Film Strategy

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

I have recently started a  series  for HOLA (the Hispanic Organization of Latino Actors) on  El Blog de HOLA  based on business and legal questions actors have. “If I choose to work in a nonunion film (one that is not SAG-AFTRA), what key contract terms or clauses should I look out for to protect myself?” Here’s something that any working actor can tell you: there are many more nonunion roles than there are SAG-AFTRA roles. So, actors, in a quest to build their credits, gain experience, make themselves visible and hone their craft will take on a nonunion role if they find it in their interest to do so. Whether they should or not is another story but assuming they do there are some things an actor should look out for to protect themselves from unscrupulous or sleazy producers. • Put it in writing. While it is true that oral agreements are enforceable, if it’s not on paper, your job to prove you were promised something for your work in a production becomes that much harder.