Those who have frequented DVXuser over the years will no doubt recognize the name Macgregor. He’s been creating and sharing hauntingly beautiful short films for years now, and has quite the following of fans. Back in 2006, he made a short film called SIMILO with the DVX100 and a pre-production Cinemek 35mm lens adapter. The idea was to create a short film concept, to help raise funds to make a longer version of the same story.

As of summer 2009, principal photography on SIMILO has wrapped. Now they just need $25,000 to finish post-production and VFX on this sci-fi story. And Macgregor and producer Mike Hedge chose to use Kickstarter to raise those funds. They’ve already raised over $14,000 from the community, and you’ve got less than 2 1/2 days to pledge cash if you wish to join them. You can check out their Kickstarter project here, contributions can be as little as $1. Those who contribute $40 or more get onscreen credit and access to an HD download version of the film, and there are rewards for higher pledges as well ($4000 gets you an IMDB producer credit).

Why are we sharing this Kickstarter project here when we have no vested interest in it? I’m glad you asked. Because it’s the first Kickstarter short film project that came across my inbox that I personally chose to back, and it’s a good example of how to effectively use the Kickstarter concept as an independent filmmaker. Not to mention that Macgregor’s films are always extremely visually engaging, and this is a project that I’d love to see finished. So if you agree, head on over to their project page and support your local filmmakers.

Not sure who Macgregor is? Check out the teaser of SIMILO, embedded below. Note: some NSFW nudity.

SIMILO teaser from Macgregor on Vimeo.

In something of a surprise to me, it appears that many of the most vocal dissidents downplaying the new iPad are seasoned technogeeks. Ironically, many are among the so-called Apple faithful. It’s a very interesting, very polarizing product launch, to say the least. Over at PVC I’ve put together a compendium of the most insightful and thoughtful articles and blog posts on this new device from Apple, and I encourage you to check it out for a little perspective.

Monty Python would also like to offer a little perspective. Watch below.

This guest post was contributed by Ryan Bilsborrow-Koo; he is the winner of the 2008 Webby Award for Best Drama Series and one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Film. He is currently working on a number of transmedia projects that he hopes will make it out of development hell, and he blogs to maintain his sanity at nofilmschool.com, where he recently authored The DSLR Cinematography Guide.

The Apple iPad offers a number of exciting new possibilities for filmmakers and story architects thanks to its screen size, connectivity, and interactivity. At first glance it may seem like just a big iPhone, but it’s priced to move and — whether you plan on buying one or not — in 60 days it will be in the hands of millions. For filmmakers and independent creatives, there’s a lot of brain candy contained in that thin body; here are seven ways I think the iPad will change filmmaking and interactive storytelling.

1. Interactive interfaces

The above image (apologies for the blurriness; taken from the iPad’s live announcement, courtesy Gizmodo) demonstrates a couple of simple possibilities for interface overlays on top of video. For live sports broadcasts, these interfaces may be merely informational, but for narrative content, touch-based widgets offer a whole new world of interactivity. From “choose your own adventure”-style video content to multi-angle controls, by giving audiences real-time interfaces on screen, filmmakers can turn viewers into a participants. TV and set-top manufacturers are increasingly integrating internet connectivity and on-screen widgets as well, but none of them have the immediate tactile control of a iPad. While widgets are an easy-to-visualize example, the touch screen itself offers all sorts of interactive affordances; you don’t need something displayed on top of the video to allow viewers to interact with your content.

2. It’s a book, it’s a movie, it’s… an app

Anthony Zuiker (CSI) released a “digi-novel” last year, wherein a printed book contained a URL every 20 pages; readers could enter the URL into a browser and watch a related online video. In a lot of ways transmedia storytelling to date has been mostly about promotion (The Dark Knight, for example, used an Alternate Reality Game to promote its theatrical release), but the iPad offers a different set of possibilities: instead of these experiences existing as separate, promotional entrypoints, they can all be brought together on one platform. This is not to say that a project can’t have a live component that exists separately, but the iPad will play a pivotal role in bringing together different forms of storytelling: words, still images, moving images, audio, and interactive experiences can all live together on one handheld, connected device. The iPad will profoundly blur the line between book, movie, and game, and it will do so by offering these new-media experiences for sale through iTunes as… an application. When you’re developing a cross-platform story, what happens if you can’t define your project along clear lines? Should I say it? “There’s an app for that.”

