So I’ve been taking CMAT 236 here at Salisbury, and that means I’m “learning” film production. Yeah, I’m gonna be egotistical for once on this site (well, if you don’t think it’s once then please, start a counter) and say how freaking pointless this is for me.

However, for every condescension you can give to someone else’s system of teaching, you will find errors in your own. It turns out while my technical skills (Aside from keeping the camera straight, I suppose) are waaaay above the norm, they do not make up for my inability to organize preproduction. I have learned some good methods to this, such as heavy storyboarding, organizing an Edit List, and production schedule.

So I am learning things, though they tend to be a tad redundant, and my ego is evening out. Besides which I WILL get to learn Steadi-Cam soon, and that’ll be the greatest thing ever.

In the meantime, we’ve made two projects, each of which I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten A+’s on, and while the first was all-mine, the second was a very well-invested group effort by myself, Scott Evans, Mateo Samper, and Ian Hunewill.

Here’s the first one I made, starring one of my regulars, James Howe, called “The Midnight Run.” It is certainly no where near as epic as it sounds.

The Midnight Run

Here is the second one, made by the group in my EFP (Electronic Field Production) course, starring Scott Evans, Matteo Samper, and Ian Hunewill. There will hopefully be a full length version made later, but for now we had to chop it down really hard core to a 1 minute montage. The final version, should we have time to edit it, will hopefully be around 3 minutes long and even more entertaining!

Korean Connection

School’s going pretty well- my academics aren’t exactly the best they’ve ever been, but I certainly feel like I’m learning a lot, even from this class.

Top 50 Dystopian Films of All Time

So I was talking to the guy who helps run this site about a paper I’m writing for Film History. My paper is going to be a comparison of two films you might not expect: Battleship Potemkin, Eisenstein’s most worshiped depiction of Soviet Montage, and V for Vendetta, a controversial comic book adaptation by the team that brought you one of those top Dystopian films, The Matrix.

Mad Max 2

For simplicity’s sake, I’ll just skip to the good stuff and put in the top 10, but you can go to the website, snarkerati.com .

Children of Men

    10. Delicatessen (1991)
    9. Minority Report (2002)
    8. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
    7. The Matrix (1999)
    6. Children of Men (2006)
    5. Blade Runner (1982)
    4. Wings of Desire (1987)
    3. Brazil (1985)
    2. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
    1. Metropolis (1927)

Metropolis

A futuristic look at the schism created in mankind as industrialization and technological advancement serves to alienate the humans from one another. People are divided into two groups: the thinkers–who make plans, yet don’t know how to operate machinery, and the workers–who forward production without having any overview vision. Completely separate, neither group is complete; however, together they make a whole. When one man, a “thinker,” dares to journey to the underground, where the workers ’slave away,’ he’s surprised at what he sees. (Directed by Fritz Lang)

Here’s their take on their number 1 choice, the silent film classic, Metropolis

So there’s this one blog I read quite frequently, by John August the writer of Go, Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, and the writer and director of upcoming “indy” hit, The Nines starring Ryan Reynolds.

One of his more recent blogs was a response to a comment made by a 16 year old girl named Veronica, who is pretty darned lost in her course right now. Here’s an excerpt from her letter:

    I’m 16 and have wanted to pursue a career in filmmaking since 8th grade. I’m sure you’re not too old to remember what it was like to be 16 years old and trying your best to not ruin your own life forever. (I really don’t want to be a receptionist.)And here I am. Terrified that I might be making all the wrong moves. Should I have taken drama and bitten my tongue every time that insane teacher opened her mouth? Should I be doing more after school type programs? And, of course, should I go to film school?

John’s response contains this parcel of information:

    You’re sixteen. Go out and experience life. As interesting things happen, write them down. If something other than screenwriting appeals to you at some point, pursue it with full abandon and no regrets. You’re at an age when you don’t need to be making any firm decisions, or beating yourself up about missed opportunities. A bad high school drama class is a bullet dodged, in my opinion.

Of course there’s more to their conversation, and you should definitely check it out.

I also wrote a response in the comments, and since its my own writing I’ll post my thoughts right here for anyone in the biz at my level or around it to read. Tell me your thoughts on the subject in a comment though, and maybe I’ll post yours on the main page, with a link to your site as well!
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I can really sympathize with this girl.

I am a 20 year old communications major who is just now on his second year of digital film making, learning studio work, been out in the field etc. I started the work on my own and learned it on my own.

Film making consumes my life.

That’s a problem because it means I learn less about life and more about film making. The strength of that is that I can look at everyday situations and talk about them as film, but it also makes a weakness in the communication to some people- I don’t think in linear conversation, I think in movie angle vision, always trying to throw people off.

My point is it wasn’t until last summer where I literally just dicked around in my car, had no money, met with a bunch of younger people (and same aged and older) who were just sitting around, doing and selling drugs, fighting each other and trying to cause problems in the most white-bread area ever, that I learned where my Voice comes from.

You need to find your voice. I pray that you get out of the movie-watching business and start life watching.
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I didn’t really find this particularly interesting, but there were some choice moments listed in AOL’s most recent “top 25.”

Included are scenes from Don’t Look Now, Out of Sight, Monster’s Ball, as well as embarrassments to film such as American Pie.

Here’s one of the better scenes to make it onto the list:

You can see the full list here, although I think its incomplete- from what I’ve heard, there’s not one but TWO coital shoot outs in SHOOT ‘EM UP! , a movie I still have yet to see!

Yep…cinema’s gotten pretty messed up. Would you have it any other way?

PREVIEWS: RED BAND SPECIAL!

Everyone’s seen the trailers where, previous to the video footage, you get the green template wtih white lettering saying “This has been approved for all audiences” blah blah blah.

Well apparently another big fad of the internet is the release of the Red Band trailers- trailers that, themselves, are rated R or NC-17, just because of how much violence or debauchery they can pack into 2 minutes.

WARNING: THESE VIDS CONTAIN EXTREME VIOLENCE

Today I’ve got quite a special for everyone reading the site: embedded vids of the red-bands of two of the hottest up coming action flicks: Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem (renamed from Survival of the fittest, thank GOD!) and SHOOT ‘EM UP

This is looking to be the most violent movie I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t want it any other way. When it comes to an Alien film, yes- I want deep stories and tight scares. When it comes to a predator film, I really could care less- I just want completely competent and off the wall gorey action. Mix both together, and all I want is a clusterf#^K of gore, scares, and action. Because when you’ve got two movie titans on the screen like that, there is NO ROOM for story!

Speaking of movie titans, here’s the red band for my personal favorite action flick I haven’t seen this year: Shoot ‘Em Up!

So there you have it folks! The last third of the year will be full of the REAL action! Not this fake Pirate/Spiderguy/whateverthreequel BULL!

So what do you guys think? Gonna see these flicks? Feel free to comment!