Which blog post was your favorite from the past year?
We checked and here's a list of the top seven most visited pages from our blog during 2009:
A Movie Trailer (September 15, 2009) -- This is the blog post that announced the long-awaited movie trailer for Under Jakob's Ladder. Really, is anyone surprised about this one making the top of the list???
Storyboarding Jakob (August 26, 2009) -- This one also has a link to youtube -- with the storyboards for one of the scenes in Under Jakob's Ladder. (Does that mean people like videos?)
Film Day 6 -- Very Hot Interiors (June 15, 2009) -- This was about the happenings from on the set while we were filming Under Jakob's Ladder.
The Cost of a Movie Ticket (November 16, 2009) -- A bit of a history on movie ticket prices... coupled with a poll.
Making Props Look Old (January 12, 2009) -- Okay. So, the fact that this post made the top seven either means that a lot of people are interested in props, or maybe this post has a bit of a headstart since it's from way back in January...
Let me know what mattered most for you in terms of what was run here this past year on Truly Free Film.
Let me know what you would like to see differently next year.
I should add that I see this site as primarily about how we all get our work seen, how we earn a living from our work, and the tools & methods we can employ to make better and more rewarding work. I have not focused this on the actual content. This site is not about the art of cinema but about its manufacture and distribution, it discovery and appreciation. It's about infrastructure. It's about context. It's about the how and not the what. I think...
I really appreciate all the comments you provided this year. Let's keep the conversation going.
What was your filmmaking background before you made Cole?
CARL: Cole is my 8th feature film, so my filmmaking background has been pretty varied to date. Highlights of my previous films include Emile starring Sir Ian McKellen, and Normal with Carrie Anne Moss - both films got some Genie Nominations.
How did you become involved in the project?
CARL: My producing partner Jason James invited me to participate based on an earlier draft of the script, and we sat down along with two other producers, the writer and the cast and did some workshops, which helped us develop the shooting draft. It all happened very quickly for me...
How did you fund the film?
CARL: 100% private equity.
What was the smartest thing you did during pre-production or production? The dumbest?
CARL: Smartest:In pre-production, I encouraged the lead actor Richard de Klerk to spend time bonding with Jack Forrester who played Rocket. Their relationship was built before we started shooting and it helped us navigate quite easily with improvisation when young Jack struggled with dialogue in the script.
Dumbest: Took the crew to a location where there was no cell phone service... actually it turned out to be a blessing but it seemed pretty dumb at first.
What are the advantages -- as a director -- of being your own DP? Disadvantages?
CARL: The advantages is I don't have to wait for the camera crew to get ready, and I can speak to the actors from behind the lens which is very close to the action. It makes everything a lot closer and more personal.
The disadvantage is that sometimes my back gets tired, as I love to shoot handheld.
How did the movie change during the editing process?
CARL: The biggest change to the film that came out of editing was the ending. It was scripted that Cole would end the film in the arms of Sarafina, but we felt that his relationship with the town had started to outweigh the significance of his relationship with Sarafina, so it just seemed right that the film should end with the town.
And, finally, what did you learn from making the film that you can take to other projects?
CARL: I learned the beauty of the linear narrative: A story that works in an accessible way for the audience - a person can become engaged by the journey of the main character and stay with him from the beginning to the end.
I learned the importance of the specificity of place: By setting the film in a real town in a real place - instead of a fictional town - we brought an enormous amount of authenticity to the story.
I learned the importance of wind and backlight and the mood it can create for the cinematographer.
I learned the beauty of combining improvisation with scripted scenes.
I learned the simplicity of recording images onto a hardrive - there is no limit to the amount of footage you can shoot!
Earlier this year, while looking at Atlantic Magazine's list of Brave Thinkers across various industries, I started to wonder who are of this ilk in our sector of so-called Independent Film.
What is it to be "brave"? To me, bravery requires risk, going against the status quo, being willing to do or say what few others have done. Bravery is not a one time act but a consistent practice. Most importantly, bravery is not about self interest; bravery involves the individual acting for the community. It is both the step forward and the hand that is extended.
Frankly though, I think anyone that commits to creating film, particularly independent film, and specifically artist driven truly free film, is truly brave... or at least, insane. It is a hard road out there and growing more difficult by the day. All filmmakers getting their work made, screened and distributed deserve recognition, support, and something more significant than a good pat on the back from the rest of us. As great their work is both creatively and in terms of the infrastructure, it's easy to lose sight of how fragile all this is. Our ability to create and screen innovative and diverse work is consistently under threat.
It is truly great thing that this list of BRAVE THINKERS is growing rapidly; I first thought it would be ten, then twenty. I expect we will see some new folks joining this list in the months ahead. I know there are those whom I've forgotten that deserve to be included here. This list, although it includes many artists, is about those who are working and striving to carve a new paradigm, to make the future safe for innovative and diverse work, to build an artist-centric content economy. The TFF Brave Thinkers lead equally with their ideas, actions, and generosity. They set examples for all of us and raise the bar. These are indie films true new leaders, and for those that think they are in power, those that are just starting out, or those that want to find a new angle on industry you work in, you should make sure you meet these folks in the coming year, because they are redefining the way we fund, develop, create, define, discover, promote, participate, curate, and appreciate that thing we still call cinema.
Franny Armstong - After making THE AGE OF STUPID via crowdsourcing funds, Franny also looked to the audience to help distribute her film, creating IndieScreenings.net and offering it up to other filmmakers (see The Yes Men below). By relying fulling on her audience from finance to distribution, Franny was able to get the film she wanted not just made, but seen, and show the rest of us to stop thinking the old way, and instead of putting faith in the gatekeepers, put your trust in the fans.
Steven Beers - "A Decade Of Filmmaker Empowerment Is Coming" Steven has always been on the tip of digital rights question, aiding many, including myself, on what really should be the artist's perspective. Yet it remains exceedingly rare that individuals, let alone attorneys, take a public stand towards artist rights -- as the money is often on the other side.
Biracy & David Geertz - Biracy, helmed by Geertz, has the potential to transform film financing and promotion. Utilizing a referral system to reward a film's champions, they might have found a model that could generate new audiences and new revenue.
