ETHAN ROY REVIEWS SHERLOCK HOLMES!

Sherlock Holmes, the last action film of 2009, went with a bang. Well it’s more of a mystery rather than an action film, but it had more action than many other “action” films this year. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude law are just a pleasure to watch. Now I’m not a hardcore Holmes fan, in act I’ve never read any of the books, but I did my research and this goes back to old school Holmes. Downey is funny and amazing as Holmes. Watson (Jude Law) was really good too. He is the fool that follows. He knows what’s going to happen yet he still follows him. The action was a blast to watch. Guy Richie knows what h is doing; I feel he should go to action rather than gangster films. But the real show stopper is England. I love just staring in to the background and just seeing the shops and homes. It had the sin city approach to it. The cinematography also was astonishing for an action film. I love how more and more films are starting to care about that. (SPOILER ALERT HERE TILL THE END OF THE SENTENCE) But I love how the concept of the cult is played and all is science rather than magic. The only problem of the film is Rachael McAdams. The first half she was all right, then what happen? She was so bland and sometimes really bad, but she isn’t in it as much as the others. But the slow-mo then cut to fast action scenes actually serve a purpose unlike Watchmen. In these Holmes explains the moves and effects.

I had a ball with this film - I was shocked because my expectations were very low, but I can easily say that this is one of the best of '09. 8.5/9

NOTE* I apologize for the Avatar review for those that saw that James Cameron got an award nomination for writing. My source was wrong he did not get a nomination for that (which is good). Please understand that I am very busy. I had a school play, exams, and a new high school so understand if they’re mistakes. I assure you out there, there will be no more mistakes. And the finalized score for Avatar is a 7.5

CATHY LE'S "MUNDANE MONDAY" - ON TUESDAY!

I guess I should begin by explaining the title of this blog. It occurred to me in the middle of my aesthetics class when we were discussing the bias in classical literature to only write about high class people engaged in big moments of their lives. Until recently, there hasn't been much written about regular people doing mundane, everyday things. There's plenty of "regular" people in mainstream media now, but the mundane activity part isn't quite there yet. The characters are always engaging in some big important life event and this defines who they are. This is of course purposeful because mundane sometimes isn't so interesting to watch. But at the same time, films like Napoleon Dynamite which have no "point" to it, are popular. Simply put, are we defined by what we do every day or by our big periodic accomplishments?

 

It's interesting to me right now because, I'm just doing all these mundane and "everyday things", not anything film industry related in particular-- filling out some college applications, going to band practice from 7am-7pm everyday to prepare for the Rose Parade, chatting with my friends online, sleeping. But I'm finding inspiration for filmming everywhere: from modern-day segregation in LAUSD schools, to how bands and other large masses of people are controlled, to the new ways humans communicate in this technological age of texting, webcamming, and facebook.

Cathy Le's Mundane Monday will post every Monday morning on Freshi Now.

ETHAN ROY'S REVIEW OF AVATAR: PERFECT CGI / IMPERFECT STORY

With Avatar, James Cameron finally perfects CGI, but does he perfect storytelling, NO. The story has been done thousands of times, Dances with Wolves, District 9, Last Samurai, and a little bit of Ferngully. James Cameron came out saying that this will be the greatest movie ever made; it’s far from it. Now is it a bad movie, no it is an incredible film, but the story is meh. The effects will obviously win an Academy Award, but James Cameron shouldn’t win any awards for this.

Already before the release the film got Golden Globes for best writing, Director, and best drama. No I feel that people shouldn’t let their experience take a hold of them saying that it is the greatest film ever, believe me I had an amazing experience, but I can tell the difference between what is awesome and what is a amazing story. Trust me it is one of my favorite sci-fi films but Mr. Cameron disappointed me with the story. It is no District 9 (which is my personal favorite sci-fi film), but it is better than Star Trek. The 3D wasn’t any thing special; Coraline’s was a 1,000 times better. The 3D bothered my eyes way too much. But the effects where unbelievable. I felt like I was actually there and the Na’vi felt real at times, like I couldn’t tell the actors apart from the Na’vi a few times.

The action was great, but again the story felt dull and unoriginal. Not the say I completely hated the story is that I’ve seen it done better. Cameron has done action with a great story I mean look at T-2, Arnold Schwarzenegger actually made people cry at the end of that movie, which is something we never saw coming. Avatar, yet having an amazing experience and effects, it still lacks in story, but it is still an amazing film. 7.5-8/10

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

from everyone

at FRESHI NOW!

PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHT: LIP SYNC EPIC

Shorewood High School in Washington State created this unusual lip dub to Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams."   Aside from the epic production (it seems to include everyone in the school), what makes this really something  special is that the entire video was shot in reverse - including the lip-syncing.  Read more in this Los Angeles Times article.

