AMS Filmakers Blog

Creating a gradient wipe in Final Cut Pro

2010-09-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

YouTube - Creating a gradient wipe in Final Cut Pro

Vote for Augmented City 3D on Vimeo

2010-09-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

“Visionary Cities” is described as “an international moving image competition in collaboration with the Whitechapel Gallery, Vimeo, FilmDirecting4Women.” The competition, hosted on Vimeo, will close voting at the end of this week from five top picks that imagine cities of the future. Through Friday, “Like” one of the videos to register your vote

Augmented City 3D from Alpha Ville on Vimeo.

Augmented City 3D on Vimeo

The Original Human PAC-MAN Performance by Guillaume Reymond

2010-09-13T04:59:00.000-07:00

Guillaume Reymond, the guy who gave us the human Tetris performance, is back with his latest live action videogame art project -- this time tackling Namco's classic Pac-Man. Created using a stop-motion camera technique, this is the French-Swiss artist's fifth creation for the GAME OVER Project.

Reymond shot the footage over 4 hours with 111 human "pixels" who make up Pac-Man, the board, and the ghosts who chase him down. Seeing it in motion is really neat -- particularly if you love stop-motion and low-fi video. The short was shot and played for the new ProHelvetia's programme GameCulture at the Trafo cinema (Baden, Switzerland) on August 28th 2010. Watch This: Stop-Motion 'Pac-Man' with Humans - Cinematical

Writing better dialogue on Vimeo

2010-09-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

Writing better dialogue from John August on Vimeo.

ScreenwritingU.com - Screenwriting Classes, Videos, Articles and more

2010-09-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is a great site for aspiring screenwriters. There are classes, videos, tutorials, articles and forums that will be helpful to any amateur screenwriter!

ScreenwritingU.com - Screenwriting Classes, Videos, Articles and more

How to Make Video Look like FilmThe Rev. John Jackman, The Rev. John Jackman, The Rev. John Jackman - StumbleUpon

2010-09-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

"A lot of software products claim they can make your video look like film. Some video filmmakers swear by such plug-ins, while others sneer, "If you want it to look like film, then shoot film." Getting video to look like film is a complex and nuanced subject (see "Matching Digital to Film," Oct. '02 DV, for a discussion about blending video and computer elements with film). It's also the kind of topic that lends itself to Internet forum flame wars. Oversimplifications and broad generalizations abound."

How to Make Video Look like FilmThe Rev. John Jackman, The Rev. John Jackman, The Rev. John Jackman - StumbleUpon

Free Webinar - Keeping Organized

2010-09-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

A free webinar about Keeping things organized while producing a film.

HOLLYN-wood (Norman, that is) » Keeping Organized – A Free Webinar

The Expendables Movie Review

2010-09-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

First, the positives: the action scenes are good. Very good, and at the very least a lot of fun. Just like in Rambo, Stallone unleashes a fury upon an army of unnamed soldiers at the end of The Expendables; people die in piles, blood splatters everywhere and explosions light up the screen. The action scenes are well executed and prove that Stallone and his co-stars still have it in them to deliver excitement.
Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. Everything else is a cluster.
First and foremost, the writing is terrible. The characters spout off one-liners on a regular basis, but the one-liners are neither memorable nor funny. Every dialogue-driven scene, save for one well-written moment with Mickey Rourke (I wouldn't be surprised if he just winged it), is excruciatingly painful. And since the writing is bad, the acting is dreadful.

The Expendables Movie Review

The New Hansel and Gretel: Jeremy Renner and Noomi Rapace - Cinematical

2010-08-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

Official word hasn't hit yet, but if Jeremy Renner's latest casting slip is right (he also shared his Hawkeye news well before the official announcement), he and Rapace are going to star in Tommy Wirkola's Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters.

Twitch found the news, which slipped out during a recent interview with Norwegian press at the Venice International Film Festival. As sister site Horror Squad posted last year, the film finds the deadly-to-witches brother and sister 15 years after their gingerbread house ordeal. Rather than try to put the past behind them, they've become witch bounty hunters. Since this is being produced by Gary Sanchez Productions (Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, etc), the film will naturally be comedic, and has been compared to the likes of Evil Dead 2 and Shaun of the Dead.

The New Hansel and Gretel: Jeremy Renner and Noomi Rapace - Cinematical

Good Advice that Is Bad for your Film Career

2010-08-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

This article was too good to not share with you. As a filmmaker, you will hear A LOT of advice from well meaning individuals. However, all advice is not good advice, and it may not apply to your particular style as a filmmaker.

The article states:

Good Advice that is actually bad for you
Here is the type of advice that sounds good on the surface, but ultimately has a very negative effect. In particular, this is the type of advice I see coming out of a certain village of so called “experts”.
Hire a good DP/Assistant director/Gaffer/Editor/Composer
Pay the actors and crew. Offer deferrals if you can’t pay
The camera is the most important piece of equipment.
Use storyboards to play your shoot
Continuity errors will destroy your film

Check out the rest of "Listening to ‘so called’ experts could destroy your film career before it even starts." — Cinema Advanced Cinema Advanced

Short Film from Pixar's Rodrigo Blaas

2010-08-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

Alma from Rodrigo Blaas on Vimeo.

