Daniel Don't Cry Production

We just wrapped production on the short Daniel Don't Cry, which I co-wrote and co-directed. The first day of the shoot was such a thrill for me as I watched the crew and the stunt team give life and substance to the words I've written. Everyday of the shoot was a treat for me.

Independent Spirit Awards - Tonight - in LA and on IFC

The Independent Spirit is... from Independent Spirit Awards

Daniel Don't Cry Sound Editor's Cool Suite

My girlfriend, my co-director, and I visited Chris, our sound editor down in the OC. He won an Emmy for sound mixing, and he and I have worked together before. Chris shared many insights and experience with us. He's created a very professional and welcoming environment with his sound studio.

FIND Director's Close-up: Comedy

I learnt that a woman, Amy Heckerling, directed Fast Time at Ridgemont High -- just another example of how our biases can limit our mind.

Daniel Don't Cry Planning Aerial Stunts

Daniel Don't Cry is a short I plan to co-direct at the end of this month. It involves cool, sophisticated stunts. Today, the stunt coordinator, producer, co-director, and I planned the stunts on location.

FIND Director's Close-up: John Lee Hancock

Director Hancock (The Blindside), his casting director, and actors gave a revealing and interesting talk about casting and directing actors tonight. Jason Patric had many insightful things to say about acting.

Directors Close-up Kicks off with Jason Reitman

Jason Reitman, the Oscar-nominated director of Up in the Air, and his creative team pulled back the curtain and revealed the inner workings of an Best Picture Oscar-nominated movie.

The following directors and/or directors will speak at the subsequent Directors Close-up events, and I highly recommend you check them out:

Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer, upcoming Spider Man movie)
John August (Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland)
Mark Waters (Mean Girls)
Mike White (The School of Rock)
Neil Labute (Lakeview Terrace, In the Company of Men)
Michael Hoffman (The Last Station)


Directors Close-up Schedule | Film Independent

(I’m in high school,) what should I be doing right now (to be a filmmaker)?

DO IT NOW LIST:
1. Research: Everything about all the Shopping Festivals. Get to know the staff, go to screenings, follow what films they pick up all the way to their release, and meet as many filmmakers as you can.
2. Make films: It's important that you always have product of some kind or another, so if you're a filmmaker you should constantly be making films. When you finish one, start another. And so on and so on.
3. Write stuff: Even if you're a director and not a writer, it's important to use down time to write and come up with concepts. Writers always need to have fresh material and lots of scripts; well, so do directors.

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(Article courtesy of Film Independent and Heidi Van Lier)

Awards Watch: Directors Roundtable

(courtesy of THR)

This is any film lover's dream come true! Bigelow, Cameron, Daniels, Jackson, Reitman, and Tarantino sit in the same room and talk about their profession. 

Awards Watch: Directors Roundtable

Quentin Tarantino's Top 8 of 2009

His list shows that he has a reverence for genre (bending) films and hit-you-in-the-mouth type of movies.



(interview courtesy of THR)