Latest blog posts by Semyon

The Afghan Perspective is going to have a New Format - Sem Maltsev

17 05 2013 16:01:44 +0000

This week I had a meeting with Fereshteh Forough who is managing the Afghan Perspective show. Usually what we are doing with the show is to interview her about her own thoughts and perspectives about what happened in the 60 Minutes CBS each Sunday. We decided to bring some changes and add more features into the show that makes it more interactive and be more specific of her vision being in New York City.

I did an interesting video about Frank Shattuck who is an American actor casted in Boardwalk Empire in 2010. He spoke about how target thinking and target marketing can help each individuals and businesses to find their niche into the market and then easily can be searched and ranked in the first pages of Google.

Target marketing will help you also to find your audience faster and more efficient. Last week Alexey Levchenko and I launched a Facebook page called "Afghanistan Film Production Network" which is going to empower young filmmakers from Afghanistan and produce high quality content.

This is how social and digital media with the help of target marketing can support your thoughts and start to build a connection between you and your targets in any parts of the world.

Sem Maltsev

Sem Maltsev: Video Editing Process

19 04 2013 15:33:36 +0000

Hi Everybody,

Today I would like to share the editing process of The Afghan Perspective episode.

The goal is to create video like this:

1. I don’t know what editing software you are using, they are all similar, but I recommend using and learning ADOBE PREMIERE CS6. Read my blog to know why I changed editing software from FCP 7 to Adobe Premiere CS6.

2. You also need a program called PluralEyes 3. Because we are shooting videos with DSLR cameras, we are recording the sound externally with another device (Zoom H4n) and in post-production we have to replace the camera sound with the external recorded sound (separate .WAV file).

3. The first step is to put the videos and sound on a timeline and synchronize the external audio with the videos using PluralEyes 3.

4. the second step is cleaning up: you have to go through the video and edit out unnecessary parts and the ones where people are stumbling.

5. Create an intro part. Write nice titles at the beginning and use logos if appropriate. Also it's nice to use some simple music piece.

“ON AIR” and intro text I used - Adobe Garamond Pro Font

Important: Try to use the same font everywhere.

6. Do the same with the ending part. Use logos and a call for action.

7. Create pop-in titles for the interviewing person and interviewer.

8. Add the Film Annex watermark (20-3 % opacity)

9. Insert b-rolls if appropriate.

10. Color Correction: for the Afghan Perspective episode, you have to make it Black and White.

11. Check the audio level, make sure it's the same level as the music.

12. Export the project to a video file.

- H.264 codec.

- You can choose Preset: Youtube HD 1080p 29.97

- Make sure that target bitrate is 2.2 Mbps

I hope this manual will be helpful especially for aspiring Afghan filmmakers, who will help the Film Annex Production team in New York.

Produced Films on this week:

1. Aplicaciones en español de Cupcake Digital con Carmen Hernandez y Jennifer Powers

2. Cupcake Digital's Susan Miller on Common Core Curriculum

3. Sydney Williams on the Philosophy of the Bonaventure Boys Home

4. Hon. Cline A. Glidden, Jr. on Bonaventure Boys Home

5. Success Stories of Bonaventure Boys Home with Cline A. Glidden

6. Public Service on the Cayman Islands with Cline A. Glidden

Sem Maltsev

Sem Maltsev: Film Production in Afghanistan

12 04 2013 12:34:20 +0000

This week was a game changer in my business of film production. We had a meeting with Francesco Rulli, Alexey Levchenko, Roya Mahboob and Elaha Mahboob, where we decided to expand our film production with the help of an Afghan team.

As you know, video editing takes a lot of time and efforts. And we are two people (me and Alex) working on shooting and editing at Film Annex New York studio. And physically, we couldn't handle more than 5-10 projects a week.

(The Film Annex production crew paid a visit to Coney Island to document the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Sandy)

You can read my blog post about Afghan Film Production, where I set up a goal to mentor young filmmakers in Afghanistan and build a network of professionals that can produce high quality video content. With the help of Roya and Elaha, we started building a team of Afghan filmmakers who can shoot and edit videos locally, but more importantly, we can send them videos from New York for them to edit.

(The Afghan Film Project-produced short film “Buzkashi Boys” was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Live Action Short Film category)

In this case, we can create more projects because our time from now on will be focused on developing and shooting film projects and the Afghan film production team will be focused on editing. We (Film Annex New York studio) are planning to produce 10-20 projects (videos) a week.

I already sent the last episode of The Afghan Perspective that we shot "in house" to the Afghanistan Film Production Team for editing. I am very excited and I hope that next week we will see the result.

Watch the video interview we've done in our studio with the founding director of Development Pictures in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sam French:

Once again, our goal is to empower and mentor the ASPIRING youth of Afghanistan to produce high quality video content.

Young people and students from all over the world who are interested in film production, producing, directing, cinematography, editing, even acting, we are open to new ideas and projects. Contact me or comment below for more information or suggestions.

Produced Films:

1. The Online Advertising Market with Joe Salvador - VP of Video Operations, Altitude Digital

2. Advertising and Publishers with Joe Salvador - VP of Video Operations, Altitude Digital

3. The Mobile Ad Market by Joe Salvador - VP of Video Operations, Altitude Digital

4. Publisher Concerns by Joe Salvador - VP of Video Operations, Altitude Digital

5. Wubbzy's Space Adventure in Spanish with Carmen Hernandez and Jennifer Powers

Sem Maltsev

Sem Maltsev: Becoming Batman or Why Film Production is so Important?

05 04 2013 15:49:48 +0000

Why is film production so important? And I am not talking about Hollywood productions now. I would like to talk about online film production, meaning that a produced film will be distributed online and only online on platforms such as Film Annex, Youtube, Vimeo, etc. The question is why is it so important? First of all, it's not a secret that the Internet is growing with tremendous speed. Cisco predicts that 90% of all internet traffic will be video in the next three years.

Besides online video growth, there is a huge growth in technology and cameras in particular. These days, anybody can afford a 1080p HD camera and most people have it in their smartphones. Cameras become cheaper and cheaper and video quality higher and higher. That's why you can find millions of videos on Youtube. But the problem is that 90% of this content is user-generated, meaning unprofessional and about another funny cat :)

I think at this point, it's essential to produce professional content, content that other people will enjoy. I am really proud to be a part of Film Annex platform, where 99% (because nothing is 100%) is professional content. Nothing goes up until our staff reviews it.

(Do you want to be Batman and spend $20,000 on a short film...)

I believe every human in this world has to have a video presence online. It doesn't matter who you are, an artist or business owner or engineer or janitor, if you want to grow and make your business grow, you have to present yourself to the world and become a thought leader in your niche (industry). And online video is the right tool to do it. And now the question is how much do you want to invest in yourself? Do you want to be Batman and spend $20,000 on a short film where you play Batman, or do you want to spend nothing and shoot a video on your iPhone where you and your friends are hanging out in a bar. Do you want to be on top of the mountain and make a professional video message to your customers or do you want to wait and watch how other people do it? It's your choice today to make your future tomorrow.

(Do you want to be on top of the mountain and make a professional video message to your customers...)

There are two ways of doing film production:

1. You can learn basics through online tutorials "how to film and edit", buy cheap equipment and try to shoot something.

In this case, you invest your time and effort on learning and making mistakes and the result might be not so bright.

2. You can hire a professional team of filmmakers like us (Target Marketing Annex) and we will not only show your work, we'll also show YOU to the world. And it's your choice who you want to be: a corporate guy from Wall Street or Batman or mountains conqueror... And after that, people will follow you, people will listen to you, because they know that you are the best in you industry.

Here is Target Marketing Annex philosophy, where we ask 4 simple questions:

1. Are you or your company a “Thought Leader”?

2. In what subject or what topic?

3. What keywords best define your leadership?

4. How do you quantify your leadership?

But today, I want to rephrase it to:

1. Do you have an online video presence?

2. In what niche?

3. How much do you want to invest in yourself to become a thought leader in your industry?

I would like to hear your opinions in the comments below.

Produced Films:

1. Fereshteh Forough and Lara Logan - American University in Afghanistan Fundraiser - The Afghan Perspective

2. Angelina Fiordellisi on Founding Cherry Lane Theatre, Acting, and Women's Empowerment

3. American University of Afghanistan's President Dr. C. Michael Smith on Education and Women Empowerment

4. The Lost Boys of Sudan: 12 years later - 60 Minutes on CBS - The Afghan Perspective

Sem Maltsev

Sem Maltsev: Film Annex's Contest Development

29 03 2013 12:41:01 +0000

This week, I would like to talk about an idea that came to me yesterday. I was inspired by Thomas Courtney. He sent me a link to some sort of contest for filmmakers. And I started thinking: Film Annex is a distribution platform for independent filmmakers that actually PAYS filmmakers for their work. Why can't create a contest? The answer is "Yes, we can." The contest idea is beneficial for both sides, filmmakers and Film Annex. For filmmakers, it's a great opportunity to earn more money, and for Film Annex it's a great promotion.

There are lots of ways to do contests, but I came up with two ideas: Award and Contest concepts.

Here I want to share two brief examples:

Contest #1: Film Annex's Awards

In this case everything is simple. People apply with their films and we award filmmakers in different categories or genres. It's a kind of Film Festival concept.

Prize:

- $2000-5000 cash prize

- Winners will be featured in Eren's Picks.

Brief Requirements:

1. Create 3-5 min film

2. Upload it on Film Annex (films should be uploaded after a certain date)

3. In the movie title, you should put #FilmAnnexAwards

4. Follow @filmannex on Twitter and like Film Annex on Facebook

5. Share your film on Facebook and Twitter with the #filmannexawards hashtag

...

