mercer

I don't know... I wouldn't confuse the screenwriting process with the filmmaking process... In some ways they're symbiotic... Without a script there is no movie... Without a movie... A screenplay is just words on paper written in an illogical format. From the first word written on the first page, which isn't supposed to be numbered as page one, even though every subsequent page is supposed to be numbered, to the raising stakes in the beginning of act 2, to the midpoint turn that leads you to the emotional climax and resolution should be crafted in a way to evoke the most emotional response from the viewer. Knowing how to construct set ups and pay offs and that subplots should strengthen your theme and that often your resolution can be a circular event that mirrors your first scene are all valuable tools of the craft. Even a 3 page treatment is telling a story with narrative beats. I think my point was that people shouldn't confuse tools with rules.

I think what a lot of creative people, who are in the earlier stages of their pursuit, forget is that honing your craft is more important than absolute creative freedom. I have written 4 feature screenplays and a dozen incomplete scripts and it never gets easier. Each script brings on its own set of problems and if it wasn't for the time I spent learning the craft, I wouldn't know how to solve those problems, or even how to break the rules. And I am far from being a professional screenwriter. Writing a screenplay is probably the hardest thing I have ever done. Also, you should probably read Save the Cat, by Blake Snyder as well. Back in the 80s and 90s... And even early 00s Syd Field was the paradigm Hollywood used, but I have seen a recent uptick with Save the Cat and the structural moments he defined as a basis for "good" Hollywod film structure. Also, don't forget "Story" by Robert McKee. Honestly, you can go to Wikipedia and search screenwriting and they will give a breakdown of the most famous books written about the craft. If one of them appeals to your sensibilities, give it a buy.

It must be true nobody likes Canon that much.

Ahh the Internet... Sarcasm and humor sometimes does not translate well. I was joking around with that comment... Unsure if you were with your reply?

But seriously, this is a tough one, there is no reason not to believe the OP's claims, but I don't believe Ebrahim and his family should be brought to the town square and stoned to death just yet either. Ebrahim has always seemed like an honorable person. I believe he's a frequent visitor so I'm sure his side of the story will come out soon enough.

Is this your way of saying that Phillip Bloom is involved in this alleged scam?

Well said. Syd Field was a little unpopular for awhile because a lot of writers thought his "paradigm" was to formulaic when in reality it was just a basic truth about screenplay structure. There are a million ways to tell a story, but if your screenplay is not structured properly, your narrative will fall apart. Of course, not all screenplays would benefit from that paradigm... Especially short screenplays, but all screenwriters will benefit from understanding structure. I also recommend reading some Carl Jung, his ideas on the "collective subconscious" and "archetypes" are extremely valuable for a storyteller.

Truby's Anatomy of Story is a good book. Truby is a great analyst of movies. A good primer for screenwriting is Screenplay by Syd Field. Another great, quick read is by American playwright, screenwriter and director David Mamet called Three Uses of the Knife.

Slightly off topic, but not really... I have been messing around with some downloaded C Log files from the XC10 and I am really impressed. It's a blast to grade with so much color latitude for an 8 bit small sensor camera. But I was wondering... Is C Log customizable or is it like Raw and ProRes from BM, flat and as is?

I don't thing downscaling them from 16:9 1080p to 4:3 480 is helping you either. Try going to 720 to keep the same aspect ratio as the 1080p. Or do a custom number, closer to 480 that is still 16:9. I think the smallest 16:9 aspect ratio is 1024x576.

The guy who made the short Lights Out that catapulted him to a Hollywood directing career, always ADR'd his shorts. I don't think he even plugged in a mic for a scratch track.

I like ADR. I have done a little acting and it is pretty easy to listen to the scratch track and mimick the cadence and tone of your lines... Especially when broken down into smaller bits.

Can you change the Luma range in the GX85, like you can with the G7?

Yeah, the Micro is a cool little camera. It has taken me a little bit to get used to the form factor... I still don't love having the external monitor and the battery life and the inherent inability to quickly grab shots, but the IQ is undeniable. The Raw 3:1 is amazing and then I try the ProRes XQ and I fall in love with that image just as much.

Really nice!!! That's what I was thinking. That lens pops.

Yeah, it's a nice lens. I have the MD version and the Rokkor-X. Am actually selling my Rokkor-X copy on eBay.

Yeah, I just saw this over at BMCuser. Definitely the best design I have come across for the micro. I've been using a half cage designed for the pocket cam since both cams share the same height. It's been working nicely for me, but that preorder price is almost too good to pass up. Of course I am really surprised no company has come out with a hinged design so you can mount your monitor directly behind the Micro and have it tilt up and down like a regular LCD would on mirrorless cameras... Or even better yet, a battery/monitor in one that slides directly into the battery slot of the micro. The cam is so small, it's a shame to have to rig it up into some monstrosity.

Thanks I'll give that a go. It seems like there is not enough distance from the inside edge of the inner mount to inside edge of the outer flange. Does metabones notoriously make their adapters a little tighter than the average adapter?

I downloaded some c-log from it and I was surprised how easily it graded... And I am not good with color... Especially 8 bit. Also from looking at videos on Vimeo, it seems like Wide DR is pretty decent, but the other profiles seems like you take a hit in highlight DR. Of course, with the c-log being so good, there seems to be little reason to use anything else. I have owned a couple 4K cameras in the past and I always converted the footage to 1080p ProRes before bringing it into FCPX, but with these files, the c-log 4K played well with proxies on my computer. And it seems if I was going to use my old method, I may as well shoot in 1080p, cause it's gorgeous and you get the benefit of 5-Axis, SD cards and 60p. Anyway, thanks for the info.

Is the photo with the Minolta 28mm the f/2.8 version or the f/2? I have the f/2 and it's one of my favorite lenses of all time and coincidentally, or not, that was my favorite photo you posted as well. Very nice. The ibis really is stellar. What were your settings and post workflow?

Very nice, it worked great. I am contemplating picking up the XC10. I recently bought the BMMCC, which is an amazing camera except for anything run and gun. I miss being able to have the camera in the passenger's seat and pull over to grab some shots. I also have an opportunity to shoot some small events as a B or C cam to some C100s. I watched a few of your other Lynn University videos and loved how seamless the XC10 footage integrated with the rest of the footage, even with the BMCC 2.5. So I would use the BMMCC for anything small and controlled... Micro shorts and the XC10 for larger, run and gun pieces. Are there any quirks you have encountered?

Okay I gotcha, I thought you were just setting up the cams and pressing record to get the coverage.

Really nice work. I read that you used a Rode VideoMic Pro, did you have to use the +20db function?

I bought a Metabones c-mount to micro 4/3 adapter a while back because the beveled design allows for more lenses to fit without modification. I purchased a few Cosmicar TV lenses, the older f/1.9 zebra versions... Amazing lenses by the way. Well, I needed the adapter specifically for the 25mm and 50mm and it worked perfectly on my old G7. But it won't work on my BMMCC... What's up with that? This adapter was $70 and it will not turn onto the mount.

Andy, it looks great. I understand for time and budget constraints, multi-cam is a good option for getting coverage, but did you find that you lost any narrative point of view?