Box Office Records: Can They Help Indie Film?

I love hearing that Hollywood is breaking box office records this year. Supposedly, the domestic box office is going to reach $10 billion for the first time and Hollywood just had the biggest three-day weekend ever at $263 million -- thanks to an impressive showing by Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and It's Complicated. A seven-day record is expected to be broken this week as well. 

Can this help indie film? I think so. If anything, it should help potential investors feel positive about how the film industry is faring at the moment. Making investors feel comfortable about the state of the industry goes a long way in getting them to take an interest in investing in film. 

If investors hear that box office records are being broken then they may want to get in on the action. They may get excited about a possible trickle down effect that may happen from this success. It is possible that this success at the box office will increase the demand for films and lead to increased buying. It may also make theatrical releases less scary for the distributors. 

However, I wouldn't get excited just yet. Hollywood loves to blame success on anomalies so it's most likely going to take a lot more than one year's success during a recession to get them excited about buying more and doing more costly theatrical releases. 

Will this success also make film investments safer? In my opinion, no. Film investments are high-risk investments no matter how you slice them. They strongly depend on the quality of the creative team and the script. 

In addition, theatricals tend to be loss leaders, meaning the film loses money playing in the theater but the exposure leads the film nicely into strong DVD, TV and foreign performances. So though theatricals are breaking records, they aren't known for being major money-makers. The big revenue has been made more in the DVD and TV and foreign markets. 

And right now, there is a real downturn in DVD sales (though rentals are up) and we still haven't figured out how to monetize digital downloads well yet and TV advertising dollars have dried up. Blu-ray has yet to prove it has the muscle to help the DVD industry. 

What these box-office records do show is that people are making the trek to the movie theaters and that is exciting. Even with movie ticket prices being high, people are still enjoying gathering together in a dark room and being caught up in a story with no interruptions for an hour and a half or more. And that has to bolster the entertainment industry. 

The moral of the story is that good news helps everyone -- even if you aren't quite sure how it will help you or your project specifically. Just an overall feeling of success can do a great deal in building confidence and positive buzz for an industry. So yes, I do believe these box-office records can be used to help indie film. They show that people do still love movies and they will spend the money at the box office to see them -- if we offer them a reason to do so. What is that reason? Good, enjoyable, satisfying entertainment. That should be our goal.

Read More

The Biz of Running an Independent Film Production Company

I have been running my production company now for about five years. It has been quite a learning experience. Luckily I had owned a book packaging company in NYC for a while so I had some knowledge of setting up a business. Thank goodness for that because otherwise I would have really been lost. Learning how to start a business at the same time as figuring out how to produce films would have blown my mind, I think.

I don't know of any go-to resources out there that tell you how to start your own film production company. You basically have to talk to colleagues and figure out how they did it. Or you can consult with your accountant or entertainment lawyer, if you even have them on your team yet. 

When we started our company, we began as a DBA (or Doing Business As). It allowed us to secure a name for the company and open a business account under that name. We thought, why spend the yearly fee on owning an LLC in California until we felt we really needed to?  In California it comes out to about $820 per year at a minimum to have an LLC. California is one of the most expensive states in which to have an LLC. Lucky us!

One of the main reasons LLCs are formed are to provide you with liability protection. Since we were primarily doing development the first year or so and I was working on projects under other companies, we thought let's wait a bit on the costly LLC.

Once we started putting together projects for production, it was now time to start our production company's LLC. We wanted our company, not us as individuals, managing our projects. So Wonder Entertainment is typically a managing member of the companies we create for each individual film that we make. 

What's that you ask? We have companies for each film too? Yes! You need to offer your investors an investment vehicle in which to invest, i.e. an LLC, for each film. Otherwise, they would be taking stakes in your production company. 

So that $820 really adds up when you are talking about having the LLC for your own production company that mainly does development and then $820 per year for all the LLC's that are created once you are ready to make a film. 

So let's say you have made 10 films under California LLCs and you have your LLC for your production company then that's over $9k per year just to have the privilege of operating a company in California. I feel privileged every time I write the checks. 

So when you go to make a film in California, make sure you are really going to be making it before you open the LLC. 

And once you form the LLCs, you will need an attorney or a legal service like LegalZoom to draft the operating agreement and an accountant to do the taxes for each company. You may even need to hire a bookkeeper to keep your books up to date on each company. 

Then you need to worry about keeping track of all your expenses so you can write them off at tax time. This is very important as you can receive a sizable tax break if your expenses are high. You will probably have to purchase Quickbooks so you have software that can track your expenses and allow your accountant to have an easier time doing your taxes.

If you are hiring employees then that's a whole other scenario. Employees? Wouldn't that be nice? .... Sorry, I was dreaming there for a second about actually having an employee to help me do what I do. It was a lovely dream. 

There's also the question of opening an office or not. We started out with an office in Hollywood and after a year and a horrible experience with a money-grubbing landlord (that is a whole other story I should discuss sometime), we decided we didn't need the overhead and we all started working out of our home offices. Perhaps someday an office will make sense again but right now, working in my PJs with my cat in my lap suits me just fine.

Now that you have the business of your production company settled, you can focus on the fun stuff: making movies!

Read More

Not Since You Plans for Theatrical!

We are in talks with the Georgia Theatre Co. about having a limited theatrical for our feature Not Since You. This is super exciting for us and our film because we had worried a theatrical would be out of the question. 

Many independent films never have a theatrical release. Instead they go straight to DVD or TV or the Internet. This is due to economics. Theatrical releases are often loss leaders, meaning they lose money but they lead the film toward strong DVD and TV releases (which helps to make up for the loss at the theaters). 

Thankfully the Georgia Theatre Co. agrees with us that the film deserves to be in the theaters! They have been super helpful thus far and we are shipping posters off to their Athens, Georgia theater today for some promotion of the film during the holiday film rush. 

We chose to work with the Georgia Theatre Co. because we shot the film in Athens, Georgia and we believe we can build strong support for this release in that region. If any of you reading are from that area, please go see the film! I'll post the dates as soon as we have them.

I'm off to have 4 posters printed this morning and shipped to the Athens theater for some holiday promotion of the film. Still pinching myself!

Here's the trailer: 

Read More

Brittany Murphy RIP

My condolences go out to Brittany Murphy's family. I didn't know Ms. Murphy but she was considered an indie-friendly actor and could be found on everyone's wish list for actors. She was approachable and even produced her own film Ramen Girl. She will be missed.

Read More

Indie Filmmakers Should Lean on Each Other More

The key to fixing indie film is working together. We all have a common goal of making movies, right? So why not come together and support one another? Your success is my success and vice versa.

Too often we indie filmmakers work in vacuums. We find our projects and build our teams by ourselves. I've done that many times. And I look back and think, I should have leaned on my colleagues more. In those times, I was alone trying to figure out a solution to my problems, I should have reached out more to my producer/director friends. Perhaps they would have had a quick, simple solution.

I know I am reinventing the wheel too often. I'm sure you often feel the same.

This is why networking is so important and helping others counts. In those times you hit an issue that you have never dealt with before, why not reach out and see how your colleagues have handled the problem? Hopefully they have experienced the same thing and can offer a quick solution based on their own experience and research.

If any of you run into issues, feel free to reach out to me. I may have ideas to offer because I've been there before. Consider me a colleague you can lean on! Hopefully I can do the same with you.