Contest #2: Create your own web show

I personally like this idea, where filmmakers will get $1000-2000 to produce the first 2-4 episodes of the idea and upload it on Film Annex where there Web TV will be featured on Eren's Picks for a month and they can generate again $1000-2000 for the next episodes and so on.

Prize:

- $1000-2000 (to produce first 4 episodes of your show)

- The winner will be featured on Eren's Picks

Brief Requirements:

1. Come up with an idea of a new web show

2. Post the idea on Twitter with a hashtag #FilmannexWebShow (That means you have to fit your idea in 140 characters)

3. Follow @filmannex on Twitter and Facebook

...

I will be happy to hear some feedback from filmmakers, which idea they prefer and what they think or maybe you can suggest something. Please don't be shy and comment below :)

A lot of editing work I've done on this week, here is the list:

Produced Films:

1. The Innovator: Jack Dorsey - 60 Minutes on CBS - The Afghan Perspective

2. Cupcake Digital’s Commitment to Social Responsibility in the Development of Educational Children’s Apps

3. Sustainable Philanthropy and Education - Francesco Rulli

4. Prolieve BPH Treatment with Dr. Augustine Y. Cheung, PhD, President and CEO of Medifocus

5. Kevin Smith on Cupcake Digital Apps

6. Kevin Smith of Cupcake Digital on Kids and Education

7. Jennifer McLean of Cupcake Digital on Educational Applications in Developing Countries

8. Jennifer McLean - Project Manager at Cupcake Digital

9. Jenny Lyn Bader on Theater 167, Writing plays, and Women's Empowerment

10. Investment in Altitude Digital by Visualtising by Joe Salvador - VP of Video Operations

11. Altitude Digital's support in Aurora by Joe Salvador

Sem Maltsev

Sem Maltsev: Film Production in Washington DC with USAID

22 03 2013 16:16:29 +0000

This week, the Film Annex team made a two-day trip to Washington DC to attend the annual American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) benefit gala. The dinner was held in the National Museum of Women in the Arts and served Afghan traditional foods and desserts.

A lot of interesting people who are involved with Afghanistan, particularly in education and economy, were participating and speaking about their experience of being there.

(Fereshteh Forough interviewing USAid Administrator Rajiv Shah)

After setting up the cameras and finding the proper place for shooting, we started to interview several guests there. Among them, I can name some important guests who have done many projects for Afghanistan like: USAid Administrator Rajiv Shah, Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad and Ambassador Ryan Crocker.

The next morning, we went to USAID to interview Maura O'Neil, the chief innovation officer and Priya Jaisinghani, the director of USAid's Mobile Solutions Team.

(Fereshteh Forough interviewing Priya Jaisinghani, the director of USAid's Mobile Solutions Team)

This trip was a great opportunity for us to be introduced to many people whom became interested in what we are doing here at Film Annex, especially in creating content and dealing with social media tools. They understand that it is really important to use the right keywords and the right tool to promote your idea and projects.

I am looking forward to collaborating more with USAID, in case of film production and social media promotion.

What we produced last week:

Produced Films:

1. 2013 New York Open Judo Cup Super Final

On March 3rd, 2013, the US, Germany, France, Russia, and Canada, faced each other in the 2013 NY Open Judo Championship.
In this video, you can see the highlights of the France-Germany Super Final, from the athletes stepping on the mat to the final victory.

2. Medifocus Vision with Dr. Augustine Y. Cheung, PhD, President and CEO

Sem Maltsev

Sem Maltsev: Film Production Company New York

15 03 2013 16:39:27 +0000

I believe that New York is the greatest city on planet Earth and the capital of the World. You can find here anything you want: any kind of food and any kind of people. Its a cultural melting pot. NYC is a center of commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, technology, education, and entertainment. And film production is not exception. All great stories happening in New York: Spider-Man, Men in Black, King Kong, Sex and the city, Ghostbusters, Taxi Driver and so on.

There are Big Six major film studios in USA: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros. Entertainment, The Walt Disney Studios, NBCUniversal, Fox Entertainment Group, Paramount Motion Pictures Group. This studios basically control Hollywood and the rest of the World. But besides that there are lots of independent studios that produces content. And I am happy that Film Annex besides distribution platform developed production company in New York. We produced hundreds of short films and we are not going to stop. Next week I would like to have a meeting with Francesco Rulli, Michael Sweeney, Thomas Courtney and Alexey Levchenko to discuss our plans and develop a strategy. Follow my blog for updates.

Now you can enjoy Inspirational Films by Film Annex Productions and Friends.

What we produced last week:

In Production:

1. "Giants in Medicine" with Bruce Spiegelman, Ph.D., who is a cell biologist at the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute and a professor at Harvard Medical School.

2. Interview with the artist Yazmany Arboleda

Produced Films:

1. THE WOMAN IN ME - A Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fashion Film

"The Woman In Me" is a fashion film shot during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2013 runway shows in New York City. Models WebTV collaborated with Oscar and Grammy winning Italian composer Ennio Morricone and legendary vocalist Romina Arena who provided the musical backdrop with their song "The Woman in Me" from their newly released album MORRICONE.UNCOVERED.

The lyrics for "The Woman in Me" were written by Romina for Ennio's composition for the movie "Lolita."

2. Sheryl Sandberg pushes women to "lean in" - 60 Minutes on CBS - Afghan Perspective

Sheryl Kara Sandberg, is an American businesswoman. She has served as the chief operating officer of Facebook since 2008.

3. Visualtising by Joe Salvador - VP of Video Operations, Altitude Digital

Have a great weekend everybody

Sem Maltsev

Sem Maltsev: Film and Video Production Company

08 03 2013 16:49:02 +0000

Today I would like to talk about difference between developing countries like Afghanistan and developed countries like USA from film production point of view. Everybody in the World knows about Hollywood and its not a secret that film production in United States on top of the World. Even in Afghanistan I am sure people watch blockbusters from Hollywood. But nobody knows about Afghan films. Why? Because Afghanistan is developing country with weak economy and many more problems. Basically people don't have an access to the big budgets. For example in United States, below 10 million dollars budget for a movie counts like low budget film. As for Afghanistan I think $10.000-20.000 is a high budget. The difference is huge.

Lets take independent film production. Nowadays you can easily buy professional equipment for $3000-5000 and shoot great short film with your friends. And thats what most young people trying to do in USA. With the power of online video your film can be seen by millions people and if so you can make a lot of money with advertising. Film Annex applying the same concept for Afghanistan. Recently we supplied DSLR equipment to Afghanistan and here you can see some results. We want that Afghan youth can produce high quality short and feature films and can compete with the rest of the World and on top of that make money with it. Equipment becoming is more and more available for everybody, but the problem is film education and creativity. We know that people from developing countries can work very well with their hands, but now its time to raise level of creativity. I want to see high professional level of cinematography, storytelling, music, editing, etc. from Afghanistan. And If they achieve this level, with Film Annex platform they can make living out of it. Because some of the best filmmakers on Film Annex make $2000 a month and even more. The average yearly income in Afghanistan is $900. Now you understand the importance of what we doing.

My goal is to mentor young filmmakers in Afghanistan and build a network of professionals, that can produce high quality video content and make money out of it. And who knows, soon we will see next Martin Scorcese from Afghanistan.

Follow me for updates :)

Here is my usual week recap:

Shooting Jobs:

1. New York Judo Open 2013

2. The life and death of Clay Hunt - 60 Minutes on CBS - Afghan Perspective

Editing Jobs:

1. The life and death of Clay Hunt - 60 Minutes on CBS - Afghan Perspective

2. Phase 3 Trials - Dr. Augustine Y. Cheung, PhD, President and CEO of Medifocus

3. Autistic Engineers with Steve Perricone - CEO of Semperical

4. 2013, A Breakthrough Year for Altitude Digital by CEO Jeremy Ostermiller

5. Save Olympic Wrestling - New York Judo Open Cup 2013

Don't forget to subscribe and Save Olympic Wrestling.

Sem Maltsev

Sem Maltsev: Film in Schools

01 03 2013 16:18:30 +0000

We got some great news on the past week: Film Annex now translated in Russian. You can find button at the bottom of the site. Now people from Russia and countries from former USSR can easily navigate the site without knowing English.

Today I want to talk about films in schools. I am not taking film schools or post-secondary education, I want to focus on primary and secondary education. I was born in Russia and unfortunately in my school there was no such a subject like film. I did study films on my own, but recently I know that Ministry of Culture in Russia was proposed to include “100 movies which school students need to watch” in school program. And I think its a good idea, because most films in the list are classics. New generation have to watch and learn best classic movies. And I tell you personally old films much better that new ones in Russia. And great news are that you can watch best Russian classic movies online for free.

Especially for developing countries like Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazahstan I really recommend for new generation to watch best Russian classics. Good films like good books, they can be very useful and educational. You can learn a lot.

Russian Films TV offers you great examples from Russian cinema, including Russian classics like The Battleship Potemkin, Alexander Nevsky, Man with the Movie Camera... This great classics included in educational programs in many film schools in USA.

I recommend for everyone to watch Russian animation about filmmaking. Its 20 minutes long, silent (You don't have to know Russian) and funny cartoon:

Today We picked up Sony FS-700 camera. It allows you to shoot super slow motion (1080p/ 240fps). We did few tests, it looks impressive. But it allows you to shoot in slow motion mode only about 10 seconds. I am not a fan of big cameras, I prefer to handle small (DSLR) cameras, its easy to handle, light and you can attach it to different spots. But FS-700 is great professional camera for $7,999. Complete review you can watch here.

