Steven Soderberh’s State Of Cinema Talk

[Humberto Rivera]

A conflict between two cultures, the established “Movie Film Culture of 100 Years” of evolution, and the “Red 6K Dragon Culture” that is just about to hit the market! The Kodak Culture making one it’s last stand; http://www.fdtimes.com/2013/09/03/kodak-what-now/ “Kodak: What Now?” 9/3/13 - by Jon Fauer http://www.fdtimes.com/pdfs/articles/kodak/Cinematographers_Tour_of_Kodak_MedRez.pdf Tour of Kodak

I personally see the “Epic 6K Dragon Camera” signaling the end of an era and the beginning of another, we’re at a period of transition in the minds of individuals as they begin to slowly accept the coming of “Digital Cinema” and the passing of the “Film Era”. It's thought, sentimental, and emotional thing to watch, but we will be here to witness-it. There will be endless debates about it, and some people will resist till the very end (if ever). But progress compels us to move ahead. It will be the-democratizing of the “Motion Picture Making Process” for the “Filmmaker” and all that follow, it will do many things, some business will lose and others will gain!

The “Film Gate “will turn into the “Image Sensor”, one is mechanical and the other electronic, computers have advance into the inside of the camera itself, progress cannot be stop.

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

I don’t know what is going on, I said-it before and I’ll say it again, the Hollywood Press takes any chance to give anything to Sony, Arri, and Canon every little bit of press they can, right up front, like it was a big announcement. http://www.fdtimes.com/2013/09/05/sony-pxw-z100-4k-under-6-5k/ “Sony PXW-Z100 4K under $6.5K” 9/5/13 - by Jon Fauer

Why is-it? What has Red done to the Industry? I’m just baffled by it! Where is the big announcement of the coming SECRET Epic 6K Dragon Camera, with Higher Resolution, Dynamic Range, ASO/ISO, Color Depth, and then another announcement when it ACTUALLY COMES OUT, and a long historical AND actual pdf! Where? Like I said before; while all these companies continue with their press conference, Red is moving where it counts, they are actually DOING-IT!

The revolution is coming, there is no way around that, it will be 35mm Film vs. the Epic 6K Dragon Camera! We live in a Digital Cinema World!

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is becoming more and more important this year, just like Cannes, and Venice! There is a lot of Business going on! This year is “The Weinstein Company” who is leading the charge analog with “Lionsgate Film”.

http://www.deadline.com/2013/09/tor...trikes-chord-with-bidders-hitting-high-notes/ “Toronto: All Nighter Ending With Weinstein Company In Exclusive Talks For ‘Can A Song Save Your Life’ Rights; $7 Million, $20 Million P&A” By MIKE FLEMING JR - Sunday September 8, 2013 @ 2:25am PDT

I use this an example what goes on at a Film festival, the business side of it; “The Weinstein Company, Summit/Lionsgate, CBS Films, Fox Searchlight in the mix along with A24, I hear. The latter bidder bowed out at $7 million.” The all were in competition for “Can a Song Save Your Life?”

After an all-nighter; “The Weinstein Company” is NEARING COMPLETION; with an offer of $7Million MINIMUM GUARANTEE for the Film and $20 Million for P&A (Prints and Advertising). That’s only for the USA & Canada, the rest of the world is still being mashed-out!

TO QUOTE FROM THE ARTICLE; “They are working on the final numbers in what is a very strong deal for the film backed by Exclusive Media and Sycamore, and Exclusive is nearly done auctioning off the remaining foreign countries. There are going to be a lot of tired deal makers roaming around Toronto Sunday, as CAA, UTA and WME were all in the mix making all of these deals, with several bidders in the mix until the wee hours. THESE KINDS OF AUCTIONS DON’T HAPPEN THAT OFTEN ANYMORE, but John Carney made an exceptional movie with breakout potential if it is handled right and I’m not surprised so many distributors sparked to it the way they did. Coming in, it looked like CAN A SONG SAVE YOUR LIFE? and BAD WORDS would be the big money titles and they didn’t disappoint. Both went in big deals within hours of their premieres. There are still a lot of available titles and it will be interesting to see if the aggressive bidding continues with other pictures that premiere over the next few days.” Deadline.com

