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From:"www.Anup.net" <asugunan@...>
Subject: GOA + Fox/MS + PR + FF + Distrib + SD Teen + Memb Updates + Articles
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1. Intro: Tension Relieving vs Goal-Oriented Activities
2. Fox / Myspace Storyteller Challenge
3. Public Relations =96 PR
4. Free Film Festival
5. Distribution
6. San Diego Teen Producer's Project
7. Member Updates
8. Articles
A. Clooney does Hollywood on the DIY plan
B. Call for American Muslim Stories
C. Film schools a maze of varied opportunities
D. Mentors Key For Film School Grads
E. What top TV writers watch on TV
F. Will Austin's 'creative village' work?
G. HarperCollins makes film deal
H. Afghan models reveal the beauty under the burqa
I. The $5,000 Anti-War Film
J. "Daily Show" gets own Web site
K. Filmmaker Fights To Spread THE PLAGUE
1. BLOG / INTRO
TENSION RELIEVING VS. GOAL-ORIENTED ACTIVITIES
A few years back, my brother and I were emailing each other to
motivate ourselves to make sure all our task items were completed at
the end of each day. We were unbelievably productive. However after
a week or so of doing this, I felt a void. I couldn't figure out what
was wrong. Everything on my to-do list was disappearing, but still no
sense of achievement. Looking at the list, I realized that I was
doing nothing for my film or music goals. Those things which my
dreams are made of were marginalized and paying the utility bill was
higher priority. I recognized that was the problem. Immediately I
added film/music tasks on there and made sure I did something
everyday. Then I read in one of my favorite books by John C. Maxwell
"Success", winners focus on goal oriented tasks, losers focus on
tension-relieving tasks. This pretty much solidified my thinking to
put myself above SD&E and the taxman.
Then a year or so of submitting everyday to roles, watching tons of
movies that were classics, and even writing screenplays, I started to
feel that void again. This time I broke down the tasks and reversed
engineered it. a fancy term for looking at your end goal and working
backwards to figure out the steps required to achieve it. I realized
that after 1000 submissions, it doesn't guarantee me a role at the end
of the day. Same goes for watching movies, taking acting classes,
reading books. So then I broke the goal-oriented activities (GOA) to
three categories:
GOA-1: Passive:
This would be stuff like watching movies, hanging out with friends
talking shop, going to museums, etc. It's motivating and it's fun,
but it doesn't require a lot of effort. In Chris Gore's Film Fest
Survival Guide (I highly recommend), he interviews Sundance Film
Fest's head programmer, Geoff Gilmore. Gilmore says the biggest
problem he sees with filmmakers today is that they don't watch enough
movies. So, basically he saying that they are doing stuff that's
already been done before and done better than what they're doing.
So don't let the term `passive' dissuade you from doing this as it's
very important. I try and watch a film a day. I was going through
the whole AFI "Top 100 films of all time" and have about 15 films left
to see. (I canceled my blockbuster online account because they tried
to do a switch and bait by taking away the in-store exchanges, but
that's a whole other blog).
GOA =96 2: Active, but no Guarantees
This would include stuff like taking acting classes, reading how to
books, submitting for roles, even auditioning. Even writing if your
end goal is to be a director. Again, going back to
reverse-engineering =96 I love that term =96 if at the end of the day you
don't have a product (film, song, painting, whatever), then you're not
fully working towards your dream.
GOA =96 3 Active with Guarantees
This is the where writing, shooting, and editing are the holy grails.
After writing 10 pages, you're that much closer to your dream. If
you are a writer this is good, but if you are an actor or director,
then this would be in GOA-2. So if you're not doing a GOA-3 everyday,
you're not being completely efficient. Remember, you are what you do
every day.
EFFICIENY =96 a quick sidenote
How to be efficient. While studying for the medical college
admissions test (MCAT) in a previous life, we spent a lot of time
learning about how to learn. According to some of what I read, you
only have about 4 hours of peak brain time and that's first thing in
the morning. Also, taking 20-40 minute naps/meditation in the middle
of your day will energize you way more than Starbucks.
Here are a few things I've been up to lately.
THE TRIDENT (exec prod, Harish Rao) a marital arts film I trained for
2 months and acted in screens Nov 8th & 10th in NYC at the IAAC film
festival. It was nominated for Best Action Sequence at the Action on
Film Festival. It also was the cover article for P3 Magazine recently.
27,000 DAYS (written & directed by Naveen Singh) won it's seventh
award a couple of weeks back. It too is screening at the IAAC film
festival Nov 8th. I might attend this festival. Yeah, I'm into last
minute planning. Gotta love those free SWA tickets!
WEDDING
A short film I directed (first time directing someone else's script).
It's still in post, but you can view the trailer here. Roopashree
Jeevaji is one of the producers.
http:///www.myspace.com/WeddingFilm
GIPPY GREWAL & YUDHVIR MANAK =96 Indian recording artists on Speedrecords.
I shot and directed this music video for these bhangra (type of Indian
music) artists. It supposedly went to number one in India. The main
thing about it is that it was shot totally guerilla style on Hollywood
Blvd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DrGE-JoFsSQw
THREE-FIFTY
Melinda Augustina's film, which I'm helping out with the marketing,
including the editing of the trailer, won it's second award. It's a
hilarious short about a guy trying to weasel his way out of a video
rental late-fee.
http://myspace.com/ThreeFiftyTheMovie
SLEEPING =96 Don't Hold Back music video just came out. I have a brief
role in this towards the end.
http://www.virb.com/victoryrecords/videos/20836
HOT GUYS WHO COOK
I'm having a hard time writing this with a straight face, but I'll be
on this new show for The Style Network. My episode will air around
Thanksgiving.
I've got a few more projects in post. I'll let you know about those soon.
Until next time=85
Happy Filmmaking (Everyday)!
Anup
http://www.linkedin.com/in/AnupSugunan - this is basically myspace
with no frills for professionals
P.S. If you like this group and feel you're getting something out of
it, please recommend it to your friends. Also consider sending an
email to the Yahoo Groups Best Of: best_of_groups@yahoogroups.com to
nominate it.
________________________________________________________________________
2. FOX / MYSPACE STORYTELLER CHALLENGE
http://www.myspace.com/storytellerchallenge
________________________________________________________________________
3. PUBLIC RELATIONS =96 PR
Good info and worksheet here:
http://www.easoncom.com/freestuff.html
-----------------
Submit Promos, trailers of coming Films/tv serials to generate free
publicity
Any film maker or his/her representative may submit It's coming
film/tv.serial to generate free publicity and mass support at
http://www.gg2bollywood.com/filmreleaseservice.html
________________________________________________________________________
4. FREE FILM FEST
http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu/filmfest/guidelines.htm
________________________________________________________________________
5. DISTRIBUTION
List of sites like youtube that pay:
http://www.scottkirsner.com/gettingpaid.htm
CREATE SPACE
http://www.createspace.com/
SHORTS INTERNATIONAL =96 distributors with access to iTunes
http://www.shortsinternational.com/html/submission_frame_si.html
________________________________________________________________________
6. SAN DIEGO TEEN PRODUCER'S PROJECT - MAKE A DIFFERENCE THROUGH FILM
I volunteered through Ethan Van Thillo and Teen producers project.
This allowed me to teach foster kids about film production. It was
very rewards to see a lot of these angst-ridden kids being able to
express themselves through the visual medium.
-Anup
http://www.mediaartscenter.org/site/c.dfLIJPOvHoE/b.1314295/k.9C4C/Opportunities.htm
________________________________________________________________________
7. MEMBER UPDATES
ADAM RUDDER =96 SKETCH COMEDY
Hello, I just wanted to let you know that my comedy improv troupe, the
Hinges have been nominated for best theatre group by Channel 10's A-list.