Peter Broderick- Peter was the first person to articulate the hybrid distribution plan. He coined the term I believe. He has been tireless in his pursuit of the new model and generous with his time and vision. His distribution newsletter is a must have for all truly free filmmakers and his oldway/newway chart a true thing of beauty.
Tze Chun & Mynette Louie - Last year, the director and producer of Children Of Inventiondecided that they weren't going to wait around for some distributor to sweep them off their feet. They left Sundance with plans to adopt a hybrid plan and started selling their DVD off their website. They have earned more money embracing this new practice than what they could have hoped from an old way deal. As much as I had hoped that others would recognize the days of golden riches were long gone, Tze & Mynette were the only Sundance filmmakers brave enough to adopt this strategy from the start.
Arin Crumley - Having raised the bar together with Susan Buice in terms of extending the reach of creative work into symbiotic marketing with Four Eyed Monsters, along with helping in the design of new tech tools for filmmakers (FEM was encouraging fans to "Demand It" long before Paranormal Activity), co-founding From Here To Awesome, Arin launched OpenIndie together with Kieran Masterton this year to help empower filmmakers in the coming months.
IndieGoGo & Slava Rubin - There are many web 2.0 sites that build communities, many that promote indie films, many that crowd source funds, but Slava & IndieGoGo are doing it all, with an infectious and boundless enthusiasm, championing work and individuals, giving their all to find a new paradigm, and they might just do it.
Jamie King - The experience of giving away his film "Steal This Film" lead Jamie to help build VODO an online mechanism initially built to help artists retrieve VOluntary DOnations for their work, but has since evolved to a service that helps filmakers distrubute free-to-share films through P2P sites & services, building on this with various experimental business models. Such practices aren't for everyone, but they are definitely for some -- VODO has had over 250,000 viewers for each of its first three releases in 2009 -- and the road is being paved by Jamie's efforts.
Scott Kirsner - Scott's book Friends, Fans, & Followers covered the work of 15 artists of different disciplines and how each have utilized their audience to gain greater independence and freedom. Through his website CinemaTech, Scott has been covering and questioning the industry as it evolves from a limited supply impulse buy leisure buy economy to an ubiquitous supply artistcentric choice-based infrastructure like nobody else. His "Conversation" forum brought together the tech, entertainment, & social media fields in an unprecedented way.
Pericles Lewnes - As a filmmaker with a prize winning but underscreened film (LOOP), Peri recoginized the struggle of indie filmmaking in this day and age. But instead of just complaining about it like most of us, Peri did something about it. He built bridges and alliances and made a makeshift screening circuit in his hometown of Annapolis, MD, founding The Pretentious Film Society. Taking indie film to the bars with a traveling projector and sound system, Peri has started pulling in the crowds and getting money back to the filmmakers. A new exhibition circuit is getting built brick by brick, the web is expanding into a net, from a hub spokes emmenate until we have wheels within wheels within wheels. Peri's certainly not the only one doing it, but he brings an energy and passion we all need.
Corey McAbee - It's not enough to be a talented or innovative filmmaker these days. You must use the tools for entrepreneuarial activity that are available and you have to do it with flair. We can all learn from Corey. His films, his music, his live shows, his web stuff -- it all rocks and deserves our following and adoption.
Scott Macauley - some producers (like yours truly) write to spread the gospel, happy just to get the word out, not being the most graceful of pen. Scott however has been doing it with verve, invention, wit, and style for so long now, most people take his way wit words as a given. Not only is it a pleasure to read, the FilmmakerMagazineBlog is the center of true indie thought and appreciation. It's up to the minute, devoid of gossip, deep into ideas, and is generally a total blast. And the magazine is no slouch either. And nor are his films. Can we clone the man?
Brian Newman - After leaving Tribeca this year, Brian has showed no signs of slowing down, popping up at various conferences like PttP and the Flyaway Film Fest to issue missives & lectures helping to articulate both the problems facing indies these days along with starting to define how we will find our way out. Look to Brian to be doing something smart & exciting in the media world in 2010; somewhere someone smart should find a way to put this man to work shortly, but here's hoping he does it on his own so we can all benefit from his innovative ideas.
Nina Paley - In addition to successively adopting an "audience distribution" model for her film Sita Sings The Blues, Nina has been incredibly vocal about her experiences in the world of "free", helping to forge a path & greater understanding for other filmmakers. And now her film is getting traditional distribution at the IFC Center in NYC (and our whole family, including the 9 year old spawn, dug it!)
Jon Reiss - After adopting the DIY approach for his film Bomb It, Jon chose to share the lessons he's learned in ever increasing ways, from his blog (and this one), to articles for Filmmaker Mag, to finally to the must-have artist-centric distribution book THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX OFFICE. Anyone considering creating a truly free film, this book is mandatory reading first. Full disclosure: I penned an intro to Jon's book.
Mark Rosenberg - What does it take to create a new institution these days? Evidently quite a bit, because I can only think of one in the film space and that's Rooftop Films. Mark curates and organizes with a great team of folks, who together have brought new audiences new films in new venues. NY is incredibly fortunate to be the recipient of Rooftop's work, but here's hoping that Mark's vision spreads to other cities this coming year.
Liz Rosenthal - There is no better place to get the skinny on what the future for film, indie film, truly free film, artist-centric film, and any other form of media creation than London's Power To The Pixel. Liz founded it and has catapulted what might once have been fringe truly into the mainstream. Expanding beyond a simple conference into a year round forum for future forward media thought, PttP brainstorms, curates, and leads the way in transmedia creation, curation, & distribution. Full disclosure: I was PttP keynote speaker this year.
Lance Weiler - In addition to being a major force in both Transmedia thought, DIY distribution, and informative curatorial,with his role in Power To The Pixel, From Here To Awesome, DIY Days, & Radar web show but his generous "Open Source" attitude is captured by The Workbook Project, perhaps the most indispensable website for the TFFilmmaker. He (along with Scott Kirsner) provides a great overview of the year in tech & entertainment on TWP podcast here. It's going to be in exciting 2010 when we get to see him apply his knowledge to his next project (winner of Rotterdam Cinemart 2009 prize and now a participant in the 2010 Sundance screenwriters' lab). Full disclosure: This is that has signed on to produce Lance's transmedia feature H.I.M.
