"just say no" to three point lighting - Library - Mount Saint Mary College

May 2009 

www.StudentFilmmakers.com The #1 Educational Resource for Film and Video Makers US$5.95 

The Twin-Lens P2 Camera Recorder for 

3D Full HD Production 

Lighting for an HD Multi-Camera Shoot 

Just Say No to Three Point Lighting 

Creating Journalism in a New Way 

17 Scene Reversal Ideas 

Audio Techniques for Animation 

Best Practices for Monitoring Your Soundtrack

On the Cover this month is a 

concept model of Panasonic’s new 

3D Full HD Production System, 

which is expected to be the first of 

its kind in the industry. The system 

consists of a twin-lens P2 professional 

camera recorder and a 3D-compatible 

High Definition Plasma display. Read about it in the Tech Focus 

department (pg. 14). 

Also on the cover is a production still from the project El 

Serial by independent filmmaker, Christian Leiva. It’s an 

exterior POV night scene shot in Córdoba, Argentina. Camera 

operator Eddie Brian Semaan, who is one of our Featured 

Networkers this month, is using the JVC GY-HD 251-E, 

which is the European/PAL version of the JVC GY-HD 250-U, 

with a Fujinon TH13x3.5BRM wide angle lens connected to a 

Chrosziel MB 450-01 mattebox. The camera was recording to 

a Focus Enhancements ProHD DR-HD100 hard drive (100GB) 

and powered by an IDX Endura Elite battery. DP Jonatan 

Magario and camera assistant Pablo Soto are also working on 

the set (standing behind Eddie). Working the time slate is 1st 

AD Parvati Torres. 

Our long-time online forums member Laurent Andrieux 

who is a DP in France debuts in this edition with his article, 

“Lighting the ‘Whale Room’ for an HD Multi-Camera Shoot 

for a Television Satellite Channel” (pg. 4). Be sure and read 

all the articles in this edition’ s Cinematography, Broadcast 

Journalism, Tech Focus, Screenwriting, and Music & Sound 

departments. 

On Friday, June 5, 4pm to 9pm, and Saturday, June 

6, 10am to 5pm, StudentFilmmakers Magazine and 

StudentFilmmakers.com will be exhibiting at Cine Gear Expo 

2009, at the Paramount Pictures Studio Lot in Hollywood, CA. 

The following week on Thursday, June 11, 2009, from 11am to 

7pm, StudentFilmmakers Magazine and StudentFilmmakers. 

com will be exhibiting at HD Expo in Chicago, IL, at the Navy 

Pier. Visit our exhibit booths, network with SF staff, and pick 

up complimentary editions of StudentFilmmakers magazine. 

We look forward to seeing you at the next industry tradeshow 

and at our next educational workshops here in New York City. 

Truly, 

Never stop learning, never stop networking. 

Enjoy this issue! 

Kim E. Welch 

Publisher / Editor-in-Chief 

2 studentfilmmakers May 2009 

Publisher’s Desk 

The # 1 Educational Resource for Film and Video Makers 

Publisher / Editor-in-Chief Kim Edward Welch 

Senior Editor Jody Michelle Solis 

Staff Editors 

Carl Filoreto 

Fred Ginsburg C.A.S. Ph.D. MBKS 

Contributing Writers 

Thomas Ackerman, ASC, Jack Anderson, Laurent Andrieux, 

John Badham, Adam Biddle, Kevin Burke, Julia Camenisch, 

John Carrico, Steve Carlson, Chris Cavallari, Vicky Collins, 

Michael Corbett, Vanessa Daniels, Carsten Dau, Todd Debreceni, 

Jeff Deel, Christina DeHaven, William Donaruma, Dana Dorrity, 

Pamela Douglas, David E. Elkins, S.O.C., Scott Essman, Bryant Falk, 

Jon Firestone, Brian Flees, Jacqueline B. Frost, Daniel Gaucher, 

Dean Goldberg, Leonard Guercio, John Hart, David K. Irving, 

Catherine Ann Jones, David Kaminski, Michael Karp, S.O.C., 

Sam Kauffmann, Christopher Keane, Tamar Kummel, Richard La Motte, 

Adam Matalon, Matthew Marshall, M. David Mullen, ASC, Stacey Parks, 

Mark Sawicki, Myrl A. Schreibman, Dr. Linda Seger, Sherri Sheridan, 

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Table of Contents May 2009 

18 

4 

10 

30 

Cinematography 

4 Lighting the ‘Whale Room’ for an HD Multi-Camera Shoot for a 

Television Satellite Channel 

by Laurent Andrieux 

8 3 Reasons Why to “Just Say No” to Three Point Lighting 

by Dean Goldberg 

Broadcast Journalism 

10 Creating Journalism in a New Way 

by Carl Filoreto 

Tech Focus 

14 Panasonic’s New 3D Full HD Production System 

Screenwriting 

16 17 Scene Reversal Ideas: Keep Your Audiences Guessing 

by Sherri Sheridan 

Music & Sound 

18 Audio for Animation: Try These Tricks 

Creative options for getting an animation completed in less 

than ideal circumstances 

by Bryant Falk 

20 Techniques for Monitoring Your Soundtrack 

The Right Headphones for Location Audio and How to Use 

Them 

by Fred Ginsburg C.A.S. Ph.D. MBKS 

24 On Campus 

26 Call for Entries 

Filmmakers Networking 

30 This Month’s Featured Networkers 

 

Exterior POV night scene in Córdoba, Argentina. 

Eddie Semaan is shooting with the JVC GY-HD 251-E 

(European/PAL version of the JVC GY-HD 250-U). 

May 2009 studentfilmmakers 3


Lighting the ‘Whale Room’ for an 

HD Multi-Camera Shoot 

for a Television Satellite Channel 

Let’s keep the challenge alive! 

by Laurent Andrieux 

I was asked to light the Whale 

Room in the Oceanographic Museum 

of Monaco, located on the sea border in 

Monaco-Ville, Monaco. The Whale Room 

has a huge whale skeleton suspended 

from the ceiling about 20 feet high. The 

room itself is about 100 square feet and 

The Whale Room in its natural ambient 

light. A mix of color temperatures. 


naturally lit by the sun through many 

windows, plus ancient and beautiful 

19th century practical lights. 

I’m lighting for an HD multi-camera 

shoot for a television satellite channel. 

The Prince of Monaco is our main guest, 

and the room definitely needs more light 

to look good on television. In total, there 

will be 8 people on the set. 

The director, Yves Barbara, who 

directs the French president’s TV shows, 

wants a warm light. I also would like it 

soft. 

The Whale Room, lit (before corrections). On the top left, 

we can see a 5 kW, Chimera, and Cosmetic Peach. 

I want to keep the natural light of 

the place. The mix in color temperatures 

gives a special mood to it. I want people 

to be able to recognize it. I don’t want 

to fake it. I will enhance it. Also, I 

don’t want any lights to be on stands 

on the set, so that the director can put 

his cameras in almost any position he 

wants. 

I won’t be able to put gels on every 

window, as there are too many windows. 

I only have a half day to set things up, 

and another half day for rehearsals and 

corrections. I also have only one gaffer 

with me. 

But we’re going to use about 50 kW 

anyway, and the cameras will work 

between 4 and 5.6 with a - 3 dB gain. 

And, the production has limited 

resources to do the gig. 

Let’s keep the challenge alive! 

Sources that light the Whale Room; direct sun through the ground 

floor windows, sun through warm curtains on the first floor, and 

ancient 2900K practical bulbs all around the room. 

shoot: 

This is the set-up I used for the 

*With limited resources (no towers), 

2 6kW HMI Cinepar were put on 

the only balconies available with 

1 on each main window around 

the set. Gelled in 1/2 CTO to 

match the average inside color 

temperature plus ND 6 and half 

white diffusion. They will provide 

hard cold backlight evocative of 

the sea and sun proximity. 



*2 5kW tungsten Fresnel lamps for 

the guests. Both equipped with 

Chimeras and gelled with Cosmetic 

peach. It allows me to match with 

the practical lights and give a soft, 

warm look to the faces. 

*2 1kW tungsten Fresnel lamps as 

a backlight on the guests. 

*3 2kW tungsten Fresnel lamps for 

the Prince and the MC, also with 

Chimeras and Cosmetic Peach. 


*2 5kW Tungsten Chinese lanterns 

as a key light for the whole room in 

the background. 

