filmmaking

It wasn't too long ago that I was charging batteries for my Sony digital 8mm camcorder so they would be ready to record the latest and greatest ideas my friends and I had scribbled down on a napkin. Those images would then be transferred my 800MHz G4 iMac running Mac OS X 10.4.x and edited using iMovie 4. The resulting video projects were fun to watch but nothing close to professional looking. Fast forward to today's announcement of the iPhone 4 and my how things have changed.

iMovie for iPhone 4 was, in my opinion, the most exciting part (save the actual iPhone 4 announcement) of this year's WWDC Keynote from Steve Jobs. As a filmmaker myself, I am always interested in new ways to capture high-quality video, especially from unexpected sources.

iPhone 4's ability to record at such a high resolution will, as the Apple tagline for the iPhone 4 suggests, change everything. Yes, we already have small devices that record that sort of quality, but combined with the iMovie App, the iPhone 4 becomes a true mobile editing suite, suitable for significant productions, all from a single device that you'd be carrying anyway.

Think of it this way: Your pocket just got lighter. CNET's David Carnoy asks, "Is HD video in iPhone 4 a Flip Video Killer?" Without a doubt. Not only does the iPhone 4 provide similar-quality video recording, it has an app to edit. And it happens to be built in to the most revolutionary phone device on the planet. Flip is dead. … Read more

AUSTIN, Texas--The Internet and the rise of online video have meant a plethora of new options for independent filmmakers. But, as has been well-publicized, the money just isn't there yet. A panel at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival on Monday highlighted that this is an extremely contentious issue.

"Digital distribution is not some magic bullet," said panelist Gary Hustwit on the success of his documentary "Helvetica," in front of a packed room of audience members that came from both SXSWi and its sister festival, SXSW Film. "It's not that because the film … Read more

PARK CITY, Utah--The Sundance Film Festival is all about film buzz. Word spreads quickly about the biggest tearjerkers, the most overhyped films, the pleasant surprises, and the ones mostly likely to make their way to the cineplex.

What you don't hear, however, is what it's like for the makers of such films as they anticipate showing their work to the world for the very first time. What is their range of emotions as they prepare for what could be a standing ovation or a mass exodus before the credits even roll?

Ondi Timoner, who's here competing with … Read more

With more and more shutterbugs using the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the Nikon D90 to make short films, it was inevitable that camera rigs would be redesigned to accommodate these snappers.

Previously, we've reported on Redrock's rail mounts and focusing rig for the Canon dSLR. But now another company, Zacuto, has a more universal solution that can fit almost any dSLR. The company has five kits consisting of different components such as baseplates, grips, and shoulder/tripod mounts to meet the different needs of cinematographers.

The designers of these kits, Steve Weiss and Jens Bogehegn, placed … Read more

The Sundance Institute's decision to open its upcoming film festival with a clay animation flick shines a light on one of the oldest forms of filmmaking--molded with a modern day twist.

Robert Redford's film institute last week announced that the opening night film at its annual festival in January will be Mary and Max, a feature-length movie directed by Australian animator Adam Elliot and produced by Melanie Coombs of Melodrama Pictures. Elliot and Coombs' 2004 Sundance film, Harvie Krumpet, went on to win the Academy Award for best-animated short film.

Mary and Max, narrated by Barry Humphries, is … Read more

To mark the United Nations' first-ever International Day of Democracy, the U.S. State Department launched a YouTube-based video contest on Monday.

Called the Democracy Video Challenge, the contest encourages the submission of three-minute videos that define the concept of democracy.

"The Democracy Video Challenge asks budding filmmakers, democracy advocates, and the general public to create video shorts that complete the phrase, 'Democracy is...'," the contest's official Web site explains. While they don't require entrants to be professional filmmakers, it's pretty clear that they're looking for something more high-end than sitting in front of … Read more

It's not just screaming little tweens who are buzzing about Disney's Hannah Montana 3D concert film, which open in theaters Friday for a one-week run.

Having already sold out during popular show times in certain markets, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert, is no doubt making online ticket sellers happy, too.

For example, Fandango.com, the largest online movie ticket seller, is likely to mark January as one the most--if not the most--trafficked month in its eight-year history. "Most of the traffic is due to Hannah Montana," said Fandango spokesman Harry … Read more

No End in Sight, an Iraq war documentary by tech exec-turned-filmmaker Charles Ferguson, was nominated last week for an Academy Award.

The film, an analysis of how the U.S. occupation in Iraq evolved into a violent quagmire, was Ferguson's first film project, but apparently not his last.

"The experience of making this film was so amazing, so extraordinary, that it completely converted me to filmmaking," Ferguson said in response to e-mailed questions. "I certainly hope that I can make more films, both documentaries and features, if the world lets me...I have no idea yet … Read more

This entry was updated on January 28 to reflect the film's award status.

PARK CITY, Utah--On one end of the documentary spectrum, you have films that are akin to extended works of journalism. They are in-depth, objective examinations of issues, personalities or phenomena that often leave you thinking that truth really is stranger than fiction.

On the other end are advocacy films, which seem increasingly popular here at the Sundance Film Festival, particularly when it comes to politically charged issues such as the war in Iraq and the environment.

The latter type of documentary can be just as informative … Read more