Trade-Ins, Part-EX & Rent with our supplier WEX
Chris 02/06/20
Did you know, that one of our suppliers WEX, is more than just a retailer. It offers trade-in, part-exchange and equipment rental too, on a large range of the latest products. During the current situation the trade-in offer is a little bit bare, but if you fancy picking up a brand new Canon 1DX Mk3 and have a qualifying camera that it will replace, then you can knock up-to £3000 off the full cost. If there are not any offers available they can give you a quote for the cost of your kit. Dont want to wait or risk damage by sending it to them, well fear not, the nearest branch is in Bristol.
If renting kit is more your thing they have a huge range of kit, from cameras and audio to lights and accessories and they’ll even rent those expensive CFast cards if you want to shoot in 4K. This isnt just for the filmmakers, they have a wide range of photography equipment too, including digital medium format cameras such as Hassleblad and Pentax.
Movie of the day - Straight Outta Compton (2015). The real life story of notorious gangster rap group NWA sort of kicked off the current trend of musical autobiography, but i wonder if NWA really needed this? The movie is overall very good, i’m not familiar with the real life experiences of NWA and the other west coast rappers of the 80s and 90s, but from what i can tell the story is fairly true to life. Ice Cubes own son portrays him in the film and gives a pretty good performance. The biggest downside of the film comes at the end, where Dr Dre look at the camera to declare he is splitting on his own to create his own production company. It felt so self indulgent and appears more like advertisement. No surprise when the credits role and he is listed as a producer, conventionally glossing over some of his questionable actions in the past. Worth a watch.
VFX Breakdown - Dynamo Dream short film
Chris 01/06/20
Check out this really cool short film by YouTube filmmaker Ian Hubert. The coolest part of the teaser is the fantastic visual effects created entirely in Blender - which if you didn’t know is a really easy to use and free 3-D modelling and animation software, that i also previously used for my final degree project, back in the day. Now this video apparently took years to make, but you can see that even high quality such as this is achievable as a one-man-band.
Movie of the day - Top Secret (1984). Everyone knows Airplane, Police Squad/Naked Gun and even Hot Shots, but Top Secret seems to be overlooked when talking about the classic spoof movies. Now this is spoof in its purest, funniest form, where every joke is so stupid, but hilarious and cleaver at the same time without feeling cheep, gimmicky or too focused on contemporary events. Val Kilmer stars in his debut role as an Elvis-like heartthrob, thrown into the midst of a cold-war spy operation. The story isn’t all that important as its more of a vessel for the jokes and gags seen throughout. Top marks go to the scene where Peter Cushing plays a large-eyed book keeper in a scene played backwards to simulate a foreign language. Highly recommend this great comedic film to anyone.
Free Training events with CVP Common Room
Chris 22/05/20
One of our camera suppliers, CVP, regularly offer training courses and industry events covering trade shows, new camera reveals or more high end camera workshops for those that dont regularly have access to REDs, Arri’s or the higher end Canon cine cameras. They’ve since shifted to online events during the current situation and are offering several courses over the coming weeks for free. These events are being hosted via Discord and are also being shown on YouTube shortly afterwards. Find the link to the CVP Common Room here
Movie of the Day - The Dirt (2019). This Netflix original biographical film follows glam-rock group Motley Crue and their rise to stardom in the early 80’s. I Guess the success of 2015’s Straight Outta Compton opened the floodgates to the more gritty band biopics and the story of Motley Crue is crazy enough to warrant a film. Whilst mostly entertaining the tone of the film is all over the place, where its mostly an over the top look at this larger than life band, interconnected with several hard hitting scenes that feel out of place in comparison to the rest of the film. Surprise performance with rapper Machine Gun Kelly as drummer Tommy Lee and look out for the one scene including the infamous Ozzy Osborne snorting ants and piss. Id recommend if you like Motley Crue or these types of music biopics but if you don’t really care much i doubt this film will do much for you.
Industry Unions in the UK
Chris 21/05/20
If you’re employed in the UK its worth looking into seeing what Unions are available to you in that sector, be it film or anything else. It seems like Unions get a bad rep, often in films and TV Unions are seen as someone you bribe to get things done, or currently in the news painted in a bad light over the refusal to open schools unless safety precautions are taken. The truth couldn’t be different and by and large are there to protect you, your pay, benefits and employment rights. If you want to progress to work on large productions or even in Hollywood you’ll eventually come across Unions and sometimes may lose out on opportunities if you are not part of one. Take a look at some of the Unions below.
