Scott Hampton Shoots

Just Learned a New Trick in Apple Aperture

2010-08-26T11:16:00.000-04:00

Serendipity, oh, how I love thee!

I uncovered a little feature in Apple’s Aperture today while editing. I was using the Retouch tool with the HUD displayed, and the photo was viewed full screen and zoomed. I have a Wacom Bamboo attached and use that instead of a mouse.

Left-clicking and dragging in the photo will increase or decrease the radius of the brush, depending on the direction that you drag. Sweet! More finger dexterity, more keyboard jockeying, but less hand movement. That spells greater productivity, if you ask me.

Take a look athe brief video below. The cursor is a circular cursor on the left. Watch the slider in the Retouch HUD on the right.

Blessings, Scott Hampton

PARALLAX Spotted in the Wild

2010-08-25T19:26:00.000-04:00

I know that a lot of individuals have been waiting patiently—then impatiently— for PARALLAX to arrive. There have been tons of setbacks (I’ll detail them later), but the project still exists.

After receiving the final special effects, I made a test copy via iDVD and played it on a portable DVD player. Sure enough, it looks great! All I can tell you is that it’s just a matter of time before the DVDs are released. I plan on having a free premiere where I sell the DVDs. Feel free to come on by if you’re in the tri-state area.

Here’s a look at the DVD being played. Enjoy!

Blessings, Scott Hampton

By Way of Updates...

2010-08-25T10:26:00.000-04:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I last blogged! Things have gotten really serious for me behind the scenes. As expected, PARALLAX has been the absorbing influence in my life and has taken a huge chunk out of me.

I finally received all of the special effect updates that I needed. The DVD cover and face have been designed. A test DVD has been burned and the footage looks great.

Gregory Vilfranc, the actor who plays "The Dude from Downstairs", strongly suggests taking one more stab at behind the scenes footage and doing interviews, so I'll be setting something up for that soon.

I have a little promotional piece in the pipes that I'll be releasing soon, so keep an eye out for that.

Finally, I'm considering changing blogging platforms. Right now I use Blogger, which I absolutely love. I'm considering switching over to WordPress. If I do that I could probably consolidate my website and blog into one. What do you think?

Blessings, Scott Hampton

PARALLAX Sneak Peek 2

2010-04-26T22:04:00.000-04:00

Hot on the heels of the previous sneak peek is this newer version. Here, you see PARALLAX in the timeline of Final Cut Express. You see full color and you see a little bit of the animation around the box. It’s the same scene from the original teaser, with a little more information.

Here's the original teaser, for reference:

Blessings, Scott Hampton

PARALLAX Sneak Peek

2010-04-20T14:37:00.001-04:00

There is no way that I could misunderstand the frustration that my faithful supporters feel in waiting for PARALLAX to finally hit the Internet. I share their pain, honestly. Rest assured, though, that PARALLAX is alive and well, albeit delayed.

I have been working remotely with a good friend of mine who is making sure that the visual effects are coming along well. Life and schedules being what they are, the process is taking longer than we bargained for. Besides, I have been called away onto other projects from time to time.

Today I present an update in the form of a four second clip from PARALLAX. You get to hear a small amount of dialogue and music, see the action, and see the effects. I made the clip small intentionally. I don’t want to give away too much of what is to come.

Take a look! I hope your appetite is whet all over again :)

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Headed to a Seminar

2010-04-19T10:26:00.000-04:00

Many things have been going on since I updated my blog, arresting my attention and occupying my precious little time. These situations and distractions have no respect for my need to communicate to the world. Nevertheless, I blog on.

I’m headed into Manhattan today to a seminar at B&H. On paper it sounds really good, but let’s see what it offers in terms of real world practicality. There are so many “experts” around offering “useful advice”, but a lot of it is too basic and readily available after a few minutes with Google or by simply thinking the topic through.

I haven’t been to B&H in quite a while, so even if the event is less than stellar I can handle the new equipment on display... I really do want to see that 5D Mark II! Even the 7D.

This seminar is about blogging for photographers. That’s just what I’m into! If it works out well I will leave there with better marketing and SEO ideas. Maybe even a few contacts...

We’ll see. I’ll keep you posted.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Free Gift from Calumet Photo

2009-11-06T13:49:00.000-05:00

I saw a tweet from Calumet on Twitter about a free gift to the first twenty visitors to any U.S. store receiving a free gift, so I jumped on it. While I didn't get the Canon XH-A1 or the 70-200 f/2.8IS that I had my eye on, I did get a thoughtful and timely gift: a mug!

Why is it thoughtful and timely? Well, it is for me, at least. Since I blog a lot, I'm either chained to my desk or joined to my iPhone. When at my desk, I can use it for a drink. And since the weather is cold now, I can put some hot cider or hot carob soymilk in it. See?

These guys pulled out the stops and got the good stuff. The mug is a heavy, sturdy ceramic with a thick, smooth black finish. The artwork is silk-screened on with opaque glaze. It's a bit raided to the touch, too. Feels good.

Thanks, Calumet. And Happy Birthday!
Blessings,
Scott Hampton

New Short Film Posted: Lugubrious

2009-11-04T13:59:00.000-05:00

Lugubrious is my newest short film. This one takes a somber approach, much different from everything else that I've done so far. It comes in at under one minute.

Rationale
I photographed and taped a wedding recently. While it was a joyous occasion, I couldn't hep but think about those whose marriages are on the rocks. This video is for them. I aimed to capture the uncertainty and loneliness, but still offered a glimmer of hope at the end.

I filmed this at the end of October when it was cold and rainy. A suitable atmosphere for such a short movie, I'd say!

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Recent Work

2009-10-28T14:23:00.000-04:00

I haven't had much time to post here recently, although I very much wanted to. PARALLAX has been consuming me with street promotions, DVD cover design (went through several iterations and am not satisfied yet), and trying to get a few deliverables finalized.

Even so, I do get to film something here and there, although not as thorough as I'd like. Here are two of my recent videos.

Gone Shopping

This video features my son Scotty going on a trip to find a helmet and elbow pads for his new skateboard. He stops along the way, intrigued by random street sightings, ultimately returning home unsuccessful. Imagine a ten-year-old wandering through Manhattan all by himself!

I did cinematography and let Scotty direct the editing.

Orange Pineapple Juice

This video features me on cinematography duty again. I also edited the final. This was done for The Active Daddy blog.

Take a look, feel free to leave comments.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Visual Effects for PARALLAX

2009-08-28T19:24:00.004-04:00

I've been spending a great amount of effort as producer on PARALLAX, sitting with all of the amazing talent that I've been working with. Generally, as producer, I oversee what's being done, make revisions, take suggestions, arrange for food, and approve the different versions of the project.

New Team Member

Right now, I'm working with David Blemur of YAHAHAMEDIA for visual effects. He is responsible for a surreal glow that emanates from the iconic gift box that is seen in the teasers.

David got me started in filmmaking. He used to make short films years ago, and I was fascinated that he could do such a thing. I remember him talking to me about 24p and how it looked like film, while DV looked like video. He wrote scripts, held auditions, did green screen, etc. At the time, I knew nothing about what he was discussing.

Particles

At first, my goal was to use Apple's Motion, but I don't know it well enough, nor could I learn it fast enough. I love Motion, but can't use it. My attempts at particles were a noble effort, but not really up to par to be included in PARALLAX. Here's what mine looked like:

Not too good, I know. I tracked it manually with keyframes.

David uses a PC and software that I'm not familiar with. He's using Fusion 5.3 to make the glow and particles. Since he's far more skilled at this than myself, I trust him to deliver. We spent time working on the initial setup, then he showed me samples. I am impressed.

Here are a few screenshots of what we've done so far:

Next Steps

I'll be receiving video samples over the next few days to finalize the effects. Being the producer, I will have to ensure that David's work harmonizes with Gregory's work. If not, I'll be massaging both artist's work and schedules in order to get revisions made seamlessly. Once that's done, and revisions are complete, I'll drop it into the Final Cut timeline. With the edits, the visual effects, and the score done, the next thing is to get the DVDs pressed up.

Almost done, and I certainly can't wait. It's been a few grueling months, but it's almost done. If you're in New York city and would like to attend the premiere, send me an email. I'll get you a seat. A good seat.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

A Few More PARALLAX Updates

2009-08-13T11:35:00.000-04:00

I am so much closer to completion now. Things are wrapping up.

Venue
I had a meeting on Saturday night to get aproval to show PARALLAX in my venue of choice and I received an overwhelming approval.

This is a milestone for the film, and another valuable lesson learned. I never knew there would be so much administrative work in getting an indie short shown. So, that's what a producer does, huh?

The venue is a church with a 250 seat sanctuary, a capable sound system, an overhead projector, 10 foot screen, and a control room with enough DVD players and computers to get the job done. Cozy and manageable.

Voiceovers
We had another voiceover session last night to clean up some stray errors here and there.

This time we worked with Chris "Rock" Belmont of Jah Rock'n Productions. Rock works primarily in music, producing artists and making music (beats).

Motion Graphics
There has been some delay in getting the motion graphics done, but I have an opportunity to get some done very soon. I'll see how it works out.

Finalization
aside from the motion graphics, the audio has to be mixed down. Once those two steps are complete, I can start assembling the DVD and getting it ready for mass production.

Thanks for coming along for the ride, and staying aboard the ship. It's been a long ride, but it will be worth it!

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Power Trio Studios Feature Film "I'm Still Here"

2009-08-05T13:13:00.001-04:00

It's always good to see a success story, and I am pleased that some (virtual) friends of mine, Power Trio Studios, have had some success. While I have never met them in person, I have had friendly exchanges with Harry Locke IV online in forum discussions.

