Complete Guide to DVD Self Distribution

Maybe the most definitive and consise article on DIY step by step distribution (that of course, still includes film festivals). Filmmaker Magazine does it again, this one being from the latest edition with Medicine for Melancholy on the cover. Here it is below:


Setting up DVD distribution: Yes, you can still make money doing this.

BY JON REISS



Following — or perhaps instead of — your independent film‘s theatrical release is its release on DVD. While sales of DVDs released by all content providers, studios included, are dropping at the moment, home video is still one of the most lucrative stages of a film‘s distribution. And while much has been written about filmmakers self-distributing their films to theaters (see, for example, part one of this series in the Fall 2008 edition of Filmmaker), filmmakers‘ options when self-distributing their work to the home market have been less well covered. Rest assured, however — the same grassroots marketing strategies and cost-saving economies can be brought into play.

I don‘t think it was clear in part one of this series, but I was offered quite a few theatrical/DVD offers for my graffiti doc Bomb It. Like most deals independents are faced with these days, these were very low-money offers in which the buyer wanted all rights for at least 10 if not 20 years. While these companies were offering a small theatrical release, my producer and I were savvy enough to realize that theatrical releasing expenses would be cross-collateralized with DVD and cable revenue. Translation: The likelihood that we would see any additional money beyond the tiny advance was small. Plus we would lose all control of the film and its revenue streams for many years.

When evaluating a distribution offer that‘s less than the amount needed to recoup your production budget, I recommend filmmakers ask themselves the same two simple questions I asked myself. First, is the film good enough to put all of my energies into releasing it? If you can answer “yes” to this question, then ask yourself, is the distributor offering to pay me what I think I could make from the film if I exploited it myself? If “no,” I highly recommend not taking the deal.

I realize that, exhausted from your film‘s production, you may want to take the deal. After all, you‘ll have a distributor! And you‘re sure they‘ll give your film the release you feel it deserves. But remember that having a distributor often doesn‘t obligate the distributor to actually distribute your film — or, at least, to do a good job of distributing it — unless guarantees are written into the contract with very clear guidelines, dates and penalties. And there is never any guarantee that you will see any money beyond your advance.

Regarding being exhausted — tough. Why did you make the film in the first place? For it to sit on a distributor‘s shelf? You are the best marketer and proponent for your film because ultimately you are the one who cared and bled the most for the movie. You made this film to be seen by an audience, and your belief in it is all that can guarantee that this will happen.

Filmmakers must understand that finishing the film is half the battle. Or, to put it another way, when you have finished your film, your job is half done. In order to take back your power as a filmmaker, you need to think about splitting the rights to your film and parceling those rights out to whomever you feel can best deliver in each particular platform or territory. When it comes to DVDs, there are still many companies who will take your DVD rights only. It is up to you to research whether or not these companies are reliable, trustworthy and financially solvent.

Full article Here:

http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/winter2009/bombit.php

Cookies Director's Statement

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

“I wrote Cookies & Cream while held up in an extended stay hotel in the middle of nowhere. I was frustrated. Frustrated that the film I had (and still have) in development was taking so long to finish funding. I remember being on such a roll when we attached names to the project, and especially after the first funds came in. But as inevitable as this is in the “up and coming” corner of the film business, things just began to slow down. And I got frustrated. I wanted to say something – ‘in the meantime.’

My lead actress and frequent muse, Jace Nicole and I, begin to discuss this character we had in our heads. While she worked her day job waiting tables and bartending in Hoboken, NJ, I would drop by and we would jot down notes about this Carmen character in between breaks. When I felt I knew who this woman was, we separated; I took a portion of my writer’s fee from the other feature in development, and disappeared to a non-disclosed location. No phone, no Internet, no friends. 6 sleepless nights and days later, I returned home with the script, and an unbreakable determination to shoot this one right away. Fully funded or not.

For those considering making of your own first feature without healthy financing in place, I advise you to immediately reconsider. That is, unless you are prepared to look at yourself in the mirror. Unless you are prepared to take ‘the blue pill’ and see things for what they really are. Unless you are prepared to loose some dear, long-time friends, and get rejected by businesses that will not sponsor you free meals, or a free location, then don’t do it. Unless you are prepared for your ego to be left dangling like the 5-dollar china ball light bulb that serves as your primary lighting source due to constantly threatening time restraints, then again, don’t do it. Unless by chance you are prepared for these things, and you are prepared to really see once and for all who your real friends are, who on your team really believes in you, and if, in fact, you are ready to really learn how to direct, if you are ready to see what you have learned or not learned in all the years you have studied filmmaking, if and when all the glitz is stripped away and all you have is your story, your script, and your actors, and ultimately you get a chance to see what you are really made of as a filmmaker and a human being, and you are prepared to go broke doing it, then, and only then, do I recommend this kind of undertaking. Luckily for me, I had come to a point in my life, and my career, that I was ready for all of the above. I felt brave enough to take a look.

The only thing that I am 100% sure about is that this character Carmen has that kind of determination, and that this film on one level is about those sorts of sacrifices. She is a single mother with limited career options, trying to survive in a business that takes as much patience as it does talent. This film is, on one level, about the affect that her career choice has on all of her relationships. But that’s all I am certain about. Or at least that’s all that I choose to be certain about. Andrew Bujalski says that he is always careful to not be too explicit to himself about what the central theme is. He says he always wants to retain some mystery in the work even for himself. I can see where he is coming from now that I have just completed my first feature film. But what is not a mystery, at least for me, is the sense of personal accomplishment and pride I feel for my close and talented team of collaborators, as well as for myself, for having completed this also very personal statement - whatever that statement may ultimately be; and that the accomplishment itself, feels just as important as the final product.”

- Princeton

Official Cookies & Cream website.

Silva's festival season advice

Its tier 1 festival season folks, so some people are thrilled, the majority of others are disappointed with their festival acceptance (or lack thereof). We are hearing from friends that in the last 48 hours have received both responses.

But filmmakers Andre and Shannon Silva, also Professors in the Film Studies Department at UNC-Wilmington, have some interesting perspective on the whole festival business. Here is their site entry about festivals:

Rejection:

Don’t get discouraged if you start getting rejection letters back from festivals. It is quite common for even the most brilliant films to get a healthy dose of rejection. There are too many variables to guarantee your film will get into every festival to which you submit. In fact, getting into say, ten of ten festivals would be as miraculous as winning small dollar amounts in a scratch off lottery game ten times in a row.

Some of these variables which may cause your film to be rejected are:

The pre-screener doesn’t like or doesn’t get your film. Pre-screeners are not masters of film or Jedi knights. They’re ordinary folks, college students or film buffs with some time to volunteer for a festival. They could also be having a bad day. Another pre-screener might have loved your film but never had a chance to see it because pre-screener #1 hated it.

