The Pinellas Filmmakers Society has been assisting & collaborating in a new production (as a training & experience building exercise) and they have been working once a month to building local industry networking partnerships (in their meeting on the fourth Friday evening of every month). My assessment of the group has been very favorable and continues to be so! I am so very excited about this new production as well! They may accept me as a possible candidate (probably in some production capacity) and soon I may be contacting various individuals for some sort of filmmaking or financial support for the film. We have made progress from this last production meeting and I feel we are getting ever closer to making this a film for which I will be proud to be a part.
The film is called "Electric Picasso" and so far we have made some great progress! It will most likely be a 20-25 min. digital short utilizing local talent & crew. There are a few International Academy of Art & Design students and a DP originally from NYC (so far a production staff & crew of 11-12 people). I read the script recently and was surprisingly pleased with it. I'm usually somewhat disappointed with a lot of stories these days, but this one has some really great moments. It is also a very appropriate script as a short film. It gets to the point quickly. It has a good ending. It has some great opportunities for talent to shine & for us to have some technically & artistically creative moments so that makes me happy.
I hope I do a great job & I remain grateful to Mark Keim- the Producer & Lisa Inserra- the Director for taking me on so graciously! I will probably be referring any readers to a soon-to-be created web site for the production from this blog.
So... more to come ASAP!
Monday, April 7, 2008
The first Tampa Bay area film school experience ever??!
While there actually had been a studio in St. Petersburg as far back as 1933 (called Sun Haven Studios) who made three films (Chloe- Love is Calling You, Playthings of Desire, & The Hired Wife), there has to my knowledge never been a film school in the Tampa Bay area... even after USF students & faculty have attempted to start one for decades now. The first (what appears to be) film school experience seems to be coming out of Tampa called the "Tampa Weekend Film School", run by popular locals, Daniel Brienza & the Guzzo Bros. of the Tampa Film Review, Tampa Digital Studios & 1 Day Films. The program, which is not run like a college or a state run school is (so far, fashioned in a very economically sound way) to be run in a weekend session, like a hands-on film school with very affordable prices! Sessions are, however, only taking place every six months or so.
I have yet to attend because I would like to go with a group (you get a discount if you come with a team of 5-10 people). So, if anyone is interested in going with me as a team member in my group we will go together and you should be able to get in for as little as $30 to $50 per person/session!
They have yet to announce the new dates for their next session. Although they seem to be having specialty classes (such as a screen writers class they just had the first week in april) now as well, I hope this doesn't mean they are changing their format to continue doing only specialty classes (& no longer having the team experience). I have to say though, regardless, I am (so so) excited that there is now a film school experience of some sort in the Tampa Bay area and I would be honored to attend with any of my friends or co-workers!
Yay!
:)
I have yet to attend because I would like to go with a group (you get a discount if you come with a team of 5-10 people). So, if anyone is interested in going with me as a team member in my group we will go together and you should be able to get in for as little as $30 to $50 per person/session!
They have yet to announce the new dates for their next session. Although they seem to be having specialty classes (such as a screen writers class they just had the first week in april) now as well, I hope this doesn't mean they are changing their format to continue doing only specialty classes (& no longer having the team experience). I have to say though, regardless, I am (so so) excited that there is now a film school experience of some sort in the Tampa Bay area and I would be honored to attend with any of my friends or co-workers!
Yay!
:)
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Favorite Movies & the Great Influences
My Top 10 are numbered (1-10):
updated as of Jan 7th, 2014
What I love about "Blade Runner" is that (among other things) it achieves a cohesion between eastern & western cultures in the art direction & writing that is so rich that I am still amazed at it! It doesn't stop there though, the characters & story have a depth unparalleled in most films. There is so much there... people still discuss it in forums & the like (just like I am here). It was based on "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick who wrote a few very influential sci-fi stories back in the day. Of course I am a major sci-fi lover but rarely do I feel that what I am seeing in sci-fi films is believable. I can almost see the exposed set & boom mics peeking out between takes in my imagination. "Blade Runner," in contrast, actually achieves believability. I also am a lover of film noir, so "Blade Runner" achieves a synthesis of everything I love in film, period. Another thing that is oft overlooked in films is the soundtrack and this film, utilizing one of my favorite musical genres, New Age music, is used in a way no other film has done before or since.
"The Maltese Falcon," "Citizen Kane," and "The Seven Samurai" all express my love of older b&w cinema. "The Maltese..." for my admiration of crime-story writing translated to the screen as it was done in noir films. "Citizen..." for the technical artistry, ingenuity & talent used to make the film. "Seven Samurai" for , well… everything utilized to achieve putting such a story of tragedy and human commitment on the silver screen. The writing is pure, classic, perfect gold.
"Lord of the Rings" is there for obvious reasons (and yes, I mean ALL of the three movies together as one product). "LotR" is simply the very best fantasy films ever made and they can be judged together because they were all filmed at the same time and they all, then, very easily achieved the same look & feel to them. Incredible VFX and acting. It is hard to say that films do books justice, but I would say that this one does! And I am a major Tolkien fan!
I suppose "Alien" is on this list for some similar reasons that I love "Blade Runner" but obviously not all. It does have a noirish feel to it. The art direction is quite good, showing my love for that era in sci-fi filmmaking. But its the creature design, acting & cinematography that make this a sci-fi thriller most worthy of distinction in my book. I almost listed "Aliens" higher but it isnt as raw in it's artistry & acting. "Aliens," however, is tons of fun to watch & is more descriptive in it's art direction & storytelling.
