I've been relatively quiet for some time now, keeping to myself rather than letting the world know what I've been doing.

Let me break my silence by letting you know I've been enjoying myself in the National Screen Institutes New Voices Program.

The program is designed to get Aboriginal integrated into the film industry. We workshop with Film and Television professionals 5 days a week for 6 weeks (which ends this week), and next week, we start a 6 week internships at yet-to-be-named organizations. (Editors note: refrain from the word "week")

As program participants/students/interns, we've been blogging about our experience on the NSI website. Here's a link the the New Voices tag.

At this point in my life, I couldn't imagine a better situation to be in. I'm getting a true audit of an industry I've only read about, and imitated with my own productions. I now feel comfortable and confident walking on set, applying to production companies, looking for funding.... all the stuff in the industry I was previously clueless on. Coming from a small town, and trying to make it in a big city, in an industry that chews and spits out people on a regular basis is intimidating. Not to mention, it feels like it's a well kept secret on how to get into the industry (which isn't really that accurate).

I'll be taking to this blog more as I start interning, and working on projects. Stay tuned.

One Man Show Teaser from Andrew George on Vimeo.

I've started to play around with a small, solo, personal project regarding writer's block currently titled "One Man Show." I've shared a clip of the project (above) for your viewing pleasure.

The idea is to examine the warped direction one's mind tends to wander through the process of writing. Arguably, short films themed around writer's block are about as free as dialogue free scenes in student films. However, I aim to be honest, dynamic, and attempt to bring the viewer on somewhat of an adventure.

Also, the "solo" aspect of the project is something I've always wanted to try. To set up the camera, lighting, and ultimately direct myself with no input is somewhat agonizing. The production process goes hand in hand with the theme of the piece. All I can promise is the final product will be.... interesting.

I believe in Freedom of Speech.

Last week, I saw members of Sun News television mock Theresa Spence and the Idle No More movement and those who participate in the protests.

What Ezra Levant and others at Sun Media have said in regards to Idle No More does not bother me, they’re entitled to their opinion. What bothers me is that the content Sun Media delivers to its viewers is considered news.

Sun Media’s slogan is, “Canada’s home for hard news and straight talk.” What would be more accurate is, “Canada’s home for far right opinions whether you like it or not.” If they chose the honest route, I could at least respect them. Instead, they lay a trap for Canada’s ignorant who have a slight inkling to learn about the nations issues, and they breed an army of people who feel educated on topics that they likely don’t have the capacity to comprehend.

If Ezra Levant aired his program on the comedy channel, I’d have no problem with what he’s said about Theresa Spence. He’s entitled to his own opinion, and I’d say shame on the people who take his claims as gospel.

But when you proclaim your program to have even a shred of journalistic integrity as you spew out bullshit topic after topic, you deserve to be called out.

I reacted to Sun Media’s latest reporting style by pissing on a copy of the Winnipeg Sun, recording it with a camera, and posting it to my network of 500 facebook friends. In 24 hours, I had over 2200 views on Youtube. I get the feeling people feel the same about Sun Media.

While I hope that supporters of the Idle No More campaign read and enjoy this post, I really hope that those who consider the Sun News Network to report fairly and accurately on all issues to consider another news source. By all means, continue to use The Sun to satisfy your ultra-conservative, pro-business, society derailing fix, but please, don’t consider it news.

I thought of watching and posting a few clips of Sun Media’s latest coverage, and posting a debunking session, but I saw no point. If you have an intelligent question, add your comment below, message me, or email me. If you like the Kool-aid I’m serving, share the video with others. We need to call out outlets like Sun Media, before a nation of ignorant assholes seize the House of Commons.

Oh wait....

Shit!

If you're like me, your computers iTunes features multiple genres from artists spanning at minimum 4 decades. I recently checked the song play count, and repeatedly listened to some of the top songs, and wondered why I hadn't listened some of my others as frequently. This prompted me to write down my 10 favourite songs, frozen in time, as of today. I'd like to go through the same exercise next year to see how much the soundtrack of my life has changed.

Here they are, in no particular order:


Boy Inside The Man - Tom Cochrane (from Songs of A Circling Spirit)

Cochrane's acoustic Songs of a Circling Spirit feels like a hidden treasure of an album. Boy Inside the Man's narrative comes to full fruition in this recording.


American Trilogy - Elvis (Aloha from Hawaii Recording)

Dynamic. Epic. From the King of Rock and Roll.


All I Can Do is Write About It - Lynyrd Skynryd 

This simple raw acoustic song comes from one of the greatest and recognizable bands of all time.


Caught Up in You - .38 Special

I was pumped to learn that this song had a video attached to it, that's just as fun as the song, complete with 80's hair and camera techniques, style, clothing... etc.


It Ain't Easy - Shooter Jennings

Shooter has dabbled in experimental music, since his departure from the more expected southern rock/country feel, but it's tough to argue that he doesn't have a knack for creating a relatable, soulful jam. I love tunes that are easy to drink to.


Cowboy - Kid Rock (Devil Without a Cause)

It's no secret that Kid Rock is my favourite artist. This is my goto in karaoke bars, and whilst cruising.


Only God Knows Why - Kid Rock (Devil Without a Cause)

His best song. I like this purely for the song, the recording is something that could be better. Kid Rock is re-releasing his whole Devil Without a Cause album in 2013, re-recording each track. I've heard a lot of different live versions of the song, so I'm looking forward to a more timeless recording of the song.

Drinking in L.A. - Bran Van 3000

I don't know much about Bran Van, but I know this song sounds awesome loud.


Scooby Snacks - Fun Loving Criminals

After the last two songs, its easy to say I'm a child of the 90's. Crank this one up after you're done Drinking in L.A.

