Extremely Excited - THE BOP DECAMERON

'The Bop Decameron'. I'm excited about this. 

Jesse Eisenberg is the star of two of my favorite films, 'Adventureland' and 'The Social Network' - and I've been dying to see Ellen Page do something as wonderful as 'Juno' ever since she made it ('Whip It' was cool, 'Inception' wasn't really about her.)

Page and Eisenberg together would be exciting enough. But it's also written and directed by a guy called Woody Allen. 

Woody Allen working with these two is music to my ears! I cannot think of better casting. And there's also Penélope Cruz, Alec Baldwin, Judy Davis (finally working with Woody again!), Greta Gerwig - and Woody is acting in it himself (first time since 'Scoop' in 2006)

Unlike most, I have still stuck by Woody over the years. 'Scoop' and 'Cassandra's Dreams' were truly awful, but most of his other recent efforts I've liked. Even the much derided 'Anything Else' and 'Hollywood Ending' -- I enjoy them both and have watched them many times. 

But here Woody may have struck gold. Coming off the back of 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' and 'Midnight In Paris' (along with 'You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger', which I loved but the critics didn't) I can think of nothing better for Woody than working with two of the finest young actors in Hollywood. Eisenberg was destined to be in a Woody film; it's impossible to deny that the director has had an influence on Eisenberg; the mannerisms and acting styles are too similar. 

This is perfect perfect perfect. Of course, when I get this excited, it never works out. But this time, it just might...

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Input Needed

So let's do something different.

What do you want me to blog about?

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The Early, Funny Ones: Your First Experiences Making Films Are By Far The Best

You'll never have as much fun as those first films. Everyone comes together and feels the possibilities. You shoot at 6am all the way through till 4am and no-one cares because you're in it together, doing something, and everyone had forgotten what it was to do something.

And you scoff down a bar of chocolate at 2am and a cake at 2.04am and get talking to some bearded helper about your cinematic influences and you chat to the pretty girl who's helping out just because it gives her something to do and she tells you how she secretly wants to write scripts.

You laugh like crazy because the acting is so bad and no-one knows what they're doing. But everything is so important, it's like bomb disposal. You must must must make this movie because life depends on it. You run down the steps holding some cable and feel all buzzed up on life.

You take a break between scenes in some freezing cold field and everyone is eating bananas cos' you asked people to bring food and Michael brought fifty bananas because he's crazy.

Everyone is crazy, jumping off houses with cameras and climbing onto houses that belong to strangers; all because the shot is needed. The film is everything. We were sleepwalking through life and now we're movie makers, and this could be a masterpiece.

It's the last night of filming and we've snuck into some farmer's barn and everyone is in love with everyone and Paul has a crazy idea to film it upside down from the hole in the roof. I want to impress the girl, the girl wants to impress the bearded guy, and the bearded guy wants to impress upon us his greatness. So we all dive in and climb our way up to the roof and balance the camera using sticks and bananas and hope.
Filming ends and no-one wants to go home, because we all have work or school or unemployment in the morning. It's back to something and it isn't the movies.

You never get this back. The pure joy, the wonder, the naivety. It's everything.

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My Film Blog Facts

1. All of my writings are spur of the moment.

2. I write fluidly and post immediately. If I'm at the computer I spell check, if I'm using my phone I don't.

3. If there are no images you know I've published from my phone.

4. I give advice a lot but am generally uneasy about doing so because I think that, for the most part when it comes to art: you should do what you want and find your own way.

5. I often delay arranging and conducting interviews due to laziness.

6. My favorite interview on the site is with Scott Rosenberg.

7. I often want to delete posts after publishing, but never do.

8. I would rather my posts be art than give advice on art. i.e. rather than write a blog called 'be creative!' I'd rather write something creative. This is an aim for the future.

9. I have turned down a lot of sponsorship and advertising opportunities, because they're not in line with what I preach.

