linkapalooza - November 6, 2008: Hellraiser in Capable Hands

I sometimes wonder how our kids or grandkids will think of the era that we're living in right now... I mean, think of the amount of change that we've seen... seriously. I remember being a kid and my Dad setting up a projector in the basement to watch home movies, I remember when he brought home a "VCR", I remember video games when they could only be played in an arcade, I remember not having an email address. Hell, I remember getting our first microwave. Think about if you were born in 1890. By 1920, how many changes took place? I guess there's two ways to look at it, either we're living in an era that will forever be remembered as a time of massive change OR... we ain't seen anything yet. All this and I'm not even touching on the fact that we just saw the first African American voted in as President of the United States - a mere 50 years after he wouldn't have been able to drink out of the same water fountain as his Vice President elect. Crazy. Anyhow, right now, I just care about the changes and news that effects indie horror filmmakers. So, here's some shit that's going on out there...

'Hellraiser' redo in Laugier's hands on THR.com: Remember how the Weinsteins originally announced that they were going to have Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury remake Hellraiser? Then that fell through after investors saw "Inside", their latest film, and decided it was too fucked up and got worried about what they would come up with for the new Hellraiser? Granted, "Inside" WAS messed up... and awesome. Side note: if you haven't seen it, you should. That's not my point, though. My point is that they've now announced that Pascal Laugier will helm the remake, whose last film was MORE fucked up than "Inside". His film, "Martyrs", was not only compared directly to "Inside", it's been called the "new yard stick against which all forms of extreme genre films should be measured against." So, maybe the rumors that what Bustillo and Maury brought the Weinstein's were false and it was some other reason that they left the project. Maybe Laugier brought in a more friendly version, I don't know. Either way, it looks like the film is STILL in good hands. It'll be interesting to see how this does... are American audiences ready for a big budget gore flick? We'll find out soon enough.

MySpace top site for young filmgoers on Variety: Here's a shocker... filmgoers are going to Myspace to research films. Here's what surprises me... a lot of indie filmmakers do NOT use Myspace. When I'm looking into a film, there's only a few places I look. IMDB.com is one, I use Amazon.com a lot, but Myspace could be tops. It's free, it's easy and I'm surprised at how many people don't use it. If you're going to get into this whole space, you need to know how the digital world works. Please, if you're unsure or weary, go set up a basic account under a fake name, such as "Labia DeVulva" or "Fuk Yue", and just play around with it before using it. Set a few hours a week aside to learning and maintaining and you'll be surprised at how quickly you can get the word out about your film, meet other filmmakers, network and all that. Anyhow, people... please. If you're not using new media like social networking sites, please start.

Hollywood may not be recession-proof this time on LAtimes.com: Once again, what's bad for Hollywood can be good for you, the indie horror filmmaker. Okay, the article is SUPER long, but I can summarize it for you here pretty quickly. This whole recession thing is here, it's not going anywhere for a bit and when we do come out of it, it's going to be a different world. How different? Who knows... but people are going to be spending less money and doing some budgeting, that's for sure. Now, during the great depression, Hollywood and entertainment, as a whole, didn't suffer. In fact, it flourished. They found out pretty quick that people needed little escapes and entertainment MORE in times of crisis. Makes sense, right? Because of that, they've always said that Hollywood is recession-proof. Well, it's not this time around. Why? Because in 1930, they didn't have many choices, did they? Now, they do. In fact, how many of you could disconnect your cable and live off of streaming video and pirated DVDs? My bet? A lot. So, how does this help you? Well, as people turn off network television and stop going to the theaters, they're going to turn to the internet and other digital video resources... and guess what? That's where indie filmmakers should be living... So, you've got a whole new audience coming your way soon, be ready for them. And, please, give them a good deal if they want to buy something.

Vampire tale stalks FearNet on Reuters.com: This is about a music-driven vampire-themed series that will air on multiplatform horror-thriller network FearNet, written and directed by Mary Lambert. A little background on Lambert, first... she's done a ton of music videos, but she also helmed a few horror classics, including: Pet Sematary, Pet Sematary II, Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge and Urban Legends: Bloody Mary. So, she's been around the horror block a few times. What interests me is that she's a decent name attached to an innovative project and it has absolutely nothing to do with network TV or the studios... aside from the fact that FearNet.com is owned by Comcast, Sony and Lionsgate. My point is this series will only be available on the FearNet website and on the FearNet VOD network. Read my last paragraph on the recession, then this one... there's new platforms coming, folks. Make sure your project can use them!

