Cinemagrid LLC

2011-07-02T16:48:00.000-04:00

Summer Scriptwriting Classes

Beginner Scriptwriting Class:

Starts Tuesday July 12th

Description: Ever wanted to learn how to format a script and properly structure it? We will show you how. All the projects will be geared towards 24 page long scripts. The stories will be similar in spirit to The Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, and Amazing Stories TV shows. We will be watching a lot of these for reference.

Teacher: Ryan Munevar - Click for Bio & Sample of Work

Cost: $250

Duration: 8 Weeks

Meeting Day & Time: Tuesday 7:00 – 10:00 PM

Location: Cinemagrid’s Production Office in Ferndale

Tech Requirements: A laptop and a flash drive.

Recommended Text: The Hollywood Standard, Second Edition

Registration: Open

Note: Maximum of 8 students a class.

Intermediate Scriptwriting Class:

Starts Thursday July 14th

Description: For this class you should know how to properly format a script, put together a basic story with a great hook, believable characters, and decent dialogue. The focus of critique will now shift from the technical qualities of your script to the aesthetic ones. Scripts will now be focusing on feature length size at 90+ pages.

Teacher: Ryan Munevar - Click for Bio & Sample of Work

Cost: $250

Duration: 8 Weeks

Meeting Day & Time: Thursday 7:00 – 10:00 PM

Location: Cinemagrid’s Production Office in Ferndale

Tech Requirements: A laptop and a flash drive.

Recommended Text: The Hollywood Standard, Second Edition

Registration: Open

Note: Maximum of 8 students a class.

Advanced Scriptwriting Class:

Starts Saturday July 16th

Description: Focus will now shift to adaptations, getting your script ready for submission to agencies, copyrighting through the WGA. Contracts, options and the basic tools of networking to get it sold will also be addressed.

Teacher: Ryan Munevar - Click for Bio & Sample of Work

Cost: $250

Duration: 8 Weeks

Meeting Day & Time: Saturday 2:00 - 5:00 PM

Location: Cinemagrid’s Production Office in Ferndale

Tech Requirements: A laptop and a flash drive.

Recommended Text: The Hollywood Standard, Second Edition

Registration: Open

Note: Maximum of 8 students a class.

To schedule an interview to learn more about the classes please email cinemagrid@gmail.com with “CLASSES” in the subject line and your phone number in the actual message and we will contact you shortly with a list of available interview times.

Intro to 3-D Modeling with Maya

2011-06-17T13:38:00.000-04:00

Intro to 3-D Modeling with Maya

Instructor Contact Info:

Michael DuPree
protomd@gmail.com
www.Prototyp3-D.com

Location:

Cinemagrid
22757 Woodward Avenue
Suite 210
Ferndale, MI 48220

Dates-Times:
June 25th- 26th from 1-7 PM

Price:
$250 per Student

Course Layout:

Saturday:

1: Interface Introduction, General Hot keys

2: Modeling

3: Texturing

Sunday:

4: Lighting

5: Rendering/ cameras

6: Image Exporting

Course Description:

We will be exploring the basics of 3-D modeling as a tool for cinema artists. Our program of choice for this course will be Autodesk Maya 2011.

An emphasis on fundamental modeling knowledge will be stressed to ensure students chance to grasp and apply complex methods in the future. At the end of the course students will have completed scenes and/or characters of their choice. Students will walk away with an understanding of 3-D modeling, lighting, texturing and rendering concepts. This course will be taught in an open forum manor, allowing students to openly ask questions on the materials discussed.

HDR Fun: High Dynamic Range Sunday Funday Shoot

2011-05-26T17:02:00.002-04:00

Hello,

HDR(High Dynamic Range) Photography is the process of taking 2 pictures of the same object, one over exposed and one under exposed, and merging them on the computer to create incredibly vibrant pictures.

On Sunday June 5th we will be doing a 6 hour practice run on a couple of different techniques starting at 2 PM and ending at 8 PM.