3. Serialization (of payment)

In the old world, you’d develop a feature — a two-hour piece of content — and spend years making and distributing it. Then, on your next project you’d start the whole process all over again — possibly with a different studio — who then spends a lot of money on P&A to (re)mobilize an audience for another round of one-time payments. In the new world, as a filmmaker it is your responsibility to own your audience and mobilize them, not only from project to project but also from episode to episode. There’s a reason almost every movie in the local multiplex is a sequel, and it’s not just because Hollywood is risk-adverse; it’s also because audiences come back to stories and characters they like. So where does the iPad fit in with all this? Well, not only can you sell a hybrid book/movie/game as an app, but you can also charge the viewer a la carte for entries within the series. Apple calls this in-app subscriptions, which means the iTunes season pass — where a customer must decide on the spot to buy an entire TV season — isn’t the only option. Instead, your interactive application allows you to bundle installments however you like. For example, you can bundle “acts” of a show, where each act consists of several episodes, or if your storyline branches, charge separately for different paths. While it may be hard to convince someone to part with $20 all at once (the iTunes price for a high-def new release), if you’ve got a good story you may be able to convince them to part with that same $20 through a series of micropayments.

4. Charging money for digital content

Every newspaper and magazine in the country was hoping for something more than the iBook functionality that Steve Jobs demonstrated on stage, and while subscription print models are probably in the works — it’s not clear yet — one thing’s for sure: people are used to buying content through iTunes. There are currently 75 million iPhone users who have collectively downloaded 12 billion apps, songs, and movies; those numbers will only grow once the iPad is released. In an era where everyone’s struggling to monetize content with free, ad-based models, the iPad (by virtue of its large, high-quality screen) offers an even better platform for filmmakers than the iPhone. The iPad’s tech specs show that it plays back h.264 video at 720p (identical specs to the Apple TV), and its IPS screen will be bright, accurate, and viewable from a wide angle (meaning more than one person will be able to watch). The challenge for independent creatives comes in figuring out how to get indie content into iTunes (previously it was nigh impossible, and these days there are conflicting reports; chime in with a comment if you know better). The revenue split between creators and Apple is generally 70-30 in your favor, and iTunes does a good job of convincing customers to pay for 1s and 0s (this is the whole reason the iBook application gives you a nice-looking bookshelf: you feel like you’re buying something tangible). The iPad means more potential customers for filmmakers because:

5. Everyone’s connected to the internet

FreshDV’s Matt Jeppsen tweeted the following during the iPad’s announcement: “Know who desperately needs the iPad? Grandma. That +3G access is all she needs. No interface in the way, no routers to worry about.” He’s absolutely right: don’t underestimate the value of the built-in 3G. If you’re reading this, obviously you have decent internet access. But there are a lot of people who don’t have broadband — 40% of the US last I checked — and for content creators, they’re all potential customers. Previously, these people were unreachable through the series of tubes, and while I doubt an old-fashioned household without broadband access was going to buy an iPhone or $1,000 Macbook, they just might spring for an iPad. This is why Apple wanted to get the entry price point so low: to bring iTunes to a huge, previously untapped market, who will now use the iPad as their portal to a world of paid content (which Apple takes a cut of). With the addition of the iPad, iTunes TV and movie sales should jump significantly; now more than ever, your digital distribution strategy is key (see: Peter Broderick, Jon Reiss).

6. Flash is suddenly valuable again

If you’ve released a video online, you’ve likely been reliant on Adobe’s rich-media platform Flash (it powers the players at YouTube, Vimeo, and basically every other online video portal; we distributed The West Side using a custom Flash player). But Apple has famously kept Flash off the iPhone, and it looks like the iPad will be no different. With the iPhone bypassing Flash and serving up separate h.264 videos and with HTML5 looking to push Flash further towards irrelevancy, how is the iPad a good thing for Flash? Because of Adobe’s announcement that Flash CS5 will support iPhone app development — and now iPad development as well. Suddenly there are millions of Flash developers who can develop rich-media applications for Apple’s mobile platforms. While Flash won’t be an ideal development platform for applications that rely on hardware interactions (camera apps, for example), for filmmakers interested in extending their experience beyond “traditional” movies, this is a big deal. Why? Because with Flash, you can develop your rich-media experience once, and then output to web, iPhone, iPad, set-top boxes, and Blu-Ray platforms all at once. It remains to be seen how effective Flash will be implemented on some of these devices, but for productions with smaller budgets, being able to output to several different platforms without incurring huge costs will be… well, huge. And the iPad, I suspect, will be the crown jewel in Flash’s cross-platform strategy.

