Though there have been some seriously divided opinions on the new Adobe Creative Cloud-only strategy, there is no question the company has made a dent into what was once Final Cut Pro and Avid territory. The Coen Brothers, Academy Award winners for Fargo and No Country for Old Men, have been editing their own films since they began their careers (under the name Roderick Jaynes), and they’ve been using Apple’s software until now: their newest film, which has not begun shooting, will be edited on Adobe Premiere. More »
One of the secrets to getting your digital footage a little more cinematic is to add some grain in post. While even footage originating on film sometimes gets this treatment, it’s a nice way to bring back some organic feeling into an otherwise clinical medium. Rgrain, who has been producing realistic grain plates (not actual scanned grain) for some time now, is introducing a brand new pack that extends all the way up to 6K resolution. Check out an introduction video below: More »
If you write your screenplays in Final Draft (like me) but didn’t have an iPad when Final Draft Writer originally debuted at the sale price of $30 (like me), but now you have an iPad and wish you could’ve gotten Final Draft Writer for the cheaper price (like me) so you’ve waited for a sale (like me), you’re in luck. Until May 15th, Final Draft Writer is available for $30, 40% off the regular price of $50. Need a little more info about the app? Check out our recap below from when the app originally debuted. More »
We all know that watching a movie on a 15-inch laptop from your couch just doesn’t compare to a real movie theater experience, and yet every year the numbers of people going out to the movies shrinks – meaning, for filmmakers, so do the number of different films that get to play on the big screen. Is it because of television? The Internet? Kids these days and their short attention spans?! In the entertaining series of videos below captured by 4th Row Films at the Sundance Art House Convergence, Ira Deutchman, suggests how me might save theatrical distribution. More »
DP/30 brings us some of the most casual yet penetrating interviews with filmmaking talent, and this one pushes that envelope even more. In the format of a roundtable lunchtime chat in sunny Southern California, the creative crew behind The Diving Bell and the Butterfly exposes their approach to material that had no precedent, the perks of making the film outside the United States, and creating new conventions where none existed. Hit the jump to watch the 30 minute segment: More »
Even though NAB is mostly a gear show, new hardware isn’t very useful unless it’s actually being used to make something. FreshDV had a chance to talk with filmmakers on the show floor about more than just gear, specifically what kinds of story and storytelling they enjoyed the most. Click through to check out the video below. More »
We mention 4k a lot around here, mainly because it’s something most filmmakers will have to work with at some point in the near future if they haven’t already. While 4k acquisition is certainly a separate topic from 4K distribution, both are important conversations, and FreshDV took to the NAB show floor to discuss the topic with filmmakers: More »
We’ve been talking quite a bit about Adobe over the past few months, as they’ve announced new versions of all their major desktop applications and ended the Creative Suite as we know it. Even though some folks are none too thrilled with Adobe right now due to the complete switch to the Creative Cloud, they still make what many consider to be the rising star of NLEs with Premiere Pro, and it’s more packed than ever with features to make filmmaker’s lives easier. Today we’re going to explore two of the lesser known color effects that come with Premiere Pro, the Leave Color and Change to Color effects. While these might not be something you will use day-to-day, they’re an excellent option when you need to create some highly stylized shots at a moment’s notice. So without any further ado, here are the tutorials, straight from Creative COW: More »
Director Micael Preysler had a unique set of circumstances for making his debut feature film, going from the creation of a simple teaser to the now nearly completed film. Hurricane Sandy proved to be a challenging obstacle, hitting the film’s 16 day shoot right in the middle, destroying key locations and making transportation impossible. Read on to get the full scoop, see how they rose to the challenges, and watch the new theatrical trailer for Lily & Kat: More »
Adobe had quite a bit to talk about at their conference yesterday. Besides announcing that they were ending Creative Suite and making it a Creative Cloud-only option, they also talked about a few hardware projects they’ve been working on: Mighty, a new cloud-connected pen stylus, and Napoleon, a ruler — both made specifically for mobile devices. While the hardware itself may not be all that innovative, the way it interacts with the devices takes mobile creations to a whole different level. Check out the introduction video below from Michael Gough, Adobe’s VP of Product Experience: More »
If there is one axiom about screenwriting for the studios that holds true above all others, it may be this: your screenplay will be rewritten. If you’re lucky (depending on how you define “lucky”), you’ll get to rewrite the script yourself. You may even get fired off your original screenplay only to be rehired a few drafts down the road to fix what other screenwriters have changed, like screenwriter Michael Arndt on his Oscar-winning Little Miss Sunshine, according to his introduction to the published version of the script. Studios want to take the guesswork out of rewrites to figure out which changes will lead to the biggest return on their investments. Enter the world of statistical analysis and script consultants who make script notes purely based on the numbers. More »
The film industry has changed dramatically over the past decade, and trying to make a living from movies is getting more difficult as independent films (and films in general) fight for a smaller piece of the viewership pie. That’s where people like Ted Hope come in. He has been working tirelessly to make sustainable filmmaking careers a reality, and he’s written a tremendous post that should be an eye-opener for anyone trying to survive as a filmmaker.