IPHONE APP FOR FILMMAKERS: HELIOS SUN CALCULATOR

One of several views available with Helios

Chemical Wedding, the same company that offers the Artemis digital director's viewfinder, also offers Helios, another useful Iphone/Itouch app for filmmakers.    Helios "graphically predicts the path of the sun from dusk to dawn, on any given day, in any given place."  


For filmmakers and photographers who work in natural light (as opposed to artificial lighting), this can be a great pre-production tool.  Knowing where the sun will be at any given time of day can make the difference between a dimly lit (or backlit) shot and a good, professional image.  Additionally, you can email the information, so that you have a hard copy of the results for your planning needs.


Helios is also just $29.99 in the Iphone App Store, and has an average of 4.5 stars out of 5, although there are only five votes so far.


If you've had a chance to use this, let us know.

STARTING NEXT WEEK: CATHY LE'S "MUNDANE MONDAY"

Freshi Now writer Cathy Le begins her weekly blog next week!   Cathy is a senior at Cleveland High School, and is now looking to her future as a filmmaker - and the best way to get there!

Mundane Monday starts on December 28th!

IPHONE APP FOR FILMMAKERS: DIGITAL DIRECTOR'S VIEWFINDER

If you have an Iphone, you might be interested in Chemical Wedding's Artemis, a digital director's viewfinder for the Iphone.  Artemis allows the user to choose camera format, aspect ratio and lens type - it's made for both directors and cinematographers, and so far shows 4 out of 5 stars (out of 24 votes) in Iphone's App Store.

Users (and Chemical Wedding) note that the primary limitation of this app is that it is currently limited by the focal length of the Iphone camera.  Anything wider, and the app will create a blank screen around the subject to present an idea of the covered landscape.

Considering the inflated price of so many professional applications and hardware related to the film industry, the $29.99 price seems very reasonable.

If any of you have tried with app, we'd like to hear from you.

The International Family Film Festival, which will be celebrating it's 15th year in 2010, is a sister organization with Freshi Films, LLC.

Roy Disney, nephew of Walt Disney, had a critical role in reviving Walt Disney Studios and the art of animation in the decades following the death of Walt Disney in 1966.  For more information on Roy E. Disney, start with this Wikipedia entry. 

RECOMMENDED LINK: STUDIODAILY.COM

If you're interested in what's going on on the tech side of filmmaking, a good overall site for keeping up-do-date on what's going on is studiodaily.com, which offers news, tutorials, e-letters, lists of competitions, (some of which are free), and production case studies on many areas of production and post-production.

SALLY SALIA: HOLIDAY FILMS, PART THREE

Here's the third and final part of Sally Salia's three part article on the films she's most anicipating this holiday season:

In Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous character is back once more for more adventure, this time exposing not only his intellect, but his fighting skills as well. Crime, action, drama, and suspence, its all there in Guy Ritchie’s movie adaptation of the fictional character. This time the world renowned partners, Holmes and Watson must stop a conspiracy that threatens to destroy Britain. The movie will hit theatres Christmas Day, competeing with Avatar.

RECOMMENDED LINK: DOCUMENTARY.ORG

If you're interested in documentary filmmaking, there's no better place to be than DOCUMENTARY.ORG, which is the home of the International Documentary Association (IDA), the most prestigious organization serving documentary filmmakers and those who support documentary films.  Here, you're find resources for everything from funding to legal advice and basic filmmaking guidelines, to excerpts and trailers from short and feature length documentaries from around the world.  There's also forums to interact with documentary filmmakers around the world.

If you're just learning the documentary craft, this is a great place to start your journey.

SALLY SALIA: HOLIDAY FILMS, PART TWO

Here's the second of Sally Salia's 3-part series on the films she's most anticipating this holiday season.  This time, it's:

AVATAR

For all the sci-fi fans out there, Avatar is the perfect movie to enjoy over the holiday season. First, lets clarify that Avatar is not based or related to the cartoon series Avatar: The Last Airbender in any way. On December 18th, the movie will hit theatres. The movie is about a former Marine, Jake Sully, now paralyzed below the waist, who joins an expedition to a distant moon, Pandora, which is the habitat of the Na’vi. He undergoes a transformation into the physical form of the Na’vi, but with the thoughts and feelings of a human being. He must persuade them to join and help the mine, but as he gets closer to the Na’vi and his relationship with one of the woman, Neytiri, deepens, he is faced with a decision that could alter the fate of an entire world.

We STILL Need You!

We need writers and vloggers to report on filmmaking and gaming - Our whole purpose to help talented young "media creators" do what they do - so as you report on people like yourself, we'll also feature your work, and link back to your own website or YouTube channel.  We have visitors from all over the entertainment industry, and around the world - it's a great way to get your work out there!

Contact Rich Samuels, Freshi's Director of Production (and your FRESHI NOW webmaster!), at rich.samuels@freshiflix.com

EVEN FILMMAKERS CAN GO GREEN

The Code of Best Practices for Sustainable Filmmaking is an online publication at American University's School of Communication.  It offers a guide to professional filmmakers to create productions that are "green," including guidelines for pre-production to production, and all the way through the post production process.

