Sunday, October 17, 2010

I love the South

A couple of days ago, as I was reading the Austin Film Festival Program & filling in my calendar with workshops & movies I hope to see next week, my phone rang.  I own a business not related to the production company my sister & I are starting, so I'm fairly used to blowing off telemarketers that call my business trying to sell me something I totally don't need.  So, when I picked up the phone and a Southerner from Go Daddy answered I was pretty close to giving him a quick excuse about how I didn't want more domain names, thank you very much.

But then I remembered that the night before I had purchased 6 domain names for our movie - 3 with the movie's title in various forms (ending in "....movie.com" or just ".com") and 3 for the individuals in our team. My sister, the writer-director, our brother, the musical genius and me, the producer.  So, the guy from Go Daddy wanted to chat about the domain names.  Not so interesting right?  Wait, it gets better.

It turns out that he knew a few guys back in the day who started out from nowhere just like us and two of them made it pretty big while one is still working as a server at a local restaurant. 

He laughed and said, "You know, it was so cool to see them get big in Hollywood like, because these were just regular guys.  I mean, I knew the dog in their movie because it's their mom's dog! These were regular neighborhood kids!" 

So I of course had to ask, "Oh yeah.  Who are they?"  


"Well, have you seen Bottle Rocket?  That was their first movie with the mom's dog I told you about."

"You know the Wilson brothers? You're kidding me." 

What a great conversation we had after that. 

And I felt so excited all day because everyone really does start at the same place we are.  With a whole lotta heart, a bunch of amazing people who believe in us and our project and the focus to get 'er done - we're going love this journey we're on.  If we do manage to make a movie that people actually go & see, I think I'll call that guy from GoDaddy and thank him once again for the conversation about Luke & Owen Wilson and their mom's dog.

Other ramblings & news:

We leave for Austin in 3 days. I've had my toes painted purple for the Oct 20th Wear Purple event and will be sure to don my purple scarf in support of the teenagers out there dealing with homophobia & bullying.  The event was started on facebook by a high school student and now has over 100 000 people RSVP'ed to attend, and I'm hoping I'm not the only one at AFF who knows about it.  Oh wait, my awesome sister is coming and wearing purple too.  We'll be the dynamic purple duo - watch out Austin!

We're stoked for the first night's Film & Food event with Edward Burns.  If I meet him I will probably get too star-struck to even say anything. Ever since I watched the Holiday, I've been in love with his voice.  His movie making, and acting and directing and writing and all that jazz are pretty awesome too.  But I'll admit it, I have a massive crush on his voice.  That's kinda weird right?  Who gets nervous just to hear someone speak?

I'm seeing his new movie, Nice Guy Johnny where Ed will be speaking afterwards.  Will I have to leave the room before he talks just so I don't "Squeeeeeeeee"?

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Movies to Inspire Moviemakers

I love talking about movies I love.  
Hare a few that I bring up in conversations over and over again.  Many of these movie-makers have inspired me to embark on this journey of learning how to make movies with my sister, the writer/director in our team. 





Just seeing the pictures above makes me ridiculously grateful for the incredibly creative people out there making awesome movies.  If we can make anything even a tenth as great as any of the above, I will be a very happy camper.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Learning the Ropes of Indie Movie Making - Web Links to Help

I admit it. I'm having the time of my life.  Putting myself through self-directed film school is absolutely the best thing I've ever done.  It's awesome.

But...

I'm overwhelmed by how much I have to learn.  Already, I've:
  • attended Dov Simmen's 2 Day Film School
  • read Dov's book "From Reel to Deel"
  • pulled out all the best weblinks from the book & bookmarked them to look at later
  • read the Guerilla Film Makers Pocket book
  • pulled out all the best weblinks from the book & bookmarked them to look at later
  • read the Independent Film Producer's Survival Guide
  • pulled out all the best weblinks from the book & bookmarked them to look at later
  • read Digital Filmmaking 101
  • pulled out all the best weblinks from the book & bookmarked them to look at later
  • do you see where I am going with this....
  • I have so many bookmarks to "look at later" that I don't know when I'll have the time to actually look at them.
So, to help you indie filmmakers out there, here are the bookmarks I've made so far:


