Happy New Year! 2019 got off to an accolades-filled start, with nominations rolling out this week for the PGA Awards (producers!), DGA Awards (directors!), WGA Awards (writers!), ACE Awards (editors!), ASC Awards (cinematographers!), CSA Awards (casting directors!), CAS Awards (sound mixers!), GMS Awards (music supervisors!), MUAHS Awards (make-up and hair stylists!), and CDGA Awards (costume designers!) – and probably a few we missed. How many more guilds/acronyms are there in Hollywood? Three?
Anyway, if your New Year’s Resolution was to read more about the film industry (awards-related or not), we’ve got you covered with this week’s listing of good reads for filmmakers and actors. Only 358 days of reading to go!
This Week’s Good Reads (Week of January 7, 2019)
There Were 1,313 Movies Released in America in 2018. We Have Data for All of Them. (via Eric D. Snider for Crooked Marquee)
Picking up the slack where BoxOfficeMojo left off, from director demographics to movie runtimes to source materials.
Distributors Fact Sheet: We Spoke to Dozens of Distributors; This is What They Want in a Film (via Liz Manashil and Rebecca Green for Dear Producer)
Browse these distributors and see if your film is a fit for them!
Why We Need to Keep Searching for Lost Silent Films (via Fritzi Kramer for Smithsonian Magazine)
The Smithsonian Museums may be closed for the government shutdown, but the website is on the case regarding what we can find in long-lost silent films.
One perfect shot: the unsung power of cinematography (via Pamela Hutchinson for The Guardian)
How the job of the DP has changed through the years.
Female Composers Are Trying to Break Film’s Sound Barrier (via Tim Greiving for The New York Times)
Women making music for the movies.
Imposters and Grief: the Blessing of Being an Actor (via J. Smith-Cameron for The Talkhouse)
The Spirit Award-nominated actor on acting through personal tragedy on the set of Nancy.
How to see movies you actually want to watch (via Jeva Lange for The Week)
How to be a better moviegoer in 2019 (and after that, if you’re really into it).
In case you were ignoring us (aka blatant self-promotion)
Free Production Legal Services for Indie Filmmakers
Learn about Chapman University’s FREE Entertainment Law Clinic.
Filmmaker Interview: Jason Noto, writer/director of Beyond the Night
We talked casting young talent, filming in a small town, and the perks of working your way up on a film set.
A video worth watching
Yep, it’s that time of year again! Meet the Sundance Class of 2019 (via Sundance Institute)
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How ’bout you? Read anything good this week?
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If you’re an independent filmmaker or know of an independent film-related topic we should write about, email blogadmin@sagindie.org for consideration.