Home

MPAA Rating: PG for mild action and some rude humor.
Run Time: 94 Minutes
My Rating: 3.5/5
So tonight my wife and I saw Dreamworks Animation's Home starring the voice talents of Jim Parsons (CBS' The Big Bang Theory), Rihanna (Battleship), Steve Martin (Cheaper by the Dozen), and Jennifer Lopez (Monster-in-Law).  The film follows the story of Oh, an alien from another planet, who finds himself on Earth and on the run from his own people.  While hiding from those that want to destroy him, he forms an unlikely friendship with Tip, a young girl on her own quest to find her mom.  While the two decide to help each other, Oh discovers that there is more to the human race and his own race than what he thought. However, as Oh's and Tip's friendship grows they discover what it truly means to be Home!!!
So I thought that this film was great.  It had a lot of entertaining moments and some great jokes.  However, the best part about this film is the amazing voice talents from all of its actors. Each actor puts their own spin on their characters that makes them lovable in their own way.  Probably the greatest voice talent comes from Jim Parsons.  If you love his role as Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory, you will love this film.  He is perfect for comedic relief in the film and there are a few moments in the film where I could see the same thing happening the Sheldon. This is Jim Parsons' second attempt at animated voice work and from what I see, I love it.  He does such a good job and I personally hope this becomes a franchise because I want to see more of it. Another great thing about the film was the music.  Both Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez wrote new songs for the film and they bring great power to it.  I had heard these songs before I saw the film and thought they were ok,  However since seeing the film, I have a new appreciation for these songs and think that they are stunning.
Though the voice talent was incredible and the music was great, there was still one thing I that did not like about the film.  Though I thought that Jim Parsons did a great job, I felt the film relied too heavily on his brand of humor and did not let the other characters shine as much as they could have. Personally I believe Steve Martin is one of the greatest comedians of our time, but unfortunately he was not given material to truly show his greatness.
Overall, I thought the film was very entertaining.  This is a great film for kids and for parents.  It teaches just how important the family truly is.  Though this is not my favorite film that Dreamworks Animation has made, I do believe that this is a great one to add to the collection.  My suggestion is that if you have time, you should go see this film because you will most likely have a great time and enjoy yourself.  

Interview with Brent Morris Advice from a Producer

Hey everyone, so yesterday I had the great opportunity to talk to Brent Morris, an independent producer, who is the owner and founder of IndieProduction, LLC.  He is credited with helping produce over 50 different films both Major Motion Pictures and Independent Films.  Some of the films that he is credited for are Spare Parts starring George Lopez and Jamie Lee Curtis, Beer for My Horses starring Toby Keith, Monster starring Academy Award Winning Actress Charlize Theron, Smoke Signals which won the Audience Award and the Filmmaker's Trophy at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, The Devil's Rejects directed by horror master Rob Zombie, and Disney Channel's Lemonade Mouth.
Now located out of New Mexico, Brent Morris focuses mainly on line producing and helping filmmakers with tax benefits for filming in New Mexico.  Brent also had directed and produced through IndieProduction, LLC multiple documentaries.  While these things are keeping him busy he still is able to spend time with his wife and two sons.
I deeply enjoyed my conversation with Brent Morris and I hope that all of you will enjoy what he had to say about the film industry and its challenges.

Q. How did you get into the entertainment industry?

A. I had studied theater at UCLA and realized I wasn't going to be a very good actor after all, so I got into an internship at a production company where I read scripts and assisted the producers and kind of learned the ropes of that office and was hired right out of college.

Q. What was it like starting your , own company?  

A. IndieProduction is really just me, I don't have a company with a bunch of employees or anything like that.  I essentially just started it to loan myself out and not have to be an employee on all of the films for tax reasons.  However, I have used it to produce some small projects on my own like documentaries, shorts, and stuff like that.  I've also used it as a signatory company to the trade union. It has been helpful, but I don't consider myself an employer of a large company; I'm essentially a freelancer.

