Stills from the Trailer for "Descent!"

Just thought I would share some recent set shots from a new project called Descent!

The project is directed by Vincent Alston. I am 1st-ing this Nebraska project. We will be fundraising for finishing funds soon. Please support us, if you can.

Happy Filmmaking!

Mobile, Alabama: Ryan Reynolds Approved!

When asked what non-LA city was his favorite for shooting, actor Ryan Reynolds replied without hesitation: Mobile, Alabama! My hometown has a great little filmmaking community, which I have used myself on numerous occasions. I also have championed Mobile's friendly attitude towards tourists and warm climate as a great place to shoot, as well as praised the Mobile Film Office for its continued effort.

Reynolds recently wrapped Mississippi Grind, shot in Mobile, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge. It premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

Check out these other available shooting locations in Mobile!

Blacksher Hall on Government Blvd 

Old Courthouse (non-functioning) on Government Bvd

Visitation Monastery (actual religious building, ask Archdiocese of Mobile first!) on Springhill Blvd

Happy Filmmaking!

Best Advice I Received While in Film School: Set Etiquette 101

I recently wrote the following simple set etiquette guide for a project I'm working on. Many people on this particular project are first-timers. Sets are intimidating places, even for seasoned vets. But I found that the following advice works fairly well for a set, regardless of the size.

• Arrive on time! Once the production schedule is made, you will be given a calltime. The time you are given is the latest you should arrive on set. If you are running late, you have to alert the AD.
• Report all issues and concerns to the AD. Safety issues should be reported immediately to the AD.
• It is considered a major faux pas to direct issues to the director or producer. Ideally, the director will talk to certain people one-on-one. Talk to the AD instead.
• Do not bring unauthorized people or animals to the set. This is a safety precaution.
• Do not take photos of the set without permission from the AD or producers.
• Only smoke and eat in authorized areas.
• Drink water. Drink water. Drink water.
• Tell the AD when you are leaving set to go to the bathroom or handle personal business.
• Film sets are known to be “casual workplaces.” Language and jokes that may be inappropriate in routine office settings may be heard on sets. If you find some language offensive, alert the AD. We want to make set comfortable for everyone.
• Listen and obey all of the AD’s commands. Commands may include “Quiet, please.”
• Do not pick up or handle any equipment, unless authorized to do so.
• Do not touch the camera.
• Do not use a cell phone while on set. The vibration setting on a phone may disrupt sound equipment. Turn phones on silent or off.
• Keep up with your trash/water bottle. You will be given a sharpie to write your name on your water.
• Do not block the “video village.” This is usually a monitor set up for the director, the camera crew, and the script supervisor. If not present on-set, do not block the director’s view.
• Crew members should dress in dark colors to avoid bounced light.
• Closed-toed shoes only!

What do you think? Happy Filmmaking.

My 5 Favorite Field Apps for iPhone

Below are my five favorite apps I like to use when working in the field. I use an iPhone 6, so sorry, Android users. Some of them are on Android, but I’m not sure which ones.

• DSLR Filmmaker Toolkit is a app that includes a slate with shot log, a viewfinder, and a depth of field calculator. I mainly use it for the slate and shot log, as I can email the file to myself as an Excel sheet. It’s a paid app. 
• The Magic Hour app alerts me an hour before and during the magic hour. It also gives me the angle of the sun at my exact location and a countdown to sunset. It is free. Can’t beat that.

Magic Hour

• Dark Sky tells me almost to the minute when rain is coming my way. On the Gulf Coast, this is useful, whether you are shooting or not. You can request a weather report for a particular address and even receive UV and wind reports. I received it for free at Starbucks, but it's a paid app.

Dark Sky

• Google Maps is a no brainer, but it just gets better and better. The app can now calculate your drive time while on route and can let you know if a faster route is available. You can also get public transit routes and bike paths if you lack a car.
• Adobe Hue CC is the newest app in my toolbox. It only came out days ago, but I have already fallen in love with it. It allows you to make LUTs on the go with your phone’s camera. If you are an Adobe Creative Cloud user, you can sync your LUT collection to use back in Premiere Pro or After Effects. App is technically free, but is better with the Adobe CC.

Adobe Hue CC

 Happy Filmmaking!

