I was forwarded the below email written by Elena Paul, Executive Director of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, that I thought should be reposted here: Dear VLA Friends and Members, We’re sending this to all VLA members because of the nationwide importance of this New York legislation. The New York State Assembly and Senate adjourned their regular sessions yesterday without taking action on the “Dead Celebrities” bill. This is good news. This legislation would give heirs of anyone who died after January 1, 1938, the right to sue for unauthorized use in “advertising” or “for the purpose of trade” the […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 20, 2007If you haven’t checked out the main page recently, please click over there and watch Jamie Stuart’s new short, 12.5 Seconds Later It’s goofy and charming and, to my mind, pretty much a miracle of no-crew production. Jamie shot and edited it himself and then, for the post, used new Final Cut Pro Studio software, including its new compositing program Motion. Jamie did the short at our request — we offered him use of a promo Apple system and in return he wrote a print review based on his experiences actually using the software to make a film. Both Jamie […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 19, 2007In an effort to distinguish its site from the anything-goes mentality of YouTube, Sony Pictures is relaunching video-sharing site Grouper by renaming it Crackle, creating “themed channels” and adding a curatorial slant. Says this story on MSNBC: The website will offer a slate of themed channels for users to upload material. They include Wet Paint, an edgy animation channel, Shorts, highlighting short films, and High Wire, a stand-up comedy channel. The best High Wire submissions can win a chance to perform at the well-known Improv comedy clubs, while Shorts uploaders could win a studio development deal and get the chance […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 16, 2007Variety recently ran an article about how declining opinions of America’s behavior worldwide are affecting international audience’s attitudes towards American films. But perhaps international audiences are simply reacting to artfully crafted image campaigns promoting our competition. See, for example, the promo reel below that the E.U. Media program created to tout its accomplishments in the promotion of Euro films.
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 12, 2007Jamie Stuart emailed a question about the upcoming writer’s strike, wondering whether it will provide opportunities for independents looking for both work and to expand the boundaries of network programming. He wrote: Since the last TV strike (or was it threatened strike?) brought about reality TV, what’s the probability that the studios and networks will simply dive into the pool of cheap online talent to fill out their rosters? I dunno… discuss.
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 12, 2007If you missed it, below is Michael Moore’s outraged appearance on Wolf Blitzer’s CNN show. After watching, check out Moore’s web site for his rejoinder to the report by Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Sicko that CNN preceded Moore’s appearance with.
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 12, 2007BoingBoing documents an eccentric patent war in this post about two companies facing off over the right to rent inflatable dummies for movie crowd scenes. It starts with this story on CNN by Elizabeth Wright: You’ve seen them in Million-Dollar Baby, Be Cool, and Ocean’s 13: stands crammed with spectators cheering for the hero. But in the movies, sometimes not even the extras are real. To cut costs, filmmakers dress up inflatable vinyl torsos to intersperse among real people in crowd scenes. Now the two startups in the market are squaring off in court. Crowd in a Box (crowdinabox.com), which […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 11, 2007Mary Pols has assembled some good directors who have offered some great quotes in her piece entitled “They’re Women, Directors and Few.” It’s another piece on why there are so few working female directors in Hollywood, and Pols has brought together indies like Hilary Brougher and Nicole Holofcener with studio vets like Mimi Leder to discuss why. She also talks with Kasi Lemmons, whose Talk to Me (pictured) opens this week. Here’s a section in which Sherrybaby director Laurie Collyer talks about the differences in approach that men and women have: But women in the film industry aren’t held back […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 11, 2007If you’re in NYC today, come check out the first of three evenings Filmmaker is hosting with the IFC of new work and personal appearances by idiosyncratic documentary filmmakers. The first is tonight and we’ll be screening the work of talking with Bradley Beesley. Here’s more info: Filmmaker and IFC Center are pleased to announce the debut of “Dialogues on Film,” a new series of screenings and discussions with directors, moderated by Filmmaker’s Scott Macaulay; the series launches Monday, July 9 at 7:30pm with “An Evening with Bradley Beesley.” The program includes Beesley’s cult classic documentary OKIE NOODLING, along with […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 9, 2007In the issue of Filmmaker we just put to bed, James Ponsoldt interviews Werner Herzog, whose Rescue Dawn opens today in theaters. It’s the dramatically realized story of prisoner-of-war Dieter Dengler, whose story was previously told by Herzog in his doc, Little Dieter Learns to Fly. Here’s an excerpt: Filmmaker: As Dengler died in early 2001, do you think that people might interpret “Rescue Dawn” as a commentary on America’s current geopolitical relationship with the rest of the world? Herzog: That always will happen with a film because an audience sees it with its own background, which is the immediate, […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 4, 2007