Note: This is the first in a series of posts from CoyoteMoon Films people about how they approach the movie-going experience.
If a movie is being made from a book, do you make a point of reading the book first, or do you avoid reading the book before seeing the film? Why?
I do tend to try to read the book first. In the instance of the Hunger Games books I really want to finish the series before the movies come out. I generally do this because I feel that movies have a tendency to leave out important elements. They might not seem important at the time, but they make the story better in the long run. An example of this is in the movie Watchmen. The character Rorschach is a crucial character to the comic and he is written so clearly that he is undeniably the POV character. In the comic they go much more into his childhood, his life as an outsider and the reason his costume is so important to him. All that description might have seem unnecessary in the filmmaking process, but it was actually needed to complete the character. It was unclear at times who the POV character was in the film version and that made the movie long and confusing. Don't get me wrong, I think that the movie was good in its own right, but the characters just felt empty.
This is however not always the case. Very occasionally you run across a movie that is exponentially better than the book. Examples of this would be Dolores Claiborne, Stand By Me (The Body) and The Shawshank Redemption. Had I only read the books I don't think I would have run right out to see the movies. This just proves that if you can get the right people behind a movie they can make cinematic magic out of a mediocre script/novel.
Teresa Skibinski
8.16.2011
8.06.2011
Meet the Crew
This is the first in a series of posts introducing members of the crew on CoyoteMoon Films' latest production, the short film The Three O'Clock, written by Michael Grady and directed by Howard Allen.
L R Simon, Still Photographer and Craft Services
Photograph by Kathleen Gradillas
I worked previously as a Production Assistant on CoyoteMoon Films' first short, Se Habla Español, so many of the lessons I learned on that film were reinforced or expanded on with The Three O'Clock. Some of those lessons apply to businesses other than film or art, such as: there is no job description--if something needs to be done and you're available to do it, then do it, and take pride in doing it. You build your reputation with every job and every task.
Because I documented both pre- and post-production on The Three O'Clock, I became much more aware of how important pre-production is than I was before. Watch the end credits roll on any film and you know that film-making requires teamwork and organization. The director needs to visit the set several times, and it helps to have producers and cinematographers and sound supervisors and other crew visit the set before production, especially if the director is relatively new to filmmaking. If everyone is aware of the issues with the set (for example, surfaces that might reflect equipment in the shot or ambient sounds from the air conditioner), then it's easier to prepare for those issues ahead of time. Time taken in pre-production is time saved on the set.
Working in Craft Services, I also saw first-hand that good food can make for a happy set, and happy sets seem to function better than gloomy or grumpy sets. After good story and good people who want to tell the story to the best of their abilities, good food may be one of the most important factors in ensuring a happy set. We saw to it that fresh fruit was available all day every day, along with breads, yogurt, snacks and drinks, and we made substantive and healthful lunches. We had regular traffic in the kitchen, despite the fact that the kitchen and the set were on different floors, and sound considerations made it inconvenient to leave the set for a snack.
I look forward to working on CoyoteMoon Films' next production.
L R Simon, Still Photographer and Craft Services
Photograph by Kathleen Gradillas
I worked previously as a Production Assistant on CoyoteMoon Films' first short, Se Habla Español, so many of the lessons I learned on that film were reinforced or expanded on with The Three O'Clock. Some of those lessons apply to businesses other than film or art, such as: there is no job description--if something needs to be done and you're available to do it, then do it, and take pride in doing it. You build your reputation with every job and every task.
Because I documented both pre- and post-production on The Three O'Clock, I became much more aware of how important pre-production is than I was before. Watch the end credits roll on any film and you know that film-making requires teamwork and organization. The director needs to visit the set several times, and it helps to have producers and cinematographers and sound supervisors and other crew visit the set before production, especially if the director is relatively new to filmmaking. If everyone is aware of the issues with the set (for example, surfaces that might reflect equipment in the shot or ambient sounds from the air conditioner), then it's easier to prepare for those issues ahead of time. Time taken in pre-production is time saved on the set.