7. Communal watching

A world where everyone walks around staring at little screens doesn’t sound like very much fun. Many of us (still) enjoy watching movies at the theater, where every laugh, groan, and gasp in the audience becomes part of the experience. However, movies are increasingly viewed less and less in the theater and more and more at home (or on the go). Here’s where the iPad offers filmmakers an opportunity: a connected viewing device like the iPad can afford the viewer a new community-based watching experience. With an always-on internet connection, it’s possible to implement real-time comments, twitters, audio chats, and on-screen pointers… the possibilities are endless. No one’s saying it’s a good idea to overlay your cinematic masterpiece with a chat window, but watching a live TV broadcast while Skype-ing someone almost feels like you’re there in person; with the iPad, this type of “virtually there” experience could be even more integrated. It’s not a replacement for the “real” thing, but we have to embrace the fact that our content is going to be viewed in all sorts of conditions, and giving viewers the ability to watch something together is only a good thing. It’s our duty as filmmakers to offer our audience the best viewing experience we can, and the iPad places more of that power in our hands than ever before.

The iPad was just announced yesterday, and these were the first 1,000 words that came to mind. I’m sure there are plenty of other ways the iPad will change filmmaking — which you may feel is for better or worse — but one thing’s for sure: it’s an exciting time to be creating content. Let me know what you think in the comments, and stay tuned at FreshDV and nofilmschool for more.

Cinevate is running a DSLR contest between now and January 14th, 2010. To enter, just creatively recreate a scene from a popular movie in one minute or less and upload. Three winners will be chosen in the following categories: Cinematography, Sweat Equity, Humour. Each will win a brand spankin new DSLR rig dubbed “Uno” and worth $680 USD. If you aren’t sure how to approach the contest, take a look at Cinevate’s sample entry, embedded below.

DSLR Contest - Cinevate’s Uno DSLR from Cinevate on Vimeo.

Some months ago, Stu Maschwitz, David Nelson, and Vincent LaForet, and a small group of DV Rebels shot a proof-of-concept short film on a pre-production Canon 1DMKIV DSLR. Shortly following it’s release online, it was pulled (presumably at the request of Canon). Well, apparently Canon is ready to show it off again, as Nocturne is now back online. Vincent’s blog has details and watch links. There’s also a short behind the scenes clip.

Midtown Video is doing another live webcast this week, this one on the Canon 7D V-DSLR on Thursday 12/17. You can join in online at www.jtown.tv. If you missed Jesse Miller’s last webcast on the Sony PMW-EX1R and PMW-350, you’ll be happy to know that they’ve posted an archive of the show here.

I’d just like to say that I think Jesse’s live webcasts are really well-produced. They have multiple camera coverage of the presentation, he has plenty of useful info prepared, and they take questions from the live audience and from the online chat room. It’s a great way to get questions answered quickly and join into the discussion without making the physical trip to their rental house. I recommend that you check it out.

Midtown Video’s Jesse Miller is doing a live webcast this evening on two new cameras from Sony, the EX1R and PMW-350. I’ve embedded the promo for this webcast below. The webcast will include a demonstration of these new cameras, as well as an interactive Q&A following. Tune in to jtown.tv at 5:30pm Central to catch the webcast and get your Q’s A’d.

Over at PVC, contributor Steve Hullfish has an nice detailed article on Sorensen 360, a full-featured video distribution service that can be used in concert with Sorensen Squeeze, or even take encode jobs from the browser with their Squish tool (which actually installs in the browser and encodes client-side…handy if you are on the road!). It’s a nice long writeup on what looks like a solid end-to-end encoding and delivery service.

