Filmmaking
Filmmaking
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At the Illumination Experience Tour with Shane Hurlbut
Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut has been touring the country with The Illumination Experience. This day-long workshop primarily covers lighting: how to get the best results, basic and advanced setups, and even how to do lighting on a budget. But the class also covers a lot of other material for the working cinematographer, everything from the advantages of different cameras and lenses to the correct way to hand off a C-Stand. The class begins with a demonstration of Hurlbut’s “Pirate Death Ship,” three lights attached to a dolly on a 360 degree rail system. With an actress sitting in the middle, the […]
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“You May Have Made the Most Amazing Film in the World, But You Have Zero Followers on Twitter”: VHX’s Jamie Wilkinson on Building Film Communities
Jamie Wilkinson, CEO of the direct-to-fan online video platform VHX, had some words to filmmakers on Peter Katz’s Hollywood 2.0 podcast. Specifically: amp up your social media game. In the conversation, which also discusses some of the platform’s early successes, the role of filters and gatekeepers, and VHX’s partnerships with distributors, he preaches the virtues of building an audience online. “How do we get people promoting each other’s works?” he asks. “You may have made the most amazing film in the world, but you have zero followers on Twitter. How are you going to get the word out? In the […]
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Paying your Subjects and other Notes on Morals, Ethics, and Aesthetics in Documentary Filmmaking in the Developing World.
Ricardo Gaona is in the final days of a crowdfunding campaign for his feature, Parque Central, on Kickstarter. Visit his Kickstarter page for more information and please consider donating. — Editor Nonfiction filmmaking is hard work. There are the technical aspects, of course, and (especially right now) the financial concerns that can make you lose your mind a little bit. In the case of our film, Parque Central (now funding on Kickstarter!), which follows children who work in a park in Antigua Guatemala, there’s an extra level of stress that comes with the questions of ethics and representation. I’ve got […]
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Canon C100 Mark II Adds New Features, But Not 4K
Canon has announced a refresh of the Canon C100, and on the face of it this update fixes many of the issues found in the original model. The Dual Pixel CMOS AF function that was a paid upgrade for the original C100 is included, though it’s still limited to the center of the image area. Also new is Face-Detection AF, which will focus on off-center faces. The EVF, which was widely panned in the first model is now larger, with a redesigned eyepiece, and it now tilts. The rear screen is now a 3.5” 1.23 megapixel OLED, with a new […]
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Watch: Cinematography in the Films of Martin Scorsese
There’s no particular point of inquiry in this tribute to Martin Scorsese from Alexandre Gasulla, but it nonetheless does a bang-up job of emphasizing what makes the director a master manipulator of camera movements. From his sweeping booms and tracking shots to jarring static lensing, few filmmakers convey the cinematographic agency that Scorsese gets across in a mere handful of moments. Check out the comprehensive tribute above.
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Panasonic VariCam 35 and HS Are Now Shipping
Panasonic is now shipping their new VariCam models, the 35 and HS. Panasonic first displayed mockups of a camera at NAB in 2012, but they didn’t announce these models until NAB 2014, and it’s taken another seven months to finally ship the product. The VariCam is really two sensor head units and a single recording unit that can be attached to either sensor unit. The VariCam 35 has a 35mm 4K sensor with a PL mount, while the Varicam HS is a 2/3” HD sensor with a B4 mount and the ability to capture at 240fps. The HS model is primarily intended for […]
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Trailer Watch: Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence
Formally exacting where The Act of Killing was dazzlingly brazen, The Look of Silence is no less staggering of a feat than its talked-about predecessor. Joshua Oppenheimer’s unflinching look at the victims behind the Indonesian genocide will not hit theaters until next Spring, but the documentary continues to ride a nice critical wave from the fall festival circuit, where it picked up the FIPRESCI prize in Venice, amongst other plaudits. I, too, was wowed by the film’s unflinching probe of military and neighborly antagonization at my NYFF viewing, and look forward to revisiting it in the coming months.
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Bond/360 Launches Cinepacks: Pay What You Wish Bundles
Scott previously wrote about and interviewed Bond/360’s CEO Marc Schiller on his decision to bundle and sell their movies via a pay-what-you-wish “Radiohead-esque” model. What began with the “Creativity Bundle,” the packaging of four titles that all dealt with making and creation, now looks to be a recurring initiative, with the company’s introduction of Cinepacks. Through October 23, you can purchase the Sports Docs pack, which allows you to own Medora, Desert Runners, Stephanie in the Water and Doubletime for no less than $1. While this may be a financial gamble, Schiller is certainly capitalizing on the notion of fan engagement, with each collection catering to a specific interest […]
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Bold Choices: Making the “Film-to-Table” Short Film, The Slaughter
It’s March 2012. I’m standing outside a warehouse with 18 people. We’re about to watch a pig die. Three cameras are ready to roll: two for the movie and one for legal purposes. My actors have the morning off; because of my agreement with SAG, they’re not allowed to be on set for this particular scene. Rory Royston, the operator of an independent slaughterhouse, as well as his assistant, stand in for my lead actors, dressed in their wardrobe; they will make sure the slaughter about to be performed is both safe and humane. Rory looks to me; it’s time. […]
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Five Questions for Humanity Creators Kerrin Sheldon and Gaston Blanchet
“An iPad app for explorers,” the just-launched Humanity dubs itself as a “new kind of travel show that places authenticity and storytelling above all else.” Notably, Humanity avoids star ratings, food porn and shopping tips in favor of immersive looks into the landscape and the people of a particular place of interest. From the press release: Humanity is an app that allows you to choose your own path. We don’t want you to check-off a country, we want you to live and breathe it, to explore its many offerings and expand your horizons. While quality storytelling will always be our […]
