Throwback Sundays remembers one of the greatest films of all time.
RIMINI (Italy) - FEDERICO Fellini's classic film 'La Dolce Vita' is approaching the half-century mark and the director's hometown is pulling out the stops to give it a Felliniesque two-year-long international birthday bash.
The celebrations for the film, which Fellini conceived in 1958, shot in 1959 and premiered in early 1960, will extend to Los Angeles in 2009 in a fittingly drawn-out tribute to the man who liked to say 'why use two words when 10 will do?'.
As part of the 50th-anniversary initiatives, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars, will hold an exhibition from Jan 24- Apr 19 on Fellini's 'Book of my Dreams' at its headquarters in Beverly Hills.
But Rimini kicked off the party last week with an international convention on 'La Dolce Vita'. It included speeches by critics, a sociologist, a psychoanalyst, a composer, an etymologist and even a priest.
For two days they discussed, dissected and debated every aspect of a 178-minute long, black-and-white film that changed cinema history.
Fellini, who died in Rome in 1993, is a god among film buffs and the 'La Dolce Vita' is an icon. So it was no surprise that for some the convention was akin to a religious experience, a chance to venerate a relic along with fellow believers.
'Our role is to conserve and transmit the historical memory of Federico Fellini,' Vittorio Boarini, director of the foundation that bears the late director's name, said solemnly.
The foundation holds seminars and exhibitions, publishes books and even has a quarterly review of 'Fellinian Studies', including such weighty topics as the significance of trains and the sea in Fellini's expressionism.
'Fellini was an artist whose influence, whose cultural and intellectual power, went far beyond cinema. His creativity, his drawings, his writings, the music he chose, influenced art and society in general,' said Boarini.
Last week the foundation opened an exhibition called 'The Books of My House', where devotees can see the volumes he kept at home that influenced him - from comic books and murder mysteries to Freud and Socrates.
More flesh in a deodorant ad
'La Dolce Vita', starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg and Anouk Aimee, was considered scandalous at the time of its release but is quite tame by the standards of today, where more flesh can be seen in a television deodorant advert.
In seven loosely connected episodes, Mastroianni, playing reporter Marcello, covers the escapades of residual nobility, nouveau riche, starlets and hangers-on of the cafe set on Rome's Via Veneto as he struggles to find meaning in his own life.
A bored rich woman (Anouk Aimee) takes Marcello in her Cadillac to the squalid house of a prostitute because making love there would be more exciting than in her palatial estate.
In its emblematic scene, Sylvia, a towering phosphorescent blonde diva played by Ekberg, lures Marcello into a sensual midnight wade in the cold waters of Rome's Trevi Fountain.
In the film, Marcello chronicles events with his inseparable sidekick, a photographer whose last name is Paparazzo: the name now in dictionaries in nearly every language meaning aggressive street photographers.
'The phrase 'Dolce Vita' or 'the sweet life' and the word paparazzo have become part of every day American language,' said Ellen Harrington of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in California.
'The film really foretold where we are at with the celebrity culture in America, which is so saturated and so over the top.
The paparazzi are everywhere and my small children know the word already because our lives in Los Angeles are kind of impinged by the existence of these creatures,' she said.
Fellini based the role of Paparazzo on the real-life antics of Tazio Secchiaroli, a legendary photographer who died in 1998.
Various explanations for why Fellini chose the surname Paparazzo exist. One is because its last syllable - azzo - rhymes with 'cazzo', the vulgar Italian slang word for penis.
When the film came out, the Vatican said it should be re-titled 'The Disgusting Life' and an irate elderly woman even grabbed Fellini in Rome and told him to 'tie a stone around your neck and drown in the deepest sea'.
Moral message
The notoriety only helped raise its profile outside Italy.
'La Dolce Vita' went on to influence scores of directors and still leaves its mark on new generations.
'Even my students today say it has a moral message,' said teacher Luisa Rizzo, taking her high school class to the convention. 'They identify the false values, superficiality and anxieties of the film's characters with the society they live in today.'
The Academy's 2009 exhibition, on 'Fellini Oniricon-The Book of my Dreams', will open at its headquarters in Beverly Hills two days after the Oscar nominations. Fellini won five Oscars.
'There have been very few filmmakers who were able to transcend their moment in time and transfer their work across borders the way he did,' said the Academy's Harrington.
'I think Fellini was a very moral filmmaker. He was very prophetic but at the same time he examined the range of human behaviour. 'La Dolce Vita' inspires a range of emotions - lust, envy, desire, horror, repulsion,' she said.
The huge two-volume work that will go to Hollywood consists of the nocturnal notes and sketches, many of them sexual, which Fellini quickly put to paper on waking in the night.
It is full of drawings of the type of big-busted and curvy women who populated his fantasies and films.
One entry is about a 1963 dream in which he has oral sex with Anita Ekberg while riding on a train in Italy.
'It would have been unthinkable to publish some of these 50 years ago when 'La Dolce Vita' came out,' said Gianluigi Rossi, an Italian lawyer who was instrumental in the Academy show. -- REUTERS
Here is the famous "Trevi Fountain Scene" from the film, one of the most remembered scenes in cinematic history.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Turkey Day with Lynn Shelton
We came back across this early note received from a friend of ours, writer/director Lynn Shelton , months before we would begin shooting Cookies & Cream, and right before she shot the SXSW premiered, IFC distributed My Effortless Brilliance.
"yes yes yes! i am in the midst of my own love affair with this "movement" but i came at it from a slightly different angle.
i made experimental shorts and docs for a decade totally DIY and then was invited to write and direct my first feature a couple of years ago by "the film company" a seattle-based nonprofit film studio. that film was called "WE GO WAY BACK" and won the top prizes at Slamdance 06. it was an amazing experience, my first time on a real set with a real crew (i'd been editing narrative work for years but had always been isolated from the production phase) and i loved every minute of it and learned tons. but i was fantasizing almost immediately about what a more performance-centered filmmaking strategy might look like because the traditional paradigm for making movies is so hard on actors, it seemed to me, especially if you weren't working with seasoned pros.
so i was already envisioning a small-crewed, handheld video, cinema verite approach when i met joe swanberg (LOL, Hannah Takes the Stairs, Kissing on the Mouth) at the maryland film festival last year. i saw LOL there and recognized the exact level of naturalism in the "acting" (can you even call it that, really?) that i wanted to achieve in my work. that was when i added improv into the mix of my new list of ingredients to cooking up a movie. the other inspiring thing about seeing LOL and meeting joe was, of course, that he had just up and made it without having to put an enormous financing structure into place to do it. WGWB was made on a shoestring budget but still cost $200k or so (i didn't produce so don't really know the exact figure for sure.) having been babied through (and protected from) that part of the business of filmmaking the first time, i was incredibly intimidated by the thought of having to figure out how to navigate all of that on my own the second time around. it just seemed like the most incredible luck that a more performance-centered filmmaking method also happened to be a much more AFFORDABLE one as well.
I just finished shooting my self-produced second feature, SEVEN WAYS TO SUNDAY, after holding a couple of house fundraisers to raise enough money ($8k or so) to pay the small, hand-picked crew a little something and feed everyone. i kept this project as low cost as possible by developing it around actors and resources and locations that i already had at my disposal. it was a positively heavenly experience to shoot. i'm just starting to edit.
the whole thing has left me feeling very empowered, especially within the context of a world that traditionally feels extremely intimidating, terrifying, and seemingly designed to thwart the creative process at every turn.
i look forward to hearing more about (and seeing!) your own projects. being in and helping to build upon this amazing community of incredibly creative, resourceful and supportive renegade indie filmmakers is yet another awesome thing about jumping on board this particular bandwagon.
best,
lynn shelton :) "
Posted by Lynn Shelton on Sunday, July 01, 2007 at 8:37 PM
Check out the trailer below:
http://www.myeffortlessbrilliance.com
"yes yes yes! i am in the midst of my own love affair with this "movement" but i came at it from a slightly different angle.
i made experimental shorts and docs for a decade totally DIY and then was invited to write and direct my first feature a couple of years ago by "the film company" a seattle-based nonprofit film studio. that film was called "WE GO WAY BACK" and won the top prizes at Slamdance 06. it was an amazing experience, my first time on a real set with a real crew (i'd been editing narrative work for years but had always been isolated from the production phase) and i loved every minute of it and learned tons. but i was fantasizing almost immediately about what a more performance-centered filmmaking strategy might look like because the traditional paradigm for making movies is so hard on actors, it seemed to me, especially if you weren't working with seasoned pros.
so i was already envisioning a small-crewed, handheld video, cinema verite approach when i met joe swanberg (LOL, Hannah Takes the Stairs, Kissing on the Mouth) at the maryland film festival last year. i saw LOL there and recognized the exact level of naturalism in the "acting" (can you even call it that, really?) that i wanted to achieve in my work. that was when i added improv into the mix of my new list of ingredients to cooking up a movie. the other inspiring thing about seeing LOL and meeting joe was, of course, that he had just up and made it without having to put an enormous financing structure into place to do it. WGWB was made on a shoestring budget but still cost $200k or so (i didn't produce so don't really know the exact figure for sure.) having been babied through (and protected from) that part of the business of filmmaking the first time, i was incredibly intimidated by the thought of having to figure out how to navigate all of that on my own the second time around. it just seemed like the most incredible luck that a more performance-centered filmmaking method also happened to be a much more AFFORDABLE one as well.
I just finished shooting my self-produced second feature, SEVEN WAYS TO SUNDAY, after holding a couple of house fundraisers to raise enough money ($8k or so) to pay the small, hand-picked crew a little something and feed everyone. i kept this project as low cost as possible by developing it around actors and resources and locations that i already had at my disposal. it was a positively heavenly experience to shoot. i'm just starting to edit.
the whole thing has left me feeling very empowered, especially within the context of a world that traditionally feels extremely intimidating, terrifying, and seemingly designed to thwart the creative process at every turn.
i look forward to hearing more about (and seeing!) your own projects. being in and helping to build upon this amazing community of incredibly creative, resourceful and supportive renegade indie filmmakers is yet another awesome thing about jumping on board this particular bandwagon.
best,
lynn shelton :) "
Posted by Lynn Shelton on Sunday, July 01, 2007 at 8:37 PM
Check out the trailer below:
http://www.myeffortlessbrilliance.com
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Our Theatre Recommendation of the Month
One Way or Another Productions recommends acknowledging that RetroVision Media recommends Radio Theatre's Dracula!
Check out our good friend Chris Riquinha from Uptown and Cookies & Cream, as well as our friend Alexandra Loren, who are both in the production.
Here is RetroVision Media's recommendation. We totally co-sign this.
We didn’t check to see if Dan Bianchi of Radio Theater has a fan club yet, but we here at RetroVision Media will be the first to join after witnessing his latest Black Box Theater offering of Dracula. Now playing at the Players Theatre in the West Village NYC, Bianchi’s hit adaptation of the infamous bloodsucker was resurrected for an evening of spine chilling, goose bump rising, yet fun filled entertainment.Not to be confused with the old time radio shows of the 1920s-1950s, writer, director and music composer Dan Bianchi stamps his signature style on each original work with a unique blend of spirit, intensity and theatrical innovation. While this production of Dracula stays true to storyline, his unobtrusive staging, use of light and mild special effects allows the audience to feel as though they are experiencing the terror of this tale for the first time.
With a cast of seasoned professionals primed to perform at the highest levels of their craft, Radio Theatres Dracula is far and away a welcomed addition to the New York City theater scene this year. That being said, we would be remiss in our duties not to highlight Frank Zilinyi, (Count Dracula) gifted with the voice of gods, as he not only delivered a command performance, but visible had a lot of fun in the process. Our only question of Mr. Zilinyi is whether he is really that talented or does he simply work very hard at perfecting his technique.
Additionally, while this program is obviously designed for the minds eye, Mr. Bianchi provided two beauties, Alexandra Loren (Lucy) and Shelleen Kostabi (Mina) for those willing to brave a peak during the darkened stage performance to catch a glimpse of their bloodcurdling screams. We highly recommend this production and look forward to this theater companys work in the future.
Here is what you need to know:
The Place
Players Theatre
Opened
November 11, 2008
Closing
December 30, 2008
The Shows
Tue at 8pm
The Tickets
$20
212-352-3101
Order tickets online
SAVE ON TICKETS!
The Kick Ass Cast!
R. Patrick Alberty (Harker), Anthony Crep(Narrator), Joe Fellman, (Van Helsing) Shelleen Kostabi (Mina), Alexandra Loren(Lucy), Chris Riquinha(Arthur), Frank Zilinyi (Dracula/Renfield)
Sound Engineer
Wes Shippee
Lighting Design
Matt Everett
Lighting Tech
Reid J. Kendall
Adapted & Directed By
Dan Bianchi
Executive Producer
Cynthia Bianchi
The Production Company
Radiotheatre
http://www.radiotheatrenyc.com/
Check out our good friend Chris Riquinha from Uptown and Cookies & Cream, as well as our friend Alexandra Loren, who are both in the production.
