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Category: FILM

cell phone user and bike
Jan22018

Inspiration at the Movies: Time Bandits

cell phone user and bike“Your Money or Your Life!”

– Game Show Host
(Time Bandits, 1981)

What a shocking and horrible game show to play for your money or your mortality! It’s so absurd don’t you wonder who would dream up such nonsense and what kind of people would watch that kind of nonsense and be entertained? Yet the scene and show take place in a fictional comedy adventure, so you suspend disbelief for the sake of the entertainment ride of the movie.

Yet I wonder… how absurd is it really?

I have a video game on my cell phone that’s a type of world-building game. It’s bright, colourful, has entertaining animations. Upon completing quests and levelling up, I am treated to new characters and new animations – virtual prizes. There are many such games available for phone, tablet or PC, and you’ve probably played at least one. Ever notice how we are often presented with two choices?

Choice #1: spend real money to buy virtual hearts or stars or gems or whatever to speed up quests and advance to the virtual prize as soon as possible; or

Choice #2: trigger the quest and wait for it in real time for free to earn the virtual prize (noting that the more you play the game and higher level you are, the quest duration extends from a seconds to minutes to hours to days and on and on).

So, when you think about it, the choices are: (1) Your Money or (2) Your Life.

That game show on Time Bandits isn’t so absurd after all, is it?

Cheers & wise spending to you,
Deb

—————

Deborah (Deb) Patz is the author of Write! Shoot! Edit! for teens and Film Production Management 101 for the industry – both books are published worldwide by MWP. She’s also part of the editorial board for Prism International. She’s thinking twice about that game on her smartphone.

WHERE IS DEB? (upcoming events and appearances)
Sat.Feb.17 – Author Participant – Digital Media Youth Expo, North Vancouver, BC
Mar.26-28 – Instructor – Write! Shoot! Edit! Screenwriting Workshop for Teens – VPL
Aug/2018 – UFVA Conference – New Mexico

WHERE TO FIND DEB’S BOOKS?
Paperback or eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, direct from the publisher, and plenty of other great bookstores worldwide.

Dec222017

Magic Movie Moment: The Heat

Ashburn and Mullins wrestle and compete to be the first one in the door of the tenement building before their interview with Tatiana.

Basically the scene is an establishing shot of the building and of the two lead characters going in.

Gosh, filming establishing shots with lead characters entering buildings can be soooo boring: plop down the camera for a nice, informative wide shot and have the lead characters walk through the door. It’s a functional shot that puts the characters at the location (for the interior set about to see) and establishes for the viewer the type of neighbourhood. Seen a few of these establishing shots, haven’t you?

Well, in “The Heat,” this one-shot scene is so much more. They take the opportunity of revealing character at the same time: not just ‘walk into the building’ but HOW would these two walk into the building? Based on preceding scenes, these two are seriously competing with each other about everything – to a limit that makes their competition wildly humorous, and in this scene they efficiently demonstrate their competition (to get in the door first) in the single shot, and because the physical humour of the moment is so big (adding comedy to the scene), the camera doesn’t need to be placed near the action; the establishing shot angle from across the street works perfectly. So the one-shot scene establishes location, reveals character and uses the moment for some on-screen comedy… oh yeah, and because they’re so busy competing, Ashburn misses information (again) – that this is Mullins’ building.

What a magical movie moment!

Now think about the films you make. When next you’re planning an establishing shot, what other story functions can you add to the shot to elevate it to a magical movie moment instead?

Need more ideas? Look out for other magical establishing shots to inspire you. What magic have you seen recently?

Cheers and good shoot to you,
Deb

—————–

Deborah (Deb) Patz is the author of Write! Shoot! Edit! for teens and Film Production Management 101 for the industry – both books are published worldwide by MWP. She’s also part of the editorial board for Prism International. She was already in a building when she wrote this post (and didn’t have to wrestle anyone at the door to get in).

WHERE IS DEB?
Sat.Feb.17 – Digital Youth Expo – Author Participant – North Vancouver
Mar.26-18 – Write! Shoot! Edit! Screenwriting Workshop for Teens – Instructor – VPL
Aug/18 – UFVA Conference – New Mexico

WHERE TO FIND DEB’S BOOKS?
Paperback or eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, direct from the publisher, and plenty of other great bookstores worldwide.

Treadmill
Dec82017

But Movies Aren’t Real, Are They?

Fiction movies? Of course not. Movies can’t be real. But…

TreadmillWhen you think about it, treadmills aren’t real either.

Treadmills simulate a walking experience for us in a climate controlled environment; they help to improve our physical fitness and overall sense of good health – that sense happening inside our heads, because a positive self-image contributes to our overall physical health too.

Now look again at movies (and VR, if you like). They take us on an emotional ride through simulation. We are entertained, emotionally-moved and often learn about ourselves and neighbours from the experience. That’s a lot of activity going on in our heads. You might even call it emotional fitness? Well, THAT’s certainly real and invaluable to our overall societal health!

