SITE REVIEWS
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Online Help For Filmmakers
If you've been dreaming of filmmaking success along the lines of The Blair Witch Project, but you just don't know how to move beyond lackluster footage of your roommates stumbling around the quad, help is available. Naturally, the Internet boasts dozens of moviemaking web sites—here's a roundup of the best.
The key to getting your movie distributed is getting it seen, and moviemaker.com will tell you how to do it. This web magazine has lists of upcoming festivals plus entry info and tons of informative articles about everything from literary agents to what type of
insurance is needed for filmmakers. Makingfilm.com is another weekly mag with feature articles, news, reviews, and message boards for budding filmmakers.
Digitalidiots.com is the go-to site for tech help in digital filmmaking. Though it's still in "soft launch" phase. Digital Idiots is already jambacked with great resources,
including a "personal guru," who will guide you through every step of the digital process. The
site has an online multimedia help desk, Q&A pages, and self-lead tutorials for camera work, sound and lighting. There
is also a "show and tell" section, in which digital film directors give behind the scenes insight into their work.
If you have a bunch of shorts lying around, head to minutemovies.com, a free forum for
Another place to get great first hand information is invite.to/cineparhace.com which features interviews with directors big and small. This site is also packed with links for indie filmmakers.
displaying and promoting independent shorts. The site allows viewers to rate and review featured shorts (30 minutes or less) and includes interviews with directors. There's also a great film festival department that
lists all the news and highlights from festivals around the world.
As in any other business, success in the film industry is directly related to your ability to stay informed and on top of what's going on in your industry. Sites that let you
pick the brains of experienced filmmakers include 2pop.com, which boasts workshops, discussion groups and equipment reviews for digital filmmaking.
You don't have to go to USC to learn your trade, there are plenty of online courses available, including cyberfilmschool.com, where you can guide yourself through classes taught by some of Hollywood's bigwigs. This Internet film school comes complete with chapters, assignments and yes, exams, complete with streaming video and hints from top directors.
So instead of blindly shooting footage that just ends up stacked in your closet, consult some of these online resources-it could be just the push you need to get your art out there.
SPORTS
Todayssports.com
todayssports.com
Clearly a site for the boys, this sporting news page has decent AP sports coverage. If you're looking for staff writers with a witty edge, you'll have to make do with the models and a professional cheerleader who write the only original articles on the site, the "Spa Report." The site has a modest photo gallery including a daily sports photo, daily cheerleader photo and a weekly celebrity photo. Good for a quick update, or when you just can't wait to find out how the cheerleaders are doing. MSpilberg Content: B- Usability: B
MOVIES
The Hollywood Network hollywoodnet.com
Hollywoodnet.com takes you through the world of 'entertainment' (entertainment on the web). They have short films you can watch with Windows Media Player, links to music broadcast over the net, TV shows, web series—which are commentary series, and slightly outdated movie trailers. The films are entertaining but vary in quality, style, length and cheesiness. This is a fun site to browse when bored, and who knows, you might be visiting weekly for the new Taylor Mead show, or the new tracks on Global House. TMaor Content: B- Usability: B
ZINES
The New York Press
nypress.com
The New York Press is an unconventional, New York-based weekly paper. But it should appeal to more than just New Yorkers, with political commentary, excellent music and art criticism, and interesting writing on a wide range of subjects. Rightward-leaning readers will especially enjoy the political writing and "Taki's Top Drawer,"a
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