Cyndi Greening: Podcasts & vCasts

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 22:11:32 GMT

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Julia Kwan & Erik Paulsson
Eve and the Firehorse

Podcast on Sunday, March 26, 2006
Recorded at SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas

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By Cyndi Greening. Phoenix, Arizona USA (indieWIRE) -- Director Julia Kwan and Producer Erik Paulsson share their thoughts on their lyrical film Eve and the Firehorse and discuss distribution, the festival circuit and upcoming projects.

According to their press kit, JULIA KWAN is an international award-winning writer, director and producer living in Vancouver, B.C. Ms. Kwan attended Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto to study film and minor in psychology. While at Ryerson, Ms. Kwan produced, wrote and directed, INFLAMED (1993). After graduation, Ms. Kwan moved to San Francisco and worked as an Associate Producer, Co-writer and Actor for the film, CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE (1994). Upon returning to Vancouver, Ms. Kwan produced, wrote and directed several short films, including the experimental film, PRIZED POSSESSIONS (1997), which premiered at the Festival de Films de Femmes in Creteil, France and the comedy/drama, 10,000 DELUSIONS (1999), which was honoured with the Lumiere Award (best film award) at the New Orleans International Film Festival. In 2001, Ms. Kwan was a director resident at the prestigious Canadian Film Center, founded by Norman Jewison. There, she made her short drama, THREE SISTERS ON MOON LAKE (2001). EVE & THE FIRE HORSE (2005) marks Ms. Kwan's feature film debut. The script was awarded The Charles Israel Screenwriting Prize for best unproduced screenplay at the 2001 Writer's Guild of Canada's Top Ten Awards. Producer ERIK PAULSSON is an award-winning producer/director of documentary and feature films. He is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre for advance film study as well as Concordia University's undergraduate film program. In 1999, Mr. Paulsson founded his company Red Storm Productions for which he has produced five films to date: EVE & THE FIRE HORSE (2004), ARMY OF ONE (2003), SAY I DO (2002), PROTECTION (2000), and ISLAND OF SHADOWS (2000). (Note: Thanks to Lindsey Black for assistance!)

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 08:20:37 GMT

Podzinger: search the full text of podcasts. Cory Doctorow: Podzinger is a service that aggregates hundreds of thousands of episodes of podcasts, converts the entire text of the casts to text, and then delivers a searachable index. You go to Podzinger, search for a search, and you get back all the podcasts that have mentioned that term -- along with embedded players that can play you back the whole podcast, or just those segments where the keywords are mentioned. In a nutshell, this lets you do Tehcnorati-style full-text searching of podcasts, treating them like textual blog-entries. It's way slick.

Podzinger will deliver you an RSS feed of any search result -- you can bake in a search for your favorite keywords and get an alert -- with timecode! -- every time the keywords show up in a cast.

This is all de-militarized technology from DARPA's EARS (Effective Affordable Reusable Speech-to-text) program, and it's been developed by the venerable BBN company, which was also part of the initial development of the Internet.

Podzinger only works in English right now, but they're rolling out "North American" Spanish and Mandarin shortly.

The only downside is that Podzinger doesn't run well on Firefox for the Mac, because of known bugs with the way that Quicktime and Firefox play together. Mac users have to switch back to Safari to use it. Still, it's a small price to pay for a killer free service. Link

Update: Dave sez, "Our product, Podscope, is like Podzinger, except that we also index video blogs and have a Firefox-friendly design." [Boing Boing]

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 05:18:28 GMT

VideoCasts (vCasts) from Sundance 2006

Q&A at Sundance 2006 of COME EARLY MORNING with director Joey Lauren Adams, Ashley Judd, cast and crew
Q&A at Sundance 2006 of GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS with Dito Montiel, Robert Downey Jr., cast and crew
Interview at Sundance 2006 with Adam Scarimbolo from GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS
Q&A at Sundance 2006 of OFF THE BLACK with James Ponsoldt, Nick Nolte, cast and crew
Q&A at Sundance 2006 of PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS with director Maria Maggenti
Case Study of PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS at the Digital Center at Sundance 2006
Q&A at Queer Lounge at Sundance 2006 of PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS
Q&A at Sundance 2006 of Documentary Award Winner IN THE PIT with director Juan Rulfo, composer and producer
Q&A at Sundance 2006 of WRISTCUTTERS with director Goran Dukic, Patrick Fugit, cast and crew
Q&A at Sundance 2006 of SHORTS PROGRAM III
Q&A at Sundance 2006 of ANIMATION SPOTLIGHT (SHORTS)
Q&A at Sundance 2006 of SOMEBODIES with cast and crew
Sony staff share the specs on the new Sony XDCAM at Sundance 2006
Panel Discussion on Creative Independence at Sundance 2006
Cyndi and Alec show TV Junkies Signage at Sundance 2006

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 02:35:33 GMT

VIDEOCAST #14 - In the Pit

Captured At The 2006 Sundance Film Festival

Videocast on Friday, February 3, 2006
Recorded on Friday, January 27, 2006
Produced by Cyndi Greening
Videography by Alec Hart
Posted from Park City, Utah

In The Pit Q&A following Sundance 2006 Screening
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(From the Sundance Program Guide) The meaning of a freeway seems straightforward enough: it accommodates movement from place to place. But seldom do we notice the elusive energies that permeate such structures. In his breathtaking new documentary, Juan Carlos Rulfo bridges the chasm between the seen and the unseen, creating a moving social document and a monumental cinematic achievement in itself. In Mexico City, a second layer is being built atop the Periférico freeway, which inscribes a massive circle on the metropolis. Despite the project's enormity, the workers who are building the freeway are barely noticed by drivers who roll by endlessly. Rulfo's film places us among these workers and their milieu. Amid the cacophonous sounds of the street (resourcefully remixed into a protonaturalistic musical score), the film chronicles long days of arduous work, risk taking, joking, swearing, and philosophizing -- rendering its subjects palpable and dimensional by virtue of perceptiveness as much as craft. The freeway itself, visible only in hulking partial shapes for most of the film, becomes a formidable psychological fact, absorbing the labor and even the lives of its makers. As "Shorty," "El Grande," and others describe their lives, struggles, and beliefs, Rulfo's eye for detail and instinct for the uncanny effectively make his subjects messengers of the unconscious and spokespeople for all human striving. -- Summary by Shannon Kelley

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 02:33:31 GMT

VIDEOCAST #13 - PFB at the Lounge

Captured At The 2006 Sundance Film Festival

Videocast on Friday, February 3, 2006
Recorded on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Produced by Cyndi Greening
Videography by Cyndi Greening
Posted from Park City, Utah

Creative Team behind PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS
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(From the QueerLounge.Org) Writer/Director Maria Maggenti brought her new digital feature, PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS, to Sundance 2006. The film takes chance meetings, modern-day dilemmas and sexual flexibility and creates a sophisticated comedy about one woman who finds herself in two complicated love affairs--with a man and a woman who were once lovers themselves.
Explore how this kind of cinema rarity[~]a film directed by a woman, featuring strong female leads and inclusive of same-sex relationships between women[~]is getting financed these days. Produced under the InDigEnt banner, Puccini for Beginners utilized new film technologies and worked within a genre[~]romantic comedy[~]that proved broadly successful for its indie predecessor, KISSING JESSICA STEIN. Maria Maggenti and producer Eden Wurmfeld discussed these themes. Moderated by Jennie Livingston, the director of the ground-breaking documentary, PARIS IS BURNING, the shorts WHO'S THE TOP? and current Sundance entry, THROUGH THE ICE, as well as her upcoming personal film, EARTH CAMP ONE.

