YouTube

Until just recently I'd been behind-the-times regarding YouTube.  All my computers were so old that they'd run internet video poorly and I rejected the notion that people in their rooms could be of any interest to me.  Fast forward to the day I get a new computer that can handle it and renewed is my interest in cheap, fast movie making.
It's a different beast for sure, but it's fully capable of bringing together an audience and launching careers.  The time and effort required to keep up with the content eaters out there is stressful, but rewarding if you have interesting material.
We, at 333half, made some horror trailers last year for Halloween.  They were short and silly clips of sci-fi madness and creepy retro scares.  I was particularly proud to see the view count for The Strangler, though the views were for reasons unintended.
This year we'll plan them out a bit better and hopefully launch a series of backlogged ideas that are begging to be made.  We're late to the YouTube party but the party is never the same without us.

Behind the scenes movie magic

When I was younger I wanted to be a filmmaker.  I imagined the process being a lot simpler than it is with friendship trumping talent.  I threw money at the hobby and came out of it bitter and sad because I had to face the cold, hard truth - movie making takes serious commitment and tons of planning before a single frame should be shot.

Years later I responded to an ad in Now magazine looking for interested young people who'd like to work behind the scenes and learn the ropes from seasoned pros.  They'd take us to various spots around the Toronto film making scene - the CFC, that studio that was north of Lansdowne Station - and teach us the basics on sound & lighting.  They'd be shooting shorts for the CFC's resident film makers and we'd do the lighting/grip work.  We were a ragtag group and it was amazing fun while it lasted.  I made some friends who I have on my Facebook list and I read up on their exploits sometimes.  Not many of us made it through the program.

I left the program disgruntled.  There are lots of little things about the film industry that irked me; mostly stuff regarding the unions and the number of hours required to join up and get work on a consistent basis.  I still enjoy the process though; having learned about lighting, electrical and grip I realize that I never wanted to be on the scene.  I have story ideas.  Stories that would be great on screen one day.  With the way things are nowadays, it's my lifelong passion for comic books that will pave my way to the big screen anyway.