Happy Holidays....

Happy Holidays from all of us at El Roberto. 2010 has been another productive year and we are looking forward to accomplishing even more in 2011.

We have been hearing a lot about the lo-fi post-apocalyptic alien invasion thriller Monsters and have been really anxious to see it. Checkout Uncut Magazines review here. Trailer below.


We have posted a tutorial on how to create "sugar glass" before, but checkout this new easy DIY video from the folks at Indy Mogul.

DIY steadicam

This is probably the best steadicam tutorial we've seen yet. And the parts are all fairly cheap to purchase.

The Dark Knights going to bed

So it turns out that the next batman movie (tentatively titled "The Dark Knight Rises"
I believe) may be the last of the series. Per Christopher Nolan he only plans to produce one more film in the series. This might be a good idea, to end the series before it spirals into the indignities of the god awful batman and robin territory. And then 15 years from now we can look for a "series reboot", where batman is played by Miley Cyrus, and the batmobile is a Smartcar. If only. Check out article regarding Nolan's statement at entertainment weekly. Posted by candice

Hollywood still hasn't figured it out...

According to the LA Times article on Blu-Con, Hollywood is looking for even more ways to milk as much money they can out of consumers. Below is excerpt from article:

"We want to advantage methods that are more profitable," Craig Kornblau from Universal, told the audience of home entertainment industry professionals. "We don't have an obligation to give consumers what they want when they want it."

“While there are things in the Netflix system that are clearly cannibalistic [to sales], there are things we can change…They can pay us more or we can reduce the quality of what we give them.”

Based on these comments, I am thinking that the film industry hasn't learned from the demise of the music industry. Hopefully Mr.Kornblau's views don't represent the views of all of the studios and this doesn't happen. Stay tuned.

Frontera Filmmakers Presents
Feature Filmmaking workshop this upcoming Sat.,
Nov. 13th, 10AM-12PM at Media Arts Center SD. - Ethan

WORKSHOP! Learn How to Make an Independent Sci-Fi Feature Film

* Learn how to create affordable special effects!
* Make-up
* Writing that suspensful script
* How to distribute your Sci-Fi Films
* Two directors and Distributor IN PERSON!

Directors Rodrigo Ordonez (Seres Genesis) and Angel Mario Huerta
(Despositarios) will be present at the workshop on Nov 13th, 10AM-12PM
at Media Arts Center San Diego (2921 El Cajon Blvd., SD, CA 92104).

Learn strategies for affordable special effects, lighting, directing
actors, writing suspenseful scripts and creating that Sci Fi make-up.
Distributor Jesus di Sica will also attend to talk about distributing
your independent feature film.

Sat., November 13, 2010
10AM-12PM

Where: Media Arts Center San Diego (2921 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92104)

Food and drink will also be served.
$5 donation

INFO/RSVP Lisa Franek: lfranek@mediaartscenter.org, 619-230-1938 x 102

This Frontera Filmmaker Workshop is made possible with funding from The Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Read more here.

If your a fan of Danny Boyle, then you might enjoy this IFC Podcast. Check out the article and Podcast here,

Free Webinar on Film Production Incentive Programs

Tired of furtively shooting pickup shots downtown at 6am before the cops roll by bleating that you don't have a permit to shoot in front of that abandoned bus stop? So are we. Luckily there's a FREE Webinar on production incentives taking place on 11/18. it'll gives tips on what states not only like filmmaking, but actively bribe film crews to come and trample on their lawns for the sake of art. Check it out if you're available during the noted time frame. And while you're at it watch Terriers. God knows its one local production that needs the support.

Latest Video

Hey everybody, sorry for the delay in posts of late. We have been busy working on a variety of projects. Below is a video we shot for Citybeat. Enjoy.

Have you had enough of Halloween and scary movies???? Nor have we! Checkout the Horror Festival of San Diego which starts this Saturday at 1pm. For more info, click here.

Halloween is here!!!

Need a last minute Halloween costume idea??? The folks at IFC offer some tips for a film fan.
Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas for the Lazy Film Fan - Movies - News - IFC.com
Wanna know how to create a impaled Zombie chest effect??? Look no further...

As we mentioned before, we love lists. And in celebration of Halloween, here is:

El Roberto's Top 10 Zombie Flick List.

