Dive into the archives.
- Disadvantaged? Or alternatively abled? Panel to decide.
On Tuesday (January 19), I’ll be joining a panel for New York Women in Film and Television to talk about gender, race and disability issues in the film industry. In particular, I’m tasked with commenting on women’s roles in distribution. Most people are familiar with the rather brutal situation for female directors in Hollywood as reported recently in the New York Times- last year just 3% of studio films were helmed by women. Cinematography is similarly imbalanced. In independent film the opportunities increase if not exactly balance. There are positions like editing and producing where… [more]
- The New World in the NY Times
Just like everyone else these days, the New York Times is onto the notion that distribution is a-changing. Manola Dargis profiles Peter Broderick tomorrow and positions him in the New World and all those turnkey distributors as the Old. No matter, I suppose, that Broderick has been saying the same thing (and possibly delivering the same Power Point- no offense, Peter) for many years at various festivals and seminars.
I’m guilty of being one of these people who are offering to help filmmakers develop a strategy if they choose to hoist the mast of their own Niña or… [more]
- 2010: Odyssey Two (Or, it’s my year)
The year is starting out with big news for me- I’m leaving my job as Director of Home Media Sales & Marketing at Zeitgeist Films, where I’ve been in charge of selling DVDs and the move to internet and VOD licensing.
I’ve decided to return to the equally if even less logical pursuit of making docs, consulting, and looking for a sustainable day job. I’m very excited and I hope I’ll be able to give readers of this blog an even more first-hand take on the challenges and opportunities for filmmakers today.
Stay tuned!… [more]
- Think Outside: Jon Reiss tells you how to release a film today
Think Outside The Box (Office): The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing in the Digital Era is the new book from filmmaker/author Jon Reiss (not yet available at Amazon.com). For readers of this site, the book is probably both utterly essential and potentially old news. It provides a step-by-step guide to creating a strategy for your film in the digital age, and how to exploit different platforms and techniques to reach an audience.
I haven’t yet read the book but overall, if you care considering a DIY strategy for your film release, this looks like a fantastic… [more]
- Killer Aced; sponsorship could help finance your indie film
There are all kinds of schemes and innovations emerging in financing and marketing, and it’s no surprise that veteran producer Christine Vachon and her production company Killer Films are at the forefront. Vachon has teamed up with online film production network Massify and the uberhip NYC Ace Hotel (the Seattle and Portland locations are favourites of mine) to produce a series of short films- with sponsorship money from the hotel and the website but basic creative freedom (the films are set in a hotel, but that is hardly a constraint).
At tonight’s IFP fete for
- The Free North- Fun stuff from TIFF
Some cool stuff from the Toronto International Film Festival last week:
Liesl Copland, formerly of Netflix and now with William Morris Endeavor’s Global Finance & Distribution Group, gave a keynote at the Doc Conference about the state of digital and what it means for the industry. The takewaway: theatrical still has life; filmmakers need to learn about metrics; crowdsourcing is the new focus group.
Ted Hope, as captured by indieWIRE’s Eugene Hernandez, about Hope’s Doing It With Others (DIWO) philosophy. The takeaway: Blog, tweet, Facebook your whole life- or at least your projects and… [more]
- The Chemistry of New Distribution
I was talking to the lovely Astra Taylor yesterday and as we both have music ties we got to talking about the common comparison between the record biz and the film industry. We agreed that the new ways have benefit for some artists but not all- they’re great for musicians who are able to take advantage of the bigger live audiences, who might enjoy having their work exposed in an ad or other commercial setting and who have fans who will buy the merch.
I won’t get into the various problems of this model for film- that’s its… [more]
- DIY, all Y
At DIY Days in Philadelphia, Lance Weiler’s traveling post-distribution networking conference, I may be drinking too much of the haterade*, but what seems to be emerging is kind of three-path future for film.
Path one is gigantic studio films that cost a lot and still rely on a certain level of lockdown on copyright and general control of dissemination.
Path two is the small filmmaker with an emerging set of tools to reach an audience, whose work must be made cheaply and flexibly, and who must include an element of interactivity and audience participation.
Path three responds to an… [more]
- 45365: Schnack Snags lowdown
Over on All These Wonderful Things, AJ Schnack questions SXSW prize-winner 45365’s directors Bill and Turner Ross on their decision to ge streamed for free on Snag Films just months after their festival premiere. As of now they have no plans for a DVD release, which is one clue… [more]
- I want to rock and roll all night (and wake up in the gutter)
Ben from Shooting People was weighing the piracy issue a couple of weeks ago and its impact on independent filmmakers. The first dilemma is whether independent filmmakers can transition in the way indie bands have to be able to make money in other ways besides money for product transactions. In theory, this seems like it is the wave of the future- Robert Greenwald or Four Eyed Monsters-style. Filmmakers can, in theory, sell events versus selling DVDs, and potentially can make some money. No doubt touring in a bus is not as easy as having… [more]
