tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-179750992024-03-07T01:01:58.181-06:00Austin Film Festival NewsSee the main festival site at www.austinfilmfestival.comTaylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.comBlogger494125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-35886133708372606962012-06-22T12:40:00.003-05:002012-06-22T12:40:35.030-05:00The AFF Blog has moved!Please visit us at <a href="http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/news">www.austinfilmfestival.com/news</a>.Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-73818166000175576132012-03-26T10:36:00.002-05:002012-03-26T10:47:17.885-05:00Interview with Rebecca Kirsch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgRUOgK5kEAsuB-1PwkTIiiKiqJCpT9hHIToQp99NwWPLSL67_vWhE1wiew6aNk_uyLxcanIXafkesh3d6xwJsixYlPkQ_JBS9R59UPLXYG1tFjWDXlFDFfwsMOuh1wKT-u-c/s1600/Becky+Kirsch+Bio+Photo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgRUOgK5kEAsuB-1PwkTIiiKiqJCpT9hHIToQp99NwWPLSL67_vWhE1wiew6aNk_uyLxcanIXafkesh3d6xwJsixYlPkQ_JBS9R59UPLXYG1tFjWDXlFDFfwsMOuh1wKT-u-c/s200/Becky+Kirsch+Bio+Photo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724232881056687986" /></a><br />This week's interview is with TV writer Rebecca Kirsch.<br /><br />In 2005, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1179937/">Rebecca Kirsch</a> won the <a href="http://austinfilmfestival.com/new/">Austin Film Festival</a> Drama Teleplay competition for her spec episode of “Lost”. That script and a "Deadwood" spec also placed in the Scriptapalooza, Creative Screenwriting Magazine, Fade In Magazine, American Accolades, Write Network, Talent Scout AND American Gem writing competitions! (Will take this moment to remind readers that you can't place, much less win if you don't enter...)<br /><br />Rebecca worked as Writers' Assistant for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1103987/">"Leverage"</a> series Creators and Executive Producers John Rogers and Chris Downey from Seasons 1-3, writing two freelance episodes during that time, and was promoted to Staff Writer in Season 4. She is represented by ICM and we're excited to have her on board as a speaker for the 2012 Austin Film Festival & Conference. <br /><br />Our interview questions come from Austin Film Festival Conference Director Maya Perez and Amanda Keach Martin, Austin Film Festival's "On-Story" Development Director.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">AFF:</span> Are there real life vigilantes, like the characters in “Leverage”, that help the innocent that have been wronged? Where do the show's writers get such great material to write about?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kirsch:</span> “Leverage” is about a team of modern day Robin Hoods who right the wrongs inflicted by the rich and powerful on the common man. Unfortunately, in the era of Bernie Madoff, the global recession, bank bailouts and predatory lending, our writing staff doesn’t need to look very far in the real world to find story inspiration, or villains for our five heroes to tackle. Additionally, our “Leverage” writers bring multi-varied backgrounds and life experiences to the room, which greatly influence our episodes. Co-creators, co-showrunners and executive producers John Rogers and Chris Downey encourage our writing staff to pitch story ideas freely, and for us each to support and encourage the pitches of our fellow writers with the aim of making the very best show we possibly can together. With that positive and open vibe to the Writers’ Room, our writing team has a great deal of fun coming up with different and unique ways for our five heroes to take down our villains. <br /><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">AFF:</span> What’s your writing routine and process? <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kirsch:</span> My home office is decorated mad-scientist-chic with floor-to-ceiling index cards, flow charts, mind maps and research photos for the various projects I’m working on; I’m a very visual learner, and find that having a layout of the story in front of me while I write is essential. When outlining a new project, I use multi-colored index cards to break out the story beats, a technique I first learned at Chapman University from a great mentor of mine, professor James Macak (AFF moderator and pitch competition winner). The “Leverage” writers’ room uses a similar but more elaborate technique with different colored cards used to break the story in a specific progression of steps, from general concept to more specific arenas and keynote moments, all the way to individual slug-lined scenes.<br /><br />Outlining tends to be the hardest part of the process for me, but a very necessary one. Before I allow myself to tackle script pages, I make sure that I have a solid game plan set in stone in the outline. At script stage, I’m always eager to skip ahead and write favored scenes I’ve been looking forward to, but for the first “hack draft” (a phrase borrowed from 2004 AFF winner and former “Leverage” writer Christine Boylan), I aim to just get everything down on paper chronologically, and will only then revise once I’m past the initial daunting hurdle of the blank page. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">AFF: </span>How did you break into television, and what advice do you have for others trying to do the same? <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kirsch:</span> I left school with the advice and drive to land a TV Writers’ Assistant gig. After a few internships, I was offered a Development Assistant position at Dean Devlin’s independent studio, Electric Entertainment. I worked for two years with Director of Development Marc Roskin to bring in new material to the studio, and to develop their current slate of film and television projects. It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss story on a daily basis, to read the works of other writers, and to work with and learn from an amazing group of talented producers. <br /><br />Two years later, when “Leverage” was picked up to series, I was promoted to the Writers’ Assistant position, thanks to the support of my bosses. Having been a part of the series since its very start, I’ve been lucky enough to learn everything about working in television from John Rogers and Chris Downey, and I am so privileged to work with them and the rest of our amazing writing staff. With their support and encouragement, I wrote two episodes during my three years as Writers’ Assistant, and was promoted to Staff Writer in our fourth season. <br /><br />Leaving film school in search of a television writing career felt daunting because there appeared to be no exact and precise path to my particular goal -- each success story I heard was wholly unique. During the day, I tried to fight the good fight as an assistant, and on nights and weekends I focused on sharpening my skills by writing and rewriting spec scripts. No matter how busy your day job keeps you, be it industry-related or not, my advice would be to always keep challenging your skills as a writer. Don’t just talk about what you want to write; write it. <br /><br />Thanks, Becky, and we'll see you in October!Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08769168951191173258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-820598708831685802012-03-21T15:23:00.000-05:002012-03-21T15:23:29.327-05:003D: Dim, Dull, and Drained?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzDaKgAT3Hc_70fuhNMCnrMzUpywineVKpQjcI-GLaAqPO-xPDJljN4iLsaJ1LKAz3ElUzi_-4jVf0tDXGSg6MmVJFb0oT2sFcZ9lzW771GsidSFmL9nutkLBuf9qxCSY6ona-g/s1600/Jannise.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzDaKgAT3Hc_70fuhNMCnrMzUpywineVKpQjcI-GLaAqPO-xPDJljN4iLsaJ1LKAz3ElUzi_-4jVf0tDXGSg6MmVJFb0oT2sFcZ9lzW771GsidSFmL9nutkLBuf9qxCSY6ona-g/s200/Jannise.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Let me start this post by saying that I am a huge Star Wars fan. As a child, I wore out more than a few VHS copies of the original trilogy, and if I hadn’t fallen in love with the magic of the movies through George Lucas’s work, I don’t believe I’d be doing this job today. This being said, I couldn’t help but head back to the theaters for the 3D redux of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.<br /><br />Why would I do this? Even as a 14-year-old, I recognized in 1999 that The Phantom Menace was not quite up to snuff with the earlier films. Sure, the fantastical worlds and sense of adventure was still there, but the performances were mostly leaden and the characters fairly uninteresting. Why would I want to go through two hours of trade blockade confusion and midichlorian mumbo jumbo again? Simple answer: I wanted to see that awesome podracing sequence in 3D.<br /><br />That’s right. Against all the odds, I’m trying desperately to be a fan of the new 3D experience. But some studios aren’t making it easy, as they continue to drown the marketplace in faded, uninspired 3D conversions. All the arguments against 3D were in full force at the screening of The Phantom Menace I attended. The bright color palette and visual splendor of the film, really its greatest strength, were drained through the filter of the 3D glasses. Not to mention the fact that the three-dimensional effect was almost unrecognizable, which is no surprise considering that the film wasn’t shot with 3D in mind.<br /><br />So why do I keep going back to 3D movies when experiences like this leave me disappointed? Because, believe or not, there are occasional glimpses into the wonderment that 3D can provide. What about Coraline, the staggeringly beautiful animated film from stop-motion master Henry Selick? That film displayed remarkable depth and clarity in the 3D format, and when I watch it at home, I find myself wishing I were back in the theater experiencing all three dimensions.<br /><br />That is the feeling that 3D should leave us with. If it’s done right, 3D can keep us going back to the cinema despite the wealth of home-viewing options at our fingertips. Before The Phantom Menace, I saw a 3D trailer for the upcoming Focus Features release ParaNorman. The film was created by many of the same animators and crew members that worked on Coraline, and it appears to have the same charm that Coraline had. But, even more importantly to the future of moviegoing, it looks amazing in 3D. Glasses on.</span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-25654698339728192822012-03-20T10:36:00.000-05:002012-03-20T10:36:51.935-05:00Transmedia and Screenwriting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Last week, I attended the world premiere screening of Tom
Hanks’ upcoming webisode series <b>Electric
City</b> at South By
Southwest. The first 10 episodes were
presented of this series which follows a group of resistance fighters in a
dystopian society where resources and communication are controlled. Tom Hanks chose to tell this story in the
webisode format because he felt the commercial constraints of movies and
television wouldn’t allow him to tell this type of story. In an age of pre-branded content, sequels,
and remakes, it has been increasingly difficult for original feature film
content to be produced (apparently even for Mr. Hanks). More filmmakers are now focusing their
attention to more cost-effective outlets to present their original material
especially with media becoming increasingly more sophisticated and accessible. So what does this mean for the future of
storytelling? Transmedia isn’t anything
new but it is definitely something screenwriters should pay attention to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">What is transmedia?