10. Resident Evil
09. Fido
08. Dead Alive
07. 28 Weeks Later
06. Planet Terror
05. Dawn of the Dead - Original
04. Shaun of the Dead
03. Dawn of the Dead - 2004 Remake
02. Night of the Living Dead
01. 28 Days Later

Honorable mention: Zombie Land. We really like this film but not enough to place it on our top 10 list. Night of the Living Dead#2??? That's right, 28 Days Later was a somewhat fresh take on the genre that helped bring Zombie movies back to the mainstream. What do you think?

Zombies, Halloween, DIY Effects, and more!!!

With Halloween this weekend our focus is on scary movies and DIY zombie or horror film makeup tips. Check out this trailer for the upcoming low budget (500k) movie Monsters.

Now we normally don't post anything about video games but this one caught our attention. The folks at Rock Star Games makers of Grand Theft Auto have created an expansion pack for their Red Dead series titled "Red Dead Undead Nightmare." Rockstar tends to draw upon thematic influences such as Spaghetti Westerns for their Red Series which only add to quality of the games. This time they are combined the old west with Night of the Living Dead. Checkout the trailer...

Zombies and Reality TV Stars???? Now this looks interesting....

DIY Halloween Zombie Stomach Rip Effect!!!



You know you love film lists as much as we do....click here to see Time Magazines top 25 horror films....

The Question of the Night.....

Fast zombies or slow zombies??? Personally I prefer slow zombies so I can get away.... Still can't make up your mind??? Read this article and you decide!!!

This looks like it has potential...I am really stoked on the audio and visuals in the trailer and apparent use of an Lensbaby during production.

Read more about the Stake Land production here. And if you are looking for a great Halloween flick to see this weekend, checkout IFC's list.

Zombie Alert!!!

Keeping up with the tradition of Halloween, AMC is premiering its show The Walking Dead this Sunday. The promotional machine has been in high gear for this program and after seeing the booth AMC had setup at this year's Comic Con, I am anxious to checkout the show. Here's a synopsis of the show on AMC's site:

"Waking up in an empty hospital after weeks in a coma, County Sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) finds himself utterly alone. The world as he knows it is gone, ravaged by a zombie epidemic. The Walking Dead tells the story of the weeks and months that follow after the apocalypse. Based on Robert Kirkman’s hugely successful and popular comic book series, AMC’s new original series, The Walking Dead, premieres with a 90-minute episode on Halloween night: Oct. 31 at 10/9c. Written and executive produced by three-time Academy® Award-nominee Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile), who also directs the pilot, and executive produced by Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, Aliens), the series debuts during AMC Fearfest, the network's annual blockbuster marathon of thriller and horror films.

The Walking Dead is an epic, edge-of-your-seat drama where personal struggles are magnified against a backdrop of moment-to-moment survival. A survivalist story at its core, the series explores how the living are changed by the overwhelming realization that those who survive can be far more dangerous that the mindless walkers roaming the earth. They themselves have become the walking dead."

Checkout this video for tips on how to create Zombie makeup for Halloween or film productions.

Apocalypse Never

As a major film geek and worshiper of all things Apocalypse Now, I was stoked to see that a new definitive version was coming out on Blu-Ray. However, I was somewhat let down once I read what extras were included. Yes the collectors booklet is cool, the John Milius interview is intriguing, the story boards sound great, Heart of Darkness finally being included, and the 1080p transfer sounds great but where are all of the deleted scenes??? As included in the "A Million Feet of Film: The Editing of Apocalypse Now," documentary that was part of the "Complete Dossier" DVD and not in this Blu-Ray release, as the title states, (there is over a million feet of film), much of it never seen by anyone let alone the filmmakers. So this would have been a great opportunity to include some of that. Also it would have been cool to include some of Harvey Keitel's footage. Or included some the "missing" footage that is available on the 5+ hr bootleg print that is still circulating around.
Anyway check out this story on IFC.
"Apocalypse Now" and Forever, Thanks to a Definitive New Blu-ray Edition - Movies - News - IFC.com

Creating a Film Look in Final Cut Pro

Today we are focusing on completing a script for a film project we have been working on for a long time. More about that later, but in the meantime here is a great tutorial on how to create a film look within Final Cut Pro. Enjoy.

Film remains vital....

Read more of the Variety article below about the longevity of film.
ShowEast: No dirge for 35mm prints - Entertainment News, ShowEast, Media - Variety
and checkout the trailer below to view the longevity of Jackass...