We rented this camera for 2013 New York Open Team Judo Tournament - Sunday March 3, 2013 at NYAC. Get ready for crazy judo super slow motion shots. If you don't know what i am talking about, check out the same event we did last year:

Here is usual week recap:

Shooting Jobs:

1. Fashion Business and Social Media - Michael Jarvela, Founder of Frank and Lu

2. Music for learning apps with Ben Allison

Editing Jobs:

1. Dr Arthur Canario, On the NYAC Judo Open Cup and Sports in Central and South Asia

2. Altitude Digital Gives Back to Colorado

3. A Conversation with Nobel Laureate Paul Greengard of the Rockefeller University

Ushma Neill of the Journal of Clinical Investigation speaks to Nobel Laureate Paul Greengard of the Rockefeller University. Greengard's studies on neurotransmission and how the brain signals are the basis for much of modern neuroscience.

4. Examer Platform, Filmmaking for Afghan Students, and Online Film Distribution by Eren Gulfidan

5. Targeted Heat Therapy with Dr. Augustine Y. Cheung, PhD, President and CEO

Don't forget to subscribe and have a great weekend.

Sem Maltsev

Sem Maltsev: Video Production in New York

08 02 2013 16:14:17 +0000

Yesterday I watched Les Miserables. Its motion-picture adaptation of the beloved musical seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe and still breaking box-office records everywhere in its 27th year. Film nominated for 8 Oscars and already won Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture (musical or comedy). My expectations were very high and film didn't disappoint me. Brilliant in all aspects: acting, costumes, set design, cinematography, story and of course incredible MUSIC. But I want to talk about cinematography, while I watched the film I noticed that some (most) scenes done with wide-angle lens and camera located right in front of the actors. This is unusual way to shoot, but its done perfectly. Danny Cohen, very well known cinematographer and long-term collaborator with director Tom Hooper, used same style as he did in Academy Award winner King's Speech and I really admire his work. Bravo. And my congratulations to all crew and best wishes on Academy Awards.

Here is my week recap:

Shooting Jobs:

1. An Afghan Perspective - 60 Minutes on CBS - Global Medical Relief's mission

2. Interview with Mrinalini, Filmmaker

3. interview with Altitude Digital

4. B-rolls with Altitude Digital

5. Interview Medifocus

6. Fashion week

7. Interview with Alan Harter of Pactolus

8. FA Music Concert with FKBand

Editing Jobs:

1. Peacekeeping or Occupation Forces in Afghanistan - Film Annex Online Distribution Prospective by Francesco Rulli

2. Fashion Entrepreneur Tommaso Rulli discusses South and Central Asia with Fereshteh Forough

3. Afghanistan USA Strategic Partnership Agreement - Film Annex Distribution Platform Prospective by Francesco Rulli

4. The Faces of Fashion: Christine Pomeranz, FIT

5. An Afghan Perspective - 60 Minutes on CBS - Global Medical Relief's mission

Sem Maltsev

Sem Maltsev: Production of a Movie

01 02 2013 14:54:51 +0000

The Oscar-nominated black and white animation is available for all to see. And this is great news. I think especially for short films online distribution is essential. Because nobody won't go to cinemas to see 7 min film. It doesn't make any sense, but at the same time it doesn't mean that short films are not good enough. Sometimes short films are much better at every aspect than some of the feature films. And I am very proud that Disney made this film available to watch it online for free. Today, I think online distribution is the right and only way to distribute short films. I couldn't imagine what producers and directors did with their short films before online video platforms. And I think there was not much of shorts, because of that. Now online film distribution allows aspiring film producers and directors to show their work to the audience. And this is essential, because there is no point to produce any form of art and not been seen. I highly recommend to watch Paperman, its very well done short animation film and I hope to see academy award prize in the John Kahrs hands, who directed it.

(Paperman, Oscar-nominated short film)

Here is my usual work report of my last week:

Shooting Jobs:

1. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton - The Afghan Perspective - 60 Minutes on CBS

In this new Afghan Perspective video, Feresteh Forough talks about one of CBS 60 minutes interview with President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

2. Richard Grace on NYAC

Editing Jobs:

1. Conversation with molecular geneticist Dr. Jeffrey Friedman

Dr. Jeffrey Friedman of the Rockefeller University, a man who's been at the center of discovery of the
molecular determinants of why we eat what we eat and, more importantly, why we eat so much of what we eat. Friedman has spent his research career doing the discovery and characterization of leptin, one of the most important hormones regulating appetite and hunger.

2. Fereshteh Forough on Free Movies and Films

3. Family Sharing of Cupcake Digital's Apps with Susan Miller

4. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton - The Afghan Perspective - 60 Minutes on CBS

5. Brad Powers Chairman of Cupcake Digital on Common Core State Standards

6. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by Brad Powers Chairman of Cupcake Digital

7. Foreign Forces in Afghanistan - Film Annex Online Distribution Prospective by Francesco Rulli

8. Afghanistan Civilian Casualties - Film Annex Distribution Platform Prospective by Francesco Rulli

9. Nato Operations in Afghanistan - Film Annex Online Distribution Prospective by Francesco Rulli

(Francesco Rulli and Fereshteh Forough at Film Annex Studio)

Sem Maltsev: Movie Production

25 01 2013 16:28:27 +0000

Friday, January 25, 2013. My week recap.

Shooting Jobs:

1. Today was a big shooting for Cupcake Digital. We welcomed guests from Canada: Kevin Smith, Chief Technology Officer, and John Marchese,COO, also founder and CEO of Cupcake Digital Brad Powers stopped by our studio for an update. We interviewed them all. Videos will be up soon.

(Michael Sweeney and Kevin Smith)

2. Also we did shooting with Film Annex's in house team. Francesco Rulli, the founder of Film Annex, Eren Gilfidan, creative director of Film Annex, and Fereshteh Forough, liaison to Central and South Asia, talks about Women's Annex.

WomensAnnex.com is a self-sustaining digital platform and ecosystem created and managed by Afghan women. The platform promotes and supports women's empowerment within and outside of Central and South Asia with videos, instructional programs, and Blog stories about education, business, sports, and a variety of other topics.

(Francesco Rulli and Fereshteh Forough)

Editing Jobs:

1. An Afghan Perspective - 60 Minutes on CBS - Justice Sotomayor prefers "Sonia from the Bronx"

2. Mari Lyn Henry on Theatre, Acting, and Women

3. Mari Lyn Henry on Women's Empowerment

4. David Steinberg of XL Marketing on Cupcake Digital's Wireless Opportunity

Have a great weekend everybody !!!

Semyon Maltsev: Video and Film Production

18 01 2013 13:03:39 +0000

January 18, 2013.

Here is my week recap.

Shooting jobs:

1. New episode of "An Afghan Perspective on CBS' 60 minutes", where Fereshteh Forough talks about Justice Sotomayor. Video will be up soon.

2. We shot an amazing interview with Mari Lyn Henry. She is talent manager, actress, career coach and author of one of the best books in industry "How to Be a Working Actor". It was long, but informative interview. I am very excited to edit it.

(Interviewing Mari Lyn Henry)

3. Thursday afternoon we went to Staten Island, NY to shoot interviews with founder of GMRF (Global Medical Relief Fund) Elissa Montanti and a kids. It was very interesting experience . Elissa have done incredible job in changing peoples lives.

4. Fereshteh Forough interviewed Tommaso Rulli, vice president of Film Annex. They discussed Women's Annex and Fashion Industry in Afghanistan, Central and South Asia.

Editing Jobs:

1. Updated: Paul Levitz of Cupcake Digital - Weighs in on Historic Characters and Brands

2. First episode of "An Afghan Perspective - 60 Minutes on CBS"

3. Second episode "An Afghan Perspective - 60 Minutes on CBS - How to Design Breakthrough Inventions"

It was done and then reedited. We had a meeting with Film Annex team and decided to make it black & white. And also it took a lot of time to work on intro,but finally everybody satisfied with new intro and style.

4. Stan Wunderlich of Consulting For Strategic Growth 1 picks Neostem and Medifocus

5. The Creative Process @ Cupcake Digital

(Film Annex Team)

Semyon Maltsev: Filmmaking Production

11 01 2013 14:57:55 +0000

Its Friday, January 11th, 2013.

Shooting jobs:

1. Interview with Dr. Augustine Y. Cheung, Chairman and CEO of Medifocus, Inc.
Medifocus is our new potential client for Target Marketing Annex.

2. Ushma S. Neill, Executive Editor of JCI, interviewed Nobel Prize winner Paul Greengard.

Paul Greengard is an American neuroscientist best known for his work on the molecular and cellular function of neurons. In 2000 Greengard awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries concerning signal transduction in the nervous system. He is currently Vincent Astor Professor at Rockefeller University, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Cure Alzheimer's Fund.

(Ushma S. Neill interviewing Paul Greengard)

3. Mike Sweeney, head of Target Marketing Annex, discussed with Fereshteh Forough her initiative to write overview of CBS "60 minutes".

Read An Afghan Perspective on CBS's 60 Minutes

Editing jobs:

1. Amory Millard – Business Development and Licensing Head of Cupcake Digital

2. Linnette Attai of Playwell on Regulatory Issues for App Developers

3. Linnette Attai of Playwell on Cupcake Digital

4. Next steps for Cupcake Digital with Linnette Attai of Playwell

5. Paul Levitz of Cupcake Digital Weighs in on Historic Characters and Brands

6. Updated Cupcake Digital Kids at Play

I uploaded 9 fantastic videos of Mike Swain's Basic Judo:

Hiza-Garuma (Knee-Whee)

Juji-Gatame (Cross Arm Lock)

Kataha-Jime (Single Wing Choke)

O-Goshi (Full Hip Throw)

Okuri-Ashi-Harai (Double Ankle Sweep)

Osoto-Gari (Outer Leg Reap)

Shime-Waza (Neck Holds)

Tai-Otoshi (Body Drop)

Ude-Garami (Entangled Arm Lock)

Mike Swain is one of the most successful American judokas. Swain became the first American male to win the Judo World Championships when he took the gold medal in 1987. He was a member of four US Olympic Judo teams (1980*, 1984,1988, 1992) Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 1988.