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 02:27:22 GMT

VIDEOCAST #12 - Creative Independence Panel Discussion

Captured At The 2006 Sundance Film Festival

Videocast on Friday, February 3, 2006
Recorded on Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Produced by Lindsey Black
Videography by Michael Montesa
Posted from Park City, Utah

Creative Independence Panel Discussion
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(From the Sundance Program Guide) As the industry has matured and more independent filmmakers and creative producers find themselves working with some affiliation to studios, the age-old question, "independent of what?" arises. Are we experiencing another age of independent artists who are working successfully within the studio system? If there are indeed more options to set up a project, where do producers and filmmakers take their creativity, and how do they hang onto it? What are the implications for optioning and developing material as well as gathering creative elements? How do writers and directors go about maintaining creative autonomy? The panel featured guests work within the studio system, those who stay outside it, and those who go back and forth. Effie Brown, Todd Haynes, Ted Hope, Michael London, Alexander Payne, Christine Vachon, and moderator Scott Macaulay for a discussion of creative independence.

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 02:22:04 GMT

VIDEOCAST #11 - Case Study Puccini For Beginners
Captured At The 2006 Sundance Film Festival

Videocast on Friday, February 3, 2006
Recorded on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Produced by Cyndi Greening
Videography by Cyndi Greening
Posted from Park City, Utah

PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS - Case Study following Sundance 2006 Screening
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PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS, written and directed by Maria Maggenti (THE INCREDIBLY TRUE ADVENTURE OF TWO GIRLS IN LOVE), is the kind of independent voyage that has come to define digital filmmaking at its finest. Using unique technology and produced under the InDigEnt banner, PFB is the latest in a string of Sundance success stories in the tradition of TADPOLE, PIECES OF APRIL and YOU AND ME AND EVERYONE WE KNOW. The case study was a dissection of the film, featuring the filmmaker, producers, and key production personnel, as they place their work under the microscope and reflect upon the process from start to finish and beyond. Moderated by independent film producer Effie Brown (REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES).

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 06:13:49 GMT

VIDEOCAST #10 - Wristcutters: A Love Story
Captured At The 2006 Sundance Film Festival

Videocast on Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Recorded on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Produced by Cyndi Greening
Videography by Michael Montesa
Posted from Park City, Utah

WRISTCUTTERS Q&A following Sundance 2006 Screening
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Tue, 24 Jan 2006 22:53:51 GMT

VIDEOCAST #2 - Shorts III
Captured At The 2006 Sundance Film Festival

Videocast on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Recorded on Friday, January 20, 2006 at the Prospector
Produced by Cyndi Greening
Videography by Michael Montesa
Posted from Park City, Utah

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Show Details

Introductions to the Shorts Program III

Questions and Answers following the screening

Desejo
Anne Pinheiro Guimaraes
Brazil , 2005 , 13 Minutes, color
A journey into the psyche of Atanasio, a doorman at the Copacabana.

Ha Ha Ha America
Jon Daniel Ligon
U.S.A. , 2005 , 17 Minutes, color
A translated harangue from China to the U.S.A. that laughs at our missteps.

Max and Josh
Kathryn Ann Busby
U.S.A. , 2005 , 7 Minutes, color
Best friends Max and Josh have inane, insane, and hilarious arguments...until fate intervenes.

Robin's Big Date
James Duffy
U.S.A. , 2005 , 7 Minutes, color
Can the Boy Wonder tell the girl of his dreams how he feels about her? Not if The Bat-man has anything to say about it.

Transaction
Jacques Thelemaque
U.S.A. , 2005 , 14 Minutes, color
A cinema vérité-style exploration of the shifting dynamic between a seasoned call girl and her first-time client.

The Tribe
Tiffany Shlain
U.S.A. , 2005 , 18 Minutes, color
An unorthodox, unauthorized history of the Jewish people and the Barbie doll.

Yesterday, I Think
Becalelis Brodskis
United Kingdom , 2005 , 6 Minutes, color
Once there was a baby who made those around him hate...

Your Dark Hair Ihsan
Tala Hadid
U.S.A./Morocco , 2005 , 13 Minutes, color
A man returns from Europe to his native city in northern Africa, where he remembers his childhood and the mother he lost as a boy.

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 22:53:35 GMT

VIDEOCAST #3 - Guide To Recognizing Your Saints
Captured At The 2006 Sundance Film Festival

Videocast on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Recorded on Saturday, January 21, 2006 at the Eccles
Produced by Cyndi Greening
Videography by Gina Puma
Posted from Park City, Utah

GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS
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Question & Answer Session following the film. A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS is based on director Dito Montiel's youth during the mideighties in the tough neighborhood of Astoria, Queens. All his old friends have ended up dead, as junkies, or in prison; Dito is the proverbial man who got out. For him, the "saints" are the folks he remembers, the ones he left behind. For better or worse, they made him who he is today. Just the way memories can flood consciousness, Montiel uses the same motif to flood the screen with his stories. The past gets layered upon the present, and the film comes to life. The performances are real because the characters' words are real; they've been said before. The strength of the film isn't looking back through a nostalgic, Vaselined lens; instead, Montiel infuses the memories with both the exhilaration and pain of youth. The outstanding cast members are dedicated to finding every nuance and truth. They capture the frenetic quality of the time, not only in the streets and on the rooftops but also in the bustling family kitchen. Montiel's New York is steamy with humidity, cooking, and adolescent sexuality. A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS is an honest account of a bittersweet return to a neighborhood that isn't the same and never will be again. -- Summary by Sundance Senior Programmer John Cooper

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 22:53:18 GMT

VIDEOCAST #4 - Come Early Morning
Captured At The 2006 Sundance Film Festival

Videocast on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Recorded on Sunday, January 22, 2006 at the Eccles
Produced by Cyndi Greening
Videography by Michael Montesa
Posted from Park City, Utah

COME EARLY MORNING
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Question & Answer Session following the film. From the Sundance Program Guide) COME EARLY MORNING is a beautifully rendered film about a southern woman in a small-town, rural community, a subject director Joey Lauren Adams obviously knows intimately. Delicately told, and rather efficiently related, it is the story of Lucy, a 30-something woman who keeps waking up with a stiff hangover and a guy she doesn't even want to look at. If coming to grips with why she keeps repeating this pattern isn't enough, Lucy also begins to realize that she needs to get in touch with her familial past and, more importantly, with the person she has become. Fueled by a perfectly nuanced performance from the gifted Ashley Judd, COME EARLY MORNING is about life transitions, the search for love, and the burdens we carry with us. A portrait of simple truths that isn't archetypal melodrama, it steadfastly avoids wallowing in the depths of sentimentality or self-destruction. You can't help but appreciate this kind of storytelling for its directness, honesty, and qualities of toughness and heart that leave you wanting to know more as it plays itself out, following you into that part of your filmic memory reserved for distinction. -- Summary by Sundance Film Festival Director Geoffrey Gilmore

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 22:53:02 GMT

VIDEOCAST #5 - Animation Spotlight
Captured At The 2006 Sundance Film Festival

Videocast on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Recorded on Saturday, January 21, 2006 at the Eccles
Produced by Cyndi Greening
Videography by Michael Montesa
Posted from Park City, Utah

ANIMATION SPOTLIGHT
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Question & Answer Session following the films. ABCs: ¡Que Vivan los Muertos!
John Jota Leaños
U.S.A. , 2005 , 5 Minutes, color
Do you remember your ABCs? No? Well, you're in luck. Sing along with this group of animated mariachi social documentarians.

