Apr 27 09

Showcase: Signs

Today’s showcase item is something I found through Videomaker Magazine’s newsletter last week. It’s a pretty cool little short that shows pretty successfully the effectiveness of editing, a simple concept, and a good, short, human story. The coolest part I thought at first was identifying with the main (male) character of the story, and then being able to watch his life go on an upward curve from there. I suppose that’s what we most often find intriguing and lovable in the first place, when we find bits of ourselves in the characters whose lives end up being what we wish ours were. Or maybe it just gives hope. Anyway, on the low-budget side of things…

Gimme the goodies…

Feb 08 09

Showcase: Games, Zombies and ‘Net Stars

Well, it’s been about three and a half months since my last post, and while I apologize for the wait, I haven’t completely neglected this blog.  I’ve amassed a pretty massive collection of showcase and link dump material for the next while, and continue to receive newsletters and am on the prowl for tutorials and resources.  Long story short, the final project’s finishing up, and there’s a vast pool of links about to come your way in the next few weeks.  Starting now… Gimme the goodies…

Oct 27 08

Showcase: Various

Alrighty… I think I stop trying to come up with meaningful titles for the topic part of each entry, since most of my posts are so scattered.  Hopefully there’s some good stuff in there for you guys though.  Anyway…since I didn’t get to it last night, here’s this week’s showcase entry. Gimme the goodies…

Oct 13 08

Showcase: Strange Behavior

Alright, so this may not be “low-budget,” per se, but it was made by one guy, so that in itself is admirable, and definitely a sort of DIY spirit type piece.  Plus, you’ve got to admit, it’s freaking awesome.  Check it out, and enjoy .

Sep 22 08

Showcase: 10 Minutes

Alright, so this film clearly had at least the budget to transport crew to a foreign country, if not the budget to recreate an entire small town for the film.  However, looking past that, the point I want to make is this: take a look at the amount of cuts in the film.  The dramatic, realistic effect (not to mention huge technical respect from peers and knowledgeable audience members) that a fluid, long take gives a film is so great that you have to sit back in awe and admiration.  Children of Men had the same effect on me in their climactic sequence where there’s an 8-to-10-minute shot with no cuts throughout.  It’s a wonderful effect and something that only really takes planning at its most basic level, and anybody can do that, no matter their budget.  It’s simple and practical in principle, painstaking in execution but pays off hugely in the end, plus I love the short film, so I figured I’d show it off and offer the little idea for you fellow filmmakers out there. Gimme the goodies…

Sep 18 08

Link Dump: Eclectic

Well this one’s another brief and rather scattered one, we’re entering the planning and scheduling of the project now, so I’m thinking about how we’re going to do the practical, on-set effects or complicated shots we’re going to need to pull off.  And since I spent my high school years researching that kind of thing, I’m excited that I finally have a use for all that amassed knowledge and inspiration.  So, here goes the short list… Gimme the goodies…

Sep 15 08

Showcase: Steel

Well, here it is, another week, and I’m digging into my pocket of old showcase possibilities. This one I found a while back and was most impressed I believe with the fight coreography. Really, when you look at it, the whole thing could have been done with a very small budget, and a few good connections (someone with a nice car, a good eye for color-correction). I don’t have much else to say about it, but take a peek at the final product and feel free to leave suggestions for future showcase episodes, or thoughts on this one.

Sep 08 08

Showcase: The Assignment

Well I actually found this film a while back, but haven’t been on the prowl this last week for films to showcase, and decided to take a peek at my collection to see if there was anything amateruish I could post here. This one definitely seems to fit the bill, though it’s one of the more professional looking ones so far. I know nothing about this film, or about its creators, so suffice it to say this post is simply a showcase. Enjoy. Gimme the goodies…