*2 1kW Tungsten Fresnel lamps for 

the whale. 

*2 redheads for the background 

walls. 

*and a series of 1 kW, 650, 500 

Fresnel lamps for the showcases 

and different elements around us, 

that had no practical light at all. 

è 

I liked the challenge, because I think 

we did respect the natural ambient light, 

managed the sun quite well and had a 

very good image for a television show. 

Photos by the author. 

Laurent Andrieux is a director of 

photography, camera operator, and 

cinematography teacher based in France. 

http://www.cinematographie.info 

é 

ê 

photo 3 

The starting frame of the dolly track camera. A 650 W Fresnel 

enhances the diver. On the top right, there is the other 5 kW, 

Chimera, and Cosmetic Peach. 


The dolly track camera, and the dead angle for the sound guys. 

Behind them is the South West window. 


Dropping from the ceiling is the famous whale skeleton. 

ë 

ì í 

photo-6 

These windows weren’t gelled yet. 


On top, one of the 5 kW Chimera, and on its right is one of the 5 

kW Chinese lanterns. 


The Whale Room seen from the outside. We can see one of our 

6 kW HMI on the South-West balcony. 



3 Reasons Why to “Just Say No” to 

Three Point Lighting 

Demystify the ‘Holy Trinity’ of Lighting 

by Dean Goldberg 

Key, fill, kicker; the holy trinity of lighting. 

It’s the first thing most novices learn in a production 

fundamentals class. Yet walk onto any set in Hollywood, or 

a location shoot in Madrid, for that matter, and you may find 

it’s not that easy to spot the holy three. Why? There are lots of 

reasons, but I’ll save some trees and whittle the reasons down 

to a few really good ones. 

Let’s begin with the most important reason. The traditional 

lighting model that I learned at film school many years ago, 

and is still being taught today, is based on a lighting scheme for 

Black and White still photography. Established in the days of 

slow film and hard lighting, the traditional key light brought the 

subject out of the darkness, literally, while the fill light exposed 

the area surrounding the subject. The ubiquitous kicker, or 

backlight, gave those movie stars that famous magical glow 

– picture Bette Davis in Dark Victory, Jean Harlow in Dinner 

at Eight or Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce. In the high gloss 

movies of the thirties and forties, that lovely halo would follow 

movie stars wherever they went, from dawn to dusk. Whadda 

light! While many of the functions of the traditional key light 

have long been laid to rest, that ole kicker is still following 

actors around, even today. And while the universal use of color 

film can take the blame for the downfall of the hard light key 

(in many instances, not all – see I’m covering my bets already), 


the kicker still adds that special, star quality that will never 

be out of date. 

My second good reason for wanting the three point lighting 

model to be stuffed in our collective attic, is film speed – and 

in the case of video, well, is that digital video can practically 

see in the dark these days. Shooters simply don’t need as much 

light as they did in the old days. That doesn’t necessarily mean 

that we need less lighting, in fact, I think the opposite may be 

true, but we sure don’t need the intensity of light that they did 

say, sixty years ago. 

My third, and final reason, at least for this article, is that 

unless you’re shooting an interview, people move, and when 

they do those textbook illustrations for three point lighting 

fall apart like a home-made cookie that’s been in back of the 

lighting truck for two or three years. Sure you can follow an 

actor with a key, or set up areas with different keys – but you’re 

in for a long journey trying to find a schematic for that one. It 

certainly won’t be on the same page as those foolish looking 

drawings with the three open faced lights beaming down at 

their subjects as if they were trying to melt them rather than 

light them. 

Okay. So I’ve given you my complaints about the egregious 

treatment of novices by the textbooks from hell that have been 

around since just after the stagecoach became an unpopular 

mode of transportation. Do I have anything better to offer? 

Well, actually, I think so. Here’s how I see it. 

First, let’s stop with those useless diagrams. Not only are 

they misleading, but they’re just plain wrong. Let’s try calling 

the key light something more appropriate. In my production 

classes, I call it the motivational light. Even the staunchest 

open-face, umbrella bouncing fan would agree that a “key” can 

come from anywhere. A window, a night-light, a streetlight; 

whatever source illuminates the principal object or person in 

the scene. 

Second, let’s stop thinking of fill light as a compliment to 

the “key.” My long time DP, Rick Seigel, often set his ambient 

lighting first, taking care to secure the foot-candle level of the 

background before he sets his key. Allan Daviau, ASC, the DP 

on ET: The Extraterrestrial, has talked about this “back-to- 

front” method in his tutorials. The trouble with introducing 

novices to an anachronistic and simplistic model of lighting 

– the three point lighting model – is that it’s not the wrong way 

to go about lighting, per se; it’s simply not the right way. College 

production departments need to invest in some Fresnels and 

bounce cards. Getting some grip stands wouldn’t be a bad idea 

either. Your school already has those tools? Good for you. But 

in many schools around the country, narrative filmmaking is 

still being taught using only open-faced news lights. 

Let’s try not to make lighting such a mystery to novices; 

instead, let’s bring our students into the real world with real 

lighting situations and real tools. Oh, and as for that ever- 

present kicker? As Paul Henreid said to Bette Davis in Now 

Voyager, “Why ask for the moon, when we have the stars?” 

Dean Goldberg worked as a film editor and producer for 

more than 50 political campaigns, including those of Sens. 

Ted Kennedy and John Glenn, before moving on to writing 

and directing for television and advertising. He is currently 

an Assistant Professor of Communication Arts at Mount Saint 

Mary College in New York. 

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Creating Journalism in a New Way 

Real World… Real Time 

by Carl Filoreto 

It’s 7:15 in the morning, and in Tempe, Arizona, the speed 

dial is already active. Simultaneously, in four other locations 

spanning the nation, eager bureau chiefs are joining in the daily 

conference call to the mother ship in New York. Story ideas are 

pitched and dissected, resources are gathered and committed, 

and a working plan for the day morphs and evolves from the 

spirited conversation. Multi-tasking editors in Manhattan 

confirm the day’s story list, and agree to check on progress 

throughout the day. Everyone hits the ground running. 

On the surface, it’s simply the daily ritual enacted by a 

number of national broadcast news organizations. In this 

From left to right: Jason Tarr, Chris Cuomo, Robin 

Roberts, Diane Sawyer, Meghan Lisson, and Sabina 

Kuriakose. The photo was taken when we - Meghan, 

Sabina and I - traveled with the GMA crew on the 

Whistle Stop Tour from Rome, NY to Niagara Falls, NY. 


instance, though, there’s one profound difference. That phone 

call from Tempe came from Emily Graham, a senior broadcast 

journalism major at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite 

School of Journalism and Mass Communication. And she’s 

calling the producers and editors at ABC News in New York as 

part of the ABC News On Campus newsgathering program. 

The idea to establish working network news bureaus at 

college campuses across the country was spawned by John 

Green, executive producer of special project development at 

ABC News. “When I saw the recent wave of college graduates, 

it was so clear to me that they were creating journalism in a 

Sabina Kuriakose and Torie Wells 

interviews Celina Tousignant for our 

“Midterm Bureau Assignment” on 

the hooking up culture trend. 

different way,” Green relates. “There was so much we could 

learn about the digital world they were living in, and about 

how they use digital tools.” 

Green envisioned a perfectly balanced symbiotic model. 

News organizations around the globe are struggling to capture 

new audiences, and to retain their current ones. ABC News 

could tap into the creative energies percolating at college 

campuses across the country while providing a real life work 

environment for the students selected into the program. The 

students receive an invaluable experience to hone their editorial 

skills while the brain trust at ABC News have the opportunity 

to learn about how the incredibly valuable 20 to 24 year old 

demographic consumes news in today’s virtual marketplace. 

“It’s a throwback to the old mentoring programs established by 

newspapers in the 50’s and 60’s,” Green adds. 

He advanced the idea to ABC News president David Westin, 

who enthusiastically endorsed the project. More importantly, 

he backed the concept with a modest budget and the idea was 

converted into a reality. Green and his team selected five 

universities that have highly rated journalism schools and set 

up a system of satellite news bureaus at the schools. 

“Here, it’s an immersion program”, explains Susan Green, 

the faculty advisor for the program at Arizona State. “We 

intend to give the students the feel of working in a news room 

from 9 to 6, two or three days a week.” In fact, the entire process 

is handled in a manner that mimics real world practices. 

