NoFilmSchool » sundance

Sundance-winning ‘Like Crazy’ DP Shares Lessons Learned Shooting on HDSLR

E.M. Taboada — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:57:39 +0000

It’s easy to forget just how liberating shooting with HDSLRs can be — you can follow your characters down a crowded street, get B-roll while your crew is setting up lights, and generally have the flexibility that a small camera allows you. Last year’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, Like Crazy , got a lot of press for the fact that it was shot on a Canon 7D and was acquired by Paramount for $4 million – but less discussed was why it was shot on a 7D and what the challenges and advantages of doing so were. In an interview with HD Magazine, DP John Guleserian delves into these questions and more — revealing how shooting with a HDSLR has impacted his way of shooting in general: (more…)

How Technology is Influencing Storytelling and Film: an Excellent Panel from Sundance

Ryan Koo — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:40:26 +0000

Here’s an excellent panel from this year’s Sundance Film Festival, sponsored by Adobe and featuring Vincent Laforet, Rob Legato, Jacob Rosenberg, and Sharlto Copley. The 77-minute panel follows, in full, with some pulled quotes and highlights: (more…)

Ten Shorts from This Year's Sundance Film Festival Now Available to Watch Online

Ryan Koo — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:50:14 +0000

Sundance has announced this year’s Jury-prize winning shorts, and one of the winners is already available to watch online free. In total there are ten shorts online, and you don’t have to be in Park City to see them. Here’s one short that’s embeddable — note that it is not for the faint of heart (bad pun intended… there is a fair amount of surgery shown): (more…)

Sundance 2012 Kicks Off -- Here's How to Watch (Almost) All of the Trailers

Ryan Koo — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:56:16 +0000

Today the 2012 Sundance Film Festival kicked off, and most of the indie film world is currently in Park City. I’m staying home to work on my own feature, but I feel like I’m missing a lot of great films… so I just sat down and watched every trailer I could get my hands on (link after the jump). Here’s the kickoff video from Sundance’s YouTube Channel with Festival Director John Cooper, and Director of Programming Trevor Groth: (more…)

After a Record-Breaking Number of Acquisitions at Sundance, is Indie Film 'Back?'

Ryan Koo — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:29:00 +0000

A bit of time has passed since I posted about a record number of acquisitions taking place at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Without attending the festival myself — and as someone who hopes to play Sundance with one of my own films in the future — I’ve found myself wondering in the days since, “why?” What made Sundance 2011 so different from Sundance 2010? At Hammer to Nail, producer Mike S. Ryan has asked the same question, and he’s much more qualified to provide answers: (more…)

A Closer Look at Lance Weiler's 'Pandemic' (and the Future of Storytelling)

Ryan Koo — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 17:22:31 +0000

Lance Weiler’s Pandemic 1.0 wasn’t just a short that played Sundance (available to watch in full here). The transmedia pioneer’s project extended far beyond the theater, involving real-world objects and a plethora of social media hooks. Watching the behind-the-scenes videos is akin to time-traveling to the future (of storytelling): (more…)

Coatwolf's 'Bellflower' Played Sundance with Cinematography from a Hand-Built Custom Camera

Ryan Koo — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:50:25 +0000

Film collective Coatwolf’s short Bellflower played in Sundance’s NEXT section, and from what I can tell had a unique aesthetic. Why? Because they pieced together their camera from dozens of parts. Here’s a look at the ridiculous (not in a bad way) contraption in action: (more…)

Sundance Announces Award-Winners; More Films Acquired at This Year's Festival Than Ever Before?

Ryan Koo — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 21:36:09 +0000

A raft of awards were handed out as the 2011 Sundance Film Festival drew to a close this weekend. But the awards were not the only story: with over 30 films acquired at the festival, this year’s Sundance Film Festival boasted the highest number of acquisitions in the festival’s history, according to NYmag. The aforementioned Canon 7D-shot Like Crazy won the Grand Jury Prize (Dramatic), whereas How to Die in Oregon took home the Documentary Grand Jury Prize. While the particular camera used to shoot a film is far less important than… well, everything else, from what I can tell there was no shortage of HDSLR-shot features in Park City this year. Also winning an award was the Danfung Dennis documentary Hell and Back Again, which took home the World Cinema Jury Prize. Shot on a Canon 5D Mark II, here’s its trailer (NSFW language): (more…)

Crowdsourced 'Life in a Day' Feature Film Premieres Live on YouTube at 8PM EST Tonight

Ryan Koo — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:34:14 +0000

As promised, the Ridley Scott-produced and Kevin MacDonald-directed collaborative YouTube film (26 co-directors are named) will be premiering at the Sundance Film Festival tonight. Because it’s a YouTube production, however, it will also be streaming live online at 8PM EST. Life in a Day was culled from 80,000 user-submitted clips to give a flavor of what was happening all around the world on July 24, 2010. Here’s a teaser: (more…)

Canon 7D-Shot Indie 'Like Crazy' Acquired by Paramount Pictures for $4 Million at Sundance

Ryan Koo — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:25:35 +0000

By all reports it’s been a strong year for acquisitions at Sundance (at least compared to the past couple of years), and one standout is the Drake Doremus-directed, mostly improvised indie feature Like Crazy. Shot on a Canon 7D, the picture was the subject of an all-night bidding war and was eventually claimed by Paramount for $4 million (no word on the P&A committment). There’s no web site for the film yet, but here’s a brief clip: (more…)

Lance Weiler's Transmedia Project 'Pandemic 1.0' Premieres at Sundance (and Online)

Ryan Koo — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:25:10 +0000

Transmedia pioneer Lance Weiler premiered his new project, Pandemic 1.0, at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival last night. Also known as “Pandemic 41.410806, -75.654259″ — which, if you put those coordinates into Google Maps, reveals a Scranton, PA setting — the 10-minute short premiered yesterday in the New Frontier Performances and Installations section of the festival, as well as on FEARnet HD (Verizon FiOS channel 197). And online, right here: (more…)

Virtual Sundance

Ryan Koo — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:00:27 +0000

Didn’t make it to the Sundance Film Festival this year? For the flavor of what took place January 21-31 in Park City, you can rent some of the films shown, read a brief wrap-up, or watch a collection of videos filmed at the festival. Here are several behind-the-scenes vids. (more…)

Seen: Doc Ellis and the LSD No-No

Ryan Koo — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:00:27 +0000

Currently airing at the Sundance Film Festival is the animated short Doc Ellis and the LSD No-No, the presumably true story of the late Doc Ellis pitching a no-hitter for the 1970 Pittsburgh Pirates… while high on LSD. (more…)