http://www.doctorparnassus.com/
There's a site, and there's rumor that Heath's death can be worked around...
Poor Gilliam has the worst freakin' luck! Did he piss off Poseidon or something? No more completion bonds, EVER!
Good luck Terry, we all loves ya.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Parties, Shorts, oh my…
Well, an eventful weekend, and week…
One thing I love about the Denver Film scene is the fact that it is still small enough that you can really branch out and meet a lot of people, but diverse enough that every event is just a little different. Went to Aaron Delgrosso’s B-Day party this past Saturday, and it was great to see so many of the folks from CFS in attendance. Bumped into Anthony Cafaro, I haven’t seen him since the Matson Jones video, what was that, 2004?
(I hear Matson Jones is long broken up, anyone know?)
Got to see the trailer for “The Moment Man”, which was James Vincent’s last short, great shots. I don’t know where he is going to premier it. Ditto with Delgrosso’s last, “Donnie’s Inferno”. Both shot on the HVX - P2. I have to say, I'm getting sick of that HVX look, it's too, how do you say it, HVXy. I need a decent camera package. I know, I know - everyone wants the "filmic" look for next-to nothing. But isn't there an alternative? The Sony XDCAM EX1 has been getting some great reviews (cheap CineAlta? Huh?) and Sony fans are raving, but to me, the lens is still an issue. The HVX and EX1 both wear an 82mm perma-mount, which is decent enough for general videographers and quick-fire shooting, but I am really feeling the need for a decent film-glass mount. I’ve been following the HPX500, or splurge for the HVX2000 with some decent Canon glass. (honestly, I’m terrified of focus problems with that Redrock, but who knows…if cost becomes an issue, I can’t ignore the tests I’ve seen with it here. As far as lighting goes, “Look Forward” doesn’t have any night shots, so we can work with that.)
I've even flirted with the idea of going 35MM on this one...Hmm. Pricey. I think the problem lies with trying to trick the viewer into thinking what they are watching is film, rather than trying to push HD into it's own look. Michael Mann did a great job of that on Miami Vice (though the film itself was a bit of a disappointment). I don't think anyone else has really given that push...everything is either super-soft or super crisp...
In other news, I dropped a couple of new shirts into the Zazzle site, fun graphics, something a little different than the single-color punch-line designs I’m used to. Tell me what you think:
I did have one design pulled, featuring a copyrighted image of Che, sorry. Just to be safe, I wrote a nice letter to Best Buy letting them know about this shirt in advance. I would definitely classify this design as a “parody”, and I don’t think in any way would this bring discredit to the Best Buy name, but better safe than sorry. I’ll let you all know how that turns out.
Jumping into a new class also, Business Storytelling and Brand Development. No rest for the weary. Still haven’s had time to work on the script or storyboards, let alone the Website(s).
Oh, and had some nice calls from some of my la-la (L.A.) land friends too, more on that later.
One thing I love about the Denver Film scene is the fact that it is still small enough that you can really branch out and meet a lot of people, but diverse enough that every event is just a little different. Went to Aaron Delgrosso’s B-Day party this past Saturday, and it was great to see so many of the folks from CFS in attendance. Bumped into Anthony Cafaro, I haven’t seen him since the Matson Jones video, what was that, 2004?
(I hear Matson Jones is long broken up, anyone know?)
Got to see the trailer for “The Moment Man”, which was James Vincent’s last short, great shots. I don’t know where he is going to premier it. Ditto with Delgrosso’s last, “Donnie’s Inferno”. Both shot on the HVX - P2. I have to say, I'm getting sick of that HVX look, it's too, how do you say it, HVXy. I need a decent camera package. I know, I know - everyone wants the "filmic" look for next-to nothing. But isn't there an alternative? The Sony XDCAM EX1 has been getting some great reviews (cheap CineAlta? Huh?) and Sony fans are raving, but to me, the lens is still an issue. The HVX and EX1 both wear an 82mm perma-mount, which is decent enough for general videographers and quick-fire shooting, but I am really feeling the need for a decent film-glass mount. I’ve been following the HPX500, or splurge for the HVX2000 with some decent Canon glass. (honestly, I’m terrified of focus problems with that Redrock, but who knows…if cost becomes an issue, I can’t ignore the tests I’ve seen with it here. As far as lighting goes, “Look Forward” doesn’t have any night shots, so we can work with that.)
I've even flirted with the idea of going 35MM on this one...Hmm. Pricey. I think the problem lies with trying to trick the viewer into thinking what they are watching is film, rather than trying to push HD into it's own look. Michael Mann did a great job of that on Miami Vice (though the film itself was a bit of a disappointment). I don't think anyone else has really given that push...everything is either super-soft or super crisp...
In other news, I dropped a couple of new shirts into the Zazzle site, fun graphics, something a little different than the single-color punch-line designs I’m used to. Tell me what you think:
I did have one design pulled, featuring a copyrighted image of Che, sorry. Just to be safe, I wrote a nice letter to Best Buy letting them know about this shirt in advance. I would definitely classify this design as a “parody”, and I don’t think in any way would this bring discredit to the Best Buy name, but better safe than sorry. I’ll let you all know how that turns out.
