The Top 50 Movie Endings of All Time

I've seen Chinatown a dozen times, and while it's a great movie, two specific things about it stick in my mind: Jack Nicholson's bandaged nose and the final line of dialogue. Acting, directing, a great script… these are essential to any film. But a classic ending, now that can really make a movie.

We spent literally months brainstorming and corralling the 50 films with the absolute best endings we've ever seen. We're not talking about the last half hour. We mean the last minute of movie. You know, the ending.

Needless to say you can consider this entire article one monster SPOILER ALERT. Most of the films here are classics that you've probably seen several times over. But if not, skip past the ones you haven't seen and put 'em in your rental queue, otherwise you're going to ruin a whole lot of good films. Check out the flicks and we promise you won't be disappointed when the credits roll. As always, apologies in advance for the ones we stupidly forgot (and we know you'll be writing to let us know -- yes, Jaws, The Sixth Sense, Seven, Carrie, we're sorry!).

READ MORE...
A film review by Christopher Null; David Bezanson; Don Willmott; Jesse Hassenger; Mark Athitakis; Norm Schrager; Rachel Gordon; Sean O'Connell; Chris Cabin; Anne Gilbert - Copyright © 2006 filmcritic.com
http://filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/95a45e26914c25ff862562bb006a85f2/394a496e465c4f38882571b900114dc5?OpenDocument

Narrative film

The very first movies, developed in America by Thomas Edison, were intended as aids to industrial training. Viewers saw them by looking into a machine, the "kinetoscope," and turning a handle. A continuous loop of flexible film would pass across the shutter. Edison believed that all inventions should have some practical, money making application. He expected movies would be most useful in industrial training, teaching workers to do repetitious factory jobs.

Though he and his team fooled around with the first films they made, shooting scenes of kissing, sneezing, and prizefighting, it took Edison a surprisingly long time to figure out that moving pictures would be best as an entertainment medium. The kinetoscope never caught on with manufacturers. It flourished as a novelty in the 1890s, with a slightly seamy reputation.

By 1900 a number of separate inventors had realized that projecting kinetoscope images on a screen would make the medium far more attractive

Still, movie makers had a hard time figuring out what the new medium was best suited for. The very early projected movies—like this simple film on the left, of a train moving upriver towards Niagara Falls—often showed audiences things they had read or heard about but never seen. Film producers called them "actualities." These clips had a surprisingly powerful effect on audiences because moving images were so novel. When shown images of a train rushing towards the camera, for example, moviegoers jumped out of the way.

"Actualities" showed real events, like street scenes or speeches. They frequently presented news footage—things like the sunken battleship Maine or scenes from the Spanish American War, as advertised in this 1898 poster.
They look unremarkable to us, but for turn of the century audiences they brought distant times and spaces together in new ways. Now movie audiences could see places thousands of miles away. In the first era of the projected motion pictures (roughly 1897-1905) most films were either documentaries or "actualities." You can see many examples of these at the American Memory web site.

But not all the movies focus on "actualities." Many of the early films showed a more playful side of popular culture. They also began telling more elaborate stories.
LEARN MORE...
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/omalley/120/empire/narrativefilm.html

THE LAST EVE

"The Last Eve" is the latest endeavor from Korean-born, Los Angeles-based Young Man Kang. For the past several years, he has been creating a series of fascinating films which span genres from romantic comedy [Cupid Mistake] to action/adventure [First Testament: CIA Vengeance] to girl power empowerment drama [Soap Girl] to documentary [Haitian Slave Children]. With [The Last Eve], has reached a career peak with a complex, challenging and utterly original work of art. From its intelligence, daring and intensity, [The Last Eve] proves is a cult classic in the making.

"The Last Eve" takes the audience on an emotional adventure through history in a way never before seen. The story of Eve is shown from front to back starting in the future and ride all the way back to the loss of all innocence.
Our journey through time shows us three contrasting tales (Cain & Abel, Snake's Temptation, Eve's Secret) which in their own unique way reveal the dark tragedies at the heart of all romance:

In the Bible, Eve was tempted by the Snake. Adam was tempted in turn by Eve.
Present day Los Angeles. Adam, Eve and Snake were raised by a priest in an orphanage. Three people caught in a deadly love triangle. The Priest allows Adam and Eve to marry. Both promise to keep their virginity until the wedding ceremony. Snake tries to break their vow of chastity and tempts Eve. Will Eve fall for Snake?
LEARN MORE...
http://www.youngmankang.com/lasteve.htm

HOW do you SIGN ACTORS for your PROJECT without a BUDGET?

QUESTION:
My partner and I are in the process of budgeting and financing our first feature. In preparation, we have decided to re-write the script to entice some day-players to take small but meaty parts in the movie. The players would be actors on the level of Bruce Campbell or Eric Roberts, or possibly a TV actor. In total the actors would be on set for 5-6 days. We are trying to entice 3-4 actors.
However, I am caught in a bind. When I go to actors, they ask for the money and when I go for investors they ask for the actors. Both ask for distributors and the distributors ask for the actors/investors. I'm caught in a circle and I'm wondering if anyone, or everyone that has been through this can give me some advice how to entice these day-players.
The movie is not a horror, nor does it have gratitous sex and violence. It's a very small, intimate story about love. This is not at the top of distributor's minds.
So here's the rub? Can I offer actors a compensation without a budget?
Thanks for the Help.
Sincerely,
Russell Nohelty
RPN Photography
ANSWER:
This is a tough situation, and everyone has to deal with this. To make matters more complicated, you'll find that even if you negotiate and get everyone on board, no one will make a 'firm' commitment.
For example, Actors will agree to play the role 'if' you meet their salary requirements. Distributors will agree to carry your picture 'if' you meet their 'quality' requirements (which is basically a way of saying 'yes, we'll distribute your film...unless we feel it's not something we want to distribute).

In general, it's somewhat standard to work with these 'tentative' agreements when you don't have cash on hand. You just have to know what to ask for. Here's a few things that I've found have worked for me in the past. As always, keep in mind that I am not an attorney and am not offering legal advise. This is just opinion from my personal experiences. Always consult an experienced entertainment attorney before making any kind of offer or claim just to be safe.

Write an initial letter to your talent and send it to their agent along with the script. Suggest you would be willing to make a offer of X dollars 'contingent on securing the financing for the picture'. Using this tactic, you can negotiate the terms for their employment well in advance of funding the picture. Just make sure your terms have a clause that says the employment agreement is contingent upon securing financing for the film (this is very important).

The offer should be an informal letter, not a contract. At this point you're not agreeing to enter into a contract, you're just discussing the possibility of working together.