We're neck to neck in a VERY tight race for the lead (currently in
second place by 1%)
Can I ask a favor...if you haven't already can you please vote for us?
It's simple and easy and I would very, very much appreciate any help!
Here's the url to vote:
http://kgtv.cityvoter.com/details.aspx?business=3D55778
Thank you!!!
Adam
ps. Wouldalos love it if you could ask your friends and family to vote
for us too!! :)
-----
Hey Adam hows it goin, just wondering if you can pass the following
along to everybody possible. Also, adam, is there any way you can
attach the pict. I sent in the emails to try to get people into it???
If you can, just forward the red stuff and the photo to your mailing
list, thanks buddy.
I need some help guys and gals, I really need actors, and alot of em.
I am making.a short 10 min. picture. We film the last two weekends of
November, 17th/18th--24th/25th. San Diego
I am also looking for a small crew, basically a gaffer for 2 short
days and some Associate Producers, and most definitely a make up
artist for all four days, hell, whatever days you can be there is
better then none!!!!!
The film is a short action film based on harry potter wand dualing,
needless to say there is a heap of VFX shots and such that are being
put into it.
I have an award winning cinematographer on board, Andy Agularia, as
well as some professional production staff. Needless to say, it is a
non paying gig, but everyone involved will receive a copy and credit.
Any help at all means more then ya'll know,
thanks
Cassidy
P.S. Here is a first round test of some fx stuff I hashed out a couple
weeks ago, The fx work is greatly improved since then and all the
wheels seem to be turning nicely. Also, here's the you tube link, the
quality suffers greatly, and as I mentioned, at this stage, the
effects are beyond the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DUc_Stl9gUcA
http://www.myspace.com/theruddler
FYI: Get on Adam's mailing list, he's always putting stuff like this
out and it will get to you faster than through my list.
-Anup
-----------------------------------------
BEVERLY TRAINER =96 "SUMMER AT TIFFANY" BOOK EDITOR
The book recently made the LA times bestseller list & will soon be
coming out in paperback. (And I'm just listed in the acknowledgements
as an editor, etc. - Marj. Hart is the author.) It's def. a chick
book, and makes a great gift for moms, grandmoms, aunties, etc. And
-- even tho it's abt. the summer of '45, I've heard that young girls
like it, cuz it's sort of a coming of age story.
Hard to believe that all this is happening to Marjorie who is 83!
She's a lovely person, former prof. (USD) & cellist. You can check
her & the book out on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DLcCL3MDz4ug
-----------------------------------------
DAEG FAERCH'S HALLOWEEN
Congrats to Daeg. He is the first member of this group to have a lead
in a number one box office movie Rob Zombie's Halloween. Opened at
$31M. I'm sure this will open more doors for him.
-Anup
-----------------------------------------
GRETA VALENTI'S FUJI MINX CD RELEASED & HALLOWEEN SHOW TONIGHT
They released their first full length CD. Fuji Minx is playing at the
Cat Club tonight.
http://myspace.com/fujiminx
-----------------------------------------
HAMID DAUDANI - ACTOR, PLAYRIGHT DIRECTOR
In 1991 he formed Hamid Daudani & Group with a goal of producing plays
for the San Diego community. This group has become a community
institution and his plays have become an annual tradition. His plays
receive wide coverage in newspapers and get high marks for excellence.
This is the only group in Southern California that consistently
produces plays year after year.
Check him out on nowcasting.com.
-----------------------------------------
JAIMYON PARKER =96 ACTORS COMMUNITY
Hello everyone!
Actors Community, Inc.'s First Annual Back 2 School Drive culminated
on September 6th, 2007 at The Good Shepherd Center where we supplied
25 children with encouragement, smiles, and the tools they needed to
be successful this school year! Thanks to all the donations and
prayers we received, not one child went without a backpack and
supplies. We cannot thank everyone who helped with money, supplies, &
prayers! Use the link below to visit our Back 2 School Page to see the
video and pictures from the event! Thank you all again and God Bless!
http://www.actorscommunityinc.com/back2school.htm
P.S. I highly recommend a broadband connection for the video playback.
I will be uploading some lower quality ones soon, but if you do have
trouble with the video stopping a lot, pause it and wait a few
moments, then resume playback.
Jaimyon Parker
C.O.O.
Actors Community, Inc.
http://www.actorscommunityinc.com
jaimyon@...
-----------------------------------------
KAPIL RAJ - RELEASED 1ST BOOK
http://www.indiawest.com/view.php?subaction=3Dshowfull&id=3D1192661617&archive=3D&start_from=3D&ucat=3D6&
http://www.RajFilms.com
-----------------------------------------
KYLE VAN BAND
Singer-songwriter-guitarist's upcoming shows:
Nov 7 2007 8:00P Lestat's West Normal Heights (San Diego), California
Nov 9 2007 8:00P Hot Monkey Love Cafe San Diego, California
Nov 12 2007 9:15P Dublin Square San Diego, California
Dec 23 2007 5:00P Magee Park Carlsbad, California
Jan 9 2008 10:00P Hollywood, California
http://www.myspace.com/kylevanband
-----------------------------------------
LAK RANA NEEDS YOUR VOTE
Hello Friends,
I entered a 24 hour Apple film festival with some
friends last week (meaning we had 24 hours to shoot,
edit, and upload a film). I'm sending you a link to
my short on the Apple website.
All I ask it that you please take a moment to watch
the film and give it a 4 star rating (it's only 3
minutes long and it goes by quickly because it's
hilarious). Even though the voting lasts until Nov.
9th, please go and vote as soon as you can so the
video can build some steam. The more votes it has the
more likely other people are to vote on it.
Thanks. And remember, a vote for me...is a vote for
you. I don't know what that means.
http://edcommunity.apple.com/insomnia_fall07/item.php?itemID=3D1938
Webisode #3: DESI OC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DR8heSiQz78c
-----------------------------------------
MARK ELIAS =96 NEW DEMO REEL & MOVIE
THE JUGGLER has not been posted online yet since we're
still waiting to hear from festivals...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3DTSDF8dPi888
http://imdb.com/name/nm1731797/
-----------------------------------------
MATT STEDMAN =96 HORROR DIRECTOR
Check out my first review from pretty-scary.net. It's very positive!
"The Thing in the Corner" screened at Shriekfest film festival at
Raleigh Studios recently.
See the review here:
http://www.pretty-scary.net/modules.php?name=3DNews&file=3Darticle&sid=3D994
http://www.myspace.com/freakinmayhem
-----------------------------------------
MELINDA AUGUSTINA =96 THREE FIFTY
Definition of a proactive actor putting on the producer hat.
Three Fifty screenings:
Toas Shortz Film Festival
Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 9pm
Common Threads
124 E. Bent St.
Toas, NM 87571
Tickets: $10, Children FREE
BOSTON MUSEUM OF FINE ART
Short Films Program
WINNER: Audience Favorite =96 Dances With Films
WINNER: Best Picture =96 West Virginia Film Festival
http://www.myspace.com/threefiftythemovie
-----------------------------------------
MONIQUE FLEMING
Here's my latest film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D2ENGxyIL08M
Thanks to Jakey and Jinge for their patience with my guerrilla
filmmaking. Enjoy!
~Monique
-----------------------------------------
NAUSHEEN DADABHOY =96 NEW PROJECT IN THE WORKS
http://www.karimvskarachi.com/index.htm
-----------------------------------------
NAVEEN SINGH - FESTIVAL WINNING STREAK
Writer/director of 27,000 Days is sweeping the festival with nearly a
50% winning ratio for festival screenings : awards!
http://www.27000Days.com
-----------------------------------------
NIKHIL KAMKOLKAR =96 INDIAN COWBOY DVD ON NETFLIX
Indian-American filmmaker Nikhil Kamkolkar also stars in this
East-meets-West romance that marks his directorial debut, the story of
an idealistic young Hollywood writer who falls in love with a cynical
Indian beauty. While Nick (Kamkolkar) is convinced that true love can
be experienced exactly as it happens in the movies, Sapna (Sheetal
Sheth) is more jaded, viewing true love as a road that leads to
tragedy =E0 la "Romeo and Juliet."
