If you've never seen but have heard plenty about HBO's newest series, the pot comedy/dramedy/anthology High Maintenance, which kicks off Friday, it's likely that what you know is that a very loyal bunch of fans found it online (Vimeo) and thus are cooler than you are for now watching it on premium cable. Meaning you're probably hearing about it from people who found it first. It's the ultimate TV series as indie rock band – everybody else saw them (and tons of times, too!) in tiny clubs and now you're coming around to watch their major label debut, like an
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- 9/16/2016
- by Tim Goodman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
John McAfee isn’t fooling anyone. In a documentary profile filled with damning evidence, there’s something self-incriminating in McAfee’s “You probably read about me” response to being arrested by police, all caught on squad car dashcams.
It’s the opening scene of Nanette Burstein’s “Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee,” a detailed look at the trail left behind by a millionaire untethered from social and legal norms. From his time as progenitor of the once-ubiquitous McAfee antivirus software, through his business ventures overseas in Belize and his recent bid for the Libertarian presidential nomination, Burstein looks at the consequences of empowering an individual to trade on his name and not his abilities. In a media landscape that hasn’t fully realized how to cover business mogul presidential candidates, “Gringo” shows what it takes to truly examine the past of a volatile public figure.
“Gringo” is light on McAfee’s pre-Belize exploits,...
It’s the opening scene of Nanette Burstein’s “Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee,” a detailed look at the trail left behind by a millionaire untethered from social and legal norms. From his time as progenitor of the once-ubiquitous McAfee antivirus software, through his business ventures overseas in Belize and his recent bid for the Libertarian presidential nomination, Burstein looks at the consequences of empowering an individual to trade on his name and not his abilities. In a media landscape that hasn’t fully realized how to cover business mogul presidential candidates, “Gringo” shows what it takes to truly examine the past of a volatile public figure.
“Gringo” is light on McAfee’s pre-Belize exploits,...
- 9/16/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
“Lady Macbeth” reveals the essence of its plot in the title, but the dark twists of the thrilling narrative still manage to surprise. The feature-length debut of British theater director William Oldroyd suggests what might happen if Alfred Hitchcock directed “Wuthering Heights.” Adapting from Nikolai Leskov’s 1865 novel, Oldroyd and screenwriter Alice Birch transport the action to 19th century England and boil down its essence to the machinations of a driven young woman fiercely embodied by newcomer Florence Pugh. She begins the movie as an object of sympathy, and even as she grows more cunning and devious in her intentions, it’s easy to comprehend her psychotic drive.
As the story begins, young Katherine (Pugh) has been forced into a marriage with the heir to an industrial fortune (Paul Hilton) many years older than her. It doesn’t take long to establish her overwhelming discomfort: Smothered by corsets and frustrated...
As the story begins, young Katherine (Pugh) has been forced into a marriage with the heir to an industrial fortune (Paul Hilton) many years older than her. It doesn’t take long to establish her overwhelming discomfort: Smothered by corsets and frustrated...
- 9/15/2016
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
HBO has a strong fall lineup. The show most people seem to be talking about right now is Westworld, but the cable network has plenty of other shows to keep an eye on coming up, including Awkward, High Maintenance (a former fantastic web series), and Divorce. Divorce comes from actor, writer, and producer Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe), and it stars Thomas Haden Church (Killer Joe) and Sarah […]
The post ‘Divorce’ Trailer: “Let’s Get This Party Started” appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Divorce’ Trailer: “Let’s Get This Party Started” appeared first on /Film.
- 9/11/2016
- by Jack Giroux
- Slash Film
Once upon a time, conventional wisdom in TV suggested that any shows debuting outside of the fall were in some way lesser than the ones launching in September and October. Thanks to cable, streaming, and even a transformation of the way the broadcast networks schedule things, the roles have almost entirely reversed: now the really special stuff gets saved for January or later, while a lot of what's scheduled for a more traditional launch can be viewed as cannon fodder. This TV season, for instance, Fox is saving its revivals of 24 and Prison Break for 2017, and the CW is doing the same with its highest-profile new series, Riverdale. But there's still a lot of promising stuff coming this fall across broadcast, cable, and streaming — not just the welcome return of shows like Rectify, You're the Worst, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but a far more exciting batch of new series than were...
- 8/30/2016
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Everyone struggles at some point in life and tries to navigate it as best as they can. For best friends Issa (Issa Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji), on the new HBO comedy “Insecure,” their own real-life flaws lead them to endless series of uncomfortable everyday experiences, but thank goodness they have each other.
“Just when things are going good in your relationship, exes always have a way of popping back up,” says Issa in the first promo for the upcoming series.
Created by Rae and Larry Wilmore, the eight-episode first season explores the black female experience in an unclichéd and authentic way. Issa, like many of us, tries to figure out what – and who – she wants in life, and how to take control of it. Meanwhile, Molly is a successful corporate attorney who appears to have it all but struggles inside as she looks for external ways to fix her life.
“Just when things are going good in your relationship, exes always have a way of popping back up,” says Issa in the first promo for the upcoming series.
Created by Rae and Larry Wilmore, the eight-episode first season explores the black female experience in an unclichéd and authentic way. Issa, like many of us, tries to figure out what – and who – she wants in life, and how to take control of it. Meanwhile, Molly is a successful corporate attorney who appears to have it all but struggles inside as she looks for external ways to fix her life.
- 8/26/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Robert Downey Jr. and True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto will team up for a new drama heading to HBO. Downey Jr. will both star and executive produce the new series, marking the Iron Man actor's first television role in nearly 15 years.
According to Variety, like the first two seasons of True Detective, Pizzolatto will pen the series' script. While HBO didn't confirm the project nor provide specifics about the drama, sources tell Variety that the series could be connected to the Perry Mason reboot Downey Jr. has been trying to spearhead for years.
According to Variety, like the first two seasons of True Detective, Pizzolatto will pen the series' script. While HBO didn't confirm the project nor provide specifics about the drama, sources tell Variety that the series could be connected to the Perry Mason reboot Downey Jr. has been trying to spearhead for years.
- 8/16/2016
- Rollingstone.com
If the outline of Darth Vader’s trademark helmet gives you chills down your spine, prepare yourself for the final moments of the newest trailer for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
The Gareth Edwards-directed feature — which takes place shortly before the events of “A New Hope” kick off — has made no bones about featuring the Star Wars universe’s biggest bad of all time, the inimitable Darth Vader, in at least a supporting role, and our latest look at the film comes complete with a hell of a tease as to his appearance. Stay till the end, folks, there’s a treat awaiting you during this trailer’s final seconds.
Read More: ‘Rogue One’ Trailer: 5 Things We Saw In Brand New (And Still Unreleased) Star Wars Celebration Footage
This trailer isn’t all about Vader, though, as it features plenty of fresh material — much of it rolled out...
The Gareth Edwards-directed feature — which takes place shortly before the events of “A New Hope” kick off — has made no bones about featuring the Star Wars universe’s biggest bad of all time, the inimitable Darth Vader, in at least a supporting role, and our latest look at the film comes complete with a hell of a tease as to his appearance. Stay till the end, folks, there’s a treat awaiting you during this trailer’s final seconds.
Read More: ‘Rogue One’ Trailer: 5 Things We Saw In Brand New (And Still Unreleased) Star Wars Celebration Footage
This trailer isn’t all about Vader, though, as it features plenty of fresh material — much of it rolled out...
- 8/12/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Weed dealers occupy a strange role in the lives of their clients. Of course, they’re the purveyor of a substance that’s illegal in many jurisdictions, but the relationship with their customers tends to be more like casual acquaintance than a firmly business oriented one. And then there’s the fact that the job tends to take […]
The post Get Stoned With The New Trailer For HBO’s Weed Comedy ‘High Maintenance’ appeared first on The Playlist.
The post Get Stoned With The New Trailer For HBO’s Weed Comedy ‘High Maintenance’ appeared first on The Playlist.