If they like the script, they may accept your offer and agree to do the picture for the terms you've suggested. Or, they may counteroffer. Once you've agreed on the terms, have their agent send you a Letter of Intent (LOI). This is simply a letter stating that they will star in your picture for the terms outlined (Think of it as a 'quote'). If you can meet their terms, they'll do the work.

This is pretty much standard in the industry. Many agents will say "no" at first, or just not return your calls. Be persistent. Let them know you're serious about making this picture. Part of an agent's job is to weed out offers that don't have any chance of getting made, but the other part is to find work for their clients. If you're making a legitimate offer of employment, they are obligated to present it to their client.

For one of our pending projects, there is a role for a British literature professor that we thought would be perfect for a well known English actor. It took several months of phone calls before we finally got his agent to agree to an LOI. The total budget is just under $1 Million and we were initially offering $150,000 plus points for this actor to play the role. In the end, the agent told us flat out that if we could offer him $300,000 he would do the picture and give us written guarantee to present to the investors. Of course, we said yes.

Once you have LOI's from all of your principal actors, you can use these as leverage to go to investors. ("Look Mr. Investor, if you give me $300,000, I can Guarantee that JOE CELEBRITY will play the role of STORE CLERK in this picture.")
Keep in mind that A-List Celebrities that are flooded with offers generally won't play this game. They work on a pay-to-play basis. If you want them to commit, their fee is X dollars. If you want a letter of commitment from them, you need to give them an x% deposit up front which you'll forfeit if you don't make the picture.

Hollywood is all about making deals. Think creatively and offer what you can. You can offer an actor $1,000,000 to play the lead role in your picture "contingent upon securing financing for the picture". It costs you nothing. Of course, don't go crazy. Only suggest an offer like that if you think you have a reasonable chance of actually securing the funding. Otherwise, you'll get a reputation for not being able to deliver.
Greg Steiner
gsteiner@q-station.com

RUNNING FUNNY - an independent film

IF YOU HAVE A GOOD SCRIPT, GOOD ACTORS AND IT'S WELL-DIRECTED, NOBODY WILL CARE THAT A MOVIE COST NO MONEY.
IT'S ALL ABOUT WHAT THE MOVIE IS SAYING...
Michael and Eddie are two recent college graduates who rent an "apartment garage" from Stan, a blind man in his sixties, still mourning the death of his wife and the estrangement of his son. The tenants of the "apartment" essentially become Stan's family, and over the course of thirty days Michael finds that he has more in common with Stan than he does with his best friend. While Eddie is in a rush to find a "real" job and get as far away from his alcoholic father as possible, Michael wishes he could go back to his childhood home where he lived before his parents died.

Based on the play by Charles Evered, Running Funny is a story about a transition we all make, one in which accepting the inevitable changes in life means you must look back in order to move forward. As their friendship evolves, Michael and Eddie have to choose their own path, one that neither of them anticipates. As different as they are, Michael and Eddie can't help but be one and the same. Eddie tries so hard to run away from his family, but no matter how fast he runs he knows that like Michael, there will always be a part of him wishing to go back to a place, a home, a childhood that no longer exists.
LEARN MORE...
http://www.runningfunnymovie.com/synopsis.html

DOGMA

"The time to make up your mind about people is never," says Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) in The Philadelphia Story (1940). In most contemporary films, however, the time to make up your mind is during the opening credits. Characters have become standards, symbols representing a social function or status (lawyer, policeman, student, executive, dad, computer geek, whatever). "No real people, just cops," as Mr. Pink would say (Reservoir Dogs). Actors are judged on their ability to assume the model, reinforce it.
But who needs characters when the technology used to make the film can play both the lead and the supporting cast? In a recent interview about End of Days, Arnold Schwarzenegger confessed that he was not too worried about the effect of technologies such as CGI on the future of acting (hmm … enough said).
"A technological storm is raging," "the supreme task of the decadent filmmakers is to fool the audience." "Predictability (dramaturgy) has become the golden calf around which we dance. Having the characters' inner lives justify the plot is too complicated [ … ] the superficial movies are receiving all the praise." The Manifesto of the Dogme 95 brotherhood (mainly Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg) is both Ludditical and puritanical, a northern reformation unimaginable in the sunny, catholic south (including Southern California).
While most of the interest in the Danish-based film movement Dogme has focused on its bare-bones technique, the heart of its appeal lies in the celebration of character — and actor. Inherent in removing the bells and whistles from filmmaking is the death of the stick figure and the stock character.
No pieces of yellow scotch tape on this stage. The essence of the Dogme technique is to provide favorable conditions for actors to find or create characters, favorable conditions to capture human movement, "happening" characters. And while the style is realistic, the camera here doesn't itself constitute the event (hot camera); it is reduced to the mere recording of events whose progression relies on the characters (cold camera). "I am a camera," as Christopher Isherwood had it in his Berlin stories.
LEARN MORE... BY ERIC SCHLOSSER
http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/28/dogme1.html
OFFICIAL WEBSITE...
http://www.dogme95.dk/

IF YOU HAVE THE TIME and A GOOD COMPUTER

NOTE: If you have the time and a good computer, you can make your independent film virtually without money. This filmmaker used everything from 8mm, Super 8 film to Hi-8/DV video; all edited together using iMovie. This wasn't originally intended to compete with professional movies, but tthe production has earned a huge profit for the $200 it cost to make it.

At the age of eleven, TARNATION director Jonathan Caouette borrowed a neighbor¹s video camera and began documenting his daily life, interrogating his family members and making short films to escape the drama of his everyday existence. Caouette utilized six different cameras over the years, including Super-8, Betamax, VHS, Hi-8 and Mini-DV, with which he shot the bulk of the footage that appears in TARNATION.

In addition, he compiled still photographs, archived answering machine messages and audiocassette diaries - all of which documented the details of his tumultuous life. As a self-proclaimed pack rat, Caouette saved what turned out to be 160 hours of personal recorded materials in a wide range of different video and audio formats, spanning over twenty years. When considered as a whole, these materials offer a devastating, yet

mesmerizing portrait of a troubled American family. The footage includes unsettling domestic situations, unique dramatic performances (by a pre-teen Caouette and his mother) and unexpected demonstrations of compassion and love that could only be called unconditional.

The evolution of a filmmaker
Almost 20 years after shooting his first footage, Caouette began using the editing software iMovie while working on his short film “The Hospital.” The program came bundled with his boyfriend’s Apple computer and was “as easy to learn as riding a bike,” according to Caouette. In “The Hospital,” a young man with a troubled childhood remembers details from his brutal past while incarcerated in a psychiatric hospital. Although the film’s story is fictitious, the young man’s memories are depicted in flashback sequences constructed from actual footage of Caouette’s childhood.

