February 2009 www.StudentFilmmakers.com The #1 Educational Resource for Film and Video Makers US$5.95 Interview with Director Ken Kwapis he’s just not that into you Filming a Key Shot for Spielberg’s Hook Backpack Journalism: Get Roadworthy Non-Dialogue Film, Begotten: Merhige Talks Ghetto Tech Dynamic Shots with the Use of Perspective Audio Recording in the Great Outdoors Publisher’s Desk Table of Contents February 2009 I am looking forward to attending the The # 1 Educational Resource for Film and Video Makers 2009 NAB show this year in Las Vegas, Publisher / Editor-in-Chief Kim Edward Welch Cinematography Nevada. It will be the third anniversary of Senior Editor Jody Michelle Solis 4 When They Look to You on the Set Filming a Key Shot for Spielberg’s “Hook” StudentFilmmakers magazine. For those who Contributing Writers by Jack Anderson don’t know, our first issue was launched Thomas Ackerman, ASC, Jack Anderson, Anthony Q. Artis, John Badham, Adam Biddle, Kevin Burke, Julia Camenisch, Steve Carlson, and distributed at the NAB show in April of 2006. If you are attending Chris Cavallari, Michael Corbett, Vanessa Daniels, Carsten Dau, Production this year, please stop by our booth at C10206 and say hello. For Todd Debreceni, Jeff Deel, Christina DeHaven, Dana Dorrity, 8 Backpack Journalism Pamela Douglas, David E. Elkins, S.O.C., Scott Essman, Bryant Falk, Get Roadworthy with Award-Winning BP Journalist Mara the latest information about the tradeshows we are attending and Carl Filoreto, Jon Firestone, Brian Flees, Jacqueline B. Frost, Schiavocampo of NBC News, and Denver Journalist Jennie updates, visit our website at www.studentfilmmakers.com for online Daniel Gaucher, Fred Ginsburg C.A.S. Ph.D. MBKS, Leonard Guercio, John Hart, David K. Irving, Catherine Ann Jones, David Kaminski, Castor of KMGH-TV. resources, contest information, forums, and industry news. Michael Karp, S.O.C., Sam Kauffmann, Christopher Keane, by Carl Filoreto Tamar Kummel, Richard La Motte, Adam Matalon, Matthew Marshall, M. David Mullen, ASC, Dennis Palumbo, Stacey Parks, Close-Up And while you are online, be sure to join the global networking Richard D. Pepperman, Mark Sawicki, Myrl A. Schreibman, Dr. Linda 8 12 Interview with Ken Kwapis section, which is very much like a MySpace for film and video Seger, Bryan Michael Stoller, Ira Tiffen, Saro Varjabedian, William F. Vartorella, Ph.D., C.B.C., Kevin Zanit, Bill Zarchy by Kim E. Welch makers. You can go directly to the URL by typing into your browser 28 The Making of the Controversial Non-Dialogue Feature Film, http://networking.studentfilmmakers.com. Each month, we select Media Art Director Lien-Chen Lin “Begotten” networking members and feature them in the magazine. See our Interview with Elias Merhige by Scott Essman featured networking members in this issue on pages 48 and 49. Technology Focus 22 Ghetto Tech: Cheap Solutions with Old Gear by David Kaminski Publisher / Editor-in-Chief Kim Edward Welch I think you will find this issue worth the waiting for. I am sure you Media Art Director Lien-Chen Lin are going to find the articles informative and inspiring as I have. For Pre-Production Advertising & Sponsorship Opportunities: 24 Dynamic Shots with the Use of ‘Perspective’ by John Hart example, be sure you read the article, “Backpack Journalism” on Kim E. Welch 212.255.5458 page 8, a fantastic story by Carl Filoreto. The article includes insights Jody Solis 212.255.5454 12 Music & Sound and tips from award-winning BP journalist Mara Schiavocampo of 36 Audio Recording in the Great Outdoors by Bryant Falk Online/Print Classifieds, Global Marketplace: NBC News, and Denver journalist Jennie Castor of KMGH-TV. It is http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/contact.shtml Meet the Manufacturer about how one person can produce, shoot and write a news story StudentFilmmakers.com Online Store: 38 Zylight Sheds Light on Its Palm-Sized Juggernaut, the Z90 and how this is quickly becoming an integral part of television https://www.studentfilmmakers.com/store/ 39 Interview with FiveSprockets Founder Randy Ullrich newsrooms across the country. Our cover story is an interview with Contact StudentFilmmakers award-winning director Ken Kwapis on page 12. And be sure to http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/contact.shtml On Campus 212.255.5454 (US and International) 212.255.7204 (Fax) 40 Los Angeles Film School Expands check out another completely fantastic article on page 22, “Ghetto 43 Columbia College Hollywood Teaches Boot Camps on Its New, Subscriptions: Tech: Cheap Solutions with Old Gear” by our soon-to-be staff editor State-of-the-Art Gail Patrick Soundstage U.S., $32.13/year; Canada, Mexico $52.13/year, and all other foreign David