Dive into the archives.
- People with Answers: Human Resources for Filmmakers
Google is a great resource, but often more useful answers come from asking a real individual. This is even more the case in creative work, since the question one asks is often not exactly what one needs to find out.
Some of the best ways of getting information are networking-oriented, such as having conversations at film-related events, festivals and conferences. But when you are unable to make it to a face-to-face meeting place or you are just starting out, there are some excellent online resources that can help you start building relationships and getting the help you need.
- The infinite future of film
Today I began reading two entertaining books, Everything and More: A Compact History of Infinity by David Foster Wallace and The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Quite coincidentally, the books share the thematic point that there is a great deal of value in what is unpredictable, or as DFW puts it, “our only real justification for the Principle of Induction is the Principle of Induction, which seems shaky and question-begging in the extreme.”
In film, a technology that in its “old fashioned” celluloid form is only a little over a century old, the future is unpredictable— but… [more]
- Broadband is the most important issue in digital distribution today
The NY Times recently published an editorial pressing the great need to regulate broadband, under the auspices of the FCC. It’s true that broadband in the US is an embarrassment. But will regulation seek to fix the symptoms (i.e. regulate “Net Neutrality”) or is there political will to address the underlying problem- primarily, lack of competition? In Europe, the government enforced strong competition, leading to cheap, fast, competitive internet access for consumers. In the US, such enforcement has died along the way and as a result, there are monopolized, expensive, slow, and consumer-unfriendly options.
Artists… [more]
- The Cobbler- A new model for entertainment artists
Have an article up at QuestionCopyright.org about a new approach for filmmakers and other entertainment artists in the reproductive economy. Sample:
For the first time, it is possible for a filmmaker to make a film on a very small budget, use promotion and distribution methods that are low-cost or free, and find enough revenue to break even and possibly to support themselves in a basic fashion. It means you probably won’t become a millionaire, but in return your chances of being able to support yourself through your work go up, and they go up more the… [more]
- Mixing it up at the IFP Lab
I’ll be presenting a workshop at IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Documentary Lab this week and I’ll be interested to see up close how filmmakers are thinking about audience engagement. Twitter is abuzz today about Jeff Steele’s take on the crowdfunding model (he’s against it) and he calls audience building a “Loser.”
Building an audience as a way to appeal to investors/financiers might sound like a great idea, but having a bunch of YouTube hits does not translate into dollars and means almost nothing to the buyers or financiers.
Of course, his comments are in the context of films… [more]
- The Conversation is ongoing
Had fun moderating and ‘advising’ at The Conversation on Saturday. Lots of thoughts always arise when you get many interesting and innovative thinkers together, but I think one thing has been on my mind and only became more intensely so after a day of discussing various kinds of viability for media creation.
There are some basic realities in an economic context that are altering the fundamental possibilities for filmmakers now. When I was focused on the distribution end, I saw this as largely troubling. I do think there will be things I currently love that may not… [more]
- 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]