Here is RetroVision Media's recommendation. We totally co-sign this.
We didn’t check to see if Dan Bianchi of Radio Theater has a fan club yet, but we here at RetroVision Media will be the first to join after witnessing his latest Black Box Theater offering of Dracula. Now playing at the Players Theatre in the West Village NYC, Bianchi’s hit adaptation of the infamous bloodsucker was resurrected for an evening of spine chilling, goose bump rising, yet fun filled entertainment.Not to be confused with the old time radio shows of the 1920s-1950s, writer, director and music composer Dan Bianchi stamps his signature style on each original work with a unique blend of spirit, intensity and theatrical innovation. While this production of Dracula stays true to storyline, his unobtrusive staging, use of light and mild special effects allows the audience to feel as though they are experiencing the terror of this tale for the first time.
With a cast of seasoned professionals primed to perform at the highest levels of their craft, Radio Theatres Dracula is far and away a welcomed addition to the New York City theater scene this year. That being said, we would be remiss in our duties not to highlight Frank Zilinyi, (Count Dracula) gifted with the voice of gods, as he not only delivered a command performance, but visible had a lot of fun in the process. Our only question of Mr. Zilinyi is whether he is really that talented or does he simply work very hard at perfecting his technique.
Additionally, while this program is obviously designed for the minds eye, Mr. Bianchi provided two beauties, Alexandra Loren (Lucy) and Shelleen Kostabi (Mina) for those willing to brave a peak during the darkened stage performance to catch a glimpse of their bloodcurdling screams. We highly recommend this production and look forward to this theater companys work in the future.
Here is what you need to know:
The Place
Players Theatre
Opened
November 11, 2008
Closing
December 30, 2008
The Shows
Tue at 8pm
The Tickets
$20
212-352-3101
Order tickets online
SAVE ON TICKETS!
The Kick Ass Cast!
R. Patrick Alberty (Harker), Anthony Crep(Narrator), Joe Fellman, (Van Helsing) Shelleen Kostabi (Mina), Alexandra Loren(Lucy), Chris Riquinha(Arthur), Frank Zilinyi (Dracula/Renfield)
Sound Engineer
Wes Shippee
Lighting Design
Matt Everett
Lighting Tech
Reid J. Kendall
Adapted & Directed By
Dan Bianchi
Executive Producer
Cynthia Bianchi
The Production Company
Radiotheatre
http://www.radiotheatrenyc.com/
Home.
Here is a film we have been searching for the LONGEST time for. We came across it at our friend Sujewa's blog http://www.diyfilmmaker.blogspot.com
I generally am fascinated with "party movies." I love atmospheres in films that involve parties (i.e. Dance Party, etc) and drunk people. Glad I came across this again. Go to www.amazon.com and get your copy. Or you can rent it from www.Netflix.com or www.Blockbuster.com
About the film:
Synopsis:
Film and television critic Matt Zoller Seitz makes his feature debut with HOME, a laid-back comic drama set at an all-night party in Brooklyn.
On a sweltering midsummer’s night, struggling playwright Bobby (Jason Liebrecht) heads off to a Brooklyn house party, hoping to reconnect with free-spirited ex-girlfriend Harper (Minerva Scelza), who is still very much on his mind. But when Bobby meets elegant editor and co-hostess Susan (Nicol Zanzarella), he reconsiders his options. Susan is still reeling from a recent breakup, but might be enticed into romance – if Bobby can make up his mind.
Also on the prowl at the party is charismatic motormouth Tommy (Stephen T. Neave), who charms the ladies even as he irritates Bobby. Red-headed singleton Rose (Erin S. Visslailli), Susan’s roommate and co-hostess of the party, fancies Tommy herself, but it’s Harper who catches Tommy’s eye.
Over the course of the night, as wine bottles empty and inhibitions vanish, various couples court and spark, break up and get down. Harper and Tommy flirt outrageously; Bobby and Susan circle each other warily; and the relationship of Josh (Bradley Spinelli) and Annie (Jennifer Larkin), reaches the breaking point. Romantic banter gives way to moments of pain, loneliness and anger, and the cast of characters expands as the party rages on.
There's Sammy (Zachary Oberzan), a neurotic obsessed with leaving New York City, and his patient partner Pete (Rob Scorrano); newlyweds Mike (Marc Nolan) and Carmen (Jennifer Russo), Susan's brother and sister-in-law, who extol the virtues of suburbia; and Tim (John Sebastian), a shambling, bespectacled jazz buff. Some want sex; others want love. Some want freedom; others want stability. They all go home with someone.
Written, produced, directed, and edited by Seitz, film critic for NYPress and television critic for the Star-Ledger, HOME is a bittersweet romantic comedy that packs a lot of stories into just two floors.
I generally am fascinated with "party movies." I love atmospheres in films that involve parties (i.e. Dance Party, etc) and drunk people. Glad I came across this again. Go to www.amazon.com and get your copy. Or you can rent it from www.Netflix.com or www.Blockbuster.com
About the film:
Synopsis:
Film and television critic Matt Zoller Seitz makes his feature debut with HOME, a laid-back comic drama set at an all-night party in Brooklyn.
On a sweltering midsummer’s night, struggling playwright Bobby (Jason Liebrecht) heads off to a Brooklyn house party, hoping to reconnect with free-spirited ex-girlfriend Harper (Minerva Scelza), who is still very much on his mind. But when Bobby meets elegant editor and co-hostess Susan (Nicol Zanzarella), he reconsiders his options. Susan is still reeling from a recent breakup, but might be enticed into romance – if Bobby can make up his mind.
Also on the prowl at the party is charismatic motormouth Tommy (Stephen T. Neave), who charms the ladies even as he irritates Bobby. Red-headed singleton Rose (Erin S. Visslailli), Susan’s roommate and co-hostess of the party, fancies Tommy herself, but it’s Harper who catches Tommy’s eye.
Over the course of the night, as wine bottles empty and inhibitions vanish, various couples court and spark, break up and get down. Harper and Tommy flirt outrageously; Bobby and Susan circle each other warily; and the relationship of Josh (Bradley Spinelli) and Annie (Jennifer Larkin), reaches the breaking point. Romantic banter gives way to moments of pain, loneliness and anger, and the cast of characters expands as the party rages on.
There's Sammy (Zachary Oberzan), a neurotic obsessed with leaving New York City, and his patient partner Pete (Rob Scorrano); newlyweds Mike (Marc Nolan) and Carmen (Jennifer Russo), Susan's brother and sister-in-law, who extol the virtues of suburbia; and Tim (John Sebastian), a shambling, bespectacled jazz buff. Some want sex; others want love. Some want freedom; others want stability. They all go home with someone.
Written, produced, directed, and edited by Seitz, film critic for NYPress and television critic for the Star-Ledger, HOME is a bittersweet romantic comedy that packs a lot of stories into just two floors.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Medicine for Melancholy
WE CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THIS
"Clip this article. Put it on your refrigerator to remind yourself, your roommates, your friends and family to see Medicine For Melancholy… In the face of an impending cultural extinction and the potential loss of SF’s soul, this excellent movie is part of a necessary discussion.”
-D. Scot Miller, San Francisco Bay Guardian
“Part mood piece, part awkward love story, and part sociological exposé, San Francisco writer-director Barry Jenkins’ debut feature is some kind of wonderful. This is the rare film that is as thoughtful as it is sensual, as attuned to personal epiphanies as it is to social injustice. “
-Michael Fox, SF Weekly
“Visually more sophisticated than the bulk of features to yet come out of the new wave of DIY independent American cinema, narratively smoother and yet still boundless in mold-breaking ambition, Medicine for Melancholy offers a self-contained rebuttal to claims that precious, naturalistic dramas about the existential dilemmas of hipster singles are exclusively a white man’s game.”
-Karina Longworth, Spout
“Stunningly photographed… Medicine for Melancholy is an appealingly modest film with two strong lead performances (by Wyatt Cenac and, particularly, Tracey Heggins), and a beautiful sense of balance; it never presupposes that the romantic possibilities of its two illicit lovers are more important than the social reality Jenkins quite deftly embeds them in.”
- Scott Macaulay, Filmmaker Magazine
“Enlightened and tenderly beautiful…easily my favorite film at SXSW 2008.“
- Aaron Hillis, Premiere
“Medicine For Melancholy is an ambitious achievement on many different levels: formally, aesthetically, dramatically, intellectually. It is destined to stand as one of 2008’s most impressive and highly accomplished low-budget dramas.”
- Michael Tully, Hammer to Nail
Here's a great article from IndieWIRE magazine.
indieWIRE PROFILE "Medicine For Melancholy" Director Barry Jenkins
by Eugene Hernandez (September 14, 2008)
"We stopped seeking validation and just went out and made the movie," filmmaker Barry Jenkins explained last week in Toronto, sitting down to chat a bit about his first feature "Medicine For Melancholy." A Toronto International Film Festival Discovery section title, the acclaimed fest circuit film, acquired over the summer by IFC Films, is launching IFP's Independent Film Week on Monday in Manhattan after winning the audience award at the San Francisco International Film Festival and hitting a number of other fests. A low-budget indie feature set in San Francisco, the film follows two people during the 24 hours after they meet and hook up. It's about, in Jenkins' words, "the naivete of the morning after. Trying to forge an emotional connection from a physical act."
"The movie kind of spun out of my first functional, interracial relationship," Jenkins elaborated, reflecting on the movie on a day last week when he spent hours talking to the press. As the young folks at the center of his story -- Micah (Wyatt Cenac) and Jo (Tracey Heggins) -- get to know each other better the morning after, they ponder Bay Area gentrification, talk class politics, and butt heads over race in a way that feels quite timely. In short, they expose and judge each others identities in ways evolve naturally.
"It's really about economics, it's about status, class," Barry Jenkins added, elaborating his own "post-race" point of view. "I think the movie is really about getting to that point." He spent three weeks writing the script for a film that was inspired, in part, by Claire Denis' 2002 film, "Friday Night" (Vendredi Soir). But, "I am not Claire Denis!" he cautioned. "It could be set in Chicago or New York," he added, but in setting it in San Francisco, he uses the film as a way to explore the city and two of its residents at a particular moment.
"I would love for other filmmakers to be inspired by our film," Jenkins said, reflecting on the fact that "Medicine for Melancholy" would kick-off the IFP events this week. He was inspired by the work of the so-called Mumblecore filmmakers, namely Chris Wells and Joe Swanberg and their 2006 film, "LOL." After befriending Wells at the Telluride Film Festival, where Jenkins is still an annual staffer, Jenkins admitted that he was rather floored when Wells told him that he and Swanberg had gone and made a low-budget feature.
"I went to film school, I thought I was a decent filmmaker, I just couldn't make films -- nobody would give me the money or the time or the access," elaborated Jenkins, an '03 graduate of Florida State. Fed up with with trying to find the cash to make his own films, Jenkins decided to take the D.I.Y. approach pursued by Wells and Swanberg. Which essentially lead him to the festival home base for the so-called Mumblecore set, Austin's SXSW Film Festival. IFC came knocking after catching up with the film this Spring, tipped by filmmaker (and IFC staffer) Chris Wells.
Now repped by CAA and recently named to Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces in Independent Film, like other emerging filmmakers Jenkins is hoping to work with a larger palette in the future. "I don't think there is a single filmmaker that I've met on the circuit who doesn't want access to better tools," Jenkins added, "All we could afford to do was two people walking and talking. But turns out, that's all this story needed."
indieWIRE's coverage of IFP's 208 Independent Film Week will continue throughout the week in our special New York section.
http://www.strikeanywherefilms.com/
How many DV films?
DV101 Blog: May 26 - The Digital Revolution
By Jay Holben
Last week I was, um... pontificating... on a pet peeve of mine, which actually was a wonderful segue into today's Blog – The Digital Revolution: The Real Numbers!
This data is in regard to the films released theatrically in the United States in 2007 and how many of them were originated digitally, as opposed to on film. Ten years ago, this was unheard of. Today, it is becoming more and more commonplace — but just how commonplace is it? What are the trends and how firmly has the digital revolution taken hold?
There is no doubt that digital technology has firmly taken hold of the postproduction world – and there's no going back. Post, for the majority of films made today, is nearly 100% digital. There are a few die-hard hangers-on, but they are as rare as a spotted owl in the middle of Times Square.
If you believe the PR hype from camera manufacturers and newbie know-it-alls, everything is shot digitally now-a-days... But, alas, that is not the case. For the last 100 years, 35mm film has been the primary origination medium in the motion picture industry (and it still reigns king in the theatrical world) but there are exceptions, and digital origination is taking a strong foothold in the business — not just with independent filmmakers.
