Meet and Greet/Haiti Fundraiser Event
Not only will this be a networking event, but we’ve decided to help out the Haiti relief effort by holding a fundraiser as well. All proceeds from the event will go to a special organization that we’re partnering up with called Life Time International. LTI has been working with local Haitians for several years on multiple projects, including installing water facilities, community development training, and recently helping send a three year old earthquake burn victim to a children’s hospital in the U.S.
Red Mile Road Brewery and Izze Sparkling Juice have generously offered all proceeds from donations for their products to Haiti relief.
We are also excited to be working with Mental Eclectic for this event and will be showing a few short film selections from their Shorts and Spirits Showcase.
It will be a fun evening and it’s for a good cause as well!
Lost and Found
May 24, 2010
Last night was the series finale for one of the most daring and original television series ever made: Lost. Unless you’ve been hiding out in some dark cave or under some black rock, you are already aware of this. If you aren’t a fan of the show, you know someone who is and you’re probably very confused by the obsessive and manic dedication that your friends, coworkers or family members have shown towards this television show. Why all the hype? It is JUST a television show, right? I suppose that I can understand people who have this attitude, as I have this same feeling about sports fanatics. When I see sports fans jump up and down, hoot and holler, and plan their entire lives around Monday Night Football, the World Series and March Madness I wonder, “Why? Isn’t it JUST a game?” No, apparently to many people it’s more than just a game, and to me, and millions of other people around the world, Lost is much more than just a television show.
I have watched Lost since the spring of 2007. I believe that I held on longer than others did because I watched the first two and a half seasons back to back, without breaks or re-runs in between. Although the current short and quick TV season format is most likely a result of the dreadful writer’s strike, I believe that this new way of doing TV was exactly what a show like Lost needed to retain its audience and to keep the momentum started in season one. Watching continuously helped me see the building blocks of the foundation and, save for one or two shows, I never felt that the building was in vain. There was always another layer and another level being added, which continually enhanced the story.
The brilliance of Lost is in the strength of its characters. From day one it was about the lives of these crash survivors. I truly believe that the island is a metaphor for the struggles that we go through in our lives that build character and shape us into better human beings. Lost is and has always been about the human struggle for purpose. Whether or not the island ever really existed is up to interpretation. I believe that the ending spoke for itself and am excited for the discussion that the finale will continue to spark beyond the life of the series.
Many people have asked and will continue to ask for answers to all of the so called “loose ends” that were left undone in Lost. In my opinion, those things are peripheral to the real story and don’t matter in the larger scheme of things. There are many mysteries in our own lives that will never be answered. In Lost, as in life, it’s easy to get caught up in the details, but the details are the things which are leading us to greater meanings and understandings. There are connections that seem so intentional, and they are, but they aren’t the end all be all. Those connections are pointing us to more important truths, just like the numbers, Charles Widmore, the Dharma Initiative, and the subtle and overt ways that the characters’ lives intersected in the past, present, and future.
A week and a half ago I was privileged enough to attend Lost: The Final Celebration, which was a concert of the music from Lost conducted by the wonderfully talented and Oscar winning composer, Michael Giacchino. Sitting in an auditorium with 1,800 other fans was an experience that I will not soon forget. It was a joining together of two of my favorite art forms: music and film. I say film because Lost has never been just another television show. Lost has always taken the medium to another level with it’s epic writing, acting, directing, production design, music, editing, etc, etc, etc. Each episode is like it’s own film and is on a scale too grand to be categorized as another TV show. The evening, like the show, was on a grand scale and was perfectly executed with introductions of the cast and producers, live music from Lost and a viewing of the penultimate episode. As the orchestra swelled with familiar Lost themes, the screen portrayed still photos from the past six seasons. We laughed together and cried together and had a unique moment that most television viewers don’t get the opportunity to experience. We celebrated our passion for this wonderful art form together and it was magical.
Last night Lost came full circle. The story began with one man, alone, walking through the carnage of a plane crash, and it ended six years later with one man, alone, walking through the jungle on the journey to his deathbed and ready to meet his Maker. At the end, Jack was assembled with the people in his life who meant the most to him and who helped shape his life. I would bet that if you asked anyone at the end of his life what the most important thing was in life that he would say the relationships he had and not the jobs, status, or money. The struggles and challenges make us who we are and it’s in light of those struggles that we can truly appreciate the end of the journey. I’ve delighted in the journey that Lost has taken me on these past few years and am excited to see the journey come to an end for one reason: now I can finally get some work done.
Episode Forty: John Paul Rice & Katrine Lieberkind
John Paul Rice- Producer
John Paul Rice attended Georgia State University in 1997 with a focus on Business. In 1999, while at college, Mr. Rice was given a rare opportunity to work on Jerry Bruckheimer’s Remember the Titans. After working almost three months on the film, John returned to school and directed his studies toward learning the history of cinema. He moved to Los Angeles in January 2001 to pursue a career in film production. By mid 2001, John landed a position at the Los Angeles division of the German distribution company Senator International (which later became Mandate Pictures) lead by industry veteran Joseph Drake (Juno, The Grudge, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, 30 Days of Night, American Psycho). Under Joe’s mentoring, John developed an interest and dedication to producing feature films. John left Mandate in the fall of 2005 to form No Restrictions Entertainment LLC with filmmaker Edgar Michael Bravo. In 2008, John produced his first feature One Hour Fantasy Girl with Edgar Michael Bravo directing, Levi Obery co-producing. In 2009, the team produced formed a new production entity, Bravo-Obery-Rice Productions, producing their second feature film now in post production, (psychological thriller) The Magic Stone, a journey into the mind of a homeless man who is trying to stay connected with reality as he struggles to protect a runaway boy and a girl he loves.