I have to admit it, I will be seeing this movie next weekend for sure.

Coming Soon

This looks pretty cool.


Lisbeth is back...can't wait to see the next installment in the "Girl Who" series.

Kanye West Film Trailer

A cool looking upcoming flick from Kanye West...hopefully this is the trailer and not the actual film (JK)

Sally Menke

Great Article from Entertainment Weekly about the passing of Film Editor Sally Menke


Sally Menke dies at 56: Remembering Tarantino's longtime editor
by Chris Nashawaty

Sally-MenkeImage Credit: Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com; Linda R. ChenBeing Quentin Tarantino’s film editor couldn’t have been easy work. There were the long, unexplained gaps between projects, the fact that her boss was a movie-mad perfectionist who always had the ideal version of his film already playing inside his own head, and the intimidating challenge that all of his movies hinged on cutting back and forth between time, place, and characters — imagine trying to keep all of the mobius-strip plotlines of Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction straight. But Tarantino was so devoted to Sally Menke and such a fan of her work that he never employed anyone else to cut his films. And he was such a fan of her as a person that he routinely assembled “Hi Sally” reels (included on the extras of many of his DVDs) where the cast and crew would begin each take by looking into the camera and giving her a shout-out she’d see months later to cheer her up in the editing room and push her to forge ahead. Along with Martin Scorsese and his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker, it’s hard to imagine a more collaborative director/editor duo than Tarantino and Menke — a partnership that came to a sudden and unexpected end earlier today when the news hit that Menke, 56, was found dead near L.A.’s Griffith Park. Menke had apparently gone hiking in the morning heat with her dog and was found by searchers in Beachwood Canyon after her friends reported to police that she’d failed to come home. Her Labrador retriever was reportedly found alive beside her.

Menke graduated from the NYU film program and served as an editor on 1990′s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. There were other films after that, but her career really took off when she partnered with Tarantino, an encyclopedic video store clerk-turned-auteur, on 1992′s Reservoir Dogs. The brilliant independent film about a band of nameless career criminals who assemble for a botched heist and reassemble in a warehouse trying to figure out how it all went wrong and whether or not they had a rat in their midst, made a splash at the Sundance Film Festival that year, turning Tarantino’s into one of the most electrifying debuts Hollywood had ever witnessed. There was no arguing that he was a genius, but it was Menke’s editing of the low-budget film that made it so unique and revolutionary. Cutting back and forth between characters, letting their back stories leisurely unspool before putting them back into the cinematic Cuisinart, Menke gave order to the chaos. In the years after Reservoir Dogs came out, Sundance was overrun with crime tales sporting disjointed narratives, aping Tarantino and Menke’s magic formula.

Then, in 1994, Tarantino and Menke topped themselves with Pulp Fiction — arguably the best film of the ’90s. Both were nominated for Oscars — Tarantino won for Best Screenplay with Roger Avary. Again, Tarantino’s ambitions were grand and his storytelling method, if possible, had grown even more fractured and fragmented. It could have been a mess, but in Menke’s nimble hands, Pulp Fiction redefined and re-energized independent cinema. Waiting for Tarantino’s next film, Menke took the occasional gig working with other directors — she edited 1996′s stylish noir Mulholland Falls and 1997′s chiller Nightwatch. The two collaborated again on 1997′s Jackie Brown, another sprawling, shuffling-deck epic — this one paying homage to the blaxploitation pictures of the ’70s and starring one of the genre’s queen bees, Pam Grier. The film wasn’t as kindly received as the director’s first two films, but its reputation has rightly grown with the distance of time.

After Jackie, during a six-year hiatus from the big screen, when the larger-than-life Tarantino supposedly labored on the first draft of a top-secret WWII script that would later become Inglourious Basterds, Menke worked on several other films, including 2000′s All the Pretty Horses — a film that was reportedly edited to death: not by Menke, but by Miramax, who wanted to shrink its running time. Menke must have been relieved then to reunite with the protective Tarantino for the two-part epic Kill Bill in 2003 and 2004, followed by Death Proof, Tarantino’s half of 2007′s Grindhouse. If Kill Bill was a super-sized story presenting a unique bundle of challenges to the editor, Death Proof, although pint-sized, came with its own set of hurdles: the revenge flick is essentially two films shoehorned in a larger two-part film. No easy feat. But that seemed to be par for the course with Menke — a woman who embraced a challenge. The pair’s final collaboration came last year with Inglourious Basterds, which seemed to be the culmination of all of Tarantino’s ambitions and obsessions — a multi-part, interweaving bit of army-green pulp fiction that took the horrors of WWII and recast the victims (the Jews) as avenging victors, doling out bloody justice and rewriting history, plotting and assassinating Hitler, the biggest bogeyman the world has ever conjured. And again, Menke was rightly honored with an Oscar nomination.