In 2010, the Producers Guild of America officially sanctioned the title
“Transmedia Producer”.and defined transmedia as “a narrative that consists of
three (or more) storylines existing within the same fictional universe on any
of the following platforms: Film, Television, Short Film, Broadband,
Publishing, Comics, Animation, Mobile, Special Venues, DVD/Blu-Ray/CD-Rom,
Narrative Commercial and Marketing rollouts, and other technologies that may or
may not currently exist.” The landscape
for storytelling has changed and now screenwriters may feel increased pressured
to write stories that present greater marketing potential across different
media platforms. The debate over
“artistic integrity” vs. “marketing potential” between writers and producers
has always existed. It may seem that transmedia
further complicates this situation but for the savvy screenwriter, it doesn’t
have to.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Writers don’t have to sacrifice the artistic integrity of
their work but they should still think about the bigger picture and ask themselves:
“Are the characters and world of my story developed enough to present further
possibilities?” Screenwriting is just
one form of creative expression that can be extended to other forms (i.e. a
novel, graphic novel, webisode series, stage play, etc). Every character has a back story. Every storyline has a prologue and
epilogue. These are already inherent to
a well-developed story and can be used as a basis for developing further promotional
material. This is why all writers should
save all treatments, character analyses, outlines, and early versions of their
script to comb through for additional material to use. Writers should not think about how their
story can be profitable (i.e. sequels, product placements, toy lines, etc.) but
they should think about how various forms of media can further enhance the
experience of the story. If writers can
focus on telling a quality story while being mindful of its possibilities, the
outcome could present great rewards. Obviously, not every writer/filmmaker needs to
follow the transmedia model but it is definitely something to consider as the
landscape of the industry continues to change.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">--Matt Dy, Screenplay & Teleplay Competition Director</span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-2940987565586145612012-03-14T18:23:00.002-05:002012-03-14T18:34:12.029-05:00Interview with Marti NoxonThis week's interview is with writer/producer Marti Noxon. <br /><br />A versatile writer/producer who works fluidly through genres and mediums, Marti Noxon's feature film credits include I am Number Four, Dreamworks/Disney’s Fright Night, The Defenders with filmmaker Jon Hamburg for Kurtzman Orci Paper Products and Masi Oka. She is also adapting Pride and Prejudice and Zombies for Lionsgate, Ouija for Platinum Dunes and Hasbro, and writing Tink for Disney and Elizabeth Banks.<br /><br />Noxon has written and executive produced for many critically acclaimed shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Brothers & Sisters, Point Pleasant, and Still Life. She has also acted as consulting producer for Mad Men, Prison Break, and Angel. She is a consulting writer/producer on the third season of the hit Fox series Glee<br /><br />Under her Grady Twins Productions banner that she co-runs with longtime collaborator and friend Dawn Olmstead, Noxon proves to be an all-around talent building a thriving production company. She is currently producing projects for Lifetime, FX, the CW, and NBC. <br /><br />Our interview questions come from Austin Film Festival Office Manager Marcie Mayhorn and Amanda Keach Martin, Austin Film Festival's "On-Story" Development Director. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">AFF:</span> What is the biggest difference between writing for film and writing for television? <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Marti: </span>Television is a collaborative medium. You work out story with other writers and sometimes write scripts together. Writing features is more solitary. But it can also be very gratifying because I'm not as much of a slave to demands of ongoing production. I get to take more time with it and really disappear into another world. Also, I can tell a complete story from start to finish. A TV show can get cancelled mid-story and you never get closure with your characters. One big upside of TV, however, when you're on a show that's on the air, is that you get to MAKE what you write. That's less often the case in the movie world. I've written way more scripts that never see the light of day, no matter how well the material was received. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">AFF: </span>Glee and Mad Men are two totally different story lines. Do you find it challenging to jump back and forth between concepts (i.e. going from music/teenage issues to 1960’s adult drama)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Marti:</span> That's what's so fun about being a writer. I get to explore different worlds, tones and parts of myself. I think it's really exciting to move from genre to genre, and I believe every experience keeps me more fluid -- I don't get "stuck" writing just one way. I almost always have a few projects going at once that are very different. Personally, I like the challenge of doing things outside of my comfort zone and actively seek those kinds of projects out.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">AFF: </span>For shows like Private Practice and Grey’s Anatomy, how much outside research did you have to do (particularly in medicine)?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Marti: </span>We had doctors who were on the writing staffs of both shows. They helped us enormously with medical research. We also had people come and speak to the writers from different specialties. And, of course, there was lots of time spent on the internet, although it's limited in how much you can trust the information and there's always more nuance when you speak to a real person or visit a real place. I do a fair amount of research on the things I write that are based on any kind of fact. Then there are projects that are more personal, and the "research" is just dumb things I've done and said in my life... Lots of material available there.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">AFF: </span>In it's 8 year of airing Grey's Anatomy is facing the possibility of losing its two main character, Meredith Grey played Ellen Pompeo and Derek Shepherd played by Patrick Dempsey. As a past writer for the show what is the thought process that goes into writing this large transition without losing audience appeal? <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Marti:</span> It's always hard for an audience to let go of a character they love. Some shows get through it, and some shows kind of die on the vine. I think the key is casting and preparation. If you know somebody is leaving the show, you lay the groundwork by developing the supporting characters, bringing in some new blood and great storylines. And you try to find a really exciting piece of casting to replace the outgoing person. That softens the blow. Sometimes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />AFF: </span>Do you contribute to the song writing (or song suggestions) for Glee?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Marti: </span>We all pitch song ideas all the time. Ryan Murphy has the final say on what goes in the show. I've had a few suggestions get through and it is really exciting to see "your" number come to life. I feel a bit of ownership, even though I've done absolutely none of the hard work. Like the arranging, the clearances, the choreography, the recording, the performing. I just said "hey, what about -- XX?" So that sense of ownership is completely unearned. But you take what you can get. <br /><br />Thanks, Marti!<br /><br />As we gear up for the 2012 Festival & Conference, we're posting interviews with our incoming panelists here, on our blog. The questions come from our registrants, fellow panelists, facebook fans, etc., so if you have questions for any of our incoming (or past) speakers, just send them to our Conference Director Maya Perez at maya@austinfilmfestival.com you just might see your interview on here!Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08769168951191173258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-45340988774399277402012-03-14T13:24:00.001-05:002012-03-14T13:36:43.505-05:00The Hollywood Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">The current state of Hollywood could not be
more clear this month, with two bright, shining examples of why certain films
get made and others get bypassed. JOHN CARTER, a film based on a short story so
old and obscure that it’s just about the closest Hollywood comes to “original
idea,” opened with disappointing numbers despite a shimmering cast/crew (Andrew
Stanton! Michael Chabon! Bryan Cranston! Willem Dafoe!) and the marketing reach
of the Walt Disney Company. Meanwhile, THE HUNGER GAMES, based on the
mega-best-selling young adult novels proclaimed as the new TWILIGHT or HARRY
POTTER, is already selling out screenings nationwide despite a cast of young
no-names.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">These results are essentially
foregone conclusions. CARTER had been tracking poorly for weeks, with
journalists and industry veterans writing it off as a legendary flop before it
even had its first public screening. THE HUNGER GAMES, on the other hand, was
destined for glory, as it has been in the hearts and minds of the all important
teen and 18-25 demographics for months now.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">What has emerged from the stories of
these two films is not simply a battle for box office but a war for the future
of Hollywood filmmaking. When people involved
with JOHN CARTER took to Twitter to beg people to go see their film, they
weren’t asking simply to improve their profit margins or avoid embarrassment.
They truly felt that CARTER’s success at the box office could prove to the
industry at large that an original (or quasi-original) idea could sell tickets,
which would open doors for more original ideas. Instead, CARTER proved to be the
disappointment that everyone expected, which communicated to studio execs that
working off of already popular brands and franchises is still the way to
go.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Does this mean we will see fewer and
fewer original films? I’m not that pessimistic. There will always be a place for
thoughtful, new ideas. But they will become harder and harder to make, and
studios like Walt Disney will be less likely to throw $250 million at them when
they can make TWILIGHTs and HUNGER GAMEs for much less.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Which isn’t such a bad thing.
Looking back on the history of filmmaking, there have always been ebbs and
flows. From the New American Cinema of the 70s to the indie craze of the late
80s/early 90s, filmmakers like Coppola, Scorsese, Cassavetes, Soderbergh,
Tarantino, etc. have always found ways to bring original ideas back into the
public eye in a big way. So, let’s not be discouraged by JOHN CARTER but instead
look forward to what the next wave of new ideas will bring us. In the meantime,
let’s also admit that not all unoriginal ideas result in bad movies. See you on
Friday for 21 JUMP
STREET?</span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-34844704566484070682012-03-05T16:48:00.003-06:002012-03-07T15:28:36.303-06:00Interview with Alec Berg<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As we gear up for the 2012 Festival & Conference, we're posting interviews with our incoming panelists here, on our blog. The questions come from our registrants, fellow panelists, facebook fans, etc., so if you have questions for any of our incoming (or past) speakers, just send them to our Conference Director Maya Perez at maya@austinfilmfestival.com you just might see your interview on here!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOtBQQY4EVGCWiMA2SLf4tJFEx-2xr9RObMK_5Kn4tDa1_PlcYRxX98YLW8gZRpMFg6QaNBTYvrFQBSHQHtMAwaaomgDCCR_wwH-xxcI9EKVy6MJsYPeC-7GBTHPr2_aoeKySag/s1600/Alec+Berg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOtBQQY4EVGCWiMA2SLf4tJFEx-2xr9RObMK_5Kn4tDa1_PlcYRxX98YLW8gZRpMFg6QaNBTYvrFQBSHQHtMAwaaomgDCCR_wwH-xxcI9EKVy6MJsYPeC-7GBTHPr2_aoeKySag/s320/Alec+Berg.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alec Berg at the 2011 Austin Film Festival</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This week's interview is with Alec Berg. Alec Berg’s television credits include </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Seinfeld</span><span style="font-size: small;"> where he was a writer and executive producer, and </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Curb Your Enthusiasm</span><span style="font-size: small;"> where he currently serves as a writer, executive producer and director.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">His feature film work includes writing the screenplays for The Cat in the Hat (which was made into a terrible film) and Eurotrip (which he produced and co-directed and is excellent.) He recently wrote and produced "The Dictator" for Sacha Baron Cohen. He has also done extensive rewriting, having worked on films for Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell, Will Smith, Ivan Reitman and Robert Zemeckis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Alec has been nominated for numerous Emmy awards, a WGA Award, a DGA award and a Razzie (yes, for The Cat in the Hat, it’s that bad.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">Chris:</span><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0056187/">Sacha Baron Cohen seems</a> to love controversy, so when you wrote for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1645170/">The Dictator</a>, was there a sense of nothing being off limits topic or joke wise? If so, did that free your writing process?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">Alec:</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Obviously Sacha's sense of humor runs toward the edgy and the extreme. He likes political and satirical and he enjoys punishing hypocrisy. My partners and I have similar comedic tastes so when we hatched the idea for The Dictator we knew it was perfect for Sacha. It checked all of the boxes I just listed, and I think that's why he sparked to it and agreed to do it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">From the beginning the process was pretty natural. For the most part when something worked it was pretty obvious to all of us, and when it didn't it was equally obvious. It's a completely subjective process so obviously there are a lot of things you fight over along the way, but for the most part the things that made the cut were things that we all agreed worked. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And in terms of things being off-limits, we always assumed this was going to be an aggressive R-rated film. Sacha's audience expects that, and everyone at Paramount knew that's what we were going to deliver when they bought it from us. Because of that the limits were almost all self-imposed. Just because you can do anything doesn't mean you should. It can be in questionable taste but it's got to be funny enough to merit it. And you can be savage to people as long as they deserve savaging. Like on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443453/">Borat</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0889583/">Brüno</a>, we had a lot of conversations on Dictator about the targets of the humor: are the people we're bashing deserving of that treatment?