The NYTimes reports on the latest glitch that allowed your “friends” to see your private conversations.
Month: May 2010
Categories
Star Wars Overload
We just learned about Wookieepdia, the Star Wars Wiki.
On top of that the LA Times tipped us that JibJab has come up with something swell:
Using its crisp, summarization skills and cool face-transplanting technology, the funny site has created an interactive feature called Star Wars Starring You. By choosing photos of friends, relatives, babies, goldfish, etc., you can help tell the story of “A New Hope” or “The Empire Strikes Back” or “Return of the Jedi.” Become Luke, Leia, Darth Vader, Lando Calrissian … or Han Solo.
Sight & Sound sounds off on their top five film books. I’ve written a bit about my most influential film books previously. I would add Story Of The Eye, Camera Lucida, Ways Of Seeing, and The Three Stigmata Of Palmer Eldritch to this list. They may not really about film, granted, but they taught me about film for sure.
It is a huge number of films made in this country and the world. I used to use the annual Sundance submissions as the number for the number of films made in the U.S. (although that does not include studio films); when I participated in a discussion with Chris Hyams the other night he corrected me and said it was far greater. Whether it is 4500, 7000 in the U.S. or 45,000, the problem is the same.
A huge number of movies are made and few of them are seen, distributed, and championed. We vote for the culture we want with our choices, voices, and dollars.
Hollywood Reporter reports on this distressing situation. You want to be sure your trailer is seen? Better cough some pretty green.
Today’s guest post is from producer Richard Brick. Listen up, he knows what he is talking about.
On Friday the NYC Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting (MOFTB) announced a proposal for some new policies. Richard’s post, below, is in response.
It is highly disturbing that the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting is abandoning a forty-five year tradition – going back to John Lindsay – of attracting and supporting theatrical, television and commercial production with one-stop free services. In December the City agency, DCAS, implemented a $3200 fee for use of City owned buildings. Now, Commissioner Oliver has proposed a $300 application fee the MOFTB permit. It is logical that other City agencies will also seek to offset recent budget cuts with their own fees for use of their facilities or staffs.
It is incomprehensible that these changes are being implemented during the mayoralty of Michael Bloomberg, arguably the most business savvy mayor in New York’s history. At a time when it is necessary to diversity our City’s economy away from dependence on Wall Street, film and TV production represent a clean industry employing 70,000 people whose significant economic benefits have been established by a half a dozen studies. There is a further public policy question when the recent 7.5% budget cut represents a loss of $150,000 to the MOFTB, while the new permit fees would generate approximately $900,000 annually.
