I came across this article written by Scott Shaw and found it interesting in that it talks about the issue of why it is so difficult for low budget indie filmmakers to finish or even start their films. Though I don't propose using this method for every film you will ever make, it is applicable to most low budget filmmakers who have to work with non-actors in their films. Non-actors being friends and family members who are willing to work for free, that is.

Thinking back, I have, in my own works, been unconsciously using this method when working with people who have never studied acting. I generally have an outline or general idea of how the scene should play out and instead of trying to make the actors follow the script to the dot, I will allow them to come up with their own interpretations.

Sometimes, when I know for sure I will be working with non-actors, I would intentionally write the script with that person's real character in mind. These would be friends or family whose personalities I know well enough to write into the script.

Read on for Scott Shaw's full article here.

Continue reading "The Art Of Zen Filmmaking" »

Posted by timshim at 07:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

AppleInsider - Apple's Jobs tweaks his $9M glass cube

Another reason why I admire Steve Jobs so much. He spends his own money on company-related endeavours that are more art than business. It's this passion for the company and his work that inspire me so much. Really, how many other CEOs that you know of who would spend his own money on the company he works in like this? Steve is not just a businessman, he's also an artist. He just paints with money.

Note that this glass cube is nothing more than the ENTRANCE to the underground store. That's what I call a Grand Entrance.

Posted by timshim at 06:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just recently, a friend of mine from the US told me that smoking is very 'un-cool' there, his words not mine. According to him, most Americans are pretty much against smoking, even among the younger generations. I was surprised.

Because also, just recently, I watched George Clooney's 'Good Night and Good Luck'. And it seemed like everybody smoked. That triggered a curious thought. Not only in that film, but also in most American films, smoking has always been acceptable and in a lot of cases, cool as it is usually linked to the main characters of the film - think Constantine.

So this got me thinking. Have the tobacco companies resorted to financing Hollywood films (at least partially) in exchange for the ability to brainwash audiences into thinking that smoking is cool? I believe so. It seemed so obvious but the way they are doing it is so subtle it's almost beautiful, in a marketing sort of way. No name branding, no logos, nothing to infer any sort of product placement. Subliminal advertising at its best.

I am neither for or against this nor do I claim this as fact. Merely just pointing out an interesting observation I made. The rest is for you to decide on your own. Good night, and good luck.

Posted by timshim at 05:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Useful to me, probably useless to the vast majority. This short list is my way of bookmarking some of the more interesting sites I check out every so often for fun and learning.

In no particular order,

Scott Adam's Dilbert Blog. I like his wit and sense of humor and his far-out 'theories'.

Guy Kawasaki's Blog. This one speaks to the entrepreneur in me.

HDForIndies. This one speaks to the geek in me. In binary, no less.

Presentation Zen. This one speaks to the zen master in me. Heh ... right.

Kenny Sia's Blog. Fellow Kuchingite and friend of a friend who's now a friend.

ProLost. Stu Maschwitz's blog. Geek alert! Very high concentrations of geek content.

TUAW. The Unofficial Apple Website. Not really a blog, per se. Speaks to the Apple fanboy in me.

Cinematography.com. Ok, this is so totally not a blog but it's THE place I go to everyday to read forum posts. Occasionally, I post, too.

CGTalk. Every CG Artist's destination for answers to such mundane questions as 'How do I get Renderman to render blackhole matte passes using RibBox?'

So there.

Posted by timshim at 03:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)