Author: Ted Hope

Categories
These Are Those Things

Movies I Have Wanted To Make #1

I have a list. Okay, I admit I have many lists. And there are subsets of those many lists. And occasionally some of those subsets even overlap.

On the list of True Stories I Would Like To Find A Movie To Make Incorporating Some Of That Truth In is a small subset incorporating those true Sports stories. There’s also one that incorporates true Drug tales. And yes, as you might have guessed, there is more than one crossover between the two of those subsets.
Now I also admit it did not occur to me to turn those over to animation. I am glad someone did have that inspiration — even if they did beat to it in terms of portraying one of those key moments of intersection.
The animated documentary is quickly becoming one of my favorite film forms too: Waltz With Bashir, Ryan, I Met The Walrus, Chicago 10, and now this:

Thank you James Blagden and No Mas TV!

And thank you J. Max Ruschak for the tip!
Categories
Bowl Of Noses

Bouncing Balls

Okay, we are placing bouncing balls in a bigger bowl. What can we say it? There’s something about an out of control ball that just makes us happy. Balls, balls, balls, balls, balls, and more balls.

Sorry about posting a commercial but sometimes a nose has just got do what it’s gotta do.

Categories
Bowl Of Noses

Game:Crayon Physics

Crayon Physics is a bit like the iPhone app Trace, so it looks like a lot of fun. It won the Independent Games Award in 2008, whatever that is.

Crayon Physics Deluxe from Petri Purho on Vimeo.

We’ve put it on our wish list in the Bowl. It is a 2D physics puzzle / sandbox game, in which you get to experience what it would be like if your drawings would be magically transformed into real physical objects. Solve puzzles with your artistic vision and creative use of physics. Check out their website for more details.

Categories
Truly Free Film

15 Ways To Show Your Collaborators You Appreciate Them

As an indie film producer, what can you do to show appreciation for all those that are helping you make your film?

  1. Do your job well. Make a film everyone is proud of. Give the team memories that they were lead well.
  2. Provide timely information and decisive actions, as clearly as possible. Don’t try to hide anything. Don’t sugar coat; speak truthfully about the situation — reality may not be pretty, but presenting it clarifies your mutual trust.
  3. Recognize how well your collaborators do their jobs and show how much you appreciate them. Show respect. You can’t make this film without them; they chose to join you and you are fortunate to have them.
  4. Learn everyone’s name. Learn something about them. Take interest in their lives. Remember & celebrate their birthdays. Thank them for their work.
  5. Demonstrate that you are concerned for your crew’s health. Provide vitamins and sun screen. Can you provide flu shots on set? When someone is sick, send them home.
  6. Have a true commitment to safety. If working long hours on location, provide overnight accommodations. Don’t let people drive when they are over tired. Really have a safety meeting each day.
  7. Good food is quickest route to someone’s heart. Provide thoughtful craft service: healthy food, fun food, new food, fresh food. Work with your caterer to make sure people are getting what they want.
  8. Provide a constructive work environment. Keep the workplace clean and orderly. Don’t joke around camera. Don’t let people read in view of others. Give everyone access to information.
  9. Don’t contribute to a bad world. Help your team recycle. Don’t force them to waste due to their work situation. Use less paper.
  10. Bring some fun into their world. Provide entertainment or education at lunch breaks. Do “dollar days” at the end of the week.
  11. Let them help the world at large. Organize a blood drive at lunch during production, a toy drive, or coat drive during the winter months. Get absentee ballots when they will be working during election periods.
  12. Adopt and post/display strong anti-discrimination, anti-sexual harassment policies.
  13. Help them enjoy themselves. On location, provide an extensive entertainment list for all visiting crew and cast, including restaurants, theaters, medical, specialty stores, massage, and directions. Organize some group outings during non-working hours.
  14. Go that extra distance to make things better for the team. On location, provide laundry service. In booking travel, always enter everyone’s Frequent Flyer miles. Provide direction books in all vehicles.
  15. Recognize everyone as a key part of the process. Get them the tools they need to do their work well. Screen dailies and invite everyone. Create a blooper reel to screen for crew. Give them posters, DVDs, t-shirts. Inform them as to the progress of the production. Allow them to comment on the website.
When I have asked for some of these things from past production teams, I have occasionally met with some resistance. “I am a production manager, not a camp counselor!” “These people are adults; they should be able to take care of themselves!”.
 
I don’t agree. Everyone works hard. We need to show that we appreciate it. It’s funny though, when I put this question out there to the Facebook & Twitter worlds, I think people mostly recommended alcohol and backend points. Money and booze, maybe that’s all it takes…
 
Special thanks to all of you who contributed to this. This was a crowdsourced post.
Categories
These Are Those Things

I Love Procrastination

Procrastination is surfing the internet — and finding things you love. Procrastination is putting things you like on your blog about the things you like.

John Kelly brings a lot of joy to procrastination.
Thanks to booooooom.com for all the great curating!
Categories
Bowl Of Noses

Even Little Dummies Can Sing!

Some say this is the weirdest Beatles’ cover EVER! We wish they sang on our corner every weekend.

Thanks BoingBoing!
Categories
Bowl Of Noses

Our Favorite Monsters: Mr. Can Can Man

Okay, so he speaks French and we can not understand. But we know he cares about recycling and we really dig how he looks so we just had to put him in our bowl.

You can find him here. There are 4 or so different spots to view — and you can tell your parents you are practicing French!