101 Films

A friend recently asked me to make a list of "essential" films everyone should see.

I can't imagine why I agreed to this. But it was impossible to stop once I'd started. It was also virtually impossible to finish. So I set some parameters, and defaulted on some disclaimers, and produced a list of 101 movies.

Parameters: No animated films, and no documentaries, and only "foreign" films that have broadly and thoroughly permeated the American cinema aesthetic. **UPDATE: After several people called me out on this, I realized I should clarify. I have a deep respect for documentary and animation, but felt that I needed to narrow the scope of this "survey" of films. Animation and documentary each deserve their own lists, but I feel even less capable, let alone qualified, to make them.**

Disclaimers: This list is completely subjective. I didn't include films I don't like, though they may be important. It is also totally inadequate. But I did my best, without sinking more than a few hours into the project. It is also alphabetized, because I think it would be unreasonable to try to order these movies in a qualitative way.

Without even blinking, you could probably name a dozen films that, by their absence, prove I'm an absolute idiot. Oh well. Enjoy!

1. 12 Angry Men (1957)
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
3. The 400 Blows (1959)
4. Alien (1979)
5. All the President’s Men (1976)
6. Amadeus (1984)
7. Amelie (2001)
8. Avalon (2001)
9. Babette’s Feast (1987)
10. Back to the Future (1985)
11. Ben-Hur (1959)
12. Better Off Dead...(1985)
13. Blade Runner (1982)
14. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
15. Casablanca (1942)
16. Casino Royale (2006)
17. Citizen Kane (1941)
18. City Lights (1931)
19. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
20. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
21. The Dark Knight (2008)
22. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
23. Dead Poets Society (1989)
24. Deep Impact (1998)
25. Die Hard (1988)
26. Double Indemnity (1944)
27. Dr. Strange-love (1964)
28. Dumb and Dumber (1994)
29. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
30. The Elephant Man (1980)
31. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
32. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
33. Field of Dreams (1989)
34. Forrest Gump (1994)
35. The Fall (2006)
36. The Fugitive (1993)
37. Galaxy Quest (1999)
38. Gladiator (2000)
39. Godfathers I & 2 (1972, ’74)
40. Gone with the Wind (1939)
41. Good Will Hunting (1997)
42. The Great Dictator (1940)
43. The Great Escape (1963)
44. Groundhog Day (1993)
45. Harry Potter 
46. Hero (2002)
47. High Noon (1952)
48. The Hurt Locker (2008)
49. Inception (2010)
50. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
51. Jurassic Park (1993)
52. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
53. The Lord of the Rings (2001, ’02, ’03)
54. Malcom X (1992)
55. The Man in the White Suit (1951)
56. The Matrix (1999)
57. Men in Black (1997)
58. Metropolis (1927)
59. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
60. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) 
61. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
62. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
63. On the Waterfront (1954)
64. Ordinary People (1980)
65. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
66. The Patriot (2000)
67. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
68. The Pianist (2002)
69. The Princess Bride (1987)
70. Psycho (1960)
71. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
72. Rashomon (1950)
73. Rear Window (1954)
74. Rocky (1976)
75. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
76. Serendipity (2001)
77. Seven Samurai (1954)
78. The Seventh Seal (1957)
79. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
80. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
81. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
82. The Sixth Sense (1999)
83. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
84. Social Network (2010)
85. Some Like It Hot (1959)
86. The Sound of Music (1965)
87. Spartacus (1960)
88. Star Trek (2009)
89. Star Wars (1977-83)
90. The Sting (1973)
91. Take Shelter (2011)
92. The Terminator (1984)
93. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
94. Thank You for Smoking (2005)
95. The Tree of Life (2011)
96. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
97. V for Vendetta (2005)
98. West Side Story (1961)
99. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
100. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
101. Zombieland (2009)

Me, in Caricature

My friend Laura illustrated me:

I tell you this because she recently decided to start doing personal illustrations for $15 dollars, and I told her I thought that was a great idea, and requested one immediately. So there I am, in glorious caricature.

