FCP.

This'll be another short post, as I was up late editing those TV spots I shot last weekend.


Working on these spots is reminding me how much I love Final Cut Pro. It's turned into so much more than "just editing" software. I'm able to do color correction, color keying, titling, and audio mixing without leaving Final Cut. And I haven't even upgraded to the latest version.

Many thanks, Apple!

King Andrew.

Apparently, Andrew Bellware is King of the Mechs.

Brrr.

I shot a TV spot for some friends last night. The weather was so much colder than I expected. Thank goodness Trap was with me, or it would have taken three times as long, and I would have probably gotten frostbite.


It was good to find out that my new camera could run for two hours in the cold with no problems. Did I tell you I got a new camera? I should probably blog about that at some point.

More good movies.

Members of the Academy have picked their favorite movies of 2009. And I recently spent a few days writing about my favorite movies of the decade (starting here).


So what do you think of the Acadamy's choices? And mine, for that matter? Leave a comment and let me know.

While we're talking movies, here are a few more of my favorites from the 2000s (in no particular order)...

High Fidelity: John Cusack plays a guy in his 30s who manages to finally grow up, despite his obsession with rock and roll music. Featuring an awesome cameo by The Boss. Remember, it's not so important what people are like as it is what they like.

Iron Man: An almost-perfect superhero movie, full of great characters (especially Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey, Jr.).

X-Men 2: Another almost-perfect superhero movie. Great bad guy (Brian Cox!) and a fantastic opening scene (Nightcrawler invades the White House).

Pan's Labyrinth: Excellent fantasy/adventure flick. The kind of movie Spielberg used to make (that's a good thing).

Wallace & Gromit - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit: Endlessly charming stop-motion animated movie from England.

Little Children: The suburban ennui movie that American Beauty should have been. Features a brutal, heartbreaking performance by Jackie Earle Haley. Plus the always-dependable Kate Winslet.

Slither: My kind of horror movie--gross and funny. So, of course, it tanked at the box office.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind: Sci-fi with brains and heart. And some Kate Winslet for good measure.

Looking like a busy year. (Maybe.)

So a couple of my filmmaking pals stopped by the house last night, and we started planning a secret movie project that will be completed sooner rather than later. Hopefully. Plus I'm talking to some other folks about another feature film, two short films, and a music video (not necessarily in that order). Plus I need to start sending Interplanetary out to distributors.


Oh, and I'm already thinking about my next feature-length screenplay. Which I would like to turn into a feature-length movie at some point.

If even half this stuff comes to pass, it'll be a productive year. Of course, there is always the possibility that none of it will come to pass. Such is life in the no budget filmmaking lane.

If you're interested in this glamourous profession, my pal Andrew has the only filmmaking advice you need.

In case you somehow haven't heard...

Lost returns tonight.


(Also, I'm a sucker for "Last Supper" recreations.)

Winter vacation.

Spent the last few days in Orlando, FL, visiting the Universal and Disney theme parks.


Late January is a pretty good time for a trip like this. The Orlando weather is nice (though it was chilly yesterday), and the crowds aren't too bad (only had to wait 30 minutes for the Spider-Man ride!).

Especially enjoyed the retro-future vibe at Epcot and Tomorrowland. Viva Space Mountain!