tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214760992024-03-07T12:09:51.558-06:00The Martini ShotFilmmaker Blake Calhoun offers insights, rants and observations on a variety of film-related topics.Blake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.comBlogger548125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-34276210671003517662015-01-03T11:15:00.004-06:002015-01-03T11:15:35.014-06:00Happy New Year! But 2014 Still Has Something To Say...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48o1_24wPaunPhLuACt2ChvswV1JFUjZEODBHINOwAFy3_3ffim3BABbsYV1k5ZC7qe9o9pF-ZvOadjPsXpjDmBXg_H4an8qZ6YZbgbEKguf7GOJpvMRqjYb2PRAlkUq7teHq/s1600/Film-making-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48o1_24wPaunPhLuACt2ChvswV1JFUjZEODBHINOwAFy3_3ffim3BABbsYV1k5ZC7qe9o9pF-ZvOadjPsXpjDmBXg_H4an8qZ6YZbgbEKguf7GOJpvMRqjYb2PRAlkUq7teHq/s1600/Film-making-image.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy New Year!<br />
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2015 is here, but a blog <a href="http://cinemoti.com/blogs/dailies/16471560-top-5-new-filmmaking-tools-of-2014" target="_blank">post</a> from CineMoti earlier last week (long ago in 2014) called "Top 5 New Filmmaking Tools of 2014" is definitely worth a read.<br />
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The tools discussed are primarily geared towards indie filmmakers and there are some great ones in the list - I especially like #2 and #1.<br />
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Read the full post <a href="http://cinemoti.com/blogs/dailies/16471560-top-5-new-filmmaking-tools-of-2014" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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What tools helped your filmmaking endeavors in 2014?<br />
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-BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-36473462465247832242014-12-10T15:38:00.003-06:002014-12-10T15:40:26.581-06:00Who Is CineMoti?Check out this new reel showing who CineMoti is, and what the new company offers...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5BDu_6SNU1k?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">CineMoti™ is a boutique media company producing high-quality, flexible, post-friendly "2nd Unit" footage for filmmakers.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Created by filmmakers with a desire to build a company and a community that celebrates the art of shooting, editing and ultimately storytelling. We want our original content to not only enhance, but to inspire the work of creative video and film professionals around the world. Pretty lofty, eh?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Our flagship 2nd Unit™ Collection features a variety of helpful live-action VFX content for indie and studio productions alike. And in addition to the specialty footage, we offer a growing library of time-lapse and traditional stock media, too.</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Hope you'll <a href="http://cinemoti.com/" target="_blank">check out the site </a>and share with others, too! :)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Thanks,</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Blake</span></span>Blake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-24335786114017850132014-10-27T10:38:00.001-05:002014-10-31T15:12:55.640-05:00MORGANVILLE Premieres Today!Today is the day my latest directed series premieres on Felicia Day's Geek & Sundry YouTube Channel...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fcoe2nCFYuQ?list=PL7atuZxmT954TvdqgzNfYdQ-btKcAKvWU" width="560"></iframe><br />
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There are six episodes... The first two premiere TODAY and then a new one premieres each day for the rest of this week through Halloween.<br />
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The above embed is a Playlist and so it should contain each episode as they are released.<br />
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UPDATE: All six episodes have now been released. So you can easily watch them in the above YouTube playlist, and look for a VOD and DVD coming soon with lots of extras included in it.<br />
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Hope you like it!<br />
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Thanks,<br />
BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-84524242462144763772014-10-12T11:53:00.000-05:002014-10-13T08:33:04.978-05:00Introducing CineMoti | 2nd Unit Footage for FilmmakersI have founded a new start-up media company that I'd like to initially share with the readers of my blog...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlo9ZZ_nWEZAl7HeiTXfk8C3h-eJtb86pcfkqITmzkZkRx9HmB7GWQkZCPVq3L00jH4pq8jt44sUTN1Gi1kLGTXpFHFt-AoaPGBBVTqiqVqH_caHhQh6JRdZpw4RRt360Nsu8/s1600/CineMoti+Logo_overlay.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlo9ZZ_nWEZAl7HeiTXfk8C3h-eJtb86pcfkqITmzkZkRx9HmB7GWQkZCPVq3L00jH4pq8jt44sUTN1Gi1kLGTXpFHFt-AoaPGBBVTqiqVqH_caHhQh6JRdZpw4RRt360Nsu8/s1600/CineMoti+Logo_overlay.png" height="62" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's called <a href="http://cinemoti.com/" target="_blank">CineMoti</a> and the company produces original "2nd Unit" style footage for filmmakers to use in features, shorts, commercials, digital (web) series, PSAs, corporate video and more.<br />
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Our flagship collection is called <b>CineMoti 2nd Unit™</b>, and we currently have three categories within it:<br />
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1. 2nd Unit™ EXTRAS<br />
2. 2nd Unit™ PLATES<br />
3. 2nd Unit™ ELEMENTS<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/106983978?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
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There are LOTS of "stock footage" resources on the web these days, but virtually all take a shotgun approach to their content through crowd-sourcing.<br />
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<b>CineMoti is different.</b><br />
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We produce our own content and cater it to filmmakers <span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">who care not only about the quality and craft of the footage they work with, but also some of the finer technical aspects that can really make a difference in post-production and ultimately enhance the story they want to tell.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">So what do we mean by this?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">We offer post-friendly, flexible, high-quality footage in HD to 4K and beyond. This includes RED RAW .R3D and/or Log or "Flat" versions of footage. This allows for the most creative choices in post-production (specifically color grading), and it can make it much easier to match a stock shot into an existing edit. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">It also means that the footage is original and EXCLUSIVE to our site. So you won't find this on every other stock site out there as is often the case with crowd-sourcing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">And FYI... beyond the 2nd Unit collection, we also offer traditional stock and timelapse footage.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Right now we're a Beta site - primarily because we're uploading our inventory - and so we're calling this current phase a "soft launch". By January 2015 we plan to have a lot more content online and we'll begin a full marketing campaign and do a "grand opening" event. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">But in the meantime, we are open for business and s</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">o please <a href="http://cinemoti.com/" target="_blank">check out the new site</a> and see what you think.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">I hope you like it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Thank you!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Blake</span>Blake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-909450768012039052014-08-02T12:21:00.000-05:002014-08-02T12:25:54.162-05:00MORGANVILLE Comic-Con Teaser TrailerWe had a great time in San Diego during Comic-Con at the <b>Geek & Sundry Lounge </b>(Felicia Day's company and YouTube channel) where Rachel Caine, Amber Benson and myself were on a panel talking 'Morganville'...<br />
