Dead Computer: A Few Links To Articles

Well, I still don't have access to my PC at home, the keyboard refuses to work... I gotta say, though. It's surprising how far you can get with just a mouse. Regardless, the lack of a typing instrument does make the act of typing tough. So, I'm now at work and I'm going to quickly hammer out a post about a couple of articles that I came across.

I know that most people are far more into the creative process of developing and creating a film, but I do think it's important to understand the business end of things. I mean, if you're making a product and you're trying to get that product out there, you better know how the selling and distribution process of that product works. And this article, "Netflix Boss Plots Life After The DVD", has some great insight into how Netflix works, as well as where the industry COULD be going and how these guys are dealing with it. Good article, definitely give it a read. I thought it was really interesting that Netflix basically started out as a software system for recommending movies... a software system like that, mixed with VOD, could be the Holy Grail for indie horror.

There's a specialty horror cable channel in Canada called Scream... or, I guess I should say there WAS a cable channel in Canada called Scream. I just read the article, "Scream TV to lose gore after Dusk falls this September", where they discussed how they're going to change the lineup on the channel and rebrand it. I guess ratings were a little shy of stellar, so they added the murder mystery drama "Supernatural" last year and it bolstered their female audience by 100%. So, they're going to add a few more similar shows and rebrand the channel as "Dusk". Now, a lot of people may see this as the demise of hard-core horror and the rise of a softer, more friendly style of horror, but I see it another way. Cable channels won't run the more intense stuff, they peak out on things like horror festival films, the "Saw" franchise, old horror TV shows, things like that. So, I think the hardcore horror fans look elsewhere already. What's really happening here is that the cable company figured out that there's another demographic out there that's into watching horror on TV, more specifically... 18 - 49 year old women. That's a big demographic... and when you're planning your next project, maybe you should keep them in mind, too.

That's it for this week. I'm going to do my best to get my PC up and working over the weekend, which should mean plenty of good content for next week. Have a great weekend!

Interwebs Stuffs, including: Bloody Cannes, Livestock and other stuff...

I have to take back something that I said earlier this week... I mentioned that "Drag Me To Hell" did alright at the box office on its opening weekend and that it was pretty good. Well, I'm not taking back that it was pretty good, but I'm going to have to take back the comment that it did alright at the box office. The actuals came in and it was substantially lower than the projections. Not only that, after tabulations, it slipped from third to fourth, as "Terminator Salvation" did slightly better in the actuals. Oh well, you can't take away the fact that it was actually pretty good and I still suggest you check it out. Do note that this isn't to say that the world wants less violent films, either. I've come across a few links that I want to share, but check out the first one... it may answer this very question.

The Cannes Film Festival, which was founded in 1946, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious film festivals. Although it actually IS a festival, where films compete for the Palme d'Or, the festival has become much, much more. They have screenings, non-competitive programs, workshops, networking events, dinners, Swedish massage parties, etc... Long and short, it's one of the biggest festivals of the year... if not THE biggest. Which is why I found the article, "Cannes' red carpet is blood-soaked" from THR.com pretty interesting. By definition, indie horror has always been violent. However, it seems that violence may be 'in' these days. If you think that the festivals are leading indicators as to what kinds of films we're going to be getting in the next few years, it could be safe to say, after seeing the lineup at Cannes, that things are going to get violent.... and things getting violent usually means good things for indie horror.

Now, when it comes to the actual production phase of filmmaking and choosing which camera to shoot on, most of our readers don't really get to 'choose', per se. It's more like, what can I afford? That one? Okay... Having said that, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't be on top of what's going on in the industry. So, check out this article that I found on Indieflix.com called "The Tortoise and the Hare: Being a Filmmaker in an Ever Changing World". I don't know who wrote it, but they made a film called "April Showers", I think... and they start the article out talking about the decision to shoot in 4K, then they segue into blu-ray, DVD and online distribution. If you don't know what 4K is, it's the highest res format for shooting on digital. Not much displays 4K right now, but, to demonstrate the scale of resolution... HD TV programming broadcasts at 720P, gaming consoles and blu-ray is displayed in 1080P. Digital theaters project in 2K and, lastly, there's 4K, which you can shoot on, but no one is really projecting in or displaying currently...

Okay, now it's time to help out a friend... so, do you remember "Livestock" from Christopher DiNunzio? We interviewed him not too long ago, here's a link to the interview. In any case, his film's been accepted into the Independent Features online fest, which is pretty cool. So, click HERE to be taken to the Independent Features site. Next, click on VIEW FILMS. Then, go on the left there and click on HORROR. There, you'll find three films, "Blood River", "Blood Trail" and "Livestock". Click on "Livestock". Log in, watch it and rate it. You may have to go back to the beginning at this point, then actually register. It only takes a minute, though. Anyhow, I think if "Livestock" gets enough good ratings, he can get a screening. Something like that. It's a cool site, regardless, and you can check out a few indie films. So, go rummage around there.

We always talk about the future of distribution and how we, as indie filmmakers, can benefit from what's around the corner. Most of the problem exists in the fact that the people with money and power are making their money and power in the old system of distribution, so why would the mix it up? I mean, you or I would love to have a pile of disposable income that we could dump into a new distribution system, where we'd steal audiences from the rich and give them to the poor, right? Well, there actually are a few guys with money and power out there who believe in changing things up. Take Ted Leonsis, for example. He's a former AOL executive, who stepped down from day-to-day management and started SnagFilms, a company that aims to distribute documentary films via the internet in, what I think, is a very unique way. Check out the article on him, called "Every Blog Becomes a Cinema". I really like the idea, but I wish it wasn't just for documentaries. I think that format could work really well for indie horror, as well.