10. I feel I've yet to find the true purpose of this blog.

Bonus fact: While writing this I listened to 'Many Rivers To Cross' by Jimmy Cliff and 'We'll Meet Again" by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

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Writing To Budget: Make Opportunities Out Of Limitations

You hear people say things like "I'd never shoot on anything less than a Canon 5D" or "I only work with a Red camera". While it is exciting to work with great cameras, you may find you can't afford them. Even when you can afford the rental fees, it may be that your editing system cannot handle the files.

These limitations are often daunting for new filmmakers -- but I'm here to say, don't let it stop you making a film.

Nobody wants to shoot on DV any more. People look down on it. They shot "Once" and "28 Days Later" on Mini-DV. If it's good enough for John Carney and Danny Boyle, I'm sure you'll be fine with your short movie.

Sure, maybe you want the cinematic look you get with the Red, or the beautiful crispness you get with a 5D. But this is a post for those who don't have those privileges right at this moment.

The Indie filmmaking wisdom is, of course, "shoot with whatever you can get your hands on". This is great advice but you need to take it in the right way. Most people hear that as "do the best you can" -- but I think you need to see it more as: "this is a wonderful opportunity!"

You or someone you know has a video phone. That's good enough to get started and make some films.

Here's a tip: don't pretend it's a film camera. Don't try to hide the fact you have no crew. Instead, embrace what you have and make it part of your story.

Here's some ideas off the top of my head that could inspire ideas for a smartphone-video film.

-The world is about to end and two friends decide to capture the final moments.

-Two women, for fun, decide to document their dating lives with video diaries.

-A couple staying in a hotel are convinced it's haunted, so they film happenings on their phones.

-A kid decides to secretly film his parent's marriage difficulties.

They are just ideas. Let's look at the last one; a kid films his parents arguing. The story could be the same as a bigger budget film about divorce, but filmed with just a phone it'll have a rawness and truthfulness. Plus it's filmed from the point of view of the child, which could be heartbreaking.

If you like horror, look at Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity, those types of ideas you can film on your phone.

Same goes for any camera. What if all you have is your Uncle's old camera which has a broken lense? Use it! Make up a story where the characters document what happened using a broken camera.

These restraints are wonderful opportunities to overcome limitations. Use your imagination!

Films are made everyday on big beautiful cameras. But guess what? A lot of them are BAD. Equipment quality has nothing to do with how good you are at telling a story.

So go tell a story.

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Feedback

Here is a comment from my post 'Miracle Best' that I wanted to share because I was blown away by it. The comment was by a fellow blogger, papatigga

Man...I've really been struggling with the thought of embarking on a new journey at such a late stage of my life...I own a home and have a family, a job that some may view as being somewhat successful yet I feel so unfulfilled and empty. I feel this way because I have always taken the safe route and never took a real chance in life. There are so many opportunities that I have let pass me by for fear of failure...chances that may have brought me, and my family true happiness, yet I was content with mediocrity...a mediocrity that is now manifesting itself into a depression and feeling of failure. The very feeling I was trying to avoid. In the movie "Kung Fu Panda" the wise turtle said that 'The road we chose to avoid our destiny is often the road that leads us to it." (paraphrasing). How true this statement is, only now accompanying my feeling of failure is a feeling of regret. I have been asking for a sign as to what I should do with my life and I truly feel as if stumbling upon your blog may be that sign. This post has inspired me to reach out beyond what I see as my boundaries and create new boundaries for myself and my family. No longer will I be content with being content. Thank you ....

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Cameron Crowe is BACK!

The "We Bought A Zoo" trailer has all the Croweisms we crave -- the leaving of the workplace heroically, the overt hand gestures, the big heart, Tom Petty, a big romance. After 'Elizabethtown' a lot of people thought his bubble had burst -- but here he is again.. and I'm excited!





Back when Cameron Crowe was a teenager writing reviews for magazines, I don't imagine he knew that he'd be making movies someday. Cameron is the perfect director for 'Pearl Jam Twenty', he lives for music. He understands it better than anyone who isn't a musician -- and he makes us realise how much we love it too. I'm a fan of Pearl Jam; not a big fan, but a fan -- yet this trailer makes me feel like they're the greatest band ever. That's Cameron Crowe for you. He shows us the greatest little subtleties of music. He shows us who Pearl Jam really are.

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