Jumping into a new class also, Business Storytelling and Brand Development. No rest for the weary. Still haven’s had time to work on the script or storyboards, let alone the Website(s).
Oh, and had some nice calls from some of my la-la (L.A.) land friends too, more on that later.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Cloverfield and Che!
Hmm...According to Aintitcool, we got a new Cloverfield on the way. Blair Witch 2 anyone?
From the Funding Front...
From the funding front…
It’s the only logical way to go, don’t you think?
Step 1) Get idea for short film.
Step 2) Design line of T-shirts.
OK, it’s boggling, I agree, but we all are constantly looking for ways to fund the unfundable. Believe it or not, I think this would be easier if I were making a limited release feature, because at least there, I can make an argument that someone, somewhere will get some of his/her money back. But noooo. I have to make a short film.
Anyways, even though I had a lot of fun penny pinching on “Proposal” (hey, that’s alliterative!) , I made the early decision that “Look Forward” had to be well capitalized. Now don’t get me wrong, the cast and crew for “Proposal” were damn fun to work with, did damn good work and did it for free. I also got some bad-ass sponsorship from my dear friends at (plug) Tokyo Joe’s, Strings Restaurant, The Skylark Lounge, Centex Homes, Educational Sales Management and The Karma Company (Oh, and for Alan’s 48-hour project, Noodles & Co. hooked us up too!). I love you all!
It’s a question of production value. I am sometimes humbled by the work I see coming out of film schools – but then again I’m not. I went to film school – they have equipment! CFS has a freakin’ $62k Fisher – of course they have smooth shots! We scraped together a Matthews Doorway (untracked), some 300W studio hot lamps and mic’d into the camera…the SteadiCam-mounted camera! I considered going back to school just to get my hands on some equipment, but when I thought back on all the forms and ass kissing you had to do, and the limits…grr! It’s a state-funded school, they probably won’t be too pleased with the nude scenes in “Look Forward”.
Anyway, I’m not knocking film school. They rock. I wish I were in a financial position that would allow me to go to undergrad full time (I blew my degree on Marketing). I’m also not knocking the technical aspects of “Proposal” – fact was we had a tight crew. My boy Cris and Alan Dague-Greene, probably the best Steadi-Op in Denver, gave me some sweet shots, and everyone was blown away by the performances (Ah, thank you – years of Theatre directors are calling out to me from the tomb!)…but we could do more. We could do better. I want a proper post that won’t force me to chop up my script. I want real costumes, real makeup. I want decent depth of field without having to set my little HVX200 twenty feet away for a damn MCU. I…I…I…
Kind of selfish, huh?
Well, that’s the me part. But I’ve always said, I think the real gift with filmmaking is not what I, the director, can take from it, but what you can give with it. I recently blasted through Dale Carnegie again, he makes the excellent point that (paraphrasing here) – you need to be genuinely interested in other people. You can’t fake it, you can’t force a smile. If you want people to love you, you have to love them. Hokey, right? Maybe not.
Truth is, I like the people I meet, the people I choose to work with. Granted, I want something from them, and they from me, so professional relationships must come first. But knowing that they are taking something from the film, be it good reel footage (check out Cris and Alan’s reels, they both use “Proposal” footage!), friendships, relationships or even a good time…then the project was a success.
Gotta love people. Gotta respect people. If you don’t respect them, why did you hire them? If you don’t love them, why are you working with them?
And yes, that translates to the audience. It really, really translates to the audience. More on that later.
But back to fundraising…so it was an interesting week. Step one, I decided, when figuring the cost of doing this film properly, was to raise money. I have several different plans I’ve got in motion right now, but the most exciting is FMG. Having spent a couple of years designing for The Karma Company, I realized that for as much as filmmakers love their craft, there really aren’t many good filmmaker t-shirts out there. Oh, sure…there are single-font text prints like “Director”, or “Grips Do It All”. Which are funny, but a little too simple for my tastes. So I bought a bunch of nice clip art and took my own reel of photos and got to work on Filmmaker Gear, my own line of t-shirts for filmmakers, by filmmakers.
Well, it’s been slow going…the first gen Website didn’t really blow me away, and truth be told, Web design is not my specialty…but I’m learning. So I had to scrap that and go back to a blank page. In the meantime, I uploaded the first set of designs to Zazzle. Check out this neat little gallery they gave me!
Well, no sooner had I posted those than one actually sold! C-47’s…guess they use that term all over! Well whoever you are who bought my shirt, THANKS! You’ve out my fundraising drive into the black and I have barely just begun!
Truth be told, this is kind of an experiment…I don’t know what kind of volume to expect from a niche brand like this. Also, I don’t know if I should tell customers why I am doing this. Yes, I want to raise money for my film, but I don’t see why I should have nothing to give back when you contribute…then again, it might cheapen the brand to say “this is a fundraiser”.
