New Excerpts from Ant's Guerrilla Filmmaking Crash Course

I have a confession to make...I am a dedicated film and video maker and have been for more than a decade now, but my current reality is that I have actually come to enjoy teaching others what I've learned through the years more than actually doing it.

Don't get me wrong, I still stay on my video and filmmaking grind and I still like it, but teaching it, inspiring others and making light bulbs go off in new filmmaker's heads really gets me fired up and I love doing it. I could (and have) done it for 8 hours straight many times. Hence this entire Down and Dirty DV project that's developed over the last few years.

So to that end, here's a few quick tidbits of FREE and valuable (words rarely seen together) guerrilla filmmaking advice that I offered in my last Guerrilla Filmmaking Seminar at the B&H Event Space.

There's only so much time on the radio show and blog to get into specifics, but in the seminars and products I can break things down in more detail. If you like what you see and want to get he whole presentation including all the illustrations, slides and inappropriate humor, this entire seminar is available on DVD HERE.

Also, it's still in the discussion stages, but I think I'll be teaming up with the good people at B&H again in the very near future to offer an unprecedented educational opportunity for knowledge hungry guerrillas. So stay tuned for an official announcement in the coming weeks.

For now enjoy this newly released video clip...

Celtx Pre-Production Software

Every so often Anthony reads about some new software for Down & Dirty filmmakers, and he asks me to check it out. Recently he found Celtx, and I gotta say--this software is pretty damn cool. It's a veritable Pre-Production playground, and what's more, it's free. No, really! Back in March Anastasia posted a round-up of production software that Christina DeHaven recommended, and the programs are great, but they're pricey, too. So along comes Celtx, with no cost unless I wanna buy some webspace for my projects ($5 a month to share access to your projects with up to 5 people) and I'm swooning.

I watched some of the online "feature tours" to learn about the program, and then downloaded Celtx onto my MacBook. The download came with some sample project files, among them a sample screenplay and stageplay. You can fiddle with the sample projects, which helped me learn how to maneuver and best utilize the program. There's also a helpful tutorial for screenplay writers here, and I've posted it as a separate blog post below this one.

Celtx is super user-friendly. All pre-production files get saved in one project file, and they're easily excessible in a pull-down menu. Screenplays, storyboards, research files, and even website bookmarks are accessible in this pull-down menu. It's all right there. The storyboard format helps you organize yours shots (under each image you can label the shot size, and provide a detailed description of the action. To analyze your sequencing, you can play a slideshow of your storyboard.

Celtx helps you organize as you go; as you add information to your screenplay you assign it a label like "location," "character," "prop," and all the information gets stored in easily accessible lists and stays "intelligently tied to your script". So if I have a character called Tim, and I wanna know more about him, I click on his name in the "Master Catalog," and suddenly I can see his character description, including a detailed list of the scenes he's in.

You can even add notes and media files to your screenplay. The "Reports" section is probably the most helpful function for those trying to organize a large film shoot with multiple sets and characters. When you add your filming dates and locations onto your calendar, the program populates a weekly, one line, and shooting schedule. It also creates call sheets and scene summaries. This is some seriously helpful stuff!

The support for this program is pretty impressive, as well. If you have questions or concerns about the program, you can access the Wiki and Community Forum. Some of the add-ons are free, and some cost $, but the program itself is free. And that's just frickin' awesome.

For another

How To Use CELTX 1.0 To Write Your Next Famous Screenplay - Pixel Heads Network

How To Use CELTX 1.0 To Write Your Next Famous Screenplay - Pixel Heads Network

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R.I.P. Michael Jackson

1958-2009

Thanks for entertaining us, Michael.
We'll miss you.

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (1983) [Motown 25 Live]

When this performance was first aired live in 1983, everyone knew they were watching history...This was Michael at his best.

It's a Music Video Mavericks - Double Play on the Next Double Down Film Show

This Wednesday on the 25th jam-packed episode of the Double Down Film Show we’re going to break down what it takes to create quality Music Videos on any budget.