For all judo fighters its a very very good material.

Follow me:

Semyon Maltsev: Entertaining Movies

04 01 2013 16:42:34 +0000

January 4, 2013.
Happy new year everybody.
The first week of new year was the shortest in terms of work. Just three days, but I've done one of the best videos for a long time.

Editing jobs:

1. Mike Swain on Judo, Afghanistan's Education and Economy

Mike Swain, Judoka and 4-time Olympian, is interviewed by Fereshteh Forough of the Afghan Development Project about Judo, the philosophy behind his company and Afghanistan and Central and South Asia.

Mike Swain starts by explaining Judo's philosophy and how it is part of his life. He talks about his company, Swain Sports, which sells martial arts mats. His specialty, as a Judoka and world champion, is his knowledge about mats. He uses this thought leadership to connect and communicate with his customers, mainly via social media. He also shares his thoughts on Afghanistan and Central and South Asia's education and economy.

2. Cupcake Digital Kids at Play

This is the video I mentioned before. It was fun to shoot and even more fun to edit it. Kids are great. But here I want to share some of the challenges I've got thru:

- Color correction

Video was shot on two cameras from different angles and exposure settings, It took a lot of time to match the colors.

- Music

Music is always a huge question, because its very important to find right music that can fit the video and in the same time it should be not copyrighted. Searching music takes time.

Shootings jobs:

1. Interview with Amory Millard, Business Development and Licensing Head of Cupcake Digital.

(Mike Sweeney interviewing Amory Millard)

New edition of Film Annex Weekly is out today. Check it out

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Semyon Maltsev: Classic Films Online

28 12 2012 16:41:34 +0000

December 28, 2012

There was no shooting on this week, only editing and here is what I've done:

1. Christine Norrie – Creative Director of Cupcake Digital

Creative Director of Cupcake Digital, Christine Norrie, has been the creative force behind comics, graphic novels, editorial illustration, films and books for major companies and independent publishers, including DC Comics, Miramax...

2. Paul Levitz - Board Member of Cupcake Digital

As an executive, he led the DC Comics division of Time Warner as its senior business officer for three decades, and ultimately as President & Publisher from 2002-2009.

3. A Conversation with "The Father of Modern Cardiology" Dr. Eugene Braunwald

As part of JCI WebTV Ushma Neill did great interview with Dr. Eugene Braunwald from Harvard Medical School who's often been called the Father of Modern Cardiology. Nobel Prize winners in medicine have named Braunwald as the person who has contributed the most to cardiology in recent years.

4. Interview with Animation Filmmaker, Nick Fox-Gieg, at Film Annex

Animation filmmaker, Nick Fox-Gieg visits the Film Annex studios to talk about his animations, inspirations, residency at Eyebeam, thoughts on online film distribution and social media, and of course, his upcoming projects.

Besides editing I invested a lot of time to finalize uploading of 101 films for National Archives WebTV. And this is big. While uploading all that stuff, I watched it a little bit and I would like to say: its great stuff, very interesting and educational. People can learn American history by watching this videos.

Also I worked on Film Annex Weekly, the new way to distribute and promote our blogs.

Read first edition here

Happy New Year Everybody! See you in 2013. Uraaaaaaahhhhh

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Semyon Maltsev: Film Entertainment

21 12 2012 16:02:25 +0000

Today is Friday, 21st, 2012 - The End of the World.
Here is my quick week recap:
First of all, as I said in previous blogpost, I would like to publish links for 3 out of 5 videos for FIT Chairs (now we calling it "The Faces of Fashion"):
1. The Faces of Fashion: Jeffrey Silberman, FIT
Textile Development and Marketing Department

2. The Faces of Fashion: Colette Wong, FIT
Fashion Design Department

3. The Faces of Fashion: Deborah Beard, FIT
Technical Design Department

Two more videos are coming soon.

I would like to restructure my blogposts. Instead of telling what I've done each day, I would like to split my work in two categories: Editing and Shooting jobs.

(Interviewing american comic book writer Paul Levitz)

Here is the list of shootings I've done this week:
1. Interview with Animation Filmmaker Nick Fox-Gieg

2. Interview for Cupcake Digital with famous American comic book writer Paul Levitz.

3. Another interview for Cupcake Digital with compliance consultant Linnette Attai.

And here is the list of Editing jobs I've done:

1. Lauren Lovelace and Fereshteh Forough discuss women's empowerment in Afghanistan, Central and South Asia

2. Joseph Salvador Positions Visualtising for Video Publishers

3. Tom Gesky, CEO of Secure Path Networks on Telecom Cost Reduction

4. The Faces of Fashion: Henry Welt, FIT
Entrepreneurship Department

Finally, good news is we bought Cinevate slider, which will help us with our film productions.

Merry Christmas

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Semyon Maltsev: Making Movies Today

14 12 2012 16:55:59 +0000

Today is December 14,2012 and here is my week recap.

(shooting Susan Miller)

The week began with a lot of shootings. Monday we shot 25 minutes interview with Susan Miller, producer and co-founder of Cupcake Digital. Later Ushma Neill, executive editor of JCI, interviewed Jeffrey Friedberg as a part of "Giants in Medicine". He is a molecular geneticist at New York City's Rockefeller University. His discovery of the hormone leptin and its role in regulating body weight has had a major role in the area of human obesity. After that we shot b-roll with kids from Cupcake Digital playing their apps.

(Cupcake Digital's kids)

Tuesday we welcomed cinematographer Ali Moghadas and World Judo Champion Mike Swain. And also we shot corporate interview with Tom Gesky, CEO of Secure Path Networks.

(Interviewing Tom Gesky)

It was really interesting to know Tom not only from business point of view, but wrestling. He said that he was doing wrestling in high school, but he never won national or world championships, because of the tough competition,so he decided to be successful in the world of business and "win a gold medal" in the field of business. Any martial arts taught discipline, respect, dedication, persistence. So he applied his wrestling skills to the business and he got success. This is exactly repeats Film Annex philosophy:

Wednesday I dedicated to work on "FIT Chairs" project. Myself and ModelsWebTV edited 3 out of 5 videos. They will be up soon.

Thursday I worked on editing Susan Miller's videos. I've done 3 out of 5. Here they are:
1. Susan Miller – Co-founder President and Executive Producer of Cupcake Digital
2. Susan Miller on Wubbzy's The Night Before Christmas and Cupcake Digital
3. New Apps and Properties at Cupcake Digital with Susan Miller

And today we did shoot interview with Lauren Lovelace, Executive Director of Georgetown University.

Busy week. Busy Month. But holidays are coming.
Till next week.

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Sem Maltsev

Week Recap: Changing My Professional Tool

07 12 2012 17:15:39 +0000

Good afternoon!
Today is Friday, December 7th,2012 and here is my week recap.
Week was started from shooting interview for "FIT Chairs", we welcomed Jeffrey Silberman, who is responsible for Textile Development and Marketing.

Later I edited short video for Altitude Digital Partners, where they presenting their new video advertising platform Visualtising. I think this is the best business video I've done so far. Its fun, short and has clear message. We have positive responses about it. Watch video below:

Thomas Courtney sat with me to edit first interview for "FIT Chairs". We spent a lot time on cutting, and in the result we made from 20 min interview 8 min. Now we working on intro part.

On Thursday I edited a corporate interview for our new client, John N. Bonfiglio, PhD, President and CEO of Oragenics:

Also we shot last two interviews for "Fit Chairs":
- Henry Welt, ITM Department, where he teaches courses International Business Management and Corporate Social Responsibility.
- Christine S. Pomeranz, Chairperson, Department of International Trade & Marketing. She is a faculty coordinator of the ITM Advisory Board, she organizes guest lecture series, field trips, career development programs, and fund raising activities to enhance the students’ professional development.

(Thomas Courtney interviewing Henry Welt)

And finally I edited business interview, where Robin L. Smith, M.D., MBA Chairman & CEO of Neostem (NYSE: NBS) talks about her business. This is a special video, because I first time did editing on Adobe Premiere CS6. For 3 years I worked on Final Cut Pro 7 and today I am switching my tool. Its more than 4 years since the last update of FCP 7, and Apple decided not updating it anymore (they literately buried it). Year ago they released completely new Final Cut Pro X. New design, new features and immediately they got very bad responses back. And people talked about how unprofessional this program is. My experience was the same. FCP X has really nice features like Color Match, but overall it's not ready yet for professionals. Meanwhile Adobe "doesn't sleep" and they released CS6 pack, which included Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop and so on. And Adobe now on right way. I really like to edit without any rendering and encoding. Saving a lot of time. So now slowly I am going to change my professional tool.

For 3 years I edited hundreds of videos (it's a good question), maybe a thousand(I think I passed 1000). And now its time to say goodbye to FCP 7 and move on with Adobe Premiere CS6. Thank you FCP 7. I wish you are alive.

Sem Maltsev

Week Recap: Father of Modern Transplantation and other people

30 11 2012 15:49:17 +0000

Today is Friday, November 30, 2012, and I am looking back on my week.

Monday, we shot interview with Al Shefsky, president of Pele Mountain Resources. He is a potential client of Target Marketing Annex. Also I edited interview with David Steinberg, Board Member of Cupcake Digital.