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">Chris:</span><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356150/">Eurotrip</a> had an alternate ending that was more of a "bummer" than the released version, yet way more the style a fan would expect from your <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098904/">Seinfeld</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264235/">Curb Your Enthusiasm</a> work. At what point in the film making process did you have to write the ending that made the final cut, and what was the rewrite process like? Was it just following the notes that were given to make it "happier"? Which ending do you prefer?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">Alec:</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Obviously Seinfeld was shot in front of a live audience. If they're laughing, you hear it. If they're not, it's deafening. If they're way ahead of you, you know it. And if something's not working for them, you know it. Often with humiliating clarity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">But Eurotrip was (arguably) a feature film, shot over several months in tiny pieces, all completely out of order. When you shoot like that you never get a real sense of how the whole thing plays. Then months later when you've cut it all together to the best of your ability you start to show it to preview audiences to get a sense of how it's working and you finally start to get that audience feedback. The first real screening is a terrifying experience, because you find out whether the last two years of your life were a waste of time or not. And it's wildly helpful. You're very close to everything and have seen every frame of film hundreds of times. But they're seeing it for the very first time. The audience laugh in places you didn't even know were funny. And they don't laugh at a lot of things you thought were great. A lot. And sometimes what was the funniest version on paper just doesn't play on its feet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The original Eurotrip ending was the one in the script we sold and was the one we initially shot. Intellectually a kid enduring this entire international journey only to be told at the end that he is an idiot and his expectations were foolish was the funniest ending, and possibly the most realistic. But when we screened the movie you could feel the audience was disappointed in that moment. It was obvious they had bought into Scottie's quest and they wanted the kid to get what he came for. They wanted him to win, so they weren't laughing when he got rejected.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So we pitched the studio a new ending, wrote it up and they were nice enough to let us shoot it. And the new ending worked a lot better so we went with it. If I had to say which was funnier in the abstract there's no question I'd say the original. And it sounds like maybe you agree. But overall our test audiences reacted much better to the newer ending. And sometimes you have to say "audience be damned, I need to go with my instincts here" but it was pretty clear that this was the better choice for the movie. We lost the laugh of his rejection, but suddenly the other jokes at the end were getting much better laughs, because the audience was comfortable again. Overall we actually gained laughs by cutting that joke.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">Chris:</span><span style="font-size: small;"> This one's goofy, but you mentioned that Curb Your Enthusiasm is unscripted specifically because Larry David didn't want to receive specs, but there are tons of Curb specs still out there. Do you often read these? Would you recommend doing a Curb spec? Since the shows not scripted I would imagine the desire to read these from agents, producers, showrunners and the like to be pretty low, but what do you think?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">Alec: </span><span style="font-size: small;">In my experience the reality with spec scripts in TV, especially comedies, is that the one place they will probably never help you is with the show whose script you're writing. If I read a Curb or a Seinfeld spec I'm going to have a different reaction than an agent or a producer or even another writer because I worked at those shows. I can't help but critique them differently, "She would never say that," or "three seasons ago in episode four we did a joke like that." Or maybe it's fantastic, so now I feel threatened by your talent and need to dump on your script to make myself feel better about my own mediocre talent. In any event, if I'm going to respond to a spec it's probably not going to be a spec from something I've worked on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Personally I've always been more interested to read people's spec pilots than specs of existing shows. My thinking is if I feel Frasier is a terrible show, no matter how well you write a Frasier spec I'm going to hate it. But apparently most people to read specs of existing shows so they're a necessary step.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The best shows to spec are ones that are popular enough that people know them but not so popular that everyone has already spec-ed it. I'd imagine there are a billion Modern Family specs out there now so maybe you don't want to be number one-billion-and-one? But I think Curb probably fits in that window. And since the point of a Curb spec really isn't to get a job at Curb, I don't think people will decline to read it if it's a good example of how brilliant and funny you are. So if you think Curb is a show you can write well, go for it. And this way I already have a gracious way of refusing to read it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Have questions of your own for Alec? Write them down in your notebook and ask him yourself at the 2012 Austin Film Festival & Conference! </span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08769168951191173258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-81479124813651152082012-03-02T12:46:00.000-06:002012-03-02T14:24:18.936-06:00Toto, I don’t think we’re in film school anymore…<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcie Mayhorn</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As a film school alum, no cinema question phases me in the
slightest. “What’s your favorite Billy
Wilder film?” <i>SOME LIKE IT HOT.</i> “Who is
your favorite foreign director?” <i>Easy – Pedro Almodovar.</i> “What do you
want to be when you grow up?” <i>Please – writer/director and probably a
producer, especially if I want to have my own production company.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I can shoot off answers to questions like these all day
long. But sometimes, questions come
along that require a little more thought.
One of the interns here at the office asked me one day what I’d like to
do in the future. Again, no hesitation
whatsoever: “I’d like to write and direct my own films, and essentially own my
own production company.” I didn’t even stutter. “Oh wow,” she replied, “well, what type of
stories do you want to write?” “I –…” I paused.
The immediate answer didn’t come to me.
So many options ran through my head: good stories, of course, but not
cheesy good, really feel-good stories, ones that make you feel your heart in
your throat. But not leave a theater
sobbing…</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">What type of stories do I want to write? I had to tell her I would get back to her
because I didn’t honestly know. Ever
since she asked me, I have thought long and hard about this. I finally realized I should examine a few of
my favorite films for this answer. The
one that truly stuck out in my mind was THE WIZARD OF OZ. Do I want to write a story about a rural girl
who gets whacked in the head and dreams she’s in a magical land? Not exactly.
So what is it about this film that makes it one of my favorites?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">It was the first time I had really ever dissected a story,
really got into the cracks to see what makes it so appealing to me. And there, I discovered my answer: I used to
watch this film all the time as a child.
I would sing all of the songs, and make believe that I, too, could
travel somewhere magical. I used this
story as a basis for wanting to dream, for wanting to explore places that I
could only imagine, and maybe even go there someday. But like Dorothy, I remembered the importance
of home and how much family means to me.
I vividly remember watching this film the night before I left for
college and crying my eyes out, because I knew that my life was about to change.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And it hit me: <b><i>those</i></b> are the types of stories I
want to write. The ones that evoke
memories, that trigger that deep feeling and emotion within us that only we
know. I want to write stories that make
someone remember the importance of all the people in their life, and how taking
a risk can be worthwhile. I want to
write stories that make someone realize that it is perfectly alright to be
exactly the type of person that they are.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I’ll have to tell that intern that I finally know the answer
to her question! But for today, I also
challenge you to answer the question of: what kind of stories do <b><i>you</i></b>
want to tell?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">-- Marcie Mayhorn, Austin Film Festival Office Manager </span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-31409596582957847082012-02-29T17:41:00.000-06:002012-03-02T14:25:00.511-06:00AFF at the Oscars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">There were a lot of proud faces on television screens around the world Sunday night, as the Academy Awards presented their annual prizes to a few lucky filmmakers. In fact, anyone who played a part in the triumph of an Oscar-winning film had reason to be proud, particularly those involved with the Best Picture winner, “The Artist.” Originally screened at Cannes, this little black-and-white silent French film that initially scared away distributors eventually charmed the world, taking home 5 Oscars by the end of the evening.<br /><br />The thought of marketing a film like “The Artist” was naturally a concern for all involved, including festivals like AFF. Even though most of us who programmed the film had seen it at Telluride or Toronto and knew how great it was, convincing everyone else of that fact was a different matter altogether. Ultimately, we at AFF decided to screen “The Artist” at the Paramount Theatre, Austin’s beautiful classic movie palace, and the experience of seeing that particular film in that particular cinema was truly unparalleled. The film went on to win our Audience Award, and we couldn’t be prouder to have our trophy join the growing number of statues on this wonderful film’s shelf.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Nothing brings the staff of a film festival greater joy than seeing one of its programmed films going on to conquer the hearts and minds of moviegoers everywhere. We were also so pleased to see “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” which won both our Jury and our Audience Award for Best Animated Short, go on to win the Oscar in that category. I can remember the day that my fellow film programmer, Stephen Belyeu, and I watched that film for the first time. We both knew we had just seen something very special, and we were so honored to introduce it to our festival audience and the Austin moviegoing community at large. Those are the moments that make this job so rewarding, and we can’t wait to do it all over again this October. Here’s to another year at the movies!</span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-12687888467153147242012-02-29T16:40:00.003-06:002012-03-06T14:37:05.040-06:00Interview with Liz Tigelaar<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">As we gear up for the 2012 Festival & Conference, we'll be posting interviews with our incoming panelists here, on our blog. The questions come from our registrants, fellow panelists, facebook fans, etc., so if you have questions for any of our incoming (or past) speakers, just send them to our Conference Director Maya Perez at maya@austinfilmfestival.com. You just might see your interview on here one of these days!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Our first interview is with Liz Tigelaar. Liz grew up in Dallas, Texas and Guilford, Connecticut, graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Scriptwriting and Politics. She got her start as an assistant on </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Dawson's Creek</span><span style="font-size: small;"> and </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Once & Again</span><span style="font-size: small;">, where she worked under mentors like Greg Berlanti and Winnie Holzman. Her first staff writing job came on the NBC series, </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">American Dreams</span><span style="font-size: small;">, and went on to write for such shows as </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">What About Brian, Dirty Sexy Money, Brothers & Sisters, Once Upon A Time</span><span style="font-size: small;">, and </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Revenge</span><span style="font-size: small;">. Tigelaar created the critically acclaimed series </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Life Unexpected</span><span style="font-size: small;"> which aired on the CW for two seasons. She currently resides in Santa Monica, California but likes to tell people she lives in Venice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Diana Phillips is our interviewer. Although retired, Diana is a truly passionate supporter of the arts - she's a professional volunteer involved with the Long Center, One World Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Zach Scott, Austin Symphony, Austin Art Alliance, SXSW, Conspirare, Cine Los Americas, and Austin Chamber Music Center. She has been a volunteer for the AFF for 17 years because, "I love film but more importantly the behind the scenes work that makes it all happen."</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;">1. Which do you like better, writing or producing or are they equally satisfying?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">LIZ: Nothing is better than getting to produce what you've written -- to see the process through, from start to finish. What I like about being a writer/producer on my own projects is the control. Or at least pretending I have control. I love crafting a story in the writers room with a team, finessing it, changing it, strengthening it and then prepping it and seeing it come to life on set, seeing what the actors and director bring to it, and then I love how it all gets elevated in post, how performances are honed and crafted, what music does to bring out the emotion... I love being there from start to finish. That said, if I had to pick between only writing or only producing, I would pick writing because everything starts on the page. It's a direct line from your head which makes it fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">2. You've worked on so many series through the years, going way back to <span style="font-style: italic;">Dawson's Creek</span>. As shows have ended, how have you managed to keep your career on track and moving forward? And, do you ever get discouraged?