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.
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!
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.)
Well, I spent this weekend shooting footage for NAZ Today of the Sedona Film Festival.
I got a tremendous quantity and high quality of footage, including an event called “Conversation with Michael Moore” and several great interviews with directors and producers of the films being screened at the festival, but unfortunately I don’t have the footage.
Sorry.
Here are some pictures… (sorry about the low quality)
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.
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.
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.
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…
