Tuesday, October 30, 2012

VisionFest 2012 TONIGHT!



Hey All!

We still have 75 free unused FA member tickets to VisionFest TONIGHT for the first to come claim them. And, at this point, you don't have to be an FA member, just readers of my blog! :)

It's gonna be an awesome night. Kim Jee-Woon is getting the Vision Award. Johnny Knoxville, of all people, will be handing it off to him.

Go here: http://visionfest2012.eventbrite.com/ to register and get info about the event. Use the Promotional Code: FAmember. 

And anyway, it's otherwise "Pay What You Can", so hope you all can make it!.....


Sunday, September 30, 2012

IndieWire Articles On New Distribution Platform Options



Hey Filmmakers!

Here's a couple of Indiewire articles on new film distribution options for you to check out! Keep in mind, like most DIY options, they demand a lot of marketing work from YOU. Yeah, I know you're sick of thinking about distribution and having to wear one too many hats....But still, it's nice to know that more and more DIY distribution options are emerging online, each tweaking the model just enough to push the DIY paradigm forward. Check em' out:

Attention Vimeo Filmmakers! Make Money on Your Films Today!

Internet Veterans Behind VHX Hold the Future of Distribution... If You've Been Developing Your Film's Online Presence

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Some Hope from Ted Hope



As you know, I'm a big fan of Ted Hope and the things he has to say about film. He may have made his biggest statement yet, however, in choosing to move to San Francisco and take over as head of the San Francisco Film Society. It's a marriage, I think, that will not only benefit both sides of that coin, but independent film in general. Read Ted's own thoughts on the decision here:

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Reminder - First Mondays in October!




REMINDER!

FIRST MONDAYS is happening again, THIS MONDAY, October 1st at 6 p.m. 

We will again be at the The Den in West Hollywood (http://www.denofhollywood.com/) starting at 6 pm (to catch happy hour and be able to do other stuff afterward) until roughly 10. But feel free to hang out as long as you want. 

For those of you who don’t know, FIRST MONDAYS is the regular “hang” we started in Los Angeles with Filmmakers Alliance members and a bunch of other interesting filmmaking peeps we know. This is our 5th "First Mondays" and we'll be doing it the first Monday of every month somewhere in LA. Usually a bar, but sometimes a museum, art gallery, a library, somebody's house, etc. The idea is to continually bring together the most interesting and/or creative people we stumble across. And as we all well know, that certainly is not necessarily filmmakers. But that's where we're starting. Feel free, however, to bring whomever - hopefully, the most INTERESTING person or persons you know. And no need to fear, this is a hang, NOT a networking event. No agendas allowed. 

Unfortunately, I don't get my new cell until Wednesday, so don't call me. Just show up! :)

Hope you can make it!


FIRST MONDAYS - October 1st, 2012!
6 p.m. until 10 p.m. (or anytime thereafter)

THE DEN
8226 W. Sunset Blvd.
W. Hollywood, CA 90046

Featuring Mystery Monday:
$1 Mystery Beers
$2 Mystery Shots

Parking:
The Den has its own parking lot with valet parking. Valet parking is $5 from Sunday through Wednesday There’s also street parking and other nearby lots.

Friday, September 7, 2012

FILM IS DEAD? Long Live Movies!


Film Is Dead? Long Live Movies
How Digital Is Changing the Nature of Movies

By MANOHLA DARGIS and A. O. SCOTT

REPRINTED FROM THE NY TIMES

In the beginning there was light that hit a strip of flexible film mechanically running through a camera. For most of movie history this is how moving pictures were created: light reflected off people and things would filter through a camera and physically transform emulsion. After processing, that light-kissed emulsion would reveal Humphrey Bogart chasing the Maltese Falcon in shimmering black and white.

More and more, though, movies are either partly or entirely digital constructions that are created with computers and eventually retrieved from drives at your local multiplex or streamed to the large and small screens of your choice. Right before our eyes, motion pictures are undergoing a revolution that may have more far reaching, fundamental impact than the introduction of sound, color or television. Whether these changes are scarcely visible or overwhelmingly obvious, digital technology is transforming how we look at movies andwhat movies look like, from modestly budgeted movies shot with digital still cameras to blockbusters laden with computer-generated imagery. The chief film (and digital cinema) critics of The New York Times, Manohla Dargis and A. O. Scott, look at the stuff dreams are increasingly made of.

