Screenwriting and Filmmaking

Pitching your script to a studio

2011-10-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

All right, so I just got home from a pitch for a television concept I came up with last week.
The studio I went to wanted something not over developed, but something they'd be willing to work with me on.

Pitching is an unusual art form. You're selling your project to them, whether that be a screenplay, a TV show, a treatment, whatever, you are selling this thing.
Not only are you selling this "genius, fresh new film" but you're selling yourself too. Don't be a douche bag when you're in there. Be courteous and polite... And don't dress like you're about to go to Chilis with some of your dopey alcoholic buddies, either.

I went in with a proposal I had worked hard on, to give a fifteen minute pitch (which I felt was too long), and then just leave.
It's draining. It really is.

This wasn't my first network pitch, so I kinda knew what I was getting into... But when you leave, prepare to feel emotionally gone for a while.

So, what I do is, I let myself be down and out on the ride home. Generally, you're going to be in the LA area, you're going to hit traffic. I let myself reflect on the pitch, whether feeling good or bad, then once I get home, I don't allow myself to feel that way.

So, what's next?

Well, you can take your super original, fresh new screenplay elsewhere, or get started on your next project.
For me, I've got a new script that I want to write, so that's my primary focus...

And I have another pitch next Friday.

2011.09.20 - Daily Writing Exercise

2011-09-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

Have you been writing today?

Have you been writing everyday?

Answer honestly... It's okay if you haven't been.
Start writing everyday! You have to get in the habit of doing this.

I started doing my own exercises daily now. I'm starting to take moments of my day and re-write them to how I would have wanted them to go. I spent about twenty minutes writing six and a quarter pages today.

Here's a brief snippet of what I wrote today.

Try this at some point. The more you write, the better you'll become.

Take 15 minutes and write, even if it's not in screenplay format. Start a journal and writewritewrite!

Here's your update. Just for you.

2011-09-20T18:10:00.000-07:00

So I've got several projects in the works. I have a network pitch in a few weeks for a television series that I've been working on the past six months.

I'm excited for that.

This is going to be great, I've got three other shows that I've been developing with my Dad that we're going to start shopping around too.

Jonathan -- pre-production

2011-07-21T22:42:00.000-07:00

My new movie, Jonathan, is heading into pre-production!

The shooting script is all set.
My shot list is done.
Storyboarding will begin this weekend.
Preliminary location scouting begins tomorrow.
Auditions will be in two weeks, after locations are secured.
The shoot schedule will be done next week.
Crew assembly is this week.

It's looking good so far. On a tight schedule, but it's going to be fun.

I can't give any plot details, but just know it's going to be different.
It's going to be a nice, creepy film.

I'm also going to be producing a friend's short. Production will begin almost immediately following Jonathan.

I've also got some other projects in the works. Since January, I've written a couple shorts, a few treatments, and two full lengths... Plus, another full length one act deep, a new treatment, and a couple TV shows that are going to be pitched to networks within the next six months.

There's a lot coming up, but I'll keep you posted on the update of Jonathan.

It's been awhile...

2011-06-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

So the passed few months I've been working on various projects.

I've completed two full length screenplays, as well as other short scripts.
Right now I'm working on a new film as well as a sitcom pilot.

My next step is going to be a short film that I've had written... While doing pre-production, I'm going to do some rewrites. The basic film is already written, but what I want to do is just clean up the dialogue.

This one is a different type than what I've done in the past. It's more of a psychological-thriller. It's non-violent, but it blends the genres nicely.

I'll give more info as the time comes!!

unnecessarybraggingonthispostupdate

2011-01-18T00:07:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased with myself.
Within about two days I've written close to fifty pages.
If I keep up with this momentum, I could be done with this first draft by this up and coming weekend.

The outline may have taken me longer than I had hoped, but the actually writing of the script is coming along rather quickly now.

Few days in.

2011-01-14T00:12:00.000-08:00

I'm officially about five days into writing my first draft of this film here.
It's coming out alright so far... I wish I was writing as fast as John Hughes could.

We'll see what happens as we draw closer to it being done.

I wanna have a huge reading when the first draft is finished. I'll be able to clean up the dialogue more and get people's opinions on the script itself... Plus, a night of beer and script reading sounds enticing enough as it is.

I'm planning on locking myself up away from the world and Netflix tomorrow, just to get a bunch of pages completed.

I start school again in a week and a half... It'd be great to get most of this draft finished by then.

A work in progress is like a chess match.

2011-01-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

So I'm working on this feature, right? Right.

It's become a game of chess now. The scenes have to be played out really well or else the flow doesn't make sense.

I'm trying to add a dynamic to the flow of the film with the lead character.

Another challenge that I've decided to set for myself is that I'm keeping the entire movie solely in the main character's perspective. He's going to be in every scene in the film. The audience will be learning everything as he does.

This could work, or not. I'm banking on that it works though. I've got to maintain enough entertainment throughout each scene now. I'm taking my philosophy of writing shorts and putting that into a feature film form.

It's harder than it sounds. It's hard not to be judging yourself too extreme on whether or not it'll be a boring script or not.

For now I have to keep working at it and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work... I can always reshape it again.

New year, new start.

2011-01-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

This has been an odd few month period. I'm writing a lot now these days.

I'm still working on all these scripts... The writing process seems to be boring to update.

"Yeah, still writing."

But it's exciting. I've got a few features I'm working on, I've got that short, I've got other treatments too.

The short is on the back burner a bit. I've been highly motivated with this feature length script that I've been tossing around... I'm going to be able to shoot this too. That's what makes it more exciting.

So. Much. Writing.

2010-11-28T00:47:00.000-08:00

So much writing.

I've been working on the short. That's just about done... This draft anyway. It's time to play chess with the scenes now.

I've got other things I've been working on too. So many outlines and treatments.

I'm having lots of fun with writing these days. I've been hitting the wall, but I'm trying to get as much out as I can.

It's hard to be disciplined on writing when you have no deadlines. I find myself dwelling on the outline and treatment far longer than I need to. I'm trying to break that habit... But, in my defense, I'm getting the kinks out before I start writing the actual script.

