Authors — Scott Macaulay
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SUNDANCE ANNOUNCES NEW ONLINE DISTRIBUTION INITIATIVE
At a Los Angeles press conference today, Sundance Institute Executive Director Keri Putnam announced an expansion of the organization’s Artist Services Initiative that will bring independent films to digital platforms. Exclusively partnering with aggregator New Video, Sundance is offering its festival and lab films distribution opportunities on iTunes, Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and SundanceNOW. Filmmakers will retain ownership and control of their titles, will be free to publicize and market them, and Sundance will conduct its own marketing efforts as well as leverage the potency of its brand to gain the films wider audiences. Commented Putnam, “By acting as a conduit […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 27, 2011 -
WHAT DOES A SCRIPT SUPERVISOR DO?
Over at The Rumpus, Andrea Manners breaks down her job. From the piece: Rumpus: What’s a typical production day like? Manners: Before we start production, I meet with other departments. I ask the hair department to communicate their ideas for the film, and I ask the makeup department what they plan to do. I’m basically making sure the director’s idea and vision is translated from the script’s point of view. I’m also the liaison between the director and the editor. The editor needs a lot of notes to make the movie since he’s not there. I represent the editor on […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 27, 2011 -
BRILLIANTE MENDOZA AND KICKSTARTING “THE JEEPNEY MOVIE”
Filmmakers Esy Casey and Sarah Friedland recently sent me a short video documenting their visit to the Philippines where they met the Cannes prize-winning filmmaker Brilliante Mendoza and visited his construction studio. The video, which catches Mendoza in the lead-up to his new feature, Prey, is posted below. After I received this link, Friedland informed me of the new project of Casey’s she’s producing. Also set in the Philippines, it’s called Jeepney, and it’s a feature doc about this vehicle and the people who drive it. From the project’s Kickstarter page: Visualizing the rich cultural heritage of the Philippines, this […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 26, 2011 -
WATCHING SETH FISHER MAKE A MOVIE
There’s a lot of filmmaking advice out there, but as you know from reading this magazine and website, I favor instruction from people who are in the trenches themselves. Director Seth Fisher sent me an email about his movie, Passing Harold Blumenthal, a while back, and I’m only just getting to it now. Consequently, I missed the chance to plug his Kickstarter — not that he needed it, though, because he successfully raised $50,000. But it’s not too late to plug his blog, which I’ve just paged through. At Watch Me Make a Movie, Fisher is walking you through his […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 26, 2011 -
PRESCREEN ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES
While in Cannes this year I moderated a panel on new distribution thinking, and one of the panelists was Shawn Bercuson of PreScreen. I wrote: … PreScreen’s business operates on an entirely different principle. Using a targeted email approach similar to GroupOn’s, PreScreen blasts fans with invites to watch films via secured streaming before their theatrical release. Then, says Bercuson, detailed information flows to the filmmakers regarding the demographics of the audience who responded to the invites. This information can help in the further crafting of marketing, or the digital release can simply generate good old word-of-mouth. PreScreen, which promises […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 25, 2011 -
KICKSTARTER: “DEATH IN ARIZONA”
I’m a sucker for performance art projects dealing with things like solitude and personal healing. For example, there’s Sophie Calle’s famous Exquisite Pain, which documented her being dumped by a lover by phone at the tail end of a trip to Japan. Another piece involving Japanese hotel rooms, but with a different kind of pain, is Laurel Nakadate’s Love Hotel, currently on view at P.S. 1. In that piece, Nakadate checks into, alone, a series of Japanese sex hotels and photographs herself simulating the acts that go on there. Slotted into this sub-genre is a new film project by Mexican […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 25, 2011 -
ANNA CALVI AND… GUY MADDIN?
Anna Calvi’s self-titled album, recently shortlisted for the U.K. Mercury Prize, has been a grower with me in the last few weeks. Now, an interview with Calvi in The Guardian has bumped it up even further. A lot of reviewers have referenced the cinematic quality of Calvi’s songs and, indeed, singles like “Blackout” make one think that she’d be a natural for the next James Bond soundtrack. So, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Calvi’s inspirations are a lot less obvious. Indeed, the only movie that has inspired one of her songs is one of the past decade’s best […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 24, 2011 -
Brit Marling and Mike Cahill on Another Earth
Here’s the beginning of my interview with Another Earth screenwriter/star Brit Marling and screenwriter/director Mike Cahill, pictured here at the Crosby Street Hotel. The film is highly recommended, particularly for our specific readership. Not only is it a good movie, but it’s also an excellent example of how a fresh concept and skillful execution can amplify a tiny budget. Read the rest of my interview in this Summer’s print edition. Filmmaker: There’s a lot in the movie. There’s the psychology of grief, science, and metaphysics, all wrapped up in the form of a science-fiction fable. How did all of these […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 22, 2011 -
TRAILER WATCH: NICHOLAS WINDING REFN’S “DRIVE”
Here’s the just released redband trailer for Nicholas Winding Refn’s Drive, which stars Ryan Gosling and picked up the Best Director award at this year’s Cannes’ Film Festival. I flat out loved this smart throwback to the neon lit, stylish and smart genre movies of the ’80s. More Drive (2011) Videos
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 22, 2011 -
DAVID ROBERT MITCHELL ON MYTHICAL TEENAGERS
For this opening day of Myth of the American Sleepover, which I hope you will all go see this weekend, I thought I’d repost this short Flip interview I did with director David Robert Mitchell at Cannes last year. Also, make sure to check out James Ponsoldt’s interview with Mitchell and his producing and creative team.
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 22, 2011