Linkapalooza - October 21, 2008: Horror Bucks The "Pricey" Trend

It's been a while since I did a Linkapalooza and looked at what's going on out there in the industry... so, here's a few things to take note of:

Priciest films the most profitable, says study on THR.com: Now, this will show you how insane Hollywood truly is. Well, in my mind, anyhow. Long and short, this article says that "animated films have the best average profitability", by contributing "an average net profit of $230.6Million". It goes on to say, after analyzing 1,000 or so films, that "the two priciest segments surveyed showed the best profitability." What are the two priciest segments? Animated and Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Third, by the way, is Family. By any chance, could those be the most profitable segments because they reach the broadest audience? Animated, Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Family movies are films where a couple of parents take a bunch of kids... and the kids usually like to see the movie 10 times, then buy the action figure. By the way, Sci-Fi/Fantasy isn't "AVP2", it's "Star Wars" or "Transformers". Could it be that the "priciest films" are "the most profitable" because you're throwing your money at the biggest money making segments? Also, I think it's fair to say that the bulk of those profits came from a handful of films, they're definitely not ALL profitable. Anyhow, two conclusion points here, one... it just seems to me that they're justifying spending a shit-load of money and trying to prove it to their financiers with a "study". Two, they do offer this one tidbit, which is VERY interesting from the perspective of an indie-horror filmmaker. They say there's ONE exception to the "costier-is-better premise". Horror. "Horror had the best results when produced for $10Million or less". For me, that says that horror fans don't need a glossy, polished film, they just need a good film. Remember that... when you're making your film for a fraction of $10Million... or a fraction of a fraction.

Sci Fi, RHI ink pact for five telefilms on, once again, THR.com: This link is for you Sci-Fi Original fans, I know you're out there! Just for you, it's a peak into the future! RHI Entertainment produces a lot of the Sci-Fi Originals and they've just been tapped to make 5 more. The article actually goes through all five films... Personally, I'll be looking forward to "Alien Western", where monstrous buglike machines from another world attack an Old West town in the 1890's.

The American Film Market on ifta-online.org: The American Film Market, or AFM as they like to call it, is coming up this November 5 - 12 in Santa Monica and I thought I'd just tell you about it. It's an annual event that attracts over 8,000 industry people for eight days. Participants from over 70 countries converge in Santa Monica to buy and sell distribution rights for completed films or to gain financing for projects in various stages of production. It's not a festival, it's more like a massive tradeshow. If you attend, you'll be in the company of acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, festival directors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, press and an array of other people who provide services to the industry. Long and short, unbelievable networking and a wicked opportunity... however, that, of course, comes with a cost. A one day pass costs $275, a pass for the full eight days costs $895. That's a lot of money. Personally, I'd go down to Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel and/or the Le Merigot Beach Hotel, where it's all held, and hang out in nearby bars and restaurants... probably bars. You're sure to get people coming in for a beer or lunch. Save the $275 and spend it on drinking. It's a no-lose proposition.

In closing, I'll leave you with a couple of Fewdio Horror Shorts that I haven't mentioned yet...

Linkapalooza - August 6th, 2008: New interesting projects announced, Insight into the future, again... and Dead Harvey gets no respect!

So much stuff going on out there! A few new projects announced on THR.com, some insight into the future of distribution, cool new integrated concepts and we're still waiting for OUR clip about "5 or Die". Should get here any time now...

Del Toro, Miramax not 'Afraid of the Dark' on THR.com: I always like reading the little Hollywood Reporter blurbs, as it gives you a bit of insight into how these big deals get done and where the players come from. Usually I hate it when they get ideas from old TV shows, but this first project is kind of cool. The idea comes from a cult show that ABC made in the 70's, they have a comic book artist-writer helming it and del Toro is producing with Miramax. Since I'm mentioning that one, here's another one from THR.com - 'Blood' work for 'Family Guy' scribe. I don't get why they would tap a showrunner from "Family Guy" to adapt a horror property, but maybe there's something I don't know. What's interesting is the fact that Hollywood is going ape-shit over comics these days. I gotta say, the idea behind "Last Blood" is awesome. "Human survivors of a zombie massacre find themselves protected by a band of vampires who need their blood to survive." F'ing awesome.

