XL-H1 Feature makes it to sundance at DVinfo.net

Nick Hiltgen · November 27th, 2006, 08:44 AM

Just got word last night that the feature we shot in january (the signal) with my xl-h1 and the mini 35 has been accepted and will be screening at sundance. We're all really excited about this and I'll keep everyone posted as events occur.

Mathieu Ghekiere · November 27th, 2006, 08:55 AM

Nice! Congratulations, Sundance is a big festival, isn't it?
I reviewed your trailer a while ago, and I found it to be interesting.

Nick Hiltgen · November 27th, 2006, 09:38 AM

Yeah the movie has really changed since they cut the trailer, but it still gives you an idea about what's happening I suppose. Sundance is pretty big in the U.S. not quite Cannes but still pretty big. More importantaly it could mean a wider distribution (then just dvd's at blockbuster) if someone else picks it up.

John Richard · November 27th, 2006, 09:43 AM

Sundance and the Toronto, Canada film festivals are the big daddies for No America. Getting a film into Sundance is a huge accomplishment. Congrats on succeeding at an awesome undertaking.

Sundance is crawling with distributors looking for purchases - good luck with this next step up the ladder!

Barry Kay · November 27th, 2006, 10:08 AM

Congradulations! I think Sundance is Big! Maybe it leans towards the founder "Robert Redford" type folks but all the more better.

P.S. - Could you put up a link again to this video or your trailer. We might want to get your autograph before the big show.

David Bertinelli · November 27th, 2006, 10:38 AM

Congrats!! That is awesome. I'd love to see a trailer or know more about your film.

Sundance is crazy. It gets bigger and bigger every year. The party scene is incredible but I really enjoy the discussion groups and technology seminars.

Getting into see some of the films is nearly impossible but the vast majority that I have seen have been worth the effort. The other that I really enjoy is a chance to see a film that may never be shown publicly again.

Cheers,
D

Michael Wisniewski · November 27th, 2006, 10:57 AM

Congrats Nick! That's really great news. Good luck at Sundance.

Ken Diewert · November 27th, 2006, 06:14 PM

Hey Nick,

Awesome news!

Have you guys re-cut that trailer?

Barlow Elton · November 27th, 2006, 11:27 PM

Great news Nick! I'll be sure to go to the screening and hope to meet you if you're there.

Will you be screening from HDCAM?

Steve Rosen · November 28th, 2006, 07:16 PM

Congratulations: I've had films in almost every festival from the Czech Republic to Hawaii, have won a wall of awards, including several Best Documentary Features, but have never been able to crack Sundance.. It's quite an accomplishment.. hope you're getting your press kit together...

Nick Hiltgen · November 28th, 2006, 11:39 PM

The screening will be from HDCAM (I'm almost positive) everyone's trying to get together the press stuff now. (we honestly thought we had no shot at sundance, slamdance maybe, but not really the sundance thing) So everyone is pulling resources together I think we're going to get a real webpage, (we're currently just using a myspace page) and figuring out business cards or perhaps a more clever way of marketing the movie. For those interested it's kinda an arthouse/zombie horror/romance movie(with comedic elements...) if anyone has some really great ideas to get people to the screening (evidently it's at midnight) feel free to post them.

Oh and thanks everyone for the great wishes, I feel like thi site was instrumental in getting this movie made. (from the original test in december with shannon rawls, to the mini 35, and lit pixel-which may or may not have been a speck of dust, to the different workflows to get the darn footage into an editing system, to even screening the first trailer. I and the rest of the filmmakers give everyone a heartfelt thanks.

Robert Sanders · November 29th, 2006, 04:37 PM

Hire some actors, get them into Zombie makeup, and have them handout miniature glossies of the movie poster (make sure screening info is on the cards).

Nick Hiltgen · November 29th, 2006, 05:09 PM

Thanks robert that's a great Idea I'll suggest it to the producers.

Steve Rosen · November 30th, 2006, 08:07 PM

500+ postcards from Modern Postcards are a must -

a theatrical size poster -

about 50-100 press kits which include 1) talent & crew lists w/bios, 2) short and long synopsis and logline (logline is usually not more than 2 sentences, like a description in TV Guide), 3) a minimum of four production photos printed and on an enclosed CD (not "behind the scenes" photos but pictures from the film - frame grabs will work, but papers and magazines generally prefer bigger files), 4) a page w/ reviews, if any, or quotes from knowledgeable people who have seen the film...

all presented in a nice glossy portfolio either custom printed or with a printed label on the cover - most can be done yourself and reproduced at a place like Staples or Kinkos... they can cost as much as $20-200@ (depending) but well worth it.

Steve Rosen · December 1st, 2006, 08:02 AM

I forgot to mention, although I'm sure your producers already know this stuff, that you also need several "clip reels"... five or six representative clips from the film on BetaSP.. this is for local and regional TV, so it needs to be SP...

The hardest thing about festivals is getting a buz going for your film. A good publicist that can get you local TV and radio, plus reviews in local papers, as well as Variety and Hollywood reporter is nice, but they ain't cheap.

The goal at festivals like Sundance is to get a distribution deal. That means you have to get distributor reps at your screening(s) not just any old audience.

November 27th, 2006, 08:44 AM	#1
Nick Hiltgen Trustee Join Date: May 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 1,427	XL-H1 Feature makes it to sundance Just got word last night that the feature we shot in january (the signal) with my xl-h1 and the mini 35 has been accepted and will be screening at sundance. We're all really excited about this and I'll keep everyone posted as events occur. __________________ I have a dream that one day canon will release a 35mm ef to xl adapter and I'll have iris control and a 35mm dof of all my ef lenses, and it will be awesome...

November 27th, 2006, 08:55 AM	#2
Mathieu Ghekiere Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,195	Nice! Congratulations, Sundance is a big festival, isn't it? I reviewed your trailer a while ago, and I found it to be interesting. __________________ http://productionsofthe3rdkind.com http://pr3k.com

November 27th, 2006, 09:38 AM	#3
Nick Hiltgen Trustee Join Date: May 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 1,427	Yeah the movie has really changed since they cut the trailer, but it still gives you an idea about what's happening I suppose. Sundance is pretty big in the U.S. not quite Cannes but still pretty big. More importantaly it could mean a wider distribution (then just dvd's at blockbuster) if someone else picks it up. __________________ I have a dream that one day canon will release a 35mm ef to xl adapter and I'll have iris control and a 35mm dof of all my ef lenses, and it will be awesome...

November 27th, 2006, 10:57 AM	#7
Michael Wisniewski Wrangler Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Makati, Metro Manila Posts: 2,706 Images: 32	Congrats Nick! That's really great news. Good luck at Sundance. __________________ "Ultimately, the most extraordinary thing, in a frame, is a human being." - Martin Scorsese

November 27th, 2006, 06:14 PM	#8
Ken Diewert Trustee Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Vancouver Island, Canada Posts: 1,200	Hey Nick, Awesome news! Have you guys re-cut that trailer? __________________ C100, 5DMk2, FCPX

November 27th, 2006, 09:43 AM	#4
John Richard Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: Incline Village, Nevada Posts: 604	Sundance and the Toronto, Canada film festivals are the big daddies for No America. Getting a film into Sundance is a huge accomplishment. Congrats on succeeding at an awesome undertaking. Sundance is crawling with distributors looking for purchases - good luck with this next step up the ladder!

November 27th, 2006, 10:08 AM	#5
Barry Kay Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Rural, AZ Posts: 29	Congradulations! I think Sundance is Big! Maybe it leans towards the founder "Robert Redford" type folks but all the more better. P.S. - Could you put up a link again to this video or your trailer. We might want to get your autograph before the big show.

November 27th, 2006, 10:38 AM	#6
David Bertinelli Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Park City, Utah Posts: 36	Congrats!! That is awesome. I'd love to see a trailer or know more about your film. Sundance is crazy. It gets bigger and bigger every year. The party scene is incredible but I really enjoy the discussion groups and technology seminars. Getting into see some of the films is nearly impossible but the vast majority that I have seen have been worth the effort. The other that I really enjoy is a chance to see a film that may never be shown publicly again. Cheers, D

November 27th, 2006, 11:27 PM	#9
Barlow Elton Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UT Posts: 945	Great news Nick! I'll be sure to go to the screening and hope to meet you if you're there. Will you be screening from HDCAM?

November 28th, 2006, 07:16 PM	#10
Steve Rosen Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Monterey, California Posts: 895	Congratulations: I've had films in almost every festival from the Czech Republic to Hawaii, have won a wall of awards, including several Best Documentary Features, but have never been able to crack Sundance.. It's quite an accomplishment.. hope you're getting your press kit together...

November 28th, 2006, 11:39 PM	#11
Nick Hiltgen Trustee Join Date: May 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 1,427	The screening will be from HDCAM (I'm almost positive) everyone's trying to get together the press stuff now. (we honestly thought we had no shot at sundance, slamdance maybe, but not really the sundance thing) So everyone is pulling resources together I think we're going to get a real webpage, (we're currently just using a myspace page) and figuring out business cards or perhaps a more clever way of marketing the movie. For those interested it's kinda an arthouse/zombie horror/romance movie(with comedic elements...) if anyone has some really great ideas to get people to the screening (evidently it's at midnight) feel free to post them. Oh and thanks everyone for the great wishes, I feel like thi site was instrumental in getting this movie made. (from the original test in december with shannon rawls, to the mini 35, and lit pixel-which may or may not have been a speck of dust, to the different workflows to get the darn footage into an editing system, to even screening the first trailer. I and the rest of the filmmakers give everyone a heartfelt thanks. __________________ I have a dream that one day canon will release a 35mm ef to xl adapter and I'll have iris control and a 35mm dof of all my ef lenses, and it will be awesome...

November 29th, 2006, 04:37 PM	#12
Robert Sanders Starway Pictures Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Studio City Posts: 581	Hire some actors, get them into Zombie makeup, and have them handout miniature glossies of the movie poster (make sure screening info is on the cards). __________________ http://www.starwaypictures.com http://starwaypictures.blogspot.com/

November 29th, 2006, 05:09 PM	#13
Nick Hiltgen Trustee Join Date: May 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 1,427	Thanks robert that's a great Idea I'll suggest it to the producers. __________________ I have a dream that one day canon will release a 35mm ef to xl adapter and I'll have iris control and a 35mm dof of all my ef lenses, and it will be awesome...

November 30th, 2006, 08:07 PM	#14
Steve Rosen Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Monterey, California Posts: 895	500+ postcards from Modern Postcards are a must - a theatrical size poster - about 50-100 press kits which include 1) talent & crew lists w/bios, 2) short and long synopsis and logline (logline is usually not more than 2 sentences, like a description in TV Guide), 3) a minimum of four production photos printed and on an enclosed CD (not "behind the scenes" photos but pictures from the film - frame grabs will work, but papers and magazines generally prefer bigger files), 4) a page w/ reviews, if any, or quotes from knowledgeable people who have seen the film... all presented in a nice glossy portfolio either custom printed or with a printed label on the cover - most can be done yourself and reproduced at a place like Staples or Kinkos... they can cost as much as $20-200@ (depending) but well worth it.

December 1st, 2006, 08:02 AM	#15
Steve Rosen Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Monterey, California Posts: 895	I forgot to mention, although I'm sure your producers already know this stuff, that you also need several "clip reels"... five or six representative clips from the film on BetaSP.. this is for local and regional TV, so it needs to be SP... The hardest thing about festivals is getting a buz going for your film. A good publicist that can get you local TV and radio, plus reviews in local papers, as well as Variety and Hollywood reporter is nice, but they ain't cheap. The goal at festivals like Sundance is to get a distribution deal. That means you have to get distributor reps at your screening(s) not just any old audience.