If you're interested, feel free to send her a message on Facebook, or leave a comment here, and I'll get you in touch with her. I've known Laura for quite a while, and I can vouch for both her professionalism and her skill.

As with many of my posts, you may be wondering what this has to do with being a film student. Well, nothing, directly. But I was very impressed by Laura's attitude. Why wait until some person tells you that you should be making money at what you do? You might as well start whenever you can. If you have a marketable skill, go market it!

*****

I am also to inform you that if you are willing to advertise her work, she'll drop the price to $10. Aren't you glad you kept reading?

...Quoth Ira Glass

I've been a fan of This American Life (no, not my American life--I'm talking about the show) for years now. It is one of the few works of media that remains undiminished in its capacity to enrich its audience, despite the sheer size and nature of that audience. Ira Glass, the show's creator, has managed to preserve its whole integrity. As an artist and a reporter, as a thinker and a contributor to the world of media, specifically to radio, he is unsurpassed.

You have to trust a man with a desk in the mountains.

I say all this by way of introduction, because what follows is a quote that has earned its trip around the Internet. I'm not much for quotes, typically. Too often they're mis-attributed, or you don't know enough about who said it to make any difference. But if anyone is qualified to make this case, it is Ira Glass:

A friend and fellow screenwriter (one of my peers at BU) shared this on Facebook, and I was sufficiently impressed to want to spend more than a follow-up comment on it. Perhaps I'll better remember it now that I've dedicated a whole blog post to it.

I've spent a good part of the last four months feeling crappy about my work. I decided after reading this that that's good enough. I've had my fill of humble pie. It's time to dig in and, as Ira suggests, "do a lot of work." I can look at my writing, at my efforts and sweat and blood, and I can say, "This isn't very good." And then, instead of whining about it, I can say OK, and push it aside, and get back to work.

I will end with this open letter to Ira Glass:

Ira,

Thou art the man.

Respectfully,

Jordan.

Office Nerd Party!

Today, I let my inner-office nerd have full reign.

To start, a really, really cool stop-motion advertisement:




Are you a pen person? Do you get unreasonably excited when you discover the next "perfect" writing utensil? It's OK. I've discovered that there are a lot of us. And I have good news: I recently discovered the perfect pen:

Of course, it depends on what kind of pen you prefer, but if you're all about ultra-fine tip gel pens that don't smear a split second after the ink hits the paper, then I can safely say I know of no better alternative. You can get 3 for 5 bucks on Amazon. You're welcome.

Speaking of best things, when I ordered my last set of business cards, I went a little psycho looking for the best place to get them. After a whole lot of research (and an embarrassing amount of time), I came to the conclusion that OvernightPrints was it. I should probably qualify that by acknowledging that there are much, much more expensive options that will probably deliver much sexier products, but when it comes to quality/price ratios, OvernightPrints wins. 

Here's why I've been thinking about business cards: I'm getting new ones! I spent a good portion of yesterday and today designing what will become the spine of my self-branding, and here is the sum of my work:

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

As you can see, I'm struggling to decide how exactly to design the back. I need you. This is the moment you've been waiting for. Please vote on which option you think is most awesome. And feel free to elaborate if you'd like.

Also, is there a pen you adore, that you'd like to share abroad with songs of wonder and praise? Put that in the comments, too.

A 2190 Christmas Extravaganza! (part 2)

Already you know (because I've said it forthrightly) that I love Christmas. This is at least in part because I love winter, in general. Every year, I go a little crazy about hot chocolate. I'm on this constant search for the perfect cup of cocoa, and I've found some great candidates.

But there's no better way to get the perfect cocoa than to make it yourself.

Today, I will share with you a recipe I created, which I have lovingly called:

Hot Chocolate FTW:

(makes 6-7 cups)

5 c. milk
1 c. 1/2 & 1/2
2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar (dark)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves

Cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine ingredients in pot, wet first, then dry, heat to simmer, but do not boil. Stir constantly until ready to serve.

