When I set up the Filmmakers Notebook blog I started a page with various resources I’d found on the internet for filmmakers and screenwriters. Recently during a conversation with an acquaintance I discovered that even though he reads all of my new posts, he’d never visited the Resource Page until a few weeks ago. Because [...]
On Saturday February 27th and Sunday February 28th Mitchell Block, executive producer and co-creator of the Emmy Award winning Carrier, will once again be offering his two amazing seminars: Financing and Producing Documentary Programs and the Documentary Tune- Up. Last April I made the trip to Santa Monica and signed up for day one with Mitchell and [...]
If you are a filmmaker looking for valuable legal information online, subscribe to Attorney Mark Litwak’s Entertainment Law Resources Newsletter. Each issue features an article written by Mark focusing on a particular aspect of the law. The latest piece entitled “Distributing Your Indie Film” offers tips for leveraging deals and improving terms when negotiating. The newsletter also gives details about Litwak’s one day [...]
This time of year reflects the festive air of a holiday season for the creative community with the Academy Awards looming ahead on March 7th. A few lucky winners will be going home that night with special gifts of gold, but in the meantime the Writers Store is having a little pre-celebration of its own. Now in their [...]
The film short I’m co-producing “Accused” is now in post production and during the editing process I’ve been putting together a marketing plan for promotion, audience building and defining our goals for the project. One thing that has become apparent to me is the need for structuring a “things to do list” in such a [...]
Now that the hiatus of the holiday season is over and we’re full speed ahead into the new year, it’s time to spread the word about upcoming events again. Below is a list of courses, workshops and conferences being held during the month of February, which should pique the interest of filmmakers. The Incentives Office Symposium – [...]
One of the new voices speaking out and being heard about “New World” film marketing and distribution business models belongs to Festival Darlings founder Thomas Mai, who will soon be relocating from Brazil and setting up shop in Los Angeles. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of receiving an invitation to chat with him on Skype about a couple of [...]
Emerging filmmakers are always looking for new ways to network and build relationship currency with others connected to the entertainment industry. Unless you’re located in areas like New York or Los Angeles this can prove to be a challenge. Living here in Las Vegas I decided to create a few different options. Since I belong to the Nevada [...]
On Friday night I enjoyed attending a Red Carpet Premiere at the Las Vegas Hilton for a couple of reasons. First of all, it was a theatrical screening of “Reach for Me”, a heartwarming independent film starring Seymour Cassel, Adrienne Barbeau, Lacey Chabert, Johnny Whitworth and Alfre Woodard, which has won several awards on the festival circuit. [...]
As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, staying aware of what’s going on in the entertainment industry is essential for any aspiring filmmaker. Knowing what movies are being made and which executives are switching jobs, when they’re doing so faster than children playing a game of musical chairs, is important if you want to keep current. Recently I [...]