Budget Shooting: Still Prime or Cine Prime?

I am in the market for new glass. I shoot both still photography and video, so naturally I wondered if I really need dedicated lenses for both. I shoot Canon.

Convention says yes. Although DSLRs are popular for video production, they have their limitations. Thankfully, someone else had the same question and decided to do a side-by-side comparison.

Canon CN-E Prime Lenses - Non-scientific Comparison - Magnanimous Media from Magnanimous Media on Vimeo.

My verdict? For my purposes right now, there is little difference. I kinda like the look of the EF lenses. The EFs shoot a little warm, but I like shooting warm. Warm shooting is part of my shooting style. I also feel your target audience will not notice the difference if your story is engaging. The CN-E primes do have a larger color range, which could be useful in some low-light situations.

For the price tag, I am sticking with EF lenses until I am shooting a project that needs what the CN-E lenses can provide. Then, maybe I can just rent them from borrowlenses.com!

Happy Filmmaking!

Guns and Cinema

One week after a disturbed young man took the lives of over two dozen people, the NRA responds with its inflammatory response. While the politics of gun control go beyond the scope of this blog, the NRA did blame what it calls "the culture of violence" perpetrated by our modern day media.

Excuse my French, but blaming movies, television, and video games on what can be considered acts of terrorism is complete and utter bullshit. It has always been bullshit. And it will always be bullshit. Our modern society is actually less violent than previous civilizations. After all, we no longer watch public executions in our city squares or watch slaves fight to the death in arenas.

We do, however, watch both bad and good guys with guns in movies. We almost expect it. We have watched anti-heroes like Dirty Harry threaten criminals with "the most powerful handgun in the world". We watch how the West was won, but we have also watched two unlikely cops become partners over and over again.

Guns have become as American as apple pie and baseball. National cinemas reflect the culture of the host nation. Media did not give us our gun culture. Our gun culture gave us our media.

Factcheck: NRA blames media for gun violence | Poynter.

Happy filmmaking!

Gamechangers: Canon EOS 5D Mark III and the New iPad

Talk about a match made in heaven! The highly anticipated Canon EOS 5D Mark III and the uber-highly anticipated iPad have finally made their debuts. Both seem made for each other. The iPad 3--or iPad HD, whatever they are calling it--has the much predicted retina display previously touted on the iPhone and iPod. Given the new display, the iPad uses as a media display can be pushed into any filmmaking realm.

The Mark III is a step up from the Mark II. It has revolutionary features such as a silent shutter. As a still photographer and a filmmaker, I've never heard of a silent shutter. Since I'm too poor to afford either at this point, I guess I'll stick with renting.



It's nice to dream, though. Happy Filmmaking!

USC's First Look 2009!

This weekend. Saturday and Sunday. In the Norris Cinema Theatre on USC's campus. In Los Angeles, California! Be there!

But seriously, First Look is always a big deal for the School of Cinematic Arts. It showcases both undergrad and grad thesis projects from the previous semester to the general public and alums. Highly supported by former and current students, First Look is often the highlight of the year for the schoo, only falling short of graduation.

I'm going to not only support my fellow trojans, but to support a few friends and acquaintances who are showcasing on Sunday. For example, Christine T. Berg will It gives me time to be jealous of them (I'm just kidding, but I live for this!) If you are in town, you should check it out, too.

I can't sign off with doing the school cheer:
S-O-U-T-H-E-R-N C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A! Southern California! (Victory sign in the air).

Happy Filmmaking!

VHS R' Us

What to P.T. Anderson, Kevin Smith, and Quentin Tarantino have in common? Besides being famous filmmakers with large fan bases, but all are established filmmakers sans film degree. These directors are usually the argument against film school. However, proponents of film school argue that these directors had a once in a lifetime shot to make it, as opposed to increasing your chances by building your network. If you aspire to be like one of these directors, there is one thing you have to do: eat, sleep, and breathe cinema.

These directors are often called "VHS filmmakers" because their "film education" consisted of watching hundreds and hundreds of films similar to their interests. Ed Wood was also this kind of director (even though he may not be the best example). These directors also have high IQs and can easily processes certain techniques.

Even if you have a fancy film school degree, it wouldn't hurt to do a little more research. Here are some tips:

• To save money, go to your local library or invest in a subscription service like Netflix.
• Put aside some time in your day or week to watch a film undisturbed. The more distractions, the more you miss.
• Use lists such as AFI's top 100 films, or IMDB top 250 as a guide for films you NEED to watch.
• Even if using the above lists, keep in mind that they slant towards American filmmaking. Be on the lookout for notable foreign filmmakers and auteurs as well, such as Fellini, Goddard, Kurosawa, Bergman, Malle, and Lang.
• Also look at films considered the "worst films ever" (not because your brother says so, but actually films universally considered bad, like Showgirls). They are good examples of what NOT to do. Usually a film's on the list because of the storyline and acting, not just poor production value or technical problems. Need help? Cheat by looking up which titles Mystery Science Theatre 3000 lampoons.
• Take notes. Not just on the storylines and actors, but on camera angles, scenes, filmic styles, transitions, and art direction.
• Watch movies in the same genre. Take note of any genre patterns.
• Rewatch your favorite films. Why are they your favorite?
• Enjoy yourself. You're watching a movie. Feel free to have popcorn, coke, and Twizzlers.

