rubberblog: February 2009





Thursday, February 26, 2009

D90

It arrived. Actually, it got here on Tuesday, but I've been too slammed with work to really mess with it other than quick point and shoot tests. I still haven't really had time to do much with it, but I've been devouring the manual and testing various things. Hopefully this weekend I'll have some time to shoot some test videos and see how the editing goes.

I'll be posting stuff on my VIMEO PAGE. There's already some stuff up there now, like commercials, shorts and a music video. Take a look. It's fun.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Finally

I did it. I bit the bullet and defied the recession and bought a Nikon D90.
What sucks is that I'd planned on going to a store and getting it and spending the weekend getting to know it. But, as my luk would hold, they were sold out at all Best Buys. No other local outlets were kind enough to devulge stock levels through the interwebs, so I ordered it and had it shipped. I got a memory card, too.
I am already overwhelmed. I downloaded, for the second time, the user manual, and can't even begin to grasp that which is photography. I've tried for so long to understand it and hope that once I spend endless hours on this fucker I'll begin to get it.

In the meantime, I can't wait to go through the pains of understanding.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

I've seen 157 of 239 films

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(o) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
(o) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
(o) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
(o) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane
Total: 6

(x) The Princess Bride
(x) Anchorman
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
(x) Saw
(x) Saw II
(x) White Noise
(o) White Oleander
(o) Anger Management
(o) 50 First Dates
(o) The Princess Diaries
(o) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 13

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
(x) Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
(x) Scary Movie 2
(x) Scary Movie 3
(x) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(o) American Pie 2
(o) American Wedding
(o) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 20

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
(x) Resident Evil 1
(x) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
(o) Little Black Book
(x) The Village
(x) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 29

(x) Finding Nemo
(o) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
(x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
(x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
(o) White Chicks
(x) Butterfly Effect
(o) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
(x) Robots
Total so far: 37

(o) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
(x) Universal Soldier
(o) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(o) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
(o) Kingpin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(o) Meet the Fockers
(o) Eight Crazy Nights
(o) Joe Dirt
(x) King Kong
Total so far: 42

(o) A Cinderella Story
(o) The Terminal
(o) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
(o) Passport to Paris
(o) Dumb & Dumber
(o) Dumber & Dumberer
(x) Final Destination
(x) Final Destination 2
(x) Final Destination 3
(x) Halloween
(x) The Ring
(x) The Ring 2
(o) Surviving Christmas
(x) Flubber
Total so far: 49

(o) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
(x) Ghost Ship
(x) From Hell
(x) Hellboy
(x) Secret Window
(x) I Am Sam
(x) The Whole Nine Yards
(o) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 57

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
(x) Child's Play
(o) Seed of Chucky
(o) Bride of Chucky
(o) Ten Things I Hate About You
(o) Just Married
(x) Gothika
(x) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
(o) Remember the Titans
(o) Coach Carter
(x) The Grudge
(x) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
(o) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 65

(o) Bad Boys
(o) Bad Boys 2
(x) Joy Ride
(o) Lucky Number Slevin
(x) Ocean's Eleven
(o) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
(o) Lone Star
(o) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
(x) Predator II
(x) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
(x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
(x) Curious George
Total so far: 75

(x) Independence Day
(x) Cujo
(o) A Bronx Tale
(x) Darkness Falls
(x) Christine
(x) ET
(x) Children of the Corn
(o) My Boss' Daughter
(o) Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
(x) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 84

(o) Best Bet
(o) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(o) She's All That
(o) Calendar Girls
(o) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
(x) Event Horizon
(o) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
(x) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
(x) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 92

(x) X-Men
(x) X-2
(x) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Sky High
(x) Jeepers Creepers
(o) Jeepers Creepers 2
(o) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday
(o) Reign of Fire
(o) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
(o) Cruel Intentions 2
(o) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
Total so far: 104

(o) Swimfan
(x) Miracle on 34th street
(x) Old School
(o) The Notebook
(o) K-Pax
(o) Krippendorf's Tribe
(o) A Walk to Remember
(o) Ice Castles
(x) Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 108

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
(x) Basketball Diaries
(x) Hostel
(o) Waiting for Guffman
(x) House of 1000 Corpses
(x) Devils Rejects
(o) Elf
(x) Highlander
(x) Mothman Prophecies
(o) American History X
(o) Three
Total so far: 120

(x) The Jacket
(o) Kung Fu Hustle
(o) Shaolin Soccer
(x) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x) Shaun Of the Dead
(o) Willard
Total so far: 126

