2011 Blog Awards: Best Creative Blog Nominees

Are We Shooting Yet?

URL: areweshootingyet.net

Who are they? Victor Gregory

What do they do? I am a young filmmaker, photographer, musician, blogger, comic book geek, comic strip writer, and cartoonist wannabe.

Example post: 'How-To Rig Yourself Super Cheap!

Lately, video rig companies have popped up all over the net. Offering their products with their over used phrase like “This is the latest game changer” or even fighting with people that post some rigs from India that looks kind of like their rigs.

But, their prices on these gears are astronomical for people like me. Making this impossible for me to buy their rigs. Believe me, having a part time does not helps to cover the cost of these rigs all together.

The question is…Which company could give me what I really want? This post is about how-to make a mix of rigs without breaking your wallet or over-drafting your bank account.

The important thing is to keep in mind is what do you want to accomplish. The other thing is do you really want to make a cinematic or portable gear .

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Film Industry Bloggers

URL: filmindustrybloggers.com

Who are they? Richard Janes (The British Film Director), Brian Trenchard-Smith (The Genre Director), By Avery (The Personal Assistant), Brandie Posey (The Production Assistant), Renee Prince (The Standby Painter), Top Secret (The Business Affairs Assistant), David Brownstein (The Hollywood Career Coach), Mark Tanner (The Production Designer), Warren Drummond (The Storyboard Artist), Top Secret (The Script Reader), Liesl Ehardt (The Actor), Matthew Lessall (The Casting Director), Sara Gold (The Cinema Studies Major), Dominique Preyer (The Music Supervisor), Phil Elins (The First Assistant Director), Jen McGowan (The Independent Filmmaker), Coleman Hough (The Screenwriting Professor), Charles Rosin (The Showrunner), Amy Janes (The Documentary Producer), Norman Hollyn (The Editor), Rachel Miller (The Manager), Top Secret (The Reality TV Producer), Lary Crews (The Background Actor)

What do they do? An insider's look at the motion picture industry through the unique eyes of working professionals.

From Actors to Directors, Camera Operators to Sound Designers and Hollywood to Bollywood; when it comes to knowing the film industry this is the only source.

Example post: I DRAW, YOU PAY!!!

When one is working at a production office for a feature films or commercials, I don’t worry about getting paid. Yes, there can be a snafu here and there, but you know that a bonded company has accountants set up and a payroll system.

You will get paid with a week if you are on a film (studio film, indies can be dicey) or a few weeks on a commercial.The two things that you enter on your own risk are music videos and when someone pays you out of their own pocket.

On a video (better to work with a large company that does commercials as well) the director often gets paid off the top of a job, particularly if they are an owner in the company. This has backfired on me many a time. I have waited a month to get paid on smaller companies as the check from the record company went to the director to get their bite and THEN the rest went to the crew.

If a director is paying out of their pocket, you might want to write out a simple contract, showing what each of you must bring to the table and what the penalties are for NOT doing this .

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Going Somewhere

URL: www.kbmfilms.com

Who are they? Kevin Michaluk

What do they do? You will come along with me on my journey to success in fulfilling my lifelong dream.

You may trace my journey as I migrate from suburban Maryland to Los Angeles. As I make movies and watch movies. As I live my life and join the masses of wanna-be’s and has-been’s, all with the idea in mind that they’re going to come out on top.

I understand the odds, I acknowledge the logistics of it all. I don’t care. I love making movies.

Example post: Two answers

Rather than make two separate posts answering questions, I’ll just answer them in one post. Kill two stones with one bird. Let me start this off by saying that I’m not this established filmmaker or anything.

I haven’t been “noticed” by anyone, and haven’t really been given any sort of opportunity to do anything by anyone besides myself. And to answer your question of what you can do, it’s pretty simple. Don’t worry about being recognized or noticed right now. Just keep creating material.

I’ve always loved creating my own fiction, using my imagination to create a new world, or change the one I’m in. I love cameras, I love writing, I love the rush of directing people in a creative way to bring my imagination to life. I love taking a group of related videos, and seeing how they piece together. This is all very cliché. I suck.

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Hit RECord

URL: hitrecord.tumblr.com

Who are they? Inception actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt and collaborators

What do they do? HITRECORD.ORG is a project I started almost five years ago now, and in 2010, we've evolved into a professional open collaborative production company. We create and develop art and media collaboratively here on our site.

So rather than just exhibiting and admiring each other's work as isolated individuals, we gather here to collectively work on projects together. Videos, writing, photography, music, anything -- we call them all RECords.

Example post: College Tour 2010

The hitRECord.org College Tour - Fall 2010

This past fall Joe and hitRECord.org traveled around to some colleges - a college tour, if you will. Some really inspiring discussion and collaboration went on.

Here’s a taste of what it was like.

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Hope For Film

URL: hopeforfilm.com

Who are they? Ted Hope

What do they do? I produce films, whatever that means these days... Most recenty Super , Collaborator , & Martha Macy May Marlene (Sundance), & Dark Horse .