This recipe makes extremely rich, dark hot chocolate. Obviously, the better the quality of cocoa powder, the better the end product. This is a huge departure from any instant mix you may have tried, so beware. It's excellent, but people aren't used to hot chocolate that means business. 

There are two perfect activities to combine with the consumption of hot chocolate: hanging out with people you love and watching movies. In fact, I devoted an entire article to excellent Christmas movies/specials for Rhombus Magazine. I don't write for them anymore, and in fact I think that the magazine has stopped updating entirely, but you can still find that article here - Christmas Watchlist (original title). I even specifically mentioned that perfect trifecta at the end (yes, I'm quoting myself): 

It’s cold outside. Regardless of whether or not you have any interest in any of the titles I just listed, you will have wasted the season if you don’t spend a significant portion of it enjoying some great Christmas films with some hot chocolate and some great friends and family.  

So get to it, dear readers.

A List You Won't Care About

Here's what I have to get done this week:

• 6 script coverages
• Grade 23 8-page papers
• Create 9 multiple-choice questions for an exam
• Redraft 3 short scripts
• Write the first 10-20 pages of a feature
• Complete a 6-8 page (single-spaced) analysis of the film Ordinary People
• Read and critique screenplays from fellow students
• Study for and take an Acting final (I'm not real worried about this one)
• Write a final paper for same (again...)

I'm not doing one of those, "Everyone look how busy I am!" things. I just couldn't figure out what to post about, but I really wanted to keep my commitment. So I figured I'd present a good overview of what my experience with grad school will be this week, so close to what other people refer to as "finals." 

Also: as of a couple of days ago, it officially became OK to listen to Christmas music. I began yesterday with "Winter Moon," by Mindy Gledhill. 

If you want movie recommendations for Christmas, I published just such a list last year, when I was writing for Rhombus (which has unfortunately stopped updating entirely.) Here's a link. 

And here is a not-very-good picture I took:

Somewhere downtown. I can't remember precisely where. It was cold that day.

A Man Named John August

Because I am deeply generous, I have decided to share some things I recently found -- they are primarily the brain products of a man named John August. Have you heard of him? I hadn't, until several days ago. Though I probably should have.

Anyway, he's notable because he's doing what I'm sort of trying to do, albeit on a much grander scale. He's working in a craft he loves, and he's doing his best to help out anyone else who's interested in learning from him. I admire this so much I can't even describe it.

Here are the things:

• The Blog
• Screenwriting Q&A
• The Facebook page for his podcast: Scriptnotes

If you have any interest in screenwriting at all, I think these are invaluable resources. Check it all out.

Also, my Mormon.org profile went up over the weekend. WARNING: It has absolutely nothing to do with film studenting. But I am pleased about it nonetheless, and figured I'd share.

Lastly, a picture I took.

Taken with my iPhone, using the Pano app, at the Boston Public Library. Click for full size.

Have a lovely week.

Et Cetera

Here is the direct transcription of the pertinent task on my Wunderlist task list:

Blog! Sick, focusing, academia, QD, etc.

In an effort to keep things simple:

Sick

I got sick on the very first day of classes. Felt it coming on, then fought like crazy to keep it from getting bad. A few days later, I was feeling mostly fine, so I tried to jam way more into my days, and ended up getting sick again, but much worse. Took a week to find the end of it, where I found a sinus infection waiting for me. Getting rid of that was a pain, and now I'm...mostly ok. Still teetering, but trying to treat myself right with fear and trembling.

Also, herbal remedies. The next time you find yourself with a sinus infection, try this (apple cider vinegar tea). It works. Several times a day, for several days. It'll clear you out and allow your body to do the heavy lifting of actually getting rid of the infection. Seriously. I did it. It was great.

Being sick, by the way, is horrible. Not that you didn't know that, but I was reminded very forcibly of this most fundamental truth after the year (almost) I spent forgetting it.

Focusing

Back in the Utah, I divided my time between so many and such varied activities that I never really got good at anything. By now, I'm sure it's clear that I came here to focus on writing. I told myself that I needed to pick something, focus on it, and stick with it until I really developed the talent. Easier said than done, just like everything. It turns out that I still want to do all the stuff I was doing, and not doing it feels a little like giving up on life.

