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| From the Mondo Archives |
The don't let school spoil your education options
The category of interesting things to read and do for film fans is of course pretty endless. Many of these are also pretty obvious. So I'll just point to a few around town that seem fun, and a few randomly selected books.
- Northwest Film Forum Workshops - making a return visit to the holiday list is the NW Film Forum. As I mentioned earlier they screen a fair number of interesting films, serve beer and wine in their lobby for pre-film relaxing and offer equipment rentals. There's also a significant number of workshops available to choose from. Options for those creating include primers on DSLR filmmaking ($15 members/$20 public), masterclasses with visiting artists such as Joe Swanberg ($15/$20), multi-day workshops on Art Direction ($45/$60), and longer sessions on editing with Final Cut Pro ($250/$280). They also have continuing "required viewing" series for folks looking to broaden their historical understanding of cinema (including screenings and discussions).
- SAM film series - The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) has held series of weekly deep dives into various areas of films for many years. Whether it's a focus on Film Noir or a director like Billy Wilder it's a great way to really focus on a specific area of film. This January they begin anew with a Truffaut series. It's $66 for the series for the general public and $59 for SAM/SIFF/NWFF/TheFilmSchool members.
- The Film School - An organization focusing on the storytelling part of film, more so (best I can tell) than on the mechanics or visual tradecraft of making movies. Truth be told I know very little about the organization other than they now share office space with SIFF at the new Film Center and that Tom Skerrit's affiliation is prominently mentioned in all their literature. For those looking for something very intensive and screenwriting focused they offer a $3000 three week program. Perhaps a better (OK free) way to learn more first is to checkout some of their no-fee speaker series or First Tuesday meetings. If anyone has had personal experience with the full program I am curious to hear your thoughts.
- Books by Roger Ebert - OK, OK - I haven't read either of these books. But I really do want to. In fact I'm going to go order his new memoir Roger Ebert: Life Itself ($17) as soon as I post this. In addition to the memoir which I've heard nothing but good things about he has collections of his reviews in a Great Movies Series ($13) the most recent of which was published this October. If your film fan digs Mr. Ebert you can also sign them up for The Ebert Club which is a weekly film newsletter. It's a fun treat full of random stuff dug up by Ebert and his staff - along with insider info on his annual festival. I am a subscriber and it's fun little diversion each week for a very modest investment ($10-$20/year)
- Destroy All Movies!!! The Complete Guide to Punks on Film ($24) - The Amazon description of this book refers to this as "the most dazzlingly insane film reference book of all time." I do own a copy of this one and have got to say they're likely not far off. The goal of this book is simple - to categorize each and every film with the appearance of a punk in the 20th century. Not a even punk as a main character - just a punk appearing in the film. With descriptions of the films, interviews with actors/creators and tons of pictures this is the definitive work on a subject you likely never considered. I attended the book launch event for this film at Fantastic Fest 2010 and I still cannot get over the staggering level of work that went into this tome. The editors described taking home shopping bags full of films from Scarecrow Video and untold hours watching. The dedication shows. I've yet to think of a film with a punk in it that I haven't found in the book yet. Even if you're not a fan of punk rock this exhaustive piece should be fascinating reading. And a constant reminder of the triumph of the human spirit. You know, second maybe to that landing on the moon thing - but that was a long, long time ago.
These days more and more folks are just watching their movies at home. Lots of reasons for it - though personally I find it a sad trend. That said I'm not immune to the lures of the couch. For the first time this year I've invested a bit in the experience and I'm starting to see the allure. I'll dispense with tips on TV's and sound systems and go right to a few gifts to make the experience better.
- Scarecrow Video - Every Seattle based film fan has likely worshiped at the altar of Scarecrow Video at some point or the other. With the most incredible selection of video treats one can imagine along with super knowledgeable staff they're the envy of many a city. Picture Willy Wonka's chocolate factory - but with movies. Hence you simple cannot go wrong with a gift certificate (most denominations available) from these guys. You may think Netflix has a big selection - but it's nothing on these guys.
- Netflix - And speaking of Netflix ... I'm going to assume the film fan in your life already has a Netflix streaming subscription (and one including disc rental as well). If not - tell 'em to get over the admittedly incredible dumb Quickster debacle and sign up. Even better - give 'em a gift of the service for a year ($96/year - also available in shorter durations for less).
- Amazon Instant Video - The options for watching video on demand via Amazon are growing fast. With free options available for Prime members. So it's worth noting that a recipient of an Amazon Gift Certificate can purchase both physical and digital movies with it. Not too shabby.
- Apple TV - The main issue with Netflix streaming (besides their reduced content relative to physical discs) is how to get the stuff onto your TV. Now, it's very likely most film fans already have such a method in their home as Netflix connectivity is now built into most gaming consoles, TiVo and blu-ray players. But in case it's not another option is a < $100 Apple TV box. If you're already part of the Apple ecosystem it's particularly attractive - allowing streaming of movies stored on your Mac, Netflix, YouTube, Vimeo, etc straight to your big screen TV. Media server problem - solved. It also enables streaming rentals of films from the iTunes store. I've recently watched several films that were currently or not yet in theaters using the iTunes/Apple TV combo and was very satisfied with the quality. So don't forget to include an iTunes GC (available in various denominations) to get them started.
- Roku Streaming Player ($90 or less for older models) - If you don't want to be tied into Apple anymore or and/or want to be able to stream Amazon content then Roku might be the TV to Internet box you're wanting. Including Amazon, HuluPlus, Netflix, Pandora and other lesser known content sources it's another great way to connect the Internet directly to your TV.
