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Tip #1787: Directing Advice From the Best

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

This short video packs a lot of advice into a very short time.

Noah Baumbach (left) and Taika Waititi.

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This article, written by Jason Hellerman, first appeared in NoFilmSchool.com. This is a summary.

Every time I talk to a filmmaker, I try to ask about the one lesson they wish they knew when they were coming up. It’s so important to listen to the generations that came before and to seek out advice whenever possible.

Noah Baumbach is an American filmmaker who received two Academy Award nominations for writing The Squid and the Whale and Marriage Story, both of which he also directed. Taika Waititi is a New Zealand film and television director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and comedian. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award, and has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards. David Fincher is an American film director whose films have received 40 nominations at the Academy Awards, including three for Best Director.

Here’s the link to a YouTube video compilation of these three directors sharing advice to new and practicing directors.

NOTE: The video only runs 2:25.


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Tip #1788: Costs of Video Editing in the Cloud

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Not all cloud-based editing is the same. This compares differences.

Blackbird’s “Video Editing in the Cloud” report.

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This article, written by Jose Antunes, first appeared in ProVideoCoalition.com. This is a summary.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Blackbird focuses on workgroup editing, generally for live productions, more than individual edit stations.

Blackbird is a company that provides video editing in the cloud. Recently, they published a free report: “Video editing in the cloud: An analysis of the true Total Cost of Ownership.”

The keyword for Blackbird is “cloud-native”. Its solution, according to the company, is different from on premise video editing workflows adapted for the cloud, known as “cloud based”. You may think that cloud workflows are just that, cloud workflows, but Blackbird says otherwise, and the report now introduced by the company: Video editing in the cloud: An analysis of the true Total Cost of Ownership aims to examine how different cloud editing solutions are architected and how this reflects on the total cost of ownership for the customer.

As the report notes, “the urgent adoption of the cloud in the media production industry brought the prospect of flexible working, scalability, collaboration, security, quality control, loss prevention, efficient upgrading, analytics and lower carbon emissions. Once the cloud became the path through the pandemic, these benefits became tangible and it was clear that there was no way back.”

Now that the cloud is here to stay as a workflow option – an essential one, according to some -, another question must be asked: which type of cloud workflow is best? That’s where the report published by Blackbird might help. According to the company, “through independent research, the report highlights the hidden costs of traditional on premise video editing workflows adapted for the cloud, known as ‘cloud based’, when compared to cloud native Blackbird.”

Here’s the link to download free report. (PDF, no user information requested.)


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Tip #1756: Tips for Keeping a Camera Cool

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Hot cameras are noisy. Here’s how to keep yours cool.

Image detail courtesy of Pexels.com.

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This article, written by Lewis McGregor, first appeared in PremiumBeat.com. This is a summary.

Since the introduction of the RED ONE MX, camera cooling has continued to improve. However, because camera cooling has improved doesn’t mean modern cameras aren’t prone to overheating. Additionally, even when cameras can keep themselves cool, it’s usually at the cost of fans being ramped up to an audible level.

Here are a few methods to keep your camera cool on a hot summer’s day.

  • Gel Packs. Running straight from what I used with my RED ONE, gel packs are still handy to lower the temperature of a camera. You can pick up gel packs (usually a set of two) for around $10. While a gel pack will stay cold for at least one to two hours when pressed against the skin, you can expect this to be considerably less when used against a hot camera.
  • Ice Packs. Due to their size and weight, they aren’t ideal for placing on top of a camera. And, given they’re filled with tap water then frozen, it’s not something that you want near your camera to begin with.
  • Courtesy Flags and Other Shade Tools. While it sounds majestic, a courtesy flag is nothing more than a regular grip flag. However, this isn’t intended to be used to shape light or negative fill. Instead, it’s used to create shade for the crew who cannot move into the shade while working. You can also get a flag setup to keep the camera out of line for direct sunlight.
  • White Shoulder Case. Larger and heavier lenses are commonly painted white by the manufacturer to reflect sunlight to keep the lens cool. Using that methodology, some case and bag manufacturers—such as Porta Brace—have created white shoulder cases.
  • Pop-up Canopy Tent. These are portable tents that can be set up within minutes. And, while they may initially look costly, you can pick up the smaller models, as seen in the image below, for less than $50.

EXTRA CREDIT

This article has more details, illustrations and links to more tips to keeping your gear cool and in working order.


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Tip #1758: Night Shoots & the BMD Cinema Camera 6K

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Shooting at night requires a good camera and great lighting.

Image detail courtesy of NoFilmSchool.com & Charles Haine.

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This article first appeared in NoFilmSchool.com. This is a summary.

If you’re a filmmaker wanting to shoot characters at night who also are in motion, you’re going to run into changing light temperatures and light sources, and you need a camera that’s just as flexible and shoots RAW. You also need something small, that can be affordably stabilized, and will shoot great footage in low light.