Learn Screenwriting, Creative Writing, Movie Making & Filmmaking
Samuel French, Inc. The House of Plays & Musical Plays for Over 175 Years
Breakdown Services, Ltd. -- The Communication Network to the Entertainment Industry
Online - Playback
Hollywood Entertainment Breaking News - Nikki Finke on Deadline.com/hollywood
Welcome to Detonation Films!
DVXuser.com - The Filmmaking Community
DVXuser.com. The DVX100, HVX200 and RED source.
Modeling Auditions Acting casting calls ExploreTalent.com
Find Auditions at Explore Talent for modeling and acting - casting calls Acting Auditions Baby Modeling Auditions Extras Casting Calls Acting jobs Modeling jobs child modeling Agents become a model
FILMMAKERS ALLIANCE - your community = your film
FILMMAKERS ALLIANCE is a filmmaking support community dedicated to the advancement of true independent cinema.
freesound :: home page
Freesound: collaborative database of creative-commons licensed sound for musicians and sound lovers. Have you freed your sound today?
International ArtHouse films. Spotlight on World Cinema. Classics and Foreign films on DVDs.
International ArtHouse. Spotlight on World Cinema. Classics and Foreign on DVDs.
JoBlo Movie Network: Movie news, reviews, trailers, release dates and more!
The one-stop movie site for all of your film needs: new movie previews, wallpapers, video reviews, news, free screensavers, trailers, scripts, screenplays, movie trivia quizzes, message board, weekend box-office, release dates, wallpaper, poster shop, pc games, upcoming movies, celebrities, release dates, dvd reviews, interviews, horror reviews and movie shopping
Making Of – How to make movies, with actor, actress, director interviews, trailers, clips, photos, and more
MakingOf homepage that provides a behind the scenes look at new unfiltered film content. This includes viewing photos, footage, movie trailers, and exclusive interviews with actors, directors, writers, and producers.
Microfilmmaker Magazine - Issue #57 - August 1, 2010
Microfilmmaker magazine provides free tips, tricks, reviews, discussions, and critiques for low-budget and no-budget filmmakers to help them make the best films possible.
Movie Marketing Madness | Movie marketing news, reviews and opinion by Chris Thilk.
myProducer.tv Independent Films
home,
Open Film | The Online Platform for Filmmakers & Film Festivals. Short films, Independent films contests
Openfilm is the Premier Online Platform for Filmmakers, Film Lovers, Film Festivals and Film Contests. Where Creativity Meets Opportunity.
ProductionHUB Homepage
Production guide and directory with crew, equipment, digital media, pre-production, post production, production support and talent services. Search, get listed, or request a production quote.
Take Zer0 - everything you need to know before take one
Everything you need to know before take one.
Royalty Free Music and Sound Effects from Twistedtracks.com
Royalty free music and sound effects that fire up your soundtrack without burning a hole in your budget...with individual tracks and genre-based collections for download or delivery in MP3 and uncompressed AIF and WAV formats, with intuitive search capabilities to find the right one fast.
YouTube Pushes Free Full-Length Movie Section - Here's What to Watch - Cinematical
After becoming a mecca for everything from fan sobbing to music videos and pirated films, YouTube finally decided to get into the legit film rental
IFP
Movies | Reviews | Movie Times | Hollywood News | Hollywood.com
Hollywood.com is the only 100% pure entertainment online source for movies, movie reviews, movie times and hollywood news.
Funny Videos, Comedy, Humor, Animations, Flash Games, Tournament & Blogs | Atom
Atom.com is the web's daily source for funny videos, original web shows, animations, short films, games, blogs, contests and more web comedy. Watch and share our videos, then upload your own - you could earn money and TV glory on Comedy Central.
Exhibits Collection -- Cinema
Lights....camera....action! What goes into the making of your favorite movies? Explore key players in filmmaking, from the director to the film editor. Brush up on
Filmmaker.com
FilmSecrets - Dynamic Film Resource
FILM SECRETS - Dynamic Film Making Site: Learn to shoot, edit, light, budget and make films.
Movie News, Film Reviews, Interviews, Film Festivals | Welcome to MovieMaker Magazine
MovieMaker is the nation's leading magazine on the art and business of making movies and the most widely read magazine on independent film in the world. Feature article topics include moviemaking techniques and how-to trends, technology, criticism, behind-the-scenes accounts of the business of moviemaking and in-depth interviews with the world's leading actors, directors, cinematographers, producers, screenwriters and editors.
Welcome to Next Wave Films
American Film Institute
The Independent | Obsessed with independent film since 1978.
Film School - 2-Day Film School
Film School by Dov Simens, offering 2-Day Film School, DVD and Web Film School
Sundance Institute
Founded by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that actively advances the work of independent storytellers in film and theatre.
CD / DVD Duplication, CD / DVD Replication, CD / DVD Duplicators, CD / DVD Printers, Blank CDs and DVDs
Disc Makers is the nation's Low Price leader of CD Duplication, DVD Duplication, CD Manufacturing, DVD Manufacturing, CD Replication, DVD Replication, CD Duplicators, DVD Duplicators, Blu-ray, USB, and Merch.
DVFilm - Digital to Film Transfers, Raylight Software for Desktop HD editing
Entertainment News | Movie News | Hollywood News
THR provides quality movie, entertainment, and Hollywood news to expand the reach of its brand through an increasing array of digital platforms.
Digital Video, Pro Camera Equipment, HD, 3D, Blu-Ray and Professional Production News - DV.com
Entertainment news, film reviews, awards, film festivals, box office, entertainment industry conferences - Variety
Breaking entertainment movie news, movie reviews, entertainment industry events, news and reviews from Cannes, Oscars, and Hollywood awards. Featuring box office charts, archives and more.
Millimeter | featuring camera reviews, video editing, HDV, storage, networking
Millimeter stresses workflow and integration, whether traditional or IT-based. Topics include cameras and camera accessories, video editing, digital content creation, storage and networking, music libraries, audio, and more.
RES - The latest news and information on digital filmmaking
RES is online community where you can share the latest news and information on digital filmmaking. To share your news just submit a story, link or video!
Tutorials, Reviews, Tips For Film, HD, HDV, Video | Studio Monthly
Video Production, Final Cut Pro, Storage, Pro Camera, Sprintcam, Sequencing - Videography.com
 
I seriously need to organize these bookmarks into categories like, "the technical," "the gossip,""the legal," and "WhereTF do I put this?"

I like those categories actually  - better get on it.  Oh man, Thanksgiving weekend - thank you for giving me 3 full days to focus on movie making!

Off to the Austin Film Festival in 10 short days. Jen's working on her pitch for the Pitch Competition which I'm convinced she will win.  Watch this space for more.

Any weblinks I should have here but don't?  Please share your thoughts below.