Example post: Revealing Producer/Director Joke

Vanessa and I were invited by Michael Hausman and Sandy Lieberson this past month to teach in Cuba at the National Film School. It was a truly great experience and we look forward to returning soon.

The students were great, as were our fellow instructors. In addition to producer legends Sandy & Mike, we were joined by Uruaguayan producer Fernando Epstein and Argentinian Producer Veronica Cura.

We were there to discuss film producing in the 21st century. At the center of producing, remains the relationship between producers and directors. It is always a hard thing to explain or even to capture. It doesn’t seem to have evolved that much since the dawn of cinema.

I felt Veronica got close when she told this joke (fable?):

A man on board an air balloon realizes he’s gotten himself lost. He lowers his altitude and sees a woman in the middle of a big field...

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I'm an actor, they don't get it

URL: blogs.essence.com/im_an_actor_they_dont_get_it

Who are they? Tiffany Black

What do they do? A young black woman goes to Hollywood to pursue her dream to become an actor.

Example post: The Actor's Tax Season

Remember we talked about getting those headshots, that website, those business cards, and setting up shop and all that jazz? Well it's tax season!!

Go back and scrape up all those receipts and bank statements if you like to swipe that plastic. Just about anything can be written off on your taxes when you're an actor, you just gotta know how to justify it.

Hair, make-up, grooming, some of your clothing for auditions, anything pertaining to your appearance can be written off. Still have those movie ticket stubs? That's research! Write it off!

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It's a 1st AD thing

URL: goingforpicture.tumblr.com

Who are they? First Assistant Director Michelle

What do they do? Assistant Directors don't always yell. Sometimes we write about stuff. Because I'm a workaholic, I sometimes feel the need to document the things I see and the questions that are raised while going through the most insane process of making a director's dreams come true.

I hope to one day join the DGA and direct my own scripts on the side, but until that time comes...

Example post: Food Fight

HEY KIDS!

Yours truly will be on Austin’s KOOP (97.1FM) today at 1PM Central time (that’s 2PM for you lovely east coasters and 11AM for you freaky west coasters!) on Lights! Camera! Austin! discussing my short film, Food Fight .

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John August

URL: johnaugust.com

Who are they? Big Fish and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory screenwriter John August.

What do they do? johnaugust.com has been around since Summer 2003, though some of the content is several years older. It started as a repository for the 100+ screenwriting advice columns John had written for IMDb.

This latest incarnation of johnaugust.com has incorporated all the old information, but with a much more robust architecture behind it.

Example post: On Google, and evil

A few months ago, I was approached to write a movie about Google. The producer had rights to a book, but more importantly seemed to have access to significant people with connections in the company, both at its founding and today. I was intrigued.

I think Google is one of the most fascinating success stories of the last few decades, and certainly worthy of big-screen (or small-screen) exploration.

The producer wanted to focus on the early days, which is understandable: it’s an underdog story, with scrappy geniuses inventing the future. He was particularly keen on Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” philosophy.

I jumped in: “And then, of course, the second act is about how they become evil despite themselves. It’s like Animal Farm. The pigs make all these noble rules, and then systematically subvert them.”

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Life Through A Lens

URL: thatfilmduderyan.tumblr.com

Who are they? Ryan Mackfall

What do they do? I'm a videographer, cinematographer, director and producer from England who wants to work worldwide. I involve myself in as many creative areas as I can. I will film anything (within reason) and enjoying working within a team.

This blog is a break down of my work, my life, my daily creative inspirations, antics on the road and various other random insights.

Example post: I Met 5 Guys From Brighton

I met 5 guys from Brighton, 3 years ago at a festival. I was there filming for one of the sponsors. They were a band playing the stage I was running a media crew on. Little did I know that in time, they would turn out to be 5 of the greatest people I’ve met in my life.

The 5 grew though. They also drew in some other people who were each in their own way incredible (their crew). Together we came together and formed a team that were focused on being exceptional.

We were like the crews you see at formula one races, each of us knowing our roles and each of us completely focused and being the best. It started, one night in a bar in manchester, we raised our glasses and jokingly said ‘alpha team’. Alpha team was born.

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Looper Production Blog

URL: loopermovie.tumblr.com

Who are they? Director Rian Johnson and his filmmaking team

What do they do? The next movie from the people who made Brick and The Brothers Bloom

Example post: Shane Carruth is working on Looper

Shane Carruth is working on Looper .

If you haven't seen his film Primer , run don't walk.

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O'Dwyer Pictures

URL: odwyerpictures.tumblr.com

Who are they? David O'Dwyer

What do they do? I'm a Writer/Director currently based in Geneva. My goal is to keep a blog containing both personal and professional views relating to Film.

Example post: The Pacific

Amidst all the gossip and rumor of the new Canon 550D/T2i firmware allowing to shoot 4K, I’ve decided to watch the first episode of The Pacific again, and see how real men make a cinematic experience happen!

I originally only got up to episode 3 when it was airing on telly, so now I have the full series, I’ll be hidden away for a few days I think!

