Festival Strategy 2007

It's a new year and that means its time for another round of film festivals. According to the New York Times, we are in "January, the month of Sundance" and every newspaper and film site is doing their spin on this behemoth film festival. The San Francisco Chronicle says Sundance "Puts Risk-Takers at Forefront" while Indiewire has devoted all of its headline content to "Park City.”

A more instructional article for filmmakers was recently published in the New York Times, an article featuring Withoutabox.com, a six year old company that connects filmmakers to festivals around the globe. The thrust of the article, besides detailing how this online company works, was that there are now more filmmakers vying for slots in film festivals then ever before, partially because of companies like Withoutabox. To meet this demand, there are more and more film festivals popping up around the country.

What's a filmmaker to do with all these festivals and with the increase in competition?

The answer is Festival Strategy, as recommended by Slamdance, the alternative to Sundance. This smaller alternative festival says “it is important to have a festival strategy. It's better to premiere your film at a more high profile festival, and then play the smaller fests later in the year.”

Check out this great guide to Festival Strategy from Disc Makers which answers all the questions on how to deal with the film festival circuit...

http://www.discmakers.com/film/resources/edge/2005/e510d.asp

Also, just in case you missed it, here's a link to the most recent Down and Dirty DV Podcast, an article entitled "7 Ways to Work a Film Festival" (.pdf - Adobe Acrobat file.)

And good luck in the New Year!

We'll Fix it in Post!!

Well, for most Down and Dirty filmmakers, you are your own post! You are the one scratching your head late at night in front your own computer trying to whip those less than perfects shots into shape.

I wanted to give you a little tip about one of the best resources for post-production information on the web: http://www.kenstone.net/

Bookmark this page before you start post-production!

Ken Stone's Final Cut Pro is first place I go when I want to understand anything about Final Cut Pro, iMovie, DVD Studio Pro, iDVD, digital effects, or anything related to the technical side of editing.

Ken's website has been around for over six years and has over 500 articles that are full of clear, simple, step by step instructions. He has articles on how set up your project, how to edit (from the basics to more advanced), and how to create any number of useful and nifty effects. If you find yourself needing 'to fix it in post' but you don't know how, look for the answer on Ken's page.


For example check out this tutorial on ways to make 4:3 footage fit into your 16:9 project.
Faking It : Making 4:3 footage work in 16:9 projects. By Jude Cotter

New Blog Writers Join the Down and Dirty DV Nation

As you can tell, the blog has been a little thin on new entries as of late. The truth is since starting the Down And Dirty Dv Project (consisting of this blog, a podcast, as well as instructional books, DVD's, and filmmaking workshops) it has grown beyond what one man can maintain on his own (especially a man with a full-time job, wife, 3-year old, an hour commute and freelance gigs!).

But, no worries, I have no intention of letting the project slip into the abyss of blog-fading or pod-fading. Instead, I've brought on two fellow filmmakers who share my Down and Dirty DV philosophies and are excited to share filmmaking tips, insights, and info with the ever-expanding Down and Dirty DV Nation (that's you).

They are Meghan O. and Nathan K.

Both are graduates of Hampshire College and passionate and talented documentary filmmakers in their own right. They've been helping to pull elements of the book and podcast together behind the scenes, but now it's time for them to step into the spotlight. So look for more frequent posts on this blog baring their names.

So when you see their posts, leave a comment, shout-out, or email and welcome them to the fam. The Down and Dirty DV Nation is growing and on the rise.

Also, if you are a fan and interested in being a regular contributor to this blog, shoot me an email at anthony@downanddirtydv.com and we'll take it from there.

-Ant.

Episode #5 - Show Notes - Adrian Belic Interview

Episode #5 was the first video podcast featuring an impromptu interview with documentary producer/director, Adrian Belic. Last year at Sundance I approached Adrian at one of the documentary seminars about scheduling an interview after I overheard him giving some passionate filmmaking advice to two other docmakers.

He was too busy to schedule an interview, but said we could knock one out right then. A few minutes later, we sneaked into a corner (okay it was basically a storage closet) and shot this impromptu interview. (Hence the lack of lighting.)

If you don't know who Adrian Belic is, he and his brother, Rocco, made the Oscar-nominated and Sundance Audience Award-winning doc, "Genghis Blues", which is about a blind blues singer that learns then excels at the rare art of Tuvan throat singing then goes on to the far reaches of the Republic of Tuva (near Mongolia) to compete in an annual Tuvan throat-singing contest. Adrian's most recent flick making the festival rounds is, "Beyond the Call". It's about a small group of doctors who risk life and limb to administer aid and healthcare to some of the most dangerous parts of the world.