Sep 01 08

Showcase: Via Optima

Well, this one’s also got to be quick, but I definitely want to share it. I discovered Via Optima via (haha!) their Instructables article on making a short film for 80 bucks. Now, that headline alone would grab most anyone’s attention, but being into this field as I am, it certainly grabbed mine. I haven’t finished the article yet – been very busy lately – but it sounds like a decently written article from two clearly talented young filmmakers. The film referenced in the article, and the most on their site, is their latest achievment in their brief filmmaking careers: a short called The Shepherd. Of course the acting isn’t award-winning, but given the fact that these were two guys and only a few friends and family members making the film, their production value is outstanding, and the story something I could see coming from Cronenberg, Aronofsky or maybe even Lynch. Backing away from Hollywood names and grand-scale comparisons, these are simply kids making a movie in their senior year of high school. It’s a short thriller by two 18-year-olds, and right from the title sequence they had me hooked. Definitely worth the 20 minutes it takes to watch. Oh, watch the trailer too. And take a peek at their Vimeo profile and website.

Aug 26 08

Showcase: Threesome :P

I know, I know, naughty me. Oh well . Today (and this time I have no excuse for the lateness of this post) I have a trio of showcase postings. So get ready, it’s going to be a wild ride.

First up, a short film I found while searching for another one I’d heard of a while back but couldn’t find. This is called The Date, and stars Rose Byrne, of 28 Weeks Later, Sunshine and Damages fame, among many others. It’s an Australian short flick, and further confirms my opinion that Aussies just know how to make good, entertaining movies.

WARNING: There’s a tiny bit of profanity in this one. If you’re a little kid you’d better have some huge-a$$ earmuffs ready.

The Date (short film) starring Rose Byrne

Second on the list was a reenactment of The Dark Knight
trailer…by some little kids. It was funny and entertaining (and
actually surprisingly accurate) enough that I decided I had to post
it. It also embodies the attitude of no-budget filmmaking quite well.

No earmuffs needed.

The Dark Knight (kids version)

And lastly, but certainly not least(ly), is a short film entitled Ending The Eternal that I found perusing my brother’s Rue Morgue magazine while vacationing at his house. It’s a short vampire flick (good points from me), done well (more points), with a very clear low-budget style and attitude about it (more points). Written, directed and edited by Justin McConnell, it has potential, and I’d be curious after this to see what happens with his career in the field.

Jan 25 08

Showcase: Airsick

Sorry for the lack of an update Monday, but I was traveling from LA to Seattle that day and couldn’t find an open wireless connection in the airport (strange, huh?)  It was a busy day, so my apologies.  However, I’m in Seattle, with a connection, and soon to be in Vancouver (hopefully also with a connection in the apartment) and able to update on time.  So I’m moving, got a small video slideshow project of the move in progress and my other projects on hold, but I’ve been wandering around the city a little bit, exploring and discovering the joy of a tangible but relaxed lifestyle.  I’d like to post about that on my personal blog at some point, but I’ll get to that eventually.  There’s no rush .

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!

Dec 18 07

New Films Page!

The Big Announcement
Well, here it is, finally a ‘films’ page to showcase the work of myself and others involved with AnimiVirtus Productions.  I know I haven’t posted in quite some time, and that this is the only thing that’s happened on this blog since that post, but I’ve been working on my personal blog to establish an effective, efficient, productive workflow solution that is entirely digital and helps me keep track of all the things I have to do, including how close to being completed they are and other information about each project.  Completely unrelated to this blog at the momentum, I’m hoping that once that’s figured out I can schedule times during each week to post a new resource website, showcase item, and other things on this blog while maintaining my personal blog and personal life as well.  I’ve also been working, am finishing up school, and getting ready for the holidays and my move out to Vancouver.  I haven’t been incredibly active in these areas, but they are still pressing areas that need tending to.

OK… now the Big Announcement
The films page is on the right hand menu, has a listing of films made by AnimiVirtus Productions, along with descriptions of the films, places to buy copies, watch the films online, and other links for each of them.  At the moment there is only the one feature LATENT(CY) on the page, but more will come as they are made (duh!).  So for now, enjoy the new page, the layout, the screenshots (oh yea, did I mention there’s screenshots?) and the links for the film.  More will come as it is edited, and hopefully I’ll be able to finish shooting The Waiting Room soon and be able to post some photos and stuff for that, as well as get it finally completed before I move.  Yea, that would be nice.  Enjoy the new page!