'Your Film Festival' Deadline Less Than a Week Away - $500k Grant (And More)...
On March 31st, 2012 the first 'Your Film Festival' will close its doors to submissions. But it's not just the $500k grant money that's on the line -- it's who and what comes attached with it. The...
View Article'Film Festivals vs. The Web' - a Student Academy Award Winner's Perspective
When deciding how to release your short film, one of the more common questions in recent years has been whether to forego the festival circuit and go directly to the web. With that in mind, animator...
View ArticleWhat's in a Name? 9 Do's and Don'ts of Picking TV Titles
Coming up with a good title can be a royal pain. Is it intriguing or just vague? Is it descriptive but too dry? Does it suggest a dynamic concept or sit on the page? In television, good titles can...
View ArticleTwo DIY Jib Projects That Will Cost You No More Than $30 and Some Elbow Grease
Have you been jonesing for arcing vertical and horizontal camera moves? Perhaps you simply want an easy way to elevate your camera without having to climb a fence or set your tripod ontop of a chair....
View ArticleSundance-winning ‘Like Crazy’ DP Shares Lessons Learned Shooting on HDSLR
It's easy to forget just how liberating shooting with HDSLRs can be -- you can follow your characters down a crowded street, get B-roll while your crew is setting up lights, and generally have the...
View Article10 Lessons in Film Acting from Michael Caine
How do you make sure you stay in frame and focus while performing? What is the best way to work with off-camera actors while performing a close-up? How can props like cigarettes become a major...
View ArticleIt's That Time of Year Again - Annual 'Script Frenzy' Challenges You to 100...
It's the first day of April, and that can mean only one thing for those of us procrastinating on our writing -- it's Script Frenzy time. Script Frenzy is the annual script writing event that...
View ArticleSony's New FS-700 Revealed - 4K-ready Super 35mm Camcorder for Less Than $10k?
Looks like Sony has decided to make some waves with the next model in their line of NEX cameras -- the FS-700. Building on the FS100 (Super 35mm sized sensor, interchangeable E-mount lenses, XLR...
View ArticleHow Well Do Leading LED Lights Mix With Tungsten Lighting? A Shootout Aims to...
LED lights present a number of advantages -- they tend to be more energy efficient, don't give off as much heat, and should (in the future) have the ability to replicate various color temperatures...
View ArticleForget the Sponsors and Just Make Your Web Series - 'Vampire Mob' Creator...
So you're planning a web series. Do you know what demographics you're going for? Have you figured out the perfect episode length that will keep viewers coming back for more? What about sponsors, how...
View ArticleWorld's First Sony FS700 Short Film Reveals Class-Leading Slow Motion Abilities
Earlier this week, Sony announced the Sony FS700, and today they released some of the first footage shot on the camera as part of their official launch. Yep, it's pretty much a promo film, but it has...
View ArticleTwo DIY Projects That Will Help You See Easier: an $8 DSLR Viewfinder +...
Tired of squinting at your DSRL's LCD screen? Maybe you need some extra lighting oomph for that indoors shoot? These two projects aim to make your no-budget existence a bit easier. The first is a...
View ArticleFS700 Video Roundup - 4 Videos That Will Make You Want to Buy or Wait
The FS700 has dominated much of the camera buzz in the couple of weeks heading into NAB, and with the early announcement comes early footage. Last week we posted the official launch film that...
View ArticleCanon Announces World's First 4K Video Shooting DSLR: the ($15k) EOS-1D C
Canon has dropped its bomb -- the EOS-1D C . The world's first 4K video shooting DSLR. Equipped with a full-frame 24mm X 36mm CMOS sensor that offers an APS-H sized area for video capture, and...
View ArticleNew Audio Recording Features in the 5DmkIII and D800 = Streamlined juicedLink...
Audio remains an underdeveloped feature on most DSLRs -- DSLR shooters must resort to independent recorders or pre-amp devices plugged into their cameras. However, with each new model we see (small)...
View ArticleYou Too Can Make Money on YouTube - New Policy Opens Partner Program to...
Does your video have a million views? Do you consistently draw large audiences? This past Thursday, YouTube announced it would throw out old criteria and let anyone with eligible content join the...
