Another killing spree to hit the U.S.

                                                           THIS and THAT                                                                        

Now I really need to get something off my chest.  Now there is a parasite that took innocent lives in its path recently by the name of Elliot Rodger. Now if anybody has seen his videos you know that he was very disturbed. And if there truly is a Hell. I hope he's rotting in it as I write this. But heres my complaint.  There is a lot of hateful comments coming out of this tragic event with this YesAllWomen. This maniac took mens lives to. It seems by reading these comments that their lives didn't seem to matter and going onto some on Twitter putting all men in this category(Making it sound like ALL men are killers).  So if you look at it that way and these women that are saying this are no better then Rodger's himself.  He blamed all women for his problems and these women turn around and say stuff like that.  Now me as a man have had a rough go with women. ALL the women(I've had my fair share of women come into my life) I've been with have been abusive in some form(Mainly physically & Mentally). But I would NEVER put all women in that category because I know its just not true.  It angers me because I think about my nephews, and we have to think about our sons, our grandsons and like said our nephews futures. Spreading hate is wrong.  It wasn't right when this Rodger's guy did it and it isn't right when these women do it either.  Feminist groups preach hate people. Thats their main function in todays day and age. They don't believe in equality. They preach hate and this tragedy has given them another platform(And excuse) to further their agenda.   My heart goes out to ALL the victim's that died at the hands of this lunatic.  I'm not a murderer and know my friends aren't(Some only in movies).  You cannot label somebody like this. A HUGE percentage of us would NOT kill and know the differences between right and wrong.

These murders was committed by a man bent on rage and hatred. He planned it. He knew what he was going to do from day one. No sane person would commit these acts. But on the other hand you cannot blame mental illness either. Like pointed out he knew exactly what he was doing.  He was evil. Plain and simple.

Mental Health Day

MENTAL HEALTH DAY

My battle with mental health has been one Hell of a rough ride to say the least. I've had it ever since I was a kid and the battle is still ongoing. But like that old saying goes. What hasn't killed me has made me stronger. I know I turned it around there a bit to fit my story. Now mental illness seems to have a bad rap to it. Some people think as soon as you hear the word "Mental Illness" the red flag goes up and they think your some lunatic out to hurt people and talk to walls or themselves(Usually I get better answers that way ;)  But this isn't the case. People like that use mental illness as an excuse. Like when some evil sick bastard shoots innocent children. They instantly point to mental illness. These type of people already have it in their minds what their going to do and know exactly what 
"My ENCLOSED short film from 2010 on a man dealing
 with mental illness"

They are doing when doing that sort of an act. The end result usually sees the cowards taking their own lives as well.   This isn't mental illness these are people bent on committing evil and cowardly acts. People dealing with real mental illness are people that work. Are creative. Are just like anybody else except for battling an illness.   So hope some of you see my point and do realize that people dealing with mental illness in some form are just normal people.   I admit its been hard finding a good woman because of it. I always feel honesty is the best way for a man and woman to truly connect. But I guess when you say something about mental health issues they freak out instead of getting to really know the good person before them. I myself have overcome fears that usually come with this illness. Such as acting. Making films. And being apart of the Hamilton Background Agency family. I even spoke for the first time in front of medical students about my illness. Could I have done that a few years prior? No. I also help people(Or at least try to) with their illness.  I mean if I died tomorrow I've accomplished a lot in my life. I've achieved both of my dreams.  I don't let anybody hold me down. I work hard at what ever I set my mind to.   

DANGERS OF MENTAL HEALTH

With mental health like any illness there are dangers.  The main thing is suicide. Yes its a major problem with mental illness. Mental illness has taken lives along its bitter path.  Its happened to me a few times where I've almost lost mine. But unfortunately some have passed because of it.  You feel helpless.  I was in an all boys high school and had a knife put into my back. There was guns and drugs.  It was like the film "LEAN ON ME". I was a small kid so was bullied and really had no fighting experience back then. I tried to commit suicide several times.  So know the dangers.  It can be very dangerous. But I'm here to say there is help out there. I'm a HUGE supporter of the Canadian Mental Health Association  They've been a HUGE help. 

IN THE END

In the end I wish I could say I had a great childhood and it was all peaches and cream. But unfortunately I can't. When entering an al boys school I missed out on all the great things in life. For instance. My first girlfriend. A Prom. High School dances etc etc etc I had a lot of friends at Barton High School which is where I should have been. But due to the twisted hand of Fate it didn't happen that way.  Later on I'd take the name FATE to achieve my first dream in becoming a Professional Wrestler. But in the end we can't turn back time and this illness has made me stronger.  



BELL LETS TALK

CMHA

Some basic rules of filmmaking...

