ROBB ENTERTAINMENT - ROBBENT.COM

OFFICE SPACE

2012-02-13T19:09:00.000-05:00

It's all fun!

ROBBTV.COM Q&A WITH BLAX

2012-02-09T12:47:00.002-05:00

ROBBTV.COM: Give us your back story.

I'm from Milwaukee, WI. I moved to NYC a little under two years ago to further my career in music. Within days upon arriving in New York City I talked myself into an internship working for Damon Dash's DD172 Media Collective. Interning at DD172 gave me the experience and the network that I needed to go out and push myself independently as an artist on the NYC music scene. Since my arrival in New York i've successfully released two mixtapes 'The Blaxploitation" pt 1 & 2. Both of these projects along with a host of visuals to accompany them have helped push my career to the national forefront.

ROBBTV.COM: What influences your work?

My experiences influence my work. The simple things along with the intricate things that I may go through on a daily basis influence the topics and emotions that i put into my music. As far as musical influences one of my top influences is Curtis Mayfield. I really love and appreciate the deep emotions he managed to express through his lyrics.

ROBBTV.COM: How would you describe the current economy of the record industry?

The current economy is not as strong as it use to be. But it's still striving because artists are still making a living off their music. It seems as though there is more emphasis on touring as opposed to record sales.

ROBBTV.COM: What other aspirations/goals are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a few projects for future release as well as a clothing venture. The two projects that I am working on are "BLAX x LIFE x FILES" which is an 11-track album available for purchase this month on my bandcamp page as well as another album titled "1775" which I'll most likely be releasing within the next couple of months. I'm also partnering with the clothing label Piracy USA. We have some collaborative designs we've been working on.

ROBBTV.COM: Where/how can people find you?

On twitter at @Blaxlife and my blog blaxlifestyle.tumblr.com and people can listen to my music at blaxlife.bandcamp.com .

Check out Blax's video "KING" on Music Videos Only (MVO). A Robb TV program.

SUPERBEAR ENTERTAINMENT COMMERCIALS. DIRECTED BY ROMANE ORLANDO ROBB

2012-02-01T08:11:00.001-05:00

Special thanks to Cenk Icoz and Michael Neil Morris

MR. AWKWARD

2012-01-29T16:51:00.001-05:00

More photos on our Facebook page.

TUB X ROBB COMICS

2012-01-28T15:38:00.002-05:00

Stay posted!

ROBB STUDIOS presents.....

2012-01-23T04:44:00.001-05:00

Robb TV just launched a brand new program, "Robb Studios presents", which is a program filled with feature length films, and the first film up is Michael Hall's "The Kids Go To The Woods...Kids Get Dead." Let us know what you think.

ROBERT CONTE: THE HIDDEN COMIC BOOK LEGEND (Producer's cut)

2012-01-12T23:11:00.000-05:00

It's finally here ladies and gentlemen.

Click the image to watch it.

Jack Coxon

2012-01-12T00:53:00.000-05:00

Meet Jack!

Jack is an actor and musician.

Stay tuned.

Edward Burns, Director of Newlyweds, on the Changing Face of Indie Film Distribution

2012-01-06T02:25:00.005-05:00

Sixteen years ago as a film student at Hunter College, I made my first movie—The Brothers McMullen. While film technology has made rapid leaps and bounds since then—I shot my most recent film on a Canon 5D—the method of exhibiting indie films theatrically has seen little change over the years, and it is still as difficult as ever for independent filmmakers to reach a sizable audience in movie theaters.

In fact, there are also fewer specialty theaters than ever before; the specialty-film theater in my hometown, Valley Stream, Long Island, where McMullen played, is now gone, just one of many to disappear. This is not surprising given the explosion of affordable home entertainment systems and giant flat-screen televisions, as well as the advent of terrific original programming on cable. And we can’t underestimate the not-so-insignificant cost of a night out at the movies in these economic times. The incentives to stay in the comfort of one’s own home are greater than ever.

With all that being said, there is a major bright spot for indie films with recent emergence of video-on-demand and iTunes as new venues to watch movies. In 2007, I tested this model with the release of Purple Violets, which was the first film to be released exclusively through iTunes. This was before it became commonplace for people to watch a film on their computer, let alone their phones and tablets, but we saw something promising from this experiment—a genuine appetite to consume movies in this fashion, which was reflected in shockingly robust numbers. Last year, I released Nice Guy Johnny via an all-digital platform on iTunes and VOD - completely bypassing theatrical distribution. The audience response was fantastic. With a simple click of the remote or mouse, movie fans could watch the film anywhere they wanted. I was able to make the film on a small budget all while having complete creative control. Of equal importance, I wasn’t giving a chunk of my profits away to a studio; my team and I were the ones to reap the financial rewards.

As all indie film distribution companies will attest, the economics of a theatrical release for smaller budgeted films just don’t really make sense. And many of these companies have gone out of business clinging to this old model. The few specialty distribution companies that are left are exploring different models, with a greater emphasis on VOD and shorter windows between theatrical release and digital release. These companies even regard the theatrical release as a loss leader, a way to market the film for its more significant ancillary revenue to follow.

To be fair, bypassing the studio forces you to make some significant compromises, but as a filmmaker, these are things I am comfortable sacrificing. While I may not get the comforts of a big production—the fancy equipment, the big set pieces, working with huge movie stars, I also have complete creative freedom to tell the story I want without any outside interference. Any decision, from casting to script to music, is made between me and my creative collaborators. When the terrifically talented (but largely unknown) actors that I’m able to work with come on set, they know there won’t be a spread from craft services waiting for them. Or a stylist and makeup artist on hand to fix them up between every scene. We’ll likely have early mornings and late nights, and without a giant machine to move after every set-up, we are shooting about 10 pages of dialogue a day. The actors get to act, and typically love the liberating, creative environment we have created. But that is what I love about filmmaking. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to make successful films on small budgets. And now I’ve found the best way to distribute these films to an audience—using digital platforms.

I truly believe digital distribution is the future of independent film. It’s the absolute most effective way to attract millions of eyeballs to your film—the film that you’ve been dying to make. On December 26, my latest film, Newlyweds, will be immediately accessible to more than 43 million homes, and that’s just through cable VOD. The new art house is, in fact, your own home.

With this new distribution method, I think we have an opportunity to help broaden the audience base for indie films and in turn, significantly grow the independent-film category and provide opportunities for many incredibly talented filmmakers that weren’t previously accessible. When someone asks “where can I see your film,” it gives me great joy to be able to say anywhere, everywhere, and whenever you want.

Five Tips to Find Professional Crew Members for Free

2012-01-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

1. Understand their job

If you are producing or directing a project, you should understand the dynamic of a film crew. Especially if you seek to hire professionals, don’t think they won’t see through your lack of experience.
I have seen so many job listings for “sound guys” or for “a lighting person.” These jobs have specific titles and the fact that you aren’t using them makes it seem like you might not understand what a “lighting person” even does. I’ve speculated before whether certain directors even know what a camera assistant is, but there are red flags. When you offer up clips for a demo reel to a grip, electrician or production assistant they will scoff at you. Nobody working underneath the key department heads is going to have a demo reel for those jobs. I don’t send out a video of my best focus pulls as a 1st assistant camera (AC) or most beautiful slates for 2nd AC gigs.
You need to genuinely understand what below the line crew do and why they work.
In the end, almost every crew member loves movies and being a part of the collaborative medium, but many also work because they make good money doing it. If you are going to ask them to do it for free, you need to at least respect the professionalism they are used to being a part of everyday.

2. Pitch them the project, not the results

Everybody making a movie thinks they are making a hit (if you don’t, go back to the drawing board until you do). While passion is admirable and necessary, the statistics just don’t hold upfor every film to be the next Juno or Paranormal Activity. That’s why it’s silly to see a crew call that advertises “will be submitting to Sundance” and a chance to “be part of something big.” Everybody submits to Sundance and everybody thinks they’re part of something big, but the odds of getting in Sundance are small and the odds of being something big are even smaller.
So what makes youdifferent? Claims like that only increase skepticism and, worse, these listings rarely describe what the film is about.
If you really want a crew to work for free, pitch them the project and not the results. If you really do have the next big thing, it should be an easy sell.
Even though below the line crew aren’t directly involved in major creative decisions, they do like to work for projects that reward them creatively. Commercials, company internals and other dry material will often drag down a person’s psyche. Offer them a chance to work on a sci-fi character driven short film and you might have no problem staffing a crew.

3. Be transparent

Another deal breaker for me when I see listings for low/no paying jobs is a lack of transparency. The listing will provide minimal details and a cryptic description of the film like, “a short romance about love.” Again, this breeds skepticism.
Why aren’t you telling me about the film? Who are you? Why is your project something I should be interested in working on? It’s simply not fair to ask people to send you their personal information and resumeswithout providing some information of your own.
Further, be honest about payment and what expenses will and won’t be covered. It’s better to have people know up front what they’re going to be involved in rather than trying to spring it on them and negotiate down the line.

Continue here

CHARLTON RUDDOCK IS FIRED!

2012-01-02T16:21:00.001-05:00

Charlton "Chuck" Ruddock was fired on January 2, 2012 from Romane Orlando Robb's KAVIKA, by the Chairman and CEO of Robb Entertainment himself. Chuck was also immediately dropped by SuperBear Entertainment, the commercial and music video division of Robb Entertainment Pictures (REP). KAVIKA is slated to start shooting on January 21st, and will be helmed by Romane Orlando Robb.

"Charlton has displayed a lack of integrity and tardy communication that repulses me. He made this an easy decision in which I have no regrets." Romane Orlando Robb (Chairman/CEO)

EXCLUSIVE: ROMANE MPIRE

2011-12-28T00:55:00.001-05:00

“This is a more personal division of Robb Entertainment Pictures. Personal in the sense that; Pictures produced under Romane Mpire will have my 100% undivided attention. I’ll be deeply involved from development to post to marketing and distribution on each and every one of these Pictures. I hate to use the cliché term, but this shingle will be focused ONLY on my “passion projects.” - Romane Orlando Robb (Founder)

EXCLUSIVE: SUPERBEAR SIGNING!

2011-12-19T00:50:00.000-05:00

SUPERBEAR ENTERTAINMENT (sb.xrobb.com) is pleased to announce the signing of Director Charlton "Chuck" Ruddock who has just finished working on a documentary about comic book legend, Robert Conte.

SUPERBEAR ENTERTAINMENT is the commercial and music video (CAMV) production company division of ROBB ENTERTAINMENT established on August 12, 2011 by Romane Orlando Robb.

