Or more accurately, continues. Crave has a post about a TV station in a box from NetTVworld. This box is essentially a minimal configuration solution for easily transmitting video content over the internet. This kind of product coming to market is yet another harbinger of the impending paradigm shift in entertainment media. Musical artists are beginning to eschew their record labels and show some faith in direct marketing and the WGA is striking against TV and Film producers. The onward march of technological process lowers the threshold for entry into media and entertainment, and products like NetTVworld’s box are breaking down barriers in distribution. BitTorrent and YouTube have already made it easier for masses to distribute pre-recorded video and other digital media. This box aims to make it easier for the technically uninitiated to broadcast live video. Exciting things are happening. The industry is due for a change, and it’s only a matter of time before there is a major shift. Certainly, there are still advantages to major studio or station backing, but can those entities continue to justify the cost of their services? For independent media creators of all kinds, and for consumers with a taste for more than just the “mainstream”, this promises to be an exciting time indeed.
Characters Matter
Insert appropriate quip about the importance of strong moral character *here*. Character Matters, but I won’t subject you to the puns. There are more interesting things to discuss.
John, of College Grad, Real World, has a post about what pulls him (or people in general, perhaps) into a TV show. You should read the post, but the SparkNote version is: Good characters that the audience cares about are what make them tune in. In the past, I have posted about what I believe makes a good film: primarily the story. John’s post brought up an interesting question for me about the difference between movies and TV shows (or serial online shorts, etc.). We watch movies for the story, but when we watch TV shows, do we care about the overarching structure that the episodes take place within?
Certainly, there are serial shows that maintain and develop a story arc over a season or even an entire series, but there are also episodic (that is, non-serial) shows that have little or no continuity between episodes. They essentially reset the circumstances between episodes. Most sitcoms fall into this category. So the story is limited to what can take place in a 30 or 60 minutes time slot (minus commercials). That story could be compelling, to be sure, but if that story isn’t carried over from one episode to the next, then viewers must be tuning in, week after week, for something else. In my estimation, it probably isn’t the special effects.
Of course, this train of logic brings up another question: Is it possible to separate a story from its characters? And if you do, does anyone still care about the story? A topic to explore at a later date.
More free music
Mike over at HD for Indies posted about free music from Moby for non-commercial/non-profit films. Looks like a pretty good deal. To be sure, this is not music released under Creative Commons; the license restrictions are much more stringent. When you request a license there is a list of statements to agree to:
You hereby confirm that by proceeding with this license, your film or solely for non-commercial uses i.e. explicitly for non-profit organizations.
You hereby confirm that this may not be made available for sale or public broadcasts (paid for). It may be used in film festivals and student (non-paying) venues.
You acknowledge that all songs remain the property of the artist, song writer and their record company and publisher and use hereof is limited only to your designated film.
You acknowledge that Moby has his own moral values and as such he stresses that any musical synchronisation (use) to acts of animal harm, acts of violence or any sexual acts are strictly prohibited.
Any license granted hereunder may be revoked at anytime at Moby or the copyright owners sole discretion in the event there has been any misuse or intentional misappropriaton of the terms and conditions contained herein.
Any inadvertant, illegal or blatant misuse of any music made available hereunder is a material breach of the terms and conditions and you will be vigorously pursued by the relevant copyright owner.
If you, your film, and your usage of the music meet these requirements, then go for it.
Reading Scripts Aloud
In a recent post, Jane Espenson talks about having your script read aloud by actors. This is something that I really support and I will definitely do with my own work… just as soon as I get a script written.
Plotbot
I recently discovered an intriguing online tool called Plotbot that facilitates collaboration between many users on scripts and screenplays. Has anyone used this before? Would anyone like to try? It looks pretty well designed, so I think I’ll try it out and report back.
Need Royalty Free Sounds?
Guerilla Film Fest 8
In keeping with the spirit of Guerilla filmmaking I give you a film fest with minimal advance warning: Tomorrow night is GFF8 at the Goethe Institut (near Chinatown metro) in DC. Tickets are $10 at the door.
International Fest of Cinema and Technology Comes to DC
The IFCT 2007 Tour will be stopping in Washington, DC at the Museum of Contemporary Art on October 15th and 16th. Tickets are $7/day. Since 2002, the IFCT has been working to gain exposure for “undiscovered films.”
National Film Challenge
Hot on the heels of the Insomnia Film Festival comes the National Film Challenge. A spin off from the 48 Hour Film Project in 2003, the National Film Challenge is similar in structure, but films are mailed in from anywhere in the country and screened online instead of in the local city.
Register by October 18th (spots may fill up earlier) for the competition weekend of October 19-22, 2007.
Also of note, the International Documentary Challenge is coming up in March ’08. Shoot a documentary from March 6-10, 2008 for the third annual iteration of this non-fiction filmmaking event. Finalists will be premiering at HotDocs in April.
But wait! There’s more:
A screening of the [2007] IDC films produced in the Washington DC area will take place on October 9, 2007 at the AFI Silver Theatre.
How’s that for filmfest goodness?
What’s a Best Boy again?
Skillset has a great list of Film Jobs with descriptions and suggestions for breaking into the roles. It’s very helpful in figuring out who all the different people are who contribute to making a film. It’s also very useful in determining what titles to give your friends and colleagues who did various miscellaneous things for your no-budget indie.