Read More

The Runaways -- Joan Jett Rocks

Let's hope the film rocks too! Here's a trailer:

Read More

Women Filmmakers, Our Discussion

We're having a great discussion over at Women and Hollywood today. The blog I wrote about women needing to make more movies and network more got everyone talking. Check out the comments on my blog post and then see the cross posting of my blog entry and comments at Women and Hollywood. 

As you can tell, I'm a big proponent of not portraying women as victims of Hollywood. I don't think having women be portrayed as victims helps in any situation. We need to be thought of as equals. So instead I'd rather focus on how we can have a greater presence in Hollywood both as creators and as an audience. What can we do to effect change?

Bottomline, Hollywood is going to do what it wants, when it wants, how it wants. All Hollywood cares about is the bottomline. And they don't think women really help their bottomline. Any box office successes are considered anomalies. 

So we really need to put our energies toward figuring out how to get Hollywood to realize that the female audience is powerful and that female creatives can bring the box office just as their male counterparts do.

How do we do that? Work together on initiatives to help prove to Hollywood that we are a viable audience and creators. The key is being proactive and actually doing something about this issue and not just throw out a few blog comments here or there. 

It's going to take real action. Melissa Silverstein at Women and Hollywood is absolutely taking action. She highlights the issues that women have in Hollywood every day. We need more Melissas and we need more organizations that really help female filmmakers. I'll be honest that I receive no help or support from any female film organization. I'm certain there are others out there like me in that regard. And that really needs to change. If I started a woman's organization for female filmmakers, would others join?

We also need to figure out how to reach the female audience through our work. How about a film series highlighting female directors? I'm sure there have been some. But let's do some more. 

Why don't we throw out ideas of what we think would help? And perhaps we can all come together and work on some of them?

Read More

Women Need to Make More Movies and Network More

I keep hearing about all of this outrage that exists over women not being hired to make movies, either as screenwriters or directors or producers. As a female producer, I am certain that I am discriminated against whether or not it's on purpose. There is a boys club that exists in Hollywood, no doubt about it. 

And I don't play golf. I keep meaning to take it up but I haven't...and I'm sure that has affected my career as well.

Being a woman in Hollywood can suck but I think it's crap for anyone to think that they can't have a career because someone won't hire them. To those people, I say, "get off your butt and make your career happen!" I have never once let the boys club of Hollywood stop me from making movies. I will make movies til the day I die no matter what. And I am certain the successful female filmmakers in Hollywood have the same belief system. 

I'm not saying we should stop rallying for change. Keep up the fight! But let's do something more than whine about it. 

The next time you get a rejection, think about how you can make your film outside of the Hollywood system. Partner with an indie producer (male or female) and find the money yourself to get your film made. The money is out there. You just have to work hard to find it.

We could all easily sit back and wait for Hollywood to give us our career. I'm sorry to say though that we would be sitting for a very long time. We all need to make our own careers for Hollywood to take notice. We are not alone in that reality. I know a ton of male filmmakers struggling every day as well.

I really think that women need to get out there and make more movies and network more. As a producer, I am pitched projects all the time. But I have to say that probably 90% of the projects are by and about men. Where are all the projects by and about women? Why am I not approached more by female filmmakers? What is up ladies? 

After five years of being an indie producer,  I am just now partnering with a female director. And it's not because I haven't been looking. I make an effort to seek out female filmmakers but for some reason, I get a lot of white noise. It seems we women suck at networking and forging lasting relationships. But I have found that when we do find those relationships that stick, we are extremely loyal and we will go to the ends of the earth to protect one another.

I want to make movies about and for women and with women. I have to ask: where are you female filmmakers? I want to hear from you!

Read More

What Should be Considered Indie Film? Part 2

We have a great discussion going on Brothers: A Review and What Should Be Considered Indie Film? Noah Harlan brought up another point I'd like to address.

"Ryan [Kavanagh of Relativity Media] has a couple billion in assets that he uses to finance and he has that money in massive tranches from hedge funds. He's not doing the hustle like we are...

In fact, he is the guy who controls the money in Hollywood.

http://www.esquire.com/features/best-and-brightest-2009/ryan-kavanaugh-1209"

You make a good point Noah. But I'm pretty sure Ryan K is still hustling every day. He's just hustling on a much bigger stage. Sure he has assets to play with and he provides funds for studio films, but he has to be pretty smart in how he uses those assets in order to keep the money flowing and quality films being made. I don't think Ryan K has it easy. He just has a different set of stressers. 

Personally, as a producer, I would love to be a fly on Ryan K's wall to see how he makes it all work. I'm sure I could learn a great deal from him that would make me a better indie producer. To be honest, it feels a bit odd to be defending Ryan K as indie when I'm sure he could care a less about what he is considered, but I do think it's a valid discussion to be having as I think it's an identity issue that indie film struggles with. And it's an issue that breeds more often a negative response than a positive one.

Ryan K is a dealmaker producer instead of a filmmaker producer, but that shouldn't stop him from being considered indie. I think it's appropriate to consider the films he funds outside of the studio system as indie as he is taking the risk of being independent just like we are -- even though the risks can be perceived as much less since he can afford to pay for the big name screenwriters, filmmakers and actors. On the other hand, he has much farther to fall monetarily should one of his indie films flop.

This is a great debate and I think much of it stems from indie angst (which of course I experience myself) of often being squeezed out of the Hollywood system (i.e. limited access to talent repped by the big agencies, etc.) and not being recognized for the extremely hard work we do in making our low-budget indie films as we try to personally survive financially, etc. It's also frustrating for indie filmmakers who approach their films from the creative perspective to compete with the Ryan Ks who approach moviemaking as a business. Two different motivations for filmmaking but the same end results: a film.

It's true that our existence is very different from the worlds of the Ryan Ks and Michael Ds, who seem to have it much easier. Who doesn't want Ron Howard waiting in his/her waiting room? But if you strip away the monetary and asset differences, the efforts of making films outside of the studio system are the same.

The main reason I want to keep the Ryan Ks and Michael Ds part of our world is that filmmaker producers need a dialogue with dealmaker producers. We need to learn from them just as they need to learn from us. And we do need to play in their playground if we are ever going to compete properly with them. Look at Paranormal Activity's performance this year. It's another indication that we do have the power to compete with the big boys and girls and we should be striving to do just that.

I do have to give props to Ryan K's philosophy of wanting to only fund projects he will actually make. This is an indie philosophy for sure. And he seems to be true to his word on that and he does back a lot of wonderful films -- amongst some crap too I'm sure. But then, there's a lot of truly crappy indie films being made as well so I'm not sure we can fault Ryan K for having a few flops too. We all need to learn how to stop making flops. How do we do that?

Read More

What Should Be Considered Indie Film?

I had a comment from Noah Harlan on my Brothers post about whether or not that film should be considered indie as it was financed by Relativity and had a producer like Michael De Luca, who has produced many studio flicks on board. This is a great talking point when it comes to indie film. Thanks for bringing it up Noah. It's definitely the elephant in the room. 

I have to admit that I find it extremely hard to include films like Brothers on the indie list. Do films like that really struggle like we indie filmmakers do, day in/day out? They have it easy, right? They have major Hollywood players on board with deep pockets. So why should we consider them indie? 

Well, I suppose we don't technically have to. But I'd like to think we can play in the same playground and by including them I hope it might actually equalize us all a little more. And the more we accept these larger films that are spending way too much as being part of our world then perhaps we can actually influence them? 

The more they are compared to the little guys then maybe they can look at us and realize that they should be spending less and that they CAN spend less. If held at arms length or in contempt, they may continue to run rampant. 

