As time permits between projects and in the pursuit to expand the filmmaking community in the area that I live, I have started instructing courses on filmmaking at the Screen Artist Co-Op in Asheville, NC. With a focus on the technical aspects of production, the idea is to train a solid base of employable entry level crew for the WNC region to complement the growing list of proffessionals in the area.
For more info, check out:
Website – http://screenartistsco-op.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ScreenArtistsCoOp
Or read the local news article about the courses and the mission of the Co-Op -
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20130108/LIVING/301080013/Asheville-acting-group-teaches-film-biz-ropes
G & E Course Description:
Filmmaking involves many tools to capture the filmmakers imagination. Grip & Electric is the “blue color” work that makes the images on screen either standout or be labeled as sub par & amateurish. It is also one of the most complicated departments to work in due to the amount of information one must retain and the fact that their skill set must be divided between the creative and the technical. In fact, true filmmaking is knees in the dirt, sweat dripping, tensions running high, hard work. Not the glossy behind the scenes presentations you are use to seeing on your favorite Blu-Ray special feature.
This course is designed with the real world requirements of film production in mind. The class will train each student with the practical knowledge required for introductory positions on feature films in the Grip & Electric Departments. From the proper use of a “butt plug” to the differences between CTO, CTB and Minus Green, this course will teach the fundamentals and explore the intricacies of these two film departments.
The course will be lead by filmmaker James Suttles, who’s years of experience as a Producer, Director and Cinematographer on films with budgets from $250,000 to $8 Million will provide a true working knowledge of the fast paced, in the trenches approach to successfully create “the vision” for a film. At the end of the 10 week course, each student will depart with a clear, hands on understanding of making a film from the bottom up.
Camera Course Description:
It is imperative that every member of the camera department has an understanding of the responsibilities & duties of everyone above and below them. It’s a small team of 3 or 4 per camera that typically occupy a small area on set for 25 plus days together. Tensions run high, words are had and beers are shared. It’s a family in the most dysfunctional way possible and it’s also one of the most difficult positions on a film to obtain.
This course is designed with the real world requirements of the camera department in mind. The class will train each student as if they were working their way up the ladder from Camera PA to 2nd AC and ultimately to 1st AC focusing entirely on the duties and responsibilities of each member of the team. From the proper recording of camera notes & why they are imperative to the use of various filters and the purpose of a matte box (its not there to just look professional). This course will tear away the glitz of the camera department and break it down to what it truly is, a hard working but rewarding department that sets the pace for the rest of the crew.
The course will be lead by filmmaker James Suttles, who’s years of experience as a Producer, Director and Cinematographer on films with budgets from $250,000 to $8 Million will provide a true working knowledge of the fast paced, in the trenches approach to successfully create “the vision” for a film. At the end of the 10 week course, each student will depart with a clear, hands on understanding of making a film from the bottom up and be better prepared to obtain a position in the camera department.
I teamed up with Vidmuze.com and Cine’ Foundry Production Services to produce to release the world’s first 4K Damage Pack Visual Effects Library that offers a ton of epic visual effects that will assist Visual Effects Artist across the industry in creating even higher quality content for film, TV and other media.
In producing this ground breaking effects library, the Red Epic Digital Cinema Camera was utilized filming the action in 4K at 120 Frames Per Second with a variety of shutter speeds. A variety of effects were captured including Fireball Explosions, Side Fire Bursts, Rising Flames, Dust Elements, Gun Powder Charges, Dirt Charges, Water Charges, Smoke Charges and Muzzle Flashes. We spent 2 nights on a farm in Western North Carolina igniting fireballs that lite up the valley around us and I have to say, it was a pretty damn cool experience.
Features Include:
- 4K (up to 4096 x 2160) Resolution video files
- Up to 103GB of content
- 10 Epic Categories
- Over 275 Assets (video & audio)
- Effects Length of Time: 5 – 65 seconds
- Available in 3 versions, 4K, 2K and 720p.
- Pre-Keyed – Alpha channel is embedded in video file (“drag and drop” ready)
- 120 FPS – Slow motion (choice to change speed to realtime)
- Video Previews for fast playback
- Bonus Content (Muzzle Flashes (1080p), Sound Effects & Dirty Lens Pack)
- Compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Nuke, Final Cut, Avid and more.
To learn more download the PDF:
http://suttlefilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/SUTTLEFILM_4K_VFX_Pack_INFO.pdf
To purchase the library, visit:
http://www.vidmuze.com/videos/4k-visual-effects-damage-pack/
Working this week on the edit for the new audio book “Driving with the Devil.”
About the Project: Driving with the Devil uncovers for the first time the true story behind NASCAR’s distant, moonshine-fueled origins and paints a rich portrait of the colorful men who created it. Long before the sport of stock-car racing even existed, young men in the rural, Depression-wracked South had figured out that cars and speed were tickets to a better life. With few options beyond the farm or factory, the best chance of escape was running moonshine. Bootlegging offered speed, adventure, and wads of cash—if the drivers survived. Driving with the Devil is the story of bootleggers whose empires grew during Prohibition and continued to thrive well after Repeal, and of drivers who thundered down dusty back roads with moonshine deliveries, deftly outrunning federal agents. The car of choice was the Ford V-8, the hottest car of the 1930s, and ace mechanics tinkered with them until they could fly across mountain roads at 100 miles an hour.
After fighting in World War II, moonshiners transferred their skills to the rough, red-dirt racetracks of Dixie, and a national sport was born. In this dynamic era (1930s and ’40s), three men with a passion for Ford V-8s—convicted criminal Ray Parks, foul-mouthed mechanic Red Vogt, and crippled war veteran Red Byron, NASCAR’s first champion—emerged as the first stock car “team.” Theirs is the violent, poignant story of how moonshine and fast cars merged to create a new sport for the South to call its own.
Driving with the Devil is a fascinating look at the well-hidden historical connection between whiskey running and stock-car racing. NASCAR histories will tell you who led every lap of every race since the first official race in 1948.Driving with the Devil goes deeper to bring you the excitement, passion, crime, and death-defying feats of the wild, early days that NASCAR has carefully hidden from public view. In the tradition of Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit, this tale not only reveals a bygone era of a beloved sport, but also the character of the country at a moment in time.
Learn more at: http://drivingwiththedevil.com