Viacom CEO: 'Great' content is king on Cnet News.com: Viacom's CEO, Philippe Dauman, spoke at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech Conference a little while ago and said some pretty interesting things about 'content'. Now, before I get into what he said, let me clarify something. Please do realize that what you're making, as an indie-horror filmmaker, is content. I think a lot of people make the mistake of thinking that what they're making is just a film. If you think of yourself as your own little studio and you're making content for distribution, you're going to open yourself up to a lot of new avenues. So, even though Viacom is a multi-national, billion dollar company, try to do what they do. So, what do they do and what did Dauman say? Well, they see themselves as a 'content producer' and they seek to find distribution any way they can and to make money any way they can, while looking to find new audiences thanks to emerging distribution. There you go...

Blockbuster adds Movielink's video downloads to Web site on DallasNews.com and LG Electronics Device To Deliver Movies Online on WSJ.com: The battle for delivering movies to your TV through your PC rages on... another article on Blockbuster finally using Movielink, a company they bought almost a year ago, to offer movies for people to download to their PC as soon as they're available for rent. The other article is how LG Electronics will soon offer a device that plays Blu-ray over the internet from Netflix. We already knew that LG and Netflix were partnering up, but both are really pushing the envelope and trying to open this whole market up. LG isn't really the big story here, it's really Netflix. It looks like both Blockbuster and Netflix are vying to be the new gatekeepers, as they're partnering up witheveryone they can find. Stay tuned to the battle... and don't forget that Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony are all in this fight, too.

Sci Fi Plotline to Play on TV and Video Game on promomagazine.com: I've been waiting to post comments on this article for a while... This is a pretty cool idea and this is the way filmmakers need to think as we delve forward into this new era of distribution. Basically, it's a series that's going to air on Sci-Fi, but it's also a video game that will follow the series. So, you basically play along with the series. I'm not saying that you should go out and copy this idea... what I'm saying is, think of ideas that use other mediums, think outside the box. Maybe you develop a series that has a huge online component, or that's based around live events, a CD release or a mobile campaign, I don't know. Basically, anything that uses other mediums and angles to compliment your project will gain you a bigger audience.

Speaking of ways to drum up interest about a project... a bunch of the horror sites all got sent a video clip called "5 or Die", which looks to be a viral campaign for something. Nice campaign... and a pretty cool way to build interest, as all the sites are talking about it. Including us, who, of course, had to find out about it by reading other sites... thanks "5 or Die" guys, that hurts. I guess our clip got lost in the mail? Whatever... here's a link to 'Icons of Fright' site, which shows the video AND all the sites that aren't called Dead Harvey that got sent the link.

Linkapalooza - July 16, 2008... Quentin Tarantino is a bastard, er.. basterd. Uh, basturd?

As usual, lots of interesting things going on out there. This weeks Linkapalooza is a giant 'potpouri' of links, as some of this is fan-boy stuff and some of this is industry stuff. Either way, enjoy...

News recently broke about the script for Tarantino's long talked about WWII epic, "Inglorious Bastards" ...and I got so excited, I had to sit down. Here's a couple articles - Doubt Quentin Tarantino All You Want - But INGLORIOUS BASTARDS Will Carve Its Mark Into Your Skull When It Is Done! - on Aint in Cool News & We’ve Got Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Inglorious Bastards’ Script. I'm not going to lie, I'll be honest. I'm not a Tarantino fan... and I'll leave it at that. I've been in many a debate over it and I wouldn't shy away from another one, but that's for another day. Brad, on the other hand, is. So, this link is for him. I only ask one thing, check out that second article, what's with that handwritten title page? Is he a complete invalid? Not only does he write like a 2 year old, he spells "bastard" B A S T E R D. Anyhow, like him or hate him, "Inglorious Bassturds" is coming...