And maybe we can look at them as providing a means to getting great drama out to the mainstream and reminding them of what they are missing? Perhaps seeing Brothers will inspire some to seek out other great drama that may have been made truly indie?

Whether Jim Sheridan has $5 million or $25 million to make a film, he is still a wonderful dramatic filmmaker. Perhaps the discussion should be more about how can we make more films like the ones Jim Sheridan makes -- on any budget level -- and make them profitable?

Read More

Brothers: A Review

From the first promo of the film, I was hooked. First, I love director Jim Sheridan's work. In America is a very intimate, raw portrayal of a family trying to survive in New York City. Not many filmmakers have the skill or take the time to really develop child characters. Sheridan has the ability to have young children (in Brothers -- Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare) bring an extremely powerful performance amongst actors like Sam Shepard, Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire -- wow!

I was convinced I had to see the film after seeing an interview with Natalie Portman on David Letterman. When discussing the film, Letterman had true passion in his voice when he said it was one of the best films of the past decade. Portman was very humbled by Letterman's response and you could tell she agreed with him that the film was special. And she appeared truly honored to have been part of the film. I now understand why. 

So when The Wrap offered a screening last night, I jumped on it. I'm glad I did. Brothers is a quiet, intimate journey with a family as they deal with the homecoming of one son (Jake Gyllenhaal) from prison and the departure of another (Tobey Maguire) to war. We are then swept up in the lives of these characters as they deal with the absence of the man at war who is a son, brother, husband, and father. The effects of his absence resonate through the entire family and Sheridan takes the time to really explore these effects on each and every character -- his brother, wife (Portman), his two kids, and his father (Shepard) and stepmother (Mare Winningham). 

Brothers is the exact kind of film that is being threatened by the independent film collapse. Sure, it helps that the cast is big and wonderful and Jim Sheridan has a fan base of his own. It may also help that it is a remake of a Danish film of the same name. But, in general, dramatic films of this nature are being wiped out by reluctant investors and distributors. So please go support this beautiful film -- for the sake of your own careers as indie filmmakers. You won't regret it. 

Read More

It's in the Air! The Film Industry Zeitgeist

Isn't it odd how films with similar subject matters tend to pop up around the same time? We had two films about the famous runner Prefontaine and two films on Capote and two on the Zodiac killer around the same time and even my own film Not Since You will soon be competing with The Romantics -- a film with an oddly similar premise of a group of college friends reuniting at a weekend wedding. Very weird!

If you are thinking of an idea for a film then surely others are out there thinking and perhaps working on the same kind of idea. I suppose it makes sense because many of us are influenced by the same current events and societal issues. In other words, the same ideas are floating in the zeitgeist so it stands to reason that some of us would be thinking about, reacting to, and creating stories that feel familiar to each other.

It's still creepy when it happens -- especially when you haven't been aware of the other group's project until after each is pretty much done! And it's inevitable that the projects will be compared against one another and one will usually do better than the other. Though if both projects are strong perhaps the curiosity for comparing could help the two do even better than if they were released on their own. Who knows?

In any event, it's always intriguing when similar projects bubble up and I know it's stressful for the filmmakers as you don't want your project to be overshadowed and perhaps even stalled due to the competition. Many specs have gone unsold because someone else beat them to the punch by selling his or her script on the same topic or premise first. 

It's an interesting phenomenon. One I'm sure that has intrigued anthropologists. Now all we need is the phenomenon that has us creating a box office smash with our low budget indie! I'm ready for that day!

Read More

December: Film Industry Slows

It's almost December and the Hollywood stillness has begun. The frenzy has dissipated from another year of sp ecs and sales and production. The Oscar promotions are in full swing but sourcing new material will wane. 

And come December 21, the whole town will be on hiatus only to reappear the 4th or 5th of January. 

So as the film industry slows, I will take a much-needed break from the madness and focus on re-evaluating my projects and goals for the new year. I will prepare for tax season and catch up on everything that has fallen to the wayside during the crazy periods. 

December is a break for the industry and me! 

Read More

Take Me Home Photo Call!

In our film Take Me Home, our lead character Thom creates a photobook of his work. He is a struggling, yet talented still photographer. We are partnering with Talenthouse.com to find the 15 images we need for the photobook, which will appear at the top of the film. 

So if you or a friend of yours are a still photographer and you would like the opportunity to have your image(s) in a feature film, go to Talenthouse.com and enter your photo for consideration. Here is the link to our page, Take Me Home, at Talenthouse.com.

For more information on the film, please check out our Web site for the film at www.takemehomemovie.com. 

Read More

Deliverables Are Done!

Today was D-Day aka Deliverables Day for us on Not Since You. After four years of ridiculously hard work, we were able to drop off deliverables of the film and corresponding paperwork to our foreign sales agent. 

What a phenomenal feeling! A huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I definitely feel a little lighter today. 

Deliverables are much more than just handing over the film and chain of title etc. It marks the completion of so many hours of thinking and laboring over every detail of the film's existence. And as of today, we can feel confident that we have done everything possible to make a great film. 

It's true that our work isn't over. In many respects, it has just begun as we work on breathing life into the film we created. I'm ready for this next phase and I feel a new surge of passion and excitement for getting it in front of audiences. There's nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishing a major stage and the renewed energy that develops as a result.

And now we look at how to get a theatrical for our film. Yes, that's right. A theatrical. Here we go!

Read More

Testifying on Indie Film

I want to testify. I work really hard to make really good indie films. And I struggle with my colleagues who make really good indie films to get them to see the light of day. I wish it were easy to build audiences but it isn't. And that's okay. I'll keep on working at it. 

Why is it so hard to build audiences? Well it's really hard to compete with the resources that the studios have. They can funnel money toward advertising and marketing. I can try my might with my limited resources. I can tweet and update facebook and myspace pages and promote the film as much as possible. But do I have a chance?

I hope. 

And my colleagues hope.

We work as hard as we can to express ourselves and we won't stop. Why? Because we love movies. And we will keep making them. No matter what. 

So while many will lament the state of the industry. I will say, let's keep making movies. We need them. 

Read More

Paranormal Activity

As an indie filmmaker, I can't ignore the fact that one of our own, director Oren Peli, has created a film, Paranormal Activity, from practically no resources at all and it has blown records upon records in sales. Nice! Congrats Oren Peli! You are living the indie filmmaker dream right now. 

There are thousands of Oren Pelis out there and Oren struck gold! All it takes is a really good idea that is executed well and hits with an extremely wide audience. Sound easy? Sure! Is it? Hell no -- which is why the indie world is in the crapper at the moment. 

No one knows what is going to hit like PA has. So unfortunately it is a gamble that every filmmaker must make each time he or she starts a new project. And those gambles have been taken a lot by filmmakers, which has led to billions of dollars of investment dollars going down the tubes.  

Oren Peli, whatever you were thinking when you came up with the idea for PA obviously was smart thinking! It's the perfect indie film business model. Make something for dirt cheap that can go on and make high profits. 

As a rule, micro-budget films don't tend to do big business. Paranormal and Blair Witch were anomalies that many filmmakers have continued to try to emulate. Each year, Sundance is loaded with dark or quirky features that were made for less than $100k that tend to get good critical acclaim but they don't seem to do huge business at the box office. 

Smaller films that have a chance of bursting out of the indie distro hell seem to be those that tap into primal fear and laughter or are super charming/quirky/unique that a wide audience is drawn to its uniqueness yet relatability (being relatable is key). And many of these that achieve some success are not micro-budget (in the six figures or less). They are low budgets (seven figures). 