(x) High Tension
(o) Club Dread
(x) Hulk
(x) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(x) 28 days
(o) Orgazmo
(x) Phantasm
(o) Waterworld
Total so far: 133

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
(o) Mortal Kombat
(x) Wolf Creek
(o) Kingdom of Heaven
(x) The Hills Have Eyes
(x) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
(o) The Last House on the Left
(x) Re-Animator
(x) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 140

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
(o) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
(x) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 147

(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x) The Matrix Revolutions
(x) Animatrix
(x) Evil Dead
(x) Evil Dead 2
(o) Team America: World Police
(x) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
(x) Hannibal
Grand total: 157

My take on AFI's Top 100

I've seen 49 of the Top 100 according to AFI. What I hate about these lists is that I really don't care to see a lot of "important" films and have only seen the bulk of these because of film classes. To me, films are entertainment, they're an escape. When it comes to the "scholarly" films, I'll read about them or watch the pertinent scene(s) or analyze them rather than watch them.

By the way, the Friday the 13th remake comes out Friday!

(x) 1 CITIZEN KANE (1941)
(x) 2 GODFATHER, THE (1972)
(x) 3 CASABLANCA (1942)
(o) 4 RAGING BULL (1980)
(o) 5 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)
(o) 6 GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
(o) 7 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
(x) 8 SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
(x) 9 VERTIGO (1958)
(x) 10 WIZARD OF OZ, THE (1939)
(o) 11 CITY LIGHTS (1931)
(o) 12 SEARCHERS, THE (1956)
(x) 13 STAR WARS (1977)
(x) 14 PSYCHO (1960)
(x) 15 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
(o) 16 SUNSET BLVD. (1950)
(x) 17 GRADUATE, THE (1967)
(o) 18 GENERAL, THE (1927)
(x) 19 ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
(x) 20 IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
(x) 21 CHINATOWN (1974)
(o) 22 SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)
(o) 23 GRAPES OF WRATH, THE (1940)
(x) 24 E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
(x) 25 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
First 25 Total: 15

(o) 26 MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)
(o) 27 HIGH NOON (1952)
(o) 28 ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
(x) 29 DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
(x) 30 APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
(o) 31 MALTESE FALCON, THE (1941)
(o) 32 GODFATHER PART II, THE (1974)
(x) 33 ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)
(x) 34 SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
(x) 35 ANNIE HALL (1977)
(o) 36 BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, THE (1957)
(o) 37 BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, THE (1946)
(o) 38 TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, THE (1948)
(x) 39 DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)
(x) 40 SOUND OF MUSIC, THE (1965)
(o) 41 KING KONG (1933)
(x) 42 BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
(x) 43 MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
(o) 44 PHILADELPHIA STORY, THE (1940)
(x) 45 SHANE (1953)
(o) 46 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
(x) 47 STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, A (1951)
(x) 48 REAR WINDOW (1954)
(o) 49 INTOLERANCE (1916)
(x) 50 LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, THE (2001)
Second 25 Total: 13

(x) 51 WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
(x) 52 TAXI DRIVER (1976)
(x) 53 DEER HUNTER, THE (1978)
(o) 54 M*A*S*H (1970)
(x) 55 NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
(x) 56 JAWS (1975)
(x) 57 ROCKY (1976)
(o) 58 GOLD RUSH, THE (1925)
(o) 59 NASHVILLE (1975)
(o) 60 DUCK SOUP (1933)
(o) 61 SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS (1941)
(o) 62 AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)
(o) 63 CABARET (1972)
(o) 64 NETWORK (1976)
(x) 65 AFRICAN QUEEN, THE (1951)
(x) 66 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
(o) 67 WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966)
(o) 68 UNFORGIVEN (1992)
(x) 69 TOOTSIE (1982)
(x) 70 CLOCKWORK ORANGE, A (1971)
(o) 71 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)
(x) 72 SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE (1994)
(o) 73 BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
(x) 74 SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, THE (1991)
(o) 75 IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967)
Third 25 Total: 12

