The Open Source Film Project looks a like a very cool idea. Here is what they do: "With the open source film project rather than having a small group of individuals put up large amounts of money to buy equipment, and resources, we will look to compile a large group of freelancers, a group of motivated and intelligent people who have one piece of the puzzle.  These people will have the passion to succeed, and the patience to work. This large group once compiled will then create the movie from start to finish, that means from finding a script, to shooting the film, to editing, and then finally to distribution and promotion.  Unlike open source software where there is not any compensation, our open source film project freelancers will be compensated, depending on the box office earnings."

You participate with a donation (I think the amount is $20) whether it be a director, editor, etc. They even have a film scheduled to go into production in May 2006. Also there is a: "limited time offer to screenwriters to give their projects the greenlight to production for only $10.00. Have your script assigned to project status and create job listings that will fill the needed positions, and get your script produced." Hope it works.

Celtx moved from 0.9.5 to 0.9.51 this morning. Nothing drastic, you can read the release notes here. No mention of the Cookie issue that I had raised in the past. Anyways, as many of you know by now, I am a big fan of Celtx. You can read my review of Celtx 0.9.5 here.

I have spoken at length about the potential of Celtx, a free open-source screenwriting application built on the Firefox browser framework. In the past, I have tried to convey the sense of a great open-source application in the early stages of blossoming. I spoke a lot about promise and potential. But many projects, softwares, companies inspire similar feelings in writers that never deliver or live up to all the hype, however, there are others that do. Till 0.9.4, I was not sure whether Celtx would deliver.

With each update, the user interface seemed to get even more awkward. The company goal of creating a complete writing tool by 1.0 seemed like an unrealistic goal. But like a teen that matures into adulthood so suddenly, Celtx recent 0.9.5 update was so severe a jump from the previous version that it was hard for me to see one deriving from the other.

Celtx, the free open-sourced screenwriting application, has had a major update (0.9.5). There has been some controversy, mainly from me, but it has been reasonably solved for the time being. This is a major update that I will talk in length on Monday. Simply put: With this update, there is no reason why you need to pay or use another application for any of your screenwriting needs.

So, we've posted our big breakout products this year, and Videoguys have likewise followed suit, hooking us up with their top 10 products of the year.  Making the list, some of our favs, and some of our enemies.  Top billing goes to the FireStore FS-4.  Good choice, good choice indeed.  Surprising entrys into the top 10?  Avid's Liquid 7 coming in at number two.  I can dig it for all of its new flava, and all the good feelings towards its all-in-one-ness.  Surprisingly, TriCaster was a top-10 item.  I don't mean to flame anyone, but honestly, if I want a real live-video production box, I'm going BroadcastPix, not TriCaster.  BroadcastPix is amazing to me, while TriCaster seems like more of the same stuff from NewTek.  Whatevs though, I don't hate-em for trying.

MacSpeech has released a ScriptPak for Final Draft 7. A ScriptPak works alongside iListen so that you can use your voice to control FinalDraft (screenwriting application). A ScriptPak is available for various programs including Garageband, which was released recently. MacSpeech offers several iListen packages, including a software-only solution for $100, and a software and headset with microphone for $150. The ScriptPak for Final Draft is priced at $30. I would be curious to know if these things really work.

To many, 2005 would seem like the years past -- an evolutionary step in the Digital Video world. However, paying close attention to the toolkit of the filmmaker, you will notice a new set of tools incompatible and foreign to its siblings . Since the mid-nineties, the trend has been that cameras (whether it be consumer or prosumer) got smaller and cheaper with editing software that ran lighter and more compact with little frills and little overhead. For the most part, it was plug and play. But with the rise of HD and demise of film (in the independent film world at least!), the toolkit has begun to grow.

Cameras have grown in size and price. A prosumer camera that ranged in $4k has a modern counterpart that costs in the $6k region. Software like Motion demand the latest and the greatest hardware. Few machines can handle ful res HD. The DV setup of a camera and a computer snuggled in the back of the bedroom is no longer possible. In the new HD world, a decent setup has to have the right video cards, the right capture card, enough storage, a back-up solution, the right camera accessory and so on.

The toolkit has gotten bulkier and certainly more expensive but all this is not neccessarily bad. For the first time in the history of  video and film, an independent filmmaker with a decent budget can shoot a film that can play alongside a Hollywood film and not be apologetic on its technical deficiencies.

And like the independent filmmaker, the movie-going public are also better equipped to find their own choices outside of Hollywood. The movie-theater is being abandoned by the movie-going public for a trendier place–their homes as the internet, DVD decks and big screen TV's have made the movie theater outdated. In 2005, the power of the internet as an attractive medium for displaying video content has become apparent as podcasting, iTunes and the iPod (video) reached acceptable maturity. It seems only matter of time when all content will flow some way or the other through the internet.

Ok, time for the list.

In the first part of the interview, John August discussed the reasoning behind his blog, what screenwriters can do to break into the industry and the industry itself.

You have been quite prolific. How are you able to maintain the pace?

