UrbanMouse 2008 Music video reel from UrbanMouse Productions on Vimeo.
Antoine Allen
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Reel of the Week - Antoine Allen
This is a little late, but here is a really cool Reel of the Week. This time its a filmmaker:
Friday, February 26, 2010
Jace Nicole's New Movie
Here are some great stills from our great friend Jace Nicole's upcoming new movie where she plays the lead. Jace continues to kick major ass!
The Charl(y)ie Factor
Tagline: Know your facts.
Synopsis: Some very bad people do some very bad things
and everyone has a very bad day.
Directed by: Richard Johnson
Produced by: Richard Johnson
Shot and Spliced by: Richard Johnson
Written by: Richard Johnson
Assistant Director: Michael Davis
Boom and Sound: Mark Jenifer
Music composed by: Francesco De Leonardis
poster by: Rodney V Smith
Jace Nicole as "Charlie"
Paulie Wiedecker as "Clean"
Michael Alban as "Chris"
Synopsis: Some very bad people do some very bad things
and everyone has a very bad day.
Directed by: Richard Johnson
Produced by: Richard Johnson
Shot and Spliced by: Richard Johnson
Written by: Richard Johnson
Assistant Director: Michael Davis
Boom and Sound: Mark Jenifer
Music composed by: Francesco De Leonardis
poster by: Rodney V Smith
Jace Nicole as "Charlie"
Paulie Wiedecker as "Clean"
Michael Alban as "Chris"
Jace's awesome Fan Page is HERE.
Follow her on Twitter HERE.
Another Case Against the Method?
Anne Coleman at The Phoenix brings up some great points about Method acting, and how many acting styles often blend into each other.
The debate continues...
The debate continues...
There is an old comic of a man trapped in a box next to a mime, who is behaving as though he is trapped in a box. The caption cites the hazards of being a “method actor.” The idea of a “method actor,” a person who puts oneself into situations or calls upon experiences to prepare for a role, has long been a source of amusement for Americans. The idea that a person would relive a personal trauma or try “slumming it” just to prepare for a role strikes many people as going a little bit too far.
The American Method, as it should be more specifically labeled, is a perversion (albeit a popular one) of its roots, which are credited to Constantin Stanislavski of the Moscow Art Theatre. Stanislavski’s innovations were in response to the demands of Anton Chekhov’s new “realist” plays, but he only employed psychological realism, as it is also termed, in his late work. The version of psychological realism that Lee Strasberg popularized as the American Method is far more formal and in-depth than that of Stanislavski’s.
Given the visibility of method acting and the fact that there are alternatives, it is perhaps surprising that no other form of acting is commonly discussed. There are numerous alternatives (including Stanislavski’s earlier style) which are still in use today, but the humorous mental images conjured up by method preparation have surpassed other practices in terms of recognition. Another problem is that most actor training styles are intended to make it look effortless, as is the case with method acting. Finally and most importantly, it can be quite difficult to distill the work of an actor into a single method. There is a sharing of techniques and ideas that naturally occurs. One would have to look long and hard to find an actor who only ever used one technique.
Among those other widely used techniques is improvisational theater (or improv, as it is more commonly known), popularized by Chicago’s “Second City” troupe and present on Swarthmore’s campus in the form of Vertigo-go. Even as improv has become a viral source of entertainment through YouTube, the population often forgets that it is, in fact, a legitimate acting methodology. It is something that can be taught, follows rules, requires practice and can greatly enhance the work of those actors when they are scripted.
The American Method, as it should be more specifically labeled, is a perversion (albeit a popular one) of its roots, which are credited to Constantin Stanislavski of the Moscow Art Theatre. Stanislavski’s innovations were in response to the demands of Anton Chekhov’s new “realist” plays, but he only employed psychological realism, as it is also termed, in his late work. The version of psychological realism that Lee Strasberg popularized as the American Method is far more formal and in-depth than that of Stanislavski’s.
Given the visibility of method acting and the fact that there are alternatives, it is perhaps surprising that no other form of acting is commonly discussed. There are numerous alternatives (including Stanislavski’s earlier style) which are still in use today, but the humorous mental images conjured up by method preparation have surpassed other practices in terms of recognition. Another problem is that most actor training styles are intended to make it look effortless, as is the case with method acting. Finally and most importantly, it can be quite difficult to distill the work of an actor into a single method. There is a sharing of techniques and ideas that naturally occurs. One would have to look long and hard to find an actor who only ever used one technique.
Among those other widely used techniques is improvisational theater (or improv, as it is more commonly known), popularized by Chicago’s “Second City” troupe and present on Swarthmore’s campus in the form of Vertigo-go. Even as improv has become a viral source of entertainment through YouTube, the population often forgets that it is, in fact, a legitimate acting methodology. It is something that can be taught, follows rules, requires practice and can greatly enhance the work of those actors when they are scripted.
Read the rest of this piece HERE.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The Lost Uptown Review
Uptown will have its east coast premiere on June 2nd @ 8pm at the Anthology Film Archives in NYC.
Sometimes during a press push, you inevitably will send out more screeners, emails, etc than you or your company can keep up with. Which sometimes, depending on the response your film is getting, will lead to some pleasant surprises. Here is this wonderful, lost review of Uptown, discovered late last night by director Brian Ackley himself.
Also we thank the reviewer for their compliment about the film's cinematography, crediting an "Andrew Balas" for "DPing the shit outta this thing." However, just to clarify, it was a group of people including Ryan-Andrew-Balas (haha) who did some of the operating, but the DP credit has never been assigned. But those of us on set know whose cinematic vision the film's look was, and if that person decides to reveal themself, then you will all find out as well. If not, then it may continue to be a mystery.
Thr review can be found exclusively HERE.
www.uptownfilm.com
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
LALO Goes to San Diego then Toronto
T
he short film several of us worked on LALO, directed by our friend Daniel Maldonado, continues to kick ass on the festival circuit. The award winning short film has been invited as an Official Selection for the 17th annual San Diego Latino Film Festival - screening Sunday March 21st In addition, the film has been selected for the 7th annual World Of Comedy Film Festival in Toronto, Canada- screening Sunday March 7th.
Please pass along this info to anyone you might know in these cities who might be interested. Thanks again for your support and stay tuned for upcoming exciting news!
he short film several of us worked on LALO, directed by our friend Daniel Maldonado, continues to kick ass on the festival circuit. The award winning short film has been invited as an Official Selection for the 17th annual San Diego Latino Film Festival - screening Sunday March 21st In addition, the film has been selected for the 7th annual World Of Comedy Film Festival in Toronto, Canada- screening Sunday March 7th.Please pass along this info to anyone you might know in these cities who might be interested. Thanks again for your support and stay tuned for upcoming exciting news!
Here's the official trailer:
Lalo home site HERE.
Lalo Facebook page HERE.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Editors are the New Auteurs
The Auteur Theory is Dead
Editors are the unsung heroes of filmmaking. We can tell you first hand, that more than one of the films in our catalog took their full shape (in some cases they were fully RE-shaped) in post, and in the case of Cookies & Cream, our editor Hector Maldonado (along with composer/sound designer Damon Dorsey) technically saved the movie - making it possible for people to have even seen it. We should also mention the great job Daniel Green did cutting Brian Ackley's Uptown for us. He wasn't a "yes-man" in the least, and offered very helpful advise that several times challenged the director. That's possibly one of the main reasons the reception to the film has been what it is - there's that third eye approach to the work, and good editors should be trusted to do just that. If you can't trust em, why hire them?
After the jump, here is a cool piece in The Huffington Post about the subject:
One person, one idea. That's the Auteur Theory, which refers to a film director being the solo heart and soul of a movie. A little thing called non-linear editing blew all that up. Lightworks, Avid and now Final Cut Pro are insider names to most media consumers, but if you think these technologies are a small aspect of the media that is placed before you, well, you'd be wrong. These technologies are game changers. Why? Technology drives culture. In the 1970s, VHS became the vehicle of choice for pornography. In a wonderful assignation of tech-meets-flesh, the old men who masturbated under blankets in sleazy theaters were replaced by people masturbating at home. VHS, propelled on a surging sea of porno, became a dominant way to deliver movies, leading to the decline of Western civilization and Richard Simmons' exercise videos, though not necessarily in that order.
Can you feel the burn? It's not your fast-twitch muscle fibers that are on fire. It's the immolation of pop culture, consuming itself almost as fast as it can be produced.
Final Cut Pro and Avid and television are an especially combustible mix. These non-linear systems have made post-production cheaper but they've also dumbed it down. Anybody can edit now and it's way faster than it used to be. Clients can order changes and expect them overnight. Multiple editors can work on the same project at the same time, even in different cities. Reality television has been shaped by non-linear editing far more than it's been shaped by our appetite for cheating-spouse drama or seeing if people can lose weight if they are yelled at enough. Hours of footage can be digitized and then tossed at legions of editors who shape the story. Yes, that's right. It's really the editors who are shaping the story, not the directors who shot the footage or the executive producers who are spending the budget. Editors, sometimes working with story editors, are running things.
Read the rest of this piece HERE.
Editors are the unsung heroes of filmmaking. We can tell you first hand, that more than one of the films in our catalog took their full shape (in some cases they were fully RE-shaped) in post, and in the case of Cookies & Cream, our editor Hector Maldonado (along with composer/sound designer Damon Dorsey) technically saved the movie - making it possible for people to have even seen it. We should also mention the great job Daniel Green did cutting Brian Ackley's Uptown for us. He wasn't a "yes-man" in the least, and offered very helpful advise that several times challenged the director. That's possibly one of the main reasons the reception to the film has been what it is - there's that third eye approach to the work, and good editors should be trusted to do just that. If you can't trust em, why hire them?
