Bill DiPietra

It seems all of the good indies are going straight to MOD, considering I just read the article about this film in the current issue of AC, today. Definitely looked like one I would have wanted to see in the theater and I was right. It's an interesting sci-fi story, reminiscent of Gattaca (1997.) The visuals are extremely effective and the film utilizes a very simple color palette. Give it a look.

There are tons on ebay...

Yes, a bit too expressive. I have to say that the first two episodes utilized far more technique than necessary to get the story across. Shots with overtly shallow depth-of-field & gradual focus racks felt quite unmotivated and really took me out of the story. But it seems to have evened out a bit judging by the last episode. On a side-note, I have been working as an EMT in NYC for the past 11 years and the locations are very accurate. I work in Jackson Heights, Queens and I have been inside parts of Riker's Island more times than I can count. The precinct is laid out very accurately, as well. I'm sure the interiors are sets but that's a testament to the production design.

Congrats, Pavan! Best of luck with it!

That's pretty much the formula. I can't stress the testing aspect enough. So many people come on here saying that they have no money for tests and I never understand that - you're shooting a short on 16mm but you can't afford a few rolls for some basic tests? I did extensive tests on 7219 for my last short since I'd never used the stock and because I was pushing it to get some noticeable grain. Storyboards, basic lighting designs & a blocking session made for a very smooth shoot. As for the costs, I know you can get deals & discounts with Kodak, but it is what it is. The stock & processing fees are usually the most expensive aspects of shooting on film (especially for low-budget work.) The costs tend to scare people off when in reality, it's usually more than do-able if you budget properly.

Looks very nice to me.

I'd love to see another Trek series come on TV. The trouble is I think it would cater to the same audience as the J.J. Abrams films and feel more of a loyalty to action rather than cerebral situations that the original series and Next Generation were so successful in posing. But it'd be better than no option at all (which it what we have right now.)

Funny - I never really put 2001 solely in to the sci-fi category like so many others, simply because it challenges the audience with themes that are so larger in scope. Yes, sci-fi is definitely one of the genres that it belongs to, but in something of an incidental way. The same could be said for the original Star Trek movies. You could easily compare Gene Roddenberry's themes of love and friendship (between Kirk & Spock) in Star Trek II (1982) & Star Trek III (1984,) respectively, with the loving relationship between the boy and the projectionist in Cinema Paradiso (1988) because they are all universal themes. But if you are holding to the 20-year time-frame, yes - the Star Trek franchise has become very thin in plot & story, being more about action than human drama every since J.J. Abrams took the helm. And I just don't get the big appeal with Interstellar. Maybe it's generational but I just thought it was okay.

I was just thinking of that book the other day. Read it as a kid when I was watching the original series for the first time. I lost my copy in Hurricane Sandy and I don't recall the title. Would this be it?... http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-WORLD-OF-STAR-TREK-by-David-Gerrold-1973-paperback-BEHIND-THE-SCENES-SCOOP-/152141922338?hash=item236c5d8022:g:o2wAAOSw9N1V1-Ys

Yup. That's where I purchased mine.

Lovely images, Stuart! They look ready for broadcast, as you said.

I had this exact scenario play out with a fake Amazon site a year or so ago. And I'm not easily fooled, so yes - they're good. In any case, thanks for the heads-up!

Thanks, Kenny. I'll shoot him an e-mail.

Hi everyone. I'm not sure if this is even done, but does anyone know of any merchants that do 16mm-to-S16 projector conversions?... Thanks.

I think it's great that you're anxious to learn and that's an attitude that will always serve you well. But look at the bigger picture - focus on graduating and take what you can get for now. Plus, an office internship would give you an entirely different perspective to all of the dry but critical elements that are necessary to put a film together. You never know where you may wind up 20 years from now, so getting an intro now would be beneficial.

You're just discovering this now?...

Or you could shoot without the filter, keeping your ASA at 200, and color correct it in post. That's the method I would use.

One day... http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRON-Fully-Restored-Original-Video-Arcade-Game-with-Warranty-Support-/152085030342?hash=item2368f965c6:g:A2IAAOxyGwNTE4go

Tron & The Black Hole were two of my favorites, as a kid. Anybody remember the "Tron" arcade game?...

By the way - will this be a visual reference or a verbal one? And will this be shown anywhere outside of a classroom? If not, I really wouldn't bother with all sorts of clearances.

Clearly, the business is still in operation. I would start here... http://www.blockbuster.com/contactus.html

Very nice reel - and the music feels like it fits the images (something I rarely say.) I agree with Shawn that a few images (one being the last in your reel) looked ungraded. I would remove/replace them since they appear rather flat, sticking out in a series of very vibrant images. Otherwise, very nice.

Check this out. Pretty impressive... 2001: A Picasso Odyssey

Terrific list! Thanks!

No offense, George, but that's probably going to wind up being the typo of the year. :D