Q. How do you decide what movies you want to produce?

A. I work for hire.  I'm hired to line-produce movies and people come to me because they mostly want to make movies in New Mexico with the tax credit, and because of my experience with budgets, crews, and locations here, that's kind of how I make my living.  Then occasionally, I make a documentary or some smaller project more for the love of it than anything else, but I'm not really in the game of producing and selling to distributors, through the whole nuts and bolts, of raising money. That's not really my game.

Q. Is there a difference between producing independent films vs. major film productions? What is the difference?
A. There's no money in it really, producing small films unless you hit the jackpot.  There are so many pitfalls of trying to break even and selling movies these days that its really difficult and not for the feint of heart.  It requires full-time skills in that arena.  I had aspirations for that at one time, but I essentially gave that up when I started line-producing because I have a family to raise and a pretty steady gig that essentially pays the bills.  However, all power to those that can do that and raise the money, I just wan't cut out for it.

Q. What advice would you give to young filmmakers that want to get into the business?

A. I would say you have to really love it, because there is no guarantee of financial reward.  There are a lot of easier ways to make a living then entering into the world of independent production, but it is a very interesting job and your always doing different things, and in different cycles on a project.  I guess have perseverance, knowing that you really want to do this, and if you have any doubts about that get out early, because once your start on the path your pretty much there.  You can't translate your skills here to other jobs, they don't understand your resume.  So once your in the industry, you are sort of in for life, unless you can create your own exit plan.

Well everyone I hope you enjoyed the interview.  Thanks again for reading and if you have any questions, comments or ideas, just let me know!!!!

Do You Believe?

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, an accident sequence and some violence.
Run Time:120 Minutes
My Rating: 4.5/5
So tonight my wife and I saw Pure Flix Entertainment's Do You Believe? starring Mira Sorvino (TNT's Falling Skies), Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy), Alexa Penavega (Spare Parts), Cybill Shepherd (USA's Psych), and Madison Pettis (Disney Jr.'s Jake and the Neverland Pirates). The film follows the story of 12 different people who are all on different paths, but each coming face to face with the one of life's more important questions "Do you believe?".  While each searching for something more out of life than what they already have, their live's unexpectedly intersect.  As this happens all 12 of them must discover what the cross of Christ means to them.  This discovery leads them to touch the hearts of those around them, helping to forward God's great plan of happiness.
Personally, I thought this film was fantastic.  The film had so much going for it that I don't know where to start.  First the plot was great.  The thing I liked most about it was that there was something that everyone in the audience could relate to.  This is no small-feat, but the film does so with grace and ease.  The film has been compared to the 2006 Oscar-winning Best Picture "Crash, but for Christians and I completely agree with that comparison.  This film has a lot of the same elements as the Oscar-winning film, but with this film's new perspective brought an intriguing new element.  Next, I thought that the cast did an amazing job and should be praised for it.  They all worked so well together and with the script, it felt like their characters were actual people.  It is nice to see big-name actors taking roles like this and seeing them in this capacity makes them seem more relateable.  Finally, I thought that the film's message and theme was so inspiring.  After watching the film, I can't help but look to my own life and see how much I can improve.  I think this goes to show just how powerful this film is.  This film makes you want to be a better person and that in and of itself makes the movie worth it.
Although I thought that the film was fantastic, there was one thing that bothered me while I was watching the film.  Though I loved how the movie showed the lives of 12 different people and their circumstances, I felt that the transitions between person to person could have been better. Overall, it wasn't a big deal, but just something that I noticed.
As if you couldn't tell, I loved this film.  I would recommend anyone to go and see it.  Now with that being said, you must know before going in that this is a Christian film.  So there will be a lot of talk about God and religion.  If that is not for you, then you will not like it.  However, if that does not bother you, this is definitely a film you should see.  Though it is rated PG-13 and does have some intense moments, I do feel like this is a film for the entire family and everyone can benefit from watching it.

Thanks again for reading!! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!!

