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James Steven Beverly

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Everything posted by James Steven Beverly

  1. Here are some stills in Kodachome, the first color still film for the masses. The images are beautiful and could be used for reference material. Check 'em out and let me know what you think: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/12/07/278472/-America-Before-Pearl-Harbor-Early-Kodachrome-Images?detail=email
  2. It's expensive to shoot in the Bay area??!! The devil you say!!, I would imagine buying a hotdog in S.F. requires a credit check and 3 forms of ID. It is a beautiful city though and one that is not easily replicated. Every since I saw "Vertigo", I have always wanted to shoot there. Maybe with any luck, I'll get the chance to sometime down the road although no doubt there's probably some city ordinance where you have to wrap everything within a two mile radius in bio-degradable, low carbon footprint Saran wrap including the trash cans before you're allowed to touch the camera. B)
  3. Well, I'm more of an indie film maker myself anyway and most of the grip, lighting and camera work that I've done was O.J.T., all be it under the tutelage of a man with of MASSIVE experience on big movies which included the first 3 Star Trek films. Still, it would have been nice to see how the studios do it. But no worries, I'm a director now so I have people to do all that for me :rolleyes: . I can see why studios didn't manifest in the Bay area, It's much more of an independent scene up there that would be more about the art in character driven film. LA is where the action is and blockbuster behemoths roam the sound stages of the majors like thundering brontosauri, ravenously swallowing up every scrap of funding for smaller, personal films. Though beautiful and magnificent, they are ultimately destructive living off the life of what might have been. For myself, if we have the budget for film, we're gonna shoot film and I have the added benefit of owning all the film equipment including a small grip package. I don't mind shooting digital though. It has it's own advantages and disadvantages. To quote song lyric from "Pippin" "The only thing to be sure of, mate is there's nothing to be sure of" The times, they are a changin' and if you don't change with them, you get left behind. I'm not comfortable with being left behind, I've worked too hard to get where I'm at. B)
  4. I thought it was hilarious. It reminded me of a funny, twisted version of "Entourage" Also it doesn't hurt that I'm a HUGE Dennis Quaid fan. I was an extra on "Innerspace" for the party scene back in the day. Two of my favorites other than than the great ones you mentioned in the sketch are "Undercover Blues" and "The Right Stuff". It's really cool he come in on it with you. I DO have to say, as for you and your friends, you guys were GREAT in it. the acting was perfect, comic timing was right on. Your group showed some real talent on this. Comedy can be a tricky thing sometimes but you guys nailed it. I love watching good work. As for the technical aspects, the lighting worked for what you were doing, camera work looked professional, editing looked good, sound was good, There was nothing distracting or out of place in your mise en scene and the set, costume dressing etc. all worked in context for the piece. Honestly, it is a great example of good, solid work which you should be proud of.I take it, this is a web series thing you're doing? If there are other episodes of it, I'd like to see them. If you get a chance to post them, please do and welcome to the forum. - James Steven Beverrly, Black Sky Pictures
  5. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/04/07/1290380/-Navy-lab-makes-gasoline-from-seawater-as-low-as-3-per-gallon?detail=email
  6. THAT is TOO COOL! You're a lucky man to have had the experience. I envy you. B)
  7. I ran across this while watching some youtube videos on cinematography just for fun: https://www.celtx.com/index.html They use a still camera to storyboard which is pretty common now but I suppose you could just as well photograph your hand drawn storyboards if you wanted so you could email all that to you crew. I don't know what the screen writing program looks like. I venture to speculate it's probably fairly standard though. If you have no budget, or no money or just just don't want to pay for anything you don't HAVE to pay for, IE if you're a producer, :rolleyes: it could be a bit of good luck to have access to proper screenwriting and story boarding software!
