This is about as vague as it gets, BUT, a friend of a friend of a friend (literally) is part of a crew shooting a low budget feature somewhere in Alabama (we don't know where) May 28 - June 21 and is looking for a couple of reliable production assistants who would be more interested in the experience than the money. Does pay a little, somewhere between $50 and $75 per day and hotel/food would be taken care of. If you're interested contact Zelda at zeldazee@me.com
That's all I've got. Good luck and let me know if something works out for you.
David Fincher demanded that Blur Studio top the legendary opening of Se7ven. We think they just might have.
Director David Fincher is a Hollywood designer-auteur, and his films’ title sequences bear the stamp of his uncompromising, meticulous eye. One of the most famous ones comes from his blackhearted thriller Se7en, in which designer Kyle Cooper fused nightmarish atmosphere with actual character development into a short few minutes. That sequence quickly became legendary. Which meant that when Fincher asked Blur Studio to top it for the title sequence of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, he was asking a hell of a lot. Did they succeed? You be the judge:
Like the Se7en opener, Fincher told Blur he wanted the Dragon Tattoo credits sequence to contain references to the story about to unfold. The narrative references in Blur’s work are much more oblique than Cooper’s--Se7en’s title sequence brought viewers inside the mental abattoir of one vividly drawn character, whereas Dragon Tattoo's challenge was to integrate plot points from three novels and multiple characters. But there’s no arguing that the Dragon Tattoo sequence comes on like a freight train from hell all the same.
Few films these days even have title sequences, many of them opting for a cold-open style. The ones that do tend to offer digitally sexed-up, weightlessly flashy CGI wankfests. The Tattoo sequence is completely digital, but it doesn’t feel that way. The gurgling black oil that surges throughout the sequence feels thick, suffocating, anything but a CGI fiction. Intercut with shock cuts of Rooney Mara’s character convulsing (ecstasy or death throes?) and weeds quivering with insectoid malice--with Trent Reznor’s demonic cover of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song pulsing underneath--the effect is genuinely unsettling. Even the film’s iconic title is only onscreen for an instant before being strangulated by the inky nightmare sap (Tim Miller, the sequence’s creative director, prefers "primordial dream ooze").
What Se7en and Tattoo's title sequence share most as pieces of expert design is their success at "training" the viewer for what comes next. Se7en just kept getting worse and worse, so much that when the final head-in-box moment comes, you feel just as blindsided and numb as Brad Pitt does. He gets no reprieve, and neither do we. Similarly, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was advertised at "the feel-bad movie of the holiday season." Just in case you laughed that off as an ironic quip, remember that Fincher isn’t messing around. The first few minutes of the film smother you with menace-- sticky, horrifying befoulment that you can’t scrape off, can’t escape, and will only get thicker, blacker, worse.
John Pavlus is a writer and filmmaker focusing on science, tech, and design topics. His writing has appeared in Wired, New York, Scientific American, Technology Review, ... Read more
If you're anywhere around central AL tonight, we want to invite you to come to the premiere of our new film 'Running'. It shows at 7:30 & 10 PM at the two campuses of The Worship Center Christian Church here in Birmingham. Campuses are in Huffman and Bessemer and you can find all the details, directions, etc... HERE.
All four services will be standing room only so be encouraged to arrive early for best seats. Conservative estimates are that there will be between 6 and 7 thousand people in attendance. We're very proud of this project and would love for you to be a part of it. Best part is that the 7:30 slots will be done by 9 in plenty of time to make the New Year's Eve parties you have lined up. The cast and crew of the film will be attending the 7:30 event at the Bessemer Campus. Check out the trailer below:
Excited to share a new worship album that just came out a couple of weeks ago from New River Fellowship in Weatherford, TX, called 'One'.
