In this episode, I share a breakdown of some amazing and unconventional lens choices on the feature film Poor Things. While many lenses were used throughout production, there were 4 in particular that I believe contributed most critically to the distinct look of this film – Including a pair of Lomography Petzval lenses, and a 4mm lens adapted from Super 16.  Throughout the episode, I cover each of these powerful lenses, explore how they were used, and share other key takeaways from the film. This is Episode 221: The Experimental Cinematography Of POOR THINGS – Petzval Lenses, Mixed F ..read more

In the last year… 17,000+ films were submitted to Sundance. 100,000+ new films were produced or released. 1,000,000+ filmmakers actively worked on original material. And in the next few years these numbers will only grow exponentially. Most filmmakers ignore the realities of how saturated the market has become. They put everything into a single film, submit it to a festival, and convince themselves it will break through. That may have been a plausible strategy 20 years ago. But it certainly is not today. It’s never been more important to stand out.  Some understand ..read more

In this episode I am joined by DIY filmmaker Marty McGowan, who recently completed his feature film Ava on a budget of just $200! Throughout the episode, we unpack Marty’s creative process, how he pulled off a feature with a 2 person crew, and his approach to building a strong visual palette on a budget. We also touch on his workflow for capturing great performances, the importance of building your own filmmaking model, and more. This is Episode 220: Making A $200 Feature Film With A Crew Of 2 – An Interview With Marty McGowan Subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts Subscribe t ..read more

In recent years, Hollywood has become more open minded to unconventional creative choices – whether in regards to aspect ratios, coverage style, or glass. As part of this trend, we’ve seen many older / obscure lenses (including vintage Petzval portrait lenses), make their way onto major motion pictures. I previously wrote an article all about the lenses used on Poor Things, which you can read here. In short, I loved their eclectic lens choices – ranging from fisheye to zoom – which were juxtaposed in the edit for striking cuts. Of all the lenses used on that film, my favorites were the 58mm an ..read more

There are countless reasons why filmmakers quit. But perhaps the most common culprit is rejection. All filmmakers face pushback when trying to build a career. Whether it’s a well meaning parent suggesting a more “stable” job, or an envious friend discouraging their creativity. Early on, most filmmakers are able to shut out the noise and keep going, at least for a period of time. But inevitably, at some point they start to face real rejection from the industry. And when that happens, it calls back and validates all the negative feedback they’ve received. Earlier this week I share ..read more

Poor Things is an amazing feature film that achieves beautiful visuals through unconventional lens choices. In this article, we will explore four of the lenses used to create this signature look. Before we unpack each lens, it’s worth noting that the film benefitted from an array of glass – not just the four lenses we will highlight today. For instance, Bella’s reanimation sequence was shot on a vintage camera (Beaumont Vista Vision), which required very specific glass. Namely adapted Leica APO Summicron-R and Telyt-R lenses that ranged in focal length from 19mm – 135mm. The Vista Vision ..read more

In this new solo episode, I break down these 8 common issues that can kill your indie film: Big egos Rushing the script Dragging out development Overspending on equipment Neglecting actors for camera Making sound an afterthought Not taking feedback from the team Not caring about the small details Throughout the show I take a deep dive into the root cause of each of these issues, along with practical solutions for working around them. This is Episode 219: 8 Issues That Can Kill An Indie Film (And How To Avoid Them) Subscribe to this podcast via Apple Podcasts Subscribe to this podcast via Sp ..read more

Last week I got a chance to shoot on the new Kodak Super 8 camera on a new short film. Below, I share a quick behind the scenes look into this project and my experience with the camera. In the next few weeks, I will be sharing a more detailed review of the new Kodak Super 8 Camera, along with test footage and stills. But for now, here’s how this short film came together – The Challenge: A Single Roll Of 50D Recently I made a goal of shooting a short film every month in 2024. Both as a means to experiment with my craft, and share the results & process here with all of you. Having just come ..read more

There are a thousand reasons why a film might fail, which is why they say “any completed film is a miracle.” But some issues are more prevalent than others. And it’s always important to avoid falling into these common traps – 1. Big egos  Nothing can hurt a film project more than a giant ego. Whether it’s your own, or a team member you brought on – it only takes one to poison the creative process. When someone brings an ego to set, it inevitably destroys morale and makes for an unpleasant experience.  Ultimately, your film is only as good as your crew. And if your crew is being ..read more

Over the past week we’ve seen a ton of AI-generated videos made by Sora – the new platform by Open AI. While Sora is not yet publicly available, the company has been releasing dozens of sample clips made with it. Many of which are hard to distinguish from reality. Personally, I did not imagine this level of sophistication would be possible. At least not so soon. Of all the clips I saw, it was this video of golden retrievers playing in the snow that first blew me away. The movement of the dogs, the realism of the snow, the lighting… It is indistinguishable from rea ..read more