If you go to the site, though, make sure you scroll to the bottom and read  the posted comments from "real world" industry professionals.  While many applaud the included guidelines, some point out that some aspects of those guidelines are impractical considering the necessary requirements of production.  For example, one guideline encourages production staff to carpool to location.  Unfortunately, that isn't often possible, as even a small production crew includes varying call times (for example, make-up needs to arrive quite a bit earlier than talent, and talent earlier than certain crew).   The comments offer as much information as the article itself, and a real insight into the challenge of green filmmaking.

Your comments?

INTERCUT MAGAZINE PREVIEW: THE ZOOM H2 HANDY RECORDER

 Kevin D. Paige, Sr. is a Freshi teacher and muscian, and has had the opportunity to experiment with the Zoom H2 Handy Recorder:

The Zoom H2 Handy Recorder is basically a studio condenser quality microphone made hand held. The quality of the mic is outstanding. I got a chance to play with it before implementing into my film classes. The H2 has four built in mics and up to four channels of simultaneous recording capability. The front mic records in a 90o radius and the rear mic at 120o. All mics, when activated at once, create surround recording. You can record in wav. form or mp3, store in individual folders, and save on an SD card.  The H2 has line inputs and outputs for audio monitoring, as well as a small LCD screen for visual monitoring. When I brought the H2 to class, my students thought it was the coolest thing. They really loved that you can mount it to a flow-pod or uni-pod to use as a boom pole. It was very easy to export files and import them into any video editing or music editing program. Bottom line, I would recommend the H2 Handy Recorder.  It’s very affordable and you will not be disappointed.

Check out more about Kevin Paige, Sr. at the FreshiFilmWorx staff page.
Check out the Intercut Magazine archive here

SALLY SALIA: HOLIDAY FILMS, PART ONE

Here's the first of Sally Salia's choices for most anticpated films of the holiday season!

THE LOVELY BONES

Based on the bestselling novel by Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones is a story about Susie Salmon, a 14-year-old girl, who, after being murdered, overlooks her family from above and watches as they struggle to go on with their lives without her. This is a unique story that hypnotized readers from the very first paragraph, which starts out with the words “I was 14 when I was murdered”. It’s definitely not how most stories begin, and something different is always refreshing. Book-turned-movies are often risky in the movie business, they look promising but loyal fans degrade and critisize it.

Will Suzie be able to lead her father to her killer, or will she let her family continue their life in peace? And will the movie live up to the expectations of the fanbase? Find out for yourself on January 15, 2010.

EXCLUSIVE FEATURE: INTERCUT MAGAZINE PREVIEW

Freshi Films, the company behind Freshi Now, also publishes Intercut Magazine (check out the archive here), designed for young filmmakers. Periodically, we'll feature selected articles from past and future issues of the magazine.  You'll only find it here...on Freshi Now!

First up, Intercut editor Yvonne Farrow, an independent filmmaker herself, reviews Before You Shoot by Helen Garvy.

Before You Shoot: A Guide to Low-Budget Film and Video Production is a fantastic book for those who want as little drama during the production of their film or video shoot as possible.  I used it as a guide during the pre-production of one of my short films and later received kudos from my grantor as one of the most well organized filmmakers they had ever awarded.  They even used my post production reports as examples of excellence for those applying for the scholarship/grant the following year.  A detail-oriented person to begin with, I wanted to do my best and why wouldn’t I?  Someone was giving me money to make the dream of producing my first sync-sound super 16 short film a reality!  I didn’t want to blow it not sweating the details.

PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHT: "Sausaguy! en America Latina"

Mael Santiago, a 16 year-old filmmaker in Venezuela, created this short  - make sure you also check out his  YouTube Channel for behind-the-scenes videos on the making of this project, and his other special effects projects.

From the filmmaker's description:  Sausaguy is a charismatic sausage that travels throught the outer space and finds the Earth. In this planet he discovers the terrible situation between sausages and humans.

NOWNEWS: 5 MINUTE YOUTUBE VIDEO LANDS FILMMAKER $30 MILLION FILM

An unknown filmmaker from Uraguay spent $500 on a YouTube video about a giant robot invasion - and now he has a Hollywood contract.

While it's true that the 30 year-old filmmaker runs a post-production house Uraguay, which obviously gives him some technical advantages a non-professional might not have, this goes to show that good, eye-catching and high-quality work can really lead to something.  And remember, he's about as far from Hollywood as you can get (well in the Americas, anyway!).  This is all about production value - effects like you see in the video below cost millions in Hollywood....

Read more here.

WE NEED YOU!

We need writers and vloggers to report on filmmaking and gaming - Our whole purpose to help talented young "media creators" do what they do - so as you report on people like yourself, we'll also feature your work, and link back to your own website or YouTube channel.  We have visitors from all over the entertainment industry, and around the world - it's a great way to get your work out there!