In 2007, there were 628 films theatrically released in the United States. Utilizing a combination of the official qualification list from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, full release list from Boxofficemojo.com and the Internet Movie Database as the principal sources of information, I have complete technical data for 404 of those films (224 films have no technical data listed).
Of the 404 films (and please note I use the term "films" to represent any motion picture whether digital or film) 363 of them were live-action fictional narrative films. I exclude animated films (nearly 100% digital these days) and documentary films (have long been shot on "amateur" — or inexpensive — formats such as 16mm and video) from the statistical data.
Of the 363 live-action, fictional, narrative films released theatrically in the US in 2007:
69, or 19%, were digitally originated.
This number is actually down slightly from 2006, when 20.1% of the live-action, fictional, narrative films were digital originated.
In 2001, 7.1% of films released were digitally originated (those are the only three years I, as of yet, have data for).
So, from 7.1% in 2001 to 20.1% in 2006 to 19% in 2007.
Most professionals believe that digital origination will eventually overtake film as the primary format in the business. How long it will take before that happens requires a crystal ball. The reality is, however, that we won't ever see the death of 35mm film, just like we've not yet seen the death of 8mm or 16mm. There will always be someone shooting on film, and it will be around as the best archival medium for a long, long time.
So, with the rhetoric aside, let's get back to the nitty-gritty numbers, shall we?
Of the 69 films that were digitally originated in 2007:
10 were shot on DV
8 were HDV
30 were various forms of HD
Of the 69 digital films, only 11 had a wide theatrical release (in more than 500 theaters).
The hightest grossing digital film in 2007 was the comedy Superbad at $121 million (the #22 highest grossing film of the year).
Then, in descending order:
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry - $120 million
Balls of Fury - $32 million
Reign Over Me - $19 million
Next - $18 million
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - $12 million
Once - $9 million
Interestingly, ALL of these projects were shot with the Panavision Genesis with the exception of one — the only real "Independent" film in the bunch, the Irish musical Once, which was shot HDV with a Sony HVR-Z1U.
By comparison, the top five 35mm film-shot films grossed between $292 and $336 million (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Transformers, Shrek the Third and Spider-Man 3 (#1 grossing film of 2007).
Also of note, 22 — or 6% — of theatrically released films of 2007, were shot on 16mm film. With the increased availability and lowering expense of digital intermediates, 16mm seems to be coming back into vogue, in 2006 there were only 13 films shot on 16mm (13.44%).
It's important to keep in mind that these numbers are just statistics. They're merely a way of quantifying trends, not intended to be a prediction for the future. My sample-size of only three years of data is far too small to make any conclusive statements; rather it's here to just offer some real-world insight into the Digital Revolution that we're currently witnessing not only in the motion picture industry but in the world at large. Certainly, the consumer world has embraced digital technology much faster than the motion picture industry has.
The real hard fact that one can walk away with from this data is that although the Digital Revolution has democratized movie making, it's still the big studios that run the show. (Once is an anomaly, for sure.) Only 22% of 2007's digitally originated films got a wide theatrical release and 90% of those were produced by the major studios. So —by those numbers — only 2% of the digitally originated films with wide theatrical release were independent films, and only 0.2% of all films released in 2007 were digital independents that got a wide release.
As an independent filmmaker who has been working professionally in Hollywood for two decades, I can tell you firsthand that the Big Boys still run the show. Any independent filmmaker who has every tried their hand at the wonderful world of distribution will tell you: It's hard out there for an indie.
Alas, keep shootin'. Keep creatin'. There are the anomalies like Once that break through the barriers (which is a great film, if you haven't seen it – go rent it, now). And YOUR film could be the next to do so...
Next week, I'll dive back into this data one last time for a look at what, to me, seems to be a disturbing trend: The death of an historical motion picture standard...
Special thanks to Ms. Amanda Bolten for her invaluable assistance in gathering this data.
]All the best,
Jay Holben
By Jay Holben
Last week I was, um... pontificating... on a pet peeve of mine, which actually was a wonderful segue into today's Blog – The Digital Revolution: The Real Numbers!
This data is in regard to the films released theatrically in the United States in 2007 and how many of them were originated digitally, as opposed to on film. Ten years ago, this was unheard of. Today, it is becoming more and more commonplace — but just how commonplace is it? What are the trends and how firmly has the digital revolution taken hold?
There is no doubt that digital technology has firmly taken hold of the postproduction world – and there's no going back. Post, for the majority of films made today, is nearly 100% digital. There are a few die-hard hangers-on, but they are as rare as a spotted owl in the middle of Times Square.
If you believe the PR hype from camera manufacturers and newbie know-it-alls, everything is shot digitally now-a-days... But, alas, that is not the case. For the last 100 years, 35mm film has been the primary origination medium in the motion picture industry (and it still reigns king in the theatrical world) but there are exceptions, and digital origination is taking a strong foothold in the business — not just with independent filmmakers.
In 2007, there were 628 films theatrically released in the United States. Utilizing a combination of the official qualification list from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, full release list from Boxofficemojo.com and the Internet Movie Database as the principal sources of information, I have complete technical data for 404 of those films (224 films have no technical data listed).
Of the 404 films (and please note I use the term "films" to represent any motion picture whether digital or film) 363 of them were live-action fictional narrative films. I exclude animated films (nearly 100% digital these days) and documentary films (have long been shot on "amateur" — or inexpensive — formats such as 16mm and video) from the statistical data.
Of the 363 live-action, fictional, narrative films released theatrically in the US in 2007:
69, or 19%, were digitally originated.
This number is actually down slightly from 2006, when 20.1% of the live-action, fictional, narrative films were digital originated.
In 2001, 7.1% of films released were digitally originated (those are the only three years I, as of yet, have data for).
So, from 7.1% in 2001 to 20.1% in 2006 to 19% in 2007.
Most professionals believe that digital origination will eventually overtake film as the primary format in the business. How long it will take before that happens requires a crystal ball. The reality is, however, that we won't ever see the death of 35mm film, just like we've not yet seen the death of 8mm or 16mm. There will always be someone shooting on film, and it will be around as the best archival medium for a long, long time.
So, with the rhetoric aside, let's get back to the nitty-gritty numbers, shall we?
Of the 69 films that were digitally originated in 2007:
10 were shot on DV
8 were HDV
30 were various forms of HD
Of the 69 digital films, only 11 had a wide theatrical release (in more than 500 theaters).
The hightest grossing digital film in 2007 was the comedy Superbad at $121 million (the #22 highest grossing film of the year).
Then, in descending order:
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry - $120 million
Balls of Fury - $32 million
Reign Over Me - $19 million
Next - $18 million
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - $12 million
Once - $9 million
Interestingly, ALL of these projects were shot with the Panavision Genesis with the exception of one — the only real "Independent" film in the bunch, the Irish musical Once, which was shot HDV with a Sony HVR-Z1U.
By comparison, the top five 35mm film-shot films grossed between $292 and $336 million (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Transformers, Shrek the Third and Spider-Man 3 (#1 grossing film of 2007).
Also of note, 22 — or 6% — of theatrically released films of 2007, were shot on 16mm film. With the increased availability and lowering expense of digital intermediates, 16mm seems to be coming back into vogue, in 2006 there were only 13 films shot on 16mm (13.44%).
It's important to keep in mind that these numbers are just statistics. They're merely a way of quantifying trends, not intended to be a prediction for the future. My sample-size of only three years of data is far too small to make any conclusive statements; rather it's here to just offer some real-world insight into the Digital Revolution that we're currently witnessing not only in the motion picture industry but in the world at large. Certainly, the consumer world has embraced digital technology much faster than the motion picture industry has.
The real hard fact that one can walk away with from this data is that although the Digital Revolution has democratized movie making, it's still the big studios that run the show. (Once is an anomaly, for sure.) Only 22% of 2007's digitally originated films got a wide theatrical release and 90% of those were produced by the major studios. So —by those numbers — only 2% of the digitally originated films with wide theatrical release were independent films, and only 0.2% of all films released in 2007 were digital independents that got a wide release.
As an independent filmmaker who has been working professionally in Hollywood for two decades, I can tell you firsthand that the Big Boys still run the show. Any independent filmmaker who has every tried their hand at the wonderful world of distribution will tell you: It's hard out there for an indie.
Alas, keep shootin'. Keep creatin'. There are the anomalies like Once that break through the barriers (which is a great film, if you haven't seen it – go rent it, now). And YOUR film could be the next to do so...
Next week, I'll dive back into this data one last time for a look at what, to me, seems to be a disturbing trend: The death of an historical motion picture standard...
Special thanks to Ms. Amanda Bolten for her invaluable assistance in gathering this data.
]All the best,
Jay Holben
DV Guru Interviews Sujewa Ekanayake
DIY filmmaking: an interview with director Sujewa Ekanayake
Posted Oct 16th 2006 8:15AM by Brian LiloiaFiled under: The Little Guy, DIY, Interviews
Drawing inspiration from the punk rock music scene, Sujewa Ekanayake has earned his title as an independent filmmaker and enthusiastic promoter of the DIY filmmaking ethic. His recent feature comedy, Date Number One has been on a successful, self-promoted screening run throughout the US and Sujewa frequently writes about his DIY experiences and exploits through his informative blog, DIY Filmmaker. Determined, vocal, and energetic, Sujewa has high hopes for no/low budget filmmakers willing to go the self-reliant route in producting and distributing their work. He is based out of Washington D.C., and I was happy to have the opportunity to solicit his thoughts on DIY filmmaking, DV, and Date Number One.
How did you get into filmmaking, and what is the draw to DIY-style filmmaking in particular?
I decided to become a film director at 18. I was motivated to select that goal by the successes of Spike Lee and Steven Speilberg. I thought to myself that if those two dudes can do it, so can I. Rick Schmidt's book Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices pointed to the practical way to go about becoming a filmmaker, a way that I could access. Jim Jarmusch's film Mystery Train gave me permission to think freely about casting and storytelling through film and also about new technical possibilites (editing, shooting, etc.).In 1999 I made a feature flick called Wild Diner on 16mm, submitted it to Miramax, was rejected. Around the same time Dogme 95 broke - with The Celebration in '98/'99, and I have always been a fan of DC punk rock - which is a very DIY thing - they've been DIY since the early 80's (see the new doc American Hardcore for more on that scene). So, the availability of digital video as an affordable production medium and with having DC punk as a model for DIY distribution, I slowly formulated my DIY approach to film production and distribution in the early 00's. If I had used DV for Wild Diner, it would have been a better film due to having the ability to do more takes, and self-financing it would have been possible if it was shot on DV, so all around, there were very good reasons for going DV and DIY on the next feature, which was Date Number One, a comedy about several first dates.A big draw of the DIY-style is the self-reliance thing. I don't have to wait around to get permission from other people/Hollywood/Indiewood to make and show movies, I can just go and do it myslef, with the help from likeminded people.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of low/no budget filmmaking?
If properly done, there are no disadvantages to low/no budget filmmaking. Except, obviously if there were more money for production, then things may be easier - but then we are not talking about low/no budget filmmaking any more. If your choices are not making a movie because you do not have the money or making a movie with whatever resources you can round up, then for me, the choice is always making the movie with what I have/can get - 'cause you know, I am a filmmaker, so I must make movies.
Let's talk about Date Number One. Can you share some details of the actual production of the film? What did you shoot on, and what did you edit with? Why?
We shot Date Number One over a 1.5 year period - from summer '04 until fall '05. Very small crew for most of the shoots: 2-3 people. I operated the camera and directed. The five stories in DNO were shot separately, sometimes months apart. It made for a better movie I think - I had the time to re-work the script as each segment of the flick got shot. It was important for me to create many links between the five stories so that the audience gets a fuller feature film experience out of the flick - you know, as opposed to like feeling you are at a short film festival. I shot on an XL1S camera - thanks to a local (DC area) production company Winfield-Scott Media, and also on a VX2000 - thanks to Alex Ramsey. I edited on Final Cut Express on a Mac Mini. That equipment was the best I could get, and it did the job well. I had some excellent actors, and some difficult actors - but all in all I was able to get the performances that I needed. The crew - for the most part Fritz Flad - who also acted in Story 4, was excellent. Now about a year after wrapping the shoot, I look back fondly on the experience, glad I got to work with the people I did. I also had a lot of help from people in Kensington, and also DC - as far as locations went. Could not have made the film without those locations being easily available - thanks to Bossa, Cory & housemates, Jen B., the Tea Room & Hong Kong in Kensington, among others. I like shooting on DV with a small crew - looking forward to doing it again.
How much money did the film cost to produce, and how did you go about raising the cash?
The film cost less than $10K to make. I used money from my day job paychecks, and loans/investments from friends to finance the movie. The biggest expenses were buying the editing gear, and meals for cast and crew. Also some equipment rentals. I plan on following the same low key financing approaches for future projects. Also, I am going to use some of the money we make from Date Number One to pay for the production of the next feature. I also did a benefit concert at a DC restaurant - featuring some of the musicians from the movie - Cory and Shervin and co., to raise cash for the movie - made $800 or so at that event. Which is a lot of money for a $10K film.
