UK Film Network

Calling the Northwest's brightest freelancers in the media and digital industries. As a freelancer, YOU are YOUR future!

Now recruiting for the 2nd run of the NORTHERN ADVANTAGE WEEKEND INCUBATOR WORKSHOPS

19th/20th September and 10th/11th October 2009.

· Don’t miss your chance to attend these unique business savvy incubator workshops delivered over two intensive residential weekends in the Lake District - offering experienced media freelancers the opportunity to take an idea and turn it into a business.

· Developed by media industry professionals for media industry professionals and with Leigh Wharton from the Manchester University Business School Business Incubator, the programme, which brings together individuals with different strengths and skill bases, is carefully designed to build confidence in idea sharing and encourage collaboration.

· Be prepared to bring along your own idea for development – or join a team working on new entrepreneurial ideas.

· Ideas going into further development from the last course include: a multi media concept for global markets; a not for profit internet medical campaign; a plan to take music making to the third world.

WHAT THEY SAID LAST TIME:

The best thing was the amount of skills and contacts gained in such a short period of time… Hopefully opened lots of doors and certainly helped my creative skills… A great, diverse team running the weekend whose words of wisdom I will carry forward for a long time… It lets you find out how much more you are capable of than you actually thought… Opens minds and opens opportunities… A fabulous opportunity that truly opened my eyes to an entrepreneurial life and changed my thinking from that of an unwilling freelancer to now being excited about trying my own thing – very liberating! ... Excellent weekend and I particularly liked the small group size and access to interesting professionals including Mike Ryan and Leigh Wharton… As for value for money, I'm already starting to see a much bigger return on the knowledge I gained than I expected… It lets you find out how much more you are capable of than you actually thought.

For further information go to: http://www.northernadvantage.co.uk/events.htm

This scheme, delivered by The MDP Training Consortium, is funded by Northwest Vision and Media in partnership with Skillset and supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency.

Social networking. The term is such commonplace these days and when we hear it, we all nod our head and say “Oh yeah, Facebook”.

Making Film

As a founder of social networks since 1999, I’ve been part of the evolution of connecting people online long before the term Social Networking was in common parlance and many years before Myspace, Facebook and Twitter had developed their platforms, to turn their services and websites into household names. Nowadays, their names are used in every day language; “I facebook’d him last night” or “she sent me a tweet”, as well as the many stories you hear in the media, like Jonathan Ross dropping in a Twitter keyword during the BAFTA Film Awards. On Facebook we’ve seen a variety of different viral games from films such as JUMPERS with Jamie Bell, which effectively setup an application to allow you to “jump your friends” to a different city and present them with an image of that city. Social Networking in the world of film, has had some early pioneers who are using it to good effect for publicity, marketing and getting the word out on their film.

Casting and Collaborating

Given that the film industry is effectively a people business, where finding the right person can be the difference between the film being a box office success or a production and investment failure, social networking comes into it’s own. I setup the Shooting People casting network in 1999, to enable filmmakers to post their requests to a pool of around 35,000 people, to resource their project quickly and effectively. In addition to Shooting People, there are others like PCR Newsletter, Mandy.com or even Gumtree for certain roles to fill. If you are looking for a bigger name, then the site whorepresents.com has all the facts and figures on how to find the agent representing Kevin Spacey, or Kate Hudson for example, to follow up and let “their people talk to your people” and see if a deal can be struck. Additionally, these are the places to find quality editors, directors, sound and lighting experts and resourceful people who are motivated to work on your film and help make it a great end product. Often collaborative agreements can be entered into, with many people getting involved without pay, but instead using the project to develop their career in unexpected ways.

Marketing and Advertising

When it comes to marketing and advertising, the effectiveness of social networking is still being tried out. I setup a Facebook group for my documentary Making It In Hollywood, which has around 700 people now, who have followed the progress of the film from idea phase, through to the location setting, film editing and finally making it’s way out into the festivals. The feedback I get is that it brings audiences closer to the action and the evolution of a film as it develops from a blank page to the big screen. By the time it hits the big screen, this audience have shared all the trials and tribulations and feel very much part of it’s development. In addition, those who are interested in filmmaking or performing, can see for themselves, that the challenge is not to be taken lightly but there are hints and tips that you can gather along the way to make the journey easier. The fact of the matter is that social networking, for the most part, is free. A little bit of effort in creating groups, setting up events, sharing links and updating status information, are all valuable channels to gain feedback on your production, as well as starting to spread the news. There are also many sites to contact journalists directly online in order to offer interviews to your cast and to submit trailers or screeners. PRWeb.com is one that I use often. If you submit your article and pay a small fee of around £80, the article will be distributed online to a wide variety of online news sites, who grab the latest stories to fit in with their online publication.

