Liberty No. 5 Pictures in Development (2)

So, a little update on the films slated to be shot in the near future. I'm trying to get better at making more realistic goals so I think I have a need to update this list based on some new 'value changes'. I am trying to really focus on the projects most important to me... the ones that I know if things get hard, I will trudge on regardless, because I care about them getting made that much. The shorts I have slated are not because I want to make them but because I need to make them. So, they are functional tests in reality. But they should also be good quality and fun to watch. In reality though, if I make one or five of them I don't really care... because what I really want is to seriously do this as a full-time job- so I really want to make feature films. Not to mention it is hard to say anything with any complexity in a five or even fifteen minute short subject. Really, in my opinion, I want to do 'world-building'. To create an entire universe to build on... with rules and boundaries and a rawness of its own to explore. This is what I was taught in my 'gifted' middle school... to brainstorm. To look in on the system from outside the box and critique it to make something new! I have always found it to be endlessly exciting on so many levels! So, here is my current list.

Short Subjects

"Death Do Us Part" -- Pre-Production Phase -- Jan 2011

"Lunch Date" -- Pre-Production Phase -- Apr 2011

"4 Corners" -- In Development -- June 2011

Features

"Punishment" -- In Development -- Nov 2011

"Transmission" -- In Development -- Apr 2013

"Transmission" is a sci-fi epic I have planned which will be like my Star Wars. There is little else to say about it except I know it will be very powerful and groundbreaking. This is because it is not only an artistically original concept, but it is a change in form for the viewer. At least that is my plan. It depends on how well I achieve these first films that will be the judge of my achieving the vision I desire. But, I know there are far greater forces at work in me that will ensure I succeed or fail, so my attention on the matter is very important, but sometimes, I can do nothing to change the course of such outcomes... as sometimes we are all victims of this fate, we must nevertheless, be faithful to our vision. True to our conviction 'til the end.

I suppose part of the reason I am including it on this list is that I want people to know that I intend to be mostly a creator of sci-fi and fantasy epic genre films... not really psychological-thrillers like "Punishment". But, psych-thrillers are a good genre for beginning filmmakers to make a break into the industry with. The sci-fi or fantasy genre is primarily what I dream of when I imagine deep stories that make a statement. I'm sure there will be times I may be limited in my opportunities to make what I desire, I may need to be adaptable in order to make work for myself, but since I am not a believer in making halfway-good movies or making them for the sake of making them, it may at times be difficult to achieve this. I just have to admit that most of the original stories I have that I really consider good are sci-fi or fantasy epics. To be more specific, I have about 5 or 6 good sci-fi-fantasies (at least one of them, hopefully, will be a trilogy) planned after "Transmission". Also, I am hoping to be a part of making C.S. Lewis' Sci-Fi Trilogy which I pretty much grew up on, even before I got into J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" mytho-fantasy series.

It is very ambitious for me to want this, I admit, but I want to ensure, that people know I am working towards this goal, so that one day I can give the world the greatest interpretation of those books to film possible. Something that we can all love as a great story... and a great adventure into the depths of space.

My Director Watch

[I will be updating this list often] My director watch is like a neighborhood watch. We don't get paid to do it, but we all benefit in so many unspeakable ways when we have a good one. So, I wanted to put my 5 cents in and tell you all about the directors I watch to see how these currently working, cutting edge filmmakers are impacting the way we all watch movies. I will list them in alphabetical order, including the films they are known by here in the US of A and I will do this in three sections... for the 'generation' of filmmaking they belong to.

First, the old Hollywood bunch.  Many of these used to be called the "New Hollywood" bunch in the 80's. These are directors who have proven themselves to be masters of cinema and have still remained relevant and a vital part of the film industry regardless of some ups and downs. I have left out the master directors who have passed on... leaving their legacy of greatness behind them.  Second, will be the currently "en vogue" directors with a strong track record (at least three good movies) or directors who at least have made a strong performance as a director when they are not practicing their other chosen disciplines apart from directing features (such as J. J. Abrams, who does a lot of Producing and TV directing). So, when they direct films it may be somewhat sporadic but it is usually quite successful. But keep in mind, they are no newbie to the film industry. And third, I will list the fresh new directorial arrivals to the film industry. They may be game changers or directors who appear to have potential even though they only have one or two good films under their belt. So, without further adieu...