While crafting these initial montages, Caouette had no intention of making a feature documentary about his life and family. But excited by the possibilities of iMovie and driven by a powerful, almost insatiable need to tell his life story, Caouette began loosely compiling and editing his archived audio and video material as a separate experiment.

In early 2003, Caouette auditioned for a part in HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH director John Cameron Mitchell’s new film SHORTBUS. For his audition tape, Caouette included excerpts from his work-in-progress.

Impressed with the unfinished work, Mitchell encouraged Jonathan to finish his film. Soon after, Caouette learned Renee had suffered brain damage from a lithium overdose. After returning to Houston for five months with the intention of perhaps bringing his mother back to live with him in New York, Caouette turned to his camera and his home editing suite to help fully confront the legacy of his past. Returning to New

York, Caouette discovered that the deadline for the MIX Film Festival was in less than four weeks, so he feverishly reworked his materials, increasing the scope of his project, to include more recent footage and a substantial narrative overhaul of the existing material.

For Caouette, editing TARNATION together and building the story was an organic stream-of-consciousness process. He would randomly review whatever material seemed interesting, import it, and start editing. None of his footage was logged or labeled. According to Caouette, “I would look at some footage and think ‘this is from 1983 or so when I was doing such and such. Don't I have some other stuff from that time on a VHS tape somewhere?’" The material he began to add included movie clips, pop songs, and odds and ends like scenes from the 1970’s children’s television show “Zoom.” He would pull music CD’s off the shelf and incorporate a favorite song into the work. He also began structuring the film around his depersonalization disorder, intending to portray reality as conflicted and unreliable. As Caouette describes it,

“I conceived the film as a new way of looking at documentary, as though it were imitating my thought process, giving the audience the experience of seeing what it was like to be inside my head.”

From this, TARNATION was born. With the MIX Festival deadline as a motivating force, Caouette embarked on an intense three-week editing marathon. What began as a stroll down memory lane soon evolved into a two and a half hour rough-cut that had all the resonance of an epic documentary. This cut explored Caouette’s personal trajectory while also paying tribute to his long-suffering mother. After viewing a rough cut, John Cameron Mitchell expressed his approval: “I was incredibly moved by the unbreakable bond of love between Jonathan and his mother. It kept them both alive.”
SEE THE TRAILER...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390538/
LEARN MORE...
http://www.wellspring.com/movies/text.html?page=synopsis&movie_id=56

Dating Three Girls At Once

As seen on Break.com
Here's a pretty funny short about a guy who accidentally started dating three girls at once. There are some really funny parts, especially when he basically shoves the dog off the couch when moving in for the kill.
SEE THE TRAILER...
http://www.break.com/index/soupthreegirls.html

A STRANGER FOLLOWS

"A Stranger Follows" is the first production of Lost Valley Productions.
It is a story of a young girl who strongly hangs on to a film called "A Stranger Follows".
Things go wrong when she starts to believe that the main character from the film is following her...

SEE THE TRAILER...
http://lostvalleyproductions.be/

BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE

In the middle of winter, Holly Hawkes, a hotel manager from south Florida meets and marries Rob Robinson who is a successful Christmas wreath maker from northern Maine.
Holly, who has never experienced snow and freezing winter weather before hates it.
As it turns out, Holly is not the only tropical mammal up there out of place.
A fuzzy little anteater was brought up there to be part of a petting zoo. When it's discovered the anteater is not hibernating but could be dying, he is returned to the tropics. But what will happen to Holly?
LEARN MORE...
http://www.filmbaby.com/product_info.php?a=b&cat=36&products_id=70&page=1

WE ARE THE STRANGE

Here's an odd one.
We are the Strange is an independent animated feature film about "two outcasts caught in the middle of a deadly battle between bizarre monsters on their way to the ice cream shop". The trailer is a bizarre combination of Brother Quay-like stop motion, CG and anime, and well worth checking out. It was created by someone called M dot Strange. Video game producer Shane Neville just posted an interview with Mr. dot Strange, on his webblog.

When I came across the trailer for We Are The Strange online, I watched it five times, back-to-back. I was amazed, impressed, confused, overwhelmed and intrigued. We Are The Strange is something completely unlike anything I’d seen before, but still manages to strike a familiar chord with it’s anime, 8-bit and stop motion influences.

After tracking down as much as I could about the movie, it continued to whet my appetite for more. This left me with no option, but to contact MdotStrange himself and get to the bottom of things.

Before we enter the rabbit hole with creator MdotStrange, here are some handy links:

Production Blog - A great read!

Making of videos for We Are The Strange on YouTube: 1 - 2 - 3

THIS IS Str8nime - If you watch anything before reading the interview - this would be the best place to begin.

Wearethestrange.com - Be sure to click on Enter SitE for the full experience.

Another interview over at Studio ArtFX.

SEE THE TRAILER -
http://www.wearethestrange.com/trailer.html

Want Representation?

Here's the scenario: You meet a manager or agent. Maybe it is at a pitch-fest, screenwriting conference, Sherwood Oaks event, or through friend of a friend. But there you are, face-to-face with one of those people who can put your career in high gear.

The question is "How can I get them to represent me NOW?"
First, remember that you are entering into a business relationship and both parties need to get value out of it. Just as important, this manager/agent is about to put their reputation on the line for you. So they want to know that you're a good business risk.

Here's the first secret about getting an agent:
The more attractive you can make yourself (from a business perspective), the better your chance of getting and keeping a manager/agent.

Here are three keys to your success:
1. You need to be ready.
2. You need to be prepared for a collaborative relationship.
3. You need to get in the door in a professional way.

Let's look at those three keys and see if we can solve this mystery.
1. You need to be ready. Everyone I talk to says they are ready for representation, but in reality, most aren't. And this is very important. If you're not truly ready, you'll burn contacts, frustrate anyone you work with, and experience a lot of disappointment.

Answer these questions to see if you're ready:
A. Do you have at least one highly marketable project that is professionally written?
B. Is your writing skill at a professional level? By that, I mean at a level that is consistent with produced screenplays that are exceptional.
Key advice: Don't compare your work to the worst writing, compare it to the best.
C. Do you understand enough about the business side of screenwriting to interact as a professional? Understanding the business means you won't make obvious mistakes or crazy demands that will kill future deals.

Why does all of this matter? Because a manager/agent is in the business of promoting marketable writers and marketable scripts. If the answer is "no" to any of those questions, you still have some work to do.