- Region Free Blu Ray Player ($70-$300) - If you're going to be going after the broadest film content possible physical discs are still where it's at. And why would you want your loved one to be limited to the distribution release schedule machinations of the film studios? Break them free via a region free player. With tons of options available online and in local locations such as Scarecrow Video let them watch what they want when they want to.
- Film Movement - It's been a while since I've thought about the book of the month club (which is pushing forward after 85 years). But that's sort of what Film Movement is, except with independent and foreign language films. Gift subscriptions are available in 3/6/12 month increments (approximately $50/$85/$150 - discounts seem common) and include a new DVD each month. Each DVD is the member's to keep and provides an incentive to try something new. They also offer themed gift sets ranging from French language, to audience favorites, to Sundance hits ($175). I've never used the service but the selection of what's on offer doesn't seem unreasonable. Though personally these days I'm more inclined to go the video on demand route where I can choose spur of the moment what's interesting me. But as a gift their concept is intriguing.
- Movies on the Go - For the serious film fan no portable device is going to do justice to the greatest films. But if you're going to be stuck on a plane or in a hotel for a while having more options is very much appreciated. There are really two core choices here outside a phone/laptop. Not surprisingly those are the iPad2 ($499 and up) and the new Kindle Fire. At $199 the Kindle is far and away the cheapest choice - and should make for a great traveling companion. It's overall storage space is and battery capacity is smaller than the iPad2. Meaning that if you're off the grid (aka on a plane) you can squeeze more choices and running time into the iPad2. But the Kindle is smaller, almost pocketable - and quite a bit less expensive. I've used both and neither that would make a poor gift for consuming film. Any traveling film fanatic will want one or the other. I can tell you from personal experience it's a lot easier to tolerate 11+ hours in the air when you've got some great new movies with you. Though a Xanax sort of helps too. If they've already got a tablet for travel consider upgrading their headphones ($100 through more than you want to spend). Better sound makes for a better movie.
- Decorating your home theater space - There comes a time in the lives of most film fans when thoughts turn to movie posters. The standard ones are pretty easy to come by through Amazon or another specialty poster website. But there's a subculture of creative, licensed but non-standard posters being created all the time by talented artists. Those are especially worth checking out. One of the leaders in that space is Mondo, headquartered in Austin, TX. They sell both t-shirts and posters. Though it's the posters where they really shine. A great way to spend an afternoon of consumer lust is perusing their comprehensive archive site looking for posters you'd love to own. Their posters are done in limited editions and run between $35-$100 depending on the materials, artist and number printed. Once they're gone they're really, really gone - so buying one in advance for someone is hard. Luckily Mondo does sell electronic gift certificates. With which a lucky film fanatic could attempt to buy the poster of their choice in the future. Announcements of new posters are put on their blog and twitter feed. It can be difficult sometimes to land the poster you want, but it can be done. The one upside of the scarcity is that the posters do tend to appreciate with eBay hosting a brisk secondary market. Of course if there's a specific movie they love going direct to eBay works too.
In the last several years there has been an unbelievable reduction in cost of what it takes to make professional quality film. Stuff with HD sharpness and depth of field effects that used to cost a fortune to make are now readily available. And don't even start with me about the incredible special effects possible on a budget. Of course you're still getting nowhere without story and a visual aesthetic that works. But here are some steps to start off in the low budget film making direction (in addition to the NWFF courses I mention above.
- DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Video - rather than list every possible tool you can buy I'll point you towards this book length wish list for DSLR filmmakers. There's a lot of good advice on filmmaking in general, and specific gear suggestions at various price points. This book I do own - and even though I'm not planning on making my own movies anytime soon it's a great bit of insight into the tools that are dropping the cost of production more and more every day.
- NWFF rentals - One way to go gift wise is to couple the above book with some coin to spend over at the Northwest Film Forum on equipment rentals. They've got a bit of everything from lights to cameras to editing suites rent-able by the hour. Rather than spending $1000 on microphones for the budding pro in your life maybe let them try before they buy.
- iPhone add ons - They say the best camera is the one you have with you. Before I get into the truly expensive stuff there are choices for your budding filmmaker that won't break the bank. For those already with an iPhone or iPod touch gift them the Filmic Pro app ($2.99). In proper light the iPhone camera is surprisingly solid out of the box. Add this app and supercharge the capabilities of the tool they likely already have in their pocket. For practically nothing it enables multiple frame rates, selectable video resolution, easy focus, and adjustable light metering. For $4.99 more add iMovie for iphone/iPad. It won't replace a true editing suite, but for being able to do basic manipulation on the fly it's quite handy. Maybe throw in a book on filmmaking of your choice to get things rolling further.
- DSLR Video Capable Camera - Quite a few movies on the festival circuit are being made today using the video options on digital DSLR cameras. Avoiding the possible holy war between Canon and Nikon users I'll just point to the camera line I know a bit better, Canon DSLR's. While I own a Canon T2i ($649 with kit lens - man these things drop in price fast) they've already produced a newer and slightly more video capable low end entry in their Rebel series - the Canon T3i ($720 and up depending on lens included). For those looking for better low light performance and feature-set you can jump straight to the Mark 5D II full frame DSLR ($2300 without lens) whose output in the right hands is phenomenal both for still images and video (especially at that price point). Of course the camera is just the start with lenses become a whole new obsession. Trust me, I use mine mostly for still photography and the constant lure of new lenses is a constant battle. But if you truly, truly loved someone... ;-)
- Editing Software - even worse than the Nikon/Canon holy war is the one over editing software. So I won't go there. Options range from iMovie which does a solid basic job and likely came with your Mac to far more fancy choices. If this is something your giftee wants - just ask them what they're hoping for. Much better than guessing wrong.
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