The Hollywood Master Directors

James Cameron
Piranha II, Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator 2, True Lies, Titanic, Avatar, Avatar 2

John Carpenter
Dark Star, Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, The Thing, Christine, Starman, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live, In the Mouth of Madness, Village of the Damned, Escape from L.A., Vampires, Ghosts of Mars, The Ward

Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather, The Conversation, Godfather II, Apocalypse Now, The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, Godfather III, Dracula, Jack, The Rainmaker, Youth Without Youth, Tetro, Twixt

Clint Eastwood
Unforgiven, A Perfect World, Bridges of Madison County, Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil, Absolute Power, True Crime, Space Cowboys, Blood Work, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, Changeling, Gran Torino, Invictus, Hereafter, J. Edgar

Terry Gilliam
Monty Python & the Holy Grail, Brazil, Jabberwocky, Time Bandits, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The Fisher King, Twelve Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Brothers Grimm, Tideland, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

Werner Herzog
Aguirre: The Wrath of God, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Fitzcarraldo, Invincible, Rescue Dawn, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, My Son My Son What Have Ye Done, Cave of Forgotten Dreams

George Lucas
THX 1138, American Graffiti, Star Wars Franchise

Martin Scorcese
Taxi Driver, New York New York, Raging Bull, After Hours, Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Age of Innocence, Casino, Kundun, Bringing Out The Dead, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, The Departed, Shutter Island, Hugo, Silence (pre), Wolf at Wall Street (pre), Sinatra (pre)

Ridley Scott
Duelists, Alien, Blade Runner, Legend, Someone to Watch Over Me, Black Rain, Thelma & Louise, 1492, White Squall, GI Jane, Gladiator, Hannibal, Black Hawk Down, Matchstick Men, Kingdom of Heaven, A Good Year, American Gangster, Body of Lies, Robin Hood, Prometheus, The Councellor (pre), Untitled Blade Runner Project (pre)

Stephen Spielberg
Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Indiana Jones Movies, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Empire of the Sun, Jurassic Park, Amistad, Saving Private Ryan, AI: Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, War of the Worlds, Munich, The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse, Lincoln (pre), Robopocalypse (pre), Indiana Jones 5 (pre)


The Currently En Vogue Directors

J. J. Abrams
Alias (TV), Lost (TV), Mission Impossible III, Star Trek (2009), Super 8, Untitled Star Trek Sequel (pre)

P. T. Anderson
Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, The Master

Wes Anderson
Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom

Judd Apatow
40 Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Funny People, This is Forty (pre)

Darren Aronofsky
Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, Black Swan, Noah (pre)

Michael Bay
Bad Boys, The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys II, The Island, Transformers, Transformers II, Transformers III, Pain and Gain (post), Bad Boys 3 (pre), Untitled Transformers Sequel (pre)

Kathryn Bigelow
Near Dark, Blue Steel, Point Break, Strange Days, The Weight of Water, K-19: The Widowmaker, The Hurt Locker

Timur Bekmambetov
Night Watch, Day Watch, Wanted, 9, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

Danny Boyle
Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary, The Beach, 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, Trance

Edward Burns
The Brothers McMullen, She's the One, No Looking Back, Sidewalks of New York, Ash Wednesday, Looking for Kitty, The Groomsman, Purple Violets, Nice Guy Johnny, Newlyweds

Tim Burton
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Beetle Juice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Ed Wood, Mars Attacks!, Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows, Frankenweenie

D. J. Caruso
The Salton Sea, Taking Lives, Disturbia, Eagle Eye, I Am Number Four, Goat Island

Park Chan-Wook
Joint Security Area, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Lady Vengeance, Thirst, Stoker

Joel & Ethan Coen
Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Millers Crossing, Barton Fink, The Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou?, The Man Who Wasn't There, Intolerable Cruelty, The Ladykillers, No Country For Old Men, Burn After Reading, A Serious Man, True Grit, Inside Llewyn Davis

Sofia Coppola
The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, Somewhere, The Bling Ring

Alfonso Cuaron
Great Expectations, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men, Gravity

Guillermo Del Toro
Blade II, Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Pacific Rim (post)

Roland Emmerich
Making Contact, Moon 44, Universal Soldier, Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla, The Patriot, Day After Tomorrow, 10,000BC, 2012, Anonymous

David Fincher
Alien 3, Seven, The Game, Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Marc Forster
Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland, Stay, Stranger Than Fiction, Quantum of Solace, Machine Gun Preacher, World War Z (filming)

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
 Intact, 28 Weeks Later, Intruders, The Crow (pre)

Mel Gibson
Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto

Michel Gondry
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep, Be Kind Rewind, The Green Hornet, The We and the I, Mood Indigo, Tales From the Hanging Head (pre)

Paul Greengrass
Resurrected, The Theory of Flight, Bloody Sunday, The Bourne Supremacy, United 93, The Bourne Ultimatum, Green Zone, Captain Phillips, Barca (pre)

Davis Guggenheim
An Inconvenient Truth, It Might Get Loud, Waiting for Superman

Mikael Hafstrom
Evil, Derailed, 1408, The Rite, The Tomb

Michael Haneke
Code Unknown, The Piano Teacher, Cache (Hidden), Funny Games, The White Ribbon, Love

