If you’re an aspiring screenwriter, it’s important to read scripts. There are several aspects of the craft that you just can’t learn from watching movies. I’ve been trying to read at least one a week. “But where can I find scripts to read?”, you may ask. Well, you’re in luck.

ScriptShadow is a blog that has daily reviews of the hottest sceenplays currently circulating throughout Hollywood. Not only that, but more often than not, ScriptShadow actually includes links to the scripts themselves (unless specifically asked not to by the writer.)  It’s THE best place I know of to find current scripts, and the reviews are very helpful as well. Most helpful is the “What I learned” section at the end of each review. Often I’ll skip down to that section for Carson’s verdict and takeaway from the script.

This is a somewhat controversial website in screenwriting circles. Some argue that reviewing a screenplay is reviewing a work in progress and could actually hurt a project before its even had a chance. I can see where they’re coming from, but I think there’s also a lot of fear involved in the criticisms. For decades, you had to be in Los Angeles with some good connections to get your hands on these scripts. Now they’re available to anyone with an internet connection. No one is quite sure how that’s going to affect the industry.

Personally, I’m somewhat torn on ScriptShadow, but since I do take advantage of it, I think it’s only fair for me to let you know about it.  What are your thoughts?

I’ve been sharing some tips I picked up in Editing 1 when I was in Film School.  Check out the previous posts here and here.

Today’s principle:

An editor always asks three questions:

1)  What is the scene about?  (The text and the subtext)

The text is basically what the scene is about on the surface and the subtext is what the scene is really about on an emotional level.

2)  Who is the scene about?

Asking WHO the scene is about informs who you cut to and when.  If the scene is about Character B, I’m probably going to want to stay more on B while A is talking – I want to see how Character A’s dialogue is affecting Character B.  “Who is the scene about?”

3)  How does it fit into the larger story?  (What is the context?)

The larger story is the most important thing to keep in mind while cutting.  How does this one chunk help to tell the overall story?  What scenes came before this and what comes after?  This is important to remember from a story stand point.  What plot points must you address in this scene that come into play later on?

It’s also important from a style stand point.  If the rest of the film is cut fast paced and you cut this scene slowly, you must have a reason for it.

I’ve got a few more posts on my Film Editing 1 class that I’ll be bringing you.  Stay tuned.

It’s the question you can be sure of being asked any time you meet someone new. “So… What do you do?” For most of my adult life my answer was, “I’m a web developer.”  If the conversation continued for a while, I might have let them know that what I really wanted to do was write and direct films, but that usually never came up.

I spent most of my time developing web sites, so that was my answer. Sure, I had always dreamed of being able to say, “I’m a writer/director,” but that time hadn’t come yet.

The problem with answering that way is that it reveals what you actually think of yourself. If you don’t think of yourself as a writer, director, or whatever it is that you’re aspiring to be, no one else will either.

A few years ago I decided to change how I answered that question. Now I look people in the eye with confidence and tell them that I’m a writer and director. Just that simple change has done wonders for my confidence. I am a writer. I am a director. Maybe I have to do other work to pay the bills, but that doesn’t define who I am.

So… What do you do?

This week’s pick is the first in a series of Warner Brothers musicals choreographed by the legendary Busby Berkelely. Known for his kaleidoscopes of beautiful chorus girls, Berkeley’s musical numbers are some of the most entertaining moments ever captured on celluloid.

The story of 42nd Street doesn’t really matter. It’s almost always the same in these early Warner Brothers musicals – down on his luck Broadway producer has one last chance to produce a hit, so he gathers a group of gorgeous girls and puts on one heck of a show. These movies are all about the music and choreography.

The great thing about these movies is that although the musical numbers are supposed to take place on a stage, Berkeley didn’t limit himself to that. He knew that he was choreographing for film and not the stage, so he used incredibly elaborate sets and complex camera movements that would never be possible on the stage.

42nd Street was such a huge hit that they repeated the formula throughout the 30s making big stars of Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell. If you enjoy it, stick around for its followup immediately after – Gold Diggers of 1933. It’s got a very young Ginger Rogers singing “We’re in the Money” and showing off her pig-latin talents.

42nd Street (1933) – Wednesday, March 17 at 8:00pm EST
The definitive backstage musical, complete with the dazzling newcomer who goes on for the injured star.
Cast: Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, George Brent, Ruby Keeler Dir: Lloyd Bacon BW-89 mins, TV-G

We’re in the middle of a series of posts I’ve been writing based on the notes I took during my Editing 1 class in Film School.  I learned so much about editing in that class and I’m glad I can share it with all of you.

Editing involves intimacy and exploration.

Intimacy: knowing your footage.

Exploration: playing with different cuts; trying new things.

Before I begin cutting anything, I make it a habit to know my footage thoroughly.  I hate working with editors who just jump right in.  How do they know if the shots they are picking are the right ones if they don’t even know what shots there are to choose from?

Yes, I’m anal.  But I have the peace of mind to know that I playing the game knowing which cards are in my hand.  (I think this is what makes me  a great assistant editor as well.  Keeping the footage organized is fun for me.)

