Green Screen: Making The Impossible Possible
March 10, 2010
Green screen is one of the most well liked techniques employed in the creation of films. How often have people been awed by the fantastic antics done by super heroes on the enormous screen? Many have wondered how heroes are able to jump from a tall building without getting hurt, or how a heroine or model is ready to travel to different nations in the blinking of an eye. Well, this will all be attained by shooting in a local studio with a green background and then inserting a background of any place of imagining a director wishes.
All this is formed possible with the help of green screen. An actor can go to worlds that she hasn’t ever been, bringing with them situations and places that you have only dreamed of, which can be done with the strategy of the green screen that’s both convenient and cost reductive. This methodology is very common on television.
One of the best examples where this technique is employed is in the weather forecast section in news. The TV frequently presents a person standing in front of an animated globe, talking about the assorted weather conditions around the globe as clouds and raindrops are conjured up on screen. Actually, there is simply a green screen present and later the animation is added to the background. This technique is followed by pretty much all the television networks.
This technique is simple, all someone needs is a camera, a green screen and video revising software. The person has to make sure that the color is the same through without even a tiny change in the shade. The surface must be even while taping or else it is going to be extraordinarily tough to edit that express segment. Another critical point while using this technique is that the subject should contain a small amount of the same green color. However, one must note that only a minute portion of the topic can be green or in similar shades. When the subject contains a little portion of green, one can hide or minimize the impact of the edges that might appear if the perimeters are uneven or not uniform. The part of the subject coloured in green must be minimal. Else, when it is edited it will seem like there is a hole or an empty space in the subject.
Once the green screen is erected, the very next step is to shoot the topic. To achieve perfection using this technique, the subject should have a well defined outline as it’s going to be better to trace and cut the subject out and superimpose it onto the new background. There should be no loose edges on the topic and the lighting has to be absolutely perfect. The camera should focus on the subject and not on the background. This is critical as the topic may not look clear when it comes time for editing. This method gives the best results when shot in the out of doors.
There are a lot of other websites giving various forms of advice on how to use green screen but a lot of them are not very detailed or concise. Before following these, make sure to check my own articles and reviews on Green Screen and Green Screen , additionally, you can reach me at phillipguye@hotmail.com or 1-323-851-3825
-
What is Anglo-Welsh Literature and why Should Anyone Care? Ceri Shaw is a former college lecturer from Cardiff, South Wales. Currently he attempts to make a living as a Web Designer and as a freelance writer on a range of topics including Literature. He is a regular contributor to Americymru.com. Ceri wrote this article about Anglo-Welsh literature and its...... -
How To Capture Your Perfect Portrait Photograph People have for long been the cherished subjects of photographers. Portrait photography deals with portraying a person or a group with all their unique characteristics. A good portrait photograph achieves a non-conventional look by freezing the subject from a unique camera angle and in a mood that is representative of...... -
To the audience of music Gunnar Colding is a former professional cellist who for 25 years has been employed by chamber orchestras as well as symphony orchestras of Sweden. This is an exceptional article he wrote for us. To the audience of music There was recently given a concert in New York mainly consisting of...... -
Putting a value on your vinyl collection This is another article from author Robert Benson. He writes about rock/pop music, vinyl record collecting and operates CollectingVinylRecords.com, where you can pick up a copy of his ebook called "The Fascinating Hobby of Vinyl Record Collecting." Stephen M.H. Braitman Putting a value on your vinyl collection The value of...... -
How to film an award winning movie with no money This is a very interesting story about a director with a great idea but no money. Kely McClung is a director writer actor editor. He's been able to film his movie with no money and very low resources. But he made it! The award winning Blood Ties is his first......
-
So You Want to Be a Blogger The following is part of Frugal Dad’s weekly series, “So You Want to Be a Blogger?” which chronicles the development and optimization of a blog’s lifecycle. To celebrate a couple upcoming statistical milestones (100 subscribers and 10,000 unique visitors) here at Frugal Dad I thought I would kick off the...... -
Lets Recreate Our Own Imagery Are you having a love/hate relationship with your TV? Tell me about it. Can't live with it, can't live without it, right? When my son was about age nine, he shared an experience he had while reading. He told me about reading something and, "... it was almost like being...... -
X-Men: Bootleg Marketing A few days ago the producers of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" put on a great show of righteous indignation when it was revealed that a work print of their not-yet-finished movie had been bootlegged out to the Internet. Without their permission, they claim. I used to live in southern California, where...... - A Vision of Visiting Teaching I want to preface this message from President Kimball, and say that he was such a dear and sweet man, and as I have grown older, I seem so very drawn to his messages. I have always loved him, but, have also always felt a deep connection that withstands time......
-
24 Potential Blockbusters and Lackluster Movies in 2010 [/caption] 2009 was a top year for movies, with highlights including Watchmen, UP and District 9. 2010 opens up a whole host of wonderment to bedazzle and entertain. But how to navigate your way through the dizzying array of movies on release in 2010? This list should help identify the......
Knights and Film Music
February 27, 2009
Today I publish a new music track, inspired by knights, chivalry, code of honour, battles and dangerous wilderness exploration. This is a demonstration of my talent with orchestral arrangements.
Knights and Film Music
The Knight is an elite warrior sworn to uphold the values of courage and honour.
Knighthood was characterized by two elements, feudalism and service as a mounted combatant. Both arose under the reign of the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, from which the knighthood of the Middle Ages can be seen to have had its genesis.
Knights were trained in hunting, fighting, and riding. They were also trained to practise courteous, honorable behaviour, which was extremely important.
This behaviour was a Code of Honour, made of solemn oaths, like to protect the people and to live by honour and for glory.
Danger was part of a Knight’s life, and you can feel dangerous surroundings in this orchestral demo.
Part of the track is from the music soundtrack I’m composing and producing for the Nintendo DS videogame Baalzebul. It is an innovative fantasy role play game. The first playable demo will be completed soon.
-
How Has the Internet Affected the Music Industry? This article is written by web designer Josh Gutteridge who runs Skyte Media. Skyte Media is based in the Midlands (England) and is a professional web design company that specialises in web design and development. Josh would like to receive comments about this article on his blog. But of course...... - Game Dev Famous Game Dev Vince Desi writes for our Weblog! He will write a series of articles, and this is the Part One of an article about being successful in Independent VideoGame Developer Art! Become a famous Game Dev now! Game Dev (Part One) Part 1. The 3 Essential Elements: I......
-
Funk in Nature Funk Music is still very popular, after all these years. This song is a great tribute to this genre. While I composed it having in mind Funk Music and its variations, I created a blend with other styles and modern ideas. The cocktail of music notes resulting of this blend...... -
Surveying the Land of Scape Taegen Carter is a movie director. He is also the owner of Mythmaker Entertainment, a company that produces shorts and features in the genres of adventure, sci-fi, thriller and drama. Taegen tells us about the production of Scape, that should be completed around June of ’09. Let's read his words,...... -
Astronauts and Funk Music Today I create a new category, named 2009 Music Demos, where I'll publish totally new music tracks made with the latest gears but with the same talent behind: myself :) These tracks are demonstrations of my skills and creative ideas and in each post I'll explain the inspiration that moves......