ROBERT CONTE: THE HIDDEN COMIC BOOK LEGEND - On Set Photos

2011-12-18T18:18:00.000-05:00

NEW BANNERS

2011-12-16T20:09:00.000-05:00

We got some 3' x 2' banners printed by ROBB XPRESS.

Let us know what you think.

Pretty mint, right?

MOVIE REVIEW: Kick-Ass (2010)

2011-12-06T14:55:00.001-05:00

Kick-Ass, directed by Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class, Layer Cake), sees Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a very average, slightly geeky, comic book loving teenager, become something he could only dream of; a super hero. What super power(s) does he have I hear you asking, well, I can tell you, it’s a slightly dulled sense of pain. This is not even due to a spider bite or a radioactive accident; it comes as a result of a good old fashioned running over. Now Dave, aka Kick-Ass, must team up with other self declared “superheroes” and enter into the fight of his life, but will the good intensions and solid enthusiasm be enough to defeat the enemies which stand before him?

As some of you may know, Kick-Ass is based on a comic book, which director Matthew Vaughn has stayed as true to as possible. Now I can’t vouch for the story being close to the books as I have never read them, but the way in which the film was directed definitely screams, comic! The technique used to link scenes together with an illustrated style caption in the corner e.g. “meanwhile across town” is just one example. I think credit has to be paid to the costume department as the superheroes’ outfits, hair and make-up were just fantastic.

Aaron Johnson who plays Kick-Ass, is a relatively unknown actor with only a few smaller roles in some average films. Kick-Ass was definitely Aaron’s time to shine and show us what he can really do. Granted around 50% of his parts were played with him masked as the costumed vigilante but I do not take this away from his performance which he did wonderfully. As you can tell from the first scene, Aaron’s character is not 100% geeky; he is definitely not scrawny and is rather tall so he is not your typical Michael Cera, Jesse Eisenberg geek. This is why Aaron was perfect for the part, a splendid mix between your average Joe and comic book geek.

A pleasant surprise for me was to see Nicolas Cage playing the part of Big Daddy, a batman style superhero with one difference, he kills every bad guy he encounters and kills them quite spectacularly. Nicolas was very good in the picture, no, it didn’t stretch him as an actor, but it isn’t that type of film and for the part, provided him, I think he performed brilliantly. Another highlight of this film was Chloe Moretz who played the vicious little superhero, Hit-Girl. Chloe is a hugely talented actress with some excellent films already under her belt such as The Amityville Horror and a personal favourite of mine, 500 Days of Summer. She is a young actress I suggest you keep your eye on; she is only going to improve, if that’s even possible.

So Kick-Ass, I can safely say, has made it onto my list of favourite films. It is funny, serious and packed full with colourfully costumed, wonderfully odd and altogether strangely inspiring action and adventure. This is definitely a film not to be missed, even if you watch it a year after it has been released, like myself. I have heard it been announced there will in fact be a Kick-Ass 2, and I, for one, will be at the cinema this time enjoying it how it was meant to be experienced, on the big screen.

Oliver Willis is from the UK and is currently studying Film Studies & Journalism at university. He hopes to become a film journalist that writes about both independent and mainstream films. Oliver writes for a few websites and he also has his own blog where he writes about/review/promote various independent films.

Written by Oliver Willis (Robbent.com Film Journalist)

Edited by Romane Orlando Robb (Executive Editor)

HOW TO BREAK UP WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND - Pre-production meeting

2011-12-03T19:08:00.000-05:00

Ethan, our director.

TJ, one of our producers.

Scott, the comedian extraordinaire/script supervisor.

TJ, and our DP, Steven.

Lots more to come!

MOVIE REVIEW: 500 Days of Summer (2009)

2011-12-01T11:11:00.000-05:00

500 Days of Summer, directed by Marc Webb, is an offbeat romantic comedy about a young man’s search for true love. Our main character, Tom (played by Joseph Gorden-Levitt) believes in such a thing as true love and when he meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel), he believes he has found the perfect girl. Summer on the other hand has a very different take on love. This film shows Tom’s storey as he spends his 500 days with Summer, and the ups and downs that comes when two people have two very different views when it comes to love.

Joseph Gorden-Levitt (3rd Rock From The Sun, Inception) plays our main character Tom. Joseph is a young but excellent actor. He plays Tom, a slightly nervous yet charming person who believes in such a thing as true love. I like Joseph and in my opinion he was perfect for this role. What this film needed for this character to work was a good looking, young, funny and generally likable actor, which Joseph delivered perfectly. Joseph is able to play a whole host of roles and this film demanded he do that, from deliriously happy to depressingly sad to intensely frustrated and everything in-between. I could not think of another young actor who could have pulled off such a heart warming performance as Joseph did.

Now, is it any wonder Tom falls in love with Summer, I mean who wouldn’t fall for Zooey Deschanel (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Happening)? Zooey plays the part of Summer, a alternative, qwerky, free spirit who has a very different view of love. I think Zooey is absolutely brilliant. She plays these kinds of roles, the innocent free spirit, in a few films and it just fits so wonderfully. She and Joseph make a very convincing young couple and really get you believing in the love that is so obviously shared between them. I think Zooey is an excellent actress and particularly good at playing this type of role.

Now, I’m not usually one for romantic comedies but I have to say this one stuck with me. The film is so wonderfully put together. It’s so alternative from any other in its genre and the soundtrack is exactly what you need to listen to on a sunny summer’s day. For any readers thinking they don’t like rom-coms I have to agree with you, but this film is no typical rom-com. I found it to be a brilliant watch and have since seen it three or four times and still love it. I would recommend this film to anyone who likes a laugh and an oddly alternative feel good film. The important thing to remember is this is not a love story; it’s a story about love.

Oliver Willis is from the UK and is currently studying Film Studies & Journalism at university. He hopes to become a film journalist that writes about both independent and mainstream films. Oliver writes for a few websites and he also has his own blog where he writes about/review/promote various independent films.

Written by Oliver Willis (Robbent.com Film Journalist)

Edited by Romane Orlando Robb (Executive Editor)

Melrose II Fund Suing Paramount Over Profits From ‘Transformers’, 'Blades of Glory', 'Mission Impossible 3' And Other Films

2011-11-29T19:20:00.000-05:00

LOS ANGELES, November 29, 2011 – Kirkland & Ellis LLP is representing Melrose Investors 2 LP (Melrose 2) in a breach of contract case in which Melrose 2 seeks to recover profits related to its nearly $375 million investment in 29 films produced by Paramount Pictures Corporation and DW Studios L.L.C., formerly known as Dreamworks Studios (Defendants).

The 29 films, which include such hits as Mission Impossible 3, Charlotte’s Web, Dreamgirls, Flags of Our Fathers, Blades of Glory, Jackass 2 and all three Transformers films, among others, have grossed close to $7 billion to date.

“The investor group was hoping to avoid being the third co-financing vehicle to have filed suit against Paramount and DW Studios LLC, but despite our ongoing efforts to settle our differences, Paramount has refused to cooperate,” a spokesperson for the investor group stated.

The complaint alleges:

· In 2006, Defendants entered into an agreement with Melrose 2 through which Melrose 2 would own up to a 25% copyright interest in up to 30 films that Defendants produced. To acquire this ownership interest, Melrose 2 agreed to fund a pro rata amount of the production costs.

· Melrose 2 met its obligations and has to date, provided nearly $375 million to Defendants to produce 29 films.

· In the five years since the agreement was signed, Melrose 2 has not received any profits from their nearly $375 million investment.

· Defendants have repeatedly hindered Melrose 2’s audits, engaged in obstructionist tactics, overstated losses and understated the revenues received in connection with the exploitation of the Melrose 2-funded films.

As an example, the lawsuit says that Paramount claimed that "Flags of Our Fathers" cost nearly twice its budgeted amount, but refused to provide documentation to the investors.

"Similarly, in connection with a later audit, defendants failed to provide the domestic and foreign production cost records for 'Dreamgirls' and 'Norbit,'" the lawsuit says.

Additionally, the suit says, Paramount has "been cagey about other sources of revenue."

It says that "although there appears to be a fair amount of product placement in Melrose 2-funded films such as 'Transformers,' 'Heartbreak Kid,' 'Blades of Glory' and 'Shooter,'" Paramount refuses to provide any formal accounting of any such advertising deals.

As a consequence, the suit adds, the fund cannot determine "whether it was properly credited for cost reductions in connection with those deals."

“Paramount has deliberately inflated losses and underreported gross receipts and we plan to aggressively pursue our client’s claims and recover its share of the profits in these films,” said Kirkland & Ellis attorney Mark Holscher, who leads the Kirkland team, together with partner Diana Torres.

Mr. Holscher is recognized as one of California’s Top 100 attorneys and is a nationally recognized bet-the-company trial attorney. In 2010, he won a $52 million verdict on behalf of actor Don Johnson in a breach of contract and copyright infringement case involving unpaid profits against Rysher Entertainment, Qualia Capital LLC and 2929 Entertainment, Inc.

MISPHITS - COMIC BOOK

2011-11-26T14:13:00.001-05:00

MISPHITS is a comic strip/book created and written by Romane Orlando Robb. The characters and artwork were created by Manfred Klein.

ROBB COMICS (http://comics.robbent.com) is the comic book division of ROBB ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION (REC).

ROBB ENTERTAINMENT is a New York based Media and Entertainment company that specializes in the production, marketing, and distribution of short and long form entertainment, across multiple platforms. The company was established in 2008 by ROMANE ORLANDO ROBB, and is owned by SIMPLEROBB, INC. - A ROBB CORPORATION COMPANY. For more information, please visit us at ROBBENT.COM.

Read the first two pages on ROBB COMICS' website.

Christopher Nolan reveals 'Dark Knight Rises'

2011-11-22T14:38:00.000-05:00

The movie picks up eight years after "The Dark Knight" with Bruce Wayne "not in a great state," says the helmer, who has been notoriously secretive about the final film in his Batman trilogy.

"It's really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne's story," said Nolan, who previously directed 2005's Batman Begins and 2008's The Dark Knight. "We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after The Dark Knight. So he's an older Bruce Wayne; he's not in a great state."

Warner Bros.' summer 2012 tentpole finds Christian Bale reprising his role of Bruce Wayne/Batman and Gary Oldman back as Commissioner Gordon. But several newcomers also have joined the film, including Tom Hardy as the villain Bane, whom Nolan described as "brutal."

"He's a big dude who's incredibly clinical, in the fact that he has a result-based and oriented fighting style," he said. "It's not about fighting. It's about carnage. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it's nasty. Anything from small-joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns. He is a terrorist in mentality as well as brutal action."

