What Is The #1 Most Important Thing You Can Do For Your Film Aside From…
http://nblo.gs/deXl8
Great post or, more accurately, repost from Ted Hope's blog by guest blogger Scilla Andreen of IndieFlix.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Gargantuan Filmmaker's Life Catch-Up
2010 has been the low point in my blogging life with only 22 posts throughout the year compared to 58 in 2008. I often feel I simply don't have anything new or interesting to say. Then I read Ted Hope's blogs (where he posts about 10 times as often as I do - no exaggeration) and see that he is always finding something stimulating and/or important to share. In fact, half of my lame 2010 output was reposts of his blog. So, the fact is, I'm just a shitty blogger. But I'm going to change that. I'm going to dig deep for fresh insights, ideas, inspirations, awarenesses, modalities, tools, technology and more - as well as re-introduce the golden oldies. I'll point my finger at the latest and greatest as well as the old faithfuls. And maybe this will help take all of us a little farther down the road in our filmmaking lives while adding something meaningful to our lives as a whole.
For those of you who don't know, I've spent the last 4+ months in New York City, mostly for personal reasons. But there is much work that can be done there - on many levels. NYC is so incredibly vibrant, in part due to it's amazing density. It throws people in very close proximity to each other and creates some exciting collisions of thought, attitude, energy, work, art, culture, business, politics and simple conversation. It's no surprise then that there is relatively far more exciting independent filmmaking work coming out of NYC than L.A., especially given that the "industry" in NYC is dwarfed by the one in L.A. That said, the real revolution is that exciting filmmakers are emerging from all manner of cities, towns, villages, farms, burgs, burbs, coves and caves around the world and integrating local culture and concerns into their work. Anyway, I digress. For many years, now - and for the reasons stated above - we've been wanting to launch a Filmmakers Alliance group in New York City. So, since I'm spending so much time there, the time is right to finally do it! But putting together a group in NYC brings up many considerations, especially since the filmmaking culture in NYC is so different from that in L.A. Is there actually a need for FA in NYC? How will it be structured? Where will it be centered? What will it offer? Of course, much of what we do in L.A. transplants there just fine. But a lot of stuff does not. So, I've been mostly watching what goes on in NYC...and how it goes on. Getting a feel for it, so to speak, and figuring out who best to bring into the fold. Making lots of notes and hoping to do a for-real launch in May.
How can you not love this?...
Also, I am writing a film that is set in New York City. I can, of course, write something set in a city in which I've lived without having to be there. But I find being here and discovering/re-discovering it's rhythms and nuances on a daily basis adds much to the depth and flavor of the script. Anyway, for all of the same reasons mentioned above, it's a great place to write.
Also, I am writing a film that is set in New York City. I can, of course, write something set in a city in which I've lived without having to be there. But I find being here and discovering/re-discovering it's rhythms and nuances on a daily basis adds much to the depth and flavor of the script. Anyway, for all of the same reasons mentioned above, it's a great place to write.
Another reason to be in NYC is money. There is a lot of money in New York City. Despite the economy, there is lots of money, everywhere, actually. But serious money always flows through New York City at one point or another. All kinds of it. Old money. New money. Wall Street money. Internet money. Mega Millions money. Whatever. Art for art's sake is part of the culture of New York (but don't get me wrong, there's plenty of commercialism here, too), so patronism is not as foreign a concept there as it is in L.A. and the potential patrons are not as overexposed to the filmmaking community as in L.A. Maybe I'm just making this all up. But it definitely seems this way, so far.
Why do we need money? Well, FA is a non-profit and lives and dies by philanthropic largesse - sometimes corporate, sometimes organizational/foundational and sometimes individual. And it's my job to find that money. Corporate sponsorship has been very challenging for the last few years and many good filmmaking orgs have had to be very creative to stay afloat. We're no different. On top of it, we are doing a couple of things outside of our normal scope of activities that demand cash.
Why do we need money? Well, FA is a non-profit and lives and dies by philanthropic largesse - sometimes corporate, sometimes organizational/foundational and sometimes individual. And it's my job to find that money. Corporate sponsorship has been very challenging for the last few years and many good filmmaking orgs have had to be very creative to stay afloat. We're no different. On top of it, we are doing a couple of things outside of our normal scope of activities that demand cash.
