Indy Mogul - DIY filmmaking

The Prince of Hell is a great roommate

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:29:45 EST

If you're not a fan of Neko Neko yet, well, you need to be. They're a band of Indy Mogul fans who ooze with the kind of low-budget creativity we LOVE around here!

Their latest involves the prince of hell, and a Catholic priest.

Keep up the great stuff, Neko Neko!

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Bullet Casings

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:18:51 EST

We've covered plenty of gun tutorials here at Indy Mogul, but they continue to be one of the most popular group of effects to be requested (seriously, it's to Halo Armor levels). So I thought I would submit to popular demand and cover a simple effect that has gotten tons of requests, how to make your own spent bullet casings to have all over the ground after a shoot-out scene in your film.

First, cut a section out of a typical piece of poster paper. I picked poster paper because you want the paper to be kind of thick, (regular printer paper will be harder to do since you'll have to double it up), and it's just the right thickness. Now roll it up by wrapping it tightly around a cylinder that is a similar diameter to the spent cartridge you want to create. I picked a sharpie, this will give a size that is around the size of a normal pistol round, don't worry about it not being perfect, most people won't be able to tell that they aren't the perfect size on screen, and even if they aren't perfectly circular, spent rounds rarely are. Having an explosion occur inside of it, and being forcifully ejected out of a machine can result in all sorts of distortion and little chinks and such, so don't worry about the rounds being totally perfect, since having them be a little rough and imperfect is actually realistic.

Sketch out a straight line on the paper, try to make it about the length that you want the cartridge to be.

Now, roll it up so it makes a complete circle, then keep on going for at least another quarter of the circle. You want a lip that you can glue down that is at least a quarter of the circle in length.

Then cut them loose.

And glue the overlapping "lip" of the strip.

Now, just roll it up, and hold it for a minute or so while the glue dries. That is why I like using glue sticks here, since they dry rather quickly.

While the cylinder dries, sketch out some circles on the same paper, that are about the size of the end cap. I find it's a bit easier if I pick the edge of the circle a lot with a sharp pencil to perforate it makes it easier to pop out. Don't worry about it being perfect, since you're going to push it into the end of the cylinder and glue it in place.

Like so. Now just let it dry before the paint job.

I went with just a basic layer of brass acrylic paint. After it dries I pushed into the end cap, to make a little indention so it looks a bit more like a spent primer.

And there you go, one spent cartridge ready to go. These are cheap, but it can be a bit tedious to do, but with just a few hours work, you could easily have a few handfuls, which when tossed strategically around the floor of your set could easily make it look like there was a dramatic gunbattle.

If this seems a bit too tedious for you, consider contacting a local gun range and ask them if you could possible collect some of the spent brass at their range. Most ranges are required to clean up all of the excess brass, and it shouldn't be difficult to get a few handfuls (asking politely of course) since they get recycled or disposed of anyway. Also since they are spent, there isn't any real pyrotechnic danger from them.

Good luck!

Indy Mogul Week In Review

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:13:53 EST

OK. Before we get started, let me explain what this week in review encompasses. Justin Johnson was kind enough to ask me to write a blog post about the 10 second promo campaign Indy Mogul is doing. They were getting a lot of submissions and the majority wouldn't be making it onto the show. Not wanting to stifle all the feedback, he smartly decided to blog about it. Which is where I came in. After doing the initial blog post, I saw all these other submissions, and convinced Justin to let me do a post each week with submissions that probably weren't going to make it on the show. Hence, the Indy Mogul Week in Review.

A couple more things. Don't forget you can submit your videos HERE (or just indymogul.com/submit), and should do your part to help the Red Cross in Haiti by going to nextnewnetworks.com/helpnow or text "Haiti" to 90999. If a blogger who makes no money and eats Ramen all the time can find enough to donote then so can you (unless you make less money than me in which case I wish you the very best of luck finding your next meal).

Now on to this weeks review.

Phantom Menaced-RitualPenguin--I love this video mainly because I worship at the alter that is Indiana Jones (except the latest abomination). I love the homage to the famous scene from Raiders of the Last Arc. I love the idea. You can go here, to see the rest of the movie they put together.

Bad Song-Mitch Catsnip--You would all be lying if you didn't envision this exact scenario when certain songs come on. Mine is anything by Celine Dion.

Getting Hit By a Bus-Helgi Jonnson--I understand the temptation to make this into an arthouse short about a hi-speed bus that careens off the road into your house, but this should be more blockbustery. Like Speed, but we understand if you can't get Dennis Hopper. Great job though, so keep sending in your stuff.

Neighborhood Ride-David Kelly--I really liked this short clip. Especially the girls POV when she looks up you have it blurry and then it comes into focus. I am not sure if that was intentional or not, but it looked good. Cool idea too, made me think of the types of dreams I had as a kid about meeting my favorite transformers.

The Way of the Grasshopper-Kevin Mangold--Ahh yes Sensei. I will fight in grasshopper stance. Kids DO NOT TRY blocking bullets with a sword. I am pretty sure I would held liable if I were to make a joke about this video and some poor soul took daddies Beretta from the closet and provided me a lifetime of grief. That is all. Enjoy.

I love you Brad (but you look like puke)-Tanner-This has absolutely no merit to either be in this blog or on BFX or any other indymogul show. It did however, make me giggle like a schoolgirl. So that means A) I have a disturbingly juvenile sense of humor and B) I am as enthralled with celebrity culture as any other American consumer. Well done tanner.

Short Tipp-Simms Wright--Joby's bendable tripod is utilized on the most eclectic action shots. First a gun (pretty standard for the indy mogul crew), but then it starts getting more random than a David Lynch film. Simms has it on the guitar, then a handrail for your stairs, and last but not least, the vaccum cleaner. I gotta give props for displaying the dexterity of the bendable tripod, but try and incorporate more guns. Again, I am not condoning violence in any way.

Weirdo Faces-Shawn--At first I wasn't going to put this on the blog. It seemed exploitive and crass and the lowest common denominator of mimickry. Well, I went back and watched it again, and I think it's just what Shawn says it is. It's him doing weird faces, and well, just being generally weird. Fly that freak flag proudly Shawn.

Random Effects Montage-EvilApple--This is more Indy Mogul classic. Some of the other videos were a little out there, but this is straight up Agent Smith style head shot gun shooting craziness. Gotta love it.

And the best of the rest:

Rejected H1N1 Public Service Announcement--James Cadden

Late Night Hours--Will Collazo

Nightmares--Sam

Showdown Trailer--Abraham

Ghost Caught on Tape--Yong Da

The Corrupted--Knighten Richman

Win a Signed Weezer Guitar! Contest of Awesome Finalists Announced

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:43:13 EST

Barely Digital and the music parody show "The Key of Awesome" are holding a Contest of Awesome to declare the Best Online Music Comedy Video of the past year. The winner will win a CAMEO in an upcoming Weezer music video for a song off their new album, Raditude.

The 12 lucky finalists have been announced on Friday January 29th and now we need you votes to help us pick a winner. By voting, you'll be entered for a chance to win a signed guitar from Weezer! We'll be tallying the votes and consulting our judges' panel (that includes Weezer!) to find the winner of the Contest of Awesome -- to be revealed on February 10th. So stay tuned!

The contest is part of the new show Key of Awesome on Barely Digital where every week a new parody song debuts from the mind of Mark Douglas, covering everything from LOLCats to Lady Gaga to the Jersey Shore. The series has been a huge Youtube hit and seen online over 15 million times since it's launch in October of 2009, and most recently the Jersey Shore music parody video was aired on MTV as part of a special.

Alright so what are you waiting for? Vote NOW for your favorites and you'll be enetered for a chance to win an auto-graphed guitar from Weezer!

Wesley's Weekly PRESENTS... Mic Placement

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:54:32 EST

Wes here, this week I am in dispose on some projects, so I thought I would bring you guys this funny little tutorial submitted to me by Mogulville's own Griff. It's real simple, but it's got some good basic advice in it on how to think about mics and mic placement that I think could benefit you guys. Take it away Griff.

___________________________________________________________________________

Hey guys, it’s Griff from the forums and I’ll be doing the tutorial today. Now I know what you’re thinking, and don’t worry I haven’t taken off the ankle tracking device™…yet. As for the tutorial, it’s nothing interesting; it’s just a tutorial on LAV Mics.
These things come in handy an awful lot, you can get great sound quality outside, indoors, in the basement, in the neighbors shower… Despite these uses a lot of people seem to neglect them, but they really are just misunderstood.

Hooking Up The LAV Mic.

A common myth with LAV Mics is that they need to be hooked up to an actual person, but that’s not true at all! It can be hooked up any still object, pretty much anywhere! And they’re so small nobody even notices! It’s like they’re not even there…

This boy goes to the public library quite often. He seems to respond to Kjell, but investigation is pending. I sent him to “1 Guy 1 Jar” which is why he’s making that face, but let’s ignore that. You could hook a LAV Mic up under his hood sure, and nobody would ever see. But suppose he wasn’t’ wearing that hoodie and was actually displaying his red eyed face. Then what? Well in that case you’d want to put it on the side of the computer closest to the wall, as indicated by the red circle.

The audio sounds great as long as he speaks towards the mic, otherwise it’ll sound hollow and distant. Obviously this will take some staging to make sure you maximize how clear the audio is, but I’m sure you know how to do that. Oh god, I hope you know how to do that.

“Alright,” you say “but what about outdoors scenes?” Well if you’re outdoors in this time of year, I’m assuming you’ll be wearing lots of clothing, a jacket and scarf maybe, so it’s simple enough to hook it up under the scarf, just run the mic through your coat and under the scarf. But what if it’s summer? What if you’re just wearing T-shirts? Well in that case you’re going to want to pick up Rycote Undercovers. It’s basically like a condom for your mics, it minimizes the sound of clothing rubbing against it at the cost of a bit of audio quality. Don’t use it for any prolonged scenes, but it can come in handy. Now it’s been said many, many, many, many, times but I’ll say it again for good measure. Always record some ambient noise, so that way later when something goes wrong and you have to dub a few lines (which you will have to do, I assure you, if your shoot goes 100% perfect you need to seriously heightens your expectations) it won’t sound so “studio-ized.” I’m sorry to have to say this again but screaming over and over just doesn’t work sometimes, like that young girl from down the street who broke her legs and nobody could hear her. It’s really insulated in my crawlspace…Wait, what was I talking about again?

Anyways, if you do all this right (I’m skeptical) you’ll be well on your way to making your movies not totally suck. The next big obvious I’ll be tackling? Well that depends entirely on those Commies running Hollywood. We’ll see.

Cinematography and Lighting Tutorial IV

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:32:09 EST

Here is Part 4 of the Cinematography and Lighting Tutorial i've been posting from YouTube user Polcan99.

Indy Mogul's Backyard FX is looking for a NEW HOST

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:40:32 EST

Open Call for New Host of Indy Mogul’s Backyard FX

Indy Mogul is looking for a multi-talented individual or team to take over as host & producer of the show Backyard FX, which is watched by millions of viewers every month. Our new host will continue the show’s DIY tradition of helping zero budget filmmakers make realistic special effects for cheap and showing them how to become better filmmakers with tutorials and fun short films.

The Indy Mogul Network & the Backyard FX Show:
Indy Mogul is the only online television network dedicated to filmmaking and fans of film. The network averages 3MM video views a month, has 150,000 YouTube subscribers, and a large interactive online community. Backyard FX is a weekly web show and is the network’s oldest and most popular show. As part of the online video company Next New Networks, Indy Mogul has run major campaigns with Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and other advertisers where Backyard FX is often the anchor of the campaign.

Necessary Skills:
If you possess the following skills and are looking for one of the coolest jobs in the universe then keep reading!

Has special effects experience or knows how to build cool stuff like movie props & make-up prosthetic and filmmaking gear for cheap!
Possess a likable on camera personality
Has some experience producing video content and short films
Wants to get paid to be creative and help DIY filmmakers

This is an amazing opportunity for a young filmmaker, special effects artist, or creative builder who is ready to become part of a successful and growing show in the new media world of online television.

How to Apply:
We are looking for potential new host/producers to create an “audition episode” that contains as many of the basic BFX elements as possible. While we’re not looking for anything perfect, we’d like to see what you can do on your own. Mainly, we want a video that conveys your talents and your ability to fulfill the needs of the position. Audition episodes should include the following:

A fun and concise build tutorial that takes the viewer from “shopping list” to final product using video footage of your build, voice over and more.
An entertaining “mini test film” or short film (1-2 minutes) that demonstrates your special effect project in action.
Hosted intros and outros to above segments.

To help you complete your audition episode we’ve made some BFX assets available for download here: IndyMogul.com/assets

You can watch Backyard Fx episodes at: IndyMogul.com/bfx

If you have more questions you can check out the forum thread here: http://www.indymogul.com/newhost

Deadline: February 28^th

Compensation: This is a paid opportunity. Compensation will be determined during the selection process.

----------------------------------------

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some commonly asked question regarding the position and audition process.

How do I try out for to be the new host?
Complete an "audition episode" and upload it HERE before February 28th.

Is there an age restriction?
For practical and legal reasons the new host should really be 18 or over, possibly 16 or 17....BUT! Exceptions can always be made for the right person, so if you think you got what it takes you should enter.

Do I have to live in NYC?
Being closer to NYC would be a plus, but in no way a requirement. You can live anywhere in the US.

If I am selected will I get paid?
Yes, we will work out the final details and rate with the new host(s), but rest assured this is a real job with a paycheck.

How many episodes will I be responsible for?
Depending on how many hosts we bring on, you'd be responsible for 1-3 episodes a month.

Can I use the BFX intros and outros for my audition episode?
YES! You can download them here!
http://www.indymogul.com/assets

Can I make the show with my friends?
Absolutely! In fact that would probably be better. Maybe their is a host/writer and a builder/camera person. We don't care. Whatever it takes to make the best show! GO TEAMWORK!

Can their be more then one host so that one person doesn't have to do an episode every week?
We are open to this idea. Just do your best, submit and we'll figure out the rest once we see how many talented people want the job.

When does the new host start?
We will start working behind the scenes with the new host (or hosts) towards the end of March. The first new episode will probably air in May. So there is a good amount of time to work out the kinks and get a few episodes in the can.

Are you just going to give the job to the best video that is submitted?
No, THIS IS NOT A CONTEST. This is an "open audition" that is only part of a wider search. We'll have a short list after the open call, we'll do interviews, and probably meet with the finalist. We are going to put a lot of energy into making sure this person can do the job and has the support to do it.

What about the "TEST FILMS"
Long story short the new host(s) will be responsible for making a test film as well, BUT they will be on a much smaller scale then they are now. The "Test Films" will be much simpler and shorter and go back inside the Monday build episodes. Just like they used to be. BFX is a build show, that should be the focus again.

How long should my audition episode be?
Generally a BFX episode is about 5 minutes, but considering you will be including a simple test film with the build (like the old BFX episodes) anything below 7 minutes should be fine.

What do I do once I'm done with my episode and ready to enter?
First off label your episode "NEW HOST-your name-the effect" then upload it HERE THEN go HERE and let us know you've uploaded by leaving a post. Just to be safe!

Indy Mogul Week In Review

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:55:38 EST

Sorry the last Indy Mogul Week in Review was a week late, but at least you get two this week. Try and contain your excitement. Anyway, this week featured a bit of a drop off in the amount of violence on display, which is nice for our countries future, but not good when you need to write a funny blog. Whether it's violent or not, send us more submissions, since there is a greater than 50% chance you'll either make it on the show (yea right) or in this blog (much more likely). This week there was a lot of great material, not all of which we can post, but we'll have some other links at the bottom. There was some more sophisticated filmmaking we got to watch this week including a friendship video that really nailed (that was on purpose) the platonic relationships some of us have been in. Here they are...

Friendship by Ben King--I'm not sure how much experience anyone has being in the friend zone, mine is rather limited since women never want to sleep with me or be friends, but this surreal take on the Friend Zone is an excellent piece. Be weary of the platonic relationship guys. Ben King had three excellent submissions that I didn't have time to put in here, but might roll over to next week.

The Shadowy Orchard-Jeremy Cathey--The claim before the video that Jeremy doesn't normally shoot this kind of video makes me wonder what sort of video he does shoot. Please tell me in the comments because this was great.

Teleportation-Tyler--Try and align your nifty hand movements (I guess signifying a coming teleportation), with the actual teleportation. There was enough of a lag to make the effect [sic] look off. Send us another one.

Floating Object Tutorial-Ethan Nelson--I totally hung out with kids like Ethan in middle school, and I was always amazed at all the bric a brac they had. Double sided tape, plexiglass, A PENCIL! All kidding aside, great tutorial Ethan, and the next time I watch 2001: A Space Odyssey I will amaze my friends with the secret behind the special effects wizardy (their amazement will probably be compounded by the ingestion of magic mushrooms, but that's another story).

Distractions-Sarah--This was shot well, but you totally tricked me into thinking this was going to be about the normal ways people are distracted from writing papers: a movie on television, parties, someone wants to sleep with you etc. This was quite the pastoral romance and looked really good (kudos on finding someone that actually looked like a knight for the scenes in the woods). I liked the story and it was done well, so keep sending them in Sarah.

Will Goodwin-Curiosity Killed the Cat--This personifies what these videos should do. I actually hate cats (sorry to all the cat lovers out there), so watching this horror video short was a sick pleasure for me. The timing of the cut-a-ways from the phone conversation back to the microwave were great and definitely built the tension nicely. Also, the acting was superb when the remnants were found. The only point of contention I can make (because I'm such a stickler for realism) is the noises. If a cat were to be microwaved, theoretically, the explosion would happen sooner, and the "meows" would cease almost instantly. I get that the urgency of the situation called for an increase in the level of the cat sounds thus creating tension, but it didn't ring true for me. Sorry to dissect a fun little horror short, but I've actually contemplated throwing my friends cat into the microwave, so I'd want it to be as realistic as possible without actually killing a cat (if you hadn't already guessed it, I'm allergic to cats).

The best of the rest

Patrick Robinson-Star Wars 10 second fan film

Reimer-Platypus-Claymation

Anna Spence-10 Second Promo

Caz Voorhees Barde Machine Gun

If your video wasn't featured, I'm sorry we missed it, so send it in again, and I will try to get as many on there for next week's write-up. There is a backlog of submissions, but in due time, I will try to feature them all. Have a good weekend, and keep filming.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Utility Belt

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:47:49 EST

Yea, after a long hiatus, I am back. Sorry for being gone so long, the beginning of the year is always pretty hectic for me, but I am back this week with a next effect. A cheap and basic utility belt, for your Superhero Costume. Even though we covered how to make the actual costume, I thought covering how to make a basic utility belt would be worthwhile for all of the aspiring filmmakers out there, that want to have their very own superhero running around in their own film.

I started with a basic work belt that I got at the hardware store. It's nice and wide, so it has the strength to hold anything you may attach to it, and it keeps with the wider size that is typical for utility belts.

I went to work giving it a two-tone color scheme, black and yellow, kind of like Batman, but really you can do any color. A lot of superheros have a two-tone color scheme, so just balancing that with your own superhero design, whatever your color scheme is will work here. I just used acrylic paint here, it takes a while to even it out, so it might be helpful to start with a primer layer, so you have a more even color to start out with to begin with, especially if your color is a very light color like yellow.

Next, I got some utility holsters and pockets that I found at the store. If you wanted to be super cheap, you could possibly go with some plastic bags attached to the belt, from a distance they might work if they are painted a single color, but I think that these work pretty well, and I spent under 10 dollars for a whole package of these velco and zipper pockets. (Another idea: Cigarette and Gum boxes might also work here, so you might want to experiment with that.)

The zipper pockets came with this little clip, but it's only on one side, so they droop off your belt.

I cut a couple of slits in the back of the pocket, that allows me to run something through the back to attach the otherside.

I ran a strip of duct tape through the back, then wraped it around the belt, acting as a loop attaching it to the belt.

And then it's just a matter of doing a little touch-up, and there you go, a simple and cheap utility belt for your own superhero costume.

Contest! Key of Awesome and Weezer Team Up!

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:27:14 EST

Our friends Barely Digital who make the show the The Key of Awesome just announced an awesome contest with Weezer! Indy mogul has worked with the Key of Awesome and its host Mark Douglas before on the Halloween Trick or Treat Rap and Wolverine the Musical.

The Contest of Awesome is looking for the Best Online Music Comedy Video from 2009. Watch the announcement video below:

Check out the contest site and nominate the best music video spoofs! Nominations and submissions are only open until January 27th, so Hurry!

Indy Mogul Week in Review

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:18:27 EST

We've gotten a lot of submissions this week, with the majority of them regarding Bobbie's continued courting of Spike Jonze (Jones?) concerning his great movie, Tub, premiering at Sundance. So, we'll focus on the other submissions. We'll come back to Bobby and Spike later. Again, the over-arching theme of many of these submissions is violence, but we also have violence with kids, more violence, a Russian boy, an homage to the old Spy vs. Spy comics, a bit more violence, and finally my favorite opening to a high school news show EVER. Editors note: the author of this post has only seen one high school news show

On to the Videos... This first one concerns a boy just shooting his gun. Not much more to it. Oh, and it's not real. Thanks Victor Huink.

Our second one is a little more technically savvy, as we have a gun that has been turned into a flamethrower; although, the emanating flames seem a considerable distance from the gun. We still appreciate the effort Mike Hagerty.

Anyone that has a girlfriend (crickets chirping) knows they love the movie 300 (abdominal muscles for miles). Well this effect has an uncanny resemblence to the visual and audio from the 300 movie. Many props to studidboyzstudio (we really hope this doesn't mean Stu did boyz).

These next two videos from Stephen are always fun. You might remember them from our 10 second promo round up. When you combine adorable kids with plastic arsenals, then you have fun for the whole family. We're not sure if this is encouraged at PTA meetings, but we certainly like these videos, so keep them coming Stephen.

This is the story of a father and son (that look to be about the same age), who love Celine Dion and stickball. The father dies, but then rises from the grave. This was scored well, but Robbie, try and add something besides the pipe so we know who the father is.

This is awesome. There's a mysterious flying orb with some unknown power, villans looking to take it, hand to hand combat from Kung Fu masters to protect it, and it's all to save the universe. Great job from Ruben Mendoza.

This is a quick little clip of what appears to be an energy ball. I'm not sure if Billy is controlling pure energy like that creepy Powder movie, but if not, write in the comments and tell our readers what you were doing.

This is a very cool video submitted by Kenny Tarr. It's based off the old Mad Magazine Spy vs. Spy comics by Alfredo Prohias. The femme fatale plays both spies off each other to get rich. I would try to sync the voices with the animation a little better, but that's nitpicking.

We end our violent videos, with this masterpiece. Just watch as Josh DePew blows up his little brother. awww. The best part is they slow it down, and it still looks great. Tell us how you did it in the comments.

This is the High School News introduction I mentioned in the opening. Very cool. It might have actually gotten me to homeroom when I was in high school. Great job Kevan.

Making stop-motion magic for fun and profit

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:38:33 EST

Mogulers! I hope you're all having a mogulriffic day. I wanted to present to you a very cool "how to" video by friend of Indy Mogul Griffin Hammond. He's entering an avocado contest he found on Online Video Contests, and posted a wonderful video showing some of his techniques.

If you love this video, register at the site and vote for it! The deadline is Sunday. Help his dreams come true!

Leave a comment below if you have any questions about stop motion.

Download BFX Intros/Bumpers!

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:30:19 EST

As you've already heard, Backyard FX is looking for a new host, and it could be YOU!! All you have to do is record and submit your own "audition episode" of BFX, in which you give a tutorial on a low budget (but convincing!) special effect, complete with a shopping list, a supertime lapse build segment, and YES, even your own test film! To help you out, we've compiled some of the official BFX intros and bumpers and made them downloadable, to help you create your audition episode!

BFX Intro & Disclaimer (11.3MB)

Super Time Lapse Intro (2.5MB)

Super Time Lapse Audio Loop (2.1MB)

Test Film Intro (4.5MB)

Channel Change Bumper (1MB)

Good luck everybody! If you have any more questions, check out the special threat in the forum:

http://www.indymogul.com/newhost

10 Second Promo Round Up

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:53:53 EST

Don't know what 10 second trailers are? Basically, we want you to send in either a 10 second montage of an awesome movie you've made, or a simple 10 second clip. We'll put some of them in rotation on the Indy Mogul show! Here are some that didn't. You can find out more about them here. This first one features a dance party with a nice graphic highlighting the danger of dancing near your television.

Samuel Dotson's 10 second promo: Dance Party from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Kids love explosions, as you'll see.

Addison Mohns 10 Second Promo: Bomber in the Backyard from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

A young Michael Bay in the making?

Steven 10 Second Promo Kids Kill from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

And this is Ridley Scott 2.0.

Stephen's 10 Second Promo: Another Backyard Explosion from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Some sort of levitating bubble catches this man and then explodes, does he survive?

CowTipper's 10 Second Promo: The Bubble Exploded from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

The new Zapruder film?

Charles' 10 Second Promo: Silent Assassin from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Explosion testing. Like we said, kids love explosions.

Colin's 10 Second Promo: Explosion Test from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

The lengths that one man will go to for a delicious slice of pizza.

Tyler's 10 Second Promo: I want my Pizza from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Indy Mogul pal, Anthony Carboni, in New Short Film

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:00:23 EST

You might recognize Anthony Carboni from his show ByteJacker. He's appeared on a lot of NNN shows, including my old show But, here's Carboni like you ain't never seen him! Burning down the house in a more dramatic role:

Want to see it in HD? Go to the source.

Moose Poop? Indy Mogul promo from Cody!

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:28:36 EST

We get a lot of great video submissions here at Indy Mogul. Cody sent along an original promo he created for us using the service Xtranormal. It's all about ... moose poop ... and Larry King. You just gotta watch it, okay?

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Happy Holidays!

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:45:34 EST

Today is the final day of Hannukah, and less than a week from Christmas. So as customary, I bid request making a short break until January. I wish you all have wonderful holiday seasons, and I can't wait to see you all in 2010! Wish Mogulville the best, and see you with a new effect a few weeks from now!

Cinematography and Lighting Tutorial III

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:17:27 EST

Here is Part 3 of the Cinematography and Lighting Tutorial i've been posting from YouTube user Polcan99. Check it out, more fantastic advice, and really simple advice that can really help the visual quality of your films.

Secret Agent? Or just a dude? Neko Neko's latest short!

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:20:20 EST

Our friends over at Neko Neko are always up to some crazy indy hijinks, and this short is no different. Keep an eye peeled for some tricky special effects in this Bond-inspired internet classic!

(word on the street is that they're submitting to the next Film Fight, so watch out!)

Best Films of 2009 - Poll Results

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:05:30 EST

This year "Beyond The Trailer" asked viewers to pick their Top Ten movies of 2009. Here are the results:

* = movie not released in time for the poll deadline

1. District 9

2. Star Trek

3. Up

4. Inglourious Basterds

5. The Hangover

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

7. Zombieland

8. Watchmen

9. Transformers Revenge of the Fallen

10. Coraline

11. Paranormal Activity

12. 500 Days of Summer

13. Taken

14. 2012

15. Where The Wild Things Are

16. Drag Me To Hell

17. Moon

18. Avatar*

19. X-Men Origins Wolverine

20. Terminator Salvation

21. Fantastic Mr. Fox

22. The Princess and The Frog

23. GI Joe

24. The Twilight Saga New Moon

25. The Hurt Locker

26. I Love You, Man

27. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

28. Angels & Demons

29. The Blind Side

30. Monsters vs Aliens

31. Michael Jackson's This Is It

32. Precious

33. Public Enemies

34. Bruno

35. 9

36. Funny People

37. Orphan

38. Law Abiding Citizen

39. Fast & Furious

40. Sherlock Holmes*

41. Pirate Radio

42. The Ugly Truth

43. Underworld Rise of the Lycans

44. Capitalism A Love Story

45. Julie & Julia

46. The Haunting In Connecticut

47. Knowing

48. The Road

49. The Lovely Bones

50. Up In The Air

51. Invictus

52. Madea Goes To Jail

53. Notorious

54. It's Complicated*

And be sure to catch the special episode of "Movie Math" profiling this year's Top Ten movies at the box office!

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Extendable Claws

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:46:42 EST

Hey Mogulers, I am back with a new effect this week, Extendable Claws! I know that we've covered aspects of the Werewolf Transformation before, but one part that I always liked is the part where the claws extend out of the normal fingers as the transformation is taking place. Well it's been requested, so I thought I would try to figure out a way to do this effect on the cheap.

First, start out with three wooden dowels, one of medium size, and two of very thin size (smaller than your fingers by at least half), and four fake fingernails.

First, measure out a section about the same width as your palm with the larger dowel.

Then cut it out.

Now, take the thin dowels, and measure from about the tip of your finger, to about 3/4 to 4/5 from your finger tips to your wrist.

Then do that for each of your fingers.

Then spread out your fingers, and glue them into the same positions.

Now, take the fake fingernails and glue them to the ends, then sharpen them into claws with a nail trimmer.

Now, all you have to do is line it up to your fingers then with the palm facing towards the camera.

Then just pust them up...

And the nails slide into view like they are growing.

Now for attaching them, you can just use my "fake fingernails" tutorial, and easily cut between making them grow and having them on your hands.

Erik Beck on the Science Channel

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:23:33 EST

Erik Beck of Indy Mogul is going for the hat trick on "Science of the Movies." Erik will be making his third appearance this Thursday, December 10th at 8pm. The latest episode is entitled "The Magical World of George Lucas" airing on the Science Channel. Erik and host Nar Williams will make low-tech squibs, so make sure you check it out.

The last time Erik made an appearance was back in July on an episode entitled "The Magic of Henson."

Watch Erik's promo for the show here:

And the Science Channel's promo below:

About the Show:

Science Channel invites you on a geektastic journey to the cinematic intersection of art and science in the all-new "Science of the Movies",
Thursdays at 10PM (ET/PT).

Appealing to the movie junkie in us all, the new series explores the remarkable - yet rarely celebrated - scientific world that exists behind the screen, spotlighting the visionary artists, entrepreneurial spirit, innovative technology and remarkable techniques responsible for creating unforgettable, edge-of-your-seat moments in blockbuster films. "Science of the Movies" breaks down famous movie scenes to show viewers the inside science on how each sequence was strung together. In each episode host and self-proclaimed movie geek Nar Williams gets the inside scoop on the tricks of the Hollywood trade.Williams gets some much appreciated hands-on experience, acting as the guinea pig to show the technological creative behind the scenes. Highlighting the equipment used in creating the latest visual effects and computer graphics, coupled with interviews with the award-winning artists, stunt men and technicians responsible for using or sometimes even inventing the equipment, "Science of the Movies" celebrates the world of movie magic like never before.From motion capture film techniques and the science of perspective in chase scenes to state-of-the-art cameras and creating 3-D worlds, Science of the Movies features rare behind-the-scenes footage to help bring viewers to the cutting-edge of film-making technology.

Show Erik your support! Watch the show December 10th at 8pm and leave a comment below.

Interview with John Soares - On the Danger Element and Go Sukashi!

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:43:32 EST

This is episode one, of GO SUKASHI!, the latest media excursion by our old friends over at WestHavenBrook. Well to celebrate the release, John Soares, sat down and talked with me about his latest projects, check it out down below!

WESLEY: Most people in the Indy Mogul most likely knows your work through the Kung-Fu episode, could you give them a little backstory on Battle Jitni, and bring them up to speed a little on what all of this "Danger Element" is all about?

JOHN: Battle Jitni is a character I created almost ten years ago during our (brief) stint in film school. I've been developing the character that whole time. I've written one feature length script and am working on another one. The Danger Element is the result of an idea I had to tell the entire story of the first feature length script in the form of an internet series. So I have adapted the script to fit ten minute segments.

W: There has been a great fan response to the great car chase you featured in the short, could you tell us a little about the difficulties of putting that together, and any tricks or advice you can offer on how to do them at such low budgets?

J: The car chase was not technically difficult to pull off in my opinion. I think with experience and an interest in action films, something like this can be visualized, which is really the hardest part. Visualizing and coming up with all the things that would happen in the sequence and make it interesting was probably the most challenging part. And all that was done sitting on a couch with a notebook. As for tricks or advice on pulling it off without a budget, you just kind of have to remember that a budget isn't going to take a good photograph for you. Its not going move the camera or pull focus for you. Its not going to visualize a sequence for you. All a budget really does is get people who don't want to work to show up and work. . . if you can get people to do that without paying them, you don't need a big budget. The things you see in the scene like the car and so on. These are things we had access to. We searched for like a year and found one that was then donated to the production. (It was a mess and needed a lot of work, but it was free) See what I mean?