Tuesday, I worked on editing with Ushma Neill. She is executive editor of The Journal of Clinical Investigation and runs JCI Web TV. December 1st We will feature new conversation with "Giants in Medicine," Dr. Thomas Starzl is "The Father of Modern Transplantation". He performed the first successful liver transplant in 1967 and refined the use of immunosuppressive drugs such that patients could tolerate their grafts some four decades. With Starzl's efforts over the last 50 years, thousands of patients with end-stage liver disease have been able to live long and active lives.
Also I worked with Richard Grace on editing NYAC videos we shot couple weeks ago. Finally we are on finish line. It's going to be 30-35 mini documentary about NYAC athletes. There are three topics they talking about relationships with the club, ideas and saturday morning program. Video will be up soon.
And also I edited two interviews with our current client Brad Powers, founder of Cupcake digital. In the first video he talked about NY Times Article on Apps Boom and in the second he talked about uniqueness of Cupcake. Check it out.

(Dr. John Bonfiglio, Chief Executive Officer and President of Oragenics)

Wednesday, we shot interview with our potential client Dr. John Bonfiglio, Chief Executive Officer and President of Oragenics. It's a biopharmaceutical company focused primarily on oral probiotics products and novel antibiotics for humans and companion pets.
And also we shot first interview in a series of conversations with a leaders of fashion educators in New York. It will be produced by Models Webtv and in particular Thomas Courtney interviewed Deborah Beard who is associate chairperson at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology).
Videos will be up soon.

(Thomas Courtney interviewing Deborah Beard)

Thursday, we also shot interview with our potential client Dr. Robin L. Smith, Chairman and CEO of NeoStem. It is a biotechnology company.
And wrote a blogpost for filmmakers in Afghanistan How To Use Zoom H4N To Record Great Audio For Film Production. Even if you are not from Afghanistan, check it out, its helpful.

This is my week. What's yours? :)

Sem Maltsev

How To Use Zoom H4N To Record Great Audio For Film Production

29 11 2012 16:04:33 +0000

Audio is a key factor in film production. In a way, audio can be more important than video. It's hard to watch a video with bad audio, while a bad video with good audio is more watchable.

There are many low-cost, high-quality portable audio recorders on the market, but a favorite among video producers and independent filmmakers is Zoom H4n. Because DSLR cameras produce low-quality audio, the idea is to record better audio separately and sync it with the video later in post production.

You can easily set the H4n to record different audio file formats and settings, but in my personal experience of recording audio for film production, I've had excellent results when I set the recorder to 16-bit/44.1 kHz WAV files. If you're shooting stereo (with 2 microphones), make sure that in the settings, the MONO MIX is off. Otherwise, leave it ON.

ALWAYS monitor the audio on your headphones and adjust the audio levels every time you shoot. When you test the audio, make sure level bars are between 0db and -12db.

WARNING: When you see flushing red lights, it means your levels are too high. Immediately, lower the levels.

Remember that you'll have to hit record on the H4n before you start recording on the camera. After the first hit, you'll see a flushing red circle over the button telling you to check the audio. Once you check the levels and decide that they're OK, you can hit the button a second time to record. Don't forget: You have to hit the button twice in order for the device to start recording.

One nice thing is that the Zoom H4n can be attached on top of the DSLR camera.

If you do not have an external microphone, use the internal mic and hold H4n just below the frame when people talk to the camera.

If you do not have wireless microphones, you can connect a wired XLR or lavalier mini plug directly into the H4n. Don't forget to switch recording channels when you switching from internal microphone to external (INPUT buttons from MIC to 1 2).

Whenever possible, try to work with a professional sound recorder. They will take the burden of capturing the best sound from your shoulders, allowing you to concentrate on getting the most beautiful picture possible. The more people you can get to help your production, the better.

Here is few video tutorials:

How to Use Zoom H4n Audio Recorder

How to Use PluralEyes to Sync Your DSLR Footage

Sem Maltsev

Thanksgiving Day at Film Annex

23 11 2012 14:38:11 +0000

Today is Friday, November 23, 2012 and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Most of the time on this week I worked on video editing.

In this video, actor Efren Ramirez does a comedy-style interview of Joseph Salvador, VP of Video Operations at Altitude Digital Partners.

Another video I've done, where Efren Ramirez talks with Jeremy Ostermiller of Altitude Digital. Jeremy is the founder and CEO of Altitude. He started his company with only $500. And every dollar they made,they reinvested to the company. Its a very interesting and fun interview.

That's not all with Altitude and Efren. Later this week I finished two more videos: Who has the bigger accent? Francesco Rulli or Efren Ramirez and The Changing AD Networks with Jeremy Ostermiller, Fereshteh Forough and Efren Ramirez.

Also I worked on video for Cupcake Digital, where board member Ira Lieberman talks about it.

That is all for editing.

As for shooting, We shot two corporate interviews for Cupcake Digital. In first interview Brad Powers, CEO and Founder of Cupcake gives update. And in the second video David Steinberg, board member, talks about the company.

Sem Maltsev

NYAC All Sports Dinner, The Athlete's Fund, Business Incubator, Esteqlal Football Club

16 11 2012 18:28:25 +0000

Today is Friday, November 16, 2012, and here's my week recap.

Monday We were shooting interviews with olympic athletes at NYAC. The New York Athletic Club (NYAC) is a private social club and athletic club in New York City. It was founded in 1868 and has approximately 8,600 members. That day NYAC held annual All Sports Dinner, where members honors athletes who have made Olympic Team in London 2012. We were lucky to interview 15 members. I am a judo player myself, and it was always my dream to win olympic gold, so especially for me it was a very interesting experience to talk to champions and hold a gold medal in my hands.

Tuesday I worked with Michael Mathews, He is a Chairman and CEO of Aspen University. In the video we worked on He talks about the unique business model of Aspen Group, Inc. (OTCBB: ASPU), a nationally accredited online postsecondary education company.
Also We shot a video where Francesco Rulli and Fereshteh Forough explaining The Examer Educational Software.
Our National Archives webtv getting bigger, I uploaded 10 videos to the channel.

On Wednesday I worked on editing two videos for Cupcake Digital, where Rachael Perriello talks about Cupcake Digital's Quality Assurance Team and their relationship with Animal Planet.
Also I worked on a video for business incubator, where Daniel Yomtobian, CEO of Advertise.com talks about Afghanistan's Education and Economy.

On Thursday I worked on editing of Charles Pieper interview, which we shot on the last week. He is a stop motion animator and filmmaker who lives in Los Angeles.
Also I worked with Richard Grace on editing of NYAC interviews.
We focused on few topics such as NYAC Purpose, Athlete's Relationship with the club and so on. It's not done yet, but we overviewed two hours of footage and picked the right clips. The purpose is to raise attention on The Athlete's Fund and support club athletes.

Also We got a great news from Afghanistan. We received pictures, where Esteqlal Football Club got new uniforms with the Film Annex logo. Esteqlal is the number two team in the Premier League in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Sem Maltsev

Napoleon Dynamite on ad:tech 2012

09 11 2012 16:15:38 +0000

Today is Friday, November 9, 2012.
First of all I would like to welcome in our team new member Fereshteh Forough from Afghanistan. She is very nice and outgoing person and I am looking forward to work with her.
Welcome Fereshteh.

Last weekend, I with my good friend Alexey Levchenko went to Brighton Beach, A Russian neighborhood in Brooklyn, to shoot documentary about Hurricane Sandy, How "She" damaged that part of New York. And it was scary picture : abandoned and flooded cars and houses, fallen trees all over, almost no people on the streets.

(Photo by Alexey Levchenko)

Monday I edited two interviews with creative producer at Cupcake Digital Rachael Perriello.
Tuesday and Thursday I worked on editing videos from Afghan Restaurant. In the result 4 videos about cooking food came out and one interview with the owner of Khyber Pass.

Also on Tuesday we shot few interviews with CEO of Advertise.com Daniel Yomtobian and Efren Ramirez interviewed people from Altitude Digital Partners in a comedy style. Efren Antonio Ramirez de la Cruz is an American actor, best known for playing Pedro Sánchez in the 2004 indie film Napoleon Dynamite. It was very fun and entertaining way to interview corporate people, I think its really great idea to make interviews or videos where corporations and companies inviting comedians or actors, in the result we got mix of serious stuff with jokes.

(Photo by Semyon Maltsev)

Wednesday was an interesting day, We went to AD:Tech 2012 that held in Jacob Javits Center, NY. Ad:tech is an interactive advertising and technology conference and exhibition. We were shooting people from Visualtising. Visualtising is owned and operated by Altitude Digital Partners.

(photo by Thomas Courtney)

Today We shot interview with Charles Pieper who is a stop motion animator, concept artist, director, editor. He is one of featured filmmakers on Film Annex.

Till next week!

--
Semyon Maltsev

Hurricane Sandy

02 11 2012 19:05:52 +0000

Today is Friday,November 2, 2012. I am looking back what happened on the past week.
Of course the biggest thing is Hurricane Sandy came to New York. Monday and Tuesday we were locked in our apartments, because of "her". We were lucky and nothing damaged in our office and we got power.

Downtown of Manhattan went in the dark. No power below 26 street and no public transportation in whole city. That was interesting time.

Wednesday it took me 2 hours to get to the office by car, when usually it takes 20-30 min. It was huge traffic and in some areas traffic light didn't work. But I made it and all day I worked on editing Ushma Neill's "conversation with giants in medicine" where she hosts Francis Collins. He is an American physician-geneticist noted for his discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the Human Genome Project (HGP). He currently serves as Director of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. You can watch it here.

Thursday I edited a video where Richard Grace, director of sales for Target Marketing Annex talks about his early experience in entrepreneurship and uniqueness in Target Marketing Annex.

Friday we celebrated birthday with our great friend Thomas Courtney, who runs ModelsWebTV. It is the best place to watch fashion films on the web. Also I worked with our creative director Eren Gulfidan on video, where she explaining new Film Annex's feature Eren's Picks. Video is here, enjoy it.

--
Semyon Maltsev

Eugene Braunwald, Business Day Conference, Afghan Restaurant, Eren's Picks...

