FToM ▸ blog

"An M.I.T. neuroscientist named Ann Graybiel told me that she and her colleagues began exploring..."

mike-ambs — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:36:05 -0800

“

An M.I.T. neuroscientist named Ann Graybiel told me that she and her colleagues began exploring habits more than a decade ago by putting their wired rats into a T-shaped maze with chocolate at one end. The maze was structured so that each animal was positioned behind a barrier that opened after a loud click. The first time a rat was placed in the maze, it would usually wander slowly up and down the center aisle after the barrier slid away, snifﬁng in corners and scratching at walls. It appeared to smell the chocolate but couldn’t ﬁgure out how to ﬁnd it. There was no discernible pattern in the rat’s meanderings and no indication it was working hard to find the treat.

The probes in the rats’ heads, however, told a different story. While each animal wandered through the maze, its brain was working furiously. Every time a rat sniffed the air or scratched a wall, the neurosensors inside the animal’s head exploded with activity. As the scientists repeated the experiment, again and again, the rats eventually stopped snifﬁng corners and making wrong turns and began to zip through the maze with more and more speed. And within their brains, something unexpected occurred: as each rat learned how to complete the maze more quickly, its mental activity decreased. As the path became more and more automatic — as it became a habit — the rats started thinking less and less.

”

- - Charles Duhigg, via How Companies Learn Your Secrets

[…] Tell me this doesn’t explain everything about everything. via alexbaca

Bingo. via the browncoat

I need to find a way to work this M.I.T. story into FToM :P I think it’s easy to assume that people get addicted to the freedom of travel and the romantic idea of new places; but, the truth is, at least on a cross country bicycle trip through the United States, things are flat and quiet… the small towns you see over and over and over again don’t look all that different than the small town you grew up in.

But, like this quote says, it’s all new to you - and it makes no difference if the fields of tall-grass look *exactly* the same as the fields of tall-grass behind your house, they are a new place, and although you can’t feel the furiously active neurosensors in your mind in the way you can feel the wind on your face, something is different inside you… you feel, not “alive”, because that can mean too many things to too many people, but you feel awake.

And that might be the hardest part of coming home… the winding down.

Pieces of this sound fit perfectly for a scene in FToM - I feel...

mike-ambs — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:05:40 -0800

Pieces of this sound fit perfectly for a scene in FToM - I feel like I’ve been waiting for months to come across something like this. Exciting!

"IFP’s unique year-long mentorship program supports first-time feature directors when they need it..."

mike-ambs — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:54:00 -0800

“IFP’s unique year-long mentorship program supports first-time feature directors when they need it most: through the completion, marketing and distribution of their films. Focusing exclusively on low-budget features (under $1million), this highly immersive program provides filmmakers with the technical, creative and strategic tools necessary to launch their films – and their careers. Through the Labs, IFP works to ensure that talented emerging voices receive the support, resources, and industry exposure necessary to reach audiences. Open to all first time feature documentary and narrative directors with films in post-production.”

- via NoFilmSchool, IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs

On this weekend’s to-do list: finish filling out the application for IFP’s documentary lab program. I’m really just at the stage now where I need a lot of help with sound design, which I mentioned recently here. But, of course, the attention of IFP definitely wouldn’t hurt the film’s momentum going forward. Fingers crossed.

I need help with recommendations on people here in Los Angeles...

mike-ambs — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:11:51 -0800

I need help with recommendations on people here in Los Angeles who do sound design. Much of For Thousands of Miles, of course, takes place outside, but it is also told as a memory, so there is a lot of room for subtle play with otherwise natural sounds. The foley work has been a part of post that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time, I need someone meticulous that I can trust. Any recommendations would be much appreciated.

In the midst of moving apartments, Erica found that we still...

mike-ambs — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:30:44 -0800

In the midst of moving apartments, Erica found that we still have piles and piles of stickers, plus a box full of pins, and, lastly, a Kinko’s sleeve of film flyers!

We’re making care packages and mailing them out to *anyone* who simply emails their mailing address to info@FToMfilm.com - free of charge. Help us run out of stock!

