The Production Manager

The prime conditions for the operation of a successful motion picture production process revolves around the strength of the the role of the production manager. The most amazing aspects of the most successful levels of a successful filmmaking process needs a steady hand, financial oversight, workplace environment tranquility,  and solidarity of vision in the film project itself.


With the virtue of understanding these requirements allows the filmmaking process to flow from pre-production, the production phase, the post-production, and ultimately completed project. The most prolific Unit Production Managers (UPM's) shuffle the decks, the relations to keep demanding producers, studios, talent, and the crew in a stable base mode even if the production is traversing the turbulent period of woes. Even more important is the place of moving a process forward by steering the ship.  Then, if the UPM is successful, the completed project is moved into post. Can the UPM get a project to this point, that is what the most efficient UPM strives for in totality.


So, as we examine the production process, we must realize the UPM for all of the assets that they bring to such endeavors.  

The Great Leap Forward...

“The Great Leap Forward” was a phrase long associated with the “Cultural Revolution” of the Maoist Communist movement in China. However, it has come to exemplify a period of restless anticipation in the fields of digital filmmaking. While we marvel at the visual wizardry of box-office darlings like “Avatar” and the “Harry Potter” series, it is in hindsight that we see that these films are still working to catch up technology wise with the vision of the filmmakers. In the case of James Cameron, his vision for “Avatar” was fermented and penned in the early 1990’s. The synergy was there, however, the nexus of technology in terms of the computer processor necessary to compose such powerfully stunning vistas as his fantasy world of Pandora required nearly a decade and half to come about into fruition.

In a TED Talk presented in February of 2010, the Academy Award winning director explained his long waited to create the blue creatures, visual panoramas, and jaw dropping action sequences. Cameron explained it like this: “But we found ourselves lagging in the mid '90s in the creature and character design stuff that we had actually founded the company to do. So, I wrote this piece called "Avatar," which was meant to absolutely push the envelope of visual effects, of CG effects, beyond, with realistic human emotive characters generated in CG And the main characters would all be in CG And the world would be in CG And the envelope pushed back. And I was told by the folks at my company that we weren't going to be able to do this for a while.”  

The great context of Cameron’s comments speak to the scores and depth of the potential stories that are lurking in the minds of Hollywood filmmakers as they await the next great wave of processing and microcomputer technology. The real question is whether a system of highly collaborative infrastructures will finally make their way into everyday filmmaking circles beyond the world of the film-editing suite (the worlds of Avid and FCP)? The possibility of multiple user interfaces in context of production design, set production leadership, and the introduction of cloud based computing technology still sits tenuously on the edge of actuality in the industry.  When will crews have the true ability to work in a virtual set that matches the virtual fantasy of Pandora. So only time will tell on that matter.

A Review of Chimamanda Adichie's TED Talk: Danger of Single Story

Chimamanda Adichie TED talk on the Danger of a Single Story gives the aspect of the power of how media can form perceptions that defy actual facts. A talented young author, Adichie, a native of Nigeria provides an intelligent debunking of the characterization of people across the world by the prism of the vision of a single source to what makes civilization work.

In her discussion, the young author expounds on the experiences of the foundation of her love for literature. The books of her youth were by American and English authors, these formed the heart of her belief system for a long period regardless of the fact that she was a youngster in Nigeria. This cultural influence, a position that shaded her view of the world formed the core of her talk. As she grew to adulthood, travel and the introduction of African authors give her perspective to see beyond the forces that ferment her earlier world- view.

The power of media sources whether they be a children’s book or the more complex novels of a Pulitzer Prize winner like Alice Walker is in how the reader comes to allow it to influence their vision of the world. Adichie relates the story of how a trip to Mexico allowed her to see her own prejudices and the misinformation of media sources had on her vision of the country and the populous. She speaks of the personal shame that she felt for having let such media bias influence her.

The overall context of the talk is inspiring from the standpoint that she allows the world to she her flaws as human being while chastising the premise of the influence of Western culture on the masses. In reality, entrepreneurism is not a sole property of the West. Cultural character as well is not the sole property as well. Her talk shows the desire of all individuals to have cultural pride.

In conclusion, Ms. Adichie gives the strength to her convictions that is translated to her audience. By the end, the viewer or the attendee has been opened up to rich history of cultures while being given the powerful warning that allowing a single source to much influence in crafting one’s world view can be limiting.



References

Adichie, C. (Artist). (2009). (n.d.). The danger of a single story. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

Independent Film regroups...

Independent filmmaking and TV producers unlike independent insurance agents are not given a finished product to sale or resource to promote by a larger industry. They are the ones who create, produce, and then try to sell a finished product. While a solitary enterprise in theory,  indies dwell in a system that requires collaborations and associations.

In 2006, the most venerable face of the independent motion picture community in North America the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers ceased operation.  Into the void left by the AIVF's departure a number of trade groups have tried to fill the huge chasm left for indie filmmakers.

