Filmmaker Magazine

JON REISS ON OUR FORUMS, AT THE IFC CENTER AND (MAYBE) FREE IN YOUR MAILBOX

2009-11-08T19:40:00.005-05:00

We inaugurate our “Weekly Player” series with filmmaker Jon Reiss (Bomb It), who will be on the forums all this week (November 9 - 16) answering your questions about DIY distribution, marketing, publicity and outreach. Jon is the author the new book, Think Outside the Box (Office): The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era, and readers will know him from the great series of articles he’s written for us — “My Adventure in Theatrical Self-Distribution," “My Adventure in Home Video," and “How to Market Your DVD Online." These articles grew into the book, which I've read and think is an indispensable manual for filmmakers figuring out how to launch their works in today’s new digital world. So, if you aren’t a...

ARE YOU OBJECTIFIED?

2009-11-06T10:00:00.005-05:00

2ND UPDATE: We have our winners. Thanks, all! UPDATE: To win a digital copy of Objectified, answer the question below and email editor.filmmakermagazine AT gmail.com. Almost three years ago I decided to check out what seemed to be an obscure little documentary about graphic design at SXSW and was surprised to find the line to get in stretching all the way down the length of the convention hall. As the editor of a magazine, the subject matter of Gary Hustwit’s Helvetica — an examination of the historical, communicative and ideological meanings of that ubiquitous typeface — interested me. I hadn’t realized that SXSW, which is full of filmmakers, musicians and web designers who all have Adobe InDesign loaded on their laptops, contained a...

FILMMAKER/APPLE PRESENTS MEET THE FILMMAKER: JASON REITMAN

2009-11-06T09:00:00.011-05:00

Tonight at 7pm head over to the NYC Apple Store in SoHo (103 Prince Street) for what's sure to be a lively and entertaining conversation with director Jason Reitman. He'll be talking about his latest film Up in the Air starring George Clooney as a corporate downsizer whose life of collecting frequent flyer miles, perks and no-strings-attached hookups is in jeopardy. Interviewing Reitman for the Fall issue, Scott Macaulay writes: "One of the most astonishing things about Up in the Air is the clear eye it casts on 2009 America and a workforce undergoing the shock treatment of recession, outsourcing and the creative destruction of so many of our traditional industries.... Reitman refuses to go for stock Hollywood uplift with a last line and...

THE FONT OF ANGER

2009-11-04T23:46:00.002-05:00

Aaron Leming, who works as a specialist at the Southlake Town Square Apple Store in Dallas, created this resonant typographic rendition of Paddy Chayefsky's famous Howard Beale "Mad as Hell" speech from Network. Mad As Hell! Kinetic Typography from Aaron Leming on Vimeo.

A CHANGING OF THE GUARD AT OUR DIRECTOR INTERVIEWS COLUMN

2009-11-04T19:57:00.002-05:00

Back in March, 2007, with his talk with Color Me Kubrick's Brian Cook, Nick Dawson inaugurated a new column here at Filmmakermagazine.com: the Director Interviews. Over the course of two-and-a-half years, he infallibly spun out thoughtful and provocative discussions with directors ranging from emerging American indies to big-name international auteurs to everyone in between. Viewing the bulk of each week's releases before honing in on one person to speak with, Dawson brought dedication, scholarship and personality to a column that was always, first and foremost, simply a great read. Earlier this year Dawson published his first book, Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel, a rigorously researched, page-turning biography of the iconic...