Michael Bay talks 'Transformers 2' and 'Friday the 13th' remake on EW.com: This is fairly fluff, but Entertainment Weekly talked with Michael Bay about 'Transformers 2' and 'Friday the 13th'. It's a fairly short interview and the bulk of it is actually about 'Friday the 13th'. If you're like me and don't want to see this remade and think that Michael Bay and Platinum Dunes are just money grubbing trolls for remaking it, you'll find it interesting to see how he tries to sell it. "We're fans ourselves!", "We try to be faithful", "You're just not going to believe the first 12 minutes!". If you're excited about the film and have nothing against Bay, the interview will reveal nothing, it's exactly what you thought it would be.

Now, on to some cool industry shit... PLAYSTATION Network's Video Delivery Service to Offer Movies and TV Shows for Purchase and Rental Through PLAYSTATION 3 and PSP - on iStockAnalyst.com: Here's the thing, if you're a regular reader, you'll probably remember the post about the Sony Bravia being able to connect to the internet and act as a segue, right? Well, Sony's making sure they own this space, they're pulling out all the stops. Basically, they want the PS3 to be the center-piece of the family room. They want it to be the portal where you watch movies, play video games, cruise the internet, everything... they're not alone, though. Microsoft is trying to do the same thing with XBox and then there's my underdog in the arean, Roku and Netflix, who are trying, as well. However, my underdog may REALLY be a crippled underdog, as they probably won't be capable of cruising the internet, let alone playing video games on. Whatever... either way, the way we watch movies and consume media is going to change, my friends!

Lionsgate, YouTube strike ad-share deal - on THR.com: Uh oh... what's going on out there? First... Sony, Microsoft and Roku are fighting to get a device in your living room that connects to the internet, now Lionsgate strikes a deal with Youtube? WTF? Don't take this lightly, by the way... studios used to be so arogant, they thought they could control how, when and where you saw films. Now, they're reeling. Not only that, they're trying everything to squeeze more money out of their catalogue of films. This is actually monumentary. Lionsgate is now working with a website that's known for showing pirated content. Basically, Lionsgate is getting its own Youtube channel, where they show their content, run ads and split revenue with Youtube.

TV Trends:Consumers Demand Control - on eMarketer.com: If you're willing to pay $695.00, you can actually buy the full 24 page report with all 58 charts, however if you click on the link there, you get 1 graph and a short blurb... which was enough for me. These guys do studies for the industry, then sell the studies and this time they did a study on TV Trends. Here's what they found... "Video-on-demand (VOD), digital video recorders (DVRs), the broadband Web, and 3G mobile phones are giving TV consumers new ways to access and watch TV (and they) estimate that by 2012 nearly 25% of all TV content watched each day will be time-shifted, on-demand, on the Web or on a mobile device." Better get that indie horror ready for VOD, DVR's, the web and 3G mobile phones...

Linkapalooza - July 9, 2008... Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer gets release date, plus other news.

There's a few things going on out there that I think you should consider looking into...

Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer gets release date - on shocktillyoudrop.com: Okay, the post that I linked to there is probably shorter than the blurb I'm writing on it, but that's not important. What is important is the fact that the kick-ass "Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer", a throwback to 90's horror, now has a DVD release date. Anchor Bay will be releasing it on August 1st. Get it, trust me.

MicroCinema Scene: Well, obviously, it's a site dedicated to MicroCinema. Looking through it, I don't think it's updated that often and it's really a very general site, but the cool thing is that they have forums that you can look through... maybe Dead Harvey should do forums? To be honest, I wouldn't know where to start on that. Either way, it's worth taking a look through. Also, I like how they say in their 'about us' page that we should keep in mind that they're all volunteers. What's your definition of volunteer? Not getting paid? If that's the case... I'm a volunteer... and so are most indie filmmakers. Please keep that in mind.

Hellboy's Mike Mignola Talks 'Language of Monsters' - on Wired.com: It's anything but indie, but Wired talked with original 'Hellboy' book artist / writer Mike Mignola about the monsters they created for "Hellboy II: The Golden Army". Now, what these guys are doing is way above what indie guys do, but there's always something you can take away from guys like Mignola when the curtain is pushed aside for a little bit to see how they work.

