filmmaker blogs

ERIC ESCOBAR FROM NAB: WE ARE ALL GEEKS NOW

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:27:41 -0400

Understanding the digital cinema technology space is a very important for someone making movies in 2010. I think it's as important as reading trade publications, movie biz websites and entertainment blogs.

From the very low-end like the GoPro (semi-disposable HD camera) to the very high-end like the Sony F35 (S35mm sized sensor wrapped in Sony goodness), all modes and phases of film production/ post-production are solidly, irreversibly, anchored in digital technology. Further, NAB 2010 signaled the end of physical media like tape for nearly ever phase of production/post except for archiving. We don't shoot footage to tape, we shoot files to cards, or streams to storage.

The technical work of making a movie has been decoupled from the factory floor of big studio filmmaking. When you're lighting a set to 10 foot candles, rather than 500, you need a few low power lights, so who needs an army to move gear around anymore? When your editor is in NYC, your sound mixer in New Orleans and Colorist is in San Francisco, and everyone is in their apartments working on Macs, chatting over Skype, who needs the costly overhead of post house?

ALEXA AND EPIC: A NEW ERA IN DIGITAL CINEMA PRODUCTION

The Arri Alexa and the RED Epic, are two low-cost digital cinema cameras that you will shoot your "film" with and no one will be able to tell that it's not 35mm. Further, you'll be shooting your cinematic images using only available light. The sensors in both the ARRI ALEXA (http://prepshootpost.blogspot.com/2010/04/nab-2010-report-4.html) and the RED EPIC are engineered to capture a noiseless image from 200 to 1000 ASA. In the case of the ARRI, you get the exact same number of stops (latitude) at each ASA rating. While their maximum spatial resolutions differ (the Alexa is 2K, and the Epic is 5K), both create jaw dropping images indistinguishable to everyone but a few engineers from 35mm film. Both cameras are physically small, both can use a wide variety of cinema lenses, and both are ergonomically designed for motion picture production (unlike the HD video capable DSLRs like the Canon 5D).

Right now, the Alexa makes a very compelling argument for your next camera for your next film because, unlike the Epic, they actually exist (cost around $US60K), and they shoot to ProRes 444 right on to an SxS card, the cheap little cards you put in a Sony Camcorder. This means you can shoot a movie at 2K resolution with 14 stops of latitude on to a handful of inexpensive cards. Then you can pop those cards into your MacBook Pro, edit your movie in Final Cut and then color grade in your $US995 copy of DaVinci Resolve (see below).

HOLLYWOOD IS BETTING THE HOUSE ON STEREO 3D

We have already seen the bump in ticket prices this year for seeing a film in stereo 3D (S3D), and there are at least 200 more S3D movies in various stages of production right now. TV (cable, direct satellite and broadcast) and DVD sales (BluRay) are betting that they can protect their investments, market share and control of the business models (ads, service subscriptions and sales of units) that have made them buckets of money for the last few decades. By offering a new content stream that is difficult to put on-line, pirate or can easily be replicated in an independent art house theater, the big money is hoping to maintain it's economic dominance through technological barriers.

28 million TVs are sold every year in the US, in good times or bad, it's a pretty static number. The fact that TVs need to be replaced means that your next TV will most likely be S3D capable. The manufacturer will charge you a little more for a 3D feature on a TV that does great 2D, and slowly, very slowly more and more 3D content will become available for home viewing. Cable companies will try and charge you extra for it, 3D BluRays will cost you more than 2D, Direct Satellite companies will make you pay through the nose to see special sporting events in 3D and advertisers will be charged a premium to have their 3D commercial play during 3D content.

But this assumes that you are going to keep buying televisions, DVDs and subscribing to cable. Have you seen the iPad?

INEXPENSIVE 4K PROJECTORS ARE MORE RELEVANT THAN STEREO 3D

All you have to do is stand in front of a 4K digitally projected image to realize that an audience doesn't need a stereo 3D experience to be immersed in an image. http://www.werigi.com/news.html IGI sells 4K projection systems for less than $US80K, for that kind of price, independent movie theaters, and smaller chains, can quickly add cinema quality digital projection. This has already started with a deal between Sony and Regal cinemas. As independent producers, we can expect an expansion of services (and competition) like Landmark's Truly Indie (http://www.trulyindie.com/ti/theatres.html). This could create the ability for independent producers to affordably roll out a highly targeted national release for a film without ever having to strike a single 35mm release print. A movie never finds it's way on to film.

This is what happened on the latest film from Bradley Rust Grey, "The Exploding Girl" http://www.oscilloscope.net/shop/view_film.php?ID=20&r=gallery it's a feature film shot on the RED, edited by the director, and EP'd by Josh and Jason Diamond http://www.mbsproductions.com/ who own two REDs and a post house in NYC. The film is already in national theatrical release with a (2K) digital "print". It's a matter of when, not if, all but a few speciality independent films will be distributed this way, even if they originate on 35mm film. And after the theatrical run, with options like NetFlix Instant Watch, independent films will be available for immediate viewing on computers, PS3s, xBoxes, and internet enabled TVs.

Inexpensive 4K projection also opens up the possibility of non-traditional theatrical venues like cafes, community centers, and an end to film festivals using a cheap business LCD projector in a school library to showcase your hard work.

