anyway (I like to think of it as the "heaven approves" shot).

I didn't even have a bounce card for either of my shoot days (dumb, I know), but it didn't matter. The lighting looked great and since I used and HDV camera, it was forgiving enough to make everything look really good.

Shooting in sequence can help unmuddle your head.

When I was in the motel room (on the second day), I sort of got lost as to what I needed to get. I had my storyboards, but quickly became disoriented about what I still needed to shoot. As a result, I did something very unconventional: I began shooting in sequence. This easily allowed me to play out my movie in my head, revealing what shots I still needed. It also had me improvising quickly which allowed me to move through my shot list very fast. I never had to repeat anything, and I again got every shot I needed.

Take advantage of items at your location to avoid transporting your own.

At the motel, I knew I wanted some dolly shots. The first long shot in the film is inspired by Hitchcock's Notorious, as well as a tracking shot in the hallway that goes all Vertigo. Since I was in an introductory class and was not allowed a real camera dolly, I opted to use a wheelchair, which can be a nice substitute on a smooth surface. Problem was, I wasn't able to get back to school to get a chair before my shoot days. I banked on the fact that most motels provide wheelchairs for their customers and I was right. This gave me my a dolly that I didn't have to lug around in my car, which saved me setup and strike time. I know I gambled here, but it worked and my film looks all the better for it.

Keep your cast and crew as small as possible.

I know we all dream of the big production and cast of thousands, but I like a more intimate production that is conducive to speed and less stress. The more people you ask to show up increases the odds that more of them will cancel. Pare everyone back to the bare minimum. I think you only really need a DP (which in my case is me) a sound guy, and a grip/gopher. A costume and makeup person is also great, but sometimes you don't need them if you can do that job too (or involve your actors in this area). My actress did her own bruises with the aid of Kara, one of the camera assistants (or grip/gopher in the above scenario).

Place your shoot in between meals and you won't have to feed anybody.

This is a tricky one, but if you are willing to sacrifice time, you can pull it off. Feeding people who work for you for free is very important. You can't expect folks to be at the top of their game if they are weak and undernourished. However, if you can have brief shooting days of four to five hours or less, you can get your work done fast and release everyone. Hold them longer than that and you had better cave with some food or they won't come back. Just make sure you tell them to eat before coming to the set. I know four to five hours won't always work, but if it does (as it did for me), there that much more you saved. Plus, you won't completely drain people and they will remember that as a positive.

When you are put in a box like this, it forces you to be creative and resourceful in ways you probably weren't even aware of when your started. This is a good thing, and will only make you better. One thing I really like about filmmaking is that I learn something from every project that makes me stronger and brings me closer to my goal of doing this for a living. I just have to keep doing it.

The Dark Knight

2008-07-24T06:15:00.000-07:00

This Joker is Wild

The hype machine has been working overtime on this sequel to the rebooted DC Comics franchise that started two years ago with Batman Begins. Ever since the last scene of that film which teased the arrival of number one Bat Baddie The Joker, fans have been frothing at the mouth. Add to that the apparent stunt casting of Brokeback Mountaineer Heath Ledger and the return of director Christopher Nolan (Memento) , and you've got something worth watching. I'm happy to report that even though The Dark Knight isn't the greatest superhero film I've ever seen, Ledger is definitely the best super villain.

A clown-faced whack job calling himself The Joker (Ledger) is stealing mob money from banks in Gotham City. With an agenda of chaos on his mind, this creepy criminal attracts the attention of Batman (Christian Bale), who may be the only one capable of stopping him. Meanwhile, alter ego Bruce Wayne vies for the affections of former love Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who is currently seeing star District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). All three are on a collision course with The Joker, who wishes to destroy anything that will bring peace to Gotham and crime to a standstill.

Everything you've heard about the late Ledger's performance is absolutely true. His take on the maniacal Joker is excellent, from his disturbing laugh, to the constant licking of his lips, to his love for sharp objects. He really seems to be totally insane, yet smart and controlled at the same time. His introduction perfectly captures how dangerous this guy is, yet punctuates it with a sick joke that you can't help but laugh at ("Wanna see a magic trick?").

Bale and company are all very good, but since Ledger steals every scene he's in, we anxiously await his return. Nonetheless, Eckhart (No Reservations) is strong (and gets stronger) as the ambitious Dent, while Gyllenhaal (Stranger Than Fiction) surpasses her predecessor, Katie Holmes. Backup is provided by greats Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman. Even the small parts are well-filled by familiar faces Eric Roberts and Anthony Michael Hall. Nolan must have some kind of pull.