Movie of the Day - Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982). The third installment in the Halloween series and the only film in the series not to feature Michael Myers. I Honestly think its a great standalone film that is overshadowed by its title, as the producers wanted to turn the series into an anthology. Its less of a slasher and more of a fun adventure Horror, as a small town Doctor and the daughter of a toy salesman seek out the truth behind a mysterious Halloween mask maker and the goons that stalk them. I Wont delve too much into the plot, but i will say Stonehenge is involved that leads to a fantastically abrupt ending. Its a shame they reverted back to Michael Myers as the subsequent movies are wholly unoriginal and quite frankly boring in comparison to the first two.
COVD-19 Advice and Guidance from the BFI
Chris 20/05/20
Following on from my previous blog post from the Nordic Film Guide and Rich’s discussion on Should i be filming at all? I Thought i’d share with you two link from the BFI, this link for advice and guidance and another link for some in-depth Q&A in regards to the current situation. The links go into detail on a recovery plan for the film industry in the UK, details regarding Emergency Funds, industry support, information on freelancers pay and insurance. Its well worth the read even if things dont strictly apply to you, its still worth learning about these types of schemes and benefits that are on offer for members of the industry.
If you’ve become bored of Netflix and Amazon pushing their original series on you, then you can check out some classic films from the BFI Player, where they have a free 14 Day Trial.
Movie of the Day - Psycho II (1983). The Hitchcock classic has one of, if not the most famous movie scene of all time in it, yet not many people know that 3 sequels were made for the film. Psycho II is a fantastic film and in my opinion and worthy enough to carry the Psycho name. The director, Richard Franklin, was a good friend and student of Hitchcock and creates an excellent homage as well as putting his own spin on the story. The film is set 22 Years after the original and Norman Bates is declared sane, freed from prison and returns home to the Bates Motel but somebody is out to prove that he is the same killer he once was. Anthony Perkins and Vera Miles reprise their roles from the original and Norman and Lila Loomis respectively and both give great performances and Perkins adds so much to the character of Norman. The soundtrack and cinematography is great but the film falters in one key scene that really takes you out of the film and is reminiscent of something from Friday the 13th.
A Year later Perkins himself directed the third installment and direct sequel to Psycho II, set only a few weeks later. While i think its a great fun film, it suffers from trying to emulate the films of the era and devolves into a straight up 80’s slasher film, complete with teens butchers whilst breaking into a house to make out. It does however have great continuity and almost all of the supporting cast return. Highly recommend checking out Psycho II (and Three if you enjoyed it) as a great follow up to a classic film.
How an old film gets restored for a Blu-ray release
Chris 19/05/20
For those that don’t know the Criterion Collection is a home media distributor that does more than slap a film on a disc and sell it in Tesco. They are a boutique Blu-ray and DVD brand that often do a complete restoration of older films that have not had the love they deserve or have had sub-par restorations in the past and are highly regarded for their excellent selection of over 1000 classic, art-house and historically important films. If you are still buying physical media and have the choice between a regular Blu-Ray and a criterion, its well worth the extra cost. Have a look at this great video from Gizmodo on the restoration process behind the Alfred Hitchcock classic ‘Foreign Correspondent’. I Think its really interesting to see the process behind taking an 80 year old film and what they do with the sound, picture and the physical presentation of the release. You can see there is actual care taken in a project like this and you can probably find some excellent comparisons of this and previous releases of this film. As you can see working on a project like this, or for any number of the boutique media labels, the roles are varied and all specialized and bring together a whole range of experts.
Movie of the day - Heathers (1988). This teen cult classic is actually way darker than i thought it was but also kinda of shallow and without a point. The premise revolves around a popular but bitchy clique of girls, (three of which are called Heather), the spate of apparent suicides rocking the school and the dark and edgy newcomer to the school played by Christian Slater. I think this type of school environment is a thing of the past, i know its fictionalized and stylized (and american) but it seems like the days of cliques like this are a thing of the past. The film covers some dark themes but the climax of the film is just bizarre and the whole thing feels kind of pointless. I Don’t know if this is worth watching and doesn’t stand up among the 80s classic.