26 10 2012 15:59:21 +0000

Today is Friday, October 26 and here is my recap for the past week.
The week was very productive and interesting.
Monday We shot few corporate interviews: film producer John Penotti, entrepreneur Richard Grace, Bpeace Co-Founder and CEO Toni Maloney.
Tuesday was a big day. Ushma Neill the editor of The Journal of Clinical Investigation brought to our studio famous American cardiologist Eugene Braunwald. Dr. Braunwald has over 1000 publications in peer-reviewed journals. His work has dramatically expanded knowledge of heart disease in the area of congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and valvular heart disease. It was an hour conversation and it was very interesting.

Wednesday We drove to New Paltz where Film Annex Founder, Francesco Rulli, has been invited to attend the 17th annual Business Day Conference as a keynote speaker at the State University of New York. Francesco made his 45 minutes speech which we shot with two cameras.

Thursday We went to Afghan restaurant in East Village, NY. We shot their kitchen, where Afghan cook made 5 traditional dishes for us.

Friday We shot a video explanation of Eren's Picks, where Eren Gulfidan explaining our new feature on Film Annex.
In meanwhile I edited two videos, in the first one CEO of Aspen University Michael Mathews talks about his business and in the second Robert Fallah of Etico Capital talks about his relationships with Cupcake Digital.

That's my week, what's yours?

--
Semyon Maltsev

10 Mistakes Shooting a Corporate Interview

26 10 2012 12:48:10 +0000

Today is Friday, October 19, 2012, We shot a few corporate interviews. In the first interview one woman interviewed another. It took us 35 minutes to shoot. And It is a lot for that kind of interview. After first 5 minutes interviewee start getting bored, but she couldn't say "no" and interviewer keep pop in with questions, I think its not a good thing to do.

I started thinking why is that? Why some of our interviews are boring? How to make it more interesting? And I started comparing our interviews with fiction films, What makes a good film? Director, actors, story, collaboration. That what we missing in our interviews. Also pre-production is a key factor in filmmaking. Even if it's an interview, it should be short (3-5 min, soundbites) , interesting (be passionate), fun (show some life and energy). Nobody wants to watch 30 min of some guy (or girl) talking about nothing.

In the era of online video people are not going to click on 10 min video with unfamiliar person. There is a lot of much better content online.

Director (or in our case interviewer) should direct and know exactly what he (or she) wants. Work with people, collaborate, discuss ideas, explore interviewee personality, bring life. It's a skill that you have to learn and improve.

Sometimes people would like to read from teleprompter. It's good idea when you have real teleprompter, but If you just reading from a piece of paper or tablet above the camera, you are making a mistake, because final result coming out without "life" in there and audience can tell whether you are reading or not.

Improve you skills, try something new and extraordinary.

--
Semyon Maltsev

Online Advertising meets Afghanistan

12 10 2012 13:57:37 +0000

Today is Friday, Twelve of October and I am looking back to see what I've done on this week.

At the beginning of the week I edited two videos with Ashley Paczolt. She is a Director of Advertising Operations at Altitude Digital Partners and a very pleasant girl. Smart and funny. In the first video she talks about Admonsters Ops Advertiser Network Conference and in the second She talks about . It could be very interesting content for people who involve in online advertising.

After that I was asked to add subtitles for USAID video: The Better Than Cash Alliance. Sounds like a very easy job, right? First of all subtitles in Afghani and Persian languages. Pashto and Farsi. I don't understand anything and its written from right to left what makes it more complicated. But its ok, I struggled and I've done it. "Success" - That what I thought. After a little while I got an email saying that it's unreadable and problem in a fonts. "F…, I don't speak Arabic." So this job became almost impossible for me. Francesco Rulli suggested me to take screenshot of subtitles in a WORD document and paste it in the video. I did it for Pashto and it worked,but in this case white line appears around subtitles, which makes it not really accurate in my point of view. As for Farsi, We went back and forth with our partners in Afghanistan trying to figure out what font is right one and still videos are not ready… to be continued

In the meantime I uploaded five videos from National Archives for a brand new WebTV. Also I received 10 UN videos from Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey. I have to put UN titles at the beginning and in the end of each video and upload it to UN WebTV, but I don't have description for that videos what makes uploading part of this job complicated, but I will figure out.

And at last I got an idea (written on paper) for fashion film, which I hope Models WebTV can produce. Working title: A Date. More details will be on next week.

Have a great weekend to everybody.

--
Semyon Maltsev

How to Film Successful Online Video

03 09 2012 15:31:32 +0000

Thousands of people are becoming famous because of their videos online. How to film online video successfully?

1. Make it viral

This is harder than it sounds. Many people try to make their videos go viral which mean that it spreads like wildfire over the Internet and is shared by millions. You could try to do it yourself and get friends to share it, but that usually doesn't work. How do you make your video go viral? Simple: you make it interesting to watch over and over again. People will only share it with others if they think their friends will like it. This is usually the case if they like it themselves. So make it awesome!

2. Make videos on a regular basis

If you can't make your videos go viral, at least be consistent and make a lot of them. Together, they will get enough views to get you recognized. Don't just stop at one!

3. Show real passion

If you're going to be making videos online, the worst thing that you can do is make them about something that you aren't interested about. In order to make original and entertaining videos that you are truly passionate about, you need to do them based on something you like. The quality of your videos will reflect just how much time, effort and passion .

4. Listen to your viewers

Don't just upload content like a robot. If you're trying to get famous in the business of producing online video, the best thing you can do is listen to the feedback of the online community. Read the comments every time below your video. What do people think of the video?

5. Publish on Film Annex

Film Annex is simply the best video distribution platform in terms of professional made videos. Film Annex.com has been ranked by Quantcast as high as #31 in the United States with over 40 million unique global visitors per month. It is also a community of film professionals. Register, get free webtv, upload a video and get paid. Film Annex platform is the right way to promote your online video!

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Semyon Maltsev

DSLR Video Shooting

17 08 2012 13:12:55 +0000

My experience in DSLR video starts from Nikon D90. It was one of the first DSLR camera that allow you to shoot video. 720p HD at that time. First thing what I did when I took camera in my hands, I started to play with focus. It was like real cinema camera. Quality and Depth of Field was so incredible. I fell like with this camera I will shoot real movies… and I did shoot my first music video.

Since that days everything changed in the world of cinematography. Canon 5d Mark II, 7D, T2i and so on. Now for $1000+ you can get great camera and shoot movies, like recently action feature film Act of Valor (shot on Canon 5D Mr II).

Recently We shipped Canon T3i kit to Herat, Afghanistan. I know that soon we will see amazing stuff from them.
I would like to share some tips How to get best out of Dslr:

1. Aperture
Depth of field of your picture depends on aperture settings. Play with it, but remember lower F-stop (f1.4 or f2.8) you have - more objects will be out of focus. Higher f-stop (f8 or f11 …) will give you most objects in the focus.

2. Shutter speed
Most Dslr cameras has shutter speed range from 30' to 1/8000.
But for video mode I recommend to stick with 1/60 (if you shooting 30fps) or 1/50 (if you shooting 25p).
If you have fluorescent light on your set, use 1/120 or 1/100.

3. ISO
The higher ISO you have the more noise will appear on your image. Try keep it no more than 1600.

4. White balance
Make sure that the color white is always white. Don't forget to adjust white balance before you start shooting. There are some pre-sets as well as auto.

5. Sound
The biggest issue with Dslr is that you can't record good quality sound. So why not record sound from external sound recording device like Zoom H4n. If you shooting an interview or you need good quality sound always use Zoom H4n. And always monitor thru headphones what you record.

The most important part in cinematography is your creativity. Try different angles, closeups, wide shots, deep DoF, shallow DoF…

BE CREATIVE

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Sem Maltsev

DSLR vs Point-and-Shoot Cameras

27 07 2012 14:23:49 +0000

When starting out for the first time with photography or video, choosing the right camera is an important step to your success. What is the difference between a DSLR camera and a compact one? Read below to find out.

Although in recent years, the line between these two types of cameras have begun to blur, there are still several distinctions that can be made when it comes to differentiating them on the market and knowing what they are both made of.

DSLR stands for Digital Single-Lens Reflex Camera and it is exactly what its name says. It uses a memory chip as opposed to film and uses only one lens, or single lens, for viewing and shooting scenes. What does the reflex stand for? Reflex is simply describing how light is manipulated inside the camera. Reflex means the camera bounces the image off a mirror, and then either off a second mirror, or more commonly, through a prism. Through this prism, or lens, you can see what it is you're shooting.

Of course, you don't really see this happening inside the camera. You only get the end image. In other words, whatever it is you see through the lens is what will end up being shot or converted digitally into its memory chip.

Other than the mentioned above, a DSLR camera is also slightly larger than most compact cameras. DSLR cameras are also better in image quality than compact cameras and are used professionally to shoot photography or movies.

Compact cameras are small, light and easy to use. They are for the average consumer and don't require much fiddling.

--
Sem Maltsev

Film Annex Studios Techniques for Afghanistan

27 06 2012 11:01:55 +0000

Recently We received footage from Afghanistan where Elaha Mahboob, a web designer manager and software developer at Citadel Software Company, introduces herself.

Video was shot on Sony Handycam HDR-PJ10E Camcorder. As you can see this is not a professional camera, but it does 1080p Full HD 50/25p Recording. I always believe that fancy camera and stuff won't make you better filmmaker, but knowing basics in cinematography and creative mind will make a difference.

As a cinematographer I can say that video is not perfect and I would recommend to use Apple example, how they does it. They are simply using white background and rule of thirds, imagine your picture area divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically. The intersections of these imaginary lines suggest four options for placing the center of interest for good composition. The option you select depends upon the subject and how you would like that subject to be presented. Don't forget to level your tripod, it is very important.

