Prehistoric Mammoths in Films

Prehistoric Mammoths in the Cinema

No prehistoric movie or television series which is set in the Stone Age seems complete without at least one Woolly Mammoth being included. Normally it is the dinosaurs that dominates the movies, but if you are going to write a script about the Ice Age or about early mankind then a Woolly Mammoth seems a prerequisite for film makers. Now that CGI has come to the fore, depicting these large elephants with their long shaggy fur coats is not too much of a problem. Although we have been told by technicians and CGI operators that getting the fur to look realistic on screen is quite a challenge, at least with dinosaurs (feathered ones excepted), the computer experts are not encumbered with these skin features and dinosaurs are to some extent a little easier to re-create for the big screen.

Making Prehistoric Animals Look Realistic

From studies of the exceptionally well-preserved, fossilised Mammoths from Siberia, scientists have a fairly good understanding of how the hair on these creatures looked. The coat consisted of two basic layers, a coarse outer layer of guard hairs and an undercoat that helped insulate these animals from the cold. This is a typical adaptation to cold, harsh environments seen in many mammal species, both extinct and extant (around today).

The degree of hairiness varied with the Mammoth species, Columbian types (Mammuthus columbi) were less hairy than the Woolly types (M. primigenius), perhaps an adaptation to a slightly less harsh climate. It is likely that Mammoths had a spring moult to produce a lighter summer coat.

Their heavy coats were not their only source of insulation, many Mammoth fossils have revealed a fat layer up to 10 cm thick just below the skin surface. This would have provided exceptional insulation, an example of adaptation to colder climates and a food store inside the animal to help it overcome leaner times.

Long Shaggy Coats

The outer guard hairs were up to six times thicker than human hair and in large specimens some of these hairs grew to over a metre in length. This outer coat provided effective water-proofing. The inner coat was made up of thinner, softer and far shorter hairs this coat helped provide insulation and keep out the cold. The coat colour in Mammoths varies with some dark brown whilst others appear almost reddish/orange in colour. We have the frozen carcases of Siberian Mammoths to largely thank for providing us with a Mammoth colour chart. Such information about coat colour is used by film makers and animators to give their models or animated creations a degree of extra realism.

Many of the models of prehistoric animals supplied these days are hand-painted. Each model has tiny variations which is very appropriate given that the structure and format of every Mammoth's coat would have been slightly different - just as the hair on our heads is different from person to person.

Depicting A Herd on Camera

Unfortunately, for film makers, when trying to show a herd of these prehistoric elephants in a scene (these animals just like modern elephants lived in herds), there are a number of obstacles to overcome. Firstly, there is the obvious difficulty of depicting different sized animals in the group. This is further complicated by needing to ensure that the computerised animations used; add subtle variations in colour and hair length to each animal's coat. Without these refinements the Woolly Mammoth scene would not look realistic.

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Basic Steps of Movie Making

In order to provide you with less than three hours of entertainment, movie makers toil for years and spend millions. Once completed, a movie could provide enjoyment to millions and it also has the potential to earn millions for its producer. It is interesting to look at how a movie is being made as it is a long process.

Production of a movie is done in a few stages. The first stage is the preparation for the production. The most important two figures in a movie production are the producer and the director. While the producer does the investment the director does the rest of it.

In the first place, a story has to be selected and the screen play has to be written. Once the screen play is ready, the director chooses the actors and actresses who will play the different roles of characters in the film.

Once the actors and actresses are selected, the locations are found. Finally, the sets are made and the shooting could start. While some of the shooting could be done inside a studio, the rest is shot in other locations. Every film has parts filmed in such locations.

There are various people involved in providing different kinds of facilities when the shooting is in progress. The cameramen, providers of lighting, makeup artists, and providers of transport and a host of others are involved when the shooting of the film starts.

Depending on the length of the film and various other factors, the shooting could go on for a period of a few months to a few years. Once the shooting is over, the director is ready with the basic movie on celluloid film.

Editing is the next step. Editing a film is an expert's job to be undertaken by and experienced editor because he has to examine each frame of the film. Once the editing is over, the visual side of the movie is ready. However, the sounds need to be added at a later stage.

Sound recorded in a special studio is added into the film in order to complete the job. Once the final touches are made, the director has to satisfy himself that the movie offers exactly what he wanted.

Once the director and the producer are happy with the film, it has to be duplicated into creating the necessary number of copies according to the requirement. Once this is done, the film could be released to companies that do the screening.