The second part of this principle is the hardest part for me.  Once I get it in my head how a cut should go, I find it hard to try anything else.

Josh and I had this issue on Dangerous Calling.  Once a scene was cut, I was married to it and wanted to move on.  But Josh was always wondering how we could plus it or change it around completely.  We make a good team.  I keep us moving forward and he makes sure we explore all of our options.

These posts make me want to cut something.  How about you?

Today, I’d like to introduce you to our new and completely original method for improving your writing.  This is the answer that you have been searching for.  Forget Save the Cat.  Forget Story by Robert McKee.

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You’ll learn these principles -

• If you want to be a writer, WRITE!
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• Don’t wait for the muse to visit. (She’ll eat all your food anyway.)
• Excuses are for failures and non-writers
• Set hard deadlines
• Professional writers write every day – so why don’t you?
• Put your BUTT in the SEAT and write!

Oh wait.  I think I just shared the entirety of this system.  Well, you get it for free.  Congratulations.  But feel free to send money if this helps.

All kidding aside, the only way to become a writer is to put your butt in the seat every day and write.  Josh and I fought this for years.  We always waited till we were inspired and subsequently didn’t produce much.

But, since we started writing together for 4 hours EVERY DAY, we’ve seen our creativity and productivity increase exponentially.  And because the only way to get good at anything is through practice, we’re actually seeing a VAST improvement in our writing.

Don’t get me wrong, it is still hard.  But we’re proving to ourselves that we can do this for a living.

Right now, we’re working on an action-thriller that is close to being finished.  We already know the next 2 or 3 projects we’re going to work on after this.  All because we decided at the beginning of the year to quit playing around and get serious.

One side note – we don’t watch as much TV or play as much X-box anymore.  But it’s all about priorities.  Do you want to write professionally or goof off?  The choice is yours.

So, what excuses are you using to get out of writing?

Warner Brothers is by far my favorite studio of the Hollywood golden age. MGM made some great films, but as I look down the list of my favorite films, 9 out of 10 are invariably Warner Brothers films.

Tonight TCM is premiering a documentary about the 4 brothers who started the studio. I can’t wait to see it. Following the doc, TCM is showing several of their early classics ending with their crowning achievement, Casablanca. That makes for an incredible night of movies. Enjoy.

Brothers Warner, The (2008) – Monday, March 8 at 8:00pm EST
Four brothers pioneer in film distribution then build one of Hollywood’s greatest studios.
Cast: Dennis Hopper, Sherry Lansing, Debbie Reynolds. Dir: Cass Warner BW-94 mins

The Academy Awards are this Sunday. Here are our picks. Not necessarily what we would have voted for, but what we think will win. We’ll check back next week and see how we did.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

• JOSH and JEREMIAH’S PICK: Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
• George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
• Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
• Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
• Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Haven’t seen it, but I hear he’s great in it and it just feels like it’s about time for Jeff Bridges to win an Oscar. ~ Josh

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

• Matt Damon in “Invictus”
• Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
• Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
• Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
• JOSH and JEREMIAH’S PICK: Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

No way in hell he doesn’t win. It’s the one given of the night. ~ Josh

Performance by an actress in a leading role

• JOSH’S PICK: Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
• Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
• Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
• Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
• JEREMIAH’S PICK: Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Even though I didn’t care for The Blind Side, Sandra Bullock did a great job in it, and I’d love to see her win. ~ Josh

I believe Meryl Streep is over-rated but the Academy loves her – and this time she did a voice.  ~ Jeremiah

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

• Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
• Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
• JEREMIAH’s PICK:  Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
• Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
• JOSH’S PICK: Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Smart money is on Mo’Nique. Seems like she’s got all the buzz going into this. ~ Josh

I agree with Josh but figure it could be Maggie’s turn. ~ Jeremiah

Best animated feature film of the year

• “Coraline” – Henry Selick
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox” – Wes Anderson
• “The Princess and the Frog” – John Musker and Ron Clements
• “The Secret of Kells” – Tomm Moore
• JOSH and JEREMIAH’S PICK: “Up” – Pete Docter

Pixar NEEDS more Oscars. ~ Josh

Honestly I’d probably give it to Coraline or Princess and the Frog.  Up was great but not my favorite Pixar joint.  But it will win. ~ Jeremiah

Achievement in art direction

• Avatar
• JOSH and JEREMIAH’S PICK: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
• Nine
• Sherlock Holmes
• The Young Victoria

Not a huge Terry Gilliam fan, but you can’t beat his art direction. ~ Josh

Achievement in cinematography

• JOSH and JEREMIAH’S PICK: Avatar
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• The White Ribbon

Duh. Cameron reinvented cinematography. That’s quite an achievement. ~ Josh

Achievement in visual effects

• JOSH and JEREMIAH’S PICK: Avatar
• District 9
• Star Trek

Again duh. Cameron reinvented visual effects. ~ Josh

Adapted screenplay

• District 9
• An Education
• In the Loop
• Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
• JOSH and JEREMIAH’S PICK: Up in the Air

Just have a feeling the Academy wants to give Jason Reitman an Oscar and I don’t think he’s getting best director. ~ Josh