SCHOOL'S OUT: ASTRA TAYLOR ON THE UNSCHOOLED LIFE

2009-11-04T19:20:00.002-05:00

Filmmaker Astra Taylor (Examined Life) gave the debut Artist Talk for the Walker Art Center's "Raising Creative Kids" series. The series is described as an initiative "designed to make the Walker a destination and resource for families and parents wanting to creatively engage their children." Here's their description of the talk: Raised by independent-thinking bohemian parents, Taylor was unschooled until age 13. Join the filmmaker as she shares her personal experiences of growing up home-schooled without a curriculum or schedule, and how it has shaped her educational philosophy and development as an artist. And, it is embedded below:

SUNDANCE BRINGS 2010 FESTIVAL TO A CITY NEAR YOU

2009-11-04T13:21:00.012-05:00

The Sundance Institute announced today the creation of Sundance Film Festival U.S.A. where direct-from-festival films from the upcoming 2010 festival will be screened nationwide in theaters in eight cities on the Thursday of the festival (Jan. 28). This will conincide with events and premiere screenings back at the festival, including the North American premiere of the socio-political documentary The Shock Doctrine, from directors Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross. The Sundance Film Festival runs January 21-31, 2010. From the release: On January 28, eight filmmakers and their films will be dispatched from Park City to cities across America, for the first time providing audiences the opportunity to experience screenings direct from...

GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN

2009-11-03T19:12:00.022-05:00

Before the tragic sudden death of John Hughes this past summer four filmmakers from Toronto -- Michael Facciolo (producer) , Kari Hollend (producer), Lenny Panzer (co-creator) and Matt Austin Sadowski (director) -- spent four years making a tribute documentary about the reclusive director, nabbing interviews with some of the main actors from his films (Andrew McCarthy, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson to name a few), directors who have been influenced by his iconic work (Kevin Smith and Jason Reitman) and traveling to Illinois last year to find Hughes. After Hughes's death the project suddenly became a hot commodity and got a worldwide deal with Alliance Films which released the film, Don't You Forget About Me, on DVD today. Learn more about the...

HOW THEY DID IT: ISN'T SHE?...

2009-11-02T12:10:00.007-05:00

Or I should say, how he did it. Here, Jamie Stuart breaks down the visual effects and tweaks he did for his short, Isn't She?..., through Final Cut Studio and Photoshop. Watch Isn't She?... Read parts 1 & 2 of Jamie's review of Final Cut Studio.

PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC

2009-11-01T15:06:00.012-05:00

If you've read the latest issue (or run into me recently) you know that I dig the blaxploitation spoof, Black Dynamite. From its straight face acting to the way it was shot, director Scott Sanders (aka Suckapunch) and star Michael Jai White have created an impressive comedy that aesthetically holds up to most of the real blaxploitations of the 70s and puts a shot in the arm of the recently watered down spoof genre. But one of Dynamite's greatest aspects is its music. The film's editor, Adrian Younge, created the original score through the use of instruments and analog recording equipment from the era the film is based in. He explains how he did this in a sidebar to our Black Dynamite feature in the Fall issue. But below is a promo of the...

BATTSEK EXITS MIRAMAX

2009-10-30T15:19:00.009-04:00

According to Variety, Miramax president Daniel Battsek has been let go. This is on the heels of parent company, Disney, scalling down the specialty division's staff and release schedule. Under Battsek Miramax released award-winning titles The Queen and No Country for Old Men. And according to Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood, Miramax's New York office is closing down and its LA office will move to the Disney lot in Burbank.

DIGITAL DILEMMA SURVEY RESULTS

2009-10-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

In September we put up a survey on our site that aimed at getting input from filmmakers about some of the issues that impact the making and preservation of their films. Below are the results of the survey. These stats have been passed on to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their final report which they will be publishing sometime next year. The only results that aren't posted below are the ones where a written answer was required. And for those who aren't familiar, read the story that inspired this survey. Thanks to those who participated. Please check all boxes that apply to you Director - 72 (77%) Producer - 64 (69%) Production company owner - 28 (30%) Production company executive - 5 (5%) Executive producer...

TOASTING THE MEDIA MELTDOWN

2009-10-29T08:49:00.004-04:00

Producer Gill Holland forwarded me a link to this provocative interview by Eric Garland, whose company Big Champagne reports on filesharing activity for its customers — the major studios and broadcast networks. A lot of people talk about the relationship between what's happened to the music business and what's happening to the film business, but Garland effectively points out not only the similarities but also, promisingly, the differences. That said, he is not predicting that the mainstream film business will be able to maintain its revenue figures in a time of migrating audiences and technological change. An excerpt from the CNET article: CNET: But it doesn't appear that Hulu is making the kind of money that will satisfy content...

