Archive for the ‘movies’ Category

Shop Talk Podcast #15 – Scilla Andreen on the changing indie film business

Wednesday, October 8th, 2008

The latest podcast features a discussion with Scilla Andreen, co-founder and CEO of Indieflix, about the current state and future prospects of the independent film business.

Here’s Scilla’s official bio:

Scilla Andreen (Filmmaker, CEO & Co-Founder IndieFlix) producer, director and Emmy nominated costume designer Scilla has deep roots in the entertainment industry and is a popular speaker and tireless champion of independent film. Scilla along with producing partner Carlo Scandiuzzi created IndieFlix, an independent film distribution and discovery site founded on the principles of community, promotion, syndication and transparency. They also created indie-fest.com and are launching the Filmmaker First Initiative. IndieFlix believes Independent films can and will be profitable. You can find IndieFlix on the web at http://www.indieflix.com.

It was a great chat. You can download it here.

Highlights:

(00:50) About the US indie market

(02:20) Options to get indie films to their audiences

(06:20) Where does a filmmaker’s advance go?

(09:13) What Indieflix does

(12:03) The many ways people access films and videos today

(13:00) About the “Bridge to Everywhere”

(15:35) What is a “hit” film for Indieflix?

(19:08) Promoting the filmmaker and the story behind the film

(19:33) Making meaningful recommendations for films members might like

(21:06) “If your film is worth stealing, it must be worth something”

(22:39) Looking ahead: the future of filmmaking and film distribution

(Theme music: “Nova” by Nomo, from its album Ghost Rock)

Scilla mentioned the challenge that exists for filmmakers to get clearances to use the music they choose for the film. Today’s Wall Street Journal had an interesting article about this very subject: the settlement of a lawsuit between Yoko Ono and a documentary filmmaker over the use of 15 seconds of “Imagine.”

Tags:
, , , , , ,

Posted in content, distribution, entrepreneurism, filesharing, film, movies, podcast | Comments

Must we give away digital creative works?

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently, spurred on by the recent Fran Ten podcast, this David Pogue post, and most recently a thoughtful post by Scott Goodson based on this column by economist Paul Krugman.

The upshot of Krugman’s argument, referencing Esther Dyson’s prediction from the early ’90’s, is that digital creative works will become free, and creative artists will have to make their money from “ancillary” projects, such as touring, personal appearances, licensing, etc.

If this turns out to be true (and the music industry is approaching this state right now), then it has a lot of negative ramifications for the future of creativity.

First off is the fairness question. Here is a simplified digital media value chain:

  • Digital distributors (i.e., ISPs like Comcast) make money through subscriptions
  • Directories and aggregators (like Google) make money through advertising
  • Creators make… nothing?

While the structure of technology allows this to happen, it’s hard to look at this picture and see it as fair. I agree that DRM sucks, but is the solution “pay what you want“–a virtual tip jar?

Furthermore, if creating a work of art cannot in itself make money, it will then be difficult to invest much in that creation. While that may allow bloggers to continue (though I wouldn’t turn down a few bucks for my work if that were possible), it doesn’t bode well for musicians or moviemakers, and, soon, book authors.

If I can make money in personal appearances but not by writing, I will have to limit my writing time in order to, you know, pay the mortgage.

If a band can make money touring but not through selling CDs, they will be unlikely to spend much time in the recording studio, or to spend money on studio effects or gear. Perhaps they will instead simply tape their concerts and compile albums from the live sessions.

If a moviemaker cannot make money from her films because they are freely available on the web, she will have difficulty using any approach other than Dogme 95 in order to reduce costs. And do we want to see Dogme 95-style movies all the time?

The irony is that time put into making money takes away from time to create. Therefore, the output from our best artists is less. Is that progress?

Perhaps this is offset somewhat by the “long tail” of creators enabled by new technology. But I would trade 1000 bad “Nude” remixes for one new album by an artist I really like.

(Photo: pro-copying logo from piratbyran.org)

Related Posts:
Shop Talk Podcast #9 – Fran Ten of West Indian Girl on today’s music business
How will musicians get paid in the 21st century?

Tags:
, , , , , ,

Posted in books, compensation, content, creativity, movies, music, strategy | Comments

New version of "Flight of the Gossamer Condor"

Friday, March 7th, 2008

A few months ago, I made mention of the passing of inventor Paul MacCready. Recently, I received this email from Ben Shedd, the director of “The Flight of the Gossamer Condor,” the story of MacCready’s efforts to create a human-powered aircraft. With his permission, I include it here (slightly edited).