I've been trying for the last year or so to put together a film fund for 6-8 VERY low budget films. It's probably the smallest film fund ever attempted and my more well-healed friends think I'm crazy dinking around with stuff like this. "It's just as easy to raise 10 million as it is to raise 1" they tell me. Really? Well, that may indeed be true as it is all about preparation and presentation and that takes just as much effort trying to raise a gazillion dollars as it does raising a few bucks. But people truly do get nervous in this day and age about chunking down big bucks on the riskiest of ventures. There is definitely a ceiling above which they will not go. And I don't blame them. Film revenue is notoriously elusive and the history of filmmaking - independent and studio - is fraught with waste and irresponsibility. So, how do we lower the risk and make investment more attractive? Well, the smaller the investment, the smaller the risk. No-budget filmmaking is my sweet spot, so it is irresponsible for me to stake my rep on anything other. And I need to prove out my beliefs/concepts in that sweet spot. If I can't do that, I don't deserve a penny from anybody. Of course, I have very specific parameters about what these films need to be and how they need to be made, marketed and distributed. But those will be laid out in another blog.
I also want to finally realize our website goal. And that is, to finish building a website that is as much of an all-in-one tool for filmmakers as a website can be. There's a lot of cool shit out there on the web, but nothing nearly as comprehensive, integrated and organized as it could be. Which surprises me as we have been building/planning this for years and were certain others would have beat us to the punch by now. But for whatever the reason (maybe the cost vs. financial benefit, maybe the sheer magnitude of the effort, maybe the lack of cohesive vision, maybe narrow self-interest) it has not been done and that just means a continued window of opportunity for us.
And then, of course, the normal scope of FA activities demands funding, especially since we are on the verge of expansion...and, perhaps, dramatic change. I've been helping with all the usual FA stuff in LA - mostly hands-on managed by our fabulous associate director Vidyut Latay - including setting up meetings and screenings, equipment rental, fiscal sponsorship and a few other things. We intended to scale back a bunch of FA stuff in anticipation of my extended stay away from L.A., but Vidyut has managed to be so on top of everything that we haven't had to do too much scaling back at all. I also have begun sponsor solicitations for 2001-2012 and I've also been putting together the pieces to launch FA NYC, which will probably include another Independent Film Master Class here. We'll be doing another Master Class in L.A., as well.
Yes, a lot of the usual stuff, but for an organization like ours to stay vibrant and relevant, it needs to be flexible and ever-evolving. It had become a bit stale and moribund of late and things didn't help with my pulling away a bit (geographically as well as emotionally). But the time away has been good and truly helped me get my head together about our next steps. And with Vidyut's help, we're gonna start making some cool new things happen. And all of that will be detailed in another blog, as well.
I wasn't in LA for our annual Christmas party, but the members put one together, anyway, and did a great job. I felt sad to miss it for the first time ever, but was excited to know that the members will make stuff happen with or without me hanging around to complicate things. Actually, I've often wondered what would happen to Filmmakers Alliance if I was not in the picture for any reason. It's a good feeling to know that it has taken on a life of its own and will do just fine under any circumstance. But I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. Quite the reverse. I fully intend that our various grand plans for FA will come to fruition within the next year.
Same can be said for my own filmmaking life. It definitely needs to go to the next level. I made a short "My Last Day On Earth" that played a couple of great festivals (Ashland Independent Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival), but it didn't get into a couple of other key fests and I kind of lost steam submitting it. I've done the festival circuit ad nauseum as a filmmaker, panelist, juror, exhibitor, etc., etc. I do still love festivals, but it sometimes seems that more play than work gets done. The fests also start to feel a bit repetitive. Never mind the expense of the fests (short filmmakers are rarely brought to festivals for free) and the time it cuts into work and other things I might need or want to do. At this point, I don't need to drag the film and myself through the few of the literally hundreds of festivals out there that might program the film. Anyway, it's time for me to make another feature. Long past time. So, I continue diligently hammering away at the script for my next feature, "Hurricane Jane" as well as developing two ideas for MUCH smaller features - ones that I know I can shoot for $50k or less. By hook or by crook, I've GOT TO make another feature. Despite the gloomy outlook for indies and the still-lingering recession, I've got too many connections and resources (and current technology is too supportive) for me to mount any sort of an excuse. If I call myself a filmmaker, I've got to make films. NOW.
Speaking of festival experiences, in late November/early December I was invited to the Malatya International Film Festival in Malatya, Turkey (the apricot capital of Turkey!!) in late November/early December to hold a filmmaking workshop with local students. The invitation was arranged by a friend, Turkish actress Nehir Erdogan, whom I met during her brief visit to Los Angeles during the LA Film Festival in 2009. It was my first trip to Turkey so it was an exciting opportunity. And the fest allowed me to bring my girlfriend, Brigitte., so we could also make a subsequent vacation out of it (how often do I hang out in that part of the world?) The fest's idea was to instruct through actual production. The workshop participants, with my guidance, were to conceive, create and screen a short film during the 7 days of the festival. Not all that difficult considering there are film slams in which films are made in a short number of hours. But these were not film students. They had very little if any filmmaking experience. And they did not speak a word of English.