John Paul Rice will produce his third feature, Mother’s Red Dress, an unusual love story, this summer.
Episode Forty: John Paul Rice & Katrine Lieberkind [92:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Links
http://www.norestrictionsent.com
The Magic Stone Movie
John Paul Rice Facebook Page
Katrine Lieberkind- Makeup Artist
Katrine Lieberkind is a self-starter, a celebrity makeup artist, and a makeup and special effects instructor. She is experienced in high fashion, print, runway, commercial, film and TV. Katrine moved to Hollywood after working as a freelance makeup artist in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is a full-time freelance makeup artist, but has also been teaching makeup and special effects at the Joe Blasco Makeup School in Hollywood. At the school she teaches on HD cameras and works with award winning makeup artists every day. Katrine is a Danish girl with a mission: to create opinions and open the mind of the audience by making them believe in the reality she presents to them through her work in makeup and special effects.
Links
Katrine’s MySpace Page
Katrine’s Twitter
Katrine’s Facebook Page
Episode Thirty-Nine: Craig Wilson of Mental Eclectic
Craig Wilson- Producer/Director
Craig started his 12 year career in entertainment as an Artistic Director for a black box theater troop. In 2003 he graduated Los Angeles Film School majoring in Directing and minoring in Producing. Since that time he has worked as a Producer, Director, First Assistant Director, Grip, Electrician, Craft Service and Production Assistant in television and film. He has produced two independent feature films, is in pre- production for one and is in development of another, both slated to shoot 2010. He has also Event Coordinated and Produced five world premiere screenings, four monthly networking events and is currently a Producer for the San Diego Indie Festival Film Stage.
Mental Eclectic Website
Mental Eclectic on Facebook
Mental Eclectic Twitter Page
Twitter search- #indiemm
Twitter search- #webserieswed
Kurt Braun- DP/Grip/Gaffer
Kurt Braun brings a wealth of practical know-how including: construction & design, logistics, budgeting, sourcing and mechanics as well as a background in camera & lighting. He has worked extensively with international crews both in the U.S. and abroad as a Production Designer, Art Director, Cameraman, DP, Grip, and Gaffer.
Kurt’s Website
Kurt’s IMDB Page
Kurt’s Myspace Page
Episode Thirty-Eight: Keegan-Michael Key
Keegan-Michael Key is an actor and television personality who is quickly gaining a national reputation through his roles as Curtis on Gary Unmarried and host of The Planet’s Funniest Animals on the Animal Planet. He’s also known for a number of memorable characters such as Coach Hines and the Whole ‘Notha Level Guy on Fox’s sketch comedy program, MADtv. He has also made many appearances on Reno 911.
Aydrea ten Bosch- Film Method Guest Host
Aydrea, a former news reporter, has been a freelance writer for Nickelodeon and Hawaii Film Partners, a staff writer for Disney and currently has a feature film in post production with Highlander Films. Aydrea has been a finalist in the AAA Creative Screenwriting Contest and while at Disney, one of her scripts was chosen to represent the network before the Emmy Nominating Committee. She also runs the blog The Oreo Experience.
For more information about Aydrea or to contact her please visit her website at www.theoreoexperience.com
Episode Thirty-Seven: Film Finance Revisited
Raising money for your film can be the most daunting task in all of filmmaking. In this episode, Securities Attorney John Cones and filmmaker Justin Evans give their pearls of wisdom about raising money and making the hard sell of getting financing for your film more attractive to potential investors.
John & Justin’s Links
For Info on Tax Code 181- Google info on Bill HR4213
Books by John Cones
John’s Website
Hard Money- Article in Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine by John Cones
Jeff Steele’s Film Closings Blog
Justin Evans Twitter Page
Humble Magi Facebook Fan Page
Humble Magi Website
Books about Business Plans:
Getting the Money: A Step by Step Guide for Writing Business Plans for Film by Jeremy Juuso
Filmmakers and Financing, Fifth Edition: Business Plans for Independents by Louise Levison
Jenna & Jeremy’s Links
In the Darkness on Netflix
Indiegogo for Who Killed Jane Finch?
