Film Strategy

Good news for filmmakers and producers in the NY area. I'm teaching 2 workshops at Bronx Community College this spring. The first one is one for entrepreneurs: "Starting a Business in New York" - April 7, 9, 14 and 16  (p.25) The second one is also for entrepreneurs plus artists, writers and inventors, a primer on "Copyrights, Trademarks and Patents" - May 5, 2015  (p. 24) Since filmmakers are BOTH entrepreneurs and artists, these workshops will be very fruitful for you to take if you can. ~~ Danny Jiminian To learn more and register, check out the Spring 2015 catalog HERE .

Filmmakers have a frustrating love/hate relationship with money; they love spending it and hate the stress of getting it. The frustration is understandable as filmmaking is one of the most expensive art forms to pursue. In many other countries, filmmaking is not a purely capitalist enterprise . Instead, they are largely subsidized by the government because they find them culturally important. While some American filmmakers prefer a lack of government involvement, it's no secret that American productions are subsidized to some extent in the form of production incentives.   Production incentives are tax benefits provided by the states on state-by-state basis as a way to bring the film business to the states. These programs began as a response to Canada's cheap production incentives in the 90s that lured many film productions. As a result, the US states adopted progressively generous incentives to bring them back. Hollywood and government officials tend to be big boosters of

The Hollywood Reporter recently interviewed French producer, Nicolas Chartier . You might know him for the Oscar-winning films (The Hurt Locker and Dallas Buyer's Club) his company, Voltage Pictures , has produced. Or you might know him as the guy who went on a tirade about union workers. Or you might know him because he sued you for illegally downloading The Hurt Locker and his other films. Love him or hate him, in The Hollywood Reporter's recent interview with him he speaks clearly about the success and difficulties of filmmaking including how he has charted a path producing both indie dramas and action films, why a union-worker should not be paid so much and why piracy has made him have to shoot 5 films instead of 10.  +++++++ Nicolas Chartier  has an issue with impulse control. The 40-year-old France-born president of Voltage Pictures — which, since it opened nine years ago, has been releasing a steady stream of Oscar-nominated dramas ( Dallas Buyers Club ), scrapp

As the new year begins, you find yourself feeling excited by what you have accomplished in the previous year and what you will accomplish in the new year. And as a filmmaker, one of your goals should be to screen at a festival or visit one. It goes without saying that screening at a film festival will boost your career but even if you don't screen at one you should visit as many festivals as possible. Doing so will expose you to films that you can't see anywhere else. Aside from supporting the art and the business of film, you will find yourself inspired, entertained, or educated (ideally, all of the above) if you go to the festivals. Of course your time is limited and so while I advocate going to your local fests as much as possible, I also recommend going international. Of course, having your film screened in practically any film festival is a blessing and something to be proud of.  But there are a select few festivals that everyone wants to get into because of t

One of the things that struck me from my time in the USMC was that if my platoon had somehow been tasked with making a movie, we would deliver an Academy Award-worthy production way under-budget and way ahead-of-schedule. That's just the the kind of motivation and morale that almost seems intrinsic to being in the armed forces.  I think about my time in the Marines whenever I am behind the camera and draw on those experiences on everything from how to motivate the cast and crew to staying focused on the aesthetic and logistical mission at hand even when the stresses build.   I wonder too how much four of my favorite American film directors,  Samuel Fuller (served in the US Army, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division during World War 2), Robert Altman (served in the US Army Air Forces, 307th Bomb Group during World War 2), Clint Eastwood (served in the US Army) and Oliver Stone (served in the US Army, 25th Infantry Division then with the 1st Cavalry Division duri