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 - October 1, 2008: The Film Industry Continues Marching Into The Digital Age

I used to actually link to a lot of horror fan shit in the past, but I've started to just link to things going on in the industry that I think will interest indie filmmakers... as well as stuff that I think indie filmmakers need to know about. Anyhow, today is no different. There's just too many changes going on in the industry to not comment or look into.

Michael Moore to release film online for free on msnbc.com: I'm not a big Michael Moore fan. Let me just get that out there... and it has nothing to do with his political stance, it's more his stance as a filmmaker. I don't want to get into a debate on it, but I think he's fantastic at getting his point across, which makes him a great filmmaker; but piss-poor at getting the truth across, which makes him a shitty documentary filmmaker. Now, having got that off my chest, let's give a bit of free promotion to "Slacker Uprising", his next film. His last film, "Sicko", was pirated very early and every torrent site had it 3 weeks before it came out in the theaters. Knowing that, he's releasing "Slacker Uprising" for free, for three weeks, as a free download beginning Sept. 23 and he claims it's gift to his fans. Go to slackeruprising.com and sign up, you can download it after a few clicks. However, here's the thing. Nothing's for free... and I see what he's doing here, but it works out well for you, the audience. First off, he probably has some deal with bliptv.com, they are the guys who are distributing it. They're going to get a bunch of traffic, so I'm sure they paid something. Also, I think he looks at this as a loss-leader. When you sign up, he asks you to punch in the email addresses of friends who may be interested. So, he gives away the film for free, but at the end of the day he gets a massive database of fans that he can now email, spew his rhetoric on and sell other shit to. I have other thoughts here, but I'll save them... Any way you slice it, interesting concept and delivery.

SanDisk rolls out new medium for music on SFGate.com: Ever heard of a company called SanDisk? You probably have, you just don't know why... SanDisk is a California based company that "designs, develops, markets and manufactures products and solutions in a variety of form factors using its flash memory, controller and firmware technologies." Yeah, so, they're a tech company that specializes in flash memory (meaning that no power is needed to maintain the information, it has faster access times and it's REALLY shock resistant. Translated, it's perfect for portable devices). Now, here's why they're an interesting company... they're partnering up with some of the biggest music labels to create a new music medium based on its microSD cards and it'll feature full-length, pre-loaded albums and additional content. They call it slotMusic AND it's going to be compatible with more than "a billion cell phones, MP3 Players, PCs and game consoles". So, as an indie filmmaker, why should you care? I'll tell you why. The first version of the microSD card will sell with 1GB of storage, with future models having up to 8GB of storage. What's that mean? That means movies are next. So, let's see here... if your movie could be distributed on a microsSD card, you just opened yourself up to a billion potential new devices for your film to be watched on. Yeah, I'd say that's significant. Between online distribution, DVD releases, VOD and now stuff like this... really, why are you still thinking about a theatrical release? Think EYEBALLS... so many eyeballs.

Coming Soon From Paramount Pictures: Digital Feature Films on adage.com: I've stopped keeping track of all the mainstream Hollywood people who are now venturing into web-based projects, but you can now add Paramount to that list. Like I've said a thousand times, the best part about these guys rolling out projects like this, is that you can watch what they do, how they do it and figure out what worked for them and mimic them. By Paramount Digital's own admission (in a round-about way), they don't know how to release this shit, but they're going to try a few different ways, including: "free, sponsor-supported, subscription and via paid download". So, let them spend the money testing it out, then figure out what worked for them and do that.

Q&A: JJ Abrams Talks 'Fringe' on Forbes.com: This is a wicked little interview with JJ Abrams about his new show "Fringe", which I'm starting to waver on a bit... but that doesn't take away from the concept, marketing and everything behind the show. But, am I the only guy who's waiting for something kick-ass to happen? Start tying shit together, already! Anyhow, it's cool to see what the thought process is like for a guy like Abrams, who could probably get anything green-lit that he wants. It's little interviews like this, that you need to soak about and think about next time you're putting together your own project.

linkapalooza - September 23, 2008: Actually Getting Paid in Hollywood... and Other Useless Junk

None of my links this week are really 'breaking news', per se... but they are interesting. This is stuff that may actually help you as an indie horror filmmaker. However, before I get to those links, let's look at a link where we're just trying to help you get a job... you know, so you can actually pay those bills. ...and, I know, the picture has nothing to do with any of this... or doesn't it? You decide.

Ten Ways To Break Into Hollywood on forbes.com: This article could be just kinda funny to you, but it's from Forbes and it goes through the ten easiest ways to get a job in Hollywood... and it got me thinking. If you're an indie filmmaker, especially an indie horror filmmaker, you can expect to live fairly close to the poverty line for a while... especially if you're concentrating on your writing and filmmaking more than you are on that whole 'making money' thing. So, your best bet is to try and get a job in Hollywood and pursue your indie horror dreams in your spare time - no one said this is an easy way to make a living, remember. Leisure time is, well, a luxury. If you get a job in the industry, you're going to be able to network, get ideas and be close to the action... which, at the end of the day, will be a catalyst for your career as an indie horror filmmaker. It's also better than doing something completely unrelated, like driving a cab or working as a telemarketer or something.

Sundance Channel to offer new pay-per-view option on latimes.com: If you read the next blurb below this, you'll see that people aren't making too much dough off of paid downloads, but it is nice to see that they're trying to change the field up a bit. Sundance Channel is now offering a pay-per-view option that's 'dedicated to independent films that did not have a theatrical release'. They seem to think that this service could 'democratize and emancipate independent film' and if I knew what 'emancipate' meant, I may agree... however, I can say this. You're probably not going to see too many slasher flicks available on this service. It's nice to see that they're laying the groundwork for someone to make a horror version, though.