Malatya reminded me a bit of parts of Tehran, Iran, where I spent my senior year of high school - although I confess that, after 33 years, my memory of Tehran is a bit hazy. I found a familiar kind of middle eastern architecture, mosques in abundance, lots of small shops and open markets, crowded streets (of mostly men), women traveling in groups hidden/bundled in scarves and the always surprisingly easy mix of peasant villagers, shopkeepers, businessmen and students . Most of the festival events where held at the big, new mall, which housed the theaters, and at the local university, the largest in Eastern Turkey, I believe. The festival was very well-funded and the people running it were fantastic. They were from Istanbul (the company that produces the fest is actually called Istanbul Group) and a very, fun, smart group led by the fabulous Gunseli Birol. I couldn't help but be impressed, as well, by their attention to detail and almost insane punctuality.
They took great care of us and even gave me an assistant/interpreter - an extremely cool and smart guy named Sarp Eskisındı. We called him The Fixer because he seemed to be able to make anything we needed happen. He rocked and became our best friend in Turkey.
Me and da boyz (and girl) - Turkish-style...Sarp Eskisındı, Umut Kalaycı , Mehmet Hamdi Örüm, me, the actress (whose name escapes me), Polat Bektaş, Ozan Can Durdu, and Tuncay Ades.
So, back to the workshop - I decided to forgo lecturing because of the inexperience of the participants and the lack of English and dove straight into developing the short we were gonna make. After setting some parameters, I gave the gang 2 hours to come up with some ideas. Maybe 4 or 5 we can choose from. They went into a nearby lounge at the college and animatedly discussedit. I watched them through the glass and admired the passion and wild gesticulation that went on. Finally, they emerged,...but not with 4 or 5 ideas. They were united behind a single idea. "We want to do a film about sadness."
"Sadness?" I asked quizzically.
"Yes, sadness".
"You want to do a film about a single emotion - a depressing one at that?"
"Yes".
"Okay, so what the story?"
"What do you mean?"
"What happens in the film. What, as an audience, are we watching take place?"
They scratched their heads. Seems they hadn't thought of that just yet. So, we tip-toed through story ideas and finally came up with a circular series of "moments" - each touching on a kind of sadness - structured like the famous play "La Ronde".
Once we got past that point, things flew forward quickly. We literally wrote the script together in a few hours, with one guy typing it in Turkish and all others throwing out suggestions. Then, we jumped right into production the next day, which wasn't too difficult considering we had no equipment other than a camera. And no actors, either. Each of the participants would have to "act", as well.
But the guys were all fantastic and had such amazing, enthusiastic energy. They each got to "direct" a segment and took it very seriously. They helped provide props and locations and it all came together very nicely. I surprised at how well the guys did as "actors" and how fully they invested in it. After shooting, we all sat in the hotel lobby where all the festival guests stayed and edited it on my laptop. Like the writing process, one of us (me) did the cutting but responded to their comments/suggestions. A friend of one of the participants provided some music he created specifically for the piece. I slapped on some credits and PRESTO! We had a film. We showed it closing night of the festival at the closing party and the guys could not have been more proud and happy. One even brought his entire family. It was very inspiring and a lot of fun to be part of the whole process. But it would not have been nearly as much fun if the participants were not so sweetly committed. Hopefully, they also got a lot out of it.
After the fest, Brigitte and I spent some time in Istanbul and then in Cairo (saw the Pyramids, of course and tooled around dirty, insane and fun Cairo). Then came back to NYC and work, hustle, holidays, freezing cold, etc., etc. After two fun, gorgeous snowstorms, it was time to get back here to L.A., where I am now. But I'll be back in NYC soon enough. In the meantime, there's much to do here in terms of my own filmmaking life, re-shaping Filmmakers Alliance and planning my triumphant return to New York City and the launch of FA NYC.
Great to be back in L.A., too, after being away so long. You appreciate it in a whole different way. L.A. is a lousy wife, but a great lover. So, it's nice to experience it anew. It helps, too, to also have already had an awesome meeting with Vidyut, who offered incredible ideas about where Filmmakers Alliance needs to move in the future. Wonderful, too, to reconnect with my creative family and start pushing my own filmmaking life forward. Right now, despite how challenging the economy and Indie Film still is, I'm feeling a lot of excitement about what lies ahead.
Next up: Sundance Film Festival. Stay tuned.
Monday, January 10, 2011
New Year's Resolutions For Filmmakers!
