TriBeCa Briefs
Cary recently abandoned the entire SPENT TV team to head to the TriBeCa Film Festival . To say he had a great time was an understatement - he had a fabulous time! Five days of parties, booze, free food, networking and some good films to be sure. Besides great photos there was one takeawy Cary got that I found interetsing. He spoke with one women who is pretty entrenched in the film world in NYC and was formerly here in production in LA She said that the NYC production norm is INDIE, meaning, the NYC pros work so much with indie film that they are willing, eager and more than capable of working in low budget environments. She said it was absolutely different that way than LA. She even offered up some tips the locals use to get low cost housing for talent in NYC (a thing thta is often a pain in the ass). It was wonderful to hear because our feature project MOMS AND POPS has a budget under 2 million and is set in NYC. Looks like we might just be able to pull it off.
One of Cary's TriBeCa film recommends: Mira Nair's "The Reluctant Fundamentalist."
Here's one review:
Go see it when it hits your local cineplex. And if you hate it - blame Cary.
ECHO PARK ART WALK - OTHERWILD
SPENT TV paid a visit to the Echo Park Art Walk last weekend in search of new talent of any kind, we made a couple of acting talent connections and met a pair of writer/directors we may collaborate with in the future. We also stopped in at a new women owned collective (women owned is something SPENT actively supports) OTHERWILD . SPENT TV met Rachel, one of the proprieters and was inspired by not only the quality and array of the products inside but also of Rachel's community outreach. EP definitely needs to support this place (not vandalize it) and learn from the women who operate it. Mothers day, Grads and Fathers are coming up and soon, yes, those other wonderful holidays, so pull out you pants or your purse and go BUY from these chicks.
Check out the start of the mural Rachel and her partner commissioned to be done by a local artist. The shot below is of some of the wonderful goodies inside.
CONTESTS CONTESTS CONTESTS -
RIP OFFS OR WRITE ON?
This is the time of year that writers everywhere, and I do mean everywher (sic prison) polish up the perfect draft and submit to the most prestigious screenwriting competitions. May is Page, Nicholl and Sundance deadline due month for features. June is the Disney, ABC, NBC deadline time for TV writing programs. So suffice it to say, keyboards are clicking at an insane pace in thousands of coffeeshops and homes ( although when I was still drinking I used to write in "longhand" at a bar).
And every season, discussions abound as to the value of the contests. Do they help? Do they hinder? Are they a waste of the sometimes expensive fees they charge to enter?
Well is a true sense, the TV writing programs, and Nicholl are "worth" it becuase you win jobs so to speak. In the case of the Nicholl, it's a 35,000 stipend to focus on wrting a script for a year; Page offers the possibility of a $25,000 dollar prize. The TV writing programs are paid jobs for a year. Thousands of people enter - dozens win.
I know contest quarterfinalists and have made it past the first round myself more than once. For me, it opened no doors - networking and good writing did that (and my "persistent" personality). I have a good friend that placed thrid in a prestigious contest and his phone rang off the hook - but he isn't a screenwriter anymore. His winning script - a great one by the way - never got made.
I guess like anything else in the creative world, if it works for you, if it gets something for you, then of course it's worth it. Just like the screenwriting classes, the mixers, the panels, the conferences, the consultations, the pitch fest, the stuff that supports a kazillion dollar ancilary screenwriters market.
For me, if I can come up with the $200 bucks to enter two scripts in two contests, then I'll do it. I mean wouldn't you rather enter a contest with he hopes of winning something than pay the gas bill? Or eat?
JOE FILIPONE - FROM ALMOST NAKED MAN TO WRITER/ DIRECTOR
After some persuasive hits of the best pot a medical marijuana card can buy (jk), the talented JOE FILIPPONE agreed to join the SPENT TV collaborative as a writer/director. He will continue in his role of ROCK in our new series ADULT ANNIE, but you'll hear from him next as he writer/director on the next installment of LLA, shooting in May.
(P.S. He's the guy with his arms crossed. See? Acting like a director already).
WHERE THE HELL IS THE NEW SPENT TV SITE??
We are stil updating the webnet. Yeah, I now you heard ghat before, but be patient. It will be worth it. Quit complaining and juts rewatch some of our cool stuff at www.spentv.com or on youtube http://www.youtube.com/SPENTTV
DONATIONS!
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