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HOME VIDEO WEBUCATION
With the fairly new video service here, it's not a bad idea
to consider a few tips from someone who knows his shit.
Clerks II director Kevin Smith
HOME MOVIE TIPS FROM KEVIN SMITH
Shoot from more than one angle. Get as many shots as you can from as many directions as possible. This is called coverage, and it makes your film more visually interesting.
Use music as a band-aid. You can't cut your unintelligible mother-in-law out of a birthday party scene by saying, "The running time is a bit long." Instead, dub music over her. Set anyone to the right song and they come off looking pimp.
Remember that, as with most things, content is king. No one wants to watch a two-hour video of your vacation. But you can dazzle viewers with five Michael Bay, cut-heavy, chopped-up minutes.
If you're starring in home porn, keep your ass off camera, particularly if it looks like mine.
Stay well lit. Indoor shoots have big problems with backlighting and shadows, so film outside as much as possible.
You're not making a real documentary, so don't be afraid to tell people what to do. If someone stutters or slurs, ask them to say it again. This is especially helpful with kids.
Good sound is important; your built-in mike just won't cut it. Get an external microphone - a nice shotgun model that you can mount on the camcorder. That way, you won't have to rely so much on music.
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Movie Review of
Stranger Than Fiction
Harold Crick doesn't click.
This is a wonderful movie which I predict will go unrecognized for two reasons. The first is that this movie requires some thinking. It is a multi-layed movie with complex characters. And the majority of scenes rely on subtlty and understatement. But much of that may be lost because of the second reason.
Will Ferrell. He's know strickly for comedy work, and while there are humorous moments in the movie, it is not a comedy first (even though it's marketed that way). His character, Harold Crick, doesn't require an abundance of acting talent, which may be why he was cast. Robin Williams or DeNiro would have made this movie a hit because of their range. I think most people will go expecting to see Ferrell's usual schtick and be disappointed. In the first ten-minutes I watched a dozen people leave the theater not in a rush to use the restroom and return.
I enjoyed the movie thorougly, but would not recommend it to anyone looking for laughs or action. The script carries this story from beginning to end, and thankfully with the exception of Ferrell, is well cast.
You can't lose with Emma Thompson in her commanding performance as the unstable Kay Eiffel. Even better yet, for my buck, was Maggie Gyllenhaal as Ana Pascal. Yes, she's Jake's sister and an equally excellent actor with incredible range and intensity. She shares the best scene in the movie where Ferrell is singing her a song while playing guitar. I thought is was touching.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Will Ferrell. In all fairness, he plays the role well and convincing within his acting parameters. However, the dramatic element of this movie was shortchanged because of him.
In the end, if you favor great writing, quirky characters and no car chases, this might be the movie for you. If you're a big Will Ferrell fan, you might want to fill your bladder to capacity before the movie.
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Webliography:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.08/howtovideo.html
http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/telebuddy/archives/kevin-smith.jpg
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420223/
Pablo
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>.)
I wrote you "The Story"!! I might delete it later on. So read it fast please...
:-)
I absolutely loved the story you shared. It has all the human elements operating at once.
The things we put ourselves through makes us dynamic in our understanding.
Pablo