Sam Longoria Filmmaking Blog

Walt Disney Games

2011-12-07T18:01:00.001-08:00

Walt Disney GamesThe Walt Disney Company has decided to remove "WALT" from thename of its family film division. Article "So Long Walt, Thanks for the Memories."

I feel an ache, just reading it.

This is a poor decision.Update: The blogs carrying this article seem to have vanished.Looks to be a hoax. I'm leaving this up, if anybody wantsto know what I think. Repeat - hoax.Walt Disney Disney Games Walt Disney Games Walt Disney Company Disney Company Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Productions

Kodak Movie - Free New Films

2011-11-04T01:57:00.000-07:00

Kodak Movie - Free New Films
Good news from an old friend, one E. Kodak.

kodak movie
free new films eastman kodak kodak movie film kodak movie free new films

RED Camera - Movie Thriller - Seattle Filmmaking - MarQueen Movie

2011-10-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

RED Camera - Movie Thriller - Seattle Filmmaking - MarQueen Movie

"The MarQueen Movie" is Ryan Jorgensen and Jared Thompson and Chris Witherspoon's movie.
Sam promotes shows he, or his moustache, are in.

Jared Thompson, Ryan Jorgensen, Chris Witherspoon

"There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can't. What you've got to do is turn around and say 'Watch me.'"

-- Sam Longoria

Ryan Jorgensen and Jared Thompson are our Captains, Directing "The MarQueen" movie, and they are good ones. Smart and funny guys, but extremely serious about making their movie, and making it excellent.

Ryan Jorgensen, Jared Thompson

Ryan and Jared made a kickstarter video, for their "either/or productions," http://kckstrtr.com/the-marqueen which showcases their earlier work. Ryan says it is nothing compared to what has all just been accomplished. I think "The MarQueen" is outstanding.

The MarQueen Movie Trailer

And The MarQueen Movie website.

September 25 at 5:03pm

Sam Longoria:

"Shooting a movie. Nowhere else feels like Home to me. Great Show, Great Crew, Great Script, Great Helm, Talented, Good-lookin' Cast. New RED Camera, shooting 4k, good as it gets. I'm in the dang show, or my Moustache is, and I'm along to groom it. Pretty good! Back tomorrow."

Telisa Steen

Utah Mib: "What is the project?"Sam Longoria: "I can't tell you that now, but I will after we wrap."
Sam is all "Need To Know" with information. If you don't need to know about it, Sam won't tell you. That keeps projects alive.

You can either TALK about a project, or else you can DO the project! If it's a secret, you get it done. Sam learned this from his heroes - Mel Brooks, Richard Edlund, and Stanley Kubrick. BUT...If the project already has buzz, you gotta pass it along.

Josh Truax

September 26 at 3:09am
Hollywood Filmmaker Damon Packard: "Sam, will this have a theatrical release, or look for a distributor?"

Sam: "Damon - The best kind. Pre-sold, with even a theatre booking in a beautiful movie house with a big audience and state-of-the-art projection.
I can't wait, so I'm savoring every minute of this."

Damon: "Well, I hope you invite all us to the premiere.

Sam: "Of course!"

Samantha Motley

September 26 at 6:05am
Sam Longoria:
All done shooting today, so I sleep now, do more tomorrow. Some movie shoots are train wrecks, some are a death march, and sometimes it's all just a delight. You know it's all looking great, and everybody's doing great work.

This, I am proud and happy and delighted to say, is one of those, the delight one. I will have no trouble sleeping, and then awake and springing to it. Be glad for me. Be glad for this show. This is an every-so-often thing, and I'm savoring every delicious bit.

Remind me later, when I'm stuck in Ordinary, I said all this, and I will be proud and happy. I told me so. Good night!"

Good night, indeed! Sleep is at a premium. We're shooting in a Hotel, thank goodness. Long shooting days go all night, so Actors take turns between setups, stretching out on the beds to snooze. A sleepover.

Telisa Steen, Samantha Motley, Sofia Rybin

Ryan Jorgensen posts a picture of "The MarQueen" RED Camera crew, shooting on a staircase, in the middle of the night in Seattle's Belltown.

Chris Witherspoon, Domenic Barbero, Ryan Jorgensen

Sam Longoria: "Boys with toys." Ryan Jorgensen's photo.

Telisa Steen, Sam Longoria, Samantha Motley, Sofia Rybin

MarQueen Movie
Sam Longoria: "Oh come on, there's room for one more, right?"

Jena Easton love this!

Sam Longoria Story conference.

Telisa Steen now that's a 'party'! ;o

Sam Longoria Wait 'til you hear the story.

September 27 at 6:37am

Sam Longoria:

Down the home stretch. Still exhilarating, still tiring, but looking more and more to be finished, in mere hours.

Shooting a scene at 2am, wait it's 3:30am, that's the nature of the beast. Time and goals are fluid and flexible, melting like a watch, stretching to the horizon.

Jared Thompson, Chris Witherspoon,
Josh Truax, Ryan Jorgensen

Just keep going. Put one foot in front of the other.
As Walter Murch gave me, many years ago,
"Shot by shot, you must Win the Match."

This is hard work, and we are very tired.

We were supposed to shoot interview lines at 2am, but exhaustion met "out of time," and suddenly it was an hour past that, then two.

That's how it works, every time, you can depend on it. So tired you don't know where you are. That's why it is scary easy for all to fall apart.

That's when all the prep is helpful. Note cards, a shot list in your hip pocket will save you. Just to know which shot to do next is important, but only when that time arrives. All you can do now is finish this one.

Norman Newkirk

September 27 at 6:43am

Sam Longoria:

"We did a brutal murder, and cleaned it up. I got to Boom and Mix, wrangle and expedite. Spectacular camera work captured clever dialogue and beautiful performances. Finished off my lines, now it's the Martini shot, then some travel, and some sleep, if I have time. Jared and Ryan and Chris are brilliant, and our cast and crew built an amazing work. Very proud of 'em."

Nancy Beiman asks what is a Martini shot? Animation is Nancy's forte, and it doesn't have them, while Live Action shoots do.

Sam: it's the final shot of the day.

Nancy wonders if maybe Animation has something similar.

September 27 at 6:56pm

Sam Longoria:

And the brilliant MarQueen Movie is wrapped. I'm traveling and sleeping until further notice. If I don't answer knock, just push money under the door.

September 28 at 9:56am

DAY AFTER SHOOTING

Sam Longoria:

Are you awake? I just woke up, so everybody should be awake. I want there to be another day of shooting. Wow, it was good.Ryan Jorgensen says he was struck with the same feeling today. Exhausting as it was, he too just wants to keep shooting and shooting.

