Filmmaking
Filmmaking
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2015 in Ten Double Features
Every cinephile knows the curatorial bliss of a great double feature. A flexing of film nerd muscles while sitting on your ass for three to five hours, a double bill brings two films into dialogue with one another based on style, subject, theme, or whatever connective tissue you can find. Double features, like well-sequenced mixtapes, require the instincts of a programmer. Thanks to streaming, digital rentals, and the perennial ease of sneaking into a second film at your local AMC, the work of making a double bill happen has never been easier. Below, I rally through 10 great double features from […]
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Vilmos Zsigmond, 1930 – 2016
Legendary cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, who shot a string of iconic pictures for Robert Altman, Steven Spielberg, Michael Cimino and Brian DePalma, among others, died January 1, Variety reports. Hungarian-born, Los Angeles-residing, Zsigmond was a steadfast proponent of shooting on film his entire life, and he was known for innovative techniques — such as flashing the stock on films like McCabe and Mrs. Miller — and his ability to create unique looks for his various movies. His work encompassed rugged styles in films like Deliverance or The Sugarland Express to composed, dense, painterly work in Heaven’s Gate. He won an Oscar […]
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2015: Camera and Monitor Gear in Review
Looking back on 2015, while there were few real stand-out innovations, the advances in the world of cameras and gear continued to march relentlessly forward. Cameras This was the year that Panasonic finally shipped their 4K Varicam 35, but for the indie filmmaker it was probably the announcement of the $4,000 Panasonic AG-DVX200 4K camera — which features a Four-Thirds sensor — that was more interesting. Ideal for run-and-gun documentary work, you might think of it as the GH4 with better audio and a good fixed zoom lens. For the narrative filmmaker, or those that want/need a bigger sensor, the […]
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Section 181, Film Production Tax Incentive, Reinstated (and Retroactive!) in 2016 Spending Bill
Great news for independent film producers: the omnibus spending bill passed by Congress this week and signed by President Obama contains a reinstatement of Section 181, the tax provision that incentivizes film and television production by allowing for immediate deduction of production costs up to $15 million. What’s more, the provision, which expires December 31, 2016, was made retroactive to include costs spent during 2015. (In recent years, Section 181 was retroactively renewed for the prior year at the beginning of the next fiscal year; in 2015, it was allowed to expire completely, and many observers didn’t expect to see […]
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Too Late, New John Hawkes Crime Thriller, Gets 35mm-Only Release
Recent films as disparate as The End of the Tour and Spectre were shot in 35mm. But Too Late, which stars John Hawkes as a troubled private investigator tasked with finding a missing woman, takes the 35mm trend one step further. Shot in the 35mm Techniscope format, the film will get a special 35mm-only theatrical release in spring 2016. Written and directed by Dennis Hauck in his feature film debut, Too Late unfolds in five chapters. “We made this movie to be seen on the big screen, with an audience, and yes, on 35mm,” said Hauck in a statement. “Home video, streaming, and VOD are all great, but […]
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Filmmaker Announces 2015 40%-Off Holiday Sale
Filmmaker announces this week the 2015 edition of its annual subscription drive. Subscribe by the morning of December 23rd for yourself or a friend or loved one and receive a digital or print edition of the magazine for 40% off. Print subscriptions are $10 and digital subscriptions are only $6. Plus, be eligible to win one a great collection of film-related prizes. The full list will be up on the site tomorrow, but some include gifts from our contributors — the brand new edition of Alix Lambert’s documentary, Mark of Cain; columnist Nicholas Rombes’s debut novel, The Absolution of Roberto […]
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Watch: The Tarantino Death Toll
Ever wonder how many people have died in Quentin Tarantino films? Or what’s behind the director’s seeming obsession with killing? Kevin B. Lee, Chief Video Essayist at Fandor, has tackled the bloody topic with a video essay on the body count in Tarantino’s films. Note the video’s warning: “the following video contains disturbing imagery of extreme violence and death.” In the text essay that accompanies the video (which you can watch above), Lee explains that he created this video after the release of Tarantino’s last film, Django Unchained, but this is the first time it’s being published (read the essay to understand […]
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Nine Tips for Pitching Your TV Series
With the arrival of the Golden Age of Television, many indie-slanting stories are finding a home in episodic series. And if you’re one of these independent filmmakers with a hot series concept, you might find yourself in the least “indie” situation possible: pitching a network executive. But don’t be intimidated — as more and more non-traditional TV formats become runaway hits, networks’ doors are wide open to new ideas and innovative visions. If you can find a way onto the network exec’s couch, the following tips — culled from recent industry events, like the IFP’s Screen Forward, as well as […]
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A Spoiler-Free Review of Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, A Film by J.J. Abrams
When confirming RSVPs for the one and only Episode VII press screening in NYC, Disney’s email included some more-severe-than-usual boilerplate about spoilers and embargoes: “In order to give audiences around the world the opportunity to enjoy Star Wars: The Force Awakens to its fullest and allow them to discover its surprises and plot twists in the cinema, we respectfully ask that you as press continue to be our partners on this journey, and we ask that you refrain from revealing spoilers and detailed story points in your coverage, including on social media.” This is a little corporate-slimy (I’m a partner now? Do […]
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Short of the Week Selects Best Short Films of 2015
Earlier this year, Scott Macaulay interviewed Short of the Week founders Andrew S. Allen and Jason Sondhi about the site’s relaunch. Macaulay noted at the time that they “have done a top-to-bottom redesign — a clean look that also makes both searching and streaming easier. Indeed, the new Short of the Week acknowledges that a viewer today is as likely to watch a short on a large phone or streamed through a device like Chromecast to a television as on a laptop window.” Now, as the year comes to a close, the Short of the Week team reflects on the […]