A DAVINCI IN EVERY GARAGE

Ok, not a program that's kind of a color grading app like DaVinci, or has some cool DaVinci-like features, but a full frickin' seat of DaVinci Resolve, running on your Macintosh for $US995. That's crazy! And it was totally hoped for when BlackMagic bought the company, but no one really thought they'd do that. We thought, sure, maybe DaVinciLite, maybe lower-cost workstations. But no, BlackMagic went and gave it away, and we rejoiced. Look for a proliferation of people offering DaVinci color grading services; just don't let them charge you a thousand bucks an hour. Combine the cheap copy of DaVinci with a tricked out Mac, a Tangent Wave Control Panel and grade quality LCD from Flanders Scientific http://www.flandersscientific.com/index/lm2470w and you have yourself a cinema quality grading suite for less than $US18K. (http://prepshootpost.blogspot.com/2010/04/nab-report-02-davinci-resolve-on-your.html)

ADOBE CS5

Having used all of the Adobe Creative Suite apps since they were 1.0, and some weren't even Adobe then, a new rev of a suite always starts off with such great anticipation, only to be, at best mildly impressed with some new features or horribly disappointed with new bugs and broken workflows. This is not the case with CS5, this is the best release ever from Adobe, a huge new set of features like a full 64bit performance and a new video playback engine. Using CS5 is like getting a free hardware upgrade in your computer. Much has been said about the RotoBrush feature in After Effects, which promises to make Rotoscoping a thing of the past. I didn't actually get to try that feature out, it looks impressive, but I'll reserve judgment until I am in the middle of an impossible shot and see what it can do.

THE FOUNDRY IS AN IMPORTANT COMPANY TO FOLLOW

For most of us in the world of VFX, we already know of The Foundry as the company that makes Nuke, an amazingly affordable, well designed and responsive compositing and VFX suite. Soon everyone in the professional production and post world will know who they are as they come to rely more and more on the tools they create. If you're not already incorporating VFX into your projects, you soon will be, especially in the places you least expect it.

The Foundry was giving one-on-one demos of a new set of tools they are developing called Storm, I got to see it and I was more impressed by a pre 1.0 of software, than of plenty of updates to mature products. While what they are developing is going to be amazingly useful for both studio and independent filmmakers, what was more noteworthy, I think, was their process of inclusion. I have worked both as a filmmaker and in filmmaking software development for the last decade, and I have never seen the kind of relationship that The Foundry has developed with it's users. The Foundry was there not only to show filmmakers what it's working on, but they were using it as an opportunity to find out exactly how we use their tools (and others), what kinds of workflows were implementing and what are we having to work around. It's this free flow of contact, level of openness, and commitment to create useful features, not just a lengthy "feature list" that makes it an incredibly important company to watch in the next couple of years.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

I have been @ericKontent on Twitter for the last year or so. I have about 500 people following me, a few dozen I talk with on a weekly basis, all folks working in the production/ post world. I really had no idea just how real and solid of a community this is until we all started recognizing each other in the meatspace of the convention center. It just kind of crept up, but all those casual 140 character comments has expanded my list of colleagues and collaborators way beyond the SF Bay Area to include people all over the world.

There's so much more....

Film Independent Directors and Writers Lab fellow Eric Escobar is a San Francisco based digital filmmaker. His films have screened in the US and internationally. In 2005 his short film, One Weekend A Month, won an honorable mention in short filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival. In addition to making films, Eric has worked in filmmaking software development at Apple Inc., and Adobe Systems. Currently, Eric is working in a directors' collective called Kontent Films, where he directs commercials, his own original work, helps develop tools for filmmakers and blogs extensively.

FIND Fellow Eric Escobar Reports from NAB

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:55:27 -0400

The 2010 NAB Show is gigantic. Not just the gear fetish showcase that is the exhibition floor, rather it's the dozens and dozens of sessions, keynotes, and workshops. These talks range from the very arcane and specific, like the issues with subtitles on a stereo 3D movie to the more fun-loving and specific, like how to get JJ Abrams to stop tinkering with the edit on Star Trek.

Like Las Vegas itself, NAB exists on a ludicrous scale. There is just way too much here for one person to navigate. Instead, you flip through the catalog and strike a balance between the issues you don't want to think about, but know you're going to face in the upcoming year (I'll most likely deal with Stereo 3D), with the fun stuff that has no bearing on my life (like solutions when with working with JJ). I keep the swag collection to a minimum since I'll be walking pretty much non-stop, and try to see friends and colleagues.

As independent filmmakers, we are technical artists, and like it or not, our craft has been hitched to the most rapidly changing set of technologies in history. NAB is the place where you can find out what new device you'll be pointing at your actors and what your audiences will be watching them on a year from now. As I blog from the conference and the exhibits, I will do my best to write about what strikes me as interesting from your perspective...the perspective of an indie filmmaker.

STEREO 3D WILL SAVE AMERICA?

A lot has already been written about Stereo 3D production and exhibition as the big theme of NAB 2010. And it's true, there were a lot, A LOT, of manufactures with gigantor-franken-cameras designed for S3D production. There was no shortage of 3D monitoring solutions and everyone walked around with a pair of Real 3D glasses in their pockets...mostly to avoid picking up pink eye from a public pair. There were ample sessions with speakers proclaiming S3D will save the traditional models of theatrical, cable, event, and (BluRay) DVD distribution/exhibition. I am not one to predict the future, but there are sure a lot of companies taking a huge gamble on the idea that everyone in the country wants to watch movies, TV, and play games with glasses on their faces. A huge gamble. I guess that's why they hold NAB in Las Vegas.

OVER THE TOP (OTT) IS WHAT CONSUMERS WANT, AND TELCOS FEAR...

...at the same time large media access providers (like Comcast) were talking about strategies for letting customers watch TV and movies over the internet while still paying their monthly cable bill -- a sort of negotiated stand-off with consumers. Customers are growing very unhappy with the entire concept of regularly scheduled programming. There was a palpable sense that every stake holder knows that content via OTT is the inevitable conclusion, biggest consumer expectation and a real pain-in-the ass for an advertising based revenue model. OTT is a question of when, not if.

BIGGEST LITTLE TREND - US!

But I don't think, in the short or long run, these will be the big stories from NAB 2010. While this may be due to the particular rim of the soup bowl in which I swim, but this year felt like the year that the gadget-nerds, the digitally oriented producers, and the No Budget Filmmakers took over the agenda and the tech.

GADGETS. GADGETS. GADGETS.

