[Reported on April 24, 1997 by Jerry Witt]

Besides last weeks "Creating Content for the Internet" class I also attended a "Producers Caucus." The press material from the LAIFF sounded promising... "We've given our panelists one directive: 'Tell your audience all the things you've learned that you couldn't possibly have known ahead of time.'" GREAT!

The only problem was that they didn't. Most of the information was standard stuff you read in books on independent film making. [i.e. the ideal indie feature shoot is in as few locations as possible; don't go out of your way to attract the attention of the unions]

The second half of the day was moderated by producers-rep John Pierson. During a discussion about attracting attention for ones project he related an amusing story. The day of the seminar he received a letter from a self-proclaimed
"cyber-terrorist" who was holding the Internet name to his company, Grainy Pictures, hostage.

Out of frustration with John's refusal to
read the screenplay for his recently shot film, the filmmaker registered the Internet domain names <johnpierson.com>, <grainypictures.com> and <edgyfilms.com>.

The filmmaker agreed to release the domain names to Pierson after he read the script and completed a 10 question test to prove that he read it. Finally, the filmmaker added that he hoped the stunt was taken in the spirit of fun in which he intended it.

So, a pretty fun and amusing anecdote, yes. But learning that which I couldn't have known before? I don't think so. This weekend I will be attending one more class. Put together by the Independent Feature Project on Producing and Financing, it sounds promising.