It’s not a toy!

If you’re filming a miniature, flood the bastard with as much light as you can without starting fires or flipping breakers.

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This is what “doin’ the wave” sounds like.

Recording live sound at a beach is problematic at best. Beaches are great places for action scenes, fight scenes, and dialogue-free contemplative scenes. Anything that requires sound is going to sound like crap.

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Might as well be the Vashta Nerada

Filming an outdoor scene in bright sunlight’s not all it’s cracked up to be — shadows are harsh and sharp, and everybody bakes.

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Or it might keep those brats in line.

If you’re shooting after dark, find out who can see your set. A neighbor who doesn’t care about a day shoot might object strongly to a 1k light shining in the kids’ bedroom window.

Silent, Meaningful Glances

If you read through your entire script out loud, chances are excellent that every single place you stumbled on the dialogue can be cut without hurting the story. Unless you’ll be breathing-for-effect, don’t write dialogue bigger than a single breath can handle.

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Hot Stuff

The lights are hot enough to melt parts of the camera body, as well as melt or ignite other materials nearby.

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Safety Fourth

There’s only two reasons to do another take: because you want a safety, or because you want something done differently.

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Why not — bullets all feel the same, right?

When doing sound design, try to not use the same sound more than once — unless there’s a very specific reason to. Every monster roar is different — even if it’s the same monster.

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They were medieval wristwatches, apparently.

Period pieces require costumes. Make sure you account for that. Including shoes!

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Speedy McSwordster

Quick way to build a sword: If it doesn’t have to be a hero prop, just make it out of thin plywood wood and paint it.

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For that, they can keep the glasses.

It’s not rocket science to produce a 3D movie — all you need is the same technology behind Viewmaster sets, and for your audience to be able to cross their eyes or look wall-eyed at something. It’s no big trick — I’ve done it myself. To produce a 3D movie showing on one screen is trickier, and you’ll need glasses.

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It’s an audio trifecta!

For every sound you record for your sound design, keep in mind that you can pull three different sounds from that: the original recording, a speeded-up version, and a slowed-down version.

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No one likes watching the sausage being made, however.

Some people like to show rushes to the crew, thinking it can be inspiring. Some don’t, because it can be demoralizing. However you decide to do it, at least be consistent, be clear about why you’re doing it, and keep an eye on what effect it may be having.

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That’s a real word, too, by the way.

Watch DVD commentaries.

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Perspective has value, too!

There will always be someone better than you. There will always be someone worse than you. Comparing is a losing game.

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A review of Judd Winick’s book The Big Book of Barry Ween, Boy Genius.

Don’t for a moment think of this book as a book for children. It’s easy to make that mistake with graphic novels. This is definitely a story for grown-ups, even though the protagonist is a 10-year-old boy.

Barry Ween has an IQ upwards of 350 and spends his every waking hour thinking like a madman. Also, he has some bizarre adventures, including adventures with his hormonal sidekick Jeremy, and several others. Do you like stories that take place in the Old West? How about stories with giant gorillas? Dinosaurs? Aliens? Secret government think-tanks? All that and more are here for you to enjoy.

And special note: Barry swears in a way that will blow your mind, so you better wear a helmet. I laugh like a maniac every time I read this book.

I think you will, too!