Filmmaker Blog - Mario J. Novoa

Now that Star Wars is back, maybe it’s possible to see Episodes I-III with clearer eyes. The allegory was undercooked, but there’s a way of reading Episode III in particular as George Lucas’s response to the Bush era, overflowing with incoherent yet tantalizing ideas about how fascism arises from democracy. Rogue One looks, from the outside, like the anti- Phantom Menace : fewer Jedi, less politics, more guns, more actual wars than stars.  http://www.ew.com/article/2016/12/12/star-wars-rogue-one-prequels

Embed from Getty Images George Lucas & Steven Spielberg, "through the years", a slideshow I created using Getty Images. As a fan of these two famous filmmakers, I realized how far these guys have come, working together almost 40 years. They've maintained their friendship and collaboration an industry known for messy, drawn out disagreements. What do you think their secret is to maintaining such a strong partnership? 

On the eve of a screening at the Tribeca Film Festival, the film's stars, director and screenwriter recount the tension and tumult (trivia: Harvey  Kettle’s pimp was originally written as black; producers "had to hire a gang to protect us from other gangs") that preceded a movie masterpiece. A version of this story first appeared in the April 22 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. PAUL SCHRADER (screenwriter) I had a series of things falling apart, a breakdown of my marriage, a dispute with the AFI, I lost my reviewing job. I didn't have any money and I took to drifting, more or less living in my car, drinking a lot, fantasizing. The Pussycat Theater in L.A. would be open all night long, and I'd go there to sleep. Between the drinking and the morbid thinking and the pornography, I went to the emergency room with a bleeding ulcer. I was about 27, and when I was in the hospital, I realized I hadn't spoken to anyone in almost a month. So that...

I'm Making This Up As I Go... Kasdan: When I went out to meet Steven, he said, "I'm gonna do a movie with George Lucas and I want you to write it. You gotta meet George." This was one month after I had gotten in the business after years of trying. A few weeks later I was in an office with George and Steven. George said, "I want to do this thing, the hero's named after my dog, he has a whip, it's like the old serials." He then stood up and said, "Let's shake hands, maybe this will be a historic moment." Which was very un-George-like. http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/indiana-jones-making-raiders-lost-ark/ It's Not The Years, It's The Mileage... Steven Spielberg: Indiana Jones redefined the classic American hero as someone who did not have a backbone made of steel and skin made of Teflon. The idea that our intrepid archaeologist could actually do himself bodily injury made him accessible. He always comes out on...

I've had more directing opportunities come my way this year than I have ever had before. Certain projects came my way that were not initiated by any of my pitches but by recommendations from former colleagues. It's been quite an adventure thus far: directing music videos, social media campaigns and documentary segments.  I continue to edit, jockeying between Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro...becoming proficient on the two platforms. I have been editing segments for single and multi camera productions. There is never just one tool to use, as I've had find different techniques to work within certain financial constraints...or limited resources.  I look forward to finishing the year as I am prepping our last Holiday Alumni Summit at The Los Angeles Film School, a yearly gathering for Full Sail University and LAFS of alumni. This year I am putting together a panel discussion about inclusion in the film industry, female and male working styles, film direct...

Hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don't love something, then don't do it. Ray Bradbury, writer

Final Cut Pro 10.3 New Features Lesson 8: Motion Project Management

Final Cut Pro 10.3 New Features Lesson 7: Wide Gamut Support

Final Cut Pro 10.3 New Features Lesson 6: Workflow Improvements

Final Cut Pro 10.3 New Features Lesson 5: Warp Speed Audio Fades

Final Cut Pro 10.3 New Features Lesson 4: Mixing with Roles

Final Cut Pro 10.3 New Features Lesson 3: Assigning Roles to Media

Final Cut Pro 10.3 New Features Lesson 2: Exploring Timeline 2

Final Cut Pro 10.3 New Features Lesson 1: Exploring the New UI

Focal Lengths and Lenses used by Great Directors

Arturo "Art" Jackson: his musicianship, artistry, passion and love of music was so essential to Art Jackson's core...an element of his personality that caught my attention as we casually spoke one evening in his home. I urged him to stop telling me about his new album and history, because I wanted him to tell me about his music while my camera was rolling. I wanted to capture his personality and passion, and didn't want to miss an opportunity with him. I am thankful for the opportunity...indulging my sensibility to capture Art's persona, since of humor, and essence.  I'm so happy that Art Jackson, Ceci Ovando Jackson and Patricia Ovando were part of creating this video featuring Art's collaborators, music and history.  Thank you for the music Art!

