This Day in Indie History: Clark Gable

Clark Gable, the “King of Hollywood,” was born in Ohio this day in 1901. Like many actors of his time, Gable first found his niche acting in Broadway productions. It was only after his first sound feature, 1931’s The Painted Desert, that the actor signed with Metro, completing 12 movies with them in his first year alone. His career highlights ranged from It Happened One Night to Mutiny on the Bounty and romantic comedies with Jean Harlow including Red Dust and Saratoga. In 1939 the debonair actor married actress Carole Lombard (with whom he had acted in No Man Of Her Own). Just three years later she died in a plane crash. The loss moved Gable to leave show business and serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He eventually returned to film but without the same success. In 1960 he passed away from a heart attack after over-exerting himself on the set of John Huston’s The Misfits.

Filmstar Factoid: Along with fellow Hollywood giants Walt Disney, James Stewart and John Wayne, Gable assisted Senator Joseph McCarthy’s infamous House Un-American Activities Committee in exposing alleged communists said to be working in Tinseltown.

January 31st, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

This Day in Indie History: Terry Gilliam

For years the word was going around that Terry Gilliam was preparing to film an adaptation of the famous Spanish novel Don Quixote. But after 10 years of preparations, it seemed Gilliam became his own version of the fictional protagonist—a man jousting at windmills for an idea that would never come to fruition. Moviemakers Louis Pepe and Keith Fulton caught it all on tape and released their documentary, Lost in La Mancha, in New York and Los Angeles on this day in 2003. The movie begins eight weeks before shooting commences on Gilliam’s film and follows the production through difficulties with language barriers, flash floods, illness and the aftermath of trying to get Gilliam’s vision back on track. Unfortunately, neither the fictional story nor the reality version ever saw wide release in the United States.

Moviemaker Quotable: “The reality of filmmaking—and this is probably the most important thing we learned from watching Terry—is that it’s an incredibly fragile process. No matter where you are in your career as a filmmaker, it will always be a balancing act between art and commerce, between your artistic aspirations and the grim reality of available resources.” (Keith Fulton, MovieMaker Magazine, Hands On Pages Issue #19)

January 30th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

This Day in Indie History: Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman was born this day in 1930. In his teen years the would-be-actor worked as a field radio operator for the Marines and studied television production under the G.I. Bill. But after turning 30, unsatisfied with his work, Hackman moved to New York in search of acting gigs. His first film role was opposite Warren Beatty in 1964’s Lilith. He paired with Beatty twice more in Bonnie and Clyde (for which he earned an Oscar nomination) and 1981’s Reds. Since then his respected career has involved a delicate balance of earnest work and films with mass appeal. From Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection to Lex Luthor in the Superman franchise, Hackman is the actor you hire to get the job done well.

Filmstar Factoid: At the start of his career, Hackman would share a one-bedroom apartment with fellow Pasadena Playhouse dropout Dustin Hoffman. 2003’s Runaway Jury marked the only time the former roommates have ever appeared on-screen together.

January 29th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

Richard LaGravenese

Not every screenwriter will find themselves nominated for an Oscar with only two films under their belt, but Richard LaGravenese did just this. 1991’s critical darling, The Fisher King. catapaulted LaGravanese into the limelight, the Brooklyn-born writer has been delivering memorable films ever since. From Alfonso Cuarón (A Little Princess) to Clint Eastwood (The Bridges of Madison County) to Robert Redford (The Horse Whisperer), directors have profited from LaGravenese’s universal interpretations of love, loss and strength.

With an Academy Award nomination practically right out of the gate, LaGravenese’s career has been the envy of many struggling writers; however, LaGravenese made some early detours before falling into the screenwriting trade. As a child he spent his days watching “The Million Dollar Matinee” instead of playing with the neighborhood children. And while this indicates an early affinity for the medium of film, LaGravenese’s first foray into artistic expression came when he pursued a degree in acting and experimental theater at New York University. Upon graduation, his talent for dialogue ultimately led him from stand-up comedy to a writing credit on David Greenwalt and Aaron Russo’s Rude Awakening (1989).

In the years since his first success, LaGravenese has branched out to directing, too. Of the five movies he has made, he has written four of them himself. On January 5th, the writer-director’s latest effort, Freedom Writers, was released nationwide. Starring Hilary Swank, Imelda Staunton and Patrick Dempsey, the film is the story of a Los Angeles teacher who guides her disadvantaged students to higher education. It was adapted from the nonfiction book, The Freedom Writers Diary, written by the youths of Long Beach after the L.A. riots. For more information on the film and LaGravenese’s work, visit www.freedomwriters.com.