So many people become jaded so quickly in this business. As soon as they achieve some success, they forget what it was like to be that hungry kid with a camera and a dream. So, it was refereshing to meet someone who's been in the film game so long, but hasn't lost their passion. In fact, talking to Adrian was like talking to a new film student, with the major exception that he actually knows what he's talking about.

Anyway, if you liked the little snippets of the video interview in the podcast, there will be longer versions of all the interviews in our upcoming instructional Guerrilla Filmmaking DVD which will hopefully be dropping this Spring or early Summer. There are also more video podcasts on the way soon. Mad thanx to Frank Monteleone of Full Armor Productions who did the animation and editing for the video podcast.

Lost Episode #4 Shownotes

Okay, Lost Episode #4: “Learning the Process of Filmmaking” (Pt. 2 of 2) is finally up on iTunes. I’ve been underground for a few weeks. It’s been a busy month for the Down an Dirty DV project.

Coming up next in Episode #5, our first VIDEO podcast featuring snippets of an inspiring interview w/ Adrian Belic co-director of the Oscar-nominated documentary, “Genghis Blues” and the current festival entry, “Beyond the Call”.

Here is the list of links from Episode #4.:

Film School

Project Greenlight

Making the Video

TV Land Moguls

E! True Hollywood Stories

Making Home Movies


Anatomy of a scene


Inside the Actor’s Studio

DV Creators

Student Filmmakers Website / Magazine


The Maine Workshops

No Budget Film School

Mandy.com

NYC Mayor’s Office of Film Job List

Craiglist NYC Film Jobs

Craigs List L.A. Film Jobs


Craig’s List San Francisco Bay Area Film Jobs


Downtown Community TV – New York

Fangoria

Movie Maker

Independent Feature Project

Filmmaker Magazine

DV Magazine

DV Website

American Movie Official Site

Film School Online

Video University

Cyber Film School


That’s all for now.

-Ant.

Episode 3 Show Notes - Pow!!!

Alright, I am back from summer vacation. Episode #3 – Learning the Process of Filmmaking is officially out the box. This is Part 1 of a two-parter.

This is a topic I haven’t really come across much discussion on, so I thought I’d give you my take. Essentially, I wanted to just relay a list of all the different ways that that you can go about furthering your filmmaking education.

If you combine all of these different types of resources, you can program your own personal film school curriculum and pick an choose the resources that work best for your learning style. In this episode I duscuss Filmmaking Podcasts and Documentaries and DVD's about filmmaking.

Keep in mind that these are by no means exhaustive lists, but rather starting points and suggestions based on what I personally recommend and have seen work for others.

More comprehensive lists will be included in the upcoming release of my book, Down and Dirty DV: Vol. 1 - Documentaries.

Filmmaking Podcasts:

Izzy Video
Probably the most comprehensive collection of free filmmaking video tutorials out there. When I just checked, there were more than 40 different video tutorials on core subjects such as 3-point lighting, shoting green screen, and editing techniques. These are at the hobbyist/beginner level and I highly recommend them if you’re just starting out. How he keeps these coming for free with a day job and a family I don’t know, but thank you, Izzy, and more power to you. It’s a great service.

The DV Show
Get your technical questions answered here. Codecs? What type of tape to use? Sync issues? Listen or ask the DV Show, because God knows I can’t answer all your technical questions!

KCRW’s The Business
My favorite Hollywood news show. Not Entertainment Tonight, but rather in-depth discussions and interviews with industry movers and shakers about current news and trends in the entertainment industry that affect filmmakers, actors, audience and studios alike.

KCRW’s Martini Shot
Amusing anecdotes of Hollywood culture and kookiness. Short, insightful and funny.

Four Eyed Monsters
I’ve ranted about these guys before and they’ll be in an upcoming video podcast, so I’m not gonna spend too much time here. But I will say that I think that this is the prevailing model for using the power of podcasting to promote your film. Watch them all from Episode One and do a Google search and look at what any of you out there could do if you free your mind, take advantage of new technologies and make wise use of your resources.

Mac Break
I won’t lie, some of this stuff goes over my head (I’m only 5’5”), but these mac video nerds provide some great technical info, especially with regards to video/filmmaking technology on the Mac. (And "nerds" is not a derogatory term here... these guys are very smart and on the cutting edge.)

Filmmaking Central
Another informative podcast dealing with technical and production issues.