I'm not sure I'm more prolific than other screenwriters, in terms of pages-per-day. But I have a pretty good ratio of produced-to-unproduced scripts, which helps. People ask me what genre I prefer, and I always say, "Movies that get made."

You went to school for journalism, do you do a lot of research for your screenplays? Does the journalism background help you with research?

I'm big on research when I'm trying to figure out a movie, but I don't really use that much of it when I write. That is, the process of researching helps me a lot more than the actual facts do. I don't know that my journalism degree helped that much with research, but it did enforce some discipline in my writing.

Since 1974, the AFI has trained over 200 women filmmakers become formidable forces in the filmmaking industry. Some of the alumni include Lesli Linka Glatter of Grey's Anatomy, Randa Haines of Children of a Lesser God, and Victoria Hochberg of Sex and the City.

Now in it's 20th cycle, the AFI is yet again looking for the next set of women to train in it's directing workshop. The training focuses on development and production of a short film and ends in a premiere screening. To enter you have to submit a short screenplay, which you'll then develop for three weeks, go into pre-prodcution for five weeks, shoot for five days, and then go into post-production for 20 days. AFI provides the equipment, a $5,000 grant, and all the knowledge and support you'll need.

This article suggests that you haggle when renting film equipment. It goes on to say that it is almost expected and gives an excellent description of how to do it. "Get the dolly first, then start adding in the extras. You need dolly track. Pay for the curved pieces, and ask for the straight ones for free or half price. Go through the entire equipment list that way." I am always a big sucker for this stuff, I never ask for the deal and couple of months pass and someone mentions that they got a deal from the same company even if their budgets were bigger and their projects sucked. What? They did! Hopefully, you don't make the same mistakes, read the article.

When planning your film, one of the first things to think about is where you're going to shoot it as well as the logistics. It's not enough that the place is beautiful - will it meet your most important needs? This article over at b-independent.com is pretty helpful.

A few things to remember when scouting locations are:

• Bring along your department heads. The Director, Cinematographer, or Art Director may be able to alert you to any problems you may encounter during the shoot
• Consider cost. Just because a location is perfect doesn't mean it's financially feasible. And just because a location is not perfect, doesn't mean you can't get perfect shots
• Listen for sound issues. I mean really spend a good chunk of day around the location you'll be doing most of your filming in and make sure there aren't any freight trains, airplanes, or rush traffic around the time you'll be shooting
  
• Be aware of power supplies. If you don't have a generator you'll need to plug in somewhere. Make sure you won't be short circuiting the apartment or house you're in and be aware of where the fuse box is located
• Logistics - parking, bathrooms, changing area, food, elevators - there's a lot ot consider in order for things to go smoothly
• Releases/Permits - make sure you have everything signed and sealed before the big day

Another helpful place to find locations is the Association of Film Commissioners International.

The tools for filmmakers get fancier and fancier even when the basic pen and paper will do. I am in the midst of pre-production for a music video I am directing, and so, however much I try to keep all my pre-production notes in the computer, I find myself reaching for the pen and paper. This site has a couple of really useful Graphic Templates in PDF format so you can easily print out. Some of the ones relevant to filmmaking are: Time Line, Idea Wheel, Idea Rake, Story Map 1-3.

When you think of Digital Video, hacking probably doesn't come to mind.  That's because you're thinking of hacking in the wrong context.  Getting something to work, sometimes in a way not intended, is the true essence of hacking.  With that ideal in mind, grab a copy of Digital Video Hacks for your DV enthusiast friends.  Basically, it's a way for anyone shooting, editing or posting content to get things done in a different way.  The book boasts preperation of physical tools, like how to make a stedicam, boom or dolly, as well as how to create some home made visual effects.  I've been nice this year, so hopefully Santa will bring a copy my way.

Recently, in pre-production for my film I ran into a problem many independent filmmakers encounter, to get the right cast without having to resorting to hiring a casting agent. For some of the roles, it came down to the last minute, it was a horrible feeling. And it was not like I had spent a month trying to find the right actors. I wish I had something like Scene Interactive to help me with it at the time.

Scene Interactive is a website full of Flash-goodness that helps you find the right actors. The site has a wide selection of actors, actresses, both child and adult, and surprisingly a big amount of dancers. For right now, it seems most of the actors are based around New York. I do wish there were a Craiglist like site for casting, one in every major city but that would be asking for too much. Anyways, the site is very elegant with a big emphasis on video. So insteading of just reading the resume and looking at the headshot, you get to hear and see the actress or actor perform their monologues. This is how it should be. The search engine is decent, you can narrow your choices down by choosing some items from various pulldown menu's. But the biggest drawback is that the search is still based on first and last names, there is no keyword search. So if I were to type in "brown hair," what am I saying, there is no place to type that in.

Truth be told, it seems clear that Scene Interactive is focused on video. You still have to do a lot of looking but when you do find somene, you can make sure if they are right for the part by checking out the video. Not complete but still one of the best sites online for checking out New York actors. And it is free for people who are trying to cast. When you have an actor in mind, call the number and they will provide the contact info. Not perfect but very effective.