In Praise Of Charlton Heston

Filmmaking - There Was A Man Dept.























One of my favorite movie stars, the great Charlton Heston
has died, at 83.

His birth name was John Charles Carter, and he was from
Evanston, Illinois.

I won't dwell on his illness, other than say it's a dirty
trick when our powers are taken, and one of the quick and
strong is laid low. Which happens to us all.

And I won't discuss his politics, except to say any Hollywood
movie star, of whatever political bent, who stands up for
personal liberty, in this dark age, gets my vote.

I interviewed Charlton Heston for tv, at a 1997 Palm Springs
Tennis Tournament. I've met lots of movie stars, but he was
in a class by himself, perhaps the starry-est.

I learned something extremely valuable from him. I asked him
some silly question, one he just didn't want to answer, and you
know what he did? He just smiled. That's all he had to do.

A wide, white movie star smile, beaming out to everybody,
like the spotlights on the 20th Century Fox emblem.

He waited, smiling, until the question dissolved like smoke.

I was caught in the high beam, recovered from being transfixed,
and said to myself, "So that's how it's done."

Rest in Peace, Mr. Heston. What a career you had! Moses,
Michaelanglo, El Cid, Ben Hur. Any one of those...
But, he did them all.

I've heard some belittle Mr. Heston's acting. Those persons always
reveal, in that, how remarkably little they know about anything.

There are many Actors. There are only a few who are fascinating to
watch. He was one of those. A Movie Star. People plunk down money
to watch him, do...anything.

If you can do that, then you can criticize.

Oh, and Oscars for Best Actor don't just fall down from the trees.
Mr. Heston earned his in 1959's "Ben Hur."

Bigger than life, bigger than other movie stars. He worked in a
lot of Big Pictures, and he made them bigger.

He made the silly Planet of the Apes movies something remarkable.
He made them entertaining.

Goodbye Mr. Heston,

Sam Longoria


filmmaking
film school
film financing

© 2008 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

Filmmaking - Glimpse of Werner Herzog

Filmmaking - Glimpse of Werner Herzog

I have always enjoyed the films of Werner Herzog,
but after this perverse interview, by
documentarian Errol Morris, I am not so sure.

Ghoulishness, mass murder, bizarre behavior, and worst of all,
procrastination. Something for everyone. Filmmakers take note.

filmmaking
film school
film financing

© 2008 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

Filmmaking Gear - Film Synchronizer

Filmmaking Gear - Film Synchronizer

When you're shooting real film, and you need the magnetic sound film to match up to the picture film time-wise, sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. You need...the machine.

Although you'll probably be cutting the sound on a digital workstation, you might see a venerable "film synchronizer" or "sync block," on a shelf somewhere in your editing facility, because they're still useful for measuring print length, and comparing exact length or duration of any two pieces of picture or sound film.

A film synchronizer is a blocky aluminum casting, usually painted green or silver, some are black. A common shaft on bearings supports 1 to 8 sprocket wheels, called "gangs," each a foot in circumference, with keeper rollers that clamp down, and keep the film on the sprocket teeth. The gangs can be coupled or decoupled from the shaft, and so can rotate independently of one another.

65mm film has 12.8 frames per foot, 35mm has 16 frames per foot, 16mm has 40 frames per foot, Super 8mm has 72 frames per foot, Regular 8mm has 80 frames per foot, so each turn of the synchronizer's shaft moves the film one foot, and is geared to a mechanical counter, which displays how many rotations (feet) have gone by.

Yes, they're still made, and new they're thousands of dollars. You can find shiny brand-new ones at good old Christy's Editorial, or EEP (Editorial Equipment Parts.)

I can remember how much of my early filmmaking training was geared (pardon) toward learning how to use, borrowing, renting, or finally buying, a film synchronizer.

It was a lot, and they were soooo expensive, hundreds of dollars then, and now I see used film synchronizers cheap on eBay, and like much film equipment, I've bought at least one of each film gauge.

Film gear still works fine, and this current topsy-turvy situation, where heavy metal quality is cheaper than junky ephemeral digital gear, somehow feels rich.

Sam Longoria

filmmaking
film school
film financing

© 2008 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

Sam’s Oscar Report Sun, 24 Feb 2008

Sam’s Oscar Report

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 - Hollywood

Sam Longoria has seen FEW of the Oscar-nominated
pictures this year. Sam picks the Oscar-winners from
their titles, using his own rules. Sam is happy to share
with you his spectacularly un-informed opinion.

I am not in attendance at the Oscars this year. I’m not going
unless I or my work is nominated, or I am specifically invited.
I am not crashing, or finagling tickets. People write me every
year to ask, and I’m just sayin’.

Hey, it’s Hollywood, and it’s Oscar-time.
So here I am again, and it’s…

SAM’S 2008 OSCAR REPORT - PREDICTION EDITION

Hello!

Sam Longoria here, your Oscar reporter.

I want to follow my own rules for predicting the Oscars,
just as I did last year. All off the top of my head,
no other research or preparation.

Something is different, though. I literally have seen only
a few of the films. I wouldn’t have done it this way,
but it couldn’t be helped.

I have a stack of screeners I’ve not screened.
I am remarkably unprepared, but am at my best
under pressure. Let’s get started.

THE HOST

Smarmy and funny, Jon Stewart is the Host. He will bring a
breath of fresh air to the Oscars, for two reasons. First,
he’s done it before. Second, he is not Ellen Degeneres.

