Month: June 2010

Categories
Truly Free Film

Scientific Study Proves That Indie Films Make Youths Smarter

Well, it would be nice if such a study existed, but I guess everyone figures “why bother to fund what we already know”. Ahem…

Classical music sales did skyrocket though when a study found it made kids smarter. The state of Georgia even passed a law providing classical music CDs for every newborn child. Imagine that, with each new spawn, parents would be given a copy of Hal Hartley’s entire catalogue. Harvey Pekar could be come a household name if the standard baby gift was American Splendor. Okay, maybe such greats as Ballast, Wendy & Lucy, Goodbye Solo and the such may not be so good for teen psyches, but hey Stranger Than Paradise is still a good primer in on studied cool and Primer will surely drive a few truly innovative business ideas (and innovative filmmaking at that).

Continue reading “Scientific Study Proves That Indie Films Make Youths Smarter”
Categories
Issues and Actions

G’head, PROVE I Don’t Have The Right To Copy Your Work!

As Variety has reported:

U.S. District Judge Louis L. Stanton’s decision against Viacom and in favor of Google and YouTube placed the onus on copyright holders to identify specific instances of infringement and then inform websites to remove the pirated content. If the sites do so promptly, they are shielded from liability.

Categories
Truly Free Film

Linearity is the enemy.

Today’s guest post is from James Fair, a filmmaker and educator I had the pleasure of meeting at the Galway Film Fleadh last year and recently met up again in NYC.  You might recall him from a prior post “University Challenged: Educational Approaches To Filmmaking”.

This summer I will direct “The Ballad of Des & Mo”, a feature film shot, edited and screened in 72 consecutive hours as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) in Australia. The plan is to shoot it upon RED One, to cinematic quality with dollies, tripods and tracks. If it goes well, you should never be able to tell that it was made in 72 hours.

‘Why do this?’ I hear you ask. Well, I am fascinated by the organisational structures that digital can offer to filmmakers, and I enjoy experimenting with alternative workflows and roles within filmmaking. I am not convinced that trying to use new technologies with the antiquated organisational structures of a struggling industry is effective. And it seems that the MIFF organisers agree that this is a valid point for us to explore at their event. My argument is that linearity permeates all areas of film production. To be linear is to be direct, undeviating and sequential. I believe that independent filmmakers have a fixation with linearity, and it is an obstacle they need to overcome.

Continue reading “Linearity is the enemy.”
Categories
Issues and Actions

2nd Film Future Commodity Market Approved

But as Variety has reported, it looks like Congress is going to stop it, and the film business will remain like onions — unable to leverage the future to mitigate risk. We need to find ways to create a secondary market for film investment, so it is far more liquid than it is today.

Cantor Exchange president Richard Jaycobs said in light of the bill reported out by the conferees on Friday, “Cantor is continuing to assess its options for providing risk management and financing tools to the motion picture industry.”

Categories
Truly Free Film

Academy Award Winning Movie Trailer

Okay, it’s a minute too long, but maybe that’s because they want you to know it is important…

Hat tip to Pericles @PretentiousFilm!

Categories
Truly Free Film

Show Biz Is No Longer Business As Usual

NY Foundation of The Arts’ Matthew Seig pointed out Michael Feingold’s recent Village Voice article to me.  Although it addresses the problems of NY’s theater world it is equally applicable to the film world.  Give it a read.  Feingold lays out both the benefits and the challenges:

testing actors, challenging directors and designers, setting the bar high for playwrights to extend their reach. And I know, too, that if made affordable (but how?), it would benefit a New York audience that has long since given up going to the theater, an audience not interested in fighting its way through ill-mannered tourist crowds to see old musicals redone cheaply and stars that it can see for free (or the cost of a Netflix download) on its home screen. The audience is ready; the artists are ready. What will the theater do?

Categories
Bowl Of Noses

The World’s Shortest Escalator

Following up on yesterday’s post, now you can ride the world’s shortest escalator, and you don’t have to travel to Japan to do it! Ride it virtually here, all four steps of it in six seconds.