SAGIndie

Spend the weekend with an unprecedented gathering of over 100 A-List Producers at the PRODUCED BY CONFERENCE, hosted by the Producers Guild. SAG Members and friends of SAGIndie can take advantage of a discounted industry professional rate by choosing package “C” when registering.

Visit the Produced By Conference website or check out the one-sheet below for more details.

All the best,

SAGIndie

Hey Filmmakers!

Get your film produced and distributed by entering The Ultimate Filmmaker Competition presented by Filmmakers Alliance.

The winning entrant will have their feature film produced and distributed and will receive a minimum $200,000 cash grant along with resources for a total value of more than $500,000. The winning entrant will also have their film distributed on multiple platforms simultaneously – theatrical, cable and online – for maximum global exposure.

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE is MAY 19th so SUBMIT NOW.

All the best,

SAGIndie

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More about Filmmaker’s Alliance:

FILMMAKERS ALLIANCE is a community of film artists dedicated to the advancement of true independent film through community action. FA is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization.

FA provides a unique mutual support system through which members share time, energy, expertise, equipment and, most important, creative support for one another’s film projects from concept through distribution. We work together to restore humanity, authenticity, diversity, originality, intelligence, relevance, personal vision and emotional resonance to American Cinema.

Started in Los Angeles in 1993 as a collective answer to the practical needs of independent filmmakers, FA has evolved into a multi-layered support organization with an emphasis on aesthetic empowerment. Hundreds of films have been produced through FA and have screened in dozens of major festivals throughout the world.

In 2009, Filmmakers Alliance will launch the global online analogy to the support work we’ve been doing in Los Angeles. The site will include an expansive menu of project management and development tools, filmmaking resources, key databases, education and connectivity. Basically, it will be one-stop shopping for any filmmaking need that can be answered online.

Your entry ensures that you will be a charter member of this new, empowering, global filmmaking community.

For more on Filmmakers Alliance, click here. 

The answer is: ABSOLUTELY.

We get this question, or questions like it, on a regular basis from ambitious new media producers looking to create the next “THE GUILD“.

The good news, we tell them, is that “YES”, there is a contract that covers New Media productions (content made for the Internet and/or mobile phones). The bad news, we continue, is that the New Media Contract doesn’t currently fall under the Low Budget Film Contracts that SAGIndie promotes. Thus, we must defer you to the New Media Department at the Screen Actors Guild for questions and concerns.

For more info, visit the New Media Contracts page at sag.org.

All the best,

SAGIndie

This is a week or so overdue, considering SXSW was a while ago, but I do feel obligated to report on what was a successful festival for SAGIndie and the Screen Actors Guild.

First and foremost, our main responsibility while attending Austin’s renowned Film, Interactive and Music fest is to get the word out about SAG’s low budget contracts. To do this, we traditionally participate as an exhibitor at SXSW’s convention portion of the fest.

In coordination with SAG’s iActor casting service, we co-hosted a booth that had to be one of the most popular in the convention hall. While other exhibitors boasted flashy displays and expensive giveaways, we went with a more simplistic approach by luring passersby with a game of skill. We brought handmade, magnetic toys called “Throwies”, developed by the Graffiti Research Lab. They’re basically a small LED light that’s connected to a magnet and a small battery. On one of the booth walls, we hung a large piece of sheet metal that participants would toss the Throwies at for a chance to win a spiffy SAGIndie hat or an iActor t-shirt.

Feedback from this simple (union made) game was phenomenal and even garnered a little press in the LA Weekly. Even if people couldn’t win a fancy prize, they still walked away with a complimentary LED light and over the course of the week, we would spot these bright contraptions all over the place – at bars, on street signs, taxi cabs, etc.

As is tradition, the team always hits up some excellent Austin restaurants. My favorite goes to Iron Works, a BBQ joint with exceptional brisket and sausage links.

When our time at the convention center was over, I tried to get out to see some local attractions — mainly, the huge colony of urban bats that live under the Congress Bridge. Unfortunately, mid-March is still a bit early for them to be back from the warmer south so I didn’t get to see the millions and millions of bats that come billowing out at dusk. I did get to see a few, but I’m considering this a major Bat Fail.

The best film I saw at the fest was one I missed at Sundance, SIN NOMBRE. A truly remarkable accomplishment for first-time director Cary Fukunaga. The film is now in limited release and is a must see for independent film lovers.

We also hit up a ton of parties and networking events — the best of all had to be ours, which was co-hosted by the WGA and held on the upstairs patio of Lenai.