Starring: Sheetal Sheth, Nikhil Kamkolkar ...
Director: Nikhil Kamkolkar
Genre: Comedy
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/70077850?trkid=3D73
http://indiancowboy.com/
-----------------------------------------
RAJEEV CHHIBBER
Dear friends,
Check out these two commercials, You will love it or get your money back
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DavqLJ2DG0pA&mode=3Drelated&search=3D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D002AY4cb5uw
Rajeev Chhibber
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1428286/
-----------------------------------------
RICHARD COHEN
Played Johnny in the play"Frankie and Johnny" down here in my
community theatre and got picture picked to be in a core group that
hang out with Sandra Bullock in her new movie("All About Steve")
Worked 7days and am promised another 7(almost had a line).
-----------------------------------------
ROOPASHREE JEEVAJI
Produced "Wedding" and has more projects in the pipeline.
http://www.myspace.com/jeevaji
-----------------------------------------
SHARAT RAJU =96 DOCUMENTARY ABOUT A 9/11 TOPIC THAT'S OVERLOOKED
Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath
Produced and Directed by Sharat Raju (sharat@... )
Produced, Written and Created by Valarie Kaur ( valarie@...)
Website: http://www.dwf-film.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/dwf_film
Blog: http://valariekaur.blogspot.com
-----------------------------------------
TARA DONOVAN =96 ACTOR / PRODUCER
Hello!
I will be starring in Ayn Rand's (Atlas Shrugged, The Fountain) play
'Night of January 16th' in December for the Royal Theatre (Queen
Mary). Dates and Times TBA.
Filming has wrapped on 'Well Done' a short I acted in and should be
completed in January '08.
I am so happy to share that my short film 'The Thing in the Corner'
that I produced has been accepted to 3 more film festivals!
Shriekfest - Los Angeles
Times & Dates TBA (some time in September)
www.shriekfest.com
Icon Fantastic Film Festival in Israel
http://icon.org.il/promo07/eng/
Tel Aviv Cinematheque, 28 September - 4 October 2007
Harlem International Film Festival
http://www.harlemfilmfestival.com/default.shtml
Oct 4-8, 2007
This in addition to having already screened at the Back Alley Film
Festival in Tucson, AZ. If you cannot make it to any of these
screenings, please check it the film out at:
http://films.thelot.com/films/18125
Hope this finds you all well!
Slainte,
Tara Donovan
http://www.TaraDonovan.com
http://www.myspace.com/TaraDonovan
________________________________________________________________________
8. ARTICLES
A. CLOONEY DOES HOLLYWOOD ON THE DIY PLAN
By DAVID GERMAIN
TORONTO - If there's a do-it-yourself movement in Hollywood, George
Clooney could be its leader.
After years of taking what was offered, including bad movies such as
"Batman & Robin," Clooney took charge of his career. The result has
left the former star of TV's "ER" an Academy Award-winning actor and
Oscar-nominated filmmaker who uses his stardom to do films he truly
cares about, including the new legal drama "Michael Clayton," opening
Friday.
Clooney, 46, now can look back on a post-Batman decade of wild success
on far-flung projects as an actor, writer, director and producer,
sometimes handling all four jobs at once.
He has traded on his commercial clout from such hits as "The Perfect
Storm" and the "Ocean's Eleven" flicks to make demanding dramas like
2005's "Syriana," which earned Clooney a supporting-actor Oscar, and
"Good Night, and Good Luck," a best-picture nominee that brought him
directing and screenwriting nominations the same year.
It's a major turnabout for a man who hated the publicity tour he had
to do for "Batman & Robin" in 1997.
"It was really hard, because I knew it wasn't a very good film, and it
makes you a liar, sort of, but you have to, because it's your job to
promote a film," Clooney said in an interview at the Toronto
International Film Festival, where "Michael Clayton" played. "I was
like, I don't want to tour again for a film that doesn't work on any
level."
Clooney turned to more story-driven productions with such filmmakers
as future producing partner Steven Soderbergh on "Out of Sight," David
O. Russell on "Three Kings" and Joel and Ethan Coen on "O Brother,
Where Art Thou?"
He and Soderbergh have collaborated on the "Ocean's" romps and many
other projects, while Clooney and the Coens reunited for the romance
"Intolerable Cruelty" and the upcoming comedy "Burn After Reading."
The box-office returns can be modest to nonexistent compared to huge
Hollywood franchises, but Clooney has felt good about going to work
and even better about the movies created.
"You start going, OK, well these are films I would go see. I'm proud
of them. I think they'll last longer than an opening weekend. I get it
now. I have to focus on the script first and foremost, then I have to
focus on directors. If that means working with Steven Soderbergh as
often as possible or Joel and Ethan as often as possible, I'll do it.
If it means directing them myself, I'll do it," Clooney said.
"Because at the very least, if I'm going to bomb, it's going to be my
call, and I'm OK with that. If it doesn't work, then you go, `Hey, it
was my decision.'"
Even his failures look noble. Soderbergh directed Clooney in two
ambitious duds, the science-fiction saga "Solaris" and last year's
film-noir throwback "The Good German." Yet both earned them admiration
for the effort when they simply could have made another formulaic
Hollywood yarn.
Clooney began directing with 2002's Chuck Barris fantasy memoir
"Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and continues with this December's
football romance "Leatherheads," in which he co-stars with Renee
Zellweger and John Krasinski.
"Michael Clayton" stars Clooney in the title role, a former prosecutor
now on the verge of financial disaster and toiling as a fixer at a
huge Manhattan law firm, a man who makes unseemly problems go away for
high-rolling clients.
Clayton's dormant humanity is put to the test after a colleague (Tom
Wilkinson) undermines a lawsuit involving a huge corporate client,
prompting ruthless action by the company's in-house legal eagle (Tilda
Swinton).
The notion of a handsome, charming middle-aged man staring failure in
the face is not a huge stretch for Clooney, the nephew of singer
Rosemary Clooney and son of TV newsman Nick Clooney.
The actor moved to Hollywood in the early 1980s after failed bids at
baseball and journalism careers. Success did not come until he was in
his 30s, following a long apprenticeship that included such TV shows
as "The Facts of Life" and "Roseanne."
"It's not hard for George to envision if the road had turned the other
way," said "Michael Clayton" writer-director Tony Gilroy, who felt
that an actor who succeeded at an early age would be unable to get at
the character's core. "There's something infinitely more sad about
someone who you really feel has squandered everything. Here's a guy
who has skated on his looks and skated on his charms, and you realize
he's completely lost. He was perfect for that. ...
"We're putting the camera right up his nose in this movie, all the way
through. You can't front a performance like this, you can't front
successfully that kind of fear of failure and that kind of
self-loathing. He's really there in this role."
Co-star Swinton said Clooney is an easy screen counterpart, a
performer who has figured out "what works for him, this sort of
landscape within where he can be sincere and comfortable."
Clooney is working again with Swinton on the Coens' "Burn After
Reading," which also co-stars his "Ocean's Eleven" chum Brad Pitt.
There's a comfort factor in collaborating with trusted friends,
including other frequent co-stars such as Matt Damon and Don Cheadle,
also part of the "Ocean's" gang, Clooney said.
"There's a bunch of actors who can be really good in a film, but they
will make everyone suffer, or the director suffer, because it becomes
about them. Some of them thrive in this world where things have to be
going wrong, other people have to be unhappy, for you to get your
performance out. When you find people who aren't like that, you tend
to like to work with them.
