America In Primetime

So over the past week, I watched this documentary mini series called America in Primetime. Each episode dissects and analyzes an aspect of popular American television. Mainly they are common characters like the father figure or the crusader/hero.

This doc series is awesome! It is a really cool analysis on over 50 years of television in America. The series uses clips of television from The Honeymooners to Breaking Bad.

The even cooler part about this doc series, is that the interviews are of historians, prominent actors, directors, and writers. What is so cool about that is that you get all of these different perspectives from people who are involved and experienced in all different aspects of television; from watching it, to being in it, to creating it.

If you like television, or like me, absolutely love it, this is definitely something you should check out!

Small Update

Just a little update on my life:

Being sick is possibly the worst thing that can happen at this time in the semester, mentally i'm feeling strong but physically my body is just not having it (let's just say I've been very limited). I'm still pretty icky but now we all guessing that it may be an internal issue rather than just a really really bad cold. Hopefully all goes well, but on the bright side (in some odd way) being sick has given me time to devote to all my interests like sketching and animating. I'm actually really proud to say that there looking really good (pretty quirky and adorable actually).

I'm also excited to say that I'm back art directing and production designing for a student film back home. I've been working with the script for a couple of weeks now and I've finally developed the final color schemes and began sketching the costumes. I guess the reason why i'm so excited is because the writer and director have given me complete creative liberty, which is rare usually they want you to draw their vision. It's still in the early phases of production but I'm excited to be working on something that isn't a project or for credit, its purely just for fun.

Not so fiction related news: I've began watching A LOT of Netflix documentaries, and for future reference if you're ever stuck in bed or have a long weekend, just skim Netflix and watch a couple! 

I wish you all a happy break!

What We Do In The Shadows

One style of cinematic films that particularly interests me is the mockumentary. Essentially, mockumentaries are "mock documentaries" that attempt to realistically document fictional situations. Some popular ones on TV are "The Office", "Park and Recs", and "Modern Family". However, even with the success of this style as TV sit-coms, as motion pictures they don't receive as much critical acclaim. The more well- known and funniest mockumentaries are "This is Spinal Tap" directed by Rob Reiner and "Best in Show" directed by Christopher Guest. These two directors are known to some as the pioneers of mockumentaries. To me, the greatest appeals are the awkward humor and the fact that they try to persuade the audience that the topic is as realistic as it's portrayed. The best ones are the ones where the audience ponders if what they are shown is real.

Anyways, my favorite mockumentary, which is also on my top 10 favorite films is, "What We Do in the Shadows".

A different take from other vampire movies. This movie is about four flatmates who all happen to be vampires living in the modern age. It's kind of like Twilight without the dramatized/cheesy lines, the good looking people, and the ability to walk during the day which still confuses me but funnier and has more relevant conflicts. I definitely recommend this to anyone and am willing to refund the hour and a half worth of time if anyone thinks it was a waste of time. 

The Painter Of Jalouzi: A Look At The Future Of Mobile Film Making

THE PAINTER OF JALOUZI

A LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF MOBILE FILM MAKING

    4K (4096 x 2160), or "Ultra Definition" has been probably one of the most hot topic words of 2015. With cameras coming out in increasing numbers in not only cinema style, but ENG, and DSLR models, as well as cameras like the GoPro Hero4 this year, and the increase in 4K TVs for a commercial market it seems safe to say that 4K is here to stay.

     "The Painter of Jalouzi" is a short documentary on a Haitian painter that was just released by RYOT just a week ago. The doc, which was shoot in 4K, is absolutely stunning with vibrant colors and detail in every pixel. However this was not shot on a typical ENG camera, or even a DSLR. No this documentary was shot on the new Iphone 6s. 

    I was stunned to see the footage that they produced with this Iphone, the details and clarity were unlike anything I could have dreamed be shot on a phone. It made me think of the capabilities and tools that we as content creators have accessible, and the future of mobile film making. 

