Category: entertainment

The Basic Equipment for Podcasting

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I recently led a workshop about podcasting at the local library. I thought it might be useful to go over the basics of the tech needed to record and edit a podcast. As far as coming up with the ideas and recording schedule and artwork and marketing – you’re on your own.

The Equipment

Depending on how deep you want to go into this hobby will determine how much you want to spend on the equipment to make this happen.

Basic

The simplest thing is to use your phone or computer to record. This will be the most unpolished version as the sound quality from your laptop’s built in microphone or your phone won’t be as good as a “real” microphone.

At this stage you can decide if you want to heavily edit or upload as is. Some editing is probably going to be necessary just so your sound and content is clean and organized. Nobody wants to hear you setting up your microphone or arguing with the cat who hopped on your lap. Or maybe they do. Who knows what makes good content these days?

Simple

At this stage, you’re looking into getting a separate mic from your computer. This will be the consumer friendly USB style mic. Some examples below.

USB mics are fine, but the sound quality is not as good as a better (read: more expensive) mic. I liken it to a “hollow” sound.

The USB makes up for its basic sound quality with its ease of use. You simply plug it into the computer, maybe download whatever driver the computer requires to use it, and off you go.

Moderate

The XLR mic is the more professional microphone. I’ll leave it to the sound professionals to explain the numbers associated with a mic’s quality. I found this article that helps explain microphone quality.

The back of this mic is where the XLR cable plugs in.

Basically, your better microphones will be able to record clear sound with minimal background noise.

The downside is that in order to use the XLR mic with a laptop, you’re going to need a device that connects the two. You’ll notice there is no XLR input on a computer.

This is what an XLR cable looks like.

An example of an audio interface. Note the two plug in ports for XLR cables, the separate knobs to control levels, etc.

To use the XLR mic with a laptop, you need an interface. This device provides a place for me to plug in an XLR mic, adjust the levels, and then it goes to a USB that plugs into the computer.

The interface I’ve been using is more suited for the music world and I’ve run into issues trying to accurately keep track of levels, so I’m on my way to the next step (The interface I was using was the Behringer UM2. Cheap at $40 but too simple for my needs now).

Advanced

Separate Audio!

The first versions I talked about involved recording directly to your computer. One of the issues I’ve noted while using my interface has been that I cannot accurately monitor audio in the computer while recording. There’s a second or so of delay. This makes it difficult for me to monitor the audio as I’m recording because I’m hearing my own voice echo back at me. It’s very disorienting.

So I’m going to the next method, the method I should have thought of first, which is recording to a separate audio recorder. In film production, we typically record separate sound. That’s why we use the slate (often mistakenly called a “clapper board”) in order to sync up the video and audio. You use the image of the slate clap with the audio in order to match up the audio and video. Of course there’s some tools out there to help you automate this process, but I’m more of a camera person than an editor. And an amateur podcaster.

So, to record separate audio at this stage with better mics, you need a decent audio recorder. The H4n Zoom is a solid choice. It has 2 XLR inputs, so you could plug in two mics at once, plus a headphone jack to listen in and all the control over the levels. With this piece of equipment you record to an SD card.

Recording Program

If you’re recording to the computer, use whatever you have to start. There’s likely a built-in audio recorder on your computer.

I use Audacity, which is a free program. The free version doesn’t have a lot of options these days, so I only use it to record now, no editing.

There are some podcast hosting sites like Podbean, Descript and even Spotify (with Riverside) that will enable you to record and upload in the same place.

Editing Program

Use whatever you want to edit! As long as you can cut your audio files up, you’re editing.

I use the Adobe Creative Suite programs, so I’m editing my podcast in the same program I edit video in: Adobe Premiere. It’s not the typical use of that program, but I know all the hot keys, I can adjust levels and apply filters and effects, and I can export as an audio-only file. If there’s an editing program you already use that you are comfortable with, start there.

Podcast Hosting

You’ll want to upload your podcast to a host website.

There’s quite a few hosts to choose from, but some options include:

  • Buzzsprout
  • Podbean
  • Resonate
  • SoundCloud
  • Audioboom
  • Spotify for Creators

There’s many to choose from! Just check out this list of popular podcast hosting sites.

I’ve been using Spotify, but looking into some other options in order to extend my reach. At this time, Spotify cross posts to Spotify, Amazon and Apple.

Lights, Camera Remake! A Podcast about Hollywood Unoriginality

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Yet another person with a podcast. Oh my goodness. But let me explain.

One of the age-old complaints about movies and Hollywood in general is that there’s no originality left. We see endless remakes, reboots (slightly different), sequels, spinoffs and adaptations. Can’t they come up with anything new?

As I began to dig into this idea, I found some surprising things. Like the fact that Little Shop of Horrors -the musical comedy horror starring Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene? – was actually a remake of a low budget movie from 1960. Did you know that Martin Scorsese’s The Departed is based on a 2002 Hong Kong film Internal Affairs? 1998’s You’ve Got Mail is a remake of The Shop Around the Corner (1940). Ocean’s Eleven (2001) is a remake of Ocean’s Eleven (1960).

A remake of an old movie can bring a classic story to a new audience… and also sometimes make audiences really angry.