Nolan said the plan was to give Batman a villain unlike any he's previously encountered.

"With Bane, we're looking to give Batman a challenge he hasn't had before," Nolan said. "With our choice of villain and with our choice of story we're testing Batman both physically as well as mentally."

Meanwhile, costume designer Lindy Hemming revealed a few more details about the villain's backstory as it relates to his mask [see picture, below].

"He was injured early in his story," she told Empire. "He's suffering from pain and needs gas to survive. He can't survive the pain without the mask. The pipes from the mask go back along his jawline and feed into the thing at his back, where there are two cannisters."

Nolan has been notoriously secretive about the movie's plot. In September, Oldman said that he believed he was the only actor who knew details about the final scenes.

Ryan Gosling On Set - Gangster Squad

2011-11-09T20:03:00.000-05:00

A chronicle of the LAPD's fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.

Director: Ruben Fleischer (30 minutes or less)

ROBB TV PROGRAMS THAT YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT!

2011-10-28T01:52:00.001-04:00

And check out ROBB TV's other programs.

ROBBENT.COM Q&A WITH DIRECTOR ERIK KRISTOPHER MYERS (ROULETTE)

2011-10-13T16:13:00.005-04:00

Erik Kristopher Myers is a writer and filmmaker based out of Baltimore, MD. His close association with CaptainHowdy.com (and the now-defunct BloodyNews.com) has led to numerous critical writings on the Exorcist franchise, and earned him the first screening and exclusive interview regarding Paul Schrader's then-shelved Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist in 2005 (reprinted this fall ball Centipede Press). He is the acclaimed director of the multi-award winning 2011 independent thriller Roulette (roulettefilm.com), and is currently at work on the academic study William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III: From Concept to Novel to Screen.

1). ROBBENT.COM: Let’s get right into it. Can you give us a synopsis of Roulette?

Erik Kristopher Myers: Roulette tells the stories of Dean Jensen (Mike Baldwin), a wheelchair-bound man in the early stages of what appears to be multiple sclerosis; Richard Kessler (Will Haza), a bitter alcoholic unhappy with his dead-end office job and dead-end marriage; and Sunshine Howard (Ali Lukowski), an evangelical Christian who strays from the path of her faith and into a freer, albeit darker world of sexual liberation. Their stories, seemingly unconnected, are told in flashback, gradually moving toward their respective climaxes during a game of Russian Roulette, in which all three -- strangers to one another prior to this encounter -- are participants.

These three tales are told in fragments, moments in time that are rhythmically and structurally interwoven with the game of Russian Roulette that has brought Dean, Kessler and Sunny together. Who are these people, really? What faces are they hiding behind masks, not only from the world around them, but from us, the viewer? How did they come to be here for this final shock treatment that ends with a literal 'Bang'...?

2). ROBBENT.COM: What inspired you to make Roulette?

Erik Kristopher Myers: I've written a number of screenplays, one of which was always planned as my debut. It had a fantastic hook, and big ideas that could be executed on a (comparatively) small budget. Nonetheless, it was still a "studio" indie: cash was essential. Armed with storyboards, concept art and a thirty-page promotional packet that outlined how I'd pull this off and guarantee a strong financial return, I began shopping it about. I received several bites, one of which was from a very famous director of horror films who was interested in directing. The problem was that it was my baby, and I knew that if I could just secure the budget, I'd potentially wind up knocking down some doors and ensuring the next film, and the next, and so on and further. Yet everyone I spoke with said the same thing: "You've done some shorts, won some awards, good for you; but no one is going to trust a film this potentially lucrative to a nobody from Baltimore. Not gonna happen." So I made the decision to hang onto it. Yeah, selling might have helped me get my foot in the door; but it might also have landed me in Writing Land, where I'd be giving out all my best ideas to other film makers. It was a huge gamble. A number of people considered it career suicide (and I had a few sleepless nights where I felt the exact same way); but in the end, I realized I needed to make a film immediately. Something dirt cheap, held together with Scotch tape and popsicle sticks. Something really unique and creative and compelling, but shot essentially in my backyard on weekends. So I sat down, poured myself a gallon of whisky, and cranked out the script for Roulette in three feverish weeks during the summer of 2008.

I knew that anyone could (and can, and do) grab a video camera and make films with their friends. What's more,they sell. So it had to be more than that: a Film with a capital F. Inspired by R. Budd Dwyer's televised death, Roulette is an ambitious suicide thriller with a large ensemble cast, numerous interlocking storylines, and enough controversial subject matter to keep viewers talking long after the credits run. No politically correct stone is left unturned: the film examines the effects of religion, addiction, disease, gender identification, infidelity, and abortion; and most notably, the effects of chance, whether in one's everyday life, or in the odds of a five-shot revolver going off during a game of life or death. And all of this in less than two hours.

In the end, the mantra has always been: show 'em what I can do with nothing, and then let 'em imagine what I could do with a few bucks. Time will tell on the latter front...

3). ROBBENT.COM: What sparks your creativity?

Erik Kristopher Myers: Most of my inspiration comes from the things that frighten me, or make me uncomfortable: The big "what ifs" in the universe. "What if someone I loved was struck down by a disease? What if they were killed in an accident?" From there things take on a life of their own. My work tends to be very dark, so naturally, people assume that means I'm very dark. To some degree, yeah, maybe; but overall, I tend to approach storytelling less as an active participant than as the observer who then translates it for everyone else. I allow characters to make their own decisions, suffer their own consequences, and shape their own destinies. My job is to maintain the three act structure of the story, but other than that, I'm often as surprised by plot twists as the viewers are. But other than opening a door on a topic and allowing the characters to step inside, I tend only to document.

One thing I utterly reject in practice is the tendency of writers to tell their own story, which typically comes across as very transparent, very narcissistic, and completely one-sided. It's like the struggling screenwriter whose wife leaves him -- who then writes the story of the struggling screenwriter whose vicious bitch of a wife leaves him: it's not only entirely self-serving, but it's going to be a romanticized, utterly biased account of something that, frankly, nobody cares about. Any time I sense myself drifting in that direction, I smack myself around a little and remind myself that I'm just as human as everyone else, which is the heart of good drama: real people making real decisions with real consequences.

4). ROBBENT.COM: Who are some of the filmmakers (past and present) that you draw inspiration from, and why?

Erik Kristopher Myers: My first real introduction to independent film making – and specifically Baltimore-based independent film making – occurred when I was fourteen and a friend of the family leant me John Waters’ 1974 film Female Trouble. This was early, nasty, grungy Waters, back when his work had teeth so sharp they drew blood. I was never the same, creatively. I was dabbling in script format, and my ideas were either epic in the Tolkien tradition or in that of very “serious” horror: The Exorcist, The Omen, et al. Female Trouble was so different. It was almost cinema verite, due largely to the guerilla nature of the production. It was cheap, effective, and affecting. Suddenly I realized that I didn’t need Industrial Light and Magic (Editor’s note: George Lucas’ visual effects company) to tell a story: I needed compelling people in a compelling situation. Whether or not they flew around in spaceships or drove a car was really beside the point.

My appreciation for indies is also extended to big budget franchises directed by former indie film makers: George Lucas with Star Wars, Peter Jackson with Lord of the Rings, Sam Raimi with Spider-Man. Love their movies or hate them, they were (at least in their initial incarnations) the product of that indie world, whatever their success may have led them to later become. I'd love to be able to do a large-scale film (I've written a few); and guys like Jackson show that such a transition can occur without any sacrifice of standards.

5). ROBBENT.COM: What was it like working with Mike Baldwin?

Erik Kristopher Myers: First off, let me take this opportunity to sing the praises of all the cast members who took part in Roulette: Mike Baldwin, Will Haza, Ali Lukowski, Michelle Allegra Murad, Taylor Lee Hitaffer, Jan-David Soutar, Troy Russell, Frank Moorman, Brian St. August, Leanna Chamish, Mark Kilbane, George Stover...It's a long list. Mike is the star of the film in that he has top billing; yet being an ensemble with three interweaving storylines, I'd be remiss not to mention Will Haza and Ali Lukowski on the same level. All three are amazing, and gave so much of themselves for this film. There's some pretty heavy content, and more than one sex scene, something all three partook in. They're total pros.

Speaking specifically of Mike Baldwin: J65 Productions, who shot and crewed Roulette, is owned and operated by Director of Photography Jamie Bender and, at the time of shooting, also co-owned by Mike. I knew them both from film school. J65 provided necessary equipment such as a second camera, lenses, lights, a crane, and other toys (such as a custom dolly built specifically for the film that could be sized to match some very difficult locations). Mike handled most of the lighting, which ranges from natural to stylized, particularly in the "Suicide Room" sequences
(where the actors are playing Russian Roulette), which he often did while acting! How he divided his focus so effectively is really a mystery to me; but his work never suffers for it. His storyline is easily my favorite -- on paper it's great, but he added dimensions to the character of Dean that I hadn't anticipated. When we first began shooting, he was trying to create a creepy character as memorable as Heath Ledger's Joker, and together we attempted to do just that. It was very gratifying to hear more than one person state, after a sneak preview in Baltimore last fall that they wanted to go up and tell him how much they enjoyed his performance but were too afraid of him to say anything...! In reality he's just the nicest guy, so while he may not get too many autograph requests, he accomplished his goal as a performer.

6). ROBBENT.COM: What are three of your favorite films of all time, and why?

Erik Kristopher Myers: I'm all over the place: The Exorcist, Boogie Nights, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Nosferatu, Brokeback Mountain, Goodfellas, An American Werewolf in London, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Prestige, Excalibur, Lord of the Rings, the Hammer Dracula flicks...I'm not tied down to one genre, though I do gravitate toward the darker stuff. One of my goals with Roulette was to create a scene that would rival the masturbation with-a-crucifix sequence from The Exorcist and the shower scene from Psycho: something would absolutely send the more squeamish viewers running for the exit, but more through inference than repulsive effects: If it could have a psychological anchor, then so much the better. Based on early response, Roulette's "Baby Scene" may be a contender for Most Horrible Movie Moment Ever.

7). ROBBENT.COM: What was it like working with Michelle Murad?