Of course, that sentiment is only exacerbated by my failure to write as often and as consistently as I VERY MUCH NEED TO, so that has been, or is becoming, my primary focus, as it were. I must write write write write. More on that later.

Academia

I'm not used to this. I feel like I spent a couple of years being a semi-professional, not getting paid, but doing all kinds of project-oriented things. I was doing things I loved, and things for which I would have been paid had I been out in the real world, but now I'm back in classes. Homework is hard, I'm rediscovering. Going to classes. Following syllabi. Frankly, it sucks. But I've only got a couple more years. They'll go by quick, and then it will be, quite literally, over for good.

QD (or, Quiet Dignity, for the uninitiate)



So proud of these guys for keeping it going after I left. I've been putting out feelers for how to go about setting up a coordinating group here in Boston. If you're a Bostonite, and you're reading this, and you're interested, let me know.

Et Cetera

Life is busy, and it's good. Quality. Full of good work and shining possibilities. But I'll admit I miss my old life pretty desperately sometimes. OK, often. But I brought it on myself by getting so close to so many wonderful people. And here I go again, trying to do the same thing here. I'll never learn.

Well, anyway. Check. Time to move on to my next task.

Feed Yourself

I got an email last week from a guy hoping to get some film students involved with another student venture (business related) that could potentially turn into something really cool for everyone involved. I won't go into detail, because it would be unnecessarily boring, but the point is that of course there was no way I could personally get involved, so I pointed him to Kyle Stapley, who updates the BYU film department's blog with film-related opportunities and internships.

A couple weeks ago, I talked about reaching out and taking opportunities as they come. At this stage of my life, where and when I am, stuff sort of rains on me. I have to turn things down constantly. I'm not bragging--especially since almost all of it is unpaid. But I constantly hear from younger students who are looking for more opportunities, paid or not, to cut their teeth on the business and processes of filmmaking. Many of these students even go so far as to email people like me personally.

Here's my response to one such recent email:

...whenever you find an opportunity to work on something, drop everything and go do it. It's helpful to bug people in a systematic way, too. For instance, it's certain I won't remember that you, specifically, are looking for set experience the next time I'm looking for people to help out on a project. So keep track of who you've asked, and then ask them if there's anything you can help out on every month or so. Once you get on set, you'll meet a whole bunch of people, and if you're proactive, you can usually easily find more opportunities from there.

I'll stand by that advice. I think it's good. But there's a better way.

It's knowing what kinds of resources to keep your eye on. I think this is a decent blog, but of course it's just one venue. For BYU students, I would strongly suggest finding a way to follow film.byu.edu, so that you know immediately when it updates.

Let me put it another way: It would be ABSURD not to.

Do you have a system of keeping up with online resources? I'm talking about RSS feeds, here. If you don't know what those are, I'm probably the wrong person to explain them, but the short of it is that setting up a feed reader (I use Google Reader, for instance) is a must.

Here's how it works--you remember to check up on one thing every day, and that one thing (your feed reader) updates you on all the other things you most certainly won't be able to remember to follow consistently on your own.



There is no excuse, in this era of almost total digital connectivity, to be out of the loop when it comes to local opportunities to get involved in filmmaking. All it takes is learning and using the tools.

So, as a re-cap, here's what you should do:

1. Go set up a Google Reader account (or another feed reader of your choice)
2. Learn how to use it (Google is wonderful with tutorials)
3. Subscribe to the film.byu.edu blog (if you're a BYU student)
4. Subscribe to 2190
5. Subscribe to the xkcd webcomic, because it's awesome
6. Subscribe to whatever else your eager heart desires (every blog has an RSS feed, and so does almost every website)
7. Faithfully check your Google Reader (or other feed reader of your choice) daily

This is something about which I feel pretty passionate. Some of my best film-related experiences have resulted directly from following film.byu.edu closely; I am a huge advocate of feed readers in general, and Google Reader in particular. This may come off sounding overly bold, but trust that I am entirely sincere when I tell you that, in my estimation, feed readers are nearly as important as email accounts. Please take a moment to consider that, and then take a few more moments to go set one up if you haven't already. 