How long was the filmmaking process? Production, post-production?
The script was written starting in early '04 - starting in January. The film had its world premiere in May '06. So the film took 29 months to go from script to premiere. Yeah, about 2.5 years.
Can you describe your experiences with self-distributing the film? How difficult has it been to arrange and promote screenings?
Self distribution has been a joy and also a fair amount of work. I love self-distribution so I don't mind the work all that much. Producing and promoting the eleven screenings so far for Date Number One (including in Seattle, NYC & DC) has been relatively easy - the screenings were either venue rentals (or 4-walled events, as the "pros" like to call it) or bookings made by the venue (in the case of Pioneer in NYC) or free venues or almost free venues in exchange for a very small admin payment. Promotion has happened mostly through the Internet, also using fliers, and a couple of newspaper ads. I plan on doing a twelve week US tour in '07 with the flick; that will of course require more promotion. But due to the press I've gotten from the '06 screenings, I do not think getting venues to show the film will be a problem. Each screening I do raises the level of interest that venues have in the film. At this point I have over a dozen requests for screeners, from some of the best and best known indie film screening venues/theaters in the country. So, as far as press and development goes, the '06 screenings have been very successful. I've also made a few hundred dollars from the screenings so far, not a profit, but some cash to help manage the debt - always a nice thing. I expect the film to be in profit within the next twelve months and I expect to be able to make and distribute films full-time within the next twelve months. A cool thing about DIY distribution is that I get to keep a lot of the money I make, and I do not need to sell 100,000 DVDs to make a lot of money, 10% of that (or 10,000 DVDs sold - 200 DVDs per each of the 50 states in mainland US) will put the project waay in the black, will get all the actors and crew and investors paid off, and will give me plenty of money to make and distribute another feature. Plus there is the possibility of making a very useful amount of money through US and foreign cable TV licensing, and through merchandise. And perhaps some money through VOD (video on demand). I'll let you know in about a year how on-target all these financial projections are. :)A couple of people I know have made a very healthy amount of money from self-distributed features. So I know that turning the DIY filmmaking and distribution lifestyle into a full time job with good pay is very much an attainable goal.Touring with the film is nice, makes me feel like an indie rock star. :)
You ever hope that the film would be picked up for distribution?
That's a question that does not apply for this project, not really - before I wrote the script I decided to self-distribute the finished film. Self-distribution is how I do distribution, so there is almost no chance of anyone else picking up the film. I will collaborate with other companies - theatrical distro, retailers, cable TV in getting the film out - but they will be real collaborations - with me retaining the ownership of the film and having a say in how the distribution and all related work happens. I actually would be disappointed if I get to the point where I have to sell the film to someone else for distribution - in the traditional indiewood way, I would consider that a kind of a failure on my part as a DIY filmmaker.
I know that you are in the process of getting DVDs of Date Number One produced. Can you describe how that experience has been?
It's pretty easy. You can duplicate the DVDs at home on your computer or hire a mass replicating company to make hundreds or thousands of them for you. You can also make the packaging at home or with the help of a print shop or you can have the packaging made by the replicating company - Nationwide and Disc Makers will provide all those DVD making services, and there are many other companies who do the same. I should have DVDs of Date Number One available for sale in late October.
How has digital video technology and the internet helped in producing and promoting your film?
Date Number One could not have been made or distributed without digital video or the internet. Both those things are extremely vital for what I do. DV offers an affordable and high quality filmmaking medium for poor people, and the internet is a free publicity and community building tool.
Any advice for aspiring DIY filmmakers?
Yeah, plenty. 1.) Make a film that you would pay to see. 2.) Make a film that can compete with any similar kind of movie from Hollywood, Indiewood or foreign, or the DIY arena. As in: your comedy should be as funny as a Hollywood comedy, or better. 3.) Explore new ways of doing things - of doing everything - production and distribution - because low budget DIY is THE field to try new things out, because the risks are relatively low. 4.) Develop a community, help other people out, they may help you out in return. 5.) Don't worry about failure, select your targets (a film to produce, a screening) and move through them (get them done without worrying too much about it). You'll fail at times, and will succeed at times, and will learn how to do things better. 6.) And as Jack Kerouac once wrote in a book: "Be in love with your own life." 7.) Indie/DIY filmmaking and distribution can be difficult, but it's not like being a surgeon or a soldier or a school teacher - less risky and more fun, so don't complain too much and try to enjoy yourself.
Posted Oct 16th 2006 8:15AM by Brian LiloiaFiled under: The Little Guy, DIY, Interviews
Drawing inspiration from the punk rock music scene, Sujewa Ekanayake has earned his title as an independent filmmaker and enthusiastic promoter of the DIY filmmaking ethic. His recent feature comedy, Date Number One has been on a successful, self-promoted screening run throughout the US and Sujewa frequently writes about his DIY experiences and exploits through his informative blog, DIY Filmmaker. Determined, vocal, and energetic, Sujewa has high hopes for no/low budget filmmakers willing to go the self-reliant route in producting and distributing their work. He is based out of Washington D.C., and I was happy to have the opportunity to solicit his thoughts on DIY filmmaking, DV, and Date Number One.How did you get into filmmaking, and what is the draw to DIY-style filmmaking in particular?
I decided to become a film director at 18. I was motivated to select that goal by the successes of Spike Lee and Steven Speilberg. I thought to myself that if those two dudes can do it, so can I. Rick Schmidt's book Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices pointed to the practical way to go about becoming a filmmaker, a way that I could access. Jim Jarmusch's film Mystery Train gave me permission to think freely about casting and storytelling through film and also about new technical possibilites (editing, shooting, etc.).In 1999 I made a feature flick called Wild Diner on 16mm, submitted it to Miramax, was rejected. Around the same time Dogme 95 broke - with The Celebration in '98/'99, and I have always been a fan of DC punk rock - which is a very DIY thing - they've been DIY since the early 80's (see the new doc American Hardcore for more on that scene). So, the availability of digital video as an affordable production medium and with having DC punk as a model for DIY distribution, I slowly formulated my DIY approach to film production and distribution in the early 00's. If I had used DV for Wild Diner, it would have been a better film due to having the ability to do more takes, and self-financing it would have been possible if it was shot on DV, so all around, there were very good reasons for going DV and DIY on the next feature, which was Date Number One, a comedy about several first dates.A big draw of the DIY-style is the self-reliance thing. I don't have to wait around to get permission from other people/Hollywood/Indiewood to make and show movies, I can just go and do it myslef, with the help from likeminded people.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of low/no budget filmmaking?
If properly done, there are no disadvantages to low/no budget filmmaking. Except, obviously if there were more money for production, then things may be easier - but then we are not talking about low/no budget filmmaking any more. If your choices are not making a movie because you do not have the money or making a movie with whatever resources you can round up, then for me, the choice is always making the movie with what I have/can get - 'cause you know, I am a filmmaker, so I must make movies.
Let's talk about Date Number One. Can you share some details of the actual production of the film? What did you shoot on, and what did you edit with? Why?
We shot Date Number One over a 1.5 year period - from summer '04 until fall '05. Very small crew for most of the shoots: 2-3 people. I operated the camera and directed. The five stories in DNO were shot separately, sometimes months apart. It made for a better movie I think - I had the time to re-work the script as each segment of the flick got shot. It was important for me to create many links between the five stories so that the audience gets a fuller feature film experience out of the flick - you know, as opposed to like feeling you are at a short film festival. I shot on an XL1S camera - thanks to a local (DC area) production company Winfield-Scott Media, and also on a VX2000 - thanks to Alex Ramsey. I edited on Final Cut Express on a Mac Mini. That equipment was the best I could get, and it did the job well. I had some excellent actors, and some difficult actors - but all in all I was able to get the performances that I needed. The crew - for the most part Fritz Flad - who also acted in Story 4, was excellent. Now about a year after wrapping the shoot, I look back fondly on the experience, glad I got to work with the people I did. I also had a lot of help from people in Kensington, and also DC - as far as locations went. Could not have made the film without those locations being easily available - thanks to Bossa, Cory & housemates, Jen B., the Tea Room & Hong Kong in Kensington, among others. I like shooting on DV with a small crew - looking forward to doing it again.How much money did the film cost to produce, and how did you go about raising the cash?
The film cost less than $10K to make. I used money from my day job paychecks, and loans/investments from friends to finance the movie. The biggest expenses were buying the editing gear, and meals for cast and crew. Also some equipment rentals. I plan on following the same low key financing approaches for future projects. Also, I am going to use some of the money we make from Date Number One to pay for the production of the next feature. I also did a benefit concert at a DC restaurant - featuring some of the musicians from the movie - Cory and Shervin and co., to raise cash for the movie - made $800 or so at that event. Which is a lot of money for a $10K film.
How long was the filmmaking process? Production, post-production?
The script was written starting in early '04 - starting in January. The film had its world premiere in May '06. So the film took 29 months to go from script to premiere. Yeah, about 2.5 years.
Can you describe your experiences with self-distributing the film? How difficult has it been to arrange and promote screenings?
Self distribution has been a joy and also a fair amount of work. I love self-distribution so I don't mind the work all that much. Producing and promoting the eleven screenings so far for Date Number One (including in Seattle, NYC & DC) has been relatively easy - the screenings were either venue rentals (or 4-walled events, as the "pros" like to call it) or bookings made by the venue (in the case of Pioneer in NYC) or free venues or almost free venues in exchange for a very small admin payment. Promotion has happened mostly through the Internet, also using fliers, and a couple of newspaper ads. I plan on doing a twelve week US tour in '07 with the flick; that will of course require more promotion. But due to the press I've gotten from the '06 screenings, I do not think getting venues to show the film will be a problem. Each screening I do raises the level of interest that venues have in the film. At this point I have over a dozen requests for screeners, from some of the best and best known indie film screening venues/theaters in the country. So, as far as press and development goes, the '06 screenings have been very successful. I've also made a few hundred dollars from the screenings so far, not a profit, but some cash to help manage the debt - always a nice thing. I expect the film to be in profit within the next twelve months and I expect to be able to make and distribute films full-time within the next twelve months. A cool thing about DIY distribution is that I get to keep a lot of the money I make, and I do not need to sell 100,000 DVDs to make a lot of money, 10% of that (or 10,000 DVDs sold - 200 DVDs per each of the 50 states in mainland US) will put the project waay in the black, will get all the actors and crew and investors paid off, and will give me plenty of money to make and distribute another feature. Plus there is the possibility of making a very useful amount of money through US and foreign cable TV licensing, and through merchandise. And perhaps some money through VOD (video on demand). I'll let you know in about a year how on-target all these financial projections are. :)A couple of people I know have made a very healthy amount of money from self-distributed features. So I know that turning the DIY filmmaking and distribution lifestyle into a full time job with good pay is very much an attainable goal.Touring with the film is nice, makes me feel like an indie rock star. :)
You ever hope that the film would be picked up for distribution?
That's a question that does not apply for this project, not really - before I wrote the script I decided to self-distribute the finished film. Self-distribution is how I do distribution, so there is almost no chance of anyone else picking up the film. I will collaborate with other companies - theatrical distro, retailers, cable TV in getting the film out - but they will be real collaborations - with me retaining the ownership of the film and having a say in how the distribution and all related work happens. I actually would be disappointed if I get to the point where I have to sell the film to someone else for distribution - in the traditional indiewood way, I would consider that a kind of a failure on my part as a DIY filmmaker.
I know that you are in the process of getting DVDs of Date Number One produced. Can you describe how that experience has been?
It's pretty easy. You can duplicate the DVDs at home on your computer or hire a mass replicating company to make hundreds or thousands of them for you. You can also make the packaging at home or with the help of a print shop or you can have the packaging made by the replicating company - Nationwide and Disc Makers will provide all those DVD making services, and there are many other companies who do the same. I should have DVDs of Date Number One available for sale in late October.
How has digital video technology and the internet helped in producing and promoting your film?
Date Number One could not have been made or distributed without digital video or the internet. Both those things are extremely vital for what I do. DV offers an affordable and high quality filmmaking medium for poor people, and the internet is a free publicity and community building tool.
Any advice for aspiring DIY filmmakers?
Yeah, plenty. 1.) Make a film that you would pay to see. 2.) Make a film that can compete with any similar kind of movie from Hollywood, Indiewood or foreign, or the DIY arena. As in: your comedy should be as funny as a Hollywood comedy, or better. 3.) Explore new ways of doing things - of doing everything - production and distribution - because low budget DIY is THE field to try new things out, because the risks are relatively low. 4.) Develop a community, help other people out, they may help you out in return. 5.) Don't worry about failure, select your targets (a film to produce, a screening) and move through them (get them done without worrying too much about it). You'll fail at times, and will succeed at times, and will learn how to do things better. 6.) And as Jack Kerouac once wrote in a book: "Be in love with your own life." 7.) Indie/DIY filmmaking and distribution can be difficult, but it's not like being a surgeon or a soldier or a school teacher - less risky and more fun, so don't complain too much and try to enjoy yourself.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Cookies & Cream screening!