-
Renewing the Folk Music Movement with Acoustic Musical Instruments Seth Lakeman, a folk music star that is nominated for a Mercury Prize has been talking about the acoustic of folk music and acoustic musical instruments. For example, Lily Allen's new single is featuring a banjo solo, which would not have happened in years past but now apparently seems to...... - Need to Record a Music Demo? - Learn Ten Pitfalls You Must Avoid When Recording Your Music Demo! Recording a music demo is the most vital step in pursuing a record deal. If you want a record deal, you need to really impress the record label and give them something professional, polished, unique and exciting. Finding the right record producer can be a painstaking process, but it's absolutely......
-
shifting tastes What makes someone who loved "Louder Than Bombs" by the Smiths in the 80s listen to Madeleine Peyroux in 2007? Here is a proposal: there are three types of music lovers. One loves music in general, and their tastes evolve with the times. Another loves a specific type of...... - How Much Passive Income Can You Buy With... I've been extremely busy the past couple of days. Last night, I was home from work for about an hour before I had to get up and repeat the process again. What's been keeping me busy? There's a word deadline Monday, leading me to work more than usual. However, the......
-
Dominion Cast 23 - Anime-zing Classics Marcel, Heaven, myself and Hunin discuss Anime of the ages. We contemplate it's influence on our own home grown Americanime (Hunin's term), discuss our views on hentai and debate if Japan is bigger than Manhattan. Dominion Cast 23 download (46 mins. 43MB) Music from demo by fonetik Dr. Tran New......
Astronauts and Funk Music
February 26, 2009
Today I create a new category, named 2009 Music Demos, where I’ll publish totally new music tracks made with the latest gears but with the same talent behind: myself :)
These tracks are demonstrations of my skills and creative ideas and in each post I’ll explain the inspiration that moves them, the images I would like you to see while listening to them and the feelings.
Astronauts and Funk Music
This first post is dedicated to big 80s space operas, movies, novels and sci-fi culture. This is also a trip to old good 80s with their catchy rhythms, synths and guitars.
This first demo starts with a space choir, an opening orchestra and choir theme, I can say epic and grand, that creates images of galaxies, shuttles, astronauts and the infinity of the universe.
The choir evolves into a rock instrumental piece, with 80s synth effects that add a spacey feel to the entire track. I can name it “space rock”.
The next style is jazz, a universal style that will never end to please our ears, today, and in the next centuries.
Synths are back in an 80s pop mix, while a really catching funk part ends the demonstration, making us really uplifting and excited.
I dedicate this music work to Richard Garriott, Lord British in Ultima and significant figure in the video game industry.
On October 12, 2008, Garriott launched aboard Soyuz TMA-13 to the International Space Station as a self-funded tourist, returning safely 12 days later aboard Soyuz TMA-12.
-
Phat Funky Road There are many songs named Funky Road. If you search on Internet you'll find so many, but no one is named Phat Funky Road. Why Phat? Because in this new track I blend Funk ideas with Rock and harder rhythms. Well, not so hard, not exactly my style, but I...... -
Vinyl Collection Today we interview Robert Benson, who wrote the ebook called "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting". Vinyl Collection MM: Robert, when did you have the idea to write a book about Vinyl Record Collecting? It is an unusual (but also very fascinating) topic. RB: The ebook started out as...... - To the audience of music Gunnar Colding is a former professional cellist who for 25 years has been employed by chamber orchestras as well as symphony orchestras of Sweden. This is an exceptional article he wrote for us. To the audience of music There was recently given a concert in New York mainly consisting of......
-
Sounds like music and networking Wizzit Magazine interviewed me about Blogging and Social Networking. I have to thank Matti Mattila, the reviewer and open networker. If you remember, Matti wrote A musician story. Here is a short excerpt from the magazine article that you can download here in pdf format. Sounds like music and...... -
American Music and Vintage Guitars Mark Weakley is an impressive artist; sculptor, painter, musician. He plays guitar, banjo and harmonica, and has recently recorded a CD of his original compositions. In this exclusive article he talks about himself, about his passions, about his father, about traditional american music, about vintage guitars and banjoes, and much......
-
500 More Useless Facts [/caption] Most American car horns honk in the key of F. The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan." Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. Every time you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie. The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. Studies...... -
Golf industry experts optimistic that Tiger Woods's absence will have limited economic impact [/caption] By Rick Lipsey, Writer-Reporter, Sports Illustrated (Golf Plus) There have been a lot of gloomy predictions about the impact the Tiger Woods scandal, and his self-imposed hiatus, might have on America's annual $75 billion golf economy. Many industry experts say that fears are overblown, however, and they are optimistic...... - We’re In Debt: $150,679 In Debt, To Be Exact This article was originally posted by Chris, a contributor at Your Money Relationship, in July. We are reposting it here so that you can learn his family's story. Chris will be contributing to Frugal Dad on a weekly basis sharing his struggles with debt. Let me introduce myself. My name......
-
Lake Pillsbury Lake Pillsbury Lake Pillsbury is located in: Upper Lake, CA Phone: (707) 275-2361 About the Lake: Lake Pillsbury has 2003 surface acres in water and a shoreline that stretches out over 65 miles. It is a very popular destination in the Mendocino Forest and the fishing here is...... - Macau News April 2007 Wynn's Le Reve settlement Steve Wynn has settled an out of court settlement with Lloyd's of London over a Picasso painting he damaged. Repairs for the damaged painting, Le Reve, were estimated to be US$85 million. Wynn was showing the painting (which is French for "The Dream") to a buyer......
Surveying the Land of Scape
February 18, 2009
Taegen Carter is a movie director. He is also the owner of Mythmaker Entertainment, a company that produces shorts and features in the genres of adventure, sci-fi, thriller and drama. Taegen tells us about the production of Scape, that should be completed around June of ’09. Let’s read his words, in this exclusive article that could be a page of a well written diary or a best selling novel.
Surveying the Land of Scape
Making a film sucks. It’s hard. Really hard. When it’s finished, and people sit in darkness, silently watching in a matter of minutes what may have cumulatively taken years of work, it’s worth it. But really, the process couldn’t be harder. Start with the fact that an alarmingly high number of people will look at you in utter pity when you mention you’re making a feature film. Mix in some healthy doses of family doubt, maybe a pinch or two of high school friends making ten times more money than you in a real job, and that’s just the beginning. But don’t get me wrong, I’m an optimist.
Maybe it’s my optimism that continues to lead me, often blindly, toward my goal of becoming a professional (see definition of professional: paid) director. Having directed a ninety-five minute feature film already, you might be wondering if the guy writing this article enjoys pain. Sure, maybe a little. But with experience at my fingertips, my second feature had to be easier, right? No. Not a chance. The following is a chronicle of my pain experience, and some of the many problems that arose.
