Praetorian

Well, any user of Latin is a friend of mine. Yeah, the real name thing comes back to bite you in the ass sometimes. It *really* pisses me off, more than anything, when someone does a search engine on your name. To me that is like hiring a private eye to spy on someone.

 

It's one thing, you know if they're famous and you're looking for information on someone's work, another thing entirely when you're digging for dirt or trying to find out their personal life.

 

I give my email, phone number, cell number to anyone who asks, but to those who don't ask, and just take, it feels like having your identity stolen.

 

Of course, the younger generation as a whole probably is completely opposite in their views. They feel entitled to all informatoin about everthing, which to me seems very Orwellian.

I know. It felt pretty horrible to have someone post my private stuff online. I have my journal protected now. But I felt like total crap. I mean, it wasn't stuff that was a big deal. It just had a blurb about some harmless hijinks that if Discovery had seen it, wouldn't be very happy. I was excited as hell to share the awesome time I had working with my friends, so I wrote pretty much everything that happened throughout the day. It was my first major lesson in carefully guarding what happens on set.

Requiring real names slows down the inevitable trolling and flame wars when people are allowed to hide behind anonymous names like Praetorian. By the way, did you know that the Praetorians were initially guardians of Roman Emperors and Generals? Later they became assassins and corrupt officials....it seems your Display Name favors their subsequent history as flaunters of the Lex Romana.

Who says these are all real names? Regardless of what name you post under, you are still anonymous.

Then call me Pax Romana Praetorian. Whatever floats your boat.

I stopped giving out personal information when a zealous fan of a television show I worked out found my online journal that I thought was between myself and a few select friends (who would work that hard to find my journal anyway?). They posted an entry I had made about working on the show on fan boards, and it eventually was seen by the crew and director. Though the director was rather nice about it, he expressed his disappointment and I felt like unprofessional crap. So no...I don't like giving out my personal information including my real name on the internet.

I used to have my name in my signature, but I do not anymore. I'm not a professional in the industry, and my name doesn't carry much weight. I do not like using my full name on the internet. I used to be pretty lenient about it, but I've since changed my mind on the issue.

Moreover, being that most forums discourage using real names, most people who frequent multiple forums are probably more used to calling people by their user names. So really, this forum is the exception to the rule.

Nerdfighter was a place holder until I came up with a better display name than what I originally had (which I've grown to dislike). My current username is what I use second most (my first choice was taken by an account I had made when I didn't realize I could change my display name on this account).

Call me Joe-Bob the fourth if that makes it easier for you to answer questions...or whatever...

And it's Miss Nerd...or Fighter...

Most just call me Prae.

;)

We just have to face the fact that most films made that get a run in theatres are sub-par films for the masses. The majority of us need more in a movie than just stuff blowing up.

I work at Blockbuster and I can't tell you how many times this happened:

Me: "I see you have del Toro's The Orphange...you realize its a foreign film, right?"

Customer: *blank stare*

Me: "So you'll have to read subtitles because all of the dialogue is in Spanish."

Customer: "What? Do you have any copies in English?"

Me: "No...Spanish filmmaker...Spanish actors...Spanish film. It's really go..."

Customer: "We live in America! A film should be in English! I don't want it."

Me: "Are you sure you don't want to give it a try? It's really good. It's the same guy that did Pan's Labyrinth which won Oscars in Cinematography and Art Direction..."

Customer: "I don't want it. We live in America, damnit..."

I almost flipped out on a lady when this happened the other day. I'm really tired of people renting mind-melting crap, complaining to me that it sucked, and not taking my advice to rent something that doesn't have 200 copies on the wall. Then they go grab the newest Segal movie and it starts all over.

I am by no means a film snob...but the crap people watch...my god...

Thanks.

 

If you did want a track done, since as you are from America we'd have to do most of everything through the internet, although when it comes to final tracks I'd send you a high-res version on DVD through the post or something. All in all it would probably take a week to produce the track. That Bermuda Sky song took a few days, so with a weeks work it would sound pretty pro, imao. (I don't care about shipping fees, they're hardly anything with jewel cases)

 

There would be no obligation to use the track, it won't break my heart if it's not used lol, although what I would do at first is send you a few rough copies of what the main line would sound like and then you can tell me what you like and dis-like e.t.c.

 

I think it would just be an interesting experience. In many films the soundtrack is made in a completely different location, for instance in 'King Kong' 2005 the film was shot in New Zealand but the track was made in America. The music was just okayed by the director (or whoever) and sent through high-speed internet connections to the cutting room.

 

I've got access to most intruments, I myself can do guitar, bass, digital drums and possibly some vocals. But I know some amazing singers and acoustic drummers and pianists (they do synth aswell). They're close friends and they would be happy just to have their music played elsewhere as would I.

Good point.. I think we should use a legal contract anyway. The agreement would be that I would still own the track completely, but you would have the right to use it in the film and have it shown anywhere with the track playing in it, without any fees or anything, this includes the right to sell the film with the track included. The only distributing rule there would be on it is that I would need to be consulted first before the track is sold as audio in some kind of separate soundtrack.

 

Of course.. this is probably going way overboard.. but it's probably best to have these things on paper anyway. Like Brian mentioned, for any studios or anything.

 

Thanks Brian if this does go through I'll look for a model contract.

Oh, I definitely planned on doing a contract if I used a song. Can't be too careful these days.

I'll keep in touch with you. I am sort of stagnant right now with lack of equipment, so no movies to be made any time soon...

Again, I really appreciate the offer. I play drums and compose stuff for drumlines and I know how time consuming composing can be, so to offer your services for free is very generous and extremely appreciated.

I'm a composer myself, if you wanted a track done, let me know what you need and I might be able to pull something off. Free of charge (and no legal bullcrap), just want a copy of the film and a place in the credits.