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">LIZ: I haven't made a conscious effort to keep my career on track but I feel like people I've worked with on staff have kept it on track for me. For instance, Josh Reims, my mentor from </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">American Dreams</span><span style="font-size: small;">, hired me on </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">What About Brian</span><span style="font-size: small;"> and </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Dirty Sexy Money</span><span style="font-size: small;">. And then Mark Perry, who I did my first pilot -- Split Decision -- with, hired me when he took over showrunning </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Brothers & Sisters</span><span style="font-size: small;"> and also again on </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Revenge</span><span style="font-size: small;">. So I feel like really great people and mentors have been generous enough to bring me with them and hopefully I will do the same for the wonderful people who I've been on staff with -- I would take the entire </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Life Unexpected</span><span style="font-size: small;"> staff to every show if I could. And yes, I definitely get discouraged at times. It's a hard business, a lot of it breaks your heart, shows you love get cancelled and you have to say goodbye to people that have become family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">3. After <span style="font-style: italic;">Life Unexpected </span>ended it seems like you've made a real effort to keep up with ex-castmates. Have you done the same with other series you've worked on or was this one special since you were also the creator?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Life Unexpected</span><span style="font-size: small;"> was definitely special. A group that bonds like that doesn't come along every day and especially what I loved was that the writers and actors bonded equally. There was no us against them mentality. It was really important me to have a family atmosphere and I knew that our friendships would extend beyond the life of the series. I think I modeled the show after what I saw Jonathan Prince do on </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">American Dreams</span><span style="font-size: small;"> -- it was such a family, we were all such a team. And aside from LUX, I would say I'm still close to that cast, which was also a unique experience. We had a reunion a few years ago for Sarah Ramos's 18th birthday. I think we sent the evite out to 20 people from the show and said to spread the word... 100 came. I still keep in touch with the cast, especially Vanessa Lengies, who is one of my closest friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">4. On past series like <span style="font-style: italic;">Once and Again</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">American Dreams</span> you worked with young stars like Shane West, Evan Rachel Wood, and Brittany Snow. Did you notice their potential for success at such a young age?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">LIZ: Oh absolutely. Evan Rachel Wood had that amazing story on </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">Once & Again</span><span style="font-size: small;"> with Mischa Barton and I remember thinking how wonderful they both were. I was Winnie's assistant on that show so I didn't know them well... but on </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">American Dreams</span><span style="font-size: small;">, I knew the younger cast extremely well -- I was young, too, so I'd always been their chaperones to fun events -- and I knew from the minute I saw them how extremely talented they were. There's something about Brittany Snow's face that still breaks my heart in the best way -- she can convey every emotion so simply -- happiness, heartbreak. I adore her. I remember at the end of the first act of the pilot of </span><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;">American Dreams</span><span style="font-size: small;">, her character is watching the TV, looking at American Bandstand with so much hope and joy, like it's all that matters... that's how I felt watching her watch Bandstand. I wanted to be a part of that show and write for that character. Still, even after creating my own characters, that character is one I feel so connected to. And don't get me started on how much I love Britt Robertson and Ksenia Solo. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">5. Now you've been working on <span style="font-style: italic;">Once Upon a Time</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Revenge</span>. How have those experiences been for you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">LIZ: Great! They are two big hit shows so that feels amazing. I'm happy to have been a part of them both this year -- especially because they are so different for me and different from each other. It makes me hungry to create another show, for sure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Have questions of your own for Liz? Write them down in your notebook and ask her yourself at the 2012 Austin Film Festival & Conference!</span></div>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08769168951191173258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-21766496331078510802012-02-27T17:04:00.001-06:002012-03-01T13:24:46.214-06:00What I Learned From the Oscars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Even with some last minute changes to the predictions I initially posted, I still ended up predicting only 17 out of 24 categories last night. Not my best by any means but alas, there’s always next year when the Dark Knight Rises will sweep the 2013 Oscars (one can still dream I guess). It’s funny how obvious the outcome seems now in retrospect. In this age of blogging, anyone can be an Oscar expert but the only ones who truly know the outcome in advance is PricewaterhouseCoopers. Nobody knows anything and the best method to playing this game is to not over think it. So instead of moping over how bad I did this year, I’ll reflect on what I learned from watching the Oscars:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;">I realized I was born the same year Meryl Streep won her last Oscar for Sophie’s Choice. I can’t wait to see her win another 29 years later when she won’t need makeup to play Margaret Thatcher again in The Iron Lady 2.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>The telecast was rather dull and I wonder what Eddie Murphy would have brought to the show if he had hosted. Heck, Ellen DeGeneres’ JC Penney commercials were considerably funnier.</li>
<li>I did not realize Twilight belonged in the pantheon of great movie moments.</li>
<li>Comedic anecdotes from presenters are almost never funny unless you can speak Mandarin like Sandra Bullock, or your names are Will Ferrell and Mack Zalifigakas. </li>
<li>My thoughts from watching the In Memoriam montage: “All those people are dead???”</li>
<li>I would like to play a drinking game with the Bridesmaids. “Scorsese!”</li>
<li>Viola Davis is gorgeous. I’ll predict she’ll win an Oscar in the future or at least end up on Joan Rivers’ best dressed list.</li>
<li>Never underestimate the power of Harvey Weinstein. Three of his films won Oscars (The Artist, The Iron Lady, and Undefeated)</li>
<li>The Academy really needs to reevaluate its voting process for Best Original Song. Only two nominees this year? And it was a crime The Muppets didn’t get to perform the winning song, “Man or Muppet”!</li>
<li>Christopher Plummer is just two years younger than the Academy Awards?</li>
<li>Billy Crystal can read minds. I’m glad we all finally know what goes on in Marty Scorsese’s and Nick Nolte’s heads. AND... </li>
<li>I need to stop obsessing over the Oscars and get back to writing my script!</li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> --Matt Dy, Screenplay & Teleplay Competition Director</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-39386624426709267592012-02-26T19:08:00.000-06:002012-02-29T15:48:16.893-06:00Live Blogging: The Oscars!<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Taylor here, AFF Marketing Director. Welcome to the Austin Film Festival's live blogging of the 84th annual Academy Awards. Stick around for updates throughout the evening!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7:25pm CST </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">5 minutes 'til show time! </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Is is just me or does one of the commentators look like a mini Steve Martin Scorsese?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7:32pm CST</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Two minutes in and we start the show with a George-on-Billy liplock.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7:36pm CST</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">First film mentioned: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Want a chance to own a signed script of the film? Get your <a href="http://austinfilmfestival.myshopify.com/products/2012-producers-badge" target="_blank">Producers Badge</a> before the end of February and you'll be entered to win one of two copies!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7:38pm CST</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Bill Crystal's first musical number.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7:43pm CST</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">First award!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson - Hugo</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7:45pm CST</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Best Art Direction: Hugo</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7:55pm CST</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Best Costume Design: The Artist - Mark Bridges</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7:56pm CST</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Makeup: The Iron Lady</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">8:07pm CST</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Foreign Language Film: A Separation</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">8:10pm CST</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Best Actress In a Supporting Role: Octavia Spencer, The Help</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">So far, Matt Dy's been pretty on point with <a href="http://austinfilmfestival.blogspot.com/2012/02/final-oscar-predictions.html" target="_blank">his predictions</a>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">8:19pm CST</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Christopher Guest's cast acts as focus group for Wizard of Oz! Hilarious!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">8:22pm CST<br />Film Editing: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Now that signed script of GIRL we have is an OSCAR WINNING SCRIPT! Wanna a shot at winning it? Get your <a href="http://austinfilmfestival.myshopify.com/products/2012-producers-badge" target="_blank">Producers Badge</a> by Feb 29th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">8:26pm CST</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Sound Editing: Hugo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Sound Mixing: Hugo</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">8:36pm CST</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">North by Northwest Peewee Herman lookalikes are bungee jumping around the Kodak Theater.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">8:43pm CST</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Best </span><span style="line-height: 17px;">Documentary</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> Feature: Undefeated</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">8:47pm CST<br />Best Animated Feature: Rango</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">8:53pm CST<br />Emma Stone is winning best dressed so far, in my humble opinion. Plus, she's hilarious.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">8:55pm CST</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Visual Effects: Hugo</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">8:58pm CST</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Best Oscar speech so far.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">9:12pm CST</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Original Score: Ludovic Bource, The Artist</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">9:17pm CST</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Best Original Song: "Man or Muppet", </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">by Bret Mckenzie of Flight of the Conchords!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">9:27pm CST</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 15px;">Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash, The Descendants</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 15px;">9:30pm CST</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">9:40pm CST</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 13px;">Best Live-Action Short Film: The Shore</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 13px;">9:42pm CST</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 12px;">Best Documentary Short: Saving Face</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 12px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 12px;">9:48pm CST</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 12px;">Best Animated Short-The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore! Congrats to this AFF 2011 Jury Award AND Audience Award Winner!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 12px;">9:53pm CST</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 12px;">Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 12px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span style="line-height: 12px;">10:18pm CST</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 11px;">Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 11px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 11px;">10:30pm CST</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 11px;">Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 11px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 11px;">10:35pm CST</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 11px;">Best Motion Picture: The Artis</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 11px;">t, 2011 AFF Audience Award Winner!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 11px;">Thanks for following my live blogging! If you want a chance to win a piece of Oscar history, buy your Producers Badge before the end of February to be entered to win one of three screenplays of 2012 Academy Award nominated films. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 11px;">And everyone who buys any Badge type before the end of February to be entered to win a Producers Badge.</span>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-48094244851219347852012-02-26T16:55:00.001-06:002012-02-26T19:09:58.575-06:00A Chance to Own A Piece of Oscar History<br />
<a href="http://e2ma.net/userdata/1356967/images/medium/scaled_e1330103400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="http://e2ma.net/userdata/1356967/images/medium/scaled_e1330103400.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Oscars are tonight, and we at AFF are so proud to have a slew of 2011 AFF films like THE ARTIST, THE DESCENDANTS, ALBERT NOBBS, PUSS IN BOOTS, THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE, HELL AND BACK AGAIN, and RAJU represented at the Oscars. We can't wait to watch the ceremony on the 26th, and we've got our hands on some pretty exciting Oscar swag to make the event even more exciting!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Last week, we announced that everyone who has <a href="http://austinfilmfestival.myshopify.com/products/2012-producers-badge" target="_blank">purchased a Producers Badge</a> to the 2012 Austin Film Festival & Conference by Wednesday, February 29th will be entered for a chance to </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">win a copy of the screenplay of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, signed by Academy Award®-winning writer Steven Zaillian!</b><br />
