MTV revolutionized the music video.  As I’ve said before, many of my friends began their careers at this upstart network devoted to music 24/7.  They not only revolutionized the definition of a niche cable network, they revolutionized the look with their logo.  The logo designed by Frank Olinsky and his team was commissioned by Fred Seibert. Fred was MTV’s first creative director; he was also the President of Hannah-Barbera Cartoons, and the creator of NextNewNetworks.

I had the pleasure of working with Fred when I was producing for the first over the air subscription based TV network. He developed the logo, promotion and the marketing.  Those were the heady days of cable television when anything…

by Tyler Weaver

I hate remakes.

Well, OK.  That’s not a hundred percent true.  I love some of them – Huston’s MALTESE FALCON, Carpenter’s THE THING, Scorsese’s CAPE FEAR, Cronenberg’s THE FLY, and Hitchcock’s remake of his own THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (of which Hitch said, “the original was the work of a gifted amateur; the remake the work of a professional”).

All that said, I’m doing a remake of one of my own works here.  No, not a film. I’m not going to remake THE FOURTEEN MINUTE GAP (though I don’t deny wanting to tinker with it again).  I’m going to remake – revisit – an article I wrote for my MULTI-HYPHENATE blog, waaaay back in the day when it was a…

Their cup runneth over
If you’re familiar with the TV show “Fringe” or the film “Star Trek”, then you’re probably familiar with writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.  They’re launching their own TV production company under the 20th Century Fox umbrella.   No strangers to tight production deadlines, in November 2007 the duo was working on finishing four movies simultaneously: “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and “Star Trek,” which they co-wrote, and “Eagle Eye” and “The Proposal,” the first films developed through their company that they produced. Add to that the “Fringe” pilot, which they were shepherding with co-creator J.J. Abrams at the same time.

So – what can we learn from this?  Give the job to a busy person – they always seem to get…

Follow up post from yesterday by King Is A Fink.

Yesterday, Jessica King, from the filmmaking duo of King Is A Fink wrote an article (see below) about how they make films and tell stories.  Today, on their blog is  an insightful follow up on how they discover what works and what doesn’t when making a film.

Art speaks to the human experience. It also encourages interaction. We share it, look at it, link to it, and talk about it. What’s ironic is that, for many, art production is often a task carried out in private. Not for Julie and I – for us, filmmaking offers the opportunity to explore stories with other people, not only after the film is finished, but during the development and production.

Wouldn’t it be easier if the two of us just wrote our movies and filmed them without input from our friends, actors, composers, props people, etc.? Possibly. Maybe it’d be even smoother if one of us wrote the movie and then the other directed it. Less talking, more filming. But then our final product wouldn’t…

I am but a guppy in the filmic ocean of bigger fish.

My playground has – thus far – been the realm of historical documentary, music video, promotional videos, and music documentary. But, it’s by being a guppy in such a big ocean that I’m able to adapt quickly, alter course, and go into those places the bigger fish can’t play. I can fit into little niches that the hammerhead sharks of tradition can’t go, without turning sideways and bending to circumstance. They’re not willing.

I am.

My most recent project, the music documentary GATHER ‘ROUND THE MIC , was an exercise in breaking away from my old ways of doing things, much as my present collaboration with my…

TV Land finds love

“First Love, Second Chance” is a new six-episode original series on TV Land.  It’s a great title and accurately describes this docu-drama-reality series.  Each episode will feature a different couple who were once emotionally involved but who have since broken up.  They may have been apart for as long as 20 years.  Personally, if I broke up with you 20 years ago, I’ve probably moved on.  But that may not be the case in this series, as the viewer takes a week long journey with each couple as they try to go beyond their past and rekindle the romance that once was.  The series premiers on Wednesday, March 10^th at 10:00 p.m ET/PT.  The executive in charge of production is Marco…

When the movie “FAME “was released, I was thrilled; it was about my alma mater  The High School of Performing Arts.  I loved high school and the film reflected much of the drama, angst, craziness and bold creativity I experienced as a teenager.  When they later made it into a TV show – I was on my couch watching.  Since then, there really hasn’t been a musical TV show that worked until “Glee”.    I’m not saying they didn’t produce them, I’m just saying they didn’t work.

Steven Bochco achieved great success when he created “Hill Street Blues” and “LA Law”.  Both shows helped reinvent the one hour drama with fast cutting, unique story lines and bizarre characters.  Mr. Bochco was a ground breaker.  And with…

David Baker is a filmmaker, director and actor.  I learned about David by reading an interview he gave to producers Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina. I found him so fascinating I started following him on Twitter and since then have discovered he’s a filmmaker with that rare combination of a strong creative voice coupled with a business savvy that reaches beyond the typical producer’s job description. David wrote, produced, directed, acted and distributed his latest film, Mission X.

Mission X is the story of Grant, a documentary film student who wants to travel to Iraq and document real war.  Grant’s only experience with war is his expertise with his military Xbox game. He meets Ryan a…