modifoo

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When you are filming interviews, it helps a great deal in editing to have the interview written down on paper. For the Mac there is a lovely tool called Transcriva. It takes up the feel of iChat and uses the same approach for transcription. It also notes down the times - a great timesaver. $19.99 well spent.

5 years ago we started a documentary project, which we finished earlier this year. Tonight “Bak gamle dører — Odvar Nordli forteller” will be screened on national Television (NRK2, 20:10; re-run on saturday on NRK1). Long period, and we have learned a lot.

52 minutes, shot in 16:9, mostly on a DSR-570. Edited by Tali Weiss on Final Cut Pro. Camera, graphics and soundmix by me.

For the occasion I also made a poster. 11mb.

This autumn has been amazingly busy, with 3 big productions drawing to an end. One of the fruits of our hard work was that last week we had the premiere of our second documentary in the Norwegian Film Institute in Olso. The same day “Z for Zaitzow” went on sale, yours for only 159 kroners.

Produced on 16:9 DVcam, I was amazed at the quality of the projection on a HD projector. Skin tones looked slightly weird, but other than that there was an impressive amount of detail dreived from the SD picture.

We got some very good comments on the film, and the “grand old daddy” of Norwegian film critics wrote a very favourable comment about the documentary, stating that it was “better than many [drama] films”.

Directed and written by Kaare Stang, edited by Tali Weiss, filmed by yours truly. English subtitled and NTSC version available for international buyers.

Just came across this short documentary about the brain behind the current U.S. President’s speeches:

Over at the Apple discussion board, I stumbled upon this gem:

I’m a film editor who’s had the privilege to work on $100 movies to $100 million movies.

Story is king. If your story is working, and crafted well, and paced properly, you can get away with almost whatever you want. For instance, when I cut scenes, I cut for performance… I don’t toss out takes because the glass of water was full in take one but empty in another. 9 times out of ten, even the seasoned filmmakers I’m working with never see the continuity errors because the performances are working.

Occasionally I work with first time directors, helping them with their first short. I see two main mistakes. First, they think that if someone knows how to operate [an editing station], that they are an editor. This is simply not true. I know how to use a chisel, but there is no way [...] I could sculpt the David. Editing is the same: knowing what buttons to push is the least important part of editing. Knowing how to tell a story well is everything. In fact, I know one Oscar winning editor who spent many years never touching the equipment at all. She chose the cut points, and had her assistants do the physical cutting.

The second main mistake amateur filmmakers make, IMO, is that they are not vicious enough when cutting their material. Every single frame of film you project should be conveying new information to the audience. If it’s not, get it out.

The same applies to the craft of cinematography. On discussion boards around film-making I often read questions from wanting-to-be directors on what camera they should buy, which lens they should use. Ocasionally I take the time to point out that if they want to become directors, they should not concern themselves about equipment. They should spend all the time they can on the story, developing the characters, working with the actors to achieve his/her creative vision.

Rather than buying a semi-professional camera, I advise to hire in a professional DP. S/he will not only bring superior equipment, but - most importantly - experience to the shoot. Take a good story and a knowlegdable DP, and you will have something in the cutting room to work with. Your chances of getting your film into a festival and ultimately to actually sell it, have tremendously increased.

Or you can spend all your money on a second-rate camera (never, ever believe the hype that the new HDV camera for $10.000 is as good as a $100.000 camera. But that is another blog…), and end up having to both direct and shoot on your first film. Not a good idea. Leave the technical worries to someone you can trust, and concentrate on your job: story telling.

Movie tip: Living in Oblivion by Tom DiCillo.�

Last night I saw Syriana, a rather disturbing (and of course very well made) film by Stephen Gaghan. Based upon real-life experiences by Robert Baer, a former CIA operative, Syriana shows the crude ways in which Oil influences politics, adds whole new layers of corruption and adds misery.
Most people know by now how poisenous oil & CO₂ is for the future. “Syriana” shows also the ways it demoralizes rich countries.
Fortunately, the film makers did not at showing the problem. They encourage people to do something about our oil addiction. First step is to read up on participate.net on what one can do.

On a side note, a lot of people praise a new documentary on why - despite existing demand - electric cars never became popular in the US. “Who killed the electric car?” by Chris Paine, himself an e-car lover, has not come out here in Norway yet, but I am looking foreward.