FEATURES
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A goat gets mixed up with a South African gang. An educated Algerian woman treks through the desert to find her unknown mother. A Lebanese girl longs for warm contact... more
NEWS
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SFBG: "A look at the man, the movie, the myth, the martyr -- and the modern legacy of Harvey Milk"
"It took Hollywood 30 years to make a feature film about the life of Harvey Milk, and when Gus Van Sant finally got the gig, and Sean Penn agreed to... more
SEEN
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Darren Rabinovitch, Sean Hellfritsch and Isaiah Saxon of the Encyclopedia Pictura collective were at the San Francisco International Animation Film Festival for a program of their shorts. The U.S. Coast... more
BLOGS
Shorts, 11/19.
The Spanish Academy of Art and Cinematographic Sciences will present the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Goya Award to Jess Franco, notes Robert Monell. Via filmtagebuch. "After winning the grand prize at the Montreal World...
[From The Latest from GreenCine Daily]
CALENDAR
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Scott MacDonald/The Spirit of Canyon Cinema--Nov. 21-23
Scott MacDonald’s new book, Canyon Cinema: The Life and Times of an Independent Film Distributor, is feted in three evenings of avant-garde film screenings and discussion—one at Ninth Street Independent... more
Trailer Talk
By Fernanda Rossi
Dear Doc Doctor: What’s the best way I can start my demo to make a strong impression—especially when submitting to a very competitive grant?
Doc Doctor: Far from offering a formula that can cripple your creativity, let’s discuss some principles that can help you put your efforts in the right place. For starters, you’re on the right path when acknowledging the need for a strong beginning for a fundraising trailer, especially when having to stand out among many at a grant evaluation.
morePut down that camera and grab a calculator
By Fernanda Rossi
Dear Doc Doctor: How much money should I spend on a film festival?
Rather than thinking on a per festival basis, develop a comprehensive festival budget. Granted, this strategy may yield mere estimates or projections, closer in accuracy to street-fair fortune-telling than satellite weather-forecasting. Many unanswerable questions arise, such as how does one predict how many festivals a film will get into. Take heart, the task at hand is not clairvoyance but striking the right balance between wishful thinking and good common sense.
Once you’re in business mode, don’t be too quick to grab a calculator. Start by pondering the following variables, which will help you determine how much moolah to spend on partying around the globe, oops, I mean, promoting your film.
[SF360.org editor’s note: This article appeared originally in Film Arts magazine.]
moreFundraising and story development
By Fernanda Rossi
Dear Doc Doctor: My previous projects did very well, from the fundraising stage all the way to distribution. This new documentary is getting harder to make than all the other ones combined. Is this a sign that I should give it up? Shouldn’t it get easier over time to make a film?
It doesn’t get easier. It gets…different. During all my years working with mid-career and senior filmmakers, I never saw anyone sit back and with legs stretched out on the desk, exclaim, “Doc making, piece of cake!” And that’s a good thing. You don’t want a hunter of true stories to get too comfy and compliant.
[SF360.org editor’s note: This article appeared originally in Film Arts magazine.]
morePitching to switch hitters: Strategies for giving investors what they want
By Fernanda Rossi
Dear Doc Doctor: Every time I pitch my film I’m told I should switch the beginning and the end. After rearranging it numerous times, I keep getting the same feedback. What am I doing wrong?
You are right to worry about having an engaging opening and equally powerful cliffhanger or hook. As with fundraising demos and treatments, the first and final impressions of a pitch are long-lasting and must be carefully crafted.
The pitch must include (not necessarily in this particular order) the premise, theme, genre, intended length, characters, main possible plot points (plot points are not always predictable in a documentary, especially if it’s vérité style or an ongoing developing story); as well as prospective audience and budget.
[SF360.org editor’s note: This article appeared originally in Film Arts magazine.]
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