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!
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!
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…
It is tremendously helpful to start the new year with a clean slate and I, in some way or another, usually go through my previous year and review all that has happened, all the successes I have achieved, where it has left me at the end of the year, and, most importantly, where I am headed in the next year.
I have done many different systems that all work well, depending on the sort of mind frame I am in and the sort of experience I see myself having in the new year.
Suzanne Lyons runs a workshop in December called Launching the Future, and though the even has already passed, here is a message from Suzanne on how to get “complete” with the previous year, so that you may step into 2010 full steam ahead and with all of your energy moving toward what you want to achieve.
“Ten Steps to Wrapping up 2009…and Giving Yourself the best Holiday Ever!” by Suzanne Lyons
1) Take a thorough serious look at your year. Go through your calendar, day timer, diary, etc. See where you are out of communication, out of touch, and out of integrity with colleagues, family and friends. Make a complete list.
2) Take your list and write up what you would need to do or say to clean things up (to be complete). I am not saying that you have to take the actions. You can take the actions if you want to, but often just the act of acknowledging what is incomplete will have it disappear.
3) Go back through your year and take note of all the projects, areas and anything from your “To Do” list that is incomplete or unfinished.
4) Take this list and write out what actions you could take to be finished or be complete. It is up to you whether or not you take the actions, but once again in order to be complete with 2009 it is important to take note of the above and acknowledge what is left unfinished.
5) Accomplishments: Now it’s time to brag! I love this part. Go through your year again and this time make a list of all of your accomplishments…no matter how small you think some of them might be. All too often we focus on what’s wrong, what we didn’t get done or what we should have done. So now I want you to focus on everything you accomplished. Claim it! Be proud of it! Take joy and pleasure in it!
6) Acknowledgment: There are two sides to this one. Giving and receiving. Both are very important and both are missing in our culture. And it is all part of being complete. In all of 2009, what would you like to be acknowledged for. For example, “I would like to be acknowledged for sticking to my weekly exercise program.” Write out a list of all the things you want to be acknowledged for and share it with a friend. Perhaps you could have a friend or family member do the exercise so you can share your lists with each other. A friend of mine, with her family, does the accomplishment and acknowledgment lists every Christmas. Wow!
7) Acknowledging others: Who do you want to acknowledge? Make a list and include the acknowledgement in your holiday cards, calls and emails. Acknowledge not only what they did, but also who they are for you and the difference they have made in your life.
Expectations: A friend of mine once said that “human beings are walking expectations just waiting to be unfulfilled”. So that said, what about going into the holiday with your friends and family with absolutely no expectations at all! Just allow them to do what they do and be who they be and have no reaction. Just keep falling in love with them over and over again no matter what. Wouldn’t that be a fun adventure to take on for the holidays?
9) Appreciation and Gratitude: There is a great quote by Melody Beattie where she says that “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Create a list of all the wonderful things you appreciate and are grateful for. Come up with at least 50! Look at this list everyday and keep adding to it.
10) Contribution: Since this is the season for giving, the greatest gift you can give is yourself….your time, your love, your kind words, your ongoing commitment to be an example for humanity…bringing excitement, possibility, joy, love and passion to everything you do and everyone you touch!
(BTW, I recommend you sign up for Suzanne Lyon’s newsletter by going to her website!)
THEY ARE ESPECIALLY LOOKING FOR PRODUCTION PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS!
And as a side note… (in alignment with the general M.O. of this blog) Vegas 1404 started without any production people and as they have continued to create more and more projects, they have acquired more and more help. That is the power of action and the power of momentum and I highly commend them for that. This is a great group to get involved with, and if you’re in town, I recommend you check it out.
Expectations: A friend of mine once said that “human beings are walking expectations just waiting to be unfulfilled”. So that said, what about going into the holiday with your friends and family with absolutely no expectations at all! Just allow them to do what they do and be who they be and have no reaction. Just keep falling in love with them over and over again no matter what. Wouldn’t that be a fun adventure to take on for the holidays?