Sofia Rybin, Samantha Motley,

Andrew Tribolinin, Telisa Steen

Screen grabs from the raw footage.
Jared says, Just wait until the final colored and mastered version premieres in Seattle! At, let's say, a big venue!

September 30 at 11:38amSam explains to the great Nancy Beiman that "the MarQueen" movie is a Red Camera 4k show. Nancy assumes that's a High Definition movie, and hopes it plays in Canada, where she lives and teaches.

RED CAMERA

Sam Longoria:

"I'm a 4k convert. I'm a film guy all the way. (S8/R8/16/35/65mm/Imax). I've shot and built a few cameras, but I see we've reached the tipping point, in the film biz.

You can hang on to all your old film equipment, or you can sell it for a song, to me and other collectors. For shooting and theatrical presentation, Digital is now where it's at, I am sad yet cautiously glad to report.

I was on the Visual Effects Society "Golden Eyes" panel in Hollywood, and we looked at all the different digital formats, A/B with 35mm. We had to take an eye test to get on the panel!

I sat between Richard Edlund ASC and László Kovács ASC for a week, and screened movies in the old Warner theatre (Pacific), it was Heaven.

Richard said it, and at first I didn't agree, but now I admit it...4k digital looks as "good as film." Film has 10k resolution, and Digital is only 40% of that, but you can only measure the difference, you can't see it.

RED is a camera that will pull HD 2k or 4k, and it is light and small and really good quality, and blows the doors off HD, which is only 2k.

Starting with "Attack of the Clones," the "Star Wars" movies were shot in 2k HD. Please realize it took all George Lucas's money and his whole ILM studio to make the 2k digital image look that good.

George says "Where We Are Now" is just the beginning of Digital Filmmaking. This is as poor an image and process as it will be. It will only get better-faster-cheaper from here. Good to remember.

Roger Ebert rightly points out the original "Star Wars Trilogy" films have more "punch" to them. They look better-sharper-clearer. That's because they were made on film. That may get better, as storage and pipelines get better-faster-cheaper.

Now, as to camera size. YUM! I've had Super 8mm and video cameras bigger than the RED. It is little and mighty. Yes...I have Techno-Lust.

Ryan Jorgensen reminds me not to forget the beautiful glass sitting at the front of the RED! Of course. Ryan and Jared went for the beautiful Leica Primes. No flares, just perfect.

September 30 at 12:38am

Sam Longoria is tagged in MarQueen Movie's photo.

Sam Longoria:

"The MarQueen Movie successfully wrapped this weekend. Wonderful movie, wonderful shoot. RED camera, Leica Primes, 4k format. Great Script, top Cast, Crew, Helm. So happy to work on it."

You know, I look happy.

AFTERMATH:

Just surviving an Indy Movie Shoot changes you.

You are Veterans!

MarQueen Movie:(Jared Thompson) Love you, Sam. Thank you so so much dear friend.

Sam Longoria: You know it's mutual. You are great, and you aim high.

MarQueen Movie: That's because our chins are always up! Nothing's impossible. Just force that will through the universe and figure out how it WILL happen.

Ryan signs off. He is tired. "And goodnight! I am DAMN TIRED."

That's it for him.

RED Camera

Movie Shoot

Leica Summicron

Movie Thriller

MarQueen Movie

Seattle Filmmaking

Who is Steve Jobs? Steve Jobs Quotes

2011-10-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

Who is Steve Jobs? Steve Jobs Quotes

There Was A Man Department - Steve Jobs

Very few persons in my lifetime have had the kind of impact on movies as did Steve Jobs. I can think of only two other men who have effected EVERYTHING in film, as he did.

The only two even in Steve's league would be George Lucas and Walt Disney. They have changed the way we make movies, the entire process.

Try to describe. Where would you start? Pixar and Disney, Toy Story and Nemo, the machines we write, shoot, edit on. The Software. The Hardware. What an incredible movie force he was, and much bigger than just the movies.

He sold his studio Pixar to Disney, but who bought who? He ended up the single largest Disney shareholder. Wow!

Now, as I suffer the illness of another old friend, The Eastman Kodak Company, (which lately decides whether to file for bankruptcy), Steve Jobs has died, at a mere 56 years old, from a long illness.These have me reeling. Some big changes for the world, and for movies.

The signs were there for a bit, that Steve's road was nearing its end. He yanked his company's support from Apple's "Final Cut Pro" movie-editing software, by offering an abbreviated new version.

Then he quit his job as CEO at Apple. Something big was certainly coming. As it did.

Now he's gone. What an amazing person. What a go-getter. How motivated. How driven.

Jobs was an Ayn Rand Objectivist, according to Steve Wozniak, his Apple co-founder. Like Rand's Heroes, Jobs was certainly a focused Capitalist. One who gave away $100 million dollars.

Today, some Steve Jobs quotes are with me.

"I was worth over $1,000,000 when I was 23, and over $10,000,000 when I was 24, and over $100,000,000 when I was 25, and it wasn’t that important because I never did it for the money."

"Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected."

"We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life. Life is brief, and then you die, you know? And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it."
-- Fortune

"I’m the only person I know that’s lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year...It’s very character-building."
-- Wikiquote

"Almost everything-all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure-these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."
-- Steve Jobs’s Stanford Commencement Address"

I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance."

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?"
-- Asked of John Sculley, former Apple CEO

"We're here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?"

Why, indeed?

Last thought, not from Jobs, but about him:

He was Born out of Wedlock, Given Up For Adoption,
and Dropped Out of College.

Then HE CHANGED THE WORLD.

So What’s Your Excuse?

Steve Jobs
Final Cut Pro
Macintosh G4
Macintosh G5
Apple Computer
Apple Macintosh
Steve Jobs Quotes
Steve Jobs Wisdom
Who is Steve Jobs?

Steven Spielberg List - 206 Must-see Movies - Spielberg Curriculum

2011-08-02T04:26:00.000-07:00

Steven Spielberg List - 206 Must-See Movies - Spielberg Curriculum

This is interesting. Alleged to be a list of films Steven Spielberg requires associates to learn, study, and I guess...well...view these films.

I don't know how true that is, or where the list actually came from. It's been debunked briefly and emphatically on Twitter, but it's a darn good list.

Charming story, too. Some bloggers seem outraged, or scoff that Mr. Spielberg would expect his employees and associates to learn all this. I think those persons are silly, or have probably not worked in the movie business.

If you were in the Picture Business, you'd need to know what a great picture looks like. If you were working with one of the greatest picture-makers ever, you would need to know your game. You have lots of competition, Boyo.

Odd only one of Mr. Spielberg's films is on this list. I think it is a good film, yes great, but not his best work, certainly not one of his recent masterpieces.

I don't think this list is all that far from the mark, so I pass it along to you. How many of these movies have you seen?

If you want to work with Mr. Spielberg, you should know these 206 films.