Students apply for one of five positions at each bureau. The 

resumes are pared down to a manageable number and those 

that advance go through a rigorous interview process. Of the 

five lucky candidates not voted off the island, one is picked to 

be the bureau chief. “This just is not a chance you get every 

day,” relates Emily Graham, bureau chief at ASU. “For me, 

ABC News was a powerful draw. I’m on the phone with the Los 

Angeles assignment desk every day. To have that type of access 

is amazing.” 

The campus bureaus are usually attached to the newsrooms 

operating within each broadcast journalism school. ABC News 

provides the student journalists with small format cameras, 

computers and the software needed to perform a variety 

of multi-platform tasks, including video editing, writing 

mainstream web “print” type stories, blogging and uploading 

files to an FTP site. Although students are trained in both 

Final Cut Pro and Avid based editing systems, Avid is the work 

horse for the bureaus since it meshes with the editing platform 

at ABC News and many of their affiliated local stations. 

“It’s a big learning experience for all of us,” explains 

Randy Wenner, instructor of broadcast journalism at Syracuse 

University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. 

“The students have a tremendous opportunity to learn what it’s 

like to be affiliated with a broadcast news network. To watch 

them immerse themselves and thrive in a network culture, and 

to get their video and their stories in a newscast or online, is a 

thrill”. Torie Wells, a senior at Newhouse and the bureau chief 

in Syracuse, is excited about the range of opportunities offered 

by the program. “The producers in New York give us a lot of 

freedom to pitch stories. They’ll help us tailor the story to the 

right platform and then say go ahead,” she explains. 

With opportunity comes responsibility, and the students 

quickly learn about the demands of uncompromising deadlines. 

While some of the their stories can be categorized as timeless 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



From left to right: Torie Wells, Matt Gelb, Sabina 

Kuriakose, and Meghan Lisson. All five of the 

Syracuse Bureau staffers traveled to Rome to 

help with the production of the “Rome Stop” of 

the 2008 GMA Whistle Stop Tour.” 

evergreens that don’t come with a strict deadline attached to 

them, the students do occasionally find themselves caught in 

the whirlwind of a breaking national news story. The bureau 

at Newhouse provided assistance to ABC News during a plane 

crash in nearby Buffalo, and a deadly shooting rampage in 

Binghamton. “It’s getting used to moving and working quickly, 

as we would in a real newsroom,” Wells adds. 

“We’ve stopped calling them student journalists,” a news 

director of the ABC affiliate in Phoenix says, “they’re simply 

journalists. They may not be totally polished, but we’ve only 

had good feedback about their work.” The Cronkite School 


supplies a daily regional news feed, aptly called the Cronkite 

News Service, and the ABC News On Campus journalists 

regularly post their work on it. When the news director chooses 

one of their stories and places it in a show rundown, it will be 

viewed in the twelfth largest television market in the country. 

In addition, the five participating bureaus place the bulk of 

their stories on the ABC News On Campus web site. And at 

times, the students see their video reach the lofty heights of 

the network’s flagship news programs like Nightline, Good 

Morning America, and World News Tonight. “I’m watching 

my video on ABC News London,” Emily Graham says with a 

touch of awe in her voice. “I never imagined I’d be working for a 

network while still going to college.” 

The On Campus program is approaching its first 

anniversary, and there have been some pleasant surprises 

along the way. “Sometimes we’re the instructors, telling the 

student journalists how to do it better,” John Green recounts, 

“and at other times we learn about content. We might think 

we know what twenty-five-year-olds want to see, but we don’t 

really. It’s an interesting hybrid.” 

Sabina Kuriakose and Matt Gelb in 

Rome, NY, helping to get MOS sound 

for GMA and the Whistle Stop Tour. 

From left to right: Meghan Lisson, Sabina Kuriakose, 

Jason Tarr, Torie Wells, and Matt Gelb. It is a photo of all 

bureau staffers sitting in our bureau office on the Syracuse 

University campus. 

So while the producers and editors at the network file the 

rough edges and provide a layer of nuance to the skills of their 

prodigies, the unbridled enthusiasm and lack of bureaucratic 

cynicism expressed by the students can be refreshing. “I think 

they’re also learning from us,” Graham states enthusiastically. 

“We have newer and younger ideas, and we’re not afraid to take 

a risk in our story pitches.” Her mentor, Susan Green, concurs, 

“I think the folks at ABC News figured out it’s a blast working 

with students. It serves as a reaffirmation and re-energizes the 

career journalist, as well, so it works both ways.” 

And in stark contrast to our times, the future looks very 

promising. The program will expand to a sixth campus in the 

fall, with the potential for further additions in the future. “In 

these economic times, it would be so easy to cut a program like 

this, but David Westin hasn’t,” Green relates. “He’s pleased 

with the message and I like that. We’re investing in the future 

of the students. 

Carl Filoreto is an award-winning DP, and his company 

is Elk Run Productions, Inc. (www.elkruntv.com), which has 

a roster of clients that spans corporations, production houses, 

crewing agencies, and broadcast and cable networks, including 

Dateline NBC, The Food Network, and The Travel Channel. 

Prior to starting his business, Carl won seven regional Emmy 

awards, numerous national and regional National Press 

Photographers awards, and multiple awards from Colorado Ski 

Country and the National Snowsports Journalists Association, 

while working at KMGH-TV in Denver, WTNH in New Haven, 

and WGGB in Springfield, Massachusetts. 


Tech Focus 

Panasonic’s New 

3D Full HD 

Production System 

With the Success of HD, What’s Next? 

3D Full HD Technology. 

Panasonic Corporation announced its plans for developing 

a new professional 3D Full HD production system. It was 

announced at NAB 2009 where Panasonic exhibited concept 

models. The system is expected to be the first of its kind in 

the industry and consists of a twin-lens P2 professional camera 

recorder and a 3D-compatible High Definition Plasma display. 

At present, 3D content producers have to hand-build their 

own 3D production systems by physically connecting multiple 

2D production devices. Panasonic is now starting to work on 

developing a twin-lens, 3D camera system. Also, Panasonic’s 

Plasma displays have been used in many post-production 

facilities in Hollywood. Technologies and expertise obtained 

from their use in post-production has enabled Panasonic to 

further develop high-quality 3D viewing performance in its 

Plasma technologies. As a result of this process, Panasonic’s 

3D Plasma display system will help 3D content producers to 

quickly and easily evaluate the image quality of 3D content. 

Each component of Panasonic’s innovative 3D Full HD 

production system has unique features. The twin-lens P2 

camera recorder enables the capturing of natural and high- 

quality live 3D images. With the non-mechanical solid-state 

construction of the P2 system, the camera recorder will be 

compact enough to allow more flexible 3D shooting, thereby 

maximizing the creativity of the filmmakers by eliminating 

the stress factor from the use of the equipment. 


3D Full HD recording using Panasonic’s proprietary P2 

system also enables recording of two channels of Full HD 

images on the P2 card. P2’s non-mechanical construction and 

compactness will also be incorporated into the company’s 3D 

image recording and editing equipment to make production in 

the field highly flexible and efficient. 

Panasonic’s 3D Drive System enables the display of Full HD 

moving pictures for the left and the right eyes, so large screen 

3D viewing will become possible. The excellent moving picture 

performance and accurate color reproduction characteristics 

achieved by Plasma’s self-illuminating technology enables the 

realization of high-quality 3D image evaluation capabilities 

required in the professional content production field. 

Production of 3D movies requires a great deal of time 

and effort. With the new 3D production system, which can 

enable an easier and more efficient 3D production process and 

environment, Panasonic will contribute to accelerating the 

realization of easier high-quality 3D content production. 

NAB. 

For more information, check out: www.panasonic.com/ 

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music for you film? White Balancing with Tungsten to get Daylight-cn it b dun? Smoke for Defined 

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Lighting an airport scene at night

Almost every scene in your film should have a reversal 

to build up suspense. Reversals keep the audience guessing 

as to what is going to happen next, and pulls them into the 

story, prompting them to search for the new surprise. Once you 

understand reversals, you will see them in every good movie. 

How to create a scene reversal: 

? Introduce a character with a clear scene goal. 

? Create a set of expectations in viewers’ minds as to 

how the goal will be accomplished. 

? Introduce complications, conflict, or interactions. 

