Das Rad Rocks

Here is an animated short that was very cool and interesting. It is a different perspective on time. Are rocks alive but they move to slow for us to notice?

Alpha Channel and Premiere

Oscar Nominations 2013

Director Talk : Welcome Back!

In this edition I discuss the following:
Canceled classes
Internship
Events for WI13

 Thanks and I hope everyone had a relaxing break.

Behind the Scenes: Breaking Bad Season 5

Yesterday was the season opener of my favorite show on TV, Breaking Bad. If you have never seen it, I recommend to start! Seasons 1-3 are on Netflix Instant. Season 4 is on DVD. There were several effects shots on the show both practical and CG. I have posted the video below to show you how different people on set make magic happen! Even though I know too much about production and post, I am still in awe how people problem solve and think creatively. Truly, we are magicians. Enjoy!

TED James Cameron

This TED talk is James Cameron right after the success of AVATAR. Despite what you may think about Cameron, he has an interesting point of view regarding his passions and approach to filmmaking. Enjoy!

TED: Andrew Stanton

TED stands for Technology Education and Design. It's an intellectual symposium that introduces forward thinking people to the rest of the world. Over the next week, I will be posting talks from filmmakers on the site. The first one comes from director Andrew Stanton (WallE, Finding Nemo, John Carter). He discusses storytelling and it's role in our lives. Enjoy!

Welcome Back!

I wanted to open the quarter with a project from last quarter's DF133 Studio Production class. The students last quarter teamed up with interior design to create sets for four group projects. Instructor Tory Jones had an week 11 presentation that included guest critiques, Sarah Frank and Melissa Friedling. This was a fantastic collaboration. I hope we continue branch out to other departments in the future. Get inspired!

Break, Relax and Enjoy

Enjoy this fantastic experimental short from animator/director Andrew Huang.
http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2012/03/05/solipsist/

A Word About TV

A question I ask students at orientation, "What is your favorite film or TV show?" Every quarter I have at least one student who claims that there is nothing worth watching on TV. Guys, I am here to tell you this is an irresponsible assumption.
Just like YouTube, cable and network television has a sea of useless, mindless programming: 99% of reality shows, afternoon talk shows, opinionated editorial segments passing off as news. I agree that it would be easy to get lost when looking for intelligent, entertaining shows. The trick is to read and listen to film critics' suggestions. I have found numerous titles that can compete with the best features produced today.
Below are a few suggestions to keep on your radar. I've broken them down by network.
HBO - This network consistently has great programming in several genres on several budgets. Six Feet Under, Tales from the Crypt, Carnivale, Rome, True Blood, Boardwalk Empire and on and on. Their network recently won the Oscar for best short documentary, Saving Face, which is part of their Monday night documentary series. Below I have the trailer for their latest hit, Game of Thrones. If you are a fan of fantasy, you don't want to miss this!


AMC - Home of Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Rubicon, and the Walking Dead. Zombies, Drinking on the Job, Thrillers, and Drug Dealers. The line up sounds like an episode of Jerry Springer, however the quality of writing and acting is beyond compare. Below is the season 1 recap for Breaking Bad.


NBC - They are still culprits when it comes to reality TV and game show programming. However, Community and Awake are two shows that should be on your radar. Community is full of film and television references that only film geeks would enjoy. Below is the documentary episode which spoofs Hearts of Darkness-  Apocalypse Now documentary.


I hope this expands your television pallet. You can find some of these shows on Netflix Instant, free on the internet or Hulu Plus. The HBO shows are network only or on DVD. Enjoy the suggestions and feel free to leave suggestions of your own. Remember to keep reading the blogs and listening to podcasts to get more exposure. - Eve

Oscars: Does the Academy represent the best?

So, this year I neglected to cover the Oscars in my typical fashion for several reasons. Most of which being that I am unusually overwhelmed (as you can tell with my door being closed, often:) And because most of the films and performances that I have been following for 2011 were not recognized with nominations. Being a spoiled sport does not fit within my personality, but I will admit that I felt curious as to why some of the best work out there was being ignored by the Academy.

