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Shot using a single camera, 90 people meticulously recreate a failed bank robbery that took place in Stockholm in June 2006.

'Incident by a Bank' is this week's Staff Pick Premiere! Read more about it here: vimeo.com/blog/post/incident-by-a-bank

Written & Directed by Ruben Östlund

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Asghar Farhadi has been my favorite filmmaker for some time now. But I have never felt more overwhelmed by his genius and more intimidated by his craftsmanship until I watched this video analysis of his contained drama, "About Elly." Evidently, rehearsal is a most critical part of his process. 

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On casting Native Americans in Native American roles. I found the last paragraph particularly interesting. 

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In seeing Jordan Peele’s fascinating directorial debut, “Get Out,” I was most struck by his Fincher-esque degree of tonal control, scene after scene... or how, borrowing from an analogy often attributed to Hitchcock, “He conducts the audience like an orchestra.” Horror and comedy are meticulously balanced and juxtaposed throughout the film... and both are exploited to subvert audience expectations. There’s so much to discuss about this film. So true. So outrageous. So funny. So horrific. A masterclass in screenwriting. I am thoroughly impressed.

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A wonderful tribute to VFX. Takes me back to the days I was following Freddy Wong’s work. He would post FX-heavy videos and the attach each one to a bahind-the-scenes video demonstrating how VFX were incorporated into the process. Despite CGI being massively expensive on larger films, I imagine VFX can be quite empowering to filmmakers working on a smaller scale.  - k.

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I am a Filmmaker.

I want to make films. I spend most of my time thinking about film in one way or another. I’ve written music for film, having acquired my Bachelor’s degree in Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music. I’ve read countless books on screenwriting and directing. I’ve worked behind the scenes on a wide variety short films and independent features in and outside of Hollywood. I created this little blog about film. I’ve even taught youth about the craft of filmmaking. But I have never truly committed to making my own films. Well, that’s exactly what I want to do with my life: I want to make films.

You might feel inclined to ask, “What’s stopping you?” My answer: “I don’t know.” That’s been my answer for a long time. Too long. Maybe it’s a lack of confidence… Or, perhaps, it’s a matter of me overthinking things. Whatever the case may be, it’s time for a change.

I have always flirted with the notion of going to grad school with a focus on studying the craft of filmmaking, thinking that would set things in motion and put me on a path toward my goal. But, I highly doubt that would even be possible, given my present student loan situation (that’s as in-depth as I’m willing to get). I’ve come to the conclusion that I would only consider grad school if it was completely paid for. In the meantime, I cannot sit and wait for that check to fall from the sky.

A friend of mine recently introduced me to the concept of a DIY MFA: the idea that, rather than investing in a formal graduate school education, I can form my very own curriculum and path: one that is tailored toward my specific interests and goals while relying entirely on free or low cost tools for learning. I can create a FREE graduate film school program for myself. One that prepares me for a full-time career in the art of crafting films. I would commit a portion of my week to reading, watching, studying, writing, and collaborating with a focus on learning and absorbing the art and craft of filmmaking so that, upon completion of my DIY MFA, I will have more than obtained the ability and confidence to make films.

This feels more than doable. It is simply a matter of applying intentional structures and productive habits to things I already do, while simultaneously giving myself the freedom to abandon said structure when necessary. But, to succeed, I must confront two of my greatest nemeses: procrastination and self-discipline… the closest of relatives, no doubt. To overcome these enemies, I will document and track my DIY MFA at least every two days, right here on this blog… every single step of the way. From curriculum development all the way through my thesis project. 

Final thought: My first assignment is to no longer identify as someone who wants to make films. I am a FILMMAKER. Period. It’s not just about making the films. It’s about how I experience the world and how I aspire to contribute to it. “Filmmaker” must no longer be a mere craft, but a way of life. More on that later.

- k.

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“Shot, Reverse Shot”

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When Joss Whedon made his low-budget version of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," he was confronted with two racist lines: one anti-Semitic and one anti-Black. He opted to alter the anti-Semitic bit of text, changing "Jew" to "fool," but kept the anti-Black text exactly the same. His reasoning: he thought the anti-Semitic line was "not going to sell." Which then implies that the anti-Black line, "were she an Ethiope," was far more "sellable." What does this double standard say about Whedon? Hollywood? America? The World?

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A taste of Walter Murch’s brilliance in sound design.

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"Mustang" : A Case for Diversity in Cinema

“Mustang” is one of those films that clearly demonstrates the power and importance of diversity in storytelling. Writer-director Deniz Gamze Erguven gave me the same feeling I felt while watching Sarah Polley’s “Take This Waltz” a few years ago… and that is that this particular piece of work feels like it could have only been created by a Woman. In moments like these, I’m always compelled to ask, “How many great narratives are we missing out on as a result of a male-driven, male-dominated industry?” (Needless to say, the same question can be asked in relation to other dimensions of diversity aside from gender.) The film concludes with a simple yet most powerful embrace… and that power lies in the fact that the film has meticulously given you everything you need in order to empathize with and to understand what these young ladies have just experienced. What they felt. What they lost. What they gained. I was stunned by how moved I was at the ending of this film. It was cathartic. It was warm. It was sad. It was fantasy burdened by reality. Feelings uninvited, unexpected, but most welcome. It is only now that I feel like I TRULY understand the impact of the film’s final moment: a young girl hugging her old teacher: a woman she’s long admired and looked up to. In this woman, she saw strength, possibility, and freedom. But, perhaps more importantly, this woman made the young girls feel seen. It is only now that I draw a connection to the critical fight to have female voices heard and adequately represented in cinema… And it all boils down to the question, “Can you see me? In all my colors? In all my strengths? My weaknesses? My vulnerabilities? My joys? My fears? Can you see me in all my complexity? All my glory?” Thanks to Erguven’s sensitivity, honesty, and vision, I can confidently say, “Yes. I see you: like a dynamic, unapologetically colorful mosaic where every piece exists with the purpose of defining You in your entirety.”

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"It Follows" is arguably the most interesting horror film since "Cabin in the Woods" and this opening scene is a great example of why. It kicks off with a scenario that goes unexplained for the time being: a girl running in fear from an unseen threat. The film makes a promise right then and there... the promise that you will know and understand this threat before the curtains close. And, of course, the film delivers on that promise. Here, writer-director David Robert Mitchell discusses the opening scene. 

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“Proximity” : a short film by Joshua Cox

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“Primrose” : a short film by Clara Aranovich

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“You’ve Been Mimed” : A student short by John Cody Kim

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“Stop” : A short film by Reinaldo Marcus Green

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“… I had a dream last night. And, in my dream, you needed a leg. And everyone in the world was trying to give you their leg, but I really wanted you to have mine. And, in my dream, you picked my leg. It made me so happy. And it was the best dream in the history of dreams. “ - Sheldon (”I’m Here,” written and directed by Spike Jonze)