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We also premiered the teaser trailer to the crowd there, then privately to our Kickstarter backers, and now we've released it on YouTube for all to see.<br />
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Check it out on YT here: <a href="http://youtu.be/GwUtF-P6cqs">http://youtu.be/GwUtF-P6cqs</a><br />
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Or the video embed below:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GwUtF-P6cqs" width="560"></iframe><br />
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We don't have a release date just yet, but it's looking like later this fall.<br />
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Please share if you like it and we'll have more info on the show soon.<br />
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Thanks!<br />
BCBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-27825387467703030082014-06-23T12:51:00.000-05:002014-06-23T12:54:55.144-05:00Been A While...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurGguWJbhDqB6ZezqCi7fT3n4Y_AbgVtCNNOnU_bpyr7ooJQZcdZ9RlRp1iPJDxkkhORuPMxHD0jzil79LRxd6UjTyuFBy0G0tvjXs1l48lp_45cH0E_Aju2nZrDEKG1tJAyv/s1600/MV_fb_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurGguWJbhDqB6ZezqCi7fT3n4Y_AbgVtCNNOnU_bpyr7ooJQZcdZ9RlRp1iPJDxkkhORuPMxHD0jzil79LRxd6UjTyuFBy0G0tvjXs1l48lp_45cH0E_Aju2nZrDEKG1tJAyv/s320/MV_fb_cover.jpg" /></a></div>
Howdy, been a while since I posted here! Been slammed with the post-production on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MorganvilleTheSeries" target="_blank">MORGANVILLE</a> and other various commercial work I've had going on.<br />
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The editing is going well and we're getting closer to sending the episodes off for the next phase of sound work, score and visual FX - not quite there, but getting there.<br />
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I'll have big news on the release of Morganville soon, along with some other digital series news for another show of mine (announcing a cool new partnership).<br />
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And, one other note on new things - another business venture of mine will be launching a public beta soon, too. So look for that news in July.<br />
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Basically, I've got a lot of stuff going on BUT CAN'T SAY MUCH ABOUT IT right now. :)<br />
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But, I will very soon... Lol.<br />
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Talk to you later.<br />
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- BC Blake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-86281068631007243682014-04-08T00:24:00.002-05:002014-04-08T00:24:16.734-05:00Morganville Cast and PartnershipOur cast for Morganville has officially been announced in the Hollywood Reporter along with our partnership with Felicia Day's company Geek & Sundry. We're actually shooting the show right now (started principle photog today), so a lot going on!
Here's a link to the article:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/geek-sundry-adds-vampire-adaptation-694310
More news on the show soon...
BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-70655656113636646672014-03-05T17:02:00.000-06:002014-03-06T11:49:52.538-06:00CONTINUUM SEASON 2 Now Available on VODSeason 2 of my award-winning digital SciFi series CONTINUUM is now available via Vimeo On Demand...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/88189845?portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
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You can choose to rent for $3.99 or buy in HD for $9.99. Just watch the free preview trailer above and make your selection. You'll be redirected to Vimeo's website to make a purchase (unless you're logged in at Vimeo, I think).<br />
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This is 50 mins. total running time that encompasses all nine episodes woven together with the sound design and score re-edited to play continuously.<br />
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One really cool thing about Vimeo is if you have an Apple TV or Roku or similar that offers the Vimeo app, then you can buy the show and watch it on your home HDTV.<br />
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Oh, and here's Season 1 if you haven't seen it...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/88362131?portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
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Thanks!<br />
BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-30642286268750127352014-02-23T11:02:00.000-06:002014-02-23T11:04:30.773-06:00True Art in "True Detective"With two small kids at home I don't get to watch a lot of TV. Actually let me be clear. I don't get to watch a lot of "grown-up TV". I watch tons of Disney Channel and Nick Jr.<br />
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Recently though I've made it a point to catch up on past series and watch some current shows - this all usually happening after 10pm on weeknights once the kids (and the wife) are asleep. Luckily I don't have a real job being a freelance producer/director, so I don't normally have to get up too early. :)<br />
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On weekends I do watch some shows with my wife though, too. Mainly we're catching up on "Breaking Bad" (she's addicted to it). We're in the middle of Season 3 thanks to Netflix streaming. We also watch "Homeland" together and we did watch "Dexter", until that series ended recently.<br />
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My all-time favorite series is HBO's "The Sopranos", which I used to watch religiously, but that was before kids and seems like a thousand years ago. Now my favorite show by far is another HBO drama, "True Detective". I get to watch it time-shifted (since I'm otherwise busy with "Octonauts") because of HBO OnDemand and HBOGO.<br />
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I tend to go towards the darker shows as I think you can tell my some of the ones I've mentioned here, and "True Detective" definitely fits in that category. But it's not dark for the sake of being dark. It's just a gripping dark tale because it's a great story with great writing, great acting, great cinematography and great directing, etc. I can't say enough great things about this show. <br />
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<a href="http://motion.kodak.com/motion/Publications/InCamera/HBO_s_True_Detective_Elevates_the_Television_Drama.htm" target="_blank">Here's a cool article with the DP Adam Arkapaw about why he chose to shoot 35mm.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1722001/true-detective-long-take.jhtml" target="_blank">Here's a good interview with the director Cary Fukunaga about the now famous 6-minute "oner" (a single shot) that ends episode 4 in a housing project (mild spoilers)</a>.<br />
