I am not going to even try to summarize the content of or the chill this post from Ben Hughes on his Obviously blog should send up every filmmaker’s spine. Ben’s post speaks for itself… loudly. Just read it and then you decide for yourself what view of the “new media” giants you wish to adopt. If there is one piece of advice from Ben’s post that should be screamed out, it is this and I quote directly – “… always, no matter what, get a lawyer to read over your contracts.” And I repeat that even though I generally have an opinion of lawyers that is, well, not flattering. When it comes to your future, to your creative work, do not blindly trust that smooth-talking, sweet voice with the gleaming smile. Get legal advice and help. Seriously, follow the link above and read!
The actual, original post title for this is “Terry Gilliam criticizes Spielberg and Schindler’s List.” I am not sure that is accurate. Listen to what Terry Gilliam is saying… not what you think he is saying. Personally, I think Terry is spot on… and I generally enjoy Spielberg’s films as much as the next person. However, is that all we need or even want from films? Do they have to be “warm and fuzzy” or “happily ever after” and “this is this and that is that” type of films and film endings? Or, can they, should they confuse? Puzzle? Mystify? Anger? Stupefy? Disturb? Sadden? Cloud instead of clear the view? Show greys instead of black and white? Eat at your soul instead of soothing it? Inspire heated debate instead of genial conversation? Spawn questions instead of furnish answers? Which type of film(s) do you want to make? Lastly, is that where Terry was heading or have I fallen under the tequila bottle again?
In a TCM interview, the legendary film director Terry Gilliam reveals his opinion on Schindler’s List and Spielberg and mainstream Hollywood in general, saying things that most filmmakers, critics and viewers are too scared to express.
He also mentions Stanley Kubrick, compares Kubrick and Spielberg and praises the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey for its thought-provoking ambiguity.
Though it could be argued that this is, at best, only marginally related to machinima, I have to take my shot… Sony deserves it. It is not so much that Sony’s security is, in my humble opinion, obviously so poor, it is that it took Sony nearly a week to even admit what happened… or even what might have happened. At this time, Sony cannot or will not confirm whether or not credit card information has been compromised. And, to make matters worse, according to this report Sony is not even sure they can plug the security breach that permitted the hack in the first place!
Yeah, for me it is, “Good-bye, Sony!” I will not tolerate this kind of treatment of customer trust and loyalty. To wait nearly a week to begin notifying their customers that personal and financial information was compromised is unforgivable!
Matt Kelland has a post over at the Moviestorm blog that everyone should read. It is not an exclusively Moviestorm post… by any means. Like most of Matt’s posts, it is to the point, honest and spot on. It is simply titled, “Credits – how much is too much?” I am glad someone finally had the courage to speak out on this. And it is also good that someone of Matt’s standing in the community is the one who did it. I am not going to comment on his post or summarize it beyond saying that it is a post that needs to be read. Any other comment would simply be piggybacking on his well-stated points.
By the way, if you are not reading Matt’s posts on the Moviestorm blog, you’re missing a lot of good, honest, common sense advice.
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)–Lucasfilm Ltd. agreed Tuesday to settle civil charges that it and Pixar Animation agreed to limit competition for each other’s digital-animation workers, the U.S. Justice Department announced.
I found this interesting, disappointing and… not surprising. It has been something of a non-secret secret for years. The rich keep trying to get richer… and keep trying to keep the “little people” little. This may want to be remembered when there is that momentary desire to immortalize or place some of these people on pedestals. Many were once artists and creators. Now, they’ve simply become part of that pinstripe suited brigade that is not to be trusted… let alone canonized.
Using video game characters to make animated movies with funny voice overs started as a joke. But now it’s big business. Machinima.com has just raised $9 million in funding.
I am not usually speechless. Those that know me will readily attest to that. The above quote from the article at venturebeat.com, however, left me temporarily speechless. Now, you don’t get $9 million on just good looks. Those giving you that $9 million must see what you see… a future… a profitable future.
The last few weeks have seen the profile of machinima raised. Not just Machinima.com, but machinima in general. The “Red Dead Redemption” machinima on FOX. The development of a weekly machinima series for FOX. Now the raising of a substantial sum of investment capital for the leading machinima development and distribution venue, Machinima.com. Machinima is becoming an entertainment source to be reckoned with. It has become a source of expression to be recognized. It now appears that there are those who see it as a source of revenue to be invested in. That can, of course, bring both good and bad influences. The good is the potential for more filmmakers to get the support and exposure needed thereby nurturing even more divergent expression. The bad is the potential for machinima to become another artistic avenue suffocated by pinstriped assholes executives whose every breath must be sanctioned by a good profit margin.
Do not misunderstand me. Profit is good. So is imagination… and originality… and vision. The problem is that imagination is too often sacrificed in the name of the profit god. The filmmaker is asked or, more often, told to betray his imagination for the sake of “guaranteeing” a profit. First, there is no such thing as a guaranteed profit. Secondly, trying to make such a guarantee usually results in a lousy film that profits no one. The investors have lost their money and the filmmaker his artistic integrity and, most likely, his self-respect. We cannot allow that to happen. We cannot allow machinima to become nothing more than a microcosm of what Hollywood and the mainstream film industry has become. We have too many stories to tell, too many visions to share and, if I may be allowed to be somewhat childish, we’ve too much fun to make.
We work on projects far, far removed from the scale of even a small traditional film. Yet, we have an audience and it is growing. Think of that. Our audience is growing. Why is that? If I may be allowed some degree of bold arrogance, I believe it is because machinima filmmakers are imaginative, are original and are not afraid to follow their vision in the telling of their stories. There is no need to feel or, for that matter, be safe. If machinima is to continue to grow, that must be allowed to continue. The moment the need for safety or the need to “guarantee” a profit comes into dominance we are doomed to repeat the pitifully sad decline into banality of today’s traditional film industry.