Thomas Woodrow - As a producer, Thomas has embraced the reality of the marketplace and is not letting it stand in his way. There is perhaps no other producer out there who has so fully accepted the call that indie film producing nowadays also means indie film distribution. He's laying out his plan to distribute BASS ACKWARDS immediately after its Sundance premiere through a series of videos online. Full disclosure: I am mentoring Thomas vis the Sundance Creative Producing Lab.
TopSpin Media - As their website explains: "Topspin is a technology platform for direct-to-fan maketing, management and distribution." They are also the tech behind Corey McAbee's activities and hopefully a whole lot of other filmmakers in the years behind. Founded by ProTools' creator, Peter Gotcher, and Shamal Raasinghe, TopSpin is a "white label" set up thathas the potential to usher in the Age Of Empowerment for the artist/creator class. Today it is primarily a tool for musicians, but expect it to migrate into filmdom fully pretty damn soon.
The Yes Men - The Emma Goldman ("If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution") TFF 2009 Award winners for keeping both politics and film marketing fun, these pranksters hit all the fests, winning awards, and using it to launch their own distribution of THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD. Bravery's always been their middle name, but they are among the first of rising tide of filmmakers willing to take for full responsibility for their film.
Who did I forget? I know this list is very US-centric, but I look forward to learning more of what is going on elsewhere in the days to come. Who will be our Brave Thinkers for next year (if I can muster the energy to do this for another year, that is)? What can you learn from these folks? May I humbly suggest that at the very least, you do whatever you can to find, follow, and converse with these folks in 2010. The more we learn from them, the better off this film industry will be, and, hey: it may turn out to be a good new year after all
I have always supported the idea that you need to vote for the world you want with your dollars. I am the odd bird that believes in both optional and mandatory contributions to a better world; what's all the beef about taxes? If our tax dollars really went to things I cared about, I would be all for more of them (as long as there was REALLY HEAVY penalties for corruption too that is). Hey, I'd even vote for mandatory conscription if it had more options than just military and if they provided some real training to the participants. But that's a different subject, better suited for rants elsewhere. Let's get back to the world of cinema...
Here on TrulyFreeFilm the goal is to find a way to build an infrastructure that can support diverse work (and promote it -- the work, the participants, & the infrastucture). To that end, I think everybody that partakes in and benefits from the infrastructure, should give back to it. Sometimes this giveback comes in the form of labor and participation, and sometimes it depends on $$money$$. It costs to build the world that we want and being responsible means accepting that fact, and recognizing that it is our place to contribute.
By that standard, how much show one give to build the infrastructure for the culture we want? Should it be 5% of your income like they encourage in some churches? Perhaps even more is mandated when it also is your livelihood that needs support, right? If we don't support our industry's infrastructure, how can we expect it to be around to support us?
Beyond money though, we must fight for what we want with our actions. The phrase "stand up for what you believe" always felt off to me. Shouldn't it be more "Step forward for what you believe". Even if you are broke (it is indie film afterall) then hopefully you still have some time you could you give weekly to move the culture a bit closer to the one you want. Why don't more people use their labor in this way?
So... what should we all be doing? Well, I have made that list before.
Maybe it's time to air our laundry. Show our true colors. Perhaps we should discuss what we each really do, and figure out what more we can do. I am pretty public with my thoughts already, and with most of my actions too. But is it enough?
So... this is that list of mine as to what I have done this year to support indie film in terms of donations. I am showing you mine, not so much in hoping you show yours too, but to motivate you & others to do likewise). I recognize this list is just a start. I want to get more on the ball. I hope this list doubles next year -- particularly in the artist support category (this is the dawn of crowdfunding). We all have to do a whole lot more. I know I have to give more money for a more diverse and vibrant cinema. I need to do more to support the existing apparatus. So this is that list in hopes that maybe you will be motivated to give a little more.
The thing that I have been wrestling with is that I do not participate in any organization. I have previously been on the board of the IFP and have been on various advisory boards, but as of now I am not on any other than the Adrienne Shelly Foundation. I have thought hard about becoming more involved in the PGA, the IFP, & FIlm Independent but for various reasons of my own, haven't thought my time is best spent there, as much as I admire each organization. I think this is a failing on my part but am not sure how to best to resolve it. I like to work where I am most needed and those organizations have a lot going for them already -- although personally speaking I still think it is a lame excuse.
Supporting More Artists Hopefully this will become easier to both identify and give in the new year with the rise of crowdfunding models.
Supporting More New Model Exploration Hopefully this too will become more widespread and easier with crowdfunding in the new year.
What if you were not allowed to celebrate christmas?
That's what it was like for the people who lived during the time of our feature film, Under Jakob's Ladder. Yes, this movie is based on a true story... one that is set in the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
Marta (played by Chloe Roe in the movie) is the only person portrayed in the movie (as far as we know, at least) who is still alive today. Her remembrances were one of the biggest influences on our research when we were writing the screenplay.
Using the memories of the real Marta, early drafts of the script actually had a Christmas scene. While ultimately this Christmas scene was cut from the script, we thought you might be interested in what it was like to "celebrate" Christmas in the old Soviet Union... at a time when christmas was officially banned by the authorities.
Some of her memories stem from a time before some of the harshest Soviet crackdowns (i.e. before the holodomor famine in 1932-33).
Q: Tell about what christmas was like when you were a child in the Soviet Union. A: That Christmas I will never forget. My grandfather (Jakob, played by Jeff Stewart in the movie), I still know where he was sitting and my mom. My mom and my grandfather put the tree up. We were not allowed to go in [to see the tree], before it was ready.
Q: When was this? A: I think, 1931. We lived with my grandparents. To share the heat.
Q: How old were you? A: Four years.
Of course, later on, a Christmas tree would be out of the question. Under Stalin, the people had to be careful of not only the secret police, but also their neighbors... and even relatives. However, since one of the biggest holidays sanctioned by the communist government was New Year's, if they were careful, the people could use that time as an excuse to celebrate christmas. (Unofficially, of course.)