Canon EOS Webcam tool
Chris 18/05/20
I am now back from Furlough leave and ready to assist students with any problems that you may have. Send me an email or a message through teams to reach me.
Check this handy tool straight from Canon itself. The EOS webcam utility allows you to plug your Canon cameras in with just a USB and a free piece of software. Unfortunately it doesn’t offer support for the Cine camera range (C100, C200 & C300) but those with the Canon 5D, Canon 70D and Canon 700D cameras can take advantage of this software and have a better quality image for online calls with Skype, Teams, Zoom et al.
Move of the Day - 英雄無淚 aka Heroes Shed No Tears (1986). John Woo’s last film before his breakout A Better Tomorrow. I Bought the new restoration on BluRay in the hopes that we would get more John Woo HK cinema over here in the UK however this film left a lot to be desired. The film revolves around a group of mercenaries being sent to capture a drug lord in Thailand. The setup is barely explained and the rest of the film is a nonsensical mess. Within the opening minutes the bad guy is captured and the team is forced to flee to the border to safety. The film then follows the team as they go from one ridiculous situation to another where some scenes are almost slapstick comedy. We meet the secondary antagonist of the film during a strange border checkpoint scene where the protagonist shoots him in the eye. About halfway through we meet up with a war buddy of the protagonist who lives in a hut with several wives and enough explosives to blow up a small country. There is a weird drug induced sex scene before the final fight where the team is slowly picked off one by one.
Apparently the original film is much different and what is available has been disowned by the director with almost all the slapstick scenes and the drug/sex scene being reshoots added in post. The bluray has a cool special feature showing the lost version that was only available in Korea where its a more straightforward war movie. Honestly this film was pretty terrible, i doubt many people are clamoring for John Woo films, but if you are look at his films after this (A Better Tomorrow, The Killer and Hard Boiled).
Lighting in 60 seconds
Chris 24/04/20
Take a look at these fantastic and snappy videos from youtube channel, Still Movie Media, as they show you how to light your scenes without waffling on.
I am now off on the furlough scheme for the next three weeks, so i will be unavailable. If you have lost, damaged or had any kit stolen, please do contact me though.
Movie of the day - Apocalypse Now: Final Cut (1979/2019). The original film is a masterpiece of film making and one of the best films ever made in my opinion, reinforced by the storied production and how every aspect of the film was real and tangible. My favorite anecdote, that during the filming of the Flight of the Valkyries helicopter assault, production was stopped so the rented Filipino army helicopters could go off to fight guerrillas in the jungle a short distance from the filming location. My thoughts specifically on the Final Cut are negative however. Director Francis Ford Coppola released his extended Redux cut back in the early 2000s, adding an additional 45 minutes of footage to an already two and a half hour film. The majority of additional footage took place on a french plantation, a scene that stops the film dead in its tracks and is detrimental to the pace and atmosphere of the films second act. Other scenes included an extended look into Willard’s torture at the hands of Kurtz, with several daytime shots of Kurtz spouting nonsense. The Final Cut is intended to fix the pacing somewhat, but it fails at it leaves the entirety of the plantation scene in and cuts the minor scenes with Kurtz as well as the playboy bunnies at an american camp. I Highly recommend the original theatrical cut of the film and to avoid both the Redux and the Final Cut. On another note i had the pleasure of seeing the new 4K Master on the big screen last august and the film has never looked better. Check out of the making of film Hearts of Darkness, for a documentary just as good as the film.
Using cheap vintage lenses with your newer cameras
Chris 23/04/20
Here is a money saving tip to those looking at investing in some nice lenses for your cameras. Your easiest option is purchasing lenses for your camera, be it Sony, Nikon, Canon or the third party brands such as Sigma and Samyang, however lenses are expensive. The 24-105s that are bundled with the Canon C100s retails for a little over £800 and the 35mm L Lens is over £1300. A Cheaper overall route would be something like the Samyang kits, which are over £2000 for a range of 5 lenses.