Sound Off: Seems like this writer-director may have found a muse! Next up, Richard LaGravenese will be directing his screenplay, P.S., I Love You, also starring Hilary Swank. Who is your favorite director/muse pairing and why? Let us know in the comments section!

Photo: Director Richard LaGravenese on the set of Paramount Pictures’ Freedom Writers.

January 29th, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 3

Alex Ferrari

A quote on the Enigma Factory’s Website reads: “Art is an expression of life and transcends both time and space. We must employ our own souls through art to give a new form and a new meaning to nature or the world.” These words (incidentally belonging to the late, great Bruce Lee) epitomize the mission of the Florida-based production company, as it seeks to assist moviemakers in realizing their cinematic vision. “I want this company to make films the other people are afraid to make. Stories that touch me,” says Enigma Factory founder Alex Ferrari, “whether that be a crazy sci-fi action [film] or a socially-conscious documentary.”

Originally founded as a post-production company by writer-director-editor Ferrari, The Enigma Factory has grown over the years to provide editing, production and music and sound design services for independent moviemakers with an exciting and original story to tell. Most recently, the company has produced the low-budget horror flick, Broken, which was praised by Roger Ebert as “a demonstration of the mastery of horror imagery and techniques.” As the Enigma Factory continues to branch out into visual effects and other areas of moviemaking, one thing remains consistent: The company’s dedication to serving moviemakers who are, as Ferrari describes, “unafraid to show the world who they are through their art.”

For more information on the Enigma Factory’s current projects, visit www.enigmafactory.com.

Sound Off: The Enigma Factory is dedicated to helping moviemakers express their artistic vision through film. Do you think smaller, independent production companies are better at serving the moviemaker than a major studio, or does it make no difference? Talk back in the comments section!

January 29th, 2007 | Category: Moviemaker of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

The UCLA Extension Writers Studio

It can be hard for the novice screenwriter to find guidance in the moviemaking world. True, most prestigious film schools offer a screenwriting track for interested students, but what about those people who don’t want to devote years of their lives (and thousands of dollars) to get an education in the craft? For this set of movie scribes, the UCLA Extension Writers Studio is a great option.

For the past 11 years, more than 200 writers from around the world have gathered at the Westwood campus for a four-day intensive workshop led by the distinguished faculty of the UCLA Extension Writers Program. With seminars that include “Writing the Romantic Comedy” and “Revising Your Feature Film Script,” students are allowed to immerse themselves completely in the craft of writing, gaining needed skills as well as a valuable relationship with the larger moviemaking community. Instructor Scott Meyers describes the purpose of the Studio, saying, “In a word: Connections. Writers make connections with other writers. Through constructive criticism, students help each other make connections to their respective stories. And possibly most important of all, at the end of the four days, each writer makes a deeper connection to their creative self.”

The 2007 Writers Studio will be held from February 8-11. To register, and for more information on other Writers Program offerings, visit www.uclaextension.edu/writers.

Sound Off: Do you think it’s better for screenwriters to work intensively on their craft, as with the UCLA Extension program, or to get a more general film education? Let us know in the comments section!

Photo: Screenwriter-producer Keith Giglio teaches a class at the 2006 Writers Studio.

January 29th, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 3

Pan African Film & Arts Festival

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Dates: February 8 – 19, 2007

Way back in preschool we were taught that February is known for three things: Valentine’s Day, Leap Year and Black History Month. You most likely heard stories of great figures in African American history such as Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass or Jackie Robinson. But February also means its time for Los Angeles’ Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF), now in its fifteenth year.

A lot has happened since that first festival—most notably the Rwandan genocide of just 12 years ago. “To see the progress that has been made in such a short period of time is an uplifting testament to the human spirit and its ability to heal,” says PAFF director of programming, Asantewa Olatunji. Which is why the festival has chosen the documentary Rwanda Rising as its opening feature. “We feel that the reality of Rwanda is in keeping with our mission here at PAFF, which is to present positive and realistic images of people of African descent.” Golden Globe winner (and odds-on Oscar favorite) Forest Whitaker will be this year’s celebrity host.

So this February, for the price of seeing one generic blockbuster, you can instead check out some of this year’s most-thought provoking works, courtesy of the Pan African Film and Arts Festival. “Like every other group of people, black people come in all varieties,” explains Olatunji, “We just want to expand on the varieties depicted.”

