Quick Dirty Tricks

Two little things in Avid Media Composer 5

2010-06-20T16:52:00.001-05:00

Avid Media Composer 5 is out, and it is quite an upgrade.
I won't go through the list of improvements, others have done this here, here and here.
Over at the Editblog is a cool post linking yet even more reviews and posts!

My favorite improvements are the smart tool and the AMA architecture (reviewed in the links above).

Two little (major) improvements:
The first thing I noticed when editing is that while scrubbing the timeline, the cursor kept "snapping" to the IN points.
(This can be disabled temporarily by pressing COMMAND and scrubbing or permanently as show in the pic)

Also, one thing that really bugged me in MC4 was the default "Insert" into timeline with no way to change this... It was a damn hassle with lots of back-and-forths... Now finally, there's a way to select the default behavior. Ahhhhh, relief.

This is a great upgrade by an already great product.

Congratulations to the whole AVID team for placing a lot of thought and effort into this!
:)

The Beginning

2010-06-14T20:00:00.001-05:00

To me, the most crucial part of any movie, are the first 10 minutes. If the opening act doesn't work, then why should I care what happens next, right?

In the book Aristotle's Poetics for Screenwriters, the author Michael Tierno states that all (great) movies have a simple question that needs to be answered by the end of the movie, and that this question should be planted by the beginning of the film.

I agree 100%.

I used to use the "sling-shot" method (wish I could remember who coined the phrase): What happens in the first part of your story is what is going to drive the rest of the movie. The whole weight of the first act has to thrust forward the rest of the movie.

Except that it didn't work for the biopic I am writing.

I found that this "Question/Answer" method would work much, much better than what I had.

I have no conclusion for this post, but I do have several examples from this "Question/Answer" method:

Rocky: Will Rocky succeed in "going the distance" with the champion (against incredible odds). Answer: Yes

The Shawshank Redemption: Will Andy Dufresne escape from Shawshank? Answer: Yes.

Scent of a Woman: Will Lt. Col. Frank Slade succeed in killing himself (after a great trip in New York). Answer: No (and that's ok). It's OK because the question gets answered. They closed the loop, and we got a great movie.

PS: It's also the job of a great filmmaker, to not only answer the question, but offer so much more.

Inspiration at your fingers

2010-06-08T15:45:00.001-05:00

Great book by Michael Tierno

How many times have you been caught up in life and no longer are following that seemingly distant dream of being a film-maker?

I have. Constantly.

As of lately, I've had a lot of work (work = $$$ = food = happy family), and many times I put off my screenwriting for a while (a week or so) and when it's time to come back and write, it is incredibly challenging because of several things:

My inspiration is drained
My momentum is lost
Other stuff on my "to-do" list

One of the best things that has kept me focused are books about writing. Not the textbook kind, but more of the inspirational kind. I generally despise books that "tell" you how to do a screenplay or how to write. I prefer books with a deeper understanding of the spirit of a script.

Many times it's just enough to read one chapter, the fire inside my heart is lit and the ideas start flowing.

The main difference between a professional and an amateur is that a pro will make stuff happen even when he/she doesn't feel like it. A pro makes inspiration happen, while amateurs wait for the right moment (which may never come).
-Paraphrased from writer Seth Godin

Happy writing!

Books are your friends

2010-03-25T02:10:00.001-05:00

Just because there is a plethora of information available online, it doesn't make it good!

I've found most of my information on good ol' books!

It's amazing to me how many people overlook the gold that can be found at your local bookstore.

I've learned everything from cinematography, to writing, to editing, web design, financing, inspiration and all sorts of very useful stuff just by hanging out at the barnes and noble. (clean restrooms help too ;)

Go to your bookstore and ask for the film section, you won't regret it!

Camera case (Cheap and Incognito)

2010-03-21T21:53:00.000-05:00

Back in the day, I use to subscribe to the idea that I "needed" an expensive camera case.
It's a great idea, however I didn't want to spend more than $200 on a "case".
Besides my cheap-ness, I was also scared that my camera could be stolen.
When a thief sees an expensive camera case, the obvious deduction is that there must be an expensive camera inside.
I just cannot afford to let my Panasonic HVX-200 be stolen!
It is what puts food on my family's table, and the occasional beer in my belly.
That being said, when I bought my HVX, I decided to make a case with the following:

Traveling case (I got mine at wal-mart for $10)
Foam (I got it from a delivery package)
Soft/thick cloth (also from wal-mart)

The cool thing is that it doesn't look like you're carrying anything important and it doesn't look bad either.
I can go freelancing, still look professional AND nobody will want to steal a regular-looking bag.

Note: I put one foam on the bottom, and two foams on the sides.

99 cent headphone case

2010-03-21T21:27:00.000-05:00

Headphones are a hassle when they tangle, that's why I keep mine tied with velcro.
However, now I keep them in this handy-dandy "Altoids Smalls"

You can find these powerful mints at any major retailer and at 99¢, it doesn't get any better!

