Screen International has a good article on the lessons the film business can learn from the music industry. Essentially it comes down to:
The emphasis on piracy needs to mature into a bigger debate about intellectual property – and soon.
They point out:
A workable framework is one that finds a balance, although attaining that, of course, is fraught with risk. Make the controls too tight and you lose innovators and customers. And pirates thrive on protectionism.
I have not had cable for over five years. In NYC that means not having TV since broadcast reception is so poor. Granted I have always been a greater fan of movies (I saw two last night), than shows in general, but 2008 certainly marks the year by which my practice no longer seems like a compromise.
For my tastes, I have long encouraged the practice of getting away from the cinema of excess and getting back to the compromise. I have always learned a great deal by bouncing back and forth between budgets. Truth be told, for me it is out of necessity, not strategy. Yet for directors, the proof has come that it should be part of the process.
Kermit and LCD Soundsystem.
New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down.
Scott Macauley over at the Filmmaker Magazine Blog hipped us to this podcast.
Host Jonathan Kirsch, an attorney specializing in intellectual property and publishing law, moderates a panel discussion on a landmark literary-legal settlement. It allows Google to scan and make available online many out-of-print but still-copyrighted books. The settlement portends a viable digital future for authors, publishers and libraries. Is there any downside?
Deputy Dog found five cool drivable wooden cars. Read about them there.
And here’s another, this time from the Ukraine:
When your folks gave you a wooden toy, could you actually drive it?
We started the list here (click to link). Now we continue onwards. We will only get to 52 with your help. What else gives you reasons to be hopeful for film culture?
