MINNEAPOLIS – Acclaimed poet and author David Athey is hosting a virtual Danny Gospel Film Festival in Palm Beach, FL. Participants are welcomed to submit their film interpretations of scenes from all but the last two chapters of Athey’s debut novel, Danny Gospel. 

Entry Guidelines:

• Creatively read or perform a portion of David Athey’s novel, DANNY GOSPEL
• Do not read or perform anything from the last two chapters of the novel
• The video must be between 3-5 minutes long
• Post the video on YouTube.com
• Email a link to your video on YouTube by noon, December 1, 2008, to danny@dannygospel.com
• Winner receives $100; other fun prizes will be awarded.
• There will be a special big screen viewing of submissions (Date TBD)

Visit the Danny Gospel Facebook page for more information.

About Danny Gospel

As a boy he performed concerts singing old-time hymns with his family and got so famous he’s still known around Iowa as Danny Gospel. But since then, things haven’t worked out quite the way he planned. And now Danny prays for just one thing: a normal, happy life.

What he gets instead is a kiss.

He wakes one morning to a perfectly lovely woman dressed in white who leans down, kisses him on the lips … and then disappears. The next moment, Danny finds himself launched into a quest to find this woman he’s sure is his true love. He is an everyday hero on anything but an everyday journey—dreaming impossible dreams and, no matter how much he must suffer, pursuing romance and heavenly glory.

About David Athey

David Athey, a Midwesterner by birth, now teaches English and oversees the literary journal at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Athey has published poems, reviews, and short stories in numerous journals, including The Iowa Review, Oxford Magazine, and Harvard Review, and holds an MFA from Hamline University. He and his wife live in Palm Beach, Florida.

 

Contest judges include producer of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days and upcoming Friday Night Knitting Club with Julia Roberts; Entertainment Weekly senior writer; Guiding Light’s Daisy Lemay; author of Dead Is
the New Black.

Best-selling author Lynn Messina has written her first teen novel, Savvy Girl (Harcourt, $7.95 paperback), in stores August 1, 2008. To celebrate the book’s publication she has announced the Be Reel Savvy
video trailer competition, where readers are invited to produce a 30-to 60-second online video trailer for the book. Entries are due midnight July 27, 2008.

Two types of videos will be accepted.

* Follow the Book:  Entrants are encouraged to read the first chapter and plot and character descriptions of Savvy Girl on SavvyGirl.us, then make a trailer from one of four sample scenes: the First Day, the Crush, the Party, the Beach.

* Do Your Own Thing:  In the novel the main character Chrissy Gibbons tries to win a Savvy Girl competition at the magazine she interns at by writing a great essay. Webster’s dictionary defines savvy as “practical know-how.” Lynn Messina defines savvy as “street smarts.”

The author invites entrants to create a video, giving savvy their own definition.

Says author Lynn Messina: “One of the first pieces I ever wrote was an essay for a yearbook competition. That was it for me; I knew I wanted to be a writer. I’m hoping that would-be filmmakers will find this
competition just as inspiring.”

ABOUT THE BE REEL SAVVY TRAILER COMPETITION 
The grand-prize-winning entrant will be determined by Christine Peters, producer of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and the upcoming Friday Night Knitting Club; Jennifer Armstrong, senior writer for Entertainment Weekly and editor of SirensMag.com; Bonnie Dennison, Susan “Daisy” Lemay on Guiding Light; Marlene Perez, author of Dead Is the New Black and Dead Is a State of Mind. Judges will be looking for trailers with positive messages that empower teen girls to have faith in their own potential and self-worth. Entries that fail to do so will not be considered. The grand-prize award will be a 30 GB Panasonic SDR-H18 hard-drive camcorder.

In addition, there will be an audience-choice winner determined by visitors to SavvyGirl.us who will vote for their favorite trailer. The audience-choice winner will receive a $50 iTunes gift card.

The first five entrants will each get a free signed advance copy of Savvy Girl.

Trailers should be 30 to 60 seconds in length and posted to the Be Reel Savvy trailer contest page at www.youtube.com/group/SavvyGirl by midnight July 27, 2008. For complete official rules, visit
www.SavvyGirl.us/contest.