Contact Rich Samuels, Freshi's Director of Production (and your FRESHI NOW webmaster!), at rich.samuels@freshiflix.com

RECOMMENDED LINK: YOURINDUSTRYINSIDER.COM

YourIndustryInsider.com is a website dedicated to helping students get a "jump start" on their careers in the entertainment industry, offering resources including a blog, email blasts and practical guidance from industry professionals for those planning to pursue an entertainment-related career.

Here's an article on what it's all about.

INTRODUCING FRESHI'S NEW SITE!

Freshi Films, the company behind the Freshi Now website, has created filmmaking programs for youth around the world.   Freshi Planet, our new site celebrating our worldwide programs, just launched a new section celebrating our popular program in Puerto Rico. Stop by and take a look!

NEW FACEBOOK GROUP FOR UPCOMING FRESHI NOW PODCAST

Freshi Now Podcast - First Meeting on November 28th

The Freshi Now Podcast is just one of the upcoming features we're be premiering over the next couple of months. Some members of the Freshi Now team met at Freshi Headquarters last Saturday for a brainstorming session - we'll have more information as it comes available.

In the meantime, Ben Spiegel has created the Freshi Now Podcast Group on Facebook.  If you're interested in what they're doing, or interested in becoming part of the podcast, you're invited to join up!

[Note to Freshi Now team members:  Watch for news 

about an all-team meeting in early January]

THE BEN SPIEGEL WEDNESDAY FILM FESTIVAL (PART FOUR)

The film originally scheduled for today is still in post-production, so the Freshi Now webmaster brings you another Ben Spiegel classic:  Responsibility.

YOUTUBE PRODUCTION SPOTLIGHT: "DUET WITH MYSELF"

Occasionally on Freshi Now, we like to highlight videos that offer exceptional production value, above and beyond the norm.  19 year-old Charlie McDonnell, known on YouTube as Charlieissocoollike, (one of our first profiles) recently debuted this unique video, "Duet With Myself," featuring a musical duet with...himself!   Not only was he able to create a convincing illusion, his timing is really something to see - keep an eye on the expressions shared between the two Charlies.

ETHAN ROY: MARILYN MANSON'S PHANTASMAGORIA

           

 As you may know, Tim Burton has a new Alice in Wonderland movie coming out, but there is also another coming out in the same year,  written, directed, and starring Marilyn Manson:  Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll.  Now I’m a Manson fan (may not look like that through that photo of me - that was almost two years ago) I’ve been a fan of his for awhile and when I heard about this I was excited, but that was two years ago now he is finally working on it. For those who don’t know who he is, he is notorious known as maybe the world’s most famous shock rocker.  His songs talk about issues involving guns, god, and government. His concerts have been canceled due to many causes of churches thinking he is Satan, also he is believed to be to reason why the two kids shot up Columbine, yet there is no proof. 

Freshi Now Team Gets to Work!

Ben Spiegel and Ethan Roy (in foreground) at work in Freshi headquarters Saturday with some new musical members of the Freshi Now team.

FRESHI NOW RECOMMENDED LINK: VFXBLOG.COM

If you're interested in learning about visual effects, take a look at vfxblog.com. For a blog about visual effects, it's not much to look at and it isn't even a blog, in the typical sense of the word - but what this blogger does do is keep track of the latest articles, videos and other resources available online about visual effects. Recent listings include links to a "making of" video about "Avatar on Hulu, an American Cinematographer article about "Where the Wild Things Are," and a link to an article in Hollywood Reporter about visual effects artists 'pushing the envelope.'

FRESHI NOW WORLDWIDE!

Latest stats for Freshi Now show visitors from around the world. In addition to the United States, we've had visitors from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Germany, the Russian Federation and Brazil - and we're just getting started!

Remember, we're still in our Beta phase - over the next couple of months, the Freshi Now team (that's some of them to the left of this blog) will be starting up with a series of blogs and vlogs about filmmaking, gaming - and some surprise features that will bring you into some unique places in the entertainment industry.

Keep checking back - and make sure to comment and tell us what you think!

THANKSGIVING MORNING ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL! (PART FOUR)

We dug up some Thanksgiving-themed animations on YouTube - we'll be featuring them throughout the day - ENJOY!

THANKSGIVING MORNING ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL! (PART THREE)

We dug up some Thanksgiving-themed animations on YouTube - we'll be featuring them throughout the day - ENJOY!

THANKSGIVING MORNING ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL! (PART TWO)

We dug up some Thanksgiving-themed animations on YouTube - we'll be featuring them throughout the day - ENJOY!

THANKSGIVING MORNING ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL! (PART ONE)

We dug up some Thanksgiving-themed animations on YouTube - we'll be featuring them throughout the day - ENJOY!