***

Do you use a feed reader? If so, which one? What are your most valuable/awesome subscriptions? Please, share in the comments below. 

Better Busy than Bored

Last Sunday, at a gathering which involved something like a hundred people squeezed tightly into a small apartment to consume strawberry pie, I met with a guy who had previously contacted me on Facebook. Jonathan Walgamott. Go ahead and say that last name out loud.

Anyway, Jon was looking for help with some videography for a non-profit he helped start called Courage to Hope, the purpose of which is to try to combat domestic abuse. By chance, he ran across some of the stuff I’ve posted on Facebook, and decided to send a message asking if I’d be interested in hearing him out. I said sure. We chatted in the vicinity of a bunch of pie.

Why am I telling you this?

Several reasons, but, primarily, I’d like to lead by example when I can. I told Jon I’d be happy to pass along his request to other film-types, and that I’d also be willing to help write content that he could produce. It’s a non-profit, which means non-pay, but I believe in the cause (who wouldn’t?), so I think some small commitment is a good move on my part.

Here’s the principle: Commit to stuff. There are two parts. The first has to do with commitment, the second has to do with stuff. Altogether, the principle suggests (mandates!) that we fill our time with good things, and we fully invest in the things we’ve chosen.

A few years ago, I was sitting in class, and the teacher (Tom Morrill, from whom I learned more than I could ever adequately enumerate) mentioned that there was a student looking for a producer to help out with a capstone. He gave us her email address and told us to contact her if we were interested in helping out.

My first thought was, “Oh, well, I've never produced anything...” And then there came this epiphany: If I didn’t start reaching out and taking opportunities right then, as a young film student, when would I? It dawned on me that I’d never learn anything unless I committed to stuff that scared or stretched me in some way.

I emailed her.

Since then, filling my time with various projects and endeavors has become a habit. I’m not great at staying on top of everything, and I tend to overcommit, but I’ve learned that I’ll always be happier with being too busy than not having enough to do. If I find myself with enough time to watch stuff on Hulu every day, it means I have enough time to grab another opportunity, or commit to another project (or go on a date). It’s second nature. I often find myself overwhelmed, but I think that’s healthy.

So, if you’re reading this, and you’re feeling motivated to go take on something worthwhile, get some experience, and learn some things, send a Facebook message to Jonathan Walgamott, and let him know you’d like to get involved. You can tell him Jordan sent you (you don’t even have to mention that you follow my blog—I know it embarrasses you.)

***

Remember that time you were going to follow this blog, but then you forgot? I have great news! You still can! It involves only one. more. click. I know, I know--best news you've heard all day. You're WELCOME.

Sharing is...sharing...

A message a received this morning:

Hey Jordan,

I took TMA102 with you as my TA, and I have a favor to ask of you. I am reapplying for the media arts program in the Fall, and after talking with my advisor, it sounds like their biggest concern with my application was my lack of variety in my top ten most significant [films/books/shows/etc]. I have only ever watched mainstream things for the majority of my life and am not sure where to go to find good media outside of mainstream. Jeff Parkin recommended I ask you for some good suggests of movies and books I may enjoy that are less mainstream.

I was immediately flattered. How could I not be?

Anyway, I ended up spending a good bit of time on the my response, so I figured I'd...well, I'd...

SHARE IT WITH THE WORLD!

...sohereyougo:

Dear student-who-for-the-purposes-of-this-post-shall-remain-unnamed, 

I have to admit this is a tough question to adequately answer. Please understand up front that any list I can reasonably provide is going to be very limited. I would suggest that you try to talk to a few other people, and dig into other online resources to help you discover lesser-known media.

First, some important filmmakers outside of the "American mainstream": Ingmar Bergman (The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries), Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers, Hero, To Live, Curse of the Golden Flower), Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie).

