PRODUCTION JOURNAL: Midweek Morning Mixer - 7/24/13

-

Captain's Log. 
Star Date 07.24.13

Lots to read and think about if you're a producer or a director, so let's just jump right into it.
  • Variety's latest article makes me think of the following: In the aftermath of some horrible box office numbers for tentpole films, will the studios still prefer spending $250 million on a single movie and letting more quirky or personal films migrate to video-on-demand?  With big- budget event movies cannibalizing each other, will the overseas market grow fast enough to make up for the collateral damage?  Instead of throwing money at a film or an actor and hoping for the best, is there a better, more analytic way to determine beforehand if a film is worth making, and at what specific dollar value?
  • According to Henry Selick, animation also seems to be infected with the condition of "big blockbuster bloatedness" too.  Are creative diversity and online streaming the answer?
  • 6 Lessons from the new digital distribution universe that begins by giving Harmony Korine props for being one of the first to use tweens with a big social media following in what Anthony Kaufman predicts will be a trend.
  • And, since we're talking about Korine, let's read about Korine in an interview with the Spring Breakers director.
  • Spike Lee is now the most prestigious director to join the Kickstarter free-for-all.  He gets support from Steven Soderbergh.
  • A dissection of Michelangelo Antonioni's memorable opening to L'eclisse and how it sets the tone and themes for what's to follow.
  • BBC and the Arts Council of England's youtube video - Storytelling: How to make a short for online audiences.
  • Good overview advice on writing a grant proposal.  Documentary filmmakers start taking notes.
  • Special Effects Unit Director Ray Tintori for Beasts of the Southern Wild talks us through the film's visual effects, and how they had to navigate shots around the tragic Louisiana oil spill.
  • The Movie Set app: Using your iPhone you can set up and record movie clips and upload them to a cloud storage system while also using a back end server for device co-ordination. Up to 10 iPhones can record simultaneously and it's FREE.
    Leaders from all corners of the TV business will be at NYC Television Week, including industry management, programmers, technologists, engineers and talent, as well as those who want to reach TV advertisers and sponsors. - See more at: http://nyctelevisionweek.com/about/#sthash.XfByngyv.dpuf
    Conferences, award presentations, networking events and seminars are planned - See more at: http://nyctelevisionweek.com/about/#sthash.XfByngyv.dpuf
    Conferences, award presentations, networking events and seminars are planned - See more at: http://nyctelevisionweek.com/about/#sthash.XfByngyv.dpuf
    Conferences, award presentations, networking events and seminars are planned - See more at: http://nyctelevisionweek.com/about/#sthash.XfByngyv.dpuf
    Conferences, award presentations, networking events and seminars are planned - See more at: http://nyctelevisionweek.com/about/#sthash.XfByngyv.dpuf

Comments

Post a Comment

Behind the visuals, a vision.

Popular posts from this blog

PRODUCTION TIPS: What is a Loan-Out Company? And Should I Form One?

-
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
Read more

PRODUCTION JOURNAL: How Tarantino Got Reservoir Dogs Funded and Why It's Worth Knowing People Who Know Celebrities

-
Image
The gift of overwhelming information to read on the internet burdens us to actually read it. One article that I came across that I found personally engaging was Peter Darling's Best Way to Run a Business. I think it is aimed at solo attorneys and budding entrepreneurs and small businesspeople. I think it is also useful for filmmakers. (To read the entire short article, click here .)  The part that stood out for me and which I find relevant for filmmakers is this one:  There are people all around you excelling at what you’re trying to learn. Start paying close attention to how they do it... Every day I am surprised when I ask clients and filmmakers if they know how "X director" or "Y producer" made "Z film" and the answer is "no." I am surprised because anyone who has been in the trenches long enough will tell you how hard it is to make a film. The difficulty comes in 7 stages, each getting progressively harder: It's hard to c
Read more

CASE STUDY: A Look at Some of TV's Most Successful PODs

-
Image
With news that Neal Baer (showrunner of Under the Dome, Law & Order: SVU, ER) just signed a POD deal with 20th Century Fox , I thought it was worth looking at the holy grail for television writers/producers: the POD deal aka the production overall deal.  Now we don't often talk about television productions but with the quality of television productions meeting and oftentimes exceeding the quality of films, it's time to reconsider. I'm a big believer in aiming high and learning from successful people so the article below will give you something to aim for (POD deals) and give you examples of people with POD deals to learn from. A Look at Some of TV’s Most Successful PODs  Originally published by Film Escape April 5, 2015 and written by Charlie Sierra It’s every TV writer/producer’s dream to get a POD deal at a studio. To be paid handsomely and respected for the work that you create is something that everyone strives for.  A POD (production overall deal is ba
Read more