    Does this mean that all of us will be able to make a "Painter in Jalouzi?" Of course not. As with all advancements in technology the priority will always be the story, will always be the composition. Like in the days of early handheld camera work, it looked like garbage, but if the right people were behind it the it doesn't matter. 

     You may also notice while watching this the amazing depth of field and shots in it. In a behind the scenes video the filmmakers used gimbals, drones, and attachments so they could use actual lenses on the iphone. However they did mention that the stabilizer on the iphone proved very impressive and that they used the gimbal less then expected. 

     It's exciting that to me to see the way we are going to start producing content change, whether that be through film, documentary's, or any media really. And the fact that the picture quality is getting better too is outstanding. The more tools we have, I honestly believe, the more creative we are bound to come. 

                     

      

Tips for set PA's on professional shoots

During my summer in Ithaca I was given the chance to be a production assistant on a documentary in Watkins Glen. This was the first time I had ever been on a shoot with a professional/adult/small crew, and in the period I worked with them I learned a lot of valuable lessons. Since the other crew members were all adult, very experienced, and from NYC, there was a large amount of pressure for me to do well in my few days there. So here are my ten helpful tips to follow when you are a production assistant (some of these specific to documentary, but most are malleable to any set).

1. Bring a pocket-sized notebook and a pencil.

People on the crew will ask you to do tasks for them, so write the instruction down so they don't have to repeat themselves in 5 minutes. This was especially helpful when the sound recordist needed someone to log timecodes for really good sound bytes.

2. Acquire a fanny pack. Fill the fanny pack. Wear the fanny pack (with pride).

Even though it ~screams~ "the 90's are alive!!!!" I am a big fan of fanny packs. Pockets in shorts are too small, and purses are too clunky, especially when you're running around a church/huge farmer's market. I wore a smaller one under my tshirt and placed a notebook, pencil, and business cards inside just in case anyone was curious about our film.

3. Always have some sort of snack on hand.

We're only human. And when humans get hungry, they don't perform as well. Keep a small, quick snack in your bag (see previous tip for bag alternatives) in case you become so ravenous that you may pass out.

4. Set legs!!!!! 

Especially with documentaries, you can't re-do a take. Sometimes you only have one chance to get that perfect shot or get the good sound byte. So if the sound recordist's needs you to get another memory card, you run like the wind and hope nothing amazing happens in the time spent running back to the car.

5. Wear sunscreen. 

This is more of a summer shoot tip, but I know people that have gotten burnt on set in the middle of March. The sun is stronger than you think! The worst sunburn I got all summer was on set because I was a silly goon who didn't think to wear sunscreen. Lather it on before you leave in the morning because you never know where your doc subjects may take you.

6. If you're early you're on time, if you're on time, you're late.

I made sure to show up at least 20 minutes early each day just in case the crew needed anything extra before we started filming. It's just a good habit to get into--producers will see that you're responsible, and will want to hire you again. Even if the crew isn't ready it will give you time to wake up and/or get into the mind set of filming.

7. Don't trust the internet - print out directions as well!

There were points in my drive that my phone's signal came in and out, and if I had not printed the directions beforehand, I would have been quite screwed. Use google maps, mapquest, or even one of those maps you can get at AAA. Just have some sort of back up for your phone!

8. Keep a case of water in your vehicle. 

On a hot summer's day when you're running around like a chicken with their head cut off, it's easy to get dehydrated. Some may say, 'hey, it's all for the craft!' but who wants to spend the following days feeling ill? So I got one of those 24 water bottle packs from the store just in case any of the crew got thirsty. And, when the producer asked me to go fetch a large pack of water from the store she was thrilled to hear I already got one!

9. Go with the flow.

At around 9 PM on the night before I was needed on set I got an email from the producer asking if I knew where to purchase a free range chicken in the area. After a few minutes of confusion, followed by rushed internet searches and calls to the local organic market I went on my quest to find the free range chicken. I finally acquired one and then brought that tiny, organic chicken over to Watkins Glen and they were very happy to receive it. They hired me to work for them so of course I would go to the trouble of finding it. Basically, do what they tell you to do no matter how random and confusing it is.