  8. There is something to be said about movie magic which is why I'm an advocate for film acquisition. It has a quality that STILL has not been duplicated. There is more to a movie than resolution, film "sees" color differently. There is a separation from reality on screen that allows an audience to become immersed in a fantasy with an unconscious security that allows them to live in that world for an hour and a half. That's not to say bigger, badder cameras should be abandoned or have no place in an artistic endeavor just that their "look" might work well for a given film whereas lower resolution may work far better on other films. As for being able to simply zoom in on a portion of a wider image, why not just light 360 deg. and shoot a film in a panoramic view then figure it all out in post. Who the Hell needs a director, just set up the panoramic camera change the lighting, eliminate the crew's images and any unwanted elements, add the elements you do want and Whala! The editor and VFX people direct the film for you, Better yet, go with green screen, dress your actors and create everything else in the computer OORRR even better yet create EVERYTHING in the computer on a motion capture stage and let a intuitive computer array select all your shots, create them, render them edit them and the director could go play golf. I actually think that kind of "safety net" breeds laziness and is EXACTLY what Gordon Willis meant by "Dump truck editing". If you don't have your own vision, what's the point? "Fix it in post" should be a last resort, not a first choice.
  9. Thanks for the link as well, I had the opportunity to meet Francis and I REALLY dig his work. He is one of my TOP cinematic heroes!
  10. Oh, I FORGOT about this one until I just saw it again. I used to go there all the time: http://www.script-o-rama.com/ Drew's Script-O-Rama, cool name and a LOT of scripts that include many original drafts if I'm not mistaken like Apocalypse Now. It's good education to see how scripts developed from submission to fully realized films cases in point the above mentioned (and my personal belief of being the best movie ever made, Redux version,) Apocalypse Now and Galaxy Quest which started out as a VERY different, much darker film.
  11. Here, maybe this'll help: http://www.screenwritingspark.com/10-amazing-screenwriting-forums-message-boards-groups-chats-more/ www.Screenplay.com http://www.simplyscripts.com/the-archives/ I would also HIGHLY recommend Stephanie Palmer's (former Director of Creative Affairs for MGM Pictures and script pitching guru among other things): http://goodinaroom.com/ if you're interested in actually selling your script or getting people with money interested in reading your script. I would also recommend http://www.savethecat.com/ which was the method used for a LOT of studio screen writers who were looking for formulaic commercial scripts. The technique has gone somewhat out of vogue in recent years but the basic advice does work and does sell. ALSO you're gonna want to read about screenwriter Shane Black. If you haven't heard his name, two words, Lethal Weapon. This guy does it ALL right. What he does in concentrate on his "audience" IE, the studio script readers. He put inside jokes into the scripts that THEY will get, that sort of thing. THIS is the guy you will want to emulate from a technique standpoint. This should at least give you a starting point. Proper script form is just a matter of learning the rules. It's important for timing, logistics, budget, etc and like any other basic skill set, absolutely necessary to learn, but don't stress too much over that. Once you get it down it's like riding a bike....with a maniacal dirty cop chasing you down the crowded streets of Manhattan because you have physical proof of police corruption in your messenger bag that he is willing to KILL for and you only allies are you bike messenger friends! (Premium Rush 2012)
  12. Yes, You're right, you never did say "real" That was my mistake, been doing a lot of late night editing and am a bit worn out so I incorporated the two posts and I do apologize for that. As for your other comment, fact of the matter is I am all about quality which is why, as a director, I don't want anyone to screw with my vision on the piece at hand. Now you say you did all you could to give this guy what he wanted and he was simply unreasonable then basically berated your job as unimportant. That makes him a bad director who doesn't belong anywhere near a set and one I doubt will have much in the way of a career. Having re-read your post, I don't disagree with your decision to leave the shoot and again, apologize for my misreading of what happened. Actually, you had every justification to leave under those circumstances. There is also validity in Alex' comment that had the shoot not began, short of one leaving the camera department in the lurch, there's no reason to feel bad about quitting if you decide you can't work with a particular director. So I hope that clears up everything with regards to your post, but in general, I stand by my statements of the director being "God" and the cinematographer, his right hand. Creative people want to interject their ideas and that is the nature of their work but sometimes the intrusion can derail the creative process and cause decent within the ranks which is disastrous of set where things need to move quickly so it's best to wait for an appropriate time or at least moment....and YES I do have a BIG ego. You need to have a big ego if you plan on being a director, otherwise, you'd never had the guts to take on the this kind of work, but I NEVER let my ego get in the way of a good idea or a smart way of doing things no matter WHO makes the suggestion and that there is a fact, Jack!! B)
  13. There is no reality in film even in reality shows. Film is the illusion of reality. Making something look "Real" is still an artistic choice. Everything in the frame is there for a reason otherwise it should not be there. Every frame should be a composition of artistic expression for the soul purpose of evoking an emotional response from the audience, so in MY opinion, the director who wanted you to make it look "real," i.e. flat, was exercising his artistic prerogative of expression. Honestly, I think your decision to leave the shoot because you disagreed with the director's (who is God on set) artistic vision is a bit unprofessional and a better course of action would have been to do the best job you could have to give him what HE wanted from the lighting department. You, as the cinematographer, should have the right of discussion but once the decision has been made, that discussion is over and really, the discussion should be HOW you achieve his vision, not WHY he's creating a setup that looks like that. Your job is to do what you;'re asked to do to the best of your ability. The director doesn't have time to explain his decisions, nor does he (or she) have the obligation to justify his vision. If you can't understand that, you're in the wrong job.