But how awful to think that terrific dramas could be forsaken because they are bad business. The question should be: how can we make them good business. What key ingredient is missing? Or do all the micro-budget films need to be only horror in order to do well? 

Read More

Distribution U and the 10 Principles of Hybrid Distro

I attended Distribution U last weekend and learned a great deal about self-distribution. Peter Broderick and Scott Kirsner put on the seminar and they did a wonderful job presenting ideas for how indie filmmakers can take control of the sales of their films. 

The philosophies they presented work well for films with budgets under $1 million. If your film is close to $1 million and above, it's recommended that you go the more traditional route of distribution. However, I think the following ideas can be used on any kind of film, both big and small.

During the seminar, Peter Broderick went over 10 principles of hybrid distribution. Here's what he recommends: 

1. Design a customized distribution strategy.

2. Split distribution rights.

3. Choose effective distribution partners.

4. Circumscribe the rights (meaning carve up the rights to those who can handle them the best).

5. Craft win-win deals. Words to live by: "No deal is better than a bad deal."

6. Retain direct sales rights, i.e. DVD & digital downloads on the film's Web site. 

7. Assemble a distribution team, consisting of: Strategist or Producer Rep, Foreign Sales Agent, Web Site Manager, Outreach Coordinator, Fulfillment Company for DVD Sales

8. Partner with Nonprofits and Online Communities

9. Maximize direct revenues (products you create v. third party)

10. Grow and nurture audiences. 

Read More

AFM & SNL

Things are going well at AFM for Not Since You. We had a great screening in which most of the buyers stayed through the entire film -- often buyers only stay 10 mins or so in AFM screenings since they are running around. So we feel good about that. 

At the same time, I am coordinating some SNL interviews this week so once again, busy, busy, busy. 

I attended Distribution U over the weekend too and have some great notes that I plan to share later this week, once the SNL gig is over. 

So stay tuned!

Read More

Prepping for the American Film Market

Well, we had our premiere of Not Since You and a week later we are prepping for a screening for buyers on Thursday. And we are finalizing our deliverables for our foreign sales agent. So busy, busy, busy through this week. Then attending Distribution U on Saturday. Looking forward to learning some new things. I'll post what I learn!

Read More

Not Since You Premiere a Success!

We had a wonderful premiere of our film on Sunday night. It was a full house and everyone seemed to really enjoy the film! I'm still recovering - ha!

A couple of colleagues even blogged about the film. Leslie Morgan gives her thoughts here. And Andy Ramachandran of Movie Habit discusses it here. 

Thanks to everyone for helping to make it a success! Off to AFM we go with the film!

Read More

The Future of Indie Film Distribution: Peter Broderick

Here is a video in which indie distribution pioneers discuss new strategies in distributing independent films. Good info to consider:

The Future of Indie Film Distribution: Peter Broderick from Scott Kirsner on Vimeo.

Read More

Today Is Not since You's Premiere

A premiere of a film you have been working on for four years or more is a big day. And that's the day for our film Not Since You today!

I have to revel in the joy of it. So I'm up late the night before watching really cheesy TV to relax before the insanity begins tomorrow. 

One of the best things about a premiere is that you get to have a reunion with the people who helped you make the film all along the way, from the cast to the crew to the investors to the vendors and agents and managers, etc. It's a moment of closure and new beginnings for the picture.

So wish us luck as we take Not Since You to it's next stop on this indie train. We hope to see you as passengers on the way!

Read More

OpenIndie

Arin Crumley is the director of Four-Eyed Monster and now a co-founder of a movement (OpenIndie) where filmmakers can figure out how to get their films screened in a ton of cities. Arin premiered his film at the same SXSW that we premiered our film Straight Line. It's been really fun to see Arin become such a big indie figure since then. He is building a community of filmmakers to help get indie films some screenings. Check it out. I'll be joining. Where's my credit card? Click here to pledge and become a member of the site. You'll be in good hands!

Lets build OpenIndie.com Together (Half way to our Funding Goal)

We've past the half way mark towards our funding and I've been reading the amazing discussion taking place on our campaign comments and saw that already we are getting great input for how the site should function from our backers.

In addition to Kieran and I's direct responses I wanted to make a post to say that the point is this, the possibilities are endless. Kieran is a computer programmer with over 10 years of experience building similar infrastructures. So we can all bring our ideas to the table and make this thing do anything we want it too. Also I've been planning how this could all function for over 4 years by constantly envisioning this future system every time I made a new distribution move with Four Eyed Monsters. There are pages and pages of notes and ideas and sketches and drawings and concepts for how I see a new film industry functioning and OpenIndie.com is designed to be a huge part of the missing link.

But even with all of these ideas we have, it's the backers who will aid more then anybody the actual shape of this new service. First of all you guys bring money to the project which is huge. And secondly you are our base of filmmakers and users that will inform us how the system should be developed. The plan is to regularly update the backers with what the sites components are looking like as the get built. Comments about each update will play into the development and inform the direction we take phase 1. And then of course there will be phase 2 where we all get to try out the new system and learn what can improve.

So we are building the future together. What your donation means is that we are all going to make this happen together.

Of course this only happens if we fund. So please, spread the word. Reach out to a few fans of your work, see if they'll back even just 1 dollar. And if you know feature or short filmmakers, reach out to them as well. Share with them your reasons for backing this project and invite them to do the same.

Also, I've noticed many filmmakers pledging 20 dollars, I'd strongly encourage you to increase your pledge to 100 so that your film can actually be one of the 100 films that gets the free 1 hour of consulting and gets to use the service of the site. Kickstarter makes it very easy to increase your donation. Just hit the button and you can type in any number during the time frame that the campaign is live.

Thanks for supporting OpenIndie.com and have a wonderful day...

Arin Crumley 
co-founder

Read More

Do It With Others

I want to talk about Do It With Others. Last year, it was Do It Yourself and this year everyone is abuzz with Do It With Others.

I am a big proponent of Do It With Others. I think it's the ideal way to get the most publicity and best results for your film. When there is real collaboration happening, anything is possible. 

But is the real collaboration happening or even possible?

Let's talk about how it could be: 

Producer, Director, Writer, Financier(s), Cast, Crew, Agents, Managers, Assistants, Interns -- all the people who are part of the actual creation of the film. 

Each and every person above worked hard to make the film a reality at the time their specific skills were necessary for the completion of the film. The end product contains their work. And hopefully they are proud of it and they want the film to succeed. So let's say they bring their energy from the beginning of the process to the launch of the film. That's over 100 people telling others about the film and hopefully they tell 2 friends and so on. And that's just the creators of the films.

Then there are the fans, colleagues, friends, family and other filmmakers who can join in the promotion and let's not forget the Sales Agents, Producer Reps, Publicists, Production Attorneys, Theater Venues, Film Festivals, Journalists, etc. 

But, and tell me if you have found this to be true as well, too often a film is made and the 100 people who worked on the film have moved on to the next project that is currently exhausting them and paying their mortgages and bills. And suddenly that initial 100 has dropped significantly to a handful of people from the group of creators promoting the project. 

And then the fans, colleagues, friends, family and other filmmakers are distracted by their own commitments and life in general. They're excited about the project and they want to it to be a success. But life gets in the way and their own projects take priority. And the film flops.