10. Have fun!

Being the set PA can definitely be tough, but it is so worth it because you learn little tricks on how a professional production process works. Most crew members are also really interesting to talk to and can give helpful advice on where to take your career. Really take any opportunity that comes your way, because you never know where it might lead you!

These are just my tips from personal experience, but there's more great sites that give you additional advice!

Wrapping Your Brain Around Marketing

Let's paint a scenario...

You've been working endlessly on your newest film for the past two years. The shots look fantastic, your audio was mixed by a serious professional, and your actors nailed their performance. Through all the blood, sweat, and tears (also known as pre-production, production, and post-production) you finally have a beautiful film that you're especially proud of.

Awesome.

But now what?

You just spent thousands of dollars putting this thing together. But how are you going to make that money back? And if you're lucky enough, make a profit?
Well, this is where marketing comes in. That's right, marketing... that thing you thought only business and IMC majors had to worry about. And unlike the normal three-step production process, marketing and sales is something that spans the entire filmmaking process. Here's a helpful diagram to illustrate:
(sorry for the eye-squinting sized text)

In case you can't read it, the diagram suggests that the moment the development process starts, it's time to start thinking about how the film will be marketed. In other words:

WHO is going to watch your film?

&

HOW will you make them remember it?

A recent article on nofilmschool.com highlighted six points that were stressed as part of a panel at IFP Week entitled "Wrapping Your Brain Around Marketing". These points (which I've summed up into four) can help insure your film is a success when you're finally ready for it to be viewed by the public.

1. Stay on Topic

It's important to remember that your film is not just a singular product but more like a brand. With every piece of production material, there has to be a sense unity between it all. In their article they use the example of the the "Super-Size Me" poster:

Other good examples of posters that exemplify their film include "Her" and "Pulp Fiction".

Even without knowing any concepts of design you can tell these posters give an accurate, and most importantly memorable, depiction of their film. But it's not just about having a poster. Which brings me to their next point:

2. Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

From wide shots to production stills, having additional content can save you that sinking feeling when you're deep in editing and realize you don't have enough content in terms of coverage. They also recommend having a professional photographer on set for at least a few days to capture behind the scenes material which can be used for promotion and possibly even poster ideas. Once you have all of those extra pictures though... be careful with them. If your lucky enough to have your film featured in a magazine, they will want exclusive photos. Having professional, exclusive content can make or break the promotion of a film. 

3. Distribution

So you've got your great film and pretty poster but now it's time to move on to the serious part. Interestingly enough though, they don't ramble on about how hard it is for your film to be shown at a festival or featured in a movie theater. Instead they mention the rapidly growing market of video-on-demand (VOD) for documentary filmmakers. 

Films that people don't want to go see in movie theaters are the very ones they want to watch at home on their Mac, Kindle, Xbox, or whatever they use to watch films at home these days. Watching epic films at the movie theater will never loose it's charm, but for indie and doc filmmakers VOD might be the way of the future. 

4. Funding

Let be real. Having professional posters, pictures, and a distribution plan is great, but how the hell are you going to afford that? Money does not come from thin air, and I doubt you have enough money in your pocket to create that dream project. Thankfully though, raising money is easier today then it ever was!

These crowd-sourcing fundraiser websites have paved the way for thousands of independent films. They stress in the article that a filmmaker has to take advantage of every resource available to them – that includes the "old-fashioned" email list and yes, even that cold hard phone call.   

The main point... (tl;dr) is that marketing is not an extra task started after the film is created but part of the entire filmmaking process. It starts in the earliest parts of the development process, and finishes well after the film is released. 

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The rise and fall of the Rock-afire Explosion

This is the Chuck-E-Cheese animatronic band. 

Known today for being creepy and broken, this band sits at the back of many Chuck-E-Cheese franchises. But it wasn't always this way. In fact, the Chuck-E-Cheese band (known also as "Studio-C") isn't the Chuck-E-Cheese band at all! They're actually another band that's been dismantled and put back together with a new coating of cloth and paint. Who is this original animatronic band? Well, to answer that question we'll need to travel back in time, to the 1980s. 