I'm gonna try to update a bit more frequently.

Gettin' there.

2010-11-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

I've been doing some clean up work on this script the past couple months, while developing a series of new projects... It's been taking me forever.

But I'm almost ready now. I think I want to do another draft though... But all I want to change is the placement of scenes. I need the closure at the end to really make sense. I don't want it all to build up to this ending and then it stops.

So what I've decided to do is have a couple different versions of the script and kind of blend the two together.

My thing is; this film is already mutating even further into a movie I've never done before.

As it already is a genre that's new to me, I'm trying to keep all the elements I'm familiar with, within the context of the script. Some of these elements aren't being emphasized as much as I've emphasized in my past scripts... And that's okay with me. I'm experimenting here.

I'm hoping to get into a much heavier pre-production within the next couple of weeks.

I've got a lot of things going on in early stages. It's hard to focus on one thing when your mind is creatively in multiple directions.

Moving on.

2010-09-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

It's been about a month since the cancellation of Suburbanite. I'll post some stills from the scenes we did shoot.

I've been working on a bunch of random scripts and projects. A lot of developmental type stuff.

I had a short that I wrote about a year ago, I sent it to Randy last November. We didn't shoot it in favor of shooting Buddy instead.

I'm glad we didn't shoot it back then because the movie is completely different now. Same elements, same scenes. Everything is reworked and new scenes have been added. An entirely new ending has been brought on too.

I'm really excited about this. It's a lot different than the other movies I've done. I'm happy to try something of a different genre. This will probably be the darkest film I've done thus far.

I'm looking to be done with this draft very soon. Hopefully by the end of next week.

I'll probably start assembling a crew and get into the pre-production by the end of September.

More to come!

Here's what we have currently.

2010-08-09T01:48:00.000-07:00

I've got some good news as well as some bad news.

Randy and I met up with Ryan to discuss Suburbanite. We've all agreed to cancel production and maybe come back to it at a later time.

I really wasn't enjoying it. It sucks, I know... But that's show biz. The magic wasn't there, and as of this point in my life, I'm not obligated to be working on this project other than my own personal obligations I felt beforehand.

I like to always finish what I started but there wasn't a point to finish something that I don't feel fully invested in. Plus, I felt like I was walking on eggshells a good 94% of the shoots thus far. I really, honestly, didn't feel like my full potential was surfacing in the least bit. I got some shots I really liked, I got some stellar performances, but it just wasn't fully brewing.

Overall, it was a great deal of education for me on all levels... Some things that I will change on my next film, some things I won't do, as well as some things that I didn't do this round that I did on other projects that I feel I'll definitely bring back.

So the good news... I wrote a script about a year and a half ago that's just been on the back burner for other projects, Randy and I have been going over it a lot the past couple weeks. I sent him a copy of it back in January. He and I have been throwing tons of ideas back and forth to add and change to the script. We're both really excited for it. This is something that we've never attempted to do before, it's a challenge for the two of us. It's a major character piece within a genre we've never really tackled before.

So, things are different BUT we always have the future to look to. I'm excited in even a time of disappointment.

Changes.

2010-07-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

Production has been kind of meh on Suburbanite. There's going to be some serious changes to this picture. There's something that I feel is holding me back on this project and I'm not happy with it.

I've been working on a bunch of new scripts lately. I'm working on my feature script again. I've pretty much kept the basis of the original and started from the ground up again. I'm liking the outline of it thus far.

I'm developing some other projects too... Certain things I can't get too into detail right now.

I've been going over a short I wrote last autumn and I've been talking with Randy about it. We both really want to make that film. It's a different film for us to make. I think it would be really really fun to shoot.

I'm gonna bring you more details soon to come.

Some updates.

2010-07-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

So Suburbanite has been on a brief pause. Ryan and I have discussed some changes that are to be made that affects the production.

So as if right now, we are re-scheduling the shoot and pushing forward. The production is going to go on more than we had hoped for... But that's totally fine, this is what we love to do. We'll shoot weekends until the start of 2011 if need be. We're not going to let it get that far spread out though.

I've started working on some other projects too. I'm developing some new concepts and reworking some older stuff.

I've taken a script I started working on earlier in the year and just retooled the entire thing. The basis of the film is going to still be intact but I'm just perfecting the script in it's entirety.

I'm gonna bring you more updates whenever I can... But things are looking quite promising.

One scene + two scenes = Ten pages within twenty-four hours

2010-07-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

Lets see... Yesterday morning we got a four and a half page scene done. Today we got two two and a half page scenes done.

We're on a good streak right now.

I do want to do a quick pick up from yesterday's scene and possibly re-shoot some of today's stuff. One scene just seems too dark. I'm not happy about that, but it's okay. We got the scene done rather quickly, so I feel it could be done fast.

I'm pretty happy about how it's turning out. We changed one of the scenes around today. I started asking Randy a few emotional questions in regards to the scene and just told him to say that. It added so much more to the scene. We went to the point where the scene isn't lacking the depth needed but also not going too far with it either.

I couldn't have asked for better performances either. We have it all working great. Great chemistry between all of us working, so the environment is just awesome.

We're on a great roll. I'll be filling you in on more when the time is right.

Two scenes down... Suburbanite is officially in production.

2010-07-09T23:28:00.000-07:00

We shot last night, first scene on the schedule. Pages 23 and 24.

I'm glad we got the most challenging scene first. New camera, new audio equipment during a night scene.

The lighting turned out really awesome. I was happy to see that. I got nice mixed lighting, the orange from the street lights then I made it look like the moon light cast into the car. The shadows were nice. I was pleased to see the footage.

The performances were excellent. We did a fair amount of takes, minor differences here and there, dialogue changes and all. Overall the performances came out natural and believable, which is the best anyone could ask for when directing a movie.

We finished shooting around two, everyone left around three.

Then we started shooting this morning around ten.

We did the scene where Ivan and Allison meet for the first time. I tried to keep everything moving at a good pace. I made sure we had a break here and there. It was hot today, so the last thing anyone would want is to get dehydrated.

