Career Services Week

Tuesday, January 31st Gallery in 12:15 -1:15pm.
Digital Film and Video Production
Stefanie Alleyne, Education Coordinator of MNN (Manhattan Neighborhood Network)
http://www.mnn.org/

"MNN is responsible for administering the public access cable TV services in Manhattan. Our purpose is to ensure the ability of Manhattan residents to exercise their First Amendment rights through moving image media to create opportunities for communication, education, artistic expression and other non-commercial uses of video facilities on an open and equitable basis.

In providing services, we seek to involve the diverse racial, ethnic and geographic communities of Manhattan in the electronic communication of their varied interest, needs, concerns and identities." - from MNN.org

Tropfest - NYC

http://tropfest.com/newyork/
" Tropfest is not about big budgets, ‘slickness’ or who you know. It’s about talent, strength of idea, and your ability to encapsulate that idea on screen. Many of the best Tropfest films cost just a few dollars and are even shot on mobile phones. Filmmakers of all backgrounds, regardless of their skill level, are invited to grab a camera, start shooting and tell their story through film.

Entries must:
- Be made specifically for Tropfest New York
- Be no longer than seven minutes including titles and credits.
- Include the Tropfest Signature Item (TSI), which changes each year. For Tropfest New York 2012, the TSI is BAGEL (this can be included in any way the filmmaker chooses, get creative!).
- Be a world premiere (including online).

First prize includes $20,000 CASH with other prizes to be announced soon. There are no genre restrictions at Tropfest; anything goes. We encourage you to start thinking about your film NOW. Film submissions will officially open on April 10 and close on Thursday the 10th of May 2012." From Tropfest.com

CALL for Filmmakers for Comic Book Interview

Alumni Chris Guzman is directing a project for comic historian Christopher Irving to promote his new book "LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS: The Origins of American Comics". Director Guzman is asking for AINYC students to help crew the project. Irving will be interviewing comic legends that appear in his book. Guzman needs the following crew - 2 Grips, 1 Gaffer, 1 Production/Makeup artist. He is requesting that qualified students send him an e-mail or call him by next Tuesday January 31st. Chris will give students information about the project when you contact him.
Chris Guzman - CspinFilms@gmail.com or 646-316-5093

Below are links regarding the book:
http://www.nycgraphicnovelists.com/2012/01/irving-kushners-leaping-tall-buildings.html
http://www.powerhousebooks.com/site/?p=11646

SlashFilm Podcast - Errol Morris

Those of you DF182 Documentary Filmmaking should be listening to this cast.
Editor David Chen interviews documentarian Errol Morris regarding his latest book: Believing is Seeing. Morris achieved notiriety with is 1988 doc. The Thin Blue Line, which enabled an innocent man to be set free from death roe. I've listen to the interview. I would strongly recommend that you check it out if you want to know more about the thought process behind this amazing filmmaker.

Click HERE for the podcast. http://www.slashfilm.com/conversation-errol-morris-nature-truth-photography-documentary/

YouTube and Venice Film Festival

The NY Times announced on Friday that YouTube and Venice Film Festival are partnering up to create a YouTube channel specifically for festival content. This is an interesting example of how the film world is moving toward on-line content. There is a contest for a screening at the Venice Festival which is being produced by filmmaker Ridley Scott.

Those 10 shorts will screen at Venice’s 69th installment in August, with a winner named by Mr. Scott (and other to-be-selected jurors). The prize, aside from a trip to Italy, is a $500,000 grant to work with Mr. Scott’s company.

Click HERE for full details and the complete story. Thanks to Seth for this one! http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/youtube-announces-new-film-competition-with-venice-film-festival-and-ridley-scott/

Damn the Man, Save the Empire!

Your all probably too young to remember the slacker comedy Empire Records (from where this title comes from). Getting old . . . Anyway, I wanted to bring a serious issue to your attention. So much so that Google has a NO CENSORSHIP banner on today's page. We had a lengthy conversation about censorship at our student meeting last quarter. It's important for you to keep up to date on censorship that is happening in our own government, right now.