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHTI1-4p0dJl6JEw-f9BWjKXJojNt-vI80-qiKLfLjpLn18kzE-p5EWT0y_1fo0AVFu0N86lr1_JZnR0QfcOdjERYYaEUsMO0RDSg52YQvsxCr9ok989EclH0w_8F49uXgZsydQ/s1600/extremely.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHTI1-4p0dJl6JEw-f9BWjKXJojNt-vI80-qiKLfLjpLn18kzE-p5EWT0y_1fo0AVFu0N86lr1_JZnR0QfcOdjERYYaEUsMO0RDSg52YQvsxCr9ok989EclH0w_8F49uXgZsydQ/s1600/extremely.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">Now, we're thrilled to announce we have not one but </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">two copies of the screenplay of EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE, signed by Academy Award® winning screenwriter Eric Roth!</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Roth has been nominated for four Oscars, winning in 1994 for FORREST GUMP. The 2011 film EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE, for which Roth wrote the adapted screenplay, is nominated for two Oscars.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now you have three chances to win a signed Oscar nominated script and a piece of Oscar history. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And to make the deal a little sweeter, </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">everyone who has <a href="http://austinfilmfestival.myshopify.com/collections/2012-badges-and-passes" target="_blank">purchased a Badge</a> by the end of February will be entered to win an upgrade to a Producers Badge! </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Your last chance to enter the contest is midnight, Wednesday, February 29th, </span><a href="http://austinfilmfestival.myshopify.com/collections/2012-badges-and-passes" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">so grab one </a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">before it's too late!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tonight, make sure to check out the blog or follow us on </span><a href="https://twitter.com/austinfilmfest" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">twitter</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> @austinfilmfest as AFF Marketing Director Taylor Cumbie live-blogs the Oscars!</span></b>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-51370080075073405272012-02-22T12:14:00.001-06:002012-02-23T11:35:05.915-06:00Austin Film Festival's 2012 Film Poster Competition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN67e0aO77oKHzL-P7cyTsFd59qSqstwHn8bLaN0nyXVxEJ2WVuxyGC7mQFQUuJly1CtCDn4hkNf_Izh7RxWXsu8Scio2MVDIhvb8Mxqznh_6e-gtrAve02gf607GQ_KQWS7edOg/s1600/affpostercontest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN67e0aO77oKHzL-P7cyTsFd59qSqstwHn8bLaN0nyXVxEJ2WVuxyGC7mQFQUuJly1CtCDn4hkNf_Izh7RxWXsu8Scio2MVDIhvb8Mxqznh_6e-gtrAve02gf607GQ_KQWS7edOg/s320/affpostercontest.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">The
Austin Film Festival is excited to announce their first ever Film
Poster Competition! AFF has chosen a series of five films from their
2012 year-round programming to feature the art of Austin's local
artists. Interested designers can choose one of the films in the series
and create an original film poster. AFF will choose one winner for each
film, and a limited number of each winning poster will be displayed and
sold at the screenings.<br />
<br />
In addition, audience members and online voters will have a chance to
vote on their favorite film poster in the series. The artist of the
winning poster will receive a Producer's Badge to the 2012 Austin Film
Festival & Conference ($695 value) and their poster on display at
the Festival. This showcase is an invaluable opportunity to have your
artwork seen by tens of thousands of people and viewed by an audience of
filmmakers eager to find their next poster artist!<br />
<br />
The Films:<br />
<br />
The Silence of the Lambs<br />
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars<br />
Party Down (TV Pilot)<br />
The Iron Giant<br />
The Black Stallion<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">To
submit your film poster, please send a high-res PDF to
taylor@austinfilmfestival.com by March 12th, 2012. Winners will be
announced March 15th, 2012.<br />
<br />
Questions?<br />
Contact Taylor Cumbie<br />
taylor@austinfilmfestival.com<br />
512.478.4795</span>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-44233156402149271622012-02-22T11:25:00.002-06:002012-02-22T11:30:11.232-06:00Final Oscar Predictions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-m5C4U02AciiluD7J1Sji5kXb0e7ZGePqt0T2dc2w1N4IVMXP1cF83GUjE6bRBVf4kEf7SuKj2G31vjabkJkGPswi8lu17a3iJlgR_mB29f9m-S_Q_doYQ_CWCvnC6WFnl7-xUQ/s1600/Matt%2527s+Blog+Photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-m5C4U02AciiluD7J1Sji5kXb0e7ZGePqt0T2dc2w1N4IVMXP1cF83GUjE6bRBVf4kEf7SuKj2G31vjabkJkGPswi8lu17a3iJlgR_mB29f9m-S_Q_doYQ_CWCvnC6WFnl7-xUQ/s200/Matt%2527s+Blog+Photo.JPG" width="118" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Will The Artist sweep the Oscars? Will Meryl Streep FINALLY win a long overdue second Oscar for lead actress? All will be answered this Sunday night when the awards will be handed out. The real question is… will people really care? Compared to last year, most of the films nominated this year haven’t really polarized the general public as much while the current frontrunner is a black and white silent film most are hesitant to see at first. Regardless, I’m still a faithful Oscar watcher and prognosticator (<a href="http://austinfilmfestival.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-super-bowl.html" target="_blank">read my post from Feb 1</a>) and I’ll still make my annual predictions. Here’s who I think will win in all 24 categories.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><b>Best Picture</b>: The Artist<br /><b>Best Director</b>: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist<br /><b>Best Adapted Screenplay</b>: The Descendants<br /><b>Best Original Screenplay</b>: Midnight in Paris<br /><b>Best Actor</b>: Jean Dujardin, The Artist<br /><b>Best Actress</b>: Viola Davis, The Help<br /><b>Best Supporting Actor</b>: Christopher Plummer, Beginners<br /><b>Best Supporting Actress</b>: Octavia Spencer, The Help<br /><b>Best Cinematography</b>: The Tree of Life<br /><b>Best Art Direction</b>: Hugo<br /><b>Best Costume Design</b>: The Artist<br /><b>Best Makeup</b>: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II<br /><b>Best Visual Effects</b>: Hugo<br /><b>Best Editing</b>: The Artist<br /><b>Best Sound Mixing</b>: Hugo<br /><b>Best Sound Editing</b>: War Horse<br /><b>Best Original Score</b>: The Artist<br /><b>Best Original Song</b>: “Man or Muppet”, The Muppet Movie<br /><b>Best Animated Feature</b>: Rango<br /><b>Best Documentary Feature</b>: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory<br /><b>Best Foreign Language Film</b>: A Separation<br /><b>Best Live Action Short</b>: Tuba Atlantic<br /><b>Best Animated Short</b>: A Morning Stroll<br /><b>Best Documentary Short</b>: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom<br /><br />And… to make a shameless plug, we have a special promotion in honor of the Oscars. Anyone who purchases a Producers Badge to the 2012 Austin Film Festival & Conference by Sunday, February 26th will be entered for a chance to <b>win a copy of the screenplay of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, signed by Academy Award®-winning writer Steven Zaillian!</b><br /><br />Zaillian, who was awarded with the Distinguished Screenwriter Award at the 2009 Austin Film Festival, wrote both THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and MONEYBALL, each earning a handful of Oscar nominations.<br /><br />And everyone who has purchased a Conference Badge or below by February 26th will be entered in a raffle to win an upgrade to a Producers Badge! <a href="http://austinfilmfestival.myshopify.com/collections/2012-badges-and-passes" target="_blank">Click here to buy your Badge.</a><br /><br />--Matt Dy, Screenplay & Teleplay Competition Director</span>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-63066096037908722452012-02-16T12:52:00.000-06:002012-02-16T13:24:22.862-06:00Guest Post: An interview with screenwriter Amy Talkington<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;">Eilis Mernagh is a screenwriter whose latest short script, TIGER, is set to be produced this year, directed by award-winning director Cathal Nally. Eilis heard Amy Talkington speak at the 2011 Austin Film Festival and followed up with her for an interview. She generously shared her subsequent blog post with us. For more from Eilis, visit her blog, <a href="http://dublintohollywood.com/" target="_blank">Dublin to Hollywood</a>.</span></i><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">When you’re embarking on a venture it’s always good to hear from
someone who’s been there and done that. So if you want to be a
screenwriter, why not talk to an established writer?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">One of the sessions at this year’s Austin Film Festival featured an
interview with screenwriter Amy Talkington and her agent, talking about
their working relationship. It was one of the most informative and
interesting panels of the festival. I contacted Amy afterwards and she
kindly agreed to answer some questions for this blog about her career to
date and life as a working writer in Hollywood.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qEowKV8B5RvcU5PPDLJi3E0wH9CzcW5WZksmo_t6BZOv0e-G0rD9c-LAPx6NDuYqi1xUg_q_d4m__eofMOlaghnff4qZOAEODCtDrMlNyNmL2wwblPp_uyftTQGbWU5bODcb_A/s1600/AmyTalkington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qEowKV8B5RvcU5PPDLJi3E0wH9CzcW5WZksmo_t6BZOv0e-G0rD9c-LAPx6NDuYqi1xUg_q_d4m__eofMOlaghnff4qZOAEODCtDrMlNyNmL2wwblPp_uyftTQGbWU5bODcb_A/s200/AmyTalkington.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0848090/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Amy Talkington</span></b></a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Amy is a writer and director based in Los Angeles. Originally from
Texas, she graduated from Barnard College with a degree in art history
and went on to achieve an MFA in film from Columbia University’s film
division.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> Amy’s short films “Our Very First Sex Tape” (2003), “The New Arrival”
(2000), “Bust” (1999), “Second Skin” (1998) and “Number One Fan” (1997)
were selected for numerous distinguished festivals including Sundance.
Second Skin earned her the New Line Cinema award for Best Director. She wrote and directed the feature film, “The Night of the White
Pants,” released in 2008, which starred Tom Wilkinson, Nick Stahl and
Selma Blair.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Amy has written screenplays for several major studios, including Fox
2000, 20th Century Fox, MGM, Summit Entertainment, Disney and New Line
Cinema. She penned the remake of the Eighties teen movie “Valley Girl”
for MGM and the remake of “Private Benjamin” for New Line Cinema with
Anna Faris set to star. Most recently she worked on “Kicked, Bitten and
Scratched” for Summit Entertainment and sold an original pitch to
Disney, which she is currently writing.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">In TV, Amy wrote “Avalon High” for the Disney Channel (for which she
won a 2010 WGA award) and the ABC family movie “Brave New Girl” which
starred Virginia Madsen and Lindsay Haun.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">While Amy’s primary focus has been on traditional narratives for film
and television, she is also accomplished as an interactive, new media
filmmaker, where she strives to experiment with new kinds of
storytelling. She co-wrote and directed the world’s first 360-degree
movie, “The New Arrival,” for which The New York Times named her “one of
the few women to break out on the internet.” She also wrote and
directed “Confessions,” an interactive web project which was released on
atomfilms.com in August, 2007.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Thanks for giving this interview! Can you give some details about how
your interest in film developed and in particular your interest in
writing for film?<i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>In my teens, I was a painter but I also loved to write fiction
and I loved music. I wasn’t quite sure how to choose between them. But
then, during college, I saw some inspiring art films and suddenly
realized that writing and directing film would encompass all the things I
things I loved. </i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">You wrote and directed five short movies at the start of your career –
how did these develop? How did you approach the process of making what
were (presumably!) low budget films?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>I made my first two shorts while I was a graduate student in the
Film Division at Columbia University. The film school setting provides a
community to help develop and make a short. But, from the very first
film, I strived to make the films as professional as possible and
reached out to the independent film community in New York for my key
crew and cast. I always encourage students not to settle and to reach
for that composer or cinematographer or actor who you admire. You never
know, if they like your script and they’re available, they might work on
your film!</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i>Would you regard Second Skin as having been your “big break” and can you talk a little about how it arrived at New Line?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Yes, “Second Skin” was my entrée into both the independent film
community and Hollywood. I traveled with that film to many film
festivals and, through those festivals, got to know many people in the
NYC indie scene. And then, when Columbia screened it in Los Angeles
(because I’d won the award for “Best Director”), a young agent from
United Talent Agency saw it and contacted me. She is still my agent
today. As for the New Line Cinema Awards, New Line had a relationship
with Columbia’s Film Division at the time and they sponsored two awards
that “Second Skin” won. </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Night of the White Pants has an amazing cast. Can you talk about how
you attracted actors like Tom Wilkinson and what it was like directing
your first feature film?<i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Tom just really loved the script. He also liked the idea of
working with Nick Stahl again (they’d done “In The Bedroom” together
some years before). I was really lucky that he happened to have a window
of time and hadn’t done an indie in a while. Then, once Tom and Nick
were in, the project was very attractive to many actors who wanted to
work with them. It was 100 degrees in Dallas and every day was hard as
hell but we had a great time making that movie. </i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Is the finished movie very similar to the script or did you have to change a lot during production?<i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>We definitely had to make a lot of compromises due to the small
budget and short shooting schedule but the movie is pretty close to the
original script. The voice over was added in post, that’s one of the
biggest changes from the shooting script.</i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Can you talk a little about the process of “pitching” to the studios and how do you approach this?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Pitching is hell. And the way I approach it is by being as
prepared as possible. I have a rock solid set of notes and I pitch “off”
of them. I know a lot of people say you shouldn’t pitch off of notes,