That passionate knee-jerk reaction is worth discussing.

I’d love to see more originality in the movie theater. The problem is — those movies have a harder time finding an audience.

Hollywood studios and executives are running a business, and they want to make money. And working with something that has established IP (like a Marvel movie, or a book adaptation, a remake) somewhat guarantees an audience will attend. At the end of the day, they just want to make money and make their shareholders happy. And they want to keep their jobs.

Anyway, my friend Erica Strout and I got talking, usually at work in between setups or at lunch. We met on a reality show TV show with myself working as the camera operator and Erica as my camera assistant. We became fast friends. And then we watched movies together. And had a lot of discussions about film in general.

Now we’re doing the Lights, Camera, Remake! Podcast.

This amazing artwork created by Taylor Rebyanski!

Is it always a bad thing to see a remake of a classic (or possibly unknown) movie? Our podcast looks to break it down and see if there’s merit to Hollywood shirking an original idea for a retelling.

On each episode we’ll look at a movie and its remake, or sometimes a movie and its sequel, to determine if Hollywood rehashed it for a reason or for a cash grab.

Episode 1 is about Solaris (1972) and Solaris (2002).

Solaris is an atmospheric Russian science fiction film based on a book. It was later remade in 2002 starring George Clooney.

You can listen to the episode on Spotify or right here:

Episode 2 is Little Shop of Horrors (1960) and (1986).

Next up this week is Weekend at Bernie’s! The episode will be uploaded on Wednesday, Jan 22.

Follow us on Spotify, Instagram and Facebook!

https://www.instagram.com/lightscameraremakepodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560111332548

We’ve also got an email you can submit ideas, comments or random concerns too. We understand you have those.

LightsCameraRemakePodcast@gmail.com

http://www.screenrant.com/movies-secretly-remakes-surprising/

theenemyofaverage.com/movies-that-are-remakes/

How to Avoid Film Job Scams – Take Eight

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Since I began this blog series on scams in the film industry, I started a folder on my desktop whenever I found a questionable job so I could put it in the next entry on the topic.

But… I couldn’t keep up. There’s too many. And the same names will pop up again and again, but new ones do too. There’s no way to truly catalogue them, so the best I can do is show you some examples from time to time, list the red flags, and hope to keep you from being taken advantage of in the future.

Google the E-mail

Scammers are a bit lazy too sometimes. You’ll see the same e-mail used by many different screennames. I’ve been chasing this mikebeebee email since at least July this year, having saved examples of this scam from different Facebook groups. I’m mentioning it now because it’s one of the recent ones to plague a group I manage.

This scam email was also used in July, when I saved these screenshots:

As you can see, it’s multiple names and “jobs” but the same scam email. I did blank out most of the names that posted because it’s likely they are hacked accounts and innocent of this posting. Or they could be completely fake profiles. Either way the most important thing is understanding the details of the scam.

Most recently, this one was posted:

Now, what happens if you apply to the fake job? You’ll likely get this email, with the name changed depending on the fake person you’re communicating with. Email screenshot attached with annotations explained below:

In Yellow: Generally bad grammar and grasp of the English language, so it’s likely an overseas scammer.

In Blue: If you are a professional, you do not need an explanation of how to do your job. This is a complete misunderstanding of how professionals are hired for a film set.

In Green: They use “kindly” which a lot of scammers use for some reason, and they’re also asking for all this identifying information. Probably for identity theft or to further sell your information to future scammers.

In Red: This part is where you know it’s a scam. The guy claims he will pay you $2000 before the job. Never, ever accept payment before a job is done. This is a check phishing scam. They are just trying to steal Your money, which they will do once you see the second part of the red section: “This covers your $1500 upfront payment and the talents'(sic) fee ($4,000) payable to their manager.“

This is how the check phishing scam works. They issue you a fake check, and before your bank notices the check is fraudulent, you’ll be issuing a check from your own balance to pay the “talent” who is actually the scammer. You are out at least $4,000 at the end of this scam.

According to the FTC, “Fake checks can take weeks to be discovered and untangled. By that time, the scammer has any money you sent, and you’re stuck paying the money back to the bank.”

Production Assistant Scams

This latest one was brought to my attention by a community member on a page I moderate. I’d had my suspicions about the job when it was posted, but I didn’t have enough info to delete and ban the poster until I received further info.

Here’s why this job looks suspicious at first glance and why I didn’t delete it immediately.

  • Casting call – for a production assistant? You only do casting calls for actors. Crew calls for film crew. I chalked this up to someone green in the industry.
  • Grammar “Seeking for.”
  • 3 days, 4 hours of work for a lump sum payment of $700. Again, I thought this was an inexperienced person who doesn’t know how day rates work. But 4 hours a day is suspicious even for a short film.
  • The poster turned off comments. Scammers do this because they know people will start calling them out in the comments. But insecure people also do this.

I couldn’t annotate this one because as soon as I started, I realized I was underlining the entire thing in red. Let’s look at those emails!