THE BEN SPIEGEL WEDNESDAY FILM FESTIVAL (PART THREE)

Today's Feature: The DO's and DON'T's for the Outdoors

In Ben's Words:

Shot on 35mm film, this is a parody of the classic safety films of the 50's and 60's. Also known as the epic tie in sequel of Frisbee From Hell.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1212163786903&subj=1568923080

(You'll need a Facebook account to see this video)

WE NEED YOU!

We need writers and vloggers to report on filmmaking and gaming - this site depends on you. What do you get? The advantage of a promoted site that will get your work out there - and, if you're local, the chance to cover film industry stories and go behind the scenes with the help of Freshi. Our whole purpose to help talented young "media creators" do what they do - so as you report on people like yourself, we'll also feature your work, and link back to your own website or YouTube channel.

Contact Rich Samuels, Freshi's Director of Production (and your FRESHI NOW webmaster!), at rich.samuels@freshiflix.com

FRESHI NOW WELCOMES SALOME SALIA

Freshi Now welcomes a new team member: Salome Salia!

In her own words:

Bonjour. My name is Salome Salia. I'm 14 years old and a future filmmaker. I enjoy filming/editing videos, watching movies, drawing, photography, and tennis. FreshiNow is a great opportunity for me to encourage and help young filmmakers like myself to follow their dreams and reach their goals. "From dream to screen" - LA Film School.

TEAM FAVORITES: BEN SPIEGEL

Here's an episode of a machinima series recently favorited by Freshi Now team member Ben Speigel:

FRESHI NOW WELCOMES CATHY LE!

This week, Freshi Now welcomes Cathy Le. In her own words:

Cathy Le is currently a high school senior living in southern California, who has recently realized that she wants to pursue a career in filmmaking. She believes that social media is a great tool for social consciousness and change.

Cathy was also director of the "Taste of Peace" international collaborative film, based at the Cleveland High School Media Academy. For more about Cathy and the "Taste of Peace" Project, check out http://tasteofpeace.roamingreporters.org/

ETHAN ROY: "FANTASTIC MR. FOX" REVIEW

If you’ve seen my list of my own anticipated films of the holiday I put this on the number 2 spot and what can I say it was, well, fantastic. It's nothing like the other animated films this year or any of the ones before. I thought UP was going to be my favorite animated film of the all time, but this takes its place. The only problem with the film is that I don’t think that it will do well because people especially may not find Anderson’s humor or style amusing. The animation was amazing though I felt nauseous at times through the panning shots. The real reason I love this movie a lot is because it stays true to the book. Roald Dahl is one of my favorite authors and they capture his creativity mixed with Anderson’s creativity. George Clooney was great as Mr. Fox. With animation it feels good to see stop-motion rather than CG, because Stop-motion captures the passion these people have to create a film and it is some of the best since Coraline and Life Aquatic. Plus it didn’t brother me that it wasn’t R like his other films in fact they mess around with that. If you want to see a funny, creative, family film, check this out.

WEBSITE HIGHLIGHT: A Machima Collaborative Video

Here's a recent Youtube collaborative video that's a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 machima. Collab videos can feature contributors from anywhere in the world, in any number of creative roles. This video features the voices of several YouTubers (click on the video to go to the YouTube page for more info.

THE BEN SPEIGEL WEDNESDAY FILM FESTIVAL (PART TWO!)

Today's Feature: FRISBEE FROM HELL

In Ben's words:

In this classic Ben Spiegel short, three women discover the dangers of playing frisbee.

ETHAN ROY: HOLIDAY FILMS, PART THREE

I read the book in 2008 and I fell in love with it. But it was a very heavy and depressing book, but the power of Cormac McCarthy writing makes everything very visual memorizing. Now in 2009 we finally have The Road With Viggo Mortensen. So far from the trailer behind from Brad Pitt in Inglourious Basterds Viggo might be the best actor of the year. The visuals look outstanding, but one of the big reasons I want to see it is because of Robert Duvall and the soundtrack by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Why Nick Cave, well because they did my favorite soundtrack of all time The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which is a beautiful soundtrack and I know they can pull it off for this. Check it out on Thanksgiving.

"The Road" Official Site

Other candidates: Bad Lieutenant, Lovely Bones, Invictus, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

FRESHI NOW RECOMMENDED LINK: BLENDER.ORG

"Blender" is a free 3D content creation program - it allows the user to visualize, create and animate 3D video and game elements - and fully interactive environments. Unlike programs that might cause hundreds or even thousands of dollars, this program is an "open source" program; not only is it free to download, but users all over the world share plug-ins and content. The Blender.org website not only offers the program download, but a gallery of images and movies and access to a vast community to help get you started. Also, check on YouTube for literally dozens of step-by step tutorials.

WRITERS AND VLOGGERS NEEDED!

WE NEED YOU!