At the Quinte Hotel
Bruce Alcock
Canada , 2005 , 4 Minutes, color
In this incredible animated version of the Al Purdy poem, a man waxes on about beer and flowers in a small-town basement tavern.

Clara
Van Sowerwine
Australia , 2004 , 7 Minutes, color
A 12-year-old girl's world has just changed forever.

Fable
Daniel Sousa
U.S.A. , 2005 , 7 Minutes, color
A woman's and man's passions are overshadowed by their predatory instincts.

Fumi and the Bad Luck Foot
David Chai
U.S.A. , 2005 , 7 Minutes, color
The story of Fumi and her extremely unlucky foot, which instigates a shotgun barrage, a wild moose attack, and infant electrocution.

Gopher Broke
Tim Miller, Jeff Fowler
U.S.A. , 2004 , 4 Minutes, color
No matter how hungry a gopher may be, there is no free lunch.

Hadacol Christmas
Brent Green
U.S.A. , 2005 , 13 Minutes, color
Santa Claus invents Christmas with a bellyful of cough syrup and a head full of dying crows.

A Half Man
Firas Momani
Canada , 2005 , 5 Minutes, color
A half man has trouble living in society without his organs falling out.

The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello
Anthony Lucas
Australia , 2005 , 27 Minutes, color
In a fantasy future, a navigator goes on a journey to find a cure for the plague killing his fiancée.

The Wraith of Cobble Hill
*** Jury Award Winner ***
Adam Parrish King
U.S.A. , 2005 , 15 Minutes, b/w
It's up to Felix either to reciprocate the benevolence shown him, or perpetuate the neglect handed down as a family legacy.

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 22:52:44 GMT

VIDEOCAST #6 - Somebodies
Captured At The 2006 Sundance Film Festival

Videocast on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Recorded on Saturday, January 21, 2006 at the Eccles
Produced by Cyndi Greening
Videography by Michael Montesa
Posted from Park City, Utah

SOMEBODIES
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Question & Answer Session following the films.
(From the Sundance Program Guide) SOMEBODIES takes a lighthearted jab at what it is to be young, carefree, and reckless in America from a distinctly fresh perspective. Scottie, a 22-year-old African American college student, is just living life as it comes; he and his roommates are more than happy to live up to the standards of typical college students[^]partying, women, and flat-out fun. But eventually, Scottie's nonchalant approach toward life, combined with his love of a good time and appreciation of a "cold one," lands him in some hot water. Encircled by a wild group of friends, an eccentric love interest, off-the-wall family members, convicts, and a fire-and-brimstone preacher, Scottie's road to recovery ultimately becomes a hilarious journey of self-discovery. --Reviewed by Sundance Programmer Trevor Groth

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 22:52:21 GMT

VIDEOCAST #7 - Sony XDCAM
Captured At The 2006 Sundance Film Festival

Videocast on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Recorded on Monday, January 23, 2006 at the Digital Center
Produced by Michael Montesa and Lindsey Black
Videography by Michael Montesa
Posted from Park City, Utah

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A detailed explanation of the new Sony camera recorded at The Digital Center. As HD continues to evolve into a premier format for independent filmmakers, the landscape of production and postproduction technology is becoming ever more complicated and demanding. Decisions about which formats, frame rates, editing applications, and blowup processes to use can make or break a film, and yet the information available is largely confusing and driven by marketing. With studios and technology companies vying for supremacy in their formats, the input and opinion of the filmmaker have never been so important.

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 03:21:57 GMT

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Mike Curtis
The Inside Scoop for 2005-12-07
Podcast on Wednesday, December 7, 2005
Recorded on November 12, 2005 from Phoenix, Arizona

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By Cyndi Greening. Phoenix, Arizona USA (Cinema Minima) -- Mike Curtis of HD for Indies and Cyndi Greening discuss distribution for independent filmmakers and new options for superior quality post-production at affordable prices. Great stuff!

New Digital Cinema Camera Coming: RED. 4K. 60p. RAW format.

Always sniffing out the latest and greatest in technology, this post is from Mike's site! The podcast above and the data on the new camera make him the definite "go-to guy" on independent DV. www.red.com is such a simple, innocent sounding little domain, but who are these guys?

I don't know, but they are claiming to have a pretty killer digital cinema camera in the works.

They claim, right there on the front page, in all caps:

WE DECIDED TO SKIP SEVERAL GENERATIONS OF EVOLUTION...

...and boy, do they look like they're going for it!

This is ambitious. This is audacious. This, if they can pull it off, would be the all time mother humdinger of a digital cinema camera, to which one could start asking "Does it do.." and the response would be to cut you off and say "Yeah. It does that."

So why this confidence? Why this arrogance on their part? Because these RED folks are claiming to have a camera that can do it ALL, up to 4K practically.

Some features gleaned from their very sparse website (which is a graphic, so can't even google for the text!):

1.) 4520x2540 pixel resolution. Native.
2.) 60p. Native.
3.) S35 sized image single CMOS sensor (Bayer pattern, presumably?) - 24.5mmx13.5mm, native 16:9 image sensor
4.) captures RAW (sounds just like digital still cameras' the way they put it), 4:4:4 or 4:2:2, however you want it
5.) Uses standard 35mm PL mount film lenses, or their mount and lenses.
6.) Records to their "RED Flash based system, external hard drives, BlueRay (sic), tape or any other capable format."
7.) Shoots pretty much any frame rate you'd want.
Delving further, they have some images to compare the image size between their 4.5Kx2.5K max res to 1080p to 720p to lowly, lowsly 480p, but they do NOT claim it is from the camera.

The only real data they have is on the specs page, summarized here:

-4K, true S35mm image sensor that does 4520x2540 @ 60p
-2540p@60p, "Mysterium" CMOS sensor (never heard of that, neither has Google for that matter),
-does 2540p, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p/i, anywhere from 1 to 60 fps in 1 fps increments (hopefully hits the high notes at 23.976, 29.97, and 59.94 as well)
-format - "RAW 4:4:4 through dual fiber channel outputs" (egads, that's gotta be some hellacious throughput!), 4:2:2 out of HD-SDI (good, it has one), or RED codec (no details provided). Select 100, 80, 60, 50, 25, or 19 MBps (this sounds like the kind of data rates bandied about for MPEG-2, but that doesn't mean anything)
-1080i (if you've got 2540p, 1080i is a snap to derive from it), 720p, 480i, etc.
-use standard PL mount lenses or their lenses with their own mounting stuff - "RED Ultra Definition Cinema Lenses", but "other lens mounts available"

Mike's Commentary: WELL. These anonymous folks are talking up a mighty tall game, but I have no idea how serious they are about it. To propose a new camera, with fiber channel outputs (dual, no less!), variable frame rates, their own lenses (THAT is no light undertaking!), and all these other goodies means they are taking a mighty, mighty big bite to chew. The contact page says they will have some kind of presentation at NAB 2006, but presentation does not equal shipping product, nor anything close to that. Jeff Kreines over at Kinetta has similar ambitions, but he's been demoing at NAB two years in a row that I've seen, and has yet to give a ship date, let alone ship that camera *(see note at end).

