Jim Simon

Two of what I consider to be stellar examples of cinematography are "The Last of the Mohicans" and "The Edge".

A University is likely to have a Public Affairs department. They'll be the correct first contact, and they can guide you to the right folks from there.

No, but they could very well fine him. You join SAG, you agree to play by certain rules. You break those rules, there are penalties. (Though probably not a hit man contract.) Lucas really, really wanted Spielberg to direct "Empire", but because Lucas was on the outs with the Director's Guild, they told Spielberg he couldn't do it. Personally, I think Irvin did OK.

The Panasonic HVX200, somewhat near the XL2's price range, can both over and undercrank the video in HD modes.

What format?

The method I was taught is to zoom in, focus the lens, zoom all the way out and adjust the diopter without touching the lens focus.

That depends on your final destination. If you intend to end up on film, the Panasonic DVX100B does have a special 24P (Advanced) mode that will make film outs easier. If you intend to distribute on any kind of video, like DVD, then you should shoot in 24P Standard mode and keep it at 29.97, because that's the only frame rate TVs will display. The better issue to discuss with video is just how much you like the look of it. I've seen pros make 24P video look just like film. I've seen amateurs make it look like a poor attempt at film simulation. Given a limited budget, it's more likely Chris would end up in the later category. So if he likes the film look, he should stick with real film.

Is it fiction or documentary? Hard to tell from the trailer.

I found the jumpiness a little distracting. Definitely more than hand shake, that's the film jumping around in the camera (or during telecine, depending on the process used). Still, next time use a tripod to make the picture as steady as possible. Overall I thought the images looked pretty smooth. But the colors did seem somewhat muted. I can't tell if this is because of the stock used, the transfer, or the compression settings for Internet viewing. I have seen much better color from Internet clips using this camera and 200T than I see here. What stock did you use? What transfer process? I also suspect that incorrect diopter settings are what caused the focus issue. This is easy enough to retest, though.

Filmmaking is probably the wrong hobby for such people. You can't waste $20 on a book, how you gonna make a movie? Seems to me that's a decision best left to the reader after reading the book. Or at least, best asked before buying it.

It's a $20 book. Is it really that big an investment that you need reassurance about buying it?

How do you figure that? You still have to start and stop the audio recorder manually and sync up later. Honestly, I think you're doing it the hard way. Just buy a clapper.

Grant, What do you prefer about the Beaulieu over the Canon. I'll be making a purchase in the next couple of months, and user experience in this regard is very valuable to me. One thing that concerns me about the Beaulieus is their guillotine shutter. I've never used a camera with one, but I recall reading how the shutter action always exposes one edge of film longer than the opposite edge because of the way the shutter lifts up, then closes down.

Is it possible the camera actually takes AAA's and not AA's? As far as I know, all batteries of a specified size are exactly the same size.

Once thing I recall reading about George Lucas is that he kept the sequel rights when he made the deal with 20th Century for Star Wars. Back then, this was very unusual. But he knew where he wanted to go with the story, and felt he had to keep certain creative control. He also kept the merchandising rights, which turned out to be a major contributor to his back account and allowed him to finance much of Empire with his own money, thus allowing even further creative control as Executive Producer.

The publisher of a motion picture normally holds the copyright (at least in the U.S.). Producers pay screenwriters for the privilege of making their script into a movie. Screenwriters probably do want to keep control over their work, but often don't have the funds to back production, and so must seek out the Studios if they want to get their movie made. A "derivative work" is a work that is based on (or derived from) one or more already existing works. If you were to write the continuing story of Middle Earth, that would be a derivative work. The quoted paragraph is to protect YouTube from copyright suits, but a whole lot of what's on YouTube is copyrighted by other than the poster and is being illegally posted anyway. It's basically to cover their ass.

German rapper wannbe's. That's just weird.

Quite a few have 36, 52 or even faster frame rates.

So the last syllable is accented? chi-NON. I would have accented the first myself. CHI-non.

No, I'm just curious about how to say it in English without sounding like an idiot.

The model search turned up nothing. Please post a link.

How noisy is that thing? Can you record sound without a blimp? Will it take the 200' carts?

Given that Jackson sort of beat me to it, some may see this as something of a copycat answer, but since I was a teenager (20 years ago), I've wanted to make a movie out of "The Sword of Shannara" by Terry Brooks. Although it is often criticized as being somewhat plagiaristic of Tolkien, a viewpoint I couldn't in good conscience argue with, I've always felt it was the far superior story. "The Watchers" by Dean Koontz. Would make an excellent film if done right. "Ice Station" by Matt Reilley. This book is so intense, it makes most action movies seem like knitting with your granny by comparison. Every book by Vince Flynn. Mitch Rapp is simply the coolest fictional character ever.

Maybe I was thinking of the Galapagos series that aired on National Geographic shortly before Planet Earth started.

To me the single finest acting ever recorded on celluloid was Sir Anthony Hopkins in "The Remains of the Day". In the study scene with Emma Thompson, playing the maid to Hopkins' head butler, where she finds him reading and wants to know what the book is. His sense of dignity and propriety will not allow him to admit he's reading a romance, but at the same time he desperately wants her to know his vulnerable side. She approaches, he backs away. Finally, with his back up against the wall (literally), she "forces" the book out of his hands and finds him out. Without saying a word, Hopkins manages to convey dread, horror, embarrassment, and finally - relief. Truly a stunning performance. In a similar vein, Robin Williams performance as Mrs. Doubtfire, in the scene where "she" is talking with employer/ex-wife Sally Field in the kitchen over tea. The look in his eyes, which are all that can be seen of his real face because of the make-up, when he finds out why she divorced him, again without saying a word, speaks volumes.