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No Sales At Sundance
This morning the WSJ reported on the dismal outlook the independent film scene is facing. With many independent distributors out of business few sales took place at Sundance this year. John Sloss, the man who "virtually owns Sundance" (his own words) could not even sell his full slate of films.
Read my article to see where the independent film scene is going and why the death of Sundance is not such a bad thing. Thanks! This morning the WSJ reported on the dismal outlook the independent film scene is facing. With many independent distributors out of b... more -
Cigarettes in movies seen to cause teen smoking
Tobacco promotions and depictions of smoking in movies cause teenagers to start smoking, according to a sweeping report on tobacco in the media released on Thursday.
The report by the National Cancer Institute found the tobacco industry spent more than $13 billion on smoking-related advertising and promotion in 2005. These efforts boosted overall tobacco use, contradicting industry claims that they are intended to build brand loyalty.
"This is the first government report to present definitive conclusions that, number one, tobacco advertising and promotion are causally related to increased tobacco use in the population," said Dr. Ronald Davis, senior scientific editor of the report and past president of the American Medical Association.
Tobacco use remains the single-largest cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for more than 400,000 premature deaths each year. Tobacco promotions and depictions of smoking in movies cause teenagers to start smoking, according to a sweeping report on tobacco in ... more -
Hollywood actors and studios face disconnect
Three weeks after the expiration of their contract, the Screen Actors Guild and the studios appear to be living on different planets.
SAG says it's still negotiating; the studios say their final offer is languishing on the table. A weekend get-together of the actors union gave little indication that those worlds are getting any closer.
Leaders of SAG spent the weekend trying to convince members that they are still negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP), the studios' bargaining arm. The AMPTP, however, has rejected this interpretation, saying negotiations ended when the contract expired June 30 and the studios made their final offer. It has said it will not entertain any more bargaining sessions or counterproposals.
Although film production has slowed, SAG national executive director Doug Allen told about 450 members during a regularly scheduled meeting on Saturday that they were in a de facto lockout, not a de facto strike. And he pointed to a key sticking point in the AMPTP's offer -- emphasizing that SAG should have jurisdiction over all new-media productions, not just some.
Missing from the presentation, however, was any talk of the future of negotiations. No new dates have been set to sit down with the AMPTP's negotiating committee; no timeline about what to expect in coming weeks was mentioned. In fact, SAG leaders told the members they were unable to give specific details of the negotiations, the AMPTP's final offer or the union's counterproposal.
(Excerpt / Leslie Simmons, Reuters) Three weeks after the expiration of their contract, the Screen Actors Guild and the studios appear to be living on different planets. ... more -
Hollywood writers launch "Idol," reality TV protest
Hollywood writers on Wednesday launched a protest against U.S. television's No. 1 show, "American Idol," claiming the Fox network talent contest underpays workers and subjects them to sweatshop conditions.
The move by the Writers Guild of America underscores a long simmering feud between the trade union and producers of many reality TV programs, which unlike scripted dramas and comedies are not covered by WGA contracts.
The WGA claims that the companies making "American Idol" and similar shows force workers to toil nearly around the clock without overtime pay or benefits, in violation of California labor laws.
The union has since 2005 sought to represent reality show employees such as production assistants and editors, arguing that the work they do in creating scenarios and outlines for the shows is tantamount to a form of writing. Hollywood writers on Wednesday launched a protest against U.S. television's No. 1 show, "American Idol," claiming the F... more -
How Will Paramount Fund The Next Stark Trek Film?
Yesterday Paramount admitted to losing a $450 million financing deal with Deutsche Bank. Now they are saying they won't go to outside banks for funding. So how are they going to pay for the next Star Trek film? The release date was already pushed back from Christmas 2008 to May 9, 2009. Will we ever get to see a skinny Kirk in our lives again? Click on the link for the full story. Yesterday Paramount admitted to losing a $450 million financing deal with Deutsche Bank. Now they are saying they won't go to ou... more
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Frozen Film Festival Opening Night Bash
Somehow these guys didn't get into the San Francisco Chronicle's weekend guide, so I'm trying to get the word out that S.F.'s very own film festival (the Frozen Film Festival) is starting this week with an opening bash on Thursday at the Space Gallery. Come on down and support local independent filmmaking. Thanks! Somehow these guys didn't get into the San Francisco Chronicle's weekend guide, so I'm trying to get the word out that ... more
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Dreamworks to use Intel technology for 3-D movies
DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc plans to use chips from Intel Corp for the creation of 3-D movies, the companies said on Tuesday.
DreamWorks will use Intel's visual computing products for 3-D animated feature films starting with its "Monsters vs. Aliens" movie, set for domestic release on March 27, 2009, it said.
Intel, whose biggest rival is Advanced Micro Devices Inc, said it also plans to develop next-generation 3-D viewing technology for home theaters, personal computers, video games, online environments and mobile devices. DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc plans to use chips from Intel Corp for the creation of 3-D movies, the companies said on Tuesday. ... more -
Robert Rodriguez's ten minute film school
Before Robert Rodriguez was making millions per picture (and posing with Rose McGowan at award ceremonies) he had the dream of creating a low cost film school. He actually announced the creation of a film school (back in 1992) at the Sundance Film Festival. Winning the audience award at Sundance, however, sort of sidetracked that idea. But I was able to find a transcript from an early class session titled "Ten Minute Film School" in which Robert promised to teach you everything you needed to know about film in ten minutes. Click the URL link to read more! Before Robert Rodriguez was making millions per picture (and posing with Rose McGowan at award ceremonies) he had the dream of creatin... more
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Robert De Niro speaks out against actors strike
Robert De Niro has warned Hollywood actors against taking strike action over negotiating a new contract with studio bosses.