Erik Kristopher Myers: Michelle's involvement is an interesting (and somewhat painful story). In late 2009, we were largely finished with the film, and prepared a Baltimore premiere. However, at the fabled eleventh hour, we had a contractual dispute with one of the supporting actresses, rendering us powerless to use her scenes. This meant that either the film was going to wind up shelved...or I'd have to pull of a magic trick the equivalent of David Copperfield making the Statue of Liberty disappear. Under legal advice, we deleted those scenes, which was roughly twenty percent of the film, and went about recasting the part. The first hurdle was getting the cast and crew to re-commit to such a lengthy re-shoot (and in some cases, weight loss, weight gain, or other dramatic physical transformations); then, once that was accomplished, I had to get the same locations back again and under the same seasonal conditions due to the film's aggressive continuity. Again, I got what I needed, but the true revelation was Michelle, who sailed into her audition on a ray of sunlight during what was my darkest, lowest point. She revitalized me, the cast, the crew, and most importantly, the film itself. Her energy and enthusiasm raised the quality of the production, and she turned a nightmare into an opportunity to improve the film. She's fantastic.

A lot of this drama was captured in real-time, via documentary footage. Early in the production, I had approached award-winning film maker Ethan Meyer, who would ultimately work on the crew in numerous capacities, about shooting a feature-length documentary detailing the process from beginning to end. In the end, what he began producing was a series of behind-the-scenes featurettes, each roughly ten minutes long, and hosted on a dedicated website. Currently, there are sixteen episodes. Luck of the Draw: The Making of Roulette is totally Ethan’s – it’s his baby. And that baby has been a fantastic way of generating interest over the past year, and will ultimately appear on the Blu-Ray. In addition, it also provides those of us who lived the process the ability to disconnect from the film and remember what was going on just outside the frame, good and bad.

8). ROBBENT.COM: What are some of your hobbies besides making movies?

Erik Kristopher Myers: Writing, directing, producing and editing take up most of my spare time. Most of what's left over goes to my wife, Laura, without whom there would be no Roulette. She produced the film alongside me, and contributed the wardrobe and production design. This project has consumed the bulk of our married life together, so I make a conscious effort to give her any and all of my attention when I’m not working. If I can squeeze in a little time to fiddle around on the bass guitar, read a comic book or play a video game, then I consider myself a lucky man, indeed.

9). ROBBENT.COM: What other projects do you currently have in the pipeline?

Erik Kristopher Myers: Apart from capping off Roulette, I'm in discussions on my previously-mentioned screenplay that I've been hanging on to all this time. I’m also continuing slow work on a labor of love called Film I, which is a documentary I shot as a film student that I am expanding to feature length. I also contributed the screenplay for a local production called The Devil's Playthings, a horror film I wrote with my wife and Roulette co-producer, Laura Myers. But priority number one is my pet project, which I hope Roulette can finally demonstrate my qualifications for directing.

10). ROBBENT.COM: And last but not least; why should people watch Roulette?

Erik Kristopher Myers: Watch it because it's a great story with great characters, and one hell of a controversial shock ending. Watch it because there are films out there that come from a different artistic place than Transformers 3.

Watch it because it's genuine, it's gritty, and it's dark as hell. I didn’t want to make a horror film, however much I may love the genre, to serve as my calling card. Still, my love of all things uncomfortable is certainly present: the film has some very nasty and troubling ideas running around within it. But I was more interested in tangible horror. Vampires are fine. But you know what’s really scary? Finding out you have a disease. Not being able to pay the bills; unwanted pregnancy, addiction, and Infidelity. To me, those things make a shuffling zombie look like…well, a shuffling zombie. The only reason people can’t outrun zombies is because they decide to go back inside the old, dark house. You can’t outrun unemployment in a depressed economy.

Many thanks to Erik for knocking it out of the park with this interview. Great stuff Erik!

Check out ROULETTE using the links below;

Roulette's trailer: HERE

Roulette's facebook page: HERE

Roulette's official website: HERE

IMDB page: HERE

Luck of the Draw: The Making of ROULETTE: HERE

ROBBENT.COM Q&A WITH DIRECTOR RICHARD GRIFFIN (EXHUMED)

2011-10-11T21:37:00.003-04:00

1). ROBBENT.COM: Let’s get right into it. Can you give us a synopsis of Exhumed?

RICHARD GRIFFIN: Well, without giving too much away, “Exhumed” centers on an unlikely group of housemates. Over the course of four days, loneliness, solitude, fear and longing will lead them to the darkest edges of life and death. That's all I really want to say about the movie now. I want audiences to experience the film as fresh as humanly possible.

2). ROBBENT.COM: What inspired you to make Exhumed?

RICHARD GRIFFIN: The seed of the idea came from a really terrible nightmare I had a few years ago. A few days later, I wrote the very small seed of a story for it and I brought in a couple of screenwriters to flesh it out, but nothing really ever came of it. In 2010 I asked writer Guy Benoit (who had written “Atomic Brain Invasion” for me) to take a pass at it. Well, Guy brought in a lot of his own obsessions and interests, including research on cults and cult mentality. Within, I believe, two months, Guy handed in his first draft... and I can safely say it was the most original, exciting screenplay I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

3). ROBBENT.COM: What sparks your creativity?

RICHARD GRIFFIN: Having a project to work on; a challenge. When I was a child, I used to love jigsaw puzzles.... and now I see making a movie as nothing more than putting together an extremely large and complex jigsaw puzzle. But what really drives me is being surrounded by so many brilliant and talented artists. Not just the actors, writers and the camera folks, but the costumers, the set dressers, the composers, the audio folks. I also get a lot of drive and excitement when I'm working with a writer... I love sharing and building on ideas. That's where the sparks fly!

4). ROBBENT.COM: Who are some of the filmmakers (past and present) that you draw inspiration from, and why?

RICHARD GRIFFIN: I'm very influenced by directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Howard Hawks, Bernardo Bertolucci, Dario Argento, John Carpenter, Orson Welles, Frank Tashlin, and Chuck Jones. Why? I have no idea! Their movies just touched me, sparked my imagination; each one for many different reasons.

5). ROBBENT.COM: What was it like working with Michael Reed?

RICHARD GRIFFIN: Working with Michael, and this was our fifth feature together (The other four being; Beyond the Dunwich Horror, Nun of That, Atomic Brain Invasion, and The Disco Exorcist) is always a pleasure. Outside his endless talent as an actor, Michael always comes to the set happy and excited to work. When you're working long hours under considerable stress, it's always a plus to have as many "cheerleaders" as possible - folks that drive you to continue forward and do your best work. Michael, like all great actors, comes to the set prepared, focused and he really knows his character inside and out. He's a treasure.

6). ROBBENT.COM: What are three of your favorite films of all time, and why?

RICHARD GRIFFIN: This is always a tough one. The list, except for my absolute favorite film, changes on a daily basis... but I'll give it a shot:

1. A PATCH OF BLUE (1965): I saw this one on late-night television in 1980, I think. It was the first film I saw that dealt with racism, and the first movie that made me cry. It showed me exactly how powerful this medium of film is. It's also beautifully acted, sensationally directed, and the scope of black and white photography is breathtaking. I cannot say enough about it. Sadly, it's also a movie that's pretty much forgotten about. I would strongly suggest that people get a copy of it. It's now out on DVD.

2. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962): What's not to love? It’s true epic filmmaking that never loses sight of its characters or story. David Lean's directing is just pitch-perfect, and the cinematography can't be topped when it comes to breath-taking vistas. I had the pleasure of seeing this on the big screen in a restored version in the late 80s, and it just completely blew the top of my head off.

3. CASABLANCA (1942): I can't go into all the reasons I love this movie, but I will say -- if aliens came to Earth and said if we couldn't give one good reason why they shouldn't blow up the Earth -- I would have them watch Casablanca.

7). ROBBENT.COM: What was it like working with Sarah Nicklin?

RICHARD GRIFFIN: Well, for six features Sarah Nicklin was my female lead. She is amazingly prepared, upbeat, dedicated and hard-working. She never came to the set unprepared or in a foul mood. In many ways, she was my muse during this period. She was just a delight to have around, and an honor to work with. I cannot say enough about Sarah.

8). ROBBENT.COM: What are some of your hobbies besides making movies?

RICHARD GRIFFIN: I love cooking, reading, and music. If for some reason I can no longer make movies, I would love to be a cook. Next to my spouse, food is my next major love.

9). ROBBENT.COM: What other projects do you currently have in the pipeline?

RICHARD GRIFFIN: Currently we have three features lined up for 2012. I hate to jinx things, but I'll let you know right now we're going to be shooting “Murder University” (Written by acclaimed playwright Lenny Schwartz) in March, and then “The Disco Exorcist: Part II: The New Wave” shortly afterwards.

10). ROBBENT.COM: And last but not least; why should people watch Exhumed?

RICHARD GRIFFIN: The four main reasons people should watch “Exhumed” is because of writer Guy Benoit's highly original and disturbing screenplay. The next reason is the extremely talented cast of Debbie Rochon, Sarah Nicklin, Michael Reed, Michael Thurber, Rich Tretheway, Evalena Marie, Jonathan Thomson and Nat Sylva, director of photography Ken Willinger's luscious black and white scope cinematography which is simply some of the best black and white photography I've seen in decades, and finally you should watch Exhumed because it would make me happy. And you want to make an old man happy, don't you?

Many thanks to Richard for an awesome interview! Speaking of awesome; check out the trailer for EXHUMED on AWESOME MOVIE TRAILERS.

Exhumed trailer: HERE

Exhumed Facebook Page: HERE

Exhumed Premiere Page: HERE

Scorpio Film Releasing Official Site: HERE

THE AVENGERS ON SET PHOTOS

2011-09-30T22:44:00.000-04:00

More photos HERE>

GERONIMO!!!!!

2011-09-03T19:51:00.001-04:00

More behind the scenes stuff!

Jeff (I'm not a fan!)

People who I'm also not a fan of!

*sighs* Life as a PA

Dan in real life!

I was only kidding above! And CUT!

ON THE SET OF GERONIMO

2011-08-23T20:17:00.000-04:00

We spent two days on the set of the indie feature "GERONIMO" and here are some snaps.

Ryan

Nicole Vogt Lowell (left) and Florence Marzciak (obviously, right!)

Rick and Cat...and Jake with the "cool guy" sunglasses on.

Cat is ready for her close-up. And Grant is also getting ready for his moment!

Cat, Nick (co-director), and Ryan.

Much more photos to come! And I hear something about a video? Hmmmmmmmmmm.

FAMILY TIES: CASTING CALL

2011-07-21T14:06:00.000-04:00

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Type: Short Film

Location: New York City

Director: Romane Orlando Robb

Producer: Romane Orlando Robb

Writer: Romane Orlando Robb

Production Company/Studio: ROBB ENTERTAINMENT

CHARACTERS;

Justin Baker - (19-23) A troubled individual who will go to great lengths to get

what he wants.

Ena White-Kerba - (27-34) Martin's wife of three years. Ena is a pyschiatrist.