If you’ll be around Los Angeles’ Magic Johnson Theatres from February 8 - 19, check out www.paff.org for a full list of events.

Sound Off: Wildly popular and successful black actors and moviemakers are only now becoming a more common occurrence in Hollywood. Who of this group would you say is the most underappreciated? Let us know in the comments section!

Photo: PAFF founder Ayuko Babu poses with Forest Whitaker at last year’s event.

January 29th, 2007 | Category: Festival of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

CustomFlix

Recently it seems that more and more indie moviemakers are going the self-distribution route (David Lynch and MovieMaker’s own Timothy Rhys are just two examples). But inevitably, those who choose this method are faced with the challenging prospect of getting their film out to as many people as possible without spending too much money. Since 2002, CustomFlix has been helping moviemakers do just this through their unique DVD-on-demand service. Having been acquired by Amazon.com in 2005, CustomFlix provides unparalleled accessibility to the films it distributes, and frees moviemakers of at least one source of financial worry.

“The CustomFlix DVD on Demand service produces discs on demand, as orders are placed, so no pre-built inventory is needed and titles always remain in stock,” explains Dana LoPiccolo-Giles, co-founder and managing director of CustomFlix. “This enables filmmakers to sell films at a fraction of the cost of traditional distribution, while also maintaining unprecedented flexibility and control over their content.” CustomFlix’s partnership with Amazon has afforded the company new ways to distribute its clients’ work, such as the new video download service that allows moviemakers the ability to offer their films in a digital format with both “download to own” and “download to rent” options. Additionally, the company’s reach has extended beyond moviemaking to include the same services for musicians looking to self-distribute their albums. For more information on utilizing CustomFlix’s many services, visit www.CustomFlix.com.

Sound Off: While it may seem daunting, more and more moviemakers are going the DIY distribution route. Why do you think this trend is picking up? Is it the improvement in technology? Or are people simply fed up with the dead ends of traditional distribution routes? Weigh in by posting in the comments section!

January 29th, 2007 | Category: Exhibitor of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

Casting Society of America

The average movie fan will likely be familiar with the names of popular actors, directors and maybe even the odd producer or composer. But there’s certainly a high probability that he or she won’t know the name of the casting director responsible for even his or her favorite film. Which is a shame, really, because could you imagine Sophie’s Choice without Meryl Streep’s mesmerizing performance, or even Napoleon Dynamite with someone else filling Jon Heder’s dancing shoes?

In 1982 a small group of casting professionals formed the Casting Society of America (CSA). “Being a casting director is usually a fairly independent endeavor,” says CSA president Chemin Bernard. “Being a member of CSA affords us the opportunity to become part of a community of people who initially could be considered competition, but instead, through our commitment to the CSA, are the people with whom we have joined forces to further advance the mutual objectives of our profession.” Today the association boasts 350 members, and its influence has led to the development of its own prestigious Artios® Casting Awards.

If you’re only looking for assistance with your next movie, head on over to www.castingsociety.com to check out what assistance the organization offers to moviemakers outside of the casting community: Actors will find useful links, including a way to invite casting directors to screenings; directors and producers can locate the perfect addition to their crews; and the purely inquisitive can find out who, for instance, was responsible for casting Meryl to such perfection.

Sound Off: The Casting Society of America helps to bring together professionals who, as Bernard explains, might otherwise be each other’s competition. What other competing group of moviemaking professionals could benefit from such a society? Talk back in the forums!

January 29th, 2007 | Category: Association of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 3

Romania

Too bad there isn’t an Academy Award for best use of location, as Cold Mountain could’ve added that honor to its seven Oscar nominations. The nation of Romania, which stood in for the Appalachia region of the United States, should certainly be proud of its beautifully atmospheric role in the film. In recent years, with its rolling countryside, modern metropolitan atmosphere and old-world appeal, the country has become the go-to international site for Hollywood and European moviemakers. (It probably doesn’t hurt that work permits are not required to film there.)

This alternative to the popular moviemaking destination of the Czech Republic has set the scene not only for Cold Mountain (shot in the small town of Potigrafu) but for Francis Ford Coppola’s latest endeavor, Youth Without Youth (slated for a 2007 release). It even stood in for those fictional shots of Kazakhstan in the Golden-Globe-winning comedy Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

Blood and Chocolate, a werewolf-vampire thriller from German director Katja von Garnier, is the latest release to take advantage of Romania’s hidden charms—and what better place to film a vampire movie than the home country of Dracula himself? Bucharest, the capital city, was “like a character in the movie,” says the film’s star, Hugh Dancy. “It’s a luxury to be able to make the most of the city.”