It would have been during these years that Marta remembers her grandfather, Jakob, taking a tree branch (no leaves) and wrapping it in newspaper, papier-mache-style; then hanging the Christmas ornaments on the white branches. (Ornaments that were carefully hidden in a secret spot during the year.)
Q: What was Christmas like after 1933? A: There were no presents. We got some money. Not very much. Maybe a ruble. It was not worth very much. But we children were happy. We each set out a plate and got apples and candy. Really good candy. It was made of cream and sugar. You could make it or you could buy it, too. But it was even better if you could buy it.
Q: Anything else that you remember? A: We did baking. [Cookies shaped like] stars and animals. We saved up to do baking: the flour and eggs. And my grandfather and my mom, they would sing a song. A wonderful song. And my grandfather with a real bass voice. I still can hear that.
Q: Was it dangerous to celebrate at this time? A: Sure, it was dangerous. We had to be careful. It was not like today. We waited until dark, the later the better. We children were not supposed to talk about it or let anyone know what we did in the house. Not everyone did what we did. But my grandfather and father thought it was more important to celebrate. Important to our faith.
What was your filmmaking background before you made Albino Farm?
JOE: The “film bug” got me when I was young kid in the mid-1960s. I “practiced” on Regular 8 and Super-8 film until the mechanics of editing in that medium failed me. I did some 16mm shooting in high school but again the editing was prohibitive and a bit expensive for a teenager. I then did movies in my head and of course watched a ton of movies.
Though I have no formal training, I have read nearly every book there is on the subject. My “library” is insane (thanks to Cinema Books in Seattle) and this became my defacto “film school.” After high school I was lured into the family manufacturing business but got extremely anxiety ridden and fearful I would never be able to pursue filmmaking. I could write a book about that ordeal but I eventually got the nerve up and started helping local indie shoots and met a lot of Hollywood filmmakers along the way (Coppola, Louis Malle, Stanley Kramer).
With some personal funds I got a bit higher on the food-chain and helped producer friends with startup capital on a few 35mm features. The business of filmmaking got more interesting after that and I started to tinker far more and this eventually lead me to initiating projects of my own at an aimed market.
Where did the idea come from?
JOE: Sean McEwen (co-writer, co-director) and I spit-balled about ten stories – one of which was a name of a place he had heard of from his college days in Springfield, MO. The title Albino Farm smelled pretty weird and nasty to me – as did the stories surrounding it – and it was clearly ripe for a horror/thriller. We then mish-mashed various aspects of these stories, did an outline and wrote the screenplay over the course of a year, via travel from LA to Seattle and passing the thing back and forth over email.
What was the writing process like?
JOE: Okay, this is for real… I love it and I totally hate it!
It is not easy for me at all. Left on my own, I tend to think about scenes well before I ever get to the page and then want to do the writing myself. I’m also more into the visuals and like doing descriptions versus dialog. Alas, my own perfectionism eventually gets the best of me, so I have more than a few scripts and ideas hiding in dark places.
As Sean and I were writing Albino Farm together, I had to get into “partner mode” and that proved to be an easy dynamic where I thought it wouldn’t. Let’s be honest, we were writing a genre picture so it wasn’t rocket science. It was more about plot points and getting from scene to scene and hopefully having those scenes be a bit different than the norm, even though you do want to get your own “art” in the thing. Not sure if we achieved that on the whole, it does seem a bit too derivative, but there are some crazy scenes in the movie.
How did you fund the film?
JOE: Oh, I love this part! Movies should be made about this subject alone! Too bad most books about it totally suck!!! Maybe I’ll have to write the definitive tome?
Reality is that it’s mostly “friends and family” and rich people looking for a cocktail conversation starter, but it can also be done by some skilled business people who know the market and can partner with you (though times are tough for that at the moment). With that as the smart method for recouping an investment, I’ve seen low-budget indie movies financed by pot growers, dares from “bucket shop” owners in NYC and trust fund kids blowing cash.
On the other hand, I have seen a really nice person involved in a film whose father was later found out to be a billionaire six times over! It can really be a mind-blower and a downright miracle how it all gets done, but our project’s initial funding was pretty simple compared to those. We tossed ongoing seed money into having our lawyer work up agreements and a legal entity for investment and along with our producing partner, Rachelle Ryan, we found several equity investors willing to give it a spin. One of those investors also went a bit further and loaned us funds against a film incentive program from Missouri that allowed a 50% tax credit for every dime we spent in their State. It worked out quite well and I would love to do that again! Felt like winning the lottery!
What sort of camera did you use? What was good about it? What was not so good?
JOE: We shot with two Sony CineAlta HDCAM rigs with some fancy Zeiss lenses and a whole host of “techie toys.” Our DP, Rene Jung, supplied these from his production firm, JuriFilm in LA, and we lucked out in getting a kickass Steadicam operator, Dave Rutherford, out of St. Louis to work some magic for us.
The use of two cameras was a must! We would have been screwed if we didn’t do that. Rene and Dave, along with gaffer Hanuman Brown-Eagle shared duties on both “A” and “B” cameras and we were able to do multiple setups to save time. When “A” camera was with Dave on Steadicam or we were on a dolly, Rene or Hanuman could be on sticks and pop off shots easily from complimentary angles.
Though I like the look of film, HD has a place and it served us well. I like the ability to dump into Final Cut Pro with the HD tapes at the end of the day or have the ability to look at an HD monitor while shooting, but there are a few things about HD that require knowledgeable people to work the system. I can sometimes see the video a bit too much in some scenes whereas it has a film look in others. The motion of a subject has something to do with it but overall I would certainly shoot HD again just due to the immediacy of the image.
What was the smartest thing you did during pre-production or production? The dumbest?
JOE: We hired some great people in LA and Missouri that made the difference in getting the movie in the can. Without them, we would have been hurting along the way. We hired an experienced Line Producer and that was golden.
The dumbest? There were some lame things that happened on the shoot that were out of our control but next time I would allow far more prep time to help in that. We had a hard date to hit due to the Missouri incentive program, so things got a bit rushed at the last minute. Making a movie is a bitch in a lot of ways. Sometimes you get to the set and everything you planned gets shot the hell. There were some disappointments in that regard but more than a few were saved by the smart crew and craftspeople.
How long did it take you to post the movie and how did it change during the editing process?