ABOUT SAVVY GIRL
Seventeen-year-old high school student Chrissy Gibbons dream comes true when she beats out 3,200 other candidates to win one of four coveted internships at Savvy magazine. Things go from amazing to unbelievable when the editor in chief announces the Savvy Girl competition, a chance to write a monthly column. All Chrissy has to do is write the best essay of all the interns and the column is hers.

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. So why can’t she do it? For one thing, the internship is a full-time job. Her boss is in the middle of planning her wedding and dumps all her work on Chrissy. For another, there’s that cute boy upstairs who she’s trying to impress. (Talk about a full-time job!) Plus, she has all those parties to go to with Savvy’s supercool fashion editor. (Hello! She used to be a supermodel. You tell her you’re too busy to go a bash for Stella McCartney.) With so much going on, the Savvy Girl essay falls off the radar. So does
her best friend. And her priorities. And everything she thought she believed in.

ABOUT LYNN MESSINA
Lynn Messina is the author of three novels, including Fashionistas, Tallulahland and Mim Warner’s Lost Her Cool. Her essays have appeared in Modern Bride and Self, among other publications.

 

Steve’s “Getting that Job in Hollywood” was recently published by Infinity Press.  This career guide takes a practical and entertaining look at the first time job hunter’s challenges.  In addition, there is a lengthy list of job descriptions.  Browne makes the point that there are many opportunities besides the all too often stated “I want to be a producer/director.”  

 

After majoring in Radio / TV at Ithaca College in upstate New York, Steve moved to Southern California to attend USC graduate film school.  His experience at Ithaca working on TV, stage, and film production prepared him for the intense USC program and his first job as a page with KNBC.  While there he was offered a job with the Komack Company which was producing “Welcome Back, Kotter,” and “Chico and the Man.” 

 

Delivering scripts was not a real career choice, so Steve took a video editing class.  He started working as an assistant to the editor Komack’s shows, then went out on his own as a freelance editor for many years before accepting a staff position at Video Transitions in Los Angeles, one of the first ¾ to 1 inch editing facilities. 

 

“Low budget producers were using this new, inexpensive medium but there were few editing facilities willing to handle that configuration.”  Around this time, Steve wrote the first draft of The Video Tape Post Production Primer. “There was no other book like it,” said Steve.  “I went to two book stores, got consignment deals with them and sent letters to Ithaca College and Columbia University.  Then the book took off.”  In 1988, Steve sold and rewrote the book for Focal Press.  Video Editing stayed in print for over 14 years through four major revisions. 

 

Steve began a successful association with New Wave Entertainment in the late 80’s. For 16 of his 19 years (thus far) in the business, he finished all the first run theatrical commercials for the Walt Disney, Touchstone and Hollywood Studios, his first being the Tom Cruise film, Cocktail; the last being Life Aquatic.  Steve has recently onlined Dane Cook’s Tourgasm for HBO, The Next Best Thing for ABC and FrankTV for TBS.]

 

Steve has seen trends come and go since he started editing in 1977.  “The technology and the images continue to change; however, it’s still all about manipulating the visual image.  The tools may change, but the job doesn’t.”

 

Buy now at Amazon

 

 

First prize is $1000. Please go to the following link to read more about the contest and submission rules and tips. This is a great opportunity for film students to get their name out there and also win some money! 

Are you looking for some quick money to fuel your dream/idea? WIN $1000 by simply posting a video to YouTube telling us your story or adventure to becoming an entrepreneur–we are looking for serious, funny or anything in between. Check out the details:

http://www.tiecon.org/TiESVHome/tiecon_2008___8211__contest/videocontest/PageView

EASTERN NEW MEXICO UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES FILM FESTIVAL