I was feeling bleh about my shots until I looked over the footage. I'm pretty happy with the shots I got. I dunno, I always feel I could be doing better than I am. But I'm working on making sure I'm getting the best to my abilities and then some with the resources I have available to me.

The performances were fantastic. We couldn't have selected a better cast. Rebecca (playing Allison) is delivering the performance how I pictured Allison. Randy, I can't say enough good about Randy. He's pulling off the insecure, uncomfortable in his skin perfectly, without over doing it one bit... We put Randy in a Carbonas T-shirt, courtesy of Ryan's closet. Their 2007 LP was awesome, we're wanting to use one of their songs in the movie.

We're not shooting tomorrow, but we are early Sunday morning. We have a scene at the swings that I'm looking forward to shooting.

Suburbanite is a go, my friends. There's no turning back now.

Let's see what we have here.

2010-07-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

Another productive day on pre-production with Ryan.

We bought a new audio recorder. It's all going to be recorded separately. This is a first for me. It was a good deal, $300 and is high quality loss-less audio. Records on four tracks. My boom fits right in, records onto an SD memory card. It records about 29 minutes per gigabyte, so Ryan's brother is donating some old 4gb SD cards for the film.

We also got more props.

Oh.

And we have our new camera too! the Canon Rebel T2i. Shoots 1920x1080 HD at 24 fps. This is exciting. Very very exciting.

We go into production tomorrow... I have a feeling I'll be updating this again later this evening.

Suburbaniteisnowinhighdefinition

2010-06-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you about my day.

First off Ryan and I bought some props. We need some vinyl records to smash in a scene. So we went to the Goodwill store and what did we find for $0.99? Two copies of Barry Manilow's Live LP. Let me remind you that this is a double LP. We got four discs for two dollars. What better albums to smash than a Barry Manilow album?

So far so good on that... We're gonna get some more though.

I called EVS today about the whole 35mm adapter ordeal. The guy told me about this system that's being used all over; The Office uses it, House just started using it, he said there's a good amount of multi-million dollar films that are using it too.

It's a Canon DSLR that shoots 1920 x 1080 HD 24 fps. It's cheaper than what we'd be spending on upgrading the rig we started building. I wasn't wanting to start shooting HD, but I'm really warming up to the idea. He even said we don't need to shoot in 1080, we can shoot in SD still. But I think I'm going to shoot in HD now. It sucks that I won't be using my beloved DVX-100 for this... But in the long run this will be more convenient and save more money too as well as look clean. No more using tapes either. Plus it's smaller and I'll be able to move around a lot more easily.

On top of that; EVS said that it'll take a few weeks for the achromat lens I need. Production would be pushed back so much. I don't want that to happen.

My only issue with the Canon is sound. We're planning to do some tests with it and see how it goes. The internal mic is mono but you can plug in an external mic and it records in stereo.

I'm really excited... Really, really excited.

Your daily Suburbanite pre-producton update

2010-06-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

We did more location scouting today. We went to this one location at the top of the town that over looks the valley. The view will look great, especially at night when everything is lit up. The only problem is the lack of power outlets. We may need to get a generator for some of that. I believe that locations are all pretty much set now. We have options for everything too, it'll come down to which looks the best and which is the most easily accessible as well.

We bought a couple cheap lights too. Should work, 500w's each. I'll use my c-stands and get some weights to hold them down. I'll be able to easily use my gels on them too.

There aren't too many night scenes, so it's not going to be too much problem... But I plan on controlling all the lighting on the interior scenes regardless of the time of day. There are certain looks I want in each scene, so I'm going to be messing around with that.

I'd say the movie is pretty much completely cast now too.

Looks like we're heading on our way now. The camera needs to be situated, that's our biggest issue at the moment. That's the next step to complete.

We have some minor little things here and there left, like buying tapes and getting the schedule done... But other than that I'm getting ready to shoot.

Callbacks + Location Scouting

2010-06-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

Starting off today with a bang. We had a girl come in for the role of Allison.

She was great... She was this character. Ryan and I spent a good hour with her. We spent more time talking and getting to know her than seeing her performance. I personally like to get to know the people I'm about to work with. This gave me a chance, because I already knew she was very good for the role, to see her personally. The more we talked with her the more it really did seem like she was Allison.

Ryan read with her and both scenes went off on improv. We did the scene where she meets Ivan for the first time. She pulled it off in a very sincere way. And the second scene we did involved a more emotional step for her character. She was finally opening up to Ivan. I liked it because she went beyond the script and started turning things on Ivan. This is some stuff I may end up using in the actual scene.

Ryan and I both agree on casting her for the role... So I think I'm gonna.

We also did some location scouting today. I think we have just about all the scene locations figured out. A lot of which show the housing developments in the background, which is good because I want to see that throughout the movie except in two scenes. We need to be reminded that he's trapped without feeling like it's beaten over the audience's heads.

I've got lots of shot ideas now, after seeing the locations... So I'm pleased. And we started planning out when everything's going to be shot too. All the Allison scenes are going to be shot close to the beginning of the schedule. We can probably get it done in a week's span.

Next step: Camera equipment and finish scheduling.

Auditions Pt II

2010-06-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

Today I had a second set of auditions. Compared to the first set it went very well. Sitting in a room with three other dudes for a good six hours was fun and tiring. I'm so exhausted. It's like you have to put up this front with everyone who comes in because you know that they're just coming back at you with another one. I had my sister watch the front, Carlo, Richard and Ryan in the room with me. I feel more comfortable with a few people there with me.

We had about twenty girls come in for the role of Allison.

There were some good ones who came through, then there were some great ones too.

I'm going to be holding callbacks early next week for them to sit with Randy and work together. I need to make sure their chemistry works well with one another.

So I'm having one girl from the first audition come back then another four from today.

I think I know who I'm going to cast as the role already, but I've got to just make sure of it. A good healthy reading with Randy and the girls lined up is in order.

So all in all today was a huge success. I'm very glad that we held a second set.

Today's Suburbanite update.

2010-06-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

So we didn't shoot the short today... BUT we did learn more about the 35mm adapter. We're going to get it upgraded from the M2 to the M2Encore. As well as we're getting the MicroX for it too...