If you don't know who Akira Kurosawa was, you'd better get cracking! It was a close vote for me between "Yojimbo" and "The Seven Samurai" to list here. They are both incredible films as well as monumentally influential to filmmakers worldwide just as Hitchcock is influential. But there is no Hitchcock film (this is really hard for me to say) that achieves the enormous artistry on screen as a Kurosawa film (& I LOVE Hitchcock!). Hitchcock is a technical genius and a serious student of the human psyche (and it shows in his films) but I consider his work... awkward as it comes to the point of the storytelling. I suppose if I was a major suspense fan, he'd be on the top of my list... so that is saying something I suppose. Kurosawa, in contrast, uses a very organic set of tools to his disposal... to tell a powerfully impactful story & he achieves it almost every time. His very human stories are also great stories. I think the "Samurai..." affected me the most because of all the factors involved to tell such a big story. Each character (each of the seven samurai in the story) affect the viewer in very different ways and each character is also, like the main character. This is rarely if ever achieved in a film. Look at "Oceans 11," or "12," or "13" to compare (which all attempt to achieve this)... Ha ha! There is no comparison!
"Raiders..." is on this list for obvious reasons. For awhile I didn't list this film or the "Empire Strikes Back" film because I considered those choices too obvious and I hadn't seen them in awhile. They were not as fresh in my mind as some other films I had seen more recently. Well, since then, these films come back and back into my memory, pushing the others out of the list. These films are both a ton of fun to watch and the characters are as rich as someone in your own family. You seem to know exactly who they are and you want them to succeed at whatever they do, even if it is to restore the balance to the Force or to restore the prized artifacts to their rightful place. We like to think that Spielberg and Lucas aren't as influential as they are for some reason, but the proof is in the pudding, as they say… They just make darned good films.
Here's the entire list (A-Z) of influences that didn't make the list:
12 Monkeys, 1984, Airplane, Akira, Alphaville, Apocalypse Now, Batman Begins, The Big Lebowski, The Big Sleep, Braveheart, Brazil, The Breakfast Club, Brick, Buffalo 66, Casablanca, Casino Royale, Dark City, The Dark Crystal, Detour (1946), Donnie Darko, Dr. Strangelove, The Elephantman, Faust, The Fifth Element, The Fountain, Gaslight, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Interview with a Vampire, The Island, Ivanhoe, Kill Bill, Krull, The Labyrinth, Ladyhawk, Laura, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (All of Wes Anderson's work), Logan's Run, The Lost Boys, Lost in Translation, The Machinist, The Man Who Wasn't There, The Matrix, Moulin Rogue, Napoleon Dynamite, North by Northwest, Nosferatu, Notorious, Pi, Pulp Fiction, Renaissance, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Baz Lehrmann's Romeo + Juliet, The Royal Tennenbaums, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Signs, Sixth Sense, Soilent Green, Superbad, The Third Man, The Truman Show, Unbreakable, Vanilla Sky, Vertigo, We Are The Strange, Wings of Desire, Yojimbo (really- all of Akira Kurosawa's work), all James Bond movies, ANYTHING with Humphrey Bogart...
Well this must be why I'm wanting to go to film school! I love studying the process & the translation of good storytelling to the screen... It makes me happy! I hope reading this has helped you make some selections at your local video store (which doesn't exist anymore so go to amazon or ebay and pick out some previously watched DVD's or BD's at greatly reduced prices), and brought peace into the home & to all the world... but maybe we can just settle for the home.
Peace-out folks!
Jon
updated as of Jan 7th, 2014
Blade Runner (1)
Citizen Kane (2)
The Seven Samurai (3)
Star Wars (4)
Lord of the Rings (5)
The Maltese Falcon (6)
Alien (7)
The Empire Strikes Back (8)
Aliens (9)
Raiders of the Lost Arc (10)
I realize that some people might say "what is The Seven Samurai?" but this just means you might need to brush up on your film watching in the evening and thats fun for everyone! I recently changed some of these rankings based on recent re-watchings. The talent shows on screen in the storytelling, but ultimately it shows in your memory of that film years later! Some things just stay with you and others fade away. It isn't always something you can understand, but if you end up with a good feeling after you've seen it and it's made an impression on you for years, well, you should think about the fact that many movies can't achieve that kind of influence.Citizen Kane (2)
The Seven Samurai (3)
Star Wars (4)
Lord of the Rings (5)
The Maltese Falcon (6)
Alien (7)
The Empire Strikes Back (8)
Aliens (9)
Raiders of the Lost Arc (10)
What I love about "Blade Runner" is that (among other things) it achieves a cohesion between eastern & western cultures in the art direction & writing that is so rich that I am still amazed at it! It doesn't stop there though, the characters & story have a depth unparalleled in most films. There is so much there... people still discuss it in forums & the like (just like I am here). It was based on "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick who wrote a few very influential sci-fi stories back in the day. Of course I am a major sci-fi lover but rarely do I feel that what I am seeing in sci-fi films is believable. I can almost see the exposed set & boom mics peeking out between takes in my imagination. "Blade Runner," in contrast, actually achieves believability. I also am a lover of film noir, so "Blade Runner" achieves a synthesis of everything I love in film, period. Another thing that is oft overlooked in films is the soundtrack and this film, utilizing one of my favorite musical genres, New Age music, is used in a way no other film has done before or since.
