(This post references iSundae II: Attack of the Cones, part 2. You may want to view the movie before reading this post.)

“Alright everyone, on the count of three, start throwing spoons!” Clang. Thunk. Bong. Ping. Splat. Plastic spoons fly everywhere while the camera operator tries to stay out of the line of fire. “Okay, cut!” Clink. A stray utensil hits the floor. The director comes out from a safe corner and begins collecting spoons. “That was good! Let’s try it again from another angle.”

I wonder how many other filmmakers can claim to have been through a day like that? It’s not every director who can put “safely directed a spoon-flinging ice-cream-sliding action sequence” on their résumé. Or for that matter would even attempt such a feat. We did, and we survived. It wasn’t that hard, either. [Read more →]

Tags: Blog, Movies, Video by Rebekah
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I’d like you to meet a little voice. He’s not a very good friend of mine, but he does serve a useful purpose. He is the Voice of Realism and he pops up everywhere. Trouble is, he’s easy to ignore. He asked me to tell you something for him. It is, quite simply, “Listen.” When you’re reading a script, listen for him. When you’re getting ready to film something, listen! Can you hear him now?

“Sure, a sea-faring adventure movie is great, but if all you have is two plastic ships and a bathtub, you might want to reconsider.”

“Crashing through a window? Nice touch for an action sequence, but if it’s done wrong it looks really cheesy.” (iSundae anybody?)

“Spaceships whooshing past the camera would look cool, but not if the animation is poorly done, or the blue screen gets fuzzy.”

Does he sound familiar? The Voice that warns us when we’re getting in over our heads. Why is it so easy to block him out? [Read more →]

Tags: Blog, Tips and Tricks by Rebekah
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