So how can Do It With Others work if no one is really making it a priority to Do It With Others? We need to make a commitment to help one another. All of us do. And I believe the more we help one another, the more we help ourselves and our projects. Are we willing to go that extra mile to help others besides ourselves? It's the only way DIWO will work. 

Read More

How Do You Get Past the All the "No"s in Hollywood

No, No, No, No, well, No, okay, no, no again. Really, another No? That's right. In Hollywood, you get used to hearing "no" a lot. It's actually expected. And when a "yes" comes along, it takes a little bit to register. Wait, was that really a no? Hmmm. Do I dare believe I heard a "yes"? Maybe -- as I slowly begin to race toward that yes, heartily embracing it's potential for rocking my world. 

That Yes may even turn to a No, but you feel pretty damn good even getting that initial Yes. 

I hate to break to you, but you may as well get used to hearing "no" in Hollywood. It's a knee-jerk reaction. No, I won't fund your film. No, I don't like your script. No, you can't have that actor. No, you aren't invited to that premiere. No, you can't get in that party. No, you aren't accepted to that festival. No, you didn't get that job. Just face it: No is a popular word and Yes is what you will be chasing the rest of your career. When you get them, you better cherish them for another one may not come around again for a long while. 

So how do you deal with all the "No"s? You just do. You let those countless "No"s roll off your back and you try to learn from them. Why did he or she say no? There's a reason for everything. And if you can hone in on that reason, you may be able to focus on why you aren't hearing the elusive "Yes"! Or maybe that person is just a tool. Could be the case. You never know.

If you let them, the "No"s can also be very inspiring. Every time I hear a "No," I get fired up. I think, "What the hell do I have to get a 'yes' around here" -- alright, get your heads out of the gutter... And I buy that revealing dress (just kidding; wanted make sure you were still paying attention). In all seriousness, I work even harder and I set out to keep making more quality films. Boy that sounds really boring. But it's the truth. 

Each day, I think of new stories. I write. I read books and magazines and the news. I watch a crap-load of movies and TV shows. I troll the internet (again, minds out of the gutter, please), and I look for inspiration for new kick-ass ideas that can translate to the big screen. The key is hearing that "No" and kicking that negative energy right on out of your living room. Just get it out. Don't accept it. 

Remember: All it takes is ONE (IN THE BIGGEST LETTERS POSSIBLE) YES! That's right. Just one "yes" is all you need. You may hear five million "no"s but that one "yes" could be number five million and one! Just keep at it and keep getting better. 

Pangofilms (see Comments) makes a great point. Don't take it personally. That is the most fundamental step to dealing with "No"s. Filmmaking is a business. And not everyone is going to like your work. That is a fact. So get comfortable with that fact and find your audience who does like your work and cater to them. 

Read More

Not Since You Web Site Is Live!

After many months of painstaking work by our incredible Web master, we have our brand new Web site for Not Since You! Check it out at www.notsinceyoumovie.com.

Thanks to everyone who contributed their time and insights to the development of the site. We are excited to share it with the world. 

The site has lots of fun details about the film, pictures, and videos. We hope its effective in helping us draw in an audience. 

Let us know what you think!

Read More

When You Have the Wrong Producing Partner

Unfortunately not every partnership works. And it can become apparent at any time in the filmmaking process. 

There can be many reasons for the break down in the relationship. One of the main reasons is having a different vision over an aspect of the film -- use of funds, edit of the picture, certain hires, music and actor choices, etc. 

Every relationship can and does have conflict. Problems arise when people don't work together. It takes a team to make a movie and when someone steps away from the team and tries to impose his or her viewpoint as the best and only means of addressing an aspect of or even the entire film then a crack in the bond of the creators is inevitable. 

The worst part about having a fissure in the producing partnership is that it detracts from the main goal to which all energy should be focused: the successful creation of a motion picture. Infighting breeds stress and many wasted hours of discussion. Imagine if that energy could be used to help support the project instead of working against it? Imagine if the partners had worked together toward a compromise or common goal that both parties could believe in and feel comfortable with? 

You may be saying, but I have tried to find that common goal. And perhaps you have. Solutions can only be made if both parties are committed to listen to one another and accept each other's opinion and find a solution that works for both parties. You can't make it happen by yourself. A filmmaking team is not made of one person's actions or decisions. If you have truly tried to repair the crack and your partner ignores your attempts and still wants to make it all about his or her ideas then all you can do is keep working hard toward making the best movie possible. 

Some people don't have the strength to say, I need to put the film first. When a crack appears, everyone needs to step back and evaluate all factors of the picture. Does your or your partner's viewpoint make sense in the overall scheme of things? Are you really suggesting solutions that make sense for the film and the team and resources behind it and the film industry on the whole? Do you really understand how the industry works? Or could you be so focused on believing that you have the solution for what ails the project that you have forgotten that it takes a village to raise a child?

Let's not forget how hard it is to get a movie made. I know firsthand the many challenges and obstacles that need to be overcome. I have the scars from being knocked down, dragged through the mud, slammed into walls, and pulled through raging waters. I am humbled by what can go wrong and extremely proud of being able to make it over, under and through all the problems. Is it easy? Absolutely not. But is it necessary? Yes. You are a filmmaker and there will always be obstacles. Survival includes figuring out how to handle those obstacles and still make a great film. 

So what do you do when you realize you have the wrong producing partner? All you can do is re-channel any energy spent on the crack in the relationship back into the successful creation and launch of your film. For the sake of the movie that you have spent years building, you need to set aside the stress of the partnership and figure out how to make the best product possible. Because in the end, the winner and loser of your partnership is your film. 

Unfortunately, some people allow their ego or pride or lack of knowledge of the industry get in the way of putting the film first. They latch on to the idea that their way is the best and only way of completing the film and they terrorize those who do not fall in line with their vision. When this happens, all you can do is work hard to make the best movie you can make with the resources you have.

Look at all of the great leaders throughout history. You better believe they experienced conflict throughout their careers. No one is immune to conflict. It's how you react in moments of conflict that make you great. And in my opinion, the only way to react when you have the wrong producing partner is to focus on making the best film possible. For in the end, it's all about the movie, not you or your partner. 

Read More

Not Since You Tickets on Sale at Arclight Hollywood

I am very excited that tickets are now on sale for Not Since You at Arclight Hollywood. I am hoping to sell out the screening. We'd love to see any readers at the screening! The filmmakers and cast will be in attendance. Super, super excited! Screenings are the fun part of filmmaking - ha!

Now it's about promotion, promotion, promotion. I am tweeting and updating our facebook and myspace and youtube pages, etc. etc., and we are planning to launch a brand-spanking new Not Since You Web site on Monday. I'll post the link once it's done. Would love your comments on it!

We also have a new trailer that our foreign sales company Curb Entertainment has created. They are using this trailer to sell the film at MIPCOM (the major TV sales market in Cannes) and at the American Film Market here in LA. 

Here is a sneak peek. Hope you enjoy it!

Read More

Team with Massify.com and Killer Films to Make a Short

Killer Films, Ace Hotel, and Massify from Massify on Vimeo.

MASSIFY AND KILLER FILMS TEAM UP WITH ACE HOTEL FOR NEXT FILM

Next-Generation Talent Platform and Independent Cinema Icon Evolve Successful Alliance with Leading Hotel Group

New York (Sept. 30, 2009) – For its latest partnered production, Massify (www.massify.com) and Killer Films are joining forces with Ace Hotel to produce an innovative series of short films. Killer Films will work with a select group of writers and directors from the Massify community to shape concise, character-driven, comedic vignettes - with each story woven through the inspired setting of Ace's new Manhattan location. Actors and crew members will also be selected from Massify's network of talent to create the short films.

