Review | The Athletic Nerd

Why Paranormal Activity Saved Horror Films

October 27th, 2009 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Movies | Reviews - (0 Comments)

Every summer, I get extremely pumped about going to the movies and experiencing the best ‘tent pole’ films that studios have to offer.

This summer will probably go down as a minor disappointment.

With a few exceptions such as District 9, Inglourious Bastards and Star Trek there really weren’t too many ‘experiences’ to be had. Transformers 2 is a perfect example of this. It was easily my most anticipated movie of the year as I loved the first film. I sat in the theater opening day expecting to be blown away by giant robot battles and massive vfx action sequences… Meh… The whole movie was a big mess for me. Too many robots! Too many random coincidences. Not enough story. Not really all that fun to watch.

2009 was destined to become an off year. Until Paranormal Activity arrived and kicked my ass.

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Now THIS is what going to the movies is all about.

I saw the film in a packed theater full of people ready to be scared out of their minds. The hype surrounding this film was so high that I wasn’t sure it could deliver. I was wrong. Paranormal Activity is my favorite movie of the year by far. The entire theater was filled with gasps, screams and laughter that I haven’t experienced in years. Every time the locked off shot of their bedroom appeared the audience started squirming. (Myself included) You just knew something crazy was about to go down. What makes this movie kick ass is that every terrifying moment builds on the one before it. The result? For the first time in a long time, I was scared in a theater.

XTRA: Paranormal Activity 2 Review

So many horror films these days rely on gore and visible killers. It gets old really quickly and it’s about time someone stepped up and changed it up. Comparisons have been made to ‘The Blair Witch Project’. That movie didn’t scare me at all and really didn’t live up to the hype. Paranormal Activity may end up being one of my favorite horror movies of all time. It was so simple and so much fun to watch especially in a packed house full of people having as much fun as I was. I was so good, I went back with a friend the next night to see it again. It was just as good the second time around. I can’t wait to own this flick on DVD.

For the last few weeks, I’ve made a few mentions of a horror script I’ve been working on. A sequel to a short I wrote last year. My experience with Paranormal Activity this week has vaulted that script to priority status. Horror is quickly becoming the dominant type of story that I enjoy writing. I want nothing more than to create an experience like that. My hats off to the director, the actors and the entire crew. What an awesome movie!

Spotlight: Screenplay Black Mana

October 26th, 2009 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Screenwriting | Technology - (0 Comments)

Honestly, it’s getting to the point where cruising the app store is a hobby. I promise this post isn’t about my iPhone but rather an amazing app I didn’t think I’d ever see. Naturally, when I first began searching for apps that were relevant to my life, screenplay was among the first searches I did. To my surprise, Black Mana Studios came through in the clutch with the aptly named, Screenplay… App.

Immediately, I spent the $7.99 to download the program. How could I resist? Since that day, I’ve been writing on my commute to work on a daily basis. I give Black Mana Studios credit because I now want to leave for work earlier just to have more time to work on the new script. I’m a massive fan of being able to write anywhere I want. It’s pretty much outstanding!

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However, it does take some getting used to. There is a major difference between programs like Final Draft (A program I’ve used for 10 years now) and writing on the iPhone. First you name your new script and then define a scene. You’re then taken to a separate screen to write the scene. To return to a previous scene you basically have to go back and choose it from a list. Every screenwriter on the planet is used to one giant document where any scene can be found by simply scrolling up or down. This program treats every scene as a separate file. It’s a minor annoyance but I’m over it. Especially since it has full import and .fdx export into Final Draft. With smart phones taking over peoples lives, countless giant companies are jumping on the band wagon. Will it be long before Final Draft Mobile becomes a reality? I doubt they’ll charge 8 bucks for it.

Regardless, it’s amazing to me how a simple change in venue can spark creativity. I never thought I would write on anything other than my desktop PC and my cherished Final Draft 6.5 that I purchased long ago. (I’m thinking I should upgrade to the new 8.0 but I’m not sold yet.) Then along comes Screenplay and now I’m free to pull out my latest script at any time and get that crucial scene down on ‘paper’ before I forget it.

I’ve been at work, in a mall and many other random places when an idea strikes. The inevitable result is a napkin or scrap piece of paper folded in my pocket with so many notes I can barely read them the next day. It’s a system that works but even paper systems need to be upgraded eventually. Ah Screenplay. Thank you for existing. Now I just have to deal with the problem of nosy subway passengers peering over my shoulder.

PS: Dear Final Draft… I haven’t forgotten about you. You are still the exclusive home of the features and rewrites.

[UDPATE] There is a new champion. Celtx for iPhone. Click here for my full review

Spotlight: Video Copilot

October 6th, 2009 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Design | Technology - (0 Comments)

The day I found out about After Effects and what it could do I almost passed out.

My best estimate is that I was around 13 or 14 years old. The thought of being able to create your own light saber effect blew my mind.

We even planned our own Star Wars short film. (It never saw the light of day.)

The possibilities were endless but I never laid eyes on the software until about 4 years ago.

I bought the software off eBay for a crazy price and couldn’t wait to add motion graphics to 17 West’s upcoming films. Then I installed the package and was devastated. I had no clue what I was doing. I’m not a motion graphics designer. I didn’t even know where to begin. Too many buttons. It’s extremely demoralizing to stare at a screen with no direction. So I started searching through websites and sifting through books. Within a few months, I had developed quite a large library of resources and tutorials. At the top of the list?

Video Copilot

Andrew Kramer is probably the most recognizable After Effects teacher in the world. He has created a perfect place for beginners. Every video tutorial and blog post is detailed and geared to the demoralized designers with blank screens.

Before I had my own office, my computer was usually two feet from my bed. (Nerd Alert) I used to cue up his tutorials before bed and learn the essential techniques to create images that don’t suck. A perfect example is 17 West’s opening animation seen here on the big screen or here in HD. That took me about 3 days to complete but I can honestly say about 80% of that came from skills I learned at Video Copilot. I’m even messing around with some new 3D effects to update it a little bit.

What really makes this site the number 1 motion graphics site is it’s products. I’ve purchased about 5 of them now including the newly released Action Essentials 2. It’s a collection of elements such as dust, explosions and smoke. Sounds useless to most but a lot of those elements are coming in handy as I create a more atmospheric demo reel. (Coming soon…) Access to these kinds of pre-matted and ready to use graphics instantly raise the production values. I don’t have time to go out and shoot HD footage of dust and smoke!

I make no claims that I’m a motion graphics designer but because of Video Copilot and several other sites and books I’m able to finally realize the dreams of my 13 year old self. I haven’t made any lightsabers yet but it’s nice to know I can if I want to.

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Why Paranormal Activity Saved Horror Films

Spotlight: Screenplay Black Mana

Spotlight: Video Copilot

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