The sad news of Menke’s death robs movie lovers of a woman who was brilliant at her job and an unsung master of a craft that all too often goes overlooked. We’ll never get to see another Tarantino/Menke collaboration. And for that, we’re all a little poorer.

The Hobbit Strike

Adding to the Kilimanjaro sized mountain of problems that have impeded production of The Hobbit movie, there is a new strike happening among the NZ actor's union that may block production. It is really starting to seem like this movie is cursed and will never be made. Here's hoping it comes out in theaters before 2050, when I'm too elderly and fragile to watch anything more exciting than the Lifetime network and movies based on Nicholas Sparks' books.

DIY FILMMAKING

I have really enjoyed what Beck has been doing with his Record Club music collaborations. Checkout the video below....

DIY FILM TIP OF THE NIGHT: Pneumatic Dust System

Monday....

Filmmaking Tips, shorts, and more....what else do you need on a Monday night?

Check out theses original shorts....

Dictaphone Parcel from Lauri Warsta on Vimeo.

Spider from Mister K Cartoon on Vimeo.

Sunday Sunday Sunday...

Echoes from JuliusB on Vimeo.

Algo De Bom by Rui Viera

ALGO DE BOM from rui vieira on Vimeo.

Its almost the weekend....

The Other Guys Movie Review

This weekend we finally saw The Other Guys. We had just finished watching the manic gorefest Machete, so it was a refreshing change in pace and blood splatter. The movie focuses on a couple of misfit detectives, Terry and Allen. Terry (Wahlberg)is a disgraced cop who is humiliated after being placed on desk duty for accidentally shooting Derek Jeter in the leg. Allen (Ferrell) is a nerdy transfer from accounting who is perfectly happy typing up police reports. There are some hysterical scenes with Samuel Jackson and The Rock playing the invincible "popular" cops who cheerfully insult the desk duty team which sends Terry over the edge. Terry and Allen inadvertently get caught up in an elaborate kidnapping and extortion case that leads to a lot of screaming, car chases, and cocaine explosions. Steve Coogan does his usual superb job playing the kidnapping victim as a smarmy, weak, tycoon in over his head. I thought it was a hilarious movie and reminded me of Tropic Thunder with its endless asides and over the top humor. Definitely one of the only legitimate comedies to come out this summer. Go see it while its still in theaters!

Tuesday Night....

This looks interesting...

Probably will wait for video on this one..

How to build a DIY Slider:

TV Tropes

The above picture had me dying laughing today. TV Tropes is basically a wikipedia site for film and media. It contains loads of information on specific shows, genres, character types, movie cliches etc. For instance, if I was curious as to why so many movie villains confess all their evil doings to their captives, I could go to the TV Tropes page "Just Between You and Me" and see's its applications in various movies, films, and comic books.

I've been on TV Tropes repeatedly this past week for several reasons. First, I'm researching movie cliches and antidotes that would be useful in a Community Spec script I'm writing. Secondly, we are working on A's film thesis script and trying to revise some of the story premise. Believe it or not, TV tropes has a very subtle way of introducing aspects of John Campbell's Hero's Journey without making you feel like your in a class lecture. There is a section on "The Call" and how different versions of the call have been used in movies, which is great because I find it easier to understand the application of the Hero's Journey when applied to films I have seen. It's a fun website, but I can tell you it's such a jam-packed labryinth of good material, you might find yourself looking like the poor sucker above before you're finished.

Mckee Seminar

Everyone knows the famed Robert McKee and his infamous screenwriting seminars. I should have checked this out sooner, but it turns out that you can watch segments of his seminar on youtube. So check it out and enjoy the $745 you just saved!

