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go DIY young screenwriter, sayz one media professional

(well, to be entirely accurate, what Wagner James Au said was " Screenwriters, DIY! ", i just couldn't resist using a version of go west... :) In the article " Screenwriters, DIY! " (thanks to Thompson On Hollywood for the link), we find the following: "In the mid 90s, during a strike against The San Francisco Examiner, a bunch of staff writers and editors abandoned the newspaper to start up their own “web magazine.” Though it seemed like a weird idea at the time, the web mag eventually became Salon.com , now a site with more readers than most newspapers — including The Examiner itself. As the WGA strike moves into its second week, it’s hard not to see a similar opportunity: What’s to stop WGA writers (especially those associated with well-known TV shows and movies) from doing a similar thing with YouTube? Create new, low-budget shorts à la Lonely Girl , then leverage them as spinoffs for new TV series/movies when the strike ends? Or perhaps even better,

A Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, SXSW selected mainstream accessible comedy by an acclaimed indie director opens in ONLY 1 THEATER...(WTF!???)

According to a little known & rarely active indie film blogger named Matt Dentler , Greg Araki's stoner comedy SMILEY FACE was selected by Sundance (that's THE SUNDANCE f*ing FILM FESTIVAL - "#1" in America), Cannes (that's THE CANNES INT'L f*ing FILM FESTIVAL - "#1" in the world), Toronto & SXSW film festivals (all together that's four of the most important film festivals in the western world & Austin!!!) YET the film is only being released in 1 theater!!!!!! The mind boggles. It is actually still boggling. OK, boggling over, let me list other ticket sales friendly qualities of this movie (granted, i have not seen it, but, given these ingredients, i am sure TONS of kids will want to see this movie): - directed by Greg Araki; yes, not a household name across America, but, a well respected indie director with a solid following. Didn't his last "properly released" film (MYSTERIOUS SKIN) earn several million dollars? - star

Why'd you bury "Smiley Face" First Look? :: Director Greg Araki interview at indieWIRE

Greg Araki's stoner comedy Smiley Face might have been a lot of fun to check out at the theater. However, the pic's distributor First Look is only going to show it on one screen in LA (as far as I know at the moment. First Look's website didn't have any information on Smiley). I guess I'll have to wait for the DVD :( indieWIRE's got an interview with Greg Araki re: Smiley Face. - Sujewa

WGA responds to the AMPTP newspaper ad

A segment of the response from WGA West's website : "WGA Statement in Response to AMPTP Newspaper Ad LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK -- The Writers Guild of America (Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West) issued this statement today in response to the AMPTP's misleading newspaper ads: Nice try, AMPTP. In the words of the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. The AMPTP's paid and patronizing advertisement in today's New York Times and Los Angeles Times is guilty of what most charitably could be called sins of omission. The AMPTP maintains, “It is important to make clear that writers currently do receive residuals for digital downloading (regardless of whether the download is temporary or permanent)... The Guild is seeking at least a 700 percent increase over what writers currently receive, and more than a 200 percent increase over what they receive for Internet 'pay per view.&

Clip-O-Rama: Day For Night, Irma Vep, Living In Oblivion, Bowfinger

Have not seen Francois Truffaut's movie Day For Night yet. This YouTube clip/video makes it look interesting: And, from another French movie about making movies; some Irma Vep clips: Now a clip from everyone's favorite indie movie about indie moviemaking; a tiny bit of Living In Oblivion: I think the rain is fat because there are aliens in it. A Bowfinger clip (with subtitles from an unknown land): Any other good movies about making movies? - Sujewa

A scene from Casablanca, if there were no writers

From Late Show Writers On Strike : "CLASSIC MOVIE SCENES IF THERE WERE NO WRITERS It's time for...CLASSIC MOVIE SCENES IF THERE WERE NO WRITERS by Lee Ellenberg "Casablanca" INT./EXT. AIRPORT HANGAR - NIGHT RICK ILSA RICK ILSA Ilsa's eyes fill with tears. Rick puts his hand to her chin and raises her face to meet his own. RICK Ilsa boards the plane. OUT." Visit Late Show Writers On Strike for more. - Sujewa

Mark Andreessen says long guild strikes & current web developments could lead to Hollywood being rebuilt in the shape of Silicon Valley

Check out the article here , very interesting. Here is a lil' bit of it: "This is not a difficult thing to envision. And in fact, it's already happening. Will Ferrell's Funny Or Die , in which I am a minority investor, is one early existence proof of this model. And there are a ton of other such new companies either already underway, or currently being incubated, or currently being negotiated." Read the rest here . Hollywood labor & owners/studios issues aside, the article has some ideas that can apply to the independent film world RIGHT NOW, specially those of us who are slanted towards the DIY/real indie side of things; those of us interested in owning our creations, having final say on how our movies are made at each stage of production & controling the distribution of same. - Sujewa

Full Movie - SNEAK PREVIEW - Cosmic Disco Detective Rene And The Mystery Of Immortal Time Travelers

NEW - COSMIC DISCO DETECTIVE RENE (2023) - TRAILER!

The Secret Society For Slow Romance (2022) - available to rent as a new release starting January 1

Werewolf Ninja Philosopher at Vimeo VOD

Reading Material

Indie Film Blogger Road Trip