Industry Outbursts

The entertainment industry can absolutely make any one of us insane. I share this edited clip  as proof that film and TV sets can be stressful. It's not all fun and games. It's really hard work and tensions are running  high. My palms were sweating just listening to this because I have experienced many similar moments on set. 

Honestly, I still love Christian Bale. He's extremely talented. I would be happy to have him cussing me out on set in exchange for an opportunity to work with him. 

(WARNING: Lots of profanity!)

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Producer Training and Mentorship

I commented on Ted Hope's blog Truly Free Film (if you aren't following his blog, you should) about my thoughts on how there is minimal producer training and mentor programs. This is something that needs to change in the industry. Here is what I had to say for you all to consider: 

Much of the struggles of the industry are due to the lack of resources, training and mentoring to producers. If we have enough support for the group of people whom actually greenlight the pictures then maybe that will trickle down over everything.

I can't think of one organization that strongly focuses on the development of indie producers. Film school producing programs are just the beginning of training. And most indie producers don't attend film school anyway. You must already have films distributed in order to join the Producers Guild as a producer. By then you have already typically made a few crappy ones that never got distributed. IFP and Film Independent and Sundance try to offer help but they also heavily service directors and writers. And much of the best resources are given in tiny labs that are very hard to get into.

I think we need an organization specifically for producers -- that will be the most effective.

Most of the interviews in film magazines are with writers and directors. I know more about the writers and directors of indie films than producers. That needs to change. More publicity and knowledge of what a producer does will help. Maybe those less experienced won't jump in so quickly if they really understand how big a job it is.

I think that if we start an organization that is helmed or guided by successful producers that really gives back to the next generation of producers then we are on to something that can help indie films get better. Teach indie producers how to develop strong films and be a strong creative partner to the director. Help them understand the importance of a strong cast. Distributors have said they want projects with name actors. How do indie producers make this happen? They need help. Bigger producers could help make inroads with the agents so they are more open to having their clients in smaller films. Give indie producers resources that really help them secure distribution.

You help to teach and build the skills of indie producers and I guarantee there will be significant change in the quality of films being made. They will develop projects longer. Staff it right and cast it well, etc. We lament the loss of billions of dollars each year on indie films. Who is gathering this money and using it? Producers! Let's get us trained and organized and perhaps these losses will diminish. I'm ready to do what it takes to fix the situation. This is my livelihood. If I don't help fix it, who will?

If there were an organization providing more significant training and support from the top at the producer level, we would see a huge difference in the quality of films being made. I know my producer colleagues and I could use more support and the problem is that we haven't been able to find this "ongoing" support. We lean on each other and we join all the usual associations that do exist, but we still struggle finding the mentoring that we really want and need.

Sure, most of us have worked with amazing producers in the past who try to be approachable but it's not an effective system. These amazing producers are extremely busy and have their own projects to worry about. I think these producers would be more available if they were working within an established system of giving back. I personally find it much easier to give back through an established means rather than random email and phone requests that have a high chance of getting lost in the shuffle. In addition, an established system would allow mentoring from multiple sources, which benefits everyone.

I am a case study in what is broken in our system. I work extremely hard and have the best of intentions for making entertaining films that appeal to a wide audience. I want my investors to make their money back, and I believe I am making the right decisions but if I had a system to lean on a bit more, I know I would increase the odds of my films being a success. And if producers like me have a hard time building a proper support system, how do those just starting out have a chance? It's a real dilemma.

We need a system that offers producers a means for receiving guidance and training, and in turn, allows those producers who have "made it" to give back in a significant way. By the time a producer has made a name for him or herself, he or she has usually already made a few films that have lost money. I am sure this "learning" period is where we are seeing the greatest loss in the billions of dollars of investment money. We catch producers at this phase in their careers and we provide a foundation for a thriving independent film industry.

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Have Fun with Your Filmmaking

I think it's great when you can think of ways to have a good time when making smaller films. There usually isn't much money to be had so why not make it about the experience as well as making a movie? 

Here's an example of some filmmakers creating a journey out of their work. Check it out and if you are in a city they are going to be in and you want to contribute, give them a shout. It sounds super cool and fun to me. Here's the dealio:  

The Two-week Turnaround Tour, or T3, is a community filmmaking project. Thousands of amateur and professional filmmakers will come together in over 14 US cities to write, shoot, and screen a short film in just two weeks.

We believe everyone has something to offer in the collaborative art of filmmmaking. The tour kicks off March 27, 2009. Check out our site at www.filmblazer.com. 

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Crew Labs Contest - Win a Marketing Package for Your Film

In conjunction with my film trailer blog, I want to alert you all to a contest brought to you by Crew Creative, an entertainment advertising company. Here is a link for more information.

As I have already pointed out, it's important to have a strong trailer for your film. Entertainment advertising companies, like Crew Creative, offer trailer creation along with other publicity materials. Often they are out of the price range of an indie film. But Crew Creative is offering an opportunity for a low budget film to garner a marketing package that only the bigger budgets could afford.  

The winner of Crew Labs will be rewarded with a one-sheet art poster, an interactive website, and a trailer for their film.  

Good luck!

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Film Trailers

A film trailer is an absolutely necessary part of your sales arsenal for your film. You will use your trailer to entice distributors to buy your film and audiences to buy tickets to see your film. 

There are three kinds of trailers you should be familiar with: teaser, theatrical trailer and sales trailer. A teaser is approx. a 30 second spot that "teases" the audience with  your story. Teasers may be released even while the film is being edited to whet the appetite of the audience.

