Attention all IC Filmmakers: The deadline is fast approaching to submit short films to the LA Shorts Fest. This is an extremely popular film festival on the west coast attended by a lot of people in the industry. Many of you are making short films. You want them to be seen, right? So -- this is the next logical step.
The deadline for on-time submission is April 25th. But there is also an extended deadline that allows you to submit films until May 26th. For more information go to: lashorts.com
I'm not normally in favor of entry fees, and would prefer no entry fees at all for artists to display their work. But we do live in a capitalist society with too little support (and it's shrinking) for the arts. Unfortunately, many of these festival's charge fees in order to just stay in business. The LA Fest April 25th deadline costs $49. If you submit in May it costs $59. Not cheap by any means. But perhaps worth it. There are also cash prizes in eight different categories. And the benefit of having your work screened in a respected festival, along with meeting and networking with people in the worldwide filmmaking community.
So it's up to you. But it's important to get seen. Don't be shy about putting your work out there!
- SG
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Live from Ithaca
I'm actually not in L.A. but in Ithaca - meeting summer and fall '08 students and reuniting with former students. It's so great to see everyone moving on with their work and getting to know others about to start on the L.A. adventure. The one constant seems to be -- what will I do when a graduate; how do I navigate the real world?
The best advice I can give is what I said at a panel at FLEFF (the Finger Lakes Film Festival, though most of you know that, right?) - which is to work hard, dig down deep and BE YOURSELF. If you're a writer it means bringing "you" to everything you write. Not autobiography but you need to find a way to somehow personalize what you write. If you're studying or doing a job -- how do you add your own personal spin to it? What about the subject particularly interests you? If you say nothing interests you, you might not be digging deep enough or thinking hard enough about it. Don't just skim the surface but try to imagine how you, and perhaps only you, see this. This might help all of us to look at this subject in a different way.
If it's a job (even something seemingly mindless or part-time, you say?) how will you specifically make this job exciting for you, and not simply "phone it in?" Perhaps the people you work with would appreciate someone who can not only accomplish the work but add something they haven't seen before? (and trust me, they will). It's a given that you never know what can happen as a result of your efforts, large and small. You never know who is watching or who you will re-meet years later. (this is particularly true of the entertainment industry). The world runs on the cause and effect principal (even me, who only took earth science in high school, knows that).
If after all this, you're still not "feeling it" - well, this might not be the area of study, the job or the project for you. That's okay. But don't give up without challenging yourself. You KNOW you can usually redouble your efforts. I mean, we all can, right? (That might even be one reason I'm blogging from Ithaca).
See you back in the Big Orange soon. - S.
The best advice I can give is what I said at a panel at FLEFF (the Finger Lakes Film Festival, though most of you know that, right?) - which is to work hard, dig down deep and BE YOURSELF. If you're a writer it means bringing "you" to everything you write. Not autobiography but you need to find a way to somehow personalize what you write. If you're studying or doing a job -- how do you add your own personal spin to it? What about the subject particularly interests you? If you say nothing interests you, you might not be digging deep enough or thinking hard enough about it. Don't just skim the surface but try to imagine how you, and perhaps only you, see this. This might help all of us to look at this subject in a different way.
If it's a job (even something seemingly mindless or part-time, you say?) how will you specifically make this job exciting for you, and not simply "phone it in?" Perhaps the people you work with would appreciate someone who can not only accomplish the work but add something they haven't seen before? (and trust me, they will). It's a given that you never know what can happen as a result of your efforts, large and small. You never know who is watching or who you will re-meet years later. (this is particularly true of the entertainment industry). The world runs on the cause and effect principal (even me, who only took earth science in high school, knows that).
If after all this, you're still not "feeling it" - well, this might not be the area of study, the job or the project for you. That's okay. But don't give up without challenging yourself. You KNOW you can usually redouble your efforts. I mean, we all can, right? (That might even be one reason I'm blogging from Ithaca).
See you back in the Big Orange soon. - S.
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