ATTENTION PRODUCERS! THE IFP/ROTTERDAM LAB FELLOWSHIP DEADLINE NOV. 13

2009-10-28T18:31:00.005-04:00

Young producers should seriously think about applying for the IFP/Rotterdam Lab Fellowship. I go to Rotterdam every year, and for U.S.-based producers it's a great place to learn the ins and outs of the global market for arthouse and specialty film. The deadline for this year's program is Friday, November 13. The official word is below. Through its No Borders’ partnership with CineMart, IFP will select and provide travel assistance to two American producers to participate in the 2010 Rotterdam Lab Fellowship. The Rotterdam Lab is a four-day training workshop which runs concurrently with the CineMart Co-Production Market. Designed to build up the international networks and knowledge of producers in its professional panels and speed-dating...

THE WINDMILL MOVIE ON HBO TONIGHT

2009-10-28T16:23:00.000-04:00

We here at Filmmaker have been big fans of Alexander Olch's experimental memoir/documentary The Windmill Movie since seeing it at the New York Film Festival in '08. If you missed it in theaters over the summer it will premiere on HBO2 tonight @ 8pm. For those who don't know about it, the film is about the 300 hours of autobiographical footage left behind by filmmaker/professor Richard P. Rogers after his death in 2001. Olch (who was a student of Rogers's) was calling in to look over the footage and finish the film his mentor never could. What he delivers is a fascinating essay filled with Rogers's footage (including beautiful landscapes of the Hamptons), audio recordings, actors like Wallace Shawn playing Rogers, and Olch's narration....

MAGGIE Q, AWARD-WINNERS AT HIFF

2009-10-28T16:09:00.003-04:00

The Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) wrapped up its 29th incarnation this past weekend with encore screenings of its award-winning films and a closing night honoring of actress Maggie Q, who was on hand to introduce her newest film, Tian Zhuangzhuang’s fantasy swordplay epic The Warrior and the Wolf. A successful Hong Kong fashion model who morphed into a film career there and later in China and Hollywood (she’s appeared in such diverse films as Gen-Y Cops, Rice Rhapsody, Three Kingdoms, and Live Free or Die Hard), Maggie Q (nee Maggie Quigley) is actually not from Hong Kong at all, or even Chinese; in fact, she’s half-Vietnamese and Polish/Irish, and was born and raised in Hawaii. After graduating high school in Honolulu she...

THE LATEST IN OUR FIRST-PERSON DIY STORIES: STRONGMAN's ZACHARY LEVY

2009-10-27T22:08:00.003-04:00

You may have noticed that I've been posting in our Web Exclusives a number of first-person pieces by filmmakers discussing their distribution saga. We have already had producer Jake Abraham on distributing his film, Lovely by Surprise, and then writer/director Rob Perez on making the transition from studio distribution to DIY distribution with his nobody. The latest in our informal series is from Zachary Levy, director of the documentary Strongman. His piece, "Making our DIY Moment Matter," is a refreshingly thoughtful take on what the trend towards alternative distribution should mean for our filmmaking. Check it out, and look for more of these first-person pieces in the coming weeks.

ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION

2009-10-27T13:21:00.011-04:00

Though Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity was number one at the box office last weekend and has a total gross of $62 million since its release late last month (and is primed for a big upcoming Halloween weekend), The New York Times reports that the film's overnight success hasn't impressed Hollywood as Peli's next film, Area 51, a $5 million horror set at the infamous UFO site, is still looking for a distributor. An excerpt: At least six companies, including several major studios, have expressed interest in the film, according to people associated with the deal for “Area 51,” who spoke on condition of anonymity because bidding is still open. But it has been easier to find those who are not buying than those who are. Paramount, for...