I'm not too fond of the lens we got so I'm gonna pick up a new prime lens 50mm. That'll be good for close-ups, medium wides and two shots.

Also, we're holding more auditions on Wednesday. I'm excited for that. I've been sending out the sides tonight. I'm hoping for a bigger turn out this time.

We've got some more scheduling and location scouting to do. So we'll have to take a look see.

Getting closer to shooting on Suburbanite!

Heavy pre-production.

2010-06-21T01:22:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Ryan and I are assembling the 35mm adapter, then shooting a short to test it. We're having Randy over to participate as well.

I'm making notes on the current draft of the script, so Ryan and I will go over that tomorrow too. I'm wanting to further bring out the character's emotional side. I don't have any major changes except in dialogue and some minor expansions.

Also, more auditions coming up too... And location scouting... And storyboarding some of the ideas out too. I'm excited cause the shots I have in mind are more cinematic than I usually do. I'm planning on taking even more time to get this exactly how I want in my head.

Suburbanite is getting closer to start shooting. I'm excited, really really excited.

Equipment update.

2010-06-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

So I got a call from Ryan this morning saying that he just got the missing piece to the 35mm lens adapter.

Looks like I'm going to be shooting Suburbanite with a complete Redrock 35mm Lens adapter.

We were missing the lens mount that was needed to attach the lens to my DVX-100. He said it's coming with a 55mm lens.

This just adds to the challenge of the movie even more. I've never shot with a lens adapter. But it's going to add that much more to the movie itself.

It's supposed to arrive in about 5 days or so. When it arrives Ryan and I are going to spend an afternoon just assembling it and testing it out.

I'm very very excited.

Recap on today's auditions.

2010-06-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

So we held auditions for Suburbanite today.

I expected about half of who I asked to come to arrive... And that's what it was; roughly half.

The first person who came in was nothing short of amazing. I wish that I had a bigger role for him. I asked Ryan if he could expand the scene a bit to give him more screen time. He's definitely one guy I'm going to use for future projects.

The girls who came in were kinda mixed. There's about four I liked and one I really really liked. She didn't necessarily look the part exact, but she was very charismatic with the role. She said a lot with her eyes. That I liked the most.

I'm having callbacks for those girls I liked and possibly holding some more auditions (if need be) after I come back from vacation.

We now have five of the roles cast. One more major role and the rest can be cast very easily. I think Ryan and I are giving ourselves a quick speaking cameo too. So that's going to be interesting how that goes over.

We're getting close to the shoot date... The pressure's on.

Updates on the feature.

2010-06-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I met up to discuss the script. The rewrites are awesome. There's gonna be more of a focus on the friends versus the girl involved with the main character. It's an interesting spin on the genre.

I'm really excited to start shooting this.

It looks like it'll be about a month's total in shooting.

Auditions are still next week. That's exciting. I've started drawing some shots I have in mind down. I'm going to start loosely storyboarding this thing within the next day or so. Ryan has to send me over a more updated draft of the script.

I'm excited to get this film up and running.

Auditions next week as well as other fun pre-production updates

2010-06-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

The auditions are going to be held a week from tomorrow; June 9th... I'm excited for this. New people to work with. It's gonna be a long day but oh well, it's worth it for a good cast.

Ryan and I auditioned one person already for one of the roles... We're still talking about him.

BUT we do have Randy Reynolds and Cory Zacharia from Buddy.

So now Ryan and I are onto other aspects of pre-production. We're getting all equipment ready, all the tapes we need. We're going to be location scouting this week. We know where we want to shoot, I just want to make sure I definitely like the places.

I'm getting my shots are preplanned now too. I'm excited about that. I've got some cool ideas, I know how I want to open the film. I had Ryan rewrite it to fit what I saw in my head...

I'm excited.

We start shooting the third week of June.

I have a love / hate relationship with auditioning.

2010-05-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

I'm not the biggest fan of the audition process. In fact, I might say I hate it. It stresses me out.

Every time I post notices online, I can't help but feel like I'm at the meat market.

I've got to keep in mind that I'm looking for people who look like how I envision the character.

This is a super important part of making a movie though. If you don't cast this correctly, then you can say goodbye to having a good film. I feel like I've talked about this before. Yeah, I have.

I still feel like a judgmental prick, nonetheless.

This is a project where I need everything set up as perfect as possible. I want this to be better than the previous films I've done in the past. I'm challenging myself more with this one.

I hope this isn't one of those "bit off more than you could chew" moments.

I don't think so... This is gonna be a lot of fun.

Auditions.

2010-05-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

Auditions have been posted. We're going to have them on the 31st of this month.

Two roles are already cast and one other is pretty much set for who I want but I'm going to audition for the role still, just in case I find someone more qualified for the part.

So we're auditioning for four different roles. Two female, two male.

There aren't as many characters in this film than to be expected... I'm pretty excited for this to begin shooting... We have about a month before we start.

More updates to come...

Pre-production for next film...

2010-05-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

First off let me tell you that Buddy is about to be sent to festivals all over. I'm liking that movie except for some minor little things that I keep tinkering with. I'm at the point of finally letting go though. I'm already getting pumped for this summer's film...

Ryan and I got together tonight and went over the script for the next film. I gave him some more notes and we started talking about some changes that need to be worked out.

We started making our lists for all the pre-production work that'll be needed: new equipment and estimates of money we'll need.

We're getting our audition sides all ready and going to begin that process within the next week or so. We're looking at a start date of the third week in June.

That gives us enough time for everything that's needed, rewrites included.

So right now we're starting to schedule the shoot. I think we're going to be saving all the single scenes for last and all the others with more than one character up front.

I'm thinking of shooting the ending first on this one.

This is going to be big. Definitely a new challenge for me, next plateau...

I'll fill you in on more details very soon.

My God it's been a while.

2010-05-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, sorry for the delay here...

So I've been wrapping up my school semester and looks like next week I'll be finished.

Which means something big is happening... I can't get into details, but I'm really looking forward to this summer. It's going to be cool.

I'm gonna fill you all in very soon.

Buddy is now being sent to festivals.