64 Days - part 2

mike-ambs — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:50:29 -0800

64 Days - part 2

This is the first teaser from the 16mm footage we took during...

mike-ambs — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:15:59 -0800

This is the first teaser from the 16mm footage we took during the trip. This is probably my favorite shot out of all four reels… the speed and feel to it is very beautiful.

All the 16 was shot with the intention of acting as a “memory” for Larry. I just wish I had more than the 15 minutes I have - it intercuts very powerfully next to the HD footage.

This was one of the rare days that the wind didn’t blow...

mike-ambs — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:14:39 -0800

This was one of the rare days that the wind didn’t blow directly into Larry’s face… he could really fly when he wasn’t the only object in the way of the wind ripping across miles of field…

I love this part of the country - the big sky, the endless green. It’s all so flat and boring and unchanging… but something about it really eats away at you after a trip.

This was the last time I laid in the grass. My head closest to a...

mike-ambs — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:08:37 -0800

This was the last time I laid in the grass. My head closest to a tree, my feet pointing towards the river. Watching the leaves dance back and forth in the wind. Enjoying the cloudless blue sky. The warm sun burning up the cotton in the air.

We were still in Glacier Park, Montana. One of the most heartbreakingly beautiful places I’ve ever seen…

This is Larry. This is somewhere between point A and point B....

mike-ambs — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:04:19 -0800

This is Larry. This is somewhere between point A and point B. Where ever it is… I miss it. I miss kneeling on-top of the van, working the crane, watching Larry push through the wind. Knowing that every mile meant something to him… something people wouldn’t see passing by in their cars. Something subtle.

I believe Olivier shot this with the SGPro 35 Kit and the...

mike-ambs — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:59:42 -0800

I believe Olivier shot this with the SGPro 35 Kit and the crew’s FX1… we had Amanda’s 300 zoom lens mounted (which was a lot of fun to film with).

We waited at the highest switch-back in Cascades National Park for Larry to pass and ride down into the valley. We took a lot of footage from this ledge, it was a very beautiful spot to spend an hour.

Amanda was hoping our 2nd teaser would be a clip from an interview we just transcribed, but I had this as a backup, and she hadn’t gotten a chance to come over and tell me which section she wanted.

Amanda and I decided we have so much extra footage floating...

mike-ambs — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:51:44 -0800

Amanda and I decided we have so much extra footage floating around the timeline, that it would be fun for us to randomly pick 20 seconds here, 30 seconds there and post it on a consistent basis.

This first teaser is just Larry cruising along some road… somewhere *shrug* I’m too lazy to look it up :) but it’s pretty where-ever it is.

photo and caption via Vu Bui Watched mike’s film rough...

mike-ambs — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:17:24 -0800

photo and caption via Vu Bui

Watched mike’s film rough cut For Thousands of Miles. Made notes but wow great stuff!!!

Lan and Vu talked me - aka, peer pressured me - into playing the current edit of FToM. Vu had just purchased a brand new Moleskin journal, I guess he had never owned one before, and this page of notes on the film was the first thing he decided to write down. This brings the total number of people who seen a fairly close-to-final edit to: 7. I’ve received some really terrific feedback from these small mostly one-on-one screenings and I’m excited to make a handful of changes to the timeline before opening up screenings to other people.

"The decision to use voice over must be a well thought out one, and one made long before the script..."

mike-ambs — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:49:05 -0800

“The decision to use voice over must be a well thought out one, and one made long before the script is finalized. Voice overs are the voice of the mind, and it must correspondingly have the gravity of that impossible weight. Use it wisely.”

- - Frank Darabont

This entire post was a very enjoyable read, but this quote is especially fitting to something I keep coming back to in FToM. *fingers crossed*

A handful of photos from Larry’s trip between Truckee, CA...

mike-ambs — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 09:25:05 -0800

A handful of photos from Larry’s trip between Truckee, CA and somewhere just near the southernmost border of Mexico. I had meant to share these weeks ago, after pulling them from instagram, but I lost track of this post in my drafts. It was a hell of a ride for Larry to take on alone, I’m glad the first leg of his trip ended with him coming home safe.

"And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first..."

mike-ambs — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 12:07:53 -0800

“And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”

- T.S. Eliot, via ned hepburn

Trying to pick myself up and get a grip on my to-do list. Which, as of tonight, looks something...

mike-ambs — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:24:04 -0800

Trying to pick myself up and get a grip on my to-do list. Which, as of tonight, looks something close to this:

The film: editing (feedback), archival fill-in shots, sounds work, coloring, music.