Steven Spielberg List
206 Must-See Movies
Spielberg Curriculum
best movies of all time

What Is Final Cut Pro X ?

2011-06-25T01:42:00.000-07:00

What Is Final Cut Pro X ?

I've always had a Mac. Since we were all Apple developers at Boss Film 1983, before little beige Mac I (128k RAM!) came out.

I don't trust Apple since 2004, when I bought new FCP editing system on Friday, and on Monday, calling for technical support, was told I had bought "an obsolete computer." Not even a hint from the Friday salesman. Monday brought new computer, new operating system, and new FCP! No more Macs for me.

http://95ers.com/engage/fcp-x-the-beginning-of-the-end-for-apple/

Today, there's a new Final Cut Pro. Final Cut Pro X. New FCP looks just like iMovie. That is to say, quick and easy for Hobbyists, but none of the control a Pro needs. They've dumped 2 million FCP users in the drink. So that game is over.

Here is a good, fair review.

Conan O'Brien (of all people) has his say, on Final Cut Pro X.

Last FCP X clip, I promise. I don't usually let Hitler into minor
discussions, and this clip does go over the line,
but if you can take it, FCP Verboten!
CAUTION: (Deservedly) rough language, and well, Hitler.

Hitler Learns Of Final Cut Pro X

finalcut
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pinnacle studiofinal cut studio

Film Production - Super 8 Spielberg Abrams

2011-05-29T03:11:00.000-07:00

Film Production - Super 8 Spielberg Abrams

If you're a filmmaker (real film, not a video hobbyist), you may have an affection for early small-format motion picture film. I know I do.

From 1932 on, you may remember Regular 8mm (American) and 9.5mm (European) formats. Regular 8mm is split Double-16mm, with twice as many sprocket holes as 16mm. 9.5mm image is almost big as that of 16mm, with the sprocket holes up the middle of the film.

In 1965, Kodak released a new format for amateur movie makers, called SUPER 8MM. It had smaller sprocket holes, with the extra space going for picture area. Super 8mm image is about 50% bigger than Regular 8mm.

My first movies were Super 8mm, in 1970. It was a wonderful film format. Small, light weight, easy to load and shoot. Kodachrome and Ektachrome and a variety of black-and-white stock. Tri-X and Double-X and Plus-X were great stocks.

Fuji made "Single 8," identical size film, but with improved cameras and a more effects-friendly film cartridge. I shot that, too, it tape-splice intercut perfectly.

"Super 8" Steven Spielberg Producer, J.J. Abrams Director

If you were sneaky (I was), you could shoot double-system sync sound, and do multiple-pass visual effects. I did cel animation, and stop-motion, and glass shots and miniatures, all in Super 8mm.

My friends and I made Super 8mm movies, until one day I realized they were in it for fun, and I needed to make movies for a living. We didn't understand each other any more, and the friendships painfully dissolved. I had to leave Seattle, for the stuff you need to make movies. The sun, for example. Positive attitude, for another.

In the movie "Super 8," the kids' filmmaking is familiar, except for the mic boom. No mic booms in 1970s Super 8mm, unless you had a Super8Sound fullcoat recorder, or an Optasound cassette. (I made a point of collecting my "Dream Rig," when eBay came in).

There were 5 sound cameras, which recorded on a tiny little stripe on the film. Your mic was a little handheld job, to record interviews. I saved a whole year to buy a projector that would record my soundtrack onto my film.

I was Mr. Super 8, so I never really made much 16mm, other than the obligatory BW comic short, and a 16mm drawn-on-film epic, animated against my future Father-in-Law's wonderfully weird "musique concrete" and synthesizer track. I went directly from Super 8mm to 35mm, and later 65mm - the Big Stuff.

Those were all my most passionate movies. I love them just like other people love their children. I learned most in that format, when everything was brand new and exciting.

So, I understand why, when JJ Abrams approached Steven Spielberg with little more than the words "Super 8," Mr. Spielberg signed on as Producer. It's a magic phrase.

Interview Steven Spielberg J.J. Abrams.
How "Super 8" came to be.

16mm
35mm
65mm
Imax
1.37:1
1.66:1
1.77:1
1.85:1
2.39:1
Super 8mm
Regular 8mm
VistaVision

Neil Gaiman "American Gods" - Vote for Sam Longoria!

2011-04-17T01:05:00.000-07:00

I'm up for a voice part in best-selling Author Neil Gaiman's new audio book, "American Gods."

Neil will review the top-20-voted entries, for final judging.

Please go to this link, and vote for me, which will help make the world a better place!

The "VOTE" link is on the top button row. Thanks!

http://bit.ly/vote-for-sam

Roger Corman's 85th Birthday - Happy Birthday Roger!

2011-04-05T01:07:00.000-07:00

Filmmaking - milestones

Roger Corman, the elegant "King of the Indies"
turns 85 years old today! Go Roger!

I had dinner with Roger Corman, on a boat in Seattle years
ago, and could not get over it, this elegant gentleman in a
cashmere sweater was the same man who Directed a movie
called "Bucket of Blood."

Years later, I worked at his secret Venice movie studio,
and learned a lot about making movies, perhaps the most
important thing is, Don't listen to anybody who says you can't.

Back when, Roger had a rubber stamp and a ream of typing paper for his stationery, dressed in simple elegance, and refused to waste a cent. He wrote the book on the subject.

Eighty-five years old is quite an achievement, so I send
a heartfelt (and cheap) Happy Birthday Roger Corman!

Ruddigore Gilbert and Sullivan Seattle Everett Steampunk

2011-03-10T03:58:00.000-08:00

Ruddigore Gilbert and Sullivan Seattle Everett Steampunk

So, we're doin' this show...

"Ruddigore" is Gilbert and Sullivan.
(Short definition: Victorian Musical Comedy).

It's a rare Gilbert & Sullivan piece, first put up in 1887.
It ran for hundreds of performances, and then it was shelved,
for a long while.

We retrieved it, and figured out a contemporary angle.

Steampunk!
(Short definition: Victorian Science Fiction.)

So, it's Victorian Musical Comedy meets
Victorian Science Fiction.

The story line is exciting fantasy.

Cursed by a witch!
Chased by ghosts for all eternity!
Accused of crimes he was forced to commit!
http://ruddigore.net

I play an Ancestor, Sir Lionel Murgatroyd,
the Sixth Baronet of Ruddigore. He is an angry ghost,
who comes out of a painting. Since this was written
in 1887, before movies were invented in 1895,
my part makes me the world's first moving picture.

Got that?

I made a video, to explain "Ruddigore."

