Executive producers of The Tunnel launch independent online film platform
The executive producers of the film The Tunnel have announced they will launch an online film platform for independent filmmakers.
DLSHS, the digital agency who helped create the innovative marketing and distribution campaign of The Tunnel, will launch eCut in 2012.
Ahmed Salama, co-creator of eCut with Valeria Petrenko, told Encore: “Ecut is many things – firstly, it is an independent film distribution platform. What we’re trying to do is give the power to the filmmakers and get their films out there the right way. I think there’s a whole generation of filmmakers evolving who don’t have the right tools to get their films out there.”
Australian and American screen producers join forces
The producers’ guilds of Australia and the USA have entered into an affiliation agreement it was announced today.
The agreement aims to encourage members of the Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) and Producers Guild of America to become involved in co-productions and discuss industry issues in their respective markets.
Geoff Brown, executive director of SPAA said: “It’s a hands across the sea alignment. We are thrilled to join forces with the 4,750 strong Producers Guild and can’t wait to see the possibilities with this affiliation.”
The week in TV: The X Factor scores two in a row as Ten makes no appearance
In the second last week of The X Factor, both Tuesday and Monday’s episodes rated One and Two for the week.
According to OzTAM, Tuesday’s result show had 1.51m viewers across all metro regions, while Monday’s performance episode received 1.418m viewers. It’s the second week in a row for The X Factor at top spot, which finishes tomorrow night.
Introducing the new Encore
Subscribers to Encore magazine will this week receive the first new look edition following a major redesign.
The relaunch – one of the most significant in the title’s three decades – sees Encore remain focused on the screen industry, and widened to include content creation across other media too.
The pagination of Encore has been doubled as part of the relaunch.
Features in the first new edition include an in depth examination of Australia’s breakfast television shows, an on set visit to The Celebrity Apprentice, Bob Ellis asking whether Romper Stomper has stood the test of time and an interview with Trop Fest boss John Polson.
Regular columnists include Popcorn Taxi’s Chris Murray who discusses film funding and Ben Shepherd who examines how to get investment in online video production. The In Production section of Encore has also been doubled in size.
As a special offer, until next week subscriptions to Encore are currently priced at a discounted $99, which also includes two free DVDs: Pom Wonderful presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold and Page One: Inside The New York Times. Subscription offer via this link.
A preview of the new look Encore is available via Real View:
Homebake Cinema Pavilion returns
Home grown short films are on display as well as music at the Homebake Festival with the Homebake Cinema Pavilion.
Award-winning short films have been selected to screen alongside musical acts Grinderman, The Triffids, Cut Copy and Gotye and Icehouse performing Flowers.
Filmmaker Kieran Darcy-Smith has made the selection.
First time filmmaker hires Morgan Spurlock and Michael Moore’s key crew
An Australian first time feature filmmaker has hired top American talent to help create his documentary film.
Director Joe Cross employed talent from Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock’s teams to realise his documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.
The film is the opposite to Morgan Spurlock’s Supersize Me. Cross embarked on a road trip across the USA with a cameraman, sound guy and a juicer to eat and drink only fruit and vegetables to lose weight, while discovering why people were addicted to fast food.
Vice inks shared contents deal with ABC, Fairfax and Sony IPTV
Vice Media has inked a deal with ABC, Fairfax and Sony to syndicate its video content.
The company, which began as Vice Magazine in the US, has in recent years diversified into producing documentary, factual and lifestyle video content.
The new deal will see these stories broadcast not only on new site Vice.com but syndicated to ABC iView, Fairfax Digital and Sony’s IPTV.
Read more »
Red Dog rules at IF Awards
Best director Stenders
Australian box office hit Red Dog dominated tonight’s IF Awards picking up seven trophies, including the major categories of best feature, best director for Kriv Stenders and best actor for Josh Lucas.
The winners:
Best Feature Film
Red Dog
Director: Kriv Stenders
Best Direction
Red Dog
Kriv Stenders
Producer: Nelson Woss & Julie Ryan
Best Actor
Josh Lucas
Red Dog Read more »
Darcy-Smith: Script assessing should be more like market research
Australia’s film funding agencies should have more individuals read a script before making decisions, debut feature maker Kieran Darcy-Smith has suggested.
Darcy-Smith, writer and director of forthcoming drama Wish You Were Here, told Encore that although they did “pretty well”, he believed too few people at the funding bodies made the decisions. He said: “If a feature script goes into an agency it might land on one or two desks and it might move forward.”
“I know I’m sounding naive [but] if you could get the script in front of ten people then you’ve get a better feeling about how the community will respond. It’s like market research.
“I think it’s about getting those scripts to the widest variety of assessors, and then ask, did it move a lot of people?” Read more »
Producer takes thriller to the USA after being asked to make changes by Screen Australia
The Australian producer of a planned film trilogy has told Encore that his decision to take the production overseas was in part because Screen Australia was asking for too many changes.
Antony J Bowman, who previously directed Paperback Hero, told Encore that Stealing Sam – whose cast include Goodfellas star Ray Liotta and Boardwalk Empire’s Jack Huston – will now be shot in Louisiana in the USA. The decision was also driven by the rise of the Australian dollar making the US a cheaper option.
Bowman said that early conversations with Screen Australia sent him in other directions. He said: “I did begin speaking with them at the beginning. But in those early days there was talk about, ‘what if you change this and that’ and I thought – I don’t need that.” Read more »