Category Archives: Coming Soon

The Rocky Horror Picture Show lives on!

Posted on by
Reply

J. Gabriel Ware writes on SlashFilm that Tim Curry Felt ‘Sick’ When Watching The Original Rocky Horror Picture Show.

He quotes a March 1976 Interview Magazine interview of Tim Curry in which he says:

“I can’t really relate to the film very well. I still feel sick when I see it.“

The film he’s referring to is, of course, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Quoting further:

“For the movie, the producers hired Pierre Laroche, the makeup artist who worked for David Bowie and Mick Jagger and helped pioneer the androgynous glam rock look, to transform Curry into the future horror/musical icon. ‘He kind of adapted the makeup that was already in my case and did a very kind of high fashion version of it,’ Tim Curry told Interview Magazine. Even today, he was not sold on the glam version of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. ‘He got a little more high fashion,’ the actor elaborated. ‘I don’t know whether I like that or not.‘”

He concludes his article with a Bruce Campbell tweet:

One of those small indie theatres is Victoria’s Vic Theatre, which is playing TRHPS on October 28, 29 and 31, 2022.

In fact, it’s playing in hundreds of cinemas around the world.

Dig into all the B-Movie references in Rocky Horror.

And see how it’s appeared in other movies and TV.

My take: The Rocky Horror Picture Show is one of my favourite cult films. The Big Lebowski is another. Oh, and The Room, of course.

p.s. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is currently on Disney+. Huh?

Spreadsheets you must befriend

Posted on by
Reply

Rick Castañeda guest posts on No Film School, revealing The 73 Spreadsheets You’ll Need to Finish Your Feature Film.

He kindly shares:

“If you’re thinking about making your own feature film, I’m hoping this gives you an abridged, table-of-contents-style sketch of all the different parts of filmmaking. So many articles and interviews are all about writing, working with actors, camera choice, and the other creative aspects of the film, I thought it might be useful to get into the actual nuts and bolts. We absolutely loved making our film. All these spreadsheets helped us to get there.”

He discusses each one from the perspective of his second feature “All Sorts,” and includes some examples.

I like his advice for Credits:

“Just for keeping track of all the lovely folks who participated on the film. I know you’re thinking this should be in the post-production section, but start this on day one and just add people as they start to come into the life of the film. It’s easier than sitting with a blank slate all the way at the end of the film.”

Here are the titles of most of the spreadsheets Rick used:

Pre-Production Spreadsheets

  • Budget spreadsheets
  • Team spreadsheets (possible producers)
  • Location spreadsheets
  • Contact spreadsheets
  • Casting spreadsheets
    • Background
    • Auditions
    • Confirmed Cast
  • Scheduling spreadsheets
  • Art/props spreadsheets
    • June’s Diego vs Anthony spreadsheet
    • Calendar spreadsheet
    • “Go June” signs spreadsheet
  • Costume spreadsheets
  • Investor Spreadsheets

Production Spreadsheets

  • Call sheets

Post Spreadsheets

  • Footage spreadsheets
  • Editing spreadsheets
  • VFX spreadsheets
  • Credits spreadsheet
  • Master Rights Grid
  • Music Cue Sheet
  • QC Notes/Fixes

Crowdfunding Spreadsheets

  • Targets/contacts
  • Reward lists

Distribution Spreadsheets

  • Distributors
  • Deliverables spreadsheets
  • Screening invitees/attendees

PR/Marketing Spreadsheets

  • Social Media
  • Marketing
  • Email lists
  • Film Festivals
  • Published Articles

My take: Wow, that’s a lot of spreadsheets! What this actually reveals are the myriad jobs indie filmmakers routinely take on. With more money, each of these activities might be accomplished by a specialist in that one field. When you’re truly indie, you just do it all yourself. No wonder Rick resorted to these spreadsheets to track everything. You should too.

Please do feed the film crew

Posted on by
Reply

According to the adage, an army travels on its stomach. And it’s no different for an indie film production.

Feeding a film crew? A few suggestions, and an idea on how to do it for free:

Sophia Harvey writes Food on Set: Do’s and Don’ts for Feeding Your Crew on No Film School and expounds on these topics:

  1. Don’t be stingy.
  2. Aim for variety.
  3. Keep it caloric, but healthy.
  4. Pay attention to dietary restrictions.
  5. Keep it hot and punctual.
  6. Crafty: no mess, no mayo.
  7. Coffee and water, always and forever.
  8. Choose bulk catering.
  9. Special touches matter.

AJ Unitas lists 8 Essential Tips for Prepping an Awesome Craft Services Table on StudioBinder that include:

  1. Keep caterers away from the craft services table.
  2. Buy supplies in bulk from wholesale markets.
  3. Account for allergies and diets.
  4. Fill your craft table with healthy options.
  5. But don’t get too crazy.
  6. Get brands specifically asked for.
  7. Turn cheese sticks into two.
  8. Keep your Production going.