I saw their earlier film, "Noir", and was impressed that such a young team could pull off a feature film. They recently completed their second feature length film,"I'm Still Here" (which shows the improvement and maturity of their skills) and had the premiere to about 100 persons. My hat goes off to this team. Good work, guys. Congratulations.

Read this article for more information.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

PARALLAX Desktop Art Available for Download

2009-07-31T19:57:00.013-04:00

I am very proud to announce to you the immediate availability of PARALLAX desktop art. There are currently five wallpapers available, each from the actual movie.

Download Instructions:

Click the wallpaper from below that you want to download
Click the button above the wallpaper
Click the size that you want to download from the Available Sizes: section
Click the appropriate link

Here are the different wallpapers available:

PARALLAX Logo

This desktop art features the PARALLAX logo.

“The Woman” and “The Dude from Downstairs”

This desktop art features the “The Woman” and “The Dude from Downstairs”.

“The Dude from Downstairs” and “The Woman”

This desktop art features the “The Woman” and “The Dude from Downstairs”.

“The Woman”

This desktop art features the “The Woman”. She is the tragic heroine of the short film.

“The Dude from Downstairs”

This desktop art features the “The Dude from Downstairs”. He is the antagonist and consummate bad guy, irresistible and cunning.

Feel free to download and install on your computers. All wallpapers are provided free of charge and are under a Creative Commons license.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Promotional Video for eve-tees.com

2009-07-31T17:11:00.002-04:00

Recently, I made a promotional video for the DISPARITY T-shirt from eve-tees.com . The video and review were very well received, so we decided to do another project together. This video showcases the founder, Ivelise, at a sales event in New York City.

Take a look, rate, and comment. We'd love to hear your voice!

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Final Cut Studio 3 Released!

2009-07-23T17:59:00.000-04:00

In a highly-anticipated move, Apple released the latest iteration of their industry-standard, flagship video editing suite, Final Cut Studio. Like many others, I waited with baited breath for this version to release.

There are reportedly over 100 new features, but I am very excited about the price: $999.00. That's $300.00 less than the previous version!

Oddly, I picked up a copy of Final Cut Studio version 1 not too long ago. The only thing that I really used so far was Motion. I was hesitant to learn it, since I was going to upgrade to version 3 when it came out. Now, I will just hold on until I get the new version.

Finishing PARALLAX is still the primary activity for me. By the time it releases, I should have enough put away to get Final Cut Studio 3.

Short Promotional Video for Eve-tees.com

2009-07-14T09:48:00.004-04:00

I produced a very short promotional video for my good friend over at eve-tees.com. Ivelise Santos, the owner, makes T-shirts with original artwork silkscreened on them.

Her merchandise is of high quality and the prices are great in New York City’s devastated economy. Take a look at her website and see if you find something that you like. You could even read a brief user review of the T-shirt on The Active Daddy blog.

For the hobbyist filmmakers who are interested, this little video was filmed in about 15 minutes and edited quickly in about half an hour. Although I used Final Cut, you could produce something like this easily in iMovie. Interested in learning how? Drop me a line and I’ll share the information with you. If enough individuals ask, I may post a tutorial.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

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Update on the Short Film PARALLAX

2009-07-10T19:32:00.003-04:00

Update: I just came back from meeting with the Gregory, the actor/composer/sound designer/musician extraordinaire. He let me hear the score for PARALLAX and I am utterly impressed. Really.

What I previewed was the rough cut, before the final mix-down. Even with that, I fell in love with what I heard. There are nuances to the score that can only be appreciated by sitting carefully and listening to it undisturbed. You won’t get it all in one sitting. PARALLAX is, after all, a multi-layered short film that will take several views to digest.

I appreciate your patience while we finish crafting PARALLAX to the work of art that we intend it to be. The wait will be rewarding. When you finally get to see PARALLAX, you will be impressed.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

A Word of Caution

2009-07-07T15:47:00.001-04:00

Last week, I met with “The Dude from Downstairs”, Gregory Vilfranc. If you remember, Gregory is doing the sound design for PARALLAX. In our session, I filmed some behind the scenes footage of him working on the score.

I planned on using two 500 watt hotlights to light the scene. One to his right as the key light, and one twice as far on his left to supply the fill. I had reservations about using 1,000 watts in a residential environment, so I made sure to bring extra bulbs and to plug the lights into an empty line.

If you’re like me, you’re a beginner with no real experience. If so, learn a valuable lesson from what happened to me. I had both 500 watt fixtures plugged in and decided to test them, one at a time. The first bulb blasted when I flipped the switch. It did not explode, but there was a small explosion, the filament was fried, and a small burst of flame came out of the ceramic base where the bulb screwed in.

We were all, obviously, amazed. I went to test the other bulb, which was a brand new bulb. When I flipped the switch, the bulb blew. A loud pop, fried filaments, inside of the bulb turned dark grey: I blew it.

The situation could have been worse: I could have blown a fuse in the house and/or caused a fire. I’m thankful that only the $5.00 bulbs were sacrificed.

If you are going to film in a residential setting, check the location first to see how many currents are being drawn. Make sure that you don’t overload the lines!

Things Are About to Change

2009-07-01T12:50:00.001-04:00

With PARALLAX under my belt and giving me a first-class education in amateur cinematography, it’s time for me to step things up. The way that I’ve been doing things before is going to have to remain in my past. Things are about to change.

So long iMovie. You were great for what I used to do, but it’s time to move on. Final Cut Express was a huge upgrade, but I need the other Pro Apps now. I just picked up Final Cut Studio (albeit an older version, for now) and there’s no turning back.

With my new software, there’s more control over my whites, mids, and darks. More control over my color. Finer adjustments. Industry-standard tools. The freedom to create and experiment is what I need as I push forward in my creative endeavors.

All of the time spent analyzing trailers, and watching amateur videos, indie films, and technique experiments will be put to use now. I’m going to spend time applying that research to a few shorts that I plan to write. Keep an eye out as time progresses. I think you’ll be impressed.

Take care, and influence someone for good today :D
Scott, The Active Daddy

ADR Session, Redux

2009-06-17T16:51:00.002-04:00

The ADR session that I had scheduled for last week got postponed, due to scheduling conflicts. It was a minor setback for the project, but not one that we could not recover from.

We made up for lost time this session with good times, good food, and a good session. Granted, we finished in the wee hours of the morning, but we got the work done. I commend my teammates for putting such dedicated effort into this project: they are rockstars.

Please take a look at some of the behind the scenes photos from the session. Feel free to leave comments here or on the gallery pages.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

ADR Session Scheduled: Time for Voiceovers

2009-06-09T07:45:00.001-04:00

With the bulk of PARALLAX complete, we move to the ADR session. This brings us one step closer to completion, and ultimately to launch.

What is ADR?
ADR is automated dialogue replacement. That's a fancy term for redoing the vocals, or dubbing them in. For this, the actors go to the studio and record the dialogue all over again. This can happen for many reasons. Some reasons would be:

Flubbed lines
Having a cold or allergies that day
Too strong or weak an accent
Unacceptable original audio recording
Not enough umph or expression
Errant sounds behind the vocals

In this case, the audio did not record as well as I intended. There was too much ambient interference and hollow room sound, so we stripped it all out and started over fresh. That's what the foley session was for.

We will head to Track Headz Entertainment's studio again for the session. Clif is capable and acommodating, so it's a comfortable mix.

How is it Done?
Clif's studio is equipped well, with a large monitor on the wall. The actors will watch themselves onscreen and recite their lines in time with the existing lines, which will be swapped out.

I prepared a new, streamlined script for the actors. The original script wouldn't work now, because the editing modified some of what was done before. There are a few clips added and/or deleted, so changes to the script were mandatory.

There's likely to be several takes, but that's fine. The acting was nailed, so we have the liberty to record the lines over and over until we nail them. With everyone excited about the project, it will be easy to get back into character and deliver the right emotions.

This is all new to me, and I'm enjoying every step of it. I can't wait to get in there tonight and enjoy the process. I'll keep you abreast, of course.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Seize the Opportunity to Film

2009-06-06T16:21:00.004-04:00

Last week I took a one-in-a-million chance to film in the most incredible light and color of the year. I had the camera and the willingness, but no subject matter, no script, and no props. Still, there was no way I'd let this opportunity pass me by. If there was nothing to film I'd create something to film.

I spotted the glorious sun setting beyond the lake, sending a shimmering golden glaze over the water and the greenery. There was a winding road in front of it all and that made the perfect scene. There were persons meandering about, just enough to cause a distraction while shooting, but not so many that they'd become curious throng of onlookers ruining my shot.

The only "actor" I could find had to be coerced into action, and the only prop was a Bible that I borrowed on the spot. For this film, I had the "actor" walk toward me, embrace the Bible, pause, and walk away. We did this four or five times. I got three or four closeups of the embraced Bible and the skirt, and that was it.

I found an easy way to deter bystanders from ruining my shots: I just stop what I'm doing until they leave. I've found them to get embarrassed and exit when they hear me tell the actor "I'm going to wait until the people pass by".

So, with my footage, I loaded it into Final Cut Express, as usual. Output a QuickTime file and uploaded it to YouTube for you to see.

It's here that I want to underscore the need to be prepared at any time to film. In order for the beginner filmmaker to grow in his craft—any level filmmaker, for that matter—you have to film. To film frequently. Take chances and make mistakes. It's this kind of practice that will lead to experience.

Pack your gear and walk with it. Be prepared. Learn how to use your gear well so that you make the best of the situation and get the best footage.