In this collaboration between Blackmagic Design and No Film School, Charles Haine worked with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro on a night shoot. Charles was especially interested in working with the new higher ISO setting. That’s because 3200 ISO is useful for night shoots along with night walk and talks.

This article provides sample footage, technical setups, and more.


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Tip #1759: Why Are All Video Graphics Yellow?

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Yellow text is everywhere – because it works.

Image courtesy of John P. Hess.

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This video, narrated by John P. Hess, first appeared in FilmmakerIQ.com. This is a summary.

Yellow! It’s everywhere, especially in television graphics. But why? Well let’s seriously over-think this and explore some color theory concepts on why this color is the king of graphics color.

This video goes in-depth on the science and readability of color.


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Tip #1740: Streaming Media Reshapes Entertainment

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

“It’s not either / or. There’s room for both.” (HBO)

“The Mandalorian” image courtesy of Disney.

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This article, written by Chris McGowan, first appeared in VFXVoice.com. This is a summary.

At the start of 2020, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other streamers were already reshaping the movie and television-watching experience. Then came the pandemic. As home entertainment demand soared, movie theaters shut down and film and TV suffered a slump in production. Studios postponed premieres and tinkered with movie release strategies. Streaming services benefited from the increased demand and grew across the board. Due to all the disruptions that followed – either because of or accelerated by COVID-19 – the new decade seems set to become “the Streaming ’20s.”

Netflix continued its remarkable rise in 2020 and dominated Nielsen’s top 10 lists of most-streamed titles, with both old and new titles. The streamer continues to pump out original programming. It will launch 70-plus original movies this year, 10 of them in languages other than English. Netflix added 37 million paid subscribers in 2020, to stand at 203.7 million worldwide at the end of the year, according to the company.

The Walt Disney Company reported that Disney+ had nearly 95 million subscribers worldwide as of its first quarter of 2021, according to research firm Statista, which reports a growth in the service’s subscriber base of almost 70 million since the start of the fiscal year of 2020. The service launched November 12, 2019. Meanwhile, Hulu (controlled by Disney) reached 39.4 million subscribers by year’s end.

This year, some streamers are charging “premium” fees to access certain new films early, while others are offering tiered subscription pricing. Disney+ charged a $29.99 one-time “Premier Access” fee for Mulan last September and Raya and the Last Dragon in March of this year that offered exclusive access to the titles before they became free to regular subscribers.

Gregory K. Peters, Netflix COO and Chief Product Officer, has a different view about tiers. “We really believe that from a consumer orientation the simplicity of our ad-free, no additional payments, one subscription [is] really powerful and really satisfying to the consumers around the world. And so, we want to keep emphasizing that.”

EXTRA CREDIT

The article – linked above – has more interviews and thoughts on how the streaming wars are changing both theatrical and in-home entertainment.


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Tip #1744: The Best Docs About Filmmaking

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Five key documentaries on filmmaking.

Alfred HIghcock (left) and François Truffaut (right)

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This article, written by Jourdan Aldredge, first appeared in PremiumBeat.com. This is a summary.

These insightful documentaries about filmmaking can offer more inspiration and advice than most film classes.

If you really want to learn about how films are actually made, you should watch films about filmmaking. There are tons of incredible documentaries that cover the art of filmmaking, ranging from director retrospectives, famous “the making of” documentaries, as well as comprehensive studies about filmmaking itself.

Here’s a list of some the author’s favorites:

  • Lost in La Mancha. We’ll start with one of the best documentaries about the sheer insanity of filmmaking. Lost in La Mancha is a 2002 documentary that tells the story of Terry Gilliam‘s (first) attempt to make a film adaption of the famous Miguel de Cervantes novel Don Quixote de la Mancha. SPOILER: He ultimately fails at his endeavor.
  • Hitchcock/Truffaut. Premiered in 2015 at the Cannes Film Festival, Hitchcock/Truffaut is any cinephile’s documentary dream, providing an in-depth exploration into the work of two of the most famous, iconic filmmakers of all time.
  • Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films. For those who have ever wondered how Cannon Film favorites ever came to existence in the first place, this will give you the best primer on how one audacious company financed, produced, and distributed such a wide array of eclectic films, ranging from action to horror to sci-fi.
  • Room 237. The film is presented through voiceovers as various film theorists provide their interpretations into why Stanley Kubrick made The Shining and what he was trying to say with his many profound, yet confusing, filmmaking decisions.
  • My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The acclaimed director granted unprecedented access into the filming of his 2013 action/crime drama Only God Forgives to one of the most intimate documentary filmmakers ever—his wife.

The article – linked above – provides more details, plus links to all these videos.


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Tip #1745: How to Make Script Subplots Shine

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

We focus on the main plot, but subplots give a film life.

An example of a film script, from Tootsie.

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This article, written by Jason Hellerman, first appeared in NoFilmSchool.com. This is a summary.

So much of the time we spend writing is focusing on what happens in the main plot. As a result, we often forget other things have to happen as well. Writing movies and TV shows is not an easy thing to do. You have to juggle characters, their motivations, and make sure the audience cares about all of them.