I should probably show you some clips or something, right?

Well, we'll see.

Lots of new projects are going under way.

It's been a while...

2010-02-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

So I spent sometime really thinking about the ending to Buddy... And I felt the original ending wasn't enough closure for me... Let me tell you that we got something kooky here now...

We have it all assembled... The last scene needs to be cut down by two minutes. We went from six and a half minutes to about four now. I want it to be two minutes, two-thirty maximum.

I'm gonna get some stills for all two of you.

I'm not sure how the movie makes me feel. It's like there's a steady decline from comedy to being kind of messed up.

I think I like it nonetheless though.

Done.

2010-01-09T01:27:00.000-08:00

Just wrapped up the production.

Surprisingly quick tonight... We were twenty minutes early on our estimated time. We got plenty of set ups and takes. It was a one page scene, done in two hours.

It's a bittersweet feeling to finish filming.

Now onto completing the editing portion of this endeavor.

Today is the last shooting day on Buddy.

2010-01-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

We went an extra day on this little production but that's a okay. That gave us all time to really focus on each scene on an individual basis.

Wednesday night we shot the final scene. I'm pretty pleased thus far with it. I'll know more when I splice it all together. Great performances though. I got lucky when I cast this picture.

Tonight is the restaurant scene. We've got to move a little more quickly when shooting this scene because we're going to be there after the place closes... I've got my shot list ready and all my notes, so lets hope this goes over well tonight.

First scene assembled.

2010-01-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

I got a good response about the first scene. Laughter in the appropriate places...

Here's a couple quick screens...

Also, I started working on another script. It's gonna be longer than my usual length but I want something a bit more now. It's not a feature but it'll help me work up to that level. It's dealing with love. It's a bit ambiguous of a subject matter but I'm excited about it.

The script Ryan and I are working on is coming out very cool. I'm pretty pleased thus far. First draft; you know how it is, just getting all the ideas regardless if they're good or bad are all coming out. Diarrhea of the pen.

Two more shooting days left.

2010-01-04T18:19:00.000-08:00

We shoot on Wednesday and Friday. Wednesday is at Ryan's house for the final scene and Friday is the restaurant scene.

I started editing everything together. The first scene is completed, minus the audio flubs.

I'll post some screen caps for you kids within the next twenty-four hour period.

Four scenes down.

2009-12-22T16:09:00.000-08:00

We shot Friday and Monday. Two scenes per day. I've viewed the footage. So far I'm liking it. I'm only worried about one outdoor scene that's at night. I'm not too fond of the lighting. Hopefully it'll look alright, if not I'm just going to re-shoot it as a daytime scene.

Here's a day two set up. Walking Trail scene.

Ryan on the left and I'm on the right. Writer and the director right there.

Day one. The first scene. Shot at the magic hour.

First scene again.

First day; basketball scene. That's Aidan on boom. He's also the A.D.

First day, again. I'm also D.P.ing this bad boy. That's the cast on the court. Great chemistry between the three.

Tomorrow's the big day!!

2009-12-18T03:35:00.000-08:00

So tomorrow's the big day... First production day on Buddy. We're doing two scenes tomorrow, six pages. I'm not sure how long that's going to take, but I have until the sunsets.

I have my notes written all over the front and back of the script pages with my shots and blocking lined up... It's loosely set for tomorrow, chances are I'll be doing a lot more different set ups. Plus seeing the actors in character will change my perspective of what works and what doesn't work.

I love this feeling... It's bittersweet. It's that nervous-excitement. I don't know how to describe it, but part of me wants to throw up a little bit. It's like when you take a girl out on a date for the first time. You know what I mean?

I know it's gonna be a fun shoot, so that's what matters... As well as a good product.

Framing Your Shots One Step At A Time: The Basics

2009-12-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick lesson in framing the shot. I've set up an example that's labeled for you to understand more.

This will be very helpful to you when you're trying to explain to your cinematographer what you have in your mind for the next shot.

Master Shot: This shot sets up your entire scene. It's usually the widest shot as well, all the action can be seen in this set up when you cut to it. this allows maximum coverage of the entire scene. Keep this in mind to start and possibly close your scenes. It's a good idea to shoot this set up first then get in closer.

Full Shot: This is still a wide shot but not as wide as the master. This is a full body shot. Multiple actors can be in the same frame. I would be mindful of making sure the frame isn't too cluttered.

Medium Full: This is also a medium full shot. It tends to cut off the frame around the point of the actor's knees. This works if you feel you want to get closer in but not too close.

Medium Shot / Close-Up: The medium shot is usually around the hip and the medium close up is within the mid-chest region of the actor. I personally like medium close-ups a lot. They look nice when framed correctly. This can make conversation more personal within a scene because the viewer begins to feel like they're apart of the action.

Close-Up: This would be like a full shot of the actor's face. It works for tense moments to really heighten the drama.

Extreme Close-Up: This would be like a close up that just included the actor's eyes, for example. Or if you cut to a shot of their watch.

These are the basics of framing. It's good to know so the communication process with your cinematographer is more clear with what you want.

What you'll usually need in almost any scene is your master shot, medium shots and close-ups / medium close-ups.

This is one of the many fun parts about making films. Be clever with how you frame your shot, experiment a little bit. Get what you need then start to think outside the box a little bit.

Buddy is on it's way...

2009-12-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

Shooting starts on Friday. I'm starting to get very excited. All the actors and crew are going to be out of school by then so this will be a lot easier of a process.

So for right now what I'm going to be doing as we get closer to the date; I'm going to be figuring out a rough idea of what shots I'm going to be using... I usually have a layout in my head of how the movie is going to play out but once I show up to the set more and more ideas start to fly through my head.

I already have my usual two shots and necessary close-ups and establishing shots that I'm going to be using. But I'm still going to compile a shot list.

So this post is going to lead into my next one about framing...

Stay tuned...

Briefly updating your curious minds...

2009-12-08T00:22:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I had a table reading for Buddy. Great stuff. We're really looking forward to shooting this. The two we read with had great chemistry. It's like they were best friends. The banter and everything was awesome.

We start next week.