Now, the real power of the online networking comes in when you need to find the right person in an organisation of the various industry publications, magazines, newspapers and what will soon be known as “offline media”. Fortunately most of the offline media are also online, they are twittering, they are on facebook, they have myspace pages, and are generally contactable and approachable if you have an idea that’s relevant to them, and you are patient. For my documentary, I briefly met with the editor of Screen International in Hollywood, I kept in touch and contacted him again when I noticed he was in Cannes, and finally had a long interview with them in London which resulted in a nice little article on their back page. This was while I was still filming it. Peter Travers, another social networker, is the infamous editor of Rolling Stone magazine. He was given the trailer for the short version of the film that I took to Cannes. He said “Accent-tacular”, as a reference to my Glasgow accent which is rarely heard in the US and I now have a quote for the cover of the DVD ***** “Accent-Tacular” Rolling Stone Magazine *****.  I followed that up with an article on making film from you laptop which was featured in the .Net Magazine, creating another avenue to discuss the film. And then of course there is this article, which has planted the seed in your mind. It all helps to get the name of the film (Making It In Hollywood), in the public consciousness.

Another social networker that I met in LA, was film and theatre director Chris Dickerson, who was also a journalist and author. He wrote a full chapter in his latest book called “Poetry & Prose” of the weekend we filmed Clint Eastwood and Ennio Morricone at an exclusive party at the Italian arts centre in West Hollywood. Chris was very descriptive about the weekend and our adventures and as the book is now getting interest online at lulu.com, the self-publishing site, it has resulted in questions about the film and when it’s coming out.

Sales and Distribution

So, you’ve got your movie made, you’ve created a bit of online buzz about it. Next stop is the end game. The big players get the Sales and Distribution signed up prior to filming begins, that’s when there is clearly a lot of money at risk, but when it’s your first low budget film and you need to find someone who will be interested in your product, it’s a wide world. Fortunately, there’s online networking to come into play again. Apart from simply attending the market at Cannes, taking business cards, handing out screeners, there’s Cinando.com which I used to find out who was in town and to email them before going there to setup a meeting to discuss my projects.

As they say “everyone’s in town” so that’s the best target to meet, greet, connect and pitch. A lot of the time it’s a numbers game. The more people that see your film, through the festivals if you’re lucky enough to get it accepted, the more chance you have of getting a top distributor shaking your hand and offering you a small but handsome cheque. There are of course hundreds of festivals around the world and I’ve personally been looking at Melbourne, Hawaii and Hollywood Festivals. If only for the sunshine, sea and sand. Of course Withoutabox.com has become my best friend and I took out a promotional advert for £50 and I’ve had several festival programmers contacting me and giving me fee waivers to submit the film to their festival. It’s a great service and it is now moving into online distribution.

The main problem a producer has with online distribution, is once it’s online, it cannot be entered into any of the festivals. Well most have a rule which says it can’t have been shown online and only cast and crew screenings are acceptable. This therefore means that online distribution, for me at least, is a crossroads and perhaps something to try when the other avenues haven’t turned up any suitable opportunities. Though I have researched it, and at around £1/copy for a DVD print, a quick copy and paste of HTML from Paypal and it’s another avenue. It’s certainly a business proposition to consider for “no/lo budget” films. A little bit more cash on google and facebook advertising and it could well help the film sell in the low tens of thousands and make some sort of return.

Reviews and publicity

Of course, the free press that a film can get from journalists, reviewers and critics, all helps with the word-of-mouth. At UK Film Network (ukfilm.tv), I’ve pulled together a wide variety of film reviewers around the world in order to bring films to life online and support those who really deserve it. In the last few years, I’ve been to the Oscars, BAFTA, Sundance and Cannes to watch as many films as I can and write about them online, often way in advance of their cinematic release. Endgame and Five Minutes Of Heaven are two great examples of British films doing really well and then seeing a TV release, a mere 4 months from it’s premiere at a festival. BBC and Channel 4 were investors in these films, but I noticed that Endgame only had an audience of 80,000 and for such a great film, it must be a disappointment to the producers. The old adage of “nobody knows anything in film”, makes a lot more sense to me now. No-one can really tell what impact their film will have in the world at large. Any online reviews and publicity, can only help to increase the knowledge of the likely take up of the film, so I’m delighted to be able to be helping the community that is, in return, providing a lot of support, guidance and connections to help me make my own film.

Show business, there really is no business like it, none that I know but with the world at your social networking fingertips, it has really become an open market for filmmakers. What’s stopping you from Making It In Hollywood ?

Beverly Hills, CA — The 82nd Academy Awards, which will be presented on March 7, 2010, will have 10 feature films vying in the Best Picture category, Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis announced today (June 24) at a press conference in Beverly Hills.

“After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year,” said Ganis. “The final outcome, of course, will be the same – one Best Picture winner – but the race to the finish line will feature 10, not just five, great movies from 2009.”

For more than a decade during the Academy’s earlier years, the Best Picture category welcomed more than five films; for nine years there were 10 nominees. The 16th Academy Awards (1943) was the last year to include a field of that size; “Casablanca” was named Best Picture. (In 1931/32, there were eight nominees and in 1934 and 1935 there were 12 nominees.)

