Week 9 Photo Challenge: Producer's Choice

     This is me in front of Las Vegas largest television and film production studio.  It is open to the public to lease out.  It is located behind the Palms hotel at 4390 Las Vegas Studio Ct.  It has a long drive way with a gated entrance.  Once you pass the gate you come to a small cute security building which as a mechanical crossing guard attached to it.  It has two studios.  Studio A is 2700 sq. ft. plus a production office.  Studio B is 18,000 sq. ft. with 22 feet high ceiling with a 1600 sq. ft. mezzanine plus 5000 sq. ft. office space.  Inside studio A is a 20 foot high, 42 foot radius green screen.  Fully equipped with cameras, sound, gripping, and lighting equipment.  In the back is where the main offices are located.  When you first enter the building is a receptionist counter/ desk, along with a waiting area with movie posters on the wall.  To the left is a glass wall separating the waiting area and a production meeting room with a long table.  The office building as a small kitchen with many separate offices.  Upstairs is a huge sound booth.  At the time I was there, the sound booth was under construction.   Along with all your need for production equipment, they also have on-site cop cars and an ambulance.  The first time I was there was the first time I met Jeremy Settles wife, Rhonda.  Rhonda books jobs and in-charge of pay roll.  At the time (two Years ago) Jeremy was seriously thinking about buying the property.  This is part of a producer’s job, to find locations for production.  This studio is so big and professional; it’s pretty much too big and professional for Las Vegas.  I say that because of the cost to lease it out.  But there are occasions where a big name performer or a big production will lease it.  As for someone like me, it’s too expensive for my productions.  As a producer it’s my job to know about all potential studio’s that are available around Las Vegas.  As for this one, it’s over my budget.  But if something happens to arrive where I need a space like this, I know where to turn too.

Week 8 Photo Challenge: You as the Professional

     Here I am fresh out of the shower.  I set up the light by using a bounce card on a c-stand and used 650 tungsten.  I ironed my suit and got ready for this picture.  I had my wife take the shot. Unfortunately she's not much of a photographer because it's a bit out of focus.  I don't know how she managed to get it out of focus because I set the camera up for her and took a test shot of her.  The image was fine.  I would reconsider retaking the shot over but I had a hard time getting ready for this shot.  This past Thursday I started feeling sick.  My head started hurting so I went to bed early.  In the middle of the night I woke up feeling very sick.  My whole body was aching and I had a high fever.  My wife gave me some medicine and put a cold damp rag over my forehead.  I was miserable. I spent the last four days in bed.  Today (Tuesday) I felt a little bit better but I've had a head ache the entire day.  This definitely but a damper in my plans.  This Friday I have my review.  I planned on getting everything I needed done for it out of the way early so I can focus on this class.  Now I'm behind and don't know if I will be able to make it into class tomorrow (Wednesday).  My wife took our kids to the doctor today to get there flu shots.  She told the doctor that I have the flu.  He asked her when I got it.  She told him Thurs.  He told her I got at least three more days.  I'm hoping I will feel better tomorrow; I have a lot of work to do.

Week 8 EOC: Importance of a Producer

      The movie producer is responsible for all the business arrangements of film production. From the budget to the hiring of the actors, director and crew and acquiring or providing the financing to complete the project, the producer is the general overseer of a movie from conception to completion. The producer is also responsible for lining up distribution and submitting the film to festivals.  A producer is generally the most important person when it comes to getting a film made and released. This is why the Oscar for Best Picture is always given to a film's producer, not the director. The director, while being artistically indispensable, is a hired hand of the producer. Often times, especially among independent filmmakers, the director and the producer can be the same person.  A producer can be one person or team of people. Other types of producers are the executive producer, the line producer and the associate producer. An executive producer is generally well-heeled, well-known and less involved in the day-to-day production. A line producer is often the busiest person on a film set, making sure what happens each day falls within the budget. An associate producer is a more wide-ranging position: an assistant to the producer. The associate producer might also be the production coordinator, making sure that everyone on staff is where they need to be and being paid what they need to be paid.