How to really watch a film is a simple task that will prep you in your filmmaking venture.   First lets start with some simple rules. Yes even filmmaking has rules. Lets start with the 180 rule. It can be cheated but most filmmakers rather not.



180 RULE
http://youtu.be/y4wX_dmh8_g

As you can see in the image the camera stays on the right of its subjects. There is an imaginary line the keeps the camera(s) on the side. This is easy for when you take your film into post as well. You won't give the editor a difficult task.  Also never have your actors cross camera or have one blocking out the other. For example if your doing an over shoulder you want to be able to see your subject facing camera so you catch their dialogue & if there is an expression  on their face involved. Your audience needs to see this as its important to your respective film.


                                            TECHNIQUES THAT BRING EMOTION

                                                Push and Pull with Quick Cuts Technique

Hurt Locker

                                                   http://youtu.be/dxB5M1L2I9s

Not to many filmmakers use this certain technique. But to me for intense films like the Hurt Locker it works really well. If you watch this clip from the Hurt Locker you'll see this technique. It simply means the camera zooms in quick then pulls out just as quick. Plus adding fast cuts really brings your viewers into the film more and brings forth emotion. Indy filmmakers do tend to use this technique more then studio films. But its best if you can find a good D.O.P./Cinematographer that knows this technique. Also it helps if you have a great Producer/Director that will listen to a cinematographer that knows it.


                                                                  SLOW MOTION

                                                                           DRIVE
                                                             http://youtu.be/i5ufgkJ-uVE


Slow motion will really bring out the emotion in your film.  Yes its best to add that your going to use slow motion within your film so you know the area or areas you'll be using it. Take DRIVE. A Masterpiece in filmmaking. In the scene listed the slow motion really bring out emotion.  As an indy filmmaker you need to stand out and tell a great story.  Your telling a story with moving pictures.  Slow motion really captures RAW emotion.


                                                           

                                                     B & W  And Playing with Shadows                  

                                                         http://youtu.be/mCUW4SwmfGc
                                          My video with push & pull plus playing with light

Black and White really sets a certain mood for your film. Take the 1922 film Nosferatu directed by F.W. Murnau & written by Henrik Galeen for instance. A classic silent film to where the B&W really fit this dark tale.  But in the clip I've chosen from this film you'll see the shadow of the Vampire walking up the stairs. Using lighting techniques to play around with shadows is artistic expression. In Django Unchained Tarantino using this brilliantly. You'll see the character Broomhilda  laying with her back to a door. Then the shadow of Django appears. People instantly know who it is. Same technique was used in Raiders of the lost Arc. You see Marion at her bar and the shadow of Indie appears. This technique is very effective.


Main thing for indy filmmakers to realize that different is good. Using these and learning other techniques will help make your film(s) stand out. You'll often run into jealous people. But stay true to who you are. Its better to be humble in this business then being a jerk. I am friends with some great filmmakers and they stay level headed.


                                                                  Important Things
- NETWORKING:

 

Networking with other filmmakers, actors, writer etc is a great idea as well. There are great sites like mandy.com  to help you find different people in your area looking to get experience. Film school is an option in networking. But with most film schools they'll teach you mainly what everybody else is doing. Like said you want to stand out. I know where I live there is places for people interested in the film business to meet up at. If you have this option then please go to them.







- KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE


This is important. Not everybody is going to like horror and not everybody is going to like drama. People have different tastes. So know your audience. Its good to know every genre of film. I like horror but have mainly done drama. If your first film is a horror and people like it. Then stick with it. But always try to re-event yourself to stick on the lines of being original. Its fine if you use techniques of coarse that you've seen in some of your favourite films. Or there is a certain filmmaker you love and you decide you like their style so you use it. Thats fine to. But also find your style as well.




Please support indy filmmakers and their films. Just because something is independent does not mean that its not going to be any good. I'm listing a few sites where you can catch some great independent short films below. Happy Filming.

http://www.blinkamovie.com

https://vimeo.com


Also youtube has some great shorts...

Corey Sim
TIME KNOWS FILMS Productions ©

Does cameras really matter. Low budget filmmaking.

When doing a feature to short film does a camera really matter in the end or how expensive your equipment is? If your one that answered "YES" to this then you've answered wrong. Do you really believe your average film goer that is watching your respective film or any film is saying "Gee I wonder if they used the RED ONE or a Canon 5D Mark II to shoot this film".  If you think that then really you have no purpose being in the business. Here's the truth when it comes to filmmaking.  You don't have to have a lot of money. You don't have to have the best equipment. No what you do need is an original idea that will capture your audience. A good story is the key. Unless your a studio film because they in fact can afford to blow $250,000,000.  But even in Hollywood through word of mouth if a story is well done people will goto it. Granted there are a lot pop corn flicks circulating amongst us but again those are studio driven films and they can afford to present effects driven movies to the public because usually even if its poorly done they still do manage to cut a profit.  But now going back onto the subject. Cameras don't make your film. A good story does. Wether its about your dog Skippy. Or about your insane Aunt Dora. It doesn't matter as long as its a great story and its presented well.  So when listening to some who say well the Canon 5D is better then your mini DV. Just remember its also whose behind the camera as well and again the camera your using isn't important.  I've seen brilliant films shot on 8mm and saw others shot on a RED and they were horrible. They thought well I'm using what the Hollywood big shots are using that its going to be the best film out there because of the equipment. Yet it doesn't work that way. One of my first film shorts I submitted came in the top 4 out of like 66 other entries. It was shot on DV.  Mind you yes HD does make your picture look sharp and the quality is fantastic. But it was the story that caught every bodies attention. 