Build a Pneumatic Dust System : DIY Film Tutorial | Backyard FX - Filmmaking Special FX for Cheap

2010-08-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

We have featured videos produced by Backyard FX many times. They have great special effects for filmmakers on a budget. If you have some time, check out the entire site. They have great information for the small time filmmaker!

Build a Pneumatic Dust System : DIY Film Tutorial | Backyard FX

Cinnamon Chasers - Luv Deluxe (Music Video)

2010-08-25T06:12:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon Chasers - Luv Deluxe (Music Video) from Saman Keshavarz on Vimeo.

This is the first music video created by Saman Keshavarz and we have to say that we were pretty impressed. The concept was interesting, the music was awesome, and the story unforgettable. We highly recommend taking a look!

YouTube - Confessions of The Doorway Killer

2010-08-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

YouTube - Confessions of The Doorway Killer

DIY Steadicam, Glidecam - StumbleUpon

2010-08-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Every Filmmaker knows that to get a steady, clear picture a Steadicam is a must. However, this can be an expensive purchase. We've found a great DIY Steadicam, Glidecam - Click on the link to view

Film Techniques of Alfred Hitchcock - suspense, camera angles, style, editing, basics - StumbleUpon

2010-08-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

Film Techniques of Alfred Hitchcock - suspense, camera angles, style, editing, basics

Change everything in your screenplay so that it is done for the audience. Nothing is more important than how each scene is going to affect the viewer. Make sure the content engages them and reels them in. Use the characters to tease the viewer and pull them along desperately wanting more.

Hitchcock knew why people are drawn to a darkened theater to absorb themselves for hours with images on a screen. They do it to have fun. In the same way people go to a roller coaster to get thrown around at high speeds, theater audiences know they are safe. As a film director you can throw things at them, hurl them off a cliff, or pull them into a dangerous love story, and they know that nothing will happen to them. They're confident that they'll be able to walk out the exit when its done and resume their normal lives. And, the more fun they have, the quicker they will come back begging for more.

Film Techniques of Alfred Hitchcock - suspense, camera angles, style, editing, basics

10 Story Techniques You Must Use to Sell Your Script

2010-08-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

Selling your script can be extremely nerve racking to any Filmmaker, regardless of how awesome your script is. There are, however, some tried and true techniques that will help your script sell. Check out 10 Story Techniques to sell your script

1. Know the 10 most popular genres
Step 1 in writing a script Hollywood wants to buy is knowing the 10 most popular story forms. If you write a script that is not based on one or more of these genres, your chance of a sale plummets. They are Action, Comedy, Crime, Detective, Horror, Fantasy, Love, Myth, Science Fiction and Thriller.
2. Combine 2 or 3 genres
In the genre-focused entertainment business, the most important story strategy today is to mix genres. 99% of films made, not just in Hollywood but worldwide, are some combination of the ten most popular genres. Why? It all goes back to that old rule of selling: give the customer 2 or 3 for the price of 1. This, in a nutshell, is how Hollywood works.
Let me give you some examples. The super-popular Bourne films are Action + Thriller. Knocked Up is Comedy + Love. Little Miss Sunshine is Myth + Comedy. Titanic, the most popular movie of all time, is Love + Disaster Film + Myth. The Dark Knight is Crime + Myth + Fantasy. The Harry Potter stories, the most popular books of all time, are Fantasy + Myth + Horror + Coming-of-Age Drama. The Pirates of the Caribbean movies are Fantasy + Action + Horror + Myth.
3. Find the right genre for the story idea
The single biggest decision you make in the entire writing process occurs right at the beginning, when you are developing your premise, or story idea. The decision is: which genres should I use for this idea? Here’s a shocking but eye-opening fact: 99% of scripts fail at the premise. And why? It’s not because their original story ideas weren’t good. They fail because the writers didn’t know the best genres to use to go from a 1-line idea to 2-hour, 120-page script.

666 DIY Horror Filmmaking Tutorials

filmmaking.net | Phillips and Ridley Scott challenge filmmakers to 'Tell It Your Way'

2010-08-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

Another filmmaking contest!

Phillips have taken a leaf out of the BMW marketing cookbook and commissioned a series of short films, called Parallel Lines, to help promote the cinematic qualities of their new range of high-end TVs. Five films were produced by directors in the Ridley Scott Associates fold, and the competition involves producing a sixth film to round out the series. The five short films, released on www.philips.com/cinema, are part of a cinematic project whereby each director created a film in a different genre, with a different storyline, but all following the same six line dialogue.

Competition entries are open to anyone globally and should be submitted via the official Philips Cinema YouTube channel. Entries close at midnight 8 August 2010. Three rounds of judging will be held including public voting via YouTube. Finalists will be judged on criteria including creative storytelling, use of dialogue, and technical achievement. The top ten finalists will be selected by RSA directors and British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) Chairman, David Parfitt. The overall winner will be selected from the top five finalists by Sir Ridley Scott himself and gains a week's work experience at RSA.

Click Here to find out more on filmmaking.net | Phillips and Ridley Scott challenge filmmakers to 'Tell It Your Way'

Filmmaking Competition

2010-08-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

Filmaking Competition!

