Season 5 Kickoff - Show #60 - Rashaad Ernesto Green

This Wednesday, February 2^nd at 9pm we'll be kicking off Season #5 of The Double Down Film Show with a return visit by director, Rashaad Ernesto Green. Rashaad was a previous guest on the show in season 1 to discuss his shorts. Now he's back to share the lessons he learned while making his new feature drama, Gun Hill Road, which just premiered and SOLD at the Sundance Film Festival.

Rashaad, who was also recently named as one of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces, began his career as an actor and soon turned his attention to the other side of the lens by enrolling in NYU's grad film program where he made several award-winning shorts including Cuts and Premature, which also aired on HBO. Gun Hill Road is his first feature film and stars, Esai Morales, Judy Reyes, and Isiah Whitlock, Jr.

· How did he successfully cast a young NON-ACTOR for a lead role?

· Why did they shoot on the RED ONE camera instead of 35mm?

· What was so DIFFERENT about making his feature vs. his shorts?

· Which crew positions did he come to rely on the MOST?

· What do you need A LOT more time for than you think?

We'll get the low down, inside skinny and straight dope on everything it took for Rashaad to go from concept to production to Sundance premiere...and survive with a smile. We dive straight into everything they don't teach you in film school, every Wednesday night at 9pm E.S.T. only on The Double Down Film Show.

Filmmaking Reality Starts Here:

The Double Down Film Show

Every Wednesday, 9pm - 10pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

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NYU Alums Represent at Sundance 2011

Hey good people, after a busy winter hiatus I am back on the blog scene. I've been spending some much neded time with the family, finishing up some projects for some of my corporate clients and getting deep into writing my next book, The Shut Up and Shoot Freelancer's Guide which I'll be sharing exclusive excerpts from as I go right here on this blog, so stay tuned for that.

But I want to start off this new blog year by sending out a heartfelt congratulations to several of my favorite NYU people who all have films opening at Sundance right now. One of the greatest blessings that my position as an Administrator and Adjunct Professor at NYU affords me is a front row seat to observe some of the hottest new filmmakers as they grow and develop.

These are all filmmakers I've known and watched through the years from their first rough cuts to the polished productions that got them into Sundance. They are all incredibly talented, smart and gracious filmmakers who are just getting their first (but definitely not last) moments in the international spotlight.

Kinyarwanda
By Alrick Brown

Synopsis: Inspired by true stories, Kinyarwanda interweaves six tales that provide a complex and real depiction of life and human resilience in the face of unimaginable danger.

Pariah
by Dee Reese

Synopsis: A Brooklyn teenager juggles conflicting identities and risks friendship, heartbreak, and family in a desperate search for sexual expression.



Gun Hill Road
by Rashaad Ernesto Green

Synopsis: After three years in prison, Enrique returns to the Bronx to find his wife estranged and his teenage son stumbling towards a sexual transformation that will put the fragile bonds of their family to the test.





Close
by Tahir Jetter

Synopsis: One night after a casual visit, Angela is all but ready to leave Derek's apartment. Derek, howver, is determined not to let her go without a fight.

Top 10 Filmmaking Words of Wisdom - TONITE at 9pm

TONIGHT, Wednesday, Dec. 8th - 9pm (E.S.T.) on the final episode of Season #4 of the Double Down Film Show, we'll be sharing our Top 10 Words of Filmmaking Wisdom from our guests over the past 2 years on everything from making the most of festivals to dealing with difficult actors.

We'll be reprising clips from 10 of our most insightful and inspiring guests:

Sam Pollard - Producer/Editor
4 Little Girls, Mo' Better Blues, Clockers
- "The Evolution of Becoming an Editor"

Zoe Saldana - Actress
Avatar, The Losers, Drumline
- "What NOT to Say to an Actor"

Chris Gore - Author/Filmmaker
The Ultimate Film Festival Survivor's Guide
- "The Zen of Networking"

Sheril Antonio - Vice Dean
N.Y.U. Tisch School of The Arts - Film/TV
- "The Necessity of Passion"

