Clint Milby & Jake Fruia
One of the biggest moments of Blackmagic Day LA was meeting with Dan Myrick, the writer/director of the industry defining ‘The Blair Witch Project”. We talked with Myrick about his current project utilizing Blackmagic cameras, as well as his new website that works as a space for script submissions and film collaboration.
Myrick just recently finished a film called ‘Under The Bed’ on which he used the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. Myrick praised it for its “amazing picture quality”, as well as its compact size, as they frequently shot in confined spaces. They chose to shoot in 12 bit RAW to both a 64GB SD card, also recording to an Atomos Ninja 2 recorder as a backup. However the RAW footage is what they chose to edit into the final film.
Among the many topics we discuss is how Myrick managed to make the hit movie that was ‘The Blair Witch Project’, a movie that inspired an entire genre on its own with new filmmakers along with it. When asked how he managed to make the film, Myrick explains that it really is just sheer will, combined with good help and a lot of faith. However with all of that, there is a point where you just have to take that first step. “Once you start developing it, once you start making it real, it starts to develop its own momentum… You just have to take that first step”.
Myrick is continuing to inspire independent filmmakers to this day by just recently launching GangOfRobots.com. With this new site Myrick aims to help other filmmakers avoid some of the mistakes and pitfalls he’s encountered over the course of his career. Myrick will also provide other content, such as a documentation of him writing his next feature and all of the efforts involved in it. It will also be a place where people can submit their own scripts and videos for review or collaboration with one another, making it a haven of sorts for independent filmmakers.
You can check out more of Dan Myrick’s work at his website, GearHeadPictures.com. You should also check out the brand new and developing GangOfRobots.com to sign up and be one of the first members of what looks to be a promising indie film community.