Neat Video Plugin

You may remember our episode in April when our Canon XHA1 had a tragic accident right before shooting our friends wedding in Trinidad. We dashed around the island and found an HD HF100 to use as a backup to the Canon Vixia. In general we were happy with the performance of both cameras considering the unique situation. But there were some definite areas, where we felt the pinch of missing our Canon XHA1. Particularly during the low-lit reception. It was held outside on private property that was beautiful but for shooting purposes, very dark. There was very little artificial light setup throughout the venue. The XHA1 is very good in picking up decent footage in lowlight, but the Vixia and more so the HF100 were not as adept. We had two lights on our cameras but some footage was still very dark and grainy.

When we first looked at the footage I knew something had to be done. There was a lot of grain and noise during the reception, and I could actually see the offending channels distorting the picture. At first I tried to fix it on my own using the RGB color balance in FCP, but that didn't work very good. There are lots of tutorials on youtube to lower grain and noise, and frankly I tried them all with little success.

Then I came across a website promoting a grain and noise reducer plugin called Neat Video for sale for $99. At first, being the cheapo I am, I was skeptical about spending 100 bucks on a plugin I couldn't be sure of. There were video tests on youtube that showed some improvement when the plugin was applied, but not enough to be thoroughly convincing. But after several days of trying to make the footage presentable on my own, I decided to stop wasting time and just buy the neat video plugin.

Boy was I glad I did! This plug-in is AMAZING! I am not exaggerating. It did miracles with footage I thought was hopeless. I've made a little video above where you can see the difference it made. Keep in mind I am still learning how to use this plugin, but off the bat it makes cleaning up dark or grainy footage a lot easier. I would definitely recommend this product. OK, enough plugging of the plug-in (Gong!), and off to bed!

Latest work...

Here is our commercial we produced for the San Diego Music Awards.

Its been a productive summer, check back for more of videos.

Recent Work

We have been pretty busy over the past couple of months...with a designation wedding project in Trinidad and Tobago, covering Comic Con, and producing commercial spots for The North Park Music Thing and The San Diego Music Awards, writing some screenplays, and finally working to complete God with a Gun. We are looking forward to the rest of the year...

Giselle Leotaud and Matthew Fribourg Wedding from el roberto on Vimeo.

And as promised....we will finally post about our Comic Con experience this week..

Its Tuesday and we longing for the weekend....

It usually starts happening Sunday night....I get butterflies in my stomach and slightly depressed as soon the reality of the situation hits me....the weekend is over and we have to make it till Friday. Anyway tomorrow is Wednesday so we are almost there. Here is the latest record club Beck collaboration. Enjoy.

Record Club: Yanni "Within Attraction" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Anything with Danny Boyle's name stamped on it is probably going to be solid....checkout the trailer below.

35mm adaptors and Jag35

New discovery today! There are still some options for non-wealthy filmmakers out there! I've been slobbering lasciviously over the Letus 35mm Pro for a couple of years now, but can't bring myself to fork over the giant piles of money necessary for the most basic of Letus adaptors. Then today, while perusing youtube for videos Canon Xha1 with 35mm lens adaptors, I came across the Jag35 site. This is a company that builds affordable 35mm lens adaptors for consumer to prosumer video cameras. First off, this company is awesome because they make tutorials showing you how to build your own 35mm lens adaptor, and secondly there 35mm adaptors not only tend to cost less than $500, but they are a very decent quality. Check out the video above. The entire setup (camera included) cost $1200. I for one am sold. We'll definitely be looking into purchasing one of these.

Real or Fake

Who knows but according to the media, it makes for interesting theatre. Over the past couple of years the media has followed Joaquin Phoenix as he has spiraled into a bloated drunken mess and we the viewer have watched it all unfold. Is it real? Or was it some sort of method acting hoax pulled on everyone. You be the judge....

And here is an exhaustive mini "documentary" that shows you nearly every video game console ever built. Enjoy!

The Insane Console History Video 2.0 from Elder-Geek on Vimeo.

Coming Soon...

Monsters

The Social Network

A Woman A Gun and a Noodle Shop

Sound Editing Tips

Equally as important as good video, good sound can make or break a project. Here are some tips and techniques that should know.