W: A lot of questions have been asked about how to got Doug Jones assistance on the project, and how you met him, could you shed some light on that?

J: I met Doug Jones and Guillermo Del Toro at a panel for "Pan's Labyrinth". They signed a poster for me. Justin had given them a bunch of stuff and when I got up to Guillermo he told me he liked Battle Jitni's goggles, which was one of the shortest and most exciting moments of my life. Then Doug signed my poster and stood up and shook my hand and looked me right in the eye and started asking questions about what I do. He stopped and had a real conversation with me while like 200 people waited in line behind me to meet him. A couple of months later, I sent him a message on Myspace and he actually asked me if he could be in one of my projects. We met for lunch shortly after that and have been really good friends ever since. (I don't think anyone who has ever been friends with Doug wouldn't call him a 'really good friend'. He's probably the nicest person in the film industry.) He actually celebrated his last birthday in my house during a weekend of filming on the Danger Element.

W: (Side Note: "That's awesome.") So when do you plan the next segment of "The Danger Element", and how many segments do you think it's going to last in all?

J: Right now, its difficult to say. I have filmed parts of the next two installments of the Battle Jitni series, but with between the Go Sukashi project and the size of the Battle J productions, I just haven't had the time or the money to put a lot into the next two episodes of the Battle J series. If I had my way, I'd release one every month. I have about 10 episodes outlined, about five of which are full scripts and project that it would take about 20 episodes to really get everything out there. I'd love to be able to do it like a television show, where you film like a whole season and release a new episode every week on the web. That would be a lot of fun, but kind of unfeasible at the moment.

W: You mentioned "Go Sukashi", could you talk a little about what that is all about?

J: Toward the beginning of the year, the Watanabe company contacted Doug TenNapel, who we worked with on Sockbaby. They wanted him to help them adapt a character created by Japanese Pop star, Shoko Nakagawa, and introduce it to an American audience. Doug let us do pretty much what we wanted with it, kind of supervising us as an executive producer and making sure we didn't get too crazy with it. Its kind of a wierd sentai super hero with a comedic twist to it.

W: For those that might not have seen it yet, could you give a description of it so they know what to expect?

J: Sukashi is a super hero with the face of a sand dollar who protects the Earth from invisible bad guys. Since no one else can see them, his girlfriend and best friend just think he is either insane or trying to make excuses for not getting a real job

W: What has been the response you've been getting from it so far?

J: Its really positive and a lot bigger than we've had on previous work. I suppose you might be able to attribute that to the combined fanbase of Doug TenNapel, Shoko Nakagawa and Brooke Brodack. Ultimately, people really seem to like the combination of humor and action, which kind of harkens back to Sockbaby.

W: What was it like getting to work with Shoko Nakagawa, (as some of the Otaku who are reading might know as being the person behind the Gurren Lagann theme song) who is really well known in Japan, but less so here? Did you have to get a translator or anything?

J: This is actually really funny because I have never met her. We wrote the script with a scene for her in it and the Watanabe company translated it and filmed the scene in a dressing room in Hong Kong while she was on tour. I'd love to meet her. She seems like a lot of fun. . . you know, based on the raw footage of her saying lines we wrote.

W: So how many segments are you going to be doing for "Go Sukashi?"

J: Like Battle Jitni, this is still being discussed. We have a couple of different pitches lined up in the coming week that represent different directions the property could go, but we have also been discussing the necessity of making more internet episodes to keep the fans interested. People really got into this and I feel like we need to reward them for that.

W: So other than "The Danger Element" and "Go Sukashi", do you have anything else planned that your fans can keep watch for?

J: I'm going to shoot a couple of really wierd short films this month with Justin Spurlock and Ben Page just for fun. I'm sure people will get a kick out of them. I've also been talking to Zara Phythian about trying to shoot an action feature as early as next year, but we are still very early into that. Ben Beames, Justin Spurlock and I still need to tackle the script. (Don't tell Zara we still don't have a script!)

W: Thank you very much for sitting down with me, it was great talking to you!

__________________________________________________________________________

So there you go, and now... a Video Blog from Sukashi himself...

For the next Vlog, SUKASHI WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS! So submit questions you have for Sukashi down below, or here on the Forums, and Sukashi will answer them personally in the next update! So get to asking! Don't be afraid to ask anything you want!

Confessions of an Independent Filmmaker: Week 5

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:22:28 EST

Since I don't have an effect this week, thought I would at least take the time to post another segment from "Confessions of an Independent Filmmaker", check out the last segment here.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Update

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:19:02 EST

Hey guys, Wes here. I just wanted to give you guys who have been looking for the latest project a little update, and explain why there hasn't really been anything up the last few weeks. As you know, last week was Thanksgiving, and this week was Finals week for me, so having everything sandwiched between those two weeks with a lot going on has kind of left me ragged and unable to really do any effects or anything. I am planning on doing something new next week, but for right now, I don't have enough time, so hopefully i'll see you guys next week with something new!

Our Christmas Film Fight is here!

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:40:58 EST

Be a part of Film Fights tradition! Our Christmas fight was one of the first wayyyyy back in 2003 ... and we had many a great warrior pass through those holiday gates!

The title is : "Lonely Christmas"
The genre is (obviously): Holiday film
the time limit is 3 minutes and 30 seconds
It's due on December 7th!

Join the fun over at film fights!

The Reel Good Show (Updates & Info)

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:51:11 EST

Watch the Latest Reel Good Show Episode:

http://www.indymogul.com/reelgood

Watch the LIVE Show:

The Reel Good Show's Live Broadcasting Schedule:

Submit your questions for our guests!

Email your questions to Bobby@indymogul.com

Send your questions to us on twitter: @indymogul

Watch the Live Broadcasts:

http://www.LiveStream.com/IndyMogul or http://www.IndyMogul.com/blog

The Reel Good Show (Explained):

Live Tapings of the Show
Streamed on: http://www.livestream.com/indymogul and will appear on the Indy Mogul Blog

Updates / Submit Questions
You can find out when the live shows are and who the guests will be by following: http://twitter.com/indymogul & http://twitter.com/bobbymiller. Can't make the chat? You can @ us on twitter your guest questions or email them to: Bobby@indymogul.com

Submit Viewer Videos
Upload your "quickie" 8 second video responses to: http://www.indymogul.com/submit. Be sure and include "REEL GOOD SHOW QUICKIE" in the title and include your full name & city/state in the description. If you make the cut, your video will be featured on the show and you will be admitted into the ultra secret "Reel Good Show Gang".

Episodes
Reel Good Show episodes are released every Thursday on Indy Mogul.

Community
And last, but not least you can always join our Facebook Fan Page.

Wesley's Weekly PRESENTS... Cloud Tank

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:46:26 EST

That's right, no tutorial from me this week, and i'll get to why in a second.. This week I am bringing you a tutorial from fellow Moguler's, on how to make a neat "Cloud Tank Effect", like you saw in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", and the "Ghostbusters" films. Mougulville's own B and D Films bring this tutorial to you this week, so give them a big kudos for this, and maybe stop by their YouTube page and subscribe if you like it.

As to why I don't have a tutorial of my own this week, I am going to try something new so I can both help members of Mogulville get some exposure for their own effects and tutorials, BUT it also has the benefit of giving me some time off every couple of weeks, which will give me a little time off and let me spend extra time on thinking up new effects, and more time to work on them.

IF you have a tutorial you'd like me to feature, submit it below, OR head over to Mogulville and submit on the forums! Thanks! See you Mogulers next week!

Cinematography & Lighting Tutorial II

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:21:30 EST

Here is Part II of the Cinematography & Lighting Tutorials that I found recently. Check it out, more great basic advice.

Judd Apatow Answers Your Questions

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:12:32 EST

Judd Apatow, the director and writer of The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Funny People, is stopping by FunnyorDie.com to answer questions in a LIVE chat Tomorrow, Wednesday the 18th at 12:30pm PST. Apatow will chat live in the Funny or Die Writers’ Room to answer fan submitted questions about his latest movie.

Details:

Live chat Wednesday, November 18th 12:30 - 1 pm (PT)
Submit questions on Facebook or Twitter
Deadline to submit questions is November 17th at 12 pm
Watch in the Writers' Room or in the embedded player below

Send your questions now and check out the LIVE chat tomorrow afternoon!

Free video streaming by Ustream

Funny or Die is a comedy website founded by Apatow where you can find funny videos made by Will Ferrell, James Franco and other random celebrities and non-celebrities that is a great place to do some serious procrastinating. You can submit questions to Apatow beforehand on Facebook, or during the chat on Twitter with the hashtag #funnypeople.

Apatow's latest movie Funny People, starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, was released over the summer and featured Sandler as a successful comedian who learns he has less than a year to live. Beyond the Trailer's Grace Randolph got audience feedback when it came out, check it out below.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Blood Squirting Machete

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:22:43 EST

I am back this week and in accordance with todays date, I would like to do an effect that has been requested a bunch on the forums, and that I think would be really fun and easy. I know we've handled various bladed implements before, but I thought I would do something a little different, and find a cheap way to make your own safe propr machete for cheap. So here you go, your own Friday the 13th-style blood squirting machete!

Like similar knife and blade builds in the past, I like to start out with a sheet of foam board for the blade. Sketch out the general shape of the blade, and then cut it out with X-acto knife.

Next, take something that you can use as a "rolling pin" (I found this thermos, it'd be a good idea to find something metal, as putting your weight on a plastic cup or glass could break them, and that'd be bad.).

And use it to press the blade down, and thin it out to make it a little thinner and more 'Blade-like'.

I then cut two more rectangles out about the size of the base, so I could form a "handle" for the blade. You can either attach them using hot glue or a glue stick.

Then, I covered the blade in a layer of silver paint.

I think took some black paint and rubbed it along the edges, to give the blade an illusion of more "depth".

I then spread some brown paint on the handle, to try to give it a faux-wood finish.

And there, is the machete. But we're not done yet, for Machete strikes, it's helpful to have a nice blood splatter to go with it.

Get a plastic tube.

And plug up the end with some super or hot glue.

Now, poke some holes in it along one side with razor or needle.

And attach the open end to an oral syringe.

Then I filled it full of liquidy fake blood (mostly water and lots and lots of food coloring). Because I want it to squirt out high pressure, and if it was thicker it wouldn't come out as quick.

Attach it to the side of the blade that will be facing away from the camera. So when you swing down, you can have someone out of the frame squeeze down real quickly, and it'll look like the blood came from the strike. (Or they could possibly push it down with their thumb.)

You can just attach it with some gaffers tape for the scene, and it should work ok.

There you go, your very own blood-squirting machete.

BTT & Netfix Top 5 One Sentence Reviews for WAR MOVIES

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:24:45 EST

In honor of Veterans Day, BTT and Netflix asked viewers to enter a One Sentence Review (OSR) for their favorite war movie.

If you entered, look for your name down below. The OSR contest runs regularly, so be sure to friend Netflix on Facebook so you can enter the next challenge!

NETFLIX ONE SENTENCE REVIEW CHALLENGE TOP 5 - WAR MOVIES - Read 'em and rent 'em!

5 - James P. Flood for ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT:

" 'All Quiet on the Western Front' is a masterpiece of black & white filmmaking that shows when the political fervor fades, war is about survival at any cost...if you can stand it."

4 - Christopher Patti for TORA! TORA! TORA!:

" 'Tora! Tora! Tora!' is not only an excellent dramatization of the attack on Pearl Harbor, but a fascinating study in stylistic contrasts between East and West."

3 - Steve Auckly for THREE KINGS:

"The transformation from treasure-stealers to human-defenders was never so entertaining, plus it had the cool stomach valve thingy."

2 - Hiroshi Seino for GLORY:

"Ultimately there would be no glory on Earth for the soldiers who rushed in a failed attempt to take over Fort Wagner, but the fatal rush would permanently etch a place in history and Hollywood for them."

And the winner of the Netflix Messenger Bag is...

1 - Keith Cutler for M*A*S*H:

"If you don't laugh, you'll cry, so why not laugh - it's the best medicine, ya know?!"

Show your Thanksgiving pride! 30 second "turkey film" (due Nov. 24th)

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:56:52 EST

Hey guys! Our Thanksgiving film fight is quick approaching. It's a "mini-fight" meaning we're looking for 30 second films. Short, simple, and awesome. Watch the video below of my tired, unshowered mug for more details! Enter here.

Visual Effects Supervisor's Bootcamp

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:44:43 EST

For three days in December, aspiring filmmakers can learn visual effects from one of the best. It was recently announced that Ron Thornton will be one of the instructors at the upcoming Visual Effects Supervisor's Boot Camp to be held in Santa Fe, New Mexico from December 4th through 6th. Ron has worked as a supervisor and CGI producer for top TV shows and film projects, including Bablyon 5 and the Star Trek franchise. Ron has worked with both straight CGI effects as well as projects that combine live action with CGI. In addition to his impressive resume, Ron has also worked as a teacher, and has helped launch the careers of many aspiring filmmakers.

The Visual Effects Supervisor's Boot Camp is led by Lee Stranahan, a 25-year industry veteran with numerous credits and awards as a producer, director, and visual effects artist for his work in film, television, and Internet. Stranahan said, "Ron is a true legend and a larger than life figure in the world of CGI. He's an old friend and I couldn't be more honored to have him as part of the Boot Camp."

About the Visual Effect's Supervisors Boot Camp

Attendees will gain hands-on experience in all aspects of video production during a simulated film shoot. This is the perfect opportunity for someone looking for professional experience since the program provides written references and other promotional materials for the 2010 hiring season.

The Boot Camp will expose attendees to a wide range of professional production techniques. Students will learn on-set supervisory skills as they work closely with the director and D.P. Students will learn technical skills including the RED One™ digital camera system, green screen compositing, motion tracking, HDRI light probe, directing stunt talent, "clean plate" shoots, and the use of hi-res image maps as 3D textures.

Take-aways from the program include:

A hard drive full of all shoot data - including footage, plates, elements, HDRI photos and motion capture - with complete reproduction and usage rights for use in personal projects
Complete course materials including sample script breakdowns, storyboards, and instructional guides
Certificate of completion from Film School Boot Camp
Processional "production stills" by the on-set photographer in digital format for use in professional promotion

Interested persons should contact Lee Stranahan via Lee@Stranahan.com or visit the program's website at FilmSchoolBootCamp.com; a short video about the program is also available at FilmSchoolBootCamp.com/blog.

The latest from Neko Neko films, "Future Skit"

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:05:18 EST

You may recognize these guys from the great "10 Second Trailers" they've submitted to us. Here's their latest ... which is all about the fun (and chaos) of TIME TRAVEL.

Video WTF?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:59:38 EST

Was sent this website, "Video WTF?" the other day, and thought I would pass it on. You can post video related questions on this site, and get them answered by the community, where the community can vote on how good the answer deals with the question. The database is also searchable, so if you've got a video related question, this seems like a pretty good place to start.

Cinematography & Lighting Tutorial

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:08:34 EST

I found this 3-part Cinematography and Lighting tutorial that I think is really helpful is dissecting the lighting of a scene, and the concept of the "film-look". Really interesting, check it out.

Mogulween 1-Minute Film Fest Runners Up

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

You can watch the 1st and 2nd Place Winners on a special Indy Mogul episode coming out TODAY November 2nd.

1st Prize: 'Before I wake' by Ligering Finger Productions

2nd Prize: 'The Truth' by Department 64 Studios

Watch the Winners HERE

Since we received so many great short films, we decided to feature more of the best submission finalists in this blog post.
See a selection of some of our other favorites below:

Mogulween Contest Runner-Up: Toilet George from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Mogulween Contest Runner-Up: Techno Babble from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Mogulween Contest Runner-Up: Ring It Again from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Mogulween Contest Runner-Up: Portent from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Mogulween Contest Runner-Up: Late Night Snack from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Mogulween Contest Runner-Up: Don't Cry from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Mogulween Contest Runner-Up: Carved from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Mogulween Contest Runner-Up: Donkey Dare from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Invisible Slash

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:16:26 EDT

Well I am back this week, (I was gone last week because I got the flu), with the final effect for Mogulween! This week I am doing a slash wound whose apperance you can "activate" from a distance. Which could easily work for quick fight scenes when you quickly need to create wounds during the fight, or for a "Nightmare on Elm Street" style "invisible attacker", where you can't see the attacker, only the wounds appearing on their skin.

First, you need to create a fake skin layer, so either get a thin layer of liquid latex, or make up some alternative skin by dabbing the area in white glue..

Push some toliet paper over it, and then let it dry.

Then peel it off and cut it out.

Now, apply some fake blood over the area where you want the slash to occur.

Get some monofilament wire (fishing line), and cut off a strand that is long enough for an off-camera technician to grab both ends and pull it. (Depending on how wide your shot is, this will usually be anywhere from just a few feet, to maybe 10, but don't worry this stuff is in 100 yard rolls for a reason.)

And lay it across your wound section.

Now, lay your layer of fake skin on top, and around the edges attach it with glue, spirit gum, or liquid latex (whatever suits your applications more). Then cover with a layer of make-up to blend it into your skin.

Now, pull quickly, and voila, a cut appears, breaking the layer of skin, and revealing the fake blood layer underneath.

Indy Mogul on Attack of the Show

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:11 EDT

G4's Attack of the Show featured Indy Mogul twice in the last 2 weeks. Check out the videos below!

DJ Remixes Video - A New Filmmaking Technique and Genre?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:28:56 EDT

Techniques of 'Turntabilism' are being injected into filmmaking. DJ Steve Porter remixes video and audio for his video remixes. His remix of the Slap Chop infomercial, called "Rap Chop," was a viral break out hit and below is his most recent Video remix that turns NBC's new show 'Community' into a mash-up rap/dance video.

These Video Remixes are a new and innovative approach to filmmaking. Steve Porter has applied techniques from turntablism and hip-hop towards videography. From his editing techniques to using certain scenes or clips as a kind of visual 'refrain' in the video create an innovativeand completely new genre of filmmaking. His work is an exmaple of how the boundaries, definitions, and limitations of filmmaking and film genre is always changing and evolving.

What are some other exmaples of new approaches to filmmaking or genre-defying techniques being used by filmmaking or video DJ's today? Let us know in the comments below!

A friend's film needs your backing!

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:27:53 EDT

Hey guys, so our friend Matt shot a feature in 2008 on a very indie budget (check out the trailer above), out in the woods, with a whole bunch of talented people. You may remember him, we snagged a great interview when we were at Sundance. I was lucky enough to see an early cut of the film, and it's interesting and beautiful - I'm excited to see the final version ... but if he doesn't raise enough money it may never see the light of day.

Here's more info from the man himself ...

"As you may or may not know, I've been working to complete my first
feature film (http://vimeo.com/6155508 - http://vimeo.com/6155895) for
just over a year now. - I shot, produced and financed it 100%
independently with the help of a bunch of fantastic friends last
summer. Unfortunately this bummer of an economy has seriously derailed
our post-production process and we've been unable to properly complete
the film without any outside support.

"Back in August I hooked up with this new website Kickstarter
(http://www.kickstarter.com/learn-more) in an effort to try and
finally finish the film. - Kickstarter's basic philosophy is that
unless you have a rich uncle or a real job, it may be be easier to
fund small creative projects by seeking a diversity of small donations
from a wide group of regular people as opposed to a few big ones from
a select group of suits.

"We've been doing our best to spread the word, but time is running out
quickly. If we don't reach our goal by 3AM on Halloween we loose out
on everything and all hope is lost forever - that's the way
Kickstarter gets down. - We've got less than a week to do this thing
right.

"We need your help to spread the word. - Do you blog? Tweet? Facebook?
Etc.? - Maybe you could post this link somewhere.
- We'd really appreciate it.

"And if you're feeling especially friendly, perhaps you'd be willing to
forgo a latte and throw some loose change our way. - We know times are
crazy tough, but we're not asking for much - just a little bit from a
bunch of people, that's the beauty of the whole thing! - Nothing
serious.

"A whole host of info on the project, as well as an outline of how we
intend to actually finish the film can be found here:
- If you've got a free minute, please check it out.

Thanks so much for your time.

All the best,
Matthew Lessner (and co)
www.montelomax.com"

Please check out more info and consider donating, even $1.

Confessions of an Independent Filmmaker: Week 4

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:55:43 EDT

Confessions of an Independent Filmmaker talking about a Meeting he had with some Executives. Check out previous week here.

The most important Film Fights update video EVER! (wow!)

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:04:52 EDT

Howdy Mogulers! Justin here to give you the latest heads up in the exciting world of Film Fights. A world where anything can happen, twice a month. Anyway, this update is for you, and contains hidden clues to a secret Aztec treasure! (jk)

Click over here to check out our future fights, and over here to learn more about the site in general.

Grace picks the Netflix OSR winners for Oct 12!

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:06:48 EDT

Every week I ask you to give me a One Sentence Review (OSR) for one of the latest movies playing in theaters! Now, thanks to Netflix, you can apply your OSR skills to any movie!

If you entered, look for your name down below. The contest runs regularly, so be sure to friend Netflix on Facebook so you can enter the next challenge!

NETFLIX ONE SENTENCE REVIEW CHALLENGE TOP 5 - Read 'em and rent 'em!

5 - Evan Daniel Schwartz for REQUIEM FOR A DREAM:

"A beautifully devastating film about drugs that stayed true to the truth."

4 - Candace Graff for STRANGE BREW:

"Good Canadian beer, good slapstick humor, eh!"

3 - Nick Boisson for METROPOLIS(1927):

"If you would like to know why science-fiction cinema is beloved by and continues to inspire so many, look no further than Fritz Lang's Metropolis."

2 - Joe Slepski for AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH:

"If my PowerPoints were this entertaining, I'd still have my job."

And the winner of the Netflix Polo is...

1 - Travis Whilden for EVIL DEAD 2:

"Bruce Campbell channels all three stooges to slay the undead in the best comedic gorefest of the 80s."

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Embeddable Eyeball

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:21:35 EDT

We've featured builds with fake eyes in the the past, but something that Mogulville has been asking for, for a while is a embeddable eyeball that can be utilized for a costume (Like the Pale Man from "Pan's Labyrinth"). Since it's Mogulween, and this is sufficiently creepy to me I thought this would be a good build for this week.

For the basis of the build, I formed the "eyeball" out of some airdry clay, although you could easily substitute a gumball or superball or whatever other spherical object you have access to.

After it dried hard, I paint it with layers of white acrylic paint, and glazing medium, to try to give it a shiny wet look.

While that is drying, I took a plastic sandwich bag...

And trimmed a palm sized section out of it with some scissors.

Then I painted it with flesh colored creme make-up, and cut a slit in it, almost as wide as the eyeball.

Now that it's dry, I used the same pupil and technique that I utilized for my "Eye tear" build, and let that dry.

Then took the plastic sheeting, and stretched the slit around the eye.

Now, it's a matter of just putting it wherever you want. You can attach it either with spirit gum, or by dabbing liquid latex or white glue around the edges than pressing it down, and it sticks pretty well. Cover it up with some make-up and it actually looks pretty good.

This could easily be used for a "Third eye" on your forehead, for an embedded eye somewhere in your body, or make two of them and put them over your actual eyes for a "eyes bulging out of their sockets" effect.

Exclusive Interview w/ Director of 'Paranormal Activity,' Oren Peli

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:12:51 EDT

If you're a fan of horror films or low-budget filmmaking, you've probably heard about "Paranormal Activity." The movie follows a young couple after they move into a new house and strange disturbances keep them up at night. The writer and director of "Paranormal Activity," Oren Peli, got the story idea after moving into a new house with his then girlfriend. “It was the first time I’d ever lived in a house; I’d only ever rented small apartments,” says Peli. “In quiet suburbia, I quickly learned that you become conscious of every little noise, especially at night." Peli thought it would be interesting to set up a camera to catch what was going bump in the night. He quickly came up with a script and ran with the idea.

After sitting on various shelves for the past couple years, the movie has finally been introduced in limited release. It's been getting a lot of Internet buzz and great reviews. Bobby MIller, the Host and Executive producer of The Reel Good Show on Indy Mogul, had this to say, "In the screening I was in, everyone was jumping and screaming along to a movie that was made for $11,000. In the age of mindless CGI, it's nice to know that someone can deliver scares the old fashion way. It's a testament for low budget filmmakers everywhere."

Indy Mogul's Erik Beck recently spoke with Oren Peli to talk about how he made the movie on such a small budget and Peli's advice for young filmmakers. You can listen to the interview or read the transciption below.

Let us know what you think of the movie and the interview. Leave your comment below!

Erik Beck: Hey Oren!

Oren Peli: Hi Erik!

EB: Thank you so much for talking with us.

OP: No problem, no problem.

EB: For the part of the audience that don’t know, you’re the writer/director of “Paranormal Activity” that’s getting a ton of buzz right now, and my first question is, is it true that you made this for less than $15,000?

OP: Yes my original budget that I set up for myself was going to be $10,000 but it ended up closer to 15.

EB: Wow, that’s amazing.

OP: Yeah I’m still pinching myself.

EB: You finished the film actually a couple years ago, did you have any idea that it was going to have the sort of the life-cycle that it has?

OP: Well I didn’t really know what to anticipate but after the first screening at Screamfest, when I saw the audience’s reaction, and with all the good press that we got, I started thinking that maybe it could play well in theaters. I didn’t exactly anticipate the kind of buzz we’re getting now, but I was definitely hoping that someone would give it a chance and let the fans spread the word of mouth and let it kind of pick up its own momentum.

EB: How was it seeing it in the theaters for the first time with an audience, can you describe watching other people watching your film?

OP: It was very very cool, I mean I was nervous as hell and when we saw that the audience was getting into it, laughing at the jokes at the beginning and obviously reacting to the scares it was really, really great.

EB: I read that originally they were talking about remaking it, did you do anything special to convince the studio to keep the film as it is and not remake it?

OP: Really the only thing we had to do was make the Dreamworks executive set up a test screening so that they could see the movie with an audience and that was the last time we heard anyone say anything about a remake.

EB: Wow. So I was wondering if you had any advice for our audience of aspiring filmmakers?

OP: Yeah there are three things that I would probably advise, but the most important one is casting. If you don’t have good actors that do a convincing job then it doesn’t matter what your budget is, it’s just not going to work. If it wasn’t for Katie and Micah being as good as they were we wouldn’t even be talking now because the movie wouldn’t have been going anywhere. The other thing is the issue of perseverance, it’s not easy to make a movie and you just need to keep going and be extremely stubborn and not get discouraged when things don’t go well. And I would encourage people to pick up a videocamera and just start shooting and no matter how well it turns out you’re always going to learn and gain a little experience.

EB: Can you give us any sneak peek details on your new project?

OP: No we’re trying to keep everything secret for now.

EB: Got it. Too top secret, I totally understand.

OP: Thankfully.

EB: Well thank you so much for talking with me, we advocate pretty much the exact same thing. It’s really inspirational to see someone that works like us make it and get a deal and get in theaters, it’s awesome.

OP: Thank you, thank you so much, that means a lot.

EB: So thank you again and good luck with the new project, and good luck with the movie in theaters.

OP: Thank you, thank you good luck to you guys.

30 Second Halloween Film Contest!

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:35:40 EDT

Hey folks! So, I'm sure you've all got your blood a'boiling with all the Mogulween madness that's been going on the past two weeks. I'm also sure you're well on your way to prepping AMAZING Halloween costumes. With all this celebration going on, I think it's time to make a MOVIE about Halloween, and what better place to do it than the legendary Film Fights?

Don't know what FF is? Basically you make a flick using the title/genre that we provide, and you compete against filmmakers from across the globe! Here are your rules ...

TITLE: "Monster Mishaps "

THE RULES: Make a film about the troubles of being one of the following monsters: Vampire, Zombie, Werewolf, or Mummy.

TIME LIMIT: 30 seconds. No more. No less. (not including the Film Fights intro)

DUE DATE: Oct. 24th

HOW DO I SUBMIT? Find out more right here.

Hope to see you on the battlefield!

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Basic Mummy Bandages

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:04:16 EDT

Here we are with the second week of Mogulween focused builds for October (check over at Week 1 here), this week I thought I would go with a classic that has been requested quite a few times in the past, MUMMY MAKE-UP. While the basic Mummy doesn't seem that different from the Zombie (it isn't really, throw Karloff's Mummy into a Romero picture and he would hardly look out of place), one of the most difficult parts is getting the wrappings look just right. So this week I am going to show you how to properly strain bandages to get some cheap and easy Mummy Wrappings for your own Mummy Costume!

Like with previous builds, a strong unsweeted black tea or coffee, can be a very effective staining compound, and this build is not much different. You just take a coffee mug (or any jar really) full of dark tea or coffee, and some medical gauze bandages...

And dip them inside. After they absorb the staining mixture fully, squeeze them out over a sink and get them just nice and damp. The next stage will be to wrap the damp bandages in a towel you don't mind getting stained, then tossing them in the dryer. Give it half an hour and they should be dry and ready to use in no time.

After their ride in the dryer, they are indeed dry and ready to use.

To start with the make-up layer under the bandages, you can just put down a layer of gray to give you a cold "lifeless" look. For the make-up if you just follow the Zombie Tutorial, that's 90% of the look right there.

Now, it's just a matter of wrapping it. I am focusing on the hands since that is a good place to start. I poked holes through the tip and slipped my fingers into the holes and wore it a bit like a fingerless glove. Then I just wrapped it around my arm. If you want a simpler application, something you can do is get a thin shirt and pants and apply the gauze outside of them similar to the Stunt Dummy Build. It would take a bit more time, but you wouldn't have to reapply the bandages everyday, but could instead have a costume that actor could more easily slip into.

Now, it's just a matter of cutting the edges and causing some extra frays, and perhaps add additional make-up to make it look older and dirtier, and there you go, your very own basic mummy wrapping application for cheap!

Confessions of an Independent Filmmaker: Week 3

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:20:55 EDT

Another Week, another Confession. Check out previous week's entry here.

Zombieland Top 5 One Sentence Reviews!

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:30:09 EDT

Thinking of seeing Zombieland? Well here are 5 one sentence reviews to help you make up your mind:

#5 - jwgilligan
It's not Drag Me To Hell, but Zombieland is still a entertaining horror comedy that had my eyes guled to the screen.

#4 - brenndon1
Finally a comedy zombie that dose not loose it's funny by the end of the movie!

#3 - moviewizguy
Although Zombieland is a very funny film and gives the zombie genre a good name, it also has an endearing quality and charm to it that makes you love it even more than you should.

#2 - MZMStudios
Zombieland was 81 minutes of pure action-packed, gore-filled hilarity that's sure to leave you blood-lusting for a sequel!

#1 - and winner of the free pair of AMC movie tickets - TheSagesDog
After seeing this movie I'm sure, like the twinkie, Zombieland will become an American Classic.

Thanks to everyone who entered! Next week, the One Sentence Review Challenge will be for COUPLES RETREAT!

Best TV Shows! Grace picks the Netflix OSR Top 5!

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:07:53 EDT

I've teamed up with Netflix for another One Sentence Review (OSR) Challenge! The subject this week was TV series, which you can download instantly via Netflix on your computer.

If you entered, look for your name down below. The contest runs regularly, so be sure to friend Netflix on Facebook so you can enter the next challenge!

NETFLIX ONE SENTENCE REVIEW CHALLENGE TOP 5 - Read 'em and rent 'em!

5 - Dan Sullivan for MAD MEN:

"Mad Men is the most beautiful sadness ever put on television."

4 - Douglas Smith for BREAKING BAD:

"The show that explains how a broken health care system feeds the illegal drug trade - with humor so dark you may not laugh."

3 - Johnathon Atwood for THE SIMPSONS:

"Like the energizer bunny, keeps going and going and D'oh!"

2 - Eric Michael Guido for HIGHLANDER THE SERIES:

"There can be only fun!"

And the winner of the Netflix Polo is...

1 - Carl Parrish for DOLLHOUSE:

" 'I think, therefore I am', but if someone programs my thinking what am I?"

Mogulween 1-Minute Film Fest with Prizes!

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:02:21 EDT

Finally, a chance to use all of that fake blood lying around your house and turn your best friend into a zombie for a day! The annual Indy Mogul Mogulween Contest is back, and this time we want you to send us your scariest one-minute horror films. Here are the details:

Entry submissions begin on October 5th and will be received until 11:59 on October 28th using http://www.IndyMogul.com/Submit
Films can be NO MORE than 60 second long
Must be in the "horror", "thriller" or "spooky" genre, and include NO copyrighted music
Label your entry "Mogulween film fest - "Your Submission Title HERE", prior relevant submissions are fine, but they must be re-uploaded
The winning video will be creative, scary and tell the story clearly. It doesn't matter if you don't have the best equipment, the videos will be judged on their camera shots, narration, editing and effectiveness.