Invisible Children
Excellent model for the power of podcasting to promote and distribute social-issue / activist docs. If you are a documentary-maker you can’t afford not to study these guys and their promotional/fundraising model. They take full advantage of online media from communication to fundraising to marketing and distribution. I believe this is a model for the bright new future of documentary film.

Hearts of Darkness Article
This is an article about the doc Hearts of Darkness from a Cinema Studies standpoint. FilmEducation.org also has many resources for film educators such as study guides and discussion questions for various films, new and old.

Documentaries and DVD’s About Filmmaking

American Movie Official Site
This documentary is probably hands down my favorite film about filmmaking (doc or narrative). It is drop-dead funny, heart-breakingly tragic and totally inspirational all at once. It’s about the daily struggles of Milwaukee low-budget filmmaker named Mark Borschardt to get his projects made despite the lack of local filmmaking resources, shortage of professional talent, overwhelming debt, and his own personal demons. While you may find Mark’s actual filmmaking a little rough around the edges, this man’s persistence, belief in his vision, unwaivering enthusiasm and ability to push through no matter what is an awe-inspiring example of the difficulties of realizing a low-budget project and still coping with all the complications of everyday life.


Robert Rodriguez’s 10 Minute Film School
What more can I say? While some of you younger filmmaker’s may only know Robert Rodriguez from his big-budget Hollywood fare such as Spy Kids, his roots are pure Down and Dirty guerrilla. As legend has it, his first feature film, El Mariachi, was shot in Mexico for $7000.00 which he’d largely earned as a medical test patient. El Mariachi went on to became a huge indie hit and launch his career as a major player in Hollywood. His book, “Rebel Without a Crew” is a guerrilla film classic and his essay/DVD extra, “Robert Rodriguez’s 10-Minute Film School” is his simple advice for guerrilla rebels. While I disagree with his assertion that when it comes to cameras the crappier the better, I largely follow a lot of this advice for squeezing out production value an keeping things moving when shooting when shooting. This is a link to the essay, but definitely check out the video version of “10-Minute Film School” on the “EL Mariachi” DVD extras.

Wrap Up
That’s it for now. Stay tuned for Episode 4 - part 2 of Learning the Process of Filmmaking, which I will drop as soon as I have a chance to “enhance” it with pics and links. (Probably in a week or two.) In Episode 4 I will cover Film School, DVD Extras, Workshops, Crewing, Tv Shows and a few more learning resources.

And seriously, give a brotha some feedback, leave a comment below, send an email, or better yet, leave a comment on iTunes if you’re feeling the podcast, because I haven’t gotten much feedback yet and I’m trying to hone the show to best serve YOU the Down and Dirty Digital Posse.

A lot of work goes into putting together each episode and I just want to know if this is an effective resource for you or if I should spend my nights and weekends doing normal things like relaxing and spending time with friends and family. Holla back, y’all.

Peace, Love and Video,

-Ant.

Podcast Episode #2 Show Notes...BAM!

"How to Choose A Camera for Rental or Purchase" part 2 of 2

Episode Topics:
1. Secondary Features to Consider in a Camera
2. Buying vs. Renting
3. Avoiding Common Scams When Buying Online

Okay, in Episode 1, I covered the primary features to consider in a prosumer DV camera. In this episode, I continue the topic with secondary features that you may want to also consider when deciding on a camera. These aren’t make or break features, just things that might make your life a little easier, depending on your style of shooting and experience level. I also discuss buying vs. renting cameras and I talk about how to avoid common scams when purchasing video cameras online.

Secondary Features to Consider When Renting or Buying a Camera:

24P Recording Mode
The newest generation of prosumer cameras feature a variety models that have “24P” (24 frames progressive) recording modes or looks which mimic the way film cameras capture motion. They effectively have a built-in "film look". Some actually record 24P like film and others use other electronic video tricks to mimic the 24P effect. (Electronic Video Trix? Sounds like a good name for a band. Y'all can have that one on me.)

This Camera is Changing the Game... 24P & HD

Panasonic HVX-200 Guidebook


Film Look Software & Plug-Ins
Shooting with a camera that has a 24P mode is one way to get a film look, but there are also several other tricks to pimp out your video like film including film look softwaresuch as Magic Bullet Editors 2.0 Film Look Software ($395.00 retail)

Click here for examples of different film looks that Magic Bullet can generate from raw DV and HDV footage.

