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April 27, 2004
"The new phone book is here! The new phone book is here!"
Yeah, so my "Master and Commander" DVD came in the mail today, and I was as excited as Navin R. Johnson was when the new phone book came. After all, it was my favorite movie of 2003, and though I don't want to overhype it for Terry, it was better than 10 Super Bowls (or, to put it another way, director Peter Weir makes Michelangelo look like a douchebag).
But wait! My place got ripped off one week ago (a fact I was somewhat reluctant to share openly right after it happened - my apologies to those I didn't talk to), and my DVD player is, how shall I put it, "being exchanged for crack somewhere." They caught the guy they think did it, but I don't expect to see it (or any of my other stuff) anytime soon. Theoretically, Allstate is going to come through for me, but that's neither here nor there.
Here I was today, a brand new DVD in my trembling fingers, and I had nowhere to watch it. Oh, we have tons of DVD players at work, but it just wouldn't do to watch a 150-minute movie while I'm on the clock, as it were. I entertained thoughts of using our magnificent screening room, but I was too much of a pussy to stroll in and fire it up (though I haven't asked around, I can only assume the opportunity cost of utilizing our theater for personal use is about the same as... well, there's no clever comparison I can think of right now, but it's probably a lot of money!!1!).
So here I am, I've been dying to see this movie since November (when I saw it in the theater), and I can't. I guess it's not the worst thing in the world that could happen to a guy, and it's tangentially related to the concept of "film," so I figured I'd share.
Hey, I never said this would be an interesting story.
Posted by Ryan Kelly at 01:32 AM | Comments (2)
April 23, 2004
Clash of the Titans on the Big Screen
They are actually going to show the Clash of the Titans at the Prince Theatre. How cool is that. I'm considering going.
Check it out.
http://www.princemusictheater.org/film/chumleyandcarlota/
Posted by Terrence Ryan at 01:41 PM | Comments (3)
April 22, 2004
Camerawork Reading
I am by no means an expert cimatographer by any means. However I've had to do my fair share of camerawork. So I do have a couple books up my sleeve that have been very helpful in accelerating my knowledge about how to move a camera.
Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know
by Jeremy Vineyard, Jose Cruz (Illustrator)
Good: Ever wanted to talk about a technique you saw in a movie but don't know the term for it? Wanted to know why certain techniques are used in certain cirumstances? HAve you ever needed to show someone else the technique you are talking about, because your description just isn't doing it? If you answered "yes" to any of these, read this book.
Bad: Nothing. Except if you know all this stuff already. In which case you shouldn't be taking reccomendations from me anyway.
Film Directing, Cinematic Motion: A Workshop for Staging Scenes
by Steven D. Katz
Good:An excellent primer to get ideas about moving a camera, and to grasp why you should or should not move the camera. Also it has amazing diagrams that show not just the path of the camera, but the results on fillm (or video.) Finally it has interviews with various specialists that are pretty specific, but pretty revealing. (Example: One of the interviews is with a guy who is an expert on camerawork in moving automobiles.)
Bad: It's a little dry. Okay, well maybe more than a little dry. I'm thinking about it right now and I.... i nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Posted by Terrence Ryan at 06:36 PM
April 21, 2004
Chance to Network with Penn Alums in Film Industry
Found this on the Penn Alumni Site today. Check it out it could be a good opportunity to network.
If someone from Citizen Wumpus is interested in going, but is not a Penn Alum, let me know, I can bring in guests.
Friday May 14th.
2 - 3:30 pm
Being There: Education, Humanities, and the Movies
The Arch
A panel of alumni from the film industry join Professor Timothy Corrigan, Director of Film Studies, to discuss the relationship between a liberal arts education and the movies. The panel will include Marc Platt, C'79, producer of Legally Blonde, its sequel, and the Broadway musical, Wicked. For more information call 215-898-5262. Sponsored by the School of Arts and Sciences.
About the event and the link to register:
http://www.alumni.upenn.edu/alumniweekend2004/friday.html
Posted by Terrence Ryan at 04:53 PM
April 19, 2004
Why "Koyaanisqatsi" is Excellent
"Terry, you ignorant slut."
OK, that will be the extent of my belligerence. I can totally see how "Koyaanisqatsi" would turn somebody off if he were looking at it from a "technical" point of view, even though I think "Koyaanisqatsi" can be appreciated in the "technical" sense w/r/t montage - though the filmmakers do not exactly use true Eisensteinian montage in the Qatsi trilogy, it is the succession of images as much as the content of images that communicates the "meaning" (to put it crudely) of the film.
This film is a powerful (but not preachy) "statement" (which might be too strong a word) about the dehumanizing effects of technology and modern life. I do not think it's a "deep message about the environment," as Terry put it (at least not in the conventional political sense), though Man's triumph over (and resulting detachment from) nature is a major characteristic of much of the imagery.