Original screenplay

• The Hurt Locker
• JEREMIAH’S PICK: Inglourious Basterds
• The Messenger
• A Serious Man
• JOSH’S PICK: Up

It should get this award for the first ten minutes alone. Could see this going to Inglourious Basterds though. ~ Josh

The first ten minutes of up were great but the talking dogs got on my nerves.  Inglourious Basterds should win for dialogue alone. ~ Jeremiah

Achievement in directing

• Avatar – James Cameron
• JOSH’S PICK: The Hurt Locker – Kathryn Bigelow
• JEREMIAH’S PICK: Inglourious Basterds – Quentin Tarantino
• Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire – Lee Daniels
• Up in the Air – Jason Reitman

You could make a really strong argument that this should go to James Cameron, but the Academy doesn’t get the chance to honor women directors all that often. I’d be surprised if they didn’t take this opportunity. It’s a shame that people will think it’s because she’s a woman. Bigelow’s work is worthy of the Oscar no matter her gender. ~ Josh

I agree with Josh on this one but I hate the fact that everyone is downplaying Basterds.  It really is a big achievement that I think people will look back on as a great film. ~ Jeremiah

Best motion picture of the year

• Avatar
• The Blind Side
• District 9
• An Education
• JOSH’s PICK: The Hurt Locker
• JEREMIAH’S PICK: Inglourious Basterds
• Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
• A Serious Man
• Up
• Up in the Air

I do think The Hurt Locker is the best film of the year, but it’s very likely that it’ll lose out to Avatar. I don’t see any of the rest really having a chance. ~ Josh

Betting on the under dog. ~ Jeremiah

I had a great idea for a blog post yesterday. A blog post that would be celebrated in blogging lore for years to come. Articles would be written about how influential and groundbreaking this blog post was.

Unfortunately, all the fortune and glory this blog post would bring me have alluded me because I failed to write the idea down.

WRITE YOUR IDEAS DOWN.

That is all.

In January of 2002, I took Editing 1 from one of my favorite professors, Mark Gerstein.  I was enrolled at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.  During that semester, I learned the basics of what I would go on to use for the rest of my life.  It was one of the best and most practical classes I ever took in film school.

Recently I dug up my notes from that class and I’ve decided to share those with all of you.  This is the first in a series of short posts on Film Editing.

Here’s what I wrote down on the first day of class.

Editing = Storytelling.  There must be a beginning, middle, and end.

It sounds pretty basic and it is.  It’s the foundation.  As editors, we are storytellers.  I’m sure you’ve heard that a film is written 3 times.  Once by the writer, once by the director (on set), and the final time by the editor.  One must not approach editing lightly.  We have the power to make or break the story.  (Insert maniacal laugh here.)

Regardless of whether your project is a feature film or just your vacation videos, it is so important to think of it in terms of story with a defined beginning, middle, and end.  It helps you to organize what you are cutting together and it’ll make it so much more engaging.

For example -  Say I’m cutting footage of our recent trip to Disney world.  I might just jump right in and start cutting.  But, if I were to remember that I’m crafting a story, I first look for the main elements.

The beginning: I’d cut together some shots of us packing the car, inside the car, pulling up to the hotel, inside the hotel room, etc…

The middle: I’d cut together footage of our favorite rides, us hanging out in the parks, dinners at the restaurants, etc…

The end: I’d cut together shots of us standing as a family watching the fireworks and then a big THE END would fade in across the sky.

It is that simple.  Craft your story.

Do you have any practical tips on film editing?

I’m going through the AFI Top 100 and number 96 is Do the Right Thing! written and directed by Spike Lee.  TCM gives this synopsis:

On a sweltering hot day in a Brooklyn neighborhood, everyone has their own issues to deal with and tensions between Blacks and Italians rise. Issues of pride and prejudice, justice and inequity come to the surface as hate and bigotry smoulder–finally building into a crescendo as it explodes into violence.

For someone who loves Hollywood escapist films, watching a social problem film that has no resolution is hard.  I like things to be tied up in nice shiny bows at the end of a film and that certainly doesn’t happen with Do the Right Thing!

After viewing this film, I was left with this feeling of helplessness.  There are so many people at fault in this film.  I wasn’t sure who did or was doing the right thing.  And upon further investigation and research, I found out that’s exactly Spike Lee’s point.

There are two conflicting quotes shown at the end of the film: one by Dr. Martin Luther King speaking against violence and one by Malcom X talking about the use of violence for self-defense.  The entire film is one big contradiction essentially designed to make you think.

Movies like Crash and Do The Right Thing! just make me feel defeated and I ask, “if things are this bad, how can I change anything?”  I have to wonder how effective movies like this really are.

My take away is this:  movies like Crash and Do the Right Thing! are necessary to raise awareness about issues in humanity.  But I personally would rather show someone ACTUALLY doing the right thing as a model for other people to follow rather than asking a question and not giving an answer.  But that’s just me.

Regardless of whether I enjoyed the film, it sure made me think and that is why Do the Right Thing! is on the list.  Spike Lee is an extremely talented filmmaker who has spent his entire career making movies with a message that he is passionate about.  That’s incredible.