Red Flags:

  • Giant block of text. Most gigs will email at best like two sentences to see if you’re available.
  • Atrocious grammar and spelling. They don’t even spell their email correctly.
  • Wishing you good health. This is America, we don’t have that.
  • Apologizing. For some reason a lot of scam communications start with apologizing for being so busy. Maybe the intent is to make them look like they are in high demand or something.
  • Audition – for a production assistant? Oh no honey. But this detail confirms my suspicion that this was also a copy & pasted scam for an actor as well. Remember how the job post was a “Casting Call”? I bet this same scam showed up elsewhere targeting actors or models.
  • I laughed at “Camera Man.” The term is camera operator. But they probably meant Director of Photography.

Let’s look at the next email!

Red flags:

  • Scammer asking where you live (including the state).
  • Audition and PA again.
  • “Is that rate cool with you?” No. Because it’s fake.
  • Are you available the dates we already established?
  • Why are they asking what you’re currently working on? This is none of their business.
  • Asking for years of experience for an entry level position.

And here is the grand finale:

Red flags:

  • Advance payment – It’s a check phishing scam!
  • Also… sponsors? Wth.

Thanks to the community member who sent the screenshots and reached out with questions about identifying scams.

Sources:

Federal Trade Commission – Consumer Advice: How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams

The Evils of the Rolling Take and Reset

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Let’s dig into a pet peeve of many on set: the rolling take.

A rolling take is when you keep shooting and keep repeating the action. Like an actor walking in to a room who flubs a line and goes back to start it over again. That can be a valid reason for a rolling take. No need to re-slate and re-call action. Just try it again.

An Insert Shot: A watch being picked up and brought into the frame is a valid reason to do a series of the same action without cutting in between.

A rolling or series take might be done on a particular insert shot to get it right. Let’s say your actor needs to throw a letter to land on a desk just right. The director might ask for a series or rolling take in order to keep attempting that throw to get it the way they want. No fuss, no muss, and no wasting extra setup time to get that insert shot that you’ll see for two seconds on screen.

Directors don’t work the slate but I’ll allow this since it’s clipart.

Imagine this scenario: It’s after lunch. The Assistant Director is informing everyone for the third time that you are now an hour and a half behind on the schedule. You have several more scenes to light and shoot and somehow you have to make up a significant amount of time. Hence the anxiety that leads inexperienced directors to try shortcuts. One of those shortcuts is overusing a rolling take.

After experiencing this on a number of films, I’ve observed that green directors love to overuse the rolling take. They’re feeling the pressure and just trying to get footage in the can. The AD, meanwhile, is just trying to make their day. Now suddenly, you’re filming scene coverage as a rolling take, not cutting when you reach the end of the action, but waiting for the actor to reset and just going with it, maybe for multiple “takes.”

A rolling take going on and on is more trouble than it’s worth.

Time = Money

First, what should be obvious — you’re using up footage. This became less of a crisis when most of us went from actual film stock to digital, which is a much cheaper alternative, but digital does not mean free.

Film costs include the film stock, developing, processing, and digitizing so you can edit on a computer.

But just because you can hit “record” on a camera doesn’t mean that doesn’t cost money. Each card needs to be purchased, and you need to have enough available media to get through the day’s shooting without having to write over those cards with additional footage. Ideally, you want your DIT or media manager making backups throughout the day. That means the production also needs to purchase storage and backup storage for that media.

So let’s say you think you know the costs and you’re still cool with doing 40 minute takes instead of a few 5 minute takes. All that footage needs to be downloaded and viewed, meaning you’re paying for the media manager’s time to download that footage and make copies, as well as the editor down the line. A single 40 minute clip is just going to take longer to download and transfer. And you might be paying overtime to the media manager who is staying late dumping all that footage.

Wear and Tear on Cast/Crew

In the moment, if you abuse the rolling take, you’re quickly using up the energy reserves and physical strength of your cast and crew.

You’re also using up your camera operators and 1st ACs and boom ops and everyone doing something physical for that scene that no longer get that tiny bit of rest to reset themselves.

  • The cast has to stay in-the-moment and may get frustrated, flubbing lines more and more.
  • The boom op has to hold that boom pole and actively follow whoever is talking without getting that small break in between.
  • The camera operators might be doing handheld or Steadicam and are using up their muscles faster.
  • 1st ACs, staring at a screen for minute changes in focus, don’t get to rest their eyes.
  • Script supervisors’ notes get complicated as the same scene plays out multiple times in the same take.

When I’m doing Steadicam or handheld, my least favorite thing is a rolling take, especially if it’s long. I just need time to reset. Sometimes there’s an adjustment needed in a handgrip on a shoulder rig or I need to fix the balance on the Steadicam.

Other concerns? Using up batteries! You might be playing beat the clock with what battery you have left in the camera or on the mic packs.

Closing Thoughts

Using a series or a rolling take can be done with purpose. It’s just another tool in your kit. Abusing it can lead you to creating an uncomfortable work environment for your crew. So before you panic and decide to just “roll on everything” look at it critically and see if a rolling take is necessary or if you need to re-evaluate and be more concise with your time.

Selecting the Best Festival for Your Film

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I saw a post online by someone asking about film festivals. They asked if Tribeca, Sundance, and SXSW were the “only” ones. There were a lot of comments at a varying degree of helpfulness.