A. O. SCOTT In Jean-Luc Godard’s 1986 movie “Keep Up Your Right” a movie director (played by Mr. Godard) declares that “the toughest thing in movies is carrying the cans.” Those once-ubiquitous, now increasingly quaint metal boxes contained the reels of exposed celluloid stock that were the physical substance of the art form. But nowadays the easiest thing in digital movies might be carrying the hard drive or uploading the data onto the server. Those heavy, bulky canisters belong to the mechanical past, along with the whir of the projectors and the shudder of the sprockets locking into their holes.

Should we mourn, celebrate or shrug? Predigital artifacts — typewriters and record players, maybe also books and newspapers — are often beautiful, but their charm will not save them from obsolescence. And the new gizmos have their own appeal, to artists as well as consumers. Leading manufacturers are phasing out the production of 35-millimeter cameras. Within the next few years digital projection will reign not only at the multiplexes, but at revival and art houses too. According to an emerging conventional wisdom, film is over. If that is the case, can directors still be called filmmakers? Or will that title be reserved for a few holdouts, like Paul Thomas Anderson, whose new film, “The Master,” was shot in 70 millimeter? It’s not as if our job has ever been to review the coils of celluloid nestled in their cans; we write about the stories and the pictures recorded on that stock. But the shift from photochemical to digital is not simply technical or semantic. Something very big is going on.

MANOHLA DARGIS Film isn’t dead yet, despite the rush to bury it, particularly by the big studios. Film does not have to disappear. Film isn’t broken — it works wonderfully well and has done so for a century. There is nothing inevitable or natural about the end of film, no matter how seductive the digital technologies and gadgets that are transforming cinema. A 16-millimeter film camera is plenty cool. A 35-millimeter film image can look sublime. There’s an underexamined technological determinism that shapes discussions about the end of film and obscures that the material is being phased out not because digital is superior, but because this transition suits the bottom line.

The end of film isn’t a just a technological imperative; it’s also about economics (includingdigital rights management). In 2002 seven major studios formed the Digital Cinema Initiatives (one later dropped out), the purpose of which was “to establish and document voluntary specifications for an open architecture for digital cinema that ensures a uniform and high level of technical performance, reliability and quality control.” What these initiatives effectively did was outline the technological parameters that everyone who wants to do business with the studios — from software developers to hardware manufacturers — must follow. As the theorist David Bordwell writes, “Theaters’ conversion from 35-millemeter film to digital presentation was designed by and for an industry that deals in mass output, saturation releases and quick turnover.” He adds, “Given this shock-and-awe business plan, movies on film stock look wasteful.”

SCOTT Let me play devil’s advocate, though I hope that doesn’t make me an advocate for the corporate interests of the Hollywood studios. If there is a top-down capitalist imperative governing the shift to digital exhibition in theaters, there is at the same time a bottom-up tendency driving the emergence of digital filmmaking.

Throughout history artists have used whatever tools served their purposes and have adapted new technologies to their own creative ends. The history of painting, as the art critic James Elkins suggests in his book “What Painting Is,” is in part a history of the changing chemical composition of paint. It does not take a determinist to point out that artistic innovations in cinema often have a technological component. It takes nothing away from the genius of Gregg Toland, the cinematographer on “Citizen Kane,” to note that the astonishing deep-focus compositions in that film were made possible by new lenses. And the arrival of relatively lightweight, shoulder-mounted cameras in the late 1950s made it possible for cinéma vérité documentarians and New Wave auteurs to capture the immediacy of life on the fly.

Long before digital seemed like a viable delivery system for theatrical exhibition, it was an alluring paintbox for adventurous and impecunious cinéastes. To name just one: Anthony Dod Mantle, who shot many of the Dogma 95 movies and Danny Boyle’s zombie shocker“28 Days Later,” found poetry in the limitations of the medium. In the right hands, its smeary, blurry colors could be haunting, and the smaller, lighter cameras could produce a mood of queasy, jolting intimacy.

Image quality improved rapidly, and the last decade has seen some striking examples of filmmakers exploring and exploiting digital to aesthetic advantage. The single 90-minute Steadicam shot through the Hermitage Museum that makes up Alexander Sokurov’s“Russian Ark” is a specifically digital artifact. So is the Los Angeles nightscape in Michael Mann’s “Collateral” and the rugged guerrilla battlefield of Steven Soderbergh’s “Che,” a movie that would not exist without the light, mobile and relatively inexpensive Red camera.

