The Celtx Blog

Vu Nguyen's 'Going Home' selected as Celtx Project of the Week

This week's POW is brought to you by aspiring filmmaker Vu Nguyen and his Bluelight Pictures crew in Sachse, Texas. This suspenseful short horror story entitled 'Going Home' is about Sam Bakers and an incident he encountered on his way home from work one night. As he sets out on a journey to get some answers, he finds he gets more than he bargained for.

Along with this captivating story, Vu's project also includes extensive breakdown of the script, and an impressive storyboard to help previsualize and plan the production. Also of interest is the crew catalog which provides profiles of the talented team doing all the hard work, plus the inclusion of a link to the 'Going Home' blog which diarizes the details of the film's production process.

Recently Vu was kind enough to take the time to tell us a bit more about himself, and what inspired the idea for creating 'Going Home'...

About myself: I am an aspiring filmmaker located in Dallas, Texas. As many others, I have a day job but it can't stop me from doing what I love the most! My motto is very simple, "Doing it is the only way of learning it."... so I've been trying to do all I can and learn it a long the way... I've been making short films on and off and Going.Home is gonna be my 4th short films. My goal is to get myself making films full time!

About Going.Home: The idea of going home inspired from various sources, including movies that I have seen, as well as old stories that I was told in my childhood. I started the project by just writting down ideas and slowly developed it into a story. Then many many re-reading sessions... I just kept on re-reading it and put it away for a while when I ran into an idea roadblock... then came back to it and re-read some more...

About Celtx: This is also a first project I use Celtx for. All projects before I mainly use an old version of Final Draft and while it's a great software for scripting... I found Celtx is much more in advance and helps me a lot in the preproduction process. I ran into Celtx as I was wandering in the hv20.com forums. Someone posted a link there and I thought let me give it a try and thank god that I did. Celtx by far is the best scripting and preproduction software for me ;-)
Thanks again. It's a real honor to be selected!

BlueLight Pictures is operated and maintained by a local group of filmmakers with a passion for the movie industry. All of its workers are committed in developing the best products as possible. If you would like to be part of the aspiring team behind BlueLight Pictures, feel free to contact them here.

All the best, Guys!

Sheila and The C-Team

Celtx Motion Sketches - Episode 6 - The Art of the Producer (more than finding the money)

BadDads, Mike Jones and Greg Dolgopolov have rolled out another stellar episode for the Celtx Motion Sketches online video series. As with each episode, The Art of the Producer is sure to entertain and inform as you enjoy featured interviews with experts in the field, Susan MacKinnon, Executive Producer: '4'. Global Haywire, Eternity and with Film, Tv and   Documentary Producer, Kingston Anderson.

Motion Sketches Episode 6
The Art of the Producer (more than finding the money)

What exactly does a Producer do? Are they just a means to finding the money? Or is the art of the producer something much more intrinsic to the creative development of a cinematic project? This episode of Motion Sketches explores the role of the producer in both creative and practical terms and delves into the nuts and bolts of production in the quickly evolving landscape of digital cinema.

ABOUT MOTION SKETCHES

Built around Celtx media pre-production software, Motion Sketches is an online video series that explores contemporary approaches to media production development. From the big screen to the mobile screen, from live-action to the virtual camera - Motion Sketches presents a range of highly practical perspectives on developing a media project from concept to production - screenplay, design, story, development and delivery.

Previous episodes include:

Episode 1 - So This is Cinema?
Episode 2 - There's No Such Thing as Good Writing
Episode 3 - Writing for Sound
Episode 4 - Writing for Actors - Part I
Episode 5 - Writing for Actors - Part II

Go here to view all.

Or go here to view Motion Sketches on your iPhone!!!

Enjoy!

Sheila

B Movie Celebration - Franklin, Indiana - September 26th - 28th, 2008

Hey Gang,

Bill and his crew are at it again... They're S~C~R~E~A~M~I~N~G to get all of us to grab our 3D glasses and head to Franklin Indiana for the Second Annual B Movie Celebration. So if you're tripping around and handy to the neighborhood, drop in or.... DROP DEAD! (heh... not really) Check out the dirty details below.... - S

The Celebration will feature screenings of over 50 classic B movies, 20 Educational seminars and the World's Largest Beach Party, featuring the music of The Moon-Rays.

Featured screenings include a lineup of B classics (many in glorious 35mm) which has been curated by B Movie Legend Jim Wynorski. The films include:

SHOGUN ASSASSIN, FORBIDDEN WORLD, DEATH RACE 2000, HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD, THIS ISLAND EARTH,  TARANTULA,  CARNIVAL OF SOULS,  NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD,  NIGHT OF THE COMET,  BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS,  THE GIANT BEHEMOTH,  QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE, WORLD WITHOUT END,  RUSS MEYER'S UP,  FROM HELL IT CAME,  ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS,  NOT OF THIS EARTH(the black and white original),  THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS,  THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD,  EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS,  WITHOUT WARNING,  SCREWBALLS,  GALAXY OF TERROR,  HOUSE,  THE CRAWLING EYE,  ATTACK OF THE 50FOOT WOMAN,  PSYCHO, JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET, INVISIBLE INVADERS,  ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES,  TERMINAL ISLAND, NIGHTHAWKS,  MYSTERIOUS ISLAND(61),  ONE MILLION B.C.,  INVADERS FROM MARS(53),  TO TRAP A SPY, HOLD THAT GHOST,  ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN,  TWINS OF EVIL,  THE VAMPIRE LOVERS,  LUST FOR A VAMPIRE,  THE TIME MACHINE,  WAR OF THE WORLDS. Plus The First Edition of Summer TromaDance.