(*Podcast Correction: I listed the price of Magic Bullet as $300.00 on the enhanced podcast link. It should have said $395.00. )

Flip Out LCD Screen
These are great for documentary shooting styles, because they allow you to see everything going on around you and more easily plan and execute camera moves, as well as shoot high angles (over crowds) and low angles (POV shots).

Color Bars
Color bars allow you to maintain consistent colors as you view your tapes on various monitors, tv’s and projectors. They give you a consistent reference point. You should record 1 minute of color bars at the top of each tape (or the end if you forget or don’t have time to record at the beginning). The tutorial below explains how to adjust SMPTE color bars on a monitor:


Auto Gain Control for Audio
You generally want to avoid using most auto-functions such as Auto Gain Control (i.e. auto-volume), but there are times when it's simply much easier (and safer) to let the camera assist you with shooting. Primarily, those times are when I'm shooting documentary footage by myself. When there's a lot of action and you're wearing all the production hats, it can lighten the load and improve your chances of success to let the camera handle some functions such as audio level. Below is a link to my chart on when to handle auto-functions

My Blog Article on Auto-Functions

DV Info Forum Thread on Auto-Gain Control





<-- Focus Assist function on Panasonic's HVX-200 camera. The blue box magnifies the center of the frame for easier focus. This is a great solution to help overcome poor focus due to the lack of resolution on small lcd screens. (Photo by Kino-Eye)







Renting vs. Buying
I pretty much said what I had to say on this in the podcast, but here's what some other people have to say: Renting vs. Buying Forum Thread on Cinematography.com.

Meet Some of the Hot Prosumer Cameras
These are reviews and info on the models I mentioned or showed on the podcast.

C-Net Canon XL-2 Video Review

Canon XL-H1 Review from Digital Content Producer

You should also check out Christina Fox’s DV & DVCam Camera Buyer’s Guide for Beginners This is a nice side-by-side comparison of many of the most popular prosumer cameras. This is a very informative site in general.

PDX-10 Review

Panasonic GY-HD100 Review


ON THE REAL TIP~ Know this: No matter what type of camera you buy or when you buy it, a better and cheaper camera will come out shortly afterward.

This is just a fact of life that anyone purchasing a camera needs to accept. It’s pretty much the same as purchasing a computer… Just get the best one you can afford that’s going to serve your needs for the next 2-5 years.


Anatomy of an Camera Scam
How do you recognize a camera scam online? Easy look for any of these 5 big red flags:

1. Vendors camera price is significantly lower than all other vendors.

2. Camera is being sold “ala carte” (i.e. does not include standard items such as a battery, charger, or lens.)

3. They try to hard sell you an overpriced “starter kit” or “accessory pack” that includes items such as a tripod, camera case, lens cleaner, UV or Polarizer filter, a camera light, etc. These items are all pretty much legit accessories that you may wish to add to your camera package. However, in the case of these shops, they are almost always off-brand, over-priced, junk versions of the real things. You can buy them all individually from other vendors.

4. They try to hard-sell you an expensive extended warranty. (see further below)

5. After you turn down all of the above and tell them you only want the camera, it’s suddenly on “back order” and they try to upsell you a “better” model (which often won’t be better, just more expensive).

Check for Consumer Complaints Against Any Vendor Before Buying
Peep out site’s such as The Ripoff Report or The Better Business Bureau this where consumers can report ripoff’s by camera dealers. Take note of the sneaky tactics and names of the businesses mentioned and avoid them like the plague.

Also Check the Online Filmmaking Community Forums
Look for recommendations, complaints, and other filmmaker’s experience with a particular vendor. The two cmmunity sites below have very informative and active forums, but there are many others out there.

CreativeCow.net
DVXuser.com

Always Get Word of Mouth
Better to pay an extra $50 with a known vendor than get burned by some rinky dink basement operation in Brooklyn. (For some reason, a disproportionate number of these scam businesses seem to operate out of Brooklyn.)

Beware of Extended Warranties
As far as I know, all video cameras come with a manufacturer’s warranty of 90 days to 1 year and chances are that if something is funky with your camera right out of the box, you’re going to discover it pretty early on and be able to get a replacement or refund from the manufacturer.

The other big issue I have with these extended warranties is that on those occasions when I’ve read the fine print, it pretty much never covered the things most likely to go wrong, only included parts or labor- never both, didn’t include shipping, and usually involved parting with your camera for up to 6 weeks.

And apart from all of those catches, I don’t know of anyone who actually purchased and later successfully used an extended camera warranty. Smells like a ripoff to me, but you can read your own fine print and decide for yourself.