You can also catch the ominous historic sites of Romania in:

An American Haunting
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
Amen
Train of Life

Sound Off: Stories of vampires and werewolves have long had an association with Romania—either filmed or set in the country which houses the famously spooky region of Transylvania. Which of these stories have best translated to the big screen? Weigh in by posting in the comments section!

January 29th, 2007 | Category: Location of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 6

This Day in Indie History: W.C. Fields

Known for his on-screen turns as a cuddly con man, actor W.C. Fields, born on this day in 1880, was so in tune with the characters he played, it often became difficult to determine where the role ended and Fields himself began. By the age of 19 he had embarked on a successful juggling career, though his first true hit came in 1923 when he landed a role in the Broadway play “Poppy.” From there Fields became known for his many turns as a comic hustler, playing the role even in the films he wrote for himself. Before appearing in and writing the sound films The Bank Dick, Man on the Flying Trapeze and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break, Fields was a vaudevillian actor seen in the silent films Pool Sharks and Sally of the Sawdust. In a rare dramatic appearance, the actor dedicated himself to the role of Mr. Micawber in George Cukor’s 1935 adaptation of David Copperfield. He passed away on December 25, 1946 of complications from pneumonia.

Filmstar Factoid: W.C. Fields oftentimes supplied a fake name for a movie’s credits, such as Charles Bogle, Otis Criblecoblis and Mahatma Kane Jeeves. This last name was a play on what he assumed a typical wealthy man would request of the butler before departing home: “My hat, my cane, Jeeves.”

January 28th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

This Day in Indie History: Paul Newman

One of Hollywood’s blue-eyed legends, Paul Newman was born on this day in Shaker Heights, Ohio in 1925. His iconic turns as Lucas ‘Luke’ Jackson in 1967’s Cool Hand Luke, and Butch Cassidy to Redford’s Sundance Kid, led to a reputation as the most charming of tough guys. Over the years, Newman has become one of the most iconic faces in Hollywood, recognized for his work as an actor, producer and humanitarian. His turns as know-it-all, crotchety older men in Nobody’s Fool and the star-studded television movie Empire Falls have earned him his latest accolades. But his proficiency extends far beyond his well-known performances in The Color of Money, The Sting or Fort Apache the Bronx, now finding audiences among toddlers as the voice of the classic and experienced Doc Hudson in Cars.

Film Star Factoid: Newman has been nominated for a total of nine Academy Awards in the acting category over five decades: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963), Cool Hand Luke (1967), Absence of Malice (1981), The Verdict (1982), The Color of Money (1986), Nobody’s Fool (1994) and Road to Perdition (2002). His only win was for his second turn as Fast Eddie Felson, in Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money.

January 25th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

In Theaters, Week ending 1/30

Blood and Chocolate
directed by Katja von Garnier
How much do you really need from a werewolf movie, other than pretty faces, cool special effects and a little bit of gore? Blood and Chocolate has all this and more, with an interspecies love story and the director of the award-winning miniseries “Iron Jawed Angels” running the show. Based on the hit teen fantasy novel by Annette Curtis Klause, at the very least this flick will find an audience with the adolescent crowd.
Starring Agnes Bruckner, Hugh Dancy and Olivier Martinez.

Catch and Release
directed by Susannah Grant
You’d expect more from the Erin Brokovich scribe than a couple named Gray and Grady; but perhaps killing off one half of the cutesy-named pair was a statement by writer-director Grant. In the wake of her fiancé’s death, Gray (Jennifer Garner) is faced with several surprising secrets from the man’s past. Overall, we’re not big fans of “coping-with-grief” romantic comedies, but the presence of Kevin Smith and Timothy Olyphant might be enough to sway us.
Also starring Juliette Lewis.

Epic Movie
directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer
Okay, seriously: Hasn’t the genre spoof comedy been played out? We’re not saying that epic movies deserve any less ridicule than rom-coms or horror flicks, but in the years since Scary Movie, we’ve gotten so sick of the genre spoof that we’re reconsidering our love of Mel Brooks, simply for his part in popularizing the formula. But you may not agree with us—in which case, get your fill of sophomoric send-ups of Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean and Chronicles of Narnia, among others in this latest addition to the series.
Starring Kal Penn, Jennifer Coolidge and Fred Willard.