2010 is the year that DaVinci gave away it's flagship Color Grading tool, Resolve, for $995 -- or roughly the cost of renting one hour in a DaVinci suite a year ago. Why? Because the company was bought by BlackMagic -- the folks that thought Aja products were priced too high, so they made their own company building cards that did mostly the same thing for way less money. They know there are more independent media makers buying gear than high-end post houses.

The Arri Alexa is a beautiful camera. And if I had an extra $US60K, I could have walked away with one of them, they were for sale at the show. It is a digital cinema camera made by a cinema camera company, and the build quality is exquisite. The camera shoots noiselessly between 200 and 1000ASA with about 13-14 stops of latitude. It shoots to ProRes both 422HQ and 444 on to SxS cards, or it can send a RAW image stream out via SDI to a recorder/codec of your choice. The images Alexa produces are stunning, by far the cleanest, sharpest images I have seen from a digital cinema camera so far. It was a bold and brilliant move for Arri to produce a professional grade digital cinema camera system that 1) shoots a 2K image (from a 3K sensor) to 2) codecs that are ready to edit and grade with no transcoding and 3) has an ASA rating so sensitive that you can light a movie with a table lamp.

I am really looking forward to seeing what RED has to say about delivery dates on the EPIC, but they better act soon, because the rental market will be flooded with Alexas by the Summer.

I have so much more to write and post, and will in the next few days about all the indie-friendly gear, the sea change that is Adobe CS5, and offerings from The Foundry and RedGiant. And I am still trying to make sense of just how much social networking apps and handheld devices have dramatically impacted the way we build relationships, create community and communicate in this business - there were some serious Twitter "dude" moments these last few days.

FORUM BLOG: Writer & Director David Branin reviews the Filmmaker Forum

maint — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:42:49 -0400

I really feel blessed to have had the opportunity to attend this past weekend's FIND Filmmaker Forum. The event was packed with great panel discussions. I was able to attend "Following the Money Trail," "Sweet and Low Budget," "Cultivating Your Audience," "Has the Dust Settled," "The International Market Place," and "New Uses for Film Festivals." Here's the full schedule with all of the panelists http://www.filmindependent.org/empower/schedule_and_topics2009.php

The forum certainly has my mind stimulated. I would love to be able to attend an event like this every month. To be able to soak up the ideas, to stretch my mind...

I will admit that the environment is intimidating. I was exposed to a lot of bright and passionate people. These folks love film. They live and breathe the business of film. Each night I returned home feeling somewhat inadequate. It can actually be kind of depressing. It is fierce and it is competitive. Maybe I should say ultra-competitive. The film business is not for the feint of heart. At the same time it is inspiring to see so many people who live and die the film business.

With that, let me put together a few of my insights gathered and/or crystalized from this weekend.

1) Make no mistake, this is the film business. Very little talk of making artistic films. The collective mindset was on creative, original works that make money.

2) "Drama" is not an attractive word when selling your film. Of course they still sell, but if you can be creative in categorizing your film...and not using the word drama, you may be better off.

3) This next point is something I mentioned on my Film Courage radio show this morning. I've always had it in the back of my mind that I would have to chase down distributors, gatekeepers, key decision makers at studios, etc. There was kind of a throw-away comment by one of the panelists where he stated that without you really hunting them down, at some point key decision makers will see your film. It was just something that really stood out to me. The film world is really a small community. Movers and shakers in the industry love film and they all know their business. Bottom line, don't worry about the critical people seeing your film. If it is a stand-out film and if you focus on getting it to your audience, eventually the machine will find you.

4) The decline of the US economy and the decline in the DVD market means less money to talent as costs are slashed. Actors are seeing their salaries reduced.

5) Self-distribution is not viewed as an ugly step-child. In many cases, it offers the best opportunity for lower budgeted films to make their money back.

6) Right now the 2 million dollar to 10 million dollar picture is dead. In most cases, there is not a viable way to make this money back in today's market.

7) Lots of buzzing about "Paranormal Activity." Not so much the film itself, just the marketing and buzz swirling around it right now.

8) There is certainly a break in the film distribution model. Everyone is trying to figure out what the new model is going to be. There are so many factors that go into this. Piracy, windows of time from theatrical to VOD to DVD, amount of films in marketplace, social networking, Netflix, TV, etc.

9) Newspapers are in big trouble. How long will it be before Movie Studios stop paying for full page movie ads in newspapers? With the shift from newspaper reading to the internet, does it make sense to dump money into the costly newspaper ads? By the way, those Full Page movie ads are a significant part of any newspaper company's budget.

10) Thumb factor. We are entering a new era where many movies can be made or broken through a twitter posting or text message seconds after walking out of a screening. That's pretty scary.

11) It was wild to hear Director Arin Crumley touch upon what I was writing in my last blog. The idea that many of us independent filmmakers could sustain ourselves with an audience/fan base of 1000 people. In my last blog I wrote that I am working on building a fan base of 7500. Of course my goal is higher than 1000 but the core idea is the same. Of course I have no where near 1000 fans so maybe I should start there first. : )

12) My Film Courage radio show has yet to make an impact in the independent world. Not one person came up to either Karen and I regarding our show. Though this isn't anything to complain about. Though on the bright side, our show is gaining in popularity. We are currently averaging over 500 page visits per week. This is a nice jump from averaging 50 page visits a week when we started.

13) Lastly I want to leave you with the main thought I take away. To me the main through-line to the whole weekend is that it comes down to identifying and building your audience. Underneath it all, no matter which part of filmmaking you are talking about, it boils down to audience. Who's going to see the film, how are they going to see it, why are they going to see it?

I would love to get some of your reactions to some of the points I have posted here. Do you have anything to add? Anything you disagree with?