Digital special effects, meanwhile, are turning up this season not only in phantasmagorical places like “Cloud Atlas” and “Life of Pi,” but also in movies that emphasize naturalism. To my eyes the most amazing bit of digital magic this year is probably the removal of Marion Cotillard’s legs — including in scenes in which she wears a bathing suit or nothing at all — in Jacques Audiard’s gritty “Rust and Bone.” While movie artists of various stripes gravitate toward the speed, portability and cheapness of digital, which offers lower processing and equipment costs and less cumbersome editing procedures, consumers, for their part, are suckers for convenience, sometimes — but not always — at the expense of quality.

Click HERE to read the rest of the article

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

The Short List - New Short Film Festival



Hey Filmmakers!!

Check out this very cool, unique new short film festival programmed by friend Nancy Collet.



Tuesday, August 28, 2012

SXSW and Me (Your Vote Needed....Again!)



Hey All!

I know you are sick of voting online for various things, but that seems to be all the rage these days, so…..

I've been submitted for a panel at SXSW where I'd be interviewing filmmaker Jayce Bartok with the focus on "Building An Audience Before Your Film Is Released".

SXSW picks the panels based on public voting, so….here we go again! It's a hassle, I know, but what's cool about all this voting stuff is that it puts the power in YOUR hands!
You must register to vote (it takes less than 20 seconds!). Then vote.

Register:

Vote:

Thanks so much!!

Best,
J.

"The Revenant" Opened on Friday!!



My buddy Kerry Prior's film "The Revenant" (on which I am generously credited as a Producer) opened on Friday!! Go see it if you can!! Here's the screening schedule: http://therevenantmovie.com/showings2.html

And you can vote for it to come to your town: http://therevenantmovie.com/vote1.html

Finally, here's a great review in Variety: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117948111/


Thursday, August 23, 2012

FINAL REMINDER: Filmmakers Alliance Screening at Echo Park Film Center Tomorrow Night!



Films and Filmmakers - that's what it's all about!

The next FA Screening at The Echo Park Film Center is Friday, August 24th at 7:30 p.m.

Come and see what FA members and other members of the LA and global filmmaking community are up to creatively, and support the great work that the EPFC people are doing in our community. The center is a volunteer run organization that offers fantastic super 8mm film classes, youth classes, and much more, so we do ask that you leave a $5 donation at the door to help keep the Center going.

There is a brief Q&A after each film, not to mention complimentary food & drinks. So come on out and eat, drink, connect and watch!

Screening sponsored by CAZT! (https://www.cazt.com/)

Here’s the line-up:

Dol (First Birthday)
11 mins.
Dir: Andrew Ahn
Nick is a gay Korean-American man living in Koreatown, Los Angeles with his partner Brian and their dog Chloe. When Nick attends his baby nephew's 'dol,' a traditional Korean first birthday party, he finds himself yearning for a life just out of reach.

Izzy & Salvador
6 mins.
Director: Jean-Pierre Caner
A road trip to meet the parents gives a couple time to discuss their future.

The Arm
9 mins.
Directors: Jessie Ennis, Sarah Ramos and Brie Larson
To keep up with social pressure in a technologically advanced world, Chance starts a texting relationship with Genevieve—a girl he meets at a yogurt shop. But tragedy forces Chance to realize that he was never in a relationship at all.

Avocados
7 mins.
Director: Kataneh Vahdani
Avocados takes us on a one-day journey in an unknown city, where we live through the points of view of different characters, from different cultures, all with different desires.

Playtime
14 mins.
Director: Lucas Mireles
A seamless journey of German youth and innocence on a Sunday afternoon.

Another Bullet Dodged
13 mins.
Director: Landon Zakheim
A wolf in sheep's clothing who thinks he is a sheep.

Total program running time: 60 mins.

Hope to see you all there!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Cinereach 2012 Grant Cycle is Open - Deadline September 4th



Hey All!!

That awesome org, Cinereach, is now accepting Letters of Inquiry for its 2012 Grant Cycle!!

The submission deadline is Tuesday, September 4th at 7:00 PM (EST).

Cinereach will award grants of up to $50,000 to a selection of feature length fiction and nonfiction films at any stage of production, from development through post.

If you intend to apply, please visit the How to Apply, Priorities & Guidelines, and FAQ on their website.


Thursday, August 2, 2012

Filmmakers Alliance Screening at Echo Park Film Center




Films and Filmmakers - that's what it's all about!

The next Filmmakers Alliance Screening at The Echo Park Film Center is Friday, August 24th at 7:30 p.m.