Humberto Rivera

 

[Mark L. Pederson]

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is becoming more and more important this year, just like Cannes, and Venice! There is a lot of Business going on! This year is “The Weinstein Company” who is leading the charge analog with “Lionsgate Film”.

http://www.deadline.com/2013/09/tor...trikes-chord-with-bidders-hitting-high-notes/ “Toronto: All Nighter Ending With Weinstein Company In Exclusive Talks For ‘Can A Song Save Your Life’ Rights; $7 Million, $20 Million P&A” By MIKE FLEMING JR - Sunday September 8, 2013 @ 2:25am PDT

I use this an example what goes on at a Film festival, the business side of it; “The Weinstein Company, Summit/Lionsgate, CBS Films, Fox Searchlight in the mix along with A24, I hear. The latter bidder bowed out at $7 million.” The all were in competition for “Can a Song Save Your Life?”

Humberto Rivera

FYI - “Can a Song Save Your Life?” was shot on EPIC supported by OFFHOLLYWOOD.

 

[Humberto Rivera]

“FYI - “Can a Song Save Your Life?” was shot on EPIC supported by OFFHOLLYWOOD.” Mark L. Pederson

Mark, I didn’t know that, that much the better, Epic takes the day again! There is not stooping that Camera! Congratulation to OFFHOLLYWOOD!

Humberto Rivera

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/toronto-can-a-song-save-623762 The Hollywood Reporter

 

[Humberto Rivera]

I just wanted to add to “The Hollywood Reporter”; http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/toronto-can-a-song-save-623762 “Toronto: 'Can a Song Save Your Life?,' With Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo, Takes Fest by Storm” 11:10 PM PDT 9/7/2013 by Scott Feinberg

TO QUOTE FROM THE ARTICLE: “IF AND WHEN THIS FILM GETS PICKED UP FOR DISTRIBUTION -- perhaps by Fox Searchlight, which distributed ONCE and was heavily represented at Saturday night's screening -- the only question about its awards prospects will be whether they will apply to this year's or next year's race. Two-time best actress Oscar nominee Knightley, I would argue, is the film's lead, and is terrific as always, demonstrating not only acting chops but also a truly lovely voice that I didn't believe was hers until Carney confirmed it after the film. (It turns out she also sang in the little seen 2008 film THE EDGE OF LOVE.) But, for my money, Ruffalo steals the show with a complex and endearing supporting performance that could earn him an Oscar. God knows he's been worthy of one on at least two occasions in the past, with YOU CAN COUNT ON ME (2000), for which he wasn't even nominated, and THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (2010), for which he was -- but he's even better in this film. And he's the sort of actors' actor and stand-up guy whom the community would love a good excuse to recognize.” The Hollywood Reporter

I guess in reporting the Hollywood News, it’s a race to see who is up-front and behind!

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

If you’re interested in analyzing one report and then reading another rather large one on the other side, I would recommend both of these stories that appeared in yesterdays New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2013/09/07/director-star-chart/?ref=movies and http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/09/05/movies/movies-20-young-directors.html?ref=movies NYT

The first is an interesting graphic that outlines the relationship between Directors and their Stars going back to the 1930’s with Josef von Sternberg; the other is the New York Times list of “Up-coming” “Twenty Directors to Watch”! It was written by Manohla Dargis and A. O. Scott, film critics for The New York Times; they discuss an international assortment of rising young filmmakers!

It’s interesting to see a graphic where Ben Johnson (actor) that has a connection to Sam Peckinpah and John Ford (both Filmmakers). Sam Peckinpah is right next to Akira Kurosawa. Both of the stories are long, but a good to read, for different reasons, I’m sure the “Red Epic 6K Dragon Camera” is in SOME OF THEIR FUTURE!