Best Advice I Received While in Film School: Embrace Magic Hour

Natural light is amazing, especially in the summer. We cannot live without it, it illuminates the world around us, and it delights us with its color spectrum. As manipulators of light, we learn to embrace its properties while controlling its path. We tell stories with it, but often we rely on artificial providers of light, believing natural light to be insufficient or weak for our purposes.

That’s why indie filmmakers should pay homage to the beauty of natural lighting by embracing the “magic hour.” Magic Hour is roughly the minutes after sunrise and before sunset. The sun is at a flattering angle in the sky, resulting in reduced shadows over the face and beautiful natural coloring.

I consider myself a mise-en-scène filmmaker, which means I prefer to use my surroundings rather than edit a look in post. Mise-en-scène filmmakers embrace a cinéma vérité or “true-to-life” style filmmaking. Planning your shoots around magic hour makes use of the beautiful lighting with little manipulation. I took the following photographers about 4 minutes into magic hour. 

Magic hour. Actually #nofilter.

Slightly different exposure.

The following video was also taken at magic hour. Note the color in my skin tone and the vibrant greens. Skin tones tend to have either a blue or green undertone, which magic hour brings out nicely. The result is glowing skin.

Magic Hour Test from lagniappe cinemas on Vimeo.

Although daylight is bluer than indoor tungstens, magic hour light is usually a subtle orange. Mobile, Alabama, nearly has perpetual summer, so depending on the climate and season, your location’s magic hour may be grayer/bluer or warmer in tone.

I use the Magic Hour app which tells me an hour before magic hour occurs and when I am in the magic hour. It’s my favorite astronomic tool for field videography/filmmaking. 

Happy Filmmaking!

"Midnight Rider" Videos

I don't have words today. This video is moments before the train ran into this crew. Director Randall Miller recently accepted a plea deal to serve 2 years in prison and 8 on probation. Executive Producer Jay Sedrish and 1st AD Hillary Schwartz received 10 years of probation each. Charges were dropped against Jody Savin.



This is the scene on the bridge.


Happy Filmmaking, and RIP, Sarah.

Moment of Silence for Sarah Jones

Tomorrow, the parents of Sarah Jones ask those in the film industry to have a moment of silence before the first shoot of the day.  Jones died on-set a year ago while filming in Georgia. If you are affiliated with the film industry, please honor this moment of silence. If you are on-set and you see something dangerous, report it, possibly with this app.





Be safe and happy filmmaking!

New Year: What Are Your Filmmaking Goals?

We are now 10 days into the new year. When I was at the Richard Lawson studio, we learned how to map out our goals and visualize your career road map. It's a very good practice to me instead of making yet another generic resolution. By zeroing on on how to actually achieve your goals and your deadlines, you are far more likely to complete them. Here are my filmmaking goals as a model:

• I have a thesis I am working on as a short film. Because I must complete the film and showcase it to graduate, this is my primary goal for the year. I will complete this film by the designated deadline as agreed upon by my professor and me.
• I'm going to buy a cine lens set by August since I am shooting far more often. I will offset the cost by completing more work.
• I will advertise for more work by making an updated reel and promoting myself in other cities.
• I will enter production on a new music documentary by November. I will start preproduction slowly, but I should complete preproduction by July.
• I will write another script by October.
• I will update the WGA registration on all of my materials by March.
• I will collaborate and network with more local film talent, joining their projects and visiting their groups. This will be a continuous effort. I started to work on this goal by joining local "film scrambles."
• I will try to support as many projects as I can. My network is very talented and I believe in them.

You can always expand on some goals or eliminate impossible ones. Try it. Happy New Year and Happy Filmmaking.

Mid-Fall Update!

Hello, followers!

Lagniappe Cinemas is producing another Mer$iless Myndz music video. With a fog machine on set, things can get a little hazy! Our artist Eterniti is channelling a Secret Agent Man persona. Somehow, the shoot reminds us a little of those old Unsolved Mysteries episodes from the 90s. Must be the fog machine. Video is being shot on a Canon 60D, the little camera that could!

Cue creepy music!

"The Killer is still on the loose!"

Check us out! We are planning on wrapping this video in January to work on a short narrative piece.

Behind the Scenes for Truth Shoot from lagniappe cinemas on Vimeo.