Come and see what FA members and other members of the LA and global filmmaking community are up to creatively, and support the great work that the EPFC people are doing in our community. The center is a volunteer run organization that offers fantastic super 8mm film classes, youth classes, and much more, so we do ask that you leave a $5 donation at the door to help keep the Center going.

There is a brief Q&A after each film, not to mention complimentary food & drinks. So come on out and eat, drink, connect and watch!

Screening sponsored by CAZT!

Here’s the line-up:

Dol (First Birthday)
11 mins.
Director: Andrew Ahn
When Nick attends his baby nephew's 'dol,' a traditional Korean first birthday party, he finds himself yearning for a life just out of reach.


Izzy & Salvador
6 mins.
Director: Jean-Pierre Caner
A road trip to meet the parents gives a couple time to discuss their future.


Avocados
7 mins.
Director: Kataneh Vahdani
Avocados takes us on a one-day journey in an unknown city, where we live through the points of view of different characters, from different cultures, all with different desires.


Playtime
14 mins.
Director: Lucas Mireles
A seamless journey of German youth and innocence on a Sunday afternoon.


Another Bullet Dodged
13 mins.
Director: Landon Zakheim
A wolf in sheep's clothing who thinks he is a sheep.


Total program running time: 51 mins.

Hope to see you all there!


FA Screening at The Echo Park Film Center
Friday, August 24th 7:30 p.m.
Echo Park Film Center
1200 N Alvarado Street
Los Angeles, CA 90026
www.echoparkfilmcenter.org

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

First Mondays!!



For those of you who don’t know, FIRST MONDAYS is the regular “hang” we started in Los Angeles with FA members and a bunch of other interesting filmmaking peeps we know. This is our 4th "First Mondays" and we'll be doing it the first Monday of every month somewhere in LA. Usually a bar, but sometimes a museum, art gallery, a library, somebody's house, etc. The idea is to continually bring together the most interesting and/or creative people we stumble across. And as we all well know, that certainly is not necessarily filmmakers. But that's where we're starting. Feel free, however, to bring whomever - hopefully, the most INTERESTING person or persons you know. And no need to fear, this is a hang, NOT a networking event. No agendas allowed.

Hope you can make it!

NEXT FIRST MONDAYS - August 6th, 2012!
6 p.m. until 10 p.m. (or anytime thereafter)

THE DEN (West Hollywood)
Featuring Mystery Monday:
$1 Mystery Beers
$2 Mystery Shots

8226 W. Sunset Blvd.
W. Hollywood, CA 90046

Parking:
The Den has its own parking lot with valet parking.
Valet parking is $5 from Sunday through Wednesday
There’s also street parking and other nearby lots.

Misfire: The Rise and Fall of The Shooting Gallery


Hey All,

This is from my friend filmmaker Whitney Ransick, who's doc is awesome. Please respond, if you can. In the meantime, please LIKE the film's Facebook page (if you are on FB, of course).


Thanks so much!!


Misfire: The Rise and Fall of The Shooting Gallery

As we're making the doc we're continuing to look for any and all media related to TSG; from production stills to videos...anything. It's amazing what people have found, many items people don't even realize they have (like this old business card). If you have anything and what to contribute, we'd be grateful for your help.

Please email us at TSGdocumentary@gmail.com


Best,
Whitney

No Budget Film School This Weekend!!

Below is from my friend and FA Board Member Mark Stolaroff. If you are serious about making films you can afford to make, DO NOT miss this seminar.

I will be teaching my two-day no-budget filmmaking class, "The Art & Science of No Budget Filmmaking" on August 4-5, 2012.

I will be joined by some excellent guest speakers, including writer/director Michael Mohan, who will discuss his no-budget feature One Too Many Mornings, which premiered in Sundance in 2010, and his new feature Save The Date, which premiered there this year, and was picked up by IFC Films; Louise Runge and Samantha Housman, producers of the recent no-budget hit, 28 Hotel Rooms, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was picked up for distribution by Oscilloscope Pictures; post production guru Jacob Rosenberg, the Chief Technology Officer at Bandito Brothers, the media company best known for producing the studio film Act Of Valor, which was partially shot on inexpensive DSLR cameras; back by popular demand, my former colleague at Next Wave Films, Peter Broderick, President of Paradigm Consulting and one of the most sought-after distribution consultants in the world. And finally, Drake Doremus, director of Like Crazy and Douchebag.