BEST PICTURE

Let’s talk, for just a moment, about the Best Picture category.
And let’s be clear. The “best picture” of the year only rarely
wins Best Picture of The Year.

The best picture I saw this year was “Bucket List,” directed by Rob
Reiner, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It was released
the last week of 2007. It chanced not a hoot in hell to be nominated
for an Oscar, for a few good reasons.

It has two brilliantly-skilled old Actors, and it was uplifting,
wholesome, and encouraging. Because of these handicaps, it was
unworthy of Oscar consideration.

It also had a great script. Unfortunately, it was a re-treaded
script from “Rain Man,” a great picture which actually already
WON Best Picture, in 1989. See how good it is?

I don’t hold Hollywood films to some silly standard
of “originality,” and you shouldn’t either.

The history of Hollywood is chock-full of derivation and
outright plagiarism. A good story is always a good story,
so they keep re-telling them. That’s Hollywood.

I think “Bucket List” deserved nomination more than
any other 2007 picture, its story already a winner.

Two quirky, cranky guys meet, and travel around,
gaining profound understanding of each other.

Rob Reiner hung Modern-Hollywood plot ornaments on it,
like skydiving and Jack-is-rich and Morgan-is-poor, and
for comic relief, both characters have terminal illness,
but it’s the same show, trust me.

“Bucket List” knew what it was doing, too. There’s an
unfortunate and self-conscious reference, when Jack
actually calls Morgan “My Main Man, Ray.”

Does it get any more clear than that? I think not.

That moment went wretchedly “clunk.” So did Jack’s
spontaneous remission, a major plot point, tossed off
in minor dialogue. Why?

Perhaps Jack the Actor was put off by the similarity to
“Rain Man.” Or perhaps somebody forgot to erase that page
of the “Rain Man” script, before they typed the “Bucket List”
script over it.

Or maybe a “Final Draft” bug lets “Rain Man” v 1.0
somehow show through “Bucket List” v 2.0.

Anyway, if I were clueless how Hollywood picks Oscar pictures,
I’d be disappointed by “Bucket List’s” exclusion, because I
found real merit, (albeit second-hand), in it.

If the Motion Picture Academy picked Best Picture by merit,
Oscars would be easily predicted every year. Merit is not
what wins a statue for a picture.

People vote - a specific group of people.

I have enough friends in that group to see HOW they vote,
and that indicates to me for which pictures they are
LIKELY to vote. All the clues are in the titles.

My predictions are intentionally made in a hurry,
without thinking too much. If they are wrong, it’s
because I started thinking, and reasoned them out.

Last year’s were so good because I spent less than
five minutes on each one. This year, to follow that,
and figure out where I went right, I spent entirely
too much time and thought, so please don’t bet the rent.

Next year, I’ll see the pictures,
and not think so much.

As I mentioned last year, Oscar wins have almost nothing
to do with the particular merit of a picture, per se.

To win an Oscar, a picture…

* Must be Commercial. It must actually sell tickets, and plant
hindquarters firmly in theatre seats. This is Show Business, not
Show Art. The Oscars are a merchandising gimmick, to sell
the American Movie Business.

* Must present the Official Modern Hollywood World-view.
That is, a sordid, twisted, sad, unhappy mess. Even worse
than when “Rain Man” won Best Picture. Worse than when
“American Beauty” won Best Picture. The bar slips lower
every year. This is really bad, we’re talkin’ 2007.

Happiness is out. (Except in Will Smith’s picture last year,
when they misspelled the word itself, as “Happyness.”)

* Must now have a message, despite Sam Goldwyn’s dictum.
The message is stated, then re-stated. Say it again. And again.
So this rule really is, “The picture must have a MESSAGE!!!”

Regular “message” pictures don’t bother me. My producing model
and teacher was Stanley Kramer, the conscience of Hollywood.
Only rarely did his “messages” become “MESSAGES!!!”
Stanley, I miss you and your pictures.

* Holocaust or WWII beats everything else, in any category.

There are other rules, but not many.

In an Election Year, the rules are so obvious, as to be ludicrous.
There won’t be many surprises this year, trust me.

If I wanted to make a picture, most likely to win Best Picture,
I’d title it, “So THERE, Mr. Bush!” (or stronger language).

Look for it. Look for anything that says, “CHANGE,” as in
“regime change.” That is what will win an Oscar in 2008.

Easiest to spot? Visual effects. Title of the picture.
“Transformers.” For the win.

Get it?

Is it politics? Of course.

Just so you know, I’m voting for neither “whichever
rockbound Republican candidate,” nor “whichever
unelectable Democratic candidate,” this year.

To misquote Mark Twain, I belong to no
organized political party. I am a Libertarian.

I vote for Ron Paul, because I like his guitars.
Wait, that’s Les Paul.

Anyway, Ron Paul touts the Constitution of the United States,
I mean the original document, the real deal, with no changes.

That makes him an idealist, a dreamer, and an anachronism.
Like me.

That also makes him a non-candidate, no matter how many votes
he actually pulls, how much money raised, how many debates
he won. Can’t have that.

What does this have to do with the Oscars?
Hollywood doesn’t go for all that “America” stuff.
It systematically votes against any “America” stuff.

I’m wrong? Explain why Al Gore has an Oscar, Bill Clinton
and Jimmy Carter have Grammys, and so does Barack Obama.

They did nothing to earn them, except to be who they are.
Those are spiffs. They are so spectacularly against
“America” stuff, they’re in.

Michael Medved’s excellent book,
“Hollywood vs. America,” covers it.