In this article, Jason Hellerman goes over the stuff that happens outside of the main plot, the subplots, and the B-stories that make your movie or TV show feel whole.

In screenwriting for film and television, a subplot is one of the threads of the plot that is supporting the main plot.

There can be more than one subplot, and they can have crossover scenes with the main plot. Subplots usually have their own supporting characters besides the protagonist or antagonist. They have their own wants, desires, and arcs.

If you want to add a new dimension to your script to deepen your theme, a subplot can greatly help. Most scripts, whether film or television, have a few subplots. Now, you don’t want so many that they distract from the main story, but lots of time they can support what’s happening on the main pages.

The best subplots build out the world of the story. They help expand the universe, the themes, and the overall mission and intention of the story.


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Tip #1726: Change the Way You Tell Stories

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Innovation in story-telling is a winning audience strategy.

Survey respondents preferred animated stories by a 24% margin. (Source: RTNDA.com)

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The website for the Radio/Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) presented this article, written by Mike Beaudet, Anna Campbell & John Wihbey, in RTNDA.com. This is a summary.

NOTE: This is part three in a four-part series looking at how television news and story-telling is changing in today’s world. The EXTRA CREDIT section at the end has links to all published parts.

In our research series here at RTDNA, we’ve been building the case that new forms of storytelling, particularly next-generation animation, are vital to meet new audience expectations and norms. In this post, we hope to provide an in-depth look at the data we gathered and the topline takeaways for how graphics and animation can enhance local TV news storytelling. We hope you’ll dive in and see there’s a powerful case for breaking the mold.

What are the general takeaways to consider as you consume this information? As we examine the data, we hope you’ll remember two themes in particular:

  • Dealing with complexity: First, the current era demands a pivot from reacting to the news cycle to managing a protracted coverage cycle with an emphasis on context, trends, and outcomes. Graphics and animation assist in the understanding of more complex issues, as they can capture sequences of events, illustrate geography, aid in comparison, and connect the dots. They enable a deeper understanding, and a higher level of retention, of the facts at hand.
  • Active audience choice: Second, local news consumers are taking a more active role in their news consumption, flowing between brands and platforms to get the content they need. The fragmentation of news and the decline in allegiance is as much a response to frustration as it is to motivation. Accordingly, our data suggest younger audiences are responding to strong visuals; we find strong preference for the animated approach, especially for the younger demographics (ages 18 to 24). Importantly, our research reveals that enhancing broadcasts with graphics and animation can both attract new viewers as well as continue to satisfy––and even impress––a station’s loyal core audience base, even in this volatile news environment.

We present these insights based not only on partnerships we facilitated with TV stations, but also on a rigorous experimental survey, conducted with more than 1,000 respondents across the Chicago and Boston markets.

Animation consistently helped viewers absorb information more efficiently, both by their own estimation and as evidenced by quantitative retention tests. Viewers indicated they felt that the animated stories more often included “the right amount of detailed information” as opposed to overloading them with granular detail or leaving them with more questions than answers. As one viewer put it, the animated version of a story about a super spreader event in Chicago “more clearly showed how many people [were] infected” with the coronavirus. A story about a small plane crashing off the freeway was described as “easy to follow” and “familiar” when maps and text-based graphics showing the location and time of the incident were added.

EXTRA CREDIT

  • Here’s the link to Part 1.
  • Here’s the link to Part 2.
  • Here’s the link to Part 3.

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Tip #1727: Planar Launches Virtual Production Studio

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

New Planar Studios offers new solutions for virtual production markets.

Image courtesy of Planar, Inc.

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Planar, a global leader in visualization technology, announced the launch of Planar Studios, an initiative designed to revolutionize the explosive virtual production (VP) and extended reality (XR) markets. Planar Studios combines the advanced technologies, industry partnerships and personnel that today’s customers require to create realistic on-screen content in the ever-expanding VP and XR industries.

Through the Planar Studios initiative, Planar is empowering the world’s leading visual storytellers to deeply engage audiences through advanced technological development, particularly critical LED and motion capture systems. By bringing VP and XR to mainstream entertainment, corporate and education markets, Planar is helping make VP and XR solutions more accessible, streamlined and repeatable.

Planar solutions for VP and XR are being deployed worldwide, including at Orbital Virtual Studios, a Los Angeles-based VP studio dedicated to producing movies, music videos and commercials from pre-production design and development, to production, photography and all the way through post-production.

“LED display technology is taking the production industry by storm, enabling new techniques and processes that are transforming the way video producers create incredibly realistic action and transport audiences to new worlds,” said A.J. Wedding, director and co-founder of Orbital Virtual Studios. “Having seen and experienced Planar’s state-of-the-art LED display technology firsthand, and worked closely with their team on many shoots, I have no doubt that the company delivers the superior visual performance, support and versatility today’s movie directors and producers need to create VP projects like we’ve never seen before.”

Read the entire announcement here.


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