FINAL CUT PRO TUTORIALS

With all of the film editing tutorials available on YouTube, here are a few that stand out:

The Bleach Bypass Film Look

Slow Motion Tips with Final Cut Pro Studio

Final Cut Pro- Storyboard Editing Tutorial:

Final Cut Pro Workflow Tutorial:

Merlin Steadicam Stabilizer

So were SERIOUSLY THIS TIME (again) looking into buying a stabilizer system. It's been a struggle to find a stabilizer that doesn't cost a gazillion dollars but is still robust enough to handle our 5.5 lb Canon XHA1 with an extra 1.5 lbs of light, mic and battery. We've been leaning for awhile towards the Merlin. There's a lot of talk that it can't handle the Canon without support, but I think we'll give B&H a call this week and see if it might just need a little practice in order to work correctly. We've been checking some Merlin/Canon XHA1 test videos (like the one below) and it is giving us some encouragement that the Merlin just might work.

2 days with the Steadicam Merlin from Peter Szilveszter // Living Lens on Vimeo.

Coming Soon...

To a theater or sketchy internets site near you..

The Hammer Films produced... Let Me In


Everyone's favorite evil corporation Umbrella is back! And yes so is Mila Jovich


Seth Green kicks A$$ in The Green Hornet



and here is Seth Rogen at Comic Con 2010 talking about the upcoming film.


And as promised, this weekend we will finally post our "Comic Con 2010 Scrapbook" complete with links to footage we shot and other fun stuff. So stay tuned....

Film News and more....

Vincent Gallo strikes again!!! According an article on IFC, actor, director, musician, model, aka jack of all trades, Vincent Gallo seized control of his latest film from an inept director. Reportedly hard to work with, Gallo was irritated by the director onset and had threatened to walk if he wasn't given complete control of the project. But of course, as i am not a huge fan of his work (Buffalo 66 excluded) and regardless of what happened on the set of his latest effort, and whatever reviews it may get, I will probably just wait until its released on video to go see it.

DIY FILM TIP OF THE DAY: Rip a Bloody Heart Out of a Chest!!!

Rolling Roadshow Tour

We Are All Workers The 2010 Rolling Roadshow Tour is about to commence and according to their website

"Once again, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema takes to the road, departing from Austin, Texas on a whirlwind tour and hosting free 35mm screenings of famous movies in famous places. Known as The Rolling Roadshow Tour, it has been to the FIELD OF DREAMS in Iowa with Kevin Costner live in person, Devil's Tower in Wyoming for a screening of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND and Alcatraz Island for a screening of ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ. Now, the Alamo Drafthouse and Levi's partner to champion stories of our most celebrated celluloid workers. Throughout Augusts’ hazy summer nights, the Alamo and Levi’s will be taking the Rolling Roadshow to the people under the unified banner of ‘We Are All Workers." This looks an amazing once in a lifetime way to catch some classic films in a classic setting....now only could they actually have The God Father Part 2 in play in Lake Tahoe where much of the film took place and was filmed. ....(yes I know....Littel Italy NYC would probably be an awesome place see this film )

Howl and other interesting stuff...

So we are finally back and are slowly catching up after covering Comic Con for Moviejungle. We will create post this weekend about the event. For now, checkout these clips from the upcoming film Howl. As a fan of Ginsberg's poetry, I am definitely looking forward to seeing this film.

Countdown to Zero....and more

Sam Worthington is back in The Debt

And just in case you haven't seen it...here's a little Drunk History.

Mixing it up...

Here at El Roberto we try to mix it up from time to time by showing some music videos and animations instead of film trailers and DIY film clips. Tonight we are posted a variety of clips that caught our attention and hopefully yours as well.

Now I am not huge Future Heads fan but I am digging this video. Kind of has the same rotoscoping effect as Scanner Darkly...

Also checkout what RSA can do with a whiteboard and some pens.

And from RSA FILMS

God With A Gun Redux

Over the past several months (working between El Roberto Projects) I've been tasked with completing my thesis film which I started shooting back in the fall of 2004. Over the years I have completed several cuts and have never felt that it was quite right. Last year, based on a new edit that we had assembled, C wrote a new script that utilized most of the existing footage that we assembled and added a few new scenes and a new story arc. After reviewing the material with the lead actor we decided to scrap the idea and go another direction.

A year later we are making progress and should start shooting some additional scenes in August and September....that's of course if we can agree on a script and set some time aside to finish it. Right now we are getting ready to cover Comic-Con for Moviejungle.com so be sure to checkout our daily video posts starting this Wednesday. Also we have a couple of other large projects coming up now through September to keep us busy. So stay tuned.

This looks interesting....Ben Affleck returns to acting and directing in The Town.