(A repost from Ted Hope's repost of Scott Macaulay's Filmmaker Magazine article)
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Short Film Funding Guide
Raindance has posted this Short Film Funding Guide. You just have to "pay" with a tweet or Facebook post, which is very cool. Check it out:
http://bit.ly/ce9tv0
http://bit.ly/ce9tv0
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Brave Thinkers Of Indie Film, 2010 Edition
Brave Thinkers Of Indie Film, 2010 Edition.
by Ted Hope (reprinted from Ted's blog Truly Free Film)
We have a bit of a redundancy in the recognition of those that create good work, but that good work does not end with what is up on the screen — which is the part that everyone seems to want to write about. I feel however that we must recognize those that focus not just on the development and production of good work, but those that commit themselves to ALL of cinema, including discovery, participation, appreciation, and presentation — what I consider the other 4 pillars of cinema.
Last year at this time, I put forth a list of inspiring folks, people who by their acts and ideas were giving me the energy to keep striving for a better film culture and infrastructure, one that was accessible to all, and slave to none. We are closer to a truly free film culture this year than we were last year, and I remain optimistic that we can be a hell of a lot closer next year than we are today, thanks in no small part to the 40 I have singled out these two short years.
This list, like last year’s, is not meant to be exhaustive. Okay, granted I did not get to the quantity to the 21 Brave Thinkers that I did last year, but the quality is just as deep. Regarding the lesser amount, I don’t blame the people — I blame the technology (of course). I wish I had better tools of discovery that would allow me to find more of the good work and efforts that are out there. I know I am overlooking some BTs again this year. But so be it — one of the great things about blogging is there is no need to be finished or even to be right (although I do hate it when I push publish prematurely — like I did with this — when it is still purely a draft).
I know I can depend on you, my dear brave thinkers, to extend and amend this work into the future. I do find it surprising how damn white & male & middle aged this list is. And that I only found two directors to include this year. Again, it must be the tools and not the source, right? Help me source a fuller list next year; after all, it is as Larry K tweeted to me about regarding who are the most brave these days: “Those whom you don’t know but who continue, despite the indifference of all, to create work that is authentic,challenging and real.” How true that is!
Last year I asked and stated: “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.”
This year, I recognize even more fully that bravery is a generosity of spirit, as well as a generative sort of mind. It is extending the energy inside ourselves to the rest of the world. I often get asked why I blog (or why so much), and I have no answer for those folks. It can’t be stopped, for I believe if we love the creative spirit as much as the work it yields, if we believe we create for the community and not for the ego, how can we not extend ourselves and turn our labor into the bonds that keep us moving forward. In other words, no one can afford to create art and not be public (IMHO). If you want a diverse and accessible culture of ambitious work, you can not afford to simply hope it will get better — you have to do something (or get out of the business, please).
So without any further adieu, here’s my list of the nineteen folks who have done more on a worldwide basisto start to build it better together, to take what remains of a crumbling and inapplicable film culture & infrastructure, and to try to bring it into the present. They all share a tremendous generosity and open spirit, embracing participation and collaboration.
This is no longer a world of scarcity and control. These nineteen have begun the hard work of designing a new world of film based on surplus and access — and the resulting community that grows from that –, and their actions and attitude give me hope for what is to come.
Wendy Bernfeld – The transformation from an entertainment economy designed around scarcity & control, to one built for surplus & access requires new business models and new sales models. Filmmakers struggle with this more than anyone as most of the sales agents still push for the deals that deliver them the highest return for the least amount of effort. This is not so for Wendy, whom through her company Rights Stuff has started the task of moving towards the short term non-exclusive license world this new world requires. Furthermore, Wendy has shared her knowledge both on my blog and at speaking engagements the world over. Her openness and forward thinking is an example for all of us.
Peter Buckingham – Until the UK shuttered the Film Council, Peter ran their innovation fund. Perhaps it’s just that I sit in America, but to think of a public official who is so committed to moving both the dialogue and the process forward as Peter, is no easy feat. Peter helped launch the UK’s Digital Cinema Initiative. His insight on the possibilities of meta-datat are always inspiring. We could use an ample dose of his high energy leadership on our shores if we are going to get some real things done here.
Edward Burns – Although he has more access to the Hollywood machinery than most, for his latest film, Nice Guy Johnny, Eddie not only went the no-stars micro-budget route, but he set out to distribute it himself from the start. With no marketing or advertising spend, Eddie has enjoyed a revenue return far in excess of his investment. As much as I admire his courage and commitment, it his openness about the process that I find most inspiring. In festivals, colleges, and even The Today Show, Eddie has shared his frustration and hope. He’s also consistently looked for new ways to help people discover his work. His Homage Trailers, where he remakes trailers of classic movies using footage from his own film, are filled with wit and humor and not to be missed.