Here is a teaser trailer for The Dark Knight:

A theatrical trailer is about 2  to 2 1/2 mins and it's typically the trailer used to hook audiences. Theatrical trailers show before films at the movie theater or on TV or the Internet. Thus they need to be for all audiences (no nudity or swearing or extreme violence, etc.). 

Here are two theatrical trailers for The Dark Knight:

OR 

Sales trailers, on the other hand, are usually for buyers of the film. They tend to be longer (almost 3 mins or more) and contain the goodies from your film that you wouldn't find in the theatrical trailer, i.e. nudity, blood, scenes of high production value that give away too much of the story, etc. Buyers want to see what your film has to offer in one short clip.  

I don't have a version of the sales trailer to show you from The Dark Knight. That trailer would be used by sales agents at film markets like the ones at Berlin or Cannes or Los Angeles (American Film Market or AFM). Just imagine a longer clip with more of the scenes that really give away all of the major selling points, like the incredible VFX, etc. 

Many independent films have a hard time affording an experienced trailer editor. I understand that predicament but I would suggest that you do your best to try to find someone with trailer cutting experience. 

A trailer editor will have been trained in how to "sell" a film. That knowledge and experience can directly result in sales of your movie. I have heard countless stories of distributors buying movies based on solely seeing the trailer. Now that's an effective sales tool. 

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iFilmmaker New Application

I'm off to Jury Duty today. Lots o' fun for me today. Maybe I'll see Gene Hackman there. If only it were the movies! A friend did say he hung out with Eva Longoria when he reported last. When I say hung out, he sat next to her. So who knows? Maybe I'll hang with a celebrity who is reporting too. I'll keep you posted on it. 

So today's blog will be brief since it's 6am and I have to report to duty at 7:30a! Don't they know that filmmakers sleep in when they aren't in production?? 

Today I'm alerting you all to a new application on Filmmaking topics called iFilmmaker Pro for your iPhone or iPod Touch from Vikram Yashpal Malhotra. I don't own either device so I couldn't try it out. If someone else wants to try it out and offer up a review that would be great.

You can download the application from iTunes App store and it will work on your iPHONE or iPOD Touch. It's $4.99 to download. As I said, I can't recommend the app as I don't own the iPhone or iPod Touch. But now you know about it so feel free to check it out if you like. 

Following is more information about the application:

For the movie making beginner, expert or "been-there-done-that indie enthusiast", iFilmMaker is loaded with 1500 questions, tips and tricks of the film making trade, presented in a very entertaining, and educational manner. With iFilmMaker application, you can learn about Editing, Directing/Producing, ScriptWriting, Acting, and Cinematography with easy to answer questions, and click to live web links for detailed information about the particular subject.

Features:
- Over 1500 questions to choose from with points for each correct answer

- 5 Film Making Subject Categories: Editing, Directing, ScriptWriting, Acting and Cinematography

- Each question has a detailed web page links for detailed informaton

- Users can submit a question as well!

- Active Leaderboard with a list of the top points scorers

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Superbowl Sunday and Football Movies

Rudy is my favorite football movie. I can watch it over and over and over. 

It's Superbowl Sunday. I will be checking out all the commercials for sure. For those of you in the football movie mood, here are some goodies:

The Express (2008; Dir. Gary Fleder; starring Rob Brown)

Leatherheads (2008; Dir. George Clooney; starring John Krasinski, Renee Zellweger)

The Longshots (2008; Dir. Fred Durst; starring Ice Cube)

We Are Marshall (2006; Dir. McG; starring Matthew McConaughey)

Gridiron Gang (2006; Dir. Phil Joanou; starring The Rock)

Invincible (2006; Dr. Ericson Core; starring Mark Wahlberg)

Friday Night Lights (2004; Dir. Peter Berg; starring Lucas Black, Jay Hernandez, Derek Luke)

Radio (2003; Dir. Michael Tollin; starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Ed Harris)

Remember the Titans (2000; Dir. Boaz Yakin; starring Denzel Washington)

The Replacements (2000; Dir. Howard Deutch; starring Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman)

Any Given Sunday (1999; Dir. Oliver Stone; starring Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz)

Varsity Blues (1999; Dir. Brian Robbins; starring James Van Der Beek)

The Waterboy (1998; Dir. Frank Coraci; starring Adam Sandler)

Jerry Maguire (1996; Dir. Cameron Crowe; starring Tom Cruise, Renee Zellweger, Cuba Gooding Jr.)

Rudy (1993; Dir. David Anspaugh; starring Sean Astin) 

The Program (1993; Dir. David S. Ward; starring James Caan)

Everybody's All-American (1988; Dir. Taylor Hackford; starring Jessica Lange, Dennis Quaid)

Wildcats (1986; Dir. Michael Ritchie; starring Goldie Hawn)

All the Right Moves (1983; Dir. Michael Chapman; starring Tom Cruise)

North Dallas Forty (1979; Dir. Ted Kotcheff; starring Nick Nolte)

Heaven Can Wait (1978; Dir. Warren Beatty and Buck Henry; starring Warren Beatty)

Semi-Tough (1977; Dir. Michael Ritchie; starring Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson)

The Longest Yard (1974; Dir. Robert Aldrich; starring Burt Reynolds)

Brian's Song (1971; Dir. Buzz Kulic; starring Billy Dee Williams, James Caan)

Number One (1969; Dir. Tom Gries; starring Charlton Heston)

Paper Lion (1968; Dir. Alex March; starring Alan Alda)

Knute Rockne All American (1940; Dir. Lloyd Bacon; starring Pat O'Brien)

If you are interested, here is a list of the top-grossing football movies from 1975-Present. 

Since I couldn't list ALL the football movies, here's a very comprehensive list of football movies.

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