RUDDIGORE BY SAM LONGORIA

Tickets, Showtimes, Information
http://ruddigore.net

Seattle
Everett
Ruddigore
Steampunk
Sam Longoria
Gilbert and Sullivan
Sam Longoria Ruddigore Video

Winter's Bone - Nominated for four Academy Awards

2011-01-27T03:57:00.000-08:00

Winter's Bone - Nominated for four Academy Awards

Congratulations to Anne Rosellini, Debra Granik and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, for their film's ("Winter's Bone") four Oscar nominations. Best of luck!

They have a film that has beat the odds, so far.

It got made
It got into Sundance
It won at Sundance
It got Distribution
It got Oscar Nominations

Will it win? Can it win? It will certainly be exciting.
Gauging competition this year, realistically, it doesn't have a
hoot in Hell's chance of winning.

And that's what makes a horse race, (and made "Rocky" a great picture).

Much of the above - believe it or not - is a pattern I have seen before. That makes it the race to watch. If it wins, the emotional payoff will be enormous.
So this is the film I'm rooting for.

"Winter's Bone" is a 2010 Dramatic film.

It is based on the 2006 novel by Daniel Woodrell.

Set in the Ozarks, it is about poor people and meth labs.
As unappealing as that seems, it is excellent storytelling,
and it it is definitely worth watching. The Academy loves dark
stories, too. Can't hurt.

Written and Directed by Debra Granik, it stars Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes.

It has already won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic film, and is nominated for Oscars in Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor. It is also nominated for seven Spirit Awards, for independent cinema.

Somebody showed me the Seattle Times mention of the nominations.

Producer and Writer Anne Rosellini graduated Mercer Island High School, and her family name is well-known in the state of Washington. (It was "Governor Rosellini," when I grew up there).

Anne worked in film in Seattle, and started the Bumbershoot "1-Reel Film Festival," and worked at the Seattle Film Festival.

So you would think her recent achievement would be Seattle front-page news. Because it would be, most other places.

This is not a bake sale, after all. This is the Academy Awards.
World's biggest television show, watched by a billion people.

Typical for Seattle coverage, with Seattle's "we are not impressed" attitude, "Winter's Bone" and its Oscar nominations are given a brief mention, on page B1.

And that is what Seattle is like.

Here's a clear review of the film.

Take the time, and watch "Winter's Bone," I recommend it.

Winter's Bone
Anne Rosellini
Debra Granik
Alix Madigan-Yorkin
Daniel Woodrell
Jennifer Lawrence
John Hawkes

How To Make Your Movie Sound Like A Real Movie

2011-01-12T03:41:00.000-08:00

How To Make Your Movie Sound Like A Real Movie
by Sam Longoria

I get a lot of questions on if I can "do" sound sweetening, usually by frantic filmmakers, calling in the middle of the night.

They are frantic because the sound in their movie or video is bad.They've used a cheap mic, plugged into the camera, or worse, have used the on-camera mic.

They had a friend aimlessly point the mic at the floor, or the sky, anywhere but at the actor muttering his lines, and moved the mic randomly during shooting.

Some, from the sound of it, have pointed the mic directly at the whirring camera, or rumbling electric generator, or humming air conditioner, or buzzing fluorescent lamp.

They've bumped the mic against the wall, or the ceiling, or trees or bushes.They're far away from what they're recording, not even in the same vicinity. There's so much "room sound," you can barely hear the actor mumbling along.

So, the Sound Guy (whoever they can get for a few minutes - usually a well-meaning person with no experience) turns up the level too far, which just makes the sound distort horribly, or too low, which buries the good sound in the mud.

Sound Editing adds more mistakes, and compounds the problem. The filmmaker has the equipment, and wants the film to be good. You'd think he'd read a book on the subject. You would be wrong.

He chops the sound when he chops the picture, and that's it. He doesn't split it into tracks, or replace bad sound, or finesse the tracks, or otherwise spend time exerting care and craft on his precious film's soundtrack.

Essentially, when he's done shooting and cutting and laying music, he thinks he is done, without spending the minimum of time and care and money it takes, to have a good sound track.

So the filmmaker shows his movie, with its bad sound, to lukewarm audience reaction. Ouch!

People don't know why the movie is bad, actually. Not one in ten can recognize "bad sound," they just think the movie stinks.

If the filmmaker is very, very lucky, somebody will tell him the sound is bad. Otherwise, he has no clue.

He's disappointed, but he still wants to maybe fix it. Somebody says "sweetening" the sound will help. So he comes to me.

He wants to know if bad sound can be fixed. I have to tell him the bad news - no.

At this stage, unless he has a great deal of time and money, and is willing to start completely over and take the proper care, nothing can be done.

Bad sound is the product of negligence. If you spend the time and care, from the beginning, there is no reason for your film or video sound to be bad.

You've probably seen many commercial movies with good sound, so why doesn’t your movie sound like them? You probably don't really know how a good movie sounds, and what effort went into making them sound good.

Take some time, and actively listen. After a while, you'll notice what a good movie sounds like.

I was very lucky when I was starting out. I read a book by Ivan Watson from England, who spelled out precisely what it takes to record and edit and mix good movie sound.

You can still find "Uncle Ivan's" books, either online, or at your library. If you haven't read any filmmaking books, you need to. Get going!

What can you do to make your movie track sound less like a video, and more like a real movie?

Maybe a better question is, "Why does video sound so bad?"

I think that's a fair question, because frankly, most video sound, (all elements music-dialog-effects), sucks. I've heard exceptions, so I know it's not just the video itself.

Film does sound very different than video, I am certain of that.

Real movies are rich-sounding, with only the sounds and music that move the story along. Video, even shot by filmmakers who should know better, often is tinny and muffled, with thumps and noise on the tracks.

How is film sound different from video? Making a movie sound like a movie starts with the production sound.

Film sound is recorded on analog machines (yes, they still exist), or on cool new 96Khz/24bit sampling recorders.

Mini-DV camera sound is uncompressed 48Khz/16bit sampling. That's better-than-CD audio quality, but camera makers save money by using cheap audio circuits in most under-$5k video cameras.

Cheap-and-dirty analog-to-digital circuits add noise and distortion to your high-quality mic's crisp analog sound.

The best video camera sound I've found is on the Panasonic DVX-100A. Its audio section is good as most DAT or solid-state flash memory recorders. Shooting with one is like recording on a separate digital recorder.

Film sound is recorded with a midrange bump, and an EQ raise above 6KHz.
6KHz is the high end of the human voice. “Midrange” is around 2.5KHz. The film sound "EQ raise" at 6KHz increases dialogue intelligibility and perceived crispness.

In video, sound is recorded without pre or post EQ. Video sound also usually uses inferior mics to those used in film sound.

Film sound mics have a cleaner sound, and flatter response, sounding better than the mics used to record video sound. They are highly directional (rejecting extraneous noise).

Give your video sound's midrange an EQ bump, and a raise at 6Khz, and it will be more like how film sound is recorded.