Efe Cakarel & The Mubi Team - Of the folks listed here, Efe may be the one I am most remiss about not listing last year. The former Auteurs — now Mubi — remains the most robust community of film fans on the web, while being a dynamo curator of quality film on a global basis. Yet, it seems good that I overlooked Efe and his Mubi team last year, as the transformation to Mubi and their extension onto the Playstation platform gives film fans more access than I could have previously imagined. The challenge of bringing quality work to the community and generating discussion remains large, but these folks are leading the way.
Henning Camre – President of the Think Tank on European Film and Film Policy, former head of both the Danish Film School and UK’s National Film and Television School, and the Danish Film Institute, Henning is pushing through the necessary change in the Scandinavian Film Industry — but it is a ripple that will resonate throughout the world. I got to participate in the Think Tank as was deeply impressed at the quality and depth of the presentations and organization. No one ever likes to volunteer for the heavy lifting, but Henning has several times over. Change only comes when we recognize the pain of the present outweighs the fear of the future, and Henning’s clarity of vision towards the new reality has no equal on our shores. He embraces both the new and the old, the conservative and the radical, subscribing to the reality first, probing beneath the perception to unearth the hard facts about access and practice.
Sheri Candler - When you believe in something you want to share it, right? Sheri embodies this statement like few others. Her commitment and faith in audience and community building is contagious. An avid user of social media, it is hard to miss Sheri in the virtual world, as she lends her voice, heart, and hand to filmmakers trying to sort out a way to connect and build the necessary bridges. Added bonus for following Sheri? Her ideas are good and well thought out! Last year’s Brave Thinker, Jon Reiss attests: “I met Sheri just over a year ago after I had just finished Think Outside the Box Office – where else – but on Twitter. She reached out to me, as she does with countless others, and since our first meeting has been an invaluable partner – passionate, incisive and always on the hunt for new ideas and new people that can help filmmakers (myself included) connect with their tribe and help solve the problems facing us all in this challenging time. Her tireless engagement and generosity sharing her wisdom and discoveries is a constant inspiration to me and should be to all in our community.”
Adam Chapnick - CEO of Distribber.com, a company that places film and TV content on digital sales platforms such as iTunes, Netflix and Amazon for a flat fee while allowing filmmakers to keep 100% of their revenue. As Adam said in his HopeForFilm post: “Distribber was created to help rights holders maximize the payback from their work and investment. More specifically, Distribber was conceived as a solution to several persistent complaints from filmmakers and other creative rights holders about distributors in general and aggregators in particular.” Distribber, and Adam’s efforts, are key tools in the building of a middle class of artists who own and profit from the work they create.
CineFamily - When it comes down to email blasts that I love to receive, nothing rivals Cinefamily’s. Bold programming, well presented. As curators, they expand my knowledge. As a hardened New Yorker myself, these Losangeleans give me a reason to long for the west coast. They show us all how to use the web, and use it well. In an era and city of mass conformity, they show that it is still both set & setting, programming broadly to the narrow, with verve and attitude. Sure this kind of stuff goes over in quirk capital’s like Austin, but little did I suspect LA to deliver so much fine weirdness. To quote their own site: “The Cinefamily is an organization of movie lovers devoted to finding and presenting interesting and unusual programs of exceptional, distinctive, weird and wonderful films. The Cinefamily’s goal is to foster a spirit of community and a sense of discovery, while reinvigorating the movie-going experience. Like campfires, sporting events and church services, we believe that movies work best as social experiences. They are more meaningful, funnier and scarier when shared with others. Our home is the Silent Movie Theatre, one of Hollywood’s most beloved and beautiful cultural landmarks. There, The Cinefamily will provide a destination spot for Los Angelenos and others to rediscover the pleasures of cinema.”
Dylan Marchetti & Variance Film – I may not have heard more filmmakers praise a distributor this year, than Dylan. Furthermore, I don’t know of a distributor who maintains such an accessible and vocal presence online, thinking aloud, and engaging the community on the search for a new model that could serve the widest definition of film. Working on a flat fee basis versus a percentage of the gross, committed to a firm code of ethics, committed to 100% transparency in accounting, and 100% control for the filmmakers at all times, Dylan is a true partner in the emerging artist/entrepreneur economy.
Thomas Mai – I have had the first hand pleasure of sitting in the audience as Thomas pitches filmmakers on the power of social media and the new era of truly free film ahead of us. I have seen the skeptical grow empowered from his presentations. Thomas, a former sales agent, has taken his rant on the road, sharing his insights with audiences worldwide. From a base in Brazil, Thomas has used a shaky internet connect to distribute his lectures across the global. And he has given quite a few public speaking tips along the way, not to mention writing well-shared posts for HopeForFilm. You can check out one of his lectures on his site www.thomasmai.net.