Martin Kerba - (45-56) A wealthy New York banker.

FILMMAKERS, ARE YOU MAD?

2011-07-12T17:58:00.001-04:00

Most of you guys want to make films with absolutely no marketing and distribution (I call it MAD) strategy. That just boggles my mind to bits….and pieces. I just want to make a film; who cares who sees it right? Quite a few of you will actually say that, but we both know that’s complete and absolute bullshit.

You want your film to be seen by a mass audience. You’ve worked incredibly hard putting in the work from development to pre-production to post-production. You're competing in a marketplace with an abundance of content competing for an audience.

These people don’t have unlimited time and/or money so here’s the dilemma; how do they choose from an unlimited supply (a new piece of content is created everyday) of content? They mostly choose the ones with the most awareness. Studios don’t spend hundreds of millions of dollars on marketing because it sounds “cool.” They do it to buy an audience. And as the cost of film equipment decreases the volume of content increases. That’s a very important sentence. You might want to write that down. And the multitudes of morons with the “quality rises to the top statement” are either naive of plain foolish. You decide!

ROBB ENTERTAINMENT MATTEBOX

2011-07-11T18:48:00.005-04:00

We're adding more stuff to our production kit.

SOHO PRODUCTION SET

2011-06-26T19:51:00.002-04:00

THE GLOBAL PAPER IS BUSINESS NEWS!

2011-06-10T22:50:00.000-04:00

Check it out.

info@mail.theglobalpaper.com

TRIBECA 2011 SUPER AWESOME FILM FESTIVAL

2011-05-09T08:39:00.000-04:00

Did you go?

WE HAD SO MUCH FUN AT THE TUB SHOOT

2011-04-28T18:56:00.000-04:00

2011 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

2011-04-27T08:02:00.000-04:00

HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?

2011-03-31T17:38:00.000-04:00

DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD!

2011-03-20T12:11:00.000-04:00

WE HAVE MORE SUPER AWESOME BUTTONS. AND THIS TIME THEY'RE 3 INCHES!!!!!

2011-03-04T20:57:00.002-05:00

Killzone 3

2011-02-26T09:20:00.000-05:00

R.E.C has 4 copies of one of the greatest first person shooters, ever!!!!!

WE'VE PURCHASED THREE SCREENPLAYS

2011-02-25T18:26:00.002-05:00

ROBB ENTERTAINMENT (keeping it official!) has purchased (flat out purchase, not "optioned") three screenplays from French author, Julien Jacquemard, for an undisclosed sum.

The titles for those screenplays are as follows;

1). Spider Gates.

2). The Neverending Rock "N" Roll Story.

3). What are the Odds?

Julien is also the awesome author of the sci-fi/comedy novel "Jack Grants - Intergalactic Mess: Part 1".

WHAT'S UP WITH THE TRAFFIC CONES?

2011-02-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

ROBB MUSIC GROUP (RMG) NEW LOGOS

2011-02-09T17:37:00.000-05:00

CRIME SCENE IN THE OFFICE

2011-02-06T10:43:00.000-05:00

KEVIN SMITH CAUSES AN UPSET AT SUNDANCE!!!!!

2011-01-24T22:06:00.000-05:00

Early reaction out of Kevin Smith's "Red State" premiere at Sundance has suggested the film isn't the horror movie that its director had touted it as, but that would hardly be the only thing that was misleading about the film's premiere on Sunday night. Instead of auctioning off the film's rights in public as he suggested he would do, Smith announced that he would self-distribute the film, which may not have pleased the assembled buyers in the crowd, but falls squarely in line with the approach he's taken with "Red State" all along.

After finding interesting ways of eating away at the cost of the $4 million film like offering a "Red State Club" for $100 in Los Angeles to join his podcasts, Smith is taking the unusual, but not unprecedented step of releasing his latest film by going on a 15-city tour beginning in March in advance of a traditional theatrical release on October 19th,

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO HERE>

WORKING HARD OR HARDLY WORKING?

2011-01-20T19:00:00.002-05:00

THE GLOBAL PAPER PRINT VERSION

2011-01-16T17:49:00.000-05:00

CASTING CALL: THE DELIVERY GUY

2011-01-14T20:17:00.000-05:00

GENRE: COMEDY

LOGLINE

What happens when two friends purchase purple from weedxpress?

CAST

Male Lead, 19-26 - 1

Male Lead, 21-28 - 2

Supporting Character, 23-30 - 1

STUDIO: ROBB ENTERTAINMENT

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: ENA MAY WHITE

PRODUCER: ROMANE ORLANDO ROBB

WRITTEN BY: ROMANE ORLANDO ROBB

DIRECTED BY: ROMANE ORLANDO ROBB

LOCATION: NEW YORK

ROBB ENTERTAINMENT BAGS ARE HERE

2011-01-13T19:29:00.000-05:00

WE RECOMMEND THESE BOOKS

2011-01-12T16:16:00.000-05:00

ROBB ENTERTAINMENT BAG LABELS IN THE WORKS

2011-01-11T19:53:00.000-05:00

RETV CAPS NOW AVAILABLE

2011-01-10T15:56:00.004-05:00

RETV: ON SET. BEHIND THE SCENES.

2010-12-19T04:48:00.001-05:00

COMING SOON!!!!!

OUR ANIMATION PRODUCTION LOGO IS FINALLY HERE

2010-12-13T13:53:00.000-05:00

After months of trying to get a "professional" to create an animated production logo for us, we decided to pick up the software and do it ourselves. It's

simple, neat, and packs a very powerful message. Our Chairman explains in details HERE>

You can check out the logo HERE>

THE NEXT THREE DAYS POSTERS ARE HERE!!!!!

2010-11-25T19:32:00.000-05:00

ROBB ENTERTAINMENT BUTTONS ARE HERE. YEAH!!!!!

2010-11-19T16:12:00.000-05:00

THE SOCIAL NETWORK POSTERS ARE HERE

2010-11-16T15:10:00.000-05:00

ROBB STUDIOS CAP

2010-11-15T13:07:00.000-05:00

RE2 WEBSITE BANNERS!!!!! FREE FOR ALL.

2010-11-12T16:27:00.000-05:00

EMAIL US FOR FREE BUTTONS

2010-11-11T01:35:00.000-05:00

Email us for ROBB ENTERTAINMENT button fix.

SUPER SWEET BUTTONS.

2010-11-08T18:53:00.000-05:00

Coming super soon.

ROBB KAFE FOR OUR AWESOME FOLKS

2010-11-02T14:56:00.000-04:00

If you work here, you get one. If you don't, then you don't get one. Got it?

GO PICK UP YOUR ROBB ENTERTAINMENT CAP TODAY!!!!!

2010-10-30T16:51:00.002-04:00

MR. ROBB HIMSELF

2010-10-30T16:50:00.001-04:00

MEET MR. ROBB

2010-10-29T09:01:00.000-04:00

Our Company's logo/icon/symbol/mascot. Don't call him a mascot though, he doesn't like it....AT ALL!!!!!

Despite Icahn, MGM Bondholders Favor Spyglass Deal

2010-10-25T16:07:00.000-04:00

MGM bondholders are continuing to favor a plan by Spyglass Entertainment principals Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum to take over the debt-laden studio despite a last-minute play to merge with Lionsgate, according to insiders in the deals.

Debtholders led by JP Morgan’s John Miller and Alan Levine apparently feel comfortable with Barber and Birnbaum, and are worried that Carl Icahn is too much of a wild card to switch directions at this stage.

Icahn is indeed a wild card, but it’s hard to see how the lenders stuck underwater with $4 billion in MGM debt can miss the benefits of a deal with Lionsgate over Spyglass.

CONTINUE HERE>

ROBB ENTERTAINMENT HQ

2010-10-13T15:36:00.000-04:00

ROBB TV: IT'S ALL BUSINESS!

2010-10-12T15:42:00.000-04:00

Politics is cool and all, but what if you just want your finance fix? You know, just the numbers. Well, we got you covered. SNS introduced ROBB TV today. Check it out. Thank us later when you're a multi-billionaire using the information from ROBB TV.

Starz Media Sells 'Simpsons' Animation House, Film Roman

2010-10-11T17:34:00.000-04:00

Starz has owned the studio since 2006. But now under the direction of Chris Albrecht, company officials say divesting Film Roman allows them
to focus on their core strategic business: to acquire movies, and
develop, produce and acquire original series, for its pay TV channel.

CONTINUE HERE>

Tenacious D Live in Concert at BlizzCon(R) 2010

2010-10-11T11:22:00.000-04:00

Tenacious D is made up of musical visionaries Jack Black and Kyle Gass. After forming in 1994, the duo rose to rock god-dom following the release of the HBO cult-hit series Tenacious D: The Greatest Band on
Earth. Since then, Tenacious D has released two albums and a pair of
live DVDs, sold out arenas around the world, and starred in their own
feature-length movie, Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny. At the
BlizzCon closing ceremony on October 23, the band will perform an
earth-shattering set that includes the debut of new,
soon-to-be-legendary songs.

CONTINUE HERE>

FilmDistrict, The New Distributor From GK Films, May Release 'The Rum Diary' Next Fall; 'London Boulevard' As Well

2010-10-09T14:33:00.000-04:00

now you've hopefully heard that Graham King, the Academy Award-winning producer behind "The Departed" has formed a new acquisition, distribution, production, and financi... called FilmDistrict with Sony vet Peter Schlessel and former Apparition chief Bob Berney.

For those lamenting the loss of a mid-sized film distributor like Apparition, hopefully FilmDistrict will fill that gap.

More importantly, Film District will likely be distributing films that they have produced, such as Bruce Robinson’s long-awaited Hunter S. Thompson film adaptation, “The Rum Diary,” starring Johnny Depp, and William Monahan’s Keira

CONTINUE HERE>

Al Pacino to Play Phil Spector in Mamet HBO Film

2010-10-09T01:18:00.000-04:00

Oscar winner Al Pacino will play Phil Spector in an untitled HBO movie about the controversial record producer, reports the New York Times [1].

David Mamet will write and direct the project for HBO Films, while Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Levinson will exec produce.

Levinson just directed Pacino in the HBO movie "You Don't Know Jack," in which the actor played Dr. Jack Kevorkian.

CONTINUE HERE>

'Social Network': Fact Or Fiction, A Tangled Web

2010-09-30T15:47:00.000-04:00

A week ago, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg gave the Newark, N.J., school system $100 million on the same day the movie The Social Network opened at the New York Film Festival. The speculation was that he was trying to burnish his reputation before the movie tarnished it. The film
opens across the country today, so ... let the tarnishing begin.

