Film Making Tips & Tricks - Basics: The Tripod

Pick a point on your computer monitor, maybe the period at the end of this paragraph, and stare at it. Now wiggle your head around a bit, bounce up and down in your seat, or even try balancing on one foot while still staring at that point. What you'll find is your eyes and your brain start communicating and working together so that you can keep pretty good focus on that point - the human body really is an intelligent thing. Video cameras however, are pretty dumb in comparison. Luckily you can "smarten" them up with the use of a simple tripod.

Family

Sorry I haven't updated the blog in a few days, I've been spending the past couple days spending some quality time with family and friends. Speaking of family, check out the trailer for One Big Hapa Family, a film that explores Japanese-Canadian interracial families and how they're impacting the younger generations perceptions of culture and identity.



One Big Hapa Family will be showing during ReFrame on Jan 28 at 3:15, click over here for more info on this and all of the festivals films

ReFrame 2011 Trailer

Here's some highlights of what you can see at this year's festival

Oscar Buzz

I mentioned in an earlier post that a couple of the films we're showing this year are getting some Oscar buzz - both Waste Land and Enemies of the People have made the short list for Best Documentary nominations. Of the 15 total short listed films, 5 will be chosen as official nominations and announced the morning of January 25th 2011.

I haven't seen Enemies of the People yet, but Waste Land is an amazing film and I'm not surprised to see it getting all this positive attention. In fact, we loved it so much, we chose it as our opening night feature film. And even if they don't make the cut (knock on wood), I highly recommend you add both to your must see films at this years festival.

Update: If the film links aren't working for you, please visit this link first, afterwards the links should work as they are supposed to. Sorry for any confusion

Quick Tip: Smooth Panning

Having used many cheap tripods I usually just resort to never panning because it's never smooth and just makes things look awful. However, here's a quick video tip on how to get a professional looking pan out of your normally jittery tripod using nothing more than an elastic

Follow us on Facebook - Group vs Page

If you aren't already, you should follow ReFrame on Facebook. We have both a Group and a Page. Why? Well, let me try to explain my new found respect for the differences between the two and help you decide which one is best for you (though I highly recommend joining both!)

Let's start with the Page. Becoming a Fan of our Page will take any post or update we put up and send it straight to your Facebook Newsfeed (what you see when you first login). So, if you find yourself checking your Facebook a couple times a day, this would be a good option for you

On the other hand there's the Group which lets us send messages straight to your Facebook Inbox, where they'll sit and patiently wait for you to read them. If you're the type to check your Facebook every few days, this is a great way for you to keep up with us!

So, here's a simple chart to help you get updates best suited to you:

You Are A...	Join The...
Frequent Facebook User	Page
Occasional Facebook User	Group
Huge ReFrame Fan	Page & Group!

Film Making Tips & Tricks - Basics: The Camera

So, you want to make a film but you don't have thousands of dollars to spend on a camera. No worries! Luckily we're living in a digital age where anyone that knows how to use a computer can make their own videos and put them online for the world to see - and that's resulted in a cornucopia of inexpensive and sometimes surprisingly good quality cameras.

New Film Making Tips & Tricks Series

A film festival is nothing without film makers

But what is a film maker? Is it a multi-million dollar budget, with top-of-the-line equipment, a crew 100+ strong and years of experience? Maybe it's all in the recognition - box office ratings, reviews, awards. Or can anyone be a film maker?

I like to think that any person that has a story to tell is a film maker, they just may have never held a camera before. And that's why we're starting the Film Making Tips & Tricks Series - it's for all the people who have had ideas for fantastic films but thought that they needed more time/money/skill to do it right.

I'll be writing about the most common set-backs I've come across while making films with youth, along with some basic tips that will help everything go a lot smoother. On top of that, I'll be scouring the internet for other peoples' tricks to get professional results without a professional budget.

So, no matter how much experience you have now, follow along and you'll be making your own movies in no time. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll be showing your films at ReFrame!

ReFrame in The Peterborough Examiner

Galen Eagle from The Peterborough Examiner wrote a fantastic article on ReFrame and is well worth the read. There's a few words from our coordinator, Krista English, a bit of ReFrame's history and highlights of some of the films at this year's festival. Also mentioned is our Friday night feature film, Waste Land, one of the two films in our program which have made the Oscar Nomination shortlist - more on these to come!

Tickets - Part 2

For the locals or people visiting the area, here's an up to date list of places selling tickets for us

In Peterborough:

Have You Seen - 321 Aylmer St, Peterborough - 750-0770

Titles Book Store - 379 George St, Peterborough - 743-9610

Kawartha World Issues Centre (KWIC) - Environmental Sciences Building, Room B101 - Trent University - 748-1011 ext. 1680

Lakefield:

Happenstance Books and Yarn - 44 Queen Street, Lakefield - 652-7535

And Lindsay:

Common Grounds - 40 Kent St. W., Lindsay - 324-8117

Tickets Tickets Tickets!