This was a great trip on so many levels. I’m really looking forward to what we put together for next year.

The “biggest movie event of the year” is taking place this Sunday and I feel compelled to offer my votes for the top awards. Granted, I’m not part of the Academy but I do feel qualified enough to comment on who I think is worthy of these high honors. I chose not to vote on categories where I felt either (A) unqualified to comment on or (B) hadn’t seen enough of the work nominated (sorry docs and shorts). Please keep in mind that these picks are my personal opinion only and don’t necessarily reflect the views of SAGIndie or SAG.  
 
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
My vote is for Mickey Rourke in THE WRESTLER. Since the Golden Globes there’s been a lot of hype for him. I’m honestly getting a little sick of the whole “comeback story”, but he’s just SO good in this film. I’ve been hoping for this nomination since I saw his performance during AFI Fest. RUNNER UP: Sean Penn, MILK.
 
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Probably the toughest category for me to pick as they’re all amazing performances. I have to go with Philip Seymour Hoffman in DOUBT. Every role this guy portrays is gold, but this one in particular had me glued to the screen. RUNNER UP: Heath Ledger, THE DARK KNIGHT.
 
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Another tough category as all of these women are deserving. My vote would be for Anne Hathaway in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED. Anne has been solid in her “lighter” performances thus far in her career. In this film she displays so many different colors and shows signs of a true professional. RUNNER UP: Meryl Streep, DOUBT.
 
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
My vote would be for Penelope Cruz in VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA. In my opinion, it was her performance that made this film. I couldn’t get enough of her. RUNNER UP: Marisa Tomei, THE WRESTLER.
 
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Unless I’m completely naive, I wager that the Academy would be in agreement with me when I say that WALL-E is not only the best animated feature film of the year, but quite possibly the best film of the year. RUNNER UP: KUNG FU PANDA.

ART DIRECTION
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. The film is gorgeous in so many ways, but it was the casual use of props and set design that really makes the period piece pop. RUNNER UP: THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON.

FILM EDITING
Elliot Graham, MILK. His ability to intercut archival footage is really what sold me here. RUNNER UP: Lee Smith, THE DARK KNIGHT.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Wally Pfister, THE DARK KNIGHT. I feel like he’s due since he’s already obtained two nominations, but the fact that he shot a great portion of this film using the cumbersome, albeit breathtaking, IMAX format is good enough for my vote. RUNNER UP: Anthony Dod Mantle, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

WRITING (Adapted)
Simon Beaufoy, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. What can I say that people don’t already know about this film? When you try and explain the synopsis of the story it almost seems impossible to capture — but they did it. RUNNER UP: John Patrick Shanley, DOUBT

WRITING (Original)
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, and Pete Docter, WALL-E. As I’ve already stated, it’s a shame that this film can’t also be considered for Best Picture. RUNNER UP: Martin McDonagh, IN BRUGES

DIRECTING
Yikes. Another tough category. All of these nominees did an excellent job at honing performances and storytelling. My vote would be for Danny Boyle, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. The scope of this project alone deserves high praise. RUNNER UP: Gus Van Sant, MILK.

BEST PICTURE
It’s really a toss-up between my top two. I could seriously go either way, but at the end of the day I would vote for MILK based on it’s social relevance. The film is an immense piece of work on all levels (story, performance, technical, etc.), but it’s the message that it leaves you with that really puts it above all others. RUNNER UP: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

Okay, I’m going to put this out there right off the bat so we’re all clear…

2009 marked my first trip to Sundance.

Yep. That ‘s the honest truth. Hard to believe, right? Not really.  I’ve always told myself that I wouldn’t make that expensive trip unless I had a film in competition or had to attend because of some job. Well, guess what? The job came a callin’.  

So, how did it all go for me? In two words I would sum up the experience as exhaustingly educational. The great thing about being a sponsor of a major festival like Sundance is that you get all the perks that filmmakers in competition receive, but with a lot less work and headache.  Sure, I was there on official SAGIndie business, but compared to the countless press interviews, networking and general “marketing” that a filmmaker goes through, I would say I had it pretty easy.

I was fortunate to see many quality films (HUMPDAY and BRONSON were two of my favorites), attend numerous parties (the We Live in Public bash was off the hook), explore a gorgeous resort town that I’ve always wanted to visit, and see the historic inauguration of our 44th President (albeit on CNN at a condo in Park City).  I was able to experience all of this while getting the word out about SAG’s low budget agreements. It should be mentioned that our little brunches were quite successful, mainly thanks to our gracious hosts — Lee Daniels (Push), Justin Kirk (Against the Current), Anne Heche (Spread), Paula Patton (Push), Lynn Shelton (Humpday), Lynette Howell (The Greatest), and Cherien Dabis (Amreeka).  