That being said, for Best Picture, the contenders are
“Atonement,”
“Juno,”
“Michael Clayton,”
“No Country for Old Men,”
“There Will Be Blood.”

Best Picture is where Hollywood votes which message
it wants to send. What are the messages?

“Atonement” is a WWII picture and hard to beat,
and it even has an old-guard Redgrave in it,
but its title only says “I’m sorry.”

“Juno” says “pregnant,” which says “change,”
but it was shot in Vancouver, BC, Canada,
and they’ll be a long time explaining,
if a runaway show wins Best Picture.

“Michael Clayton” is just a name, like a business card.

“No Country For Old Men” sounds like a Best Picture,
but it’s from the Coens, who cleaned up writing “Fargo,”
some time back. That works against them.

“There Will Be Blood” sounds like the perfect
movie for an eighteen-year-old boy, Hollywood’s
prime target market.

There will be blood, and that means fistfights and
shooting, and probably explosions, and naked girls.
Can’t beat that, but…

There is only one thing eighteen-year-old boys want
as much as naked girls. To be out from under the
thumb of old men.

“No Country For Old Men,” says “change” more clearly,
has a better chase, and is the Coens’ biggest commercial hit,
so it wins Best Picture.

BEST DIRECTOR

Best Director nominees are,
Julian Schnabel, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
Jason Reitman, “Juno”
Tony Gilroy, “Michael Clayton”
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, “No Country for Old Men”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “There Will Be Blood.”

“Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” except for the
butterfly part, doesn’t say “change” well.
The diving bell confuses things.

“Michael Clayton” doesn’t say “change.”
“Juno” is a Roman goddess. Pregnancy says “change,”
but this is for Best Director. Jason Reitman’s a
talented young man, but he Directed a movie about an
unmarried pregnant girl. It’s light, and to an extent, funny.

“Unmarried pregnant girl” does say “So THERE, Mr. Bush!”
so it actually could win, but it’s a comedy.
Not serious enough.

PTA’s credits and politics are correct, but the Coens
would be the second directing team to win, (after “West
Side Story”) and that’s almost irresistable to voters.

“No Country For Old Men’s” Directors,
both middle-aged men, for the win.

BEST ACTOR

George Clooney, “Michael Clayton”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “There Will Be Blood”
Johnny Depp, “Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Tommy Lee Jones, “In the Valley of Elah”
Viggo Mortensen, “Eastern Promises.”

Tommy Lee Jones is a serious contender, but the title
of his picture works against him. Valley of what?
I think “Elah” means “God.” Can’t have that.

George Clooney is an excellent Actor, and he still has
Edward R. Murrow juice from a few years ago, but he’s
been awful busy.

Johnny Depp is playing just one more wacko, and this
time it’s a musical, but he’s over-working too.

Viggo Mortensen isn’t in “Lord Of The Rings” now, so
he really has to perform, but his picture title is vague.

I don’t think Viggo’s image can match the intensity of
Daniel Day-Lewis, whose picture title promises quite a lot.
Blood, for one thing. Which means a fight, which means change.

Daniel Day-Lewis for Best Actor.

BEST ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett, “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
Julie Christie, “Away From Her”
Marion Cotillard, “La Vie en Rose”
Laura Linney, “The Savages”
Ellen Page, “Juno.”

The majority of titles are English,
so select from the foreign ones.
“Juno” or “La Vie en Rose.”

Ellen Page recites more than she acts,
and “La Vie en Rose” has that Edith Piaf
Anti-American French thing going on,
so Marion Cotillard wins.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Christopher Hampton, “Atonement”
Sarah Polley, “Away from Her”
Ronald Harwood, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, “No Country for Old Men”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “There Will Be Blood.”

“Atonement” is too religious a title.
Voters are driven “Away from Her,” poor Sarah Polley.
“Diving Bell and the Butterfly” is too spacey.

This is between Coens and Anderson. Joel and Ethan have
the chops. Since Stanley Kubrick died, they’re the guys
making intelligent film.

Paul Thomas Anderson is a great guy, an excellent director,
and politically-correct. (He shadowed and spotted
Robert Altman, on Bob’s final movie).

The Coens seem unstoppable here, even though they did
so well on “Fargo” and “O Brother Where Art Thou?”
which now works against them.

They’ve had a glut of dog pictures, and
Hollywood roots for their comeback.
“No Country for Old Men” to win.
“There Will Be Blood” to place.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck, “The Assassination of Jesse
James by the Coward Robert Ford”
Javier Bardem, “No Country for Old Men”
Hal Holbrook, “Into the Wild”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Charlie Wilson’s War”
Tom Wilkinson, “Michael Clayton.”

Casey Affleck has his family brand name,
but his film’s title is too long.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is a great actor, but he’s got a triple-whammy.
He already won for “Capote,” and has dozens of nominations and awards.
He has three first names, and his role is in a film about a Reagan-era
Iran/Contra gun-runner. Too bad, Phil.

Tom Wilkenson, in “Michael Clayton” sounds too plain-vanilla.

Best Supporting Actor has quite a bunch of latitude for
its voters, but Hal Holbrook isn’t remembered, sorry Hal.

Javier Bardem is an intense actor in a
powerhouse film. Its title says “change.”
My money’s on him for the win.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

The competing and supporting Actresses are
Cate Blanchett, “I’m Not There”
Ruby Dee, “American Gangster”
Saoirse Ronan, “Atonement”
Amy Ryan, “Gone Baby Gone”
Tilda Swinton, “Michael Clayton.”