Working in Craft Services, I also saw first-hand that good food can make for a happy set, and happy sets seem to function better than gloomy or grumpy sets. After good story and good people who want to tell the story to the best of their abilities, good food may be one of the most important factors in ensuring a happy set. We saw to it that fresh fruit was available all day every day, along with breads, yogurt, snacks and drinks, and we made substantive and healthful lunches. We had regular traffic in the kitchen, despite the fact that the kitchen and the set were on different floors, and sound considerations made it inconvenient to leave the set for a snack.
I look forward to working on CoyoteMoon Films' next production.
8.03.2011
Howard Allen at IFP Phoenix
On August 18, Howard Allen will be speaking at IFP Phoenix's Screenwriters Group. The event will be held at the IFP Offices in Phoenix at 1700 North 7th Avenue (Suite 250) and is free of charge.
Howard will discuss several major screenwriting tools, including Dramatic Irony, Dramatic Action, Triangularity, and of course, Subtext, using the movie Juno for examples of each. He will also take questions about writing screenplays that are good and can be sold.
Be sure to check out IFP Phoenix's site on the event for more details.
Howard will discuss several major screenwriting tools, including Dramatic Irony, Dramatic Action, Triangularity, and of course, Subtext, using the movie Juno for examples of each. He will also take questions about writing screenplays that are good and can be sold.
Be sure to check out IFP Phoenix's site on the event for more details.
7.18.2011
3D Movies: Three Specific Issues
Yesterday I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 in 3D, and while I didn't think the third dimension added anything to the movie, it wasn't particularly distracting, either (except for one scene, which I'll discuss below). I did have a couple of issues with two of the trailers (for Glee and John Carter). I cannot say with certainty the degree to which these issues can be attributed to the fact that I sat much closer to the screen than usual, but if the viewer's location in the theater is a factor in the technology's watchability, then the technology still requires improvement.
I'll start with Glee 3D. The sequences on stage were difficult to watch, possibly because there was too much action and too much camera movement at the same time, or possibly because there were too many pieces of confetti. There were a couple of moments I had to cover my eyes. If there is a reason to shoot what amounts to a concert film in 3D, I don't know what it is. If concert films are supposed to be about the music, then please make sure that the sound is outstanding. Everything else should be a bonus, but the makers of this film seem to want the 3D to be the star of the show.
The trailer for John Carter works perfectly well in 2D. It has a couple of moments that don't work so well in 3D. At least once and probably twice, the trailer dissolves between clips. Dissolves are perfectly effective transitions in 2D, but I found them weird and distracting in 3D.
Early in HP7:pt2, there is a scene in which Harry talks with Ollivander. Harry is close to the camera and Hermione and Ron are in the background. The scene is shot with a narrow field of focus: Harry is sharp and clear, while Hermione and Ron are blurry. In 2D, this implies depth of field while forcing the audience to focus on Harry. In 3D, this narrow field of focus makes Hermione and Ron look like they're under some horrible spell that obliterates every feature of their faces. I can't speak for anyone else in the audience, but I had to force myself to look at Harry. Narrow field of focus may be one of the 2D camera effects that doesn't translate to 3D.
There were a few special effects that I thought didn't work quite as well as they ought (mostly clouds and smoke), but at the rate CGI technology advances, I expect it won't be long before those issues are worked out.
This post was written by LR Simon.
This is the first in a series of posts about 3D movie technology. Watch this blog for more discussion.
I'll start with Glee 3D. The sequences on stage were difficult to watch, possibly because there was too much action and too much camera movement at the same time, or possibly because there were too many pieces of confetti. There were a couple of moments I had to cover my eyes. If there is a reason to shoot what amounts to a concert film in 3D, I don't know what it is. If concert films are supposed to be about the music, then please make sure that the sound is outstanding. Everything else should be a bonus, but the makers of this film seem to want the 3D to be the star of the show.
The trailer for John Carter works perfectly well in 2D. It has a couple of moments that don't work so well in 3D. At least once and probably twice, the trailer dissolves between clips. Dissolves are perfectly effective transitions in 2D, but I found them weird and distracting in 3D.
Early in HP7:pt2, there is a scene in which Harry talks with Ollivander. Harry is close to the camera and Hermione and Ron are in the background. The scene is shot with a narrow field of focus: Harry is sharp and clear, while Hermione and Ron are blurry. In 2D, this implies depth of field while forcing the audience to focus on Harry. In 3D, this narrow field of focus makes Hermione and Ron look like they're under some horrible spell that obliterates every feature of their faces. I can't speak for anyone else in the audience, but I had to force myself to look at Harry. Narrow field of focus may be one of the 2D camera effects that doesn't translate to 3D.
