Ninja in a bookstore

2011-04-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

A clip from one of the stories from my feature Date Number One (which will one day soon hopefully will be available on DVD, etc.):

- S

Northside DIY Film Festival

2011-04-05T20:44:00.001-07:00

Info here, about submitting to a new film festival in Brooklyn - with very delicious submission fees ($10 - $15 - yeah -that's on the level of real d.i.y. film yo) & w/ a couple of cash prizes. Here's the official site for the fest. Thanks Hope for Film blog for introducing it. Anyway, even if your film does not get into it, it may be a fun event to check out - more here. - S

Watch "Indie Film Blogger Road Trip"

2011-03-26T22:51:00.000-07:00

Check out my doc about indie film bloggers - Indie Film Blogger Road Trip - at Blip.TV.

- S

After much trial & error, I think I have the right focus for the new/next major blog project - THIS ONE!

2011-03-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

So some major changes (well, somewhat major) have happened in the last few years (finishing & screening Date Number One, Indie Film Blogger Road Trip, shooting in NYC starting '08, fully moving here in '09, moving out for a bit in '10 & moving back in '10, & still making D.I.Y. movies after all this time - since 1992! - etc.) - & to try to capture & share & develop new creative work ideas off of these changes I've created new blogs (total 57 of them now, not counting several I've deleted) but I think this new one - NYC D.I.Y. FILMMAKER SUJEWA has the right combination of the key elements to be THE major new blog project of mine (previous one that stuck being DIY Filmmaker blog).

Anyway, why continue to blog about/from a D.I.Y. focused film angle?

Because D.I.Y. filmmaking is STILL only vaguely understood (it's value, power, etc.) & is under-developed & is often confused with 1980's & 1990's indiewood type filmmaking in the independent (non-Hollywood) filmmaking world. Thus, more discussion, promotion of this practice may be useful to many.

AND - as an artist - making movies pretty much by myself (w/ some valuable help from collaborators at essential points) w/ available resources & self-distributing them is still the most exciting way to go for me (still not very enthusiastic about bigger budget/big crew filmmaking - though I often enjoy some movies made that way) - and pretty much not being restricted by Hollywood & indiewood practices - using filmmaking & distribution as an art form for an individual/single artist primarily - is still an idea I want to work with, develop, promote, etc.

And perhaps, from time to time, to give a tiny bit of publicity to other D.I.Y. filmmakers - both in NYC & elsewhere.

And to promote NYC, & NYC filmmaking in general at some points - & small scale, single artist driven D.I.Y. NYC filmmaking in particular.

::

Anyway, so why is D.I.Y. (do-it-yourself) filmmaking still valuable?

Let me illustrate by referring back to a conversation I had this evening with a filmmaker friend of mine at/near Bryant Park in Manhattan:

- I said basically that having a day job & using some $s from it to make & distribute movies in the weekends/when time permits is a good way to go for an indie filmmaker/filmmaker of any kind (until better options arise or maybe forever, even with other options - at least for a D.I.Y. filmmaker)

- My friend said that it would be cool to find an angel investor & get some "real money" to make & distribute a movie

Both ideas are valid, in my opinion. But I find the D.I.Y. route/using means easily available to the artist at the moment to be the more interesting one - also, I think, the simpler, less messy (financially, ownership & creative control, future life of the project wise) route, a cleaner route.

Anyway, I think that's about as philosophical & justificational (new word? :) as I will get on why this blog exists. So, next, stuff that's more fun - clips, trailers, stills, links, etc. from all manner of projects that are being cranked out do-it-yourself style in the most amazing & epical (yeah, that's a word :) of cities by yours truly - & also interesting still & filmed images of the city.

- Sujewa
p.s. - long live filmmaking & distribution as "no budget/ultra-low budget" art by primarily a single/lone artist (similar to painting, photography, etc.)!

NYC D.I.Y. Filmmaker Sujewa

Ninja in a bookstore

Northside DIY Film Festival

Watch "Indie Film Blogger Road Trip"

After much trial & error, I think I have the right focus for the new/next major blog project - THIS ONE!