Film Strategy

As soon as I read this  Film Industry Network article  headline:  CANNES FILM FESTIVAL BEING SUED BY A FILM DIRECTOR and started the first sentence: A French film director is suing the Cannes Film Festival for not accepting his film. plus saw the accompanying picture: I shook my head in disbelief, "This  young  director just ruined his career before it even started."  At least  this guy  got a deal and a movie bought and distributed before he nuked his career.  The lesson is clear : If you want a career in filmmaking, suing one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world because they did NOT choose your film is one of the worst things you can do.  Curious to know what legal loophole the director is trying to exploit to make his case, I read the article. And it turns out the young guy in that pic is NOT the director. That guy is one of the actors in the film. And the director's name is Paul Verhoeven. Now  Paul Verhoeven  is a  veteran  di

Although I wrote this originally for El Blog de HOLA with actors in mind, loan-out companies are used by artists and entertainers of all stripes; directors, musicians, writers, producers, fashion designers, etc. Therefore, the following below is beneficial to you too if you have reached a certain level of success in the arts and entertainment industries. +++++++ “I’ve heard that a lot of Hollywood actors have a loan-out company for their acting services. What is a loan-out company and should I form one?” A loan-out company is a business entity formed by entertainers like actors, musicians, directors, producers, etc. (“owner”) to provide their services under the guise of  “employee” to a third party like a studio, production company, television network, record label, etc. Although usually a C corporation (one that is taxed separately from its owners), the loan-out can be an LLC (limited liability company)or an S corporation. It is called a loan-out because the company “le

Stardate: 1.10.15 Two top film festivals have ended and we are in the beginning stages of a third top fest & film market (Berlinale). I study the news of the film festivals in a bipolar fashion; my left brain analyzes what kind of films made deals to get a pulse on the market and my right brain what films have the potential to inspire, impress or interrogate me.  ~~ Danny Indio SUNDANCE Sundance 2015 lineup ~~ MUBI Notebook SUNDANCE AWARD WINNERS: U.S DRAMATIC Grand Jury Prize Me and Earl and the Dying Girl  (Alfonso Gomez-Rejon) Audience Award Me and Earl and the Dying Girl  (Alfonso Gomez-Rejon) Directing Award The Witch  (Robert Eggers, U.S./Canada) Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award The Stanford Prison Experiment  (Tim Talbott) Special Jury Award – Excellence in Cinematography Diary of a Teenage Girl  (Brandon Trost) Special Jury Award – Excellence in Editing Dope  (Lee Haugen) Special Jury Award – Collaborative Vision Advantageous