Recorder Pro iphone App

As most people know, I'm constantly looking for ways to save money as a filmmaker. Guerilla filmmaking is a evolving trend I like to explore, and the iphone just so happens to provide cheap solutions for the everyday video creator. Now I am not going to pledge the undoing of conventional audio acquisition by any means. But I am going to add this iphone app to my filmmaking bag of tricks.

It's called Recorder Pro, and it only cost .99 cents. The audio quality that i recorded was 44.1 kilohertz and 16 bit. It can acquire the audio in the .wav or .aiff file format too. The sound quality is fair when working with an iphone. I can't say that I have had the same results using a audio app for my wife's Samsung Moment. The audio recording tests revealed a big difference and i think this says something more about the phone than the app, but I can't be certain without more tests which I could come back to someday.

Next week I'm going to post another Mckenna Faith music video where all the audio was acquired with a iphone and the Recorder Pro app. Stay tuned.

Learn how to make a Guerilla Dolly

I've been contemplating this idea for awhile now. Finally my buddy Darren and i just said screw it and thought we would see what would happen. I must say I was pretty pleased with the results.

I went down to the hardware store, and searched the aisles looking for something that might work as a low budget dolly. When i got to the rain gutter section, a lightbulb went off in my head. The results are pretty amazing when you consider that i spent $12.57 and used ordinary items in my garage to help put it together.

Parts list:
1) Plastic Rain gutter (came in 10 foot section)
2) Rain gutter screen that needs to be cut to around 12".
3) bungee cords
4) lubricant of some kind that doesn't eat plastic
5) soft cushion like a bean bag or folded up towel
6) some heavy sandbags or pillow cases full of rocks

Last you will need a flat service that is fairly level.

Enjoy and if you like this blog and my videos please subscribe, follow, rate, comment, etc,etc.

Make a Guerilla Dolly from Matt Chapman on Vimeo.

Make a quick change battery brick

All you need is two things.

1) Two camcorder batteries
2) Gaff tape

I can't think of a better tip for every person who shoots video or does photography. Simple and incredibly effective. This tip could really save the day in an event where your battery dies and you need to continue the shot as quickly as possible. Even fumbling around in your pockets to get a new battery could waste valuable time.

Here is the video I made as a demonstration.

Guerilla Battery Brick How-To from Matt Chapman on Vimeo.

Film Distribution: Guerilla Filmmaking Case Study

1. Start simple. Arin Crumley and Susan Buice shot their film from a one-page outline, a crude storyboard, and with small cameras and a small crew.

2. Tell the story behind your story. When they couldn't find a distributor for their film, they decided to do daily video blogs to reinforce their creative talents and build an audience. A result was that people started to feel like they knew the filmmakers firsthand; that, in turn, fueled curiosity about them and their work, and eventually put people in theaters.

3. Involve your audience, part A. The filmmakers actively sought out feedback from their fans via platforms like YouTube and MySpace, and took the advice seriously. It impacted new episodes of the podcasts and the film itself, which they were still editing. In other words, the audience actually shaped the final product.

4. Involve your audience, part B. When determining where to distribute their film, the couple went to regions where they knew they already had fans, thanks to emails and zip codes they had collected from their podcast and other marketing activities. They also created a "heart map" so that people could see the requests for the film to play in their town grow and who was going -- a social network of sorts.

5. Network in the real world, too. Film festivals used to be about getting a film acquired by a distributor or a short into the hands of a talent agent. But Crumley and Buice went to hundreds of festivals around the world and thought strategically about whom they encountered. When they met the guys at Spout, they realized that Spout needed publicity and users. 4EM had those two things, but needed money. It turned out to be a fruitful (and fateful) match.

In this video, the filmmakers behind "Four Eyed Monsters" reveal how they used YouTube, community and the web to erase their credit card debt and get their labor of love into theaters. If you don't have time to watch the whole video (it's 29 minutes long), here are some of the key takeaways:

GurillaTV for Guerilla Filmmakers

  For the last five months I have been planning the release of a website that will provide acting,  distribution, marketing, production, and post-production info, and tools for filmmakers.  On top of that, the website will feature some of the most talented video online producers on the web today.  The name of this website is GurillaTV LLC.

Loose Gorilla Caught on Tape - The most popular videos are a click away

Matt Chapman Reel 2008

Matt Chapman Showreel - A funny movie is a click away

After five years in this biz I can finally say that I have a reel that truly represents all the different aspects of filmmaking I enjoy. Writing, producing, directing, shooting, editing...I love it all. Hence why I do it all! Over the last few years this guerilla style/renaissance filmmaker mentality has been one faced with many hardships. "Why don't you join the union?" is one thing I hear all the time or "you can't do it all...you need to choose one aspect of the business and specialize" to which I reply "but that's not me".
It was Robert Rodriguez's book REBEL WITHOUT A CREW that changed my life, and has helped keep me motivated through the hard times. He made El MARIACHI for under $8,000 by himself and with a bunch of freinds in Mexico. After walking away from Sundance the Audience Choice Award Winner in 1989, people began to see filmmaking in a whole new light. A new movement was born. This movement is most commonly referred to as "GUERILLA STYLE". Despite my professional experience with proper budgets and methods; it is my preferred method of choice. In fact I believe "Guerilla Filmmaking" is going to be one of the key factors for the talented producers of the future. Why? Simple. It's much cheaper to execute with these low budget tactics and can rival that of a Hollywood Production with a little luck.

Anyways, feel free to check out my new reel.

late,
Matt