Cinema Salad for a Date that will Live in Infamy

I apologize that the salad is pretty sparse this week, but I'm still on paternity leave and getting around to blogging duties has proven pretty tough. My time is taxed between helping with the baby, managing my twins, and helping my wife recover. I still managed to find some good links, but original content has suffered greatly. Please bear with me, and things should return to normal soon enough. Enjoy!

Awesome Footage Via Sony EX1 and Letus Extreme
FreshDV shares some great links to what can be achieved with a nice camera and equally nice 35mm lens adapter. UK Director of Photography Philip Bloom married these two devices together and the results are quite spectacular. The resulting shots look amazing, and are yet another testimony of how spectacular imagery can be had for relatively little cost. Okay, so the EX1 is a $7000 camera, but the Letus Extreme (and others) can be attached to smaller, more affordable HD cams like the Canon HV20. This opens up a lot of possibilities for the rest of us.

Mystery Man Shares Gaggle of Screenwriting Links
Speaking of sharing some great links, Mystery Man on Film does so ad naseum. The topic is screenwriting, and there is a ton of stuff to peruse here. Since writing a great script is the foundation for making a great movie, it would behoove all us micros to check out this great list, and click a few times. I just wish I could compile such link love as well as the Mystery Man. It's an impressive feat in and of itself.

Will Smith's Steps to Success
Entertainment Weekly published their list of the fifty smartest people in Hollywood recently, and Mr. Will Smith ranks a very respectable fifth. His is the only entry where the subject gives a list of how they succeeded, and Mr. Smith's list really applies to all us filmmakers. It may seem somewhat generic (you could probably use this list for just about anything), but it is inspiring coming from someone as likable and successful as the Fresh Prince. My favorite tip: "Work your ass off." The Editblog also spotlights two editors who made the list.