I spent six months writing the script and raised a budget mainly by begging investors (see definition of investors: family) for money. The sum of which was not very much. Just enough to pay a skeleton crew of ex-students, get a deal with the acting union SAG and rent some camera equipment. The law of filmmaking says this: the closer one gets to filming, the more will go wrong. One week before filming and things were really getting dicey. I was still converting my script to a series of shots that I wanted to film, rehearsing with actors, coordinating logistics and dealing with problems. That’s what filmmaking really is, by the way, problem solving.
Problem A: the actor in your opening scene, the scene that is the most important save for the ending scene, tells you a week before filming that he doesn’t own a car and the filming location is 300 miles away. Problem B: the costume rental house will not accept insurance, so you must charge 4 times the value of the clothes on your credit card as insurance. And it’s a period piece movie, so there’s a lot of expensive clothes. And the total charge is so much you don’t have enough credit cards to put the charges on. Scratch that, there’s a credit card you never use in your chest of drawers at home. So you max out your credit cards, hope to hell no one damages or loses or steals the clothes, buy your actor an Amtrak ticket and make a note to pick up a very large bottle of antacids at Costco to help stave off ulcers that you know are on their way. Yes, this is all true.
Even now, I dread looking at a FICO score. Four days before we were to leave from Los Angeles for Santa Cruz, disaster struck. A quarter mile from the sixty-acre horse ranch we were going to film on, a fire started. I had no backup locations. Half the budget for the film had already been paid out. I couldn’t get it back. We had to film. I checked the fire report hourly, popped antacid tablets and realized that we’d film in some random forest even if it meant getting arrested for trespassing or filming without a permit.
All ten of us drove up to a summer rental house and crammed ourselves into our tiny, modest hovel. Later that day the fire dissipated, the police barricades came down, and we found out our location had been saved. Now came the fun stuff. Filming. I had a total of 12 days to film 76 pages. A Hollywood film typically shoots about 3 pages per day. Do the math on my movie. Yeah, we had a lot to film in a really short amount of time. The first shot of the first day took place in a colony for the diseased. We had ten extras to help make the colony feel real. Five actually showed up on a very cold morning. Three actually got back into their cars thirty minutes before filming and left. And these were people who were going to get paid! We had two extras to make a colony feel like a colony. Equipment wasn’t working right. Light was changing fast. And as always, there were lots of things to think about. Those antacids became like Pez to me. I put myself and most of the crew in early nineteenth century clothes and we started filming. Problem solved. Kind of.
Every second on set sends a problem the director’s way. People have questions. People want to know what you think about fill-in-the-blank. It is a director’s medium, for his better or worse. Throughout the twelve days, we had more problems than grains of sand on every beach in the world. I had arguments with the crew. A production assistant got bored four days in and left. Not good when your production assistant is also your makeup artist, wardrobe and caterer. The main prop for the film, a mask the villain wears, showed up very very late into filming via mail.
And on top of all of that, our opening scene became a disaster. If you can’t hook people in the first five minutes of your film, what’s to keep them from continuing to watch? No pressure. The opening included two horses. Not a problem when shooting on a horse ranch, right? The ranch would only give us one horse, and told us this fact an hour before filming. Next problem, it was an Appalachian horse. And it kicked my actor off several times. I was near tears. The scene was definitely not working. The actor who came up via Amtrak for the day had come in vain. And he was going to leave for Los Angeles the next morning. And I had four days of filming left. I was not going to cover the number of pages I needed to finish the film. And on top of that, I now needed to write a new opening scene after a very difficult and very long 12-hour day.
Every morning, after 6 hours of sleep, I would get up, figure out what scenes we were shooting and prepare for each scene. We’d spend the entire day and sometimes nights filming. We’d usually get back to the house around 8pm, eat dinner, watch the footage we shot during the day, transfer the footage and sound to hard drives, go to sleep and start the process over. Now, with only 4 days left, I also had to come up with a new opening. I wrote something and we filmed it on our last day. Having already cut 8 pages from the script while we were filming, I wasn’t too happy about filming a scene twice.
But the new opening scene has cut together incredibly well. In fact, the film is my finest work to date. If a filmmaker’s problem solving skills are his tools to building the film, then problems are the essence of filmmaking. Without these problems, creativity stagnates and the product is awful. I’m convinced that Scape wouldn’t be as good as it is without the stomach-churning dilemmas that appeared throughout the process. Now, as I finish writing this, I’m preparing to write my next screenplay. You’re probably wondering if I read what I just wrote. I know, I don’t make sense. Oh well, you have to do what you love. I wonder if the person who coined that phrase did?
- Game Dev Famous Game Dev Vince Desi writes for our Weblog! He will write a series of articles, and this is the Part One of an article about being successful in Independent VideoGame Developer Art! Become a famous Game Dev now! Game Dev (Part One) Part 1. The 3 Essential Elements: I......
-
Film transfer, a graphical Art Today we talk about film transfer. Indeed, it's a technical process, so where can we find Art in this procedure? Often it is just a conversion of a Super 8 film to DVD or also 8mm to DVD, but sometimes it involves creative skills in restoring fragile 8mm, Super 8,...... -
Music, Movies and Independent Films In this exclusive interview, Todd Cericola, owner of Clocktower Pictures, talks about his movie studio, about music in movies and about the independent productions world. Manuel Marino: When did you start your movie studio and how did you have the idea? Todd Cericola: Clocktower Pictures was started in February of...... -
Recording Music Industry This is a post I've received from Julien Bernier-Haineault and he is a music producer from Quebec, Canada. He made several songs for a lot of bands that never really got appreciated to their real value. I can say that trying, failing and trying again, now he absolutely knows a...... -
Reading for fun This is a nice article from Isaac Marion. Isaac has been running the online textual variety show, BurningBuilding.com, since 2003. He lives in Seattle, Washington, where he works various mundane jobs while trying to make his writing/music/art career take off. Reading for fun Recent studies have shown that across the......
- How To Start Writing A Book That People Would Love To Read How to start writing a book is the question that every new writer is faced with as they think of using their creative ability to write content that people would like to read. It is important to follow certain basic rules when writing a book, as that would make......
-
Get into Bed with Patrick Dilloway (Author Interview) Today's interview is with Patrick Dilloway on his debut novel Where You Belong. Please extend him a gracious welcome to Love Romance Passion. Let's learn a bit about his book before we begin. BLURB: Orphaned at an early age, the closest people in Frost Devereaux's life are the free-spirited...... -
Our Journey To Debt Freedom: Cresting The Hill The climb to debt freedom is just about complete in the Frugal household, and soon we'll be enjoying the thrill of living free of the burdens of debt. While I recognize that roller coasters are an overused metaphor for life's ups and downs, I can't think of any other feeling...... -
Fairy Tale Lessons: What I Learned from Writing A Fairy Tale for Gwyn by Linda Poitevin, guest blogger and author of A Fairy Tale for Gwyn. By the time I wrote A Fairy Tale for Gwyn (AFTFG), I had been writing “seriously” (aiming for publication) for about nine years. In that time, and in between various other life events, I had completed...... - How To Create An Outline For All Of Your Articles We have a tendency to’ve done it through junior high, it expanded longer through high faculty, then on school it became chapters. Irrespective of how many times a person have done it, writing articles has proven to be a task several has continuously avoided. Now at a time when writing......