DepicT! ‘10

This year’s competition

We want filmmakers worldwide to show their stuff in just a minute and a half. DepicT! is open to anyone, on any budget, from anywhere in the world working in any genre. Just make sure your super short is distinctive, imaginative and engaging to be in with a chance of winning some priceless industry exposure and exclusive prizes.

Entry requirements:

Must be 90 seconds or under
Must be completed after September 2009
Open to all genres and production techniques

Click on the Link to visit Depict! and learn more about their Filmmaking contest!

So You Wanna Work in Movies

2010-08-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

If you love the film making industry, but don't know anything about making films, no worries. In the article below you will find that there is a job for all different types of people in the filmaking industry from accountants to those who have absolutely no skill at all. An excerpt from So You Wanna Work in Movies:

I'm totally useless at everything but I'm willing to learn.

This is not necessarily a problem as plenty of people working in the industry are totally useless. Some of them are Executives working in the Studios. If you don't know what this means, go to the part on Studio Executives, although it may not be very helpful, as I've never quite worked out what they do. Some people who work on the floor, i.e. actually making the film, are totally useless but they usually don't last very long, unless they are either very enthusiastic or very entertaining or very pretty or all three.

I am good at figures.. numbers that is.

This is easy. Films employ Accountants by the bucket loads. When there’s a few million dollars to control, or a few hundred million, the Accountant is a rather important figure. He or she (and it seems to be she quite a lot of the time) does the same job that accountants do elsewhere but they can say "I'm working with Meryl Streep at the moment" and stuff like that. Accountants rarely see anyone connected with the film, unless they don't pay them. So if they see someone, they are usually angry. This makes the job quite hard, as sometimes films run out money to pay people, then the crew turns quite ugly. The producer or the director will make some kind of encouraging speech - "The money is definitely coming next week.." that kind of thing. When it doesn't, the accountant is first in the firing line. You may not want to be a movie accountant. If you're good at numbers, you could ignore that and do something more interesting - but don't ask me what. On the other hand, film accountants are usually pretty happy because they get really well paid!"

So You Wanna Work in Movies

2010-08-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

Me my Shark and I from Chuck Patterson on Vimeo.

Review: Eat Pray Love - Cinematical

2010-08-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

We have heard very few positive reviews for the new Julia Roberts "Eat, Love, Pray". The review from Cinematical is no different:

"This skill is taxed to its limits in Eat Pray Love, in which Roberts plays a privileged, self-absorbed narcissist who takes a year-long vacation to "find herself." (You're always in the last place you look, amirite?) This lady, Elizabeth Gilbert (also the name of the author from whose memoir the film was adapted), isn't happy married, isn't happy single, isn't happy ever. She figures she needs to spend some time with no one but herself. Speaking as one who has spent 140 minutes with her, I would advise against that."

Click Here to read the Full Review: Eat Pray Love - Cinematical

'Scott Pilgrim' vs. Ageism? - Cinematical

2010-08-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

Review on the new "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World".

"It may indeed be a "generational" thing as far as age is concerned, but I tend to think it's more about a certain sensibility, in the same way that "slow cinema" came under fire not long ago. Vadim Rizov provided an insightful roundup at IFC's Independent Eye blog on the backlash against arthouse films filled with slow, languorous master takes, and concluded by referring to Sturgeon's Law ("Ninety percent of everything is crud") and observing: "The problem isn't the mode, it's the average product. The exceptions are always what matter." Is that what's happening with Scott Pilgrim?"

Check out the full 'Scott Pilgrim' vs. Ageism? Review - Cinematical

Exporting Markers List as Text in Final Cut Pro - Final Cut Studio, Avid, Adobe, and Video Streaming

2010-08-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

Another great tip from Geniusdv.com!

If you're using multiple markers in a Final Cut Pro project and use them to confer with another editor or producer or your client, you can export your marker list as a text file to use in a spreadsheet application such as Numbers or Excel.

Exporting Markers List as Text in Final Cut Pro - Final Cut Studio, Avid, Adobe, and Video Streaming

Free Screenwriting Software by Plotbot&write screenplays online with friends - StumbleUpon

2010-08-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

This cool little app allows you to screen write online.

With Plotbot, you can create private screenplays to work alone or with invited friends, or you can create public screenplays to find new friends. All changes are tracked to each writer, and you can revert to prior versions at any time.
We handle all of the formatting—you just click the text to edit and write, easy as pie. All you have to think of are great ideas!

We gave it a try and loved it!

Free Screenwriting Software by Plotbot&write screenplays online with friends -

The media player, movie player, YouTube player, video player, AVCHD player, divx player, free player - BS.Player.com - StumbleUpon

2010-08-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

We found this cool little media player and wanted to share!

BS.Player ™, a free media movie player, is a product for the world multi media market and is therefore equipped with advanced subtitle options which enable the users to watch video content with subtitles from many popular subtitle formats (MicroDVD .sub, VobSub .sub + .idx, SubViewer .sub, (Advanced) SubStation Alpha .ssa or .ass, SubRip .srt, VPlayer .txt...). BS.Player is also a AVCHD player and enables you to display AVCHD video format movies (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) used in digital tapeless camcorders. It can automatically search and download missing subtitles for currently playing video, if available.