"We hope this production lends an element of transparency to the process of developing multiple projects simultaneously. The talent here is amazing and it's been a lot of fun so far," said Christine Vachon, co-founder of Killer Films. "Not to mention, grounding everything at Ace creates a physical and creative base."

"Expanding our partnership with Killer Films to include a brand like Ace Hotel is a great addition," added Massify CEO Geoff Pitfield. "It challenges filmmakers to be creative within certain limitations, while also tying the narratives together in a tangible way."

“We hope the hotel inspires great stories," said Alex Calderwood of Ace Hotel. "Our custom video on demand system allows us to curate and program unique content just like this. We hope that this will be an important way for Ace Hotel to be an on going friend to the independent film industry. Our guests are cultural enthusiasts and passionate about film, art and music and this fits perfectly with their interests.”

From now through the beginning of November, filmmakers can pitch their short film concepts on Massify. A group of finalists will be selected by Killer Films and given the opportunity to revise their scripts after receiving extensive feedback, before the films are chosen. Cast and crew members will be attached in early December, with production beginning shortly thereafter.

This project marks Massify and Killer Films' second partnered production. The first film, a festival-bound short titled Loop Planes, is currently in post-production.

LINKS
http://www.massify.com/killerfilms
http://www.killerfilms.com/
http://www.acehotel.com/

ABOUT KILLER FILMS
Created in 1995 by current principals Christine Vachon and Pam Koffler, Killer Films has established itself at the forefront of American independent cinema. It has a reputation for delivering challenging, thought-provoking and original movies from filmmakers with distinctive visions. Actors and directors are attracted to working with Killer because of its experience and its fearlessness, and the way it is protective of the artistic sensibilities of its collaborators. The company has produced over 30 films for directors as diverse as Todd Haynes, Kimberly Pierce, Mary Harron, Todd Solondz, Robert Altman and John Waters. Killer’s movies have been nominated for 8 Academy Awards and 20 Emmys, and won the Best Actress Oscar for Hilary Swank’s transformative performance in Boys Don’t Cry.

ABOUT MASSIFY
With over 45,000 members, Massify is the world’s largest and fastest growing online film production network. By enabling emerging talent and industry veterans to connect, collaborate, develop and promote projects - Massify creates a new platform for filmmaking as the industry moves into a digital age. Since its launch in 2008, Massify has amassed an impressive database of talent, created jobs for industry professionals, produced several projects and enabled countless more. Based in New York City, Massify is led by a team of seasoned technology and entertainment entrepreneurs. (www.massify.com)

ABOUT ACE HOTEL
Ace is the low card and the high card. Our rooms are affordable but replete with cool amenities, like turntables in select rooms with collections of vinyl from Other Music, customized Epiphone guitars, and Smeg refrigerators well stocked with delicious beverages and snacks. We partnered with design team Roman & Williams to fill the hotel with vintage furnishings from Brimfield antique markets and custom fixtures. Local street artists decorated the walls with murals and raw canvasses, and Michael Anderson created a huge graffiti installation in the lobby. We worked with designers like Coto, Various Projects, Mackintosh, Converse, and Levi’s to put our staff in custom threads. Our hotel is a friendly place, with lots of things to find. Ace Hotel New York is located on Broadway in the NoMad neighborhood of midtown Manhattan, with easy access to everywhere in the city.

Read More

Detailed Dialogue Action Continuity Script

As part of deliverables, there is a very innocuous-looking requirement: the Detailed Dialogue Action Continuity Script. It lurks around on your deliverable list taunting you with the idea that it will be a simple requirement. And then you go to do it and you are suddenly filled with immense dread: Basically it's a line by line, word by word breakdown of all the dialogue and action and even song lyrics according to time code and duration in seconds and frames. 

Ah, you think, no problem. I can do that. And then you do. And it sucks! It literally takes about 2 weeks full time to complete it. Your fingers will ache. Your back will hurt. Your butt will be flattened and your eyes will tear. Even the glass of wine after a hard day's work will take on a new meaning. 

Abbreviated at DDACS, this document is used by foreign buyers to create their subtitles and dubs. In post production, it has to be one of the most mind-numbing projects to tackle, if you decide to do it yourself. 

If you go to a company to have it completed, expect to drop around $2k (give or take) depending on the company. 

Now if you decide to do it yourself, good luck. There's practically no information available out there regarding the DDACS. There's a few random Web sites who have brief samples but that's about it. So unless you know someone who has a sample or you are friends with someone at a company who handles the DDACS, you will be hard-pressed to figure it out on your own. 

But don't give up. If you want to do it, you can. It's basically transcription work and while it's incredibly tedious, I believe it is something that anyone can do who has the patience for it. And it will save you a couple thousand and for an indie filmmaker that's the budget for your next short!

Read More

Not Since You to Premiere at the Hollywood Film Festival

Our romantic dramedy Not Since You will be premiering at the Hollywood Film Festival on Sunday, October 25 at 5pm at the Hollywood Arclight. We are excited to be part of the Hollywood Film Festival. A local screening is icing on the cake. And the cherry on top is screening at the premiere theater venue: the Hollywood Arclight. 

As an indie film, we find joy in the little things, like screening at the Arclight. We feel like kids in a candy store with this screening. We wish we could screen it on a film print but seeing that would mean an additional $30k, an HDCam will have to do. 

It's also great to be able to screen the film to a wider public audience. I hope any LA-based readers will come! I'd love to see you there. Now, it's time to promote, promote, promote! 

Read More

Bill Mechanic's Wise Words

A Twitter friend shared this link with me from Nikki Finke's blog of Bill Mechanic's keynote speech about the future of indies from the Independent Film & Television Production Conference. Mechanic is the former chairman/CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment and is now an indie producer (Coraline) and owner of Pandemonium LLC.

I found the speech enlightening, though it inspires me to be a survivor even more. I think what most people forget is that indie filmmakers are used to tough times. We struggle day in/day out even when the economy is amazing. What's a recession and the retraction of film deals? It's the day in a life of an indie filmmaker. We are used to rejection and we are used to forging new paths for our work and having a million obstacles to overcome. 

The interesting thing is hearing those who have achieved a certain level of success being humbled and literally and suddenly being at the same level as those who have struggled for that exact success. It's a level playing field right now. If you don't see that as an opportunity then I don't know what to else to say! 

Read More

A Script Reader Speaks

Check out this post A Script Reader Speaks from screenwriter Scott Myers. It offers an insight into what script readers look for in screenplays. Readers are employed by the agencies, studios and production companies to help them handle the huge mounds of daily screenplay submissions. It's great to know these insider viewpoints as you prepare to send out your scripts to production companies or studios. 

Read More

How to Make Indie Movies Today

It's true the independent film world is a mess right now. I'm so embroiled in it right now that I've been MIA trying to wrap my head around the madness and its effects on my projects. 

Amidst the madness, I got to thinking...

So how do we keep making movies? The best answer I could come up with was: Where there is a will, there is a way. And it's that will of indie filmmakers that will keep the industry going. 

I keep reading all of these articles and summaries of roundtables and panels and I keep hearing the same thing -- the indie market has fallen apart and no one can figure out how to make the business model work anymore. 

As we are trying to figure out a way to sell our films, why don't we look at how to make them? 

