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Issue #2010 [Fall 2010]

Darren Aronofsky and Mila Kunis Reveal Their Dark Sides
By Joe Leydon
So what’s it all about? Well, like Pi, his 1998 breakthrough indie feature, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan is a drama about an obsessive protagonist poised on the brink of madness while pursuing perfection. Like Requiem for a Dream (2000), his critically acclaimed sophomore effort, Aronofsky’s latest film focuses on the desperate frenzy of a character whose fantasies are intruding on reality. And like The Wrestler (2008), his sentimentally gritty tale of a has-been grappler who repeatedly returns to the ring, Aronofsky’s much buzzed-about drama about a ballerina who gets in touch with her dark side is the story of an artist who quite literally suffers for the sake of art.

20 Coolest Film Festivals: 2010
By Jennifer M. Wood
After all the postcard printing, press pandering and promo piece plastering you do in preparation for a festival screening, sometimes you just want to have a little fun. So take a seat for 20 of the world’s coolest film fests.

David O. Russell Takes On The Fighter
by Aaron Hillis
From his darkly comic take on incest (Spanking the Monkey) to the neurotic quest for a man’s biological parents (Flirting with Disaster), a wild Gulf War action-satire (Three Kings) and an absurdist farce about philosophy itself (I ♥ Huckabees), the films of Spirit Award-winner David O. Russell are too idiosyncratic, ambitious and sharp-witted to make us wait six years for the next to arrive. But indeed we have, and at first glance, what’s most surprising about the boxing biopic The Fighter is that it’s Russell’s first directorial effort where he didn’t also write the script.

127 Hours with Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy and Christian Colson
By Eric Kohn
Many people are familiar with the amazing survival tale of Aron Ralston, the mountain climber whose life was irrevocably changed in 2003, when his arm became trapped under a boulder for five days until he managed to amputate it with a dull knife. Now the subject of Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours, an adaptation of Ralston’s 2004 memoir, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, the ordeal has been turned into an uplifting adventure-thriller starring James Franco.

Shana Feste’s Nanny Diaries
By Joe Leydon
Like many (if not most) moviemakers before her, Shana Feste—writer-director of The Greatest and the forthcoming Country Strong—relied heavily on diligent networking to launch her career. The big difference in Feste’s case is that she went about the business of making contacts while minding babies. Babies, that is, with parents in the right places.

Alejandro González Iñárritu's Biutiful Life
by Peter N. Chumo II
Over the course of just three feature films, Alejandro González Iñárritu has established himself as an international director whose work addresses both social issues and the most personal yearnings of the human soul. Conceived with screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga, these films have examined how chance and accident connect disparate characters in surprising and heartbreaking ways

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Issue #2011 [2011 Complete Guide to Making Movies]

10 Legal FAQs That Can Make or Break Your Production
by Michael C. Donaldson & Lisa A. Calif
As lawyers who regularly work with independent moviemakers, we see the same legal pitfalls on a regular basis. The 10 below are easy to avoid and, simply by being able to recognize them as issues, you will be ahead of the competition.

Getting Supreme Sound on Any Budget
by Graham Reznick
Modern cinema is made up of two parts: Vision and sound. Here are some ProTips™ on how to get the most out of the aural component.

10 Story Techniques You Must Use to Sell Your Screenplay
by John Truby
The key question that all screenwriters should ask themselves is: How do I write a script that Hollywood wants to buy? Most writers mistakenly think that success is all about connections and star power. Not so. The real trick to writing a script that will sell is to know and use Hollywood’s central marketing strategy. That strategy can be summed up in one word: Genres. The first rule of the entertainment business worldwide is that it buys and sells genres. Genres are story forms and each has from eight to fifteen special story beats (or story events) that make up the form. The reason Hollywood marketing is based on genre is that executives are selling to a worldwide audience. People the world over love particular types of stories that speak to their deepest desires.

Promotion 101
by Jon Reiss
Today’s moviemakers can no longer expect someone to come and take their film off their hands by guaranteeing a theatrical release and full recoupment of the budget. You are now responsible for the marketing and promotion of your own film. But even if you are picked up by a distributor, any marketing work you do in advance will not only help you during your release, but might actually help you get stronger distribution deals than you would have otherwise. So here are 10 essential things to know about promoting your movie.