The winners will be chosen and announced by Indy Mogul on October 31st in a special Halloween episode on Indy Mogul. The grand prize winner will get a custom Indy Mogul Mogulween skinned HD flip mino videocamera. One runner up will receive a custom Indy Mogul Mogulween skinned SD flip mino video camera. In addition, BOTH winning videos will be shown in their entirety in a special "Mogulween 1 Minute Film Fest" episode to be aired on Halloween.

OFFICIAL RULES

All entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

No purchase necessary

Void where prohibited by law

Not responsible for lost or misdirected entries

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter

Taxes are the responsibility of winner

Winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility

Estimated value of prize $200

Winner consents to the use of their name and likeness for promotion

Entries must be submitted through http://www.indymogul.com/submit or mailed to Next New Networks, 419 Park Av South, Suite 900, NY, NY 10016 Att: "Mogulween 1 Minute Film Fest"

Enter as often as you like

Winner to be selected on or about Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Decisions of the judges are final.

No substitution of prizes permitted

Employees and the families of Next New Networks, Indy Mogul and any of their affliliated companies are not eligible to participate.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Cheap Knife Glove

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:19:54 EDT

In celebration of October and the beginning of MOGULWEEN, all this month I am going to feature cheap ways to improvise cheap props from your favorite horror films! This week I am featuring a classic signature prop from the "A Nightmare on Elm Street"-series, your very own Freddy Kruegar-style KNIFE GLOVE!

Start with a basic workglove. You could go with almost anykind, but I went with this one because it was pretty cheap, and looks a lot like leather.

Now disembowel a soda can, just like in my Gauntlet tutorial.

Now, cut it into 5 segments. 4 smaller segments for each finger (except the thumb), and a larger section for the top of the hand.

Now, stack the "finger" segments togethe, and trim them into a sharper "fingernail" looking tip.

Like this. Then...

Cut the finger sections into segments "like this" so you'll actually be able to articulate them.

Now, get a piece of poster paper (not poster board which is thicker, I prefer poster paper because it's still pretty thick, BUT it is so thin it can look "razor thin"). Sketch out the shape of the "knife blade" then...

Cut them all out.

Then paint them silver to give them a nice metallic sheen.

I gave the finger and hand sections a brass paintjob, then painted the glove a dirty brown to give it a older dirty look.

I attached the top segments with hot glue (You'll most likely NOT want to wear the glove incase it melts or soaks through and burns your hand, be careful!).

I cut the tips of the segments with a pair of scissors, cutting a slit to slide the "blades" into, then hit each with a dab of hot glue.

Then glued them in place as well.

Then it's just a matter of distressing and dirtying it up to add some depth and "realism" to the metal, so it actually looks old and worn and used, and... There you go, your very own Freddy Glove for cheap!

Star Wars UNCUT

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:03:15 EDT

Star Wars: Uncut Trailer from Casey Pugh on Vimeo.

Found this awesome project going on right now over at StarWarsUncut.com, basically pick your favorite 15 seconds of the film and remake it HOWEVER YOU WANT. They will take it, put it in it's correct order and then showcase it as the entire film, completely recreated by thousands of fans from all over the world. So hurry and go grab your lightsaber, and stake a claim for your 15 seconds.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Basic Weatherproofing

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:28:26 EDT

We can't control what the weather does, that is an unfortunate reality of filmmaking that has derailed many a production schedule. While we've covered basic rainproofing before, I thought I would cover another method that is a little bit simpler. Hopefully my advice will help you avoid missing a shooting day, and help you keep your productions on schedule.

First, if at all possible, remove the strap from your camera, you want to make it as narrow as you can. If it doesn't come off (like my cameras strap unfortunately) don't worry to much about it, just squeeze it close to the body and possibly tape it in place if you have to.

Now get a recloseable plastic sandwich bag that is about the same size of your camera (you don't want one that is to small, but you don't want one that is to big either because your camera will bounce around inside of it, you want something that fits it kind of closely). For larger cameras you'll mostly likely have to go with a much larger bag, thankfully that offer them all the way up to gallon sizes, so hopefully you can find one that fits your rig.

Put your camera inside of it and squeeze it closely around it before closing the bag. Now, pull the plastic around the lens area tightly.

Then cut the plastic away very carefully, you don't want to poke the lens with your knife and possibly leave scratches thus ruining your camera glass. Cut a hold smaller than the lens, then pull it down so it forms tightly around the edges.

Now, get some rubber bands and fasten them around the edges of the plastic to form an even tighter barrier. You could also go ahead and cover the edges here with electrical tape if you want, up to you depending on what you're doing.

And there you go, the bag is elastic enough that you can easily still control the record switch and many of the controls, and also still look through the viewfinder.

For your boommics (this plastic tube standing in for mine, as it is currently unavailable), remove the windscreen, and stretch some plastic wrap over it and use rubber bands around the base (you'll want to attach them on the cable section below where it hooks into the mic to protect the wire connections as well). Unlubricated latex condoms also works here. Be warned though, that it'll cause the mic to lose a little sensitivity so you'll want to do some tests and possibly boost the gain on your mic before you start shooting.

There you go, hope this basic weatherproofing advice assists you the next time you have to shoot in less than ideal conditions.

Confessions of an Independent Filmmaker: Week 2

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:51:11 EDT

Week 2 with the Confessions of an Independent filmmaker, if you haven't been keeping up with these, check back at last week here.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Basic Scrape

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:27:09 EDT

Unfortunately the bigger build i've been working on isn't quite ready yet, so I thought I would feature a simply make-up effect this week to tide you over until I can work out the kinks in the build i've been working on. Well this week I wanted to show how to do a basic "scrapped skin" effect. While we've shown how to do basic cuts and other injuries, we haven't covered a basic scrape yet, and I thought this would be as good a time as any to showcase it.

Obviously, start with a clean area on whatever part of your skin that you want to build up the effect. First build up a thin layer of white glue or liquid latex. Dab it on in a stipple pattern with a foam brush or make-up sponge.

After rubbing your thumb against it to rough it up a little (and pop open some pockets to give you an effective upper layer torn skin look), lay down some cream make-up. I used some gray here to have a darker area for some minor discoloration for the scrape area.

Now build up some more pinks and reds to give it an inflamed look from the skin damage. (After you're done with the layers of make-up, powder it all to reduce some of the shininess and make it look a little less artificial.)

Next, mix up some fake blood, and get a toothbrush you won't be using to brush your teeth ever again. (Unless you're into scrubbing your teeth with fake blood, you might be, don't let me stop you.)

Now rub your thumb across the top of the brush, and let it spaltter off all over the scrape area, dab away splatter that lands outside of the scrape area, then touch up any of the bigger scrapes with extra drops of blood. And there you go, easily get the look of falling off your bike and scraping your knee without actually having to fall of your bike and scrape your knee.

It's a win-win, trust me.

Matt Zaller's Bizarro Interviews

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:30:36 EDT

This is fantastic. National Lampoon's Matt Zaller interviews Jennifer's Body stars Megan Fox and Johnny Simmons, and proceeds to ignore Fox for the first two minutes, then insist that she puts a bag over her head.

He also has a wonderfully creepy interview with Matt Damon for The Informant. Enjoy.

Found via Cinematical.

Joss Whedon on "New Media"

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:02:53 EDT

Thought this was a really awesome little interview with the Joss Whedon, the Mastermind behind Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog, Firefly, Buffy, and Angel, among a bunch of other awesome stuff that use Geekfolk generally eat up, and I thought this was really interesting. Thanks to Moguler Nonsensical Studios for the link.

'9' - the Top 5 One Sentence Reviews...

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:06:46 EDT

I was away this weekend at Disney's D23 Expo promoting my upcoming Muppet Peter Pan comic book mini-series, so that meant no Movie Math this past weekend. However here are the winners of the One Sentence Review Challenge for '9' - congrats!

#5 - spoofnetproductions
"The creators took a good short film, added an hour and 10 minutes, added great visuals, but for some reason subtracted a story."

#4 - OddWolfOut
"9 has the strongest religious context I've seen in a movie in a long time, and although the animation and story was pretty damn good, it felt rushed and the ending left something to be desired."

#3 - bramb600
"The CGI visuals were some of the best I've ever seen, but I just couldn't care for any of the characters here - unfortunately this 79 minute tease was a waste of my money."

#2 - Yvesbloodywednesday
"9 is all the cliches of the Matrix and Terminator without anything that made those movies memorable."

#1 - the winner of the free pair of AMC movie tickets - BioShadowTh666
"9 it babys first end of the world movie."

Thanks to everyone who entered, and see you for next week's OSR Challenge for "Jennifer's Body"!

Confessions of an Independent Filmmaker: Week 1

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:20:06 EDT

First week of Confessions of an Independent Filmmaker, continuing his chronicle on trying to get his film made. Check out the Intro Here.

Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:08:58 EDT

This is a clip from this fantastic documentary that Scorsese did for Channel 4 back in 1995, thanks to Moguler Globeversal Pictures for posting a link to it in Mogulville. Check it out, a LOT of information about film history from one of the greats.

IFC Sketch Comedy Challenge

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:45:02 EDT

Over at IFC's website, they are currently accepting submissions for Sketch Comedy shortfilms. The winner gets to attend the premiere of “Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut)” , so for all of you comedians out there in Mogulville, there is your chance. Submissions end at September 20th, so hurry up and get your film submitted! Good luck!

Need to Storyboard your Film? There's an App for that.

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:26:00 EDT

So I was poking about the internets and I found a new tool for filmmakers and it was so good I had to share it with everyone.

It's called Hitchcock [iTunes Link] and it is a storyboarding tool for your iPhone and iPod Touch. Basically, the deal is, you take photos of your locations, insert a pre-fab stand in. Add your actions (dolly, move, etc), time it out, and export the thing to a PDF that you can email to your crew. In short, you never have to draw another storyboard.

At $19.99, it's a little steep in the way of Apps for your iPhone or iPod Touch, but it's not as expensive as, say, numerous GPS apps or that ridiculous thousand dollar thing that got tossed a few years back. It's also rated at 4+, so most everyone who has bought the thing is pretty impressed and digs the $#!^ out of it.

I haven't tried it out yet, but I'm in the process of getting a film together and I can't draw worth two glinglefliggits. I'll give it a shot and let you know what my experience is. Do you have it? Let us know what you think. Is it worth getting? what other iPhone Apps have you found to help your filmmaking?

Official Hitchcock Website

'Gamer' One Sentence Review Challenge - Top 5!

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:38:08 EDT

Grace Randolph here, enjoying Labor Day weekend in Pennsylvania! I hope everyone else is enjoyng their weekend as well! While there's no Movie Math this week, I'm happy to present the winners of this week's One Sentence Review Challenge for GAMER!

#5 - jomman17

"It's just slightly above average compared to most other movies out there - it could have been executed a whole lot better, and relies too heavily on sex and violence to propel events within the plot - don't see this movie."

#4 - sasdragon

"An interesting premise and above average acting can't quite save the film from reducing itself to a gratuitous blood fest."

#3 - endsitall

"Gamer plays like a big budget scifi tv pilot: what it lacked in story it made up for in sic action sequences."

#2 - bramb600

"The plot is absurd and is not to be taken too seriously, however Neveldine and Taylor are too busy pumping us up with hardcore violence that we forget how bad Gamer really is."

#1 - and winner of a pair of free AMC movie tickets! - danny11212

"Idiotic, disgusting, overdone, poorly shot and completely pointless, Gamer unseats Transformers 2 as the most offensively dumb - and just plain offensive - film of the year."

Thanks to everyone who entered and congrats to the Top 5! Next week's One Sentence Review Challenge will be for WHITEOUT!

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Cartoonish Raygun

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:29:15 EDT

While we've done our fair share of Rayguns, Death Rays, and Laser Cannons in the past, I have gotten some requests from a few Mogulers for a more "cartoony" looking Raygu, and thought i'd build one today for cheap.

First for the primary gun body, I started with an empty 2 Liter bottle of soda.

I cut it with my xacto knife about half of the way down. To smooth out the edges a little (since it's hard to get a real even cut), I used a pair of scissors and just wittled down the edges a little bit.

Trace a line around the bottom of the bottle on some cardboard or foamboard, then cut it out.

Don't get to concerned if it isn't a perfect circle, you can fill in any gaps or anything like that that you get.

Now just fit it inside of the gun "body". After you've done that, poke a hole through the center of it and put a wooden dowel through the center and out through the bottle top. Lock it in place with epoxy.

For the grip, instead of making my own, I am just going to cannibalize this squirt gun I got a the dollar store. I cut it in half with a dremel, and opened it up for combining with the gun "body".

Now it's just a matter of filling in the gaps, and smoothing out the edges with epoxy. (I also took a bit of clay, rolled it into a ball and added it to the end of the beam antenna.) Now just let everything set, and it's ready for the paintjob.

Just took my foam brush, and built up layers of red paint (or whatever color you want), letting it dry inbetween. Be careful about using a hairdryer to try to help speed up the drying, as it can easily warp the very thin plastic of the gun body. Then it's just a matter of painting the "dish" on the front yellow, and there is your cartoonish looking raygun.

Confessions of an Independent Filmmaker

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:03:54 EDT

Recently got this brought to my attention by Moguler Thtoneguy94, and I am hooked. Check out this ongoing chronicle of one filmmaker to try to get his film made after 10 years of hard work and trying to get the script noticed. I think watching this personal coverage on how one filmmaker is struggling to get his filmmade, can both show others how it's done, and how hard it can be.

Grace's Top 5 Netflix One Sentence Reviews for the week of August 31st!

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:27:49 EDT

On Sunday you saw who made the Top 5 for Beyond The Trailer's One Sentence Review (OSR) Challenge for THE FINAL DESTINATION, and now it's time for the Top 5 in Netflix's OSR Challenge!

Yep, every Monday you can enter an OSR for any movie you watched that weekend - be it in theaters or at home - and the winner, picked by me, gets a free Netflix soccer shirt!

If you entered, look for your name down below. If you'd like to enter next week, check down below for how to do so.

NETFLIX ONE SENTENCE REVIEW CHALLENGE TOP 5 - Read 'em and rent 'em!

5 - Angel Gainey Eicher for DEAD SNOW:

"I wish I knew the German term for EFFING AWESOME!"

4 - John McKillop for 17 AGAIN:

"Efron takes a break from High School Musical to play...a kid who plays basketball in high school."

3 - John Hall for THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD:

"Malkovich astounds viewers yet again, even if his character fails to do so."

2 - Traci Geist for SUNSHINE CLEANING

"Now I get a big sunny smile on my face when I clean because the movie was so refreshing!!"

And the winner of the Netflix Soccer Shirt is...

1 - Ed Dechert for REVOLUTIONRY ROAD

"Sometimes the only escape from quiet desperation is blatant desperation."

On how to enter:

Visit Netflix’s Facebook page on Mondays and write your OSR as a comment to the post announcing that week’s contest. 24 hours later I’ll announce the Top 5 right here on the Beyond The Trailer blog.

Over 100 Years of Special Effects

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:22:05 EDT

Saw this video, and just had to share it with the Moguler's here. This is a fantastic video recap of a bunch of milestones and wonderful examples of what Special Effects can do. It's really amazing seeing how far everything has come over the last century, and how far things have really been pushed. Not to mention seeing how the elements come together in the final product is just really amazing.

Reminds me of a quote by John Lasseter that i've always liked and always felt was really true, "Technology inspires art, and art challenges the technology.” It's a process that constantly influences and riffs off each other, and I really can't wait to see where it takes us.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Bulging Veins

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:51:07 EDT

Got a request kind of recently in regards to how to use make-up to make it look like you have some really intense bulging veins. This seemed simply enough so I thought I would try to make some myself on the cheap from some basic bulging vein effects which would be easy to make and use for your own film.

First, i'm going to start with the liquid latex alternative recipe, by taking a sponge and dabbing up and down the application area with some white glue. If you used actual liquid latex for the application, it'll most likely look better, but for cheapness (and ease of acquiring supplies) I am keeping to this method.

Now lay some toliet paper on top of that, and let dry (hitting with a hairdryer can really speed it up, like always.)

After it finishes drying, peel it off carefully.

Now, using a hot glue gun, draw your vain pattern on the strip.

Then, just dab some more glue under it and sticking it back on, then letting it dry again.

Now it's just a matter of building up the make-up job. Flesh and pink tones for the base layer, then if you want it red or inflamed looking (like if it's a transformation from an injection, or a zombie bite or something along those lines), build up some dark reds and purples. Then for the veins themselves, I built up dark purple and blue. The edges are kind of rough, but this costs almost nothing, and could easily be applied to almost anywhere.

There you go, hope that helps.

Netflix OSR Challenge 8/24/09 - find out who won!

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:16:45 EDT

Hi! Grace Randolph here, host/creator of web show Beyond The Trailer - and now Netflix One Sentence Review Judge!

Every week Netflix asks its Facebook fans to enter an OSR for any movie they watched that weekend, and below are the Top 5! And congrats to number one who gets a free Netflix soccer shirt!

So check out these mini-reviews and, if so inspired, rent them from Netflix. As for current movies, you can check out Beyond The Trailer's episodes to learn more about them.

NETFLIX ONE SENTENCE REVIEW CHALLENGE – TOP 5

5 - Mark Francisco for ORPHAN
"If Damien from 'The Omen' married Esther, she would wear the pants."

4 - Clifton Griffin for CRASH
"Crash is a thought provoking reminder that you and everyone you know are racists."

3 - Tracy Bogert for I LOVE YOU, MAN
"Will never look at male friendships the same again after watching I Love You, Man."

2 - Bram Benderoff for INGLOURIOUS BASTARDS
"Historians beware, Tarantino isn't going by the books - With that acknowledged, he still succeeds in making the most glouriously exhilarating WWII film ever and that's a fact, or should I say 'That's a Bingo!'"

1 - Tina Nielsen Yeagley for RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
"Husband laughed, kids were scared, I rolled my eyes."

On how to enter:

Visit Netflix’s Facebook page on Mondays and write your OSR as a comment to the post announcing that week’s contest. 24 hours later I’ll announce the Top 5 right here on the Beyond The Trailer blog.

Erik Beck Featured on $99 Music Videos!

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:48:47 EDT

$99 Music Videos interviews Indy Mogul's Erik Beck about how he made a Music Video "We've Got It Going On" by Keelay. Check out the episode and explore some of the other episodes to see how other directors are making amazing music video for less than $99!

Subscribe to $99 Music Videos on YouTube

Interview: Teenage Director Emily Hagins

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:14:07 EDT

This is the trailer for "Pathogen", Written, Directed, and filmed by Emily Hagins. This wouldn't be anything really new for most of us, as we've seen plenty of feature length films where a single person was the primary creative drive behind the film, except... Emily was 12.

The process behind the creation of the film was recently chronicled in the Indie Documentary, "Zombie Girl: The Movie", winning awards at SlamDance, Dallas AFI International Film Fest, and the Comic-Con Film Festival. Being quite inspired after hearing about her story, I got in contact with Emily, and got a chance to talk to her about the production behind the film, zombies, and what it's like being a Director at 12.

Wesley: What first really inspired you to become a filmmaker? When did you first pick up the camera and decide that this was something you truly loved, and wanted to do?

Emily: When we got our first home video camera, it was really for my dad to use. He used to work in advertising, and one day he wanted to show me the process of making a commercial from planning to editing. He didn't do anything for me, just told me what the next step was. I remember this getting frustrating when he asked me to learn imovie, but there was something magical about seeing the final product once it was done- and I understood why he wanted me to go through all the steps myself.

W: How did you learn filmmaking? Obviously you skipped the "film school route" shooting your first feature film long before you could attend a University. Did you start by making short films first, and if so what were they like as a learning experience?

E: After filming the commercial, I was eager to make more short films. Most of them included my dog (title example: Buddy vs. The Barbies). I've been friends with Harry Knowles through this event he ran at the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater in Austin called Kids Club, and he put me in touch with some local indie filmmakers to help with their feature. I learned a lot from working on their production, even though my primary job was behind the scenes and fake blood/vomit maker.

W: Zombies have become a very popular topic for low-budget filmmakers, what about zombies and the horror genre was so appealing to you, and why do you think its a choice that so many others gravitate towards?

E: I was actually terrified of anything remotely scary until I was 11-years-old. That was when I attended my first Butt-Numb-a-Thon, Harry's birthday party (24 hours of movies), where an Australian zombie movie called "Undead" played. This was before "Shaun of the Dead" came out, so it was my first experience seeing a horror movie that was both funny and scary. It was such a fun movie experience, and I wanted to make my own.

I think zombies are a popular plot device because they come with their own set of rules (not to mention audience). What's cool about the rules of zombies is that they're not necessarily limiting- they just show how it's possible for different filmmakers to put their own spin on the sub-genre.

Poster Courtesy of: Emily Hagins and Tiger Darrows

W: What did your Parents think of your decision to not only shoot a zombie film, but a gory feature-length one?

E: My mom had seen Undead, so she and I were pretty much on the same page. My dad was slightly more hesitant, but he just didn't want me to get let down. It was the feature length aspect scared him. He really wanted me to shoot it all in a day in the park.

W: How important do you think it is to have support from your friends and family? It seems that you had a very "ragtag" crew of volunteers helping you, can you tell how you conscripted many of them, and any advice you had for Directing people that are helping you for free?

E: I think it's extremely important to have support from others with a big project. Making a movie is a team effort, and every role in the production is valuable to the whole. If you're able to get a group to work for free- I'd recommend being respectful of their time, and make sure everyone is having fun. It really shows in the final product if there was a bad vibe on set, either from uncomfortable acting performances or poor production quality.

The people that worked on "Pathogen" were friends from school and/or the film scene in Austin.

W: Your film has been getting some additional attention recently with the release of the Documentary about the making of your film, "Zombie Girl: The Movie", how have you been handling the attention that the documentary has been bringing to your film, and what did you think of the final product?

E: Usually attention from the documentary results in orders for Pathogen DVDs. I use DVD sales to help fund my new projects/compensate for the expenses of Pathogen.

W: How did the team behind the documentary get ahold of you, and what was it like having the making of your film being chronicled?

E: They saw my post on AustinActors.net saying, "Looking for teenagers for feature zombie movie made by 12-year-old girl". Despite the insecurities of being a teeanger, I'm happy that the documentary was made. I know that I'm going to remember making my first feature more than that day I had a huge zit on my forehead. I also learn from myself every time I watch the doc, which almost feels like I'm improving my football plays.

Photo Courtesy of: Tiger Darrows

W: Overall, throughout the course of production of your film, what do you think was the hardest thing to accomplish? Was there ever a day during shooting where you were just ready to pull out your hair, or thinking that maybe you'd bitten off more than you could chew with such a big project?

E: What comes to mind first is the day we taped over part of the end of the movie, which had a lot of zombie extras. Not only that, but we taped over the footage on the supposed last day of production. I really wasn't sure what to do at that point, and I started to get a lot of "Well, it was a good try." Being 12-years-old and having only made shorts, it had never occurred to me that sometimes movies weren't finished. Once I realized that's what people were implying, I thought "Why shouldn't I finish it? I've already been working on it for a year." So we did reshoots, and started post a little while later than first expected.

W: A lot of filmmakers talk about how they don't have any opportunities, or they just don't feel like they are good enough. With you shooting and completing a full feature by yourself at an age where many people think that is simply impossible, do you have anything to say towards people that feel like they simply can't do it? Do you have any advice on how to keep preservering even if things end up being far more difficult than they anticipated?

E: I think if you go in knowing that filming won't turn out exactly how you plan, you'll be a little more prepared for it. You'll have to make changes along the way, but find a balance that doesn't compromise your vision. This is how you'll end up with those happy accidents that may very well end up being the most memorable moment for the audience. If you love movies, and making them, you'll have to persevere through the difficult parts. It all works together as part of the experience, and that's the most you can anticipate.

W: You completed the filming of your next film, "The Retelling" last year, can you tell use a little about it, and how the production of it went?

E: Here's my little official summary for The Retelling: 12-year-old Charlie and his family make a summer trip to take care of his blind and ill grandfather. However, when he and his new friend Anne discover there's something suspicious about his grandfather's routine walks, they uncover a murder plot that involves them more than they know- and a murder from the past finally finds it's connection to the present.

We had some problems early on with filming, including losing the main location and an actor within the first three days. A lot of compromises were made along the way from that point on, but in that aspect I feel like I learned even more with this one than "Pathogen".

I feel like one of the coolest things about Retelling though was that I got to work with a crew. Even though it was only 10 people, everyone worked extremely hard and did the best they could. 8 of the ten people were between the ages of 13 and 18, including the lighting, cameraman, and sound departments. They all studied their jobs before filming, and I think that really shows in the final product.

W: Between "Pathogen" and "The Retelling", what are some of the biggest lessons you learned, and what are somethings that you did with "The Retelling" that you wish you'd had known when you shot "Pathogen".

E: -Good sound is key. It is also probably the most unforgiving part for an audience if it's bad because it draws them out of the story.

-Continuity is tough. You really need somebody focusing on it without other jobs.

-The more planning you do in advance, the easier filming will go. This is one of the things I learned with Retelling that I wish I did on Pathogen. Coming up with a budget beforehand helped us do fundraisers and even earn a film grant.

W: With cameras being relatively cheap, and powerful computers being abundant, there are all of these tools at our disposal that previous generations couldn't even have begun to imagine. How do you see things as continuing to change in the future, and where do you think all of this filmmaking technology will be in another generation?

E: I think these tools will become more accessible and professional on a consumer level. Fisher Price even makes a toddler video camera, so I can't imagine new developments in digital technology would be exclusively for professional use. YouTube and voyeurism seem to have become increasingly popular (starting with things like Blair Witch Project), so I would guess that technology would adapt to support that style on a consumer level.

In addition, I don't think that young people can be disregarded for their filmmaking inexperience anymore. With digital developments becoming more prominent, people such as myself have grown up using this stuff. Not only is it accessible to us at an early age, but it's all we know.

W: Overall, what do you think the biggest, most important piece of advice you can offer up to fellow filmmakers in regards to everything you've learned?

E: You'll always need perseverance and teamwork. And the more movies you make, the more you'll learn and improve.

W: Having gotten not one, but two feature-length films under your belt, at an age where most people are just starting Highschool... What comes next for you? Can you tell us anything about any projects you have coming up, and where we can stay out on the lookout for them?

E: I am currently working on a feature comedy script with some friends I've been making movies with for the past few years. I'll be updating my website soon, but my new feature, "The Retelling" has a facebook fan page.

W: Thanks for talking with me, and I encourage everyone to check out Emily's site, order a copy of Pathogen, and try to catch "Zombie Girl: The Movie" if they can to see your inspiring story in-depth! If you can't then at the very least, check out the trailer below.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Necronomicon

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:51:03 EDT

While we've dove both into the Lovecraftian AND the Raimian before, something that you guys have requested quite a few times is how to make your own cursed Sumerian book of the dead. So I thought I would tackle the build and show you how to make your very own Necronomicon for cheap.

First, start with a pan. We've got to stain the pages to give it an aged look, so whatever book you get, try to find a pan about half the depth of the book. Now, prepare some REALLY strong tea, coke also works well BUT since it's got sugar in it it's sticky, so personally I prefer very strong black tea.

For the book, I chose this spiral bound sketchbook. I picked a sketchbook because the pages are blank, and are a bit heavier. But just dip it in the pan, then flipped it over and let all the tea soak in to the book.

The next step is the waiting game, it can take up to a full 24 hours or more for the book to dry fully, so just open it halfway then flip through it occasionally to help keep the pages from sticking together. Hitting it with a hairdryer can also really help speed it up, so consider it. But once you're done you'll get this really nice marbled yellowed aged look that can really help sell the effect.

After it's dried sufficiently, cover the spine with a strip of black duct tape, keeps it sealed up and makes it look more like an old book.

Now get a section of newspaper approximately the same size as the cover and tear it around the edges and crinkle it up a bit.

Soak the newspaper in some white glue, and crinkle it up to start giving it a rougher "organic" texture like veins.

After it dries a little, I carve slits for the eyes and mouth, you can make yours however you want, but this is just a generic take on the "Necronomicon" face.

I then did the same with another layer of newspaper, building up more depth.

Now, for the "skin layer". Using the bathroom paper and white glue, "liquid latex alternative", you can get a skin looking texture really cheaply.

Now, once that is done drying, now it's time to start painting. Start with a basecoat of just basic peach/flesh toned paint, you can get it by mixing a little red, white, and brown together.

Now, I added some darker sections (mixed a tiny bit of black and red into it, then blended with a very dry brush). Then added black paint the the "eyes" and "mouth" sections to try to add some depth to it and make it look more defined than it really is. (You could of course get it more defined by building up more newspaper and tissue layers to begin with, but that would take significantly longer to dry, so mess around with it to see what you like the most).

I darkened it a little bit more, you might want to go the film route and almost make it black, but really whatever appeals the most to you.

Now to the final questions, how to hide the spine on the inside, and what to draw inside (and with what?). For the spine question, just don't open it all the way, the pages easily flop over in such a way that they can keep the spine hidden, so just be careful with your angling and it shouldn't be a major concern. As for what to write... You can find plenty of collections of the Sumerian Alphabet on-line, as for any illustrations you don't really need any real sketching skill, really if you're having trouble just dig up a copy of Gray's Anatomy (the book not the TV show), and trace stuff out of it and then put that in the book. Lots of drawings in that book that can look quite creepy when drawn in what looks like blood surrounded by Sumerian. As for the "ink", I used 2 parts fake blood (like theatrical, you want the kind that dries crusty and gets darker), a drop of red food coloring, and a drop of brown ink. Mixed together you get a nice dark red that looks like dried blood, the random chicken scratch in the above picture took me about a minute of just random scribbling, and in the proper lighting and not seen dead on would most likely look not so silly. So it doesn't take a lot of time or energy to get the book filled, AND you won't need to fill every page if you're hero is only going to be raising the dead from reading a page, so tops you'll only need to fill maybe 10 pages with chicken scratch and you can use editing tricks and different angles to make it look like its more pages.

So there you go, your own cheap Necronomicon, hope it helps!

Grace picks the Top 5 winners of Netflix's OSR Challenge!

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:04:34 EDT

Hello! Grace Randolph here, host/creator of web show Beyond The Trailer which gives you behind the scenes info and audience reactions to the latest movies! Every week on the show, I ask you for your One Sentence Reviews (OSRs) for the biggest movie of the weekend – but now, thanks to Netflix, you have the chance to enter an OSR for ANY MOVIE you watched over the weekend!

I’m the judge of this weekly contest, and below are the Top 5 OSRs for the first week! And number one is getting a Netflix soccer shirt!

So enjoy these succinct, insightful, and hilarious OSRs – and check out the movies themselves on Netflix! For those of you new to Beyond The Trailer, I hope you’ll stick around and check out the show and our community of avid moviegoers!

NETFLIX ONE SENTENCE REVIEW CHALLENGE – TOP 5

5 - Paul Logasa Bogen II for BECKET:
"Becket is the moving story of friends ill fated to be enemies in the struggle between Church and State in one of its earliest scrimmages.

4 - Robby Garfinkel for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
"The pretense of a great movie, without the existence of one - Fincher draws in the Hollywood coloring book without going outside the lines."

3 - Valerie Kleinheksel for THE FISHER KING
"Never has lying naked in Central Park with a homeless man looked so doggone appealing."

2 - Jeff Wood for JOHN ADAMS: DISC ONE
"I hold these truths to be self evident, that 'John Adams: Disc One' is a spellbinding reintroduction to the birth of the United States and is carried start-to-finish by the power of Paul Giamatti."

And the winner of the Netflix Soccer Shirt is...

1 - Sue Nowak Smith for TAKEN
"Who's you Daddy - well if you're a teenage girl traveling alone, you better hope it's Liam Neeson in 'Taken'."

On how to enter:

Visit Netflix’s Facebook page on Mondays and write your OSR as a comment to the post announcing that week’s contest. 24 hours later I’ll announce the Top 5 right here on the Beyond The Trailer blog!

Tarantino's Top 20 Movies Since 1992

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:58:28 EDT

I thought this was really interesting, Quentin Tarantino recent did this interview, in regards to his Top 20 favorite films since he started as a Director in 1992. I thought it was a really interesting list, with a wide berth of choices, and it's fun to hear him just talk about what movies he likes and why. So Mogulers, what are YOUR TOP 20 Favorite Films since 1992? Do you think Tarantino made some great decisions? Or do you totally disagree with him? Post your list answers below!

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: R/C Cameramount

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:55:09 EDT

A lot of you guys have asked a lot of questions about how to accomplish a variety of difficult camera shots that you find hard to do with the regular dolly (specifically getting dolly shots under tables of beds), and I thought I would share a novel solution to this problem with the Remote Controlled Camerapod. It can get the nice dolly shots you want, under almost anywhere, all for under $25 dollars. Check out how after the jump.

