FREE SCREENING of "Gun Hill Road" This Thursday at NYU

Get FREE Tickets to see Raashad Ernesto Green's debut feature, Gun Hill Road, which just premiered at Sundance. We recently interviewed Rashad on an episode of The Double Down Film Show. Listen to the trials and tribulations of how he made the film, went to Sundance and got distribution - then go see it for yourself...

Thurs., March 31st

6:00pm-8:30pm -
NYU Cantor Film Center

RSVP Here to get Tix

Don't Miss Oscar-Winning Writer/Director Luke Matheny This Weds. Night at 9pm!

On the next Double Down Film Show we’ll be talking to writer/director, Luke Matheny who just won an Academy Award for his short film, God of Love.

Luke is a grad student at NYU’s fabled Tisch School of the Arts Dept. of Film and TV. Apart from God of Love, Luke also helmed the short, Earano.

• How have things CHANGED since winning an Oscar?
• What members of his CREW were most instrumental?
• What role does he think FILM SCHOOL played in his success?
• What’s NEXT in the production pipeline?
• How did his team approach the CINEMATOGRAPHY for the film?

We’ll give the answers to all these questions, plus more insight and inspiration when we rap to 2011 Oscar-winning director and up and coming filmmaking talent, Luke Matheny.

Straight up tips and real-world filmmaking advice from a diverse selection of the best in the business – past, present and future every – Wednesday night at 9pm, only on The Double Down Film Show.

Can you dig it?!

FILMMAKING REALITY STARTS HERE.

The Double Down Film Show

Every Wednesday, 9pm - 10pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

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The Freelance Video Show - Special Keynote Episode

On the next Double Down Film Show we’ll be serving up another one of our special keynote addresses. This episode is entitled The Freelance Video Show. We’re all filmmakers, but let’s be real - narrative and documentary filmmaking rarely pays the bills - shooting videos for hire DOES.

Co-hosts and award-winning filmmakers, Anthony Q. Artis (author of “The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide”) and Pete Chatmon (Director of “Premium”) will break down a laundry list of best practices, do’s and don’ts and insights into all the inside knowledge they’ve only learned the hard way - through years of successfully producing marketing videos, promos, commercials, concert shoots, music videos and many other video projects for hire.

· Where and how can you best land NEW clients?

· How can freelance production further your FILMMAKING career?

· How is freelance video very DIFFERENT than personal filmmaking?

· When and how should you collect the MONEY?

· What should you ‘TRAIN” your clients to do?

We’ll answer all these questions and more on the next Double Down Film Show. Real issues. Real knowledge. Real Practical. By filmmakers for filmmakers. Every Wednesday at 9pm the back door to film school is open once again.

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FILMMAKING REALITY STARTS HERE.

The Double Down Film Show

Every Wednesday, 9pm - 10pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

Stream Live:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DoubleDownFilmShow

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Subscribe or Download:

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Two New Docs on the Infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Trailer

HBO is premiering a new doc on the historic Triangle Shirtwaist Fire that sparked the modern Labor Movement. I was very struck with this story when I first read it in a third or fourth grade history book. You learn a hundred little lessons along the way, but this story always stuck with me. And now some 30+ years later I work a block away from this very building, so the story has even more personal resonance.

The American Experience series on PBS just did a an excellent hour show (The entire epiosode, plus extras is available free online - see below) on the same topic a month ago, so I'm curious to see how HBO's treatment will stack up.

I knew about the fire, but I really had no clue how rough and tumble life was in this very area a century ago...We've got nothing to complain about on any job compared to what these women and girls endured long before the fire even struck.

Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.

Darius Monroe Clark's Short Film"Train" Named Vimeo Staff Pick

Check out my homey Darius Monroe Clark's award-winning short film, Train, which was just named a Vimeo staff pick. Waiting for that first feature to drop now, man!

Filmmaker and Film Marketer Ava DuVernay TONIGHT on The Double Down Film Show

On the next Double Down Film Show we'll have a conversation with filmmaker and film marketer, Ava DuVernay, whose new feature film, I Will Follow is being released this Friday and was just dubbed by Roger Ebert, "The best film I've ever seen that deals with the loss of a loved one."

