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Showing posts with the label filmmaker

SCRIPT TO SCREEN: Fusion's Open Call For TV Projects is a Push for Diverse Voices

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Originally published in Deadline Cable network Fusion, a division of Fusion Media Group (FMG) that focuses on programming for diverse youth, has issued an open call for scripted and unscripted television projects. The emphasis is on generating new opportunities for young storytellers of different ethnic backgrounds, races, sexual orientations, genders, religions and other under-represented areas of creative talent with or without agency connections. Selected projects from the open call will receive funded development deals with the network, which promises at least one project selected for greenlight next year. Submissions are being accepted on a rolling basis and should center around stories that “speak to the interests and issues that matter to America’s diverse youth—reflecting their curiosity, sharpness, and passion,” according to Fusion. Selected submissions will receive funded development deals with the network. Interested writers, filmmakers, and producers can submit pitc

PRODUCTION JOURNAL: Danny Jiminian on Strategic Planning for Content Creators panel at the IPRHFF (Nov. 12, 2016) 10-11 AM

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Tomorrow I have the privilege of being on a panel at the International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival (IPRHFF) with 2 talented and experienced filmmakers and producers, Christopher Lopez and Sonia Malfa. It will be moderated by consultant, Roxana Colorado.  We will share our experiences and advice on effective and strategic ways to get your film or tv show across the finish line. Among a number of topics, I'll be focusing specifically on how to protect yourself when you pitch a film, why you should always use contracts and how to build a relationship of trust with your investors. Hope to see you there! IPRHFF Multimedia Conference: TV, Film and New Media  New Location : Hunter College 68th St. & Lexington Avenue, Southwest corner West Building Room 714  [ Please provide ID at Visitor's Service Desk at building entrance ] 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM (Six Panels)  22 Latino Thought Leaders in Media & Entertainment and Moderators  FREE ADMISSION  RSVP Mandato

SCRIPT TO SCREEN: FILMMAKERS, DARE SOMETHING DIFFERENT or "A 3-Act Structure Tale About 3-Act Structure Elements Called "3-Act Structure""

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The 3-Act Structure rules Hollywood even though some think the 3-Act structure actually kills scripts . And as the cartoon demonstrates below in amusing and sarcastic fashion, the 3-Act structure is made up of elements that engage and entertain us while also being repetitive and derivative.  So here's a challenge to all filmmakers, from indie newbies to hollywood bigshots, do you dare tell stories outside of the 3-Act structure?  Ok, you say, I'm down but what else is there outside of the 3-Act structure? Well, my friend, that's where your creativity as a writer, director, producer and editor comes in. Plus the cojones to dare and even fail or get audience heads scratching. But if you want some suggestions for ideas well here are a few places to look: One way to start is by considering other options for narrative structures beyond just "linear narrative."  Another suggestion for inspiration is to look to the East for non-Western dramatic structure

PRODUCTION TIPS: Get Hollywood To Notice By Becoming A YouTube Star

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So there is a benefit to becoming famous on Youtube. Feature-length films starring YouTube stars are getting Hollywood's attention. In their quest to de-risk a film and make a film with a built-in audience and marketing potential at little cost, they have decided to invest in films starring people popular in the digital world. According to THR : There were about a dozen such "film" projects in 2015 alone, and that number could double this year as major entertainment players look to cash in. These digital-focused films follow a similar, and more inexpensive, formula on their way from concept to completed project. According to numerous industry sources, studios will pay between $500,000 and $1.5 million to produce the movie, and the marketing spend is a fraction of the minimum $20 million that a studio normally would shell out.  Instead of going to theaters, studios typically distribute the films through iTunes and Vimeo, where viewers can download them for about $

PRODUCTION TIPS: 3 Tips to Working With a Tight Budget

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Filmmakers, no, you will not go to jail for bankruptcy. Fraud on the other hand... It is difficult to plan ahead and come up with the perfect budget for a film but the allure of making a film can not be denied. And so, the filmmaker plods ahead come what may to make that film. But for low-budget indie filmmakers all it takes is one misbudgeted item to derail the whole project. So when you gotta make that film even if you lack enough funds then you must be efficient and flexible to make it to the finish line. Here are 3 tips to get there: ATTRACT TALENT WITH PARTNERSHIPS Find the best Writer, Protagonist Actor/Actress, DP, Sound Mixer, Line Producer / Production Manager, Lawyer and Editor you can afford. Develop a professional relationship and friendly rapport with them. Think long term. If you can't afford their fees, put together a compensation package that is more than just credit and deferred compensation. Even low pay is better than nothing. Some other forms of comp

PRODUCTION TIPS: Test Screening Your Film + Free Questionnaire Template

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I know, I know... Test screenings seem like an idea dreamed up by studio executives as a way to squeeze the artistry and creativity out of a director's movie and torment him with data that confirms his movie is "shit." But believe it or not, while there are many films that have been test screened from potential greatness to mediocrity , many films we love today benefitted from the comments after a test screening (Exhibit A and B ). Everything from changing the title to changing the ending is possible after a test screening. While few directors take solace in the brutal feedback a group of strangers may give his baby, the executives want the feedback data to see if the film will have an audience and, as a result, make money. It's easy to deride test screenings and " fucking hate them " but think of it from the investor's point of view for a minute. Every movie is essentially a new business start-up. And new business start-ups don't have a readym

PRODUCTION TIPS: The Filmmaker and Taxes

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Like most people in the arts you are probably waiting to do your taxes at the last minute. You would much rather be creating art, writing a script or shooting a movie then crunching numbers and poring through old receipts. If it helps, consider it a civic duty to pay your taxes since those funds are used to cover many of the communal goods we use. But, the truth is even if you do not think it is your civic duty, you simply can not avoid them. As the Benjamin Franklin saying goes, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Therefore, you have to get them done. And it is worth taking the time to understand the process even if you are hiring someone else to do your taxes for you. Understanding taxes as a filmmaker (producer, director or screenwriter) can help you with your tax goals of paying what you owe (if anything) and getting a nice refund or tax write-offs. Employee vs. Self-Employed When it comes to taxes, you are either an employee or sel

CASE STUDY: The Economics of Experimental Film

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Economics of the film avant-garde:  networks and strategies in the circulation of films, ideas, and people by  Kathryn Ramey How do experimental filmmakers survive? And not just in tough economic times, but routinely? Can they make a living from their creative work, and if so, how? If not, how do they keep going? What social networks, communities, and institutions do they make or work within to continue their art-making? What ideas do they have about their chosen profession? How do they evolve and change with changing technologies and new opportunities? These are the kind of questions that motivated me to do an ethnographic study of the avant-garde film art world. Here I want to lay out one aspect of that project. Methodology* This essay was originally written as part of a multi-sited ethnography on late 20th century experimental filmmakers in North America focusing primarily on New York and Chicago and their environs in partial completion for a Ph.D. in socio-cultural