Your film does not fit with the rest of the films being programmed. Would Van Gogh’s Sunflowers hang in a pop art museum? No. Does that mean Van Gogh’s Sunflowers sucks? Absolutely not. Again, researching the festival to which you will submit can minimize the chance of this happening.

Your film made it to the final round and its in limbo. The pre-screeners are discussing the films, which are sitting on the edge, and bartering happens. “I’ll give you those two films if we can program this film,” and your film is a casualty.

One well-know director said about submitting his first feature film (a film which attracted a cult-following), “we got into about a quarter of the festivals we submitted to and that was pretty good.”

He was talking about a feature film, where the stakes are even higher than with short films. But if you get into 1/4 of the festivals to which you submit a film (especially if it’s your first festival film), you should pat yourself on the back.

www.silvacine.com

Twists of Fate at Macon Film Festival

The Rick Borgia (Cookies & Cream) led Twists of Fate (directed by Conrad Glover) will be featured at the Macon Film Festival in Macon, Georgia on February 19th, at 6 pm.

Here is the trailer:

www.myspace.com/twists_of_fate_the_movie

Legal Advice for entertainment professionals

The entertainment business can be fun and exciting but its not without legal pitfalls. If a contract/NDA/any other paperwork isn't drafted properly or an actor doesn't read everything very carefully before signing, there could be serious problems. Film companies can be sued for lots of money, investors can get angry and bring litigation, actors can be trapped in an oppressive agreement, and so on.

As a newer attorney myself who just got very lucky to become part of One Way or Another Productions, I can tell you from personal experience that if you need a lawyer but don't have a lot of money for fees it is very possible to get one. You see, getting involved in entertainment law is about as easy as an actor becoming the next Angelina or Tom Cruise. I've gone to lawyer networking events and heard tons of attorneys lament about how they'd like to work in the entertainment field but have no outlets in that direction. One actually said to me at one event that I had the most interesting job of anyone there.

One piece of very good news for you struggling actors or companies with little money is that the attorney job market is in bad shape right now. Lawyers are being laid off from law firms left and right and many newer attorneys don't have the qualifications that entice most law firms to hire them (most people will tell you that the qualifications required by your average big firm have NOTHING to do w/that lawyer's abilities to look out for clients and, well, be a good lawyer). That's if they have at least 2 years experience first.

It's also widely believed that there's no such thing as an entry-level entertainment attorney. That's not quite true; I've met a few and generally, when people want something badly enough they do everything they can to achieve it.

Some of these lawyers may decide to tackle new things by taking on entertainment, what they lack in experience will be made up for in temperament, knowledge of basic contracts and corporate matters and cost. If you opt for a lawyer who doesn't have entertainment experience, you should be saving some money. If you work w/a newly admitted lawyer, you will save a lot of money. If you're lucky, you might find a lawyer willing to work for free (don't laugh; remember, lots of lawyers would love to work in this field so the experience is invaluable to them). A smart lawyer (especially a new one) will also make certain you are involved in the process since they have a lot to learn; you as the industry professional can teach him/her about your field. Smart ones will also know how quickly one's star can rise and where there's potential. I've had a number of contacts tell me about problems w/lawyers not including them in the process and getting burned by them.

Now I'm not trying to encourage anyone to distrust production companies, actors, agents, investors or anyone else. Lawyers are around to protect their clients and prevent potential problems before they occur. Lawyers can also read dense legal language and pick up on things you might not have considered or suggest a revision you wouldn't have thought of.

There are good lawyers, there are bad lawyers but don't turn down the opportunity to include a good working relationship with one if you are starting out. If you find lawyers willing to work w/you for free, all the better. You never know if that lawyer could end up working at your company or getting his/her own acclaim in the future.

- Monica

One Way or Another Productions

God Bless Sam Neave

God bless Sam Neave for 3 reasons:

1) Making another feature film
2) Making it another New York City DV film
3) Using nearly the same cast from his previous film

Neave gave us Cry Funny Happy (which we blogged about here not long ago) in 2003 after it premiered at the Sundance film festival; the low budget film was bittersweet, surprising, and honest. Its one of the most cherished DVDs in my personal collection. Here, his latest installment after a long time between features, is First Person Singular.

Seth Farber returns to New York City from his native South Africa where he has just buried his wife. A fiction writer whose first collection of short stories brought him acclaim years ago, Seth is struggling with his long-overdue first novel. In the days immediately following his return, Seth has to come to terms with his new life and face the consequences of the one left behind.

Here's an excerpt from Neave's director's statement:

"I have long believed that a film should be about something although it’s not always immediately clear to me what that something is until I begin the process in earnest.

With First Person Singular, as with Cry Funny Happy, I wanted to begin with character rather than plot. I knew that I wanted to work with Darrill but that was really all. About six months before filming began, we started to meet regularly and exchange books, films, articles and music that we found interesting. I would tell him some of my ideas for the film and then change them all again the next week. But slowly some patterns did begin to emerge: we found that we were discovering similar themes in various arenas.

Whether it was because we were looking for it or that it really was there I couldn’t say for sure, but every where we turned we came upon examinations of grieving – both personal and collective. From Joan Didion (The Year of Magical Thinking) to Arvo Pärt (Lamentate) to Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Distant and Climates) there was this common strand of loss and its impact on those left behind.

It was out of this atmosphere that Seth Farber finally emerged - a lonely, distant figure in the grieving landscape of New York City in 2007. Darrill and I are both immigrants to this town – I think we have both been here for about nine years now – and we immediately started to seize upon Seth as someone through whom we could relate our growing feelings of isolation, disconnection and loss."
Read the rest here at the film's site: http://www.fpsfilm.com/

FPS will have its US Premiere at the2009 Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose(Feb 25 - Mar 09).
Check http://www.cinequest.org/ for more details.

Here is the trailer:


First Person Singular-TRAILER from sam neave on Vimeo.

DIY DAYS - from David Tames

DIY DAYS, who has revolutionized DIY filmmaking information, has a great piece on the world of independent distribution. The article not only solidifies the fact that for low budget films, festivals are the new theatrical (a theatrical release is basically a commercial for your DVD release for both majors and indies), and for less booking and promotion money (just the cost of submissions), you are looking at a huge, money-saving "theatrical release" to announce and promote your DVD and gain your audience - and with a lot less work. Joe Swanberg strategically used SXSW as a world premiere, then targeted the midwest by screening at a Chicago festival; he used a Northhampton film fest for his east coast push, a San Francisco fest for his west coast push, and a fest in Canada for his "international push." That was a near-full territorial push in only 5 screenings (similar to some friends of mine who have had 5 city limited releases with a distributor), that geared him up to release his DVD on his website and sell them himself (pretty successfully at that).


