| | | Obligatory Beginning of the New Year Paragraph
Ok, I know that it's been a loooong time since my last email, and that so much has happened in the world during my radio silence, and that there's a temptation to say something about the Virus, our Election, the Holiday, and the New Year (and how happy we all are to be done with 2020). But I'm not going to subject you to all that. I would, however, like to quickly explain why I kind of disappeared over the last few months, but I'm also really excited to tell you about what I've been cooking up. So if you'd rather just get to that part and skip this section, I won't be offended!
Many of you have emailed me asking about my next No Budget Confidential, and I have to say I've really enjoyed presenting those--all 6 of them. But I had to take a break. They were taking so much time to put together, I wasn't getting all my other work done. So, I took a short hiatus that turned into a longer than hoped for hiatus. That's mostly because my girlfriend's father went into hospice and I didn't want to schedule anything, not knowing whether I would need to travel at a moment's notice. That moment came in November, and I've spent most of my time in Houston ever since, (I'm here now as I write this). That doesn't mean I haven't been planning some fun programs for No Budget Film School for 2021--I have! I've got a bunch more No Budget Confidentials planned, some short classes and longer classes, and more. Let's start with NO BUDGET FILM CLUB... |
| | | NO BUDGET FILM CLUB IS BACK! (at least virtually, for now)
Those of you who've been on my mailing list since the near-beginning probably remember my short-lived screening series, No Budget Film Club. The idea was to screen rare, hard-to-find no-budget features, in a theatrical setting, with a moderated conversation before and after the screening with the filmmaker, including a Q&A with an audience that was made up of mostly prospective no-budget filmmakers (and fans of no-budget films). I planned to leverage my relationship with some filmmakers I met and worked with during my days as an executive with Next Wave Films, and my first two screenings were terrific fun. The first was a screening of the $12,000 feature Following, which we gave finishing funds to, with Chris Nolan revealing to everyone in attendance the strategies and techniques he used to pull off this marvel.
Screening #2 was with David Gordon Green, (right before the premiere of Pineapple Express), and his first feature George Washington. In addition to an invigorating and edifying discussion, we also gave away props from the film and even a Dinner For Two with one of the film's stars, (at McDonald's. I mean, it's NO BUDGET Film Club, after all).
For both these nights, we sold out the historic 600 seat Egyptian in Hollywood, and the Egyptian's programmer and I were planning more of these events. But then I got neck deep in production on my next feature, the Egyptian modified it's screening mandate, and No Budget Film Club disappeared--gone, but absolutely not forgotten.
I've been hoping to find a receptive venue and some ideal films and filmmakers to reinvigorate No Budget Film Club for many years now, but when COVID hit, that gave me another idea--relaunch it as a virtual screening series, (at least until we can all safely go back to the theater again).
Now, I realize I'm not the only one who has thought about retooling their screenings for virtual. I've subscribed to a number of different virtual screening series that include virtual Q&A's with the filmmakers. But I can tell you this--mine will be different, and I hope, much better. For one, I'm picking films that aren't readily available and more importantly, that offer lessons to all of us no-budget filmmakers. So while it's fun to watch Mank and then hear from David Fincher about how it was made, I'm not learning anything I can take with me this year when I want to make a feature for $40,000 (or less).
And I'm also not getting to actually speak to David Fincher, nor meet anyone else who's interested in his work. So, my goal for the new No Budget Film Club is to be the virtual equivalent to those great events at the Egyptian years ago. You'll get to speak to the filmmakers "in person", you'll get to meet other like-minded filmmakers and film fans, you'll have the opportunity to network "in the lobby" after the show, and you might even win a dinner at McDonalds with one of the actors!
This is what I hope to bring to my new, reincarnated version of No Budget Film Club, and I'm excited to announce a very special, unique event for my first outing... |
| | | | No Budget Film Club presents the 30th ANNIVERSARY SCREENING OF "THE HECK WITH HOLLYWOOD!"
Let me take you back to the early days of the American Independent Filmmaking Movement, the primordial days of micro-budget filmmaking itself! Before there was Sundance, before there was a Rebel Without A Crew, before there were Slackers, Clerks, or Brothers named McMullen, there were the filmmakers depicted in the landmark documentary about independent filmmaking, The Heck With Hollywood!, veteran documentary director/producer Doug Block's very first film.
Doug, who wanted to make narrative films himself, like Spike Lee and Jim Jarmusch at that time, decided he would learn how to do that by following around a trio of ambitious, intrepid filmmakers who were trying to make their first features. This was the mid-to-late 80's, before there were cell phones, digital video, and the internet. Before there was a model or barely even any successful examples for how to make a film outside the system (or Off Hollywood, as it was known back then).
The result of his four years of shooting and editing was this 1991 feature that won awards and garnered boffo reviews, and launched a career that is still going strong 30 years later. The Heck With Hollywood! hasn't been available to view in over 28 years, so you can see why I'm so excited to share this hilarious, bittersweet time capsule with you now.
But as good as the film is, and as relevant as it is for micro-budget filmmakers working today, what makes it a great No Budget Film Club event is the discussion it encourages about the state of the Independent Film Industry today. Screening the film and witnessing how it was back then gives us a great excuse to not only relive those old days, but also discuss where the industry evolved to soon after the moment depicted in the film, and take stock about where we are now. To that end, I've got two industry veterans who were there, and who are still very much active today--producer Sam Kitt (who is featured in the film), and distribution consultant Peter Broderick, who was in the center of it all then, too. They'll be joined by the filmmakers depicted in the film, who will talk frankly about what they went through on their first films and what those films led to career-wise. I will say, there are some great surprises as far as that is concerned.
You can learn much more about the event by clicking the button below, and while we're still several weeks away from the event (the live discussion is March 1st), I'm offering a special early-bird discount if you register now. The regular ticket price for the screening and live discussion is $10. As a No Budget Film School subscriber, you will get a $3 discount, and if you register in the next two weeks, you'll get $5 off! Just use the promo code SUBS (or click the button, which includes your discount).
Can't wait to tell you more in the coming weeks and see you on March 1st (I've cut my hair and everything)--it's going to be great fun!
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