Quick Tool for your Screenplay: Outlining

2010-03-11T18:57:00.000-06:00

So you want to make a movie?
You have it in your head, but you think that writing the script is too damn difficult?
Well, it ain't easy, but if it were, EVERYONE would be doing it!

The quick trick I use to write a screenplay is Outlining:

Write an outline (just make a simple list of the scenes in your movie, similar to the "selection scene" menu on a DVD)
Use index cards if necessary
It'll probably be one or two pages long

Some writers hate outlining, but I love it...
Think of it as a "map" for your script.

Focus on the donut

2010-03-11T12:08:00.000-06:00

Here's something I learned from Eli Roth (whom he learned from David Lynch):
"Keep your eye on the donut, not the hole"
Here's the direct quote:

"David told me that my job as director was to tune out all the behind the scenes drama and make sure that I'm getting the footage I need to make the scene work."

To me, the most important element is the story. The whole team's mission is the story; to get it right. The rest is bullshit.

Also on a similar note, too many people (especially beginner's) are so wrapped up in the technical aspects (digital or film, 16:9 or 4:3, red one or panasonic, bogen or velbon...) of filmmaking that they forget the important part: the story.

I'm not saying that the technical stuff is not important, it is, but let's look at it from a different perspective:

In books you don't really care if Stephen King used a word processor or a typewriter, or if The Beatles used pro tools or an analog recording system... All I care about is the music and the story in the book. I care about the donut, not the hole.

hmmm donuts...

Store your script in the cloud

2010-03-06T23:16:00.000-06:00

I use dropbox.com to store my script online and here's why it's a good idea:

Files are stored on your computer AND online in your dropbox folder
This enables you to work from several computers (I work on my desktop and laptop); and the file updates on all your computers with the dropbox software.
It's free and free is good!

There are also several alternatives like google docs or Adobe Story (currently in beta), both very good as well.
Happy writing!

Inspiration: Everywhere

2010-03-02T23:11:00.001-06:00

Photo: My son absorbed by the exhibit.

The real trick to writing is not how well you write, but what you write about.

Just like anything else, the more passion and fire a work of art has, the more powerful it is.

If you feel, you have what it takes to write, but don't really know what to write about. Then disconnect your computer, and get out there and have an adventure OR find someone that has had an adventure. Even if you don't end up writing that person's particular experience, it will burn a fire in your heart and inspire you to write something powerful.

Today, I went to the Witte museum in San Antonio; to my surprise there was an incredible exhibit called: Stories of hunger and resilience.

Each picture had headphones on the bottom with each persons story about hunger, home, love and about life. Each was different; some were scary, some were sad, some had happy endings, but they were all beautiful and very inspiring.

My point is: inspiration is everywhere, sometimes we just got to stop and listen to the world.

Quickly select a layer in Photoshop

2010-02-28T17:44:00.000-06:00

Forget the layer palette!
To quickly select a layer visible on the canvas:
Command+Option+right-click (Mac)
Control+Alt+right-click (Win)

Second filmmaking bible: Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends & Influence People

2010-02-25T16:18:00.000-06:00

Would you like to buy gold for $1.43?
Don't be fooled by the crappy title, it's a gem. I have several of
them laying around the house and to say that it has helped me is an
understatement.

If you want to make quality independent films with a low-budget, guess what?
You're going to need a lot of friends!
You'll need friends that will help accomplish your vision.

Pick it up at your local library or buy it at any respectable second hand bookstores.

Preview the book here:
How To Win Friends and Influence People

First rule of Filmmaking: The Bible

2010-02-24T23:59:00.000-06:00

This is for the dreamers, for the people that are prepared to ditch what they're doing and focus on their dream of making a movie.
It's a tough road but a very rewarding one.
I've been on this road for more than 7 years, and it all started with a dream.
If you haven't made a movie but are thinking of it, do yourself a favor and read it.
I haven't met a filmmaker who has not read it.

STORY: The story of a man who wanted to make a movie without a crew, millions, and without digital cinema. The making of EL MARIACHI by Robert Rodriguez.
Very recommended to any artist.

Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player

The poor man's avid keyboard shortcuts

2010-02-24T22:37:00.000-06:00

I'm a freelancer, I have a family of three, so I am ~~making a living~~ surviving to do exactly two things:

provide for my family
fulfill my latest filmmaking dream (THE HEART of TREVIÑO)

Anyway, my point is I cannot afford the cool $100+ dollar keyboard specifically made for Avid.
A long time ago I put stickers on mine and that's the way it is, I learned the shortcuts and now I'm even sticker-less.
If you just bought Avid, or just bought the Avid upgrade then your box came with stickers, if you don't have the stickers you can buy them really cheap here:
B&H or eBay