Austin Film Meet on Channel Austin

As you may know, Austin Film Meet hosted a show on Channel Austin a couple Friday's ago. This show was produced by Dave Rutledge and hosted by me, H.Cherdon and featured some wonderful guest filmmakers.

Due to some technical difficulties, the first few minutes of the show were not recorded, but we have the rest of it for you:

Austin Film MeetUp Forum LIVE from Dave on Vimeo.

Thank you Dave and everyone!

Crashing Down with Tim Sanders

If you haven't met Tim yet, you're missing out. Tim's got a great sense of humor and a killer feature film project called Crashing Down. I asked him about Crashing Down and here's what he had to say:

Q. To start, can you tell us a little about yourself, Tim? Who are you? What drives you? And what is your background in filmmaking? What projects have you worked on in the past?

A. I'm a Texas boy, born and raised. Discovered my propensity for all things art at a young age, then music as a teen. Been in more bands than I can count. What really did it though was when in the 90s, I started doing motion graphics, animation, and multimedia stuff -- gateway drugs for filmmaking. Now, I'm a junkie.

Q. Tim, please tell us about Crashing Down. What is the story and how did the idea come from?

A. To answer that one, we have to go back a few years. I started out doing stories that directors like Gilliam, Lynch, Kubrick or the Coen Brothers might choose to do, but then got sidetracked chasing the money that was following horror flicks. After a few years of that roller coaster ride of almost starting projects, then falling through, I finally asked myself the question everyone should ask BEFORE doing something: why? Why do 'x' project? Is it really worth years of your life? I don't even really watch that many horror films anyway. So, returning to my original path (follow your bliss as Joseph Campbell would say), I wrote Crashing Down out of the previous years of frustration in one explosive session over the Christmas holidays. I wanted to adapt a classic that hadn't been done (or done well), so I tackled Dante's Inferno and modernized it. The main character moves back to his small hometown and has to go up against the local cowboy mafia when they threaten his family. The film follows him down this path through 'hell' as he schemes to destroy the crime bosses and in the process, setup his family for life. The story is linear like Dante's Inferno, but it throws in unexpected twists and turns here and there to keep it real.

Photo by: Larry McKee

Q. Who is involved with this project?

A. The cast is still evolving. We're shooting like it's a series of shorts, so we'll have a long list by the end of it. I'll post a full list when the project is finished. (Austin Film Meet member) John Hafner has been holding the center as the main character. Larry McKee has been the primary Director of Photography. Larry is by far the most experienced of the bunch having started something like 30 years ago as a technical lighting adviser for National Geographic Magazine. Thomas Marriott is our producer, and brings his years of experience as a serial entrepreneur to the mix. My wife (and Austin Film Meet member) Angie Fant has been a huge help, learning all these little things that are so important and harder to find in the no-money indie world, like marketing, and make-up. Her very first make-up job was to make John look bruised and banged up on the head -- and it looked real!

Q. Who are your lead actors and how did you find them?

A. John Hafner and Jordan Strassner. I found John by digging around online. I had a specific character in mind and when I saw some demos, I was sure he could do it. At the time, it looked to me like he hadn't done much yet and was just getting started (I believe his resume now spans several pages), but again, there was something that said 'yeah, he can pull it off.' So, based on my hunch of his potential, I contacted him and went from there. Jordan and the rest have come through casting calls. This town is packed with talent!

Q. Where are you currently in the production process? What phase of production are you in and what do you still have left to do to complete the picture?

A. We're in production. Because we have no money (other than my expendable income HA!), we shoot whenever everyone is free at the same time. We've shot about 20% so far.

Photo by: Larry McKee

Q. What positions are still available on the crew? What kind of help do you still need and how can people contact you?

A. Here are the 'floating' positions that'll need filling with each schedule block:
- UPM
- Continuity/Script super
- Audio (we have gear)
- Boom op
- Grips (lots of dolly and jib shots)
- Gaffers
- Camera Operator (D.P. currently does this, but if someone else wants experience with the RED, now's your chance)
- Assistant Camera (focus etc)
- Production Assistants
- Behind the scenes. I have a primary guy for this, but he can't make it every time.
- LOCATION MANAGER!

