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.

In Sergio Dreams

This Saturday, 29 October 2005, Don't miss it!
Be there or be a yaller-livered city-boy.
Boy, howdy! Sì, prego!

Hollywood's Gene Autry Museum, 2-4pm,
American Society of Cinematographers panel discusses
clips of Leoni's work, and show clips of their own movies,
influenced by the Leoni style. Audience QA to follow.

Oh, me dà una casa,
dove il bufalo erra,
ed il cervo e l'antilope giocano.

Dove è raramente sentito,
una parola scoraggiante,
ed i cieli non sono nuvolosi tutto il giorno.

Help Make A 1-Second 70mm Film

At last, something weird enough for me.
It fits all my criteria - Simple, Pure, Brilliant.

Join Kevin Bacon, Samuel Jackson (and Longoria)
and thousands of others, in bringing this great idea
into reality.

Arri D-20 In Detail - wow

If you want a digital camera with
Arri quality, ya gotta go Arri.

HD vs HDV

So you've got this great video image,
You're gonna stick it on a little tiny tape?

JVC over the Panasonic?

I prefer the Panasonic these days,
so why would you go with the JVC?

Dirty Harry Got A Movie Deal

Anybody who says "The Searchers" is the
best movie ever made, is all right with me.
Harry's got some hints on gettin' in, so listen up.

Okay, Here We Go

Now yer talkin'. Yessss, it's digital,
but it's a Super 35mm frame, with an
optical finder in the bright sunshine,
and...it's an Arri.

Oooh.
Sign me up.

What To Do Until The Money Arrives

Filmmaking - What To Do Until The
Money Arrives by Angela Taylor

The Small Ad

In answer, the Small Ad.
To which I say, big deal.

The Big Ad

Stanley Kubrick said the best filmmaking is often
beer ads. It was true then, even more so now.
Here's great staging, shooting cutting,
and...a great sense of humor.
Call the kids, wake the neighbors.
It's the Big Ad.

Film the Golden Rectangle

I'm reinventing myself as a filmmaker,
defining my boundaries, and my framelines.

Studying Fibonacci ratios and the Golden Rectangle.

Why film is art and video is surveillance.
35mm film and classical proportion.

3-perf's Ghost Frame

Ooh, kids, it's scary scary...

3-perf seems a nice format, a big 16:9 image on
less 35mm "real estate," but it is...secretly...
A monster!

In the first place, even though it looks great on the
screen, it's deformed.

3-perf has alternating long and short feet!
Its ghost perf adds up, and creates one extra frame
every third foot. What?

Sounds like the kid writing his folks from camp,
that he's grown another foot.

As it runs, 3-perf's feet go "short-short-long."
Like the Mummy chasing the girl around the tomb.
Klump...klump...scrape...

Here's a site that describes the problem.
And another where they discuss the problem.
Even a drawing of the problem.

None of which solve the problem, The undulating
number of 3-perf frames in 35mm feet.

Kodak could help, by printing the keycode on the
negative every 60 perfs instead of every 64.
Both 3- and 4-perf divide evenly into 60.
(Every 20 and 15 frames, respectively.)
That would help a lot, but Kodak's busy.

We could throw feet:frames out altogether,
and go by absolute frame count.
Yeah, that'll happen.

Sometimes, it runs twice as fast.
MaxiVision!

Return Of The Blair Witch

If you win this auction on eBay, you'll get
a 30 minute telephone call with Blair Witch
writer and director Ed Sanchez, to help out
victims of the recent hurricanes.

You can chat with Ed about making the most
profitable movie ever, having his movie on
the covers of both Time and
Newsweek, and how you, too can
Get a Camera FREE for 30 days.

Wanta Shoot IMAX?

When IMAX comes up, there are lots of questions.
I don't know why that would be, a 65mm negative
lying on its side, shooting the best 15-perf image
the world has ever seen, then printed on 70mm,
projected on a 7-story screen, has gotta be commonplace.
Questions? I don't get it. Anyway, here are all the answers.

Sergio's Third

Our top filmmakers seem to be making Sergio Leoni movies.
Quentin Tarentino, Robert Rodriguez, Clint Eastwood, and
others, too. Sergio had a festival this Summer here,
and that's good. What is it about Leoni's movies?
Here's a good review of a great one.

What Is A Producer?

Filmmaking - Five Good Producer Skills by Angela Taylor

Getting Paid

Here's two articles about getting paid in the movie biz

Movie from Scraps?

According to this film expert from the BBC,
you can make a whole movie on "scraps of film."

Hmm. I sure don't use "scraps." I use reloads and
recans and 35mm rolls that have been snip-tested.
They're cheap, but they're good.

I can make a whole feature movie that way too, because
I know where to get 35mm for nine cents a foot.
(Retail is fifty cents a foot.)

That's one of the most interesting bits of information to
be found on the "Independent Filmmaking CD Vol I" which
will set you back a buck, and you can find it here.

Optical Printers? I remember those...

So this guy asks, "How do I duplicate my Super 8mm footage?"