Attendees can take each class separately, each day seperately, or, for the full no-budget filmmaking immersion, the whole two-weekend, four-day bundle together, at a special package price. Register before midnight July 21st and take advantage of the Early Bird discount, and Students with a valid ID save even more. And just to sweeten the pot, everyone who registers receives a free copy of Movie Magic's Screenwriter software absolutely FREE, (a $250 value!); and will also get valuable discounts on Showbiz Expo's Budgeting and Scheduling software and Quick Film Budget's innovative budget-creation tool.

For anyone who's ready to make a film and wondering how to do it with the little money they have access to, this is the class to take. After shooting my latest feature, I have new tricks up my sleeve, as well as some hard-learned lessons to pass along, and my guests will be passing along their no-budget secrets, too. These principles, tools and techniques can NOT be found in a book, at film school, or in other film classes, and this will be the only time I teach this class all year.

If you know anyone in the LA area who might be interested, please pass this information on. I've been teaching this class since 2005 and the feedback has always been strong:

"The absolute best class you can take on how to make your own low/no budget film. Seriously. I'm very indebted to Mark for sharing his experience. It allowed us to make Below Zero using many of the lessons I learned in his class." - Signe Olynyk, Founder, Great American Pitchfest; Writer/Producer, Below Zero (http://www.belowzeromovie.com/ ) Opening Theatrically in the Fall

"One of the best classes I've taken anywhere." - Elisabeth Fies, Director, The Commune (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104052/ ) Currently on Netflix and elsewhere

"Your class was the 'kick in the pants' that Joshua and I needed to go and just make our film." - Nick Loritsch, Producer, Born And Raised (http://www.bornandraisedmovie.com/ ) Currently playing festivals

"I wish I would have known about this before I went to an expensive film school. Your seminar and website offers real "nuts and bolts" practical advice that makes sense. After attending that weekend I felt energized and challenged creatively - I was thinking like a producer and not just a smug artist with tons of lofty ideas and no means to accomplish them." - Michael D. Okum, Writer/Director, Expressway To Your Skull Currently in production

"The most exhilarating educational experience we've ever had. And that's saying something since I'm 65 and my brother is 62. Your personal enthusiasm, your knowledge, and your care made it a fantastic weekend." - Ron Jackson, Producer, 5 Hour Friends, (http://www.5hourfriends.com/ ) Currently in post-production

To read more Student Testimonials, visit: http://www.nobudgetfilmschool.com/id36.html


No Budget Film School Presents "The Art & Science of No-Budget Filmmaking"

August 4 & 5, 2012 · 9:30am - 6:00pm

Raleigh Studios · Chaplin Theater

http://nobudgetfilmschool.eventbrite.com


Hope to see you there!

Mark

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Two Great FA-Endorsed Films That Need Your Support!




If you can give anything to Independent Film, no better way to support it than giving directly to a film/filmmaker!! Here are two great Projects championed by Filmmakers Alliance that are deserving of your support!

"Forty Years From Yesterday" is the debut feature film from talented filmmakers and Sundance Film Festival alums Robert Machoian and Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck. Click on this link for further details and to pledge your support: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/filmmakersalliance/40-years-from-yesterday-0

"David and Goliath" is the award-winning, holocaust-era short film by George Zaverdas that is just beginning it's Academy Award campaign. Click on this link for more details and to pledge your support: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/755826963/david-and-goliath-academy-eligibility-screening

Both projects have modest financial goals that can be reached with YOUR support. Every dollar helps so please consider these two worthy projects, behind which Filmmakers Alliance has thrown its own full support!

Thanks so much in advance!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

And Another Great FREE Canon Event....

Digital Cinema Night with Matthew Irving at Canon Hollywood Center

LADIG visits the new Canon Hollywood Professional Technology Center to learn about creating moving pictures with Canon EOS and Cinema EOS products.

Our host will be Canon Explorer of Light, Matthew Irving*. Matthew has been the cinematographer on an eclectic slate of 24 feature films, including Fox Searchlight’s hit romantic comedy Waitress and the Lionsgate teen comedy Waiting. Other feature credits include the indie rave film Groove (which was an Independent Spirit Award nominee), the blues-based Redemption Road (for acclaimed director Mario Van Peebles), and the Sony franchise horror film Quarantine 2: Terminal. www.matthewirving.com

Canon's Hollywood Center is located at the historic Sunset Gower Studios, 6060 Sunset Boulevard.

http://ladigcanon2012.eventbrite.com/

Free Canon Seminar This Monday 7/30/2012



Wise Choices: Selecting The Right Canon Camera for Your Film Project

Canon rocks. And it's free. Be there.







Friday, July 20, 2012

Cool New Creative Hub!