STRATEGY 1. Prepare yourself so thoroughly that any manager or agent will feel lucky to represent you. You need to be prepared for a collaborative relationship.

Collaboration is an important part of this business. While the process starts with a single person (the writer), by the end, there are hundreds of creative and business people involved.
Many of those people bring something of value to the table and in some cases, they can dramatically improve the movie. The reality of the business is that the more collaborative you are, the more likely people will want to work with you in the future.

Collaboration goes both ways. You present your ideas, reasons, etc. and you listen to those of the producer. When you turn in a script, you've just presented a blueprint that will be used to make a $5 - $100 million movie. Important decisions will now be made by producers, directors, actors, and about 200 other collaborators.

If you don't understand collaboration, it will seem like people are ripping your script apart. On the other hand, if you go in prepared to collaborate with other industry pros (and you will be considered an industry pro if you collaborate), you'll enjoy having all of this feedback and the amazing learning experience that can come from it.

STRATEGY 2: Think of your finished script as the beginning of the collaborative process of the movie-making process and welcome the changes while continually working to make the script/movie even better.

One last thing: If the idea of collaborating once your script is "done" is offensive to you, there are other options. If you need total
control, consider directing (although you'll still be collaborating, but you'll be the primary decision maker). Another way to maintain control is to finance the production.
But for those of you who are pursuing a career as a writer, you'll need strategies to approach agents, managers, and producers.

LEARN MORE...
http://www.scriptforsale.com/

9/11 documentary director wants truth to prevail

Reuters Photo: Linda Ellman, director of the documentary 'On Native Soil', in an undated photo. (Handout/Reuters)
The director of a new documentary on September 11 fears that two upcoming Hollywood dramatizations of the World Trade Center attacks may eclipse her project.
"I hope the truth does not get lost amongst the fiction," Linda Ellman, a former NBC News producer, who made her film directorial debut with "On Native Soil," told Reuters.
"I don't have a problem with fictionalized stories or fictionalized efforts about 9/11, because people need to be kept aware and should never forget. I just hope the truth isn't replaced by fiction, because the truth is shocking," she said.
Ellman was referring to film director Oliver Stone's upcoming "World Trade Center," a drama about two police officers trapped under the smoking rubble of the collapsed buildings, opening nationwide on August 9, and the ABC television network miniseries "The Path to 9/11," debuting on September 10.
Unlike those works, Ellman's goal with "On Native Soil," airing next month on cable channel Court TV, was to stay true to the 9/11 Commission Report -- the government's account of the suicide hijackings that killed about 3,000 people -- and present an historically accurate version of events as they unfolded, almost in real time.
All of these films, as well as other documentaries and television specials, are being released to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the attacks.
Ellman was approached by producer Jeff Hays to direct the project with a budget of just over $1 million, and immediately saw opportunities and challenges.
"Millions of copies of the book had been sold, but nobody was reading it," Ellman said.
567 PAGES, ONE TRUE TALE
After plowing through the 567-page "9/11 Commission Report" in late 2004, Ellman set out to capture the story of victims' families who were key in pressing the government to form the bipartisan panel that investigated the tragedy and recommended reforms.
"My goal was to expose the truth about 9/11 that's been hiding in plain sight. When it became clear to me that there almost wasn't a 9/11 Commission had it not been for this small group of people, that was even more upsetting," she said.
Ellman said one of the biggest challenges was winning the families' trust. She contacted each, one by one, and conducted what became "deeply personal and painful" interviews.
READ MORE... By Sue Zeidler
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060720/film_nm/leisure9_11_dc

High Definition Explained

The term High Definition has been mentioned quite a bit recently in the production environment. However there is still some confusion on the new 24p technology, which Sony has built into its new CineAlta camcorder.

For years now professionals and audiences alike have come to associate the look of 24-frame motion capture with dramatic presentations such as movies and episodic television. Other programming on television such as news broadcasts, sports and certain sitcoms are captured with video at 30 frames per second offering a more realistic or "live" motion effect. Since video cameras have always captured at 30 fps and have been bound by NTSC resolution, video has never been considered as a serious alternative to dramatic story telling…until now.

The new Sony HDW-F900 CineAlta camera now offers picture quality associated with 24-frame 35mm film. And with the 24p technology ("p" meaning Progressive Scan) there is now a one-to-one correspondence of a film frame to that of a progressive HD frame. And since all this is captured in the digital environment, the DP now has a myriad of options both in the field and in post. The HDW-F900 has a host of adjustments, which can be manipulated, to offer various colorimetry and contrast ratios emulating certain film stocks. The DP can make adjustments on set for the director's approval or have the same freedom in post. Either way, the days of waiting for dailies is over. What you see is what you get, confirmed on set with simple playback right out of the camera.

LEARN MORE...
http://www.sniffen.com/cinema.html

IMAGE and PHOTO PITCHING

PITCHING SHOULDN'T ALWAYS BE VERBAL!

Imagine meeting a studio rep and pitching "It's 'HIGH NOON' in Outer Space!" This is the all-time shortest pitch ever used to get a contract to write a screenplay that didn't exist.

There are countless other Hollywood stories about how screenplays were sold but one fact remains true: When you meet with a studio rep, time is of the essence. It's better to say less and present more.

No question about it. Pitching should be visual because films are visual and images are more efficient and say much more than mere words.

Remember the old addage, "A picture is worth a thousand words." You can say so much in the one second when you display an image. You can pitch twenty projects in twenty seconds (and ascertain which ones the studio rep is interested in) rather than verbalize about just one project in the same timespan. And, memorable pictures are retained in everyone's mind more often than longer word phrases.

After every film is made, someone determines and takes the best image and uses that one image over and over again to represent, advertise and promote the movie. Wouldn't it be more advantageous to reduce every screenplay concept down to one great image in much the same way the screenplay is reduced to a logline and a book is reduced to a cover picture that will sell it?

Screenplays could be pitched the same way books are sold: with a TITLE, a logline and an image!

Agents traditionally pitch screenplays with a logline, but many screenplays have been sold by concepts, actor leads, synopses, attachments and of course, images.