I'm looking forward to more opportunities like this as the summertime weather approaches. And, of course, I'll keep you abreast.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

For the Love of the Craft

2009-06-03T17:40:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago I volunteered to film a school trip to Prospect Park's petting zoo. There was no money involved with me filming and no strings attached: I just wanted the opportunity to film anxious small children in high speed with ambient light. The experience would be good for me.

Honestly, there were no expectations. No one had seen my work before. I didn't know how the project would turn out. I wasn't getting paid for it. Besides, the tiny camera that I showed up with looked no different from everyone else's.

I spent the period laughing and talking with the teachers, parents, and children in perhaps the most gorgeous weather of the year thus far. Helping take the children to the bathroom. Wiping small noses.

All throughout the trip I made conscious decisions of how best to film. Being kindergarteners, they were very close to the ground. Naturally, to film them best in their element, I had to get closer to the ground, too. I also relied on a lot of tight shots to focus on the activity, more than the environment. One other thing that I did, which is a major difference for me, was film handheld. I'm a fluid head tripod guy, so handheld is a radical departure from my established norm.

Once I got back to the studio I loaded the clips into Final Cut Express and put together a whimsical little expose with fast cuts and a jovial soundtrack. It's a refreshing, feel good movie.

I quickly pieced together a DVD using Apple's included iDVD software. I made a DVD for the teacher and each student, with my name and contact information on each DVD. They watched it, in school, on an HDTV and were astounded.

Remember, this was a volunteer project. I took the assignment for the experience, which I did gain. More importantly, I was able to reach a built-in audience, surpass their expectations, and become a respected entity in the classroom community.

Those results don't put checks in banks or transfers into PayPal. What they do is put a warm, fuzzy feeling in the heart. They give you client satisfaction skills. They give you personal satisfaction from being able to use your God-given talents to help others.

I felt good being able to make everyone smile. It's not always about how much you can make. Sometimes you just do it for the love of the craft.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

PARALLAX, Teaser 2

2009-06-02T14:21:00.012-04:00

You can see the teaser on my YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/scotthamptonshoots
or via my website:
http://www.scotthamptonshoots.com

DVDs will be produced for sale and distribution. There will be value-added content that will make it a worthy purchase. You'll find behind the scenes footage, interviews, photography, and more.

PARALLAX
Genre: Drama/Suspense
Director: Scott Hampton
Cast: Maria Redrick-Ward and Gregory Vilfranc

Synopsis:
A naive young woman (Maria Redrick-Ward) with percolating passions is confronted with a sudden, unexpected visit from a mysterious, beguiling neighbor (Gregory Vilfranc) who identifies himself only as "The Dude from Downstairs”. What appears to be a chance encounter is revealed to be a pivotal moment of truth for her where one choice will make all the difference...in the world.

Based on the Biblical story of Eve’s encounter with the devil, PARALLAX revisits the need for spiritual discernment and accountability in a day and age when libertine gratification is the norm. PARALLAX is suitable for individual and family viewing.

Feel free to watch the teaser as often as you like. Embed it in your MySpace and Facebook pages. Blog about it. Tell others about it. Rate it with 5 stars. Make it viral. Show the world. Be my guest.

Stay tuned, as I will be releasing updates soon.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Highly Anticipated Second Teaser to Launch

2009-06-02T14:08:00.001-04:00

With the release of PARALLAX's trailer, I set out to entice the world with an ambiguous glimpse of my short movie. The idea was to stimulate the imagination. To piqué the interest. Based on the comments in different forums, comments on Facebook, and 1,100+ legitimate views on YouTube, I believe I did just that.

I found out shortly after release that it was not a trailer, but a teaser, so I changed my description of it to make it easier on the viewer's expectations. Many viewers asked for more, but I declined. I could not show more than the 50 seconds that I already showed without telling too much of the story.

In Hollywood, 2 1/2 hour movies get 2 1/2 minute trailers. That's 1% of the material shown. With a movie less than ten minutes, showing a ~ one minute teaser gives away 10% of the material. Not good.

A little while ago, I decided to create a second teaser. The outcry for more was so loud that it communicated to me the peoples' interest. They were engaged and wanted more. The first teaser did what I intended for it to do.

Today I introduce to you the second and last teaser for PARALLAX. This teaser is a radical departure from the ambiguous, intentionally vampy material that dutifully earned it's title of teaser. The new teaser retains the black and white treatment, but introduces "The Dude from Downstairs" and shows a bit of action.

If you enjoyed the first teaser you will certainly enjoy this one.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

President Barack Obama's Historic Trip to NYC

2009-06-01T08:05:00.001-04:00

President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama made a historic visit to New York City last week and they made quite a stir. As usual, President Obama was stately and well dressed. Michelle Obama was classy as usual.

Yours truly was nowhere near the President. I don't have the credentials that I need to find myself in presidential environs...yet. Perhaps, one day.

While I don't have credentials, I do have the skills. I've photographed many events where I set my DSLR to RAW and even JPG, set my exposure manually, and set my Speedlight two stops under and walked away with gorgeous photographs. Since the skills are transferreble, I know that I could make a great movie of an event like the Obama's trip to New York City.

More specifically, I could make a great movie of the first couple having a tender moment, like their dinner date. President Obama and his wife made a stop at the Blue Hill restaurant, an eatery in Greenwich Village, for such a date. Patrons were not allowed to take any pictures, but if I were there and had the opportunity (read: permission) to film, I know what I would have done. I would have focussed on tighter shots: very close crops.

Both Barack and Michelle are visually attractive, so I would capitalize on that. I'd get lots of smiles and capture the eyes. I'd look for three quarter shots. I'd look for engaging expressions. I'd get a few tender shots where their hands are close to each other. Holding drinks. Touching utensils.

Of course, I'd get the obligatory shots where they wave at the crowd, but those shots would only pepper the footage while I concentrate on the tight shots. I'd edit it all down in Final Cut and post it to my YouTube channel.

If the opportunity presents itself, I'll be ready. In the meantime, I'll be filming more accessible subjects.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

My New Camcorder Supplies Came In Today

2009-05-29T14:06:00.001-04:00

I recently ordered some supplies for my video outfit. I keep a small kit to minimize loss and inventory checks, but some things are necessities that you need multiples of. Batteries are one such thing.

Rechargeable batteries are a blessing, but when you run out of power you have to recharge. That can take time and you can miss the action. Sure, you can plug in, but you'd be tethered to that outlet, restricting your mobility. My camera doesn't come with a charger. You have to charge the battery in the camera with it powered off. That doesn't do me any good when I need to recharge and film at the same time.

It's better to have a charger and extra batteries, charged up and ready to go. I didn't have a charger before (unbelievable for a guy who covets preparation) and my batteries didn't last long, so I was frequently plugged in and/or filming in short intervals.

Recently, I found out that my friend Taky, a wedding videographer, sells high capacity batteries and quick chargers suited to my camera. I ordered two batteries and a charger from his online store. The order arrived within a few days, even with a holiday in between. My order was completed effortlessly with PayPal and sent via U.S. postal mail. I like that.

My Supplies

The batteries pack a whopping four hour life between charges, while my stock battery holds about 45 minutes. That's a huge difference. That means I can keep filming and not have to worry about missing the action. It also means less distraction: I can concentrate on cinematography, not gripping.

The Batteries

As expected, the batteries are larger than the stock batteries. Still, they're lightweight. They do protrude further out of the camera, bit that's fine. It adds a little more weight to the back of my very light camera. The stock battery is on the right in the picture.

The Charger

The charger is small enough to fit in your pocket. I wear slacks all of the time and can even put it in my pockets. If you wear cargo pants you will be able to easily pack it in one of your pockets.

It has the recessed plug, which I highly prefer. That's a major benefit, as it reduces the footprint of the unit. It also makes it more likely that you'll carry it because the prongs won't press into your skin or tear through your pants. I'm glad this feature is on here.

There's also the car charger plug. Thankfully, it's a separate piece that can just plug into the charger when needed. I keep mine in the glove box and will charge in the car.

I'm honestly pleased with my purchase. Take a look at Taky's website and see if there's anything you need. He has batteries, tapes, chargers, lights...tools that videographers need. You can find the website at http://www.lacolorshop.com

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

New Content Coming

2009-05-27T12:11:00.000-04:00

Just a heads up: there will me some new content coming very soon. I'll have some videos and pictures uploaded to my Flickr page shortly. Keep an eye out!

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Are You A Modern Day Eve?

2009-05-25T17:26:00.000-04:00

You may recall that PARALLAX is based on the interaction of Eve and Satan in the Bible, back in the book of Genesis. Her story is a familiar one: good girl gets mixed up with bad boy. We see the story reenacted frequently in our lives with painful consequences, in literature, in the news...everywhere.

Although this crucial meeting between two impressive characters happened somewhere around 6,000 years ago, the lessons have not been learned. Women the world over are still falling prey to malevolent characters who desire to infiltrate their destinies and relegate them to emotional wasteheaps.

It's my opinion that many of the empowerment techniques available to women don't do much good. Trusting in God is the surer, safer route. That's where Eve lost her way: she didn't trust God at the very vulnerable moment of temptation. She relied on her own intuition. Unfortunately, it didn't bode well for her.

Do you know any women that are making decisions without trusting in God? Business, career, relational decisions? Suggest, gently, that they try discussing the matter with God first. How? They can start with a simple prayer. They can ask God to show them clearly if He approves of their decision. You'd be amazed at how God answers prayers.

Do understand, though, that God is not a genie in a bottle or a palm reader. You won't demand an answer and get an instant message. Start with prayer. It's the best start you could make.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

About to Hit a Major Milestone...

2009-05-22T15:04:00.000-04:00

I'm about to cross the 1,000 (legitimate views mark on YouTube!

This is a major milestone for me an for this film. There are other unaccounted for views, such as when someone watches it more than once, and the Facebook embeds, but the YouTube view count is important.