DVDs Account For 81% of Video Spending on Multichannel.com: This article resides in my 'get to know your audience' file, which I've been kind of hammering on people lately. Really, it's basic marketing. Find out as much as you can about your consumer (in this case, audience), find out what they want, when they want it and how they want it, then give it to them. That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your artistic vision, but it could give you some direction. This is very generic information, but interesting, none the less. So, to sum it up... DVDs is where the money is (we knew that, though), but there are a few interesting things there when you break it down. 41% of consumers PURCHASE the DVDs versus 29% on RENTALS... only 0.5% is spent on paid downloads. Knowing that, what would make someone BUY your DVD over the next guy? (Think added value, like: extras, a poster, bonus CD, artwork, who knows..) There's more in there, too... interesting stuff. Know your audience!

HBO launches Web series on THR.com: It's interesting to see what the big guys are doing in online media. This article is about HBO's "experimental offshoot" called HBOlab, which, I'm guessing, just comes up with crazy ideas that use other distribution methods... namely, the web. It does seem like there's lots of people who get discovered through their online efforts, then sign a TV or film deal. However, there's very few TV or film guys that can make a successful web-based show. There's two things to take from stuff like this. 1. You have to keep an eye on what these big boys are doing. 2. Get ideas from what they're doing... the web is the only place where we're on even footing with these guys. We may not be able to get in the theaters or on TV, but we sure can do what they're doing on the web.

Linkapalooza - September 8, 2008: Woody's Battling Zombies and other stuff going on in the industry

I meant to have the up for this morning, but a bunch of shit came up today... so, you get it now. Excuse me all to hell.

Woody Harrelson versus the zombies on THR.com: Now, this seems like an odd project... not because it's another zombie comedy, but because it's from the guys who brought you "The Joe Schmo Show". Well, it's written by them, anyhow. Even odder, it's being directed by Ruben Fleischer, who's directed a few episodes of "The Jimmy Kimmel" show and not much else. I can't say I know too much about those guys, but good on 'em. Having said that, I can't believe that the zombie genre, let alone the zombie-comedy sub-genre, is still going strong and they're still green lighting a bunch of them. Whatever... doesn't bother me. I'm not sick of them.

Paramount Pictures acquires Screenlife on THR.com: I'm sure a lot of people glossed over this news when they saw it, but I think it's kind of cool, just for the rationale behind the acquisition. First off, Screenlife is the company that makes that video based game, "Scene It?". You know, where you throw the DVD in, it shows you clips, etc? Well, I'm not sure that Paramount gives a flying F about the game, BUT it does give a crap about digital content platforms and they see Screenlife as a portal to use digital media. So, just to keep reiterating my point - don't think of your film as a film... think about it as content. Then, think about all the different ways you can get that content infront of eyeballs.

Lonely Girl Seeks Money on Forbes.com: You remember the Youtube series, Lonely Girl 15... or is that lonelygirl15? I can't recall. Anyhow, remember how millions of people got all enthralled by it, thinking it was real... then it was revealed that it was actually a produced show? Well, the guys behind Lonely Girl, Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried, are back... and this time they want to get paid. The new project is called "LG 15: The Resistance". ...and, no, I'm not kidding. It's about "a group (that) battles a powerful secret society bent on controlling rare young girls whose genetic code offers the key to the fountain of youth." Regardless of whether or not you think that premise is ridiculous, what isn't ridiculous is the way they're distributing it. Not only will it go through web video aggregator's such as Myspace and Hulu, they're creating an in depth LG15 website where fans will "drive how each weekly show is edited for its weekly debut: by interacting with blog posts, short videos and puzzle-solving." Further to that, they're looking for real advertising dollars through product integration, web banners and short videos that are sponsored, so that users will interact with the brand that's sponsoring it. Premise of the story... could be a little off. How they're executing it... spot on.

Cable tries to keep command of crucial pipeline on Marketwatch.com: Oh, just another article on how the cable companies that deliver broadband to homes will be the media distribution companies and gate-keepers of the future. The internet, it's not just for porn anymore... although, it's still quite good for porn.

Fans Go Viral Over Fox's 'Fringe' on Adage.com: This is an article on JJ Abrahams and how he kicks ass at viral marketing. He's an f'ing genius at taking something that's two dimensional and making it jump off the screen through marketing efforts. This show hasn't even aired yet and, already, people are going nuts over "Fringe"... I'm a little excited. We'll see.

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 30, 2008... FearNet's getting serious.

I don't know if you've noticed or not, but we've been posting a couple times a day lately. If you're wondering why, it's because we've got piles of interviews and case studies backed up and we'd really like to get them all out there. So, even though we're posting all those interviews and case studies, we can't neglect Linkapalooza... it just wouldn't be right.

VH1 scares up 'Queens' team on THR.com: I don't know why I find this that interesting or telling, but I do. James Gunn, who came out of the world of Troma to write the new "Dawn of the Dead" and write and direct the kick-ass "Slither", along with actress Shawnee Smith from the "Saw" series, "Repo! The Genetic Opera", among others, and an acting coach, John Homa are going to judge a 'Scream Queens' reality competition on VH1 where the winner will get a shot at winning a "major role" in a Lionsgate film. I guess it's interesting because it seems very mainstream for horror... I mean, horror has its ups and downs - late 80's were a low, late 90's were a high - and I don't mean that from a fans perspective, I mean that from a studio perspective. (Personally, I love the late 80's for horror) Anyhow, seeing something like this could mean horror's headed for a new high, after having a bit of a down period. "Fear Itself" has managed to stay on network TV, which I didn't think would happen. What's next? Anyhow, like I said, it's just kinda interesting.