Insurgent

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense violence and action throughout, some sensuality, thematic elements and brief language.
Run Time: 119 Minutes
My Rating: 4/5
So today my wife and I saw Insurgent, the latest installment in The Divergent series based upon the popular book series by Veronica Roth.  The film stars Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, and Kate Winslet all of which reprise their roles from the previous film.  This installment also adds the incredible talent of Octavia Spencer (The Help) and Naomi Watts (St. Vincent).  The film picks up right where the last film left off with Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) on the run after thwarting Jeanine's (Kate Winslet) plan to destroy the Abnegation faction.  However after Jeanine comes upon a mysterious box, which can only be open by a Divergent who has passed through the 5 Factions tests h, she is in dire need to capture Tris Prior in order to open it.  Supposedly this mysterious box holds the greatest secret of their world.  Now, Tris has the decision to either form a rebellion against Jeanine and her followers or sacrifice herself in order to unlock her world's greatest secret.
So first off, I want to talk to those that have read the book.  If after reading my summary and you think that it doesn't sound anything like the book, well you would be correct.  This film has only a few similarities to the book and other than that it is all new.  That is not to say that it is bad, because personally I thought that this new interpretation was very intriguing, I just wanted to let you know not to go in expecting to see what you read.  Also with that being said, the way that this film ended, I can already tell you that the next films in the series will also deviate from their source material.  While this may not be a complete tragedy, this is the reason why this film did not receive a perfect score.  I feel like if you are going to base your film off of a book, you should at least try to follow the same story.
So, with that in the past, let me say I thought the movie was great.  This is a great action film with a lot of interesting ideas to it.  There were some incredible scenes in the film and they all come together to create a pretty great movie.  However, probably the best part of the film is the acting.  All of the actors do an absolutely amazing job with the source material that they are provided with.  The new additions to the cast fit in perfectly.  With that being said, Shailene Woodley stands above and beyond everyone else.  She is incredible and truly makes the most out of every scene.  She has great chemistry with all of the cast members which makes the film that much better.  She has a very bright future ahead of her and I can't wait to see what she does next.
Overall, I thought the movie was great.  Yes, there were a few issues here and there, but I would definitely go see this film again.  Now if you did not like the first movie in the series or don't want to see how the film greatly differs from the book, then I wouldn't recommend see this film.  Also for those that never saw the first film, do not go see this film until you have seen the first one.  The concept is way to complicated without having that background.  So if you don't fit into any of those 3 categories than go see this film.  I promise you that it will not disappoint.

Thanks again for reading!! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!1

Contracts and Film in Real Life

Hey y'all so this is my follow-up to my article Understanding Legal Issues in Film Part 2: Before Filming where I described that one of the major issues that filmmakers have to deal with before filming begins is drafting contracts between actors and all of the crew members including the director.  Well after I wrote that article, I have noticed how many contractual issues are happening in the film industry right now.  So I thought I would share some of these articles that I have found in order to show you just how important contracts are in the film industry.

The first article deals with the little known indie film "Wild Horses" starring Robert Duvall, James Franco, and Josh Hartnett.  The article talks about how the production company behind the film had made agreements with the distribution company that detailed how the film was going to be distributed throughout the United States.  However, after the negotiations, both parties had two completely different understandings of the contractual agreements.  So, the production company started to heavily promote their film hoping to debut it at the 2015 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in Austin.  However, a few weeks before the film festival the distribution company said that they received a better distribution offer and would not release the right of distribution back to the production company and in so doing, the film cannot be released.  Now the production company is suing the distribution company for breach of contract.  This whole situation shows just how important it is to have strong communication during contract negotiations and know exactly how the other party understands the contracts terms.  This could have been simply avoided if there had been a better mutual understanding.