- 8/11/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
‘Mr. Church’ Trailer: Eddie Murphy Returns to the Silver Screen in Bruce Beresford’s Emotional Drama
Eddie Murphy is returning to the silver screen for the first time in four years. His leading role in “Mr. Church” is his first since 2012’s “A Thousand Words,” with the actor joined by Britt Robertson and Natascha McElhone in Bruce Beresford’s drama based on screenwriter Susan McMartin’s own life. Watch its first trailer, which first premiered on Entertainment Weekly, below.
Read More: Tribeca Review: Eddie Murphy Gives One His Best Performances in Bruce Beresford’s Maudlin ‘Mr. Church’
“Henry Joseph Church could have been anything he wanted,” Robertson narrates in the opening seconds. “He chose to cook.” McElhone plays Robertson’s single mother, who’s ill and not long for this world; from there we see the cook become a father figure to the girl over the course of several years beginning in 1970s Los Angeles.
Read More: First Clip + Poster for Eddie Murphy’s First Film...
Read More: Tribeca Review: Eddie Murphy Gives One His Best Performances in Bruce Beresford’s Maudlin ‘Mr. Church’
“Henry Joseph Church could have been anything he wanted,” Robertson narrates in the opening seconds. “He chose to cook.” McElhone plays Robertson’s single mother, who’s ill and not long for this world; from there we see the cook become a father figure to the girl over the course of several years beginning in 1970s Los Angeles.
Read More: First Clip + Poster for Eddie Murphy’s First Film...
- 8/11/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
This morning the Toronto Film Festival announced its slate of 12 films that will be competing in this year’s Platform section. Included in the directors-focused competition is Fien Troch’s fourth feature film, “Home.”
The drama portrays the struggle between two generations: teenagers who explore a thin line between trust, friendship, and loyalty, and adults who seem alienated from their past younger selves. Both find it difficult to communicate and understand each other’s closed-off worlds, making their clash more brutal than expected. The story centers mostly around 17-year-old Kevin who starts an apprenticeship at his aunt’s store and moves in with her and her family. After meeting his cousin Sammy’s friend John, he discovers that John lives an unbearable situation with his mother and feels the urge to help out his new friend.
Read More: Tiff Announces Platform Titles, Including ‘Jackie,’ ‘Moonlight,’ ‘Daguerrotype’ and More
“Home” features...
The drama portrays the struggle between two generations: teenagers who explore a thin line between trust, friendship, and loyalty, and adults who seem alienated from their past younger selves. Both find it difficult to communicate and understand each other’s closed-off worlds, making their clash more brutal than expected. The story centers mostly around 17-year-old Kevin who starts an apprenticeship at his aunt’s store and moves in with her and her family. After meeting his cousin Sammy’s friend John, he discovers that John lives an unbearable situation with his mother and feels the urge to help out his new friend.
Read More: Tiff Announces Platform Titles, Including ‘Jackie,’ ‘Moonlight,’ ‘Daguerrotype’ and More
“Home” features...
- 8/11/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
A24 has released more than its fair share of notable films during its brief existence so far. Just this year alone, they’ve released “The Lobster,” “Green Room” and “The Witch, all of which have been widely acclaimed. But their latest film “Moonlight” represents a first for the young studio. Writer/director/producer Barry Jenkins’ upcoming drama marks the company’s first in-studio production alongside Plan B Productions, with Brad Pitt onboard as executive producer. Check out the first trailer below.
Read More: New Classics: Barry Jenkins’ ‘Medicine for Melancholy’
Based on the play “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue” by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the film tells the life story of a young man named Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) via three defining chapters of his life. Set in the 1980’s Miami during the height of Reagan’s War on Drugs, “Moonlight” follows Chiron as he comes of age, falls in love and discovers his own sexuality,...
Read More: New Classics: Barry Jenkins’ ‘Medicine for Melancholy’
Based on the play “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue” by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the film tells the life story of a young man named Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) via three defining chapters of his life. Set in the 1980’s Miami during the height of Reagan’s War on Drugs, “Moonlight” follows Chiron as he comes of age, falls in love and discovers his own sexuality,...
- 8/11/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Here’s your daily dose of an indie film, web series, TV pilot, what-have-you in progress — at the end of the week, you’ll have the chance to vote for your favorite.
In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.
The Feels
Logline: Silly, heartfelt, super-short moments in the life of a bisexual guy who’s got way too many feels.
Elevator Pitch:
Though Netflix and others have brought TV online, most new shows still stick to the traditional half-hour format. Inspired by “High Maintenance,” we have created a form that is shaped for the internet. 30-90 second episodes, released daily for a month. The brevity influences the content: Instead of your standard narrative arc, you’re going to see moments of this character’s life at the same time as you’re living your own. Episodes are closer to blog posts than to short films.
In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.
The Feels
Logline: Silly, heartfelt, super-short moments in the life of a bisexual guy who’s got way too many feels.
Elevator Pitch:
Though Netflix and others have brought TV online, most new shows still stick to the traditional half-hour format. Inspired by “High Maintenance,” we have created a form that is shaped for the internet. 30-90 second episodes, released daily for a month. The brevity influences the content: Instead of your standard narrative arc, you’re going to see moments of this character’s life at the same time as you’re living your own. Episodes are closer to blog posts than to short films.
- 8/1/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
A movie starring two YouTubers will make its money back in iTunes sales, regardless of its quality. That may sound like a good thing, but it’s not if you’re an online content creator looking to transition into traditional Hollywood projects and shake your reputation as a one-trick pony. Speaking from the sixth VidCon, the annual convention for digital content creators and their fans, creator Jimmy Wong is uncertain about his and others’ crossover prospects.
“It’s really hard to transition YouTube stars into traditional acting roles,” says Wong, who rose to YouTube fame with his viral hit “Ching Chong! Asians in the Library Song” — a timely response to an ugly, racist video rant.
Read More: Diversity is Thriving on YouTube and Four More Reasons to Be Excited for VidCon 2016
Wong is a filmmaker at RocketJump, a digital movie studio and YouTube channel that also hosts original content on its website.
“It’s really hard to transition YouTube stars into traditional acting roles,” says Wong, who rose to YouTube fame with his viral hit “Ching Chong! Asians in the Library Song” — a timely response to an ugly, racist video rant.
Read More: Diversity is Thriving on YouTube and Four More Reasons to Be Excited for VidCon 2016
Wong is a filmmaker at RocketJump, a digital movie studio and YouTube channel that also hosts original content on its website.
- 7/12/2016
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The demand for original television programming is sky-rocketing and doesn’t appear to be coming down any time soon. From the explosion of subscription services like Netflix and Hulu, to websites and brands looking to step into the original content game, to the continued expansion of scripted and unscripted programming on dozens of cable channels, outlets are desperately looking for original content that can stand-out in the abundance of programming now available to consumers.
Out of this demand has emerged a new way for creatives to break into TV: the Dyi pilot. Instead of writing a spec and trying to break into TV the old fashion way, content creators are following the path independent filmmakers and shooting low budget pilots that serve as proofs of concept for a hungry TV industry hoping to find the next “High Maintenance.”
Read More: SeriesFest – There’s a Diy Way to Break into TV...
Out of this demand has emerged a new way for creatives to break into TV: the Dyi pilot. Instead of writing a spec and trying to break into TV the old fashion way, content creators are following the path independent filmmakers and shooting low budget pilots that serve as proofs of concept for a hungry TV industry hoping to find the next “High Maintenance.”
Read More: SeriesFest – There’s a Diy Way to Break into TV...
- 6/27/2016
- by Chris O'Falt and Sarah Colvin
- Indiewire
This weekend marks the season finales of Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley, and Veep, but HBO wants you to know there’s nothing to worry about — they’ve got tons of other great programming coming up on the horizon. We began this week with a new trailer for Westworld, followed by the first promos for Sarah Jessica Parker’s Divorce and Issa […]
The post ‘High Maintenance’ Teaser: The Hit Web Series Comes to HBO appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘High Maintenance’ Teaser: The Hit Web Series Comes to HBO appeared first on /Film.
