Just read this article on how digital downloads will “decimate” the music industry by the time Madonna turns 60:
A study last year conducted by members of PRS for Music, a nonprofit royalty collection agency, found that of the 13 million songs for sale online last year, 10 million never got a single buyer and 80 percent of all revenue came from about 52,000 songs. That’s less than one percent of the songs.
As part of our Fissure press gearing up for our launch of the Fissure DVD yesterday, I’ve been interviewed by a variety of press and news outlets. It’s been fun! I enjoy reading all the reviews, both good and bad.
This morning, I was reading a review from Casanova Shrugged. In Rene’s review, he makes this comment about me:
In a press roundtable interview at Hotel ZaZa last month I asked director Russ Pond what his follow-up project would be and he said that a children’s film was next in consideration. It didn’t surprise me in the least. Children’s films have the highest percentage of return on investment. Of course, making films is a business and you have to sell product to stay in the market, but I half-hoped Russ would have chosen to stay in the thriller genre and try to raise everything up a notch. I think Russ is a talented director and would love to see what he could do if the gloves were off, there were no punches pulled and he attacked a project without the hindrances of investor expectations, ratings, and budgetary concessions… That, I think, would be an amazing film.
I want to take the gloves off that would be fun!
Fissure co-star, Crystal Mantecon, recently finished up work on a new film by Terrence Malick called “Tree of Life“. Crystal plays opposite of Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.
I had a chance to travel down to Smithville where they were filming. Our first AD on Fissure, Bobby Bastarache, was Terrence’s first AD on “Tree of Life”. So, Bobby spent the evening driving me around Smithville. It was great seeing how they transformed this town to a 1950’s town. Very exciting!
Crystal plays Rachel Claris in the upcoming psychological thriller, Fissure.
Recent press regarding Crystal Mantecon:
ENVY Magazine: “… Actress Crystal Mantecón is a bona fide class act. The next-big-thing starlet just wrapped filming on Terrence Malick’s upcoming film TREE OF LIFE, which also stars Hollywood powerhouses Brad Pitt and Sean Penn…” — Madeline Hollern, Editor
Blog de Cine about Tree of Life: “La película… está protagonizada por Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Fiona Shaw y, atención al nombre, Crystal Mantecon [The film… stars Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Fiona Shaw, and pay attention to this name, Crystal Mantecón.)” — Juan Luis Caviaro
We are proud to announce that Long Journey Home has made it to the semi-finalist round at The Doorpost Film Festival. If you can, please watch our film and vote. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Also, we launched our new Long Journey Home website. Check it out when you get a chance.
The new, revised Fissure trailer is now online at Trailer Addict. And, it allows you to embed the trailer in your own website or blog. If you do post it somewhere, please let me know.
Bryan Singer (Usual Suspects, X-Men, X2, Superman Returns) makes a great observation:
“You get a chance to make a movie three times. Once when you write it. Once when you shoot it. And once when you edit it. And all three can be wildly different from what you had envisioned in the first place!” he also said, “You have to be open to the idea that at any time, in any one of these, the opportunity will present itself for something to happen that will elevate the entire project toward something you’d not even considered before.”
Think for a moment about Paul’s missionary strategy:
“I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with the Jews, I become one of them so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with those who follow the Jewish laws, I do the same, even though I am not subject to the law, so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with the Gentiles who do not have the Jewish law, I fit in with them as much as I can. In this way, I gain their confidence and bring them to Christ. But I do not discard the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
How should Christians tell stories?
How do they make movies?
How do they compete for the attention of mainstream America?
“Those in frequent contact with the things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for this world and all it contains will pass away” (1 Corinthians 7:31).
We should leverage as much of the creativity and flow of this culture as possible without becoming attached to it. We should be watching these highly rated shows and find out what draws people to view them. Is it the drama, the production value, the stars, the stories? What is the appeal?
Fictional parables can be a powerful tool for reaching the lost. Jesus “only taught with parables” when speaking to the public: “In his public teaching [Jesus] taught only with parables, but afterward when he was alone with his disciples, he explained the meaning to them” (Mark 4:34).
I believe it’s detrimental how Christian producers and writers mix fiction with non-fiction. It completely disrupts the “suspension of disbelief”, and the lost viewer is left questioning what’s real and what’s not.
For example, Johnny is lost and his life spirals out of control. When he hits rock bottom, he gives his heart to Christ and his life is changed.
That’s not an effective way to tell a Christian story. What’s real? What fiction? Is it all fiction (including the Christianity), or just some of it? I believe that’s why Jesus’ parables were about kings and landowners, sons and daughters, mustard seeds and vineyards. Even Jesus didn’t mix truth and fiction in his storytelling. Why should we?
Here’s a great article. Take time to read it!
Only when evangelicals agree to look at Hollywood not just as an evangelistic tool, or a harmless entertainment provider, but also as an important participant in cultural discourse will they understand that as a major share of the movie market, they are in a position to shape that vital discussion.
This is from William Romanowski in a USA Today article.
There is a shift happening in Hollywood. It’s a gradual shift, but production companies are starting to take notice. Here’s how I see it:
Redeeming entertainment.
Film is, by its very nature, highly propagandistic. That is, when you read a book, if you detect you’re being lied to or manipulated, you can always stop reading, close the book momentarily and say, “Wait just a minute, there’s something wrong here!” You can’t do that in a film: You’re bombarded with sound and images, all expertly crafted to give you selected information and to stimulate certain feelings, and you can’t stop the barrage, not in a theater anyway. The visuals and sound and music-and along with them, the underlying agenda of the filmmakers-pursue you relentlessly, overwhelming your emotions and senses. And when you leave the theater, unless you’re really objective to what you’ve experienced, you’ve been changed-even if just a little bit.
The Marketing of Evil by David Kupelian