Time Warner Cable Is FearNet's Latest Haunt on Multichannel.com: To continue where I left off from my last comments on that last article, horror seems to be slowly lurking into new corners. Sort of like a disease... or, maybe more like Brad after a long night/morning of drinking. Anyhow, FearNet inked a VOD distribution deal with Time Warner, which will take its online lineup to 29 million digital cable homes. If they can make a few more strategic moves, they could end up having FearNet become, essentially, its own network. Also, and looking at the big picture, this means that there's a demand for horror, it's just not at the theaters. Something I've been saying for a while.

Alas, the decline of the age of celebrity on Medialifemagazine.com: This article talks about how the public may finally be getting sick of celebrities. May be? I think it's official... sure, there's still a bunch of people out there who love following celebrities, but here's the thing. There's no mystic to them anymore. With the internet, media, blogs, gossip sites, etc... we know everything. We know that they beat their wives/girlfriends/mothers, we know that they get wasted a lot, we know they bang a lot of people. Basically, we know they're idiots. So, when their films come out, we don't care... because we take them personally. So, coming soon, star power won't be worth what it was. People are getting into franchises and brands. That's why they love films like "Transformers" and "Batman" and other projects that don't need stars necessarily, but can still sell merchandise and things besides tickets... that's why I'm always telling filmmakers, think like a brand, not like an individual film.

Horror Movies & Stuff - I haven't had much of a chance to clock many hours on this site, but I hear they have a fairly active forums section. They contacted me and wanted to exchange links, so I said I'd do more than that and mention them in a post. So, there you go... go check them out and let me know what you think.

Linkapalooza - July 25, 2008... the onslaught of comic book movies is coming.

Some light Friday reading for all of you... just some more links, news and information that I thought you'd all be interested in.

Comics-Based Movies Keep on Comin' on Wired.com: This is a pretty cool article from Wired that looks ahead at all the movies coming out soon that are based on comic books. I can't decide if this is troublesome or good news, here's why... A few years ago, Marvel Entertainment was just licensing out their characters for use by the studios and taking a licensing fee. Then, it dawned on Marvel, why don't we make our own films? We own the characters, why take a small cut, when we can take the whole thing and control the whole deal? So, they took out a massive loan ($525Million, if I remember) and set out to make "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" on their own, both of which were considered huge successes. Now, they've got a huge slate in development and they're off to the races as an indie studio. What they figured out is that things like built in audiences, existing characters and the idea of a franchise is where the money is. There's opportunities to expand beyond just a film and into, well, everything... now, all the comic book companies want in on the action and the studios are chomping at the bit to get involved. Here's why I think it's both troublesome and good news at the same time. It's good because the studios are starting to think and look outside the box for new ideas on new projects, it's bad because with all the recent success, they'll be playing in this sandbox for a while. Having said that, I think it's a matter of time before they start looking under them at all the indie shit being made and start grabbing ideas from that pool... until then, think like the comic book companies do and create characters and franchises. When the time finally rolls around where the studios look down for new ideas, you'll be ready.

Horror-Movie Directors To Make Short Films For Xbox on imdb.com: From out of the box thinking on getting ideas for films, let's look at out of the box ideas on distributing films. As you know, new forms of distribution is one of those things I follow closely... We knew that Microsoft and Sony wanted their respected gaming consoles to be the hubs of your living room by connecting to the internet and being able to stream films, but... guess what? They're looking for short form content now, as well. Side note: I really think short form will be the future of film. I mean, there will always be room for massive films like "Dark Knight", but there's going to be a whole new market for short form soon. Anyhow, a bunch of big name horror directors signed on to make short horror films for Xbox Live. If it's successful, maybe they'll be looking at short horror films from lesser known directors?

ZeeVee Introduces ZvBox PC-To-TV System on twice.com: My voice is hoarse from talking about all the new devices that will connect your PC to your TV. Here's another... this one looks to be doomed, though, as it suffers from the same things that's ailed all it's predecesor's, basically high cost and limited content. However, they way I read it, they're not looking to partner with a distributor. They just want to be able to connect the PC to the TV and let you decide what you watch. So, it must have an interface that allows you to browse your PC through your TV. Hmmm... interesting. I like that, putting the power into the hands of the consumer. Like I've been saying for a while, definitely a category to keep watching.

New Magid Survey: Short-Form Dominates Online Video Consumption and Hurts TV Viewership on videonuze.com: This just in, people are watching short form content online and it's hurting TV viewership. Is that really a surprise? Probably not... note this quote from the article, "short-form (is) a legitimate alternative entertainment format that creatives are embracing and audiences are adopting". Enough said... now, let's all go make some short horror films.

Linkapalooza - May 28, 2008

I was hoping to have another case study done for today and I was working away on it, but I just couldn't get it finished... so, instead, you should get it tomorrow. In lieu of that, let's have a Linkapalooza, since we missed out on that this week. Now, I know that I tend to talk about stuff that pisses me off in the industry, but I want to pass on some links to some books and articles that may better you as a filmmaker... that's right, things you should read.

Every filmmaker should be reading scripts all the time and not just new ones, but old ones, classic ones, ones they like and even ones they don't like. I recently came across HorrorLair.com and it looks like they just link to horror scripts, which should trim a lot of the fat that we don't need. Long and short, I've never talked to a filmmaker that didn't think that story is the most important aspect of a film and the best way to learn how to structure a story is to read as many scripts as you can.