Let me overwhelm you real quick — There are literally thousands of film festivals. So how do you choose?

What’s your budget?

Not of your film’s production, but to submit to festivals. Submitting to film festivals can cost anywhere from $15-75 or more depending on late fees. Apply early to get the best deal, but that means starting this research early too. Maybe even while you’re in production on the film. Or pre-production.

Submitting to film festivals costs money. You’re going to want to be targeted.

Know your film

Do you have a short or a feature? Was it a student film? What genre is it? All these factors are going to determine what film festivals you should be considering.

Do you have a cyberpunk scifi fantasy? Might not be Tribeca material.

Do you have a sappy romance? Not the right vibe for Sick Chick Flicks.

Research the Festival

Alright, so you’ve made a shortlist of festivals that will accept the length of film and the genre. Now you’ve got to narrow it down more.

First, is the film festival legit? Unfortunately, there’s fests out there that are not honest or forthcoming about what they provide. Some are what’s called “awards mills” that just give an award to anyone who submits. This award, and this festival, is therefore useless in proving your worth.

Other questions are: Do they screen all selected films? Is it screened in a real theater or just some random location? Does the film festival have a proven track record or is it brand new? When in doubt, Google the film festival and see if any complaints come up.

What are the Perks of Submitting to the Festival?

Do they offer great awards like representation, film budget funding, or meetings with high profile producers in the film industry? Are there professional judges? These are certainly bonuses if you submit a film and its received well, because it could possibly lead to more work for you in the future or some good meetings with the right people.

Target the Right Locations

There are film festivals everywhere, but you should have a few nearby that you can actually attend.

Attending film festivals is a form of networking, and it looks better if you’re there in person to meet with people and talk to other filmmakers about their films.

Take Advantage of Panels and Special Attendees

Piggybacking on my last comment, film festival attendance is a great opportunity to network, learn and grow as a filmmaker. Make sure to note whose work you like, who you should reach out to later and talk shop with.

If the film festival has informational panels, even better! Go and learn. When appropriate, talk to panelists and ask smart questions, but don’t take all their time. They’ll appreciate the enthusiasm and the consideration to their time and knowledge.

Closing Thoughts

Getting your film into festivals should not be the final decision you make — it should be a well informed decision you develop over the course of pre- to post-production of your film. Choosing the right ones gets you that much further ahead.

This has been on my mind because I’ve been in talks with someone about creating a local genre-specific film festival in Atlanta, and I want to make sure it’s the best it can be on its first year.

Need more info and tips for submitting to film festivals? Check out the sources below!

Sources:

17 Tips to Find the Right Festival for Your Indie Film

How to Submit to Film Festivals: Tips from an Industry Screener – Adorama

Film Festivals: Where to Submit as a New Filmmaker – Backstage

    Does the Art Directors Guild Suspending their Training Program Signal a Massive Change?

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    Recently, this article made the rounds:

    Read more on IndieWire.

    The Art Directors Guild, IATSE 800, is a union representing over 3,000 Art Directors, Illustrators, Scenic Artists, Graphic Artists and Set Designers in the film industry. In the article, we learn that the Art Directors Guild sent an email out announcing they will suspend their training program due to the 75% unemployment rate among its union member’s ranks. This decision is entirely reflective of the ripple effect of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes last year.

    “The industry has not resumed a full, pre-strikes level of productions, and it remains unclear if a return to that status quo is possible in a Hollywood gripped by ever-higher costs, ever-lower revenue, and increased production abroad.”

    -IndieWire

    This also brings to mind how many people I see announcing they are moving to Atlanta and looking for connections in the local film industry. That’s fine but, I hope everyone and anyone who is thinking about going into film for the first time or moving to continue their film career does a bit of research first. We clearly haven’t recovered from the two strikes last year (necessary though they were, they also hurt financially). I also question if we ever fully recovered from 2020, when the pandemic shuttered production across the world.

    But with a pandemic that encouraged people to stay inside, there ended up being a lot of TV being consumed. The streaming companies — Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Paramount, etc — got excited.

    In 2021, Netflix boosted their budget almost 30%, putting $13.6 billion into content spending. This article from 2021 predicted their budget would balloon to $18 billion by 2025. An sharp upward trend seemed likely.

    In 2023, Netflix content spending was around $17 billion. And before you point out “but 17 is so close to 18!” I need you to realize how vast a number 1 billion represents. If we were to use time as an example: 1 million seconds = 11 days . 1 billion seconds = 31 years.

    Streamers are focusing on more original content in order to keep customers interested. There’s also a noted shift into reality style television, as shows like Netflix’s Nailed It cooking competition series are still popular and much cheaper to produce than narrative content. I’ve also talked before about these companies not greenlighting projects and just outright cancelling them to save a buck.

    The streaming companies blew their budget on a dream, and now the bill has come due. They over estimated their profitability while fighting each other for market dominance. Instead of one triumphing over the others, we have a consumer base watered down and split amongst many services, if they even have streaming at all. Who misses cable now?

    There is also likely a slow up because of this year’s negotiations between the AMPTP and IATSE, Teamsters and Hollywood Basic Crafts. The current 3 year contract expires July 31st. These unions are negotiating for proposals on Pension and & Health Plans, wage increases, residuals and concerns over artificial intelligence.