I end my soapbox oratory with a note of congratulations to Machinima.com. Machinima.com has a unique position in the machinima community. Such a position gives it influence and power. That influence and power comes bundled with great responsibility. I wish it success and, just as importantly, I wish it success in the responsible and, yes, profitable use of its influence and power for the sake of the machinima community of filmmakers and their audiences.
Take care, be well and keep flying.
[Note: Due to the inability of a certain blogger to ascertain the difference between an edit and a delete command, the original post was inadvertently deleted. This is a somewhat more modest, less fiery edited version of the original post. - The Hermit]
Cyber Hermit, as you know it, will cease to exist… well, at least it’s focus will cease to exist… well, okay, maybe it’s focus will simply change. … anyway, this site, as you know it is changing. This should come as no surprise to those of you who have visited here over the years. My disappointment disgust with the so-called “mainstream” in general and Hollywood in particular has been screamed clearly and loudly. The almost daily announcements of remakes, re-tellings, re-imaginings and other forms of Hollywood grave-robbing simply does not interest me. Frankly, very little going on in the mainstream interests let alone excites me anymore.
However, there is a group of people who do excite me with their ideas and projects. They do not own massive studios with large armies of actors, multitudes of technicians and huge budgets. These people rely on friends, volunteers and use inexpensive cameras, home computers and software with strange names like Bryce, Fraps, iClone, Maya, Moviestorm, Poser, Vue d’Esprit and others. They make things called machinima, podcasts and webisodes and their intent is simple – to entertain and tell their stories their way. They lack the massive resources of Hollywood, but they possess one thing I believe Hollywood has lost… imagination.
Simply stated, these are the people I want to write about, talk to and associate with. This is what the main focus of this site will become. You have already seen some of this with the postings here of things like “The Bannen Way,” “Clear Skies,” “Decisions, Decisions,” “The Guild,” “Trenches,” “Freeman’s Mind,” “Civil Protection” and the many other animations and shorts over the past few months.
I invite you to join in as a new and different course is charted. I promise to make it interesting and keep you informed of my own foray into this new world of storytelling. It promises to be an interesting journey.
I disagree with the entire premise that 3-D films are the cause for the price hike. They are the rationalization for the hike, not the cause. The cause is exhibitor stupidity and greed. They have no idea how to put together a viable business model, let alone implement one. And the average 20% price hike they implemented overnight is just one more self-inflicted nail into their coffin. I went to the cinema yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, “Alice in Wonderland,” and highly recommend it based on its merits and quality. I did not thoroughly enjoy the cinema and would recommend others to steer clear.
The cinema staff, what little there was, was neither pleasant or helpful. There was no one to take our ticket or direct us to the correct cinema upon entering the lobby and, although it was the first showing of the day, we still had to open the door into the cinema upon entering and leaving. The cinema itself was stuffy and the floor sticky. We sat through an interminable number of commercials and previews before the main feature began and then we were graced with a black screen for a few seconds as the feature began. You would think for what they charge you would be given the chance to see all of the feature. To make matters worse, the popcorn was cold, tasteless and had the consistency of cardboard. After the movie, we opened the doors ourselves to exit and strolled into the lobby. There was what appeared to be a member of management and what appeared to be a “doorman.” I say “appeared to be” since neither were doing the job I would expect from a person of those titles. If they had the time to idly stand and chat with one another, they had the time to walk a few paces and open the door for patrons who had paid the price for some service. And for this, the exhibitors have raised your prices 20%
My experience yesterday did not take place at some small independent fighting to survive. It took place at a Rave Motion Pictures cinema. One of the so-called “big boys.” One of the so-called “upscale” companies. However, it makes little difference. The experience has been the same at Regal Cinemas or wherever I have gone. There is simply no sense of urgency in providing customer service, no sense of showmanship with the exhibitors today. They have lost their sense of mission. They have lost sight of the fact that they are the last point of contact between the filmmaker and the audience. After tens or hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent making a film, it is the exhibitor who has final control over how the audience will experience that film. And they are failing miserably in their duties.
Between the studios using what should be a creative tool as little more than a promotional weapon for sub-standard products and exhibitors gouging patrons for ever decreasing service, is it no wonder more and more people are simply staying home? I will be. I will not pay $20 for the type of experience and lack of service provided yesterday. I urge you to do the same.
Geesh. As if there were not a helluva lot more important things to fight over. It appears that certain fans followers disciples of the late Michael Jackson were offended by my recent review of the DVD release of “Michael Jackson: This Is It.” A user by the name of speed-demon has posted on a blog in his native country dedicated to Michael Jackson about the review and is enlisting the help of other posters to “fight” me. I will not name speed-demon’s native country since I will not endanger his privacy in any way and because I have a great deal of respect for his country and do not wish to soil the historically brave and honorable reputation of its people due to the dictatorial, fascist, totalitarian actions of a few of its more excitable citizens who want to censor anyone who has an opinion that differs from their own. Speed-demon still insists, as his posts on this other blog indicate, that I was being “arrogant.” Hmmm,… possible. Most critics and/or reviewers do tend to come off that way. It is the nature of the beast. Does that change my opinion? Not in the least. Will that change my approach in the future? Not in the least. My only regret is the stain the actions of these too easily excited fans of a late entertainer leave in my mind in regard to their native country. It is, believe me, a nation that does not deserve such a stain.
WarLord's WarBlog: What is the purpose of a critique?
You HAVE to follow this link and read the rest of WarLord’s post. WarLord, I salute you!