What is the most expensive film ever helmed by a first-time director?

Movie studios usually like to have a seasoned veteran in the director's chair when they pony up the big bucks for their tent-pole picture, but that wasn't the case when Paramount decided to put a first-time helmer in charge of the third installment of their Mission: Impossible franchise.

But to be fair, when J.J. Abrams took the reins of Mission: Impossible 3, he was already a household name thanks to his very successful TV series Lost, Alias and Felicity. According to Hollywood legend, Mission actor Tom Cruise sought out and befriended Abrams after watching a few early episodes of Alias.

He convinced his new friend and the studio heads at Paramount that he was the right man for the job and the rest, as they say, is history.

J.J. is back this weekend as the producer of the soon-to-be cult hit Cloverfield that is riding a wave of Internet marketing brilliance to the box office. This Christmas, Paramount hopes that Abrams can work his magic again when he revives their Star Trek franchise with a whole new take on the beloved series.

Adobe Premiere Elements

Overview

I think the programmers at Adobe simply placed a nice user interface on top of Adobe Premiere Pro to create Premiere Elements. There's a taskbar that guides you through the workflow, from capture to exporting. To help beginners, Adobe added a number of customizable presets for common operations, such as PiP effects and still-image pans and zooms.

Capturing Your Video

Using Adobe Premiere Elements to capture video is a fairly straight forward process. Elements will capture via Firewire, using either a camcorder or analogue capture via a analog-to-digital conversion device.

Once you've captured the raw video, there are a few things you can choose to do. A nice tool is to use Scene Detect, which automatically detects various scenes in the entire footage and exports it to the timeline. If you've used Pinnacle Studio Plus, you'll realize that Premiere Elements does not allows you to control brightness, contrast, hue, saturation and audio levels before or during capture.

Editing Your Video

Editing your video with Premiere Elements is pretty simple if you stick to the presets, operation remains fairly simple. However, if you venture beyond into the Effects Control palette, you'll immediately see the intimidating screens found in Premiere Pro - which may scare off novices. This is not a bad thing though - some Premiere Pro's most powerful functions like the titling tool and chroma key capabilities are at your disposal.

The timeline in Elements opens with 4 tracks showing: 2 video and 2 audio. Audio or video tracks may be added, and the link between captured audio and video can be broken so that clips can move independently. You can place transitions between 2 adjacent clips on the time line - and there is a wide variety to choose from.

Integration with Photoshop Elements

If you edit photos with Adobe Photoshop Elements, you'll be pleased to know that Photoshop Elements can be used to edit any image on the Premiere Elements timeline. Once edited, the image on the timeline is updated automatically. This tight integration with an image editor is not found in competing products like Ulead VideoStudio and Pinnacle Studio Plus.

Audio Capabilities

A note about audio capabilities to highlight here. In Elements, like in most other video editing programs, you need to record voice overs separately and then import it to the project. This is where Pinnacle Studio outshines over virtually every other editing program - you can record direct to the timeline.

DVD Authoring

Burning the edited video onto a DVD is always a problem for many consumers who are just starting out in digital video production. Fortunately, in Adobe Premiere Elements, the process is extremely simple.

The program provides 33 DVD menu templates, most of which are stunning. The program will automatically generate DVD menu markers, or you can set them manually in the timeline quite easily. However, there are restrictions - you can customize only text, neither can you modify the backgrounds that come from the templates.

Shortcomings

Although it has many great features, Adobe Premiere Elements is not without its quirks. In my test run, I found that Premiere Elements was very finicky with my MSI DVD burner during the DVD burn process. I had to render the files to a folder and then use a separate DVD burning application (Nero Burning ROM) to burn my video.

Conclusion

On the whole, Adobe Premiere Elements is a nice consumer video editing program that will please many. By incorporating high-quality effects and precise controls, along with a chroma key tool and picture-in-picture options, Premiere Elements is will allow you to make amazingly good movies. Definitely worth a look for the budding videographer.

What ultimately decided the format war between Betamax and VHS?

Some claim that it was the relatively short recording time of the Betamax as compared to that of the VHS. Others argue that it was Sony's short-sightedness not to bring in other manufacturers to help make Betamax machines.

Some other theories range from the "cutting-edge" deployment of pause buttons and timer features on the VHS machines/remote controls to the vastly superior marketing techniques employed by the backers of VHS.

there are even some that still maintain that it was the availability of pornography on VHS that tipped the scales in its favor. And then, there are those that claim it was a vast government conspiracy.

All of these reasons probably played a part towards the ultimate demise of Betamax, but the real reason that VHS emerged as the clear winner in the format war was because of you, the consumer. Ultimately, for whatever reason, people chose VHS over Betamax.

Thirty years later not much has changed. You still have the power to decide the outcome of the high def DVD format war.

15 Deserving movies that will be overlooked at this year's Oscars

Across the Universe What are the chances this delightful musical gets nominated for Best Picture? Slim to none, unfortunately. Especially in a year with lots of great dramas at year's end. It might sneak a lesser nom.

