Purple Cobra's Project

Yesterday we had our first day of shooting for our project.  We got together our actors and equipment and headed over to the most disgusting apartment I've ever been to.  I think our shoot went really well.  Craig Mike and I worked very well to get all of the shots we needed in order to tell our story.  Of course the scenes in the apartment are not where the meat of the story lies, but it is still an important way to open and close our film.  Obviously you will run into problems every time you go on a shoot, especially in a location as messy as this one.  We were able to overcome difficult lighting, audio and blocking challenges to create a solid final product for the interior scenes.  After shooting my ICTV show all semester in a Studio, it was a real reminder to what shooting on location in the filed is like and how difficult it is to have a very small space to work with.  It also was a nice reminder of how difficult it is lighting wise, where in the studio all of my lights are over head and interchangeable.   The actors took direction well and were extremely solid on their lines.  I was impressed with the amount we were able to get done in the little time crunch and limited crew.  We were very polite and respectful to the people in the apartment.  It will forever be the most disgusting place I've shot a film at. (I hope.)

Cross-media learning

Though we deal mostly in the medium of video as filmmakers, it is important not to forget how important other media forms can be, not only as we create, but as we learn. I don't know about you, but I have a 4-hour drive to make during academic breaks. I've looked for ways to pass the time constructively, and I recently came back to a great answer: filmmaking podcasts. Instead of surfing through constantly changing channels for something I don't mind listening too, I've loaded my phone with hours of talk radio targeted just to me.

After searching iTunes for the best filmmaking podcasts, I've settled on the Down and Dirty DV Film Show. You can check it out here. Spearheaded by Anthony Q. Artis, this weekly show is a great resource for filmmakers with the time to listen. It packs in current film news, tips and tricks, and interviews with industry professionals into a 1-hour show. What's even better, if you can listen in with the show live, you can call in to ask questions of the professionals themselves!

The hosts have a no-nonsense, guerrilla attitude about them, but they definitely know what they are talking about. In fact, they have so much knowledge, they have been able to fill two books with it. Anthony Q. Artis authored both the Shut up and Shoot: Documentary Guide and Shut up and Shoot: Freelance Video. The engaging book is filled with practical information, with an immediacy that would thrill any student looking to just, well, shut up and shoot. I found the book myself last weekend, and would agree with the favorable reviews it's gotten on Amazon.

If you're looking for anything more, make sure to check out their website, http://downanddirtydv.com. There are lots of options out there for filmmaking learning on the go as well. In fact, the site FilmmakerIQ lists over 40 different podcasts here! If only there was enough time in the day! Hit up the comments if there are any other valuable podcasts out there that you subscribe to.