PRODUCTION JOURNAL: Midweek Morning Mixer - 10.16.13

-
Edison's Black Maria, the world's first film production studio
October 16, 1894

On Wednesday 16 October 1894, rodeo star Lee Martin from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show rode a wild bronco for the cameras of W. K. Dickson. Performed in a makeshift rodeo just outside Thomas Edison’s “Black Maria,” the first movie production studio located in West Orange, New Jersey, the early cowboy spectacle was part of a cavalcade of entertainments –– from cock fights and boxers to jugglers and magicians –– that Dickson filmed. Buffalo Bill, who just happed to be performing in Brooklyn at the time, brought down a range of stars from his traveling show to perform, including Martin, and, then two weeks later, Annie Oakley gave a sharp-shooting demonstration. ~~ Focus Features

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WRITING: What are 18 exercises you can do right now to combat writer's block and fix your script?

 PRODUCING: What are the top 10 successful horror production companies making big bucks with fear? 

FINANCING: How do you create an actionable timeline for crowdfunding your movie?

 DIRECTING: What are the 50 greatest shots in film history?

 SHOOTING: What do you know about steadicam?



LIGHTING: How should you light dark skin? 
And some more on that topic. Plus this video...

SOUND: What are 5 examples where the choice of music made the scene work?

 STUNTS & FX: Who ensures no animals were harmed in the making of a film? (Bonus: visit the Production Toolkit for AHA guidelines and videos on working with animals.)

 EDITING: How can you make an AVID editing bay for under $1500?

 MARKETING:What are 6 ways to fix movie trailers?

 DISTRIBUTION: What is a festival worth for your film?

 LEGAL:  What are some things you should know about production insurance?  And a few things more...

 And here's more of Dickson's Buffalo Bill videos:




Shooting at the Black Maria

Comments

Post a Comment

Behind the visuals, a vision.

Popular posts from this blog

PRODUCTION TIPS: What is a Loan-Out Company? And Should I Form One?

-
Although I wrote this originally for El Blog de HOLA with actors in mind, loan-out companies are used by artists and entertainers of all stripes; directors, musicians, writers, producers, fashion designers, etc. Therefore, the following below is beneficial to you too if you have reached a certain level of success in the arts and entertainment industries. +++++++ “I’ve heard that a lot of Hollywood actors have a loan-out company for their acting services. What is a loan-out company and should I form one?” A loan-out company is a business entity formed by entertainers like actors, musicians, directors, producers, etc. (“owner”) to provide their services under the guise of  “employee” to a third party like a studio, production company, television network, record label, etc. Although usually a C corporation (one that is taxed separately from its owners), the loan-out can be an LLC (limited liability company)or an S corporation. It is called a loan-out because the company “le
Read more

PRODUCTION JOURNAL: How Tarantino Got Reservoir Dogs Funded and Why It's Worth Knowing People Who Know Celebrities

-
Image
The gift of overwhelming information to read on the internet burdens us to actually read it. One article that I came across that I found personally engaging was Peter Darling's Best Way to Run a Business. I think it is aimed at solo attorneys and budding entrepreneurs and small businesspeople. I think it is also useful for filmmakers. (To read the entire short article, click here .)  The part that stood out for me and which I find relevant for filmmakers is this one:  There are people all around you excelling at what you’re trying to learn. Start paying close attention to how they do it... Every day I am surprised when I ask clients and filmmakers if they know how "X director" or "Y producer" made "Z film" and the answer is "no." I am surprised because anyone who has been in the trenches long enough will tell you how hard it is to make a film. The difficulty comes in 7 stages, each getting progressively harder: It's hard to c
Read more

CASE STUDY: A Look at Some of TV's Most Successful PODs

-
Image
With news that Neal Baer (showrunner of Under the Dome, Law & Order: SVU, ER) just signed a POD deal with 20th Century Fox , I thought it was worth looking at the holy grail for television writers/producers: the POD deal aka the production overall deal.  Now we don't often talk about television productions but with the quality of television productions meeting and oftentimes exceeding the quality of films, it's time to reconsider. I'm a big believer in aiming high and learning from successful people so the article below will give you something to aim for (POD deals) and give you examples of people with POD deals to learn from. A Look at Some of TV’s Most Successful PODs  Originally published by Film Escape April 5, 2015 and written by Charlie Sierra It’s every TV writer/producer’s dream to get a POD deal at a studio. To be paid handsomely and respected for the work that you create is something that everyone strives for.  A POD (production overall deal is ba
Read more