Che and the Digital Cinema Revolution

I like where Steven Soderbergh talks of micro-level of filmmaking proficiency thanks to all the advances in technology, yet macro-level, there's a sense of loss in overall rhythm of a film or the structure from the beginning to the end. I agree that in the last process of editing is just soaking the whole film in, until you feel it's just right.

On Marketing Your Film

"End of the day, I didn't make the movie for a poster, but I made the movie so people could see it."

The New World of Distribution

NYT: Declaration of Indies: Just Sell It Yourself! "It might seem counterintuitive that D.I.Y. independents are borrowing a page from the George Lucas playbook. But only if you forget that Mr. Lucas is the most successful independent filmmaker in history. 20th Century Fox distributed the first “Star Wars,” yet Mr. Lucas kept the sequel and merchandising rights. “If I make money,” he said when the movie was released, “it will be from the toys.” The new generation of D.I.Y. filmmakers might not be pushing toys on their Web sites (though I’d like to see an Andrew Bujalski action figure), but they do peddle DVDs, posters, CDs, books and — much as Spike Lee did before them — are getting hip to selling themselves alongside their art."

Forget studio dollars and hustle for street dimes if you plan to go indie.

OK Go on Youtube videos

"So we’ve got this ridiculous situation where the machinery of the old system is frantically trying to contort and reshape and rewire itself to run without actually selling music."

Best illustrative letter on content/media businesses trying to adapt to selling (digital) bits instead of (physical) atoms.

the Colbert Report Weekly Recap

Another funny week means another fun edit. Enjoy.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Recap - Week of 1/11/10
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy

Inapproriate Acts of the Sarah Silverman Program

A recap of previous seasons of the Sarah Silverman Program before the new season kicks off next month. Had to revise due to FCC regulations, but it's done & out for your enjoyment.

The Sarah Silverman Program
Exclusive - Inappropriate Acts
www.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

George Lucas's Blockbusting

George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success is something completely out of left field, yet totally appropriate for a film geek like Mr. Lucas.

Starwars.com has more Inside George Lucas's Blockbusting.

"By setting successful films against each decade's major motion picture industry developments, George Lucas wanted to show that what has transformed the movie business is not the result of any individual film, but rather the result of technological advances and changes in production, distribution, marketing, and exhibition as well as changes in the social, political, and economic climate."

"Sound designer extraordinaire Randy Thom contributed an item when I needed some last minute text on technology for the 1960s chapter. Were it not for the CIA, who used the miniature recorders made by the Swiss company Nagra in their foreign spying operations, the larger portable Nagra recording system, used by filmmakers to more easily record sound on location, might never have been affordable to manufacture. Without these portable sound recording devices and smaller cameras, movies like Easy Rider might never have been made."

"Discovering, for example, that Walt Disney was the first to use Technicolor in commercial films and bet everything on his vision that a full-length, full-color animated movie based on the Grimm Brothers fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs would work in the 1930s, made me realize anew the difference one person can make to an entire industry."

The book also got a great blog.

the Colbert Report Weekly Recap

The very first the Colbert Report Weekly Recap of 2010 & in 16 x 9 HD formats. Enjoy & have a nice weekend.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Recap - Week of 1/4/10
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy

Orson Welles & Betacam

"Welles, long before most filmmakers, saw the powerful potential of small format video. Yet, he was perhaps 20 years too early to enjoy the real fruits of the video revolution in his own work."

Terrifying TV

Interview with Showrunner Ed Bernero. "We’re one of the most repeatable shows on television, we do almost the same numbers with our second and third run as we do with our first run, and it’s because the only place you can see us is on television. Because the two studios have never been able to agree on the sharing of the revenue, we’ve never been on line. You can’t download us, you can’t watch us on Hulu, you can’t watch us on anything but CBS... Our example should be, whoa, if you don’t put it online, people will watch it over and over on reruns. They will watch it on television. That’s our revenue stream."

"The relaxation of the fin-syn rules, where the networks could own shows, began the erosion of television viewership."

"We only program things that appeal to New York and Los Angeles and in many ways spit on the rest of the country... Let’s see if I can say this without ending my development career. It’s very female, development. Development staffs are almost all female. It’s not that easy to get a male skewed show through development."

"You don’t see loners anymore, you don’t see a Mannix or a Rockford Files or something where it’s a tough guy standing against the world. It doesn’t appeal to women... Women don’t really compete with their mothers; men compete with their fathers."

Fantastic interview about TV biz & running a hit show.

the Jeff Dunham Show Behind the Scenes

I "directed" and edited following 6 segments for the Jeff Dunham Show that premiered last fall on the Comedy Central. This was shot in HDCAM 1080 24p. Although it was mainly for the online promo, these were featured on a cable HD(!) VOD service, and may come as an extra feature for future DVD release of the show. I may find some time to write more details of making these clips in future.

The Jeff Dunham Show
Behind the Scenes - Achmed's First Adult Film
www.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

The Jeff Dunham Show
Behind the Scenes - Walter's Tech Minute
www.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

The Jeff Dunham Show
Behind the Scenes - Walter at the Psychiatrist
www.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

The Jeff Dunham Show
Behind the Scenes - Peanut's Allergies
www.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

The Jeff Dunham Show
Behind the Scenes - Bubba J's Guns
www.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

The Jeff Dunham Show
Behind the Scenes - Achmed the Dead Comedian
www.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

On the Netflix/WB Deal

According to John August, "When Netflix ships a disc of Corpse Bride, I get nothing. When Netflix ships those bits over the internet, Warners gets paid, and I get a few cents. That’s good."

The Future of Content Distribution

Happy New Year

I wish every visitor to this blog happy new year. I plan to update regularly as I have big plans for this blog, mainly moving to wordpress blogging tool.

My resolutions for this year are,

• Read a feature script every week.
• Finish my feature script for the Nicholl Fellowship Screenplay Competition.
• Read Final Cut Pro 7 & Color 1.5 manuals.
• Learn After Effect.
• Make an iPhone app/game.
• Write movie reviews for this blog.
• Write more scripts.

I wish you best for all your endeavors in 2010. Later.