Seraphim Falls
directed by David Von Ancken
Pierce Brosnan seems to be settling nicely into middle age as his pretty-boy days come to a close. His most recent effort, Seraphim Falls, casts him as a rugged Civil War veteran pursued by a former Confederate colonel (Liam Neeson) who is dead-set on revenge. This feature-film debut from director Von Ancken boasts a formidable star presence, including Angelica Huston, and looks to be the perfect film for movie buffs in search of a gritty, gory and well-acted western some lazy Sunday afternoon.
Also starring Angie Harmon.

Smokin’ Aces
directed by Joe Carnahan
In his first feature since the surprise hit Narc, Joe Carnahan dives head first into a world of sex, violence, money and slick production values. Smokin’ Aces brings together a motley crew of assassins (played by an assortment of Hollywood has-beens and quasi-indie faves) in an attempt to keep Vegas magician Buddy “Aces” Israel from testifying against the mob. Aces is a mishmash of Domino, Ocean’s 11 and Snatch, and will no doubt capitalize on the continuing popularity of snappy-looking gangster comedies, with or without the support of the critics.
Starring: Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Jason Bateman and Ben Affleck.

January 25th, 2007 | Category: In Theaters Now | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 1

This Day in Indie History: The Blair Witch Project

On this day in 1999, the cult hit The Blair Witch Project premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; however, the movie’s buzz began long before its premiere, when the moviemakers disseminated a story to make everyone believe their fictional experiment was made from actual documentary footage. The three students who made the film? Lost in the woods while tracking down a local Maryland legend, with the footage of their journey the only thing that remained. The producers even went so far as to air a television special, Curse of the Blair Witch, in order to build hype around the “unsolved mystery.” The publicity worked well, as Blair Witch grossed nearly $250 million, making it the most successful independent film of its time.

Film Star Factoid: Production on The Blair Witch Project took only eight days, during which the three young actors involved were armed with camera equipment and little more than vague guidelines standing in for a screenplay. As such, the majority of the film was ad-libbed, and many of the most terrifying moments in the film were not revealed to the cast until cameras were rolling.

January 24th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

Bringing Home the Gold

http://www.oscars.com.” id="image437" title="Credit: http://www.oscars.com.” src="http://www.moviemaker.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/070123a_155-p.jpg" />One morning each January the West Coast opens its eyes before the sun rises for the biggest news to come out of Hollywood since the previous summer’s celebrity tirade: The list of Oscar nominees! Here’s just a bit of the action.

Abigail Breslin scored a nom for her role as the frank and innocent Olive in Little Miss Sunshine (a surprise Best Picture Nominee). The 10-year old joins eight of the other supporting nominees who were recognized for the first time in their careers.

Leading acting roles, of course, brought the fourteenth nod for Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada), who now holds the record for most acting nominations. She’ll be up against odds-on favorite Helen Mirren (The Queen), and Kate Winslet, who saw her painfully honest performance in Little Children pay off with her fifth acting nomination—making her the youngest actress to achieve that feat.

As SAG had predicted, Ryan Gosling pulled an impressive coup when his name was announced alongside Peter O’Toole (Venus) and Leonardo DiCaprio’s (Blood Diamond) for playing a drug-addicted teacher in Half Nelson. But after snagging the Golden Globe and numerous critics awards, Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) finally seems a sure bet.

The new millennium has been good to Paul Haggis who, for the third time, heard his name announced—this time for his writing contribution to Eastwood’s Letters from Iwo Jima (a Best Motion Picture nominee). Also noted for writing this season, the inimitable Alfonso Cuarón for his adapted screenplay for Children of Men. But perhaps the biggest surprise in the screenplay categories was for the seemingly un-scripted Borat. Then again, the Academy loves to court controversy.

View the full list of nominees.

Sound Off: Do you think it might finally be Scorsese’s year to win the big one? Will Jennifer Hudson go from “American Idol” reject to Oscar-winning actress? Which nomination caught you most by surprise? Which one do you think is a sure bet? Who got snubbed? Post your thoughts in our Comments section!