Bring any digital still camera, a tripod, and a laptop.

Also make sure to bring sunblock and an umbrella because we will be shooting out side for about half the day and since the weather is shall we say "Fickle" in Michigan.

Last thing, we have some of the software as well so don't go out and buy anything yet.

For more information on how this photo technique works check out the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging

http://captainkimo.com/hdr-software-review-comparison

http://www.google.com/search?q=hdr+photos&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=568

Sincerely,
-Ryan Munevar (949) 702-1637

P.S. Current Cast, Crew, Interns, and Floating Producers are exempt from the $5 cover.

Cinemagrid is Looking for 4 Paid Interns

2011-04-23T15:27:00.002-04:00

Cinemagrid is looking for four paid interns between the ages of 18-21 that can work a minimum of 20 hours a week.

Michigan Works is sponsoring it so respond quick.

1.) Editing Intern
2.) Set Intern
3.) Office Intern
4.) Marketing Intern

If you or anyone you know is interested then send a resume to cinemagrid@gmail.com with "Intern" in the subject line.

Scriptwriting Classes

2011-02-24T15:03:00.004-05:00

Check out our new classes!

The Hook

2011-02-13T12:51:00.004-05:00

Pre-Production has begun for the TV Series The Hook.

Season 1 will begin shooting in August of 2011.

7 of 13 episodes have already been selected.

Now accepting unsolicited scripts.

If you would like to know more then email cinemagrid@gmail.com with "The Hook" in the subject line for more information.

Pure Devotions

2011-01-30T13:13:00.003-05:00

Pure Devotions Episode 2 v1.0

This is the first version of the second episode of Pure Devotions. I'm 90% complete with v2.0. You'll see where scenes have been reordered and names have been changed, as well as time of day for some events.

Cat Tale Finishes Shooting

2010-11-30T14:14:00.004-05:00

We are now done shooting Cat Tale. Post production has now begun.

Cat Tale Auditions Begin

2010-08-31T09:57:00.003-04:00

Cat Tale Auditions Begin... Follow the link for more info.

http://cinemagrid.blogspot.com/p/auditions.html

Catch Up Day

2010-07-25T06:10:00.002-04:00

7-22-10

Catch Up Day

Because of freak rain and thunderstorms we canceled a week back. So now we are in catch up mode.

Last 5 Pages are now due next class.

See you there!

One Location Script B

2010-07-15T12:37:00.001-04:00

One Location Script B
Due: 07-5-10

One Location Script

Last 5 Pages Due

Cat Tale Pre-Production Begins

2010-07-06T16:18:00.003-04:00

Pre-Production for Cate Tale begins.

It's a short comedic film written and directed by Ed Ruedeman and produced by Ryan Munevar.

Shoot date is mid October.

Copy of Cat Tale Script in PDF

Copy of Cat Tale Script in FDX

One Location Script

2010-07-04T01:43:00.005-04:00

Due: 07-08-10

One Location Script

The reason why this is a one location script is because we are going to use it for the actual cinematography workshop coming up. So keep that in mind when you are writing it.

The first 5 pages will be due July 8th and the final 5 pages will be due July 15th.

Script Parameters

This can be about anything you want as long as it takes place in only one location. Specifically Vera’s house.

10 Pages: No more, no less.

Any Genre: But if you pick musical a beating will follow.

1 Location: Vera’s house is a private residence so only members of the class will get the actual address.

Multiple Scenes: Be it night, day, golden hour, 1967, alternate universe, or whatever you like just make sure the scenes work well together.

2 Characters: As long as they fit the gender and the age it’s all good.

1 Male 18-25: Going to be using real actors for this so make sure they have decent lines.

1 Female 18-25: So don’t make it too tough for them.

Restrictions:
No crazy lighting. Meaning natural.
No crazy special FX.
NO CGI.

Don’t worry we will get to all of that later. No need to overwhelm you just yet.

This message will self destruct in 30 seconds… Might want to step away from your computer now.