    A strike doesn’t seem as likely this year. For one, the negotiations appear to be making some headway. Several unions such as Local 892 Costume Designers and Local 728 Lighting technicians have reached tentative deals.

    But, the reality is that most folks can’t afford to have another strike. That’s concerning because of what’s on the docket but also…totally understandable. Those of us in this position are trying to recoup from last year. Some folks haven’t worked at all this year. That’s unheard of in most other professions.

    The fact that the Art Directors Guild suspended their training program is genuinely sad to hear, but it seems to have been done with the very real concern about not putting more pressure on folks who need work right now. As hard as it is to see, not adding trainees in the guild for a time is a kindness. And surely, when things pick up, they can reassess and reopen their ranks to new people.

    Will things ever go back or is this a hint at lasting change? The answer is far more complicated than we can surmise right now.

    Sources:

    Art Directors Guild Suspends Training Program: ‘We Cannot in Good Conscience Encourage You to Pursue Our Profession’

    Netflix’s Amortized Content Spending to Rise 26% to $13.6 Billion in 2021, Analysts Project

    Analysis: Content Spending Will Slow in 2023 as Streamers Pivot to Profitability; Disney, Netflix to Lead Way

    IATSE Lays Out Contract Proposals, Including “Substantial” Health & Pension Plan Increases, As General Negotiations Begin

    Georgia film industry sets another economic impact record

    Pay or Play – Some Movies Don’t See the Light of Day

    Why Aren’t There More Women Directors?

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    Women have got to realize something:

    We’re not funny…

    We can’t do action…

    wallup.net

    We certainly can’t direct…

    Maybe we should go truly old school and just have castrated men play all the parts? Worked in Shakespeare’s day, didn’t it?

    Obviously the above is satire from my part, but it’s not satire on some corners of the Internet. When a movie does well, suddenly it’s “Oh my gosh, women can be funny!? What a good director! Amazing!” but when a movie goes bad, suddenly it’s “This is what happens when you cater to women. This was a bad female director, actor, writer, etc.” We’ve all heard the Madame Web jokes at this point.

    I personally love the part where she says, “It’s Madame Webbin’ time.”

    I too did not see that movie. But I probably will because I’m a glutton for punishment.

    A 2024 Guardian article pointed out the discrepancy of proposed diversity and inclusion promises and what actually happened.

    USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative called out the major studies who claimed they would promote more diversity in their hiring practices after 2020 as “performative.” The study didn’t show any actual progress towards pushing for that change.

    Women comprised 16% of directors on the 250 top grossing films in 2023, according to the study conducted by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. That’s down from 18% the year before.

    I’m sorry, down?! Aren’t we more inclusive, more diverse than ever? Nope.

    Of the 116 directors attached to the 100 top grossing films of 2026, only 14 were women. Look at those numbers again. That’s 12%.

    These numbers are in direct contrast to the women dominated juggernaut of 2023, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie which was a $1 billion success.

    By the way, only 4 of those directors were women of color.

    Diversity and inclusion are — spoiler alert — not a bad thing. I work in the Atlanta film industry. I work with some of the most diverse crews you’ll see, and yet I still see so many sets that are primarily white and/or male.

    As people complain about superhero fatigue or girly movies just not appealing to mass audiences (The Marvels, Madame Webb) I want to share this piece of a statement from Dakota Johnson, the titular Madame Webb herself:

    Dakota Johnson survived everything about Fifty Shades of Gray, she can surely shake this off too.

    “Decisions are made by committees….art based on numbers and algorithms.” This hits hard because the shadier businessmen of Hollywood are surely looking to A.I. to pump out algorithm-satisfying garbage in order to save a buck. But for years it’s people sticking their fingers in where they probably don’t belong.

    Film is a collaborative medium, and that’s a beautiful thing. I’ve seen my work in a whole new light after an editor or colorist has done their job, and I’ve seen scripts blossom through the work of careful critique and notes. Where it falls apart is when execs or producers or whoever start trying to make their mark and just doing arbitrary things they think the audience will want. Or they want. Like a giant mechanical spider in Wild, Wild West, which was originally pitched for the unproduced Superman Lives script. I don’t even have time to get into that one. Read about it here.

    One of those arbitrary things is hiring someone like themselves to direct a film. Men in power tend to hire men that remind them of themselves.

    This Variety article references a study about how first time directors get fewer offers, but even experienced directors are more likely to be hired if they are white and male. The stat speaks for itself:

    • 4.8% of experienced directors are female. 95.2% of experienced directors are male.
    • 16.3% of experienced directors are BIPOC, the rest are white.

    “The results of this study are eye-opening. For underrepresented groups, there remain obstacles, structures and processes that stand in the way of getting that critical first shot. I’m encouraged that first-time directors get equal results, but they just need to be given equal opportunities,” said Dr. Yalda T. Uhls, founder of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA.

    It’s 2024. The time for arguing about more inclusivity seems to be falling on deaf ears. So let’s shout it a little louder. And in the meantime, keep your mind open about who to hire on your next film. You may be surprised by the incredible artists you connect with.