How to afford what could be your biggest expense on a low-budget short?

Lacee Kloze suggests 9 Ways to Feed A Hungry Film Crew For Free on Creative Live. Her bold strategy?

  1. Create a flashy one-sheet about your project.
  2. Write a form letter.
  3. Send your form letter and one sheet combo EVERYWHERE!
  4. Don’t be afraid to ask for something small — snacks, drinks or desserts — instead of a full meal.
  5. Don’t forget to ask for staples like bagels and coffee.
  6. Hit the grocery stores, natural food markets and co-ops.
  7. Start early.
  8. Team up with a non-profit.
  9. When the yeses start coming back, follow through with your promises.

Three great blog posts to get you thinking!

My take: I like French Hours that keep your work day to 10 hours, with no meal break.

U.S. Cinema Chain Woos Indie Filmgoers

Posted on by
Reply

Jill Goldsmith writes on Deadline that Marcus Theatres Nudges Patrons Toward Indie Films With Loyalty Program.

Marcus Theatres of the Marcus Corporation is the fourth-largest cinema chain in the U.S. with over 1,000 screens.

The new monthly subscription plans are MovieFlex ($9.99) and MovieFlex+ ($14.99.)

Jill quotes Marcus CEO Greg Marcus as saying, “We can’t live off just blockbusters. We cannot just live off dinner. We need breakfast and lunch too.”

“The question is, is there enough demand in the market? We just don’t know that yet. But it’s promising. We are just going to continue watching, tweaking, working with content partners. But we are seeing positive signs. We want to be a very open book and share what’s happening with the studios, and get their feedback. There’s work to do on companion tickets, and families. And once we get through that, to figure out what the demand is. We want this to be a win-win-win for everyone.”

Marcus Theatres already showcases indie movies in their Spotlight Films series.

My take: I sincerely hope this experiment works. Diversifying the cinema experience beyond comic book movies at a reasonable price is truly a win-win-win for the audience, the theatre and indie filmmakers. It will also counter the rise of streaming and keep another distribution option open.

Netflix to make less “little art films”

Posted on by
1

Borys Kit reports in The Hollywood Reporter on the plans Behind Netflix’s Leaner Movie Mandate: Bigger, Fewer and Better.

He writes:

“Bigger, better, fewer. That is the refrain inside Netflix that feature film executives, led by division chief Scott Stuber, are grappling to operate under as the digital streaming giant changes course and confronts new realities, such as lagging subscriber growth (it lost 200,000 subs in its latest quarter) and rising competition (Disney’s bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ now has 205 million subs combined, just behind Netflix’s 221 million global subs).”

With its stock price down, Netflix has cut 150 jobs and doubled down on marquee movies.

Borys continues:

“As it moves forward, Netflix wants to focus on making bigger movies, making better movies, and releasing fewer than it previously did at a gluttonous pace. ‘Just a few years ago, we were struggling to out-monetize the market on little art films,’ Netflix co-chief Ted Sarandos told analysts on the company’s April earnings call. ‘Today, we’re releasing some of the most popular and most watched movies in the world. Just over the last few months, things like Don’t Look Up and Red Notice and Adam Project, as examples of that.‘”

My take: C’mon, Netflix. $469 million for Knives Out 2 and 3? That’s almost fifty $10 million movies. And one of those could be mine. Let’s talk! (P.S. Don’t you think the reason your subscriber numbers are down is because you rightly left Russia?)

Movie posters these days be like:

Posted on by
Reply

Amelia Bamsey asks on Creative Bloq: Why does every movie poster design look like this?

This spot-on superhero movie poster template was posted on Twitter by webflop.

Amelia writes:

“The post has gathered up lots of attention online and has already rounded up over 430,000 likes and 47,600 retweets on Twitter. While the original tweet was meant to poke fun at today’s movie poster designs, many users responded with their favourite posters that break away from this format.”

Here are some of the best posters of 2021 and of all time.

And here are some movie poster design templates.

My take: So funny because it’s so true! The problem I have with superhero movie posters is the same one I have with superhero movies: so many characters and so much busyness, but a dearth of ideas and anything I’m actually interested in. I have two suggestions for movie posters: one, make sure to come up with a snappy title and a killer central image while writing the script so that you can begin designing and capture that image during production, and two, put the title on the top half of the image — too often I’ve seen titles in the bottom third get covered up with extraneous material and supers.

Claim: Content is No Longer King

Posted on by
Reply

Alexandra Canal reports on Yahoo FInance that Streaming has turned film financing ‘upside down’: ‘It’s VOD or die,’ says lawyer.

