Featured on the National Screen Institute's Online Film Fest!!

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Wow! How amazing is it to be featured as part of the NSI's Online Film Fest? I even get a "Director's Bio". Fancy! Check out the feature here with a director's bio and my artist statement.

Check out "Installing..."here:

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How to Roll a Joint - Process Doc.

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So, when my mom asks me what I did in film school, this is what I'll have to show.



Assignment: 2 minute process documentary using different shots and edited together


How to Roll a Joint feat. Coco ✌ from Janet Lee Rose on Vimeo.

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LOCKE: A Study in Efficient Filmmaking

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Last night I had the pleasure of catching Steven Knight's newest, Locke, featuring Tom Hardy. The premise of the film is a man's journey as he drives and speaks to various characters via Bluetooth, with the titular character of Ivan Locke at the wheel.


Locke is an interesting study in film for its efficiency, fantastic acting, and excellent writing. It took five days to film it, with one setting (a BMW) and one character. I won't be reviewing plot details as the film's writing is so well done that it's worth seeing for Knight's skillful reveals.

Ivan Locke, a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest challenge of his career that sets in motion a series of events that threaten his careful cultivated existence.

With one location/one actor films, the script and direction must be very strong. Prior films like this are Phone Booth (2002) and Buried (2007), both with strong male leads in dire situations. Locke, takes the whole one character film to a new level, the plot much more a modern life study on human error and the important things in life.

Knight has done something many filmmakers strive to do: create a character in a situation who are riveted by, even if the circumstances are mundane. The plot is slowly revealed, like peeling away layers of an onion. When Locke is introduced you don't know what to expect, is there a bomb in the car? Is he part of a large drug conspiracy?

Everything is revealed through conversations with other characters, and when the plot is fully "in your face", you are pleasantly surprised and captivated by the humanness of it all. Knight should be very proud of what he's accomplished as Locke is a wonderful character study, it touches on all aspects of right and wrong, family, love and responsibility. There is never a question of why Locke is doing what he's doing, the character is so well written that motivations and ethics are crystal clear.

Of course, to pull this off you need a powerhouse actor, none other than the transformative Tom Hardy. His genuine and fully realised character is mesmerizing on screen. Actors, watch this to see what great acting is. Hardy's face and voice take you into the tumultuous and intimate word of Locke, I found myself so drawn to this man confronting his mistake. It was all very real and personal. After all, acting is all about private moments made public.

Put together great direction, acting and writing and you have an intimate portrait of a man's life turning upside down. The sound and music are perfect, cinematography is great for what few shots were available.

Indie Filmmakers - this is a great study in ways to be an efficient filmmaker while telling a great story, no special effects, dozens of locations or big budgets needed. 




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To Be An Artist - Rant

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To be an artist is part of my deeper self, it is a calling that I have had since I was a child. I could not imagine a life not dedicated to creating. I know many others feel the same way. We have this deep hidden connection where we want to share our stories and feel affect and connected. It is the power of storytelling that drives us towards books, movies and music.

So it is painful when those you love and who love you do not understand this calling. It is a long and hard path to go for something abstract and not concrete, so all an artist can ask for is not success or fame or fortune. It is to ask for the SUPPORT of those who love them, to just have them say, "Ok, go for it, I believe in you. I believe in what you're doing." Because deep down, no matter what I do or will do, it is always painful when your closest friend or mother tells you to 'consider other options' or 'get a real job'.

Public Service Announcement: Have an artist in your life? Tell them you believe in them, let them know they have talent or purpose! Cultivate their creativity.

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Film School Chronicles: Part 2

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The last time I did a film school post was two weeks ago! I apologize for the big break in posts but it's called an intensive for a reason. I've had some requests to write about my program at Ryerson (Summer Film School) and will be breaking it down to the classes I've attended.

Ryerson's Sound Stage

Motion Picture Production:

The last two weeks consisted of filming our first assignment, a 30 second documentary style film with a still camera. The equipment? A Bell & Howell 16mm. This thing has got a parallax lens, what does that mean? It means when you look through the lens you don't see what's going to be on the film!

Crazy, I know. As a digital age millenial, I had a lot of trouble wrapping my mind around this. We actually had to use a tape measure to check the distance from the lens to the subject, adjusting it manually. Then we had to use a light metre to manually measure the aperture and f-stop.

