The Panavision Story

Most of what you always wanted to know
about Panavision.*

*...but were afraid to ask.

Big Sharp Good Film Formats

Even 65mm is goofing around,
if you want really sharp landscapes.
For that you need film. Big film.

Panasonic Digital Projector $200

Panasonic will pay you $200, just to buy
their digital projector. I'm not kidding.

Whither Kinetta?

Haven't heard anything about Jeff Kreines
and his brilliant Kinetta camera in a while.

Here are some pictures to drool over. Let me
know if you've heard anything, anybody.

Go Kinetta!

Don't Pay Rate Card!

Filmmaking - Don't Pay Rate Card! by Angela Taylor

March Of The Penguins: The Real Story

Post-Thanksgiving holiday. I go to the mall,
and can pick one movie.

This year, a good pick. "March of The Penguins."
Loved everything about it, and so did millions
of others.

I am overwhelmed. It is beautiful and lyrical.
The images will be with me forever.

Even my left-brain is overwhelmed. There is no
easy way to have shot it. At the minumum, the
crew must have lived in Anarctica for a year.

Today, I have to know how they shot this film.
I spend the day, reading and learning.

Here's what I found.

Ten Books That Shook The World

I'm so thankful, on this Thanksgiving Day (it's an
American thing), for the chance to just sit and read.

Especially enjoy somebody else's film book list,
to get a different viewpoint. Love it!

Russki Camera 35mm at 240fps

You want fast?
You want fast and sharp?
You want fast and sharp and good?
Gladiolus.

What Is A Pro? by Sam Longoria Producer-Director

Filmmaking - What Is A Pro?

 by: Sam Longoria

The word “Professional” is often bandied about by indy filmmakers, and I’ve heard and read many things I just wouldn’t expect a “Pro” to say, though the person writing or saying them claims to be one. Time for a definition of terms.

Question: What qualifies a person to be a Pro?

Answer: Paycheck.

That's the short answer, but anything longer is just embellishment. It's one thing to make movies. It's a whole different animal to get somebody to cut you a good check, for the work you've done.

Paycheck is more important than anything to a Professional, because you have to eat and pay bills, or you can't function, much less create pleasing Art.

Question: How does a person become a Pro?

Answer: By adopting a Pro attitude. The Pro attitude is “I work in the movie business. I do good work, and I must be paid for it.” This is regardless of the budget of his current Project, whether it is high or low.

Some don’t become a Pro until many paychecks, but you can have a Pro attitude right now, even if you’ve never been paid for doing your art. If you adopt the Pro attitude now, you multiply your effectiveness many times, and shorten the time until those paychecks come in.

A person with a Pro attitude has aligned his brain cells and unconscious mind, so every action and thought is geared toward one outcome - to be paid for his work, what his work is worth. This has many benefits, chiefly the quality of his work improves.

You can take years to get a Pro attitude, or you can do it right away. I recommend you read a book with a funny name by Stuart Lichtman, an expert on the human brain from MIT. 

Another great book on developing a Pro attitude is Napoleon Hill's classic "Think And Grow Rich," free in your library, or get it here online.

They are both good books. Stuart’s is like a series of games, so it’s almost effortless, and it will improve every aspect of your life. Napoleon's classic book takes a while, and you have to muscle it through by will power, but it’s great.

Once you've adjusted your attitude, your unconscious mind will steer your every action and memory, every skill you have, and those you need to learn, toward delivering what you need to do your job, and be paid your paycheck.

Once you do, your natural love of your Art has a chance of being fulfilled. Until you do, you're just floundering.

You may disagree with my brutal bottom-line assessment of what a Pro is. You may feel a Pro isn't defined by a paycheck. To you a Pro might be merely a person with a lot of experience in a certain area, or a person with a natural talent.

Well, “Professional” is defined,

"Pro*fes"sion*al, n. A person who prosecutes anything professionally, or for a livelihood, and not in the character of an amateur; a professional worker."

-- Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

Unless he has a paycheck, his "lot of experience" just makes him a hobbyist. By definition, a hobbyist is not a Professional anything. There is nothing wrong with being a hobbyist, or an “amateur,” (which means you do something “for the love of it”), but generally, amateur quality is not up to a Pro standard.

It’s common to say, "You have so much talent, you're a real Pro," but even natural talent, practiced and refined, won’t be Pro until one’s work quality is good enough to motivate another to pay him for it.

While skill and/or talent certainly are important, the defining quality of a Professional is payment.

Think “paycheck.” May you earn many big ones.

About The Author Sam Longoria is a Hollywood producer, working in film since 1970, in a variety of jobs. His work graces several Oscar-nominated films, and even Oscar winners. Sam teaches Independent Producing and Consults at http://samlongoria.com © 2005 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved. You may forward this in its entirety to anyone you wish. Hollywood Seminars, Box 2449, Hollywood CA 90078 USA This article is available for reprint in your ezine, website or ebook. You MUST agree not to make any changes to the article and this RESOURCE BOX MUST be included.

World Spins Faster

I'm reminded of Gandhi's comment, "There is more
to life than increasing its speed."

Not in Hollywood. A year ago, you had six months
to prove your movie. This year, because of the
ever-quicker tick, you only get four.

Next year, it's a matter of hours.

Move!

AFM: Start to Finnish

Renny Harlin tells the tale how the
American Film Market started his career
in a big way, although I suspect it was
really his big brass pair of dependents.

More AFM Than Ever Before

More exhibitors, buyers and attendance, according to the
American Film Market itself. An all-time high of more than
8000 attendees, up 13% from last year. 1,583 buyers, from
62 countries.

If you can't sell your movie here, perhaps it cannot be sold,
except possibly door-to-door, and cut-up as banjo picks.

More sellers here than ever before, too. 419 companies from
33 countries sent 3,822 attendees, 6% more than last year.

1,526 Industry attendees, up 34% from last year.

534 films in 35 languages, including 382 market premieres.
Last year had only 459 films.

I'm writing this atop the Arclight Cinemas, which is the
Hollywood Cinerama Dome, at the party for
the 2005 AFI FEST.

I wanted to attend the fest, but I'm tired,
and there is no fest for the weary.

What's it like here? Imagine a huge white Quonset tent,
filled with hundreds of film enthusiasts. The AFI
and South By Southwest and Audi are serving them
booze and chocolate chip cookies. There's bottled
water too, and cherry tomatoes on sticks.
Oh, it's wild.

Next tent over has a documentary about a well-known
bad word. People talk about the bad word, and it also
serves as the film's title, and I suppose, a review.

Various porn stars, who use and do that word, sneak into
this tent for the food, to their enormous disappointment.

Glad I'm not hungry, and there's a fast internet connection.

Your TV Has One Year To Live

Analog tv sets have only one year to live.
According to Federal Law, mandated by the FCC,
US broadcasters must stop broadcasting analog
television signals by 31 December 2006.

One year away!

If you still have an analog tv set,
you should read this.

From L.A. to LA

So we spent an evening at the La Merigo Hotel, next to
the Loews AFM bash Thursday, at a moving presentation
made by Louisiana dignitaries, learning what incentives
are available if we shoot in Louisiana. Then we had
great cajun food. Sign me up! I'm going!

You want to really help victims of Katrina?
Shoot your movie in LA!

It's That Time - If You Make Movies

It's time again, a week of movies, movies, movies,
at the American Film Market, in the Loews hotel in
Santa Monica. Screenings and bidding, oh it's wild!
Caveat Emptor, Caveat Vendor, and Cave Canem!

Media According To Tosh

Tosh says, "...video is looking more and more like film
every day, and soon you will only remember film as a
fond memory."

Pithy pronouncement for a fictional guy, the face of
Panasonic's new HVX200. Actually well-worth the read,
especially if you want to see what a corporate pr firm
thinks blogs (and the guys who write them) look like.