MetaFilter posts tagged with filmmaking

6 Auteurs on Tantrums, Crazy Actors, and Quitting While They're Ahead

starman — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 08:46:14 -0800

The Directors Roundtable: Quentin Tarantino, David O. Russell, Ben Affleck, Ang Lee, Tom Hooper, and Gus Van Sant. Full video. (YouTube version)

For heaven's sake

mediated self — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 11:54:09 -0800

Final Cut: The Making and Unmaking of Heaven's Gate (YT) Other parts: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Previously.

The Autumn wind is pirate

nathancaswell — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:16:02 -0800

Filmmaker, football ambassador, part-time poet, creator of a music video genre and NFL films president Steve Sabol has passed away at the age of 69. The winner of 40 Emmys, Sabol made arguably the single biggest impact on the mythology of American football, completely changing the way the sport was covered and photographed.

"A montage of unique dolly shots from the films of Spike Lee."

beaucoupkevin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:02:56 -0800

Spike Lee: The Dolly Shot (SLVimeo) Compiled by Richard Cruz, featuring "Bra" by Cymande.

New video magazine about cinema

You Should See the Other Guy — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:55:18 -0800

The Seventh Art is an independently produced video magazine about cinema with three sections: a profile on an interesting group/company/organization in the industry, a video essay and a long-form interview with a filmmaker.

First Person Monster Blog

brundlefly — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:16:42 -0800

First Person Monster Blog with your host, special effects artist Shannon Shea. Also from Shea: Phantom Harbor.

HULK SMASHES THE PUNY PARADIGMS OF FILM CRITICISM

kcalder — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:40:45 -0800

Loudly and with much smashing, FilmCritHulk has become a major presence in the world of online film criticism with his semiotical essays on storytelling, cinematic principles, and media theory. Starting first on his personal blog, Hulk now writes for Badass Digest [previously] (the lifestyle blog corner of the Alamo Drafthouse empire [previously, previously]) Some highlights of the FilmCritHulk oeuvre. Filmmaking Hulk Explain Action Scenes (part two, part three) Acting 101 Screenwriting Hulk vs. the Hero's Journey The Myth of the 3-Act Structure Screenwriting 101: a book-length essay on screenwriting (part one, part two) Film Criticism Hulk vs the Hulk Movies Hulk vs. Fight Club (And The Work of David Fincher) Hulk and The Cinema of Edgar Wright The Ending is the Conceit: Super and the Art of Displacement Love of Cinema and the Theatrical Experience Why Hulk Go To Movies Never Hate a Movie A Note to Theater Owners / Movie-goers Concerning the Effect of Sound Videogames Hulk vs. The Evolution of the Modern Warfare Series (round two) [previously] Sexism in Arkham City If you are put off by the all-caps Hulk-smashing writing style you can use convert case, but don't expect him to change. At least not until Marvel sues him for copyright violation.

This is history

mediated self — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:32:35 -0800

Raiding the Lost Ark: a filmumentary (pt.1, vimeo) Raiding the Lost Ark is the newest making-of documentary, or "filmumentary," from Jamie Benning (twitter). This filmumentary intercuts scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark with behind the scenes footage, cast and crew interviews, reconstructed deleted scenes, and subtitles offering factual tidbits about the production. The first three parts have been released and are available on Benning's site. Benning's previous filmumentaries focused on the original Star Wars trilogy and can be viewed through the official website or this previous FPP.

Murray Close, Interviewed

beaucoupkevin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:20:07 -0800

Take 210,000 colour transparencies – plus or minus a thousand or two. Examine them one by one by one, carefully and closely. Study – and think about – the framing, lighting and colour balance. Check for any blurring or closed eyes. Think about how they’ll look blown up to billboard size. Take your time. You’ll need to. Now make an initial pick – 100 shots, say. Then cut your choices down to 30 – ‘the brown bag’ in movie jargon, the selection which will go to the studio executives. Then trim that down to six transparencies. And finally, to just one image – the iconic one.

That is the process by which Stanley Kubrick’s 1975 film The Shining came to be known by that one, terrifying moment of Jack Nicholson’s wild, unshaven, grinning face – eyes sharp left – emerging through an axe-smashed door. And it’s how Murray Close learned to take a photograph.

"Scenes reflect what has not yet happened, scenes anticipate what has already happened."

villanelles at dawn — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:21:24 -0800

In the Cut: Piecing Together the Action Sequence. A video essay in three parts by Jim Emerson.

Part I: Shots in the Dark (Knight)

Part II: A Dash of Salt

Part III: I Left my Heart in my Throat in San Francisco

"I believe in the things I make. The fact that God doesn’t want me to make them is beside the point."

codacorolla — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:41:46 -0800

"The thing is, some really good scripts come my way, but there’s nothing in them for me to come to grips with, they are complete in themselves ... There’s no uncertainty. I don’t look for answers; I look for questions. I like when people leave the cinema and feel like the world has been altered for them somewhat." Terry Gilliam: The Heir of Fellini and the Enemy of God. (Also, recently on the blue.) Via The Browser.

We're gonna need a bigger stage.

Neilopolis — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:06:41 -0800

"As part of the DGA's 75th Anniversary, DGA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and three-time DGA Award winner, Steven Spielberg, was celebrated on June 11, 2011..." "...Featuring a lively and engaging panel discussion with fellow visionary directors J.J. Abrams (Super 8) and James Cameron (Avatar), and moderated by 75th Anniversary Committee Chair Michael Apted, this "Game-Changer" event drew a maximum capacity crowd at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles and provided a deeply intimate, highly engaging reflection on one of the most influential and beloved filmmakers of all time." To watch the entire event, click on the top left video in the first link.