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

The new “Epic 6K Dragon Carbon Fiber Camera” really caught my eye, One Pound less! At $50 K is still less than the Sony F65 and the Arri alexa by a long shot! Wow that camera sure is a thing of beauty! You’ll find all the discussion here; http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?105331-DRAGON-CARBON-Game-of-Thrones

“Costa Rica” and the “United States of America” both qualified last night for the “2014 World Cup” in Brazil! It was big deal in Costa Rica everyone was out in the streets till the “wee-hours-of-the-night”, I don’t know if many people took notice in the US, but nonetheless both are going “as-off-last-night” (Tuesday. September 10, 2013)! It was such a big-deal in Costa Rica that “The President of the Republic”, Laura Chinchilla made it official by “Presidential Decree”, today (Wednesday) is a Holiday for Public Employees in Costa Rica today, they were up all night, even at the airport at 2:00 am this morning! Now I have two teams in the World Cup, Costa Rica and the United States! I wish them both “Good Luck”. That means no school, no work for any one that works for the Government, today!

Nothing else has jumped out and “grab-me” to motivate me to write about-it, like it happens almost all the days of the week! So for now we’re silent, maybe something will “jump-out” and grab you! Meanwhile we all wait for something interesting to happen! That’s odd for an opinioned person! The current example is the sorry fix that “all-of-the-other” camera manufactures “find-themselves-in”, what are they going to-do! At least we have to wait a few more days for IBC 2013 to start!

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

I just wanted to make an OBSERVATION in regards to Fine Lens, http://www.angenieux.com/zoom-lenses/cinema-portfolio/optimo-dp-25-250.htm The New Angenieux Optimo DP 25mm X 250 mm T3.5 is a good example, of a “Fine Lens Manufacturer Ignoring” an important market! The “Epic 6K Dragon Camera Sensor” which has a size of 30.7mm (h) x 15.8 mm (v) = Ø 34.5 mm (d) - (34.5272 Ø) or 19 Megapixels!

I think that other “Fine Lenses” like the Leica Summilux C and Zeiss Master Primes lenses have reached the MAXIMUM END of their “Image Circle” coverage capacity at the “Wider-End” of their “Focal Length” for the “Full 6K” Image they might work at the 6000 X 3000 range a little better. Just saying!

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

Now here something that really caught my eye, the “Arri Ultra Wide Zoom” from 9.5 mm to 18 mm T2.9 with an Image Circle of Ø 33.7 well within the 6000 X 3000 “Red Epic 6K Dragon Sensor” slightly reduce size. Below is what appears in the IBC Definition Magazine Article, the pages are not numbered but you can find-it about a third of the way down in the article!

“Arri Look To Replace Wide Angle Primes What Is It? Wide angle cine zoom lens. On Sale? TBA.

ARRI has shown their new Ultra Wide Zoom UWZ 9.5-18/T2.9, THEY ARE CALLING IT ‘THE FIRST SUPER WIDE-ANGLE ZOOM LENS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL CINE MARKET.’ With an unusually accommodating IMAGE CIRCLE OF 33.7 MM, the UWZ has been designed for both existing and future generations of large-sensor digital cameras, incorporating patented, cutting-edge lens technologies that overcome known problems with previous wide-angle zooms.

Arri say that the optical performance of the UWZ is comparable to, or even exceeds, that of high-end wide-angle prime lenses. In fact they claim that for maximum flexibility and cost efficiency on set, the UWZ can easily replace a complete range of wide-angle primes.

Optimized for the requirements of VFX applications, the UWZ can be used for plate shots or any other situation where maximum image quality is vital.

Distortion is at a level of less than 1% at 9.5 mm and less than 0.1% at 18 mm, which means that straight lines stay straight, even at close focus. Due to a new multilayer, anti-reflective coating, flare and veiling glare are reduced to an absolute minimum, while exchangeable matte box interfaces ensure adequate sun protection whether filters are in use or not.” IBC Definition Magazine Day 2 Article!

