Pulp Thought for The Midnight Eye

Adriano Barone - a friend of the blog from Italy - sent me a link this morning regarding the Japanese V-Cinema industry that I thought I'd share with all of you. In particular, one passage in a review of ZEBRAMAN 2 caught both Adriano's and my eyes:

"This industry has become increasingly polarised, with more higher-budgeted productions that rely on formula and commercially viable concepts on the one hand, and more very under-funded struggling independents on the other. Today, the middle ground that spawned a film like Dead or Alive simply no longer exists. The yakuza genre has essentially become dormant once again - it certainly will never again be what it was during the 1990s. Production and distribution companies from that middle tier are going bankrupt at an alarming rate."

 We are seeing this market condition since last year - something Bill Martell and I discussed over the phone on my bus ride back from the American Film Market.

It's not pretty and it's certainly convoluted, but it points a way toward a possible future for media.  Part of the problem of the middle ground markets for indie films falling away is the belief on the part of the companies that there would always be a middle ground. 

Hollywood and its indie offshoots has always been notorious in its ability to run something into the ground, wring every last penny out of it and discard the dried husk (One too many cliche's this morning guys, sorry).  Then they move on to the next big thing.  They don't develop new markets until a gun is absolutely, positively pointed at their temple and the hammer is pulled back. 

But life doesn't work like that does it? 

I am bullish on new technologies and platforms to get movies into the hands of consumers.  I don't think that's going to include theatrical exhibition unless you've made a movie for over $5M. I just don't see the return on investment being equal or greater than cost.

(Of course I'm the guy who, if given $10M would make 10 movies for $1M each instead of one movie for that $10M). 

So, the key is to move onto other platforms and systems and develop them yourself before you are forced to do so by market condition and you're trying to save your job.  The old saying applies here:

The time to look for a new job is before you need one.

Monster of a Budget: $15,000

Why Put the Pulp Into High Gear?

I'm a big advocate of momentum when it comes to media production. I've found that too many people sit back and take it easy when it comes to writing or filming and end up with barnacles on their work.  On the flip-side there are people out there who go with the flow, and are able to keep a consistent level of work going.  Is their work perfect?  No, but what is?

The one aspect of being swift when it comes to your media creation is the opportunity to capitalize on a trend and leverage your content to those looking for the same.  it's a balance between being both prescient and quick. Take Leverage for example (pardon the pun). Many of the stories they've researched for their show have ended up as headlines in the papers - right as their show airs.

This leads us to a situation outlined by Charles Crumpley in the LA Business Journal:

"I did a little market research last week. I asked my 9-year-old daughter, Katie, to play around on the Monster High website and then tell me what she thought. I didn’t tell her why. After a while, she announced, “Not bad.”

Would she buy Monster High clothing? “Yeah, maybe.” Books? “Definitely the books,” she nodded. How about a Monster High Halloween costume? Her face brightened. “Yes!”

And dolls? Would she buy the line of dolls? She looked at me as if I hurt her feelings. “I’m a little too old for dolls,” she said, explaining an obvious reality to a slow-witted dad.

And when I told her that the Monster High movie won’t come out for at least a year or so, she seemed disappointed, confused even. You could see in her expression the question, “Why would they wait so long?”

On the one hand, I presume Mattel has done a good deal of expensive research and knows what it’s doing. But on the other, I have to believe that if it wants to reach tween girls with Monster High, Mattel should speed up the movie and seriously downplay the dolls. I mean, that just seems like another obvious reality."

Bottom line: Don't wait around. Don't overthink it.  Put your imagination to work.

Or else you'll be left waiting.

Pulp Filmmaking: Tech is no Excuse. The Answer Lies in Perspective

The only thing separating a bad production from a good production is the level of commitment from the filmmaker. It is not dependent on the budget. The availability of the technology and the knowledge is equal.

Example below: 





So when someone sends me a link, or a screener and says, "Well, we didn't have access to this or that," or "We couldn't fit it into our budget," I have to be a bit skeptical, especially since they are so many really skilled people across the world sharing their experience.

So, since the tech and knowledge base is equal -  the difference has to be with the story you're telling, and the POV you're using to tell it. Work on those aspects. Hone it down to the bone so you've crafted something that's both immediately familiar, yet unique.  A good example would be Dr. Horrible - a melodramatic superhero story told from the perspective of the supervillain.

From the feature film side - I would say the upcoming Splice is a good example of a movie that takes a familiar, accessible premise and gives it a new perspective.  Frankenstein by any other name...