A while ago, I was talking with writer/director Mark Poole, the guy behind "Dead Moon Rising", which was one of the most ambitious no-budget horrors I've ever seen. Anyhow, when I was asking him what advice he would pass on to other filmmakers, he told me about a couple books that I had never heard of before. First one is "The DV Rebel's Guide: An All-Digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap" and "It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy". He told me that "the first tells you how to get the best effects possible, the second, how to be the best team leader/director possible. No kidding."

Since we're talking about books, let me tell you about the book I'm reading right now, called: The Big Picture: The New Logic of Money and Power in Hollywood. I'm barely half way through it, but I can say that it's great insight into how Hollywood actually works. It's basically about how the studios work and if you're into the business behind Hollywood, it's a great read.

Lastly, how about a magazine? Well, just an article from Empire Magazine, which is the biggest selling film magazine in Britain. They did an article a while ago called "50 Greatest Independent Films" and you'd never believe it, but horror's fairly well represented. There won't be any shockers in there, as it covers off "Bad Taste", "Evil Dead", "Night of the Living Dead", etc... but what's really cool are the stories behind why they consider them 'great independent films'. Click on the film and you'll get the story behind it.

Linkapalooza - May 20, 2008

Some interesting stuff going on out there in Hollywood these days...

Leading Man at Forbes.com - Okay, if there was a spectrum and at one far end, there was Dead Harvey, who's navigating, promoting and working the no-budget, indie horror scene... the other far end would be this guy, Peter Chernin. Some people consider him to be the most powerful man in Hollywood, basically because as President of News Corp, "he runs the most-watched TV network, the largest movie studio (based on year-to-date box office sales), a clutch of cable channels and an expanding array of Internet sites." All the guys who you and I would bend over a couch to get a meeting with would do the same (and probably more) to get a meeting with Chernin... and I mean that figuratively, I think. Anyhow, it's a great article on how he and Disney's Iger basically stopped the writers strike, how he's not going to let an actor's strike happen and where he thinks this whole industry is going. Very interesting...

Indies paving a self-distribution trail on YouMakeMedia.com - When I first saw the title of this, I thought it was going to be about self-distributing DVD's and content online, however... it's about how some indie filmmakers are securing theatrical releases all on their own. There's some great ideas in there...

Netflix to Sell a Device for Instantly Watching Movies on TV Sets on NewYorkTimes.com - Well, the future is here! Netflix is now selling a digital box for $99 that will connect the internet to your TV. It's not like it hasn't been tried before (AppleTV), but they're doing it at the right price. They will house the content on a server somewhere and you can watch whatever you want, on demand. I think we all agree, a box that connects the internet to your TV, tranlating content so it's easy to navigate is where we're going to go. I don't think there's any questions there. It's just about figuring out who owns those boxes and Netflix is taking a stab at it. The problem, once again, will be with the studios, who will be reluctant to give up their titles. Maybe, after they've squeezed all the juice out of them that they can, they might pass them on. However, if you take the studio's problems out if it, this should open up doors for indie filmmakers. Just think, can you see a day where Netflix (or whoever owns the boxes) has an option for you to upload content, design a page, then it's instantly offered to every household that has the box and you split revenues with them? I can...

'Dawn of the Dead' goes 3-D on TheHollywoodReporter.com - Is this for real? Is there really a big enough audience to justify "dimensionalizing" George A. Romero's 1978 original version of "Dawn of the Dead" to stereoscopic 3-D for a theatrical release? Considering that it costs a minimum of $50K per minute to do and that the film is 126 minutes long, someone's going to spend $6.3Million to create this? The original film had a budget of under $1Million! Someone's insane for thinking this makes economical sense... but, I'll go see it.

Linkapalooza - May 13, 2008

Sorry, again, for being a bit late on the post...

First off... "Midnight Meat Train". I know a bit about it, I'm excited for it, but I have to admit, I'm a bit pissed off at what's going on here. I know that it's based on the 1984 Clive Barker short story of the same name from his 'Books of Blood', I know that it's been in production hell for years now and has had various directors attached... and, finally, I know that the upcoming version was written by Jeff Buhler (with help from Clive) and directed by Ryuhei Kitamura. ...but, what's the f'ing deal here? First I heard that it wasn't going to get a theatrical release. Then, the Midnight Meat Train website says it's coming out May 16th (I'm assuming it's not) and, finally, imdb says it's coming out in August 1st, which is a Friday... which would mean that it IS getting a theatrical release. Then, there's the whole thing about the title, it was originally "Midnight Meat Train", then just "Midnight Train", now it's back to "Midnight Meat Train". The trailer looks great and it should be a good movie, so... just f'ing release it, we know it's finished. This is what pisses me off... horror's the only genre that doesn't fit with the studio's corporate plans. Comedies, dramas and action moves can all be cut down to a PG-13 without comprimising the film and, therefore, appeal to that wider audience. Horror can't do that... and especially horror like "Midnight Meat Train". So, the reality is, all these title changes and moving dates around have nothing to do with the quality of the film, in fact it's probably a good, gory horror and the studios simply don't know what to do with it.

One of our readers left a comment about internet financing, basically about how there are some sites that help filmmakers raise money. He left a couple of links in there, one to CinemaTech and another to a Yahoo! article. So, first off, to answer your questions, yes to both... I'm going to do a bit of research and come up with a bigger post on using the internet to raise money for your film and we definitely take requests. I've actually been thinking about doing a post on this ever since I talked with Christine Parker, who's one of the people behind The Adrenalin Group, the guys who brought you "Forever Dead" and the upcoming, "Fistful of Brains". They make their movies on the cheap and used a lot of their own money, but they did raise a fair amount of money by using ebay. Do an ebay search and you can usually find someone selling off producer credits or something. Any service that makes it easier for you to raise money is good. However, there will always be a caveat with each service. So, I will be writing up a bigger post on this because I do think it's worth looking into...