Source http://www.definitionmagazine.com/storage/ibooks/ibc2013_digitaldaily_day2.pdf

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

Arri has a New 3.4K Resolution Sensor THAT THEY ARE STILL TESTING! It’s the OPEN GATE on the Alexa; meaning that they are opening their “Current Sensor” all the way to the edges! While the “Red Epic 6K Dragon Camera” takes a giant step forward with a New; Dynamic range; ISO/ASA 250/800/2000 (you choose how much you want to cover above and below the Dynamic Range); Color Depth and many more things! The Red Digital Cinema Company has seemed to have outreached the Alexa again! The Dragon Sensor has a New Chip, while Arri seems to be trying to figure out if-they could use an “Open Gate” to achieve 3.4K. The Arri you have to “Up-Rezz” to get to 4K the “Epic 6K Dragon Camera” you have to “Down-Rezz” to 4K! And the “Alexa” COST MUCH MORE than the “Red Epic 6K Camera” you have to pay MORE FOR LESS, does that make any sense?

The battle is between “Film” (35 mm & 65 mm) and the “Epic 6K Dragon Sensor Camera” everyone else is out of the running! There IS NO 8K SENSORS from Arri, at least not in their foreseeable future! It’s funny how rumors get started? However I wish that Red did adapt the (LDS) system for the “Epic 6K Dragon Camera”, because Arri/Zeiss do make some Great Lenses!

Look at page number Twenty-Seven (27); bottom-right-hand-corner of the pdf for a fuller explanation look at the Arri news Magazine, dated “ARRI News 09/2013”! http://www.arri.com/magazines/

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

This morning I saw an interesting article in The Hollywood Reporter; http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/toronto-five-lessons-2013-festival-629628 “Toronto: 5 Lessons From the 2013 Festival”

1. The indie business is alive and well; 2. If you want to watch a movie in peace, don't go to a press and industry screening; 3. It's a great place to lay your Oscar cards on the table; 4. Hollywood's new financiers come of age; 5. The Brits are coming.

It’s a good read for the Independent Filmmaker, it just reinforces what I and others have been saying for a while; “The Independent Film Business is alive and well”

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

There is new power shift that is slowly taking place with the “Hollywood Numbers” or even “Hollywood Accounting” eventually they may have to find a new way of reporting them all because of “Digital Cinema Movies”; http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/16/b...-a-handle-on-the-digital-box-office.html?_r=0 “Hollywood Wants Numbers on the Digital Box Office”

A QUOTE FROM THE ARTICLE; “The business has long used box-office numbers, which are publicly sliced and diced ad infinitum. Similarly, disc sales and rentals for years have been monitored by the RENTRAK DATA COMPANY and others. But as consumers shift to new channels like Netflix and Amazon, there are no generally available industry-wide data on the digital performance of individual movies. While the studios get some information, it isn’t widely shared with filmmakers, agencies or the public — and those who hold the data have a distinct advantage when it comes to making deals or deciding which movies to back, or what to spend on them.” The New York Times

Hollywood is use to RENTRAK DATA COMPANY and others providing Hollywood with secret numbers that they slice anyway they want and do whatever with those numbers for “Confidential Negotiations” with Actors, Producers, Directors and anyone else! What if!

Filmmakers began negotiating directly with the “Video on Demand” VOD people, and I include a future ODEMAX in the mix, what then? According to the article; “the Motion Picture Association of America IDENTIFIED 95 SERVICES providing digital access to films and television shows in the United States, up from FEWER THAN 20 IN 2006.” It also says; “According to the Digital Entertainment Group, which monitors home entertainment spending, revenue from digital delivery of films and television shows in the United States was more than $3 billion for the first six months of 2013, up 24 percent from about $2.5 billion in the first half of last year.”

Why not a sort of RENTRAK DATA COMPANY for the “Independent Filmmaker”, or the “General Public” interested in knowing about-it, just saying, there is a niche market for-it! Right now various “Industry Digital Publication” exists, like Box Office Mojo, Daily Reports from Deadline.Com, and others, but that’s not enough!

You see the “Epic 6K Dragon Sensor Camera” has put the power of “Digital Cinema” on the hands of “Smaller Filmmakers” (and Big too) that can actually take a film to completion, that was just was not possible with 35 mm or even 65 mm film before. It all began with the Red One, and then the Red Epic M – X. It’s slowly evolved to a new revolutionary plateau with “Epic 6K Dragon Camera”. Now a Film completed with the “Red Epic 6K Dragon Sensor Camera” using less light, taking your time, or less of everything; the kind of equipment that you needed for a “Documentary Film” now you can make a “Feature Film”! That’s a revolution!