But the festival reasoning is detailed in another part of the site itself - see for yourself in the chart later in the article how fests are just one part of the whole picture, and how it all fits in together. This particular piece is about using the entire gamut of distribution avenues to your DIY advantage. Here is more from it:


Lance Weiler (filmmaker and DIY Days co-organizer) gave a presentation comparing traditional independent film distribution and a hybrid DIY model. Much has been written about the erosion of the independent film distribution business over the past year, including the widely circulated and discussed “Yes, The Sky Really Is Falling” message delivered by Mark Gill at the Los Angeles Film Festival’s Financing Conference.

Many distribution companies have closed, specialty films are experiencing lackluster box office results, and with the replacement of video stores with big-box retailers, shelf space for independent films is shrinking. And all of this is happening at the same time the supply of independent films is skyrocketing due to the democratization of production, post-production, and distribution. Here’s a juicy quote from Mark Gill’s piece in IndieWire:

Here’s how bad the odds are: of the 5000 films submitted to Sundance each year– generally with budgets under $10 million–maybe 100 of them got a US theatrical release three years ago. And it used to be that 20 of those would make money. Now maybe five do. That’s one-tenth of one percent.

Put another way, if you decide to make a movie budgeted under $10 million on your own tomorrow, you have a 99.9% chance of failure.


OK, so we have a problem, but where are the new business models? What models can independent filmmakers use to get their film in front of an audience?

Lance’s presentation slides are available as a PDF download: diydaysBoston.pdf (the two charts in this post are from the presentation).


Lance began his discussion with an explanation of current release windows, which is rapidly compressing due to changes in the marketplace. Right now, mainstream distributors think in terms of the following windows and in this order for the most part:

Festivals: indie filmmakers have traditionally seen this as a gateway to a distribution deal and did not have to worry about the other windows, I think a classic example of the old way is Darren Aronofsky’s Pi, the film premiered at Sundance where it picked up an award and the producers quickly sealed a distribution deal, however, this is rarely the case for independent filmmakers, these stories are exceptions to the rule, and it’s becoming more and more rare with the decline of speciality film distributors. Arin Crumley and Susan Buice’s Four Eyes Monsters, provides a classic example of the more realistic and difficult DIY model, none of the specialty distributors saw a way to make money with the film, however, the film did indeed find an audience, but the filmmakers had to take distribution into their own hands (which at this point has been written about widely, it has become an excellent case study).

Theatrical: classically this has been the window after festivals, but a lot of studios now start with a single festival and go right into wide release, classically the independent filmmaker’s goal was to get a distribution deal that included a theatrical release, and this “builds value in the ancillaries” and is an effective marketing campaign for for all the other forms of release of the film (home video, pay-per-view, etc), but this is becoming more and more expensive to do, and independent specialty films are being shut out as the number of screens for specialty films dwindles, distributors are taking less risks, and audiences for specialty films are increasingly watching them at home rather than in a theater.

Pay-Per-View: 90 to 100 days, only a few ways to get into cable and telcos, only a few players here, pay-per-view has been good for Lance, he’s managed to negotiate deals for this, his suggestion is to carve out each release window and negotiate rights separately, this can be very complicated, but worth it in the end, as you retain control of the destiny of your film.


Read the rest of this amazingly informative article here:


http://diydays.com/2008/10/diy-days-boston-notes-from-david-tames/

Swanberg's Festival Rejections

Our friend Joe Swanberg made a list of all the film festivals his first feature Kissing On the Mouth (the film that launched his career) got rejected from. I'm not sure I have personally ever been rejected from that many festivals in my entire life, let alone for just one film. My god! Very encouraging for all of you filmmakers receiving your mandatory seasonal rejection letters these couple of weeks (as well as for those that are getting acceptance).

Check this list out:

Rejections: Director's Fortnight, Seattle International, CineVegas, IFP/Los Angeles, Atlanta, Toronto, Sidewalk Moving Pictures Festival, Oldenburg, Woodstock, Vancouver International, AFI, Thessaloniki, Florida

Whats important is that Swanberg never quit, he had a personal goal, and eventually gained acceptance into about 5 film festivals after his premiere at SXSW. I think for him, at least, his career path has paid off.

Check out his new film info here:

http://www.alexanderthelast.com/

Congrats Joe!

Some Updates From Justin Barber

Justin Barber recently wrote us 2 messages that are combined here:

I'm just writing to thank you for your help in getting the word out
about Barry's movie (now nominated for three Independent Spirit
Awards) and to give you a heads up about the Medicine for Melancholy
Photo Project. In partnership with web agency Brickfish, we're
offering $1,000 to the winning photo. All it takes to enter is a
camera and the city you live in. Check out the details here:

http://www.brickfish.com/Entertainment/MedicineforMelancholy?tab=overview&cpn=Entertainment

And we've already got over 200 entries:

http://www.brickfish.com/Entertainment/MedicineforMelancholy?tab=entries&cpn=Entertainment

If you're a member of FIlm Independent, there are two more Spirit
Nominee Screenings:

New York - Tribeca Cinemas - Wednesday, Feb. 4, 9pm.

The release dates for our four other cities can be found on
our website: www.strikeanywherefilms.com

While you're there, you can:

1) Find the link to The New York Times article on M4M from this
Sunday's Arts Section.
2) Check out the cover of this month's Filmmaker Magazine that
features Wyatt, Tracey and Barry.
3) Participate in the M4M Photo Project - we're giving away $1,000!

Thanks for all of your support, I can't believe the release is
*finally* here - tell your friends!

That's all for now. Thanks, as always, for your support!

So what are you waiting for??? Check out his site and show the love.

- Monica

Early DV DIY Pioneer

Thought we would help Sujewa Ekanayake out a little in his research on the history of DIY films with this "later" installment of the movement (post Cassavetes and pre-"mumblecore"). Marc Forster was one of the earliest pioneers of the DV DIY movement.





In 1990, when he was 20 years old, Marc Forster moved to New York, in the United States. For the next three years, he attended New York University's film school, making several documentary films. In 1995, he moved to Hollywood and shot an experimental low budget film ($10,000) called Loungers (still unreleased), which won the Slamdance Audience Award. Forster's first motion picture was the psychological drama Everything Put Together, which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

His breakthrough film was Monster's Ball (2001), in which he directed Halle Berry in her Academy Award-winning performance as the wife of a man on death row. His next film, Finding Neverland (2004), was based on the life of author J.M. Barrie. The film was nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Forster received BAFTA, Directors Guild of America, and Golden Globe nominations for his direction.


Everything Put Together was actually Forster's second feature film. It was also shot on mini dv (for not much more than his $10,000 debut), and starred Radha Mitchell, who went on to work with Woody Allen as the lead in Melinda and Melinda.


