Yukon Kornelius – Rock Supergroup

Last month I was in Vail Colorado shooting a promotional piece for Yukon Kornelius the all-star cover band. It consists of bassist Stefan Lessard (right) from the Dave Matthews Band (the anchor member), lead singer Ed Robertson (left) of Barenaked Ladies, singer/guitarist Adam Gardner from Guster, and drummer Eric Fawcett from N.E.R.D., and a bunch of other special guests including Dee Snider from Twisted Sister and actor Jason Biggs (middle) from American Pie. As you can see from this picture Jason Biggs plays the cowbell.  This was only the third time that Yukon Kornelius has ever performed together and I have to say, they brought down the house.

I was shooting video with the Canon 5d with an ultra fisheye lens. Whats great about working with the Canon 5d is that its true 1920×1080 HD, it produces amazing results in ultra-low light, and because it looks like a still camera you can take it anywhere!

Meghan Eckman – Parking Lot Movie

Last weekend I had the pleasure of operating the RED ONE for the final scene of a documentary by Meghan Eckman entitled, “The Parking Lot Movie”. Meghan Eckman has been working on this documentary for almost 3 years now so it was great that Meghan Eckman had the trust in me to operate the RED ONE for director of photography Eric Hurt. This was only my second time operating the RED ONE and at around 30lbs I have to admit it gets a little heavy after holding it for long periods of time. The body itself weighs 10lbs so with glass and accessories it adds up. It’s just exciting working with the ultra high-definition RAW technology. This picture (left) was shot at a “dutch” angle through the booth. Photo taken by Alexa Miller.

The RED ONE shoots only in RAW and the benefits are amazing because you can manipulate the image in post-production with little to no degradation because all of the meta data is there. I can’t wait to see how the finished product comes out!

Temple Fennell – ATO Pictures

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking with Temple Fennell over the phone after meeting him at the Virginia Film Festival. Temple Fennell is a fellow UVA alumni wo co-founded ATO Pictures with producer Johnathan Dorfman and musician Dave Matthews. Some of the films that Temple Fennell produced are “Choke” which was directed and written by the author of “Fight Club”, “Savage Grace” starring the lovely Julianne Moore, and the movie “Joshua”. “Choke” recently sold to Fox Searchlight for a multi-million dollar deal.

Most recently Temple Fennell has taken on the immense task of starting a small distribution company called “ATO Gotham” that has partnerships with major studios. He has the people and network in place reading scripts and scouting for films in festivals. I questioned Temple Fennell on the long time it must have took to develop the relationships with the major studios and he agreed by saying, “Yeah, it took a really long time”. It truly is the work of a lifetime, hats off to Temple Fennell, I hope to eventually work with him somehow in the future.

2009 Virginia Film Festival

The Virginia Film Festival wrapped a couple weeks ago and I finally had a good chance to follow up and sit down with Jody Kielbasa (left) the director of the Virginia Film Festival and David Hopper (right) the Operations Manager of the Virginia Film Festival.

Again, I had a great experience working with the new director Jody Kielbasa and David Hopper. I cut the official trailer for the Virginia Film Festival that played before all the films. Also, I helped set up the Digitial Filmmakers Lounge sponsored by Filament Productions and the Kickoff Party at Boylan Heights.

We are already talking about the Virginia Film Festival Trailer for next year, which hopefully I’ll have more time to do! Another great person I met at the Virginia Film Festival was fellow UVA alumni Mike Million who just directed a 6M dollar film, “Tenure” starring Luke Wilson. Mike Million is a great guy who has a long career ahead of him. “Tenure” was rock solid and very funny!

Money Ain’t A Thing (2008) – Short Film

Over the past couple days I have went back into a short film I wrote/directed/produced in 2008 and put some finishing touches on it, including color correction and a new intro. Hope you enjoy!