"Also, there's a funny thing that people tiptoe around you when you
get famous, but we don't have to tiptoe around each other. So Matt
gives me a really hard time all the time. I give him a really hard
time. But that's because that's also fun."
Fun was the idea behind "Leatherheads," Clooney's latest directing
effort, a lighter affair than his previous two. A revival of old
screwball comedy, the film is built around a romantic triangle that
Clooney jokes he stole from "The Philadelphia Story."
Set in the 1920s, "Leatherheads" stars Clooney as a pro football
player who recruits a college star (Krasinski) for his team, the two
ending up contenders for the affection of a reporter (Zellweger) doing
a story on the sport's new golden boy.
Though once married and divorced, Clooney is considered one of
Hollywood's most-eligible bachelors. He said getting married again and
having a family are not conscious priorities, preferring to leave that
to fate.
"I don't actively pursue any of that stuff, because I think if it
turns around and finds you then it turns around and finds you,"
Clooney said.
His focus is on work, and a lot of it. Clooney knows from his own
family how fleeting fame can be, so he views his time now as a narrow
window of opportunity to make the sort of films he wants.
"My aunt Rosemary was the biggest star on Earth, and then she was a
flop because rock 'n' roll came in and pop music went out. She didn't
become less of a singer. In fact, she became a better singer, but it
didn't matter. Things change. So understanding that is a really
important element to what it is I do," Clooney said.
"I'm going to force people to make films they don't want to make.
Believe me, no one's encouraging us to make `Good Night, and Good
Luck' or `Syriana' or `The Good German' or `Solaris.' To me, the idea
is there's a period of time that I have where I'm able to force-feed
films down people's throats, and I don't know how long that lasts. So
I've been sort of on a mad rush to try and slam films down that I'd
like to see made."
-----------------------------------------
B. CALL FOR AMERICAN MUSLIM STORIES
An online film contest with judges including Mariane Pearl is calling
for entries that tell of the American Muslim experience.
The "One Nation, Many Voices" competition started taking submissions
of films lasting five minutes or less on Tuesday.
The goal is to bring attention to experiences that show what all
Americans have in common, and to challenge stereotypes, said the
event's promoters.
"For all of us living in the U.S., there's certainly more that unites
us than separates us," said Kim Spencer, president of news and culture
channel Link TV, which announced the competition along with One
Nation, a collaborative that seeks to use the media to challenge
stereotypes of Muslims.
Categories include drama, comedy, documentary and animation/music.
There are also separate categories for films of one minute or less and
videos produced by youth. Entries must be submitted by Nov. 25.
Viewers will be able to vote online until Nov. 30 to select finalists,
which will then be evaluated by a panel of judges.
The winner will be awarded a $20,000 cash prize as well as a debut on
Link TV.
Pearl is the widow of journalist Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and
murdered by Islamic extremists while reporting for The Wall Street
Journal in Pakistan in 2002. "A Mighty Heart," the film about her
ordeal after the kidnapping, opened in June.
___
On the Net:
http://www.onenationfilmcontest.org
http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/ap/20071003/119145744000.html
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C. FILM SCHOOLS A MAZE OF VARIED OPPORTUNITIES
Tuition is soaring, but what are students getting for their buck?
By Noel Murray
It might be easier than ever for unskilled youngsters to pick up cheap
cameras, download some software and make movies, but even for those
amateur Spielbergs, the path to Hollywood success still tends to run
through film school, where they can learn the basic craft and gain
invaluable connections. But how to sort through hundreds of expensive
choices to find that one program that will suit a student's gifts and
point him or her toward a job in the business? The Hollywood Reporter
spotlights 12 institutions that represent good investments for
aspiring industry players of all types. (Note: Except where indicated,
tuition figures are rounded and cover two full semesters of
undergraduate education, minus living expenses and fees.)
American Film Institute Conservatory
Tuition: $32,000 (for one year of a two-year master's program)
Unique advantages: Industry-trained faculty; an intense first-year
"cycle project" that has students making three 20-minute films in
quick succession
Ideal for: Talented film school graduates looking for a coat of
polish. AFI yearly admits no more than 28 students each in its
directing, screenwriting, producing and cinematography programs, and
14 each in the editing and production design programs. But those
handfuls of students are the cream of the crop, and everyone gets a
chance to collaborate with budding specialists. Bob Mandel, the
conservatory's dean, says, "We don't think of editors as 'cutters,' or
cinematographers as 'people who light.' We think of all of our fellows
as filmmakers."
A word from an alumnus: Director Mark Waters (2005's "Just Like
Heaven") cites the cycle as the highlight of his stint at AFI, saying,
"You get ripped to shreds by your peers during the evaluations, but
you compete by doing good work. Once you get out into the real world,
you realize that this kind of scrutiny is nothing."
American University
School of Communication, Film & Media Arts Department
Tuition: $31,000
Unique advantages: Strong, socially active documentary studies; access
to network news organizations; "Summer in L.A." internship program
Ideal for: Politically active storytellers. Larry Kirkman, the dean
for the School of Communication, touts AU's blended curriculum, which
gives equal emphasis to filmmaking, journalism and public
communications. Kirkman also cites the school's embrace of
cutting-edge media like mobisodes, and ultimately, he says, "Hollywood
or Washington, you use the same tools."
A word from an alumna: Danielle Gelber, senior vp original programming
at Showtime, says, "I found it to be the most personalized, hands-on
program. You could go to school in the ivory tower in the morning and
then drive down the street that afternoon and be field-producing
stories for network news."
Boston University
College of Communication, Department of Film & Television
Tuition: $35,000
Unique advantages: The "BU in L.A." internship program; a curriculum
that treats television and online media as seriously as it does film
Ideal for: Movers-and-shakers-to-be. Although BU has "the strong
tradition of the kind of independent filmmaking one expects on the
East Coast," notes Charles Merzbacher, chair of the Department of Film
& Television, the school has become famous for turning out Hollywood
execs like Joe Roth and Lauren Shuler Donner.
A word from an alumnus: David Dinerstein, president of marketing and
distribution for Lakeshore Entertainment, jokes that he's constantly
surprised when he runs into fellow alums at lunch meetings and weekend
barbecues, but he's quick to emphasize that BU is "not a trade school"
and that he received "an incredibly well-balanced liberal arts
education in addition to an extraordinary filmic education."
California Institute of the Arts
School of Film/Video
Tuition: $31,000
Unique advantages: Low 7-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio;
state-of-the-art theaters for screening student work; acceptance based
on portfolio, not GPA or test scores
Ideal for: Iconoclasts and visionaries. Although the program has
become renowned for famous grads like writer-director Brad Bird and
Pixar's John Lasseter, its alumni roster also boasts the likes of Tim
Burton and Kirby Dick (2006's "This Film Is Not Yet Rated"). Steve
Anker, the School of Film/Video's dean, says that students are
"expected to deal creatively with every aspect of filmmaking and
encouraged to follow their own ideas." Because of this, CalArts has
seen its alums get featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the
Whitney Biennial, Artforum and -- oh, yes -- at the top of the
boxoffice and on the winner's podium on Oscar night.
A word from an alumnus: Writer-actor Mark Polish (Warner Bros.'
February release "The Astronaut Farmer") says that what's great about
CalArts is that "they teach you that it's OK to be on the outside."
Columbia University
School of the Arts, Film Division
Tuition: $34,000
Unique advantages: Strong personal attention in the master's program;
crossover between the writing, directing and acting schools
Ideal for: Budding screenwriters, though Jamal Joseph, the chair of
the master's program, is quick to note that the days of Columbia as a
writers-only school are long past, what with grads like James Mangold
and Greg Mottola (Sony's current release "Superbad") making their mark
as directors. Still, whether they're studying writing, directing or
producing, students are trained in "the art of the story." Joseph also
says that the key to the program's success is its sense of community:
"Any student can talk to any faculty member inside or outside their
concentration."