SOPA - Stop Online Piracy Act - The originally proposed bill would allow the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as copyright holders, to seek court orders against websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. Depending on who makes the request, the court order could include barring online advertising networks and payment facilitators from doing business with the allegedly infringing website, barring search engines from linking to such sites, and requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites.

In layman's terms - All of your favorite web sites may be shut down and subject to an expensive, extensive legal process if anyone find's it's content in violation of copyright. Your ISP may ban certain websites from your search without your consent. Reports claim that the legislation is so loosely worded that members of government may use this to censor any site they please across the internet.

Understand that opinion is skewed, depending on where you get the source. However it's important for you, as a future filmmaker, to pay attention and take action either way. This WILL effect how you make films and distribute them in the future. -
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57360665-503544/sopa-pipa-what-you-need-to-know/
http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/opinions/why-its-important-to-reject-sopa-the-mpaa-and-piracy.php#comments
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399008,00.asp
A counter opinion -
http://www.mpaa.org/blog
http://www.mpaa.org/contentprotection
http://graphicpolicy.com/2011/12/23/marvel-and-disney-on-the-pro-sopa-bandwagon/
Here is the actual legislation -
http://judiciary.house.gov/issues/issues_RogueWebsites.html

Thoughts? Does this legislation help you as an artist by protecting your copyrights? Does this bill give power to corporations by shutting down anything that resembles copyright infringement? Is this legislation about taking power or protecting it? Educate and decide for yourself.

IFC Center This Quarter

Holy Cow! IFC has a fantastic line up for the next three months! http://www.ifccenter.com/
Cult Carpenter - http://www.ifccenter.com/series/waverly-midnights/cult-carpenter/
- For those of you who love cult and horror films, you must know about John Carpenter! The amazing director, editor, and composer has created some of the most memorable films of the 20th century! I'll be at the Thing screening!
Stranger than Fiction - http://www.ifccenter.com/series/stranger-than-fiction/stf-winter-2012/
- Documentaries are making a significant strides with the immediacy of cheap, fast technology. This continuous series at IFC is memorable and worth your time.
Kill List - http://www.ifccenter.com/films/kill-list/
- This film has been on every top ten list I subscribe to for this year. Now, it's getting a formal release in the states. Check it out!
- Academy Nominated Short Film Screening - http://www.shortsinternational.com/
IFC will be hosting screenings of the 2012 Oscar Nominated Shorts in Feb. I'll be posting a DFM field trip when the date approaches.
Enjoy! and go to the movies!

Fotoshop for Beauty Queens

Thanks, Dan for showing this to me! - Eve.

Screenwriting Competition - Deadline March 5th

Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Competition - Deadline March 5th. Late Deadline April 16th.
Enter by Clicking HERE - http://www.scriptapalooza.com/index2.html

Nerdy Stuff: ASC Podcast

ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) has a podcast where they talk to current cinematographers about their projects, past and present. A wide range of positions are covered from television broadcast, to feature film, to commercial direction. Since my favorite show right now is Breaking Bad, I began listening Michael Slovis discuss his experiences shooting and directing Breaking Bad.

For students interested in Cinematography, Check It Out!
http://www.theasc.com/ac_magazine/podcasts.php#ac_podcast

Welcome Back! Cannes 2012

Networking: $2250 Tuition, approximately May 14-27th, 2012

(Exact tuition amount determined by bedding option selected. Travel not included.)
The Networking program is designed for filmmakers and industry professionals who want access to the Cannes Film Festival to develop their professional networking skills. The program provides housing and guidance within Cannes and the festival in addition to attending screenings and parties.

It can be challenging breaking the ice and knowing what to say and where to go to say it. We will be guiding you through everything – giving you skills that you can use at any film festival or networking event around the world.

Click HERE for details -  http://realideasstudio.org/RIS_2012/Networking.html