"The Maltese Falcon," "Citizen Kane," and "The Seven Samurai" all express my love of older b&w cinema. "The Maltese..." for my admiration of crime-story writing translated to the screen as it was done in noir films. "Citizen..." for the technical artistry, ingenuity & talent used to make the film. "Seven Samurai" for , well… everything utilized to achieve putting such a story of tragedy and human commitment on the silver screen. The writing is pure, classic, perfect gold.
"Lord of the Rings" is there for obvious reasons (and yes, I mean ALL of the three movies together as one product). "LotR" is simply the very best fantasy films ever made and they can be judged together because they were all filmed at the same time and they all, then, very easily achieved the same look & feel to them. Incredible VFX and acting. It is hard to say that films do books justice, but I would say that this one does! And I am a major Tolkien fan!
I suppose "Alien" is on this list for some similar reasons that I love "Blade Runner" but obviously not all. It does have a noirish feel to it. The art direction is quite good, showing my love for that era in sci-fi filmmaking. But its the creature design, acting & cinematography that make this a sci-fi thriller most worthy of distinction in my book. I almost listed "Aliens" higher but it isnt as raw in it's artistry & acting. "Aliens," however, is tons of fun to watch & is more descriptive in it's art direction & storytelling.
If you don't know who Akira Kurosawa was, you'd better get cracking! It was a close vote for me between "Yojimbo" and "The Seven Samurai" to list here. They are both incredible films as well as monumentally influential to filmmakers worldwide just as Hitchcock is influential. But there is no Hitchcock film (this is really hard for me to say) that achieves the enormous artistry on screen as a Kurosawa film (& I LOVE Hitchcock!). Hitchcock is a technical genius and a serious student of the human psyche (and it shows in his films) but I consider his work... awkward as it comes to the point of the storytelling. I suppose if I was a major suspense fan, he'd be on the top of my list... so that is saying something I suppose. Kurosawa, in contrast, uses a very organic set of tools to his disposal... to tell a powerfully impactful story & he achieves it almost every time. His very human stories are also great stories. I think the "Samurai..." affected me the most because of all the factors involved to tell such a big story. Each character (each of the seven samurai in the story) affect the viewer in very different ways and each character is also, like the main character. This is rarely if ever achieved in a film. Look at "Oceans 11," or "12," or "13" to compare (which all attempt to achieve this)... Ha ha! There is no comparison!
"Raiders..." is on this list for obvious reasons. For awhile I didn't list this film or the "Empire Strikes Back" film because I considered those choices too obvious and I hadn't seen them in awhile. They were not as fresh in my mind as some other films I had seen more recently. Well, since then, these films come back and back into my memory, pushing the others out of the list. These films are both a ton of fun to watch and the characters are as rich as someone in your own family. You seem to know exactly who they are and you want them to succeed at whatever they do, even if it is to restore the balance to the Force or to restore the prized artifacts to their rightful place. We like to think that Spielberg and Lucas aren't as influential as they are for some reason, but the proof is in the pudding, as they say… They just make darned good films.
Here's the entire list (A-Z) of influences that didn't make the list:
12 Monkeys, 1984, Airplane, Akira, Alphaville, Apocalypse Now, Batman Begins, The Big Lebowski, The Big Sleep, Braveheart, Brazil, The Breakfast Club, Brick, Buffalo 66, Casablanca, Casino Royale, Dark City, The Dark Crystal, Detour (1946), Donnie Darko, Dr. Strangelove, The Elephantman, Faust, The Fifth Element, The Fountain, Gaslight, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Interview with a Vampire, The Island, Ivanhoe, Kill Bill, Krull, The Labyrinth, Ladyhawk, Laura, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (All of Wes Anderson's work), Logan's Run, The Lost Boys, Lost in Translation, The Machinist, The Man Who Wasn't There, The Matrix, Moulin Rogue, Napoleon Dynamite, North by Northwest, Nosferatu, Notorious, Pi, Pulp Fiction, Renaissance, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Baz Lehrmann's Romeo + Juliet, The Royal Tennenbaums, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Signs, Sixth Sense, Soilent Green, Superbad, The Third Man, The Truman Show, Unbreakable, Vanilla Sky, Vertigo, We Are The Strange, Wings of Desire, Yojimbo (really- all of Akira Kurosawa's work), all James Bond movies, ANYTHING with Humphrey Bogart...
Well this must be why I'm wanting to go to film school! I love studying the process & the translation of good storytelling to the screen... It makes me happy! I hope reading this has helped you make some selections at your local video store (which doesn't exist anymore so go to amazon or ebay and pick out some previously watched DVD's or BD's at greatly reduced prices), and brought peace into the home & to all the world... but maybe we can just settle for the home.
Peace-out folks!
Jon
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Invitation to Network & Recent Happenings
So, some local film stuff going on right now-
(I plan on attending a lot of these events & i would love for anyone who is an amateur or aspiring filmmaker to come with me if you contact me beforehand & of course, if you live in the Tampa Bay area).
