Authors — Scott Macaulay
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Parting Shot – Marina Abramovich
The sitter approaches the chair and sits, gazingat the woman directly across the table separating them. There’s a pause as the woman senses that the sitter is there, in the chair. Then the woman lifts her head, opens her eyes and stares directly at the sitter. And at that moment … what? The subtle yet powerful expressions that course through artist Marina Abramovic’s face are near impossible to describe. Warmth, yes. Empathy, surely. But overwhelmingly, just presence. For those moments, the sitter is with Abramovic only. They are present, and there is no one else in the world. “Only connect,” […]
by Scott Macaulay on Apr 17, 2012 -
Production Portal
by Scott Macaulay on Apr 17, 2012 -
ENVISION PROGRAM STREAMS LIVE TOMORROW
Envision 2012, a program presented by IFP, the United Nations and the Ford Foundation exploring the subject of “Stories for a Sustainable Future,” will be streamed live tomorrow on the Envision website. Launching this evening and continuing Tuesday, the Envision sessions are filled with talks concerning the role documentary film can have in shaping discussion and action on pressing global issues. Filmmakers Jessica Yu, Rachel Grady, Alexandra Cousteau, and Lixin Fan, among others, will be presenting, and special guests include Don Cheadle and Michael Franti. Tune in tomorrow beginning at 9:30 AM for this thoughtful and engaging event. A complete […]
by Scott Macaulay on Apr 16, 2012 -
VIA HOLOGRAM, TUPAC PERFORMS AT COACHELLA
This is some kind of watershed. Dre and Snoop Dogg were joined by a hologram of the late Tupac Shakur at Coachella this weekend. Audience response was reportedly mixed, with some creeped out by the hologram’s “What’s up Coachella!” “The place just went silent. People are genuinely horrified by the Tupac hologram,” tweeted the L.A. Weekly. Others on Twitter, however, said the crowd went nuts for it. Watch it below.
by Scott Macaulay on Apr 16, 2012 -
MUSIC VIDEO: “HEART OF GLASS,” ELISE
Blondie meets Jeanne Dielman in this cover by Elise. Don’t know who the director is.
by Scott Macaulay on Apr 15, 2012 -
Amazon Studios Revises Terms for Writers
About 18 months ago I blogged about the new Amazon Studios venture, in which screenwriters submit their projects to the internet commerce giant for crowdsourced development and possible production. There was a lot of initial interest in Amazon Studios when it was announced, but I, like many other observers, found the terms shockingly poor for writers. I asked, why would you give “a company with a $74 billion market cap an 18-month free option on your original project?” Especially when, according to Amazon Studio’s original terms, there were scenarios in which that original work could have been exploited with you […]
by Scott Macaulay on Apr 14, 2012 -
MUSIC VIDEO: OFF!’S “WIPED OUT” BY RICHARD KERN
Here’s a new video from Richard Kern, a celebration of West Coast punk/skate culture by OFF!, which features ex-Black Flag singer Keith Morris.
by Scott Macaulay on Apr 12, 2012 -
Sundance Announces New Artists Services Distribution Partners
Four additional distribution outlets — Microsoft Xbox, SnagFilms, Sony’s Video Unlimited Service and VUDU — have joined the Sundance Institute’s Artists Services program, Sundance Executive Director Keri Putnam announced today. “Audiences are accessing independent films via a range of platforms and storefronts, which speaks to the need for filmmakers to make their work available in a variety of ways,” Putnam said in a statement. “Beyond that, the more options we’re able to offer our filmmakers, the better able they are to customize their self-distribution programs and work towards individual goals for their films.” Artists Services is a program helping Sundance […]
by Scott Macaulay on Apr 12, 2012 -
A TRAILER CONTEST FOR PETER CHRISTIAN HALL’S “AMERICAN FEVER”
Back in the day Filmmaker took note of Peter Christian Hall’s independent drama Delinquent, and more recently we’ve followed his move into fiction writing. Now, film and literature are combining for the promotion of his new novel, American Fever, a dystopic tale about avian flu. With book trailers a requirement for new books, Hall has decided to let fans create one for American Fever — and win $1,000 in the process. What’s cool is that filmmakers can read the book for free and score their trailer to original music by Gang of Four’s Andy Gill. From the site of Hall’s […]
by Scott Macaulay on Apr 10, 2012 -
LAURA POITRAS AND OUR POLITICS OF BORDER CROSSINGS
I remember when I first typed documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras as one cool customer. I was interviewing her on the phone about her 2010 documentary, The Oath — for my money the best of the year. The film is about two Yemeni brothers-in-law, one a low-level driver for Osama bin Laden and the other a soldier who became an al-Qaida member and one of bin Laden’s personal bodyguards. But only one was sent to Guantanamo Bay — the driver, not the bodyguard who, at the film’s start, is seen driving a cab through Yemen and discussing jihad with the young […]
by Scott Macaulay on Apr 9, 2012