First on deck is returning guest, Director of Photography - Cliff Charles, of The People's DP who shot When the Levees Broke as well as Pete Chatmon's new documentary 761st. Apart from collaborating with Spike Lee on several projects, Cliff has shot dozens of music videos and concerts with artists such as Mos Def, R&B singer Joe, Fabolous, Busta Rhymes and Young Jeezy. His work has been featured on HBO, MTV, BET, and on big screens everywhere. His latest venture is an educational site for cinematographers called TPDP.TV. We’ll discuss style, camera choice, crew and more!

Next on deck, is one of the hottest up and coming music video directors you’ve never heard of until now…Benjamin Ahr Harrison. Through his Brooklyn-based production company, Machine Man Inc., Ben has directed music videos by major and indie label artists such as Jake Lefco, Unconscious Logic, and two videos for artist A-Pinks that have gotten more than a million YouTube views each. His rare full package skills as a director, shooter, editor, visual FX artist, and animator have allowed him to consistently maximize production value and creativity on limited budgets.

Tune in and get another free serving of golden filmmaking advice on a silver platter.

Busta Rhymes I Got Bass Music Video
shot by Cliff Charles, directed by Vid Arroyo

Busta Rhymes-I Got Bass-Music Video Directed by: Vid Arroyo aka Cine-Style Vid [Directors Cut] from Vid Arroyo on Vimeo.

Jake Leftco Out of My Comfort Zone Video
directed by Benjamin Ahr Harrison

Comfort Zone HD from Benjamin Ahr Harrison on Vimeo.

A-Pinks' If My Hood Could Talk music video
directed by Benjamin Ahr Harrison

If My Hood Could Talk from Benjamin Ahr Harrison on Vimeo.

The Double Down Film Show...Filmmaking Reality Starts Here!

Listen Live Every Wednesday 9pm-10pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

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Listen To It Online Here:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DoubleDownFilmShow

*PS - If you can't tune in live, you can still stream the show or save the podcast to your iPod later at the site above.

Developments in 3D TV and Camera Technologies

With the recent success of 3D theatrical releases, and a slew of new pictures on the way (anyone else excited for the Jim Carrey vehicle A Christmas Carol?) it's no surprise that home entertainment companies are busily developing their own 3D products. Home users can already purchase 3D TVs, like Samsung and Mitsubishi's rear projection and flat panel 3D-compatible TVs.

Unfortunately, this technology is not affordable for your everyday Joe Schmo like me. Most of these TVs require additional purchases, including the purchase of those ever-important and fashionable 3D glasses. And lets face it, if you're gonna put the money into a 3D rear-projection system, you're sure as hell gonna want enough pairs of glasses to enjoy a movie with family and friends.

For the filmmaker interested in 3D, Panasonic is developing "a professional 3D Full HD production system", whatever that is. It sounds like fancy-talk for "I can make 3D movies in HD. Look at me!" The product is still in development, and pricing is not set.

For more information, check out reviews for 3D glasses here, and breaking news on 3D developments at 3D Roundup.

Outdoor Movie Screenings in NYC

Eventually the giant rain clouds hovering above NYC are going to shuffle onto their next destination. And when they do, you can take your poor pale self and head out to any number of the free/cheap outdoor film screenings taking place in NYC throughout the summer. For your own enjoyment, a compendium of some of these outdoor screenings follows.

1. Brooklyn Bridge Park Movies with a View
Where: Brooklyn Bridge Park
When: Thursdays in July and August, from 6pm-11pm
Event: Before the main feature, listen to a DJ, snack on food by RICE, and watch a short film.
Movies start at sunset.
Cost: FREE!
Screenings: Everything from cult classics like Raising Arizona and Edward Scissorhands, to classics like The Maltese Falcon.

2. Rooftop Films: Underground Movies Outdoors
Where: All over Manhattan
When: Every weekend, through September 20, 9:00pm.
Event: Independent film screenings from NYC and around the world. Doors open at 8pm, DJ spins at 8:30pm, and films start at 9:00pm. Many screenings are followed by a filmmaker Q&A.
Cost: $9 at door or online.
Screenings: Not your Blockbuster stuff. Heavy focus on foreign film and documentaries.

