Film Strategy

Filmmakers sacrifice alot for their art; their sleep, their bank account, their time, their family, their sanity, even their health. That is understandable to a degree since the need and desire to express yourself trumps the more rational necessities of life. But while filmmakers, as artists, might believe there is no limit, there really is and that is when you take someone's life in your hands. It feels morally repugnant to risk someone's life for art or money. But it happens in film. And the reality is that it has to happen. It has to happen because without taking risks you can't "get that shot" or "finish the film" or "make the fight scene look amazing." But because there are risks to making movies, the filmmaker has a sacred duty to do all within their power to minimize the risks.   What is truly morally repugnant is when a filmmaker risks someone's life without doing all in their power to minimize the risks. Accidents will alwa

The 414s |  Michael T. Vollman | 2015 | USA | Format: various/unknown  | 12 min  When I was young I wanted to be a hacker (I also wanted to skateboard). My friends and I toyed around with hacking on our Commodore 64 and our school's old Apple Macintoshes but needless to say we didn't become very good at it. (Or skateboarding). Now comes along the story of some kids who did become very good at hacking. So good that the FBI had to chase them down and Congress had to pass legislation to address hacking. Michael T. Vollman is the director of this short story about these hackers called The 414s: The Original Teen Hackers. I would watch it based on the subject of hacking alone but, as a producer, I'm curious to know about his journey to Sundance. Fortunately for us, he wrote a diary of his trip to Sundance, highlighting his experiences there and sharing what it's like to sell your film. Since I believe that the more we know about how things are done behind the scenes

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari |  Robert Wiene | 1920 | Germany | Format: 35mm, Black and White, Silent  | 51-78 min (varies; different versions) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari opened today almost 100 years ago in 1920. Gance loved it, Eisenstein hated it. Today it's considered a horror classic and a great experiment in Expressionism. Even though we live in the digital age, it is worth going back in time to study the story of how this movie was made in an era when film was still in its infancy. We stand to benefit from the making of The Cabinet of Dr. Calgari and learn things, such as: How the writers collaborated to combine their experiences and imagination in crafting the script. How the writers used their connections to their advantage even though they had never worked for a studio before. How their passion and unique "pitch" convinced the executive to buy the writers's script. Why it's important to know what rights you are signing away. How collaborati