  14. Yeah, I thought so too. Who would have ever imagined we could watch the earth and moon drift above the the desert surface of a distant planet at sunset: It must be what Shakespeare must have meant when he wrote: "What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form, in moving, how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals!"
  15. INTERESTING little diddie on this particular piece of cinematic equipment should one have the chinks in one's pocket and be looking to buy same: http://www.diyphotography.net/black-magic-camera-bursts-flames-immediate-suspect-internal-battery/#utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Diyphotographynet+%28DIYPhotography.net+-+Photography+and+Studio+Lighting%29
  16. It's just a little snap shot someone took one evening a little while ago with a VERY expensive camera of our home and a neighbor we visited a few times but really need to go back and see as soon as we can afford to make the trip. I think you might like this picture : http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17936 http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpegMod/PIA17936_modest.jpg
  17. Eh, these threads take on a life of their own, it's interesting to see how they develop. Some fascinating stuff comes out of discourse and after all we're in the business of conflict as all drama is conflict and all comedy is conflict pushed to the extreme. I thought you'd get a kick outta the Canadian money thing. My friend, John Talbot, an executive producer outta Quebec is always complaining about the problems finding money from reliable sources, but then again, I guess that goes with the industry, so what is one to do, shoot cheap, make the most of what you got and just keep on sluggin' away!
  18. This could be the mother load, at least for sound FX: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/55-great-websites-to-download-free-sound-effects/
  19. An' 'nother one: http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/music-search.cgi
  20. I meet Cassian Elwes at AFM a couple of times when he was on the panel of the Pitch Conferences. He was and is a very cool dude so naturally when I saw this article in The Wrap, I had to read it. After doing so, I found it quite honestly, heartwarming and inspiring. It shows in vivid detail the importance of being a stand up guy and treating people right when it comes to this business. I invite you to take a gander and see how it's suppose to be done: http://www.thewrap.com/dallas-buyers-club-matthew-mcconaughey-cassian-elwes-oscars
  21. Oops, found another one: http://freepublicmusic.com/archive/category/all-tracks/
  22. I've been working on a teaser for "The Black Sky", a sci/fi script I wrote and shot a bunch of footage for a while ago along with some Lightwave animation tests, stills, concept storyboard art and sculpture along with proof of concept stuff. There is NO budget for the teaser but I have the footage and I had one piece of music I set to the animation. I've been editing over the last week or so and looking for anything free I could use off the web but oddly enough had a little trouble finding free music and sound FX and Finding free VFX, and animation were damn near impossible. I DID find which had a decent amount of material and are completely free (not ROYALTY FREE, but ACTUALLY FREE to the public): http://www.freesfx.co.uk/ http://www.downloadfreesound.com and ran though one HELL of a lot of bull5hit sites that claimed free but were...well, bull5shit so I got to thinking, with so many low budget and no budget film makers on this forum who own or borrow a digital video camera, make reflectors out of tin foil taped to a sheet of Styrofoam (or just spend the extra few bucks to get one with the aluminum backing) and save up to buy some tapes or disc and some used Halogen work lights and extension cords, WHY can't we start a "Free Resources" Thread or category where everyone can catalog links with free and open source film making resources LIKE sound FX, editing software, match moving software, Animation Software, music, pre-build animation objects, collor correction software, etc. and for that matter, lets say you have an old SD camera or even a VHS camera that still works beautifully but is covered in dust from neglect, if you're so inclined, post it for free with pickup or free plus whatever it costs to ship. I'll start off with what I know is available off the top of my head: www.Blender.org (High learning curve BUT was designed as game building software so once you master it, you can even create games in addition to creating incredible graphics and animation AND it can now do it in 3D) (Gimp is an image manipulation software similar to Photoshop but FREE) http://softadvice.informer.com/Matchmover_Software_Free_Download.html (I don't know anything about this but there are tutorials on Youtube: ) Please add whatever you can and let's help by doin' what we can!
