Blog Archives: August 2007

Blog: Indy Mogul

Reviews & News: Almodovar film on the West End

An adaptation of Pedro Almodovar's "All About My Mother" makes its West End (London's version of NYC's Broadway) debut on Sept. 4. Before you cringe and moan "Why, Pedro, Why?," an article in Time Out London gives me reason to believe this adaptation hasn't gone the route of most film-to-theater con

Blog: Indy Mogul

Festivous: SHORTSNONSTOP

The ideal, next step for your vimeos has arrived. SHORTSNONSTOP is a year-round, online shorts fest focused on media made exclusively for online and mobile platforms. An extension of the CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival, SNS celebrates the truly indy by accepting three-minute (or less) videos witho

Blog: Backyard FX

Writing descriptions that work for actors and money...

One of the keys to writing a screenplay that you can sell to your money folks and actors is having good descriptions of people and places. Sounds obvious - I know. All screenplays have some text that describes the main characters and important locations. The more scripts that I work on, the more I h

Blog: Backyard FX

Ghostlight Digital

When my eyes met Ghostlight, I knew that I had new friends. With talents ranging from direction, cinematography, editing, graphics/fx and DVD authoring, these two brothers are sure to inspire the inner Indy Mogul inside us all. As the Internet and the ensuing technologies and information grow, ever

Blog: Backyard FX

Meet Duplo

Jessica Cameron=DuploThere's not much you can say about artists that they don't say in their work. Especially when you're writing underneath a video of the person explaining themselves, and why they do what they do. So, I guess all I have left is my humble opinion.And IN my humble opinion, Jessica's

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Get Cultured: This Week's Special Screenings

Summer is winding down and so are all the really great outdoor events scattered throughout the boroughs. While everyone else is going down to "the shore" for the long weekend, celebrate your New York-ness by sipping some brews on a rooftop and catching a great flick. Everybody's favorite, "The Princ

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Reel Q&A: Anish Savjani

Amid the outcry over Mumblecore's overwhelming "whiteness" (until now), it seems as though Anish Savjani has been forgotten. Sure, he isn't one of the lost 20-somethings in front of the camera or the one framing shots behind it, but he has been a big part in making some of these films a reality, as

Blog: Backyard FX

Have you created the right package ... ?

The constant issue for the indie filmmaker is the search for cash. You can raise money from equity investors. You can even put the whole thing on a credit card. One way or another, though — it might actually be smarter to find a way to sell your movie before it's made and raise cash against th

Blog: Backyard FX

30 Second Film School: 3-Point Lighting

Photo from The Complete Eejit's Guide to Filmmaking.Even if you're shooting on a tiny budget, you should still consider the advantages of using a professional lighting kit. It could be the determining factor in making a good scene look great. The basic lighting setup for shooting film or video cons

Blog: Backyard FX

Take the Next Step: DocFest 2007

The Paley Center for Media's annual DocFest returns from Oct. 24 to Nov. 2 in NYC. The venerable fest will boast an impressive lineup of premiere and classic docs from the genre's biggest names, bolstered by an introduction and question-and-answer session with all the filmmakers. To supplement the

Blog: Backyard FX

Build Plans: How to make a big f@%king gun

How to make a big, f@%king gun by Erik Beck Hey, everyone, and welcome to the technical blog for Episode #16 (BFG laser). Another awesome viewer submitted request. Send in your laser-filled videos and remember you can submit your project ideas here! Shopping List Plastic CD rack.(This cheap, flimsy

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Required Reading: jumping off bridges

There is a great interview with Kat Candler up at The Austin Chronicle. More than a plug of her latest project, the award-winning indy filmmaker gives a detailed account of the trials of touring fests with an independent film and the nightmare that often in distribution.It began at South by Southwes

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A.D.D. Post #2

Documentarian Robert Greenberg has teamed with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders to launch a viral video campaign against the Fox News Channel. By utilizing video culled straight from Fox News programming, FOX ATTACKS! aims to show that the Murdoch-run news monopoly is, as Sanders states in an article fro