1. The Tampa Film Review (TFR) meets (in the International Bazaar at Ybor City, Tampa) at 7 pm on the 2nd Friday of every month (they might soon change their location). They've been getting a lot more involved & active lately with plugging into local film events & helping local filmmakers get VIP treatment at events. Theres also some workshop & training opportunities but it is mostly a place to show your work to local fellow filmmakers for free.
2. Pinellas Filmmakers Society meets on the 4th Friday of every month at 6pm at the Indie Studios (1776 11th Ave N., St. Pete). They are a more personable group who actually meet in a professional studio. They are hardcore & they like to train & give advice. If you bring something to show they will show it but expect an honest assessment of your work as they are keen on giving advice. Great place to network in my opinion & talk about yourself & your work.
3. St. Pete Creative Network meets once a month as well but the date & location is not the same every month. They are a group of Pinellas artists who want to network, to have fun, & to come up with ideas to help the community through their art. It is under-represented in the filmmaking department... a lot of graphic designers & ad people from what ive seen.
Recent Goings-on...
I have been working with a few people to discuss moving to NYC to do film up there & to expand into web design also (Flash). It isn't probably within this year but should be the beginning of next year. I just have to get our condo fixed up, on the market, sold, debts paid off, need to finish making Rebecca's "coming of age" short entitled "Antisocial Butterfly" & to get my short HD b&w film noir up & running ("The Dark Cinema") so I have some of my own personal work to shop around up there. I have been looking for opportunities to do this cheaper & with more indy artists who are more dedicated hardcore filmmakers at heart.
Its been hard as well as expensive- Ive had to work all kinds of jobs on the side to make artistic projects & to keep our studio open for business but with the right people I know we can do this thing- I have a few collaborative projects I have been shopping around- one called "Holy War" & the other an untitled zombie vs vampire short. Ive actually got a lot of different projects going on but the hardest part has been staying afloat financially.
Well either way local filmmakers can help each other out in so many ways & networking is one of the greatest, so bring along a stack of business cards & show up with me to one of these events!
Thanx all!
Jon
(I plan on attending a lot of these events & i would love for anyone who is an amateur or aspiring filmmaker to come with me if you contact me beforehand & of course, if you live in the Tampa Bay area).
1. The Tampa Film Review (TFR) meets (in the International Bazaar at Ybor City, Tampa) at 7 pm on the 2nd Friday of every month (they might soon change their location). They've been getting a lot more involved & active lately with plugging into local film events & helping local filmmakers get VIP treatment at events. Theres also some workshop & training opportunities but it is mostly a place to show your work to local fellow filmmakers for free.
2. Pinellas Filmmakers Society meets on the 4th Friday of every month at 6pm at the Indie Studios (1776 11th Ave N., St. Pete). They are a more personable group who actually meet in a professional studio. They are hardcore & they like to train & give advice. If you bring something to show they will show it but expect an honest assessment of your work as they are keen on giving advice. Great place to network in my opinion & talk about yourself & your work.
3. St. Pete Creative Network meets once a month as well but the date & location is not the same every month. They are a group of Pinellas artists who want to network, to have fun, & to come up with ideas to help the community through their art. It is under-represented in the filmmaking department... a lot of graphic designers & ad people from what ive seen.
Recent Goings-on...
I have been working with a few people to discuss moving to NYC to do film up there & to expand into web design also (Flash). It isn't probably within this year but should be the beginning of next year. I just have to get our condo fixed up, on the market, sold, debts paid off, need to finish making Rebecca's "coming of age" short entitled "Antisocial Butterfly" & to get my short HD b&w film noir up & running ("The Dark Cinema") so I have some of my own personal work to shop around up there. I have been looking for opportunities to do this cheaper & with more indy artists who are more dedicated hardcore filmmakers at heart.
Its been hard as well as expensive- Ive had to work all kinds of jobs on the side to make artistic projects & to keep our studio open for business but with the right people I know we can do this thing- I have a few collaborative projects I have been shopping around- one called "Holy War" & the other an untitled zombie vs vampire short. Ive actually got a lot of different projects going on but the hardest part has been staying afloat financially.
Well either way local filmmakers can help each other out in so many ways & networking is one of the greatest, so bring along a stack of business cards & show up with me to one of these events!
Thanx all!
Jon
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Why I love NYC (& why you should too)!
I am a great fan of New York City if you might have noticed. I've even been a fan of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani for some time (and I had typed like 2 paragraphs here before about politics & the like... yea. I omitted it!) So you can thank me later! So anyway, theres so much to like about NYC that its hard to list it at all... its like im stunned! Theres shopping, theres shows, theres every kind of event & fun thing to do you can imagine! I'm from Florida saying this... the beach can be overrated at times. Theres not much of a filmmaking industry, there's not many cool cafes or book stores. There's not that many intellectuals down here it seems. There's this attitude of animosity from a lot of people, you know, it's like a "my way or the highway" kind of thing. I think its cuz people don't like debating ideas typically down here. New Yorkers, in contrast, are more used to competition in every way. You are forced to be stronger as a result.Speaking practically, while New York has a great weakness as a place to move to (financial reasons)- that weakness also serves as it's greatest strength as a filmmaker & as someone who is planning on having very marketable skills when (& if) I move there. I plan on not only having mad skills (filmmaking experience & flash design skills) but assets to bring to the table as well.
