Kodak's 6-Studio Deal Averts the Bleak Doom of Motion Picture Film...and Itself

In the world of business, self-preservation is top priority, which has become all-too-urgent for embattled film manufacturer Kodak. However, its recent distribution deal with the big film studios could avert the seemingly inevitable (and unfortunate) end of all film, and give film purists the world over a glimmer of hope.

Participant Media's New Cable Network 'Pivot' Affects Your Entertainment Career -- Here's How

Participant Media's cable network pivot, which launches August 1, 2013, aims to spark a tide of global activism, and even aims to revolutionize cable network versatility.

It's aimed at the coveted millenials (18-34 years old) and wants to inspire groundbreaking social change through them. They're the perfect market since they're immersed in entertainment culture and will soon enter the entertainment business themselves.

"We wanted to design a next-generation channel for the next generation of consumers and leaders," said pivot President Evan Shapiro, former head of AMC Networks' Sundance and IFC channels.

What does all that have to do with you? Well, consider the prospect: a new wave of conscientious youth armed with tools to be more expressive than any preceding generation and fired with the impetus to be socially responsible.

That promises the potential for more online videos, indie films and music to be produced. Perhaps thought-provoking material will actually return to the mainstream (gasp!).

Furthermore, pivot is a nascent cable network, which is an opportunity you should jump on now. Why?

What Roger Ebert's Life Can Teach Even the Greenest Entertainment Business Newbie

Roger Ebert and his wife Chaz Hammelsmith

"Work for a cause, not for applause;
 Live life to express, not to impress;
 Don't strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt." -Unknown

Iconic film critic Roger Ebert certainly fulfilled the quote, down to the final statement, as the nation demonstrated at his funeral yesterday. Hollywood elite and politicos braved the cold and rain to join local Chicagoans to celebrate the industry veteran's life.

Whether you're an entertainment industry vet or a total newbie, Ebert's life and the celebration of it leaves an indelible challenge for you.

19 of the Most Popular Video-on-Demand Sites for Film and TV Addicts [Slideshow]

Back in the late nineties and early 2000's, Netflix ruled the video rental domain, with its groundbreaking convenience of postage-paid return envelopes, deadline-free DVD rentals, and online streaming, successfully knocking Blockbuster Video out of the water.

However, in the 16 years Netflix has been around, a plethora (yes, an excessive amount) of online streaming and VOD services have surfaced -- some with a specific niche, some just for the sake of competition. The selection can prove almost overwhelming.

You can take a deep breath now -- the Geek's got a resource that distills the mass to the 19 most popular services.

Did Hollywood Secretly Want the Current VFX Dilemma?

The bankruptcy of visual effects behemoths Digital Domain in September 2012 and the ironic Rhythm & Hues in February this year (they went bankrupt despite their BAFTA and Oscar wins for The Life of Pi) have left both the VFX industry and the movie-going public scratching their heads wondering what happened.

And the convenient microphone snub against R+H's Bill Westenhofer for bringing up the company's financial woes during the Oscars didn't help.

In fact it sparked a firestorm of protest -- not only outside the building that night, but also across social media, with people changing their avatars to the simple green chromakey color (which is used to create the visual effects in most movies) in honor of an industry that's been silently suffering behind the scenes for years now.

Those closely involved in the VFX industry have blamed the big production companies' gluttony of film subsidies (a.k.a. government funding) and forcing VFX companies to "race to the bottom" by undercutting each other, which begs the question: has Hollywood secretly wanted this all along?

Want Your Indie Movie on Netflix, Amazon, and iTunes? Here's How

So your independent movie's finally made! You've planned it, shot it, and after months of meticulous editing, your baby's ready to share with the world.

But now what? How exactly do you get it out to the world besides burning DVDs and selling it the old-fashioned way?

If that question just blindsided you, don't worry. There's hope. Read on to find out how you can get wide online distribution through the more familiar stores including Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand (VOD), iTunes, Hulu, and even Cable VOD. 

Why There's Hope for Short Films and Where to Submit Yours

As recently as a couple years ago, short films were a dubious way to get your foot in the film industry's door. They weren't particularly promising, and certainly not lucrative (in fact, it was usually all cost and no gain).

However, thanks to the smartphone and mobile age, more shorts are seeing the light of day in more promising ways, and yours can be one of them.

Hey, Hollywood: We've Adapted to Your Adaptations - By Growing Sick of Them

Anybody else sick of seeing Hollywood adaptations? They're common -- even necessary -- practice at this point, and 2012 saw more of them than we viewers care to admit anymore.

