Sklar & Workbook: Moving To Best Practices

Todd Sklar has finished has Range Life tour has a lot to tell you about what he's learned. He's posted it up at the indispensable Workbook Project: Part One, Part Two. 

Part One counsels filmmakers to build up their promo content and hold until the key release time.  He identifies two main tendencies to the contrary (and explains why you need to avoid them):

1. You jump the gun on building buzz and then lose momentum and interest before it’s time to utilize that buzz.
   
2. You jump the gun on your release and can’t support it with the necessary content or resources & planning b/c it’s a full time job just maintaining whatever momentum and interest your gaining from the film’s release.
   

In part two, Todd expands upon new rules:

1. You need to have a solid website 5 minutes after you’ve written the script.
   
2. You need to have a solid trailer 5 days after you’ve wrapped shooting.
   
3. You need to release your DVD within 6 weeks of your premiere.
   
4. You need to start making your DVD 6 hours after you’ve made your final cut.
   
5. You need to do your theatrical release within 2-4 weeks of your festival premiere You need to implement a festival premiere into your release platform, and there’s no better/other way to do it than utilizing it as the springboard for your theatrical release.
   
6. You need to look at the theatrical release as a brand building and audience building campaign and focus on exposure and press secondly.
   
7. You need to be ready to make your next one before your release this one.
   
8. You need to roll with the punches and remember to focus on your planning your work and working your plan.
   
9. you need sell DVD’s during your theatrical release.
   

Read the posts.  We all need to.

It Could Be Getting So Much Better All The Time #1: Google For Film

Oh, if only we in the States had government funding for the arts!  I would settle for government funding for the infrastructure for the arts.  The UK has it and here's a good idea that they funded that we could use here:

 A Google-esque application for film.  Check it out.

UK film buffs will be able to access a bespoke online search tool from today that will give cinema and TV listings, DVD, Blu-ray and download options for 34,000 films.

The £1m FindAnyFilm project has been developed by the UK Film Council over the past seven months and claims to be the first service of its kind to combine listings for multiple formats and links to retails sites and legal download services. It also includes more than 5,000 film trailers and an alerts service to notify users when titles are released in new formats.

It Could Be Getting So Much Better All The Time

What would you do to improve "indie" film?  Both the business and the films themselves?  This is not a rhetorical question; I would like to know, and I am sure you would too.

I am going to start a regular feature here on TFF on what can be done to improve things for everyone in the indie film space (perhaps starting by banishing that VC vernacular "space").  I thought everyone would have a distinct opinion.  It may surprise you, but I certainly have a few.  I sent out an email blast to fifty opinionated and passionate filmmakers and got next to nothing back.  Maybe everyone thinks things are just dandy.  Or maybe people think they need to hang on to their ideas in hopes of making a buck.  Or maybe everyone just wants to play the fiddle as we burn down down down.

I honestly believe that it could be getting so much better all the time if we all just shared our ideas and energy a little bit more.  So here's to hope for the future and to finding a few new ideas that could gain a foothold into the new year.  Be warned: I will begin posting shortly.

Lesli Linka Glatter on "Twin Peaks"

What did you learn from directing on Twin Peaks?

LESLI: I directed four episodes and that was a huge turning point for me.

There was a scene in the pilot for the show in which Michael Ontkean is talking to Kyle MacLachlan. It's in a bank, in a room where you look at your safety deposit box. In the middle of the scene, on this table, is this moose head. They play the whole scene in this room and no one ever refers to the moose head. The scene is incredible.

So, when I got to know David, I went up to him and said, "How did you ever get the idea to put the moose head on the table?" He looked at me like I was kind of crazy, and he said, "It was there." And I said, "What do you mean it was there?" He said, "The set decorator was going to hang it on the wall," and David said to the decorator, "Leave the moose head."

Something just cracked open in my brain: "Be sure you're open to the moment. Be sure you see the moose head on the table. Don't try to control things so much that you're not open to what's happening in the moment."

That was a great lesson and a huge turning point for me.

From Steven (Spielberg) I learned, "Do your homework and never pretend you know what you don't, because someone is going to be there who knows and you're going to get caught." Which was all about planning and control.

And from David I learned, "Yes, do all of that, but be sure you're open to the moment."

This may be an ignorant question, but how do you get a TV show to the exact length required by the network?

LESLI: It's a bloody drag. A lot of the times, the scripts are too long. And if you have a story that's really great, some things are just going to have to go. I think it's horrible, but that's how it is. They're not going to change the time because of you, so you have to conform to what it has to be. It's really unfortunate.

At what point can you tell that you're going to be in trouble, length-wise?

LESLI: I can tell now by reading the script. I can read it and go, "Ah, this is way too long. We're going to be ten minutes over." Also, you don't have that much time to shoot.

One of the good things about directing TV is that you learn very clearly what the dollar scene is and what the five-cent scene is. You have to know what your important scene of the day is; if you're going to divide the day up, that's where you're going to want to spend the bulk of your time. And the scenes that aren't important you need to move through quickly. So you have to find a way to shoot them that's going to tell the story. But if you have a very emotional scene that's the turning point of your story, that's where you want to be spending your time. It's not all equal. Directing TV really teaches you how to do that. Because you have to.

What advice would you give to someone who's thinking about pursuing a directing career?

LESLI: Be sure you really want to do this. Follow your dreams. And listen -- but don't listen -- to how difficult it is.

Going to the Screenwriting Gurus

Gaining some final bits of inspiration from the screenwriting gurus. These are a few of the books that we've been reading (or re-reading) as we finalize the screenplay for Under Jakob's Ladder...

• The Anatomy of Story by John Truby
• Screenwriting Tricks of the Trade by William Froug
• Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee
• Screenplay by Syd Field

New Grants For San Fran Filmmakers

Nice time to be living by the Golden Gate bridge.  The San Francisco Film Society announced a new series of grants covering all phases of development and production.  

The SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants support films that through plot, character, theme or setting significantly explore human and civil rights, antidiscrimination, gender and sexual identity and other urgent social justice issues of our time.

Read all about them here.  What are you doing reading this? Go and start filling out the application!  The first application process opened yesterday!

Man, That Gets My Goat!

This past Sunday, the NY Times had one of those articles on how film "all of a sudden" looks like a good investment.  I am one of those who have always thought that film was a good investment when done properly, so you might think I was happy to hear them finally beating the drums.  Now, I could take it with a grain of salt and be happy that they are promoting what seems to be a good company run by good people and leave it alone at that.  At least that's what I wanted to do, what I suspected I'd do, until I got to the last lines:

“If you can find the right film executives, people who consider themselves fiduciaries more than producers, it’s one of the best bets you can make right now,” Mr. Crown said.

“Just remember that it’s over when you start taking yourself so seriously that the project stops becoming a commercial movie,” he continued, “and starts becoming an art project.”

This is myth making.  There is no opposite to what Mr. Crown is talking about.  What is he inferring here?  That some producers will sacrifice the money for the art?  The producer's job is to marry those two elements and one never needs to be sacrificed for the other.  To paint a picture that producers will leave the investors hanging, is not only wrong, but dangerous to the industry, the business, and the art.  

When he speaks of people not having a fiduciary responsibility, he certainly is not talking about any real producer I know.  Anyone that makes films for a living, who plans on making films for the rest of their life, knows that their films better deliver returns or else it is over for them.  Producers -- people who actually make films on a regular basis -- know that it is their job to deliver a return to their investors.  Producers can't produce otherwise.  Each film is connected to the next, and not only the ones that an individual producer makes, but all of them that everyone else makes, are part of the same continuum.  We have to produce returns.

But then again, as the NY Times told us on Monday, it's not Hollywood/Films that are the problem, it's New York and Big Media that's the issue.

To draw a line and pretend that there is a breed of producer who don't consider themselves fiduciaries first is to try to discourage investment in film.  If you survey ANY handful of producers who have been making films as of late, you not only would find people well versed on what they expect their work to return, where they expect those returns to come from, and when they expect those returns to come in, but they also would know how they can build on those returns from one film to the next.  

