Yeah, the lead-in is a bad pun for a link to a great log about how hard it is to complete a feature film and get distribution. Kangas Kahn Films, owned and operated by a friend of mine, has had some success making features. Kangas is most known for the Fear of Clowns films (see… bad pun). The first one was distributed by Lions Gate, and he’s working on a deal for the second.
The logs really drive home how hard it is to make a feature-length film without studio backing. I’ve been reading for a while, and I can soooo relate to a lot of what he says. Sometimes I just laugh hysterically, and sometimes want to strangle the nimrod(s) doing to him what I’ve had done to me.
If you’re interested in making your own movie, read these blogs. If you still want to make a movie, you’re one of us, and have some sort of mental defect — like all us low-budget filmmakers.
Movie Maker magazine online posted a list of their choices of the 50 best blogs for movie making. I’m not on the list, , but there are some other great sites listed. Most I’ve never even heard of. Take a look, and here’s the link to the original article: 50 Best Blogs for Moviemakers | MovieMaker Magazine.
Screenwriter John August posted about a low-budget film (One Too Many Mornings) that will be showing at Sundance, and it spawned a very informative discussion on independent film distribution and how it is changing. Well worth a read. Here’s the link.
Fresh off its stunning “Paranormal Activity” success — a $15,000 thriller that has grossed more than $107 million in its domestic release with little paid advertising — Paramount Pictures is set to launch a new production business for movies budgeted at less than $100,000.
The as-yet-unnamed division plans to finance as many as 20 “micro-budget” movies annually starting in 2010, according to people familiar with the studio’s plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because the formal announcement has not been made. A current Paramount executive will run the business, but the selection has not yet been revealed publicly. Funds for the movies — no more than $2 million total annually — will be part of Paramount’s existing production budget. The division does not plan to acquire completed movies at film festivals and markets.
Even if you get a chance to make your film and it serves as a “calling card”, or warrant a larger budget to be re-made, this could be a good thing. We’ll have to keep an eye out.
The venerable horror host Count Gore De Vol has posted an interview with me conducted by veteran Timewarp actress Leanna Chamish. It was conducted at Horrorfind this summer.
Take a look at the video, then go over to Count Gore’s unique Web site,
We are proud to announce that videokitchen.tv has signed
with Troma Entertainment, Inc. to distribute Blood, Boobs & Beast on DVD.
The DVD is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com and will be
officially released on February 24, 2009. The DVD will come as a 2-disc Double
Feature and will include Dohler’s 1983 masterpiece Nightbeast! Additionally,
the set will include special features for both films including audio
commentaries with the filmmakers, hilarious deleted scenes, trailers and tons
of tromatic extras!
Friend and fellow filmmaker Robert Long II has just started a Web site for indie filmmakers called smashortrashindiefilmmaking.com. He’s just starting out, but plans to have interviews with other filmmakers, articles, resources, reviews, and lots more. He’s already posted an in-depth interview with filmmaker Don Glüt. Check it out.
I was elated when I heard I placed in Red Inkworks. It takes a lot of work to write a feature-length screenplay, and I can’t think of a better way to gage one’s writing ability than becoming a finalist in a contest (other than an option deal, I guess). Plus, the feedback they offered was excellent.
And today Screenplay Festival announced their semi-finalists, and there I was in the Horror/Thriller category. Boy, that felt good. Of course there are about fifty screenplays in each genre, so the competition is pretty stiff, but I’m hopeful.
My plan is to enter one more contest with this script before possibly starting to query production companies and/or agents. Placing in two out of three contests has given me some confidence, and I feel the changes I’ve been making to the script have greatly improved it. So it seems the time is approaching (after the strike, of course) when I need to get out there and build some interest. I do, however, plan to research the dos and don’ts of querying before navigating those treacherous waters.
By the way, the final contest I plan to enter is the Bluecat Screenplay Competition. Its early deadline is Jan 1, and I should be finished tweaking by then. Bluecat is not only high profile, it offers coverage to all entrants, and a hefty cash prize.
Here’s another great video about the WGA strike. This one was created by writers of the Daily Show. It’s hilarious! And there’s a special guest near the end.
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