View ArticleNew PluralEyes 3.0 Offers 10-20 Times Faster Audio Synching
It looks like Singular Software isn't sitting on its laurels when it comes to its popular audio synching software, PluralEyes. They've announced version 3.0, and with a new version comes faster...
View ArticleShane Hurlbut Shares and Discusses 'The Ticket' - First Short Shot on Canon's...
Canon had its big NAB screening on Sunday night, showing off both its 4K DSLR, the EOS 1D-C, and the C500. As part of the presentation they screened "The Ticket", a short film written/directed by Po...
View ArticleWatch, Vote and Be Inspired - Vimeo Festival + Awards Voting Now Open
Want to watch a boatload of awesome shorts? Want to participate in one of the cooler emerging film festivals from the comfort of your own home? Public voting for the Vimeo Festival + Awards is now...
View ArticleApproaching the Movie Inside Your Movie - the Art of Title Design
Do you remember the grimy creepiness of Se7en's opening, or the elegiac power of Blue Valentine's title sequence? Some films keep titles to a minimum, jumping into the story as quickly as possible....
View ArticleBlackmagic Design's Cinema Camera Now Available for Pre-order - What Will the...
It seems like it was just yesterday that Blackmagic Design's Cinema Camera was announced -- and now it is available for pre-order! As expected, the camera body will run you $2,995, and the projected...
View ArticleDolby's Great Leap Forward - 'Atmos' Aims to Take Theatrical Sound Where 3-D...
What if you could hear Michael Myers' footsteps as he moved through a victim's house? Or be immersed in the soundscape of a gun battle, with such life-like quality that you might run for cover from...
View ArticleAudio Recorder Roundup: Zoom H4n vs. Tascam DR-100mkII vs Tascam DR-40
If you’re a DSLR shooter, you know that having an independent audio recorder can be a must for getting quality sound. There are a lot of affordable flash recorders that can deliver great audio, but...
View ArticleNeed a Black-and-White Digital Cinema Camera? Ikonoskop Announces the A-Cam...
This is an interesting item - Ikonoskop, the folks behind the A-Cam dII (a raw shooting HD camera previously covered) recently announced a black and white version - the A-Cam dII Panchromatic. By...
View Article'The hardest part is dealing with failure' - Academy Screenwriters Discuss...
What are the highs and lows of being a screenwriter? What kind of misconceptions do people have about screenwriting? How do you find your voice in an assignment or get through writer's block?...
View ArticleFS700 Price Confirmed - It's Under $10k, but by Just How Much?
When Sony's FS700 camera was first announced, it was rumored to be under $10k, with some folks pegging it at $8k. When the European version's price came out at roughly 8,000 euros (~$10,500) the...
View ArticleDSLR + Kinect = Add Depth to Your Footage, Take a Peek into the Future
What do you get when you map footage from your DSLR onto volumetric data from a Kinect? How about strange, exciting, sweetness! A very enterprising fellow by the name of James George has developed...
View ArticleTake A Filmic Journey with Martin Scorsese
Ever wished you could just chat with one of your filmmaking heroes, hear their thoughts on various films, and get a list of recommended viewing? Well this comes pretty close to doing that for me. A...
View ArticleWant to Watch the Canon C500 Projected in 4K? Go Check This Out if You're in LA
Curious about Canon's EOS C500? Wondering what the footage actually looks like projected in 4K, and what the post-process workflow is like? If you're in the L.A. area you should sign up for this free...
View ArticleHave a Comedy or Children's Show Idea? Amazon Studios Offering Up to $55,000
Have you got an idea for a "smart, character-driven" comedy series? Or maybe an educationally themed children's show? Then Amazon Studios may be interested. We've previously discussed Amazon Studios...
View ArticleThe Art and Craft of Converting 2D Films to 3D
If you caught this past weekend's big blockbuster, Marvel's The Avengers, then you may have watched it in 3D. Many of you may or may not have been aware that the film was first shot in 2D and...
View ArticleTwo Interview Lighting Tutorials That'll Kick Your Footage Up a Notch
So you're getting ready to interview that expert for your short documentary, and you want to review your interview lighting technique. Or maybe you're just looking for an introduction to lighting in...
View ArticleLooking for a REDucation? RED Offers Digital Cinema Training Course - for a...
Amid the hubbub of new product announcements this item has flown a bit under the radar -- this Fall, RED will start offering a 16 week digital-cinema training course. It aims to take students from...