Start by getting a R/C car from your local toystore. This one cost me around $18, and is nice and wide. You can spend more and get a way more powerful car which would easily be able to carry a larger camera (but keep in mind that it'll also be harder to get under most surfaces the bigger you make the rig), but for most palm sized camcorders a $15-20 model should be more than sufficient.

Check around underneath it, most of these toy cars have thin (kinda flimsy really, they want to keep these things light so they go faster) covers, just check around on the bottom and unscrew them, and it should pop right off.

With the case removed it should look something like this. If your top case is mounted differently, or you can't remove it, tell me what the issue is and i'll try to come up with a solution for your model. Otherwise, you can just try to mount the next step on top of the case instead of removing it. But I like removing it because most cars have this wide flat surface to mount things on, AND this takes a few ounces of plastic off thus helping a little with the weight issue (since your camera will most likely be quite heavy.)

I found this table tripod in the same store for like 3 dollars, if you can't find the same model, once again it should be fine, there are all sorts of kind of micro-tripods and it shouldn't be hard to find one VERY similar to this.

Just try to figure out a way to balance it on the flat part that words best for you. I did this since the motor in the back seems to be a bit more substantial , but each cars balance and structure will be a bit different, so just mess with it until it balances easy without any support.

Then I get some plumbers epoxy and molded it around the bottom of each peg, attaching it to the base firmly. Then tested the camera on it, and there you go, it's more or less done.

And there you go, the R/C Camera Dolly, great for tracking shots that have to go under objects that it wouldn't be easy to get yourself under, any kind of floor level shots, or even get creative and maybe make it look like PoV from a Monster's eyes while it's running across the ground. See what you can do with it, i've been messing around with it and can do some really amazing things. I was surprised at how sharp it can turn and with some practice I feel quite confident that I could do a quick floor level 360 pan around an actor, or other complicated curved paths that would be hard to do by other methods. Can't wait to see what some of you guys can accomplish with the idea!

Colin: The $70 Zombie Film

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:14:31 EDT

Old News, but I thought I would post this on the blog to tell the uninitiated about it. This year at Cannes one of the most talked about films didn't have a budget close to the GDP of most former Soviet splinter republics, world uberfamous stars, or a marketing budget that once again makes most third-world nation weep with shame... No, it was a little indie-British film that was shot for about $70 on handycams.

Colin, which mixes up the Zombie genre a bit by following the monster around for the majority of the film, has been showing to packed houses in Great Britain, and has already lined up distributors for Japan. No new news on an American release yet (That I could track down anyway), but it's bound to happen sooner or later.

Regardless of how quickly it gets here, just once again highlights, underlines, and intalicizes the fact that you DO NOT need an amazing camera or a huge budget (or even tons of experience, this is the first film by the Director who admits to getting most of his knowledge from DVD Director Commentaries!) to make a movie that people will want to watch. You just need plenty of enthusiasm, and a love for what your doing. (Although plenty of friends helping you out, and buckets of fake blood thrown everywhere never hurt ANYONE.)

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Fake Fingernails

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:51:18 EDT

This week I thought I would do a really simply effect that's been requested a few times, and I thought I would do my cheap-o take on it. Fake fingernails that can be peeled or broken off without putting yourself through excruitiating torment, or costing you an arm and a leg (though those seem related..). All without spiritgum or liquid latex. Catch more on how I did it after the jump.

Firstly, instead of trying to mold your own out of acrylic, I would suggest going to the "pros" for this. I got this pack of assorted fake nails in the cosmetics aisle at my local supermakret for about 3-4 dollars. Not a major investment, and there are an entire assortment of sizes here, so there will definitely be one to fit your actor, and if you want to keep going there are more than enough nails here to cover at least 3-4 actors hands (probably even more with some creative editing).

I got some cheap "peach" colored acrylic paint, and dabbed it on my finger, giving it a rough stippled texture with my brush, then let it dry completely.

Then I added a dab of blood (you might want to do this right before you apply the nail, it depends on how wet you want it. Some fake blood dries out a little and can give it a more crusty/gummy look.

After picking the right nail the fits your finger (it's nice if it's a bit too big), get a nail clipper and a file and trim it to the length you need (since fake nails bias towards the long side), and file it a bit to smooth the shiny/smooth coat it has, so it doesn't look like your character just got a professional manicure on a single finger.

Now, put the fake nail over your finger, and put a piece of toliet paper over it, then coat the toliet paper with white glue to smooth it out. Now wait for it to dry.

Once it's dry, scratch off most of the toliet paper on the nail, and push the remaining to the edges to give the nail a "lip". Now it's just a matter of adding a little more paint and fake blood to get it just right...

Then you can peel it off gruesomely to your hearts content. Great for zombie make-up, crime scenes (if your character maybe got into a bad fight and had their nails busted off), or horror or war films (if a character gets their finger injured or gets tortured for instance).

Add some more fake blood (like in the first picture), and pull it off a little more and you can have a great "hanging fingernail" look for a zombie or ghoul hand. Good luck!

The Merricam - Turn your tripod into a stabilizer

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:26:47 EDT

Although we've covered a variety of camera stabilizers here at Indy Mogul before, I thought that this Moguler created tutorial on a quick way to turn your tripod into a DIY Steadicam was great enough to pass on. Check it out guys!

Massify Interview: Defining Cinematography

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:32:05 EDT

Massify Interview: Defining Cinematography from Massify on Vimeo.

Massify recently did this really great interview with DP's Jendra Jarnagin and Sean Porter, about what why (and how) they became cinematographers and a lot of great advice about what goes into being a cinematographer. Check it out Mogulers, lots of great info here.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Fake Tears & Crying

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:51:51 EDT

This week I am going to cover something that's been requested a bunch, but that's yet to really be covered, which is making fake tears when you don't have actors that can't cry on cue (which are harder to find than you'd imagine.) This is going to focus more on the HOW TO, rather than showing in pictures, (Since I can promise you a dozen pictures of me crying would not only make a terrible blog entry, but wouldn't add much to the instructions on how to replicate the effect). So here you go, a step-by-step on how to make an actor look like they are crying realistically.

Step 1: Getting your actor distraught looking. Coaching an actor to cry or show a great deal of sadness (especially a non-professional one who might be uncomfortable with trying to cry on cue), can be a daunting task for even the most well prepared of indie directors. It's a good idea to talk to the actor beforehand to explain exactly what you're going to need. Ask them to prepare beforehand, give them some time to get in the right "mood" for the scene. Ways to help them get in the right mindset for the moment is to have them thinking about something sad that has occured in their life, or of something that affected them deeply. This is tricky terrain because you could end up with an actor so depressed that it'll be hard to get them back up for a scene that doesn't require them to be crying, so it's a good idea to either try to not have them dwell on it for to long, or simply plan for all of the scenes with them crying or having to be sad on the same day so they can keep flowing with the mood. Acting is a really tricky thing, and can be really taxing for people that take it seriously, so just try to give your actors time since these are some of the hardest scenes for many people to do.

Step 2: Learning to conceal with cuts. Now that you've got your actor looking saddened, just before you need them to actually start shedding tears, make room for you to cut away to something else, such as another character in the same room, or for example if they are looking at a photo or some object that is making them sad, cut to it. That way it leaves room for you to turn off the cameras and apply fake tears to their eyes, so then you can turn the camera back on, and film it rolling down their cheek.

Step 3: Applying the fake tears. Something i've always used is basic Saline, it's cheap, you can get it in big squeezy bottles, and it's really easy to find. Just make sure you aren't getting some with other ingrediants other than salt and water, also be careful some saline can have a pretty high salt concentration and it can dry out your eyes, i've never had any issues BUT that doesn't mean you won't so the SAFEST option is something that is made specifically to be put into your eyes. Any kind of brands of eye drops for clearing up dry or irritated eyes will work, BUT find ones WITHOUT any real medical ingredients in them and check the warning label. You don't want to overuse these because they can irritate your eyes, so use sparringly, but it's the safest option since eye drops are made to actually be put into your eyes. Anyway for the scene, you have your character looks distraught, cut away, put the eye drops in (just enough for them to look like their eyes are welling up), THEN film your character and have them blink their eyes, making the eye drop fall out of their eye and down their cheek.

Step 4: More tears. The next step is to have them go with it, you don't really need to keep seeing the tears role down (although your scene may call for it), but you can easily have them cover up their face, or rub their eyes in an attempt to stop the tears, but before they do this you can have them dampen their hands, so they can wet the area under the eyes further to make it look like they are really crying hard. Then just use the above trick of covering up the application of more tears into their eyes with cuts and you can have a long continual cry without needing an actor that can cry by themselves. To get good looking streaks down the cheeks, mix up a little clear soap and water, then drip it on their cheeks, it will dry and form very clear tear trails down their cheeks and help add to the illusion that they are crying a lot.

The FINAL step is of course finishing the mood with editing, sound, music, and lighting. If you remember Steve's Basics of Noir tutorial, you remember how important these elements are in expressing a mood, and for very sad or dark scenes you can take a lot from the basics of noir. Stark lighting can really help set a mood, making things look bleak or cold, it's harder for something to look depressing or sad if it's got very bright saturated colors, and plenty of high-key even lighting. Going with a darker more "contrasty" lighting scheme can help a lot.

Editing of course assists with the mood, slower editing can make the scene feel slower and maybe a bit sadder. Spastic action movie editing would feel a bit odd if you're trying to make something look depressing. Also, the music (if you have any) can really help set the mood, check by the Mogulville Free Music Project and request some sad music that would be just right for your scene.

Good luck with your scene! If you have any questions ask them below!

New Video Stabilization Research

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:38:26 EDT

I saw this video on some interesting research they they are doing over at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and thought some of you Mogulers would find it interesting. Frankly I love seeing things that can further expand the professional qualities of filmmakers on a budget, and I can't wait to see what else comes out of their research (or when it'll get implemented in software that we can actually use.)

ITV FEST - 4th Annual Independent Television Festival: July 31 – August 6

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:13:03 EDT

The 4th Annual Independent Television Festival (ITV Fest) will be held in Los Angeles July 31-August 6. The ITVFest, is the nation’s leading festival for independently produced, original television pilots and Web series. The week-long festival is a great event for filmmakers and creative content producers to hear from industry insiders and see the innovative work of others.

ITVFest continues to recognize and support web series and creators of digital content and it offers a great chance to hear some of our industry peers speak, such as Warren Chao of My Damn Channel, Jigar Thakarar of CBS Interactive and Dina Kaplan of Blip.tv . You can check out their full schedule of events and purchase tickets here.

Pilot-makers showcased at ITVFest have gone on to get script deals with NBC, Web deals with atomfilms.com, and development deals at Starz! In addition to major production companies and representation from agencies such as UTA and 3 Arts.

The festival features screenings and hosts several great panel discussions for young and aspiring filmmakers. Here's a few of the festival's panels:

Polish Your Pitch - July 31st, 11:30 AM
This hour and a half, intimate coffee talk walks participants through job placement opportunities in Hollywood and polishing your pitch to sell. Sample show pitches will be fixed in the session. Panelists include: Barbara Weintraub, Executive Producer & Donna Michelle Anderson (DMA), Executive Producer

Development: Executives Explain - August 1st, 2:30 PM
The process of development to many people is a mysterious underworld reserved for the privileged. In this panel, development executives and development gurus will simplify the process, outlining and explaining what to expect, how to protect yourself and how to move your project up the ladder. Panelists include:
Scott Freeman (EVP Bunim Murray); Monika Zielinska (Manager, Comedy Central); David Bickel (Executive Producer, Yes, Dear); Andy Weil (Executive, Berman Braun).

Web TV or TV: Success Stories sponsored by Tubemogul - August 3rd, 3:30 PM
It seems all the major studios are using the internet to incubate talent for other projects at the studios. And now we're seeing the transition more and more. Quarterlife, In the Motherhood, were just the start of this incredible opportunity and trend. At this panel we'll hear from people who have made their web TV show into a TV show and hear all about what the good and the bad about the transition may be. Panelists include: Lindsay Goffman (FreMantle, Secret Girlfriend); Dan Levy (My Long Distance Relationship); Ben and Rafi Fine; David Burch (Tubemogul); Dina Kaplan (co-founder, blip.tv)\

---

Alongside these panels, pilot-makers will be screening 45 of their projects for TV, Web and Mobile. So, if you’re looking to see fresh, innovative content from upcoming talent and want learn insiders' tips on the industry, make sure to checkout the seven day festival and all their offerings.

ITV Fest Website: http://www.ITVFest.org

Top 5 'Orphan' One Sentence Reviews!

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:27:27 EDT

Grace Randolph reporting here from sunny California where I just wrapped up Comic Con 2009! While there's no Movie Math this week (it'll be back next Sunday), I'm happy to present the winners of this week's One Sentence Review Challenge!

#5 - JohnnyTasteTest

"Orphan - a movie so scary, it will probably inspire Angelina Jolie to cancel any pending adoptions."

#4 - BramB600

"It's a wonderful horror for a bit, however, the twist is far too ridiculous to be taken seriously that you'll be asking yourself "What did I just watch?"

#3 - MovieWizGuy

"This is an above average horror flick with its own dark, twisted humor as well as its share of tense and taboo scenes."

#2 - PaceRocks1

"Has enough kinky Grand Guignol moments and scenes of sheer terror to make a quick killing at the box office - even though it borrows from just about every other Bad Seed flick Hollywood has ever unleashed."

#1 - and winner of a pair of free AMC movie tickets! - MyNameIsWinz

"This movie scared me in a different way than I have ever been scared before."

Thanks to everyone who entered and congrats to the Top 5! Next week's One Sentence Review Challenge will be for Judd Apatow's FUNNY PEOPLE!

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Mouth Foaming

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:05:08 EDT

Something that has been requested recently is a way to produce a lot of foam from a mouth for scenes where people are having seizures, or for transformation scenes (like with zombies). While I have seen a lot of suggestions about what to use, I thought I would test a bunch of common foaming agents to see which would work best for your needs.

Rather that just start shoveling baking soda into my mouth and taking pictures of it (which I know EVERYBODY wants to see happen), I thought I would do this in a bit more controlled (and aesthetically pleasing) manner, and test the foaming amount, color retention (how well it holds food coloring), and foaming duration in some clear plastic cups (so you can clearly see what is going on).

First up, is this name brand effervescent tablet that I crushed up, you'll want to crush it up to increase the amount that is exposed to the liquid, thus increasing the speed at which it foams. If you don't you'll get a slow foam that won't look very dramatic, while crushing it up, then taking a swig of water will look much better and look more "explosive". (Warning, this and many other effervescent tablets, CHECK THE LABEL, contains aspirin, so don't swallow the foam, and avoid its use altogether for aspirin sensitive individuals.)

A few drops of green food coloring, and a splash of water, and it foams up quite well. The bubbles aren't huge, but the foam is nice and thick. How you'd generally do this trick on film is that you'd ask your actor to pop the tablets into their mouth, put a couple of drops of food coloring on each tablet before then (if you want it colored, you obviously don't need it colored if they are just having a normal seizure), have them crush it up in their mouth, then RIGHT before you needed it to burst out have them take a swig of water right before you cut to them and they can open up their mouth as it starts to foam out. It holds up color rather well, and you of course can use a lot more if you want it darker, but I think that this would show up really well in your films.

This is a store-brand effervescent tablet that was cheaper. Each packet only comes with one, but each tablet is also larger.

This brand held up the color REALLY well, but it has less dense foam, although the bubbling is stronger, and the bubbles much larger.

Vinegar and Baking Soda is a combination most of us know really well from our childhoods as the ingredients for the model-volcanoes many of us made in grade school. Well one great thing about this mixture is that baking soda doesn't readily react with the saliva in your mouth, meaning that the reaction is a bit easier to control, but also less pleasant to control, since your actor has to take a swig of vinegar to get the reaction going. While vinegar is not poisonous and the mixture is not dangerous (except in the rare case of an allergy to one of thes components obviously), it is not pleasant to have in your mouth, AND as you can see the reaction is VERY fast. It was so quick that I was actually unable to get my camera ready and capture it before it had already subsided (while in contrast the first effervescent tablet mixture was STILL bubbling). If you look closely you can see that the "flood line" almost reached the top of the cup, so it was a LOT of bubbles, but ONLY for a short time. For more explosive effects I think this could work decently well, but you're not going to get a long foam time from this mixture.

And finally, toothpaste. Toothpaste has a bunch of chemicals in it to facilitate foaming (as the foam is easier to clean your teeth with), and is something that is available to almost everyone for more or less free. BUT it's also one of the harder to get foaming since you literally have to swish it around in your mouth for a while before you can get it looking good.

It was hard to get it foaming, and it wasn't a lot of foam produced, but it's cost can't really be beaten, and most likely will be "enough" for whatever you want to do.

So there you go, hopefully this answers some of the questions some of you guys and gals had and helps you choose what you're going to be using for your mouth foaming scene in your upcoming movies.

Submit Your 10 Second Trailers to Indy Mogul

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:57:02 EDT

By now I'm sure you've seen one of the very cool 10 Second Trailers we're running on Indy Mogul. We are always excited to show off your fun, cheap filmmaking, and spread the word that your videos are awesome!

What is a 10 Second Trailer? It's our way of spotlighting all the great things our community does. We need a 5 second intro from you, so we can see your delightful face, and then a 10 second clip or montage from your film. We also want to know where people can go to watch the rest of your flick!

You should be over 18 to submit. Send in your videos to our official submission page. Make sure to title your video "10 Second Trailer: Movie Name." As always, no copyright material or logos in your clip, and don't put any text at the bottom of the screen (I add that part later).

Thanks guys! If you have any questions, email me directly. I respond quickly ... 24 hours a day ... just wait and see ...I can prove it.

WestHavenBrook's: The Danger Element is out!

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:40:04 EDT

The first part of WestHavenBrook's "The Danger Element" whose production we have been following for a long time is finally up and available for you guys to watch for free! Check it out!

UPDATED - Summer Giveaway: free movie tickets from Beyond The Trailer!

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:19:01 EDT

The One Sentence Review Challenge continues! A little less than two months to go in our summer ticket giveaway!

Below is a list of the winners so far! This weekend, July 24th: G-Force!

Beyond The Trailer's One Sentence Review Challenge - WINNERS LIST

Star Trek - YouTube's MB20786 with "Star Trek is a sexy, and visually rich redoing of geeky source material, which surprisingly works on all levels."

Angels & Demons - YouTube's Girux2 with "“It was like a two hour scenic tour of vatican city only less exciting – I give it a 5, generously, for very gingerly grazing the surface of an intriguing topic.”

Terminator Salvation - YouTube's DeaconSnacks with "Terminator Salvation may take place in the future depicted after Judgment Day that we all wanted to visit, but lacks any heart to really justify its existence and, like John Connor says, "'f we stay the course...we are all dead!' - the franchise should take note"

Pixar's Up - YouTube's skatfree with "In a movie season where most of the highest grossing films were either spin-offs or sequels, Up stands out as a movie that challenges Hollywood with a new and interesting plot and storyline, leaving you with a satisfied smile on your face.”

Land of the Lost - YouTube's Checker222 with "Land of the Lost is the kind of movie that proves Hollywood has run out of ideas."

The Taking of Pelham 123 - YouTube's BramB600 with "Travolta and Washington give convincing enough performances, however even they can't save this from becoming that typical summer actioner that the exceptional 1974 original was never meant to be.”

Year One - YouTube's ComedicEmpire with "Take the plot from the movie 10,000 BC and add a bunch of dirty jokes and you get Year One."

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen - YouTube's UnlikelyDéjàvu with “I had no idea that if you packed enough special effects in a movie it could actually compensate for a lack of story line, but I was wrong...”

Public Enemies - YouTube's bluefishswims with “For a film based on someone’s life, the film itself has very little life, little depth, and little character, proving once again that it takes more than just star power to make a good film.”

Bruno - YouTube's goodjoojoo with "Bruno was the dirtiest movie I have ever seen that went further than I could have imagined; for that I loved it."

Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince - YouTube's iDisneyLuver with "The sixth installment in the epic Harry Potter series is an intricate film wrapped around raging teenage hormones, spell-binding special effects, incredible cinematography and top-notch action sequences while still remaining much closer to the source material than its predecessors and is sure to please the biggest fan or, ironically, hater."

Neko Neko Films is back!

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:15:08 EDT

Rockbottom Productions: "Drama Movie" from Neko Neko Films on Vimeo.

That's right Neko Neko films just released a NEW episode of Rockbottom Productions. For those of you who haven't heard of Neko Neko they are an awesome young film group who I met in Texas at SXSW. In recent months they have started producing the "Rockbottom Production" series. Each episode centers around the Neko Neko gang in their hilarious, hopeless, and fictional attempts at making a movie in a specific film genre. As they fail miserably at making the fictional movie that exists within each episode, the genre is actually cleverly woven into their behind the scenes antics. Previous episodes include "Action Movie" and "Horror Movie". and new to the list is "Drama Movie" featured above.

Every episode is entertaining and these guy are a perfect example of what Indy Mogul is all about. WATCH and COMMENT on their newest installment and go on over to there site if you want to learn more!

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Magic Wand

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:24:11 EDT

In keeping with the spirit of this week, I thought I would go ahead and do a simple effect that i've gotten a TON of requests for. How to make your own Magic Wand prop.

Start with a wooden dowel and something to use for the handle. I got this foam cylinder at my local craft store, and I like it because I can shape it and make holes in it without any tools more complicated than a screwdriver, so just for simplicity I like it, but if you wanted you could use a larger wooden cylinder as well.

After cutting off a piece of the foam cylinder, I hit each side against my table a few times to flatten out both ends, then got a screwdriver and just poked a hole in the end.

I then put some hot glue into the hole, and pushed the dowel in.

I then carved the handle down with a knife, but it's still not small enough.

So using my fingers and hitting it with a hammer to mold it, I smoothed it out a little, and brought its size down a little more. Now, if you want some detailing on it, you can carve into it's surface with whatever design you want. If you're in a well ventilated area (I don't know if the foam you get will give off fumes or something, be careful!) You can carve indentions into it with the hot tip.

Now for the paint job, I layed down a reddish-brown to try to make it look a bit more like wood.

Then I went in and did some gold detailing on the handle, and there you go, let it dry, and you've got your own cheap, easy, and simple wand.

Erik Beck and Indy Mogul on TV (Again!)

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:37:27 EDT

Erik Beck of Indy Mogul is fetaured in another episode of the Science Channel's new show "Science of the Movies." The latest episode featuring Erik is titled "The Magic of Henson" and it will be airing this Thursday, July 9th at 10pm on the Science Channel. Erik also appeared on the show last month for their episode on Horror Movies.

Be sure to show your support and check out the episode when it airs.

Here's the Promo for the series:

About the Show:

Science Channel invites you on a geektastic journey to the cinematic intersection of art and science in the all-new "Science of the Movies",
Thursdays at 10PM (ET/PT).

Show Erik your support! Watch the show July 9th at 10pm and leave a comment below.

Movie Math - Blog Edition!

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:40:35 EDT

Turns out dinosaurs vs robots is a draw! Meanwhile Johnny Depp’s latest raid on the box office comes up short. How little did he get away with? Let’s find out with some Movie Math!

In a battle that shockingly didn’t involve Jerry Bruckheimer, Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs tied with Transformers Revenge of the Fallen for the number one spot at the box office! Both claim to have made $42.5 million over the holiday weekend, but one will be branded a liar when the smoke clears Monday afternoon. Who’s fudging their numbers? Did Fox want to lay claim to the number one spot for Ice Age 3’s opening weekend, or did Paramount want to claim two number one spots in a row for Transformers 2? But no matter who comes out on top in the end, Fox still has plenty to brag about as Ice Age 3 made the biggest worldwide debut for an animated movie ever: $148 million. As for Transformers 2, it’s already up to $293 million in just twelve days, making it the top grossing film of the year. An impressive feat, but it still falls short of the $334 million The Dark Knight made in just twelve days last year. Yeah, nobody beats Batman…

Coming in next is Public Enemies with $26 million for the weekend – not much for a summer blockbuster but quite the haul for Johnny Depp. Still riding the sails of the Black Pearl, there’s no doubt audiences’ love for Johnny Depp has increased since his involvement in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. This is Depp’s non-pirate debut since Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which opened at $56 million. And while Public Enemies’ five day haul of $41 million puts it in range of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it’s performing more like another Depp & Burton pairing: Sleepy Hollow which opened at $30 million. That made it up to $100 million in the end, which is most likely what Public Enemies will escape with from theaters. Now for the One Sentence Review Challenge results! Here’s the Top Five and remember, all summer long number one will be getting a free pair of AMC movie tickets!

#5 – PolarPuberty: “Sleek, cool, a damned right fun - although Dillinger's popularity isn't explained enough for the common viewer, you still root for him all the way to the end.”

#4 – UtopianProductions: “Depp and Bale in an elegant dance with bullets.”

#3 – Hope4QuantumFilms: “For a movie that lacks distinctive character identities and very often looses focus on the progression of the main plot, Public Enemies "has its moments" and ends with a final act that is significantly better than the previous ones.”

#2 – zachisgood: “John Dillinger's wikipedia page is more intense and interesting than this bummer of a film.”

#1 – bluefishswims: “For a film based on someone’s life, the film itself has very little life, little depth, and little character, proving once again that it takes more than just star power to make a good film.”

And since I’m away for the 4th of July holiday, unfortunately I haven’t seen any movies! Whaaaat?! But I will be back with Beyond The Trailer this Friday covering Bruno and I Love You Beth Cooper, and Movie Math will be back as usual on Sunday! I’m Grace Randolph and we just did some Movie Math!

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Prop Scalpel

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:49:16 EDT

Even though i've covered fake stabs and cutting before, a lot of you have been requesting how to make more "medical"-based tools, and I think a good place to expand on my Syringe build from a few weeks ago would be to make one of the most basic medical tools, the Scalpel.

I think the best base for this prop is a X-Acto knife, that should by default be a part of your prop building kit already. The issue with using this as a prop is it's obviously a REAL BLADE, it can cut you just as bad as a real scalpel. So first of all, we're going to have to fix that.

I got this piece of sturdy cardstock (you could use some poster paper, you just need something that is thin but with some stiffness to it.) Then sketched out the rough shape of the scalpel head.

Then using the knife, I cut it out as smoothly as possible. (You don't want a lot of paper fringe coming off of it, since you want it to look like a single piece of hard metal.)

Paint both of them with a shiny silver paint.

Now just attach the fake head, and utilizing the bulb method that I used in my stabbing and cutting tutorial, and you can safely run it against your actors skin without causing actual harm, or having to file down and ruin a good cutting head.

Awesome Music Video Shot With Webcams

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:24:25 EDT

A friend of mine sent me this amazing music video shot entirely with webcams, and I just had to post it up. This once again illustrates the entire point of Indy Mogul, that it doesn't matter if you don't have an amazing camera, or professional actors, with a good idea, and hard work, you can make something truly amazing.

Disposable Film Festival '10 - Submit now!

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:37:09 EDT

Disposable Film Fest '09 Promo from Disposable Film Festival on Vimeo.

Our friends over at the Disposable Film Festival, are currently accepting submissions for 2010! If you don't remember, the DFF is a festival dedicated to telling good stories with sub-cinematic equipment.

It doesn't matter if it's shot on a cellphone, the video feature of a point-and-click, or an old crummy camcorder, the Disposable Film Festival wants your ultra-low-budget shorts. So check it out today over at the Disposable Film Festival website, and go over to their Vimeo Channel to see some of the winners from the last few years.

BTT's newest intern!

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:30:37 EDT

Hollywood is a tough business to break into, so you gotta start making inroads ASAP!

Take Beyond The Trailer's newest intern, Mady Sabia. She's the daughter of BTT's director/DP John Sabia and his lovely wife Lisa, who you can see on BTT's Ice Age 3 episode.

Here's Mady on the set - already weighing in on creative decisions! Look at her scrutinize the shot!

Internships are fun! Be sure to keep an eye out for exciting opportunities, and if you're going to be in the NYC area and want to intern at Indy Mogul, give us a shout out at internships@nextnewnetworks.com!

Wesley's Weekly PRESENTS... Advanced Bruises

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:26:39 EDT

Hey Guys, Wes here. I am busy with a project this weekend, so once again fellow Moderator and Make-up Expert Arissa Beck has offered up her services, and is here to show you a new fantastic make-up tutorial to help make all of your films a little better. Take it away Arissa!

~~________________________________________________________~~

ADVANCED BRUISE MAKE-UP

BY: Arissa Beck

Hey there Indy Moulers! It’s me Arissa Beck back wit some make-up effects for you. This week I’ll be showing you how to create a realistic bruised eye effect.

This type of effect can be adapted to most parts of the body. With a little creativity and a basic understanding of human anatomy, you can make anyone looked batter and bruised without have to put up your dukes.

Supplies:
• Nose & Scar wax
• Liquid Latex
• Crème or Powder shadows
• Brushes
• Small blending spatula

You want to start off with a clean fresh face. Have your model wash their face with a special cleanser or some soap and water. You want to remove some of the natural oils the face produces. This will help the wax and latex adhere better.

You want to take a small amount of the nose and scar wax and place it above your models eye. Place it on the brow ridge. This will help simulate a swollen ridge from trauma.

Start by smoothing the blob of wax with the small spatula. If you can’t find a small enough tool to work with, use the end of a make-up or paintbrush.

After you have the eye brow ridge smoothed, seal the wax with a very thin layer of latex. This will help everything remain in place as well help your make-up stick when applying it.

You can then start on the cheek area. Using the same technique as above, take a small amount of wax and add it to the highest part of the cheek.

Smooth and seal like above. After the latex is dried, powder the latex to keep it and other things from sticking to it. You now are ready to apply your make-up.

You want to start off with applying your lightest colors first. In this case yellow. Apply it to the peaks of the wax. Look at photos of how real bruises appear for inspiration and help.

Next is the process of blending by adding other colors. I moved on with a brown color.

Next are some reds. Again use your brush to blend and reference photos to help you see the bruise.

Next add some purple. And you want to add a bit of red on the top lid and lower lid to create irritation.

More blending. At this point you want to use a flesh tone to add some highlights in some spots as well. You can also use a stipple sponge with some red crème make-up on it to simulate broken blood vessels.

When you are satisfied with how the bruise looks you are finished. Now it’s time to make freak out everyone with your realistic bruised eye.

I hope you guys enjoyed this make-up tutorial. Please sow your support by leaving some comments down below.

Open Call for Indy Moguler Videos!

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:47:49 EDT

The call has sounded for even more videos from you! We are looking for viewer testimonials about how you found Indy Mogul, how often you watch, who you've told about it, and why you like the network. We want to know! We need to know! Be creative, be funny, and become part of Indy Mogul. (Beware copyrighted music because then we can't use it)

To Submit Your Video...Click HERE!

Thanks to those who've already submitted! Watch the video below to see what the Indy Mogul fans have been submitting and to get a better idea of what we're looking for.

flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="300" width="400">

Send in your Indy Mogul testimonials! from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Let's let the world know about the greatness that is IndyMogul! Thanks everybody, you really do rock. Keep making your amazing videos.

Submit your Viewer Video HERE

Get ready to go through the Looking-Glass with Tim Burton!

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:28:40 EDT

Ah yes, another remake! But this one hardly looks familiar! These images are from Tim Burton's upcoming ALICE IN WONDERLAND, which Disney will release next spring in Digital 3D and IMAX 3D. What you're looking at here is Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bohnam Carter as the Red Queen, and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. Based on USA Today's recent article, it looks like this will be like RETURN TO OZ.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-06-21-alice-in-wonderland_N.htm

So, does Burton still have the magic touch or has he lost his head? Is this more Burton than Carroll, or are they kindred spirits?

For me, while interesting, I don't know if I want to see that Mad Hatter coming at me in 3D!! :P

P.S. Thanks for viewer Will Budd for the heads up on this story!

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Wooden Club Prop

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:31:49 EDT

In trying to keep with this week's Paleolithic theme, I thought I would undertake a really simply prop that you could use to supplement any caveman costume you might want to make. The basic club is something that you see time and time again in a lot of Prehistoric films, and could easily be used in a lot of different situations when you need some kind of stick or club to hit someone else with that won't actually knock them unconcious.

Start with a soft green floral foam block.

And carve out a hole in the end that is about the size...

For whatever you want to use as the handle. I cut a cardboard shipping tube in half and used it, since it's rigid enough to act as a handle, but not so rigid as to hurt if someone were hit with it.

Then, I carved the shape of the foam block a little to try to make it look a little more "organic".