Tilda Swinton sounds like punctuation.

Saoirse Ronan is in a sorry-titled WWII movie,
and her name sounds like a Japanese monster.

Cate Blanchett is back, but she’s not there.
Amy Ryan is also gone, and sounds too vanilla.

Ruby Dee is another flavor, and that says “change.”
She won SAG, so she wins this.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The competing scripts are from
Diablo Cody, “Juno”
Nancy Oliver, “Lars and the Real Girl”
Tony Gilroy, “Michael Clayton”
Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava and Jim Capobianco, “Ratatouille”
Tamara Jenkins, “The Savages.”

Tamara Jenkins has that diversity thang going on, all those
NPR interviews, but that “Savage” title is off-putting to
such a “progressive” bunch of Hollywood writers.

“Lars and the Real Girl” is about a guy and his love doll,
so it has 2007 Hollywood potential, but it’s all rather
innocent, and so deflates.

“Michael Clayton” has George Clooney, but a rather boring
title. Frankly, who cares?

“Ratatouille” is a musical, so it has the best writing,
and should win, but this isn’t about “should.”

“Juno” is about a pregnant teen girl, with smart-alecky
Hollywood dialogue, passing for wit in 2007 Hollywood.
Sample line? “My eggo is preggo.” Golly, how hip.

So, yet another teen movie girl talks like a paunchy middle-aged
Hollywood writer, joining a long tradition of 35-year-old
teenagers. A “Gidget” for our time.

But…

“Juno” itself has the best Hollywood story, about a stripper
who posts a blog, snags a writing gig in Hollywood, and learns
to write like a paunchy middle-aged Hollywood writer.

“Juno’s” subject, “Unmarried pregnant girl” is swollen
with the required “So THERE, Mr. Bush!” quality.

“Juno” for the win.

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM

Foreign films are “Beaufort,” Israel
“The Counterfeiters,” Austria
“Katyn,” Poland
“Mongol,” Kazakhstan
“12,” Russia.

“Beaufort” for the win, because its from Israel,
and not from the other places.

ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION

Best Art Direction nominees are
“American Gangster”
“Atonement”
“The Golden Compass”
“Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
“There Will Be Blood.”

“Golden Compass” is a vfx picture, with a compass for direction,
but with polar bears like a Coke commercial. Too crass,
especially for a box-office dud.

“Atonement” is still apologizing.

“There Will Be Blood” doesn’t sound arty enough.

“Sweeney Todd” is a musical, so its Art Direction
must be really good, so it wins, even though its
title is too long, for Best Art Direction.

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

Nominees are
“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”
“Atonement”
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
“No Country for Old Men”
“There Will Be Blood.”

“Jesse James” is too long a title.
“Atonement” is too abstract a photographic concept,
“Diving Bell and the Butterfly” is a dope dream title,
“There Will Be Blood” just means its in color, and
that’s not a cinematographic challenge any more.

Coen Brothers are a cinematography brand name,
so “No Country For Old Men” for Best Cinematography.

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

Movies up for Best Costume are
“Across the Universe,”
“Atonement,”
“Elizabeth: The Golden Age,”
“La Vie en Rose,”
“Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

“Across the Universe” is Beatle-ey, but too spacey.

“Atonement” is just uniforms from some other movie,
and its title means “I’m sorry,” and Hollywood
means never having to say you’re sorry.
“Elizabeth” is a Queen, and period pieces
usually win Costumes, but that’s what happened
last time, so not this time.

Sweeney Todd’s a gay cult musical, so it’s got the win,
even though its title is too long.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

These are usually easy to call. The Holocaust documentary
always wins, but there isn’t one this year.

“No End in Sight,”
“Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience,”
“Sicko,”
“Taxi to the Dark Side,”
“War/Dance.”

Three anti-war documentaries hail a Taxi to the Dark Side.
They could win, but big, fat, gross, pseudo-documentarian
Michael Moore’s “Sicko” movie not only bashes Bush, but
peddles Hilary’s endless vision of free lunches,
er health care, for freebie-seeking voters,
er patients, so it will win, even though
he’s already won one, so he can
make another speech.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

Contenders for Best Documentary Short,
“Freeheld,”
“La Corona (The Crown),”
“Salim Baba,”
“Sari’s Mother.”

“Salim Baba,” forget it. “La Corona” is too royal,
“Freeheld” is too freely held, so it’s “Sari’s Mother,”
for the win.

Congratulations to James Longley, the Seattlite who made it.
You’ve overcome regional negativity (”Seattle-itis”) to get
something done. That’s an achievement.

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

These are the films, “At Night,”
“Il Supplente (The Substitute),”
“Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets),”
“Tanghi Argentini”
“The Tonto Woman.”

Eliminate the foreign ones. That leaves “Tonto,”
but its title’s too demeaning, “At Night” is too dark,
so the frou-frou French pic with Mozart in its title,
is my “pick,” and “pockets” the win.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Only three animated features this year,
“Persepolis,”
“Ratatouille,”
and “Surf’s Up.”

Only one with an English title, should be an easy win
for “Surf’s Up,” except for one thing.

“Ratatouille” was the last contractually-obligated film
Pixar was to deliver to Disney, back during friction
between the two (now one) companies.

“Ratatouille” is about a French rat, loose in a kitchen.
(Disney is a French name, anciently spelled D’Isney or
D’Eisney, and originally De Isigney.)

The Disney studio is “the mouse house” in Hollywood,
so Mickey Mouse now has a gross rodent French cousin.