An idyllic suburban life has never been portrayed to more queasy effect than in Marc Forster's Everything Put Together. Angie (Radha Mitchell, High Art) seems to have it all--a loving husband, a close circle of friends, a baby on the way. But when her newborn dies of SIDS, the isolated grief that quickly intervenes presents an alarming portrait of modern-day tribal outcasting as the American dream gets turned inside-out to reveal a cruel undertow. Treated as though she might taint their own families with bad luck, Angie's girlfriends abandon Angie to her grief and increasingly unstable behavior. Forster (Monster's Ball) shuttles artfully between the intimate handheld camera commotion of communal activities--neighborly barbecues, shopping excursions, rap sessions among friends--and the motionless scenes of Angie's unhinged state when alone, to create an atmosphere of suburban suffocation matched only by Todd Haynes's Safe. Everything Put Together was shot entirely on digital video, and its innovative direction and excellent cast subvert the familiarity of the home video to chilling effect.


--Fionn Meade
http://www.amazon.com/

Uptown - Director's Statement

"A thousand different things can go wrong on any given set. A battery may die during a magic hour shot; a wireless mic may be missing its XLR adapter; a mechanically flawed camera may record pixilated images rendering half of your footage unusable. Anything can go wrong.

As daunting a notion as this is, I've discovered on Uptown that there are only four essential elements needed to rectify any shooting calamity: A gifted and faithful cast, an inspired crew, a determined producer, and a few friends.

To Princeton for your love of films; to Meissa and Chris for your energy and commitment; to Ryan for your drive; to Roman for your total dedication; to Dayva for your willingness to be challenged (and for your food); to Kasheem for your spirit; to Kevin and Bill for your cameras; to Rene, Hector, and Vinit for your mics; to Deirdre, Derek, Mark, John, and Max for your time and interest; to Dan for your availability; I thank you. Your support made our movie."

- Brian




www.myspace.com/uptownfilm

Viet-"Nam"

Our very own Naama Kates has been very hard at work since her role as Jodie in Cookies & Cream. She has since moved to LA, and immediately was in 2 videos by popular Island Records rock band Inner Party System. The latest, where she playfully jumps on bars with liquor being poured down her cleavage (she says she had a ball), you can see here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HXzdrzkcnY

Then she landed an exciting role in WWI drama, No Man's Land. In 1917, a french prostitute (Kates), a young American soldier, a beautiful widow and her husband gathered in a small room in rural France to in death the peace that was denied them in real life. Four souls, make their last journey across No Man's Land. Read more about her landing of the role and the film itself here: http://www.cineborgia.com/news.html

Naama right now is playing a recon soldier in Iraq for a different film. She carries around 50 lbs of kit. And an M16. She says it's "kinda tough."

Check out Naama's page, and stay up to date with her new projects here:

www.myspace.com/bluedelilah

Congrats Nam!

Over 2000 Views

In less than a few months of existence, our blog has reached well over 2000 views. Several of those are more than likely our regular viewers, and we thank you (you know who you are).

Im always humored when I hear from someone we just blogged about less than an hour afterwards, and who is either on another coast, in another tax bracket, or even, in some cases, in another country (either thanking me or asking why I didnt mention their 'other film'). Either way, its a great experience and thanks to our contributors (people think its just me but it ain't) Ryan, and Dayva, and please let us know what you would like to see by leaving us a comment.

Ciao!

- Princeton

How to Act for Woody

Stumbled across this cool short piece in Newsweek while at a doctor's office for a routine checkup. Thought I'd find it and post it here.

Patricia Clarkson just finished shooting two Woody Allen movies— the first is "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," which open Aug. 15, 2008. She spoke to Ramin Setoodeh.

Does he give a lot of direction?
He's completely hands off, and that's the beauty of Woody Allen. I think he's the least precious director I've ever worked with.

Can you improvise?
Yes, but it can be a little nerve-racking because he doesn't like to stop in the middle of takes. He's very, "Woo-hoo. Let's shoot! Say something, even if it's wrong."

Does he do a lot of takes?

When it's right, it's right, and he knows it. If you get it on the first take, you go home. You're, like, "Was the camera rolling? Did I have my clothes on?"

What if you want to do it again?

He'll say, "Are you happy? I've got it. But if you're not going to be able to sleep, we can go again."

What advice do you have for someone about to star in a Woody Allen film?

I don't know. Find religion.

That's a very Woody Allen thing to say.

Maybe some of it rubbed off.

© 2008

http://www.newsweek.com/

Vivre Sa Vie

Throwback Sundays this week celebrates a film that, as pointed out by filmmaker and blogger Sujewa Ekanayake, was one of director Princeton Holt's initial inspirations behind his feature film Cookies & Cream (www.cookiesncreammovie.com).

Faced with a failed relationship, a dead-end job, and potential homelessness, young Parisienne Nana Kleinfrankenheim (Anna Karina) turns to "the life" - that is, prostitution. A simple tale told in twelve Brechtian tableaux, Vivre Sa Vie is one of Jean Luc Godard's most deeply felt films, anchored by Karina's astonishing lead performance and Nouvelle Vague favorite Raoul Coutard's breathtaking cinematography of street-level Paris.

Jean-Luc Godard, France 1962, 85 min

"One of the most extraordinary, beautiful, and original works of art that I know of ." - Susan Sontag

Check out the trailer here:



www.amazon.com

Swanberg's Hissy Fits

This is Joe Swanberg's short film, "Hissy Fits", which he made in preparation for his movie "LOL".




www.lolthemovie.com
http://www.joeswanberg.com/

The 6 Degrees of One Way

After being asked several times recently what the connections between the One Way or Another current slate of films were, we figured we would try to break them down here.



The first "real narrative film" (at least the first with recorded dialogue) was the Princeton Holt short film Phish, shot in the summer of 2005. That film starred Jace Nicole and Brian Ackley.



Jace Nicole and Brian Ackley recently starred in Princeton's first feature Cookies & Cream - this was their first time on screen together. The film also featured an appearance by actors Derek McAllister, Chris Riquinha, and Shannone Holt. Cookies & Cream also was produced by Ackley, and co-produced by Ryan Balas.



Chris Riquinha is one of the leads in Brian Ackley's first feature Uptown. Derek, and Deirdre Herlihy appear in a small roles in the film as well. That film too, was co-produced and partially shot by Ryan Balas.

Deirdre Herlihy stars in Ryan Balas' 2nd feature film Carter. The film was co-produced and partially shot by Brian Ackley. It also features a small role by Balas, and Richard Buoungario.



Richard Buoungario is the lead in his own recent first feature film, Harry's Judy. The film was produced by Ryan Balas.



Shannone Holt appears in the short film 1 Hour 2 Live.