(x) 76 FORREST GUMP (1994)
(o) 77 ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976)
(o) 78 MODERN TIMES (1936)
(x) 79 WILD BUNCH, THE (1969)
(o) 80 APARTMENT, THE (1960)
(o) 81 SPARTACUS (1960)
(o) 82 SUNRISE (1927)
(x) 83 TITANIC (1997)
(o) 84 EASY RIDER (1969)
(o) 85 NIGHT AT THE OPERA, A (1935)
(x) 86 PLATOON (1986)
(o) 87 12 ANGRY MEN (1957)
(o) 88 BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
(x) 89 SIXTH SENSE, THE (1999)
(o) 90 SWING TIME (1936)
(x) 91 SOPHIE'S CHOICE (1982)
(o) 92 GOODFELLAS (1990)
(o) 93 FRENCH CONNECTION, THE (1971)
(x) 94 PULP FICTION (1994)
(o) 95 LAST PICTURE SHOW, THE (1971)
(o) 96 DO THE RIGHT THING (1989)
(x) 97 BLADE RUNNER (1982)
(o) 98 YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)
(x) 99 TOY STORY (1995)
(o) 100 BEN-HUR (1959)
Fourth 25 Total: 9

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Nikon D90

I just watched the most interesting and inspiring video created from stills shot on the Nikon D90 - which makes me even more desperate to buy the fucking thing. Just. Wow. Using the 4.5 fps still shooting mode and putting that together with Twixtor, just created the most amazing display. Someone had mentioned shooting with a (sorry I forget which one, but one that shot still as at 13-or-so fps -- maybe a D30?) and then running it through Twixtor.

I told the kids yesterday, when one of them made a comment about shooting video on their phone, that soon they would be the subject of many-a-video to which he was rather silent.

But, still, I tried to take a picture of the clouds crawling over our mountains (we have yet to name them, but they're ours) and was pissed that the crappy little 5MP wasn't cutting it. I have been spending a lot of time researching a lot about photography, f-stops, ISOs, the difference between fixed and variable lenses, the meter range or lenses, all that photo stuff to get ready for the (hopefully soon) d90 purchase.

ok. too drunk to continue.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Rough draft of "setup"

I just sent the rough draft of the setup - mentioned in the last entry - to Matt Wilkinson. As I said before, this lays the groundwork for the rest of the film. It clocked in at 24 pages, just shy of my 30-page goal, which translates to about the first half hour of the film. Since it's rough, there's a lot of "cheating" where the dialogue isn't as good as it could be, where some character development is foggy (or non-existent), but, as it is, it's not a bad bit of writing. There's sex and humor, suspense and terror, blood and nudity. Still vague, I know. Hopefully Matt will be intrigued and we'll move forward with it. Then I'll be able to shed a little more light.

Matt's finishing up a location scout and said he'd read it later tonight.

In Detox news, I'm contemplating whether or not to send it in for a critique. The place I'm looking at, ScriptCoach, charges $295 for a complete analysis with about 7-10 pages of notes on how to improve all elements of the script. Plus, it covers 10 pitches at Virtual Pitchfest. I think, once I get through the last few minor changes (and if we get enough back on our tax return), I might do it.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Something new

Long time, no blog.

Believe me, I haven't spent all this time sitting around playing Left 4 Dead (if only!) The something potentially awesome that I had in the works seems to have fallen through, so it really wouldn't even mean much to relay what that was - though it could have been pretty awesome.

I know not many people read this, so what I tap out here is more for my sake than anything else, a way to track what I was working on and when and what became of it. So, I figure, since I'm about to head off down another, hopefully not futile, path I should log it - or blog it.

I have, for the past many months, been trying to concoct something to shoot for a feature film. I'd hoped it would be Detox, but that one is proving too expensive without investors. I'd thought, naively, that a short film would be enough of a proof of concept to generate interest for a feature. Apparently it no longer works that way. So, I've decided an actual feature may be a better proof of concept to, hopefully, get funding for Detox. The problem I kept running into was that every idea I had ended up being even more expensive to shoot.

So I went back to the basics.

What I've got cooking now, I think, as of now, will be cheap enough to self-finance - or at least need little investment money - and still be something I would be proud to be credited as "A Michael Dunn Film." This "something" has yet to be scripted. See, that's where the new thinking comes in. I've spent quite a lot of time researching how to make a microbudget feature. There've been some people that have offered some good advice - despite being dickheads - and some who've given what seemed bad advice and proved to be decent guys. I've been taking it all in and have a plan that - hopefully - will work and will result in being able to have a finished feature-length film under my (and my collaborators') belt without affecting the day job.

Suffice to say, the biggest piece of advice, at least in the scripting stage, is to write around a location. Our biggest expense on "The Bet" was building the sets - in money and time - so, if Matt Wilkinson (producer of "The Bet") is onboard past the initial "You interested?" stage (which he's already mostly onboard at this stage) - basically after he reads the setup - then we'll move on and scout locations which will be factored into the script.

From there, with a finished script, we'll move ahead to breaking it down and budgeting to see how much the whole shebangy will cost. And, if feasible, make a feature.

Stay tuned.