June 25, 2018

13 More Tips to Help You Record Narration Like the Pros | The Rapid E

You don’t need to be a professional audio engineer to record narration. However, you do want to pay attention to what you’re doing and do the best …
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June 24, 2018

‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’: Dinosaurs Roar at Summer Box Office

“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” (Universal) shows there’s plenty of life in the dinosaur franchise, which also lifted box office around the world. This weekend may notch peak numbers for the summer season. It’s the fourth in a string of $150-million openings since late April: spring-summer 2018 marks a strong period.

Coming after Disney/Pixar’s even bigger showing for “Incredibles 2” (Disney) last weekend, the weak performance for “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (Disney) is not a harbinger of sequel and franchise fatigue on a broader scale.

This is how impressive recent weeks have been: the year-to-date numbers are up nearly nine per cent, the highest uptick since early in the year. More impressively, the weekend overall total of $280 million is exactly double the same late June prime weekend last year. 2017 in the same period saw only $140 million — thanks to weak domestic sequels from Pixar (“Cars 3”) and Paramount (“Transformers: The Last Knight”).  This time around the movies are proving to be strong both foreign and domestic.

If the $150 million gross holds (final figures on Monday), this will be the first time that two consecutive week openers grossed over that number. (Adjust to 2018 ticket prices and the achievement occurred once before in 2007: “Shrek the Third” and “Pirates of the Caribbean 3” had a similar two weekend haul.)

The “Fallen Kingdom” opening is down 35 per cent from “Jurassic World” three years ago (adjusted), itself the fourth biggest ever. However, that date was wide open, as the second biggest film was week two of “Spy,” far lower than “Incredibles 2.” Overall, it ranks at the third best ever for Universal (“Furious 7” scored adjusted $156 million).

The fifth “Jurassic” film so far has already (with two-week earlier international openings) taken in $561 million in the rest of the world. With a budget pre-marketing of at least $170 million, this looks headed for a total way over $1 billion on its way to major profit.

Pixar

The only mildly sore note of the weekend is related to two massive openings one on top of the other. “Incredibles 2” dropped about 56 per cent (with a strong $81 million total). That’s a significant amount more than the second weekend drop for Pixar’s “Finding Dory” exactly two years ago. But that came when its main competition was an action VFX 3D opener (“Independence Day: Resurgence”) which didn’t even reach $50 million for the weekend. And even with the bigger drop, “Incredibles 2” managed to outgross “Dory.” So no need for sympathy for Disney and Pixar.

“Dory” with a small opening but better hold grossed a little under 60 per cent of its total domestic gross after ten days. At that rate, “Incredibles” looks to fall short of $600 million by a small margin. It’s still early enough in the run that the final total could surpass that. If so, it would be the third film this year to reach that number after two Marvel titles, “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity Wars.”

It’s been done before with 1965’s long-running “The Sound of Music,” “Dr. Zhivago,” and “Thunderball,” though much of their totals come the following year. But there have never been three films as dominant through the first half of the year as these three were in 2018. “Deadpool 2” (20th Century Fox) has now also passed $300 million, and “Fallen Kingdom” will join it before the end of its run.

“Incredibles 2” is likely to rank as the biggest Pixar domestic release ever (adjusted it needs to top $516 million). That’s bigger than expected. Add to that strong foreign numbers (China this weekend boasted the best Pixar opening ever) when the studio hasn’t been as big overseas as some other animated brands. That’s good news all around.

Barry Wetcher

Though not at the same level of gross (but also not in cost), “Ocean’s 8” (Warner Bros.) crossed the $100 million mark in the weekend’s third spot. It only fell 39 per cent and looks headed to $125 million domestic and possibly around that amount overseas (where its all-female cast isn’t as big a draw). This would be a notable achievement any time, but happening in the heart of the summer makes it more significant.

The second weekends for “Tag” (Warner Bros./- 45 per cent) and “Superfly” (Sony/- 51 per cent) are enough to sustain most of their dates for another week (which overlaps Independence Day). Both were inexpensive enough that with future revenues they could break even.

“Deadpool 2” leaped over the later-opening “Solo” this weekend. A 39 per cent drop for the former compared to 60 per cent for the first “Star Wars” flop (which is over $200 million domestic with its expense and weaker foreign appeal causing the loss) explains the position switch.

A24

“Hereditary” (A24) continues to defy its awful Cinemascore with a respectable hold in seventh place. Its 44 per cent drop, minor for a lower-budget horror film, gets it to $35 million, with a much better than expected $40-million total assured. That will make the second time — after “Ladybird” — that the distributor will have passed that mark.