On Saturday November 22nd, Cookies & Cream is screening as a sneak preview at the Helen Mills Theatre on W. 26th St between 6th and 7th Ave. The screening begins at 7pm and afterwards there will be a Q&A with the cast and crew. After the screening, there will be an afterparty get-together for One Way or Another family members and cast and crew of all 3 feature films Cookies and Cream, Uptown, and Carter.
For tickets just email info@sexyfilmfest.com or you can plan to get tickets at the box office front desk at the venue. But it may be risky, as we are told tickets are flying fast and approaching a sell out.
See you there!
If you haven't seen it yet, check out the teaser below:
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Top 10 Screenplays
The screenplays on this list do not necessary reflect my best or favorite films of all time.
Brian, Ryan, everyone else...your turn.
Pulp Fiction
Yi Yi
Carnal Knowledge
Hustle and Flow
Breathless
Magnolia
Bande a Part
Manhattan
Being John Malkovich
Boogie Nights
Honorable mention
Network
Friends with Money
Any issues with this list, take it up with me directly. Those that may know how to reach me.
Cheers!
- Princeton
Running Funny Theatrical Release!!!
U.S. Theatrical Premiere!!
"Running Funny" will have a one-week run at Facets Cinematheque in Chicago beginning on November 21st!! The film were screen through November 26th, so if you or someone you know is in the Chicago area, please tell them about the screenings and go check out the film! Visit www.facets.org for more info and to purchase tickets. DVD news coming soon...
www.runningfunnymovie.com
www.anthonygrippa.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/runningfunnymovie
Baghead's Theatrical Release
Scene: Four struggling actors desperate for their big break hole up in a cabin to make the movie that will put them on the map. Trouble is, their screenwriting falls aside as they wind up dissecting their relationships in heady discussions over multiple beers and come-hither stares.And that's when they realize that a creepy dude wearing a shopping bag might be stalking them.
Mark and Jay Duplass' "Baghead," which opened Friday, is pushing the dialogue-heavy film movement known as "mumblecore" closer to the mainstream. Also called Generation DIY or talkies, mumblecore has quietly emerged from the era of digital video and YouTube as a new wave of indie directors collectively paint a tragicomic portrait of postcollegiate life.
"It jumped off from documentary filmmaking, and reality TV has opened the door for this kind of esthetic," explains "Baghead" actor Ross Partridge, 40, from the East Village.
"Plus, technology has gotten cheaper, so people can make movies themselves. With [laptop] editing technology, it's like, 'All right, so what are you waiting for?'"
"It was a convergence of new technology and people feeling like movies didn't show how their lives were actually being lived," says "Baghead" co-star Greta Gerwig, 24, from East Williamsburg.
Mumblecore typically features a crowd of twentysomething navel-gazers passing time by agonizing over their quarter-life crises with a steady stream of chatter. Filming is done digitally using a lot of closeups, and the cast of unknown or unprofessional actors improvise most of their lines. The plot is dialogue-driven à la "Seinfeld," with characters discussing the mundane details of everyday life with comedic and unexpected results.
"It was so much fun, because it was like being on stage, completely improvised and alive all the time," gushes Partridge.
Just like the films themselves, mumblecore's evolution was unscripted. The low-budget DIYs surfaced during the SXSW Film Festival in 2005, where the Duplass brothers' "The Puffy Chair," Andrew Bujalski's "Mutual Appreciation" and Joe Swanberg's "Kissing on the Mouth" premiered, sharing a similar esthetic that the indie industry dubbed mumblecore.
"It's almost like a bunch of people were making movies a certain way before the name of them even came out," says Mark Duplass, co-director of "Baghead" with his brother, Jay.
And as proven by the IFC Film Center's "The New Talkies: Generation DIY" series last summer and "Baghead's" theatrical release, mumblecore is the film movement on everyone's lips.
Locally, the "mumblecorps" form a very close-knit community. Directors will collaborate - or even star - in each other's movies. Friends and relatives play walk-on roles or roll up their sleeves to pitch in on production work.
"In New York City, it's more of a network of friends," Gerwig says. "Somebody is always making a movie, so there's always something to help out on."
That's not to say it's all fun and games. Beneath the self-aware (and sometimes self-absorbed) characters and witty dialogue, true mumblecore movies also pack plenty of heart. The characters have flaws, but the cracks make them all the more believable, and their realizations move the story forward."I think there's a whole generation of filmmakers that are out there just trying to do it themselves and hoping for the success that Mark and Jay have had," says Partridge.
"At the same time, it still comes down to story, and that's what [sets] these guys apart. These guys to me are the future of what's going to happen with filmmaking."
For a better grasp of Generation DIY, check out these notable mumblecore movies:
The following is a list of Must Haves for those new to this genre of film. Start with these, then we will update you with the latest list of films.
"Funny Ha Ha" (2002): Considered the first mumblecore film, Andrew Bujalski's "Ha Ha" follows Marnie, a Boston college grad who struggles to kick her binge drinking and bad taste in men while trying to find a job and transition into adulthood. The critically acclaimed flick was shot with unprofessional actors on 16mm film.
"Mutual Appreciation" (2003): Director Bujalski becomes the DIY movement's darling with this black-and-white feature about four New Yorkers figuring out where they fit in the world. Justin Rice of the Brooklyn rock band Bishop Allen plays the protagonist. This scored Bujalski the jury award for best screenplay at the Newport International Film Festival in 2005.
"The Puffy Chair" (2005): Before "Baghead," brothers Jay and Mark Duplass exploded onto the indie scene with this offbeat road-trip comedy about a brother picking up a lounge chair he sees on eBay - a replica of his father's favorite chair - as a birthday present. The film screened at Sundance and won the audience award at the SXSW Film Festival in 2005.
"Hannah Takes the Stairs" (2007): Joe Swanberg directs the story of Hannah, a recent college grad in Chicago who crushes on two scriptwriters in the production office where she's interning during one brutally hot summer. The film stars mumblecore veterans Greta Gerwig, Andrew Bujalski and Mark Duplass.
"Quiet City" (2007): Aaron Katz's second mumblecore film (after "Dance Party, USA") skips around Brooklyn, where Atlanta native Jamie comes to visit a friend. After asking Charlie, a local, for directions, she ends up spending the next 24 hours getting to know him when her friend never shows. Mumblecore director Joe Swanberg also plays a role.
NY casting calls
Looking for a Lois Lane type female. Good looking, 25-30 years old to play an on-air producer in a documentary-type culture show
Production Type : Television
Country/State : USA New York/New Jersey
Town or Area : Manhattan
Start Date : January 9th, 2009
Duration of job : January 12th, 2009
Payment : SAG Low-tier rate
Company Name : Studio 13
Contact : Jacob Wasserman
Web Page : http://studio13nyc.com
Address/Fax :
Studio 13
391 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10013
212.625.8198 O
212.625.8196 F
Artist Contracts : Non-Union
Director: Jacob Wasserman.
Looking for a Lois Lane type female. Good looking, 25-30 years old to play an on-air producer in a documentary-type culture show. Pilot episode will be filmed in New Orleans. Please email or send headshots and Resumes to:
STUDIO13
Attn: Morgan
391 Broadway 2nd Floor
NY NY 10013
212.625.8198 O
212.625.8196 F
info@studio13nyc.com
Make sure you mention that you found that job on NewYorkActing.com in your e-mail.
Model for designer’s look book - Blond or Brunette with exotic features.
Model for designer’s look book
4-5 hours of work.
5’8” or 5'9"
Size 0-2
Blond or Brunette with exotic features.
For young designer, resort wear line. No swimsuits.
5-8 garments.
Send head and full body shots to info@caftanteehouse.com
Make sure you mention that you found that job on NewYorkActing.com in your e-mail.
We will contact you if interested.
$150 pay
Casey Hallen Productions is looking for actors for an upcoming film shoot
Casey Hallen Productions is looking for actors for an upcoming film shootThe
project is a short that will be distributed widely on the internet:"The
TROUBLE WITH TIME TRAVEL: Two 20-somethings discover that there's a big
difference between being able to travel through time and being able to do it
well."WE ARE LOOKING FOR:ED: (male, a 20 something, white, nerdy/dorky
appearance) Ed is a science nerd, and the new time travel device is his
baby. He finds him self constantly frustrated with his best friend Skiff,
but deals with Skiff's idiocy because he can talk to women. Ed doesn't know
much about modern pop culture, but is rather familiar with the original Dr.
Who series and Star Trek. 2 Future Babes (20 somethings): two hot girls who
come from the future.The shoot will be for just one day in december (tbd)
There is no pay, but we will compensate for travel costs, and you will be
fed. If interested, please email your head shot and resume to:
Casey.hallen@gmail.com please put "The Trouble With Time Travel" in the
subject.
Don't forget to MENTION you found that job on NewYorkActing.com in your
e-mail.
Casting lead actress or model for HD short film less than 10 minutes
Casting lead actress or model for HD short film less than 10 minutes, no
nudity, no dialogue. Very pretty and simple 2 day shoot. You will receive
250 per day plus copy and credit. Looking for model that resembles this actress .
We need someone who looks like her or similar, if you have friends that do
please let them know to submit.Beginners okay with recent photos.Submit
Photo Headshot & Resume with contact info and website or link to
reels.paulcohencasting@hotmail.com
Don't forget to MENTION you found that job on NewYorkActing.com in your
e-mail.
Limbo, a Brooklyn based heist drama by Frank Terranova about Frank Wolf
Limbo, a Brooklyn based heist drama by Frank Terranova about Frank Wolf, a
thief who returns to his old neighborhood after 8 years on the lam to squash
a beef with a local crime boss. He reluctantly gets involved in a bank
robbery with a teenage DJ and a shady club hostess. With dreams of opening a
New York style pizzeria out west and with femme fatales, wiseguys and
crooked cops all on his back. Set to a soundtrack featuring 70's funk
artists. Seeking the following roles LITTLE AL, 50's Italian American. A Joe
Pesci type. Al is the second male lead. Actors submitting should have strong
training as well as an authentic Brooklyn Accent. Rehearsals are in progress
and performances will be Dec 3,4,5,6 at The Players Loft in NYC. For
immediate consideration send headshots and resumes to
stirthsauce@hotmail.com attn: Frank Terranova
Don't forget to MENTION you found that job on NewYorkActing.com in your
e-mail.
Production Type : Television
Country/State : USA New York/New Jersey
Town or Area : Manhattan
Start Date : January 9th, 2009
Duration of job : January 12th, 2009
Payment : SAG Low-tier rate
Company Name : Studio 13
Contact : Jacob Wasserman
Web Page : http://studio13nyc.com
Address/Fax :
Studio 13
391 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10013
212.625.8198 O
212.625.8196 F
Artist Contracts : Non-Union
Director: Jacob Wasserman.
Looking for a Lois Lane type female. Good looking, 25-30 years old to play an on-air producer in a documentary-type culture show. Pilot episode will be filmed in New Orleans. Please email or send headshots and Resumes to:
STUDIO13
Attn: Morgan
391 Broadway 2nd Floor
NY NY 10013
212.625.8198 O
212.625.8196 F
info@studio13nyc.com
Make sure you mention that you found that job on NewYorkActing.com in your e-mail.
Model for designer’s look book - Blond or Brunette with exotic features.
Model for designer’s look book
4-5 hours of work.
5’8” or 5'9"
Size 0-2
Blond or Brunette with exotic features.
For young designer, resort wear line. No swimsuits.
5-8 garments.
Send head and full body shots to info@caftanteehouse.com
Make sure you mention that you found that job on NewYorkActing.com in your e-mail.
We will contact you if interested.
$150 pay
Casey Hallen Productions is looking for actors for an upcoming film shoot
Casey Hallen Productions is looking for actors for an upcoming film shootThe
project is a short that will be distributed widely on the internet:"The
TROUBLE WITH TIME TRAVEL: Two 20-somethings discover that there's a big
difference between being able to travel through time and being able to do it
well."WE ARE LOOKING FOR:ED: (male, a 20 something, white, nerdy/dorky
appearance) Ed is a science nerd, and the new time travel device is his
baby. He finds him self constantly frustrated with his best friend Skiff,
but deals with Skiff's idiocy because he can talk to women. Ed doesn't know
much about modern pop culture, but is rather familiar with the original Dr.
Who series and Star Trek. 2 Future Babes (20 somethings): two hot girls who
come from the future.The shoot will be for just one day in december (tbd)
There is no pay, but we will compensate for travel costs, and you will be
fed. If interested, please email your head shot and resume to:
Casey.hallen@gmail.com please put "The Trouble With Time Travel" in the
subject.
Don't forget to MENTION you found that job on NewYorkActing.com in your
e-mail.