The only Spike Lee “joints” I’ve seen are Malcolm X, Inside Man and Do the Right Thing! Which of his films have you seen?

This week’s pick is a film that I’ve sadly never seen. My wife has been holding this over me our entire marriage. It’s the one film she’s seen, but I haven’t. It’s time to make that right.

All I know about Cool Hand Luke is that it stars Paul Newman, he’s on a chain gang, and somebody says “What we have here is a failure to communicate” in a southern accent. Someone recently told me it was their favorite film. I’m looking forward to seeing it for the first time.

Cool Hand Luke (1967) – Wednesday, March 3 at 8:00pm EST
A free-spirited convict refuses to conform to chain-gang life.
Cast: Paul Newman, George Kennedy, J. D. Cannon, Lou Antonio Dir: Stuart Rosenberg C-126 mins, TV-14

What movies have you been meaning to watch for a long time?

I’m a very orderly person. I like things a certain way. My wife is the same way. We’re the type of people who know where every cent is spent and have systems in place for everything. Not really your typical drive across the country in pursuit of a crazy dream kind of people. Needless to say, this move to California has taken our orderly life and thrown it in the washer on spin cycle.

We’ve still got to get California car insurance. I need to setup bill pay for all our new bills. Still need to update our address in a dozen different places. The list goes on and on. I’m tempted to stop everything for a month and get our life back in order.

However, I was reading in Proverbs and came across Proverbs 14:4.

Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.

My translation of that: If you want to have success in life, you’re going to have to put up with a little mess. Stop worrying about getting everything in order and just do the hard work.

So many times the attempts to organize and bring order to our lives are just veiled procrastination. If you’re a writer, write. Stop organizing your desk or researching the best screenwriting software. Stop waiting until your schedule is less cluttered. It’s not going to be. If you’re a director, direct. You have to leave preproduction at some point. Yeah, it’s gonna be messy, but you’ll find that the rewards are worth a little mess.

What do you think? Agree or disagree?

As some of you may know, Josh and I are Disney Theme Park fanatics.  Normally, I wouldn’t write a blog post about my experience in a Disney Park on our blog about filmmaking but this is different.  A few days ago, I had a chance to go as a member of the “PRESS” to the grand re-opening of Captain EO at Disneyland.

For those of you who don’t know, Captain EO is a short 3D film that used to be shown in the Disney Parks back in the 1980s and early 90s.  It featured the musical talent of a still recognizable Michael Jackson.  It was produced and written by George Lucas.  And it was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.  Add to that mix the geniuses at Disney Imagineering and you get Captain EO.

Tuesday morning of this week, I arrived at Disneyland around 8:30.  There was a line of people waiting outside to be the first to see Captain EO.  Some had camped out all night.  These were the die-hard fans of Michael Jackson.  One lady had dressed her kids up as Michael and was parading them around for the press.  It was a little disturbing.

I was there on behalf of Inside the Magic, a Disney podcast produced by our friend, Ricky Brigante.  If you have any interest in Disney Theme parks, you should check it out. It’s one of the only podcasts I listen to.  Ricky lives in Orlando so he asked me to cover the event – sort of the west coast liason to the podcast.

I was able to interview a few of the dancers and some Imagineers.  One of the highlights was being able to interview Debbie Lee Carrington who played one of the costumed characters in Captain EO.  She also played an ewok in Return of the Jedi and the Ewok Adventures. You can see my interview with her and the Imagineers over at Ricky’s blog.

Captain EO is a wonderful look back into the very heart of the 1980s.  The spirit and naivete of that wonderful decade jump right off the screen with all of the other 3D effects.  I felt like a kid again.  This film is classically cheesy and weird but full of warmth and wonder.  It is a must-see for any Michael Jackson fan, George Lucas fan, and even any Coppola fan.  (It is a VERY odd choice for Coppola considering the majority of his other work.)

You can watch Captain EO on Youtube.com but I would highly recommend getting to Disneyland to view it before the limited engagement ends.

I’m going through the AFI Top 100.  Number 97 is Blade Runner.

TCM gives this synopsis:

An ex cop comes out of retirement in order to hunt down androids who are being reproduced for purpose of slavery.

For those of you who don’t know, Blade Runner is directed by Ridley Scott who had just finished Alien.  Harrison Ford stars as the ex-cop, Deckard.  He was fresh off Raiders of the Lost Ark.

I had seen the original Blade Runner back in film school and frankly, I wasn’t impressed.  But so many people love the film and I was pretty excited to revisit the film.  This time, I watched the Final Cut of the film found on the 5 disc Bluray release.  There are several versions of the film and you can read about those over on Wikipedia.

My initial reaction to the film, this time without cheesy studio-imposed voice-over, was similar to my first viewing.  The visuals were amazing but the story didn’t hold my attention very well.  Upon further research, what most people find interesting about the story is it’s philosophical question of what it means to be human.  Dan Mancini, a friend and movie reviewer, pointed out to me on Twitter, “It’s the Frankenstein myth dressed up in cyberpunk. What is “human”? What does it mean to be created in someone else’s image?”

