Daily summary of the life/movie world.
General crew members can work on three/ four movies a year, so they see all sorts. They know immediately if you know what you’re doing. They want information. They want to work as efficiently as possible and as soon as they see that you’re on top of it, you’re in.
You have two great opportunities to establish this with a large group of people. The Production Meeting before shooting begins and the safety meeting on the first d
It was an honor to sit down with the brilliant storyboard artist Kurt Van der Basch, who worked on Star Wars: Episode VII. Of course he’s not allowed to talk about it, which is fine because there are so many other questions to ask him.
Please go to his website or follow him on Facebook and view 100s of storyboards from his various credits, including: Assassin’s Creed, Sense8, The Borgias, Chronicles of Narnia, and The Illusionist, to name a few.
http://www.facebook.com/kurtvanderbaschstoryboards
http://www.kurtvanderbasch.com
You’ve worked in the Art Department in over 40 productions in the last 10 years. Is there one or two films that you’re most proud of?
I am proud to be a part of the runaway hit
“Pitch Perfect” .. That film has touched a great deal of people. And I think our work on “Million Dollar Arm” was rewarding.
Whenever I tech scout a location I am always looking for what may effect the sound track, and if so whether or not the audience will be distracted by it. For example, traffic noise is easier to accept if you can SEE it. It’s much harder to accept extraneous noise if you have no idea where it’s coming from. Transformers and hum from lights is also a concern; you want control over heat/AC and traffic control if possible! There are many variables to consider. So, my advice is to pay attention; especially to what’s hidden. Consider what’s behind locked doors, above you and below you. Some things you won’t hear until you have a quiet room and the microphone is cranked up.
Read Gilbert’s movie review of MacBeth: http://festivalreviews.org/2015/12/09/movie-review-macbeth-2015/ I recently chatted this Gilbert about his reactions to the Shakespeare 2015 version of MacBeth. What is your personal history with this epic Shakespeare play? When did you first read it? Have you seen it performed on stage? I always loved English Literature in school. I studied in Singapore,… Continue reading 2015 MacBeth – Interview with reviewer Gilbert Seah
Adam Preston’s award winning comedy short film “The Last Post” played at the FEEDBACK Film Festival in November 2015. It was awarded “Best Overall Performances in a Short Film” at the festival. Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of THE LAST POST: I recently chatted with Adam Preston about his short film and what’s next for… Continue reading Interview with director Adam Preston (The Last Post)
Bernard Wenger co-directed (with Rupert Höller) the multiple award winning short film “Exit Right.” “Exit Right” was the winning of BEST FILM at the November 2015 FEEDBACK Film Festival. Watch the Audience FEEDBACK for EXIT RIGHT: I recently sat down with Bernard and chatted with him about his short film and what’s next for him. … Continue reading Interview with director Bernhard Wenger (EXIT RIGHT)
James Hartley’s short film TWISTED won Best Cinematography at the FEEDBACK Film Festival in November 2015. Watch the Short Film TWISTED: Get to know director James Hartley: Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film? James Hartley: I was motivated by the truth of the character in particular. The character resonated with me as someone… Continue reading Interview with director James Hartley (TWISTED)
Thankfully, everyone responded well to the script. Tony Sirico & I have the same manager, he absolutely loves the film, he’s very proud of it. Eric Roberts signed on almost immediately after reading it, he thinks the sky is the limit. Karina Arroyave auditioned & blew everyone away. She a huge supporter, she thinks it’s amazing. I’m sad to say that Matthew Cowles never got a chance to see it, but his wife Christine Baranski thinks it’s beautiful.
As with anything I make, I went into the feedback cringing, but as soon as people started talking, I became overjoyed. It was really positive and really appreciated! I’d have been way harder on it myself, but then I tend to be hypercritical of anything I make…
Matthew Toffolo's Summary 