The key to making movies today is making them with less resources. Even though it may be your 4th or 5th movie and your budgets grew each time, you may need to make your next film for the smallest budget yet. 

That's right, make your movies for less money. There are less buyers and less money to buy. So if you want make movies now for the indie market and want to feel somewhat competitive, make a good, entertaining film on a really small budget. 

And that ain't easy folks. I've made a ton of micro-budget films and each one has given me a chunk of the wonderful grey hair I now have on my head. But if you want to keep making movies in this environment then embrace the grey. 

You may be saying to yourself, "I paid my dues. It's time I were paid a decent salary to make a movie." Well, you can either keep thinking that or make a movie. 

Making a movie for little money doesn't mean you have to do it for free. Give yourself a great pay day for when the film does make money. And if you are making a quality film, despite the lack of resources, then you will most likely make some money. So gamble on yourself and you just might get a great pay off, maybe not today, but perhaps tomorrow. 

Or you can sit back and cry about not finding that $2 to $5 million to make your movie. And while you are crying, me and my fellow micro-budget filmmakers will go make some more movies. Won't you join us?

Read More

In Music Licensing Hell

We are handling our deliverables on Not Since You right now and realizing that due to the sad state of the indie landscape right now, our music is too expensive. Last year when we chose the songs, our sales projections were higher and our future seemed brighter. 

But, as we all have noticed, the indie world is sliding down into a neglected, sorry state. And the buyers are taking full advantage. It is definitely a buyers' market right now and we sellers are feeling the pinch. From firsthand experience I am seeing sales diminish and interest in indie films plummet. My foreign sales agent even said that buyers would rather have a bad movie with big actors in it than a great one starring actors with no name value.

Our sales projections in one year have dropped by 75%. That is huge! I'm going to go cry in the corner right now. 

So now that we have to pay for the music licenses, we are determining that it's better for the project and our investors if we trim the fees. And this means replacing some songs. It also means opening up the sound mix (which costs money) and then re-mixing the new songs into the film. This is usually something you want to avoid at all costs but unfortunately, we couldn't. It's cheaper for us to replace the songs than to pay the licenses that were negotiated last year. 

And we have a deadline for the deliverables so we are racing to source and replace the songs and then create our master tapes for delivery on time. Our deliverables also include paperwork from the show. I will be spending tomorrow going through all of the contracts and scanning the necessary ones to a CD. I am trying my best to save trees -- though my agent said they need to print the paperwork anyway. At least I can feel good that I did my part in saving the world, one piece of paper at a time. 

Hopefully I will be out of music licensing hell next week. That's our deadline so we can stay on schedule. It's coming up fast! Wish us luck!

Read More

No One Wants to Be an Indie Filmmaker -- At First

I don't think anyone starts out wanting to be an independent filmmaker. I'm sure most of us would work with the studios if they let us express our creative vision and gave us the money to make our films. Why take on all the responsibilities of being independent unless you had to?

Don't get me wrong. I love being an indie producer. I enjoy being able to make movies that I wholeheartedly believe in. When one of my films makes it to the big screen, I know it contains a part of my soul. That is an amazing feeling. And being independent allows me to have that feeling over and over again.

And the grass is not always greener on the other side. I worked in the studio system. I enjoyed my time there and I hope to work with the studios again. But it is a corporate setting and it's very difficult to express your own vision in that world. I wanted the opportunity in my career to truly express who I was as a filmmaker, whether or not I would eventually make my way back to the studios.

The reasons to become independent are many: 

You may want to make small intimate dramas or experimental projects or you like the amount of control being independent allows. Or you feel shut out from the studio system and you still want to make movies. Or you want to break into the studio system by showing them what you can do on your own. Or you don't like the corporate film world. Or you live in an area where no film companies exist -- you have to be independent! 

So what does this mean? This choosing v. wanting.

I think anytime someone chooses to do something over wanting to do it, they are sacrificing some aspect of their goal. They are choosing to forsake the other option, just as they are choosing to embrace one. And it's this sacrifice that can gnaw at you for eternity if you let it and create doubt in your career path.  

As an independent filmmaker, I think it's important to realize you made a choice and acknowledge the sacrifice you are making with that choice. Give yourself time to consider your choice and if it makes sense to turn it into a want. Don't just settle on being an independent filmmaker. Know that it is something you want!

Read More

What Are the Components of a Successful Indie Film?

Every hit indie film has similar components that contribute toward its success. Let's think about them.

1. Strong writing. From the plot to the dialogue to the characterizations to the structure, a good indie film is made of solid, well-thought out writing. Brokeback Mountain was a beautifully written story about two cowboys who fall in love. Do you think it would have been as successful if it hadn't been well written?
2. Solid directing. A film can have a strong script but be ruined by a lack of vision from a director. Tom McCarthy's choices in both The Station Agent and The Visitor led to two wonderful films with well-executed quiet moments. In lesser hands, the same scripts could have easily fallen flat. 
3. Excellent acting. Even the best script and an amazing director cannot save a film if the acting is poor. Even with no-name actors, a film has a fighting chance if the acting is strong. Napoleon Dynamite was full of no-name actors who could act!
4. Capable producer. I know capable sounds like a weak adjective but being capable is a very important attribute for a producer. He or she can't just be an excellent money person or just be a strong leader. A producer needs to be able to capably handle a million different things. It's impossible to be amazing at everything, so in the end, the producer needs to be capable of executing a film from beginning to end -- with strengths in many areas and know how to compensate for their weaknesses in others. 
5. Good sound. A great film can be ruined with bad sound. Don't skimp on your production sound. 
6. Enjoyable music. I can still hear Juno's catchy tunes in my head. 

All it takes is one weak link and a film can go from being genius to mediocre. Focus on having quality talent in every aspect of your filmmaking and your chances will be high for success!

Read More

Flicker Problem in Our Film Fixed! Here's How

In our film Not Since You we found a very strange flicker problem in one of the scenes. It made the scene look as if a lightning storm was going on within the scene. We had no idea how it happened. We filmed a number of other shots the very same day on our 35mm camera with no issues and the problem affected two different lab rolls. It happened very randomly on a single day. Weird. 

Our post house thought it might be a bad HMI light, camera malfunction, or a lab error. Without knowing the exact source of the issue, it made it harder to determine the best fix. 

And one of the largest problems was that the flicker was not noticeable until over a year after filming. Why was that? We never projected the film on the big screen until we were working in a Digital Intermediate. Throughout editing, we watched the film on a tiny screen and couldn't detect the flicker. Once on the big screen though, you could definitely see it and we worried the film would never pass Quality Control once we sold it. Now what? (as my blood pressure rose)

Well, first, we hoped the flicker could be captured by a certain algorithm and then removed. Unfortunately, our flicker was not moving at a constant rate. Instead it was fluctuating at many different speeds, making it impossible to capture easily and remove. This was when we knew we had a big problem. 

I then contacted our insurance company. I was very nervous about filing a claim more than a year after filming but the problem obviously occurred during production. I hoped I wouldn't run into any problems. Sure enough, the insurance company's biggest complaint was the amount of time between filming and the detection of the problem. I explained what happened and had three post houses confirm that it happened during filming. That's all I could do. And the insurance company eventually agreed to honor the claim. (blood pressure began easing)

The next step was getting quotes from post houses who could fix the problem. However, this was not a simple fix nor was it going to be cheap. I went to four different places and luckily one referred me to the wonderful team at Identity Studios in LA. These guys are miracle workers. None of the other post houses could offer an affordable fix that would even work well. Not because they weren't capable post houses -- the others just didn't have the specialized experience with this kind of problem.