Ava formed her award-winning publicity firm currently known as DVA Media + Marketing, in 1999. In addition to directing, she has provided marketing strategy and execution for more than 100 mainstream Hollywood film and television campaigns including Hairspray, I - Robot, Spider-Man 2, and Collateral, just to name some.

Before her most recent release, Ms. DuVernay directed the documentary projects This is the Life and My Mic Sounds Nice: The Truth About Women in Hip-Hop.Her latest venture is founding the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM), which organizes limited engagement theatrical releases for Black independent films and was recently profiled in a feature article in the New York Times.

· How did she TRANSITION from marketing to directing?

· What does a modern indie film CAMPAIGN consist of?

· When should you seek and when should you avoid press?

· When should you seek and when should you avoid press?

· What MISCONCEPTIONS do many filmmakers share?

· At what POINT does an indie film need a publicist?

We’ll answer all these questions and more in another insightful episode of The Double Down Film Show. More practical filmmaking wisdom than you can shake a stick at…every Wednesday night at 9pm E.S.T.

Be sure to Join Our Facebook Fan Page too!

FILMMAKING REALITY STARTS HERE.

The Double Down Film Show

Every Wednesday, 9pm - 10pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

Stream Live:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DoubleDownFilmShow

OR

Subscribe or Download:

Subscribe to the iTunes Podcast

Writer/Director Julius Onah TONIGHT on The Double Down Film Show

On the next Double Down Film Show we’ll delve deep into the practical realities of making your first feature with writer/director, Julius Onah. Julius was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. His debut feature, The Girl Is In Trouble, is executive produced by Spike Lee, stars Columbus Short and Wilmer Valderrama, and is poised to launch him firmly onto the independent film scene.

A graduate of Wesleyan University’s theater program, Julius transitioned from being in front of the camera to writing and directing. He’s currently a Thesis student at NYU’s grad film program where he’s shot a slew of notable short narratives and documentaries with diverse casts and subject matter that have gained him international festival attention including Szmolinsky, Linus, and The Boundary. (*Get the special password to view these films TONIGHT on the show.)

· How did SPIKE LEE come on board as Executive Producer?
· What was the HARDEST part of directing his first feature?
· Why does he use so many INTERNATIONAL characters and settings?
· Why did he love making two films entirely on CELLPHONES?
· How can budget and time limitations HELP you as a filmmaker?

We’ll answer all these questions and more in an insightful and wisdom-packed interview with writer/director, Julius Onah. Why learn it the hard way on your set, when you can learn it right here on the Double Down Film Show first? We aren’t film fans, we’re filmmakers helping other filmmakers every Wednesday night at 9pm E.S.T.

Be sure to Join Our Facebook Fan Page too!

FILMMAKING REALITY STARTS HERE.

The Double Down Film Show

Every Wednesday, 9pm - 10pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

Stream Live:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DoubleDownFilmShow

OR

Subscribe or Download:

Subscribe to the iTunes Podcast

Josh Fox, Director of the Oscar-Nominated Doc "Gasland" - This Weds. at 9pm!

On the next Special Oscar Edition of The Double Down Film Show we’ll feature an exclusive interview with Josh Fox, the director of the Oscar-nominated documentary, Gasland which explores the controversial and little-known practice of hydraulic gas fracturing or “fracking” and how it’s threatening America's water supply.

Shot in just over a year, Gasland began as a personal documentary about an issue affecting the Fox family’s Pennsylvania home. In the year’s time since it’s initial release the film has won a Special Jury Prize at Sundance, been picked up by HBO, sparked a recent hearing in congress and is now a hot contender for the Academy Award for Best Documentary.

• What was the RESEARCH PROCESS behind the documentary?
  
• Why did they shoot on SEVEN different cameras?
• What’s been the FALLOUT of the film?
• How did Josh find his interview subjects ORGANICALLY?
• What was his APPROACH to post-production?

Tune in to find out the answers to all these questions and more as we explore the down and dirty making of this activist documentary from concept to the Academy Awards and the whole journey in between with our exclusive guest, Gasland director, Josh Fox.

FILMMAKING REALITY STARTS HERE.

