RobMakesMovies.com

Anyone that’s been around me over the past weeks could probably tell you how psyched I am to see Transformers: ROTF in IMAX opening night. I’ve been annoyingly persistent about having my friends buy tickets to got with me, regardless of the fact they’re $17 a pop. I don’t care, it’s going to be fuckin’ SICK!

Anyway, here is the newly released music video for Linkin Park’s “New Divide.” This single is the theme, so to say, of Transformers 2, like “What I’ve Done” was for the first one. Well folks, here’s the video:

I kinda like it, but at the same time, I hate the paint blurring. I want to see the sweet effects, not a series of smudges. The infared I’m okay with for certain parts, but there were far too many uses of it in this video.

What I did, for my own benefit because it flew by so quickly, was to screen-capture the TF2 clips that I found in the music video. I’ve uploaded them below. Sorry for the low res, they came from the MySpace video player. Still capable of seeing what they are though. Enjoy:

So who else is ready for this movie to come out?

- Robert

I’ve been following Tucker Max’s I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell film as it has gone through the process of finding a studio to fund, getting the production rolling, and getting a distributor. All throughout the process, Tucker would update his blog with words of encouragement to his fans, “This movie is so fucking awesome, I am convinced it’s going to be a hit…” and so on and so forth. Recently he announced the film had picked up a Distributor… Yay. He never really got into who it was, or anything else. As I was perusing Box Office Mojo today, I found out.

Freestyle Releasing, known most recently for spreading more Uwe Boll trash, such as In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, has picked up the distribution rights. Now, the reason this is a bad, is because of the initial release that is currently listed. According to Box Office Mojo, the September 25, 2009, release of I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell is set at 450 theaters. Source. What makes this BAD is the fact that Freestyle’s history of films making a decent theatrical gross, especially with films budgeted at $10,000,000(Like Beer In Hell was), isn’t good unless there is a release of 1,600 or more theaters. The films that Freestyle Releasing has that had ~450 theaters on it’s initial release made no more than $4,078,607. That number is Freestyle’s August 2008 release Bottle Shock.

Now does my concern seem validated? Now I don’t have the background details, so Tucker’s blog post stating,

We still haven’t decided precisely how many screens we will open on or in what cities. This has become a very interesting discussion: Do we open relatively small the first weekend and open on 500 screens in the key 50 markets only, which will get massive per screen averages and build buzz for an expansion (like Slumdog Millionaire), or do we immediately open wide with 2000 screens in every market (like most studio movies)?

may be the truth, or might not. He has no reason to lie, unless he knows it would sound bad that the movie based on his bestselling book is in the shitter. He does have a massive tour designed to hit up damn near every major college in the U.S., which is definitely a great way to generate additional buzz, but it still seems strange that the Producers would keep the 450 theater release as an option, if this was “going to be a hit either way…”

Something doesn’t smell right about this. Far too many good things to set this film in motion, only to be halted here. It seems to me like someone either got greedy with their contracts, or made a dumb decision.

I guess we’ll all have to see how this pans out.

-Robert

I have many friends that like different types of films, but the one season where our tastes merge is generally during the summer blockbuster season. This year, even that is different. The summer blockbusters are:

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Released May 1st
Star Trek - Released May 8th
Terminator Salvation - To Be Released on May 21st
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - To Be Released on June 24th
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - To Be Released on July 15th
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra - To Be Released on August 7th

Among all of those tentpoles, my greatest desire is to see Transformers in IMAX, on opening night. Most of my friends are more excited to see Terminator, but I have my doubts about it after seeing a very slow cut action sequence. The feeling just seemed very off for an action film, much less a Terminator film. THR already issued a review blasting the film. Other reviews have stated that the action carries the film because the drama is very lacking.

Honestly, if McG fucked up this film. Fans will want to tear him apart worse than Star Wars geeks hate George Lucas for Jar Jar.

- Robert

P.S. Here’s a TV Spot that should show you why I’m so psyched to see Transformers:

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen “It’s On..” from Bay Films/Michael Bay Dot Com on Vimeo.

I was just pointed in the direction of some new renders that popped out of RED a few days ago. These pics show either models or working prototypes(I don’t know because no test footage has been released as of today). All I know is that I’d like the EPIC S35 Pro Cinema camera they release during the summer/fall of this year(supposedly).

Today, well yesterday to be ‘technically’ correct, I had the experience of a lifetime. I shot Super 16mm Film on an Aaton Xtera film camera. Though I plan to do this for years to come, it was so amazing to actually be the one selecting the shot, focusing, and rolling the film through the gate to be exposed at 24 frames per second. Basically, I had my filmmaking cherry popped, and it was an orgasmic experience.

At this point I’d happily switch between shooting film and HD video. I had a feeling this would happen once I shot on it, and it definitely did. As so many people say, “It’s just more organic to shoot on film.” I whole-heartedly agree. If I had the money to do it, I’d buy a 16mm camera tomorrow. The advances in the scanning process have allowed Super 16mm to be transferred over and projected in 35mm projectors with near lossless quality.

From here I definitely want to try and shoot a short on Super 16mm. The biggest “issue” is the one that is the primary reason for going digital: cost. Shooting on film is expensive. Money goes into lab fees for processing and digital transfer for editing, not to mention the cost of actually buying the film. Renting isn’t as much of a cost(especially with student rates available most places), but insurance to get the rental and permit fees can be pricey depending on the subject matter and location.

Filmmaking is a business-based form of art. I’m not blind to that fact at all. I just prefer handling the art side first. I don’t like the idea of being a “suit” except for the creative-control part of being a Producer. I’d happily create debt to be a filmmaker. Hell, that’s what I’m doing going to school(student loans). I haven’t decided if I want to stay another year for a Masters Degree in Entertainment Business, but it has been floating about my brain for the past month or so. I don’t know… we’ll have to see.

- Robert