February 2010 Blog Posts (9)

First Crucial Step in the Digital Download Revolution Announced

What I've been predicting has just been announced at the Consumer

Electronics Show ( CES). Intel has unveiled its new WiDi device... or

Wireless Display Technology. This device, along with Netgear's

Push2TV Adapter, allows an Internet download to be transmitted from

your computer to your big LCD screen in the living room where you now can enjoy a movie download from the internet with the push of a button. The device

is a bit pricey right now ( as ALL tech breakthoughs… Continue

Added by Frank Casanova on February 19, 2010 at 11:39am — 2 Comments

Netflix is Betting The Future of Film Distribution is The Internet

An article in the 2-19 internet issue of IT Solutions tells of a deal struck between Warner Bros. and Netflix, where Netflix will refrain from renting new Warner releases for a month, in exchange for Digital Download rights in the future... What does that tell ya? Netflix sees the future of distribution to be in the Internet Digital Download. And so far Netflix has been right on most of the time.

So much so, we may be seeing the slow dissolution of Blockbuster with their incompetent… Continue

Added by Frank Casanova on February 19, 2010 at 10:22am — 1 Comment

News from the Berlin Film Market:

- Internet & Cable VOD as revenue streams are NOT as advanced as

they are in the U.S

- Of all the European countries, Germany still has the strongest market

with acquisition prices not dipping much in the last few years (unlike

other European countries where acquisition prices have been in

decline...)

- The most 'commercial' genres internationally are still Action,

Thriller, Horror, Sci-Fi

& Family... So don't try to make a Romantic Comedy.… Continue

Added by Frank Casanova on February 17, 2010 at 2:14pm — No Comments

Thanks and HELP!!! on Sundance Grant Application

Hello fellow filmmakers, writers et al!

It was great meeting you all Friday night and I am very excited about the upcoming premiere of THIRD WORLD AMERICA at the Sacramento Film Festival on April 17th, 2010 at the Crest Theater.

On an immediate and urgent note, I am surging to make a postmark deadline of tomorrow, FEB 9. 2010 and was wondering if anyone had previously applied for and/or received a SUNDANCE Grant???

Any and all grant writing help or input… Continue

Added by Costa Mantis on February 8, 2010 at 10:10pm — No Comments

The Purpetual Padawan

So as we discuss what will really help local film making everybody has a take. Some will tell you that the most important thing is getting Hollywood's attention to recognize all the talent we have...others say we need a meeting about incentives and getting with the state film commissioner, the mayor or some other messianic figure who'll deliver us from our film netherworldlyness into a shangrila, a film-topia created, constructed and delivered conveniently in our backyard, like some kind of…

Continue

Added by Martin Anaya on February 8, 2010 at 2:00am — 1 Comment

CFAA Meeting with The Calif. Film Commissioner

Been getting personal invitations to this meeting as if it's THE most IMPORTANT event concerning Indy filmmaking in Sacramento. What??? I cannot understand exactly what effect the California Film Commissioner (Amy Lemisch ) would have on Independent filmmaking in Sacramento. Is she going to get me money? No. So can somebody explain that to me? Am I missing something? This seems like a great waste of time, like the last meeting at CFAA with the So Cal Assemblyman who basically… Continue

Added by Frank Casanova on February 6, 2010 at 6:25pm — No Comments

Sundance Distribution Offers

Some numbers are in for distribution offers at Sundance (as reported by Stacy Parks from Film Specific):

"In terms of ALL RIGHTS North American deals we're seeing ranges from the low to mid six figures up to the top price of $5 million (of course the $5 million acquisition has several A-list stars and director) with most acquisition prices hovering in the high six figure/low seven figure range.

The biggest question people want to know is this - will… Continue

Added by Frank Casanova on February 5, 2010 at 11:59am — 2 Comments

Is the Indy Filmmaker a Businessperson or an Artist...or both?

Now reading "Thinking Outside the Box Office" by Jon Reiss. Probably one of the best of the current thinking for Indy filmmakers. One huge point...Today's Indy Filmmaker must be 50% Businessperson / Marketing Exec to even have a chance. Gone are the days when you can say "I'm a filmmaker...I leave the business side to others".

Unfortunately, that's mostly what I see in Sacramento.... People who enjoy the art of filmmaking, but then in the next breath say they want a distribution… Continue

Added by Frank Casanova on February 2, 2010 at 1:07pm — 5 Comments

Local short film production, Before 12, by Sandy Stoltz is looking for a camera package, and crew people

Before 12 is gearing up to be shot soon and we are looking for all the pieces we still need. We are shooting a trailer for the film and already have a camera for that, but we are still looking for the actual camera package we will use for the film. It will need to be HD, and we'd like to create a 1080P image at 24p if we can.

Currently we have Mark Herzig as the DP, and an EX-1 camera to shoot the trailer with. It would be great to have the same kind of camera for the film as we use… Continue

Added by Mike H. Wilson on February 1, 2010 at 8:13pm — 1 Comment