but it works for me. I practice a lot beforehand so that it doesn’t seem
like I’m reading notes. I try to make it feel as casual as possible.</i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Private Benjamin is a beloved film for a lot of people – it’s
certainly one of my favourites! How do you approach writing a remake of a
well-known movie?<i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>That was tough. I love the original too!! I kind of had forget
about people’s expectations and just try to write the best script
possible and one that felt as fresh as the original. It’s currently
being rewritten by someone else so… we’ll see how it turns out!</i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">What’s your writing process like? Do you outline/write a treatment before starting?<i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Yes, I do write a fairly detailed treatment and I work off of
that. On the studio assignments you kind of have to. When I’m writing
something for “myself” I usually have an outline but it’s less
developed. </i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">What’s your writing schedule like – do you write everyday at a set time, for example?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>I write five days a week, five to seven hours a day, depending on
how much I have going on. I usually like to write in the mornings,
maybe 8am – 2 or 3pm.</i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The issue of “movies for women” often comes up at festivals. Do you
feel that as a female writer, you can do a better job of telling a
woman’s story? And do you feel that there are differences in the
industry working as a female writer?<i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Oh boy, that’s a pretty complicated issue. Not sure I can really
tackle it here. I feel very capable of writing male and female
characters. And, as far as the industry goes, I try not to think about
the dismally low percentages of working female writers and directors. I
choose not to focus on it and just keep working hard. </i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">You write for film and TV but also for the internet – what are your favourite things about writing for these different mediums?<i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>I am very interested in interactive storytelling. We are at an
exciting time when a new kind of storytelling might emerge. I love to
explore that. </i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I saw an interview with you and your agent Rebecca Ewing at AFF and
you seem to have a very good working relationship. Do you have any tips
for young writers on a. finding a representative and b. working
effectively with an agent once you get one?<i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>I really lucked out in terms of getting a representative so
quickly and easily. But, I think the best way to find a good
representative is to write a great script. And as far as working
effectively with an agent… I don’t know, I guess it’s the same as any
working relationship — don’t be a jerk!</i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Lastly, do you have any practical advice in general for writers starting out in their careers?<i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Be prepared to work hard and face <span style="text-decoration: underline;">a lot</span> of rejection. If you can’t handle either of those things than it’s probably not the right line of work.</i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Big thanks to Amy for taking the time to do this interview!</span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-10317985582194801062012-02-15T15:40:00.004-06:002012-02-15T16:00:44.349-06:00Box Office Recovery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzDaKgAT3Hc_70fuhNMCnrMzUpywineVKpQjcI-GLaAqPO-xPDJljN4iLsaJ1LKAz3ElUzi_-4jVf0tDXGSg6MmVJFb0oT2sFcZ9lzW771GsidSFmL9nutkLBuf9qxCSY6ona-g/s1600/Jannise.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzDaKgAT3Hc_70fuhNMCnrMzUpywineVKpQjcI-GLaAqPO-xPDJljN4iLsaJ1LKAz3ElUzi_-4jVf0tDXGSg6MmVJFb0oT2sFcZ9lzW771GsidSFmL9nutkLBuf9qxCSY6ona-g/s200/Jannise.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">A few weeks ago, <a href="http://austinfilmfestival.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-year-film-marketing-gets-wise.html" target="_blank">I wrote</a> that 2012
might be a great year for film marketing. So far, someone is definitely doing
something right. Ticket sales have been soaring, breaking records and dragging
the industry out of the minor slump that was 2011. Previously unknown directors
and screenwriters have been spinning low-budget films into box office gold,
establishing themselves as new voices and signing on to major new projects. But
who or what is responsible for this 2012 uptick?</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">It’s very difficult to say. It’s
always going to be hard to read a culture and understand why one film catches on
while others fail. I stand by my argument that film marketing is becoming
increasingly thoughtful and clever, doing more with less, and studios have
become much smarter about targeting their efforts and marketing to the right
demographics at the right time. But even these strategies won’t help sell an
unsellable film, which suggests that the quality of product being released is
better than usual.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">In recent years, studios have tended
to dump their worst movies into theaters during January and February. These
months are essentially the “Oscar season doldrums,” when the films being
considered for Academy Awards stick around in theaters as more and more people
want to see what everyone is talking about. This doesn’t leave much room in
cinemas for additional thought-provoking fare, so studios counter-program with
the kind of action film or romantic drama that isn’t likely to win over the
critics, hoping to scrounge up a few million dollars in an empty
marketplace.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">This year, it seems like studios
have been mixing things up a bit, releasing films like <i><span style="font-style: italic;">The Grey</span></i>, <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Safe House</span></i>, and <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Chronicle</span></i> that are as dependent on solid
writing and assured direction as they are on Liam Neeson, Denzel Washington, and
the superhero trend. These are films that could’ve held their own in the
slightly more competitive months of March and April, yet here they are in
January and February, cashing in their jackpots. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Additionally, the studios have truly
made an art out of not stepping on each other’s toes. Generally, when two films
that are similar in theme or feature the same star suddenly find themselves
scheduled to open on the same Friday, one of the studios will budge and move to
another date. This ultimately is best for everyone involved, as each weekend
brings a new option for different types of moviegoers without overcrowding the
marketplace. There could be no better example than this past weekend, which saw
four movies open with more than $20 million in ticket sales (<i><span style="font-style: italic;">The Vow</span></i>, <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Safe House</span></i>, <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Journey 2</span></i>, <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Star Wars: Episode I 3D</span></i>). This is a truly
staggering testament to the benefits of studios playing it smart and
counter-programming each other. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">For example, <i><span style="font-style: italic;">This Means War</span></i>, the romantic-action-comedy
starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Hardy, abandoned its original
plan to open on Valentine’s Day after realizing that it would have to directly
compete with <i><span style="font-style: italic;">The Vow</span></i>, which
proved to be a wise decision. <i><span style="font-style: italic;">The Vow
</span></i>sold more tickets yesterday than any film ever has on a Valentine’s
weekday. Now, <i><span style="font-style: italic;">This Means War </span></i>can
make its entrance this Friday with some of the excitement over <i><span style="font-style: italic;">The Vow</span></i> having already died down. If the
studios continue to play it safe, and play nice, 2012 could be a particularly
great year for the film industry.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- Stephen Jannise, Film Program Director </span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-15468721273484342142012-02-14T15:22:00.001-06:002012-02-14T15:23:44.491-06:00Kids Who Write Good<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-m5C4U02AciiluD7J1Sji5kXb0e7ZGePqt0T2dc2w1N4IVMXP1cF83GUjE6bRBVf4kEf7SuKj2G31vjabkJkGPswi8lu17a3iJlgR_mB29f9m-S_Q_doYQ_CWCvnC6WFnl7-xUQ/s1600/Matt%2527s+Blog+Photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-m5C4U02AciiluD7J1Sji5kXb0e7ZGePqt0T2dc2w1N4IVMXP1cF83GUjE6bRBVf4kEf7SuKj2G31vjabkJkGPswi8lu17a3iJlgR_mB29f9m-S_Q_doYQ_CWCvnC6WFnl7-xUQ/s200/Matt%2527s+Blog+Photo.JPG" width="117" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Proper grammer and speling is important for writers of all
ages and levels if they want to be more better writers. If you aspire to be a professional writer and
didn’t notice the errors in the previous sentence, you’ve got a problem (or you
better have a good copy editor). This
week’s blog entry is not so much a lesson in grammar and dusting off your copy
of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strunk_%26_White" target="_blank">Strunk & White</a>; it is more about the importance of proofing your work
before turning it in to someone who can either make or break your script.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I gained some perspective on this topic when I was asked to
help teach the basics of screenwriting to an English class at a local high
school as part of our <a href="http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/young_filmmakers_program">Young
Filmmakers Program</a>. The students
were required to write a short screenplay for us to review and narrow down to
one script which the kids would later produce.
The goal for the program is not only to help improve the students’
writing skills but to also provide them a real world experience similar to that
of a working screenwriter in the industry (of course on a much smaller scale,
not as ruthless, and without illegal substances). Many of the kids submitted brilliant stories
that were unfortunately marred by distractingly bad grammar, punctuation,
spelling, and not to mention poor use of present progressive. What we asked the kids to think about was:
“Would you feel confident submitting this script to a studio?” We gave the kids another opportunity to proof
and refine their scripts before making our final decision. In the studio system or a screenplay
competition, there are no second chances like this once you’ve submitted a
script.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Even in this age of text messaging and auto-correct, this is
something not unique to today’s youth but to amateur writers in general. I’ve come across many scripts in the
competition with great stories but with poor grammar and spelling. This is not necessarily a deal breaker for a
script to advance in our competition; the quality of the story and writing
always come first but the last thing you want to do is annoy your reader. Your words should flow easily for the reader
as if they’re going to fly off the page.
There is such a thing as spell check but it’s always best to have a new
set of eyes copy edit your work before submitting it somewhere. So just like those kids in class, ask
yourself, “Do I feel confident submitting this script to a studio?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Bad grammar may or may not make or break your script but, in
an industry where thousands of scripts are passed around, why not make yours
the most polished it can be? The last
thing you want is for your first impression to be the last impression. Even though some Hollywood
producers may still act like they’re in high school, it doesn’t mean you have
to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">--Matt Dy, Screenplay & Teleplay Competition Director</span></div>
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<br /></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-39969521724743920152012-02-09T16:51:00.000-06:002012-02-09T16:54:53.246-06:00David Milch on his mentor, Robert Penn Warren<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We're thrilled that 2006 Outstanding Television Writer Award recipient David Milch has another terrific show on the air, LUCK, which airs on HBO Sunday nights. The show premiered this month and has already been picked up for a second season. Check out this clip of David taking about the influence of his mentor, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Robert Penn Warren.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dic9hqzCxEQ?fs=1" width="400"></iframe></span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-58159069578716090172012-02-08T16:44:00.000-06:002012-02-08T16:45:42.568-06:00Should I Stay or Should I Go: The Rise of Cinema-on-Demand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzDaKgAT3Hc_70fuhNMCnrMzUpywineVKpQjcI-GLaAqPO-xPDJljN4iLsaJ1LKAz3ElUzi_-4jVf0tDXGSg6MmVJFb0oT2sFcZ9lzW771GsidSFmL9nutkLBuf9qxCSY6ona-g/s1600/Jannise.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzDaKgAT3Hc_70fuhNMCnrMzUpywineVKpQjcI-GLaAqPO-xPDJljN4iLsaJ1LKAz3ElUzi_-4jVf0tDXGSg6MmVJFb0oT2sFcZ9lzW771GsidSFmL9nutkLBuf9qxCSY6ona-g/s200/Jannise.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">As you have no doubt noticed in
recent years, there are more ways than ever to experience films. Want to watch
in the comfort of your own home? You can stream on Netflix, rent from iTunes, or
order Video-on-Demand from your cable provider or video game system. Prefer the
old fashioned method of going to the theater? You can choose the optical
trickery of 3D, the pulse rattling grandeur of IMAX, or the pure insanity of
motion seats. There truly is a wealth of options for movie lovers today, with
more to come in the near future.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">This also means there are more
options for studios and distributors to determine how they can maximize profits
on a film’s potential, leading to a debate about whether or not indie filmmakers
are being given golden opportunities or the short end of the stick. On the one
hand, you can now see films in Austin, TX, through VOD or iTunes that would, in past years, have
only been exhibited in a handful of theaters in New
York or Los
Angeles, opening more eyes to new filmmakers and fresh
ideas than ever before. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">On the other hand, this means that
fewer indie filmmakers will experience the exquisite feeling of screening their
film in a movie theater. As far as we have come with on-demand movies, and as
comfortable as most people have become with viewing films at home, the allure of
the movie theater is still not lost on a majority of filmmakers. Playing in an
actual cinema remains the ultimate dream, but the low costs and accessibility of
VOD are so appealing to studios and distributors that this dream is even less
likely to come true.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Not that most filmmakers are likely
to complain if a VOD deal comes knocking on their film’s door. In this economy,
an indie filmmaker with a walletful of maxed-out credit cards will be more than
happy to take any opportunity to get their movie watched and their debts erased.