Happy Filmmaking!

The Pledge to Sarah Safety App

Indiegogo has an active fundraiser for an app that will allow crew members to anonymously report safety violations on set. The app will be free once developed. The "Pledge to Sarah" Safety App is in the late camera assistant Sarah Jones's honor. You can support this fundraiser with as little as $1. As of the writing of this blog post, the project reached $2,942 of its $3,400 goal.

Please note there are no special perks for this fundraiser. However, our lives as crew members should not be monetized. If you believe sets should be as safe as possible, please consider supporting this campaign.

Happy Filmmaking!

Malia Obama: Production Assistant

Dailymail.co.uk

Looks like the First Kid is thinking about a career in the film business! The 15-year-old was a set PA for a week on the set of Extant, the new sci-fi series staring Halle Berry. While I doubt anyone yelled her about coffee, it is wonderful news that the First Children are getting a taste of how the other half lives. Even in a so-called "glamorous" field, like Entertainment. We don't need a reminder where PAs are in the pecking order!

Malia even got to slate a take. Careful, Malia, the pull of the Industry is strong! And you are already stunning and tall. Follow your dreams, homegirl! Your father did...

TMZ also reports that Malia's sister Sasha recently visited the set of Pretty Little Liars. No PA work for Sasha yet, since she's only 13.

Happy Filmmaking!

Cheap Lighting Tips

You might have heard of using shop lights as a cheap lighting kit. While they are worth more than their actual price tag, they can sometimes be a pain to work with. Luckily, this tutorial from Wistia.com has that covered. Three-point lighting is easy to master on paper, but each scene requires a different tweak. Think of lighting as an art, not a science.

The Down and Dirty Lighting Kit

Happy Filmmaking!

Smartphone Filmmaking: An App Review

I previously wrote a post about using your iPhone to take decent photos. This post, I’m taking it a step further. Since I was short on cash, I’m using my iPhone to film a short film for the Mobile Film Scramble. I’m new to the whole iPhone filmmaking thing, but having such a portable camera that you carry around everywhere makes being a guerilla filmmaker even easier than ever. And I love being a guerilla! It’s an addictive adrenaline rush.

So, one setback to filming on your iPhone is the fact your iPhone reads exposure, white balance, and focus as the same thing. This leads to very average footage. To fix this, I downloaded an app called FiLMiC. There is a pro version and a classic version. The verdict?

The footage was surprising good! Here is an exterior shot, raw and dirty. There is some loss of quality due to upload.

And an interior shot:

Being able to set exposure and focus separately improves the video quality exponentially. Overall, I was happy with the results, even with my now ancient iPhone 3GS. Changing the frames-per-second is also a great feature, since it allows you to use Hollywood standard (that’s 24 FPS), Euro standard (25 FPS), and video standard (30 FPS). It’s hip these days to shoot digital video at 24 FPS, so if you are feeling like Scorsese, you are free to do so with this app.

You can also do some minor edits in this app, but I prefer to do most of my edits on a full size computer. Maybe in a few years my views will change, but right now, I am of Camp Towers of Processing Power. Still nice to do edits on the fly, though.

There are some problems with this app. First of all, even though the app allows you to have more control of the built-in camera, it still relies on automatic data entering your aperture. Many people like this. Control freaks like me who prefer complete manual control do not. But, you are using an iPhone, not a Canon 1D, so it’s a minor issue.

Personally, I don’t see too much variance with the white balance. Maybe this was fixed in FiLMiC Pro, but the classic version seems a little slow to read white balance. Also, the record button is slow to respond. It may be a programmed to record a few seconds after you stop recording. For me, this is a little annoying, considering your iPhone, iPad or iPod has finite storage space. This may lead to happy accidents for you, however.

Try it out! If you are like me, you might want to buy the classic version first, to see if you like it. The classic version is only $0.99 and will work on all iPhones. The pro version requires iOS 6 or higher.

Happy Filmmaking!

Score one for the lil' people: "Interns" fight back!

