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News & Updates
January 7, 2018
Watch: History’s Best Movie Characters from A to Z
Can you guess all of the characters that appear in this supercut?
Man, there are so many great movie characters. From admirable heroes like Rocky and Aragorn to dastardly villains like Darth Vader and The Joker, it’s so easy to get swept away by all of the fantastically complicated and beautifully multi-dimensional individuals created in the minds of history’s greatest storytellers.
If you want to test your knowledge of history’s greatest characters (or just want to sit back and appreciate those that have graced the silver screen), check out “Best Characters AtoZ,” an entertaining little supercut that is not only a lot of fun to watch, but is also a pretty good refresher of some of cinema’s most memorable heroes and villains.
Source: NoFilmSchool
January 7, 2018
A Cinematographer’s Best Friend: How to Use a Light Meter
Light meters are one of the most helpful and powerful tools that DPs have at their disposal, but how exactly do you use them?
As a cinematographer, light is your most important material for crafting your scenes, but it can be a very tricky thing to have control over. This is why it’s so important to understand how to use a light meter, a device that helps you determine proper exposure and the best light level for a particular scene. In this video from Aputure, DP Julia Swain not only explains how light meters work but also shows you how to use them when you’re trying to come up with the optimum lighting setup for a shot. Check it out below:
There are a number of different ways to measure light, including using monitors with a variety of scopes (waveform, histogram, zebra), but using light meters is a relatively quick and easy way to determine exposure to get the lighting setup your scene needs.
Source: NoFilmSchool
January 6, 2018
Donald Trump Watched ‘The Greatest Showman’ Last Night but Has Somehow Resisted the Urge to Tweet About It
Every so often, we hear about the viewing habits of former presidents. Jimmy Carter watched hundreds during his one term in office, and Bill Clinton once told Roger Ebert that “the best perk of the White House is not Air Force One or Camp David or anything else, it’s the wonderful movie theater I get here.” Donald Trump is better known for watching hours and hours of cable a day — especially “Fox & Friends,” apparently his favorite show — but last night he made time for a musical.
“Today’s pool reporter confirms that the president and his guests watched THE GREATEST SHOWMAN at Camp David last night,” tweeted Chris Geidner of BuzzFeed News. Trump’s tweets this morning were among his most unhinged yet, so it would seem he was too busy assuring the world that he’s “like, really smart” and “a very stable genius” to share his thoughts on Hugh Jackman’s singing abilities.
“The Greatest Showman” has earned middling reviews, but it’s easy to see what drew Trump to the story of an attention-grabbing performer.
Today’s pool reporter confirms that the president and his guests watched THE GREATEST SHOWMAN at Camp David last night.
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) January 6, 2018
Source: IndieWire film
January 6, 2018
Anton Yelchin’s Photography Can Now Be Seen by the Public for the First Time
Nearly two years after his death, Anton Yelchin continues to loom large in the minds of those who knew him. Unknown to most of his fans is the fact that the late actor, who died in a freak accident at the age of 27, was also an amateur photographer. Yelchin’s work will be displayed at the De Buck Gallery in Chelsea, New York until January 20, reports ArtNet, to celebrate his offscreen passion.
David De Buck, who owns the gallery that bears his name, called Yelchin an “extraordinary talent” and said that the ongoing show provides “a unique and intimate peek into his world.” He added that “Anton’s work is a rare and personal glimpse into an extraordinary life. The honest lens with which he captures each image enables a deep connection between the viewer, subject, and photographer.”
The exhibit is comprised of 53 photos taken by Yelchin, and his portion of any sales will be donated to the Anton Yelchin Foundation. Kristen Stewart and Bryce Dallas Howard were among the attendees at the opening-night reception.
Source: IndieWire film
January 6, 2018
5 Cuts You Should Always Have in Your Editing Arsenal
These cuts are the building blocks of editing, so knowing them is absolutely essential.
