WHO DOES WHAT ON A FILM SET?
Follow the Nerdwriter as he takes you on a tour around an independent film set, describing the parts everyone plays in creating a film.
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“ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA!”
Frank Pierson, who won the Academy Award in 1976 for his screenplay of Dog Day Afternoon, died yesterday at 87.
Whether we ever meet, I'll always feel a connection with Al Pacino. Same high school, same early training and drama teachers. Of course the similarity ends there. He's beyond famous and I'm decidedly not.
But of all his roles and films, Dog Day Afternoon has always been my favorite. So natural. So raw. So 70's. And yes, that is my bag, baby. One of our other teachers at P.A., Sandra Kazan, also appeared in it, as one of the hostages.
Frank Pierson wrote his brilliant screenplay based on an article in Life Magazine, "The Boys In The Bank" by P.F. Kluge, which told the story of a robbery at a Chase Manhattan Bank in Brooklyn on August 22, 1972. It was nominated for six Academy Awards and seven Golden Globe awards, with Frank Pierson winning the only one.
Frank Pierson served as the president of the Writers Guild of America, taught at the Sundance Institute, was an adjunct professor at USC's film school, and was the artistic director of the American Film Institute.
Rest in peace, Frank Pierson.
“THE NEW T-SHIRTS ARE HERE! THE NEW T-SHIRTS ARE HERE!”
Several months ago, Scott Eggleston at The Frugal Filmmaker — one of the most well-known DIY film gear guys online, with thousands of subscribers worldwide — decided to produce t-shirts. Not having a logo, he put it out for anyone in his fan base to create one. He was either going to hold a vote or choose one himself. Ultimately he decided to use three different logos for his shirts. Mine was one of the winning designs.
Later, Scott mentioned producing bumper/gear stickers, saying one of the designs lends itself nicely to that, given its wide format. I see on the pre-order that stickers of my design are being offered as well. And while that's not exactly rock star status it's still pretty cool.
"This is the kind of spontaneous publicity, your logo on stickers and shirts, that makes people!"
Help support Scott's mission and share your love of independent, frugal filmmaking. Pre-order a shirt. I'll even sign it if you'd like.
Heck, it could become collectible.
FILMMAKING: IT’S ABOUT STORY AND STYLE
An article on my Studio and vision was recently published in the paper. As of this posting the online version of that article(http://www.chronicleonline.com/content/lights-camera-action) has one anonymous response. While I'll refrain from a pointless direct counter (though I'll gladly chip in for counseling if anyone would like to join me) I found one comment of particular interest.
I honestly don't recall mentioning cell phones during the interview, nor could I quote how many views YouTube had in 2011. But a good writer researches and rounds out a story. This was masterfully done by Nancy Kennedy in my opinion.
But I'll still stand by what was written, cause it's true and I agree. No matter the medium, filmmaking is about telling a story. And great cinematography is independent of what it was shot on. Heck, up until recently all I had was a standard definition Flip. But as I've also been quoted as having said, "When life hands you a Flip, keep shooting."
So with great fanfare, I present five outstanding films shot entirely on cell phones. Proof positive that blanket statements about YouTube videos are fool's talk. And I'll gladly play the local yokel if that's my part in this dance. Heck, I've drummed in drag before (Cabaret). Yokel's easy.
LEGENDARY FILM STUDIO ARCHIVES MIGHT SOMEDAY BE VIEWABLE ON YOUTUBE
I've always waxed nostalgic. And though I'm not a history buff there are historical events that profoundly sadden my heart. The accidental burning of the library at Alexandria. The closing of Steeplechase Park. The day the music died and manufactured teen idols came to represent talent.
So for me, this is a significantly worthy post.
One of the world's largest, most culturally important film archives is working toward digitizing over 100,000 film clips for free online viewing on YouTube.
READ ARTICLE AND VIEW PROMO VIDEO HERE
WILLIAM ASHER – LEGENDARY TV WRITER AND DIRECTOR, DIES AT 90
William Asher wrote and directed some of the most groundbreaking TV sitcoms, such as I Love Lucy, Bewitched, Gidget and Our Miss Brooks. He was also married to Elizabeth Montgomery and won the Best Director emmy for Bewitched in 1966.
Read the comments to discover many interesting things about Mr. Asher, including how he came up with the idea for Bewitched.
Rest in Peace, William
TED: THE BEAR FACTS
This took some time to come to terms with posting. It's definitely content of a certain nature, but the fascination of the process and workflow, and how the shots were achieved ruled out over the potential of offending anyone.
Watch, listen, read, learn and enjoy. Real cool stuff.
SEE, HEAR AND READ FULL STORY HERE
RICHARD ZANUCK DIES AT 77
Richard Zanuck died today at his home in Los Angeles of a heart attack.
He was the Producer of a vast string of hugely successful films, including: The French Connection, Patton, The Sound of Music, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Driving Miss Daisy, Jaws, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice In Wonderland, the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes, and most recently Dark Shadows.
His work is to be admired, respected and studied, along with his passion, commitment and involvement as a producer. To wit:
"I think there's been a devaluation of the concept," he told Variety. "Maybe too many people have used the term 'producer' when they weren't qualified. That's what the Producers Guild has been fighting for years. I was the chairman of the producers' branch of the Academy for about 10 years, and we were constantly trying to find ways to prevent this proliferation of credits. A producer should contribute from the very beginning until the very end, in all aspects. I'm there at the set every day, on every shot. Not that the director, particularly Tim (Burton), needs me, but just in case. There are producers who don't even watch the dailies, who have some contact with the project and get their name slapped on there. That's what we've been trying to get rid of."
Rest in Peace Richard.