Spike Lee’s ‘Birth of a Nation’ Short Almost Got Him Kicked Out of NYU | IndieWire “The Birth of a Nation” It’s no coincidence that  Nate Parker ’s upcoming “ The Birth of a Nation ” takes its name from D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film of the same name, of course, but it does seem to be a coincidence that Parker’s allusive title is preceded by  Spike Lee ’s. While attending NYU in the early ’80s, Lee wrote, directed and produced “The Answer,” which concerns a black filmmaker who gets hired to remake “The Birth of a Nation.” READ MORE: Nate Parker’s ‘The Birth of a Nation’ Follow-Up About ‘Creating a World’ Acquired by Legendary Lee describes “The Answer” in  a discussion with Pharell Williams , calling Griffith’s movie “one of the most racist films ever” — it’s credited with leading to the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in America; this and other negative reactions prompted Griffith to make “Intolerance” in response — and describing how it...

read  How to Create Compelling Film and Video Treatments | Pond5 In the world of music videos, commercials, fashion films, and other short-form media, there is rarely, if ever, a script — no written document that the entire cast and crew must read before production begins in order to ensure that everyone is on the same page. This is when having a good treatment is most important. Thanks to programs like Adobe InDesign and online tools such as Pond5 and Pinterest, written treatments have given birth to an entire new subset of pre-visualization documents. These tools have made it easier to browse, search, and repurpose material to convey aspects of your project. To explore this progression, I sat down with some fellow filmmakers here in New York City — artists who have had a lot of success in pitching their ideas and getting them funded and produced. I wanted to know about their processes for creating treatments. They had a lot to share. read more at...

"On the Waterfront . It was as if somebody had taken a camera and moved into my neighborhood or my apartment where I was living with my parents. In the film they’re Irish American, but it doesn’t really matter. The faces are real. The faces look like people in my family. And, suddenly, I saw ourselves up there on the screen." - Martin Scorsese, Film Director The Art of Martin Scorsese | Humanities After Martin Scorsese  delivered the 42nd  Jefferson Lecture in April, he sat down with parting NEH Chairman Jim Leach for an interview. They talked about Scorsese’s upbringing, his films, and the culture of film he passionately works to preserve. JIM LEACH:  I want to ask you about place, which, of course, is important to setting your movies. But do you personally think place is important? MARTIN SCORSESE:  To me, place is not just important, it’s a necessity. I spent the first few years of my life in a place that, in my child’s mind, was like a paradise, but ac...

http://indiefilmhustle.podbean.com Read the full article and listen to the podcast at:  https://www.indiefilmhustle.com/broke-filmmakers/ Why Filmmakers are Always So Damn Broke I hope I got your attention with that title. I’m truly  PISSED OFF  guys and am tired of seeing my fellow indie filmmakers and artist struggle to make a living doing what they love. I decided to put together a list of steps that every indie filmmaker needs to do in order to thrive in the film business. Since this website is call  INDIE FILM HUSTLE  the terminology I’ll be using will be aimed at filmmaking or screenwriting but all of these concepts can be applied to any art form. Steps to Make a Living as an Artist and a Filmmaker Step #1 – Have a Plan Step #2 – Learn as Much about Every Aspect of Making a Film as You Can Step #3 – Show Up Everyday Step #4 – Learn Branding, Audience Building and Marketing Step #5 – Become a Entrepreneur Step #6 – Don’t...

Wilson Cruz Challenges Filmmakers in the aftermath or Orlando Pulse Tragedy | Outfest Film Festival 2016 [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzlHC9bhxAU] It’s easy to feel disposable, undervalued today. But I want you to remember that you are [valued]. I don’t want you to retreat. I don’t want you to dim your light. I want you to shine it brighter. I need you to get louder. On the morning of June 12, I woke up like many of you, ready for the parade. I made my coffee. And then I checked my phone. And there it was: the horrific news of a massacre in Orlando. The details began to emerge: a nightclub, a gay nightclub, Pulse, Latin night. And with each new piece of information, my heart sank deeper into despair. Imagining the victims and the horror they faced, I stared in disbelief at the TV screen. And then my phone rang. "Brenda was at the club," my mother said. She’d been shot. And I wondered, how could this happen? We’d seen so many advances recently in our ...