"I do not think it is a good time to be striking," said the 64-year-old actor, adding the issues "could be resolved" in years to come.
De Niro was speaking at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, where he won a career award.
The Screen Actors Guild is expected to respond to a new offer on Monday. Robert De Niro has warned Hollywood actors against taking strike action over negotiating a new contract with studio bosses. ... more -
How to write a Movie
Don't write excuse notes - Sympathy is like crack cocaine to industry execs. I've had at least one wonderful screenplay of mine maimed by a sympathy-skank. Yes, of course the audience have to relate to your characters, but they don't need to approve of them. If characters are going to do something bad, Hollywood wants you to build in an excuse note. If you look at Thelma and Louise, you'll see it's really just one long excuse note with 20 minutes of fun at the end. Don't write excuse notes - Sympathy is like crack cocaine to industry execs. I've had at least one wonderful screenplay of m... more
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Wayne Forster, Cinematographer: Online Gallery
Wayne Forster, talented DP of many feature films, national commercials, music videos and much more has posted some of his favorite work in an online gallery. This is a terrific resource for anyone looking for a great cinematographer, or fans of great motion picture images. Wayne Forster, talented DP of many feature films, national commercials, music videos and much more has posted some of his favorite wor... more
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Big-budget blah
MSN teams up with Blockbuster to sound off the 13 most overrated summer blockbusters, and two directors are awarded honorable mentions for their entire life's work... Can you guess who they are? MSN teams up with Blockbuster to sound off the 13 most overrated summer blockbusters, and two directors are awarded honorable mentions... more
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Hollywood's best-loved offensive stereotypes
Including! The Magic Negro, The Gay/Effeminate Psychopath, The Latina Maid, The Mighty Non-Whitey, The Wise Old Asian Asshole, and of course, The Cowardly/Incompetent Black Sidekick. Hit the link for Cracked's always life-affirming commentary. Including! The Magic Negro, The Gay/Effeminate Psychopath, The Latina Maid, The Mighty Non-Whitey, The Wise Old Asian Asshole, and of... more
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The ebb and flow of movies
Even box offices experience tides, with summer blockbusters and Oscar buzz making up the bulk of revenue each year. The New York Times has put together this cool visual to illustrate how well movies from 1987 to 2007 did, adjusted for inflation.
Click the link to see the interactive chart. Even box offices experience tides, with summer blockbusters and Oscar buzz making up the bulk of revenue each year. The New York Times... more -
Scribes of Bollywood
Bollywood needs screenwriters too. To think people in Hollywood have it tough.
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Apatow Says Writers' Strike is Looking 'Superbad'
Entertainment Weeklys #1 smartest Hollywood player, Judd Apatow, says it doesnt look good for an end to the writers strike any time soon. The well-connected catalyst behind hits like Knocked Up has told the Toronto Star that the studios and producers are prepared to dig in and crush the unions demand for payment for Internet downloads and movie streaming, which are expected to become a big part of the industry in the coming years. Entertainment Weeklys #1 smartest Hollywood player, Judd Apatow, says it doesnt look good for an end to the writers strike any ... more
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Diablo Cody - Climbing the Stripper Pole to Stardom
If you are a fan of the indie version of the human drama, it would be tough to top the one about the plucky Midwestern girl who used a stripper pole to shimmy her way up and out of a drab office cubicle and grab her piece of the Hollywood dream.
A few years ago, Brook Busey-Hunt was typing copy at a Minneapolis advertising agency and walked by the Skyway Lounge, a skeevy strip bar where desiccated women grind out a living a dollar at a time. Good Catholic girl that she was, Busey-Hunt saw an ad for amateur night and had a naughty epiphany. And the rest is, well, a stage name, a blog, a book and a screenwriting career.
Now named Diablo Cody, she wrote a screenplay that became "Juno," a film directed by Jason Reitman set for release in the United States and parts of Europe and Latin America throughout the winter. The story of a maniacally verbal 16-year-old girl who becomes pregnant and decides to give the baby to a childless couple, "Juno" is on most every short list for an Oscar for original screenplay.
Sitting recently at the Rainbow, a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles draped in rock history, Cody, 29, did not pretend that her life was anything other than a fairy tale, albeit one where the role of the glass slippers is played by a pair of stripper's stilettos.
"You make this really unexpected, half-cocked decision and all of a sudden it creates this weird energy that turns into something else," she said during lunch. A self-described geek who had led a very insular life, she said that getting naked for strangers was her version of self-improvement, a way of transgressing her upbringing and opening up other doors. Unlike many strippers, Cody is a crisscross of tattoos and post-punk fashion, sort of Suicide Girl meets Riot Grrrl.
YES! I love her! If you are a fan of the indie version of the human drama, it would be tough to top the one about the plucky Midwestern girl who used a... more -
Julia Roberts Chases Down Paparazzi
Hollywood icon Julia Roberts angrily gave chase to a car carrying paparazzi photographers after spotting them filming her near a school, reports said Thursday.
The actress raced after the photographers in her Mercedes sports utility vehicle, blasting them with her horn and gesturing the lensmen to pull over, in footage broadcast by syndicated television show "Inside Edition." Hollywood icon Julia Roberts angrily gave chase to a car carrying paparazzi photographers after spotting them filming her near a schoo... more -
Found in LA - LOST JOB
A decidedly different take on the Writers' Strike.
I quite like the cheeky sense of humor. Pretty impressive for someone who just lost their job! A decidedly different take on the Writers' Strike. ... more -
It's the Studio's Fault
.. Alec Baldwin tells 'em like it is.
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