But just based on the fact that they went out and purchased a short, clear, concise, expensive domain name involving a color implies that SOMEBODY's got some spare change lying around (or if not, their budget choices, whilst reminiscent of dotcom era excess, might be similarly misguided).

In theory this all sounds fantastic, and eerily familiar. Oh yeah, wait! I wrote this a year and a half ago, read it and see what you think about the benefits of RAW (and they're saying RAW in a context that implies similarity to still camera RAW, so I'm assuming that is what they mean).

In that article, I said:

I think, in time, folks are going to want to be able to capture the raw CCD output from their video cameras. Certainly the highest end professionals will want to be able to, and visual effects artists will want to be able to. I think it'll be years before the possibility, and might involve producing cameras with a special "bypass" mode that allows for capture directly from the CCD array straight to a hard drive.

Hmm...that sounds like what these folks are doing if I'm reading this right - but they're saying "RAW 4:4:4 out dual fiber channel outputs" which I can't see being anything else.

This one covers related issues, too.

In the second article (June '04), I wrote:

if you want to shoot digitally in 2K res, 4:4:4 color space, utterly uncompressed, you're talking about a multi hundred thousand dollar digital cinema motion camera, and a storage system costing many tens of thousands of dollars.

...and this may end up being the case. This camera sounds very cool, but the specs are mighty "up there", so I would expect the price to be up there as well. Price always determines success in a market - just because you CAN pay for a ride to the Russian space station doesn't make it a success at $20M a pop. My gut says the price on a rig like this, based on the market for such a beast, is going to end up in the six figure territory. Also, no mention is made of size, weight, form factor, battery powerable, etc., so much remains to be proven.

But the implied workflow sounds like it might really live up to the potential of the whole digital moviemaking thing (if a place can be found for all that raw data).

Of course, I wasn't the first to think along these lines - Jeff Kreines was WELL under way and was already showing prototype hardware when I wrote that, as were others. This might end up being like the Drake digital camera, of which I keep hearing how great it'll be, how on the edge or readiness it is...and time keeps flowing by. Or like the Andromeda project to get 12 bit RGB 4:4:4 out of a DVX100A...which is a glorious hack, but I feel a semi-wasted effort based on the native resolution of the CCDs and the fixed, less-than-stellar lens on that particular camera.

And at the bottom of one of the pages, it has a note to the effect of all specs are preliminary and subject to change without notice...definitely this thing is in the early stages, and this is their wishlist.

Wait and see, wait and see...and I'll keep looking into this thing.

-mike

UPDATE I inadvertently misstated what Jeff Kreines of Kinetta has done and not done - in the timeframe in question, they HAVE shipped product (film scanners and recorders), just not shipped the camera (see more below).

* note at end - Jeff Kreines pointed out that they've shipped film scanners and recorders, but not a camera in that timeframe. They are waiting on components (I think the Altasens imaging sensor last I reported if I recall correctly) from a vendor. So for me to say they haven't shipped product is incorrect - they've shipped non-camera products. But the product in question, the camera, hasn't shipped yet. My read on that situation is that the sensor they had hoped would work wasn't up to snuff and they had to wait for the next generation. In the meantime, I've been in touch with Jeff and engineering has continued, adding more features and dropping the target price point in the meantime. Apologies, Jeff!

-mike again

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 09:57:36 GMT

Sundance Announces Spectrum, Frontier and Park City at Midnight Films

Today, the non-competition categories were announced and you can find the complete PDF with full descriptions at this link. Pretty much all that remains is the Short Film list which will be announced on December 5. The complete screening schedule will appear on December 12 -- happy birthday to me -- which will detail the remaining of my festival favorites: the Panel Discussions, Digital Center events and Filmmaker Lodge presentations!)

A reminder that the list and summary of my Sundance Podcasts and vCasts can help you get ready for the fest! The vCasts include Q&As with Naomi Watts (ELLIE PARKER, currently in release), Jared Hess (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE), Alice Wu (SAVING FACE), Craig Brewer (HUSTLE & FLOW), Blackhorse Lowe (5TH WORLD) and Jody Eldred (Sony HVR-Z1U). The podcasts include the always popular SUNDANCE FROM THE TEEN POV, Sundance Juror, UCLA professor and Film Critic EMANUEL LEVY and SUNDANCE FOR BEGINNERS.

Spectrum Films to Screen at Sundance 2006:

The Spectrum program presents 24 out-of-competition dramatic and documentary works by some of the most new independent filmmakers from the U.S. and abroad. Spectrum films are eligible for the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Some Spectrum films presented at the Sundance Film Festival in the past include: GODS AND MONSTERS, MEAN CREEK, OPEN WATER, MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER and RIZE.

A MATTER OF DEGREES / U.S.A. (Director: Davis Guggenheim)
ADAM'S APPLES / Denmark (Director and Screenwriter: Anders Thomas Jensen)
ALL ABOARD! ROSIE'S FAMILY CRUISE / U.S.A. (Director: Shari Cookson)
BATTLE IN HEAVEN / Mexico/France/Germany/Belgium (Director and Screenwriter: Carlos Reygadas)
BEYOND BEATS AND RHYMES: A HIP-HOP HEAD WEIGHS IN ON MANHOOD IN HIPHOP CULTURE / U.S.A. (Director: Byron Hurt )
CLEAR CUT: THE STORY OF PHILOMATH, OREGON / U.S.A. (Director: Peter Richardson)
DREAMLAND / U.S.A. (Director: Jason Matzner; Screenwriter: Tom Willett )
EVERYONE STARES: THE POLICE INSIDE OUT / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Stewart Copeland)
FACTOTUM / U.S.A. (Director: Bent Hamer; Screenwriter: Jim Stark)
FORGIVING THE FRANKLINS / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Jay Floyd)
JEWBOY / Australia (Director and Screenwriter: Tony Krawitz)
JOURNEY FROM THE FALL / Thailand/U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Ham Tran)
LA TRAGEDIA DE MACARIO / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Pablo Veliz)
LEONARD COHEN I'M YOUR MAN / U.S.A. (Director: Lian Lunson)
MAN PUSH CART / Iran/U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Ramin Bahrani)
OFF THE BLACK / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: James Ponsoldt)
OPEN WINDOW / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Mia Goldman)
THE PROPOSITION / Australia (Director: John Hillcoat; Screenwriter: Nick Cave)
PUNCHING AT THE SUN / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Tanuj Chopra)
SPECIAL / U.S.A. (Directors and Screenwriters: Jeremy Passmore, Hal Haberman)
WHAT REMAINS / U.S.A. (Director: Steven Cantor)
WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Chris Paine)
WHO NEEDS SLEEP? / U.S.A. (Director: Haskell Wexler)?
WRESTLING WITH ANGELS: PLAYWRIGHT TONY KUSHNER / U.S.A. (Director: Freida Lee Mock)

Frontier Films to Screen at Sundance 2006:

The Frontier section presents films that represent new directions in filmmaking. Utilizing experimental and innovative aesthetic approaches, work in the Frontier category challenges and provokes. Some Frontier films at Sundance Film Festival presented in the past include: TARNATION and THE JOY OF LIFE.