I hope this makes your day as much as it has made mine. There is a very thin line between volunteering and helping out versus being an "adult intern." I have already touched on this subject in the past, urging for the blatant abuse of labor law to stop. It may never happen, but let's face it: something has to change to stop runaway productions and slapped together second-rate product. The people demand more for their money nowadays. The industry still needs asses in seats, and a strong economy, one with jobs, will allow that to happen. New York Times reports,

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, claims that Fox Searchlight Pictures, the producer of Black Swan, had the interns do menial work that should have been done by paid employees and did not provide them with the type of educational experience that labor rules require in order to exempt employers from paying interns.

The rest of the article is here. The Indietalk discussion about this article is here.

Happy Filmmaking.

Preproduction Research Photos for "C'est la Mort"

Preproduction is moving along. Because C'est La Mort is a historical documentary, I visited some of the Mobile's long-time residents at the city's historic Church Street Graveyard. Many of the city's more famous residents currently reside here, including Joe Cain and Eugene Walter. This cemetery peeked around the mid-to-late 1800s. Following Mobile's strong Catholic tradition, the northern third of the graveyard (and the best ground) was reserved for practicing Catholics. Protestants were buried in the back. Unbaptized individuals seemed to be buried to the west due to all the baby-sized graves on that side, even though some babies seem to be buried with mom or other family members.

Thought I would share my fabulously creepy photos taken with my phone.

Joe Cain.

Lopez Family graves.

Young woman who died at 26 in 1847.

Eugene Walter.

Catholic grave.

Possible Mason grave.

Child named "Louise". Mom and dad weren't too far.

Another child or children's grave.

Happy Filmmaking!

Retire? Really?

The buzz today involves Steven Soderbergh's decision to "retire" from the film industry after completing production on his latest two films. I must say that the decision to retire from the film industry baffles me. How does one actually retire from entertainment all together? Stop accepting projects? Do nothing but watch other people have ideas? Soderbergh states that part of the decision lies with the general workflow of film production. However, part of the decision may also lie with the fact Soderbergh recently had to come clean about fathering a child while separated from his wife. With Jay-Z "retiring" from rap and Michael Jordan "retiring" from basketball, I say put your money where your mouth is, Soderbergh.

Happy Filmmaking.

Common Payroll Mistakes

Thought I would share this email I received a couple of days ago. Has some great information in here about the business part of show business. Too often, like I said in a previous blog post, we forget that this fun and exhausting business is indeed a business.

3 Common Film Payroll Mistakes

If you're a newcomer to the business side of filmmaking, investing a little time upfront with a payroll professional can save you big bucks during, and after, production. At PayReel, we've worked with a lot of independent filmmakers and have seen pretty much every mistake in the book. Here's our list of the three avoidable mistakes we see most often:

Mistake #1 — Not Reading Your Union Contract
Meal penalties, forced calls, per diems, oh my! Labor unions exert jurisdiction over a wide variety of job functions and geographies in the entertainment industry. You may not even be aware of which unions will expect to be involved with your project. This lack of knowledge often results in production delays and unexpected expenses.

Mistake #2 — Inadequate Payroll Budgeting
We've seen "surprise" labor costs cause many productions to simply run out of money. This happens because the true cost of employing workers was not fully understood. "Overhead" expenses can easily add 35% - 50% to your payroll budget. And because these amounts vary by location, it's a good idea to work with someone knowledgeable about where you plan to be shooting.

Mistake #3 — Misclassifying Workers
If you don't already know what this means, we really need to talk because a state or federal audit can be a very expensive and scary thing.
What happens if you get audited and it's discovered that you've misclassified workers? We'll begin by calculating back taxes, then add penalties, and then throw in any back overtime wages. Can your production afford this?

This was sent to me by Moviemaker Magazine advertising a service called PayReel. I've heard of them before and they are worth checking out to avoid payroll mistakes. They have not contacted me for any endorsements, and I am mentioning them from word-of-mouth, so please do your own research and find the company that is right for you.

Happy Filmmaking!

Know the Law: Child Actors

Ever wonder why the actors in all those “teen” comedies or dramas look like they are in their 20s? Because shooting youthful-looking actors posing as teens is cheaper than shooting real teens. Real teens are for the Jerry Bruckheimers and Harvey Weinsteins of the world. And even then, Mr. Bruckheimer and Mr. Weinstein know that casting an 18-year-old instead of a 17-year-old means huge savings for the company and/or studio.