AMERICAN STANDARD - THE MOVIE

From over 3500 head shots and résumés, we selected 400 actors to audition, of which 75 were called back. Our cast of 21 is cemented--21 extraordinarily talented stars in the making. Sunday we held our first cast meeting, followed by celebratory drinks at the Ginger Man. Everyone had a blast, and the energy level is sky-high.
SLM Production Group, LLC is casting for a full-length feature film in the style of Swingers, Singles, 200 Cigarettes, and Clerks.
Financing is still being put in place and principal photography will likely commence in November in NYC. It is a bawdy tale of 20-somethings and how they cheat, steal, and push each other through a day in NYC, all to end up at the biggest party of the year. Seth Melnick, prod.; Josh Abraham, dir.
Seeking experienced actors only and will look at both union and nonunion performers. Seeking true-to-life New Yorker types- White-collar, Blue-collar and Downtown-trendy males and females, all races, 20-35; Creepy CEOs, male, 40-50; Funky-looking Female: 20-22, piercings, tattoos; Hippie Female: 25-30; Asian Female, 25-30; and Goofily Dancing, Oddball Male, 25-35.
Visit website www.slmproduction.com/inthecan for more on the project and breakdowns. Some roles require brief partial nudity.
Send pix & résumés to SLM Production Group, LLC, c/o Seth Melnick, 340 E. 93 St., #3G, NYC 10128.
All actors will be paid in the form of a stipend, union rates, or profit sharing points, depending on the size of the role. Videocopy, credit, meals, and transportation provided. Producer plans to apply for SAG Ultra Low Budget Film Agreement.
LEARN MORE...
http://www.americanstandardthemovie.com
http://www.yankeepotroast.org/inthecan/archives/the_film/index.html

THE FEAST OF LOVE

"The Feast of Love", an ensemble drama feature film, is now casting major roles for production starting in August.
This movie will be an adaptation of a Charles Baxter novel about several overlapping stories of "extraordinary love" between ordinary people.
The characters include an espresso bar owner, a mentally-ill neighbor and his elderly parents, and a waitress and her ex-junkie boyfriend.
"The Feast of Love" was adapted into a screenplay by Allison Burnett and will be directed by Robert Benton.
Filming begins in August 2006.
LEARN MORE...
http://summerfeature.u4.pl/

SOUL OF A COWBOY

the beginning
They arrived in low riders, trailers and on horses creating a scene reminiscent of a spring break party.
Outside the arena two girls cruise by rocking their flyest riding gear and their best steeds. A brother
with cornrows and a tank top gallops up kicking game to the swooning girls in attendance. The sea of
cowboy hats packing the stands go wild as the Eastside Riders charge into the arena in a frenzy. With
overalls and chiseled bare chests, the Eastside Riders, wear red bandannas over their faces reminiscent
of The Great Train Robbery. Lil Ron Jennings, a 23-year-old bull-rider explodes out of the shoots as
Nelly blares out. This new generation of cowboys embodies the fusion of the past and present,
emanating the traditional muscle of the cowboys with the current tenor of Hip Hop culture.
From Brooklyn to Los Angeles the black rodeo is gaining a new audience attracted to the thrill and the
lifestyle. This is the black rodeo, an experience, a tradition and a legacy overlooked by yesterday’s and
today’s media… until now. Buckle Brothers introduces viewers to the men, the women and the children
of the black rodeo. These cowboys and cowgirls enter at their own risk to challenge themselves and
their opponents for a shot at the big money jackpot. Some do it for the fame, some for their families,
some for the rush, but most for the opportunity to compete at the prestigious Bill Pickett Rodeo. These
cowboys not only have to contend with 750 lbs. Steers, but they must wrestle with the challenge of
being a black cowboy in a predominately white sport. Peaking into the life of contemporary cowboys
we experience their injuries, aspirations, triumphs and obstacles.
The documentary explores not only the history of the rodeo, but also the fast expanding crop of young
bull-riders who have infused the tradition with Hip Hop culture. One such cowboy Yah-Ya, a native
of the streets of Compton, passed up the ghetto exploits that have made his neighborhood infamous,
and instead chose the life of an up and coming bull rider. At a young age he attended an inner city
youth program known as camp GID D UP. Under the direction of actor/cowboy Glynn Turman, this
summer program changed Yah-Ya’s world by introducing him to a hobby that has since cultivated into
a new way of life. Yah-Ya, once a high school drop out, has found salvation and a sense of purpose
in caring on the legacy of the men of color who pioneered the American cowboy tradition. Yah-Ya is
not alone. He is accompanied by his friend, mentor and fellow bull-rider, Lil’ Ron, who leads him on
his ventures as they travel the country in hopes of bringing home money and a championship buckle.
As they travel, Lil’ Ron mentors young cowboys challenging them to match their street bravado up
against a bucking bull for eight seconds of glory.
Buckle Brothers depicts a truly American story.
LEARN MORE...
http://bucklebrothers.net/main.html

PURGATORY HOUSE -The Movie

"Heaven doesn't want you and Hell is all you know"
Cindy (aka Midas), and I'm the director and producer of the feature PURGATORY HOUSE, which is a movie about teen drug abuse and suicide that was written by a 14-year-old girl I mentored in the Big Sisters program. The script was amazing, and represented a point-of-view that is rarely heard. I knew other people would relate to the story...and so a cast and crew came together...And voila! We made a movie! I am proud to announce our DVD distribution deal! Look for PH in stores (including Blockbuster) at the end of the year!! Woo Hoo! In the meantime, feel free to check out our the trailer above. --Or stop by our website.
I also directed the short film Morbid Curiosity. (see top 8 below). My next feature project is titled ODD BRODSKY. My husband cinematographer Matt Irving and I came up with the idea for the screenplay while at the 2005 Plymouth Independent Film Festival, and knocked off the first draft of the script about a month later. It's a story of a lovable loser named Audrey Brodsky. Stay tuned for more details...
LEARN MORE...http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=80820040

Wedding webcasts engage more interest

Forget stiff folding chairs and church pews: The preferred perch for increasing numbers of wedding guests is their own comfy couch or La-Z-Boy.
Faraway friends and family are plopping down at home to watch couples walk down aisles - and across bandwidth. Like the wedding Web page before it, the wedding webcast has become the latest tech tool for brides and grooms looking to share their big day with as many people as possible.

"Everybody doing weddings now has a videographer, and most (venues) have Internet access, so we thought it was a great marriage, if you will," says Ariel Andres, whose Dallas-based webcastmywedding.net started offering virtual vow-swaps last year.
"It's like creating a whole community for your wedding," says Kathleen Murray, deputy editor of online wedding resource The Knot. She has seen the webcast's popularity rise the past couple of years and predicts continued growth, along with tech trends like enclosing a highlights DVD with thank-you notes.
The boom in destination weddings (26% of couples wed in towns where neither they nor their parents live, says Bridal Guide magazine) means that even if the list of invitees is long, the list of attendees may not be. Webcasts bridge the gap on the relative cheap, about $400-$750 for a live webcast and up to a month of archived access.
Maui-based Brian Rothstein co-founded Yourwebcast.com five years ago to stream events such as graduations from Hawaii to the mainland and beyond. The wedding business didn't catch on, however, until the past six to 12 months, when broadband access became more widely available. Now, he's shooting, editing and posting 25 to 30 nuptials a month to his server, up from five to 10 a month when he started.

