Wednesday, November 19, 2008

2046 Re-enactment

So, it appears I'm on a Wong Kar Wai kick. I found this re-enactment of a scene from 2046 on YouTube and I thought it was kind of interesting, especially since there is no dialogue.

Take a look

Saturday, November 15, 2008

"There's Only One Sun" by Wong Kar-Wai

This is a bit longer, and way more flashy than anything we'd be making, but it's a good example of what you can do in a short space of time. Plus it's so visually appealing...only Wong Kar-Wai could make a commercial for a TV look this beautiful (the video was made for Philips Aurea). 

Link to video

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Proper Script Format

From: http://www.oscars.org/nicholl/format.html

There is no absolute "standard" format used by all professional screenwriters working in the American film industry. Slight variations abound in scripts written by professionals. That said, professional scripts will invariably resemble the formatting guide that follows. Nuances may vary -- margins slightly different, a dash here or there, parentheticals used this way or that -- but overall, professional screenplays fit these guidelines.

Realize that "shooting scripts," the form in which scripts are most often available at libraries and elsewhere, are not the form in which most professional writers submit their scripts. Submission scripts, sales scripts, first draft scripts -- all share certain characteristics: no scene numbers, few if any camera shots designated and sequences written in master scenes.

Your script does not have to mimic the following pages exactly, but it should closely resemble them. If you're confused about which nuances are acceptable and which would push your script into an "out-of-format" category, you would do well to follow these guidelines and eliminate those questionable nuances.

Download SAMPLE

READ ON

+ + +

Most screenwriters (writing narrative scripts) use FINAL DRAFT
[here's a free demo]

+ + +

and don't forget our SPLIT SCREEN SCRIPT FORMAT discussed in class

!!! FREE program Celtx will also do the job!

Nice film with Canon HV20

I'm posting this film not for its content but for its appearance, and the quality of its composition. The director gets some great effects using a consumer HD camera with no additional lenses, tin foil for a rain cover and minimal editing.

Our "big" camera: Canon XL2

Canon XL2 Watchdog: about the camera, FAQ, tips, resources, articles

Camera Corner: The XL2

Canon XL2 demo video:





Some stuff shot w/Canon XL2

Videos tagged w/ XL2: various clips

I include the following films for their "look" (form), not the content (I hate slasher action violent films). But, it's important to see what others are doing with the camera we will use in class.

Some links to films shot on the XL2:

http://www.theshadowasset.com/

http://www.cinevidproductions.com/

DV Films Guide

Here's a (dated) but still useful DV Films Guide with info such as:

FILM: Bamboozled
DIRECTOR: Spike Lee
DISTRIBUTOR: New Line
PLAYDATES: Opened theatrically October 6, 2000
FORMAT/CAMERA: MiniDV - Sony VX 1000 PAL
TRANSFER: Swiss Effects
NOTES: Shot by Cinematographer Ellen Kuras ("Blow", "The Mod Squad")

FILM: The Celebration
DIRECTOR: Thomas Vinterberg
DISTRIBUTOR: October Films
PLAYDATES: Opened theatrically Fall ‘98
FORMAT/CAMERA: MiniDV - Sony PC7 PAL
TRANSFER: Lukkien
NOTES: Won Special Jury Prize at Cannes ’98; many year-end critics’ top-ten lists; distributed in over 40 countries


FILM: Personal Velocity
DIRECTOR: Rececca Miller
DISTRIBUTOR: United Artists
PLAYDATES: Opening theatrically Fall 2002
FORMAT/CAMERA: DVCAM – Sony DSR PD150 PAL
TRANSFER: Efilm
NOTES: Won Best Cinematography and Grand Jury Prize at 2002 Sundance. Shot by Ellan Kuras.

and many more films. CHECK IT OUT!

First Class Links: Films Watched in Class

Personal Velocity
Homepage
Production Notes

Ellen Kuras Interview: "Cinematography as Poetry"
Chat with International Cinematographer's Guild w/Ellen HERE

Here's the Dogme95 Manifesto Info:
Homepage
Manifesto
"vow of chastity"
FAQ

Article about their method HERE
Dancer in the Dark: Homepage and Lars von Trier on Making of

The Celebration was shot on this camera:


Read the FAQ about The Celebration HERE

Wassup Rockers: Homepage

+ + Other Resources on Digital Cinematography:

Digital Cinematography on Wikipedia

Digital Cinematography on Creative Planet

2-pop Forums

Welcome to the Course! / Meet Your Instructor

Welcome to the course blog for the Fall 2007 section of "Advanced Video Production - Shooting the Short Film", offered through IFP MN.

About the Instructor:


Rachel Raimist
my blog
my website

Rachel Raimist is a filmmaker, educator, community organizer and mother. She is most known for her documentary, Nobody Knows My Name, about women in hip-hop, and as co-founder of B-Girl Be: A Celebration of Women in Hip Hop at Intermedia Arts. She is the videographer/co-editor of the award-winning film Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme, which aired on VH1, and has produced, directed and edited music videos, documentaries, performance pieces and narrative videos. Her work has screened at South by Southwest, Slamdance, Women in the Director’s Chair and numerous international venues. She is the co-editor of Home Girls Make Some Noise!: Hip Hop Feminism Anthology, has written and photographed for The Source, URB, Complex, Remix, and The Amsterdam News, and is a board member of the Hip Hop Film Festival. Rachel received a BA and an MFA in Film Directing from the UCLA School of Film and Television.

She has taught video production at the University of California, Irvine and Los Angeles, women of color feminisms at Macalester College, and feminist theory, feminist film studies, and rap poetry at the University of Minnesota. Currently, she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Feminist Studies from the University of Minnesota, and editing a documentary about prison poets.