? List several ways the audience expects a character 

to achieve a goal and have the character fail at each 

attempt. 

? During the character’s last attempt to accomplish the 

goal, have the character do something unexpected and 

succeed. This usually involves something being in the 

scene that the audience does not yet know about. 

When constructing reversals, look at your character’s scene 

goal first and whether or not they succeed or fail. Then ask 

yourself how they can accomplish that goal outcome in an 

unexpected way. 

Screenwriting 

17 Scene Reversal Ideas 

Keep Your Audiences Guessing 

by Sherri Sheridan 

17 Scene Reversal Ideas: 

(1) Character behaves in a shocking or surprising way. 

(2) Someone gets murdered or hurt unexpectedly. 

(3) Character has a sudden extreme emotional outburst that 

makes the audience wonder what is happening. 


(4) Character does something unexpected and accomplishes 

the scene goal when we think he will fail. 

(5) Antagonist appears by chance. 

(6) Antagonist is in pursuit of protagonist when plan is 

blocked or ruined by an accident or unexpected event. 

(7) Confrontation escalates. 

This hidden parachute could pop out at a key 

moment when the character jumps off some 

rocks to create a scene reversal surprise. 

(8) Character displays surprising skills or abilities in 

accomplishing the scene goal in an unexpected way. 

(9) Antagonistic character pops up out nowhere and is 

mistaken for someone else. 

(10) Characters use a secret plan or equipment to get out of 

a bad situation that the audience does not know about. 

(11) Perceived threat turns out to be a false alarm. 

(12) Loved one placed in unexpected danger. 

(13) Characters accomplish the scene goal in surprising 

ways against all odds. 

(14) Character admits to lying earlier about a situation then 

tells a shocking truth. 

(15) One character confronts another about a lie, and then, 

all the characters agree to ignore the lie for a greater 

good. 

(16) Plot goal object or information becomes harder to 

retrieve. 

(17) Helpful scene development turns out to be full of 

danger. 

Sherri Sheridan teaches storytelling techniques to 

digital filmmakers and animators with her books, classes 

and workshops. She’s also the creative director at Minds Eye 

Media in San Francisco (www.mindseyemedia.com), where she 

directs, produces, animates, writes and designs projects for a 

wide range of clients. Sherri is the author of the books, “Maya 

2 Character Animation” (New Riders 1999) and “Developing 

Digital Short Films” (New Riders / Peachpit / Pearson 2004). 

Recently, she created a 20 hour DV workshop based on the 

books called, “Writing a Great Script Fast,” available at 

MyFlik.com. 

INTERACT: Discuss films and scenes that illustrate each 

of the 17 scene reversal ideas. Post your ideas, comments, and 

questions online at the industry forums moderated by experts 

at www.studentfilmmakers.com/bb. 

Photography Filmmaking Multimedia 

Destinations College Programs 

toll-free 877.577.7700 international 207.236.8581 

Maine Media Workshops does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, creed, ancestry, national and ethnic origin, physical or mental handicap. 


When we watch a piece of animation, 

it’s amazing how much we can take for 

granted sometimes. It’s fascinating 

to stop and think about how audio for 

animation is fully created from scratch. 

We have our three main ingredients 

for creating audio: dialogue, music, and 

sound effects. With animation, careful 

planning must take place to get them all 

to coordinate. 

But what if you don’t have the time 

or the resources for meetings with 

animators, audio production people, 

or others involved in the process? How 

can you still get everything to come 

together? 

Music & Sound 

Audio for Animation: Try These Tricks 

Creative options for getting an animation 

completed in less than ideal circumstances. 

by Bryant Falk 


Animation 1: Jack takes his jet car for a spin. 

Dialogue: 

This is probably the most tricky to 

work around. When your animation 

character says something, his mouth 

needs to be in sync with the audio. The 

question is, how many shots really need 

to show the mouth of your character? 

If you can keep it to a minimum, this 

will allow the animator to move much 

quicker. For example, if your evil villain 

has a line, why not push in and show his 

sinister eyes close up? Then it’s just a 

semi-sync of dialogue. 

Now, in a two-shot, you have your 

establishing, (usually medium showing 

both characters) and your over-the- 

Animation 2: Master Villain has his target in sight. 

shoulder close-ups. These over-the- 

shoulder shots can be showing the 

reaction of the characters being talked 

to instead of only the character talking. 

This will allow that semi-sync again, 

much less work for the animator. 

Also, keep in mind medium shots 

of action with dialogue running on the 

scene. Your character will be too small 

to have to worry about sync! 

Music: 

When working with limited 

resources, a lot of times the composer 

must get something together without 

Animation 3: Jack’s Boss about to call him on the emergency line. 

picture. Well, how can that be done? 

Carefully! Here are some quick rules of 

thumb to get you in the ballpark. 

If you’re doing an MTV-style 

animation with lots of cuts, your music 

should move in an eighth or sixteenth 

note style. Think of “Blue Suede Shoes” 

by Elvis. Reference this at a standard 

120 bpm, and you will see, it will allow 

you many chances to move your video 

edit to hit in sync. 

For slower romantic moments, ask 

for something moving with quarter, half 

and whole notes. A reference for this 

could be “Falling in Love” (also an Elvis 

classic in 3/4 time). 

With these style references, you 

should have more options on where you 

can make cuts in your animation. 

Sound Effects: 

This is easiest of the three. Since 

sound effects tend to be momentary, 

they allow for a lot of room to be put 

in. You may want to have a number of 

different tracks to handle the different 

lengths of sound effects. I like to keep 

longer effects, such as jet engine or 

lawn mower effects, on one track, while 

having car horns and door slams on 

another track. A short animation of 2 

minutes or less can have an average of 

10 to 12 sound effects tracks depending 

on requirements of your project. 

Keep in mind, the more you can 

plan ahead on an animation project, the 

more you can save on the back end. And 

when working with limited resources 

try to build in flexibility. From music to 

dialogue, many cost saving options can 

be created! 

Bryant Falk has been a producer 

and engineer for over 12 years working 

with such clients as Coca-Cola, Sports 

Illustrated, Valley National Bank, 

MTV’s The Shop, and The Ricki Lake 

Show. His company Abacus Audio 

(www.abacusaudio.com) handles many 

aspects of the audio production field 

from creative and production to mixing 

and final output. 

Animation 4: Master Villain creating even more havoc. 

Illustrations: Animation by James 

Buran for Spytime intro. 


A camera operator would never judge 

composition and good lighting based 

on what he or she hears. Likewise, a 

soundperson would be a fool to record 

audio based solely on what they see. 

Yet all too often, that is exactly 

what many novice filmmakers do. They 

see their audio meters reacting and, 

therefore, assume that good audio is 

being recorded. Headphones apparently 

only serve the purpose of keeping one’s 

neck warm; besides, we all know that 

they mess up good hair. 

Am I just wisecracking? I wish I 

were, but sadly, there are way too many 

novice filmmakers out there who do not 

take monitoring their audio seriously. In 

the classes that I instruct, I will often 

(purposely) disconnect the audio feed 

from the mixer to the camera, and then 

ask everyone after the take, “How is 

everything? Picture good? Sound okay?” 

More times than not, the camera 

operator (with headphones draped 

over his or her neck) will grin and give 

us a thumbs up! Perhaps the camera 

operator stopped paying attention to any 

audio, and just concentrated on picture. 

Or maybe he or she just assumed that 

the live audio from the actors was what 

was being recorded. Bottom line: no 

usable audio. 

Music & Sound 

Techniques for 

Monitoring Your Soundtrack 

The Right Headphones for Location Audio and How to Use Them 

by Fred Ginsburg, C.A.S., Ph.D., MBKS 


There is absolutely no excuse for 

waiting until the shooting day is long 

over before evaluating the soundtrack. 

Thinking that the sound is fine is not the 

same thing as checking that the sound 

is fine. Use headphones; and playback 

some takes before you move on to the 

next major setup. 

There are some very simple remedies. 

To begin with, the sound mixer, boom 

operator, and camera operator should all 

be wearing (over the ears, not around the 

neck) a pair of high quality headphones. 

At least once every few takes, the 

boom operator should gently tap the mic 

with his finger, or slide his finger along 

the windscreen. Check with the camera 

operator to make sure that he or she 

hears that disturbance clearly through 

the headphones. If, for any reason the 

camera is not properly connected to the 

mixing panel or boom mic, it would be 

impossible for the camera operator to 

hear the finger tap. Ditto, if the camera 

somehow got switched to only pick up 

audio from the built-in camera mic. 