Blog: Backyard FX

A Producer’s project Vs. a Director’s project…

As an Indy Mogul, or Low-Budget Filmmaker, you might come to a project from a number of angles. Maybe you wrote the script and are trying to attach money and talent. Maybe you're a director who is trying to package a script that you like. If you are a multi-hyphenate writer-director-producer, read

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On The Lot: Episode 16 (The Season Finale)

Well, this is what it finally comes down to. After 12,000 submissions, several cuts and weeks of competition, it’s time for the final cut. The three remaining contestants are: Jason Epperson, Will Bigham and Adam Stein. After last weeks disappointing first part of the finale, you would have expect

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Festivous: Your Weekend Plans

We lucky New Yorkers are usually spoiled with a plethora of options to occupy our weekends. And August 24-26 is no different, with two independent film festivals begging for our attendance.First up is The Bushwick Film Festival presenting 15 "creepy, stinky, distasteful, offensive, C-line, avant-ga

Blog: Backyard FX

Reviews & News: blip.tv

Everyone take a deep breath and repeat after me: There is life for your films beyond YouTube, and it can be found at blip.tv. Now in its second year, the video-sharing service is enjoying a surge in popularity and it’s about time you jumped on the bandwagon. Blip.tv was designed for user-generated

Blog: Backyard FX

Festivous: New York Korean Film Festival

 The seventh annual New York Korean Film Festival kicked off yesterday with its biggest program yet (check out the promo trailer below). Running through Sept. 2, the Korea Society has curated a diverse fest with screenings throughout the city and special panel discussions with filmmakers. 

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Reviews & News: Moby Morricone?

Even though he was the first artist to have a whole album commercially licensed (not to mention that grating Gwen Stefani duet), Moby has made a move that will likely increase his presence in film. Over on his personal Web site, the electronic music impresario has a section titled “moby gratis”

Blog: Backyard FX

A.D.D. Post #1

I love finding what-if and could-have-been movie lists on the internet. They’re the perfect antidote to sitting in the office and waiting for the clock to run out. Incidentally, I just found a couple gems over at Twitch and Cracked that examine five unfilmable novels and who should direct them and

Blog: Backyard FX

Take the Next Step: Documentaries

 Attention all documentarians: IFP Documentary Rough Cut Lab is accepting entries for its 2007 program, running from Nov. 6 to Nov. 9 in NYC. Now in its second year, the program teams 10 docs and their novice creators with experienced professionals to explore post-production possibilities and

Blog: Backyard FX

On Filmmaking: An Interview with Tim Kinsella

 Tim Kinsella, of influential indy bands Cap 'n' Jazz and Joan of Arc, has taken time off from the volatile music industry to explore the just-as-precarious film industry. His feature film debut, Orchard Vale (see trailer below), an experimental examination of a band of outsiders after the brea

Blog: Backyard FX

Vimeo Vid of the Day, "The Moustache Montage" by Justin Johnson

The Moustache Montage from justin and Vimeo. A young man finds an idol in one cool gent's facial hair, and is compelled to grow some of his own.Recently, we found out that our Sony HDV camera does true slow motion. And of course, if anyone suggests we shoot in normal speed anymore, they are promptly

Blog: Backyard FX

Build Plans: How to make a fake hand

How to make a fake hand by Jerry Rizzo & Erik Beck Hey, everyone, and welcome to the technical blog for Episode#15 (fake hands). Direct from New York City!  Shopping List 16 lbs. plaster of paris.(8 lbs for the top half, 8 for the bottom. )BFX ballistics gel.(Check out this Weekend Extra for mor

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All Abuzz: Mumblecore

Wikipedia defines Mumblecore as “an independent filmmaking movement characterized by ultra-low budget production, focus on personal relationships between twenty-somethings, improvised scripts, and non-professional actors.” With lengthy articles appearing in both the New York Times and the Villag

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Production 101: Film Distribution