Other specific films I'd suggest (in the "foreign" category) are: Persepolis (French/Iranian), The Band's Visit (Israeli), and The Host (Korean). 

More generally, these are currently my favorite directors (not including the ones you're sure to have heard of already): Danny Boyle (Millions, Sunshine, Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours), Frank Capra (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It's a Wonderful Life), Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy 2), Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim, mainly), Rian Johnson (The Brothers Bloom, Brick); Roman Polanski (The Pianist, Oliver Twist) 

Here's a list of all the Coen brothers' films you need to see: Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy, Intolerable Cruelty, O Brother Where Art Thou?, No Country for Old Men. 

Also, read that book - "No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy, and then read "The Road," by the same author.

Here's a list of books I love and think most people should read (author - title):

• Charles Dickens - "A Tale of Two Cities"; "Hard Times"; "David Copperfield"
• C.S. Lewis - "Screwtape Letters"; "That Hideous Strength"; "The Problem of Pain"
• Pearl S. Buck - "Dragon Seed"
• Yann Martel - "Life of Pi"
• Bram Stoker - "Dracula"
• Diane Setterfield - "The Thirteenth Tale"
• Orson Scott Card - "Ender's Game"
• Betty Smith - "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" 
• William Goldman - "The Princess Bride"
• Primo Levi - "The Periodic Table"
• Ray Bradbury - "The Martian Chronicles"; "Fahrenheit 451"
• Arthur C. Clarke - "2001: A Space Odyssey" 
• David Gemmell - "Legend"

Here are a handful of TV show recommendations:

• Breaking Bad
• The Twilight Zone (the original series)
• The West Wing
• Studio 60
• Samurai Jack
• Modern Family
• Lie to Me
• Firefly
• Home Movies
• This American Life

Lastly, you should subscribe to and begin listening to these podcasts immediately:

• This American Life
• Radiolab
• NPR's Intelligence Squared
• The Moth

Some important notes: this list is not comprehensive; it is necessarily limited because I myself am limited. There's also no human way you'll be able to consume all of that media over a summer, but you CAN work your way through a lot of it. I would suggest watching one film from each director (commit to watching several films per week, and you can probably get through them all), one book by each author, and one episode of each TV series and podcast. If you really love any particular filmmaker, author, series, or podcast, you can of course delve deeper.

Finally, please be careful about content. A lot of what I've listed contains stuff that would most certainly and justifiably offend some people. It's all valuable, but whether you'll be comfortable with one item or another is entirely dependent upon you. It's a very personal decision, so please don't just dive into anything. Check it out first--the rating, the content, some reviews, perhaps.

This message is quite long. Congratulations on reaching the end of it. Happy consuming!

***

Your turn! Take a moment to post a comment with a movie, book, TV show, or podcast about which the unwashed masses are unlikely to have heard.

Also, take one more moment to follow:

• the Facebook page
• @jabstraction on Twitter

Or just put my RSS in your feed reader. (I personally love Google Reader, and would undoubtedly perish without it.)

SOUND Online Magazine

Here's a bit of shameless self-promotion (as if this whole blog weren't that very thing): I am, as of the beginning of this week, officially writing for a new online magazine, headed up by my good friends Chase Larson and Kristin Clift. My emphasis will be, of course, film reviews.

I'm excited about this new magazine. Everyone involved is pretty talented, and I'm frankly honored to have been invited on board at the very beginning. The magazine will focus on music, releasing a "playlist of the week," but it will also cover an eclectic variety of other topics. Expect commentary on style, film (of course), politics, and whatever else kids these days seem to enjoy.

SOUND published my first review, of the recent Hanna, when the site launched at the beginning of the week. Check it out. Let me know what you think--of both my review and the magazine.

As always, I would be terribly grateful if you would take several seconds to comment.

Magic

I've been lost in this thing for almost two days.

I knew I wanted one, that it would be VAST improvement over my old phone, and that I would be very happy to have it.

However, thought I, surely I will endure some disenchantment. It can't be as wonderful as it seems from a distance.

But then I bought one and found out. The iPhone is made of magic.