Hey Filmmakers!

Check out this great new creative hub launched by my buddy Davidson Cole and his creative comrades. Great idea and great philosophy for stirring up creative energy. It ROCKS!!


Does The World Need Another Decent Movie?


This is a partial repost of a guest post on Ted Hope's blog. Haven't done one in a while, but this is another great post that shouldn't be missed.

Does The World Need Another Decent Movie?
By Julien Favre

With the world economy on the brink, the current environment has rarely been so tough for independent filmmakers. To get our films made and, even more so, to see them sold and/or distributed, is getting incredibly challenging. Foreign sales estimates for low budget independent films are a tenth of what they used to be pre-2008, and let’s not be fooled by the numbers. We will be happy if we sell at all, even for symbolic numbers. From a filmmaker’s perspective, we have entered a dichotomous world: a shrinking pool of independent films do well; most don’t make any significant business. It is now as if there is only room for one indie hit per year. If you are not that film that everybody wants, you barely exist and your business footprint will be close to zero.....

Click HERE to read the rest of this awesome post!!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Competition is over!! Thanks to you all!!


Well, it's over. Unoffically, we didn't quite get there. We climbed from tied for dead last to #3 in two days!! Pretty amazing! Thanks so much to all of you who showed your support and voted...and shared. You all rock!!...We'll get it next year!!!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

VOTE for Filmmakers Alliance...again!!


HEY FILMMAKERS!

Don't be lame, help us win the game!!

We NEED your vote again, and it's more important than ever!

Only 2 days left!!

The winner of this voting contest gets a special fundraiser thrown for them with 100% of the proceeds going to the org that wins. With your help, that will be us!! And our victory will directly benefit YOU!!

Creatively Moving LA Forward with EPIP LA and Viva la Art!

VOTE HERE:


Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Celebrate Independent's Day With Us!

Dear Friends Of Filmmakers Alliance,

Here's a great way to Celebrate Independence Day on July 4th. Support Independents! Support Filmmakers Alliance! We need YOU! - http://bit.ly/JgWLPA

Our 2012 Crowdfunding Campaign officially ended on June 30th. But it's not over. Although we got a great head start with our Crowdfunding Campaign, we did not reach our goals during the 2-month campaign. Now more than ever, we very much need your support at any level. That means $1, $10, $100, $1000 or any other amount that works for you. Filmmakers Alliance is doing its part to keep Independent Film alive, vibrant and relevant. Your support will do its part to keep FA alive so that it can do all that it does.

Many of you think we'll do just fine without your support. We indeed always seem to land on our feet, but it isn't without a LOT of hard work. And in today's economic climate, even a ton of hard work can't guarantee a positive outcome. So, your individual support is more important than ever!

Please check out our Campaign HERE. Or make a tax-deductible donation now HERE.

Thank you all so much for allowing us to reach out and very special thanks in advance for any contribution you choose to make.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Help Filmmakers Alliance Qualify for $250k!!

Hey All!!

Filmmakers Alliance is counting on you! Help us qualify for a $250,000 Grant from Chase and LivingSocial. Go to http://www.missionsmallbusiness.com and click “Support”, then find Filmmakers Alliance in the local listings and vote for us. Every vote will help us qualify for a $250,000 Grant. Please do it, NOW! :) There's only 2 days left!!

THANK YOU!!!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Dead Man's Burden Screening at Los Angeles Film Festival!


As usual, Filmmakers Alliance is hosting a screening at the fest and we would love to see as many of you there as possible. Here's the details:

Dead Man’s Burden

USA | DIR Jared Moshé

Featuring: Barlow Jacobs, Clare Bowen, David Call, Joseph Lyle Taylor, Richard Riehle

Opening with a startling act of violence, this tense, classically crafted indie Western takes place in the aftermath of the Civil War on a hardscrabble homestead in New Mexico where the McCurry clan has been struggling to survive. Martha McCurry sees salvation in selling the family farm, against the wishes of her father. With the patriarch’s death, she seizes her opportunity, but her plans are upset by the unexpected return of her brother Wade, a defector to the Union Army long thought dead. Jared Moshé’s impressive first feature depicts a family in the lethal grip of its own civil war.


Trailer:


Screening; June 16, 2012 at 7:00pm PDT
Los Angeles Film Festival
Regal Cinemas 10

June 22, 2012 at 9:50pm PDT
Los Angeles Film Festival
Regal Cinemas 10

See you all at the fest!!




Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The Los Angeles Film Festival is Almost Here!!!....

