American Cinematographer magazine podcasts

This appears to be a new contribution from the magazine. There are two podcasts each with two episodes so far.

American Cinematographer

AC magazine presents a series of interviews with cinematographers, directors and other key collaborators involved in filmmaking process.

"Guillermo Navarro, ASC, cinematographer of Hellboy II: The Golden Army, discusses shooting tooth fairies and elementals, creating otherworldly environments and working alongside Guillermo del Toro with American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich."

Conversations on Cinematography

The American Society of Cinematographers presents an ongoing series of cinematographers speaking with fellow cinematographers in frank discussions about their work on film and television productions.

[+/-] Show Full Post

[+/-] Hide Full Post

RIP Movie Trailer Voice Guy

You may not have known his name or recognized his face, but the voice behind your favorite movie trailers has passed away. He will be greatly missed.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Don LaFontaine, the voice behind thousands of Hollywood movie trailers, has died. He was 68.

LaFontaine's agent Vanessa Gilbert says the voiceover artist died Monday as a result of complications from the treatment of an ongoing illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

LaFontaine has been a fixture in Hollywood for decades, working on about 5,000 movie trailers. Much of his fame stems from his trademark movie-trailer catch phrase, "In a world where..."

[+/-] Show Full Post

[+/-] Hide Full Post

Indy Mogul video tutorials

The self proclaimed "first network for the YouTube generation" and official Honorees of the 2008 Webby Awards. The Indy Mogul guys have created a community of digital video makers.

Our premiere show here is “Backyard FX,” coming to you every Monday and hosted by zero-budget wizard Erik Beck. Erik shows you how to create special effects the fun and cheap way, and then subjects his siblings, roommates, and puppets to his creations. Each week he takes challenges and suggestions from you, the viewer, and gets those latent creative juices flowing fast and free without making your wallet sweat.

You can view their videos on Youtube or on their website.

[+/-] Show Full Post

[+/-] Hide Full Post

Ask Someone For Research Information

While browsing the Writer's Guild of America website I came across this page with a list of contact information from various government and other reputable agencies.

The following are organizations willing to provide free information to writers. While every attempt is made to ensure that FYI listings are purely informational and accurate, the WGAW does not endorse any of the following listings or the information they provide.

Government Departments
Medical Authorities
Religious Information
Psychological References
Miscellaneous
WGA Departments
Points of Interest

[+/-] Show Full Post

[+/-] Hide Full Post

New Online Screenwriting Tool

I just came across a new website that promises online screen writing functionality. It promises to make collaboration easier. I haven't used it myself, but it looks like it might be something I try in the future.

From the about page:

The advantages of web-based applications are obvious - no software to install, no updates to keep track of, easy portability, and automatic off-site backup of data. Screenwriting, in particular, enjoys significant benefits from this architecture. By hosting the software online, we are able to offer easy and intuitive collaborative features. Users can work privately as they do today, collaborate with a few friends, or even collaborate with the entire web community. We automatically manage revision history and maintain a record of authorship. Also, by offering a web-based application, we can easily reach a diverse population of writers and build a dynamic community that is not possible with traditional screenwriting applications.

zhura.com

[+/-] Show Full Post

[+/-] Hide Full Post

The War of Attrition: Part 2

Be sure to start with Part 1.

Is There Life After Film by Julie MacLusky, Peter Dowling continues:

“I think as a writer you just have to keep on writing, stretching your self and trying to grow. You often hear people say, ‘You have to write the most un-commercial thing you can to prove to people that you’re a good writer,’ but I just write what I like and would want to see myself.

There are clearly a lot of talented people out there who haven’t yet made it—but it’s a war of attrition. Maybe they weren’t ready when their opportunity came along. An opportunity will probably come along again, and they must just keep writing. Good material—you often hear it, but it’s true—will find its way. This business is built on looking for good material. They’re not out there to keep you away. If you’ve got a good script, somebody will get hold of it, read it, like it, but it—it’s just the nature of the business.

I really think it’s just staying power. People who get disillusioned give up, and then I have to question how much they really wanted it in the first place? I’ve known now for over twenty years what I wanted to do. I remember at eighteen meeting people who were at university in England and they said, ‘What do you want to do?’ and I could tell them. But if I asked them, ‘Well, what do you want to do?’ and they were doing some kind of business degree, they didn’t know, but they had an income figure in mind. I always knew I wanted to make movies and it’s not about the money. I say if you do what you love and you’re successful at it, the money will come.”

I can certainly relate to Peter. Filmmaking is something I’ve longed to do since I was 13. My advice to myself and other filmmakers: Write something.

Begin to write stories. Take short one act plays and turn them into ready-to-shoot screenplays (while making all the changes you want). Take moments from you life and turn them into screenplays. Write the ordinary. Write the fantastic. Write the dream you dreamt as a child.

Regardless of whether you want to write: write something!

[+/-] Show Full Post

[+/-] Hide Full Post

The War of Attrition

In the final paragraph of her introduction to her book Is There Life After Film School: In Depth Advice from Industry Insiders, Julie MacLusky writes:

“When I set out to conduct these interviews, I wondered if those who succeed have any personal qualities in common, or particular routes to success. I found that they did share a realistic idea of the business they were getting into, which was married to a fierce determination. They were also prepared to do their time in lower paid jobs and earn their experience the hard way. And finally they were prepared to keep going when others might have chosen to give up. Screenwriter Peter Dowling told me he believes success is down to a war of attrition. Thus, if you graduate from a class of thirty-two screenwriters, and five years later only two of you are still writing, your odds will be greatly improved by the reduction in competition.”

One dictionary defines “attrition” as a reduction in numbers usually as a result of resignation, retirement, or death. Another word that comes to my mind is cutthroat.

Peter A. Dowling shares writing credits with Billy Ray on Flightplan (2005), a Hitchcockian thriller starring Jodie Foster. Is There Life After Film School? was published in 2003 by Continuum.

Julie MacLusky is Assistant Professor of Screenwriting at Chapman University. Several of her short stories have been published in anthologies, and she has also written and produced documentaries for BBC Radio.

Contiune to part 2.

[+/-] Show Full Post

[+/-] Hide Full Post