I made the film THE FLIGHT OF THE GOSSAMER CONDOR and it was great to find it mentioned in your blog. Paul MacCready’s story has had a big impact on my life as well and I appreciated your comments.

For the 30th Anniversary of the Gossamer Condor’s human-powered flight into aviation history, the film was remastered in HD and digitally restored from a preservation film print made by the Academy Film Archive. I would be glad to send you a preview copy of the DVD. In the past year, the film is now required in a national high school engineering program called PROJECT LEAD THE WAY and it is my hope that a whole new generation of teenagers will be inspired like you were to design and create their own inventions from seeing the Gossamer Condor’s story.

Thanks, Ben, for writing, and for those interested in checking out the new 30th anniversary DVD, click here.

(Photo: MacCready’s plane the Gossamer Albatross (the successor to the Gossamer Condor), courtesy of NASA)

Posted in aviation, innovation, movies | Comments

LEGO knows partnering

Monday, February 11th, 2008

My two sons, ages 7 and 5, are all about Star Wars. They know every episode, every character, every spaceship. It amazes me that a 30-year-old film (and its successors) could have a hold on little imaginations as strong as if it were released last year.

They also love Legos. And what could be better than combining these two obsessions?

(Well, nothing actually.)

Legos have come a long way since I was a kid. Then they were basic building blocks–eights, sixes, fours, twos, a few windows and wheels. That was it. Now Lego has morphed into a modeling architecture–like the plastic models of my youth, without the nasty glue and paint. It’s a nightmare if you want to sort parts, but for a kid, being able to build an exact replica of an AT-AP is priceless.

Going even further, there’s a Lego Star Wars web site, as well as a video game, which is permanently installed in our Wii.

In order for Lego to enter this new phase, they had to get comfortable with partnering up. They worked with Lucasfilm Ltd. to license the Star Wars characters, scenarios, etc. (This is one of several licensing projects that Lego is involved in: have you seen the Lego Hogwarts Castle?) In so doing, they extended their brand and made it relevant to an entire new generation of customers–without losing what was distinctive and different about Legos.

(And if you’re not a kid anymore, like I am, you can still construct a house with eights, sixes, fours and a few windows.)

(Photo: LEGO Star Wars Yoda, from the web site)

, , ,

Posted in alliances, movies, partnerships, toys | Comments

Saturday Extra: John Turturro for Best Supporting Actor

Saturday, December 15th, 2007

It’s the home stretch for Oscar candidates, and I’d like to put in a vote for an unlikely candidate.

“Transformers” is probably the most entertaining movie I’ve seen all year, and Turturro’s performance as the goofiest government agent ever is the greatest comic performance of the past five years. (Sorry, Borat.)

He probably could have won for any of a half-dozen other roles (”Do the Right Thing,” “Barton Fink”), but it seems appropriate to finally win for a robot movie that’s so oddly…human.

(If you’re curious about “Transformers,” the movie, click here to visit the IMDB page.)

, , ,

Posted in Academy Awards, Oscars, Transformers, movies | Comments

Candor in business storytelling

Monday, March 19th, 2007

It’s called a “confidence” game, right? Why? Because you give me your confidence? No, because I give you mine. So what we have here, in addition to “Adventures in Human Misery,” is a short course in psychology. – David Mamet, House of Games screenplay, p. 34

“House of Games” is one of my favorite movies, and these lines in particular, spoken by the con man Mike to the psychologist Dr. Margaret Ford, have stuck in my mind for years. I think they say something important about connecting with people.

Connecting with people is critical for selling. And one of the ways we connect with people is to tell them stories about ourselves. [And, no, I'm not trying to compare selling with a con game. Was it necessary to point that out?]

The theme here is candor and openness. I was at a business storytelling workshop recently, and the stories that were most effective (by acclamation of the attendees) were ones where the teller let down his/her guard, and revealed something personal. This is one of the reasons storytelling is more effective than reciting a list of benefits to a prospect. In addition to being interesting and easy to understand, it also helps create a personal bond with the prospect. It means that you may want, in your business storytelling, to reveal anxieties, fears and feelings.

In other words, to give the prospect your confidence.

(Photo still from the MGM DVD.)

, , ,

Posted in movies, narrative, sales, storytelling | Comments