FilmSkills Review

Jason J.Tomaric

FilmSkills is an innovative website that aims to “provide a real-world education of the complex world of motion picture production through a series of easy-to-understand, yet comprehensive videos, workbooks and resources.”

Jason J.Tomaric, a multiple Emmy, Telly and CINE Award-winning director and cinematographer, has partnered with Focal Press to create the site. The scope is broad, covering all aspects of the filmmaking process from Development to Pre-Production, Crew, Production, Post-Production, Marketing and Distribution.

Video Modules provide insight and knowledge of the intricacies of the film industry. Subjects covered in the individual Video Modules include Packaging Your Movie, The Three Act Structure, Treatments and Outlines, Creating Characters, Dialogue and Backstory, Budgeting, Rehearsing Actors, Analog vs. Digital, Basic Shooting Techniques, Lighting People, Studio Facilities Safety, Domestic and Internet Distribution. These titles are just a small sample of the depth and complexity of the site.

Finding Actors is a video module with commentary from independent casting director Billy DeMota among others. It includes extensive text to supplement the video including the following excerpts :

“If you have to hire SAG actors, try to hire actors who are Financial Core, a status that allows union workers to work on non-union projects. This will help you avoid the pitfalls of the SAG low budget process and free you to screen and market your film any way you wish. Name actors can certainly help increase the value of your movie in the eyes of distributors. Unfortunately, they can be both cost-prohibitive and a scheduling challenge.”

“Avoid casting friends and family. Although your close acquaintances may be ready and willing, the quality of your movie will undoubtedly suffer. Acting is a skill that requires years of training and mastery to be effective, invisible and moving. Unless your family or friends are professional actors, avoid the potential for damaging performances.”

“If your budget doesn’t allow the hiring of a casting director, you can cast the movie yourself using one of two approaches. The first is to post a general audition notice in newspapers, acting magazines like “Backstage West,” classified ads in the newspaper, web sites and announcements on the local news. Casting a wide net will collect a lot of fish both talented and untalented. The second approach to finding qualified actors is to use online casting resources like http://www.actorsaccess.com, http://www.nowcasting.com and www.LAcasting.com.”

FilmSkills is a site that offers essential advice for people active in the film industry and students of film. Unlike complex text books that can be hard to digest the mixture of video interviews and easy to read text creates the desire to learn more. This is a site created by professionals with down-to-earth commentary based on actual work experience. Whatever your interest in film – be it writing, production, art direction, cinematography, music, sound, editing, direction or marketing and distribution this site is highly recommended. And like all good websites it’s an evolving site that is adding new modules each month.

With thanks to Becky Sahm at Big Picture Media.

Review copyright Paul Green 2012. All rights reserved.

Cinematography Film Craft Book Review

The art of cinematography is often overlooked by the casual viewer and critic who concentrate their attention on the director as the Svengali figure. We all know Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola but few can name the cinematographers who helped give their films their visual style and individual flair.

The latest book in the Film Craft series by Focal Press gives cinematographers their rightful place in film history. Authors Mike Goodridge and Tim Grierson detail the careers of twenty-one outstanding cinematographers from around the world. Lavishly illustrated with full color photographs throughout its 192 large format pages, the book includes personal interviews conducted by the authors.

The book concentrates on cinematographers still active in the film industry but includes “Legacy” portraits of important cinematographers who have passed away. These feature Jack Cardiff and Freddie Young from the UK, James Wong Howe from China/USA and Sven Nykvist from Sweden.

Matthew Libatique is a new generation cinematographer who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Black Swan (2010) starring Natalie Portman. He has worked with Jon Favreau on both Iron Man movies and Cowboys & Aliens (2011). The book details Libatique’s working process which includes an initial deconstruction of the script of each film into color coded scenes. He also discusses the role of the cinematographer. “In terms of an actor’s performance, I don’t think we’re essential like the director is… We’re called cameramen, but the instrument is a shared tool that we use in service of the script and the characters.”

Caleb Deschanel has worked with Francis Ford Coppola and is a five-time Oscar nominee who describes his work as ‘a visual symphony.” Ed Lachman’s work ranges from Taxi Driver (1976) to Erin Brokovich (2000). He describes his craft as a “projection of the emotions.” Vittorio Stararo shares Lachman’s emphasis on emotions. “My idea was to make the relationship between life and light; different emotions compared to different colors.” His Oscar winning work on Apocalypse Now (1979), Reds (1981) and The Last Emperor (1985) clearly reflects his philosophy.

Cinematography explores these personal philosophies and detailed working methods of acclaimed “cameramen” in a manner that that not only informs the reader but enlightens them. The relatively new technology of 3-D is also discussed by cinematographers embracing new ways of working in a medium that offers so much scope for creativity. Mike Goodridge (editor of Screen International) and film and music critic Tim Grierson have produced an excellent book that I highly recommend to anyone interested in the art of filmmaking. Published by Focal Press. With thanks to Becky Sahm at Big Picture Media.

Review copyright Paul Green 2012. All rights reserved.

Make Your Movie by Barbara Freedman Doyle Book Review

Make Your Movie by Barbara Freedman Doyle (Focal Press 2012) details the “Business and Politics of Filmmaking” in a comprehensive and easy to understand manner. The author states, “This book is about the “soft skills” a person has to have to survive in the industry.” This book is so much more. It is a detailed, comprehensive look at the entire industry and makes for a fascinating read that will leave you much more informed than when you first picked up the book.

Doyle has a background in the film industry ranging from former Senior VP of Worldwide Production at Tri Star Pictures to Production Supervisor on projects for CBS, NBC, TNT, Showtime, Hallmark, Disney, 20^th Century-Fox, and Morgan Creek Productions.

She covers every aspect of the filmmaking process from the importance of making contacts, ‘development hell’, agents and managers, raising money, setting up a production company, unions, location, casting, production, post production, festivals and distribution.

A stand-out feature of Doyle’s book are her interviews with influential people in the film industry. Their first hand experience gives the book a healthy dose of reality. Doyle isn’t interested in get-rich-quick fantasy stories but deals in cold, hard facts. It is her down-to-earth approach that gives the book its appeal. Agents, entertainment lawyers, creative executives, producers, location managers, directors, editors, and marketing executives including Walter Coblenz, Travis Knox, Shana Feste, Dawn Taubin and Jawal Nga pass on their expertise and advice to budding professionals.

For anyone thinking their novel or screenplay is just waiting to be discovered this book brings home the reality that only by repeated effort and good contacts will their work stand a chance of being successfully transferred to film. Not to forget sheer luck. This is a serious book with an everyman touch. The film industry is notoriously hard to break into but Doyle shows you the paths you need to walk to give your dream a chance of coming to fruition.

Highly recommended.

Review copyright Paul Green 2012. Thanks to Becky Sahm at Big Picture Media.