YOUTUBE TAKES ACTION AGAINST MISTAKEN VIDEO TAKEDOWNS

The YouTube Policy team has announced that they have staffed up in an effort to reduce the impact that mistaken video takedowns have on YouTubers. This comes on the heels of a grass-roots effort to get YouTube to improve the enforcement of their own community guidelines. The effort is spearheaded by GradeAUnderA, who produced two videos highlighting YouTube's inaction(link is external) regarding their community guidelines and baseless copyright takedowns.

The video and subsequent hashtag #makeyoutubegreatagain(link is external) caught the attention of YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki(link is external), who acknowledged the issue and presumedly approved YouTube's new strategy for addressing it.

Ire within the YouTube community has been increasing over the years as they find rampant abuse. The most common complaint has to do with fair use and baseless copyright claims. Currently, major media companies can have YouTube videos taken offline using an automated system called ContentID(link is external) if they suspect the video features their copyrighted material or trademarks illegally. Unfortunately, ContentID does not account for fair use, which protects transformative media.

Content creators can challenge these takedowns by claiming fair use, but copyright holders have 90-days to respond, meaning a video could be offline for months. This is obviously problematic for content creators who rely on advertising revenue for timely content. For example, a YouTube film critic may lose most of their potential views, and therefore ad earnings, if their film review hits the web three months late.

YouTube's announced solution(link is external) is to hire a dedicated staff whose sole responsibility is to "minimize mistakes" resulting from the takedown system, and improve "the quality of our actions." This is a great first step in assuring legitimate videos aren't unjustifiably removed. Time will tell how effective it is. Currently 400 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute(link is external), so we expect a system that relies on human eyeballs will be flawed. If volume is high enough, the system will likely favor YouTubers with the most influence and leave smaller creators waiting.

For now we're happy that YouTube is acknowledging the problem, and we hope their announced action will have an immediate and lasting effect on the health of the YouTube community.

Tales from Independent filmmakers life with a distributor

So what does it take to make a living in the film industry? Even if you are starting out, what is your financial goal to make for the year? 25k, 30k.? Now divide that by production work at your minimum rate. Whether it's feature films, local commercials, industrial work, music videos etc. We all want to be directors or producers but your second real job should be attached in the film industry as well. I have produced feature films and I'm working on a slate of more but my bread and butter is in the Post and AD Department (Editor, UPM, DP and 2nd AD). 75% of my income comes from my "2nd job".

When people use the term "made for" they cannot be including the long list of fees and requirements to properly release a film. I admit, I did not take into account many of these fees and costs. They absolutely drive up the final cost of your film.

When I put the budget together (mistake #1) for my first feature, like an idiot I said, "if we get a distributor I'm sure they'll pick that up or if we really need it, we'll figure something out." Not so easy to figure out. I quickly learned, in general, distributors would not pick up all the costs I wrongly assumed they would for a lower budgeted indie film. If I was asked to give one piece of advice it would be to make sure you have funds set aside for legal fees, negotiations and deliverables. These are real parts of the film making process if you want your film to be seen. Many contracts are pieced together from years of negotiations and are confusing, redundant and contradictory. It's important to at least have a lawyer explain what you are signing if you cannot afford to have one red line the crap out of your offer. Also, deliverables are a real eye-opener. Just when you thought you were done they ask for HDcamSRs, DCPs, CCSLs and QC Reports. Set aside the funds for these early or make them "legal elements" and negotiate like hell so they are picked up by your distributor. As for SAG obligations... there's tons of fascinating reading material.

Know this, it's NEVER been an easy business. The rich always hold the cards -- to be fair, they also supply the financing at times. Making films for less than what the market is paying is a good start. If you are thinking of paying "names", make sure those names are worth your investment. Don't rely on an agent or manager to confirm that. Speak to sales agents who sell internationally. They know who's hot or who isn't. A "career" in the business usually means working in different areas and genres of the business. Ignore stupid claims that Film X was made for $7K. It wasn't. To get it released through legal channels and up to expected technical specifications, a lot more was spent. Raise money that pays for the necessary legal elements and meets SAG obligations. If you don't, you'll be raising more, and your release will be impossible until you do. For the majority, there is no easy road. Never has been.

Great points. It really comes down to one thing: if one wants to capitalize upon their film (their art?), then at a certain point, hard business decisions must be strategized and executed. Even if one "doesn't care" about making money and makes films for art's sake, if they do end up making money, it's BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE took on their project and capitalized on it, e.g., a Harvey Weinstein. In the end, filmmakers in America primarily survive as entrepreneurs, which is based on a business model. You must make movies to make money, in addition to making art. If not, you either scrape by some other way or you GET LUCKY and someone comes along and makes the money for you (hopefully that person is honest and doesn't cheat you out of your money). 

A rainy day in Fort Worth

Just a fun day when it's rainy. What else is a cameraman to do but film his world around him? Is it worth getting all the gear out just to have a poor lowly assistant  hold an umbrella to cover camera and gear?

What is your favorite subject to shoot in the rain?

Myself and several other dp's I know have spent many many hours slushing through rain, snow, ice and ice cold rivers. We took a crew of four dps and all the support up to Prince of Wales in

Alaska to film. Coming from Texas you get a real sense of how far "out" there you really are. There are more places there that no human has ever stepped foot. We were warned by our guides to not step in the clear water puddles.... Why you ask? Cause some of them could be 30 or 40 feet deep. It was one of the most surreal moments, made you feel like your back on a battle field and there is land mines and traps everywhere.