After the jump, here is a cool piece in The Huffington Post about the subject:
One person, one idea. That's the Auteur Theory, which refers to a film director being the solo heart and soul of a movie. A little thing called non-linear editing blew all that up. Lightworks, Avid and now Final Cut Pro are insider names to most media consumers, but if you think these technologies are a small aspect of the media that is placed before you, well, you'd be wrong. These technologies are game changers. Why? Technology drives culture. In the 1970s, VHS became the vehicle of choice for pornography. In a wonderful assignation of tech-meets-flesh, the old men who masturbated under blankets in sleazy theaters were replaced by people masturbating at home. VHS, propelled on a surging sea of porno, became a dominant way to deliver movies, leading to the decline of Western civilization and Richard Simmons' exercise videos, though not necessarily in that order.
Can you feel the burn? It's not your fast-twitch muscle fibers that are on fire. It's the immolation of pop culture, consuming itself almost as fast as it can be produced.
Final Cut Pro and Avid and television are an especially combustible mix. These non-linear systems have made post-production cheaper but they've also dumbed it down. Anybody can edit now and it's way faster than it used to be. Clients can order changes and expect them overnight. Multiple editors can work on the same project at the same time, even in different cities. Reality television has been shaped by non-linear editing far more than it's been shaped by our appetite for cheating-spouse drama or seeing if people can lose weight if they are yelled at enough. Hours of footage can be digitized and then tossed at legions of editors who shape the story. Yes, that's right. It's really the editors who are shaping the story, not the directors who shot the footage or the executive producers who are spending the budget. Editors, sometimes working with story editors, are running things.
Read the rest of this piece HERE.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Who is Jane Doe?
Who is Jane Doe?
Jane Doe, played by Veronika London (Body Language, HBO series "Lingerie") is a young prostitute and heroin addict found by paramedics laying on the street in a pool of blood. She is the victim of a violent altercation which leaves her with a severe head injury. Stricken by amnesia and struggling with her heroin addiction, she is on a quest to discover her identity but most importantly who did this to her and why. Along her quest she comes across several characters from her past and the clues to the answers she seeks slowly come to light revealing many horrible truths. With this information, feelings of curiosity quickly turn to a thirst for retribution.
Find out more about Jane Doe HERE.
Jane Doe, played by Veronika London (Body Language, HBO series "Lingerie") is a young prostitute and heroin addict found by paramedics laying on the street in a pool of blood. She is the victim of a violent altercation which leaves her with a severe head injury. Stricken by amnesia and struggling with her heroin addiction, she is on a quest to discover her identity but most importantly who did this to her and why. Along her quest she comes across several characters from her past and the clues to the answers she seeks slowly come to light revealing many horrible truths. With this information, feelings of curiosity quickly turn to a thirst for retribution.
Find out more about Jane Doe HERE.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
4 Favorite Short Films
This week Throwback Sundays honors great shorts. Here are my favorite short films ever, ones that I'm also very pleased to be able to show you in their entirety.. I have to mention 2 shorts that I would put in an "honorable mention" category, and they oddly belong to the same film anthology. The 5:24 starring Jerry Stiller, and Manhattan Miracle starring the late great Gregory Hines - both a part of the HBO film Subway Stories - Tales From the Underground.
The following favorites are in descending order:
4) Dennis
Dir. Mads Matthiesen
2007
3) Flying
Dir. Bruce Terris, edited by Mark Heiliger.
2002 (Property of Columbia College Chicago)
Part 1:
Part 2:
2) The Intervention
Dir. The Duplass Brothers
2005
1) Five Feet High and Rising
Dir. Peter Sollett
2000
The following favorites are in descending order:
4) Dennis
Dir. Mads Matthiesen
2007
3) Flying
Dir. Bruce Terris, edited by Mark Heiliger.
2002 (Property of Columbia College Chicago)
Part 1:
Part 2:
2) The Intervention
Dir. The Duplass Brothers
2005
1) Five Feet High and Rising
Dir. Peter Sollett
2000
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tom Reviews "Give Em Hell Malone"
Tom's Corner:
Give 'Em Hell Malone (2009, Russell Mulcahy, dir.)
As the DVD c
ase says, “His name is Malone, and he's one tough dick.” Detective, they mean, but yeah the other meaning applies too. Tom Jane plays the singularly named Malone, a detective in a nameless city with not too much of a police force. Malone is a violent, hard drinking and near impossible to kill juggernaut. But what else should we expect from the man who brought us violence, mayhem and horror like Highlander II, Resident Evil Extinction, and four Billy Joel videos?
Malone is hired to retrieve a briefcase by a beautiful client, but things aren't as they seem. A crime lord named Whitmore (Gregory Harrison) wants the case too, and he has some agents at his disposal to get it. Boulder (Ving Rhames), Matchstick (Doug Hutchison), and Mauler (Chris Yen) are all willing to do anything to get the case. Boulder's somewhat normal as thugs go, but the other two are as disturbing as they are entertaining. Not going to give away much of the plot, but the movie does end on a cliffhanger....
Wow, was this movie violent. If you are turned off by graphic violence including shooting, stabbing, arson, immolation, defenestration, battery, assault, razor play, and other assorted nasty doings, this is not the movie for you. If you like all of this stuff, seek help! But if you want a movie that I'd describe as Shoot 'Em Up with more of a plot, give Malone a chance.
- Tom Trombley
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Firefly and the Bride
Our very own Naama Kates (Cookies & Cream) has a new movie coming. Here is the trailer, and a link to the official website for all details!
www.thefireflyandthebride.com
What if You Disagree With the Director?
Actors Morgan Freeman, Stanley Tucci, Nicolas Cage, Christoph Waltz, Colin Firth, and Peter Sarsgaard talk about what they do when they disagree with a director.
www.backstage.com
www.backstage.com
Prom Night in Mississippi
Tom's Corner:
"Prom Night In Mississippi" (2009, Paul Saltzman Dir)
This one's going to be a little different.
In 1997, Morgan Freeman, a local resident, spoke to the senior class and school board of Charleston High School about their senior prom. It seems Charleston has never had an integrated prom. Mr. Freeman offered to pay for the entire prom if it was integrated. In 1997, the offer was refused. In 2008, the offer was extended again. This time, the school board chose to take his offer to the students. The majority of students overwhelmingly embraced the offer. Some students, though mostly parents, decided to hold a whites only prom at a separate location. These segregationists (there is no other word for what they are) refused to appear on camera or talk on record to anyone involved in the production.
We see what it's like to be both black and white in the deep South. There is one interracial couple who can't really even date due to their parents. There is another young lady whose parents forbid her to have black friends. The prom is planned with little controversy, except for one racist young lady's unfounded claim that she was threatened by black students. Unsurprisingly, her mother is the true force behind the white prom.What we really see here is a dissection of the small-town American South. Saltzman attempts to offer all points of view, but many of the segregationists flat-out refuse to appear on camera. This does not hurt the documentary in the least; in actuality, it actually keeps the documentary on a more positive track. This is vital viewing, folks.
- Tom
Monday, February 15, 2010
"Hostage Person" Leaked
N
o, this isn't some marketing scheme. Brian Ackley's short film Hostage Person was literally leaked by one of the actors in the film. There are a couple reasons why this short may not be online long, the first one being that Brian used a song he didn't clear the rights to, and the second one being that the upcoming, official Uptown DVD release will have the short film in the "special features" section. At the request of One Way or Another Productions, who produced Uptown, this short may not be viewable online for long.
Now let me back up a bit. Brian and I met in the spring of 2005, while I was in pre-production on my short film Phish, and was trying to decide on a suitable digital camera to use, as well as the appropriate sound set up. Cinematographer Roy Nowlin Jr., who shot the film, suggested we use his Canon XL-2 and run the mic directly into the camera, similar to what he had done on a previous film. He told me to watch the DVD he gave me, and it would simultaneously give me a reference as to what the camera would look and feel like, and whether or not the sound set up would work on Phish.
T
he DVD he gave me was for Hostage Person, written, directed, and starring a guy by the name of Brian Ackley. Jace Nicole (Phish, Cookies & Cream) happened to come over to hang out that day, and she and I watched the film together. 5 minutes into the film I had made my decision that Roy's plan to use the XL-2 with the mic going into it sounded like the perfect plan for Phish, which it was, and I was pleased with what it looked and sounded like for my short.
But we were still hooked on the film long after the decision was made. Partly because the short itself is so delightful, but mainly because of the Brian's performance. There is a particular beat about 3 minutes into the second clip that really stuck out to me, one Jace and I remember to this day.
As it so happened, I was still looking for an actor for my short, and I immediately connected the dots in my head. But the role in Phish was a very small part, one consisting mostly of words, since the character's face is partially hidden throughout the entire scene. So it wasnt about just Phish. I had found my guy - Phish was just one project I wanted to work on with Brian. In my mind, Phish would just be a segway into our working relationship, as I wanted to go on making tons of movies with this guy.
But as a talented director, would he really want to be directed by another filmmaker? I asked Roy this question, and he told me in no uncertain terms that Brian is simultaneously an actor and a filmmaker. No one position served his interests particularly less than the other. He gave me Brian's number, we met in person about Phish, and the rest is history. Its like the story PT Anderson tells about seeing John C. Reilly's performance in Casualties of War and wanting to "cast him and hang out with him, and be his best friend."