JOE: We had a really long post-production process. I think it was a tad over one year. This was due mainly to availability of certain people we wanted to work with. We had a great editor in Dan O’Brien, colorist in Jeff Skinner, VFX supervisor Brett Bolton, sound designer Jamey Scott, composer Scott Rockenfield and many others who were bounced around in a nonlinear process that came about.
The editing started off with Dan O’Brien doing a decent rough cut and then we got involved in seeing where it went from there. I am a firm believer that a new set of eyes is needed as this notion that you (as a director) are infallible is pretty ridiculous. There is a certain ego to be stroked when you bully your way through and you cannot allow that to happen. I prefer to work with smart people – hopefully smarter than I am – and therefore achieve something extra. From this, we had some scenes tweaked into a different direction and broke the story down into a basis that we had not planned, but it worked for us in the final analysis. You also have to take a step away from a cut and take a fresh look later. The learning curve is pretty damn gnarly in any case, but I always love the editing process much more than the shoot.
And, finally, what did you learn from making the film that you can take to other projects?
JOE: I see this a lot and it’s worth mentioning… forgo any idea that you have an ego to be fed. If you are of that kind, your crew can smell that a million miles away and you will look like a supreme dumbass! That doesn’t mean you can’t be firm or even pitch a fit once in awhile, but don’t do it with an air of entitlement. There are people that you work with that are so astounding in what they do that you should hug them at the end of each day and thank them for making you look so good. This is what gets the best stuff on the screen.
Other than that bit of advice, my biggest discovery was in how the smallest thing can become the best or worst moment in a scene. Pay serious attention when you are watching the monitor. In fact, next time I will plant myself next to camera and let others watch the monitor. The immediacy of “being there” can be more important than sitting in video village eating Pop Tarts. All-in-all, hope everyone finds a way to go forth and create!!!
20 Points to Consider in Approaching Your Festival Premiere Part 1
by Jon Reiss
Author of Think Outside the Box Office
One of the biggest discussions that came out of @Jon_Reiss on twitter a couple of weeks was about filmmaker preparation to launch a film at a film festival. I talk about this in the Film Festival chapter of Think Outside the Box Office I gave out on IndieWire last week. This concept of initiating the release of a film at the film’s festival premiere was spawned by my talks with filmmakers who had had big splashes at premiere festivals, but were never able to generate the same level of promotion or interest eight months later when their film was finally released. Further, there are a couple of companies pursuing this course of action as a strategy – IFC Festival Direct and Snag Films have launched releases of films at film festivals. In fact, specialty divisions have recognized the buzz generating power of festivals and have been using them for many years to launch films.
Premiering at Sundance and Slamdance provides a film with one of the biggest world stages to launch a film. A savvy filmmaker might consider using the festival to launch a national release of their film. Even though I am a fan of this idea (especially for the films that have been developing their marketing and distribution plans for many months) I want to provide a bit of caution to filmmakers who might consider this path without being prepared.
I do not recommend attempting to initiate the actual release of your film if you are just scrambling to get it finished and have not prepared for distribution or marketing.
One alternative if you are not ready at Park City to launch a full release, is to do so at your next big festival 4-6 months down the line. This approach was used by Weather Girl to good effect last year.
I am going to break up this discussion into 2 different posts. The first is what I feel that every filmmaker should consider before going to their premiere festival especially if if they are not ready to launch the full release of their film. (I will refer to Park City below – but it is interchangeable with any premiere festival)
1. You need to develop a distribution and marketing strategy for your film. This does not mean “sell my film for $ 5 million to Fox Searchlight”. That is not a strategy. Your strategy should takes into consideration Your Film, Your Needs, Your Resources, Your Audience.
2. In evaluating your film: how likely is it that you will garner an all rights deal at Park City? (there were approximately four of these out of Toronto).
3. Have you created an alternate plan of action for your film in case a magical overall deal does not happen for your film? You should have a sense of what your alternatives might be before arriving at Park City so you know how to evaluate offers.
4. Very important: How will you use Park City to help enact that strategy? Perhaps the best opportunity at Park City is to lay the groundwork for a split rights arrangement. You should have a sense of what those pieces are and how they might fit together before you get to Park City.
5. What team will you assemble for Park City? The old school approach is a sales rep/lawyer and publicist. Concerning sales reps, Peter Broderick recommends (and I agree) that you should create your strategy before you engage a sales rep so you have a basis with which to evaluate what they are telling you (and so that you can use this mind set to evaluate who will be the best sales rep for your specific film). In fact in the new split rights world, strategists/consultants can be a big help. I will publish a list of some consultants who I have either worked with or know on my blog in the coming days – and I’ll announce the list on @Jon_Reiss.
6. Concerning a publicist – some publicists have also started to move into the distribution strategy realm – such as 42 West. Have you discussed with your publicist the desire to hold your press for release? Few publications will give you more than one review. As publicist Kathleen McInnis recs: You have to balance buzz building with having material to release upon release. Fest roundup coverage is great. But publicists can be expensive which brings up another issue:
7. How much money do you want to spend on “opening” your film at your festival. Sure you want hype – but I would strongly recommend keeping as much of your resources as possible for the proper release of your film. With the sales climate such as it is – does it make sense to spend $10,000, $20,000, $30,000 on Park City if you don’t even have that much reserved for the release of your film. Resources are limited – use them wisely. Resources also include the time you can request of your cast and of yourself and your team as well.
8. What do you want from your deals? How might you fit various offers into various split rights scenarios? Is your rep prepared to work with you on setting up split rights scenarios if there is no overall deal. Are you prepared to walk away from low ball offers. How do you choose various distribution partner(s) for monetizing different rights?
9. Are you prepared to engage the audience for your film that the festival will generate so that you can retain them in your fan base? This includes the following:
10. Do you have a website that invites engagement? Do you offer something to viewers to collect their email list. Check out onetoomanymornings.com (who sent me their website – as they were probably spamming it around – I recommend this – if you send me your site and I like it – I’ll tweat it). One Too Many Mornings offer a mix “tape” for your email address (but it is well below the “fold”. I recommend that they and you give people all a number of options of connecting with you “above the fold” eg in the top of the section of a website. This includes email list sign up in exchange for some kind of digital swag. Facebook, Twitter and Rss links. (the latter presumes you have a blog – which you should) Not everyone will want to give you an email address, some people prefer Facebook (tip from Cynthia Swartz of 42 West), others Twitter. Onetoomanymornings already has a robust Facebook fan page of over 1200.
11. Collect email addresses at every screening. Pass around several pads and pens and announce before the screening that you want people to sign up. Have pads ready outside of the screening for people who don’t want to wait for the pad in the theater. Keep a folder for each festival so you know where the email addresses came from originally. You want Name, Email Address, Zip, Country. (Another tip pounded into my head by Broderick)
12. Do you have a trailer? Many films at Park City last year did not have trailers in advance of the festival that could be viewed on line. The sooner you have one the better. But it should be good. You don’t need to spend a lot of money. Do you have more than a trailer? Might you video blog from the festival or partner with your cast? Something unique that shows your imagination.
13. Key Art is important. A central compelling image speaks volumes for your film. See if you can get a someone with marketing experience to work on your “copy” eg the text of the poster. Get a good graphic designer to do the art. You can crowdsource this through crowdspring.com On-line postcards are very cheap these days but you should balance price vs shipping cost. Business cards are also cheap, making new ones with some graphical branding of your film is a good idea. Have all of the ways people can connect with you and your film on your card: email address, facebook page for film, Twitter, Blog.
14. Especially if you are doing your publicity DIY, or making a deal with a publicist so that you have to do more of the work: Consider putting your press kit, photos, compressed trailer etc in a drop.io account so that you don’t have to constantly attach those items to your emails. Set up an auto signature with the drop io link and you will be able to handle those multitudes of press requests with ease.
15. Are you going to sell DVDs? It doesn’t take much to author a festival edition and replicate 1000 for $1000. (You’ll need at least 200-300 for press and other festival submissions anyway). Say you are in 5 biggish festivals (which by virtue of being in Park City most likely you will be in at least that many). Say you sell 100 at each festival – a conservative amount – live sales are some of your best sales (especially if you make it a collector’s edition). That’s 500 dvds at $20. That’s $10,000 which should just cover your Park City publicist. Peter Broderick has been advocating this for years. We held back the sales of the DVD for Bomb It at our premiere at Tribeca and yet it was still available as a bootleg on Canal St. one week after the festival. If you have a film that might be very popular on pirate sites – you should think through selling your DVD and what your strategy to deal with piracy is going to be. I don’t feel that any DVD company worth their salt is going to worry about this level of sales from you (if they are worried – how many are they going to sell on their own for you.)
All of the above points are covered more extensively in my book Think Oustide the Box Office. Come visit the brand new site at: www.thinkoutsidetheboxoffice.com
If you've signed up for our email updates, you should have received it in your email inbox last week. It has an update on the progress of our feature film, Under Jakob's Ladder...
New work, and sometimes great work, comes from thinking differently. We all get stuck in ruts, fixed ways of thinking. How do we bring a fresh perspective to our work? What are different options that we have before us?
There are certainly a whole number of different questions we can all ask ourselves when it comes to indie film production. Granted it is a tad complicated when film cost significant amounts to produce (or at least generally speaking). Here in America, without any government support, we also are obligated to deliver a financial return to our investors, and that is a great influencer on the process.
I would love to have a list of fifty to put before myself before stepping into a new production. For now, I will have to settle for this list of 13 until you all add to it. Thanks for the help in advance (and here's to hitting fifty)!
How can you help other artists with this film you are doing? Can you bring others into the process?
Do something stylistically just because you like it. Allow something to be "outside" the film, something that doesn't fit so right and is only there because you dig it. Why does it always have to fit?
How can you help the world by the content of this film? How can you work for impact first, and business second (without ignoring those financial obligations, that is)?
How can you have less environmental impact on the world with your process? Recycle. Use less paper. No styrofoam. Car pool. Carbon credits.
Are you really collaborating with your crew? Do they feel like you are? What if you listened more, and spoke less?
You say it is a team approach, but what if everyone was treated equally? What if your equality carried over not just to financial matters, but also in terms of access?
What if you completely demystified the process and opened it up to comment by all cast, crew, and fans? As opposed to the studio's no-twitter policy, what if you made it a requirement>
What would be a different business model? Could you give it away? Free it? Never plan to screen it theatrically? What if the movie was not the main event, but something else was?
Place the bar higher & reach higher. What makes something better? What if you made sure you could answer any question as to why before you started? Or maybe this would be the opposite and you should answer no questions but hold it all within yourself...
Is your work truthful? Is every action, emotion, reaction honest? Are the settings truly lived in? Can you extend only from your characters, their psychology and socio-economic situation -- removing your own intent from the design?
What if you built your audience base prior to shooting? And maintained significant communication with them throughout the process? How might that change your final work?
Innovate. Try some new equipment on every production. Improve a simple process. Isn't production about the communication of information in the service of art, as efficiently, economically, and aesthetically as possible?
We hinted in our December newsletter that we are beginning the process for entering film festivals.
That's true. We've been encouraged by the positive feedback we've gotten during test viewings. And so, we believe 'Under Jakob's Ladder' would do quite well in a festival setting. However the average film festival fees are about $50 to enter. Enter only ten festivals, that's $500.
And that's just for submission fees. When a movie gets accepted, other costs start piling up. (Think posters, postcards, other types of publicity, exhibition copies of the film... to name a few)
That begins to add up.
So, we're asking our supporters to donate money to help us with our endeavor to get 'Under Jakob's Ladder' accepted into film festivals. Any amount will help.
And here's a bonus incentive for you (at least if you're American). Since our production company, CubeCity Entertainment, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, you will receive an official tax receipt for the IRS (for donations of $20 or more). But to be eligible for this year, you need to donate before January 1st!
The more festivals we submit to, the higher the chance this film has of getting accepted into one of them. Please donate now...
P.S. Would you rather send a check? Then click here.
What was your filmmaking background before you made Phasma Ex Machina?
MATT: I come from a very small town in the Midwest, so filmmaking seemed like such a distant and unchartered career path. It wasn’t until I moved away to college that I discovered my passion for storytelling and soon thereafter the impossible option became the inevitable one. After writing a bunch of bad scripts, I began directing a handful of bad shorts. This was my film school.
