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Free VFX Tracking Markers

2013-02-19T17:00:00+00:00

Need some VFX tracking markers? Here, get some.

Daily Inspiration - Paperman

2013-01-31T17:49:00+00:00

There's an Oscar nominated short that's making the rounds this week. It's called Paperman, and is a six minute animated Disney short that preceded Wreck-it Ralph in theaters. In my opinion, it's a master class in visual language and shot coverage. The cinematography and pacing of this piece is flawless. Watch below...

Daily Inspiration - Words as Images

2013-01-17T16:37:00+00:00

This is a really cool project...the challenge was to create an image out of a word, using only the letters in the word itself, and using only the graphic elements of the letters. The result is some very clean and clever motion graphic elements. Sound design also plays a big part. Watch below.

Daily Inspiration - JP Auclair Street Segment BTS

2013-01-04T21:56:00+00:00

I love BTS videos. There is so much to be learned about how creatives put something together. Not just the technical minutae, but also the reasons for the choices they made...and the happy accidents that sprang up along the way. Here is a great little BTS video that covers how the JP Auclair Street Segment was shot. Watch below...

Before & After VFX for Final Destination 5

2012-12-21T20:51:00+00:00

Here's an awesome behind the scenes look at the bridge sequence in Final Destination 5. This scene is very heavy on visual effects, with a lot of work put into integrating practical sets, actors, and visual effects. Even with all the greenscreens they built at the practical locations, the sheer amount of rotoscoping work that had to happen here makes my head spin. Watch below...

BTS of a car chase stunt for Fast and Furious 6

2012-12-14T18:10:00+00:00

Here's a cool stunt sequence for Fast and Furious 6, in this short BTS you get to see them drop a car and a load of prop debris right into the middle of a car chase. It looks like they're rolling 6 cameras including the two car-mounted russian arms and remote atv. Very cool peek at how the big guys do production. I'd say that one of the biggest surprises for me is that they shot it on film and not digital.

Try to ignore the obnoxious music and watch below...

The Art of Creating Awe

2012-08-22T22:53:00+00:00

Rob Legato took the TED stage earlier this year to talk about a few things he learned working on Titanic, Hugo, and Apollo 13. What I find useful for filmmakers, is that he learned the audience didn't necessarily respond well to realistic or accurate visuals, but to how they remember the visuals. It's a subtle, but important distinction. "When we're infused with enthusiasm or awe, it changes perceptions of the things that we see and what we remember." Watch his talk below.

Shining a little light on Adobe’s CS6 Education pricing

2012-08-21T00:51:00+00:00

Software piracy. Nobody likes to talk about it, but let's be frank; it's a thing. And when a company like Adobe comes out with an all-encompassing software package like Creative Suite 6, which can cost several thousand dollars (Creative Suite 6 Master Collection is about $2500, and Creative Suite 6 Production Premium is about $1800 USD), some people are going to choose to steal the software. You know it, I know it, and Adobe knows it...

Pixar’s Story Rules

2012-07-02T03:18:00+00:00

Recently, Pixar story artist Emma Coats tweeted a series of tips for story development and screenwriting, and they are profound. Tip #8 is something that every filmmaker should know and practice: "Finish your story, let go even if it's not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time." Here are a few others that I like...

John Cleese on Creativity

2012-06-26T05:31:00+00:00

And now for something completely different. I grew up loving Monty Python, so I was delighted to find this presentation by Python John Cleese on the subject of creativity. In the video embedded below, he breaks down what he has found necessary for the creative process into five specific things: 1. Space, 2. Time, 3. Time, 4. Confidence, 5. Humor. Cleese expands on each of these five points at length in the 36-minute video, with his trademark wit and sense of humor. What follows are my notes on each point, along with the video...