I call these 'floating' because of our long schedule and shooting style. I understand if someone can't dedicate themselves to the project for the duration, and can only help on a scene here and there. On the other hand, if the story stands out for you, and you're like; "man, I want to see this made, I want this to be MY project," then we should talk about what that means, case by case. The transient positions are unpaid, but that doesn't mean they're uncompensated. One of the things I love about a small community like ours is the pooling of skill sets and I look forward to reciprocating in other's projects... that is, once I'm not consumed by the time-eater known as Crashing Down (I say that with nothing but affection, of course)! You can email me, Tim: help@crashingdown.net

Q. How large of a crew are you working this? Have you had any difficulties crewing up or with casting?

A. We've been keeping the crew small. The main driver for this is the cost to feed everyone. We're currently in talks to have food donated, which means less fear of a larger crew, and the small crew we've been using will be much happier to have the help. There's a lot of people that want to help so no problems other than schedules. For me, casting is harder just because I'm looking (like any director should) for specific things to fill specific parts. Casting, done right, can make a movie shine -- done wrong, and you crash and burn.

Photo by: John St. Germain

Q. What is the budget for the project and how did you determine where to spend it?

A. When I do a project like this, I do several budgets and proceed as if funding is no problem. This one has an approximate budget of 2 million on paper (and that was cutting a lot of corners in production and pushing most of the cost to initial marketing). But like I said elsewhere, we're just shooting as resources allow. In the end, if no funding ever comes through, and we get food donated, there will still be thousands of dollars spent to get it in the can. This doesn't count post and distribution chasing. There's no such thing as 'no-budget.' That money goes into people's tanks, props, electricity to run the laptop to make script edits, software, printing ink, locations, web space, etc, etc.

Q. If you had an extra $2000 to spend, how would you spend it?

A. Is that all I get? It would go in the bank for gas money and locations. Or, maybe buy a bunch of lottery tickets?

Q. What camera(s) are you shooting with and why did you choose that one? Have you faced any difficulties with this technology?

A. It wasn't that long ago that I was seriously bummed about the state of the art. Back then, we had mini-DV (HD hadn't become the norm yet) and film. If you didn't have money, you shot on mini-DV. But it never looked right to me. So for awhile, I refused to shoot anything unless it was on film, which led me down the endless path of hunting investors. We even started thinking about designing our own HD camera, and Larry the D.P. was one of the first (actually, I think he was THE first) beta testers for Redrock Micro's 35mm adapter. We spent a lot of time trying to come up with something affordable that maintained the quality we were looking for in the digital space. Then, word of the RED started to circulate and Larry jumped on it. I did hit some technological snags early on, but that's no surprise to an early adopter. We shot 7 shorts with one of the first cameras to hit the Houston area, and I edited a few of those. Editing wasn't easy then, but now you can open a raw 4k RED file in Premiere and away you go. I recently got my hands on a Canon 5d to supplement the run and gun. I'm impressed. I used an Adobe After Effects plug-in to pump the size from 1080 to 4k and I'm still in shock. It matched with the RED footage on the timeline! (the 24p conversion is like pulling teeth however, but that firmware fix is coming).

Q. What challenges have you faced in making Crashing Down and how have you resolved them?

A. Getting everyone together at the same time is the hardest part. If this was a circus, then the producer and I would be the guys juggling chainsaws and pissed off cats between each other. In the end, it works out, but it takes a lot of playing tag. Another challenge is locations. I'm new to the area, so I'm having to hit the streets in most cases. Nothing wrong with this of course, it's just time consuming. I'm starting to ask around more as I get to know more people, and in the end, this may be the solution to the problem of locations.

Q. What is your strategy for marketing and distribution for Crashing Down?

A. The times, they are a changing. Every moment I spend researching this kills more ideas, and births new ones. In the old days, one way to go about disto hunting was to premiere at a fest, build some buzz there, get invited to other fests on that buzz and start talking to traditional distributors. I'm reading that this doesn't happen anymore? Specialty arms and indie distributors are closing left and right so we'll have to see how everything shakes out for those of us that haven't established a base yet. Even Gilliam is having a hard time finding a distributor for an A-list cast film in the U.S.? Wassup with that? The internet is really taking center stage lately with movies like Paranormal, The Age of Stupid, Nasty Old People, The Last Lullaby, INK, etc. I will say this; I still think theater is important. Going straight to DVD without some theater isn't really an option as far as I'm concerned. That may mean that we'll have to 4 wall a few places, but I believe any 'good' movie should have an opportunity to be communally experienced (even if you have to do like some folk singers, and have house concerts). I could go on and on about this subject, but ultimately, I'm still early in the learning curve regarding distribution and marketing. The thing that sux is that curve is more like a tsunami rushing away at high speed.