Then using a mixture of flour, water, and white glue, I soaked some newspaper in it, and paper mache'd the outside of the "club" to smooth it over and give it a bit more "hard" look.

I started by layering different shades of brown paint with a rough bristled brush, so there is a brown texture on it.

I went back over and did some detailing in dark brown and black, and there you have it, a really simple wooden looking club that you can use in your films.

The Danger Element - Trailer

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:50:47 EDT

Our friends from WestHavenBrook finally released the trailer for their upcoming film, "THE DANGER ELEMENT", which I have been posting Production Blogs up for, for a while now. So check it out, then stop by BattleJitni.com to stay updated on the film!

Wesley's Weekly SPECIAL: Blood Test II: Return of the Blood Test

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:26:16 EDT

Last month, I did a special on the blog called The Blood Test, well I enjoyed doing it so much, and got such a good response from it last month, that I thought I would undertake it once again, and show some of the less common (and not so uncommon) bases for fake blood i've read about. Submitted for the approval of Mogulville.. Wesley's Weekly BLOOD TEST 2: RETURN OF THE BLOOD TEST!

SAMPLE #1 - Non-Dairy Creamer

I had read that Non-Dairy Creamer was a nice base for an opaque blood that showed up well on dark backgrounds, (You'll see that opaque blends will be a reoccuring theme this time). It is quite bright, and a little bit to saturated looking, but i'm sure that with a little bit of green you could darken it up a bit and make it look a bit darker.

It sticks well to skin, and shows up very well, but like I said previously, has a very bright look.

Shows up pretty well on fabric. Absorbs nicely without losing to much color.

Also, think it splatters nicely, nice even ground as far as thickness goes I think.

SAMPLE #2 - Lotion

It is kind of pastel and very bright, very similar to the Non-Dairy Creamer in color. Although, same as the creamer I had to add a LOT of food coloring to start to get it to a nice red color.

I think it smears really nicely on the skin...

I think it shows up on fabric really nicely as well, even though it's a bit thick.

I don't like the splatter that much, it looks kind of gummy and sticks together to well.

SAMPLE #3 - Aloe Vera Juice

I had to add less food coloring to this to get it red, but it doesn't look a lot like blood to me. It has an ok viscosity in the jug I got (I got A LOT of it for only 4 dollars), but once it gets in the cup, it's a lot closer to water.

It's to watery and doesn't show up on the skin really well, but I guess it wouldn't be terrible as a "mouthful of blood", or as blood in the blood pump.

It doesn't show up on fabric real well, and it's a little pink.

It splatters well, but it's hardly discernable on the white background of my table.

SAMPLE #4 - Ketchup

Probably one of the first fake blood that most of us remember using for anything (I can remember more than one Halloween simply smearing Ketchup on my face with plastic Vampire teeth and trying to claim that was a costume), it's actually not bad for being so easy to get ahold of. It is pretty thick, and it's viscosity is way more than blood, but watered down a little, and with a little red added, it actually can be pretty decent.

It looks nice and bright, and smears pretty well on the skin.

It works well on fabric, but doesn't soak in very well. But I think it still looks pretty decent.

It does not splatter very well though as it is so thick, but I think with it being watered down a little more I think it could be acceptable. It might make a decent congealed blood though if you darken it a little with a little green food coloring.

SAMPLE #5 - White Glue

The glue did not take to the glue as well as I desired, becoming quite pastel. A dried pigment might make it a bit more vivid, that seems to work in Nihonga painting (where they make paint from glue and pigment). But it's viscosity is also an issue, since it's so thick, so definitely water it down even if you can get it redder.

It's opacity is nice, but once again it's worthless if it's soft pastel instead of a vivid red. Smears nicely, but worthless as a blood application. Maybe decent as a application of a 2nd Degree Burn though.

It looks decent on fabric, but it's still too pink.

It splatters ok, but it beads too much, and it's just way too thick.

SAMPLE #6 - Acrylic Paint

This is one i've read about a few times. I've primarily read about this one in relation to old 70's Kung-Fu films, where this (and other opaque blood mixtures) would be utilized because regular corn syrup blood is very hard to see on the Black Fabric of many of the costumes. So they needed something that would show up even against a very dark background, thus Red Acrylic Paint was used in some of the films.

It shows up well on the skin and is very vivid, but can easily stain, so BE CAREFUL.

It is VERY bright on fabric, but doesn't soak in well. It also dries very quickly, so be careful about that.

It beads up to a similar degree as the white glue mixture, so pretty thick, this is definitely one to water down.

SAMPLE #7 - Milk

The milk has an ok viscosity, better than straight water definitely, but because it's white by default, it doesn't take to the color red very easily, and suffers from a similar issue that I had with the white glue, turning pastel rather than bright red.

It sticks ok to skin, but it's too pastel to really be viable for me.

It actually soaks into the fabric pretty well, but once again it's very pastel so that is a big issue as well.

It splatters ok, but once again i've got to go back to the pastel. This would probably work find as a additive to corn syrup blood to help it be more opaque (which is what i've heard it used as more commonly than simply by itself), but on it's own, it just doesn't work very well for realistic blood.

SAMPLE #8 - Hair Gel

The hair gel is pretty good, it takes the food coloring really well, especially for how thick it is. But it still has a consistency close to gelatin.

It smears pretty well on the skin, and stays on really well.

It sticks to fabric really well, but doesn't soak in very much.

It doesn't splatter very well as it's very thick, but might respond better if it's watered down a bit.

SAMPLE #9 - Honey

Honey works pretty well, it's a nice thickness, and is pretty close to corn syrup, so if you can't find corn syrup in your area (as a few of our overseas Mogulers have reported), honey can definitely act as a stand-in.

It sticks pretty well and responds very closely to how corn syrup responds.

It sticks pretty well, and looks pretty close to how corn syrup looks on fabric.

It splatters decently, but it's a little thicker than i'd like, i'd suggest watering it down just a tad, but other than that it's almost perfect.

STAINING RESULTS:

After washing the cloth (once again no bleach, single wash cycle, no drying), the following stay stained after retrieval...

1. Non-Dairy Creamer - Minor Stain

2. Lotion - No Stain

3. Aloe Vera Juice - No Stain

4. Ketchup - Minor Stain

5. White glue - Medium Stain

6. Acrylic Paint - Major Stain

7. Milk - No Stain

8. Hair Gel - Minor Stain

9. Honey - No Stain

There you go guys! Hope this test helps you pick out the right blood for your films! Good luck!

Erik Beck and Indy Mogul on TV Tonight!

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:30:22 EDT

Erik Beck and Indy Mogul are on the Science Channel Tonight at 10pm. Show Erik, BFX, and Indy Mogul your support by watching tonight and letting us know what you thought in the comments below!

Adam Savage's Colossal Failures

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:51:05 EDT

A few months ago, I posted this talk that Adam Savage gave on his obsessions, and you all seemed to really enjoyed it, so I thought you all would really enjoy this other discussion that Adam Savage gave about failures and their importance to the development of a person for Make Magazine's Maker Faire.

Indy Mogul LIVE - June Edition! (Re-Broadcast)

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:43:52 EDT

Enjoy the recorded version of Indy Mogul Live - June Edition from the June 4th, 2009 broadcast. The Indy Mogul crew answers viewer questions about filmmaking, movies, and more. The debate segment was a face-off between M&M's and Reece's Pieces!

Leave your comments below!

Erik Beck and Bobby Miller Acceptance Speeches at 2009 Webby Awards

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:10:20 EDT

Indy Mogul's Erik Beck and Bobby Miller were honored at last night's 2009 Webby Awards. Erik accepted two webby Awards for Backyard FX 's win in the Best Special Effects category. Bobby accepted the award for Best Variety Show for his show "Best Short Films in the World." As you'll notice, the Webby Awards have a unique restriction for all of its acceptance speeches: they can only be 5 words long.

Erik Beck's 5 Word acceptance speech:

Bobby's 5 Word acceptance speech:

As Erik's speech makes clear, Indy Mogul could not have won any of these awards without the votes from you, the Indy Mogul viewers. Thank you again for voting for Indy Mogul and Bobby Miller in the Webby Awards. We have the greatest fans in the world.

Movie Math: The Hangover, Land of the Lost, etc

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:49:04 EDT

Will Ferrell steps in a giant dinosaur-sized turd while trying to make his first family comedy. Just how big is the stink? Let’s find out with this blog version of Movie Math!

#1

Ah, a comeback is sweet but revenge is even sweeter! Todd Phillips scored his first #1 hit as The Hangover debuted with $45 million. Judd Apatow’s got to be a little nervous now about his Funny People which hits theaters next month, perhaps even second guessing his decision to turn himself into James L. Brooks rather than play it safe with another boy-on-boy raunch-fest. THIS raunch-fest reminded many of 2005’s Wedding Crashers, but The Hangover turns out to be more profitable than the party as Wedding Crashers debuted with “just” $34 million. That’s quite a ride for Bradley Cooper who played a supporting role in Wedding Crashers but, only four years later, has graduated to leading man. Plus look for a slew of Zach Galifianakis movies to be coming your way as he challenges Seth Rogen for the title of cuddliest raunchy comedian. And since Wedding Crashers went on to make $209 million overall at the box office, look for The Hangover to post similar numbers. I bet Captain Kirk and company are gonna be pretty surprised to look over their shoulder and see this trio on their heels…

#2

And Pixar’s Up continues to soar as it comes in at #2, falling just 35%. With $137 million in just two weeks, Pixar can rest easy that their box office batting average will be upheld. In fact, it looks like it’ll be clear sailing all the way to Oscar season…

Conspicuously occupying the #3 spot is Will Ferrell, with $19 million all he has to show for his opening weekend. In fact Ferrell seems to be developing a disturbing pattern: hit then flop. While Step Brothers ($30 million opening), Blades of Glory ($33 million opening) and Talladega Nights ($47 million opening) were comedy hits, Semi-Pro ($15 million opening) and Stranger Than Fiction ($13 million opening) were undoubtedly flops. Savvy directors working with Ferrell should take note of this pattern when scheduling their shooting dates. But Ferrell doesn’t have to be too worried because this pattern also proves without a doubt that his fans always come back. In fact his next film is an action comedy with Mark Wahlberg and there’s no way I’m going to miss that team-up, no matter how much Land of the Lost sucked. But not everyone thought Land of The Lost sucked. I asked you to rate the movie on a 1 to 10, and you were very divided resulting in a final score of 7. That’s the same score audiences gave the movie on Friday’s episode of Beyond The Trailer.

Now for the One Sentence Review Challenge results:

5th Place - "thejewmatt" - It's like Jurassic Park meets Talladega Nights without a racecar, but with Matt Lauer that includes an awesome rendition of the old Land of The Lost theme.

4th Place - "TomChatalbash" - Land of the Lost, which is based on the very cheesy television series, provides a few chuckles from Ferrell and McBride here and there, but ultimately fails to be entertaining family adventure due to the poorly conceived script, vulgar humor, over the top acting, and eye rolling special effects.

3rd Place - "SonOfADeathBed" - The Will Ferrell train makes another summer stop and I want to get off!

2nd Place - "pacerocks1" - This dramatically, thematically and artistically bankrupt comic fantasy cost something in the neighborhood of $100 million to make and isn't worth the celluloid it's printed on.

1st Place and winner of the two free AMC movie tickets - "Checker222" - Land of the Lost is the kind of movie that proves Hollywood has run out of ideas.

Elsewhere in the BoxOffice

My Life In Ruins might as well be Nia Vardalos’s career in ruins as it debuted at #9 with just $3 million. Coupled with the poor performance of Connie and Carla, which also opened with $3 million and went on to make just $11 million worldwide, it becomes pretty clear that audiences simply aren’t interested in this Greek Jane Doe. In the specialty market, Away We Go opened in four theaters and sported an impressive per screen average of $32,000 – that means plenty of sold out shows over the weekend. But as Away We Go expands over the next few weeks, we’ll find out if audiences are interested in seeing two television actors even if they are walking to the beat of Sam Mendes’ art house drum.

Movie Reviews

Being that I am away on vacation – so to speak – I saw two movies this weekend!

The Hangover

Was this the FUNNIEST movie I’ve ever seen? No. In fact, I warn everyone not to let the hype overwhelm them because, quite frankly, it would be hard for any movie to live up to the levels of hype this movie is getting. That said, I certainly enjoyed it and it made me miss Las Vegas. Actually, this movie is a great ad for Vegas and I wouldn’t be surprised if Sin City saw an increase in visitors thanks to this movie – which they desperately need by the way as the bad economy is killing the convention business. But good news! Last I checked Vegas hotel rates are rock bottom so you can have your own hangover for a lot less than the $4,000+ they shelled out in the movie. All the actors here did a nice job and nobody stole the show, although Zach Galifianakis came close. Justin Bartha also did a nice job with a thankless role. So overall I think you should definitely see The Hangover, but Star Trek is still my favorite movie of the summer.

Away We Go

A friend of mine really wanted to check it out so, considering Land of the Lost only got a 7 on Beyond The Trailer, I happily agreed. This is a very zen movie – a solid character study of a couple trying to find their way, seeing all the missteps and/or misfortune that have befallen other couples. I was impressed that John Krasinski was able to make me NOT see Jim from The Office, but maybe that was the result of his beard and glasses instead of his acting. However, if he plays his cards right I could see him being the next Tom Hanks. Maya Rudolph also did a nice job, but her role was very subtle and made little use of her comedic talents. Maggie Gyllenhaal also had a fun cameo as a train wreck of a hippie mom, and it was great to see the film deal with her frankly rather than with the reverence usually reserved for the so-called “enlightened”. Therefore I say check out Away We Go, but if you waited for it to come out on DVD it wouldn’t be a crime.

And finally, thanks for reading Movie Math this week! I'll be back with a brand new episode next Sunday, and I'll see you first on Friday as Beyond The Trailer covers The Taking Of Pelham 123, Imagine That, and Moon! I'm Grace Randolph and we just did some Movie Math! :)

ERIK BECK AND INDY MOGUL ON TV!

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:07:06 EDT

Erik Beck of Indy Mogul is a special guest on the Science Channel's new show "Science of the Movies." The episode featuring Erik is titled "Horror Movies - Effects that Scare" and it will be airing this Thursday, June 11th at 10pm on the Science Channel. Erik demonstrates some of the best DIY specials effects from Backyard FX including a new, improved knife-throw effect and more!

Be sure to show your support and check out the episode when it airs.

Here's the Promo for the Series:

About the Show:

Science Channel invites you on a geektastic journey to the cinematic intersection of art and science in the all-new "Science of the Movies",
Thursdays at 10PM (ET/PT).

Show Erik your support! Watch the show June 11th at 10pm and leave a comment below.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Liquid Latex Alternative

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:38:38 EDT

Liquid latex is one of the staples of low budget make-up effects, being used in nearly every one of the masks or costumes we've made here on the site, it's essential for most indie make-up kits. BUT A lot of you out there have mentioned liquid latex either being very difficult to find, or irritating your skin. Not only that, but it's important to be able to quickly improvise something if you run out of latex, or don't have easy access to it on-location. Fear not though, there IS a solution... All the way back in EPISODE 4, Erik mentioned using white glue as an alternative to Liquid Latex, and it peaked a bit of interest, but no real details went into how effective it is, or how it looks. So I decided to finally tackle this for all of you Mogulers out there want wanted a cheap and easy alternative to Liquid Latex.

I am going to utilize my hand as the base for the application, but it can be used almost anywhere. Clean it well to begin with, unlike liquid latex applications though you don't have to dust it, since it's water soluable and can be washed off. (One of it's limitations, since skin perspiration and air humidity will affect the structure of the application over time far more than it will liquid latex.)

Next, get a piece of tissue paper and dampen it gently, so it sticks against your skin.

Get some PVA (White Glue), a little bit of water, and a few drops of paint (brown and white for me). Then blended it together.

Then soak the paper with the mixture. I pour a little in the middle, then smoothed it over all the paper with my finger.

It takes about 15 minutes to dry, with hitting it occasionally with a hair dryer.

I started by laying down a layer of flesh colored make-up to start trying to blend it in, and built up with a few light pinks.

I poked a hole in the middle, and started peeling it up. White glue is less flexible than liquid latex, both metaphorically, and physically. It's a bit more brittle, so you've got to be careful with it, but it doesn't stick to itself as readily, so that is a bit easier.

I darkened the inside of it with some black creme paint, then dabbed fake blood on top of it. As you can see it doesn't look terrible, especially from a distance, BUT my personal experiences...

PROS:

-Cheap

-Easy to get

-Doesn't stick to itself as easily

-Easy to wash off

CONS:

-It's a bit shiny in it's natural state, so I would suggest powdering it to get a more matte layer going on after you're done

-Stiffer, so it can look more artificial

-Longer drying times

-Sensitive to water (that means wet make-ups, fake blood, perspiration, and humidity)

-Less permanent

So in conclusion, for a quick cheap application, I think it does it's job admirable for the cost, and should definitely be a viable option for those on a budget. For more complex applications stick with latex (or for the bigger guys silicone and the like), but for cuts, holes, and the like, I see no reason why this shouldn't be something that could easily save you some time and effort.

Behind-The-Scenes at IMAX

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:10:14 EDT

Recently the guys over at Gizmodo got a behind-the-scenes look at IMAX, and I thought it was really amazing to see all the work that goes on over there to produce an IMAX film. Even though IMAX most definitely is not something that is easily accessible to indie filmmakers like most of us, I still think it's a deeply fascinating look at some of the heights of Cinema technology, and everything that can go into producing such amazing images. So definitely head over to Gizmodo and check out the really interesting observations they had to offer up while behind-the-scenes at IMAX.

Changes in Mogulville!

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:56:30 EDT

Mogulville has always been a wonderful place for fans and fellow filmmakers to learn more about the show, make requests, collaborate, and learn from one another, and in a continued effort to constantly keep improving not only Indy Mogul, but how we can communicate with the Moguler community, we've recently made some updates in Mogulville. Firstly, we've rolled out a new set of rules that we think will make our community a more enriching place to visit and talkin the future. Next, we'd like to announce a brand new group of Mods to help keep the forum's organized, and to answer all of the questions you might have. So swing by, check out the new rule, congratulate the new Mods, and enjoy Mogulville.

Indy Mogul LIVE! This Thursday at 7pm EDT

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:04:52 EDT

Once a month, Indy Mogul broadcasts live for an hour. June's live show will be taking place right here at IndyMogul.com this Thursday, June 4th at 7pm EDT. All the Indy Mogul hosts will be on the show including Erik Beck, Bobby Miller and Grace Randolph. The crew will be taking your calls and answering your filmmaking questions. There'll also be the occasional funny debate.

What:     Indy Mogul LIVE Show
When:    June 4th 7pm - 8pm EDT
Where:   IndyMogul.com homepage

Call in: 347-416-6485
Skype Name: indymogul

Post your questions in the Official Thread in Indy Mogul Forum: Official Q and Erik / Indy Mogul Live Thread

We'll also be taking questions by phone, through the livestream chat room, and, now, through twitter.

Best Short Films Dance Remix - Extended Version!

Sat, 30 May 2009 22:39:17 EDT

This is one of the most amazing audience-generated things I've ever had the honor of viewing.

Jonathan B Cormier is responsible for the dance remix of the Best Short Films in the World show theme (as seen in the finale part 1)...little did I know he made a full length remix (above). This is so cool, Jonathan. Thank you!

Go support his music here and his movies here.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Prop Syringe

Thu, 28 May 2009 22:08:10 EDT

Well they have been requested many times, and I thought that this would be a really easy, really quick effect that a lot of us could benefit from. Syringes are a very common prop in stuff like Medical shows, and the like, and can have a lot of uses in a variety of plots and situations. So since you Moguler's out there wanted to know how to make this really simple prop, I thought it was definitely time to make a tutorial and show everyone out there one way to make a safe and easy syringe prop for cheap.

I start with this, it is an "Oral Syringe" generally used for giving medicine to babies, or animals. I got this at my local supermarket, and only cost me a couple of bucks. You can see it already looks pretty close to a medical syringe without much alteration.

The next part is obviously the needle. I like using mechanical pencil lead for this part, because it's easy to get, it's brittle enough that it generally breaks before it actually pierces skin, so it's safe to use in a prop needle.

Next, I filled the tip of the syringe with some polymer clay...

And there you go. Now, the reason why I filled it with Polymer clay, is that is doesn't dissolve in the water (like air-dry clay), and it still has enough give that when you push the needle against the skin, it still slides back into the syringe body.

If you also want an IV line with this, I have found that just some clear Vinyl tubing taped down works well enough for most scenes.

The Auteurs - Rare films for free!

Thu, 28 May 2009 21:30:53 EDT

Well it is officially Summer for most of us, time to relax and (for many of us) enjoy taking some time off. Well all of this extra time is also a great time to watch some movies, and I found this really interesting new website that is built jsut for that. In Partnership with Criterion, Celluloid Dreams, and Costa Films, they have been restoring and releasing onto the internet tons of really rare classics that can't be found almost anywhere else. The best part? Many of time are totally free.

So definitely something I think a lot of you would love to check out.

Rooftop Films Summer Series

Wed, 27 May 2009 15:20:48 EDT

If you live in the NYC area, Rooftop Films is a great way to spend your summer evenings watching independent films. Rooftop Films is an independent film festival where the screenings take place outdoors on rooftops across NYC. The festival presents feature films as well as themed short films. This weekend the festival is having an animation-themed night on Friday, May 29th. Check it out:

Dark ‘Toons: Optical Illusions
The infirm will walk, the dead will dance, cities will rise up from the earth, and the trees themselves will rebel. Walls will crawl and heads will roll…and then rejoin their host bodies. Anything can happen in a cartoon, and this exhilarating collection of short animated films from all over the world displays all that can be done with the form.

Before the films, Sound Fix presents Javelin . And after the films, everyone in attendance is invited to the Rooftop Films after party at Fontana's where we will be serving complimentary Radeberger Pilsner until 1 AM and hanging out with the filmmakers and the band.

Venue: on the roof of the Open Road Rooftop
Address: 350 Grand Street @ Essex (Lower East Side, Manhattan)
8:00PM: Doors open
8:30PM: Sound Fix presents live music by Javelin
9:00PM: Films
11:30PM - 1:00AM: Open Bar at Fontana’s (105 Eldridge St), courtesy of
Radeberger beer
Tickets: $9-$25

You can purchase tickets in Here

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Cheap Bounce Board

Fri, 22 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT

So we've covered some lighting techniques, and how to assemble a cheap lighting kit in the past. But something that I haven't really talked about how to make (and that is actually really simple) is the basic bounce board. These are really easy to make, and can help really improve your lighting, especially outdoors. They are used to extenuate the lighting sources you already have, and to soften shadows, and as I mentioned they can be invaluable outdoors, helping to give you softer more even lighting when you're dealing with the sun as your primary lighting source. So for those of you looking for them, here is a way to make a bounce board for almost nothing.

I like Pizza boxes for this, because they are basically trash, and discarded by almost everyone, so it's easy to obtain a lot of them easily (and very cheaply) simply by asking around. Just by asking a few friends to give me their empty Pizza boxes, I was able to get a dozen boxes in a few weeks. They are also an ideal shape, since they are hinged in the center, not to mention having a very wide boxy shape. So cheap, easy to get, and a good shape, they make an ideal bounce board.

One drawback that always tends to annoy me is any crusty residue left over from the original contents of the box. The quickest way i've found to get rid of the residue, is to just throw it face down on some concrete, put a foot on top about it and rub it around. The weight of your body coupled with the abrasiveness of the concrete quickly removes any residue and gives you an ideal painting surface.

And all the residue is removed. Next...

I put on a layer of white acrylic paint as a primer, and to seal the rough texture.

I spray painted it a kind of golden bronze color. If you're going to spray paint it, make sure you get a highly reflective paint, it'll usually be designated by a chrome looking cap. You could also use a brush and acrylic paint, but spray painting is much faster.

On the otherside, I stretched a rectangle of aluminum foil approximately the length of the box, and put it in place with Metal repair tape. It is basically just aluminum foil with adhesive on one side, and blends in perfectly with the aluminum foil.

Finally, I ran a piece of twine on the middle segment here, and attached it to both sides with more metal tape. I do this, so I can easily hang the panel up on a wall or a stand, so I don't always need someone holding it.

LIGHTING TEST #1 - Single Fill Light

Here is what the lighting looks like with just a single work light pointed at the subject.

LIGHTING TEST #2 - Silver Reflector

Here is the silver side. It's very shiny so it is reflecting a lot of light. You can see how the shadow is softened a bit on the left side, and that there is now another smaller shadow on the right side.

LIGHTING TEST #3 - Gold Side

You can see how this one gives it a warmer more "orange" tint. With the shadow on the left side lightned less than the silver (since it's less shiny, thus throwing less light back), and the shadow on the right side almost invisible.

The different reflectors have different reflexive characteristics and this should definitely be taken into consideration when you're using them to light your subjects.

But there you go, a double sided reflector for almost nothing, hope it helps you with your next project!

WestHavenBrook's: The Danger Element Day 3 Pt. 2

Thu, 21 May 2009 18:50:06 EDT

Here is the second part of the third day of shooting, for WestHavenBrook's new project. Check it out to see some great behind-the-scenes footage, and see some of the hard work that they are doing!

A Zombie Contest!

Tue, 19 May 2009 15:04:44 EDT

I was recently introduced to an amazing site called LostZombies.com. It's a social network that is attempting to create the first 'community-generated zombie documentary.' Through community submissions, the site is compiling a fictional documentary that catalogues personal stories after the Zombie apocalypse happens. It's in the same vein as the books, World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide.

The site just announced a really simple, but awesome contest where you have to submit a letter that you've addressd to your friends and/or family about what to do if they've been biten by a zombie. You have to register on the site to become part of the community and enter the contest.

Check out the site and join the project. We think it's a really innovative way of combining filmmaking and social media, but leave your comments below about what you think of the concept!

Ira Glass on Storytelling Pt. 4

Tue, 19 May 2009 01:21:23 EDT

Ira Glass, host of the Radio and Television show, "This American Life", held a series of discussion on Current.com talking about the creative process, and storytelling, and I found these pretty interesting and thought that it is definitely something that Moguler community as a whole could benefit from watching. Check out the first part here, the second part here, and the third part here.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Fake Oil/Grime

Sat, 16 May 2009 00:10:34 EDT

Chances are that you've seen at least one movie in your life that featured a shady Mechanic character, or a group of people working together on a machine of some sort. Something that I have always noticed in these scenes is that nearly everyone is always splattered with oil or grime. Little touches like these can really help add to the realism of a scene and really help the audience accept the reality of whatever you're working on. So since a request for fake oil or grime has been presented a few times, I thought I would try to whip up something that could easily work, and not stain everything you own with actual motor oil.

I think one of the best things you can use is black indian ink. Yes, I know what you're saying, "Won't that stain?", the answer is a definitely YES... BUT, only if you don't dilute it properly. You've got to think of it the same way that you think of food coloring. While a few drops of red in some food coloring may not be intense enough to stain your favorite shirt... using the dye straight from the bottle most likely will. The same concept applies here, CONCENTRATION is everything when you're dealing with dyes and paints.

I mixed just TWO DROPS in with the same Glycerine based personal lubricant that I used a few week's ago for The Blood Test, and it turned it a nice dark black, that is still translucent. I think this would be nice for a very light oil.

It's viscosity is nice, and it splatters nicely. While it's very close to oil, it is still a little bit too runny, which could be an issue if you're dealing with a thicker oil.

I think it looks good on fabric, but it gets a little to "gray" for my liking. Hand-washing it in the sink, the "oil" readily came out, so I can say that this isn't a hardcore staining agent, but I would still try to keep from using large amounts on a pourous surface.

Another suggestion I have read in regards to oil and grime, is to use chocolate syrup. This doesn't look to bad, except for me it's a bit too brown, and it's just a little too thick. So...

So, to kill two birds with one stone, I take the glycerine mixture (that remember, was a bit too thin) and mixed it into this, with a couple of extra drops of ink. I like the color of this a LOT more, and it's very dark, yet has that slight slight brown tinge that i've seen in oil and grime.

I like the viscosity of this a LOT more, it's not to thick, and not to runny.

And I really like how it looks on fabric. This also responds well to simple hand-washing, and I think would come out fully after a round in your own washing machine.

So just to go back over it the final recipe that I am happiest with is...

FAKE OIL/GRIME RECIPE:

1 Part Glycerine Based Personal Lubricant

1/2 Part Water

2 1/2 Part Chocolate Syrup

4 Drops of Indian Ink

It has a nice thickness, isn't to runny, sticks to fabric, yet doesn't stain it. I think this is an ideal mixture that could be modified for whatever purpose you need it for in your film.

Good Luck!

What is happening? You need to go to BobbysNewShow.com

Thu, 14 May 2009 13:09:13 EDT

You just saw the finale and now you're wondering: What's next? Check out: BobbysNewShow.com for the scoop!

Bobby's New Show!

Thu, 14 May 2009 13:08:36 EDT

Watch this video! This will answer some questions. I think?

Also! Stay updated on what's going on with the new show! Follow Bobby on twitter here, subscribe to his personal youtube page here, and follow his main page on tumblr here.

JOIN THE NEW SHOW ARMY!

Steam Punk Kid's Show from Weta Workshop

Thu, 14 May 2009 11:29:27 EDT

BoingBoing posted this video of Weta Workshop's new kid's show that uses the steam punk aesthetic. If you don't know, the Weta Workshop is an effects studio in New Zealand that is famous for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and other Peter Jackson projects. Indy Mogul did a Steam Punk Ray Gun episode a few months ago that actually got the attention of Weta and they posted it on their blog.

The show is too young for Indy Mogulers, but the spaceships designed by Weta in the steam punk style are really interesting. Weta proves that even if you are working on a project that isn't meant to be artistic or for a mature audience, you can still infuse creative elements and an inovative style to the work. The pre-schoolers who watch the show don't know anything about the steam punk genre, but the designs give the show a unique visual style that anyone can enjoy and probably help make the work rewarding for the designers.

As a filmmaker, you don't have to dumb down your vision even if your audience can't read.

Q & Erik LIVE (May Edition)

Tue, 12 May 2009 16:12:38 EDT

Q&Erik Live is a monthly web cast in which special effects pro, Erik Beck (along with his panel of experts) answer every and any question you have about films and film making. This is the MAY EDITION and it's now online RIGHT HERE! New episodes air LIVE on the first THURSDAY of every month, at indymogul.com

Pixilation a.k.a. Live-Action Animation

Tue, 12 May 2009 15:10:05 EDT

Pixilation...ever hear of it? Director Matthew Semel and the band Savoir Adore try out this filmmaking technique for their music video. Pixilation is a technique that creates a live-action version of animation. It's a tedious process that requires close attention to detail when shooting, but the end result is really interesting. Watch the video to see how it's done.

On Thursday, check out the music video premiere of Savoir Adore's "MERP".

Erik Beck and Indy Mogul in Maxim Magazine

Sat, 09 May 2009 13:00:00 EDT

If you look inside the May issue of Maxim Magazine, you'll see a clipping from Indy Mogul's own Erik Beck. Erik was asked for his experitse about DIY Comic -Con Costumes for the men's magazine and he provided them with some tips on how to make the costume of G.I. Joe character Snake Eyes...for Cheap! Erik strictly denies the idea that the dude in the images is a characterization of himself, but instead some "husky guy" who is following Erik's instructions. Regardless he has started an exercise regiment by bicycling into work every morning since this article came out. (That's True!)

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Sci-Fi Scanner

Fri, 08 May 2009 21:28:19 EDT

So you built your raygun, got your space suit ready, your transporter on stand-by... It seems like you're ready for your deep space expedition and any situation that you might run up against, but how about one of the most common Sci-Fi Gadget, the All-Purpose Scanner. From the Star Trek Tricorder, to the Motion Tracker from Aliens, high-tech scanning devices are common for any excursion onto an alien planet. So this week, here is a high-tech scanner prop of your very own, for cheap.

Someone asked Erik the other day on Q & Erik, about things he always saves whenever he finds them, like bottles, or something. Something that I always save are the molded plastic blister packs that electronics come in. They always have very interested, almost futuristic looking shapes, which are almost impossible to accomplish on your own unless you've got your own vac-table. So I suggest saving these, I have a few dozen of these from random things i've gotten over the last couple of years. This is from a cellphone charger (I think) and I really like the shape, so i'll use it as the basis for my "scanner".

Now for the doodads i'm going to layer onto the base...This is a calculator I found for 2 dollars. It's hard to find buttons (or at least hard to make good looking ones on your own), so when I find cheap things with buttons on them, I tend to horde them as well.