But that POV has to also extend to how you distribute the film. It has to be unique as well, so it has the best chance to reach its intended audience.  With more and more people purchasing Ipads, Iphones, PSPs, PS3s and so on, the opportunities to get your film directly to your audience has never been greater.

So if you want people to respond to your work, step back and give it a new perspective. Then go out and research all of the FREE tools you can use to realize it. 

They're out there.

(video found via Pleasure for the Empire)

Canon Rebel T2i / 550D

Stuart Cone - one of our Pulp Legionnaires - informs me of the following re: this new Canon camera hitting the USA:

Heya sir,

Haven't seen it on the blog so I figured I'd throw it out there:  Canon is about to release what will be called the Rebel T2i here in the States.  It's the "550D" overseas.  It's pretty much the 7D with a few trims.  I think the sensor, modes and ISO abilities are same the same or ridiculously close in some instances.

It will cost $800.  Almost a good hundred bucks cheaper than the 7D.  With a lens, $900 (I'm going body-only camera and a $90 "nifty fifty" 50mm lens).  For around 2300 bucks I'm about to walk away with the T2i, a Glidecam HD1000, a Zoom H4n recorder, hotshoe, the Pluraleyes syncing plugin for Final Cut Pro and a couple of other things.  Everything I need to go out and start cracking on some shorts for less than a single camera used to cost.

Really, there aren't any excuses anymore.  I can't imagine 1080p/24fps is going to get much cheaper.  It seems like the perfect storm for web-targeted series and films startups.
 
----------------------------------------------

There is a review of the camera here by Phillip Bloom.

And a fantastic demo video here.

What we need now is someone to go shoot a 24 / Bourne Supremacy / Fringe demo to really put the camera through its paces.  If the color and the blacks hold up then... by Jove, I think we've got it!

Oh, and if anyone at Canon is listening, Bill Martell and I have a couple of short subjects for the web for which we could use a just such a camera.  Maybe even a whole damn movie....or two....just sayin'...

The Only (Pulp) Filmmaking Advice You'll Ever Need

Occasionally good buddy Jim Henshaw will send me an email... well, that's not quite right.  It's not quite mail. It's more like a signpost pointing the way to something good, or a simple question that usually takes me several paragraphs to answer fully.  There's often no "How ya doin?" No Chatty Cathy aspect to his email - just the pulp. 

He cuts straight to the bone that Mr. Henshaw - yes, he does.

So when I get an email from Jim - I know it's something important, useful and often profound in its elegant simplicity.  The following hit my Inbox a few minutes ago and the article linked pretty much sums up my philosophy of indie/pulp/low budget film making - hell, media making - and is...

The only film making advice you really need

Print it.

Learn it.

Live it.

Edit to add:  I almost missed this portion of the web page scrolling through the comments. The author of the article - Matt - sums it all up quite nicely as to why he wrote this article in the first place:

 So why do I really post this information? Mostly because I get really aggravated working for people who don’t know this stuff already. I get alot of jobs from people who go on and on about nebulous “film theory” concepts. Those are usually the jobs that turn into 18 hour days, go over budget, run out of money, and I get short changed.

Those are the jobs where the AD and Script Supervisor stop the whole production for 4 hours because they aren’t sure that the layout of the beer bottles on the table matches the last scene .

Those are the people who feel like a $1000 leather coat is the only way to express the lead characters personality (but sorry, we had to blow the catering budget for the next two days to buy it).
Those people are the “noise” you are talking about…it’s the noise I’m trying to get rid of.

I probably have half a dozen films that I can’t put on my resume. They’ve never been finished. They’ve all went so over budget, they went into post and never came out.

On the other hand….television and commercial are a dream to work with. They always finish the project. Maybe there is a hard shadow on the wall in a shot or two, or the lighting color temp is a little off. But at the end of the day there is a finished product.

For digital filmmakers on low budgets, thinking like a “filmmaker” when it comes to production is only going to lead to failure. My goal is to get people to think more like a commercial producer. Do the best you can, but nothing is sacred except the budget and the deadline.

Paramount Ponies Up for Pulp Filmmakers

(Okay, they say "microbudget," but hey...) From Variety:

Paramount to produce more micro-budget films

Studio will spend $1 million annually to develop 10 to 20 films

Seeking to replicate the stunning success of "Paranormal Activity," Paramount's launching an initiative that will spend $1 million annually to develop and produce microbudget films.

Move, unveiled Thursday, is designed to place between 10 and 20 projects in development by the end of next year, with no individual budget topping $100,000.