This will take some time though- but, if I am blessed with a few good friends here in Florida who believe in me- I am counting on an inspiring, blessed moment to occur... the moment in which I can create a short film with the help of my friends in order to open up my filmmaking career in NYC. What this provides for me is an invaluable asset for the rest of my life as it can really showcase my talent & it will allow me to finally pursue the kind of career & work I am actually passionate about. I've never cared much about being rich & famous like so many Americans these days, but I have felt out of place in each & every job I have ever had which now has reached up to 34 (!) jobs in my life! Why has this happened to me? No reason except I have not ever been given a chance to do what I have wanted. I'm like Ethan Hawke's character in Reality Bites! It's kinda funny.
I am confident that if I am in New York, I will be given better job opportunities, more exposure for my artistic talents & better use of my experience. The CUNY state university system (hopefully Brooklyn) can give me a good opportunity to go to a low cost film program, and if I am able to room with 2-4 more film enthusiasts, our housing costs should remain manageable.
In the rent department- I am really liking craigslist for the most up to date system (because in NYC- if you don't acquire your apartment the next day- you lose!), but there are other sites I am open to as well (A reminder... as it comes to craigslist just be leary of scams!). I am also planning on (when ready), asking our already present NYC friend-base to help us with 'what is' the right kind of place to look for and kind of being a present witness (possibly) of how good or bad this place is before we get there. From what I can tell, these seem like the numbers to watch for from my (mostly) uninformed position... $800 (or less) for an efficiency, $1600 (or less) for a two bedroom, and $2000 for a three bedroom. As you may be able to tell- im staying around the $400 or less per person area. This looks to me VERY reasonable if you are a sport and can live in a small closet (for awhile at least). It is much better for each of us the more people & bedrooms weve got here but there's got to be a limit on what is manageable. We are adults here- we should be able to establish a consensus on agreed-upon basic rules for the apartment as alot of these places have shared kitchens, living spaces & bathrooms (if not bathROOM='singular'). This means many things will have to be shared & so we need ways... of staying out of each other's way (if that makes any sense). Marriage teaches you that togetherness is also responsibility- theres a responsibility to nurture harmony & compassion. Well, I hope its just a very mutually beneficial experience and also a lot of fun!
If my friends haven't as of yet discovered some of the NYC film incentives I would challenge you to do so- some of them are VERY attractive- I
don't expect to just be able to film whatever projects we want right away- but to get in contact with people who can help us, to do great things in our own time & also, to use our film/web design/animation/industry jobs to (at the same time) promote and create our own work and therefore improve our reputation.Also have you been to the STORES in NYC- I have never been more charmed in my LIFE!!! It's just... to find a grocery store- sheesh! Actually I did find a Costco with an internet search. Its just... now a new set of problems! How do you take your bulk foods with you on the bus??
If you haven't seen them- here's some pics of our trip to the Big Apple on flickr.
Jon the filmmaker.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Made in NYC: Some NYC Resources
First let me start out with a link to MovieMaker's article about the ten best cities to make movies in, NYC being the #1 city for the past three years, beating out Austin and all the other film havens in the U.S., even for independent filmmaking.
Top 10 Cities for MovieMakers (2007)
This article explains some of it's reasons, of course, being state & city resources & incentives & a strong independent filmmaking spirit as opposed to L.A. which has not even showed up on MovieMaker's list for a while, no doubt to the domineering control that Hollywood has had over the local industry there.
here are a few more resources, of course animation job links are located in another post as I get them...
General NYC Info & Some Articles
NYC.gov
"Made in NY" Program
NYC Webcams
A Guide to Filming In NY
NYConvergence
Resources
Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting
IFP/New York
NewYork411
Motion Picture Enterprises
New York Production Guide
New York Film & Video Guide
New York City Film Resource
Grip & Electric
NYC Blogs
Cine Cultist
NY Brain Terrain
NY Locations
NY Indie Seen
Subway Cinema
NYC loves NYC
NY:MIEG
New Directors/New Films
NYC Daily Photo
Film Flap
A Daily Dose of Architecture
Location Files
Times Square
Brave New World: NYC!
New York Portraits
Elusive Lucidity
House Press
Between Productions
The Bowery Boys
Theatres
Lincoln Center
IFC Center
The Angelika
Pioneer Theatre
Film Schools
Digital Film Academy
School of Visual Arts
NYU
Brooklyn College
City College
Hunter College
New School
New York Film Academy
Manhattan Edit Workshop
Columbia University
more to come...
Jon
Top 10 Cities for MovieMakers (2007)
This article explains some of it's reasons, of course, being state & city resources & incentives & a strong independent filmmaking spirit as opposed to L.A. which has not even showed up on MovieMaker's list for a while, no doubt to the domineering control that Hollywood has had over the local industry there.
here are a few more resources, of course animation job links are located in another post as I get them...
General NYC Info & Some Articles
NYC.gov
"Made in NY" Program
NYC Webcams
A Guide to Filming In NY
NYConvergence
Resources
Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting
IFP/New York
NewYork411
Motion Picture Enterprises
New York Production Guide
New York Film & Video Guide
New York City Film Resource
Grip & Electric
NYC Blogs
Cine Cultist
NY Brain Terrain
NY Locations
NY Indie Seen
Subway Cinema
NYC loves NYC
NY:MIEG
New Directors/New Films
NYC Daily Photo
Film Flap
A Daily Dose of Architecture
Location Files
Times Square
Brave New World: NYC!
