2008-09-07T02:59:53Z http://blog.twindragonproductions.com/comments/atom.aspx Quick Blog tag:blog.twindragonproductions.com,2008-01-13:765041 J. Michael Lewis http://www.twindragonproductions.com 2008-01-13T15:06:51Z 2008-01-13T15:06:51Z
The reason I use the eraser tool is because I don't need to clip the entire picture, just what's hanging out from the frame. It's much easier for me to grab the eraser and hold shift to stroke off one edge than it would be to grab the marquis tool, make sure it's measured out the right size selection, then invert the selection and delete all the over hang.

Thanks for the feedback!]]> tag:blog.twindragonproductions.com,2008-01-13:764806 Gareth 2008-01-13T10:53:43Z 2008-01-13T10:53:43Z Activate the image layer (which is below the frame
Marquee tool
Select just outside the frame (ie on the white bit of the polaroid frame.
Select Inverse (ctrl-shift-i)
Delete
Then you trim the image nicely to a size just larger then the aperture in the frame]]> tag:blog.twindragonproductions.com,2007-08-07:469085 Anonymous 2007-08-07T10:06:28Z 2007-08-07T10:05:33Z
Like I said in my presentation, if you're out at a festival or convention and you sit a DVD in a slim jewel case or sleeve with marker writing on it and you sit a professional looking DVD with great artwork and a nice case next to it people will more likely grab up the nice looking packaged one. If you plan your packaging, promotion, and marketing from the beginning, as I also said, you can budget for that stuff upfront.

The other thing is just because you only have 100 dollars to make a project doesn't mean you won't have more money after the project is complete. Most people pay for their movies out of pocket, people don't just get one pay check ever, so it's completely reasonable to save up money for the expense.

If you're making a movie and using people who are working for "free" for you and you have no intention of promoting it or getting it out there somehow so they can get the exposure, then why should people work for you? What benefit do the people who work for you get out of working for you other than feeding them (which they can do on their own) or a credit on the movie (which will never be seen) and credit toward the filmmaker working on their project (and who's to say they would want that anyway)?

I spoke on a panel recently at a film festival/convention about low/no budget filmmaking and one of the other two guys with me brought up the same point about presenting yourself as professionally as possible. The fest/con had a room for vendor tables and walking through I didn't see one table without professional looking packaging for the DVDs.

We could always find out for ourselves. Set up a table at any yard sale and you set up a stack of your DVDs next to a stack of my DVDs and see who sells more. Maybe then you will see at the end of the day how important it is to have good presentation for your project.

The bottom line is that when putting a movie together there are lots of things to consider and all of them require the highest quality you can put forth. Everyone should always aspire to do the best they can in all things. My presentation was about teaching people of another aspect to the filmmaking process that is often overlooked and for no real good reason. If you think quality ends when you have a fully completed movie, then you've got a lot to learn.]]> tag:blog.twindragonproductions.com,2007-04-13:319984 Rob Hogan 2007-08-07T09:02:27Z 2007-04-13T00:47:42Z
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the reason people work for free in this industry is to build their resume and add to their reel. Every penny spent on anything that can increase the production value of the film seems like a better investment to me than some DVD cover that only a handful of people will see anyway. I simply want to get your expert opinion on the value of a fancy DVD cover over adding production value to your film. It would seem to me that the career of an actor or DP or sound person would be furthered more by a higher production value of the film versus a DVD case with a “Best Buy look.”

You’re thoughts?]]>