Enter Showbiz Pizza place, an establishment created to be an arcade mixed with a pizza parlor, and every kid's dream. And within the flashing lights, loud kids, and greasy pizza, sat Showbiz's crown jewel: The Rock-afire Explosion.

Singing a mixture of original music and covers of popular songs, the Rock-afire set Showbiz above the rest. But times got tough, and Showbix ended up getting bought by its rival, Chuck-E-Cheese's. But the Rock-afire's creator, Aaron Fechter felt that he had poured too much of his heart and soul into his creation to give them up. 

So the Rock-afire fell into obscurity, and the remaining bands were converted into the Chuck-E-Cheese bands we know today. (This is partially why they look so freaky, as they are the result of mixing and matching different parts from the Rock-afire, then dressed up totally differently. That, and the fact that maintenance for such a contraption is costly and many of the parts were custom built for band.)

But the Rock-afire are not forgotten! 

Their rise and fall from glory is beautifully captured in this documentary, aptly named "The Rock-afire Explosion"

The trailer for the fantastic documentary. 

I think the Rock-afire are due for a comeback, and on Youtube, they are already making a splash performing more recent music, programmed by Fetcher himself. 

The work that goes into making each character sing and move with the music is nothing short of impressing. See for yourself!  

Never Say Goodbye

I don't know how many times I've been able to say that I was captivated by a YouTube video but this has to be one of them. The Hardwell Miami 2013 Aftermovie entitled "Never Say Goodbye" is a tribute to one of the biggest Electronic Music Festivals in the world, Ultra. This festival is a total 2 weekend, 6 day amalgamation of the best DJs and Producers from around the world. Now, this video may only feature one of the members from this festivals incredible roster but it sure does do his performance justice.

This video, as the title suggests, highlights Robbert van de Corput who is better known by his stage name, Hardwell. This Dutch mastermind is one of the driving forces in electronic music today, having played some of the most prestigious venues around the globe as well as releasing numerous chart-topping hits. On to the video itself.

I was extremely impressed with the overall production value of this video. From the music choice to the obvious finesse in the editing and placement of the voiceovers, this video is visually stunning. On top of its quality, it is able to display all of the energy and emotion and just general happiness that this festival seems to breed. I feel the combination of those two aspects make this video one hell of a production.

Red Bull Cranberry Bog Wake Skating

Hi Everyone,

As I've mentioned in class wake boarding is a hobby of mine along with a handful of other extreme sports. Here is one of my favorite wake boarding videos produced by Red Bull:

This post is unique because this is a cross between a promotional and documentary style video which incorporates shots accompanying background information as well as promoting a product through the extreme sport of wake boarding. The shots in this video are absolutely amazing as they capture the art  of cinematography and the sport. Additionally the video incorporates intriguing angles such as underwater, dolly, aerial, wide and track shots that scream high difficulty. This video is truly breathtaking cinematography that portrays vivid shots to tell a incredible visual story. Lastly the music pick is also a great choice as it adds to complement the b-roll creating a subliminal feeling. If this video doesn't capture your attention and exploit what we are capable of doing with a camera then I don't know what will... Enjoy



                  `

Behind the Scenes look at the 60's

Recently I stumbled upon a Netflix documentary, Magic Trip. A film directed by Allison Ellwood and Alex Gibney about Ken Kesey, Neal Cassady and the Mery Pranksters, Magic Trip was released in 2011 by Magnolia Pictures after being shot almost 50 years prior on 16mm film. This documentary grabs your attention as it captures bizarre yet cultivating color footage of a cross-country bus trip that forever changed the United States culture. With figures such as Ken Kesey an American author best known for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and a crew of fired up explorers known as the "Merry Band of Pranksters" this film is one of hell of a ride into the 60's. As the bus "Further" is packed full of wild young adults experimenting with hallucinogens and other such drugs this footage discovers a closer look at piece of American history known as the "hippie" era. Along with the crazy characters seen in the documentary the whole crew does a magnificent job documenting the trip from a point of a view perspective. Altogether this film is a must see that will take you deep into the 60's culture.