Get some decent mics, not the cheapies. A Sennheiser ME66, or an Audio-Technika 835b, is mid-level, not terribly expensive, and really works well. Those will give you a rich and full sound.

You may not want to record double-system (sound recorder separate from the camera), but if you can, do it!

If you have a Nagra or other analog tape recorder, use it. They just sound better.

35mm mag film to edit? Sounds great. It should – it’s a 1/4" magnetic track at 18ips, and if you fill empty spaces with slug stock, it's self-gating.

In film sound, the sound designer matches sound to the look of the film. A sad movie has mood lighting, and the sound will be designed to match it in emotional tone. Its dialogue is EQ'd less crisply, with a lower-frequency boost.

In a happy comedy, lower frequencies are rolled off, and it's EQ'd and mixed to be "brighter."

Film sound is "sweetened" by manipulating room tone, premixing audio levels, and carefully considering dialog, music, and effects for their proper audio EQ.

Film sound expects post-production sweetening, which makes film audio sound so different from audio for video. Video sound can be sweetened, but Indies use it pretty much as it is recorded. Yuck!

What can be done about it? How can you make your movie sound like a real movie?

First, notice how video procedures are designed for quick-and- easy operation, and not really for quality.

I think most video sound sucks because the camera operator is also the sound recordist, and the camera op doesn't care about sound.

He wants the framing and focus and color and bla bla bla. Sound is not his priority, and he's not really listening to what's coming through the mic and mixer and headphones. He can't.

For your sound to be good, you must care about it being good. That care will force you to listen to your track, something most video hobbyists, and many filmmakers, simply don't do.

Until they've lost a film festival, and notice the winner has good sound. Or they see the one Indy film that comes along in a blue moon, the one with good sound.

If you actively listen to your track, you'll start hearing (it takes time to train your ears) all the junk you're recording.

You'll take the steps necessary (filtering, mic placement, EQ, editing) to discard everything that is extraneous. Get rid of anything that doesn't create a mood, or push your story along.

You will put the mic just as close to your subject as you can, and roll off the wind noise, and use a fur piece on the mic, and only mix in enough room or ambient noise, and only when it's necessary.

If there's a single "most important part," I would say it is "gain staging." Set your levels carefully - at every stage!

When we recorded in analog, there was a certain forgiving quality to the recording process. Overmodulation would "saturate" the tape, limiting levels before actually distorting.

Now everything's digital, and if you're recording digitally (to DAT, CD, Mini-disc, or Flash Memory), there is very little "headroom," and much less tolerance for clipping, than in analog.

If your meter goes "into the red," the sound becomes a chattery digital nightmare. It is ruined forever. So make sure you use "-6Db" for your "0Db," to keep it clean.

Always "expect the unexpected" when setting your levels. I've noticed actors always "perform" 6Db louder than they "rehearse," and musicians do too.

I always feed one mono signal to both stereo tracks, with L at the "proper" level, and R backed off 6Db or so.

If the sound gets too loud, L will distort, but I'll still have a chance to salvage that section of R, when I'm editing.

How much is enough? Experience will teach you. Listen!

The major difference between how film dialog sounds and video dialog sounds is the EQ and compression that is used to make it intelligible and "fatter."

With practice, you will learn how to get that sound. There is no shortcut - you must practice!

You will learn what distortion sounds like, and you will learn to set the gain properly, and boost the midrange or add compression in recording or mixing, when it's necessary, to push the important signal up out of the mud, and into your audience awareness.

How much boost? Again, experience.

That's why you need a Sound Mixer with sound as his only job, one who cares, with enough faith in his ears, and experience at setting the gain and EQ, and also a trained and experienced Boom Operator, with necessary skills to point and move the boom.

Make it clear to your sound crew that you consider sound just as important as the picture, and you expect good work from them.

Insist they yell "Cut!" if it distorts, and tell you when they need another take.
Don't make the mistake of letting "just anybody" volunteer to record sound. Make sure they've done it before.

Just hanging a mic on a boom stand is better than nothing, but not very much better. Care must be taken at every stage.

Get the best sound you can, when you shoot, so your editing will go smoothly.

Few things are worse than an edit session that becomes an audio salvage operation. It detracts from the creativity, replacing it with an air of desperation. You want to edit, when you edit.

After your picture is locked, start the sound edit. Split your tracks, so you can vary the gain on any element. If two characters are talking, you should have each on his own track.

Cut your dialogue, and then effects. Use your audio editing program to "normalize" your levels, and clean up the sound.

See what needs to be fixed, and fix it. Some stuff can, like Boom mic crashes, and ambient noise, but if something is bad and can't be fixed, replace it with ADR, looping, and foley.

Foley is extremely subjective, that is, it's not realistic. You don't notice footsteps at all in real life, but in the movies, if you need to know somebody's purposefully walking along, the footsteps are loud and pure and pristine. Tik, tik, tik.

Papers or clothes rustling, same thing. There are persons who make their living making clothing rustling noises, and walking and all those noises. They're called "Walkers," or "Foley Artists."

I don't mind having to record every footstep and line of dialogue. I've done it enough, I know how to make it seem real. How? From doing it and doing it, so if you want to learn how, get started, record something.

In fact, I much prefer replacing location dialogue. This frees me to shoot with literally any camera, noisy or not. Eyemo? Arri or Cameraflex? Mitchell, Eclair, Konvas?

All quite delightful results, if you record a track just to use as a guide track.

Or shoot two takes, one with the camera running, one without, but recording sound both times, and cheat the camera-less sound over the camera take, and cut it into sync.

Looney, but it works, and that's what I do, and I get good sound.The harder and longer you work on your sound edit, the better chance your mix has to be good.

In my experience, looping or ADR are not all that expensive, when you have a vocal room in your house, and some good mics.

In a pinch, a closet full of coats works fine, or a tent made of carpet, hanging from the ceiling. Just put the mics away from your computer fan or open windows.

My friend Jimmy O'Brien, Editor and Dialogue Director at Universal for many years, told me he'd flown to NY and far-off places to record a few lines on occasion, if it would fix or change a line reading, or even change the whole plot line!

I know much of what I know about film sound from a long-ago interview with Walter Murch, in an issue of "Filmmakers Newsletter," where he advised to replace all the lines, rather than just one, so they'll all match. Die-hard attitude, but his tracks are lovely.

One of those that comes to mind is "Apocalypse Now," which had virtually no usable sound when they entered post-production. Think about that - everything was ADR and Foley!

Which brings me to the point in "making your movie sound like a real movie."

Real movies have real good sound tracks to start with, and are willing to replace most, and sometimes ALL the sound, to make it really good.

Use your imagination, to determine what process might make your sound "sound right." Create a sound space for each scene that serves the story. Use EQ and reverb and sound effects to create that space.