Now with distribution slowly moving in the digital direction of “Video on Demand” (VOD) it might be possible to deal direct with the exhibitors, it’s not the only way, but certainly a way. The numbers of VOD are going to increase even more, not decrease; it marks the change of the times. I think that the “Motion Picture Theater” will always be around, but differently, also different ways of accounting for “Box Office Receipts”, it will all be different, were just seeing the tip of the Iceberg! Let’s not forget we have to hear the “other-shoe-drop” on; ODEMAX! I just simply don’t know what that “it-will-do”, but whatever it-is, it’s got to be good for the “Independent Filmmaker”. Don’t forget the “Theater Experience” brought home with bigger, sharper, and better sounding “Televisions Sets” brought into a “Digital Cinema Room” in the House, the future will be different.

The “Box Office Cigar Box” has been replaced by the Computer, VISA Debit Card, and Credit Card, reporting is instantaneous on a World Wide Basis, it has all changed, and will continue to improve, there is no turning back! For example that’s exactly how you pay for movies from the Home or at The Theater, just stop and think about that for a moment! On a World Wide Basis! You can watch what you want, when you want, that’s power!

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

The Video Game; “Grand Theft Auto V” Rockstar Games’s newest installment of Grand Theft Auto is set in a fictional version of Los Angeles. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/17/a...-to-the-comedy-of-violence.html?ref=arts&_r=0 “Grand Theft Auto V Is a Return to the Comedy of Violence”

TO QUOTE FROM THE ARTICLE; “As video game players have gotten older, as antiheroes have become routine across the culture, as sex and violence have permeated prestige television, the controversies that once surrounded the Grand Theft Auto games have begun to seem like sepia-toned oddities from another age. Sure, the new installment, to be released on Tuesday, contains plenty that might offend those who enjoy taking offense, and it is still disturbing to see parents giving these games to preteen-age children. Among the interactive pastimes Grand Theft Auto offers — alongside pursuits like yoga, sky diving, tennis, scuba and golf — are bong hits and lap dances. But while the franchise has lost the ability to shock, it remains the most immersive spectacle in interactive entertainment. And with the profane and hugely enjoyable Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar Games has produced the best plotted, most playable, character-driven, fictionally coherent entry IN THIS 16-YEAR-OLD SERIES.” The New York Times

In Film the Story is a very important component; So-it is with Video Games”! “The game is set in an immense, parodic vision of Southern California, a West Coast counterpoint to the caricature of New York City in Grand Theft Auto IV (2008). While Los Santos — the game’s version of Los Angeles — and its surroundings exist in an alternate reality, it is also a contemporary one that evokes and satirizes the anxieties of 21st-century life. There’s a fake Facebook (LifeInvader), a fake Twitter (Bleeter), a fake Apple (Fruit), a fake Kickstarter (Beseecher), a fake “50 Shades of Grey” (“Chains of Intimacy”), even a fake Call of Duty (Righteous Slaughter 7, a first-person shooter game that advertises itself with the tagline “The identical art of contemporary killing”).”

The Characters in the game seem like they’re well structure, I think as the lines between a Motion Picture Film and a Video Game begging to fade we entered into a territory that we want for our next film (at least some)! A “Video Game” can actually earn more money that some “Motion Picture Films”. “That seamlessness between narrative and interactive is something that we have worked on everywhere,” said Sam Houser, the sometimes reclusive co-founder of Rockstar Games, who agreed to be interviewed after I had spent more than 45 hours inside the game’s world.”