Screenwriting Solutions
By MovieMaker Staff
Who has time to format margins and check for typos? You’ve got a movie to make, after all. But your script will never progress beyond a reader’s desk and into a potential financier’s hands unless it is created using the industry-standard format. Although you should know the rules by heart, these programs can help you avoid mistakes with relative ease—and not a lot of dough.

How to Get Hollywood Production Value on an Indie Budget
by Christopher Kenworthy
It’s sometimes said that if you have a small budget you shouldn’t try to look like a Hollywood movie. But all movies seem like low-budget movies when you’re in the heat of battle. You’re always fighting the weather, the clock and the budget. That’s why A-list directors work the same long, stressful hours as the more independent directors. When the big guys’ films look good, it’s not because of the money they have, but how well they used that money. Every cent you spend should be seen on the screen. Whatever your budget, try to make your film look like it cost 10 times that amount. The big directors do that every day, and you can, too.

My Golden Rules: Danny Boyle
by Danny Boyle as told to Ryan Stewart
Danny Boyle has directed hit films in a wide array of genres, from the cautionary drug saga Trainspotting (1996) to the horror smash 28 Days Later... (2002) to the family-friendly Millions (2004) to the inspirational drama Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which won a total of eight Oscars, including Best Director for Boyle and Best Picture. His latest film, a stark drama about one man’s life-changing ordeal in the desert entitled 127 Hours, opened in theaters courtesy of Fox Searchlight in November.

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Issue #2010 [Summer 2010]

Katie Aselton’s Pure Indie Power
By Timothy Rhys
By way of full disclosure, I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for a girl who starts off a conversation with, “So you live in Midcoast Maine in the summer? I used to rake blueberries not far from there.” But the real reason Katie Aselton won me over when we met for a drink near her Los Feliz home had more to do with her pure, unabashed, unaffected enthusiasm for indie moviemaking.

Take 10: Justin Long’s Short Story
By Jennifer M. Wood
Pacino. De Niro. Fox? When it comes to the holy triumvirate of great thespians, the star of Teen Wolf is usually not at the top of the triangle. Unless you happen to be Justin Long.

“At the Movies” Signs Off… Or Does It?
By Kyle Rupprecht
“Until next week, the balcony is closed.” “We’ll see you at the movies.” “We’ll be at the movies.” In its various incarnations over the years, the long-running movie review show “At the Movies” has employed a number of catchy sign-off phrases that have given comfort to millions of movie fans. Yet on August 14, the balcony will officially close forever.

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Ryan Go Boating
by Dante Ciampaglia
Philip Seymour Hoffman has earned enthusiastic acclaim for his acting work many times over. With Jack Goes Boating, he has announced himself as a formidable movie director, as well.

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Issue #87 [Future of Moviemaking 2010]

Behind the Scenes and Enemy Lines on Restrepo
by Tim Hetherington
When I first went to Afghanistan in the fall of 2007, the last thing I had on my mind was moviemaking. I was on a photographic assignment for Vanity Fair with my colleague, writer Sebastian Junger, in a remote corner of Afghanistan, close to the Pakistan border. Sebastian had decided it would be interesting to follow a platoon of U.S. soldiers over the course of their 15-month deployment and chose Battle Company of 173rd Airborne Combat Brigade, based in the remote Korengal Valley.

25 Must-Have Apps for Moviemakers
By Rebecca Pahle
MM's pick of 25 essential apps for moviemakers who want to further their films “on the go.”

Duplass vs. Goliath
by Mark and Jay Duplass
"Holy shitballs.” That’s the general feeling we had when we were greenlit for our first studio movie, Cyrus.

Ellen Page’s Dream Job
By Phillip Williams
Rising star Ellen Page—the heart and soul of Jason Reitman’s 2007 indie hit Juno—is turning up on Hollywood marquees more and more these days. But her success, while much deserved, has been a relatively long time coming. Next playing opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Christopher Nolan’s Inception, Page—at the age of 23—has been clocking set time consistently for well over a decade.

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Issue #86 [Spring 2010]

Naomi Watts' Wild Child
By Jennifer M. Wood
Ten years ago, Naomi Watts was a struggling hollywood actress. In 2001, she caught her big break—in David Lynch’s Mulholland Dr.—playing a struggling Hollywood actress. And immediately following her breakthrough role, she took on the role of producer-actress alongside her friend Scott Coffey to make Ellie Parker, playing—what else—a struggling Hollywood actress.