Jered Hess
Napolean Dynamite, Nacho Libre, Gentlemen Broncos

John Hillcoat
The Proposition, The Road, Lawless, Triple Nine (pre)

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
21 Grams, Babel, Biutiful

Peter Jackson
Bad Taste, Meet the Feebles, Dead Alive, Heavenly Creatures, The Frighteners, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, King Kong, The Lovely Bones, The Hobbit Parts 1 & 2 (filming)

Jim Jarmusch
Permanent Vacation, Stranger Than Paradise, Down by Law, Mystery Train, Dead Man, Night on Earth, Ghost Dog: The Way of The Samurai, Coffee and Cigarettes, Broken Flowers, Limits of Control

Rian JohnsonBrick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper

Duncan Jones
Moon, Source Code, Untitled Ian Fleming Project (pre)

Spike Jonze
Being John Malkovich, Adaptation., Where the Wild Things Are

Wong Kar-Wai
Chunking Express, In the Mood for Love, 2046, My Blueberry Nights

Richard Kelly
Donnie Darko, Southland Tales, The Box, Corpus Christi (pre)

Francis Lawrence
Constantine, I Am Legend, Water for Elephants, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Ang Lee
Sense and Sensibility, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hulk, Brokeback Mountain, Lust Caution, Taking Woodstock, Life of Pi (filming)

Richard Linklater
Slacker, Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, School of Rock, Before Sunset, A Scanner Darkly, Fast Food Nation, Me and Orson Welles, Bernie

David Lynch
Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Dune, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks (TV), Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, Rabbits, Inland Empire

Terrence Malick
Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, The New World, The Tree of Life, To the Wonder, Voyage of Time, Lawless, Knight of Cups

Michael Mann
Thief, The Keep, Manhunter, Last of the Mohicans, Heat, The Insider, Ali, Collateral, Miami Vice, Public Enemies

Adam McKay
Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, The Other Guys, Anchorman 2


 Sam Mendes
American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead, Revolutionary Road, Away We Go, Skyfall

John Cameron Mitchell 

Hedwig & the Angry Inch, Shortbus, Rabbit Hole

Michael Moore
Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, Capitalism: A Love Story

Vincenzo Natali
 Cube, Cypher, Nothing, Splice, High Rise, Haunter (pre)

Christopher Nolan
Following, Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises

Wolfgang Petersen
Das Boot, The Neverending Story, In the Line of Fire, Outbreak, The Perfect Storm, Troy, Poseidon

Alex Proyas
Spirits of the Air Gremlins of the Clouds, The Crow, Dark City, Garage Days, I Robot, Knowing, Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (pre), Sydney Unplugged (pre)

Sam Raimi
Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Darkman, Army of Darkness, The Quick and the Dead, Spiderman Franchise, Drag Me To Hell, Oz: The Great & Powerful (pre)

Matt Reeves
 Cloverfield, Let Me In, Untitled Cloverfield Sequel (pre)

Ivan Reitman
Foxy Lady, Cannibal Girls, Meatballs, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Legal Eagles, Twins, Ghostbusters II, Kindergarten Cop, Dave, Junior, Fathers' Day, Six Days Seven Nights, Evolution, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, No Strings Attached, Ghostbusters III (pre)

Jason Reitman
Thank You For Smoking, Juno, Up In The Air, Young Adult, Labor Day (pre)

Nicholas Winding Refn
Pusher, Bleeder, Fear X, With Blood On My Hands: Pusher II, I'm the Angel of Death: Pusher III, Bronson, Valhalla Rising, Drive, Only God Forgives (pre), Logan's Run (pre)

Guy Ritchie
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch., Swept Away, Revolver, RocknRolla, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (pre)

Robert Rodriguez
El Mariachi, Desperado, From Dusk Til Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Spy Kids 2, Spy Kids 3, Once Upon A Time In Mexico, Sin City, Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, Planet Terror, Shorts, Machete, Spy Kids 4, Machete Kills, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (pre)


Mark Romanek
Static, One Hour Photo, Never Let Me Go, Locke & Key (pre)

David O. Russell
Spanking the Monkey, Flirting with Disaster, Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees, The Fighter, Nailed (post), The Silver Linings Playbook (post), American Bullsh*t (pre)

Joel Schumacher
The Lost Boys, Flatliners, Falling Down, Batman Forever, The Phantom of the Opera, The Number 23, Blood Creek, Twelve, Man in the Mirror, Trespass (post)

Tony Scott
The Hunger, Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, Revenge, Days of Thunder, The Last Boyscout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, The Fan, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Domino, Deja Vu, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Unstoppable, Top Gun 2 (pre), Emma's War (pre)