There were a few special effects that I thought didn't work quite as well as they ought (mostly clouds and smoke), but at the rate CGI technology advances, I expect it won't be long before those issues are worked out.
This post was written by LR Simon.
This is the first in a series of posts about 3D movie technology. Watch this blog for more discussion.
7.13.2011
The Three o'Clock: More Photos
Howard Allen (Director), Cynthia Jeffrey (Actor), Jake Sutton (Sound),
Jim Scott (Cinematographer), and Mike Yarema (Actor)
Photo by LR Simon
Jim Scott (Cinematographer), and Mike Yarema (Actor)
Photo by LR Simon
Steve Bayless (Sound, Editor), Megan Guthrie (Producer, Actor), Howard Allen (Director), Jim Scott (Cinematographer), Lara Erman (Assistant Director), and Nathan Shelton (Line Producer)
Photo by Kathleen Gradillas
Photo by Kathleen Gradillas
William F. Hubbard (Actor), Mike Yarema (Actor), Betsy Kruse Craig (Actor)
Photo by Kathleen Gradillas
Photo by Kathleen Gradillas
Michael Grady (Writer)
Photo by LR Simon
Photo by LR Simon
(Photos Copyright 2011 by CoyoteMoon Films and the photographers. All applicable rights reserved. Use by permission.)
7.08.2011
Postproduction: The Three o'Clock
Howard Allen; photo by Kathleen Gradillas
Production is complete on CoyoteMoon Films' second short, The Three o'Clock, directed by Howard Allen and written by Michael Grady. Here are a few photographs from the set.
Lara Erman, Assistant Director
Photo by LR Simon
Photo by LR Simon
Megan Guthrie, Producer, Actor
Photo by LR Simon
Photo by LR Simon
Howard Allen, Nathan Shelton (Line Producer), and Michael Grady
Photo by LR Simon
Photo by LR Simon
(Photos Copyright 2011 by CoyoteMoon Films and the photographers. All applicable rights reserved. Use by permission.)
6.26.2011
Howard Allen in new book
Howard Allen is featured in a new book, Now Write! Screenwriting: Screenwriting Exercises from Today's Best Writers and Teachers, available on amazon.com. The book is part of the Now Write! writing guide series.
Howard Allen Interviews
Howard Allen is interviewed in two online magazines on screenwriting: Script Magazine and Script Links. Check out these interviews!
6.01.2011
ScriptDoctor's Contest of Contest Winners
FOR RELEASE:
April 15, 2011
ScriptDoctor.com
CONTACT: Howard Allen, thedoc@ScriptDoctor.com
The WINNERS of the CONTEST OF CONTEST WINNERS ™
There are dozens of screenwriting competitions held annually across the country. But which screenplay from among the winners of all of these quality competitions is the best of the best?
All of us at ScriptDoctor.com are amazed at the response – more than 50 entrants -- in this the sixth year of our Contest. To show our gratitude, we took the extra time and expense of getting two Writer Judge’s coverage-style evaluations sent to every single entrant in the Contest.
Who is the best of the best? The Contest of Contest Winners ™ hopes to answer that question and shine the spotlight on these accomplished, award-winning screenplays. A good showing in this contest proves your script stands out among the toughest competition. What a priceless marketing tool for your screenplay!
Our top ten Finalists also receive free Final Draft software.
Also as promised, we are directly contacting more than 200 publications, agencies and production companies with the names and screenplays of our 10 Finalists.
Our access to major studios and production companies is aided by the fact that many of our judges are working professionals. This includes ScriptDoctor (rated No. 1 in a national survey), Howard Allen. And Chris Haughom, who has been in the film business for over 25 years, starting out in the biz as Executive Assistant to the President of Filmways Pictures, Inc. Over the years, Chris evaluated scripts for AFI, CAA and many production companies, and also wrote many script novelizations. For the past 16 years, Chris has been a Judge for the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowships, reading over 250 scripts in a 4-month period each year. And Victoria Lucas with almost 20 years of experience as a development and production executive at both major studios and independent film companies.