Keep your eyes open as I move past 1,000.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Time for Another Hard Drive?!?

2009-05-20T10:44:00.000-04:00

I'm old enough to remember 5 1/2" floppy disks. High Density floppies. SyQuest disks. The venerable Zip disk. Jaz disks.

All of these great strides in storage promised the same thing: inexpensive storage for your ever-growing media collection. None of them addressed the common problem: your ever-growing media collection will have increasingly larger file sizes!

My first FireWire drive was a whopping 160GB. That was huge when my machine was a 15" iMac G3 with a paltry 10GB hard drive. I had plenty of room to spare.

Not anymore, though. Things have changed. The next FireWire drive that I got was 500GB. That's half a terrabyte. I have about 40GB left on it. Filming PARALLAX took at least 100GB, so I'm fresh out of room.

I'm headed to pick up another FireWire drive today. I have two tapes' of footage to transfer and 40GB just won't do.

At the rate I'm going now, this grand hobby of filmmaking is going to require some rack mounted servers or RAIDs. And that's only with me filming shorts, not features!

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

900 Views on YouTube!

2009-05-20T08:06:00.000-04:00

As of this writing (blogging) I have 900 views on YouTube. Pretty impressive! Maybe I'll become a YouTube phenomenon? I hope so.

Well, not much longer to 1,000.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

My First Foley Session...Aah, What Fun!

2009-05-19T17:33:00.000-04:00

I spent the better part of the day this past Tuesday in Track Headz Entertainment, Inc.'s studio recording foley for PARALLAX. It was an impressive experience and I'm pretty proud of the outcome.

When I filmed PARALLAX, my plan was to use my Rode Video Mic. I did, but the audio did not come out clean. I had to settle on using it as placeholder audio that we'd recreate with ADR and foley.

Gregory Vilfranc, my star, is responsible for scoring the film. Since he's an able engineer (a graduate of SAE), he is also responsible for the audio post work. He introduced me to Cliff Hicks, a good friend of his and fellow able engineer. Together, they handled the foley session.

I'm sure that most of my readers are beginners, like myself. For your benefit, I'll detail how the foley session unfolded.

Schedule
We had to, naturally, find a mutual schedule. Since all or us are of the entrepreneurial spirit, getting our schedules to sync was a challenge.

Once on the calendar, Gregory requested key props that we'd use to recreate the sounds with.

I brought a pair of lady's shoes, the gift box that is used in the movie, and a the ribbon. We also used a pair of men's shoes, some coins, plates, a fork wrapped in paper towels, and a bed sheet.

Review
Both Gregory and myself are familiar with PARALLAX, but Clif was not. In order to quickly bring Clif up to speed, we had to let him see the movie (he's under a severely restrictive NDA!). We spent time reviewing the raw movie on Clif's wall-mounted monitor, while Gregory itemized all of the sounds that we would use. They had a free discussion about what sounds to get, and how.

Once we had our foley list it was time to begin.

Action
The first sound that we recorded was of the lady's shoes. This is for "The Woman", the female star. She walks, in high heels, across a hardwood floor. At different points she shuffles, steps, slides, and jumps.

Two microphones were used to record this. Later, in post, they will be blended. Gregory "wore" the shoes on his hands and "walked" across the floor with them. He stomped, strode, slid, and whatever else he believed would yield the best sound.

Next, we performed the same tasks with the man's shoes. This time, Clif wore shoes and Gregory put the microphones at his feet. Clif's steps were to be deliberately different: cool, stately, suave, confident, even defiant.

Each character in PARALLAX has a different personality, so we had to make everything about them as different as possible.

We recorded the door sounds similarly. There were several doors in the studio and we spent time opening and closing, and knocking on them all to get the best sound.

They produced different sounds because of the materials they were made from and what was on the other side of the door. One of the doors covered a shallow closet. One of the doors led to a hallway that led down three flights of stairs.

Once the best door was determined, we set the microphones in place. One mic was mounted and the other was to be handheld.

The door was opened and closed in combinations, such as fast and angry, slow and graceful, energetic and vibrant, etc.

I enjoyed doing the sofa foley. This was a very creative solution. In the film, the actress sits gently on a leather sofa, then scoots a bit to reposition herself comfortably. The first part was done gently, but the repositioning involved more body English.

It reminded me of how I had to choose the tee shirt. Equally, this time we spent a few minutes using our hands on material to simulate a human body sitting on a leather sofa.

We ended up using a leather car bra. Cliff put one hand in and one hand on the bra, caressing and pinch-pulling it to get the desired effect and sound.

We also recorded the sound of pages turning in a Bible. There's an illustrative part of a scene where "The Woman" thumbs through her Bible and interacts with "The Dude from Downstairs". We literally disected how many pages were turned, and in how many groups, so that we could record it correctly.

Mix
This part is out of my scope. I believe, with the sound recorded, Gregory will mix everything to perfection. Then we'll add it to the timeline in Final Cut.

The foley session was both fun and informative. I look forward to doing more work like this. We have the ADR session coming up, which is similar. I know I'll enjoy that, too.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Foley Session Scheduled

2009-05-17T16:35:00.000-04:00

We're nearing the end of production with PARALLAX and are confident that it looks good. But how does it sound? Not too good. There was a lot of interference with the sound on location. Rather than spend the time cleaning it up, we opted to recreate the ambient and local sounds (foley) in studio.

I would have preferred to use the sound recorded live, but it just didn't work. There was a hum in the audio. The room had too much echo. Some sounds did not work well at all because the room was brand new: it hadn't "settled" yet.

Those were some of the challenges of the natural sound. We will overcome them with "unnatural" sounds, if I may say that. Synthetic sound.

This process will be a first for me, so I'm especially excited about it. I'm going to have to create a list of sounds and bring props to recreate the sounds. This should be fun.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Ever See Those Outrageous YouTube View Counts?

2009-05-17T08:48:00.000-04:00

If you spend a little time on YouTube you'll quickly start noticing view counts. Some videos have paltry amounts. Some have outrageously high view counts. I'm going to spend a little time in this blog discussing this.

Some videos have a tremendous amount of marketing push, publicity, and built-in audience. These are typically blockbuster movie trailers, pop artist videos, or the dramatic once-in-a-lifetime video.

These videos get many, many views. They're propelled to the tops of the charts and get heavy exposure. Viewers tend to watch them more often than search out specific videos to meet unique criteria.

As a result, the same videos get heavy rotation. These videos, by nature, are not necessarily the best videos: they're the most watched/discussed, etc.

Other videos with huge amounts of views fall under the category called viral. These videos, for any number of reasons, have atracted the attention of individuals and have been shared over and over again.

And then, there's the obscure video that no one has heard of with millions of views. Thousands of subscribers to the channel. Thousands of friends. When you look at it you see poor production quality, little value, dubious merit, and very few comments. Sometimes you'll see many comments, spaced several seconds apart. Sometimes you'll see many, many 5-star ratings.

Have you ever wondered how this could be? I used to. I just found out that there are unscrupulous individuals and/or companies that fraudulently inflate their views via browser plug-ins, begging, and other trickery.

Certainly, the method works to generate view counts, but the practice is deceptive and misleads the viewer.

I wonder how many of the artificially viewed videos would stand on their own merits. I'm curious as to how many legitimate views they would have gained by organic growth.

Since finding this out, and understanding the techniques that are used (which I do not use or promote), it makes it easier for me to accept my view count and not equate the relatively small number to failure. I am, after all, an absolute unknown. I don't have many human friends. (Oddly, I believe I have more online friends than human friends!)

It's important for me to get my movies seen by as many as possible (especially PARALLAX), but I want the views to me natural, deliberate, informed choices. Curious clicks via related videos is acceptable, as well. You won't find me cheating you into an reactionary view. I pray that youvenjoy my films on their own merits and by organic growth.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Scoring Update

2009-05-16T17:50:00.000-04:00

PARALLAX is such an amazing little short film because it is doing so much with so little. With less than a ten minute footprint, the movie is calling upon many resources so that it can be the best that it could be.

For this reason, I enlisted the help of the very capable Gregory Vilfranc, who I highly endorse for work on other projects. I visited him in his studio on Friday morning and I was gingerly surprised with the work that he had done up to that point. I provided him some direction that I wanted the score to go in and he succeeded on working with my vision. Admittedly, I have a bias for movie scores from the '60s and '70s, so my reference material came from that era. I wanted woodwinds and a string section to emphasize the footage.

The sample that I heard was airy, emotive, and somewhat mesmerizing. It drew you into the movie without taking over. It supported the footage. Equally, the footage did not overpower the score. Harmony was achieved.

Gregory informed me that he benefitted from our communication and joint enthusiasm for the project. That, he says, is crucial for him while scoring. Remaining enthusiastic motivates each player on the team, who, in turn, reciprocate. The enthusiasm becomes viral.

The new edits that I made (and blogged about the other day) also served to stimulate his creativity. Oddly, we both had been watching the edits over and over again in our studios, unbeknownst to the other. We're each highly motivated from the current state of the movie.

As we near completion, there will be more and more communication and feedback. All of this work is going to ensure a wonderful finished product.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Editing Update

2009-05-15T07:42:00.000-04:00

I recently completed the edits and the color work on PARALLAX and was satisfied with a job well done. After letting the project sit for about a week, I went back over it with a critical eye.

Although I loved it, something was missing. It's a short, so I don't have the luxury of a backstory or complex character development. I did find a suitable way to describe the actress with the opening scenes, though. It's a very symbolic and graphic solution.

It turns out that I needed a little more depth to the characters. But how? I spent some time reviewing other directors' approaches, looking at old photographs, thinking, and then came up with some creative solutions of my own.