Much of the second half of the film is comprised of imagery of megalopoli - the filmmakers devote much of their energy and resources towards capturing the characteristics of these supercities in unconventional ways. Time-lapse photography of superhighways evoke images of blood being pumped through veins; combined with the same sort of time-laspe photography of pedestrian traffic, the movie suggests that modern cities are indeed monstrous organisms, made of concrete and blood and glass and sinew. Yet the hardened, joyless faces of the people who comprise the building blocks of the modern city suggest that it is less than the sum of its parts. The "grid"-like characteristics of these cities further suggest that while the modern city may be a sort of organism, much of it is inorganic and unnatural. These images of cityscapes are juxtaposed with with the images of the film's first half - those of naturalistic landscapes and cloudscapes. There is a progression; a story is being told through imagery alone - the highest form of montage.
"Koyaanisqatsi" is a documentary in a sense; it examines mankind's sterile dream (to paraphrase Lewis Mumford) to live in a world of its own making - isolated from nature - and it touches upon each man's sterile dream to live close to yet isolated from his fellow man. It does not necessarily advocate a "back to nature" Thoreau/Emerson-esque philosophy, though I'm sure that some viewers could certainly come away with that feeling.
Which brings me to this: we've talked a lot in recent days about the meaning that art holds for the experiencer (in the wake of Mikey's colleagues' music). The preceding is the meaning it holds for me, despite the fact that I wrote it in the declarative. I first saw this in a high school class in which we had read Mumford's The City in History and Philip Slater's The Pursuit of Loneliness, both of which deal with the dehumanizing effects of technology and of the modern city/suburb. If art holds some intrinsic meaning (a big "if"), I sensed and interpreted it in this movie after having read those wonderfully sobering works. In the end, I thought it was quite powerful, beautifully done, and culturally/sociologically relevant.
I do not think you are ignorant, Terry, nor do I think you are a slut. I do wish, though, that you had been able to see this excellent film through the same eyes I did way back when.
On edit - cleaned up some grammar.
Posted by Ryan Kelly at 04:51 PM | Comments (2)
April 15, 2004
Koyaanisqatsi
I saw it for the first time tonight. I hated, hated, hated this movie. All form, no substance. And don't give me that "It's a deep message about the environment." It's pretentious nonsense, and I hate you for even defending it.
It's scored by Phillip Glass, so I should have known. Although, the score does include a song where the title is sung repeated for a 5 minute stretch, so I guess I can't criticize the music that much.
All in all, this seemed less a real movie, than a fake movie that would be displayed in a movie or sitcom as an example of a pretentious movie.
Posted by Terrence Ryan at 11:00 PM | Comments (3)
The Weeks that Was
The 48 Hour Film odyssey has ended and I'm bursting with pride! This was my 4th 48 hour film(my 3rd w/Citizen Wumpus) so I,and my crew, were used to the hectic pace, time constraints,etc. But for whatever reason this was the toughest film I've ever made(and I made a movie where I got beat up & shot!)The weekend of the shoot there was alot of angst & emotions, arguements,hurt feelings, and a ton of emails.I guess that's what makes the success of "Rolodex Girl" so sweet. We went through all that and turned out a "KICK-ASS" product and our friendships are stronger than ever. Look, Terry's even letting me write! I'm most proud of the fact that we've gotten better with each film and we continue to get such positive praise from the audience and fellow filmmakers. The coolest thing that's ever happened to us was not only receiving the "Best Use of Prop" award but the fact that the audience WANTED us to get it. When the host asked the crowd who should get the award, and to hear a crowd yelling "ROLODEX GIRL", and it wasn't us? Can't beat that. From receiving our genre on March 19th to receiving our award on April 11th, these weeks have made a lifetime worth of memories.
Thank you 1 & all.
Posted by Craig Liggeons at 02:40 PM
April 14, 2004
Film Story Books
In Keeping with Terry's books on Film production, I'd like to offer up my $.02 on books that deal with what Citizen Wumpus feels is the most important aspect of film creation: Story. Creating a great story, one that moves an audience and sweeps them up in its drama and passion is what separates a good movie from a timeless one. Each member in Citizen Wumpus firmly believes that if we have a great story, that speaks to the audience, that identifies with an audience, each one of our subsequent steps (directing, mixing, editing) will be that much stronger, because we'll know what we want to convey. The following are 2 books that I feel are great for any aspiring screenwriter to read. Believe me, there are lots of other great books out there (I didn't mention Syd Field or Linda Seger, for example). But I happen to really resonate with these two books, and they're great starting points. So, without further ado...
Story:Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting
- By Robert Mckee
Probably the single most important book for Citizen Wumpus members. I know for a fact that Terry, myself, Avish, and Craig have read this book, and refer to it all the time. This book is not about giving you a formula to make a Hollywood story. Rather, it talks about the underlying dramatic and structural foundations that make a great story. By reading this, you'll become very aware of the impact your screenplays have on the audience, and how to most efficiently "carry them away" into the world that you've created. Highly Recommended.