- 6/24/2016
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
If you exclude stuff from Amazon or Netflix or Hulu (which might only be available via online streaming, but are otherwise very traditional TV shows), we still haven’t really had a true breakout web series, a show that debuts on a YouTube or a Vimeo and makes a real pop-culture impact. “Broad City” might be […]
The post Watch The First Trailer For HBO Weed-Dealing Comedy ‘High Maintenance’ appeared first on The Playlist.
The post Watch The First Trailer For HBO Weed-Dealing Comedy ‘High Maintenance’ appeared first on The Playlist.
- 6/24/2016
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
As Vimeo CEO Exits, The Question Remains: Can the Popular Platform Become a Profitable Indie Market?
Last week, Vimeo CEO Kerry Trainor announced he was stepping down as the leader of the streaming service. The move comes at a time when the company has grown tremendously — going from 40 to 200 employees and increasing their revenue five-fold during Trainor’s four years at the helm — but has yet to find a concrete way to transition their platform to being a place where customers come to buy content.
In many ways, Vimeo’s situation reflects the same predicaments faced by indie filmmakers: It’s never been easier to generate and share high quality content that will find an audience online, but without advertising, how can independent content creators monetize their work?
Read More: Is There a Market for Shorts That Debut at Film Festivals?
Founded in 2004, Vimeo developed a core following of filmmakers by being ad-free and the first high quality HD streaming player on the internet. With the rise of Dslr cameras, independent filmmakers needed a home for their new HD content and the streaming service was the logical choice.
The brand loyalty filmmakers have for Vimeo has only grown over the years, with yearly plus and pro subscriptions ($60 and $200) — which allow the uploading and sharing of large sized HD files — being an essential tool for virtually all independent content creators. In fact, the large percentage of the revenue growth that has come during Trainor’s tenure came from adding close to 500,000 new creators willing to pay these fees.
Not surprisingly, Vimeo also became the preferred destination for filmmakers to share their short films and an audience for their unique content quickly developed. In response to increased traffic and a dearth of content, Vimeo added curation in the form of “Staff Picks,” which highlights the best of Vimeo and regularly brings 50,000 to 200,000 viewers to the type of quality short film found at a film festival.
It’s easy to see why Vimeo’s parent company Iac saw so much potential in Vimeo and invested money in their growth under Trainor — paying subscribers were generating a distinct “Staff Pick” brand of content and there was a huge audience looking to watch it. The next step was for Trainor’s team to take this very healthy ecosystem and find a path for their content creators to sell films to their dedicated audience, which would generate a new source of revenue for creatives and Vimeo.
The first big step would be the creation of Vimeo On Demand, a self-distribution VOD platform that offered an extremely attractive 90/10 split (industry standard is closer to the 70/30 split offered by iTunes, where Apple take 30% of the VOD profits and returns 70% to the content owners). The platform seemed like a perfect fit with so many Vimeo filmmakers graduating to features and with the perceived benefits of self-distribution in the age of social media, crowdfunding and dwindling theatrical distribution, filmmakers could sell their features directly to their fans.
Read More: Watch – Vimeo’s 10,000th Staff Pick Introduces a Mind-Blowing Hologram Experience
The next step was to develop original content to feed the on Demand channel and eventually build a library that could become a stand alone subscription service, similar to Hulu or Netflix. Smartly, the company looked toward their own community for the first high profile project and backed “High Maintenance,” a web series about a Brooklyn pot dealer who makes home deliveries, which had already developed critical acclaim and an audience while on the Vimeo platform.
The experiment was clear: Could Vimeo, by putting money toward production and marketing of “High Maintenance,” get their viewers to pay for a show they previously watched on Vimeo for free. Then once they developed enough original programming like “High Maintenance,” could they transition their users into paying a monthly subscription fee to watch a whole slate of originals?
Although numbers were never released, by all accounts the “High Maintenance” experiment worked — the show developed a passionate following — and appeared to be a strong first step toward organically building off their brand. What Trainor and his team could not anticipate was the seeds they were planting would be quickly washed away by a tsunami of original streamable content coming from other Svod services. Netflix and Amazon were suddenly willing to spend billions on a slate of original programming, while HBO and Showtime spun off stand alone streaming services. With much of this content targeting a younger cord cutting audience and featuring edgy series, festival indies and documentary films; Vimeo’s little web series was just a blip on the radar. And then, its potential on the platform was short-lived. HBO snapped up the program, which will air on its network this fall, leaving Vimeo without its most promising new show.
None of this to say that Vimeo is in trouble. Trainor leaves a company having built upon their already strong fundamentals: 280 million monthly users, 710,000 paying subscribers, and over 36,000 titles in the Vimeo On Demand library (a number that will grow to 50,000 with the acquisition of Vhx). But with a company that believes strongly that their brand was built on being ad-free, the challenge remains: Can it create a path for independents to sell the cool shit they make?
Iac CEO Joey Levin, who will be temporarily taking the reigns at Vimeo while they search for Trainor’s successor, has indicated unequivocally that the answer to that question is yes. “On programming, we don’t intend to get into the multibillion dollar war on content,” he wrote in his letter to shareholders in May. “Instead, we’re giving our creators the tools to circumvent a legacy ecosystem that’s been built to award too much power and profit to the distribution, and not enough to the creation. The marketplace we’ve created is small today, but growing.”
Of course, this is music to the independent content creators’ ears. Vimeo will continue to invest in them and the potential for them to make money on the platform. In the age of Svod giants and multi-billion dollar battle for content, the question becomes this: How is Levin going to organically transition Vimeo from a service creators rely upon to a market they can use to reliably generate revenue? Many filmmakers will be waiting for the answer.
Stay on top of the latest in gear and filmmaking news! Sign up for the Indiewire Toolkit newsletter here.
Related storiesWatch: Amandla Stenberg Releases Short Film 'Blue Girls Burn Fast'Watch: This Dutch Animated Short Film Delivers a Touching Experience You'll Never ForgetAttention, Filmmakers: Submissions for Brooklyn Web Fest Are Now Open!
In many ways, Vimeo’s situation reflects the same predicaments faced by indie filmmakers: It’s never been easier to generate and share high quality content that will find an audience online, but without advertising, how can independent content creators monetize their work?
Read More: Is There a Market for Shorts That Debut at Film Festivals?
Founded in 2004, Vimeo developed a core following of filmmakers by being ad-free and the first high quality HD streaming player on the internet. With the rise of Dslr cameras, independent filmmakers needed a home for their new HD content and the streaming service was the logical choice.
The brand loyalty filmmakers have for Vimeo has only grown over the years, with yearly plus and pro subscriptions ($60 and $200) — which allow the uploading and sharing of large sized HD files — being an essential tool for virtually all independent content creators. In fact, the large percentage of the revenue growth that has come during Trainor’s tenure came from adding close to 500,000 new creators willing to pay these fees.
Not surprisingly, Vimeo also became the preferred destination for filmmakers to share their short films and an audience for their unique content quickly developed. In response to increased traffic and a dearth of content, Vimeo added curation in the form of “Staff Picks,” which highlights the best of Vimeo and regularly brings 50,000 to 200,000 viewers to the type of quality short film found at a film festival.
It’s easy to see why Vimeo’s parent company Iac saw so much potential in Vimeo and invested money in their growth under Trainor — paying subscribers were generating a distinct “Staff Pick” brand of content and there was a huge audience looking to watch it. The next step was for Trainor’s team to take this very healthy ecosystem and find a path for their content creators to sell films to their dedicated audience, which would generate a new source of revenue for creatives and Vimeo.
The first big step would be the creation of Vimeo On Demand, a self-distribution VOD platform that offered an extremely attractive 90/10 split (industry standard is closer to the 70/30 split offered by iTunes, where Apple take 30% of the VOD profits and returns 70% to the content owners). The platform seemed like a perfect fit with so many Vimeo filmmakers graduating to features and with the perceived benefits of self-distribution in the age of social media, crowdfunding and dwindling theatrical distribution, filmmakers could sell their features directly to their fans.