The critical community keeps tabs on accolades by tracking awards given at film festivals; most importantly Cannes, Venice, and Sundance. Awards given at these festivals did not reflect in the nominations nor the winners on Sunday night's event. Even industry sub committee (VES for Visual Effects; SAG for Actors) awards did not accurately reflect the films that won. This got me thinking, "Who makes these decisions? Why were these people given the authority to decide the absolute best in filmmaking?"

The LA Times answered this for me. They have a great series of articles and videos exploring Academy voting statistics. Please click on the links below to learn more about the Academy and the voting process -
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/academy/
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/academy/la-et-unmasking-oscar-academy-project-html,0,7473284.htmlstory

In my opinion, I think the process to be an academy voter is antiquated at best. The pillars of our industry are not even voting members, as revealed in this report. So why do we give the Academy Awards such notoriety when their membership does not accurately reflect excellence in the industry or the critical community? I'm asking this as a person who regards the Oscars ceremony as the "Super Bowl of Film Nerds." My video attendance for the yearly spectacle has been consistent since 1990. I love the race, speculation, anticipation, and yes, the outfits. But, this year, I felt that the nominations did not reflect perfection in filmmaking, overall.

I'll end this post with a video from JoBlo that highlights the films that should have been nominated this year. Let me know what you think. Cheers, Eve.

Jay Rabinowitz at MEWShop

Jay Rabinowitz on Editing "Requiem for a Dream" - Part I from Manhattan Edit Workshop on Vimeo.
Anyone in the editing track should watch this series. Click HERE for more videos from Manhattan Edit Workshop!

Oscar Nominated Sound Editor for Drive

Yes, film is an AUDIO and visual medium. When planning for your thesis, spend as much time on the sound as you do the camera. It's the difference between a student film and a professional short. Thanks, Eric, for this. - Eve.

SHORTS! Hilarious and SciFi!

Guys, once again, making shorts gets you work!!!! The filmmaker, Geoff LaTuilippe, was offered a writing and directing deal with Paramount because of this film and the attention it got from the Hollywood Reporter. Here is the link that explains the deal - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/going-distance-geoff-latulippe-directing-wme-paramount-287697

This science fiction short by Aaron Sims has been getting lots of buzz on the internet. The filmmaker made this film with favors and friends. He hopes to get enough recognition for someone to fund the feature.

Take the bull by the horns and make amazing work while your here! It will lead to bigger and better things.
Cheers, Eve.

Fotoshop for Beauty Queens

Thanks, Dan for showing this to me! - Eve.

"Rise of Non-Fiction Film"

Watch live streaming video from academyawards at livestream.com

I found this on the Academy of Motion Picture of Arts and Sciences. For those of you taking or interested in documentary, check this out! - Eve.

Fan made Italian Star Wars Short

I thought this was AMAZING foreign films are so much better...

RIP Steve Jobs. 1955 - 2011

Welcome Back! Check out the Fashion / Video Collaboration!

Hey Students!
Welcome Back to school for the Summer Quarter!
Jason Moore has sent me a link to the video portfolio for the Raymond Chow collection. This video is a collaboration between the Fashion Department and the Video Department, supervised by Fan Wu and Jason Moore. The idea was for a fashion student to collaborate with filmmakers to create a video portfolio for the collection. Three fashion students had their collections shot by video students as an experimental approach to documenting and displaying a line of clothing. All students collaborated on the content, shooting, and design of the project. The link provided is for Raymond Chow's collection. Check out the video at the link below.
Raymond Chow Collection

Let us know what you think! Is this a successful attempt? Should we do this again? Leave a comment.

Short Films! Blue Tongue Productions

The instructors and I are working on bringing your awareness to some fantastic short film work that is currently being produced. Readers of this blog know that I follow a film podcast called The Golden Briefcase. They had a great episode recently discussing short films. Among their recommendations was the short, Spider (posted below). This film is one of many from the Australian production company, Blue Tongue Films. I have posted their channel below for your reference. After reviewing their archive, I was amazed at how many of these films I have seen and recommended in the past. Blue Tongue is a great example of what a collective of filmmakers can do together. While you are in school, begin to create relationships that will last you through out your career. Filmmaking is all about team work.

Enjoy the films! - Eve.

Blue Tongue Films Channel
Films to watch: I Love Sarah Jane (Recently posted, Spenser Susser), Miracle Fish (Academy Award Nominee), Monkey (Tropfest Finalist)