This Savage Art

John Ott, writer, filmmaker and futurist, gives us some very interesting thoughts on why failure is part of the big picture and why indie filmmakers have it all wrong (I agree with him.)

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Wired takes an in depth look at the RED digital wundercamera.

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Whether you have the money or not this is some very good advice on what to do with your money and how you, as a filmmaker, should evolve.

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Here is an excellent resource list filled with essential documentation for your production from the International Film School Sydney.

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The above video is a gleaming example of what can be done with very little. It is an impressive looking short film called White Red Panic from Ayz Waraich and it shows us we don’t need all the bells and whistles equipment-wise to make something that visually stimulates. This is desktop filmmaking shot with a Canon HV20. A tiny kick around HD camera that goes for under a grand [the new replacement model is the HV30.] Yes, you heard me right. 1080p24 for under $1,000. The film itself is a simple sequence but you can see how far color correction can take you if you do your homework. I own the HV20 myself and I’ve shot a few things around the apartment but I can’t wait to beat this thing into submission and get some serious images. I’m planning on the next short film to be shot with this camera.

I first found out about this film and the camera through Stu Manschwitz’s ProLost site. He’s kind of a digital DIY guru of sorts that has an excellent book that informs and educates and I highly recommend it. He’s also one of the founders of The Orphanage and chief creator of Magic Bullet Looks. The film, the site and the book might be the boost you need to get you to sharpen your skills and get you excited about creating again. Remember what I said, a $1,000 camera.

We are moving into a new phase of independent filmmaking, beyond the crappy looking mini-dv cameras of just five years ago. Don’t get me wrong, use what you have. It’s not about the tools. It’s about the vision and ultimately, the story. HD isn’t everything and not everything needs to be HD but the options are there and at an extremely affordable price and with some ingenuity all things are possible.

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It’s all about story as we all know and have known. There’s no magic bullet and there’s no screenwriting book that’s going to give you the formula. A combination of life’s hard lessons learned, an instinct for what moves people and raw, unfiltered talent will always win. So let’s hand it to those out there who finally are coming around and realize everything I have just said to be the truth. Here they are:

• Producer Mark Gill tells us how fucked the independent film world is. But hey, there’s hope.
• Storytellers unite.
• Bad writing sucks. Let’s try to fix that, mmmmmkay. [via THND]

That should keep you busy thinking for a while.

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Four filmmakers recreate this infamous historical scene on desktops [via HD4NDs.]

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A good nuts and bolts filmmaking blog from San Francisco digital filmmaker and friend of Stu “Red Giant” Maschwitz, Eric Escobar. [via Making The Movie]

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