How movies are made

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I started work on Wednesday on the new JJ Abrams movie. I don't know the title. I know it's not Star Trek. This is the film he is doing while he is prepping Star Trek. It probably gives him a break to not come up with good ideas for Lost.

The first thing you do when making the movie is shoot the trailer footage so it can be shown before Transfomers to generate hype. Then you go back to all the same locations you used for the trailer and shoot the movie. I started Wednesday. The trailer has already been shot. The movie starts shooting Monday for real. You people with your ideas about putting the cart behind the horse are so yesterday. Get into the modern world now.

I think I'm building a green screen mock up of the Brooklyn bridge next week.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Turns out I was working on Cloverfield. We built sets that made people sick. Of the twenty million dollar budget, half went to special effects.

The Queen and I saw the film today. I threw up after the picture. Seriously. At least I made it to the bathroom. Somebody less fortunate, for him or us, I don't know, threw up right at the doors. Fun!

It's a hand held monster movie extravaganza. In case you don't know, and how couldn't you, the whole film is shot pov supposedly with a hand held camera. If you got queasy from the Bourne Ultimatum I suggest you give this film a pass or sit way in the back. There isn't a steady shot in the film. Thank god it's only about ninety minutes long. Of course, I could also dare you to sit up front and near the screen. The first thing they teach in film school is to steady the camera. These filmmakers skipped that idea.

Granted it's a novel idea, very immersive. You feel as if you are running along with this group of twenty somethings as they try to escape the monster. But your vision doesn't blur when you whip your head about.

There were a few gotcha moments, but they were funny for their inventiveness rather than being scary. Except for the one surprise at the hospital.

Everybody wants to know what the monster looks like. It's kind of an immaterial question because the monster doesn't look like anything you can relate it to. it's big and it crushes things. What more do you want from a monster. I did especially like one scene of the monster dragging his hand down the side of the building and the glass exploding in it's wake.

I wanted more steadiness to the film. I wanted to see clearly some of the battles between the army and the monster rather than the glimpses we got.

My name didn't make the credits. Only the people who did the trailer sets managed to get their name on the list of people who worked on the film.

[scapino]

What is it with this, "it'll be more excitting, more realistic, if we never give you a single goddamn steady shot"?! I tried to watch those really crappy mega disaster movies "10.5" and "10.5 Apocalypse". The makers of these films thought that if they jiggled the camera enough you might find the store compelling rather than just a bad patchwork of every other bad disaster movie ever made. I wanted to waste time. I wanted to see if it could get any stupider. But I just could not take watching a movie that looked like the entire cinematography staff suffered from a rare combination of parkinsons and epilepsy.
The only show that I have ever seen that has used the camera shake and slide zoom effectively is Battlestar Galactica. The show has always been watchable, yet the producers still think that they overdid it originally so they have toned it down over the last two seasons. I guess along with very few poeple noticing the excellance of their writing and acting, few are taking notes on the other leasons learned.
As for the latest Signature Greg Lynch - Ninja Prop Maker - film, I will probably go see Cloverfield. I appreciate the seating advice.

[El Dingo]

You're an old man now.

The kids today are so used to seeing things they filmed on their cell phones that 'The Bourne Ultimatum' seemed like 'On Golden Pond'.

Out-of-focus, shaky cameras, 10 second edits and distorted music.

That is the future of film making.

I'll wait for the video (Blu-Ray of course).

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Pay attention the end. Just so you know.

[King Bob]

I first noticed the quick-cut imcomprehensible style in the Clooney Batman. So I blame Schumacher for starting all this. And since he just makes crap I want to blame him for all I can.

But in this case you probably should also mention Blair Witch Project, which (oddly) no review I've seen does.