BS.Player ™ is the software movie and media player that supports all popular video and audio media file types, containers and formats such as:
DivX, Xvid, avi, mpg, mpeg-1, mpeg-2, mpeg-4, 3ivx, YouTube streaming video, AVC HD (avchd player), QT QuickTime mov, RM Real media, OGM, Matroska , mkv, asf, wmv, DV, m1v, m2v, mp4, mpv, swf, vob and wav, mpa, mp1, mp2, mp3, Ogg, aac, DTS, Dolby Surround, Dolby digital DD 5.1 - AC3, aif, ram, wma, flv (Flash and YouTube Video), m4v and much more!

The media player, movie player, YouTube player, video player, AVCHD player, divx player, free player - BS.Player.com

TVARK | The online television museum | Discover the history of tv presentation & graphic design - StumbleUpon

2010-08-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

In the mood to visit a museum? How about online TV museum. Check out the link below!

TVARK | The online television museum | Discover the history of tv presentation & graphic design -

Netflix Makes Huge Online Streaming Move

2010-08-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

We love Netflix Instant Streaming through the Playstation! Gone are the days when watching a movie at home required a little pre-planning! Now Netflix is close to signing a deal with Epix which will expand the Netflix collection.

Netflix has reportedly signed a deal – or is close to doing so – with Epix, a struggling company that directly represents Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM. Variety reports the deal would bring Epix movies to Netflix’s instant streaming service; in other words, 46% of the major movies produced will now be available on demand via Netflix’s website, a vast improvement over the studio’s already impressive collection. Considering that most of Netflix’s 15 million subscribers have unlimited access to its streaming functionality already (it costs at minimum $8.99 a month), this is yet another major victory for the innovative company and its users.

Netflix Makes Huge Online Streaming Move

mental_floss Blog & 15 Film Production Credits Explained - StumbleUpon

2010-08-09T15:44:00.000-07:00

This should be common knowledge by most professional filmmakers. However, it does give the average user a better look at all the people involved with creating a film.

1. Boom Operator

No, this job has nothing to do with explosives or pyrotechnics. The boom referred to is a long pole with a mic attached to it–the mic that picks up all the dialogue the actors are saying. The boom allows the mic operator to move with the action and stay out of the camera’s field of vision.

2. Armourer

Now this job does deal with explosives, of a sort. The armourer’s specialty is firearms, which, when used as a prop, requires a special handler. War movies and cops movies sometimes need several armourers to keep track of all the firearms, which, even though filled with blanks, can still be quite dangerous. (Remember Jon-Erik Hexum? Anyone? Anyone?)

3. Gaffer

Though the gaffer manages the entire electrical department, all the guys who run cables and hang lights, his main responsibility is mounting and positioning lights and lighting rigs.

4. Grip

Grips are sort of like worker bees. They do lots of different things, like moving set pieces, scenery, and pushing cameras on dollies for follow-shots. But the grip’s main job is lighting. They set up filters in front of the lights and position sun blocks to keep natural light from ruining a scene.

Click here to check out the entire 15 Film Production Credits Explained Article

Realistic Knife Throw Effect | Backyard FX - Filmmaking Special FX for Cheap

2010-08-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Realistic Knife Throw Effect | Backyard FX - Filmmaking Special FX for Cheap

The Runaways Movie Review

2010-08-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

We love this review about the Runaways from FilmJabber!

“Jailbait.” What better way to describe Dakota Fanning in The Runaways, in which she plays sexy young starlet Cherie Currie opposite Kristen Stewart, who plays Joan Jett. Both onscreen and in real life, the young actress has suddenly transformed from eerily good child actor to can’t-wait-til-she’s-eighteen sex symbol (for creepy perverted men, not me – of course). In recent years, Fanning has played a sexed-up 13-year old in the superhero flick Push, a torture-loving villain in Twilight (alongside Stewart) and now a drug-crazed singer. All audiences should be eager to see what she, and Stewart, do next.

The Runaways Movie Review

Should Universal Gamble $200 Million on 'Battleship'? - Cinematical

2010-08-06T15:06:00.000-07:00

"The Hollywood Reporter posts that as Battleship gets ready to start production this month, the budget is ranked at $200 million (or more). That's for a flick starring Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna (in her first feature acting gig), with Peter Berg (Hancock being the only action film to his name), in a world of water which brings to mind expensive flops like Waterworld.

The studio cites Berg's passion for the material, and how much he learned from his naval historian father for it, as if we're talking about a World War II movie and not Mars Attacks! on H2O. They also cite the love masses of people have for the game, as if carefully placing little plastic ships on a grid will make people the world over go: "I must watch aliens attack ships on the big screen!"

Should Universal Gamble $200 Million on 'Battleship'? - Cinematical

Affleck and Weisz Join Terence Malick's Next Project - Cinematical

2010-08-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

"Seems like even director Terence Malick has gotten so antsy working on Tree of Life, his much-anticipated and characteristically much-delayed new film, that he's moved on to casting his next project. The Wrap has word that Ben Affleck and Rachel Weisz have just been cast in Malick's as-yet-untitled next project. The project was initially announced at this year's Berlin Film Festival where it was described as a "powerful and moving love story."

Affleck and Weisz Join Terence Malick's Next Project - Cinematical

Using the Matrix for Consistent Record Levels

2010-08-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

One of the challenges we face as church sound engineers is to get consistent levels on our recordings. Almost every church I know of records it’s services, either on Hard Disk, CD, Video, Cassettes (the horror!) or a combination of those. Unless you have a dedicated recording mixing position, getting the levels consistent on those recordings is tough.