This is a guest post by Producer Ted Hope. More »
Other than their deep meditation on mortality — and the associated motif of a sacred source of life — Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain (2006) and Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life (2011) couldn’t be more different. That is, aside from the way in which the films achieve much of their strikingly beautiful cosmic imagery. In an era of filmmaking in which CGI and space-bound science fiction are far from strangers, these two films opt for a more naturalistic alternative — such as macrophotography and high-speed microscopy — to visualize their explorations of life in the universe. What could be more appropriate effects for films so occupied with the organic? Click through for some details on how VFX allowed the microscopic to ‘double’ for the cosmos. More »
About a year ago, Adobe announced that they were going to be offering subscriptions for their software through what they were calling Creative Cloud. Besides being a monthly subscription instead of a one-time fee, Creative Cloud also offers other advantages like being able to view and share work from any device through specific applications. Back in March, Adobe killed off boxed versions of the Creative Suite, suggesting that they were going to move away from CS altogether, and starting in June, they’re doing just that: future versions of Creative Suite will only be available through Creative Cloud. Click through for more from Adobe on the announcement. More »
Filmmaking has gone through many great evolutionary events in its over 130 years of existence. It has seen technological advances: from Edison’s Kinetograph, (arguably) the first motion picture camera to the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, from exhibiting films on a Kinetoscope, to exhibiting them on smartphones. However, one change that has yet to really be made in the film world is its presence of female directors. Fandor released an infographic that breaks down the distribution of women in both independent cinema and Hollywood, and the figures may surprise you. More »
We recently shared commentary from Ridley Scott in which he acknowledged that filmmaking is indeed a business and a commercial industry — and more often than not, it’s an expensive one. As such, filmmakers are expected to put theater-going tushes in seats, one way or another, proverbial or otherwise. Now, director Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours) describes a trend he feels is making movies too safe, family-friendly, and overall unchallenging — robbing cinema of mature, adult-oriented films. He calls this trend the ‘Pixarification’ of movies, and the added box office bankability that comes with it may or may not be a motivating factor. Click through to hear Boyle’s interesting take on this state of cinema below. More »
While one person will never replace a crew of people, plenty of gear is making it easier to get great looking shots on your own. Kessler has been at the forefront of this change, and they are now introducing a piece of gear that will make it easier to do repeatable slider movements while panning at the same time — without any additional motors. Click through to check out the introduction video for the Kessler Parallax auto-panning device: More »
We are fortunate enough to live in a day and age in which the words of prolific and eclectic filmmaking talents come readily and often. We’ve already heard from working cinematographers such as Roger Deakins and Blue Valentine DP Andrij Parekh, as well as friends of nofilmschool Ryan E. Walters and Timur Civan. We’ve also heard from directors such as Steven Soderberg and Ridley Scott – and all of this is just to name a few. Now, we have a few more valuable words from Sir Ridley — this time discussing everything from his breakthrough into the industry, his experience in learning how to work with actors, and honing a highly sensitive visual eye. Click through to hear these words and more from “the director who uses too much smoke!” More »
We reported recently that French camera maker Aaton was in financial trouble thanks to issues with sensor development on its Penelope Delta digital cinema camera which has yet to see the light of day in any real numbers. Confirming these issues, Jean-Pierre Beauviala, Aaton founder, explained in a statement what’s happening with the company, and what they plan to focus on going forward — which includes a new audio recorder and a new documentary-style digital cinema camera. More »
We talked a little bit about Lightworks and their plans for the future during NAB a few weeks ago. The team over at EditShare haven’t missed a beat since then, and now they’ve released the public beta of the Linux version of Lightworks. Although most of us aren’t currently using Ubuntu, my guess is that’s due to the fact that, until now, there haven’t been any truly professional or industry-recognized NLEs on that platform. Now, however, with an NLE that is truly powerful and operating system agnostic, editors will have the choice to work with the OS that suits their needs, not the OS that fits their software solution. Hit the jump for details on the release. More »
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