View ArticlePhilip Bloom Shows You What the FS700 Has to Offer (And How It Stacks Up with...
The FS700 is expected to start shipping in less than a month, and as we await the flood of beautiful slow-mo videos that will surely come in its wake, Philip Bloom has recently put up his review of...
View ArticleHow to Get Great Audio on Location -- a Crash Course from Zacuto
How often do you take a location's audio characteristics into account when choosing where to shoot? What kind of mic is better suited for a shooting range vs an indoor dialogue scene? In an on-going...
View ArticleUnderstanding the Difference Between Raw, Log, and Uncompressed Footage
Can you view raw footage on a monitor? What's baked into the image by Log recording? What's the advantage of having uncompressed footage vs compressed footage? With more and more cameras offering a...
View ArticleNeil Gaiman's Advice on What You Need to Know when Embarking on a Creative...
It's that time of year when waves of freshly minted graduates head out to make their way in the world. It's both an exciting and daunting moment -- there's all the possibility and anxiety of the...
View ArticleAre You an 'Indie-friendly' Director?
Making a low-budget independent film is hard - there are budgetary limitations, crunched schedules, and the inevitable last-minute change of plans. It's no surprise then that some traits might make...
View ArticleKubrick Speaks: His Evolution into a Filmmaker and the Importance of...
Following in the footsteps of our recent post on advice for recent grads pursuing creative careers, I found this rare audio interview with Stanley Kubrick complementary. Kubrick, as you may or may not...
View ArticleWant to Break into Visual Effects? 9 Tips from Pioneering VFX Artists
The VFX industry has exploded over the past few decades -- going from a very specialized, somewhat obscure, corner of the filmmaking industry to one of its most important high-profile sectors. It...
View ArticleCinematic LEGO -- Shots from Your Favorite Movies Recreated with Your...
Do you love movies? Do you love LEGO? If you've ever had a desire to recreate favorite shots from your favorite movies, you'll understand just where imgur user hatinhand is coming from. Rendering...
View ArticleOrson Welles on Acting - 'Take Away from Yourself to Reveal the Truth of What...
Can you look inside and see a murderer? A saint? A fascist? In this thought-provoking clip, Orson Welles shares some of his views on acting, and how great performances depend on the act of revealing --...
View ArticleEver Wondered How a CCD Sensor Works?
Do you know how your sensor translates light into the data that later becomes your images? How does the physical construction of your sensor affect how pixels get interpreted? This little video is a...
View ArticleRedrock Micro's New Curving Slider Aims to Make You a 'One Man Crew'
If you're a one-man band, you know how tough it can be to simultaneously handle the camera, capture sound and interact with your subject. More often than not, you'll have to settle for a static shot,...
View ArticleTascam Targets DSLR Filmmakers with Its New 4-Channel Audio Recorder - the...
Despite all the advances in image resolution and quality, most DSLRs on the market still require separate audio recorders for quality sound capture. We've previously covered and compared affordable...
View ArticleHarvey Weinstein on Promoting Movies: 'Start Being a Performer and Understand...
Making your movie has never been the end of the ride -- whether you're a no-budget indie filmmaker or Errol Morris -- you're going to have to promote your film. Most of us aren't natural born...
View ArticleVittorio Storaro Explains How DPs Can 'Write with Light' to Tell a Story
Do you follow light like the moon follows the sun? How do the colors in your film express the thematic content? It's in answering these kinds of questions that legendary cinematographer Vittorio...
View ArticleWhat Cameras Are Festival Filmmakers Using in 2013?
When thinking about your upcoming project, do you ever catch yourself dreaming about the latest greatest buzz camera? I know I do. It's easy to get caught up in the tech and forget that finding the...
View ArticleCan You Make Your Documentary 'Without a Hollywood Budget and Big Crew'?
Is it possible to make a feature documentary that spans the globe without a Hollywood style budget? Mother/daughter team Gail Mooney and Erin Kelly did just that with their film, Opening Our Eyes -- a...
View ArticleRecreating the Shot: a Lesson in Lighting Through 'Blade Runner'
You can learn a tremendous amount by simply watching great films -- paying attention to the details, breaking down a scene, concentrating on how elements come together. But if you really want to start...
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