The story of how Facebook was invented, almost accidentally, in a Harvard dorm room should have been near-impossible to film — computer geeks,
code-writing, legal depositions. But boy does it click along, from the
moment Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg as a cold-eyed, awkward boy genius)
decides to get back at a girlfriend who dumps him during the opening
credits. Zuckerberg's revenge? He hacks some school photo archives and
enlists his best buddy in a dumb, sexist online stunt: They start using complicated mathematics to rank the girls at school.

CONTINUE HERE>

ROBB ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS (RE2) SAW 3D PARTY

2010-09-22T17:12:00.000-04:00

ROBB ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS (RE2) BAGS!!!!!

2010-09-21T17:11:00.000-04:00

ROBB ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS (RE2)

2010-09-19T18:06:00.000-04:00

It's LIVE!

Public Enemy #1: Vincent Cassel as Jacques Mesrine

2010-09-17T15:54:00.002-04:00

Jean-François Richet’s cinematic diptych about the infamous French gangster Jacques Mesrine—Mesrine: Killer Instinct and Mesrine: Public Enemy #1—will make its way to New York this week and next, after both a lauded Festival run and critical and box office success in France. (Cassel and director Richet both won France’s coveted Cesar awards for their work.)

After serving in the Algerian War in the 1950s, Jacques Mesrine became an internationally-known fugitive over the next two decades, robbing banks and kidnapping billionaires in Canada, the U.S., and his homeland. His particular survival skills included elaborate disguises—he was known as the Man of a Thousand Faces—and escape: he masterminded his way out of a penitentiary, a courtroom, and a prison, each in its own spectacular way. He was eventually gunned down in Paris by a police task force created just for him in 1979, leaving behind a string of glamorous women and several children.

With Vincent Cassel—familiar to American audiences from Eastern Promises, Ocean's Thirteen, and Elizabeth—leading an all-star cast including Cécile De France, Gérard Depardieu, Gilles Lellouche, Roy Dupuis, Ludivine Sagnier, Mathieu Amalric, and Gérard Lanvin, the films are a worthy addition to the gangster genre; American audiences should flock to the films, which evoke 70s genre films like The Godfather and The French Connection.

The two pictures trace different stages of Mesrine’s life: Killer Instinct covers the Algerian War through his gangster days in the 1960s, and Public Enemy #1 considers his life as a “celebrity”—Mesrine penned a bestselling autobiography called Death Instinct during a 1977 prison stay, which attracted the media, whom he teased and charmed for much of his remaining life.

We recently caught up with the very charismatic Cassel to discuss the film, his dramatic weight gain for the part—in which he ages over 20 years—and his take on the career of Gérard Depardieu.

A LOOK BACK ON THE OLD

2010-09-17T11:24:00.000-04:00

Franchise Report Card: Which Studios are Winning the Blockbuster Game?

2010-09-17T10:45:00.000-04:00

Bond, Bourne, Potter, Spidey and more, grading the major players' slates

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Sequels and franchise films are Hollywood’s bread and butter.

In the upcoming blockbuster battles, some studios are better positioned than others to compete for box office dollars. In particular, several movie companies face the devastating prospect that their gravy trains are coming to an end -- among them Warner Bros.' “Harry Potter” and Summit's “Twilight.”

Thanks to reboots and several big ticket purchases such as Disney’s recent acquisition of Marvel, Hollywood is poised to revitalize old source material or dig deeper into the comic book well. In other words, get ready for Harry Potter, the even earlier years.

To help the major studios out (not that they asked us!), TheWrap checked in with their upcoming slates to assess who's got the tentpole films to compete in the long run -- and who is looking a little light in the blockbuster department.

Warner Brothers

Current Cash Cows: Christopher Nolan’s Batman reboot has been a massive success for the studio. As Nolan showed with his mind-bending “Inception,” he’s got the golden touch at the box office. Batman 3 is due out in 2012 or whenever Nolan gets around to it, but without Heath Ledger’s Joker will it be another worldwide phenomenon? Robert Downey Jr. also scored big for the studio with his version of the classic detective “Sherlock Holmes.” A sequel reuniting Downey, Jude Law, and director Guy Ritchie should hit theaters in 2012.

Trouble Ahead: The end is nigh for Harry Potter and the more than $5.4 billion the series has racked up so far. The studio will try to wring out every last bit of cash from the series by breaking “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” into two parts

Bright Shining Hope: "Green Lantern." Warner and DC are so bullish on the rumored over $100 million project that plans are already in the works for a sequel. Plans are also in the works for a Flash movie and a possible Superman do-over.

Verdict: Plenty of ammunition left thanks to DC’s superhero universe, but Warner needs to find a replacement for Potter stat.

Grade: B

Paramount

Current Cash Cow: Thanks to J.J. Abrams, “Star Trek” was a bleachers-clearing success. Look for a sequel in 2012.

Still Chugging: "Jack-Ass 3-D" hits theaters this fall. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Trouble Ahead: Re-invigorating “Mission Impossible.” The third film was a big disappointment and even though Tom Cruise has tried to rekindle the love lost during his couch jumping, “Knight and Day” bombed.

Bright Shining Hope: Jack Ryan gets updated with Chris Pine taking over as Tom Clancy’s CIA analyst.

Verdict: Rebooting a series with Chris Pine certainly worked well when it came to the Starship Enterprise. Stands to reason he’ll make us forget about Harrison Ford too. But banking on Cruise could be fatal.

Grade: B-

Columbia Pictures

Current Cash Cow: “Spider-Man” gets a reboot with a new cast (Andrew Garfield), new director (“500 Days of Summer” helmer Marc Webb), and a much smaller budget ($80 million).

Still Chugging: The “Men in Black” are back next summer nearly a decade after they last saved the world from aliens.

Trouble Ahead: Despite rumors, “Ghostbusters 3” does not seem to be on the near horizon and Bill Murray has been publicly dissing the project.

Bright Shining Hope: “The Girl With a Dragon Tatoo” is a publishing phenomenon. By hiring David Fincher to direct the film adaptation and Daniel Craig to star, the studio clearly thinks it can recapture the magic. Still with rape and incest as key plot points, the material may be too dark for mainstream success.

Verdict: Sony is not as dependent as others on franchises. Its racked up a pretty impressive summer on original content alone. Still it’s looking a little light in the sequels department.

Grade: B

Walt Disney Pictures

Current Cash Cow: Toy Story 3 was the summer’s biggest grosser and report are that another installment is in the works.

Still Chugging: The Muppets are being revived for a whole new generation. This time Jason Segel will be on board to appeal to kids who’ve never heard of Fozzie or Kermit.

Trouble Ahead: “Pirates of the Caribbean” is back, but with a lower budget and no Orlando and Keria. Will Captain Jack be enough incentive to lure audiences back into the theater a fourth time?

Bright Shining Hope: Marvel’s distribution deals with Paramount expire eventually, meaning Disney gets to rake in the cash from “Captain America,” “The Avengers,” and “Iron Man.”

Verdict: Thanks to Pixar and Marvel, Disney has more ways to not just continue but to also create franchises than almost any other studio out there.

Grade: A

Universal

Current Cash Cows: “Despicable Me” was a shot in the arm for the profits-starved company. A sequel from filmmaker Chris Meledandri can’t be far off. The studio announced it was revving up another Bourne movie, but Matt Damon hasn’t signed on just yet.

Trouble Ahead: Mega-grossing “Meet the Parents” is back for another round of awkward in-law humor. Due out in December, “Little Fockers” is doing extensive re-shoots with Dustin Hoffman, which could mean the filmmakers need to ratchet up the funny.

Bright Shining Hope: “Battleship,” a big budget adaptation of the popular toy, and “Cowboys & Aliens” with Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig have franchise written all over them. Verdict: More question marks than sure things. There’s still a big appetite for Bourne, but bringing Damon back is critical.

Grade: C

20th Century Fox

Current Cash Cow: The original “X-Men” team may have disbanded, but get ready for new installments featuring Wolverine and a franchise reboot “X-Men: First Class.” On the kiddie front, in 2011 the critically reviled “Alvin and the Chipmunks” will be back in 3D and certain to separate parents from their Christmas dollars.

Still Chugging: “Rise of the Apes” a prequel to the high-grossing, but generally underwhelming Tim Burton movie “Planet of the Apes” hits theaters next summer.

Trouble Ahead: “Wall Street 2” was generally met with a collective shrug at Cannes. Already angry over bailouts, will audiences want to see a drama set in the high flying world of finance some twenty years after the first film hit theaters?

Bright Shining Hope: James Cameron keeps telling anyone and everyone that he’ll return to Pandora with more “Avatar” sequels.

Verdict: Bolstered by costumed mutants, singing chipmunks and another “Ice Age” on the horizon, News Corp. is betting on more and more of the same. This summer was a wash though, so they need to rev up the franchise machine fast.

Grade: B-

MGM

Current Cash Cow: Nada. All quiet at the Golden Lion, as the studio rolls into bankruptcy.

Still Chugging: Ditto

Trouble Ahead: Everywhere you look.

Bright Shining Hope: The pitch that Spyglass recently made to MGM’s creditors called for a way out of the financial mess. That means “The Hobbit” and “James Bond” may finally make it to the big screen

Verdict: James Bond and Bilbo could live again. We hope.

Grade: D

Why Hollywood Should Be Afraid of Netflix ... Very Afraid

2010-09-15T15:42:00.000-04:00

Via TheWrap.

Thanks to its digital strategy, Netflix is sitting on top of the world.

Tectonic changes have gripped the video-rental business over the past year, giving Netflix a clear victory over its brick-and-mortar competitors. As Blockbuster and Movie Gallery are waylaid by money problems, Netflix -- by firmly embracing instant streaming -- is charting the industry's future.

And by taking its place as a New Media pioneer, it could create headaches for the cable and DVD retail business.

"We’re heading down the freeway in a Ferrari, and we’re fine-tuning the engine and polishing the chrome,” Steve Swasey, vice president of corporate communication at Netflix, told TheWrap. “We’ve built the three legs of the stool -- convenience, selection and now we’re working on device ubiquity.”

These are heady times for the company. Thanks in no small part to its revolutionary streaming-distribution system, Netflix has become the biggest player in the rentals game. For as low as $8.99 a month, customers have access not only to the company's storehouse of DVDs, but to 20,000 movies and TV shows that can be streamed live.Thanks to a recent deal with Epix, this also includes making major movies from Paramount and Lionsgate available 90 days after their premium pay-TV window.

The service is a big hit with customers. In the most recent quarter, 61 percent of subscribers watched more than 15 minutes of a streaming TV show or movie, up from 37 percent in the same period last year.

