Filmmaking

HBO’S IN TREATMENT THREATENS TO LEAVE NEW YORK OVER TAX CREDITS

While we wait for a resolution to the problems facing the New York Film and Television Tax Credit program, pressures mount on the filmmaking community here in New York as more productions contemplate moving out of the State. The latest is the HBO series In Treatment. From Roger Kimpton in the New York Post: The executive producer of HBO’s In Treatment series said he will yank the show and its 70 jobs from the Big Apple if Gov. Paterson doesn’t fund the state’s 30 percent tax credit for TV and movie production. The producer, Warren Leight, said the four episodes […]

By Scott Macaulay on Mar 9, 2009 Filmmaking
THE NEW YORKER DISCOVERS MUMBLECORE

A bit late to the Dance Party USA, David Denby discovers mumblecore in this week’s New Yorker, devoting his entire film column to the genre. From the piece: You’re about twenty-five years old, and you’re no more than, shall we say, intermittently employed, so you spend a great deal of time talking with friends about trivial things or about love affairs that ended or never quite happened; and sometimes, if you’re lucky, you fall into bed, or almost fall into bed and just enjoy the flirtation, with someone in the group. This chatty sitting around, with sex occasionally added, is […]

By Scott Macaulay on Mar 9, 2009 Filmmaking
KEN BURNS LOSES GM FINANCING

The economic crisis has hit filmmaker Ken Burns. As reported in the Detroit News, General Motors, which has been a major funder of the director, is ceasing its support due to its own economic woes. From the piece by Robert Snell: The cash crunch ends a 22-year relationship between GM and Burns, a graduate of Ann Arbor’s Pioneer High School and award-winning filmmaker who has created documentaries for public television about the nation’s wars, jazz and baseball, among others. Under a 10-year deal that started in 1999, GM paid for 35 percent of each film’s budget and funded educational outreach […]

By Scott Macaulay on Mar 9, 2009 Filmmaking
TRAILER TALKBACK: PUBLIC ENEMIES

Mann, Depp, Bale, French Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard, and digital cinematography by Dante Spinotti… what do you think? 'Public Enemies' Theatrical Trailer @ Yahoo! Video

By Scott Macaulay on Mar 8, 2009 Filmmaking
WEEKEND LINK ROUND-UP

Here are a few links that have caught my eye in the past week: Barack Obama is doing his small part to cut back on federal spending by regifting an AFI box set of the “25 Greatest American Films of all Time” to visiting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. As The Guardian reports, the British press is up in arms by the chintzy perceived snub, noting that Brown previously gave Obama a pen carved from the sister ship the White House desk is made from and a first edition of a seven-volume Churchill biography. The gift has also turned political […]

By Scott Macaulay on Mar 8, 2009 Filmmaking
MASHING UP USER-GENERATED VIDEO

Having long been interested in compositional mash-ups (from Stockhausen to the Beatles, Holger Czukay, Byrne/Eno, John Oswald, Christian Marclay and myriad hip-hop artists), I guess I am late to the party when it comes to Israeli producer Kutiman, who has become an internet star by remixing the work of musicians who have uploaded their own work to YouTube. He has created a video album, Thru You comprised entirely of unrelated YouTube clips. It’s pretty great. Here Kutiman explains his approach: And here’s probably the flashiest of the clips, but check out the album link above as I actually prefer some […]

By Scott Macaulay on Mar 8, 2009 Filmmaking
TIPS FROM THE PRO’S ON PACKAGING AND PITCHING YOUR PROJECT

Entertainment attorney Steven Beer of Greenberg, Traurig prepared the below in advance of his presentation this weekend at the IFP’s Script to Screen conference, and he was kind enough to let the blog publish it. For those attending the conference, Beer will discuss these points further tomorrow at the New York Film Academy, 100 East 17th Street, New York, New York 10003. The “Tips from the Pros” panel will be on Sunday, March 8, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. I am excited to address this topic. From my experience, not enough attention is paid to packaging and pitching […]

By Scott Macaulay on Mar 7, 2009 Filmmaking
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN BLAINE AND PETIT

Philippe Petit’s brief bit of coin sleight-of-hand and Oscar chin-balancing when James Marsh’s Man on Wire won the Oscar was one of the more entertaining moments at this year’s Academy Awards. Now, on his website, New York magician David Blaine posts a video of a kind of magical face-off that occurred when he ran into the French tightrope-walker on the street.

By Scott Macaulay on Mar 6, 2009 Filmmaking
RACHEL/SYNECDOCHE CONTEST

With two of our favorites, Rachel Getting Married and Synecdoche, New York, coming out on Blu-Ray and DVD next Tuesday, we’re going to hold a contest with the first person to e-mail us the correct answers to our questions receiving a Blu-Ray or DVD of the films. Check back to the blog next Tuesday at 12:00pm (EST) for the questions. (DISCLAIMER: Contest is only available for those living in the U.S.) The answers will be found in our stories on the films in the Fall, 2008 issue. We are only giving away 1 Blu-Ray and DVD for each film.

By Jason Guerrasio on Mar 6, 2009 Filmmaking
WHAT ARE THE INDIE NUMBERS?

“Everything is over 6” — meaning budgeted millions — “or under 1,” a producer friend says. “There are no 3s.” “Everything’s 3 now,” an agent counters in an unrelated conversation. “3 is the new ‘6 – 8.’” “1 – 3 is impossible — it’s the union/non-union no-man’s land,” I paraphrase another producing friend. Meanwhile, more than one financier says to me, “1.2 is the number.” How to keep it all straight?

By Scott Macaulay on Mar 5, 2009 Filmmaking

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