Read David Branin's blog

About Film Courage:

Writer/Director David Branin grew up near Hartford, Connecticut. Raised by a single deaf mother, he picked up her skill of observing and reading people. It wasn’t until his college career was almost over that the dream of making a major motion-picture burst into his head. David and three of his closest friends wrote an original screenplay together and moved to Los Angeles in 2000 to pursue their own Hollywood ending. His pursuit of that dream continues to this day.

He is the Director/Writer/Producer of Night Before the Wedding and Co-Host of Film Courage.

His work has been seen by millions online. His short films, Shoot-Out and Honey, I'm Home have garnered the most acclaim, having combined to screen in over 40 international film festivals while winning their share of awards.

Learn more about Branin and Film Courage at http://www.latalkradio.com/Film.php

FORUM BLOG: Writer & Director Tony Alexander Arias reviews the Filmmaker Forum

maint — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:34:25 -0400

Filmmaker Forum 2009

This past weekend I attended the 2009 Filmmaker Forum, an examination of the ever changing face of independent film hosted by Film Independent. What follows is a fuzzy recounting of my weekend.

Saturday

Saturday’s highlights were:

1) Linda Lichter. As a panelist, she was frank and honest and always cut through the bulls**t. She also always reminded the other panelist that while their version of indie was a $5 million film with Luke Wilson, most of us were making films for less than a million, often less than a $100k. Linda, if you’re reading this, I want to tell you that you’re a rock star (too bad I already have an awesome lawyer).

2) Peter Broderick. While every other panel should have been titled “why indie film sucks and it’ll only get harder for you” Peter actually brought us hope and inspiration. He told us that we can still make our films and find an audience. Is it harder than ever? Yes, of course, but the tools are there for us to shape our destiny. Thanks, Peter.

3) Lizzie Gillett. First, she crowd-funded a documentary. Second, she had a virtual world premiere where both Moby and Thom Yorke played. Third, she appeared via Skype from the UK. Fourth, I think she’s really cute and she might be single.

4) Richard Klubeck. If he quits the industry, NPR should pick him up. He has a great radio voice.

5) Ron Yerxa. Did a great job moderating a panel plus he was impeccably dressed. As the weekend progressed I realized he wears the same uniform but I still give him points for trying.

Sunday

I was a bit more out of it this day. I’ll get into that in a bit but here were my highlights

1) “Distribution Case Studies”, “Day & Date: Three Years and Counting” and “New Uses for Film Festivals” panels. These were lively panels and I actually knew two of the panelists (Steak House & Jon Reiss). During each discussion, panelists started interrupting each other, correcting each other, throwing down. In short, it was the perfect kick in the ass to a sleepy Sunday.

2) The following quote constitutes a highlight: “international pre-sales for indies aren’t dead. You bring me an action thriller with Jason Statham and I’ll get you a ton of money out of Germany.” BTW, that was said sincerely and with a straight face.

3) Finally using hash tags in Twitter. I still don’t really understand them (Marsha Collier explained them enough to me so that I’m no longer in the dark) but I started using them and suddenly I saw some of the power and scope of Twitter.

4) Seeing my friend Abby and getting to wish her a happy birthday in person.

Meetings

The big difference for me this year versus previous years are the meetings I’d set up. If you read my earlier post, you know I had meetings with a distributor, a CE, an agent and a consultant. So active/charming/fearless was I that I also met with three managers and one more agent. Almost every meeting went well. Sure, not all meetings ended with “send me your stuff”, how could they when, say for example, you only rep directors with Canadian passports, but four of them ended with “send me your stuff.”

Let me repeat: I impressed 4 people enough for them to ask me to send my stuff their way. Will they read/watch my stuff? Probably not; that’ll get farmed out to an assistant or intern, but I got my toe jammed into four doors and I call that a major f**king accomplishment.

Time to rest.

(Ha! Yeah, right. I wish.)

Read Tony's blog

About Tony Alexander Arias:

Born, bred and raised in Hollywood. I am a director. I am a writer. I am documenting the process in blog form. Be sure to check out my posts at CinematicArias.com and visit my website at AriasFilms.com to learn more about me or feel free to drop me a line at info[at]ariasfilms[dot]com.

INDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: Why is this filmmaking thing so freakin’ complicated?

ccohagan — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:19:22 -0400

A: As I’m struggling to make a DVD from final cut pro, I decided there are a lot of things about filmmaking that really could be much easier if someone sat down and thought about how to fix them...things that really should be accomplished with the click of one button.

I will call this the One Button Theory.

I thought someone should make a list of these things. And since I’m sitting here watching a little blue line move slowly across my computer screen, I thought that person might as well be me.

The One Button List:

(in no particular order)

Make DVD
Make DVD Look Pretty
Make DVD Stand Out (among thousands of other DVDs)
Erase Background Noise
Quiet on the Set
Make Actors Psychic
Silence Dogs, Lawnmowers, and Trucks
Applause (in real life)
Fund Film
Finish Script
Feel Awake
Feel Sleepy
Submit Film to All Film Festivals
Sort Clips into Decent Film
Sync Sound
Sell Movie
Recover Lost Files
Render Faster
Delete Pixels
Make Film Better
Make Dialogue Sound Natural
Reveal Cupcakes
Free Stuff
Understand How Much Someone is Willing to Pay
Understand How Little Someone is Willing to Charge
Talk People Into Stuff
Make HDV Look Better Than Film
Make People Think Trade is Better Than Cash
Extend Deadline
Find Brilliant Concept
Pack House
Promote Film
Make Poster
Win Awards
Make Contacts
Research
Say the Right Thing
Reduce Film Run Time
Find Agent
Make Name Actors Read Scripts
Build Website
Distribute Flyers
Line Deals Up
Arrange Meetings
Make DVD

I’m sure you all have more.

Send ‘em over.

On my way to the Sidewalk Film Festival this weekend! I’ve seen some amazing documentaries all week for the jury, can’t wait to see the rest! Come find me if you have a film there!