Meredith Cole “Road To A Greek Wedding”

I recently had the chance to sit down with director/writer Meredith Cole. The last film that she directed was “Road to A Greek Wedding” which was about a half million dollar romantic comedy shot on 35mm. It was very interesting to hear her perspective on independent feature film directing at that caliber and all the pressures and hurdles that you have to overcome. All in all I think it was a great opportunity for her and she learned a lot. The film was more successful overseas and she still gets royalty checks from DVD sales.

Meredith Cole has been working with the Food Network for over the last 10 years writing and producing shows. However, it seems to me that she is focusing more now on writing and her new book, “Dead In The Water” will be out in May 11, 2010. The book continues the adventures of Lydia McKenzie the main character from her first mystery book, “Posed for Murder”.
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Virginia Film Festival Trailer

Last weekend was the 2009 Virginia Film Festival. I cut together the official Virginia Film Festival Trailer that screened before all the films.

This was my first year going to the Virginia Film Festival and getting involved, I always had the sense that most Film Festivals were very political and a lot of  bad independent films would get played because the filmmaker knew somebody. However, to the contrary the Virginia Film Festival was amazing, all the films that I saw were great. Also, it was a great networking opportunity and I met so many great people.

The new director, Jody Kielbasa really put an emphasis on local films which helps the legitimize the community, and the local films were spectacular. There are a lot of extremely talented people in this area.

I look forward to working with the great people again next year who are responsible for the Virginia Film Festival.

Lucas Krost – “The Irishman”

Last week I was in Richmond, VA with director - Lucas Krost (left) working on the set of Val Kilmer’s new movie, “The Irishman”. We were shooting VFX, blowing up miniature houses in front of a very large green screen.  Lucas Krost was Directing, Johnny St. Ours was the Director of Photography, and I was the First Assistant Camera.

Not only was “The Irishman” an amazing opportunity/project to work on but also it was a pleasure working with such talented people who are dedicated to their craft. I also got to meet/work with Chris Ervin a very well known Visual Effects Artist who is extremely talented and established.  Some of his work can be seen in “My Bloody Valentine 3D”, “Punisher – War Zone” and “Meet The Browns” just to name a few!

Sam Erickson – New York City

Last week I was in New York City with Sam Erickson (left) and Johnny St. Ours working on a TV Pilot for Broke-Ass Stuart that Sam Erickson is producing. Sam Erickson is very established, he has directed music videos for; Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Good Charlotte, Keith Urban, and Brooks & Dunn, just to name a few.

Sam Erickson’s company, 44 Pictures, specializes in music videos, concert DVDs, Electronic Press Kits (EPKs), and commercials. Some other artists that Sam Erickson has worked with include; Nelly, O.A.R., P. Diddy, and John Bon Jovi. Not only is Sam Erickson down to earth, but he is a pleasure to work with.

Broke-Ass Stuart is an up and coming writer/talent who has written two guide books on living cheaply in NYC and San Fransico. Johnny St. Ours was the Director of Photography (DP) and I was his AC, we shot everything with the RED ONE, run-and-gun style throught all the buroughs of NYC. This was my second work-related trip to NYC this year and it was a good one!

Eric Hurt – RED Tests

Last weekend I had the pleasure of helping out Eric Hurt with some Camera Tests on his RED ONE. It was my first time operating a RED ONE camera. We also used Eric Hurt’s set of Cooke S4s. Between the RED ONE camera and the Cooke S4s it can be mighty heavy.

The tests were for a bigger project that Eric Hurt is putting together and they included some old camera tricks like pan cuts. Lee Washington also helped out and was the boom pole operator. It is always a pleasure working with talented people who are so dedicated to their craft.

Aaron Farrington – Filament Productions

For over the past 6 months I have been working closely with Filament Productions here in Charlottesville on numerous projects. This is me with Director/Photographer Aaron Farrington. In between photo shoots for the Dave Matthews Band and John Grisham, Aaron Farrington spends his time working at Filament Productions editing the full-feature motion picture he just directed for Filament Productions.