Identity, on the other hand, had experience with these kinds of flickers and they offered a near-perfect fix and an affordable quote. When I say affordable, I mean affordable in the post world of costs. It was still very expensive! I could have bought a really nice car with what it cost. 

I guess the moral of this story is to not give up. If you see a problem that seems impossible to fix. Keep trying until you find a way. Just like we found Identity, you will find your miracle worker too.

Read More

How to Take Feedback on Your Script and Film

I was inspired to write this post from reading this blog post "I Will Not Read Your Fucking Script" from A History of Violence screenwriter Josh Olson. Some of you may be offended by his offhanded way of dismissing new writers but if you read closely, you will find some very sage advice. 

And that advice is to listen and learn and be gracious for any feedback from anyone, especially those who have achieved success in the very field in which you are seeking similar success. And, very importantly, if you seek feedback, expect to get both good and bad and embrace BOTH. The good is great to hear but the bad is what is going to make you a stronger writer or filmmaker if you listen and learn from it. 

Though in your face, I am very sympathetic to Josh's sentiments. I too am asked to read tons of scripts and it's my job to do so and I enjoy it. But sometimes, after having taken my time away from my own projects to read a script and provide some insights, I get the same pat response Olson's friend gave him or sometimes even NO response from the writer. Like Olson, it stings. 

I have to agree that it's really hard to read someone's script and know that it isn't very good and then have to think about how to kindly be honest and supportive. It's not easy and it takes time to write those emails, even if they sound generic to the screenwriter. You don't want to offend someone who has spent a long time writing a script but you also don't want to just lie and say it's great because how is that helping him or her achieve success?

Unfortunately, you can't please everyone. I just hope people listen to Olson and realize that though he has achieved success, he is still human and deserves to be handled with respect. I'm sure he is reacting mainly to the fact that this writer was pissed and dismissive of Olson's efforts to provide honest feedback. In the end, we all could stand to be better and let's be grateful someone cares enough to tell us so. 

Read More

Back to Business: Deliverables Cost $$$$$

Had a great vacation despite having to negotiate a foreign sales deal in the middle of it -- c'est la vie for an indie filmmaker! 

And with this deal comes the dreaded deliverables! My nightmare is becoming my reality. I shake in my shoes every time the deliverable requirements come around. 

Why are deliverables a nightmare? Because everything AND the kitchen sink is usually required to be delivered and within a short timeframe and the worst part about them is that they are expensive! OUCH!!! 

Right now, we are delivering our film Not Since You to our foreign sales agent and clearing music licenses. This is a painstaking process that requires delivering the film and sound and contracts in every form possible. Costs can really add up especially if you need to work with multiple facilities in order to cover every aspect of the delivery. 

The scary part is that deals can definitely go away if you can't provide all your deliverables. So you have to be extremely careful about fulfilling what is required. 

A word of caution: do not blindly sign off on a deliverable schedule. Do the research on how much each item is going to cost or you may find you don't have the funds to handle what is required by that company. And be sure to have help from a producer's rep and/or a lawyer (preferably both) when going over any contracts. Knowledge is power! 

Read More

On Vacation!

I'm on a blogging hiatus due to vacation. Ah, relaxation. We all need it. More blog entries to come in the middle of next week. Cheers!

Read More

Articles to Read: No Fee Film Festivals and Going Solo on Distro

Two Good Articles to Check Out

No Fee Film Festivals

Going solo on your distribution

Read More

Why Are Good Screenplays So Hard to Find?

Good screenplays are like finding a needle in a haystack. Why is that? I know there are strong, successful screenwriters out there. So why isn't there more good product to choose from when we producers are looking for more material?

I'll speculate a little: 

1) Good Screenwriters don't have to write on spec. They can be hired onto projects by the studios or financiers or they can pitch their ideas and get the money to write them. This is where indie producers who usually don't have development money really lose out. 

2) Good Screenwriters command the attention of bigger, more successful producers who get the first pick of their work.

3) Good screenwriters are repped by agencies who ignore smaller producers, believing the project will not have a chance of getting made with a decent price tag or at all with a smaller producer on board. 

4) Good Screenwriters can write on spec and get their scripts sold or perhaps set up for development at a big production company thus leaving the smaller producer out of the loop entirely.

5) Once successful, Good Screenwriters aren't in the orbit of smaller producers. Or they choose not to be.  

Where does that leave the smaller producers who have no money or reputation to get a Good Screenwriter?

1) You find newer screenwriters to mold and shape into the Good Screenwriter. You make a film based on their freshman scripts and cross your fingers it's a hit. And when that Good Screenwriter grows up, you hope your relationship has them bringing their new projects your way.

2) You rattle the trees of agents and managers who will blow the dust off the scripts sitting on their shelves. Or take pity on you and throw a spec (usually one they don't love) your way. 

3) You spend the time developing mediocre material into a gem. 

4) You find and option books that the Good Screenwriters want to adapt.

5) You garner some success and go after the Good Screenwriters based on the heat from your success.

6) You befriend those who work at production companies with deals and you bring them material for Good Screenwriters. You then partner and they help you get that elusive Good Screenwriter on board.

7) You track winners of screenwriting contests and go after them to consider their material.

8) You hit up your friends in the industry for referrals to the up and coming screenwriters. 

9) You attend festivals and screenings of material from new talent. 

10) You come up with any and every idea to find sources of material. Your Aunt Gladys might even be a budding screenwriter. 

You just never know where that Good Screenwriter is going to come from. That Good Screenwriter might even be you. The best thing is to keep your eyes and ears open and keep looking and read, read, read!

Read More

Are Indie Filmmakers Too Independent?

Independent filmmakers often work in their own worlds, within their own cliques of people with whom they like working. This is good and bad. It's good because you can grow a small group of very loyal, similar thinking people that you can lean on for the long haul of filmmaking. It's bad because you may only have the people in your small group weighing in on your work. And those people may not have the experience yet to really help you propel your work to the next level. 

Are indie filmmakers working too much in a vacuum? Do we need a better means of expanding our worlds and having more checks and balances on our work? Personally, I try to create greater opportunities to expand my indie world. I work with some great people, but I think it's important to grow my world and get other people's perspectives on storytelling whenever I can.

I'm also wondering if we had more people involved earlier in the process then would more films have greater success on the festival circuit and at the box office? Something to think about.

I know there are programs out there to help us be better filmmakers. Here are a few:

Sundance Screenwriting, Producing & Director Labs

Film Independent Screenwriting, Producing & Director Labs

IFP Rough Cut Lab

Nicholl Fellowships for Screenwriting

Now the issue I have with the above labs are that they are very exclusive and geared primarily toward low budget independent filmmaking. What do the rest of us do when we aren't accepted to these programs or you want to develop broad comedies or thrillers or action pieces, etc.?

Well, the onus falls on you to get your own feedback. I know this isn't easy. Those who are good at development and successful in their careers are often super busy and don't have much time to spend teaching others how to improve their skills. This is where interning and assisting become a very valuable tool for your growth as a filmmaker. 

If you are having a hard time getting the guidance you need from organizations or seminars, etc., try spending time with successful people by offering your help. Many will take you up on your offer and you may find support and a mentorship that could really help you grow as an artist.

No matter what filmmaking is built on relationships. Don't be afraid to expand your network and share your work with those outside your inner circle. Being independent is great but it doesn't mean being alone. 

Read More