Eventually, through a somewhat circuitous path, I helped produce a documentary that had the distinction of being executive produced by Jon Stewart. That experience really gave me the confidence and credibility that I could build a feature from the ground up.
Where did the idea come from?
MATT: I’ve always been keenly interested in both science and the supernatural, so actual supernatural science didn’t seem like a big stretch to explore. I also came across a true story about Thomas Edison and how he had tried to build a real device to communicate with the dead. It was near the end of his life, so we’re not really sure if he was losing his marbles or if he was actually onto something, but his machine is now relegated to myth and history. I thought it would be fun to dust off Mr. Edison’s old idea and give it a run.
The ghost and the sci-fi aspects of the film are incredibly intriguing to me, but it was my number one priority to make sure I had complex believable characters and a story that kept you interested.
What was the writing process like?
MATT: I love writing and it was helpful that I was passionate about the story, but to do it right you really have to put a ton of time into it. Having a 9-5 and finding the energy to be creative was a constant struggle. I’m not sure how many drafts I went through, but it was a good two years of writing and re-writing right up until principal photography started. Then, of course, we kept it loose on set and would change lines or improvise. I also edited the film, which is where a ton of writing actually takes place. I learned firsthand that good editors don’t get enough credit in terms of their contributions to overall story.
How did you fund the film?
MATT: We passed the hat and also found a few brave souls to invest. My producer, Jennifer Kramer, really hit the pavement and turned over every stone. We were really smart about how we spent our money, so I’m very pleased with what were able to accomplish with our budget.
What sort of camera did you use? What was good about it? What was not so good?
MATT: We used the Panasonic HPX-500. It worked great for us because it had everything we needed within our budget range. Big chips, nice lenses, cheap storage, etc. I think my DP Adam Honzl, could make any camera image look great, but he pulled out some stunning stuff with this. We also used the HVX-200 for some additional stuff, but there wasn’t a huge difference in quality for us.
How did you find your crew?
MATT: The Twin Cities has a really amazing production community so it wasn’t really hard to find talented people. The trick for us, however, was finding the right crew before they got too experienced and thus expensive. This means hiring younger folks who don’t have the demands (money, family, etc) that someone twice their age might. Everybody wants to work on cool feature films, so we were just honest with people regarding expectations and strategy.
How long did it take you to post the movie and how did it change during the editing process?
MATT: Post-production took about a year. I was editing on nights and weekends, so speed was certainly sacrificed, but I learned that taking your time and occasionally finding some aesthetic distance is totally in the best interest of the movie. I had a good rough cut after three months, but really worked with it until I couldn’t take it any further.
The difference between the first rough cut and finished cut is simultaneously huge and minor. It’s still the same movie with the same scenes and shots, but the details are all polished and much more well developed. My co-producer, Jon Thomas, came onboard after principal was finished and really was able to view the movie with a critical and unbiased eye. Finding creative people willing to give you honest an opinion is absolutely the best decision a filmmaker can make – especially when the writer/director is also the editor.
And, finally, what did you learn from making the film that you can take to other projects?
MATT: I learned so much it’s hard to even know where to begin. The first obvious couple that come to mind are: always treat everyone with respect and honesty, embrace collaboration/don’t do everything yourself, keep the set fun, try to hire a good lawyer right away, keep good books, stay true to your vision at all times, a high-concept idea makes your job easier, and take all the time you need to get it right.
Q: What did you enjoy the most about working on this film? A: Working all day every day for a month in character is an absolute luxury. You relax into the person completely, and winding down late at night with the crew was a blessing and a joy.
Q: What attracted you to working on this film? A: The script is beautiful. And it was shot in New York, the place of my childhood dreams.
Q: How did you prepare for the role of Jakob? A: I read all the bits of the bible where Jacob is mentioned and I found a wonderful rehearsal costume for myself which helped to bring Jakob to life.
Q: What was your favorite line of dialogue? A: The line that Jakob says to Bruno: "Forgive me for not being a good enough teacher." We see in the film that Jakob is a magnificent teacher and a tremendous example to all the men he is in prison with.
Q: What was the most challenging scene for you? A: Playing chess with a live rat running over the board! I am not at all keen on rats, although the one I worked with was charming and had a sense of humor. Both qualities are essential on a film set.
Q: Tell about working on the film. Do you have any funny stories or anecdotes? A: The atmosphere on the set was very serious, but in between set ups, one hot afternoon, I got all the actors pretending to play heavy metal band air instruments. We got very silly, like school chums and fell about laughing. Actors are the best people on the planet to have a laugh with. It's intoxicating.
Taking a break during the filming of the funeral scene on the set of "Under Jakob's Ladder." Left to right: Chloe Roe (Marta), Alexandra Tejeda Rieloff (Emma), and Jeff Stewart (Jakob)
Q: Chloe Roe plays the role of your granddaughter, Marta. What was she like to work with? A: Chloe Roe is a very talented angel.
Q: What about working with Mann Munoz [director] and Robert Munoz [producer]? A: A fascinating pleasure.
Q: What do you hope the audience will take away from the movie? A: The desire to be as kind and loving as possible, to as many people as possible, every day of their lives.
The Art House audience is graying at a rapid rate. Indie Film has lost its marketing muscle in a way that Indie Rock never has. New film audiences aren't developing in the same way that they once was. Why aren't we all doing more to recruit new participants?
Now mind you I am not providing statistics to back this statement up (do you really need to do that on that internet?). I admit I am just speaking from instinct, from standing in the center of the hurricane and trying to observe the weather. If we are going to have a sustainable industry, we have to consistently recruit new blood, both in terms of audience, staff, and creators -- that's just common sense, but the indie side of things has had a hard time of doing it.
What is it that new audiences want? What must the indie community do to engage them?
It is really surprising how few true indie films speak to a youth audience. In this country we've had Kevin Smith and NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, but nothing that was youth and also truly on the art spectrum like RUN LOLA RUN or the French New Wave (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY not withstanding...). Are we incapable of making the spirited yet formal work that defines a lot of alternative rock and roll? And if so, why is that?