Well low budget filmmaking is simple and easy when you really have no money you look around you.  If you know somebody that has a home or you have a place yourself you take advantage of that. Just like if they own a pacific car you love and you want to shoot it then you simply ask. If they are great friends 9 times out of 10 they'll be all for it. The key in low budget filmmaking is saving money. First thing first...

- Writing & finishing your script

Of coarse this is important. You need a script if you plan on having actors a part of it and its a serous project.

- Small Crew

Keep your crew small but hope they are devoted to your projects. I've ran into a few problems myself where some skipped out even though I was giving them an AD credit in my film(s). Usually just out of film school grads are looking for the experience. 

- Actors(Mainly non union)

There are a lot of actors looking to get a fresh start and work on their craft.  The ones that are looking for any on camera experience are the ones you want because both of you benefit. Although if you can afford a little bit of money to offer an actor with more experience this to is beneficial to your projects as well. 

- Pre Production meet & read(s)

Usually blocking shots before shooting is your best bet. I've been on a lot of cold shoots and as a cinematographer that often is annoying.  It's manageable if you have to but if you get the chance to do blocking then in the end it will be a better experience for your cinematographer and yourself if your the director.  Plus do a storyboard or shot lists.  Less stress on yourself and your D.O.P./Cinematographer. 

It's also good if you have a pre read before you goto camera. Or ask your actors to do a monologue for you to see their strengths on camera. If in person you can work on it there. Often if you have an actor that you have just going strait at it with out any prep it takes them awhile to get it right and it waste a lot of time. And this in turn is not good if you have a location for a limited time only. 

- Green Screen It

If you can't get a location you so desperately want. Then simply green screen it.  It's a cheap and easy way to create locations that you want. 

- Doable Locations and then there's Gorilla 

If you have a home, apartment, shack etc Then use it. Or if you have friends with the same take advantage of that.  Like said great friends will let you.  I mean if they own a bar or a muscle car or have a smoking hot relative you want to use then go for it.  Use what you can and you have access to. 

There is also doing it Gorilla style.  Means going to a location you want and filming there with out a permit and then getting the heck out of there fast :) 

The whole deal here is to save  money if your an Indy filmmaker.  You don't need expensive equipment. We have a lot of great tools out there to help us out.  The true key is your imagination.   

DOOMS DAY Part 2

DOOMS DAY


Once again the fear mongers rear their ugly heads. I'm going to throw a bunch of scenario's that basically border on the lines of stupidity. I tuned into a show called Unsealed: Conspiracy files. Last nights episode spoke in depth about a Zombie invasion. Yes I'm being  serious here. They had stated a Zombie invasion is on the horizon and this will be the end of humanity as we know it. So keep an eye on the person sitting next to you they could be sitting there one minute and the next trying to eat your brains or take a massive chunk out of your ass. As brought up in a previous post that dealt with the same subject I pointed out that the Mayans never predicted the end of the world. EVER. This was stories made up by fear mongers to try and sell fear to the public. Hey some need to sell their books,films, music etc some how. Why not through fear? Hey fear sells very well. But December 21st 2012 has passed us and not surprising not a single thing happened.  No Natural disasters. No sudden power outages. No acts of God's wrath. Nothing.  So people believed this crap so much that they spent all their money and went bankrupt. Ridiculous.  But surprising there were no suicides.  But a Zombie invasion people. Who else is going to make an appearance? Dracula? The Wolf Man? Frankenstein? I guess these people are thinking its going to be like the plot of Cabin in the Woods. Listen. Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves etc are apart of fiction. Yes there are people that believe that VooDoo really works and that some VooDoo Priest can some how make the dead become alive once again. But thats due to a drug. Zombies aren't real. They are apart of my favourite film genre horror.  But hey maybe I should stop and think.  And really watch people. Because you never know. They might attack you and want to make you their main coarse. 

Independence... Bring it back to TIFF.