A word from an alumnus: "I learned more about the craft of writing
screenplays and telling stories in the two years I spent at film
school than I have in the six or seven I've spent working on films,"
offers screenwriter Simon Kinberg (2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand"). "I
learned that you don't put that camera in your hand and don't call
'action' until you know the story you're telling and you know the
person in front of that camera."
Loyola Marymount University
School of Film and Television
Tuition: $31,000
Unique advantages: The Sony-sponsored "TAG: Transition After
Graduation" program; Hollywood-accessible location; small class size
Ideal for: Those with big hearts and big dreams. Teri Schwartz, the
dean of LMU's School of Film and Television, says that the goal of her
department is to create "a transformational educational experience"
that stresses "collaboration, not competition."
A word from an alumna: Producer Effie Brown (Picturehouse's current
release "Rocket Science") says she bypassed USC and UCLA and targeted
Loyola Marymount primarily because of a 10-to-1 student-to-faculty
ratio. "In my opinion, you can learn about the art of cinema, the
history, how to thread a camera, all that, but if you don't have
someone you can ask a question to, it's not helpful," she says.
New York University
Tisch School of the Arts, Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film & Television
Tuition: $39,000
Unique advantages: Diverse, accomplished faculty; vibrant campus;
formidable tradition
Ideal for: Worldly folk with a taste for the finer things. Because NYU
has ruled the roost for decades as one of the top two or three film
programs in the U.S., it would be easy for the faculty and
administration to rest on their laurels, but Mary Schmidt Campbell,
dean of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, says that NYU's program
acknowledges the need to be in a "constant conversation with what's
going on in the world outside the academy in order for us to keep the
tools of filmmaking and distribution up to date." For the Kanbar
Institute, that means adapting to new filmmaking technologies, while
still emphasizing visual storytelling and challenging authority.
"Fundamental values don't change -- no matter what kind of technology
you're using," Campbell says.
A word from an alumnus: Director Chris Columbus says that what sets
NYU apart is the city itself: "You have New York City as your campus,
and because the students who attend are from all over the world,
there's a real world education about film."
Northwestern University
School of Communication, Department of Radio/Television/Film
Tuition: $35,000
Unique advantages: An "aesthetics first" approach to study; active
interest in interactive entertainment; a fiercely loyal alumni base
dubbed "the NU mafia"
Ideal for: Self-starters with a collaborative spirit. Associate
professor David Tolchinsky believes the strong ties that NU grads feel
to the school and each other is due in large part to the unique grant
system, which has students getting their media projects approved and
funded by other students. "It's a very healthy environment, with
students learning production within classes but also from one
another," Tolchinsky says.
A word from an alumnus: Screenwriter Eric Bernt (Rogue Pictures'
January release "The Hitcher") says that focus on design over
technical know-how leads to student work "very different from what you
see coming out of NYU or AFI or UCLA, which all look like they're
geared for Hollywood."
Rhode Island School of Design
Film/Animation/Video Program
Tuition: $33,000
Unique advantages: Low class size; immersive art-school environment
Ideal for: Aesthetes. The main point that RISD's Film/Animation/
Video department head Peter O'Neill makes to prospective students and
their parents when they visit the school is that "this is an art
school, as opposed to a college or a university." All students take a
common first year, emphasizing art and design. "That arguably serves
the animators a little more," O' Neill says. "But I think for the
live-action students, it can be interesting, too. Film is a visual
art. Nothing wrong with learning how to draw."
A word from an alumnus: Academy Award-winning cinematographer Robert
Richardson (1991's "JFK," 2004's "The Aviator") says, "Rhode Island
School of Design -- and in particular Peter O'Neill -- was responsible
for bringing a light to that which rested within. What more might I add?"
UCLA
Department of Film, Television and Digital Media
Tuition: $19,000, nonresident; $7,000, resident
Unique advantages: World-renowned film and television archive; regular
lectures and workshops led by industry players
Ideal for: Confident go-getters. Students finance their own projects
at UCLA, which can leave some less-assured types feeling at sea. But
Nancy Richardson, head of the film school's postproduction department
and a working feature film editor in Hollywood, says that a low
student-to-faculty ratio means that each budding filmmaker receives a
great deal of mentoring and individual advice. "We try to nurture the
unique voice of each student, allowing them to tell their stories
their way," she says. "We teach the basics of filmmaking so that each
student has an overview of all aspects of filmmaking, with an emphasis
on formula-free storytelling."
A word from an alumnus: Producer-director Todd Holland ("Malcolm in
the Middle") loved the laissez-faire nature of the program, which
allowed him to practice his commercial filmmaking skills alongside his
more art-minded classmates -- and taught him how to treat people. "Our
crews weren't paid, and they didn't get class credit, so you had to
feed them well," he says. "And you had to crew for others to get them
to crew for you. I was a dolly grip, a camera assistant, a DP, a
caterer. I learned respect for each individual's job and what they
need to do their job."
USC
School of Cinematic Arts
Tuition: $35,000
Unique advantages: A network of more than 10,000 alumni working in the
industry; training with immediate, real-world applications; an
under-construction "cinematic arts complex" that promises to be
state-of-the-art
Ideal for: People who want a near-guaranteed job in show business.
According to dean Elizabeth Daley, USC suggests its film students take
a broad approach to learning the craft: "We require that each student,
regardless of the specific field in which they have chosen to
concentrate their talents, take courses from throughout the range of
our six divisions: animation and digital arts, critical studies,
interactive media, Peter Stark producing, production and writing. Our
women and men leave here with the skills, experience and sense of
teamwork that enable them to make meaningful contributions from the
minute they begin their careers."
A word from an alumnus: Director Peter Segal (2005's "The Longest
Yard") says that USC's real-world focus makes a difference. "With
people able to edit on their laptop computers, students are getting a
much more vocational experience in filmmaking at a much younger age,"
he explains. "That needs to get synthesized and filtered and applied
in the right areas so that when they leave school they have a better
understanding of those technical tools they've been playing with already."
University of Texas at Austin
College of Communication, Department of Radio-Television-Film
Tuition: $26,000, nonresident; $8,000, resident
Unique advantages: The "Semester in L.A." internship program;
nontraditional cultural environment
Ideal for: Freethinkers. Sharon Strover, chair of the Department of
Radio-Television-Film, says, "We find we are competing regularly for
M.F.A. students with NYU and USC, and many of them choose to come here
because we are different. We emphasize training across all the
component realms of production: writing, editing, audio, producing and
cinematography. Students are trained to be versatile and adaptive and
to understand filmmaking in narrative and documentary traditions."
A word from an alumnus: When asked what he got out of his time at
UT-Austin, writer-producer Patrick Sean Smith (ABC Family's "Greek")
says, "What I use every day is the ability to look at things not
necessarily from a pragmatic perspective but by figuring out what your
individual taste is, your voice, and how best to articulate that."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/features/e3ia5be1da221ff00873445c357fd06f10e
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D. MENTORS KEY FOR FILM SCHOOL GRADS
By Noel Murray
Expensive film school classes are all well and good, but they don't
provide much value if students can't find a job after graduation.
That's why colleges and universities are increasingly making
internship and mentoring programs a major part of their overall
package -- because every happy, successful grad is a walking
advertisement for the school.
What do these programs actually entail? Below are the experiences of
three young people currently working in the industry, after taking
advantage of what their respective schools had to offer.
Arestia Rosenberg enrolled in Boston University's BU in L.A. program
in spring 2006 and worked simultaneous internships at Columbia
Pictures and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution's "The Tyra
Banks Show." She now works as an assistant at Adam Sandler's Happy
Madison Productions.