So in that respect, the movie is interesting.  But bringing up a philosophical question isn’t enough to grab me.  On the other hand, the visuals and the immersion into the world do a lot to help.  And this movie is oozing with mood and design.  That’s what I take away from Blade Runner.

I hate to compare Blade Runner, which admittedly is a classic, to a films like Pirates of the Carribean 2 and 3 but I’m going to do it anyway.  I watch the Pirates “Trilogy” probably once every 6 months not because those films are great films (let’s face it – they aren’t) but because the world is so darn cool and a place I want to live for several hours.

Making your scripted world really cool and detailed might distract from any plot problems that the script may have.  It sure helps with Blade Runner.

What did you think of Blade Runner?

This is the last full week of Turner Classic Movies’ annual 31 Days of Oscar. I feel like I should pick one of the many important Oscar winners airing this week. But since they’re airing Dick Tracy (1990) Saturday morning, I can’t resist making it my pick.

Filled with wonderful performances by Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, and even Madonna, Dick Tracy isn’t one you’d typically think of when thinking of Oscar winners, but it did win three Oscars for Art Direction, Makeup, and Original Song. No other comic book movie has won that many. The Dark Knight is next in line with two. Disney had planned to make this a franchise, but although the film was received well critically, it was a box-office disappointment, and Disney scrapped their plans. I guess we’ll just have to live with one.

Dick Tracy (1990) – Saturday, February 27 at 8:45AM EST
The intrepid comic strip detective fights off a ruthless gangster and his seductive girlfriend.
Cast: Warren Beatty, Madonna, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman Dir: Warren Beatty C-105 mins, TV-14

Someone asked me this great question on Facebook the other day:

I am about 3 years married with a 9 year-old, a 16 month-old, and a 3 month-old, and I work full time during the day (besides being active in church). Sometimes I feel like the babies (so close… in age) are too young for me to pull away for hours at a time without helping out the wife. At the same time, I have such a burning desire to develop my craft.

I would love to dedicate a nice chunk of time to the craft. How do you do it?

Here is my response to him:

That’s a really good question. One I struggle with all the time. It’s good that you’re asking it. Your family comes first. So many people destroy their families in pursuit of their dreams. I’m not sure about your specific situation, but this is how I do it.

Hope this helps.

Any other creative ideas for making the time to create? Feel free to ask any other questions in the comments. We’d love to make reader questions a regular thing.

I carry a piece of paper around with me in my wallet that I pull out and read from time to time.  On this paper is a quote from the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

“He smiled understandingly – much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced–or seemed to face–the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.”

I want to smile (and be smiled at) like this.  How about you?

Time is flying by. Josh has been out here with me in LA for about four weeks. We’ve already had several lunch and coffee meetings with filmmakers and producers.

We’ve wasted no time – we know the key to this industry is networking. And remember, networking is simply building relationships. It helps to be fascinated by other people – I love hearing their stories.

In other news, I have a job working for a vfx company and I love it. (VFX = visual effects) I’m working on a big budget blockbuster that will be released in April. Sadly I can’t tell you what it is for a while. I had to sign a hefty non-disclosure agreement. If I told, I’d have to give up my first born child… and my Xbox. Gasp.

I’m working in the editorial department at the vfx house. The best part of my job is meeting all the artists who do the magic. I’ve met several guys who worked on a little art house film you may have heard of – Avatar!!!

Getting back to the networking thing, the cool part about my new job is that I got the job through my network. Last summer, a friend from film school got me on a reality show on E! On the show I met an editor who really liked my work ethic so when he got hired on at this vfx house, he immediately called and wanted me to work with him. There wasn’t anything sleazy about it. I wasn’t trying to use anyone.

And in no way am I taking credit for the job. It was a gift from God. I just did my part which is what God wants.

So, if you could work on a summer blockbuster this year, which one would it be?

Number 98 of the AFI Top 100 is a film I usually watch on the 4th of July, Yankee Doodle Dandy.  This film is a classic in every sense of the word.  Great music, great dancing, great acting, great dialogue, great direction, etc…  And so much charm.  James Cagney is infectious.

TCM gives this synopsis for Yankee Doodle Dandy:

A musical portrait of composer/singer/dancer George M. Cohan. From his early days as a child-star in his family’s vaudeville show up to the time of his comeback at which he received a medal from the president for his special contributions to the US, this is the life- story of George M. Cohan, who produced, directed, wrote and starred in his own musical shows for which he composed his famous songs.

The film was released in 1942, right at the start of WWII.  The Warners were 100% behind the war effort.  During a time when most other studios felt the general public had grown tired of war films, they continued to make them calling it their duty.  As with Yankee Doodle Dandy, when they did make a light-hearted film, it had plenty of flag-waving.  There were three premieres; one in London, one in New York, and one in Los Angeles.  To attend, the cost of a ticket was a U.S. War Bond.  That was a different era.

My favorite line in the movie comes during a scene in which Cohan and his producing partner are visiting a very famous actress to convince her to be in their next production.  Her manager says, “Miss Templeton hasn’t seen your work.”  To which George M. Cohan replies, “Oh?  Been sick or in Europe?”

