ReelCast Blog Has Moved to Squarespace

Personally I don't like having all my blog posts and info hosted on Google's servers. Why is that a problem for me? First of all their mission statement reads, "To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." That can sound really nice and helpful, until you stop and think about how they are proceeding to accomplish that goal. Article 1 - Article 2

So I started looking around for other blog alternatives and found Squarespace! I tested it out and am extremely happy with their setup and pricing. (it does cost some)

If you have already signed up for email updates, there is no need to re-subscribe. If you find that the email updates aren't working, please let me know.

THE NEW REELCAST BLOG CAN BE FOUND HERE!
blog.reelcastproductions.com

 

Clash Entertainment

CLASH Entertainment Targets Teens and Tweens With Wholesome, Fun Website

New Website Releases Contest to Reach Young People and Award an iPod Touch

Albuquerque, NM (January 18, 2009) – A new website seeks to speak to young people, ages 11-19, in their language. CLASHEntertainment.com presents teens and tweens with a variety of entertainment-themed articles, opportunities for interaction on the website and social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and online contests.

CLASH Entertainment President Ken Raney says, “ClashEntertainment.com is an entertainment/portal web site designed to be so rich and deep with entertaining media, that teens will want to visit and stay for sustained periods of time. The site is updated daily with fresh content that includes news, reviews, interviews, comics, music, videos, games, career information and more.”

CLASH is currently running its first online contest through February 14, 2010. Teens and tweens are invited to upload a short video to Facebook, sharing their favorite thing from CLASHEntertainment.com. The winner of the contest will receive an iPod Touch. The contest is intended to expand the CLASH network on Facebook and draw more young people to the resources on CLASHEntertainment.com.

For Complete Contest Rules and Entry Details: CLASHEntertainment.com/Contests

For More Information:

CLASH Entertainment Official Website: CLASHEntertainment.com

CLASH Entertainment on Facebook: Facebook.com/CLASHEntertainment

CLASH Entertainment on Twitter: Twitter.com/CLASH4teens

 

RED Studios Hollywood...and MORE!

RED shows off their new sensor and new “color science” at their new studios.

"RED Leader Jim Jannard started off the presentation by announcing that RED had acquired Ren-Mar, closing the deal that very Friday (Jan. 15)—so that we were, in fact, holding the meeting in RED Studios Hollywood.

Jim was quick to admit that he and his crew are new at this, and that perhaps in the early days they didn’t know as much as they should have—but they’re getting better at listening, and getting input from the production community. Indeed, that was the point of the event: to show off work in progress, and get feedback from production folks, in a less-harried atmosphere than NAB or IBC. Throughout his talk, Jim kept saying, “don’t take my word for it”, and “go look for yourself”, and words to that effect; there was none of the hype, bombast, or aggro attitude of the early days, but a much more open-minded, realistic, reasonable tone. He also said, “RED is a trajectory, not a moment in time”; look at what we started with, see where we’re going, and make up your own mind."
Learn all about the new RED Studios, their improved Mysterium sensor, the improved RED RAY...now named RED 4K, RED’s latest, "all-in-one on-set/preview/batch transcode/one-light grading tool" titled REDCINE-X, get all the goods on RED Rocket, ...and lots, lots more and of course, there are more pictures. If you are interested in anything to do with RED you should read the full article here.

 

Apple Event - January 27

Apple has confirmed, via invitations sent to the press, that there will indeed be a special event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco on January 27 at 10AM Pacific time.

There is a lot of speculation about what Apple will be talking about and showing off, but the bottom line is that Apple is keeping a tight lid on the info and they want you to tune in to find out.

Needless to say, they have my attention and come next Wed. I'll be checking around to find someone who is live blogging the event.

 

No Greater Love - On DVD!

"No Greater Love is available on DVD TODAY! If you haven't already pre-ordered your copy of No Greater Love be sure to pick it up today.

No Greater Love is available on DVD at your local Walmart, Target, Best Buy and many other great retailers where DVDs are sold. You can also purchase No Greater Love from Amazon.com as well as purchase a digital download from the iTunes store."

I have not seen this film and therefore cannot completely endorse it. However, from the 30 minutes, it does look promising!