Revealed: Secretlives of moviegoers - on Medialifemagazine.com: This is pretty cool, actually. A company called Mindset did a research study on frequent movie-goers to profile them. Why I think this is particularily pertinent to you, as an indie horror filmmaker, is because this is who you're audience is... and probably who you are, too. Let's be honest, it would be rare to find an 'armchair' indie horror fan. Chances are an indie horror fan watches a lot of movies... and I mean a LOT of movies, I know I do. Also, I'm betting that indie horror filmmakers watch a lot of movies, as well. Once again, I know I do. So, from all sides, the profile they came up with is both you and your viewer. Check it out, you might be surprised to find out what they think about you.

Netflix's Online Movie Dreams - on Forbes.com: I'm telling you, this is the device! I've said it in other posts and I'll keep saying it. Well, they keep mentioning Netflix, as they're supplying the content now, but it's really about Roku. This article on Forbes goes more in depth as to what Roku's plans are... and here's the little tidbit that perked my ears up - "Later this year, a simple software update will allow the box to stream content from other "big name" providers." Really? Okay, now we're talking... because if you're planning on getting big name providers this year, it's probably only a few years before 'little name' providers will be able to jump on the bandwagon. Think about it, after you've finished your film, there's no cost to make or ship the DVD's and there's no such thing as shelf space. All people will need is a Roku remote, a 12-pack and their TV and they can search through endless titles of indie-horror.

Linkapalooza - July 2, 2008... making money in online distribution?

I had a day off yesterday, so I'm getting to my Linkapalooza a little late. Lots going on out there involving online distribution... check it out.

Google and Creator of ‘Family Guy’ Strike a Deal - on NY Times.com: It's still a bit of a mystery as to how to make money by distributing content online and if you're a regular reader, you know that we follow the subject quite closely. Really, as indie filmmakers, we should all be watching it closely... mainly because it means a new revenue stream for what we do down the road. In any case, new to the scene is Google, who just struck a deal with Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy. This is something to take note of for a few reasons. (1) this is original content, financed, I assume, through Google, (2) Google is distributing it through their adsense program, which means that content will pop up all over the place, (3) Google and their army of analysts have figured out how people view video content on the web and this whole program was designed around that and (4) at this point, it's 100% advertising based, so consumers don't pay. After its initial run on the web, it will, of course, get a DVD release. Either way, keep an eye out for “Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy" and watch it closely.

HBO joining forces with FunnyorDie - on Variety.com: Once again, interesting news from the world of distributing content online. HBO bought a 10% stake in Will Ferrell's "Funnyordie.com" site and plans on a bunch of upcoming ventures between the two, including 10 hours of content to be shown on HBO. What I like about this is that Funnyordie is not only a playing ground for Ferrell and his buddys, but it's also a place where they're actively looking for new talent. It's sort of a minor leagues for comedy filmmakers and comedians... It's easy to upload content to their site, too. It works a lot like Youtube. In fact, Dead Harvey's own Brad Paulson has his latest flick up there, here's a link. Basically, with a partnership with HBO, you never know. Make some content, be active on the site, hope your clip gets popular, which would get it some buzz, then it could make it as content on HBO, which could lead to, well... anything.

Digital delivery critical to Sony's future - on THR.com: While Google and Funnyordie are out making content for delivery on the web, Sony continues to figure out how to get that online content on to your TV. This is a brief article that talks about what Sony thinks the future of Sony is all about... long and short, between their new Bravia TV's and PS3, they think they're going to be able to bypass all the traditional content delivery systems (cable companies, etc.) and become a delivery system themselves. Anyhow, cool article.

Paramount Breaks Out the Booty Sweat - on Adage.com: I just thought this was kinda funny, as I've never seen brand sponsorship of a movie work this way. Usually, an existant brand pays to have their product integrated into a film. Here, a brand that the movie made up is being put into the marketplace. In effect, the movie created the product. It's a spoof drink that's showcased in "Tropic Thunder", the upcoming Ben Stiller movie, and you'll be able to buy it in stores.

The Youtube Screening room - on Youtube: Have you seen this? Youtube is now showing indie films in their "screening room". To quote Youtube, it "is a platform for top films from around the world to find the audiences they deserve." Originally, I heard that Youtube would be paying the filmmakers whose films made the cut, but I later heard that they went against that idea. I don't know if they're planning on monetizing this somehow or what the deal is, but I sat through a 4 minute film starring John C Reilly and didn't see any ads or anything...