I got a call last week from the director of a new documentary film called "The People Vs. George Lucas".
They want me to send in an interview of myself defending or prosecuting aspects of the special editions and the prequel trilogy.
The film seems like a very good idea.
They're looking for participation from a number of Star Wars nerds... So, you should all look into participating.
Elias thinks I should take it upon myself to be the lone defender of Jar Jar Binks.
That is a very distinct possibility.
2 comments:
Go to hell, Bryan.
New Mexico Company Announces Distribution Option for
Independent Filmmakers
Albuquerque, NM -- The way films are distributed and the way consumers view them is changing on a daily basis. Hoping to catch the wave, a group of Albuquerque filmmakers and businessmen will launch The Filmmakers Channel March 3.
The online distribution channel will seek to tap the pool of independent filmmakers around the world who have not obtained distribution of their films in theaters or on TV networks, says co-founder Anthony DellaFlora.
"The whole business of distribution is changing so fast," DellaFlora said. "The purpose of The Filmmakers Channel (www.thefilmmakerschannel.com) is to give the thousands of filmmakers who may never get their movie screened in a theater or on TV the chance to get their movie out to the world, and to make some money off of it."
"I think that's the difference with our program," DellaFlora added. "A lot of movies are being distributed online through various sites, but the emphasis is on the distributor and the consumer. We're putting the welfare of the filmmaker first."
The Filmmakers Channel will feature a streaming, non-buffering video platform for movies, that can include a pay-per-view option. Filmmakers will pay a monthly fee for broadcast minutes and channels, starting as low as $10 a month, said company co-founder Dan Latrimurti, a local businessman with background in information technology.
The video platform, the same one used by Disney and ABC News, can be embedded in other websites and blogs in addition to The Filmmakers Channel, thus allowing the filmmaker to create an online "theater chain," as it were, Latrimurti said.
The Filmmakers Channel also plans to offer video tutorials to its filmmaking customers on the art and business of filmmaking, from screenwriting to distribution. The company will also provide assistance in online marketing.
DellaFlora, a New Mexico producer, was sold on the idea early last year, after Latrimurti convinced him to put his 10-year-old documentary "High Strange New Mexico" online using the video platform. With minimal publicity, the documentary was quickly picked up for distribution by a California company and is now available from a variety of outlets, including NetFlix.
"When Dan presented me with the option to sell viewings of my movie online, and the opportunity to do away with printing DVDs, packaging them, standing in line to mail them, I was sold," DellaFlora said. "The distribution deal was gravy."
The Filmmakers Channel is partnering with Albuquerque filmmakers Rob Ellis and Michael Palumbo, who have created a sister website, Big Window Video (www.big-window-video.com). Big Window Video will help with the educational side of the venture, providing links to tutorials on everything from screenwriting to shooting on green screens, tips about the latest equipment, and helping to produce interviews with independent filmmakers for podcast.
"They're also big into online social marketing, so they'll be a huge help in spreading the word," DellaFlora noted.
Los Angeles entertainment attorney Peter Dekom noted on a recent podcast that between 4,000 and 5,000 English-language feature films are made every year that do not have distribution. Many will go the film festival trail, hoping to get picked up for distribution. But if the recent Sundance Film Festival -- considered the mecca for independent film -- is any indication, things are looking grim for filmmakers. Of the 3,624 films entered, 121 were selected. Of those, Dekom said, four received domestic distribution rights for $1 million or more.
Considering the industry was faced with a potential shutdown of filmmaking with the recently settled writers' strike and a potential actors' strike, observers thought there more films would be picked up for distribution. Dekom speculated that the high cost of marketing films, which typically overshadows production cost, is the reason distributors have shied away from anything they don't consider a sure thing.
The studios also feel threatened by current trends. Film attendance has dropped over the last 15 years, and DVD sales have declined slightly, Dekom said. Lastly, more and more people are finding their entertainment on the Internet. As computers and television sets become more connected, more and more people will be selecting programming from the Internet instead of broadcast TV or cable.
"The trends look good for what we're doing. But we will unveil a plan to get filmmakers connected directly with distributors," DellaFlora said. "There's nothing wrong with a fat distribution deal for TV or theatrical release. In the meantime, we think we have a great alternative for filmmakers."
-- END--
The Peter Dekom interview can be heard in its entirety at
http://www.modavox.com/voiceamericacms/WebModules/HostModaview.aspx?HostId=148&ChannelId=4&Flag=1
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