It’s a story of what being persistent and believing in yourself can do for you.  We could learn a lot from George M. Cohan.  Nobody will have confidence in you unless you first have confidence in yourself.  And Cohan had that in spades.

Mr. Michael Curtiz of Casablanca fame directed this film, calling it the “pinochle of his career.”  That is saying a lot.  He’s got to be one of the most well-rounded directors ever.  He could do it all.  He’s made some of my favorite films of the classic era.  This is a quote by Mr. Curtiz on his goal as a filmmaker:

To make the best pictures I can that will give audiences their money’s worth; to please myself as much as I can without forgetting that the pleasure of my audiences comes first.  Thus only do I think I can make any substantial contribution to the art of motion pictures.

And if you like James Cagney in this, you should check out Footlight Parade. Also check out White Heat and Man of a Thousand Faces. Both very different performances that show you the kind of range he had.

Turner Classic Movies continues its annual 31 Days of Oscar. This week my pick is Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1976). Steven Spielberg’s alien encounter masterpiece garnered him his first Oscar nomination.

This movie is particularly relevant to me right now because it’s about pursuing your dreams. Richard Dreyfuss plays a man who has an encounter and then becomes obsessed with getting to Devils Tower, Wyoming. If you’ve ever had a dream you’ll relate to his character as you feel his aching to achieve his goal. He pursues it at all costs resulting in the destruction and abandonment of his family. Spielberg has said he would have ended it differently if he had made it later in life. Close Encounters almost plays as a warning not to pursue your dreams at all costs. If you achieve them but have alienated everyone around you, what’s the point?

As you watch, pay attention to all of the Pinocchio references throughout the film. When You Wish Upon A Star even shows up in the score at one point.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977) – Saturday, February 20 at 8:00pm EST
A blue-collar worker’s encounter with a UFO leaves him a changed man.
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Terry Garr, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon Dir: Steven Spielberg C-137 mins, TV-MA

The list of things we learned during the making and distribution of Dangerous Calling could fill a few books. Here are 10 random things that I learned.

1. It’s not a good idea for your set and your cast & crew lodging to be the same place. Trust me on this one. At the end of the day, you want to leave work.
2. I learned what an Assistant Cameraman does. They are essential!
3. 16 hour work days are about 3 or 4 hours too many. Especially when your crew isn’t being paid.
4. Never underestimate the difference a good meal makes on set. Especially when your crew isn’t being paid.
5. You always need more time and money than you think you do. Always. Plan for it. It still won’t be enough.
6. Make sure your extras know what they’ve signed up for. It’s no fun when the crowd for your crowd shots keeps shrinking.
7. In the age of digital filmmaking, BACKUP YOUR DATA.
8. Be thinking about how you’re going to market the film before you start production.
9. Three locations in one day in three different towns is just plain stupid.
10. Directing a feature film is grueling work, but it’s also incredibly fun and rewarding.

Dangerous calling is now available on DVD. Go out and buy a copy and don’t forget to call your local Family Christian Store and ask them to carry it.

We’re celebrating the DVD release of Dangerous Calling this week. With that in mind, here are my top 5 experiences working on Dangerous Calling that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

5. Working with a Rattle Snake. I hate snakes but I’m glad I did it. And even more glad we had a video assist so I didn’t have to be in the room with it.
4. Shooting underwater scenes. I can hardly believe we were able to pull this off but the footage looks great and it adds so much value to the film. Tip for filmmakers: do whatever you can to ratchet up the onscreen value. Cut corners where you can but try and make sure as much of the money that you spend ends up on screen.
3. Directing a scene on the square in beautiful Covington, Georgia. Not only is it the town my parents grew up in but it’s also where multiple films and TV shows have been shot. Some projects include Dukes of Hazzard, In the Heat of the Night, Remember the Titans, and most recently The Vampire Diaries. It had long been a dream of ours to shoot something on that square and it finally came true.
2. Working with my brother. Josh is my best friend and the only person I want to do this with. We were designed to do this together. No doubt about it.
1. Premiering the film before an audience of 500 people. This is why we do what we do. It’s for all of you. We want to make you laugh, cry, scream, and believe.

Three years ago this month, we had an idea for a movie. I don’t think either one of us realized how that one little idea would change our lives forever. With a lot of hard work, money, and sacrifice that idea became our first feature film, Dangerous Calling.

Today, Dangerous Calling is being released on DVD in major retailers and online nationwide.  We couldn’t be more excited. It’s the most significant milestone on what has been a long three year journey. Thanks to all who had a hand in taking Dangerous Calling from script to DVD and to the rest of you for going on this journey with us.

Now we just need sell a ton of DVDs so we can get everyone paid and make another movie! You can buy Dangerous Calling online at the following websites:

• Amazon
• Walmart
• Best Buy
• DeepDiscount.com
• ChristianCinema.com
• Cloud Ten Pictures

If you’d prefer to buy from a retail store, you might have to call around and see if you can find it. It will be in all Lifeway Christian stores starting sometime in the next couple of weeks. Family Christian has not yet decided to carry it in their stores. Please stop by or call your local Family Christian Store and tell them you’d love to buy Dangerous Calling from them. If they see it selling a lot of copies at Lifeway, they’ll be more likely to carry it.