Watch the Official Trailer
Watch the first 30 minutes of No Greater Love

 

FireWire vs. USB: Which Is Faster?

"USB 2.0 has a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 480 Mbps, vs. a nominal 400 Mbps for FireWire 400, via real-world experience I can attest that USB 2.0 lags well behind FireWire 400 — to say nothing of the FireWire 800 used on all Macs still sold today with FireWire support. And adding insult to injury, USB 2.0 doesn’t support incredibly useful Target Disk Mode. I’ve also found that while booting a Mac from a USB 2.0 drive is possible, it’s not nearly as satisfactory and low-hassle (or speedy) as booting from FireWire drives. However, the report also notes that the imminent release of USB 3.0 products in early 2010 promises speeds greater than FireWire 800 or even eSATA."

Whether you use a Mac or not, if you are a video editor, or use external hard drives for some other purpose, I highly recommend reading the full article.

 

ReelCast on Twitter!

Twitter claims to be, "without a doubt the best way to share and discover what is happening right now." So, I decided to give it a whirl. Mostly it will just link to my latest blog posts, but every once in a while I might twit something else just for fun :)

Check the side bar for the link to sign up!

 

"What If" Post Production Blog

Be sure to keep checking the What If blog once in a while!

"You’ll find the daily “Director’s Diary” video blog, a behind-the-scenes look at ups and downs of making the movie along with some tips for aspiring filmmakers; exclusive pictures from the set, text updates on the progression towards the release of the film, and sneak peaks of scenes. Enjoy!"

There are a couple of new post-production videos up about music, ADR, and color correction. You can click here to check 'em out!

 

Digital Juice: VideoTraxx HD 2

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICING!!

"With 499 clips spread across 16 DVDs, Digital Juice is unleashing yet another mammoth HD collection onto the creative public. Using the same proven formula of the highest quality and the highest quantity at the lowest price, Digital Juice invites you to find another company supplying the same."
This video will give an overview taste of the categories and clips included in this collection.

Visit the Digital Juice website to read more and to view all the clips in the VideoTraxx2 gallery!

 

Telling A Good Story

"Phil Cooke, CEO of Cooke Pictures and a respected consultant for faith-based, non-profit media, recently spoke of the great need in our society for stories that demonstrate morals and codes of behavior. He further mentioned the poor quality associated with Christian films. "But in spite of that great need, most films, television programs, radio specials, and websites produced by Christians are still poor quality, and have a limited audience. That's because for most Christians, the message is everything, and we've forgotten the power of a great story."

I desire to encourage every Christian filmmaker to make sure they make story their priority, make mastering their craft their passion and Christ their focus. I’m tired of bad Christian films and I think it's time to step up, especially since secular companies are now making great Christian films. It’s time to be the best artists possible, especially since we are directly connected to the Creative One." ~CJ Powers

Excerpted from a movie review by CJ Powers.

 

Digital Juice: The LowRider

"THE LOWRIDER and the LOWRIDER MINI are versatile, lightweight and portable supports for cameras ranging from featherweight to heavy duty. In summary, the LowRider makes any fixed angle shot more stable and adjustable on a lightweight, durable base that conforms to the shape of your camera. We make you look good. No more shaky sandbag shots. And if you have to move fast from angle to angle, from low to high, especially in tight spaces where a tripod won't fit, this is a great solution."

Click Here to visit the Digital Juice website and read all about it!

 

One Good Man: ROUGH CUT

"The Post Production team has finished a rough cut of the film ONE GOOD MAN! That means that our project has gone from being an idea in the minds of the Producers and Writers, to a garbled collection of shots and sounds, and is now a coherent story. It took a lot of hours and hard work but we have what you could call a movie."

One Good Man movie website.

 

Film Review: Avatar

"James Cameron has many political axes to grind in this very beautiful film, and no matter how awe-inspiring the scenery and action gets, there’s always an obtrusively highlighted moralistic footnote to distract the viewer. That said, the visuals are undeniably amazing. From the opening scenes on board spaceship to when the crippled marine named Jake first takes control of his genetically engineered avatar body, the sets and gadgets are incredible.""With Avatar’s budget, Cameron has dwarfed the cost of Titanic, and with a new line of toys, games, and books for all ages, has an reasonable chance of attaining similar returns. It seems that Cameron’s sanctimonious hatred of corporate development and capitalism is as inconsistently applied as the existential pantheism of Pandora. This film cannot be recommended for humans." ~Isaac Botkin

You can read Isaac's full review here. I found it to be a very insightful artical covering topics of 3D, 2D, budget, worldview, and story-arc. Highly recommended!