But it's not just streaming. Overall, Netflix couldn't be in better shape. Revenues rose 27 percent to $519.8 million last quarter, up from $408.5 million in the same period last year.

More importantly, the company added more than a million subscribers to its rolls in the last quarter, taking it to over 15 million. It anticipates having between 17.7 million and 18.5 million by year's end.

It's also inked longstanding pacts with Relativity, Starz, and Nu Image, and signed release-window deals with studios [1] that have assuaged Hollywood fears that the subscription business is cannibalizing DVD and Blu-ray sales.

But while tensions with the studios have eased, there are many who believe Hollywood should be worried about the changes that Netflix's business represents. A number of analysts and even industry members believe its streaming business, coupled with the growth of video-on-demand services like Hulu, could represent a shot across the bow [2] of the paid-television industry.

“The more consumers find they can get more of the programing they want to watch at a reduced monthly cost, the more consumers are going to disconnect their cable and satellite,” one industry executive told TheWrap. “Why pay $150 if all you watch is ESPN and CNN?”

“They’re the big bad wolf,” the industry executive said. “They are disrupting the eco-system.”

Netflix maintains it doesn't present an existential challenge. "Netflix customers love movies, and just because they use our service doesn't mean they won't buy discs or pay for movie tickets or even go to a kiosk," Swasey told TheWrap.

And Netflix is paying the studios for rights to their movies -- in many cases, paying a lot.

Indeed it's costing the company a great deal to offer digital content -- something on the order of five cents per stream, not counting licensing costs. So while streaming may help grow its subscription base, with the bulk of its new customers opting for the Netflix’s bargain barrel $8.99 plan with unlimited streaming, those are expensive additions. The savings Netflix says it plans to reap from the $600 million it spends on postage annually will not pay for all those movies.

For the time being, Netflix is fine with loosening the purse strings to buy digital content, but as prices skyrocket, that may no longer be attractive. For instance, the $1 billion [2] it coughed up to license box-office hits such as "The Last Airbender" and "Iron Man 2" as part of its Epix deal will eventually look like chump change, analysts say.

“Studios want as much money as they can get, so they’re going to continue to demand higher prices from Netflix for better content,” Edward Woo, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, told TheWrap.

But, pursuing that kind of lucre is remarkably shortsighted, analysts say. 'It's a deal with the devil, because they're undermining business over the long term," Tony Wible, an analyst with Janney Montgomery Scott, told TheWrap. "You would think Hollywood would have learned from past mistakes, but by providing unlimited streaming rights, Netflix has created an alternative to DVD purchases. It's allowing for usage in perpetuity with zero incremental costs for repeated viewings."

As for cable, Netflix insists its service is a complement, not an alternative. "We cost nine bucks a month, so you're more likely to give up your morning coffee than your cable," Swasey said. "We are not a broadcast channel, and people don't want to watch this year's World Series or the nightly news several months after they happen."

But cable watchers may already be voting with their feet. The pay-TV industry lost 216,000 subscribers last quarter, according to a study by research firm SNL Kagan. This marks the first time in history that the industry as a whole has lost subscribers.

It's not likely that Netflix will ever be able to offer a satisfying alternative to live programming. Still with most monthly cable fees running north of $70, digital alternatives such as those run by Netlfix and other video-on-demand companies are becoming increasingly palatable.

Even Netflix's chief rival Redbox has made noises that it will enter the digital fray, although it sounds less than thrilled by the prospect. Redbox President Mitch Lowe told TheWrap via email that the company has made no commitments to partners and doesn't have a finalized strategy in place, but he said: “Redbox will have a digital offering when the time and the solution is right.”

Of course, by paying top-dollar for studio deals, Netflix already has raised the barrier for Redbox and any would-be competitors.

“The more content Netflix locks up on an exclusive basis, the less there is available to other companies," a home video company executive told TheWrap. "Netflix is operating from an incumbent position, and that means new entrants will have to start from scratch.”

Mohamed Ezoubeiri’s daily Show

2010-09-12T17:51:00.000-04:00

Mohamed Ezoubeiri’s daily Show is a wonderful short that was filmed in his homeland of Morocco. Comprised of 3 parts - “Hands”, “Bread” and “ Urban Trailer”. The Daily Show is a very sobering look at what every day life is like for some in societies in our world today. The film successfully highlights seemingly mundane everyday events and gives them a sense of importance that one might otherwise overlook.
The first segment “Hands” is a very simple yet eloquent presentation of people using their hands to perform daily duties. Whether serving food, pouring tea or for decorating with Henna (a Middle Eastern form of make up), the hands in this clip are the leading characters that each get to express themselves in a different way.

The second segment “Bread” also manages to make a very impacting statement about the process of creation. The clip focuses on the rigorous process that goes into making a piece of bread, almost serving as a metaphor on life. The message is clearly that if one is in need of sustenance, then you must be prepared to work hard for it.
“Urban Trailer” is the third and final segment of the daily show. What might seem like a random collection of video clips is really a gaze into the different stories of the characters involved. The trash being blown in the wind; the man with the horse and carriage; the turtle; the two children running with the dog, these are all different characters that comprise urban trailers. This film makes one wonder, where are they coming from? Where are they going, and what are they thinking?
All in all, the Daily Show is a great piece of work. The stylistic preference of Ezoubeiri’s work is very eerie and mysterious. Even though his topics may not in themselves seem to posses such qualities, Ezoubeirie forces one to wonder about their “dark side”. While we take day to day life for granted, there is usually a deeper context in which these events can be viewed. Thankfully we have artists like Ezoubeiri who are willing to highlight them for us and make them easier to observe.

The Wrong Guys for the Job - A Conversation with Sean Sinerius

2010-09-09T14:25:00.000-04:00

1. Tell us a little about your background and how you came to film?

I mainly come from a music video and commercial background, although I also create short films every now
and again. I've always had a passion for cinema growing up and watching all sorts of different movies,
but it wasn't until midway through high school I started to take it seriously. With the advent of
digital camcorders (DVX100, Canon XL2, etc), I immersed myself heavily into the digital filmmaking world
and started building upon cinematography and editing skills with any project that came my way. I also
started to learn more about Adobe After Effects and motion graphics. From there, it just became a career
choice for me - I really didn't want to do anything else but direct, DP, and edit everything from
commercials, to music videos and films.

After a year and a half or so of film school, I was hired at a post house based out of Tempe Arizona
where I was mainly shooting and editing commercial/event videos. I eventually moved onto a Phoenix news
station where I joined their promotions team to shoot and edit promos. At the same time, my producer and
I were creating (and still continue to) music videos for artists throughout Arizona.

What have you been working on recently? Do you work in film?

I recently finished a bunch of new television promos for the news station I work for. I am a promotions
editor/photographer there and create promos for anything the station wants to advertise and showcase. I
also finished a music video for an Arizona metal band and a TurboTax spec commercial not too long ago.

Who are some of your role models as a filmmaker, favorite films?

Some of the film directors that have an influence on my career are Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg, Tony
and Ridley Scott, JJ Abrams, Judd Apatow, Peter Berg... As for my favorite films, there are so many films
that I enjoy, that I can't list all of them, but here are a couple in no particular order... Good Will
Hunting, The Rock, Superbad, Meet The Parents, City Of God, Sin City, District 9, Face/Off, Forgetting
Sarah Marshall, Definitely Maybe, Saving Private Ryan, Friday Night Lights.

Where does your inspiration come from as a filmmaker?

My inspiration as a filmmaker can come from anywhere... A piece of art, a written story, a personal
experience, a picture, another artist’s work (whether that be another director, editor, graphic
artist etc...) There are so many different places where you can see or experience something, learn from
it and build upon it. My work is presented in moving pictures, which in the end can hopefully inspire,
entertain, or engage another person.

LETUS35 Flip Enchanced (another way to get filmlike footage from a video camera) By Barry Green with Steven Dempsey

2010-09-09T01:09:00.000-04:00

Almost since video cameras appeared, budget indie filmmakers have been trying to find a way to make them work as a film substitute, to create film-looking footage affordably. Initially the results weren’t all that satisfying. As Steven Dempsey (“Disjecta” on DVXUser) puts it:

“For years, I found ways of extracting the “video look” from the footage I shot, preferring the look and feel of 24p instead of the classic 60i. There is just something magical about it that I cannot describe adequately. It’s not quite real but it is still believable. When I watch 60i footage, I am not at all transported to a different world, I am hyper aware of the reality it is recording. I finally found the cadence I was looking for when I bought my beloved DVX100a.

Being the perfectionist I am, I would watch my favorite movies and be all too aware of what was missing in my own shots. Cameras in the class of the DVX have very limited control of depth of field. There are all kinds of tricks you can employ to simulate narrow focus, like zooming in to blur out the background, using ND filters to force the iris open, etc., but I still wasn’t getting what I wanted. Zooming in tends to flatten the subject and it certainly distorts the subject’s relationship to his or her surroundings in terms of perspective.

I was astounded when I first saw footage shot with the mini35. I couldn’t believe the footage originated from a video camera. This unit was indeed a miracle and I had to have one. My enthusiasm fell flat when I found out the min35 cost three times the price of the DVX. The technology behind this adapter is fairly simple and I wondered why it had such a huge price tag.”

I know what he means. Once, a few years ago, I used a P+S Technik mini35 on my DVX100 and fell in love. It’s a magnificent piece of equipment, and it should be, at its price: approximately $11,000. It gave the footage the shallow 35mm-style depth of field that we’ve come to expect from a movie camera; in many ways it made the footage look much more like it’d been originated on 35mm. If someone would give me one for free I’d be thrilled to have it, but no way would I spend that kind of cash on an accessory for a $3,500 camcorder.

ROBB ENTERTAINMENT GEAR FOR RENT

2010-09-05T17:06:00.000-04:00

A Conversation with Maya Kazan & Production Stills from Lulu At the Ace Hotel

2010-08-31T04:05:00.000-04:00

Maya Kazan's "Lulu at the Ace Hotel" has just wrapped principal photography as one of the selected films for our collaboration with Killer Films and the Ace Hotel. We caught up with Maya on the set to talk about her thoughts on Lulu as well as her plans as one of Massify's most promising filmmakers.

How has the experience been working together with Christine Vachon and the Killer Films Team?

I have so much respect for Christine and for her company. Her commitment to young filmmakers is really remarkable, and I feel very lucky to have been given such a fantastic opportunity. It's been such an exciting process, getting to work with such a powerful and experienced team.

What were you doing prior to your concept being selected for production?