And most importantly, they will know how it doesn't require artistic compromise either.  Films are made to fit a budget, and a budget should be determined by what the market is.  Certain companies and investors can choose to reach above that, and great, truly remarkable work is generated that way, but for the rest of us mere mortals, this world demands that we be responsible.  My twenty years of making films has introduced me to an incredible breed of truly responsible people -- and they are called "Producers".  If the NY Times or others has a different opinion on what a producer is, I would be more than happy to introduce them to a few of my friends.

Win A Marketing Package For Your FIlm!

CrewCreative, who did great work for us on our film TOWELHEAD, are offering one lucky filmmaker a marketing package of a trailer, poster, and website for their film -- provided your film cost less than $5M to make.  So what are you waiting for?!!

Read all about it here.  You have only until April 20th to apply.

A Beat Calculator

You've heard of a calculator. But have you ever heard of a... beat calculator?

Someone created a very nice tool on the internet to figure out how you should be writing your screenplay. For a 120-page screenplay:

• Your opening image is on page 1.
• You need to establish your Theme in pages 1 to 5.
• Your setup is in pages 1 to 11.
• Etc. Etc. Etc.

Check it out. You can even change it all depending on the number of pages in your script.

But... It kind of makes your screenwriting into a bit of a math formula. And, frankly, isn't screenwriting supposed to be creative?

So, while some may find it a useful tool, you may also want to throw caution to the wind as you write your next big movie. Remember the proverb that rules were made to break.

P.S. Did you just read this blogpost and ask "What's a beat?!"... Then, why not check out an earlier post we did on that topic.

The New Crew Positions

In a post entitled "Issues Of Sustainability" on the Filmmaker Mag Blog, Lance Weiler  talks about how we as filmmakers can produce for today's evolving audiences. In talking to filmmakers, I still find they often don't yet fully conceive what it means to adopt a "transmedia" approach to storytelling and marketing.  On the other side of the spectrum though is what made Wired's recent post on "Why Hollywood Needs a New Model For Storytelling" such a gas  -- they've got it and got it good.  Check it out.  We may not need to build the ARGs and seed the story so heavily on blogs and elsewhere as Scott Brown writes about, but we do need to give serious thought about how the hell to build audiences for our stories.  

Let's face it: it just is not enough to have a good story well told anymore.  Sure I still believe in the basics first and building out you narrative on a cross-platform basis is simply not enough to cut it. And yes, the first step towards better filmmaking is to have good material that you have given serious thought to.   

I might harp a bit on the new approaches and filmmakers' lack of thought there, but to be frank that's because there still is a great deal of nothing going on in the old school department.  As good as I found this year's Sundance batch, and as hopeful as I am for SxSW's crop, how do we drill down to the basics and make sure we have our pants riding high?  I mean: what makes a good film good?  Some folks may know how to tell their story nine ways to Sunday, but it still won't sing, if ain't got that swing.  

I've have started a new series over on Hammer To Nail on "Qualities Of Better Film" and promise to go into over twenty such qualities that at the very least makes my motor run.  It may be basic stuff, but I still find these qualities in short supply.  Check it out over the next few weeks.  Let me know what I've missed.  I know that if everyone adopted the approach that I outline, I'd find more films I would want to give prizes to.  On the other hand, since I find it hard even to do that even with my films, maybe we all just need to wake up to how damn hard it is to make good films (let alone better ones), and slow the heck down.

But while I am on the self-promotion tip:  make a trip over to Filmcatcher where Christine Vachon and I hosted a couple of conversations with filmmakers and actors during Sundance (okay so only the teaser's up now, but it tells you what you can anticipate).  But that ain't all.... there's more to come on that front, or at least one similar to it, too.  Stay tuned.

The Sundance Panic Button Panel

Todd Sklar tipped me to the video of the panel I participated on at Sundance, and now you can decide: push or ponder?  

Part One:

IndieWire has covered it and condensed it, if you prefer your news in print and not to take an hour to digest -- but me I like the whole story, warts and all.

The panel was supposed to be on the future of film, but it was a bunch of old white guys -- and that's not going to be the future.  Christine Vachon and I, with some help from IndieWire, had lunch with a much different group, that was 100% filmmakers, which IndieWire filmed and will be posted soon (so stay tuned).  

As the sole filmmaker on the Panic Button panel, I found it particularly frustrating that there was so little concern expressed about how quality film will be generated, let alone exhibited.  It is all so connected: the big films to the little films, the financing to the distribution, the exhibition to the criticism.  The dots are connected but people want only to look at their domain.  That's not self-interest, that's short-sightedness.  And that's got to change, and I'm sure it will.

I get a kick out of watching/listening to these videos.  Among other things, it shows I have to work on my public speaking compared to these pros (and the control of my hair).  And it's impressive how skilled they all are about promoting themselves and their films -- and their way of doing business.  The distribs get the word out on their accomplishments, but I neglected to mention ADVENTURELAND (and did I tell you how it just killed at the festival?).  Granted, I hope to keep making films in the top indie budget range, but watching this panel, and despite some clear articulation of the contrary, it is still easy to walk away thinking there is only one way of doing business.

The important part of part one, which has gotten NO PRESS, is that Peter Broderick speaks of a number of filmmakers who have made over $1 Million on a single film on a single website.  How exciting is that?  Get your investors to talk to Peter now!  There's hope out there for a new way.

Part Two:

It's funny to notice as I post this that part one has about 20,000 views but Part Two is still under 1,000!  That said, I don't think I got my points across until that second half.  I guess the next time, I have to write some notes down like Mark Gill did and deliver a whopper right out of the gate...

There are some simple things that could really change things.  Around 11:45 or so, on Part 2, I raise the possibility of the distribs giving the exhibs back Monday night for community screenings.  This simple idea would move mountains in terms of specialized production and is doable now.  Jonathon Sehring follows this by stating that IFC will provide filmmakers with the data their film generates.  If this becomes the dominant position, filmmakers can really start to be in control.

And if you are just looking for the John Sloss bashing part of the program, that begins around 15:35 in Part 2.

Who Really Gives Back?

I can't help but walk away from the Sundance Film Festival amazed each year at what an incredible and wonderful thing it is.  And not just the festival but the entire Sundance organization.  This year it even expanded to go beyond the movies and the labs, to include the exhibitors too (I have written enough about the Art House Convergence for you to already know what I am talking about).  

Although the infinite web of Sundance wouldn't exist without many many people, I just can't help but get all impressed by what Robert Redford has done.  Although the media seems to still love to debate about what the festival is or isn't, the simple fact that Sundance is the greatest cultural institution for Indie Film (and maybe it doesn't need that qualifier) that there is in this country (and probably the world) can not be expressed enough.  It truly is mind-boggling in the best way what Redford has given us.

I started making films just as Sundance was revving up.  I probably would have gone into one of my alternative career paths (armed revolutionary, bank robber, toy inventor, or community organizer) if they, American Playhouse, and the IFP weren't around to rescue me and give me a glimmer of hope that truly free filmmaking was possible.  As much as I have benefited from a whole industry and community of support, it is Sundance that holds it all up and continually expands it, demanding us to reach higher.  Wow.  Thank you, Mr. Redford.

Yet each year I  wonder the same thing: why is Robert Redford such a singular example?  Why is everything else in this business driven solely by short term self interest?  I was invited on to the Sundance Panel "The Panic Button: Push or Ponder?" and after participating, I am more ready than ever to push that button.  Unless others follow Redford's example and start giving back, we are sure to have a film culture of extremes: the super low-budget self-financed personal expressions and farm-league calling cards and other industry-backed economically-safe re-imaginings of yesterday's hits.  

And it has to start with those with the most power.  We all need to ask and then act on what we can do to build this culture, allow it to become sustainable, and make it obtainable for all who are willing to work.  We have a long way to go.

Steven Soderbergh on "Sex, Lies & Videotape"

How did you approach the casting of this film?



STEVEN SODERBERGH: I think you have an idea, and you stick with that idea until you're confronted with the fact that there's something better than your idea. I think the smart play is to go with the better idea.