What are you waiting for? Go out and buy several copies!

Turner Classic Movies continues its annual 31 Days of Oscar. This week my pick is Network (1976). Nominated for Best Picture, this film ultimately lost out to Rocky.

Network (1976) – Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 12:15am EST (Tuesday night)
Television programmers turn a deranged news anchor into ‘the mad prophet of the airwaves.’
Cast: Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, William Holden, Robert Duvall Dir: Sidney Lumet BW-121 mins, TV-MA

The film stars William Holden, Faye Dunaway, and Peter Finch in a scathing look at the Television industry. Finch died before the Oscar ceremony where he became the first person to ever win Best Actor posthumously. The only other person to win after their death is Heath Ledger. Interestingly, both Finch and Ledger were from Australia.

Network has one of the most memorable scenes of all time and proved to be almost prophetic in it’s speculation of where Television programming was heading. Enjoy.

This week’s featured filmmaker is Brandon McCormick.  Brandon is the mastermind behind Atlanta-based Whitestone Motion Pictures. Brandon is one of the most productive people I know. He’s constantly producing high quality shorts with amazing visual style.  Check out our interview with Brandon.

1. How did you get into filmmaking?
I got started about 10 years ago at the age of 15. I just started playing around with my parent’s camera and making little projects for class. Then my local church had a camera and encouraged me to play with it, and from there I started winning some small film festivals and realized, that maybe I wanted to do this for a living. I had this idea for a film company, and that idea turned into resolve as Whitestone Motion Pictures started to take shape. Now I get to make films with my delightfully brilliant team and I could not possibly be any happier.

2. How does your faith influence your craft?
My faith and what I believe highly influences my craft. I think any artists creates from their own personal worldview, whether it’s optimistic or pessimistic, redemptive or destructive. I believe in this idea of redemption, which is why I make fairy tales. I believe the moral of the story is that there is alway a moral to the story.

I believe in the bigger story of life, which is why every single story is practically the same sequence. Creation. Fall. Salvation. Redemption.

That last part, redemption, is why we go to the movies in the first place. We crave it like food or water. We pay for it, we seek it out, and we hope deep down it’s true. That’s what I want my films to be about, and that is why myths and fairytales fit so perfectly into how I understand the world.

3. Favorite Director
I was the perfect target audience growing up for Stephen Spielberg. It seemed growing up that he was making movies just for me. As I got older I discovered the likes of Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam, who’s worlds I love spending time in. I try to be influenced by as much as I can, I constantly seek out new sources and study old sources. I enjoy Joseph Campbell and Kurt Vonnegut as much as any of these filmmakers. At this point in my craft, it’s still a compliment to be compared to those you love. When people say, ‘Hey, your stuff looks like Tim Burton meets Dr. Suess,” I just say, ‘thanks’.

4. Favorite Film
I’ve watched Shawshank Redemption a few dozen times and to this day have yet to find a real flaw with that film. I think it’s as close to perfection in the craft of filmmaking as anyone can get. A close second would be O Brother Where Art Thou. I’m enamored with Lord of the Rings, which is one of my favorite worlds to spend time in. It’s one of the most epic of stories delivered in a brilliant way.

5. Favorite scene in a movie
It’s hard to say which scene would be my favorite. My mind is filled with brilliant character scenes like the ‘Red Was Here’ scene from Shawshank Redemption. Although I’ll focus in on one scene from the second Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers. The very end of the film, when all is lost, Helms Deep is being over run and there seems like no escape. We remember Gandalf saying ‘Look to the East, when the sun rises on the third day.” Gandalf and his army comes over the mountain top, destroying the orcs below.

Call me a dork. I friggin love that scene.

6. Last film to make you cry
Pixar’s up had me choked up within the first few minutes of the film. Those guys know how to tell one heck of a story. They’re my heros.

7. What advice do you have for someone looking to break into filmmaking?
I think the key is make whatever you can as often as you can with whatever you have. Make lots and lots of bad films and someday, some good films will emerge. Don’t but too much emphasis on budgets or equipment, those things show up with time. Just go and become a maker of things. The rest will follow suite.

8. What are you currently working on?
We’re currently in post production for a film called “Heartless: The Story of the Tinman”. I’m painfully excited about this film, and it’s something we’ve been working on for a very long time. The short film follows the origin story of a young woodsman and how he became the Tinman. It’s a tragic story, and a modern myth for the time we live in. We release it in April, and it’s our biggest story yet.

We have a few other films in development right now, and yes, we’re working on our first feature film script.

You can follow the story of Whitestone on our website where we try to keep people updated to our journey as storytellers and filmmakers.

Jaws has some incredibly memorable scenes – the “bigger boat” scene, the USS Indianapolis story just to name two. My favorite, however, is the dinner table scene just after Alex Kitner’s mother confronts Chief Brody. She had just learned that Chief Brody knew that there had been an earlier shark attack and hadn’t closed the beaches. She slaps him and then blames him for her boys death.