DIANA OSSANA, JACK SHOLDER, JOAN LESLIE TO JUDGEEastern New Mexico University is launching a new film festival and invites entries which will be reviewed by a distinguished panel of renowned filmmakers and artists.  The initiative follows the 2006 approval of a new degree program in Digital Cinema Arts for the university, and seeks to celebrate the emergence of a statewide film industry in New Mexico.The First Annual High Plains Film Festival is seeking short films (no longer than 10 minutes) in three categories: Animation, Dramatic, and Documentary/Experimental.  The competition will be divided into two divisions: Pre-College, for filmmakers enrolled in K-12 institutions, and College+, for all others. A total of six $500 prizes will be awarded, one Pre-College and one College+ prize in each category.  Winning films will be screened at a festival in Portales on Sunday afternoon, May 4, 2008.  The location of the screening will be announced shortly.The festival’s judging panel includes distinguished and award-winning film artists Diana Ossana, Joan Leslie, and Jack Sholder.  Ossana, who attended ENMU, is a collaborator with author and screenwriter Larry McMurtry, with whom she won both an Oscar and Golden Globe Award in 2005 for Best Screenplay in Brokeback Mountain.  Among her many other projects is the recently-aired miniseries Comanche Moon, another collaboration with McMurtry and a sequel to his previous success Lonesome Dove.  Joan Leslie began her career at a very early age, and by the 1930?s was acting in leading Hollywood films.  She appeared alongside other leading stars of the 1940?s and 1950?s in films such as High Sierra (with Humphrey Bogart), Yankee Doodle Dandy (with James Cagney) and Sergeant York (with Gary Cooper). Jack Sholder, who directs the Motion Picture and Television Program at Western Carolina University, has enjoyed a distinguished career in film direction and editing, winning an Oscar nomination for his work on the documentary King, A Filmed Record: Montgomery to Memphis, and many awards including an Emmy for editing work on 3-2-1 Contact.  His feature directing credits include Renegades, The Hidden, and Nightmare on Elm Street II.Entries must be submitted by March 21 in the form of four DVD copies to:High Plains Film Festival College of Fine Arts
ENMU Station 16, MB 113
1500 S. Avenue K
Portales, NMAdditional information may be found on the festival website at http://www.enmu.edu/filmfest, or by calling 575-562-2373.  There is an entry fee of $20 for the Pre-College division, $30 for College+; multiple entries may be submitted, so long as each entry is accompanied by an entry fee, and group entries are also welcome.  The entry form is available on the website or can be obtained by calling the number above. Plans for a festival screening of winning entries on Sunday afternoon, May 4 will being finalized and the specific location announced soon; for updated information please use the contact information above.

Saturday & Sunday, March 29th and 30th
9am – 5pm
Writers Guild of America Theater
135 South Doheny Drive
Beverly Hills, California 90211

Write Brothers, Inc. is proud to bring this unique event to our clients in our ongoing efforts to support writers trying to establish themselves in the industry.

What’s the most important thing you need to make your projects a reality? Money. Without it, scripts gather dust and even the most worthy projects go nowhere. Yet finding and getting the money is the biggest obstacle independent filmmakers encounter.

At GET YOUR FILM FUNDED 2008 industry experts will be educating and empowering filmmakers like you to get their films funded. You will meet Louise Levison, Mark Litwak, Bianca Bezdek and others who are responsible for billions of dollars of deal making for films.

Learn why 2008 will be the most advantageous year to finance your film and how to:

* Get free money for your film
* Get paid for your film before one frame is even shot
* Create business documents for your project that get results
* Use the techniques studios employ to get movie money
* Find the money
* And much more…

GUEST SPEAKERS:

MARK LITWAK
Mr. Litwak is a leading entertainment attorney providing legal services or worked as a rep on more than 200 motion pictures. His practice includes work in the areas of copyright, trademark, contract, multimedia law, intellectual property, and book publishing.

LOUISE LEVISON
The acknowledged master of independent film business plans, Louise is the author of the definitive guide to independent film business plans Filmmakers and Financing (in it’s 5th printing).
Ms. Levison created the business plans for the highest-grossing indie film in history, The Blair Witch Project, and consulted the producers of the cultural phenomenon, The Secret, among many, many others.

HAL “CORKY” KESSLER
A highly regarded expert on the business and legal aspects of feature film development and tax incentives in connection with the entertainment industry. He successfully worked with governors and United States Congressmen to implement new laws and federal tax incentives for investments.

BIANCA BEZDEK
Ms. Bezdek has years of experience in film finance, entertainment law and intellectual property, having worked in development and production prior to practicing law. She focuses solely on feature film and television production, finance, distribution and related intellectual property matters.