Despite all the acting clout, it's fortunate that there is a compelling, well written story here, that keeps our interest and moves along at a nice pace. The movie has lots of action, but characters are allowed to breathe and develop and we care about what happens to each of them. Nolan also makes it abundantly clear that anyone could live or die at any time. This really ups the stakes and the feeling of tension we get is very real.

My only complaint is that at two-and-a-half hours, the movie begins to feel long. Things develop in the third act that, while compelling, should have been saved for another movie. As a result, The Dark Knight suffers from "too many villains in one movie" syndrome that plagued the previous series. It is still a very good movie, but tighten up this one loose end and I think this film may have eclipsed my favorite superhero flick, the original Superman (1978). As it is now, no suck luck.

Not that anyone will care. This movie is already a guaranteed success, which will mean another sequel. I hope Nolan can continue to raise the bar as he has done here, and we get another thrilling excursion into crime-ridden Gotham City. Batman outfitter Freeman gives us a hint of what's to come when he tells Bale that his new Batsuit is effective against dogs "and cats."

Mini Documentary: "Kind of Famous"

2008-07-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

So where have I been for the last two weeks? Why, working on my second project for my Film Production I class, of course! If you thought one month was no time to turn out a narrative, how about two weeks for a documentary? Kind of Famous is the end result, a little chronicle of friend Terry Jeffs and his almost brush with the music big time. Like my last project, no sync sound is allowed, so no on camera interviews are permitted. Voice overs on the other hand...

I'm the first to admit that docs are not my forte. This one turned out pretty good I think, although I wish I would have had Terry express more of his feelings throughout, instead of just at the beginning and the end. Still, I'm happy with the final product.

What do you think?

Diary of a Short Film V: Premiere Week

2008-07-04T06:31:00.000-07:00

Here it is, the finished version of my latest short, The Payoff. Remember, the requirements of this assignment were no sync sound (so no talking heads) and you had to have a beginning, middle, and end. On Tuesday I showed it to my class on a big screen (which was very sweet) and Thursday to both my actors. Everyone seems to approve, but you be the judge. Also note that you can click on the HD link to see the movie in a much higher resolution (and bigger frame) than the teeny window above.

Enjoy, and please comment with your feedback!

Diary of a Short Film IV: Score!

2008-06-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

It is just amazing what original music will do for your images. After shooting and putting my Payoff footage together, I sent off a cut to my composer-friend, Seth Neuffer. Seth and I had worked together on my last short, Middle of Nowhere. It was a great experience, and I was glad that Seth chose to be on board for this film.

Like last time, we established and internet relationship. I sent my final cut to him as soon as I could, and he began returning clips with new music attached. It is a very exciting time in the edit, probably because this is something completely out of my control that just delights the heck out of me every time I get an update. I have been really looking forward to the early morning when I can open my email and find that I have a download waiting from a online file store like sendspace.

The work flow goes like this: Seth sends me a copy of the file I sent him (only with music), I reply with notes and he makes adjustments. It's stupid easy since Seth listens to me and always comes up with great stuff. It's just more proof that you need to find people that are better than you in a given area, then set them free. As long as they abide by what you are telling them (and strong-minded creative folks will always have valuable opinions), you will get results. It's a very satisfying feeling.

Anyway, things are winding down on this project (which is due next Tuesday), and we will have the final music cut on Sunday night. That gives me Monday to put together the final mix (not hard in an almost silent film) and turn it in on time. In class on Tuesday we will start watching all the narratives with the director sitting in front of the class answering questions. On the day it airs in class I will post it here, embedded from Vimeo in HD. See you then!

Phase: Post-production
Days remaining: 4
Money spent: $8

Diary of a Short Film III: Shooting Complete

2008-06-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

Shooting commenced on The Payoff last Friday, and concluded on Monday. I shot for two half days, between the hours of lunch and dinner. This forced me to shoot quickly, and saved me some money I'd usually spend to feed everyone. I don't really like to do this, but I'm very broke right now, and had little money to spend. The nice thing was that my actors knew this, and had no problem with it. Of course I let them go before they got hungry...

