Check out SkySetProductions post about some great Scary/Horror videos to watch this Halloween to put the scare in you!
Tag Archives: Horror
Happy Halloween!!!!
Happy Halloween
So it’s Halloween everyone! One of my favorite holidays! Halloween is a time for us all to dress up and it’s considered socially acceptable, and have fun receiving candy, playing tricks, and socializing! Whether you’re going to be trick-or-treating, or you’re going to a party I hope you all have a wonderful and hopefully somewhat scary Halloween!
Halloween Deep Thought
I know many think of Halloween as satanic or evil but I think that’s more people taking things a bit too far. Sure there’s the concept of the costumes being used to scare away demons, and some of the costumes today are pushing the limits of what kids should and shouldn’t be allowed to see, but I think bottom-line the holiday is meant to be fun. If a kid dresses up as a superhero or princess and goes to the neighbors to get candy there’s nothing evil or wrong about that. If you go to a party dressed up as a zombie and have a couple drinks and socializing with some friends there’s nothing wrong with that. I think a lot of people look at it in a negative light which causes them to hate the holiday saying it encourages satanic activity. It’s kind of like how anything works: the original purpose is for good fun entertainment and then there are always those people that pervert it. Take social media for example, originally it is meant for friends and family to connect and be able to socialize online, or even share information with the world; but at the same time you have those people who use it for things like cyber-bullying and stalking.
Anything has good and bad sides to it and there’s not a whole lot we can do about that fact, but that doesn’t mean we should let the bad become the sole purpose for every activity etc. I believe we should continue putting that positive aspect into it and hope that those using it for evil will see that and change their ways, and even if they don’t we don’t want to give away our fun to them for them to enjoy in their evil practices. So this Halloween I encourage everyone to stay positive and create fun and safe environments so that we can all enjoy this awesome holiday.
What’s Your Costume?
Now I want to ask everyone what their plan is to dress up as for Halloween! I take the holiday seriously and one of my favorite things to do is create my own costume for something (usually a movie or TV show) that I really enjoy and go off of that. To show how unembarrassed I am I’m going to share an old picture from a past Halloween costume I once did:
Dr. Horrible from “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”
Yes, that’s me dressed as Dr. Horrible from the movie Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog directed by the amazing Joss Whedon (you can watch it free on Netflix it’s a great movie).
S.O.S
The other night we did a Halloween special for a live talk show my friend does called Randomonium (check it out on Facebook here: Randomonium). I had just gotten done at another event so I only had about 20 minutes to put a costume together. I went with a black Morphsuit (I freaking LOVE Morphsuits) underneath with a pair of black shorts with a silver streak down the sides, paintball armor for a top, a cape with a hood, and to finish it all off used some black face makeup to do a rudimentary mask. In case you are wondering yes, I do have all this stuff on-hand in my room I really like costumes ok. My homemade heroes name is S.O.S (which I like to think of as Save Our Skylers) but a buddy of mine is to thank for the actual heroes full term which is: Skyler of the Shadows.
I will be doing a couples costume with my girlfriend tonight which we’ve been keeping a surprise because there will be a Halloween Party and a couples costume contest, but I will be posting pictures tonight and trust me it’s going to be great!!!
So I want to hear from you guys! What is your costume going to be this year and what are your plans? Please feel free to reply!
Tips for Beginning Filmmakers
So you want to create visual stories? It’s a defining attribute of humankind to want to tell stories this is why we have social media, a direct link to the entire world; but making a visual story isn’t quite as easy as just pulling out a camera and waiting for one of those crazy accidents to happen like on America’s Funniest Home Videos, one must prepare to tell a story especially if they are going to do it with video.
1. Get a Camera
How can one make a video without having something to record it on. Getting a camera can be easy, but getting the RIGHT camera is a little more…expensive. One could get any cheap $20-$100 camera from Wal-Mart but that’s not going to get you very good quality. What you’ll probably want to go with is a DSLR camera which you can get at almost any store and definitely at an electronics store like Best Buy. These cameras are reasonable priced at about $300+ but you can always get one used. One thing to note though is that not all DSLR cameras have video capabilities, so make sure you check before you buy. One of the great things about DSLR cameras, aside from being cheaper than a compact high-end video camcorder, is that you can do a lot as far as lenses go. With the ability to interchange between lenses you increase your quality and allow you to add depth of field to your shots. I suggest a 50mm lens for great depth of field.
If you’re really short on cash that’s ok you can still tell your story. use your phone or tablet (if they have cameras) or even a webcam, these will still let you tell a story but don’t expect the quality to be great.
2. Create a Story
Obviously you can’t make a story if you have no story. Come up with a concept, a theme if you will. Great ways to brainstorm ideas is to start off with a genre. There are many genres: Action, Horror, Adventure, Romance, etc and you don’t have to stop with just one. Also, look around you at the areas you have available for you to film at. When I was just starting out in high school I filmed a lot at a good friend of mine’s house. So take that setting and decide what you can do with that. If it’s night time and you’re stuck inside maybe make a horror video. Whatever the case is get creative and be original!
