by Iain Blair
Got a call from my sister who works in movies in Britain -  no strike problems there. She’s busier than ever and says it’s been a “great year”for the Brit. film biz. And the UK Film Council confirms it.They report that ’07 was a very strong year for UK box office with £904 […]

 by Iain Blair

A friend in the movie biz called and said she’s on the new Bond film – the 22nd!! in cinema’s longest franchise. Shooting finally started at Pinewood , a month behind schedule. The female lead is “still secret” she said – producers will announce the lucky actress by end o fJan. But  the […]

by Iain Blair
Amazing what a difference just a year can make in this business. Talking with good friend and veteran key grip George Palmer whose extensive credits include HBO’s acclaimed “Big Love” show, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and doing VFX for “Titanic” and “Aviator.”  He recently went on a trip to New Mexico to check […]

by Iain Blair
The writers strike is taking a toll, especially on the writers. Talked with top TV writer David Assael  (“Northern Exposure,” “StarTrek”  “Picket Fences”) who also has two films in development at Utopia Pictures, “Evan’s Crime” and “Glazed-Over.”  He jokes, “It was always hard explaining to me son exactly what I did, as there […]

by James Thompson
I recently attended PlasterCITY Digital Post’s Open House in Los Angeles where they were demonstrating the RED camera and postproduction workflows with RED data laboratory services. While standing in the DI theater line for the demo, Ted Schilowitz from RED Digital Cinema approached me to discuss the event.
I told him that at […]

 Iain Blair

Chatting with an old friend, veteran production sound mixer Lee Orloff, about how the current strike is affecting the rank-and-file. Orloff has worked on many high profile shoots, including “Terminator 2” (for which he won an Oscar), “The Abyss” (we hung out on the S. Carolina set together), “Heat” and all […]

 by Iain Blair
When you’re an indie filmmaker, you need passion for your project  - and plenty of patience and nerves of steel when it comes to financing. “The bottom line is always scary,” says filmmaker Tony Porter, who told me he did “whatever it takes” to help finance his new feature “Prefab doc” which he […]

by Richard D. Lewis
Last year Congress approved legislation that set a date of February 17, 2009 for the switch from analog to digital television. Managing that transition has already began. As of March 1, 2007, the FCC has required all televisions manufactured or imported into the United States to incorporate digital tuners. For televisions […]

By Richard D. Lewis
According to Strada, size does matter. The company offers the world’s longest camera crane, the Strada 100. Extending to 100 feet, this giant can reach out and grab those shots like no other crane in the industry. The crane features a motorized dolly for quick and easy placement; and according to the […]

by Iain Blair
HD technology isn’t just for glossy big budget projects anymore. Now thanks to smaller and smaller equipment, such as Sony’s palm-sized HC1 and HC5 HD cameras, indie filmmakers in particular are really benefiting. And documentary teams, especially ones covering dodgy, often illegal areas such as human & drug trafficking in Third World countries,are […]