Sig De Miguel - Casting Director
Premium, The Good Shepherd, United 93
- "Getting Name Talent for First Time Directors"

Cliff Charles - D.P.
When the Levees Broke, Nike Commercial
- "The First Thing to Do w/ a Script"

Roberta Munroe - Festival Programmer, Author
Sundance, "How Not To Make a Short Film"
- "Story vs. Style"

Darnell Martin - Director
Cadillac Records, I Like It Like That
- "Handling On-set Freak Outs"

Lloyd Kaufman - Director
Toxic Waste Avenger, Class of Nuke 'Em High
- "What Propels a Movie"

Hill Harper - Actor / Author
CSI, Lackawanna Blues, Premium
- "Show Art vs. Show Business"

This final installment of 2010 will be another one of our special wisdom-packed no-B.S. "keynote" episodes and a guaranteed instant classic. Listen in or download the show after it airs and go to film school through the back door courtesy of some of the best in the business.

Thanks for listening and supporting the show. We'll be back in the new year with more filmmaking inspiration, wisdom and advice. Have a happy holiday!

FILMMAKING REALITY STARTS HERE.


*****************************************************

The Double Down Film Show

Every Wednesday, 9pm - 10pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

Listen to it on your computer
or phone live TONIGHT @ 9pm

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The Vendor-Client Relationship...In Real Life

I'm sure I'm not the only one who can relate to this very funny video about clients.

Stay tuned for my next book, The Shut Up and Shoot Freelancer's Guide (working title) where I'll be giving tips on managing these types of encounters with clients amongst other concerns for those of us that make money making videos.

The Vendor-Client Relationship...In Real Life

(*Shout out to Robert Holley for the link.)

Life Imitates Art - Tron Bike Realized for $55K!

Life imitates art. Witness a real-life Tron Light Cycle built by the creative geniues at Packer Brothers Choppers. For a cool $55,000 you can finally ride something to make the macho guys who ride superbikes feel inadequate when you pull up next to them...

"You call that a bike? This is a real bike, baby! Wheel hubs are so 20th century! Do you even have neon lights on that shit?!"

*Thanks to my brother-in-law, Francisco Rivera for the tip!

Candid Conversation w/ a Hollywood Power Couple this Weds. 9pm!

On the next Double Down Film Show we’ll be trading industry notes with a rare Hollywood power couple - Meena Payne and Sylvain White.

Meena Payne is Director of Development at Rainforest Films (Takers, Obsessed, Stomp the Yard 1 & 2, etc. ) and engaged to director, Sylvain White, who has helmed such films as Stomp the Yard and The Losers.

Each started out as a mere intern and then hustled and busted their butt to get to their respective positions on the studio backlot.

• How did they each go from intern to POWER player?
• What actually IS the development process?
• What should you always be VOCAL about as an intern?
• What are OPTIONS and how do they work?
• What is it like to be a COUPLE in the industry?

Tune in and take notes as they lay out their blueprints for perseverance and success in a rough and tumble industry. Plus they will candidly discuss the challenges and rewards of being a power couple in Hollywood.

The Losers Trailer

Real talk about real filmmaking issues that can make or break your career every week – only on the Double Down Film Show.

Filmmaking Reality Starts Here:

The Double Down Film Show

Every Wednesday, 9pm - 10pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

Stream Live:

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Subscribe or Download:

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PEEP THIS: Laugh Your Medieval Ass Off

James Franco, Danny McBride and Natalie Portman star in the new film, Your Highness from the director of Pineapple Express, David Gordon Green, which looks to be a new genre - the "Medieval Stoner Comedy".

What exactly is a Medieval Stoner Comedy, you ask? You gotta watch the trailer for yourself...and I'd suggest you don't do it at work or while drinking milk, 'cause it's that damned funny oh and raunchy, definitely very raunchy!

WARNING:
This trailer is Rated "R" for too many inappropriate things to name, so you'll have to "verify" your age to watch it.

Thanks to Dustin Chang from the Floating World film blog for tipping me off to the trailer!