We need writers and vloggers to report on filmmaking and gaming - this site depends on you. What do you get? The advantage of a promoted site that will get your work out there - and, if you're local, the chance to cover film industry stories and go behind the scenes with the help of Freshi. Our whole purpose to help talented young "media creators" do what they do - so as you report on people like yourself, we'll also feature your work, and link back to your own website or YouTube channel.

Contact Rich Samuels, Freshi's Director of Production (and your FRESHI NOW webmaster!), at rich.samuels@freshiflix.com

TEAM FAVORITES: BEN SPIEGEL

Ben Speigel just favorited this YouTube tutorial on getting starting with Machinima:

BEN SPIEGEL: "ZOMBIELAND" REVIEW

Zombieland is the most fun film of the year with the exception of Star Trek. To briefly summarize this film, it is the American version of Shawn of the Dead, but in no way copies or replicates anything seen in Shawn of the Dead. It honored the classic tradition of gore and violence seen in horror films while bringing a whole new element of comedy not yet seen in this genre. The style and humor was fantastic. There are also some great surprises which I won't spoil, and I enjoyed every minute of this film. Seeing this movie with an audience heightens the experience, so be sure to see this before it leaves theaters.

"Zombieland" Official Site

ETHAN ROY: HOLIDAY FILMS, PART TWO

#2

Another one with Clooney, but the reason I want to see this is because of Wes Anderson. I am a huge fan of his films. His quirky dialogue, realistic characters, and the humor. Clooney has the perfect voice for Mr. Fox and I love the animation, it reminds me of Wallace and Gromit. If I had any problems with it probably that it isn’t rated R like his other films.

"Fantastic Mr. Fox" Official Site

Check back next Tuesday for Ethan's Top Pick

THE BEN SPIEGEL WEDNESDAY FILM FESTIVAL!

Ben Speigel is a new addition to the Freshi Team, and we've decided to introduce him through his films. Over the next several Wednesdays, enjoy the Ben Speigel Wednesday Film Festival. Check out his profile to the left for his YouTube channel.

First up: A comedy about...filmmaking.

Ben's Notes:
The Filmmaker is a movie written, directed, filmed, and starring Ben Spiegel. Shot and edited in only a matter of days, truly shows Ben's devotion to filmmaking with a crew or not.

ETHAN ROY: HOLIDAY FILMS, PART ONE

Well the end of the end of the year is coming up and you know what that means…. Oscar season. I am looking forward to many films coming up, but I’m going to choose my top 3:

#3

Seriously, how can you go wrong with a cast with George Clooney and Jason Bateman, plus with "Juno" director Jason Reitman and looking at the trailer some BEATIFUL aerial shots from the airplane to the ground. I love George Clooney; everything he is in he is great in everything (Hey at least he tried in Batman and Robin). The story seems very clever. Plus Clooney in a dramedy, where he belongs.

"Up In The Air" official site

CHECK BACK THURSDAY FOR PART TWO

FRESHI NOW RECOMMENDED LINK: MEDIA JOBS OF THE FUTURE

Lionhead Studios, which is developing the "Milo" game that Zack Rome wrote about on this blog a while back, is recruiting an AI (Artificial Intelligence) Researcher to help further the project. He or she will work to help create the illusion that the virtual person on the screen is "real." In fact, in current articles about "Milo," the premise of the game includes the character's belief that you are an imaginary friend.

Check out Zack's original story, then this new article.

In the future, we think it's possible that AI experts will work hand-in-hand with scriptwriters to create entertainment of the future.

COMING SOON TO FRESHI NOW!

Freshi Now is just starting to gear up - over the next weeks and months, you'll see more and more features and special reports.

This week, we're going to start off a three-week Ben Speigel film festival. Ben, 16, is the newest member of our team, and we're going to feature some of his best films over the next three Wednesdays. Make sure you join his YouTube channel! Also this week, look for Ben's review of Zombieland.

Ethan Roy kicks off the holiday season with his three top picks for the most anticipated films of the holiday season. In the coming weeks, look for the rest of the team to offer their own picks.

Finally, we'll have some exciting news about Freshi itself - we're a company with an international reach to young media creators around the world. Find out what we've been doing.

Remember, we want you're involvement - if you'd like to contribute as a writer or vlogger, let us know.

FRESHI NOW RECOMMENDED LINK: MACHINIMA.COM

Here's the Wikipedia entry:

Machinima (pronounced /məˈʃiːnɨmə/ or /məˈʃɪnɨmə/) is the use of real-time three-dimensional (3-D) graphics rendering engines to generate computer animation. The term also refers to works that incorporate this animation technique. Machinima-based artists, sometimes called machinimists or machinimators, are fan laborers and often use graphics engines from video games..."

In other words, Machinima involves taking existing 3D video game environments and creating new "films" by manipulating the characters and scenes within those games.

Machinima.com is a vast site devoted to this creative environment: "Machinima.com is the premier online entertainment network showing trailers, gameplay, montages & original series created in video games."

if you're completely new to this, be sure to check out the Machinima101 section.