Compression is still a useful tool, even in these days of digital audio. It makes the "louds" quieter, and the "quiets" louder, raising the overall perceived level. That makes the track easier to mix, because it is "pre-mixed." The mix flies itself.

Use compression sparingly, so it doesn't make overall changes you don't want. Rather than compressing everything, use your audio editing software to draw in your gain changes.

This is actually a manual type of compression, with intelligence, (yours). Drawing in your level changes makes the track fatter and more intelligible.

Take all the time and care your movie requires, with only one outcome in mind, to make your movie tracks sound better.Have the picture scored by a composer who knows what he's doing, and get the very best mix you can.

Good audio takes as much planning as good picture, from start to finish. Good audio doesn't "just happen," it is the result of careful listening, and time, and care.

Most video hobbyists don't give sound the attention it deserves, and that's why there's such an astonishing difference in quality between video and film sound. Be different.

Start listening! Take care!

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 one Oscar winner. Sam teaches Independent Producing at http://hollywoodseminars.com, and writes for his Filmmaking Blog. http://samlongoria.blogspot.com.

© 2006 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 the RESOURCE BOX MUST be included.

Filmmaking - It's A Wonderful Life

2010-12-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

Filmmaking - It's A Wonderful Life

This is my favorite last reel (10 minutes) of a movie, ever.
30-year-old Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, in Frank Capra's
"It's A Wonderful Life."

I think it should be mandatory watching for filmmakers.

If you are unaffected by it, check your pulse, you may be dead.

Maybe the best thing ever filmed in the San Fernando Valley in August. (Temperature over 100F in the "snow.")

Please let me know what your favorite movie ending is.

filmmaking

Vincent Rocca - Rebel Without A Deal

2010-12-01T04:17:00.000-08:00

Vincent Rocca - Rebel Without A Deal

In my opinion, Vincent Rocca's book, "Rebel Without A Deal," is a perfect Christmas Filmmaker Stocking Stuffer. Ever since Vincent dropped out of High School, his life's dream and journey has been to make a movie.

With that abandonment of common sense so exciting and attractive to wives and girlfriends everywhere, Vincent joined thousands of other desperate filmmakers, but did something most of those never do. He actually got his movie off the ground.

Balancing a burning quest for excellence with his actual resources, Vincent shot his full-length feature, "Kisses & Caroms," in 5 days, for $11,000 cash.

Even though its quality is therefore at least twice that of any 48-hour film contest winner, for some reason many film festivals rejected it. Vincent still managed to get it shown, and even cut a lucrative deal with Warner Brothers and National Lampoon.

Sounds good on paper, but as happens so often, that deal fell apart. Vincent blames Distributor incompetence. It is not known what the Distributor blames. As might be expected after such a letdown, Vincent was despondent, and suicidally depressed, for nearly a year.

Even so, Vincent stayed true to his movie, and fought to get it distributed. With persistence bordering on idiocy, (a trait we share), he still refused to quit, and got a new distribution deal. Again through Warner Brothers.

This time, this deal, Vincent's movie, "Kisses & Caroms," grossed one million dollars and broke into the IMDb "Top 100 Movies" list. I don't know if Vincent actually saw a dime of that, but that is not the point.

Vincent is to be applauded that his movie is - what is the word? - DONE. That puts him ahead of everybody! And that it got DISTRIBUTED. And that VINCENT HAS WRITTEN ABOUT IT. Go Vincent!

In this book is the entire story. Writing, Financing, Production, Post-production, and the part no Indy Producer thinks about, usually until it is too late - Distribution.

This book will be very interesting to read, for anybody who's not been through Indy Film Distribution. Those who have been through it will probably begin to cry.

"Rebel Without A Deal" is available at
Amazon as a paperback book, and also on Kindle, Nook, and iPad.

Kevin Smith
Vincent Rocca
Kisses & Caroms
Rebel Without A Deal

Flip UltraHD Video Camera

2010-11-13T01:53:00.000-08:00

Flip UltraHD Video Camera
Ho ho ho! It's Christmas 2010, at the North Pole.

In the lower latitudes, Filmmakers shop for what we want, then we leave notes with pointed hints for Santa, or his little helpers, so they'll fetch us film and video tools, with which we make our movies.

This year, a few HD cameras have sorted themselves out of the herd, and I'll point 'em out a few quick seasonal HD camcorder reviews.

The World's Simplest HD Camcorder
This is the Third Generation for the popular Flip UltraHD Video Camera so they really have refined it. The camera is rugged and simple, and easy to use. You know me. I like those things.

Work It
Turn it on, hit the red "Record" button, and you'll grab up to 8 Gb (2 Hours record time) of clear, sharp 720p HD video. It even cancels out some extraneous camera jitter, with its built-in image stabilization, but I'd move it slowly, just like any other movie camera.

The camera captures at twice the normal NTSC video frame rate. (60fps instead of 30fps). Easy to convert to other frame rates, too.

When shooting is over, just fold out the USB port, and load your footage onto your computer, for editing. Remember, you'll need a bigger computer and storage, to edit the bigger HD files, or convert them to SD for cutting. (Don't worry, it's easy to do).

The newly-revised Flip UltraHD Video Camera combines its shoot-and-share simplicity with quite good-looking HD video. The battery is rechargeable, and the cool part is, you just carry the Flip UltraHD camcorder easily in your shirt pocket, to capture things you would miss otherwise.

There's an HDMI jack, to fit your HDTV. Instant camera, instant theatre! Lighting is good under tungsten or fluorescent, I really like its daylight rendition.

Soundtrack is AAC digital audio format, designed to sound better than standard mp3 files. AAC is compatible with most newer audio devices, so it sounds good, too. If you can't tell, I love this camera, and how simple it is.

Holy Last-Minute!
Here's a special 3-day deal.
Only valid Thursday 'til Christmas.
$50 Off Flip Video UltraHD Camcorder, Sale $99.99

Flip UltraHD Video Camera

Film Production - Sony NEX-VG10

2010-08-01T03:33:00.000-07:00

Film Production - Sony NEX-VG10
Several of my favorite cameras have been Sony. Sony cameras are for the most part, rugged, reliable, and high quality. Sometimes, and for some things, I really like the Sony pastel color rendition. (Not all the time, though).

I'm a film guy at heart, and I have shot lots of video. All that being said, I admit I cannot see exactly which part of the market this camera, the Sony NEX-VG10 is supposed to serve. And that is tragic.

Is it a pro camera, a hobby camera, an independent filmmaker camera? Is it the "poor man's RED One," as I've unfortunately read it described? That's crummy marketing, guys.

It's available in September, and Sony would like a deposit now, so they can presell it to me. I would love to buy it, especially at its remarkably affordable price, BUT...