Q. How do you feel about Austin as a place to make independent films?

A. I lived in Houston before moving here, and was trying to decide the best place to go for making movies. My research pointed to Austin as the place to be for indie filmmakers, which jived with me on so many levels. I had already tried moving here several times before. The talent pool is pretty amazing -- some of my favorite well-known filmmakers live here.

Q. How did the Austin Film Meet helped you with make Crashing Down a reality? Did you find crew or cast through the Austin Film Meet?

A. I've met quite a few people that are talented and all about helping. The fact that we meet once a week is pretty amazing, even if I'm too busy working on movie stuff most of the time to attend. Most groups I've been a part of only met once a month. Austin Film Meet understands the speed of life. Hahaha, that was cheesy, but I can still see it on a bumper sticker.

Q. How can fans stay up-to-date with all Crashing Down news?

A. Keep up to date by checking the Crashing Down website http://www.crashingdown.net.

There's a link on the right for the Facebook page so you can 'fan' the film.

I also have my personal blog at http://www.tesanders.com that is still mostly about film, but sometimes goes off on tangents that I think are interesting.

Thanks for a great interview Tim!

Texas Film Incentives and YOU

This is Billy

Billy loves film and wants to make one someday.

Recently Billy inherited 250,000 dollars from his grandfather who died of, "Getting hit by a Bus disease" A very serious illness.

But it's okay because Billy is rich now.

Thanks Grandpa

Now that Billy has all this money and wants to make a film what are his options?

Well Billy, welcome to the exciting world of Texas Film Incentives or Bill HB 873.

Thanks to a new bill that was passed by the Texas legislator you can receive a certain percentage of your total qualified in-state spending back to you, but it still won't bring grandpa back from the dead.

But that's okay you still have his money to remember him by.

As a person who came across 250 grand and in no way was involved with the pushing of said grandfather into a bus, you meet the minimum first tier of requirements for incentives.

What are the other tiers you ask?

Good question Billy, the break down looks like this

Total qualified in-state Option A Option B

spending (% of spending) (% of wages)

$250,000 - $1 million 5% 8%

$ 1 million - $5 million 10% 17%

More than $5 million 15% 25%

Underutilized area* 2.5% 4.25%

*Additional Payment if 25% of the production is completed in an underutilized area or economically distressed area.

Now I know that 5 million or more tier does look tempting and Grandma Weiss has been feeling a bit under the weather, but let's stay focused okay Billy.

What kind of project will you make with your 250 grand? Because as you may not be aware of, there are many more options then film.

Caligula 2, Donald Sutherland twice as nude.

NO Billy porn doesn't qualify for the incentives

But here are some projects that do

• Film and TV: Feature films, documentaries, TV series, episodes, movies, and other TV programming.


• Commerical Projects: commericals, infomercials, and music, instructional, and educational videos.


• Video games: computer, console, arcade, and Web-based games


• Postproduction/Finishing: For film, television and commericals

You might be asking youself "Hey what are the differences between % of spending and % of wages, and if it's a mixed media project who do they determine the difference between the two tiers? And what happens if Texas runs out of funds for the program? And..."

All very good questions for an "innocent" homicidal young film maker.

Well Billy you can find out more infomation on Texas film incentives at

http://http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/issue/story?oid=oid%3A901642

and

http://www.governor.state.tx.us/film/incentives/miip

Now you're on your way to making wonderful films that would give Rob Zombie nightmares.

Good Luck Billy

Chat with Anne LaBarbera, Producer of The Unaffected

Photo by Rodney Barry

I recently had the opportunity to exchange emails with my friend Anne LeBarbera about her experience producing the short film, The Unaffected, a film made for the 2009 National Film Challenge (http://www.filmchallenge.com/) a sister competition of the 48 Hour Film Project. She had some interesting and insightful things to say.

Q. - Anne, please tell about yourself and your background as a filmmaker and what inspires you to be a filmmaker?

A. - I always made films with my brothers back in the days of video tape. Our first camera was one that came with our first VCR (which was huge). You had to connect the camera to the VCR which had a big handle on it and carry the whole set up with you as you filmed. And the only way you could edit was to borrow your neighbor's VCR to record from one tape to another. If you messed something up you had to start over from that point on.