My chosen solution was to show what was going on in the actress' mind, which doubled as showing what the actor's real intentions were. That, I believe, was a very good idea.

These changes are a welcome addition to the short and will enhance the movie in a way that wasn't possible before. I can't wait to show it to you.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Making Some Progress with the Color

2009-05-09T21:37:00.000-04:00

I've spent some time since my last blog working with the color in PARALLAX. The tests work with the bug fix so far. The bug is a known bug, and it affects the gamma in the movie. What does that mean? Simple. It makes the movie pale, washed out.

You don't want to watch a movie without visual punch. It's unimpressive. It lacks that excitement that keeps you rapt.

If the bug fix works as well as I believe it will (and it's a simple fix, after all), my life with this project will be much easier. And smoother.

For one, I won't have to create multiple versions: one colorized for the Internet and one colorized for DVD. I would have had to do diffrent conversions with different settings for each. For two, I won't have to store two different files. Storage is cheap these days, but why pack away files that I don't have to?

I made some more color revisions, set the movie to render, and went out for some nighttime recreation. I'll have to test it out when I get back. Hoping for the best.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Eek! A Bug!

2009-05-08T19:54:00.000-04:00

Bugs are pests, and you don't want them around. You want to get rid of them quickly and permanently, isn't that correct? Same here. I don't like bugs and prefer to squash them.

In this instance, I'm referring to bugs in software. Software bugs are as annoying as any pest or vermin. I can't fumigate my Mac, and that wouldn't be necessary. I simply ran into a known bug in my software. There's no virus or malware to contend with. Just a bug.

So, what does the bug do? It affects the color of the movie when it is compressed to be shown on YouTube. Instead of being rich and vibrant, with deep blacks and saturated colors, the movie looks pale and unattractive.

After many days of painstaking color work and compression tests, I finally came across (thanks to the Internet) a possible solution.

I'm back to the drawing board now. Final Cut, actually. I'm headed back to revisit the color work and the potential fix to squash the rendering bug. If all is well, progress continues.

Based on the initial test, it looks great. The challenge, now, is to go through each of the dozens of clips again and test each one, one by one.

Pray for me :^(

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

So THAT'S What it Looks Like!

2009-04-26T19:02:00.000-04:00

I'm a proponent of web cinema and love the idea of media on handheld and portable devices. Even so, there is a time when the big screen will be a reality.

Like today.

I had an opportunity to test the teaser in a theater environment and I assure you that it looked and sounded amazing. It was good to test there, as that's the place I intend to hold the premiere.

The theater seats 250 and has an overhead projector. I'm not sure of how wide the screen is, but it looks like ten feet or so. The speaker system is powerful with smooth mids and rich, heavy bass.

I felt like a superstar watching and hearing the little teaser in an environment like that. In fact, I played it several times and sat there, in the dark, in different seats for the full effect.

Although I filmmed with a consumer camera, the detail held up very well. The score sounded impressive through the powerful speakers, as well.

I feel very confident about the film now. When it premiers, it will be an awesome event!

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

500 Views on YouTube!

2009-04-25T20:55:00.000-04:00

As of this writing, the teaser has garnered 510 views on YouTube. That's insignificant compared to videos that have millions of views, but that's a major accomplishment for me. Remember that I'm a newbie? No one knows me, and I'm not the most popular fellow around. To have so many views is saying a lot.

When the film is published, I pray that even more views are accumulated. The teaser is just the appetizer. The short is the meal.

Thank you, to everyone who has viewed and continues to view the teaser.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Where's it Showing?

2009-04-21T09:09:00.000-04:00

PARALLAX has managed to generate a little localized buzz, and there appears to be a genuine interest about it. This is evidenced by the influx of email that I've received since the trailer launched.

There were a few common questions, but a fairly interesting one is regarding the venue. I've made a concerted effort to promote PARALLAX as a short film that will be available on YouTube, but that detail gets lost in the excitement.

I'll take this opportunity to restate it: PARALLAX is a ten minute short film that will be viewed on YouTube. It is not a feature film. I'll have some downloads and DVDs available with value-added content, but there will be no theater release. Web and DVD.

Emails have asked which theaters will show it, or when it will be coming to their town. I assure you that the misunderstanding is flattering! I am, however, a humble amateur working a smaller circuit. If God decides that the script should be purchased for two million or so, then concerns about the theater would be in place :)

In the meantime, cozy up in front of your iMac or MacBook (or your iPhone, like I do) with some popcorn and enjoy it on YouTube.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Brick-and-Mortar Distribution

2009-04-20T10:44:00.000-04:00

With the teaser released, I've officially gotten into the game. I'm a filmmaker! And, as I've said before, I want the film to be seen by as many eyes as possible, and as many times as possible. That's where distribution comes in.

The online distribution deals are underway, but I'm working on local, physical distribution as well. So far, there are four shops in my immediate area that are suitable for working with. Their clientele is receptive to my content and their outlook is similar to mine. Sounds like a good match. We just have to confirm the commitment.

Most likely, I'll have to work out a consignment deal with them. As an unknown, a zealous newbie, they're not interested in ordering bulk from me. Instead, I'll leave them with a small amount and come back in a month to pick up whatever revenue has accumulated.

There are some venues that I will consider this summer, as well. There are many outdor festivals that I can take advantage of to get the product in front of people. There's going to be a lot going on and I want to be right there in the middle of it.

If you know of any place that would be willing to stock the DVD, please let me know. I would take it into consideration.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Introducing...PARALLAX

2009-04-17T18:10:00.001-04:00

I've been blogging to you about my short film for a while, but I haven't given you any details about it. The project was classified top secret, but I can finally pull the wraps off of it.

The name of the film is PARALLAX and stars two amazingly talented young persons. Their contributions to the film is immeasurable and their performance is outstanding. I highly recommend them for related work.

I used a skeleton crew with a zero budget, but managed to complete the film. The film was recorded with a Canon HD camcorder and was cut on an iMac and a MacBook using Final Cut and related software. God has been blessing this project from the beginning and will continue to bless it as time goes on.

You can see the teaser on my YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/scotthamptonshoots
or via my website:
http://www.scotthamptonshoots.com

DVDs will be produced for sale and distribution. There will be value-added content that will make it a worthy purchase. You'll find behind the scenes footage, interviews, photography, and more.

PARALLAX
Genre: Drama/Suspense
Director: Scott Hampton
Cast: Maria Redrick-Ward and Gregory Vilfranc

Synopsis:
A naive young woman (Maria Redrick-Ward) with percolating passions is confronted with a sudden, unexpected visit from a mysterious, beguiling neighbor (Gregory Vilfranc) who identifies himself only as the “dude from downstairs”. What appears to be a chance encounter is revealed to be a pivotal moment of truth for her where one choice will make all the difference...in the world.

Based on the Biblical story of Eve’s encounter with the devil, PARALLAX revisits the need for spiritual discernment and accountability in a day and age when libertine gratification is the norm. PARALLAX is suitable for individual and family viewing.

Feel free to watch the teaser as often as you like. Embed it in your MySpace and Facebook pages. Blog about it. Tell others about it. Rate it with 5 stars. Make it viral. Show the world. Be my guest.

Stay tuned, as I will be releasing updates soon.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

The Teaser is Done!

2009-04-17T18:10:00.000-04:00

It is with great pleasure (and pride, excitement, and enthusiasm!) that I give you yet another update. The teaser is done!

I met with the sound designer today and we agreed that what was available was a winner. The teaser is live on YouTube now.

Stay tuned for another post with details :)

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Score for the Teaser Almost Done

2009-04-17T08:07:00.000-04:00

Just a friendly update: the score for the teaser is almost done. There have been a few revisions on my part and on the sound designer, so we needed a little bit more time.

I'm still amazed that a zero budget short commands as much nurturing as we are giving it. I like that our craftsmanship is applied to the project, even though there are no Hollywood names associated with it. That shows me where our hearts are :)

The draft should be delivered to me by Sunday. I'm already familiar with the work of the sound designer, and submit to you that it is professional. That keeps me very excited about the project.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Second Draft of Teaser Done

2009-04-10T09:03:00.000-04:00

I am pleased to announce that the teaser is done. I let it marinate for a few days, observed the rough edges, and then cleaned it up.

Pacing, more than anything else, was what I chose to work on. If you remember, I mentioned several times that I'm new to this. I never made a teaser before. So, understandably, my first teaser needed work.

The teaser moved a little bit too fast. In my opinion, the message wasn't conveyed as well when it moved quickly. There wasn't enough time to get interested in the story. It seemed artificially rushed, like an action movie.

Once the website is done I'll post the teaser to Youtube and embed it on the movie's page.

I admit that the movie is extremely small when compared to Hollywood blockbusters, but I am excited about it, nevertheless.

Just a few more days and I'll be live with it. I'll keep you posted.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

First Draft of Teaser Done

2009-04-07T11:28:00.000-04:00

If you've seen movie trailers recently, you know they're full of action and noise. Shock value is crucial in trailers. The consumer has to be stimulated artificially so that they purchase a viewing, hopefully more than once.

I'm a huge fan of movie trailers, because so much can get told in the two-and-a-half minutes that is shown. The true story isn't told during the trailer, though. Some of the best portions are weaved together, creating a similar story, but not the accurate story.

Well, I've created my first movie trailer, which is actually a teaser, and it comes in at 40 seconds long. I cut it on an iMac using Final Cut. No explosions, no hair-raising chase scenes, no guns, no violence. I used a portion from one scene and decided to let it stand on it's own. The movie is ~10 minutes (for a YouTube audience), after all, so I can't make the trailer any longer. I believe the chosen footage is provocative enough to elicit interested click throughs. We'll see.

