Lonely Planet EcoSystem: Find Your Happening

How do you engage your customers in today’s communications environment? And build your business?

Give them a way to express themselves with your brand. Give them an experience they will remember. And give them something valuable.

Is your website the best expression of your brand’s main product? Does your website travel?

Content that travels across social media as a tight package, carrying your brand (and message if desired – social graces are important.) But also allow customers to mix their own content on facebook, blogs and social media. Welcome to the future of customer engagement.

Story Of My Experiments With Water

All of the blah, blah, blah and none of the BLAHS!~

Our 11 months young lion loves to avidly participate in sports. He is a natural born athlete. Cadence loves swimming in the pool and sprinting with his walker on land.

Craft Maximizes Talent: Create Living Breathing Cinema

Characters Are Belief Systems Set In Motion

A story is the embodiment of the filmmakers ideas and passions. When you work with one eye on the script and another on Hollywood – you may produce the literal equivalent of something as timeless as Citizen Kane.

Story Is About Respect For The Audience

A beautifully told story is a symphonic unit in which structure, setting, character, genre and idea melt seamlessly. To find this harmony, the filmmaker must integrate the elements of story as if they were instruments of an orchestra – first separately, then in concert.

Human Nature Constantly Changes

When a character steps into your imagination, s/he brings an abundance of story possibilities. If you wish, you could start the telling before the character is even born. A character’s life encompasses hundreds of thousands of living hours, both complex and multi-leveled.

Reel Truth

Characters can be more real than people and the fictional world can be more profound than the concrete. The love of the dramatic for the filmmaker – is a fascination with the sudden surprises and revelations that bring sea changes in life. The love of humanity – is captured with the willingness to empathize with suffering souls, to crawl inside their skins and see the world though their eyes. The love of sensation – is the desire to indulge not only the physical but also the inner senses of the psychological world. The love of dreaming – the pleasure in taking leisurely rides on your imagination just to see where it leads. The love of humor – a joy of language – the delight in sound and sense, syntax and semantics. The love of perfection is expressed as the passion to write and rewrite in pursuit of the perfect moment. The love of uniqueness – is the thrill of audacity and a stone-faced calm when it is met by ridicule. The love of self – a strength that doesn’t need to be constantly reassured that never doubts that you are indeed a filmmaker. You must love to create and bear the loneliness. But the love of a good story, of terrific characters and a world driven by your passion, courage and creative gifts is still not enough. Your goal must be a good story well told.

Pre Production: Story Is Action Through Conflict

The Idea

There are five general stages in the preparation of your idea for a film story. These include: the premise, first draft, treatment, screenplay and the shooting script.

Premise

The premise is the one sentence summation of what your idea is about.

First Draft

If the subject of the film is brought forth from the writer or director, s/he will need to assemble ideas about how the idea should be turned into a film; s/he will need to research the background about the subject and discuss the needs, aims and contents of the film. If the idea for the film is an adaptation of a book or event – the story will need much work before the writer is in a position to produce the treatment. On the other hand, work at this stage of the script may be no more than discussion with the parties involved in the film. The method will depend both on the type of film involved and the scriptwriter.

The Treatment

The treatment is a brief prose description of how the writer sees the film. It will normally concentrate on the content of the film and will only broadly indicate the filmic interpretation of the subject. The structure of the film will be generally suggested, but the filmic details of the individual scenes will not be elaborated. If the film you plan to make is sponsored by a company or government organization, the treatment will need to be submitted for approval before work starts on the screenplay.

The Screenplay

With the screenplay, the structure and individual style of the film begins to emerge. The dialogue is written, commentary, sound effects and other sound track material that has to be sourced and/or purchased. Details of the locations, interiors and exteriors, day or night sequences are all indicated. The individual scenes are constructed and the dramatic shape of the film is now clear. The screenplay is also is the stage where technical details and instructions help the director and filmmakers envisage the effects of the film.

Shooting Script

This is the detailed account of the film into shot-by-shot order, anticipating every shot that will be used and how that shot will look. Every scene of the screenplay will be described in terms of individual shots. The shooting script assumes the blueprint of the film have been decided upon.

Equipment

It is essential that all equipment necessary for a shooting session be placed on a list and made available as production begins. All contingencies should be planned for when organizing equipment, especially for location shooting. Lighting and sound checklists should be compiled in similar detail and all should be checked to make sure equipment is working. If equipment is rented make sure it is picked up and people are familiar with it.