Using the Matrix for Consistent Record Levels – ChurchTechArts

Quentin Tarantino to Write and Direct 'The Shadow'? - Cinematical

2010-08-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

"Years ago, Sam Raimi wanted to bring The Shadow to the bring screen. He was denied the opportunity, and the film was ultimately given to other hands, which hugely failed whilst Raimi went on to kick off the very successful Spider-Man franchise. But in late 2006, it looked like the filmmaker was getting a second chance. Fast forward to this year, and Raimi was still in, but only as producer, and David Slade's name was knocked around for the director's chair.

But this new rumor is much, much sweeter -- one that should help the poor Shadow erase memories of the 1994 production and give us a whole new world to geek out over."

Quentin Tarantino to Write and Direct 'The Shadow'? - Cinematical: "

'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2' Sets Release Date - Cinematical

2010-08-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

After breaking down and watching Twilight - the first installment of the popular Twilight series written by Stephenie Meyer, we were not only disappointed, but could not stomach a second or third installment of the popular saga. However, that being said, we aren't against capitalizing on information about this series! For all the rabid Twilight fans: "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2' Sets Release Date"

Fix Your Audio Levels All At Once in Final Cut Pro with Normalization | Final Cut Producer

2010-08-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

While working on some video editing, we decided to try and figure out what Normalization actually does to help our audio. After doing a little bit of research, we found this article/tutorial that takes you step by step through the Normalization process while explaining what is actually happening during the process.

Normalizing Audio in Final Cut Pro

Kevin Smith's 'Red State' Starts Populating

2010-08-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

"Over three years ago, Erik first shared word with us that Kevin Smith's rumored horror movie had an apt name -- Red State. The filmmaker had been inspired by the religious insanity that is Fred Phelps, so it was a nice play on words merging bloodletting with conservative politics. But Shirley Phelps didn't give a rats tutu about the "boring" film, and that seemed to be the consensus outside the Phelps family as well. Smith had a tough time pulling the money together, and even when it seemed like things were a go for July, the month came and went without any religious horror.

But now Smith has jumped a huge leap forward, snagging a cast for the feature, which will now begin filming on September 22."

Read more about Kevin Smith's 'Red State' Starts Populating - Cinematical: "

NOW: TRON: Legacy: Theatrical Trailer

2010-08-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

NOW: TRON: Legacy: Theatrical Trailer

Southland Of The Heart - Teaser

2010-08-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

Southland Of The Heart - Teaser from Southland Of The Heart on Vimeo.

25 New Faces of Indie Films

2010-07-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

Check out the comprehensive list of the 25 new faces of indie films at "http://www.indiewire.com"

New Lighting System

2010-07-20T05:39:00.000-07:00

Comments about Inception

2010-07-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

Inception was the box office winner this weekend bringing in over 60 million. It has also received many glowing reviews from the critics. We've found a great review of the movie at http://www.cinematical.com.

They state: "If a film's quality is measured solely by its ability to generate audience member discussions about it after the credits roll, then Inception is without a doubt the most successful film of not only the summer but the entire year thus far. Regardless if you think Christopher Nolan's high-concept heist film is a masterpiece, a complete clustercuss or some shade of grey between the two, there's just no walking out of the theater without a desire to discuss it further. A host of adjectives have been thrown Inception's way recently, but forgettable just is not one of them."

Go check out the rest of the review at http://www.cinematical.com

Sony 3D - How 3D LCD Active Shutter Technology Works

2010-07-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

When Humans Ruled the Earth

2010-07-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

When Humans Ruled the Earth from Stephen Ong on Vimeo.

Realistic Wounds and Stitches

2010-07-12T14:22:00.001-07:00

Movie Shot with Iphone

2010-07-07T06:54:00.001-07:00

Check out this movie shot with an Iphone!

"Apple of My Eye" - an iPhone 4 film from Michael Koerbel on Vimeo.

YouTube Adds Online Video Editing As You Upload

2010-06-21T06:46:00.000-07:00

You Tube has added a basic online Video Editing suite that allows you to upload and add music to your short video.

"Aside from the player interface, the whole interface makes use of HTML5, though it’s not as sophisticated as a former Flash-based “remix” tool that YouTube offered, then discontinued. (That seems to be the nature of the design of the tool more than the comparative functionality of Flash and browsers.) What’s nice is that videos in your account appear automatically, ready to drag, trip, and compose. You can add audio from YouTube’s AudioSwap service, with accompanying advertising, though I couldn’t figure out a way to upload my own soundtrack. (You may simply have to do that by uploading as a video?)"

Source CreatedDigitalMotion.com

Best Short Film at The Ava Gardner Film festival!!

2010-06-21T06:26:00.000-07:00

Ben Pickle - The Dill Cut from nic beery on Vimeo.

Rebel Without a Crew

2010-06-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

We just heard about this book Rebel Without a Crew, written by Robert Rodriguez. He outlines the his process of filming the movie "El Mariachi" with a small budget, and a lot of ambition.