Ending Fix Part 2

2010-06-27T23:51:00.007-04:00

Due: 07-01-10

Ending Fix Part 2

So you’ve fixed the ending to a film. Now you are going to have to fix one of the films your peers selected and you have to do a better job than they did. Naturally they are going to fix yours.

When you actually go for a job in scriptwriting a large part of it is competing against other writers, just like any other job, so get use to it.

So your homework is to watch the film you are assigned and then fix the ending.

Good luck!

Below is a list of films that were selected with a link to the entire film chopped up into sequential parts courtesy of the YouTube community.

Kassandre - A.I. Artifical Inteligence

Iden - Law Abiding Citizen

Vera - Minority Report

Ryan - The Mist

Research for Script

2010-06-18T11:56:00.007-04:00

Due: 06-24-10

Research for Script

The goal of this is to learn how to first research a unique topic that you know nothing about and second to incorporate it into a five page short script of your creation. I’ll give you an example.

One night many years ago I got a call from a friend who had just gotten a short contract to be one of the writers on a “Like Water for Chocolate” American version rip off. It’s based on a Mexican novel about a girl that is such an amazing cook that when people taste her food it brings tears to their eyes.

Now my friend, who is a good writer, unfortunately knew absolutely nothing about cooking and in this day and age not knowing how to cook is like not knowing how to fuck. My humble opinion at least.

So I got the call at about 2 AM and she frantically confesses she doesn’t know anything about even the simplest of dishes accept that some things taste better than others. The next day she needed to have a small 2-page scene on how to make an omelet, which of course was something she had never done.

Easiest recipe you can start with. Take 3 eggs, add a splash of milk or whipping cream, grind a dash of pepper into it and toss a sprinkle of salt on top. Beat vigorously for 3 minutes at least. Set your stove top to medium low, grease the bottom of a pan with a stick of butter, pour the mixture over the butter, once it foams, place a lid on. Then grind some cheese, shred some thin sliced sandwich meat, add to one side of the omelet, and cover with a lid. Once it looks cooked through and the cheese is melted, spank the pan on the burner to loosen the bottom of it while slide it around a bit. Flip one side, let seal for a few seconds and then serve. Garnish as you wish. Simple enough.

She makes one mistake though. She uses olive oil instead of milk. Disaster ensues and she looses her contract for that project later the next day. Her contract was for two weeks but she lost it about two days in. Not a bad person, not a bad writer, but she just didn’t do her homework and the sad thing is she had about a month to get ready for it. It’s not like she had to become Julia Child overnight.   She just didn’t put in that extra bit of effort and that two week job, ten days total actually, was worth $5,000. In the end she only got a $1,000 from it. Way it is…

So learn how to do this now. Take one of the three choices you selected in class and run with it.

Good luck!

Derek:
1.)    Fly Fishing
2.)    Car Maintenance
3.)    Football Play Calls

Iden:
1.)    Backgammon
2.)    Proper Military Lingo
3.)    Wilderness Survival

Jeanette:
1.)    Build a Dog House
2.)    How to Build Theater Sets
3.)    Internet Radio Broadcasting

Kassandre:
1.)    History of Halo
2.)    Stock Market
3.)    How a Car Engine Works

Vera:
1.)    Canning Food
2.)    Baccarat
3.)    How Close Captioning Works

Top places to do research:

    http://www.wikipedia.org/

    http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Ending Fix

2010-06-16T03:21:00.003-04:00

Due: 06-17-10

Ending Fix

Have you ever seen a movie that was awesome except for the last 5 minutes when it just goes to complete shit? You probably sat there, pissed off, wondering what the hell the makers were thinking. Perhaps you were so mad you even wanted to change the ending yourself.

This is your chance to actually do that.

Vera for instance is going to rewrite the ending of The Mist which is a solid choice on her part. That ending was one of the most fucked ones I ever saw in my life. Hell I almost picked it but she beat me to it.