M. Night Shyamalan
The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, Lady In The Water, The Last Airbender, After Earth (post)

Bryan Singer
The Usual Suspects, X-Men, X2, Superman Returns, Valkyrie, Jack the Giant Killer (post)

Kevin Smith
Clerks., Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl, Clerks II, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Cop Out, Red State

Zack Snyder
Dawn of the Dead, 300, Watchmen, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, Sucker Punch, The Man of Steel (pre)

Steven Soderburgh
Sex Lies and Videotape, Kafka, The Underneath, Out of Sight, The Limey, Erin Brockovich, Traffic, Ocean's 11, Solaris, Ocean's 12, Bubble, The Good German, Ocean's 13, Che, The Girlfriend Experience, The Informant!, Haywire, Contagion, Magic Mike (pre), Bitter Pill (pre), Behind the Candelabra (pre)

Quentin Tarantino
Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill: Vol I-II, Death Proof, Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained, Kill Bill: Vol III (pre)

Gus Van Sant
My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, Psycho (1998), Finding Forrester, Elephant, Paranoid Park, Milk, Restless, My Own Private River, Promised land (pre)

Gore Verbinski
The Mexican, The Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean I-III, The Weather Man, Rango, The Lone Ranger (post)

The Wachowskis
Bound, The Matrix Trilogy, Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas (post), Jupiter Ascending (pre)

Joss Whedon
 Firefly (TV), Buffy The Vampire Slayer (TV), Angel (TV), Serenity, Thor, The Avengers, Much Ado About Nothing (pre)

Edgar Wright
Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The World's End (pre), Ant-Man (pre)

Joe Wright
 Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, The Soloist, Hanna, Anna Karenina (post)



The New Directors with Fresh Eyes
They have made 1-3 films with at least one film that speaks with a new and skillful voice.

Jeffrey Blitz- Rocket Science
Neill Blomkamp- District 9, Elysium (pre)
Joe Cornish- Attack the Block
Lena Dunham- Tiny Furniture
Gareth Edwards- Monsters
Chris Fuller- Loren Cass, Surpassing All Other Kings

Debra Granik- Down to the Bone, Winters Bone

Ian Hubert- SBFP, Ideality, Project London

Paul Johanssen- Atlas Shrugged: Part I 

Jennifer Chambers Lynch- Surveillance, Hisss 

Greg Marcks- 11:14, Echelon Conspiracy 

John Maybury- The Jacket 

Kelly Reichardt- Wendy & Lucy, Meek's Cutoff 

Daniel Stamm- A Necessary Death, The Last Exorcism 

M Dot Strange- We Are The Strange, Heart String Marionette

Red & Jim Jannard finally tell us what kind of company they are

http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?p=660570#post660570

As I predicted in my last article RED needed to accept their place as a pro camera company & that is exactly what they did! As Jim Jannard's announcement indicates, RED is finally starting to get it and will draw the line better as it comes to what kind of company they are. Which, I think, should help them carve out a better niche for themselves. It was about time they admitted the obvious. My hope is that, now, the company will be finding its footing better and accepting its limitations even more. Then they can start to recognize who their true competition is. here's a hint... it's NOT Canon & Nikon!

My view of the digital camera markets can be compared to some degree with the old film camera markets...

Current Digital Camera Markets
1. DSLR's & prosumer cams ---> 2. Panny & Sony Broadcast Professional HD Cameras ---> 3. RED, ARRI, Panavisions & Studio developed experimental cameras.

As compared to the Film Camera Markets from back in the day...
1. Standard 8 & Super 8 ---> 2. 16 & Super 16 ---> 3. 35mm & other experimental studio tech.

Of course there are sub-markets within these as there is more experimentation and innovation (just like with Red) but these smaller markets will only flux temporarily.

This all makes sense because each of these markets are meeting distinct needs in the marketplace. Lots of filmmakers including Spielberg & M. Night back in the day started with a Super 8 shooting family events & small shorts films in their back yard- then they moved up to 16 in film school and then by that time they understood how the whole theory works and all the ensuing implications with lighting, developing, camera moves, etc. They could realistically handle the Panavisions and could deal with the greater responsibility of that. The same is now true with the DSLR's all the way up to RED, ARRI etc.

So, as you can see, my beef with RED is that they are acting ridiculous by making fun of DSLR shooters. Panavision would never be ridiculous enough to making fun of Ricoh, Rollei, Bolex or Canon back in the 70's or 80's because they shot on a smaller format and their sync-sound wasn't as good... or they weren't as smooth running... or they were too noisy to be used for proper filmmaking purposes... that is really only going to make you look like an idiot.