Casting lead actress or model for HD short film less than 10 minutes
Casting lead actress or model for HD short film less than 10 minutes, no
nudity, no dialogue. Very pretty and simple 2 day shoot. You will receive
250 per day plus copy and credit. Looking for model that resembles this actress .
We need someone who looks like her or similar, if you have friends that do
please let them know to submit.Beginners okay with recent photos.Submit
Photo Headshot & Resume with contact info and website or link to
reels.paulcohencasting@hotmail.com
Don't forget to MENTION you found that job on NewYorkActing.com in your
e-mail.
Limbo, a Brooklyn based heist drama by Frank Terranova about Frank Wolf
Limbo, a Brooklyn based heist drama by Frank Terranova about Frank Wolf, a
thief who returns to his old neighborhood after 8 years on the lam to squash
a beef with a local crime boss. He reluctantly gets involved in a bank
robbery with a teenage DJ and a shady club hostess. With dreams of opening a
New York style pizzeria out west and with femme fatales, wiseguys and
crooked cops all on his back. Set to a soundtrack featuring 70's funk
artists. Seeking the following roles LITTLE AL, 50's Italian American. A Joe
Pesci type. Al is the second male lead. Actors submitting should have strong
training as well as an authentic Brooklyn Accent. Rehearsals are in progress
and performances will be Dec 3,4,5,6 at The Players Loft in NYC. For
immediate consideration send headshots and resumes to
stirthsauce@hotmail.com attn: Frank Terranova
Don't forget to MENTION you found that job on NewYorkActing.com in your
e-mail.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Actors - Social vs. Anti Social
Steven Soderbergh goes DIY (?)
Well...sort of.
You may remember the release of the film Full Frontal. Cool stuff. Its good to see filmmakers return to their DIY roots, even if they dont necessarily have to.
On a side note, this is also some proof that doing well as an actor goes beyond just a good performance, but also its about being present. If the basics of acting is about interaction, shouldn't human interaction be practiced and perfected? Then what's up with those anti-social actors who are so far up their own um, or should we say so deep in their own heads, that they alienate themselves in rooms full of people, or even rooms with a small group of people, whether they have a trailer on set or not??
As directors, Ryan, Brian and myself have fallen in love with people. Thats in our job description. We try consciously or unconsciously to absorb people. Listen to them. Interact with them. Joke with them. Enjoy them. Thats what inspires stories, causes people to remember you and possibly want to work with you, as well as gives you great stories as well as insight into the human condition, and the way we think that may in fact inform the character you play some day down the line.
How do you think you could possibly acheive that level of consciousness hiding behind the text-messaging features on your cell phone?
Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm.
Our advice is, even though it may be a bit difficult, and your off-screen personality you may find to be rather dull at times, give it a shot. It will help you network much better, but most of all, help make you a better actor.
- Princeton
Well...sort of.
You may remember the release of the film Full Frontal. Cool stuff. Its good to see filmmakers return to their DIY roots, even if they dont necessarily have to.
On a side note, this is also some proof that doing well as an actor goes beyond just a good performance, but also its about being present. If the basics of acting is about interaction, shouldn't human interaction be practiced and perfected? Then what's up with those anti-social actors who are so far up their own um, or should we say so deep in their own heads, that they alienate themselves in rooms full of people, or even rooms with a small group of people, whether they have a trailer on set or not??
As directors, Ryan, Brian and myself have fallen in love with people. Thats in our job description. We try consciously or unconsciously to absorb people. Listen to them. Interact with them. Joke with them. Enjoy them. Thats what inspires stories, causes people to remember you and possibly want to work with you, as well as gives you great stories as well as insight into the human condition, and the way we think that may in fact inform the character you play some day down the line.
How do you think you could possibly acheive that level of consciousness hiding behind the text-messaging features on your cell phone?
Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm.
Our advice is, even though it may be a bit difficult, and your off-screen personality you may find to be rather dull at times, give it a shot. It will help you network much better, but most of all, help make you a better actor.
- Princeton
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Throwback Sunday Presents...
This week's throwback film, I Am Cuba, contains one of the greatest single shots in film history. A little backstory first. Believe us. Its fascinating stuff.
The movie consists of four distinct short stories about the suffering of the Cuban people and their reactions, varying from passive amazement in the first, to a guerrilla march in the last. Between the stories, a female narrator (credited "The Voice Of Cuba") says such things as, "I am Cuba, the Cuba of the casinos, but also of the people."
The first story (centred on the character Maria) shows the destitute Cuban masses contrasted with the splendor in the American-run gambling casinos and prostitution in Havana. The next story is about a farmer, Pedro, burning his sugar cane when he learns he is going to lose his land to United Fruit. The third story describes the suppression of rebellious students led by a character name Enrique at Havana University (featuring one of the longest camera shots). The final part shows how Mariano, a typical farmer, ends up joining the rebels in the Sierra Maestra Mountains, ultimately leading to triumphal march into Havana to proclaim the revolution.
But wait! Check out the history:
Shortly after the 1959 Cuban revolution overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, the socialist Castro government, isolated by the United States after the latter broke diplomatic and trade relations in 1961, turned to the USSR for film partnerships. The Soviet government, interested in promoting international socialism, agreed to finance a film about the Cuban revolution.
The director was given considerable freedom to complete the work, and was given much help from both the Soviet and Cuban governments. They made use of innovative filming techniques, such as coating a watertight camera's lens with a special submarine periscope cleaner, so the camera could be submerged and lifted out of the water without any drops on the lens or film. At one point, more than a thousand Cuban soldiers were moved to a remote location to shoot one scene — this despite the then-ongoing Cuban missile crisis.
Even though it had such great support, the movie was given a cold reaction by audiences. In Havana it was criticized for showing a rather stereotyped view of Cubans, while in Moscow it was considered naïve, not revolutionary enough, even too sympathetic to the lives of the bourgeois pre-Fidel classes. Also, upon its original release, the movie never reached Western countries largely due to it being a Communist production.
When the USSR collapsed in the early 1990s, I Am Cuba was virtually unknown. In 1992, Cuban novelist Guillermo Cabrera Infante, the guest co-director of the Telluride Film Festival, screened a print of the film at the festival as part of a retrospective on Kalatazov. The San Francisco International Film Festival screened the film in 1993. Shortly after the festival, three film professionals who had screened I Am Cuba at the San Francisco screening contacted friends at Milestone Films in New York. The tiny film distributor had released several "lost" or neglected older films (as it continues to do). Milestone watched a blurry unsubtitled VHS tape of the film and then went about acquiring the distribution rights from Mosfilm in Russia. In 1994, a friend invited Martin Scorsese to a private screening. Scorsese was amazed by the film, and when Milestone approached him to lend his name to the company's release of the film, he was happy and enthusiastic to do so. Milestone's release was also co-presented by another fan of I Am Cuba, director Francis Ford Coppola. Milestone's release opened at New York's Film Forum in March 1995. For the tenth anniversary of the film, Milestone debuted a new 35 mm restoration of I am Cuba without the Russian overdubbing in September 2005.
In another scene, the camera follows a coffin between a crowded street. Then it stops and slowly moves upwards for at least four stories until it is filming the coffin from above a building. Without stopping it then starts tracking sideways and enters through a window into a cigar factory, then goes straight towards a window where the cigar workers are watching the coffin. The camera finally passes through the window and, still following the court, appears to float over the street between the buildings. These shots were accomplished by assembling a line of technicians, and passing the camera down the line, from hand to hand.
Cool stuff, huh? Ok. So now for this famous shot. Check us out next Sunday for more film history. On the house, of course. Enjoy!
To purchase this classic film, just go to
http://www.amazon.com/
The movie consists of four distinct short stories about the suffering of the Cuban people and their reactions, varying from passive amazement in the first, to a guerrilla march in the last. Between the stories, a female narrator (credited "The Voice Of Cuba") says such things as, "I am Cuba, the Cuba of the casinos, but also of the people."
The first story (centred on the character Maria) shows the destitute Cuban masses contrasted with the splendor in the American-run gambling casinos and prostitution in Havana. The next story is about a farmer, Pedro, burning his sugar cane when he learns he is going to lose his land to United Fruit. The third story describes the suppression of rebellious students led by a character name Enrique at Havana University (featuring one of the longest camera shots). The final part shows how Mariano, a typical farmer, ends up joining the rebels in the Sierra Maestra Mountains, ultimately leading to triumphal march into Havana to proclaim the revolution.
But wait! Check out the history:
Shortly after the 1959 Cuban revolution overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, the socialist Castro government, isolated by the United States after the latter broke diplomatic and trade relations in 1961, turned to the USSR for film partnerships. The Soviet government, interested in promoting international socialism, agreed to finance a film about the Cuban revolution.
The director was given considerable freedom to complete the work, and was given much help from both the Soviet and Cuban governments. They made use of innovative filming techniques, such as coating a watertight camera's lens with a special submarine periscope cleaner, so the camera could be submerged and lifted out of the water without any drops on the lens or film. At one point, more than a thousand Cuban soldiers were moved to a remote location to shoot one scene — this despite the then-ongoing Cuban missile crisis.
Even though it had such great support, the movie was given a cold reaction by audiences. In Havana it was criticized for showing a rather stereotyped view of Cubans, while in Moscow it was considered naïve, not revolutionary enough, even too sympathetic to the lives of the bourgeois pre-Fidel classes. Also, upon its original release, the movie never reached Western countries largely due to it being a Communist production.
When the USSR collapsed in the early 1990s, I Am Cuba was virtually unknown. In 1992, Cuban novelist Guillermo Cabrera Infante, the guest co-director of the Telluride Film Festival, screened a print of the film at the festival as part of a retrospective on Kalatazov. The San Francisco International Film Festival screened the film in 1993. Shortly after the festival, three film professionals who had screened I Am Cuba at the San Francisco screening contacted friends at Milestone Films in New York. The tiny film distributor had released several "lost" or neglected older films (as it continues to do). Milestone watched a blurry unsubtitled VHS tape of the film and then went about acquiring the distribution rights from Mosfilm in Russia. In 1994, a friend invited Martin Scorsese to a private screening. Scorsese was amazed by the film, and when Milestone approached him to lend his name to the company's release of the film, he was happy and enthusiastic to do so. Milestone's release was also co-presented by another fan of I Am Cuba, director Francis Ford Coppola. Milestone's release opened at New York's Film Forum in March 1995. For the tenth anniversary of the film, Milestone debuted a new 35 mm restoration of I am Cuba without the Russian overdubbing in September 2005.
In another scene, the camera follows a coffin between a crowded street. Then it stops and slowly moves upwards for at least four stories until it is filming the coffin from above a building. Without stopping it then starts tracking sideways and enters through a window into a cigar factory, then goes straight towards a window where the cigar workers are watching the coffin. The camera finally passes through the window and, still following the court, appears to float over the street between the buildings. These shots were accomplished by assembling a line of technicians, and passing the camera down the line, from hand to hand.
Cool stuff, huh? Ok. So now for this famous shot. Check us out next Sunday for more film history. On the house, of course. Enjoy!
To purchase this classic film, just go to
http://www.amazon.com/
Saturday, November 8, 2008
David Sandholm of The Rollo Treadway
We love this band The Rollo Treadway so much we used their music in Cookies & Cream. Here is a cool interview from LAist.
Every so often you come across a CD so good that you enjoy every track—and this discovery is made even more precious when you find it before it's played on KCRW or included on a Paste sampler CD. For me, The Rollo Treadway is such a band. Their self-titled CD blends dark and melodic pop with surprising lyrics and a Beach-Boys-meets-The Zombies vibe.
Although they haven't nailed down their LA tour dates yet, we figured LAist readers might appreciate getting to know them before they come to town. We recently spoke with The Rollo Treadway lead singer and songwriter David Sandholm to get the scoop on their self-titled debut CD, the songwriting process and what he's looking forward to when the band comes to LA.
LAist: What is your musical background?
I come from a very unmusical family as far as my parents go, although I do remember my grandfather on my dad's side had a bunch of harmonicas. He was very protective of his instruments. If you wanted to play one—I don't know if it was a germ issue or what—he'd go out and buy you one, but he wouldn't let you play his. (laughs)
I didn't really have any music growing up. It wasn't until high school that I got into it. My parents would listen to doo-wop and the Cats soundtrack and Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits. I kind of like doo-wop now, but I associated it with Cats and Barry Manilow for a long time.
Also, when I was really young, I had a Dr. Seuss record, and I think that was a really big influence—the background music is still lodged in my brain. And I had a K-tel record called Dumb Ditties that was all novelty songs. So those were the two records I had until high school, and then I got into the Beatles and stuff like that.
When did you write your first song?
I didn't really start writing until college. I could play guitar a little bit and I could kind of sing, but I wasn't great. Then during the last week of college I wrote something I thought was kind of good. And at this point I thought, "Well, I'm graduating, so I'll get a bartending job and give this a shot."