A few years later I cast Brian in Cookies & Cream, and then completely confident in his abilities, produced his first feature Uptown, which has its East Coast Premiere in NYC at Anthology Film Archives on June 2nd. I am also producing several of Brian's upcoming features.
I got my wish. I got him in my movies, I get to work on his, and we make sure to try to catch up, have some beers and a laugh as often as we can.
- Princeton
To view Brian's short film Hostage Person, go exclusively to our Facebook group HERE.
o, this isn't some marketing scheme. Brian Ackley's short film Hostage Person was literally leaked by one of the actors in the film. There are a couple reasons why this short may not be online long, the first one being that Brian used a song he didn't clear the rights to, and the second one being that the upcoming, official Uptown DVD release will have the short film in the "special features" section. At the request of One Way or Another Productions, who produced Uptown, this short may not be viewable online for long.Now let me back up a bit. Brian and I met in the spring of 2005, while I was in pre-production on my short film Phish, and was trying to decide on a suitable digital camera to use, as well as the appropriate sound set up. Cinematographer Roy Nowlin Jr., who shot the film, suggested we use his Canon XL-2 and run the mic directly into the camera, similar to what he had done on a previous film. He told me to watch the DVD he gave me, and it would simultaneously give me a reference as to what the camera would look and feel like, and whether or not the sound set up would work on Phish.
T
he DVD he gave me was for Hostage Person, written, directed, and starring a guy by the name of Brian Ackley. Jace Nicole (Phish, Cookies & Cream) happened to come over to hang out that day, and she and I watched the film together. 5 minutes into the film I had made my decision that Roy's plan to use the XL-2 with the mic going into it sounded like the perfect plan for Phish, which it was, and I was pleased with what it looked and sounded like for my short.But we were still hooked on the film long after the decision was made. Partly because the short itself is so delightful, but mainly because of the Brian's performance. There is a particular beat about 3 minutes into the second clip that really stuck out to me, one Jace and I remember to this day.
As it so happened, I was still looking for an actor for my short, and I immediately connected the dots in my head. But the role in Phish was a very small part, one consisting mostly of words, since the character's face is partially hidden throughout the entire scene. So it wasnt about just Phish. I had found my guy - Phish was just one project I wanted to work on with Brian. In my mind, Phish would just be a segway into our working relationship, as I wanted to go on making tons of movies with this guy.
But as a talented director, would he really want to be directed by another filmmaker? I asked Roy this question, and he told me in no uncertain terms that Brian is simultaneously an actor and a filmmaker. No one position served his interests particularly less than the other. He gave me Brian's number, we met in person about Phish, and the rest is history. Its like the story PT Anderson tells about seeing John C. Reilly's performance in Casualties of War and wanting to "cast him and hang out with him, and be his best friend."A few years later I cast Brian in Cookies & Cream, and then completely confident in his abilities, produced his first feature Uptown, which has its East Coast Premiere in NYC at Anthology Film Archives on June 2nd. I am also producing several of Brian's upcoming features.
I got my wish. I got him in my movies, I get to work on his, and we make sure to try to catch up, have some beers and a laugh as often as we can.
- Princeton
To view Brian's short film Hostage Person, go exclusively to our Facebook group HERE.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
The Magic Stone
In some ways, the guys over at the LA-based No Restrictions Entertainment remind us of NY-based, prolific filmmaker Gary King. Both are able to make ultra-low-budget indie films look great, with very sleek, polished cinematography. Films with stories of substance, great packaging, and a well put together online presence (now Im starting to sound like a stuffy producer - ugh). These guys successfully strip away any suggestions that an ultra low budget film should look like one. Its inspiring.
Producer John Paul Rice (One Hour Fantasy Girl), like King, is very community oriented. In other words, they don't spend all of their time promoting their own shit. Its their reciprocal, community-based, 360-degree support that makes you root for them, and continue to seek out their future work.
Which caused us to stumble on this gem of a movie clip. A raw, unmixed, unfinished, rough edit of a scene, from their upcoming project. 20 seconds in, and the intensity of the performances hooked me right away. Check this out:
THE MAGIC STONE (Supernatural/Psychological Thriller)
An 18 year old homeless boy, raised by a violent schizophrenic mother, believes he's been given a stone that allows him to enter and control the minds and bodies of people.
Become a Fan on Facebook:
facebook.com/themagicstone
Endorsed by:
The Metro United Way bit.ly/MetroUnitedWay
The Coalition For The Homeless bit.ly/CoalitionForHomeless
Writer/Director Edgar Michael Bravo
Produced by John Paul Rice and Levi Obery
NoRestrictionsEnt.com
(Note: No Restriction's previous feature One Hour Fantasy Girl will be released soon on Netflix)
Producer John Paul Rice (One Hour Fantasy Girl), like King, is very community oriented. In other words, they don't spend all of their time promoting their own shit. Its their reciprocal, community-based, 360-degree support that makes you root for them, and continue to seek out their future work.
Which caused us to stumble on this gem of a movie clip. A raw, unmixed, unfinished, rough edit of a scene, from their upcoming project. 20 seconds in, and the intensity of the performances hooked me right away. Check this out:
THE MAGIC STONE - Rough Edit Clip from No Restrictions Entertainment on Vimeo.
THE MAGIC STONE (Supernatural/Psychological Thriller)
An 18 year old homeless boy, raised by a violent schizophrenic mother, believes he's been given a stone that allows him to enter and control the minds and bodies of people.
Become a Fan on Facebook:
facebook.com/themagicstone
Endorsed by:
The Metro United Way bit.ly/MetroUnitedWay
The Coalition For The Homeless bit.ly/CoalitionForHomeless
Writer/Director Edgar Michael Bravo
Produced by John Paul Rice and Levi Obery
NoRestrictionsEnt.com
(Note: No Restriction's previous feature One Hour Fantasy Girl will be released soon on Netflix)
Uncovered Films Interviews Jace Nicole
Matthew Watts from Uncovered Films conducted an interview with Jace Nicole, after his great review of Cookies & Cream, in which she is the lead. As usual, Jace is a firecracker, an honest, passionate, no holds barred interview subject who opens up about not only her character in the film, but also some of the drama that went on behind the scenes of making it. Here is some of it below:
UF: Were there any notable scenes cut from the film, or was the shoot fairly straightforward, with no room/time to make changes?
JACE: "Well, no, there were no scenes cut from the film, and the shoot was pretty straightforward, but I will tell you something a lot of people aren't aware of. Cookies and Cream ended up being a movie that was totally re-shot. We had an incident of a gentleman by the name of R.J. Harper who was helping with shooting at one point. He seemed pretty cool, and business minded, but he had another agenda planned. Princeton ended up seeing he was a snake, and called him out on it. He got angry and stormed off set with all the footage we shot. Needless to say, we never got the footage back. He held it hostage. So Princeton got a better, stronger, crew together and we re-shot Cookies and Cream. And actually, it turned out better than the first time we shot. Not to mention we didn't have to deal with R.J.'s shady behind anymore."
Read the full interview HERE.
UF: Were there any notable scenes cut from the film, or was the shoot fairly straightforward, with no room/time to make changes?
JACE: "Well, no, there were no scenes cut from the film, and the shoot was pretty straightforward, but I will tell you something a lot of people aren't aware of. Cookies and Cream ended up being a movie that was totally re-shot. We had an incident of a gentleman by the name of R.J. Harper who was helping with shooting at one point. He seemed pretty cool, and business minded, but he had another agenda planned. Princeton ended up seeing he was a snake, and called him out on it. He got angry and stormed off set with all the footage we shot. Needless to say, we never got the footage back. He held it hostage. So Princeton got a better, stronger, crew together and we re-shot Cookies and Cream. And actually, it turned out better than the first time we shot. Not to mention we didn't have to deal with R.J.'s shady behind anymore."
Read the full interview HERE.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Think Outside the Film
Christy Dena at The Workbook Project has an interesting piece about films that become more than just...well, films. Ever thought about remixing your own film? Sound cool? Or does it sound exhausting? After the jump, read about more innovative things filmmakers are doing to take their films into new formats and art forms:
"In the 1940’s filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (known as “The Archers”) championed a multi-artform cinema. They created films that represented music, dance, painting, literature and photography; for they believed that ‘all art is one’. Now, with the proliferation of media platforms, the palette for filmmakers is stupendous. Not only is it impossible to encompass all artforms in a single film, but there are aesthetic and economic reasons for maintaining their integrity. All art is not one within the film, but in its relationships with artforms around it. Filmmakers are now thinking beyond cinema and DVD to include the web, theatre, books and mobile technology in their canvas.
In this article I’ll take you through a whirlwind tour of some of the ways filmmakers are thinking beyond the film. Our first stop is a look at how the assets of a film are repurposed. This is not a discussion about distribution methods or how the medium of delivery influences the experience. Instead it is an exploration of the ways assets can be reused to create new works. The first example is that of filmmakers offering components of their film in digital format for anyone to ‘remix’. Remixing is rife with fans, but it is only in the last few years that filmmakers have begun to offer their content for remixing.