Our First Place Winner receives the cash prize, storyboard software from FrameForge 3D, a free set of Story Notes from ScriptDoctor.com (valued at $700), as well as the prize given to the top ten Finalists.
We would like to thank our sponsors and the great response we got from all of the contest winners who entered. We remind everyone that some Entrants qualified just being Quarter-Finalists or Semi-Finalists in certain contests like the Nicholl Competition (see our web site for details).
And now our winner:
JENNA'S GONE by Russ Meyer
When the waitress they both love goes missing, an untried deputy and an exceptional hunting guide strain their friendship tracking the kidnapper across the desert--each suspecting the other of playing a role in her disappearance.
Contact: tortoise@att.net
And our Finalist Winners in alphabetical order:
FINDING YOUR INNER DOG by Erna Mueller
Can a surly cop enter the gates of heaven? You bet: The Jerk Redemption Program. He just has to become his K-9 Partner dog first.
Contact: images9@comcast.net
JUST KILL ME ALREADY by Sundae Jahant-Osborn
A desperate down'n'out actor takes extreme and temporarily insane measures to make sure he wins the role of a lifetime. How? He hires a hitman to "eliminate" his competition.
Contact: wysiwygprod@compuserve.com
KING'S HEART by Svilen Kamburov
An extraordinary true story: a King risks everything to defy Hitler's Nazi Germany and make his small country the only nation in Europe to save its entire Jewish population.
Contact: svilenpk@yahoo.com
NEW MOMMY by Hamilton Mitchell
A boy falls for his baby sitter, and 12 years later--moving home from college--he discovers she’s going to marry his step-dad.
Contact: ham9875@aol.com
NORTH 40 by Timothy Jay Smith
A Special Ops soldier, whose grief over the loss of a son has torn his family apart, takes them on vacation hoping to relive happier times, when a perilous situation forces them to pull together to survive. Straw Dogs meets Ordinary People in this Hitchcockian suspense thriller.
Contact: timothysmith.paris@gmail.com
RED STAR by Ruth Johnson
She survived the un-survivable. The inspiring true story of Margaret Werner, the only American woman to endure the Gulag death camps in Stalinist Russia.
Contact: ruthiejohnsonofhb@gmail.com
TAKU'S QUEST by Michael Pallotta
An orphaned Japanese boy is chosen to thwart a diabolical scheme by the Lord of the UnderWorld ten years in his future.
Contact: pallotta_m@yahoo.ca
UNDERWOOD by Theresa Giese
While a teenage farm boy fights to save his family’s farm, a young squirrel battles his own fears to follow in his famous father’s footsteps. When their paths cross, both lives change in ways even they don’t truly understand.
Contact: bgiese@centurytel.net
WHEN TIGERS SLEEP by James Walker
In 2009, a Tamil boy arrives in London from Sri Lanka, having escaped the brutal civil war, but becomes embroiled in a violent Tamil gang instead.
Contact: jamesjmwalker@gmail.com
THE VOYEUR by John Bengel
An ethicist and college dean with a voyeurism obsession sees something that creates his ultimate ethical dilemma.
Contact: rbengel@ca.rr.com
And our Honorable Mention:
THE YUAN WIDE MOVIE by Wayne Diu
A fat kid unintentionally wreaks havoc in his hometown after a suspiciously not-so-random draw seals his fate: He will become the unfortunate student chosen to interview candidates in the upcoming election.
Contact: wayne@readmyscreenplay.com
April 15, 2011
ScriptDoctor.com
CONTACT: Howard Allen, thedoc@ScriptDoctor.com
There are dozens of screenwriting competitions held annually across the country. But which screenplay from among the winners of all of these quality competitions is the best of the best?
All of us at ScriptDoctor.com are amazed at the response – more than 50 entrants -- in this the sixth year of our Contest. To show our gratitude, we took the extra time and expense of getting two Writer Judge’s coverage-style evaluations sent to every single entrant in the Contest.
Who is the best of the best? The Contest of Contest Winners ™ hopes to answer that question and shine the spotlight on these accomplished, award-winning screenplays. A good showing in this contest proves your script stands out among the toughest competition. What a priceless marketing tool for your screenplay!
