MOVIES FOR MOVIE MAKERS

The Best of the Best

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Let's Get Medical is an extremely weird and moody short 3 minute film by Jon Tojek. Shot on 35 film, it is hosted on one of our favorite sites, UndergroundFilm.com. This film is extremely dreamy, strange and odd. We can't figure it out but it sure made our day. Let's go do some surgery.

"White Bits" is a very cute, well produced short that demonstrates that almost anybody has their price. What would you do for money?

"Virus" by Simon Hynd is really scary and spooky - especially if you are into computers, Internet videos and murder. Great concept - wonderful production - this is the kind of virus even Norton and McAfee can't deal with.

Are you a filmmaker looking for some great real world tips on how to create an independent film? If so, or if you are just curious about what really goes on behind the scenes during the filmmaking process, please take some time to visit the Horrors of War movie site. The brain child of writer - producer - director Peter John Ross, this site was developed to promote the film, Horrors of War, that was co-directed by John Whitney and produced by Phil Garrett and Sean Reid. The short making of documentaries are GREAT and should be seen by everyone who dreams of making their own flick, as well as those actually in the biz.

Check out Atom Films Collection of the Ten Best Short Films of 2004. Many of these have been featured here at Internet Video Magazine.

This is a great story if you are interested in creating video movies using DV and desktop video editing software. You don't need a million dollars. "Revelations" is definitely one of the best Star War's Fan Film out there. Read about how Shane Felux and his wife Dawn Cowings spent three years and $20,000 of their own money to make our own Star Wars fan film, titled Revelations, distributed for free over the Internet. They had some help - Adobe software and hundreds of people from around the world contributed their time and talent to make this project a reality. Great editing and wonderful effects - more

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GOOD STUFF: The story of a man, a dream and a whole lotta kites" was the winner of the Budweiser Filmmaker Discovery Award for the second season at TriggerStreet (2005). This short 9 minute film documentary is very inspirational and quite well made. Go to the the TriggerStreet site (sign up if you are not already a member) and then go to Short Films - Season 2 - Overall Winner. By the way, if you are a filmmaker, they are looking for submissions for the next season.

Women (and men), what do you collect? Shoes, purses, make-up, power tools? Check out this short and very artsy semi documentary of Rose sharing her panty collection. Great concept, wonderful photography and understated production. By Russell Hunt

How long is your attention span? Do you believe in the shorter the better? If so, you'll love this short short. Just ten seconds in length, this Moonwalk video was shot on one of the most expensive sets in history.  Also, check out Wait - 15 seconds in length. And if you can bear it, you got to see NightWalk. Great concept, wonderful black & white cinematography. All at the Last Independent web site.

Are you an independent film maker trying to figure out the best way to use the net to promote your flick without spending big bucks for a Hollywood style marketing campaign? Check out the web site for "My Big Fat Independent Movie” a full-length comedy that includes spoofs from some of the indie film world's most renowned movies including "Memento," "Pulp Fiction," "Magnolia," "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "Amelie," "Run Lola Run," "El Mariachi," "The Good Girl," "Pi," "Swingers" and many others.  Make sure you watch their new theatrical trailer, one of the few this year to receive an R rating from the MPAA.

Some video makers create movies to honor great musicians of the past like The Beatles, Bo Diddly, Beethoven - Todd Washburn however, chose to create an animated music video that celebrates the 1986 pop-hit Everybody Have Fun Tonight by the popular 80's band Wang Chung. On the Cutting Room Floor of Oblivion is a humorous, strange, and fun video that features bizarre imagery and different styles of animation, including: traditional animation, stop motion animation, clay animation, ASCII animation, and computer animation. Try to figure out how Todd did it.

Here's a bunch of brand new films and videos - all in one spot. Check out the TriggerStreet site to see these - FREEDOM (by cockeyedgaze) -  a slideshow to help everyone remember the tragic events that happened on 9/11/01. PIGEON HOLED (by emptynoggin) It's the future. The year, 1986. A father and daughter duo runs into some spaceship issues and gets their laundry caught in the door of the escape pod as they make a run for it. ONE LAST TIME (by Hall E Woode) - A troubled car owner comes to his final decision, but a shady car dealer has other plans. CUSTOMER SERVICE (by WhitM7) - Just when you thought the kindness of making a purchase had gone out of style. A good retailer is hard to find. FULL CIRCLE (by EfrenGlez) - A story about a regular Joe under pressure from his fiancé to get a job, anything! But for Mike a regular job simply won't do, his pursuit of an easy way out will bring him around "Full Circle"! LIFE AGAINST MEMORY (by jwebb) - A man, lost and out of gas, ponders the relationship between memory and reality. In the process, he raises more questions than answers. CHILDREN OF TOMORROW (by glgust) - What if? " There are so many stars up in the lonely sky. Are we the only ones who watch and wonder why no other worlds come forth in the universe, to say "You're not here all alone."  ADORE THE FORLORN (by SpeedFreak2525) - A lonely girl smokes on a bench and discovers a strange person staring at her. LOVE: THE MOVIE (by Sparky Peterson) - An experimental romantic comedy about the connections between love and filmmaking. Boy meets girl. Filmmaker makes movie about boy and girl. Stuff blows up.