Over at Renew Media’s invaluable new blog, RE:Sources, film advisor Rachel Gordon discusses the pros and cons of self distribution in two articles. An important decision that needs to be made by any filmmaker wishing to move beyond YouTube, Gordon shares her experiences working in the “non-theat

Blog: Backyard FX

My Roomie the Bagel

(NJFILMCORE.COM) My Roomie the Bagel TRAILER from njfilmcore and Vimeo. Now there's Indie filmmaking, and then there's Indy filmmaking. What's the difference? Well, one has an "ie" at the end and the other a "y". And you'd be surprised how big of a difference that that makes. But there's more t

Blog: Backyard FX

On The Lot: Episode 15 (Fox Television)

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems hard to believe that On The Lot is ending. Maybe it’s because everything has come full circle. It’s been over a year since the show was first announced, so I guess you could say it’s finally come full circle. Whatever you have to say about the show, it’s be

Blog: Backyard FX

Vimeo Vid of the Day, "Red Iceblock Melting Outside Timelapse" by Jaymis

Red Iceblock Melting Outside Timelapse from Jaymis and Vimeo. A timelapse of a red iceblock (popsicle) melting in the sun. Shot on a Pentax *ist DS with 50mm F1.4 lens. Timelapses are always pretty cool. But I like this one, especially, for a

Blog: Backyard FX

30 Second Film School: How To Use a Light Meter

During my tenure at film school I never seemed to be able to fully comprehend taking a light meter reading (thankfully, I became a screenwriting major). While most DIY-ers are shooting digital with internal meters, knowing how to set up a shot using a light meter is a must if you want to move onto p

Blog: Backyard FX

Get Cultured: Outdoor Film Screenings

Fellow New Yorkers, let's bask in our temporary respite from the deadly heat (It’s only going to reach 81 degrees this week!) with a film at one of the cool outside venues scattered around the five boroughs.  Some screens are showing the classics, like Psycho at the 2007 HBO Bryant Park Summe

Blog: Backyard FX

Production 101: Withoutabox

 Launched in 2000, Withoutabox has evolved into a haven for indy filmmakers and the people who love them. All told, Withoutabox is a compendium of online tools designed to help the independent film community both socially and economically without the need for the all-powerful Hollywood dis

Blog: Backyard FX

Reviews & News: Final Cut Studio 2

 Filmmaker Magazine recently asked independent filmmaker Jamie Stuart to test drive the new Final Cut Studio 2 on his latest short film. Halfway through post production he wrote up a great piece on the ins-and-outs of the new software suite that can now be found on the mag’s website.First release

Blog: Backyard FX

Get Cultured: A New Kind of Interactive Game Play

 Are you ready for a challenging movie-going experience? Channel your inner Thelma Schoonmaker and let ’er rip at Mutable Cinema. Created by Mario Marquez, a Mexican independent producer, Mutable Cinema is a new media installation art piece traveling the globe. Using an interactive software i

Blog: Backyard FX

Build Plans: How to make fake heads

How to make fake heads by Erik Beck Hey, everyone, and welcome to the technical blog for Episode#14 (fake heads). If anyone noticed I called it "episode 13" in the beginning. Sorry about that, sometimes I get confused. So this build was a lot of fun and I hope you guys enjoy the episode. Send in yo

Blog: Backyard FX

Festivous: San Sebastian Film Festival

Opening next month's San Sebastian Film Festival is David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises. The director's second foray into the big-budget Hollywood machine, the film stars Viggo Mortensen as a ruthless killer with mob ties and Naomi Watts as the innocent who uncovers some scary truths about the crime

Blog: Backyard FX

Festivous: Dead Channels

As programming director of SF Indie Fest and co-founder of Another Hole In the Head, Bruce Fletcher has recently decided that there may be room for one more film festival in San Francisco. So he created Dead Channels: the San Francisco Festival of Fantastic Film, running August 9 - 16. SF360.org cau

Blog: Backyard FX

Take the Next Step: 3rd Annual Filmmaker Conference

Get out of your home studio and meet with 2000 industry professionals at the 3rd Annual Filmmaker Conference. Promising to “identify new opportunities for independents," this year’s compendium of panels runs Sept. 16 – 21 in New York City. Up for discussion is the financial pitfall of post-pro

