This post is to notify you that a few things will be changing on this blog.
And it’s related to a lot of changes that have happened with me.
1. MORE POSTS: First of all, I will be posting more than once a year or one and a half years. Sorry about that. I got busy. Very busy. Making movies actually. And anyone who makes movies all the time knows that the schedule is crazy. this has been my two years. I’ve also been doing a lot of TV news production. I’m sure there were pockets of time when I could have written, but I wanted so spend that time thinking about anything but filmmaking. I’m sure anyone who has been on set for 18 hours every day for 4 weeks can relate to this. But now my schedule seems to be somewhat back on stable ground (almost too stable… Yawn) so i should be able to get into a regular writing schedule. At least more regular.
2. POST TOPICS: While I will still be writing from a first person perspective, I will not be writing posts about my latest project.
I will be posting information about filmmaking here, but not about my projects. My VFX projects are posted at leslielello.com. I haven’t figured out where I’m going to put other creations that are not VFX, but keep an eye on the blogroll on this site in the next few months.
3. RANDOM POSTS ABOUT MY OTHER PASSION (COMEDY): There will be no more of that. I will either start another blog or I will just not bother and celebrate my favorite things like Second City and South Park by jumping up and down in my bedroom. This is not because I don’t want to share as much as I want to write as much on topic as possible. I understand that the majority of readers that read this blog (or used to read this blog, before I took a 2 year hiatus) are interested in tips on making movies, and new about moviemaking, not on how awesome the latest episode of South Park was. Or even casting notices, because they don’t relate to anyone except to those in my area.
But I do still have tons of great, up-to-date information that is constantly coming in to me and that I’d love to share with you. It’s overwhelming at times, actually, because there is SO MUCH change in the entertainment industry in terms of practice and technology. And there is always better ways to build a better mousetrap. Things that I figure out along the way.
That’s what will be the content of this blog from now on.
I will do my best to write on as consistent a basis as possible, but life happens and work [offline] happens, which is a good thing.
Step 1: Copy this email address: snltickets@nbcuni.com
Step 2: Paste into “To” field of email.
Step 3: Enter your contact information into the email.
Step 4: Click Send.
You are now in the running to win tickets (via random lottery) for the upcoming season of Saturday Night Live.
Last year they were pretty clear that you should send only one email. This year’s info doesn’t mention it. So if you think that spamming them with one million emails will help, then go for it.
Here is last year’s post if you want more detailed info:
Saturday Night Live lets you enter your name in a raffle every August for the upcoming season.
You used to have to send in a postcard (or perhaps several postcards… I never did it because I always imagined someone in their basement writing out thousands of postcards to win tickets.)
Now you just send an email. And they only take one per person.
So you only have this month to send your email in. If you win, thank you in advance for taking me!
FROM: http://www.nbc.com/Footer/Tickets/
Saturday Night Live
To enter the Saturday Night Live ticket lottery for the upcoming 2007-2008 season send an email in the month of August only to snltickets@nbcuni.com. Please include all contact information and do not request a specific date. If you are selected, you will receive two tickets to a random show date and time. You may only send one email per household and all audience members must be at least 16 years of age. Please note that entering the lottery does not guarantee tickets, and you will only be notified in the event that you are chosen.
Stand-by tickets are distributed at 7am on the 49th st. side of 30 Rockefeller Plaza on the mornings of the tapings. You may choose a stand-by ticket for either the 8pm dress rehearsal or the 11:30pm live taping. Aside from minimal, necessary breaks, all stand-by line members must remain in line at all times. Stand-by tickets are limited to one per person and are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. NBC staff reserves the right to revoke or not issue any ticket to anyone in line if proper procedures are not followed. Please arrive no later than 7:15pm for the dress rehearsal or 10:45pm for the live show. A stand-by ticket does not guarantee admission and no one under the age of 16 will be admitted.
In my research about film script treatment, I discovered this website.
http://www.bmyers.com/public/807.cfm
It is an Automatic Movie Script Treatment Generator, though I have to say I find it woefully lacking in choices and concepts.
Here’s what I generated.
Comedy: A college student teams up with a hair dresser to start a new life.
As the story unfolds, the college student starts to discover the truth about with a pet pig.