Luckily, these opportunities abound, with Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and others
offering a multitude of channels through which a film could find an audience.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Unfortunately, these opportunities
also eliminate the risk-taking that sparked the independent film scene into
vibrant life. Would “Reservoir Dogs” have been given a chance on the big
screen? Would “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” have been labeled a “small screen
movie” and gone straight to iTunes? It’s hard to say, but one thing is certain
right now: if you don’t have James Cameron’s cameras or Peter Jackson’s special
FX units or the Fox Searchlight/Weinstein Company/Sony Pictures Classics logos
on your poster, you’re going to have a difficult time getting your film on the
big screen.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">What does this mean for those of us
who can appreciate the potential of VOD but ultimately still enjoy the rush of
discovering indie films at the local arthouse? It means we should go, and go as
often as we can.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">-Stephen Jannise, AFF Film Program Director </span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-63267770544209230022012-02-07T15:38:00.001-06:002012-02-09T10:08:53.055-06:00Conversations in Film: Writing Action!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We will be kicking off our 2012 Conversation in Film Series this month with a bang. Derek Haas (3:10 TO YUMAS, WANTED, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS) and Ric Roman Waugh (ex-stuntman, FELON, the upcoming SNITCH and EVEL) will join us <a href="http://austinfilmfestival.myshopify.com/products/conversations-in-film-writing-action" target="_blank">Tuesday, February 21st</a> for a discussion on <a href="http://austinfilmfestival.myshopify.com/products/conversations-in-film-writing-action" target="_blank">Writing Action</a>. Using film clips and scenes from their scripts, Ric and Derek will talk about how to craft effective action scenes on the page that both further your story and convey the tension and energy that will translate to the screen. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYPfRx7mghESNz00WrB0lyreyeL5NsqZ2RNgP4C3iW_cT5RErSS_rfH8BuNubCP08Kpux8FvoH5VusIIEreauRr0lFgbAVDV1X-qdGrcO1-eOm6nHUIJd5Oc8TIQuUMXSAO7H8w/s1600/wanted+movie+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYPfRx7mghESNz00WrB0lyreyeL5NsqZ2RNgP4C3iW_cT5RErSS_rfH8BuNubCP08Kpux8FvoH5VusIIEreauRr0lFgbAVDV1X-qdGrcO1-eOm6nHUIJd5Oc8TIQuUMXSAO7H8w/s200/wanted+movie+poster.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">Derek Haas is the author of several novels and co-wrote the screenplays for 3:10 TO YUMA, WANTED, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS and THE DOUBLE. </span></span>In 2008 he published his novel THE SILVER BEAR about the young contract killer Columbus. The sequel, COLUMBUS, was released in 2009. Derek is also the creator and editor of <a href="http://popcornfiction.com/">popcornfiction.com</a>, where he publishes short stories by various authors. Haas explains that the site "grew out of a love for pulpy short fiction that used to dominate popular magazines in the mid-20th Century. I wanted to create a place where new popular short fiction could flourish, and Hollywood could have a new resource for cultivating great ideas."</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSvMTzsmYSOrL8QrhXdALDfaAPmvv-pG4upt7Qf14V8WKNJ-Sf_rz-81apKjpHDkYYJJFkNC-6-by0veDKG8bS0hOL8xyn5rRYsRMaLaPSlNEvTkvLd8WOnpbkK4T-EQNeA6H9g/s1600/Felon+%282008%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSvMTzsmYSOrL8QrhXdALDfaAPmvv-pG4upt7Qf14V8WKNJ-Sf_rz-81apKjpHDkYYJJFkNC-6-by0veDKG8bS0hOL8xyn5rRYsRMaLaPSlNEvTkvLd8WOnpbkK4T-EQNeA6H9g/s200/Felon+%282008%29.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ric Roman Waugh began his career as a stuntman and became one of the youngest stunt coordinators at the age of eighteen.<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Gaining success as a writer, Waugh has developed, written, and rewritten over 20 studio-based feature film screenplays for producers such as Jerry Bruckheimer, Mark Gordon, Neil Moritz, Barry Josephson, Todd Garner, Mark Canton, Jim Sheridan and Nick Wechsler. His latest screenplay, titled THE BRAND, is a dramatic thriller about the rise of the Aryan brotherhood with Leonardo DiCaprio set to star and Marc Foster to direct.</span> His next feature film to start this fall will be EVEL, a biopic on the legendary daredevil, Evel Knievel. You can read more about EVEL in <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/evel-knievel-biopic-revs-up-192661" target="_blank">this article </a>written for The Hollywood Reporter.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">The event will take place at the Harry Ransom Center, and to kick off the series, we'll be having a reception in the lobby at 5pm prior to the Conversation. Take in the incredible exhibit created for the occasion from the amazing <a href="http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/collections/film/" target="_blank">film collection at the Harry Ransom Center,</a> including the storyboard panels from the burning of Atlanta scene in GONE WITH THE WIND (below), as well as storyboards from REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, TOP GUN, and more. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDIkGG4vrUR7T3IwPqmOu4fUupiBAMnkV4CFU1b7oTcSwdtJ5fCadNfmlEajr2H-BSrcuPe-t3MEcBBCh2jZseI_Lgq5xcpY3fxECWUSX8_KEfT0TxMoGCgZHgE3UK-LlZrVs3Q/s1600/GWTW+Storyboard+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDIkGG4vrUR7T3IwPqmOu4fUupiBAMnkV4CFU1b7oTcSwdtJ5fCadNfmlEajr2H-BSrcuPe-t3MEcBBCh2jZseI_Lgq5xcpY3fxECWUSX8_KEfT0TxMoGCgZHgE3UK-LlZrVs3Q/s320/GWTW+Storyboard+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> Storyboards from GONE WITH THE WIND</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufY2qhvRDD9zyEl__frjoaBvQxLPedM2_YSHrRML-QNuV3DFx3rNk_cdfpkA8QGTev9Jk6ciMU7emPqFxK4jQH0b93MFYvQ48BB6MABA2MrhHqIiRcKA_9yWTYSDONOt6_-37Cw/s1600/GWTW+Storyboard+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufY2qhvRDD9zyEl__frjoaBvQxLPedM2_YSHrRML-QNuV3DFx3rNk_cdfpkA8QGTev9Jk6ciMU7emPqFxK4jQH0b93MFYvQ48BB6MABA2MrhHqIiRcKA_9yWTYSDONOt6_-37Cw/s320/GWTW+Storyboard+2.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Conversations in Film: Writing Action! takes place at 6pm on Tuesday, February 21st at the <a href="http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/" target="_blank">Harry Ransom Center.</a> Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for AFF members, and can be <a href="http://austinfilmfestival.myshopify.com/products/conversations-in-film-writing-action" target="_blank">purchased online here</a>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Admission to the opening reception and exhibit is free! Doors open at 5pm. </span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-28306974805522778042012-02-01T11:01:00.000-06:002012-02-01T11:09:02.828-06:00My Super Bowl<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-m5C4U02AciiluD7J1Sji5kXb0e7ZGePqt0T2dc2w1N4IVMXP1cF83GUjE6bRBVf4kEf7SuKj2G31vjabkJkGPswi8lu17a3iJlgR_mB29f9m-S_Q_doYQ_CWCvnC6WFnl7-xUQ/s1600/Matt%2527s+Blog+Photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-m5C4U02AciiluD7J1Sji5kXb0e7ZGePqt0T2dc2w1N4IVMXP1cF83GUjE6bRBVf4kEf7SuKj2G31vjabkJkGPswi8lu17a3iJlgR_mB29f9m-S_Q_doYQ_CWCvnC6WFnl7-xUQ/s200/Matt%2527s+Blog+Photo.JPG" width="118" /></a>A friend recently asked me
who I think will win the Super Bowl. My
response was: “The Super Bowl? It’s this
Sunday? Are the Cowboys playing?” Obviously, I am not planning to watch the
game on Sunday (although I heard Madonna will be performing). Lately, my focus has been diverted to my own
version of the Super Bowl: the Oscars.
Some guys are into fantasy football; I’m into predicting the Oscars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">My earliest memory of the
Oscars was in 1991 when Beauty and the Beast was nominated for Best
Picture. I was 8 years old then living
in Southern California and my school took a field trip to watch the film at the
El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. It was perhaps the first time that I had
actually seen a film that was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture and I
hoped it would win. Instead, another
film about a beauty and a beast would eventually win (Silence of the
Lambs). Since then, I was hooked on the
Oscars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Fast forward several years
later and I would find myself a student in film school attending friends’ Oscar
parties still debating who will win. I
would religiously read Entertainment Weekly’s coverage of the Oscars and
frequent many Oscar message boards and blogs especially Sasha Stone’s
OscarWatch site (now called Awards Daily).
I became obsessed. Before the
Academy cracked down on unofficial Oscar-viewing parties, I used to attend the
Alamo Drafthouse’s annual Oscar party.
For two years in a row, I won their prediction contest and was asked to
go to the stage to accept a fake Oscar and give a speech.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This may all seem silly, I
know, but what makes predicting the Oscars so fun and interesting is that it
opens a dialogue about a film’s merits.
Just because a film wins an Oscar, does it validate it as the best film
of the year? As I’ve come to realize
firsthand as the director of a screenplay competition, judging art at any level
is, by nature, extremely subjective. The
measure of an artist’s talent is not subject to the outcome of a competition or
an Academy Award but it sure is fun to debate about it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So who will win the Super
Bowl? Unless Meryl Streep is playing
quarterback this Sunday, I have no idea. In the meantime, I’ll eagerly await my
Super Bowl on February 26<sup>th</sup>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">In the weeks leading up to
the Oscars, I’ll reveal my picks for each of the categories. This week, I’ll give my predictions for the
writing categories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>Writing (Adapted
Screenplay)</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_747670162"><u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></u></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-adapted-screenplay/the-descendants" target="_blank"><i><span class="title"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">The Descendants</span></span></i></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: small; text-decoration: none;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-adapted-screenplay/the-descendants" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Written by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-adapted-screenplay/hugo" target="_blank"><i><span class="title"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Hugo</span></span></i></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: small; text-decoration: none;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-adapted-screenplay/hugo" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Written by John Logan</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_747670187"><br /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-adapted-screenplay/the-ides-of-march" target="_blank"><i><span class="title"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">The Ides of March</span></span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-adapted-screenplay/the-ides-of-march" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Written by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-adapted-screenplay/moneyball" target="_blank"><i><span class="title"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Moneyball</span></span></i></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: small; text-decoration: none;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-adapted-screenplay/moneyball" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-adapted-screenplay/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy" target="_blank"><i><span class="title"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy</span></span></i><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-adapted-screenplay/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Written by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Will Win: The Descendants should take this but the
dream team of Zaillian and Sorkin for Moneyball might be enough to upset.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=17975099" name="Writing_(Original_Screenplay)"></a><u>Writing (Original Screenplay)</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-original-screenplay/the-artist"><span class="title"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">The Artist</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-original-screenplay/the-artist"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Written by
Michel Hazanavicius</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-original-screenplay/bridesmaids"><span class="title"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Bridesmaids</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-original-screenplay/bridesmaids"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Written by
Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-original-screenplay/margin-call"><span class="title"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Margin Call</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-original-screenplay/margin-call"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Written by
J.C. Chandor</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-original-screenplay/midnight-in-paris"><span class="title"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Midnight in Paris</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-original-screenplay/midnight-in-paris"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Written by
Woody Allen</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-original-screenplay/a-separation"><span class="title"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">A Separation</span></span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"> </span></a></i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees/writing-original-screenplay/a-separation"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Written by
Asghar Far</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Will Win: Midnight in Paris.
