Category Archives: DIY Filmmaking

YouChef

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As YouTube continues to encourage creators across genres to continue honing their craft, it seems as though the homegrown cooking star genre is very ripe in fact it’s really heating up for some break out stars… (Please no tomato hurling.) We’ve seen cover song artists, vloggers of course, and make up tutors really pop in terms [...]

The NEW (YT) Playbook!

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YouTube continues to be a juggernaut in its quest to provide creators a rubric for aspiring and current partners to be successful on the platform. Their strategic acquisition of Next New Networks seems to really be manifesting itself in the way that creators are an increasing focus for YouTube.  The LA Times just reported on [...]

Social Collaboration for Filmmakers

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Any social network is only as strong as the socializing it attracts, but the tools are here on Stage 32 for filmmakers to connect in meaningful ways -- not just in a contest.

Josh Soskin on SLR Craze and “Love Stinks”

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Ewwwwwww.  Well worth watching this cut down of a short by our man Josh Soskin. We shot with the hvx200 with letus adapter package and nikon still lenses. edited myself in final cut pro and did all color correction with FCP and magic bullet. Sound mixed at Todd AO West. Got a great sound mix [...]

YouTube introspective

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Remember LonelyGirl15? YouTube’s 5th birthday was last week and I’ve finally gotten around to watching the “YouTube Stories” series they produced– 2 minute interviews with select creators about their successes with the medium. The stories, and this interview with the director, contain interesting little insights about creating for YouTube that are worth checking out– What [...]

Critique Our (potential) Kit

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We’re deep in the process of researching for purchase a new production kit and I’m seriously leaning towards going in the Canon 7D direction. I have a wish list of different possibilities up at B&H here, and I’d love to get some feedback from our community. Alright, then. Holler, then.

How To @$#!ing Bleep A Word Out

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The other day someone asked me to post an old student film online.  Easy enough, right? Problem is, this innocent little film contains an inordinate amount of F-bombs, as well as an entire monologue centered around tits. Being the classy, considerate person that I am, I decided I would need to bleep some fucking words [...]

Appearance releases via iPhone in the field!

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Whoa… admitedly, I’ve been holding out on the iphone related stuff, I’m a BBerry guy, but recently I was able to trade my little sister (14 years old) an Urban Outfitters gift card to have her ipod touch on loan.  I’m getting into it, and Urgent Content is developing a mobile ap, so figured I [...]

Remix this trailer!

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Kasia pointed out an awesome looking panel at sxsw interactive called “Nobody wants to watch your film”. Which is true. Nobody want’s to watch your film. And if you’re going to get anyone to watch it, you have to have some good online ideas to build buzz. Well, The Cosmonaut , an internationally crowdfunded, creative-commons-licensed [...]

A Convo w/ Sundance Nominated Max Joseph

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Max is a great example of a creator who’s taken his skills and creativity and leveraged it in the web video space to gain serious recognition as a filmmaker. In a web video less world, Max’s vision would not have had the multimillion view exposure that it has, and he’s managed to take the medium [...]

DSLR footage – don’t kill yourself in post

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I was online window shopping for my dream DSLR only to end up reading about the unexpected nightmare that DSLR footage can become in post. The .MOV or .AVI files that most cameras shoot can be super glitchy in a Final Cut time line, and can’t really handle effects or text at all. Luckily a [...]

Hyper Local YouTube Stars

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As I stepped out of my home on Saturday to a beautiful day, I smiled at the USPS delivery lady who was approaching me with mail in hand.  My smile was topped by her shit eating grin, which was confounding, mail delivery people hadn’t been this nice since the 60′s. “You’re laughing at me, aren’t [...]

Slamdance Filmmaker Summit, Live on the Web

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As an avid reader of indie film blogs, I’ve heard a lot of hype about tomorrow Filmmaker Summit at Slamandance, featuring such luminaries as Steven Soderberg, Jon Reiss and a bunch of other people I haven’t heard of. Basically, it’s dope forum on the future of real independent film (as opposed to major studios ‘independent’ [...]

Another, cheaper DSLR rig

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Kirk Photo initially marketed this Action Grip strictly for photographers to mount flashes on, until a customer suggested they modify it to act as a shotgun mount. It’s not nearly as hardcore as one of these bad boys, but it’s also only as $150, as opposed to 2k. Again, if you’re a freelancer whose either [...]

The DSLR vs Prosumer HDV debate rages on

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And i t will continue to rage. Filmmaker magazine’s blog has a fine summary of both sides of the argument here. But if you’re short on time, and have been in the woods for a minute, allow me to sum it up for you: For: DSLR’s can offer some of the finest image quality available [...]

Hack Your Flip With A Wide Angle Lens

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Found here

Relentless: The Rise of the Branded Documentary

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Free tip for emerging non-fiction filmmakers: Figure out a story which brands will be interested in financing/attaching their name to.

Dope DSLR Rigs

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via RedRock One of the most recurring discussions I have with freelance shooters revolve around the HD videp image possible with the modern DSLR. I know some freelancers who use it exclusively. As far as I can tell, there are two challenges with it. One is sound quality can be difficult. The second is clients, [...]

CultureHacker's Transmedia Filmmaking Model = Just As Hard As The Old Way

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What’s interesting to me is that this could apply to musicians, journalists, writers and anyone else interested in Crowdfunding their way to notoriety in the digital era. via culturehacker