       


   

The Endless Summer

I saw this title on Netflix and was obviously attracted to it from its pretty cover, but I remembered that we spoke about this documentary briefly in class. I also have a shirt that says it, but I had never watched it. So I decided to watch The Endless Summer. I had no idea what it was about going in. I did not even know it was a documentary. At first, I was bored, waiting for something to happen... But then I realized how beautiful it was. Obviously, the whole entire frame of pretty much the whole movie is filled with the ocean and waves. So just staring at it is really awesome. In a lot of the scenes, the sun is at a place in the sky that it is reflecting off the water so magically. The colors are really cool and eventually the narrators voice is soothing.
This basically just shows the technique and the art of surfing, and it follows two surfers on a journey they go on to find an "endless summer". They travel around the world following the season of summer and surf all day long. They show really awesome places and different kinds of waves. The two surfers have such a routine for going into waters they have never been in. It is a classic documentary that I really enjoyed.

FOOD!

I've heard a lot of buzz going on about this here documentary so I thought I'll give it a look and I must say, it was a great documentary. Before I get into my opinion about the film, I have to give my opinion on documentaries first. I love documentaries when they are done well, very informative, and unbiased  It's very difficult to shoot, in my opinion, a documentary that isn't, in someway, basis. There are so many complications when trying to shoot a documentary like trying to interview certain people or companies. For example, in Food Inc., none of the companies that they were exposing in the film wanted to do the interview, which is understandable, but on that same notion it makes the film look a little bias in one sided because there is no one speaking for the other side of this issue. I also question why some of the shots, especially in a documentary such as this one, seem like they were taking from a hidden camera? On one part of the fim the narrator actually states that the footage we were seeing is from a hidden camera. If this is the case, how do they not get in trouble for such shots? Questions, questions, questions. Definitely plan on looking more into that.

 Overall, I think t was a good documentary. It informed of information I've never known or even thought of before. It made me question how much does the government actually care about the well-being of it's citizen. It's disgusting how easily they can turn the other way when there is a profit to be gained. I can understand how someone can see this film and change the way they eat. Me personally, i love food and I love eating the things I eat. It just so happens one of my favorite things is a cheeseburger! More then anything, this film made me more aware and conscious of the food industry and how it operates. I prepare and cook my own food daily so I am constantly shopping for food, so this information is very useful to me. Documentary is definitely recommended. 

Into The Abyss

Last week I finally checked off a film that's been on my "to watch" list for a while now: Werner Herzog's documentary, Into The Abyss. The film explores our nation's most  controversial institution, the death penalty.  It is told through the stories of two men who were convicted of murder ten years prior, one of whom was actually sentenced to death in Huntsville, Texas (America's most "successful" execution facility) by the end of the film.

Through the duration of the film Herzog interviews all of the subjects himself- we often hear him off screen asking questions.  He interviews almost everyone involved in and affected by the crime- the victims' families, the murderers, the policeman who worked on the case, the families of the murderers, the man who served as the head chief of executions, right down to the woman who met and married one of the convicted criminals after he was sentenced to a life in prison. This way the viewer is able to see the opinions of people involved on all sides of the story. The film proved to be less about the actual crime and more about how it affected peoples' lives. It is clear that Herzog entered the project with no judgements, and seeks to relate to and understand each person he interviews. It is very interesting to see how each subject rationalizes the crime and their respective situations.

Perhaps the thing I liked most about the film is that it does not seem very biased as documentaries often are. Its obvious that Herzog opposes the death penalty, but he doesn't try to force that belief on anyone else through the film. He merely gathers the information he can through interviewing these people involved in the crime and presents it without comment. He lets the viewer formulate his own opinion on the controversial subject. This film very well done, and certainly thought provoking. It is currently streaming on Netflix, I would recommend checking it out.

