Filmmakers: Here's How to Choose Between a Prime Lens and a Zoom Lens

http://www.indiewire.com/article/attention-filmmakers-heres-how-to-choose-between-a-prime-lens-and-a-zoom-lens

The above link takes a look at how to pick the right lens.

Prime Lenses

Fixed focal length lenses offer a very traditional way of shooting. Before zoom lenses existed, this was of course the only way to shoot and as such a lot of the cinematic look that we are used to seeing on film today was established by early DPs using primes.

Today, primes are used as much as ever on professional film sets, and I highly recommend them as part of your kit, especially if you're going after the film look.

The main advantages of a prime lens are:

• Sharper
• Faster Aperture
• Lower Cost
• More Portable

Zoom Lenses

Although zooms are less traditional on a film set than prime lenses, they are certainly still widely used on productions of all sizes. Many of my favorite directors and DPs use (or have used) zooms, and for good reason. They offer a number of advantages over primes including:

• Versatility
• Ease of Use
• Speciality Shots
• Cost (sort of!)

MORE IS MORE IN INDEPENDENT FILM

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2014/01/sundance-independent-film-manohla-dargis.html

The above is an interesting take on indie cinema from The New Yorker. Too many movies being made?

Manohla Dargis, of the Times says: “Stop buying so many movies. Or at least take a moment and consider whether flooding theaters with titles is good for movies and moviegoers alike.… It’s hard to see how American independent cinema can sustain itself if it continues to focus on consumption rather than curation.”

But Tim Wo counters: "It’s easy to look back at a year of films and say that only the good films should have been made, but that’s like saying that venture capitalists should fund only the Twitters and Googles and not bother with anyone else. It just doesn’t work that way."

I agree with Tim.

You?

The state of indie filmmaking and The Sundance Film Festival

Sundance 2014 aims to bring fair weather back to US indie industry.

Click on link below for a good read on the state of indie filmmaking, what the Sundance Film Festival role will play, and the future of our business. 

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jan/15/sundance-film-festival-2014-us-indie-industry

• Sundance film festival 2014
• 
  

How To Get ready for That Film Festival

The link below is an excellent source on all matters regarding the elusive film festival - what to do and what not to do, by indie producer Ted Hope.

Topics include preparation, sales rep, publicist, distribution, rejection, sales, strategy, social media, and on and on. Great resource.

http://trulyfreefilm.hopeforfilm.com/2013/01/how-to-get-ready-for-that-film-festival.html

Great new film!

Inequality For All

Starring Robert Reich, my favorite economist. Really good doc. Here's a link to the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9REdcxfie3M

Fesitval and Deal Making Strategies

http://paradigmconsulting.fanbridge.com/campaigns/show.php?id=1055766&sid=186551875

Click on the above link.

Really good article/post by Peter Broderick on:

SPECIAL REPORT: LAUNCHING YOUR FILM - FESTIVAL AND DEALMAKING STRATEGIES

American Cinematheque

The American Cinematheque is screening 8 1/2 for free tomorrow night at the Egyptian Theatre!

For details, click here:

http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/8-12-2

This is a large screen film, so if you can, get the hell out of the house and see it. It's Fellini in all his glory.