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And here's a nice behind-the-scenes look at the making of the show:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zoYq2bDaGt4" width="560"></iframe><br />
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The show is True Art from top to bottom and I highly recommend you watch it. If you don't have HBO, then this is a great reason to add it.<br />
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One day I hope the HBOGO app will let you buy shows a la carte, it would be a huge money make for HBO I think, and limit piracy a lot (I realize why they don't do this yet, but I think that might change in a few years). Give the content to people when they want it for a fair price and people will buy it. But this is for a different post. <br />
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If you love the craft of filmmaking and a great story then "True Detective" should be on the top of your list.<br />
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-BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-71117229941347538462014-01-26T12:55:00.003-06:002014-01-26T12:56:15.674-06:00PHOBIA Now on Hulu!Great news for our feature film PHOBIA... it's now available on Hulu and Hulu Plus!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="288" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://www.hulu.com/embed.html?eid=lltsv-strhrf2usi9lkv7w" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="512"></iframe>
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If the above embed doesn't show up in your browser, here is a direct link:<br />
<span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1390761672_2" style="color: purple; outline: 0px;"><a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/587766" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1390761346127_5478" rel="nofollow" style="color: purple; outline: 0px;" target="_blank">http://www.hulu.com/watch/587766</a></span><br />
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So, you can watch it for FREE right now on Hulu. The more people that watch the longer it will stay on Hulu and the better for us, the filmmakers. If you didn't know, this was a Texas-made film that I produced and edited... Jon Keeyes directed... and Anne Gibson wrote and executive produced. The rest of the amazing crew & cast can be found <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2075280/?ref_=fn_al_tt_5" target="_blank">here on the IMDb page</a>.<br />
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The movie is also available to buy on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Phobia-Leerhsen/dp/B00EDAGZY8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390762030&sr=8-1&keywords=phobia+dvd" target="_blank">DVD</a> and to buy or rent on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/phobia/id676890290" target="_blank">iTunes</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Phobia-HD-Erica-Leerhsen/dp/B00EX0AR92/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1390761936&sr=8-10&keywords=phobia+movie" target="_blank">Amazon Prime</a>. After the Hulu run we'll be releasing it on Netflix.<br />
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Thanks for the support!<br />
-BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-65611016174788483402014-01-22T08:51:00.003-06:002014-01-22T08:52:26.107-06:00DIG Sundance Short FilmCheck out and support this short film "Dig" from a friend of mine, Toby Halbrooks, who wrote and directed this - he also produced David Lowery's award-winning short "Pioneer" from a few years back, and then his feature film "Ain't Them Bodies Saints". <br />
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Great to see so much good work coming from Texas...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gCXQrDqic1s" width="500"></iframe>
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-BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-64419507155807110732013-12-13T14:05:00.002-06:002014-01-22T08:56:36.172-06:002014 IAWTV Award NominationsMy digital series <a href="http://www.watchcontinuum.com/" target="_blank">Continuum</a> received 3 nominations today for the 2014 IAWTV Awards...<br />
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Best Score - Damon Criswell<br />
Best Visual FX - Element X Creative (and Chad Briggs VFX Supervisor)<br />
Best Art Direction - Eric Whitney<br />
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As a side note, Eric won last year in this category. That probably means he has no chance this year. :)<br />
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Here's a complete <a href="http://www.thevideoink.com/breaking-news/and-the-nominees-for-the-2014-iawtv-awards-are/#.UqtcZmRDuTx" target="_blank">list of the nominees</a>. The show is January 7th in Las Vegas.<br />
<br />
<b><u>UPDATE:</u> We won two of the awards!!! BEST SCORE and BEST ART DIRECTION</b><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dQY7wyd5URA" width="560"></iframe>Blake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-11135857313177828602013-12-13T14:01:00.001-06:002013-12-13T14:01:18.108-06:00Digital Juice - Free Spirit Camera StabilizerRecently bought the <a href="http://gear.digitaljuice.com/products/products.asp?pid=3451" target="_blank">Free Spirit Stabilizer</a> from Digital Juice and decided to do an unboxing video since I couldn't find one on YouTube for it...<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/80949716" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/80949716">Digital Juice Free Spirit Camera Stabilizer - Unboxing</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/blakecalhoun">Blake Calhoun</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
I've been testing the rig with my Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and will post some results soon. The thing I'll say now is it's not exactly easy to use.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned... :)<br />
<br />
-BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-44040936259858215622013-11-14T18:07:00.002-06:002013-11-14T18:14:59.282-06:00RAW is Here on the Blackmagic PocketI've been having a good time shooting with the new BMPCC and just learned today that the latest firmware update includes the elusive RAW recording setting...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYClT7bmCMUkDz_aDk2Tt9M9w6PPI0-gHrhNv8ENxbJhB7MDKgHVXCuEwF8hy9b3QdtaKNARcR3X3fiBosw3pVYU_v5qmBXG8N-bjautEDiwbCe1KC7z9Hp8yUU9mMpl8Jla0/s1600/BMPCC+RAW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYClT7bmCMUkDz_aDk2Tt9M9w6PPI0-gHrhNv8ENxbJhB7MDKgHVXCuEwF8hy9b3QdtaKNARcR3X3fiBosw3pVYU_v5qmBXG8N-bjautEDiwbCe1KC7z9Hp8yUU9mMpl8Jla0/s400/BMPCC+RAW.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This is good news, however, I gotta say that the ProRes HQ recording option looks REALLY GREAT and so I was actually not missing RAW like I might on the big brother camera to this one, the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, as the RAW there is for it's 2.5k shooting mode - which makes a big difference over 1080 HD, I find (you can't record ProRes in the 2.5k mode - although it would be nice if you could... Rumor has it you will be able to on the 4k camera they're releasing - one day).<br />
<br />