This was definitely a learning experience, once we developed the film we saw our mistakes, our out of focus shots or over/underexposed shots. Now this may be an archaic way to produce films but the images were beautiful! I would say I have a love-hate relationship with film but I am excited to create more projects using the medium.

So, here is some recommended readings/viewings from our MOPRO class:


No electricity needed, just wind and go!
  1.  "Toward True Cinema" - Vorkapich Theory - we are currently learning about film history and now examining experimental film and using the medium not just as a way to reproduce theatre or photography but as a way to play with motion and emotion. Salvko Vorkapich is who we are studying and modelling our assignment #2 after.
    *unfortunately I cannot find the article online but look it up for one of the founding articles of avant garde cinema
  2. "Meshes in the Afternoon" (Vimeo) - Maya Deren is one of the founders of experimental/personal film. We watched this in class yesterday and were all stunned by the in-camera effects, Freudian themes and eerie storytelling.

  3. "Stages of Production & Personnel" (PDF) - Some film school information about the basics on a production. 

Film Technology I: 

This has been a really fun and hands on class, every time we are in it we go to the soundstage and learn practical applications for on-set. The last two weeks we went over film editing, which I would love to write more about but to put it simply: cutting and taping together film to make a movie. Yes, actually.

We also went over lighting in the last class. We were shown various lights, going over warm/cold, amps/wattage, what certain lights would be used in certain scenes (ex. a cigarette/dash light for scenes in the car). The lights we were shown for the modern filmmaker are Kino Flo lights.

One of the most interesting things about attending film school in this day and age is seeing the mesh of past and present, we were shown the old tungsten lights that have now transitioned to LED lights that can be adjusted for daylight or indoor lighting.

And lastly, one of the great learning experiences was our Q&A with a CBC Producer/Exec who was really encouraging about being an artist but also realistic about funding for filmmakers. She provided a great list of areas we can get funding from for our films (BravoFACT, Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm) and answered our questions about projects we wanted to produce and the legalities behind production.


Film & Sound Editing:
Film and Sound Editing is a super hands on, practical course. We are given rushes for a film/tv series and instructed to use Adobe Premiere CS6 to edit the clip down. My finished clip is below, we get marked on this.

Our second assignment is all about sound editing and inputting sound effects, ambience and voice overs into a clip. We were given "Sin City" and have to record our own VO for Mickey Rourke and adjust all the sound effects. Just starting on that one and it's a doozy!

My finished X-Files Editing Assignment here:




Screenwriting:
We've gone over the basics of screenwriting such as formatting and the three act structure. The next topic was 'Writing Funny'. This is where our teacher went on to discuss what makes us laugh (pain/truth) and showed us various clips from comedic movies/shows.

An exercise I really enjoyed was one where he talked about the 9-1 rule, where for every ten ideas you have, one will be good. We went through the class and read out 10 names we came up with for a sports team, some flopped but some were surprise hits!

The thing I really enjoyed about that was getting the fear of failure out of the way, because the only thing holding you back from writing anything is fear.

Other topics we covered were the One Page Synopsis for Film and Loglines.


All in all, film school is proving to be intensive, exhausting and educating. There are a lot of things you can teach yourself using the internet or books and there are a lot of frustrating moments where I ask "What am I paying for?". 

But then that would be the wrong attitude because, like life, you get what you put in. So far I have been immersed in the film world and even if I did know some of the things before, now I am more acquainted with the theory or technical side. Also, it's only been three weeks and the knowledge that is crammed in my head is worth the dollar bills that have been dropped on this program - if not just getting to play with all those shiny cameras ;-)

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DOM HEMINGWAY: Dark Comedy with Heart

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Tuesdays mean cheap movies, so I decided to pop into to Carlton Cinemas and randomly picked "Dom Hemingway". I knew absolutely nothing about it other than its genre (dark comedy), lead actor (Jude Law) and also, that Daenarys Emilia Clarke was supporting. 


Anyone who knows me knows that dark comedies are my favourite genre. There's nothing like the witty play on terrible situations and awful people to get my interest. Dom Hemingway is no exception. 

Richard Sheppard, director of "Girls" and "The Matador", wrote and directed this hilarious homage to dirty London dark comedies - Guy Ritchie would be proud. Not only does Dom Hemingway load up the audience with commentary on life after prison but the excellent writing allows us to see what everyone experiences: getting old, being irrelevant.