Also... I started my long term project. The script is being written as we speak. This is going to be a lot of fun. I'm casting two of the actors from Buddy in it.

I'll keep you updated with further information when that time comes.

So it's finals week... Sorry for the lack of postings.

I will be posting a newer new one very soon...

Till next time...

Don't be lazy: cast your movie.

2009-11-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

Casting...

Talk about important.

At this time you're deciding who will portray your characters on screen. Do you want some stale actor just reciting lines?

The answer is no... You don't.

Casting a bad actor can kill your entire film. Trust me. I've had to cut and cut and then re-cut my movies because of poor casting decisions.

I've cut entire scenes from films because of performances.

That's okay though because I've learned from it... Do yourself a favor and take my advice on this one.

First off I'm just going to say...
Whatever you do: DO NOT cast your friends! Chances are they probably suck. Have them audition if you really care that much.

Cast your films people!! Hold auditions!! I usually hold mine at school, but you can have them anywhere. Set it up in your garage. Set up appointments with actors and meet one on one at a coffee shop some place. Do what it takes.

Put in the effort!

You can find actors easy... I usually post audition notices on nowcasting.com and lacasting.com. The sites are easy to use and free for casting directors. The site will send out notices to actors telling them about your project. You'll be able to pick who you'd like to go audition for you... Invite a lot of people. Chances are most likely that all of them won't show up.

Don't just limit yourself to one day for auditions. Hold a couple of them. This will bring out multiple crowds.

Make some sides for the actors to read. Take a page from your script. Don't make it long though. One page will more than suffice.

Have some friends help you during auditions. Have one person outside sitting with a sign in sheet, they can also escort the actors in too. (have the actors write down their name, phone number, e-mail address and the time they arrived). Have someone inside with you too to operate the camera. I usually have three people in the room (counting myself) during auditions.

Make sure you record the auditions so you can view them again later. Have people watch them with you. You'll be able to pull in many more opinions this way and gauge different reactions.

You'll be able to pinpoint exactly who you want in your film now.

Your film is going to be 100 times better now too.

Now you're one step closer to getting a good product.

Until next time guys...

Location scouting on "Buddy."

2009-11-25T19:21:00.000-08:00

Today was very productive. Ryan and I went all over town and scouted locations.

We got some good spots. We know where we're shooting the whole thing now except one scene. We have the spot but we just need to clarify it with the homeowners. I only worry about the weather conditions because we start mid-December. I don't want the wind messing up the sound.

Ryan wrote the script with some spots in mind that would be easily accessible.

We discussed our next set of projects too. So we're gonna be working a lot for the next nine months on projects back to back.

Here's just a brief update for now...

More to come.

Watching movies everyday.

2009-11-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

Get Netflix.

As a filmmaker you should always be watching movies.

Some of the best filmmakers are cinephiles.

It's a good way to study. It'll make you more well rounded as a filmmaker. Figure out what you liked or hated about the movie you watched.

After I see a movie with my friends we always talk after wards. There's always the one person who just says: "I liked it. It was good."

What was good about it? Why did you like it?

How did the movie make you feel?

Pre-Production updates for 'Buddy'

2009-11-24T22:53:00.000-08:00

So we're making head way on Buddy. Ryan and I are doing some location scouting for the film tomorrow afternoon.

The last script meeting went great. He added a couple of scenes from the second draft. We're looking at about twelve pages now... He looked over the script I've been writing too and gave me some good feedback to make it better... That won't start shooting until the beginning of 2010.

I'm wanting a table read with the potential cast within the next week-week and a half. I know who I want, and I know they're all great... But the key is to now have them read together to see what dialogue works and what doesn't and how can we make their performances seem completely natural.

Ryan and I discussed we're to have all the pre-production work taken care of so we start shooting after our week of finals... So we'll begin production around the week of December 9th.

I'm excited to direct this. I haven't directed something in a while, this absence is starting to take it's toll.

Alright kids, until next time...

Pre-production and the tasks that come with it.

2009-11-20T21:20:00.000-08:00

Lets go over pre-production and what's involved with it... I'm keeping this simple for now. [I'll probably expand some of the steps into their own post later on.]

By this point you should be getting your script finished... I'm sure you'll make minor changes even up to right before you begin shooting.

What you're going to want to do now is break down your script to individual scenes and number them... This can help you budget your time and money. You can make schedule call sheets that include the locations, props, wardrobe, cast in the scene. This is what the producer should being helping take care of.

Break down you're whole script like that... You're pretty much just making a check list scene-by-scene.

Casting is a very essential part of the pre-production process. Hold auditions to find your actors.

after you've found your actors, have a table reading. This is a good way to see what works and what doesn't work. If the actor is fumbling over their lines then talk to them so you guys can figure out how to make a more natural flow.

Finding locations is something you'll want to take care of now too. When you're scouting bring a still camera. You're going to want to make sure this is what you're wanting for your vision of you're latest opus.

Find the people you need behind the camera. Find your Director of Photography. Find someone to do sound and operate boom. Audio is just as important as video. bad sound can ruin your film. It can take the audience out of the moment.

Set a start date and begin...

I know it seems like a mess but this is all it takes for pre-production.

Until next time...

Top five student film clichés!! [opinions included]

2009-11-15T13:11:00.000-08:00

Student films... What can I say about them? Like all movies there's the good and the bad. Plus it's all subjective.

You might want to retool your script if you have these.

Top five student film clichés...

1. Drugs... Why is it that so many student films involve drugs? Chances are you have probably only smoked weed in your life... That doesn't mean you should create a cocaine subplot in your film. You can make a great film that doesn't involve a junkie in it.

2. Movies about making movies... I think I've seen this more often than coke binge films. Write what you know, yes, but don't you have other life experiences outside of making movies? I'm obsessed with film making and movies, but I try not to write about making movies.

3. Mob/Mafia/Gangsters... We're all guilty of this. Who hasn't watched Goodfellas or Casino and wanted to make a gangster film? I've done it; it's never been seen by anybody though. Right now it's not practical.