Our top ten Finalists also receive free Final Draft software.
Also as promised, we are directly contacting more than 200 publications, agencies and production companies with the names and screenplays of our 10 Finalists.
Our access to major studios and production companies is aided by the fact that many of our judges are working professionals. This includes ScriptDoctor (rated No. 1 in a national survey), Howard Allen. And Chris Haughom, who has been in the film business for over 25 years, starting out in the biz as Executive Assistant to the President of Filmways Pictures, Inc. Over the years, Chris evaluated scripts for AFI, CAA and many production companies, and also wrote many script novelizations. For the past 16 years, Chris has been a Judge for the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowships, reading over 250 scripts in a 4-month period each year. And Victoria Lucas with almost 20 years of experience as a development and production executive at both major studios and independent film companies.
Our First Place Winner receives the cash prize, storyboard software from FrameForge 3D, a free set of Story Notes from ScriptDoctor.com (valued at $700), as well as the prize given to the top ten Finalists.
We would like to thank our sponsors and the great response we got from all of the contest winners who entered. We remind everyone that some Entrants qualified just being Quarter-Finalists or Semi-Finalists in certain contests like the Nicholl Competition (see our web site for details).
And now our winner:
JENNA'S GONE by Russ Meyer
When the waitress they both love goes missing, an untried deputy and an exceptional hunting guide strain their friendship tracking the kidnapper across the desert--each suspecting the other of playing a role in her disappearance.
Contact: tortoise@att.net
And our Finalist Winners in alphabetical order:
FINDING YOUR INNER DOG by Erna Mueller
Can a surly cop enter the gates of heaven? You bet: The Jerk Redemption Program. He just has to become his K-9 Partner dog first.
Contact: images9@comcast.net
JUST KILL ME ALREADY by Sundae Jahant-Osborn
A desperate down'n'out actor takes extreme and temporarily insane measures to make sure he wins the role of a lifetime. How? He hires a hitman to "eliminate" his competition.
Contact: wysiwygprod@compuserve.com
KING'S HEART by Svilen Kamburov
An extraordinary true story: a King risks everything to defy Hitler's Nazi Germany and make his small country the only nation in Europe to save its entire Jewish population.
Contact: svilenpk@yahoo.com
NEW MOMMY by Hamilton Mitchell
A boy falls for his baby sitter, and 12 years later--moving home from college--he discovers she’s going to marry his step-dad.
Contact: ham9875@aol.com
NORTH 40 by Timothy Jay Smith
A Special Ops soldier, whose grief over the loss of a son has torn his family apart, takes them on vacation hoping to relive happier times, when a perilous situation forces them to pull together to survive. Straw Dogs meets Ordinary People in this Hitchcockian suspense thriller.
Contact: timothysmith.paris@gmail.com
RED STAR by Ruth Johnson
She survived the un-survivable. The inspiring true story of Margaret Werner, the only American woman to endure the Gulag death camps in Stalinist Russia.
Contact: ruthiejohnsonofhb@gmail.com
TAKU'S QUEST by Michael Pallotta
An orphaned Japanese boy is chosen to thwart a diabolical scheme by the Lord of the UnderWorld ten years in his future.
Contact: pallotta_m@yahoo.ca
UNDERWOOD by Theresa Giese
While a teenage farm boy fights to save his family’s farm, a young squirrel battles his own fears to follow in his famous father’s footsteps. When their paths cross, both lives change in ways even they don’t truly understand.
Contact: bgiese@centurytel.net
WHEN TIGERS SLEEP by James Walker
In 2009, a Tamil boy arrives in London from Sri Lanka, having escaped the brutal civil war, but becomes embroiled in a violent Tamil gang instead.
Contact: jamesjmwalker@gmail.com
THE VOYEUR by John Bengel
An ethicist and college dean with a voyeurism obsession sees something that creates his ultimate ethical dilemma.
Contact: rbengel@ca.rr.com
And our Honorable Mention:
THE YUAN WIDE MOVIE by Wayne Diu
A fat kid unintentionally wreaks havoc in his hometown after a suspiciously not-so-random draw seals his fate: He will become the unfortunate student chosen to interview candidates in the upcoming election.
Contact: wayne@readmyscreenplay.com
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