So when I wasn't bartending and going out and getting drunk, I just locked myself in my apartment to figure stuff out. I bought a four-track tape machine, which was the biggest leap for me in learning how to write.
You mention The Zombies as a major influence. When did you first discover them?
They don't have these on TV as much anymore, but when I was growing up, they'd have these Sounds of the 60s and other different compilations you could buy on record or cassette. You know the ones—with the song titles running like credits down the screen—they'd all be in yellow and one would be in red, and that was the one that was playing.
You'd hear these 10-second clips of songs and a lot of them would be lame ones, but then one time I remember hearing "She's Not There" by The Zombies and I was like, "What was that?!?" I responded to it instantly even though I didn't have any background with that kind of music. I think certain musical ideas just resonate for some reason—who knows, maybe it's in the genes and you just respond to certain things—but I was trying to do stuff that made me feel like that. Stuff that made you excited just from hearing a little bit.
Is the band name based on Buster Keaton's character from the 1924 movie The Navigator?
That's where I got the name but it's not really based on it, though I am a big Buster Keaton fan. I just wanted it rooted in something American. All of the psychedelic stuff I liked from the 60s was rooted in British music hall kind of stuff. When it got nursery rhyme-ish, it was all British-based. That's why I was happy when I discovered [Brian Wilson's] SMiLE stuff. It was psychedelic and yet it sounded very American.
I liked that putting a "The" in front of "Rollo Treadway" made it sound like a railroad company or something. So maybe it sounds pretentious now, but at the time, I didn't think anyone would figure out what it was. Then I realized that when you Google the name you get all these links to the Keaton movie.
How did the band and the album come together?
I formed the [Brooklyn-based] band after recording the album. The whole record is pretty much comprised of songs I wrote over a number of years. Those aren't the only songs I wrote, but those are the ones that kind of went together.
My demos turned out fine, but I was always worried that if I went to record these things, I wouldn't know quite enough to articulate the way the strings should go and stuff like that. It was a little out of my scope, and I felt that if I were living in the 60s or 70s, I'd just get a great guy to arrange it. But nowadays it's hard to find that.
Then I heard this group, the Lilys, who had a few records in the 90s that were produced by a guy named Michael Deming—and the albums he'd worked on were just fantastic production-wise. So I contacted him and we made the record.
And I'm really lucky to have such a great band— Tyler Wenzel (guitar), Jörg Krückel (organ and electric piano), Nick Hundley (bass guitar) and Blake Fleming (drums). It's a really talented group of guys. Blake , for instance, was one of the founding members of The Mars Volta. He's the only other member of the group that played on the album.
Do you consider it to be a concept album?
It wasn't supposed to be, other than the two songs, "Kidnapped" and "Dear Mr. Doe." In an earlier sequencing of the record, those were back to back. I actually ended up singing one of the songs in a key that wasn't comfortable for me so that one would end in A minor and then the next one would begin in C, so it would have the relative minor/major. But then we didn't end up putting them next to each other, so I sang it in an uncomfortable key for no reason. (laughs)
At some point I think I realized that some of the songs did fit together. But then there were songs that clearly didn't have anything to do with anything.
Of course I thought of all this after the fact, but I don't want to lie and say that it was premeditated other than those two. But who knows? Maybe it kinda was. I had written those two songs first.
Speaking of those two songs, what was your inspiration for "Kidnapped" and "Dear Mr. Doe"?
I was trying to write something that was like an old radio theater show. I'm a big fan of old radio shows like "The Shadow," "The Whistler," "Suspense" and Orson Welles' "Mercury Theatre" and I was trying do something with that kind of feel. That's why those two songs have the sound effects.
Production-wise, "Kidnapped" has a big Phil Spector influence—with the castanets and such. The big thing I like with him was how the music started, like in the song "And Then He Kissed Me." That's a great blueprint for how I began "Kidnapped," just to have a riff that's a really solid idea and then the percussion starts and it's off and running.
"All Heads Turn" is one of my favorite songs because it sounds like a demented merry-go-round. What's the story behind it?
When I haven't written anything for a while, the guilt mounts up and I sit down and churn out a few songs. It's like painting—not painting pictures—but it's like when I have to paint my apartment or something. I dread it, because when I get to the corners I'm so anal with taping and stuff. It's very satisfying when it's right, but just the mindset to get into it is very anxiety-ridden and I put it off as long as possible. So sometimes songwriting gets like that.
Anyway, I wrote "All Heads Turn" after a night of heavy drinking. At that point, I hadn't written anything for so long and I was thinking, "I'm such a loser, I have to write something." The next morning, I was eating breakfast and the melody got in my head. I was so hung over from the night before and I thought, "What's the name of that girl that I was talking to last night? Ah yes, Bridget. Her name is Bridget…" And only so many things rhyme with Bridget, so it made the lyrics easier.
I love the two instrumental songs on your album. How did those come about?
"The Seahorse" was part of this 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea song I was working on. It was one of several underwater adventure instrumentals that were supposed to make up a whole piece. "Avenue X" wasn't supposed to be an instrumental, but because it had such a weird structure I had trouble writing lyrics to it. I like to have the lyrics not be too arty-sounding. They can be a little bit, but it should still tell some kind of story. They should have other levels, but I like it to also work on the "Be My Baby" level.
And then I didn't know what to do with "Avenue X." The studio where I was recording had a couch and a TV in the basement, so I'd hang out there when Michael was attending to his microphone business (he makes his own microphones in addition to producing records).
One night there was a Bruce Lee documentary on TV and when it came time to record the song, we decided to go with a Hong Kong vibe. This guy, Jamie Sherwood, played a 12-string in it, and we had him do vibrato, but completely randomly. Normally you shake it in the rhythm of the song but he did it completely arhythmically, which is tough to do—to play in time and shake randomly—but that's why it has that funny sound.
As for the name of the song, "Avenue X" used to be the last stop on the F train, though they've changed it now. It would say in big, black Helvetica letters "Avenue X," and I thought it was weird and funny.
In recent years, which CDs have been at the top of your personal playlist?
I really like that first Shins record—those melodies are so good, like in the song "Girl Inform Me." Hearing that song made me think, "I've gotta do something better than what I'm doing!" I like when you have very slow, very deliberate melodies.
I like songs where the melody would sound good even if there weren't any words, where the lyrics work so smoothly with the melody that they come off more as just sounds without any meaning the first time you hear them. The way the rhymes work and the way the consonants sound, it's just like nothing obstructs it. You'd be satisfied even if the lyrics didn't mean anything, but when they do mean something it's a bonus.
A group I found on myspace that I thought was great was Higgins. This song called "Drop Off" is just amazing. It's a little bit Pink Floyd-ish with great melodies, sorta T.Rex, but not too blues-sounding.
I've also been listening to a lot of Roger Miller's stuff. He's the guy who wrote "King of the Road" and he had these four records that were unstoppable. This one song of his, "Swiss Maid," really gets to me. Margo Guryan is also great. She made one album in 1968 (Take a Picture) and it's insane, definitely one of the best pop records of all time.
You were speaking earlier of the fusion between melody and lyrics—do you have a favorite lyricist?
I'm a big fan of Gerry Goffin. His writing works so well that sometimes it's just creepy how perfectly the melody is independent of the lyrics, but then with the lyrics laid on, it just gets this emotion. It's hard to put into words—like trying to describe the taste of water.
You'll get a line or two, maybe where the melody goes into this minor thing and it'll show something vulnerable about the character, or the character's trying to play it cool, but in that one line they're exposing themselves a little bit.
A great example is the song "She Don't Deserve You." It's touching because it feels very real. It's a one-two punch: You have the lyric, but then all this other emotion in the melody hits you in a raw way.
Anyway, in "She Don't Deserve You," this girl is talking in a daydream to this guy about how he'd be better off with her than the girl he's with who treats him badly. But you get the undercurrent that maybe it's more about her trying to get with this guy as much as she thinks that other girl is the wrong girl for him. The bottom line is that she is alone and it's just…it's so specific. There are certain lines where there's this really great change where the melody goes, and it just kills me how the lyric works with it.
Is a second album already in the works?
I do have another record written that I guess would be another Rollo Treadway record. I have all these songs for a real 60s "Brill Building"-style girl group record. But I don't know any 60s-style girls to sing it, so I have to figure out what I'm going to do with that. Actually, that song "Charlie" from the record was one of them—though it got psychedelic-ified.
Any plans for a tour?
Definitely. My son was just born, so we took a little break, but now we're just starting to practice again. We're heading to Canada soon for a TV appearance, then we'll get to doing a proper tour. We'll make it to LA at some point.
Anything you're looking forward to doing while you're in Los Angeles?
I love the food in LA. Last time I was here, we went to Dan Tana's. I like the mood of the place.
I'll also be sure to visit Paradise Cove in Malibu so I can see where Jim Rockford's trailer was. I'm a huge fan of The Rockford Files.
http://www.therollotreadway.com/
http://www.myspace.com/therollotreadway
Every so often you come across a CD so good that you enjoy every track—and this discovery is made even more precious when you find it before it's played on KCRW or included on a Paste sampler CD. For me, The Rollo Treadway is such a band. Their self-titled CD blends dark and melodic pop with surprising lyrics and a Beach-Boys-meets-The Zombies vibe.Although they haven't nailed down their LA tour dates yet, we figured LAist readers might appreciate getting to know them before they come to town. We recently spoke with The Rollo Treadway lead singer and songwriter David Sandholm to get the scoop on their self-titled debut CD, the songwriting process and what he's looking forward to when the band comes to LA.
LAist: What is your musical background?
I come from a very unmusical family as far as my parents go, although I do remember my grandfather on my dad's side had a bunch of harmonicas. He was very protective of his instruments. If you wanted to play one—I don't know if it was a germ issue or what—he'd go out and buy you one, but he wouldn't let you play his. (laughs)
I didn't really have any music growing up. It wasn't until high school that I got into it. My parents would listen to doo-wop and the Cats soundtrack and Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits. I kind of like doo-wop now, but I associated it with Cats and Barry Manilow for a long time.
Also, when I was really young, I had a Dr. Seuss record, and I think that was a really big influence—the background music is still lodged in my brain. And I had a K-tel record called Dumb Ditties that was all novelty songs. So those were the two records I had until high school, and then I got into the Beatles and stuff like that.
When did you write your first song?
I didn't really start writing until college. I could play guitar a little bit and I could kind of sing, but I wasn't great. Then during the last week of college I wrote something I thought was kind of good. And at this point I thought, "Well, I'm graduating, so I'll get a bartending job and give this a shot."
So when I wasn't bartending and going out and getting drunk, I just locked myself in my apartment to figure stuff out. I bought a four-track tape machine, which was the biggest leap for me in learning how to write.
You mention The Zombies as a major influence. When did you first discover them?
They don't have these on TV as much anymore, but when I was growing up, they'd have these Sounds of the 60s and other different compilations you could buy on record or cassette. You know the ones—with the song titles running like credits down the screen—they'd all be in yellow and one would be in red, and that was the one that was playing.
You'd hear these 10-second clips of songs and a lot of them would be lame ones, but then one time I remember hearing "She's Not There" by The Zombies and I was like, "What was that?!?" I responded to it instantly even though I didn't have any background with that kind of music. I think certain musical ideas just resonate for some reason—who knows, maybe it's in the genes and you just respond to certain things—but I was trying to do stuff that made me feel like that. Stuff that made you excited just from hearing a little bit.
Is the band name based on Buster Keaton's character from the 1924 movie The Navigator?
That's where I got the name but it's not really based on it, though I am a big Buster Keaton fan. I just wanted it rooted in something American. All of the psychedelic stuff I liked from the 60s was rooted in British music hall kind of stuff. When it got nursery rhyme-ish, it was all British-based. That's why I was happy when I discovered [Brian Wilson's] SMiLE stuff. It was psychedelic and yet it sounded very American.
I liked that putting a "The" in front of "Rollo Treadway" made it sound like a railroad company or something. So maybe it sounds pretentious now, but at the time, I didn't think anyone would figure out what it was. Then I realized that when you Google the name you get all these links to the Keaton movie.
How did the band and the album come together?
I formed the [Brooklyn-based] band after recording the album. The whole record is pretty much comprised of songs I wrote over a number of years. Those aren't the only songs I wrote, but those are the ones that kind of went together.
My demos turned out fine, but I was always worried that if I went to record these things, I wouldn't know quite enough to articulate the way the strings should go and stuff like that. It was a little out of my scope, and I felt that if I were living in the 60s or 70s, I'd just get a great guy to arrange it. But nowadays it's hard to find that.
Then I heard this group, the Lilys, who had a few records in the 90s that were produced by a guy named Michael Deming—and the albums he'd worked on were just fantastic production-wise. So I contacted him and we made the record.
