Filmspotting Podcast

"A weekly film podcast from Chicago with
Adam Kempenaar and Sam Van Hallgren."

This is the podcast that first got me hooked into listening to podcasts. I've been listening to these guys for well over a year and I'll keep listening for as long as they keep reviewing movies.

The format of the show includes a top five list, Massacre Theatre (where the hosts deliver lines from a movie and you get to guess what that movie is), interviews with directors and other filmmakers, great music, and lots of listener feedback.

Don't just take my word for it. Here are a few other reviews:

"Podcasting For Movie Geeks" ... "Listen in to this weekly film podcast from cinephiles Adam Kempenaar and Sam Hallgren as they wax philosophical and review the newest films."
-- Filmmaker Magazine - October

"A force for good in the universe."
-- Brick writer/director Rian Johnson

"They're sort of the podcast version of CarTalk, and they're very bright and very verbal. I enjoy listening to them so much and I'll write down the films that they're talking about."
-- Saturday Night Fever director John Badham

Direct link to subscribe to the Filmspotting feed

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Brick: Shooting Script & Novella

Brick writer/Director Rian Johnson has placed the shooting script (with footnotes) and the novella he wrote before the script on his website. Johnson said that when he began writing the story he didn't know how to format a script. The footnotes reveal more about adapting the script to the screen.

Check out Brick on imdb or the official movie website.

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Google Sketchup for Previsualization

I've hand drawn story boards before for short films. I've also drawn out detailed floor plans including character staging and camera location and movement.

SketchUp will allow you to create a virtual 3D set and use it to create both story boards and floor plans. It's free to use and can be installed on both Windows and Mac OS X.

There are many 3D models created for you to use. The "3D Warehouse" features allows users to import models and use them for their own sets. SketchUp features textures and Google Earth support.

To get started fast, view the Google SketchUp tutorials:

• Video tutorials. In Google SketchUp open the "Help" menu, and then click "View Tutorials".
• Self-paced tutorials. In Google SketchUp open the "Help" menu, point to "Self-Paced Tutorials," and then click "Part 1" to get started. These tutorials run in SketchUp and invite you to try the things you are learning.

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A Place for My Thoughts

The reason I've decided to keep a blog is because I need a place to put the ideas and resources that I've come across while reading books and magazines, watching television and film, and scouring the internet for information on how to make short films.

I hope some of the information I post will be useful to someone else.

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