HOLLYN-wood (Norman, that is)

Advice On Boldness From The Best

As an artist, you owe yourself a chance to be both responsible and irresponsible, at times. Boldness for boldness' sake is not a virtue, but fear isn't either.

Post from: HOLLYN-wood by Norman Hollyn

Advice On Boldness From The Best

Apple and the App Store – Duck!!

Small companies, like Apple used to be, need more open markets. I question whether this new Apple OS Store, will create anything resembling an open marketplace. If not, small companies are going to start hurting even more than they do now. And while Mom and Pop won't notice, those of us who work creating content at increasingly lower and lower margins are going to start suffering.

Post from: HOLLYN-wood by Norman Hollyn

Apple and the App Store – Duck!!

How Can Filmmakers Avoid The Music Industry Debacle?

The biggest favor we can do for ourselves -- and this applies to production as well as to post -- is to admit that we don't know where our world is going to end up. And that we need to be as open as possible to changing our own business model, give up our second homes (well, I don't have a second home, but never mind that) and our extra cars, and hunker down for the ride. It is going to be very worthwhile in the end if we do.

Post from: HOLLYN-wood by Norman Hollyn

How Can Filmmakers Avoid The Music Industry Debacle?

Learning From Experts, Part 2

Many of you know that I'm an editor and editing teacher by trade. I've been editing using digital NLEs (first on Lightworks, then on Montage, Ediflex, Avid and Final Cut) for years and years. In all that time, you'd think I would have learned things. Well, actually, I have. But then you always meet people who help to keep your ego in check.

Post from: HOLLYN-wood by Norman Hollyn

Learning From Experts, Part 2

The death this week of Arthur Penn, the great film, theater and television director, brought back some memories. I worked as a music editor with him on three films - FOUR FRIENDS, TARGET and DEAD OF WINTER and felt him an amazing collaborator, along with his long-time sidekick Gene Lasko, and a gentle man. One of the first things I learned from him, though, has very little to do with music, but everything to do with how films grow organically and how none of us can know everything.

Post from: HOLLYN-wood by Norman Hollyn

Labor Day, Unions and Me

It was Labor Day in the United States a few Mondays ago and this seems like a natural time for me to talk about what film unions have done in the scope of my career. I remember, one day when I was working as an assistant editor on a documentary that was struggling to meet [...]

Post from: HOLLYN-wood by Norman Hollyn

Labor Day, Unions and Me

Keeping Organized – A Free Webinar

One of the things that many low budget productions suffer from, as well as nearly all student films, is a lack of organization. Find out how to beat that problem in this free webinar.

Post from: HOLLYN-wood by Norman Hollyn

Keeping Organized – A Free Webinar

Why Jobs’ Intro of the new Apple TV is Bull

The desire to dress up the Apple TV's missing items in a ball gown and call them God's gift to Prince Charming is laughable.

Post from: HOLLYN-wood by Norman Hollyn

Why Jobs’ Intro of the new Apple TV is Bull

Looking For Mr. GoodEditor

Every year, around this time, I get a booklet from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), called “Rules”. For those of you who wonder just what that AMPAS thing is, let me tell you that it’s the organization that hands out the Oscars every year, and I’ve been a member of the [...]

Post from: HOLLYN-wood by Norman Hollyn

Looking For Mr. GoodEditor

Collaboration and Why The Auteur Theory Is Bull

I’m going to admit right here at the outset that I know that I’m distorting the “auteur theory” here, but I’m just doing what most people think that theory says. Ask anyone, even our amazing film students at USC, what the “auteur” theory is, and they’ll tell you that it’s about the supremacy of the [...]

Post from: HOLLYN-wood by Norman Hollyn

Collaboration and Why The Auteur Theory Is Bull