New York Portraits
Elusive Lucidity
House Press
Between Productions
The Bowery Boys
Theatres
Lincoln Center
IFC Center
The Angelika
Pioneer Theatre
Film Schools
Digital Film Academy
School of Visual Arts
NYU
Brooklyn College
City College
Hunter College
New School
New York Film Academy
Manhattan Edit Workshop
Columbia University
more to come...
Jon
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Changes on Posts
I will be continuously researching cities to move to and animation companies so those posts will be frequently changing as time goes on. Ive already updated them probably over 3 times. Some of you may already have noticed!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
19 Cities Rated
An update has been necessitated (if that is a word) to represent new changes in the film community as well as in the strange economic situation presented us in this country. I have made some changes to accomodate. Here is my now new study on 19 Cities Rated for my search to find a location to start an indy film company with help, of course, from some very generous friends. Utilizing some resources on the internet such as MovieMaker's study on the 10 best cities to be a filmmaker has better helped me to rate some of these cities. I can always use help & advice from you, the reader in regards to this study as well. Please feel free to comment!
In this study I WAS utilizing 4 housing solutions to designate each city category. I had 'Individual Housing', 'Community Housing', 'Individual Rental' and 'Community Rental' designations based on the real estate climate & local cost of living. However, since the purpose of this study is to make it easier to pick a location to get into the film or animation industry, living situation seems to confuse the matter further. I'm sure finding the BEST living situation wherever you go (based on your own priorities), and of course, factoring in your own income & assets is going to happen regardless. It is isn't, well it needs to ...but that is something I can't do for anyone.
OK! Next I have 5 priorities in each of those cities/areas mentioned explained as thus (there has been a priority change here). 'Cheap' being costs of property and relative standard of living as distinguished in that area. 'Industry' being the presence of Film Industry (Infrastructure, Studios, Production Companies with Distribution, Jobs, Major Festivals, Film & Art Schools, Filmmaking Services, Filmmaking Societies, Filmmaking Incentives, and a good Film Office). Some have strong animation and not strong film (or visa versa) which can bring down the score. 'Film Community' is the presence of a supportive local film community (such as a tight knit group of supportive fellow Indy Filmmakers, Film Societies, Community Theaters, Micro-Cinemas, Non-Profits, & possibly some services or organizations to help build a stronger filmmaking community). An Indy filmmaking spirit really helps here. 'Livable' is the comfort index based on the measure of cosmopolitan, modern, convenient, diverse, and unique places and things to do in that community. A coffee house culture helps here. Also, the uncomfortability of extreme weather can contribute to 'unlivable' conditions. 'Family' is the sense of security a neighborhood has from a variety of benefits in that community. I get it from a combination of crime stats, local neighborhood morale, clean neighborhoods, sufficient government services and a neighborhood watch presence or something like it. I combined this rating with the formerly known 'Community' rating which was the sense that not only is crime low but the community is somewhat family friendly and has good schools to show for it. Walkability, parks and recreational areas or theme parks are a plus here as well. I have, of course, rated these based on what I know now from these communities.
Many of these changes occurred because I felt I was emphasizing too much on a 'nice', & 'safe' community rather than what was really important here which is the quality of the film/animation community. You may find the presence of some of the cities listed (or not listed) a surprise to you. Hey, let me know if you want to see something thats not on there! I have now done a ton of research however, and doing more of it might be just freaky at this point.
Regardless of my desire to move to NYC, due to new changes in film incentives this last year & the fact that filmmakers have REALLY responded in a very tangible way to make Michigan the next place to be in the film world, well... Michigan is now looking better on this list. Considering the new results I have made, some fresh advice would be to get as many other aspiring filmmakers involved as possible which can really be trusted to contribute to a tangible filmmaking collaboration in this burgeoning film community known as "The Mitten". The film incentives are incredibly helpful now for filmmakers & new film companies (such as tax refunds, permits, police escorts, and money to help your film company's growth). I still <3 NYC though!
The Cities (1-19): 1st being good, & 19th being, well... 19th!
About the decision to move & to collaborate, well, let's talk about it! Otherwise its not much of a collaboration, is it? None of this should be taken lightly because it is would be an expensive mistake right now to move to the wrong area. I can provide some source info links on cities if you are looking at a certain area.
Jon
In this study I WAS utilizing 4 housing solutions to designate each city category. I had 'Individual Housing', 'Community Housing', 'Individual Rental' and 'Community Rental' designations based on the real estate climate & local cost of living. However, since the purpose of this study is to make it easier to pick a location to get into the film or animation industry, living situation seems to confuse the matter further. I'm sure finding the BEST living situation wherever you go (based on your own priorities), and of course, factoring in your own income & assets is going to happen regardless. It is isn't, well it needs to ...but that is something I can't do for anyone.