Ride On - AC/DC

One of the most underrated AC/DC tunes, this is the blues AC/DC can't quite accomplish with new singer Brian Johnson. I'm a fan of both AC/DC eras, but this is just a well written song, and you can feel Bon Scott's emotion in this track.

I saw Argo tonight at St. Vital Centre here in Winnipeg. It was the first movie I've been to at that theatre that was followed by applause.

The film carried a healthy balance of humour, suspense, and the plot moved along at a reasonable pace. More importantly, the story was one for the big screen.

The general movie going audience doesn't realize how "national" films are, in the sense that the country of production is expected to follow a certain unwritten guideline. Argo had a great mix of American patriotism, but also international cooperation, which was a major theme in the film.

Who would watch it, what to expect

This would appeal to anyone looking for a mature film experience. It's smart, fun, and has great performances by both the leading and supporting cast members.

Ben Affleck has also cemented himself as a solid director, a great storyteller, and someone who likely has his best films ahead of him.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt performance was subtle enough to match and mirror a young Bruce Willis without alienating the very concept of Looper.

This "Show don't tell" type of movie rarely goes over well at the box office, but does well enough to earn back its money and perk up some critics.

Most movie-goers may find the plot somewhat slow, more of a thinking man's action flick. The film has enough conscience to keep the audience thinking to the end, unable to root for a specific character, and confused as to the outcome of the film's end.

Perhaps the confusion is synonymously cliche with any time travel type of film. But Looper simplifies the choices of the characters in the end, whether you agree with their actions or not.

Eerily, the year 2044 seems not too distant. The setting, mannerisms, and lifestyle of the general population seems on par with our current world seemingly stuck in a recession type of economy.

Who to take, what to expect....

This isn't a big action flick. It's indie, with great performances, but it's not going to turn heads at Oscar time. These movies need to get made in order to push the art form, challenge actors, and story tellers alike. If you're looking for a good date movie, choose something else, unless you're both keen on working through the layers of the film afterward.

... some more than others. Getting in shape for a New Year's resolution has become somewhat of a cliche, something rarely kept up with among those who pledge year to year.

One guy that doesn't have this problem is my old pal, former sports writer for the Fort Frances Times, and now nutrition and fitness guru, Mitch Calvert.

We need to fuel are bodies to function, however, most of us have a hard time making decisions at the supermarket that ultimately yield the best results for our bodies. I suggest checking out Mitch's new blog at http://mitchnutrition.blogspot.ca/.

Perhaps I'll be able to convince him to listend to my "professional" advice on marketing himself. He's a guy I've taken tips from in the past, a man dedicated to his regimen, and not afraid to sneak a few cold chicken breasts or health shakes by the security teams at our local Winnipeg night clubs.

All Good Projects Studio

I'm thinking, as I'm typing, of posting pics of my current set up. I just picked up a new Macbook that I'm proud of. But as I look around I see a more sterile environment. I could argue, a more polished environment, but sterile nonetheless.

Sadly, it may very well represent my current state of creativity. Polished. Sterile. As oppose to Raw, Cluttered, and Young.

I'm glad I stumbled upon these pictures. I think I know what I need to do next.

It's hard to argue that the interface isn't an upgrade

I've went through Apple Training on FCP X. I've edited a half a dozen or so projects on the new NLE. Compared the hundreds I've worked of projects on in FCP 6/7 over the last 4 years, I haven't even scratched the surface with FCP X.

Currently, I don't edit, or shoot, on a regular basis. I manage a production department, and have largely been hands off with "work" type projects.

My experience with FCP X, along with the editor in my department has been both frustrating and liberating. Since the 10.0.3 update, I've been reading more and more about FCP X, and I've noticed the prior hate towards "iMovie Pro" has began to wane. People are beginning to realize the potential of the Magnetic Timeline (liberating) and are realizing that Apple doesn't want you to edit the same way you did with the prior Final Cut legacy versions (frustrating).

This past summer, I abandoned a short video project. A fan made music video came out of it, but the original goal also included a short film. We had great footage, but the script was lackluster. However, given enough time, I do believe that a compelling story could emerge through the editing process.

Mentally prepared to revisit the project, I re-opened FCP X, and loaded the footage from the abandoned project into an "Event." With advice I've picked up from the editor in my department, the Apple training, and from reading dozens of articles on FCP X, I'm now approaching this step with a new mind set on the editing process.

Some think it's the beginning of the end for Final Cut and  professional users. But would Apple ever really leapfrog Avid, or even Adobe (considering the suite, and After Effects) in Hollywood and the majority of the pro market?

Already, I'd be crushed if I had to move back to a legacy version of Final Cut. The interface is much cleaner once you get familiar with navigation. Key-wording, Meta-tagging, and organizing clips is much more intuitive. If you're frustrated with FCP X, I recommend that you continue to persevere with the software, and begin to think about how you shoot and organize your clips before the editing process. The proper workflow makes working with the Magnetic Timeline much more liberating.

If you want a faster, stronger, Final Cut 7, move on to Adobe or Avid. I don't believe Apple wanted to stay in this market.

If you want a new way to edit, a new workflow, and a new way to interact with your clips, you have to start working with FCP X. For any editor or filmmaker feeling as if they're in a creative funk, working on the same type of project with the same old formula, the answer is FCP X.

I'll write more as I continue on with my current project. I recommend to all that you read this article on Philip Bloom's blog, which features 7 professional editors sharing their honest un-bias opinion on editing with FCP X.

If you have any questions about FCP X, comment, shoot me an email, or find me on Facebook.

This is one of the most creative video campaigns I've ever viewed, rivalling old spice's Q&A a couple years back.

Let your imagination run wild!