Anyway, don't really know how I got off the subject of filming in the rain. I remember once during the feature "No Turning Back" we got caught in a blizzard

on the side of the mountains in Colo. Learned horses don't like noise, slick footing and actors on their back. Had one covered wagon almost careen off the side and into the abyss. So moving the whole company back to Texas (no snow), we found a location on the banks of a lake and it was so perfect. Over the second weekend while we gave the crew two days off a rain storm came through. Yep you guessed it, flooded the whole set. We had built cabins, general store, teepees outside of the village. All flooded in two feet of water. So much for location shooting in Texas. We had the art department take everything apart numbered bit by bit and rebuild in a local sound stage.

It just makes you think to always have a back up plan when your back up plan goes array. Thanks for reading my rainy thoughts.

How I spent my Sunday night with four very moving films.

The Thin Line film/music/photo festival in Denton Texas was a great opportunity to view some really awesome independent films. Each had a very moving and beautiful messages. These filmmakers had tapped into places inside themselves that were personal an sometimes painful.

The first film to discuss, "Hora di Bai" directed by: Bruno Leal. The images were amazingly sharp and crisp and still pulled you into the despair and ruin in the residents of the last shanty town on the outskirts of Lisbon. The residents featured were very passionate about the homes their families had grown up and lived in all their lives. Some of them did not know any other place. The police are coming into the shanty town and tearing down houses around and literally on top of some of the residents. One man told his story of his three story home being destroyed while he was still inside. Others were brought to tears as they came to revisit the places they were born and had raised their own kids. So, with the imminent destruction of their homes and the severing of the ties that unite them, they reflected on the uncertainty that lies ahead and the memories of a lifetime that will be left behind in the rubble.

Another film "A Certain Type Of Freedom" directed by Roman Gerodimos. This was a film that really made you aware of the narrative going on in our social or un-social lives. How our kids are targeted and pushed into this isolation and walls that make it hard to have the ability to productively interact with life and humans around us. This was a meditative essay on cities, youth and media; on how we connect with public space and with each other. Featuring original research and still photos from 20 cities, this film highlights the challenges facing urban youth and encourages us to rethink our relationship with technology. This film comes across hard to follow a strict narrative voice over with images of text that didn't follow or stay on screen long enough to be read. It wasn't till about two thirds into the film that the words on screen were quotes. It would've been better to show more of the original quote with "s around them. It was a very analytical study in filmmaking it was a straight message that you may or may not feel it was believed. We do encourage everyone to see this film and notice if it makes you want to shut your iphone, ipad, tv or fitbit watch off and talk to the real world around you.

"Hustler Of Providence" directed by Johnathan Paul. According to the program, "A documentary film that tells the story of former hustler and sex worker Rich Holcomb and his experience and escape from the streets of Providence R.I." This was a great little film, you were pulled into the connection that the director and the subject matter really portrayed on camera. You could feel the heart and emotion that Rich had as he told his story. This director clearly spent lots of time getting to know his story prior to rolling on camera. It showed how easily hurt and damaged kids get pulled into a life of drugs and sex. The long lasting damage that kids have to deal with from traumatic events that happened early in their lives. They feel there is no way out. We as a society have really dropped the ball on making sure our kids and children are safe in their own homes. Great film go see it.

The last film to discuss, "Ave Rats" directed by Chris Schlumpf. I liked this film the first time I saw it.  This film is directed and produced the way you believe real life happens, fast and on the fly. We all love to see films that have hundreds of hours of pre-production and planning, but you can get real life as they happen moments when you "gorilla" filmmaking your story. One story that came out of this film was each and everyone of the "rats" wanted to come home. They wanted a place to call home. Some you saw sleeping on sidewalks, others on a box under ledge for protection. One guy said his mom was too busy with life to let him come back home. You get real first thoughts emotions anger passion and hurts. It was great to see star rat in attendance at the festival. There was a short clip at the end of the film to wrap up how he is trying to turn his life around. We all hope he is able to move his life in a positive direction. Go see this film if you are given the opportunity. And watch for future great works for this talented director.

Wonder What Oscar Nominated Films Used Blackmagic Design?

Blackmagic Design continues cropping up at high-profile awards shows, this time with no less then seven Oscar nominated films having used their cameras, DaVinci Resolve and Fusion.

Here are the seven films that utilized Blackmagic products, such as DaVinci Resolve, Fusion and Blackmagic Cameras. They show a varied cross section, from the action-heavy Mad Max to the dramatic giant that is Spotlight. The films that used Blackmagic Products are:

• “Amy,” graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio by Colorist Paul Ensby of Deluxe’s Company 3;
• “Cartel Land,” graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio by Colorist Seth Ricart of RCO;
• “Mad Max: Fury Road,” select scenes shot with Blackmagic Cinema Cameras by DP John Seale;
• “The Martian,” stereo converted with Fusion Studio by Senior Stereo Supervisor Richard Baker of Prime Focus World;
• “The Martian,” graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio by Colorist Stephen Nakamura of Deluxe’s Company 3;
• “Mustang,” graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio by Colorist Yov Moor;
• “Spotlight,” graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio by Colorist Tom Poole of Deluxe’s Company 3; and
• “What Happened Miss Simone,” graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio by Colorist Yohance Brown at Radical Media’s Outpost Digital.

  

Blackmagic Cinema Camera 

Door4 entertainment media agency

Door4 entertainment media agency is a new formation of passionate individuals working in the industry of films, media, games, tv shows and online content. There are new and very exciting works that will be coming up. There are new writers/bloggers that will be giving filmmaking tips. From using Arria Alexa to GH4 to shooting with your iphone. You will find many interesting and challenging projects to get you out there making your own dream a reality. Right now is a time in our industry that is ripe for anyone with an understanding of simple story-telling to tell their story. Never in our history have we seen so much coverage of the things happening around us everyday.

So, keep coming back and reading the stories posted here and  give us your feedback on questions and lets us know what interests you.