"Third Wheel" is an award-winning short film that tells the story of Charlie Watts. He  is cheating on his supportive wife of seven years. The subject of his affair is the beautiful Lindsey Cavanaugh. He plans to get rid of his wife, but Lindsey has other plans. And so begins an adventuresome round of plot twists that build to a surprise-filled climax. Very well made, good video look and feel, and it even has a great line or two - "why did you hit him so hard?"  ""Cause I am a hitman." Yes it is a BIG download but it is definitely worth watching.

This amazing piece needs to be seen and shared.  Check out US - A Patriotic Music Video by Chris Valentine. What has happened to our country since the 9-11 incident? Why has the United States been transformed into a nation of fear and derision? Check out this short flick as well as some of other great and though provoking online videos at Chris site including AntiWar video and the exceptional Tsunami video piece, "And Gaia Shuddered" that documents the real tragedy behind the headlines of 2004's natural disaster. Chris has assembled footage from all over the world to paint a video mosaic of what the cost in life really was. Exceptional work.

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This is brilliant and is probably the best looking Star Wars Fan Film we have ever seen! This short flick features some truly incredible lighting and camerawork. According to the producers Cory Pacione and Kirk Pennell, R.2. The Extra-Special Astromech was created on a budget of approximately $300.00 Canadian ($220.00 US). The entire film was shot in Fredericton, New Brunswick (and surrounding areas) over a 4 month period. Filming began in October (a very cold October) and ending with a few pickup shots in January. Somebody hire these guys quick

As we grow up our parents give us lots of advice - some we listen to and some we ignore. Some sound like urban legends and some are homilies. But sometimes, when we grow up, our parents warnings finally bear fruit. Check out "Listen to Your Mother" by Tate VanScoyoc, was rated the top film by the viewers for the month of April at Sixty Second Films.  Second place goes to "666" by Velghe Kurt followed by "Amie Matiere En Plastique" enter by Peter John Ross.

Did you get to go to any fabulous Academy Award parties? I went to one - it was at my neighbors and we did BBQ. But did you get to go to any really cool Hollywood events? Nope? We didn't get invited either. However, if you want to take a vicarious visit, check out the Vanity Fair Oscar party. You can see some exclusive, new Vanity Fair video coverage and then make believe you are mixing and mingling with Beyonce Knowles, Cate Winslett, Kirsten Dunst, Adrien Brody, Larry David, Gwen Stefani, Martin Scorcese, and many more. Maybe next year, we'll get invited...

Are you a film maker or independent producer? You're going to love this! Hosted at TriggerStreet, The Fabulous Life of an Independent Producer" by Roberto Serrini is based on the movie Amelie and is the hilarious story of the world of an independent filmmaker in Hollywood. According to the producer, "This film took tons of prep and I watched Amelie over and over to make sure I got the opening right. We took this to PGL 2 and made top 50, but I have to believe it was the Miramax connection in the film that helped us out. The film was washed heavily through AE and Cinelook to make the colors pop. It was shot in one day with one actor and one person on crew and for under 10 bucks. We were given the music rights rather easy by Yann Tiersen which we are quite thankful for."

Sundance Myth #3 - Prepare yourself (and laugh) with this puppet trailer that ran during the 2004 festival. It dispels the myth that with so many films being shown at Sundance, you can just wing it.

If you are a filmmaker, you got to check out PA: The Walkie Nazi Story" A satirical documentary, "PA", is an insiders look into the life of a PA (Production Assistant), whose main role on the set is to be responsible for all the walkie talkies. It's a tough life but someone has got to do it.

Check out Pizco Films Dreamed up in the minds of several teens with visions of careers in the film industry, the collection of short films on the site demonstrates their dedication and expertise. The Pizco team spent 7 months producing this great little flick called The Anomaly 
Considering it was accomplished with a near zero budget and edited on a Mac in Pedro's bedroom, this flick is impressive, nearly on par with Hollywood's finest. Complete with awesome effects, and a killer soundtrack. Hollywood Movie Producers might be horrified to se what can be accomplished with skill and dedication, rather than big budgets.  It is the fine attention to details that makes this such a great film.

 This might be the funniest and most awesome web advertisement ever. Produced using Macromedia Flash Video,  Superman teams up with Jerry Seinfeld for an Internet based ad for American Express.  The four-minute piece, entitled "A Uniform Used to Mean Something," was co-written by Seinfeld and directed by acclaimed film director Barry Levinson, is absolutely hilarious. In addition, the interactive web site is amazing. Great stuff. 