Paramount Film Group prexy Adam Goodman, promoted to the slot in June, cooked up the plan in the successful wake of "Paranormal," made for $15,000 and grossing more than $100 million domestically.

Goodman indicated the funds, which will come out of the studio's overall production budget, will be targeted at both unknowns and established filmmakers, with the goal of increasing the studio's ability to find new voices and ideas. In addition, the initiative's aimed at giving Paramount a more diverse portfolio of titles at a time when Hollywood's devoting most of its resources to megabudget pics, such as Par's "Transformers" and "Star Trek" franchises.

The studio hasn't set a target of how many projects would receive a theatrical release. The microbudget projects could also conceivably be remade with conventional budgets.

Paramount originally planned to release "Shutter Island" in early October but, citing costs, decided in late August to push that title back to February and opted for "Paranormal Activity" instead.

Par was able to make effective use of a low-cost grassroots release strategy, starting with a dozen midnight screenings of Oren Peli's horror-thriller in college towns before launching a gradual rollout that built on strong word of mouth.

Note: How Paramount is using the same strategy they used in "Paranormal Activity" to determine the effectiveness of their movies and how and where they will be released. That is, they "ask the audience" first and roll out the movie from there based on the word of mouth. I have no doubt some of these movies will go Direct 2 Download/DVD/Netflix - but they will still be profitable for the studio, and their risk is minimal -- especially as they cultivate the audience and perhaps sell them other Paramount products along the way.

Now all we need are unusual stories to tell. Stories that go for the throat.
Hmmm... wonder where we'll get those?

Brilliant!

Courtesy Stefan Blitz and The Forces of Geek:

Not a Press Release But Close Enough: Android Army

From my partner in nefarious media, Bill Martell:

So, Bill from Pulp 2.0 and I were talking about this... and instead of looking at this as The Death Of Cinema, we've decided to use this as an opportunity. To make lemonade out of the lemons. Basically, I’m taking my own advice and looking at projects with strong ancillary possibilities. I have a script called ANDROID ARMY that is often a bridesmaid, but so far has not been a bride. People keep *almost* making this script. The great thing about it is that it’s affordable sci-fi, and has some really strange characters. It is the only thing I've ever written that screams: "Action Figures!" It also screams video game and comic book and game cards and all of that other stuff. The stuff that used to be ancillary rights but now seems to be driving the market. So, we are going to try to set it up as a video game and a comic book and maybe even a toy line *before* we try to set it up as a movie. Instead of looking at the movie first and the ancillary stuff second, the plan is to reverse that - and look at video games and all of those things that used to be “after markets” as equals to cinema. To play this ancillary game Hollywood seems to be playing.

Hey, the economy sucks - games and comic books and all of those things that used to be ancillaries are hurting. We understand that. This is not a case of thinking that setting this up as a comic book is going to be easy, this is trying to break down some other door - find some other way in with this project. If we do all of this and nothing happens, how is that any different than trying to set up the script with a bunch of producers?

Yes, we are looking at this as telling the story through other media. It won't be any easier but it will keep us busy and moving forward. As I posted last week, the media business has to be rethought - from conception, promotion and marketing, production and distribution. Bill and I are reworking the rules in our favor to move us forward and reach the important goal: Getting the property into your hot little hands. As Bill says...

I did not start writing screenplays to sell dolls, but many of my favorite films have action figures... no, not CASABLANCA, but ALIENS does. So, for a while, if I have a choice between the story idea that can sell to multiple markets or a story idea that can only be a movie, I'm going to pick the additional markets one. I'm not writing anything I don't like, just selecting from ideas I do like or twisting an idea a little to give it additional chances to be bought and made. I’m kicking down different doors.

And that’s kind of exciting.

Yeah - it is. It stretches different muscles of thought but it's all Mad Pulp Media.

For Mutant Swingers Only!

From my friend, director Mike Kallio:

Just wanted to start getting the word out.
My 50's sci-fi spoof is making its LA premiere Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 3pm at the world famous Graumann's Chinese Theatre.
It has been accepted into the horror/sci-fi film fest called Screamfest LA. It features the real acting debut of guitarist/frontman Jack White of the Detroit band, The White Stripes (and a few other bands as well).

It's a family friendly sci-fi spoof so, anyone can come and check it out. Hope to see you there. Ticket info and links are all below,.. if you have any questions, feel free to send me a note. HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!

Attached is our movie poster done by friend, colleague and artist wizard/ninja, Kevin James (who also makes a cameo in the film). There will most likely be a Q & A with cast and crew after the flick too, so that should be fun.

