Filmmaking

GHOST SONGS

“The ambiguously desirable New York Ghost,” as the eccentric PDF blog is dubbing itself this month, reviews what they imagine to be the soundtrack to Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Express. Only, they haven’t seen the movie. And, Ghost, hate to break it to you, but I saw the movie the other night and your ten-song tracklist prediction is 0 for 10. Still, there is something kinda cool about such preemptive critical thought. Here’s the Ghost on track one: 1. Talking Heads, ‘Born Under Punches’ (as by a blind Sikh beggar). Train tracks. Dust. Oppressive sunlight. Sublimely penurious farmers wash garments […]

By Scott Macaulay on Aug 16, 2007 Filmmaking
SCHOOL DAZE

Gregg Goldstein in The Hollywood Reporter writes about an innovative film marketing class based around John Sayles’s Honeydripper. From the piece: “Stomp the Yard” producer Will Packer and Emerging Pictures founder Ira Deutchman are teaming with Clark Atlanta University to launch a film marketing and distribution course for African-American college students across the country. The class will be based around the marketing plan for John Sayles’ upcoming musical drama “Honeydripper” starring Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Stacy Keach, Mary Steenburgen and Sean Patrick Thomas. Lectures will be organized by Clark Atlanta marketing professor Charles W. Richardson Jr., […]

By Scott Macaulay on Aug 16, 2007 Filmmaking
AUGUST EXPLAINS

A couple of posts below I discussed the deal that a dozen A-list writers made at Fox in which they’ll each write a spec for the studio and, in return, receive a low up-front payday but good money as well as creative controls if the film gets made. One of the writers, John August, has more on his blog. Here’s an excerpt in which he explains the rationale for the deal: So. Will it work? Will it change anything? I don’t know. I think it’s best to classify it as an experiment. We’re each committing to one script, so if […]

By Scott Macaulay on Aug 16, 2007 Filmmaking
THE WRITE STUFF

Michael Fleming has a noteworthy story in Variety today reporting that a dozen screenwriters with strong commercial track records have joined together in a collective called Writing Partners which is making a deal at Fox. Offering a stark contrast to the cliche of the abused Hollywood writer, the Fox deal offers the scribes real incentives to bring spec projects to the studio. From the piece: The writers, who’ll take small upfront payments and will only get their usual fees on films that go into production, will also be guaranteed input as producers, and protection from being rewritten without their permission. […]

By Scott Macaulay on Aug 14, 2007 Filmmaking
THE DYLAN TAPES

Pitchfork Media reports today on the soundtrack for Todd Haynes’s upcoming I’m Not There. The film is now slated for release on November 21 and the soundtrack will be release three weeks earlier, on October 30. Artists who will cover Dylan on what sounds like a fantastic disk include Karen O., the Hold Steady, Sonic Youth, Tom Verlaine, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Yo La Tengo, Antony and the Johnsons and many, many more. A complete track listing can be found at the link.

By Scott Macaulay on Aug 14, 2007 Filmmaking
THE OWNERSHIP SOCIETY

Over at Boing Boing, Cory Doctorow reports on the Mission:Impossible-like self-destruction of videos legally purchased from the Google Video Store. He quotes this letter from Google sent to the purchaser of a Star Trek episode: As a valued Google user, we’re contacting you with some important information about the videos you’ve purchased or rented from Google Video. In an effort to improve all Google services, we will no longer offer the ability to buy or rent videos for download from Google Video, ending the DTO/DTR (download-to-own/rent) program. This change will be effective August 15, 2007. To fully account for the […]

By Scott Macaulay on Aug 13, 2007 Filmmaking
IFP’S FILMMAKER CONFERENCE SHAPING UP

The IFP’s Filmmaker Conference has announced the names of some of the panelists who will be taking the stage at the Puck Building in New York City next month from Sept. 16 – 21. Filmmaker Magazine’s Managing Editor Jason Guerrasio and I will be moderating a number of conversations, including those with producer Jon Kilik (Julian Schnabel’s upcoming The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Babel), former Artisan co-founder Bill Block of QED Intl., an LA-based financing, sales and production company, and former tech investor and entrepreneur Tony Liano of Cracker Content, a streaming entertainment network. Over the course of the […]

By Scott Macaulay on Aug 9, 2007 Filmmaking
DELIRIOUS MARKETING MADNESS

Over at the website for his film, Tom DeCillo is posting a very funny series of video podcasts in which he parodies the insanity involved in promoting an independent film — in his case, Delirious, which opens August 15th. Here DiCillo is at an early marketing meeting… and what’s scary is that I’ve been at marketing meetings only slightly less crazy than this one. And here’s the latest, in which DiCillo tries to get star Gina Gershon to do some viral marketing in a clip with the Google-friendly name of “Gina Gershon Sex Tape.”

By Scott Macaulay on Aug 8, 2007 Filmmaking
A FAN’S NOTES

Over at his Indiewire blog, Matt Dentler posts about the planning for next year’s panels at SXSW and includes this link to a stream of the 2007 panel, “Building an Online Fan Base.” I attended this panel, which featured Lance Weiler (Head Trauma), moderator Scott Kirsner (CinemaTech), David Straus (Without A Box), Ian Schafer (Deep Focus), Scilla Andreen (IndieFlix), and thought it was a great and stimulating discussion on challenges and solutions for indies in the internet marketing space.

By Scott Macaulay on Aug 8, 2007 Filmmaking
STILL TRYING TO GET TO TORONTO?

There are 30 days left before the start of the Toronto International Film Festival. If you want to attend, online distribution/online community Jaman may be your last hope. It’s currently holding a “Win A Trip For Two” contest to TIFF. If you register to Jaman by August 17 you’ll be in the running. Grand prize winner receives: round-trip coach airfare for two, 3 nights stay at the Sutton Hotel, 2 tickets to the Closing Night Gala, 6 tickets to be redeemed for your choice of films, 1 programme book and film schedule, and 2 festival t-shirts. Click here to register.

By Jason Guerrasio on Aug 7, 2007 Filmmaking

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