Are you a movie director? Do you produce and create videos and short films? Do you have an over-riding, non-stop passion for making movies and directing? Can't leave directing behind even when you are off work? Check out  John Whitney and "PASSION",  winner of the "Sixty Second Films' Audience Choice Award for March. While you are there, also check out the second place film by Gaylord Mink with "Feed the Spotted Owl,  and third place -  Arun Vaidyanathan for "PowerCut".  

It's all about sex, consumerism, the war between men and woman, advertising and role models.  Produced in Belgium, Marla, was created by Olivier & Sebastien.  Inspired by the movie Fight Club, this 14 minute DV film was was made

The Phantom Planet music video from Big Brat on Epic Records should be especially interesting to independent film makers as well as those making their music video productions. It starts of as a team of low budget film makers prepare to make their own zombie movie and then morphs into a classic B/W create feature with a cool little twist at the end. Hosted at Blasto - the home of the best hip-hop and R&B music videos.

How much money does it take to create a music video for a modern pop star? What if that money was used instead to feed hungry children; to build homes for the poor, to provide medicine and medical care for those in need. Check out this political tinged music video, "World on Fire" from Sarah McLachlan. You'll need to install Apple's iTunes player but it is free and works for both Windows and Apple machines.

"Solve for X" is a 35mm black & white action movie that follows the story of a few days in the life of a hitman. This 11 minute film contains adult language, themes and violence.  Scott Spears, Emmy Award winner & contributor to this site, is the Director of Photography.  The piece was written & directed by John Whitney and stars Rafael Rosado, a professional animator, director of several animated shows like Men In Black:The Series & Ghostbusters. The film is available for download in WINDOWS MEDIA, QUICKTIME, and REAL PLAYER from http://www.scottspears.net

This parody of the Passion of the Christ trailer was created by a NYU student Spencer Somers and was recently removed from NYU’s servers because of the pressure put on NYU from New Market Films and Mel Gibson who was very upset after viewing this piece. SingleReel believes in freedom of speech and the right to create satirical pieces of art regardless of what any film studios, or religious followers may say. 

Have you ever wanted to choreograph, edit and shoot a great chase scene? Check out "Flucht" a 13 minute film featured at undergroundfilm.com. This is better than the vaunted chase scenes from The Matrix. and even more impressive, was completed at probably a thousandth of the cost. No explosions, no speeding cars, no squads of real and computer digitized stunt men, just good basic film cinematography, composition and editing.

This is really old but really .... interesting. Before streaming video, before television, was film. Here is an old cinematography training film that discusses the moral imperative and responsibilities that go along with making movies. While you are at the Phillip Hurn site, also check out the streaming videos from his projects that display his cinematography skills. Need a camera and lighting guru, call Phil.

Pow, punch, kick, smash and oomph. Watch what happens when a sleazy Internet merchant tries to rip off our heroine. Great editing and cinematography. Hosted at StudentFilms.com, Mahri's Revenge was directed, shot, edit and produced by Steven Reedy and stars Jennifer Hansen as the pissed off Mahri. The tracking scene across the roof following the fight inside is BRILLIANT! While you are at StudentFilms.com, check out some of the other great videos and short films. This is a great site.

This is truly incredible. Batman: Dead End is an extremely impressive bit of work that features Batman fighting his expected nemesis The Joker, as well as some of the most frightening leading monsters and creatures of the cinema. This 8 minute QuickTime movie is available in 2 versions for download - the incredible full screen version (160 MB) or the lighter small screen version (48 MB). You should also download the Making of the Batman: Dead End. Warning - this is very comic book violent. For more fan films, check our Fan Film page.

Considered the best in the biz Emmy Award winning Joe Jennings has a 
great website Try this Intro Video Demo for starters.  If your film requires stunts in the air these are the guys to call.

"New World" was shot with a Canon GL1 Mini DV, edited with Adobe Premiere 5.1c, and composited with Adobe After Effects 4.1. 3D Animation by the Triple By-pass Cafe, 3D models by Dual P. Davidson, wireframe models and animation done in Caligari True 
Space 4.3, texture maps were done in Photoshop and added to models in 3D Studio Max. 3D Matte Paintings done by Don Drennan in Lightwave 7.0

Special - The Making of "New World"

Do you worship Detroit Iron? Check out Dialing the Devil, an incredible short film written and directed by Toon Aerts. This is brilliant. We were blown away - not only is the film great, but the entire web site design and concept around it is incredible as well. Includes adult language and themes.  For you producers, the site includes a discussion of how the film was made and how they achieved its unique look.

Check out 405 - This is one of the most well-known of all Internet Videos. Combining live action with animation and special effects, this short documents what can happen when you get caught in a traffic jam near LAX. Created to help get the filmmakers a deal in Hollywood, the web site includes details of how the film was made as well as other juicy tidbits. If you are an aspiring filmmaker, this is a have to visit web site.

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