I smell an “in” joke, on Mickey. A big enough one for
Animation voters to claim, on sheer Disney-resentment.
“Ratatouille” for the win.

BEST FILM EDITING

Best Film Editing nominees are
“The Bourne Ultimatum,”
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,”
“Into the Wild”
“No Country for Old Men,”
“There Will Be Blood.”

Even the editing of “The Bourne Ultimatum” couldn’t
fix how bad its camerawork was, and bad is good these
days, so “Bourne Ultimatum” for Best Film Editing.

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP

Nominees are,
“La Vie en Rose,”
“Norbit”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”

Makeup? Pirates of the Caribbean should win, but we’ve
seen so many of those Pirates movies lately. “Norbit”
sounds like a nerd’s dessert. French is good,
and against America, and a period piece.

“La Vie en Rose,” for the win.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”
to place.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The contenders for Best Original Score are
“Atonement,” Dario Marianelli
“The Kite Runner,” Alberto Iglesias
“Michael Clayton,” James Newton Howard
“Ratatouille,” Michael Giacchino
“3:10 to Yuma,” Marco Beltrami.

The Musical, “Ratatouille” for the win.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

The songs are “Falling Slowly” from “Once,”
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

“Happy Working Song” from “Enchanted,”
Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz

“Raise It Up” from “August Rush,”

“So Close” from “Enchanted,”
Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz

“That’s How You Know” from “Enchanted,”
Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.

Best Song should really go to a song
from a musical picture, but that wouldn’t
be Hollywood - too obvious and apolitical,
especially this election year.

Alan Menken’s songs are gay enough, but
he used to write better, in his glory days
with another partner.

So eliminate the songs from “Enchanted.”

The song from “Once,” “Falling Slowly,” is not
about change, but “Raise It Up” sounds to be.

“Raise It Up” for the win.

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

The short films in question are
“I Met the Walrus,”
“Madame Tutli-Putli,”
“Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven),”
“My Love (Moya Lyubov),”
and “Peter & the Wolf.”

“Pigeons Go to Heaven” is too religious,
“Madame Tutli-Putli” too singsong.

“My Love” is too slavic, as is
“Peter & the Wolf.”

“I Met the Walrus” is English,
and almost evokes the Beatles.

Old hippies vote it, to win.

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING

The Best Mixing award nominees are
“The Bourne Ultimatum,”
“No Country for Old Men,”
“Ratatouille,”
“3:10 to Yuma,”
and “Transformers.”

Bourne Ultimatum was too shaky to take for long periods, so
its sound track really needed a good mix, so you could follow
the story, while looking away from the screen.

“No Country For Old Men” was a fast-moving thriller, so its
track was mostly covered by Dialogue, not a particularly
difficult mix.

“3:10 to Yuma” has booming pistol noises, sounding like
real black-powder pistols, not smokeless cartridge effects,
so it deserves to win for best sound effects, but this is
best sound MIXING, not effects.

“Ratatouille” is a musical. More going on sound-wise.

Sound mixers (who vote for best mixing) love music, and
“Ratatouille” means “a MIX of eggplant, tomatoes, onions,
peppers, zucchini, seasonings and garlic, in olive oil.
Yum!

“Ratatouille” to win, for Best Sound Mixing.

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING

Sound Editing nominees are
“The Bourne Ultimatum,”
“No Country for Old Men,”
“Ratatouille”,”
“There Will Be Blood,” and
“Transformers.”

I guess I did see (and hear) “The Bourne Ultimatum.”
The mind protects itself, and I’ve been on “overwhelm”
all this year, so I didn’t remember until now.

The Bourne track was cut well, but only in comparison
to its truly nauseating Camerawork, so it’s out.

Old men have lousy hearing.
Rats hear more high-frequency sounds than we do.
Transformers make a humming sound, and
if movie sound is too loud, there will be blood,
from a ruptured eardrum.

“Ratatouille” for the win, “Transformers” to place.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Best Visual Effects nominees are
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,”
“The Golden Compass,”
and “Transformers.”

I already told you what will win, and why.
“Transformers,” because the title says “change.”

Well, that’s how I see it. See if your guess is as good as mine.

From the edge of the desert, in the middle of the night, at the
end of a long copper wire. I’m your friend in Hollywood.

Best to you,

Sam Longoria

filmmaking
film school
film financing

© 2008 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

Sundance Film Festival 2008 - Aftermath

Filmmaking - Sundance Journal

Seattle filmmaker Paul Fraser returns from Sundance 2008,
to a media frenzy with Sam Longoria and BJ Shea,
on Seattle's #1 Morning Radio show,
KISW - FM's the BJ Shea Experience.



Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Paul Fraser and Sam Longoria are interviewed
by BJ Shea at Seattle's KISW radio station.

Paul explains the finer points of his filmmaking,
and his film "The Battles of Tim Eyman."
















BJ comments on clips from the film,
in which he appears and speaks.








Sam tells what it takes
to promote an indy feature film.

Studio video, shot of Sam at the end, at 4:20. Quite vulgar up to that point, and perhaps during.


Here's Paul and Sam's interview itself.

NSFW!
It's a guy show,
#1 Seattle morning show.

Paul and Sam and BJ and the Crew had a great time,
and it was very good radio.

BJ Shea's Producer Steve's blog explains all of science, including quantum string theory. At the bottom, a mention of Sam Longoria and his moustache.

Hope you enjoy it!