OK, let me try to stop wasting your time. Here are some things that took me...too many hours to figure out. If you have an iPhone now, or are planning to get one soon, this might help you out.

1. Task Manager - The best app I've found so far (by far) is Wunderlist. It's beautiful. And it's free, with no ads. 
2. Email syncing - If, like me, you're still a Googlite, and you can't live without Gmail, and have no desire to mess around a whole lot with Mac's version of Mail, then go here. I still find myself preferring the mobile version of Gmail on my phone's browser, but that tutorial is the easiest and best way I've found to get my phone synced with my Google mail and calendar accounts (it works for contacts, too.)
3. Here is a list of apps I'll have to have forever. I list these in particular because this is a blog about being a film student, and I think all students of film would be benefitted by them. (I'll link to them or their non-mobile counterparts)
• (as already mentioned) Wunderlist
• Vimeo
• Netflix
• Kindle
• TED Mobile
• Goodreads

That's not a lot of stuff. Probably most of them aren't surprising. I'm new, as it turns out, to this whole app thing. What am I missing? Have you found apps that are particularly helpful to you in filmmaking or film studenting? (Feel free to discuss either iPhone OR Android apps.) How do you feel about smart phones in general? Are they necessary? To everyone? Anyone? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

***

If you haven't yet, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd do me a solid and click on "Like" over there on the Facebook page... (there I go begging again)

$500 a Minute

Everyone knows filmmaking is expensive. I've belabored the point enough by now (or maybe just for now). Even student filmmaking ends up being grandly expensive, but in a much different way.

I've talked about this idea before, the principle that what you don't spend in money you spend in time. I'd like to reemphasize this point on the eve of our third (and probably last) fundraiser for Weighted.

Because we started pre-production for this short film so far in advance, we had time for fundraisers. And fundraising takes So. Much. Time. Allow me to briefly elaborate, and then we can consider, with one another, whether the money we were able to raise was worth the effort we put into it.

TRON Dance Party:

Fundraising Team = 10 people
Average time spent per person = 16 hours

Net funds raised = (approx) $300
Total man-hours = (approx) 160

Value of average man-hour = $1.87

Have you ever worked for one dollar and eighty-seven cents an hour? You did if you worked on Weighted's first fundraiser.

Let's move on to a more lucrative effort.

Kickstarter:

With this effort, we spend the majority of our time putting some interview videos together to share with the people who visited the site. We hoped that if visitors had the chance to see our lovely faces, they would be overcome with pity and love, and give us money. It worked.

I'm not going to try to give the breakdown cost of the man-hours we spent here, but my guess is that we did a little better than a buck eighty-seven, and this method of fundraising was certainly our most profitable. What's interesting is that it was also our most straight-forward: "Please give us money."

Weighting for Spring Concert:

This one hasn't happened yet, but it has already cost us overwhelmingly more in man hours than any of our other fundraising efforts combined. The thing that's been killing us is having changed our plans over, and over, and over again. It turns out putting on a concert is, like, hard.

Originally, this was scheduled all the way back at the end of March. That means we started planning for this event back in February. It was going to be a rooftop concert. We found out later that was an impossible idea. Then it moved to another date, and another location. And then the date changed again. And then we had to pick a different location. Then we moved the date and location one more time. Oh, and through it all, our musician line-up changed constantly and totally.

Thankfully, it's all locked down now. You can read all about the event, which is happening tomorrow night, here.

We figured at the beginning that this ten-minute film would cost $5,000 to make. Hence the title of this post. The college (bless them) gave us 3K to start, and then it was up to us to raise the rest. We're all crossing our fingers that we can meet our goal. I think we will.

All told, 5K is not a lot of money for a film like the one we're making. I mean, shoot, we're making someone fly, right? It would be an interesting exercise to figure out what this whole thing might cost if everyone was getting paid, and we had to rent or buy everything we're using to make this movie. The RED camera alone would cost 500 a day. That would have been half our budget, just for the camera. Man.

Well, I've probably said way too much about what we're doing. My producer might kill me. Ah well, I've had a good run.