The Challenge.

Out with the old and in with the new...

Project three is up and running for us and it is a challenge film. We get to choose whether or not to make a documentary or a narrative film and it is referred to as a challenge film as we are supposed to challenge ourselves with a certain aspect of filmmaking. Which is a little on the odd side as most all of filmmaking is a challenge. I choose dialog/screenwriting as the area I really want to hone in on.

We started off this go 'round with a lecture titled Producing 3. This is our first lecture on producing, so maybe you can explain to me as to why it is considered and titled the third? A mystery for the ages. Jeremiah led this lecture and I was enraptured. Simply put we covered the business side of filmmaking: SAG, Shooting on Location, Production Insurance, Music Rights, Stock Footage. SAG stands for Screen Actors Guild and they do have an office in San Francisco which we are now supposed to contact for our future projects. Shooting on location from a producers standpoint covers the logistics and permits of acquiring the permission to shoot on public and/or private land and will involve contacting the San Francisco Film Commission. Music and footage rights is rather self-explanatory... hopefully. Really great night of class. Just one of those nights where I left feeling happy that I am doin' what I do.

We went from desk work (Monday) to studio work (Tuesday). The learning exercise and lecture was geared towards lighting for movement. Our goal was to film a scene, with no break, where an actor pulls up in a car OS (off-screen...boom, dropping knowledge) walks around a corner down a small hallway, opens a door, enters a room, and sits in a chair. Therefore we had to make/simulate: moving headlights, hall-light, door-light, and natural lighting for a room. Great exercise. Something of interest, or something that I find interesting you last from your end point and work your way backwards.

Wednesday night was a movie and discussion class. Frankly, being the movie nerd that I am, i love these nights and wish we did them more often, but I understand that it takes away form lecture time. Movie screened... Bubba Ho-Tep. Bruce "gimme some sugar, baby" Campbell.

Thursday night was pitches with James, which sounds like a lame-ass sports show. I enjoy pitching and listening to and critiquing others pitches. It involves a lot of "group-think" which I believe is rather necessary in the film world. My pitch went really well and received the almighty Green Light! Dun-DUH!!!!!!

Saturday class cancelled due to a nasty flu bug rampaging through school... which I totally got. Ugh.

Documenting the home stretch.

One week of editing was all that stood between me and being done with this documentary. I realized during this project that I really don't have a huge desire to tackle another documentary. I can't imagine tackling a documentary feature film. Tons and tons of work. Seems like it would be a labor of love... Now if it was something I was completely passionate about, I bet I could work on it. (I know I am completely contradicting myself right now). The other issues regarding docs are that they don't garner a huge audience, typically don't make money, and take a couple of years to make. A concert doc. would be pretty cool... I should start contacting artists that are coming into town.

With editing completed and a few lectures thrown in for good measure (paper chase, markers, sub-clips) I entered the Thunderdome that is group critique. This go round was led by Jeremiah Birnbaum, who is the other co-founder of the school. I do believe this was my first official class with him. He is super laid back and very welcoming.... I just wish my project was better being that this is his first exposure to my work. Speaking of which, we watched it and all the complaints I had myself were shared by others. Not enough B-Roll and main interview out-of-focus.

Lesson learned. Now time to move on to the CHALLENGE FILM!!!!

Video on Vimeo!

My first short is up on Vimeo!! You can view it here!

This is a lo-res version. I plan on putting a HD version up at a later date.

Pro of Soundtracks...

This week brought us another seven days of editing and lecture. Our lecture that kicked off the week was on Soundtrack Pro. This was taught by William and it was a very cool and insanely useful lecture. Soundtrack Pro is another Apple program where you can create music (royalty free!!) and sound effects for your films and you can also use it to clean up your audio from what you have already filmed. 

Tuesday night we spent the evening learning how to do V.O. or voice overs for our doc. Incredibly simple and straight forward. 

Wednesday and Thursday I sent the entire two days editing. And editing. And editing. 

Saturday was a Rough Cut Critique and here is my feedback:

Add more B-Roll. 

Edit it down. (My original draft was 19 minutes and it needs to be between 5-8...)

Add a strong start.

Show more of her dedication. 

Also heard, "Did you know your subject is out of focus?"

Why yes I did. That's right... my subject was out of focus for the entire interview. The base of my doc. Out of focus. 

The only bright spot of the day was that we watched Man On Wire. This doc. was completely badass and one of the better movies I've seen in a long time. Watch it if you haven't already!!!

Hunt & Peck

Still in the midst of post production on our Documentaries, we began the week with a lecture on Inqscribe. If I remember correctly, Inqscribe was created for legal transcribing. We are learning how to use it for transcribing our docs. What you do is bring your un-edited interview that has been captured into Final Cut Pro program into the Inqscribe program, press play and start transcribing. The nice thing about this program is that you can time stamp at any point to give you markers for editing. It's incredibly user friendly and I would love it if I could type well. As it stands I type using my index fingers and thumbs. Occasionally I get a little crazy and use my pinkies. Watch out now! Achim who is a current staff member and past student at SFSDF taught us the Inqscribe program.