Film transfer, a graphical Art
January 25, 2009
Today we talk about film transfer. Indeed, it’s a technical process, so where can we find Art in this procedure? Often it is just a conversion of a Super 8 film to DVD or also 8mm to DVD, but sometimes it involves creative skills in restoring fragile 8mm, Super 8, 16mm film, 35mm slides and aging videotapes to the original clarity or better.
Film transfer, a graphical Art
Badly faded slides or prints can be rescued once they have been digitised. You can use a simple scanner, but you will get the best results using a proper film scanner.
Once you have the slides digitised then a lot can be done with the images, increasing image density by using blending modes and levels adjustment layers, cloning to remove blemishes, dust, mould and texture renewal.
All of this is done using professional graphic software, not so easy to use without a training.
About the creative skills involved in the procedure, the technician artist has to choose between different solutions, like colors or brightness. Choosing also a specific procedure instead of another involves a creative idea. So a blend of different skills, creative and technical are necessary in restoring old films.
Of course, the most important movies to restore are about unforgettable moments, like your wedding. But think also about other moments, like a graduation, a significant accomplishment, a sentimental place, the honeymoon, golden anniversaries.
They are unique memories worth preserving for remembering today and for generations to come.
- Freelance journalism Christian Toto is a Denver-based freelance reporter specializing in arts reporting. He can be heard on three US radio stations, as well as occasionally on "The Dennis Miller Show," which airs across the country. He got his first byline as a young boy with his hometown newspaper. He reviewed "Close......
-
Creating Clouds Frank Kane job is very particular... he creates clouds! He can do it through his C++ library for real-time sky and 3D cloud rendering, used worldwide by scores of games and visual simulation applications on the Windows platform. Its name is SilverLining. Creating Clouds Manuel Marino: Your sky and clouds...... - How Has the Internet Affected the Music Industry? This article is written by web designer Josh Gutteridge who runs Skyte Media. Skyte Media is based in the Midlands (England) and is a professional web design company that specialises in web design and development. Josh would like to receive comments about this article on his blog. But of course......
-
The value of photographic prints Stephan R. Lewis is a professional photographer. He accepted to share his knowledge with us, with this exclusive article. The value of photographic prints I have been in the photo industry trenches for a long time and have watched many things come and go in popularity. When I say 'trenches'...... - Game Dev Famous Game Dev Vince Desi writes for our Weblog! He will write a series of articles, and this is the Part One of an article about being successful in Independent VideoGame Developer Art! Become a famous Game Dev now! Game Dev (Part One) Part 1. The 3 Essential Elements: I......
-
Benefits of Technology in the Classroom Nowadays, technology has become so pervasive, so essential, so advanced in society that its integration into classroom instruction is imperative. Of course, there have been past instances of the integration of technology with education, but these were limited to tutorials, drills, and practices using the personal computer. Not anymore....... - The Art of Solving Problems You likely use problem solving everyday. It is often taken for granted. People do not realize just how wonderful and important problem solving is. Most people do not even recognize it as a skill. In fact, most of the time problem solving is juts second nature. Problem solving can actually......
- Start up Business Ideas - Some Low Budget Start up Business Ideas These days almost every one is looking for start up business ideas for variant budgets. The reason behind this is very simple: people want to increase their earnings.There could be various start up business ideas. The real art is choosing from so many of them. There are different categories of......
-
Bruce Lee Movies Collectibles -> Memorabilia -> Movie Memorabilia Bruce Lee is a revered name in the martial arts community, and Bruce Lee movies are classics among action and martial arts fans. Lee was more than actor, he actually developed a martial art form called Jeet Kune Do, and popularized the sport in...... -
Inserting a Diagram All SmartArt diagrams start out the same way—you insert them on the slide as you can any other slide object. That means you can either use a diagram placeholder on a slide layout or you can insert the diagram manually. To use a placeholder, start with a slide that contains......
Music, Movies and Independent Films
July 30, 2008
In this exclusive interview, Todd Cericola, owner of Clocktower Pictures, talks about his movie studio, about music in movies and about the independent productions world.
Manuel Marino: When did you start your movie studio and how did you have the idea?
Todd Cericola: Clocktower Pictures was started in February of 2008. We are a new company in the Philadelphia area that specializes in independent film. We started it after working on a t.v. sitcom pilot called “Two One Five.” Myself, and my two partners Keelen Monahan and Matt Tomko had all been working individually on producing, directing, and writing and decided to put our efforts into one basket by opening up what would eventually become Clocktower.
How much is difficult to manage a movie studio?
I don’t know that it’s as difficult as it is fun. We are all doing something that we throughly enjoy doing. There is a strong workload, especially since we are a new company, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We are a very hands on company working directly with our actors on a one on one basis. We try to cater to all of their needs as well as our own.
I’m a music composer, so the question is natural, how much music is important in the production?
As a musician myself, I think that music is one of the most important thing in a film. If you’re trying to paint a picture to set up a scene, background music is key to setting a mood. A good song will always have the scene set perfectly and you may not even notice it in the background, but when you have a bad song you, as the filmgoer, will always notice the mistake of choice.
What is your latest production? Can you tell us something about it?
Right now we are working on a few things. We are working on a feature film called “Describing the Moon,” about a guy in his mid-twenties struggling with trying to please his friends and complete his life’s goal of becoming a script writer. It’s a fantastic script that’s really dialogue driven, and very funny. We will be finishing up auditions for that next weekend, and should begin filming in October. Two One Five is a big priority as well, we are shopping around to try and sell and make an entire season. As well as entering short film and television festivals to get the name out. The entire episode is up on our website for free viewing at Clocktower Pictures. We are also looking into opening up a second branch of the company under the banner Clocktower Music helping to produce local artists and independent musicians. So we have a lot going on.
How we can define an independent movie and why it’s important that indies are supported in their work?
I think independent film is a very important thing because it brings out more creativity in people. When you’re writing without cause and shooting without big budget you’re working harder at making something the way you see it, so you’re getting the original vision of what you’re going for. It’s like an artists painting, you want to express your own ideas in your own way, not someone else. Too many hands in the cookie jar is never a good thing.
Do you think internet can help indies?
I think the internet is a great advantage for people in any area of creative arts. You can reach out to millions of people at the single click of a button for your company, your movie, your art, your music anything you want. I think with the advent of facebook, myspace, mandy, craigslist, and countless others we’re living in an age where getting yourself out to the masses of people is just that much easier, and that much better.
How do you see the future of movie production?
As far as movie production in general goes, I see it bulking up even more. Budget’s for production are getting larger by what seems daily, actors are making more and more money, and the intake is getting outrageous. On a smaller scale, Philadelphia is getting its own studio soon which has already scene production in the city jump up ten fold.