In the case of Andie I was laboring under the illusion that she was not much more than a model and couldn't deliver what was required. Fortunately for me, she came in and proved me wrong. And I was happy to be proven wrong.



It happened to me the other day on a movie we're starting next month. It's a supporting role, and one of the people who came in was someone I know and who, on first blush, I would have said, 'No, I don't think he's really right for this.' Of all the people I was looking at, he was the one I would have potentially said, 'I know him and I think he's good, I just don't think he's right for this.' Sure enough, when I sat down and looked at what he did, I immediately said, 'Oh, that's the guy.'



What was it that made the difference?



STEVEN SODERBERGH: He did something that was different from what I'd seen him do, and different from what other people were choosing to do, and suddenly he seemed like the only guy who should be doing it. So you have to keep your prejudices in check.



I'm a big believer that you get the cast you're supposed to get. I've had people drop out, many, many, many times, and always, in retrospect, I felt they dropped out because I was supposed to get somebody better. That's just the way it works.



How do you rehearse?

STEVEN SODERBERGH: I used to really rehearse properly, until I realized that I was really using the rehearsal time to get a sense of them personally, and to see if I could in some efficient way unlock a method of communicating with them. And once I realized that, I started being much less formal about the time that we were spending together. And now it's become like a Fellini thing, where I just take them all out to dinner and get them juiced up and leave it at that.

On that movie, I felt I had more time to do the work than I have had since on any movie. That was the only movie where I never once felt rushed and felt like I had all the time I needed to do the work on a given day. And every film since then, I've felt like I didn't have enough time.

You seem to love juggling a lot of projects at one time. Why is that?

STEVEN SODERBERGH: As my career has gone on, I've gotten more and more aggressive about keeping my plate full. I've got some things that I want to do, so many ideas that I'd like to pursue, that's it hard to find time to do all of them. I'm mystified by directors who say, 'I can't find anything I want to do.' I look around and I want to do everything. There are stories everywhere.

I guess it depends on what kind of film you want to make. I like all kinds of films, and so I'm casting a much wider net than some other directors. The algorithm, more often than not, is that a director has a certain aesthetic and he or she looks for material that will be well-served by that aesthetic. I'm just the opposite. I'm totally story-driven, and then I sit down and try to determine what aesthetic is going to work best for this story. So that gives me a lot more freedom.

Is there any downside to your job?

STEVEN SODERBERGH: It's the best job in the world, it really is. It's really difficult for me to find any downside to it. It's what I love to do. It's hard, but it's not like work to me. I jump out of bed, ready to go. It's pretty great.

Out of Focus

What do you do when you (as a filmmaker) discover that one of your shots is out of focus?...

Not only is it too late to fix it... but every take has the same problem. The actor you need has already gone home and can't come back because they are off on another shoot. And it just isn't in the budget to get them back anyway.

That's where creative filmmaking comes into play.

This scerario happened to us on our last film. We still can't quite figure out how it happened, because the shots taken before and after the one in question are fine. But every take we did of this one particular shot in Dear J did not match the rest of the movie; or the rest of the scene, for that matter.

We actually realized the shot was no good while we were still on set, but only AFTER we wrapped for the day. The actors had gone and as we watched some of the dailies for that day, well, our hearts began to sink.

Not only was the shot key to the scene, but it involved the Judge (played by Karen Lynn Gorney -- Yes, the same Karen Lynn Gorney who played opposite of John Travolta in 'Saturday Night Fever')... And she was off to shoot in Florida or something the next day.

First attempt at fixing this mistake: We decided to do the shot again, this time without her in it... using a double and only getting the Judge's arm in the frame. And although we reviewed the footage, you can tell we were rather harried because we got Fumbles (played by Myron Buchholz) to use the wrong arm when he whispers his message to the Judge! (We actually didn't realize this mistake until we began editing the movie about a month later.)

That version of things stayed in the movie for over a year during the post-production phase. And it even made it into the version we showed at the gala in October 2007. (There's a little trivia for you!)

But then, shortly before we burned the final DVD version, we had a breakthrough... Firstly, we reasoned, this whole scene takes place in the imaginery courtroom, right? Secondly, it's part of a discussion between the two psychologists, Dr. Donovin and Dr. Frolick, as they discuss James' situation. Therefore, if the original footage is grainy, why not make that whole particular scene grainy?

We tried it, and voila! It worked... Serendipitiously, it actually makes the scene work.

Necessity is the mother of invention... or in this case, at least of creativity.

Models & Experiments In Indie Distribution

I was bummed that I missed the Sundance panel on the New World of Indie Distribution.

Luckily, Scott Kirsner has the audio for download on his CinemaTech site.  If you see me walking to work, crossing on the orange hand, headphones burrowed into my ears, you know they are speaking well of the future.  Check it out (and I guess I should take a cue from Scott and start to record the panels I partake on...).

The Film Panel Notetaker has a few posts up too on some of the other panels.  There is enough going on in the panels to fill a full year of film school curriculium.  Still, I was hoping to find some more sparks.  

I participated in "The Panic Button" and for all the heavyweights participating, I would've thought they'd be more coverage; I guess The Inauguration pulled the press away.  Go figure. Maybe the biz is getting tired of hearing the old white guys speak.  Reuters was there though.  IndieFlix too. I did my best to get the business side (I was the only filmmaker) to recognize that they have to start giving back to the community a bit more if they don't want to see what's vibrant vanish, but Reuters only got the start of that argument.

Arin Crumley Responds To Art House Convergence Keynote

Four-Eyed Monsters' Arin Crumley commented on my recent speech over at IndieWire.  I reprint it here for your reading pleasure:

Great Talk Ted!

So here are the big picture to-do items from this talk:

• We need a third party entity to handle payments between exhibitors and filmmakers. (Note this is a very delicate thing as it has the potential to be totally corrupt if it’s not a non-profit organization or some how decentralized.)

• We need a repository of information that filmmakers share with each other. (workbookproject.com is the start of this.)

• Exhibitors need to get digital projection and digital delivery systems installed. There are some missing standards still since DCI seems like overkill. But it is possible to have dual systems, DCI for big films and plug another cable in to bypass that system to play back WEB delivered HD content.

• We need to protect the open freedom we currently have on the internet so that it can be used build social connections around film and so it can be used to get HD files to the theaters. We made a video about this you can see here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP_3WnJ42kw

• We need the mechanism in which exhibitors and filmmakers can mine audiences and know who sees your film or comes to your movie theater.
In my mind this is simple, we just allow people to bookmark films they want to see and review films they’ve seen and have all that data be structured along with geo stamps. That way anyone online knows the films in each city people want to see. Then those people could ask to be notified based on variables they define. So they could set a service up that looks at the films they want to see and the local calendars and they could set an alarm that goes off when the two synchronize.

All of these ideas have been part of the think tanks we’ve been doing with From Here to Awesome and DIY DAYS and are simply awaiting sponsorship or funding to actually build the above missing components. Anyone who wants to jump on board with this effort should email fromheretoawesome (at) gmail (dot) com with your thoughts and what you can contribute and lets make this happen.

Ted can give us hope, but only if we all work together can we make these ideas a reality.

Arin Crumley
co-founder
From Here to Awesome
co-director
Four Eyed MOnsters
Director
As THe Dust Settles

Hope For The Future pt. 12: The List #'s 47 - 52

Fifty-two reasons to be cheerful.  Enough to get through all the weeks ahead, and even some that have already passed.  We complete our list just in time to not let Sundance get you down even if you didn't sell your film.  I didn't even list that are so many good films to discover at the festival.  Well, here's to a good year.  And to finding at least another 52 reasons in the months ahead.

47. Actors are truly embracing indie film and seem to be doing it because they love it. We know they don’t do it for the money or just because the schedule is short and shooting quick, but when you know they are getting offered bigger paydays and chances for true stardom and yet they still keep on doing indie movies, you have to accept they do it because it is the kind of cinema they adore. Michelle Williams , Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Peter Skaarsgard, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sam Rockwell. Quality actors delivering quality work time and time again.

