PRODUCTION JOURNAL: Midweek Morning Mixer - 9.25.13

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Happy birthday, Pedro Almodóvar (Sep. 25, 1951)!
 "When you glance over the early life of Pedro Almodóvar, who turns [62] today, one can start to understand the formation of his style and preoccupations as a filmmaker. Born Pedro Almodóvar Caballero on September 25, 1949 in the country town of Calzada de Calatrava, the young auteur-to-be lived a life defined by poverty and hard work. He was one of four children being raised by his parents, who were poor peasants; his near-illiterate father’s small income came from hauling wine barrels by mule. Young Pedro, however, was intellectually curious and achieved a vaunted position within the community already as a very young child as he was able to read letters and teach literacy to his fellow visitors. At age 8, he was sent to a religious boarding school in Cáceres, with the ultimate aim of becoming a priest, an experience which informed his 2004 film Bad Education. Looking for an escape from his tough, constraining life, Almodóvar discovered cinema, which “became my real education, much more than the one I received from the priest.” Idolizing such directors as Buñuel, Fassbinder, Hitchcock, Fellini and John Waters, Almodóvar would go on to create fabulous, colorful, extravagant melodramas that would provide a perfect counterpoint to his drab, difficult beginnings."~~Focus Features

Want some advice from Pedro on directing comedies?  Then start here.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Happy birthday to the director you either love OR hate and now the following:
WRITING: A Q&A with Sterling Anderson on TV writing and more.
   
PRODUCING: What are the do's and don'ts for web series producers?
FINANCING: What are 7 start-ups every filmmaker should know?
DIRECTING: What are some tips for directing TV commercials?
SHOOTING: How to make your video look like film?
LIGHTING: How do you light for green screen?
SOUND: How can you get good sound with DSLR filming?
STUNTS & FX: How do you choreograph a fight scene?
EDITING: Learn how to use After Effects with some free training.
MARKETING: What goes into the planning of a movie marketing campaign?
DISTRIBUTING: Does digital mean distribution no longer matter?
LEGAL: What are some legal fundamentals of filmmaking?

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