Sometimes the offering is driven by a desire to create ‘citizen marketers’, such as New Line Cinema’s release of footage and music so that people could create a new trailer of Liz Friedlander’s Take the Lead (2006). They also specifically commissioned ‘official’ remixes (see Addictive). The logic behind New Line Cinema’s approach is best understood with this quote in the New York Times (6th April) by Russell Schwartz, president for domestic marketing for New Line Cinema: “Our assets become their assets, and that’s how they become fans of the movie.” For Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain (2006), assets – video, stills, audio – are provided so that audiences can create a music video at The Fountain Remixed . In this case, the offering is explained as giving audiences who want to contemplate eternal life the “chance to delve deeper” (from website). Peter Greenaway has made finding fragments, of a movie that is part of a large storyworld The Tulse Luper Project, a game. The Tulse Luper Journey involves players collaborating to complete 92 puzzles. On completion of each puzzle, a 1 minute film fragment is released to the player. It is then their task to compile the 92 minute film of Tulse Luper. The logic behind these offerings are manifold, from facilitating ‘citizen marketing’ to a highly personalized exploration of a storyworld. It should be noted too, that some filmmakers are experimenting with creating films specifically designed for remixing, such as Michelle Hughes’ Stray Cinema (2006), Aryan Kaganof’s SMS Sugarman (2007) and Michela Ledwidge’s (in-development) Sanctuary."
Full piece HERE.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Uptown East Coast Premiere
B
rian Ackley's critically acclaimed debut feature film Uptown , co-written by lead actors Chris Riquinha and Meissa Hampton, and Ackley himself - which was produced by One Way or Another Productions ,will have its East Coast Premiere on Wedsnesday night, June 2nd, 2010, at 8pm, at the Anthology Film Archives in NYC as part of the 2010 NewFilmmakers NY Winter Series.
This year NewFilmmakers NY has partnered with B-Side Entertainment to create an interactive program guide and screening schedule on their website where audience members can create customized calendars, write reviews, and learn more about upcoming films. Make sure to check it out.
Based on a true story, Uptown is a character piece about a man who falls in love with a married woman. Ben has been single for a long time. For his part, he is a loner but as well a romantic: he enjoys the solitude of his simple being but appreciates intelligent and witty company just the same. By yielding to both extremes, Ben remains caught between reason and arousal.
Isabel has been married for a year. The passion that had once carried her 5-year relationship has lost its pulse. Passive, protective, and without poise, it now threatens to claim hers. Waiting in abeyance, Isabel is lost between loyalty and loneliness.
Uptown is where they come together.
"Easily relatable and filmed with a reverence for naturalism, Uptown is heightened by the fact that it comes from a true story. A gorgeous work that seems like it relishes in shooting during magic hour for the most exquisite effect."
- Jen Johans - FilmIntuition.com
"A simple yet intelligent storyline, rich and authentic dialogue, solid character development and strong performances across the board. Rather than explode with emotions and manufactured drama, 'Uptown' exists squarely in the awkward state of unknowing."
- Richard Propes - TheIndependentCritic.com
"I won't give away the end, but it'll make you rethink your relationships and give you a renewed hope in humanity."
- RogueCinema.com
Heres the official trailer:
For more about Uptown, the official site is HERE.
Become a Facebook Fan of Uptown HERE.
rian Ackley's critically acclaimed debut feature film Uptown , co-written by lead actors Chris Riquinha and Meissa Hampton, and Ackley himself - which was produced by One Way or Another Productions ,will have its East Coast Premiere on Wedsnesday night, June 2nd, 2010, at 8pm, at the Anthology Film Archives in NYC as part of the 2010 NewFilmmakers NY Winter Series.This year NewFilmmakers NY has partnered with B-Side Entertainment to create an interactive program guide and screening schedule on their website where audience members can create customized calendars, write reviews, and learn more about upcoming films. Make sure to check it out.
Based on a true story, Uptown is a character piece about a man who falls in love with a married woman. Ben has been single for a long time. For his part, he is a loner but as well a romantic: he enjoys the solitude of his simple being but appreciates intelligent and witty company just the same. By yielding to both extremes, Ben remains caught between reason and arousal.
Isabel has been married for a year. The passion that had once carried her 5-year relationship has lost its pulse. Passive, protective, and without poise, it now threatens to claim hers. Waiting in abeyance, Isabel is lost between loyalty and loneliness.
Uptown is where they come together.
"Easily relatable and filmed with a reverence for naturalism, Uptown is heightened by the fact that it comes from a true story. A gorgeous work that seems like it relishes in shooting during magic hour for the most exquisite effect."
- Jen Johans - FilmIntuition.com
"A simple yet intelligent storyline, rich and authentic dialogue, solid character development and strong performances across the board. Rather than explode with emotions and manufactured drama, 'Uptown' exists squarely in the awkward state of unknowing."
- Richard Propes - TheIndependentCritic.com
"I won't give away the end, but it'll make you rethink your relationships and give you a renewed hope in humanity."
- RogueCinema.com
Heres the official trailer:
For more about Uptown, the official site is HERE.
Become a Facebook Fan of Uptown HERE.
Film Execs look at the state of Indie Distribution
Global Film Village: A no-holds barred, strikingly honest discussion about the realities of the current indie film distribution market after the jump:
The Sundance Film Festival is in full swing, some films are being bought and others are not. Understanding the reasons for these decisions is critical for independent filmmakers. Film Independent recently produced a round table that focused on indie distribution. It’s an offshoot from their Filmmaker Forum, which was held over an entire weekend in early October. This discussion looked at the economics of distribution; traditional, DIY, and digital strategies. The panelists also addressed the state of film distribution: past, present, and future. Their goal throughout this series was to give filmmakers the unvarnished truth and to look at the industry as it exists. It was Moderated by: Tom Bernard, Co-President, Sony Pictures Classics. Panelists included: Jonathan Sehring, President, IFC Entertainment, Tony Safford, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Acquisitions, Fox Searchlight, Udi Epstein, 7th Art , Jeff Dowd, Producer’s Rep and Eamonn Bowles, President, Magnolia Pictures.
Tom Bernard/Moderator: How do you see the current economic downturn effecting your buying?
Jonathan Sehring: We’re more cautious, but we still buy a lot. Tom bought a lot. Festival Buying Fever is over. We find that auctions put guys out of business.
Tony Stafford: We look at festivals as a defining bar. Putting a film in front of an audience and critics makes it easier to narrow the field. It is our job to get advance looks at films but is better for the filmmaker to screen a finished film at a festival in front of an audience and critics.
Jonathan Sehring: Getting critical support for your film is far more important today because it is hard for a distributor to raise a film’s profile especially first time filmmakers with films that don’t have a known cast.
Tom Bernard: If your at a film festival without the right professional team it is a recipe for disaster. You need a Producer’s rep and a publicist. You need them to get the money for your film, you must have the right screening spot, materials, stills, synopsis, and you must choose the right festival to premiere.
Jonathan Sehring: You also have to be aware of the the costs involved, traveling, submission fees, preparation, all of these costs add up and are substantial so plan for them. It will cost you $30-50,000 to do this properly.
Tom Bernard/Moderator: How many films did you buy this year?
Jonathan Sehring: We bought 100 films but not all for theatres, only about 25 of those.
Tom Bernard: We bought 20-30 but we buy everywhere all year long not just at festivals.
Tony Stafford: We don’t make offers or deals on a lot of films.
Udi Epstein: We lost a picture we wanted at Sundance but as the release date got closer the original buyer couldn’t get it together so we stepped in after they dropped the ball.
Eamonn Bowles: Magnolia started back in 2001 at the time of 9/11 with just two people. Today we have a team of 28 but we are mostly a VOD company. We buy about 25 films a year mostly at the big 3 festivals: Toronto, Cannes and Sundance, another major sources for us are agent submissions. Since the collapse of the dependents we have done really well. The state of the economy has also meant that there is a more realistic approach to production and distribution costs. Too many of the other players were chasing award releases with pictures that didn’t do business. They may have won awards but they lost money on these films because they spent too much.
Tom Bernard/Moderator: Let’s look at VOD as a factor in the market today.
Jonathan Sehring: Since 2006 we have done theatrical and VOD at the same time. We spend very little on P&A. We own one theatre in New York City. When we started this we could only play 5 theatres in the country including Laemmle, but today most independent theatres are willing to play Day and Date with VOD.
Tony Stafford: There has definitely been a collapse in the windows. The MPAA is even trying to create an official Day and Date scenario.
Jonathan Sehring: We will pay overages on over 70% of the movies that we acquire. We use theatrical distribution to create a connection with an audience that carries through the other markets. We’ve paid over a million dollars in overages. (That would actually workout to only $10,000 a picture based on 100 films acquired, even less if this refers to more than a year’s acquisitions.)
Tom Bernard: You must be an empowered filmmaker. You must understand the options available to you and determine if this type of deal works for you. For smaller films these might be the only deals available.
Eamonn Bowles: If there is no awareness of your film then there is no payoff with direct VOD. We are finally starting to get some checks but this is not a viable business. We recently released Princess in Nebraska in conjunction with the director’s other film which was in theatres. YouTube got several 100,000s of views of the movie and we got a check for $18.00.
Tom Bernard: Piracy is the biggest problem for us in regards to ancillary markets.
Tom Bernard/Moderator: How do you see film festivals in today’s market?
Jeff Dowd: Make sure your film is ready. Don’t rush it for a festival date. If you don’t know until Thanksgiving that you are accepted to Sundance it may be difficult to get it ready in time. You don’t want to make your premiere a research project. You want to present your film in the best possible manner. Take the time to do research screenings to improve your project.
Eamonn Bowles: This is a business of perceptions if your film doesn’t sell after its first festival than it will go down in value. But Sundance isn’t the be all and end all that some people make it out to be. There are other festivals.
Tom Bernard: For certain films that will not get a theatrical release you can use film festivals to get the word out.
Tony Stafford: At Fox Searchlight we release 10 films a year and spend millions of dollars on each one.
Eamonn Bowles: To give a film a legitimate theatrical release the low end costs a 1/4 of a million dollars and the high end could be anywhere.
Udi Epstein: Most self distribution theatrical releases don’t work out well. Filmmakers who think they can do it better themselves are delusional. They don’t know the job and they will most likely fail.
Tom Bernard: You don’t need to pay Peter Broderick for his advice. “He only knows what you don’t know. He doesn’t know what you need to know. He has some of those old indian secrets much like a traveling medicine show”.
The rest of this discussion HERE.
The Sundance Film Festival is in full swing, some films are being bought and others are not. Understanding the reasons for these decisions is critical for independent filmmakers. Film Independent recently produced a round table that focused on indie distribution. It’s an offshoot from their Filmmaker Forum, which was held over an entire weekend in early October. This discussion looked at the economics of distribution; traditional, DIY, and digital strategies. The panelists also addressed the state of film distribution: past, present, and future. Their goal throughout this series was to give filmmakers the unvarnished truth and to look at the industry as it exists. It was Moderated by: Tom Bernard, Co-President, Sony Pictures Classics. Panelists included: Jonathan Sehring, President, IFC Entertainment, Tony Safford, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Acquisitions, Fox Searchlight, Udi Epstein, 7th Art , Jeff Dowd, Producer’s Rep and Eamonn Bowles, President, Magnolia Pictures.
Tom Bernard/Moderator: How do you see the current economic downturn effecting your buying?
Jonathan Sehring: We’re more cautious, but we still buy a lot. Tom bought a lot. Festival Buying Fever is over. We find that auctions put guys out of business.
Tony Stafford: We look at festivals as a defining bar. Putting a film in front of an audience and critics makes it easier to narrow the field. It is our job to get advance looks at films but is better for the filmmaker to screen a finished film at a festival in front of an audience and critics.
Jonathan Sehring: Getting critical support for your film is far more important today because it is hard for a distributor to raise a film’s profile especially first time filmmakers with films that don’t have a known cast.
Tom Bernard: If your at a film festival without the right professional team it is a recipe for disaster. You need a Producer’s rep and a publicist. You need them to get the money for your film, you must have the right screening spot, materials, stills, synopsis, and you must choose the right festival to premiere.
Jonathan Sehring: You also have to be aware of the the costs involved, traveling, submission fees, preparation, all of these costs add up and are substantial so plan for them. It will cost you $30-50,000 to do this properly.
Tom Bernard/Moderator: How many films did you buy this year?
Jonathan Sehring: We bought 100 films but not all for theatres, only about 25 of those.
Tom Bernard: We bought 20-30 but we buy everywhere all year long not just at festivals.
Tony Stafford: We don’t make offers or deals on a lot of films.
Udi Epstein: We lost a picture we wanted at Sundance but as the release date got closer the original buyer couldn’t get it together so we stepped in after they dropped the ball.
Eamonn Bowles: Magnolia started back in 2001 at the time of 9/11 with just two people. Today we have a team of 28 but we are mostly a VOD company. We buy about 25 films a year mostly at the big 3 festivals: Toronto, Cannes and Sundance, another major sources for us are agent submissions. Since the collapse of the dependents we have done really well. The state of the economy has also meant that there is a more realistic approach to production and distribution costs. Too many of the other players were chasing award releases with pictures that didn’t do business. They may have won awards but they lost money on these films because they spent too much.
Tom Bernard/Moderator: Let’s look at VOD as a factor in the market today.
Jonathan Sehring: Since 2006 we have done theatrical and VOD at the same time. We spend very little on P&A. We own one theatre in New York City. When we started this we could only play 5 theatres in the country including Laemmle, but today most independent theatres are willing to play Day and Date with VOD.
Tony Stafford: There has definitely been a collapse in the windows. The MPAA is even trying to create an official Day and Date scenario.
Jonathan Sehring: We will pay overages on over 70% of the movies that we acquire. We use theatrical distribution to create a connection with an audience that carries through the other markets. We’ve paid over a million dollars in overages. (That would actually workout to only $10,000 a picture based on 100 films acquired, even less if this refers to more than a year’s acquisitions.)
Tom Bernard: You must be an empowered filmmaker. You must understand the options available to you and determine if this type of deal works for you. For smaller films these might be the only deals available.
Eamonn Bowles: If there is no awareness of your film then there is no payoff with direct VOD. We are finally starting to get some checks but this is not a viable business. We recently released Princess in Nebraska in conjunction with the director’s other film which was in theatres. YouTube got several 100,000s of views of the movie and we got a check for $18.00.
Tom Bernard: Piracy is the biggest problem for us in regards to ancillary markets.
Tom Bernard/Moderator: How do you see film festivals in today’s market?
Jeff Dowd: Make sure your film is ready. Don’t rush it for a festival date. If you don’t know until Thanksgiving that you are accepted to Sundance it may be difficult to get it ready in time. You don’t want to make your premiere a research project. You want to present your film in the best possible manner. Take the time to do research screenings to improve your project.
Eamonn Bowles: This is a business of perceptions if your film doesn’t sell after its first festival than it will go down in value. But Sundance isn’t the be all and end all that some people make it out to be. There are other festivals.
Tom Bernard: For certain films that will not get a theatrical release you can use film festivals to get the word out.
Tony Stafford: At Fox Searchlight we release 10 films a year and spend millions of dollars on each one.
Eamonn Bowles: To give a film a legitimate theatrical release the low end costs a 1/4 of a million dollars and the high end could be anywhere.
Udi Epstein: Most self distribution theatrical releases don’t work out well. Filmmakers who think they can do it better themselves are delusional. They don’t know the job and they will most likely fail.
Tom Bernard: You don’t need to pay Peter Broderick for his advice. “He only knows what you don’t know. He doesn’t know what you need to know. He has some of those old indian secrets much like a traveling medicine show”.
The rest of this discussion HERE.
Reel of the Week: Larissa Vereza
2011 Acting Reel of the Brazilian actress Larissa Vereza (This reel has been updated).
Larissa Vereza`s Demo Reel 2011 from Larissa Vereza on Vimeo.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The Duplass Brothers' New Feature, "Cyrus"
It's no secret that I really dig the Duplass Brothers. Although I was more a fan of the marketing of Baghead than the actual movie, to me, they, well...get it. Like Andrew Bujalski, they are able to achieve realism through their writing...its already on the page. At that point, they are able to incorporate the standard adage in DIY filmmaking of "allowing truth to take place." But for these filmmakers, it starts on the page, and its there where the collaborative excitement about their work really begins.
Here are 3 different video clips about their latest feature film Cyrus.
Written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, the iconoclastic filmmaking team behind Sundance Film Festival favorite THE PUFFY CHAIR, CYRUS takes an insightful and funny look at love and family in contemporary Los Angeles. Starring John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, and Catherine Keener.
Jonah Hill may be best known for his roles in Judd Apatow films. But in his newest film, Cyrus, he adapts his comedy to the looser, grittier style of the Duplass Brothers, playing an overly protective mama’s boy. Hill sat down with Vanity Fair West Coast editor Krista Smith at Sundance to talk about Cyrus, how co-star Marisa Tomei was the first person to recognize him on the street, and his plot to crash Robert Redford's place in Park City.
From Anne Thompson's blog is a great Sundance interview with the Duplass Brothers about Cyrus.
Find more videos like this on AnneCam
Here is where you can see part 2 of this interview.
And here finally, is the Official Trailer for The Duplass Brother's Cyrus:
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Tom Reviews Whip It
TOM'S CORNER:
Whip It (2009, Drew Barrymore, dir)
Whip It (2009, Drew Barrymore, dir)
I have something to say to Drew Barrymore. Yeah, that's right, I'm going to the head person on this one, having just watched her directorial debut, I have two words for her...
Fuck yeah.
Drew, keep directing. This was an excellent film. And keep your casting people happy and well-paid. They deserve some serious credit.
Our heroine, Bliss (AKA Babe Ruthless, played to perfection by Ellen Page), isn't what her mother (Marcia Gay Harden) wants her to be. On a shopping trip to Austin, Bliss sees some women on skates roll into a store to drop of fliers. She grabs a flier and she and her best friend (Tom's Corner favorite Alia Shawkat) Pash, go to see the girls in action.
All I could say about the ladies of roller derby was awesome. Kristen Wiig was stunning as Maggie Mayhem, Zoe Bell, who you may remember as Zoe Bell in Death Proof, played Bloody Holly, songstress Eve turned out an incredible performance as Rosa Sparks, and rounding out our team, the bloodiest woman on the track, Drew Barrymore herself played Smashley Simpson. The other notable roller queen is Juliette Lewis as the leader of the Holy Rollers, Iron Maven.
Eventually, Bliss tries out for the team, and makes it onto the Hurl Scouts. But how long can she keep it a secret from her parents? And how long can she keep her roller derby teammates in the dark to her being underage?
This movie, which is based on the book Derby Girl by Shauna Cross, was excellent. It's a coming of age movie, to be sure, and does have a few predictable spots, but all told, is one of the best things to come out in a while. The dialogue crackles and the family feels like a real one (thanks in part to the brilliant work of Daniel Stern). Ellen Page has surely been told that she has a career as the “future of Hollywood,” but I think she's much better than that. Hopefully, she's the start of a new wave of excellent actors playing interesting roles.
- Tom
Distribution Does Not Equal Marketing and Sales
Reid Rosefelt of IndiePix went on a near rant about the recent semantics used to describe the distribution transactions involving Youtube and some of their features. He makes it clear: "distribution does not equal marketing and sales." Check out his passionate, yet self-promotional piece below:
"The distribution business is a very valuable part of the American economy. Railroads are in the distribution business. UPS is in the distribution business. Trucking companies are in the distribution business. People that make movies are not in the distribution business. Let’s talk about the difference in detail.