READ MORE... By Olivia Barker, USA TODAY
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060718/tc_usatoday/weddingwebcastsengagemoreinterest

REEL HORROR: BUBBA'S CHILI PARLOR

Bubba’s Chili Parlor
The military’s new top secret biological weapon
has escaped to a rural Texas restaurant
and from a single bowl of chili
erupts a worldwide zombie epidemic.
Death is served…

BUBBA is a little overweight and speaks with an easy Texas drawl. As owner/proprieter of Bubba's Chili Parlor in the country town of Hewitt, Texas, his specialty is greasy chili. At first glance Bubba seems your typical rural, goofy Texas redneck, but further inspection finds him to be a caring surrogate father of Ashley, a young girl who is the daughter of an employee. First impressions are further rendered incorrect when Bubba, a former Marine, transitions into a master zombie hunter.
Ashley is a pretty, extremely intelligent girl who is nonetheless hurt and saddened by the neglect of her mother, Jamie. She has never known her real father, and has developed a father/daughter relationship with Bubba, the only person in her world she can count on. Bubba's prophecy that Ashley, because of her superior intelligence, would become a real mover/shaker in the world becomes chillingly true when Ashley, infected with The Zombie Disease, becomes the catalyst for a worldwide zombie epidemic.
LEARN MORE...
http://www.bubbaschiliparlor.com

THE IRONMAN

THE IRONMAN
A tale based on the life of the inventor of the original "Iron Man".
Check out my movie teaser: Based on a true story, it’s about a guy whose life changes when he invents a penis enlarger…
SEE THE TRAILER…
http://baltimorebasilica.org/test/
© 2006, Karim Movies Inc.

THE BLATANT TRUTH ABOUT SCREENWRITING

WARNING: Sensitive screenwriters may find parts of this material objectionable.
I believe Gary Shusett has a unique perspective when it comes to the business of screenwriting. He runs Sherwood Oaks Experimental College where he brings in over 200 producers, agents, and managers to speak to very small groups - 8 - 12 screenwriters.
At the same time, his brother (Ronnie Shusett) doubles as both a producer and screenwriter on such movies as TOTAL RECALL, ALIEN, and MINORITY REPORT. Gary was also the driving force behind MOON OVER PARADOR with Richard Dreyfuss and has been a part of the movie business in Hollywood for over 30 years.
Every few weeks, Gary is in a meeting with screenwriters on one side of the table and producers on the other. For years, he's been listening to the goals, concerns and complaints of both sides.
Unlike most people, Gary can clearly see the gap between the two camps.
HAL: You know almost every producer in Hollywood and have had most of them speak at your classes. What do you think they most want from a screenwriter?
GARY: They want material they can sell. That they can get to an actor. That the studio will want to make into a movie. They want material that sounds good and is good. High concept and salable. Commercial. Similar to what they’ve heard before, but has a slight twist to it.
They’re all buyers and sellers. Unless they’re a direct financier, which is not typical. Even if they’re financiers, someone has to market it and distribute it, so they’re still buying to sell.
HAL: What do producers not want from screenwriters?
GARY: They don't want dull, uninspired material that wastes their time reading. Cliché things they’ve heard a million times. Things that are too hard to sell. Things they’ve seen over and over again. Anything that reeks of something that won’t sell.
HAL: What is the problem with most screenplays?
GARY: It's a terrible idea. It's not high concept, not original and may not be commercial too. That’s what I mean when I say a terrible idea. Whereas it should be all three. If nothing else, it should at least sound interesting. You say “I have a great piece about World War 1. Something that cost about $300 million to make.” If I’m a producer, I’m thinking “Pass.” They’re looking for an excuse to pass. Most things are bad. It usually takes just a few seconds for them to find it and pass.
HAL: You’ve talked mainly about concept, what about the writing?
GARY: There’s one really easy test. It’s so simple. Here it is: I want to turn the page to read the next page. It’s a real easy test. Do I want to read the next page?
If it’s good, I'm excited about reading more. It moves almost too fast, I liked it so much. I’m not reading it over and over because I forgot what I read. I'm thinking this writer is really good. He has a way with words. I'm wondering what is going to happen next. I’m surprised as I read it. I feel like I'm watching a good movie. I feel like I’m actually sitting in a theater. Wow! Isn’t this interesting? I’m gripped by it. I can’t put it down. I want to go to bed, but I can’t. I’ve got to keep reading!
As opposed to "Oh, my god. I’m only to page 10. Why do I have to keep reading this. I could be doing anything." My mind is wandering. These are all bad signs.
LEARN MORE... by Hal Croasmun
http://www.scriptforsale.com/articles/gary.htm

RED THREAD

Billy works as a maintenance guy in a luxury apartment complex. Tamara, a new tenant, is engaged to Mark and is about to become a trophy wife. Miss Johnson (Academy Award® Nominee Diana Scarwid), the widowed apartment complex manager, can think of nothing but ways to lure young Billy into her lair and seduce him.

One night, right after her fiancé has gone on a business trip, Tamara gets injured. There is no one to help her except… the maintenance guy. Tamara and Billy unexpectedly discover a friendship that could lead them both to realizing the dreams they’d nearly given up on… if only Tamara weren’t engaged and Miss Johnson weren’t watching.
LEARN MORE...
http://www.redthreadthemovie.com/
SEE THE TRAILER...
http://www.redthreadthemovie.com/movie-trailer.htm

Do Your Paperwork!

Sure, I can hear ya: "Paperwork?! What's this talk about paperwork?
I'm a filmmaker, not a bureaucrat!" Although ignorance can sometimes be bliss, it can also wind up sticking it to you in the case of paperwork.

If you are shooting digitally with some actor friends, posting on your FCP, then showing the film at festivals, private screenings and family gatherings before putting it on the shelf, the idea of paperwork is probably foreign and even irrelevant to you. And if you have a big enough budget, there are A.D.s and UPMs and other such folk to shield you from the mundane drudgery of it all. But if you are doing a "professional" production - one you ultimately hope to distribute commercially - and the budget is south of half a million, then you will indeed need to get your hands dirty with... *gasp!*...paperwork. As overwhelming as paperwork can seem, I would however, strongly suggest tackling it even for the $200 digital feature since you never know how or if any film is going to catch fire. And whatever time you save not doing paperwork will be lost 10 times over (along with money) when it comes time to deliver your film to the marketplace.

