tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68112743112958566112024-03-12T19:12:56.195-06:00Utah Filmmakers™ AssociationBridging the local film community with Utah’s film industryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-53274861030521616082024-02-12T08:00:00.138-07:002024-02-12T08:00:00.142-07:00Joe Puente ponders “Film Day on the Hill”Every year, during the bureaucratic lightning round that is Utah’s legislative session—from 2017–2020—there has been a designated “Film Day on Hill” held in the Capitol Rotunda in Salt Lake City.Film Day 2018 image courtesy ofUtah Filmmakers Associate Marshall MooreCoordinated by the Motion Picture Association of Utah (MPAU), it was always a fun time for friends and colleagues in the local film Unknownnoreply@blogger.comE Capitol St, Salt Lake City, UT 84103, USA40.7766535 -111.886361314.465269899454608 -147.0426113 67.088037100545392 -76.7301113tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-36251433183090129802023-12-31T19:37:00.008-07:002023-12-31T19:39:05.216-07:00Symposium Reflections - Part VIIThis writer has been on an interesting journey throughout their unconventional filmmaking career—to say nothing of how the film industry has evolved in that time—and continues to do so.The phrase “Existential crisis” has come up repeatedly throughout 2023 for many filmmakers, with drawn-out, overlapping strikes, local projects flying off their respective rails, and witnessing community filmmakersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-2360044112123635312023-12-18T09:04:00.007-07:002023-12-19T06:33:06.069-07:00Wearing all the hats is NOT the solution - Symposium Reflections - Part VIAttempting to create a database—to say nothing of maintaining one—is demanding work. Trying to formalize a “blacklist” of ostensibly suspect filmmakers—in addition to being legally and ethically problematic itself—would not be practical in part because it would always be subjective. Most people in the workforce at large have had enough negative experiences with others in their fields that they Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-67285728053501081542023-11-20T07:00:00.054-07:002023-12-18T08:10:48.985-07:00Movie mogul roleplayers & cannibalistic community films - Symposium Reflections - Part VThe demand for motion picture “content” has never been higher. Traditionally, increased demand means higher prices for what’s being supplied. Still, many people—from business managers needing commercials and other videography services to streaming platform executives looking for new series and features—may assume that since the tools have become more affordable, the cost of acquiring the skills Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-8847405520394310662023-11-13T12:39:00.000-07:002023-11-13T12:39:08.266-07:00Amateur attitudes undermine professional goals - Symposium Reflections - Part IVImage by Canon USAIn the latter part of the 20th century, professional videographers paid a premium to invest in their equipment. They dedicated themselves to learning how to use it and honing their skills on projects for which they appropriately charged premium rates. With time and experience, the services provided by skilled professionals in any field can earn them a return on their initial Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-22901033492509902912023-11-06T07:00:00.016-07:002023-11-09T11:29:53.494-07:00Economic impact of local productions - Symposium Reflections - Part IIIHow much of an impact can a film project have on the local economy?The Motion Picture Association of Utah (MPAU) commissioned an Economic Impact Study of Utah’s film industry, emphasizing the benefits of the state’s Motion Picture Incentive Program (MPIP)—colloquially referred to as the “film incentive.” The MPAU summarized the study in an explainer video.In short, the state—through the Utah FilmUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-60088142483531185132023-10-31T09:42:00.005-06:002023-11-02T07:35:01.291-06:00Bridging the gap between community and industry - Symposium Reflections - Part IIIn the years following my efforts to develop a local television series, I continued to moonlight in the Utah film industry, working in front of and behind the camera on feature films, commercials, corporate productions, and reality series. I also remained involved with the local film community—attending local screenings and meet & greets and participating in the 48-Hour Film Project. All the Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-12134110424549674382023-10-16T07:00:00.027-06:002023-10-31T09:44:29.409-06:00Recognizing the "Con" in "Confidence" - Symposium Reflections - Part IOn Friday, October 6, 2023, Utah Filmmakers™ hosted its first Associate Symposium at Publik Space in Salt Lake City—an event specifically for our Associate