Follow me on Twitter people! www.Twitter.com/heidivanlier

*Please send all your questions to heidi@indiefilmrulebook.com. If I can, I will try and answer them in this blog. Otherwise, buy my book (www.lulu.com/indiefilmrulebook) and once you’ve read it you can use your email access to send me more questions that I will answer in a private email.

Heidi Van Lier is an indie filmmaker living in Los Angeles. She has made 3 feature films, “Chi Girl” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Slamdance Film Festival, “Monday” which screened as a special screening at the Slamdance Film Festival, and “American Decaf” which will make the festival rounds soon. Heidi now programs for the Slamdance Film Festival, produces and directs Slamdance TV (Slamdance.com click Slamdance TV) during the festival, and continues to counsel 10-15 filmmakers about festival strategy every year. Her new book The Indie Film Rule Book is available at lulu.com and is a strategic guide for indie filmmakers. Go buy one now!

SPECIALINDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: Where is indie film REALLY headed & what do we all need to remember to get there?

ccohagan — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:09:55 -0400

A: A few years ago I went to the Orange County High School of the Arts to screen my first two films and speak to the students about all things indie.

All the kids were smart, inquisitive, and eager to make their films, but one student stood out beyond the rest. Her name was Whitney Ellis, and she had already accomplished things in high school that many filmmakers never even understand. She asked the smartest questions, took notes, and it was clear that she was going somewhere, and she was only a junior!

Every so often I would think of her, wonder where she'd wound up, what she was working on, and when she'd be running a studio or something so she could freakin' hire me.

Well, guess what, I've tracked her down studying in London and sent her this little interview to see what she's up to, what she hopes to do and how she plans to do it. And maybe remind us, during this first week back to school, that we all need to keep learning, and at the same time jump in and do things we want to like we're fresh out of high school.

HEIDI: Hi Whitney! So glad to finally get in touch with you. Wanted to start by saying that you are the definition of "Go-Getter", could you tell us a little bit about your background, and how and why you ended up at Orange County High School of the Arts?

WHITNEY: First of all, thank you so much for thinking of me and getting in touch! In terms of my background, my parents were very instrumental in introducing my siblings and I to the arts. They showed us all types of films from whatever was at the local Cineplex to obscure foreign and independent films, and were constantly taking us to museums and playing a wide variety of music around the house.

My mom found out that the Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA) was starting a junior high program. I was fortunate to be accepted into all of the programs I applied for, and ultimately chose to go into the Music & Theater program to pursue acting. In the middle of my sophomore year in high school, I applied and got into the Film & Television department in order to explore directing, writing and producing more.

HEIDI: Please explain what your M.O. was in high school, who you worked with, people who inspired you, and how you maybe got to be so assertive.

WHITNEY: Growing up I learned not to be dependent on others and to make my own opportunities. Being starved of an artistic outlet at Catholic School (1^st through 6^th grade) made me appreciate going to a public performing arts school that much more. I soaked everything in as much as I could. I became incredibly involved at school, from performing in the annual Shakespeare productions to being Student Body President, Valedictorian and helping to create OCHSA's first Student Congress.

I started becoming interested in acting when I was in kindergarten, so I saved up my money and bought "How to Get An Agent" through the Scholastic Book Club. From then on, I did as much acting as I could, performing in plays and taking classes at South Coast Repertory. It wasn't until the eighth grade that I became interested in making films. However, I didn't know where to begin.

While in the Music & Theater department at OCHSA, I created the Film Club for Non-Film Majors and asked one of the Film & Television department teachers, Chris Salazar, to be our advisor. We borrowed Canon XL-1 cameras from the Film & TV department (even though we weren't their official students) and made movies on weekends learning from trial and error. As our films had very limited or non-existent budgets, we would find crazy ways of getting the shots we had envisioned. So crazy that we wrapped a Canon XL-1 in a garbage bag and put it in an empty submerged fish tank in order to get an underwater shot in the pool at three in the morning when my parents were out of town. Our methods were not always the smartest or the safest, but we definitely learned from experience.

HEIDI: When we met, you had just started your work with the Newport Beach Film Festival, could you explain how you got involved with them and why?

WHITNEY: After I had been making movies for a while in high school, I began to look for venues to screen them in. I submitted my films in film festivals all over the world and many of them were accepted and screened. I noticed, however, that there were few film festivals that highlighted work made by young people. The summer before my junior year in high school when I was 16, I found the e-mail address for the CEO of the Newport Beach Film Festival on the website and sent him a proposal to start a program of the festival for films made by people eighteen years of age and younger. He wrote back and scheduled a meeting with me at the local Starbucks. He couldn't believe a high school kid wrote him the proposal and was a bit skeptical of my plan at first, but challenged me to find funding, create a group of programmers as well as get film submissions from youth all over the world. I took him up on the challenge.

First thing I needed to do was to find funding. I thought about who the target market was and what company would benefit from being associated with an event for young, creative people. Volcom Clothing, the surfwear company, seemed like a good match for several reasons. Not only did they have an edgy image, but they also were a local-based company in Costa Mesa. I wrote the CEO, Richard Woolcott, a proposal, and they came on board as our sponsor for the first Newport Beach Film Festival Youth Division. I then assembled a group of other high school kids from all over to be the motley crew that screened all of the film submissions, publicized the showcase, secured the theater and put on the after party.

The Newport Beach Youth Division was a success thanks to all of the wonderful people that made it possible. We were given the nod to continue the Youth Division the following year. I then wrote a letter and got help cutting a promotional video for the Youth Division to send to Will Ferrell asking him to be our Honorary Chair and introduce the showcase. A friend of mine was kind enough to pass on my proposal and promo video to Mr. Ferrell. A few months later, he graciously accepted the position of Honorary Chair of the Newport Beach Film Festival Youth Division and introduced the showcase to a packed movie theater. The Youth Division has since continued to go on as a venue run by the youth to showcase films made by the youth.

HEIDI: After you graduated from high school, what did you hope to accomplish, and how did you go about doing that?