The Artist could win here but I think Hazanavicius has a better shot for
Best Director and the Academy probably can’t resist giving Woody Allen another
Oscar even though he probably won’t show up.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">--Matt Dy, Screenplay & Teleplay Competition Director</span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-21055864641669179472012-01-31T10:35:00.003-06:002012-01-31T10:49:33.550-06:00“How To Get your Groove Back…”<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1gfHsq5_If1GSxF5O1rkcbvGsA7WYa2F9t-b7xwHcsmnQJO5b0hzMlIUGTUzeg0zlqeeI7YZYOdF9QL6mwTdk8eUHdaKIe7UWe0p94kPSDR5aIO1f-MNa1ZeA10pnj6hdQJmCg/s1600/Marcie's+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1gfHsq5_If1GSxF5O1rkcbvGsA7WYa2F9t-b7xwHcsmnQJO5b0hzMlIUGTUzeg0zlqeeI7YZYOdF9QL6mwTdk8eUHdaKIe7UWe0p94kPSDR5aIO1f-MNa1ZeA10pnj6hdQJmCg/s1600/Marcie's+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1gfHsq5_If1GSxF5O1rkcbvGsA7WYa2F9t-b7xwHcsmnQJO5b0hzMlIUGTUzeg0zlqeeI7YZYOdF9QL6mwTdk8eUHdaKIe7UWe0p94kPSDR5aIO1f-MNa1ZeA10pnj6hdQJmCg/s1600/Marcie's+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1gfHsq5_If1GSxF5O1rkcbvGsA7WYa2F9t-b7xwHcsmnQJO5b0hzMlIUGTUzeg0zlqeeI7YZYOdF9QL6mwTdk8eUHdaKIe7UWe0p94kPSDR5aIO1f-MNa1ZeA10pnj6hdQJmCg/s200/Marcie's+photo.JPG" width="171" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> It’s
funny what we’ll do to find inspiration.
When it comes to the creative process, it seems like all of us will do
what we can to find that “a-ha!” moment.
Maybe it’s exercising, or visiting your favorite place. Maybe it’s praying, or chanting, or turning
to a higher power for help. We focus so
much on finding that one thing that will help us write that story, or paint
that picture, or sing that song that we’ve been dying to get out. As artists (and really also, as humans),
that’s what we live for.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">But,
what happens when that moment hasn’t quite hit you yet? When you haven’t found that creative spark in
your life?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">As
a novice writer, I can tell you that inspiration doesn’t come easy. I have one set of friends who say, “Just sit
down and write, something will come to you.
What’s the big deal?” On the flip side, there is the other set who say,
“No, you have to wait until something hits you.
It might take time, but it’ll happen when you’re ready.” So the question is: which side do you
choose? </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">For
a whole year, I have struggled with these sides, teetering back and forth,
ultimately just settling on not writing anything because it became such a
creative battle. And, at the end of the
day, it was easier to use the excuse of “I’m just waiting for some inspiration
to hit.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
labored under this thought until I attended our 2011 festival. It was my first year both as a writer and as
an employee of AFF. Although I did not
get to sit in on as many panels as I would have liked, I noticed that one
common element seemed to stand out amongst all of the panelists: they each
spoke of at least one person in their lives who was interested in what they had
to say.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">There,
on that final sleep-deprived Sunday afternoon of the Festival, did I finally
have a pivotal realization: inspiration comes from the support of those around
you. This realization came further into
play when our Marketing Director, Taylor, asked if anyone wanted to contribute
to our blog, read by thousands of writers, attendees, and panelists alike. I hesitated to throw my name into the hat
because I wasn’t sure what an Office Manager could say that would be of use to
people. Once again, I used the fall back
of “not writing is easier”. But it
wasn’t until she said that it didn’t matter what my title was or what I do at
the office every day, but that my voice is just as important as everyone else’s
– that I have thoughts and ideas that should be shared. I knew that that was exactly what I needed to
hear, if even for this small project, to get my creative juices flowing
again. And thus, I landed myself a spot
on this lovely little blog!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">My
advice to you, dear reader/writer, is this: surround yourself with the people
who know what you truly want to do. You
may not have that “a-ha!” moment today, or tomorrow, or even 5 years from
now. But it will happen. Because of her, as well as an equally
supportive staff, I can now pass that same encouragement along to all of
you. Sure, maybe what you have to say
won’t appeal to everyone... but I promise you that there will always be one
person who believes in and wants to hear what you have to say. I hope that you,
too, can find your inspiration through them.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">-- Marcie Mayhorn, AFF Office Manager </span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-44889387008602324132012-01-30T12:20:00.001-06:002012-01-31T10:46:49.234-06:00LIVING RECORD: The Music Documentaries of DA Pennebaker<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">We will kick off the year on Wednesday, February 1 at 7:00pm, with
our new series, <b>Living Record: The Music Docs of DA Pennebaker</b>.
Partnering with Jo's Hot Coffee, we will be offering free screenings of
this legendary documentarian's films at the downtown 2nd Street Jo's
location the first Wednesday of every month.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEist4z5gvIEIH0NdDXmjHizp1nTzYNxkI5f0X5esySV2-Qv0KAuKTAI_CE6fLQBa60Voq0P33rNMhy0rdgv-3G1DKbrKHzYdeTOkux51PUdM6U7FiGe29azpaEw_PnviV9xSVBDXw/s1600/Living+Record+movie+poster+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEist4z5gvIEIH0NdDXmjHizp1nTzYNxkI5f0X5esySV2-Qv0KAuKTAI_CE6fLQBa60Voq0P33rNMhy0rdgv-3G1DKbrKHzYdeTOkux51PUdM6U7FiGe29azpaEw_PnviV9xSVBDXw/s320/Living+Record+movie+poster+final.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Pennebaker is renowned for his verite approach, replacing talking
heads and intrusive voiceover with a simple record of seminal music
events as they happened. After capturing hundreds of hours of footage at
concerts, hotel rooms, and press interviews, Pennebaker told his story
in the editing room, finding the moments that would resonate most with
audiences. His films offer those who lived through these events a
chance to recapture those memories while giving those who didn't an
opportunity to feel intimately connected to our musical history.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The first film in the series is THIS WEDNESDAY - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061589/" target="_blank"><b>Don't Look Back</b></a>, covering Bob Dylan's 1965 concert tour in the United Kingdom. </span></div>
<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">Pennebaker captures
a young Dylan at the beginning of his ascent to superstardom - confident if not arrogant, confrontational and
contrary, but also charismatic and charming. Along with transcendental
performances by Dylan, the film also features Joan Baez, Donovan, Alan
Price (who had just left The Animals), Marianne Faithfull, John Mayall,
Ginger Baker, and Allen Ginsberg.</span></span></h6>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Suckcess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Suckcess.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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In 1998, the film was selected for preservation in the United States <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Film_Registry" title="National Film Registry">National Film Registry</a> by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Congress" title="Library of Congress">Library of Congress</a> as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".</div>
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Jo's will also be offering drinks specials - $3 premium drafts, $3 house wine.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Don't miss these pivotal moments in music history:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">February 1 | <b>Music Docs of D. A. Pennebaker...<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/338007132887609/" target="_blank">DON'T LOOK BACK</a></b>, @7pm, Jo's Downtown, FREE! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">March 7 | <b>Music Docs of D. A. Pennebaker...<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/338007132887609/" target="_blank">MONTEREY POP</a></b>, @7pm, Jo's Downtown, FREE! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">April 4 | <b>Music Docs of D. A. Pennebaker...<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/338007132887609/" target="_blank">ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS</a></b>, @7pm, Jo's Downtown, FREE! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">May 2 | <b>Music Docs of D. A. Pennebaker...<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/338007132887609/" target="_blank">ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE</a></b>, @7pm, Jo's Downtown, FREE! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And don't forget, AFF Members recieve a 10% discount at both Jo's Coffee locations! Interested in signing up? There will be a table at the events for more information, or visit our <a href="http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/membership" target="_blank">website</a>.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05583053234890679459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17975099.post-79811317412313625132012-01-27T08:58:00.004-06:002012-01-30T12:43:23.232-06:00Writers on Screenwriting - Herschel Weingrod<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnBhSxJ7gZQjybiNDdNzOrzZrHtbbIM30u7FZ6SzPbiHebS_ZUsKIDeghWU9PXaswHdaOIqLCz9YBg5JL5IXxQJs8uxezET1fP-imCTRRv-NrJpNeSHuEe0LDRjxODeS5UQ_u/s1600/10.21.2011_Panels_JP-158.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702330359248624818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnBhSxJ7gZQjybiNDdNzOrzZrHtbbIM30u7FZ6SzPbiHebS_ZUsKIDeghWU9PXaswHdaOIqLCz9YBg5JL5IXxQJs8uxezET1fP-imCTRRv-NrJpNeSHuEe0LDRjxODeS5UQ_u/s200/10.21.2011_Panels_JP-158.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 134px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Herschel Weingrod at the 2011 Austin Film Festival & Conference</span><br />
Photo credit: Jack Plunkett<br />
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We know how valuable it can be to hear another writer, especially a successful one, discuss their craft. It can inspire renewed commitment to one's work, give ideas for different ways to approach a story and remind us that we are not alone with our frustrations - and joys - in the writing process.<br />
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We've asked some friends of Austin Film Festival to share some of their thoughts on aspects of the writing process with us. Below, our good friend <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0918339/">Herschel Weingrod</a> shares some advice on preparing to tell your story.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Ray Bradbury once said, "Find out what your hero wants, then follow him." He didn't say lead him, he said follow him. If you've created your protagonists well enough, they'll take you where your story needs to go and, in doing so, you'll discover your theme rather than start with one and then hammer us over the head with it - the theme needs to be invoked rather than imposed. The trick is to get rid of all the facile cliches that are the first things you go for, the easy solutions to scenes and plot and character. Good writing can only begin after a lot of heavy lifting - a mountain of false starts and stops and what used to be crumpled paper. And then, if you're lucky, and talented, in return for your labor and humiliation you might wake up in the morning and know more about the scene you're about to write than when you went to sleep the night before...and, if you're really lucky, your characters will start to take you where they would go and do what they would do...and you'll experience the writer's equivalent of what athletes call being "in the zone".</span><br />
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- Herschel Weingrod, screenwriter <span style="font-style: italic;">Trading Places, Brewster’s Millions,</span> producer <span style="font-style: italic;">Falling Down</span>Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08769168951191173258noreply@blogger.com0