According to my co-workers, this year was an excellent year to attend Sundance for two main reasons: (A) it wasn’t nearly as crowded as years before and (B) it wasn’t as cold as years before. Boy, they could have fooled me. Everywhere I went seemed packed to capacity and every time I stepped outside I nearly froze (yes I’m originally from Alaska, but the nice Cali weather has weakened me).

Needless to say, all of the activity left me exhausted and with a bit of a cold, but I suppose I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Just call me battle tested. 
 

So, I’ve been to Sundance something like 8 times.  Once, while a student, once with a movie premiering, and 6 times with SAGIndie.  Going as a student sucks.  No one knows you or cares.  You can’t get in to any parties and you become keenly aware that you are, in fact, nobody.  Going to Sundance with a movie ROCKS!  We even threw a party that was so crowded, we almost didn’t get in.  And I got to pretend to be big [curse word removed] because one of the stars of our movie acted as if he knew me in public.  My sister doesn’t even do that.

Now, I come to Sundance with SAGIndie.  It’s not bad.  We don’t get to go to the gifting suites – oh well.  We aren’t that interested in the parties because we work so hard during the day (and we can’t get in, but I’m sure that’s not it).  I know a lot of people from my many years “in the biz” and it’s always fun to see everyone and to get to hang out and watch movies together.  I also enjoy the occasional good meal and cocktail.  BUT, this year marked something new in my Sundance experience – the non Sundance.  Believe me, I don’t recommend it.

This year, I brought my infant son to Sundance.  What?!  I couldn’t leave him behind, he’s an infant (and my husband threatened to leave me if I didn’t take him).  But as my life would have it, my son became ill almost instantly.  We’re talking 100 degree temperature, listless and just plain sad looking – on a 6 month old.  Heartbreaking.  So I spent my 7 days stuck in a condo, with a sick baby, watching bad Utah daytime television (yes, it’s worse than Los Angeles daytime television).  Four days in a row I had to work.  Four days in a row I spoke on panels and threw brunches for the actors and filmmakers in Sundance.  And as soon as I was finished, I took my child from whosever arms he was in (the arms varied, but I generally knew the people attached to them.  Don’t worry), and went back to my condo.  Movies?  I vaguely heard there were some playing.  I wouldn’t know, but I can tell you that Oprah’s new year programming is FASCINATING.  Actually, I have to confess.  My son’s temperature broke on Monday and Monday afternoon I was off to see my ONE movie while my son kept a friend busy.  The movie was BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN. Nice acting, average film. 

So that was Sundance from the inside of my condo.  All I want to know is, does BYU NEED its own channel?  I think not.

It has been my experience that some of the most interesting people I have met and conversations I have had often occur while waiting for things at Sundance. 

Last year I met this great woman while waiting in line to get into American Teen who was a big exec at a big TV producers company.  We later sat down over a hot chocolate and she let me pitch her the film I was trying to find money for.  Unfortunately, my micro-mini budget didn’t suit her need for projects 5 million and over, but I guarantee I would have never had the privilege of learning this had we not been waiting next to one another at the Library.
 
In 2001, I was sitting on the bus (a form of waiting) and started talking to this guy who was launching a new company to submit your films to festivals called Without A Box.  It sounded pretty good, kind of like the common application to get into colleges (yes, that was my reference in 2001) so I signed up.
 
I had an amazing time one year, maybe 2002′ish waiting outside Harry O’s trying to get into the Project Greenlight HBO party.  I think half of HBO was outside with me as there was obviously some big mix up at the door.  I sold a documentary to HBO in 2005.  (Okay, these occurrences had nothing to do with one another, but I still recognized some of the people who braved the cold with me that night at various events and panels.) 
 
This year the festival was empty.  You didn’t have to wait anywhere.  It was absolutely wonderful but I also realize that I did not meet nearly as many people.  I kind of breezed through.  Any waiting that occurred was artificially constructed.  My best waiting story this year was while in the lobby of the Eccles.  I was standing by for a return text from a friend after seeing PUSH, when I spotted Harvey Weinstein in all his great glory (and no, I will not go into any greater detail as I have dreams of doing business with the Weinstein Company some day.) That was a first and someone, I must admit, I have been waiting almost a decade to see live and in person.