"I was planning on going abroad like a lot of my peers, but I decided
I could get a jump on my career by working in L.A. and making
connections," Rosenberg says. "It proved to be extremely valuable. Not
only was it a good way to transition into Los Angeles life, but also
to start meeting people and start learning about a business that we
all think we know, though we really have no idea."
Sal Cardoni participated in Loyola Marymount University's
Sony-sponsored TAG: Transition After Graduation upon graduating from
the school's screenwriting master's program in 2006. He was paired up
with mentor Joel Cohen, writer of 1995's "Toy Story," who says he
began mentoring when he realized how many film school grads had no
idea how to break into the business. Through Cohen, Cardoni was
assigned to rewrite the script for a Swedish animated TV movie.
"In the year after graduation, we'd have a monthly meeting and talk --
not so much about the art of being a writer but about the business,"
Cardoni says. "Two things Joel taught me: You are where you are
because you are who you are, so let your gut instincts guide you, and
'It's about the Freud,' which means that no matter what character
you're writing, they have personalities that can be dissected. Once
you figure out who they are, everything flows out of that."
Lindsay Webster took advantage of American University's Summer in L.A.
internship program and AU's mentorship program in consecutive years.
Through the former, she had the chance to work for "Bones" executive
producer Barry Josephson on the Fox lot. (Josephson says he enjoys
helping interns because he "knows what it's like to get a break" and
because "it's a reflection of yourself when you were young.") Through
the latter, she received guidance from Showtime's senior vp original
programming Danielle Gelber, who later got Webster a job on the
network's "The L Word," where she's currently an associate producer.
"Rarely do you have an experience that just sets your life track into
place, but those programs really did," Webster says. "Basically, the
internship was a hands-on experience of how to work in a production
office and handle that first job, that assistant desk job. I got to
fill in for Barry's real assistant, handle phones, roll calls, keep
phone sheets and expenses and pretty much get to understand the pace
of how everything happens. These are things you don't learn in school."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/features/e3ia5be1da221ff00879cf5949bf9dff7c1
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E. WHAT TOP TV WRITERS WATCH ON TV
By Denise Martin
Anyone looking for a barometer of what the industry considers its
"best in show" need look no further than the nominees in Emmy's
writing categories. Sure, there are acting, directing and show prizes,
but the heart of any series lies in its writing. No matter how good
any of the other areas are, without solid scribes, a show will collapse.
Take Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica," which drew a surprise
writing recognition nom this go-around after three seasons of coming
up empty-handed in the major categories. Executive producer Ronald D.
Moore has reason to feel more confident about this particular
accolade: "I do know writers in town are fans of the show," he says.
Furthermore, just two other shows round out the drama writing category
-- though they come from the big boys on the block. Moore's
competitors are high-profile critics' faves Damon Lindelof and Carlton
Cuse for the season finale of ABC's "Lost;" and David Chase, Terence
Winter and Matthew Weiner for three separate entries of HBO's "The
Sopranos."
It's much the same story for the comedy noms: There are only three
shows represented -- Tina Fey and Robert Carlock for individual
episodes of NBC's "30 Rock," Greg Daniels and Michael Schur for their
respective episodes of NBC's "The Office," and writing team Ricky
Gervais and Stephen Merchant for HBO's "Extras."
Unlike those in the acting and top series categories, writers aren't
forced to view the top vote-getting entries en masse. Rather, they are
expected to screen eligible submissions on their own, and only writers
can vote for writers. But more than a few scribes admit to being too
busy to find the time to watch. "Sadly, I haven't even seen the other
two nominees," says one working comedy writer, who admitted to only
having watched "The Office."
That means a fair number of voters are choosing based on perception
and reputation, and as a result, the final selections tend to fall in
line with that of media tastemakers and critics. This year's
Television Critics Association Awards feted "The Sopranos," "The
Office" and "30 Rock" -- all multiple-episode nominees making up half
of this year's six series writing contenders.
Winter, executive producer of, and two-time writing Emmy winner for
"Sopranos," says judging the work of other writers can be a
frustrating experience. "That's the downside of what we do. We see
behind the curtain and how the wheels turn," he says. "I spend all of
my days constructing stories, so it's hard to watching something and
not automatically begin to deconstruct it. I know when I'm being set
up and what will happen the next 99 times out of 100."
Others who've been lucky enough to grab the prize say that this
category offers some stiff competition. "Those are all funny shows,"
says "My Name Is Earl" creator/executive producer Greg Garcia, whose
NBC show was shut out from the category this year. "There's not one
episode nominated in the comedy category that I didn't laugh all the
way through. I'm just going to have to try and remember when I laughed
the hardest."
What does work for Winter is genuine shock. "What I enjoy is to be
surprised, to walk away with the feeling that not in a million years
would I have predicted what just happened," he says. Perhaps, then,
he's likely to give a vote to the "Sopranos" series finale, which
shocked virtually anyone who watched it. Says Winter, "I thought
(Chase's ending) was brilliant."
Nancy Updike, a nominee for her "God's Close-up" episode of Showtime's
"This American Life" in the nonfiction category, echoes Winter's
thought: "I'm looking for the same thing in every category, which is
to be surprised and dazzled," she says. (Writing is all in the family
for Updike, who is distantly related to double Pulitzer Prize winner
John, but she's "forgotten where" he is in the family tree.) "I want
to see something new," she continues, "get a new idea or see a new
image through the writing."
"Entourage" creator/executive producer Doug Ellin, who, like Garcia,
was left out of the running this time after picking up a nom last
year, says he judges by that indescribable "wow factor." "It has to be
something that leaves me in awe, like 'The Wire,'" which despite near
universal raves from critics and TV industryites alike, has only been
nominated for a writing Emmy once.
A source of concern for some voters in years past has been weighing
series pilots against regular episodes, also an issue in the director
categories. This year, however, the issue is moot -- none of the
nominated episodes are pilots -- but the subject still rankles.
Sitcoms, in particular, which are generally written in a writers'
room, are often the most collaborative efforts, and that should be
honored, says Garcia, who won for the "Earl" pilot a year ago.
"Sometimes, you feel like it should be a staff award if it's not the
pilot," he explains. "A pilot creates the whole world and is really
the work of one person, so I personally lean that way."
"30 Rock" co-executive producer Carlock, however, says that on his
series the collaboration is much more limited. Because of the
single-camera nature of "Rock" -- each episode takes eight days to
shoot -- staff writers are expected to solve problems on their own,
leaving less time for groupthink. "Our process isn't designed around a
room. It's certainly harder on the writers, because we don't have much
time, but it's worked out nicely so far."
Good writing can also be judged at times by the acclaim a show garners
outside the writing category itself. Well before the contenders were
announced, "Entourage's" Ellin reportedly said that he specifically
wrote the episode "The Resurrection," in which Johnny Drama faces a
string of rejections before finding out his pilot is a ratings hit, to
score actor Kevin Dillon an Emmy nomination.
Mission accomplished. The writing itself may not be up for an Emmy,
but Ellin is happy it struck a chord. "We did something unexpected in
this episode -- there's nothing over-the-top happening. It's just a
hard dose of reality for Johnny. I got calls that people were
'uncomfortably moved,' so I was happy," he says.
"Battlestar's" Moore had thought the buzz wave had passed for the
show; last season, he thought, was when they'd peaked. Reviews were
glowing, the show won a prestigious Peabody Award, and the press
covered the series as vigorously as they do broadcast hits like
"Lost." But last year, despite an aggressive Emmy campaign, the show
couldn't land a nom in any of the major categories. This year, it's up
for both writing and directing.
His nominated episode, "Galactica's" two-hour Season 3 opener, bares
both of the series' hallmarks -- big action and politically charged
drama -- and Moore suspects that those elements may have had a part in
the unexpected recognition.
