FilmSchool

Ira Glass on Storytelling, pt. 1: Finding the Story

2008-10-16T14:27:18-05:00

Ira Glass is the host of NPR's This American Life, a radio program of elegant storytelling simplicity. Click here to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

As filmmakers, it is incumbent upon us to hone our storytelling skills. As a result, our product will be sharper, sleeker, and will stand out from the crowd.

Below, Ira talks a bit about the discipline of finding a story:

Re:Frame Austin will be MAG-nificent

2008-07-23T17:58:37-05:00

The rich continue to get richer.

The rich, in this case, are those who will be in attendance at Re:Frame Austin.

Jason Magbanua has agreed to cross the international date line and grace us with his excellence for yet another gathering.

JMag is known for his spectacular Same-Day-Edits, his use of 35mm film adapters, and his rock-star wardrobe. Along with our two other featured presenters, you are going to leave Austin with the knowledge to set you apart as the filmmaking specialist in your market!!!

Click here to register today, we're rapidly running out of spots!!!

jones

Re:Frame is in Bloom!

2008-06-04T08:04:43-05:00

Philip Bloom, that is.

OH MY GOSH!!! What an opportunity. My friends in film school are begging me to be able to attend Re:Frame Austin just to hang out with Philip Bloom.

Bloom is a certifiable bad a'* of cinematography. You may have seen some of his many exploits with 35mm adapters on HD cameras to give a film look to his documentaries and shorts.

He's also got an imdb listing - how cool is that?

Check out his Vimeo page to go straight to some jaw-dropping cinematography. Enjoy my favorite sample below:

Re:Frame is in Motion!

2008-06-03T13:44:09-05:00

Still-Motion, that is.

In the world of wedding film envelope pushers, Patrick Moreau is Fed-Freakin'-Ex.

If you are like me and eagerly await the release of his latest Same-Day-Edits, you have seen him top himself from week to week, from this one to THIS one to THIS ONE!!!

Never satisfied with status quo, Patrick will certainly inspire you by sharing the knowledge throughout the Re:Frame Austin experience.

Re:Frame Austin, Register Now!!!

2008-06-02T13:07:14-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,

By the time you finish reading this post, Re:Frame Austin might already be sold out, so register now and don't get left on the sidelines!

Are you serious, do you really get to spend 2.5 days hanging out and learning from Patrick Moreau of Still Motion, Jason Magbanua of his own Eponymous Studio, and HD DP extraordinaire Philip Bloom?!? Yes you do, as well as the with the regular cast of characters!

Re:Frame is dedicated to giving you experiences like no other in cities like no other, and I would love you to come on down to the range in Austin and hang out with us!!! Hurry, though, registration is limited to 50 saddles!

Read what eventdv has to say about it.

Seats remaining: 50 40 30 25 20 15

Live Online 16mm Color Correction Session

2008-05-20T08:00:00-05:00

Yo,

I have something cool to show you. The video above is part 1, and you can access part 2 and see the final full rez 16mm segment by going to the Re:Frame Video Lounge. If you don't have a pass into the video lounge, first you need to register to become a part of the community. It's free, we won't bug you with useless e-mails, and you'll be the first to know of upcoming announcements!

Onward...

I am a proponent of charging the big bucks for shooting film. There are many reasons why, but one of the main ones is so that I can send the film to a post production facility to have them give me the best picture possible.

I don't use home transfer methods, such as videoing a projection off the wall, and I don't use devices such as the Workprinter because I would then have to do the color correction myself using digital tools rather than taking advantage of the latitude of the film at the point of transfer.

Not to mention, home transfer take time, and time=money.

Normally when I send my film to a transfer facility, I do not sit in on the color correction process. Considering the price of gas, when the color session is taking place in Los Angeles while I still live in Texas, it wouldn't be economical to make the trip. I am content to allow them to do what they think needs doing, and it looks great.

But here's a new option that's a whole lotta fun - live online color correction! I did a videoconference with Andy and Paul @ Cinelicious and they were able to show me the possibilities of how my film could look. Over the course of an hour, we went through two 100' rolls of 16mm film and played with the look of each scene.

For those wanting to develop a signature style and who don't want to sit in and give play-by-play instructions to the colorists, this is the way to go. While the live image is a bit pixilated, the final result on the DVCAM tape I received mirrors my expectations.

And you can see how great it looks in part II.

jones

3 pack

2008-05-15T08:00:00-05:00

Got more music for ya.

A trio of tunes by Laura Fygi, perfect for delightful cocktail hour visuals.

Ask Yourself Why

It's Crazy

Corcovado

jones

Cutaway Segments that give a sense of place

2008-05-12T07:00:00-05:00

Just as with the clip a few entries below (same wedding), I'm giving the viewer a sense of place, but later in the documentary. This is not always going to be the case in all of my edits, but only as it presents itself.

The clip in the entry below was to introduce the feel of the town of Midland and the atmosphere surrounding the wedding day. The clip above is to continue to show the swirl of life that marches on oblivious to the activity of the wedding event, but yet, in its own way, celebrates it.

This clip also helps the viewer feel the character of the town and the people, but serves as a more interesting cutaway than building exteriors between the groomsmen and the bridesmaids. While building exteriors will be more than sufficient in cutting from one scene to the other, having an unrelated element does more to advance time.

This week, I'm featuring a series clips on my wedding blog from Lexie and Jason's event in Midland, so check the rest of them out.

jones

A trio of tunes.

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

Got some music for ya.

Time of No Reply by Nick Drake. Whenever I hear Nick Drake, I think of shooting intro shots with super8 film.

The Dress Looks Nice on You by Sufjan Stevens. The title doesn't leave much to the imagination about where I would use it. Not for every bride, though.

Coming Along by Forest Sun. Great closing tune. "I don't want to die if you're not coming along." Wow!

jones

Pandora Demo

2008-05-06T07:28:00-05:00

I've got a great video demo on how to use Pandora coming up on the Re:Frame Blog this week.

If you're not using Pandora, it's time to start, and it's easy, as my video will demonstrate. So fear not and start getting the tunes you need!

But to access the video lounge of the Re:Frame Blog, first you need to register to become a part of the community. It's free, we won't bug you with useless e-mails, and you'll be the first to know of upcoming announcements!

jones