Members and eligible candidates.The author, speaking at the2023 Associate SymposiumThe Associate Program was implemented in 2021 to identify reputable, Utah-based film industry resources that share common goals and core values with the Utah Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-65202800772067618422023-09-06T07:23:00.002-06:002023-09-06T07:23:16.958-06:00There is no value without laborAs of the publication of this essay—the week of Labor Day 2023—members of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA remain on strike, I needn’t rehash the specific concerns that led to it because most reasons for organized labor to strike fall under the more basic tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.It’s common knowledge that corporations will do everything they can to squeeze more and more Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-49821830155852306482023-08-21T07:30:00.002-06:002023-08-21T09:50:41.948-06:00Having integrity above and below the lineSomeone who makes a mistake during production may or may not be tasked with fixing it. It might require a filmmaker with more experience to take the lead—thus, a teachable moment presents itself. Whether or not that translates into an actual learning opportunity depends on an individual’s willingness to own their mistake. To do so requires humility, self-awareness, and honesty—with everyone, Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-46971974900047278692023-08-15T14:20:00.007-06:002023-12-28T08:09:43.491-07:00Integrity requires owning one’s mistakesIn the late summer of 2019, I contacted a member of our official forum via direct message to clarify some points of confusion in a recent comment thread. Our conversation was mostly productive, but I felt something was missing that couldn’t be effectively communicated online. So, I invited him to meet at a local coffee shop, which made all the difference. Travis Babcock is now one of our OfficialUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-77719985155840179932023-05-08T07:00:00.164-06:002023-05-08T16:52:50.184-06:00Filmmaking is NOT a hobby!The Utah Filmmakers™ Association does not set out to discourage anyone striving to work in the film industry, but one cannot espouse Professionalism, Integrity, and Respect without complete honesty. It must also be acknowledged that some of the terms we’ve used in reference to community filmmakers, while intended to make those lacking professional experience feel welcome and included, may not Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-53720731907420370812023-04-17T09:00:00.006-06:002023-05-07T09:23:22.947-06:00Forget the door. Find the bridge! (Part IV)Avoiding exploitation by “quasi-professionals”and “working-amateurs”by Joe PuenteFounder/President
Utah Filmmakers™ Association(Start at the beginning!)While no one can claim pure objectivity, the author’s commitment to expanding the overlap between the local film Community and Utah’s film industry has required honest self-reflection and a critical—even humbling—assessment of their own place in Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-5013385369099250922023-04-10T08:00:00.057-06:002023-05-16T08:55:52.343-06:00Forget the door. Find the bridge! (Part III)Identifying legitimate resources and opportunitiesby Joe PuenteFounder/President
Utah Filmmakers™ Association(Start at the beginning!)The Utah Filmmakers™ Association has a vetting process to determine what endeavors are worth pursuing and which resources or projects are worth highlighting in the Community. The questions it asks are the same ones that anyone should ask before deciding to Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-90828837283142421792023-04-03T08:00:00.052-06:002023-05-16T08:52:40.526-06:00Forget the door. Find the bridge! (Part II)Recognizing bubbles and understanding one’s perspectiveby Joe PuenteFounder/President
Utah Filmmakers™ Association(Start at the beginning!)"professional movie maker bubble"Image by CraiyonFilmmakers are often motivated by the movies that they love. Since the name most closely associated with the title is that of the director, many enter the field with aspirations to be the next Patty JenkinsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-34156060536056937642023-03-20T12:02:00.032-06:002023-04-13T10:18:57.421-06:00Forget the door. Find the bridge! (Part I)by Joe PuenteFounder/President
Utah Filmmakers™ AssociationThe short version of the UFA™ Vision Statement is “Bridging the local film community with Utah’s film industry.”Most aspiring filmmakers don’t realize there is a difference between the “community” and the “industry”—which is true of many creative fields. While they overlap, one must first understand that a distinction exists to tell one Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-74070252364798024142023-01-10T11:57:00.007-07:002023-01-11T18:35:23.906-07:00Utah Filmmakers™ Values & Ethics"Creepy Movie Director"AI image by CraiyonMost are familiar with the cliché of the self-serving, duplicitous “movie” guy that exploits young ingenues in front of the camera and naive wannabe auteur filmmakers behind it. It’s cliché because it happens. When it happens, it hurts. What makes it hurt more? The fact that it’s a cliché. It’s a vicious cycle.When the Utah Filmmakers™ Association adoptedUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-74431172956916973732022-07-11T08:48:00.010-06:002022-07-12T08:49:52.640-06:00The business of short filmsIt’s generally understood that there's no money to be made in short films. The funds that are invested will simply not be earned back, regardless of one's efforts to monetize the completed project through sales or rentals, on physical media, or digitally. Just breaking even is elusive at best, and it's probably best to not even try and think about earning a “profit.” However, if the return on Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-29466339329907019342022-07-02T09:16:00.010-06:002023-04-02T13:38:35.868-06:00How NOT to make a short filmA lot of filmmakers start out with the idea of developing their* skills on short projects with the hope of applying what they learn to features. This is not a bad approach—in theory—but I've also seen a lot of new filmmakers try to rely on the cliché steps to becoming a “successful indie filmmaker” instead of learning to develop an actual business plan.For those unfamiliar with the folklore Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-75552368591059339842022-03-09T09:39:00.001-07:002022-03-09T09:42:41.815-07:00VoyageUtah Interview with UFA™ Founder Joe Puentehttps://voyageutah.com/interview/meet-joe-puente-of-utah-filmmakers-association/
The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and—especially where guest posts are concerned—do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the Utah Filmmakers™ Association, its officers and/or associates.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-59041270768784864352022-01-24T12:20:00.009-07:002022-01-24T12:25:56.819-07:00Utah Motion Picture Incentive Program - Letter to Utah Legislative Representatives.Subject: Support for Utah’s Motion Picture Incentive ProgramDear [I wrote to both my Legislative Representative and Senator individually],I am reaching out to you as one of your constituents to respectfully request your support for Utah’s Motion Picture Incentive program.I am also the primary Administrator of the Utah Filmmakers™ Association, which has a mission to engage aspiring filmmakers to Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-41907852149477299082021-09-11T05:00:00.170-06:002021-09-11T06:01:21.472-06:009/11 Anniversary ObservationsThe following essay was written to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It has been updated and revised for the 20th anniversary.—JLPIt was not long after the towers fell that I recall a cynical observation being made about how some screenwriter in Hollywood was going to try and cash in on the spectacle of the tragedy and write a screenplay about it.I never thought that comment Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-43124708587303219942021-08-05T07:41:00.002-06:002021-08-05T07:41:22.727-06:00Utah Filmmakers™ Mentorship Program promotional video by Blackbird CommunicationWe would like to thank our friend, Kevin Randall of Blackbird Communication, LLC,for creating this promotional video for the Utah Filmmakers™ Mentorship Program.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-27097575428008209112021-07-17T08:55:00.004-06:002021-07-17T08:55:53.911-06:00In-Depth: Group aims to mentor Utah's future filmmakersMentorship Program to Prepare Utah’s Next Generation of FilmmakersThousands of aspiring filmmakers who set out to pursue their dreams of becoming industry professionals often get taken advantage of and fall short of finding success.[Salt Lake City, Utah – July 15th] The Utah Filmmakers™Association, working with the Utah Film Commission, is implementing a new mentorship program to Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6811274311295856611.post-64547346359957868562020-10-21T09:27:00.008-06:002020-11-21T11:12:39.949-07:00How saving a few bucks now can potentially backfire later…Nb. I was not personally involved with the production of “Good Joe Bell” in any capacity beyond an audition for a small role set aside for regional day-players like myself—I did not get the part but I’m not one to hold any grudges. My knowledge of the production and its management is based mostly on publicly available information and through conversations that I’ve had with Utah-based contractorsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com