Talk about a repository!



Hopefully now, its not as confusing. Hopefully.



http://www.1wayoranother.net/

www.myspace.com/phishthemovie

http://www.cookiesncreammovie.com/

www.myspace.com/uptownfilm

www.myspace.com/carterthemovie

www.myspace.com/soulofdawntroupe

http://www.ryanbalas.com/

http://www.shannoneholt.com/

Congratulations to Taraji Henson

It is especially rewarding when you follow an actor's career as a fan and see it blossom into a bonified success. Such is the case with the Oscar Nominated, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button star Taraji P. Henson (if you recall, we rooted for her in our Golden Globes nominations post). From the beginning, Jace Nicole (Cookies & Cream), One Way co-owner and producer Cassandra Riddick and I have been watching - we're all fans.

Taraji first made her mark where most talented actors do - she appeared in small parts in a couple of very low budget projects - some that became available in Blockbuster, some never became available at all. But even before that, she took her 5 year old son and less than a thousand bucks, hopped on a bus to Hollywood, where she was brave enough to go after her dream of acting full time. She eventually got a manager and some more auditions. She then used those performances in small, DV films to leverage a coveted audition for a larger budgeted, Hollywood backed film. And thats where we all found her. I can remember seeing John Singleton's Baby Boy to kill some time one day, and being so stuck in my seat afterwards ("who was that???"). I then did what I had never done before, nor since. I saw it again back to back.

Taraji's performance in Baby Boy is so fierce, so honest, so inventive, it made me sure she could never repeat another one like it, if not even close to it.

I was wrong. After a brief but interestingly refreshing role in Lifetime's The Division, Taraji was cast again in a John Singleton production, the wonderful Hustle and Flow by Craig Brewer. She displayed her ability to be small and subtle, as well as aggressive (like in Baby Boy), which certified her talent and her range.

But something happened that happens to countless up and coming starlets. She began to slow down. Roles weren't coming as frequently, and when they did, they began to follow a sort of typecasting practice. She was the "neighborhood girl", i.e. clown in the Sanaa Lathan vehicle Something New. She co-starred with Don Cheadle in Talk to Me, and although once again a scene stealer, she was beginning to become pigeonholed. She would try something different in Smoking Aces alongside Alisha Keyes, but this wasnt good enough to us, Taraji Henson fans. We saw Baby Boy. We saw Hustle and Flow. And we knew what she could do.

Then things broke again in her favor. Taraji was cast in Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys, and now Not Easily Broken, alongside "Black Hollywood" vet Morris Chestnut. Simultaneously, she's in the vital role of Benjamin Button's mother in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt. The film itself is nearly perfect, and a wonderful reflection on aging, complimented by great production value and wonderfully subtle performances by both Pitt and Cate Blanchett. But its Taraji who got every one of the few laughs in the theatre when I went to see it (its not a comedy), but it was because she was so refreshing, so wonderful, so honest, that audiences immediately embraced her (I wont spoil it).

Although we are not expecting her to take the statue home that night (several other supporting performances will make it tough this year for the first-time nominee), we are incredibly proud and thrilled the Hollywood has finally taken notice to this bright, couragious, and brilliant young actress.

Here is a recent interview from her appearance on CBS shortly after the nomination announcement.

- Princeton

http://www.1wayoranother.net/

Indie Film is Dead (?)

Here is an interesting, yet hilarious and slightly bitter article about DIY distribution from the king of anti DIY filmmaking, www.diysucks.com

Lessig suggests indie film is dead.

Lawrence Lessig says that there might not be a viable business plan for us DIY filmmakers anymore -- and too bad.

The lawyer/geek-rockstar/FOO (Friend of Obama) spoke at a company function today (yes, I have a day job) and indicated that culture and the arts change over time.
And our time may have passed.

During the Q&A segment, I asked him about his public policy thoughts on the effects of filesharing on filmmakers' ability to earn a living.

We're different than the music industry. Musicians make their money through live performances (so free and wide distribution of their recordings is a good thing), while for us filmmakers, recordings are our stock in trade. If recordings of our work are freely available, then no one will pay for them and we all have to get (or continue) day jobs.

His answer (in my view) boiled down to: take it.

To be fair, he also said that we need to decriminalize and encourage remix culture. Decriminalizing and ending the RIAA-style lawsuits will encourage kids to trust in the gov't again and have a healthy respect for the law. [Insert snark.] Then, as kids do their own remixing they will find out how hard it is to create high quality media and start respecting (and paying for) it.
Uh huh. And start eating their vegetables too.

But his main point was that the time for a viable business plan for a certain type of small-time filmmaker may have passed (indeed, for Hollywood itself, it may be passing), as it has for so many other forms of art.

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.diysucks.com/distribution/

Harry's Judy Teaser

"Lalo" screening in Brooklyn

Last summer, several One Way company officers worked on multi-award winning filmmaker Daniel Maldonado's latest short film Lalo. The film is screening in Brooklyn, on January 31st. We will probably be heading over there to check out the film and maybe a few others. If you want to come check it out with us, put this event in your calender.

Art For Progress presents Artists' Loft (Brooklyn)

Saturday, January 31st @ Glasslands Art Space

Artists' Loft is an exciting new series of events which launched in October and features visual art exhibitions, performances, and film screenings from AFP artists and special guests.
Our January edition takes us to Brooklyn..

Featuring a night of film screenings, a live music performance from Comandante Zero and DJ sets from Dennis Sebayan and Kym Serrano.

Short Films:

A sneak peak of Daniel Maldonado's new film, "Lalo"
"Travel Journals" from Edgardo Parada
"Ambrose" from Darren Coyle
"The First Impression" from Ryan Ullman

and many more..

$8 Cover. 7PM - 10:30PM. Always free for AFP members!

Where: Glasslands Art Space, 289 Kent Avenue btw. South 1st and South 2nd.
How: L to Bedford Avenue, JMZ to Marcy Avenue, RSVP to events@artforprogress.org.

OneWay films in Indie Slate Magazine

Check out several films from of our slate of features in editions of Indie Slate Magazine. The Butterfly Chasers has been (and still is) listed as "in development" for several editions in the magazine, and recently Cookies & Cream has been listed as "wrapped." This edition is still currently in stores like Borders and Barnes & Nobles.

I have just been informed that today (at least in LA) you can find listings for Uptown and Carter, including information on each production and the production staff themselves. The magazine's latest edition (#56) should be out here on the east coast in both stores by this weekend, Monday the latest.

www.indieslate.com

The Outsider

I met director Nicholas Jarecki a couple of years back at a Gramercy Park film party. He was celebrating the release of his new documentary The Outsider, but I was there specifically to compliment him on his brilliantly written book about the film industry Breaking In: How 20 Directors Got Their Start (the whole reason I was at the party in the first place was because of receiving the first portion of an investment in a film, and THAT itself could be credited solely to what I read in that book). He seemed stunned that the book had that much affect on someone, until I explained the above to him. Then he was even more stunned.