They, hopefully, will continue to admit they are in a different market & then they will stop making noise in the back of the classroom like annoying little brats. RED has to learn to not sling mud and to stand apart as a different kind of company. Let it be a plus that your cameras will be undercutting other cameras in your market... that is a good thing! And try not to make the Spielbergs of tomorrow feel bad for starting their careers with DSLR's...

By the way- HDR isnt that much of an advancement, RED. In many ways, no more advanced than 3D. Here's a Canon 5DmkII shooting HDR video on vimeo. Just get us a new camera that continues the next big thing in pro filmmaking... thank you very much! aaahhhh. LOL. Im just kidding!

But, all kidding aside, I do appreciate every bit of new filmmaking tech out there from your company and from ANY of these other great companies, so thank you very much Mr. Jannard- just please learn to respect your peers sir- Canon, Nikon, Panny... these other companies are still just as relevant as your company (even Panavision!). In some ways, more so. They have a more vibrant, colorful and profitable history than yours. You're the next big thing- but don't think the old guard are gone- they are just as relevant as ever.

I'm still hoping that there will be advances in digital screening technology with the help of RED at some point-- we need a slew of new high res theaters out there. IMHO it will help continue the resurgence of the theater experience for the film exhibition industry as well... then we will SEE the evidence of RED's advanced tech better as compared to the competition. Can't you see that this better screening environment will also greatly increase the amount of sales for your cameras? hmmmmm. That this isn't discussed concerns me. The screening tech must flux WITH the camera markets at some point- but, as most of use realize in this industry, there is not much innovation in the exhibition markets. LOL.

Good luck to you & congratulations on finding your niche RED!! In the meantime- I just got my hands on a Canon 60D and will be shooting what I can as a beginning director (no longer just a producer, scripty & videographer)- I'll be learning to work within the limitations of the tech & doing what I can to still tell stories. Whatever piece of equipment I can get to help me make better films... that's what I will buy. Wish me luck and hopefully by the time you come out with Scarlet- I'll be able to see how all this extra time working on it paid off! Or maybe by then you will deserve the ridicule & scorn you have heaped on others.

Finally some Scarlet talk... but what can RED do about the new DSLR Revolution?

Is RED & Jim Jannard all talky talk no action? Will the Scarlet stand up to the HD-SLR's? Should HDSLR shooters be 'ashamed'?

http://www.eoshd.com/content/255-RED-quot-DSLR-shooters-should-be-embarrassed-quot

My opinion is that there are two Revolutions & two Markets going on here... they are being formed presently & they are represented by (1) an indy filmmaking revolution using existing avenues of distribution technology -the HD-SLR Revolution and (2) a revolution in cinema technology standards with the 4-6k RED cameras (said to also include a much higher resolution with the Epic sensors) -the SHD Revolution, which still has a work to be done (and that work ISN'T 'knocking down' the Canon/Nikon/Panasonics of the world because we are talking apples & oranges here). "How so?" you say...

Since the RED cameras represent a much more substantial change to the totality of filmmaking & screening technology it is simply more time consuming (& therefore costly) down the line as this technology comes into use more (but it is a revolution that is worth it in the long run).

But the HD-SLR revolution utilizes already present technology not just in use in homes- but on the web & on your smart phone... in other words it is cheaper and easier for a filmmaker to create content because he doesn't have to be involved in revolutionizing the entire process cradle-to-grave the way RED is going to have to do- he just plugs into an already established technology.

But this issue with RED is all unavoidable because of the implications of this newer technology- I mean, it truly must be a huge, no doubt, beautiful picture at such a high res!... Now, where can we screen it? Can it even be screened? Can it be broadcast? Can it be viewed online or at home? Of course distribution has to be considered by everyone involved. In contrast, it is much more financially sound to shoot in 1080p with a $2k rig with less crew requirements and still be able to distribute!

Getting down to brass tax I think RED & their reps still have a work ahead of them to make this technology practical- to put this technology in theaters- to make it practical for consumers to consume, etc. They started this mess & they need to finish it (or rather, get the ball soundly rolling in the right direction). Admittedly, much of that great work has been done & is actively being done by many filmmakers, distributors & the studios. We just need to make sure we are on the right track & solving the right questions. We need to make sure the consumers out there can 'see the difference' between 2 and 6k & that it is worth the extra coin & worth the extra hype because they haven't even seen 6k yet & still don't even know what it is yet.

Not that RED shouldn't continue to compete on a professional filmmaking level with the HD-SLR's in order to draw that line-in-the-sand. What RED has to do is solve the problems the HD-SLR's have and assist the move towards a more cinematic experience by making 'the quintessential professional SHD-SLR run & gun shooter' in the Scarlet. But this time do it without blowing smoke at the users.