A Lifetime Achievement Award to Stuart Gordon
From his 1985 debut as a cult director with Re-Animator to his 2002 H.P. Lovecraft film "Dagon" Stuart Gordon has consistently delivered quality horror to the masses, and is now considered by many of us to be one of the most important exploitation film-makers of the past 30 years.

Other great guests Tom Savini, Jim Wynorski (of course), Conrad Brooks from Plan Nine From Outer Space , Tom Holland Director of Fright Night, Andrew Stevens Producer, Independent Horror Director Jim O'Rear and many many more.

The Best Hosts, Mister Lobo, Queen of Trash, Will The Thrill, Monic Tiki Goddess

The World's Largest Beach Party With the Moon-rays
The planets greatest B- Movie surf band will turn this small Mid Western City into a rockin Hepcat beach party. The Moon Rays were born of a concept brought on by the recording of the theme from WGN's Creature Features TV show and the rest is legend. Join them in Franklin Indiana September 27th  as we see summer out with a bang.

For more information
For further information please go to www.bmoviecelebration.com or email us.
Hope to see you in Franklin Indiana September 26th thru 28th, 2008.

International Film School Sydney's Production Resource Bible gets POW'd!

This week's POW is a bit of a departure from the usual story-based media project. However the IFSS Production Bible developed for students of the International Film School Sydney not only illustrates yet another way to utilize Project Central, but it also offers a slew of resources, tips and tools that is certain to enlighten and assist both amateurs and pros with the production of their own stories.

This student production resource package was created and compiled by Mike Jones, IFFS's Head of Technological Arts.

"Basically its a collection of checklists and guides and production notations, course readings etc. It's all up on our Student website (which is open to the public) But ive also created it as a single Celtx proejct bundle that our students can download. I then figured why not put this up on project central.

The plan is to continually expand it and have our students add to it over time. Thought it might have some useful stuff in it for Celtx users and indie filmmakers."

 

Starting off with a warm Aussie Welcome and overview, this Bible covers everything from Pre to Post Production and Delivery including handy downloadable production forms, thorough checklists for the Producer, Location Scout and DOP,etc., tips on conducting Documentary interviews, Continuity Reports, and various Tech Guides from setting up your Sony Z1 camera to preparing your End Credits. The lengthy list of powerful free software, utilities and plugins is a must for all creative media makers, and you can even compare the filmmaking philosophies and techniques of cinema from Yale Film Studies to bad Indie boy, Robert Rodriguez's 10 MInute Film School. Heck, you might even consider taking Dogme's Vow of Chastity?!!

Whatever you choose, rest assured that the usefulness of this ever-growing resource will make it an invaluable part of any media maker's production toolkit.

Amen, Mr. Jones.
On behalf of the Celtx Team and the Community at large, Thank You for this contribution.

Cheers!

Sheila

Gloria Film Festival, West Valley, Utah - July30-Aug2/08

Film submission deadlines are long passed, but if you're in the neighborhood of West Valley City, Utah in late July /early August you might want to take in the 7th Annual Gloria Film Festival. Once known as the Salt Lake City Film Festival, this crowd aim to become the premiere showcase fest for quality indie films in the Mountain West. The main film categories include Features, Shorts, Animation, Children,
Documentary, Student, and Screenwriting.

Opening night, reception and films start Wednesday, July 30/08 so round up your film watch'n party pals and show your support.

Be sure to check out Rob Tobin's Writing Workshop and the film schedule here.

Tally Ho!
Sheila

Endas International Screenwriter Expo 2008 - Genoa, Italy

For those of you who have been looking for an excuse to get to Italy, here you go...

Announcing the 2008 Endas International Screenwriter Expo, produced by ENDAS, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering European sports and culture. Highlights of this Expo include:

1. ENDAS International Screenplay Competition

Entries will be accepted from February 1, 2008 through July 31, 2008.
Winners will be announced on the Endas website on Oct.15, followed by an Awards ceremony in Genoa (Italy) on November 9, 2008.
For prize and other details please go here.

2. Five-day Syd Field Writers Workshop - November 10-15, 2008 (English)

Internationally acclaimed Syd Field will be leading a five-day tour of screenwriting techniques, updating conventional storytelling conventions with a focus on new contemporary tools of the craft. This course will help writers create, prepare, write, rewrite and approach their screenplay with more control and creativity.

To see workshop schedule details, please go here.
To register go here.

3. Endas Italian Screenwriting Workshops
Fiction TV - June 14-15, 2008
How to write a good character - June 21-22, 2008

For more information on any of these events please contact:
ENDAS Direzione Regionale Liguria
Via Ricci, 3/6
16122 - Genova
Tel. 010-5958576
info@endasexpo.org