HERE IS ANOTHER QUOTE FROM THE ARTICLE; “Movies are about telling the same lies over and over again,” Michael says at one point. “You know, good beats evil, things happen for a reason, attractive people are interesting.” Video games tell their own lies to their players: you’re powerful, you’re smart, you’re important, and your problems can be solved if you just keep trying. And Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most beautiful, seductive lies yet uttered by our youngest creative medium.” The New York Times

I think that a strange parity exists between the “Motion Picture” and the “Video Game”! No doubt “Grand Theft Auto V” it will be a Big Hit at the “Video Game Box Office”, which is where the VOD crowd is heading (along with Theatrical Distribution). That’s what happen with “Pacific Rim” Film & Video Game where released on the same date; the reversed happened with “Resident Evil” it began as a “Video Game” and I think they’re on their “Sixth Motion Picture” they made “Milla Jovovich” into an “Indispensable Actress” when it comes to the “Franchises”. It also gave “Paul W. S. Anderson” a permanent job “Directing the Films”.

The Story is what unites both “Film and Games”, of course there are differences; one you watch; the other you play; it’s another medium, but nonetheless related. Even “Generationally” they are coming together in the middle of the road, just like “Rock ‘n Roll”, some of us “just-got-old”, nothing you can do about that! I think that I and “The Rolling Stones” are about the same age, so “Start Me Up”, you can hear they first few bars and you know “what-it-is”.

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

I guess another “Hedge Fund” has butted-up (or burned-up) against “Hollywood Accounting”, this time is “Elliott Management”, a New York based Hedge Fund, which according to “The Hollywood Reporter” has provided a big chunk of Universal Studios Financing for the LAST EIGHT YEARS. Or it-is that when you’re ready to part company The Studios will keep the money and just “Lawyer-up”, wait for a “Law Suit”, after all they “do collect the funds” first from the theater owners.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/sources-universal-elliott-management-legal-631656 “Sources: Universal, Elliott Management in Legal War over Film Slate Profits (Exclusive)”

TO QUOTE FROM THE ARTICLE; “The Elliott-Universal relationship began in 2005, when the deep-pocketed hedge fund led by billionaire Paul Singer began investing in Relativity Media’s Gun Hill I Fund, which covered such Universal films as Nanny McPhee and Inside Man. The investment wasn't unusual at the time. Between 2005 and 2008, hedge funds and major Wall Street banks put up an estimated $15 billion for film slates of studios like Universal, Paramount, Sony and 20th Century Fox. Then, the financial crisis hit and credit froze, and it became much tougher for Hollywood to get Wall Street to absorb its risks. In 2008, Elliott nevertheless put hundreds of millions of dollars more in the Relativity-managed Beverly 2 fund, which was responsible for covering half the budgets for 75% percent of Universal’s slate through 2011, including hits like 2009’s Fast and Furious and big misfires like Land of the Lost. Relativity is careful to distance itself from what’s happening between Universal and Elliott, which had been one of its major stakeholders until shares were sold to supermarket magnate Ron Burkle.” The Hollywood Reporter

FURTHER QUOTE; “But as Universal moves forward, it must also reckon with the past. Earlier this year, the studio was sued by StudioCanal over allegations it failed to account for "TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND LIKELY MORE" from films developed by the WORKING TITLE LABEL during a joint venture from 1999 through 2009. In response to that lawsuit, Universal claimed it had re-examined its accounting and had overpaid StudioCanal, which the plaintiff's lawyer characterized as "HORRIFYING." The Hollywood Reporter

In my opinion, The Studios are going to continue with their “IN & OUT” relationships with “Wall Street”, and life goes on, they actually need each other; the Hedge Fund because it likes the prospect of dealing with Hollywood and making money, and the glamour of it all (let’s not forget the Gamble); and The Hollywood Studios because they do really “Need the Money” for some of the “Silly Films” they sometime make (or many times). The only problem seems to be “Hollywood Accounting” that’s a problem for everyone, except The Studios! The Studios they need to work on that, but “why-should-they”, they have “Hollywood Lawyers”. So I presume they incorporate that legal cost into the equation (and charge it to someone)!