For more information, check out this great review at www.dawsbrother.com

Crawl Through TV Like the Ring

2010-06-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

Advanced Media Solutions - Specializing in CD and DVD Replications

A Review of Russell Crowe's Robin Hood

2010-06-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

"Aside from the fact that Robin Hood could have been named anything else, it was a boring film. At two hours and twenty minutes, the film just felt long and bloated. I couldn’t help comparing this film to Gladiator (having the same star and director.) But where I was rooting for Maximus within the first 5 minutes of Gladiator, I never connected with Robin Longstride at all.

Come to think of it, I didn’t care about any of the characters in the film. All of our “heroes” start out the film on their way back from the Crusades pillaging villages in France. Then when the “evil French” begin to invade England near the end of the film, we are supposed to hate the French. But why? The English were pillaging their villages for no good reason. Why shouldn’t they fight back? I could go on and on but I won’t."
"Source www.dawsbrothers.com

Creating Droplets in Apple Compressor

2010-05-24T20:52:00.001-07:00

Advanced Media Solutions - Specializing in CD and DVD Replications

Felicia Day on finding your internet audience

2010-05-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

How to Build a Skater Dolly

2010-05-17T13:31:00.001-07:00

How to build a skater dolly from Rob Imbs on Vimeo.

What I've Learned About Attracting an Audience Through Social Media: Part Two

2010-05-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

ConvoNYC - Attracting Audiences Through Social Media - Part 3 of 3 from Scott Kirsner on Vimeo.

Advanced Media Solutions - Specializing in CD and DVD Replications

What I've Learned About Attracting an Audience through Social Media: Part Two

2010-05-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

ConvoNYC - Attracting Audiences Through Social Media - Part 2 of 3 from Scott Kirsner on Vimeo.

What I've Learned About Attracting an Audience Through Social Media: Part One

2010-05-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

ConvoNYC - Attracting Audiences Through Social Media - Part 1 of 3 from Scott Kirsner on Vimeo.

JJ Abrahms "Super 8" Trailer

2010-05-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

Paramount has given approval for Apple to premier the new "Super 8" trailer, the secret film directed by JJ Abrahms.

Official trailer page

Advanced Media Solutions - Specializing in CD and DVD Replications

Joaquin Phoenix's Rapper Mockumentary

2010-05-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

Stories are circulating the internet that Joaquin Phoenix's "Rapper" persona was for a Mockumentary.

Those who've seen the thing are obviously sworn to secrecy, but you know how the business works. We'll get a leak on what the film entails soon enough. Though at first one site will "learn" and reveal wrong info and then another site will divulge different information gained from their own anonymous sources. Then, whichever distributor has acquired the film will deny everything. Meaning we could hypothetically still be completely unsure of anything until this hits theaters and everyone is talking about it.

Source http://www.cinematical.com

TV Business Headed in Same Direction as Newspaper

2010-05-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

The latest article by Business Insider has analysts predicting that within the next couple of years TV will slowly become less relevant as video and TV content becomes easily accessible online. TV companies don't think this is a problem. Much like the newspaper industry denyied that free news content online would affect their bottom line.

Specifically, TV business models for the past half-century, from broadcast to cable to satellite, have been built on the following foundation:

* Not much else to do at home that's as simple and fun as TV
* No way to get video content other than via TV
* No options other than TV for advertisers who want to tell video stories
* No options other than cable--and, more recently, satellite--to get TV
* Tight choke-points in each market through which all video content has to flow (cable company, airwaves), which creates enormous value for the owners of those gates.

And now, slowly but surely, look what's happening:

* Other simple and fun options emerging at home: Internet, video games, Facebook, IM, DVDs
* New ways to get TV content other than traditional TV companies: Hulu, YouTube, iTunes, Netflix
* Video-story options for advertisers beginning to emerge: Hulu shows, for example (But NBC, et al, making a lot less per viewer now than they do on TV)
* More options for getting video content: telcos, cable cos, wireless cos (soon)
* Fewer choke points in each market: With an Internet connection
anywhere in the world, you will soon be able to get to almost anything. And not just to your computer--to your television.

This is possibly good news for film makers who should be taking advantage of the shifting interest to content delivered online.

YouTube Allows Filmmakers to Charge Rental Fee for Videos

2010-04-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

A partnership between YouTube and the Sundance Film Festival, which saw new and year-old fest selections made available to rent through the Google-owned video site, seemed a disappointment early this year. But YouTube still sees potential in such a distribution model and will now open the rental fee option to its general users, according to MediaPost (via Mashable). An exec told them engineers are currently working on a self-service initiative through which fimmakers can upload their work and rent it out for an undisclosed (if it will even be standardized?) price. Might this be an eventual threat to Netflix as the better way for independent filmmakers to reach a large audience?

Users have already been making money for years through the site's YouTube Partnership Program, which shares ad revenue with members, many of whom are popular enough to make a living uploading videos on a weekly basis. More recently, "one-hit wonders" have also been able to reap rewards via the Individual Video Partnerships, so suddenly hot viral clips like "David at the Dentist" can garner submitters financial gain in addition to their 15 minutes of fame. But most of these moneymakers are short subject videos and feature-length submissions may not be as successful, either with ad share or rental models.

Source http://www.cinematical.com

Do You Really Need a Star for your Film?