When You're Strange Review...

I think about Jim Morrison and The Doors every day...every time I wanna get tacos or take drive in the desert, on a road trip, or even when I try write a screenplay. Their music was on loop on the old Clarion tape deck when my brother and I used to take turns driving the old 76 Dodge Tradesman back in high school... Jim and his music have had a profound influence on my tastes and creativity and have shaped who I am....so naturally I was stoked to see that a proper attempt was being made to tell his story...their story...our story...When You're Strange is a great documentary, watchable on Netflix, enjoyable watched in parts or as a whole. The only issue is that it left me wanting more. Perhaps it only scratched the surface of something much bigger than can be told in a single documentary...Perhaps not....Weaving concert, private, studio, and Jim's rare film HWY to tell the story the way its meant to be. Don't get me wrong, I love Oliver Stones film, but this was different and almost the same.... and equally as enjoyable. With the addition of Johnny Depp narrating, the documentary almost has a Fear and Loathing feel to it which is great....and adds credibility I guess. Or maybe it adds nothing....you be the judge. Even if you are not familiar with their music or are a fan, take my word for it....and go see it.

Due Date and more...

Coming soon to theatre near you.....

and this looks pretty creepy.

New Film Releases....

New movie releases this week:
Inception

Valhalla Rising.

Predators Review

Now I have said this before in my reviews but despite what you may have heard...Predators is actually an entertaining film and is probably the best Predator flick since the original. From the beginning, the film doesn't waste anytime getting to the point and starts with film lead Adrian Brody
free-failing unconscious, presumably dropped from a plane...(quite possibly the first time in cinematic history a film starts this way). After meeting up with a rag-tag group of elite "killers" Brody and company try to make sense of what exactly is going on. Now with the exception of some cheesy looking cgi monsters and an underused Laurence Fishburne... the film mostly works and is to the point. Now is Predators as good as the original??? You already know the answer to that....is it better than Twilight or The Last Airbender???....you already know the answer to that....Go see it now....


DIY FILM TIP:Creating basic animation in Final Cut Pro/Express

DIY CAMERA JIB...

You can never post enough of these DIY film tips....well at least we think so...

New Machete trailer!!!

Its Saturday Night...

and we are going to check out The Girl Who Play With Fire tonight. Look for our review in the coming days.

This weekend we are finishing up some editing and researching tripods....our Davis & Sanford Tripod is in need of repair and we have a couple of shoots coming up so we are looking to pick one up. Any suggestions?

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Now I saw this trailer about a week ago and have been meaning to post it all week...

I think that it looks pretty decent....but yes its another Michael Cera "hapless nerd flick"....pretty soon its going to become a genre all in its own.

As a reminder...The Vimeo Festival + Awards is accepting submissions until July 31st...Learn more here

Check Mic one, two

So we decided to add to our filming cache and FINALLY bought a decent wireless handheld mic system. We were looking for a quality but affordable wireless mic, but unfortunate;y "affordable" and "wireless" doesn't often go together these days. Fortunately we found the Azden WMS-PRO Wireless Microphone System which had some pretty good reviews. It comes with a lavalier and handheld mic, so that'll gives us more options during use, and it only costs $140 bucks! Pretty sweet. B&H was actually sold out of the system, but we were able to get it through Amazon. We'll be sure to film a test demo once the shipment comes in. Chow for now!

Coming Soon....

to a theatre near you....Winnebago Man


The Girl Who Played with Fire


Predators

Record Club...

Always on the cutting edge in music and video, over the past year or so Beck has been rounding up other musician friends to jam an album in its entirely and document what happens....and usually its pretty awesome. Here's what it says on the record club site:
"Record Club is an informal meeting of various musicians to record an album in a day. The album chosen to be reinterpreted is used as a framework. Nothing is rehearsed or arranged ahead of time. A track is put up here once a week. The songs are rough renditions, often first takes that document what happened over the course of a day as opposed to a polished rendering. There is no intention to 'add to' the original work or attempt to recreate the power of the original recording. Only to play music and document what happens."

Record Club: Yanni "Santorini" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Wall of Film

Looking forward to the pending release of Predators???, check these out:

and here is new a character featurette.

The new Phil Spector documentary explores the once genius music producer now conviction murderer dark mind. Read and see the trailer here.

Fourth of July Flicks!!!