-
The Elegance of the Art Doug Stahnke is a sculptor. And this is a wonderful exclusive article he wrote for us. The Elegance of the Art Let me begin by first defining some terms as I apply them: talent – I think there is a simple truth here. You were either born with it or you...... -
Growing Independent Film Industry in the Southeast Heidi Yost wrote this exclusive article. Heidi (photo) is a talented actress. In this article, she explains Film Industry situation in the southeast, talks about her experience as artist and gives also important hints for the new actors. Growing Independent Film Industry in the Southeast When I returned home to...... -
Art, Communication, Connectivity Michael Marcus (also known as "Jacques Treatment") is a published author, poet, artist, and game designer; with George McVey, he has been publishing comics as "The Hamtramck Idea Men" on the very sensible grounds that they live in Hamtramck, have many ideas, and they are men. Joint work can be...... -
Music Geek Robin Mookerjee is a songwriter obsessed with music. Is this a good thing? Or a bad thing? I can say he is a real music geek! Read his story and check his website. Music Geek I’m really a fan as much as a songwriter, but a lot of songwriters say...... - Knights and Film Music Today I publish a new music track, inspired by knights, chivalry, code of honour, battles and dangerous wilderness exploration. This is a demonstration of my talent with orchestral arrangements. Knights and Film Music The Knight is an elite warrior sworn to uphold the values of courage and honour. Knighthood was......
-
Tom's Of Maine Has A Natural Deodorant That Works. Over the years I have tried a zillion different natural deodorants from different companies in a vain attempt to get away from the aluminum that is in most name-brand formulas. The best one I could find that "mostly" worked was one from Tom's of Maine, but it still didn't last...... - Music In Video Games Video game music is great, most people who play video games do not even realize how much the music makes a difference, just like in a movie/TV show music is used to set the mood, its the same in video games as well. Most video game music is made specifically......
-
Is the UFF MMA a scam? Photo by: jepoirrier One of the more popular internet searches that lead people here to Gather Little by Little is the term "UFF MMA Scam". I wrote about the United First Financial (UFF) Money Merge Account (MMA) back in October after receiving a flier from one of my sons football...... - Say Hello to GetBlue.com for Music, Movie and Book Suggestions Christina Warren wrote this article on Mashable about GetGlue.com "In the last year, Glue has evolved from a Firefox-only add-on to a service that also works with Internet Explorer and has added the ability to recommend and have conversations over different items and has expanded to tons of huge sites.......
- Buying More Private Stock I got wrapped up in writing a few other articles; I should have written about this large investment earlier. For the second time in twelve months, I made a very risky investment buying stock options. (You can read about my first risky investment here.) I have invested over $5,000 this......
How to film an award winning movie with no money
February 4, 2008
This is a very interesting story about a director with a great idea but no money. Kely McClung is a director writer actor editor. He’s been able to film his movie with no money and very low resources. But he made it! The award winning Blood Ties is his first feature film. His first short film, AM Session, was recently nominated for HBO’s Short Film Award. Here’s what he wrote for us.
How to film an award winning movie with no money
The four year, twenty-three day, ninety-three minute movie!
Yeah, yeah. The movie’s not that long, it just has been for me. Everyone else, besides friends and family, will get to see the 93 minute version. And the reality is, I might be on it another couple years, though what anyone sees will still be the 93 minute version.
“Blood Ties” was filmed with no money by a crew of three in both the US and Thailand (with just a few moments over the border into Cambodia). Just to make things a bit more complicated, we filmed in the mountains of Virginia, Washington D.C. on the Mall, The Port of Miami, and Atlanta. Our crew numbers stayed at a maximum of three and our cast grew to 154.
And post production? Me. Sound, visual effects, editing, ADR, Foley, graphics, titles, music? Me. Which is not to say everything is great, it’s just what we could afford on a no budget movie. Every time I’d get ready to fire myself, I’d remember that I’m the only guy I could afford! And even with that, I definitely had some long talks with myself.
Is it worth watching? We hope so, and our success on the beginning of the film circuit says we might be right.
Blood Ties won The Action on Film International Film Festival’s “Action Film of the Year”, The Audience Award for “Best Director” at the Big Bang Film Festival, “Best of the Festival” at the Indie Fest USA International Film Festival, “Best Visual Effects” at the same, and has been nominated for various other awards at various other festivals.
Could I teach something about directing? Yeah, probably, even though Blood Ties is a first movie. About editing? Yeah, I’m known as a strong editor. After Effects, sound editing, composing for film, and 200 other subjects involved in making a movie? I’m pretty sure I could. But that’s not want I want to teach or preach or pass on in these few words.
The lesson I hope to share right now is in creating a vision – not only of the movie and what you want it to be but how you want to be perceived – keeping it in mind, and striving toward it with as little compromise as possible no matter how long it takes. Knowing that in twenty or thirty years, your first film won’t matter in the scheme of things except that it will always be, no matter how successful or not, your first film.
One of the things to strive for is surrounding yourself with a strong cheering section. My film partner, my family, my amazing girlfriend. Though they might not physically take on the work, without them, there is no movie.
My film partner, Robert Pralgo put up the initial money, as well as a seemingly endless trickle of money since. He also co-starred, help cast, pushed, pulled and dared me to make a better movie than what we thought was possible.
My family never talked down to me even though I am the one brother of five who they all have to worry about if I have a roof over my head.
And the Amazing Amanda let me see the movie from many different angles, again setting me up to challenge myself to make it even stronger.
Our crew of three rotated several times, and our cast gave their all because they somehow knew that I believed in what I was doing. There would be no movie without all of their many efforts. I give credit to almost everyone I meet and genuinely mean and feel it. They color the way I look at myself and my work, and are reflected in the images jumping around on screen.
And jump around they do! Blood Ties embraced the hand held look simply because I knew where I was wanting to shoot, a tripod, a dolly, or a steadicam would get us arrested. “You mean you aren’t supposed to shoot on the Mall or the Port or in the streets of a foreign country without permission?” Permission is relatively easy to get, if you pay for it. And that just wasn’t part of the budget!
I am sure I could talk about the making of the movie for the about the same length of time it took to make it. And maybe I’ll get the chance to write more. There is a lot more information on our website and other people are starting to talk and write as well.
What I hope with this introduction is to pass on the challenge to others to make the movies they want to see. To learn and persevere. To look at the art around them and if they find themselves saying “I could do that” – then to do it!
- Vinyl Collection Today we interview Robert Benson, who wrote the ebook called "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting". Vinyl Collection MM: Robert, when did you have the idea to write a book about Vinyl Record Collecting? It is an unusual (but also very fascinating) topic. RB: The ebook started out as......
-
A Beautiful Interview Ceri Shaw suggested me an interview from our friends at Americymru. So here's this beautiful interview with Dr. Karl Jenkins (I include also the link to their ticket giveaway competition for his performance at Carnegie Hall NY on March 6th 2010). A Beautiful Interview Dr. Karl Jenkins is Britain's greatest...... - Freelance journalism Christian Toto is a Denver-based freelance reporter specializing in arts reporting. He can be heard on three US radio stations, as well as occasionally on "The Dennis Miller Show," which airs across the country. He got his first byline as a young boy with his hometown newspaper. He reviewed "Close......
- Creative Ideas (Part One) Like the power of electricity your Ideas have greater impact when they rapidly flow in concentrated streams of thought. You'll find this and more in the article wrote by Deremiah, exclusively for ManuelMarino.com . Deremiah *CPE (Customer Passion Evangelist), is the winner of the 2004 Nightingale-Conant Acres of Diamonds Award......