Distribution happens when you move something from point A to point B. The way you do that, if you are a trucking company, can be very sophisticated. You can have major loading docks and distribution shipping points. You can have full load and partial load (LTL – Less Than Full Load) shipments. You can back the truck right up to the dock at its destination. In the US economy, physical distribution is so efficient that in many respects and for many product types, it rivals electronic distribution. (It is a lot cheaper and even faster to ship a terabyte drive than to try to ftp the same quantity of data to a partner, for example!) And your product (a DVD for example) can appear simultaneously in stores and shops and in mailboxes uniformly around the country.
This totally has parallels in the electronic network business. You can have points of origination. Along the way their can be routers, and switchers. You can have repeaters and intermediate storage points (like Akamai). And yes, your program can appear simultaneously on screens everywhere around the country (where the bandwidth is high enough and demand doesn’t overwhelm switching capacities).
But that’s not what the filmmaker means when he says: “I want distribution for my picture.” The DIY people are the worst at this! “You can distribute your film yourself!” they say. I guess if what they mean is that you can call up Fex Ex and ask them to pick up a disk from you and take it to your Aunt Mary, that’s right. Or I suppose you could drive it over to her on a Sunday afternoon. But that’s not really what the filmmaker meant. Or wanted."
The rest can be found HERE.
"One Hour 2 Live" Actor on Sundance Channel Series
Our friend, lead actor in the anti-gang violence play "One Hour 2 Live" Jiwe Morris appears in the Sundance Channel's documentary series "Brick City" (executive produced by Forest Whitaker), which re-airs beginning tonight @ 7pm, and the next 4 Tuesdays afterwards. This fascinating series will leave you hooked - it got me within the first 15 minutes.
Acclaimed author of "War of the Bloods in my Veins" (A Street Soldiers March to Redemption), Dashaun "Jiwe" Morris was known on the streets as "Machete" from Newark, NJ. He is a reformed member of the Bloods, and a full-time gang consultant. He seeks to end the cycle of gang violence through Juvenile Intervention work. A sought-after lecturer, Jiwe speaks throughout the United States as a spokesperson for The Stay Strong Foundation sharing his unique experiences and the horrible truth about living a gang lifestyle with kids and parents in an effort to inspire them to make better life decisions. HERE is Jiwe's official website.
Jiwe can be seen as more of a focal point in Season 2, which is filming now. For more on the show visit the official website HERE. In the meantime, here is the critic trailer to this amazing docu-series:
Brick City Trailer - Celebrity bloopers here
http://www.onehour2live.net/
Acclaimed author of "War of the Bloods in my Veins" (A Street Soldiers March to Redemption), Dashaun "Jiwe" Morris was known on the streets as "Machete" from Newark, NJ. He is a reformed member of the Bloods, and a full-time gang consultant. He seeks to end the cycle of gang violence through Juvenile Intervention work. A sought-after lecturer, Jiwe speaks throughout the United States as a spokesperson for The Stay Strong Foundation sharing his unique experiences and the horrible truth about living a gang lifestyle with kids and parents in an effort to inspire them to make better life decisions. HERE is Jiwe's official website.
Jiwe can be seen as more of a focal point in Season 2, which is filming now. For more on the show visit the official website HERE. In the meantime, here is the critic trailer to this amazing docu-series:
Brick City Trailer - Celebrity bloopers here
http://www.onehour2live.net/
Monday, February 8, 2010
Rochelle Aytes Sexy FHM Spread
Our good friend Rochelle Aytes, lead actor from one of our upcoming feature films, has an interview and a hot new spread in FHM. Rochelle can be seen on "The Forgotten", following "Lost" on ABC, Tuesday @ 10pm. Check out her interview and some photos after the jump:
The Forgotten's Rochelle Aytes Steps Out of her Detective Gear
Rochelle Aytes plays Detective Grace Russell in ABC’s The Forgotten. We catch up with her and talk dead bodies, awkward co-stars and sexy women.
One of FHM’s employees went to school with Lady Gaga and won’t shut up about it. You went to the same school as a number of far more famous people than that. Do you brag about this?
I don't brag about it, but Alicia Keys went to my high school. I also know that Wesley Snipes attended my College for a few years.
Given your schooling, it looks like you were always heading for an acting career. Is this all you ever wanted to do?
I actually went to school for dance. I got a BFA in dance from Suny Purchase College. I transitioned into acting after a brief, yet satisfying dance career.
Favorite acting role to date?
Definitely Detective Grace Russell, my character on The Forgotten.
And anything exciting coming up?
Right now, The Forgotten is the main priority. When I get some time off I can focus on other projects.
Which acting role do you really really wish you’d got?
There have been a lot of roles that I've wanted, at the time, but looking back on it, it wasn't my time or the right one for me. That dream role hasn't come up yet.
So what is the dream role? Who would star opposite you and who would direct it?
I would love to do an action flick with Matt Damon, directed by Martin Scorsese.
Favorite fellow actor and why?
I worked on a project once with a very difficult person. One day they were nice and the next day they wouldn't talk to me. I also know that they were talking about me behind my back. It was an extremely challenging and frustrating experience, but throughout that time I tried not to feed into it. That was a real test of my character and without that experience I would have never known that I could handle something like that.
Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life?
I would love to sing and perform In the musical, Chicago!
Starring in The Forgotten, do you ever get grossed out by the gruesome scenes you act in?
Be thankful for each day, for tomorrow is not promised.
If you could have any superpower for a day, what would it be and why?
Yeah. A guy stops me in the street and says, "Are you ok?" I say, "Uh..yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Guy says, " Well, I was just making sure you weren't hurt when you fell from heaven".
A quick office poll found that we thought your eyes were incredible – which part of your body gets the most attention from guys?
Why, thank you! Well, I guess most guys would agree with your poll. My eyes.
And finally, who’s the sexiest woman in the world?
The Forgotten's Rochelle Aytes Steps Out of her Detective Gear
Rochelle Aytes plays Detective Grace Russell in ABC’s The Forgotten. We catch up with her and talk dead bodies, awkward co-stars and sexy women.
One of FHM’s employees went to school with Lady Gaga and won’t shut up about it. You went to the same school as a number of far more famous people than that. Do you brag about this? I don't brag about it, but Alicia Keys went to my high school. I also know that Wesley Snipes attended my College for a few years.
Given your schooling, it looks like you were always heading for an acting career. Is this all you ever wanted to do?
I actually went to school for dance. I got a BFA in dance from Suny Purchase College. I transitioned into acting after a brief, yet satisfying dance career.
Favorite acting role to date?
Definitely Detective Grace Russell, my character on The Forgotten.
And anything exciting coming up?
Right now, The Forgotten is the main priority. When I get some time off I can focus on other projects.
Which acting role do you really really wish you’d got?
There have been a lot of roles that I've wanted, at the time, but looking back on it, it wasn't my time or the right one for me. That dream role hasn't come up yet.
So what is the dream role? Who would star opposite you and who would direct it?
I would love to do an action flick with Matt Damon, directed by Martin Scorsese.
Favorite fellow actor and why?
Meryl Streep. I admire her talent, skill, and her ability to adapt to any role. My goal is to have versatility and longevity in this business, which she has truly maintained.
Anything bad (or funny) you can say about any of the people you’ve shared screen-time with?
Anything bad (or funny) you can say about any of the people you’ve shared screen-time with? I worked on a project once with a very difficult person. One day they were nice and the next day they wouldn't talk to me. I also know that they were talking about me behind my back. It was an extremely challenging and frustrating experience, but throughout that time I tried not to feed into it. That was a real test of my character and without that experience I would have never known that I could handle something like that.
Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life?
I would find an unknown. That way the audience can only focus on the story being told.
Any non-acting career aspirations? Music? Presenting? Singing?
Any non-acting career aspirations? Music? Presenting? Singing?
I would love to sing and perform In the musical, Chicago!
Starring in The Forgotten, do you ever get grossed out by the gruesome scenes you act in?
I've been grossed out once or twice while looking at a dead body. Even though they are fake, they make them look so real!
What motto do you live your life by?
What motto do you live your life by?
Be thankful for each day, for tomorrow is not promised.
If you could have any superpower for a day, what would it be and why?
I wish I could have the power of healing. I would cure my mother's handicap and any illness our people are faced with.
Ever been on the receiving end of a brilliant, terrible or hysterical pick up line?
Ever been on the receiving end of a brilliant, terrible or hysterical pick up line? Yeah. A guy stops me in the street and says, "Are you ok?" I say, "Uh..yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Guy says, " Well, I was just making sure you weren't hurt when you fell from heaven".
A quick office poll found that we thought your eyes were incredible – which part of your body gets the most attention from guys?
Why, thank you! Well, I guess most guys would agree with your poll. My eyes.
And finally, who’s the sexiest woman in the world?
Salma Hayek
To view the original article visit FHM Online.
Is Acting Art?
Actors Nicolas Cage, Colin Firth, Morgan Freeman, Stanley Tucci, Peter Sarsgaard, and Christoph Waltz debate their answers to the question: "Is acting art?"
www.backstage.com
www.backstage.com
Its Time to Blow the Whole Thing Up
Recent comparisons to the 70's Golden Age of American movies and today's new, digital era in indie cinema are becoming more and more common. Most have found parallels in the former's crumbling system, and today's lack of a usable structure as it relates to indie distribution. In other words, at some point, "they" (the current infrastructure) didn't know what to do then, and once again, they aren't quite sure what to do now. One cannot help but find this incredibly encouraging, including this writer, as the limits that the current system force on us indies, are also catalysts for the ultimate creative, as well as financial freedoms. If indie producers keep costs low and expectations in check, we could soon be actually reliving the single greatest era in cinema.