So long story short, the Pocket shoots 1080 only in both ProRes or RAW and looks amazing. I don't say that lightly either. It really does look great. Hard to believe coming from a $1000 camera.... But, glass makes a big impact on this rig (and on most I guess), so using good lenses is imperative.<br />
<br />
I've been using a Metabones adapter with vintage Nikon F mount glass that looks nice and creamy, but I seem to get a decent amount of smearing or motion blur - more than I'm used to, even back when I shot 16mm film and used lenses with no image stabilization. So, I bought a Panasonic MFT zoom with IS and I must say, it looks NICE. The images are smoother and surprisingly sharp.<br />
<br />
I will post some footage from this camera soon. But in the meantime, if you'd like to see a book trailer I directed that was shot on the full BMCC, here it is...<br />
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<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/77453902" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/77453902">PRINCE OF SHADOWS Book Trailer (Shot on BMCC 2.5k with Rokinon Cine Primes)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/blakecalhoun">Blake Calhoun</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
Oh, and here's a <a href="http://io9.com/love-friendship-and-murder-in-rachel-caines-haunting-1462355453" target="_blank">cool blurb</a> on none other than io9 about the above trailer. Very cool. :)<br />
<br />
Talk soon.<br />
-BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-38033532824996072052013-10-18T18:21:00.004-05:002013-11-14T18:12:20.343-06:00Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera (has arrived!)A lot has been written about this camera, but just a few folks have actually gotten to shoot with it... I happen to be one of the lucky ones who have.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNn7zFg6OVk3dfNMMemu92GDK8R5QmaasjnssNX-8jRKJ_zHBRzzP21pQ6ItYI-soojqcrEpyMAc7WXZ0Imn6nO1fRYSQQsjmbTcb1zuyumjzkrCsDmyvP73Ahhg5pK1OFyQJc/s1600/BMPCC+with+Nikkor+Lens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNn7zFg6OVk3dfNMMemu92GDK8R5QmaasjnssNX-8jRKJ_zHBRzzP21pQ6ItYI-soojqcrEpyMAc7WXZ0Imn6nO1fRYSQQsjmbTcb1zuyumjzkrCsDmyvP73Ahhg5pK1OFyQJc/s320/BMPCC+with+Nikkor+Lens.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I pre-ordered my camera the day it was announced at NAB back in April. <br />
<br />
I got the camera two weeks ago.<br />
<br />
Funny thing is I didn't even have a lens that would work with it. It's a MFT (micro four-thirds) mount and I mainly own Canon EF mount lenses. So, when I got it I had to order a lens! That took a week... then when it arrived, it actually didn't fit correctly on the mount. Bummer. I'm not sure if it was the camera or the lens, but I have read some folks are having trouble with a few select lenses mounting correctly. A flange/machining issue of some kind. So I sent it back.<br />
<br />
Then inspiration struck.<br />
<br />
I remembered I had a set of prime Nikon F mount lenses. I bought them off eBay years ago for a Letus adapter (remember those?) to use on my Canon XH-A1. They are vintage manual lenses from the 1960s.<br />
<br />
So instead of buying another MFT lens, I bought a <a href="http://www.metabones.com/product/micro-43/nf-m43-bm2-64-detail" target="_blank">Metabones MFT to Nikon F Mount adapter</a>. I just got it today and I must say, it is really nice. Very well built. Solid. And it fits on the camera perfectly. And then the Nikon glass fits perfectly on it. I love it.<br />
<br />
I've shot some test stuff, but nothing I'm ready to post on Vimeo. But I'll just say, this camera really reminds me of an ARRI SR2 or SR3. Not the handling of it. The image. It is very Super 16mm in look and texture. Blackmagic calls it a "Super 16 Digital Film Camera" and I actually think that is correct.<br />
<br />
I will post some footage once I get something I think looks good. And I'm going to do my best to not just post a string of random test shots cut to a funky music track. :)<br />
<br />
-Blake<br />
<br />
<br />Blake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-59642266813170497252013-09-25T20:23:00.001-05:002013-09-25T20:23:14.389-05:00MagicWatch this (no CGI added later, all shot in camera with projection mapping and robotics)...<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/75260457" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/75260457">Box</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/botndolly">Bot & Dolly</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Blake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-73764267647965695872013-09-06T17:20:00.005-05:002013-09-06T17:24:41.491-05:00A New GenreTainment InterviewI recently did another interview with a cool genre-based podcast (blog radio show) called <b>GenreTainment</b> that talks with creators of web series, feature films, etc.<br />
<br />
We chat about <i>Continuum, Pink, Morganville-The Series</i> and <i>Phobia</i>!<br />
<br />
Here's a blurb from their intro...<br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 23.796875px;"><br /></i>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 23.796875px;">For today’s episode of GenreTainment we welcome back filmmaker & web series creator Blake Calhoun. He has created award winning web series like Pink, TheWB.com’s <span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Exposed</span>, and <span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Continuum</span>.</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 23.796875px;"><br /></i>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 23.796875px;">He chats with us about those projects, plus tell us about his new vampire thriller feature length film <span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Phobia</span> and his upcoming web series <span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Morganville</span>. <span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Morganville</span> is based on the best selling book series by the same name. It also has vampires and even a former Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress who will be starring it.</i><br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 23.796875px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i><br /></i>
<i>Calhoun also shares some tips on creating a web series and managing a Kickstarter campaign.</i></div>
<a href="http://www.alienjunglebug.com/genretainment/genretainment-featuring-director-and-producer-blake-calhoun/" target="_blank">Check it out here</a>. <br />
<br />
Thanks,<br />
BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-68244812088283703162013-09-01T11:43:00.003-05:002013-09-01T11:45:05.424-05:00PHOBIA Now Available!<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/PhobiaTheMovie" target="_blank">PHOBIA</a> is now available</b>! Please look for it OnDemand at most US and Canadian cable and TV providers such as AT&T U-Verse and Time Warner.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ALSO, here's the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/phobia/id676890290" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 176, 245); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #00b0f5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">iTunes link</a> and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Phobia/dp/B00EX0A2N8/ref=sr_1_9?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1378052161&sr=1-9&keywords=Phobia+movie" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 176, 245); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #00b0f5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon link</a> to watch instantly.