- Music, Movies and Independent Films In this exclusive interview, Todd Cericola, owner of Clocktower Pictures, talks about his movie studio, about music in movies and about the independent productions world. Manuel Marino: When did you start your movie studio and how did you have the idea? Todd Cericola: Clocktower Pictures was started in February of......
- The Difference Between THEM and US When It Comes To Money. We all have them. Friends that spend like there is no tomorrow, they buy the latest cellphone, the biggest flat screen TV, the newest model BMW. They buy a McMansion to impress their friends and families, eat out every night of the week, and go on extravagant vacations that they......
- 500 More Useless Facts [/caption] Most American car horns honk in the key of F. The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan." Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. Every time you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie. The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. Studies......
- Any Given Sunday The Super Bowl is over now (my condolences to all the Chicago traders), so this is my last chance to provide a football analogy for awhile. There's an ancient Chinese saying about football. It goes like this: "Any given Sunday." It's such a well-known axiom that a movie was even......
-
Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more than 80 top products is just what you need. Everyone's got saving money on their minds these days. Some of us are always looking to...... - RCDL Weekly Roundup - Be Prepared to Get Stuffed Thanks for joining us here at RCDL for another weekly roundup. Hope your Thanksgiving dinners are full of good food, great friends, and lots of laughs. Some new categories are with us this week and some old ones. Easy to find and browse for your weekend reading pleasure. Retirement My......
Growing Independent Film Industry in the Southeast
January 11, 2008
Heidi Yost wrote this exclusive article. Heidi (photo) is a talented actress. In this article, she explains Film Industry situation in the southeast, talks about her experience as artist and gives also important hints for the new actors.
Growing Independent Film Industry in the Southeast
When I returned home to Louisville, Kentucky from my three year-long stint in Los Angeles as a professional actress I expected more. I anticipated that my recent win as a Marilyn Monroe Look-Alike by Premiere Magazine and my appearances on Beverly Hills 90210 and Matlock would have every talent and casting agent in Louisville falling over themselves to represent and utilize my homegrown talents and experience. It didn’t happen. I felt like Yukon Cornelius after I swung my mining pick into the ground and brought it to my mouth to taste for traces of the delicious silver and gold acting opportunities at home and “Nuthin’. Hello, I won the Marilyn Monroe look-alike contest!
Fifteen years later, to my delight everything is coming up roses in the Southeast independent film industry. Is it because I am no longer a platinum blonde ingénue and now a sultry redhead? Is it due to widely available and affordable video and film equipment? Has the increase of Los Angeles film location shooting in Kentucky infused the film community here: ELIZABETHTOWN, SEABISCUIT, THE INSIDER, STRIPES, etc, etc? The 48 Hour Film Festival, among others may have tempted some independent film makers who otherwise would not have stepped behind a camera with simple, short formats and alluring prizes. How wonderful to have developed an extensive filmography in my own hometown due to the indy boom.
Louisville has had a thriving arts community for the entirety of my life. The city has claimed a local ballet, orchestra and professional theater company: Actors Theater of Louisville (that had everyone I auditioned for in Los Angeles inquiring). The River City also boasts a cultural center, the Kentucky Center for the Arts that is used for a myriad of artistic and mind expanding events—from K.D. Lang concerts to poetry readings by Maya Angelou.
The semi-professional theaters in Louisville are also noteworthy and prolific. I cut my teeth at the KY Contemporary Theater before I got my B.A. and moved west. Pandora Productions produced a compelling version of SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES. Since, then Susan Linville, Founder and actress at the Necessary Theater has offered amazing productions with compelling new scripts as does Looking for Lillith. The recent one-woman show WOMEN SPEAK IRAQ developed and performed by Shannon Woolsey was performed with such virtuosity and passion for the widest range of opinions and postures I could imagine.
My training, my stage and life experiences experience have given me the depth that I claim and utilize now as a film actress. Oftentimes, people will ask me which medium is my favorite. They both have their draws. In the live theater experience, the actress has the opportunity to get immediate feedback from the audience, has a substantial amount of time to build emotional crescendos and has the obligation and luxury to live in the moment and keep going whatever the immediate reality (not fun when scenery or a co-actor is falling on your head).
Film offers the luxury of another take, if the first one or fifteen takes aren’t the cat’s meow, you can do another. Film tends to pay better. (However, anyone who acts for the pay is a little misguided). You can capture the moment forever on film (This can be most upsetting for some who aren’t involved in savory productions). Most films have a larger audience than the theater does.
Advice for the film actress: study. If you wish to be an actress, learn from the best in your community who teach. Do not study under an opera diva and expect that you will be taught the subtleties of a fine camera performance. Do not study at modeling agencies who are primarily interested in increasing their bank accounts. Study under those who have the experience you are seeking. Universities are an excellent place to learn and perform as an actress.
If you are younger than college-age and wish to act, go see as many plays and films as you can. If you enjoy someone in a stage performance, find out his/her name and if you may have a few minutes of their time to see how they gained their polish. Community theater is a great place to start. Hopefully you will get a sane director and be able to squeeze into the cast despite the member of the board of director’s narcissistic casting. If you think that Hollywood is political—spend a summer in a community theater!
Surround yourself with positive people. If you consider someone incredibly talented as an actor or director, but he/she is constantly negative, overbearing or abusive—go elsewhere. Life is too short and no matter how badly you want to act—it’s not worth it.
The directors that have had the distinct pleasure of working with are great collaborators. Chris Courson from Lightspeed Productions first cast me as a lead in his film called EMMA’S CODE for Louisville’s 48 Hour Film Festival. Immediately after that in July 2007 he wrote the most amazing short called CIRCUS NUTS and cast me again as a lead. We were so pleased with the results we will be shooting a feature-length on this premise this summer.
Chase Dudley is a young director who was open to my suggestions when he needed other quality actors for the independent feature film LAST SEEN ALIVE (knowing people always helps good actors who are easy to work with get cast). Tracy Dudley his wife wrote an amazing screenplay with a strong female lead, Detective Malone. Tracy was very open to working together to make the script and character as believable and formidable as possible. The process and final product was such that we are planning on working together on a sequel in 2008. LAST SEEN ALIVE will be available at www.amazon.com in late January 2008.
-
The Emperor's New Clothes Ananda Sukarlan is an Indonesian composer and pianist living in Spain. This is an article he wrote for a magazine which has been published a few years ago in Spanish. We are very proud to have the original in English which has never been published anywhere, so this is...... - Knights and Film Music Today I publish a new music track, inspired by knights, chivalry, code of honour, battles and dangerous wilderness exploration. This is a demonstration of my talent with orchestral arrangements. Knights and Film Music The Knight is an elite warrior sworn to uphold the values of courage and honour. Knighthood was......
- Cereal, a blend of old and new Today we interview Jaques Smit, an incredible man. Just read all his current positions: Managing Director at MindNova Advertising Pty (Ltd), Marketing Director at Inland Kitesurfing Pty (Ltd), CEO at Avonstorm Entertainment, Producer at Avonstorm Pictures Pty (Ltd), Technical Director at Blo-Tant Pty (Ltd). Here is the interview and I......