WHITNEY: I hoped to continue my quest to learn as much as possible and take and make every opportunity I could. My freshman year at UCLA, I was overwhelmed with the possibilities and what was available there. I wanted to take advantage of everything! I tried my hand at curating by chairing the UCLA Student Advisory Committee which planned and executed events at the Hammer Museum. We curated an art show and a film festival at the Billy Wilder Theater.

In my free time, I would also try to go to weekly film screenings on campus. I would go, not only to enjoy the free films, but to also learn from the filmmakers who did the Q&A sessions afterwards. One night, they screened Little Children and the producers, Ron Yerxa and Albert Berger answered questions. I admired their previous work, Election, Cold Mountain, Pumpkin, etc. and approached them for an internship. I have since interned with them for about three years, during which time they made Little Miss Sunshine, Hamlet 2 and Baster. As in high school, I realized the importance of mentors. Being around them and observing how they deal with people has been an education in and of itself. Albert and Ron make people feel valued and appreciated no matter what their role is, which makes them a joy to work with. These are the kind of important real life lessons that they don't teach you in college.

I have continued to associate myself with people I respect in the hope of learning something new. I recently apprenticed with the theater director Peter Sellars on his and John Adams' opera A Flowering Tree at Lincoln Center in New York City. No other word could describe my experience but sublime.

I became involved with Shakespeare UCLA in my freshman and sophomore year. I acted in several of their productions and those in the theatre department as well. Last spring I directed my first Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet, which I set in East and West Berlin right before the fall of the Berlin Wall. In terms of acting in films, I've been fortunate enough to have had several opportunities to be in student films and have recently gotten a manager.

HEIDI: How has OCSHA prepared you for your move to acting and life in front of the camera?

WHITNEY: I've always been a very competitive person and I'm lucky enough to have a lot of energy. I work for days on end without sleep and sometimes without food. It's not too healthy, but while at OCHSA, we attended classes from 8am to 5pm. Any student government, rehearsals, performances and studying had to be done between 5pm and 8am. Time management was essential. There wasn't a lot of time for playing around. I also discovered that I absolutely love the collaborative effort. There's nothing more fulfilling than working hard with people you respect and care for and "birthing" something beautiful. Acting in a film or play presents me with this opportunity every time. The added bonus is that I get to learn all the other parts that go into a production and am inspired by and appreciate all of them.

HEIDI: Is there anything you weren't told about life in the "real" film world that you wish someone had mentioned?

WHITNEY: Rejection.

HEIDI: Do you think there's a reason why you're outgoing, even at such an early age, while others can be crippled by fear of reaching out for their filmmaking goals?

WHITNEY: That sounds like something from Albert Brooks' Defending Your Life, that the character played by Meryl Streep might say. I guess that's just the way they made me in the Baby Factory. I think that I'm just a weird mixture of feeling secure and insecure at the same time. I really believe I have something to offer but at the same time, I need approval.

HEIDI: What do you hope to do in the future? Where are you headed? And is there a job in it for me?

WHITNEY: Answers:

Acting in theater, movies and TV, directing and producing.
In that direction.
Yes!

HEIDI: If not, can I please cast you in my next film?

WHITNEY: YES!

See what I mean? She's going to be running this town in like less than 5 years. Oh, and I think I'm old enough to be her mother.

Whitney serves as a reminder for us to keep pushing, learning, and working, ALWAYS . . . even while we're finishing up this round of films.

Follow me on Twitter, people! I'm off to the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham! See you there!

(Feel free to contact Whitney at frickinwhit@hotmail.com)

*Please send all your questions to heidi@indiefilmrulebook.com. If I can, I will try and answer them in this blog. Otherwise, buy my book (www.lulu.com/indiefilmrulebook) and once you've read it you can use your email access to send me more questions that I will answer in a private email.

www.twitter.com/heidivanlier

Heidi Van Lier is an indie filmmaker living in Los Angeles. She has made 3 feature films, "Chi Girl" which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Slamdance Film Festival, "Monday" which screened as a special screening at the Slamdance Film Festival, and "American Decaf" which will make the festival rounds soon. Heidi now programs for the Slamdance Film Festival, produces and directs Slamdance TV (Slamdance.com click Slamdance TV) during the festival, and continues to counsel 10-15 filmmakers about festival strategy every year. Her new book The Indie Film Rule Book is available at lulu.com and is a strategic guide for indie filmmakers. Go buy one now!

INDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: Can’t I just be done once I’ve submitted? I’m exhausted…

ccohagan — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:54:59 -0400

A: This is a question I’ve been asking myself. Almost done with post on my film too, and have to remind myself about what comes next.

Here is a list of things we can do to get ready while we wait to hear from 2010 festivals.

Remember that making the film is only half the battle.
Get lists together for screenings: who needs to attend, why, and how to get to them.
Get press kits together: Pix, press, bios, resumes, cast list, etc.
Strategize the order you’ll be applying to festivals and why, based on your specific film.
Get your applications in order.
Make calls and send emails to your connections at every festival, even if they’re just other filmmakers who have attended.
Quit your bad habits, the circuit is cruel to people with problems. I’ve witnessed many people cheating on their significant others, people getting publicly ill, people of “power” dancing like fools. I’ve been a mess there myself and cried in public, or yelled at my husband out of stress. (Sorry, Joe, on both counts)
Figure out back-up plans. Sundance already has over 4000 submissions, the chances are not good for any of us (And I might not even make the deadline, making my chances even worse!)
Have the tough conversations with people you might not be able to bring with you. Plan a screening for your cast and crew so they at least get to see the movie.
Get all your paperwork in order.
Get all your extra DVDs made.
Start going through the Creative Directory and making your lists of possible distributors for your film.
Get your postcards, posters, and flyers designed. Then call and get quotes from printers, or figure out how you’re going to make them on your own at home.
Get to work on your next project. In the event that you do get into a festival, you’ll want to have something else ready to go. Two scripts of different budgets are always a good idea.
Figure out if you’re going to have any SWAG to give out with your film. If you will, it can be a great way to get people to your screenings and interested in your film.
Figure out if there are any cast or crew that you definitely can’t have come with you, and how you’re going to get around it. If any of your actors are on TV shows, or if you have kid actors who are in school, make sure you know their schedules.
Figure out how to tell your annoying drunken boyfriend or girlfriend that they can’t come with you on festival trips period.
Make lists of possible members of your Street Team to put up posters, talk people into coming to your screenings, and otherwise be a presence on the streets of the festival town. Make sure they’re people who don’t disappear to party when you need them to be somewhere.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Make sure you’re working toward something else at the same time. Brace for the rejection, brace for it, brace for…yeah.