This collection of live worship songs from the team at New River is incredibly well done and includes some songs you've probably never heard of but that will soon be part of your worship sets. The most impressive thing about this album is that it's performed not by a bunch of hired guns, but by true volunteers which speaks to the amazing talent and heart of this church. Do yourself a favor and download it today. You can access it here:
i often get comments from people about the number of movies I watch. And I'll be the first to admit, it's a lot. Why so many? The answer is simple. Because I LOVE them.
On average I see at least one film a week in the theatre and probably watch at least 5-6 more at home. Every week. Without exception. I get lost in the stories. But it's much, much more than that. Every film is an education. How it was shot, the lighting, the coloring, the way it was edited together, the music choices. I analyze the story structure. I never stop learning. I watch every behind the scenes thing I can get my hands on, the outtakes, the directors cut with commentary. You name it, I watch it. I also watch every interview with a director I can find, I read books about it, I read and study screenplays. And then, most importantly, I apply what I learn in my own films.
It's a hunger. A passion. It keeps me up at night. And I can't get enough of it.
I rarely ever play golf anymore. I no longer spend a couple hours every day cycling. I spend less frivolous time in front of the tv. I don't watch as much football. These things are great, but they aren't getting me anywhere.
Whatever you're into, there has never been a better time in the history of the world than right now to learn. With the internet, cable and satellite tv, channels devoted to almost everything under the sun, podcasts and webinars, conferences, cheap e-books....informational resources abound. All you have to do is look, listen, and learn.Almost anything I could learn at film school is just a click away. And I'm taking full advantage.
That is why I watch so many movies.
What about you? What is it that you can't get enough of? What do you love with a burning passion? There is no excuse. Now is the time. Get on it.
Last night Tammy and I stumbled upon the new U2 documentary 'From The Sky Down' playing right now on Showtime. A must see for any artist looking to improve their process. HIGHLY recommend. I didn't understand the tite until, about 20 minutes in, Bono said something about choosing to 'build my house from the sky down'.
This idea immediately resonated with me and like most great nuggets of wisdom it flipped a common concept, building from the ground up, on it's head. My takeaway was that you have to know where you're going in order to get there. Another way to say it is that you can't build a proper foundation or ground floor unless you know what the desired view from the top level is going to be. This tells you what you need, and what you don't need, to properly build you house...your company....your church....your dream. I have always operated this way but never was able to say it so beautifully.
This is why I turned down an opportunity to do a very Christiany/churchy film that would have been very easily financed, I didn't want to get sucked into that world and pigeon holed stylistically. This is why I didn't do a documentary as my first film out of the gate in 2010, because everyone and their brother with a video camera is making docs, it's too easy. This is why I'm creating revenue streams in other areas of my company that will free me up to eventually work full time on films. This is why I'm praying for a business partner to come along side me to help make this dream a reality, because I don't want to be burdened/distracted by the financial side of things, which I'm not very good at anyway. I know what I want my top level view to look like, therefore I know which bricks need to be laid today. My head is down, I'm focused, and I'm working hard, but I always, always, always, have one eye on the horizon.
What does building 'from the sky down' look like for you?
This is a very early look at what we're putting together for the upcoming @twcpastorvan film 'Running' which will debut December 31st here in Birmingham. We're very excited about how it's coming together and wanted to share a little sneak peak.
Me and Director of Photography (DP) Joe Walker talking through a couple of different shots:
This is a great shot showing the complicated lighting required to pull off an outdoor night scene. L-R Paul (key grip), me directing, Joe (DP):
Me and our 2 lead actors Scott Ross and Van Moody working through a complicated emotional scene between the two men. Because you often have to shoot things out of order to be more efficient, it takes some effort to get everyone up to speed on where we are in the story, what just happened, what are you feeling, etc... Always stretches me as a director. One of my favorite parts of movie making is the spirit of collaboration, everyone contributing to make it work.
I am a storyteller, filmmaker, director and dreamer who is inspired by my God, my wife and my kids. I created a company called Big Picture Media to help others dream, tell their stories and be inspired.