She quotes Schuyler Moore, entertainment attorney at Greenberg Glusker:

“Content is not king. Distribution is king.… If you go back 10 years, the studios had all the power, because they controlled the distribution…. Studios are on their knees. They got no clout at the table because anybody can produce. The whole world is upside down, particularly for the studios.”

His advice:

  1. Team up with producers known to the streamers.
  2. Have a realistic budget.
  3. Sell your film upfront (or finance the contract) to make the movie.

She quotes him:

“Most films lose money. This is a losing business, don’t do it, especially if you don’t have a pre-sale to a streamer. But if you can sell to a streamer, then you get your premium. You’re not going to get a share of the net profits. There is no back-end payment, but you’ll get a significant premium and will walk away with some cash.“

My take: it seems there’s always somebody in between my movie and my audience!

Cannes 2022: film quotas drive national production

Posted on by
Reply

Scott Roxborough reports in The Hollywood Reporter that Wall Street Hits the Croisette: Why Private Equity Investors Are Bullish on Indie Film.

He claims:

“Private equity, or PE, firms are pumping money into the entertainment content, financing independent production and snatching up companies at a level never seen before in the indie industry…. Some of the biggest players packaging projects and inking deals on the Croisette have backing from private equity groups…. The bet PE investors are making is that the explosive growth in streaming services will lead to a similar demand boom for content. And that the companies that own the IP, the original films and TV shows the streamers need, will be best positioned to benefit.”

He traces this demand squarely back to government policy:

“Many see particularly strong growth potential in Europe, where European Union (EU) content quotas for SVOD platforms — 30 percent of all content on streaming services in Europe must be European-made — has created guaranteed demand for original, home-grown films and series which most streamers will be unable to fill on their own.”

As to Cannes, filmmaker Jeremy Lutter (pictured above) compares this year’s experience with previous ones:

“Cannes is in some ways the same and in some ways different. I would say it’s two thirds the size as previous non-COVID years in terms of events. But, considering the situation, it’s impressive! The crowds are smaller but it’s still busy. As for deals — people are looking — there’s been less movies made recently — everyone is hungry for movies. Oh yeah, instead of a gift bag, this year you get a PPE mask with a logo on it!”

My take: of course, quotas drive national production. We proved that with CanCon and Canadian music; witness the dozens of Canadian superstars, who, as Simu Liu points out about Shawn Mendes, Avril Lavigne and Arcade Fire, “like me have fulfilled the ultimate Canadian dream of making it in America — but to our credit, we always come back!”

Michael Korican to host Q & A at Short Circuit Pacific Rim Film Festival

Posted on by
Reply

Thursday night, May 5, 2022, at the Vic Theatre, Victoria, BC.

As you may know, I’m the current President of CineVic, Victoria’s largest media arts centre, and sound editor and co-producer of its podcast, Push In.

I’m also the Selection Committee Chair of its Short Circuit Pacific Rim Short Film Festival.

It’s in that capacity that I’ll be hosting the Questions and Answers for Thursday night’s screening.

Joining us will be:

  • Joyce Kline (Director, Cancelled Stamp)
  • Jocelyn Russell (Producer, Cancelled Stamp)
  • Tammy Tsang (Director, Lauren in the Bathroom)
  • David Lennon (Actor, Wallpaper)

The films are:

  1. A Tight Ten (California • 17 mins • Chelsea Spirito)
  2. Cancelled Stamp (Victoria • 13 mins • Joyce Kline)
  3. Fumes (Singapore • 7 mins • Dominic Graham)
  4. Wallpaper (Vancouver • 9 mins • Tanya Jade)
  5. Lauren in the Bathroom (Vancouver • 2 mins • Tammy Tsang)
  6. The Old Man Next Door (New Zealand • 15 mins • Aidan Otene Dickens)
  7. Purea (New Zealand • 6 mins • Kath Akuhata-Brown)

My take: Honoured to do this!

Truly Independent Film Distribution

Posted on by
Reply

John Staton writes in the Wilmington Star-News that self-distributed Independent Wilmington film comedy ‘Birdies’ shoots for a golf-loving audience.

“Instead of going the festival route or trying to get distribution through Amazon and other large streaming sites, which are both strategies often employed by independent filmmakers, the makers of “Birdies” have employed a direct-to-the-consumer approach. It recalls a digital version of the “four-walling” of decades ago, when filmmakers would rent space in theaters across the country to ensure their movies were available to audiences.”

The feature is available to stream on demand at birdiesthemovie.com. There’s also merch for sale.

My take: this is the first time I’ve seen outtakes for sale! I could be wrong but it seems they’re using seer.la to stream the movie and pixpa.com for the store.