48. The Jacob Burns Center in Westchester has raised over $20M for a Media Literacy Center and it looks like an incredible addition to our culture and a wonderful model for others to follow. Imagine if every community had something like this! Check out the press release at:http://www.burnsfilmcenter.org/news/newsimages/MediaArtsLab_pr.pdf .

49. Power continues to decentralize. Time and time again it is proven that a good idea can triumph and change will follow it. Frank Leonard’s brain child, The Black List, the annual report that lists executives favorite scripts, has been instrumental in getting unique (dare we say “quirky”) projects appreciated, bought, and even made. Sundance was once the be all and end all of festivals. Virtual festivals like From Here To Awesome give everyone a chance at being seen now.

50.We are getting new film movements faster and faster. 2007 was the year of Mumblecore. 2008 was the year the neo naturalists broke (Wendy & Lucy, Chop Shop, Ballast, etc.). The speed of which common aesthetics form speak of better communication. Multiple filmmakers working in the same vein can only lift the conversation higher and raise the bar for technique. Work will progress faster and the audience will again benefit.

51. Life sustaining tools slowly are proliferating. The Freelancers Union Health Care program offers a good option for indie filmmakers looking to have basic health care coverage. Creative Capital alum Esther Robinson’s brainchild Art Home Online, offers artist financial planning services and consultation on home buying. As we live in a nation without real government support for the arts, creators have to assume they will be partially financing their work themselves -- developing the wherewithal to plan for the future and not put oneself at significant financial risk is part and parcel to being able to choose what stories you will tell.  Of course if we simply had state health care, not only would we be less at risk, but we'd have a significant percentage of our incomes that we could devote elsewhere.

52. The great beacon of hope I find in the film horizon is the often TFF-cited Lance Weiler and his gang of collaborators at The Workbook Project and From Here To Awesome. The open source generosity and advocacy stemming from their platforms provide a plethora of information and point to the real possibility that artists everywhere can not only create the work they want but have the ability to find, access, and join with audiences everywhere. They show that power is not in the hands of the establishment but in the community. Lance and his team having taken a host of good ideas and put them into action -- and it appears to be just the tip of an iceberg that we can expect to come from them. The revolution is being podcast; it’s time you got the URL tattooed onto your soul.

Mary Jane Knows: We All Need Each Other

If you haven't already, be sure to catch Mary Jane Skalski's Sundance Producer Brunch Keynote.

Conflict: Moving Things Along

What makes a good scene in a movie?

One word: Conflict.

Yes, a good scene needs conflict to move things along. Opposing forces. Protagonist does A. Antagonist reacts with B. Action-reaction. (Yeah, kind of like Newton's third law of motion.)

The protagonist needs to go from one trouble to the next. (Basically, put your good guy up a tree and throw stones at him.)

Don't have conflict in a scene? Writing gurus tell you to get rid of the scene. Granted, that's not always easy to do, especially when you've become rather attached to the scene.

On the other side, you can also go overboard with an over-zealous approach to cutting out scenes. Sometimes the audience needs a short breather. And sometimes it isn't bad to lull your character into a false sense of security. Or perhaps you need a scene for character development.

But, keep in mind that conflict can also take the form of an underlying tension in scene. Dramatic irony works well; where your character is unaware of some danger lurking, but the audience knows it's there.

Still, it's always a good idea to evaluate each scene for the element of conflict/tension. Remember the old Hitchcock adage: That drama is life "with all the boring parts taken out."

And nobody wants a movie to be boring!

P.S. Can you think of a good movie that has scenes you would call "boring"?

If Words Were Not Enough

The video of almost all my keynote address from the Art House Convergence just got posted.

Ted Hope Art House Convergence Closing Remarks from joe zina on Vimeo.

Hope For The Future pt. 11: The List #'s 43 -46

43. Both the creative and business sides of the film industry are embracing the streaming of features. Both Hulu and Snag are looked at as success stories, although the short form and clips remain most popular with audiences. The key to specialized films’ success has always been creating word of mouth. Regional screenings and publicity has always been an expensive undertaking, prohibiting niche film from truly undertaking such a campaign. Streaming makes it all possible. A limited streaming campaign could do wonders for building an audience’s desire to see a particular film. When directors like Michael Moore and Wayne Wang climb aboard the streaming bandwagon (as both did this year), one can only hope legions will follow.

44. Green awareness: slowly the entire industry is waking up to the fact that there is no away to throw to. Last year less than half of the distributors distributed their award screeners in cardboard packaging. This year all the major ones did. Granted you still have to police sets to make sure bottles are being recycled, and offices to make sure that paper is – but it is much improved from before. I still haven’t been asked to put a carbon offset into a budget, but I am confident that day will come. Green carpets became the vogue over red this year. At the very least, the industry seems to be embarrassed by their waste. Maybe the days of excessive consumption are numbered…

45. The career/financial sustainability of producers is at least now recognized as an issue somewhere in the world. In the U.S. we have watched virtually every studio cut virtually every producer-based overhead deal. On one hand it seems that the US film industry has forgotten what a producer does, but across the ocean, there is a ray of hope. It has been enacted as law that the UK tax credit must be counted as the producer’s equity, thus increasing the back end a producer would have on any given project. Once local municipalities in the US start providing prolific producers with office space then we will know we are on the right foot! The longevity of producers is the cornerstone of fostering a film community’s growth.

46. Filmmakers are recognizing the benefits of limiting the time spent between films. When the American Indie scene kicked into gear in the late 80’s, the directors were quite prolific. Up until recently, the new generations of filmmakers seemed to take five more years in between projects. The directors’ pursuit of larger budgets necessitated this to some degree, but also limited their ability to build a loyal following worldwide. Whether it is the Mumblecore crowd of Swanberg or The Duplass Brothers, or the world vision practitioners like Sean Baker and Ramin Bahrini , this new generation is aiming more for growth in their work than growth in their budgets. The audience will benefit as these directors mature.

Costuming for History

Conventional filmmaking wisdom says to stay away from making movies set in days gone by.

Well, we went against convention when we decided to go ahead with our upcoming feature: Under Jakob's Ladder.

And yes, we're finding out first-hand why the advice says to avoid filming the historical genre. One problem we're having to deal with: Costumes.

Yes, we are now in the middle of figuring out how to costume all our actors. The prisoners are not so much an issue. But the NKVD prison guards... They have forced us to spend many an hour trying to figure out what their uniforms even look like!

And then there's the cost of actually buying the costumes... Even with places like ebay, one such uniform isn't going to be cheap. And not only is there the uniform, but there's the hat and the boots; not to mention the insignia and shoulder blades and other little extras that make up the uniform.

Oh, it would be so much easier to work on a film that deals in today's clothing.

Art House Convergence Closing Keynote Address

I had the honor of being asked to give a closing key note at the Art House Convergence today in Salt Lake City.  I have to admit, it was really inspiring and informative to hear it from the exhibitors' perspective.  And they really wanted to hear from us too, and where we thought that it was all headed.  Well, I had a few thoughts, so it was nice to be able to offer them.  This is my address to the exhibitors.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: Next Year's Filmmaker/Exhibitor Collaboration.

ARTHOUSE CONVERGENCE CLOSING KEYNOTE ADDRESS
SALT LAKE CITY
1/15/09

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE: Filmmaker and Exhibitor Collaboration

In case you haven’t heard, our business is in the midst of a transformation from a limited supply gatekeeper entertainment economy based on impulse buys to a new paradigm
based on creator-controlled content and an ongoing dialogue with the audience. This affects all of us: filmmakers, exhibitors, distributors, and film lovers.

It once was that distributors generally only made available films that fit their pre-existing marketing model. Their marketing spend was not based on the film’s content – but their acquisition or production of a film was based on justifying that pre-set marketing spend. We (both the filmmaking and film exhibiting community) are now just learning how to determine, and to access, what an appropriate marketing spend -- based on the film that was actually made – is, and in the process, we are learning how to prepare for, access, and exploit what have far too long been under-utilized tools and practices: community, collaboration, and appreciation.