The chemistry between these two is amazing.
Jude Law plays the titular character, a safecracker with magical fingers who has served 12 years in prison for remaining silent. On the day of his release he is let out into the modern world of London - first stop? To beat the man who married his wife to a bloody pulp. 

Freedom in the civilized world quickly spirals from there. Dom meets with his best friend/partner, Dickie (played by a marvelous Richard E. Grant) and is brought to France to meet with Mr. Fontaine, his old boss that he protected and served jail time for. You're ensured a crazed night with liquor and cocaine; a beautifully shot, slow-motion car accident, and the loss of riches. 

Dom is a notorious criminal who is hungry for payment after 12 years of imprisonment... the only thing that scares him now is his estranged daughter, Evelyn.

This is what separates Dom Hemingway from being just a witty, dark comedy about some Cockney convicts doing the "get rich or die trying" plot. The complexity of Dom is a great vehicle for Jude Law's subtlety while playing a larger than life character. Many times his performance can speak for itself, showing the pain and incredulity at his life circumstances. Dom's greatest flaw is not knowing what's important in life and that is definitely a lesson that is knocked right into the audience's head. Don't let that stop you from watching the film, it's not a morality tale - it's more of a wake up call to all of us.

The genre has become scarce in movie theatres and festivals but this film gives me hope that more black comedies will be popping up in the future. I was thoroughly impressed with the writing, acting and plot - this is a dark comedy with heart.

TRAILER FOR DOM HEMINGWAY

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Film School Chronicles - Part I

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This is my first week as a student in Ryerson University's Summer Film School. The course is a 12 week intensive program giving students a chance to write, produce, edit and direct their own films. I will be chronicling my experience for all who are interested in reading!

First day and I get on the dolly for a scene run-through!

The courses I will be taking over the next 12 weeks are:
  • Film Technology I & II
  • Film and Sound Editing I
  • Fiction Screenwriting
  • Motion Picture Production I & II
  • Directing Screen Performance - Basic Principles
  • Cinematography and Lighting Design I
Three Days In: What do I think? Pretty bad ass, so far. 

Each day of the week we attend a different course and are taught all about the film industry and what's expected of us. There are 27 students and it is definitely a nice mix of experience and different backgrounds. We have business students, teachers, ex-military, writers and pretty much anything else you can think of. 

Monday was our first day of Film Tech I and as soon as I walked in, I knew it would be a good class... why? Because, there were three cameras lined up at the front, two of them were beauties that I've always wanted to play with: the Arriflex 535 and the Black Magic. Our teacher then proceeded to show us different film cameras and explain the age of digital filmmaking. 

The coolest thing about this program so far is we start learning on 16mm film! Using a Bell & Howell 16mm camera for the first few weeks, we'll shoot and edit and create 2-3 shorts. He walked us through opening the camera and loading the film - which, for a digital person, like myself - was a bit of a trial. 

Then, after lunch, we went for a tour of the Image Arts campus and I was impressed. Not only do they have full photo studio bays and film editing labs and dark rooms, there is a huge sound stage and green screen! That's where we spent time building and taking down a full set - a living room, complete with a door, windows and a fireplace. I also got to climb up a scaffold and took down lights.  
The course was already impressing me with how hands on we got in the first 5 hours! Then, our prof pulled out the dolly and a Panasonic digital camera. Volunteers took on roles as directors/actors/camera ops and we played out a scene using the dolly. 

The amount of equipment I got to play with on the first day really makes me excited for the rest of the summer. Also, the fact that the school has a carpenter who will help build set pieces... well, any ideas for a great short film? 

Then Day 2 brought Motion Picture Production. We learned extensively about cameras: exposure, film versus digital, ISO, fps - the list goes on. Our first assignment is to film a 30 second, black and white, silent documentary.  We're going to be pitching our ideas tomorrow and begin filming and editing, pretty much right away. I have a feeling this course will be particularly challenging and informative.

And, last but not least, today was our first Screenwriting class. It was very informative and went through formatting, story structure and the film industry. Every question was answered and a few samples were read out loud. 

I had a good class but felt maybe this was a bit too introductory for me, I would recommend it if you have never touched a screenplay before.


Three days in and I can say that the course has not been a disappointment yet. I definitely feel more knowledgable on cameras and being a crew member for films. 

For my readers that don't want to fork out for film school, stay tuned for more updates and enjoy the suggested reads from film school.