I’m in the middle of scoring my film, I’ll race ya!

www.twitter.com/heidivanlier

INDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: What are the differences between studio films and indie films?

ccohagan — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:03:07 -0400

A: Lately, a lot of people who would normally be making bigger budget films have been forced to make smaller-budgeted films, maybe even indie, and frankly, they’re a bit confused about the differences.

I am actually counseling some major studio producers and directors about how to handle this transition, and to be honest, they’re a bit lost. Before they end up wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars I thought I’d point them in the right direction.

Here is a list to clear some things up:

Studio Films = Trailers and honey wagons

Indie Films = Curbs and the bathroom at Starbucks

Studio Films = Getting paid close to what you think you’re worth

Indie Films = Getting paid close to what you think you’re worth on your next film

Studio Films = Catering and crafty

Indie Films = Juice box and a 3 day old grocery store cupcake

Studio Films = Wrap parties

Indie Films = The promise of wrap parties

Studio Films = Tom Cruise

Indie Films = tom Cruze

Studio Films = Dollies and tracks

Indie Films = Shopping carts, strollers, wheelchairs, and skateboards

Studio Films = Locked down locations

Indie Films = Editing around strange people walking and talking through shots

Studio Films = a studio head who wants to know what you’re up to

Indie Films = 40 investors who want to know what you’re up to… and then don’t understand when you explain it to them

Studio Films = Screenings on the lot

Indie Films = Screenings on the lot, your apartment parking lot

Studio Films = A real composer, who knows what a theme is

Indie Films = Your musical cousin who has Garage Band and knows what a Google desktop theme is

Studio Films = Private jets and a suite at the SoHo Grand

Indie Films = The director’s Smart Car and the floor next to his/her bed at the Stein Erickson Lodge

STUDIO FILMS = Your agent wants to be friends

INDIE FILMS = Your agent goes back to his blackberry or iphone without responding

STUDIO FILMS = You have to wait for your lead actor to show up

INDIE FILMS = You hope your lead actor shows up…one of these days

STUDIO FILMS = Publicity Department

INDIE FILMS = Your best friend and his hot girlfriend made fliers by hand

STUDIO FILMS = Gorgeous posters lining the streets of every major city

INDIE FILMS = You hang your one ugly poster on the door at Café Terigo and when you come back an hour later 400 posters are covering it up

STUDIO FILMS = 4000 Prints

INDIE FILMS = 1 print that gets stuck in Memphis Customs on the day you need to screen for Film Independent in LA (yes, this happened to me)

STUDIO FILMS = Publicity stills with actor photo-approval

INDIE FILMS = iPhone pix

STUDIO FILMS = Departments

INDIE FILMS = Glove Compartments

STUDIO FILMS = On-set romances in Manhattan

INDIE FILMS = On-sofa make-out sessions in the Valley

STUDIO FILMS = Lantana Building

INDIE FILMS = Starbucks, or another Starbucks

STUDIO FILMS = Casting sessions

INDIE FILMS = “Dude, just say it the way I told you”

STUDIO FILMS = Sometimes you get gross pay

INDIE FILMS = Sometimes your pay is gross

STUDIO FILMS = Your friends think you’re cool

INDIE FILMS = Your friends think you’re cool to your face

STUDIO FILMS = People applaud how much money you’ve made them

INDIE FILMS = People show up at your door with a bat

STUDIO FILMS = You’re not sure if you’re ever going to get to make another movie this way, and you’re scared to death

INDIE FILMS = You’re sure you’re going to have to make another movie this way, and you’re scared to death

Hope that helps… ish.

2010 deadlines are just a couple weeks away!! Get those films done!!

www.twitter.com/heidivanlier

INDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: How do I prepare myself for the inevitable horribly painful rejection?

ccohagan — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:35:21 -0400

A: I’ve been through as much rejection as anyone, and then some. I can’t even list how many festivals have rejected my films, or how many distributors, or how many reps. It’s just part of the deal. Slamdance, Sundance, LA Film Festival, Sundance Directors Lab, FilmIndependent Fast Track… just to name a few of the more recent ones (and more excruciating). It not only CAN happen, it WILL happen to you, so be ready.

On the upside, I’ve also been accepted to the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, won the Slamdance Grand Jury Prize, sold my film to IFC, and screened all over the world… but it doesn’t mean I’m not still rejected by fests and reps and distributors on a regular basis. Or had films fall apart. Or deals fail. Or even checks never show up. It happens constantly, and it’s just part of the process of getting to make more films, and earn more money for them.

Here are some tricks to keeping your cool when going through rejection.