You'd think with truly free film's anti-corporate underpinnings that those who seek out authenticity would respond, but perhaps it is film culture's historic precedent of the filmmaker's ongoing pursuit for greater dollars. The examples of artists who forgo the monetary reward in favor of delivering the truth are all to rare, and thus audiences end up thinking that if the film itself isn't about the sell, then the filmmaker's career most likely is. Who really represents integrity in the film world? Who places their art or their audiences first? Is it the cost of production that forces 98% of the industry to focus first on commercial success? Is it the lack of support for the arts in the USA that makes media artists generally money-driven?
Maybe it's not the content or the economic situation though, but the presentation that is more the turn-off for the newcomers? People often speak of the Alamo Draft House in Austin as the ultimate indie movie screen as it serves beer and food and has great clips that play before every film. It makes movie going feel like an event. And you can drink... alcohol. But me, I have never found movies to mix well with liquor -- other substances, yes, but not the booze. It takes a specific type of film to appeal to a partying crowd. And a particular place that can recruit them. We have to give them more of a reason to leave the apartment than just watching a movie like they can at home. We have to return to really putting on a show.
Maybe it is the form in general. The way we have been making movies for the last 100 years appeals to only the singular pleasure of "being directed to". What about the audience's desire to participate? How come we have not found a way to encourage participation on a more widespread basis? Transmedia holds tremendous potential in its efforts to turn the presentation into an actual dialogue, although we still lack the defining work that goes beyond cross-platform to an actual back and forth, with both sides being equal creators.
Wouldn't it be great to have a forum or think tank that really tackled these issues? That helped to lead the way?
Q: What attracted you to want to work on this film? A: The setting being in World War 2 Russia.
Q: You get to play the "bad guy" in this movie. How did you identify with your character? A: I understood his bad side and what drove it. He had the same yearnings as me to be the best.
Q: How did you prepare for your role? A: I met with a Russian in Germany and had him read my lines to get an idea of the accent. I rehearsed my scenes on camera at home, researched the role of Nikolai, and war-time Russia.
Q: What was your favorite scene? A: One of my favourite scenes was throwing the matches on the just-executed David and walking over him. Another was the approach to David and lighting the match in his face. Silent menace.
Q: What was the most challenging scene for you? A: The most challenging was the long walk down the hallway to camera and then turning and going back. I had to hit a mark and I couldn't see it very well. And then when I did, I looked up and one of the crew was standing almost right beside me off camera, looking straight at me.
Q: What did you enjoy the most about working on this film? A: The professionalism of the crew. Totally inspiring to work with both Robert and Mann. They took me to new levels. Genius directing, genius camera angles and camera view, genius insight into the depth of the story.
Q: How did you get your start in film? A: In 1988, in Los Angeles, I was an extra in 'Revenge of Al Capone' starring Keith Carradine. Six months of extra work was enough. My first movie came 15 years later in 'The Line', an Australian movie. It was TV till then.
Q: Who inspires you as an actor? A: Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Al Pacino.
Perhaps the greatest contribution the AmerIndie scene has made to film culture has been the demystification of the filmmaking process. It once was a very closed-door operation, and as a result shut out many people from joining by sheer intimidation.
The Studios are evidently very concerned about opening it up further, since so much of the hype/sell is about control (and the timed release) of information. Reports have been in the media about contracts prohibiting Twittering from set. I have also heard about other stars being contractually required to Twitter a few times each week.
Now granted I think that anarchy never gets a fair shake, but I also believe that a community is also about responsible behavior. And adults don't really need that defined for them: they know it whey the are in it. I am really excited by the possibility of looking into a movie process by the Twitter Feeds of the cast & crew. We have one for the movie SUPER that we are shooting right now.
Okay perhaps seeing into the operations of this endeavor might send the folks in the white suits off to every indie film shoot. Blood. Drugs. Potty talk. We have got it all. But hey, I'm encouraging it.
I sent this letter out to the cast and crew after the second day of filming, and we are now finishing up our third:
First off, let me just say: WOW! I was told that this was impossible but you are all proving it otherwise. It's been a short prep with a tremendously ambitious schedule, and we've been making the days (54 set ups today!) and everyone has such a great attitude and spirit. I am loving this film, this crew, this town, this total experience. Thank you.
Secondly though, let me tell you that by working on the film SUPER you are participating in only part of the experience. You now have the chance to get inside the minds of the cast, crew, director and producers -- thanks to the miraculous and free broadcast platform know as Twitter.
Did you know that our star Rainn Wilson is one of the leading Twitter communicators? Over 1.6 Million people receive his daily tweets. Mr. Gunn is no slacker himself in that department with over 20,000 receiving his feeds. And both these guys are really funny.
Me, I use twitter primarily to try to figure out where our film business is going and to try to point it in the direction I want. Everyone on it use it to promote and spread the news, music, and information they want. Hey, even some folks I know have found their significant others on it.
And know what? I found this project on Twitter when Rainn posted about it. This movie would not have happened because of it.
Registering is free. Just go to http://twitter.com/ , select a screen name, and start selecting some people to follow. Or take my advice and write some tweets before you follow them, but really do what you want to do. You can find interesting people to follow by looking at whom your friends follow and clicking on them to follow.
But here is where I think it gets really interesting: I have set up a SUPER group where I list the feeds of everyone involved in the making of the movie. I would like to add your Twitter Feed to the group. So if you join, email me and tell me what your Twitter name is and I will add you to the list.
You can also find all the other Super folk there to follow.
It will give you and the world a new perspective into the film. I am encouraging you to do this, because I have had a lot of fun doing it, and I think we will all learn from doing it. And I think it will be really cool to show the world SUPER from the inside out. But we need your help.
I do request your confidence and discretion though. There are some things we may like to not reveal to the general public, like how the story goes or how things look, and we hope you can respect that, and after all you've read your contract and know what you can and can't do any way, right?
Anyways, thanks for working with James, Miranda, Lampton and all of us on this film. Together, we can make something really great that we will all be proud of. Let's spread the word about what we are doing here.
THANKS AGAIN!
Ted
Any way check out the feed and you can see what it is like to be on set, sort of...
Which blog post was your favorite from the past year?