I think he's kidding, and I think he means to video,
but he says no, to other S8mm film strands, for an artistic
installation, and he writes and calls, and I
tell him what I'm telling you.

You read Martin Baumgartner's article,
and you build yourself an optical printer.

Hello?

The Projectionist's Song

See it before it's gone...or it all goes Digital.
What it takes to show your 35mm movie in
front of a bunch of strangers, eating Goobers.
A peek in the Projectionist's booth.

Video is easy. Film is hard.

I've read longer film vs. video articles,
but not better.

Alpha First

Thirty-five years ago, this was my lab and a
cool place to hang out if you were a Seattle
filmmaker. Laslo and Vilmos got started here,
so did other top guys all over the film biz.
Still great. Alpha Cine.

Seattle Modern Digital

Seattle. Digital Intermediate. I want
Techniscope or Super 35. They can do it.
Modern Digital tour.

DIY Video Gear

Good for film or video, here are some
great gadgets you can make cheap.

Genesis Times Eight

Seems like only yesterday Panavision
debuted its Genesis digital camera, but
now they've got eight of 'em, making the
Man of Steel fly, down in Oz. Hi to Bryan
Singer, who is Directing, and to his evil
Luthor, the astonishing Kevin Spacey.

Why Airport Security Is No Longer Necessary

As a Traveling Filmmaker, I find this
story spectacularly encouraging.
(I'll bet it was really gaffer tape.)

Where Did They Film That?

Three words - Locations,
Locations, Locations.

Discuss Panasonic HVX-200

What they are saying.

More DIY Telecine

Many emails ask where to find a commercial
8 or 16mm telecine machine. Here's a new one.
The original is still my favorite.

Budget Your Movie for Under a Buck

Need a quick budget for your movie?
Excel movie budget spreadsheet.

Aspect Ratios for 35mm/S35

Hey kids! Be the first on your block to
have the right lines on your 35mm viewfinder.
Because everybody writes me, here's an
authoritative downloadable resource.

Cool Groundglass Tool

Our Arri friends in Munich will make
us a 35mm camera groundglass to our
very specifications. Ahh.
Camera Hotrodders take note.

Aspect Ratios for 16mm/S16

Filmmakers, working in 16mm, want to have
accurate framing marks on their 16mm viewfinder.
And so, as a public service, I'm providing an
authoritative downloadable resource.

Filmed In Panavision?

Well, of course it's filmed in Panavision,
but what does that mean?

Rent Stanley Kubrick's Lenses!

Stanley Kubrick's f0.7 Zeiss NASA lenses
will soon be available for rental.

Look! Up on the Screen! It's Super 35!

Will your widescreen movie start with a squeezer lens,
or a spherical Super 35mm frame, squeezed in the printer?
Super 35 and Anamorphic Production

DIY Film Scanner?

Here's a Florida Phd, who's a movie
hotrodder at heart. One of the more
enjoyable pages I've read recently.
Build your own film scanner
with off-the-shelf components.

Cine School in Sunny Spain

Plenty of light, and ghosts of
Cervantes and Salvadore Dali
watch over your shoulder.
Learn filmmaking in Spain.

Filmmaking Societies Near You

Here are groups of US film enthusiasts,
conveniently located near you.

MGM Camera 65 and Ultra Panavision

You are probably saying, "What then, is the
MGM Camera 65 and Ultra Panavision Story?"
Glad you asked.

Who Looks This Good At 90?

2005 is Technicolor's 90th birthday.
Here's everything you need to know
about Technicolor. And then some.

Clothes Make The Character

"Is that a matter for wardrobe, or hairdressing?"

-- Alfred Hitchcock, filming "Lifeboat,"
when told Tallulah wasn't wearing any knickers.

Film In California! (Again)

There was a program called "Film California First."
It offered incentives to shoot features and commercials
here in the Golden State. It was shut down after three years.
There've been other incentive programs, shut down too.
Let's try it again. Everybody back to one...

Eva Longoria Injured - Get Well Soon!

My distant relative (well, she's over in Pasadena),
Eva Longoria, star of ABC's "Desperate Housewives,"
was slightly injured Wednesday, when a piece of
construction equipment fell on her head while filming
a "DH" scene. Eva was treated at a hospital near the set
and released. She is at home resting, and is expected
to return to work on schedule.
You can write her and wish her a speedy recovery.
Get well, Eva!

Great Late-Breaking HD News

Here's the latest and greatest about
the greatest, latest Panasonic High-Def
AG-HVX200 camera. High Definition, built
like the DVX-100, only better Leica lens,
48khz sound, same codec as $65k Varicam,
solid-state recording on cards, so no tape.
all for under $10k. Or buy the camera for
$6k and only rent the cards, until their
prices drop. (They will.) All right!
It's here in October, read about it now.

Getting Looped

ADR means "Automatic Dialogue Replacement,"
and that just means saying the same thing
over and over. And over. Here's a guy
who managed to have Fun With ADR.

