ARTHOUSE FILM NEWS - Cosmic Disco Detective Rene at Facets, Chicago 11/29/23

From One Way or Another Productions . First video has clips from a news report about the new NYC location/filming permit regulations drama from a few months back. Check out the videos here .

Since I haven't visited my brother & family out in Seattle in a long, long time, I am heading out there for a few days in late February. Anyone I know in Seattle who wants to hang out when I am there, let me know . - Sujewa

New York Times has an article about the blogs that chronicle life in the city . Also, found a blog about my neighborhood, Bed-Stuy . And this other blog DumboNYC looks interesting (haven't been to that part of the city yet). Of course, of interest to fans of filmmaking - Filming In Brooklyn . - Sujewa

So, I am working on getting the word out about the 2/17 World Premiere of Indie Film Blogger Road Trip at Anthology . Part of that is checking out, & trying out, various affordable advertising opportunities out there. One of the first things I did re: advertising was running a Facebook ad for the event. I ran an ad for about 3 days recently, targeting people who live in NYC, and Facebook said my ad received over 130,000 impressions. Now don't ask me about what that means exactly - because I have not read all the FAQs re: Facebook ads. The thing only cost about $17 (you can pick how much you want to spend a day on a Facebook ad campaign - I picked $6 a day & suspended the campaign before the full 3rd day was over). So, come 2/17, we'll see if the Facebook ad had any positive effects. Next ad thing I'm trying out is a couple of blog ads through the company Blog Ads . It's micro-budget advertising for a micro-budget film baby, we'll see how it all goes. -

Get the whole disturbing story at House Next Door .

Someone is trying to turn blog entries into newspaper pages , check it out . If this works maybe all the film reviewers who got cut from their newspaper gigs & had to go start blogs will be able to turn around & turn their blog posts into newspaper articles, we'll see. Here's the Wired article about the venture. The Printed Blog .

Oh those crazy, crazy New Yawkers - check out a couple of photos from the No Pants Subway Ride event at Color Me Katie blog .

Sometimes I end up playing the crazy hitchhiker dude role in these conversations about independent film, and sometimes I am playing the sensible Ben Stiller character role. Either way, this is one of my favorite moments from There's Something About Mary:

The following three items will allow you to shoot & edit HDV (the in-between format between SD MiniDV & full HD that requires expensive P2 cards): Canon XH-A1 HDV Camcorder: $2999 2GHz Mac mini w/ SuperDrive: $799 Final Cut Express 4 - $199 Total: $3997 (not counting tax, perhaps shipping, etc.) On top of those 3 items you'll still need the usual production & post-production related accessories (lights, mics, keyboard + monitor for the Mac mini, Firewire cables, perhaps extra storage for video, etc.), which you probably already have if you are already shooting & editing DV. Or, for a small project that may be shot in a couple of days, you could also rent the camera for far less than it would cost to buy one. For indie art/entertainment projects it is possible to shoot great images (if you are careful, will take your time, are an experienced shooter) even on a 1 CCD MiniDV camera. But, for event videography & other work-for-hire gigs, having an HDV set up might

Still very surprised that the Indie Film Blogger Road Trip clip has been viewed more than a couple of hundred times. So far the clip has been on YouTube for 3 weeks, and we just passed the 1500 views mark. If 25% of that number of people end up buying the DVD at any point in the future, the cost of production for that doc probably would be covered (haven't added up all the receipts yet, but the cash expenses were not very high for IFBRT - even by ultra-low budget DIY DV film standards, if I recall correctly). Anyway, very cool.

Since P2 cards cost around $1000 or so (so I hear) in order to shoot full HD, that would make both HDV shot on tape/MiniDV & Standard Definition MiniDV the new 16 MM. HD on P2 cards would be the new 35 MM - at least for the ultra-low budget end of the indie filmmaking world. I definitely will not be shooting on full HD on P2 cards anytime soon. But HDV on tape might be an easy step up from regular/SD MiniDV. However, I am still fine with SD MiniDV. - Sujewa

Susan Buice, of Four Eyed Monsters fame, sat 1.3.09 brooklyn Sujewa (i need to shave yo, but not shaving in winter feels good), Susan Susan in her kinda futuristic looking orange coat photos copyright 2009 sujewa ekanayake

this & the next photo were taken from inside a 24-hour diner a couple of blocks away from anthology that's anthology at night, on mon jan 5 photos copyright 2009 sujewa ekanayake

If you dig my blogs or my movies, you can now become one of my fans at this Facebook Celebrities/Public Figures page I created for myself. It's DIY micro-celebrity time yo :) Thanks to iW's JUMP CUTS blog for getting me started on making a filmmaker fan page. So, in conclusion, here's my Facebook Filmmaker fan page . Thanks! - Sujewa

The couple of nights when indieWIRE was out/not there were a little bit uncomfortable & disorienting ('cause iW is one of the first sites I visit when I get on the web after sleeping all day & before I start the night's hard partying w/ other DIY filmmakers & also actors/actresses (is that word still in use? probably should be - I vote yes on that) & of course fellow Bed Stuy based indie film bloggers (there's like 17 of us, we all get breakfast at Snack Town @ Broadway & Malcolm X every weekday morning, right before we go to sleep). But anyway, very glad to see the old iW back in business - and looking very sweet & brand new. I like the new look - easier to deal with, and design wise feels like 2009 (maybe even a little 2010). Congratulations to Team iW & anyone else who had a hand in coming up with the new site. - Sujewa