There are many, many reasons to do your paperwork, not the least of which is that most distributors (theatrical and/or home video) require E&O insurance and to get it, you need to have your paperwork in order. It will also ultimately protect you in a myriad of unforseen ways. What paperwork am I referring to? Well, I'm not an attorney nor a UPM, so the following is probably a partial list, off the top of my head, of paperwork you should at least consider addressing:

* Chain of title (film copyright, script registration)
* Investor agreements
* Cast and crew agreements
* Clearances (music, cast - including extras, location)
* Production stuff (Call Sheets, camera reports, script notes,
production logs, expense reports)
* Union and/or Guild paperwork
* Production Insurance paperwork
And tons more, I'm sure, but you get the idea.

I especially like to do a production log, which for me, is a kind of daily diary of production. It's great as a reference, after the film is made, for production notes, interviews, DVD commentary or just plain ol' reminiscing. It can also help you if a crew member later claims something happened that didn't.

If you're working with guilds and/or getting production insurance, you need to jump on that paperwork early. There's a lot of it and some of it requires additional work on your part. Your shoot can completely fall apart if you don't have things squared away with your guilds and/or insurers prior to shooting. Also, if a location demands special wording in your insurance certificate, it may require special endorsements from the insurance carrier (not the broker) which can take several days to process. No special endorsement, no location. That can suck.

Much of the other paper work is either required for commercial release of your film and/or protects you from future legal and financial hassles. I know paperwork is a real pain in the ass, but try to think of it as a big, protective blanket over you. Of course, part of indie filmmakers is about about cutting corners, but cutting corners with paperwork creates holes in your blanket. When your film steps out into the big, bad world, you'd be amazed at how many hands reach through those holes to
get at you.

Am I paranoid? Probably. For good reason? Definitely.

Best to you all,
Jacques Thelemaque
Chief Community Officer, Withoutabox
jacques@withoutabox.com
Jacques_Thelemaque@Withoutabox.com

DEATH WITHOUT CONSENT

This independent mystery thriller revealing the truth the government doesn’t want you to know…Espionage, drama, romance, this-edge-of-your-seat bioterrorism suspense film leads you through unexpected twists and a surprise ending.
This is an unforgettable picture of Soviet military sercrets that continues to affect us today…
LEARN MORE...
http://www.deathwithoutconsent.com/launch.htm

Casio EX-Z1000 digital camera

10.1 megapixel digital camera with 2.8-inch LCD
By John Virata
The Casio EX-Z1000 ($399) features a whopping 10.1 megapixel imaging sensor, the largest offering from the company that first built an LCD screen into its cameras. While the EX-Z1000 features the large imaging sensor, it doesn't tell the whole story of the camera.
While large megapixel digital cameras seem to be the more popular models, keep in mind that, as with all other things that consumers purchase, it is the additional features that should also be considered when making a purchase. With that said, I took a look at the EX-Z1000's other features as well.

The EX-Z1000 was released in June 2006. It is the one camera in the company's Exilim Zoom line that boasts a 10.1 megapixel, 1/18 inch high resolution CCD, and a 2.8-inch wide format super bright LCD display, which the company has labeled Wide and Bright. What the Wide and Bright LCD offers is the capability to view a wide angle and telephoto shot at the same time AND view icon controls on the right side of the display as you frame your shot.
This gives you the capability to make adjustments such as turn flash on/off, change from manual to autofocus, and even change the ISO settings on the fly while the image is still in the viewfinder. This in turn enables you to frame, adjust, and shoot images faster with the camera. The potential downside though is a larger display eats up more of the camera's rechargeable, proprietary battery. So there is a potential tradeoff, however minuscule it might be.

LEARN MORE...
http://photography.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=49945

THE SILVERGLEAM WHISTLE

"One of the finest shorts I've ever seen. Full out studio level production, excellent acting and an original story. It would make a fine feature length film, one I'd dearly love to see. With Luck, Mike Williamson will soon be directing it. Silvergleam Whistle is best not watched alone"

"Think of a campfire horror tale. A really, really good one. The type you heard as a child, huddled closely with two or three others on a cool October night. The kind that frightened you in all the ways that are good to be frightened. Now, put it on 35mm film, with beautiful cinematography, FX beyond what you've seen in a short film, and a score by Richard Band, and you have The Silvergleam Whistle."
Matthew Foster, Foster on Film.com

"THE SILVERGLEAM WHISTLE was my favorite film at the HALLOWEEN HORROR PICTURE SHOW Film Festival, and it was the shortest! It has a really classic look to it.
I really enjoyed it." Crazed fan boy.Com

"A very accomplished work that shows great command over the genre. Very solid, and genuinely creepy." - Larry Fessenden, Director of WENDIGO

"Great movie. Very atmospheric and some great scare moments." - Rod Gudino
President/Editor-In-Chief. RUE MORGUE Magazine

"The Silvergleam Whistle is well produced, with nice creepy touches throughout. It speaks well of Williamson as a filmmaker." - Moriarty, AINTITCOOL.com

"Ultra Eerie. More refined and much more like a full-length feature than most short films that I’ve seen. An impressive film that is spooky and entertaining. Whether he sticks with the horror genre or not, I’m looking forward to his next movie."
Craig Hamann, Cult Cuts Magazine

"A very accomplished work that shows great command over the genre. Very solid, and genuinely creepy." - Larry Fessenden, Director of WENDIGO

