Photo (and caption) by Yael Melamede
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To New Roads In 2011
Month: January 2011
I am forbidden to reveal how this was done and it would be wrong for anyone in the film to actually take credit. These things take months of planning. Most places forbid you from putting anything in the water supply — and I am not saying anyone involved in the film actually did anything remotely related to such action. Did you know though that there are already over 300 real-life Superheroes patrolling the streets of this great land?
And yes, sometimes they get their nose broken.
Vanessa and I were invited by Michael Hausman and Sandy Lieberson this past month to teach in Cuba at the National Film School. It was a truly great experience and we look forward to returning soon. The students were great, as were our fellow instructors. In addition to producer legends Sandy & Mike, we were joined by Uruaguayan producer Fernando Epstein and Argentinian Producer Veronica Cura.
We were there to discuss film producing in the 21st century. At the center of producing, remains the relationship between producers and directors. It is always a hard thing to explain or even to capture. It doesn’t seem to have evolved that much since the dawn of cinema. I felt Veronica got close when she told this joke (fable?).
A man on board an air balloon realizes he’s gotten himself lost.
Today’s guest post is from attorney Steven Beer. Steven’s contributed to HFF/TFF before, and was one of the original Brave Thinkers. With Sundance around the corner, Steven offers some perspective of a question on many filmmakers’ minds.
To screen or not to screen for distributors prior to a festival premiere? This question often plagues producers in the months prior to festival season. Hypothetical Scenario: Shortly after you receive an invitation to premiere your film at a prestigious film festival, an established distribution executive calls to request a screener. She congratulates you and says that she has heard wonderful things about the project. Sadly, the acquisition executive reports that her company may not be able to attend a festival screening due to schedule conflicts. If you screen the film for her company before the festival, however, the company may be able to make an offer and announce a deal at the festival. What does a producer do?
In the past, cynical producers and their representatives viewed such requests as a professional seduction and respectfully declined. Conventional wisdom discouraged filmmakers from screening their film prior to a high profile festival premiere for a variety of reasons. Nothing compares to the satisfaction derived from screening a well crafted film in a state of the art theater — the optimum venue for which the film was created. After pouring vast sums and sweat into producing a film that was created for the big screen experience, who can blame filmmakers for resisting requests to distribute DVDs before their premiere. Invariably, producers prefer to showcase their projects to acquisition executives in adrenaline-charged premiere screenings brimming with enthusiastic audiences. Given this scenario, one can appreciate the cardinal rule against pre-festival screenings.
The traditional way of thinking is beginning to give way, however.
Who would have thought that the New York Times would be the source of such a great list?
This is a must read/hear.
I guess this means that the Mash Up is now officially a major art form 😉 !
It’s become a routine of mine to spend Sunday clearing my laptop of all my half finished articles, podcasts, and videos. I often have twenty or more windows open and I have to find a new system (yes, I use and love InstaPaper, but I need more tools!). I want to find a way to put my bad habits to good use. This is that try.
New Year’s Resolutions For Filmmakers – Scott continues his high level of great posting. Twenty years in, I still find all of Scott’s recommendations useful. Perhaps that is not in spite of, but because of…
Can Art Houses Attract Youth Audiences – Okay, maybe it seems like I am reading my own press (which this is), but with Sundance approaching, I am still thinking of this problem the film biz faces.
The Web Is A Customer Service Medium – Brian Newman tipped me to this latest “Medium is The Message” dispatch from Paul Ford.
I Love Charts is exactly what they do, and I love it.