Let’s examine the issue of 

headphones. It is imperative that 

the sound person invest in a high 

quality pair of professional recording/ 

engineering headphones. 

Headphones intended for location 

audio recording share the following 

characteristics: 

They need to fit comfortably over the 

ears, as opposed to just being a foam pad 

that sits against the ear. Professional 

headphones should provide a modicum 

of acoustic isolation by surrounding your 

earlobe with a cushioned pad. 

The frequency response needs to be 

flat, so that what you record is what you 

hear. You do not want any headphones 

that “improve” the sound by boosting 

high or low frequencies, nor adding 

“concert hall” reverb. Avoid the so-called 

“noise canceling” headphones because 

they alter what you hear. 

Impedance value for your phones 

should be between 40 ohms to 80 ohms; 

50 to 65 ohms are most common. Less 

than 40 ohms, and your audio will 

readily distort. Higher than 80 or so, and 

the volume will be too low. Remember, 

these headphones are intended to be 

used with field recorders and mixers; not 

home stereo receivers. Fancy 600 ohm 

headphones are fine for music listening 

at home because your powered stereo 

receiver puts out a very powerful signal; 

but plug them in to your camcorder and 

you will barely hear a thing. 

Another spec to look at is the 

maximum wattage that the drivers 

(headphones) can accept before self- 

destructing. Many inexpensive 

headphones will blow out one or both 

sides if they are subjected to a short, 

but loud burst of audio (such as the 

ear-splitting crackle made by a faulty 

connection). Good headphones can accept 

a full watt or more without damaging. 

Cheaper phones can become worthless 

with hits of as little as one or two tenths 

of a watt! 

Get into the habit of cleaning the 

inside of your headphones with an 

alcohol prep pad. You do not even want 

to think about what kinds of germs can 

flourish in a sweat fed environment. 

Headphone cords are naturally way 

too long. If it is a straight cable, then 

fold it up into a neat bundle and secure 

it with some wraps or cable ties. (Don’t 

use an adhesive tape that will leave 

sticky residue.) If you are blessed with a 

coiled cable, here is a trick for managing 

it. Tie a cord at the start of the coils, and 

thread that cord through the center of 

the all of the coils. Tie it off at the other 

end. That will prevent the coiled cord 

from stretching out. Should you ever 

need the extra length, just untie one end 

of the cord. 

Once you have acquired your 

headphones, the next step is to learn 

how to use them. 

Adjust your listening volume so that 

normal dialogue is smack in the middle 

of your comfort zone. A loud burst of 

dialogue, such as a shout or a scream, 

should be slightly uncomfortable (but not 

painful) to hear. Loud enough so that, if 

you were on a telephone, you would want 

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move the handset a little bit away from 

your ear. 

If an actor barely whispers, you 

should reflexively want to concentrate 

hard or make it louder. 

When you are using a mixing panel, 

you can adjust your headphone volume 

relative to the tone generator. Turn 

on the tone, and set it so that it reads 

at zero on the mixer. Then, gradually 

raise the headphone volume until the 

tone is slightly uncomfortable, just like 

loud dialogue. Remember, when you mix 

audio levels, zero should not represent 

normal conversation. Those levels should 

be several dB below zero. 

It is natural for every individual to 

set their headphone listening level to a 

different physical volume knob setting. 

Our hearing and sensitivity varies from 

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person to person. It is also normal for 

a mixer to reset his or her headphone 

volume throughout the day. Our hearing 

is more sensitive in the mornings, and 

becomes fatigued as the day wears 

on. Indoor locations tend to be quieter, 

so we need less volume. Outdoors, we 

tend to boost our listening levels. What 

matters in the long run, however, is that 

we maintain normal dialogue in our 

comfort zone. 

When you set your headphone 

volume too loud, you tend to mix your 

audio levels too low. On the same token, 

if you listen at too low of a volume, you 

will end up recording way too high. 

Won’t the meter on the camera or 

mixing board indicate proper recording 

levels? Yes, they will, but you should not 

be watching them too closely. It is akin 

to driving a car: if you spend all of your 

time watching the speedometer, you will 

hit a tree. You drive by watching the 

road around you, and gauge your speed 

by your surroundings. You only glance 

down at the speedometer now and then 

(usually when a cop car is present). 

The same should hold true for 

adjusting your audio levels. Keep your 

eyes on the actors, and pay attention to 

their body language. That will tell you 

who is about to talk, and warn you of 

shouts, sneezes, and coughs. Note the 

position of actors relative to your mics. 

Are they right under the boom, or off of 

their marks. Where are they relative to 

other mics on the set? 

Do not wait until you hear a problem. 

Learn to observe and anticipate. When 

you drive, you do not watch your foot 

move from gas to brake pedal. When 

you mix, you should not watch your own 

fingers either. 

Music & Sound 


Use your eyes to keep track of the 

scene, and allow your ears to prompt you 

into raising or lowering the audio levels. 

The boom operator also needs to 

hear the soundtrack, though not as 

critically as the sound mixer. Because a 

boom operator is in the middle of the set, 

his headphone volume may be set lower. 

Sometimes a boom person needs to be 

able to hear possible warnings on the set 

from other crew members (watch out for 

the dolly, etc.). 

Too often, novice sound people 

restrict the boom person’s headphone 

feed to only hear what the boom mic 

is picking up. That is a bad practice 

and should be avoided. What the boom 

person needs to hear is the boom mic 

along with all of the other mics that are 

in play on the set. 

On most shoots, a professional sound 

mixer will use more than one mic in 

order to cover distance across the set, 

or to solve boom shadow issues close to 

walls, etc. But when two mics (recording 

to the same audio channel) are open 

at the same time, and can pickup the 

same sound, a phasing issue occurs that 

causes the audio to become very hollow 

and thin. One of the offending mics must 

be faded down; and the other mic needs 

to compensate. Or, one of the mics (the 

boom) needs to be angled away from the 

other mic. 

The boom operator must be able to 

hear the presence of any other open mics, 

so that he or she does not accidentally 

“double mic” the actor in question. (And 

some folks believe that being a boom 

person is brainless.) 

Specialized mixing panels used 

for film and video production may 

offer a dedicated headphone output for 

the boom operator. Most of the time, 

however, the less expensive (but still 

good quality) mixing panels do not have 

a special headphone output separate 

from the sound mixer’s own headphone 

connection. But they do have Aux 

outputs for monitor mixes. 

Plug the headphone extension cable 

(feeding your boom person) into the 

post-fader Aux Send of the mixing 

board. Most boards have a “master” Aux 

Send volume control, which you can use 

as a de-facto headphone volume control 

for your boom operator. Note that the 

Aux Send connection is usually ¼-inch 

MONO, so make sure you have the 

necessary mono-stereo adapter plug or a 

custom cable to keep audio in both sides 

of the headphones. 

In addition to the master Aux Send 

volume control, there are individual 

Aux controls for every input. Normally, 

just set these to the default detent or 

middle position. Some inputs, such as an 

external tone generator, audience mics, 

or SFX mics, do not need to be monitored 

by the boom person. You can turn the 

Aux controls for those inputs to the low 

end. But make sure that the mics on the 

set affecting dialogue are sent out to his 

headphones. 

On a mixing board, you will see two 

types of Aux Send. There may be more 

than one Aux Send with labels. Pre- 

Fader Aux Send means that the only 

knob affecting the monitoring is the 

individual Aux knob on each input. What 

that means is that it does not matter 

whether or not the main faders for a 

given mic are open or closed down; the 

only knob that controls the audio flow to 

the monitor (Aux Send) is the Aux knob. 

If the Aux knob is open, that mic is open 

in the headphones. If the Aux knob is 

closed, then that mic will not be heard 

in the headphones. It matters not what 

you are doing in the main mix. It is as 

every mic had a Y cable connecting two 

separate mixing boards on your cart; 

they function completely independent of 

each other. 

As you can imagine, sending the 

boom person a Pre-Fader Aux Send 

would be quite distracting, since every 

mic on the set would be “open” at all 

times, even if the sound mixer was not 

deploying it. 

When Post-Fader Aux Send is 

selected, the only sound that makes it up 

to the Aux Send controls is what passes 

out of the controlled fader of each input. 