...Get your tickets and passes, NOW! Especially to the film we are hosting! (see below)

Now in its 18th year, The Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by Film Independent, showcases the best of American and international cinema. The 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival returns to L.A. LIVE June 14-24, 2012 with red carpet premieres, conversations, live music, free outdoorscreenings and films from around the world. The Festival connects the movie-loving public to critically acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals, and emerging talent in the heart of Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world.

For passes, tickets and full Festival details, please call 1.866.FilmFest or visit www.LAFilmFest.com.

As usual, Filmmakers Allianceis hosting a screening at the fest and we would love to see as many of our FAers there as possible. Be sure to check the fest's online film guide for times, but here's the details:

Dead Man’s Burden
USA | DIR Jared Moshé
Featuring: Barlow Jacobs, Clare Bowen, David Call, Joseph Lyle Taylor, Richard Riehle

Opening with a startling act of violence, this tense, classically crafted indie Western takes place in the aftermath of the Civil War on a hardscrabble homestead in New Mexico where the McCurry clan has been struggling to survive. Martha McCurry sees salvation in selling the family farm, against the wishes of her father. With the patriarch’s death, she seizes her opportunity, but her plans are upset by the unexpected return of her brother Wade, a defector to the Union Army long thought dead. Jared Moshé’s impressive first feature depicts a family in the lethal grip of its own civil war.


See you at the fest!!


Classic Marx Bros.!

I stumbled across this clip recently and love it just as much as when I saw it as a kid.


First Mondays at Red Lion Tavern ROCKED!!



Our second First Mondays rocked every bit as hard as the first one - but with many new, interesting faces! Thanks to the dozens who turned out and helped create such an awesome night!

For those of you who don’t know, FIRST MONDAYS is the regular “hang” we started in Los Angeles with FA members and a bunch of other interesting filmmaking peeps we know. We'll be doing it the first Monday of every month somewhere in LA. Usually a bar, but sometimes a museum, art gallery, a library, somebody's house, etc. The idea is to continually bring together the most interesting and/or creative people we stumble across. And as we all well know, that certainly is not necessarily filmmakers. But that's where we're starting. Feel free, however, to bring whomever - hopefully, the most INTERESTING person or persons you know.

And no need to fear, this is a hang, NOT a networking event. No agendas allowed.

See you all July 2nd!!

Monday, April 30, 2012

Independent Film Master Class ROCKS!


FA's Independent Film Master Class finished as strongly on Sunday as it began on Saturday. Although the A to Z independent filmmaking seminar couldn't possibly address all issues in detail over a single weekend, all the key points were hit with force and eloquence. Although dense with information, some of the most valuable take-aways were insights dealing with an over-all perspective on how to approach each step of the process. It really was everything we hoped it would be - a profoundly valuable, real-world guide to getting indie films made.

Deep thanks to all in attendance. And special thanks to all of our speakers - Sean Hood, Michael Blaha, Jon Reiss, Mark Stolaroff, Michael Cioni, Orly Ravid, Ryan FitzGerald, Illya Friedman, Marco Cordova and the filmmaking team of "Pig".

We hope to do it again in June. And hope you can make it.

FAers win at Tribeca Film Festival!


Two FAers win the Audience Award at The Tribeca Film Festival: Tom Putnam for "
Burn" and Liam Finn for "Any Day Now".

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

REMINDER - The Independent Film Master Class - THIS WEEKEND!!


Presented by The International Academy of Film and Television in association with Filmmakers Alliance


REGISTER NOW!!


When: Saturday, April 28th 2012 - 10 am to 5 pm
and Sunday, April 29th 2012 - 10 am to 5 pm

Where: International Academy of Film and Television
635 S. San Fernando Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502


Filmmakers Alliance's INDEPENDENT FILM MASTER CLASS is the complete, a definitive, step-by-step, two-day seminar for independent filmmakers giving you the KEY information you need to get your film MADE and SEEN. The INDEPENDENT FILM MASTER CLASS is a clean, clear, concise and complete independent filmmaking blueprint for your film project that will allow you to sustain your life as a filmmaker!!


DAY 1


  • Concept, Story and Script Development - Developing ideas and concepts that work! Then, writing that script in a way that will get your film made without compromising your vision.
  • Web Tools For film - New tools and programs are developing almost daily to help indie filmmakers manage every stage of a film’s life and maximize time/money. Find out about some of the best.
  • The Legalities - What needs to be done to get your production up and running and to avoid any legal issues at any point down the road.
  • Private Equity Financing, Grants, Crowdfunding and Tax Credits - Where to find the money and what you need to do to get it.
  • Distribution Planning - What you need to do at the front end (and throughout) to prepare for the back-end success of your film.