Reading List:
Mandatory:
Recommended:
* denotes my personal recommendation for filmmakers



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How Tinder Made Me Believe in Privilege

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I'm sure everyone has seen the Princeton's student's complaints about 'White Privilege' and his pedantic blog post about his grandparent's struggles and how his hard work should not be discredited just because of his external appearance.

And I know, I am one of many who read it and saw his disastrous news appearance and discredited him for his views. I also know, this is not much to do with filmmaking, as my blog is focused on... yet I am compelled to write about it as I had an experience tonight that truly opened my eyes to what it means to be privileged.



Privilege is not about what you know you have or are awarded, it is about what you don't realize you are awarded because of who you are.

This has nothing to do with race, gender, or religion. It all boils down to - what you don't appreciate.

Tonight my girlfriend and I decided to play Tinder Roulette. For the new and naive, Tinder is a dating app - or game as I like to think of it - where singles (or non-singles) connect their Facebooks and swipe left (no thanks) or right (mmm, date?) and are matched from there.

We played a game where whoever I was matched with we messaged to meet us at the restaurant we were having pitchers of beer at. It was a fun, harmless little thing that I thought would result in... well, nothing.

What I really learned was what privilege is.

See, two men showed up. One, was a tall blonde, a little drunk from having fun with his roommates, college educated etc. He had a stick up his ass. He seemed quite uptight to find not only my girlfriend there but another Tinder gentleman. He had his beer and left.

The other - well he was attractive, French, no accent and quite intelligent, sociable and well spoken - a lot of fun, and he bought us two pitchers of beer! A winner? Yes, I'd say so. It wasn't until after we left the bar and headed out for falafel that I saw his hand... He was disabled, his right hand was... not useable.

And this is where the idea of privilege hit me in the face.

You see, privilege is not about knowing what struggles you've faced or what battles you've had to fight to get where you are. No, privilege is about the struggles you've never had to face - whether it is being a caucasian male/ethnic male/caucasian female/ethnic female.

I realized then, that: Wow. This guy has a way harder time finding a mate than any of us can fathom. Because in the grand scheme of pay scale or college education, finding your significant other really takes the cake.

I, as an Asian Female, who has many struggles of her own (being taken seriously, being seen as many tropes or stereotypes etc.) will never have to face what this gentleman had to face. His whole life he has had a visible handicap that separates him from the rest. And as charming, as funny, as down to Earth as he was... you could not unsee his lack of privilege.

So, for the Princeton undergrad, no one is saying you've never had to struggle or face problems... but what everyone is saying, is that you cannot realize what privilege you have in being healthy, male and caucasian.

We are all gifted with the power of life and freedom to view my blog post right now. There are so many other possibilities we could have been born into: civil wars, North Korea, a child in war torn Afghanistan... and yet, we are gifted with the privilege to be debating privilege.

It is not until you walk or understand another's life that you can see what privilege is. And what this random Tinder encounter made me realize, is that privilege is subjective. It doesn't matter what sex or race you are, he was educated, male, caucasian, charming... and yet, his hand will prevent him from enjoying many aspects of life that we take for granted.


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3 Things That Make "The Only Lovers Left Alive" The Perfect Indie Film

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Cheap Tuesdays are a great time to enjoy the cinema. Tonight, I caught acclaimed indie director Jim Jarmusch's newest: The Only Lovers Left Alive. With a wonderful cast and hypnotizing soundtrack, this vampire tale is a prime example of a film that has all the right ingredients.



The following are my Top 3 reasons this film was so special:

1. Soundtrack & Cinematography & Art Direction
OK, I know that #1 is really three things but I want to make the list short!

That first opening shot with the two lovers, each revelling in their existence and the power of music was hypnotizing. The blend of the needle hitting the record, melting into their ethereal faces set the tone for a visual odyssey.

Match this with the selected soundtrack of classical, neo-rock/grunge, Eastern lilts and the lighter moments of the oldies really made the film a stunning montage of two lovers' very long lives.

And don't get me started on the art direction! The night is its own character as the story unfolds in a bustling and isolated Morocco, and of all places, Detroit. Two places that can be believably haunted by vampires. Then the costuming: the play of light and dark on Adam and Eve, the tattered fur of Ava really brings out the 'LA' in her. Also, don't forget the sunglasses. Since when were vampires such rockstars?

2. Cast
I cannot think of a better cast for this film. Tilda Swinton is a magnificent actress who embodies every role, once she becomes a character there is no one else better fit for it. She is both angelic and alien, dangerous and lovely, mother and sinner.