Well after taking a glance through todays SUN newspaper and seeing the line up for TIFF one still has to think where this festival went wrong? Not wrong in making money. But wrong in the turn from a festival that was for independent films and them turning to the dark side and only promoting studio films that pawn themselves off as independent. Yet they have star power like Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Rachel McAdams etc Also the government funds TIFF. Something us indie folks have trouble getting. Try getting funding from our beloved(Sarcasm Alert) government for film at an indie level its almost impossible. But yet if your TIFF its no big deal. As brought up in a past blog we as "TRUE" indie filmmakers don't have funding and have to usually shoot on the fly. But yet the cities want to charge us for permits at a whopping $500 per location well watching you under their radar. Like also stated its fine if your blocking off traffic or a busy area. Most of us have to use guerilla style of filmmaking. We have to do what we have to do. But back to TIFF. Film festivals are for us indie folks. Not for the big wigs at the studios. Its so very hard to get into this festival. I commend those who try. If you watch a film called Official Rejection  it describes in detail about the process of film festivals like CANNES, SUNDANCE and TIFF.  Just it really confuses me and upsets me that its come to this. Gone are the days when true independence was TIFF.  Now TIFF pawns off studio films as independent so they can in turn bring in the cash. I mean HollyWood is really holding on to talent that should have been dropped(Namely Michael Bay). Thank Bay for destroying Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street and Texas Chainsaw Massacre and of coarse Transformers. Now move over he is set to destroy the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles next. I saw parts of the leaked script and my God its horrible. It should be left in hiding and never see the light of day. To many old talent out there its time for fresh blood and something new. There is so much talented indie filmmakers out there. I've seen some really good stuff.  I'm recommending a few short films out there that I'll list here that were very well done.

TELL & Losses 

Both Directed by Film Riot's Ryan Connolly

Alive in Joburg(How District 9 came to be)

Directed by Neill Blomcamp

THE RAVEN

Directed by Ricardo De Montreuil  

Lets talk cameras & editing software shall we.

Ok I've worked on 16 to 35mm to the RED camera and all cameras really have something in common. Its not the camera in the end its the person behind it. I've sen some really poorly shot films done with the RED camera as well as the Canon EOS C300. I personally would never join up on the whole DSLR craze as those cameras look and truly are made for photography not film. But in the end again its preference and ones choice on what he or she is comfortable using. I use the SONY NEX VG-10 and absolutely love it. It picks up the colours in an amazing fashion. My only complaint is SONY opted to bring out the SONY NEX VG-20 a few months later and the added the 24p feature on it and the VG-10 doesn't have that. Shoots at 30p at 1080p full HD plus 1920p.  So that was a huge complaint I had against SONY for short changing the consumer on that one. Its VERY easy to cut it down to 24p in post.   Now lets talk price here. Like discussed in my last blog us indie guys cant afford the RED epic(Even to rent it usually cost $4,000 a day) at the hefty price tag of $35,000 and that's just for the body. You see when the creators of the RED epic created this camera they didn't have the indie filmmakers in mind. They had their sights sets on the studios because all they see is dollar signs as well.  I'd like to see a big pro end model camera like the RED that is made for all to enjoy. 

Now onto editing software. I purchased FCP X a few months back as did a friend. I've worked off them all. From Adobe to Avid etc Even FCP 7 was in there. But I'm telling you that FCP X is NOTHING like iMovie. The whole interface is completely different and its a great piece of software. If you want complicated software then go with Adobe CS5. I'll gladly stick with my FCP X with a great price tag of $300. Compared to Adobe's CS5 over $1,000 price tag. Its very hard to make a film and you just want something simple in post that can handle your project. FCP X does that if you know how to use it and give it a chance. I'm fully standing behind FCP X. 

I've been asked how do you make a truly great horror film(By people wanting to make films). Well number 1 you need a great script. Its tough to scare people now a days but horror films are still one of the most popular genres out there. Plus the most fun to do.  But like any genre of film its not easy. I've had people try and crush my dreams in the past who I tend not to listen to because they are a waste of time and space. Believing that its not work. Well I've worked plenty of 9-5 jobs and labour work and trust me its a lot harder then that. Some films I was on set for 24hrs for. But why would I do that or anybody else in the biz? Because they have a love and passion for it. But first write a script. Make it interesting. Know who your target audience is. NEVER focus on the ones that won't support your work.  Because no matter what you do they will NEVER support you. Which brings me to things that have recently been happening right here in Canada. Some screenings being pulled because some people complained about a certain film content, name or a poster. These people don't matter. But some theatre owners side with them and end up pulling some films with out them getting a chance to show their stuff.  Its very hard in the indie film world and then it becomes even harder when things like this happen. So watch the venues you choose. Think smart and don't just dive into the water head first. You don't want somebody to hurt your film. In the end don't let anybody stop you from being you. Thats where your target audience comes into play.  Because always remember not everybody is going to like your work. So focus on the ones that will and do.