Amazing Grace This powerful film really deserves nods for Best Picture and Best Director but it'll probably get shut out. What a shame.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Andrew Dominik deserves recognition as director of this film as does Casey Affleck for his role. Affleck might get a sort-of cumulative nomination for his work here and Gone Baby Gone.

Away From Her Julie Christie could very well get a Best Actress nod for her performance as an Alzheimer's victim. But why not Best Director or Best Screenplay for first-time filmmaker Sarah Polley?

Breach This movie has gotten some well-deserved attention on DVD but that probably won't be enough to give it a nomination -- either for its screenplay or for another excellent job by Chris Cooper.

Eastern Promises Viggo Mortensen and director David Cronenberg deliver another critical hit after 2005's A History of Violence. Neither were nominated for that film and they most assuredly deserve it here again.

In the Valley of Elah For some reason political films have been box office poison this year. Regardless, this is a fine film that deserves more attention from the Academy than the Tommy Lee Jones and writer-director Paul Haggis nominations it'll probably receive.

The Lookout No one seems to be talking about this movie in the Oscar race this year. It should be up for screenplay and possibly even for the underrated Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

A Mighty Heart Because of her celebrity status, Angelina Jolie might get a Best Actress nomination for her performance as Daniel Pearl's wife. She definitely should get one for this forgotten film.

The Namesake Another early release that won't get a fair shot at Oscar glory. It really begs attention in Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay cats. Maybe even more so an acting nod for Irrfan Khan. Number of Oscar nominations it'll get: zero

Once The people who see this romantic musical can't help campaigning for it. It'll assuredly get attention in the Best Song category but it needs to be up for Best Picture as well.

Rescue Dawn Christian Bale and writer-director Werner Herzog really should demand attention for this unrecognized achievement. I'm guessing they won't get anything at this year's awards.

Waitress Late director Adrienne Shelly will probably get a token nom in the screenplay category but the movie should be up there for Best Picture as well.

The Wind That Shakes the Barley This movie is perhaps the biggest of these dark horse picks. Director Ken Loach and lead actor Cillian Murphy would be the best choices for recognition in this Irish war story.

Year of the Dog C'mon, Academy! Give Mike White some recognition for his brilliant writing. Molly Shannon is a great long shot in the actress category as well.

Zodiac The last film in our list alphabetically and perhaps the worst victim of poor timing. Director David Fincher really needs a nomination for magnificently recreating San Francisco in the '60s and '70s. A Best Picture nod would be worthy as well.

One last, bonus consideration: Ratatouille is a gimme in the Animated Film category but why not Best Picture as well? Critics as well as the general public loved it. It's a great achievement in filmmaking and doesn't deserve to be pigeon-holed in just the cartoon list.

There Will Be Blood

Someone we know said Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood was going to be the best movie of the year, and f-making-ilm scoffed. But turns out we kind of have to eat our words, because PTA has made an incredibly tense and powerful film filled with gorgeous cinematography and spectacular performances, particularly the one by Mr. Method Daniel Day-Lewis. We also absolutely loved Johnny Greenwood's score, it creates the most intensely palpable tone of dread. The title tells you oh yeah, there will be blood, but Greenwood's score has you on the edge of your seat waiting for it. The only thing that made CC put it on our top 10 list in the number two spot was the lack of female characters. Weren't there any ladies of interest in independent oilman Daniel Plainview's life? This bleak story could've used an infusion of estrogen, in our opinion. But regardless of the gender imbalance, get thee to a theater to see this movie. It's going to be considered a classic and start sweeping the awards season.

Do I Really Need a Script Coach?

Experienced, working screenwriters get professional feedback all the time from their agents, managers, other writers and producers before they go to market with a new script.

What about unproduced screenwriters? Typically, unsold writers only get one chance to impress an individual agent or film executive. To make sure these opportunities are not wasted, some screenwriters use an experienced script coach to help them polish their script for the marketplace.

Script coaches take workshop techniques to the next level - the marketplace. Services vary among the different companies, but most include extensive script notes, phone conferences, and personal industry referrals. Script coaches can be expensicem but if your coach has legitimate industry credentials, they can become the professional referral all screenwriters need.

Why Polarizing Filters are important to Filmmaking

The polarizing filter has great possibilities. Its main feature is its ability to eliminate reflections from non-metallic surfaces, which makes it almost indispensable for filming water, glass (including mirrors), enamels, jewels, plastics, etc. The filter factor is about one stop. In digital camcorders with through the lens light meters, there is no need to make any correction.By turning the filter in front of one eye, you will be able to decide the angle at which it has its best effect, and place the filter on the lens at this angle. Best results will be obtained with lateral or frontal-lateral lighting.