If the sound mixer closes a mic, then no 

signal is allowed to enter the Aux Send. 

When that mic is open, then only that 

relative amount of volume is sent to the 

Aux. 

Think of your home sprinkling 

system. If the main water valve is 

closed, then no water reaches the 

sprinklers, irregardless of whether the 

sprinkler valve is open or not. Open the 

main valve, and then the knob on the 

sprinkler determines the water flow. 

Post-Fader Aux Send allows the 

boom operator to hear the live mix. 

When needed, the version of the live 

mix going to the boom person can be 

modified by the individual Aux controls, 

such as keeping the non-important (to 

the boom person) audio minimized. On 

the other hand, the sound mixer can 

wig-wag the Aux volume of a particular 

mic to call the boom person’s attention 

to it, perhaps to warn the boom person 

of a hidden mic on the set. 

Fred Ginsburg, C.A.S., Ph.D., MBKS 

is a specialist in production sound 

recording for motion pictures and video. 

His background includes nearly two 

decades as a sound mixer on feature films, 

episodic television, commercials, as well 

as corporate and government. Author 

of over one hundred technical articles 

and one textbook, Fred is currently an 

Adjunct Professor at California State 

University Northridge, and has lectured 

and instructed workshops about location 

sound recording at universities, studios, 

law enforcement, and production 

facilities across the United States and 

internationally. When not involved in 

filmmaking, Fred’s passion for shotguns 

extends to the 12 gauge variety, where 

he dons historically correct Western 

attire and competes in the sport of 

Cowboy Action Shooting. 

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On Campus 

This Month’s Featured Film and Video Programs 

Programs, Camps, and Mentorships 

Compass Film Academy in Grand Rapids, MI 

“Our program is intense, but our filmmakers seriously work in 

film.” 

Compass Film Academy offers an intense, hands-on filmmaking 

environment that encourages growth creatively, technically, 

and spiritually. From development of the initial story concept, 

all the way to the distribution process, at Compass students are 

exposed to all aspects of filmmaking. Learning from industry 

leaders and by extensive, on-set experiences, they gain a 

working knowledge of how to create and bring a good story 

to life. Additionally, students will develop a comprehensive 

understanding of the entertainment industry, including its 

complexities, reach, and sphere of influence. The one-year 

Film & Video Production program is integrated, projectfocused 

and truly different from any other of its kind. Visit 

www.compassfilmacademy.com for more information. 

Summer Filmmaking at the University of 

Pennsylvania for High School Students 

Julian Krinsky Camps & Programs 

This four-week intensive studio program teaches students 

digital filmmaking tools and processes for the purpose of 

articulate, self-expression. Skills in production planning, 

scriptwriting, storyboarding, shooting and editing are taught 

by a full-time Penn School of Design instructor. The curriculum, 

taken from Penn’s undergraduate courses, is sequenced and 

paced for high school students. Students stay in dormitories and 

eat in dining halls on Penn’s campus. Evening and weekend 

activities include trips to downtown Philadelphia, New York 

City and Washington DC. Visit www.jkcp.com/artsatpenn for 

more information. 

Video Symphony: TV & Film Post-Production 

Institute 

Go Where the Hollywood Pros Train 

Video Symphony’s new career training programs will give 

you the skills to become a TV & Film Editor, Pro Tools Audio 

Engineer, or Graphics Animation & Effects Designer in just 10 

to 14 months. All of Video Symphony’s students get hands-on 

training on professional equipment, extensive opportunities to 

work on real-world media, and receive job placement assistance. 

Video Symphony is also proud to announce the opening of 

the school’s new professional multi-studio recording complex 

where the students can receive world-class Audio Engineering 

training. To learn more, visit www.videosymphony.com. 


aBetterFilm.com Offers Online Mentorship 

Programs for Filmmakers 

Programs: Master Class, Youth Division, Screenwriting, and 

Consultation 

aBetterFilm.com’s goal is to personally guide new and 

independent filmmakers in writing, producing, directing, 

editing, and marketing their own films. Brooks Elms, 

creator and mentor at aBetterFilm.com, is an award-winning 

independent filmmaker with 20 years experience and an 

alumni of the New York University Tisch School of the Arts 

Film Program. aBetterFilm.com offers individual attention, 

weekly personal check-ins to help set goals and track progress, 

unlimited email support, group support from a selected group 

of peers, and flexibility (you work from home or anywhere in 

the world). 

The Master Classes are for ages 18 and up. The “Premiere 

7 Week Session” will be held June 1 through July 17, 2009. 

Future 8-week sessions are tentatively scheduled for: Aug 17 

through Oct 9, 2009, and Oct 19 to Dec 11, 2009. 

The Youth Division is for ages 13 to 17. “Summer Cinema 

2009” will be held June 15 through August 28. “Saturday 

Cinema, Fall to Spring” will be held September 5, 2009 

through June 2010. 

The “Weekend Writing Cauldrons” are screenwriting 

programs held on Saturdays and Sundays. 

aBetterFilm.com also offers private consultation, where 

independent filmmakers have the option of working with 

Brooks directly through half hour and full hour sessions to 

address unique needs. Additionally, students may request and 

set up other dates and times for online mentorship. Simply 

contact Brooks through aBetterFilm.com’s official website 

at www.aBetterFilm.com to inquire about his schedule, view 

curriculums and apply. 

Special Offer: Sign up for aBetterFilm.com’s free 

E-Newsletter, and get 5% off anything from aBetterFilm.com. 

This Month’s Featured Products and Services 

for All Filmmakers, Videographers, and Storytellers 

Visit Edgewise Media’s Hi-Def Store: 

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Edgewise Media, Inc. covers all your video, audio, data media, 

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HD products including Mini DV HD, HDV, HDCAM, HDCAM 

SR, AMQ, and more. Of course Edgewise Media has all the 

basics covered also with everything you can think of from Mini 

DV and DVC Pro to Recordable DVD’s. With a wide array of 

media products, Edgewise Media is pleased to carry a full line 

of hard drive storage solutions. Free shipping on all orders over 

$50. Enter the coupon code “sfm50” during checkout. Browse 

and shop online at www.edgewise-media.com. 

Redlock Films Offers Camera and Lighting 

Equipment Rentals and Editing Services 

Featured Package: “The Indie Film Kit” ($580/day) 

Redlock Films is slashing prices to fit the tune of the economy 

film folks. They are currently offering a combination of 

equipment at the low price of $299/day. An HPX P2 Camera 

plus any of the following: Glidecam X10; Kessler Crane and 

accessories; Motorized head, 8 hi-def Ikan Deluxe monitor; 

Varizoom Iris and focus control - normally $275 on it’s own. 

Indie Dolly and track; 15ft straight, 13ft curved. Comes with 

operator, no extra charge, or a DP at $150/day. Editing services 

are also available. Details on all cameras, tripods, dolly & 

tracks, cranes and accessories, and camera stabilizers are listed 

on the website. Operator bonuses for members. Add-on kits at 

$250 per day or $750 per week. To rent or reserve Redlock 

Films’ indie kits now, visit redlockfilms.com/filmmaker-rentals 

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HD Royalty-Free Stock Footage from 

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Call for Entries 

Featured Film Festivals and Call-for-Entries 

Mark Your Calendars, Save the Dates 

Digital Age Short Film Competition Offers RED 

Scarlet 2/3” Fixed 8x Zoom as Grand Prize 

Open to All; Multiple Submissions Welcome 

Enter the Digital Age Short Film Competition for a chance 

to win the RED Scarlet independent filmmaker camera. 

Produce a one-minute short film. Revolve your story around 

a little red box, included as a prop. Upload as many short 

film and video entries as you wish. Sign up at sKarlets.com 

to receive updates and to become eligible. The submission 

deadline is September 1, 2009, 6pm, EST. Upload your 

entries to the sKarlets screening room. The judging criterion 

is based on originality and execution. The panel of judges 

will be announced on the official website. Email sKarlets. 

com for sponsorship opportunities via http://skarlets.com/. 

Submit Your Short Films to the 2009 Flatland Film 

Festival 

Compete for $3500 in Cash Awards 

Short film entries are now being accepted for the 5th Flatland 

Film Festival, a short film/video competition and film 

invitational which cultivates an appreciation for independent 

film, video and digital moving-image expression. Submission 

deadlines are June 5, 2009 (early), July 15, 2009 (regular), 

and August 1, 2009 (late). The festival will take place October 

15 through 17, 2009, in the Firehouse Theatre at the Louise 

Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts in Lubbock, Texas. 