Numbers, guys. Don't just tell me the image sensor is "Large." (Or in this case, "19 times larger"). Compared to what? Most video cameras, with their little dinky toy image sensors? I shoot 35mm and 65mm film, 4-, 8-, 5-, and 15-perf. "Large" to me doesn't mean what it does to you. Give me a number - exactly how big an image sensor are we talking here?

Show me somebody using it. That's what makes a cameraman drool. I want to see somebody I respect using this gear, and using it well, and he likes it - he has a smile on his face.

Show me footage. This is second-best, because I'm looking at it on a computer screen. But what smears, what blurs, what colors, what jitters as I pan, those are all important to me. I need to see them.

Don't even think of trying to trick me. Don't say this camera boasts "interchangeable lenses," and then the only ones I can put on are those you sell. Not when I'm still shooting with every Nikon lens I've ever owned, on any camera I have.

Certainly don't claim it's "the first HD camera with interchangeable lenses," as the promo materials squawk. What? Don't be absurd. I'm hotrodding lenses onto cameras for too long, to believe that one.

Compete honorably. I wish Nikon's DSLR had as good HD video as Canon's, but it doesn't yet. Nikon D300s is pretty good. It and Canon EOS 7D and Panasonic HVX200A and the RED Camera are your competition here, in the Indy Cine world, Sony. Don't ignore them. Meet and exceed them.

Also:
I am guessing, from what numbers there are, this camera doesn't do 24fps. Even if you think that's a dinosaur frame rate, it is still compatible with the rest of the film business, for a century now. I know the arguments about 3:2 pulldown and yada yada. Without 24p, you're just another video guy. No theatrical feature film for you.

24p should at least be an option. If it doesn't have 24, 25, 29.97, 30, and 60fps on the dial, I won't buy it. If you're trying to create a new standard with this camera, good luck to you, but I've been there, done that, and there's always heartbreak afterward.

I won't buy it if it's not compatible. That's basic stuff, and non-negotiable.

Sony NEX-VG10
Film Production
Nikon D300s
Canon EOS 7D
Little Red Book
Panasonic HVX200A
Red: Ultimate Guide
Indy Cine Filmmaker
Independent Filmmaker
Sony HD camera for Filmmaking

Sam Longoria Digital Filmmaking Handbook

Film Production - Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society HMS Pinafore 2010

2010-07-01T02:59:00.000-07:00

Film Production - Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society HMS Pinafore 2010

I can't believe it's the year 2010 already. Fortunately, Time's passage doesn't require my belief. Here in 2010, I'm up in Seattle for some weeks, to sing and dance in a wonderful production of Gilbert & Sullivan's "HMS Pinafore," which was first produced in 1876. Our show runs through the month of July.

"HMS Pinafore" pokes fun at aristocracy, class distinction, loving above one's station, the military and the British Empire.

It was up-to-the-minute from the get-go, including reference to a fantastic new scientific invention, the telephone, which was just invented! Mr. Gilbert had one, with a wire between his house and Mr. D'Oyly Carte's theatre, which means his London phone number was "1."

That also means "HMS Pinafore" has the very first, original cell phone joke - which is the line, "No telephone communicates with his cell."

In "HMS Pinafore" I'm a member of the "right good crew," and am delighted I get to keep my moustache, I'm right up-to-date for this particular production. By comparison, here are some real sailors of the era.

The cast is really good. William J. Darkow brings his beautiful baritone voice to the part of our Captain Corcoran, and Dave Ross's rich radio voice creates the angry, plain-speaking Dick Deadeye, wounded critic-at-large of our Topsy-Turvy ship. Oliver Donaldson and Jenny Shotwell are the class-crossed lovers. Here are some lovely sisters, cousins, and aunts.

Nathan Rodda, a phenomenal Artist, designed the sets, and Gary Webberley and he built them. Bernie Kwiram is our Musical Director, and conducts the Orchestra. Our Director is Christine Goff, her staging and Direction are spectacular, and I like her gags. Producer Mike Storie makes it all happen.

In his "HMS Pinafore" lyrics, W.S. Gilbert masterfully creates an entire world, and satirically lampoons his own real one. Sir Arthur Sullivan's beautiful music conjures an operatic choir that can turn on a dime, and principal parts that soar and thrill their way to triumphant presentation.

JOSEPHINE AND RALPH

Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen,
For now the sky is all serene;
The god of day -- the orb of love --
Has hung his ensign high above,
The sky is all ablaze.

With wooing words and loving song,
We'll chase the lagging hours along,
And if I find the maiden coy,
I'll murmur forth decorous joy
In dreamy roundelays!

It's a great show. I hope you can attend!

Sam

"HMS Pinafore"
Topsy-Turvy
Gilbert and Sullivan
film school
filmmaking
film financing
film production
passion for cinema
digital filmmaking handbook

© 2010 Sam Longoria, All Rights Reserved

Film Production - Canon EOS 7D

2010-06-17T01:26:00.000-07:00

Film Production - Canon EOS 7D
Secret of recent HD filmmaking - High Definition Single Lens Reflex cameras.

Open your box of Nikon or Canon still lenses, pop your SLR onto a tripod, and you're pretty much ready to shoot. Small, lightweight, powerful camera delivers various flavors of HD, at an amazingly reasonable price.

Check out the Nikon D300s, and Canon EOS 7D, for "real" 1080 x 1920 HD.Get one and start shooting! Cut your movie on a computer, and only do filmout when it's done.

Film Production
Nikon D300s
Canon EOS 7D
Sam Longoria Digital Filmmaking Handbook

Film Production - Nikon D300s

2010-06-17T00:58:00.000-07:00

Film Production - Nikon D300s

Secret of recent HD filmmaking - High Definition Single Lens Reflex cameras.

Open your box of Nikon or Canon still lenses, pop your SLR onto a tripod, and you're pretty much ready to shoot. Small, lightweight, powerful camera delivers various flavors of HD, at an amazingly reasonable price.

Check out the Nikon D300s, and Canon EOS 7D, for "real" 1080 x 1920 HD. Get one and start shooting! Cut your movie on a computer, and only do filmout when it's done.

Film Production
Nikon D300s
Canon EOS 7D
Sam Longoria Digital Filmmaking Handbook

Klingon Family Reunion at Minneapolis CONvergence

2010-06-15T01:09:00.000-07:00

Klingon Family Reunion at Minneapolis CONvergence

Summertime is great for a Family Reunion. But...what if you are a Klingon? (Sinister alien empire, sometime-nemesis of "Star Trek" Captains Kirk and Picard).

Thought Admiral Kris (John Halvorson),
Kwak (Danny McCabe), K-bob

John Halvorson a 20-year Certified Klingon Translator - known as "Thought Admiral Kris," and Danny McCabe - known as "Kwak," both fully-costumed members of the fearsome Klingon Empire, attend numerous "Star Trek" and "Klingon" themed US science-fiction conventions.