Video Game (Not Movie) Smashes 5-Day Media Sales Record

Increasingly the world of video games and movies are merging with the latest video games now include more involved multi-layered storylines, lush "cinematography", even many big name actors as voice talent and now BIG BIG box office.

The NYU-Tisch School of the Arts (where I also work and teach film) has recently started a Game Center right along side their renowned and well-established film school - same floor even.

As a casual gamer I've been blown away by titles like Metal Gear Solid and the Call of Duty franchise (which I'm pretty sure I'm now gonna need therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder from just the few hours I've played so far. More than once I've had to turn it off and take a break from the intense action on-screen).

Witness this NY Times article which cites how Call of Duty: Black Ops has just set a world record for the biggest 5 day sales of ANY MEDIA - that's movies, music or video games by generating $650 million in worldwide sales in 5 days. That means no title of any genre has ever made more money faster and that's damned well worth paying attention to.

While I don't think a videogame will ever surpass the total box office of say a blockbuster movie like Avatar or Dark Knight in the near future. The day may not be far off as videogames are now learning to milk money from secondary markets like downloadable extras. (FYI- The previous record holding title was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare)

The other figure worth noting here is the cost of the average game at about $50/unit and the amount of time spent engaged with that media - upwards of 20-30 hours for the most popular big titles.

Maybe time to change that big budget action script into a game script, eh?

BRICK CITY - A Real-Life Version of "The Wire"

I'm honestly not sure how I missed this when it originally aired on the Sundance channel, but for the past few weeks I've been riveted watching Brick City, a powerful....I truly hesitate to use the term "reality series", because I think it cheapens the real value...so let's say it's a 5-hour, 5-part documentary by award-winning filmmakers Mark Benjamin and Marc Levin.

Entertainment Weekly described it as a real-life version of The Wire and I have to concur. It's an unprecedented look at the inner-workings and heart of a troubled urban city. I've been watching it on Netflix streaming and I'm only on part 4 of 5, but I've enjoyed it so much and been so moved and fascinated that I had to share now.

The doc basically shifts between four main storylines - the inner-workings of Mayor Cory Booker's office, the Newark Police department's effort to curb its notoriously high murder rate, the fate of Central High a tough inner-city school and the personal life of gang members trying to go legit and mentor a new generation. Each in their own way is trying to reform their slice of a very rough and corrupt city against overwhelming odds.

It is at once depressing, heart-wrenching, insightful, inspiring and most of all - real. There don't seem to be any easy answers to the tough questions this doc examines without blinking, but I guarantee you can't look away.

It's also worth noting that the doc was beautifully shot on the Sony EX-1. Read more on the hi-def cinematography HERE.

Another great doc that touches on similar subject matter - the fate of the city of Newark - is Marshall Curry's, Street Fight, is a perfect warm-up film before watching this series and a powerful doc in it's own right.

Together, these documentaries paint a stunningly intimate portrait of an American city in crisis and the real people who are doing battle to save it and navigate the politics of a sick system. Docs like these are why I truly love the genre.

Rig It, Test It, Burn It, and Crash It w/ Stunt Coordinator - Roy Farfel!

This Wednesday night 9pm E.S.T. on the next action-packed episode of The Double Down Film Show we’ll explore the world of high action and falls and punches with veteran Stunt Coordinator/Driver/Performer, Roy Farfel.

Over the past 25 years Roy has helped craft and execute the action for such films as Goodfellas, Transformers, The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3, Jack Ass 3-D and many more major films and tv shows.

• At what point should you BRING ON a stunt coordinator?
• How do you BECOME a stuntman?
• What exactly does a stunt coordinator DO?
• How do the director and stunt coordinator WORK TOGETHER?
• How do camera angles, audio and editing help “SELL” a stunt?

We’ll extract the answer to all these questions and more as we “rig it, test it, burn it, and crash it” with Roy Farfel on the next cliff-hanging episode of Double Down Film Show.

Filmmaking Reality Starts Here:

The Double Down Film Show

Every Wednesday, 9pm - 10pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

Stream Live:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DoubleDownFilmShow

OR

Subscribe or Download:

Subscribe to the iTunes Podcast