Filmmaking

NOTHING BUT ‘NET

Joseph Menn has written an article for the Los Angeles Times demonstrating that the hype about new internet content start-ups during the WGA strike is more than just talk. From the piece: At least three start-ups, each with a different business approach, are unveiling their corporate monikers and the names of their founders as they intensify the search for venture capital and top management. With names such as Hollywood Disrupted and Virtual Artists Inc., these new ventures have lured investors such as the Oscar-winning writer of “Rain Man” and the Emmy-winning scribe behind “Homicide,” along with prominent software developers and […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 13, 2008 Filmmaking
THE HERMENEUTICS OF THE MYSTERY BOX

Lost creator and Cloverfield producer J.J. Abrams spoke at the TED conference about his creative process, which he symbolizes at one point by displaying a “mystery box” from New York’s Tannen’s Magic. Last April Abrams spoke to the New York Times about the “mystery box” and described it thusly: Prized possession: I have a mystery box from Tannen’s Magic in New York. It’s a cardboard box with a question mark printed on it. It’s one of those things you buy for $15 and they advertise that it has at least $20 worth of stuff inside. I’ve never opened it. I […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 10, 2008 Filmmaking
AXIUM FUNDS: ‘NOT IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE"

The Los Angeles Times has a good follow-up to the Axium story today that spells out the ramifications of the company’s closure on those who have payroll funds deposited there. From the piece: “It’s a mess,” said writer-producer Jody Savin, who with her writer-director husband, Randall Miller, had “tens of thousands” of dollars frozen in an Axium payroll account for their upcoming feature film, “Bottle Shock.” Still, they consider themselves better off than some other Axium clients who were required to deposit a percentage of payroll amounts to be processed by the Los Angeles company. “We have a friend who […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 10, 2008 Filmmaking
SIGHTS SKYWARD

Filmmaker Lance Weiler, whose Workbook Project has, in a short while, become an indispensable source of information on independent film production and marketing, is launching a new event that employs his expertise in online distribution to help emerging filmmakers. Entitled “From Here to Awesome,” it is a multi-exhibition-platform film festival created in collaboration with two other filmmakers well known to the Filmmaker audience: Arin Crumley and M dot Strange. Here is more information about the festival from the press release, and look forward to news of its progress on the blog in coming weeks. NEW DISCOVERY AND DISTRIBUTION FESTIVAL “FROM […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 10, 2008 Filmmaking
THE AXIUM PAYROLL STORY UNFOLDS…

In my initial post on the sudden bankruptcy filing of Axium Payroll Services, I commented on the potentially huge effect it would have on independent films currently in production and using Axium for their payroll. Typically, a small film will have posted some kind of payroll bond or advance that payroll monies are being drawn down against. Now, news is coming in from the production community about all of this. I received this email from NYC production accountant Joe Lombardi, currently working on a production affected by Axium’s shutdown, which I am reprinting with his permission: I have to say […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 9, 2008 Filmmaking
VARIETY REPORTS ON AXIUM BANKRUPTCY

Variety has posted its story on the Axium bankruptcy, which we wrote about in the blog post below. Their story has a couple of quotes from affected parties — a director, Charles Matthau, who says he is owed $75,000 of his director’s fee on an indie film, and a production executive who comments on the loss of the long-term accounting and record-keeping functions of Axium’s software. Earlier in the day I talked with an indie distributor who used Axium to pay SAG and DGA residuals on the company’s DVD releases. The DGA had called him and told him to cancel […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 8, 2008 Filmmaking
BREAKING NEWS: AXIUM PAYROLL SHUTS DOWN

In a sudden and stunning piece of news that’s just breaking within the film production comunity, Axium, one of the industry’s largest payroll services and a leader in the administration of state tax incentives for independent producers, is closing and will be filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy. In a Chapter 7 corporate bankruptcy, a company ceases its operations and its assets are liquidated to its creditors and investors by a court-appointed trustee. We will try to have more details, including news of what will happen to current productions that have their payroll with Axium, soon. UPDATE, 7:00PM: News on Axium’s closing […]

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 8, 2008 Filmmaking
HONORING NONFICTION

If you read our blog often you’ve seen us link to filmmaker AJ Schnack‘s great blog All These Wonderful Things from time to time to get the real and honest take of what nonfiction filmmakers have to go through to get their films shown, and the hurdles they jump to get recognized for the major awards. Well, Schnack is going a step further now by co-chairing a new award for nonfiction filmmakers that will champion the best docs of the year. Set for March 18 at the IFC Center in New York, the inaugural ceremony will recognize all the different […]

By Jason Guerrasio on Jan 8, 2008 Filmmaking
GLOBES SCRAPPED

According to a report by Variety moments ago, the Hollywood Foreign Press has announced the Golden Globes’ traditional dinner ceremony will be replaced with a 6 p.m. PST news conference to announce the winners this Sunday.

By Jason Guerrasio on Jan 7, 2008 Filmmaking
DAVID LYNCH ON THE iPHONE

By Scott Macaulay on Jan 7, 2008 Filmmaking

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