Aaron Farrington might be a little eccentric at times but what I like about him is that you are never going to get anything boring! More to come on that feature soon…

Brian Wimer – Amoeba Films

I recently just finished a three day shoot with Brian Wimer (middle) for a Proctor & Gamble Corporate Training Video. Brian Wimer directed and Eric Hurt was the DP. I was Eric Hurt’s AC and we shot it on the RED ONE. And yes I was wearing a white t-shirt Eric! 

In 1998, Brian Wimer’s commercial for Taco Bell and “Godzilla” the movie was ranked as one of the Best Ads of the year by Adweek. Brian Wimer’s recent full-feature independent film, “Mantra” just won “Best Picture” at Fright Night Film Festival in Louisville. Stephen Thomas (right) was the Sound Mixer for the P&G shoot and for “Mantra”. Stephen Thomas is also one of my colleagues at Filament Productions. It is always a pleasure working with such talented people.

Hands on with the RED ONE

A couple weeks ago I participated in the 48 Hour Film Competition in Richmond. This is an image from the short film entitled, “Neighborhood Watch” shot with the RED ONE. This was the second short film that I have worked on with Johnny St. Ours as his AC. It is an honor to work with Johnny St. Ours and I always learn a lot working by his side.  

Overall 40 teams in Richmond participated in the 48 Hour Film Competition and WE WON THE COMPETITION AND WILL BE GOING TO VEGAS IN THE SPRING! The short film was produced and written by 5 people from from The Martin Agency in Richmond. The Martin Agency is responsible for all the Gieco ads and Wal-Mart ads. In fact one of the writers that I met, Todd Brusnighan has been working with The Martin Agency for 9 years and is responsible for the Gieco Caveman ads.

The short was directed by Lucas Krost who is an up and coming director whose production company “The Branching” just finished co-producing a full-feature motion picture entitled, “Bordertown” starring a friend of mine, Mark Joy.

Leonardo Warner – A Gift Divine

Last week, I was the AC on a 3 day shoot for a short motion picture entitled, “A Gift Divine.” Here I am with the Boom Pole Operator, Patrick Cassiday (middle) and the Camrea Operator, Johnny St. Ours (right). The short was directed by Leonardo Warner and the Director of Photography was another good friend of mine and colleague, Eric Hurt. All in all it was a great experience working with the crew and meeting a lot of new people including some talented actors.

The short was shot on the RED ONE and it was a great learning experience working so closely with that camera. The RED ONE is ultra-high definition technology that is producing images 4 times the size of HD. This camera is industry leading and is the future of digital filmmaking.

Joey Walker – Camera Cranes

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting up with Joey Walker to talk shop. He is one of a handful of crane owners on the east coast. Specifically, we talked about Joey Walker’s 32 foot crane with a remote head and his recent addition of a 4 foot wide steel golf cart. This 1800 lb steel golf cart houses the crane and allows for excellent mobility, which creates a great efficency. Now instead of getting 2 to 3 set-ups a day with talent, you can get around 15!

This picture really gives you a good idea of how big Joey Walker’s 32 foot crane really is! Joey Walker has all kinds of experience with a resume that includes capturing the crane shot for NBC at the inauguration as president Barack Obama waved goodbye to president Bush as he boarded the helicopter.

“Funny The Way It Is…”

“Funny the way it is,” was shot a couple weeks ago by a good friend of mine Johnny St. Ours. He is an extremely talented Director of Photography and knows how to work the RED ONE. It has been a pleasure working with Johnny St. Ours for the past couple months and it gives me great confidence knowing that Johnny St. Ours will be the Director of Photography for the short motion picture I’m working on producing with Shelina Merchant (McIntire 09′) and Ronald Lee Washington set on UVA Grounds. 