January 23rd, 2007 | Category: Moviemaker of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

This Day in Indie History: The Grapes of Wrath

It was this day in 1940 that John Ford’s The Grapes of Wrath made its premiere in New York. Starring Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell, and based on John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name, The Grapes of Wrath depicted the trials of the Joad family as they traveled across the U.S. in search of reliable work. It is the typical tale of numerous families who attempted escape from the country’s dustbowl to a land of promise—only to find disappointment upon arrival. In 1941, Ford received one of two Oscars awarded to the film (the other went to Darwell for Best Supporting Actress), preparing him for the following year when he would win the same prize for How Green Was My Valley.

Film Factoid: The film’s cinematographer, Gregg Toland, spent his entire career contracted by Samuel Goldwyn, working on some of the most celebrated films of all time. In addition to The Grapes of Wrath, Toland went on to work with Ford in The Long Voyage Home and spent the following year alongside Orson Welles, filming the iconic Citizen Kane. His experimentation with deep focus and other innovative camera techniques quickly became the gold standard of Hollywood moviemaking.

January 23rd, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

This Day in Indie History: Sergei Eisenstein

The movie montage might never have existed in its current form if not for moviemaker Sergei Eisenstein, born this day in 1898. October: Ten Days That Shook The World, perhaps one of his most famous movies (alongside 1925’s The Battleship Potemkin), was commissioned by the Soviet Union for the tenth anniversary of the 1917 October Revolution. The Latvian director made movies under Soviet guidelines until May 1930, when he moved to Hollywood under a contract with Paramount Pictures. Despite international acclaim for The Battleship Potemkin, his efforts in the broader world of cinema failed. Eisenstein returned home only to find himself unmarketable; subsequently, he chose to take a leading role in the Direction Department at the Moscow Film School until he passed away in February of 1948.

Filmmaker Factoid: Sergei Eisenstein was often known for casting by type—choosing to work with non-professional actors who fit the bill (of a market woman, a carriage driver, the middle-class masses, etc.) instead of trained thespians. While his innovative screen work continues to be studied today, the director’s legacy also lives on with the published works Film Form and The Film Sense.

January 22nd, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

SILVERDOCS

In June of this year, Silver Spring, MD will celebrate the fifth anniversary of the SILVERDOCS Film Festival.  A joint effort between the American Film Institute and the Discovery Channel, SILVERDOCS is held each year to further the impact of documentary film. But just when you think you’ve heard this story before, “Surprise!” says festival director Patricia Finneran. “Last year, SILVERDOCS audiences took part in the production of a community video diary inspired by Linda Pattillo’s The Breast Cancer Diaries, saw Jim Jarmusch interview the legendary Martin Scorsese [and] heard Al Gore discuss the future of public media.”

Included in the fest’s innovative programming is the SILVERDOCS International Documentary Conference—a networking event with valuable workshops and seminars. The festival’s socially-conscious atmosphere is exemplified by prizes like the Sterling Award in the Feature Film Competition, which singles out moviemakers who have shown their dedication not only to the craft of documentary film, but to the subject matter as well (the 2006 award went to Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Jesus Camp). This year, Finneran says, audiences should look out for a new featured program, “Beyond Belief: Religion, Politics and Film,” more offerings for the future documentarians (read: students) and further exploration of “how mobile media affects real-life storytelling.”

For more information, visit www.silverdocs.com.

Sound Off: Substantive documentary films are becoming more mainstream of late, with An Inconvenient Truth making headlines this past summer and March of the Penguins breaking box office records at the time of its release. What do you think is the most compelling documentary of all time? Talk back in the comments section!

January 22nd, 2007 | Category: Festival of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 2

Nick Cassavetes

Talented moviemaking progeny seem to have become a commonplace sight among the Hollywood ranks—Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, and more recently Jaden Smith have all carried on their families’ film legacies—but somehow Nick Cassavetes stands out. Perhaps it’s because he’s the son of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands, and is therefore bred of great artistic talent on both sides. Or maybe his cinematic vision is just that good.

Last January the writer-director watched his latest movie, Alpha Dog (which opened on January 12), close the Sundance Film Festival. As the lights went down on Park City, this little film (starring some big names—Sharon Stone, Bruce Willis, Justin Timberlake and Emile Hirsch among them) seemed to have generated the most buzz. Cassavetes wrote and directed this take on the true story of Jesse James Hollywood, a notorious young drug dealer who made the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list at the tender age of 20.