4. Wannabe Hollywood action... This kind of falls in line with #4 but it's safe to say action adventure is hard to make on a student film budget of zero dollars. Making Hollywood style films is something most of us long for when making films. Right now make something that reflects you.

5. Suicide endings... Honestly, I don't really get it. I guess it's a "really dramatic" ending for a movie. I know you want a huge impact, but it's kinda cheesy. Save it. Use your clever, creative mind to make something more with it. Not to say suicide isn't dramatic, it's a very sensitive subject.

Bonus opinion!!... Voice overs. I'll leave this one at that.

These aren't rules to live by, they're just opinions. That's okay to disagree... I'm just saying.

Until next time kids...

Updating for the sake of updating.

2009-11-14T00:49:00.000-08:00

So read the new draft of the script today... So far so good. I think we're really close to start shooting. Next Friday we're going over one more draft then Saturday we're trying to get together with the potential leads of the film.

I made some changes with dialogue. Certain phrasing of the sentences to meet what I feel is the characters.

It's going to be a good film. Lots of fun to shoot... Ryan knows what he's doing... Or he's at least convincing enough.

So I'm going to be updating the entire process after it really begins to kick off... Right now we're getting ready to launch this beast. Nothing but pre-production for right now. We've got to get a strategy lined up before we go.

On top of this next film I've been developing a long run project. More information is coming on that as well.

I'm excited for that nervous feeling before shoots.

Until next time guys...

Tonight's news is tomorrow's blog.

2009-11-13T12:07:00.000-08:00

So this evening I'm meeting up with Jameson to go over the second draft... I'm excited to see what he did with my notes.

We talked about losing some scenes and throwing in more. I wanted to show more of the girlfriend in the script as well.

The project is called Buddy. I don't want to give away the plot, but I'll say it deals with people's cute little quirks.

So we're meeting up again. I think we'll be getting closer to a shooting draft very soon.

I think I already know who I'm casting as the two leads of the film. I've got a confirmation from one and I'm going to read with the other.

I think I'm ready for another film.

Until next time...

A sixty-four word post.

2009-10-30T01:11:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I met up with the first draft. It's looking good. I think now it's being completely fine tuned. It's a great concept dealing with a people's need to be surrounded by one another.

I gave Ryan my notes. The second draft will be done soon... I hope.

Super brief update... Sorry to all none of you who read this.

Until next time...

Script Writing... And The Women Who Love Them.

2009-10-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

Lets go over the simplest way to write a script. This will be a quick lesson; in case if anybody is confused on formatting.

We're dealing with short films. So I'm not going to go deep into plot points and act breaks.

After you've made some sort of outline and came up with your concept it's time for the script to be written.

I suggest getting some sort of script writing software... I prefer Final Draft, but if you don't want to spend any money you can download Celtx. Celtx is free and easy to use.

Scripts are written in a size 12 Courier font... I'd say keep it that way. There's no reason to go against this norm.

One page in your script is about one minute of screen time... This will help you estimate your duration time.

I'll use this as an example... This was from my film shot last spring.

Lets start from the top.

The slug line:
"EXT. RESTAURANT PATIO - NIGHT"

The slug line shows location and time of day change from scene to scene. Keep this at the top of each scene.

It'll always be in all capital letters.

EXT and INT are for if the scene is exterior or interior.

Then you list the location followed by the time of day.

The actions:

The action paragraphs follow after the slug line to describe the location and what the characters are doing in the scene.

When you're introducing new characters into a script keep their name in capital letters followed by their age... After that you don't need to keep them capitalized.

Keep all action in the present as if it's happening at that moment. Never use past tense when writing actions.

You also want to stay away from writing how the character is feeling in the actions. How can we see their emotions? Describe, briefly, what they're doing to show their emotions. On top of that, their dialogue will help configure their feelings.

Show me, don't tell me.

The dialogue:

So now you want your character to speak.

Dialogue is always in the center of the page.

Keep the character name in capital letters.

Underneath the name is where the character's lines are.

I try to keep dialogue less wordy... I tend to keep in mind that actors are going to be performing this. I don't want them fumbling over words. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I try not to put a lot of unnecessary actions between my character's dialogue... It's distracting to the actors.

So this is the basics of what you need to know about scriptwriting. There are other little technical things that I may go over in posts later to come but if you're not looking to be a screenplay writer and you just need to write something real quick to start shooting, then this is all you really need to know for now.

Until next time...

New blog! [includes opinions]

2009-10-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

I don't like voice overs.

To me they're a cheap way to tell a story. They're a cheap way to let you know how the character is feeling.

I'm not saying voice overs can't work... I'm just saying I think most of the time (97.54% of the time) they just don't cut it.

There are different ways to allow the audience to know what the character is feeling. Different cuts, different looks on their face, different reactions... Lets give the audience just a little bit of credit here.
Don't let the character flat out tell me he's sad, pissed off, or lonely... Let me see him feel this!

Show me, don't tell me.

I'm not going to lie to you; I've put voice overs in scripts. It never went beyond the first draft though. Imagine your movie with the voice overs, it's almost as bad as breaking the fourth wall and talking to the audience.

It may seem really cool and you feel like a genius writer, but in most cases it won't work and it's cliche'.

Will this scene be more powerful with the character telling you everything from his soul?

Probably not, no.

Would Luke Skywalker's approach to Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru's dead charbroiled bodies be more impacted to you with his voice over telling you: "I can't believe this. They're dead. My vast amount of loneliness drives through my body like a pod racer at the Boonta Eve. As now, my last remaining family, is gone. I need to go with Obi-Wan to become a Jedi Knight."

Yeah, see, that wouldn't really work.

Be careful with voice overs. They can kill a good script.

I'm keeping you up to date with these convienient updates

2009-10-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

I'm done with the first act. I'm looking at getting this all done within the next 14 days... Or less. Hopefully less. After the first draft I'll make my changes, cut some things then proceed to having the shooting script ready.

I want this to go into production immediately following Ryan Jameson's script. So pre-production will happen while shooting that. Both projects are seemingly dark... I'll fill you in on the details once it all falls into place.