Community, collaboration, and appreciation. These tools are the new tools. These are the good old tools. These tools are where our marketing money also now needs to be spent.

But let’s ALL step out of The Hell Of Now, and instead let’s imagine the future. Let’s imagine next year. Let’s imagine what the production/distribution/marketing/exhibition alliance could be like in a very short time. Let’s imagine what it would be like if we established a “Best Practices” for filmmakers and exhibitors alike and thus clarify what audiences can expect. These three entities --filmmakers, exhibitors, audiences -- that want to create, exhibit and appreciate diverse high quality specialized work to the fullest.

Let’s imagine that next year is actually right now. So what does this present (formerly the future) look like?

• Each side recognizes each other as a partner – a critical partner – a partner that wants to inspire the other to the highest level of work and experience.
  
• Filmmakers recognize that completing their film is only half the work. 
  
• They recognize that the other half of the job is both marketing their film and maintaining a dialogue with their audience.
  
• The filmmaker is taking responsibility for their work through the end (aka forever). 
  
• They no longer entertain dreams of riches exchanged for rights. 
  
• They no longer anticipate surrendering control of their film to distributors.
  
• The filmmaker now thinks of their ultimate creation as what will be their body of work. They no longer look at each movie as a stand-alone entity. They recognize it is all a continuum.
  
• They no longer see themselves contained with a single form of medium. They make long and short form work for different platforms and different audiences.
  
• They look at all their work as an ongoing dialogue with an evolving audience.
  
• The filmmaker has already established at least one platform from which to maintain an ongoing dialogue with their audience(s). This platform will be: Blogs and/or Social Networks. They maintain regular – daily or weekly – contact with their audience. They reward them, and visa versa.
  
• The filmmaker is no longer an isolated individual who only looks out for his or her own singular work. The filmmaker is a curator, championing others’ work. And others champion their work in return
  
• The filmmaker is an “expanded” collaborator who encourages audiences/fans participation, both or a richer dialogue and to mine their desires. She considers exhibitors’ needs in terms of reaching an audience. 
  
• The filmmaker thinks for the long tail and they ask how their film will be discovered in ten years. They ask how will their film be relevant in ten years.
  
• The filmmaker recognizes that their action affects others, and they will either build on success or be burdened by others’ failure. They recognize that financial outcome is one measure of success but that audience and infrastructure building is another. Mostly they want to encourage good behavior in others.
  
• The filmmaker knows that power is a collective experience not a private one. They believe in an “open source” culture. They share information with others who share information.
  

How does this filmmaker work? Before the filmmaker shoots a frame, before she raises any money, this filmmaker identifies the audiences for the film and where those audiences can be reached. This filmmaker finds where the discussion of the issues within the film are taking place, identifies possible promotional partners for the film, be they brands or advocacy organizations.

Again before the camera is turned on, this filmmaker builds:

• A team of passionate soon to be experts
  
• A website specifically for the film;
  
• Blog(s) addressing the issues within the film;
  
• Blog(s) addressing the audiences for the film
  

And this filmmaker prepares to build the film beyond the 90 minute border by creating shorts, ARGS (Alternative Reality Games), a Graphic Novel, various books, IPhone Applications and Casual Games, truly anything and everything to drive audience’s attention to and their appreciation of the film at every step.

During production, the filmmaker is looking for new ways to expand the audience ad the audience’s participation. This filmmaker provides the audience with access to production particulars, be they production information or location specifics. They grant true fans access to the script and encourages them to go shoot their own version. The filmmaker tries to increase the audience’s rewards for their appreciation, and provides for them exclusive behind the scenes footage or maybe the filmmakers’ journal. Really what ever they can do, the filmmaker provides their true fans with access to the process in an unprecedented manner.

After the film is shot -- and before it is ever publicly screened anywhere --the filmmaker has:

• Listed the film everywhere online (IMDB, Wiki, Databases)
  
• Tested the film themselves before audiences
  
• Cut a trailer and put the trailer on their website and elsewhere. This filmmaker is even prepared to refresh that trailer upon release.
  
• Designed a poster (or several) and put the poster on their website and elsewhere/
  
• Designed a collectors’ edition DVD complete with lots of additional material
  
• Manufactured unique merchandising items
  
• Written a film clubs’ study guide
  
• Selected a stills collection and put some stills on their website and elsewhere.
  
• Selected clips and put the clips on their website and elsewhere.
  
• Manufactured DVDs and offered them for sale personally at early screenings.
  
• Locked a DVD manufacturer and fulfillment center.
  
• Locked a Digital Download partner.
  
• Locked an Online Streaming Partner.
  
• Built a highly selective festival strategy and is prepared to both execute it and support it.
  

After the first festival screening, in order to facilitate and grow positive word-of-mouth the filmmaker has:

• Set a pre-release publicity building speaking tour.
  
• Built a chain of Living Room Theaters through non-retail DVD sales.
  

During the release of the film, the filmmaker is prepared:

•  To travel to anywhere that covers their expenses, even in part.
  
• To collaborate with other filmmakers in a traveling festival road show.
  
• To provide an I-Chat dialogue with audiences.
  
• Maintain dialogue with the audience throughout the release.
  
• Release new short-form work to heighten interest in the long-form.
  

What does this filmmaker want? The same thing as the exhibitor, the same thing as the audience. This filmmaker wants to make movies an event again. And you know what? This isn’t the future. This isn’t even next year. This is right now. This is how filmmakers are currently thinking. And the question we all need to ask is how do we collaborate with them?

******************

So let’s look at how can the filmmaker and exhibitor collaborate? The exhibitor should redefine the theater in the audience, filmmaker, and industry’s mind that it is not just for exhibition any more. So what is it?

• An Indie Merchandise Store selling T-shirts, collectors DVDs, and indie film specific publications.
  
• The Theater is a gallery displaying traveling exhibits on indie history, and film-based artwork.
  
• It is a Preservation Center, leading the charge for preservation of indie and digital film. From this platform, the theaters will facilitate the vote for indie works in the National Film Registry.
  
• The theater is the community’s Media Literacy Center forever asking how can filmmakers further contribute?
  

What new practices will earn exhibitors the filmmakers’ love?

• Data-mining & transport. Filmmakers want to learn the details: Who comes to the theater and why? What gets an audience at a particular theater. Exhibitors who share this data back and forth with the filmmakers will be rewarded with the filmmakers’ loyalty.
  
• Throw out the old way and bring more filmmakers in earlier for shorter terms. Book your own “festival”. Utilize Filmmakers pre-release publicity tours. Set a subscription model with your audience freeing you to pursue the distributor-less film on your own.
  
• Recognize that your audience, your community, is your greatest asset, but respect their indivuality and recognize their loyalty to you. Facilitate access to and dialogue with your audience by the filmmakers. After all, you can’t keep them secret or hidden. Sooner or later, everyone will eventually find each other.
  
• Create your own social network. Supply it with new information regularly. Share it with Filmmakers. Share it with other theaters. Build this network that the Art House Convergence has brought together.
  
• Establish A Third Party Collections & Remuneration Agency so you don’t have to deal with filmmakers on payment and other back room issues.
  
• Establish best practices on what Exhibitors want from filmmakers and then get that word out to them (I would be more than happy to help).
  
• Establish an info on your community’s film tastes so filmmakers know what won’t work at your theater.
  
• Filmmakers are like any other entity. Dialogue with them does not have to be painful or intimidating. Good fences make for good neighbors, right?
  

What additional exhibition practices will filmmakers reward?

• Think Big. Don’t internalize the last two decades of neglect and despair. Share your dreams of growth 
  
• Think Differently. You don’t really need to screen the same movie all week long, no matter what the distributors say. Build audiences for the classics. Ask local notables to program. Give them what they can’t get at home.
  
• Focus on community building. Can Monday be dedicated to Community programming at all the art houses. Share your mailing lists with filmmakers if they share theirs. Encourage others’ choices, reach out, and mobilize.
  
• Design for the audiences needs with flexible screening schedules. Shouldn’t the moto be: “What they want, when they want”?
  