Last Friday we shot all the exteriors that took place at a bus stop. After scouting the intended location (in front of a church), I elected to move down the street where the stop was directly in front of a vacant lot--much more conducive to the story. We shot there for about four hours under an overcast sky. The lighting was excellent until the pesky sun decided to play hide and seek several times. For the most part the sun cooperated, except for one critical reaction shot that I just couldn't seem to get. In the end it was okay, as a rough cut with what I had worked well.

One Robert Rodriguez trick I employed was using my zoom lens to rapidly change shots that would be edited later. In The Payoff, two different characters exit the bus at the same stop, but in two different scenes. Since the bus would only arrive at our stop hourly, I put both actors on the bus at the previous stop (at the church) and had them exit separately. The first take was the best with the bus hitting it's unknown mark perfectly, and me shooting wide, then closer as my first actor exited. When he left the frame, I repositioned for my actress, then went very tight as the bus pulled away. It was a great way to get more than one shot with minimal bus fare and limited time.

On Monday I shot all my interiors in a real motel that was provided to me by a friend (Yes! I love connections). We shot everything using light coming in from the motel window and from the hallway lighting for the tracking shots. This looked pretty good, probably thanks to the fact that I was using the nifty Sony FX1 HDV camera. I've never shot in HD before, but always want to now. It's a great and detail rich medium.

So there you go. Shooting is over, and I already have a rough cut (using Vegas Pro 8) that I've sent to my composer for scoring ideas. The ultimate compliment came from my wife who saw only the last scene, teared up and said "I think this may be your best work." My actors (Bus Riley and Morgan Long) deserve a lot of credit for that comment. They were wonderful.

Phase: Post-Production
Days remaining: 11
Money spent: $8

Diary of a Short Film II: Musical Casting

2008-06-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hoo boy. It has been a tangled road to get this short off of the ground, mostly due to finding cast members. Not holding auditions early has put me in a pinch, forcing me to take who I can get and hope for the best. I felt like I didn't have time for auditions, but the fact is that I could have had I planned ahead and budgeted time to do so. This isn't to say that I wouldn't have still had the ol' "actors dropping out like flies" syndrome that plagues every no-budget project, but at least I would have more of a variety of flies to choose from.

Anyway, the only cast member I had set was Natalie Dallimore (pictured), who I had worked with before on an unfinished short entitled Blackout. She is a good actress and also does makeup and hair, which nicely kills two birds with one stone. She suggested I try friend Antonio Lexerot (for the father), whom she respects as an actor. I contacted him but he felt too young to play 50-ish and recommended one Bus Riley. Bus accepted, and suggested Morgan Long to play the daughter. I did manage to meet with her yesterday. Movie cast.

When I secured a shooting date (today) that both leads could make, Natalie couldn't (she was going to play the "woman in car" role). After trying to scramble to find a replacement, I just wrote that part out of the script (sorry, Nat). I'm running out of time fast, and can't afford to reschedule, so I have to adjust.

I did like the fact that Bus told me that he and Morgan could find someone, but decided to just go in a slightly different direction. It will save time and stress to just use Bus by himself and not worry about another person. Morgan will do her own makeup, so there you go.

Shooting starts today in three hours...

Phase: Production
Days remaining: 17
Money spent: $0

Diary of a Short Film I: The Script

2008-05-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

For reasons too lengthy to go into, I've found myself back in school to get a degree in Film Studies. In some ways I'm just spinning my wheels, but a refresher will be very good for me and force me (and others) to be more analytical toward my work. One of my first assignments in my Film Production I class is to make a short film with no dialogue. This exercise is to help you tell your story with visuals, so you can't rely on the spoken word (voice overs are allowed, but I'm sticking to the letter of the law). It's essentially a silent film, something I've never done before.

Anyway, I thought it might be educational to post my progress on this assignment which may help others who are trying to do something similar. I also hope to get feedback from you, which can only help me to be a better filmmaker. The due date is June 24, so I had better get cracking.

The other criteria for this project is that you have to shoot it yourself, you can't star in it, and it can't be over five minutes. I have no problem with the first two items, and there is no way I even want to approach the five minute mark. I just don't have the time to craft a film of that length. I want my story to be about three minutes, which is will still be tough, but doable.

The first thing I needed was an idea and one came to me while getting out of the shower. Oddly enough, the bathroom is a place I often get inspired and this time was no different. I wanted to do something more character driven and less plot-heavy than my previous work, and I think I hit on it with Payoff, a short story that plays like the tail end of a prodigal daughter tale.