2010-04-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Hollywood stars are in demand when it comes to movies. They bring big attention and big bucks to a movie. They can also be a source of distraction. The over-publicized actor/actress can make it difficult for your audience to transition from real life into full movie immersion.

Can you watch a movie with Lindsey Lohan, once a promising young actress, without thinking about her personal life, which is splashed daily in the tabloids. More and more stars personal lives are dissected daily within the media. This question begs to be asked...do you really need a star for your film?

Consolidated Films created a list of benefits that stars can bring to a movie.

Once the benefits of a "Hollywood Star" are understood, the challenge is to find successful creative ways to replicate these benefits sans a "Hollywood Star".

"Stars can bring your film advantages that it otherwise would have to work hard to attain. Stars not only cost money (usually) but they are strong personalities that can quickly take over a production. They are on fire and you can get burned. For those with strong visions about the film and little money, they can put effort into replicating the benefits of a star's participation with a little creativity, some help, and lots of time."

Quentin Tarantino Filmmaker Advice

2010-04-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

Video Submissions

2010-04-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

Podcast Discussion of "Kick Ass"

2010-04-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

If you have heard the controversy about "Kick Ass", definitely go check out the podcast below as they discuss the latest graphic novel adaptation, Kick-Ass. Is Matthew Vaughn's superhero film a successful deconstruction of the genre? Does Hit Girl deserve all the controversy? Tune in to find out.

http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/www.randomchatter.com/files/podcasts/MC_096.mp3

Hitachi Working On Glasses-Less 3D LCD

2010-04-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

A glasses free 3D TV display is being pursued by none other than Hitachi.

Hitachi's going to use Sharp's parallax barrier technology (supposedly used in the Nintendo 3DS and that mysterious StreamTV panel) on some mean LCDs, hopefully just as slim as their previous models.
Last year at CEATEC Hitachi showed off a 10-inch prototype with a VGA screen, which used 16 projectors to create the glasses-less 3D, which is visible dependent on the viewing angle. We've always said glasses would prove the barrier for most people considering buying a 3DTV, but it's not yet known whether the parallax barrier technology can actually compete with what we've seen from Panasonic, who's the only manufacturer with a 3D plasma out. [Akihabara News]

Realistic Eye Tear Effect

2010-04-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

Click to View Realistic Eye Tear Effect Video

Top Ten Worst Special Effects

2010-04-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

The Vine lists the Top Ten Worst Special Effects.

10. The Sharks in Deep Blue Sea (1999)
9. Hulk in Hulk (2003)
8. All the werewolves in An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)
7. Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns (2000)
6. Dinosaurs from Sound of Thunder (2005)
5. Monkeys in Jumanji (1995)
4. Garfield in Garfield (2004)
3. Yoda in Star Wars Episode II (2002)
2. Werewolves in Twilight: New Moon (2010)
1. Jabba the Hut in Star Wars Re-release (1997)

Check them out and see if you agree!

After Effects Wiggle Expression

2010-04-09T12:19:00.001-07:00

Did Avatar Change the Rules?

2010-04-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

"During the final months before "Avatar" was released, director James Cameron holed up in a hotel near the Fox lot. He already had led innovation with his stereo 3D and performance-capture techniques. This time, he was pushing the boundaries in presentation quality and postproduction-distribution processes, helping to shine a light on the unsung heroes of postproduction and an often overlooked but nonetheless critical challenge in theatrical exhibition.

When film projectors were standard, deliverables meant the creation of a large number of film release prints. But since the industry began its shift into the digital and stereoscopic 3D realm, a theatrical release now amounts to a large number of film prints as well as multiple versions of digital media with various technical specifications.

When the digital-cinema push began a decade ago, one consideration was that digital would result in the elimination of film prints and therefore cost savings on deliverables. But with the global movement in its current state, movies require traditional film release prints as well as all emerging 2D and 3D digital-cinema formats, meaning the task of creating deliverables is -- for the time being -- more daunting than before."

Read more about how Avatar Changed the Rules

Using an iPad to Read Scripts

2010-04-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

It seems that the wave of the future might include actor/actresses rehearsing their lines via their iPad!

As of this writing — on iPad’s launch day — there are at least six dedicated .pdf readers in the App Store. My favorite at the moment is GoodReader – Tablet Edition, which is currently priced at 99 cents. There will no doubt be more contenders in the weeks and months to come, so keep in mind this endorsement has an expiration date. It’s the best solution I’ve found today.

Read the entire Review of Reading Scripts on iPad here

How to Grow Your Film's Comedic Characters

2010-04-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

Building a unique comedic character that connects genuinely to an audience can be a challenge. It is easy to slip into comfortable stereotypes and jokes for cheap laughs. However, cheap laughs come at a price. It will lock down your creative ability to grow your character, becayse your audience will become too comfortable with the easy stereotype. Any attempts to grow your character into a more serious role would be distracting to your audience.

Jane Espenson writes, "I would recommend that you should be able to produce a non-funny answer to the question, "what is your script about?" Answers like, "My main character is afraid his kids don't respect him" or "My main character is scared that he's more feared than loved at work," or "My main character thinks her lover is growing bored with her." Very non-funny. But the way that character takes action to address the problem -- now you've got a whole vista of comic possibilities that the viewers are going to actually empathize with. And that's golden."

