I’d love it if those of you who’ve bookmarked this blog could change your bookmarks to the address of the main site, as I will not be updating this blog here anymore, in favor of switching the whole thing over to the site.  I’m aiming to post more on the blog, trying to go for at least some form of dependability, as opposed to sporadic postings every few months.  For now, though, look forward to a few posts throughout the week, some cool little announcements, and eventually, the full site’ll be up and usable.

Link: www.animivirtus.com (ahh, it feels good saying that )

Today I was thinking about keeping up the blog here and happened to be glancing at my YouTube login page when I noticed they’d updated the whole front page after you log in. It’s absolutely full of recommendations and what is essentially Google’s trademark of “smart suggestions,” or stuff they think you’ll like based on your previous use of the site you’re currently viewing. Among them were a bunch of Craig Ferguson videos, since I like to show friends his antics while at school or wherever.

I came across this video duo of him eulogizing his father, and it struck home not only as a really deeply brave thing to do – on TV or elsewhere publicly give a lost loved one a wake – but that it’s what I think is the most important thing about a lot of the movies I love. I’m not going to list off a bunch of movies to see, though I might make a list of the Top AnimiVirtus-Themed films of the year” or something at some later date, but I just wanted to take a moment to mention how important the backbone of your film is. Pure and simply, if there’s no key element driving the thing, it’s probably not worth making.

I know a lot of the time fun is the key element, whether it’s making a movie to goof off or making a serious film to showcase your efforts and talents, but I think what is the most important is what you’re saying in the film you’re making. My friends know I loved Grindhouse and can’t get enough vampire or zombie or postapocalyptic movies with less plot than spiky mohawks and souped up cars, but really, when it comes down to it, if you’re not saying anything – if you’re not pushing through to the audience to say something important to you – then it’s just another flick.

Ferguson always speaks from the heart. He always says what he means, what he believes, and leaves it at that. But occasioanly, he goes out on a pretty serious limb – be it about some other celebrity’s issues or his own – and says something that’s really important to him, that really means something to him, and that he can stand behind and defend with strength. That’s what AnimiVirtus means to me, that’s what filmmaking means to me, and that’s what I think film and all forms of expression of ourselves are supposed to accomplish. Say something that’s important, say something you believe. Always be open to suggestion and discussion, but be who you are, and think what you believe. That’s what I think makes good films, and in the end, a good life.

Secondly, I found this video today and thought “what better way to ‘re-begin’ the AV blog than by showcasing someone else’s work?” So here goes…

Having become a subscribed Geekologie reader recently, I was looking through my GReader feed and discovered this little goodie of a filmmaking post, and had to share it. The amount of work and effort and even time that went into that little piece is evident in just watching it, but what I thought about the most while watching (and laughing) is the fact that nothing they did made any kind of permanent mess. Typically, when you approach a filmmaking venture with the sort of storyline, you want fake blood, guts, drama, all kinds of serious acting and whatnot. But taking it the other way can often not only offer way more flexibility, simply because it’s an abstract from the real thing you’re portraying, and more freedom to interpret the typical war scene in your own way, using what you have available to you under the constraints you’re working with.

So, thoughts aside, it’s a great short film, and a funny five-or-so-minute watch. Take a break, watch a video. Laugh and daydream about it in your own cubicle. But please, oh please, don’t go nuts fo’ real (not really) as this guy.

The key here in my mind now, though, is that it’s a short film.  Of course the length doesn’t actually matter, if the trailer looks good enough, someone will buy it, but if it’s a short film that looks thoroughly professional, well done and generally entertaining, it’s a good step in the right direction.  The most important thing, though, is that it’s important to the filmmaker, and that they care about it and love it enough to carry it on despite the difficulties.  Personally, LATENT(CY) wasn’t that project for me.  But I’m hoping that after school ends (or even before) I’ll have scraped together some film-loving friends with enough interest and passion and drive to make another short film, and hopefully this time, we’ll be proud enough to make a campaign out of the thing.

It also occurred to me that if you’ve already got a short film made that can be shown on YouTube and other video sharing sites, then show it.  And not only that, post bulletins about it, send messages about it to all of your friends, make a website, sell DVDs, get the name out in the public’s eye because it’s your project, and it’s your responsibility to showcase your own work.  After all, if you’re not proud enough to show it off, what kind of impression does that give?  Best of luck and happy filmmaking!

Over at Film & Video, Bryant Frazer talks with director George A. Romero about his return to low-budget filmmaking with Diary of the Dead using Panasonic HDX900 and HVX200 camcorders.