I wrote a first draft of the script pretty quickly, and it came in at just over two pages. It's all action (of course), which may mean that it plays longer than written. I should be able to get my three minutes with ease.

Read the screenplay for Payoff...

Please click on the above link, and feel free to give me your input below. My schedule is pretty compressed (casting and shooting next week), but I am always open to good ideas. I've had pretty good collaborative experiences when shooting, but have resisted this at the writing phase. Now's your chance to make a difference! Tell me what you like and why! Tell me what sucks and why! Just make sure you tell me!

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

2008-05-20T06:03:00.000-07:00

Not Quite a King

Three years ago, I had an unexpected surprise in viewing the first film of Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia series, based on the C.S. Lewis books. I didn't expect anything above decent, but what I got was spectacular. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe became my favorite film of 2005. Now comes the next tale, Prince Caspian, which reunites almost all the same talent to continue the saga. While equally impressive in scope, this sequel suffers from a weaker story and underwhelming villain.

One year has passed since the Pevensie children unexpectedly left their beloved world of Narnia. Summoned back for unkown reasons, they discover their former home now an ancient ruin. 1300 Narnian years have passed in their absence and an evil king now reins. The true heir to the throne, noble Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), has fled to avoid being murdered at the hands of his wicked uncle. It is the prince who has magically called the Pevensies to save Narnia and return it to it's rightful citizens. With the odds against them, they must form an alliance and find the only one who can save them all: Aslan.

The look of this film is simply breathtaking. Returning director Andrew Adamson and his new cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub (Georgia Rule) have crafted a vivid canvas full of epic scope and lush detail. When the kids first return, they arrive on sparkling beach with water that looks so inviting you can almost smell the salt water. The forest is rich and very green, and the fields of battle are majestic and deep as far as the camera can see. It's all very impressive.

The CGI work is again excellent. With many a mystical creature filling this universe, they all appear realistic. From warrior centaurs to flying gryphons, it all comes across well. Aslan again projects himself as the regal Lion, the spiritual leader who we really believe is there (Liam Neeson's voice work doesn't hurt, either). There is a spectacular dream sequence where Lucy envisions flower petals carried upon the wind that form human shapes and faces. Beautiful.

All of the actors playing the Pevensie kids return, with only young Lucy (Georgie Henley) showing signs of growing up. I love these characters, and they have such good chemistry together that I could watch them for hours on end. Henley still steals every scene she's in, but I also liked the fact that older sibling Susan (Anna Popplewell) has feelings for the Prince and is no longer a kid, but a budding young woman. Another character I really enjoyed was the dwarf Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage), who's sarcasm is much larger than his tiny body should allow.

So why the so-so rating? As much as I found to like about Prince Caspian, I had almost as many dislikes, which I am disappointed to report. A large part of this is the story--it's just not that interesting. While Lion had a great slow-brewing plot that culminated with an exciting battle sequence, Caspian seems to just be about the battles themselves. There are more of them, but they are without tension or drama. I was bored during most of these segments (with the exception of Susan using her bow to great effect), which became bigger as the movie went along, but never seemed to get better or more engaging.

Another gaffe is the bland villain. King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) is not very menacing, and never generated any worry inside of me for our heroes' fate. Add to that the very lucid memory of Tilda Swinton's wonderfully evil White Witch from the first film (she makes a cameo this time), and the letdown continues. In any kind of thriller you simply must have a great baddie to initiate jeopardy, but the limp one we get here doesn't do the job.

I really wanted to like Prince Caspian. I love those kids, and the world Adamson and company have created is a vision to behold. It may be unfair to compare it to the far superior first film, but even on its own merits, this movie comes up short. And I haven't even brought up the sword-wielding mice...

Your Tripod is Really a Dolly/Crane?

2008-05-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

Prolost just turned me on to this excellent micro-budget trick that should be in everyone's quiver. To get a smooth dolly or low angle crane move, simply shorten the front leg of your tripod and push or pull while tilting. It's stupid simple, but can yield some very professional results. Check out the video above for some very convincing examples. Sure, you still need a tripod, but you own one of those anyway, right?

"You have to be very, very, very good at film making to entertain people for 90 minutes with string and a webcam."

2008-05-12T06:21:00.001-07:00

There's a great debate going on over at $1000 Film concerning the possibility of making money with a micro-budget movie. This is, and always has been, the mantra of Clive and his excellent blog, but it is a radical concept. It boils down to this: you can make something great for a paltry sum, as long as you know what you are doing. It's a philosophy I completely agree with.