So here is your homework for Thursday. Pick a movie that needs a better ending. You can only fix 5 pages towards the end. No more, no less.

Good luck and see you on Thursday!

Peace,
-Ryan

P.S. Go ahead and sound off below in the comments on the worst movie endings ever… I'm going with Knowing.

FREE SCRIPTWRITING WORKSHOP

2010-04-04T19:23:00.008-04:00

FREE SCRIPTWRITING WORKSHOP

Hello,

So the four week scriptwriting workshop at Goldfish Tea went well and we have decided to keep it going as a weekly event. However we decided to change the day and time to Thursday nights from 8-10 PM.

Print off a copy of what you would like to work on and get ready for a critique.

We will also be doing a few optional experiments and exercises along the way.

Once the pieces have taken shape and been polished we will begin the process of helping the members secure representation for their finished scripts.

All the other basic info is below.

Hope to see you there!

Adios,
-Ryan Munevar

SCRIPTWRITING WORKSHOP

Who:
CinemaGrid is hosting a Film Scriptwriting Workshop run by Ryan Munevar, Vera Ashford and Ed Ruedemann.

What:
A Weekly Scriptwriting Workshop to help writers network and refine their work.

Where:
Royal Oak – Goldfish Tea on Main Street and 4th.

When:
Every Thursday Night from 8-10 starting May 13th.

Why:
To give people in and around the Detroit area a chance to learn how to first format and then refine a film script.

How:
The charity and curiosity of a few interested parties back in Los Angeles and the owners of Goldfish Tea in Royal Oak.

Eligibility:
Open to anyone regardless of experience as long as they are willing to learn.

Sponsored by…

Goldfish Tea
117 West 4th Street
Royal Oak
(248) 541-5252
www.goldfishtea.com

CinemaGrid LLC
(949) 702-1637
cinemagrid@gmail.com
www.cinemagrid.com
www.meetup.com/CinemaGrid

CinemaGrid's 1st Michigan Short Film Script Writing Contest

2010-03-21T20:21:00.011-04:00

CONTEST GUIDELINES

Title:
CinemaGrid’s 10 Page Short Film Script Contest for Michigan Writers Only

Time Line for Submitting:
Submissions begin on April 1st and end on May 31st.

No scripts will be considered after that deadline regardless of the reason.

Winners will be announced June 15th, 2010 and prize checks will be mailed out 2 weeks after the announcement.

Prizes:
One 1st prizewinner will win $250.
Two 2nd prizewinners will each win $100.
Three 3rd prizewinners will each win $50.

Aesthetic Criteria:
Would you like to see how we actually judge these scripts? Then check out the following link to get a .pdf copy of our critique form.
CinemaGrid Contest Critique Form.pdf

Short Film Script Contest Rules:
1.) Writer(s) must be at least 18 years of age.
2.) Only open to Michigan residents.
3.) Multiple script submissions are allowed. No limit.
4.) Script must be the original work of the writer or writing team. Cannot be an adapted work from a different writer unless written consent is given and included with the submission.
5.) The core script must not exceed 10 pages. A title page must also be included but does not count as one of the pages.
6.) Any genre or hybrid genre will be considered.
7.) Script must be formatted properly. Refer to the book The Hollywood Standard, 2nd Edition, by Christopher Riley, if you don’t know what proper formatting is.
8.) WGA registration is not required. We will not retain the rights to your script, which means you can submit it anywhere else that you want to during or after the competition.

If Submitting Multiple Scripts:
1.) Make sure each script has a signed submission form attached to it.
2.) Each additional script will require an additional $10 entry fee.

Before you mail anything make sure to include the following:
1.) A completed copy of the CinemaGrid Contest Submission Form.pdf
2.) Copy of the Script. (10 Pages Max + 1 Title Page).
3.) Check for $10 Payable to CinemaGrid LLC for each submitted script, plus an additional $5 for each Critique. Make sure it is in the form of one combined check if submitting multiple scripts with critiques.