Paul Fraser
Sam Longoria

filmmaking
film school
film financing

© 2008 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

Sundance Film Festival 2008 - Homeward

Filmmaking - Sundance Journal

Our Sundance correspondent is Seattle filmmaker
Paul Fraser, who has just enough time in the numbing
Sundance cold, and mind-numbing Sundance blur, to
snap a few pics and pen some notes from the festival.


Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Hey Sam,

The Toxic Avenger roams the streets again! As you know,
TA's the mascot of Troma films, a distributor promoting
its own film festival. Of course, it's "Troma Dance."

Went to "Traces Of The Trade," a moving film I saw at
Holiday Village Cinema, all shot on video, chronicling
the tragedies of several families in the Katrina disaster
in Florida.

A first-hand personal account, it's directed by the
ironically-named Katrina Browne. She did a great job.

Afterwards, took a flight back around eleven,
and got back here in Seattle around Midnight.
Man, am I tired, but it was all very well worth it.

Today was especially good, I networked like
crazy and got my film out to a lot of people,
and met with all those I'd scheduled.

Came home to an invitation to guest on the
"BJ Shea Experience" radio show
on KISW, the Rock of Seattle!

Thanks Sam,

Paul Fraser


filmmaking
film school
film financing

© 2008 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

Sundance Film Festival 2008 - Snow Problem!

Filmmaking - Sundance Journal

Our Sundance correspondent is Seattle filmmaker
Paul Fraser, who has just enough time in the numbing
Sundance cold, and mind-numbing Sundance blur, to
snap a few pics and pen some notes from the festival.


Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Sam,

Today, woke up to at least a foot of snow in Salt Lake. Got in
my car and braved it, driving the icy roads up to Park City.
Hotel manager told me not to try, but I did it anyway!






















































Caught a little of the talk at the Filmmaker Lounge,
"The Producing Cap." Panel discussed obtaining financing
to get projects off the ground.

















So many of us crowded into the Lodge, some had to
watch it televised, in the room next door.
















Handed out promo materials for my film,
"The Battles Of Tim Eyman" to press and producers
along Main Street. Also entered my film into an Avid
pitch contest, at the New Frontier.

Paul Fraser


Filmmaking

© 2008 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

Sundance Film Festival 2008 - The Play's The Thing

Filmmaking - Sundance Journal

Our Sundance correspondent, Seattle filmmaker
Paul Fraser, has just enough time in the numbing
Sundance cold, and mind-numbing Sundance blur, to
snap a few pics and pen some notes from the festival.


Monday, January 21, 2008

Hey Sam,

Supporters for a film called "Len Bias" throng Main Street,
handing out DVDs of their trailer, can't miss them. They've
been on Main Street every time I've been out, since I got
here on the 17th.

I've done my share of film promotion, too, as I shop
my film, "The Battles Of Tim Eyman." I give out DVDs
and posters, to press and distribution people.













Word up - lots of other filmmakers leave promotional
materials in the lobby - and Big Brother Sundance
throws them into the garbage, if they're not in the
festival. Can't blame them - this is business, after all.
















Next stop, the Sundance Filmmaker's Lodge, where
I listened to Martin McDonagh, a playwright-turned-
film-director, notorious for his dark comedy writing.
















I asked Martin if a film like "Bug," adapted from Tracy Letts's
play of the same name, would have an easier transition to
the screen, since it was a play to begin with? He disagreed,
saying, in his work, he prefers to keep a play a play,
and not try to "turn a dog into a cat."

Really crowded at this event. I had to wait in the
hallway, to get into this old rustic-looking building.

Later, over at the New Frontier, on Main Street...
















I sat in on an event called "Avid Presentation:
From Production to Post to Distribution."

Editor Kevin Trent ("Sideways," "The Golden Compass," "Blow")
discussed challenges faced by today's digital Editors, and their
computer systems, such as Avid.

Kevin described how the editing process has been streamlined,
from thirty-odd people working on the editing (on the film "Reds"),
to a single Editor and two Assistants, a total of three.














After I took this picture at the Eccles Theatre,
it started snowing like mad, and I caught the
midnight show of "Just Another Love Story"
at the Holiday Village Cinema.

Another dark love story actually, along the lines of
"Strangers," and Michael Keaton's "The Merry Gentleman."

So dark, the Danish Director (Ole Bornedal) warned us
in advance. It was really an involving and original film.

Three-quarters through, the young woman sitting next to me
lost her nerve, and left, because of its energy and realism.

Who knew the Danes were so dark and moody?
Oh, wait, there's Hamlet.

Made it back to my room, through the snow,
in one piece, without driving off the road.

Talk soon!

Paul


Filmmaking

© 2008 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

Sundance Film Festival 2008 - It's a riot!

Filmmaking - Sundance Journal

Our Sundance correspondent is Seattle filmmaker
Paul Fraser, who has just enough time in the numbing
Sundance cold, and mind-numbing Sundance blur, to
snap a few pics and pen some notes from the festival.


Sunday, January 20, 2008

Hey Sam,

Today at Sundance, more people than ever crowding
the frozen downtown streets of Park City. Sidewalks
literally so overpopulated you must walk in the street!

People communicate and schedule by bulletin boards
and flyers, and notices, and pictures. Like a riot,
a war, or a natural disaster, I can't decide which.




















More interviews, it's all chaos. I was interviewed by
tv news, and discovered the HP Broadcast Studio,
where I spoke a bit more about my filmmaking,
and my film, "The Battles Of Tim Eyman."

