And I was a theatrical costume designer for about 5 years when I lived in Michigan. So when I did not find a legal traineeship in Scotland and I had just gotten shortlisted for the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum in London, I thought maybe film would be an option. One day my pub quiz team and I were bored with pub quizzes and we decided to make a film instead. So we just made one, On The Trail of the Haggis, which to be honest is not terribly good but was fun to make. I have a lot of stories to tell on that one. Like the fact that it was raining the entire time but for some reason the rain let up just when we were filming. Then once we made it inside it would start 'chuckin i doon' again as we say in Scotland. And the epic rain that summer (2007) shut down the trains for just one day in South Wales, which just happened to be the day that I had a Welsh actor needing to come up to Edinburgh for the day from Newport South Wales. We had to substitute another actor in the end because we could not find someone.

Anyway then I did some music videos which I love, produced another short which is still in post. I think we are waiting on some animation. And then I have done lots of these competitions too.

At first I was disoriented by being in Austin instead of Edinburgh but I am starting to get my sea legs. It is really hard to step from a situation in which everyone knows you to a place where no one does.

Q. - What is the National Film Challenge and how does it work? Website address?

A. - The National Flim Challenge is the sister competition to the 48 Hour Film Competition. The website is www.filmchallenge.com the great thing about it is that there is no local screening and they accept films from around the world so I asked if a North American team could submit on PAL and they said sure why not. This was great because my best camera is PAL format.

Q. - How large was your crew? Who was involved with making the project and how did they help? Please include a cast and crew credit list.

A. - We had 14 people on our crew total. (Most are Austin Film Meet members.)

Anne LaBarbera - Writer, Director, Editor, Producer

Mark Roethke - Director of Photography, Special FX

Louis Weyrich - First AD, Composer, Sound & Music Editor

Roxanna Collingwood - Line Producer, Actress

Rodney Barry - Stills

Karlo Montano - Sound Mixer, Boom Op

Jaclynn Pardue - Actress

Nick Newberg - Actor

Annette Newberg - Script Supervisor, Chaperone

Carlos Boillet - Gaffer

Adam Garrett - Best Boy

Sheila Bagir - Actress, Voice Actress

James McMahan - Actor

Bharat R. Mankani - Actor

Q. - How did you find cast and crew for this project? What challenges did you face while casting and crewing?

A. - I found a lot of people through Austin Film Meet. We had difficulty getting people interested because Austin Film Festival was on at the same time. Jeffrey Buras was going to be out Director of Photography but had to drop out because of Austin Film Festival. A lot of people were disappointed by that. But I was very pleased to get to work with Mark Roethke who I had not worked with before. Everyone on the team loved his work and he is constantly telling jokes and making little silly comments that keep everyone laughing. That is very important for a competition like this one.

As for cast, we did not do auditions and a lot of people who were going to come did not show. One of the roles had to be filled by someone who really did not have the experience necessary for her role but I think the film turned out okay. I was very pleased to work with Nick Newberg again. I first worked with him on The Probe for the 48 Hour competition. He was only 12 then and became like a little celeb among people who saw the film. He is 13 now and we filmed The Unaffected on a Saturday from 7am to 10:30pm. So Nick had school the day before and then worked literally the entire day and then came back late Sunday for a pickup. I think most adults could not handle that kind of schedule. And as always his acting was superb.

Photo by Rodney Barry

Q. - Where did you get the inspiration for the story?

A. - Basically the elements and a little brainstorming. I came up with the idea of some sort of thriller aspect and people being controlled, I think Louis mentioned HARRP. I wrote really fast when I realized we had a concept. I just started writing. Other people were still talking to me but I was barely aware of them, I was in my little writing trance I go into. About half an hour later I told everyone that it was finished and most of them were surprised that I had even started. They were still brainstorming and I was in Anne Land. I do this a lot on these competitions. I have the script written within an hour of the elements being distributed. It always amazes people but for me that is just normal. The funny thing is that when we were editing it later, I barely remembered having written it and the storyline was like a surprise to me too. I thought 'Wow this is great, I love this story, who wrote this?' A little subconscious vanity I guess. That is what lack of sleep will do to you.

