The assignment had two parts: First, we had to re-watch a scene from one of the films screened in class and write down every detail that we could. I mean everything. The second part was to derive some meaning from those minute details we had recorded.  I ended up watching the same 2 minut

A strong vlogging voice can make your collection of videos more cohesive so more people can find just how awesome you and your videos are! To get there, let’s start with a few basic questions. WHAT: What kind of videos do you want to make? In the world of online video, it helps to narrow down what k

To make your Movie Magic, the average feature film production will need at least a dozen crew members, and we’re going to show you who to hire, how to find them and what their responsibilities will be. Contributing to this article are two independent filmmakers with amazing longevity in the industry

Stress, lack of sleep and poor diet are problems plaguing many filmmakers during production. Peter Jackson no doubtedly was affected by this when he was hospitalized for a perforated ulcer during production of “The Hobbit”. While there isn’t an official director’s disease, it’s no great surpri

By definition, collaboration is the act of working with someone to create something. When we set out to create a short film, a commercial or a documentary, we rarely do so in a vacuum. We work with others — cast and crew to bring a vision to life. Our capacity to work together can mean the diff

If the old adage is true, that a picture is worth a thousand words, what value should we place on the words that help make the picture? In screenplay development, a writer is tasked with painting a portrait around both the narrative of the overall scene, as well as the emotional and situational stat

From a videographer’s standpoint, when I travel I usually bring around $30,000 worth of equipment packed tightly into 3 cases. I carry on the expensive cameras – no way I’m checking the good stuff. About a year ago, I was travelling back from Canada to the US where I had done a qui

When you are shooting in a controlled environment it’s relatively easy to keep people clear of your gear, but when it comes to shooting weddings and event videos your set will be packed with hundreds of people who might bump into, trip over or otherwise interfere with your valuable equipment. Having

Every video created needs to tell a story but that’s not possible without some form of planning ahead. Filmmaking is an art, and like any artistic medium, people go into it expecting some form of spontaneity. As with drawing or painting, the ability to let your creativity flow freely onto the

A truth about the video production industry is that many video producers get into it for the tech. They love being behind the camera and staying up-to-date on all the latest gadgets and programs that will make their videos the digital beauties they want them to be. But some video producers can forge

The preliminary work of pre-production is probably the most important work you can do to ensure a successful filmmaking experience. From what’s your story to where’s the glory is a journey every filmmaker travels, regardless of the scope and ambition of the film. Let’s walk through it. What’s the st

One secret of a craft like making video, or painting, is to learn all the rules so well that they burn into your brain and you don’t need to think about them while planning your shots; your subconscious makes decisions about the best light placement so that you can spend your time arguing with

Even if extra hands are not absolutely essential to complete a project, the video production process offers an amazing opportunity for teamwork and creative collaboration that can add to your enjoyment and improve the end product. Whether you need to assemble a temporary crew for a single production

Everyone’s been there before. A project is shot and edited and is now sits in the client’s hands. The time has come for that most dreaded of dances: video revisions. Revisions are a necessary part of delivering a product that a client is happy with. In video, so much of what we do is sub

In this age of interconnected, open-source, crowd-funded, and shared technology, communication and online interaction are easier than ever. It’s simple to share information, and easy to learn from multiple sources. With so many online options available to mold us into video professionals, face

The Prologue I don’t mean to rain on this parade before the first baton is twirled into the air, but you need to know that getting free money is a whole lot of work. As my grant writing independent study teacher informed me when I started my graduate thesis film, “It might be easier and

So you've got a great idea for a video project and you want to get some people to help you do it. If it's really simple like “I want to get video of the sun coming up over that hill while the kids drop pumpkins from ladders as the tune of the 1812 Overture plays,” you can just

Fred is happy. His shoot is perfectly planned. His set is precisely positioned. His interview questions are ready. The cameras are white balanced, and crisply focused. And his crew is fed and happy, having enjoyed the immaculate spread of snacks that Fred has provided. His guest talent walks through

A helicopter flies in with a number of military personal on it. It lands and they file out surrounding a small boy playing jacks on the sidewalk. The boy’s ball bounces off the foot of a soldier and stops. The boy looks up and is eye to eye with guns. He slowly rises looking confused. The sold

The craft of adapting a novel and creating a screenplay looms as one of the ultimate challenges for any writer. Like raising someone else’s child, you want them to remember their birth parent, but they must become their own work of art; an individual unto themselves. The first step is finding