It’s getting close to tax time again. As I prep stuff to send off to my accountant I thought I would re-post (with a few revisions) some tax tips that I shared four years ago.
As I wrote in ‘06, I know hardly anything about taxes, but I find that the little I know is still more than many of my filmmaker friends. That said, as should be painfully clear, I’m not a professional tax advisor. I’m not even an amateur tax advisor. These are just “bare minimum” tips, and all the standard legal disclaimers apply. If you end up getting audited or, worse, sharing a cell in the slammer with Bernie Madoff it is not my fault.
If you’ve not heard already, I’m happy to announce that the panel that I proposed for South by Southwest 2010, Cinematography for Improvisation — Lighting the Unknown, was selected. Thanks to everyone who voted in support of the idea via SXSW’s PanelPicker!
Though this will be my third SXSW as a panelist/moderator, this was the first time that I’ve ever proposed a panel. Selecting the panelists was a collaboration between me and the SXSW organizers, especially Jarod Neece. I’m very excited about the people we’ve got on board to tackle the subject. If you’re at SXSW, check out the panel on Monday, March 15 @ 2pm.
Panelists/bios:
Allison Bohl
Allison Bohl makes movies with a natural look and creative touch. With experience in documentaries, experimental films, and features, she has become known for capturing beautiful images with minimal equipment. She is based in South Louisiana, but has worked internationally.
Andrew Reed
Andrew Reed is the cinematographer of the feature films Cold Water (SXSW ‘10) and Quiet City (SXSW ‘07), both written and directed by Aaron Katz.
Justin Molotnikov
Justin Molotnikov is the writer/director of the feature film Crying With Laughter (SXSW ‘10).
For some time I’ve debated putting my short films online. My work is often quiet, has relaxed pacing, and it can be dialogue heavy. That, combined with the fact that some of my films are over 20 minutes probably makes at least some of my work not the best candidate for online viewing.
I’ve been impressed, though, with what The Auteurs is doing with online video. Their catalog caters to cinephiles, and their site’s design and interface encourages people to pay attention to the videos they’re watching. So I’m happy to say that my short film Gina, An Actress, Age 29, was recently selected for the site. It’s just gone “live”, and the timing is fitting, as the film premiered around this time of year in 2001, at Sundance.
Click on the image to view Gina, An Actress, Age 29 on The Auteurs.
For now, the film is free for the first 1000 viewers. Spread the word, tell your friends, and become a fan of it if you like.
One way or another, if you do watch it, I hope you enjoy it!
Since social networking is, for better or worse, part of filmmaking these days, this NYT article on Facebook privacy settings is worth a look. The most web-savvy of you out there have already made the changes recommended by this article (or have decided to throw caution to the wind), but others may find this useful.
Filmmaker, critic, and French New Wave pioneer Eric Rohmer has died at the age of 89.
Rohmer was one of the great filmmakers, and his films have been a deep source of personal and professional inspiration to me. My personal favorites are My Night at Maud’s, Autumn Tale, and part one of Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle. In the last of these, the climax of the film has two young women awaking at dawn to listen for “the blue hour” — a possibly-mythical moment of absolute silence in nature. It is a moment that, for me, is the essence of Rohmer’s art.
If you are a fan, I recommend Colin Crisp’s superb book, Eric Rohmer: Realist and Moralist, which, in addition to Crisp’s observations, contains many passages of Rohmer talking and writing about his filmmaking practice.
, 
, and part one of 
. In the last of these, the climax of the film has two young women awaking at dawn to listen for “the blue hour” — a possibly-mythical moment of absolute silence in nature. It is a moment that, for me, is the essence of Rohmer’s art.
, which, in addition to Crisp’s observations, contains many passages of Rohmer talking and writing about his filmmaking practice.
