April links

Edited by DTL
Posted April 1, 2011

The first Friday of each month, Minor Mogul presents a small and arbitrary selection of links that will hopefully be useful or interesting to independent creators. To suggest a link for May, please email.

• Clean your lenses

  Camera Assistant Evan Luzi describes and demonstrates how to clean a camera lens properly without damaging it. Vital to know!

  Learn how: www.theblackandblue.com/2011/03/22/how-to-clean-a-camera-lens

• Crazy8s Gala Screening & Party

  The twelfth-annual Crazy8s Gala Screening & Party will be at the Vogue Theatre (918 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC) on April 9 at 7:00 p.m.

  In December, 120 filmmakers signed up to present their short-movie idea in a five-minute video. In January, 42 semi-finalists pitched in person to a jury of industry professionals. In February, 13 finalists honed their scripts with a professional story editor, and on February 28, six winners were chosen. Starting on March 25, they had eight days and $800 to make their movies.

  The finalists and their movies are:

  • Alchemy and Other Imperfections by Zachary Rothman
  • Chained by Rehan Khokhar
  • Colouring on the Walls by Shaun McKinlay
  • Dead Friends by Stephen W. Martin
  • Funny Business by Russell Bennett
  • Run Dry by Sarah Crauder and Lindsay George

  The screening will be hosted by Ken Hegan, and will be followed by an after-party at Science World. Tickets are $25, available online from the Vogue Theatre or or by phone at (604) 569-1144, and from other venues.

• Directing Tools: The Actors’ Language

  Peter D. Marshall asks, “What do actors want more than anything from a Director?” The answer, he says, is trust. And the way to encourage that trust is to speak to the actors in their own language — in ways the actors understand.

  Marshall’s article describes how to give actors the context, objectives, and subtext they need to propel the characters through the scene, and how to direct actors in ways that are helpful and respectful of the actors’ craft.

  Learn more: www.actioncutprint.com/filmmaking-articles/actors-language.

• 24-Hour Film Race 2011

  The 24-Hour Film Race is an international competition that challenges filmmakers everywhere to create short films (4 minutes max.) in just 24 hours. The 2011 competition is scheduled to kick off at 10:00 p.m. EST on Friday, April 29.

  Filmmakers are emailed a theme (eg. revenge, spare change, a trade) and surprise elements (eg. a prop and / or an action) which must be included in the film. Filmmakers have until 9:59 p.m. EST on Saturday, April 30 to write, shoot, and edit an original short film and upload the finished film to www.FilmRacing.com.

  The filmmakers have the option premiering their film at theatres in over 15 cities across North America and the top 24 films from the competition will be invited to a gala screening and awards ceremony in New York on July 16, where they will compete for thousands in cash and prizes.

  Final entry deadline: Wednesday, April 27, 2011

  Learn more: www.filmracing.com/24/24HourFilmRace.htm

• Production in BC declines

  Some recent articles in the mainstream media have trumpetted that the movie industry in BC is booming. Talent agent Richard Lucas parses the data a little more finely, and finds the picture is not so rosy. While big-budget American productions bring lots of dollars to the province, Canadian productions are in decline: from 2007 to 2010, production of Canadian content declined 75 percent.

  Learn more: www.lucastalent.com/?m=201103