Comedy writers by and large also look for strong story and
character-driven elements in addition to laughs. "I look for a balance
among the characters where the writer gets the most out of them," says
Carlock.
"It's interesting to judge something for its writing -- I'd like to
think it was a two-way street when you have someone like Alec Baldwin
working for you," he adds. In his nominated "Jack-Tor" episode, Liz
Lemon (Tina Fey) realizes that her boss, Jack Donaghy (Baldwin), has
zero onscreen presence. Meanwhile, Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan)
pretends he's illiterate to avoid having to read from cue cards.
But for the most part, writers are simply discriminating fans of sharp
work. "I certainly love all the other nominated shows," says Carlock,
who adds with a laugh, "but I'll hate them soon enough."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/features/e3i0896d943d3461f17a4e2087a350a5c37
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F. WILL AUSTIN'S 'CREATIVE VILLAGE' WORK?
By Todd Longwell
Villa Muse looks like a fantastic concept on paper: a $2.5 billion
mixed-use development 12 miles east of downtown Austin, anchored by a
$125 million, 200-acre studio with state-of-the-art production and
postproduction facilities for film, television, commercials, music and
video games, including eight soundstages (one measuring 65,000 square
feet), a water tank, scoring and mixing stages and a 70,000-seat
amphitheater.
But what makes it truly revolutionary is that the residential
community surrounding the studio will not only serve as a home for
locals and visiting crews and creatives alike, it also will be a
living backlot for filmmakers, with neighborhoods built in a variety
of styles and sizes suitable for portraying locations around the globe.
Texas Film Commission director Bob Hudgins believes that Villa Muse
will be the missing piece of the film-production puzzle for the state,
which has a surfeit of diverse locations and a strong crew base but
lacks big soundstages fully equipped to accommodate large studio
productions.
"It will provide all the potentials for production that we've had to
say no to in the past," Hudgins says.
As intriguing as this plan is, there are several major questions to be
answered, the most of important of which is: Will it actually get built?
In April, it was announced that groundbreaking on phase one of the
development -- which includes the studios and the main street -- would
take place this year. But it has since been pushed back to spring
2008, with a projected opening of summer 2009.
Project development partner Jim Carpenter, president of Carpenter &
Assoc., an Austin-based real estate and investment firm, says the
delay is due to the acquisition of additional land for the project,
which increased its size from 681 to 1,000 acres and added another $1
billion to the budget.
"We had to go in and basically redesign the entire land plan, because
everything was in the wrong location when we added another 500 acres
of real estate," Carpenter explains.
It's not the first roadblock or detour Villa Muse has encountered
since CEO and founder Jay Aaron Podolnick first hatched the idea for
the development 15 years ago.
"It's been a very uphill fight, because I had to survive the dot-com
era, when no one wanted to invest in brick and mortar," says
Podolnick, an Austin music industry vet. "Then, of course, 9/11
happened and crushed a lot of people's dreams, literally."
According to Villa Muse vp Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, they have secured
phase one funding and acquired all the land. They've also continued to
expand the Villa Muse team with a number of industry experts,
including two-time Oscar-nominated production designer Michael
Corenblith as a design consultant ("to enhance the cinematic
possibilities," says Corenblith).
But for investors the question still remains: If they do build it,
will they come? Competition is already in place 850 miles to the
northwest in New Mexico at the new $74 million Albuquerque Studios,
where six (of a planned eight) soundstages have opened and are already
booked thanks to the enticing 25% tax rebate that dwarfs Texas' newly
enacted 5% grant.
But the people behind Villa Muse believe that productions are only
flocking to New Mexico and equally incentive-rich Louisiana because of
the incentives, and that once they disappear (as they believe they
soon will), so will the film business.
Says Alvarado-Dykstra, "They don't have commercials, video games,
music, animation and all the other pieces of the puzzle that we have
here in Texas and in Austin that grew up here (organically) without
the need for throwing money at it with incentives."
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/features/e3i862be56ec503162a264a583c21494677
-----------------------------------------
G. HARPERCOLLINS MAKES FILM DEAL
NEW YORK - Another publisher is getting into the moviemaking game.
HarperCollins announced Monday that it had formed a "strategic
partnership" with Sharp Independent, which has produced such films as
"Boys Don't Cry," "Evening" and "The Night Listener."
Under a multiyear agreement, Sharp Independent at HarperCollins will
be based at the publisher's Manhattan offices and will work with
authors and agents on developing film versions of HarperCollins books.
"We are always looking for ways to give our authors' works greater
visibility. Providing an avenue and competitive advantage in the film
world is another example of this," Michael Morrison, president and
group publisher of Harper/Morrow, which includes the HarperCollins and
William Morrow divisions.
Harper/Morrow's many authors include Michael Chabon, Ann Patchett and
Joyce Carol Oates.
Two years ago, Random House, Inc. and Focus Films formed Random House
Films, which this fall will release an adaptation of John Burnham
Schwartz's "Reservation Road," starring Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix
and Jennifer Connelly.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071001/ap_en_mo/harpercollins_film_deal_3
-----------------------------------------
H. AFGHAN MODELS REVEAL THE BEAUTY UNDER THE BURQA
By Jon Hemming
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A model strutting the catwalk
is hardly revolutionary in most countries, but Afghan television's
answer to "America's Next Top Model" is breaking boundaries and
revealing the beauty under the burqa.
Nearly six years after the overthrow of the strict Islamist Taliban
government, almost all women in deeply conservative Afghanistan still
only appear in public wafting past in the burqa's pale blue, their
dark eyes only occasionally visible behind the bars of its grille.
But in the relatively liberal northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif,
a local television station has started to show a different image of
Afghan women with an extremely low-budget take on the hit "America's
Next Top Model," a reality TV show in which judges choose prospective
models from a group of contestants over several weeks.
"I was really enthusiastic to make this program because I wanted the
girls to present the clothes and themselves," said Sosan Soltani, the
18-year-old director of the program.
"Afghanistan is free and these girls are the future of this country,"
she said.
Four girls in brightly colored traditional costumes with baggy pants
and long loose-fitting shawls and headscarves strode down the
impromptu catwalk decked out in traditional Afghan rugs. Seemingly
less confident than their Western counterparts, they avoided the gaze
of the all-male film crew and press.
A quick change later, the same four appeared in camouflage combat
trousers, sneakers and embroidered smocks. Then came denim jeans,
open-toed sandals and colorful lightweight jackets.
None of this would be at all risque in the West, but in Afghanistan,
such attire can spark outrage, especially when broadcast on television.
"According to Sharia law, Islam is absolutely against this," said
Afghan Muslim cleric Abdul Raouf. "Not only is it banned by Islamic
Sharia law, but if we apply Sharia law and to take this issue to
justice, these girls should be punished."
"A STEP FORWARD"
More than 10 other models due to take part in the program failed to
turn up after hearing that members of the international press would be
present, fearing the wider broadcast of the show could lead to trouble
for them, their friends said.
Those who did brave the possible backlash were determined.
"It is a great idea I think for Afghan girls, to encourage them to go
a step forward," said 19-year-old model Katayoun Timour.
"We know that in Afghan society 90 percent of people think it is not
good, that it's absolutely wrong," she said of the program. "We had
objections from people, but I tell them it is not something bad, they
should see it in a positive way."
But on the streets of Mazar-i-Sharif, it was hard to find anyone who
objected to the program, especially among the young.
"It is a good program," said 28-year-old shopkeeper Ahmad Sear.
"People watch and like it, especially women are interested in this
program -- through this program and the clothes they wear, they might
be able to develop their country."
"Young people are interested in fashion and the program introduces new
clothes to them," said businessman Ahmad Nasir. "It also complies with
Afghan culture, so it's fine."