Click on the link and read what others are posting (and Clive's responses) for a very informative read. $1k rocks!

Iron Man

2008-05-06T06:17:00.000-07:00

Heavy Metal

Did we really need another superhero movie? We seem to be inundated with them as of late, and while some do the job well (the Batman reboot, and the Spider-Man series), most have fallen pretty flat (Daredevil, Hulk, Fantastic Four and its sequel). I grew up reading my share of comics from the Marvel universe, but haven't been as excited about the latest villain-smasher as in previous years. When I heard that ol' Metal Head was coming to silver screen, I was mildly interested. When I discovered Robert Downey, Jr. was going to play lead Tony Stark, I was very interested. Fortunately, they really got it right this time--Iron Man is a very good movie in almost all categories.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) has it all. Brains, money, women, all the booze he can drink, and the most powerful weapons manufacturing corporation in the world. While showing off his latest creation in the Afgani desert, he is abruptly captured by a terrorist army armed with his products. Locked in a cave with the man who saved his life, he must build his latest missile from spare parts or face certain death. Stark has other plans, however, and learns that he must give back to all the lives he has indirectly taken over the years. He shuts down weapons production and creates a high-tech suit of armor that gives him super powers. But will his own company and partner Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) sit still for such radical action? Does Tony Stark care?

This is a great story that flies in the face of just about every rule we've been taught about movies of this ilk. Instead of already being a straight arrow type, Stark is a selfish man of the world, who has a change of heart. He's not a mutant of any kind, but creates his powers through the ability of his creative engineering chops--he's a DIY Superman. He even lacks the typical alliterative name that we usually associate with superheroes (personal assistant and love interest Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) does have one, however). The film carries this theme right down to the last line of dialogue which lets us know this ain't your mom's comic book movie. I love it.

All the characters are well-devleoped, but this is Downey, Jr.'s movie. He is so good here, bringing a snarky likability to the shallow-turned-deep Stark that you totally root for him. He fights not only the obvious baddies, but also the corporate America he helped create. A great script from the writers of Children of Men, fleshes Stark out and gives him lots of funny dialogue (As he gets in an Army vehicle: "I'll be here in the Funvee, while you're back in the hum-drumvee"). Who better to cast as Stark than a guy who himself has turned his life around?

There are three relationships in the movie, but two are critical and effective. Stark and Potts have several great moments, including a potential kiss on a balcony and another where she must perform impromptu surgery on him. It's funny, tender, intense, and perfect. The second involves Bridge's character and he is wonderfully sinister here. I've never seen him play someone this dastardly before, but he nails it. Every comic book movie needs a great villain, and Iron Man has one, thank you very much.

Of course you gotta have action, and director Jon Favreau (Zathura) gives us just enough to keep us happy. Iron Man flies, shoots repulsor beams from his palms, micro-missles from his forearm, and can take out hostage-holding bad guys with one shot. The CGI work really excels, looking realistic enough to suspend our disbelief and keep us in the movie. My only qualm is that while the action is good, it doesn't blow your socks off. Considering how high the bar was set by the rest of the film, I was hoping for more, but didn't really get it. This is just a minor knock on an otherwise excellent movie.

In my book, Iron Man ranks right up there with (but doesn't surpass) the very best of superhero cinema, the first Superman (1978). It's got a unique, well-acted character in Tony Stark, an engaging plot that never feels boring, good relationships, and decent action. It fulfills every requirement of the genre and then some. It sets a very high standard for the rest of the summer, and here's hoping that's a good omen rather than all downhill from here.

Speed Racer vs. Lexus: Yeah Right!

2008-05-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the great joy of experiencing the wonderful Iron Man (review coming), which ranks right up there with the best of the superhero movies, the original Superman (1978). Since it was the first big movie of the 2008 season, I was excited to see the new crop of trailers that would tease audiences about what this summer might be like (as if we didn't know already).

One of the best is the goose-bump inducing Speed Racer which looks visually stunning and super exciting (let's hope there's a story to go along with all the flash). Here's what I saw:

This trailer made me want to test drive the nearest sports car and stomp hard on the gas pedal. The tempting thrills presented in these few minutes were immediately dampened by this laughable commercial from Lexus:

This typical slo-mo car ad, quickly became a joke due to unfortunate placement. What about this boring spot makes you want to drive their fancy car? Not much. I want a Mach 5 instead! I wonder if it comes with a white helmet...