The good news is I’ve already received an offer for the copyright on one of the designs. Only sold one shirt as of today, but the site isn’t up yet and I haven’t even begun to promote yet, so I think I’ll hold off.
So check us out if you get the chance…you’ll be feeding hungry filmmakers, and with WGA seeming to have no end, they need it!
(Oh, and the shirts are badass!)
It’s the only logical way to go, don’t you think?
Step 1) Get idea for short film.
Step 2) Design line of T-shirts.
OK, it’s boggling, I agree, but we all are constantly looking for ways to fund the unfundable. Believe it or not, I think this would be easier if I were making a limited release feature, because at least there, I can make an argument that someone, somewhere will get some of his/her money back. But noooo. I have to make a short film.
Anyways, even though I had a lot of fun penny pinching on “Proposal” (hey, that’s alliterative!) , I made the early decision that “Look Forward” had to be well capitalized. Now don’t get me wrong, the cast and crew for “Proposal” were damn fun to work with, did damn good work and did it for free. I also got some bad-ass sponsorship from my dear friends at (plug) Tokyo Joe’s, Strings Restaurant, The Skylark Lounge, Centex Homes, Educational Sales Management and The Karma Company (Oh, and for Alan’s 48-hour project, Noodles & Co. hooked us up too!). I love you all!
It’s a question of production value. I am sometimes humbled by the work I see coming out of film schools – but then again I’m not. I went to film school – they have equipment! CFS has a freakin’ $62k Fisher – of course they have smooth shots! We scraped together a Matthews Doorway (untracked), some 300W studio hot lamps and mic’d into the camera…the SteadiCam-mounted camera! I considered going back to school just to get my hands on some equipment, but when I thought back on all the forms and ass kissing you had to do, and the limits…grr! It’s a state-funded school, they probably won’t be too pleased with the nude scenes in “Look Forward”.
Anyway, I’m not knocking film school. They rock. I wish I were in a financial position that would allow me to go to undergrad full time (I blew my degree on Marketing). I’m also not knocking the technical aspects of “Proposal” – fact was we had a tight crew. My boy Cris and Alan Dague-Greene, probably the best Steadi-Op in Denver, gave me some sweet shots, and everyone was blown away by the performances (Ah, thank you – years of Theatre directors are calling out to me from the tomb!)…but we could do more. We could do better. I want a proper post that won’t force me to chop up my script. I want real costumes, real makeup. I want decent depth of field without having to set my little HVX200 twenty feet away for a damn MCU. I…I…I…
Kind of selfish, huh?
Well, that’s the me part. But I’ve always said, I think the real gift with filmmaking is not what I, the director, can take from it, but what you can give with it. I recently blasted through Dale Carnegie again, he makes the excellent point that (paraphrasing here) – you need to be genuinely interested in other people. You can’t fake it, you can’t force a smile. If you want people to love you, you have to love them. Hokey, right? Maybe not.
Truth is, I like the people I meet, the people I choose to work with. Granted, I want something from them, and they from me, so professional relationships must come first. But knowing that they are taking something from the film, be it good reel footage (check out Cris and Alan’s reels, they both use “Proposal” footage!), friendships, relationships or even a good time…then the project was a success.
Gotta love people. Gotta respect people. If you don’t respect them, why did you hire them? If you don’t love them, why are you working with them?
And yes, that translates to the audience. It really, really translates to the audience. More on that later.
But back to fundraising…so it was an interesting week. Step one, I decided, when figuring the cost of doing this film properly, was to raise money. I have several different plans I’ve got in motion right now, but the most exciting is FMG. Having spent a couple of years designing for The Karma Company, I realized that for as much as filmmakers love their craft, there really aren’t many good filmmaker t-shirts out there. Oh, sure…there are single-font text prints like “Director”, or “Grips Do It All”. Which are funny, but a little too simple for my tastes. So I bought a bunch of nice clip art and took my own reel of photos and got to work on Filmmaker Gear, my own line of t-shirts for filmmakers, by filmmakers.
Well, it’s been slow going…the first gen Website didn’t really blow me away, and truth be told, Web design is not my specialty…but I’m learning. So I had to scrap that and go back to a blank page. In the meantime, I uploaded the first set of designs to Zazzle. Check out this neat little gallery they gave me!
Well, no sooner had I posted those than one actually sold! C-47’s…guess they use that term all over! Well whoever you are who bought my shirt, THANKS! You’ve out my fundraising drive into the black and I have barely just begun!
Truth be told, this is kind of an experiment…I don’t know what kind of volume to expect from a niche brand like this. Also, I don’t know if I should tell customers why I am doing this. Yes, I want to raise money for my film, but I don’t see why I should have nothing to give back when you contribute…then again, it might cheapen the brand to say “this is a fundraiser”.
The good news is I’ve already received an offer for the copyright on one of the designs. Only sold one shirt as of today, but the site isn’t up yet and I haven’t even begun to promote yet, so I think I’ll hold off.
So check us out if you get the chance…you’ll be feeding hungry filmmakers, and with WGA seeming to have no end, they need it!
(Oh, and the shirts are badass!)
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