A fantastic (in your face) article about Women in Film!

Paramount Pictures is set to launch a new production business for movies budgeted at less than $100,000. The as-yet-unnamed division plans to finance as many as 20 "micro-budget" movies annually starting in 2010, according to people familiar with the studio's plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because the formal announcement has not been made. A current Paramount executive will run the business, but the selection has not yet been revealed  publicly. Funds for the movies -- no more than $2 million total annually -- will be part of Paramount's existing production budget. The division does not plan to acquire completed movies at film festivals and markets.

See LA Times article below...
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/12/paramount-to-launch-microbudget-movie-division.html

Three years ago, I lost a dear friend on my birthday. Leonard Schrader was an extraordinary friend, mentor, filmmaker, and human being. He was such a kind-hearted individual. A man of wise words and a heart of gold. He was destined to be a great teacher. Every year, he never failed to show up to my birthday parties.  Until November 2nd, 2006.

He is sorely missed.

Len always had the wisest comments about film-making. This was one of my favorite quotes, along with the one up top.

“A screenplay is a pearl necklace. You come in with a box of pearls, And you string them together to make a necklace.” – Leonard Schrader

As passionate as he was a teacher; he was just as passionate about the movies. He had one of the largest lobby-card collections I had ever seen. 

The screenwriter Leonard Schrader, who passed away in late 2006, wrote screenplays in both Japanese and English; his love for and immersion in the culture of Japan resulted in Mishima, an audacious and ravishing film, co-written with and directed by his brother Paul. A year later, Schrader’s powerful adaptation of Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman earned him, director Hector Babenco, and producer David Weisman Oscar nominations. In addition to teaching and writing, Schrader was a passionate collector of vintage lobby cards, leaving behind a personal collection of over 8,000 original cards, many from rare silent films. (LACMA website)
 
The Collection consists of 8,462 vintage lobby-cards and 5,000 related items - many the sole surviving traces of long-lost silent films - acquired by late screenwriter/filmmaker Leonard Schrader over the course of 27 years. While Schrader preserved his collection with painstaking care in hundreds of 13x15 photographer’s albums - or “binders” - mysteriously he left no written inventory or index of this vast archive’s contents.

If you are a film lover and have a few minutes, I would highly recommend a visit. A rare, classic collection.
http://www.leonardschradercollection.com/index.html

"Just try and stay out of my way. Just try! I'll get you, my pretty and your little dog too!" --- Watch the restored 70th Anniversary Blu-Ray of The Wizard of Oz. Jiminy Cricket! It'll knock your socks off! The film has been meticulously restored from the original negatives in 8K resolution and remastered at 4K for the ultimate in quality.  I remember watching this film as a kid on VHS tape over and over. The experience of watching it remastered and projected on a big screen is astounding. Such a different experience! It's as if you feel you ARE in Muchkinland. 

I am a big fan of new things. I like change, despite being predictable in my ways.  Considering this is my first post and my official entrance to the blogging world, I figured the most appropriate topic would be the new Canon 5D Mark II DSLR camera. Like my blog, it is a fairly new tool (came out late last year, I believe) and has great promise.  I won’t go into the techie details, since that doesn’t interest me as much as the filmmaking opportunities this camera presents. It is the first SLR camera to shoot full HD Video. It is unbelievably versatile, maneuverable, and discreet. Beautiful quality! Officially amazing!

Last month, I did a camera test with my friend Insung. We tested the new camera for low light and portability on the LA Metro. One of the biggest challenges as a filmmaker is dealing with permitted locations. Permits can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars on top of actual location fees. The city makes a killing off of permits every year. I don’t blame them, but for an Indie filmmaker like myself, I usually don’t have the funds to pay for such locations. During our test shoot on the metro, we had several security guards pass by while we were filming. The SLR camera makes us look like a bunch of tourists taking pictures on the exciting subway. We had no problems at all. If we were filming with the average film camera, we would have obviously been stopped and would have attracted attention from passers-by. The Canon Mark II practically makes the filmmaker “invisible.” Imagine the endless location possibilities! Airport, concert arenas, museums, etc...These are all locations I’ve had to “write out” of my scripts in the past due to budgetary restrictions.

I enjoy making films. I do it for fun and as a means of expression. I don’t necessarily need a big crew or millions of dollars, although money and people are always welcome! I love the idea of picking up a camera and filming wherever and whenever I please. In a city like Los Angeles, there is an abundance of talent gone to waste. Actors, filmmakers, artists are everywhere. There are so many creative souls in this city that are NOT doing creative things. It breaks my heart. It pains me mostly because I am a creative individual myself. If I am not doing something creative, I feel my soul rotting away. It is a part of my livelihood, if you know what I mean? 

In the past, I’ve had most of the elements of filmmaking available to me. Story. Check. Collaborative friends for Crew. Check. Actors. Check. Food. Check. Home made Props. Check. 

The only major problems were unavailable locations and finding a camera that provided the quality I needed to tell my story.

For me, with this camera, there are no more excuses to not make films. With everything now available to me, the filmmaking possibilities are endless.  As with every new relationship, there will be pros and cons. I will continue to post updates on some of my Mark discoveries, but for now…I’ll just hope for true love!