The strong effort at industry consolidation in the form of studio mergers and the acquisition of once powerful forces for the distribution of independent films for the equally once powerful theatrical exhibition industry like Miramax and The Samuel Goldwyn Company by larger production studio houses. Disney and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) acquired these two companies. Disney and Warner Brothers went even further and created their own independent studios to take advantage of the trend. 

Still, with these consolidations has come a saturation of productions for the big and small screens that never attain distribution. These voids in access and difficult scenarios for getting films to market have brought the New York based Independent Film Project (IFP) greater influence and membership.  On the other hand, The Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA) has been at the forefront of marketing and distributing sponsoring the American Film Market in Santa Monica, California where independent filmmakers can pursue distribution deals.

Currently maintaining a membership over 10,000, the IFP has taken a role to lead filmmakers in their industry pursuits. The association sponsors the Independent Filmmaker Labs™, the Independent Film week™, and the related industry surrounding the independent filmmaker. Ultimately, the association funnels resources for the independent industry in ways that aid them in trying to get films made and more importantly to the marketplace. 

Whereas, the IFTA has started championing the access of independents to the TV market place which has decrease to 18% down from the 50% access available to indies in 1995. Representing 150 companies from 23 nations, this trade association is headquartered in Southern California. By launching the website Fight for Independents, the Alliance see the battleground as one that is between the diminishing window of opportunity for indies and the strength of the consolidated studios and distributors scenario that now monopolizes the market. 

These two associations situated on the two American coasts are now the places where Indies now turn for their unity. 

The Florida Southern College Teaching Through Technology workshop...

Professor Sydney Chalfa of Macon State continues to break new ground in the expanding field of Digital Storytelling. One of the leading proponents of the use video in the telling personal non-narrative stories, her teaching style enlightens non-professional to higher levels of skills and attributes in telling those comprehensive tales.

Recently Sydney joined numbers of Digital Storytelling proponents in Lakeland, Florida in teaching a workshop on the subject. Between July 11-15, Professor Chalfa shared her personal teaching style with educators from across the Southeast. The genre allows even the most inexperienced child, adult, or a storyteller to get their point across in the most personal form. A former student of the groundbreaking Joe Lambert led San Francisco Center for Digital Storytelling, Chalfa has been a pied piper for the genre.

With the increasing tone for not-for-profit budget cuts and the drying up of grants for documentary film-making. Digital storytelling has the possibility of being a gateway or bridge mechanism for filmmakers until economic stability is regained and the documentary genre is stabilized in the not so near future. 

http://www.flsouthern.edu/evening/TeacherWorkshops/

From Theory to the Proof...

The man who put Tarantino on the road to ‘Reservoir Dogs’ keeps plugging his brand of guerilla filmmaking.

I finally took the plunge and signed up for a nearly legendary cult status filmmaking workshop for independent moviemakers: Dov S-S Simens’ “2 Day Hollywood School” while recuperating from nearly a life ending accident in 1996. It had me kicking myself for majoring in television and film production 10 years and $32,000 in tuition, books, and room and board earlier. It changed my outlook on the process.

Over the weekend I revisited Dov’s course and technique by going to Los Angeles and re-enrolling in the class. 15 years ago, I had 5 years, 8 feature films, 2 Emmy nominated TV series, and a major network mini-series under my belt by that time. Therefore, I felt extremely confident in my knowledge of the budget and planning process. There is the “Hollywood Myth” of what a movie cost to make and the reality of what the actual cost truly is in the end. The only good thing about being a low level office PA is that you sooner or later, you get to see the “bible budget” while mass copying it for the need to know executives, producers, and security bondsmen. The most startling revelation aspect in the workshop is just that, the myth far exceeds the truth “above-the-line” and “below-the-line” figures that are nightly bandied about on shows like Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood. Simen’s is famed for demystifying the process.

Now, 15 years later with 10 more features, 6 more TV series, and 3 more mini-series in my rear view mirror, I flew to Southern California to see just how relevant his ideas were on the matters that he presented to us.

The process is always 87% cost control, 7% product, and the remaining 6% being the wash of the experience. If you can acquire the property reasonably, sell the idea without ceding to much control, and lastly make the film with reasonable acquisitions of talent, equipment, location, and post-production necessity, then one can generally  stand assured that the final piece: distribution may leave the filmmaker in the position to succeed regardless of the quality of the work. Producer Roger Corman made a career of this formula while at American International films.

Making your first movie of any kind is always the most daunting matter on a beginner's or industry veteran’s plate. Still, as Simen’s finished his 38 steps of production and the avenues of getting the project acquired in some manner for distribution; the premise had not changed over that period of time. It got Quentin Tarentino to the brink of getting a film made with a mostly then D-list performers and one mega star in Harvey Keitel to be in ‘Reservoir Dogs.’

The Exhibition Wars...

Exhibition Wars