Finally, check out their YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/machinima

WRITERS AND VLOGGERS NEEDED!

We'll say it again!

We need writers and vloggers to report on filmmaking and gaming - this site depends on you. What do you get? The advantage of a promoted site that will get your work out there - and, if you're local, the chance to cover film industry stories and go behind the scenes with the help of Freshi. Our whole purpose to help talented young "media creators" do what they do - so as you report on people like yourself, we'll also feature your work, and link back to your own website or YouTube channel.

Contact Rich Samuels, Freshi's Director of Production (and your FRESHI NOW webmaster!), atrich.samuels@freshiflix.com

FRESHI NOW RECOMMENDED LINK: ONLINE GAMES

If you're on Facebook, you probably know about Farmville, the addictive, neverending online game that allows you to build a farm alongside other players. The company that created the game, Zynga, specializes in games that run on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Unlike those sites - they're making money!

Check out this article in Fortune Magazine to find out more!

ETHAN ROY: BEST AND WORST FILMS OF THE SUMMER (PART ELEVEN)

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

Why did a cinematic genius like Speilberg decide to produce this god-awful piece metal clanking garbage? Wow the story was atrocious. Michael bay just got 200 million to do this film and we get, farting robots, racist twin robots, humping robots, robot with balls, and robot heaven. I am totally not joking. This says yeah we’ll just put a name like transformers and we’ll make bank. Its like the Batman and Robin of sci-fi movies.

FRESHI NOW RECOMMENDED LINK: SCREENING YOUR FILM

Film Independent, a non-profit organization for independent filmmakers, posted this article by filmmaker Heidi Van Lier entitled, "What If My Screenings Suck?" If you wonder what it would be like to have your film screened at a film festival, here's a few ways it could go - but probably won't!

ETHAN ROY: BEST AND WORST FILMS OF THE SUMMER (PART TEN)

INGLORIOUS BASTERDS

Wow. I couldn’t believe what I saw. This is incredible. Quentin Tarantino is now one of the greatest or the greatest director ever. Now my favorites are him and Spielberg, but I have never been so intense in my life from watching a movie. Brad Pitt gives his best and funniest performance ever, but maybe the actor that steals it is Mr. Christoph Waltz giving his performance as Col. Hans Landa. I feel bad saying this but in the beginning he seems like the Nazi I would want to hang out with, until he start killing Jews and you find out his nickname the Jew hunter. I mean I thought Ralph Finnes was the best with that part in Schindler’s list as Amon Goeth, but nope, it’s Christoph Waltz. A lot of people are going to say Pulp Fiction is better and I’m with that and not it’s hard to say, but it is his best. Like what Lt. Aldo Raine said “You know something, Utivich? I think this just might be my masterpiece.”

SEE ETHAN'S PICK FOR WORST FILM OF SUMMER

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH!

Freshi Now Welcomes BEN SPIEGEL!

Ben Spiegel is joining the Freshi Now team! If you saw the "Dark Night" film on this blog yesterday, you're familiar with his co-starring role (with Ethan Roy) in that film from our 2008 Freshi Film Camp / Hollywood. He continues to create films, and will be bringing his experiences to Freshi Now as our newest reporter.

Not only that, you heard it here first: Starting January 1st, Ben and Ethan will launch a new Vlog....stay tuned for more details.

HALLOWEEN SPECIALl: "TRAPPED" WORLD PREMIERE!

At Freshi Film Camp 2009, Veteran Freshi Camper (and Freshi Now writer/vlogger) Ethan Roy took advantage of a break in the schedule to create the thriller, "Trapped." Here, finally, is the World Premiere - Written, Directed and Starring Ethan Roy.

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: "I SAW RED"

Here's a video from our Freshi Film Camp 2009 - Ethan Roy's in this one, too.

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: "SESSHAMARRO"

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: "THE DARK NIGHT" PART TWO

Here's Part Two of "The Dark Night," from Freshi Film Camp Hollywood 2008, featuring Freshi Now's own Ethan Roy:

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: "THE DARK NIGHT" PART ONE

From Freshi Film Camp / Hollywood, 2008, Bit of comedy for your Halloween! This film features Freshi Now Writer Ethan Roy!

PART TWO COMING UP LATER TODAY!

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: "ASYLUM"

Here's a film from our own Freshi Film Camp, 2007:

Come back throughout the day for more Halloween Specials!

ETHAN ROY: BEST AND WORST FILMS OF THE SUMMER (PART TEN)

500 DAYS OF SUMMER

Now let me make it clear that I HATE romantic movies. But this was funny, sad, and heart warming. The main character reminds me a little of me so I can sort of know what he is going through, but I’m 14 what do you care. But I haven’t love a movie like this ever. The music fantastic, but in my opinion what steals the show is the visuals and locations. The fact that it shot here in L.A. takes my breath away it reminds me of New York.

CHECK OUT PART TEN MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND!