(By the way, we're only in November, so we still have one whole month left of the year for the studios to squeeze more in, like Silver Linings Playbook and Jack Reacher, for example.)

With the recently insane success of The Hunger Games (which made $152.5 million opening weekend), and the inevitable demand for Fifty Shades of Grey (the film rights for which Universal Pictures and Focus Features purchased March 26, 2012), what's not to like about adaptations, right?

Audiences will drop upwards of fifteen bucks to see something they've already paid the same cost to read, right? No problem. 

There are plenty of box office figures to back up that assumption, but did Hollywood ever factor in the possibility of filmgoers growing tired of adaptations?

From the looks of things, they didn't and never will, and there's a simple (albeit sad) reason why. 

RED's First Ever Film Festival Offers Its Winner a Scarlet-X Camera

If you've shot a short or feature film using any of RED's cutting edge cameras, but have been frustrated with the playback limitations that come with RED's more advanced 4K and 5K resolution, RED now offers you the golden chance to present your project the way it's meant to be seen with its first ever Shot on RED Film Festival. 

4 Things You Can Learn from Losing Our Most Beloved Celebrities

Death can be jarring: it knocks us when we hear of a shootout or drive-by on the local news, when we hear of war casualties or riot deaths, when our family members pass away; but a celebrity death is a far more feral gut punch than most, isn’t it?

We all know death is inevitable, and it always shakes us to remember our fleeting existence, but there’s something harrowing about seeing the wealthiest, most successful people we’ve grown to love – or at least warm up to – have their lives taken from them, and even more so when they choose to take it themselves.

A celebrity death also reminds us that the grass isn’t any greener on the other side than it is on ours – it’s perhaps just a different type of grass.

I spent almost a week researching the notable celebrity deaths of 2012 and compiled a daunting list 88 names (which you can view on my Wordpress blog in detail if you’re interested), but there were some common threads throughout the list worth noting – some key takeaways you can apply to your life now.

Top Schools Series: Hungry for that Film Degree? Here are the Nation’s Top 5 Film Schools

This is the first in a series of top school listings for entertainment business entrepreneurs like you, undaunted by the current post-graduation unemployment numbers.

You believe in the power of great storytelling and film's power to sway human emotion. You love celluloid more than even your cellular phone. To you, film is immortal, worth fighting for, worth working 16- to 20-hour days for.

However, there's one thing in your way: lack of knowledge. You're hungry to learn the industry before diving headfirst into it, and rightly so.

No worries. Despite the myriad film schools out there, I've hunted down the top five film schools in the U.S. for you. Enjoy.

The Film Industry Secret Filmmakers Should Be Drooling Over

Everyone and their mom use IMDbPro, but there’s another in-depth resource that most aren’t sharing on a broad scale, touted by TheWrap as “the most effective way to build your career in the film business” – one even the Geek found by accident: TheGrid.

Get Noticed! Dark Elf Films Founder Valensky Sylvain Shares 4 Key Steps to Building Buzz for Your Business

Having trouble getting noticed? Need more views and publicity?

Check your buzz.

In today’s tough economy, it’s more important than ever to stand out, and the only way to do that is to stir the pot.

Sound daunting? No worries. Actor-turned-local entertainment favorite Valensky Sylvain schooled the Geek on how to make it happen.

Who?

Sylvain is the founder of Orlando-based indie production company Dark Elf Films, and hails from Brooklyn (like James Hunter – whom he now works with on a regular basis), and has been a theater actor since age five.

His experience has taken him through New York, Florida, England, and even South Africa.

“Anytime I’m acting or creating, I’m   having a blast.”

- Valensky Sylvain

Your Self-Doubt Stops Here - Paraplegic Filmmaker James Hunter Sets the Bar [Interview]

 At first sight, James Hunter looks like a typical African-American thirty-something male.

The jersey declares his love of sports; and his sneakers, meticulously selected to coordinate with the colors of his fitted hat and jersey, are a silent hint-and-a-half of his love of Hip Hop culture.

The moment he speaks, you’re hit with a soup-thick, unmistakable New York accent. He has the kind of energy and enthusiasm that inspires virtually everyone he meets.

After about five minutes of good conversation and seeing his million-dollar confident smile, you forget about the most obvious thing that sets him apart from his peers: his large motorized wheelchair.

Ironically, its presence has no bearing on his drive or personality.   

“Take the bull by the horns. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you, have confidence in yourself and create the opportunities.”