The next article that I read deals with the every popular X-Men franchise.  In 2011, the studio behind the X-Men franchise started a new series with X-Men First Class.  They gathered a group of young talented actors to play younger versions of the X-Men characters and a new blockbuster series was born. Success only grew as last years X-Men Days of Future Past blew up the box office.  Now in 2016 the next installment of the film series is happening, however after that next installment, some of the actor's contracts are up and if the studio hopes to continue with the franchise, there will have to begin new contract negotiations.  Now most of the cast has stated that they want to do more films, but some have not stated whether or not they want to come back.  So with that being said, the studio has to decide that if they can't get the same cast back, do they recast the role or simple write the character out.  This is a typical problem that faces most production companies that create multiple films in a franchise and even for companies whose filming is taking a longer time than anticipated.  This article shows how important it is to think to the future as well as the present when entering contractual agreements.

Well there you go.  There are just a few real life examples of how contracts can affect studios and movies in general.  What I really want to emphasize with this article is how important communication and understanding is in the filming process.  I hope that this has been helpful.  If you have any questions or comments for me, just email me or leave a comment below.

Thanks again for reading!!

Cinderella

MPAA Rating: PG for mild thematic elements.
Run Time: 112 Minutes
My Rating: 5/5
So today my wife and I saw Walt Disney Pictures' Cinderella starring Lily James (Downton Abbey), Richard Madden (HBO's Game of Thrones), Cate Blanchett (The Lord of the Rings Saga), and Helena Bonham Carter (Les Miserables).  The film is the next installment in Disney's live-action re-imaginings of its classic animated movies.  It tells the tale of Ella, a young girl, whose father remarries after the tragic death of her mother. Welcoming her new step-mother and step-sisters with open arms, Ella finds herself at the mercy of her new family after the sudden passing of her father. Now, as time has moved on, Ella has become nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes and humiliatingly renamed Cinderella because of her new-found appearance.  However, with the help of her fairy-godmother, Cinderella is able to experience her "Happily Ever After" as she fulfills the promise that she made with her mother to "have courage and be kind."
So I don't know if I'm biased (seeing as Cinderella was always present in my childhood because it was my mom's favorite movie), but I absolutely loved this film.  I personally believe that this is the best live-action film adaption of Disney's classic animated movies so far, though this version is pretty much a straight re-telling of the classic compared to last year's Maleficent.  However, this version brings just the right amount of new material to justify it being made.  Probably the best of the new material is the inclusion of Cinderella's mother at the beginning.  It was so nice to see Cinderella as a normal child instead of just being a servant girl.  It brought a lot more emotion to the film and introduced the film's greatest lesson that when we "have courage and be kind" we can achieve our "Happily Ever After." The film also introduces the social and political agendas within the characters which gives more depth to the story.
Another one of my personal beliefs about this film (and I know I am talking about this way too soon) is that I would be shocked if it didn't make a run at the Academy Awards next year in multiple categories.  Some of the categories that I think for sure it will be in contention is (1) Best Costume Design, (2) Best Production Design, (3) Best Makeup and Hair styling, and (4) Best Original Score. However, I also believe that Cate Blanchett could be nominated for Best Supporting Actress.  She does an amazing job along with the rest of the cast.  There is just so much that works for this film that it is a wonder to watch.  The film is vibrant and stunning that I honestly can't think of anything bad to say about it.  It is just that good.
So as if you couldn't tell, I loved this film.  This is great film for the entire family to watch.  As the film was ending the entire audience in our theater was clapping.  I would definitely recommend this film for all to watch and enjoy.  This film is truly magical and instills upon all audience members that "Happily Ever After's" do exist as long as we "have courage and be kind."

P.S. As if you didn't know already, Disney has placed a Frozen Short Film in front of Cinderella featuring all of your favorite characters and a brand-new song.  This definitely has the same greatness as the 2013 animated film and the song has the potential to be the next "Let It Go."  I would not be surprised if this film is nominated for Best Animated Short Film next year.

Thanks again for reading!!  If you have any questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!!!! 