Shortly after meeting Jarecki, at the very same party, I remember meeting James Toback for the first time, speaking briefly with him, being impressed with his personality, and then simply leaving. A few days later, a friend of all of ours slipped me a secret rough cut of Nick's documentary entitled, "The Outsider - a film about James Toback."

It was brilliant. I understood a lot about Toback after watching the film, including just how nuts he is (in a couragious sort of way). He reminded me a lot of many strong, indie filmmakers I have watched thru the years and admired - he had the maturity, the know-how, and the passion to make filmmaking his full time life's work. Like P.T. Anderson, Wes Anderson, Neil Lebute, Spike Lee, and several others, he learned the art of how to make personal movies with other people's money, but also danced back and forth between the studios, and independent world. A tough tight-rope trick, only really mastered so far by Steven Soderbergh. Low budget indie filmmakers will definitely appreciate this film, as we watch a guy so full of passion and conviction, he, at times, tells the establishment, financiers, and acquistion execs to all kiss his ass. The result is, many films where he said exactly what he wanted to, the way he wanted to.




You can rent The Outsider at http://www.netflix.com/ or http://www.blockbuster.com/, as well as from its distributor's website, http://www.westlakeent.com/

Tyson

Our friend James Toback (yes, really) has a new film out. Tyson will screen in the Premieres section of this year's Sundance Film Festival. Here's part of Filmmaker Magazine's story on the film which appears in the upcoming Winter issue.

-He was known as Kid Dynamite. A 5'11" fireplug of speed and power with a devastating uppercut, his ferocity and domination of the heavyweight boxing division is something that has never been seen before or since. He became a marvel to sports fans as he knocked out opponents before you could even make a dent in your seat, an idol to kids around the world as his in-ring mannerisms were imitated in school yards and immortalized in a legendary Nintendo video game.

But Mike Tyson was jolted back to reality when he hit the canvas for the first time in his pro career in Tokyo by Buster Douglas in 1990. By the time he finished crawling around on all fours to find his mouth guard he had lost the bout, was no longer the undisputed champion, and most damagingly, his aura of invincibility had been shattered. Things would only get worse as two years later Tyson would be charged with raping 18-year-old beauty-pageant contestant Desiree Washington, and was sentenced to three years in prison. When he got out Mike Tyson was far from Kid Dynamite. His life became a Greek tragedy highlighted by a drug arrest, biting a chunk out of Evander Holyfield's ear in their second fight and getting a tattoo on his face.

James Toback first met Tyson in 1986 on the set of his film The Pick-up Artist. Tyson hadn't yet become the champion, but Toback didn't care - he was simply intrigued by this megastar's darker side. The two formed a bond that has lasted more than 20 years with Tyson appearing in two of Toback's films, including a memorable cameo in 1999's Black and White. As legend has it, Toback developed a scene with Robert Downey Jr. where his character would hit on Tyson. Unfortunately for Downey, Toback never told Tyson what was going to happen. The scene ends with Downey on the floor as an enraged Tyson chokes him out.

On the surface the Tyson-Toback bond couldn't be more unlikely. Tyson was born and raised on the streets of Brooklyn, taking occasional stints to juvenile prison until trainer Cus D'Amato took him in at age 15. Toback grew up in a life of privilege in New York City, graduating from Harvard magna cum laude and creating one of the seminal wiseguy films of the '70s, Fingers, followed 13 years later with an Oscar nomination for writing the screenplay for Bugsy. But, having insatiable appetites for a few of life's pleasures - women, booze and gambling - Toback understood Tyson's flaws.

Toback transfers his intimacy with Tyson to the screen for his latest film, Tyson. The documentary covers the boxer's rise-and-fall career with no buffer or talking heads, just archival footage and Tyson uncensored, unabashed and sometimes even poetic. Through the 90 minutes the "Baddest Man on the Planet" veneer we associate most with Tyson evaporates to expose a shy, insecure person who for most of his life was scared or taken advantage of. Toback uses split screen and overlapping dialogue to highlight Tyson's state of mind, which he himself admits in the film isn't normal: "Insanity is the only sanity I know."

Below is the fascinating interview:

http://filmmakermagazine.com/sundance2009_features/2009/01/off-ropes-by-jason-guerrasio.php

Best Advice from Johnny Depp

Our good friend Chris Riquinha's (Uptown, Cookies & Cream) favorite actor is Johnny Depp. Found this cool piece of advice on the business. It's short, its sweet, its useful. This is for you, Chris.

Mr. President.

Swanberg and IFC =EXCELLENCE!

The Noah Baumbach produced and Joe Swanberg directed "Alexander, the last" is going to be released by IFC! Surprised? This is Swanberg's third film with IFC, but what's especially exciting is the simultaneous premiere with IFC VOD and SXSW!

For more on the story: go here----

http://www.indiewire.com/article/ifc_teams_with_sxsw_to_release_swanbergs_latest_four_others/

Congrats Swanberg!

Festivals Still a Major Part of DIY Distribution

With all the DIY filmmaking and distribution hype out there these days, its often still difficult to sell your film to the widest possible audience. This is unfortunately still a fact in all low budget filmmaking. But here are some interesting facts to still consider.

Although still a bit competitive (and after a while a little expensive), film festivals remain the absolute best showcase to broadcast your film and to announce/promote its subsequent DVD release. Dont believe us? See for yourself.

Not many people sell their films at film festivals anymore - even the major ones. However, DIY smash hits like Four Eyed Monsters, Mutual Appreciation, Hannah Takes the Stairs, Four Dead Batteries, Quiet City, Puffy Chair, and Cry Funny Happy (to name a few), all had one thing in common - they started with a film festival screening. A friend of ours, NY-based DIY filmmaker Anthony Grippa, writer/director of the low budget film Running Funny, bypassed all major film festivals for his film's promotion - but he still had the "push" necessary to broadcast his film to more people than just his own blog, website, Youtube, Facebook, and Myspace pages. I have been talking online to Anthony, just to anticipate the possibility of not receiving a major film festival acceptance for our films, to see how he manuevered without the help of the film festival circuit.

I got an interesting answer. He didn't. Although it wasnt a top tier film festival, Running Funny still had the push assistance of The Woods Hole Film Festival, where he managed to also pick up the Emerging Filmmaker Award. This helped boost Anthony's film into more festival screenings, and an increased awareness about his blog, and his website, where fans or attendees (those who were there or who missed it) could still track the film's progress. He then played at the Williamstown Film Festival, and then began to follow up on his wave at his own college screening at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ (not too far from his hometown Hoboken), and then he self screened at Anthology here in NYC.