DAY 2


  • Pre-production and Production - How to get the most filmmaking bang from your budget - creatively and cost-efficiently managing your project. Also, how best to work with actors, crew, locations, unions, guilds, crafts to ensure your film not only gets made, but looks exponentially more than its cost.
  • Post-Production - New technologies and methodologies are making it easier to high end work with a low end budget. Find out what they are and what you need to do give a stunning, world-class finish to your film and how to prepare for it long before you reach post.
  • Festivals, Marketing Distribution - Understanding the festival circuit and how to use it to your film’s greatest advantage. And devising and executing a distribution plan that will give your film it’s best shot at success and sustain your filmmaking life!


Speakers include:

  • Film Collaborative's Orly Ravid, discusses distribution, sales/licensing and contract/negotiation services with a focus on new media digital distribution (http://www.thefilmcollaborative.org).

The seminar also includes filmmaker case-studies and open Q&A periods, so come prepared with your specific filmmaking questions - the ones that most have you stumped - so that we can take you to the next level.


REGISTER NOW!!


Ticket Prices:

$199 - General seminar fee.

$149 - Single Day seminar fee.

$274 - Includes seminar fee plus one year of Filmmakers Alliance membership.

$224 - Includes Single Day seminar fee plus one year of Filmmakers Alliance membership.


REGISTER NOW AND TAKE YOUR BEST FIRST STEP TO GETTING YOUR FILM MADE AND SEEN!!




Monday, April 9, 2012

THE INDEPENDENT FILM MASTER CLASS - April 28/29 in Burbank


Presented by The International Academy of Film and Television in association with Filmmakers Alliance


REGISTER NOW!!


When: Saturday, April 28th 2012 - 10 am to 5 pm
and Sunday, April 29th 2012 - 10 am to 5 pm

Where: International Academy of Film and Television
635 S. San Fernando Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502


Filmmakers Alliance's INDEPENDENT FILM MASTER CLASS is the complete, a definitive, step-by-step, two-day seminar for independent filmmakers giving you the KEY information you need to get your film MADE and SEEN. The INDEPENDENT FILM MASTER CLASS is a clean, clear, concise and complete independent filmmaking blueprint for your film project that will allow you to sustain your life as a filmmaker!!


DAY 1


  • Concept, Story and Script Development - Developing ideas and concepts that work! Then, writing that script in a way that will get your film made without compromising your vision.
  • Web Tools For film - New tools and programs are developing almost daily to help indie filmmakers manage every stage of a film’s life and maximize time/money. Find out about some of the best.
  • The Legalities - What needs to be done to get your production up and running and to avoid any legal issues at any point down the road.
  • Private Equity Financing, Grants, Crowdfunding and Tax Credits - Where to find the money and what you need to do to get it.
  • Distribution Planning - What you need to do at the front end (and throughout) to prepare for the back-end success of your film.


DAY 2


  • Pre-production and Production - How to get the most filmmaking bang from your budget - creatively and cost-efficiently managing your project. Also, how best to work with actors, crew, locations, unions, guilds, crafts to ensure your film not only gets made, but looks exponentially more than its cost.
  • Post-Production - New technologies and methodologies are making it easier to high end work with a low end budget. Find out what they are and what you need to do give a stunning, world-class finish to your film and how to prepare for it long before you reach post.
  • Festivals, Marketing Distribution - Understanding the festival circuit and how to use it to your film’s greatest advantage. And devising and executing a distribution plan that will give your film it’s best shot at success and sustain your filmmaking life!


Speakers include:

  • Film Collaborative's Orly Ravid, discusses distribution, sales/licensing and contract/negotiation services with a focus on new media digital distribution (http://www.thefilmcollaborative.org).

The seminar also includes filmmaker case-studies and open Q&A periods, so come prepared with your specific filmmaking questions - the ones that most have you stumped - so that we can take you to the next level.


REGISTER NOW!!


Ticket Prices:

$199 - General seminar fee.

$149 - Single Day seminar fee.

$274 - Includes seminar fee plus one year of Filmmakers Alliance membership.

$224 - Includes Single Day seminar fee plus one year of Filmmakers Alliance membership.


REGISTER NOW AND TAKE YOUR BEST FIRST STEP TO GETTING YOUR FILM MADE AND SEEN!!