64 Days: Revisit remaining scripts / outlines, music. Countdown / build-up.

Connected site.

FToM trailer.

Player research.

I know some of these are more vague than others; but, all the same, I’m personally trying to highlight which are doable in the next few weeks, which need to wait for hired…

A bit more details on the recently posted yet overly-vague to-do list; I’ve been in a state of limbo for the last month, I’ve exported the film as-is and sent to someone for feedback, this someone has quite a bit of experience with filmmaking and the editing process, I feel that their advice on anything from the technical to story will be a big help in my gauging where the film really stands. As anxious as I am to share the film with others, I need to take these next few steps one at a time.

It’s Sunday, meaning that this entire weekend has gone by far too fast, but the holidays are coming up and I’ll be able to squeeze in some time to prep’ the archival shots I need. Two things I have currently been preparing: the film trailer and what will hopefully be a nearly 10 minute prologue release. I’ve been looking for sound people as well, as one of the first things I’ll do once I hear back on the feedback I mentioned above, is making a decision on who will or who could start helping to build the two distinct sounds within the film.

Feeling a little stressed tonight. Actually, I’m feeling...

mike-ambs — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:45:05 -0800

Feeling a little stressed tonight. Actually, I’m feeling on the verge of a week long sleeping-binge. Trying to pick myself up and get a grip on my to-do list. Which, as of tonight, looks something close to this:

The film: editing (feedback), archival fill-in shots, sounds work, coloring, music.
64 Days: Revisit remaining scripts / outlines, music. Countdown / build-up.
Connected site.
FToM trailer.
Player research.

I know some of these are more vague than others; but, all the same, I’m personally trying to highlight which are doable in the next few weeks, which need to wait for hired help, which will cost what, when I’ll have x number of dollars set aside, etc. To run through the list: I can’t emotionally get wrapped up in the remainder of 64 Days without first hiring the necessary help in sound and finalizing, so that’s going to need to wait until I know FToM is in motion. I can schedule and set-up the archival fill-in shots, so that’s high on my list. I’ve written a team earlier today about the connected site, though I’m still not sure I want separate people building the connected site vs the player, but those details are for another update. The trailer is coming along in notes - I’m closer to getting a better idea of what clips I want to pull and how I want to present the film.

If anyone has questions on the list, let me know in the comments, I’m always happy to answer in more detail. But for now, I’m falling asleep.

The idea of building a request tool for the film has been...

mike-ambs — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 21:49:28 -0800

The idea of building a request tool for the film has been something I’ve wanted to do off and on for about two years - resources and especially time always pushed it back in priority; a lot has changed online in those two years, new tools exists for helping people build list, Google Forms as an example. The idea of requesting a film early is one that needs less explaining now that several larger films have successfully built request campaigns.

For the last few days, I’ve been thinking I would just use Google Forms to start building a request FToM list, it’s easy to set up; I see it used quite often with beta sites, etc… at first my fields were: name, zipcode, email; then I changed it to just: email and zipcode, but I was sad I would have such little information to work with, and I was also sad the action of requesting the film would go straight to a private spreadsheet and not somewhere else online, where others might also find the film interesting. So…

Then I started to think about changing the purpose of the Facebook Like button on FToM’s website, redesigning the area around it for requesting purposes; this would, with one simple click, give me a name, a location, age, etc, *and* it would also be a social action, letting others on Facebook know.

Now, the main distribution for the film will be online - that has always been the idea and it hasn’t changed, but, say I have an exceptional amount of likes or requests for the film in Ann Arbor, that might be enough to convince indie-friendly local theaters to screen the film for two nights.

Of course, not everyone has Facebook, and I would have a smaller area of the request section linked to a simple Google Form as a backup for people. But anyway, that’s something I’ve been thinking about. Thoughts?

I’ll be looking at this for most of the day. Exporting the...

mike-ambs — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:54:44 -0800

I’ll be looking at this for most of the day. Exporting the current version of the film for a round of selected feedback screenings - nervous, but feeling good about things.