Articles by Mark

[digg=http://digg.com/movies/Mobile_film_distribution]Take 1 zillion movies with very few commercial outlets for distribution and 1 zillion mobile phone handsets with very little use for feature length films, due to the tiny screens, limited battery life and attention spans of the average user… and what do you get?

Yes… a problem solved.

Robert Redford may have his mugshot stamped all across the BBC news website today regarding the mobile phone industries position on film distribution, but the underlying theme is.. technology, features and how to utilise them effectively for the audience they serve.

Any enthusiastic/loyal/mesmerised/hypnotised/ADHD sufferer of YouTube knows the problem with videos that drag, on, way, too, long… and that edited shorts deliver a far bigger punch to the average mainstream user, than a  directorial 90mins+ of (albeit stunning) production. Lets face it, if we’re mobile and wanting to watch something, don’t shove Spider ‘fecking’ man 3 on my N95, how about a bunch of really cool thought provoking shorts that aren’t going to take longer than a train journey and drain my phone battery down to a dribble!
 
Maybe this is where the ’short’ could come into its own?
iTunes + selected shorts + mobiles = outlet.
Its hardly rocket science is it?

Read the inspiring story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7230906.stm

[digg=http://www.digg.com/movies/No_Community_For_Old_Media]I visited the cinema the other day, to watch No Country For Old Men. After the film, everyone I was with had an opinion on what was seen, good and bad, we spoke our words and they beamed across to each others ears, then evaporated into thin air. We then walked off to the car and each went home. How dull.

Was that it? I was thinking. I wanted to leave a comment, for the next person to find. There was no-where for me to do that.

• No number to text,
• No Kiosk to give my thumbs up or down,
• No video booth to leave a rant,
• No community cafe led by a local fanboy of the director to join in a discussion.

Sure the indie art house cinemas, have actor and director post feature discussions. But I wasn’t at one of those. I was in a multi screen complex. Where 10s of thousands of pounds exchange hands and thousands of people filter through every week… and I know these cinemas have a production line mentality, but they’re also fighting the backlash of DVD sales, illegal downloads, and online screenings. Shouldn’t they be embracing the current (forget the new) technology? Rather than putting their hands over their eyes and thinking no-one will notice.

I can’t help but think that cinemas are slow to catch on. Their visitors are used to communicating instantly and hearing, reading, seeing opinions from everyone else before them.

I don’t think it’s enough for any form of media to just deliver anymore… whether that’s books, music, films or stage shows.

How hard would it be to impliment just half of the things I’ve mentioned above? Not much I’m guessing. Maybe one day hey? Until then, there’s definitely no community for old media.

Mark

(Orginally posted by me on Mediasnackers.com, but cross posted here, due to its topic and relavance)

ok we have a ‘look’. Its not the final look, but it’ll do until the wkend. Btw K, unless I don’t speak to you online tonight, the header there does line up… but because you’re logged in … it looks like it doesn’t. Go log out, then take a look at it.

This design is actually a big tidy compromise to my controlled mess I had in my head… I just need to experiment with some floating div’s and if all goes well, we’ll have ickle sofa’s splattering the place.

anyways…. its time for me to go get horizontal, adios.

mark

hello. This blog look is changing as soon as I can get round to it. I tried and failed to implement a design over the wkend, but couldn’t iron out the problems within the few hours I had available. Fail … Sooooooo….. i shall be coming up with ‘plan b’… as soon as I can. Probably this coming wkend. (don’t hold your breath).

Mark

[digg=http://www.digg.com/movies/Social_brickwork_Film]

I stumbled upon an ingenious / bonkers idea for raising funds for a new movie. Hats off to Grimsby born filmmaker Antony Lane for the idea. Consider this, even if the idea doesn’t result to much, the exposure is worth it alone.

http://cyberscreenwriter.blogspot.com/2008/01/filmmaker-sells-bricks-to-raise-quarter.html

mark

[digg=http://digg.com/movies/PropellerTV_ShortFest]

Propeller… heard of it?

Even if not, you’ll be pleased to know that they’re putting a call out for short film submissions for ‘ShortFest’ as they call it. Which will be, (quote) ‘a celebration of the best original shorts submitted by new filmmaking talent’. So it says on their website at least.

Propeller is Europes biggest short film TV channel available on Sky 195. If your work is choosen by Propeller, it’ll be shown on TV, online and in the Cinema. I think that’s a first!? They are running the Fest over 5 days from 27th - 31st March, and if you want your work to be in with a chance, click through below and grab a submission form.

For more info, check out: Screen West Midlands & PropellerTV

mark