To summarize, “The Studio” is the “perfect place” where all of the “cash flow through”, from all parts, Producers, Financial institutes, Small Investors (in the form of a Produced Film), and most importantly the “Theater Owners”, it actually a pretty good place to be in, they always “pay on a delay basis”, and sometimes they go to court, their lawyers have their own “Film Convention” and their accountant have their own “Hollywood Accounting”, they mostly control “The Advertising”, they have the largest share of the Motion Picture Pie, “World Wide”, there might be other things I left behind, but that kind-of sums it up.

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

If I can remember that far back; sitting round “Gregg Nava” home OR at my office at the “Bradbury Building”, at that time it was the birth of “The West Coast Independent Feature Project” (approximate on the name and time). I think it was the early 80s, because I remember celebrating my 40s Birthdates’ at the “Bradbury Building” in Los Angeles! Time has sure passed all us by, it just flew! We use to alternate meeting places. There was a New York IFP that was founded before ours.

The “The West Coast Independent Feature Project” evolved into an important Organization over those “Thirty-Some-Years”! We’re about to take a Giant Step Forward, when the “Red Epic 6K Dragon Sensor Camera” is officially made public, then will come a period of time as Camera are Up-Graded, and New Customer are brought into the Red Fold. Computers have made giant steps in those years (the LISA was not born yet), Digital Film Distribution has been adopted World Wide, and 35 mm & 65 mm Film HAS JUST ABOUT BEEN replaced as an acquisition medium, Film is on-life support! There will always be some “die-hards”, but generally Film is just about gone!

I think there were about a dozen of us at the time, over the years I forgotten most of the names, there was Greg Nava & his wife, Kirby Dick; eventually “The Organization” evolved into an organization with its own by-laws and other organizations have now profligate into many diverse groups throughout the World, always with the “Independent Filmmaker” in mind. There could have been some before-us (besides NY), but definitely after. Anyhow that’s how I remember-it!

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

Money? What does it represents in Making of Feature Length Motion Picture? Filmmaking is an “Art”; it takes the combined efforts of Artists; Screen Writers, Directors, Actors, Production Designers, Composers and so-on, each practicing their own form of “Art”! But to make a film from that first thought to completion; it takes Capital, Money that has to come from people that know how to make-it, one can’t exist without the other! What a dilemma, will they understand each other; they are generally sold by the Screen Writer along with some Storyboards, the Director and/or the Producer at the initial stage.

Those initial meeting are more likely to involved one of many choices; your rich aunt; a group dedicated to invest in Film Projects; a Film Studio; the Bank (if you have some collateral); Kick starter (you now have to include this new way); a Wall Street Hedge Fund (more likely to be a Major Studio); someone who inherited a large amount of money; you get the picture, you need the money from wherever it comes from, you also have to give up something in the process. It could be creative freedom; copyright; it could be many things, or a combination of them, or “non-of-them”, it’s too hard to predict!

There will be many pages of contracts, not for when things go-right, but when the go-wrong, that’s what contracts are good for (generally), and of course consequences for the people who are asking for the money. So the “Golden Rule-is”, he how has the “Gold Makes the Rules”; Money gives you the power to do what you want, when you want, it’s been that way since the Ancient Roman Days, and before! I’m sure “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart” had to go before “The King” with his hat in hand, or “Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci” before “The Pope”, both men have left their mark in history, and no-one really remembers “The King” or “The Pope” that contracted them! Both had “Feature Motion Pictures” of their Life’s, it kind-of goes around as they become immortalized in a “New Art Form” the “Motion Picture”!

“Stanley Kubrick” a rare case, an American Filmmaker that stood up to his “money people” (the Studio), and insisted in total Control of his Motion Pictures, he moved to United Kingdom from the United States, and did a number of films his way. He did mostly his own Directing, Screen Writing, Producing, Cinematography, and Editing, the totally complete Filmmaker! While in the UK he made such Films as; 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Barry Lyndon (1975), The Shining (1980), Paths of Glory (1957), Lolita (1962), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), Full Metal Jacket (1987), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), even after his death in 1999 Steven Spielberg adopted his movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence he left others unrealized projects behind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Kubrick To quote from Wikipedia; “Starting out as a photographer in New York City, he taught himself all aspects of film production and directing after graduating from high school. His earliest films were made on a shoestring budget, followed by one Hollywood blockbuster, SPARTACUS, after which he spent most of the rest of his career living and filming in the United Kingdom. His home at Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire (north of and near to London) became his workplace where he did his writing, research, editing and management of production details. This allowed him to have almost complete artistic control, but with the rare advantage of having financial support from major Hollywood studios.” Wikipedia

http://www.deadline.com/2013/09/rep...hollywood-partner-for-grand-investment-plans/ “Report: China’s Wanda Group Wants Hollywood Partner For Grand Investment Plans” By MIKE FLEMING JR | Sunday September 22, 2013 @ 4:18am PDT - Is this another Investment opportunity for one of The Hollywood Studios, or is-it another way of China trying to muscle in on-something that has eluded countries around the World for as many years as I remember, what does Hollywood have that they haven’t figure out yet. Where is the secret, there is got to be something, but what is-it?

To quote from the article; “Wall Street Journal reports that the Dalian Wanda Group Corp wants a Hollywood studio to join a joint venture meant to build a massive studio and grow film and other media investments in the region. This has been part of a weekend in which stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicole Kidman attended a launch party for Wanda chairman Wang Lianlin to unveil plans to spent up to $8.2 billion on an entertainment center in Qingdao he says will include a theme park and the world’s largest film studio. Wang Lianlin is reportedly China’s richest man and WSJ reports he has made deals with four top talent agencies to attract talent that will be part of his plan to make 30 films each year.” Deadline.com

I suppose I could go-on and on, but at the end “you-got-to-do-what-you-got-to-do”, that’s the way it always has been, and that’s the way it will be, so Good Luck!

Humberto Rivera

 

[Humberto Rivera]

I got to thinking about China some more, much more and their coming out party for some undefined “Studio” that has not “shown-up” yet (to my knowledge)! The $8.2 Billion Dollars offer that “The Dalian Wanda Group” is projecting to a “Studio”, is more or less what ALL the “Studios” already have with their Wall Street’s Hedge Funds and other devises, there they just split the profits, not the company store, big difference. I think what everyone is passing over! Why are “American Films” the dominant force in the World? In my opinion that’s why the Chinese want a part of the Pie! So is a mystery to them, I think I have an idea, but don’t dare to comment on-it, the “secret sauce” sort of speak!

FROM ABOVE; http://www.deadline.com/2013/09/rep...hollywood-partner-for-grand-investment-plans/ If they want to invest in a Studio, they can go to the Stock Market, and just buy “Common Stock” (of the ones that are Public Companies), that simple! They could be shareholders like everyone else. Here is another article from The Hollywood Reporter with “Chairman Wang Jianlin” talks about it; http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chinas-wanda-unveils-82-billion-633772

TO QUOTE FROM THR; “The future of the world’s film industry is in China because we have 1.3 billion people, and we will have the biggest film business in the world by 2018," Wang told the assembled glitterati, which also included the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, John Travolta, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ewan McGregor, Kate Beckinsale and Christoph Waltz. Several agents also attended, including CAA's Mike Simpson and UTA's Jeremy Zimmer.” THR

By the way “The Hollywood Mainstream Press” is giving the “The Dalian Wanda Group” more press than it gives the American Made “Red Epic 6K Dragon Sensor Camera”, with its US Patented “Red Code R3D Files”! Just saying! Now China’s Audience is another thing, and that’s more completive, it will eventually lose it grip by the “China Film Group Corporation (CFGC or CFG)” that now control-it! It’s also another thing to do a contract with Chinese Company in China, but for Hollywood to give up part of The Studio, that’s another thing.

Humberto Rivera

 

[Zakaree Sandberg]

read the first paragraph.. i hope steven reads this.. he needs to research a few things...


gulf of tonkin
operation gladio
operation northwoods
nayirah al sabah testimony
Iraqs WMDs
operation mockingbird
the business plot
cia's creation of "al qaeda"

 

[Humberto Rivera]

Zakarre I HAVE NO IDEA what Steven has read! I’m sure “he-will-research-what-he-will-research”! Cheers!

Humberto Rivera