The Brettrnet

DIrecting kids is fun (for everyone else watching me).

charlesingram:

The right lens makes all the difference.

Lenses summed up in one gif.

aaronmoles:

Monopoly (Failed Channel 101 Pilot)

Okay.  Let’s run an autopsy.

Firstly, I thought this turned out great and I’m actually very proud of it in a lot of ways.  The lighting is amazing (Thank you, Cass Rasmussen!) and reminiscent of a cable drama, the performances are all very good, and it never really broke the tone I was going for.

But I do look at this, now having all come together as a finished show, perfect as it’ll ever be, and I feel it could have played better last night had I done some things different.  It was missing a few things to truly make it stand out.

I think, to make this a real HBO show, I think two things needed to happen:

A) It needed full-frontal nudity.  At no time in the writing process did it come up, but it wasn’t until I saw the final edit and had that perspective at the end, that I think it really needed it. All of their shows have this to some degree and I focused too much on plot and not enough of the trademark HBO sexiness we all know and love.

B) It should have actually been an hour long.  Yeah, I’m exaggerating, but the cut that felt the most natural for this show was the rough cut at 6 minutes and thirty seconds.  It was an 8-page script for a 5-minute show and, despite several rewrites, I never could get it down to a length that I wanted.  Next time I’m in that spot, I ain’t shooting it.

The cut that screened just jumped from scene to scene to scene at such a rapid pace.  I still don’t know what scene I’d lose (the cockfighting scene, maybe?), but there was no room for moments to breathe like they should have.

Also…

C) Not really an HBO thing, but it needed more of Angela’s character in the second half.  The fact that she’s so prominent in the first half, then has no lines in the last scene is a bit anticlimactic.  The way it is, it feels like it’s building to a change in her character that isn’t apparent on-screen (which was kind of deliberate to make her fate more jarring).

So now I find myself, yet again, at that point where I have to make that decision: do I take a break from Channel 101, or do I keep feeding into that addiction and take some of these fuckers out of Prime Time?

We’ll see what happens…

I really liked this show, and if Aaron takes a break, let’s hope it is brief, because Channel 101 is always wants more Moles.

(via channel101tumblr)

Atencioblog: 6 Filmmaking Tips from David Fincher

spytap:

tyrannosaurpaddock:

1) “What you learn from that first [film] - and I don’t call it ‘trial by fire’; I call it ‘baptism by fire’ - is that you are going to have to take all of the responsibility, because basically when it gets right down to it, you are going to get all of…

Ya gotta have plates.

I got podcasted!  9 year-old Gil was interviewed for the next episode of Parent Project coming out this month and he was kind enough to invite me onto his podcast as well.

SPOILER ALERT:  We talk about his story for this month’s 101.  We also talk about Catzilla and Ice Cream Man, so it is worth a listen.

And remember: “People who don’t believe in aliens… they will come for you first.”  -  Gil

mykechilian:

This is a collection of all the cutscenes from the Phillips CD-i game Link: The Faces of Evil.

Best animation i have ever seen!

That reminds me of the songified version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELJoKR9zl-g

New Parent Project!  I want to thank Jon and his mom Supang for donating their time and creative energy to the show.  

This was my 13th episode, which means I’m now the second longest running Channel 101 show of all time, which I find pretty crazy.  I think I have a few more episodes of this show left before I self cancel (if the audience gods are kind to me and keep putting me through).  Also, Whetzell promised to give me $20 if I cancel before I approach Everything’s record of 19 shows and who doesn’t want $20?

Vonnegut on how to write short stories.

I was flattered to be asked to cameo in Oh Shit! this month, but I wasn’t actually told they’d be recording me on the phone, so I didn’t pick up the first time Mike called me.  This voicemail is the result.

ratsoff:

Martin Scorsese’s recommendations to a fan and aspiring filmmaker.

(via ache.)

OHHHHH SHIIIIIT

(via channel101tumblr)

Whatevs dot net: Total Bummer

gregrutter:

Last fall I had the pleasure to help create the Dodge Journey “Search Engine For The Real World” campaign. The idea was that a normal car TV spot would run, but those paying attention would be told that the car was still sitting in that same beautiful location that ended the spot. It turned a…

alisonagosti:

Don’t just say things just to say them. Have a reason and a logic to back it up. On Facebook.

I thought about this.  You’re right, but not for the reasons you list.  Batman’s parents died when he was a a pre-teen, so even though he didn’t get his training yet, he’d be emotionally ready at any age.  If it was 18 year-old Batman, he’d already have a lot of his badass skills.  

All that is moot though, as Batman doesn’t kill people, so he would never win The Hunger Games.  More likely is that he’d escape the arena and bring down the entire corrupt civilization through underground vigilante justice.

In conclusion, don’t just say things just to say them. Have a reason and a logic to back it up.  On Tumblr.

aaronmoles:

So I guess I’m not seeing The Raid tonight. I guess TWO HOURS early is a little too late. (Taken with instagram)

I was there too!  I feel your pain.