I rarely have time to go to the movies. So it was a treat to grab a small group of amigos and head off the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. I thought Super 8 was really cool. If you follow J.J. Abrams storytelling you’ll notice he once again followed his ‘Mystery Box’ theory. He did a ...…
Here is the second of 4 Monopoly spots I directed for Hasbro and the Minnesota State Lottery. We shot the live action plates (fancy talk for backgrounds) in Santa Monica in one day. Then we spent about 8 days per a spot to complete the animation. This was a fun series to work on because ...…
Here is the first of 4 Monopoly spots I directed for Hasbro and the Minnesota State Lottery. We shot the live action plates (fancy talk for backgrounds) in Santa Monica in one day. Then we spent about 8 days per a spot to complete the animation. This was a fun series to work on because ...…
I’ve rolled my sleeves up for the last 6 months and analyzed the f#ck out of comedy structure. Even went so far as to take a stand up comedy class. My findings: COMEDY IS HARD 1. Set the joke up CLEARLY. If the audience isn’t 100% clear on what the concept behind the joke is, ...…
Coke spot, concept The writers are striking, and that means Hollywood may shut down for a long, long time. BUT there’s always money in advertising. I had shot 2 specs back in 2000 but 9/11 hit and the advert money dried up. Unfortunately the ad agencies and commercial production houses (the guys that sign young ...…
A lot of you might be wondering ‘how to be funny in a comedy film?’. This can apply to filmmakers, actors, writers, or even bloggers. Making people laugh gives them value. And if you give value they’ll love you for it. So without further ado, here are my thoughts on how to successfully shoot comedy! ...…
Question: What makes a funny movie character? Let me illuminate… I love comedy. LOVE IT! But it’s also the hardest damn thing in the world. If you’ve ever told a joke you know that it’s tricky. You have to deliver it just right otherwise your friends will look at you funny. Imagine doing that over ...…
If you’re wondering how to design a great action sequence as part of your action movie, then this blog entry is for you. I’ve worked as a Previs (previsualization) designer for over a dozen of Hollywood’s biggest hits. So here is what I’ve learned: Great action is not shooting random footage and piecing it together. ...…