Let Us Not Forget

I'd like to take a moment to talk about documentaries. I had never really paid attention to documentaries, besides the average docudrama (noun: a fictionalized drama based primarily on actual events). Then I enrolled in Documentary Workshop the rest, they say is history. Within the last week I've watched at least four documentaries. Here are two of my favorites from the week:

A subjective documentary directed by Larry Charles and starring Bill Maher that tackles the always touchy subject of religion. I appreciate how this documentary doesn't target one single religion, but rags on them all. Also a bonus to this film is watching political and religious figures stumbling over their answers. And now, the trailer:

 

And now onto something completely different (but not really):

Freakanomics is a documentary based off of the book (with the same name) written by journalist Stephen J. Dubner and economist Steven D. Levitt. This film was directed by Heidi Ewing, Alex Gibney, Seth Gordon, Rachel Grady, Eugene Jarecki, and Morgan Spurlock. The reason for so many directors is because this documentary is actually compiled of a series of mini documentaries with the same theme: with the correct data you can determine the true outcome.

I feel like a lot of kids in our major never give documentaries a second thought. And why should we? Leave it to the journalism and doc studies kids! Well my fellow peers, believe it or not there is a lot of potential in documentaries. It's actually a bonus if you come from a creative/fiction background because it helps to form creative shots, help development a sort of story line with your main character (if you go with a story driven documentary), and you can help bring an important issue to light.

The Woodmans

I'm a sucker for a good documentary. One night over the summer I was perusing the documentaries available on Netflix Instant when I came across one particularly intriguing PBS doc called "The Woodmans." Though this is obviously non-fiction, I still thought it was quite interesting and wanted to share.

Directed by C. Scott Willis, "The Woodmans" tells the inspiring but tragic story of Francesca Woodman, the daughter of well-known artists George and Betty Woodman. Francesca developed her own artistic talent at an early age through photography and experimental video. She is known for her style of blurry, black and white photographs, often nude self-portraits. Her photographs have a beautiful but gritty and haunting quality to them and look like what one would see in a contemporary high fashion magazine spread. One of her childhood friends even described her style as "something you would see in an Urban Outfitters catalog today." However, despite her talent, photography did not have the same popularity in the '70s as it does today. Throughout her short career, Francesca's struggled with depression and the fact that she did not receive the artistic recognition she thought she deserved. At age 22, Francesca killed herself. More than 30 years later, the art community is still fascinated by her work and story.

The most interesting part of this documentary for me was not just Francesca's own story, but that of her father, mother, and brother, all insanely dedicated artists who admit they feel somewhat overshadowed by Francesca's legacy as they have always struggled for their own personal artistic recognition. The AV Club hits the nail on the head in their review of the film, highlighting the strange family dynamic of The Woodmans when they say that during the film Francesca's father George "frankly asserts that one of the reasons he loved his daughter was that she was the kind of passionate person who would try something as drastic as suicide." This sentiment alone speaks to how much the entire family values and dedicates themselves to art. This film was definitely worth the watch- it not only opened my eyes to Francesca Woodman's art, but also made me question what it means to be a true artist. How far should one go for the sake of art? Is there room for family/significant others in the context of the art world? To what extent, if any, do you have to be "tortured" to be a great artist?

World on a Wire

This is a documentary by Juliane Lorenz on the making of the film "World on a Wire" (1973) by R. W. Fassbinder which has recently been restored after being "lost" for more than 10 years. It is a clear predecessor of films such as The Matrix but made when the concept of a personal computer was not in the public's mind.



This is Juliane Lorenz (Fassbinder's editor and the head of the Fassbinder Foundation) talking about his working method, with some shots showing him at work on the set of "Berlin Alexanderplatz",  a 14 episode TV film, totaling 15 1/2 hour film, which according to IMDb is the longest narrative ever made (I have not confirmed that)

Courtesy of the RAINER WERNER FASSBINDER FOUNDATION.