• Communicate with the filmmakers and let them know want you & when.
  
• Accept the mutual responsibility to build the new infrastructure. Be willing to test the new infrastructure.
  
• Find new and build new alliances, be they Advocacy Groups or Corporate Sponsors. Use them for or Screening series and for Specific Films. These groups come with their own audience and a desire to build further upon it. Every theater should have ongoing media alliances so when a filmmaker visits they expect that they will go on radio show and record a podcast for a local website.
  
• Whatever you can do, invest in technology. Whether it is digital production or Digital Delivery everything points to that the physical will soon be gone. Costs will come down and new opportunities like more flexible programming and booking policies will become expected.
  
• Whatever can be done to wean oneself from Specialized Distribs Hit menu represents freedom. It is not healthy for anyone to be so dependent on a singular supplier.
  
• Fight to preserve Net Neutrality. It will soon come to a vote and an open internet is necessary to source, inform, and aggregate audiences. 
  
• Educate and encourage people to make a choice, not an impulsive decision in all they do. Isn’t that one of the definitions of art film? A film that people must decide to view ahead of time.
  

With all that has occurred, all that has gone wrong, with the devastation that has been wrought on this country and our culture, WHY DO I REMAIN HOPEFUL?

Last month as the year ended, I asked myself that question, and in one hour came up with 52 reasons, one for each of the weeks to come (and all are available on TrulyFreeFilm.blogspot.com).  And truly, the main reason, is right here in the room, at the first meeting of the Art House Convergence. It is all of us. It is we who have come here and it is the reason why we came here. We recognize the potential we hold. And now that potential is becoming a reality.

I believe in – and I know you do too, or else you wouldn’t be here now:

• The power of organization.
  
• The influence of collective action.
  
• The incredible results of collaboration. 
  
• And all that entire great cinema inspires.
  

I know there is a great new era of art film on the eve of occurrence. I know this
because I have met the new generation of filmmakers and I know who they are.
And I can tell you that these filmmakers are:

• Individuals with far more diverse stories to tell than we imagined.
  
• Artists with a commitment to quality and innovation.
  
• Not just feature orientated.
  
• Recognizing that making the movie is only 50% of the job and that the other half is marketing.
  
• Early adopters of new technology.
  
• Committed to Social Networks.
  

And I know these filmmakers want to work for YOU, the exhibitors.

And I know we aren’t going to run out of great movies. Last year was the best year ever for American film made for budgets of under $1M. Internationally, new directors produced exciting new work and established auteurs expanded their range. Not only are these great works not currently reaching audiences, but now with the major corporations stepping out of the specialized space hopefully will give a chance for this harvest to really bloom!

Theaters are often said to be our place of worship – but they are really our community centers. Theaters are where we all come together to share our dreams, to experience what it means not to be defined as a demographic but to be recognized as the expansive, passionate, engaged, and connected individuals we are. As far as I can tell, exhibitors have been left to their own devices for all these years – and so maybe there’s hope for indie film because you have managed to survive, even prosper. And now you are working together. You are working with filmmakers. Wow. What’s to come?

I love movies. Obviously.
And: I love making them, but even more: I love watching them, but even more than that:
I love talking about them, sharing them.

Let’s stop thinking of theaters in terms of exhibition and instead recognize them, you, the theaters, for what they truly are – the heart of our community and our life line to the audiences.

Thank you. I can’t wait until next year.

Henry Jaglom on "Someone To Love"

What was your inspiration for making Someone To Love?

HENRY JAGLOM: I was alone, and I didn't understand why I was alone. And I looked around at my friends and I realized that I was part of a whole generation of people that were alone and that it wasn't just a generation but that it was a function of something that was happening at that period in the 80s and the 90s where people who always assumed that they would be married and have families found themselves somehow in the middle of their lives on their own.

So I thought I would try to make a movie about it, but what I would do is go through my phone book and actually pick out people I knew who were alone and put them together in some central location.

You had an idea, right, but not really a script for the movie.

HENRY JAGLOM: I had a plan, a super structure, but I left it up to the individuals as to what they would say and depending on that was what I would say. I knew what I wanted to talk about in terms of loneliness and relationships, but I was actually seeking the movie as I was in the movie.

I decided I would just do it that way and then when I got back to my editing room I would look at what I got and what everybody gave me and find a way to put it together into a narrative.

What did the people in the movie -- your friends -- know about what they were getting into?

HENRY JAGLOM: No one knew anything. I just told them I wanted them to be in a movie, and I wanted to be able to deal freely with the facts about their own single situation in their romantic life at this moment. I confirmed with some of them that they were in fact still single, that they weren't involved, that I didn't miss anything, and that's all I asked then to do.

And only one person ended up leaving. Kathryn Harrold left, she didn't realize it would be that personal. The truth was, she was uncomfortable, and I thought more people would be uncomfortable, but actually everybody likes to talk about themselves.

How much did you find that movie in the editing?

HENRY JAGLOM: One hundred percent. Actually, fifty percent in the shooting and fifty percent in the editing. But nothing in preparation. It's the kind of movie where you absolutely cannot prepare, because you don't know what people are going to say.

Several of my movies have a mixture of a storyline -- which is a narrative, which is created by me -- and an interview structure, which is spontaneous and real and comes from the people. So I can prepare one half of that, but I can't possibly prepare the interviews without interfering with the reality of it.

But in the case of Someone to Love, because the entire thing was about somebody making a film, there could be no preparation. It would be absolutely wrong for me, from my point of view, to have anybody know anything in advance of what anybody was going to say.

The narrative is created in the editing rather than written beforehand, and that's true of many of my movies. Orson Welles said to me once, 'Everybody else makes movies, but first they decide what the narrative is, and out of the narrative they try to find their theme. The difference with you, Henry, is that you choose your theme first, and then you try to discover, out of your theme, the narrative.' And that's very true of my process.

You're known for not rehearsing before you shoot. What's the benefit of working that way?

HENRY JAGLOM: The magic of reality. The honest surprise of what happens the first time when somebody thinks of something or you see them thinking and discovering it and saying it.

The most truthful moments, it seems to me, are the moments that just happen and even surprise the person themselves as they're saying something, because they don't know they're going to be saying it. If you rehearse, no matter how good you are, you know you're going to be saying it. And unless you've got a Brando or a Meryl Streep or the handful of actors who are better each time, you've got human behavior which is better and truest the first time.

God, I would die if I rehearsed and someone in rehearsal gave me a great moment, because a great moment is what you look for in film. It's all about the moment.

I was complaining about not having more time, not having more money to do something I wanted to do, and Orson said this line that I now have over my editing machine. He said, 'The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.'

That was just about the most important thing that has ever been said to me, because if you don't have limitations you start throwing technology or money at a problem.

But if you have a limitation, you have to find a creative solution, and therefore you create art.

For me the most valuable lesson from Orson, and it happened during that movie, was make whatever happens work. It's good to have limitations, because you have to find an artistic or creative way to surmount them. And it's more fun.

Peri's Back & Hopeful For The Future Too (Pt. 2)

The other day we had Pericles' first five "Reasons To Be Cheerful".  Now we chime in with the balance of the ten. (Ted)

Ten Things That Make me Hopeful for the Future (Pt. 2 of 2)

Pericles Lewnes

6. LED Lighting - The TorchLED TL - 50 is a daylight balanced compact LED light fixture for under $350. It has an intergrated rechargable battery that will give you 2.5 hours of operating time. The light output can be controlled with an onboard dimmer. As LED lighting technology advances, lighting panels and fixtures will drop and so will the gross weight of your gear. Lightweight and less heat make LED lighting a 'good get' for the DIY filmmaker.