That's It...
Holla at me via email if you find this podcast helpful. Let me know what you want to hear about or comment on the last episode. I don't know everything, but everything I know I'll share.

It took me a few days longer to get the show notes up than I planned, but I figure I got the podcast out a few days early, so all's even in the end. Episode 3 is coming at you soon. The Down and Dirty DV Book and DVD is still cooking in the kitchen. Stay tuned for more info on all fronts. And keep grindin', Baby. Peace, love and video.

-Ant.

Episode 2 Show Notes...Coming

Just a quick announcement that Episode #2 show notes will be posted by Monday July 3rd or sooner. (I was able to post the episode sooner than I thought, so I'm behind on that.) Also, I'm still deciding what I want to do for Episode #3, so if you've got any guerrilla filmmaking topics you want me to speak on drop me an email.

-Ant.

International Shout Out

I was just checking the old site meter and was surprised by how many international visitors have checked out the blog lately, especially since I haven't really started to promote this site yet. So I just thought I'd take a quick minute to give some love back with a quick Down and Dirty DV international roll call...

Down and Dirty DV Worldwide Live International Roll Call
June 2006:

1. Finland
2. South Africa
3. United States
4. Cyprus
5. France
6. United Kingdom
7. Italy
8. Japan
9. Estonia
10. Poland
11. Germany
12. Venezuela
13. Netherlands
14. Hungary
15. Croatia
16. Canada
17. India

All over the world the digital revolution has taken hold and people are hungry to break with tradition and take filmmaking into their own hands. I see y'all, and I feel y'all. Keep doing that digital thang! Thanks to you Down and Dirty DV is officially Worldwide Live!

Peep the new podcast if you haven't already, stay tuned to the blog, and drop a brotha a line just to let me know you're still out there (anthony@downanddirtydv.com). 'Til next time, I'm out.

-Ant.

Podcast Episode #1 Show Notes

Additional Commentary

Okay, so these are the show notes for Down and Dirty DV Podcast - Episode #1: How to Choose a Camera. (See previous post to download or subscribe using link to your left.) This is a podcast series designed specifically for new and aspiring digital guerrilla filmmakers. The topics I address will be from the standpoint of low-budget digital shooting and solving the many problems that come along with it.

This was my first podcast ever and it was admittedly harder and more work than I thought it would be, but I’m fairly happy with the end result. If you weren’t aware, Episode 1 is enhanced with photos and links (included below) if you view it on an iPod or in iTunes.

It’s damn hard talking having a whole conversation alone to a microphone. Let me know I’m not really talking to myself and holla back. Your feedback let’s me know somebody cares about this effort and helps me improve the show. Please drop me an email at anthony@downanddirtydv.com with your comments, corrections, and suggestions for future show topics.

Enhanced Links and Additional Resources

My Online Bio
Want to know more about me? I’m an old-school digital pimp and a complex man of mystery, but I will share this much with you.


XLR Article – Berkeley Journalism
This article breaks down XLR cable basics and expands upon my comments about XLR adapters.

XLR Adapter Box – B&H Sales Page
Check out features and specs or purchase the popular Beachtek DXA Adapter Box here.


DIY Network - Low Light Article
This is a link to a very basic DIY Network article on shooting in low-light.

Here are the 2 forums I recommended for researching user experiences and reviews of cameras you are considering purchasing. (More such sights are listed to the left under “Links” section.):

Creative Cow Online Filmmaking Community & Forums

DVX User Online Filmmaking Community & Forums


I forgot to mention this site in Episode #1 , but UrbanFox.tv is a great little website run by a woman named Christina Fox out of London that provides consulting and some great free info and tutorials for people looking to get into DV filmmaking. Most notably for the topic at hand, she provides some great camera comparison buyer's guide charts that include most of the latest prosumer models. This info is often in magazines, but it's hard to come by comprehensive side-by-side comparisons online. Check out the charts here:

DV and DV Cam Cameras

HDV Cameras

Notes on Upcoming Episode 2

This first podcast was actually 42 mins., so rather than torture you that long, I broke it into 2 episodes, so Episode #2 is also Choosing a Camera. In Episode #2 I cover other features to look for in a prosumer camera. These aren’t the make or break features, but those that you may wish to also consider depending on your budget, experience-level and style of shooting. I also dicuss renting vs. buying and avoiding common scams when purchasing a camera online.

On a crappier note, I just discovered that I somehow managed to wipe out my master audio files for the fully completed Episode 2. I will have to perform some voodoo on a surviving MP3 version to see if I can put it back together or rerecord the whole thing, so hang tight for a week on that.