Q. - What did you find most challenging during the making of this film?

A. - The schedule. Karlo and Mark were only available to shoot on the Saturday which is why it was such a long day. We missed a crucial shot because we were so tired, the one of Nick bursting in the door. I tried to think of a way to edit around it but it just would not work. So I called Nick back for a pick up Sunday evening. I set up the shot and did the camera work and Rodney and Louis gaffed for me. And that was the sum total of people still present on set when we did this. It was just enough crew to get the shot. But this kind of stuff is what makes competitions fun.

I think Mark would say the special effects were the most difficult. He panicked when he saw that opening shot that he had to put the space ship into because it had to go behind the pole which took a lot of work. It took him hours but I think the effect really raises the quality of the film simply because it is hard to achieve. When he was done with the shot it looked amazing. I was on the floor still doing the offline and he played it for me on his computer. Just for fun I said, 'No, I still think the ship should have gone in front of the pole.' Eventually he found that funny. Eventually...

Q. - What did you find most rewarding about this film project?

A. - Working with the people. Like I said working with Nick again was great, I have a feeling that he is going to be very successful some day and I will get to brag that I worked with him. Mark was amazing and I had only even talked to him once before he joined the team. I had not worked with Rodney either and he managed to get stills of me that I don't find horribly offensive. I hate being photographed. Roxy did a great job of being a line manager. I have been stressed recently and not able to hold a thought in my head for more than a few seconds so I really relied on her.

Q. - What did you learn while making this film?

A. - Really you learn something new with every film. I always feel like my skills improve by working with people I have not worked with before. I think all the crew were new to me on this one so I had the opportunity to pick up techniques from a lot of people.

Oh I should have mentioned somewhere that Karlo is an amazing sound guy. Mark and I reviewed a tape at one point and forgot to cue it back up. We lost some footage but Karlo had recorded back up files for sound so we took what visuals we had and stretched is best we could it was the webcam seen. When one was talking we showed the other one it worked okay but would not have been possible without Karlo.

Q. - If you had been given an extra $500 to spend on this film project, what would you have done with the money and why?

A. - Probably on a dolly. Mark asked for one and I just could not find the money for it. I think the film looked great but I would have liked to have given him what he was asking for. But in the end we probably would not have had time to set it up anyway.

Or even better I would have kept the $500 for myself. LOL

Q. - How do you feel about the final film? What about it do you like the most?

A. - I love the film. We need to do some more editing and color correction but it is great! The best part of the film is the scene where Flash comes in and then they have to get on the computers to save the world. We shot that scene literally 10 times and never got the whole thing clean. I had wanted to get that in a one-er but it never worked and we had to move on. But it edited together nicely and Mark's camera work was excellent. Louis' music also helps that scene along and the acting problems we were having were far less noticeable once we edited that all together.

Q. - Did anything interesting happen during the shoot?

A. - Yes, one funny thing about the shoot. We had no locations going in to the shoot so Mark posted on Craigslist.org and on Couchsurfing.com. Someone from Couchsurfing.com got back to us just as we were starting to film. He had the weirdest place, which was the building site in the film and inside his caravan that the house was built around was the hippie room in the beginning. It is painted like the inside of a womb. LOL

Q. - What are the advantages of making a film on such a tight timeline?

A. - Just that it gets done so quickly and you have something to show.

It was excellent to have a First AD who would stand up to me too. We did not plan ahead for it but Louis just fell into the role. I was spending too much time on the first scene and he noticed time was getting away from us. He just said 'Alright, I am going to be the First AD. You have spent too much time on this, lets move on or it won't get done.' I am so glad that he stepped into that role. A good First makes everything work. I mean people get really annoyed with them because they are always telling you what you don't want to hear but that is the point, that is why they are there. They are like a parent.

And the camaraderie. I am already missing Mark's little silly jokes and its not like I can call him up and say 'When you're not busy, can we spend every waking hour together for about three days again?' These competitions give you a chance to bond with your friends in a way that you don't normally get to. It is great!

Q. - What advice do you have for other filmmakers interested in participating in the National Film Challenge?

A. - Just do it. Even if you don't have a huge team. I saw Alfonso Cuaron one time at BAFTA in London and he told everyone that you can make a film without crew, without actors, without a director, but the one thing you cant make a film without is a camera. So if you have a camera, you can make a film, even if you can't find anyone else to help. Just go for it. But a team helps, and makes it more fun.

Q - What project will you be working on next?