Film lovers are sick people.

Nomyte — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:39:35 -0800

Film Film Film (1968), an award-winning Soviet animated short (1, 2), depicts the many unalloyed joys of filmmaking, from writer's block to studio censorship, working with children, unforeseen script revisions, delays, running over budget, technical difficulties, and uncertain audience reception. The YouTube videos are captioned where necessary. The actual short eschews (intelligible) dialogue and requires little to no Russian. It's also available on DVD as part of volume one of the Masters of Russian Animation series. The opening song is performed by Sokol ("Falcon"), one of the earliest, if not the earliest, Soviet rock band (please enjoy an unintelligible Google translation of the band's fan bio). Here's a RuTube link to their earliest song, «Где тот край»/"Where is That Land," and another to their later song «Солнце над нами»/"The Sun Above Us." They don't sound half bad! Drawing on a variety of contemporary Brit-pop and rock inspirations, the band explored several musical directions between its formation in 1964 and disbanding in 1969, when its members finished their university studies and entered the regular workforce. The theme song to Film Film Film is their only lasting mark on popular culture.

Full Metal Kubrick

philip-random — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 22:46:39 -0800

"I'm not going to be asked any conceptualizing questions, right?" STANLEY KUBRICK - THE ROLLING STONE INTERVIEW. Conducted in 1987 by Tim Cahill to promote Full Metal Jacket, it's considered one of the longest he ever gave.

How Did They Ever Make a Movie of Facebook?

slimepuppy — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 01:27:45 -0800

Watch the 93 minute documentary on the making of The Social Network for free on IMDB - How Did They Ever Make a Movie of Facebook? (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) (via)

Magnificent Obsession

reenum — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 07:26:34 -0800

The Magnificent Ambersons, Orson Welles' second film, has inspired a legend around the lost footage excised by the studio to make it more appealing to audiences. The film's making is a cautionary tale in letting the studio have creative control, and the finished product pained Welles to his dying day. The mythical status of the lost footage has inspired a few to try and track it down. (Previously)

They have cameras. And lions. And penguins. And sharks. And...

amyms — Sat, 01 May 2010 01:46:14 -0800

Wild Film History is a guide to over 100 years of wildlife filmmaking, highlighting landmark films (1959's Serengeti Darf Nicht Sterben, aka Serengeti Shall Not Die - Clip 1, Clip 2) as well as historical relics (1910's The Birth of a Flower - Clip). Check out the links on the Key Events page for an overview of how the genre developed. The site also features biographies and oral history interviews with pioneers (mostly U.K.-based) in the industry. A project of Wildscreen.

It's gotta be better than Charlie's Angels

billysumday — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:53:39 -0800

Movie made by chimpanzees to be broadcast on television. [insert joke about film school]

Dependant Film Making

Taft — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:16:26 -0800

Confessions of an Independent Film Maker is the video log about a Filipino guy who wants to make a feature film. After a year and a half, he's finally in production. Watch out for this guy.

Steadicam + Segway = Steadicam on a Segway

40 Watt — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:46:59 -0800

Steadicam operators! Are you tired of simply walking with your camera rig to achieve that special wobble-free shot? Or maybe you're making a movie on the cheap and can't afford all that heavy equipment? Behold! The future of filmmaking has arrived! Presenting: Steadicam on a Segway! (Warning: Obnoxious, awful Flash interface on second link)

Free Online Film School

jonson — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:26:39 -0800

TakeZer0 is a weekly videoblog by two young filmmakers aiming to be a free basic film school for anyone interested, with lessons so far on shot composition, lighting, camera stabilization & the overall process.

A masterpiece in nonverbal filmmaking.

ageispolis — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:08:49 -0800

Baraka is an astonishing film voyaging six continents and twenty-four countries. Directed by Ron Fricke, it is a visual tour de force painstakingly shot on Todd AO-70mm film. Information on the film (and its upcoming sequel!) can be found here or you can always watch the making of.

Peter Greenaway speaks

jayder — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 19:59:30 -0800

Peter Greenaway speaks (what follows are short Youtube excerpts of a lecture by Greenaway): on the tyranny of celebrities; on Martin Scorcese; on airport bookshops and culture; on notions of media; on his belief that Bill Viola is worth ten Scorceses; on why he goes on making films; on the notion of the frame in theater and cinema; on Dutch producer Kees Kasander; on why we have to get rid of the camera: "There's a way in which a camera is essentially a mimetic tool which tells us how the world exists, and what it tells us is always going to be less interesting than what's really happening out there. Also: interview about 8 1/2 Women.

A new market for High Definition surveillance cameras?

melorama — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 19:06:17 -0800

RED ONE is a 12.6 megapixel digital film/HD camcorder developed by Jim Jannard, founder of the Oakley sunglasses company. The camera will retail for $17,500, and is alleged to outperform HD and digital film cameras from established companies like Sony, Arri, Panavision and Dalsa (whose offerings all cost well in excess of $100,000). The general consensus among pundits in media production circles is that Jannard's camera will be a true disruptive technology. Last night, no less than 24 hours after the very first publically available sample images from the camera's "Mysterium" sensor were posted to the RED Digital Cinema website, the company's development offices were broken into. According to Jannard, "Everything they took was camera and camera file related...there is no question all they came for was RED camera stuff." (Additional obligatory and annoying YouTube links: First public demonstration of the RED camera at the IBC convention in Amsterdam and the RED Q & A session that followed.)

Screenwriting Expo

nromanek — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 11:38:01 -0800

How I Ended Up In Big Pitches - article in London Times about last weekend's Screenwriting Expo in Los Angeles. Features Warren Hsu Leonard, William Goldman, Brian Watanabe, David Freeman, Michael Hauge.