By the finale, they manage to wreck 1 cars, prove their worth and win the respect of their classmates.
Think Dumb & Dumber meets Forest Gump.
Not quite what I was going for. Comedy… yes… well, the generated log line is comical, but I think that movie would suck.
Not sure if Bill Myers, the person who created the generator, did it to mock the narrow vision of what a Hollywood blockbuster contains, or if he really thinks that there are only 50 or so types of “sidekicks”.
Still, it’s kind of fun to use it, so I felt it was post-worthy.
Enjoy!
PS: Nobody steal my idea… I’m really attached to my main character discovering the truth about her pet pig…
PPS: Just want to add that this site generates more of a log-line than a treatment.
The bigger your project, the more you have to keep track of and I really like this software because it is SOOOO important to stay organized when you are doing a feature.
Here’s the official description: “MovieSet is a platform and tool kit that integrates with the actual production workflow process in order to enable the creation of authentic real time content. Its ultimate objective is to build core audience over each project’s life cycle from Development through Distribution. Fans can authentically track each film’s progress from green-light through to delivery.”
Great site and the software they have looks really good. I’m about to sign up for it. I’ll let you know how it is! If you have used it, please comment below and describe your experiences.
Chris Valenti is another friend/filmmaker of mine (also a great musician and comic) and he has some really great comedy movies online and I just wanted to turn you on to his blog.
In 2009 he vowed to do a short film each month and he succeeded and I think that by setting a goal that is both a stretch and something that he can track, he made a great choice, and he achieved his goal! YAY!
For anyone who is a fan of SNL… especially the classic Saturday Night Live shows from the 70’s and 80’s… this is a great series of videos from Funny or Die that have all the actors that ever played U.S. presidents, going back to Chevy Chase as Ford.
There is the main video, directed by Ron Howard, and then the other “outtake” videos. I especially like the “dream sequence” with Dana Carvey as Bush Sr.!
I <3 Dan Aykroyd!
Oh, and only non-SNL person they had was Jim Carrey play Reagan. (”Tag you’re it!”) HAHA!
It was a lazy Thursday yesterday when I shot this. I stayed in all day editing and was in the middle of working and thought “I should post a vlog update.”
If you like any of the following videos, please give them a “Funny” rating (by clicking on the word “funny” below the screen) on Funny or Die.
Hiring Pundits: I directed, wrote and edited this one.
Wide World Of Bowling
(My comments) Good job on Graphics and greenscreen. Might want to stand a little further away from greenscreen next time. The outline around the actors will be better.
Sometimes people used to writing for theater don’t realize that people are used to watching video with a lot of different shots, so it would have been cool if they had cut to “The Bulldozer” bowling or something like that… Especially if he was drunk when he bowled or other physical comedy. This would have added to the comedy and also made it more visually interesting. I’m very impressed with the ambitious use of graphics, though. Very cool, and most of them looked good!
VEGAS 1404 News
(My Comments) I like that they are shooting downtown Vegas. Very interesting area… I’m not involved with this but if I was, i would be highlighting the positive stuff going on… The artists, the new businesses to improve the area, something about themselves (Vegas 1404), First Friday, new theaters…
Everyone knows that Vegas has pimps and hookers and druggies… but why is that news? I think they’re still testing out this genre and it will get tighter as they go on. And I have a tendency to look for the up-side of things, and that may not be what they are going for which is cool. All voices are necessary in the world of art and flimmaking. Good job, guys!
Not going to comment on the content, winners, dresses, etc… But just wanted to alert you to the Oscars website, which is super-interactive and really fun!
It covers everything… not just the winners, but pre-show interviews, dresses, presenters, “thank you cam” (great idea for those that get cut off by the music), surveys and other great info.
My only dissatisfaction is that the official Oscars website asked who, in ceremonies past, did you like the most in terms of wardrobe, and I was not able to select Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s lovely dresses and wigs…
Trey Parker & Matt Stone at the Oscars 2006
I think that tops them all!!!
And the one kudos I would like to give is the director of The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow. FINALLY, a female director wins Best Picture and Best Director! YAY! Well Deserved… And for a war movie, no less… Double YAY!
Katheryn Bigelow
(If you want to see the Oscar winners without the http://oscar.go.com/ hooplah, you can also go to IMDB.)
