Film Strategy

Captain's Log. Star Date: 9.4.13 Sep. 4, 1934 - Jan Švankmajer born In Jan Švankmajer’s film 2000 Little Otik , the titular character is a stump of wood who comes to life when treated like a baby; Švankmajer himself, though, arrived into the world in the traditional manner on September 4, 1934, in the Czechoslovakian capital, Prague. In the history of animation, few people have been more influential than Švankmajer, as his strikingly original perspective and painstaking eye for detail have led the way for figures such as Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton and the Quay Brothers. While mainstream animation tends to focus on happy, colorful antics, Švankmajer has presented a view of the world that is more sinister and macabre, filtered through a tradition of dark Eastern European fairy tales. Most famous for his stop motion work (which often has a slight jerkiness that adds to the viewers unease), Švankmajer came to prominence first in the 1960s with a series of sh

Some people don't like to know how a magician pulls off his tricks on stage to avoid spoiling their suspension of disbelief.  I'm not one of those people; I want to know and I appreciate any opportunity to see how it's done.  Besides, the technical trick itself is just one of the many elements to enjoy in a good show, there's also the banter, the misdirection, sleight of hand, etc. So knowing how it's done doesn't detract from the overall experience for me. Creating illusions as well, the filmmaker is also like a magician and for those of us making a living making films and videos we have to constantly pierce the veil on how things are done.  With this knowledge, we learn how great videos are made and then use that knowledge to replicate or, even better, improve upon what's been done.  Then if we're good enough, the next filmmaker will take what we've done and build upon that. And so on, until cinema is no more. Being a big fan of music video

One drawback of making shooting and editing technology accessible to the masses is that the field gets crowded with more filmmakers vying for the limited attention of audiences and clients.  And while technology has made the field more democratic, it hasn't leveled the pyramidic structure of the movie industry.  At the top of the movie industry are the titans like Spielberg, Lucas, Scorcese, Malick, Nolan and all the other A-list Hollywood filmmakers.  Below them are the top indie filmmakers like Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, Jared Hess, Neill Blomkamp, Shane Carruth (you could also add the top directors in television, music videos, commercials and documentaries here). Below them are the filmmakers who have had their films appear in the top film festivals, at least once, and are in a good position to move up the pyramid with their next project.  Below them are the filmmakers who have a very good track record overall; a combination of lots of festival screenings, financiers willi

Apocalypse ungewiss / Nach vorne ohne Kompromiss / Auch wenn die Zukunft ungewiss The future is uncertain but to get what you want, you have to take risks.  Rogelio Salinas did just that when he approached the band Die Krupps with an idea for a music video.  But what worked in Rogelio's favor is that he took a calculated risk.  Having been a fan of Die Krupps since the 90s, he understood the band's vision intimately and so had enough understanding of their style to be able to pitch a concept that connected with their music.  And so, Risikofaktor was born. GENRE: Music Video DIRECTOR: Rogelio Salinas III PRODUCERS: Rogelio Salinas III and Rachel Salinas BUDGET: $130 for props ($65 for the Light Table, $30 Gas Mask, $15 for M80 Canister, $10 Porcelain Doll, $6 for Machete, $4 for Chair) FINANCING FROM: Self-financing and partnership between the Director and Music Artist PRODUCTION DATES: 1/12/13 and 1/18/13 POST PRODUCTION DATES: 1/20/13 - 1/23/13 SHOOTING FORMAT: Red One