Blog: Backyard FX

Vimeo Vid of the Day, "REMIND US WHY WE'RE FREE" by JordanDeviance

REMIND US WHY WE'RE FREE from JordanDeviance and Vimeo. This is my newest visual montage compiled of footage from the past year. Im very proud of this piece and have really looked forward to getting this out. It showcases alot of my talents and im really glad its done for ev

Blog: Backyard FX

Production 101: Release Forms

Just because you aren't filming for the Weinsteins (yet) doesn't mean you shouldn't cover your butt, legally speaking.  Enter the almighty release form. Once signed, it could help you avoid a lawsuit should an actor, for example, demand payment after your film makes it big – even though

Blog: Backyard FX

Interview with director Sam Reich (CollegeHumor, DutchWest), Part Two

 Sam Reich is the super-talented director behind Collegehumor.com's three-million-view viral sensation "Street Fighter: The Later Years," along with a horde of hilarious films by the group "Dutch West."He also just directed the soon-to-be-classic "Minesweeper" (which happens to star Alex Zalben

Blog: Backyard FX

Vimeo vid of the Day, "Timelapse of Pioneer Courthouse Square" by Maria

Timelapse of Pioneer Courthouse Square from Maria and Vimeo. A timelapse shot in Pioneer Courthouse Square (located in the middle of Downtown Portland, Oregon). I don't have a timelapse setting on my camera, so this was just done by taking pictures and editing them together.

Blog: Backyard FX

Pujo Makes a Mean Sandwich

When I opened the message from Raleigh of Pujo Productions, I had no idea what I was in for. Not only is this funny, but they used one of our tips in a very well made video and it's for the Heinz contest (which we mentioned in our newsletter, I'm not sure if that's where they heard of it, but you

Blog: Backyard FX

Build Plans: How to make a rain machine

How to make a rain machine by Erik Beck Hey, everyone, and welcome to the technical blog for Episode#13 (rain machine). All you people who wanted a cheap way to recreate good-looking "movie rain" read below. The coolest thing about this project is you probably have a lot of the parts laying around

Blog: Backyard FX

Vimeo Vid of the Day, "Nighttimers" by shrew

Nighttimers from shrew and Vimeo.   Man, I wish I were in the jungle right now. Mhmmm. I don't remember how I came across shrew's videos, but I love them. Elephants were my favorite animal growing up, so her video, "My First Vimeo Ever," tickled my fancy. But the second "Nighttime

Blog: Backyard FX

Vimeo vid of the Day, "La Ruta del conejo Rojo (Red Rabbit Path)" by Lobosonico

Blog: Backyard FX

On The Lot: Episode 14 (Fox Television)

Now, I normally don’t get upset when reality shows end up tossing a contestant because of something unfair. But being a Canadian that applied for the show, it was hard to sit still when Zach Lipovsky was eliminated this week. As you all know, only United States residents are allowed to vote. This

Blog: Backyard FX

MAKE (Out) Wednesdays: Soldering

Click To Play play_blip_movie_130343(); Every week, on every Wednesday, on every computer that reads the Indy Mogul blog; MAKE (Out) Wednesdays will be around. I'll hunt Make's podcasts for what I feel will be the best tip for YOU, the independent Interne

Blog: Backyard FX

Interview with director Sam Reich (CollegeHumor, DutchWest), Part One

Sam Reich is the super-talented director behind Collegehumor.com's three-million-view viral sensation "Street Fighter: The Later Years," along with a horde of hilarious films by the group "Dutch West." We had the chance to sit down with him at the CH offices and discuss all sorts of fun stuff.Check

Blog: Backyard FX

On The Lot: Episode 13 (Fox Television)

At this point, it’s nice, because "On The Lot" can finally breathe. Yes, it does know it won’t return after the final episode, but it at least knows it will make it to the final episode. Does that mean it can give the finger to selling out and let the filmmakers do whatever they want? Hell no. T