Kaminski. countries, $72.13/year. 47 Compass Film Academy Alumni Board Announces Its Annual 24 Go to https://www.studentfilmmakers.com/store 24 Hour Film Festival Please enjoy all the great articles in this issue, and again, be sure For subscription, mailing address change and distribution inquiries, 44 Products and Services to visit the website at www.studentfilmmakers.com to sign up for go to http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/contact.shtml workshops, networking and meeting filmmakers from around the StudentFilmmakers, established in 2006, is published monthly in New 46 Call for Entries world looking for people just like you to collaborate with. Also, be York by StudentFilmmakers.com. Opinions are solely those of the 28 authors. Letters, article queries, photos, movie stills, film submissions, Filmmakers Networking sure to use our sponsors’ products and services, and drop them a and unsolicited manuscripts welcome, but returned only with SASE. 50 This Month’s Featured Networkers note about the StudentFilmmakers magazine and website. Submissions are subject to editing for style, content, and to exclusive rights provisions in this publication. Advertising: Rate card upon request. Truly, Copyright 2009 StudentFilmmakers.com (All rights reserved.) On the Cover Printed in the USA. Postmaster: Send address change to Jennifer Aniston with director Ken Kwapis on the set of New Line Kim E. Welch StudentFilmmakers, 1133 Broadway, Suite # 1503, New York, NY 10010. Cinema’s romantic comedy, “He’s Just Not That Into You,” distributed Publisher / Editor-in-Chief by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Darren Michaels. 2 studentfilmmakers February 2009 February 2009 studentfilmmakers 3 Cinematography quickest route to When They Look to You on the Set high-quality HD production. Filming a Key Shot for Spielberg’s “Hook” by Jack Anderson Back in the early ‘90s, I had the good luck to be B-Cam Nonetheless, I’m feeling the pressure that I’m supposed to do operator on Peter Bogdanovich’s Noises Off. There wasn’t a a shot that’s been tried without success. I’m supposed to “save lot of 2nd unit work, but I got to do most of it, working with the picture” with this shot. A good friend of mine had given me producer Frank Marshall. After Noises Off wrapped, I took a the best advice ever before I started the Hook job: “Don’t be a vacation in Ventura, on the California coast a little north of hero.” He was telling me just to do the work and not to impress Los Angeles. My wife and I had just settled in when I got a anybody with my brilliance and innovative techniques. There’s page (remember those days before cell phones?). Frank‘s office a great temptation in this kind of situation – Spielberg, Frank had called, asking if I was interested in some 2nd unit work on Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, not to mention Dustin Hoffman Hook, which he was also co-producing. and Robin Williams – to think, “Hey, it’s my big chance! This is the one that’s going to put me on top. This is when I get to show Of course I took off like a scared cat, leaving my wife at the them what they’ve been missing all this time.” lovely coast without transportation – but that’s another story. Of course, when you do that, you’re liable to screw up When I got back to LA, I got most of the grip and electric royally just by tripping over your feet. It’s enough to do the job, crew from Noises Off, and I went down to MGM. It seemed as do what they want, do it professionally, and get out. though Hook had commandeered every stage on that gigantic lot – at least six or seven. The most impressive was the stage with So I kept that in mind while I’m thinking, “Oh Lord, this a full-size pirate ship taking up the entire several thousand is the signature shot to the movie. If I screw this up, I’ll never square feet of the stage. It was enormously impressive. And work in this town again.” intimidating. AG-HMC150 AVCCAM We check out the set-up on stage. It’s the disembodied s MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 High Profi le compression Thank goodness I didn’t have to deal with that right away. hook, surrounded by a motley assortment of flashbulbs, some s Records in 1080/60i, 30p, 24p & 720/60p, 30p, 24p But after a day of fairly routine work – things like inserts of wearing little cones of color gels. I talk to the effects people; s Solid-state reliability and workfl ow shoes – Frank let me know we’d be doing the shot in which they’ve planned to have these flash bulbs – old-fashioned, s Easy HD playback in affordable consumer devices the Captain’s hook is fitted to his arm for the first time in the large, slow burning bulbs – and various bits of primer cord as s 3-year warranty (upon registration) movie.