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Cinematography - An Important Element of Movie Making

When it comes to movie making, cinematography is the most important part. It involves the activity of getting the movie on celluloid film. In the early days of movies there was no sound in motion pictures. Therefore, the concentration was focused entirely on the picture. As such, it was the director who operated the camera also. But with the development of technology, adding sounds to movies became possible.

When artificial lighting became the norm, the camera had to be operated by a different person. This signaled the birth of cameramen for movies. The celluloid films were also improved in quality. Films with low speeds of ISO 50 to the high speeds of ISO 800 became available. This provided the cinematographers to capture scenes in very poor lighting conditions when they were doing the filming in locations other than studios.

While the quality of films improved, the formats also increased in number. This enabled cameramen to choose the format they wished. 8 mm, 16 mm and 35 mm were the formats available. For movies it was the 35mm format that was being used most often. Improved film laboratories also were established. This enabled the cinematographers to obtain films with high-resolution in order to achieve better quality with their films.

Different kinds of filters used in shooting offered the facility of creating different effects with both black and white and color films. Filters consist of two pieces of glass and a light-sensitive material filling the space between them. Yellow, blue and UV filters were often used.

Another asset that became available for cinematographers was the camera lenses. The wide-angle and telephoto lenses were made available for them to create various effects with cameras. Later, the macro lenses became available to make things easier.

With the manipulation of the lens aperture and the distance of focus, the cinematographers today are able to change the depth of field. Though a camera focuses just one plane, with increased depth of field cinematographers are able to focus their cameras on objects that are located in a bigger depth.

Traditionally, cinematography involved only recording motion pictures on celluloid film but modern trends have evolved where digital cameras are being used in the creation of video films. Therefore, modern-day cinematography involves the digital photography also. With digital cameras you have the possibility to create various effects in addition to recording the motion pictures. There are highly advanced digital cameras at the disposal of cinematographers today.

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Film Lighting - How To Take Care Of The Basics

Camera Controls

The first phase is to understand how your camera works, and the several functions and controls it has. These exist so you can regulate them and create the best possible effects that match your vision.

You must understand that, your camera can capture more light by just using three simple functions.

First, is the gain. This control enables you to generate an image that is brighter. However, be very careful. Your picture can potentially get really granulated and almost too rich if you let the gain sit at a very high position.

The second phase to be mindful about is the control in your camera that regulates the amount of light that the sensor is receiving from the lens. You can find this control inside a little opening in your camera.

The last phase is the ND filter. Its role is that of controlling the quantity of light. It plays the part of a gatekeeper, and your job is to let it know how much light you want it to allow to get into the lens, which will then hit the chip.

Be Aware Of The Light That Comes In Naturally

You must check the set where you're shooting, and be conscious of all the light sources, and the exact amount of light you have available in your surroundings that you can play with, and utilize in your favor.

Usually what happens at an indoor shoot is that there's never enough natural light available. So, first step is to switch on all of the light sources. Look at overhead lamps, windows, table lamps, etc. If any window is covered by shades, be sure to open these up to let the light enter the room.

Remember, you want to have as much light as possible, and then block it off if needed.

Increase Or Diminish The Light Intensity

This is a basic and also a major point to understand with lighting. If you have too much light, you will have to decrease. If, on the other hand you have too little light, you will have to find ways to up the intensity.

For example, if you are shooting outside, always have a reflector with you. This is such a multi-use tool. You can easily utilize it to reflect back the sun into your subject's face and have it act as a secondary and additional light source. By doing this you are increasing the light level, getting rid of unwanted shadows, and creating a much more pleasant environment and end product, overall.

Should you be shooting in a studio or indoors, always be mindful of placing light closer to the subjects. A rookie mistake is not realizing that your set may not have enough light. Sometimes the simplest solutions come along with noticing small details. Remember, bring the lights closer. Always aim for having more light, and you can regulate down from there.

Solving Basic Problems

Very simply put, always be prepared. As you probably know by now, you can never be too prepared when it comes to film. Prepare your crew as well. Let them know about all the problems that you may anticipate and all the things that could potentially go wrong. And ask them to think for themselves, so if anything falls outside of the plan, they can be quick on their feet to solve it.

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Become A Boring Filmmaker In 10 Easy Steps

How terribly and drippingly cool to work in the creative industries. You get to wear the coolest clothes, sport the strangest hair dye and give yourself the most glamorous sounding job description imaginable - and get away without proving any real talent or ability.

Another defining aspect of the creative industries is there is no code of conduct which means anyone can say pretty much anything about themselves without having any proof to back themselves up.