The scene that follows is pure brilliance. Chief Brody sits at the table processing the emotional uppercut he’s just received. She’s right. He could have prevented her son’s death. At this point, we notice Brody’s son sitting at the table too. I’m sure you remember the rest. Brody notices his son mimicking him and plays along for a bit before the following bit of dialogue:

How the heck does this scene move the story along? It doesn’t. Most modern blockbusters would have immediately cut to the scene where Brody goes to the hospital, a man on a mission, and demands that the mayor let him hire Quint. The movie would have worked just fine that way, but Spielberg brilliantly gave us this scene to show us that Brody wasn’t just some action hero hell bent on killing the shark.

This scene shows us that Brody is a real person with real feelings. The death of the Kitner boy affected him. This scene motivates everything that follows. He’s trying to make things right and prevent any more suffering.

Think about this in your writing. It’s very tempting to omit scenes like this in order to keep the story moving. Instead, give your characters some breathing room. Let us see how the events in your screenplay are affecting them. It’ll make them more human and relatable.

What’s your favorite scene in Jaws?

We’re going through the AFI Top 100.  Today’s movie is #99, Toy Story.

This film bears the honor of being the first feature-length computer animated film.  It also kick-started the cultural phenomenon that is PIXAR.

Re-watching Toy Story, I was struck by how much emotion I was feeling.  The moment that got me was when Woody finally comes to grips with why he hates Buzz so much by admitting that Buzz is “too cool” and asking, “Why would Andy want to play with me when he’s got you?”  It’s dealing with his feelings of inferiority.  And I guarantee that John Lasseter and some of the other writers had the same feelings at some point in their lives.

Recently, I heard Coleman Luck, a TV writer and show-runner, speaking about his life in the entertainment industry.  He may have been quoting someone else when he said this, but I’ll credit him unless I find out differently.

You aren’t finished with your script until you are a little bit embarrassed about what it reveals about yourself.

I think great screenplays do just this.  They reveal a bit about their creator.  And because there is truth in there, others connect.

I certainly connected with Toy Story, and for a long time, I didn’t know why.  Now I know.  I’ve felt like Woody.  Heck, in Hollywood, it’s easy to feel like Woody compared to so many awesome Buzz Lightyears in this industry.

Pretty serious for a post about Toy Story, huh?  I love pointing out depth and truth in movies that some would classify as merely a popcorn film.  Take that, FILM SCHOOL SNOBS!

What did you see in Toy Story that you’ve never seen before?

Warm up your TiVos, ladies and gents. Today Turner Classic Movies kicks off its annual 31 Days of Oscar. They’re showing nothing but Academy Award winning or nominated films for the next 31 days. I’ve looked through the schedule, and, wow, they’re showing a ton of great films this year. It’s going to be hard to pick just one a week.

But seeing as I must, my pick this week is Captain Blood (1935). Nominated for Best Picture, this film probably the best swashbuckler ever made. If you’re one of these people who doesn’t like classic films, I dare you to watch Captain Blood and not enjoy it.

Captain Blood (1935) – Thursday, February 4 at 7:15am EST
After being unjustly sentenced to prison, a doctor escapes and becomes a notorious pirate.
Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Lionel Atwill, Basil Rathbone Dir: Michael Curtiz BW-119 mins, TV-G

The film stars Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland in what would be the first of eight films they would do together. Flynn plays a doctor who, through an unfortunate series of events, becomes a slave only to escape and begin a life of piracy. It’s one of my favorites.

Interesting fact: The director, Michael Curtiz (Casablanca), wasn’t nominated for Best Director but narrowly missed out on winning based solely on write-in votes from Academy members.

This is a new feature we’ll be doing from time to time. We read a lot of filmmaking websites and wanted to let you know about some of our favorites. This week we’d love to direct your attention to ScriptSecrets.net.

Script Secrets is written by professional screenwriter William Martell. Bill has become somewhat of a mentor to us over the years. His site is an incredible wealth of screenwriting tips. Each day the site features a new tip with in-depth examples from popular films. We credit Bill’s tips with helping us figure out the structure of Dangerous Calling.

I was going back through some of our notes this week and found this little gem from Script Secrets.

I think of story as: A character who is forced to resolve an emotional problem (character arc) in order to resolve a big dangerous physical problem (that high concept story conflict).

So both “needs” are connected – though one is emotional and another has to do with a tornado and a sewage treatment plant and the resulting sh*tstorm headed our way… and only the hero can stop it!

In MATRIX Neo needs to believe in himself… and he needs to stop Agent Smith and the Matrix from killing him. Hmm, they *seem* like two different needs, but see how they are connected? The only way to stop Agent Smith is if he believes that he’s “The One” and kicks some computer program ass.

The man is a screenwriting genius. I can’t recommend his site highly enough. If you want to be a screenwriter, bookmark it and return daily. Sadly, there is no RSS or subscription method on his site. Bill’s also got a personal blog that frequently has good advice as well.

What sites do you frequent?