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One Step Inside, Doesn't Mean You Don't Understand

URL: karenabad.tumblr.com

Who are they? Karen Abad

What do they do? I am a Director of Photography, Camera Operator, Colourist, Animator (2D) and Editor. I enjoy filmmaking, dinosaurs, photography, kites, bicycles, sailboats, balloons, synthesizers, clouds, and friends.

Example post: Normal/Anamorphic

Here’s a still frame of the what the anamorphic lens does with the same lens, shot from the same spot.

(Taken with the setup from my previous post Canon 7D, 24mm Nikkor, Panasonic anamorphic lens)

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Rolling Shutter

URL: rollingshutter.tumblr.com

Who are they? Jay Oxley

What do they do? Cinematographer/Director of Photography based in London. Constantly striving to enhance cinematic techniques, perfect those already acquired and find new creatives to collaborate with.

Example post: Trailer Shoot

I’m currently on a shoot for a book trailer and here’s a picture of one of the actors in make-up. This took forever to do and it looked amazing. I should of taken a picture of him on set as it was genuinely quite surreal and freaky.

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Rising Stars Productions

URL: www.wix.com/keciabenson/keciajbenson

Who are they? Kecia J. Benson

What do they do? Founded in 2009 by creative director and producer Kecia J. Benson, Rising Stars Productions produces videos and film for independent filmmakers, musicians, small businesses, and non-profit organizations.

Rising Stars specializes in script development, creative concepts, video production, and post production.

Example post: New Releases: Unidentified

David awakens tied up in a basement and whilst figuring out what's going on, he realizes that his kidnapper Tony is after a fortune left to David by his recently deceased grandmother and that Davids fiancé Rayna is in on it all too.

Will David escape the clutches of his kidnappers or will he himself be terminated as an unidentified victim?

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Sam Reich

URL: www.samreich.com

Who are they? Sam Reich

What do they do? I dropped out of high school. My parents are both professors, so I like to think I got my education genetically. I turned to acting.

An acting teacher said, “You should act based on the first impression you give. For instance, Sam is short, so he should do comedy.” So I got into comedy.

I formed a group called Dutch West. We put some videos on CollegeHumor, and then CollegeHumor hired me. Now I run an awesome team of video makers.

Example post: I take directing very seriously.

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Standard Protocol

URL: standardprotocol.tumblr.com

Who are they? Isiah Miller (Founder), Steven Valente, Justin Velez

What do they do? A blog dedicated to everything going on with Standard Protocol Productions and other things film and non-film related that make me happy.

Example post: Meet the leading lady of Rocks...

MARY SPURLOCK!

We had to settle for her since no one else showed up for auditions :P But in all seriousness, this girl is a motherfucking professioNAL.

She was overly prepared for the audition (she brought her own copy of the script and beat me to the meeting place), she read really well with Justin and she’s simply a delight to be around.

So while we’re still looking for our two male supporting actors (which we’ll hopefully do by the end of the week), we at least locked down our love interest in the lovely Mary Spurlock.

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Stephen Diaz

URL: stephendiaz.com

Who are they? Stephen Diaz

What do they do? I tell stories. Currently in California... but willing to travel.

Example post: Speed Clean

A short. Watch in HD

Life was getting busy with finals, and the dorm room was getting ridiculously messy… on top of that we had some visitors coming in 30 min, so we did a SPEED CLEAN and of course I documented it.

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Tom Hole

URL: tomhole.tumblr.com

Who are they? Thomas Hole

What do they do? London-based director of photography

Example post: Open call to editors

Open call to editors. Have this film above that needs a re-edit as it’s quite hard for me to do as i am so close to it. Give me a message if you are up for it…

A short film created to show the effect of alzheimer’s on my grandfather, Poppa. I previously created a portrait on him, which didn’t look at our relationship, but his personality and his connection to my family, but for this piece i really wanted to look at my relationship with him and the effect the illness even has on myself.

I involved myself in the piece to show my interaction him and his interaction with me. Hope you enjoy. Thank you to Sunrise for allowing to film and also thank you to my mum.

Poppa had a stroke a few days before, so this piece was very emotional when filming and very hard to edit.

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Writers Of Screen

URL: writerofscreen.tumblr.com

Who are they? Germaine de Pibrac James

What do they do? Professional writer of big screen, small screen, no screen and screen and screen again. Reflections, resources and insights on screenwriting, writing business.

What goes on when you get covered-inside information on the reader and coverage-what we see and what we say about you.

Example post: Cover me, Baby- What Screenplay Coverage Is and What It Isn't

You see a lot of stuff floating around the web about coverage for screenplays. Its used by a lot of people now for just about anything to do with analyzing a screenplay. But coverage is really a very specific type of animal.

It’s not coverage if:

It includes notes-not comments-notes. There’s a difference.

It IS notes- suggestions/questions/specifics for a rewrite.

It’s part of a script doctoring package or script analysis.

It’s actually a script edit- either for grammar/spelling or sometimes what’s called a script edit is actually rewriting or doctoring.

What it is:

It’s a tool that studios, prodcos etc. use to deal with the tsunami of screenplays that come their way.

It’s got some standard elements:

A table with title, writer, length, genre, etc.

A logline.

A short paragraph with overall impressions

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