A DARKNESS SWALLOWED / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Betzy Bromberg)
CINNAMON / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Kevin Everson)
OLD JOY / U.S.A. (Director: Kelly Reichardt; Screenwriters: Jonathan Raymond, Kelly Reichardt)
PINE FLAT / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Sharon Lockhart)
WILD TIGERS I HAVE KNOWN U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Cam Archer)

Frontier Live:

OUR SECOND DATE U.S.A. (artists: Jennifer and Kevin McCoy)

Park City at Midnight Films to Screen at Sundance 2006:

Park City at Midnight offers out-of-competition films after-hours that are likely to amuse, surprise, or shock the bleary-eyed viewer and offer a lively last stop in the nightly film-going circuit. Some Midnight films presented at Sundance Film Festival in the past include: THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, SAW, OVERNIGHT, and STRANGERS WITH CANDY.

AMERICAN HARDCORE / U.S.A (Director: Paul Rauchman; Screenwriter: Steven Blush)
AWESOME, I FUCKIN' SHOT THAT! / U.S.A. (Director: Nathanial Hornblower)
THE DESCENT / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Neil Marshall)
DESTRICTED / U.S.A. (Directors and Screenwriters: Mathew Barney, Larry Clark, Gaspar Noe, Marco Brambilla, Sam Taylor Wood)
THE FOOT FIST WAY / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Jody Hill)
MOONSHINE / U.S.A. (Director: Roger Ingraham; Screenwriters: Roger Ingraham, Lori Isbell Salvage)
SALVAGE / U.S.A. (Directors and Screenwriters: Josh Crook and Jeff Crook)
SUBJECT TWO / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Philip Chidel)

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 09:28:08 GMT

Sundance Announces WORLD Doc & Drama Competition Films for 2006

Here's the detail on the WORLD Documentary Competition films and WORLD Dramatic Competition films (complete PDF). I love the World Cinema films because they tell stories from places that are often unfamiliar to the American distribution chains. The narrative thread and story rhythms are often more intriguing because of the cultural influences. These films are often some of the BEST in the festival. (Remember: The Short Films will be announced December 5. The complete screening schedule will appear on December 12 -- happy birthday to me!)

A reminder list and summary of the Sundance Podcasts and vCasts can help you get ready for the fest! The vCasts include Q&As with Naomi Watts (ELLIE PARKER, currently in release), Jared Hess (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE), Alice Wu (SAVING FACE), Craig Brewer (HUSTLE & FLOW), Blackhorse Lowe (5TH WORLD) and Jody Eldred (Sony HVR-Z1U). The podcasts include the always popular SUNDANCE FROM THE TEEN POV, Sundance Juror, UCLA professor and Film Critic EMANUEL LEVY and SUNDANCE FOR BEGINNERS.

World Documentary Competition Films for Sundance 2006:

5 DAYS / Israel (Director: Yoav Shamir) -- evacuation of Jewish settlers from Gaza
ANGRY MONK - REFLECTIONS ON TIBET / Switzerland (Director: Luc Schaedler) -- rebellious Tibetan monk Gendun Choephel
BLACK GOLD / U.K. (Director: Marc Francis, Nick Francis ) -- coffee from Ethiopian bean to your cup
BY THE WAYS, A JOURNEY WITH WILLIAM EGGLESTON / France (Director: Cédric Laty, Vincent Gérard) -- father of color photography, William Eggleston
DEAR PYONGYANG / Japan (Director: Yang Yonghi) -- Korean-Japanese daughter explore's father's fierce loyalty to North Korea
THE GIANT BUDDHAS / Switzerland (Director: Christian Frei) -- story of destruction of Buddha's of Bamiyan in Afghanistan
GLASTONBURY / U.K. (Director: Julian Temple) -- England's annual Glastonbury Festival
I IS FOR INDIA / England/Germany/Italy (Director: Sandhya Suri) -- Super8 films and letters tell tale of migration and belonging
IN THE PIT / Mexico (Director: Juan Carlos Rulfo) -- bridge builders of Mexico City's Periferico freeway
INTO GREAT SILENCE / Germany (Director: Philip Groening) -- life inside the Grande Chartreuse monastery
KZ / U.K. (Director: Rex Bloomstein) -- tale of the town of Mauthausen, site of a former German concentration camp
NO ONE / Mexico (Director: Tin Dirdamal) -- Central American immigrant Maria encounters a nightmare in Mexico while enroute to U.S.
THE SHORT LIFE OF JOSÉ ANTONIO GUTIERREZ / Germany (Director: Heidi Specogna) -- story of first soldier to die in Iraq
SONGBIRDS / U.K. (Director: Brian Hill) musical about 250 women in Downview Prison in England
UNFOLDING FLORENCE: THE MANY LIVES OF FLORENCE BROADHURST / Australia (Director: Gillian Armstrong) -- life of flamboyant designer Florence Broadhurst
VIVA ZAPATERO / Italy (Director: Sabina Guzzanti) -- censorship in Italy under Berlusconi

World Dramatic Competition Films for Sundance 2006:

13 TZAMETI / France (Director and Screenwriter: Géla Babluani) -- Sebastien follows instructions intended for someone else and finds himself in clandestine, chaotic world
ALLEGRO / Denmark (Director: Christoffer Boe; Screenwriters: Christoffer Boe, Mikael Wulff) -- amnesiac pianist returns to native Copenhagen and is led back to forgotten past
THE AURA / Argentina (Director and Screenwriter: Fabián Bielinsky) -- introverted taxidermist dreams of executing the perfect robbery
THE BLOSSOMING OF MAXIMO OLIVEROS / Philippines (Director: Auraeus Solito; Screenwriter: Michiko Yamamoto) -- young man is befriended by principled policeman and finds it difficult to sustain devotion to family of criminals
EVE & THE FIRE HORSE / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Julia Kwan) -- Chinese girl grapples with Catholicism, Confucianism and catastrophe
GRBAVICA / Bosnia-Herzegovina (Director and Screenwriter: Jasmila Zbanic) -- woman and daughter struggle to survive aftermath of Balkan war
THE HOUSE OF SAND / Brazil (Director: Andrucha Waddington; Screenwriter: Elena Soarez) -- story of a woman living in remote dunes of Brazil
KISS ME NOT ON THE EYES / Lebanon (Director and Screenwriter: Jocelyne Saab) -- Egyptian dancer fights for artistic integrity and social independence
LITTLE RED FLOWERS / China (Director: Zhang Yuan; Screenwriters: Ning Dai, Zhang Yuan) -- life in post-revolutionary Chinese orphanage
MADEINUSA / Peru (Director and Screenwriter: Claudia Llosa) -- Peruvian girl's world changes when geologist arrives from Lima
NO. 2 / New Zealand (Director and Screenwriter: Toa Fraser) -- Nanna Maria tries to bring passion back into the lives of her family
ONE LAST DANCE / Singapore (Director and Screenwriter: Max Makowski) -- assassin is hired to kill men responsible for kidnapping an important man's son and is surprised by whose name he finds on the list
THE PETER PAN FORMULA / South Korea (Director and Screenwriter: Cho Chang-Ho) -- adolescent confront mother's death and sexual desire
PRINCESAS / Spain (Director and Screenwriter: Fernando Leon de Aranoa) -- two women form unbreakable friendship despite differences
SÓLO DIOS SABE / Brazil/Mexico (Director: Carlos Bolado; Screenwriters: Carlos Bolado, Diane Weipert) -- Brazilian art student crosses paths with roguish Mexican journalist in Tijuana
SON OF MAN / South Africa (Director: Mark Dornford-May; Screenwriters: Mark Dornford-May, Andiswa Kedama, Pauline Malefane) -- Jesus' life is translated into modern-day South Africa where the politics of compassion confront military dictatorship