- An Artist Portrait (Part Two) This is the Part Two (and final part) of the true life story as artist written by Frank V. Cahoj for our Weblog. (Part One) An Artist Portrait (Part Two) I give an unbelievable amount of credence to these two early periods in my life: one of everlasting creation, one......
- Independent Games We interview Adrian Grigore, president of Lobstersoft, an independent casual games developer from Fulda, Germany. Their company consists of 2 people, although they have outsourced some parts of the development to freelance graphics and music artists when creating Gemsweeper. Gemsweeper is their latest title, a PC puzzle game. Independent Games......
-
Deming's 14 Points Back when I was working towards my MBA, I had a professor that was very passionate. Let's call him Nick. One night, Nick polled the class, asking us who we thought was the epitome of a great leader, a person whose policies allowed for everyone to win. When one...... - Polycom Desktop IP Phone Combines Color Display, HD Voice and 1Gbps Ethernet Polycom Desktop IP Phone Combines Color Display, HD Voice and 1Gbps Ethernet By Tim GrayTMCnet Web EditorUnified collaborative communications solutions player Polycom (News - Alert) today announced the latest addition to its SoundPoint IP desktop phone line, the SoundPoint IP 670. The SoundPoint IP 670 is an application-enabled desktop SIP......
-
Thomas Kinkade Collectables -> Collectibles -> Disneyana Thomas Kinkade is a living, American artist whose work is so popular today that many people have no idea they even have Thomas Kinkade artwork in their homes in some form or another. There seems to be no middle ground when it comes his...... - PHASE 3 - first official trailer The Wake Up Project Presents - Phase 3 Another groundbreaking and riveting series from the creators of The Arrivals and The Divine Book. With special guests, producers, composers, and collaborating directors, Phase 3 aims to set a new standard in online films. This production will (inshallah) wake up the......
- Free Summer Movies and Equity Indexed Annuities Free movies and equity indexed annuities? That's admittedly a strange combination. So be it. The frugal side of Mr. ToughMoneyLove is briefly emerging again today. I like free stuff just as much as the rest of you, as long as I don't have to embarrass or inconvenience myself trying to......
Independent Filmmaking
October 29, 2007
We’re back with a new interview, to Actress and Producer Glorinda Marie. We talk about independent filmmaking, filmmakers, actors and movies industry.
Here are some interesting links to check, after reading the interview:
- Actress Website
- imdb
- SF Indieclub
- Get Bizzzy Acting Coach
Manuel Marino: “Glorinda, what do you think is an artist?”
Glorinda Marie: “An artist creates something through utilizing his or her imagination or minds eye as the primary tool of invention.”
MM: “You teach and coach other artists, why do some artists fail and other succeed?”
GM: “I teach my ‘Get Bizzzy’ students to practice the 5 P’s:
- Professionalism
- Punctuality
- Practice your Craft
- Persistence
- Patience
If any one of these key elements is missing, one can fail. Always be a professional treating everyone respectfully. You see the same people on the way up as on the way down. Show up early or on time for auditions and work. I know some CD’s that take points off for actors that are late for auditions and producers who will fire people from jobs if they are late. Also, it is especially vital that an actor hone their skills continuously – so practicing one’s craft, keeping one’s instrument sharp and tuned. And – truly persistence is the key that opens the door to opportunity! I think many talented people give up way too soon. So, practicing persistence and patience while doing the other things listed above, will eventually pay off! I loved Allison Janney’s speech at the Emmy’s a few years ago. Some one had referred to her as an ‘overnight sensation’. She laughed and retorted that it was the longest 30 years of overnight ever!”
MM: “You manage SF Indieclub, what can you tell us about it?”
GM: “I founded SF Indieclub to help enhance local filmmaking and filmmakers. Our collective mission is to create more work for all of us and also to enhance the quality of films being made locally. We hope to be inspirational, informative and helpful to our filmmakers. In the 8 years I have led the group, we have made some progress and sincerely intend to continue to do so. At this time, we network together over 2,000 filmmakers, directors, producers, writers, crew and talent. It is extremely rewarding to see many of our filmmakers go to festivals, win awards and even obtain distribution! My mantra for them is… keep creating!”
MM: “What are your next steps in career and life?”
GM: “Although SF Indieclub has proved to be somewhat instrumental in improving and expanding local filmmaking in the SF Bay Area, there is no comparison to the bountiful union work that is available in Los Angeles. As a SAG actress, I must expand my career and take it to the next level. Therefore, I have been living nomadically between Northern and Southern California. Although I am relatively established in the SF Bay Area, I nearly have to start all over again in LA. I’ve been going down there during pilot season and taking classes, meeting new teachers, meeting new casting directors and networking with actors. I am submitting myself in the hopes of finding a quality mid size agent to help me reach the next level in my career. I want to find someone who believes in me and my talent. In the meantime, I am submitting myself for every breakdown that would be considered my appropriate ‘type’ possible in film and TV. I believe that even if one does have an agent, the agent does 10% of the work and takes 10% of the cut because they do 10% of the work. An actor must always be actively involved in his or her own career. My goal is to get my feet in the doors of some TV shows and do some Guest Star and Co Star roles. Of course, I wish to play many more interesting roles in film as well.
As for life – I am traveling to Thailand next month. I love to expand my horizons and explore new cultures and people, customs, beliefs and ways of life. When I return home refreshed, I will enjoy the holidays with my friends and family before going back to LA again.”
-
The Djinn Chronicles Today we add a new Category: Writings, where we'll publish exclusive short stories, novels or poems available on ManuelMarino.com only. Today's Author is Erick Behymer. Read his words about this work of fiction: The Djinn Chronicles Well, I do have one that directly involves the mythological creatures known as Djinn....... -
Country Music Star Is Unleashed! Robert Benson (if you remember he wrote An Explosion of Blues Music) this time gave me a review about the next big star in Country Music, Laura Roppe (pronounced ro-pay). She has a Shania Twain-like quality and already is receiving major air play in Europe. Robert said me also that...... - About Dreaming Peter Buckley just sent me this article he wrote for us, and I feel it to be really powerful... read: About Dreaming I wish to talk to you about dreams. I will try to resist sentimentality. Dreams are both beautiful and dangerous, and I want to demonstrate how they can......
- The Elegance of the Art Doug Stahnke is a sculptor. And this is a wonderful exclusive article he wrote for us. The Elegance of the Art Let me begin by first defining some terms as I apply them: talent – I think there is a simple truth here. You were either born with it or you......
- Surveying the Land of Scape Taegen Carter is a movie director. He is also the owner of Mythmaker Entertainment, a company that produces shorts and features in the genres of adventure, sci-fi, thriller and drama. Taegen tells us about the production of Scape, that should be completed around June of ’09. Let's read his words,......
- Work Dilemma or How Do I Ask for a Raise I'm a pretty competitive person by nature. I don't really know why that is, but I am. As you can figure out by now, I'm fairly frugal and I'm looking to make enough money to retire early - really early for most people. The last few days at work have......