7. CurrentTV -  Current TV is an Emmy award winning independent media company led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. current TV is both a web-based and a 24 hour cable channel available on most cable systems. Most all of Current's programming is Viewer Created. There are several ways to get on television. You can submit a story which you have found on the internet and submit it under a profile you create for yourself. If that story is voted to the top in a given time period (Every hour or two) Curret TV news editors will edit a news "pod" package crediting you with your avatar at the top of during the broadcast's news segment. You do that for free. However, Current also pays! If you submit a non-fiction piece in the 7 minute range, you can specify whether or not want it to be qualified for broadcast. Each month, one non-fiction peice is chosen and the filmmaker gets $1000. (One Thousand Dollars). But that's not all... Most all of the commercials are also viewer created. Current will list several clients such as Nikon and L'Oreal and if you want to participate, you are free to upload an ad and compete. If it airs only on Current, you get $2,500. If it gets airplay elsewhere, you can get up to $60,000. Uploaded video quality is pristine and can be either linked or embedded. You can see my 5 minute short Freedom Plaza with a "plug" for Truly Free Film on the current website and then you can see an embed example of the file at my blog Pericles Shrugged. But be forewarned, comments are not moderated and current can be a "tough room," but all in all I find it to be a great site with many users who will pass along your work to their connections if they like it.

8. The Portamic 5.1 Holophone - You can have the prettiest movie ever and if your sound is bad, it doesn't matter. It's always best to have a dedicated sound person with booms, lavs, and mixers. But there may be scheduling problems, or your sound person might get a last minute paying gig. Then there's always the shotgun... However, I think this is an interesting on-board mic solution for the 'one man band.' I would love to test it myself, but it seems that the holophone with six separate mic elements set-up in a 5.1 suuround configuration sounds promising. I haven't been able to wrap my mind around it yet, but it appears that you can send it all to two channels or use a decoder to bring it back to six. What will they think of next?

9, ikan Camera Cradle - This is a "beanbag" type camera support. It wraps around your camera and will give you lots of love when you are mid-zoom in a "no tripod" zone or you are trying to nail some shots from a car. The microbeads in the cradle buffer movement and can conform to just about any situation holding the top of a chain link fence or the headrest of a compact car. For less than $90, this can turn into your best friend in a tight spot.

10. Building the New Infrastructure to Film Freedom - I think as artists, we are finding ourselves at a crossroad. The concept of building our own infrastructure for the production, distribution and exhibition of our work is an incredible opportunity and available for the first time ever. The concept of preserving Net Neutrality and creating alternate venues and distribution models for each other, instead of against each other, is the reason I have any hope at all. If we stick together and work together we can literally help bring independent filmmaking back in from the cold. Iron Sharpens Iron.

-- Pericles Lewnes

Hope For The Future pt. 10: The List #'s 39 -42

39. Producers are being recognized for doing more than just sourcing or providing the financing and administrative structure to a production. A good producer makes a better film and not just by making it run smoothly. Sundance – who has been recognizing producers’ contributions for years -- just held its first Creative Producing Initiative. There still remains a lack of clarity in the public’s mind as to what a producer does, but when leading organizations like Sundance take the effort not only to clarify that producing is a creative act, but also help producers to build their creative skills, change will come. This clarity and the restoration of the integrity of the producer credit won’t just restore producers own recognition of self-worth, but will lead to stronger films.

40. Senior film organizations, like the IFP, Film Independent, and IFTVA/AFM are working together, along with advocacy organizations like Public Knowledge to try to maintain key policies crucial to indie’s survival like Net Neutrality and Media Consolidation. If everyone with common interests learned to work together…. Wow.

41. There appears to be real growth beyond navel gazing in terms of subject matter among the new filmmakers. Filmmakers aren’t just interested in whether the boy gets the girl or the boy gets the boy. We seem to be moving beyond strict interpersonal relations in terms of content and looking at a much bigger picture. Chris Smith’s THE POOL, Sean Baker’s PRINCE OF BROADWAY and TAKEOUT, Lance Hammer’s BALAST, and Lee Isaac Chung’s MUNYURANGABO to name a few, point to a much more exciting universe of content to come.

42. New technology makes it all a whole lot better. Whether it is new digital cameras or formats, digital projection, or editing systems, it just keeps getting better, faster, lighter, cheaper. Reduced footprints, sharper images, and quicker turnaround: who amongs us does not believe all these things lead to better films?

What Are They Saying About You & Your Film?

I like to know, both the love and the hate.  It's debatable whether this sort of knowledge is a good or bad thing for a filmmaker, but for me -- as a producer -- I find it invaluable.  Yeah, I have Google Alerts set for the films I have coming out, and the filmmakers generally too.  But I have often wondered what's being said in the social networks.  What's being said there?  

Beth's Blog tipped me to Whostalkin.com and the answer is now easily found.  With a festival premiere coming up, this seems invaluable.

Making Props Look Old

"Why are those bowls sitting outside in the snow?"

Don't think that you're the first person to ask that question... They are there because... well, they're being distressed.

Our feature film, Under Jakob's Ladder, is set in the Soviet Union in 1941. Which means we need to get props and set pieces that look like they belong to that time period. In other words, they need to look well-used. (It's not like Jakob and his pals had Walmart on every corner.)

We recently picked up these wooden bowls. Problem; they look a little too new! So, how to make a new item look old?

Let them sit out in the rain... lie under a blanket of snow... be weathered by the sun...

Then comes a rasp and file and all sorts of grades of sandpaper.

After all this distressing, these bowls will soon look like the real thing...

Hope For The Future pt. 9: The List #'s 35 -38

35. Film schools are waking up to the need to educate students on how to survive – it is not enough to know how to direct or produce, graduates must have real world skills too. Jon Reiss is developing a specific curriculum on this, and I have heard from others who are looking to do the same.

36. Filmmakers are recognizing that film festivals are more of a launch platform than a marketplace. More films have trailers available prior to Sundance than ever before. Some wise filmmakers even come to their festival premieres armed with DVDs to sell. Will this be happening at Sundance? Are there any filmmakers reading this who plan to? Let us know.

37. Cultural institutions are stepping into to fill the void left by mainstream media’s abandonment of the art film space. MOMA in NYC now schedules films for regular runs. If we want to see art, why not go to a museum? We need shrines to see beautiful projection and I hope there are many other institutions picking us MOMA’s lead. It could become an actual circuit.

38. The fight to restore integrity of the producer credit continues. The PGA continues to lead the charge here and looks poised to step it up. The recognition of the need to a specific financier credit is becoming part of the conversation – namely that the Executive Producer credit should not be used for line producers but preserved for those who help finance. There is so little dignity left in the role of producer, one hopes that the rest of the industry recognizes how they are all vested in restoring integrity to the credit. Granted there are times when more than three individuals truly are producers on a project, but twelve? Wouldn’t it be a great world if even the distributors committed to stopping over-inflated credits? If an organization like the PGA actually went after the individuals and companies who push for such false credits? Real producers are always in a vulnerable position when looking for cast and financing and a soft position will not get this done. Why does a distributor or sales agent seek such credits anyway?

Live From Park City!

I am particularly excited about Sundance this year. Beyond the films, there is a whole series of events that I will be participating in, and I look forward to all the people I will meet and good ideas that I will get to hear.  Please come ready to share some thoughts; my ears are open.

I am now the Closing Key Note speaker at the Art House Convergence (which is actually in Salt Lake City) on Thursday January 15th prior to the festival itself.  I do feel we are on the verge of a new collaboration between filmmakers and exhibitors and am eager to share this vision.

I will also be participating in a panel at the AHC on "New World Distribution" organized by Connie White & Jan Klingenhofer on Wednesday at 5P at The Peery Hotel in SLC.  This panel also features Bob Berney and Peter Broderick who are always sure to be brilliant. All of this really makes me feel like a change can truly come with all of our efforts.

The Convergence is geared to the exhibition and booking community but speaks well of the growing relationship between filmmakers and theaters -- devoid of any force keeping them apart. I don't think it's too late to register for the convergence although the focus is on the theaters. You will be sure to learn something nonetheless.  And if you aren't going to make it, just let me know if there is anything you'd like me to address here.

