Robyn Paterson's Blog, page 36
October 26, 2013
Shooting Indie Style!
I put together this guide for my students to help them with their film projects in my media class, and now I’m making it available to anyone who wants to get more out of their mobile phone’s video camera. This is a collection of tips and techniques that covers all parts of the film-making process, from planning, to production, and even editing. Of course, it’s not just for mobile phone filmmakers, this book will help any beginner who’s looking to up their game, so if you’re thinking of making...
October 6, 2013
Stupid Indie Tricks- The Rodriguez List
When the American Director Robert Rodriguez decided to make his first full film, El Mariachi, the first thing he did (even before writing the script) was sit down and make a list of all the possible resources he had available to him.
He did this because he knew if he wanted to make the best film he could for the little money available, he had to make the best possible use of all the resources he could get his hands on. He felt that if he just used what he had, instead of worrying about what he...
September 27, 2013
Application of the Rule of Thirds
Fun and catchy short musical tutorial about the Rule of Thirds.
Better Photographic Composition – Beyond the Rule of Thirds
Fascinating lecture on photographic (and artistic) composition. If you’re an artist most of this probably won’t be new to you, but for a newbie like me it’s really interesting stuff. Applicable to everything from CGI work to filmmaking.
September 21, 2013
Stupid Indie Tricks- You’re holding your phone wrong when taking video.
The Film Artist demonstrates an alternate way to hold your phone when taking video that I’ve never seen before. I tried it, and it seems to improve the stability of my iPhone when I’m filming, so give it a try and it might work for you too!
via Steady iPhone 4s on Vimeo.
September 15, 2013
On Filmmaking
The more I study about filmmaking, the more I’ve come to realize it’s about preparation. It’s about that hundred little things you do before the camera ever rolls that make the difference between something that looks amateur and professional. From the script, to blocking, to proper writing, to finding the right people, to costuming- all of these and so much more are what you see on screen without realizing it. I’d almost say it’s a 90-10 ratio- 90% prep, and 10% filming, and the more you up t...
September 13, 2013
La Nuit de l’Alchimiste
Jaw meet floor.
The work of amateur filmmaker Mael Sevestre is amazing. I just stumbled across him tonight on Vimeo, and now I am totally in love with his style. You only need to watch the short 3-minute film below to understand why. It packs more power than most things far longer. (It’s in French, but there’s very little dialog, so it’s not an issue.)
La Nuit de l’Alchimiste from Mael Sevestre on Vimeo.
The making of (sorry, only in French)
Framed – an iphone 4S short story
The iPhone 4S was more reovlutionary a camera than most people realize. It really did allow people to wander around with a good quality videocamera in their pockets. While still not equal to a professional camera, it does allow for some impressive work in the right hands and right light. This touching and haunting very short film is one such example…
via Framed – an iphone 4S short story on Vimeo.
September 11, 2013
New Manga
A new chapter of Shotarou Ishinomori’s Robot Keiji (Robot Detective) came out yesterday over on Mangafox. I have to say I like this manga quite a bit, although I’m not sure why. There is a dark, serious tone to the story, but it’s so well balanced with the slightly cartoony art style that it keeps it from getting too overwhelming. I’ve seen a lot of Robot+Detective cop shows over the years (there’s at least one per decade since the 70′s) but this story seems to have a different angle and work...
September 7, 2013
Stupid Indie Tricks: Shooting Night Scenes with Cell Phone Cameras
There is a very simple rule- Cell phone cameras and night shots do not mix well.
The realities of the situation are simple- the smaller the aperture of your camera (the hole light goes through into the sensor), the lower the quality image will result because it’s getting less light for the sensor to work with. Newer cameras can actually compensate quite well if there’s a fair amount of light (a well-lit urban environment, for example), but what if you need to shoot a scene that happens in the...