A. - (If I can find funding)

Well I have my feature that I co wrote with Jeffrey Buras called GOTO 1980 we are looking for funding for that. If anyone wants to exec produce that let us know. It is about web designer and his girl gamer friend from 2010 who accidentally send themselves to 1980 with a time machine that promptly gets destroyed by someone and they have to find their way back. They enlist a group of 1980 style phone phreakers and computer nerds to help them get back. While they are there they have adventures, fall in love, and get some unexpected help from a hippie. There is really something in it for everyone. I could see it making lots of money and/or being a cult classic some day.

I am also going to put together a little YouTube PSA about Borderline Personality Disorder with my friends from a support group. If you don't know what that is the character played by Wynona Rider in Girl Interrupted has it. But out film will be more informative on the subject when it comes our.

Borderlines sometimes get a bad rap. Some psychologists won't treat us and that is all because there is very bad misinformation about us and most of the YouTube videos about borderline are very emo and depressing and frankly scary. They leave you with the impression that we all spend our time cutting ourselves with razor blades and such and many of us don't even self harm in that way. We are going to make a wee film that just shows us for who we are. We are really excited about the project.

There are lots of other shorts I want to do and I will be directing a music video in about a month.

Q. - How can fans keep up-to-date on news about you and your projects?

A. - http://www.youtube.com/user/AnneLaBarbera

Q. - How was the Austin Film Meet useful in making your film project a reality? Did you make any useful connections through the group that helped?

A. - Yes, the Austin Film Meet was really where we got most if not all of the team members. They were all Austin Film Meet members and/or recruited by Austin Film Meet members.

Thank you Anne for a great interview!

Did you help with The Unaffected? Do you have something to share about your experience? Have something to say about the film? Please post it in the comments below.

Enjoy the show below!

Another Unofficial Trailer for Cell

Found another trailer for Cell, but I'm not sure who made this one.

25 Tips for Greener Filmmaking

Perhaps one of the most important factors in successfully greening your movie project is effectively communicating its importance on your set. We suggest including a note on the call sheets about how the production is environmentally conscious, as well as mentioning it at the beginning of each shooting day.

When it all comes down to it, the key to being green is considering the full impact of your choices and making choices that are kind to the environment. Despite popular product marketing, greener options aren't necessarily more expensive. Here are 25 tips to help you get started on the path to an earth-friendly production.

1 - Strike the lights when they are not in use. This includes lights in green room areas and bathrooms, as well as set lights.

2 - Try to use rechargeable batteries as often as possible. If you must use disposable batteries, remember they also can be recharged, although not as many times. Remember disposals are the enemy when it comes to greener choices. The less we throw away, the better. Do not throw batteries in the trash. Batteries contain chemicals that require safe disposal.

3 - Avoid individually packaged items, like foods and snacks, as well as products with excessive packaging. Purchasing in bulk reduces the amount of trash coming from your production.

4 - Try to schedule your productions during pleasant weather, rather than unbearable heat. Then you can eliminate the need for running extra air condition, between takes, of course. And you won't need to provide a cooled space for cast and crew either. The average person puts out 400 BTUs of heat per hour.

5 - Carpool as much as possible. This one's a no-brainer. Right guys?

6 - Plan exactly what equipment you will need and take only what you need. This will reduce the gas that you'll need to move heavy equipment to and from locations. Good planning will also eliminate any extra trips to pick up that thing somebody forgot.

7 - When possible, choose location that offers ample natural light. Bounce cards and reflectors make great fill and require no electricity. If you must use light, try using low-wattage lights such as fluorescents or HMIs.

8 - When feeding people, avoid Styrofoam and purchasing food from caterers and restaurants that use styrofoam. Styrofoam is the worst because it cannot be recycled and takes extremely long to breakdown. Very bad for the environment. Be sure to ask the caterer/restaurant to change their ways.

9 - Avoid disposable plasticware. Instead bring dinnerware from home and assign a crew member to take it home and wash it each night. Also, try using reusable plastic dishes rather than disposable plastic plates or paper plates. Biodegradable cutlery is also an option.

10 - Be sure to include clearly marked receptacles for trash and recycling. It's good idea to tell everyone that they are expected to put their trash and recycling in the appropriate bins. You might also want to remind them what can and cannot be recycled, as this has improved greatly over the past few years.

11 - Buy local as often as possible. Buying local, not puts money back into the local community, but also reduces the need for gas-guzzling shipping across country.

