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Truly Free Film

30 Really Bad Things In FilmBiz 2014

IMG_9903It is now time for my complete list of The Suck In Today’s Film Biz. Earlier this week, I’ve dropped some bits on Keyframe and Filmmaker Mag. IndieWire picked it up. There’s so much that is wrong, it is easy to share the wealth. But here is all of those combined lists  plus many more. Can’t you hear everyone screaming “OMG, there is so much too fix! It is time we made this really work for ambitious and diverse film once and for all!”?  We wish, right?

I have been chronicling the negative in our film industry for sometime now — six years in these type of posts, but my original rant goes back to 1995 for Filmmaker Magazine.  Much of what I have stated in years’ passed remains still in need of getting done. Dig in to my past lists and when you combine them you will have well over 100 things that we could be doing better.  You’d think with so much wrong, more people would stand up and say “this has got to change!”. Where is the film industry’s national leadership? For the first time I believe we are capable of conceptualizing what an entire systems reboot could be — and one that looks out for ALL the stakeholders.  Isn’t it time for a international summit on this?

I have been also chronicling the good too, but today that’s for another day. Come back tomorrow for my comprehensive list of 30 Good Things In The Film Biz 2014.

By detailing what we have failed to do, done wrong, or continue to ignore, we build a road map of how we can improve things for the future. Here’s my contribution to that map for 2014.  Let’s build this better together.

  1. The “Winners Take All” Blockbuster Model Has Stomped “The Long Tail” Flat (in Hollywood). And as much as I hoped people would try to resist
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Truly Free Film

You Forgot About US: Struggle of the Homegrown Cinema, part III

“The potential loss of thousands of screens will only hasten the day when Hollywood doesn’t have to deal with those pesky exhibitors anymore.”
—Gary Susman, RollingStone.com, September 4th, 2013

Now on this third post, it’s become very clear to me that the digital conversion is old news. It was the talk of the industry before I became part of the business and even prior to my involvement with the Elks Theatre. And yet, we are likely one of hundreds of small town cinemas in the nation that didn’t get the memo early enough. And now we’re left behind.

Was this part of the plan?

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Truly Free Film

Want To Know What Is Wrong With The Film Business?

This chart does a pretty good job explaining it.

Granted this

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Truly Free Film

Want To Spend Thanksgiving Together?

Sort of…

Now, for the first time ever, anywhere….  sort of… the full length interview Filmcourage did with me.  Got 30 minutes? I don’t know mind if you even play it in the background!

If you need a

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Truly Free Film

3 Takeaways For Producers From AFM 2014

In addition to the learning that the Presale Market is Alive and Well at AFM and observing 4 industry trends from AFM 2014, I gained some practical knowledge that all producers should know.  While there’s plenty more you will need to know to attend your first AFM, here are some things that really popped out this year.

1.  While more filmmakers are exhibiting at the show, Sales Agents are

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Truly Free Film

Envy For The Music Biz

"for my enemies will devour themselves"
“for my enemies will devour themselves”

Maybe the grass is always greener, but lately that other side of the entertainment industry has been looking all sparkly and bright to me.  

Okay, pushing the boulder up the hill is such an exhausting task, your mind can’t help but wander and consider maybe there are some upsides to letting it all crash and burn and then starting over.  What happened when the music business flamed out? They didn’t die. Have they risen from the ashes, stronger and wiser, with new tools in their belt, a commitment to get it right this time?

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Truly Free Film

A First Time Writer/Director’s Trial by Fire, Part #4: Unhealthy Obsessive Persistence

Welcome to the game that everyone trying to make a movie wish they would never have to play but do: Unhealthy Obsessive Persistence and Unlikely Approval! (Applause) What do we have for our contestant behind Door #1… wait, Door #1 is locked? Then what’s behind Door #2? A brick wall you say? What about Door #3? It just revolves back to point A. Congratulations! You don’t win! (Audience moans) Adding insult to injury, I have to pay for my own craft service.

At times, working to get a project noticed appears to dip into pointlessness,