I mean, listen, it is obvious RED dropped the ball this year. Use me as an example (& this is true for so many other current or beginning filmmakers) -this is me in a nutshell... since last year I was going to buy a Scarlet earlier this year so I could start shooting my own stuff (instead of hiring out) but now I'm investing in a Canon HD-SLR rig with LED lights, Zoom sound & portable power supply instead... because of all the obvious financial reasons... doing all this costs the same amount that a Scarlet was supposed to cost this year. Isn't that great?

Well, also, as filmmakers we need to recognize (& RED needs to remember this), ART doesn't wait to get made- when the inspiration hits, MAKE IT & MAKE IT NOW! DON'T WAIT! I understand RED can't just follow this principle as a camera & software development company that has to be regulated & has to meet certain standards- you can't do what you want... but as filmmakers we have to live by this principle... we kind of can't wait for the next big thing... we have to go out & shoot our story right now & fix it later (maybe shoot it again but next time on a Scarlet- nothing wrong with that). But any business needs to remember, just like RED, if any company makes promises it can't keep, it is in danger of failing.


The PAYOFF for RED or... (for whoever makes that connection):

So, again, IMHO RED's current work is that it needs to assist the digital cinema side of the business by doing some research & making a clear path for cinemas to follow in the path they've blazed... so they know how best to utilize their technology so the consumers go back to the theaters. If they do that they will ensure the relevance of their product for years to come. After all, almost all of the major studios in Hollywood started in the 1st half of the 1900's by the distribution side of the business- like the nickelodeons, etc. and that is how the the new players in film & cinema distribution can come into their own- through the distribution side of it- of course, by following these new standards that RED has pioneered! So, whoever teams up with RED to do this on a larger scale may just end up with the big payoff. But, who these people will be in the future is still TBD! Sadly, though, the movie business has been traveling as fast as its slowest ship, which is the internet. Of course this is obviously because of the incredible potential for distribution ("What? Movie distribution pipe-lined straight to every consumer? Yowsers!"), but it is also potentially the movie businesses' worst enemy as it represents the easiest way to rip-off the industry through piracy... or is it free advertising? I'm confused! What a conundrum!


Puttin down the sauce:

My prediction on the Revolutions? Well, eventually what might happen is that (1) full HD would be the standard internet video res so consumers can get everything on the internet on their screens at home... & (2) RED's 4, 5, or 6k (what i call SHD or Super-Hi-Definition & I believe Steven Soderbergh called it that too) could be the new cinema standard that the big studios utilize IF it can finally be brought to theaters successfully(?). Pretty please? :)

The other factor is home theater. It's the gap-factor. What home theater does is in the hands of these LCD & computer manufacturers... nothing less, nothing more. They can charge massive coin to get 4k at home if need be...

But, to re-iterate, if this is achieved (internet on one end, theaters on the other) there would be a clear cut difference between these markets (2k res made by indy filmmakers with prosumer HD-SLR's for the internet/TV & 4k up to ?k resolution (SHD) made by the Major Studios with RED, ARRI, etc for the digital cinemas).

This division between technology is actually desirable for many reasons... First of all, it simplifies things for the consumer and therefore justifies a higher cost for certain products. Secondly, it simplifies things for the studios & filmmakers- since there's too many problems to solve right now as it comes to standards in technology... filmmakers & content-makers have now been engaged in this endless debate for years since the indy filmmaking surge in the 90's, since HD has come to all the networks & now the gap grows larger since the advent of this new camera technology. Currently, its all just techno-chaos for the studios so they don't know how to relate to their audience as well. In order for the studios to continue making money they have to standardize and control some niche just like any business tries to do. So do they go to 3D? Do they spend money on servers & internet distro sites like iTunes/hulu/Netflix, etc? Do they upload their product to theaters with all the new digital distribution models being touted around in that industry? What about the resolution discussion and all the new technology? How do the studios require the indy filmmakers to hold up to certain standards of filmmaking when we are all over the map here?

As it comes to the big digital cinema distribution discussion Hollywood can control its own by helping to make 4k, 5k, 6k theaters and selling the hi-res beauty of that... if they can 'sell it' good enough, people will want to see the theater version of it & will not accept a 2k pirated version as 'the real deal'. It's too large of a file to pirate (at least for most) it might even be able to be uploaded to digital theaters but obviously it would cost too much for pirates to upload it- they wouldn't be able to screen it in full 4-6k glory even if they found some way to pirate it- but don't see that as some lame excuse to let people pirate it because you think "it doesnt matter". As editing suites get better in order to edit this 4-6k content we will need to make these monitors more affordable for editors. At that point there will be pirating that will begin to make sense again because then they can view the content. But, if you control the technology, you control the doorways to the content. Problem solved. As it comes to the editing- editors will edit a low res version & then send it to a 4-6k render house to be 'developed' (sound familiar?) and in this case utilize the meta-data to help make it what it should be in its full 4-6k glory or whatever res can be offered (I keep assuming 4-6k for some silly reason). Then it can be screened for the final pass at the render house's digital theater with the producers, director & editor -etc etc.