I'm going to sit on the teaser a little and see what I'd revise in a few days. As usual, I'll keep you posted.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Second Draft Done

2009-04-06T08:01:00.000-04:00

I've had some time since I completed the first draft of the movie to give it a good, objective look. I stayed away for a few days, came back with fresh eyes, and prepared to tackle it again.

Overall, the first draft was pretty successful and didn't require much overhaul. The overall vision and flow was established right from the start.

I did do a little bit of cutting to shorten the movie. There were a few clips that I felt were better with a little off of the front, back, and both, so a little trimming made the short better overall. It's always hard to cut when you're the one responsible for the screenplay and the cinematography. You get attached to everything. But, you have to be honest to your script and the well-being of the story.

When I think about it, no one else is ever going to see the changes that I made. No one will ever know what decisions I made regarding adjustments. As long as the film looks good, no one will care.

I still have the film coming in at under ten minutes, which keeps me legal for YouTube.

More refinements to go during the week, and I get to hear the score with it. I'm really looking forward to that :)

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Website Well Underway

2009-04-02T16:37:00.000-04:00

There's no sign to hang out front of my shop because this isn't the early 1900s where such a thing was necessary. This is the early 2000s and now it's all about digital real estate: a website.

I work online, from the comfort of my iMac and/or iPhone. Since I work online, I need a website. I'm building it now and should be finished by next week.

A few years ago, a full-fledged website would have been necessary. That's no longer necessary for me, since I can offload the heavy lifting to other websites.

My website will be a basic informational website with bare-bones information. I'll link to my blog, which I update frequently on my iPhone. That way, I don't have to upload and configure any custom blogging solutions. I'm using Blogger right now and I love their solution. It's streamlined, efficient, and functional. Works great.

I looked into getting a QuickTime streaming server a few years ago to stream video. That's no longer necessary for me. I can upload HD films to YouTube and show my films to the world. I don't have to worry about adding streaming functionality to my server or hosting plan, and that means I don't have to worry about bandwidth and the related overage charges if I start using too much.

I'm not a fan of Flash, so I don't have to worry about building custom image galleries anymore. I was pretty good at Flash, but quickly grew ambivalent when the world began marveling over Flash, animating anything and everything (unnecessarily). Then I totally lost interest by the time MX 2004 came along. I use Flickr for my image hosting now. Like Blogger, they have a wonderful platform that allows for simple uploading of content, sharing, networking, and more. See, no Flash development. Let Flickr handle it.

These free or low cost solutions take the heavy lifting away. They have thriving user communities that I can participate in. And they make personal web building easy.

So my website is almost done, because there's not much for me to do. Look for the launch soon.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Amazon...or the chitlin' circuit?

2009-03-31T08:51:00.000-04:00

I'm sure that most independent filmmakers want their films to be seen by as large as possible an audience, in as many places as possible, and as long as possible. I'm no different: I'd love for my film to become viral. And, more realistically, I want it to be available to consumers.

That's where Amazon.com comes in. Without a doubt, Amazon is arguably the major online player for physical DVD sales. If I get my film in Amazon's inventory, listed on their website, and sold by them, my perceived credibility and marketability would increase. The wholesome message contained within the movie would be spread to different households. And that's good!

But there's a flipside to this coin. Certainly, Amazon has the infrastructure to facilitate eCommerce solutions for the Indy and the entrepreneur. Their untarnished name backing your product offers reassurance to the consumer. But their fee would probably kill me. They charge a whopping 55% of sales as their fee. Ouch. That hurts.

My film is expected to retail for US $10.00. At Amazon's rates, my cut (after my expenses) wouldn't allow me enough to see a profit, which would be utilized for advertising and restocking product for future orders.

That's where the chitlin' circuit comes in. Not the literal, traditional chitlin' circuit, but a modern adaptation of it.

Never heard of the chitlin' circuit? It's the legendary network of venues that African-American artists utilized in North America from (arguably) the late 1800s to the early 1900s to show and perform their art when racism, Jim Crow, and other social ills prevented them from performing in "established" venues. Some very influential material was birthed from that relationship. They sold records, seats, and experiences grassroots-style.

There was a lot of dancing, drinking, soul food, and "good times".

If I cannot absorb Amazon's rate and stay afloat, I'll look into direct sales and consignment. In other words, the modern adaptation of the chitlin' circuit. The return is likely to be greater, also, as a typical consignment cut may be only 10%.

Direct sales would come from my website and film showings. I would bring DVDs to every movie showing that I do and sell product there. I would have to set up a table and promotional poster, of course, and man the table. That would give me a chance to interact directly with the viewing public.

With consignment, I'd leave a handful of DVDs with the proprietor, who would display the DVDs and my promotional material. At the end of the month I'd collect my income, sans fees.

There are other options, as well. The iTunes music store is one, if I can break through. That would be great. There's Revver, also, but their quality isn't that great.

In the meantime, I'll continue researching my options. I'm sure God will bless me with the right method to accomplish this goal.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Movie Poster in the Works

2009-03-29T00:33:00.000-04:00

Movies are promoted with movie posters, and this movie will be promoted with a poster, too :)

I have a wonderful photo from a rehearsal that really captures the essence of the movie and that will be used as the poster art. It was totally unplanned, but is so successful as a graphic that I have to employ it.

Have you ever looked at a movie poster? Really looked at it and noticed everything on it? There's a lot of important information that has to be displayed on the poster, such as the producers, directors, writers, distributors, makeup artists, effects teams, researchers... I'm not sure if the viewing consumer reads that information or if it just satisfies legal obligations.

I laughed to myself when researching the information to included, because the majority of the roles listed there fall squarely on my shoulders. You have to understand that the "everything man" is literally that: the man that does everything.

I came up with the idea, wrote the script, cast the actors, organized rehearsals, produced the movie, secured the location, wrangled props, lit the scene, manned the cameras, directed the movie, edited the film, dotted the "i"s and crossed the "t"s... Now imagine seeing my name listed for thirty-odd tasks. Wouldn't that look ridiculous on a movie poster? Wouldn't it look as if I find myself über-important in my own eyes?

I'm going to use a whole lot less information on my poster. I'll include the artwork, the title, actors, plot line, and a few basic credits. The movie had two actors and one production assistant. How long could the credits be?

To me, a movie poster for an Internet movie should differ from a traditional movie poster. My films are Internet movies and the distribution is online. There's no theatre to show my movies in. The poster would be a JPG embedded on a page or in an email somewhere, not hung on a wall. Maybe in someone's MySpace page. Or their Flickr feed. On their smartphone. That's how I'm promoting the film with a movie poster: digital imprints. That said, the graphic would be smaller, simple (not cluttered), and have clear, legible type. It won't be designed to be seen from ten feet away.

But what about screenings? I do plan on screenings. There are three that I'm working on now. I will likely have to print four larger posters specifically for display at the screenings, but the original intent remains digital imprints :)

Well, back to InDesign, Photoshop, and Aperture. I have to finish the poster.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Movie Headed to Sound Design

2009-03-27T15:50:00.001-04:00

Today was a very productive day for me in respect to the movie. I met with the Sound Designer/Audio Technician/Engineer who will handle the score and all things audio for the film.

I am fortunate that my star, Gregory Vilfranc, is the one appointed to the task. He is trained in this discipline, and very qualified to handle the audio for this movie. He is also my friend.

We discussed my ideas for the score and I am pleasantly relieved that what I'm looking to accomplish is plausible.
I wanted to jump right in because I was so excited, so I showed Gregory some samples of scores that I liked. The idea was to get us both on the same page regarding the mood of the film. Fortunately, he has a far better grasp of the nuances of audio. My rudimentary explanations were all he needed in order to get started.

We looked at a few samples of Gregory's scores and I can see how talented he is. He explained why he chose certain instruments, why the swell happened in a particular part, how the music withdrew in another... That's the kind of information I like to hear. It shows me that the artisan is a master craftsman, knowing how to perform.

We'll probably do Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR) work afterwards to tie everything together sweetly. There were a few parts that did not come out as well as I would have liked, some parts that suffered from typical New York noise, so we will have to sweeten up the movie in post.

I'm feeling very confident about the success of this movie. The actors are excited and the little bit of buzz that I'm generating for it is very positive. With a strong story, great camerawork, snd great sound we are definitely on to a winner.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Lessons Learned 101 Part 2

2009-03-25T12:04:00.001-04:00

This short film was definitely an education for me. I learned about, or gained valuable experience in, different areas of independent filmmaking.

I know that there are many newbie filmmakers with a lot less experience than myself. Remember: I boast a whopping few months' experience, the majority of which was spent learning how to use my camera. Still, many just turn on their cameras, then point and shoot. The information that I'm sharing is so that they, and you, can benefit from it. Hopefully, it will help you on your way to becoming a better filmmaker.

So, in the spirit of free information on the Internet and Christian giving, I present to you part two of my lessons learned.

Temperance
Temperance is related to satisfaction. To be temperate is to have just enough: not an excess, neither a deficit.

I realized, upon striking the set, that I had too much in terms of props and gear. I made two trips to the location in the first place. The first trip was to haul cameras, lighting gear, the dolly, food, and props. The second trip was for the plants.

The second trip cost me in regards to time, travel, energy, and focus. It would had been better for me to have been at the location. Since I arrived hours before everyone else, I could have taken a nap and showered before anyone else arrived.

Perhaps having two loads to haul could be attributed to zeal. Or overplanning? In either case, I had more than I needed. On the one hand, it's better to be overprepared so that you lack nothing. This time, I believe that the excess was a handicap.

Going forward, I believe I'll spend more time researching props and settling on a few absolutes. I did settle for this film, but later decided to bring extra, just in case.