Manohla Dargis details why in a recent NY Times article on the DIY Revolution. Here is some of it below, after the jump:
“'IT is time to blow the whole thing up.' In September 1960, when those words were lobbed at the world by a New York-centric, off-Hollywood circle of malcontents called the New American Cinema Group, there was no mistaking their radical urgency. Given the cold war times — one of the first large ban-the-bomb rallies had been held in Madison Square Garden some months earlier — this call to annihilation might have seemed tasteless. But for this group, whose numbers included the film critic, later filmmaker Jonas Mekas and the not-yet-director Peter Bogdanovich, the time for a free American cinema, one rooted in personal vision and liberated from censorship and the distribution and exhibition strangleholds, was now.
The time may have come once more. In the last few years American independent cinema has been rocked by seismic changes — including downsized companies and emerging technologies — that have altered this world more profoundly since 1993, the year that the Walt Disney Company bought Miramax Films. In the ensuing years the other major studios followed suit (Sony already had a boutique with Sony Pictures Classics), building specialty divisions, snapping up talent and writing bigger and bigger checks. It was an industry shift that soon resulted in a studio-indie infrastructure that had its own auteurs as well as its own producers, agents, lawyers, managers, publicists, festival programmers and journalists. Together this world gave indie movies “buzz” and minted new stars, some of whom hit it big, going from Sundance to Scorsese."
Read the full piece HERE.
Manohla Dargis details why in a recent NY Times article on the DIY Revolution. Here is some of it below, after the jump:
“'IT is time to blow the whole thing up.' In September 1960, when those words were lobbed at the world by a New York-centric, off-Hollywood circle of malcontents called the New American Cinema Group, there was no mistaking their radical urgency. Given the cold war times — one of the first large ban-the-bomb rallies had been held in Madison Square Garden some months earlier — this call to annihilation might have seemed tasteless. But for this group, whose numbers included the film critic, later filmmaker Jonas Mekas and the not-yet-director Peter Bogdanovich, the time for a free American cinema, one rooted in personal vision and liberated from censorship and the distribution and exhibition strangleholds, was now.
The time may have come once more. In the last few years American independent cinema has been rocked by seismic changes — including downsized companies and emerging technologies — that have altered this world more profoundly since 1993, the year that the Walt Disney Company bought Miramax Films. In the ensuing years the other major studios followed suit (Sony already had a boutique with Sony Pictures Classics), building specialty divisions, snapping up talent and writing bigger and bigger checks. It was an industry shift that soon resulted in a studio-indie infrastructure that had its own auteurs as well as its own producers, agents, lawyers, managers, publicists, festival programmers and journalists. Together this world gave indie movies “buzz” and minted new stars, some of whom hit it big, going from Sundance to Scorsese."
Read the full piece HERE.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Exclusive Interview with Jace Nicole
We caught up with our good friend, actress Jace Nicole for an exclusive conversation about what she's been up to, and how she got there. Several times, we have affectionately referred to our company as "the house that Jace built," following her critically acclaimed performance as Carmen in our first feature Cookies & Cream. We asked her several questions and tried to find her secret to getting so much work, and advancing her career. Here it is, after the jump:
OneWayTV: What have you been working lately?
Jace: "Well, I was working on finishing a film called 'Sleeping with Fate,' but unfortunately it still is being held up for reasons I’m not sure of. So I am shooting 'The Charl(y)ie Factor' with Richard Johnson. He did some major alterations, so now it’s just a center piece on 2 people, which are myself and Michael Alban ('Sleeping with fate,' 'Razorblade City'). So instead of me getting the chance to play an assassin, I am playing a girlfriend whom feels betrayed. And I got the awesome news that I will soon be acting alongside Michael Beach ('Waiting to Exhale,' 'Crazy as Hell,' 'Lean on Me'..etc,) very soon in a project called 'The Registry,' which is a story about a father whose two children were killed by a sexual predator. We shoot that in May. I'm very excited about that! Richard Johnson is directing that project."
OneWayTV: People seemed amazed at how often you work. How are you able to work so much?
Jace: "Well, I have been blessed you could say to have made a lot of great choices in my career so far. I have linked up with some of the greatest directors ever in my opinion, directors like Richard Johnson, Princeton Holt, Chris Clanton, Kent Sutton - to name a few - who just happen to be very 'film family' oriented. Also I try to bring a positive attitude with me to the set, and I guess I end up bonding with people and get to work with them repeatedly. I also remember that before I got started with my films, I would do a lot of research on my favorite actors, whom I look up to. I would take note of how they handled their careers, and career choices. I also watch other known actors and watch what they do, and where they screw up at so that I know not to do it (laughs). I learn a lot from watching others and how they handle things. You’d be surprised at what you can learn by doing that. Also I peruse Craigslist, Mandy.com, and different search engines to find auditions. But recently, thank God, I haven’t had to go look anywhere for projects. Now I just get personal calls to do projects. That’s where having a wonderful rapport with great directors and fellow actors comes in handy."
OneWayTV: And we understand you have interest from agent/manager types as well?
Jace: "As far as representation goes, I have a couple people I have worked with who just recommend me to their people. Doesn't always work out right away, but I have a great person in mind whom I met through my friend Danny Doherty from 'Cookies & Cream,' who has reached out. All in all, I’m positive I will find the perfect representation. That I’m not worried about."
OneWayTV: Here's a favorite topic on this blog: SAG vs Non Union. Based on your personal opinion and personal experience:
Jace: "Wow, the golden question. YES (laughs)! In my opinion and personal experience, stay-
non-union-as-long-as-you-can! I say that because I got the chance to do so many projects and build up my filmography through indies. I love the freedom of non-union. You aren’t limited to just SAG projects, which from what I have seen from actors around me that are SAG, are few and far between. If I want to do a project that sparks my interest, hey guess what? I can just up and do it without worries of being fined or someone finding out and me getting in trouble because big brother SAG is watching. Non union – freedom, vs SAG – restraint. Hmm...give me non-union (laugh)! And contrary to popular belief, yes I do get paid. Of course its not a hundred percent of the time, but more times than not, I get paid. I mean, I will become SAG one day soon when the time is right and I am ready for it, but I am definitely not in any rush whatsoever. I'm too much of a free film spirit for that. So SAG is definitely in the future for as long as I can help it."
OneWayTV: You are definitely a maverick (not just in that rhetorical, Sarah Palin sort of way), and a free spirit - thats one of the reasons we love you as an artist. But I remember you saying that wasn't the only reason you work alot. What we found interesting is that there is also a unique state of mind you have. Please explain that:
Jace: "Well, thank you (smiling)! My state of mind is one that is full of big pictures. I have a very vivid imagination, and I am constantly thinking of positive things. Not to be cliche', but I try to stay positive as much as possible. It seems that whenever I concentrate on a specific thing, and I speak of it as if it is happening right now (although it may not be), it will happen shortly thereafter. I don’t let anyone or anything deter me from getting anything done. If I want a project, I dwell on it, I speak and think of it constantly. I always go back and read my acting books as if I am preparing to go on a set the next day, even though I may not have a project lined up until the following 2 months, etc, things like that. And you cannot let 'stigmas' rule you. You have to be a 'norm' breaker. Break the norm and let the world and people know 'I am the exception to every rule.' I remember when I was pregnant, I said to myself, 'Well, I still want to work. I still want to do projects. And if not possible, I will resume my films and projects afterward, but-I-will-work,' and Viola! I worked on a few projects while I was pregnant. And another thing, I know that a lot of women freak when they become pregnant because they feel that their careers are done. Uhhh, no, your career isn’t. Only you can rule and decide if and when your career is over! 'Matter of fact, and this is where having a great 'film family' comes in handy, one of the directors I work closely with said to me 'Jace, I don’t care if you were 20 months pregnant, I will always have something for you to do. You’re an awesome actress, and I want you in my projects, regardless of your condition. So you will always work and have a role of some sort as long as I can help it.' I thought that was great, and it made me feel awesome, and it was just a reassurance that having and keeping a certain mindset about your career can take you anywhere, whether you are pregnant, not pregnant, sick, etc, etc. You have to stay focused, positive and 'stigma' free. And it will come. Sooner or later. But it will come (smiling)."
OneWayTV: For fellow actors, what are some of the best kinds of projects or people to work with?
Jace: "To me, the best projects to work on are 'family' oriented projects. Projects that don’t just concentrate on certain people, but everyone in a project. The best people to work with are people who communicate with you. Talk openly with you, even though it may not always be things you want to hear. As a director, you should be able to come to me and say 'Jace, you know what, this is not really working for me. Let’s try it this way.' Or, 'Jace, the character is not being portrayed the way I need it to be, lets try it that way now.' I Love directors who do that. It shows me that they know what they are doing, and are into making a wonderful piece of art."
OneWayTV: What are the kinds of projects they should stay away from?
Jace: "T
he projects people should stay away from are the ones that will portray you in a negative light, and quite possibly fuck up your career. I remember getting a call for a project where the guy who wrote it wanted me to be a stripper who got knocked around. And that was all I would have been seen as (laughing)! I was like ‘Uhh, No thank you! I need a little bit more meat in my roles' (laughing). The people to stay away from are non-communicators. And 'Yes Men.' I despise Yes men. I want whatever project Im working on to come out as good as it possibly can, and if you don’t talk to me and tell me whats really going on in your head, then there is nothing I can do. But I will concentrate more on the positives, on what I'm looking for, instead of what I don't like. My favorite people to keep working with are those who are collaborative from beginning to end, right up until the festival premiere. It's not a hundred percent necessary, but it sure is fun. And you naturally are inclined to do more for them, and recommend the work at that point. At the end of the day, the indie film world is a crazy one, ya know? You just have to watch your own back."