However being students, there are more important things to dedicate your money to, that’s why i recommend looking into using vintage lenses. 35mm Film cameras were introduced in the 1920s and are still being made today, however their prime was back in the 60s and 70s where top brands such as Nikon and Canon produced fantastic quality lenses that are still highly regarded today and your parents or grandparents probably have the odd few gathering dust in a drawer somewhere. Because a full-frame digital sensor is the same as a 35mm film frame, the lenses have no crop factor and a cheap £10 dumb-adapter will work perfectly in comparison to the £500 metabones (that we use with the Sony FS7) which includes electronics and a glass element.
Many of the cameras available from Canon, Sony and Nikon that are APS-C also offer a setting that will allow Full frame lenses to be used, but cameras such as the Sony A7 Lineup, Canon 1D, 5D and the mirror-less R Range as well as the offerings from Nikon and Fuji are where these lenses flourish. I Personally use the same lenses on my Sony A7 as i do on my old Canon A-1 and during my recent trip to Ukraine i hot swapped the lenses on the fly between the two cameras.
As these are old film camera lenses you can often find higher end models for a fraction of its current counterpart. For Example, the Canon EF 50mm 1.2L Lens (the Red-Ring lens range) can be had for just over £1000, however the Canon FD 50mm 1.2L Lens can be had for half of that in mint condition from eBay. And thats for the top end lenses, for the regular Canon FD 50mm 1.8 you are looking at less than £50. That is next to nothing for a fantastic quality lens that is constructed from metal and has nice quality glass. You can find these lenses all over the place, with eBay sellers from Japan selling lenses that look like they were made yesterday, i can attest myself to purchasing a Canon FD 85-300mm Lens that is in better condition than any lens available in the college. For something a bit closer to home, check out West Yorkshire Cameras who sell a great range of second hand lenses from dozens of different brands.
Movie of the day - Pink Flamingos (1972). An Exercise in Poor Taste. The John Waters cult film featuring drag-queen and self proclaimed “filthiest person alive” Divine. This film is filthy and obscene with some scenes crossing so far over-the-line, but its hilarious and goundbreaking that a film about such a flamboyant and disgusting drag-queen was able to be made in the early 70s. The plot revolves around Divine and her family hiding out in rural Baltimore and is filmed almost documentary style as it details her feud with a local couple that envious of her title of filthiest person alive. The culmination of which is a morbid live news report, with this fantastic monologue that sums up the film perfectly. This is very niche and i think a lot of people will be turned off by almost everything in this film. It gets very dark and uncomfortable but is fascinating to watch.
Availability - Unfortunately the DVD out of print and never released on Blu-Ray or streaming, you’ll have to track this one down if you are interested.
New COVID-19 rules for filming in Sweden & Denmark
Chris 22/04/20
I Know its not the UK and this doesn’t really apply to anybody here at the moment, but i thought it might be interesting to see what other countries are doing for productions during the global pandemic. The folks over at Hobby Film have compiled The Nordic Film Guide an excellent list of current government legislature for both Sweden and Denmark in regards to how films can be made in the current climate. Hopefully something like this can influence the UK government for film productions in the coming months or even years.
The Basic summary is as follows
Production must enable the required social distancing.This means leaner crews and planning to ensure departments can work sequentially. This will cause a small decrease in productivity. We estimate this at about 10%.
Maximum number of people on set is limited at 50 (Sweden only)
For interior shoots, every person inside at any one time requires 4m2
Big crowd scenes, requiring close physical proximity are not possible to execute responsibly at this time.
The rest of the document goes into detail on the mandatory hygiene steps required, the responsibilities of individuals and how these new rules will be implemented. I Would suggest everybody really have a good read so you can better prepare yourselves for when productions starts back up again. It might not be tomorrow, or even until the new college year, but this current situation will dwell in everybody’s minds for years to come and these rules and guidelines, while not legal enforceable over here, may help in the long run.
Movie of the day - Licence to Kill (1989). The second and last film to feature Timothy Dalton as James Bond. Personally my favorite bond of the Line-up and the follow up to my favorite bond film The Living Daylights. Dalton was the original gritty and ruthless spy before Daniel Craig. This film is bloody and holds no punches, as within the first 10 minutes, 007’s friend barely survives a drug cartel hit on his wedding day whilst his wife is brutally raped and murdered. This film is more akin to an episode of Miami Vice rather than the fun, campy spy capers we were so used to with Roger Moore only 4 years previously. This is third favorite Bond film behind Living Daylights and Goldeneye. The Dalton-era is worth checking out if you like the newer grittier bond films featuring Daniel Craig.
