Writing part 1

I am a writer at heart and have had a long journey of learning, honing, failing, and crafting, so far. With each of these things being a lifelong process, how does someone go about taking the leap of faith and getting their work finished?

I talk about writing, much like I do about Cinematography - as a life long student just like yourself, in whatever niche you claim. 

If you are a writer, you can probably relate to the following: Writing is something I could do 20/7, 365. Looking back on the past few years, my favorite days are the ones that start with writing at 6am, ending at 2am. Without doubt, I would be incredibly fulfilled by living such a schedule. Many people I know do not understand that, especially considering I am not monetizing any writing at the moment. 

In the recent two years, I have been blessed enough to have two plays, a one act, and various improvisational theatre scripts, presented in Manhattan. But stage plays are not as much of a passion as screenplays and narrative styles are. 

Writing is an interesting game. It is very competitive and every expert has their approach. My personal approach varies depending on the script, but I do have a staple in my method and that staple is found in drafting the story. Essentially, an idea could come from anywhere: pickles, socks, divorce, murder, anything. Character, location, event, whatever the trigger of a story, I seem to follow two BASIC balances to stay in check: 

"Action -> Result -> Response." 

For now, I will leave the Flog a cliffhanger! Spread the love and check back for the next post!

Blogging and the Creative Mind

Blogging. It's exactly what I'm doing now and what our friends talk about talk about being awesome at. Also, it's a way to sneak in your company's name, like Ipsum Films, so that search engines rank them higher in related searches. 

Whatever the reason for a blog, be it search engine recognition or personal expression, blogs have nearly become an expected part of anything web-based or companies with a younger audience. 

That said, out purpose for blogging is to exercise the communication of our knowledge and to attract and audience of individuals bent on learning and networking. We're not perfect and don't have decades of experience, yet, but we want to grow and our industry is built on collaboration. 

Ever try making a movie on your own? It's much harder than you currently imagine. Working with others is the foundation of our industry and we want it to be a foundation of education and career path of everyone involved with Ipsum Films. 

That is why we blog. We blog to reach out, so others might reach back. If others (a.k.a. YOU) reach back, than everyone wins and we all grow. 

So, blogging. A blog is an easily available tool for communication and expression. If you're reading this, please feel free to reach out and suggest a blog post idea, or ask anything you want to know. We'll be happy to research the topic and learn with you. 

ipsumfilms@gmail.com

Twitter @ipsumfilms

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What is Cinematography? Here's to touching the basics.

By Anne Orban

We have all been to the movies, we all watch popular television. Sometimes after watching something you wonder what made that so good? The secret is often in the cinematography. What is cinematography you ask? Well, we are here to tell you.

Cinematography, in simple terms, is an art form. The definition itself is the art of making motion pictures. There is a difference between videotaping the family and actual cinematography. The differences are immense and make all the difference when making your feature film or mini-series.

The first and most important thing you are going to want to do is stick to the basic techniques. Like photography cinematography has similar techniques including composition and lighting.

When you start to think about composition it is best to remember the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is a technique in cinematography and photography where you divide the frame up in to nine boxes. A common mistake is placing the subject in the center of the frame this causes your scene to look flat and uninteresting. Try instead placing your subject on one of the intersections of the nine boxes. It makes for a very interesting shot. Don’t believe me try watching some breaking bad. The rule of thirds is riddled all throughout the series and is part of what make the work so great. It is a basic technique to master. After mastering the technique, then you can break the rules.

Lighting is everything in cinematography. Whether or not your scene is properly lit can make all the difference in making your film great. There is so much that goes into lighting that I will save it for another post, but without proper lighting your film will suffer. To begin understanding light, walk through your day critically analyzing the light found in nature. It is not in your control, it is naturally there. Study it well and you will have references to replicate when in the controlled environment of a movie set.

Cinematography is not only about light and where the subject is placed in the frame. It is about making something interesting. A prime example is again Breaking Bad, there are so many simple objects that are made interesting in that series, such as the eyeball from the plane crash(season 2 Episode 1), or the brush that Jesse uses to scrub the lab equipment(season 3 Episode 10). Both of these objects are relatively simple objects that are simply presented in an interesting way. Great film has interesting cinematography.

The last point of cinematography that I will discuss is how you want your audience to feel. Your camera is the window for your audience to see in to your world. When you start shooting a scene think about what you want your audience to feel. Should they be sad, or excited? Disconnected or involved? All of these emotions can be controlled by how you shoot the scene.

Cinematography is an amazing art form it is the art of film and such a huge part of entertainment. Do not be fooled by people who say anyone can shoot a movie. So next time you watch a movie study the shots. Ask yourself how it would be different if the lights were brighter or darker, or if the subject was placed somewhere else in the frame. You might be surprised at how much of a difference it can make.

sources:

http://www.oma.on.ca/en/contestpages/resources/free-report-cinematography.pdf

Reality Games

Written by Tabitha Baumander of Toronto, Canada, Reality Games is the first Feature Film by Ipsum Films. 

Directed and Produced by Kris Monroe of  Spearfish, South Dakota, is thrilled to tackle Reality Games as the first Feature in his up and coming career. 

Produced by Jake Mercier of Dallas, Texas, Ipsum Films is fantastically ecstatic to welcome him onboard. Known for his success with Defiance, Mercier brings a tasteful quality to the production. Enthusiasm, personality, and dedication, Jake Mercier is a priceless member for the filmmaking team. 

In association with Dirty Sprocket, Belle Fourche, South Dakota, we have a solid pool for cast and crew. 

All said and introduced, Principle Photography is taking place the last three weekends of May, 2015, and the first weekend of June, 2015. 

FUNDRAISING throughout February, keep an eye out for our Indiegogo Campaign!

First Post

New to blogging, classic to creativity, Ipsum Films is a growing video production company in the Black Hills of South Dakota. 

Ipsum Films is driven to tell the stories other often skip. We thrive on the hidden beauty in the imperfect and double sided irony to romantic ideas about the unknown. 

Follow us on our journey, together, to bring together a community of story tellers using the medium of feature length movies, short films, novels, and other mediums of creativity.