25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee: 2010
By Jennifer M. Wood
During the year the MovieMaker office gets peppered with calls and e-mails from readers who ask us some variation of the following question: Which film festivals have the most to offer me?

10 Podcasts Worth a Listen
By Rebecca Pahle
There are any number of things you can do to make your work commute more interesting. You could stare blankly at the person sitting across from you on the train. You could listen to your iPod (probably the same playlist over and over again). You could pay attention to the road (if you drive, definitely choose this option). Or you could actually further your film career by listening to a movie-centric podcast.

Pecked to Death by Pigeons: Mike Newell’s Golden Rules
by Mike Newell
Prince of Persia director Mike Newell shares his Golden Rules for staying motivated.

George A. Romero Speaks
by George A. Romero
Horror legend George A. Romero shares the 10 lessons he’s learned over 40 years behind the camera.

Of Micmacs and Moviemaking
By Phillip Williams
Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the French auteur behind Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children, Amélie and now Micmacs, enjoys the simple pleasures of cinema.

Greed Is Good… At Least in Hollywood
By Peter Weed
For such a deadly sin, greed can look pretty sexy on screen. Consider Wall Street’s Gordon Gekko, all suspendered up in a shiny office towering above New York City, or Scarface’s Tony Montana, coked up and blasting away with his “leeetle friend.” When it pays dividends in copious amounts of cash, exotic sports cars and carnal pleasures, it’s easy to understand the lure of becoming a self-titled Master of the Universe.

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Issue #85 [Winter 2010]

10 Best Cities To Live, Work & Make Movies in 2010
by Julie Jacobs with Jennifer M. Wood
MM's 10th annual countdown of the best places to live, work and make movies.

Sundance’s “Next” Wave of Indie Moviemakers
By Jennifer M. Wood
After introducing now-iconic indies like Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies, and Videotape), Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs), Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket) and Kevin Smith (Clerks) to mainstream success in the late ’80s and early ’90s, the Sundance Film Festival became the world’s greatest showcase of low-budget moviemaking. In more recent years, however, it has been criticized for being more glitz than grit, complete with celebutantes and gifting suites.

The Hughes Brothers’ Gentle Art of Collaboration
by Albert Hughes
After being in the film business for more than 18 years, the question we’re most often asked by reporters and people on the streets is still: “So how do you two work together? Who does what?” Tired of answering the question again and again, one of us usually smirks and throws out some smart-ass line like, “I do all the work and he’s just along for the ride.”

James Cameron Mixes It Up With Avatar
By Phillip Williams
Most moviemakers will tell you that story trumps technology on the best movie sets. It is nonetheless fair to say that advances in technology often pave the way for certain kinds of stories to be told. For moviemaker James Cameron, himself a blend of artist and technologist, advances in technology have marched hand in hand with the forward movement of his own seemingly unassailable career. Originally from Ontario, Canada, Cameron studied physics at Cal State Fullerton, paying tuition and rent with various blue-collar jobs.

The Film School Way
By Jennifer M. Wood
For much of 2009, recession-focused stories stole the headlines for many media outlets. But increased unemployment rates and a failing housing market aren’t the only side effects of a falling economy. With less money to go around for loans or scholarships—not to mention a lack of employment opportunities upon graduation—students have been some of the hardest hit by the current economic situation. With the additional costs of equipment and film production, how have film students in particular fared? MM assembled a roundtable of a half-dozen of the world’s top film educators to ask this question and more.

50 Best Blogs for Moviemakers
By Rebecca Pahle
To help you on your quest to find those corners of the Web where the most useful blogs reside, we have scoured the cyber world for our annual list of the 50 best blogs for moviemakers.

Zoe Lister-Jones Breaks Out with Breaking Upwards
By Michael Walsh
" I feel like I’ve led the intense life of a celebrity without making the money or getting any free shit. I’m like Lindsay Lohan minus the swag.” Not quite the humbled perspective you’d expect from an actress who has worked with the likes of Angelina Jolie, Ryan Gosling, Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in 2009 alone. But with Zoe Lister-Jones, this is precisely what you get.