  23. Really, that was just....OH so special. I never would have DREAMED I would EVER want a mere 41 seconds of my life back, but boy was I wrong! OK, I should try and be helpful in any critique I give. Ag hum, so here goes, First, get a writer that is actually funny, you know, someone who is NOT a complete blithering moron who apparently can only write dialog in Colloquial American Profanity, THEN get a cameraman who actually knows what in the HELL they're doing so they can shoot canine genitalia tastefully, THEN get a voice over artist who can actually ACT and is ACTUALLY SMARTER than the Golden retriever he plays! HOWEVER, before you let the motley Asian based vomit porn crew rejects from the bowels of some Bangkok pus oozing slum you managed to scrape up off the bottom of your shoe READ the script, MAKE DAMN SURE you sign them to an IRON CLAD CONTRACT and PAY THEM VERY WELL because NO ONE ON EARTH is gonna want to DO this chunk o' 5hit and it will PROBABLY BE the LAST work they get in the porn film industry for the next 10 years! OF COURSE not even the SLEAZIEST producer is gonna want to do this slab of purifying skunk carcass BUT in the off chance some brain dead, washout, scat porn producer should walk into the set thinking it's a Starbucks and you're able to con him into doing it for a pound of coke, then the next step is for you to stay a MINIMUM of 1000 miles away from ANY shoot you set up with NO access to communications TO ANYONE OR ANYTHING for the ENTIRE duration of said shoot including editing and distribution. That "clip" was nothing more than just plain vulgar and idiotic BUT, it's MOST unforgivable sin is it's NOT IN THE LEAST BIT FUNNY. Shilling your Youtube channel on a professional film makers forum is akin to French kissing your 12 year old overweight sister You want a piece of advice, go down to skid row, pan handle a dollar from a meth addicted girl scout then take that dollar to some crack head with more of a clue than YOU have and BUY ONE!
  24. Ya, well it's possible that the ones bitching about low pay have movies that suck, hard to say. I DO know the cream always rises so if there is real talent out there, it will eventually get recognized as such. I still have a lot more faith in the larger film markets and festivals though like AFM, Berlin, Cannes, Hong Kong, etc.but for NO-budget features with limited production value and appeal, free view distribution can work to gather a following. I was fascinated a few years by "Fan Films" after I saw "Batman: Dead End" : I started watching other fan films, Some worked incredibly well, some sucked! But the culture behind the films was amazing. To people who watch these films, the fan actors that play in them often develop cult status and have fan clubs especially the women. That's pretty powerful stuff considering they'll technically can never make a dime off what seems to be, a fair amount of expense in produce. Star Wars and Star Trek seem to have the most fan films but there are SEVERAL film and series names being made into fan films, something you couldn't do if you tried other avenues of distribution. Youtube distribution allows you to try things without any real career risk which could be very beneficial even if you're not paid BUT, there is the chance that IF a film of yours hits on youtube, you WILL get paid at least something. It could be used as a venue to experiment with while honing your own personal cinematic style or trying something out on the edge. Hero or fool can often be just milometers apart and the anonymity of of Youtube allows one to take chances and find out what works without consequences if it doesn't.
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