SANDRA RUCH
Ms. Ruch is the Executive Director of the International Documentary Association (IDA). Prior to joining IDA, Ms. Ruch served as President of Marketing at New Line Cinema and launched over 50 theatrical releases.

WHO YOU’LL MEET:
Marvin Acuna, Executive Producer – The Great Buck Howard
Kayla Thames, Oregon Films & Video Office
Amy Lemisch, California Film Commission
Dennis Gunn, Xnergy Capital
Susan Simms, Florida Governor’s Office of Film & Entertainment
Wyoming Film Commission
Lisa Crow, Lambert TV
Mark Chasan, Transformative Capital
And More…

Speaking of finding money, Saturday evening’s portion of the seminar grants you access to producers, film fund managers, movie investors, entertainment attorneys and others who have the power to get funds for your project. It’s an unprecedented opportunity to meet people who can actually get you funded!

Write Bros. Customers — You receive $100 off your ticket when you enter the discount code “WRITEBROS” on the registration page!

www.filmfinancingseminars.com

AMI study materials, programs and courses offer lessons and insights for personal development and learning.

The Goods

Free online filmmaking course
Filmmaking Resources

New Stuff

Study Program

“The only way to learn to make movies…is to make movies.”
Robert Rodriguez
Award-Winning Filmmaker (SpyKids, SpyKids 2) and Patron Saint of DIY Filmmakers

I started out interning on a feature called “Mo’ Money” in Chicago, starring Damon Wayans, in the locations department. And through networking (and my knowledge of Spanish) it turned into a 3- year freelance stint in locations on features including every guy’s favorite, “Rudy”.

In the ’90s I took just about any job that came my way, and so I was the Production Manager for the World Cup Soccer opening ceremonies in Chicago in 1994, a secretary who worked her way up to producer at a small corporate video and event management company (or “business theater” as they liked to call it), and the Production Manager for the 1996 Paralympic Games following the Olympics in Atlanta.

After moving to Atlanta for a brief time, I decided to head to the entertainment mecca of L.A. and worked as a production coordinator and eventually associate producer at KCOP-13 (UPN affiliate) where I won an Emmy for one of our documentary specials. I left KCOP for an assistant production coordinator job on “Party of Five” (FOX) for Sony Entertainment and actually followed that path that led me back to Chicago to do the same thing for “Early Edition” (CBS) before switching gears and taking a stab at post production.

That stab led me to my current position as producer at the Whitehouse Post where I’m going on my 7th year as a post producer, something I never thought I’d want to do but like I said, keeping an open mind can open many doors.

What changes do you see taking place in the entertainment industry, let’s say over the past 5 years? Any sense of how they’ll play out over the coming 5?

The biggest changes seem to be stemming from the changes in technology and with the advent of reality television. With every new invention that is either an entirely new format or even just a tweak to make an existing piece of equipment work faster or more efficiently, it is having a ripple effect on the industry.

With the invention of Tivo and the digital recorder and now the ability to download programs onto ipods and cell phones, advertisers are looking for new ways to deliver their marketing messages. So not only are we finding that the younger viewers are having even less attention-span due to the fast-cutting programs and the overwhelming amount of accessable media, but now the advertisers (and show producers who need the revenue from the advertising dollars) need to find new and unique ways to deliver the advertisments to this audience.

In post production we are seeing a decrease in television advertising spending from ad agencies for the most part, along with much tighter schedules with quicker deadlines. We are also starting to see more variety in formats. In the past year there has been an increase in “webisodes” or advertisements online which are not necessarily strictly held to the :30 second television commercial format and now we are also finding that clients are exploring alternative options such as branded entertainment and product placement within programs to replace the standard commercial media buy.

This should make an interesting change in the future of both television and feature film production. Of course we have been seeing product placement since “E.T.” and the famous use of Reese’s Pieces in the early ’80s but now productions are so reliant on product placement that it is actually driving the content of the program. I think that young filmmakers who are looking to be a creative force to contend with, will find this issue to be rather frustrating as it is basically taking the art of filmmaking and making it much more obviously a business deal.