After educating himself for a DIY DVD push, a funny thing happened. With the benefit of the word of mouth and larger numbered networking features of 2 and 3rd tier film festivals, Grippa managed a DVD release deal with LifeSize Entertainment, who were able to assist Grippa in his DIY DVD release that included deals with Blockbuster, Netflix, Hollywood Video, etc, thus giving his DIY film the best possible push without screening at any major tier one festivals.

Soon afterwards he was able to land a one-week theatrical run at Facets Cinematheque in Chicago beginning on November 21st '08 that led to some great press in major publications that further helped fuel his DIY DVD release. Not bad for a guy who avoided (and was rejected from) major film festivals worldwide.

A lot is made about the internet and its capabilities to market indie films, but less is mentioned about the fact that the films even the purest of film fans can mention by name, have all began their runs, in one way or another, at a film festival, regardless of the tier. Again, this is not ideal nor really fair. But right now, it is the game we are in, until that day when this all changes. For now, I dont see this as a set back or roadblock, but an artistic challenge simply to make better films, or at least make films we feel can unashamedly compete, to some degree, in the low-budget marketplace.

Four eyed monsters never went to SXSW, but opened first at Slamdance, where after not getting a deal, Susan Buice and Arin Crumley began to document their struggle to find distribution, and thus became the legendary web series known as Four Eyed Monsters - the webisode series. Dont take our word for it? Ask them both yourselves if they did not benefit from the initial push of a festival.

These DIY films are so vast, so diverse, so different, yet I find it amazing that most filmmakers that I know about, for the most part, share one thing in common - a film festival screening(s) as an initial push, and especially thereafter their release. We discuss this at length in our film family, and it basically is agreed by all parties involved, that shunning festivals altogether is something none of us wants to do, even while plotting our own DIY distribution possibilities. Again, no one disputes that festivals are not the only game in town, but neither is a release without one.

Another huge part of the filmmaking process is reputation. I have seen people seek certain actors or collaborators that were PERFECT for their stories, only to have to further convince or sell themselves (sometimes unsuccessfully) as working professionals simply because no one could find them on IMDB. I have seen filmmakers get denied vital investment money not simply because they weren't on IMDB, but because there was no record of progress besides their own website and public profile. Not that this is cool by any means; its just another harsh reality of our business. Indieflix wont assist you selling or promoting your film on their site without a prior festival screening of some sort, and the same has been with IMDB (although the process is now evolving on that site).

One of the best analogies I heard was from the lead singer in a band that I am friends with. He said that for him, booking his own show is great because its his own, he can control it, and he may sell a few CDs afterwards. But when he played at SXSW, and other Lollapalooza-like showcase venues, where he gets to play with other bands he has never met, that he got a chance to play for their fans, and gain new ones. He also said that networking was better in those venues because later he would lose a drummer, and knew of a drummer he had met who wanted to alternate to different types of rock besides the band he was playing in. It worked out perfectly for all parties involved. Most importantly, he said he never had so many site visitors until after those venues, and sold more CDs the week after the venue than he had in his entire push, and it took much less time, work, and most of all money. My friend was recently able to quit his day job and play the music he loves full time. He is not rich, nor does he try to be. But he, his band, and their new drummer currently gig regularly in Manhattan.

"Sometimes anti-establishment can be more establishment than not."

- M. T.

We hear ya, man.

http://www.runningfunnymovie.com/

Sundance films go DIY

Not Picked Up in Park City? Filmmakers Look Forward to DIY Release Options

by Anthony Kaufman (Updated 5 days ago)

The year is 2014. Joe the Filmmaker just found out he’s going to Sundance with his debut film. His trailer is online the next day. He’s got posters at the printer, and a marketing consultant on the phone. In the days leading up to the festival, he hits up bloggers for press, notifies all his Facebook friends and buys ads both online and in print. After winning a special jury prize for innovation during the final day of the festival, he plugs his movie into the IDN (Indie Distribution Network), selling it directly to indie-minded audiences around the country for viewing on their Internet TVs and iPhones, while a percentage of the proceeds feed directly into his bank account. Done.

While we haven’t exactly arrived at the above sci-fi scenario, there are established filmmakers who are already planning to bypass conventional distribution. Both Lance Hammer (“Ballast”) and Randall Miller (“Bottle Rocket”) say if they were to go to Sundance again, they wouldn’t wait for a company to acquire their film, but use the festival as a launchpad for a do-it-yourself release.

Read full article here: http://www.indiewire.com/article/not_picked_up_in_park_city_filmmakers_look_forward_to_diy_release_options/

Ribbons of Song

Ever since seeing Carter (3 or 4 times now), I just cant get this band's music out of my mind.

Check them out:

www.myspace.com/ribbonsofsong

You Can Make a SAG Feature for less than $10,000

Several indie, low budget filmmakers (we're going to soon stop pushing the differences between the types of indie films there are) are simply afraid (or at least appear to be) of working with the Screen Actor's Guild and their wonderful roster of working, professional actors. Furthermore, many no, low budget filmmakers we know totally avoid SAG, and that is primarily because of a lack of knowledge about the union. We recently worked with SAG on our recently slate of features (one of the leads in Uptown, for example, is SAG, as well as our supporting actor from Cookies & Cream Ardie Fuqua is a longtime SAG card holder, with credits that range from Die Hard With a Vengeance 3 as well as frequent BET and VH-1 appearances), and the experience was harmless. And we are happy with the results of that experience.

Here is SagIndie's interesting article on making a SAG feature film for less than $10 grand.

SAG Indie:

-From his artistic home at THE STELLA ADLER THEATRE, Stan Harrington has been a prolific producer of theatre since 1996. Specializing in guerilla theatre, he has produced, directed, written and acted in many critically acclaimed and award winning plays.In 2003 he created ADLER AFTER DARK, a platform which offers writers an opportunity to present their shows rent free.

In 2005, Stan’s first guerilla feature film, BRED IN THE BONE, shot for a mere $5,000, was named the GRAND PRIZE WINNER, at the ACTION ON FILM, INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL held at the Long Beach Convention Centre in California. As well as BEST IN SHOW, Bred In The Bone also won BEST SCREENPLAY, Stan Harrington, and BEST ACTRESS, Blythe Metz.-

Here is a snippet from this interesting interview.

A lot of low budget filmmakers forgo working through SAG. Why did you decide that going union was an important thing?

"I want SAG involved because it adds credibility to the project. In the past, going SAG was considered prohibitive for most indie and guerrilla filmmakers, but that has changed. Too many people do not educate themselves about all aspects of the process and this, as far as SAG has gone, leads to a lot of misconceptions. The advances that have been achieved by SAGINDIE make it not only possible to shoot under a union contract, but they have also made it desirable and even imperative. No decent actor will work without a SAG agreement and if they do you risk too much for them. Going SAG now is financially viable, preferable and I consider it very much a badge of honor…it says LEGITIMATE!"