But asked if he looked more at the clothes or the girls, he replied
with a smile: "The girls of course." Then added, "the clothes are
important though."
Model Timour said she wanted the outside world to see a different
image of Afghan women.
"I have seen outside Afghanistan they have a different kind of idea
about women in Afghanistan -- they think they are always wearing the
burqa and sitting at home but it is not like that," she said. "Girls
in Afghanistan are beautiful."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071001/lf_nm/afghan_models_dc
-----------------------------------------
I. THE $5,000 ANTI-WAR FILM
When your goal is to produce and premiere 12 feature films in 12
months, the budgets have to be portable.
By FilmStew Staff, FilmStew.com
The Drive, the seventh feature-length product of the Extra/Ordinary
Film Project, is set to premiere in Gallatin, Tennessee on October
18th. Submitted to the 2008 Sundance Film Festival for consideration,
it tells the story of grieving parents mixing revenge with a trip to
the Gateway Arch in St. Louis to scatter the ashes of their son, a
casualty of the ongoing Iraq war.
Completed in early September, The Drive will be followed by Wonderful,
the tale of the number one fan of the movie It's a Wonderful Life and
his own attempts on Christmas Eve to find meaning in his life.
Previous entries in the 12-month marathon moviemaking session have
been the waitress comedy Bernee, the hit-and-run drama Ought, the high
school teacher drama Budd, the coming of age drama Too, the homeless
father-daughter drama The $6 Man and the all-female ensemble, escaped
convict drama Summer's Morn.
Begun in February of this year and continuing on through January of
2008, the Extra/Ordinary Film Project is the brainchild of
wife-cinematographer-editor-co-director Tracy Nichole Cring,
husband-co-director Jonathan Russell Cring and the latter's father,
screenwriter-composer Jonathan Richard Cring. The Henderson, TN based
trio shoot from the first to the tenth of each month, working with
local actors and a budget of $5,000 or less, before quickly editing
down the final product using Final Cut Pro software.
Film fans can purchase a DVD of each film online for $12 or sign up
for all twelve entries for the package price of $99. Amazingly, much
of the money for these films comes from average folks around the
country who, by donating to one or more of the films, gain entrance to
a group of supporters dubbed Heroes of Creativity. It's truly
grassroots filmmaking on a whole new Internet level.
And as far as the four remaining films needed to complete the Crings'
12-by-12 series, our favorite logline is that of #11, Perchance to
Dream. It reads: 'A man suffering from narcolepsy is on a desperate
search to discover where reality meets the dream world and whether he
lives for now, for later or exists only in a former time.'
http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/fs/20071010/119204888700.html
http://www.extraordinaryfilmproject.com/about.htm
-----------------------------------------
J. "DAILY SHOW" GETS OWN WEB SITE
By Alex Woodson Thu Oct 18, 8:21 AM ET
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - After more than a decade on the air,
Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" has its own online
home.
The new Web site, DailyShow.com (http://www.dailyshow.com), will go
live at noon EST Thursday, presenting nearly the entire video archive
of the show for the past nine years.
The site contains more than 16,000 video clips spanning headlines,
correspondent pieces and such regular segments as Lewis Black's "Back
in Black" or Stephen Colbert's "This Week in God." For now, the
archives start in early 1999, covering the Jon Stewart-era. The
earlier version of the program, which started in 1996 with host Craig
Kilborn, could be available by early 2008.
Uninterrupted episodes will not be available, though full shows can,
for the most part, be pieced together from the clips.
Before this site, most of the clips from past years had "vanished,"
said Erik Flannigan, executive vp digital media at MTV Networks, the
Viacom Inc. unit that houses Comedy Central. The show's Web site had
been housed in the larger Comedy Central site, and episodes also have
been available on Apple's iTunes for paid download.
Flannigan also pointed out that Google's YouTube hosted many
unlicensed clips, but that site only started in 2005 and is entangled
in a $1 billion lawsuit with Viacom for that exact type of copyright
infringement.
The new site will be the only place to see legal "Daily Show" clips
online, though a spokesman said that a few selected clips could become
available on sites through syndication deals. The show recently did
this with Yahoo for correspondent Rob Riggle's reports from Iraq.
Although Flannigan said YouTube helped whet the appetite for users
searching for smaller comedic videos, he also stressed that the
official site would have come together even if YouTube hadn't existed.
With the new site equipped with community features like message
boards, it also can help shape discussion.
"People should be reacting to 'The Daily Show' on its own site,"
Flannigan said. "God bless them doing it everywhere else, but this
should be the epicenter of it."
The site's home page will focus on the previous night's episode, from
which clips will be posted by 8 a.m. EST the next morning, eventually
being pushed up to 5 a.m. The destination also is equipped with a
timeline that can locate archived clips by date and search tools, like
other Viacom sites powered by Google.
Clips also will be tagged and broken into categories based on subject
matter, correspondent or a celebrity name involved in the segment. All
of these can be sorted separately as well.
Flannigan said that the site houses a "super majority" of all content
from the show in the Stewart era. He said that some guests on the
program didn't sign a release letting those segments onto the Web, but
he declined to mention names.
Comedy Central vp digital media Paul Beddoe-Stephens said that the
site has been a long-term goal ever since he started at the company in
1999. The group started to conceptualize the site in February and in
June the team started the exhaustive process of encoding videos and
building the vast destination.
"We're not sure any show has put their entire history online before,"
Flannigan said.
Flannigan said Stewart and several executive producers and writers on
the show saw the site last week and were "absolutely ecstatic." He
added that they were excited not just that they could see their work
again but also to use the site as a research tool.
"The Colbert Report" and Comedy Central's library of stand-up
performances also could get full-archived sites. Flannigan said those
could come together in first-half 2008.
The site for "The Sarah Silverman Program," launched this month, has a
similar structure, albeit for that show's much shorter archive of nine
episodes.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071018/tv_nm/dailyshow_dc
-----------------------------------------
K. FILMMAKER FIGHTS TO SPREAD THE PLAGUE
Writer/Director Hal Masonberg is fighting to get his film seen; a film
he finished AFTER he was removed from the project. Now he's heading an
international campaign to get his film released. The film in question
is, THE PLAGUE, a thought-provoking, socially relevant horror movie
dealing with the subject of kids, violence and fear. THE PLAGUE was
taken away from both its writers and director during post production
after they'd spent a total of 8 years struggling to get it made. A
producers' cut version was released to DVD under the title CLIVE
BARKER'S THE PLAGUE even though it had been an original script and
concept by Masonberg/Minton and not based on any of Barker's work.
The good news is that there is a web site, growing quickly in
popularity, that is devoted to getting the Writers & Director's Cut of
this film released. On it one will find, not only a link to a petition
with an ever-growing number of signatures, but an hour-long
documentary titled SPREADING THE PLAGUE: INTERVIEWS ABOUT THE WRITERS
& DIRECTOR'S CUT which contains interviews with Masonberg and cast
members, including one of the film's stars, Dee Wallace (E.T., THE
HOWLING), as well as noted film authors/ journalists. All participants
openly voice their desire to see this cut of the film released. There
are also written interviews, radio interviews, links to forums and
articles all focusing on getting this film out to the public.
Screen Gems has stated that they would consider releasing the Writers
& Director's Cut if they felt there was an audience for the film.
Let's show them that there is.
Check out the web site, please sign our petition, and help us spread
the word.
SIGN THE PETITION: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/plague/
NOTE: After you sign the petition, iPetitions takes you to a page
asking if you'd like to make a donation. YOUR SIGNATURE HAS ALREADY
BEEN RECORDED. You do NOT need to donate money. Simply close out the
window and you're done!
WATCH THE TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D9UFFJOW2OF0
LEARN MORE: http://www.spreadingtheplague.com/
Thanks again,
Hal
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