Tue, 29 Nov 2005 15:28:37 GMT

Sundance Announces Documentary and Dramatic Competition Films for 2006

The excitement is building! At midnight, the announcement of the 2006 Competition and World Cinema Films was made. The remaining Feature Films will be announced at midnight tonight and the Short Films will be announced December 5. The complete screening schedule will appear on December 12.

A reminder list and summary of the most recent Sundance Podcasts can help you get ready for the fest!

Documentary Competition Films for Sundance 2006:

A LION IN THE HOUSE (Directors: Steven Bogner, Julia Reichert) -- children fighting cancer
AMERICAN BLACKOUT (Director: Ian Inaba) -- suppression of black vote
AN UNREASONABLE MAN (Directors: Henriette Mantel and Stephen Skrovan) -- Ralph Nader
CROSSING ARIZONA (Director: Joseph Mathew) -- illegal immigration
GOD GREW TIRED OF US (Director: Christopher Quinn and Tom Walker) -- boys from Sudan
GROUND TRUTH: AFTER THE KILLING ENDS (Director: Patricia Foulkrod) -- military training and effect of war
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS (Director: James Longley) -- contemporary Iraq
SMALL TOWN GAY BAR (Director: Malcolm Ingram) -- oppression in the deep South
SO MUCH SO FAST (Directors: Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan) -- man with ALS and effects on those around him
THIN (Director: Lauren Greenfield) -- anorexia and bulimia
'TIS AUTUMN - THE SEARCH FOR JACKIE PARIS (Director: Raymond De Felitta) -- jazz vocalist Jackie Paris
THE TRIALS OF DARRYL HUNT (Directors: Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg) -- racially-biased criminal justice system
TV JUNKIE (Director: Michael Cain) -- 46 years, 5000 hours of video
WIDE AWAKE (Director: Alan Berliner) -- Alan Berliner's struggle with sleeplessness
WORDPLAY (Director: Patrick Creadon) -- NYTimes Will Shortz and crossword puzzles
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SESAME STREET (Directors: Linda Goldstein Knowlton and Linda Hawkins Costigan) -- adapting Sesame Street around the world

Dramatic Competition Films for Sundance 2006:

A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS (Director and Screenwriter: Dito Montiel) -- 1980's Astoria, New York coming of age tale
COME EARLY MORNING (Director and Screenwriter: Joey Lauren Adams) -- Southern woman trying to escape addiction and self-destruction
FLANNEL PAJAMAS (Director and Screenwriter: Jeff Lipsky) -- intense courtship and mercurial marriage of two New Yorkers
FORGIVEN (Director and Screenwriter: Paul Fitzgerald) -- campaigning U.S. Senator deals with Governor pardoning death row inmate he had prosecuted
HALF NELSON (Director: Ryan Fleck; Screenwriters: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck) -- unlikely friendship between junior high teacher and student (perhaps a wrestler?)
HAWK IS DYING (Director: Julian Goldberger; Screenwriters: Harry Crews (novel) and Julian Goldberger) -- auto upholsterer trains a wild hawk
IN BETWEEN DAYS (Director: So Yong Kim; Screenwriters: So Yong Kim and Bradley Rust Gray) -- Korean immigrant falls for best and only friend
PUCCINI FOR BEGINNERS (Director and Screenwriter: Maria Maggenti) -- rebounding New York writer finds herself in two complicated love affairs
QUINCEANERA (Directors and Screenwriters: Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland) -- disaffected Latino teens come of age in Echo Park
RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR (Director and Screenwriter: Chris Gorak) -- multiple dirty bombs detonate and create mass panic in LA
SHERRYBABY (Director and Screenwriter: Laurie Collyer) -- after serving 3-year prison sentence, woman finds it hard to return to world she left
SOMEBODIES (Director and Screenwriter: Hadjii) -- Black college student stumbles along path to responsible adulthood
STAY (Director and Screenwriter: Bob Goldthwait) -- dark comedy about honesty after an impulsive, youthful sexual encounter
STEEL CITY (Director and Screenwriter: Brian Jun) -- two irresponsible brothers deal with life after their father is incarcerated for killing a woman
STEPHANIE DALEY (Director and Screenwriter: Hilary Brougher) -- pregnant forensic psychologist investigates teen accused of infanticide
WRISTCUTTERS - A LOVE STORY (Director: Goran Dukic; Screenwriters: Goran Dukic and Etgar Kerett) -- Offbeat comedy, love story, road movie

Sun, 06 Nov 2005 19:31:01 GMT

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Karen Copeland
The Inside Scoop for 2005-11-06

Podcast on Sunday, November 6th, 2005
Posted from Phoenix, Arizona

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By Cyndi Greening. Phoenix, Arizona USA (Cinema Minima) -- Karen Copeland and Cyndi Greening discuss beginning to educate yourself about filmmaking without going to film school and visual filmmaking.

DVD Bonus disks like LORD OF THE RINGS with how-to information
Roberto Rodriquez's 10 MINUTE FILM SCHOOL and 10 MORE MINUTES
Listen to DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY on DVDs
MEN IN BLACK editing exercise on Bonus DVD
Michael Caine's ON ACTING instruction
Uta Hagen's Acting Class instruction
Screenwriting with John Truby
Director must be visually oriented and astute
Directors elicit the best performances from actors
Directors hold laser-beam vision of story
Steps to acquiring filmmaking skills
- Take photography and portrait photography class
- Take storyboarding class or
- Get Tummienello's book on storyboarding
- Watch movies with SOUND OFF
- Watch HORROR films for visuals, suspense and editing
- Hire good cinematographer to realize your vision
- VISIONS OF LIGHT film on directors
- Documentary series on directors like Frankenheimer, Howard, et. al.
Sound design and music
Power of editing
Focus on STORY over equipment
Documentary package: HVR-Z1U camera, light kit, tripod, shotgun or boom mic
Computer package: AVID or Final Cut software, AfterEffects
Julia Cameron's request for first drafts of screenplays
ANATOMY OF A SCENE on Sundance Channel
Currently, digital filmmaking equipment is inexpensive and hundreds of people want to make films and are trying to make films BUT the STORY and VISUAL CONTENT is what makes the film successful, satisfying and marketable.