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">This is an independent period drama produced in Dallas, Texas - not exactly an easy thing to pull off - but I think we did it with the help of our great cast and crew... specifically Deborah Gerard (costume designer) and Eric Whitney (production designer). Our locations scout/manager Mark Mahlo contributed big time as well. If you're making a period drama and the wardrobe or the sets or the locations don't fit - the movie doesn't work. These guys made it work.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Of course Jon Keeyes our director did an amazing job collaborating with these folks to put it all together. And lastly, Anne Gibson our writer and Executive Producer created the world on the page and then helped bring it to life by bringing financing to the table. It definitely takes a group of people to make it all click.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Hope you'll check out the film!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oF7auLWjt4U" width="560"></iframe></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Thanks,</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Blake</span></span>Blake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-27004311717820778102013-08-13T11:43:00.003-05:002013-09-01T11:33:39.310-05:00PHOBIA Release and Trailer<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">UPDATE: The movie is now available! Please look for it OnDemand at most US and Canadian cable and TV providers such as AT&T U-Verse and Time Warner.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">ALSO, here's the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/phobia/id676890290" target="_blank">iTunes link</a> and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Phobia/dp/B00EX0A2N8/ref=sr_1_9?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1378052161&sr=1-9&keywords=Phobia+movie" target="_blank">Amazon link</a> to watch instantly. Thanks!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">--------------------------------------------------------------</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">The feature film <a href="http://www.facebook.com/PhobiaTheMovie" target="_blank">PHOBIA</a> that I produced and edited, and that Jon Keeyes directed will premiere on cable VOD and iTunes September 1st!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">VOD outlets: AT&T U-Verse, Cox Cable, Charter On Demand, Verizon FiOS, Mediacom, Insight, RCN Cable, Optimum Cable, Dish Network, Armstrong Cable, Rogers On Demand (Canada), Shaw Cable (Canada), Cogeco Cable (Canada) and EastLinkTV (Canada)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">iVOD outlets: iTunes, GooglePlay, Playstation Network, Vudu, Amazon Video and XBox.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the trailer...</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oF7auLWjt4U" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here are some images that can be posted on Facebook pages as Cover Artwork to help us promote the release...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdB-HxGnmUQGSmZuxr6TLLtHaFNVbhU0OQy9odEvsDodcAe3RwXm5KXeMmWCEE9O33q2T3GXa-53S4v-h8mVn88H2LFuNI82bQnSI7LNN1vnf0NofOv_G8uOndMo2HQYb2TEn/s1600/Phobia+FB+Cover+for+VOD+Release-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdB-HxGnmUQGSmZuxr6TLLtHaFNVbhU0OQy9odEvsDodcAe3RwXm5KXeMmWCEE9O33q2T3GXa-53S4v-h8mVn88H2LFuNI82bQnSI7LNN1vnf0NofOv_G8uOndMo2HQYb2TEn/s400/Phobia+FB+Cover+for+VOD+Release-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MyRXgOtFjMrvwacRzGpp4IC0KT-iE0QcSlMY1qWFIypkEBvhp4AHdfr2k0enElfD2R7NtOWzSbmoUBFtdzTsNu0NQ8FDw515j-yF_hM0Tr8Y8OJosfUWZL4Djk8fqpIdznLr/s1600/Phobia+FB+Cover+for+VOD+Release-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MyRXgOtFjMrvwacRzGpp4IC0KT-iE0QcSlMY1qWFIypkEBvhp4AHdfr2k0enElfD2R7NtOWzSbmoUBFtdzTsNu0NQ8FDw515j-yF_hM0Tr8Y8OJosfUWZL4Djk8fqpIdznLr/s400/Phobia+FB+Cover+for+VOD+Release-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrQgsy4oXDVc1keQbPZa5A4G8WqiqGY4x8h0TdRy1C3TFpevDe_RK5v8qL1aFdyAePkQ6mn4Gjh5UzCzRjiK3l59T_aCgwVrQzQo2un-g_t5SImRub_kxgwh27DpJaWLm88DC/s1600/Phobia+FB+Cover+for+VOD+Release-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrQgsy4oXDVc1keQbPZa5A4G8WqiqGY4x8h0TdRy1C3TFpevDe_RK5v8qL1aFdyAePkQ6mn4Gjh5UzCzRjiK3l59T_aCgwVrQzQo2un-g_t5SImRub_kxgwh27DpJaWLm88DC/s400/Phobia+FB+Cover+for+VOD+Release-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Blake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-29168469370986094142013-08-08T12:52:00.002-05:002013-08-08T12:53:25.781-05:00SciFi Riot and ContinuumI've partnered with a new sci-fi YouTube Channel called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/scifiriot" target="_blank">SciFi Riot</a> to release Season 2 of <i>Continuum</i>. They get a 14 day exclusive on YouTube, then I will also put the episodes on the main <i>Continuum</i> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/ContinuumTheSeries" target="_blank">channel</a>.<br />
<br />
Here are the first two eps in Season 2... (embeds not available right now):<br />
<br />
Ep 10<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/oxxCa6qPQyc">http://youtu.be/oxxCa6qPQyc</a><br />
<br />
Ep 11<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/Aem7BxxGXsw">http://youtu.be/Aem7BxxGXsw</a><br />
<br />
More coming soon...<br />
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-BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-79076653641403623372013-06-19T15:17:00.001-05:002013-06-19T15:18:17.506-05:00Amber Benson Playing a Vampire!?!So yes, you read that right... <b>Amber Benson</b> of 'Buffy' fame will be <i>playing</i> a vampire in our show instead of <i>slaying</i> vampires. :) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMrvy0Na_ty-0Gf6jurLMyUVehEqF49X-kDj39-7MJb2OA5wITnj48udQGc8Voz1WGC8YH5O7PTMMPwta4zdHW_StaMXwUfiv7qUDyjJ8xJ6IXdILw0HbVfDhcZDNPLmS5Xap/s1600/amber-benson-rachel-caine-morganville-web-series-kickstarter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMrvy0Na_ty-0Gf6jurLMyUVehEqF49X-kDj39-7MJb2OA5wITnj48udQGc8Voz1WGC8YH5O7PTMMPwta4zdHW_StaMXwUfiv7qUDyjJ8xJ6IXdILw0HbVfDhcZDNPLmS5Xap/s320/amber-benson-rachel-caine-morganville-web-series-kickstarter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you didn't know, Amber has officially attached herself to play Amelie (the founder of Morganville) in our adaptation of <i>The Morganville Vampires</i> book series into a web series called <i>Morganville: The Series</i>.<br />
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We're very excited to have her involved. But of course, the Kickstarter campaign has to fund first. <b>Today we crossed the $25k mark towards our goal of $75k... so we're 1/3rd of the way!</b><br />
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Here is some <a href="http://www.hypable.com/2013/06/17/amber-benson-morganville-vampires-kickstarter/" target="_blank">nice coverage of Amber's involvement in the campaign</a> and hopefully the series.<br />
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And here is the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2059515068/morganville-the-web-tv-series" target="_blank">link to our actual Kicstarter campaign page</a>. <br />
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We've got some really interesting rewards too. For only $40 you can get a digital copy of the script, exclusive postcard artwork and an HD download of Season 1. Or for those with deeper pockets, the $500 level you get all of the above plus a complete set of all 15 <i>Morganville</i> books autographed by Rachel Caine the author, along with a DVD, a poster and I forget what else. It's a lot.<br />