Production: External World Reflects The Inner Reality

Slate And Action

Every single person involved in any way with the shooting of a scene must be at all times fully aware of what is going on and what is required of her/him. Filming is too complex an operation for a whole unit to be held up for hours because someone has not turned up or because an actor has forgotten that this was the day that the scene was to be filmed. It is the filmmaker’s responsibility to see that all people involved are aware of and reminded on the day prior to shooting.

Composition And Framing

The composition of each shot is something that can be decided by the cinematographer, camera operator and director in conveying the truth within each scene. There are an infinite number of rules that can be drawn upon about composition, but finally it is the instinct and the experience of the cinematographer, which will be the decisive factor in how each take is actually shot.

Working The Camera

When framing a shot, there are an almost infinite number of details that the cinematographer will notice that the audience may never ever be aware of. The cinematographer must ensure all verticals appear vertical and all horizontal are in fact parallel with the horizon. The cinematographer ensures that all visual information essential to the shot is contained within the frame, including all stages of the movement.

Continuity Of Story

Continuity is a responsibility shared by scriptwriter, director, cinematographer and editor. Decisions made during the actual shooting of the film are those that are really crucial to continuity; largely made by the cinematographer working with the director’s vision for the film. Continuity encompasses four main areas: continuity of action, continuity of place, continuity of time and photographic continuity. Because these are areas that can be looked at separately when constructing a shot: one interacts with another and all may play a part in the shooting of a sequence. Points about time and continuity lead directly to points of action continuity.

Continuity Of Time

An impression of continuous time must always be built up in the film. Screen time is very rarely the same thing as real time. The problem is normally caused the need to shorten real time but it can also work the other way. A legitimate device in cinema is to prolong a moment to heighten its impact and significance. More frequently, there is also the need to condense time for the screen that poses continuity problems.

Continuity Of Place

It is important that your audience always feels sure about the locations of the action and that no visual discrepancies occur to unsettle the audience’s conviction for narrative. A typical lapse can occur in this field when differing light conditions from different shooting sessions are intercut into a scene that is intended to appear continuous. If action takes us from one room to another, the next shot will tend to be taken from the place into which the action has gone. This whole process has almost infinite possibilities, which are continually explored during filming.

Photographic Continuity

Visual texture that you want to be part of the story is important to be captured correctly and to flow smoothly to enhance narrative. Particular care must be taken for color rendering and lighting. In all forms, photographic continuity is the responsibility of the cinematographer.

Post Production: Editing Movies You Want To See

Completing The Moving Jigsaw

All editing depends on rhythm of movement and the rhythm of sequence. There are today many ways to edit a digital movie on your computer. A lot of editing software claim to be brilliant and swear they can turn anyone into a master editor. While this may be true but it’s not always the technology that creates beauty – it’s the mind and the eye that use it. Few things you need to consider before starting editing – is your computer powerful enough? Are you prepared to get any necessary attachments such as capture cards allowing you to store clips and share them with others?

Taking Continuity Further

Editing is probably the most involved aspect of creating your vision. Continuity of action is the construction and fitting together of several successive shots in such a manner that the audience assumes that the action portrayed on the screen is continuous, such that if flows naturally without pause from one shot to another. Lapses in continuity may cause a temporary lack of orientation in the audience. An editor may be able to patch up occasional lapses, for example, to create deliberate tension. However, pre-planning and post-production must always include the ability to create cohesion in this aspect for continuity of action.

Copyright Laws

If you want to create a film that affects mass audiences or an art house film that you wish to promote commercially, then you must consider obtaining permission to use a song or any other work from another source. Alternatively, you can ask musician friends to do the soundtrack or get rights to royalty free music. Be careful out there. Don’t think your film will go unnoticed by the company who owns the music rights to a song you are thinking of using. Be aware of copyright laws. Don’t use third-party material unless you gain permission to do so. Lastly, make sure you get the people involved in your film to fill out release and consent forms so you can share and screen the film without worry.

Sharing Your Film

Depending on the faith you have in your film and your ambition, you may want to try contacting some major film and distribution companies. They may tell you to get lost or give you a large amount of money for the movie you have made or to make another film. They could also put you in contact with someone who may be able to develop another project. Send your film everywhere to genuinely stand out and be noticed.

