Category Archives: Season One

Episode 10: What Not to Shoot

Real-life shooting issues like tight schedules, actor and camera problems, tightening budgets, and natural catastrophes, all conspire to limit the number and variety of shots that we are able to shoot for a scene, despite our best plans. (These shots are what we call “coverage.”); When push comes to shove, how do you decide which shots you absolutely MUST have?

In this episode of 2 Reel Guys, hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan show how to use a storyboard to convey what you want to shoot, then illustrate a great technique to help you determine those shots that are critical for your scene.

Episode 9: Production Audio

Every year, hundreds of films that are well shot, well directed, well finished and well acted fall by the distribution wayside because their poor audio makes it impossible for an audience to understand and enjoy them. Poor microphone choices, combined with poor techniques, create large roadblocks which prevent the audience from watching your story.

In this episode of 2 Reel Guys, hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan discuss the basics of sound recording, including helping you to make good choices in microphones, in order to capture the emotions and content that are conveyed through well-recorded audio performances.

Episode 8: Telling Stories with Editing

The heart of editing isn’t technology; not even the software you use to edit your masterpiece. Instead, the essential part of editing is storytelling. A good editor combines all the different audio and video elements so deftly that the audience is captivated by the story, totally oblivious to the technology and craft involved.

In this episode of 2 Reel Guys, hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan discuss the basics of editing, including deconstructing a short scene from a student film to illustrate how the editing decisions help the audience understand what is going on in the character’s mind.

Episode 7: Lighting

Lighting does more than illuminate your actors, it illuminates your story. Properly used, lighting can start telling your story before your actors speak a word. However, far too many beginning filmmakers are willing to accept the light as it is, rather than adjust the lighting for their benefit.

In this episode of 2 Reel Guys, hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan discuss the basics of lighting, and provide some examples of how a simple change in lighting can have a dramatic effect on the viewer’s emotions.

Episode 6: Working with Actors

Actors can be frightening, especially to new filmmakers. This is because actors live in a world of emotions — experiencing them, then projecting these emotions through their characters into a film. Because of this, many directors don’t know how to work with them. But they’re really not so scary when you realize that they are trying to do the same thing that everyone else on your project is doing — tell the story through the most effective use of their tools.

In this episode of 2 Reel Guys, hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan discuss how to work with actors and provide some simple techniques you can use to solve, or avoid, problems.

Episode 5: Collaboration

Collaboration is at the heart of film-making, but how do you balance collaboration with leadership? In this episode of 2 Reel Guys, hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan discuss collaboration — what works and what doesn’t. Discover why collaboration is not the same as “making a movie by committee,” and that leadership does not mean “having all the answers.”

Episode 4: Pre-production and Organization

It is fun to grab a camera and start shooting. But, without spending some time planning beforehand, what you shoot may not be what you want.

In this episode, hosts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan discuss the process of pre-production. Who is responsible for doing the work? How do you balance between what you want and what you can afford? And some simple techniques that can keep the process of organization from becoming overwhelming. Organization may not be “creative,” but good planning is the foundation upon which all creativity rests.

Episode 3: Actor Complaints

What do directors do that drive actors crazy? What can you do to avoid these problems? In this series on visual story-telling, digital media experts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan illustrate typical actor complaints and provide simple things directors can do to minimize problems on set.

Episode 2: Attraction

Controlling where the eye looks in a film is an essential skill of the story-teller’s craft.

In this series on visual story-telling, digital media experts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan illustrate what attracts the eye and how to use that knowledge to control how the audience experiences your film.

Episode 1: Story

When creating video, it’s easy to be seduced by the technology. But, if you don’t have a good story, no one is going to watch.

In this series on creativity, digital media experts Norman Hollyn and Larry Jordan discuss the importance of story in the creative process of visual story telling.