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So please help if you can! A tweet or FB post is almost as good as becoming a financial backer. Almost. :)<br />
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Thanks!<br />
BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-57134567909935720912013-06-11T13:01:00.001-05:002013-06-11T18:07:12.118-05:00Morganville: The Series | Kickstarter Campaign<div class="p1">
You've probably heard of <b>Kickstarter </b>because of the <i>Veronica Mars</i> or Zach Braff movies that raised millions of dollars recently to fund their projects. Well, I'm involved in one now too. But we're not Hollywood millionaires looking for handouts. We're indie filmmakers looking for handouts.<br />
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In all seriousness, Kickstarter is a great way to crowd-fund all kinds of projects.</div>
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I am fortunate to be working with the international best-selling author <b><a href="http://rachelcaine.com/welcome/" target="_blank">Rachel Caine</a></b> in bringing her book series <b>THE MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES</b> to life as an online TV series.... and we could use your help.</div>
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<span class="s1">Here's the link to our Kickstarter campaign</span>:</div>
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<span class="s1"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2059515068/morganville-the-web-tv-series">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2059515068/morganville-the-web-tv-series</a></span></div>
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We're attempting to raise $75,000 to fund the essential expenses of shooting one season (six episodes, approx. 45-60 mins of content). That primarily being cast/crew, equipment rental, post-production, visual FX, music and of course the rewards (incentives) for contributing. Speaking of these, there are some really unique ones that involve sock puppets and ponies (not really, but maybe). </div>
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Here's the campaign video (also on the Kickstarter page):<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/67315470" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/67315470">Morganville: The Series | Kickstarter Campaign Video</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/blakecalhoun">Blake Calhoun</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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So please check this project out and help if you can. Even a Facebook share or tweet is a big help. Although money helps a lot more.</div>
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This is the first of 50 or so post you'll see from me on this. I'm kidding. :)</div>
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<span class="s1">More links</span>:</div>
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<span class="s1"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/MorganvilleTheSeries">www.facebook.com/MorganvilleTheSeries</a></span></div>
<a href="http://www.morganvilletheseries.com/">www.morganvilletheseries.com</a><br />
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UPDATE 6/11/13 (evening): So far so good... almost 10% of the way towards our goal!<br />
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Here's the press release that went out today too:<br />
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<strong>MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES TAKE A BITE OUT OF WEB TV</strong></div>
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June 11, 2013</div>
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<strong>Rachel Caine</strong>, author of the <em>New York Times, USA Today</em> and #1 internationally bestselling<strong>Morganville Vampires</strong> novels, announced today that the series is being adapted for a web TV series in partnership with Streamy award winning producer/director <strong>Blake Calhoun and Loud Pictures</strong> (<em>Pink</em>, <em>Continuum</em>, and TheWB.com’s <em>Exposed</em>).</div>
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Both are based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas.</div>
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“We want to make this show for the fans worldwide,” said Caine. “They’ve been incredibly dedicated, and the numbers of petitions and emails make it clear that they would love to see these characters on screen. We think a quality web TV series is a fun and groundbreaking way to make that happen.”</div>
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The fifteen-book saga has global popularity, with translations in 20 languages. The first novel, <em>Glass Houses,</em> was voted the most popular book among UK school children in 2013, ahead of smash media-fueled hits like <em>Twilight</em> and <em>Harry Potter</em>. “These books will make great television,” said Loud Pictures’ Calhoun. “They’ve got involving, dynamic characters, action, adventure, friendship and some very real high stakes. I’m looking forward to working with Rachel on bringing this to life.”</div>
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In order to raise the necessary funds to do a web TV show with high quality production values, the partners have turned to Kickstarter (<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/" style="color: darkred;">http://www.kickstarter.com</a>) to raise the $75,000 needed to cover the essential first season costs of actors, crew, equipment, effects, and music, among other expenses. The $75,000 is estimated to cover six 8 to 10 minute episodes, for a total of approximately 60 minutes of content.</div>
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“If we reach that goal, we can turn out a very solid TV-quality viewing experience for the fans,” said Caine. “If we go over, we can add more episodes, more effects, better locations, and make the drama even more compelling.”</div>
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Caine is penning the scripts for the first season’s episodes, which will begin filming in September 2013 if the Kickstarter goals are reached. The team plans to release the preview trailer of the new series in December 2013, to follow the launch of the fifteenth and last novel of the Morganville Vampires, <em>Daylighters.</em></div>
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Bestselling YA author and actor <strong>Amber Benson</strong> (<em>Buffy, Ghosts of Albion, Chance</em>) is attached to play the part of Amelie, the vampire founder of Morganville. Casting for additional parts is scheduled to begin after the successful conclusion of the Kickstarter fundraiser.</div>
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<strong>Kickstarter: </strong><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2059515068/morganville-the-web-tv-series" style="color: darkred;" target="_blank" title="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2059515068/morganville-the-web-tv-series">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2059515068/morganville-the-web-tv-series</a><br />
<strong>Website:</strong> <a href="http://www.morganvilletheseries.com/" style="color: darkred;">http://www.morganvilletheseries.com</a><u></u><br />
<strong>Twitter:</strong> @MV_The_Series<br />
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Producers:<br />
<strong>Rachel Caine/Pen Ultimate Productions:</strong> <a href="http://www.rachelcaine.com/" style="color: darkred;">http://www.rachelcaine.com</a><br />