Your Gate Should Be Wet

Scratches? Dirt? A wet-gate on the
telecine machine will get rid of them.
The film is immersed in a liquid with
the same refractive index as film base.
The scratches disappear. It's magic!
Check out the wetgate demo.

Well This Is Fun

"What is the difference between
35mm, 70mm, and CinemaScope?"
The answer is in the bag.

State of Stop-Motion

I remember the first time I saw
a digital still camera with an
output port. Something clicked,
and it was either the camera or me.
"I could shoot a stop-motion feature
with this," I thought, "If only I
can stay awake long enough."
Here's how it's done.

Long Live DVD

Like you knew already, and maybe as if
you care, VHS is officially dead.

What the Faq?

If you have questions, chances are good others
have asked the same thing. Filmmaking questions?
Check out the Filmmaking FAQ.

Just As I Suspected

George is not a computer guy.

Flex Pecs as you Pix Flix

From "A Boy's Book Of Fun With Pipe."
here's a remarkably inexpensive,
although perhaps overly-massive,
faux Steadicam.

Dessert? Eclair!

What takes 16mm or 35mm film,
has quick-change magazines,
and is only slightly louder
than an outboard motor?
Hint - it's French.

Disposable Video Camera

It had to happen.
CVS, a drugstore, sells
a disposable video camera.

Rocket Video

It takes a determined hamster
to rocket a video camera high
into the air. There's gotta
be a use for footage like this.

Film vs. Video - Some new insights

Do you walk to school or bring your lunch?
Some arguments are like that.

Independent Filmmaking CD only $.99

Best bargain on eBay.
"Independent Filmmaking Vol I" CD only $.99

Rules To Make Your Film Boring

As if filmmaking isn't hard enough,
here are the official Lame-o Dogme 95 rules,
(and a list of Lame-o Dogme 95 films.)

Cheaper = Better?

Yet another article telling us movies are cheaper than ever.
No mention of, when you're done with it, you can't sell it,
because film distributors don't want digital.
That will change, but not yet.
"Expensive" 35mm film (which you can sell) is a bargain.

Short Films, Huge Audience

What if you could showcase your
short film before a huge audience?
Find out.

Over the Hump

Since June, nearly 60% of US homes
have high-speed internet. Can direct
distribution of your movie be next?

Cinerama Home Theatre

Wide? At home?

Stanley's Story

A refreshing look at perhaps the only film auteur.
I could read Stanley's story and never get tired of it.
Here it is again.

San Jose State - One of the First

One of the first film schools anywhere.

35mm - Aaton to Zoetrope

History of the 35mm film projector.

Look, It's Super 8 Man!

Talk about a diehard hero!
A wealth of information.

Digital Projection That Much Closer

Studios reach agreement on Digital Standards

Shooting With the VariCam

So you go to Asia.
Which HD camera do you pack?

Are you still using "film" to make movies?

Good for you!
You need this list of labs.

Latest News About the DVX

The latest on the Panasonic DVX cameras.

Top Five Film Schools

She's given "Which film school is best?"
a lot of thought. USC, UCLA, nowhere in sight.
Top five film schools. Disagree? Let me know.

Scotty Beams Up

What a guy. What a life.
Read how smoking saved his life on D-Day,
how the intrepid "Star Trek" scotsman
fathered nine kids (three when he was 80),
and how Paramount gave him a raise, a year late.
Rest in Peace, James Doohan.

Showless In Seattle?

Nobody takes filmmaking seriously in the Emerald City.
(I grew up there, and we called it Slugtown.
Not because of all the fights, but because of
the indigenous mollusks.)
Lack of support? Ja, sure.

Theatre Propaganda or Propaganda Theatre?

Loews Cineplex is under attack! A lawsuit seeks to limit the amount of propaganda time before the movie in the neighborhood hellplex.

Loews's hack flacks counterattack, with a press release.
Claim we want to see ads, it's part of the theatre experience. Riiiight.
Like those jerks talking through the movie, and the jerks with lighted cellphones.

What's next, as "part of the theatre experience?" Paintball?

What's Your Favorite Movie?

I like this guy's writing and I like his list.
Ten Best Movies Since 1970.

Filmmaking In A Thimble

How do I become a filmmaker?
You make a film.

That's it, in a sentence.
If you need a whole page.

Try the BNC

In search and praise of Excellence,
I must admit to a predilection
for Buick Cars, Colt pistols,
and...Mitchell Cameras,
expecially the cushy BNC. Ahhh...

Movie Camera crash course

Spend a half-hour, and you can
be up to speed. 24fps, of course.
Yes, progressive. Most film movie cameras are progressive.

History of the Movie Camera

Here's how it went down,
if the truth be told.

Film Cores Film Course

The cores are at
the center of it all.

It Takes More Than 10 Minutes...

From the patron saint of today's indies,
Peter John Ross casts a stop more light
on Robert's Crewless Rebellion, while
not denigrating Robert at all.

Why I Laugh When They Compare Cameras

Which HDV camera is best?
Which JVC camera should I buy?
Why the question is funny to me.

What happens...?

What happens when the set knows
more than the Director?