ANOTHER HALLOWEEN WARNING

Watch out for Ethan!

ON HALLOWEEN DAY....

...keep checking in to Freshi Now for special Halloween content - some incredibly creepy (and funny) featured attractions from our Freshi Advanced Film Camps the last couple of years - and also A WORLD PREMIERE from Freshi Now's Ethan Roy!

SEE YOU ON OCTOBER 31ST!

ETHAN ROY: BEST AND WORST FILMS OF THE SUMMER (PART EIGHT)

DISTRICT 9

This film will change how we look at Sci-Fi for a while. The message it has, the depth of the characters, and the interesting camera work. And 30 million dollars for a sci-fi movie - that’s like 1 million in the 80’s.

CHECK OUT PART NINE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30TH!

SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CONTENT!

Make sure to check FreshiNow.com for special Halloween Video Content all day long on Saturday, October 31st.

We'll have some thrillers from our archives, and brand new surpirses as well, starring some familiaar FreshiNow faces. We might even seek out some Halloween surprises from across the web. Keep returning all day - we'll keep posting into the night...

See you there!

ETHAN ROY: BEST AND WORST FILMS OF THE SUMMER (PART SEVEN)

UP

This is the greatest animated film ever. Never can a cartoon be so funny and sad. The first 10 minutes are so depressing. Just go see it, I’ll leave it at that.

CHECK OUT PART EIGHT WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28TH!

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHT: STOREYCOREY

StoryCorey, a YouTuber from New Zealand, created this entirely from still images:

MEDIA CREATOR PROFILE: CHARLIEISSOCOOLLIKE

He went viral a couple of years ago, when his spoof video on how to make an English cup of tea earned him an appearance on the BBC. Since then, he’s continued Vlogging, he has a band Chameleon Circuit, that’s dedicated to the long-running British sci-fi series Dr. Who, and he’s become a well-known part of the YouTube community. He's the top YouTuber in the U.K.

In recent months, Charlie McDonnell,18, has been both to E3, and to Comic-Con in San Diego. In the case of Comic-Con, Microsoft paid his way, asking only that he visit their presence and Comic-con - but agreed to let him write whatever he’d like. They supplied him with a press pass, and given him access behind the scenes. Charlie also collaborates with other Youtubers as well on videos and other projects, including projects just for charity.

Check out Charlie:

On YouTube: http://youtube.com/charlieissocoollike

Fiveawesomeguys: http://youtube.com/fiveawesomeguys

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/issocoollike

Chameleon Circuit: http://www.myspace.com/chameleoncircuitmusic

Twitter: http://twitter.com/coollike

ETHAN ROY: BEST AND WORST FILMS OF THE SUMMER (PART SIX)

PUBLIC ENEMIES

This film disappointed me. I enjoyed it so much, but it left me feeling empty. The camera was terrible, though. But the performances were top notch. The sets were great, but not enough action. It just left wanting more.

CHECK OUT PART SEVEN MONDAY, OCTOBER 26TH!

WE NEED YOU!

We need writers and vloggers to report on filmmaking and gaming - this site depends on you. What do you get? The advantage of a promoted site that will get your work out there - and, if you're local, the chance to cover film industry stories and go behind the scenes with the help of Freshi. Our whole purpose to help talented young "media creators" do what they do - so as you report on people like yourself, we'll also feature your work, and link back to your own website or YouTube channel.

Contact Rich Samuels, Freshi's Director of Production (and your FRESHI NOW webmaster!), at rich.samuels@freshiflix.com

ETHAN ROY: BEST AND WORST FILMS OF THE SUMMER (PART FIVE)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I like this film, but wow the title is just pretty much for marketing. It should have been called, “Harry Potter and the Raging Hormones”. But it was really dark though, which I loved. But it didn’t have Ralph Finnes as Voldemort. It’s my second favorite in the serious, but not as good as Goblet of Fire.

CHECK OUT PART SIX FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23RD!

SPECIAL REPORT: WHAT'S A YOUTUBE PARTNER?

YouTube Partnerships offer a way for YouTubers who have gained a level of success in viewership to gain more from their channel. High channel viewership means more eyes means more money. if you're a partner, that means you can share in the ad revenue that YouTube brings in, and sell your own ads, as well. You hard work can make you money on YouTube. If also means that you can upload in higher quality, find out how you're doing against your YouTube competition, and enhance your channel with more graphics and other features.

So how does someone become a partner? Parnership Qualifications/FAQ page on Youtube lists three basic requirements: 1) You create original videos suitable for online streaming; 2) You own or have express permission to use and monetize all audio and video content that you upload - no exceptions [FreshiNow Note: this is likely where many YouTubers fall short - if you use any content - video or audio - especially music - that you don't own, you won't be eligible. Be Original]; and 3) You regularly upload videos that are viewed by thousands of YouTube users.

Check out YouTube's Partner Page for more information and to link to some of YouTube's partners (not just Fred!)