Up the street, at the Sundance Filmmakers Lodge, a
wine-tasting event called "Wine Escape." Industry
Producers, Actors, and Directors mingled there.

Later, at the Egyptian Theater, I viewed a great Israeli
film called "Strangers." The Director, Erez Tadmor, was
there, and spoke of the film's production. Very moving
and gritty romance, shot on HDV and converted to 35mm.

Story was completely improvised, and written, by the Actors.
The war that tore the protagonists apart was a real
situation, and framed the story. Shot in under a month,
for under $100K.

That film is the second I've watched here originated on
HDV, then upconverted to 35mm. New trend? I wonder.

Tomorrow will be a busy one, I can feel the buzz of
filmmaking rising in pitch. Gotta go. Talk soon!

Paul


Filmmaking

© 2008 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

Sundance Film Festival 2008 - Park City - NOT!

Filmmaking - Sundance Journal

Our Sundance correspondent is Seattle filmmaker
Paul Fraser, who has just enough time in the numbing
Sundance cold, and mind-numbing Sundance blur, to
snap a few pics and pen some notes from the festival.


Saturday, January 19, 2008

Sam,

Thousands pack the streets of Park City, Utah, for
the Sundance Film Festival. One of them this year is me,
and I'm happy to be here. It's every independent filmmaker's
dream come true.

I don't know what will happen, but nobody does. There are
lots of great movies, and crazy colorful characters. It's
really the filmmaking business in a teaspoon.

Just meeting people here is a positive step. I'm astonished
how few people have business cards. They just meet and
bounce away, only colliding occasionally in the chaos.

My strategy? I'm finding out where people go, and going there.
Hardest part is parking my car. I drive from Salt Lake City,
and park miles away and ride the shuttle bus.

I expected lots of parking for my car because
of the name, Park City, but no.














What I wasn't expecting - I've been interviewed a couple
of times today, about my filmmaking, and my film,
"The Battles of Tim Eyman."

It's a documentary about a Mukilteo, WA
watch-salesman / citizen-activist, and his battles
to get his tax-cutting agenda onto Washington state
ballots, using the initiative process.

It has Tim Eyman, and Washington State Senator
Ken Jacobsen, and radio talk-show hosts Michael Medved,
B.J. Shea, and Dori Munson. It was a fun film to make.

















I'm surprised I was interviewed. I didn't expect much
interest in Washington state politics. Nobody's ever
heard of any of the people in my film, but they pointed
video cameras at me, so I told them about it.

Documentaries are very big right now, and I hope to
see what others are doing with their filmmaking.
Gotta go, it's freezing, and lots to see.
Write more tomorrow.

Paul

Filmmaking

© 2008 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

Sundance Film Festival 2008 - It's cold outside!

Filmmaking - Sundance Journal

Our Sundance correspondent is Seattle filmmaker
Paul Fraser, who's shopping his documentary film,
"The Battles of Tim Eyman,"
about a Washington state citizen activist.

Paul has just enough time in the numbing Sundance
cold, and mind-numbing Sundance blur, to snap a
few pics and pen some notes from the festival.


Friday, January 18, 2008

Sam,

Very chilly down here at Sundance. Main Street is crowded
with Producers and Press, at the various filmmaking events.

I attended the "Filmmaker Lodge" opening reception.
I met Joe Kleber from Red Acquistion Warehouse, and he
demonstrated his Red digital motion picture camera to me.

Also attended a seminar, at The New Frontier on Main Street,
"Creating A Low-Budget Film". They discussed production
workflow, and editing techniques. It gave me new insight.

Speakers were the Producer and Editor from the film
"Jack In The Box," who talked about productive collaboration.

The Editor, a USC professor, described filmmaking techniques
to keep the audience interested, and on the edge of their seats,
while telling the story.

I always get a lot from these seminars, and there
was also free food there, too! Can't lose.

9:30pm tonight, at the Eccles Theater, I attended the film
premiere of "The Merry Gentleman." The Director is
Michael Keaton, who recounted the making of this film.
It is his first feature as a Director.

Keaton seemed apprehensive about "Merry Gentleman's"
running time, but the film was warmly received by
the audience.

Pictures are on the way, took only a few on Main Street.
I'll shoot off a roll tomorrow, and I'll send some
along to you. Hope all is well with you!

Paul

Filmmaking

© 2008 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

Filmmaking - Biggest Mistakes Filmmakers Make Raising Money

Filmmaking - Film Financing

Are You Making These
10 Film Financing Mistakes?

Special free report, "10 Biggest Mistakes Filmmakers
Make Raising Money."

Describes exactly which devastating errors to avoid in your
search for Film Financing. Are you making them right now?

Mistake 1: A money attitude you learn from Parents,
Teachers, and Friends. Unlearn it, or it will destroy you.

Mistake 2: You finally have five minutes with your Movie Angel.
Have you done your Homework?

Mistake 3: You know "It takes money to make money,"
but what does it take to raise money?

Mistake 4: Guessing how much to ask for, or what to
give in return, is a one-way ticket to failure.

Mistake 5: Even if you know the right thing to say,
saying it the wrong way will sink you.

Mistake 6: Pitching the wrong Prospects.
Do you know who yours really are?

Mistake 7: What never to say to a Movie Investor Prospect,
and what he's hoping you'll say.

Mistake 8: These 8 POOR PITCHES never get you money.
You're probably doing one right now.

Mistake 9: Even if you really believe in your project,
this one little mistake will send you home a Loser.

Mistake 10: You found and approached your Movie Angel.
He said, "Yes!" Can you still screw up? You bet.