John Cones- Securities Attorney
John Cones is a securities/entertainment attorney who has practiced in Los Angeles for eighteen years advising independent feature film producers and others on matters relating to investor financing of feature film and other entertainment projects. He has prepared or participated in the preparation of business plans and/or the required securities disclosure documents, along with Blue Sky compliance for more than 250 such offerings during his 18 year securities law career, including public and private production-money offerings for feature films, television pilots, documentaries, infomercials, live stage plays and Internet companies. His clients have produced or distributed some 51 feature and documentary films with funds raised through such offerings. Mr. Cones also works with entrepreneurs on investor financing of business start-ups. In addition to several articles, he has authored six books on those same topics including Introduction to the Film Industry- A Guide for Students, Filmmakers and Scholars, Dictionary of Film Finance and Distribution- A Guide for Independent Filmmakers, Film Industry Contracts, 43 Ways to Finance Your Film, The Feature Film Distribution Deal and Hollywood Wars. He also hosts a Q&A Internet site about investor financing of entertainment projects at http://www.mecfilms.com/coneslaw/finforum.htm He is a member of the California and Texas bar associations. Mr. Cones resides in Westlake Village, California.
Justin Evans- Producer/Writer/Director
Justin Eugene Evans began his first theatre company at 14 and began making films at 15. He is the only undergraduate in NYU’s history to complete a feature film while in school. Justin is the founder, former CEO & Creative Director of Mystic Arts in Beijing as well as the owner and producer of Humble Magi, LLC and Oojah, LLC, which have offices in New Mexico and Michigan. He has been a film professor and art director in the video game industry. Justin was also the writer, director, cinematographer, producer, editor and art director for the 2007 film, Saturday Night Special.
Recently, Justin finished the feature film, A Lonely Place For Dying. The preview screening of this film won the Heineken Red Star Award at The Santa Fe Film Festival in 2008 and won rave reviews at its premiere at the KiMo Theater in Albuquerque, NM in 2009.
Justin has been featured twice in Variety, twice in Moviemaker Magazine, and a mini-doc about his film aired on IFC throughout January 2009. Justin is a skilled graphic designer, photographer, production designer, screenwriter, cinematographer, director & producer and resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Conan’s New Day
May 3, 2010
Although the name of this podcast is Film Method, we recognize the importance of all aspects of the entertainment industry including TV and the Web and it seems appropriate to publish a blog about Conan O’Brien the day after he broke his silence on 60 Minutes. As most of you know from listening to the show, I am a huge Conan O’Brien fan. I’ve been a fan of his comedy for many years now and when he took over The Tonight Show almost a year ago, I was beside myself with excitement and as giddy as a school girl in the springtime. I also believed that it was a new day for late night TV. Traditionally, The Tonight Show was hosted by old white haired men (most funny, one not). When I saw Conan running across the United States, from New York City to Los Angeles, in that landmark television moment just before Andy Richter announced him as the new host of The Tonight Show, it was a watershed moment for my generation and it seemed that The Tonight Show wasn’t just for old people anymore.
Since the day it was announced that NBC wanted Jay Leno to move back to the 11:35 time slot, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and reflecting on how it all went so horribly wrong after the new day had just dawned only to be cut short by a meteor that hit the earth sending dirt and ash into the air thus blocking the sun and ending the beautiful new day. When I got over my initial anger and bitterness towards the incredibly short-sighted NBC executives who had, in essence, set Conan up for failure, I began to think of the very antiquated system which dictates who wins and who looses in television: the Nielsen ratings system. I also began to think about the demographic of the average Conan O’Brien viewer and the viewing habits of myself and most of my friends, who rarely schedule our lives around prime time television let alone any sort of late night television. Most of us don’t even own DVRs, which is pretty amazing considering that many of us are fans and regular viewers of popular shows such as Lost, Glee, and The Office. How do we do it? Are we all “taping” our favorite shows on VHS recorders? No. We’re watching our favorite shows online when we want to and not stopping our lives to tune in during the regularly scheduled time slot. Now, I must admit that I am generalizing a bit. Do I really know exactly what the viewing habits are for every single one of my friends? No, I don’t, but I can say that I do have discussions about these things with the friends that I hang out with regularly and they just happen to be in the very sought-after 18-49 age range. Watching online is how most of those friends view their favorite shows.
Interestingly enough, from all of the information I’ve found online about how the ratings are calculated, it doesn’t seem that internet viewing plays into the numbers that networks use to sell space to advertisers. Apparently, although it’s easier to track what people are watching online, it’s not easy to track who is watching it, and there lies the problem. I can only hope that with the myriad of new technology being birthed every day that the ratings system will soon catch up and start including these internet numbers in order to track what we are really watching.
When the news came out that Conan was going to TBS I saw many comments online disparaging his move from network TV to basic cable. My attitude was and still is that Conan should be on television and it doesn’t really matter where as long as the show is available online and is broadcast in the English language. I’ve noticed that many fans on Conan’s Facebook fan page (pop. 994,928) feel the same way. Unfortunately for NBC, they may not realize the gravity of their mistake of throwing Mr. O’Brien under the bus for another few years, when most of Leno’s fan base has moved on to the afterlife. By then, it will be too late, though, as building a successful late night franchise takes many years and NBC will probably be selling Sham-Wows in the current Tonight Show time slot while other progressive-minded networks will be capitalizing on all sorts of crazy new media outlets. Now that the dirt and ash have cleared, I can see that this, Conan O’Brien, is really your new day, and what a glorious day it is.