Film-making as a one-man-band
Chris 21/04/20
Take a look at these two videos by amateur film maker Joel Haver on youtube. The first video is his short film The Day Sunglasses were Invented, the subject is not all that important, but rather it highlights what he, and you, are able to achieve at home filming solo. The second of the videos is the behind the scenes. Ignore the awful VHS quality and its a good insight into how to set up, light, mic and shoot something all by yourself. With the shutdown not likely to end for some time, it might be a good way to film something for your final projects and portfolios.
Movie of the day - カメラを止めるな! aka One Cut of the Dead (2017). An absolutely fantastic and refreshing zombie film from Japan and a perfect example of a feel-good film. I Do not want to delve too much into the plot as its best going in blind, but all i will say that it is a found footage, Zombie film shot in one take (hence the title). I Highly recommend everybody see this film, not because its a zombie film, but rather because of how this was made and i think everyone will be able to relate to some aspect of the film. A Word of warning, If you do watch, please do not be turned off by the opening of the film, its a little slow to get through at first, but when it picks up about half an hour in, its a really enjoyable film to watch.
Welcome back from Easter Break
Chris 20/04/20
I Hope everybody had a good Easter break in spite of the current situation. For this post, have a look at this video from Finnish amateur skier, Juho Kilkki. Its one of many quarantine films currently being made and the creator hopes the video encourages viewers to exercise safely. However the more important part of the video is the way he utilizes the camera and objects around him to get creative shots. Who needs a motorized pan/tilt head for a tripod when you have a rope and a bottle of water. Maybe this will inspire those that have cameras to give something like this a go. Of course be careful with the camera though.
Movie of the day - Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (2015). This fantastic documentary shows the firsthand accounts of the Euromaidan protests in late 2013/early 2014 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The film details the heroic struggle as the people of Ukraine stood up against its corrupt President and fought and died for over three months against the brutal regime to gain victory and shape the future of Ukraine. Very emotional and a major eye opener that something like this can happen only a few years ago. Highly recommend everybody check this documentary out to put perspective on what is worth fighting for.
SXSW Film Festival goes online with Amzon Prime
Chris 03/04/20
The South by South West (SXSW) film film festival, cancelled by Coronavirus, will now take place online via Amazon Prime rather than Austin Texas. Amazon have given the attendees of the 2020 festival the chance to now host their film online. It has not been announced when it will take place, however you do not need an Amazon Prime account to watch, so i highly recommend taking a look when it becomes available. Take a look at the previously announced lineup of films here.
Movie of the day - Blue Ruin (2013). An unconventional revenge thriller funded via Kickstarter and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The film follows a homeless man seeking revenge against the man who killed his parents. This low budget film really relies on the great performance by the lead character who really sells the hurt and anguish felt by losing loves ones. His journey is full of mistakes and it shows the true reality of someone trying to get revenge and things going wrong when he messes up and gets hurt. Highly recommend seeing this for a much more realistic take on a often a played out and tired genre.
Free masterclasses from the Sundance Institute
Chris 02/04/20
The Sundance institute, founded by actor Robert Redford and host of the world renounced Sundance Film Festival have announced they are hosting their film masterclass series for free in light of the current Coronavirus pandemic. Students can sign up view older archived classes for free as well as take part in upcoming classes hosted later this month as well as in May. Topics covered include creating branded content, intellectual property and legal protection, creating a webseries as well as presentation and pitch workshops to name but a few. Highly reccomend students and staff have a look at these whilst you can, as a regular yearly membership costs $550/£440.
Movie of the day - 복수는 나의 것 aka Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (2002). The first part in the Vengeance trilogy by Korean director Park Chan Wook is a bleak look at desperation and revenge and features Song Kang-ho, who would later feature as Kim Ki-Taek in Parasite. The film follows a young deaf mute who goes to great lengths to get a kidney transplant for his sister and the father of a young girl they kidnap and ransom to afford it. The film is a very slow burn and pretty confusing for the first act which culminates in a one-two punch to the gut. The film then slows down even more as it begins to focus on Song’s character for the remainder of the film. The film is dark and depressing and will leave viewers miserable at the end, however it is beautifully shot and presented in anamorphic widescreen. Highly recommend this film for those interested in foreign cinema.