SEE PETER SOLLETT'S NEW EPISODE OF THE BURG

2009-10-27T12:01:00.001-04:00

Here's the new episode of The Burg, directed by Peter Sollett (Raising Victor Vargas, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist). Visit the show's site for more, including previous episodes and behind-the-scenes clips.

U CAN LEARN ABOUT THE NEW

2009-10-27T10:53:00.003-04:00

Saturday, November 7, in Los Angeles Peter Broderick and Scott Kirsner are teaming up for "Distribution U," a "one-day crash course on the new rules of marketing and distribution." From their announcement: This one-day course will reveal the techniques successful filmmakers are using to: • Design customized distribution strategies • Harness the Internet and social media to launch their projects • Reach core audiences directly • Maximize revenue from multiple distribution channels • Build a fan base to support your future work This course is designed for independent filmmakers and artists determined to get their work seen widely and earn a real living in the digital age. We’ll use ground-breaking case studies to demystify...

DEADLY DATING

2009-10-26T19:47:00.009-04:00

With Ti West's latest film The House of the Devil opening this weekend (look out for our interview with him on the site later this week), over at IFC.com his web series Dead & Lonely premiered today. The series stars Justin Rice (Mutual Appreciation) as a guy in search for love on a dating site and Paige Stark (A Relationship in Four Days) as the girl who finds his profile, but she has a secret (okay, the picture gives it away, she's a vampire). New episodes will be posted on their site all week.

A LOOK AT APPLE'S FINAL CUT STUDIO AND JAMIE STUART'S ISN'T SHE?...

2009-10-26T08:05:00.004-04:00

We asked Jamie Stuart to use the newest edition of Apple's Final Cut Studio to make a short and write up his reaction for our Fall issue. You can read the piece here. But when he got into post he found more things to highlight about FCS so we've posted Part 2 of his review in Web Exclusives. And check out the teaser of the short he made at the bottom of the Part 2 piece. Titled Isn't She?..., it is an homage to John Hughes while commenting on the current state of the economy. We'll put the short on the site tomorrow. UPDATE: Watch Isn't She?... here.

GMX CONTENT EXCHANGE OPEN FOR BUSINESS

2009-10-22T23:03:00.004-04:00

I met with an online distributor a few months ago who told me about GMX, the Global Media Exchange, saying he thought it was going to revolutionize the film sales business. In short, he described it as an eBay for media content, where film buyers (broadcasters, distributors, etc.) can connect and transact with sellers (studios, production companies, independent producers) within a sophisticated interface set up to deal with the complicated terms of international film licensing agreements. GMX recently launched with over 4,000 titles from such companies as "NBC Universal Global Networks France, London-based ContentFilm's Fireworks International, U.K.-based On Demand Group, Paris-based Carrere Group, alongside Lifetime TV, Disney Channel,...

THE BURG RETURNS WITH A NEW EPISODE

2009-10-22T22:07:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I tweeted about a Brooklyn party I attended for the web production company Dinosaur Diorama and the launch of the latest episode of their hit web series, The Burg. The first new episode in two years, it's titled "Change," and is directed by Peter Sollett, of Raising Victor Vargas and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Here's the teaser, and we'll post the link when it premieres next week.

THE LIGHT WARS HEAT UP WITH THE CANON 1D MARK IV

2009-10-20T13:01:00.006-04:00

Gizmodo today reports on Canon's new 1D Mark IV DSLR camera and links to an incredible nighttime ambient light video shot on it. First, the specs. From the video part of the Canon press release quoted at Gizmodo: The EOS-1D Mark IV, EOS HD Video Powerhouse Over the past year, Canon's EOS HD Video technology has changed the way users capture 1080p HD video and opened new doors for multimedia journalists and Hollywood cinematographers alike with full manual exposure control, selectable frame rates, and interchangeable lenses on some of the largest and most sensitive image sensors on the market. Canon continues this innovation trend with the new EOS-1D Mark IV Digital SLR with Full HD capture and full manual exposure control, plus...