Category Archives: Filmmaking

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September 5, 2017

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3 Types of Skilled Movie Directors

DirectorProfessional movie directors make most movies, but few in the audience can discern the difference between which of the three types of directors made the film they watch. The three types of skilled directors are: Technical; Performance; and, Arts & Craft.

Technical Director

Directors fascinated with the technology know how to capture images that look cool and stir the soul. They are most likely first attracted to splash videos before understanding the subtleties of story-based cinema. He or she works well with the crew, but pretty much leaves the actors alone to do their own thing. Sometimes this relaxed process flows from the director’s inexperience, or ignorance of not knowing how to communicate with the actors.

Performance Director

This type of director may have once been an actor. He or she understands the nuances of performance and the depth it can bring to a story. Instead of focusing on the technology, the director spends time with each actor and determines how to draw out the best performance possible. Regardless of the schedule, time is allotted to capture the best performances through coaching, experimentation, and augmented performance technique.

Arts & Crafts Director

This is the rare breed of director who understands the technical and the performance aspects of film production. He or she takes time to work with the actors and tweak their performances, and to help the crew understand exactly what needs to be captured. The director takes these same skills into post-production as well, where he or she represents both the technical and performance sides of the production team in the editing suite.

Most technical directors gravitate toward television where story decisions are made by the producers, head writers, and show runners. Performance directors lean more toward live stage shows. And, arts and craft directors typically thrive in the motion picture industry. Unfortunately, all too often directors are misplaced and find themselves battling to survive, rather than thriving in their ideal environments.

The best combination is for a director to figure out which type resonates within his or her soul and enter the appropriate market. The same holds true with directors that lean toward specific genres. The sports enthusiast director should think twice about making a Hallmark movie, unless he or she is prepared to stretch him or herself creatively.

I’ve directed numerous genres in my life, but I’ve only won highly competitive awards for adventure films. I’ve also won several awards for my dramas, but they came from lesser competitions. In other words, my best combination where I thrive is directing a fun adventure film that’s salted with dramatic moments and humor. That’s not to say I can’t direct other types of stories, I’ve done numerous successful shows outside of my core expertise. But in all honesty they were never on the same level as when I’m paired to an adventure film.

Do you know your favorite director’s core genre?

© 2017 by CJ Powers
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August 21, 2017

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7 Common Mistakes of New Filmmakers

Shaky Camera TechniqueI’ve spent time with three filmmakers over the past two years coaching them on their freshman projects. They all had very different working attitudes, but they all made the same mistakes that are common among first time filmmakers.

Here are the 7 Common mistakes consistently made by newbies:

1. Lack of Preparation.

Every new filmmaker is so excited about shooting what’s in his or her head that they dive into production without the proper preparation. They don’t know that by the time shooting starts, seasoned directors have seen their film in their mind’s eye more than 100 times, working out every little detail. This lack of preparation is typically revealed by a lack of footage being shot that’s necessary to tell the story properly.

2. Bad or No Sound Design.

Audiences are used to full soundtracks, which young filmmakers forget to take into consideration until after their first film sounds thin or tinny. Even then, most newbies use 4 to 8 tracks for sound compared to 16, 32, or even 64 tracks of sound layering done by professionals. New filmmakers also have thin sound effects in their first shows.

3. Underdeveloped Story.

Beginners typically start with a cool scene idea that pops into their head and build a story over a handful of weeks. For most rookie filmmakers the development stage is the shortest. The pros take much longer developing the story. In fact, professional story development typically takes longer than preproduction, production and post-production combined.

4. Poor Casting Choices.

This is when beginners hire their friends and anyone that they owe a favor. People typically get cast based on their ability to “do business” on camera rather than being selected for their character development skills and performance. More experienced casting starts with a list of physical and behavioral attributes. The person’s ability to follow direction and draw an audience to the theater is also considered.

5. Bad Dialog.

Newbies tend to write their own scripts in a way that makes every character sound the same. Rarely are rookie filmmakers taught how to give different voices to their characters. Many times the pros will use specialists to make sure the dialog drives conflict and gives a unique voice to each character.

6. Use of Clichés.

The shorter the film the more likely a young filmmaker will use clichés and stereotypes in the creation of his or her story. The reason is based on their lack of development experience, the ease of shooting the obvious, and the lack of screen time available to explore the conflict. Pros avoid clichés like the plague.

7. Sporadic Collaboration.

Young filmmakers struggle with how to paint their vision to the cast and crew without compromise, while teaming through the cinematic collaboration process that puts excellence on screen. New filmmakers tend to find themself over controlling a project, which kills the artistry, or giving in all too often, which waters down the story. Experienced professionals know how to draw the best out of their associates through collaboration and then pick the best recommendation that’s in keeping with the vision, that is, if it’s better than the preplanned direction.

The apprenticeship process has been used for over a hundred years to raise up strong filmmakers, yet newbies continue to side step the process. For some reason most first timers desire to shoot their own film before they know how to make films, something that will continue for the next 100 years. A few survive that find mentors or get sucked into the system and climb up through the ranks. Those are the ones who learn how to avoid the common mistakes.

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August 5, 2017

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New Fan Based Studio to Launch

Have you ever wondered how much crazier our culture can get? Did you ever ask yourself who can make a difference and turn our society right side up? Well, in a short time you will be able to do something specific to make a difference. That’s right, you.

With your help, Maverick 7 Studios will launch this month. Maverick 7 Studios is a fan based film and television company that produces movies and shows to counter trends in the seven areas of culture: Arts & Entertainment, Media, Education, Business, Family, Government, and Religion.

Maverick 7 Studios will launch a new regulated crowdfunding offer to unaccredited fans up to $1MM plus an A+ regulation offering to accredited investors. The total goal is to raise $50MM in funding for the new studio, a part of which you can own.