Best,

Mike Kallio


Link to festival site: www.screamfestla.com

Link directly to the film page on festival site: http://www.screamfestla.com/showFilm.php?movie=mars

Link to the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR3IlCRi0pM

And don't forget to check my youtube.com/darkallio page for new web-isodes/promo-sodes,.. and other fun little promos for the movie which ARE coming SOON!

Report From Them's That's Pulpin': Rico Lowry

Good buddy and director of the fabulous DESTINATION MARS and MONARCH OF THE MOON, Richard "Rico" Lowry sent me a note I'm passing along to you guys:

Been a while, thought I'd update you on my nutty activities...

We completed a rough cut of RAPTURE a while ago and hooked up with Paul Ottosson (sound designer for the Spiderman films) and a post production supervisor, Jack Schuster (Juno) who both saw the cut and came on board as partners. They're bringing in a visual effects team and will bolster the soundtrack to give the movie higher production values. We'll be taking it to AFM.

With Rapture wrapping up, we're already developing my next project QUICKFIRE, a martial arts action/thriller that we plan to shoot in Slovakia or Bulgaria. To better showcase the project, we shot a 'mock' trailer. To see it, check out the site at

www.quickfire3d.com.

The current trailer for RAPTURE is at: www.rapturethefilm.com.

Another 7D Video: Beijing

Shot with available light and three lenses. From DslrNewsshooter Dan Chung by way of PrepShootPost's Eric Escobar:



I want a pulp feature shot with this camera...But I want an action sequence done with it first - a chase, a fight, a shootout.

Available light.

Edit to rant: You guys who are always saying you need more money with which to make your TV shows? You don't. You guys who say you can't make webisodes with TV quality? You can. You want to make a show that changes things? That makes an impact? That redefines things?

Don't think big. Think small.

They Are Designing My Movie...

Here.

Though I suppose that since it's moved into the design phase it's OUR movie.

We still need a lead actress to play a master thief who can fly.

Inspirational images here.

Shooting in New Jersey.

(Wait! Don't run away!)

Danger: Diabolik - Behind a Pulp Movie Smash

From The Mad Genius Who Is...

Donald F. Glut come these wild wonderful pulp films courtesy Tempe DVD.
















COUNTESS DRACULA'S ORGY OF BLOOD (DVD)
UPC #827912081114 / $19.99 SRP
Order Date: September 11, 2009 / Street Date: October 13, 2009

What does a vampire do when he can only drink blood that first passes through another vampire's veins? Lord Ruthven revives his lesbian sister in this horror-erotic sequel to Frontline Entertainment's cult hit THE EROTIC RITES OF COUNTESS DRACULA! Remastered edition with a coffin-load of new DVD extras, featuring international horror icon Paul Naschy in his first American movie!


THE MUMMY'S KISS: 2nd DYNASTY (DVD)
UPC #827912081121 / $19.99 SRP
Order Date: September 11, 2009 / Street Date: October 13, 2009

Eternal youth can be a curse as well as a blessing. That's what an aging beauty discovers after making a pact with an Egyptian goddess involving a revived Mummy and the stolen kas of three sensuous female victims in this horrific sequel to Frontline Entertainment's cult hit THE MUMMY'S KISS! Newly remastered with additional bonus features!

The Other 90 ...

So, as I often do on Friday afternoons, I spent awhile trying to catch up on some of the more interesting articles and news bytes that I 'star' in my Google Reader. This allows me some time to clean house before the weekend and gives me some inspirational business ideas that I may be able to apply.

While I may not be ahead of the curve, I at least try to stay within it so I know where it's going.

Anyway, I was reading this. Which prompted me to do a search and I found this. and this. Now as I often do I started putting things together to see if they fit. Sometimes they do - sometimes they don't. But for me, it always leads to interesting questions.

So - if Polak is correct and “Ninety percent of the world’s designers spend all their time working on solutions to the problems of the richest 10 percent of the world’s customers."

And if Joy Marcus is correct and "We’re seeing a lot of people moving from high-level, squeaky clean Hollywood stuff to more gritty “Pro-tail” stuff, which is semi-professional, long-tail content."

And if Iger is correct in his figures: "Iger opened by mentioning that TV took thirteen years to reach 50 million people. It took Facebook nine months to get 100 million members. 400 million videos were streamed on Hulu last month. YouTube offers more than 100 million videos... "

Are we seeing the trend toward media for the other 90%? Are the movies and TV shows geared toward just 'the rich?' Is that why we're seeing more and more consumers going online to consume "Pro- tail" content? What does media for the other 90% look like?

• Where does that media come from? - From us, obviously.All kinds.
  