Prize list: $1,000 Flatland Film Festival Grand Prize; $750 

Preston E. Smith Award; $500 James W. Johnson Award; 

$500 James B. Storey American Experience Award; $500 

Chris Caddel Flatland Filmmaker Award; $250 Lubbock Arts 

Alliance Audience Award. Visit www.flatlandfilmfestival.com. 

Wyoming Film Office Provides $25,000 First Place 

Prize for the Wyoming Film Festival 

Help Decide Who Will Win The People’s Choice Award 

With the Wyoming Film Office providing the $25,000 first 

place prize, Wyoming Film Festival’s contest is designed to 


foster film production in and about the state, giving filmmakers 

an opportunity and an incentive to shoot Wyoming. The film 

contest requires all entries to take place in Wyoming, feature 

Wyoming, or present Wyoming as a character in the storyline. 

This state is a beautiful place, and that’s true if you’re a 

cowboy or a camera operator. The Wyoming Film Office hopes 

you choose to take advantage of the contest and looks forward 

to all of your entries. Watch official film entries and vote for 

your favorite films on The Wyoming Film Office’s official 

blog at http://filmwyoming.blogspot.com/2008/11/2nd-annual- 

wyoming-short-film-contest.html 

Send Your One-Minute Films to FilmOneFest by 

June 1, 2009 

Attend the FilmOneFest Festival on July 18, 2009 

FilmOneFest extends its film submission deadline. You now 

have until June 1, 2009 to send FilmOneFest a minute of your 

life, love and expression. FilmOneFest premiers July 18, 2009, 

in historic Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Films and videos will be 

screened under the stars on a 40-foot screen with picturesque 

Sandy Hook Bay and Lower Manhattan as backdrops. Check 

the FilmOneFest website for submission guidelines at www. 

FilmOneFest.org. Awards will be presented in all categories. 

Join the CineYouth Festival June 19 & 20, 2009 

CineYouth Film Entry Deadline Extended to May 25, 2009 

The CineYouth Festival’s film entry deadline has been extended. 

Submit your short films and videos for the 5th Annual 

CineYouth Festival, which will take place June 19 & 20, 2009. 

The festival is presented by The Chicago International Film 

Festival. Entries of films 10 minutes or less are due by May 25. 

The Festival includes editing, screenwriting and film school 

workshops. Films in official selection are screened at Columbia 

College Chicago, and award-winning filmmakers receive cash 

prizes, scholarships and their film shown during the 45th 

Chicago International Film Festival (October 8 through 21, 

2009). Information and details on submission guidelines at 

www.chicagofilmfestival.com. (click “Education”.) 

Summer Shorts 2009 

 

Open to ALL Filmmakers, Videomakers, and Animators. 

All genres and multiple submissions welcome. 

Eligible entries will be showcased online. 

Submit your films, videos, and animations. No entry fee. 

http://networking.studentfilmmakers.com/videos/ 

The Summer Shorts 2009 Awards will recognize and honor the top three winners 

by awarding 1st Place, 2nd Place, and 3rd Place prizes. The top three awards 

recipients will also be featured in StudentFilmmakers Magazine. 

Philosophy: The goal of the Summer Shorts Awards is to help facilitate the 

sharing of ideas and techniques within the independent filmmaker community 

and to showcase the talents of filmmakers by providing them with a platform in 

the public to advance their careers. 

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Eddie Brian Semaan 

Profile: Telecinesys 

Job: Camera Operator/DOP 

Location: Córdoba, Argentina 

http://networking.studentfilmmakers.com/Telecinesys 

On the Cover of this month’s edition is a behind- 

the-scenes production still taken during the 

filming of independent filmmaker Christian 

Leiva’s El Serial, a trailer written, shot, and edited 

for a fake trailers festival and competition. The 

crewmember on the Cover and behind the 

camera is Eddie Brian Semaan, who serves as 

the primary camera operator for El Serial. 

The Story: “El Serial’s story is based on the 

true story of Marcelo Sajen, a serial rapist who 

terrorized Cordoba, Argentina, for over a decade 

before he was eventually stopped. Christian Leiva 

originally intended El Serial to be a short film 

for his film school thesis. However, due to the 

importance and complexity of the story, which is 

based on actual events, Christian decided to turn 

it into an independent full feature.” 

1. From left: Christian Leiva (Director), Eddie 

Semaan (Camera Operator), actresses Silvina 

Balangione and Ana Victoria Rosso, Antonella 

Bolatti (Production Sound Mixer), and Parvati 

Torres (1st AD) on the set of El Serial teaser. 

2. From left: Parvati Torres (1st AD), Christian 

Leiva (Director), and Eddie Semaan (Camera 

Operator) check composition of actors Manuel 

Wayar and Patricia Rojo during the filming of 

the El Serial teaser. 

3. From left: Rodrigo Zaya (Electrician), Eddie 

Semaan (Camera Operator), and Christian 

Leiva (Director) during the filming of El Serial in 

Argentina. 

4. From Left: Antonella Bolatti (Production Sound 

Mixer), Parvati Torres (1st AD), and Eddie 

Semaan (Camera Operator) with background 

action during the filming of El Serial. 


Unique Challenge/Solution: “There was a 

day when we needed to film a scene involving 

soccer players on a soccer field, and we had the 

field but no players. We went from house to 

house rounding up as many people as we could. 

Within an hour, we had a whole soccer team of 

background actors who patiently stayed with us 

for the duration of the day.” 

Biggest Challenge/Solution: “We used actual 

on-duty police officers to play the role of the 

police. It added to the sense of authenticity. 

Although due to the fact they were still on duty, 

there were times while in the middle of filming 

they would have to respond to a call. All havoc 

would break loose as the crew would run around 

and move lights, cables, dolly track and cameras 

out of the way, so the police could leave without 

running over our equipment. We’d simply 

postpone shooting until the police returned. They 

were pretty good about it and returned rather 

quickly.” 

å ç 

5. From Left: Eddie Semaan (Camera Operator), 

Christian Leiva (Director), Jonatan Magario 

(DOP), and Magali Merida (Co-Director) during 

the filming of El Serial. 

6. From left: Christian Leiva (Director), Eddie 

Semaan (Camera Operator), Antonella Bolatti 

and Melissa Stasiak (Sound Department), Parvati 

Torres (1st AD), Ania Boccetti (Art Director), and 

actress Ana Victoria Rosso (center) on the set of 

El Serial teaser. 

7. From left: Christian Leiva (Director), Rubén 

Magario (actor), and Eddie Semaan (Camera 

Operator) during the filming of El Serial in 

Córdoba, Argentina. 

8. From left: Jonatan Magario (DOP), Christian 

Leiva (Director), Martin Araujo (Production), 

Melissa Stasiak (Sound Technician), Magali 

Merida (Co-Director), Eddie Semaan (Camera 

Filmmaking in Argentina: “Argentina has some 

very capable and well-skilled technicians. There 

are also some very beautiful filming locations. 

The only real drawbacks are that Argentines 

don’t seem to be as safety conscious as their US 

or European counterparts when it involves film 

equipment. I’ve seen crew members do things 

with equipment in Argentina that would amount 

to professional suicide if it were done in the US. 

There’s a bit of theft as well and security is a major 

issue.” 

Favorite Tools: “I’m the proud owner of RED 

ONE Cameras #1589 and #1600. The RED is my 

overall favorite filmmaking tool. Though as far 

as HDV cameras are concerned, my personal 

preference would have to be the JVC GY-HD 251. 

Interchangeable lenses are a must for me and the 

JVC gives me a great deal latitude in this respect. 

The teaser for El Serial was filmed using the JVC, 

and we’ll be using the RED’s for the full feature.” 

Operator) and Production Sound Mixer 

Antonella Bolatti (in van) during filming of El 

Serial teaser. Córdoba, Argentina. 

9. From left: Melissa Stasiak (Sound Technician), 

Eddie Semaan (Camera Operator), Christian 

Leiva (Director), Magali Merida (Co-director), 

and Parvati Torres (1st AD) on the set of El Serial 

teaser. 