Happy Filmmaking!

One week away...Who are you choosing?

In one week, the November election will be old news. The United States will have a new president that will shake up a few things in Washington and history, regardless of the win. So if this is a filmmaking blog, why am I talking about the election?

As any mediaheads will tell you, political discourse dictates social discourse, which in turn, dictates how artists see the changing world around them. Depending on the outcome, many filmmakers will attempt to capture, in their own way, an interpretation of the results. And if you live in California, like I do, you are aware of many the propositions that could shake up the rest of the nation: such as the infamous Prop 8.

Some of our best films grew out of political discourse. Casablanca grew out of World War II. Apocalypse Now, although an adaption of the European Imperialism-era novel Heart of Darkness, was also inspired by the Vietnam Conflict. Then you have Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, which is a film many compare Obama's road to.

If Obama were elected, films like Head of State, which specifically points out the hilarity of having an African-American POTUS, will become seriously outdated. If McCain were elected, many films about vets and war might emerge. And with Sarah Palin in the mix, that short-lived show with Geena Davis as a VP who finally finds herself President might be given a second look.

Filmmakers are the most political people I know, but many are not as liberal as the general public would like to think. All in all, Hollywood, however risky, is a conservative machine, which resorts to the same working formula over and over (sequels, anyone?). Part of this working formula is to stay topical, but not too topical. However, given the stakes in this election, whatever happens next week will change the face of popular culture for generations to come.

Happy voting (and filmmaking)!

First New Blog Post - Year-End Film buzz

This is my first post on blogger.com. I decided to move my blog from my myspace page to blogger.com in order to increase my reader exposure. The purpose of this blog is to trade industry information, as well as provide tips I have encountered in my own quest for success.

Being a recent graduate of film school, I am in the same boat with several lost souls, trying to find my own path. I want to share some of my experiences and tips I receive with you. While I tend to add a bit of humor in my writing, I am not so cynical that I would post useless rants about who is a better captain on Star Trek. I hope we can become friends...or at least in cyberspace. With that said, I want to share with you some current and upcoming "indie" films I wish to see at the end of the year:

W. (O. Stone) - This film is probably the most hyped film for Fall 2008. Liberal-minded Oliver Stone actually throws a few softballs towards the topic of Bush's unpopularity (according to the buzz) and focuses more on his early pre-Presidential life and winning the approval of his judgmental father, Bush the 41st. I'm a very political person (I'm a Libertarian-leaning Democrat), so any film that fosters any type of intelligent political conversation wins me over.

The Secret Life of Bees (G. Prince-Blythewood) - Another hyped film starring Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson (my prayers are with you by the way), Queen Latifah, and Alicia Keys. The film's thematic elements include racism, adoption, social change, and family relationships. And the director is a sista! Hooray for women!

Ballast (L. Hammer) - I failed to receive a ticket to this when it previewed at Sundance this year. This film revolves around a suicide in the Mississippi Delta. The film was one of the biggest surprise hits at Sundance this year, receiving rave reviews. I now regret not seeing this at Sundance, but I will not make the same mistake twice.

Choke (C. Gregg) - Con-Man + Sick relative + gullible people = dark comedy. Although this film has mixed reviews, the buzz this film receives is based on its entertaining value and original concept. Might be one of those films you either love or hate, like Napoleon Dynamite.

I.O.U.S.A (P. Creadon) - Another one I missed at Sundance, this film is the story of my life. Known for its brutal honesty, this documentary about our impending economic distaster could not have opened at a better time. Given its topical nature, this film may be a contender for the Academy Award for Best Documentary.

Man on Wire (J.Marsh) - Yet another film I missed at Sundance 2008. A documentary about French-born Phillippe Petit' s 1974 illegal high-wire walk between the WTC Twin Towers. Has rave reviews.

Phoebe in Wonderland (D. Barnz) - ANOTHER film I missed at Sundance (if you are wondering what I DID see, The Black List was one). This film draws parallels between a young girl named Phoebe and the tale Alice in Wonderland. The actress, Elle Fanning, is Dakota Fanning's younger sister. Felicity Huffman also stars as Phoebe's mother.

Happy-Go-Lucky (M. Leigh) - A film about an overly optimistic British teacher. Film was released last spring in the UK. Has rave reviews.

Happy Filmmaking!