12 - Go digital. Processing film requires the use of certain chemicals that are not good for the environment. This is kind of a gray situation since there's a lot of awful chemicals used in the creation of chips and computer equipment as well. If you must use film, there are some options that maximize the film by squeezing more frames onto the film.

13 - Provide 5 gallon dispensers of beverage and use masking tape and a marker to mark names on cups. Or ask everyone to bring their own unique plastic cup from home for drinks. Depending on the length of your shoot, it could actually be less expensive to provide personal thermoses with the project logo printed on them for the whole cast and crew.

14 - Don't forget to save stuff for compost as much as possible. Coffee grinds, banana peels, and apple rinds are great for compost. Check for public compost locations in your area.

15 - Nix the bottled water completely. The biggest waste of all, bottled water is merely over-priced tap water that must be hauled long distances, using up precious fossil fuels and it's actually not any better or safer than filtering the tap water from your faucet.

16 - Create a "smoking section" and provide a trash can for butts. This will encourage people to put them in the trash, instead of leaving them on the ground.

17 - Avoid make-up tested on animals. Try using things that do not include parabens. Natural ingredients are usually the most earth-friendly. And aerosol sprays aren't good for the ozone either.

18 - Rather than printing call sheets for each day, send them via email. Ask your cast and crew to share documents digitally rather than printing everything. Try Google Docs and Celtx for hepful software, both free.

19 - Avoid excessive printing. Purchase 100% recycled paper. Print both sides of the page. Change your margins to a very narrow margin, rather than the default 1". Choose paper that is light, low-pound, low-weight.

20 - Buy in bulk. And when purchasing produce, choose food that is in season and grown locally.

21 - Buy fair trade products. Some foods like chocolate, especially Hershey's brand, as most cocoa farms are powered by slaves. And that's never sweet.

22 - Use materials sparingly and reuse if possible. When using tape, gaff tape especially, use it sparingly. When removing tape, pull it carefully and try reusing it. It sticks pretty good for several more applications. You might want to keep piece of hard plastic for placing the tape between uses.

23 - When collecting costumes and props for the production, borrow from cast, crew, friends and family, rather than purchasing new. If you must purchase stuff, try shop second hand at resale and thrift stores first. This will cut down on your production expenses, as well as help save the environment.

24 - When building set pieces and props, look for reused, repurposed building materials and supplies. A lot can be done with paper mache using water, flour, old newspapers and old cardboard boxes for building the frame. Austin Resources: Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and Goodwill and thrift stores.

25 - Film is a powerful medium. The images that you create enter people's brains in a way that is lasting. It matters what subliminal messages you are sending to the audience. So, make a difference in what the world thinks is cool by creating characters that recycle and are earth-conscious. Use your power to show how hip green actually is. Inject environmental consciousness into your film and write responsibly.

Resources:

California Film Commission Green Resource Guide

New Mexico Green Filmmaking Initiatives

Code of Best Practices for Sustainable Filmmaking

Environmental Film Festival - Learn About Green Filmmaking

Sunfiltered - Green Film Productions

Producers Guide Green Page

EMA Green Seal Program and Green Guidelines

Film Biz Recycling - Best Practices Resources

Special thanks to Marjorie Eber for her green expertise and help perfecting this list of 25 Tips. Happy Green Filmmaking!

And The Work Goes on Or How To....

give the perfect pitch even though it’s being satirical.

This is my first post. I’m Brian Morgan I just finished as the Coordinating Producer on Cell. And you may be asking yourself “What is a Coordinating Producer?” Good question made up voice inside my head.

First a coordinating producer is usually a credit given in television and not film. But it’s cousin in film would be a UPM with some producer responsibilities. Which include

* Preparing the budget by breaking down the script into its elements* Bearing the responsibility for most of the financial negotiations, such as for equipment procurement and concerning stage costs
* Preparing a preliminary shooting schedule; the 1stAssistant Director takes over this responsibility while discussing changes with the UPM
* Hiring the crew, except for those hired by the director.

Like in most independent projects, you are usually doing a lot more then the official title suggest. So in my case I will be continuing on and organizing our post schedule with our editors, visual effects, sound mixer, director, marketing, and ninja monkey assassins (secret season 2 stuff, very hush hush)


Since we here at the Austin Film Meet are going to be having a two week meeting on how to pitch, I thought I would show what has been passed on to me as the perfect pitch.