There are countless techniques you’re going to need to know as an editor, but perhaps one of the most important one you’re going to learn during your career is how to use cuts. These things are the fundamentals of continuity editing, and while a simple cut from one shot to another will more often than not be your go-to method, there are several others you should know about and master if you want to take your editing skills to the next level. Editor Justin Odisho explains and demonstrates some of them in the video below.
If you’re an experienced editor, no doubt you’ve used or at the very least heard about these cuts before. However, if you’re brand new to the game, these will definitely open new doors to your creativity.
Source: NoFilmSchool
January 5, 2018
A Cannes Winner, Missing Children, Jon Hamm & More Trailers You May Have Missed
Staying on top of the trailer circuit is a full-time job in and of itself. We’re here to help.
Step Sisters (dir. Charles Stone III)
The world of women’s collegiate stepping receives a comedic and topical twist in the latest from Drumline director Charles Stone III. Tasked with having to teach an all-white, flighty sorority house how to step for an upcoming charity competition, an African-American student swallows her pride as she simultaneously balances team-building with proving that she’s not a sell-out to steppers of her own race. If these white girls can ace the competition (and keep away from incessant partying and in-house fighting), their instructor will receive entry into Harvard. Although I’m not sure if that’s exactly how the Harvard admissions office conducts their acceptances, it sure sets an interesting plot into motion. This feels like a thematic cross between Legally Blonde and Bring It On, and if its choreography gives off Pitch Perfect vibes, that makes sense: Step Sisters shares their choreographer, Aakomon Jones. Release Date: January 19, 2018, via Netflix
Source: NoFilmSchool
January 5, 2018
Twitter tease indicates HTC could reveal a 4K Vive VR headset at CES
The official HTC Vive Twitter feed is teasing a New Year’s “resolution” ahead of the Vive press conference on Monday. The company may introduce a 4K version of its popular VR headset, although that is just speculation.
The post Twitter tease indicates HTC could reveal a 4K Vive VR headset at CES appeared first on Digital Trends.
Source: Digital Trends VR
January 5, 2018
5 Useful Gear Rental Insights from ShareGrid’s 2017 Data
ShareGrid has analyzed its year and opened up a whole world of useful info for filmmakers.
Camera rental has long been an opaque area for information. You would hear anecdotal evidence like “Those lenses are hot,” or “those camera bodies just sit on the shelf,” but if you didn’t work in a rental house it was hard to know how much of that was stories and how much of it was actionable truth. Why does that info matter? Well, you are way more likely to get a deal on a camera or tool that isn’t super popular, and if you are thinking about rental income being part of your strategy for paying off your gear, knowing what is actually hot is worth investigating.
There is a whole host of new data available about what cameras people are actually using.
With the rental market moving out of individual houses and onto platforms, there is a whole host of new data available about what cameras people are actually using. We had a conversation with Brent Barbano at online rental platform ShareGrid about the company’s 2017 year-in-review to glean a few insights based on this information.
Source: NoFilmSchool
January 5, 2018
Archer Farms Coffee Packaging Illustration by Tom Haugomat
Archer Farms Coffee Packaging Illustration by Tom Haugomat
Staying in the layers of projects related to packaging, we are featuring this lovely series of illustrations for Target’s renowned Archer Farms Coffee by Collins. Designed by Paris-based illustrator and art director Tom Haugomat from Messieurs Dame. Working mainly in illustration, animation and painting; you should definitely follow his Behance for the latest work. I would also add that the graphic design was done by Jules Tardy and Flora Chan, all the skillsets together for a beautiful and easy to ready packaging design.
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Packaging Illustration
AoiroStudio
Jan 05, 2018
Source: Abduzeedo Illustration
January 4, 2018
Tiny flat lenses just graduated to full color (and soon, use outside the lab)
A group of Harvard researchers developed a flat lens that works for full-color images and has already licensed the tech for commercial use. Earlier research showed promise for use in tiny cameras, but couldn’t capture color.
The post Tiny flat lenses just graduated to full color (and soon, use outside the lab) appeared first on Digital Trends.
Source: Digital Trends VR