Camera is set, than take a chair and sit on the right or left side from camera and ask interviewee talk to you and don't look to the camera. That simple process will make interviewee feel more relax and you'll get nice look in the result.

Sound. It's not good idea to record sound from that camera, ideally it would be nice to use external microphones. Cheap lavalier microphones should work fine.

Lighting. It's a very big and deep topic. I suggest to play with it and try out different techniques. One of them is "three-point lighting".

It is a simple but effective system which forms the basis of most lighting. Once you understand three point lighting you are well on the way to understanding all lighting.

I am glad to know that in July 2012, Film Annex will ship to Afghanistan's crew a set of good equipment (Canon EOS Rebel T3i kit and professional sound). I am very exited to see great stuff from Afghan people.

Learn it. Try it. Be creative.

--
Semyon Maltsev

5 Important Steps for Successful Filmmaking

11 06 2012 12:30:05 +0000

Have you tried to make movies but haven't had much success? Here are five important steps that you might be missing to be more successful in filmmaking.

1. Take time to elaborate

Perhaps you are rushing in the creation process. Take time to elaborate on your film. Don't let yourself be impatient when it comes to creating something, especially something as important as a film. Gather information. Take time to know your target audience and learn what you can about them in order to know what they will be expecting and what you can do to gain their attention more easily.

2. Choose the format that fits best to your idea

What kind of film is it going to be? An interview? A documentary? Will it be story-based or character-based? There are many things to consider when creating the plot and bringing to life your idea. Don't ignore this important part.

3. Select a style and stick to it

Is your movie going to feel like a serious film or will it be silly? Will it captivate the minds of your audience? For example, you can choose to have a documentary about birds where you shoot people interacting with birds or you can film birds alone without any interaction with human beings. Will that slight change in style even matter? That is up to you to decide.

4. Scout for appropriate locations. Don't settle for anything less.

Location. That is the most important piece of the puzzle. If you can't find something that looks remotely similar to what you had in mind, don't take it. Chances are, if you start the habit of shooting scenes in random places, your film will end up looking different than what you had in mind.

5. Will it work?

Before spending time, money, resources and effort into the production of your film. Ask yourself: will this work? Do you have enough time and resources to finish this kind of film? Or will a smaller project fit your budget better? By thinking long-term, you will help yourself avoid projects that will just waste your time and keep you from succeeding.

Semyon Maltsev

6 Ways Online Video Has Affected Society

29 05 2012 14:51:14 +0000

Most of us have been watching videos online for years.

But have you ever wondered how much of our society has been changed by it?

Here are 6 ways online video has affected our society in ways you might not know:

1. Education becomes more accessible.

Heard of KhanAcademy? KhanAcademy.org is a website dedicated to providing videos on everything from Algebra to Computer Science. All 3,000+ videos of theirs are free to watch. That is just one example of many where Online Video has given users worldwide access to learn valuable knowledge. There are even entire Harvard lectures on YouTube for free!

2. Tour the Planet.

Ever wanted to see the Great Wall of China? Or Machu Picchu in Peru? Well, now you can live a first-hand experience thanks to the videos uploaded by others who have been there. You can see it through their eyes and learn from their experiences. Isn't that neat?

3. People can get discovered.

Justin Bieber. Ted Williams. All of these people were discovered through YouTube and gained fame. Online video helps people get their name known out there for whatever the reason.

4. Thought Leaders.

If online video didn't exist, they wouldn't either. Many have gained so many subscribers that their channel is their main source of revenue. What would they be doing without online video? Who knows?

5. Helps the World stay Connected.

As time goes by, however, it is expected that the majority of the population will be more informed about what is happening on the Web. We are just the first handful of generations to come that will interact with this wonderful medium.

6. Made Video Easy To Watch.

The reason Film Annex became so famous (ranked #104 in USA) is because they made it easy to upload and watch videos. Thanks to Film Annex, we are able to watch, share and talk about video content on the Web without any trouble.

Semyon Maltsev

Web TV: The Future of Online Video!

15 05 2012 13:47:18 +0000

You might not know it, but the future of television is at stake. Okay, so maybe saying that is a little melodramatic. There is nothing wrong with your TV. In fact, TV technology is improving more so, in order to stay in par with famous Internet services. The reason why TV is at stake has nothing to do with technology. The fact is most people nowadays prefer to watch video online than on their TV set.

YouTube recently made a huge bet to have more original content on its website. With $100 million dollars at their disposal, they managed to grab famous celebrities, video content makers and partners to make more than 100 channels filled with Web-based content.

What does this all mean?

You'll be watching TV in a totally different way in the future.

YouTube has come a very long way from being a site where users just dumped random videos to share with their friends. Now, YouTube expects to turn their image around and become an entertainment giant in a more organized manner.

The Web gives a person more freedom to choose which type of program to watch and when to watch it. On the Web, if you missed something while you had to go pick up the phone, you could pause it or go back a couple seconds and watch the same thing all over again. That is what is so great about it.

But the question still remains: Will Google's plan to turn YouTube into a hub for Web TV content be positive or negative?

It will all depend on the quality of the content being produced. And still it’s a big problem for YouTube, there is huge amount of user generated content, that disturb people from good content.

Let’s see for other platforms can offer. Film Annex is currently ranked by Quantcast as the #122nd site in the United States with over 12 million unique global visitors per month. 270,000 registered users of which 40,000 are registered as professionals working in the film industry. Only professionally made content, meaning all videos have titles, editing, story, and acting, amongst other details. Every registered user gets a proprietary Web TV channel on Film Annex that they can curate and generate revenues on. The Film Annex user-friendly design enables a user to add movies and blog posts to your channels, making them personal and interactive.

As you can see there is plenty ways to organize your videos. And Web TV is the right way to do it.

The Importance of Online Video

10 05 2012 12:24:24 +0000

What is the fastest and most effective way to convey a message? The answer is video. At least one third of online activity is spent on websites such as YouTube, Vimeo or Film Annex, where millions of users spend hours watching video content uploaded by other people. Online video has revolutionize the way we use the Internet as a medium to reach audiences and it is taking over the world by storm, making more and more people switch their computers on to watch video, and not their TVs.

A long time ago, when computers didn't have dual-core processors and the Internet was just showing its first few teeth, video streaming in such a large scale was unheard of to us. As the Web gradually evolved into what it is today, video content became more accessible to everyone around the world, thanks to standardization in video streaming technology.

Many of us might still remember how Google tried to enter the online video world with Google Video, their own platform that allowed users to upload video content via their site, only to end up ditching it to buy YouTube in 2006.

Google knew that the future of content was video. But why is video so important?

In the age of social media, if you don't have a Facebook or Twitter, then your presence on the Web is severely limited. Now many businesses and users are realizing that if you don't have an online video presence, that will hinder your ability to communicate with different audiences as well.

Video is where it is at. Marketing and social media gurus all use video as their weapon of choice. With video, you can promote your brand to the world and reach thousands of users online. Online users downloading or watching video at some point, businesses are using video to increase their online presence, boost sales and pitch in their promotional ads.

The video is the main content and it is valued above everything else. So what's the best way to take advantage of such a large crowd on the Web without the use of excessive advertisement?

By producing your own video content, making it legitimately interesting and gaining a fan base. This absolutely works.

Watch video below and see how simple video can make a difference:

Online Video For Your Business

04 05 2012 12:16:55 +0000

When people talk about the benefits of online video, one term that comes up fairly often is "audience engagement." This is the capacity of a video to draw viewers in to a story. Whether the story in question is a reality show about your company or a commercial, video is particularly suited to getting interest. With its combination of visuals and sound, it is capable of grabbing and holding even the shortest attention span better than many other types of media. Of course, anyone who has surfed YouTube knows, some videos do this better than others. This is the reason you may prefer to entrust the job of making videos for your company to a professional. Yes, video equipment is cheaper than ever before, but you are entering a crowded marketplace. You will want in your company's online videos to stand out because of their professional quality.

The Value of Online Videos in Marketing

Another concept that is often linked with online video is marketing. This is because video can be an extremely effective sales-tool. It can quickly inform a potential customer about all the benefits your product provides. If it is used skillfully, then there is that audience engagement benefit mentioned above. A good example would be a real estate company using a professionally made video to show a home to potential buyers. There have been many instances of online video being used successfully to sell homes. People prefer to see more of what is being sold than just flat photographs. Another example is that of the well-known, extremely successful Old Spice and Sony Bravia commercials. Hook your audience with humor and striking, memorable visuals and they will keep coming back for more. Therefore it is an essential tool for marketing your company in that a viral video can get a lot of interest in your product quickly, but there is more to it than just going viral. Using online video can bring a lot more to your business than just sales.

Want to show your workers or customers how to do something? Video can be used to give instruction. Want to introduce yourself to your clients? A well-made video can be used to break the ice. From answering questions to telling a story, no medium says a much with as little effort and expense.

The Value of Film Annex

In recent years, Film Annex has emerged as a marketing force. Among the many benefits from hosting a video on Film Annex there is the fact that it is a social network. Uploading your videos gives you access to an immense and thriving network of people who will not only watch but also share your videos. The site has only professionally made content, this cannot be ignored if you are seeking to build your brand and draw attention to your company. One of the biggest advantages of Film Annex, apart from its reach, is the fact that it is free. A professional can help you to leverage Film Annex's power to help your company. Hundreds of videos are uploaded each day, many of them never get more than a handful of viewers, if any. Simply uploading your video does not guarantee viewers. You will need professional help to make sure that your videos are not only of a high quality, but also get seen by your potential customers.

If your business is not making full use of online video, then you may be missing out on one of the best marketing and communications tools the Internet has to offer. For professional help contact sm@filmannex.com

Online Video vs TV: Are We On The Right Way?

30 04 2012 14:47:18 +0000

Recently, I read a WSJ article about how Hollywood producers create WebTV shows.