Then there is Tom Hiddleston, one of the finest theatre actors of our time. Usually when an actor has a big caliber film like Thor under his belt you cannot forget their superhero/villain persona - not the case with this actor! Hiddleston brings out eternal angst with such grace, he is sexy, endearing and laughable. The two leads were meant for these roles. Their chemistry is perfect and they are definitely my favourite vampire couple (ahem, Twilight).

Special note to the supporting cast because they were all perfect, I cannot praise a cast more than I have for this film: Anton YelchinMia WasikowskaJohn Hurt and Jeffrey Wright.

3. Never takes itself too seriously
When you hear 'indie vampire' film, you usually think of something way too self-indulgent or don't even bother because you've seen it all before.

Let The Only Lovers Left Alive rid you of those notions! With enough smart humour and witty, well deserved laughs, this film will surprise you. Literary fans will enjoy this immensely as there are tons of easter eggs with nods/jabs to various literary heroes. There are moments where the seriousness and angst of these vampires are played upon; the nuclear family they attempt, the packing of their belongings and the hiding of a dead body. Also, enjoy seeing Detroit in its current state,  a filmmaker has never made better use of a city.

Great writing and direction as this film is not a comedy but it's not a drama either, though it's not without its emotional moments. This is definitely something special, an instant cult classic!

Well, those are my three takeaways from Jarmusch's latest. If you're into independent films and are looking for something with wit, style and substance, you've found it.


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Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Impressive Visuals and Cast but Cliched and Unoriginal

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Amazing Spider-Man 2 is back and bigger than ever. The sequel really takes things to a whole new level visually and comic book fans will be pleased to see how try they stay true to many of the weaving plotlines.

We are immersed into Peter Parker's world: his relationship with Gwen Stacy is haunted by the danger that follows his masked adventures; questions about his past are answered,  and Harry Osborn is reintroduced as the menacing and unhinged rich boy. Also, Jamie Foxx creates laughs as Max Dillon whose character experiences a freak accident making him a visually impressive Electro.

I'm very impressed with the visuals, watching this on IMAX was the best choice - those fight scenes are unforgettable and really make use of 3D tech. Garfield and Stone are extremely charming and nauseatingly cute as Peter and Gwen, both lighting up the screen. What can you say, they were meant to be movie stars and on screen lovers.

This sequel surprised me with how much I actually enjoyed it. Still, the Spiderman films have always lacked some key ingredient, nothing was fresh or original, I was not once surprised and I felt like I had seen it before (well I have with Tobey McGuire).

The writers and directors need to bring Spidey deeper and not keep everything so on the surface. Even when there seems to be emotional or powerful moments they are downplayed and feel inauthentic. With the powerhouse VFX and strong actors the films could be so much more! This sequel came close but still felt a little thin, it was a lot more style than substance.

Hopefully, with the third instalment we can see a darker and more passionate side to Spidey.

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3 Reasons Every Filmmaker Needs to Take An Acting Class

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It's been a while since I've been to an acting class and when I was in Vancouver visiting I dropped into my old haunt, at Shea Hampton's studio. Seeing my lovely friends definitely made me nostalgic to the days of being a thespian, it also made me realize many things from the new perspective of a writer/director.

As a filmmaker it is your responsibility to make sure cast and crew cooperate,  even if you have an amazing script/cinematographer/etc, your film can flounder if there is no teamwork.

Joss Whedon and really famous faces, on set.

1. Learning How to Work With Actors

There is a well known gap on film sets between the crew and the actors. Oftentimes I have found that resentment and tension can arise because of the misunderstanding between roles. Crew will complain about lazy actors and actors will complain about harsh directors.

This is why it is important for filmmakers to attend at least one acting class, to see how much heart and soul actors put into their craft. For filmmakers their craft is the camera, the shot, the story - for the actor, their craft is their emotional life and vulnerability. Two artists with two different tools, one with a camera, the other with their mind and body. 
Actors are actually cry-babies!
Attending an acting class allows you to witness how much work actors put, not only to memorizing their lines, but in getting to be vulnerable. On-set you're so busy prepping the lighting or directing the shot that you don't see how the actor spends their time getting emotionally prepped for a scene.

This is important especially if you're a technical director, it is important for you to go to a class to learn how to direct actors. The acting language can be the biggest barrier between an actor and their director. When the director tells the actor to "Look more sad" this will result in a lot of retakes.