OK! Next I have 5 priorities in each of those cities/areas mentioned explained as thus (there has been a priority change here). 'Cheap' being costs of property and relative standard of living as distinguished in that area. 'Industry' being the presence of Film Industry (Infrastructure, Studios, Production Companies with Distribution, Jobs, Major Festivals, Film & Art Schools, Filmmaking Services, Filmmaking Societies, Filmmaking Incentives, and a good Film Office). Some have strong animation and not strong film (or visa versa) which can bring down the score. 'Film Community' is the presence of a supportive local film community (such as a tight knit group of supportive fellow Indy Filmmakers, Film Societies, Community Theaters, Micro-Cinemas, Non-Profits, & possibly some services or organizations to help build a stronger filmmaking community). An Indy filmmaking spirit really helps here. 'Livable' is the comfort index based on the measure of cosmopolitan, modern, convenient, diverse, and unique places and things to do in that community. A coffee house culture helps here. Also, the uncomfortability of extreme weather can contribute to 'unlivable' conditions. 'Family' is the sense of security a neighborhood has from a variety of benefits in that community. I get it from a combination of crime stats, local neighborhood morale, clean neighborhoods, sufficient government services and a neighborhood watch presence or something like it. I combined this rating with the formerly known 'Community' rating which was the sense that not only is crime low but the community is somewhat family friendly and has good schools to show for it. Walkability, parks and recreational areas or theme parks are a plus here as well. I have, of course, rated these based on what I know now from these communities.
Many of these changes occurred because I felt I was emphasizing too much on a 'nice', & 'safe' community rather than what was really important here which is the quality of the film/animation community. You may find the presence of some of the cities listed (or not listed) a surprise to you. Hey, let me know if you want to see something thats not on there! I have now done a ton of research however, and doing more of it might be just freaky at this point.
Regardless of my desire to move to NYC, due to new changes in film incentives this last year & the fact that filmmakers have REALLY responded in a very tangible way to make Michigan the next place to be in the film world, well... Michigan is now looking better on this list. Considering the new results I have made, some fresh advice would be to get as many other aspiring filmmakers involved as possible which can really be trusted to contribute to a tangible filmmaking collaboration in this burgeoning film community known as "The Mitten". The film incentives are incredibly helpful now for filmmakers & new film companies (such as tax refunds, permits, police escorts, and money to help your film company's growth). I still <3 NYC though!
The Cities (1-19): 1st being good, & 19th being, well... 19th!
Priorities: | Cheap | Industry | Film Community | Livable | Family | Total |
- Grand Rapids- 9 - 7 - 8 - 6 - 8 - 38
- NYC- 1 - 10 - 10 - 9 - 4 - 34
- Detroit- 10 - 9 - 9 - 3 - 2 - 33
- Milwaukee- 7 - 6 - 7 - 7 - 6 - 33
- Wilmington, NC- 5 - 6 - 7 - 7 - 6 - 31
- Albuquerque, NM- 4 - 8 - 7 - 7 - 5 - 31
- Upstate NY- 7 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 8 - 30
- Minn./St.Paul- 5 - 5 - 6 - 6 - 8 - 30
- Cleveland Area- 9 - 4 - 6 - 6 - 5 - 30
- Madison, WI- 6 - 4 - 7 - 4 - 8 - 29
- Columbus OH- 7 - 3 - 6 - 6 - 6 - 28
- Shreveport, LA- 6 - 7 - 7 - 4 - 4 - 28
- Austin, TX- 6 - 7 - 7 - 4 - 4 - 28
- Chicago- 3 - 7 - 8 - 6 - 4 - 28
- Portland- 2 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 5 - 28
- St. Louis- 7 - 2 - 6 - 6 - 7 - 28
- Seattle- 2 - 6 - 6 - 8 - 5 - 27
- Denver- 4 - 4 - 5 - 7 - 6 - 26
- Savannah- 6 - 4 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 25
About the decision to move & to collaborate, well, let's talk about it! Otherwise its not much of a collaboration, is it? None of this should be taken lightly because it is would be an expensive mistake right now to move to the wrong area. I can provide some source info links on cities if you are looking at a certain area.
Jon
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Animation Co. search for animators
Hello fellow filmmakers!
As an amateur independent filmmaker who is in the process of compiling useful data for myself as well as other independent filmmakers & animators, I have compiled a list of animation companies for primarily independents in the areas "outside of Hollywood's grasp" (mostly not on the west coast) because we independents need to help each other.
I am planning on networking a lot of people together to work on projects and independent productions corporately- first in Florida & then in NYC. I am also going to post a film industry resource list to help out my friends. So, now since I am now delving into NYC as the chosen location it will take a while to complete the list as it is so huge. We'll see who bites on the opportunities!
Animation Companies
New York
New York City
321 Film
8 Hats High
A&E Television Network
Animation Collective
Animators Unite
Atlantic Motion Pictures
Augenblick Studios
Blinking Eye Media
Blue Sky Studios
Bunko Studios
Buzzco Associates
Callaway Arts & Entertainment
Charged Productions
Cold Cereal Studios
Collider Media
Croog Studios
Curious Pictures
Curly Maple
Designomotion
DMA Animation
Dream Ray Studios
Factual Fiction
Fantasimation
FlickerLab
Freak Show Films
Frederator Studios
Fury Animation
Graphissimo
HBO
Hillman Arts
Homebaked Films
Hornet, Inc.
House of Bliss
IBC Digital
The ILL Clan
Inky Dinky Animation Studios
The Jim Henson Company
Kevina.TV
Kompost
Kyle Baker
Launch
Legend Animation
Life Story Productions
Little Airplane Productions
Loop Filmworks
LyLofilm Productions
Voom HD Networks
If anyone has any concerns, comments, complaints, etc. or you know of any animation studios not part of the Hollywood factory, especially if you are working for one... send your information as a comment here.
