Filmmaking
Filmmaking
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The Blue Velvet Project, #143
Second #6721, 112:01 In an essay from 1929, “The Filmic Fourth Dimension,” Sergei Eisenstein wrote about the impossibility of “the single-meaningness” of the film frame, which “can never be an inflexible letter of the alphabet, but must always remain a multiple-meaning ideogram.” And part of the frame’s meaning lies outside of the frame itself, in the implied off-screen space that surrounds it, accumulated in fragments from places the film has already taken us. In the frame above, Jeffrey is in Dorothy’s bedroom, laying his trap for Frank, whom he knows is listening as he reveals his false location to Detective […]
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WHY IS MOTORMOUTH MARTIN SCORSESE SELLING SIRI?
In the public’s mind, Martin Scorsese is known for many things. One of them is directing some of the best movies made in the 20th century. But another, stemming from his various public appearances, acting jobs and cameos, is his rat-a-tat-tat, staccato speaking style. I think anyone heading into a meeting with Scorsese knows to focus and drink that extra shot of espresso beforehand. So, what’s Apple doing by hiring Scorsese to make the case for Siri, its iPhone personal assistant that some commenters, including Nick Bilton of the New York Times, have found lacking in basic communication skills? In […]
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TRAILER WATCH: “LIFE OF PI”
Here’s the first trailer for Ang Lee’s adaptation of Yann Martel’s novel, Life of Pi. The film’s in 3D, and you can sense how spectacular and immersive it should be from this preview.
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ROGER ROSS WILLIAMS AT THE SUNDANCE DOCUMENTARY LABS
The Sundance Documentary Edit and Story Labs took place earlier this month, and director Roger Ross Williams — attending with his film, God Loves Uganda, described as “a journey into the heart of East Africa, where Ugandan pastors and their American counterparts spread God’s word and evangelical values to millions desperate for a better life” — wrote the following blog post about his experiences there. Alfred Hitchcock said, “In feature films the director is God; in documentary films God is the director.” Yes — and it doesn’t help when God is also the subject. Setting out to make a doc on […]
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Five Questions with Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry Director Alison Klayman
Ai Weiwei has been a presence on the international art scene for three decades, but within the past few years the Chinese artist has become a superstar. His profile has grown for a couple reasons. First, he’s made large-scale works that have been seen by millions in London, Berlin and, recently, in New York City, where in 2011 Mayor Michael Bloomberg heralded the installation of Ai’s sculptures at the southeastern edge of Central Park. Second, Ai has used just about every means available—documentary films, photography, crowd-sourced art projects, newspaper op-eds and his Twitter feed, which had more than 155,000 followers […]
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HELP 25 NEW FACES ORNANA KICKSTART THEIR NEXT TWO MOVIES
Last week we announced our 2012 list of “25 New Faces,” a group that numbered 37 as a result of a large number of filmmaking duos, but was expanded even more by a six-man production collective. Ornana, the collective in question, made the playful and funny SXSW-winning animation (notes on) biology and are in postproduction on Euphonia, a live-action narrative feature that is radically different from biology and further underlines the talent as well as the versatility of these young men. (You can read more about both films on their 25 New Faces page.) The gang are currently looking ahead […]
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WATCH “25 NEW FACE” JULIA POTT’S GREAT SHORT, “BELLY”
“It’s about being a kid and so in touch with spooky things,” said animator Julia Pott about her short film Belly when Nick Dawson interviewed her for this year’s “25 New Faces” list. “I called it Belly because it’s about living with this thing that you’ve lost in the pit of your stomach for the rest of your life. I really like feeling sad. It’s so good sometimes to just wallow in misery.” The short that captivated us here at Filmmaker is now online. Watch it below. Belly from Julia Pott on Vimeo.
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Five Questions with Engagement Director Jon Lefkovitz
The trailer for Jon Lefkovitz’s micro-budget psychological thriller Engagement caught our eye here at Filmmaker. It’s a Hitchcock-inspired tale about an young groom-to-be and the woman who may or not be the sister of his out-of-town fiancée. The film is currently up on VOD through Film Buff, and below we ask Lefkovitz five questions about making smart genre entertainment for a price. Filmmaker: Where did the concept of the film come? What were your inspirations? Lefkovitz: The concept for Engagement is actually semi-autobiographical — in 2009, my then-fiancée (now wife) went away for six weeks, leaving me alone in our […]
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QUARTERLY GIFTS TELL THEIR STORIES
In the current issue of Filmmaker, Lance Weiler writes about scarcity and abundance in the digital world — namely, the trend of digital artists creating physical media limited editions for their fans and followers. Weiler references several such projects in his piece, and, indeed, I’m discovering more every day. Here’s the latest: Quarterly, a subscription service that brings you a unique, curated gift from a trusted curatorial source every three months. “Each shipment tells a story,” the site promises. From the site: Quarterly is a new way to connect with the people you follow and find interesting. We spend so […]
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IN PRODUCTION: “THE DOUBLE”, “CARRIE”, “THE WAY, WAY BACK” AND “VERY GOOD GIRLS”
“In Production” is a regular column which focuses on notable independent films that are currently shooting. After dropping out of the Ben Stiller-produced comedy The Apostles of Infinite Love, Richard Ayoade is busy directing The Double, his follow-up to his 2010 debut Submarine (also produced by Stiller). Described as a comedic take on Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novella, The Double is about an insecure young man (Jesse Eisenberg – shocker) whose life turns upside down when he encounters his more confident doppelganger. The film also stars Mia Wasikowska (The Kids Are All Right), Wallace Shawn (My Dinner with Andre) and Noah Taylor […]
