Month: July 2010

Categories
Truly Free Film

Why Producers Are Valued

Ages ago, I wrote a post about why Producers matter. All of that hold’s true, but none of it is why we get hired. In these days when jobs are scarce and many a long time cohort is looking at new enterprises or a new career, I find myself often reminding my brethren of the simple truths of what “they” want from us. Producers are respected for six things I figure:

  • Validation – Your support of them means that the project is real (or at least they think it will mean that for others).  It may be it’s own category, but I think the “Cover Your Ass” criteria is a subset of this; those that are in the employ by others, need to make sure they have someone else to blame or deflect off when SHTF.  That someone is often you.
    Continue reading “Why Producers Are Valued”
Categories
Truly Free Film

Film Tax Incentives Need To Focus On Low Budget Production Too!

It is frustrating from an indie producer perspective that all film-centered tax incentives, both here in the US and abroad, are geared towards the higher budgeted films. It is totally understandable though, as the Hollywood & big budget fare bring in the most revenue and the most jobs. This sort of bias however, also limits the growth of local creative talent — in fact you could argue that the bias to high priced production in tax incentives drives out the local talent and thus prevents creative communities from developing in the regions in which the incentives are supposed to help.

Unless such tax incentive programs also focus on the sustainability of the creative community — in addition to maximizing tax revenues and employment — it will always be carpetbaggers who benefit from policy and not the local community.

Continue reading “Film Tax Incentives Need To Focus On Low Budget Production Too!”
Categories
Truly Free Film

It Does Keep Getting Better And Better

The evidence is out there. The future is less painful than the present. Our tools keep improving. Access too. Thus opportunity. Wasn’t it less than a year ago that we hadn’t seen all that a DSLR camera can do? Evidently, REVERIE was the first 1080p video widely released that was shot with the Canon 5D MKII. I am sure that the millions of folks who have now watched it weren’t all filmmakers, but still you can feel the excitement of watching it for the first time and recognizing what you can do with these cameras. They’ve already made films I am involved in better.

Reverie from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

Categories
Truly Free Film

R.I.P. Harvey Pekar

He brought us one of my best film experiences ever.  As true an original as there can be and a man of principles, humor, insight, and artistry.  An American splendor.

This is a very nice obit from Cleveland.com

Categories
Bowl Of Noses

Super Mario Bros. Takes To The Street

If you were in our family, you’d know what it is like to walk down the sidewalk trapped in a video game. Usually you can’t see much of the game other than Hope The Younger bouncing and leaping. The Soundtrack can be heard in some tribal form of song, but you just can’t see the graphics. I knew they must be there though and here captured with a magic camera you can see it all.

Super Mario Bros. from Andreas Heikaus on Vimeo.

Categories
Issues and Actions

Sell Your Film As Art

The NY Times has an intriguing article on the owners of the copyright of “Kiss Of The Spider Woman” who have packaged the film, it’s rights, and various other support materials, and have hopes netting a windfall.

I have always wondered why more filmmakers don’t go the Matthew Barney route and focus first on selling to “collections” as opposed to audiences. The Spider Woman’s team’s approach of going at long after the initial run and sales cycle is another route altogether. As library values decline faster and faster, perhaps all that will be left in the way of hope for some pension-esque fund will be those wealthy patrons and their butterfly collections.

Categories
Bowl Of Noses

Monkeys!!

Monkeys of all shapes and sizes here!