• How is it built? - as cheaply as possible (open source production?) . "It" in this instance being the production, marketing and distribution apparatus in order to get product to consumer.(See Netbooks)
  

• What does that mean in terms of production, distribution, cast, crew, etc...?
  

1. Production and development would be dependent on the tech involved. Thankfully it is getting cheaper and cheaper to attain a higher quality product.
2. Distribution is to the masses outside the theater system who can't afford high ticket prices (or cable, or Netflix fees, or BB fees. See: Redbox, Internet, Other TBD)
   
3. Cast would be new. No names. You make names. Story is the star.
   
4. Crew minimal as possible.
   

• How does the 90% support it (and you)?
  

1. By tying the media to a low cost - high volume product already in use by the 90.
2. By keep the sales volume high and margins low.
3. By making it so accessible it's too easy to get. Free even.

Things to think about. Especially in light of articles like this.

Edit to add: No sooner do I post this up than I read this from Cousin Trevor :

"Jim Jarmusch once told me “Fast, Cheap, and Good… pick two. If it’s fast and cheap it wont be good. If it’s cheap and good it won’t be fast. If it’s fast and good it wont be cheap.” Fast, cheap and good… pick (2) words to live by." -- Tom Waits

It's About Time! Roger Corman is Getting an Oscar!

From CHUD:

I cannot even believe I am typing these words but:

Roger Corman is getting an Oscar.

The maestro of cheapie genre films is finally being recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a lifetime of work that I guarantee to you is more influential than probably ten other random Oscar winners put together. If you just want to go 'serious,' Corman started the of people like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese (and Joe Dante, Ron Howard, Alan Arkush, Jim Wynorski, Jim Cameron, Gale Ann Hurd, et al - MPB) (both of whom will hopefully be on hand) (and distributed films of Bergman and Fellini - MPB) but if you want to go 'film geek,' Corman is a giant, churning out low budget feature after feature that blazed the imaginations of generations of kids.

Were all of these films 'good?' Hell no. But they were all Corman.
-------------------------------

This has been long overdue...

I'm Thinking of Opening A Pulp Filmmaking School

It would be run a bit differently than other schools you may or may not have attended.



But you would know the film business as if your life depended on it.
Because it does.

Roger Corman Kept the Plates Spinning...

As all pulpsters know, you have to have a lot of ideas in the pipeline, ready to be pulled out polished and sent out to fill a market need. You never want to be in a position where you don't have a concept to sell to a producer.

Pulpster: ...and then we find out she's a robot!

Producer: (puffs cigar) Naw! Already have something like that in the pipeline. Ya got anything else, maybe something like [Redacted]?

Pulpster: (looks a notes)... why yes! Yes I do...(launches into pitch)

Well look at all the projects Roger Corman developed in some way, shape or form.

(courtesy Temple of Schlock)

ACAPULCO (1980)
Screenplay by Frances Doel

ALL THE BRIDES CAME BLOODY (1971)
Starring Jerry Talbert and Melissa Miles.

ALTAR OF BLOOD (1971)
Corman's company during the 1970s and early '80s, New World Pictures, was set to release the French horror film MIDI MINUIT (MOON AND MOONLIGHT) as ALTAR OF BLOOD, but that apparently never happened.

AVALANCHE (1974)
Written and directed by George Armitage
"A tale about an avalanche at a ski resort," this project was later assigned to director Corey Allen and uncredited writer Gavin Lambert. The finished movie was released in 1978.

A BULLET FOR EVERY AMERICAN (1974)
Co-produced with Mark Damon Productions
Written by Michael Wakely
Directed by Joe Dante
"To be filmed in Rome"

And note in many ways he had art created before the movie was shot or even before the script was written!

How to Make Money with Free Media..

People look at me aghast when I tell them to put their movie up online for free. They look at me aghast when I mention merchandising and advertising and p2p networks. They look at me aghast when I tell them to forget about festivals and sending out screeners to distributors. They look at me aghast when I tell them Twitter , YouTube and Facebook will increase their sales more than a distributor or an award win.

(and if you're not on these networks, go now and join - then friend, follow or add me)

They look at me aghast when I tell them to quit living in the 20th century. To rethink what it means to be a filmmaker. To rethink what it means to be a distributor. To rethink the economics and methodologies of all of it (which was long overdue). To rethink things like copyright and user friendliness.

Would it help if you listened to this guy instead? Because seriously - if you want to survive in the next decade as a mediamaker; If you want to make inroads into the entertainment industry...

Then you are going to have to listen.

H/T to Ted Hope at Truly Free Film