Mon, 19 Sep 2005 14:45:34 GMT

Get Ready for Sundance 2006

Sundance Film Festival 2006 It's here. It's here. Sundance 2006 is here! Okay, almost here. The part where you plan, make reservations, spend money and get excited has begun! The festival runs from January 19 - January 29, 2006 in the always picturesque Park City, Utah.

Key dates for Sundance 2006:

12 Sep thru 14 Oct - Pre-Registration
19 Oct 05 - Notification of Purchase time
24 Oct 05 - Package Purchases Begin (Book your hotel, too!)
28 Nov 05 - American and World Competition Films Announced
29 Nov 05 - All Feature Films Announced
5 Dec 05 - All Short Films Announced
12 Dec 05 - Screening Schedule Announced (Happy Birthday to me!)
15 Dec 05 - Online Film Guide

So, if you're thinking about doing the Sundance Thang this year, it's time to buckle down and get busy!

Related Podcasts

Sundance for Beginners: Interviewer Karen Copeland discusses attending the Sundance Film Festival with Sundance veteran Cyndi Greening. Greening has been a Sundance attendee since 1996.

Sundance from the Teen Point of View: Alec Hart and Cyndi Greening discuss the Sundance Film Festival from the teen point of view.

Sundance Juror Emanuel Levy: Film Professor, Author and Critic Emanuel Levy discusses being a Sundance Juror, the importance of Sundance and festivals.

All podcasts can be accessed at the RSS Podcast feed
Complete Index of Sundance VideoCASTS and Podcasts
CinemaMinima Weblog
CyndiGreening Weblog
Email

Mon, 29 Aug 2005 07:30:04 GMT

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Mike Curtis
The Inside Scoop for 2005-08-29 (Part 2 of 2)

Podcast on Monday, August 29, 2005
Posted from Phoenix, Arizona

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By Cyndi Greening. Phoenix, Arizona USA (Cinema Minima) -- In Part Two of this podcast, HD and Post Production Expert MIKE CURTIS of HD for Indies discusses a number of topics of great interest to the independent filmmaker. (You might want to begin with Part One first; follow this direct link or see the entry below.) In this section, Mike talks about compression, digital projection, Macintosh developments, color correction issues with greenscreen projects, real time color correction with Final Touch HD and lots of tips for improving Indie quality ...

Post Production Color Correction Partnership using Final Touch HD
Understanding DV/HDV Compression
- Uncompressed image data possible is 240 MB/sec
- HDCAM tape formats compress data to about 20 MB/sec
- HDV camera data is compressed to 3MB/sec
Can't color correct what was never captured and/or saved
Understanding compression nomenclature (e.g. 4:4:4 vs. 4:1:0)
- Brightness and Color, Chrominance and Luminance, YUV, RGB
  (for each four consecutive pixels, the compression algorithm uses the first value to determine how many pixels to capture the brightness value and the next two values for how many pixels of color)
- HCAM SR can optionally capture 4:4:4 RGB as well as 4:2:2 YUV
- DigiBeta and DVCProHD captures 4:2:2
- DV captures 4:1:1
- DVD and HDV captures 4:2:0 (which isn't really 0, it's an every other interlaced line)
Impact of compression on GreenScreen projects
Panasonic SDX900 sometimes called the "Poor Man's DigiBeta" (or any DVCPro50 camera)
An article from the American Society of Cinematographers article on Capturing Colorspace
(a reference source from Mike)
Digital Cinema Initiative (studio) consortium agreements on digital projection and distribution
- Projection Options:
- 2K size 2048x1080; 4K size 4096x2160;
- CIEXYZ; frame rate; 12bit per channel format
- Security issues to avoid copying
- as for DCI specification, the DCDM (Digital Content Distribution Master ) is nothing for an indie producer to have to worry about producing themselves for about a decade
- Article in the NYTimes that film prints are about $1000; virtual print fees expected to be around $2K - but what are shipping costs? $100-300? The math still doesn't seem to add up
Digital projectors not an advantage for theater owners under current leasing plan
Danger of dark screens because of technical problems and/or security issues
Macintosh conversion to Intel Processors; possibly PCX, quad processors
How he came to work in HD
Future SXSW Panel Discussion; HD/DV Camera Shoot Out
Direct to Disk Recording to Gain Resolution and 10Bit per Channel color
AfterEffects vs. Shake vs. Real Time Color Correction with Final Touch HD
Stay tuned! Read the HD for Indies FAQ for more information!

Sun, 28 Aug 2005 22:05:13 GMT

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Mike Curtis
The Inside Scoop for 2005-08-28 (Part 1 of 2)

Podcast on Sunday, August 28, 2005
Posted from Phoenix, Arizona

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By Cyndi Greening. Phoenix, Arizona USA (Cinema Minima) -- HD and Post Producton Expert MIKE CURTIS of HD for Indies discusses a number of topics of great interest to the independent filmmaker. A frequent panelist at SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Mike offers great insight and detail on high-definition specs, film deliverables and DV/HDV cameras. This excellent podcast covers ...

Various Flavors of HD
Various Resolutions of HD
- 720p = 1280x720
- 1080i or 1080p = 1920x1080
Currently, Panasonic Varicam Camera very popular 720p camera
Progressive versus Interlaced
- (p) = Progressive; whole frame at once, more like film
- (i) = Interlaced; every other line, traditionally for broadcast video
Early Canon XL2 and Sony DVX100A conversions from 30i to 24p possible but lossy
Also, other considerations must be in place, cannot change frame rate and so on

As an independent filmmaker, where to begin thinking?

Where do you want to go with this? What do you want for a deliverable?
Sony HDR-FX1 and Sony HVR-Z1U reasonably priced cameras for independent filmmakers
- HVR-Z1U offers better controls and better inputs (XLR for audio) and better post-production options like true timecode.
- Also, HVR-Z1U records at both 50i (interlaced) PAL and 60i NTSC frames per second allowing for PAL interlaced recording, converted to 24 progressive with a slight speed change
Comparison between higher end Sony F900 ($100,000 camera) and inexpensive camera; sensor, lenses, recording formats, latitude and sensivity
Discussion about Panasonic SDX900, larger sensor, 24p, better light latitude, uses DVCPro50
In Mike's opinion, the best low budget cameras:
- Sony PD170, Sony PD150
- Canon XL2
- Panasonic DVX 100A
HD for Indies Five Camera Shoot and Comments & Pictures
Post Production Tools for DV and HDV
- Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express, AVID and AVID Express editing
- AJ and Black Magic DV input cards
- F900 camera editing challenges because of cost of converting HDCAM to DV
- Challenges with FAST storage
Right Camera, Right Editing System, Final Deliverable

Thu, 04 Aug 2005 00:04:14 GMT

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Emanuel Levy
The Inside Scoop for 2005-08-03

Podcast on Wednesday, August 3, 2005
Posted from Phoenix, Arizona

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By Cyndi Greening. Phoenix, Arizona USA (Cinema Minima) -- Film Professor, Author and Critic Emanuel Levy discusses ...