I'm actually enrolled in acting school right now at the William Esper Studio. I believe that a director should have a firm understanding of the craft of acting, and that there's no better way to learn about something than to do it yourself. But since my lead actress was only seven years old, it worked out to schedule our shoot around school. I actually shot LULU on the weekend, when I didn't have class.

Where does your inspiration come from as a filmmaker?

I'm often inspired by other artists and filmmakers, and just by life itself. I love to watch people. I find a lot of inspiration riding on the subways in New York. So I guess, if you see me watching you on the subway, watch out!

Was there anything surprising to you about the shoot, or about this process?

The most wonderful surprise was that we got such a fantastic and talented cast of actors! I was really worried because it's such a small project, and we needed to feature so many characters in order to give a sense of the world of the hotel, but we got really lucky in how people responded to the script. It was such a nice surprise to have such talented actors for such a small film. and also for small roles! We all had such a blast working together.

How was your experience shooting at the Ace Hotel?

Almost every single person I talked to who worked at the Ace told me that they had a background in film. I thought that was so crazy. But it was wonderful to get to work with so many creative people who were excited about our project shooting at their hotel. They couldn't have been nicer to us.

How are sites like Massify, and the internet as a whole changing the way you approach film?

There are a lot of exciting prospects on the horizon, what with the rise of the internet as an outlet for distribution. I think we're seeing a sea change right now- the models are all shifting, and I see the internet as a sort of vast unexplored wilderness. There's a lot of potential for the union of film and the internet; we're at "the beginning of a beautiful friendship," I think.

What are your plans for the future? Any upcoming projects you'd like the Massify community to know about?

This summer, I'm looking to make a series of short films that I've been writing. But in the immediate future, my production company Matchbook Pictures, which helped to produce LULU, is going into pre-production on our first original web series. I've also been developing a couple of feature projects, so if you're interested in what we do next, please stay tuned for updates on the Matchbook website!

Photos Courtesy of Tessa Treanor

"HOLIDAY" - A Filmkomplex Production

2010-08-25T16:23:00.000-04:00

IMPORTANT NEWS. ACQUIRED!

2010-08-24T15:14:00.000-04:00

Robb Entertainment has acquired R.I.D.S and The Global Paper for an undisclosed sum.

Leap: Rise of the Beast

2010-08-23T01:35:00.000-04:00

"The Greatest Deception In History Is About To Be Revealed"

Background:
"Leap: Rise of the Beast" is my third feature. When we decided to do a sequel to "Leap", we knew it had to be bigger and better. "Leap" is very much a youth group oriented film. It almost feels like a Sunday night movie. With "Leap: Rise of the Beast:, we decided that we wanted to do a $30 million action flick for $500,000. Our funding source fell through so we are self financing again. This isn't your typical Christian film. It's a Bourne-esque Christian film. I mean, let's face it-Most Christian flicks are dramas or B-movie apocalyptic pieces. Not that there's anything wrong with that, (I like those), but we wanted to try for a real action film. Something that even a mainstream audience can enjoy (and maybe get a bit of a message too). Also notable is that this film is one of the first to be shot entirely on the Canon Rebel T2i.

Goals:
Create a killer action movie that introduces people to a different view regarding the end times then they're used to.
Have a similar feel and tone to the Bourne series
Shoot on HD
Have a 5.1 Surround mix
Continue to act as writer, director, editor, cameraman and be responsible for the visual effects and some music(ie: Do everything myself-Because I enjoy doing it and want to get better)
Continue to push the limits of my software (Sony Vegas Pro 9, Adobe After Effects CS4, Photoshop CS4, Blender 2.49, Mixcraft 4.5)
Push the Canon T2i to it's limits and beyond
Show to people that I have grown as a filmmaker since Leap and can handle a film with an intricate story, amazing stunts, and seamless effects when needed, AND show people that I do know what I'm doing.
Get people to see the film: Self Distribute, multiple theater screenings, and maybe even just pass out free copies at Sundance

For BTS, Vlogs, and the Production Blogs, vist starspictures.info
I don't know how often we'll be posting on here, so check my website often for updates.

IS THIS CAMERA BAD-ASS OR WHAT?????

2010-08-21T22:54:00.003-04:00

The AVCHD recording format used by the AG-AF100 series includes a professional PH mode with maximum AVCHD bit rate for stunning image quality. Two SD card slots allow continuous recording for up to 12 hours* in PH mode and up to 48 hours* in HE mode with two SD (SD/SDHC/SDXC) cards on board.

The AG-AF100 series records in 1080:59.94i/50i/29.97p/25p/23.98p or 720:29.94p/50p/29.97p/25p/23.98p with its multi HD format.
You can render movie-like images. The Dynamic Range Stretcher, Gamma Select and other image features have also been inherited from previous Panasonic professional camera recorders.

(Wild guess that the 29.94p at 720 should be 59.94p)

The AG-AF100 series features HD-SDI output, XLR audio 2-channel input, and other interfaces that are typically found on professional camera recorders. Time code recording also supports precise video production. In addition to its compact, lightweight body, the AG-AF100 series's professional camera recorder design with grip, handle and large viewfinder firmly support reliable camera work.

http://pro-av.panasonic.net/en/af100/index.html

The Sorcerer's Apprentice was here!

2010-08-16T22:35:00.000-04:00

ROBB STUDIOS THEATRICAL LOGO

2010-08-10T23:02:00.000-04:00

Major thanks to Christopher Oliver for working on this.

Stricken the Feature - A Matt Sconce Film

2010-07-30T17:37:00.000-04:00

Hello DVXusers. I have been gone for a while getting some rolling income coming in with some illusions I created, but now that I have, I am jumping headfirst into Stricken the Feature Film. I will be shooting on the HVX200 with Brevis Adapter.

http://pro.imdb.com/title/tt1375754/

Let me tell the story of how Stricken came to be for those of you that do not know. I am sure some of you will remember. Some of you will care about this, and some will not. If you don't just jump ahead, because this is a long story.

Back in the twilight of my DVXuser beginnings, I entered hero-fest. I submitted a film (my first) called "Nine to Five Ninja". I used the input I got from that to attempt my first serious film for Horror fest called "Stricken". I shot it on the DVX with an M2 adapter and learned a ton through the process. The short can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aap-11vrYaM
The movie ended up being too long, so I entered it as exhibition and learned a ton and made a bunch of friends here in the process.

I then entered Stricken into the Action on Film Festival in Long beach and was nominated for Best horror film of the year and best sound design. it won for best sound design, and so I started writing a feature script. Over the next year, I finalized the script and attached actors to the project seeking a funding of at first 50,000, but later 5 million with Hyperactive Studios. Many funding deals seemed about to happen and then they would fall through. Very dissapointing times. In these times, I filmed my last short "PUSH" for Twilight Fest: http://www.vimeo.com/1275794

I submitted Stricken the Feature Script to Action on Film Festival which had now moved to Pasadena and it won Best Adapted Screenplay, encouraging me to keep trying.

I then traveled to Sacramento and pitched the project to Nehst (a producer) and was torn to shreds. I then curled up into a ball and stopped pursuing the film.

It has been almost 8 months since that time, and I have finally gotten fed up with the waiting, it is going on 3 years now since I have started trying to make Stricken the Feature. I feel like I could either wait all my life, or get off my butt and make it. I have chosen the latter. www.strickenthefeature.com

I believe in the project and trust in the skills I have acquired in my 3 years-ish time here at DVXuser. (My reel comes mostly from those projects) http://www.vimeo.com/1272507 I will be filming Stricken the feature out of pocket unless a funding soucre I am discussing with currently plays out. I have an open casting call Thursday the 19th, and already have David Fine http://pro.imdb.com/name/nm0006718/
attached to the project. I begin shooting in April and will finish the majority of production by the end of May, with a couple scenes being spread out to June and potentially even July. I am excited to actually film my first feature and wanted to keep you guys in the loop. I have also been refining my directing skills by reading "Directing Actors" by Judith Weston. That is a MUST read book. It has changed the way I saw directing and I expect the direction and acting in Stricken to kick all kinds of proverbial buttocks.

-Matt Sconce

WE'RE OFFICIALLY ROBB ENTERTAINMENT

2010-07-15T19:54:00.000-04:00

It was a necessary name change. Hope you like it. Comments welcomed.

DILATED

2010-06-10T00:08:00.000-04:00

Left for dead, abandoned, and confused, test subject D.I.C. can't recall anything about his past life. With a group of relentless mercenaries hot on his tail, all he knows is that they want him dead or alive. Slowly unraveling a sinister plot perpetrated by the highest levels of government, he learns that he may be the key to solving a mysterious, adverse epidemic that threatens the very fabric of society; a fact that still doesn't stop him from kicking ass and going out with a bang.

Official release coming soon. Watch the trailer by clicking "FILMS".

LAWLESS

2010-05-12T23:31:00.001-04:00

Decided to jump back in. Been busy and did finish another film that I think I'm going to enter, but I've been wanting to do this one for awhile. It's a story based off of the first feature film I did 8 years ago.

WRITTEN, DIRECTED and EDITED BY Marlon Ladd
STARRING Victor Read, Phillip Borghee and Howard King
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Ricci Jett and Marlon Ladd
MAKEUP Jacqueline Bell
PRODUCED BY Marlon Ladd, Jacqueline Bell, Phillip Borghee, Ricci Jett and Victor Read

BTS Coming Soon.

HUNTER'S EARTH - A Cowboy Scene Film

2010-04-20T21:28:00.000-04:00

This is way too cool. Check it out.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MAXO-FACTO PRODUCTIONS

2010-04-02T18:10:00.000-04:00

How To Get Away With Murder.

2010-03-22T18:34:00.000-04:00

Through the power of the internet, the CEO of SIMPLEROBB ENTERTAINMENT got in touch with the head honcho at MentatDuke. After a couple of emails, everyone came to the conclusion that SIMPLEROBB ENTERTAINMENT should be the company to push a couple shorts for MentatDuke. The first of many is "How To Get Away With Murder." Invite your friends and oh yeah, bring your own damn popcorn. Shhhhhh! Keep it quiet.

mentatDUKE is a Houston-based production company specializing in Short Films, Internet Serials, Television, and Feature Films.

SIMPLEROBB ENTERTAINMENT is a New York based Media and Entertainment company that specializes in the production, marketing, and distribution of short and long form entertainment, across multiple platforms.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF OUR BANNERS?

2010-03-19T13:52:00.000-04:00

MORE PHOTOS HERE>

R.E.C T-SHIRTS. NOW ON SALE!

2010-03-14T19:07:00.001-04:00

More shirts in the shop. While you're picking up your shirts. Pick up some comic books, cds, dvds, etc.