T Minus 80
An hour and twenty minutes to go. Either we get the equipment released, or we don't -- it's as simple as that. And if we don't, I have no idea what we're going to do.80 minutes until we meet our Film...
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Hanging Around
Last night's post held over this morning, due to poster fatigue; hanging around is surprisingly tiring. Instead I'm going to do a small post, and another on Tuesday.I was originally going to open with:...
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Meet The Team
A brief introduction to the cast and crew of Doorways, our short film, including who did what.While we wait for the editing suite to save the first reel of film to the computer, I've got time to start...
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Some Reflections on Filming
Films are geared toward working in clusters of pre-production, production and post-production activities. Most students want to work on a little of everything, but it seems to me that films are...
View ArticleBehind The Scenes
UpsumI've posted a couple of blogs already introducing the team and outlining some of the issues involved in the making of Doorways, our adaptation of Abigail Green's screenplay.I've now added a behind...
View ArticleWriting For Films
Our latest lecture covered writing from a film-maker's perspective, which includes some themes that are unique, but also some that are universal. One in three ideas will be good, another (maybe) worth...
View ArticleTime and Motion
Throughout November I kept notes on the number of hours that I worked each day, and what I was spending that time on. Unsurprisingly, Making A Film took up a lot of time. What surprised me was how much...
View ArticleYou Should Be Dancing...
Christmas is coming, time to show one of the very best ads of the year, even though I can't quite put my finger on what it is that makes such a very good film - be it characterization, music, or...
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Watching Choices
We watched seven different vesrions of Choices, five of which kept the name. We changed our version's name to Doorways. Modesty aside, I thought that ours was about the third best, behind one called...
View ArticleMiscellaneous Friday Post
Should I blog about Let The Right One In here --or elsewhere? Meanwhile, I've learned a few more things about filming this week, especially the role of producer and paperwork. Last night's core...
View ArticleDoorways Now Online
Finishing off the films at last and moving onto new ideas for scripts for the next film.This morning's lecture covered two main areas. The first was finishing off Doorways, our short film. The mark...
View ArticleFeedback On Doorways
Feedback from Mike our tutor, together with some initial thoughts, including the danger of not looking carefully at the background, and finding it unexpectedly intruding into our story. Our group has...
View ArticleThe Point of Film
The novel version of The Bridges of Madison County carries the best description of the purpose of photography and cinematography that I've ever read. But ironically that very description led me to...
View ArticleRe-visiting The Comfort Zone
Back to uni yesterday, and straight into workshopping our scripts, which was both a pleasurable and unsettling experience. Pleasurable because I'm in the comfort zone. Unsettling, because...I'm in the...
View ArticleScript Example -- The Usual Suspects
How to make a film, using the opening of The Usual Suspects, and how not to make one, using some extracts from student scripts.One of the best Making A Film seminars yet saw us study the script and...
View ArticleThe Art (or Science) of Editing
A showing of The Cutting Edge, a 2004 documentary celebrating the centenary of development of editing, with contributions from directors and editors.This morning in MAF we watched a 90 minute-ish film...
View ArticleBlack Swan
Yesterday we went to see Black Swan. Like many of the audience, our reaction was ‘Huh?’Yesterday we went to see Black Swan, about which I knew absolutely nothing except that Natalie Portman has been...
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Meet the Team
The teams have assembled, the scripts have been chosen, and the cast are being auditioned today.We've been given the scripts to choose from to make our second 8 minute feature. This is the important...
View ArticleThe Waiting's Almost Over (I Hope...)
So it's almost here - assuming none of the nine various bodies that affect us don't throw one last tack in the way...So it's almost here. My Making A Film e-mail folder has 305 RECEIVED messages alone....
View ArticleLooking Back At Filming Heads or Tails
After a three week break, I finally have the right frame of mind to look back at Four Eyes' production of the short film Heads or Tails.Gulp; it's another of those moments when as a blogger, one looks...
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Casting
Introducing the male and female leads of Heads or Tails:I've just realized that I never made good my promise (or was that a threat?) to introduce the cast of Heads or Tails. To avoid overwhelming you...
View ArticleQuantum of Cobblers
If this blog is to be truly reflective, then as well as looking at where films work, it also needs to look at where they don't...and why. It struck me after watching what could have been a good film...
View ArticlePreview Time
Last week we previewed all the films made by our Film group, with slightly surprising results.This blog is running about a week behind, but if I hadn't mentioned it few of you would have realized. It's...
View ArticleBack to The Grind
As I've noted in my main blog, it's back to work this morning, starting with Making A FilmAs I've noted in my main blog, it's back to work this morning, starting with -what else?- Making a Film.I knew...
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The Last Post
It seems a lifetime, rather than a half-year ago that I sat in the first MAF class. Our goal throughout the year was to make a short film, write an original script, and to keep a blog - for which this...
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