As a wee bit student here at the UT, my screen writing professor Scot Rice pointed out that the perfect pitch can be seen in Robert Altman’s “The Player” Who is Robert Altman you ask?….Actually if you are asking that your life is in serious danger from ninja assassin monkeys. Not that I had anything to do with it, but run to what video rental locations are left (no Red Box doesn’t count) and rent either Nashville, MASH (the movie please, not the TV show) The Player, or one of my favorites “A Prairie Home Companion”…anyways as I was saying before your lack of Altman got me off track.

The Player is a satirical look at Hollywood and one of the best, up there with “Wag the Dog” and “Sunset Boulevard”. Tim Robbins plays a producer in the film and gets a pitch for a movie that he green lights and starts making through out the film. What’s brilliant or ironic, depending on your definitions, about this scene is that while it is satirizing the Hollywood pitch it is basically giving you what the perfect pitch is. Short, Visually descriptive, all the main elements of the story are in place and it leaves you wanting to know more about the story.

And here it is the Perfect Pitch.


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Cell Teaser Trailers

Cell, a 13 episode web series recently wrapped production in Smithville, Texas, one of the state's 'film friendly' cities. And friendly they are! Never underestimate the power of the passion of a small Texas town. These guys rock! Smithville has proven a favorite shooting location for an increasing number of filmmakers.

Numerous Austin Film Meet members were drawn to this project, perhaps because it is so well-written with strong relationships and a gripping storyline. Maybe it was the passion of writer and director Mark Gardner, who has worked so hard to develop his baby. He certainly deserves kudos for successfully executing a production on a such a tight schedule and still managing to keep the cast and crew happy.

He couldn't have done it without the tireless efforts of Brian Morgan, who might be the most effective producer I know. Not to mention all the other talented and committed individuals who contributed to this project. Happily, I served my time as a graphic designer for props and pre-development consulting, but I sadly missed out on the production phase. If you know anyone involved with this project, I'm certain you've heard the hype, too. And this won't be the last you hear about this project. It's going places.

But now, see the trailer and be teased.

The official teaser trailer:


Here's an unofficial teaser trailer, created by Cell star Danny Cameron:


Don't forget to visit the blog for this project at Lovable Varmint Productions.
http://www.lovablevarmint.com/

Explosion of New Film Folks

Wow! More than 50 film folks showed up at Dave & Buster's on Monday 9/21 with most of them being people who are new to AFM. Unfortunately, that means a lot of "regulars" missed out on meeting some amazing people. Good thing we meet every week.

Apparently, posting a notice about our event on locally-run website ShortFilmTexas.com made a huge difference. Lots of filmmakers who had never heard of AFM before came out to see what all the talk is about.

I guess that just proves it. If you advertise, they will come after all.

With that said, I highly recommend posting your film cast and crew notices on Short Film Texas, possibly the best film news resource in the state.

http://www.shortfilmtexas.com

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Post by: H.Cherdon Bedford - Creative Superhero - AFM Group Organizer - www.hcherdon.com

All About the Mega-Mixer

It's not everyday that three of Austin's best film groups get together for a mixer. Last Monday, Sept 14, more than 60 people attended the Mega-Mixer with Austin Film Meet, Reel Women and NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers).

Networking is essential for a successful career in the entertainment industries, so it looks like we'll be doing more multi-group mixers. On Monday, Oct 5, we'll be having another Mega-Mixer with Reel Women and AustinActors.net at Stompin' Grounds Lounge on South Congress (3801 S Congress Ave, 78704).

For more information, visit: http://www.austinfilmmeet.com/events.html

In the meantime, better dig up those business cards so you can promote yourself and all your talents. I know, I know, you're not very good selling yourself and you don't like the whole shmoozing/networking thing. That's what everyone experiences. Now, get over it already, get yourself some snazzy cards, and get your butt out to the next Mega-Mixer.

Something is always better than nothing, but nothing beats a lasting impression. Here's some great ideas to inspire you…

http://creativebits.org/cool_business_card_designs

http://www.reencoded.com/2008/05/20/42-awesome-business-card-designs-with-links-to-100s-more/

http://www.blogohblog.com/inspiration-creative-business-cards/

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Post by: H.Cherdon Bedford - Creative Superhero - AFM Group Organizer - www.hcherdon.com