I had many more lights, bulbs, and stands than I needed. I didn't use my dolly and tracks. The armatures stayed in the bag. Some of the food ended up in the trash. A few of the props went unused.

With experience (and, probably an experienced crew), these issues would have been minimized. For me, the beginning filmmaker, these issues are large and important. I have to learn from them.

So, to summarize, I learned to simplify the production. Plan well, and plan wise. That would have allowed me to travel and film nimbly.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

First Draft Done

2009-03-22T15:24:00.000-04:00

I finished the first draft of the movie and I'm pretty impressed. I believe it will turn out to be a fine movie.

My initial tests were internal. I tested a few versions. The basic QuickTime export looks great, as is to be expected. The iPhone version is amazing, as well. The combination of rich darks, saturated colors, and glossy screen make a winning combination. I also made a low resolution version for Revver. It's lo-res, but fits Revver's criteria for coming in at 100MB.

There's still a lot of work to do. I did put some basic titles in, but will probably go back and redo them with some more texture or personality.

My goal was to finish the rough draft this week, and it looks like I beat that goal.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Editing the First Draft in Final Cut

2009-03-20T13:08:00.000-04:00

With the filming completed and a few naps absorbed, editing the footage down to a YouTube-friendly 10 minutes has begun.

This will not be an easy feat, especially since I am so conjoined with the project. Having conceptualized, scripted, cast, produced, directed, and filmed the movie, there are parts of it that I love "just because". That's what makes the editing a challenge.

Nevertheless, the film must come in at 10 minutes or less, so I must chop and cut with precision. At least I'll always have the original footage :)

I'm giving myself a deadline of one more week to have gone through this first rough draft. This is where I get all of the parts into Final Cut and assemble them in the order that I want. If anything needs to be reshot, I'll have to go back and do that after the first rough draft. I don't expect to have to do that, since the planning was done well.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Lessons Learned 101

2009-03-17T18:29:00.001-04:00

I mentioned, in a previous blog, that I learned some valuable lessons while filming my latest short film. Let me take this moment to remind you that I am new at this, with less than one year of experience. Some of the lessons that I will blog about will be readily apparent to the seasoned veteran, but to the neophytes, I pray that the lessons are to you as a fresh rain on a barren land.

Help Wanted
I admit that I want control over anything I do. Being an "everything man" is noble, but not always realistic. Sometimes there are too many things to do alone, so you need good help. I'm referring to trustworthy, dependable, mature individuals.

So much of this film came together directly by my hand, and it ended up costing me in physical stress. With the planning done, I realize, now, that I could have delegated many tasks to capable assistants. Truthfully, the film shoot might have run smoother if I had done such.

The craft services was planned to the item, quantity, and size. With that level of detail, anyone could have gone to pick up the supplies. I'm sure they could have even made a suitable substitution with the level of detail that I had in the list. In some cases, even a generic brand would have worked in place of a national brand. "12 8-ounce bottles of spring water" is detailed in respect to inventory, so purchasing any brand would do. No company sponsored this, so brand name did not matter (unless quality was a concern).

My initial intention was to hold the microphone on the boom pole myself. I accepted the wise counsel of an online friend and solicited the assistance of a friend. He served as a valuable production assistant.

Without eight arms, I genuinely could not hold the boom pole, man the camera, pull focus, and do everything else that I had to do. The production assistant was able to run errands that I could not: he picked up nail polish, nail polish remover, and cotton pads; went on another run to purchase an extension cord; spent time and energy dusting, nit-picking, ironing, and checking continuity and frame intrusions; and helped put up curtains and dress the bed.

The floral arrangements were in huge glass vases, filled with water. Had I tried to transport them by car, alone, I would have had a botanical mess in the floor of the car.

Fortunately, two interns from the rental location were available to come with me to transport the flowers. Needless to say, I was exuberant.

Surely, it's necessary to have control over your short film, but you need help. Ask for assistance. Accept the assistance of those who offer a helping hand. In the end, it can only make your life easier and your filming successful.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Finished Filming!

2009-03-17T18:09:00.001-04:00

After a few brief months of intensive planning and great expectations, I finally went to film my new short on Sunday, March 15, 2009. It was an all day shoot, and I'm done :)

Without a doubt, that was a very intense, high-energy, action-packed session. I spent a great deal of time preparing for the shoot, but there were some issues that surfaced on the spot that I had to contend with. I've come to understand that I should expect that as a normal part of filmmaking, and that it must be handled professionally.

There were many lessons learned, a few additional expenses, a few hiccups, a few scrapped plans, and many good times. When I do this again for my next short, I will use what I experienced this go around to be even more prepared.

My planning, networking, producing, and God's grace allowed me to complete the project. But it's not expertise and divine intervention, alone, that make a successful project. I need team members, and am blessed to have had the best ones. My small team consisted of two actors and a production assistant.

The actors worked together marvelously! Some individuals have an immediate compatibility and it seems like they knew each other for years.

I met the male actor about 10 years ago and was impressed by his singing skills. We've worked together from time to time on other projects and developed a mutual respect for each other. I met the female actor about a year ago and was impressed with her personality. I photographed her for my portfolio in the past. We worked together and developed a friendshop.

With both, it took me a while to feel comfortable around them because of their larger-than-life auras. They, however, gelled the moment they met. I could not have chosen better actors.

My production assistant proved to be a godsend, as well. He was able to run errands, hold things, dust off items, and assist in striking the set. He has a detailed eye and saved a few shots because of his attention to detail.

With the filming done, it's time to move into color correction, color grading, editing, effects, and the audio mix.

The film is scheduled for an Internet distribution on YouTube, facebook, Revver, and a few other places. DVDs are going to be pressed up, as well.

I'll continue to blog about my experience with this film, post behind the scenes photos, and a few lessons learned. Hopefully, anyone coming after me will not make the same mistakes that I made, but be more educated and better prepared from my mistakes :)

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Does This Dress Make My Butt Look Big?

2009-03-10T15:26:00.002-04:00

Working as the "everything man" on your own zero-budget short is certainly taxing, but there are good experiences to be had from the efforts.

I've had a few epiphanies, gotten some great deals on merchandise, and learned a number of humorous lessons about women's clothing.

Tee-shirt
I'm 100% male and familiar with things like ties, collar stays, pocket squares, shaving cream, and the relatively straight-forward method of choosing a shirt size to wear.

I was responsible for picking up the tee-shirt for the female star, since I'm the producer of the film. All went well until the gentleman asked me what size the actress wore. Needless to say, I was stumped. He and I embarked upon a touch-and-go abstract description of her, using our hands in the air to reservedly trace and sheepishly modify our interpretations of her perceived size.

Fortunately, I remembered that I had pictures and a movie clip of her on my iPhone, so I showed him. Then, with our visual reference (and he enlightened), we went back to our in-air contour tracing, size guessing posturing and decided upon a size.

We must have looked like two wannabe-thugs signing for a ritual or a pair of college students embellishing a tale of our weekends.

Thankfully, we were saved from potential embarrassment when the actress called me a few minutes later and told me what size to get.

Dress
The awkwardness of choosing a suitable outfit for the star continued a few days later when I had to choose her dress. If the tee-shirt was a challenge, the dress was catastrophic.

I went to Macy's because they were close to where I was running errands and because they have a great selection, at least in menswear.

There was a great dress by a designer that I was told was good, for $600.00. Never heard of him, not buying him. There was another nice one for $250.00. I think the designer was named Laundry (a laundry dress didn't sound very appealing). They were nice dresses, but a bit too formal.

On another floor, a very congenial woman offered to help me. She took me downstairs to the younger women's section. After the initial introductions and dancing around the issue of dress and bust size, we went to look at some DKNY dresses that were very, very nice. Lacy, flowy, attractive. Very feminine.

There were many options, but they were confusing to me (I remind you: shopping for men is much easier). I couldn't tell how long or short the dresses were because they were hung on the hanger without a physical form to hold it in place. To guestimate, I held the dress up to myself and looked down to see where it rested in relation to my knees (the star is half an inch taller than me, without her heels). When I leaned forward, the dress rose. If I held it a few inches in front of me the length was still unclear.

I held the dresses up in each section, trying to gauge. It was only later that I realized the reason the women passing by would stop what they were doing every time I sized up the dresses: they thought I was trying them on for myself! I only noticed them in periphery, at first, then started to pay closer attention. There were many visual and verbal responses from the women in the store. Some looked at me with one eyebrow raised, as if to say "whatever floats your boat". Some older women looked at me with a snarl ("Well I never!"). Still, others thought I looked cute (I didn't).

Ultimately, I'm thankful for the help that everyone gave me so that I could get the wardrobe. I learned a few things in the process and will be better prepared the next time I have to choose women's wardrobe. If they ask me "well, she's pretty full up top, right?" and pass their hands back and forth across their bosom to suggest girth, I won't be as embarrassed to look and optically scale for reference. And if I'm asked to look at how the jeans fit the sales lady as a comparison to my actress, I'll be better equipped to answer that, too.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Director's Preparation

2009-03-09T15:25:00.001-04:00

I've heard that the Director should take good care of himself on the set. That sounds like good, solid counsel. But what about on small productions, where the Director is the Producer is the Director of Photography is the Driver is the Grip is the...everything else? In that instance, which is the instance I find myself in, it's imperative that the Director take even better care of himself.

For the week prior to the filming, I'm making a concerted effort to get at least eight hours of sleep every night. If I can sneak in a nap I surely will. I'm eating everything in sight so that I have an abundance of energy. I'm drinking more than eight glasses of water daily. I'm taking my vitamins and saying more prayers. Staying clear of negative individuals' influence.