The Writer's Journey - By Chris Vogler
This book is based upon Joseph Campbell's book, The Hero With A Thousand Faces (which really should be the third entry here). The two books are based upon the theory of Jungian archetypes, and says that basically, all movies involve characters which assume the roles of these archetypes, and that the hero undergoes a journey in which he interacts with these characters, and performs almost ritual actions to succeed in his adventures. I love this book, because it really focuses on what motivates and drives particular characters that we create, and drive and desire are what makes characters memorable. Another Highly recommended book.
Posted by Mike Worth at 04:15 PM | Comments (1)
More Film Sites
I found more sites by teams that did the 48 Hour film Project or the National Film Challenge. Specifically I found more examples of other projects online.
http://www.humanthinktank.com/tazlake/blog2/blog_comment.asp?blog_id=84
http://www.craigrichards.com/act/1068660820.html
http://www.trudang.com/index.html
http://www.freewebs.com/bystudio/
Feel free to post in comments, ones not listed here.
Posted by Terrence Ryan at 12:41 PM
April 12, 2004
Production Reading
So as part of my goal to give people a reason to come back to this site I'm starting a series of articles dedicated to various topics related to the movies we make.
My first entry: Books about film production. By no means is this to be seen as a comprehensive list. These are just books I have read that I take some value from. I'll try to give it in the form of pro and con of each book, but I won't be that formal.
To be clear, I reccomend all of them (I'm ommitting books I've read but don't reccomend.) The negative comments are just there to give you a little grain of salt with which to take the book.
Make Your Own Damn Movie!: Secrets of a Renegade Director
by Lloyd Kaufman
Good: It talks about the advantage of a low budget movie, specifically how it allows the creative team spearheading it more creative control. It has good tips for auditioning actors, cheap special effects, and running a production.
Bad: You get the picture that Lloyd Kaufman is kind of a jackass, and you wouldn't want to work for him. He seems to be downright abusive to his actors/crew/supporters/fans. He's also a little self righteous talking about his B-horror shlock as "art." Don't get me wrong I want to see Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD, but not because I think of it as a Renoir or something.
How to Shoot a Feature Film for Under $10,000 (And Not Go to Jail)
by Bret Stern
Good: This one also talks about making movies with less money. It gives a lot of decent advice on reducing price, and choisng an audience. It's also very entertaining.
Bad: It's a little too much with the entertainment. Sometime it's hard to know when he joking, and when he's serious.
The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age
by Steven Ascher, Edward Pincus, Carol Keller, Robert Brun, Ted Spagna, Stephen McCarthy
Good: Pretty much a textbook with which to learn the basics of filmmaking. It gives a good grounding in both the video and film worlds. It has quite a bit of depth on all facets of production.
Bad: Pretty much a textbook. This isn't one you want to curl up with, cause it will put you to sleep.
Posted by Terrence Ryan at 04:53 PM
Philadelphia Film Festival
So good news and bad news.
Good news: We're done with Rolodex Girl.
Bad news: We're done with Rolodex Girl.
We walked away with "Best Use of Prop." There was some indication from the crowd that we should have had "Best Graphic Design" but instead it went to the Best Film "Hove Lurts," which by all rights was a fantastic movie.
We got to hang out a bunch with Bredstik films, who were extremely fun to get drunk with. They picked up "Best Editing" so kudos to them.
There's talk of collaboration between Citizen Wumpus and Bredstik, which I have to admit makes me very excited.
So congrats to everyone, and onward to our, as of yet untitled, Summer 2004 project.
Posted by Terrence Ryan at 02:45 AM | Comments (7)
April 09, 2004
New site
Welcome, as you may have guessed, we've moved over to a new site with a new look.
Enjoy, feel free to comment.
Posted by Terrence Ryan at 10:24 PM
April 08, 2004
Another Team
Hey check out the website for Bredstik, one of our fellow entrants in the 48 Hour Film Contest. They were also screwed over by the "2 second delay" at the screening. So check out their movie if you didn't get a chance to stay for the second screening.
Posted by Terrence Ryan at 11:24 AM
April 06, 2004
We're In
It is my pleasure to announce that Citizen Wumpus' entry for the 2004 48 Hour Film Project, "Rolodex Girl" has been chosen to be screened at the Philadelphia Film Festival as part of the "The Best of the 48 Hour Film Project."
Here is the list of other teams and films:
“Birders” Back Your Brothers Play
“Lunch Break” Bredstik Entertainment
"Unclaym'd Heart" Bughouse Productions
“The Delivery” CW Syndicate -
“Rolodex Girl" Citizen Wumpus
“True Identity” Cofi
"Hove Lurts" Flim Flam Film
"Copcakes" IBOx Films
"Jimmy" OSBX
"Client 3815" WC4
Booya, people, booya.
Posted by tpryan at 10:40 PM | Comments (2)
April 01, 2004
Audience Awards
So they released the audience awards today.
"Birders" won.
Damn sound synching issues. Not to say that we would have won had our sound been done right, but we'll never know.
Posted by Terrence Ryan at 02:07 PM | Comments (3)