As it comes to the original discussion of HD-SLR vs. RED... the fact is, RED was on track to keep the revolution brimming- but Canon, Nikon & Panasonic got it right by undercutting them (which is what they should do to compete). After all, it's these prosumer camera companies that started this revolution in the late eighties/early nineties because it brought the tech down to the consumer- but RED really isn't a consumer or even prosumer cam & it really shouldn't try to act like it competes in that market. In fact just the word 'cam' and RED don't belong in the same paragraph except to make the distinction. It just don't sound right... *snicker* :P

As it comes to the Scarlet- you can try to talk the talk, RED- but the caveat is that you have to buy that right by first walking the walk... So until the Scarlet hits the stores- it is the HD-SLR Revolution for me. Hopefully something of mine gets sold & then, with that happening, maybe afterwards I can afford what RED is cooking up. But I wish all of you some good testing, manufacturing & product reviews. Til then, a little more action- a little less talky talk. At least for now. But please, RED, let us know when you have something to show... we can't wait much longer... because the street cred is starting to wither a bit.

Jon

Liberty No. 5 Pictures In Development

Here are the projects slated to be shot in the coming months & years in various stages of development as of Aug 2010. The shorts are working up to my Crime Thriller, "Punishment", planned as my first feature. I have been writing and re-writing for the last year or so and have had difficulty finding a good, team oriented, experimental Cinematographer/DP since I have some strong technical ideas and would prefer as little conflict between who I think are "the two most important people on set" during production. Frankly, when you see this kind of conflict on set its always sad because it feels like its like watching your parents fight- its really sad & stupid looking at the same time. And its especially demoralizing to know the Director & DP are more unprofessional & juvenile than I am. So, I want to prevent these things from happening & so, I have put a lot of time trying to find the proper team & proper story working together-- and hopefully it will pay off.

Short Subjects

"Death Do Us Part" -- Pre-Production Phase -- Sept 2010
"Should I Make A Movie?" -- Pre-Production Phase -- Nov 2010
"4 Corners" -- In Development -- Dec 2010
[Untitled Steampunk Feature Camera Tests] -- In Development -- Jan 2011

Features

"Punishment" -- In Development -- Feb 2011
"Bad Day" -- In Development -- Nov 2011
"Deadman's Caye" -- In Development -- Jun 2012
[Untitled Steampunk Scifi-Western] -- In Development -- Feb 2013

Of course, I am working on other people's projects as well. Some as a Producer or as an AC (So that I can learn more about camera right now), but I could also stand to get more work as an AD, PM, or Script Sup. I have learned how to do breakdowns better since the last feature I worked on- I might even use my own custom made production strip boards utilizing colored cardstock cut into business card size scene strips... a very practical design. After I use them on this next production I am working on... a short for the Action Film Challenge... it will no doubt become a more perfected system!

There are another 10 feature films or so planned from my own stories but I try not to put too much on my plate at one time. Heh heh...

A Little Friendly Competition for the RED??

Check out ARRI's new Alexa... the super high-definition digital cinema revolution continues...

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/17/arri-alexa-joins-red-to-kill-celluloid-in-2010/

pretty sweet but still pretty expensive! But regardless of the price- it looks like there's definitely a solid market out there for these cameras though!

A Good Use for the iPad!

The good thing about the iPad

VIV Mag Interactive Feature Spread - iPad Demo from Alexx Henry on Vimeo.

~go here for the making of
http://vimeo.com/10204353

~go here for the complete version
http://alexxhenry.com/ipad

I have to say I honestly didnt see the usefulness of the iPad when I 1st heard about it... and I LOVE Apple products! I have an iPhone and I have to admit hearing of the idea of the iPad described as basically a large iPhone kind of conjured up some strange imagery for me. Basically of the iPad being held awkwardly on the side of my ear to try to make a call & looking frustratingly for WiFi hot spots so I could make the best use of the silly oversized phone! I know that there is no phone or camera on the iPad but I kept getting that imagery the more I imagined why I would get an iPad.

My primary frustration with the iPad (& the reason I didn't initially want to buy one) was coming from the sad resignation (after reading about it) that it could not be used to ingest footage shot on set as it has no FW ports & no SD card slots. Also, it has its own OS that cannot operate normal programs- only iPhone apps & apps soon made for the iPad & again distributed through iTunes just as the iPhone gets its apps. Oh well- maybe a mutation between a laptop & an iPad will come sometime soon.???