The Double Down Film Show

Every Wednesday, 9pm - 10pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

Stream Live:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DoubleDownFilmShow

OR

Subscribe or Download:

Subscribe to the iTunes Podcast

"House Party", "Boomerang" Producer - Warrington Hudlin - Tonight at 9pm EST

On the next episode of The Double Down Film Show we'll converse with Producer / Director - Warrington Hudlin of the notable Hudlin Brothers producing/directing team. With his brother Reginald Hudlin in the director's chair, Warrington helped to fuel the Black film renaissance of the early 90's by producing such hit films as House Party and Boomerang starring Eddie Murphy. He also produced the animated hit Bebe Kids starring the late Robin Harris as well as the provocative sci-fi feature, Cosmic Slop.

Warrington currently serves as the President of the Black Filmmaker Foundation (BFF) and is the Founder & Chief of the DVRepublic.org and the CastAndCrewOfColor.org online communities.

• What does the act of PRODUCING entail?
• What's the FUTURE of indie distribution?
• How can the filmmakers HARNESS the power of the web?
• What is the state of filmmaking for people of COLOR?
• What HAPPENED to the Black film renaissance?

We'll get to the bottom of all these questions and more in our exclusive interview with producer, director and media community organizer, Warrington Hudlin, this week on The Double Down Film Show.

FILMMAKING REALITY STARTS HERE.

The Double Down Film Show

Every Wednesday, 9pm - 10pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

Stream Live:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DoubleDownFilmShow

OR

Subscribe or Download:

Subscribe to the iTunes Podcast

Spiderman the Musical is so Bad It's GOOD

So, this is not filmmaking-related, but felt I just had to share my perspective on one of the most popular topics in entertainment at the moment...

So last night I went to see Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, the infamous new Broadway musical. I wanted to see it despite all the negative pre-publicity it got and even despite the scathing review this week in the New York Times. I really wanted to like it, especially after all the bad-hype and digs it's taken in the media. I was hoping it would be like the story of the making of James Cameron's Titanic. (Remember all the trash the media was spreading while the movie was still being made - before it went on to become the highest grossing feature of all-time, wow audiences and win Oscar gold?)

Well, I'm happy to say that I DID end up liking Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, but not because it was so good, but because it was sooooo BAD. It was so bad that it was actually fun to watch the spectacle unfold and wonder what cheesy, over-the-top, poorly written thing would come next and to try to guess where all that $65 Million went. I would equate it to watching Roller Derby, Professional Wrestling or a Troma movie...so bad and over-the-top that it's fun to experience. I really think there's a reasonable chance that Spiderman could become the first cult-classic Broadway play. - People may go just to make fun of it and see how bad it is.

I could easily see groups of people going in dressed as their favorite character, saying the bad dialogue along with the cast and coming up with their own shout-outs and audience participation routines. Or perhaps it will become the stoner comedy of Broadway..."Dude, let's go see Spiderman again this weekend!"

One big caveat I must make clear here is that I got heavily-discounted tix at $52.00 each via my day job and took my 7-year old son, Tai, who really wanted to see it. (And genuinely enjoyed it through and through.) Had I paid the $140.00 each going rate for tix, I might not have been merely so amused. [pictured above: Spidey get's stuck for a minute or two due to technical difficulties]

As much as I thought they were being unfair and harsh on the production, I think the NY Times review was a pretty accurate picture of what I experienced, so I won't go into more specifics except to point out that the music was completely unmemorable and mostly sounded the same - lame. The story is a jumbled mess of silly exposition, non-sensical dream/fantasy sequences and just an ill-conceived plot that has very little to do with the actual Spiderman comic or story. The very best and most impressive parts are all the parts that have nothing to do with Spiderman, but involve a character called Arachne, a kind of sexy (if you're into that sort of thing) evilish spider Goddess whose costume, numbers and back-up spider minions were a great visual spectacle. In fact, everything that actually involved spiders (usually not Spiderman) was pretty entertaining on the whole.

The only salvation I see for this ill-conceived show, is to embrace it's cheesy, ill-conceived "craptitude" let's call it, and play it up for laughs and encourage the audience participate, shout out and maybe even throw things at the stage. If they did that, and maybe lowered ticket prices by half, no doubt this show will continue to sell-out and be a Broadway "hit" for years to come.

You gotta see it for yourself.