And much, much more...

Discover the right way to raise money for your movie, regardless
of your filmmaking or film financing experience or location.

Filmmaking

© 2008 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

In praise of Fred Astaire

Filmmaking - There Was A Man Dept.

What's kept me going, and sane, and alive this year,
is watching Fred Astaire dance, over and over,
in this particular picture,
1955's fantastic "Daddy Long Legs."

I have rented it so many times, I could have bought
a dozen copies of it on DVD by now. It's onscreen
in my editing room, where I'm hard at work on
my book and editing a little feature I shot.

This is the FOURTH film version of the
"Daddy Long Legs" novel. It's a musical.

I love musicals. MGM musicals were the best.
("Singin' In The Rain," "The Bandwagon," are
my two favorites.)

I love MGM musicals, and this is one of the
absolutely best MGM musicals ever made,
right up there with "Singin' In The Rain," and
"The Bandwagon," except for two things:

1) It was not shot in 1:33 three-strip Technicolor,
but in really good 1:2.4 Cinemascope De Luxe color.

2) It was made at Fox, not MGM.

Fox made good musicals, too, like "Hello Dolly," and
"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," and many others, but
Fox musicals were different from MGM musicals.

Fox musicals were a little more...adult than the MGM product,
but the MGM dancers were better dancers, the MGM cameramen
were better cameramen...they wore their art on their sleeve
at the Freed unit. Trust me, MGM was the best studio in town.

Other Fox musicals were really good,
but "Daddy Long Legs"...swings! Man, it's great,
and the reason is the incomparable Fred Astaire.

Astaire beyond compare.

To call Fred Astaire merely a dancer is to label
Einstein a failed patent clerk. Yes, Fred danced,
in many ways he was the dancer, but he did so much
more, including think up new ways to dance,
new music to dance to, new props to dance with,
new styles to dance in, and new ways to be
photographed while dancing.

(Fred's contract gave him unprecedented control over
how he was to be photographed. He insisted he be shown
head-to-toe, in long single takes with minimal cutting
and camera movement. Camera technique following Fred
is sparse and elegant, and the "cutty" approach of a
music video is nowhere to be seen, which is why we can
still watch them. The excitement comes from the dance,
and is not synthesized from the cutting or camera
gymnastics. Fred does the dancing, the camera follows.
As he said: "Either the camera dances or I do."

This is bold stuff, when your main competition, making
dance pictures, is Busby Berkeley, just down the street.)

Fred's ability to sing and act, and do these incredibly
intricate dance routines, and astonishing work with hand
props, (while really playing the drums), all while looking
as though this wasn't grueling hard work at all, as if it was
EASY, and as if he was having more fun than human beings
ought to be allowed, lead me to the inescapable conclusion, that
without any exaggeration, Fred Astaire is obviously the coolest
human being who ever lived, in the history of the world.



Fred here at the age of 56, as good as he ever was, a decade past his
announced retirement, enjoying the silly "Slue Foot" college dance,
with young and lovely and incredibly gifted Oscar-nominated dancer
Leslie Caron. (She's still working, and won an Emmy in 2007.)
Who wouldn't enjoy a talented gorgeous 24-year-old partner?
C'mon. Force yourself.

Check out Leslie's college swain, who's
hopelessly outclassed. Sure, Fred's older,
but he's FRED ASTAIRE. Sorry, kid.



Even when Fred dances silly near the end of this number, he's just too
cool for words. Notice how they use costume color to draw your eyes
to Fred and Leslie, past 200 or so pastel background jitterbuggers?
Music by Ray Anthony and his Orchestra.

I've met a few of these cast members, including stunningly
gorgeous Terry Moore (Howard Hughes widow), who turned
my knees to water, in person in 1985.

Terry plays Fred's niece, Linda, who watches the outclassed
kid's reaction closely, a little concerned Uncle Fred is
Slue Footing with frosh Leslie, like their age difference
is significant or something.

The bittersweet undercurrent to this picture is that Fred had just
lost his real-life wife of 21 years, just before "Daddy Long Legs"
began production, and they had to delay shooting for Fred to
cope with his grief, and work through it. Unbelievable.

This picture was written by Henry and Phoebe Ephron,
Nora Ephron's parents. (Nora wrote and directed some
favorite pictures, among them "Sleepless In Seattle,"
"When Harry Met Sally," and "You've Got Mail.")

Breeding will tell. The writing in "Daddy Long Legs" is just wonderful.

Fifteen years earlier, Fred at 41 sparkled with Eleanor Powell,
known at MGM, as "The best tap-dancer on the lot." Here is an
electrifying terpsichorean courtship display, as Fred & Eleanor
"Begin The Beguine," in "Broadway Melody of 1940."

In many ways, this is as good as it gets.



Parting Shot

Because I couldn't resist. Here's Fred at 47, at the peak of his
powers, fittingly in a picture at Paramount. 1946's "Blue Skies."

It was billed as "Astaire's last dance" of "Astaire's last picture,"
the Technicolor send-off of his (first) retirement.

Yes, the cane jumps. Yes, those 9 guys are all Fred.
Yes, he makes it look easy, but this number took
"five weeks of back-breaking physical work," to shoot.



Not bad, Fred. Not bad at all, for one Frederick Austerlitz
of Omaha, Nebraska, whose RKO audition report read,
"Can't act. Slightly bald. Also dances."

Sam Longoria

filmmaking
secret film school
film financing

filmmaking

Filmmaking