Currently, the Academy is presenting a bicoastal screening series showcasing the 10 Best Picture nominees of 1939, arguably one of Hollywood’s greatest film years. Best Picture nominees of that year include such diverse classics as “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “Stagecoach,” “The Wizard of Oz” and Best Picture winner “Gone with the Wind.”

“Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize,” commented Ganis. “I can’t wait to see what that list of ten looks like when the nominees are announced in February.”

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2. The Oscar® ceremony honoring films for 2009 will again take place at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network.

It’s so hard these days, when going to a movie, to know for certain whether you’ll enjoy it or not. Will it be too serious? Too boring? Too sweet? Not long enough? Not funny enough? The list goes on and on. Most of the time, you really have no idea what you’re in for. Except, of course, when you’re going to see a Pixar film.

When I buy a ticket for a movie made by Pixar, I know for a fact I’ll enjoy it. I know of no other group of people with the ability to blend an interesting story with likeable characters, and absolutely spot on animation. Such was the case with Up.  Only the second Pixar film to use “real people” as characters, Up begins by introducing us to Carl and Ellie, two adorable children with a common interest in adventure. In the first ten minutes, we watch Carl and Ellie grow and marry and build a home together. We feel their sorrow when we find out, with them, that they cannot have the child they so desire. I personally felt a distinct lump in my throat when we watch Carl lose Ellie, and go home alone for the first time. A full range of emotions, and only in the first ten minutes! That opening montage sets the scene for the story that follows.  Carl, looking to finally give Ellie her dream of having their house atop mythical Paradise Falls, sets off with nothing but a sea of helium filled balloons to carry him, and his house, up into the wild blue yonder. Before he knows it, he finds himself, and his three unlikely companions, running for their lives from his very own childhood hero. In that process, we watch him discover that his life isn’t over. In many ways, it’s just started.

On the technical side, as usual, Pixar does an amazing job with their animation. From the whiskers on Carl’s grizzly chin, to putting a slight rainbow at the bottom of a misty waterfall, Pixar’s amazing animators make it truly hard to remember that these characters, and the world they live in, aren’t real. In addition, this is Pixar’s first film available in 3D, and they did a lovely job pulling it off. However, it is absolutely not necessary to see Up in 3D. There are very few moments where 3D images actually jump out at you, and none that are 3D reliant. Though it’s a nice way to really “get into” the movie, seeing it in 2D will not take away from it at all. If you’re on a budget, and those extra few bucks just seem like too much, don’t hesitate to see it in 2D. It’s an excellent film just the same, and well worth the price of a regular ticket.

Funny, exciting, heartwarming, and at times heartbreakingly sad, Up was just as wonderful as all the Pixar films that came before it. You will fall in love with Carl and Ellie. Russell, Carl’s tubby, merit badge seeking sidekick will make you laugh, and break your heart. And I know I wanted to take Doug, the goofy but loyal talking dog home with me. Do yourself a favor, and go see it. You will absolutely not be disappointed.

Seven Pounds Featurette

Academy to Spotlight
Costume Design in the Digital Age

Beverly Hills, CA – The opportunities and challenges facing motion picture costume designers working in the current era of digital technology will be explored at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ program, “Costume Design in the Digital Age,” on Friday, April 24, at 8 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood. The evening will be hosted by Oscar®-nominated costume designer Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis and Academy Governor Bill Taylor.

Presented by the Academy’s Science and Technology Council, the program will feature a panel of costume designers, including Oscar nominees Jeffrey Kurland (“Hidalgo,” “Collateral,” “Bullets Over Broadway”) and Ruth Myers (“The Addams Family,” “Emma,” “The Golden Compass”) as well as Ellen Mirojnick (“Chaplin,” “Unfaithful,” “Cloverfield”) and Michael Wilkinson (“300,” “Rendition,” “Babel”). Joining the discussion will be cinematographer Daryn Okada (“The X-Files,” “Mean Girls,” “Apocalypto”) and color scientist Joshua Pines (“Titanic,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “The Aviator”), who won a Scientific and Technical Award for the design and development of the TDI process for creating archival separations from image data (shared with Chris Kutcka).

The evening also will feature special viewing hours (from 6 to 8 p.m. and following the screening) of the “Dressed in Color: The Costumes” exhibition. The exhibition, which examines the important aspects of costume design for color films from the 1940s through the 1960s, is on display through May 2.

Established in 2003 by the Academy's Board of Governors, the Science and Technology Council provides a forum for the exchange of information, promotes cooperation among diverse technological interests within the industry, sponsors publications, fosters educational activities and preserves the history of science and technology of motion pictures.

Tickets to “Costume Design in the Digital Age” are $5 each for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets are available for purchase by mail, at the Academy box office (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or online at www.oscars.org. Doors open one hour prior to the event. All seating is unreserved.

The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood.

For more information call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.