Produce (Short) Movies

Solid Video Cameras: The Canon GL1, Canon GL2 and the Panasonic DVX100A

As technology keeps improving, it is hard to keep up with the latest gadget.

I’m sure you already know this, but for a filmmaker, it can be frustrating because if you want to buy a camera, you want to keep in mind that it has to produce a level of quality for you not only for now, but ideally for the next several years, so that you really get your money’s worth.

Unless you are shooting features, I would not go crazy with an expensive camera. Nothing over $10,000.

Don’t break a sweat though, I’m not even thinking in that ballpark in terms of price.

I’ve noticed over the years that the same cameras keep popping up. The DPs that I’ve worked with like them. They’re relatively simple but offer a lot of important features, and they are in a reasonable price range.

Here are my two favorites:

The Canon GL1, Canon GL2 and the Panasonic DVX100A.

Before I continue, I want to make clear that I come from an ACTING background, not a technical one. I am not a cinematographer but I’ve had to familiarize myself with the technology as a director.

I like these cameras because even though they are not HD, they will give you a nice picture and they allow you to manually adjust the shot.

**VERY IMPORTANT** They have external sound jacks, which means you can use a mic other than the one that is inside the camera.

This is key to making movies, even shorts, because poor sound quality is a sure give away to low production value. It’s the kind of thing that no one notices if it’s good, but everyone notices if it’s bad.

I’m not going to get into all the details, but these cameras also have a lot of accessory possibilities that will allow you to get more technical and professional with your shots as you grow into the camera.

They use Mini DV as storage which isn’t going to go anywhere any time soon.

Festivals accept films shot with these cameras. I’ve worked with feature film DP’s that like them.

And all of these cameras can be found on the Internet for under two grand, although the DVX100A might be challenging to find. You will probably come across the DVX100B which is in the $3K price range, but if you are going to pay that much, better to go with a lower end HD cam.

Canon GL1

Tags: cameras, Canon GL1, Canon GL2, General Filmmaking, mini DV, movie making equipment, Panasonic DVX100A

Ebert’s Best Movie Posters

For those of you on Twitter, Roger Ebert is a great person to follow.

He tweeted about a post he made recently about the best movie posters of the decade.

I agreed with a lot of them, some I didn’t.

Here’s the link!

As a filmmaker, it’s good to take a look at these posters, because it gives you an idea of what will sell your own projects.

Some of these movies are downright awful (and I find it unfortunate that a large portion of them are for horror flicks), but their posters are incredibly striking.

Let me know what you think!

Tags: best movie posters, General Filmmaking, Roger Ebert

To Sundance or not to Sundance?

One of the questions I often get when asked about how to become an actor is whether or not to go to Sundance, the big film festival that happens in Utah every January.

I’ve never gone.

I get invitations to parties and to roommate with people every year, but I’ve been to Salt Lake City other times of the year and the idea of a large portion of Los Angelenos descending upon that tiny town every year makes me hyperventilate from claustrophobia.

I mean, should the opportunity come when my schedule is free, then I might check it out, but I don’t personally think it will benefit most actors and there are better ways to network.

Sundance started as a way for the indie filmmaker to get the word out about his or her film, but it has gotten so big that it has become a celebrity stomping ground, complete with schwag tents and photo-ops if you are on the A-list.

What does that mean for the beginning or intermediate actor?

It means that you could probably meet some interesting or even powerful people at the event, and see a lot of great movies premiere and attend some awesome parties, but it won’t do much for your career.

As a filmmaker, the advice I’ve gotten regarding Sundance is that you should go if you have something screening, otherwise it’s kind of a waste of resources. A fun waste, but a waste.

My advice would be to seek out smaller film festivals. If you are from LA, go anywhere in the nation that has a film festival and you will find filmmakers from Los Angeles. YAY!

If you are not from L.A., go to the festivals that are local to you. The reason is that most festivals favor local filmmaking talents and encourage them to apply. This means that you will be networking with filmmakers in your area, which means you have a good chance of being cast in their next project (or at least auditioning.)

And don’t forget to go to the galas at these smaller festivals. Sure, you may have to pay a bit of an entrance fee, but it’s like an automatic set up for you to talk with people. Tables are shared typically (awesome!) and lots of mingling ensues. Congratulate the people that win awards and follow up after the event with an email. Ideally, you got to see their project during the festival. Tell them what you liked about their work and that you would like to get involved in their next project if there is an appropriate roll.

Finally, if you do go to Sundance, go to the workshops. Great place to meet people. And also waiting on lines for standby tickets for films. But really, you’ll meet people everywhere when you go. After all, it is Sundance and a majority of the industry people go just to chat it up with other industry people.

And as always, Have Fun!

Tags: General Filmmaking, how to become an actor, LA Acting, Sundance Film Festival

A Few of Good Resources for Los Angeles Actors…

I was thinking about a friend who recently moved to LA to do some acting and was trying to decide what resources I would refer him to.

There are three off the top of my head that I wish I had discovered earlier.

The first is Suzanne Lyon’s Flash Forward workshops, which I have mentioned here several times.

The second is Jeffrey Gund’s InfoList, which is a regular email that gives you information on the latest events and workshops in town.

And the third is CCI, Center For Cultural Innovation.

They focus a lot on the business of art and I had the pleasure of going to one of their free artists info days which they hold approximately every 6 months.

The topics at that even ranged from legal assistance to doing your own PR to getting yourself organized (called “Getting Your S**t Together”), and while CCI tends to be more geared toward visual artists, I found it to be extremely valuable for other artists, such as actors, filmmakers, musicians, etc…

Great networking, too!

Tags: CCI, Center for Cultural Innovation, Flash Forward, how to become an actor, infolist, Jeffrey Gund, LA Acting, Los Angeles acting, Suzanne Lyons