Think of it as being one rejection closer to acceptance. It can’t happen forever. Right? (No really, right?)
Isn’t it nice to realize you’re one of thousands now? Now you don’t have to feel so alone anymore!
All the great stories that all your favorite filmmakers tell are always about who rejected them. Guess what? You have good stories now!
Alcohol can cure anything, in small doses, anyway.
At least people know your name now, even if it’s to say, “Ooh, I hated that film.” There’s no such thing as bad publicity, right?
People often don’t even get a rejection letter when they’re rejected from these things, if that happens you weren’t even really rejected, just misplaced… isn’t that better? (Wait, is that worse?)
At least you don’t work for the people who rejected you. I can’t really say that one, but damn I wish I could.
When you’re really angry, get yourself a voodoo doll… of yourself… and tell it you still appreciate all the hard work you’ve done and there are other festivals, distributors, and reps out there. Also try and voodoo yourself into making a more likable film next time if you can.
Keep your mouth shut about it if you’re upset. Wait til you’re over it, and then apply again. And again. And again. I was so heartbroken every time I didn’t get accepted to the above mentioned, and some of them I’ve applied to 4 or even 5 times, but it’s just how it works.
And of course, don’t blog about it AT ALL, how lame would that be?
Understand there are only so many slots at every festival and films cycle out all year and get distribution and new slots open up. You could still get the leftovers!
Don’t tell everyone you’re pretty sure you’re getting in somewhere. I did this with the Film Independent Fast Track, oops. Just makes you feel worse afterwards.
Maybe don’t tell the people in charge of the selection committee that you just “expect” them to pick you. (Yep, Fast Track again. Ouch. Sorry, Josh Welsh.)
When you’re really feeling like a big loser, just look around, most of your friends are way bigger losers than you are.
Don’t start thinking your film is better than the ones they chose, it doesn’t really come down to that in the end really, because there are always too many good films to pick from. (And I tell myself this like a mantra every day.)
Just think how great it’ll feel when you’re not rejected. It feels really good, right? (I can’t remember, does it? Really?)
Don’t be too depressed, you’ll totally forget this when you’re rejected again by someone else in a couple weeks. (Speaking from experience.)

INDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: Do certain subimission types to festivals get special treatment (like WAB vs. walk-ins)?

ccohagan — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:46:34 -0400

A: As programming is just beginning for the 2010 festival year, I’m sure this is on the minds of all indie filmmakers as they finish up their films, make their best DVD copies, and write the perfect application answers.

The answer is no, the submissions that come through a specific website or through the front doors of the office do not get treated any differently, they’re all just blind submissions. They are viewed the same number of times as all the films are. They are considered just like every other film they see. And this pretty much goes for every festival I’ve been a part of, or worked with, or even any fest where I’ve screened.

The films that do get special attention (usually) are films where the filmmaker has something notable attached to their film. It can be anything really, but just like a script’s first five pages need to be outstanding to break through the stacks and stacks that development people and producers and agents have to read every week, the first five minutes of a film have to be compelling enough to keep someone watching. This doesn’t mean programmers stop watching your film after five minutes, it just means they are paying attention to those first minutes, and that first act, to make sure their festival audience isn’t going to walk out of the theater in the middle of the screening.

Since any Shopping Festival audience is made up mostly of buyers, staff from other festivals, agents, managers, reps, and most importantly to the festival, press people, they have to be aware of what that audience might stick around for. And those people all have other films to see and will skate in the first minutes if they’re not hooked. The festival needs to keep their audience happy so they keep getting press for their festival and their sponsors, so they can keep having a festival. I talked a little bit about this during the LA Film Festival blogs about The Transformers screening – check out that blog too, if you have a minute.

So when anyone is submitting, the programmers might be paying attention to the first five minutes for something that stands out, so that press, and the others mentioned above will all be interested enough to stay. This does not mean they’re not looking for original voices, new material, and innovative storytelling. They are. That’s all a given. But if it’s coupled with something notable, makes the job easier.

What is notable? Well, anything that is press-worthy. Could be you have amazing name actors, could be you have an incredibly timely concept, could be the film is shocking or controversial, could just be that the people behind the scenes are very well-known to indie audiences. Could really be ANYTHING that is different from the norm.

Now, that being said, once the festival feels they have more than enough films that will get press, they will then try to introduce to the world new filmmakers who just made really solid films, even if they don’t have something press-worthy. That alone can then become press-worthy. (Have I said “press-worthy” enough yet?) But without the festival getting the press to attend screenings for the easy targets they would not be able to help these other filmmakers who just made good films.

This doesn’t mean that your film, that is just a good well-made film, doesn’t have a shot. In a way it has a better shot at getting the slots for the films that the festivals actually want to help, the reason most independent film festivals even started. I know when I’ve been programming and found some little gem in a pile of thousands I’ve felt like I was really doing what I intended to do with programming in the first place, finding fresh voices. I’ve gone to bat so hard for the films I loved, even followed them to festivals and bugged jury members about them like crazy. And these were all little films, that didn’t have names or recognizable faces or even anything else, yes, press-worthy, and just had good stories that were told really, really well.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to get the most people possible at any festival to screen your film, if your film is good, and that means submit early when you can and go to festivals and meet as many people as possible. Then there are more people who love it to stick up for it. If your film isn’t that good, maybe better to just let them view it the average number of times in case you hit the 3 or 4 people who are totally into your genre or theme or concept or whatevs.

I’m out there with you though, about to submit a film all over the place, and I’m relying on all the same things you are, and have exactly the same shot you do.

For the rest of you, Telluride, Toronto, and AFI are still around the corner, hope to see you all there!

filmmaker blogs

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FORUM BLOG: Writer & Director David Branin reviews the Filmmaker Forum

FORUM BLOG: Writer & Director Tony Alexander Arias reviews the Filmmaker Forum

Filmmaker Forum 2009

INDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: Why is this filmmaking thing so freakin’ complicated?

*SPECIAL*INDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: Where is indie film REALLY headed & what do we all need to remember to get there?

INDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: Can’t I just be done once I’ve submitted? I’m exhausted…

INDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: What are the differences between studio films and indie films?

INDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: How do I prepare myself for the inevitable horribly painful rejection?

INDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: Do certain subimission types to festivals get special treatment (like WAB vs. walk-ins)?

SPECIALINDIE FILM Q & A WITH HEIDI VAN LIER: Where is indie film REALLY headed & what do we all need to remember to get there?