Karol Martesko-Fenster - Brian Newman summed it up well, about Karol: “While he is no newcomer to the scene, having either founded or been part of the founding of a great part of the indie scene (Resfest, Filmmaker Magazine, indiewire) he continues to reshape it at Babelgum. Under the direction of Karol, Babelgum has been licensing (i.e. paying real money) work from independents who push boundaries. Whether it’s funding the Workbook Project, helping Sally Potter to be the first filmmaker to release a feature on a cellphone (day and date with it’s festival premiere) or funding the “prequel” docs leading up to the film “Bombay Detective,” Karol is pushing the field forward with the development of new artistic practices and business models.”
Thom Powers - Founder of Stranger Than Fiction, programmer at TIFF, co-founder ofCinema Eye Honors, this year Thom expanded his base still further as one of the founders of the DOC NYC fest. Few have done as much to further the community and appreciation of film in NYC. He has helped to build an energetic and passionate doc community, and never stops thinking about how to extend it further. A man with a mission if there ever was.
Casey Pugh - We need to facilitate collaboration between the tech and filmmaking worlds. Having been involved in building the Vimeo player and then Boxee, Casey’s already done a lot (and I think he is only 26). An Emmy award joined his list of accomplishments this year, and the cause of this award, is my favorite film of the year, Star Wars Uncut. I am eager to see his latest project, VHX launch in the months to come, as I am confident it will be another step forward for a truly free film culture. Casey sees the big picture, the full definition of cinema. In his work he’s building the ramps and bridges connecting the six pillars of cinema: discover, development, production, participation, appreciation, and presentation.
Orly Ravid & The Film Collaborative – A not-for-profit film distributor has long been a dream of mine, but it took Orly and her team to actually do it. For a truly free film culture to exist, sustainable enterprises must be built that facilitate the connection between unique work and audiences on terms that go beyond profit. THE FILM COLLABORATIVE is the first non-profit, full-service provider dedicated to the distribution of independent film. Not much more to be said, but Orly’s demystification of the sales and distribution processes, a refreshingly open approach to the numbers and realities of the distribution effort, via her blogging have gone a long way to helping filmmakers across the globe understand the world we are living in.
Michel Reilhac of Arte France I asked Brian Newman about Michel: “Michel has probably embraced the “new paradigms” of the film/media world better than anyone else, and he speaks and writes about it with an eloquence sorely lacking in the field. For just one example, see his “Gamification of Life” speech at the Power to the Pixel forum. He has helped transform Arte France into a leader in the support of transmedia, even pushing them to think about how this affects their daily work. He is also a mentor and friend to many filmmakers, helping them find and tell their stories in both new and old ways – but always better. But what most endears me to Michel’s work was his recent decision to stop funding conferences and training, instead giving more money to filmmakers to push the field forward by experimenting in their craft. Great idea: less talk, more action.” Amongst many round-breaking projects are their award-winning documentaries, Gaza-Sderot and Prison Valley – beautiful examples of new approaches to story-telling using the web and interaction.
Mike Ryan - Perhaps no post on indie film initially infuriated me as much as Mike’s Filmmaker Mag piece on the “current preoccupations of the indie film scene“. I strongly disagree with Mike’s blame-it-on-the-audience and build-it-and-if-it-is-good-they-will-come approach, but as the days turned to weeks and the weeks turned to month, the necessity of his central message of needing to be driven by the art and not the business resonated in deeper and deeper ways with me. It is a brave thing to say, particularly as a producer, that you do not care if something makes money and that the art comes first. Mike leaves no doubt that he is a man of bold visions and strong opinions; he is not afraid to speak truth to power. He is both rigorous and playful in his thinking, and he invests it in new projects and filmmakers, not because of the business or opportunity, but because he believes that what they have to say and how they choose to say it is important. American Indie would not be the fertile ground it is these days without Mike’s efforts, but his efforts don’t end there: Mike helped to co-found HammerToNail with both Corbin Day, Michael Tully, and myself; Mike helped start an initiative in Memphis to train underprivileged youth in film, and Mike has trained many another up and coming producer.
Yancey Strickler & Perry Chen - Of any one on this list, Yancey and Perry are probably the only ones whose creation has moved from an object to a verb. In certain circles I have heard Kickstarter to stand in for crowdfunding. Although they are not the only game in town when it comes to mobilizing the community to put worthy projects into being, they’ve certainly been among the most prominent. Mark Rosenthal of Rooftop Films makes their commitment clear: “It’s brave to share your creative dreams with the world, to put your faith in people, to seek support from strangers. Everyone who’s putting their films and albums and paintings and gizmos on Kickstarter is taking a chance that people will like what they’re doing. But it takes other brave people—like Yancey and Perry—to spend years of their lives building the site and enabling the community to build. Great job, guys.”