    Sources:

    Study shows ‘catastrophic’ 10-year low for female representation in film

    First-Time Directors Still Have Limited Opportunities in Hollywood, New UCLA Study Reports (EXCLUSIVE)

    Giant Spiders, Giant Flops: The Enduring Awfulness of ‘Wild Wild West’

    Featured Image: Greta Gerwig directing Ladybird.

    Unusual Shot Design to Evoke a Tone: Knock at the Cabin

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    My film professor Bear Brown would always say “Never stop learning.” We do this by practicing the craft of cinematography, reading about it, learning new technologies, and dissecting movies and TV to understand what was achieved.

    Let’s look at the shot design of M Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin together!

    While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. With limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.

    Anamorphic Lenses

    Let’s dig into how I knew this film was shot on anamorphic lenses even though I can’t find any solid info on which camera or lenses were used.

    All I could find was that Shyamalan wanted a 90s horror-thriller vibe and filmed with lenses from the 90s. These were used in flashbacks primarily. We could have had a mix of lenses and cameras for different scenes. That’s something the Directors of Photography (2 in this case) and the director would hash out. Ultimately it boils down to what the right tool is to tell your story. Given the unsettling feeling of the narrative, using anamorphics does make sense.

    Anamorphic lenses capture twice the amount of horizontal image as a traditional spherical lens. that image is then de-squeezed in post production editing to get the final image. I’ve done a couple Steadicam gigs on anamorphic lenses now and it’s always a weird feeling seeing that strangely square image squished onto your monitor. (You then of course go through the monitor settings and get it de-squeezed so you can see what the final image would be).

    Anamorphic lenses have unique properties. You can get fun J. J. Abrams style lens flare, oval-shaped bokeh (instead of the usual circular bokeh). They also feature reduced sharpness (focus is not always perfect!) and increased distortion of the image around the edges.

    I mention all this not just because of the beautiful bokeh I witness in the background of certain shots….

    look at those pretty bokeh ovals

    … I also say that because it motivates the characters to be up front and center-framed more often than on the sides. There are a lot of shots where characters are center framed. The viewer’s focus goes to the center and everything else is set dressing for whatever the center of attention is.

    You also notice distortion if you look at any straight lines, such as doorways, bookshelves, etc. The lenses make them bend away at an unnatural angle. As you’re watching a film with this lens, you don’t typically notice this if you’re not looking for it. Your mind is focused on the story and characters and subtly translating this background information to be a little unsettling or off-putting.

    A lot of other shots, however, were framed predominantly on the right. This is interesting because assuming you read left to right, you would look at the image from left to right, even if it happens in an instant. Often times, an important character will be on the left of the screen. Or you may have an equal distribution of shots that are framed left, right, and center. What made these right framed shots stand out was the sheer number of them. When things weren’t centered, they were right of frame.

    I believe this was to keep things off-balance and to give the viewer time to scan the image before settling on the subject in frame.

    Camera Movement

    The use of camera movement was very intentional in this film. Most of the time, it felt like the camera was attached to whatever it was following, like Leonard’s low shot of his feet walking in the woods.

    You can see that walking shot in the beginning of this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgk1VGlWiDI

    Another great shot, which I can’t find a clip of, is when the parents are confronting the people who invaded the cabin. the camera is basically stuck to a close-up on the parent’s face as he circles in the cabin. It was probably accomplished using a snorricam technique. A snorricam is a device that mounts a camera directly to an actor. Think “way too much effort for a selfie.”

    Even better was this really cool shot of Leonard swinging his weapon. The camera movement is perfectly timed and matching the angle of the axe coming down.

    Big spoiler if you see the video of this scene, but here’s Leonard swinging that axe: https://youtu.be/p3Zth0YEn5A?si=07_S3tmxakWRlmrF&t=147

    The DP’s also used a famous technique of a zoom-dolly (ala the famous beach scene in Jaws) to underscore when Leonard is proving that his doomsday story is real. The technique is achieved by utilizing a zoom and pushing in or away from an actor at the same time. The resulting distortion creates an uncomfortable feel that warps reality around the character. Pretty cool!

    Look at how the perspective of the TV behind him changes over the course of this shot.

    See that zoom-dolly in action here: https://youtu.be/xf8ILZnoSr4?si=wDYOefTrl0ymYX_n&t=74

    Details hidden in the background

    There’s a flashback to when Andrew and Eric adopt Wen from China. I used Google Lens to translate this text: “Children, when we love others, we should not only love them with words and tongues, but also show them in actions and sincerity.” It directly ties into what Leonard says about this couple having to choose who should die in order to save the world.

    The blackboard in the cabin had a few questions on it. I started looking at it but didn’t really think about them until I came across this screenshot.

    The questions are:

    1. Who invented chess?
    2. The first color named?
    3. Why school buses don’t have seatbelts?

    The answers to those questions, when searched are:

    1. Uncertain. The origin is unknown though it likely originated from the Indian game of chaturanga.
    2. Light and Dark (White and Black). In almost all languages this is the case.
    3. They are bigger, heavier, and sit off the ground. Buses protect kids through compartmentalization.