<strong>Blake Calhoun/Loud Pictures:</strong> <a href="http://www.loudpictures.com/" style="color: darkred;">http://www.loudpictures.com</a><br />
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Publishers:<br />
<strong>Penguin Books/NAL:</strong><a href="http://www.us.penguingroup.com/nf/Search/QuickSearchProc/1,,Author_1000060251,00.html" style="color: darkred;">http://www.us.penguingroup.com/nf/Search/QuickSearchProc/1,,Author_1000060251,00.html</a><br />
<strong>Allison & Busby (UK):</strong> <a href="http://allisonandbusby.com/series/the-morganville-vampires-series/" style="color: darkred;">http://allisonandbusby.com/series/the-morganville-vampires-series/</a></div>
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Thanks!</div>
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Blake</div>
Blake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-62386309560876975882013-04-17T15:38:00.001-05:002013-04-17T15:38:31.028-05:00Upstream Color<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnh1KylzEXICC1pK0dmljT6Yuzyqh2sS2mrbxosTX5xQPLJeT2JWO6V7CoS_7VOV62hz_K9-S5NyQ3FU1mrxg32TMZuwBJghmdvJuoZ5BssGt86gsRyse4WizdImDqExIbwbL7/s1600/upstreamcolor_jeffbridge_3000x1277__large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnh1KylzEXICC1pK0dmljT6Yuzyqh2sS2mrbxosTX5xQPLJeT2JWO6V7CoS_7VOV62hz_K9-S5NyQ3FU1mrxg32TMZuwBJghmdvJuoZ5BssGt86gsRyse4WizdImDqExIbwbL7/s400/upstreamcolor_jeffbridge_3000x1277__large.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn't get to attend Sundance this year, although I really wanted to. Several folks from the studio I work out of went to support several Texas-made films that were premiering in competition. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Those films were <b>David Lowery's</b> <i>Ain't Them Bodies Saints</i> and <b>Shane Carruth's</b> <i>Upstream Color</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In an interesting coincidence, both of these films actually used our studio (<a href="http://www.ideamanstudios.com/" target="_blank">Ideaman Studios in Dallas, Texas</a>) during various stages of their production and/or post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lowery's film <a href="http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/sundance-deal-ifc-picks-up-aint-them-bodies-saints" target="_blank">will be released in August by IFC Films</a> and so I have not seen it, but Shane is distributing <i>Upstream Color</i> himself and last night in Dallas he held a preview screening before the film opens officially on Friday at the Angelika Theater. And I was there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Upstream Color</i> has been <a href="http://erbpfilm.com/film/upstreamcolor#critical" target="_blank">reviewed a lot</a> since it's Sundance premiere and so I'm not going to really do that here, plus I'm not a film critic... I'm a filmmaker who on occasion gets to watch films (I have two small children so I mainly watch Disney Channel). I also don't consider myself a "cinephile". My taste vary wildly and I probably tend to prefer more commercial fare. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not Michael Bay commercial mind you... more like Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese commercial.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a frame of reference, some of my favorites films are...</span><br />
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<i>Goodfellas</i><br />
<i>Shindler's List</i><br />
<i>Trainspotting</i><br />
<i>Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid</i><br />
<i>Pulp Fiction</i><br />
<i>Alien</i><br />
<i>Minority Report</i><br />
<i>Raging Bull</i><br />
<i>Narc</i><br />
<i>Star Wars</i><br />
<i>Shawshank Redemption</i><br />
<i>Raising Arizona</i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />I could go on, but you get the idea. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not a film historian and really don't know much about French New Wave or the French for that matter. I just like good movies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What's my definition of a good movie? Typically speaking, it's one that I will watch more than once. And that doesn't happen very often. And it's all very subjective of course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So I guess what I'm saying here is this <i>Upstream Color</i> "review" is coming from someone who doesn't really watch many "art films". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I actually had a debate on Facebook recently about that phrase... art films. I posed the question, aren't all films art? I think they are. But with the caveat that not all art is created equal. As a Facebook friend of mine Lance Von Trachtenberg says, "<span style="background-color: #fafbfb; line-height: 14px;">A print that you can buy in the clearance bin at Ross is in fact art, but really doesn't carry with it the resonance of an oil by Monet". </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, art then is delivered in degrees of complexity... And that brings us to <i>Upstream Color</i> (finally, right?)... :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I actually didn't know what to expect seeing the film. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've followed it's progress pretty closely though since it was produced in Dallas - and actually I know Shane, Casey Gooden (the producer) and Tom Walker (the production designer). And many of the cast members I've worked with and are friends with. But Shane kept the film pretty quiet. Pretty secret. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Until the Sundance premiere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That's when the Twitterverse lit up after the premiere screening. I was taken aback some reading the initial WTF responses. Especially considering the film played to what is undeniably a friendly "art house" crowd. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEgzlZb5id-7ovSnwLIdJhK01RI9RYObF_6-EKs00gZedmaJ1bUbQ40JgJQ-9PnPZrfuGUqkkqT9g2TTVx6MkNjhIMa8d7APewkZqwWzivTJoV0SKvmZLG__zkf3Bv6icxfgk/s1600/UC_Unit_Photo_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEgzlZb5id-7ovSnwLIdJhK01RI9RYObF_6-EKs00gZedmaJ1bUbQ40JgJQ-9PnPZrfuGUqkkqT9g2TTVx6MkNjhIMa8d7APewkZqwWzivTJoV0SKvmZLG__zkf3Bv6icxfgk/s400/UC_Unit_Photo_01.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That's not to say the reaction was bad per se, it was just more of confusion. But that was kind of expected, wasn't it? After all, if you saw <i>Primer</i> (<a href="http://erbpfilm.com/film/primer" target="_blank">Shane's first film that won Sundance in 2004</a>) you were already primed (pun intended) for a puzzle of a story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The tweets settled down though later in the Sundance week and slowly turned to high praise from many top critics. But, as often happens, film critics are much more in tune with art house films than general movie goers. So, I still wasn't really sure what to expect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lots of folks compared the work to Malick or Kubrick, which is setting the bar pretty high - although I am not a huge fan of Malick's recent efforts such as <i>Tree of Life</i>. That film tries way too hard and says very little (I know many disagree with me). And actually, Malick's name gets tossed around a lot these days if a film has a "lyrical" quality to it. So I personally think his name is overused in describing work today. But I digress...