Timo Vuorensola - PowerToThePixel’s Liz Rosenthal said: “Timo Vuorensola is a film director from Finland and an early advocate of crowd-sourcing and social filmmaking. His first feature, the sci-fi comedy Star Wreck: In The Pirkinning was several years in the making. He and his team built an active community of 2,500 around the making of the film . The community co-created around 50% of what made it into the final film, They helped with aspects of casting, writing, music, 3D modelling, CGI effects, translating the film into more than 30 languages. It has since achieved cult success, his evangelical community helping spread the word and has been downloaded over 8 million times through official torrents whilst the team sold DVDs and merchandise of the film. Timo launched wreckamovie.com, a new web service that enables filmmakers to build and collaborate with online communities around their films.Timo’s second feature, the sci-fi comedy, Iron Sky, which tells the story of Nazis who come from the Far Side of the Moon, is due to be released in 2011 and has a budget of 6.5 million euros. Fans have already been able to help with ideas in Wreckamovie and helping to fund the movie by buying merchandise, donations and also offering a chance to invest in the movie and share its possible profits.”
Rainn Wilson - As I stated the other day: “Rainn gives back in a big way. I am a bit in awe in how generative and generous this man is. There’s a reason why he has over 2 million twitter followers and it’s not just because he’s really funny. He cares about things. He cares about people. He cares about process. He’s thoughtful.” If you haven’t ever checked out Soul Pancake, a site he helped found, nows the time. I got to know Rainn this year as he both Executive Produced and starred in SUPER (which I produced with Miranda Bailey). It was Rainn’s tweet that he and “James Gunn were going out with a low budget f’d up Watchmen” that drew me to the project. His commitment to social media definitely played a big role in the financing and sale of the film. Through Rainn’s commitment to a better world, he is inadvertently building a better model both for film and us as individuals.
I recognize that many of these folks have written for HopeForFilm, but it is something that I encourage people whom I admire to do (even some that I don’t!). There are also some on this list that are good friends, but I like to socialize with such types, so what can I say? Some people on the list are folks I have or have had business with, and some I plan to have business with in the future, but the same holds true for the professional sphere as is in the personal — when people do good things, I want to get to know them. Is that at all surprising?
I remain thankful a great deal this year including making one film and selling another. This list is my thanks to some of those who inspire me. We can build it better, together.
P.S. I solicited nominations this year from last year’s Brave Thinkers. David Gertz went as far as to write a whole post on the companies that are doing the work that will allow a new infrastructure to take hold. Check out his post here.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Distribution U. THIS MONTH (November) in L.A. and NY
Distribution U.: The One-Day Crash Course on the New Rules of Crowd-Funding, Audience-Building, and Distribution
New York: November 13th
Los Angeles: November 20th
Special discount for Friends of Filmmakers Alliance
How can producers design innovative — and extremely effective — marketing, social media, and distribution strategies for their current project? That's the core focus of Distribution U., a one-day "crash course" taking place in November at NYU and UCLA. Presented by leading distribution strategist Peter Broderick and Scott Kirsner, author of the book "Fans, Friends & Followers," Distribution U. is a completely panel-free gathering that engages its participants in new ways. There are case studies, data points, and examples of films that have created successful audience-building and distribution strategies…small-group lunch discussions with industry experts...filmmakers discussing the decisions they’ve made, good and bad…time for networking and sharing resources...and a brainstorming session to develop useful ideas for projects that Distribution U. participants are working on. One participant at last year's Distribution U. in Los Angeles said: "It was an excellent, thought-provoking, and practical program." Another said, “The room felt like the future to me.” We hope you can be part of the 2010 edition.
Friends of FA receive a special $25 discount by registering at the links below... and there are deeper discounts for groups of two and three participants.
November 13th in NY
http://distributionu-nyc.eventbrite.com/?discount=filmall
November 20th in LA
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Ingrid Kopp's Digital Bootcamp
As noted in my previous post, I'm spending a lot of time in New York CIty these days. So, it's important that I get a feel for what's happening here. I'm lucky enough to know the awesome Ingrid Kopp of Shooting People (great org!). And she was kind enough to invite me to her Digital Bootcamp seminar at DCTV (another great org!).