    In this small detail, we see nods to our Indian director (Shyamalan), the concept of light and dark (good and evil) and the safety of many. It directly speaks to the film’s themes and it’s just a thing in the background you might miss as you’re watching the action of the film take place.

    Credit to the DP’s Jarin Blaschke and Lowell A Meyer for some really interesting work.

    So is the movie worth watching?

    Eh, well that’s up to you. For the purpose of seeing these shots in action? Sure. I like the unique way this film was shot, obviously enough to write about. But upon finishing the movie with a friend, we were both left with a bunch of questions and a puzzling sense of “was this movie good or not?” The movie both under- and over-explains the premise. I don’t get answers I want. I’m left wondering if certain actions were necessary. I think the bones of a good story are there, probably present from its beginning as the 2018 novel Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay. Shyamalan’s script version is reminiscent of the awkward dialogue I don’t like in his other movies. Maybe I’m biased. I’m still mad about The Last Airbender and annoyed that I wasted time watching trees blow gently in the breeze in The Happening.

    Sources:

    Knock at the Cabin – Prime

    What are Anamorphic Lenses? – PhotographyLife.com

    Anamorphic Lenses: The Key to Widescreen Cinematic Imagery – BHPhoto

    Small Details You Missed in Knock at the Cabin – Looper

    SAG-AFTRA just threw their Voice Actors under the A.I. bus

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    2023, the year of the strikes.

    The combined writer’s and actors strikes, WGA and SAG-AFTRA respectively, won workers more residuals and consulted the affected workers on issues of A.I. usage.

    Then, yesterday, SAG-AFTRA dropped this bomb and acted like it was a good thing:

    SAG-AFTRA and Replica Studios Introduce Groundbreaking AI Voice Agreement at CES

    Replica Studios (Replica), an artificial intelligence (AI) voice technology company, and The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced today the introduction of a groundbreaking AI voice agreement during an event at CES….

    This new agreement paves the way for professional voice over artists to safely explore new employment opportunities for their digital voice replicas…

    The agreement between the leading AI voice company and the world’s largest performers’ union will enable Replica to engage SAG-AFTRA members under a fair, ethical agreement to safely create and license a digital replica of their voice. Licensed voices can be used in video game development and other interactive media projects from pre-production to final release.

    http://www.sagaftra.org

    I like that they used the words “fair, ethical, safe” to describe how they were stabbing their membership in the back.

    Why do I think that this went behind SAG-AFTRA membership’s backs? Simply because I found out about this because of how many voice over artists called it out, saying, “We didn’t vote OR hear about this. What the hell.” (paraphrasing)

    Kellen Goff: Voice actor Five Night’s at Freddy’s (videogame), My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Black Clover

    Elias Toufexis: Voice actor Starfield (videogame), Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (videogame), Blood of Zeus

    Clifford Chapin: Voice actor in My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Spider-man 2 (videogame)

    The technology already exists to sample someone’s voice and create a pretty convincing, if not soul-less replica of their voice. This isn’t only un-creative, it’s also completely un-ethical. This argument has also come up with the advent of deep fakes.

    “Typically used maliciously or to spread false information.” Such as when someone made a deep fake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to act like she was impaired. Deep fakes can make it seem like anyone said anything, and that’s very damaging. And do I need to remind you how wrong it is?

    Circling back to voice actors, what does this entail? Doesn’t the deal with Replica Studios just give voice actors the ability to sell a digital imprint of their voice? This could be interpreted as the actor’s choice.

    This issue was also brought up by SAG-AFTRA membership last year, when it became clear that production companies wanted to pay background actors a one time fee to digitally scan them, and then use that image in perpetuity. That’s forever, babe. That’s multiple thousands of dollars that person will never be able to make. That’s a likeness of them out there that could be made to do anything.

    “But, I can’t afford to pay an artist/actor/voice actor/graphic artist for their work! I have to use A.I.!”

    What did you do before the days of this technology? Several options: 1. Save up the money or fundraise so you could do your project. 2. Take the time to learn the skills yourself. 3. Reach some kind of deal with the artist you need, like bartering services in kind or deferred payment.

    “But Bridget, you say. You don’t work in voice over or animation or videogames.”

    I know, anonymous person in my head, but here’s the thing. When you attack one artist, one creative profession like this, you attack us all. And I like videogames and animation and artwork and writing, so I’m going to support the people affected and continue to fight for them.

    Hey it’s not all bleak. Recently Wacom (a well known drawing tablet manufacturer) had to apologize for accidentally using AI imagery in their ad campaigns. This cute dragon image falls apart when you really look at it. A tail sprouts from the wrong direction, fur mushes into scales and other weird artifacts are present.

    I’m just including the above example, not all 4 that artists uncovered because this post is already bloated.

    Artists immediately threw backlash at Wacom. Simply, a company for artists should support them. They had to apologize.

    “We want to assure you that using AI generated images in these assets was not our intent.

    Here is what happened: Wacom purchased these images through a third-party vendor where it was indicated that they were not AI generated. We vetted the images through a few popular online tools that also indicated that they were not AI generated. However, given the community’s feedback, we are now not sure how the images were created. For this reason, we immediately discontinued their use.”