Law: Producers, like other employees, will be protected by federal and state labor laws.  However, the producer may be treated as an independent contractor if she is working through her won company, such as a loan-out company.    pg.180- Th Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers

Generally speaking, a producer who contracts with another independent producer or independent production company will obtain a better position with respect to issues such as intellectual property rights, creative approval, net profit definitions, credit, and so forth than she would receive if she were to contract with a larger film studio or network. Of course, the downside of working outside the studio system is that the film  may have a harder time finding financing in the beginning or finding distribution when it is complete. pg. 172 Th Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers

Week 7 Photo Challenge: Screenplay Cover

     This picture was taking of me at Teller's Birthday party about 5 years ago.  I got invited to Teller's birthday one year when I first moved here.  They had the entire guest meet at this house in the middle of the desert.  I don't remember for sure where.  There were about fifteen of us and two makeup artists from Los Angeles.  Teller wasn't there yet.  The makeup artist painted us as zombies and we went out to this old cemetery and waited for Teller.  Out of nowhere a helicopter flew off to us.  We all started walking like zombies and when the helicopter dropped Teller off we all walked up to him and started grabbing him.  We went back to the house and they got him all painted up and then we ate.  After lunch we went and road four wheelers in the sand dunes.  Teller feel off his once.  After that, we went and had a scavenger hunt in a junk yard.  I had lots of fun. I met Teller through my lawyer in Cincinnati.  He is a huge Teller fan and he would send Teller gifts he thought were neat for no reason.  And every time he came to Vegas he would go see Penn & Teller.  After the show Teller would invite him to visit back in there greeting room called "The Monkey Room” It was called that because they had monkey's everywhere scattered throughout the room. When I moved out here, Bob (Lawyer) set me up to meet Teller.  We've been friends ever since . . .

Week 7 EOC: My Opinion on Optimal Resume

     I believe the Optimal Resume is a very handy tool.  It guides you through the process of creating a professional resume.  It helps you to place the right information about yourself and leave out the undesirable stuff.  What I don't like about it is, it waste a lot of usable space.  You want to keep your resume a page long.  Because of the space between sections, it makes it hard to squeeze all your info on a single page.  Having a resume is very important when seeking for a job.  With the help of Optimal Resume, it helps your chances of landing that job.

Week 6 Photo Challenge: Special Effects

I created this a couple a quarters ago with Mr. Carter.  He showed the class all the new equipment we got in the video room.  I didn't want to waste the opportunity to use all this great equipment so I came up with an idea, flames in my hand.  To create this effect I had to use my skills I developed in Mr. Baker’s class, matchmoving.  I didn't use matchmoving, instead I used camera matching.  I first setup all my lights to shoot on the green screen.  This was easy, all I had to do was turn on the pre-installed lights.  Then I set-up up my camera angle.  I was working all by myself so being the camera man and the actor wasn't that easy.  After I set-up the camera, I measured the height of the camera.  Then I took an apple box and measured all sides.  I placed the apple box on the end of an arm to a c-stand at a 9o degree angle.  I placed it right in front of the camera where I would be standing.  I then measured the height of the apple box and the length of it away from the lens of the camera.  All these measurements are very important know to create your virtual camera within Maya.  It takes the guess work away.  After I got all my measurements, I started rehearsing my actions.  I decided to walk into frame from the right side, hold my hand out, and open my hand at the same time looking at it, with my hand open I would twist with my waist making sure not to move my arm.  I knew it would make my work easier if I didn't move my arm as I twist.  Then I extended my hand out to the camera to show the audience the flame, and then I looked up to the camera, gave a grin, and then blew the flame and quickly walked out of frame.  After I got done recording, I checked out my work on the computer.  The system is really cool because as you record on these studio cameras, it records directly in Final Cut which is in the studio.  In Maya, I setup some bones that followed my arm action and I created a fire effect and parented to the end of my rig.  After rendering it out I brought it into After Effects.  I used a video clip of flame bursting out as I blew it.  I also took out the green background and replaced it with an image I found on the web.

Week 6: How do I see my role starting in the industry?

     I have been in the Video Production industry here in Vegas for over 2 years.  I started as a grip working for Jeremy Settles who is the owner of Got Films.  I have worked on a Feature Film "The Gambler" which is a Hungarian Production as a "Grip".  From there I have worked as a Grip/ Utility for Got Films on productions from Spike TV, Bravo, and Showtime.  I proven my skills to Jeremy as a camera operator on a Got Films Pilot and Spike TV reality show "UFC Ultimate".  From their I've been hired as a Camera Operator by Got Films to shoot on American Restoration and Vegas Casino.  I see myself continuing working for Got Films on feature projects and shows for whatever job.  Continuing to build my resume.  As I'm working on production, I will continue developing my 3D/ post-production skills to become a diverse player in the industry.