This semester I am taking an advanced film production class, in which I am producing a short called A Home I’ll Never See. The film is about two friends who are talking while having a drink at a bar, and one tells the other the story of his relationship with this girl and we are brought back to each memory of the story with the two characters. We are in the middle of production right now, and it is coming out great. Final screening is May 9^th at 6pm. Below is our movie poster and a few production stills.

(download)

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a-home-i-ll-never-see-rAHoEwCaeazgnkxfeAzj.zip (4.14 MB)

Hey guys!

here is a short video I did filming the URI bus stop for an hour.

I tried to edit it to create Humor and conflict, something which wasn't easy to do...but I hope you like it!

Hey guys!

here is a short video I did filming the URI bus stop for an hour.

I tried to edit it to create Humor and conflict, something which wasn't easy to do...but I hope you like it!

Hey guys!

here is a short video I did filming the URI bus stop for an hour.

I tried to edit it to create Humor and conflict, something which wasn't easy to do...but I hope you like it!

 This past Thursday, Friday, and today, the 2011 French film, Tomboy was screened at URI.  I went to the screening on Thursday and became lost in the world of the film, which is one of the best things that a film can do its viewer.  The film brought me back to the joys of being a child again, playing outside with friends and growing up.  It is inspring to see a modern film as thoughtful and real as Tomboy.  After today's screening, there was a skype discussion with the film's writer and director, Celine Sciamma.  I attended this question and answer session with other students.  With a cigarette in her mouth, Celine epitomized French.  She was cool, interesting, and funny.  She told us that the film was casted in three weeks and shot in twenty days.  When asked of American filmmakers who have influenced her, Celine mentioned Gus Van Sant, David Lynch, and Steven Spielberg.  She discussed the challenges and joys of collaborating with children.  She said that the film is being shown throughout schools in France, for which she is very grateful.  The discussion lasted from 4-5PM.  It was great to hear the thoughts of a rising filmmaker, who has crafted a truly great film. 

Here is an imdb link to Celine and the film: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1780037/, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1847731/

-Danny S

For this shooting exercise, I needed to shoot a game of Jenga and then edit it down to about four minutes.  I had fun with this one...

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the_real_jenga.m4v (40.38 MB)

Danny S

In my documentary production class, we did several shooting exercises this semester that took us out of the classroom.  For this exercise, I needed to film my subject walking toward me from two different angles and then edit them together to create one cohesive piece.

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Walking_Savage.mov (78.8 MB)

Danny S

I've seen all the Academy Award nominations for Best Picture of 2011, including The Artist, Hugo, The Tree of Life, Warhorse, The Help, Moneyball, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Midnight in Paris, and The Descendants.  I enjoyed all of them but my favorite of the bunch was Martin Scorcese's Hugo.  Oddly enough, the Oscar went to The Artist, an awesome silent film in black and white.  Hopefully, The Artist's triumphant win will get people interested in silent films, which have so much to offer.  One of the things that I find incredible in silent films is their ability to captivate without the use of sound, which is used to manipulate audiences in a variety of ways. Here are some silents that I highly recommend:

1) The Gold Rush (1925)-My favorite Chaplin film featuring the immortal Little Tramp.  Be sure to also check out The Kid (1921), The Circus (1928), City Lights (1931), and Modern Times (1936). 

2) Our Hospitality (1923)-Buster Keaton was a cinematic genius in the same ranks as Chaplin and this is my favorite film of his.  Also check out Sherlock Jr. (1924), The General (1926), and Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928). 

3) The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)-I was fortunate to see this amazing French film at a theater with a live orchestra, like in the days of silent film.  It was an incredible experience.  

4) The Unknown (1927)-A horror film and one of the strangest films I've ever seen featuring an incredible performance from Lon Chaney.

5) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)-A bizarre German film with a look unlike any other.

6) The Iron Horse (1924)-John Ford's epic about the building of the transcontinental road is as exciting as any big budget Hollywood production today.

There are others I could tell you about but this a good place to start.  If you have never seen a silent film, then what are you waiting for?  You may be pleasantly surprised.

-Danny S

Last night I attended the screening of a short film titled “Pie Heaven” and a Q&A session with the director and writer Aviv Rubenstein. It was a great short and an overall great experience to hear from the filmmaker and be able to ask questions.  The film is about two friends who make a bet with each other and the journey they take to settle it.  Filmed on a Canon 7D, the film is filled with shallow depth of field shots consisting primarily of close-ups.  When talking about the film, Aviv gave the room some advice, he said “don’t over direct your actors and don’t let your actors over act”.  I found this to be very insightful advice.  Its great when we as students get the chance to talk to filmmakers and ask them about their personal filming experiences.

- Allie F