Flim.ai - A cinema screenshot database
Chris 01/04/20
Check out flim.ai, a new database to categorize and help identify screenshots from films. The website tells you what film its from, the director, cinematographer and visually similar screenshots from other movies. The nifty search function is able to search by colour, actor, director, year, genre, the amount of actors on screen as well as aspect ratio. This website could be a incredibly powerful and useful tool for all students to use to find inspiration for their own projects.
Movie of the day - I, Tonya (2017). The movie follows the real story of red-neck, trailer trash figure skater Tonya Harding, her rise to fame and the events surrounding the attack on her rival at the 1994 Olympics. I Honestly thought the movie dragged on far too long, could have easily been 90 minutes instead of the almost 2 hour run time. The performances are great but you just have no sympathy for any of the characters, even Robbie herself. Special mention is the incredibly obnoxious and irritating body guard character, who comes across so badly that you think its made up, yet the real life interviews during the credits show just how much of an arsehole he was. Dont think i could recommend this one, its one half sports underdog story (thats already played out) and one half domestic abuse story populated by terrible people. Credit to Margot Robbie though if someone like her can put you off so much.
New Equipment: Portabrace Audio Tactical Vest
Chris 31/03/20
Image courtesy of Josh Clark
This arrived just in time for the lockdown. Our new piece of equipment for use by students is the Portabrace Audio Tactical Vest system for use by on-set sound recordists using the audio mixers we have available. The vest allows a single user to comfortably carry an audio mixer, sound recording device such as a Zoom, several radio mic packs, it includes a handy clip to attach a boom pole for easy storage during down-time as well as a handy pop out flap to hold a tablet or notepad.
Second year student Josh Clark has been giving it the rundown since we closed a few weeks ago. Here is what he had to say on the vest.
Compared to the previous, Desert Camo Vest it's way more comfortable in comparison, with alot more back support due to the weight of the mixer, the versatility in pouches is also just as good as the previous build, I may add the drop pouch I had on the old one just to have somewhere throw batteries.
Also cable management is a dream plus the boom holder is just a cup holder in your first car, gold dust
As for future projects it was by far a good decision for future soundies’ on the course
This vest is specifically designed for a SoundDevices 663 mixer (which we hope to look at purchasing in the future), however it will work with the SQN mixers currently in stock. I Hope all current first year students will take advantage of this new piece of kit when we resume college.
Movie of the day - Heavy Metal (1981). Based on the comic of the same name, Heavy Metal is a animated anthology of fantasy and science fiction as told by the Loc-Nar, a glowing ball known as the sum of all evils. The stories are bizarre, childish, sexist, obscene, horrifying, whimsical and full of style complimented by the excellent mix of 70s rock and metal music from such acts as (Dio-era) Black Sabbath, Nazareth, Don Felder and Sammy Hagar, to name but a few. Standout shorts are B-17, the story of an ill-fated WW2 bomber and its crew, and Harry Canyon, a film-noir cyberpunk day in the life of a New York cabbie and the mysterious woman being chased by mobsters. Not sure if i would recommend it really, bit too niche and hard to get invested. The animation style, whilst very cool is also very dated and sloppy which could put some people off.
3D Printing Your Camera gear
Chris 30/03/20
Purchasing camera accessories can be expensive, especially as the big names charge an arm and a leg and the budget brands will most likely break as soon as the 3 week warranty expires. There is another solution for those that are DIY inclined; 3D Printing. The costs of 3D printers have dropped over the years and the Creailty Ender 3 can often be had for under £150 new when on sale. It might seem like a lot, but its an investment, especially when All the hard work is done for you, as the website Thingiverse exists, where users upload their 3D files for you to print.
Take a look at simple things like lens caps, lens hoods and body caps; all easily, quickly and cheaply printable. However look at the gear that might cost you a fair bit more than a few quid lens cap. Check out this Matte box w/ filter holder for use with rod systems. A shoulder mount, slider system or even a full on motorized gimbal is possible with 3D printed parts. You can even use them to print of smaller items that the manufacturer might not make or discontinued items that seldom pop up on ebay.