the growing popularity of documentary/non-fiction films and his new book, Michael Moore and the New American Documentaries
the polarized political climate and how it drives desire for more in-depth and issue based films like OUTFOXED, BUSH'S BRAIN, FAHRENHEIT 9/11
the inspirational nature of real-life heroes ( like those in MURDERBALL) rather than momentary uplift of reel characters
motivation for young film students to choose documentary filmmaking because now possible to make a living in non-fiction film (like the wildly successful MARCH OF THE PENGUINS which, according to Box Office Mojo, has earned $17,645,632 as of August 3, 2007)
value of attending film school to enhance chances of success
loss of communal film experience because so many people are watching film on DVD instead of going to the theatre
his experience as a jurist in the 2003 Sundance Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival Emphasis on Foreign Language Film
both Cyndi and Emanuel discuss their love of Foreign Language Films and how American Independent Cinema is further marginalizing that genre
his education in French Cinema of the late 70's and 80's
he recommends the Ingmar Bergman SARABAND currently in release
Cyndi and Emanuel discuss the wonderful films IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE and 2046 by director Wong Karwai (including his next film, THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI starring Nicole Kidman)
upcoming release of book on director Vincent Minnelli, father of Liza, spouse of Judy Garland
as was discussed in his book Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of Independent Film, Levy talks about how Sundance was instrumental in starting Gay Cinema/Queer Cinema movement but with television programs like WILL & GRACE, QUEER AS FOLK, and THE L WORD, one is no longer forced to make an ultra-low budget movie simply because the main characters are gay or lesbian
that the societal backlash against gay marriage does not effect films with gay characters or themes; nor books by gay authors or with gay themes
an exciting time in cinema because the "right" actress can get a film the greenlight (from his article Women on Top: How Female Stars Have Conquered Hollywood)

Sun, 24 Jul 2005 18:25:54 GMT

Emanuel Levy Podcast!

BY CYNDI GREENING, PHOENIX, USA (CINEMA MINIMA) -- I'm excited to report that I will be posting a podcast with respected Film Critic, Author and Film Festival Aficionado Emanuel Levy this week! Levy is a prolific writer. His website has a mountain of commentary on contemporary independent and mainstream film. He's started a series of articles on the upcoming Oscars. If you're unfamiliar with Levy (gasp!), you can get a good sense of his sensibility by reading Levy's Article on Oscar's Year of New Faces. Tune in later this week for the podcast.

Levy has long followed Independent Film and the Festival Circuit. His book Cinema of Outsiders explores the idea of independent film becoming a victim of its own success. The massive crowds at key festivals (like Sundance) and growing media machines that roll into those festivals each year support Levy's assertion that Hollywood has co-opted the movement and mainstreamed it.

A thoughtful, provocative, visionary film writer, Levy wrote about the Images of Small-Town America in the early 90's. Small-town America is the primary setting for independent film.

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 18:46:46 GMT

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Jim Meyers
The Inside Scoop for 2005-07-14

Podcast on Thursday, July 14, 2005
Posted from Phoenix, Arizona

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Screenwriter/Producer Jim Meyers talks at length about the process of making and distributing his independent film HER MINOR THING. A romantic comedy starring eight terrific comedic talents including Estella Warren, Christian Kane, Michael Weatherly, Rachel Dratch, Victoria Jackson, and Kathy Griffin. Among the things Jim discusses

Casting information and key talent of HER MINOR THING.
Film Festival circuit beginning with Seattle International Film Festival
Role and value of Producer's Reps in distribution cycle
Value of working as a studio Reader and Reading Unproduced Scripts
Working with a co-writer and character emphasis
Challenges of having Editor, Producer/Writer and Director in different cities during editing process.
Jessica Condon, Editor of DOPAMINE also edited HER MINOR THING
Charlie Matthau, son of Walter Matthau and director of HER MINOR THING
Shot in Sacramento give film unique location and new visual backdrop rather than common LA sites
Support from citizens of Sacramento and financial investment by Sacramento

Jim cites common script errors for beginning writers:

Uninteresting or unlikeable main character
No real main character, story not told from main point of view
Second act is weak, long, and/or languishing
Scripts not developed well enough
Writers rush their scripts into production

Jim's recommendation for producing a successful film:

Learn as much as you can from everyone else
Write a wonderful script; write a commercial script
Attract funding with commercial script
Get terrific, known, name talent to attract audience

Cyndi Greening: Podcasts & vCasts

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Julia Kwan & Erik Paulsson Eve and the Firehorse

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VideoCasts (vCasts) from Sundance 2006

VIDEOCAST #14 - In the Pit

VIDEOCAST #13 - PFB at the Lounge

VIDEOCAST #12 - Creative Independence Panel Discussion

VIDEOCAST #11 - Case Study Puccini For Beginners

VIDEOCAST #10 - Wristcutters: A Love Story

VIDEOCAST #2 - Shorts III

VIDEOCAST #3 - Guide To Recognizing Your Saints

VIDEOCAST #4 - Come Early Morning

VIDEOCAST #5 - Animation Spotlight

VIDEOCAST #6 - Somebodies

VIDEOCAST #7 - Sony XDCAM

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Mike Curtis The Inside Scoop for 2005-12-07

Show Details

New Digital Cinema Camera Coming: RED. 4K. 60p. RAW format.

Sundance Announces Spectrum, Frontier and Park City at Midnight Films

Spectrum Films to Screen at Sundance 2006:

Frontier Films to Screen at Sundance 2006:

Frontier Live:

Park City at Midnight Films to Screen at Sundance 2006:

Sundance Announces WORLD Doc & Drama Competition Films for 2006

World Documentary Competition Films for Sundance 2006:

World Dramatic Competition Films for Sundance 2006:

Sundance Announces Documentary and Dramatic Competition Films for 2006

Documentary Competition Films for Sundance 2006:

Dramatic Competition Films for Sundance 2006:

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Karen Copeland The Inside Scoop for 2005-11-06

Show Details

Get Ready for Sundance 2006

Key dates for Sundance 2006:

Related Podcasts

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Mike Curtis The Inside Scoop for 2005-08-29 (Part 2 of 2)

Show Details

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Mike Curtis The Inside Scoop for 2005-08-28 (Part 1 of 2)

Show Details

As an independent filmmaker, where to begin thinking?

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Emanuel Levy The Inside Scoop for 2005-08-03

Show Details

Emanuel Levy Podcast!

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Jim MeyersThe Inside Scoop for 2005-07-14

Show Details

Jim cites common script errors for beginning writers:

Jim's recommendation for producing a successful film:

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Julia Kwan & Erik Paulsson
Eve and the Firehorse

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Mike Curtis
The Inside Scoop for 2005-12-07

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Karen Copeland
The Inside Scoop for 2005-11-06

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Mike Curtis
The Inside Scoop for 2005-08-29 (Part 2 of 2)

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Mike Curtis
The Inside Scoop for 2005-08-28 (Part 1 of 2)

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Emanuel Levy
The Inside Scoop for 2005-08-03

PODCAST - Cyndi Greening & Jim Meyers
The Inside Scoop for 2005-07-14