So, here’s to you, working in the film, TV and VR industries! Thanks.

Cheers & a good shoot to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – – –

Deb Patz is the author of Write! Shoot! Edit! for teens and Film Production Management 101 for the industry – both books are published worldwide by MWP. She’s also part of the editorial board for Prism International. She knows the emotional exhaustion that comes from watching four movies back-to-back at TIFF on a single day.

WHERE IS DEB? (upcoming events and appearances)
Sat.Feb.17 – Author Participant – Digital Media Youth Expo, North Vancouver, BC
Mar.26-28 – Instructor – Write! Shoot! Edit! Screenwriting Workshop for Teens – VPL

WHERE TO FIND DEB’S BOOKS?
Paperback or eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, direct from the publisher, and plenty of other great bookstores worldwide.

Nov262017

The Three Heads of Write! Shoot! Edit!

I.

Wild Inventor Brain

Shy in a world lopsided

Teach me creativity

 

II.

Doctor Structure Editor

Vocal critic analyzes too soon

My creative problem-solver

 

III.

Nit-picky Copy Editor

Reveres logic, form and detail

Polish work creatively

 

Poetry about the creative process? Am I serious?

Yes, I am.

Well, serious in just-have-fun-with-it sort of way.

I found a poetic form that’s really fun to play with: The Lune. There are two forms of lunes, actually. Both are three-lines long (which I totally love, because I see the creative process as being three stages). The original lune goes: 5 syllables, 3 syllables, 5 syllables and when done on the page it looks a bit like a crescent moon in shape. The lune variant is a little different: 3 words, 5 words, 3 words – which I find a bit more flexible for play, and I suppose looks like a gibbous moon.

So, using the variant, I created lunes for the Three Heads of Creativity from my book Write! Shoot! Edit! A Complete Guide for Teen Filmmakers. Really? Yes. Because each stage of the creative process is just that… creative! Why not write a poem for each of them? It is a creative process.

Try it out yourself. Use either lune structure and write your own version of one or all three of the creative heads. Which head is easiest for you? Which one do you gravitate toward?

If you don’t really understand what I’m talking about regarding the Three Heads, there’s more info on the 3-step creative process along with lots more info on how to craft your own stories and movies using that creative process in my book; here’s a link to the book’s webpage (and preview inside the book): www.debpatz.com/book/write-shoot-edit.

When you’ve created your lune(s): use them as a memory aid; or share them online; or share with me! I’d love to read them. But whatever you do, enjoy flexing your creative muscle… three ways.

Cheers & happy creativity to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – – –

Deb Patz is the author of Write! Shoot! Edit! for teens and Film Production Management 101 for the industry – both books are published worldwide by MWP. She’s also part of the editorial board for Prism International. She loves to watch the crescent, gibbous or full moon on a clear night… especially from the bow of a boat at anchor.

WHERE IS DEB? (upcoming events and appearances)
Sat.Feb.17 – Author Participant – Digital Media Youth Expo, North Vancouver, BC
Mar.26-28 – Instructor – Write! Shoot! Edit! Screenwriting Workshop for Teens – VPL

WHERE TO FIND DEB’S BOOKS?
Paperback or eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, direct from the publisher, and plenty of other great bookstores worldwide.

Black Production TShirt
Nov192017

Black Friday Christmas Gift Ideas for Teenage (or New) Filmmakers

Black Friday always makes me think about black production t-shirts (which I love!), and new filmmakers need all kinds of stuff to make their movies, especially teens without paying jobs. So, in the spirit of empowering black-clad filmmakers to experiment with and make better movies, here’s a gift idea list for the new filmmakers around you in time for Black Friday:

1. WRITE! SHOOT! EDIT! BOOK (approx $20 – $30) – I guess I have to start with my book, if you don’t already have it: a complete guide for teen filmmakers, useful for new filmmakers of any age because it distills the entire process down into a short, focused, entertaining book. It’s written for the reader to follow one of three paths: the Writer, Director/DOP, or Editor, so you could present each of the three key crew with a copy of the book to use from their own perspective. It’s available in paperback and eBook versions. For more into, see my book’s webpage: https://www.debpatz.com/book/write-shoot-edit/. If you want to shop straight from the publisher, the book’s even cheaper: http://mwp.com/product/write-shoot-edit-complete-guide-teen-filmmakers/

2. COLLAPSIBLE REFLECTOR (approx $20 – $30) – Even before buying any lighting, a reflector is essential. Useful outside and in, it can to bounce light and reduce shadows giving you the illusion of a fill light. Because it collapses, it’s wonderfully small and portable.

3. CLIP-ON UTILITY LIGHT (approx $20 – $30) plus LIGHT STAND (approx $30 – $40) – The next step from a reflector is an entry-level studio light (or two). The most affordable alternative has to be the clip-on utility light you can pick up at a hardware store and a light stand from a photography store. The stand gives the filmmaker the ability to light from any height and location – or use it to rig other objects (like curtains or other set pieces) for the film frame… which is why two stands are even better than one.

4. VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE (a huge ranges of prices, e.g. from $20 – $120) – You may have a free video editing software on the computer already, but new filmmakers will soon appreciate the extra tracks and features of a software that more closely emulates professional editing software. I personally use VideoPad by NCH (which apparently has a sale until the end of November), but honestly, that’s not the only one out there. PC Magazine did a survey of video editing software for 2017: https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2397215,00.asp

5. GROCERY STORE GIFT CARD (whatever price you’d like!) – Sounds like a strange idea for a gift, but it’s for buying “craft service” supplies for set. Since new filmmakers are tapping into volunteers to make their movie, food is one of the largest expenses on a low-/no-budget production.

6. EXTERNAL MICROPHONE (huge price range, depending on quality and type of camera) – Improving sound quality greatly improves the movie experience, and so an external mic is the way to go. Best to chat with someone at the store about best choices when you know what the film camera is (a cell phone, Gopro, video camera, etc.).

7. BLACK PRODUCTION T-SHIRT (approx $18 – $25) – Hey, while we’re talking Black Friday and recognizing that black is THE colour to wear on set (not only because it’s cool, but because it doesn’t reflect light and show the crew’s presence in reflected surfaces), why not a black t-shirt of sweatshirt to wear on set? I’ve made some Write! Shoot! Edit! T’s, sweatshirts and hats on Cafepress for you. Admittedly, Cafepress doesn’t appear to have a Black Friday sale (sigh…), but you may just need one anyway: http://www.cafepress.com/debpatz

Now it’s over to you. Bring a smile to the new filmmaker in your life!

Cheers & shopping to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – – –

Deb Patz is the author of Write! Shoot! Edit! for teens and Film Production Management 101 for the industry – both books are published worldwide by MWP. She’s also part of the editorial board for Prism International. She’s worn many a black production t-shirt, sweatshirt and jacket over the years.

WHERE IS DEB? (upcoming events and appearances)
Wed.Nov.22 – Graduate Reader – UBC Graduate Reading Event
Sat.Feb.17 – Author Participant – Digital Media Youth Expo, North Vancouver, BC
Mar.26-28 – Instructor – Write! Shoot! Edit! Screenwriting Workshop for Teens – VPL

WHERE TO FIND DEB’S BOOKS?
Paperback or eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, direct from the publisher, and plenty of other great bookstores worldwide.

Write Shoot Edit and Playmobil
Nov132017

Playing With Toys When Making A Movie

Write Shoot Edit and PlaymobilIf you know me, you know I love Playmobil. Having had two kids over a long span of years, I’ve had the excuse to collect and play with Playmobil long after the recommended age on the packaging.

Yesterday, however, I found a particularly fabulous piece: a teen with a cell phone and what at first thought was a plain, white book (it turned out to be a computer folded closed, but that’s just an e-book, isn’t it?). Well, I bought the figure, took it home and modified the ‘blank’ book cover with a mini-version of my book Write! Shoot! Edit! A Complete Guide for Teen Filmmakers.

Okay, so I’ve made the gal an obvious filmmaker by the modification. So what?

Here’s what…

I’ve worked on professional sets where the art department built models of their sets to the scale of Playmobil toys so they could place in the figures and let the director and DOP previsualize camera  angles and shots before committing to building full-scale sets or modifying locations. Sure a lot of previz happens on computer now, but why not use scale cardboard sets and Playmobil figures if that’s what you have access to on a low budget production?

Alternatively, if you don’t plan to (or can’t) build full-scale sets, but still love crafting models and playing with toys, design and construct model sets for toy figures and test out shots or sequences you want to film some day in the future. Still photos of each angle build an instant storyboard and visual shot list. Once assembled you can see your story coming closer into being. The point is: use what you have right now to experiment, create and learn (about the activity and about you)… right now!

This Playmobil figure I modified is a 3D representation of exactly that point, exactly what my book is aiming to inspire: whoever you are, start making their your stories with whatever technology is available to you right now!

And when you do, let me know what you’ve done; I love to hear your production, prep, previz and writing adventures.

All the best and great previz to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – – –

Deb Patz is the author of Write! Shoot! Edit! for teens and Film Production Management 101 for the industry – both books are published worldwide by MWP. She’s also part of the editorial board for Prism International. She has enough Playmobil to recreate the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie in a fan fiction storyboard format… and has done so!

WHERE IS DEB? (upcoming events and appearances)
Wed.Nov.22 – Graduate Reader – UBC Graduate Reading Event
Sat.Feb.17 – Author Participant – Digital Media Youth Expo, North Vancouver, BC
Mar.26-28 – Instructor – Write! Shoot! Edit! Screenwriting Workshop for Teens – VPL

WHERE TO FIND DEB’S BOOKS?
Paperback or eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, direct from the publisher, and plenty of other great bookstores worldwide.