Most importantly, if you do have a 3D printer, or know somebody that does, you can get involved in printing open source ventilator and mask parts that can be used by the NHS. Here is an example of volunteers producing their own ventilator valve for only $1 to help with the shortage of the ($11000 each) approved product.
Movie of the day - Death Wish 3 (1985). I Have never seen a Death Wish film and i have no desire to after watching Death Wish 3, how can you top this. The film is about a former vigilante forced by the corrupt police chief to clean up the streets in revenge-porn in its purest form. The first hour is Charles Bronson just baiting low level thugs into mugging him before he shoots them in the back as they run away. Be it a car radio, a woman’s purse, a camera or even an ice cream. He is more than eager to show of his gun to his elderly neighbors and by the end of the film its a full on street war between the gang and the elderly residents of the neighborhood, as they tool up with WW2 machine guns and even a bazooka. The film also includes a bizarre sub plot about Bronson dating his court appointed attorney, a woman young enough to be his granddaughter, and how she tracked him down wanting to go on a date after they meet for all of 2 seconds at the beginning of the film. This is the kind of film to watch with a group as you laugh at how ridiculously over the top it is.
Video Spotlight: 48hr Film Challenge Retrospective
Chris 27/03/20
Check out this entertaining video from YouTube group Red Letter Media, and their look at shooting a low budget sci-fi for a local 48Hr film challenge. Very interesting video showing how you can still be creative with a tiny budget and no time to spare.
Movie of the day - Moneyball (2011). A Movie dads everywhere will love. I Have no interest in baseball but was an entertaining watch, mostly carried by Brad Pitt. The film tells the true story of a baseball team using player data and statistics to turn around the failing Oakland Athletics baseball team. Worth a watch on fathers day
Discount: 10% off Manfrotto products
Chris - 26/03/20
Check out the Manfrotto student discount program for 10% any item. The discount scheme is available throughout the year and can be used multiple times. The Discoount also applies to the Manfrotto partner brands such as Lowepro, Rycote and Lastolite among others.
Movie of the day - Videodrome (1983). Long live the new flesh. James Woods is a TV producer for a low budget adult oriented channel. Obsessed with mysterious snuff broadcast known as Videodrome, he goes on the hunt for its producers to bring the show to the masses. This movie is bloody weird but so compelling as the story progresses. You are on this journey with James Woods as he questions his reality around him with bizarre hallucinations and some great special effects laden body horror. Worth the watch but be prepared to be confused and weirded out.
Competition: My Rode Reel
Chris - 25/03/20
My Rode Reel is a short film competition that requires directors to create a short film between 1 and 3 minutes and to have been produced with a rode product. The competition is open for all, including students, and offers some fantastic prizes including thousands of pounds of Rode products. Checkout previous winners here.
Movie of the day - Tron Legacy (2010). Great Soundtrack and sound design. Cool visuals. Bad CGI Jeff Bridges. Forgettable story. Worth a watch to experience the world of Tron. Highly recommend checking out the soundtrack by Daft Punk though
A Detailed look at lighting setups from a student film
Chris - 24/03/20
Have a look at this great post by reddit user /u/Anotherstani who breaks down his whole lighting set up with some fantastic illustrations.
Movie of the day - A Bronx Tale (1993). Robert DeNiro’s directorial debut and one of the lesser known mafia films. The film follows DeNiro and his son and their dealings with the local mafia boss, Sonny. DeNiro’s son ‘C’ idolizes Sonny who takes him under his wing, whilst his father (DeNiro) attempts to dissuade him from a life of crime. The Film deals with many issues, the main one of which being racial inequality, where the later half of the film focuses on C’s secret relationship with a black girl from another neighborhood and their respective friends and families disapproval of the other side. Highly recommend checking this film out.
Hi everyone, Chris here, i'll be updating this technicians blog daily during the Coronavirus shutdown. I'll be posting interesting articles, competitions, discounts etc that students can take advantage of as well as fun and creative videos and some thoughts on films that i think everyone should see.
-Chris N 24/03/20