Also, if you’re not too short for time create a script and a breakdown, and maybe even a shot list or screenplay. A script is the written out form of what you want your actors to say. This helps them to be prepared and it helps you, the producer/director, to have the story planned out so you’re not flying entirely by the seat of your pants. If you DO want to write a script use Word or Pages (depending if you’re a Mac or PC kind of person). Or go online and use Adobe Story which is a great way to write your script and make it look professional as well.
A breakdown shows all the aspects of your production as far as the where you’ll be filming and what you’ll need. This includes actors, costumes, locations, props, etc. Anything you will need for whatever scene is important to know ahead of time. Along with these you might want a shot list, which simply tells you what kind of camera angels, pans, zooms, etc you will be wanting for each scene. Get as detailed as you are comfortable with. If you aren’t intensely comfortable with terms and words for a shot list you can instead make a storyboard that illustrates your shots. Hey, you don’t have to be really artistic either so long as you can draw stick figures you’ll do just fine.
3. Get Together Other Equipment
Maybe you want to do fancy pans, make you want to do dolly shots or jib shots, whatever the case you will need a tripod at the least. You can probably get a decent tripod for $10 or so at Wal-Mart (Note: this will be a very cheap tripod so be careful with it because it will break easily). What you want to do though is simply keep your shots in mind and prepare accordingly. If you’re short on money (probably from buying the camera) but you still want some cool Jib or Dolly shots (Both Jibs and Dolly rigs are incredibly expensive by the way) there are ways to either substitute (use a wagon instead of a dolly) or even build your own. If you go to YouTube you can always find some great DIY tutorials to build your own film equipment such as: Film Riot or Indie Mogul.
4. Actors
Our film professor at the college I’m attending once told me that actors will always be one of the hardest parts of making your video, and he was right. Finding people willing to act in your videos and then getting them to actually show up and take part is one of the hardest things in filmmaking, especially when you’re just beginning. Try getting everything else planned out first then plan a day when you need your actors to show up that way you have everything set and ready to go. If you’re using your friends that’s great, but one thing to remember is that people are easily bored so make sure you’re not taking their time to set up etc. This will lead to them becoming uninterested and want to leave.
5. Start Filming
So now you have all your equipment, your script, your actors and you’re ready to start filming. Hold on a second though, there are some things you want to keep in mind.
Lighting:
You can have a great story and good actors, but when it all comes down to it if you can’t please the audience it won’t matter for squat. Make sure you have some kind of lighting in your video especially if it’s dark where you’re filming. Lighting can set moods and help in telling the story and making the audience feel a connection to the situation. Use lamps, flashlights, etc to add lighting to your scene and add mood.
Audio:
If you went with my earlier suggestion and are using a DSLR camera, audio shouldn’t be too difficult. One can buy a shotgun mic or even a shoe mic online for around $20 which will greatly improve the quality of your audio. You can also buy lavaliere microphones and attach them to some kind of audio recorder or even one’s phone, then syncing it up later in the editing process.
6. Post Production (Editing)
Alright so you’ve done it, you’ve gotten through the filming of your story. Congratulations that was the hard part, now on to the part that can be a bit tedious: editing. There are a lot of options when it comes to video editing software that all depend on what you’re used to or what you can afford.
Windows Movie Maker or iMovie
The most inexpensive video editing software are Windows Movie Maker or iMovie because they are free on your Windows or Mac. These will let you put your videos into a timeline and splice up the clips and move them around as needed. You won’t have a whole lot to do in the effects department, you should be able to do a little color correction but other than that you’re pretty limited.
Stronger Programs
If you’re looking to do some simple effects you might want to look into going a little higher end with programs like Adobe Premiere Elements or Pro. These will allow you to do some green screening and keying as well as stronger color correction. The kinds of programs will range from $50-$100 depending on where you get them, but are worth the cash if you’re looking to make your final product a little better.
Getting Professional
If you are really comfortable around editing or want to start learning early you might want to go with programs like Adobe After Effects, Final Cut Pro, etc which will allow you more freedom in effects. These programs will give your videos a much higher quality look (remember though that nothing can fix bad camera work) if done right.
7. Sharing
One of the beautiful things about the technology of our time is social media, letting us share our thoughts and other content with people from all around the world. With film and videos this is a great asset to sharing your visual story, YouTube especially. Making it simple to upload your content YouTube is definetely the place you want to go to post your video, and hey maybe it goes viral and you can make some money off of it as well. Also are blogs and your social media such as Facebook.
Final Thoughts
You’ve succesfully created your video and now you can share your story visually to the entire world. Making a video can be a complicated process but bottom-line it can also be fun if you keep it that way. So have fun and share your stories with the world!
My Favorite Anime List #6-10
6. Angel Beats
Such a sad yet beautiful anime I cry every time it gets to the ending I love it. Plus with the school theme to it, it spoke to me even more. The way I see it is that the things that happened to the characters in the story, are things that could be happening right now to anyone out there. The reality mixed with the fantasy high school was a perfect tear-jerker.
Description: A group of teens find themselves waking up in a purgatory-like high school setting. They have to figure out why they are there and whether or not they wish to move on, and what they need to do should they choose to move on.