    Wacom’s statement

    This $750 Million dollar company can’t claim poverty. They could have commissioned a legion of artists for their marketing campaign.

    If you’re like me, you’re going to continue to fight against companies replacing artists with soulless computer interpretations. The next job they take could be yours.

    Sources:

    SAG-AFTRA and Replica Studios Introduce Groundbreaking AI Voice Agreement at CES

    The deal that ended the writers strike: A look at what the 3-year agreement says

    Movie extras worry they’ll be replaced by AI. Hollywood is already doing body scans

    Doctored Nancy Pelosi video highlights threat of “deepfake” tech

    Artists are making creative companies apologize for using AI

    A response to community questions concerning Wacom using AI-generated art in US marketing assets

    New Year, Same Old Film Job Scams

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    I use the blog on my website to teach what I know about the film industry. But one topic keeps coming up: Scams. It’s gotten so common that now people just associate my blog as “the scam blog.” My last scam related post was in August, but I’d have enough fodder to update the post weekly.

    Here’s an example:

    Love that comment.

    I highlighted the red flags that should stand out for you:

    • Generally poor grammar: “The dates for a documentary-style TV show for Veles Productions (extra space added) this month are August 21-25.” Also the weirdness of hiring a Production Assistant/Personal assistant, two completely separate jobs.
    • Astronomically high rate for a PA $1500 for 12 hours (and weird added “4 hours per day.”) Day rates for PA’s range around $175-250ish per day (12 hours) depending on the market and type of gig.
    • Must have “terminology knowledge.” What!?
    • Using the word “staff” instead of “crew.”
    • The PA is helping set up “lights, props and tools.” PA is an entry level job and typically shouldn’t be doing any of these things, but as budgets get tight (read: stingy) a lot of places are making PA’s take on extra responsibilities. It’s not great but… I’ve seen it done.

    That’s your typical example of a film job scam that’s posted to social media. It could be Facebook, Instagram…heck I’ve even seen scams posted to StaffMeUp and LinkedIn. Nowhere is safe, so always keep your guard up.

    I wanted to shift gears for the new year and arm you with two other types of scammy jobs to look out for: Illegal internships and opportunity scams.

    Illegal Internships

    I’ve worked on a number of movies, tv shows and other projects where we’ve got some newbies working as PA’s who are billed as interns.

    Internships have been under fire before in the entertainment industry. A famous case occurred during the production of Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. Two interns sued on behalf of 100 Fox Searchlight interns for backpay as they did work as employees, not interns. The class action lawsuit was resolved in the interns’ favor.

    But I’ve also run into it on several low budget features and other projects where someone eager to enter the film industry comes in as an intern. Read between the lines — unpaid labor.

    Sometimes I make a point to ask the intern “Are you in college right now? Are you getting college credit?” If not, then it gets sketchy. A legal internship benefits the intern alone, through work experience and/or college credit. Typically an employer is helping the intern but not benefitting themselves — well, in theory. But if that intern is doing the work that a full time employee would do? That’s a problem.

    If you want to volunteer on someone’s project, that’s up to you. But I wouldn’t ask you to take the title of intern if you’re doing an actual job for someone. I even wrote about deciding whether or not to volunteer on a film set before:

    5 Reasons For and Against Volunteering on a Film

    “This is your opportunity!”

    The real reason I was inspired to do an update on scams is because I came across this on Eventbrite.

    This “event” someone posting that you could work on a faith based film — for the low, low price of $199! That you pay them.

    Oh jeez, where do I start with this one?

    You should never pay to work on a movie.

    I’ve seen this scam before in another form, someone advertising they needed crew for a movie and asking the crew to pay to work on the film. The audacity of this.

    Oh also, “star” in a movie? With no acting experience? That’s fishy enough. At best you’d be an extra. Someone sitting on a park bench in the background or filling tables in a restaurant. Not a main character with lines.

    “Sign up from our website and receive a 25% discount!“

    “Star in a Faith-Based Christmas Movie! No Acting Experience Required. Now available in over 50 major US cities. Bring the whole family!“

    If it wasn’t clear this was a scam before, I clicked on the website link and saw that the “admission fee” was now $50 (how generous! And also not the definition of 24% off from the original $199) and now the location was listed as another state. Not Atlanta but Venice Beach California, Detroit, Los Angeles, etc. It’s a “pop up filming event” (the heck is that!?) in over 50 major US cities!

    Using the word “local.” So many of the Facebook-posted job scams I’ve covered have used terms like “local” or “in your area” so they can scam far and wide. Or there’ll be a weird space before the location or date because it’s clear they copy and paste and change a couple details.

    There are plenty of other scammy looking opportunities, classes, events that try to sell the dream of a career in film to new people. If something seems too good to be true or glamorizes the whole prospect of joining a film production, think twice before you submit or pay for anything.

    Stay safe in 2024.

    Sources:

    Fox Settles ‘Black Swan’ Interns Lawsuit After Five Years

    More than 40% of interns are still unpaid—here’s the history of why that’s legal

    How to Avoid Film Job Scams – Take Four (blog)

    5 Reasons for and Against Volunteering on a Film (blog)