Read More: Watch – Vimeo’s 10,000th Staff Pick Introduces a Mind-Blowing Hologram Experience
The next step was to develop original content to feed the on Demand channel and eventually build a library that could become a stand alone subscription service, similar to Hulu or Netflix. Smartly, the company looked toward their own community for the first high profile project and backed “High Maintenance,” a web series about a Brooklyn pot dealer who makes home deliveries, which had already developed critical acclaim and an audience while on the Vimeo platform.
The experiment was clear: Could Vimeo, by putting money toward production and marketing of “High Maintenance,” get their viewers to pay for a show they previously watched on Vimeo for free. Then once they developed enough original programming like “High Maintenance,” could they transition their users into paying a monthly subscription fee to watch a whole slate of originals?
Although numbers were never released, by all accounts the “High Maintenance” experiment worked — the show developed a passionate following — and appeared to be a strong first step toward organically building off their brand. What Trainor and his team could not anticipate was the seeds they were planting would be quickly washed away by a tsunami of original streamable content coming from other Svod services. Netflix and Amazon were suddenly willing to spend billions on a slate of original programming, while HBO and Showtime spun off stand alone streaming services. With much of this content targeting a younger cord cutting audience and featuring edgy series, festival indies and documentary films; Vimeo’s little web series was just a blip on the radar. And then, its potential on the platform was short-lived. HBO snapped up the program, which will air on its network this fall, leaving Vimeo without its most promising new show.
None of this to say that Vimeo is in trouble. Trainor leaves a company having built upon their already strong fundamentals: 280 million monthly users, 710,000 paying subscribers, and over 36,000 titles in the Vimeo On Demand library (a number that will grow to 50,000 with the acquisition of Vhx). But with a company that believes strongly that their brand was built on being ad-free, the challenge remains: Can it create a path for independents to sell the cool shit they make?
Iac CEO Joey Levin, who will be temporarily taking the reigns at Vimeo while they search for Trainor’s successor, has indicated unequivocally that the answer to that question is yes. “On programming, we don’t intend to get into the multibillion dollar war on content,” he wrote in his letter to shareholders in May. “Instead, we’re giving our creators the tools to circumvent a legacy ecosystem that’s been built to award too much power and profit to the distribution, and not enough to the creation. The marketplace we’ve created is small today, but growing.”
Of course, this is music to the independent content creators’ ears. Vimeo will continue to invest in them and the potential for them to make money on the platform. In the age of Svod giants and multi-billion dollar battle for content, the question becomes this: How is Levin going to organically transition Vimeo from a service creators rely upon to a market they can use to reliably generate revenue? Many filmmakers will be waiting for the answer.
Stay on top of the latest in gear and filmmaking news! Sign up for the Indiewire Toolkit newsletter here.
Related storiesWatch: Amandla Stenberg Releases Short Film 'Blue Girls Burn Fast'Watch: This Dutch Animated Short Film Delivers a Touching Experience You'll Never ForgetAttention, Filmmakers: Submissions for Brooklyn Web Fest Are Now Open!
- 6/15/2016
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
“The Holdouts,” a new web series raising money on Kickstarter, is an ode to what some have called vanishing New York. It’s the story of “a blue collar guy who just wants to get day-wasted for three dollars,” but every gin joint he used to haunt has turned into a Starbucks or a Duane Reade or a Bank of America. Created by Dan Menke and Stephen Girasuolo, Menke wrote the script specifically with stars Kevin Corrigan (“Goodfellas,” “The Departed”) and Jayce Bartok (“The Cake Eaters”) in mind.
“Kevin and I for a while had been sending each other the Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York thing, bitching at four in the morning about something closing,” Menke said, speaking from his rent-controlled Williamsburg studio. “Being a native New Yorker as he is, the underlying theme of people being priced out and the struggle to try to stay here was definitely something Kevin connected with.” For years after meeting Corrigan, Menke wrote possible projects. “I would periodically get up the nerve to send them to him,” the writer said, “and he liked this one.”
Menke met Bartok when the actor appeared on his monthly variety show hosted by New York’s filthiest marionette, The Arty Need Show. Originally, the show was about two down and out actors — with a running gag that Corrigan would always get recognized for his role in “Goodfellas,” while Bartok got mistaken as someone’s cousin’s ex. “With the added backdrop of gentrification, the project has deepened exponentially,” said Bartok. “It gives it that meaning, that edge, that wow, this is relevant.”
Read More: Mary Stuart Masterson Wants to Open a Movie Studio in Upstate NY
Though he may be less recognizable than Corrigan, Bartok cut his teeth with bit parts in classics like “The Fisher King,” and “School Ties.” More recently, he has written and produced two features; “The Cake Eaters,” with Kristin Stewart and Bruce Dern, which won best feature at The Stony Brook Film Festival in 2008, and “Fall to Rise,” starring Daphne Rubin-Vega.
The gentrification subject is particularly relevant to Bartok, whose artist mother moved him to Soho when he was eleven. “We moved to Soho when it was bodegas and art galleries, that kind of ‘After Hours’ Martin Scorsese Soho, and over 20 years I watched it become this kind of Euro mall.” Bartok was a Soho holdout until five years ago, when he moved to the Fort Greene neighborhood in Brooklyn. “You couldn’t leave the house on weekends,” he said. “There was no neighborhood anymore.”
The series has a bit of an “Odd Couple” feel, with Bartok playing the naïve newbie and Corrigan schooling his character on the real New York. The team is hoping the five-minute episodes will gain momentum like the hit web series “High Maintenance,” and get picked up for television.
Why are such accomplished film and television actors turning to web content? According to Bartok, “these days, just business wise, when you have major movie stars doing pilot after pilot, and you’re competing with Tony winners for one episode of ‘Elementary,’ you’re like wow, this is it, it truly is an actor’s life.”
It almost sounds as tough as say, holding out on a New York apartment.
“The Holdouts” is produced by Savin Rock Entertainment. Help get it made by contributing on Kickstarter.
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Related storiesThis Week On Home Video: Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom' on Criterion, 'Pitch Perfect 2' on Blu-ray, and More'Results' Director Andrew Bujalski Doesn't Want You to Call His Movies 'Mumblecore'Interview: Andrew Bujalski On How 'Results' Is Like 'Persona,' Guy Pearce's Accent, And Much More...
“Kevin and I for a while had been sending each other the Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York thing, bitching at four in the morning about something closing,” Menke said, speaking from his rent-controlled Williamsburg studio. “Being a native New Yorker as he is, the underlying theme of people being priced out and the struggle to try to stay here was definitely something Kevin connected with.” For years after meeting Corrigan, Menke wrote possible projects. “I would periodically get up the nerve to send them to him,” the writer said, “and he liked this one.”
Menke met Bartok when the actor appeared on his monthly variety show hosted by New York’s filthiest marionette, The Arty Need Show. Originally, the show was about two down and out actors — with a running gag that Corrigan would always get recognized for his role in “Goodfellas,” while Bartok got mistaken as someone’s cousin’s ex. “With the added backdrop of gentrification, the project has deepened exponentially,” said Bartok. “It gives it that meaning, that edge, that wow, this is relevant.”
Read More: Mary Stuart Masterson Wants to Open a Movie Studio in Upstate NY
Though he may be less recognizable than Corrigan, Bartok cut his teeth with bit parts in classics like “The Fisher King,” and “School Ties.” More recently, he has written and produced two features; “The Cake Eaters,” with Kristin Stewart and Bruce Dern, which won best feature at The Stony Brook Film Festival in 2008, and “Fall to Rise,” starring Daphne Rubin-Vega.
The gentrification subject is particularly relevant to Bartok, whose artist mother moved him to Soho when he was eleven. “We moved to Soho when it was bodegas and art galleries, that kind of ‘After Hours’ Martin Scorsese Soho, and over 20 years I watched it become this kind of Euro mall.” Bartok was a Soho holdout until five years ago, when he moved to the Fort Greene neighborhood in Brooklyn. “You couldn’t leave the house on weekends,” he said. “There was no neighborhood anymore.”
The series has a bit of an “Odd Couple” feel, with Bartok playing the naïve newbie and Corrigan schooling his character on the real New York. The team is hoping the five-minute episodes will gain momentum like the hit web series “High Maintenance,” and get picked up for television.
Why are such accomplished film and television actors turning to web content? According to Bartok, “these days, just business wise, when you have major movie stars doing pilot after pilot, and you’re competing with Tony winners for one episode of ‘Elementary,’ you’re like wow, this is it, it truly is an actor’s life.”
It almost sounds as tough as say, holding out on a New York apartment.
“The Holdouts” is produced by Savin Rock Entertainment. Help get it made by contributing on Kickstarter.
Stay on top of the latest news! Sign up for our email newsletter here.
Related storiesThis Week On Home Video: Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom' on Criterion, 'Pitch Perfect 2' on Blu-ray, and More'Results' Director Andrew Bujalski Doesn't Want You to Call His Movies 'Mumblecore'Interview: Andrew Bujalski On How 'Results' Is Like 'Persona,' Guy Pearce's Accent, And Much More...
- 6/14/2016
- by Judith Dry
- Indiewire
HBO has announced its slate of upcoming fall TV shows, which excitingly includes the oft-delayed sci-fi theme park series Westworld, based on Michael Crichton’s 1973 film of the same name. Earlier in 2016, HBO halted production of the series, confusing viewers as to when exactly they would be able to see it air. There’s no specific date nailed down for it just yet, but at least we know it’s coming at some point in 2016.
The series will star Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood and James Marsden as denizens of a western theme park where human-like androids begin to exhibit eerie artificial intelligence outside of their intended parameters. HBO also confirmed that the first season will consist of ten episodes.
Another new series sees the return of network favorite Sarah Jessica Parker in Divorce, which is set to be a new half-hour comedy/drama series about the titular...
The series will star Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood and James Marsden as denizens of a western theme park where human-like androids begin to exhibit eerie artificial intelligence outside of their intended parameters. HBO also confirmed that the first season will consist of ten episodes.
Another new series sees the return of network favorite Sarah Jessica Parker in Divorce, which is set to be a new half-hour comedy/drama series about the titular...
- 5/26/2016
- by Mitchel Broussard
- We Got This Covered
Ordinarily, a channel announcing the rough time of year when a show will debut wouldn't be worthy of much note. In the case of HBO and Westworld — which will debut at some point in the fall, along with new Sarah Jessica Parker comedy Divorce (created by Catastrophe's Sharon Horgan), Issa Rae comedy Insecure, and a TV version of web comedy High Maintenance — it's a different story. HBO has been through a lot of turmoil the last few years, especially on the drama side of things where it's been so dominant for so long. Game of Thrones is a world-beater, but it likely only has a couple of more seasons to go. Meanwhile, The Leftovers never really caught on (despite being TV's best drama) and will end after its (still-unscheduled) third season, Vinyl was a disappointment in terms of ratings and reviews and fired its original showrunner, True Detective seems unlikely to ever return,...
- 5/26/2016
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
After much delay, HBO's sci-fi drama "Westworld" has finally secured a premiere date with the ambitious series confirmed to be airing in October. The network also announced the season would consist of ten episodes.
Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton and Jeffrey Wright star in this loose reinterpretation of Michael Crichton's 1973 sci-fi film about a futuristic theme park where visitors can live out their dark fantasies with ultra-realistic android.
The announcement was revealed by the network today along with confirmation of Fall debuts three new comedy series - the Sarah Jessica Parker-led "Divorce," the Issa Rae-led "Insecure" and the pot comedy "High Maintenance".
Source: EW...
Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton and Jeffrey Wright star in this loose reinterpretation of Michael Crichton's 1973 sci-fi film about a futuristic theme park where visitors can live out their dark fantasies with ultra-realistic android.
The announcement was revealed by the network today along with confirmation of Fall debuts three new comedy series - the Sarah Jessica Parker-led "Divorce," the Issa Rae-led "Insecure" and the pot comedy "High Maintenance".
Source: EW...
- 5/26/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
The Legend of Gavin and the New Best Mate cast.
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Mandy McElhinney and Adam Zwar have joined the cast of Perth Production company Mad Kids' new ABC half-hour pilot The Legend of Gavin Tanner..
Originally a 5-part web series, The Legend of Gavin Tanner is set to make the leap from YouTube to TV having been commissioned for ABC Comedy Showroom, the network.s primetime comedy pilot season, which kicks off this Wednesday April 27 and runs across six Wednesdays.
ABC Comedy Showroom has collected Australia.s top comic talent for six half hour pilots, each the first episode of a brand new sitcom..
ABC audiences will be given the opportunity to vote on which they would like to return as full series. The pilot season is a joint initiative with Screen Australia in association with Film Victoria, Screen Nsw and ScreenWest.
The pilot, entitled:.The Legend of Gavin and...
.
Mandy McElhinney and Adam Zwar have joined the cast of Perth Production company Mad Kids' new ABC half-hour pilot The Legend of Gavin Tanner..
Originally a 5-part web series, The Legend of Gavin Tanner is set to make the leap from YouTube to TV having been commissioned for ABC Comedy Showroom, the network.s primetime comedy pilot season, which kicks off this Wednesday April 27 and runs across six Wednesdays.
ABC Comedy Showroom has collected Australia.s top comic talent for six half hour pilots, each the first episode of a brand new sitcom..
ABC audiences will be given the opportunity to vote on which they would like to return as full series. The pilot season is a joint initiative with Screen Australia in association with Film Victoria, Screen Nsw and ScreenWest.
The pilot, entitled:.The Legend of Gavin and...
- 4/26/2016
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
A version of this story first appeared in the Feb. 5 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. The grass definitely is greener at some broadcast and cable TV networks as marijuana-themed comedies suddenly are in high demand. Superproducer Chuck Lorre (The Big Bang Theory) is among those exploring the subject with Disjointed, an ensemble comedy about a group of potheads set at a Colorado marijuana dispensary that hit the marketplace Jan. 15. That project joins the Jan. 6 series pickup for Comedy Central's Time Traveling Bong, HBO's web series adaptation High Maintenance
read more...
read more...
- 1/29/2016
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Below, you’ll find a list of HBO, Cinemax, Starz, and Showtime’s recent/current/upcoming scripted TV shows and their current status. To see a series’ ratings and how many episodes have aired (if any), click the links in the middle column (where available).
Shows covered include: The Affair, Ash Vs Evil Dead, Ballers, Banshee, Billions, Black Sails, Blunt Talk, The Brink, Codes of Conduct, The Comeback, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Da Vinci's Demons, Doll & Em, Episodes, Flesh and Bone, Game Of Thrones, Getting On, The Girlfriend Experience, Girls, Happyish, High Maintenance, Homeland, House Of Lies, The Knick, The Leftovers, Looking, Masters Of Sex, The Missing, Nurse Jackie, Outcast, Outlander, Penny Dreadful, Power, Quarry, Ray Donovan, Shameless, Silicon Valley, Strike Back, Survivor's Remorse, Togetherness, True Detective, Twin Peaks, Veep, Vice Principals, Vinyl, Web Therapy, Westworld, The Young Pope, ...
Shows covered include: The Affair, Ash Vs Evil Dead, Ballers, Banshee, Billions, Black Sails, Blunt Talk, The Brink, Codes of Conduct, The Comeback, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Da Vinci's Demons, Doll & Em, Episodes, Flesh and Bone, Game Of Thrones, Getting On, The Girlfriend Experience, Girls, Happyish, High Maintenance, Homeland, House Of Lies, The Knick, The Leftovers, Looking, Masters Of Sex, The Missing, Nurse Jackie, Outcast, Outlander, Penny Dreadful, Power, Quarry, Ray Donovan, Shameless, Silicon Valley, Strike Back, Survivor's Remorse, Togetherness, True Detective, Twin Peaks, Veep, Vice Principals, Vinyl, Web Therapy, Westworld, The Young Pope, ...
- 12/18/2015
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Mad Kids to produce half hour ABC pilot of web series The Legend of Gavin Tanner
.
The ABC has commissioned West Australian production company Mad Kids to produce their first TV pilot adapted from web series The Legend of Gavin Tanner.
The half hour pilot, which has started production in Perth, is part of the network's new primetime comedy season, ABC Comedy Showroom.
ABC Comedy Showroom has collected Australia.s top comic talent for six pilots, each the first episode of a brand new sitcom..
ABC audiences will be given the opportunity to vote on which they would like to return as full series..
The pilot season is a joint initiative with Screen Australia in association with Film Victoria, Screen Nsw and ScreenWest.
From Perth-based production company Mad Kids, The Legend of Gavin Tanner pilot is written and directed by Matt Lovkis and Henry Inglis and produced by Lauren Elliott.
.
The ABC has commissioned West Australian production company Mad Kids to produce their first TV pilot adapted from web series The Legend of Gavin Tanner.
The half hour pilot, which has started production in Perth, is part of the network's new primetime comedy season, ABC Comedy Showroom.
ABC Comedy Showroom has collected Australia.s top comic talent for six pilots, each the first episode of a brand new sitcom..
ABC audiences will be given the opportunity to vote on which they would like to return as full series..
The pilot season is a joint initiative with Screen Australia in association with Film Victoria, Screen Nsw and ScreenWest.
From Perth-based production company Mad Kids, The Legend of Gavin Tanner pilot is written and directed by Matt Lovkis and Henry Inglis and produced by Lauren Elliott.
- 12/14/2015
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Leading Tvc production house Revolver and former Screen Australia and Goalpost Pictures executive Martha Coleman have launched film and TV production banner Revlover.
The new company is developing a big slate of projects with entities such as Goalpost, Foxtel, eOne and Transmission Films.
Christopher Sharp, former director of development at Screen Queensland and development executive at Screen Australia, is Revlover.s head of development.
Founded in the 1990s and owned by Steve Rogers and Michael Ritchie, Revolver represents Justin Kurzel, The Glue Society.s Matt Devine and Gary Freedman, Rogers, Simon McQuoid, Tim Godsall and a number of other directors with whom Coleman is keen to work.
.Michael and Steve have been wanting to expand into long form film and television for some time but they know that many commercials companies who try to cross over fail because they work outside of the industry, not within it, . says Coleman, a...
The new company is developing a big slate of projects with entities such as Goalpost, Foxtel, eOne and Transmission Films.
Christopher Sharp, former director of development at Screen Queensland and development executive at Screen Australia, is Revlover.s head of development.
Founded in the 1990s and owned by Steve Rogers and Michael Ritchie, Revolver represents Justin Kurzel, The Glue Society.s Matt Devine and Gary Freedman, Rogers, Simon McQuoid, Tim Godsall and a number of other directors with whom Coleman is keen to work.
.Michael and Steve have been wanting to expand into long form film and television for some time but they know that many commercials companies who try to cross over fail because they work outside of the industry, not within it, . says Coleman, a...
- 11/2/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
This morning, Vimeo announced a new slate of “Vimeo Originals,” serialized and short form content available for purchase exclusively on the streaming platform. Now that their first Original, High Maintenance, has moved to HBO, Vimeo is going beyond the web series, and into comedy specials and short films. Bianca del Rio’s Rolodex of Hate Comedy Special will premiere in December, while The Outs and Aidy Bryant’s Darby Forever will follow early next year. As much as Vimeo is pushing the envelope in its embrace of different formats and particular demographics, the selections corroborate comedy as internet king. Via Vimeo, below is a rundown of each of the three Vimeo Originals on the […]...
- 10/8/2015
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
This morning, Vimeo announced a new slate of “Vimeo Originals,” serialized and short form content available for purchase exclusively on the streaming platform. Now that their first Original, High Maintenance, has moved to HBO, Vimeo is going beyond the web series, and into comedy specials and short films. Bianca del Rio’s Rolodex of Hate Comedy Special will premiere in December, while The Outs and Aidy Bryant’s Darby Forever will follow early next year. As much as Vimeo is pushing the envelope in its embrace of different formats and particular demographics, the selections corroborate comedy as internet king. Via Vimeo, below is a rundown of each of the three Vimeo Originals on the […]...
- 10/8/2015
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Vimeo today announced its first-ever full slate of original programming, including "The Outs," the critically acclaimed web series from Adam Goldman and Sasha Winters. The first season of "The Outs" debuted on Vimeo in 2012 and Vimeo now will fund a second season of the web series about young gay life in New York City. Read More: HBO Gets Some 'High Maintenance' in Latest Win for Vimeo VOD Series Since Vimeo doesn't carry advertising, the investment in original material is intended to encourage more viewers to pay for content by renting or buying shows and movies from Vimeo on Demand and to drive creators to post content to the site as opposed to YouTube or other video platforms. Also on the new originals slate is "Darby Forever," an original short film from "Saturday Night Live" breakout cast member Aidy Bryant, which will star Bryant along with Lukas Jones, Retta...
- 10/8/2015
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
In 2014, Vimeo announced that High Maintenance, a smoky web series regarded as one of the Internet’s best, would be the platform’s first ever original series. Vimeo agreed to finance six new episodes of High Maintenance and delivered on that promise a few months later.
Now, a year on from the start of its original programming experiment, Vimeo is taking a huge step forward. It has announced its first ever “slate” of originals, one that includes a new season of acclaimed indie series The Outs, a short film from Saturday Night Live cast member Aidy Bryant, and a stand-up special starring acerbic drag queen Bianca Del Rio.
The three projects in Vimeo’s new originals slate took very different paths to get there. The Outs, like High Maintenance, got its start as an exemplary indie web series (one that happened to use the Vimeo player). Creator Adam Goldman has helmed several well-received projects,...
Now, a year on from the start of its original programming experiment, Vimeo is taking a huge step forward. It has announced its first ever “slate” of originals, one that includes a new season of acclaimed indie series The Outs, a short film from Saturday Night Live cast member Aidy Bryant, and a stand-up special starring acerbic drag queen Bianca Del Rio.
The three projects in Vimeo’s new originals slate took very different paths to get there. The Outs, like High Maintenance, got its start as an exemplary indie web series (one that happened to use the Vimeo player). Creator Adam Goldman has helmed several well-received projects,...
- 10/8/2015
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Close-Up is a column that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Two Lovers is playing on Mubi in the Us through September 15.Little Odessa (1994), The Yards (2000), We Own the Night (2007), The Immigrant (2013): Written and directed by James Gray, these four films are occupied by characters living extraordinary lives. Yet despite their depiction of an exceptional existence—covering cold-blooded killers, cunning gangsters, ruthless hit men, and the perilous plight of early 20th century immigrants—Gray's cinematic worlds are consistently unassuming and relatable. No matter how high the drama or how dire the circumstances, there is a palpable attention to detail, in character and setting, which attains a surprising level of modest believability. Two Lovers (2009), his fourth feature film, likewise achieves this authenticity, but it is also something of an exemption to his body of work. Anchored by Joaquin Phoenix as Leonard Kraditor, in what was the actor's third straight film...
- 8/16/2015
- by Jeremy Carr
- MUBI
It feels like we've been waiting forever, but finally Love Island is less than a week away! Yep, the brand new civilian-only reboot of the show begins on Sunday, but if you can't wait that long, you're in luck - we've got our hands on all the info you need about the 12 sexy singles jetting to Mallorca in an attempt to find love. Read on to meet them...
The Girls
Rachel Christie
Age: 26
Job: Former athlete, model, and single mum
Fun fact: She is the niece of Linford Christie
Turn-on: A good personality and a family man ("I tell men straight away that I'm a mum"). Physically: "They have to look good, but I've learned that's not everything. I'd like him to be tall, athletic, not with big muscles but he should work out."
Turn-off: Arrogance, untidiness, men who think they're better than everyone else, and "loud and obnoxious" behaviour.
The Girls
Rachel Christie
Age: 26
Job: Former athlete, model, and single mum
Fun fact: She is the niece of Linford Christie
Turn-on: A good personality and a family man ("I tell men straight away that I'm a mum"). Physically: "They have to look good, but I've learned that's not everything. I'd like him to be tall, athletic, not with big muscles but he should work out."
Turn-off: Arrogance, untidiness, men who think they're better than everyone else, and "loud and obnoxious" behaviour.
- 6/1/2015
- Digital Spy
Tubefilter: How does it feel to have one million subscribers? What do you have to say to your fans?
CineFix: We still occasionally refresh the page to make sure it doesn't say 1,000. We've been making a lot of videos for over a year and a half and 1 Million Subscribers is always this lofty goal you hope to hit one day...like someday in the far future. So the fact that it happened and now we have to set goals that sound even crazier is amazing, and unbelievable, and it makes us incredibly grateful there's so many people out there who like our stuff and want to know as soon as it comes out.
At the end of the day, all we do is make videos we are proud of and we think celebrate film in fun ways. We cross our fingers that other people will like them. So, if there's...
CineFix: We still occasionally refresh the page to make sure it doesn't say 1,000. We've been making a lot of videos for over a year and a half and 1 Million Subscribers is always this lofty goal you hope to hit one day...like someday in the far future. So the fact that it happened and now we have to set goals that sound even crazier is amazing, and unbelievable, and it makes us incredibly grateful there's so many people out there who like our stuff and want to know as soon as it comes out.
At the end of the day, all we do is make videos we are proud of and we think celebrate film in fun ways. We cross our fingers that other people will like them. So, if there's...
- 5/29/2015
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
HBO will soon be home to an odd extraterrestrial character and talk show host. The television network has ordered a pilot from Funny or Die based on its YouTube web series The Gorburger Show.
Created by directors and writers Josh Martin and Ryan McNeely, The Gorburger Show will be based on the same premise as the Funny or Die series. In Gorburger, the titular character (voiced by T.J. Miller) is a giant blue alien who has taken over a Japanese talk show, holding the staff and crew hostage while attempting to learn about humanity by way of celebrity, artist, and cultural icon interviews. The HBO pilot of Gorburger will feature guest stars Moby, Ed Helms, and Johnny Knoxville, as well as a performance from the band Eagles of Death Metal.
Martin and McNeely will executive produce The Gorburger Show pilot alongside Dave Becky of 3 Arts, Sean Boyle and Mike Farah of Funny or Die,...
Created by directors and writers Josh Martin and Ryan McNeely, The Gorburger Show will be based on the same premise as the Funny or Die series. In Gorburger, the titular character (voiced by T.J. Miller) is a giant blue alien who has taken over a Japanese talk show, holding the staff and crew hostage while attempting to learn about humanity by way of celebrity, artist, and cultural icon interviews. The HBO pilot of Gorburger will feature guest stars Moby, Ed Helms, and Johnny Knoxville, as well as a performance from the band Eagles of Death Metal.
Martin and McNeely will executive produce The Gorburger Show pilot alongside Dave Becky of 3 Arts, Sean Boyle and Mike Farah of Funny or Die,...
- 5/27/2015
- by Bree Brouwer
- Tubefilter.com
In the winter of 2014, during the polar vortex in NYC, I walked into a restaurant called Freeman's on the Lower East Side. A friend of mine was late for lunch, and as I sat there waiting, I struck up a conversation with the very tall, friendly hostess who I swore I recognized from somewhere. It was Kati Rediger, a brilliant actress, whom I had almost cast as the lead in my play "The Talls" a few years earlier. I don't believe in fate but…well, okay, maybe I do. That chance meeting set one of my favorite creative collaborations in motion. Read More: 'High Maintenance' Creators on Short Filmmaking Opportunities Online Kati and her then fiancée, now husband, Ashley Springer, wanted to make a short film that showcased Ashley's magic abilities. (Ashley has acted in a bunch of indies as an adult, but as a kid he was a straight-up magician prodigy.
- 5/13/2015
- by Anna Kerrigan
- Indiewire
Interviewing Connor Hines is a little like stepping into an episode of "Local Attraction," the YouTube series he wrote, directed and starred in. Each 15-20 minute episode features two new and original characters - a man (played by Hines) and a woman - on a date after meeting on Tinder. Read More: Tribeca: 'High Maintenance' Creators On Short Filmmaking Opportunities Online Usually uncomfortable, often funny, the series is simple but relatable and can be watched in any order. The first installment, as of this writing, has just over 343,000 views, the most of the series, but the sixth episode has perhaps the highest fame quotient; it stars Glenn Close. Maybe thanks to that, the series caught the attention of ABC Studios, who offered Hines the pilot deal he's been working on for nearly a year. Hines spoke to Indiewire about the making -- and, more terrifying, the posting -- of those first few episodes,...
- 5/10/2015
- by Elizabeth Logan
- Indiewire
Read More: Tribeca: 'High Maintenance' Creators on Short Filmmaking Opportunities Online Celebrate the Muppets legacy with a series of brand new Muppetastic videos: The Muppets Studio and YouTube Space La have teamed up to give fans all-new content featuring the beloved gang, and maybe even make new fans in the process. "With YouTube and the Muppets – anything goes and you never know what's going to happen next," said Kermit the Frog in a statement. "It's a perfect match! We're excited to work with all their amazing talent and we're eager to prove that you do not have to be a cat to make great videos. Pigs, frogs and bears can make them too!" Some of YouTube's biggest stars came on board for the project: The talent includes violinist Lindsey Stirling, a cappella performer Mike Tompkins and educational channel CrashCourse. The videos they created with the Muppets will premiere...
- 5/4/2015
- by Travis Clark
- Indiewire
Most audiences think of the feature-length film as 90 minutes or longer. The 30-50 minute "medium length" film has proved something of a conundrum for the American festival and distribution landscape. But filmmakers who work within those restrictions have found plenty of benefits. Read More: Tribeca: 'High Maintenance' Creators on Short Filmmaking Opportunities Online "I don't know about you," said Matt Porterfield, when discussing his new 30-minute film "Take What You Can Carry," "but I've always thought of my days as made up of half-hour segments, not hours. It's a valuable unit of time." Regardless of the quality of these long shorts or short features, their chances for maximal visibility are almost immediately diminished from the moment the edit is locked. Programmers must resort to knocking out three or four other contenders to wedge a medium-length film into a shorts block, while acquisition offers remain slimmer than the already.
- 4/28/2015
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Indiewire
Comedy Central has announced that it has given a fourth-season renewal to "Inside Amy Schumer," a day before the third season premiere goes to air. The renewal comes following Schumer's well-received if low-rated MTV Movie Awards hosting gig along with her starring role in Judd Apatow's "Trainwreck".
TV Land's single-camera comedy "Younger" has also scored a pick up for a second season. The Darren Star-produced series is set to garner a second season of twelve episodes. The story follows a recently divorced 40-year-old mother (Foster) who gets a makeover in a bid to re-enter the workforce and appear as a 20-something.
Not so fortunate is MTV's freshman drama "Eye Candy". The show's star Victoria Justice has confirmed that the series has been canceled and will not return for a second season. The ten episode series debuted in January and averaged 592,000 total viewers during its run. It's not...
TV Land's single-camera comedy "Younger" has also scored a pick up for a second season. The Darren Star-produced series is set to garner a second season of twelve episodes. The story follows a recently divorced 40-year-old mother (Foster) who gets a makeover in a bid to re-enter the workforce and appear as a 20-something.
Not so fortunate is MTV's freshman drama "Eye Candy". The show's star Victoria Justice has confirmed that the series has been canceled and will not return for a second season. The ten episode series debuted in January and averaged 592,000 total viewers during its run. It's not...
- 4/21/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
In news so well-timed, it probably sent executives into giggle fits, HBO announced today that it was picking up pot-delivery web series High Maintenance for a new six-episode season. It's unclear how long each episode of the HBO High Maintenance will be — webisodes ran between 5 and 12 minutes each — or whether the new version will maintain the series' anthologized narrative. Rest assured, though, that the old High Maintenance will still be around: HBO also announced that the show's first 19 installments, previously available on Vimeo, will go up on HBO Go and HBO Now eventually. Anyway, with this and Broad City, it's clear you need to stop procrastinating on writing your own Brooklyn web series. Go download Final Draft — riches await you!
- 4/20/2015
- by Nate Jones
- Vulture
The 2015 Writers Guild Awards in television turned out to be Good and True.
RelatedTrue Detective: Rachel McAdams and Season 2 Character Details Confirmed
HBO’s True Detective picked up two WGA trophies (for Best Drama Series and Best New Series), while The Good Wife landed a trophy for “Best Episodic Drama” — honoring an individual episode — for “The Last Call,” the hour written by EPs Robert and Michelle King that followed the shocking death of Josh Charles’ Will Gardner.
On the comedy side, FX’s Louie won Best Comedy Series and Best Episodic Comedy (for the widely lauded “So Did...
RelatedTrue Detective: Rachel McAdams and Season 2 Character Details Confirmed
HBO’s True Detective picked up two WGA trophies (for Best Drama Series and Best New Series), while The Good Wife landed a trophy for “Best Episodic Drama” — honoring an individual episode — for “The Last Call,” the hour written by EPs Robert and Michelle King that followed the shocking death of Josh Charles’ Will Gardner.
On the comedy side, FX’s Louie won Best Comedy Series and Best Episodic Comedy (for the widely lauded “So Did...
- 2/15/2015
- TVLine.com
The second half of the new season of High Maintenance has arrived on Vimeo, and just like the rest of the show, it's terrific, even if they are gently satirizing one's exact self! These three episodes ($1.99 each, or $7.99 for the whole season) include Orange Is the New Black's Yael Stone, a ferret, some real talk about Ditmas Park, a stolen kayak or two, and many, many familiar faces from previous installments. How are there only 19 episodes of this show?...
- 2/5/2015
- by Margaret Lyons
- Vulture
In a recent interview Bipasha Basu very earnestly claimed that Bhushan Patel’s earlier films were heavily influenced by others and that Alone is his first film which is truly ‘his’. Now having seen Alone we can safely say we prefer the influenced Bhushan Patel. Sure 1920 & Ragini Mms 2 weren’t path breaking cinema but what they did manage to do was keep you remotely engaged.
The makers of Alone try to combine stock standard background scores notes and Bipasha’s excruciating heavy breathing and screeching cries and hope the outcome is an engrossing horror film. What they forget is that somehow you also need to ensure the audiences remain in the seat for the duration of the film, which is quite the challenge when enduring Alone.
High maintenance wife Sanjana (Bipasha Basu) is a continuous whine fest. You don’t spend time with me, you’re different now, I...
The makers of Alone try to combine stock standard background scores notes and Bipasha’s excruciating heavy breathing and screeching cries and hope the outcome is an engrossing horror film. What they forget is that somehow you also need to ensure the audiences remain in the seat for the duration of the film, which is quite the challenge when enduring Alone.
High maintenance wife Sanjana (Bipasha Basu) is a continuous whine fest. You don’t spend time with me, you’re different now, I...
- 1/18/2015
- by Prathna Tiwari
- Bollyspice
While YouTube has kinda sorta resurrected its multi-million dollar Original Channels Initiative and is on the job to finance new content from some of its top creators, one of the site’s largest multi-channel networks just inked a deal to receive cash for exclusive programming from a different source.
Vimeo announced today a partnership with Maker Studios in which the video-sharing site will fund original content from the massive McN and its roster of over 55,000 creators and distribute that content by way of exclusive windows on Vimeo On Demand.
“We’re excited to welcome Maker’s incredible community of creators to the Vimeo On Demand platform, allowing them to bring their content to new audiences and earn more revenue through direct VOD sales,” said Vimeo’s CEO, Kerry Trainor in the release.
Details aside from the fact the deal exists are scarce. The dollar figures associated with the funding of original programming,...
Vimeo announced today a partnership with Maker Studios in which the video-sharing site will fund original content from the massive McN and its roster of over 55,000 creators and distribute that content by way of exclusive windows on Vimeo On Demand.
“We’re excited to welcome Maker’s incredible community of creators to the Vimeo On Demand platform, allowing them to bring their content to new audiences and earn more revenue through direct VOD sales,” said Vimeo’s CEO, Kerry Trainor in the release.
Details aside from the fact the deal exists are scarce. The dollar figures associated with the funding of original programming,...
- 1/15/2015
- by Joshua Cohen
- Tubefilter.com
“High Maintenance,” Lupita Nyong’o, Kevin Spacey, Judy Greer—from the looks of the Backstage covers, it’s been a pretty epic year! Relive 2014 with us as we look back on our year in cover stories! Rita MorenoThe Egot winner received the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award and graced our first cover of the new year! Read the full story here. Rebecca HallBest known for film roles including “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and “The Prestige,” Rebecca Hall took both Broadway and the Jan. 9 Backstage cover by storm this year, and made waves with Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of “Machinal.” Read the full story here. Jonathan GroffLong after his “Spring Awakening” days, Jonathan Groff graced the Jan. 16 Backstage cover to kick of what would go on to be one of the best years of his career; his HBO “Looking” got renewed for Season 2, and we all know how “Frozen” turned out!
- 12/30/2014
- backstage.com
Vimeo had a big year in 2014, as its on demand offerings expanded to include a greater number of web series, films, and live events. At the same time, the online video platform continued to offer the same selection it has always offered: Artsy videos from talented indie filmmakers. In order to highlight a few of the best efforts from the past year, Vimeo has revealed its list of the top ten Vimeo videos of 2014.
The entries in the list are a mixed bag, but they mostly fall exactly where you'd expect. Among the top ten, there are some film festival favorites, an animated comedy, a few works from foreign creators, and an offbeat video game documentary. I am personally most partial to Slomo, an elegant "portrait doc" about a California rollerblade enthusiast.
Beyond its top ten, Vimeo also highlighted a few selections from its Vimeo On Demand library. Those choices include an experimental film,...
The entries in the list are a mixed bag, but they mostly fall exactly where you'd expect. Among the top ten, there are some film festival favorites, an animated comedy, a few works from foreign creators, and an offbeat video game documentary. I am personally most partial to Slomo, an elegant "portrait doc" about a California rollerblade enthusiast.
Beyond its top ten, Vimeo also highlighted a few selections from its Vimeo On Demand library. Those choices include an experimental film,...
- 12/26/2014
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
It’s a good day to be a television fan. No matter what you’re watching, the WGA has you covered, honoring an eclectic round-up of small-screen entertainment for its annual awards ceremony. Thursday morning, Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) and the Writers Guild of America, East (Wgae) announced nominations for outstanding achievement in television, new media, news, radio, and promotional writing during 2014. Winners will be honored at the 2015 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 14, 2015, at simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York City. No one show dominated the WGA’s various categories. "Game of Thrones" and "Mad Men" nabbed nominations for individual episode nods and Drama Series, while "True Detective" squeezed into the latter category along with a mention in New Series. Amazon Prime’s "Transparent" is the heavy-hitter in the comedy category, earning spots in the Comedy Series, New Series, and Episodic Comedy categories. Check out...
- 12/4/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
A version of this story first appeared in the Dec. 5 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. In the two years since High Maintenance began streaming on Vimeo, the original web series about a marijuana dealer and his eclectic Brooklyn clientele has attracted a loyal audience and even some critical acclaim. But for the series' fifth season, which premiered Nov. 11, the video site known as "the upscale YouTube" tried something different: It invested in the project and began charging $2 an episode, or $8 for the entire six-episode season. Vimeo isn't disclosing viewership numbers, but CEO Kerry Trainor
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- 11/25/2014
- by Chris O'Falt, Natalie Jarvey
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New installments of the beloved web series High Maintenance are finally here! The first three episodes of the season are now available on Vimeo for $1.99 each, or for $7.99 for a yearlong rental for all three. The new episodes, "Geiger," "Genghis," and "Ruth," all include callbacks to the first two seasons, so a complete rewatch is definitely in order. And maybe a call … to a … guy … is also in order.
- 11/11/2014
- by Margaret Lyons
- Vulture
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