Making Your Cinema Happen

Technology makes is it easier, even more accessible to make a digital film. A filmmaker five years ago could not have dreamt up some of the innovations available today at your fingertips. However, do remember that despite all the technology and gadgets out there, making a film is about harnessing your creativity into a story of moving images. No amount of gadgetry can do this for you – it has got to come from within. Filmmakers do things. Filmmakers share ideas. Filmmakers change the world.

Lava Mobiles Hires JustMachine For Discovering North America

Lava Mobiles (LavaMobiles.com) has some gorgeous phones that are selling like hotcakes in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle-East. We have been asked to do market discovery and help guide the products to North America. JustMachine has category experience with TiVo–the original DVR, we have successfully helped TiVo launch the higher end HD digital video recorders and increase TiVo's profitability and market share. We are excited at having Lava Mobiles begin their brand discovery for North America.

UCSF Spine & Neuro Center: Everything Needs A Spine

Vedat Deviren, a spine doctor reading the San Francisco Chronicle gets offended by a Chiropractor advertisement slamming spine surgeons. He calls up all the Popes in the UCSF spine fiefdom and they eventually call me. “Can you get us some ammunition against this group by early Monday, Mr Sharma. You are one of us, you understand us very well. We love your work.”

“Yes, of course,” I say. Thankfully, I have ample images of these awesome specialists at play slicing and dicing human backs to better health. Here are a few examples that Han quickly designed for our deadline. JustMachine has also created a portal for Spine health for UCSF that is in constant internal revision because all nine spine doctors do procedures a bit differently from one another. The main UCSF Medical Center website is our creation as well.

Art direction: Han Duong. Back end engineering: Fred Rodolfo.

AgrinMax: Surprise Yourself

JustMachine helps launch ArginMax® for male and female sexual fitness in urban markets across the USA. The start up's founder wants something saucy to jolt people into trying the natural sexual supplement: and we deliver the goods. Armed with a limited budget we shot and made these posters and website that generates huge awareness for the scientifically formulated nutritional supplement that takes a natural approach toward men's and women’s sexual health. AgrinMax is now available across the nation at GNC stores. AgrinMax’s patented formula helps increase sexual desire and improves sexual performance and staying power in both men and women.

How does AgrinMax create arousal?

AgrinMax features 3 grams of L-arginine and L-guanine. These important amino acids are building blocks of nitric oxide, which helps maintain blood vessel tone and plays a key role in sex.

AgrinMax combines American and Korean ginseng with ginkgo biloba. Ginseng is traditionally used to support vitality and overall well-being. Ginkgo biloba is one of the world's oldest living plants. It supports increased peripheral blood flow and mental sharpness.

AgrinMax supplies B-vitamins that are important to the activity of numerous enzymes and in the production of energy AgrinMax includes select antioxidant nutrients that help protect cells from harmful free radicals and are important for cellular health in the body.

AgrinMax provides 100% of the daily value for zinc. This important mineral is involved in a variety of metabolic processes in the body and is required for normal reproductive function.

Aesthetica

Training continues unabashedly for San Francisco's annual Bay2Breakers and Monterey's Big Sur ½ Marathon. Last year, I participated in the 100^th running of the 7.5 miles Bay2Breakers in 56 minutes 9 seconds. However, I missed running the Big Sur ½ Marathon in 2011 due to parenthood. Changing infant diapers, hugging and loving my son took precedence to early morrow cardiovascular rituals. I am looking forward to racing the Big Sur 1/2 Marathon in 2012. My fastest time for Big Sur is 1 hour 32 minutes (and can range to 1 hour 40 minutes). My training consists of 30 minutes on the ergometer and 1 hour on the treadmill (6.5 miles uphill). I plan to live to 274 years old!~

Bishop Ridley College: A Boarding School For Cadence

Oldboys Weekend

Cars
Familiar faces
All along Hogsback where the run was long and hard
By the Memorial Chapel, Arthur Bishop House and Lower School yard.

Sitting together
Shaking hands, laughs and good times
Most sit and think
Few sit and drink.

1st Eleven, crew and rifle team
Marching, cadet ball and the uniform thing.

Like the measured pulse of racing oars
Your name being shouted for roll call
Sharma, Martin, Tichy, Flowers, Grummar… you know who you are
Shouts from the teachers, coaches and housemasters
Driving the legs through the footstops
When going for Gold meant rowing in a boat named Endurement.