 

First 30 Minutes of "No Greater Love"

"We are proud to be the distributor of No Greater Love on DVD and we look forward to the launch on January 19th. We are thrilled to see the growing support of so many fans for this high quality film. We appreciate it and as such have agreed with the producers to release the next 15 minutes of the film so that the full first 30 minutes are available for you to enjoy online." ~LIONSGATEWatch the first 30 minutes here!

You can also visit the movie website to learn more about the film and view the trailer.

 

Letters to God Official Trailer

Click Here to watch the trailer!

 

Celtx 2.7

"Celtx has all the tools you'll need to write and plan your projects."

Click here to download the update.
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Jimmy Broyden Interview

"He worked in what is called Hollywood North (Vancouver, BC) for many years, but that door slowly closed when he received Christ as his Lord and Savior in 1993. When he was asked to compromise, he refused. “…The phone stopped ringing…” Now he has an increasing desire to work with independent christian filmmakers.

He has worked on numerous shows such as Firewall, Elf, Air Bud, Battlestar Galactica, I Robot, X-Files, Star Gate, Mysterious Ways and Supernatural. Jimmy thrilled audiences by doing a 60 mph pipe roll on the Gemini Award winning TV documentary series STUNTDAWGS. He is also a member of The Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall Of Fame and on the Board of Directors."

Click Here to watch a 13min interview with Jimmy Broyden and hear the story of where he has come from and his heart for working with Christians!

 

FREE Music Track!

For one week only, download track #1, “Journey to The Mysterious Islands,” for free! See details here.
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Pendragon on CBN!

"A new Christian movie, The Pendragon, is out on DVD. The film portrays one man's struggle to follow God's call in the face of adversity."



You can read the full transcript here.
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NEW SAICFF Website

I'm not exactly sure when the festival and academy are going to be held. There is some conflicting info on their website, but you can visit the site and sign up to receive the updates to stay on top of all the latest!
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Mysterious Islands - Soundtrack

"Underwater music has a rich and glorious heritage; From Saint Saens to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to John Williams, there is a lot of great music here to draw inspiration from (and be judged by), so writing in the style can be an exhilarating and daunting experience. Nevertheless, I had a blast. You can hear the music I composed for the scene and judge for yourselves how well it works." ~Ben Botkin
Click here to see the video and read the full article.
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NEW ReelCast Productions Website!

The new website is now LIVE! Lots of new pages and redesigned old ones...check it out here!
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The Bravehearted Gospel

SYNOPSIS: The manly stuff is missing from modern day Christianity and this book is aimed at injecting it straight into the bloodstream of the believing life. With typical Eric Ludy candor and passion, this book will ignite your soul with the desire to fight for all that is sacred and all that is true. The Bravehearted Gospel is a field manual for everyone interested in upholding the integrity of the Word of God and the moorings of the ancient faith in these confusing times of post-modern emergence.

I got this book for Christmas and it has proven to be one of the best books that I've ever read. It addresses issues of post-modernism, the emergent church, the solidity of truth, and being willing to take world-shaking steps of faith. I like to call it, "the martyr's handbook." There is an abundance of truth and wisdom wrapped up in every chapter...every paragraph. If I took a highlighter to the book, about 3/4 or more would end up highlighted yellow! Bottom line, the book is highly recommended, if not a MUST read!

In my opinion this is the "Do Hard Things" book but for older ages.

"[A] reluctance to acknowledge truth to be truth and facts to be factual in no way alters the truth or the facts. But it does completely alter the way you interact with them, and therefore, the way you live your life." ~Eric Ludy

If you have any sense of the dire need for the Church to get back to the truth of the Gospel and show the world the Truth, Light and Power of Jesus Christ, this book is for you! It is convicting, it's humorous, but most importantly it has the guts to speak truth when most Christian writers won't.

Click Here for more information.
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