Why I Write About Filmmaking

Rachel M Taylor — May 30, 2013

I love behind the scenes information about films as much (if not more sometimes) as the films themselves. And I always wonder about what the writer, director, etc. were thinking and feeling at certain points during the filmmaking process.

In the behind the scenes videos or written interviews recorded after the initial experience, they are always able to describe it, but it’s always a reflection on something that has already passed. I find myself wishing that I could journey through that experience with them and learn from those challenging times they are talking about.

So my purpose with this blog is to share what I’m working on and what I’m learning from it.

In Life, etc... avarice, Behind The Scenes, Fans, movies

Behind the Scenes Film School: Ways to Learn Filmmaking from DVDs You Already Have

Rachel M Taylor — October 15, 2012

The best part of owning a DVD or Blu-Ray is the behind the scenes featurettes that most of them include. Besides being just plain interesting, some of them can offer some very useful tips as a filmmaker.

Some of them will break down how they accomplished a certain effect while others simply film a tiny interview and call it a behind the scenes. So if you’re looking for something educational, definitely pick up the ones that break things down and explore new frontiers in filmmaking.

Here are 3 DVD extras chosen at random with information about what/if you can learn from them and apply the information to your own filmmaking. (Also, the rating is based on a scale of 1-5). Continue Reading…

In Filmmaking Atonement, Behind The Scenes, black swan, darren aronofsky, Joe Wright, m. night shyamalan, unbreakable

Meet Mike Allen: Cinematographer Extraordinaire

Dan Baker — March 12, 2012

When we set out to make our no-budget epic fantasy short-film Avarice, we were in the awkward postion of having no money for… well… anything epic or fantasy.

We had to cut corners somewhere, and fortunately for us, the technology gods bestowed upon us the Canon 5D mk II, which if you’ve been living under a cinematic rock, is a fancy-pants professional photography camera that also records amazing video.

Being DSLR noobs, we turned to our good friend Michael Allen and he was kind enough to volunteer his time on Avarice.

As a thank you to Mike for his time, we created this behind the scenes video.

If you’re in need of a seriously awesome photographer/cinematographer, look no further:
http://www.MichaelAllenPhotography.com