Send to:
ATTN: Ryan Munevar
CinemaGrid LLC
31184 Misty Pines Dr.
Farmington Hills, MI 48336

(No drop offs. Mail delivery only.)

First Major Project: A Documentary on Canabis in the State of Michigan.

2010-02-09T14:14:00.001-05:00

Project 420 Michigan is up and running.

Two weeks in and three major interviews down. Went to the 1st Annual Caregivers Cup in Ypsilanti, Michigan, interviewed a gentleman who wrote a book called "Pot" published back in 1967. The man was arrested and did 7 months and 10 days in jail for it. Interviewed the fist patient to get a legal prescription for it in the state of Michigan because of her Multiple Sclerosis.

Things are moving along at a decent pace.

The Five Basic Stages of Production and The Five Basic Problems

2009-12-27T03:34:00.005-05:00

The Five Basic Stages of Production and The Five Basic Problems

When making a movie there are five basic stages…

Development: This is actually where the short story, story, or first draft of a script is written. Cheapest stage out of all of them but it can take years to get right.

Pre-Production: Budgeting, Scheduling, Casting, Securing of Locations, Gear, Storyboarding, etc…

Production: The best and worst part for most people involved. You actually begin shooting the film. If you’ve set it up right and hired good people it can be a wonderful experience. But if it’s done poorly then it will be one of the worst experiences ever.

Post-Production: This is the stage that feels like it should be relatively inexpensive and quick, but it can sometimes cost 2-3 times as much as the actual production stage hour for hour. In addition to that it easily takes just as much time if not more depending on audio effects, fixing dialogue recordings and music.

Marketing and Distribution: Sometimes this process can start as early as the Development stage by the securing of a distribution contract with a major studio. But often times it starts during the end of the Post Production stage. There are a couple basic formulas for how this works that a good marketing department will apply and hold onto with a clenched iron fist. It looks like an Ad Libs form they just fill out with timelines and people to contact. They make a press packet and start sending them out. Festivals are on their lists as well as the submittal fees, and bid charts for pick ups based on last years going rates for those types of films.

Now for the five basic problems…

Aesthetic: “It looks like shit,” muttered the Cinematographer. Unfortunately it quite often does.

Budgetary: “Uh… Yea, we don’t have anymore money.” Movies have a tendency to bleed money, especially during the production and postproduction phases.

Relationship: “He’s fucking the main actress, and now they don’t want to be in the same room together, let alone make out for scene 16.” Happens.

Scheduling: “We can’t shoot scenes 54, 85 because there isn’t enough time.” Time literally is your enemy.

Technical: “Sounds not recording.” You’ll actually hear this from the audio mixer that just spent the last two hours trying to chat up every actress on set about how many years he has had in the industry and how talented he is. Never fails. Unfortunately you almost always have to pay top dollar to get a low quality audio mixer because of what a high opinion they have of themselves. Good sound mixers are worth their weight in gold

You can either be a troubleshooter or a panicshitter. I didn’t make those phrases up.

Use your brain and solve these problems, preferably before they ever happen.

For examples of all these stages and problems I’ve decided to put together a somewhat fictional account of an amalgam of directors, producers, and writers that I worked with back in California.

The Title and Label for it will be Goat Hunters and the main character will simply be known as The Producer.

Introduction

2009-12-16T16:00:00.002-05:00

Hello,

My name is Ryan Munevar.

The purpose of this blog is to inform my friends and colleagues from Meetup.com about the process of creating movies.

This group is primarily based in Detroit, MI, but for examples I will be making references to my time spent working in the film industry back in Los Angeles, CA.

As far as when the group actually meets up is dependent on weather, this is Michigan after all, and the general availability of its members.

Also there are a couple of projects, a script writing contest, and series of workshops coming up. I'll let you know when they are ready to go.

See you in the trenches!

Sincerely,
-Ryan Munevar

P.S. Feel free to comment or ask questions on anything.