A lot of indie filmmakers overlook the process of marketing their film and there are some absolute bare minimum efforts that should be made, such as a website, Myspace page, a trailer on Youtube, stuff like that... Hollywood puts millions upon million into their marketing and, while you may have a marketing budget of zero, there's still some things you can do. Check this out... Indie Horror Film Viral Marketing Campaign Freaks out Okies - remember the old adage, any press is good press? Well, that's definitely true in film. The cop called it a publicity stunt gone bad, but, I'll tell you what... a lot of people in that town now know about the film AND I'll bet the premiere went well. This is good work, as far as I'm concerned. The other thing I came across was just kinda cool. To promote the exclusive thrillers and horror films on 13th Street, the bathrooms of a nightclub in Hamburg were specially prepared. Just after entering the room, the light suddenly goes out and the room is bathed in black light. And now a bloody crime scene becomes visible on the floor and walls: "See what others don't see. 13TH STREET. The Action and Suspense Channel." Check out the picture below...

Linkapalooza - May 6, 2008

And now... on it's new day, LINKAPALOOZA!

I Can Smell Your Brains Cinema presents Street Trash - I love what the guys over at I Can Smell Your Brains are doing... having a classic, low-budget horror film screen every other week or so and inviting the filmmaker, actors or writers in to discuss it. This time around, they're screening the 80's classic, "Street Trash" and actor Bill Chepil will be there for a Q & A and sign autographs. If you're anywhere close to Chandler, AZ, you should go check it out...

Blu-ray Disc Hardware Not Picking Up Steam - this article is about how Blu-ray isn't selling like they predicted... and I'd like to point out that I just deleted a huge, long post on my opinions on this because I thought it was too long winded and I didn't want to bore anyone with my ramblings. So, instead, I'll summarize my points. If you really care about the history and my rationale, feel free to email me. So, here we go... Blu-ray (at least how it's marketed now) is about increased quality and, with technology going where it's going, we're not into quality. We're into quantity... and choice. Blu-ray discs have ten times the space on them, so what I think they should be doing is putting ten times the content on there. Further, why replace a medium that has nothing wrong with it? When's the last time anyone complained about DVD's because the quality sucks? Lastly, if you are going to change something, get rid of the disc all together, we want it on demand and/or digitally... and I want more options. I want to scroll through an endless library of films, pick what I want and have it play instantly. I don't give a flying F if it's in 1080p. 720p will do just fine... thank you.

The complete eejit's guide to Filmmaking - I'm not sure how useful this is for our readers, but if you're just starting out, it's worth a look-see. I'm not sure how I came across it, but it's goes through some basics, such as "how to get your movie online" and "creating dramatic structure for screenplays". It goes through fundamentals... and I think there's more Hollywood studio execs who should go through this than low-budget indie filmmakers, but hey... that's just my opinion.

AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits - They have a pretty cool concept going that I KNOW a lot of you would be interested in. Basically, they take indie horror shorts that are just collecting dust, put them together and sell them as a compilation... and split the profits with you. A blurb from their website - "AAAAAH!! Indie Horror Hits was created by filmmakers for horror fans and filmmakers alike. We've made short horror films and we want discerning audiences to enjoy them long after their all-too-brief film festival runs. Let's face it. Most short horror films don't have much - if any - life beyond a handful of genre festivals in a few scattered cities. For horror fans and filmmakers, that's really scary. We aim to resurrect the best of the best of these horror films and unleash them in compilations for viewers everywhere to enjoy over and over..."

Linkapalooza - Apr 28, 2008

I think I'm going to start posting about all the new horror DVD's of the week on Mondays now, as I usually get to posting stuff later in the day and knowing what's coming out on Tuesday would be more useful to you the day before. I'll start doing that next week... which makes this the last Monday of links.

Is it just me or do others always think of Corbin Bernsen as Roger Dorn from Major League? When "The Dentist" came out, that sort of rattled the stereotype for me, but... I never really watched L.A. Law. That's my point. Granted, I do like "The Dentist" series, thus "The Dentist 2" pic, but whatever. Anyhow, he's been involved with a bunch of low-budget horror lately and now he's directing a zombie film called "Dead Air". Here's a link to a video on DEAD AIR: BEHIND-THE-SCENES. It's interesting to note that he's made "Dead Air", but has yet to secure distribution. I guess you can expect to see it on the festival circuit soon. Until then, "come on Dorn, get in front of the damn ball! Don't give me this "ole" bullshit!"

So, Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors just took place over last weekend and, that's right, I didn't say shit about it... It's really more of a fan-fest deal, where you can meet celebrities and they charge you for autographs, etc. Well, after looking at the site and the pics, I guess they did do various panels and they did do screening of "Night of the Living Dead", but... okay, I admit it. I dropped the ball. Here's a heads up, it'll be in New Jersey June 20 - 22 and I'll make sure to mention it again, as we get closer. If you want to see what it was all about, here's some pictures that were posted on ShockTillYouDrop.com.

Well, it's about time this book came out. Enough of this crap about Chuck Norris. You want to study kicking ass? Well, go get Seagalogy: A Study of the Ass-Kicking Films of Steven Seagal.

There's a new show called "Very Independent Producers" with Ted Hope and Christine Vachon who are, and I quote, "two of the most celebrated and prolific producers of independent film." It's available on Plum TV, which you can find on cable in vacations destinations, such as Vail, Aspen and The Hampton's, on Cable VOD, as well as online. Now, I wouldn't consider most of their stuff to be indie, as it's really just indie in the sense that it's 'independent of the studios' - they've done stuff like "American Splendor", "Boys Don't Cry" and "Happiness". However, the episodes do offer some insight into how the whole system works.