This is a credit-card size magnifying glass that I found at my local hardware store for a dollar. It also had this little button in it that which you click it lights up a little LED under the magnifying glass. I think the glass looks a little like a little screen, so I picked it, it having a button in it is just an added plus.

For the calculator, I just laid down a base coat of gray primer. Then I started messing with arrangements for what is an appealling way for them to be arranged, and finally settled on this. (The section I painted black has some numbers stamped into it, so I painted it, but i'm going to just end up covering it with paper since the numbers are protruding a lot.

I cut a piece of the calculators cardboard packing off (recycling, yay!) to cover the stamped numbers.

I painted it black, then I took some epoxy, and layed down some wads for where the calculator is going to go.

Then I push it down and let it dry.

Next, it took this bottle cap, and cut a hole for it here, under where the magnifying glass was.

Then epoxyed it into place.

Then put a couple of strips of epoxy here on the top.

Then just pushed it down into place.

I painted a few of the buttons, to help differentiate them, you could probably paint some more, or even do some symbols. I also drilled three holes in the panel on the left side...

Then three more in the top.

Next, I put a sink faucet filter head over it, and epoxy it into place.

Next, I tore out the LED Module back from the flying saucer build a few weeks ago. And I threaded the lights into the three holes on the front, and the three holes on the top, then epoxyd the rest into place under the bottle cap. Then just epoxyed the module into place.

Next, I cut out this piece of foam board and stuck it on the back as a back panel. I then can either epoxy it into place and be a pain, or I get some pins and stick them along the sides to keep it in place. It's up to you, but if you epoxy it into place, it'll make changing the batteries on the LED module a true pain, so consider a "less permanent" option.

And there you go, you're own Sci-Fi scanner. Now just hit the button before you close it up (Or poke a hole in the back panel so you can hit the button with a pencil), and have your lights blink. They are blinking in this picture, you can see a few under the magnifying glass going off, and one of the three holes over on the left going off, but it's kind of washed out from the flash, so they don't look nearly as bright as they actually are, but they are pretty darn bright, especially in the dark where they can almost light up a room on their own.

NOW, all you do is head over to the Freesound Project, and search for sci-fi noises, or scanner sounds (which they have plenty of) and throw that into your film as your actor hits the buttons on it and "scans" the area. OR, even go on to Mogulville (Specifically the Indy Mogul Free Music Project) and ask someone to make some custome "scanning" noises for you.

And there you go, finally all set for your own 5 year mission! See you next week!

Send in your favorite Best Short Films memories & Get on Next Week's SEASON FINALE!

Thu, 07 May 2009 12:43:20 EDT

You've watched Part 1 of "The Best Short Films In The World" Season Finale. Now, listen to Bobby's kid puppet tell you about what you need to do to get featured in the final episode of the Season...Submit your video responses today and don't forget to leave a voicemail too! 646-274-4625. We need your video/voicemail lovin' soon in order to get in next week's episode!

View the Entire Films from Episode 31 - Season Finale Part 1

Thu, 07 May 2009 11:22:55 EDT

You've seen the clips from the show here.
Now, watch the films in their entirety below!

Did you like a film? Hate it?! Discuss it below with other filmmakers and film fans!
Also: If you really like a film, please visit the filmmakers sites and email them and let them know!

BROKEN THINGS
by Vincent Lambe
Email the Filmmaker.
View his website.

COUNTRY ROAD
By Tom Gruber
Email the Filmmaker.
View his website.

MORNING
Directed by Artem Indjikian
Email the Filmmaker.
Visit their website.

Indy Mogul Wins 3 Webby Awards! Thank You!

Tue, 05 May 2009 16:01:11 EDT

Thank You Indy Mogul Fans!!! The Official 2009 Webby Awards Winners were announced this morning and Indy Mogul has won 3 Webby Awards including 2 People's Voice Awards! (Those are what we care about most!)

Indy Mogul

'Official Winner' for How-To DIY

'People's Voice' Winner for How-To DIY

Best Short Films in the World

'People's Voice' Winner for 'Variety'

Indy Mogul wants to thank all of you who voted and gave us your amazing support. It means a lot to us to have such devoted fans who really support what we do. We have the greatest fans and none of our shows would be possible without you. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Best of all, Bobby Miller and Best Short Films in the World beat out Jimmy Fallon for the People's Voice Award! You all helped make the competiton fun and exciting, and in the end you made it happen. We did it! But, we do want to congratulate Jimmy for winning the Official Award and thank him for being a good sport, playing along with us through it all.

We also have to congratulate our Next New Networks friends Barely Digital on their win of both the Official Award and the People's Voice Award in the category, "BestVideo Remix/Mashup" for their video, Bill O'Reilley's Producer - The Unseen Footage.

"Rockbottom Productions" goes to Europe!

Tue, 05 May 2009 03:22:08 EDT

Episode 1: Plane and Simple! from Neko Neko Films on Vimeo.

Neko Neko Films, the force and the presence behind "Rockbottom Productions", is on a tour of Europe and they are filming EVERYTHING! Are we jealous of their European travels, prop airplane flying, motorcycle crashing, and castle storming? Heck YES!

We previously featured episode one and two of the wacky their series and are eagerly awaiting episode 3, but in the mean time check out the awesome video blogs. Besides having moments of creative editing and beautiful cinematography, the true fun is the fun the Nekonians, as they call themselves, are having as they explore Europe. So, watch, enjoy, and drool.

CHECK OUT THE WHOLE SERIES HERE

Interview: Director Sandy Collora

Mon, 04 May 2009 04:45:45 EDT

The name Sandy Collora might not immediately jump out at you as someone whose work you're familiar with. But even if you don't know it by heart (yet), chances are that you have definitely seen his work... Unless of course you've been living under a rock for the last 30 years. Sandy has an extensive and renowned resume, working on such films as The Abyss, Jurassic Park, Robocop 2, Predator 2, Total Recall, The Crow, Men in Black, and Dogma (just to name a few). While working on all of these films, he has kept up his own portfolio, constantly pumping out his own creations, and making some short films that have gained him wider recognition. Recently, I got a chance to talk to Mr. Collora and ask him some questions about this long career, and learn more about how someone can really make it doing something they love....

Wesley: I know that you started very early as an artist, drawing and painting. What would you say was your biggest inspiration towards wanting to become an artist, and what were your earliest aspirations regarding art before you finally decided to try to get into the film industry?

Sandy: Comic books. That's actually how I learned to read. I had these cool Planet of the Apes comics that were popular in the 70's, that came with a 45 record that you played while you read the book. Those were super cool. When I got a little bit older, I discovered magazines like Creepy, Eerie, and Heavy Metal, that all became a huge influence. The artists in there were doing artwork that was much more painterly and advanced, if you will, than traditional comic books at that time. Frazetta, Moebius, Richard Corben, Sanjulian, Liberatore, were all very inspiring to me. I have a huge pile of those magazines in my studio till this day, that I re-read all the time and flip through for inspiration or when I need a good dose of pure 70's art nostalgia and coolness.

There were actually a lot of things that influenced my art when I was young. I was born in 1968, so that put me at the perfect age bracket during the seventies, which was truly an amazing decade to be a kid. There was so much inspiration all around you at that time; On Saturday morning television, in toys like The Micronauts and the Mego superheroes, and of course, in movie theaters, where I spent most of my childhood, devouring 70's genre classics like Jaws, CE3K, Alien, Logan's Run, all the Planet of the Apes sequels, Rollerball, and of course, Star Wars. I've always been a huge fan of the cinema experience. Sitting in the dark with your popcorn, the movies brought me to another place, another time. All those movies had characters and adventures that sparked my imagination and hit my artistic nerve, inspiring me to dream, and create my own.

That's really when it all changed for me. I mean, the focus from wanting to be an artist to wanting to be a filmmaker. I knew I'd always draw and be creative in some way, but somehow I had a

feeling it was all going to be part of a much bigger picture, I just didn't quite know how yet. Back then, there wasn't anywhere near the amount of information out there regarding how to make films or how to even start to think about actually getting into the business. This was before the internet and DVD's that have endless hours of "making of" documentaries and so forth. The accessibility to anything like that was extremely limited back then, so I really didn't even know where to start.

I had a few issues of Cinemagic magazine and all the Art of Star Wars books, but aside from the occasional TV special and some film books my parents brought me back from Europe, I really

had no idea what the actual art of filmmaking was all about. I mean, I knew more about it than any of my friends on my little league team, but by the time the eighties had rolled around, and I started high school, I pretty much had accepted the fact that if I wanted to chase down my dreams and have a real shot at catching them, I had to move to LA.

W: You moved out to LA at a very young age, trying to break into the industry. What was it like moving out to such a big city, and trying to do something that many people have not been successful at? Were you ever worried that you wouldn't be able to "cut it", and if so, how did you deal with them?

S: It was daunting. I can't lie about that. I was young, naive, and somewhat insecure about not only how I was going to do all this, but who I was inside. At that age, you're still trying to discover yourself, find your place in the world, and let me tell you, Hollywood is one strange world. LA, in and of itself, was somewhat of a culture shock, but the whole movie business thing was something completely different. I've been in it now for over 20 years, and I still don't know where I fit into it all. It's kind of its own animal and is quite different from anything I've ever experienced. It's hard. It always has been for me, but I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I knew very early on that I was never going to be happy working in a creature shop, slinging plaster or sculpting monsters for the rest of my life. I always wanted to be a director and that's what I always worked towards.

Admittedly, I spent more time doing the sculpting and FX stuff than I would have liked. Hell, I even got sidetracked sculpting toys and action figures for a few years, but you can never predict when the timing for something is going to be quite right. I was never worried that I'd never be able to "cut it", but I knew I was standing, looking up at an enormous mountain in front of me. In a way, it motivated me, but I also fell off the mountain on the way up, several times. I still fall, but the most important thing is that I always get back up and keep climbing, because this business will always try to knock you down.

W: You started your filmmaking career in 1988 working on the crew for the George P. Cosmatos film "Leviathan", as a member of Stan Winston's team. Can you tell us a little about moving out to LA and landing your position with one of the premiere effects houses in the world, andwhat it was like working on your first big production?

S: Leaving home at 17 years old, especially with my parents knowing full well that I had no interest in really going to college and had stars in my eyes, was no easy feat. In order for them to let me leave our modest home in Staten Island NY, I had to enroll in college, so I did. It's no coincidence that I wound up at California State University Northridge, literally right around the corner from Stan Winston Studios. I was an industrial design major there for a year and built up a portfolio of drawings and sculptures, that I then took over to Stan's and got hired on the spot. Well, needless to say, college became secondary and I eventually dropped out and went to work there full time.

To this very day, that is still without question, the most magical and special time in my entire life. What I learned there, from Stan and all of the incredibly talented artists there, was the

foundation that I would build my entire career on, and provided the opportunity for me to grow and develop, not only as an artist, but as a person. I was literally like a sponge there, soaking up

everything that I could, and asking tons of questions regarding every aspect of the process. I was deeply saddened by Stan's untimely passing late last year, and miss him a lot.

Shortly after that, I was fortunate enough to meet the man who would have the biggest influence on my life and career, and become my mentor. I'd first seen pictures of Henry Alvarez in movie

magazines, he was kind of a legend at that point already and was working for Rob Bottin at the time, heading up the sculpture department. I got introduced to him through a guy who'd worked with him there, and after the "let's see how serious this kid is" trial period, I started working at Alvarez Wax Models, studying under Henry, eventually going on to work with Bottin as well, and the rest as they say, is history. I've grow very close to Henry, his son Nick, and lovely wife Andrea over the past 20 years. In all of my travels, I have never met a more kind, loving, humble and talented family. The role each one of them has played in my growth and development as an artist and a human being is truly without measure.

W: Can you tell us a little about what you started out doing on the FX Crews on the first few films you worked on?

S: I started cleaning molds, patching foam latex creature suits and other little, menial tasks, like making acrylic teeth and fingernails. That was on Leviathan and Alien Nation. On subsequent

shows, I worked my way up the ladder, eventually making molds, running foam, and then into thepaint department. Sculpting and designing came soon after that on The Abyss, Little Monsters,

Total Recall, Spaced Invaders, The Crow and The Arrival. I went from shop to shop, show to show, learning as I went, getting to work with different FX guys and different directors, my favorite being Jim Cameron. After The Abyss, I went on to do concept paintings for Spider-man, when he was attached to do that film.

There were tons of little gigs in between, too... I worked on a few of the Nightmare on Elm Street films, painting a piece here or a piece there. I made some frog masks for the second Frogtown

movie, worked on a bunch of TV shows and commercials, sculpting stuff or making models, even doing make-up. Back then, there were a lot of these little, lower end shops that either got work farmed out to them from bigger shops, or got little jobs on really low budget horror flicks. I think everyone who's done this type of work has toiled through a few of those shows.

Like I said, at that time, learning all of this stuff and becoming very proficient at all of it, was important. There always was a much bigger picture inside my head, regarding where I was going to go and what I was going to do, but I knew I had to crawl before I could walk, especially given the kinds of films I wanted to make. It was crucial for me to learn and understand every aspect of Special Effects, to be able to utilize them to their fullest potential when the time came.

W: Most people aren't aware of really the size of the team behind an effect that we might see on screen for just a few seconds. Can you tell us a little about what goes on behind the scenes on a major effect shot, and about how important it is to have everyone working as a team?

S: That depends on the effect and the budget of the film it's in, quite honestly. On something like the Leviathan, that was a very large, very complex, mechanical creature, with a man inside of it, takes quite the team of people to make work. Things like prosthetic facial make-ups and the like, take less people on set to apply and maintain, but still need to be designed, sculpted, molded, cast, trimmed, painted and applied. In most cases, at least in my experience, that's all done by different people in different departments of the shop. I always worked because I could do all those jobs, and coordinate all the people to do them as well.

I actually remember very early on, Alec Gillis, who was running Stan Winston's at the time, told me that even though I didn't want to make molds or like doing it, that it was good for me to learn, so when there was no sculpting left to do, I could stay employed and mold what I had sculpted, instead of being laid off until the next sculpting job. He impressed upon me the fact that being well rounded, and having a working knowledge of all aspects of the effects process, would make me a very valuable asset to an FX shop. Well, I took that advice to heart, and also more importantly, to the next level. I applied it not only to doing FX work, but to every aspect of the filmmaking process.

I starting literally consuming information about how movies were made. I even offered to go and help out on set for free on some shows I worked on. Sometimes, I would even sneak on to sets and just tell the DP or AD that I was a PA, and ask what I should do. They'd just tell me what to do, and I'd work on the movie until someone eventually, sometimes after weeks, would finally say; "Hey, who the hell is that guy?" Getting first hand experience with all different kinds of directors and crew people, I saw how a filmmaking team works and operates. How they went about their jobs, how they interacted and worked with each other, and how one person's job affected another's.

That hands on experience is something you absolutely cannot get any other way. I don't care what film school you went to, or how many "making of" or behind the scenes features you watch on DVD. If you want to make a real contribution to this business and be part of its creative upper echelon, you've got to pay your dues and work up the ladder. You need to work with good people, talented people and learn from them and the crews they surround themselves with. Knowledge of the craft and of the process is essential in making something real and that people will notice. This isn't "Days of Thunder"... You can't learn it by watching it on television.

W: You eventually moved from working on effects crews, to also workingas a Conceptual and Storyboard artist. What is the work of a Concept
or Storyboard artist like, and how did you get your (I believe) first job as a Concept Artist, working on the James Cameron film "The Abyss"?

S: Honestly, I really don't remember what my first design job was, but it wasn't The Abyss. I was a sculptor on that show, for two different shops actually, Steve Johnson's and Don Penningtons. I worked on the NTI creature and the interior of the NTI ship. I think the first design gig might have been for Tim Lawrence, designing giant lizards for some TV show or something he was doing there at the time.

If I was going to work on a movie, I've always preferred to draw and design stuff as opposed to being in "the shop", breathing in all those chemicals and stuff. So much of that stuff is toxic; The paints, urethanes, etc, that were in use at that time, were super hazardous to breathe if they're not used in places with proper ventilation. Whenever I did have to paint or work with the toxic stuff, I always wore a respirator. The design and story boarding jobs also entailed working one on one with the director, which I liked. I started learning more about directing by doing that. It gave me a feel for different director's styles, preferences, and sensibilities.

I really looked up to Cameron. He was an FX guy and art director who came from the Roger Corman school of filmmaking, so he knew how to do a lot with a little. I'd seen his drawings from Terminator and Aliens, and was completely blown away. The guys at Stan's raved about how good of a director he was. This was a guy who could draw, sculpt, build models, operate the camera, etc... The short time I spent with him on The Abyss was by far, the greatest influence and education I've ever had as a director. I don't know if he ever noticed that really, as I wasn't someone of any real importance on that film, but I just remember being so damn impressed by the man. He knew everything about every aspect of filmmaking and struck me as hyper intelligent as well. With the exception of the actors, he could do everyone's job on that set better than they could, and they all knew it. I wanted to be like him.

W: As a member of a larger Conceptual team, how do you first begin to formulate how a creature you're working on is going to look like, are you given the descriptions straight from the script, or are you given an outline and given some leeway to work in?

S: I'd like to be able to give you this long, elaborate answer about how I go about that whole process, but to be honest, I just start drawing. Whatever comes out, is what I turn in. It's a very spontaneous thing for me. Always has been, I think the first thought that manifests itself on paper, after reading the script or talking to the director, is the most pure the design will ever get. What happens after that, can go either way. It depends on the concept and even more so, on the director.

Sometimes there'd be leeway. Sometimes not. Sometimes my design got so bastardized and re-worked, it was pretty much unrecognizable, and sometimes it made it to the screen pretty much untouched. Each show was different. Men in Black, for example, had so many designers working on it, that I really don't think that anyone's designs really made it to the final film unscathed. I personally did a ton of sketches for the Edgar cockroach, as did other artists working at Rick Bakers, but the whole creature wound up being CG, and was re-designed completely by the ILM guys. Stuff like that happens all the time.

Then, there's always the "Oh my God, what did the CG guys do to my monster?" situation. Case in point; The Arrival. I worked very closely with the director David Twohy, and designed this very elegant, almost fragile looking alien for the film. When I saw it in the theater, I could not believe how different the design was, and how the CG department just kind of did their own thing with it. I never spoke to David about it, but I guess that's why my credit got knocked down to "additional alien design". That was a new one for me. Hell, at least I got a screen credit on that one. I can't even tell you how many movies I worked on and didn't get credit.

W: Your job required a lot of skill, having to take a creature built from words, form that into a visual concept, and then have other artists take your work and create something, solid and "real". What are the steps that the art would generally take as you got feedback from the rest of the crew, and the team developed a creative consensus for how the final characters and creatures are going to look?

S: Like I said in the last answer, it was always different. Each movie was a different experience and a different group of people. Remember, I was never really solely in charge of what a particular creature or monster was going to be. The project supervisors and eventually the director, always had the last word. I did a lot of designs of different shows that were never even presented to the director. I have stacks of drawings I did for Predator 2 and many others, that people to this day, have never seen. On other shows, directors specifically asked for me to design stuff for them. It's always up to the director. He's the boss, you do what he says, and that's that.

W: Looking at your body of work, you seem to have an intense love for the Alien and the Monstrous, have you always had this love for the
fantastical, or is it something that you developed out of necessity for the kinds of jobs you had to undertake?

S: I've always been an alien and monster guy. Always will be. At this point in my career, I really don't have any interest in making films about things that don't involve the fantastical. I'm not really a "neat little slice of life" kind of guy. I like making movies about things that only exist in the imagination of the filmmaker.

W: Having had so many jobs, Artist, Design, sculpture, all steps of the effects process, writer, director, etc. What would you say is the hardest job you've had to undertake, and why?

S: Director, no question. It's a lot of responsibility and requires incredible focus. You also need to be a leader. There's so much more involved in directing a motion picture, than anything I've ever done. You're responsible for so many things, everything really. It's a very interesting thing, directing. It's both very complex and very simple... Very hard, but but aspects of it come very easy and very naturally to me. I like the challenge of it all and being in charge. I definitely enjoy shooting much more than any other part of the directing process, but it's all an incredible adventure. A creative journey that is quite rewarding. I think being a feature film director is the bee's knees. There's nothing better.

W: Your Directorial debut occurred in 1999, with your film "Solomon Bernstein's Bathroom". What was it like moving from an artistic and conceptual role to the position of Director, and how did you deal with moving from a position where your were interpreting someone else's ideas and vision, to one where you had to forge your own?

S: That all came very naturally. Of course I hadn't ever directed before, but with all my experience in different aspects of the process, and having worked with directors like Cameron on set, I was very comfortable and had a good working knowledge of how to handle things. No one on the crew could believe I had never directed before. As a matter of fact, I remember Henry Alvarez asking me; "How do you know all this stuff? The camera, lenses, the lights, how to work with the actors?" I was kinda like "I dunno, I just know..."

Granted, I was nowhere even near the filmmaker I am today, as I'm sure I'm not the filmmaker now, that I'll be in another 10 years, but like I said, it came very naturally and I was never overwhelmed or uncomfortable. I learned a lot on that movie and continue to learn as I direct more and more. It's all a big adventure to me, one of growth, change and discovery.

W: Perhaps one of your most well known undertakings (at least to the internet audience at large) is your 2003 Short film, "Batman: Dead End", as a Batman fan it was one of the first fan films that just shocked me with it's quality. The film got heavy praise from the likes of Writer/Director Kevin Smith, and famed comic artist Alex Ross. Can you talk a little about the creation of the film, some of the reaction too it, and why you choose the Batman character as a demonstration for your Directing skills?

S: Ya know, there have been a lot of things written and said about that little short film; About why I made it, how I made it, what the budget was, where I got the costumes, etc... So right here, right now, I'll tell you a few things, directly from the director, so to speak...

First of all, more than anything, Batman Dead End was an experiment. I wanted to see if the Batman I grew up with and loved from the comics, would work if literally translated on film. If you really think about it, that had never been done before, and I needed to see if the reality and the human element of the character could work on film.

The dark, gritty, vulnerable, hero without a clunky rubber suit or foam muscles. A real, brooding, complex creature of the night, who could turn his head, and I wanted to do it without separating the neck from the cowl, so his head doesn't look like a light bulb. Even simple things like the white eyes, Batman disguising his voice, or even the rain for instance, had never ever been done in a Batman movie, so I put it up there on the screen and made that dark, gritty, tougher version of the character, come alive.

Another myth about Batman Dead End, is that I got the Predator and Alien costumes from Stan Winston. Because of my extensive FX background and people I know in the industry, a few costume pieces here and there, were donated to the film, but we made all that stuff. I personally sculpted the predator suit with Nick Damon, and hand painted each one myself. So, although Stan was supportive of my endeavor, he did not give me a bunch of predator and alien suits. Endless hours of hard work from my talented cast and crew, made those suits come to life.

Regarding the reaction and what that film has become... Well, I think the millions of downloads, the feedback on all the message boards and the literally hundreds of articles and interviews that were done on and about the film, speak for themselves. People still come up to me and say it's the best version of the character ever put to film. Even people that work at DC and at WB, have told me very similar things. That's enough for me.

W: Your latest work is your feature debut, "Hunter Prey", can you tell us a little about the film, and what it's been like transitioning from shorts to this effects laden Sci-Fi feature?

S: Hunter Prey has been quite the adventure. It was a hard shoot and just rough in general, but the only real difference, or transition I had to make, was that everything was just longer. It took longer to write, to prep, to shoot, and to finish.

There's just a lot more involved, time wise on a feature, than a short. It's much more of a commitment. Honestly, the level of the work was consistent with what I had done on my shorts, especially because a lot of the same crew were involved, there was just so much more of it to do. It's harder when you don't have a lot of money or a big crew, you wind up doing a lot of the work yourself, but it's all worth it. Everyone winds up wearing several hats and doing more than one job, it's just the way a lot of these low budget, genre films get made.

W: "Hunter Prey" seems to have been incubating within you for a very long time, can you talk about how you first came up with the idea, and the tribulations you've had with taking your idea and finally forming it into the film you now have?

S: I'd say a low budget, genre feature had been incubating for quite a while, no question, but the original concept for this film, was brought to me in August of 2007 by my writing partner, Nick Damon. It just clicked. He had this great idea for a sci-fi flick that could be made on a low budget. After a few brainstorming sessions, we had it all figured out and Nick started writing and I started drawing. It was a long prep time and getting all the costumes, props, creature stuff and models, done for the money we had, was a challenge. I'm very hands on with all that stuff, so that was a crazy busy time for me. I'd be sculpting a maquette in the morning, then after lunch, I'd be on the phone with the prop guys in NY, going over emailed photos and doing sketches. Then at night, I would write and talk with Nick. All this while doing storyboards, meeting with the DP a few times a week, and making the schedule.

Producers Simon Tams and Daren Hicks got involved as that stuff was all being finished, and started making all the arrangements for shooting in Mexico and so forth. There were issues that needed to be worked out with SAG and other stuff, so by the time I had everything storyboarded, built and made the schedule, we were pretty much ready to go. We shot for 17 days and did 3 pick up days here in LA, including a pretty extensive miniature shoot. There were compromises I had to make here and there, mostly because of budgetary reasons, and I had to think on my feet a lot to make the days, but I'd say the film I wound up with, is very close to my original vision. I'm very proud of it, and of my extraordinary cast and crew.

W: You decided to shoot "Hunter Prey" with the Red One Digital Cinema system, can you talk a little about why you shot the film digitally, and the Pros and Cons of utilizing a digital system compared to shooting with film?

S: I didn't "decide" to shoot Hunter Prey on Red. I was kinda forced into it. That's just what was available to me and for the budget we had, was the best option. If I had the money and the choice, I would have shot 35mm anamorphic. Hell, I would have rather shot 3 perf, super 35 or even super 16, over digital, but sadly, shooting

film on this project was just not realistic. The producers of the picture, Simon Tams and Daren Hicks, had just purchased a Red Camera and were very, very excited about using it for Hunter Prey. They took me to a Red user group, where I could play with the most recent build of the camera and check out some footage, meet
some DP's and directors that had shot with it, and drink some red kool aid.

Turns out I wound up meeting the DP who would go on to shoot Hunter Prey, Ed Gutentag, that very day. He was very knowledgeable about the camera and did a great job on the film. I can't say I didn't like the Red Camera. I liked it and I think the movie looks really good. All in all, it was a great experience and I'd shoot with that camera again if the situation and project were right, but I still prefer film. To me, there's just something very romantic about the texture and physical process of film. I like to hear the film moving through the magazine when I'm operating. I like the weight of a 35mm camera on my shoulder with a full, 1,000 foot mag on the top.

Film is alive. It lives and breathes. I like the way it smells, the way it feels in my hands when I'm loading. It's emulsion, it exists in real time and space. The whole digital thing to me, is just... I dunno... Cold.

Pros; In most cases, cheaper and faster. Cons; Doesn't, and will never look as good, or have the warmth and texture of film, and is a bitch to color balance and light correctly if you want it to look good. A camera is like any other tool used in making a movie, it's a chunk of metal with a lens on it. If you don't know how to use it, or putsomething really cool in front of it, it's useless.

W: You've had a long career, over 20 years in the industry, working on some amazing films with some huge names, and have finally completed a task that many young filmmakers only dream about, shooting their own feature-length film. Looking back in reflection, what do you feel is the most important piece of advice that you have to offer to many of the Young Filmmakers that are now in the same position that you were almost 2 decades ago?

S: That is a really, really hard question to answer. The industry is so different now, than it was when I started, in so many different ways. I think technology and the and accessibility of filmmaking tools to younger guys now, has changed the playing field quite a bit. In some ways, it's much easier now to physically go and make something, but I think it's actually harder to "break in" though, as a result of it. Everyone's got a digital camera now. Everyone's got editing software and pro tools on their laptop. We're in the midst of a technological revolution of sorts, but what people have a tendency to forget, is that no matter how advanced or affordable the technology becomes, you still need to be talented to make a good movie with all that stuff.

The bottom line here is, I don't really feel I'm in a position to give advice to anyone. Each person and each situation is different. I can't predict what a studio, independent investor or production company is going to do, or how they'll react to a filmmaker's work or lack thereof. No one can. All you can do is make the best film you can, with the money and resources available to you, and work with good people. Talented people who can help bring your vision to life and make your movie the best it can be. Just remember two things; You'll never be able to please everybody, and If you try to please everybody, you'll fail.

W: And finally, where will we be able to see "Hunter Prey" when it's released, and what other projects do you have coming up that we can keep our eyes open for in the future?

S: Regarding the first part of the question, the answer is simply that I do not know yet. The film should be done by the end of June. After that, we'll have to see how everything plays out. Once I deliver the film, I'm not responsible for when or how it's going to get released. There's so much involved in all that stuff, its all the business end of things and I don't get involved in that stuff. I know the initial response to the film on line, has been incredible. Everyone seems to be digging it, but marketing and selling a film to buyers, from what I'm told, is quite different from selling a film to it's audience. Go figure... I dunno, I just work here.

Moviehouse in London, an international sales group has already picked us up, so we'll see how things go at Cannes.
As far as other projects, I've already had a few options present themselves, just as result of all the buzz Hunter Prey is getting. I've got a couple of things up my sleeve... Stay tuned.

Thank you for talking to us today Mr. Collora, and we all can't wait to see what you have planned next.

To keep up with Collora's Future Work, and to stay on top of when Hunter Prey when it's released, check out Sandy's Website's below...

LINKS:

Collora Studios Website

Hunter Prey Official Website

Wesley's Weekly SPECIAL: The Blood Test

Fri, 01 May 2009 20:00:00 EDT

In my experiences talking to my fellow filmmakers, blood is by far the most common "first effect" that people usually learn how to accomplish on the screen, AND it's also one of the earliest things we taught you here on Indy Mogul. BUT, one thing we've never done is shown you alternative blood recipes. Although there has been plenty of discussion on this topic in Mogulville, we have yet to do a comprehensive analysis of all of the different recipes we've found for fake blood all over the internet... UNTIL NOW.

Today I want to take some of the most common (and some not so common) recipes for fake blood that i've heard or found all over the internet, and put them to a test, showing how they look on skin, how they look on cloth (and how badly they stain it), AND how well they splatter. So here you go, the first official Indy Mogul BLOOD TEST.

SAMPLE #1 - Store bought theatrical blood:

This is theatrical blood that you can get at most costume shops, and get in bulk around Halloween. On the packaging for mine it lists Ethyl Glycol and Hydrocellulose as the main ingredients, but there are other formulas, just this seems to be common. It has a nice viscosity, that seems pretty darn close to real fresh blood.

This is just some smeared on my arm, I think it smudges nicely, and soaks into the skin well. It's pretty easy to clean off, but it CAN stain for a while, takes me a few washes to get it off of my hands.

It soaks into the cloth really good, and looks pretty good I think as fresh blood.

And here is ther Splatter test. Scooped up some, and flung it. Very nice splatter ability, droplets are great, the blooming around the edges is a lot like blood.

SAMPLE #2 - Strawberry Syrup:

This is Strawberry Syrup I got at the story, it's the same kind that you can mix into milk, or put onto Ice Cream. It also has a nice viscosity, but even with extra red and a little bit of green added to darken it up, it still looks a bit "pink" to me.

On my skin, it still looks a little light, and it beads up a little. If your fake sugar liquid based blood does this, mix a little more water into it and add more red.

Now the cloth test, it's a little lighter than the theatrical blood, and it stays sticky while the theatrical blood dries and doesn't produce any residue. Just something to keep in mind.

It splatters ok, but it isn't as dark, and it doesn't bloom the same way as theatrical blood.

SAMPLE #3 - Glycerine-based Moisturizer/Lubricant:

This is a watery moisturizer that I got at the store. I would advise to get a thinner one, but if you get a thicker one like KY Jelly, you can water it down (or keep it thick for specialized uses), and put 7 drops of red food coloring, and one drop of green food coloring in it. It's very dark and red, and has a nice viscosity.

It spreads nicely on skin, and doesn't bead at all.

And the cloth test. It spreads nicely, and absorbs really well.

It splatters really nicely, and splatters into droplets a lot easier than it seemed the theatrical blood did.

SAMPLE #4 - Shampoo/Liquid Soap:

It seems pretty viscous and is decently thick, but it forms bubbles really easily, which might cause some issues.

The shampoo spreads really nicely, but it's really bright, and is a bit thicker than blood, so it gels up easily.

It's nice and dark on the cloth, and I like how it looks, but it stays kind of sticky, so that can be an issue.

It splatters nicely, but doesn't really speckle very much as it's kind of thick.

SAMPLE #5 - Petroleum Jelly:

It is VERY thick. And it doesn't take the food coloring very well at all. This might be good for like goo on zombies, or as drying congealed blood, but it doesn't look like fresh blood at all.