LEARN MORE...
http://www.nickeleyepictures.com/Home.html

Webcam Tips and Techniques: The Basics

How to make yourself look your best on a webcam
So you got yourself a webcam. What next? Here's a basic primer, showing you what to do and what not to do to get the most out of your webcam. Whether you're in a corporate environment or at home, I'll show you how to pay attention to lighting, what to wear, where to locate your webcam, how to deal with the audio, and special techniques you can use to enhance your webcam experience. Best of all, just by reading this article, you'll know more than most people do about giving your webcam appearance a professional flair.
CAMERA ANGLES
When you first take the webcam out of the box, you'll be presented with a quandary: where to place the webcam? The most natural place is to clamp it onto the top of your computer monitor. This is probably going to be the best place to put it. Keep in mind, though, that if your face is higher than the top of your computer monitor, the webcam will be shooting at an upward angle to your face, which is not flattering for hardly anybody.
You don't want that camera to be pointing up your nose, getting detailed pictorial renditions of your nose hairs. Raise the camera angle so that its lens is at least level with your eyes, if not slightly higher.
Next, make sure your shot is properly framed. Position yourself in the shot, and then tilt and pan the camera until your head is not cut off, but don't tilt the camera up so much that there's too much space over your head, either -- that makes it look like you're sitting in a hole. Frame it up so there's just a slight amount of space between your head and the top of the frame. Make sure you're close enough to the lens so that your face can be plainly seen.
Experiment with camera placement, too, where attached atop your computer monitor might be its default position, but be open to other locations as well. For example, if your computer is close enough to the kitchen, consider getting a long USB cable, and setting up your webcam at the dinner table, so that a long-lost relative can have a simulated dinner with you and your family.
LIGHTING
Lighting is crucial to good video, because after all, the camera is only picking up the light that's bounced off its subject, namely, you. If you're in a naturally dark room such as a basement office, the simplest thing you can do to improve the lighting is to take the shade off a lamp and place it directly next to your webcam. It might seem overly bright to you, but it will make you look much better.
If you have the inclination and budget, you might even consider purchasing a special soft light with fluorescent bulbs inside, called the Ego light by Lowel (pictured at right). It shines 200 watts' worth of soft and even light, and if you're frequently using your webcam it might be the best $100 you ever spent.
Short of that, simply turn on all the lights in the room, and if you have a window behind you that's brighter than the light shining on your face, close the drapes. Another suggestion is to make sure there's plenty of light on the background, so that it doesn't look like you're sitting in limbo in a dark room.
LEARN MORE...
By Charlie White for
http://homeoffice.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=49366
Photo courtesy Logitech, Inc.

India's Superman saves the universe and aces an IQ test

Faster than a speeding horse! Able to leap across Himalayan rivers in a single bound! It's ... Krrish!!

Yes, India has its very own superhero character on the silver screen, playing not only in Delhi and Bombay, but also in the US. And its release, side by side with America's own "Superman Returns," is prompting many comparisons that Indians find flattering and appropriate.
While Superman is a space alien who flies around wearing spandex tights and a cape, and rescues people as if it's his night job, Krrish is a mere human in a mask and black leather coat à la "The Matrix," who has extraordinary speed and strength, and rescues people out of sheer decency.

There are other differences. India's "Superman" breaks out into song - several times. And befitting a country that now defines itself as a rising information economy, Krrish's superhero gifts are first noticed in school, including in a grueling IQ test in which the first-grader Krishna explains to a panel of adults the principles of accounting.

"There's something interesting about the vulnerability of Hrithik Roshan," says Vamsee Juluri, a media studies professor at the University of San Francisco, and an expert on Indian cinema. "He has these huge biceps, but Krrish's real power comes from brain, not from brawn. It's a signal that as India emerges as a power of the 21st century, it is going to be traditional and intelligent, and not just do things by force alone."

The smarter superhero motif has obvious appeal for India's urban middle class and wealthy expatriate community, whose educations have allowed them to compete in the global marketplace. And "Krrish" is only the latest in a string of recent films targeting this rising demographic - including international hits such as "Monsoon Wedding" and the Oscar-nominated cricket flick "Lagaan" - instead of the Indian masses, as they did in the past.

This makes the films more understandable to an international audience, to be sure, but it also puts distance in the relationship between India's elites and the vast majority of Indians who live on just a few dollars a day.

By Scott Baldauf | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0710/p01s03-wosc.html
SEE THE MOVIE WEBSITE...http://www.krrishthemovie.com/

DAVE'S DATE

Dave is a simple, shy, lonely country guy with a passion for photography and a foot fetish.
Since heresembles Van Gogh, he's searching for a special girl for whom he can slice his ear off.
Dave chooses to pursue the foot models he finds on his favorite foot fetish web site run by a celebrity photographer Astrud Swan.
He drives to New Jersey for his first date, but is too shy to approach the girl. His second date
lives in Florida, so he takes a vacation to go there. But when the girl approaches him, David withdraws timidly. The third date asks him to meet her in New York's Central Park, but stands him up.
Instead, he accidentally meets Irene, an older woman with big artificial breasts. She invites Dave to her place, and seduces him.
They have an intense sexual encounter, which devastates Dave and causes him to question life itself.
LEARN MORE...
http://www.accentworks.net/daves_date.html

Auld Lang Syne: The Movie

First Shots
We had to get our act together today to get our first shots on tape. The 4th of July fireworks were going off at 9:30 in downtown Austin, which was perfect, considering it would have greatly increased our budget to stage our very own fireworks display. It started raining in the afternoon but we found out that they were going to do the fireworks rain or shine so we went down to the river to try to get a nice looking location where we could also see the sky. The path by the river is a little bit prettier than the bridge above it, so we hoped that would work.
We got there about an hour early and found what we thought would be a good spot. We had to sit under a tree so as not to get the equipment completely drenched (and actually to keep away from all the bats whizzing over our head - YES! BATS!). Poor Tom got his shirt all stuck to his body but luckily, they waited until it was dark to start the fireworks so you can't really tell.
It slowed down to a drizzle about 9:15, which was a bonus because up to that point we were sort of afraid to take the camera out. It was a large investment, afterall! But it ended up not being too bad, and the towel we brought was enough to keep it safe and dry.
We could hear (barely) the cannon blasts from the "1812 Overture" signifying the show was about to start, so we were prepared. The first blasts were a bit low, getting cut off a little by the bridge, and farther off to the right than we had hoped but with some quick surveying and camera moving, we got ourself into a pretty good position.
Tom "acted" (which consisted of standing and watching the pretty colors) as I fussed with the videotaping and the one small light we had (it came with our tent). It was so dark I could hardly see anything through the viewfinder or on the LCD screen, but luckily when we watched the tape at home, you could see a lot more and it turned out really cool. You couldn't even tell it was raining. Phew!!!
READ MORE...
http://auldlangsynemovie.blogspot.com/2006/07/first-shots.html

BitTorrent Distributes Duke City Shootout Films Online

========================================================
BitTorrent, Inc., home to the world's leading peer-assisted file
distribution platform, has announced its support for the 7th
annual Duke City Shootout, the first international
script-to-screen digital filmmaking competition. BitTorrent is
collaborating with the Digital Filmmaking Institute (DFI), which
oversees the Duke City Shootout week-long filmmaking festival, to
deliver all of the digital shorts from the past six festivals.
The shorts, 42 in total, will be available for download at
www.bittorrent.com.

BitTorrent's peer-assisted technology provides an effective
platform to quickly publish and download rich, high-quality
content on the Internet to a worldwide audience. Thus, BitTorrent
is a natural partner to facilitate the online distribution of the
catalog of Duke City digital short films. Under the agreement,
BitTorrent will have the distribution rights to old films, new
films and animation productions created and backed by DFI or the
Shootout.

Continued online:
http://www.moviebytes.com/NewsStory.cfm?StoryID=2627