An acting class will show you how actors respond best and how they actually aren't narcissists but sensitive artists that really want to please you!


2. Understanding Different Interpretations

Acting is interpreting the script, it is reading between the lines and responding to what happens in the scene. What makes an actor stand out is their interpretation of the story and character. A lot of the times this can be mistaken for bad acting.

Going to an acting class you can usually see numerous actors doing the same scene and how it changes from person to person. This is important to understand that each actor brings something of themselves to the character and some may be more suited than another. Their interpretation is what can make or break a role!
Seeing various takes from different actors on one scene can really open your eyes. Sometimes an actor will completely surprise you, whether it is with their looks/take on the character/speech!

Going to an acting class will keep your mind open to the possibilities a character and actor can offer, it will also make you realise that most actors aren't bad, their interpretation just didn't suit your vision. 


3. Auditions Are Terrifying

As I come from an acting background I understand the horrors and stress of auditions: the hours you spend pouring over a script or rehearsing with a friend, the money you spend to get an acting coach to assist, that shift you had to get covered at work... all to walk in a room for five minutes and be written off.

Having sat on both sides of the audition room I can identify with the terror of the actor as well as the exhaustion of the director/producer/casting director. Seeing numerous amounts of people a day butchering your script can put you on edge. But if you attend an acting class and see how passionate and for lack of a better word, desperate, actors are you would actually feel more empathy towards them.

After all, they spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on acting training/headshots/submissions, just so they could act in front of you for three minutes.

Lastly, you bridge the gap. 

Everyone on set wants to tell a compelling and authentic story, no one wants to be on a film that is ripped apart. Attending an acting class when you're a writer/director/crew member is an act of good faith, a helping hand to the other side of the camera. We all want to create something amazing and memorable, if you come to an acting class you could find your next muse or a fellow collaborator!

An example of great partnerships.
What makes a great filmmaker is not just their dolly shot or expensive equipment or groundbreaking script - it's their ability to lead a team to create a world where audiences can escape. Be a great and partner with your actors and crew! 


** disclaimer - this article is written in good faith that you meet actors who aren't narcissistic or you attend an acting class that is legitimate and not about becoming 'famous'

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James Cameron's Reddit AMA: Highlights for Filmmakers

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James Cameron is a household name, whether you're a fan or not, you've seen his films. Cameron made his mark with The Terminator (1984), following with the classic horror/sci-fi film,  Aliens (1986) - a personal favourite of mine. This is just the beginning of his career, what we attribute to him now is the development of 3D Technology for his epic, Avatar (2009). He was one of the co-developers of what Hollywood uses now for its 3D flicks. 

And of course, there's Titanic (1997). Not only is he the director of the two biggest films of all time, he is also a deep-sea explorer, producer, editor and environmentalist. 


Yesterday he did a Reddit - Ask Me Anything, one of the best public forums on the internet! Here are some highlights from the acclaimed filmmaker that I feel contain some great advice for aspiring creative types. 

Check out the full AMA here.


On Creativity and Filmmaking:
Mr. Cameron, what do you like about filmmaking the most?
I personally love the close work with the actors when we're trying to break a scene, when we're trying to figure out the heart of a scene. I may have written it a year earlier, but the real creative work is that day, when you're going to shoot that scene. I love that we find that magic that was not obvious on the page.

What do you like to do to help get your creative juices flowing?
Well, I'll work out or do yoga. Sometimes I'll read or watch something that is in the same area code to the project I'm working on. If I'm in the midst of a project, I'll go back and read what I wrote the day before. I also have an extensive file of images- photographs and art- that I like to consult.

Hi Mr. Cameron I love your work you're an inspiration. can I ask: what has been your favorite film this year?
This year, 2014, I haven't seen that much that inspired me yet. My favorite film of last year, hands down, was Gravity, and I was hoping it would win best picture, but certainly happy that my friend Alfonso Cuaron won best director. I did think that this new Captain America was an interesting film for its genre, in that it tackled this idea of digital surveillance and the kind of dark side of our hyperconnected society.
I have many questions, but one that stands out the most is: Why the shift from Battle Angel to producing more Avatar films? Is it the overwhelming success Avatar generated or the drive to develop the world Avatar exists in more? How much more do we not know about their world/universe?
My intention when I made Avatar was to do Battle Angel next. However, the positive feedback for Avatar and the support of the message of Avatar, encouraged me to do more of those films.
For me, the success was a factor because I was encouraged by the fact that an environmental film, or a film about nature, could be successful. It's certainly not just about money. I'm considering success to mean the measure of the ability of the film to communicate. Every director wants their film to communicate. The biggest factor, however, is the drive to continue developing the world-- more characters, more creatures with unfettered creativity.