Going back to my mention of Reality television, I think that is probably the largest non-technology driven change we’ve seen in the past five years. Of course this again is a business-driven model – they are just plain cheaper to produce and therefore a major profit when a show is successful. Personally, I’m very happy to see that some of the most successful reality shows are trying to make a positive change for families or for society as a whole, rather than to just have mindless entertainment. At least if we’re going to have a career in entertainment we can be doing something positive with it that may make a difference in the world. I sense that reality programming will continue on and that along with “The Bachelor”-type of purely entertainment driven shows we’ll also see programs that have a heart and make a positive impression on someone’s life. It will be interesting to see what impact, if any, it has on the feature film industry.

What advice would you give a young person –let’s say late teens, early twenties– who wants to work in the entertainment industry?

Well, I give a lot of advice – it’s hard to shut me up! In fact, I had so many people referred to me for advice that it inspired me to write my book. To sum it up I’d say it is all in the attitude. You need to have what it takes in this industry…you need to have “it”. And not everyone does. You know it in your heart if you have “it”. It’s a passion and a drive to make it in the industry. To have what it takes you have to be willing to do just about anything, and to do it with a smile.

Of course the thing to remember is that there are hundreds of facets to working in the entertainment industry. Automatically people think of writing or directing a film or a TV show but there are so many other options out there. These are good, viable options. There are small, local homegrown companies that make corporate videos or programs for local network affiliates. There are companies making educational films, companies who are bringing classrooms to your home via television in rural communities who may not have access to a nearby school, video games use film production for their base, etc… and then there are the blockbuster hits that we see in our local theaters and on the top broadcast and cable television stations. I try to encourage people who are considering this industry to be open-minded and to see that the world is their oyster in this field. Making it to the major leagues and working on feature films and top 10 television programs is not something that everyone can do. The field is saturated and there are many more applicants for those positions than there are openings, so the ones that rise to the top are the ones who have “it” and who are willing to put themselves out there by taking risks and working like crazy to get there.

Be willing to work on a low-budget, indie film or on a small unheard of television show as you start out. They will likely give you more work to do and give you the experience you need to move up should you chose to keep reaching for the stars.

No matter how many classes you take on how to make a film, or how many times you rent a camera and get your roommate to be the lead in your next film…you need to have the passion that it takes to really get there. You can read up on how the machines work and how the lighting sets the mood, but it takes a special someone to be able to survive in this industry. So my advice is to be open-minded about your goals – but do set goals, just be willing to change them as you find new things that excite you. And do what is ever asked of you and with a smile and sense of willingness and eagerness to learn and to help those around you. By helping them you are learning and therefore helping yourself in the process.

Give us your review of the “film school experience.” Is it really a great way to get into the entertainment industry? Or is it mainly populated by poseur-types who won’t really follow through on a career path? (Or something in between!)

First of all, unlike other industries, you do not need to have a degree from a major university to work in the entertainment industry. As a matter of fact there are many, many people who have come into this industry from other backgrounds like lawyers or doctors, and there are even those who do not complete a degree at all. I would never recommend that though – I think a college education is crucial to success whether the degree is in this field or not. In the entertainment industry most of what you do is learned on the job. Sure you can learn about film production from books or a classroom (online or otherwise) but the real heart of the job is learned by experience which is why most people start entry-level and work their way up as they learn and grow.

What drives me crazy about film schools are the people who graduate from them with a huge and unwarranted ego. It’s as if the name of the school on the diploma will give them the job and that’s not the case. It’s not to say that seeing a particular name may strike a mood with an employer or start a conversation during an interview that could be interesting, but as I talk about in my book the key to an interview is making a connection. So you have just as much chance of connecting over the name of your alma mater as you do with sharing a hobby interest with that same person.  Basically, I don’t think there is enough that the school name gives you that makes it entirely necessary to spend four years studying only this one craft there.

In my experience as a person in a hiring position, I have actually steered AWAY from people who graduate from a certain school (not mentioning any names here). One after another I was finding that these graduates felt that they were ENTITLED to the job. Not only that, they felt that certain tasks might be beneath them, and that is not the “it” factor I’m looking for. Somehow students are being taught that by attending a film program makes them more knowledgeable than everyone else. I would agree that some programs put more focus on one area than another so if you graduate with a specialty you may be a step ahead in that particular area, but then again, you are probably being shortchanged in another area which could negatively affect you if you decide to pursue a different path at some point – and you probably will.