And I'm really lucky to have such a great band— Tyler Wenzel (guitar), Jörg Krückel (organ and electric piano), Nick Hundley (bass guitar) and Blake Fleming (drums). It's a really talented group of guys. Blake , for instance, was one of the founding members of The Mars Volta. He's the only other member of the group that played on the album.
Do you consider it to be a concept album?
It wasn't supposed to be, other than the two songs, "Kidnapped" and "Dear Mr. Doe." In an earlier sequencing of the record, those were back to back. I actually ended up singing one of the songs in a key that wasn't comfortable for me so that one would end in A minor and then the next one would begin in C, so it would have the relative minor/major. But then we didn't end up putting them next to each other, so I sang it in an uncomfortable key for no reason. (laughs)
At some point I think I realized that some of the songs did fit together. But then there were songs that clearly didn't have anything to do with anything.
Of course I thought of all this after the fact, but I don't want to lie and say that it was premeditated other than those two. But who knows? Maybe it kinda was. I had written those two songs first.
Speaking of those two songs, what was your inspiration for "Kidnapped" and "Dear Mr. Doe"?
I was trying to write something that was like an old radio theater show. I'm a big fan of old radio shows like "The Shadow," "The Whistler," "Suspense" and Orson Welles' "Mercury Theatre" and I was trying do something with that kind of feel. That's why those two songs have the sound effects.
Production-wise, "Kidnapped" has a big Phil Spector influence—with the castanets and such. The big thing I like with him was how the music started, like in the song "And Then He Kissed Me." That's a great blueprint for how I began "Kidnapped," just to have a riff that's a really solid idea and then the percussion starts and it's off and running.
"All Heads Turn" is one of my favorite songs because it sounds like a demented merry-go-round. What's the story behind it?
When I haven't written anything for a while, the guilt mounts up and I sit down and churn out a few songs. It's like painting—not painting pictures—but it's like when I have to paint my apartment or something. I dread it, because when I get to the corners I'm so anal with taping and stuff. It's very satisfying when it's right, but just the mindset to get into it is very anxiety-ridden and I put it off as long as possible. So sometimes songwriting gets like that.
Anyway, I wrote "All Heads Turn" after a night of heavy drinking. At that point, I hadn't written anything for so long and I was thinking, "I'm such a loser, I have to write something." The next morning, I was eating breakfast and the melody got in my head. I was so hung over from the night before and I thought, "What's the name of that girl that I was talking to last night? Ah yes, Bridget. Her name is Bridget…" And only so many things rhyme with Bridget, so it made the lyrics easier.
I love the two instrumental songs on your album. How did those come about?
"The Seahorse" was part of this 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea song I was working on. It was one of several underwater adventure instrumentals that were supposed to make up a whole piece. "Avenue X" wasn't supposed to be an instrumental, but because it had such a weird structure I had trouble writing lyrics to it. I like to have the lyrics not be too arty-sounding. They can be a little bit, but it should still tell some kind of story. They should have other levels, but I like it to also work on the "Be My Baby" level.And then I didn't know what to do with "Avenue X." The studio where I was recording had a couch and a TV in the basement, so I'd hang out there when Michael was attending to his microphone business (he makes his own microphones in addition to producing records).
One night there was a Bruce Lee documentary on TV and when it came time to record the song, we decided to go with a Hong Kong vibe. This guy, Jamie Sherwood, played a 12-string in it, and we had him do vibrato, but completely randomly. Normally you shake it in the rhythm of the song but he did it completely arhythmically, which is tough to do—to play in time and shake randomly—but that's why it has that funny sound.
As for the name of the song, "Avenue X" used to be the last stop on the F train, though they've changed it now. It would say in big, black Helvetica letters "Avenue X," and I thought it was weird and funny.
In recent years, which CDs have been at the top of your personal playlist?
I really like that first Shins record—those melodies are so good, like in the song "Girl Inform Me." Hearing that song made me think, "I've gotta do something better than what I'm doing!" I like when you have very slow, very deliberate melodies.
I like songs where the melody would sound good even if there weren't any words, where the lyrics work so smoothly with the melody that they come off more as just sounds without any meaning the first time you hear them. The way the rhymes work and the way the consonants sound, it's just like nothing obstructs it. You'd be satisfied even if the lyrics didn't mean anything, but when they do mean something it's a bonus.
A group I found on myspace that I thought was great was Higgins. This song called "Drop Off" is just amazing. It's a little bit Pink Floyd-ish with great melodies, sorta T.Rex, but not too blues-sounding.
I've also been listening to a lot of Roger Miller's stuff. He's the guy who wrote "King of the Road" and he had these four records that were unstoppable. This one song of his, "Swiss Maid," really gets to me. Margo Guryan is also great. She made one album in 1968 (Take a Picture) and it's insane, definitely one of the best pop records of all time.
You were speaking earlier of the fusion between melody and lyrics—do you have a favorite lyricist?
I'm a big fan of Gerry Goffin. His writing works so well that sometimes it's just creepy how perfectly the melody is independent of the lyrics, but then with the lyrics laid on, it just gets this emotion. It's hard to put into words—like trying to describe the taste of water.
You'll get a line or two, maybe where the melody goes into this minor thing and it'll show something vulnerable about the character, or the character's trying to play it cool, but in that one line they're exposing themselves a little bit.
A great example is the song "She Don't Deserve You." It's touching because it feels very real. It's a one-two punch: You have the lyric, but then all this other emotion in the melody hits you in a raw way.
Anyway, in "She Don't Deserve You," this girl is talking in a daydream to this guy about how he'd be better off with her than the girl he's with who treats him badly. But you get the undercurrent that maybe it's more about her trying to get with this guy as much as she thinks that other girl is the wrong girl for him. The bottom line is that she is alone and it's just…it's so specific. There are certain lines where there's this really great change where the melody goes, and it just kills me how the lyric works with it.
Is a second album already in the works?
I do have another record written that I guess would be another Rollo Treadway record. I have all these songs for a real 60s "Brill Building"-style girl group record. But I don't know any 60s-style girls to sing it, so I have to figure out what I'm going to do with that. Actually, that song "Charlie" from the record was one of them—though it got psychedelic-ified.
Any plans for a tour?
Definitely. My son was just born, so we took a little break, but now we're just starting to practice again. We're heading to Canada soon for a TV appearance, then we'll get to doing a proper tour. We'll make it to LA at some point.
Anything you're looking forward to doing while you're in Los Angeles?
I love the food in LA. Last time I was here, we went to Dan Tana's. I like the mood of the place.
I'll also be sure to visit Paradise Cove in Malibu so I can see where Jim Rockford's trailer was. I'm a huge fan of The Rockford Files.
http://www.therollotreadway.com/
http://www.myspace.com/therollotreadway
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Why MSNBC is the best
The capturing of the moment. The early camera set ups. The editing. MSNBC has it on lock!
We will soon post our own footage that was shot this historic night.
Congratulations to all of you new young voters, as well as first time african american voters, and congratulations to President Obama.
We will soon post our own footage that was shot this historic night.
Congratulations to all of you new young voters, as well as first time african american voters, and congratulations to President Obama.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Uptown star in "Dracula"
Uptown lead actor Chris Riquinha is in a new theatre production of Dracula!
Ever since lighting up the stage at Sunshine Day school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Chris has felt at home onstage and in front of a camera. He has gone on to supporting and leading roles in plays, such as "Guys and Dolls", and film alike, including Richard Haines' new thriller "What Really Frightens You." It's clear in Chris' mind and in those who see him work, that Chris has found his true passion and that which he has been placed on this world to do. He just wrapped production on his first leading role in the feature film Uptown, where he is also a co-writer. The film is directed by Brian Ackley and produced by One Way or Another Productions.
PLOT DESCRIPTION
RadioTheatre presents an environmental sound spectacular with an original orchestral score, a talented cast of storytellers and a plethora of sound effects! Join them as they present the classic tale of everyone's favorite vampire, 'Dracula' but be warned, this isn't your grandpa's version! Experience the vampire hunters who have invaded the Middle Eastern domain of Count Dracula so that they may utterly destroy him and his kind and, witness Dracula's revenge upon his invaders by threatening to take their beautiful women as his eternal brides. — TheaterSource
SHOWTIMES / VENUE
Opening Date: Nov. 11, 2008
Closing Date: Open Run
Next Five Shows:
Nov. 11, 2008 8:00 p.m.
Nov. 18, 2008 8:00 p.m.
Nov. 25, 2008 8:00 p.m.
Dec. 2, 2008 8:00 p.m.
Dec. 7, 2008 3:00 p.m.
Players Theatre
115 MacDougal St.
New York, NY 10014
Ticket Price: $20
Ticket Information: Theatermania:212-352-3101, http://www.theatermania.com
CURRENT CAST
Starring R. Patrick Alberty, Anthony Crep, Joe Fellman, Shelleen Kostabi, Alexandra Loren, Chris Riquinha and Frank Zilinyi
the DIY handbook
Here is the trailer for the documentary/web series on the making of the DIY film Cookies & Cream. See the DIY journey in action! Stay tuned for this series, coming in 2009!
www.youtube.com/onewaytv
www.youtube.com/onewaytv
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Filmmakers become DIY distributors in self-defense
DELTA DRAMA: JimMyron Ross, left, and Michael J. Smith Jr. in "Ballst," being distributed by its director.E-mail Picture
By John Horn October 30, 2008
The do-it-yourself movement has transformed music, home improvement, political action and even comic book publishing. Now the DIY cause is starting to upend movie distribution, and is no longer a scarlet letter that filmmakers labored to hide.
Not that long ago, any movie being distributed by its director or producer was considered damaged goods: If not a single legitimate distributor wanted to release a film, it simply had to be agony to watch. But as the specialized film business has been experiencing its own tumult -- some studios shut down or downsized their art-house divisions, while others looked only for indie films that could play to the broadest audience possible -- the DIY distribution stigma quickly became immaterial.
These days, a number of new movies with recognizable stars and prestigious film festival pedigrees are being released by their makers, and while the early financial returns are easily forgotten, the trend is not as hard to dismiss.
"It's not at all what I thought I'd be doing," says Randy Miller, who with his wife and filmmaking partner, Jody Savin, self-distributed this summer's wine competition drama “Bottle Shock” and will do the same with their Dec. 5 thriller “Nobel Son.” "But the system is broken. So what else are you going to do?"
Producer Ehud Bleiberg will self-distribute “Adam Resurrected" (a Holocaust drama starring Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe) in December, while director Justin Dillon is releasing his human trafficking documentary “Call + Response” by himself.
"We always thought that grass-roots support was what was going to launch this film," says Dillon, whose activist film invites moviegoers to send text messages during showings to donate money, write to legislators and download songs from the film. "So by doing it ourselves we kind of stick with the film's story."
Among the most intriguing DIY titles is writer-director Lance Hammer's “Ballast,” which arrives in Los Angeles on Nov. 7.
After premiering at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where it won the top Grand Jury Prize, Hammer's drama about the personal struggles of three people living in the Mississippi Delta attracted a number of rave reviews and several modest distribution offers, promising Hammer no more than $50,000 up front (with a slim chance of more money later).
Hammer tentatively agreed to sell the film's distribution rights to IFC Films, but had second thoughts when he reviewed IFC's contract and felt that its economics -- coupled with his lack of control over how the film would be released -- didn't fall in his favor.
It's not just the contractual commitments that filmmakers like Hammer and Miller mind. It's also today's current theatrical release model, where movies that don't prove themselves immediately at the box office are pulled from theaters.
"The problem with independent distribution is that they spend just a little bit of money at the start and then dribs and drabs if it works," Miller says. "So they are setting themselves up for failure."
When Hammer decided to distribute "Ballast" himself, he suddenly had to learn how to design movie posters, cut a trailer and pick which cities and theaters would be best for a film that despite great reviews has limited mainstream appeal.
"The most important thing is you have to be interested in the process, and I don't think that most filmmakers are," says Stephen Raphael, whose company Required Viewing is providing marketing and release guidance for "Ballast." "You have to be as passionate about this as making your movie. Because if you're not, there are a lot of stumbling blocks."
And bills to pay.
Miller spent several million dollars releasing "Bottle Shock" nationally, but Hammer's limited release plan ("Ballast" has played in New York, and moves to Chicago and Boston on Friday) will cost only several hundred thousand dollars.
"I think it's the same skill set that's required for production -- and I was a producer on this film as well," Hammer says. "You have to use your intuition. You make a lot of mistakes, and you know the second time around not to make the same mistakes." He says he will distribute his next (as yet unmade) film himself too.
While Hammer believes film festivals are critical to building audience interest -- "Ballast" has played more than 40 festivals -- he is convinced that word-of-mouth college screenings turn potential ticket buyers into freeloaders.
Neither Miller nor Hammer will end up making a profit during their theatrical releases, but both hope they will come out ahead when their films come out on DVD and through video on demand.
"The reason I chose to do this," Hammer says, "is because I wanted to do what's best for the project."
Horn is a Times staff writer.
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