Kris and Kwak belong to the Hollywood CA chapter of the nationwide Klingon Assault Group, which includes fellow Hollywood Klingons, "K-boom" (Comedian Dana Snow), and Klingon promoter, "K-tell" (Producer Sam Longoria).

Keg, Kwak, Kris

Kris and Kwak are in Minnesota with fellow Klingon, "Keg," (Marty Ramerez), at the prestigious CONvergence science fiction convention, in Minneapolis July 1-4, 2010.

Kris and Kwak will host the "Kurkura Family Reunion," at the CONvergence convention's Sheraton Bloomington hotel, at 1121 Jackson St NE Minneapolis, MN 55413 (651) 647-3487

John Halvorson "Kris," is the founder of the Klingon Assault Group, and his Klingon family is named "Kurkura." It is the oldest-known Klingon family.

Mmm! Klingon babe Cammie

Researching Klingon names in 1982, Halvorson found "Kurkura," while looking through a Hindu dictionary. Kurkura is a minor deity, a dog-demon that attacks children.

As Halvorson enjoys harassing Starfleet-oriented Star Trek clubs, it seemed an appropriate name. "'Kurkura' has a nasty sound to it too, real Klingon stuff," says John.

K-bob, in a moment of repose, sells tickets.

John enjoys his own family reunions, and a Klingon "Kurkura Family Reunion" sounded like fun. "Nobody's had a Klingon family reunion yet I'm aware of, so I'll start one with MY Klingon family," says John, who also runs the Imperial Trade Mission, a Klingon Twitter forum, and the ITV blog.

John and his Kurkura Family are looking to increase their number.
If you'd like to become a member of the distinguished Klingon Kurkura family, approach John and Danny and Marty at CONvergence, or write John at johnhalvorson@comic.com

CONTACT:

ITM Twitter
http://twitter.com/klingon_

ITM Blog
http://klingon-translator.blogspot.com

Red One - Red One Rental - Red Camera Rental

2010-05-30T03:27:00.000-07:00

Red One Rental - Red Camera Rental

So many requests for Red Camera info! I made this page to put them all in one place, as they come in.

Books

Little Red Book

Red: Ultimate Guide
.
.
Video

Red 101 DVD
.
.
Cameras
.
.
Gear
.
.
Red One
Red Camera
Red One Rental
Red Camera Rental

Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P42S1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

2010-05-26T03:26:00.000-07:00

Time to toss my old SD monitors, and look at my video stuff on a classy new screen. Forward!

Here's my first choice, the solid Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P42S1 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV. Comments welcome, love to hear from owners.

2010 Oscars - Film Production - Sam's Oscar Report 2010

2010-03-08T05:03:00.000-08:00

2010 Oscars - Film Production - Sam's Oscar Report 2010

Sam's 2010 Oscar Report is available here.

digital filmmaking handbook

Groundhog Day Movie - Not Just A Day About A Rodent, But A Really Fine Film.

2010-01-29T03:14:00.000-08:00

Groundhog Day Movie - Not Just A Day About A Rodent, But A Really Fine Film

I have been remiss in not writing a piece about how much I like Harold Ramis's excellent 1993 movie, "Groundhog Day." It's so good, and repeated viewing only improves it, like the life of its protagonist, Phil, played in an emotionally-satisfying arc, by the great Bill Murray, and directed by the great and sweet Harold Ramis.

During "Ghostbusters," some of us went pistol shooting at the Beverly Hills Gun Club, and I remember Danny Aykroyd and I horrified Harold, by doing a full field-strip of a M1911A1 Colt, in the hallway of Boss Film. Mr. A could do it forward and backward, with his eyes closed.

I could tell Harold was nervous, he was laughing too long, but he went with it, and we all had a fine time. I got the chance to quiz him about two scripts of his I still really love, "Stripes," and the picture we were all working on, "Ghostbusters."

Harold was quite open about his method, which was a clever system. He said he made a list of the different movie genres he enjoyed, and then he and various writing partners went down the list, knocking off here a service comedy like "Stripes," and there a ghost movie like "Ghostbusters." And so on.

There had been many of each of those movie genres, and Harold's idea was his would just be a different take on those identifiable movie types. God Bless Harold Ramis, such a nice man, what a lovely simple way to do things, and just look at the career he and his simple method sculpted for him.

I was a young screenwriter then, and that just seemed too methodical to me. I thought then you had to be dragged about by your muse, writing as a-mused. Of course, that was before I actually had to meet a Deadline and please Investors. Now I just laugh at my 27-year-old naivete. Of course you make a list. Of course you go down that list, and tick off your tasks. Of course.

Anyway, "Groundhog Day." Having told you about Harold's List, I have to admit I can't think of many movies like "Groundhog Day," although some will inevitably occur to me. "Ghostbusters" of course, comes from the Bob Hope movie, "The Ghost Breakers," and "Stripes" was just like so many enjoyable you're-in-the-army-now movies, only with new funny Second City actors.

"Groundhog Day." Is there another movie so satisfying? One that goes right through "funny," and deeply into "profound?" About a prickly jerk creep of a guy who "doesn't even like himself," a shallow, mean, using guy, who clambers over the faces of his fellows, who learns to be a real live boy, the way you learn anything, through endless repetition?

Has there ever been a movie with such a good script, a cast with such an enjoyable journey together, such a deep movie-objective need for guy and girl to get together, or a girl as beautiful and sweet as Andie MacDowell?

Or a guy who's such a jerk as Bill's Phil? One who pays for it so much, he transcends and redeems himself, reinventing his own life, over and over? Yes, I know. We all do.

Every day, until it's all over. If it is.

I think "Groundhog Day" is unique. I can think of some dharmic "Twilight Zone" episodes that are like it, but not a lot of feature-length theatrical movies. How would you sell such a beastie? Here's the trailer. I think they sold it pretty well.

Everything, everybody, and everybody's life, has a sweet spot.

"Groundhog Day" was the sweet spot for everybody in it, and for those who made it. "Harold Ramis's masterpiece?" You bet.

And for me - One who just watches it. Over and over....

Danny Rubin
Bill Murray
Harold Ramis
Chris Elliott
Ghostbusters
George Fenton
Groundhog Day
Andie MacDowell
Brian Doyle-Murray

Make a movie

2010-01-15T03:14:00.000-08:00

Make a movie

"Perhaps it sounds ridiculous, but the best thing that young filmmakers should do is to get hold of a camera and some film and make a movie of any kind at all."

-- Stanley Kubrick

http://digitalfilmmakinghandbook.com

Sam Longoria
make a movie
Stanley Kubrick
Digital filmmaking handbook
Sam Longoria digital filmmaking handbook