Starting in October 2011, Google (YouTube) began investing $100 million in 96 new WebTV channels.

You can say: "wow this is amazing news", I would agree, this is great, because producers, directors and advertisers will invest more time and new money in the online video world, a key step for transition from traditional broadcast TV to Web TV.

I personally have not watched Television for 3 years. I enjoy the freedom that the internet allows me for controlling what shows I watch when I want to watch them on my computer from streaming websites. I prefer independently produced web shows or series, that are short format, with no censorship. The internet is taking many of the viewers away from television for good because they are engaged with similar and most times better content.

I believe it is very important to monitor and control the content transition from Television to Web TV. It must be professionally created of course but not bogged down with the stale "TV Formula" the viewers are used to. WebTV producers cannot be lazy and always remember to deliver professional, creative and unique ideas to capture a viewer, more so on the Web as there are many choices nowadays that compete for the viewer's attention.

Online video tips:

- Create short videos
3-5 minutes is the web standard. It could be more or less, but don't forget that viewer can turn off your clip in one click if he get's bored.

- Attract your audience
Try to attract your audience in the first 15 seconds and keep up with energy.

- Call to action
In the end of your video ask people for some action, whether its subscribe to your channel, Tweet you, make a comment or become a Facebook fan.

- Make productions on a regular basis
Once you grab their attention, you must feed the audience more videos, at least one per week.

- Optimization

Come up with title for the video. Detailed description should include links to your web-site,related content and social media links. The most important are tags. Mix of common and specific tags. Attract with thumbnail.

Check out helpful blogpost about keywords:

Online Film Distribution: How to Make Money On Your Film Without Film Distributors?

20 04 2012 18:09:43 +0000

To show your film to the public these days you do not have to go to the old school film distributors. New ways of distribution differs and may essentially be better then the traditional form. Here are the main reasons:

1. Full control
Directors and producers are completely controlling the process of distribution, choosing what rights to give to distributors and what to leave behind. Marketing strategy and ability to choose time of release is the most important.

2. Mixed distribution
When you give rights to a distribution company for theatrical release, don't forget to keep the rights for online streaming or DVD sales. You can make a lot of money by selling DVD's or make your movies available for online streaming or download.

3. Audience search
Audience search is carried out online via websites, newsletters, blog communities, social networks. Previously, most distributors relied on "general" audience, which was extremely inefficient and a very expensive cost. Target your audience.

4. Individual strategies
Strategy for film distribution is made on the basis of film content and target audience. Now there is a lot of possibilities to interest a potential audience before and during the process of film creation. Don't forget to share content and info with your audience through blogs and social media networks such as Facebook,Twitter, Blogger, etc. Share updates, pictures, behind the scenes videos, interviews, interesting contests and it will benefit you in cash.

5. Smart advertisement
Reduce cost for TV, radio and print advertisements and put more money to online advertisement. Today people prefer internet rather than TV, because you have more control. You can turn on or off anything at anytime, also you have ability to comment, share and be heard.

6. Online streaming
Revenue generated by filmmakers from online streaming thru pre-roll ads is much higher, than from usual DVD retail. Online streaming allows you to create an essential client base, which can be used to establish a community for future projects.

7. Global distribution
Making films available for a worldwide audience and communicating with distributors from other countries, producers have an opportunity to sell DVD's and download their films from the Internet all over the world.

8. Cashflow separation
By dividing distributing rights, filmmakers will reduce the number of accounting problems. Separation of income from each distributor makes company accounting simpler and more transparent.

9. Build a community around your project
Talk to the audience online and establish a personal relationship with them. Use the power of social media to interact with your audience.

Currently, there are several ways for distribution:

- Online Film Distribution
The main source of income for most independent filmmakers. There are several platforms you can use such as YouTube or Film Annex. I personally prefer Film Annex, because it was made especially for filmmakers and you start to make money immediately. Real-time revenue control, free web-tv, free to use online film library, blog platform and more tools are available on Film Annex. The most important rule is to keep updating your web-tv with content (videos, pictures and news).

- Film festivals
This is a good way to promote your films. Choose the festivals that fit your work.

- Television
TV can be an important component of total income. For films that have no theatrical release, TV can help with subsequent sales of DVD.

- Video on-demand
Video on demand allows customers "to rent" a movie with a limited number of views, and is one of the key channels of new distribution.

Using new distribution requires a carefully thought-out strategy and long-term planning. The main thing - avoid templates, exactly the same way as during the film production.

Check out videos below to know more about Film Annex:

Video Production in New York

13 04 2012 18:47:12 +0000

Producing independent films requires completely different approach,than commercial projects. Budgets are small here, and every dollar should be spent carefully and efficiently. Here some tips how properly to approach Video Production in New York (because I live in New York).

Do everything at once
Some people consider that producing is a step by step process: script search, then actors , etc. In fact, all this must be done at the same time. It essentially will help you to save time.

Think about the audience
People should want to pay for a ticket to see your film. And during the film audience always ask: "What will happen next?" Respect them and do not break their expectations.

Find out what director and actors want to work on?
This is an unusual way to find topics for the project (usually you have to write script first and then hire cast for it). Because sometimes directors and actors wants to work on specific topics or genres. Imagine If you spent money on script and nobody wants to be a part in your film. You have to play safe.

Find adherents
Independent filmmaking means low budget. So your idea (script) is a "trump card". And sometimes celebrities and movie stars might agree to participate in your project just for idea or small compensation.

Beware of "black hole" in the budget
1-2 million dollars budget is considered as a "black hole". On the one hand, it isn't enough for large-scale production, on the other hand – there is too much to beat off this money with small release. Therefore, if there is no possibility to increase the budget, it is better to reduce it.

Do not expect a cameo
A celebrity or movie star in cameo in your film definitely will add in credits (and poster) a known name. But for an effective advertising a minute appearance is not enough. Role should be more than cameo. For Example, Robert DeNiro acted in "Machete" just five days, but his role was spelled out as one of the principal.

Work over each project daily
Let's assume, you develop at the same time 5 projects. Try to work daily over each of them. Let every day becomes a step forward, even if it small.

No Saints - Abel Ferrara's Scandal ?

11 04 2012 12:26:54 +0000

A few months ago Francesco Rulli came up with idea to shoot a web
series for Film Annex's sister company M.T.I., an Italian textile
company which he started in 1995 with his brother Tommaso. They grew
the New York sales office and in partnership with Said Dib's Cross Sea
Trading positioned MTI USA as a leader in the global textile market,
often traveling to far off destinations to source the finest products
for top designer's including John Varvatos, Alexander Wang, and
Converse.

This web series called 'No Saints' is basically a fictional reality
show where real characters, real locations and real stories jump into
the world of fiction. The first episode filmed at M.T.I.'s New York
City office turn Tommaso, Said and the others who work with them into
actors working off a script written by Film Annex's Eren Gulfidan and
directed by Abel Ferrara.

These textile professionals decide they want to jump into the drug
business ordering 1000 jackets as is part of their daily working
lives. The 1000 packs of cocaine that is part of this delivery drives
director Ferrara's 'No Saints' story.

I have known Abel Ferrara for two years and my expectations of his
abilities to create a great episode was completely reached. He did a
great job. Alexey Levchenko and I did the cinematography and editing
alongside Abel, which was a great experienece. Said and Tommaso,
surprised me with their natural acting abilities and they both did an
incredible job.

In the future we can offer companies to do a similar project for their
promotion using one of the film industries most controversial
directors Abel Ferrara sitting in the director's chair.

The first episode is now online and I can't wait to work on second.
Check it out below and tell us what you like and what you don't.

7 Simple Rules to Sell Your Script

04 04 2012 15:46:18 +0000

1. More action, not description

Remember, movie - it's a motion picture. Describe the things that are happening and not just located in the frame.

2. Attention to details

Description: "The Office. Day" is too general, producer needs in more information. Add one-two things that will help a reader to imagine a complete picture. Above all, do not overdo it.

3. Description within a context

If you describe people and objects in motion, you can add additional information. For example: "The old man falls on the floor which has been filled up with junk". So you give information about the interior.

4. Simple language

Producers prefer easy reading. Avoid difficult words and intricate descriptions.

5. Work on your lexicon

The Key to a dynamic letter is word choice. While you are writing a draft, you can use a lot of words to describe a situation, but in the final version it is necessary to choose a word that most accurately transfers your message.

6. Avoid colorless verbs

For example: "An old man goes into a room" - is too general a description. He can go by walking step, slowly, running or limping. Excepting generic words, you'll make your script more live.

7. Find emotion

Good descriptions transfer emotional atmosphere of a scene. For example, when describing a street, imagine yourself as an actor, who needs to pass through the street, then choose words which will help you to understand how he can do it better.

6 Tips Every Film Director Should Know

02 04 2012 13:42:23 +0000

Filmmaking is a tough process. You can shoot a lot of takes, before you'll understand that the scene is done. In fact, in order to determine whether you done with the scene and proceed to the next shoot, the director should review six following questions:

1. Do you like the take?

Are you happy with all basic elements? camera movement, lighting, props, costumes, makeup and of course don't forget about acting!

2. Is your team are happy with the result?

The Director of photography,sound guy, actors - all crew must be satisfied with their work.

3. Weigh pros and cons

Balance the wishes of the crew and your idea of how the work must be done. It is better to fix something on set than to hope for post-production.

4. Look ahead

Before your team begins to prepare to shoot the next take, check out what else to shoot at this location, or in this day and, if necessary, start changing. You'll save a lot of time.

5. Reality Check

Estimate your productivity. You have to stick a certain schedule, to fit the budget.

6. Follow the rule of 10 seconds

All of the above decisions must be taken within 10 seconds after you said "Cut!" After much consideration, You and your team lose focus and spirit.

Good Luck!