3. River to River Festival Film Screenings
Where: The Elevated Acre at 55 Water St., Manhattan
When: Mondays in July, 8pm.
Event: Part of the larger arts festival, these screenings are preceded by short films.
Cost: FREE!
Screenings: The Seven Year Itch, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), West Side Story, and Sweet Smell of Success.

4. HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival
Where: Bryant Park, Manhattan
When: Mondays, ongoing through August 17th, films begin at dusk.
Event: The park opens at 5pm for blankets and picnicking. Films begin typically between 8pm and 9pm.
Cost: FREE!
Screenings: Classics like How Green Was My Valley and The Defiant Ones, and a few new classics like Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

5. SummerScreen
Where: Ball Fields at McCarren Park, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
When: Wednesdays in July and August, dusk.
Event: Sit in the stands, eat park food ($), and watch a feature.
Cost: FREE!
Screenings: Cult classics like Reality Bites, Evil Dead 2, and Fame.

6. Films on the Green
Where: Parks across Manhattan
When: Fridays in June and July, dusk.
Event: A French film festival, focused on the environment.
Cost: FREE!
Screenings: The Big Blue, Love is in the Air, Works, and Claire's Knees.

7. River Flicks for Grown-Ups
Where: Hudson River Park, Pier 54 at 14th St.
When: Wednesdays in July and August, dusk.
Event: Free popcorn and a 2008 Blockbuster.
Cost: FREE!
Screenings: Hits from last year, including Iron Man, The Dark Knight, and Tropic Thunder.

8. River Flicks for Kids
Where: Pier 46 at Charles St.
When: Fridays in July and August, dusk.
Event: Free popcorn and a kids movie.
Cost: FREE!
Screenings: Embrace the kid in you. Features movies like Wizard of Oz, Ghostbusters, and Curious George.

9. Outdoor Cinema 2009
Where: Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens
When: Wednesdays from July 15 to August 19, dusk.
Event: Pre-screening performances and local food vendors spice things up before the screening of an International film.
Cost: FREE!
Screenings: A film snobs dream, with films like Contempt, Waltz with Bashir, and Gomorrah.

LoiLoScope Editing Software

A company out of Japan just released new movie editing software geared at editing newbies. Crazy name aside, "Super LoiLoScope MARS" looks like a pretty cool editing interface. The company calls the interface "game-like" and it certainly looks that way--it has got nifty tricks like a giant "magnet" you can use to organize your video clips.

Check out the video below for a sample of LoiLoScope's capabilities. I'm a fan of its toolbar, which lets you add and adjust visual effects to a clip while you're watching it. I also like the fact that users can save their work in formats for everything from iPods to YouTube. The major drawback? It only runs on Windows.



If you're intrigued you can download a free trial at the LoiLoScope website here, or purchase it for 69 good ole American dollars. Not too shabby, eh?

If you're looking for more info you can check out this article from The New York Times.

Color Theory for Cinematographers

Alright, all you DPs out there--check this blog out if you wanna learn the importance of utilizing your color palette on film.

A couple months back Isaac Botkin wrote an interesting blog examining the use of color as a "storytelling tool" onscreen. In "Color Theory for Cinematographers" Botkin provides an in-depth analysis of color in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down, illustrating how the film artfully conveys emotion through alterations in its color palette.


Botkin also provides a link to Brendan Dawes' fascinating "color charts." Dawes ran his favorite films through a Java program, which "sample[d] a movie every second and generate[d] an 8 x 6 pixel image of the frame at that moment in time." These "Cinema Reduxes", as he calls them, provide a "unique fingerprint" for each film, illustrating the changes in color and lighting that occur throughout the film. It's an interesting way to look at the entirety of a film in one image--and a great way to study its use of color, lighting, and rhythm.


While Dawes created only 8 Reduxes (two of which were featured in a MoMA exhibit), his work has inspired copycat work. For more Reduxes check out Matthew Merkovich's website here.


--Joanna Chlebus