-Just as a suggestion to the iPad app makers. I do have to say- as a filmmaker who likes reliable mobile technology that can be useful on a film set- goodness gracious... the apps you could make for an iPad to help with on set productivity are endlessly awesome!!!! For example- as a better tool for the AD, Script Supervisor, PM & Camera Loader all in one! So, in effect it could be used as a better clapboard and as a note-taking, breakdown, scheduling, record keeping & budgeting tool all in one! Also it could much more easily synchronize timecode as a more advanced device than simply a device using radio signals as its transmission medium or some other more inefficient system. I would advise Celtx (the open source program) to develop an iPhone app to do some of these jobs & then adapt into the iPad once it has got the coding down. Im sure Celtx would make the best & the most cost effective version of the iPad app if given the chance.

So- there IS a use for the iPad! yayy!!

Top Ten Rated-Updated

This is my updated top ten list of favorite films...

Blade Runner (1)
Citizen Kane (2)
The Seven Samurai (3)
Star Wars (4)
Lord of the Rings (5)
The Maltese Falcon (6)
Alien (7)
The Empire Strikes Back (8)
Aliens (9)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (10)


Runner-up films (close but no cigar!):

12 Monkeys, 28 Weeks Later, 127 Hours, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Apocalypse Now, Back to the Future, Barton Fink, Brazil, The Breakfast Club, Brick, Casablanca, Casino Royale, Children of Men,  Cloverfield, Constantine, The Crow, The Dark Crystal, The Dark Knight, Dead Man, District 9, Donnie Darko, Double Indemnity, Dr. Strangelove, Duel, Dune, East of Eden, The Elephantman, The Empire of the Sun, Eraserhead, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Europa, Fargo, Faust, The Fifth Element, Fight Club, Forrest Gump, The Fountain, Give 'Em Hell Malone, Gladiator, The Godfather, The Goonies, Gravity, Groundhog Day, Heat, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hot Fuzz, The Hurt Locker, I Heart Huckabees, The Incredibles, Inland Empire, Interview with a Vampire, James Bond Movies, James and the Giant Peach, Jaws, Joe Versus the Volcano, Kick-Ass, Kill Bill I-II, The Labyrinth, Laura, Lawrence of Arabia, Legends of the Fall, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Life of Pi, Lifeforce, Logan's Run, The Lost Boys, Lost Highway, Lost in Translation, The Machinist, Mad Max, Magnolia, The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Man Who Wasn't There, El Mariachi, The Matrix, Max Payne, Memento, Miller's Crossing, Minority Report, The Money Pit, Moon, Moulin Rogue!, Mulholland Dr, Napoleon Dynamite, The Never Ending Story, Never Let Me Go, Night of the Hunter, Night of the Living Dead, No Country For Old Men, No Way Out, North by Northwest, Nosferatu, Notorious, Once Upon A Time in the West, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Pan's Labyrinth, Pandorum, The Petrified Forest, Pi, Primer, Princess Mononoke, Psycho, Pulp Fiction, Punch-Drunk Love, Raising Arizona, Rashomon, Rear Window, Rebecca, Rebel Without A Cause, Red Dawn (original), Renaissance, Reservoir Dogs, Return of the Jedi, The Road, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, (Baz Lehrmann's) Romeo + Juliet, The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, Lu Samurai, Saving Private Ryan, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Shaun of the Dead, Signs, Silence of the Lambs, Sixth Sense, Skyfall, Sleepless in Seattle, Soilent Green, Spartacus, Spirited Away, Star Trek (J. J. Abram's), Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, Sunshine, Superbad, Synecdoche New York, Taxi Driver, Tetro, There Will Be Blood, The Third Man, Time Bandits, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Truman Show, Unbreakable, Up, Up In The Air, Upstream Color, The Usual Suspects, Vanilla Sky, Vertigo, The Watchmen, We Are The Strange, Where the Wild Things Are,   Wings of Desire, Yojimbo (really- all of Akira Kurosawa's work! In fact I personally believe Mr. Kurosawa to be the greatest director of all time).

Also: I like all James Bond movies (by the way, the Bond franchise and the 22 existing films in the catalog ARE IMHO the best, most successful franchise in movie history- something many people think belongs to other franchises they are enthusiastic about- but they are mistaken), I like Jim Carrey comedies, John Candy comedies, Danny Kaye comedies, Monty Python comedies, Leslie Nielsen comedies, Pink Panther comedies, ANYTHING with Humphrey Bogart, ... & i like some older 80's anime too but I'm not obsessive or a huge anime fan…  My favorite genres are epics, sci-fi, fantasy, action, adventure, some art house and supernatural realism movies.