• Other advantages of polarizing filters
  They make blue sky look darker.
  They make white clouds stand out against it.
  They reduce the effect of distance haze.
  They reproduce green tones exactly as in nature.
  They reduce the effect of ultra-violet which occurs at high altitudes and which causes considerable blueness in the film.
  They create moonlight effects in films taken during the day with sunlight at 90 degree to the camera if you close the diaphragm by half, or perhaps full stop.

How to pitch your script?

Always ask production companies or producers IF they will be prepared to accept a submission from you. Failure to respect this will more than likely ensure that your submission/screenplay will end up in the recycling bin. There are two consequences of this. 1)The company may be reticent to accept anything from you and you may be added to the spam list. 2) You could be waiting forever for the postman to show up with an acceptance letter from that company

Most of the big production companies will not accept unsolicited material. It can come back to legally haunt them if their future project has similarities to one they accepted from you years ago

Agents can be very advantageous. They take a small percentage of any earnings they can get for you - so they have a vested interest in getting the best deal possible. They know the ropes and have connections. Many companies screen out cold-calls unless an agency is mentioned. Because everyone knows SOMEBODY in Hollywood, production companies rarely avoid agents who have grass roots connections. After all every "overnight success" started somewhere - and most had agents. It is not good policy to mention that you are talking to other agents while angling for someone to represent you

Develop your logline. In a single sentence you must be able to capture a busy executive's attention. They are not looking for the next Dostoyevsy. They are looking for High Concept. The writing can always be improved or doctored. If the concept does not have them reaching for your wallet, then you need to rethink your approach. A high concept pitch was " Die Hard on a bus". On the strength of this logline, the movie Speed was made. The most successful pitch was of "Snakes on a Plane". What else do you need to know about Snakes on a Plane? The title tells you all you need to know. Merely on the strength of the title 99% of people know whether they want to see this movie.

After completing your screenplay, put it in the cupboard/drawer for at least one week. Refrain from sending it out the moment you have completed it. After a period of time you are able to see the OBVIOUS mistakes and can correct them. Human nature is that we want agents to see our work the moment we have had them printed. This would be a mistake - an expensive mistake. There are always minor adjustments that need doing and - as they say - you only get one shot at making a first impression. You have probably taken months to write your screenplay. so look on the delay as an investment in your future success.

2008 Satyajit Ray Foundation Short Film Competition

This Competition is open to all film-makers, of any age, either resident or studying in the UK.


The closing date, after which no entries can be considered, is 29 February 2008.

Film Content: The film, of not more than 30 minutes running time, should express and inform aspects of the experiences of South Asians (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) either within their own countries or the Diaspora. All submissions must have been completed within two years prior to the closing date. Previous entries cannot be considered.

Format: Whilst the films can be shot on any standard format (film, digital or video), entries for consideration should be submitted in VHS or DVD formats. These entries should be forwarded to: Julian Pye, British Council, 10 Spring Gardens, London SW1A 2BN, email: julian.pye@britishcouncil.org for consideration by the jury.

Award: The Satyajit Ray Foundation is pleased to announce that it will be presenting a cash prize for Best Film of £1,500.

Presentation of Award: Extracts from a representative selection of entries will be screened at the Award Ceremony to be held in the David Lean Room of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Piccadilly, London, W1., on the afternoon of Sunday 27 April 2008, after which the winner will be announced and the winning film shown in it's entirety. Selected entrants plus one guest will be invited. The celebrated film director Mike Leigh is Patron of this short film award.

filmmaker's quote

My name is "Gustavo Serrate"

My experience in filmmaking:(sorry for the bad english, it may need corrections)I think I start to get the taste of movies when I saw Blade Runner directed by Ridley Scott. In the time I cannot understand the movie because I was only a child, but that was the beggining of my interest in the manipulation of the time, space and human emotions. There is a scene where the replicant smashes the head of his creator, this scene is not just violent, it has something hide between the lines, it has emotion and sickness, it talks about the desire of the replicants to live forever, they´re perfect but their lives is so short, that´s why their vandals, theys errants and rebels. So, with the time I was gaining the perception that the art of cinema can bring concepts that is almost unexplainbles in otherways, even in literature and theather.

Years later my father bought a camera, and I started to make short and crazy films with my brothers and friends. When I became older I started to gain experience, and my films became better, but I wasn´t toughing in take this as a serious profession, it was just for fun, but I was in university, and very unhappy, living in my city Brasília, Brasil. So I moved to São Paulo to study cinema in AIC (International Cinema Academy) and there we made various films, we have to pratice, making something like 3 short films each six months. Two years later I had finished my studies, and so I write my first long film, 80 minutes, and I waiting, because in future I want to film it. In this moment I am in the process of production of my first serious short filme, "HOMICIDA É!", a autoral short. I hope it open the doors for me to keep going in the world of cinema.

I don´t want to stay away from cinema anymore, it´s not just about film making, but about watching life with better eyes.



"People like me, make´s no sense. People who make no sense are always searching for sense in things, and if something definitly does not make sense, people who does not make sense, like me, will need to explain of how senseless this thing can be"