This creates a situation where filmmakers in particular have become boring.

Here, tongue firmly in cheek, are 10 ways to become a boring filmmaker:

1. Use complicated film industry slang words
Why speak clearly and sensibly when you can, in fact, roll the simplest concept into a series of complicated scenarios. Brush up on film industry definitions. Sprinkle these terms liberally through each sentence that you speak or write. The more obscure the term the better.

2. Sound really important
When asked any question, respond by lowering your voice, clearing your throat slowly and meticulously - and then begin to speak. Speak in phrases that sound meaningful (but aren't). Stab the air repeatedly for emphasis.

If you are writing, remind the reader repeatedly how fortunate they are to be able to access the high pinnacles of your ability.

Whatever you do, don't poke fun at yourself. After all, no-one dares to approach the altar of your ego without bowing down. And that's not ever going to be funny.

3. Ramble on and on and on
Why answer with succinct and precise answers when a simple concept can be expressed with paragraph after paragraph? If you really want to know how to be really boring, take tip number 3 and practise it day in and day out until your are very confident, that no matter how simple and short the answer could be, you are able to extend it into a response many lines long. After all, you have such an intellect that a mere mortal may be unable to understand the logic behind your short and brilliant response. Therefore, by taking a short answer and expanding it with great detail and spiced with repetition you are merely reducing the chances of being misunderstood.

While you are at it, remember that a subset of this rule is to go on and on about anything way too long.

And that includes writing blocky and chunky paragraphs on websites and in letters.

4. The tyranny of the vanity business card and job title
What ever you do, get two business cards. Get one that lists your name and occupation - say, film journalist, or photographer. Then go to a film organisation and get them to give you another business card and a vanity job title, like "Consultant", or "Creative Director" or "Executive Contributor".

Film organisations fall for this all the time. They dish out vanity cards with swishy job titles to try and impress other boring people at other film festivals.

By the way, it doesn't stop with the actual business card itself. Once you have duped someone into giving you a swishy title, you can start to fabricate imaginary CVs and career accomplishments and plaster them on your website. Behavior like this it, well, boring.

5. Ignore the audience
Resist the urge to speak or write naturally. A quick way to be boring is to completly ignore your audience and speak as if you are addressing an audience of one - yourself. If anyone challenges you and accuses you of being boring, remember that you don't care. Rise above such petty criticism. Becauue you are too beautiful.

6. Get some pictures
How many times has a friend come back from holiday, sat you down for a Friday night "catch up drink" and started the conversation with: "I have got to show you some photographs!"

This is a time-tried and tested technique to make you boring.

Get lots of pictures of you with famous people - even if you have to photoshop yourself into them. Get other pictures of you swanning around at film festivals (holding your vanity business cards of course). For added boring bonus points, make sure that these photographs are sited in as many exotic places as possible.

7. Branded sunglasses
Make sure you constantly flip on sunglasses with a large major design log on the shaft. Make sure everyone sees the logo. If necessary, nonchalantly gesture to it, or tilt your head 45 degrees to make sure they see it. Carry the glass case in your hand for everyone to see. Don't put it in your bag. Why hide your lights under a bushel?

If possible, don formal wear whenever possible. Girls: a slinky party dress mid-morning makes you boring almost instantly. And guys - haul out the shirt and tie. It's been true for generations: a suit, especially with a tie knotted a bit too large and a suit cut a little bit too wrong will make you the dullest gent on the street.

8. Name dropping
This tip is as old as the hills and barely merits mentioning. Dropping names of important people into your conversation is a sure fire way to become the biggest stiff on the street. For added marks, never use the surname. For example "when Quentin and I... " or, "Marty said to me... "

9. Let others fill in the blanks
Why substantiate your statements when you can make a statement, and close off with "well, you know... " and let the listener or reader decide what it was you are referring too.

Naturally you are by this point hoping that everyone you meet will be so awed by your intelligence that they won't have the balls to challenge you. And that, my friend, is really boring, you know... ?

10. Bad mouth others
If you want to get the "best bore around" label, start badmouthing everyone you can think of to as many people as possible all the time. You will quickly get known as the most boring person there is.

Fade Out
I hope that these are some useful tips on how to become the most boring person around. I thought I would expand on points number 2, 3, 5 and 9 above and add one further pointer:

Bonus: Celebrate continuously
Never go out for a social drink. Instead 'celebrate' for example, repeatedly announce things like: "Yippee, I won. Time for champagne."

Now isn't that boring?

I am pretty sure I have forgotten a way that a filmmaker can be boring. Can you think of anything? Let me know.

