February Lights – Sandpoint, Idaho
I have had this idea in my head from quite awhile and I finally took the time to get out and capture what I have been imagining. Sandpoint is a unique place, and even more so when you take the time to notice things that most people overlook. In this creative short, I set out to capture lights and sounds from a point-of-view that would provide the viewer with a different type of visual experience.
There was initially going to be a voice reading some thoughts about the visuals, but once the rough-cut was complete, it was apparent, at least to me, that the piece did not need any further treatment. The unused narration text is below the video in case anyone finds it interesting.
February Lights (unused narration)
Sometimes in the middle of the night when I am half asleep, I see lights
Beautiful lights that have minds of their own
They dance and breath and frolic as if no one is watching, but I see them
One color mingles with the next and then departs like it was never even there
If you listen closely, you might even hear one whisper… “Time Stands Still”
Reflected in places where the hurried masses never look
Is a gem so rare it does not even have a name
Its brilliance is there to behold, but only if you are present enough to notice
Somewhere between awake and dreaming, time truly does stand still
Dazzling lights, like musical notes rise up to create a visual melody so sweet
They can leave you speechless
Protected: Sandpoint Filmmakers Network Meeting Summary – January 18, 2015
Master Shots 2nd Edition – Book Review
I have read a lot of books about filmmaking over the years and while some are better than others, very few give concise actionable examples with diagrams and suggest exactly how and when they should be used. This is where Master Shots 2nd Edition by Christopher Kenworthy stands in a league of its own.
The sub title of the book promises “100 advanced camera techniques to get an expensive look on your low budget movie” and it delivers on its promise. While not all of the chapter titles fit the type of films that I am looking to make (Fight Scenes for example are not my cup of tea), all the techniques discussed in every chapter are relevant to all kinds of story telling and even chapters that I was thinking of skipping proved to be extremely relevant. This book truly does inspire me in ways that few others have done.
The book is structured in such a way that you could grab it while reading through a script and simply note sections that you want to review before shooting certain scenes. The shot suggestions may not be something that a filmmaker would exactly follow, but this book opens up multiple possibilities, many of which may have not been considered. From Entrances and Exits, Dramatic Shift, Revelation & Discoveries to Directing Attention, Dialogue Scenes, Arguments and Conflict, this book has shot techniques for everyone.
Be warned though, once you have read this book, there are two more books by the same author in the Master Shots series that you will likely want to purchase as well. I plan to do reviews of Master Shots Volume 2: Shooting Great Dialogue Scenes and Master Shots Volume 3: The Director’s Vision in a future post.
Sincere thanks to Christopher Kenworthy for documenting the multitude of techniques he has learned and used over the years into an accessible book that every independent filmmaker should have on their book shelf. If I were asked to rate this book on a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a solid 5. Highly recommended!
Click any of the book images for more information and pricing.