This was a trick that was used during one of the shows I was on last weekend. It was a funeral scene inside a church, so the pews had to be full of mourners. The only problem was we had about ten extras, half of which were crew. Fortunately, the camera can be fooled....
Tips
Make a UPM Kit
During my first semester in the Film School we had a Production Management class. In it we were required to create a UPM kit. Shopping for these items brought back grade school memories. Here's what we had to pickup: One portable file box or satchel - the UPM kit One...
I Think I’m Done Editing
Well, I will be by 10 am tomorrow as that's when the teacher comes in to lock picture. But when you have your own schedule, it's hard to finally say, "this is it, the film is done." Each time I watch Cubicles I find something to tweak or adjust. I'll be glad to have...
Useful Final Cut Pro Shortcuts
I'm not exactly feeling too well today, so I'll just write about five keyboard shortcuts I found to be the most useful during the editing process. 'J-K-L' - Easy Playback - Typically I'll have my right hand on the mouse and left hand over J-K-L on the keyboard. These...
Film Books
These are a few of the books we're required/recommended to get. Hopefully I'll be able to go into more detail about each one in the future. We were recommended to buy this book last year for Filmmaking I, and now both Filmmaking III and Advanced Cinematography are...
How to Make Professional Looking DVDs
I just finished designing the DVD for Cubicles to give out to the crew and interviewees. A lot of people liked the design and asked what was needed, so here's a guide I wrote up. Maxell DVD-R Printable 50 for $14.99 Get these while they're still on sale. When first...
Tim Gunn Would Cringe
It's been a busy morning, but the action on my part has finally calmed down, leaving time for a little on-set reporting. Today is day one of 'The Groom is Becoming a Tree,' which, as you might have guessed, is about a groom becoming a tree. Since this takes place...
Producing a Happy Crew
Producing is like being the Chief Happiness Officer on set. It's all about keeping the crew happy and the set flowing smoothly. After producing two films, my view is the 1AD works on a micro level, creating a detailed set-up schedule and working shot to shot, while...
Keep the Pitches Off the Elevator
Imagine this - you stop by a big studio, maybe to try to get a few minutes with an exec to pitch your next idea. As you get back on the elevator to leave (with the no scheduled meeting), the door opens to reveal the Head of the Studio already riding down. "Great Zeus,...