-
Another inevitability crammed in between taxes and death:... ...a malfunctioning pension scheme Something that was hovering in the air for a long time, and has been swept under the carpet a little as a result of the ongoing credit crunch is the fact that most UK citizens can afford to become old or worse still, to retire. A...... - SAHM vs. Working Mom's In today's world there is a HUGE battle that women are fighting. It's the battle between the stay at home moms and the working moms. I myself am neither of these yet, but I wanted to weigh in on the issue as an outsider first. Maybe someday I will look back......
-
No Job Is Below You When I was a teen I worked at a supermarket (I actually worked there a loong time). One day I ran into a friend's dad woo had his own butcher business. We chatted and he asked me if I worked. I sheepishly told him I worked at a supermarket...... -
5 Tips for Beginning a Wellness Program It is never too late for you to begin a journey in health and wellness. Here is five of ten tips that you can begin today in order to build a foundation for your health and wellness program. 1 - Write Your Goals Out - Put your goals and desires......
Comic Art
October 25, 2007
Mike Dominic wrote this article for us. He is a freelance illustrator and comic artist living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has produced work for both print and online comics, including his own webcomic, The Journals of Simon Pariah. He has written articles about comics for Sketch magazine and 24 Hour Comics Day 2006, and he is currently a participant in the 100 Artists Project. His most recent work can be found at the Bruno the Bandit webcomic and his own sketchblog.
Comic Art
Comics is an old art form that is always new. In its current form, it is just over a century old, yet it is just as fresh as today’s strips. It has adapted to nearly every communications medium introduced in the last century, yet it is still produced with tools that are as old as the written word. It is considered lowbrow trash by some (see, for example, Jack Chick tracts or Tijuana Bibles), pop culture by many (see the current spate of comic book based films and the books from which they are derived), and high art by a few (see Gary Groth and Art Speigelman). Some creators have even managed to start at one end of the scale and work their way to the other (see Will Eisner and Robert Crumb).
Comic art is used for educational and instructional purposes as well as it is for entertainment value. It has provided icons for our modern culture, even as it tore down that same culture or provided an escape from it. Comics are to art what water is to a Taoist: infinitely adaptable, ever changing.
This is why I consider myself fortunate to have some small talent for comics; comics are, literally, for everyone. I write them, draw them and color them. I also read them and share my love of them with others, old and young. Although I’ve worked in other artistic fields, I keep coming back to comics. The lessons I learn from another medium make their way into comics, and somehow the influence of comics keeps making its way into other artistic endeavors.
No other creative efforts have challenged me as much as has the creation of comics. This field is, for me, simultaneously the most rewarding and most frustrating work I have ever undertaken. Comics just demands so much of the creator. It demands that I know something about just about everything, as I could be called upon to draw anything at any given time. As a comic artist, I must be able to create a believable image of just about anything, be it real or utterly fantastic, and use that rendering to aid the narrative, convey action or create a mood. And do it in a few deft penstrokes. Usually on a deadline. On the other hand, it allows me to realize just about anything, be it real or utterly fantastic, with an effect as real and a scale as large as my mind and hand can convey, and with a budget no larger than the cost of a piece of paper and a stub of a pencil.
Yet when the job is done, comics is an ephemeral medium, flashed briefly on the screen or held briefly in the hand, then discarded or stashed away while the reader moves on to the next task of their day. In thinking about it that way, it makes you wonder why anyone would bother putting in so much effort to make good comics, and its probably that ephemeral nature that contributes to the perception of comics as an immature or irrelevant medium. Yet, if the comic creator has done their work diligently and well, they will have produced something, an impression or insight, that will last well beyond the short span that is spent actually experiencing the art. It is when that lasting impression is achieved that comics (in any format) has succeeded, and truly lives, as art.
- An Artist Portrait (Part Two) This is the Part Two (and final part) of the true life story as artist written by Frank V. Cahoj for our Weblog. (Part One) An Artist Portrait (Part Two) I give an unbelievable amount of credence to these two early periods in my life: one of everlasting creation, one......
-
Raymond Thoughts about Games and Arts Today we interview Raymond Jacobs, owner of Ethereal Darkness Interactive. Founded in 2002 Ethereal Darkness Interactive is commited to developing quality indie games with high production values. Raymond talks about his latest project, Morning's Wrath 2, about videogames, Arts and technology. Raymond Thoughts about Games and Arts Manuel Marino: You...... - To the audience of music Gunnar Colding is a former professional cellist who for 25 years has been employed by chamber orchestras as well as symphony orchestras of Sweden. This is an exceptional article he wrote for us. To the audience of music There was recently given a concert in New York mainly consisting of......
- The Elegance of the Art Doug Stahnke is a sculptor. And this is a wonderful exclusive article he wrote for us. The Elegance of the Art Let me begin by first defining some terms as I apply them: talent – I think there is a simple truth here. You were either born with it or you......
-
Living as Independent Developer Today we interview Andres Martinez, owner of baKno, a game development studio located in Key Biscayne, Florida. They are a group of video game enthusiasts committed to developing new ways to deliver fun, interactive and challenging software. Living as Independent Developer Manuel Marino: You declare yourself and your team as......
-
Popular Personal Finance Books Around Twitter I wanted to list out some favorite personal finance books of mine then I thought it would be more fun to turn to Twitter and ask some friends what their favorite books are. I think it's interesting to see what influences different people. Here are some great personal finance reads...... -
Tips for working from home I've been working from home now off and on for a few months. It started with 1-2 days at home, then 3 and within a few weeks I'll be working from home full-time. Personally I love it, but it's different in more ways than I anticipated. Working from home...... -
Health Toons Unleashed: The Lemon Diet Works This cartoon is the first in the new series of Fat Man Unleashed: Health Toons Unleashed web comics/ cartoons. Every so often I will be posting new Health Toons Unleashed. These cartoons will be based on my life, news, and anything health related I can think of. There are no...... -
Why The Banks Aren't Lending TARP was passed months ago. It was originally pitched to Congress and taxpayers as a means to buy the bad loans away from banks. The government would then work with the borrowers to sort out the bad stuff and the banks would be free to lend again. Instead the Treasury...... -
Japanese Art Collectibles -> Cultures-Ethnicities -> Asian Japanese art is a type of art that has a very distinctive look. If a painting, a vase, a sculpture or some other type of art is Japanese, particularly if it’s antique art, it usually only takes a quick look for you to recognize the......
-
Subscribe
-
Categories
-
Links
- Listen to Music Online - Direct link to mp3s you can download. You can freely Listen to Music Online, this way!
- Shop for Car - Shop for Car means Huge Car Deals! Also Auto Parts and Auto Accessories!
- Shop for Clothes - Find the Lowest Prices on Footwear, Handbags, Shirts and Outdoor Gear!
- Shop for Computer - Best Computer and Consumer Electronics Brands.
- Subscribe by Email - Subscribe to receive daily email with ManuelMarino.com newest content.
- XML Sitemap
-
Meta
-
Editorial Endorsements