Elliot Grove founded Raindance Film Festival in 1993, the British Independent Film Awards in 1998, and Raindance.TV in 2007.

He has produced over 150 short films, and 5 feature films. He has written eight scripts, one of which is currently in pre-production. His first feature film, TABLE 5 was shot on 35mm and completed for a total of $278.38. He teaches writers and producers in the UK, Europe. Japan and America.

He has written three books which have become industry standards: RAINDANCE WRITERS LAB 2nd Edition (Focal Press 2008), RAINDANCE PRODUCERS LAB (Focal Press 2004) and 130 PROJECTS TO GET YOU INTO FILMMAKING (Barrons 2009). His first novel THE BANDIT QUEEN is scheduled for publication in 2010.

Open University awarded Elliot and Honourary Doctorate for services to film education in 2009.

http://www.raindance.co.uk

Are Our Super Hero Characters A Sign That Something Is Missing In American Society?

Think of all the Hollywood box office hits that are remakes and take-offs from comic book characters. Seriously, stop and think about it; Batman, Superman, etc. There have been so many now it's hard to keep track of isn't it? It is as if it is a sure thing, if you want a hit, and play it safe, go with the action super hero strategy and you are assured to win, plus, look at all the potential endorsements for products in the real world - why it's a match made in heaven if you ask me. Okay so, let's talk about this.

On August 7, 2012 the Wall Street Journal had a piece titled; "Zap! Superheroes lean on Supporting Cast," by Spencer Jakab which discussed how the comic book Super Hero venue, genre, and motif was knocking it dead at the box office. But, may I ask a deeper and more serious question here; what does this say about us as a society.

Well, perhaps it speaks to a real problem we have, as in movie goers, and regular people just don't feel adequate about themselves, thus, want to escape to a fantasyland where they can identify with a character in the movie, hopefully the good guy or super hero and not the bad guy such as the "Joker" for instance, speaking of course to the Colorado opening night tragedy which occurred. Why are people insecure or feel that they are living a mediocre life? Maybe because they are, but again, I ask why?

Have we set our expectations too high? Have we set them too low, thus, no one works to be great in their own life, but still longs and dreams of such a reality? Do people identify with super heroes like they did Rocky Balboa, and are these comic book type characters an extension of that need to feel great even if only for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or more during the movie? As we watch the 2012 London Olympic Games we see real people, Olympians competing with near super human agility, is this a similar need. Of course, how many of us would really put in the herculean effort it takes to be the best in the world at something?

Some of us might, I know because I was once a high-performance athlete myself in my younger years, no never a super hero type, but you know I suppose I would have risen to the occasion if I were. And maybe that is the answer really. These movies allow us an escape to ask the big question; what if? Indeed, I ask that you please consider all this on a deeper philosophical level if you might.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of non-fiction short stories, eBook compilations of Science Fiction. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

Filmmaking of Short Videos

If you want to release your short film, you'd better make some exquisite press packets to promote the short movie. This is a good as well as effective way to promote small-budget film. Sure, if you buy used video equipment or rent xdcam to shoot the film, you can take use of press packets to get the short movie known by more people. As you are not a famous movie director, your press packets should be attractive, so others would like to know more about your movie.

You can put several things in the press kits, such as newspaper clippings, press releases about your short film. Send these press kits to journalists, executives in the film industry and film critics. After these recipients read press releases regarding to your short move, your short movie may attract press and buzz in public. And more and more people would like to watch your work.

Put newspaper clippings, press releases and other printed materials in portfolio folders, which have plastic sheets. You'd better put each piece of printed material in a single portfolio folder. Otherwise, you can print all your materials into paper and bound these materials professionally. Each piece of material should have a cover sheet with the name of the film festival and dates.

Don't forget to write a statement for your short film, and the statement can tell the audience about the synopsis of your movie that is going to be shown on screen. If it is the debut of your short movie in a film festival, you need to write an attractive summary to catch people's hearts and allure their desire to watch your short movie. As there are many movie goers and critics on the festival, you can also write a summary for your video in a professional way.

Write biographies of yourself and key staff involved in your short movie. It is a team work to shoot a short movie, so you need to let your staff known by the audience. And journalists can also know some background information of your short video. And the press packets can also tell others about the short video's theme or basic tone or history. As you have printed many materials into paper, others can get some information about the short movie before the premier. Of course, you can make a special video to record the process to shoot your short video. That will be very interesting, too. Take pictures of your video producers and cast members, and these pictures are precious memories during the shooting project.

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