Also... I started demoing out some songs. I've got about 31 tracks on cassette right now. I'm finding 10-15 that are solid so I can record a full album... I'm planning on recording it all on my 8-track. I think it'll give it a cool sound. I'm not really sure how to explain the genre. I'll just say punk/rock/indie/alternative/music/songs as the genre at hand.

Lyrics are going to be the hardest part I think. I have a good amount, now I have to get them arranged to fit with the right songs.

Until next time...

Brief Updates for the ADHD Generation.

2009-10-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

So the script is finally coming along... I'm working on the first draft. I'm hoping this draft will be near completion by next week. I'd like to start shooting this by November or early December. I have the lead role cast but there's a female role that I'm going to be holding auditions for in weeks to come.

My buddy is writing a script that I'm going to direct. It's written by Ryan Jameson. We're getting together this weekend to go over the first draft. I'll fill all three of you guys who read this about the storyline.

I've never directed a film I haven't written before, so I'm looking forward to this.

Until next time kids.

Screenplay Writing For The Student Filmmaker: The Home Edition

2009-10-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

So my outline is looking good. It all fell into place randomly last night. I'm starting the first draft currently. I'm a little worried about the ending but I'm figuring that once I'm there the story may have taken new turns I haven't thought about before.

As I go on writing scripts I find myself changing my own personal styles a lot. Ten years ago I was adding camera angles to my scripts. Now I wouldn't think twice about it.

My theories have changed tremendously through experiences and suggestions from professors.

I'm not talking about stories or ideas on this. I'm talking about a formula for writing scripts itself.

First off: keeping it simple.

Here's an example from one of my scripts...
You're not going to want to over write your action paragraphs. Mine may not seem like a lot, but I could have made them simpler. Looking back, I don't mind the brief description of the location. But I should have stopped at "Adam is sitting on a grassy knoll." Then proceeded to say that the girl is walking up. There's no reason to bring up his wardrobe or the surroundings at that point. If he was playing Game Boy then I'd say "Adam is sitting on a grassy knoll playing Game Boy."

I have a buddy who wrote half a page purely on a guy pulling a cigarette out of his bag and lighting it... It's unnecessary!! You want to get straight to the point. Each page is a minute of screen time; are you really going to waste thirty seconds on this guy taking out a cigarette?

You're writing a script, not a novel!

Putting the character's emotion in the actions, in my eyes, isn't okay either. The action paragraphs are just for what you see on the screen. How do you see he's struck with disappointment? That's internal of Adam. That's for the director and actor to talk about.

The next place I went wrong on this is the parenthetical. I don't know what I was thinking... But I did it. You shouldn't put direction there. This is internal. You gotta give some room for the actors and directors to breathe.

Another thing that I've begun to stop doing... Adding action between lines of dialogue. Unless it's incredibly important and further moves the story line, then I won't do it.

If between two lines in the script it says for the character to sit down and take a drink then the actor is going to be focusing on sitting and drinking rather than deliver the lines naturally.

These are just my suggestions to you. I felt what I was doing was alright because I was directing the film. Now I keep everything toned down and I make all my notes handwritten all over the pages.

Simplicity is your friend.

See you next time guys.

Post #2: The Revenge

2009-09-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

This is the first semester in a few years I haven't directed a short. I don't like this break.

I'm trying to develop a long-term project along side my next short so I can keep shooting while I'm writing my big shorts... Even though it's 'quality over quantity;' I'm happiest behind the camera. So with that in mind I'm figuring out how to get the best of both worlds.

My next one is character based versus a lot of my previous ones were primarily situational based. Even though it's looking like I'm keeping the story structure that of my usual situational but I'm creating a different layer for myself in which is this character.

Right now I'm at the point where plot points are flying at me at different times... This is the longest part of making a movie for me: writing the script. My last script came as random vague scene concepts. It got to the point where the story was completely mapped out in detail and all I needed to do was write dialogue.

It's about getting the character from point A to point B without it seeming boring and giving substance to the character. I want the audience to have an emotion for the character whether they love them or hate them.

It becomes a balancing act, so to speak. You've got to create a diverse ensemble that makes it seem like they all belong together, as well as giving them their own entitlement on screen so they all don't run together.

My first blog post in ten easy steps.

2009-09-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

I'm Michael. I've never blogged on a blog before. How do the first posts usually go? Just an introduction of myself?

I'm twenty-one, I'm a film major. I go to CSUN in Southern California.

So I guess what I'm going to be 'blogging' about on here is my movies. I'm going to start documenting all the steps involved. I'll fill you, the viewer, in on the status of each step... This will be a nice place to vent. I'll probably talk about other things as well... But I'll cut the boring parts of my life out out.

For this first post I'm just going to tell you about what happened to me last night... So my favorite band, Dillinger Four, finally has a show in Southern California. I'm there with my girlfriend Katie and my buddy Carlo. We show up and Erik (guitarist/vocals of Dillinger Four) is out front smoking. He was totally cool. We went inside to watch The Arrivals. When that ended we went back outside. Erik was there again, so, I started talking to him about random things and told him that D4 was my favorite band. I asked him what he thought about Green Day blatantly ripping off their song 'doublewhiskeycokenoice' which Green Day made it a chart topping, Grammy winning success known as 'American Idiot.' I got some answers to things I've been wondering about for a while now...

So Carlo and I went back in... Long story short we got kicked out of the venue before D4 even performed. The bassist/vocalist of the band was outside at this point. I made sure to approach him even though I was nervous (I don't know what it is but I get nervous in fanboy-mode). Paddy was so fucking cool. I ended up hanging out with him for a bit before Carlo and Katie came up. Paddy from D4 gave me relationship advice and introduced me to Suzy from the Soviettes and his other buddies who came around. He said he could have gotten me back in but not all three of us. That didn't stop him from trying though. We ended up just hanging out with him and talking and goofing around... I asked for a picture with him and he said "only if we can go up this escalator with my pants down." So we're riding up the escalator and he's pulling down his pants revealing his butt... I guess a security guard saw him.

I accidentally got Paddy kicked out of his own show.

I ended up getting back in. I just took my glasses off and put on a different shirt. Paddy had to do the same.

So that was my Thursday night.

See you next time guys!!