So yes, in that regard there are people who go to film school who think that they don’t have to start at the bottom to work their way up. They think they are a Spike Lee who can make it as a director right off the bat. But here’s a news flash…there is only one Spike Lee the filmmaker in this world. And for every one of him there are thousands of budding directors waiting to be discovered who never will be because they aren’t willing to put in the hard work to get there.

I graduated from a liberal arts college with a major in television-radio and with that major was also required to (and wanted to) take film production classes. But the thing I’m happiest about with that education is that it was a liberal arts-based college and it forced me to not put all of my eggs in one basket. I also took courses in psychology, business and recreation among others. And I’ll tell you what, I’m glad that I did.

As we go along in our careers we may find that our interests change or that with the technology and media changing that we too are changing with it. It helps to have a broad education. My advice is to learn about the industry but to do it wisely. You can take classes online or take classes at a university and you’ll learn all of the basics either way. But try to be open-minded and to explore all of your educational opportunities while you can.

If you could suggest one single “first step” that a person could take toward building a career in the entertainment industry, what would it be?

Networking.

You can never start too soon with networking. If you’re a teen, learn to appreciate your friends who are helping you make movies in your backyard.  When you’re in starting to get into this business it’s never too soon to establish relationships with your collegues in your industry. You never know…the guy helping you lug around your tripod today may someday be a producer looking to hire you as a director on a feature. You just never know. For even more of Sandy’s terrific advice, check out: “Action!: Establishing Your Career in Film and Television Production“ ]]> http://www.amesmedia.org/?feed=rss2&p=19 0 http://www.amesmedia.org/?p=17 http://www.amesmedia.org/?p=17#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:52:31 +0000 admin http://www.virtualstudent.com/am2/?p=17

Sandra R. Gordon is an Emmy Award winning producer and author, currently a post-production producer at the Whitehouse in Chicago.

Her career history spans a variety of productions including feature films (“Rudy”, “The Hudsucker Proxy”, “Baby’s Day Out”), international events (World Cup Soccer 1994, Atlanta Paralympic Games –Opening and Closing Ceremonies), corporate video, and broadcast television (KCOP-TV, L.A.; “Party Of Five”; “Early Edition”). 

Her moves within the film community and between cities have put her in a position to act as a mentor and advisor to many who are starting their careers in entertainment.  After years of advice giving, Sandra put her words to paper and published Action! Establishing Your Career in Film & Television Production (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books) and Great Jobs For Film Majors (McGraw-Hill).

In Action! Establishing Your Career in Film & Television Production, Sandra shares her insights on taking the steps necessary to get started in the entertainment business. She has “been there” and “done that” and provides a unique and open insider’s view.

Degree not required! ACTION! takes the formula out of the job-hunting book to the next step, telling its readers not only how to write their resumes, but where to send them, how to keep their jobs once they are hired, and how to advance in their career

Give it a look, at Amazon.com ]]> http://www.amesmedia.org/?feed=rss2&p=17 0 http://www.amesmedia.org/?p=16 http://www.amesmedia.org/?p=16#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:47:05 +0000 admin http://www.virtualstudent.com/am2/?p=16 They’ve invited us and we’re inviting you… The PersonalScreen Network is an Internet television and media network offering a variety of Internet-centric programming.

The key for content producers is that they’re willing to share advertising revenue. If your program is a hit, you’ll get to participate in the revenue it earns.Visit PersonalScreen.com and you’ll see that they’re looking for a wide variety of programs and concepts.

They have a very innovative product placement system (and let’s face it, product placement is a huge part of the entertainment world; it only makes sense to think about it strategically). And their Flashed-based player looks great.

Content is king. The PersonalScreen Network is looking for high-quality, original programming that will appeal to an Internet audience. They’re going to be very selective, of course. But if you’re a content provider–film maker, TV producer, or even if you just have a great idea for a show–their approach holds a ton of potential.

So put on your thinking cap. Pull out the digital cam. Put together a great show, and send PersonalScreen your best pitch.

It could be your big break.

Visit: PersonalScreen.com
To Submit a Project: PersonalScreen.com/Submissions ]]> http://www.amesmedia.org/?feed=rss2&p=16 0