by Peter Bart.

The blah opening of “Cowboys & Aliens” provided an appropriate metaphor for the state of Hollywood’s tentpole industry. The main problem with the movie was that it wasn’t much fun — either for the filmgoers or the financier.

This summer was supposed to mark the triumph of tentpoles, the moment when superheroes would bury their rivals on screens worldwide. And certainly the established franchises — the Potters, the Pirates and the Transformers — delivered the goods. On the other hand, the process of staking new tentpoles proved hazardous — witness the flickering “Green Lantern.” And meanwhile, romantic comedies like “Bridesmaids,” or the anti-romcoms like “The Hangover Part II,” kept getting in the way.

Hollywood is always complaining about the risk of producing midbudget movies, but the reality is that these films delivered the audiences this summer, even when the tentpoles quivered. Surprisingly, filmgoers overseas were embracing raunchy comedy with ever-growing enthusiasm so that a film like “Bad Teacher” may potentially gross nearly $200 million worldwide.

Read the rest of this article from Variety.

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by Alan Jacobson.

Producing film discussions that are serious cultural events.

Many libraries don’t screen films. Many just “play and walk away.” Here’s how to make your screening a quality cultural event equal to your book discussions.

Your library’s films are some of the highest-quality work in your building, often unjustly ignored, maligned, and simply consigned to “popular material” (Charles Dickens or Alfred Hitchcock, anyone?) when there is so much thematic and artistic richness waiting to be mined in a discussion format. But there’s that old saw: “Bring it back to the book.” If only there were such handy alliteration for movies!

What are your patrons doing by making your movie collections circulate every bit as well as most of your print collections? Are they … “Fetching it forward to the film?” See? It doesn’t work, but it doesn’t take away from the point that a film discussion can be as serious a cultural event as your book discussions—enlightening, entertaining, provocative, and adding a surprising dimension to your services.

Read the rest of this article from American Libraries Magazine.

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by Orly Ravid.

I was initiated into the film distribution business starting in foreign sales, and then launched a domestic home video label for the same company. In this work, I noticed something disconcerting: the business of film distribution was predicated on being in the know of some basic information, and then trading on it.

The value of the knowledgeable middlemen was in knowing who to sell to, for how much, and how to go about it. Actual rights to one’s intellectual property and content were seized, and the money made from “exploiting” it went to the middleman. Much of the time, one did not receive one’s due share. All sorts of money was being spent by those middlemen going from place to place to sell and resell rights.

Read the rest of this article from Tribeca Film.

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from MDA.

Filmmakers in Singapore and around the world take note. Here is an opportunity to take your story idea to the big screen. Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA) has opened its third call-for-proposals under its International Film Fund (IFF) and is looking to co-invest in globally marketable films involving at least one Singapore partner.

What’s more, completed films could premiere globally at ScreenSingapore, the week-long international cinema event comprising a trade show, conferences, master classes, a film awards section as well as red carpet gala premieres. ScreenSingapore, hosted by MDA and organised by Singapore Airshow & Events Pte Ltd (SAe), is a platform for Asian content to be marketed to the world and for international films to be released in Asia.

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This article was written by Jennifer Reuting.

“The script is complete. Locations scouted and secured. Hollywood’s next “It” girl has signed on for the lead. You’ve poured every fiber of your creative being into getting your film production off the ground and you’re desperate to get on with it already. But even as a self described “creative type” you’ve got the business acumen to know that you need to protect your work. But, how do you do it? Especially on a shoestring budget?

The answer is simple. You form an LLC. Better yet? The process of doing so is also simple. But first, a recap on what an LLC is…”

Read the rest of this article from MY LLC.

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This article was written by Hector V. Herrera.

“These five steps will help you set out on the path towards developing your own reality TV show or documentary film with a professional, well thought out concept and a solid 30 second pitch…”

Read the rest of this article from Screen Writing Basics.

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This article was written by Jo-Anne.

“Finance is a very important and crucial part of film making. While many people pull you here and there explaining about this vast topic, where as they are all beating behind the bushes, here are some real facts about film making finances.

Every film maker at some point in his career is supposed to make a choice between a hobby and a profession – that is whether you choose film making as a full time career or just a mere hobby. The key to the answer lies in their ability to finance or fund their own projects.

Film making, as we all know involves a lot of money in indeed, most oft the film makers focus on their current project, not the future ones. Hence in order to become a film maker, it is immensely important to understand the professionalism involved in film making, and the mechanisms of film investment.”

Read the rest of this article from Film Making Finance.

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This article was written by Jane Kelly Kosek.

“Negotiating is probably the number one task that I do as a producer. Day in, day out, I am negotiating talent and crew deals, investor and operating agreements, union contracts, and vendor costs.

This article was written by Triwik Kurniasari.

“In the 1970s and 1980s, the Indonesian film industry experienced its so-called “golden age”, turning out several quality flicks – a trend replicated in the 2000s.

A few decades ago, the Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) with its coveted trophy, Piala Citra, was a highly anticipated and prestigious event for every one connected to the local film community.

But during the 1990s, the bright lights of the industry faded to darkness. Several reasons have been offered as the reason for the poor output, including the emergence of several private TV stations, offering entertaining programs for free, thus diminishing cinema.

During those gloomy years, Hollywood flicks dominated Indonesia’s cinemas, with very few local movies screened in theaters. Even the FFI went into a hiatus, such was the state of the industry.

But the past decade has seen an amazing turnaround in the production and output of Indonesian films. The film industry has risen from obscurity to global recognition, with locally made movies screened in film festivals abroad, some even winning awards.

They’ve been appreciated and welcomed at home as well, both critically and commercially, resulting in boosts to productions and attendance. Here’s a look at the highlights of Indonesian film over the past 10 years.”

Read the rest of this article from The Jarkarta Post.

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This article was written by Abhishek Agarwal.

“Finance is a very important and crucial part of film making. While many people pull you here and there explaining about this vast topic, where as they are all beating behind the bushes, here are some real facts about film making finances.

Every film maker at some point in his career is supposed to make a choice between a hobby and a profession – that is whether you choose film making as a full time career or just a mere hobby. The key to the answer lies in their ability to finance or fund their own projects.

Film making, as we all know involves a lot of money in indeed, most oft the film makers focus on their current project, not the future ones. Hence in order to become a film maker, it is immensely important to understand the professionalism involved in film making, and the mechanisms of film investment.”

Read the rest of this article from Screenwriting Basics.

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall