Above the common question “How long is a short film?*” should be the more significant question, “Why a short film?” Good short films are enjoyable and moving, with stories that can have an impact as strong as good feature-length films or powerful TV series. You can laugh, cry, and be inspired watching a good short … Continue reading My Bumpy Road through “Hollywood” — THE BLENDED SCREENS: WHY SHORT FILMS?
Internet
The Present Threat to the Internet
WHAT IS THE THREAT TO NET NEUTRALITY? Millions of American citizens have flooded the FCC website with comments to let the agency know our demand for Net Neutrality. Many citizens are intimidated by this wonky and technical issue, knowing they do not fully understand the complex issues or its importance and urgency. The threats to … Continue reading The Present Threat to the Internet
The Internet needs to be free. [UPDATED APRIL 23 2014]
THE INTERNET NEEDS TO BE FREE Yes, free. That’s not a statement about pricing, it’s a statement about democracy. This is what is commonly referred to as “Net Neutrality." The following blog post keeps evolving since its original posting in 2010, because the concept of "Net Neutrality" (or the attempt at a more popular term, … Continue reading The Internet needs to be free. [UPDATED APRIL 23 2014]
Corporate Conglomerates Battle to Regain Gatekeeper Status
The merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable is a powerful situation that has broad negative implications for society and for filmmakers specifically. It's not simply a business issue, it's a democracy issue. The merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable is another deliberate attack on Net Neutrality. By assaulting Net Neutrality, GATEKEEPERS -- and … Continue reading Corporate Conglomerates Battle to Regain Gatekeeper Status
Crippling Digital Distribution for Indie Filmmakers: the Death of Net Neutrality
Dismantling Net Neutrality means that the major movie studios will rule the Internet, while access to the digital distribution that indie filmmakers believe to be the future WILL BE CRIPPLED.
From Slated.com: “The new ‘soft’ money” for making indie movies
This is very important information for filmmakers seeking funds for their movie projects, and explains the approach that has been surprising and frustrating for those indie filmmakers who are not interested in ROI ("Return on Investment") or the investment aspect of filmmaking. (See my earlier blog, "Crowdfunding and 'Hey Zach Braff STFU and pay for … Continue reading From Slated.com: “The new ‘soft’ money” for making indie movies
Crowdfunding and “Hey Zach Braff STFU and pay for your own movie” [UPDATED January 2014]
Why is there controversy about projects such as Rob Thomas's VERONICA MARS and Zach Braff's WISH I WAS HERE going to crowdfunding for the money to make their projects? The surge in Perks-based Donor Crowdfunding over the past few years was primarily built on the concept that creative projects dreamed up by common folks with … Continue reading Crowdfunding and “Hey Zach Braff STFU and pay for your own movie” [UPDATED January 2014]
THIS IS THE SECOND ‘GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION.’
When looking at what I've termed "The Blended Screens" -- the destruction of all the different ways that used to define what we were watching (it was a "movie" because it was shot on film and shown in a movie theater; it was a "TV Show" because it was shot on tape and broadcast by … Continue reading THIS IS THE SECOND ‘GOLDEN AGE OF TELEVISION.’
The JOBS Act of April 2012 is a Failure for America.
THIS IS A MAJOR JOBS PROBLEM AND NEEDS OUR ATTENTION:America needs good jobs. Joblessness and low-wage jobs have crippled the survival and prosperity of millions of Americans, and are a drag on our entire economy.The promise of the JOBS Act, signed into law a year ago and supported by the most bi-partisanship effort in recent … Continue reading The JOBS Act of April 2012 is a Failure for America.
FILMMAKERS, IT’S 2013. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR JOBS ACT IS? Part 1
1 FILMMAKERS, IT’S 2013. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR JOBS ACT IS? Part 1 of 2 Written by Michael R. Barnard Michael R. Barnard is a writer and filmmaker who has been researching the American JOBS Act since it was first proposed. Barnard is currently working on creating an independent feature film, A FATHER AND … Continue reading FILMMAKERS, IT’S 2013. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR JOBS ACT IS? Part 1
FILMMAKERS, IT’S 2013. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR JOBS ACT IS? Part 2
1 FILMMAKERS, IT’S 2013. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR JOBS ACT IS? Part 2 of 2 Written by Michael R. Barnard Michael R. Barnard is a writer and filmmaker who has been researching the American JOBS Act since it was first proposed. Barnard is currently working on creating an independent feature film, A FATHER AND … Continue reading FILMMAKERS, IT’S 2013. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR JOBS ACT IS? Part 2
THE UNIVERSAL FILM ACCESS POINT
How will independent filmmakers fully embrace digital distribution for maximum value? It's a new world, and the old methods cannot be squeezed and twisted to work in it. There will be a new approach to bringing indie films to the audience. I call it the UNIVERSAL FILM ACCESS POINT. The old world existed because of … Continue reading THE UNIVERSAL FILM ACCESS POINT
Coffee joints for Writers & Filmmakers in NYC & L.A.
This is just for writers and filmmakers! =} Writers and filmmakers are often hauling their laptops to coffee houses for writing and working. In New York and Los Angeles, there are many such places, but sometimes they are difficult to find. Let’s build a list of coffee joints where we like to work. Besides, we … Continue reading Coffee joints for Writers & Filmmakers in NYC & L.A.
President Obama signs JOBS ACT; its Equity Crowdfunding may rebuild indie film biz.
Written by Michael R. Barnard for ReelGrok.com "Where Filmmakers Get It!" President Obama signed the JOBS ACT into law on April 5th, 2012. Called the ‘‘Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act,’’ the goal is to increase American job creation and economic growth by improving access to the public capital markets for emerging growth companies. It will … Continue reading President Obama signs JOBS ACT; its Equity Crowdfunding may rebuild indie film biz.
Filmmakers and Email versus Social Media
As filmmakers, we need to grasp how to reach our audience and let them know our film exists, and communicate how the film might interest them. This used to be the jurisdiction of distributors, but that old world is in turmoil and may be dead. With filmmakers scrambling to figure out the theoretical pathways of … Continue reading Filmmakers and Email versus Social Media
Piracy.
Online piracy became a phenomenon about a decade ago with music—triggered by smaller files via MP3 and faster downloads via broadband. The record companies jumped on it with the “big stick” approach to the problem, tossing consumer piracy to their Legal Departments, which led to lawsuits that destroyed the companies’ credibility and goodwill. Handing the … Continue reading Piracy.
My Bumpy Road Through “Hollywood” — Is the INDIE FILM BIZ dead or not?
Did the Pythons have the indie film biz in mind when creating their masterpiece, Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Aside from the buffoonery of this so-called business, what else could have inspired the great scene, "I’m not dead"? It says a great deal about the flux of the indie film biz that yesterday, on … Continue reading My Bumpy Road Through “Hollywood” — Is the INDIE FILM BIZ dead or not?
My Bumpy Road Through “Hollywood” — Crowdfunding reveals vibrant new class of citizen funding.
Crowdfunding has great promise. And, it has exposed a vibrant new class of citizen funding. In the spring of 2010, in comments on Jeff Steele’s Film Closings blog at http://filmclosings.com/2010/04/new-method-indie-financing/, I publicly assessed crowdfunding as having the potential to generate a normal maximum of, say, $5,000 if one spent all one’s time on it. Then, … Continue reading My Bumpy Road Through “Hollywood” — Crowdfunding reveals vibrant new class of citizen funding.
YouTube and the new indie distribution world
YouTube took a huge step forward recently in a move that could have implications for indie filmmakers. [“What’s bigger than 1080p? 4K video comes to YouTube” YouTube now handles video resolution all the way up to 4K, which is currently the high-end projection resolution for theatrical display. In fact, most theaters have digital projection of … Continue reading YouTube and the new indie distribution world
FREE IS NOT WORTH THE PRICE, PART 2
Continued from FREE IS NOT WORTH THE PRICE, PART 1 We are now feeling the impact of that un-analyzed, self-serving desire, “I want it FREE.” The impressionable college generation coming of age at that time threw away moral discernment in the face of the “free on the Internet” mantra and nearly destroyed the music industry. … Continue reading FREE IS NOT WORTH THE PRICE, PART 2
FREE IS NOT WORTH THE PRICE, PART 1
The New York Times reports on the malaise hitting the very-important-to-Hollywood trade papers, especially Daily Variety. [“Trade Papers Struggling in Hollywood”] Daily Variety is suffering the fate of many news publishers (even the New York Times), but attracts attention because of its reactions to its problems. This important trade paper recently fired staff critics, now … Continue reading FREE IS NOT WORTH THE PRICE, PART 1
What is Twitter?
The evolution of the Internet is thus: BBSs begat AOL and died. AOL begat Social Media (first offspring: Friendster) and died. Friendster begat MySpace and died. MySpace begat Facebook and died. Elsewhere, Personal Journals begat blogs and died. Blogs mated with Social Media and Cell Phone Texting, mutating into "micro-blogs" (first offspring: Twitter). Both Twitter … Continue reading What is Twitter?
Michael R. Barnard's Thoughts & Discussions. 