The first titles headed into development are all redemptive stories. In redemptive movies the protagonist lives in error or evil and takes action to improve his life, but falls short until someone shows grace and saves or redeems his life for the good.

Based on current negotiations, the following titles are in development to be produced:

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Based on the best selling Christmas book by MaryAnn Diorio,

Jody Pettit O’Dair ran away to experience a life of adventure and excitement, but since her departure, she was abandoned by her husband, lost her job, and struggled to keep her two children respectable. Seven years after she last spoke to her mother, Jody dreams about her past family Christmases and decides to head home with the hopes that she’ll be welcome.

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In association with Powers Productions.

Maverick Detective Cassie Steele battles PTSD memory loss, while fighting to keep her cover intact. Her plans to bring down the drug kingpin get side tracked as she spends extra time with Diaz, blurring the lines between justice and her growing love for him.

Realizing her precarious situation, Cassie sees to her son’s safety and works hard to regain her memory from the night of the opera house fire—the night Diaz lost his first love and started his killing spree with all involved in the death of his “Carmen.”

Racing against the clock, Cassie tries to find balance between her motherly duties, her infiltration as the kingpin’s girl, and her role as the officer tasked to close the case. Cassie is forced to face her fears in discovering the missing piece of her memory that will bring Diaz down.

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In association with Midst Entertainment.

Eric Stafford, a renegade law student whose life is not his own, struggles to break free from his father’s plans. After his father gets a mobster boss exonerated on a technicality, Eric begs him to seek justice and restore the family name. When Eric learns that he’s next in line to work for the mobster, he selects a 2,000-year-old debate for his mock trial with the hope that it will break him free from a future of supporting injustice. As the case unfolds, Eric learns that the greatest injustice in history has a life giving power that he’s never known.

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In association with Powers Productions.

Take a group of spirited kids… put them in charge of a streaming web-based television station in a resort with visiting guest stars… and you’ve got intergenerational antics galore!

KIDS-TV offers lots of laughs as the kids and their special guests learn they have more in common than they think.

In the pilot episode, new crewmember Carolyn Morris suffers from a terrible identity crisis. Stacey, the station manager, mistakes Carolyn for someone else, and puts her in an embarrassing situation – during a live broadcast. With a little help from her new friends, Carolyn manages to show her real stuff – through a dazzling animated/live-action musical production number, the likes of which Stacey has never seen.

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From Best Selling Authors Peter Marshal and David Manuel.

The Admiral: A Voyage of the Soul” focuses on Christopher Columbus, a complex man driven by two opposing forces: missionary zeal and a growing desire for money, position and power.

In his personal journals, Columbus reveals the inner passion which compelled him to sail west – a divine call on his life to, in his own words, “bear the light of Christ” to peoples of undiscovered lands. The Admiral explores the inner drive which sustained Columbus through years of frustration and disappointment, and how once he had discovered the New World and its gold, the purity of his motivation became corrupted with the great seductions of the world – money, position and power. The irony is as tragic as it is obvious: Columbus abused and enslaved the very people he had set out to convert.

As an old man, the Admiral looks back with regret on all the suffering he has inadvertently caused. Painfully he acknowledges his diversion from his calling and returns to the conviction of earlier years, where he finds peace.

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In association with Powers Productions.

Pastor Paul Ryann breaks his promise to his wife when a junior high kid’s bad choice prompts him to intercede. Returning home two hours late, his wife sends him on their anniversary trip to Israel alone, in hopes of him learning how to respect her.

During his flight, Paul meets two traveling companions. Together, they tour Old Jerusalem and stumble upon two men assaulting a woman. The men notice Paul capturing the incident with his camera and chase after them. They dodge in and out of crowds and alleys until they duck into an old dark shack where the floor gives way and plunges them down into an ancient stone well.

As the water rises, Paul, in true “Indiana Jones” style leads the three to safety. When they emerge, they find themselves thrust back in time—33 A.D. during the triumphal entry of Jesus of Nazareth in Jerusalem.

During the week leading to his crucifixion, the three are loved by the Master and forced to face their deepest internal pain. In return, Paul struggles with the decision of saving Jesus from his harsh death and making sure it happens.

 

Additional Projects in Association with Powers Productions.

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Grandma’s Attic

This spectacular holiday musical is about three kids who are told to go into grandma’s attic and find one thing that reminds them of her before the contractor who swindled the property bulldozes the house down.

Filled with new songs of fond memories, Grandma’s Attic is bursting with comedy, the hunt for grandma’s hidden secret that’s sure to save the house, and a patriotic finale that puts the contractor in his place.

Space Academy

High school students living in a space station in geosynchronous orbit, use a space elevator to return to earth for history class in their school’s holographic simulator. During each class the students “relive” history as they walk among historic figures who made a significant difference during their lifetime.

JC Agents

A group of teens go undercover using high technology to perform random acts of kindness throughout their community. This series features missions that kids can do at home and thrilling adventures using tomorrow’s technology.

Adventure at Thunder Falls

Thirteen-year-old Kit Calloway has trouble trusting God after the death of her little brother. When an ill-fated camping trip with her family and friends places her in life threatening danger, she must risk trusting God again.

My Professor’s Study

The professor’s study is an imaginative and safe place where kids can explore their own character traits and make right choices in developing additional skills on their own.

Wonder Worm

Animated children’s series about a mild-mannered worm who fights for truth, justice and Biblical morals.

Crucible of Freedom

The true story of George Washington based on the best selling book The Light and the Glory.

Esther: The Musical

Pageantry, intrigue and treachery based on the biblical book of Esther.

 

© 2017 Powers Productions, Inc.