Midtown Video’s Jesse Miller will be hosting a live webcast on the EX1 and EX3 next Thursday, 9/17 at 6:30 pm Eastern time. The topic of discussion is “Tips & Tricks on the EX3.” Check out their teaser spot for the webinar below.

Like the Nikon D90, the forthecoming $1800 Nikon D300S DSLR has a 24-fps 720p HD video mode and it appears that some sample videos have already hit the web. Stu posted a couple here. The images appear to be largely jello-free and generally pretty sweet. Like the D90, this camera has a crop sensor, not full-frame. I’m not selling my Canon 5D MKII after this announcement, but it is nice to have another DSLR option to work with, particularly if tests show vast CMOS rolling shutter improvements and if the camera ships with manual controls (signs hint towards at least SOME manual controls). You can pre-order the D300S at Amazon, or keep an eye on B&H’s stock in September.

Via Scott Kirsner, here’s a handy webpage that compares all 15 video sharing websites, from Youtube and Vimeo to less obvious ones like vzaar. Looks like a fantastic reference, check it out here.

In the *facepalm* category, Scott Kirsner has a post up about how legal and monetary arrangements could not reached between Britain’s Got Talent producers and Youtube, and as a result how they missed out on the opportunity to monetize 1.87 million dollars in potential ad revenue from Susan Boyle video plays. Whoops. Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees…

Living in HD has been giving away a new Panasonic digital camera or camcorder each day throughout the month of May. Entry is as simple as registering, and then visiting the page daily to choose your preferred prize. Winners are randomly chosen. It’s a nice promotion, you’ve got decent chances to pick up some nice Panasonic digital swag. Check it out.

Those that follow me on Twitter may have noted a link this week to a shaky behind the scenes clip from a concert rehearsal in which a Steadicam operator pulls off a really cool Segway-to-stage transition, frantically dashing camera assistant in tow. Rumor is, the op is Karsten Jacobsen. It looks amazing behind the scenes, and I could only imagine what the finished performance shot would look like. I had to know, so I dug around for a bit and finally found it. So here you go, the behind the scenes footage, followed by the actual performance shot.

 FreshDV Distribution Podcast Roundtable Discussion [1:01:29m]: Download

Several weeks ago we published a podcast interview with Scott Kirsner and Jerome Courshon in ProVideoCoalition’s Distribution e-mail newsletter. The discussion centers around practical distribution options for independent filmmakers that can make revenue NOW. The podcast has now been released publicly. You can listen online here, or subscribe to FreshDV’s free podcast feed to listen in iTunes or on your portable music player.

Podcast Description:
Many discussions about independent film distribution options seem to center around just getting your films and content seen, the search for eyeballs online. This strategy is all well and good when you are building an online presence and particularly for those just getting started. But for some months now, we at FreshDV have been interested in getting a snapshot of current distribution options that reward filmmakers for their investment, practical options that can earn indies money now. So we sat down with two special guests that have a unique knowledge of this field, and had a frank and practical discussion about what profitable options exist now, and how to market your film. The following audio podcast is a discussion with Jerome Courshon and Scott Kirsner, and is moderated by Matt Jeppsen and Kendal Miller of FreshDV.

Jerome Courshon is an award-winning Producer/Writer, whose first movie was the critically acclaimed indie “God, Sex & Apple Pie,” ultimately released by Warner Bros. His journey was profiled in the Los Angeles Times and documented on iFilm.com. Having acquired enormous experience from playing “the game” of getting distribution for his own movie, he has since written articles and primers on distribution for MovieMaker Magazine, Indie Slate Magazine and Film Festival Today Magazine. In 2006, he created a groundbreaking seminar that assists producers & directors in achieving distribution for their own movies, and presents this around the country each year. The seminar is called “The Secrets to Distribution: Get Your Movie Distributed Now!” and the website address is: www.Distribution.LA

Scott Kirsner is a writer for Variety, edits the blog CinemaTech, and has recently written a new book, “Fans, Friends & Followers: Building an Audience and a Creative Career in the Digital Age.” He is also one of the key organizers of The Conversation, a gathering of entertainment industry innovators, the second edition of which comes this fall in New York.