Tickets are now available for the 2011 ReFrame Film Festival, so get them while they're hot!

Weekend passes are going for $25 or $12 for students/unwaged, and individual rush tickets are $8 or pay-what-you-can

New this year, you can purchase tickets online through our friends over at Ticket Break

ReFrame Wants You!

ReFrame needs volunteers for the weekend of the festival, Jan 28-30

To find out what our volunteers do check here. Then email Daphne at volunteer@reframefilmfest.ca for more info!

New Blog Writer

Hey there, my name's Steve and for the next few months I'll be keeping you up to date on what's happening with the ReFrame Film Festival.

I moved to Peterborough earlier this year from Toronto, and was so happy to find just as much arts and culture happening here but with more of that small-town feel. While in Toronto I worked with youth in Regent Park and other low-income communities, teaching them how to use new media as a tool to help their voices be heard. Put a video camera in the hands of a young person and you'll be amazed at what they have to say! And that's why I connected with ReFrame - not only do I enjoy watching films, but I love the whole process of making them, and hopefully I can share a bit of that passion with you.

So, keep checking back to see what updates I have for everyone, and make sure you follow us on our facebook fan page and our twitter account

ReFrame Film Festival is finally here

Hi film lovers and ReFrame fans,

Tomorrow at Noon - ReFrame begins!

We received an excellent spread in the Arthur today: www.trentarthur.ca

Once again, for three film-packed days in downtown Peterborough from Friday January 29 to Sunday the 31, 2010, ReFrame turns its intensive, magical gaze on events and issues and triumphs and trials here, there, and everywhere.

On our new web site you can build your own personal festival calender, see trailers and photos and get the latest schedule and special event information.

We kick off the festival at Noon (12 pm) on Friday. We are screening the feature fiction film Bird's Nest at Showplace, documentaries A Year at Sherbrooke and Chance of a Lifetime at Market Hall as well as The End of the Line at the Public LIbrary. The Opening Night screening is 7:30 pm at Showplace. This year we are getting a rare glimpse into the lives of Burmese video journalists with Burma VJ.

Need a break from watching film? Take a walk throughout the downtown and visit the “Still ReFrame” Art Shows at Showplace, Natas, The Spill, Black Honey, and Blue Tomato Art Shop. A walking tour will leave Showplace Friday at Noon.

Come see Forgetful Not Forgotten at Showplace at 4pm- you will get a chance to hear from the director Chris Wynn on his experiences with Alzheimers.

Or go to Market Hall where filmmaker Lila Ghobady will present her film Forgotten Sun Dance which looks at the repression of dance under the Iranian revolution-also at 4 pm.

Save energy for Saturday evening, festival goers can take in singer/songwriter Sarah DeCarlo , dub poet Chet Singh, and musician Jarrett Prescott at the Kubo Lounge. Our closing night party will be at The Spill Cafe with a performance by Dub Trinity.

You can get an ALL-Access Festival Pass for only $30 for adults and $15 for students or underwaged.A single screening is paid for at the door.

Thank you to all of our pass sellers: in Millbrook at Bear Essentials, in Lindsay at Common Grounds, in Lakefield at Happenstance Books and Yarn, and in Peterborough at Have You Seen video store, Kawartha World Issues Centre (KWIC), and Titles Bookstore.

Reframe is a local co-operative phenomenon. Over 100 community organizations and businesses sponsor the event. Representatives of local groups introduce programs, making links between what is happening in the films and what is happening in our own communities.

alright its 2 am - I better sleep so I can smile at you tomorrow

If you have any questions please email me (Wanda Nanibush) at wnanibush@gmail.com

ReFrame Quickly Approaching

ReFrame Quickly Approaching

It's now sixteen days until ReFrame Peterborough International Film Festival's opens it's door for it's 6th annual festival.

The posters are up and tickets are for sale. And let's face it, at the end of January a film festival is a great ideal.

Check out our new interactive website at www.reframefilmfestival.ca and let the "festival genius" help you to select films. By simply registering on our festival site you can see what films other film goers are interested in, and, get this, you can also comment on the films after you've seen them at the festival. If you don't want to join, that's fine too, simply have a look at the site to see a listing of the films, the feature films, the filmmakers who are attending, the workshops you might like to participate in and the art exhibitions running concurrently with the festival.

If you don't know where to purchase passes, for goodness sakes, visit the website (www.reframefilmfestival.ca/reframe.html) . All the information is there for you. If you'd rather have a a hard copy program then go out in the cold to one of the ticket sellers and pick one up.

Here's a sneak preview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1yH2dv01TM&feature=player_embedded

The festival committee has worked tirelessly to put on this festival, now it's up to you. By supporting the festival, it will continue to be one of Peterborough's Cultural Events during the cold dark days of winter.

Don't miss it.