On my skin it is very thick, and VERY greasy. I think this is too thick and too purple to be fresh blood, but it might work for some dissolved skin (like from acid) because it looks very gooey.

It looks better on cloth. I think this is because, looking very closely at it, as I stirred it, the dye and the jelly aren't really combining, but seems to be suspended within it kind of like tiny air bubbles. So when I spread it, the bubbles are "breaking" and it gets redder when it hits the fabric. It probably wouldn't be that bad for like dried blood, BUT it's VERY greasy, so I just don't think this is a good blood recipe at all. I was told that it looks similar to some of the darker blood that can be coughed up by people with respitory infections, so maybe you could use it for that purpose, it's up to you.

It splatters with the consistency of clay, so yes, badly.

SAMPLE #6 - Strawberry Jelly/Jam:

I mixed a little more red into it, and I think it actually looks pretty good. It's nice and thick, and would probably be good for drying thicker blood. Better than the petroleum jelly recipe for a thicker gelled blood by far.

I actually like how it looks, but it tends to bead up a little, so add a little water.

I think it looks nice on the fabric, and looks very thick, and the bits of strawberry in it looks like pieces of organic matter, so I think this might be a good idea for a base for a brain matter splatter.

I think it splatters ok, but it doesn't break apart really at all. It stays very thick, and so I think would work better as a part of a bigger splatter, like I said previously if you needed to throw something against a wall for something like a brain matter splatter, I think this might work pretty well.

SAMPLE #7 - Golden Syrup:

Many of our British Mogulers have reported in the past having issues finding Corn Syrup, which is (unfortunately for those who can't find it) used as the base for about 99% of the fake Blood recipes i've found around the internet. So I decided to dig up something that I have been told is easier to find for our British friends, Golden Syrup. Golden Syrup, is a kind of inverted cane syrup, and is very similar to honey. It's also the basis for a lot of Pancake syrups, and if you can't find Golden Syrup, you could easily substitute a Pancake syrup.

Regardless, I REALLY like how this looks, and the consistency of it is really nice.

It smears nicely, but I would probably perfer it to be a bit darker.

I like how it spreads out a lot, and it's nice and bright.

I think it splatters nicely, but it's still a bit thicker than real blood, so you might want to water it down just barely.

SAMPLE #8 - Chocolate Syrup:

It's VERY dark. This is obviously ideal for Black and White Films. But for color, you'll need to water it down and add truely massive amounts of red food coloring to get it start looking right.

It looks a lot better spread out on skin. It's really dark, and I think works really well for dried out and darker blood.

It darkens up on the cloth a bit, and I think looks just about perfect for dried blood.

I think it splatters well, but it's pretty thick. Since it's so dark, and almost opaque, you could probably water it down a bunch.

SAMPLE #9 - Tomato Juice:

Tomato Juice doesn't make good fake blood in most cases, but with added red coloring, it can work pretty well if you need something that is actually drinkable without making you want to brush your teeth. It's VERY watery, but it's got a nice color, even if it's a little to orange for my taste.

It doesn't look great, and it's very thin, but it actually does stay on your skin, but probably the worst out of everything i've tested.

The tomato juice looks pretty good on cloth, but it is VERY bright, and very orange.

By far the most watery out of all of the recipes I tested. Splatters VERY easily, but is very pink after it splatters.

Now, time to take the cloth splotches, and put them in the washer for the final...

STAINING TEST

I put the bundle in the washer, and put an even amount of detergent on each sample, washed it for a normal spin cycle with hot water, no bleach.

SAMPLE #1 - Theatrical Blood - Minor Stain

SAMPLE #2 - Strawberry Syrup - No Stain

SAMPLE #3 - Glycerine-based Moisturizer/Lubricant - Minor/Medium Stain

SAMPLE #4 - Shampoo/Liquid Soap - No Stain

SAMPLE #5 - Petroleum Jelly - Medium Stain

SAMPLE #6 - Strawberry Jam - No Stain

SAMPLE #7 - Golden Syrup - No Stain

SAMPLE #8 - Chocolate Syrup - No Stain

SAMPLE #9 - Tomato Juice - Medium Stain

Overall, the Petroleum Jelly seemed to stain the worst, with the Tomato Juice a close second.

So there you have it, a comprehensive look at a lot of the fake blood recipes out there, hopefully this helps you all for the next time you need some fake blood.

Personally, overall, I would say my favorite is probably the Glycerine based personal lubricant, it looked great, and I really liked how it held up on the tests, and in a blind test, 3 different people said it looked the most like real blood out of all the samples, beating out even the theatrical blood.

Awesome Opportunity to Go to Cannes!

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:41:08 EDT

YouTube and Cannes Lions have partnered to search for two young creatives to win an all-expenses paid trip to this year's Cannes Festival and fill a new 38th place as Team YouTube in the 2009 Young Lions Film Competition. What does that mean for you? Well, if you're between 18 and 28-years-old, you can participate in this challenge.

All you need to do is wait until May 15th for the creative brief to go online. Then, you'll have 48 hours to make a video and submit it to YouTube. After that, you'll have from May 17th to June 1st to get as many views on the video as possible! Two winners will be picked, judged on creativity and the videos' views, ratings and footprint. They will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Cannes to represent YouTube in the prestigious Young Lions contest.

This is a great opportunity for any young filmmaker to challenge themselves, work hard and possibly make it out to this year's Cannes Festival.

Click here for more information on the 48 Hour Ad Contest

LAST DAY to help Best Short Films BEAT JIMMY FALLON!

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:03:56 EDT

DontLetJimmyWin.com

View the Entire Films from Episode 30 - Experimental Films

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:59:21 EDT

CITRUS
by Josh Rachbach
Email the Filmmaker.
View his website.

REDITE
By Patrick Boivin
Email the Filmmaker.
View his website.

THE 5TH DISEASE
Directed by Farhad Zamani
Email the Filmmaker.
Visit their website.

Download the Wolverine Musical MP3

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:09:25 EDT

We've received a ton of requests asking us to post the song from our Wolverine The Musical Original Short for download. We're happy to offer the MP3 for download. Click here to Download!

Enjoy!

Compelling Special Effects for Cheap

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:57:24 EDT

Overcoming geographical differences, NYC-based director Chris Piazza and British musician Neil Halstead talk concepts, special effects, and how to make a big idea work using less than $100. Check out how these two created a music video on the cheap!

Come back Thursday for the music video premiere of Neil Halstead's "Elevenses".

IndyMogul Fans Respond to Jimmy Fallon Tirade - 2 Days Left to Vote!

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:39:15 EDT

IndyMogul superstar SkyCarl submitted this heartwarming, "Song for Bobby" in response to Jimmy Fallon's tirade against The Best Short Films In The World. (Click here if you haven't seen that video.)

But, SkyCarl wasn't the only one to submit a video response! Check out these fellow Mogulers! Submit your video response too! And keep on spreading DontLetJimmyWin.com!

2 Days Left to Vote!

Lets make "The Best Short Films In The World" The People's Voice Winner for "Best Variety Show" in the 2009 Webby Awards.

Just go to: PV.WebbyAwards.com

You have till April 30th, 11:59PM EST.

Also, check out: DontLetJimmyWin.com and spread the word!

(Below: The exclusive video of Fallon talking trash on Bobby!)

Exclusive - JIMMY FALLON talks smack on Bobby Miller! - 3 Days Left to Vote!

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:46:30 EDT

I'm so upset right now! I can't believe he would say such MEAN things. =(

Get people out to vote for "The Best Short Films In The World" For "Best Variety Show" in the 2009 Webby Awards.

Just go to: PV.WebbyAwards.com

You have till April 30th, 11:59PM EST.

Also, check out: DontLetJimmyWin.com and spread the word!

Submit your "Defeat Jimmy" campaign posters at the forums!

Help IndyMogul.com take down Jimmy Fallon! - 5 Days Left!

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:56:38 EDT

Wake up the neighbors!

Call your dogs!

Call your cats!

Get people out to vote for "The Best Short Films In The World" For "Best Variety Show" in the 2009 Webby Awards.

Just go to: PV.WebbyAwards.com

Also, check out: DontLetJimmyWin.com and spread the word!

Submit your "Defeat Jimmy" campaign posters at the forums!

Wesley's Weekly post-poned...

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:19:26 EDT

This week I am waistdeep in a big project, so I unfortunately don't have enough time to dedicate to an effect this week... BUT, Next week I promise to try make it up to all of you, with a special that I think many of you will find quite educational. So sorry again, and I will see you next week here on the blog. But don't be disheartened, instead of providing you with nothing this week, here is a video from Moguler Videopia dissecting the history of 24P and talking about the "film look", I thought it was interesting and worth a watch for those trying to catch the "film look" in their own movies.

The 24p Conspiracy from Videopia on Vimeo.

Massify & Killer Films Looking for Short Film Concepts

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:18:43 EDT

Massify and Killer Want You!

Massify and Killer Films (Boys Don't Cry, Kids, Far From Heaven ) have joined forces to create a provocative and humorous short film developed entirely through the Massify production network. At the forefront of independent cinema, Killer is looking for an outsider's story, the kind you don't normally hear about. But this project really belongs to you, because you're going to make it happen - from the concept, through production, cast, crew, and post - everything will be done by members of the Massify community. And before production begins, we need to find someone to take the reins. So if you're a filmmaker with a great story, pitch your concept now.

View the Entire Films from Episode 29 - Existential Earth Day Crisis

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:36:23 EDT

GREEN TO BLUE
by Elizabeth Klein
Email the Filmmaker.
View her website.

Wake up, Freak Out, -Then Get a Grip
by Leo Murray
Email the Filmmaker.
View his website.

To View "Learn to Fly"
Go to: http://www.vimeo.com/1808522
Password: IndyMogul

Learn to Fly
by Christian Letruria
Email the Filmmaker.
Visit his website.

Best Short Films vs. Jimmy Fallon - We need your help!

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:35:55 EDT

As of this writing, Best Short Films is trailing "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" by 4% at the Webby People's Voice Awards. The fact that we’re even this close to a…real…show is a testament to how amazing and dedicated the indymogul.com audience is. You guys ROCK! But, we still aren't there yet! Be sure to register and get out the vote! We have till April 30th!

Go to PV.WebbyAwards.com, register, and vote!
Click on “Film&Video” and find Best Variety Show. Then vote for “Best Short Films in the World!”

See my handy (?) video here too

Want to contribute your own Best Short Films/Webby/Fallon mashup like the poster I did above? Go to the forums here and post yours!

Vote Now! Indy Mogul Nominated for Two Webby Awards!

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:04:51 EDT

The 2009 Webby Awards were recently announced and Indy Mogul has been nominated in two categories!

Indy Mogul's Backyard FX is nominated in the How-To and DIY category.

Best Short Films in the World is nominated for Best Variety Show.

Vote Now! We need you Indy Mogulers! Only your votes can help Indy Mogul win the People's Voice Award in both categories by voting HERE. Voting is only open from April 14-30, so don't wait! Once you've registered, Indy Mogul's nominations are listed under the "Online Film & Video" section in the How-To / DIY category and the Variety category!

Vote for Indy Mogul at: http://pv.webbyawards.com/

Exploring New Animation Techniques

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:22:15 EDT

Animator and director Dan Meth discusses the collaboration between himself and Mixel Pixel band member, Rob Corradetti, for the music video "Monster Manual". Dan breaks from his traditional methods of animation to explore what would happen if he didn't plan out his drawings and just worked spontaneously. Sometimes just shooting something without thinking about it too much creates a unique style. The director and the band meld animation with the nostalgic childhood role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

Come back Thursday for the music video premiere of Mixel Pixel's "Monster Manual".

Dan Meth: http://www.danmeth.com
Mixel Pixel: http://www.myspace.com/mixelpixel
Dungeons & Dragons: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=...

"Choose your own Adventure" on SUNDAY PREVIEW #9

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:20:18 EDT

Action! Adventure! Danger! All these adjectives (and more!) combine this week when a Hollywood film writer (who happens to be a pigeon) stops by on SUNDAY PREVIEW #9 to cast our hero, Pigeon, on a dangerous task.

This is also a "choose your own adventure cartoon"! This week's episode ends in a cliffhanger that YOU get to help resolve! In the comments, post what you would like to happen, or what you want Pigeon to do, in Part 2. One lucky winner will not only win a FREE DVD, but get to see their idea come to life next week in epic-ly crude animation!

WestHavenBrook's: The Danger Element Day 3

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:21:00 EDT

Here is the third day of shooting, for WestHavenBrook's new project. Check it out to see some great behind-the-scenes footage, and see some of the hard work that they are doing.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Radio Earpiece

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:58:35 EDT

A common costume piece in Police shows, or anything featuring any kind of Special Agents is the Radio Earpiece. You guys have requested it, so I thought I would show you how to make one of these props easily and cheaply.

I started with a strip of White Doorbell wire, and a foam earplug.

Foam is obviously hard to puncture because it gives so much, so get a needle (it's easier to pierce it with a needle), and poke a few holes in it, and wiggle it around to make a slightly larger hole for the wire. The push the wire in about a quarter of an inch (you don't want to actually put the wire in your ear, just in the tip of the plug.)

Then I wrapped it in tight circles around a paintbrush handle. You can use a pencil, but I like how the tiny curls look in the wire, so I used the paintbrush.

Now it's just a matter of fitting the plug in your ear, and molding the wire to the shape of your ear.

Then, on the end of the wire, I attached a paper clamp. To keep it from bouncing out of your jacket or shirt during your film, just clip it to the inside of your clothes, and it'll keep the wire from falling off of you while you walk, and keep it in place if you take the plug out of your ear.

And there you have it, really cheap and easy to make your actors look more like special agents in your films. Hope this helps.

The Simpsons Video Contest

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Do you love The Simpsons? Would you like to win a trip to LA for The Simpsons Fall Launch Party?

The Simpsons is celebrating their 20th season and are giving you a chance to be a part of it. You've seen the opening credits hundreds of times, now re-create their classic couch gag with your friends and family. Submit your clip by May 18th.

See all the rules and prize details here!

View the Entire Films from Episode 28- BackYard FX Strikes Back

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:51:15 EDT

A Special Tax-Preparation Tip From The Old Man in 3-C Who Everyone Steals Their Wi-Fi From
Director(s): Daniel Kibblesmith (Director, Producer); Hassan S. Ali (Producer)
Writer(s): Daniel Kibblesmith
Link to Full-Length Version
Email the Filmmaker
View his website

Tax Tips: From The Old Man Who Everyone Steals Their Wi-Fi From from Tame The Bear on Vimeo.

Armistice
Director(s): Brad Bruening, Jr.
Writer(s): Brad Bruening, Jr. & Ryan Connolly
Link to Full-Length Version
Email the Filmmaker
View his website

"Armistice" Short Film from GRAYSTREET PRODUCTIONS on Vimeo.

Beware of the Taxman
Director(s): Rajesh Bhavnani
Writer(s): Rajesh Bhavnani
Link to Full-Length Version
Email the Filmmaker
Visit his website

Beware of the Taxman Episoode 1 from Hey Homie Productions on Vimeo.

Shooting in a Time Crunch

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:38:20 EDT

On this shoot, director Kathleen Grace and her crew got access to a great space for free, but they only had a small window of time to shoot everything they needed. The director talks about how they prepared the dancers for the quick shoot and what tricks they used to make sure they got every shot.

Check back on Thursday to see how the Music Video turned out.

Crank 2 - Consumer Cameras in Professional Film

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:09:52 EDT

Since Erik got the opportunity to talk to Crank Writer/Director team Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, I thought it would be appropriate to post this behind-the-scenes video that i've seen around, that shows some of the techniques and equipment that they were using on this film. If you look closely you'll see that the cameras they are utilizing are consumer available cameras (In these shots Specifically, the HF10 and the XHA1), largely without any kind of add-on's that many will generally prescribe when they want you to achieve a more professional "film-look", such as 35mm Adapters, or Matte Boxes.

I find this really interesting, because while many films have been shot totally digitally in the past (many at least partially on Consumer-level gear), this is going to be the biggest release so far, that has been shot COMPLETELY with consumer-level equipment. So really, I think almost none of us have excuses anymore in regards to our technological limitations. Videocameras have only been getting better and better, and Neveldine and Taylor have proven with their latest film that these cameras are more than good enough to stand on their own on the big screen. So I definitely am going to be checking it out this Friday, and I am looking forward to seeing a film that was shot on cameras that most of us here use for our own projects, and see what they can accomplish on a Hollywood production.

I think that this is going to be a big deal, and hopefully open up a lot of peoples eyes, and shake them out of the complacency of feeling like they can't shoot something that "looks like a movie" with their own camera at home. We all live in a very exciting time for digital cinematography, with "Slumdog Millionaire" recently winning Best Cinematography AND Best Picture, while being shot digitally (I believe the first film shot digitally to win both), and more and more films utilizing digital cameras, with audiences largely unaware of it not being shot on 35mm film... There is simply a bright future ahead of us, in regards to the flexibility that shooting digitally is going to offer us in comparison to traditional mediums.

Am I going to predict films death? No, not at all, film is still going to be around for a long time, BUT we definitely live in a time of a great shift, and the acceptance of films shot digitally is opening the doors up to more and more people.

Crank 2 PROVES that it's not the camera that makes the film, it's the STORY, it's making a film that people WANT to see. So I am saying, get inspired and make a great story, and stop worrying about your camera, because that time is over.

So I want to hear what you guys think... Do you think film is going to die? What new doors does this open? What pro's and con's do you see in regards to cheaper cameras becoming better and better? Leave some comments below and let me hear your thoughts.

Win $10,000 for College with a Video Contest

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Think you or someone you know deserves $10,000 for college? Upromise is giving away 10k for each winning video in the following three categories:

1. Saving For College

2. In College Now

3. Paying it Back

All you have to do is record 30-seconds of yourself describing why you need that cash. Be convincing, funny, dramatic, whatever you need to do to win the prize! Hurry up though because entries need to be received by 12pm EST on May 3rd. Open only to US Residents 18 or older.

Even if you don't enter, there are prizes to be won just by voting on your favorite video during the Final Voting Phase (May 12 - May 20).

Visit Contest Here!

Erik's Production Blog, 4.14.09

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:31:36 EDT

Erik's Production Blog 4.14.09 from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Q & Erik LIVE (April Edition)

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:35:33 EDT

If you missed this month's Q & Erik LIVE (April Edition), catch the rerun on Vimeo right now! On the first THURSDAY of every month, Erik Beck and his panel of indy film making experts answer YOUR phone calls and questions.

Drink out of Bobby's Mug...if you dare?

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:20:07 EDT

My good pal, Jeaux designed one of the tea cups in last week's show. If you'd like to purchase it, check out this site. His artwork is amazing and you can see a better detailed drawing of it there as well. Also check out his main page here. If you like tea, I don't know of a better mug to tea it up in, folks.

Ira Glass on Storytelling Pt. 3

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:35:15 EDT

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Retro UFO

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:05:47 EDT

It's been a long time since we last covered the intricacies of space vehicles here on Indy Mogul, but you guys still wanted more. We've gotten lots of requests for a Classic 50's Style UFO, and thought I would show you how to make one really easily.

The great thing about a retro-style UFO is that it has a very simple shape, the saucer shape is pretty much one of the easiest to replicate by using paper plates or pie pans just stamped together. For this build I got a couple of thick paper plates...

Then just painted them with a few layers of silver craft paint. If you want just a basic shape like this, then you can stop now, glue them together, and just string them up, but i'd like to go a little further and get some little lights for the craft.

Instead of doing some custom wiring (that'd take a bit longer), I got this 8 dollar module at Hobby Lobby a few months ago. It is just 10 LED's attached to a box and a battery. You hit the button on the box and the lights turn on, hit it twice and they blink, three times, and they alternate blinking. So you get some neat blinking options, and you don't have to worry about wiring them all up manually.

I started by making a hole for the lights with a pencil, then using a stick I marked off the opposite side, and made another hole.

Then did that 6 more times.

Then I just pushed the lights out of the holes, and taped them in place.

Then I taped the module in place.

Then, using a pin, I just made 4 holes in the top of the disk.

Then string fishing line through them. I used string for this, so it would be a bit more visible, but thin fishing wire would be stronger, and way less visible. Although, if you're going for a purposefully cheesy flying saucer, go ahead and use string.

How to close the disk presents an issue, because I would like something secure, but if I used Hot Glue or Epoxy, it would make the module harder to reach, and require me to poke a hole to hit the button everytime I want to turn it on or off. So instead, I went with these little clips, they are really strong, and if you don't want to poke holes into the disk, you can loop them through these things.

Finally, for the legs, I am going to use some Q-Tips.

Then just cut the cotton tips off of both ends, so I end up with four, hollow plastic tubes.

Then I pushed brass paper fasteners into the ends of them to act as little padded feet, and hot glued them in place.

Next, I poked holes into the bottom, and stuck the legs in. For the "extended" mode, just pull them out, and tape them into place. Then you can just remove the tape, and push them all the way in for the "retracted" mode.

Now, just put it on the end of a pole, and you can be making fake UFO sighting claims in no time.

SPECIAL GUEST on Sunday Preview #8

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:02:37 EDT

Ladies and Gentlemen, this Sunday (April 12th), Sunday Preview has a SPECIAL GUEST STAR so iconic, so legendary... that I can't say anything more about it. But we're talking CNN worthy stuff here. I'm already projecting 1 BILLION views on youtube. It is the cartoon event of the millenium....

You're just going to have to check out Indy Mogul's youtube page at NOON on Sunday. Don't say I didnt' warn you... Also you'll still be able to win a FREE DVD just by commenting! In the meantime, catch up on some old Sunday Preview episodes, and check out more hilarious cartoons.

View the Entire Films from Episode 27- The Tax Man

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:23:40 EDT

Tax Tips: From The Old Man Who Everyone Steals Their Wi-Fi From from Tame The Bear on Vimeo.

Armistice
Director(s): Brad Bruening, Jr.
Writer(s): Brad Bruening, Jr. & Ryan Connolly
Link to Full-Length Version
Email the Filmmaker
View his website

"Armistice" Short Film from GRAYSTREET PRODUCTIONS on Vimeo.

Beware of the Taxman
Director(s): Rajesh Bhavnani
Writer(s): Rajesh Bhavnani
Link to Full-Length Version
Email the Filmmaker
Visit his website

Beware of the Taxman Episoode 1 from Hey Homie Productions on Vimeo.

Bobby's "TUB" Production Journal # 3 - "No Time for Blogs, Dr. Jones"

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:46:02 EDT

Me & Daisy (Art Director) looking at naughty photos

Hello IndyMogulers,

As some of you know I’m making a short film called “TUB”. It’s my last short film for Columbia University’s graduate film program. And may just be my last short film before moving into features. I’ve been trying to make the thing for several years now, but every time I got close to doing it, something happened. You can learn more at: TubMovie.com. You can also join our facebook group here

What's TUB about, exactly?
It's just your typical film about a guy who can't commit to his girlfriend...
Who then jerks off in the shower.
And accidentally impregnates his tub.
It shoots April 17-20

Read Bobby's "TUB" Production Journal # 1 (3/20/09) here
Read Bobby's "TUB" Production Journal # 2 (3/27/09) here

4/9/09

Well, to the massive amounts of people following along. (That's right, all 2.5 of you!) I wanted to give you one last status update on TUB. It's been a little while since the last update and I'm realizing that I don't have time any more to keep up with this.

I woke up this past Monday morning and realized that from here till April 21st, my life is pretty much 24-7 TUB. And the idea of keeping a comprehensive log just isn't going to happen. I'm also waking up at like 7 am every day...just instinctually...as if my body is saying: "You need every single minute right now to make this thing."
That's right: This sh*t just got real!

Anyways: I'll give you the highlights of the last two weeks:

* Me and Daisy looked at adult escort ads in the Village Voice (that I've been saving up for months). It was one of the more...interesting art dept. meetings. At one point, we both surfed the internet for pornography. (She made a post about the experience..."Just another day at the office.") You can see me trying to explain what the "right ad" should be in the above photo.

* Went through the entire script, BEAT by BEAT with Eric Levy, our lead actor. Met up with Megan Raye Manzi and did the same thing. Have to rewrite some stuff. I find this is natural in the filmmaking process. After running through beat by beat with the actors, you always find revisions need to be made.

* Had Eric and Megan meet up and did wardrobe stuff. I also had them take photos of themselves as if they were a couple. We're probably going to use a few of those photos as set dressing in the apartment they live in.

In Happier Times

* They are really cute together (I mean, CMON FOLKS). They also had some time to just kinda hang out and get to know each other, which I think is important before you shoot something.

* Had a big crew meeting last night. I'm sad to say it was the most people I've ever had in my new apartment at once...UNTIL THE IMPENDING CRAZY TUB AFTERMATH PARTY of course. Felt really good to see everyone and put faces to names. We have an AD: Andrew Jones and some other new people coming aboard. Last night finally made this whole thigng real, as we are locking schedules and talking logistics. Daisy & Matt (our DP) had a lot of stuff to talk about as well as our set builder, Justin. (Did I mention we're building an entire bathroom set?)
Long story short, by the end of the thing, I was very giddy. Because we were finally getting to talk creative stuff and not producery-logistical stuff.

* Also: I updated the main site: TubMovie.com. It has a bit more updated crew list...we still have to add a few people to various departments, but you'll get a sense of how big a crew this is shaping up to be.

* There are other things I'm no doubt missing. This has been a mad, mad, week and we're still trying to lock a location. Pre-production always gives me anxiety, but I think once we start shooting, it's going to be absolute bliss. We have such a talented, nice group of people on board. And if I can be cheesy for a second, it was hard not to get a little emotional thanking them last night for being a part of this.

3 years in the making.

I'll see you all on the other side,
Bobby

ThreadBanger Friends on CBS News Tonight!

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:27:40 EDT

Our friends Rob Czar and Corinne Leigh over at ThreadBanger will be on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric TONIGHT at 6:30pm EST! You might remember these two from our BigFoot Costume episode or the SteamPunk Build.

CBS visited ThreadBanger a few weeks ago for a segment on DIY Fashion and the piece will be airing on channel's the nationally syndicated evening news. If you're near a TV tonight be sure to tune in to CBS at 6:30pm EST to check out some fellow DIYers.

Congratulations to Rob and Corinne from all of us at Indy Mogul. DIY or DIE!

Shooting Scenes in Reverse

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:43:10 EDT

Director Kathleen Grace partnered with the band Lowry to create a music video inspired by a Jeff Wall photograph and time fluctuations in story telling. The director had the band play the song in reverse so when the shots are played forward, it creates a unique 'anti-gravity' look. It's the small and no-cost ideas like this one that allow any filmmaker to create intriguing and high-quality work with no budget.

Check out 99DollarMusicVideos.com on Thursday to see the premiere of the Lowry music video.

Interview: Dr. Phineas Waldolf Steel, Mad Scientist

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:34:05 EDT

This week I am proud to present to you the interview I conducted with none other, than the good Doctor... Phineas Waldolf Steel. For the yet to be initiated, Dr. Steel may not ring any bells.. But for everyone else, he is the mad multitalent behind World Domination Toys, and the possible future King of the World. Musician, Inventor, Artist, Filmmaker, Actor, Supervillain (?), he is definitely a man of many talents, and I am happy to get the chance to talk to him today.

Wesley: First, tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do, for the readers that may not be familiar with Dr. Steel.

Dr. Steel: Ah, well I'm insane. I'm completely out of my mind, and as such I envision a world where the top priority of the people is to have fun. To this end I work to spread my propaganda, encouraging the masses to join my Army of Toy Soldiers so that together we might build a Utopian Playland; a sort of world "make-over" if you will. My main agenda is that of embracing one's creative passions as the true purpose in life and making the world a better place through ingenuity, imagination. And robots.

W: Many artists (and inventors for that matter) have a point in their life, that really sets them on the path towards deciding what they truly want to do with their life. Was there a time in your life when you had an epiphany about really wanting to do what you're doing now, and if so, what was it?

Dr. S: Yes indeed! There was a very specific time in my life when I underwent a sort of psychological and spiritual breakdown. This was a result of a series of impactful events, all leading to the inevitable options of continuing to repeat the past or to move ahead into a new field of existence. I experienced a sort of vision, if you will, an epiphany that allowed me to see the world in a different way. From this moment on I began to see myself as a canvas for my own work. A blank slate on which I continually paint.

W: How long does it usually take you to complete one of your Propaganda broadcasts, and what kind of work goes into each one? And how does the work that goes into one of your PSA's or Music Videos differ from the work that goes into making the Dr. Steel Show?

Oh goodness, this is a difficult question to answer. Each project differs a great deal due to the limited resources I have at my disposal. The conceptualizing of each project is rather brief, and I must admit, the most enjoyable of the process. The planning, pre-production, scheduling and general organization of a project certainly demands an entirely different section of the brain. I am rather good at organization, though I find it less enjoyable than compulsory. The physical production of a project is often bitter-sweet since I am personally responsible for all aspects. This is something that I am currently working to overcome, by utilizing what I have created thus far to present to potential investors. It is time to obtain the resources that I truly need in order to expand into greater fields. Producing an entire web series should certainly not be done by one person alone. I look forward to the possibilities of the future, seeing the expansive scope of my vision blossom, as well as being able to allocate specific tasks to others who can perform their work far better than I could ever do individually, as I am doing at the moment.

W: Being a multitalent, how do you balance all of your different creative impulses? Your music is definitely what you're known best for, so how do you do all of your different ideas justice when you've got so many?

Dr. S: I am truly obsessed with the creative process. I believe that creativity is the closest thing to a purpose in life, and I seek only to manifest inspired visions. Unfortunately, we live in a world where that desire is often considered trivial. There are many obstacles that one must overcome in order to find themselves in a position to be constantly creative. So, the balance of creating and building a foundation on which will support my future creativity is a challenging one. I have continued to create a wide variety of work in order to present the world with my vision. This serves two purposes, the first of which allows me to exercise my imagination in the creative process and the second being that of creating prototypes for future endeavors. By no means do I consider my current work, in any medium, to be my final product. Be it music, artwork, moving pictures, interactive media, toys, or any one of the many designs I have displayed, each one is intended to be improved upon and fully realized once the appropriate resources have been obtained. I am delighted to know that so many people have enjoyed these prototypes thus far, and I certainly do look forward to the creations of the future as they expand further into a much greater state of completion.

W: Much of your work has a certain aesthetic to it. Many have mentioned your work in regards to Steampunk influenced bands like Abney Park (and for that matter the Steampunk "style" in general). How would you classify your work, and why do you think you're attracted to the certain aesthetic and style you've developed?

Dr. S: I try to steer clear of any labels as much as possible. Once you build a box around yourself, you're trapped inside of it. I'm not interested in classifying myself. I have been in the fortunate position to receive a great deal of positive input from a tremendously wide variety of people. Classifications are for the marketing department, and I understand that is a game that needs to be played in the early stages, but I honestly seek to present my work to as many people as possible. Through that work, I would hope that my message of empowerment through play helps to ignite the personal talents inside a great many people, thus encouraging others to do the same.

W: You've worked very hard (or simply have been very efficient at taking out your competition) to get where you are, can you talk about your background, where you came from, and do you have any advice for fellow artists on what they could get themselves out there?

Dr. S: Dedication is of the utmost importance. There is a saying that talent is no substitute for hard work, and there certainly is truth in this. However, one must truly identify their sincere passions before embarking on this job. If your journey is going to be rocky, you had better be certain that what you're doing is worth the effort. My road continues to be a very rocky one, but I do this so that I may build a strong platform on which to build my empire of creativity. 'Tis the most important thing in my book, so I continue to move ahead in the ways that I feel are the most powerful. One must look at the events of the past as educational experiences, and not dwell in them but move ahead. To this end I seek only to continually evolve and look towards the future.

W: Your shows are full of fantastic props and creations of yours. Can you talk a little about how you created them, and if you have a creation that you're particularly fond of?

Dr. S: Thank you for the kind words. Indeed, nearly everything you see in my world has been custom built for the sole purpose of populating my continually growing universe. There are too many techniques to list here, many of them being the result of trial and error. I am far from being the authority on any one medium as I simply dabble and experiment in order to manifest a particular vision. As for a particular favorite creation, I cannot list even one. I only desire to create something far superior each step of the way.

W: So what can people stay tuned to the Dr. Steel message, and keep up with what you're working on next?

Dr. S: There are several places on this wonderful internet that serve as doorways into my world. The first being www.doctorsteel.com , a virtual tour of my island as well as information about my universe. Secondly, www.worlddominationtoys.com holds a great variety of prototype toys and clothing to be perused and voted on by the visitor. There are videos available on www.youtube.com/doctorsteel and for those of the MySpace persuasion; you can befriend me on www.myspace.com/drsteel . My brilliant Army of Toy Soldiers have joined forces to create www.toysoldiersunite.com , a one stop shop for propaganda, creativity and fun.