OneWayTV: What do you have coming up or being released we should look out for?
Jace: "Definitely, keep an eye out for 'Razorblade City,' which should be released on DVD soon, 'The Registry' and 'The Charl(y)ie Factor.' And I’m still waiting to hear from OneWay - hey thats you guys (laughing)! - about some cool 'Cookies & Cream' DVD news and more upcoming work."
OneWayTV: Where can we follow you, your progress, and your future projects?
Jace: "You can follow me on Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, and my official website www.jacenicole.com !"
OneWayTV: What have you been working lately?
Jace: "Well, I was working on finishing a film called 'Sleeping with Fate,' but unfortunately it still is being held up for reasons I’m not sure of. So I am shooting 'The Charl(y)ie Factor' with Richard Johnson. He did some major alterations, so now it’s just a center piece on 2 people, which are myself and Michael Alban ('Sleeping with fate,' 'Razorblade City'). So instead of me getting the chance to play an assassin, I am playing a girlfriend whom feels betrayed. And I got the awesome news that I will soon be acting alongside Michael Beach ('Waiting to Exhale,' 'Crazy as Hell,' 'Lean on Me'..etc,) very soon in a project called 'The Registry,' which is a story about a father whose two children were killed by a sexual predator. We shoot that in May. I'm very excited about that! Richard Johnson is directing that project."
OneWayTV: People seemed amazed at how often you work. How are you able to work so much?
Jace: "Well, I have been blessed you could say to have made a lot of great choices in my career so far. I have linked up with some of the greatest directors ever in my opinion, directors like Richard Johnson, Princeton Holt, Chris Clanton, Kent Sutton - to name a few - who just happen to be very 'film family' oriented. Also I try to bring a positive attitude with me to the set, and I guess I end up bonding with people and get to work with them repeatedly. I also remember that before I got started with my films, I would do a lot of research on my favorite actors, whom I look up to. I would take note of how they handled their careers, and career choices. I also watch other known actors and watch what they do, and where they screw up at so that I know not to do it (laughs). I learn a lot from watching others and how they handle things. You’d be surprised at what you can learn by doing that. Also I peruse Craigslist, Mandy.com, and different search engines to find auditions. But recently, thank God, I haven’t had to go look anywhere for projects. Now I just get personal calls to do projects. That’s where having a wonderful rapport with great directors and fellow actors comes in handy."
OneWayTV: And we understand you have interest from agent/manager types as well?
Jace: "As far as representation goes, I have a couple people I have worked with who just recommend me to their people. Doesn't always work out right away, but I have a great person in mind whom I met through my friend Danny Doherty from 'Cookies & Cream,' who has reached out. All in all, I’m positive I will find the perfect representation. That I’m not worried about."
OneWayTV: Here's a favorite topic on this blog: SAG vs Non Union. Based on your personal opinion and personal experience:
Jace: "Wow, the golden question. YES (laughs)! In my opinion and personal experience, stay-
non-union-as-long-as-you-can! I say that because I got the chance to do so many projects and build up my filmography through indies. I love the freedom of non-union. You aren’t limited to just SAG projects, which from what I have seen from actors around me that are SAG, are few and far between. If I want to do a project that sparks my interest, hey guess what? I can just up and do it without worries of being fined or someone finding out and me getting in trouble because big brother SAG is watching. Non union – freedom, vs SAG – restraint. Hmm...give me non-union (laugh)! And contrary to popular belief, yes I do get paid. Of course its not a hundred percent of the time, but more times than not, I get paid. I mean, I will become SAG one day soon when the time is right and I am ready for it, but I am definitely not in any rush whatsoever. I'm too much of a free film spirit for that. So SAG is definitely in the future for as long as I can help it."OneWayTV: You are definitely a maverick (not just in that rhetorical, Sarah Palin sort of way), and a free spirit - thats one of the reasons we love you as an artist. But I remember you saying that wasn't the only reason you work alot. What we found interesting is that there is also a unique state of mind you have. Please explain that:
Jace: "Well, thank you (smiling)! My state of mind is one that is full of big pictures. I have a very vivid imagination, and I am constantly thinking of positive things. Not to be cliche', but I try to stay positive as much as possible. It seems that whenever I concentrate on a specific thing, and I speak of it as if it is happening right now (although it may not be), it will happen shortly thereafter. I don’t let anyone or anything deter me from getting anything done. If I want a project, I dwell on it, I speak and think of it constantly. I always go back and read my acting books as if I am preparing to go on a set the next day, even though I may not have a project lined up until the following 2 months, etc, things like that. And you cannot let 'stigmas' rule you. You have to be a 'norm' breaker. Break the norm and let the world and people know 'I am the exception to every rule.' I remember when I was pregnant, I said to myself, 'Well, I still want to work. I still want to do projects. And if not possible, I will resume my films and projects afterward, but-I-will-work,' and Viola! I worked on a few projects while I was pregnant. And another thing, I know that a lot of women freak when they become pregnant because they feel that their careers are done. Uhhh, no, your career isn’t. Only you can rule and decide if and when your career is over! 'Matter of fact, and this is where having a great 'film family' comes in handy, one of the directors I work closely with said to me 'Jace, I don’t care if you were 20 months pregnant, I will always have something for you to do. You’re an awesome actress, and I want you in my projects, regardless of your condition. So you will always work and have a role of some sort as long as I can help it.' I thought that was great, and it made me feel awesome, and it was just a reassurance that having and keeping a certain mindset about your career can take you anywhere, whether you are pregnant, not pregnant, sick, etc, etc. You have to stay focused, positive and 'stigma' free. And it will come. Sooner or later. But it will come (smiling)."
OneWayTV: For fellow actors, what are some of the best kinds of projects or people to work with?
Jace: "To me, the best projects to work on are 'family' oriented projects. Projects that don’t just concentrate on certain people, but everyone in a project. The best people to work with are people who communicate with you. Talk openly with you, even though it may not always be things you want to hear. As a director, you should be able to come to me and say 'Jace, you know what, this is not really working for me. Let’s try it this way.' Or, 'Jace, the character is not being portrayed the way I need it to be, lets try it that way now.' I Love directors who do that. It shows me that they know what they are doing, and are into making a wonderful piece of art."
OneWayTV: What are the kinds of projects they should stay away from?
Jace: "T
he projects people should stay away from are the ones that will portray you in a negative light, and quite possibly fuck up your career. I remember getting a call for a project where the guy who wrote it wanted me to be a stripper who got knocked around. And that was all I would have been seen as (laughing)! I was like ‘Uhh, No thank you! I need a little bit more meat in my roles' (laughing). The people to stay away from are non-communicators. And 'Yes Men.' I despise Yes men. I want whatever project Im working on to come out as good as it possibly can, and if you don’t talk to me and tell me whats really going on in your head, then there is nothing I can do. But I will concentrate more on the positives, on what I'm looking for, instead of what I don't like. My favorite people to keep working with are those who are collaborative from beginning to end, right up until the festival premiere. It's not a hundred percent necessary, but it sure is fun. And you naturally are inclined to do more for them, and recommend the work at that point. At the end of the day, the indie film world is a crazy one, ya know? You just have to watch your own back."OneWayTV: What do you have coming up or being released we should look out for?
Jace: "Definitely, keep an eye out for 'Razorblade City,' which should be released on DVD soon, 'The Registry' and 'The Charl(y)ie Factor.' And I’m still waiting to hear from OneWay - hey thats you guys (laughing)! - about some cool 'Cookies & Cream' DVD news and more upcoming work."
OneWayTV: Where can we follow you, your progress, and your future projects?
Jace: "You can follow me on Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, and my official website www.jacenicole.com !"
Diverse Thinkers in the New Era
Recently, producer Princeton Holt was mentioned in the discussion at SpringBoard Media's blog about the lack of cultural and gender diversity in panel discussions about the new era of distribution and DIY filmmaking. Brian Newman posed the problem by writing,
"I’ve been spending much of the last few years on the road speaking at numerous panels about new models for film, new media and distribution. I’m continually peeved to find myself sitting on a stage with a bunch of other white guys talking about the future. Usually, there’s not even a woman on the panel. I often bring this lack of diversity up publicly, because I find it so odd to find a bunch of white guys talking about the future - when we are decidedly not the future. What gives?
I found myself thinking about this again at Sundance in the panel entitled “The Doctor’s in the House” on distribution. Besides the moderator, Eugene Hernandez, there was no diversity on the panel. Now, I’m not faulting Sundance here - while their track record isn’t great when it comes to diversity, they aren’t the only, just the most recent example of this phenomenon. It’s much broader."
Later on, in the comment section, blogger/filmmaker Sujewa Ekanayake offered the following:
"Great post Brian. To many people seeing someone who looks like them doing something interesting will make that action more relevant. 2 filmmakers who are making & releasing DIY movies that might be of interest to a panel discussion re: future of indie film are:
- Princeton Holt(you can find his prod. co's blog here: http://onewaytv.blogspot.com/)-- he's produced & directed in at least one instant - around half a dozen features, most are available on DIY DVD releases..."
Ekanayake went on to name several more "ethnic" filmmakers that have taken steps in the DIY filmmaking and distribution direction. See the entire highly informative post with the comments HERE.
Thanks to Sujewa for the shout out! You can read his main blog HERE.
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