I mentioned "Machine Girl" a while ago and I still haven't seen it, but I came across a new clip.

Linkapalooza - April 21, 2008

Trigger Street was originally some sort of production company formed by Kevin Spacey in 1997 and, quite frankly, I'd never heard of it. So, after 5 years of what I can only assume has been underwhelming success, they founded TriggerStreet.com in January of 2002. Here we are in 2008 and I JUST came across the website... need a bit of help getting the word out there, Kev? Anyhow, I was going to cut and paste a bunch of info from their about us page, but it's a lot of artsy babble. So, is it a good site for horror? I don't know, but scripts are scripts and short films are short films and on this site, you can upload your scripts, short films, books and other stuff, then have people read it, watch it and discuss it. If you're looking for exposure, networking or feedback, go check it out. It may be worth it. I believe there's a bunch of industry professionals involved, you know... besides Spacey.

Quick note, Friday the 13th will be rated R - link at Bloody-Disgusting. Well, thank God. At least it's got that going for it, which is nice... and, by the way, I'm STILL not excited to see it.

Funny that I come by two online film competitions/website film initiatives within a couple days of each other and both are backed by Hollywood professionals. It's just crazy, it's like this internet thing is catching on. Here, I thought it was just a bunch of tubes. Filmaka doesn't have Keyser Soze or K-PAX behind it, but it does have Deepak Nayer, an acclaimed movie producer and Sandy Grushow, the former head of Fox Television Entertainment launching it. What they're trying to do is build a new kind of studio that taps into an aspiring community of moviemakers on the Web to cultivate the next great talents. Similar to Lester Burnham's site, but a lot less artsy fartsy.

Big media slams Martin, FCC on "a la carte" cable issue - link at ars techna. This is just kind of interesting, as they're arguing about the future of cable. Personally, I see positives to both. The 'a la carte' style of programming should, fundamentally, improve the quality of programming by forcing the studios to make products that people will buy, but packaging things up would be cheaper and offer consumers more channels, as well as let lesser known and new shows get air time. You see, if it were 'a la carte', you would be able to pay a premium to see what you want, such as specific sports, movies or big shows. However, other shows that may be fighting for market share may never even get made, as no one would be ordering them. You think that they axe shows without giving them a chance now? I don't know, this is a great debate... My theory is that, eventually, unlimited programming will be available through various providers and it will all be supported through marketing and advertising dollars. We have to move forward as an industry and, if that's the case, I'd say that the 'a la carte' system would work best. Get consumers used to a system where they get what they want, when they want... and have them pay for it as a premium. Then, let it evolve.

Linkapalooza - April 14, 2008

Blockbuster bids for Circuit City - link to Variety.com. This news was all over the place this morning, but from our perspective, what's really interesting is what you can ensinuate from this... and that is that Blockbuster believes that the future of entertainment is in how content is delivered, not in the content itself. Even an arm chair film fan could tell you that the DVD/video rental business has been sucking hind tit lately and Blockbuster's current CEO, who came from 7-11, believes that the key to Blockbuster surviving is to turn them into more of a retail outlet. That would mean that Blockbuster would offer the whole movie experience, which would include things like DVD players, TV's, whatever... thus trying to take over Circuit City. My take on this is that they simply don't believe that DVD's will be around much longer AND Blu-Ray will not be 'the next thing', like a lot of people think. They must think it's all going digital - downloading and streaming is where it's going to be at and if that's the case, sell (or rent) the vessel and make money on the players. Further, if Blockbuster figures out a business model that allows them to make money through renting or distributing content digitally, the idea of shelf space will be gone. The fundemental result? Infinite shelf space and low, low costs on stocking as many films as they want. Long and short, as an indie filmmaker, there will be absolutely no reason why your movie won't be available in every Blockbuster, everywhere... and that means revenue for you... not to mention a worldwide audience.

johnaugust.com - link to site. I came across this fantastic blog, written by award winning screenwriter John August, whose credits include "Go", "Big Fish", "Titan A.E.", "Charlie's Angels", "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Corpse Bride" and "The Nines". Self-titled as a ton of useful information about screenwriting, he basically answers questions from aspiring and up-and-coming screenwriters. If screenwriting's your deal ... or your weakness, it's definitely worth reading.

"Prom Night" takes the weekend in a big, fat, smelly way and "The Ruins" just smells... link to boxofficemojo.com. Okay, so "The Ruins", which is not a remake and is based on a novel of the same name, is actually a decent film that a lot of horror fans are giving good reviews to. Now, "Prom Night", which is a PG-13 remake, is getting shat on by all the horror fans. Result? "Prom Night" does over $20Million on its opening weekend, "The Ruins" has done just over $13Million in 2 weeks. So, what's going on here? A couple things... one, horror fans aren't going to the theaters anymore, they're getting their fix from DVD's. Two, the people who are going to see "Prom Night" aren't really horror fans. So, if you're the type of person that bitches and complains about how they keep remaking movies and bringing them out as PG-13 junk, don't blame the studios. They're just doing what the numbers tell them to.

Now, juxtapose what's going on in that last paragraph with what I'm going to say about "Inside", in this paragraph - link to trailers, summary on Shocktillyoudrop. "Inside" is the english bastardized title to the French film, "A L'interieue", which is a brutal horror film that's a complete attack on the senses that will leave you emotionally drained and just f'ed up. Reviews include phrases like: "the most stomach-churning movie I've ever seen", "the most powerful and disturbing films to come along in a long, long time", a "mutilated finger pressed firmly to the pulse of horror". Let's just say that "Inside" isn't getting a theatrical release over here, but it'll make money on it's DVD release. So, my questions is, why aren't we making movies like this over here? They're what horror audiences want, they're not that hard to make and, when done on a low-budget, they can turn a profit fairly easily... what am I missing?