I partially went to hear what cool stuff she was going to discuss, but also to see who turns up for a talk like this and if there is a real "community" attending these things. There was a nice turnout, although there is never as many people at these things as there should be - considering all the filmmakers I know who would benefit from Ingrid's info. Just sitting in the audience waiting for the presentation to begin, I wasn't able to see how much community there was among the audience. When I say community, I mean some kind of familiarity/connectivity between peeps that may include shared goals, projects, resources, etc. People were invited to stick around after the presentation for drinks and chatting, which would have given me a much better idea. However, I had to leave right after the presentation and missed the opportunity to see what's up.
Why is assessing the size and types of the filmmaking community here important? Well, if I'm going to start a community, I'd like to know what's here already. What am I dealing with. What exists already? Is there really even a need for Filmmakers Alliance in NYC? So far, I'm confident FA would have something significant to contribute here.
Anyway, all this focus on community went out the window when Ingrid began to talk. Immediately and throughout, I was very excited by everything she had to say and how she said it. She whizzed through a jam-packed tour of online digital tools in just over an hour and probably could've talked for several hours more. She spoke rapidly, but very succinctly, focusing not only on what technology exists out there on the web to help filmmakers develop an audience for their films, but also on how filmmakers can use these tools to expand the definition of filmmaking - and, therefore, how they define their own creative lives. Much of what she had to offer was not just "Check out this thing or check out that thing", it was "Think differently about films. Think differently about building an audience. And here are some tools to help you do that...."
How do we think differently? Well, first of all, the old idea of "build it and they will come" simply isn't working. I know, I know, you're an artist. And artists make art. And if it's great, people will see it - even if it's the very small handful of people who can recognize your genius for what it is. Or, if you are like Van Gogh, they will never see it in your lifetime, but you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you're a true artist. Oh, stop it, please. Van Gogh would've given his right ear to gain a large audience for his work. Or was it the left ear?....Anyway, that romantic notion is simply foolish, especially given what exists out there to help people find your work despite the zillions of attention-grabbing, time-sucking choices they can make.
Ingrid Kopp of Shooting People
In her seminar, Ingrid introduces a whole array of clever, easy-to-use gizmos and do-dads that make the tedious job of building an audience actually kind of fun and creative - which offers another opportunity to think differently. She challenges us to not think of an audience as just an audience. The old idea of a passive audience engaging in a one-way relationship with the artist also does not serve the new age of indie filmmakers. Audiences can now be, in many cases MUST be, partners in a creative experience. And how does one build these "partnerships"? And what do they look like? Alas, those questions demand too much to be answered in this post. Suffice it to say, for now, that there are many, many cool new web tools out there to help you build those partnerships and many, many filmmakers and other creatives who are already taking advantage of them to successfully do it themselves.
Ingrid pulls a lot of examples from sites that have nothing to do specifically with filmmaking, but can be easily re-imagined to support the needs of indie filmmakers. They are tools used for marketing products, building grassroots support around a political or social issue, educating people about an issue or simply creating a very cool distraction. Often, these tools are used in very creative, unexpected ways that pulls in not just eyeballs, but true partners. This offers yet another opportunity to think differently filmmaking. How can we use these tools to extend the film experience beyond the parameters of the film itself? Can the process of building an audience/partners be a creative endeavor that is not altogether separate from the film itself? The answer is unequivocably, yes.
I know these emerging possibilities scare a lot of old school filmmakers who really just want to make a film and have it play to packed crowds at hundreds of commercial theaters. Then, become "industry famous" - wheeling and dealing with studios and making films with famous, fabulous people. I feel their pain. New technology is always scary, especially when it totally changes the game. Many silent filmmakers were terrified of and/or completely uninterested in the advent of sound. But like sound, this new technology is a reality of, not just the marketplace, but the creative process itself. It is much wiser, and ultimately more satisfying, to embrace and integrate all the cool stuff and enjoy the exciting new places it can take your work. Your childhood filmmaking dream may look a little different, now, but truly achievable.
Anyway, my head was spinning with all kinds of cool possibilities as Ingrid rolled out all of this amazing stuff. So, to get your heads spinning, too (since I've been speaking in such general terms throughout this post), you need to go here:
Ingrid has created this great resource site and considerately put together a bunch of info and links to help us navigate this brave new world of filmmaking-useful technology. Check it out. And join us as soon as you can in the 21st century.....
Please do "A Small Act"....
Support my friend Jennifer Arnold's beautiful, uplifting film "A Small Act". Even if you can't make it to the theater, show the love and buy a ticket!
http://www.movietickets.com/movie_detail.asp?movie_id=86660&sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4cc72c29735d5151,0
Thanks so much!!
Here's the site link:
And a great review from Roger Ebert (one of many):
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