Thank you my fellow independents! I love you all!
Jon
As an amateur independent filmmaker who is in the process of compiling useful data for myself as well as other independent filmmakers & animators, I have compiled a list of animation companies for primarily independents in the areas "outside of Hollywood's grasp" (mostly not on the west coast) because we independents need to help each other.
I am planning on networking a lot of people together to work on projects and independent productions corporately- first in Florida & then in NYC. I am also going to post a film industry resource list to help out my friends. So, now since I am now delving into NYC as the chosen location it will take a while to complete the list as it is so huge. We'll see who bites on the opportunities!
Animation Companies
New York
New York City
321 Film
8 Hats High
A&E Television Network
Animation Collective
Animators Unite
Atlantic Motion Pictures
Augenblick Studios
Blinking Eye Media
Blue Sky Studios
Bunko Studios
Buzzco Associates
Callaway Arts & Entertainment
Charged Productions
Cold Cereal Studios
Collider Media
Croog Studios
Curious Pictures
Curly Maple
Designomotion
DMA Animation
Dream Ray Studios
Factual Fiction
Fantasimation
FlickerLab
Freak Show Films
Frederator Studios
Fury Animation
Graphissimo
HBO
Hillman Arts
Homebaked Films
Hornet, Inc.
House of Bliss
IBC Digital
The ILL Clan
Inky Dinky Animation Studios
The Jim Henson Company
Kevina.TV
Kompost
Kyle Baker
Launch
Legend Animation
Life Story Productions
Little Airplane Productions
Loop Filmworks
LyLofilm Productions
Voom HD Networks
If anyone has any concerns, comments, complaints, etc. or you know of any animation studios not part of the Hollywood factory, especially if you are working for one... send your information as a comment here.
Thank you my fellow independents! I love you all!
Jon
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
My wife, the "Antisocial Butterfly"
This idea was originally entitled "Shy" because it was about a shy girl. This main character and movie idea is based on my wife, Rebecca. This is all Rebecca's idea so, really, she should make her own blog for her company Ghost Productions and put this on it. But, until she does I will have it on here. So, back to the idea...It is supposed to be based on a lot of the difficult social situations Rebecca had to deal with during her first years after leaving home and going to college at the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. I suppose it gave her a measure of inspiration and passion to create this story about a girl who, like her, begins to feel she must start reaching out socially and to start becoming more socially adaptable (the character in the movie is more over-dramatised to really draw the audience into her character development). I suppose that in a dramatisation, it helps to scream 'story!' so people will hear you. Especially because with some stories, effecting people dramatically is really the point you are trying to make. It isn't just referred to as a 'drama' for no reason. We don't just want to say that this girl is shy- but if you can (with a tinge of the over-dramatic) affect the viewer on a personal level to feel, even slightly, the way the character might feel, you have accomplished much more!
So, in this 'coming of age' story it begins with her difficulty in reaching out and communicating with others around her. Certain feelings begin to creep up in her and then a male character (who will play opposite to her) begins showing up in the film who she will, from a distance, start to feel comfortable around. Other challenges start to show themselves as well, such as life goals. Much of this might seem a typical 'coming of age' as it comes to story but there are many things that will set it apart and make it unique as an experience to view. I know this because I know Rebecca despises typical, mediocre ideas. She has a good grasp on unique, original ideas & I don't think she'd waste five minutes on an idea if she thought it wasn't something new or different (except to be nice to the one with the idea).
The cinematography and certain story elements will probably make this a more compelling movie than a lot of the coming of age 'girly' or 'cutesy' movies you might have seen at your local video rental store. As it comes to certain artistic elements, I'm not sure what she wants as of yet, but she is a filmmaker who does not like to depend on poorly written dialogue to further a story. Instead she likes to move things along with subtle acting or unexpected story elements, such as the shift of an actors eyes or the placement of a prop to catch your attention and make you think about what is going on. This can only be done well by the best of directors & writers collaborating with professional actors and this is what makes me love a lot of Rebecca's ideas- they are more subtle... I really like to have twists and really 'impactful' story elements that blow you away, especially in story originality or style uniqueness- but Rebecca likes to kind of flow just out of view and just out of reach. She forces you to think and this is what makes her work so artistic. As she desires to work with very few on a set or on location it gives her artistic ideas and guidance more strength. I don't know, sometimes I wish I was more like her as a filmmaker. I guess you do what you can-.
As it comes to the production of her film, her script is 90% complete! So far it will probably be about a 15-25 minute short in color digital and I'M supposed to be her actor playing opposite of her! Yes, she has decided that she wants to play the girl in the film! I think its because she knows how it feels to be like this girl and she needs the lead part to be played with the correct motivation. It's not her acting I'd be worried about though- yep, it's mine! She used to be in acting school from childhood and she has done some pretty cool stuff in school. Anyway, I am psyched about her movie and hope she's done with writing & pre-production soon so we can get out there and see her great acting & directing! I'm sure you'll be excited about it too. Not to mention her editing is uber-primo (which has already been well proven)! Check out her editing of The Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Man" with the 1949 movie, "Gun Crazy" on Vimeo. It's sweet stuff! The timing in the editing is awesome (as long as you have sufficient bandwidth). Let me tell ya, I always felt "anti-social butterflies" ruled the art world. Now I know!Jon
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