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Upstream Color</i> does have elements of Kubrick (in many of the shot compositions) and a lyrical style reminiscent of Malick (yeah, I did just say that), but in the end it's all <b>Shane Carruth</b>. And I liked it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There, I finally said something about the film!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, let me say I'm not exactly sure <i>why</i> I liked it, but I did. I really didn't connect with any of the characters. I really didn't get consumed by the story (and yes, there is a story and a narrative albeit in the background).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And speaking of the story, it was actually <i>pretty simple</i>. And pretty straightforward. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><u>The way it was told was fairly complex and enigmatic</u></i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was also ambiguous. And ambiguity is great in my mind, but not confusion. That is a fine line, but there is a difference.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the screening at the Q&A Shane said something that I really thought was interesting... He said as a filmmaker he's not there to provide answers, he's there to ask questions. I really like that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So I think for me the attraction to the film was more about tone. It was also about sound design. And it was about music. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">These three main elements really made it work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Again, this is a lyrical film. You're not watching this to be engrossed in an action thriller storyline. It's more of a sensorial experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll also say the performance of actress Amy Seimetz was really good, and the cinematography was very intriguing in a shallow depth-of-field, out of focus kind of vibe. It absolutely added to the experience in a very good way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One minor cinematography (and/or editing choice) caveat here for me was the use of the "hand shot" - it got a bit old. It's a very cool shot - a close-up of a person's hand gliding along a leg, or a bed or grass - whatever. It's been done a lot and I really remember it in Ridley Scott's <i>Gladiator</i>, but also in other (yep) Malick work. That's not to say others can't use it, you can, but it felt over done here - a lot like those damn sun flare shots in any (yep) Malick film. Those are beautiful the first 10 times you see them, but man, in almost every shot? Gets old.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So will fans of <i>Primer</i> like this film? That's hard to say.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's not really a puzzle of a story. It's also not sci-fi or really a genre film. It does have genre elements in it - especially at the beginning with the <a href="http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/196816/shane-carruths-upstream-color-viral-hacking-body-horror-and-pigs-lots-of-em/" target="_blank">worms and then pigs</a>. That has a horror vibe going, but only for a while. The pacing is good throughout, although it does meander a tad in the second act. But the third act is beautiful and virtually dialogue-free. In the end the film is really a love story and actually has (all things considered) a rather sweet ending, too. All of course told in a very unique way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So yeah, <i>Primer</i> fans will for the most part like it I think, as long as they know what they're in for. But it is a different kind of film, and a much more mature film.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I really hope (art) film fans will go out and support this. Shane and co. are distributing this themselves and so every ticket sold really matters. <a href="http://erbpfilm.com/film/upstreamcolor#screenings" target="_blank">The film opens this Friday locally in Dallas and Plano at the Angelika, and across the country as well.</a> So go see it! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It will also be released on VOD and Blu-ray, etc. in early May in the U.S. and that will likely be where most of its business comes from... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I know I'll be watching it again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Blake</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">P.S. I really loved the score. And you can buy it right now digitally or on vinyl (which is really cool), and as a matter of fact you can preview a track right here...</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F77764418&secret_token=s-LAUW7" width="100%"></iframe>Blake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-9034155876972460452013-04-10T19:48:00.000-05:002013-04-10T19:48:05.550-05:00Continuum Season 2 Premiere Announced<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Season 2 of my sci-fi series </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Continuum</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> will premiere exclusively on JTS.tv NEXT TUESDAY 4/16/13. What is JTS.tv? It’s an indie TV network that’s available online via their main site and on Roku boxes via your television.</span></div>
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If you followed our Season 1 release, we rolled it out on JTS first, then offered the entire season on VOD and finally ad-supported on YouTube. That will be our same path with Season 2. More details to follow soon!</div>
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<a href="http://www.jts.tv/continuum" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #336574; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">http://www.jts.tv/continuum</a><br /><br />Thanks,<br />Blake</div>
Blake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21476099.post-77366375093088517192013-03-19T19:06:00.002-05:002013-03-19T19:06:20.750-05:00GoPro-ingRecently I've really gotten into shooting with my GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition... I think the image (in good lighting conditions) is extremely usable now - even for broadcast projects. Set the camera to record 2.7k in the ProTune mode and it looks remarkably good. It's very sharp and the codec holds up well to basic grading.<br />
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Here's a short test I shot before Christmas (with a baked in look though)...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/54797730" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/54797730">GoPro Hero3 Black Edition 2.7k Footage</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/blakecalhoun">Blake Calhoun</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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And then the time-lapse stuff looks great too when shot in the full 12 Megapixel mode. It's close to, if not, a 5k image - so you can easily pull a 16x9 2k video file (or larger) from it. I'll post some samples I did in the near future.<br />
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On a job we just finished in Vegas we shot some synchronized swimming at Caesar's Palace by sticking the camera in the side of the pool (on a short Joby tripod) and the client loved the look. A really quick and easy way to add production value to a shoot with the underwater footage.<br />
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I'm really finding a lot of uses for this very portable and affordable rig. What about you?<br />
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-BlakeBlake Calhounhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02210096847105001625noreply@blogger.com0