10. From right: Antonella Bolatti (Production 

Sound Mixer), Melissa Stasiak (Sound 

Technician), Manuel Wayar (Actor), Parvati 

Torres (1st AD), Rodrigo Zaya (Electrician), 

Jonatan Magario (DOP), Christian Leiva 

(Director), Eddie Semaan (Camera Operator), 

and Pablo Soto (Camera Assistant) during the 

filming of El Serial teaser. Argentina. 

é è 

ê ë 

í ì 

î ï 



Donald L. Vasicek 

Profile: DonaldLVasicek 

Job: Writer, Filmmaker, Consultant 

Location: Centennial, Colorado 

Work: “I write scripts. I direct and produce documentary 

films, short films, and feature films. I consult with writers, 

directors, and producers regarding their individual 

vocations.” 

Challenge: “Writing and making films presents many 

challenges because you’re going into basically uncharted 

territory, creatively. You have to nail down what you set 

out to write, direct, and/or produce. One big challenge 

I had was to interview thirteen Native Americans in 

one day. The challenge existed in communication, and 

getting the interviews on camera in about ten hours.” 

Solution: “To frame the interview questions so that it 

would bring out of the interviewees what they most 

wanted to discuss, yet making certain they stayed on 

track with the subject matter and theme.” 

Technique: “I have spent hours getting the lighting just 

right. With the Sony PD170, as long as I make sure what I 

am filming is ‘bathed’ in real light (sunlight), I am able to 

get the shots I want. The Sony PD170 bears a tremendous 

ability to self-adjust with respect to lighting and sound. 

If you go into a room, or if you are outside, simply strive 

to utilize the natural light, the sun, as much as you can, 

and you won’t go wrong. The thing is to make sure the 

sunlight is hitting what you are going to shoot to the side 

or at angle to your subject matter.” 

Favorite Tool: “The computer. I’m first, a writer, then 

everything else. I love to write. The computer provides 

a tool that saves me time when I have to research. 

Before computers, I had to make a list of things I needed 

to research, then truck over to the library and start 


Writer/filmmaker Donald L. Vasicek and 

Edward Harrison, Southern Cheyenne. 

http://networking.studentfilmmakers.com/DonaldLVasicek 

researching. This really hindered my creativity. When you 

get on a roll when writing, you want to stay with it, and 

not be interrupted. The computer saves me a lot of time, 

energy and helps preserve my creativity. 

“I also love my Sony PD170 camera. It does for me what I 

want it to do without a lot of fiddling around with sound 

and light. It’s easy to handle, and it gets sound and 

lighting down. I can rely on it and trust it.” 

Credits: 

— Faces, Writer, Director, Producer - Olympus 

Films+, LLC (www.donvasicek.com) 

documentary film. 

— Warriors of Virtue, Writer/Consultant - MGM 

feature film. 

— Die Hard with a Vengeance, Extra - 20th Century 

Fox feature film. 

— Mystery of Flight 1501, Extra - ABC Movie of the 

Week. 

— The Sand Creek Massacre, Writer, Director, 

Producer - Olympus Films+, LLC award- 

winning documentary film. 

— Father Dowling, Extra - ABC episodic series. 

— The Lost Heart, Writer - American Pictures 

feature film. 

— Born to Kill, Writer - Rocky Group, Inc. feature 

film. 

— Born to Win, Writer, Story - Incline Productions, 

Inc. cable television movie. 

— Genocide in America, Writer, Director, Producer 

- Olympus Films+, LLC documentary film. 

Writer/filmmaker Donald L. Vasicek and 

filmmaker Shonie De La Rosa. 

Michael Roland Williams 

Profile: MichaelRoland 

Job: Writer, Producer, Director, Editor, Actor 

Location: California, New York, Texas 

http://networking.studentfilmmakers.com/MichaelRoland 

Work: “I wrote, produced, directed, and edited 

the documentary, Black Mold Exposure (www. 

blackmoldexposuremovie.com). The film 

premiered in Dallas, TX on April 15, and will 

screen May 14 in Cambridge, MA; May 19, in 

Seattle, WA; May 26 in Houston, TX; and June 16 

in Chicago, IL. All the screening thus far will be 

within the Landmark Theatre chain. Prior to that, 

my experience in film was as an actor.” 

Inspiration: “Inspiration is everywhere. I carry a 

3x4 composition notebook and a wallet pen in my 

pocket, and when I get an idea or I see something 

that inspires me, I write it down.” 

Alan Chase Shumway 

Profile: chaseshumwaydotcom 

Job: Videographer, Director, Writer, Host 

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada 

Challenge: “Time and money. The mortal 

enemies of filmmaking. You can never have 

enough of either.” 

http://networking.studentfilmmakers.com/chaseshumwaydotcom 

Work: “These days I do a lot of graphic design for 

television, but my main passion is creating videos 

and films, and hosting my internet radio show, 

Who Asked You?. My main video/film projects the 

last couple of years have been our fake [funny] 

newscasts. Our satirical take on local TV news 

has developed a small fan base on the internet. 

We had such a great response to our first one 

we decided to do a sequel to it. Both can be 

seen on my StudentFilmmaker.com profile or on 

my website at www.chaseshumway.com.” 

Technique: “Since I’m always the editor on my 

projects I start the editing process in my head 

even while doing tasks like setting up lights or 

a tripod. I’m constantly blocking the shots in my 

mind deciding how I’m going to assemble them 

in editing. Making sure the talent pauses so I have 

an edit point, etc. I get exactly the shots I want and 

just the right cover or cutaways, mainly because 

I already know how I’m going to edit it. If I’m 

shooting for another editor, or I’m not sure how 

I’m going to edit something, then that’s different. 

But for the most part I often mind-edit the video 

while writing or shooting it. So I don’t have huge 

amounts of footage to sift through and essentially 

have the scene’s imagery narrowed down.” 

Challenge: “Time and money. You’ll notice with 

my work that it’s a core group of guys and gals. 

We all have other jobs so scheduling shoots or 

writing sessions is really tough.” 

Solution: “We’re fortunate right now to have 

Solution: “One way to lower your budget is to hire 

talented people who haven’t been noticed yet. If 

they’re excited about your project, then they’ll be 

willing to work for the potential exposure that the 

project will bring. And there are a lot of talented 

people out there.” 

Favorite Tool: “Steadicam. It’s the ‘go anywhere 

and film’ tool.” 

Favorite Technique: “Whatever works. I’m not 

partial to any technique or camera. I use whatever 

it takes to get the shot I need that I think is true to 

the scene.” 

Photo courtesy of Looking Glass 

Entertainment Company. Michael Roland 

Williams (director) and Ryan Wigzell (camera) 

setting up a shot for the feature-length 

documentary, Black Mold Exposure. 

a golden day each week when we’re all pretty 

much available the entire day. That helps a lot 

for meeting up and writing scripts or shooting. 

But it’s tough to only have one or two shoot days 

a week to do so. Our newscasts, around 40 to 45 

minutes per show took us a year to shoot each. 

And as for money, I come from cable access and 

a PBS member station, so shooting with a limited 

budget is embedded in my blood. We pool our 

funds together whenever possible, but if the guys 

want to shoot something that’s just out of our 

range budget-wise, I’ll take a day and figure out 

a way to do it for less money. For example, one 

of our scenes on our first newscast is the traffic 

reporter in the helicopter. We couldn’t rent a real 

chopper so we used his Honda Accord. I angled 

the camera low like they do in a news chopper 

sometimes, added a flicker in After Effects and 

the engine sound of a helicopter and a filter on 

our actor’s voice and bingo. A lot of people don’t 

realize at first that it’s in a car, so I guess we did 

alright. At the same time, that’s kind of the punch 

line in our videos - ‘oh, look how cheap that is.’” 

Favorite Tools: “Adobe After Effects because 

it opens the possibilities up for doing so many 

awesome things with your video or film. And, a 

good Sennheiser shotgun microphone. People 

will tolerate bad video a lot more than they will 

bad audio. Use a boom, a wireless, a shotgun - 

anything to get good sound.” 


Many Thanks 

Laurent Andrieux Carl Filoreto 

Fred Ginsburg C.A.S. 

Ph.D. MBKS 

Sherri Sheridan Bryant Falk Dean Goldberg 

For advertising and sponsorship opportunities, 

please contact Kim Welch at 212.255.5458, or send an email via our online form at 

www.studentfilmmakers.com/advertise.shtml 

 

 

 

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