All actors under the age of 18, although adorable, add to your project’s budget almost exponentially. Oftentimes, a child actor may be an unknown, meaning you can sign him or her on a project for cheaper. However, many beginning filmmakers do not factor in the hidden costs of having such a young individual on-set.

Some of the laws (yes, LAWS!) regarding child actors involves the all-important studio teacher. In case you haven’t seen Brüno or Little Miss Sunshine, or have never worked with children before, the generalized reputation of the so-called “stage parent” is an infamous one.

Although obviously not true across the board, stage parents have been stereotyped as overly anxious, overbearing, and dismissive of the child’s welfare for the sake of fame. Real life examples include the public’s perception of Lindsey Lohan’s parents, Joe Jackson, Kris Jenner, and Matthew Knowles.

A studio teacher’s job is to ensure the child actor continues classes during the shoot, to promote a safe environment for the child, and to oversee the child’s working schedule. So, in short, a studio teacher will most likely not allow you to shoot your 11-year-old actor hanging out of a moving car at 10:30pm on a Wednesday night. Studio teachers can cost somewhere between $150-400 a day! Also a studio teacher must be certified in accordance to the law. No hiring Uncle Jeff to watch the kiddies, unless Uncle Jeff is a social worker. You can search for California certified studio teachers here.

Since acting is technically a job (despite what your parents and ex may tell you), there is one more thing you’ll have to worry about with child actors: child labor laws. Good news: the state of California makes exceptions for child actors. Bad news: getting permission involves a lawyer and paperwork. In addition to an actor release, you’ll need a minor release signed by the parent and a permit to hire and work with minors for your production. Your young actors will also need a permit to work, which, depending on the child’s age and school year, will require other official paperwork. In general, children can only work between 5am and 10pm on school days, and up to 12:30am on non-school days. In addition to these restrictions, the allowed hours on-set for minors due to age are in this chart. Note how little time you have with babies and toddlers. This is why twins or triplets are cast as one baby. That's right: child labor laws made the Olsen Twins famous.

If—even with the legal requirements, strict scheduling, and price of studio teacher—you still want a 15-year-old actor for practical reasons, plan accordingly and work tightly. You may also want to consider only hiring a true teen for principal actors only. Examples of this strategy include Bring It On, Heathers, and Mean Girls. Also, don’t forget the obvious: no drugs, no booze, and especially no nude scenes.

Happy Filmmaking.

Another Indie ProCo Falls Victim to Bad Times

Overture Films is no more. Although only three years old, Overture Films was a powerhouse in the world of indie film. Relativity Media has acquired Overture's operation duties. What's very unfortunate about Overture's demise is how the owner lost interest in the film business and had hoped to sell the company to potential buyers. Only two bidders were interested, and their deals were not high enough.

In a time such as this, we need to focus on rebranding independent film. Indie ProCos are just like any other small business, they are the backbone to true American enterprise. As one of the few true American exports, cinema must allow for competitors and a fair exchange of ideas. If all independent filmmaking goes away, we will be stuck with the over-inflated, over-budgeted, unimaginative monotony that is today's studio system.

LA Times article is here:

Overture Films ends three-year run, hands off marketing and distribution to Relativity Media | Company Town | Los Angeles Times

Happy Filmmaking.

Do I Smell a SCAM???: Working for Free

Kudos for LA Times and the Hollywood Reporter for shedding some light on this subject. Very few industries can get away with the whole "privilege-of-working-with-us-is-enough-compensation" as much as Entertainment Industries. These industries thrive on enthusiastic wannabe players who will do next to anything for that one lucky shot. Unfortunately, these prospective players drive down the market for others, as well as shoot themselves in the foot.

I'm all for volunteering and collaborating. It's a great way to network. But there is a very thin line between volunteering to help out and being used as free labor. It's so commonplace, many now-professionals even stress going the extra mile on these "free" positions in order to keep your foot in the door. As the practice spreads in other industries due to the economy, unemployed workers and the government are starting to question the legality of the so-called "adult internship."

Just as both articles point out, working for free for the direct financial benefit of a company is illegal. The "non-college intern" PA position on professional shoots has to stop. If the film cannot budget some type of compensation for you, then it probably will not help you advance your career. Be friendly and open to assignments, but be mindful.

Happy Filmmaking.