Jared Moshé recently published an article entitled “The Microbudget is the New Short,” where he comments that the microbudget feature is “essentially the new and improved version of the short film.” This is an idea that has been floating around for some time. As the microbud[...]
Posts Tagged ‘Filmmaking’
May 23rd, 2010 - 12:15 am § in Filmmaking, UCLA Film School
The Thesis Film in the Era of the Microbudget
March 25th, 2010 - 11:03 pm § in Filmmaking, UCLA Film School
10 Things I Learned On the 6-Minute Shoots
The six minute film is now over. We have completed our 7 week Thursday-Sunday rotation through all 7 positions: Director Boom Operator Assistant Director 1st Assistant Camera Gaffer Director of Photography Sound Mixer All seven people in my group (6 directors and 1 DP) went through this rotation sta[...]
August 12th, 2009 - 11:03 am § in Filmmaking
Choosing Your Collaborators
So you’ve finally come out of the pack and decided to make your first film. Congratulations! Even if it’s a small piece, you will most definitely need people to help you. In fact at least half of a director’s work is managing people. The first impulse is to look to your circle of f[...]
July 29th, 2009 - 11:20 pm § in Screenwriting
Sundance Screenwriters Lab
My screenplay “Old Money” hast made it into the second round! I now have until August 15th to rewrite it. I had originally set it aside to work on another project, but now rereading it I am pleasantly surprised by what I found. There are the usual typos and small events that do not pay [[...]
On Becoming a Filmmaker
for Nicolas The last few years have been a period of great growth in my artistic life. I left the United States knowing that I wanted to become a filmmaker, specifically a writer and director. This was the extent of my knowledge on the subject. Over many years, sometimes painful, sometimes exhilarat[...]
July 23rd, 2009 - 12:00 am § in Contemporary Short Films
UPDATED Contemporary Short Films: Toyland by Jochen Alexander Freydank
“A film about ignorance, truth and the history of my country.” -Jochen Alexander Freydank Update: Jochen Alexander Freydank was rejected by german film schools five times. Finally, he decided to finance his short film “Toyland” on his own – and spent four years working [...]
July 17th, 2009 - 1:14 am § in News
Recent News
Independent Film: The 25 New Faces of Independent Film (via Filmmaker Magazine) Festivals: Cannes 2009: Stupid, Adjective (via cinemascope) Radicalism at Cannes? It’s unlikely (a little older, but still pertinent. via the Guardian) Locarno reveals strong arthouse lineup (via Screeninternationa[...]
July 15th, 2009 - 9:33 pm § in Filmmaking, Screenwriting
Writing Transitions: The Narrative Jump Cut
In my continuing study of Raging Bull I came across the Wikipedia article on Jake Lamotta and a bit of narrative brilliance. This is the “Early Life” section of the article: “LaMotta was born in New York City, specifically the Toodles McGee section of The Bronx, near the Pelham Par[...]
July 15th, 2009 - 12:57 am § in Filmmaking, Screenwriting
Scorcese Establishes a Scene
I was just terribly impressed by an establishing shot from an early scene in Raging Bull (1980), directed by Martin Scorcese and written by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. The scene: EXT. SHOREHAVEN POOL – DAY (1942-43) The Shorehaven Pool, spic-and-span in the summer sun is the closest thing[...]
Review: On Film-making, by Alexander Mackendrick
The road of the novice filmmaker is paved with thorns. There is an extremely apt metaphor used in the last edition of film school confidential: “Far more people are making low-budget independent films today than the market for such films can sustain. It is said that during the California gold [...]