Much more madness shall be unleashed on the masses in the future, so keep your eyes peeled and your computers on-line.

Thank you very much! It was great talking to you, and I can't wait to see what's coming up for you in the future. Now enjoy this wonderful PSA that Dr. Steel made on the topic of Creating, hopefully you'll find it inspiring.

Sunday Preview #7

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:23:17 EDT

Yo, yo! This week is an extra special, extra hilarious Sunday Preview featuring the voice talents of Erik Beck. No time to explain, though, you're just going to have to head over to Indy Mogul's youtube page and check it out. Immediately. Get your silly Sunday morning cartoon fix with everyone's favorite Pigeon mini-web-show host. In fact, he's probably the ONLY pigeon mini-web-show host. So by default he's your favorite. I guess that's what makes him so "special." Also you can win a FREE DVD just by subscribing and commenting on the episode. Like, WOAH!

Ira Glass on Storytelling Pt. 2

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:07:30 EDT

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Cheap Prop Pistol

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:55:16 EDT

One of the most requested prop builds we've ever gotten here at Indy Mogul is the call for cheap prop guns. While we've covered various squib effects, and a few gun props in the past, we've never really covered a straight-forward "regular" gun. While your best option is of course getting a good Airsoft replica, or spray painting a realistic looking squirt gun - these aren't always the best option. You see if you need a close-up on your protagonists' weapon, an Airsoft replica is perfect, but if you need to arm a group of thugs with guns, it can quickly balloon your budget unnecessarily. You see for background guns, you don't need them to look realistic, at least not from up close. So I decided to show you how to make this quick and dirty prop for your action films, so your bad guys don't look as low budget as your film is.

I really like starting with high density foam for this, because it's easy to carve for this, and you can get about 4 guns from a single block. (It's also quicker to make a gun from it than cardboard, which you can also do, utilizing the same basic technique.)

First, get a marker, and draw the outline of where you're going to cut, using a ruler. Remember to find some photos to use as reference if you want to carve a specific model of pistol. There are two main components to make each pistol; first a longer straight block for the barrel and firing mechanism, then a shorter block with an edged top for the grip and trigger.

Now, get a thin bladed knife, and cut along the lines.

Stick a wooden dowel into the gun as support, and then...

Stick them together.

Then, I cover up the seam with some clay and smooth it out.

Now, I cut some corners off of a cardboard packaging box I had laying around, and pushed them into the top of the foam for the iron sights. (After sticking the marker I used to outline it into where the barrel would be to make the hole.)

I think bent a bobby pin, and shoved it into the foam as a triggerguard.

After cutting out a section for the ejector port, I painted the entire body with a layer of silver acrylic paint as a coat of primer.

Then I paint everything other than the ejector port black, and then let it dry. After that I start layering urethane varnish and more black paint in alternate layers to give it a metalic shiny look.

There you go, just let it dry, and you have a very cheap, basic prop pistol for your film.

Want to Watch Indy Mogul on Your TiVo?

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EDT

Did you know you can watch Indy mogul on Tivo? Here's some info about YouTube on Tivo and step-by-step instructions on how to watch Indy Mogul episodes using your TiVo.

Our videos look even better on a big screen, so try it out and let us know what you think!

View the Entire Films from Episode 26- Phone Home

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:01:43 EDT

JAGG OFF
by Todd Strauss-Schulson
Email the Filmmaker.
View his website.

KNOCK KNOCK
Directed by Jack Ferry
Written by Jake Fleisher
Email the Filmmaker.
View his website.

PHIL SPECTOR - THE MISTAKE
by Jake Strunk
Email the Filmmaker.
Visit his website.

Scripy Frenzy! 30 Days. 100 Pages.

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:29:51 EDT

I came across this, and thought it would be an ideal excuse for some of you burgeoning screenwriters out there to sharpen your chops and tackle a project. Organized by the Office of Letters and Light (the organizers of NaNoWriMo every November), Script Frenzy is a on-line challenge for you to write a 100 page script over the next month. They have some fantastic writer resources for those who need some guidance on how to get started, and even a seperate program for Younger Writers. So check it out and get to writing!

The Old Man and the Seymour

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:33:13 EDT

The Old Man and the Seymour Trailer - "Forever Young" from The Old Man and the Seymour on Vimeo.

You guy's probably remember back last year, when Erik was ON LOCATION on the film "The Old Man and the Seymour" for the Extreme Nosebleed effect. Well it recently got released on-line, and you can go over to "The Old Man and the Seymour" Vimeo page and watch the full film for free. Check it out, and see the Nosebleed effect in action!

Synopsis: A 47-year-old, growth hormone deficient man (Amir Blumenfeld) gets mistaken for a new kid at his nephew's (Streeter Seidell) high school, where he quickly becomes the most popular student.

Featuring Shawn Harrison (Family Matters), Liz Cackowski (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), and Jordan Carlos (Colbert Report).

Written and directed by Jonathan Grimm and Giancarlo Fiorentini.

Official site: theoldmanandtheseymour.com

Using Split-Screen Creatively

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:21:27 EDT

What can you do with a split screen? Director Sherng-Lee Huang takes on this question with the band Frances and the music video concept for "Cold Water." With a budget of only $99, the director relied on this simple technique to come up with a creative video concept for the song. The shoot came in under budget, but they spent $70 renting a camera dolly when they could have built their own Backyard FX version for less than $50!

The music video of for Frances' "Cold Water" premieres on 99dollarmusicvideos.com and YouTube this Thursday. Be sure to check back and see how the concept turned out!

Talkin' Economic Blues (Sunday Preview #6)

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:14:42 EDT

The failing economy isn't only affecting humans. It's impacting pigeons as well. And this week our fine feathered friend, Pigeon, host of Sunday Preview, is mad as hell, and taking matters into his own hands!

Despite the recession, he's still got enough dough to give away a DVD every week to one lucky subscriber who comments on his weekly question (And we're not talking Deep Blue Sea or Leprachaun: In Space... no, no. We're giving away a generous GIFT CERTIFICATE, so YOU can pick your own DVD).

So if you haven't checked out the Indy Mogul Youtube exclusive mini-show, "Sunday Preview," then go check it out NOW! You'll either win a prize, or laugh your butt off, or both. It's win/win.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Cursed Idol

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EDT

In the past we've covered a lot of items of questionable safety (in the supernatural sense) , so I thought I would go ahead and help you live out another archeological adventure with your own Cursed Idol prop that you won't have to break into an ancient tomb and steal. (Not to mention the advantage of no boulders chasing you whenever you pick it up.)

First, I started with a bucket of my handy dandy air-drying clay, and a block of floral foam.

The foam is going to be the base of my "Idol", and I just want to carve it up a little to make it look a little more interesting, so I start cutting these vertical lines into the base. You can do a grid pattern, or carve swirls or whatever strikes your fancy, but I like how this looks so I am going to go with it.

Get a firm brush, and brush the lines to smooth them out and make them look cleaner.

Next, I carved some "alien" looking symbols into the foam around the top...

Then also hit them with the brush to clean them up.

Now for the figure on the block... I get a wad of clay that I break it up into two specific sections, the body, and the head. For the body I am making a basic cone shape. I don't want it too tall and skinny, or it will bend as it dries and not be able to support the head. Then the head which is just kind of general oval shape.

I want it to be very stable on the base, so I get a wooden dowel and just push it into the foam...

I got another piece of the dowel and dug a hole into the bottom of the "body" while the clay is still dry.

I push it down on the dowel, then wet the sides to blend it into the base.

Then I stick the head on, and blend it to the body, making sure it's very stable all around.

Next, I start to add details with the blunt end of a paint brush and a wet Q-tip, I draw eyes onto the face, and form rudimentary arms and legs out of additional pieces of clay. Then flatten out a few more and add them on the back as "wings".

Next I took some tiny pieces of clay, and rolled them out into strands, then attached them onto the face as "tentacles".

For your own creature you could do anything you want, and you don't have to follow my design at all, but i'm a Lovecraft nerd so it's pretty obvious why I picked this design. Any kind of simple design will do, very simple work could even be beneficial for a build like this since the simpler it is the older it can look, so don't doubt your sculting skills here. I have terrible sculpting abilities and I put this together in about half an hour, so trust me when I say I know all you guys and gals out there can do better.

The next step is the painting.... BUT since I am working with clay, I have to wait for it to dry before I can do additional detail work and start painting it...

EDIT: 03-30-09 - So Monday is here, and the clay has now reach the "bone dry" level. Something that you can do if you're using clay like me, is to poke some tiny holes into the thickest part, this lets air get to the deep parts more easily, and drastically speeds up drying times, especially if you're making a thicker figure like I did.

I started the painting by taking black paint and tracing into every crevice and hard to reach place with a tiny brush.

I then start with a base-layer of dark green paint (because I want it to look a little like jade, or very old copper).

I then take additional clay and smear it around on the statue. I do this, because the next layer will absorb into the statue unevenly, helping to further the illusion of a kind of marbled texture to it.

I then mixed up some silver paint and a little green paint and went over the entire statue.

I then took some black indian ink and painted the entire statue with it with a wide brush.

Then took a tissue and rubbed it off of the easiest to reach places, helping darken the little crevices and pits on the statue to help make it look a bit aged.

And there you go, next I just coated the entire statue in a layer of urethane to seal it and make it hard and shiny looking to help make it look like it's made out of polished stone or metal.

Erik Beck and Indy Mogul Win a Streamy Award for BFX!

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:22:01 EDT

Congratulations to Erik Beck for winning a Streamy Award last night for "Best Visual Effects in a Web Series"! Erik won the award for his show Backyard FX and it's Indy Mogul's first Streamy win! The Official Streamy Award ceremony will take place this Saturday and will be broadcast live online March 28, 2009 at 7:30pm (Pacific Time). Head to www.streamys.org to watch!

You can say congrats to Erik in the comments below!

Here's Erik with his award:

Bobby's "TUB" Production Journal # 2 - "Finding Emily"

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:24:51 EDT

Art by Cheryl Gross.

Hello IndyMogulers,

Read Bobby's "TUB" Production Journal # 1(3/20/09) here

3/20/09

This afternoon, our awesome Art Director Daisy did some reasearch on what the bathroom set might look like and compiled it all into one neato document. In the evening, I met up with Matt Sanchez, the Director of Photography on TUB. We looked over Daisy's photos and decided on a look and color scheme for the bathroom. We also talked about how we want to light this thing and we both want to shoot it with very naturalistic lightning. Score!

Ended the night watching Cronenberg's "The Fly". Matt never saw it. I wasn't sure if he was into it and asked him what he thought when the credits rolled. He said he really liked it and felt like he might cry at the end. I'm really glad he had that reaction. I think that movie accomplishes so many different tones: Romance, Horror, Comedy, Drama. Definitely a touchstone for "TUB".

3/21/09
Auditions all day. Kim Jackson, our producer and Meghan Mahoney, our UPM set it all up with help from Amy Gossels Casting. Eric Levy, our lead actor, showed up like 30 minutes late...Poor girls had to wait in the hallway. First auditioner didn't read the full script. I handed it to her as we waited for Eric and said, "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

3/22/09
Finally started storyboards for TUB. All this time was spent getting crew people in place, etc.. Realized that storyboarding 15 odd pages is too much to do in one sitting. Will have to continue tomorrow...

We saw a lot of talented actresses yesterday. Narrowed it down to 4 gals. This is going to be tough.

3/23/09

Decided on our actress! Megan Raye Manzi will play Emily.

There was a moment in Megan's performance that really broke my heart. I remember telling the crew that after she left. I videotaped all of the auditions and usually when you play something back on video, it's not the same. But, there it was. Totally breaking my heart again.

She also has great big expressive eyes, which is great for the role of Emily. She doesn't have a lot of screen time, so it's essential that the audience is endeared and sympathetic toward her character instantly. Nice big sympathetic eyes = a nice way of doing this.

Megan was very nice on the phone when I told her she got the part. We're going to try and meet up this weekend.

There are a few things that need to happen in my book in regards to our two leads:

* Meet up with Megan and talk about her character in full
* Meet up with Eric and talk about his character in full (BEAT BY BEAT BREAKDOWN)
* Have Megan and Eric meet up and get to know each other. Take photos of them as if they were in a real relationship. Might use these photos in the film as set dressing.
* REHEARSALS.

3/24/09

Me & Daisy went up to Columbia's campus to check out the studio space that we're building the bathroom set in. Had to measure it for our set builder and all that. We also did some location scouting, but ultimately were a bit bummed because we couldn't find much of anything.

We're still looking for:
A NYC Apartment
NYC Office / Break Room / Restroom

Started back up on the ol' storyboards. Always a fun and interesting time because it's the first time I really "see" the film. And as always, I find, that I have to rewrite some stuff and add things. Rewrites to come...

ABOVE: These storyboards/notes are pretty much unreadable to anyone other than myself.

3/25/09
Me and my producer, Kim Jackson, met up with Maureen Ryan. She's the head of the producing program at Columbia University's graduate film program. She's in charge of going through your script & budget and making sure you do everything by the book.

That includes filling out lots of forms, insurance stuf, and blah blah blah stuff I don't like typing about.

Maureen was really really keen on the script. I didn't expect that at all. I mean, she just co-produced that classy picture "Man On A Wire!. But, she said TUB was "f*cking funny" and "one of her favorite projects". Regardless, it was very nice to hear. And for now on I'll just reread what she said whenever I need an ego boost.

3/26/09
Traveled to Philadelphia to meet our DP, Matt Sanchez. Felt it was EXTREMELY important to go through this film shot by shot. So, I showed him my scribbled storyboards and we talked and talked. Drew more pictures, wrote stuff down. Definitely have to do another rewrite.

Really excited by the shooting style. Lots of hand held, mixed with some more stylized stuff, mixed with a sense of minimalism. Fun times. Did I just sound too art school just then? Ewwww, sorry.

PARTING SHOTS
Locations. Locations. Locations. We need to lock them down soon. Also need to get this bathroom set in full gear and figure out a few more art dept things. We're also going to probably need some extras.

I need to rewrite parts of the script and then do a shot list and cleaned up shot by shot storyboard of the whole damn movie. My storyboards are way too crude to show to a crew. Tons of work to do still. Shoot date is looming.

Did I mention I still have to make The Best Short Films In The World show every week?
And I have a feature length script due as my thesis on April 15th in order to graduate?

Oh, Hi.

Mythbusters' Adam Savage on Obsessions and Dedication

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:30:08 EDT

I found this a truly interesting talk that Mythbusters' Adam Savage gave for FORA.tv. All of us being pretty big Mythbuster fans around here, I thought this was a great talk, and offers us all a glimpse in the kind of obsession and dedication that goes into a creative process.

While this doesn't teach you anything technical (not really at least), just looking at the steps he goes through and his obsession in regards to detail and precision is truly something inspiring, and something that we could all learn something from.

View the Entire Films from Episode 25- Fast & Furious

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:30:33 EDT

KING OF THE ROAD
by Christopher Holmes
Written by Brian Simpson
Email the Filmmaker.
View his website.

DEAD TIRED
by George Horne
Email the Filmmaker.
View their website.

WHEREVER YOU GO, THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL BE
Written by: Marilea Isernia, Louis Lazaris
Directed by: Kyle Griffith, Marilea Isernia, Louis Lazaris
Email the Filmmakers.
Visit their website.

First Trailer for Spike Jonze's "Where the Wild Things Are"

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:44:44 EDT

After a long wait, the first trailer for Spike Jonze's adaptation of the beloved children's book, "Where the Wild Things Are" has debuted. It was premiered on the Ellen Show, but thanks to TrailerAddict for posting. Spike Jonze has always been an inventive filmmaker and we're really excited to see what the film will be like.

What do you think?

Conceptualize, Shoot, and Edit in 24 hours?

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:32:03 EDT

For this episode of $99 Music Video, Director James Spruill teams up with the band Franklin for Short to create a music video concept for the song "Fast & Soft." James and the band relied solely on their low-budget filmmaking skills and DIY creativity to create the entire video for less than $99 within 24 hours. The video concept was inspired by the band's unique rehearsal space and features a peformance by the band.

Check out $99 Music Videos on Thursday for the music video premiere of Franklin for Short's "Fast & Soft."

Bonus Footage of Dreamworks Hollywood FX on Channel Frederator

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:15:06 EDT

If you enjoyed Erik's behind-the-scenes look at DreamWorks Studios, there's extra bonus footage over on Channel Frederator, an awesome online animation network. It's "Cartoon Central on the Internet."

Erik created a special report for the the animation network with a ton of bonus footage from the DreamWorks tour and the film, "Monsters Vs. Aliens." There's more with DreamWorks' Head of Layout and more on the miniature models used in making the film. Check it out on ChannelFrederator.com or on their YouTube Page.

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Bullet Removal

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:44:15 EDT

Although one of the first effects that Erik covered was the gunshot effect all the way back from Episode 5. I realized that we'd never covered how to make a close-up bullet wound that you could show on camera. So I thought I would not only cover this, but how to make it look like you're removing a bullet from the wound too.

Start out with the area where you want to make the wound. I am using my arm simply because it's the easiest part of my body to make a photo of, but the same techniques i'm going to use are applicable practically anywhere on your body.

I layed down a thin layer of cream make-up to assist in blending later on.

I just layed down an oval of liquid latex, let it dry, then layed down another layer. You want it kind of thick because of what you're going to be doing later in the application.

Poke a hole in the center, and start teasing it up, similar to my Burn Make-up effect I did last year. But take some cotton (or bits of toliet paper) and stuff them in around the edges to make it all bulge out.

Now, mix up some flesh colored make-up and start blending it in, to make the wound totally flesh colored.

Now, around the edges of the wound, start building up darker colors, like purples, reds, browns, and blacks. See the earlier Bruises and Beat-up effects Episode that Erik did for a more indepth tutorial on how to make realistic skin damage.

After you're done blending and you're happy with how it looks, darken the inside of wound with some black and dark red make-up.

Now, just add some fake blood, and the illusion is just about complete. Now for the bullet..

All I did was take a little piece of clay, shape it into a vague bullet shape...

Then I just slapped it with my hand, to get it to accordian down into a wad that looks kind of like a squashed slug after it's hit something.

Now, I just took some brass paint and painted the slug.

Now, just take the slug, and shove it underneath the lip of the wound, and cover with more fake blood.

And you can just reach in with some tweezers and pull it out from the wound.

If you're willing to do some life-casting, you could stuff the bullet even deeper into a fake body part, and with some clever editing back and forth make it look VERY realistic.

Awesome Fan Art of Stevie-6 and Cyborg Girl

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:31:49 EDT

Thanks to Robert Shum for sending us this great illustration featuring Indy Mogul's Stevie-6 and the Cyborg Girl from our latest Backyard FX test film. Indy Mogul has the most talented fans and it's amazing what we receieve in our inbox from our viewers. You can check out Robert Shum's other illustration work at http://shumworld.deviantart.com/gallery/. Thanks, Robert for sending this in. It will be hanging in Erik's workshop!

Bobby's "TUB" Production Journal # 1 - "A Long Time Coming"

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:48:14 EDT

Hello IndyMogulers,

As some of you know I’m making a short film called “TUB”. It’s my last short film for Columbia University’s graduate film program. And may just be my last short film before moving into features. I’ve been trying to make the thing for several years now, but every time I got close to doing it, something happened. IE. Funding didn’t come through, we didn’t have enough resources, etc. I’ll spare you the whole story. But, a lot of it can be learned at: TubMovie.com. You can also join our facebook group here.

What's TUB about, exactly?
It's just your typical film about a guy who can't commit to his girlfriend...
Who then jerks off in the shower.
And accidentally impregnates his tub.

Duh!

Anyways, I had mentioned that I would start doing production blogs on the making of “TUB” way back in January. So, here’s my first stab at it. If you guys like this sort of thing and want me to do regular updates, let me know! I'm going to try and approach this as honestly and as nut-and-bolts as possible. Because I know you indymogulers enjoy that sort of thing.

We shoot April 17-20

3/15/09
Cheryl Gross is our concept artist for TUB. She's the person responsible for designing what this mutated TUB baby will look like. I had first seen her work on Lee Rubenstein's excellent site: EatSleepDraw.com. She's an awesome person and I knew instantly upon meeting her that she got this movie. I later found out that she teaches illustration at Pratt. And just happened to have taught Lee, who just so happens to be doing some website design work for TUB. It's all in the family!

Anyways, today me and Cheryl met with Jeremy Selenfriend of MonsterInMyCloset.com. Jeremy is the man responsible for bringing Cheryl's concept art to life. (Ie. Jeremy is our puppet builder). I had been looking for the perfect FX person for several weeks to do this and I'm glad I found Jeremy. His work speaks for itself and he was able to work with our limited budget. Which was very nice of him.

Above: The door to Jeremy's awesome FX studio in Jersey.

The meeting went great, I had went through the script with a red pen and marked out each Baby/FX moment and we talked about what combination of puppetry would work for each scene. One of the things I'm REALLY geeked out about is that not only is the baby going to be a silicon puppet, but we're also going to have a larger, slightly mechanical baby head for closeup work. With eyes that blink mechanically! Wowie Kazowie and I excited about that!

Anyways, Cheryl had drawn up several more angles of the Baby design I liked and handed them off to Jeremy to do the sculpt. We all shook hands and headed home. I never thought I'd see the day. The baby for Tub is being made as we speak.

Below: Jeremy and Cheryl ham it up with two Baby Dolls. The one to the right is something I bought at Walmart just to show FX people how big the puppet should be. The little foam pink guy is something Jeremy rigged up to show us the height he's thinking about.

3/16/09
I'm stressed out. We're over budget. I'm maxed out on all my student loans. I need a couple thousand dollars. Sadly texted my friend Matt about it. He told me:
"Tub's gonna be amazing dude. It's your time. So just do it. Don't think. Just do. Keep your chin up. It's just money. What you're making is worth more than money."
Matt's a good guy.

3/17/09
Talked with my financial aid dept at school. Apparently, I can take out one more loan. Trying not to think of the massive debt I'm incurring as per Matt's advice.
I'm definitely betting the farm on "TUB". Despite it being low budget by film school standards (especially something this FX driven), I've never ever had a budget or a crew like this before. I've never had a producer like Kim Jackson before. Geez, I think we're making a real movie here.

3/18/09
Every Wednesday, me, Kim, Meghan Mahoney (our Unit Production Manager) and Daisy Edwards (Art Director) meet up and discuss pre-production issues.
This week: The bathroom set. The majority of the film takes place in a bathroom and because we want full control over how we shoot (for puppetry reasons and camera reasons) we're actually building an entire bathroom set on a stage at Columbia University.

Intense.

Found a great guy to do the job. Justin Mulcahy. Me and Daisy met with him last week and he was really game for the project and loved the script. One of the unfortunate things about this project is that we can't pay people what they're worth. Justin, like everyone else on this production, was okay with taking a cut in the pay rate because of the...well, uniqueness of this project. (I hope?!)

Anyways, we're scheduling another wave of auditions for the Girlfriend in the film (Emily) this Saturday. Eric Levy, our lead actor, will be there to read with them. Last time we held auditions it went really well. It was the first time I ever heard anyone speak a line of dialogue from Tub and it all seemed to work! It went so well that I decided to rewrite part of the script to include a little bit more of the girlfriend character. There's a pivotal scene at the end of the film with her and I wanted to make sure we earned it.

Amy Gossels, a mutual friend of Kim and I is helping us out this Saturday. She's a casting director and is hooking us up with some actresses. Auditions are going to be fun.

3/20/09
I'm about to meet up with Daisy at the library at 42nd street. We're going to go through a bunch of architecture books and figure out what we want our lead character's apartment to look like. As well as the bathroom etc. We both agreed that going on the internet and google imaging photos of apartments and bathrooms felt really lame and that it'd be a lot more exciting to do it the old fashion way and sit with some books and hammer it out. The architecture reading room looks pretty cool:

Tonight, I meet up with legendary director of photography (in my mind) Matt Sanchez. I think the guy's the best kept secret in Hollywood, folks. I'm glad he's on my side. He told me earlier this week that he's been watching a lot of Cronenberg. That got me very excited. There's definitely a bit of Cronenberg in TUB (As a side note, I think Cronenberg is one of the most underrated filmmakers of all time and should be held in the same esteem as the greats.)

He told me I should rent: A Zed & Two Noughts. I started watching it the other day, but passed out because I haven't had much sleep lately. The opening credits/music is absolutely stunning and I can see why Matt likes this so much. Hopefully, I'll get to finish the rest today. Anyways, I'm going to meet up with Matt tonight to talk TUB stuff. Then, tomorrow is long day of auditions with Eric. Sunday? I'm not sure what I'm doing. I'm sure it will involve TUB.

Parting Shots
As stressful as some of this is, I feel really good about TUB. I feel like everyone I'm working with is ready to take things to the next level. This film combines elements of horror, comedy, and drama that I've never done before. It's going to be challenging, but I feel poised. With film school graduation looming in May, I can't help but feel like my whole life has led me to this very moment.

It's been a long time coming.
Time to knock it out of the park.

Above: A snapshot of a TUB folder on my desktop. The first draft was written on 10-23-06. I remember getting the germ of the idea back in the summer of '06.

View the Entire Films from Episode 24- SuperHeroes Special Part 2

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:16:32 EDT

THE MIGHTY MEAT
by Landon Ramirez
Email the Filmmaker.
View his website.

THE AVIATRIX
by Toddy Burton
Email the Filmmaker.
View their website.

MR. AMAZING RETURNS
by Michael Connor, Sam Dawes, Terry Marriott, Leigh Davis, Nick Marshall
Email the Filmmaker.
Visit his website.

Ethan's Indy Mogul Promo

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:41:24 EDT

Ethan sent in a clip for our promo campaign we're running - I added the hands and the effects, and it looks great! Check it out, and look at the blog post below to find out how to send in your own.

Help make promos for Indy Mogul!

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:14:47 EDT

Hey mogulers! I come to you with an exciting request ... send in 10 seconds of footage and a voice over, and get on the show. Check out this video for more details ...

Get your footage on Indy Mogul! from Indy Mogul on Vimeo.

Whoa! Girls, Guns, and Writer's Block!

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:39:56 EDT

I think you guys will dig this short film Michael (of early BFX fame) and I made for the latest Film Fight. Check it out and vote!

Wesley's Weekly HOW TO: Fake Medicine

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:09:43 EDT

So need to film a scene with a sick or dying character, but don't have a ton of empty pill bottles to fill up their bedside to make it look realistic? Well don't fret this week i'm going to cover how to make candy and mints look more like medicine for your films.

For the pills themselves, i'm going to start out with some breath mints I got at my local grocery store.

Just by themselves you cans ee that they can look a little like medicine all by themselves, but they also look a little boring and unrealistic.

In many pills there is a notch in the center of the pill so it's easier to break in half, since most of these are really soft, just take a butter knife and scratch a line down the center. This isn't really an important detail to add if they are just going to be in a bottle, but if you wanted to show a close-up in someones palm or in a table, you might want to consider it.

To color them, I just took a bottle cap, filled it with food coloring, then just "painted" the candy and mints with the food coloring. You can use any color, but I just happened to have green laying around so I used it.

Now for the bottle. Most of us probably don't have dozens of bottles of REAL medicine bottles (or at least I hope most of us are healthier than that) so you're going to want to find some that look right. While it would be an obvious choice to get real over-the-counter bottles like for Vitamins, each bottle can cost upwards of 5 dollars, so it can get rather expensive quickly. This bottle on the otherhand is a toothpick bottle, it was a little over a dollar, and it looks nice and thin like most of the medicine bottles I think about when I think of medicine. (Also you get a bunch of toothpicks, which are always useful.)

While it can look alright without being colored, it'll be kind of unrealistic looking, so you'll want to color it orange or green (like most prescription medicine bottles i've ever seen.) To color it, just get a little acrylic paint, and dilute it with a clear acrylic based paint. Try to go 10 drops of clear to 1 drop of colored paint to get a nice transparent mixture, and then just paint the bottle. If it starts trying to bead up on the surface, just keep on smearing it back and forth gently while you get a friend to hit it with a hair dryer, it'll eventually start to get sticky, and you'll be able to add a second layer without a problem.

Now and finally... the label, I know many of you Mogulers out there would also like your bottles to have actual labels...

So, here is a fake label you can slap onto your bottle to finish the effect, and really sell that it's medicine. Obviouslly you'll have to edit this label if you want to show a close-up and you need it to be something specific, but for bottles just laying on a table, this should be fine.

Good luck!

Making a Music Video for Under $99!

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:39:26 EDT

Wanna know how to make an awesome music video for cheap? See how these guys use smart and innovative filmmaking techniques to do just that!

Director Jack Ferry explains how he used rotoscoping, Jeffrey Lewis' live illustration, a camera, and a calculator to achieve the look for the music video "To Be Objectified". Find out how he could combine these elements to create a music video without spending more than $99.

You can see how the final Music Video turn out HERE.

View the Entire Films from Episode 23- SuperHeroes Special Part 1

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:54:02 EDT

SUPERHERO
Directed by SOMI
Written by Brian Simpson
Email the Filmmaker.
View his website.

SUPER POWERS
Directed by Jeremy Kipp Walker & J. Anderson Mitchell
Written by J. Anderson Mitchell
Email the Filmmaker.
View their website.

HOW TO BE A SUPERHERO
Written/Directed by Aqeel Ahmed
Email the Filmmaker.
Visit his website.

WestHavenBrook's: The Danger Element Day 2 Pt. 2

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:50:33 EDT

Here is the new part of the second day of shooting, for WestHavenBrook's new project. Check it out to see some great behind-the-scenes footage, and see some of the hard work that can go into a larger project.

Cheetos Boredom Buster - The Works of David Seger

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:59:24 EDT

Well, folks this is the final Cheetos Boredom Buster on the Indy Mogul Blog, so I'm gonna lay a real treat on you: The Works of David Seger. Whoa, what? The works of David Seger? Aren't I Dave Seger? Isn't that a little bit cheap? Not if you value having your boredom busted, bucko! Here I am, writing all these blogs trying to point you towards entertainment and joy when all I have to do is stick my thumb backwards at my head to point to the guy who busts my boredom the most: Me. Here's the real lesson, class: the ultimate way to bust that boredom is to get creative. Make some art. Doodle a picture. Write a short story. Record a Facebook wall video. Build a chair. Rename the categories to your AIM buddy list. Play around. Have fun. The best way to wash away boredom is to stay active and discover something about yourself.

Making videos has been a big part of my life. A source of experimentation and happiness. Here are some highlights from my video catalog:

Irrational Fears
A short one to start, Irrational Fears is one of my favorite videos. It's about a minute long, was easy and fun to shoot, and I got to play around in the desert. Sometimes the video-making experience is as simple as getting an idea out of your system. I had this idea bouncing around for six months before I finally returned to Vasquez Rocks National Park and made sure to get it shot.

Barrel of Monkeys
I honed my craft working on shows for my college cable station. This Barrel of Monkeys video was produced for an episode of a sketch comedy I was doing called A-OK Sketch Comedy in 2006. It was a lot of fun, and I've always appreciated how this video turned out. The experiment of compositing our faces on toys was totally new to me.

Campus Fun Now - Episode #2
Campus Fun Now is another experiment from my college TV days. I love creating a narrative, and usually tell stories, so when a friend of mine asked me to create a non-fiction segment for his TV show about causing fun around on campus, I was excited to figure out how to make it interesting. Tom and Mr. Drew were some great hosts, and it ended up being one of my favorite things I created as an student.

My Inanimate Object Video - Dove Burnfish
It's all about challenging yourself to do new things and setting deadlines. This video is called the "Inanimate Object Video" because that was the challenge my friends and I posed to each other for our weekly "Movie Night." We were going to watch Batteries Not Included, so we told everyone to make a movie where "an inanimate object helps out the hero." That's what happens here. I combined my own desire to make a musical in the same style as Flight of the Conchords with the criteria to have an inanimate object help out. Check out the Movie Night site for more weird challenges and executions.

But that's it -- I mean, I have more to show you, but you can dig for it. I have a blog, I have a Vimeo page. I like entertaining people, so I hope you were entertained these past few weeks during the Cheetos Boredom Buster. Six little portals of entertainment. Keep your eye on places like Indy Mogul and you're bound to find more things to bust your boredom online. Come on, it's the internet! Thanks everybody.

Ira Glass on Storytelling Pt. 1

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:50:59 EDT

Tomorrow on The Best Short Films In The World...

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:32:43 EDT

From Visionary Mediocre Director, Bobby Miller comes...THE BEST SHORT FILMS IN THE WORLD. Episode # 23. Based on the acclaimed Graphic Novel.