After all of the barbequing, drinking beer, lighting fireworks, and stuffing yourself with food, checkout one of these inspired flicks:

Fear of Loathing in Las Vegas by Terry Gilliam. Yes, the drug fueled adventure and critique of the American way of life during the late 60s early 70s. A definite must read book and must see film.

Dazed and Confused by Richard Linklater.

Mr. Freedom directed by William Klein, is a 60s era French film that explores American Foreign policy...more here.

Thursday Night....

In case you haven't see the Get Low trailer...check this out.

DIY Film Tip: Indiana Jones Melting Skull Effect!

Latest Video and more..

Anyway, its been an extremely busy week here at El Roberto, as we are working on a number of projects. We hope to have some more new videos posted over the next week. Stay tuned for more.

Random Film News:
Judd Apatow Developing New Pee-wee Herman Movie??? Yes apparently its true.

Video: The Making of a DIY Film

Winters Bone

Winner of the Sundance Film Festivals Grand Jury Prize, Winters Bone is being hailed as one the years best films. We are looking forward to seeing this film.


ShortsLab:L.A.

Presented by Sundance Institute

Sundance Institute invites you to participate in ShortsLab: L.A., a three-part, all-day educational workshop to offer filmmakers first-hand insight and access into the world of story development, production, and exhibition of short films. The focus of the day will primarily be on short narrative (fiction) films.

Story Development (9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.): Acclaimed filmmakers share their experiences working with short-form during their careers. These tales from the trenches will focus on conceptualization and script development.

Production (1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.): Industry professionals and special guests speak to the many challenges filmmakers face during production, including budgeting, working with unions, music rights, financing, and much more.

Exhibition (3:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.): An eclectic mix of speakers— including festival programmers, agents, managers, distributers, and more— share their advice on how to handle a completed film.

Cocktail Mixer and Screening (5:30 p.m.): ShortsLab caps off with an informal gathering followed by a 7:30 p.m. screening of award winning short films from the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Feedback: If you participate in ShortsLab: L.A. and submit your short film to the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, a Festival programmer will call you post-Festival to offer individual feedback on your film.

A list of guests will be announced shortly, so please check back for updates. For more information about ShortsLab: L.A., please call us at 310-360-1981 or email todd_luoto@sundance.org.

Purchase Tickets – $150

Its Sunday Night

and we are both busy working on projects. (No complaints). A is working on the latest Citybeat video and C is working on a screenplay. We will have the new video up soon for your viewing pleasure.

The American by Anton Corbijn looks pretty good to me...what do you think?

DIY Filmmaking Tip: The Scriptwriting and Storyboarding Software Buyer's Guide
Checkout this article on Videomaker Magazine, it will give you the rundown of what you need to get started writing your screenplay.

Jonah Hex Review

isnt as bad as the reviews say. Matter of fact, its an entertaining film. If you can get over the digital softening of Megan Foxes face during close-up shots, then there is not much else to complain about. Basically the film is as close to a psychedelic western (heard it here first) remake of the 60s TV show Wild Wild West as hollywood is willing to make. (Please ignore the Will Smith remake). And yes its a just a popcorn flick without any deep meaning, but honestly sometimes that's exactly what a viewer is looking for. Anyway definitely go see it while its in the theaters or when its on video.

European Flicks Invade America....

and we are better off because of it...
Valhalla Rising, finally gets its American Theatrical release this summer after being released in Europe in 2009. Check out the trailer:

And the much anticipated sequel to the wonderful The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire is out:

Robert Rodriguez Presents....

Am I the only one who thinks this looks awful???

In Film News:
Oscilloscope Laboratories announced today that it has acquired North American rights to Richard Shepard's (THE MATADOR, Emmy® Award-Winning director of Ugly Betty pilot) documentary I KNEW IT WAS YOU, which explores the life of the exceptional but little-known actor John Cazale. The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and aired on HBO June 1, 2010. The film was produced by Brett Ratner and Stacey Reiss. O-Scope will release the DVD in the fall of 2010.

South of the Border...

No stranger to controversy, Oliver Stone is now heading South of the Border in his latest project, a documentary about Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. Watch the film and you decide.
Interested in learning more, checkout The Revolution Will Not Be Televised on Youtube.

Death Race 2000 on DVD!?!?- That's right kids....the Roger Coreman dystopian car race flick is out on DVD this week..(1st, 2nd release...who knows) read more here.