But it's not all lectures and learning.  The IFP, Filmmaker, The Salt Lake City Film Center, the new media communications concern SMA, and This is that have all come together to sponsor the first annual filmmaker/exhibitor/booker mixer on Friday night, January 16th 6 - 8P -- so you get a chance to party. I had hoped that something like this would come together. The bridge between these groups is one thing preventing us all from connecting all the dots. Here's hoping that a sponsor emerges and this can become an annual event. I hope to see everyone with a film or a place to book one there.

I will also be participating in what looks to be a great panel at Sundance "The Panic Button: Push or Ponder?" at 1130A at Prospector Square on Monday, January 19th.  The assorted old guys like myself include Mark Gill (The Film Department), James Schamus (Focus Features), Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics), Jonathan Sehring (IFC Entertainment), Marcus Hu (Strand Releasing) and Peter Broderick (Paradigm Consulting).  It's moderated by no less than Sundance Film Festival Director Geoffrey Gilmore.

I have always considered myself a man of action -- i.e. not one to sit and ponder -- but also never believing there should even be a button to push. I promise to make this a fun and lively event. If there is anything you would like me to be sure to discuss, please let me know as soon as possible.

There are a few other things in the works too -- just in case you miss me at these venues -- for later on at the festival.  Stay tuned.

Add More Indies To The NATIONAL FILM REGISTRY

I have to admit that I generally like what films get selected for preservation via the National Film Registry.  I don't know if you saw the latest list of what got selected for 2008, but you can look at it here.  They add twenty five titles a year.

But what I bet you didn't know you vote for what is to be added.  Or so their website says.  All you need to do is send your nominations in to:

sleg@loc.gov

You can only nominate 50 films a year.  They have a handy dandy list of suggestions too.  They generally do a pretty great job.  There are a few areas though that need greater emphasis.

Indie films definitely need help.  Without the studio support, they tend to be a little less organized and being held under worst conditions.  The studios aren't going to let a moneymaker fall into disrepair.  A filmmaker who may own their negative but not the house they live in might just be a little different story from the one owned by the mega corp.

I have suggested they add in 2009:

Melvin Van Peebles' SWEET SWEETBACK'S BADASSSS SONG (1971)

Susan Seidelman's SMITHEREENS (1982)

Bette Gordon's VARIETY (1983)

Alex Cox's SID AND NANCY (1986)

Spike Lee's SHE'S GOTTA HAVE IT (1986 )

Whit Stillman's METROPOLITAN (1990)

John McNaughton's HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1990)

Todd Hayne's POISON (1991)

Hal Hartley's TRUST (1991)

Gregg Araki's THE LIVING END (1992)

Allison Anders' MI VIDA LOCA (1993)

Ang Lee's THE WEDDING BANQUET (1993)

Tom Noonan's WHAT HAPPENED WAS... (1993)

Terry Zwigoff's CRUMB (1994)

Todd Solondz's HAPPINESS (1998)

Not bad for an initial fifteen.  Granted quite a few serve my self interest, but...  Let me know what I should suggest for the next 35.

Putting It In Perspective: Jarrod Whaley

Jarrod Whaley of Oak Street Films had an excellent -- and passionate -- response to my query yesterday on how and why filmmakers should use Twitter.  I am particularly pleased that Jarrod posted here as it introduced me to his writing.  Check out his thoughtful and well-articulated blog.

Pericles Is Hopeful For The Future Too

I knew it wasn't just me. I knew there was a plethora of silver linings out there. One of the pleasures of all this blogging and social networking is finding and getting in touch with friends from the past. Peri and I crewed together back in the day. He recently made a DIY feature called LOOP and we have been corresponding. He had no problem coming up with 10 things to add to the list. I think that puts the grand total up to 63 (Ted).

Ten Things That Make me Hopeful for the Future (Pt. 1 of 2)
courtesy of Pericles Lewnes:

1. Filmmakers can collaborate virtually. On my DIY feature LOOP, I was fortunate enough to meet a talented animator named Courtney Hoskins when we submited entries to the same contest. I saw on her contest profile that she used Maya and After Effects and began to tell her about some FX needs I had for my movie. She got into the concept and decided to help me. Without ever meeting her or talking to her over the phone, she was able to create a scene LOOP that everyone talks about. When you see LOOP, I think you will know which one it is. The collaboration was kind of like Four Eyed Monsters with all of the love being heaped on the movie.

However, there are many ways to collaborate, the simplest being screenwriting which has probably been going on now since the internet began. But what about stock footage? Do you know anyone in DC who can grab a shot of the Capitol dome? New York Exteriors? Colorado Rockie Mountains? I do. A director friend of mine in California watches his editor in Minnesota work on their project. They use a sharing program that lets the director see the editor's desktop as he edits while they chat on the phone. As technology advances, more opportunities will develop that Indy filmmakers can take advantage of.

2. File Transfer Services - The are different ones out there. Yousendit, Sendspace and Sendthisfile are but a few. You can send up to 100 mb of material free on Yousendit and up to 300 mb on Sendspace. I pay for a plan at $9.99 a month on Yousendit which allows me to upload up to 2GB of data which will be available for up to 500 downloads for 14 days. This is really good for Artwork, EPKs and just plain old back and forth video tweaking. For shorts, it is great if you need to get one somewhere fast. Most can be compressed well under 2GB. Features are trickier, but possible. I might put LOOP out there if I can get my compression settings right.

3. Pocket Projection - I was looking through a magazine and found this: The Optoma PK 101 This is a DLP(!) projector that is the size of a pack of cigarettes and is listed at $399. It can project a picture up to 60" from a variety of devices like iphones, PSP's and DVD players. On the bottom of the projector is a tripod mount that will let you mount it on a basic tripod to allow for leveling. Why am I excited about this? Because if I had one I could have micro cinema screenings! Being the infamous director of Redneck Zombies, I have been known to hang around a convention or two. With this projector, a dark hotel room, and a little speaker rig, I can theoretically screen LOOP on a piece of foam-core to a small invited audience. I'm sure there are limitations to this projector and that this technology will improve, but I am also sure that this projector has a "sweet spot" that will be suitable to project LOOP. A tripod+pocket projector+mico mini stereo+DVD player+foamcore in a dark room= micro-cinema screenings on the fly. THAT'S CRAZY! Which is why I am exploring it.

4. Magic Bullet Suite: This is a great all multi-purpose application that allows you to color correct, deinterlace, and create different looks for your project. It plugs into Adobe After Effects CS3, 7, 6.5, Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, 2.0, Apple Final Cut Pro 6, 5.1.4, Apple Motion 3.02, Avid Xpress Pro/Media Composer 5.6+,2.6+. BUT - it needs horsepower and it is always wise to check on the hardware requirements before taking the plunge. MBS includes five programs which can be bought individually. My opinion is that this set of tools is worthy in every respect. It is user friendly and the results are over the top. If you are a DIY filmmaker like me, sometimes it's just you, your computer, and your editing software. An easy to use and powerful set of tools can give you options that you might think are out of reach. It can be pricey, but it can be bought one component at a time and they run a lot of specials if you get the newsletter. I don't work for these guys, but I love the software. Download their Magic Bullet Looks demo and give it a test drive.

5. Toolfarm - Toolfarm is an excellent resource for the DIY filmmaker. Not only will you be able to find the perfect plug-in you need for software, but there are experts and tutorials of every flavor. The forums are legion and active. Boris? Final Cut? Trapcode? After Effects? Expert help is only a few clicks away. They have excellent podcasts, mailing list, and an all around helpful bunch experts. Say hello to Michele Yamazaki for me.
--Pericles Lewnes

Make The Physical More Beautiful

I just got married.  I am thrilled.  We even got some gifts out of it.  We now have the Bergman Archives next to our Kubrick ones.  These are beautiful books reinforcing my love for great movies.  They make me want to see more great movies.  How can this phenomenon be carried over to other aspects of film culture.

Why does only Criterion make fetish objects out of their video releases?  It seems that this should be a real area of focus for Truly Free Filmmakers.  When I really connect with a film, I want something special that enhances my appreciation for it.  I would love to find some good examples of what filmmakers have done to make the packaging of their video something truly special.

This was also recently focused a bit on in Roger Tinch's 2009 Trend Prediction for the CineVegas blog.