Cassavetes had minor success as an actor (see Face/Off and The Astronaut’s Wife) before moving on to directing (including his father’s screenplay, She’s So Lovely, and The Notebook, in which his mother starred). More recently, Cassavetes has moved on to penning the films Blow and Whatever We Do before starting work on the controversial Alpha Dog (Cassavetes was given access to the Hollywood case files while the trial was still pending). Next up for the writer-director is God is a Bullet, which follows one cop’s attempt to take down a dangerous cult, with the assistance of a former member of the organization.  The film is currently in production, but is slated for a 2007 release.

Check out www.alphadogmovie.com for more information on Cassevetes’ latest flick.

Sound Off: Although Nick Cassavetes has made it in Hollywood largely on his own merit, he is an undeniable part of the Cassavetes dynasty. What Hollywood dynasties do you see as being under-appreciated? Which are most talented? The least? Talk back in the comments section.

January 22nd, 2007 | Category: Screenwriter of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

IndieFlix.com

IndieFlix is the fee-free answer to all independent moviemakers seeking representation and distribution assistance. Through its Website, IndieFlix.com, the company recruits and helps independent-minded moviemakers market and sell their movies on-demand.

“All of the time and energy required [for] marketing while managing your film’s metadata—updating, uploading, shipping masters and inventory or tracking the accounting and payments—is a daunting task when you’re selling on 10 or 20 different, hopefully credible, sites,” says Scilla Andreen, IndieFlix’s co-founder. “While providing fans with the access to one’s work is wonderful, it doesn’t leave much time for filmmaking.”

By listing with the company, moviemakers can gain time and money to begin or continue another project. Plus, they receive one-third of the profits, and automatically increase their exposure through access to the company’s numerous distribution partnerships. “We’re confident [moviemakers] will see greater profits from IndieFlix and will appreciate the control, simplicity and interactivity they get from us,” says Andreen.

According to the company’s founding partners, in the U.S. alone there are over 8,000 independent films produced annually that never see a theatrical release. Now, with companies like IndieFlix on the rise, theaters are no longer the only answer to reaching a wide audience.

For more information, visit www.indieflix.com.

Sound Off Question: As an audience, would you be likely to shop at IndieFlix.com (or a similar site) to purchase that hard-to-find independent film you saw at the local film festival last year? Let us know in the comments section!

January 22nd, 2007 | Category: Exhibitor of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 4

MediaMoghul.com

Whether you’re a major studio or a first-time indie director, film financing is a tricky business. Coming up with a great idea for a film is hard enough, and finding the needed dough to make that great idea into a movie can be an intimidating endeavor. Lucy Sato, vice president of MediaMoghul.com, understands this, and she and her staff are determined to make the process easier for everyone involved. “It is amazing that in this day and age it is still the accepted norm… that creative people with talent and ideas must spend years trying to establish the contacts with the major players who can offer them a deal and finance their project,” Sato says. “But unfortunately, most of the time, most people do not get any funding! And the few that do get the funding usually end up with little creative control… which is a ridiculous situation.”

MediaMoghul.com is a Website that aims to democratize the financing process by connecting artists with backers and helping them to sell their projects, piece by miniscule piece, until a project is fully funded. For instance, a moviemaker can post a description of a film he or she is working on as well as the percentage of the project that he or she is willing to sell off in return for funding. This amount is then divided into points of $10 or $15 increments, which are purchased by “investors” (or Average Joe movie fans looking to own a piece of a project) visiting the site. At the end of the process, you’ll have the money you need to get your film up and running, provided by movie lovers instead of faceless corporations. “Let’s face it, give or take the few indies that make it, mainstream entertainment is pretty stagnant at the moment,” notes Sato. “Yet there are thousands of interesting films out there, waiting to be financed and released—and the public wants to see them!”

For more information, visit www.mediamoghul.com.

Sound Off: MediaMoghul.com is innovating the way indie moviemakers can finance their work. What are other ways in which we can democratize the moviemaking process, and bring movie fans and moviemakers closer together?

January 22nd, 2007 | Category: Association of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

School of Visual Arts

Most people would agree that there are few better places to study film than New York, which plays home to countless major and independent movies every year. With so many resources throughout the city, Manhattan-based film students have the opportunity to dive head-first into the indie movie world, and at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), the faculty of the graduate and undergraduate film programs make this a requirement. Students who pursue a BFA at the School of Visual Arts study every aspect of moviemaking from screenwriting and acting to cinematography and production design. At the graduate level, explains SVA director of communication Samantha Hoover, the curriculum tends toward an experimental and interdisciplinary approach, “challenging traditional assumptions of how the mediums of photography and video are taught.”