7. Rosario + Vampire
Even though the humor is occasionally cheesy I loved the concept of the monster high school, as well as the romantic humor and the general ecchiness of the anime. I enjoy sexual humor as long as it doesn’t get too weird or uncomfortable, this anime manages to be within those boundaries.
Description: Tsukune Aono has never been the brightest student and things aren’t going well as far as getting into a good high school. Luckily, though, his dad finds a pamphlet for an academy that turns out will accept Tsukune and he is immediately signed up. Upon getting there he realizes that Yokai Academy is no ordinary school, but rather an academy for monsters (who disguise themselves as humans so they fit in) and even worse any human who is found at the academy is to be killed! Thankfully he befriends the beautiful Moka Akashiya, a vampire who’s abilities are sealed away in the rosario around her neck.
8. Is This a Zombie? Or: Kore Wa-Zombie-Desu Ka
I love the humor in this anime, similarly to Rosario + Vampire it has that Ecchi sense of humor that doesn’t bridge too far. It also follows a great storyline and the characters are awesome. I’ll be honest I love these kind of Harem anime.
Description: Is This a Zombie doesn’t follow a typical zombie show/movie story-line like High School of the Dead, instead the main character Ayumu is more like an undead superhuman able to use his entire body strength without limit. He wasn’t always like this though, in fact he would be an article in the Obituaries if it wasn’t for his new roommate: a necromancer from Hades Eucliwood Hellscythe who brought him back to life as the zombie he is now.
9. High School of the Dead
It’s kind of funny how my other favorite zombie anime is right underneath another. High School of the Dead is a much more serious zombie anime as opposed to Is This a Zombie. It gets pretty emotional at some points and is plenty dark which are both themes I love.
Description: HOTD follows a group of high school students as they escape from their recently zombie-infested school and survive as they try to find safety in a now zombie-infested world.
10. Baka and Test: Summon the Beast
Just the concept of Baka and Test is enough to make me curious, it’s got almost a Pokemon meets high school feel with the whole battling your avatar through grades etc thing. Plus it’s hilarious.
Description: In a school where the higher ranking students have the nicest classrooms Class F tries to work their way to the top. The struggling students of Class F use their avatars to battle the students from the other classrooms, the winner takes the other classrooms stuff and the losers are left with the junk. Akihisa is what people can only describe as an idiot, but with the help of his misunderstood friends he pushes his way from Class F to the much desirable Class A.
My Favorite Anime List #1-5
1. Attack on Titan
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As I mentioned in a previous post I just finished Attack on Titan dubbed which was phenomenal. The emotion it evoked was insane! I felt so many adrenaline rushes from just the anger I had towards the titans and the douche bag humans alike it was amazing the show did an amazing job at tugging at people’s hearts. I also loved how the giants aren’t the slow bumbling creatures we normally see (not that there’s anything wrong with those giants) but rather as normally functioning humans just with the thinking capabilities and actions of a predatory beast (except for the abnormals of course).
Description: Attack on Titan takes place in a reality where humans are forced to hide from and battle against giants known as titans, behind their walls.
2. A Certain Scientific Railgun
Ok so school life and superpowers, what could possibly be better! It’s my favorite genres for any anime and this one pulled it off perfectly with its humor yet serious depth in the story-line that left you with an emotional attachment to it. I loved how the Esper abilities all had a sense of science to it as well as how the characters find clever logical ways to use their powers.
Description: A Certain Scientific Railgun follows the life of Mikoto Misaka one of the highest ranking Espers (basically super-powered people) in Academy City in her life’s misadventures. She fights against the crime of the city alongside her friends both Espers and non, and at the same time just enjoys life and faces the little obstacles we can all relate to.
3. Shiki
I love darker anime especially the ones that evoke emotions, and this specific anime hit the nail on the head.
Description: It’s hard to go into much description of the anime without giving things away so I’ll just stick with the broad description. Essentially in the small village of Sotobamura, a population of only about 1,300 people, people start showing up dead; killed supposedly by some kind of virus…or something else. At the same time a very bizarre family moves into the big European-styled house up on the hill.
4. Sword Art Online
Similarly to Attack on Titan this anime evokes a lot of emotion. Differently from Attack on Titan though, Sword Art Online has more of a beautiful touching emotional experience to it as opposed to AOT’s darker more angry emotional evoking (both are great though).
Description: Sword Art Online is set in a variety of worlds based around Virtual Reality MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) where people from around the world put on a fancy headset and battle in fantasy worlds. One day, though, the creator appears in the game and informs the players that they are now trapped in the game. Not only that but if one were to die in the game, they would also die in real life, the only way to live through it is to beat the game.
5. School Rumble
I love School Rumble, it was one of the first anime I started watching and it’s been near the top of my favorites list ever since. I love the comedy that revolves around the show as well as the fact that the show tends to be really random yet still manages to follow a story-line.
Description: The high school lives of the various students at Yagami High School, specifically revolving around the love-triangle between Harima Tenma and Karasuma (the three “main” Characters).
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