Sell a Movie (or Fail) in Four Hours

In today’s New York Times, I read “ How to Sell a Movie (or Fail) in Four Hours” an article by Adam Leipzig, president of National Geographic Feature Films, providing an amusing and succinct description of the challenges studio executives face today bringing movies to market, he states, “If you think life is moving too fast - hyped up with BlackBerries, blogs, podcasts and instant messages - imagine what it is like to run a movie studio these days.” The macro changes in the distribution landscape might be a headache for studio executives, but I think it spells boundless opportunities for filmmakers who see the marketing of their films as an entrepreneurial process taking advantage of all that the internet has to offer.

Theaters Left Behind

Theater attendance is down. The cost of digital projection is down. DVD sales drive the profits in the motion picture industry while pirates provide a flow of cheap content via alternative channels, it’s no wonder that distribution is getting turned on it’s head and will eventually slip out of the hands of the studios and big theater chains.
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Northampton Film Festival - Three Picks

The Northampton Independent Film Festival takes place in Northampton, Massachusetts this weekend and is offering a great program, here are three picks among the many great films being screened: On Saturday the 13th at 3:30pm “In the Land of Milk and Money” (2004, Susan Emshwiller) screens in Stoddard Hall at Smith College, Lower Elm Street. On Friday the 11th at 7:00pm and Sunday the 13th at 7:50pm “Favela Rising” (2005, Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary)screens their new 35mm print w/ co-director Jeff Zimbalist in attendance at the Academy of Music Theater, 274 Main Street. On Sunday the 13th at 5:00pm “Missing in America” (2005, Gabrielle Savage Dockterman) screens at the Academy of Music Theater, 274 Main Street. The festival information number is: 413-582-1832, check the festival web site to confirm screening times and venues, have fun!

Teenage content creators

A recently published report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project dated November 2, 2005 found that American teens are utilizing the interactive capabilities of the internet as they create and share their own media creations. Fully half of all teens and 57% of teens who use the internet could be considered content creators.

First look at the JVC GY-HD100U 24P HDV Camcorder

Thanks to the generosity of Marty Feldman at The Camera Company I was able to take the new JVC GY-HD100U 24P HDV Camcorder out for a spin. My first impressions are this is a very nice camcorder and considering it’s true 24P and has a real lens and pro camera ergonomics, it’s going to provide some lively competition in the HDV marketplace. Right now there is no straightforward way to ingest 24P into the Macintosh for editing in Final Cut Pro (Lumiere HD will be available soon), so I had to use the complicated technique I used with I first looked at the Sony FX1 camera. The images look pretty good, especially considering the price point. I’ve written an article on the camera that appears in the November issue of NewEnglandFilm.com.