 

An old song by myself: Bermuda Sky

 

You'd get a tailor made song for the film, it would be how you wanted it. I'd just be recording and playing it.

Wow Danny. That is very generous of you. I'll definitely contact you in the future. Bermuda Sky is awesome.

i would definately avoid using copywrited music for an "on the lot" submission. i've only perused the entry contract, but i can't even begin to imagine the legal obligations of fox in dealing with that type of submission. they are probably getting thousands of entries so they would very easily do away with entries with copywrite issues to avoid the trouble. even if you do get permission, you have to get permission for fox to use it, which, just guessing, would not be cheap at all. i would say just avoid it because you'd be cutting down the probability that your submission gets picked.

Yeah, thanks.

It doesn't really matter because I don't have any equipment anyway. I thought I might be able to use university equipment but I got a big NO.

Ah well.

I had no idea what you were talking about until I googled the phrase "On the lot" Spielberg.

 

That's really a tough call, if you're going to submit your entry to the TV show, I'd call and ask them if you will accept it if it has copyrighted music in it "for entry purposes only". I'd be curious to hear what they say. I think it would be most impressive if you actually got real permission and were able to list that reality in your credits.

Well, from what I gathered in the paperwork for On the Lot, we are responsible for any royalties to be paid for anything in our submissions.

Here is the link to the rules.

http://www.thelot.com/OTLOnlineApplication.pdf

Page 9, paragraph five mentions legal use of material. (it won't let me highlight it and copy it)

And this was in the terms and agreements:

You agree that any Content whatsoever posted by you to the public areas of the Site (excluding blogs) you hereby grant to OTLP and Fox the non-exclusive, fully paid and royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable universal license to use, copy, sublicense, adapt, transmit, translate, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, modify, and translate such Content as OLTP and Fox see fit. You represent and warrant that: (i) you own the Content posted by you on the Site, (ii) your Content does not violate the privacy rights, publicity rights, copyright rights, intellectual property rights, or any other rights of any person or entity, and (iii) the posting of your Content on the Site does not result in a breach of any contract between you and a third party. You agree to pay for all royalties, fees and any other monies owing any person or entity by reason of any Content you post on the Site.

Thanks for the information, okdac.

but also shoot the face of the subject(s) with a second camera.

Good thinking. Especially if they are touching something gooey or wet.

Yeah, but the short I am doing... Basically a guy takes dancing lessons to keep his girl. He goes home to find her gone. A couple of hours later she is back (shown by changes in light) and they dance to the song. But through that whole bit, the song is going. It is pretty much done to the song. Climaxes happen when the music swells, etc...

I read that I probably have to contact the publisher or something. And I figured I may have to pay, but I am hoping to bat my eyes and use the, "I am a poor college student and will not make any money off of this short whatsoever...it is just an audition, really."

I wanted to confirm that so I don't look stupid.

I was wondering how to go about putting a song in a short and doing it without fear of being sued.

I'm doing a short for Spielberg's On The Lot, and Peter Gabriel's Book of Love fits the ending perfectly. How can I somehow contact the publisher or whatever it is I have to do to get permission to use the song?

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Did you see it? Did you like it?

I did. I am usually wary of Val Kilmer, especially after Batman, but he and Robert Downey Jr played off of each other so well that they made a movie with a decent script into one of my favorite movies right now. Shane Black did a really good job with keeping the laughs coming with his script. Kilmer had some of the best lines, especially in his scenes with Downey.

Any of the Celtic isles. England, Scotland, Ireland, etc... All of them are so beautiful. And with the exception of England, the food is great. And the people are amazing.

I like the second set of prints with the darkness, but it is not flattering to the male subject. He looks splotchy and sick.

:lol: Ok thanks.

We haven't even started filming and already we are getting hit with complications...nothing EVER goes my way! ARGH!

[/vent]

Ok thanks.

I have no idea what kind of equipment the Mass Comm dept. will loan me. It might be a DV handheld, or it might be some better equipment. It depends on the availability. As a freshman, I really don't have priority.

Thanks Phil, but I lost you at the end. 24p? How do I know if I am?

Hmmm...say, how much do you think one would get for half a liver?

I mean, those things grow back don't they?

Uhm...okay.

So a friend and I are shooting a "band" to eventually be made into a DVD. Do we just shoot and edit like we would if it were going to be a regular DV, or is there a special way to do it?

We are not making the DVD, just the shooting and editing the footage for it.

Thanks, I was looking at those. I am just scared of buying cameras off of ebay cause I'm the type of person that is easy to scam since I know diddly squat.

But, I have it on good authority that my comm dept. at my college loans cameras out to students so I might have access to one that way. I just sent an email to my TV productions teacher to confirm. Of course, they are all DVs, but that is better than nothing.

I liked the Ring, it scared the heck out of me.

I liked The Grudge too. I found it very interesting. I just watched the movie the other night and enjoyed it immensely. I loved how they kept the original Japanese crew. The director did a great job. There wasn't a lot of computer generation. The face of the woman and the child were all makeup. Terrific.

I thought the story was interesting--how they based it off a Japanese legend of a king. It wasn't too scary, but I don't like scary movies, so that is good for me.

How would I even go about editing film. I don't have anything...

I am a poor college student who struggles to pay rent on her dorm...inexpensive is key.

How bout this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...bayphotohosting

It would take a LONG time to save up enough for a good camera to film with.

Right now, yeah it is sort of point and shoot... I guess I'll check out ebay. I'm kind of scared of Ebay though.

Yeah...so I am buying a camera and I don't want to buy a junkie one, but I can't really afford over 500$

I was looking at this one:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id...=product&cmp=++

Is it crap?

Is there a better one at an equal or lesser value?