“I am a Ukrainian, and this needs to go viral,” is the message in this video from a protestor in Ukraine, currently in the midst of violent government repression. As reported by Deborah Stambler in the Huffington Post, the video was “put together” by filmmaker Ben Moses, who is currently at work on a documentary, A Whisper to a Roar, about democracy activists around the world. The video, posted several days ago, has indeed gone viral, attracting almost one million views on YouTube. According to Stambler, there are some who dub it a hoax (one YouTube commenter accuses it of […]
by Scott Macaulay on Feb 19, 2014Filmmaker, Doctor Who fan and internet addict Jeremiah McDonald was rummaging around in his closet and found a VHS tape of his 12-year-old self interviewing him in the future. That tape is now the past, so McDonald has returned the favor. Watch his incredible film below and think about what you’d learn from a similar encounter.
by Scott Macaulay on Jul 6, 2012TV shows like Aaron Sorkin’s new The Newsroom cost tens of millions of dollars to develop and make. They assemble top-flight talent, from people like its creator to stars like Jeff Daniels to the veteran craftspeople who work below-the-line on each episode. Their marketers are expert, and they have the budgets to match the ambitions of their campaigns. So, it must be somewhat enraging to them that the military precision of the show’s roll-out can be disrupted by a young reporter’s take on a single set of less-than-artful interview responses by Sorkin. I’m referring, of course, to Sorkin’s now-famous “Look […]
by Scott Macaulay on Jun 27, 2012Video Time Machine, free this weekend on the App Store for both iPhone and iPad, is one of the most entertaining apps I’ve played with in a while. Like all good video viewing apps, it’s based around one simple curatorial concept. In the case of VTM that concept is — yep, you guessed it — time. Dial up a year and the app pulls from YouTube videos produced during that year. You can further drill down by category, browsing TV, movies, music, sports, news and advertisements. And, there’s a curatorial element: the videos are “hand-picked” and always seem to strike […]
by Scott Macaulay on May 6, 2012Very funny Kickstarter parody because, after all, life is a project too. (By the way, Filmmaker has a curated Kickstarter page, and I just added some new projects.)
by Scott Macaulay on Apr 24, 2012SPONSORED POST Want to break into the commercial business on the largest stage imaginable? Doritos has launched their Sixth Annual “Crash The Super Bowl” contest, calling on filmmakers to create 30-second spots that will compete for a spot on this year’s big game. Last year’s memorable commercial, “Pug Attack,” featured a dog crashing through a glass door to get to the chips. Its creators, Tess Ortbals and J.R. Burningham, went on to form their own commercials company, Mythmakers Entertainment. This year’s winner will have a shot at a $1 million cash prize, the opportunity to work with some of the […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Oct 26, 2011In the race to make a social app for every activity you can imagine, Alex Cornell has jumped to the front of the line. His service Jotly rates everything. (Hat tip, Khoi Vinh.) What’s really funny? From the comments section of Vinh’s post I learn that there’s a start-up, Stamped, that might really be trying this!
by Scott Macaulay on Oct 17, 2011Talking Points Memo goes all Leone on Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, comparing Romney’s campaign strategy against the Texas governor to the final scene in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
by Scott Macaulay on Oct 14, 2011Last weekend I posted a great short video by Iva Radivojevic, “No One Can Predict the Moment of Revolution,” about the Occupy Wall Street protests. Radivojevic, along with her collaborator Martyna Starosta, returned to Liberty Plaza at night, and they have just posted “We the People Have Found our Voice,” which again captures the energy and political ambitions of the protestors. Visit the post on her site for her further thoughts, including a beautiful quote from an article about Alain Resnais’ Night and Fog.
by Scott Macaulay on Oct 10, 2011A well-shot, well-edited video documenting the New York Occupy Wall Street protests with participants explaining their goals and motives. (Click on the headline if you can’t see the video.) The film is made by Iva Radivajevic and Martyna Starosta. Iva’s website, Iva Asks: Documenting the Masses, offers a variety of short-form documentary work. From her bio: Iva Radivojevic spent her early years in Yugoslavia and Cyprus before settling in NYC to pursue her artistic goals over a decade ago. Iva’s films explore the theme of identity, migration and immigrants – focusing on how life experiences shape one’s character, identifications, decisions, […]
by Scott Macaulay on Oct 2, 2011