FCPX

Final Cut Pro X has arrived along with a mixture of excitement, awe and distress.


If you're wondering what all the fuss is about then the reliable Ken Stone gives a clear and informative run through of the program, whilst over at Creative Cow, Gary Adcock voices a number of the growing concerns. Over at Fcp.co they are trying to allay your fears, although going by the comments below the article they don't seem to be doing a very good job. Some of the concerns include lack of XML support and the fact the new program is bereft of backward compatibility with previous versions of the software.

With accusation flying that the new program lacks adaquate professional elements and a lot of disgruntled editors making their feelings known, it is hoped and reported that the next version that Apple will soon be releasing will be much improved. Phew!

Three Shorts I Like

Virgin Media Short Entry Uploaded

With three weeks to go until the deadline it was pleasing to upload our entry to the Virgin Media Shorts competition this evening.

I hope you enjoy it and thanks to everyone who was involved in making it.

Check it out here.

'One Other Thing' complete

Things have been rather hectic it feels. Last night was rather satisfying though as we completed 'One Other Thing' which we filmed a couple of months ago. Take a peek below and see if you like it.

One Other Thing from carlo ortu on Vimeo.





It was a quick turnaround by normal standards and with 'The Man Who Stopped' also recently completed the phrase 'short films are like buses' comes to mind, although I admit it isn't a very common phrase on these shores. 

On top of that we filmed our entry for the Virgin Media Shorts contest last Sunday which was good fun although we all got somewhat wet. It was an early start and expecting a glorious sunny day it instead chucked it down just after dawn which didn't improve when we got locked out on a pub roof at 5am in the morning. How we laughed!

60 Best Blogs for Aspiring Screenwriters

I just had to share this site I came across which, if you're a writer, you'll find really useful. As the name of the website suggests its basically a list of other sites and blogs.  As the site itself states:

"Staying on top of the latest people, places and pieces, opinions, and trends is almost as crucial to forging a career as completely understanding the narrative devices that make a script stand out. The internet, per usual, delivers on this front with a cascade of reading material poking and prodding every nook and cranny of the cinematic arts. While this list is by no means comprehensive — nor does it dismiss the contributions of other resources out there — it does provide a hopefully valuable and diverse starting point for anyone hoping to see their stories get told."

I'll second that.

Check it out here.

Virgin Media Shorts, Encounters and Rushes

If you haven't heard already then you should know that Virgin Media Shorts is back for its 4th year and, as ever, they return with one of the most sought after prizes offered to shorts filmmakers in the UK. The winner of the competition, as chosen by their panel of judges - including The Bourne Ultimatum and United 93 director Paul Greengrass - will win up to £30,000 to make their next film as well as expert advice along the way. Not bad!

In addition to this, the winning film will be one of 12 that are selected to screen across the Picture House network and independent cinemas all over the UK for the next year, putting shorts back on the big screen where they belong! And, as well this theatrical screening, Virgin Media Shorts will facilitate a multi-platform showcase of your work through TV, online and mobile.

There’s also thousands of pounds worth of new film kit to be won, and there will also be prize incentives along the way so check the website (www.virginmediashorts.co.uk) regularly for updates.

Films need to be 2 mins 20 secs max. Head here for submission details.

Talking about festivals it should also be noted that the Encounters Short Film Festival has also just opened up for submissions and you can submit your short until the 30th June.

And if you're really keen then you have until the 21st April to get your film into the Rushes Soho Shorts Festival.

Sidney Lumet

It was sad to hear today about the passing of Sidney Lumet. The director received more than fifty Oscar nominations throughout his career and made his feature film debut with 12 Angry Men (1957). My two personal favourites are The Hill (1965) and Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and I highly recommend reading his book 'Making Movies'. For an informative summary of his life and work Philip French of the Observer has written a very good article.