How to Film Online

2010-03-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

As an Indie Filmmaker there are multiple opportunities online to to market your film projects. However, making video presentations for the web can be different than movie making.

Tips from Digital Film making Blogs give some great advice to dramatically improve movies destined for the Web, consider these shooting tips:

* Keep the action steady. Reduce the amount of fast and extended motion in your movie because high-speed action sequences result in sluggish playback.
* Use well-lit scenes. Because dark settings present difficulties in compression, you’ll want to avoid videotaping in low-light conditions.
* Compose for contrast. When creating compositions for the Web, contrast is more important than color because drastic compression leaves little room for color fidelity.

Click Here to the rest of the Digital Film Making Blog Article on about "How to Film Online"

10 Ways to Market Your Underground Film Online for (Mostly) Free

2010-03-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

If you don't have millions of dollars to promote your indie film, there are plenty of other resources available.

Bad Lit has 10 ways to Promote your film

1) Get listed on IMDB.com! This is the absolute first step any filmmaker should do once they’ve completed their film.

2) Get a free blog.

3) Upload production stills to Flickr.

4) Send hi-res photos through YouSendIt.com.

5) Upload your trailer. Just slap together a couple of key moments and scenes from your film, upload the trailer to all of the video sites that have proliferated on the web within the past year or so and “tag” the trailer with any and all appropriate keywords that will let people find your video.

6) Get a MySpace page.

7) Get an IndieLOOP page.

8) Comment on other people’s blogs.

9) Send review copies to movie sites.

10) Sell merchandise through CafePress.com.

We recommend visiting the Bad Lit website to learn more about these 10 Marketing Strategies to Promote your Film!

Indiana Jones Face Melt: BFX

2010-03-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

Build a Tracked Camera Dolly for Cheap

2010-03-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Build a Tracked Camera Dolly for Cheap

How to Make a Radial Dolly

2010-03-16T08:25:00.001-07:00

You might want to skip to the 1:35 mark to see how the radial dolly is made...or just watch the entire video!

How to Make a Radial Dolly

Free Video Editing Software Links

2010-03-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

Software tools to edit video can cost upwards of thousands of dollars. However, if making a movie on a budget is your problem, you don't have to buy the latest and greatest. There is plenty of software available for free. Below is a list of links to some of recommended free software.

1. Windows Live Movie Maker
Trim your video clips to show only the parts you want. Add titles, transitions, music, and effects like panning and zooming.

2. Blender
Blender is a complicated tool with a steep learning curve. However, the benefits and features that come with this free tool make it hard to pass up. You can use it to add 3d shapes into live footage or shooting against blue- or green screens and you can also use it for video editing and putting your final footage together. "Blender's animations systems supports a variety of techniques and tasks, allowing the creation of complex animations."

3. Wax
"Wax is a high performance and flexible video compositing and special effects software. The idea for Wax is to be very general purpose and flexible in video compositing and effects."

4. Video Spin
Video Spin was put together by Pinnacle, a well known name in the video editing software industry. PC Magazine says that with Video Spin "you'll be rewarded with an easy-to-use, highly streamlined workflow for producing and uploading videos."

5. Virtual Dub
"VirtualDub is a video capture/processing utility for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows platforms (98/ME/NT4/2000/XP/Vista/7), licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). It lacks the editing power of a general-purpose editor such as Adobe Premiere, but is streamlined for fast linear operations over video. It has batch-processing capabilities for processing large numbers of files and can be extended with third-party video filters. VirtualDub is mainly geared toward processing AVI files, although it can read (not write) MPEG-1 and also handle sets of BMP images."

Robert Rodriguez - 10 minute Film School

2010-03-08T15:34:00.001-08:00

Digital Vs. Film

2010-03-08T15:32:00.000-08:00

Here is one man's take on Film vs. Digital:

"Now that millions of cameras are in the hands of amateurs and professionals alike, there is a revolution in movie making and exhibition. All the rules of cinema are out the window, as these cameras now produce enough resolution that even theatrical projection is possible.

However, the theaters only have room for studio pictures made with major stars, movies that are well over $50 million in budget.

DVD releasing and Internet streaming are now the most frequent mode of exhibition for the great majority of professional movies. The amateurs exhibit their extravaganzas on Youtube, Myspace and their clones.

Where does this leave filmmaking? Filmmaking is preserved by a few filmmakers around the world. Ironically, filmmaking has been invigorated by the Digital Revolution. Even though indie producers make movies with digital cameras, film is still king.

All the professional digital cameras have features to produce the “film look.” There are lens attachments and myriads of plug-ins. Digital movie makers buy thousands of dollars worth of plug-ins for their expensive cameras and, moreover, spend thousands more on editing suites and computers. It is not unusual for a digital producer to spend $100,000 or even $200,000 on digital gear to simulate the “look of film.”

Many young movie makers are oblivious to the fact that a filmmaker can shoot an entire 35mm feature film for $50,000 – including camera, sound, film stock, developing, editing, negative cutting and printing.

But the hysteria to go digital is so great that producers go stark raving mad and buy the latest digital cameras that are literally obsolete by the time they read the user manuals. They want to shoot digital movies so bad that they ignore the fact that they’re now spending twice the money they would’ve spent if they’d shot their movies on film.

Film is dead, long live film."