So naturally I emailed that quote off to the first friend I thought of when I think of zombie movies, and he responded pretty quickly saying that he didn’t like the new “Blair Witch sort of style that’s coming back.”  That I can completely understand, so I responded with the following passage, which is the basis for this post:

I kind of like the shaky cam style that’s on the rise, it’s more viral and amateurish, and it blurs the lines between amateur films and professional ones, making it so that it doesn’t matter as much anymore to the audience if it’s a “real movie” because they can’t always tell, so it’s not worth bothering about.  If it’s good, it’s good, and it deserves praise, if it’s bad, well, they leave it alone (or flame it, the bastards).  Sometimes it’s hard to see or hard to handle (I got mildly nauseous watching Cloverfield), but I think it’s a cool way to kind of get the super-hype of paying high attention to lighting, costumes, and even set design a little bit out of the way, and letting amateurs get more into the field, simply because the cheapest way to film (handheld and shaky) is often the most real feeling, because it’s not completely stable like a statue, nor is it to the extent that Cloverfield was (though that was pretty wonderfully done).  Basically, it give me even more of a chance to go out and shoot random stuff, put it all together in some sort of cohesive, understandable and entertaining story, and then market it and get attention because it looks real, it could be real, and if it’s good, people will appreciate either the documentary-ness of it or the realistic acting and detail of the thing.  So basically I don’t put anywhere near as much effort into the preparation of the film that Hollywood does, and I can still come out with a viable film to show at festivals and gain a reputation among the biggies of the business.  So that’s why I like it.  As a style, though, you’re right, it’s hard to take sometimes.

Now, that being said, I haven’t seen the trailer for this, but I’m going to look it up and see what I can find, heh.

NOTE: You can see the trailer here.  And I actually was a little disappointed with it when I watched it.

DIGG Link | StumbleUpon Link

One little tip for all you self-distributors out there: keep the submission fees for your films in the same package as the film when you send them to festivals, it makes it harder for the money to be lost.  And you’d probably rather not learn that the hard way like I did just recently.  Also, checks are much better for paying through the mail, since if they don’t make it to the right person, they usually can’t be signed and cashed or deposited, since the account and “Pay to…” names won’t match, and you probably won’t be cheated out of your money… whereas if you send cash… that’s a whole different story.  Best of luck, and I’ll put an announcement up once I get the e-book version of my report on self-distribution and -promotion online.  Happy filmmaking!

Now, for the showcase of the week, I discovered this short video through a photography blog I subscribe to, and I was interested in the photography aspect of it, as well as the filmmaking side of putting together a bunch of images to create a video0like short film.  It was interesting to watch and of course, since it’s a controversial subject, inspiring to a degree.  I don’t have much to say about this video other than it’s worth watching, and it’s interesting and intriguing to watch how they even emulated some common video effects (rack focus, animated titles, time-lapse) using 20,000 individual photographs.  I remember watching a music video a long time ago done similarly to this, only this was more pointed in its subject, and that was more artsy in its execution.  Both are good, but this I think serves a more important purpose.  So enjoy the video, get inspired, and do something to help in your community.  Knowledge is power, and the internet is the end-all solution to not knowing.  So go browse and learn.  Enjoy, and best of luck.  Happy filmmaking!

The new location will mean taking some time to get the video PC set up again, however I’ve finally added a Firewire PCI card to it, enabling the capturing of video, which streamlines the video production process hugely for me.  However, once I get the few kinks worked out (Premiere for some reason doesn’t like the card, and doesn’t detect the camera with it), the system will be “fully operational” (quick guess, what movie’s that from?).

Mostly, though, I’m looking forward to the resources and opportunities for new inspiration in both life, work and schooling, and I can’t wait to share more and more with you guys in the coming weeks as the move progresses and I’m finally moved into the place.  Right now, I’m sitting in the airport, waiting for my family to come back and wondering how it is that my little DSL line at home is faster than a big ol’ ariport’s public Wi-Fi connection.  Though that’s probably the reason – it’s a public Wi-Fi line.  In any case, there’s the announcement, and the post for the day, and I’ll be sure to update more as the move progresses.  Keep being creative and happy filmmaking.

I recently saw Angel-A, which stars Rie Rasmussen, and I was surprised to discover it was her at the end of the film, since she looks nothing in that film like she does in Thinning The Herd.  That’s partly the costume and makeup, but the acting is definitely there in both parts, separating her characters immensely.  The main point I want to make in this post is that good acting, with or without dialog, is one of the key assets in any film.  As long as the writing’s good, the acting can pull it through with no budget at all.  If someone’s performance shines, it’ll shine out no matter the visual constraints.  (Obviously, you’ve got to do your best to help it shine, throw some oil on the flame and the like, make sure it can be seen to start with).

Essentially, the point is this: write a solid script with a basic storyline, a some characters that aren’t too simple (give them habits, dialects, things they like the most and play off those in the dialog or actions with the other characters), and then find someone who can portray that character in the way you like, with their own spin on it as well.  Always let the actors take the character to their own level, in addition to fulfilling your needs.  They need to be challenged, not typecast and factory-assembled into their characters.  That’s destructive to the very nature of acting.

Back to the point, after you’ve written your solid script, and found someone to act, find money if you can, and some kind of light, and something to bounce that light off of (you’ll rarely want the harsh light coming right from the work light you found).  Tin foil works great.  After that, let the light and the performance shine as your camera rolls and captures the whole thing from the angles you’ve pre-planned due to your careful thoughts on the project (do not leave that part out!)

Rie Rasmussen might have a name in the business; she might be known for doing a good job in her projects; she might even be known for being a sexy bitch; but you can make yourself known by making something with a solid base and the only frills being the talent that brings the idea to the screen.  Best of luck, check out the film and send in any of your work you want an article written about!