Linkapalooza - April 7, 2008

Uwe Boll Will Quit Making Movies with One Million Signatures - link at /film. Here's the thing, press is press and Uwe Boll gets a lot of it. The filmmaker who actually got in a boxing ring and fought his harshest critics (and beat them all, three in a row, by the way) hasn't made a good film in... well, possibly ever and yet almost everyone knows his name. Further, he's got four films in production right now: "Tunnel Rats", "Far Cry", "Zombie Massacre" and "Bloodrayne 3". How does a notoriously bad filmmaker keep getting green-lit? I'll tell you why - because there's so many people that hate him, but they all have to go see his movies just to see how bad they are! So, what can you learn from him? Good, bad, ridiculous, terrible, awesome, whatever your film may be, if people talk about it, people will see it.

Free Frights from The Scream Factory! - link at Dread Central. Now, this is cool... the guys over at Dread Central wrote a post on The Scream Factory, which is an 'alliance of film, music, literary and comic book pros' and they're giving away ebooks for free over at Wowio. As most of you know, I'm a huge supporter of giving away free content and here's yet another company that's figured out how to make a win/win situation. Basically, you can go download free ebooks, but they're sponsored. So, the sponsor is paying both the author (and the website) for the opportunity to advertise to you, the person who's downloading the ebook for free. Everyone wins... go check out the site, check out The Scream Factory Myspace page and go get some free ebooks, there's piles of horror on there.

"Troll 2" Doc & Fan Film Contest?! - link at Shocktillyoudrop. Okay, what the hell is it with "Troll 2"? Why has it become this cult classic? It's seems like it came out of nowhere, a forgotten film from 1990 that was a so-so, b-horror and, all of a sudden, it's like the most popular horror film out there. It's been years since I've seen it, but I'm going to have to go back and check it out. For a while there, I thought it was just coincedence that "Troll 2" kept popping up on fan sites and in horror mags, but this proves it. There's something going on here...

Copyranter talks about "Zombie Strippers" - link at Copyranter. Now this goes to show that if you get weird, stupid or odd enough, you can both transcend the genre and probably get some free promotion. Copyranter is a blog written by an advertising copywriter (basically, a person who writes copy for ads) and they have no rhyme or reason to be talking about low-budget, b-horror, but here they are talking about Jenna Jameson's "Zombie Strippers", which is now getting a theatrical release, by the way. When I first read about it, I knew it was going to get some press. Having Jenna Jameson in a splatter-fest called "Zombie Stippers" is just too good (or, in this case, bad) to not go and check out.

Jensen Ackles is in final negotiations to play a lead in Lionsgate's "My Bloody Valentine 3-D." - link on Hollywood Reporter. WTF? Is this for real? Not that ANOTHER actor from the CW is ending up in a Horror remake that's geared at teenagers... but that it's in 3D? I understand the reason behind making 3D films: it's a spectacle, it'll get kids in the theaters and, theoritically, you'll need to go to theaters to get the full effect. However, the remake of "My Bloody Valentine"? Come on...

Linkapalooza - March 31, 2008

'Killer Tomatoes' ripe for a redo - link at hollywoodreporter.com. Wow, what a witty title... 'ripe', I get it - I get jokes. Why am I writing a blog for nothing and you're getting paid to write that? Anyways, "The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" is going to be remade and... I'm not pissed off about it. In fact, this could very well be the first remake that I'm not pissed off about. Reason being, Platinum Dunes isn't involved AND the guys that are involved, Kent Nichols and Douglas Savrine, are the guys behind "Ask a Ninja". I think that's pretty cool, not because I'm an "Ask a Ninja" fan... I'm not. In fact, I've never seen a single episode... however, I'm well aware of who they are - two comedians who started up a web-based project out of their apartment and ended up making piles of money. Now, they're teaming up with M. Dal Walton III and remaking "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes", not because they want to make a bunch of money... but just because they want to. Success stories, I like 'em.

Film Publicity Help: Tips, Tricks & Traps - straight talk about promoting film in the world of Web 2.0 - link to blog. This is a blog written by Jane Green, who happens to be a film publicist. She also has guest authors, Michael Klastorin (a Unit Publicist) and Karin Zauderer (a Marketing Manager involved in marketing and promoting film festivals in the D.C. area). They tend to write about fluffy movies, but almost all of what they write about are things that every indie filmmaker should know. Do yourself a favor and check it out every once in a while, apply what they have to say and they could end up making you some money.

The New Jason Voorhees Revealed!!! - link to article at bloody-disgusting.com. So, the new Jason is going to be 6'5" Derek Mears who is probably best known as Chameleon from 2007's "The Hills Have Eyes II". Take a look at his imdb profile here, you'll probably recognize him. To be honest, he kinda looks like Jason when he was a kid... in a mutant kind of way. I can see the connection, but... don't think this is going to get me excited about it. Platinum Dunes... Boo.

"Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer" Myspace page - link to page at Myspace. I haven't actually seen "Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer" yet, but I hear it's fantastic - check out the trailer and poster on that page. It was the first Slamdance movie to get picked up and it's going to be released by Anchor Bay. I'm not sure when, but I'll be looking forward to it... in any case, check out the Myspace page... And a little something about the Myspace film pages - they're not that hard to make up. I wanted to make one up for Dead Harvey soon, so I looked into it and it's not that hard and doesn't take long - every indie filmmaker should have a page for themselves, plus a page for their film. It's easy, free marketing.