To see the full interview click here:

http://www.sagindie.org/spotlight/a-sag-feature-for-less-than-10000

How Did He Do It?

As many around the world prepare for tomorrow's historic swearing in of our New President, its important to reflect on just how this happened. Below is a pretty good summerization of how this was acheived on the actual night of the election.

It's close to midnight, and something evils lurking in the dark.

Food for thought---
Would you find it more acceptable/less acceptable if the following short had a scene of explicit sex instead of a scene/moment of explicit violence?

In the mood for a scary short?
Watch "THE DEBT"



This was shot by the Balas Brothers, last summer.
The idea was to take a basic slasher plot but interweave a non-linear story line.

I love the idea of working with in a specific genre, but messing with the traditional way to tell that type of story. A big inspiration for this idea, is the work of the Duplass Brothers.
As seen in their newest film (recently out on DVD): Baghead (http://www.sonyclassics.com/baghead/).

Rochelle Aytes on CSI NY

Our longtime 1 Way Family member and good friend Rochelle Aytes, who is attached as one of the leads in our forthcoming feature The Butterfly Chasers (still in development) is appearing on the re-airing of her episode on CSI on Saturday 17th at 11:35 p.m. on CBS. Currently she is shooting a Lifetime television show called "Mistresses" for airing this coming season. We cannot make the details of the plot public yet, but Rochelle will let us know when we can post it here.

Another no budget film makes it's mark.

Swanberg on Making LOL

"After the premiere of Kissing on the Mouth at the 2005 SXSW Film Festival, I had a burning desire to make another film and absolutely no money to do it. I had pulled Kissing on the Mouth together for less than $2,000, but the cost of making the DigiBeta screening copy, postcards, posters and traveling to the festival added considerable strain to my already growing credit card debt. I wasn’t working full-time, and I didn’t particularly want to be either because I was high on the feeling of being a filmmaker.

My fiancée and frequent collaborator, Kris Williams, landed a job doing some video work for the Chicago Opera Theater and hired me to shoot and put together a DVD for them. The little bit of money from this project was going to be enough to pay my rent and allow me to get to work on something new. I was also doing some part-time Web design work that allowed me plenty of flexibility to shoot when I wanted to. I knew I could make it through the summer this way, but I also knew that future income was uncertain, so I decided that LOL, the new film, could only cost about $3,000.

I made a few big purchases right away. I bought a Sennheiser wireless lavalier microphone ($500 from B&H Photo’s Website, bhphotovideo.com), excited by the possibility of allowing my actors to roam around freely while still getting good audio. I also purchased three boxes of Sony DVCAM 40-minute tapes ($350 from taperesources.com). I figured this would be enough tape stock to get me through the film, and it was. Based on my experiences with Kissing on the Mouth, I knew there would be other miscellaneous costs, but the new microphone and plentiful tape stock were enough to get me started.

I believe that food is always a good thing to spend money on when you are making a film, even if you have extremely limited resources. Taking everyone out to dinner after a shoot is a great way to bond and let people know that you appreciate the time they are giving you. Since everyone was working for free, I did my best to schedule our shoots around meal times so that everyone would be fed at least once. Even if it was just ordering a pizza and sitting around watching TV with everyone, I always looked forward to these times, and they kept morale up during the eight months that we ended up working on the film.

Some of the most memorable sequences in LOL are the “noisehead” videos that pop up throughout the film. These are short segments that Kevin Bewersdorf (co-writer, co-star, composer) put together featuring music and accompanying video created by people pointing a camera at their face and making noises with their mouths. (You can see some examples at lolthemovie.com.) These videos are extremely cool, and they didn’t cost us anything because we asked friends to make them on their own and send us the tapes. It’s just one of the ways that we used creative strategies and the goodwill of friends to cut costs.

We also put the Internet to work for us. Chris Wells (co-writer, co-star) and Kevin were both in Chicago during the summer, while I was doing the majority of the shooting, but by the fall Chris had returned to New York, where he was going to school, and Kevin had returned to Berlin, where he was living at the time. There was still work to do on the film, including some additional filming and also composing the score. Rather than spend hundreds of dollars sending DVDs and tapes through the mail or via FedEx, I continued working with Chris and Kevin by uploading Quicktime files that they could view and comment on. Kevin composed the score entirely from Berlin using a Quicktime version of the film that I sent to him in several chunks, and he sent me all of the final music you hear in the film as AIFF files using free services like yousendit.com.

Rather than spend money flying Chris back to Chicago to shoot some additional scenes, we scheduled the shooting around school holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, when he was going to be back in town anyway. Because the film takes place during the summer and we were trying to match earlier scenes, this often meant avoiding the snow that was frequently on the ground during some of this additional shooting. We got pretty sick of having to wear T-shirts in the freezing cold and avoiding seeing our breath on camera, but it meant spending no additional money on airfare.

Throughout the production the food and gas money started adding up, but a trip down to St. Louis for the finale of the film was the only other big expense. Kevin and Tipper Newton, the actress who played opposite him, tried to convince me that we didn’t have to actually drive to St. Louis and that we could just shoot the scenes in Chicago and fake it, but I was insistent that I wanted them to actually go through the experience. We left Chicago one afternoon, drove down in a few hours, filming along the way, and shot early into the morning. Kate Winterich, who was the lead in Kissing on the Mouth and has a small role in LOL, let us stay the night and film at her mom’s place, so we didn’t have to pay for a hotel. The next day we woke up, shot one more scene and headed back. Kate’s mom even took us out for lunch before we left so that we didn’t have to spend our own money.

No matter how budget-conscious you are, it’s impossible to pull something like this off without tremendous generosity and support from very talented people. If I paid everybody what his or her time was truly worth, the budget of LOL would be astronomical. But the drive to make the film and the knowledge that we were all in it together was enough for Chris, Kevin and I to keep moving forward even in a climate where most indie films never find an audience and never make a dime. None of us entered into the project with financial aspirations, and I always assumed that the money I spent was gone, never to be seen again.

We took the film to festivals throughout 2006, and I’m happy to report that in December we signed a DVD distribution deal with Benten Films, a New York company, and the advance money will allow me to actually pay Chris, Kevin, Tipper and actresses Brigid Reagan and Greta Gerwig a small amount. It’s just a token of my gratitude for all of the hours they gave me, and any future money the film makes will be split between everyone. Their hard work and commitment to the project proved that the desire to make a film is worth more than money. LOL will be available on DVD at the end of August. "

—Joe Swanberg

www.lolthemovie.com