Whale meat again

I wanted to take a moment to let you all know that I've enjoyed meeting you and working with you this week. I look forward to seeing your projects as they progress.

We'll encounter each other later in the curriculum, and I'll expect to see advancement in your skills, so we can move together to the next level.

Best of luck with this project, and the ones that follow. Feel free to keep in touch until we see each other again.

All The Best-
Eric

www.blacklab.tv

Andy @ Work

Physical proof that there is footage being captured out there...(Thanks Gregg):

Evals

Here's the eval info for this module- please take the time to fill these out today, Friday...

http://eval.cdiabu.com

class code: F3973

Fight for your Right (Ill Communication)

I want to draw your attention to a production company making current and compelling documentaries, the kind of stuff I hope you'll be doing.

It's headed by Adam Yauch, known to many as a member of the Beastie Boys. In case you think that he's just got party songs on his mind, here's the trailer to a film called "Flow", which is winning awards all over the place (Sundance, Toronto, Cannes, etc):

Check out his other films as well: Oscilloscope Pictures


This illustrates a point I made on day 1- The Golden Age of the Documentary is here, now. A wise man once said, " Noting I can make up is as funny or as strange as the truth."

Thursday-Rolling!

The projects are coming together-

Randi and Gregg shot yesterday.
Sammie, Ben and Andy are shooting tomorrow.
Frank, Sanna, Josefina, and Gregg (again)are shooting this weekend...

I really like the treatments and concepts and refinements that we made with them and am looking forward to seeing the results.

I'm here in Classroom 6 for consultation, help, advice, intervention, whatever.

Best of luck to the teams in the field today- and those who are finished, start capturing: you can get a jump on editing if you're ready!

Wednesday- Got Crew?

Today we'll figure out who is on our crew, and whose crew we'll be on..As you know this is a shooting week, so if you're ready, get out there.

Otherwise, use this time to prep, scout, storyboard, get centered, focus, meditate, whatever will help you prepare for your shoot.

I will re-iterate that careful and organized preparation can be your best tool when planning to shoot.

Having trouble? Stuck? Come chat with me and we can work it out together.

"The ratio of inspired creativity to earnest production effort is about the same as that of conception to raising kids"- Stephen Soderberg, director/ producer, "Traffic", Eric Brokovich", "Oceans 11",etc.

Mike Figgis and "Leverage"

When preparing to come teach at CDIA for the first time, I found this book Digital Filmmaking, by Mike Figgis. (Director of "Leaving Las Vegas", "TimeCode", etc)

He touches on the same points we do- How to get big-movie aesthetics on small budgets and crew. He gets into association with crew and equipment, and how we operate within and relate to our locations.

It's a great read, and 14 bucks at Borders and/or Barnes & Nobel.

Next: there's a new TV show (It premiers this week on TNT) called "Leverage"- it's entirely created and managed on Final Cut Pro, the same version available to you, and done entirely under one roof (kinda unheard-of for broadcast episodic TV at that level)

Here's how