“Funny the way it is…”

Analysis of the Independent Film Industry

Written by: Bryan Ross Bieber

A. What is Independent Film & How Does It Relate to the Motion Picture Industry?              

While there is no true definition for an independent film, a true independent film is any film that is produced outside of a major Hollywood studio. A major Hollywood studio is defined as a motion picture and distribution company. “The US Motion picture industry generates close to $100 Billion in revenues, is one of the country’s largest exporters, and enormous cultural influences worldwide” (Young, “Making”). There are six major Hollywood studios currently in the United States that command approximately 90 percent of the U.S. and Canadian box office. These companies have many subsidiaries and include formerly independent companies that have been acquired. The major Hollywood studios that currently exist are Warner Bros. Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney, Universal Studios, and 20^th Century Fox.  

The major studios today are primarily backers and distributors of films whose actual production is mostly handled by independent companies including their own. However, the specialty divisions often acquire distributions rights to pictures with which the studio has had no prior involvement. LionsGate and The Weinstein Company are the two largest independent producer/distributors.

B. Strengths:  Distribution, Social Networks, Digital Cinema, & Growing Taste

The major strengths now in the independent film industry are new distribution channels via the Internet, and Video-On-Demand. This in turn allows the producers more control over their work. With the development of social networks, marketing a product through word-of-mouth (WOM) can have a significantly larger impact.  Digital Cinema has also dramatically reduced the price of prints making it significantly less expensive to display a product in multiple venues, giving digital filmmakers the same opportunities as the majors. Also, the growing taste of the new baby boomers prefers deeper meaningful independent films. Read the rest of this entry »

Mieka Pauley “All The Same Mistakes”

Here is the music video for Mieka Pauley directed by Eric Hurt and shot by Johnny St. Ours that I was a Production Assistant on. The video came out great and it’s always a pleasure working with such talented people!

By the way, Mieka Pauley was named Cosmopolitan’s “Fun Fearless Female Rockstar of the Year”

Virginia Festival of Student Film

Last weekend, I attended the Virginia Festival of Student Film, hosted by Reno 911’s Sarah Tiana. The festival was coordinated by Zac Fabian, a friend of mine at the University, and put on by the Virginia Filmmakers Society. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff Lowell, writer/director of John Tucker Must Die, Over Her Dead Body, and Hotel for Dogs. Jeff Lowell has been living in Charlottesville for 5 years now, he is a great guy and very funny (he is a comedy writer). Also, I had a good chance to talk with Barry Sisson, owner of Cavalier Films, his best suggestion for independent filmmakers is “know your audience.”

I raised the question, during a panel discussion on “The Future of Film,” to  Lane Kneedler, a programmer for the American Film Institute, who watched 899 films last year, “have you seen more films being made for specific audiences, and do you predict more film’s being produced with the intent of self-distribution?” His reply was that he has definitely seen more films made for a niche audience, however, they were not particularly better, like WWII films for example. After speaking with Jeff Lowell, after the panel, he said, film’s that are set in actual towns are more specific, and people can relate to them better than just setting a film in “Small-Town America” My conclusions, shoot a film in a city that has never been shot before, you’ll know your audience, and it will relate to those people.

Bob Sigman – Republic Pictures

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Sigman. Bob Sigman was the president of Republic Pictures before it was bought out by Paramount. Republic Pictures was an independent film and distribution company that specialized in lower budget movies and the heart of the company was it’s B-westerns. John Wayne and Roy Rogers became recognizable stars at Republic. Bob Sigman, was in-charge during the later years and responsible for green-lighting 40 full-feature films.

Currenlty, Bob Sigman has a couple side businesses, including a video-rental store in Lake Monticello called “I Love Movies.” It was good talking movies with Bob Sigman and he gave me some invaluable advice and direction on my specific project. We also talked about the changing international market for films and how Horror films are flooding the market.

Here is a list of movies that Bob Sigman recommend that I haven’t seen:

(1) Into The Wild

(2) The Great Debators

(3) Gone Baby Gone

(4) Mr. Brooks

(5) Eastern Promises

(6) History of Violence