Tuesday night we were with William again and we worked with Final Cut pro that night. We did a great exercise where we created an animated clip from scratch which we will add sound effects and music to it a later date. The animated clips were 30 seconds long. I made a clip about randoms circles/balls bouncing and landing in beat.

Due to MacWorld being in town, there was a SuperMeet in town on Wednesday night. SuperMeet is for the the Final Cut Pro User Groups or FCPUG and it organized in part by the SF Cutters. I ditched class and attended this lecture series. I know, I know... I like to live dangerously. It was a pretty cool night. I actually learnt quite a bit and knew what most people were talking about. haha. Lots of vendors were set up before the lecture and them post lecture there was a raffle with some incredibly sweet gifts being given away. I won nothing. Insert sad face here. The people who spoke at the event were as follows: Christine Steele, Bruce Nazarian, Craig Yanagi of JVC, Apple, Eric Escobar, Yun Suh, and M Dot Strange. Not everything applied to me but I am glad I attended.

Thursday night was back to school and back to working with William. William introduced us to SoundtrackPro which is another Apple program that you use to create what? Anyone? Anyone? Soundtracks. We learnt how to create and add both music and sound-effects to our short films using this program. As an exercise we create a audio drama using only sound effects. Mine was about an alien ship landing in the middle of a crowd, attacking the humans, and the humans fighting back. Next we created a multi-layered song using the program. Very cool yet very large in scope program.

Saturday brought us another work at your own pace editing lab. This was led by Stacy, past student/current staff. I transcribed all damn day. My typing skills are horrible.

Being that school is closed on Sunday, I rested. Then I went and saw a Swedish Vampire movie with my lovely wife. Let The Right One In. Go see it! Great flick.

No rest for the wicked.

Over the break I took some books and reading material with me. I found them all incredibly helpful. They are as follows:

Magnolia Screenplay by Paul Thomas Anderson

Digital Filmmaking by Mike Figgis

Three issues of American Cinematographer

I liked the AC magazine so much that I bought a subscription to it. Lots of good stuff in each issue. The Figgis' book was particularly informative. Should be required reading for students...

Back in the saddle again!

The first week of December brought us one night of lecture and then production starts on our first documentary. Our class was setting up and shooting B-Roll footage on our doc. The class was led by Stephen. We took a table and put a bunch of personal artifacts on it trying to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible. We then lit the table, set up the camera, and then set up a monitor. The new piece of equipment we used for this lesson was the slider. The slider is essentially a 2-3 foot bar that you set the camera on and it acts like a dolly. This is what it looks like. Very cool little tool. Makes your shots a little more dynamic.

Before we jumped headfirst into production the school organized a Mixer/Lecture on Thursday the 4th. The speaker was James Savoca, filmmaker and instructor at school, and he discussed making indie films and financing. According to Christopher, SFSDF Marketing Director, the Mixer was a huge success. There was turnout of over 100 people and I think they were expecting between 30-50. The above pic was from the lecture. It was great to make some contacts which is incredibly vital to the industry. It was also cool to have some of my friends come out and see what I've been up to. I am in the process of creating a Film Society/lecture series out at school where we will bring in Bay Area Filmmakers, let them screen their project, and then have a Q & A where we discuss the specifics of their career and getting the movie made. The group is called the Friends of Alfred Film Society and I presented it at the Mixer. We are trying to have our first meeting in Jan. or Feb. '09!

With production underway I ran camera for Adi and Nitin and then did lighting for Ephantus. Docs are interesting and a lot of times you are at the mercy of the set or the subject. We filmed on location and that was a first for us. It actually all worked out well. My documentary subject is Sue Pemberton. She is a friend who does whale and seal rescue up and down the coast and then is involved in the animal's rehabat the Marine Mammal Center. The center is closed to the public but we were allowed to film there. We sat down with her and did a one hour interview and then got some great B-Roll of her working with the animals in their tanks. it was great being that close and filming the animals.

My other B-Roll I captured was animals in their natural environment and then pics that Sue gave me. The pics are "graduation" photos of the animals that are successfully rehabbed and then released in to the wild. My day filming the animals at the beach was one of my favorite days so far. Jen and I loaded up the car and drove down the coast. We captured most of our footage at Moss Beach during low tide. They have a lot of Harbor Seals there. I did most of the shooting using a Figg Rig and a tri-pod. Driving up and down the coast, stopping at beaches, filming, eating and drinking good food.... it was indeed a good day.

The last day before Winter Break was classroom work with William. We had a test! Crazy... It was actually a little weird being tested. i know this is school, but in the months since school started we have yet to have a test. Viva La Art School! haha. Our test was a one-on-one with William where he tried to stump us using Final Cut Pro commands... I did pretty well.

Now I am off for a few weeks! Happy Holidays!!