Blog Salad: A Plethora of Link Love for the Weekend

It's been over a week since the last episode of Blog Salad, so I thought I'd share the group of links that I've compiled since the last post. I also like the idea of doing the Salad on Friday, which is a good "wrap-up" for the week. HD for Indies used to do this with their "blogwad" episodes, but since they don't anymore, I feel fine ripping them off--er, using their idea.

How to Make a Rain Machine
Let's face it, rain looks cool. A standard noir element or metaphor for tears or rebirth, it can greatly enhance the mood of your movie. In the current issue of Student Filmmakers, there is a great article on constructing your own gadget to supply rain, but I can't show it to you (maybe you could come over). Fortunately, I found an online version from the kooks at Indy Mogul that costs $50 and seems to work well. Any effect that makes your actors miserable is worth doing I always say.

Top Ten Things Every Filmmaker Should Know Before They Start
HD for Indies has an excellent post that every filmmaker can benefit from. Gathered from a panel discussion in Denton, Texas, this list is mostly common sense, but it's amazing how often that eludes filmmakers. Read and learn. My favorite: "Understand how to appeal to distributors".

Why You Should Change Your YouTube Thumbnails
Usertainment shares a short but sweet article about changing the thumbnail (extracted from the exact middle of your video) that YouTube sticks you with when you upload something. It's a simple process, but there is some good psychology discussed about why it's important.

Recording Authentic Sound Effects Around the World
Rob Nokes over at Sound Dogs has put together several videos of him recording live sounds. While a bit on the boring side, it does emphasize something very important about sound effects. Always record live sounds, rather than relay on a library. Your sound will always be more believable, and lend realism to your project. It's a painstaking process, but well worth it.

The David Lee Roth Guide To Legendary Marketing
Want a lesson on how to market your movie? Copyblogger has a fascinating post about rock legend David Lee Roth and what he has done to solidify this status. The guy just knew how to sell himself (some would say sell out), and ingrain his persona in the minds of the fans. Filmmakers could learn from this kind of bravado, in getting their movie out to those who would want it. It's interesting how much of this stuff applies, even if it has nothing to do with film.

Online Video: The Complete Picture
Thinking about creating some kind of content for the web? Pronet Advertising has a nice chart covering what type of material is the most viewed on the internet. I found all of this very interesting since I'm targeting my next feature this way. The crux seems to be that shorter content is king, and the viewing of full length features are at the bottom of the list.

Podcast Roundup
"This Conference is Being Recorded" - Lance Weiler interviews Liz Rosenthal, the producer of Marsipan, a serialized stop motion animated show. Liz talks about producing a show out of her house and the challenge of reaching an world wide audience.
"Your Video Store Shelf" - Greg Conley interviews filmmaker David DeCouteau, a low budgeter who has made a career at cranking out films at an alarming rate. David talks about targeting specific audiences (in this case the gay community), and the success that he's had doing it.

Women in Film
Finally, something a little different. The enterprising YouTuber eggman913 has created a morphing montage of famous female films stars beginning with Mary Pickford and ending with Halle Berry. It runs about two-and-a-half minutes, and features quite a few famously beautiful faces. How many can you name?