When I shout "action", I want to be fully cognizant, not exhausted. Not frazzled. I want to be in the best mindset possible so that I can turn out a stellar project.

My professionalism and courtesy would be at their best if I'm well rested, well fed, and well hydrated. That would put me in a position to be an ambassador as a Christian filmmaker and be respected as a legitimate independent filmmaker.

If you're the praying type, I solicit your prayers for my success. I'd appreciate it!

In the meantime, it's pizza, Mexican food, Chinese food, protein shakes, and anything else that I can get my hands on :)

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Prop Shopping

2009-03-06T14:03:00.001-05:00

I'm wearing many hats for this film, and Producer is one of them. That means that I'm responsible for the location scouting, props, craft services, and more.

With the location secured, I went shopping to get the props to make the location look believable. I already had some things in mind, but decided to remain I'm open to a little serendipity.

Crow's Feathers
One of the main props that I worried about was the crow's feathers. It's almost impossible to get crow's feathers, unless you have ready access to a forest and a lot of disposable time.

I found some resources online, but was fortunate enough to pass a retail location that had just what I needed: the feathers. I grabbed a large bunch of feathers and gave myself a pat on the back.

Pillows
I had no plans to get these, but when I saw them I couldn't say "no". I think the green would go well with the white pillows and white sheets, emphasizing the organic, lively look that I'm striving to achieve.

They're comfortable, too. The cashier squeezed them and told me how soft they were. I took that as a compliment!

Decorative Stones
These beauties weren't on the list, either, but they'd make a wonderful addition as an accent. I can put a few in glass bowls and probably keep them in the sunlight.

Basic Goods
The majority of the craft goods comes from the supermarket. I went to my local favorite and stocked up on what I could find.

Fortunately, Sunday morning shopping is easy. I can get what I need without a crowd.

I picked up water, napkins, gum, chips, salsa, bowls, crackers, cups, wipes... There are still a few things that the supermarket doesn't have, so I have to check other stores.

I'll probably use decorative bowls that I have around the house as some props.

Gift Box
This little prop proved to be a major obstacle. I couldn't find the right size or color anywhere. I walked far and wide, unsuccessfully. Eventually, I settled on the little sweeties that you see in the picture. It was supposed to be white with a red ribbon, but that didn't pan out. Instead, I got the gorgeous white wrapping paper with sparkles and a spring green bow. Ultimately, this works better in the grand scheme of things.

While shopping, I saw the most amazing place setting at Crate and Barrel that will work great. I couldn't carry it today, so I have to go back tomorrow morning to pick it up.

Bells
I needed little bells for the gift box. I found a nice little bagful pretty easily. They're expensive little things, and pretty heavy for their size.

Tee-shirt
Another major player among the props, this gave me trouble for months. Serious trouble. I placed ads online, asked friends, went to flea markets...no one had it.

In a last ditch effort, I found a place that made while-you-wait custom tee-shirts. The price was incredible. I was even able to chose my typeface.

At first, I was restricted to the standard typefaces, but a little smooth-talking opened up a world of possibilities. It's always good to talk nicely. I read in the Bible that a gentle word turns away wrath. I agree.

Well, I still have to get to Crate and Barrel for the plates, those gorgeous plates. I may keep them for myself when I'm done :)

I'll keep you informed of the prop progress.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

The Location Has Been Secured!

2009-03-04T13:57:00.001-05:00

One of the concerns that I'm forced to face, as a filmmaker, is the marriage between the abstract and the tangible. I visualize my films long before I write anything down. I think about the film whenever I can, be it on the train, eating lunch (frequently over lunch), or while driving. I don't write anything down until I'm satisfied that it makes sense to me.

That's an amazing approach, as it makes the screenwriting process so much easier. Everything flows as close as possible to the final, and then I revise as needed. When it comes to location scouting, I'm at the mercy of whatever location can be secured for the schedule and the price (usually, for free or for a favor in return).

I'm producing a short film now that I'm very excited about because of the simplicity, the story, the actors, and the location. We held the discovery meeting and two rehearsals in my favorite studio: a hollow, nondescript, empty room. I arranged a few makeshift props and filmed the rehearsals for our review.

I turned to Craig's List and saw a plethora of locations. Some were overpriced, some were unavailable. The location that I settled on has so many similarities to the studio that there is no need to adjust the movements or props in any significant way. As a matter of fact, the location is better than what I imagined in the pre-visualization, and I thank God that He worked it out in my favor that way.

So, what was involved in the location scouting? Looking online for suitable locations within my geographic and budgetary constraints, making initial contact via email, and then discussing my interests with the parties. Sometimes I showed them samples of my work so they were confident that they wouldn't find pizza in the vents in the morning, or bikini-clad girls sleeping in the tub.

When the hostess showed me the location I knew, immediately, that no other location would do. It is open, modern, and stylish. Photos of the location were available online, and while I admit that it looks much better in (the Photoshopped) photos, it is still the perfect location for the film.

There were a few hurdles to overcome, such as the unavailability and last minute re-availability of the location, scheduling of the actors with conflicting activities, and the accumulating the insurance deposit to cover damages, but everything has been worked out satisfactorily.

I begin filming this short film on March 15, 2009. If you're interested, say a little prayer for me. Ask God to bless this endeavor to be successful. I'll do my best to get behind-the-scenes photos of the location set up for filming. Wish me the best :)

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

The Rationale for Short Films

2009-02-25T13:22:00.000-05:00

I make short films, not feature films. Why short films? For several reasons, all of which were borne out of both necessity and practicality.

Time
Filmmaking takes a phenomenal amount of time. Whereas many believe filmmaking starts when the director shouts "Action!" and ends when he shouts "Cut!", the truth is much different. I spend countless hours brainstorming ideas before I even begin writing the screenplay. The first draft is never final, so there is a series of revisions and rewrites. Location scouting, actor selection, storyboards...all of this takes time.

When the filming is over, the post-production begins. Months, perhaps even a year can pass before the film is complete. I'm referring to a short film, not a feature.

With a family and personal responsibilities, I can't justify the investment in time and effort that a feature film would demand. My actors would face the same restrictions: real-world interests generally take precedence over donating great amounts of time to a zero-budget project.

A short film is more likely to be completed because it doesn't require as huge a commitment in time.

Budget
I finance the short films myself. Without external funding, I can't justify laying out great amounts of cash for my films. Generally, the films are are not intended to turn a profit, therefore I cannot recoup the investment from sales of product or merch.

Locations cost, craft services cost, transportation costs, consumables cost. All of the costs add up to huge amounts and quickly become prohibitive.

The smaller and more effectively planned the short film, the less it is likely to cost to produce.

Expertise
My experience comes from trial and error, not classrooms and texts. I don't have a formal education in filmmaking, so there are simply some things that I don't know how to do. As a result, some advanced features, such as gratuitous usage of animations and graphics, green screen techniques, and environmental alterations are conspicuously absent from my short films.

I deliver a simply composed production that is possible through common shot types and techniques.

Delivery
DVDs in attractive packaging are an amazing way to deliver product into the hands of consumers, but my nonexistent budget does not allow for it. Online e-tailers are an another ideal way for consumers to gain access to product, but distribution deals with major players are not practical or realistic for productions such as mine.

Instead, I deliver my short films via the Internet. YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, and the iTunes Music Store, among others, are the best method at the moment. They allow for digital viewing and distribution in a number of sizes, to a number of devices, and to a very large potential audience. The saturation that these avenues allow negates the lack of physical distribution. In fact, I prefer the digital distribution.

A physical DVD is a wonderful option to have, but the ability to watch a short film on an iPhone, computer, cellphone, or other device truly gets the short film in the hands of the largest possible audience.

Tolerance
Since I'm focused, primarily, on Internet distribution, I have to take into consideration the tolerances of Internet viewers. With a DVD, viewers can relax in front of a huge plasma TV on a couch with refreshments and friends, but that would be a challenge to do around a MacBook or a NetBook. Harder, still, on a cellphone. While it does happen, it is for limited amounts of time before the inconvenience and discomfort affect the viewer.

Small-screen viewers are likely to watch Internet video for a few minutes at a time, per movie. Because of this limitation, I embrace the short film. At approximately 10 minutes each, the short film duration is appealing for Internet viewing. If the short film is engaging, it will encourage the viewer to watch other short films.

The brief time frame of the short film is ideal for those who watch Internet films on smaller than normal screens.

The reasons outlined above take into consideration the realities of the filmmaker with a nonexistent budget and the concerns of those who watch Internet films. I admit that there is a populace that discredits short films as insignificant, but by reading above, I hope that you see the strategy behind producing short films and my desire to embrace them.

Blessings,
Scott Hampton

Maiden Voyage

2009-02-25T12:49:00.000-05:00

To be brutally honest, I don't really know what I'm doing. I haven't gone to school for filmmaking. Never assisted. Never saw a roll of film.

What I do have is many, many failed attempts at making home movies; a solid background as a visual artist; a huge imagination; many man-hours spent reading books, articles, magazines, and ads; and most importantly, a desire to make great films that talk about Jesus Christ and how important He is. That includes making adaptations of Bible facts, showing parallels of Bible issues to daily life, or illustrating solid Christian principles.

You won't find me preaching, however. Preaching is to deliver sermons, not films.

I will comment on cameras, techniques, tools, and the like. I'll document the rough road that I take to make a short film. There might even be a few tips and techniques along the way.

It's my hope that this blog becomes as useful to you as it is going to be for me. Read the posts. Look at the visuals. Feel free to comment at will. I'm level-headed and willing to dialogue with anyone. Keep your posts clean, don't rant, respect me and the viewers. Let's have a good time.

God's blessings for a remarkable 2009,
Scott Hampton