Though both programs incorporate cinema studies into their curriculum, the very names of each department—“Film, Video, Animation” for undergrad, “Photography, Video and Related Media” for graduate studies—belie SVA’s understanding of film as one of many artistic mediums that can be integrated for a deeper, and more well-rounded education. “We seek students of all ages, of all backgrounds, from all over the world who have a deep passion for storytelling, love working in a collaborative atmosphere, are hardworking and dedicated to learning the craft,” says Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film, Video and Animation department.

In addition to their current four-year BFA and two-year MFA tracks, SVA continues to expand with the addition of television production classes, a studio and a digital movie theater within the next several years in order to provide students with the most cutting-edge resources possible as they develop their artistic style. It is, above all, SVA’s mission to turn out a community of moviemakers who are engaged in the world around them and reflect this within their work. As Lehmann explains, “[Film] is an art form that can speak to the masses, therefore it is important that once they gain the knowledge and skills [students] use it responsibly and take their work seriously. We encourage this throughout their learning experiences at SVA.”

For more information, visit www.sva.edu.

Sound Off: With constant innovations in moviemaking technology, the lines between film and other artistic mediums are becoming increasingly easy to cross. What do you think are some of the benefits of integrating moviemaking with other art forms, such as animation and photography, particularly in an educational setting? Do you think being a “multidisciplinary artist” will make you a more experimental moviemaker? Talk back in the forums!

January 22nd, 2007 | Category: Film School of the Week | By MovieMaker Staff

Comments: 4

This Day in Indie History: D.W. Griffith

Controversial moviemaker D.W. Griffith was born this day in 1875. Despite having made an impressive 400-plus short films between 1908 and 1913—and being the first person to shoot a movie in Hollywood (In Old California, 1910)—Griffith is inextricably linked to the disturbingly racist film, The Birth of a Nation. Griffith, whose father was a colonel in the Confederate Army, used white actors in blackface to play the black characters in his interpretation of the heroically portrayed Ku Klux Klan during the American Civil War. Still, the film is notable for solidifying the director’s original technique of crosscutting, for being the first feature-length American film, for its record-breaking box-office numbers at the time of its release and for the controversy that has forever surrounded it. Griffith died in July of 1948.

Filmmaker Factoid: D.W. Griffith was a revolutionary moviemaker in many ways, and a central figure in early Hollywood social circles. Counted among his friends were Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. Together, the foursome formed United Artists in 1919.

January 21st, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

This Day in Indie History: Hedwig and the Angry Inch

John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch screened at the Sundance Film Festival on this day in 2001. An adaptation of Mitchell’s award-winning play, Hedwig follows the adventures of Hedwig Robison, a transsexual rock star from East Berlin, as s/he tours her way across the United States. The film received critical acclaim from critics and festivals nationwide, gaining one Golden Globe and five Independent Spirit Award nominations, as well as a GLAAD media award for Outstanding Film in Limited Release.

Film Factoid: Unlike most movie musicals, many of the numbers in Hedwig and the Angry Inch were performed live, in order to capture the spontaneity of a real-life rock show.

January 18th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

This Day in Indie History: Archibald Alexander Leach

Archibald Alexander Leach was born in England on this day in 1904. By 1931 the actor had received a five-year contract with Paramount and adopted the now world-famous name of Cary Grant. Carving a niche as the suave and sophisticated gentleman opposite such starlets as Ingrid Bergman, Eva Marie Saint and Grace Kelly, Grant also collaborated numerous times with Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby, Holiday and The Philadelphia Story. Hitchcock also used Grant’s skills time and again in Suspicion, Notorious, To Catch a Thief and most famously as Roger O. Thornhill in North by Northwest. The debonair actor died from complications of a stroke in November 1986.

Film Star Factoid: Throughout his long and respected career, Cary Grant was nominated for four Golden Globes and only two Academy Awards—never bringing home a trophy. He finally received an Honorary Oscar in 1970 for his mastery on screen.

January 17th, 2007 | Category: This Day in Indie History | By MovieMaker Staff

No comments (yet!)

Page 1 of 3 pages  1 2 3 >

SITE DELIVERY OPTIONS

Home | Latest Headlines
Screenwriting | Producing | Directing | Acting | Cinematography | Editing | Distribution | Education | Festivals | Locations
Listings | Archives | HOP Interviews | Blogs | Forums | Contests | Subscriptions | Advertising

About | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Contact

© 2008 MovieMaker Magazine

Web site design by Hop Studios