Understanding Legal Issues in Film Part 2: Before Filming

Disclaimer
I am a law student and therefore have no legal right to provide actual legal advice.  With that being said, I know that the process of making a film, especially for young, new filmmakers, can be daunting.  I mean other than focusing on what to actually film, the legal process for filmmakers is quite extensive.  Due to this, I wish to help you young filmmakers understand what legal issues you will be facing during your creative process.  This is the second of four articles that I will provide regarding these issues.  The first one dealt with legal issues while drafting the script, this second one dealing with legal issues after the writing process but before filming, the third will deal with legal issues during the filming process, and finally the fourth one dealing with the legal issues after filming is completed.  I hope that you enjoy and find this helpful.  Once again before I begin, this should not be considered legal advice, but should be issues that you should discuss with a licensed lawyer.

This article will discuss the legal issues one will face after the script is done, but before the filming actually begins.

Unions
The first thing you should know is that most independent filmmakers agree to enter into agreements with different unions in order to establish pay schedules and working conditions.  These unions include Writer's Guild of America (WGA), Director's Guild of America (DGA), Screen Actor's Guild, and The International Association of Theater and Stage Employees.

Contracts
Next, before filming begins you must have written agreements (contracts) with all writers, composers, crew members, and actors.  I would definitely recommend getting a lawyer to help you write these contracts, so that you know that the contracts are drafted properly.  Depending on who you are working with, this could take some time before both parties are satisfied.  You should also get contracts between those who likenesses will appear on the screen.  By not doing so, you may be involved in a defamation suit.

Title Selection
Finally, prior to selecting a final title, you should obtain a title report which determines whether a title is clear to use.   Here are some companies that provide this service: Thomson & Thomson: (800) 356-8630 Dennis Angel: (914) 472-0820.

The Lazarus Effect

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of horror violence, terror and some sexual references.
Run Time: 83 Minutes
My Rating: 3/5
So last night, I went and saw Relativity Studios' and Blumhouse Productions' The Lazarus Effect starring Olivia Wilde (Fox's House M.D.), Sarah Bolger (ABC's Once Upon A Time), Donald Glover (NBC's Community), and Evan Peters (FX's American Horror Story).  The film follows a group of medical students who begin experimenting on bringing dead animals back from the dead.  However, one of their experiments goes horribly wrong and causes the death of one their own.  Filled with immense sadness, terror, and disbelief, the team does the unthinkable and attempts to resurrect their first human subject.  At first everything seems to be normal, but as time goes on the group realizes that something is terribly wrong with their friend.  Now as their friend's new persona begins to reveal itself, they realize that they may have awoken their worst nightmare.
So personally, I thought the film was good, but I thought it could have been better.  I think the idea is very intriguing and definitely something that would make for an excellent horror film.  However, I just feel like the film had too many faults that stopped it from fully achieving its potential.  Probably one of my biggest problems was that I thought the film was way to short.  With less than an hour and a half running time and over half of the film being used for setting up the premise, when it finally got to the horror part of the show, there was less than 20 minutes left. So that resulted in a rushed conclusion which I feel needed to be slow-down for more suspense. Instead the filmmakers relied upon too many minor scares during the first part of the film, then the potential true horrors that the ending could have provided.  I have to admit that I was a little bugged walking out of the theater because I felt like there was so much more to the story that the filmmakers just left out or ignored.  I had so many questions at the end of the movie that I wanted answered, which unfortunately I probably never will have answered.
Though I thought that there were many problems with the film, there were still great things about it. Like I said above, I truly thought that the idea and story was very intriguing, I just thought that the film ended way too soon.  Also probably the best thing about this film is its relatively young and unknown cast.  All of them I thought provided excellent performances, but probably the true standout was Olivia Wilde as the friend who get resurrected.  She gives an absolutely amazing performance and one that will truly haunt your nightmares days after watching this film.  She plays this character with so much passion and is truly terrifying.
Overall, I thought the film was good, but not great.  If you are a horror fan I would recommend you go and see this film.  It may not be the greatest horror film you will ever see, but the cast, especially Olivia Wilde, definitely makes up for it.  I would most likely watch this film again, just for their performances.  The film doesn't do anything new with the genre, but it still provides a great sense of terror.