RIP Dennis Hopper

Not about his politics; that can wait.

He was an excellent performer and director, an intellectual, and a lover and creator of modern art and pictures.

Here's Dennis Hopper with the Gorillaz:

Louis Levison- Filmmakers and Financing, 4th edition

I just got through reading about 3/4ths of Louise Levison's Filmamakers and Financing, a throughly inspiring and depressing read about the whys and hows of raising funds for films. Like Dov SS Simens' Two Day Film School(tm), she through demystifies the mechanisms of film funding, writing a film business plan, proposals, how to choose a lawyer and forecasting, plus information of different distribution outlets. There is great information on the technolypse that was covered in "What is Film" earlier this year that Levison was able to foretell in her book. It's depressing in that all the research you think you have done would be sufficient, is not nearly enough. It's completely inspiring in that you realize that yes, despite the hardship, making a film and finding funding is entirely possible!

John Leguziamo is a biker, too!

Here is a short article and video with John Leguziamo, talking about biking:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/05/06/leguizamo.urban.biking/index.html?hpt=C2

Amazing!

And now, fundraising fun!

Now that I have done all of my research and notes for my project, now the fundraising fun begins! And by fun I mean not really fun at all! For making documentaries are a surprising competitive endeavour, even more so than making feature films. Even if you are making something so fabulous that you are sure tons of people will want to know about, getting the production money, plus the marketing money for festivals is not a sure thing.


I begin drawing up my plans tomorrow- and boy oh boy, is this nerve wracking!