You have made some of the most successful and best films of the last 30 years, or ever for that matter. Where do you want to see the feature film industry go? That could include, but is not limited to, the stories being told, digital vs film, 24 vs 48 fps, reboots, IMAX, you name it. Thanks for,the AMA!
48 fps to me is not a format, it's a tool, like music it's good to use sparingly and in the right spot. I believe all movies should be made in 3D, forever, but the projection needs to be better, and brighter. I want people to see in the movie theaters what I am seeing in my perfectly calibrated screening room, and people aren't seeing that. Larger formats. I'd love to see screens get bigger. In terms of storytelling, I'd like to see Hollywood embrace the caliber of writing in feature films that we're currently seeing in the series on television - more emphasis on character, and less on explosions and pyrotechnics. And I'm talking the big tentpole movies, I think they're obnoxiously loud and fast.

Being the director of a long list of award winning films, what is it that motivates/inspires you every day when you're on set?
Also, any good book recommendations?
I think that what inspires me when I'm on set is working with people I enjoy working with, whether it's the actors, or the visual artists, or even the engineers and technical people, I enjoy the feeling of a group solving problems together and feeling a sense of accomplishment together. That's why to me the expeditions aren't that different from the feature film projects.
I just read a number of good books on similar subjects. One is called Just Food, and it looks at a lot of the myths around food and sustainability. Another is called the Sixth Extinction, which looks at the one we're in right now. There have been five major extinctions in paleo-history, and we're in the middle of the one we're causing. The book I would recommend to everybody is The China Study, which shows definitively that we can not only survive but thrive without meat or dairy, which I see as the key to solving the climate crisis.

On the Future of Filmmaking:
Hello James! I just had a quick question for you- what do you feel is going to be the next innovation in film? Do you have any thoughts on the Oculus Rift and it's use in film making? Thanks!
jamescameronamaI personally would be very interested to find a way to incorporate VR and a narrative filmmaking experience. So a narrative directed experience that has individuated pathways where you have choices that you make in real-time, I think that would be a lot of fun. I think it would be very technically daunting and expensive, to do it as the same quality level as a typical feature, but it would be fun to experiment with. It sounds like a lot of fun. I don't think it would take over the feature film market though. I'm very familiar with VR, but I haven't seen the specific Oculus Rift device. I'm interested in it, I'm meant to see it sometime in the next month or so, but I've been familiar with VR since its inception. In fact, virtual reality is a way of describing the way we work on Avatar, we work in a virtual workspace all day long. We use a "virtual camera" which is how I create all the shots that are CG in the film, a window into a virtual reality that completely surrounds me.

On Working With Actors:
What is your response when an actor like Sir Ian McKellen says, “this is not why I became an actor” in reaction to acting in front of a green screen without any other actors?
Well, different actors have a different tolerance for green screen work. usually theater trained actors have the confidence to work alone, or work in the absence of props and scenery and so on, because they are used to sort of black box theater and/or one person shows, and they know that part of an actor's power and the magic is their ability to create when nothing's there. Other actors simply just don't like it. So it's always good, if you're making a green screen heavy film, to talk to the actors before you cast them about that issue. Because you don't want to have to be buying someone's talent, certainly actors are well-paid, but you also want them to want to be doing that.

And just for fun: 
Mr. Cameron: A Na'vi, the Alien Queen and the T-800 Terminator get in a fight. Who wins?
Is the T-800 armed or not armed?
An Armed T-800 with a plasma rifle will clean house, all it has to do is shoot the Alien Queen, and have it bleed on the Na'vi. I would think that all three of them unarmed. Queen beats Na'vi. Queen beats T-800, because the T-800 would tear the arm off a queen, which would dissolve the mantel and shut down the cyborg.
Now a Na'vi riding a leonopteryx, or a Na'vi riding a thanataur, that would be a different story.

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How to Write a Scene in 11 Steps

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Here's a great little infographic that's been lying around on my hard drive for a while, wanted to share because this is a great way to get past writer's block! 
Courtesy of johnaugust.com / Ryan Rivard.


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