I happened to be shooting this amusing interaction between guests and a drone at the National Association of Latino Independent Producers Summit last month. While I was already enjoying the luncheon and hearing Rita Moreno and cast and producers of One Day At A Time, I was surprised by the use of drone. It was pretty cool and I enjoyed hearing Rita's improvised remarks. NALIP asked if they could share my footage in an edited piece. http://www.nalipmediasummit.com/

I took out my cell phone as a drone flew over the NALIP Media Summit this past Saturday in Hollywood. I uploaded the video to YouTube, which has gotten over 800 views.  ‪#‎ NALIP‬  asked to use part of the clip for the creation of this video. Best part was seeing and hearing Rita Moreno's reaction. The unedited YouTube link:  https://youtu.be/47p8-cG98gg   ‪#‎ createwithus‬ ‪#‎ nalipmediasummit‬   ‪#‎ wemoveyouforward‬   ‪#‎ latinocontentcreators‬

Read Suryanarayana Maddu 's answer to Which movies have the best cinematography? on Quora For a film that oscillates between fantasy and reality , the cinematography was the biggest asset for the movie. While many of  Life of Pi ’s most remarkable images were animated in a computer, they would have felt false and out of place if not for the efforts of Claudio Mirand .

Attack of the Crab Monster (1957) Directed by Roger Corman Opening crawl: You are about to land in a lonely zone of terror... on an uncharted atoll in the Pacific! You are part of The Second Scientific Expedition dispatched to this mysterious bit of Coral reef and volcanic rock. The first group has disappeared without a trace! Your job is to find out why! There have been rumors about this strange atoll... frightening rumors about happenings way out beyond the laws of nature... Martha Hunter: Jim, you don't know what's down there! Dr. James Carson: What could be other than earth, water and few land crabs? Directed by Roger Corman in 1957

7 THINGS YOU CAN DO IN 30 DAYS TO MAKE MORE MONEY IN THE FILM INDUSTRY BY  IAIN ALEXANDER  / 29 MAY 2016 Having a successful career in the film industry today requires more than just being able to produce films or perform on screen. Talent is important however it is not enough to get a foot in the door or make a living. Below are some of the key things that are necessary in order to create opportunities for career progression and personal success in a competitive industry. LEARN HOW TO SELL The fundamental principle of selling is something that a majority of people are never taught in school, at university or even on a specialized filmmaking course. Whether you’re looking to succeed as an actor, film director, producer, writer or in any other field for that matter, being able to sell yourself, and what you offer is vital. Even if you are the best filmmaker of the last half century, have made incredible contributions to society through art and performance, withou...

Something Sketchy: A Beginner’s Guide to Storyboarding | Pond5 Inspiration   ,   Pro Tips  Something Sketchy: A Beginner’s Guide to Storyboarding By Jim Penola I’m a firm believer that artists’ roles aren’t specific to their chosen concentration, or even their natural inclination. Whether you’re an illustrator, author, photographer, actor, or musician, you no doubt find some measure of solace in creative expression. Storyboarding is a great way to encourage that, as it’s far more approachable than, say, painting or life drawing. Plus, the stakes aren’t as high with storyboards since,  as I’ve mentioned before , they’re a means to an end, and not “the end” itself. So whether you’re ready to map out a feature film, or just curious how to pick up the practice, here’s everything you need to know to get started! Draw Your Own Boxes

"No matter what they say, no matter how they comport themselves, the only way we ever come to know characters in depth is through their choices under pressure."   - Robert McKee

"If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn’t matter a damn how you write." - Somerset Maugham

"Half my life is an act of revision." - John Irving

http://www.indiewire.com/2016/06/brian-de-palma-documetary-hollywood-tv-noah-baumbach-jake-paltrow-1201683547/ No American filmmaker has enjoyed as many diverse career stages as  Brian De Palma . From the early countercultural perspective of “Greetings” and “Hi, Mom,” he dovetailed into deliciously stylized Hitchcock homages with “Sisters,” “Obsession” and “Carrie.” The next decade’s highlights included a pair of seminal gangster movies, “Scarface” and “The Untouchables,” followed by the ultimate conquering of the blockbuster arena with “Mission: Impossible.” But  De Palma  has faced his disappointments as well, from “Bonfire of the Vanities” to “Snake Eyes” and “Mission to Mars.” And these days, he’s working on a radically smaller scale: His last two features, “Redacted” and “Passion,” were both limited releases made on small budgets. Many of these ups and downs are recounted in “De Palma,”  a new documentary  co-directed by Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltro...