Cinematic Arias » KCRW

SXSW 2011 Day 1

Tony — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:10:58 +0000

After a delayed flight because of a small (and fatal) plane crash at my airport, I was on my way to Austin for SXSW.

After snagging my badge (my hotel is walkable but it’s an “athletic” walk), I raced across town to check out the KCRW show and The Belle Brigade.

Then I tried to see The Black Angels but the line was around the block so I hoofed back across town to see Low in a church.

Ya know, churches can be great venues, just not at festivals. I then ran over to check out Small Sins in a tiny venue.

Despite terrible sound issues, they were awesome. I cut early so I could check out Duran Duran. The line was so massive I just stood outside, listened to “Notorious” and ran across the street to see Yuck.

They were so hip I think they felt they didn’t have to try.

Guys, you always gotta try.

If it isn’t obvious, my pick of the day is a band I’ve already highlighted. Please, go buy an album by Small Sins.

Time for bed, then an early morning to plan my party prowl.

PS, can you tell I got a new iPhone with Hipstamatic?

Theater Talk

Tony — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:34:22 +0000

I caught most of NINE and just wasn’t blown away. I talked to some friends that also saw it and they just couldn’t put their finger on it either. Then I heard this episode of Theater Talk.

Once again I have KCRW to thank for their insight.

The Business Brief

Tony — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:29:41 +0000

A while ago I covered The Business by KCRW but they also have a sister program hosted by their producer Matt Holzman. This week’s topic sent a shiver down my back.

I’m gonna assume you’ve seen THE BOONDOCK SAINTS. Have you seen the documentary OVERNIGHT? If not, do that next.

That Troy Duffy gets held up as a 2.0 filmmaking hero and that it’s suggested that others should try to emulate his resolve, well, I know what they mean but that also kinda makes me sick.

Second Opinion

Tony — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:11:40 +0000

In my continuing effort to turn you on to KCRW’s wonderful programming, may I suggest you take a listen to A Second Opinion.

So why this particular episode? Allow me an indulgence. Growing up, I had a best friend that was a genius. I don’t use that as hyperbole; he was studying to become a doctor (both PhD and MD) at the same time. Therefore he studied, researched, trained and worked like a mad man (did I ever mention the sumer he and I drove strippers around town at night? No? Well, that’s for another post).

My buddy couldn’t afford to sleep more than 3-4 hours a night but after a while the body starts to buckle. This was when a medical school friend of his turned him on to Ritalin. “Once in a while” turned into “once a week” which turned into a crystal meth addiction that led to his heart exploding one night.

And I can say with certainty that he isn’t the only MD I knew that (ab)used Ritalin (also knew a few more MDs that partook in the crystal meth).

So to answer Dr. Michael Wilkes, I don’t think we need jacked up doctors that can see more patients. I think we need well rested doctors that don’t need the crutch.

Art Talk

Tony — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:29:55 +0000

If you’ve ever found yourself under the spell of a Russian baritone expounding on art then you’ve heard one of the true treasures of KCRW. If not, allow me to introduce you to Art Talk:

Edward has got to be one of the most forthright commentators on the station. And fie on LACMA for ending their film series. At a time when Hollywood is packing more theaters with the same tent pole fare, Los Angeles needs to preserve every possible alternative theater space imaginable. That means we can’t lose The Egyptian, The New Beverly or The Bing at LACMA.

Also, if you haven’t been to the summer screening series at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, you’re missing out on one of the truly awesome Los Angeles experiences. Need a better reason? August 22 they’re showing SINGING IN THE RAIN.

‘Nuff said.

PS, if I had the stones I’d come dressed up as Alex DeLarge and bring a few of my droogies for a bit of the ol’… whoa, pardon, that was Dark Tony popping up out of nowhere. Ignore that.

The Business

Tony — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:13:00 +0000

Time to tell ya about another podcast I love. This time I’d like to give ya a taste of KCRW‘s The Business.

Think of it as Entertainment Tonight for the Whole Foods crowd. No, I don’t like that, it sounds too pertentious. How about ET for the Trader Joe’s patron? Yes, I’m happier with that (but who approved that “headshot“?).

And I’m sorry if I upset some of you with the following but I have a message for Matt Holzman.

“Bring Claude back! Or you host the show.”

Martini Shot

Tony — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:58:10 +0000

At some point just after getting my first iPod, I got hooked on podcasts (this was way before iTunes could handle podcasts. This was a time when Adam Curry was still king of the medium).

Since then, I’ve come to love quite a few podcasts and this is one of them.

Why Martini Shot? Not only am I amused by Rob Long‘s industry insider observations but as of late I’ve found some strange synchronicity between his musings and my life. Take the above episode for example. Just this week I’ve had a surge in unsolicited “you know what you should do?” advice. I know, it’s like a horoscope or fortune cookies (you’ll find the connections you want to make) but I’m not about to start pitching a reality rom-com with “wedding” in the title. Thank you, but no.

(Yes, that happened to me this week while quietly sitting in my seat waiting for a work [non-industry] function to begin.)

Consult This: Music Rights

Tony — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:45:30 +0000

Dan Wilcox, KCRW DJ and Music Supervisor, held a small lecture about music rights for movies at Film Independent and it was… well, here’s what I learned.

For a low-budget film, the music supervisor’s salary could be anywhere from $4-10k but that is, like everything else, negotiable.

When licensing a pop song, there are two sets of rights to deal with. First, there are the master rights, sometimes called the sync license. This allows you to play the performance. Next, you have to acquire the publishing rights. This allows you to perform the song. Confused? Let’s use “All Along The Watchtower” as an example. Bob Dylan wrote the song so you need to secure the publishing rights from him. But let’s also say you want to use the Jimi Hendrix version so you need a sync license from his estate.

Sometimes you can acquire rights as a step deal where you pay a small fee for each step (festivals, theatrical, DVD, etc.). According to Dan, this is almost always a bad idea. You’ll end up paying more in the end and distributors will treat you as if you have the plague.

Expect to pay 30-50% more if you’re using the song over the opening or closing credits.

Two sites you should become acquainted with: BMI and ASCAP.

Some labels/publishers/ariststs have a “most favored nations” clause in their contract. This basically says that everyone gets paid the same. Try and talk folks out of this if you plan on using one super popular song. Imagine your film features 9 songs by unknowns. You agree to $5k for each song but there’s a “most favored nations” clause. Now, for your 10th song, you license a Rolling Stones track for $500k. Guess what? Suddenly you’re paying $500k per song for each of the 10 songs.

Try using something in the public domain.

Truth is, I knew most of this stuff from previous attempts to license pop songs. Those experiences were so painful I’ve had an aversion to licensing popular music since. But who knows, maybe with this next movie I might try it again. There’s this one song I feel I gotta have and, well, what the heart desires, right?

On a final note, let me leave you with one of Dan’s sets.

Shop Whole Foods, Help KCRW

Tony — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:39:20 +0000

Today (and today only), Whole Foods will donate 5% of net sales to LA’s coolest radio station, KCRW.

So if you’re gonna blow your whole paycheck on peanut butter that tastes terrible, do it today.

(FYI, I buy their kid’s brand peanut butter; it tastes better)

Clown vs. Monkey

Tony — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:49:40 +0000

Although the following is an editorial about the television industry by veteran writer Rob Long, that’s not why I’m posting this.

No, I’m posting this bit of radio because it combines 2 of my biggest fears: clowns and monkeys. After hearing this story, it took me longer than usual to fall asleep. Once I did, I had nightmares that… if my nightmares were a movie, they’d be the original THE HILLS HAVE EYES but with clowns and monkeys as the bad guys. Why share this with you? Because my mother always said, “tell someone your nightmares and they’ll go away.”

Thanks for the nightmares, Rob.