Freyburg

Just something I whipped up in Maya and Premiere to teach myself how to shatter 3d objects. You’ll not the complete disregard on the part of the moon for the laws of physics.

I’ve worked in television for years, I write professionally, and I make videos for a living…but despite all that I’ve never made a Doctor Who fan film. Well, after attending the fan filmmaking panels at Gallifrey twice and dispensing advice to other cine-nerds, I figured it was time to put my money where my mouth is. I present to you Blue Meanie, the story of one man’s torture by Type 40. I hope you enjoy it, and if you’re going to Gallifrey, stop by the fan video room at 1:40, watch the movie again and say hello!

When I first saw the video features on the iPhone 3GS, I was at best mildly interested. I already have a Flip Cam, and with a year or more left on my iPhone 3G contract, I wasn’t about to go out and score a new phone. But Hand Held Hollywood almost makes me want to go out and get a 3GS, just to pull off what these guys are doing. The blog posts periodic updates about all the different apps available for the iPhone to make the lives of filmmakers easier, and it not only looks great but is pretty damn informative about some of the great production tools available via the iPhone.

In fact, this blog makes me want to dig out the Flip Cam and start doing some quick and dirty Freyburg-centric content soon, given enough time. Maybe our upcoming trip to Japan and China will be fodder for some vlogging.

Because movies tell stories, and 3D is at best a sideshow, according to Cory Doctorow in his latest Guardian column. I’m inclined to agree. 3D is touted as cinema’s saviour, bringing audiences back to the theatre and away from video games and home theatres….but without a story to back it up, which is usually best told in regular 2D, you aren’t going to see people sticking around. James Cameron’s Avatar and other upcoming films may prove me wrong, but I doubt it.

A number of big Hollywood stars have released big Hollywood films this summer which have taken big Hollywood nosedives. This downturn in the drawing power of many A-List stars is starting to worry the movie studios, and as usual they’re blaming technology. Apparently the fact that someone can text, Twitter or email their friends and give a film a scathing review in real time is a bad thing. Of course, as Gawker points out, if the movies themselves were any good this wouldn’t be a problem. I just saw District 9 on the weekend and (like everyone else) who saw it, I’ve raved up and down about the action, effects, and great story. And there’s not a star to be found in that film (which was shot for $35 million, and delivers every cent.)

Then there’s the fact that the old saw about people “escaping through movies during tough times” just doesn’t hold water anymore. That may have been true in the Thirties or even the Seventies, when the alternatives were few and far between, but nowadays people can either play video games, watch Youtube, or find any other number of free alternatives on the internet. Sure, they may not be quite as shiny as Hollywood product, but they also don’t take away $15 from your wallet and steal two hours of your life away.

Just a little something I put together for Launch Party 7, a Vancouver event where startups strut their stuff for the tech community and VC types.

All in a weird still picture tableau. Dunno what in the hell it’s saying, but whatever it is, it’s mighty cool.

Not strictly Doctor Who this week, but a cool interview all the same. The local chapter of SIGGRAPH (a group of computer graphics geniuses) brought Industrial Light and Magic special effects legend Dennis Muren to Vancouver, and Warren was able to interview him. Apologies for the dodgy audio during Warren’s questions….the details are too boring to go into, but at any rate Muren’s thoughts on visual effects, art and the motion picture industry are the good stuff.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Here’s the second video from out trip to Egypt. Camels in trucks, ancient monuments, and a felluca ride. Go here (and head to the lower right for the link) to get the HD version.

Egypt 2008, Part 2 – Aswan/Luxor from Warren Frey on Vimeo.

So Mel and I went to Egypt this Christmas, and I finally found the time to put together some highlights from the first part of our trip. In this video you’ll see downtown Cairo, the Coptic area (home to some of the oldest Christian churches in the city and the oldest synagogue in Egypt) and, of course, the Pyramids. I shot the video on my Canon HV20 and graded it with Magic Bullet Looks, which was well worth my hard earned cash. Head to the Vimeo page and go to the lower right hand side to download the HD version of this video.

Egypt 2008: Part 1 Cairo from Warren Frey on Vimeo.