The sensational “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” (Focus) entered the Top Ten with nearly $1.9 million on only 348 theaters. More of the Mr. Rogers documentary and other specialized films here:

The Top Ten

1. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Universal) NEW – Cinemascore: A-; Metacritic: 51; Est. budget: $170 million

$150,001,000 in 4,475 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $33,520; Cumulative: $150,001,000

2. Incredibles 2 (Disney) Week 2; Last weekend #1

$80,928,000 (-56%) in 4,410 theaters (no change); PTA: $18,351; Cumulative: $350,375,000

3. Ocean’s 8 (Warner Bros.) Week 3; Last weekend #2

$11,650,000 (-39%) in 3,656 theaters (-489); PTA: $3,187; Cumulative: $100,386,000

4. Tag (Warner Bros.) Week 2; Last weekend #3

$8,200,000 (-45%) in 3,382 theaters (no change); PTA: $2,425; Cumulative: $30,368,000

5. Deadpool 2 (20th Century Fox) Week 6; Last weekend #5

$5,250,000 (-39%) in 2,420 theaters (-792); PTA: $2,169; Cumulative: $304,150,000

6. Solo: A Star Wars Story (Disney) Week 5; Last weekend #4

$4,050,000 (-60%) in 2,338 theaters (-844); PTA: $1,730; Cumulative: $202,177,000

7. Hereditary (A24) Week 3; Last weekend #7

$3,809,000 (-44%) in 2,002 theaters (-996); PTA: $1,903; Cumulative: $35,001,000

8. Superfly (Sony) Week 2; Last weekend #6

$3,350,000 (-51%) in 2,220 theaters (no change); PTA: $1,509; Cumulative: $15,266,000

9. Avengers: Infinity War (Disney) Week 9; Last weekend #8

$2,482,000 (-54%) in 1,456 theaters (-708); PTA: $1,705; Cumulative: $669,466,000

10. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Focus) Week 3; Last weekend #15

$1,875,000 (+87%) in 348 theaters (+252); PTA: $5,388; Cumulative: $4,130,000

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Source: IndieWire film

June 24, 2018

‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’ Outpaces ‘RBG’ as ‘The King’ Opens Strong

Yet another strong documentary tops new releases this weekend: Elvis Presley biodoc “The King” (Oscilloscope) from veteran documentarian Eugene Jarecki shows future interest. That said, it won’t register the massive numbers for “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (Focus) and the continued success of “RBG” (Magnolia), two documentaries on iconic contemporary personalities that are both building continued response from audiences.

Other openings include a decent result for the Brazilian “Araby” in one theater. “Boundaries” (Sony Pictures Classics) fared less well despite some star presence in its initial two city openings.

Opening

The King (Oscilloscope) – Metacritic: 73; Festivals include: Cannes 2017, Sundance 2018

$29,050 in 2 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $14,525

The first theatrical feature since 2012 from acclaimed documentary director Eugene Jarecki (“The House I Live In,” “Why We Fight”) opened to respectable results in two Manhattan theaters. A shorter version of last year’s Sundance premiere “Promised Land,” “The King” uses a cross-country trip in  Elvis Presley’s Rolls Royce to look at the state of the country in a much different era. Of note in its initial results is the strength of Landmark’s Upper West Side new theater on West 57th Street, which topped the established IFC Center in initial grosses.

What comes next: An exclusive Los Angeles run starts Friday followed a week later by San Francisco, leading into a 50 city minimum national release.

Damsel (Magnolia) – Metacritic: 64; Festivals include: Sundance, Berlin, South by Southwest 2018

$21,000 in 3 theaters; PTA: $7,000

Actor Robert Pattinson continues to choose challenging offbeat roles like this alternative Western. After extensive festival play, this landed initial New York and Los Angeles exposure accompanied by mildly favorable reviews.

What comes next: Additional dates start this Friday.

Boundaries (Sony Pictures Classics)  – Metacritic: 50; Festivals include: South by Southwest, Newport Beach 2018

$30,395 in 5 theaters; PTA: $6,079

Director Shana Feste directed middling 2014 studio release “Endless Love.” She moves to specialized with another road movie, which, similar to SPC’s recent “The Leisure Seeker,” has a senior citizen hook. Christopher Plummer plays an elderly rogue kicked out of his retirement home; daughter Vera Farmiga drives him south from Seattle with her son. SPC booked top theaters in New York and Los Angeles, but weak reviews and a familiar story lead to a flat initial result. Controversy over political comments from supporting player Peter Fonda gave the film some unwanted publicity, but likely had little impact in the results.

What comes next: San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington are the next openings this Friday, followed by the usual SPC nationwide roll out.

Araby (Grasshopper) – Metacritic: 79; Festivals include: Rotterdam, New Directors/New Films 2017

$10,179 in 1 theater; PTA: $10,179

This Brazilian film rated the best reviews of this week’s releases. A multi-year road movie which reaches little-seen parts of the vast country –similar to other journey movies — examines wider contemporary life and values from the perspective of working class subjects. It opened exclusively at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, where the strong critical response elevated it to an impressive initial result.

What comes next: Most bookings ahead are similar calendar and very specialized locations (no Los Angeles date is posted).

Spiral (Cohen)  – Metacritic: 48; Festivals include: Doc NY 2017

$3,682 in 2 theaters; PTA: $1,841

Cohen Releasing owner Charles Cohen is one of the producers of this documentary about the rise of anti-semitism, including violence, in Europe. It opened in Manhattan and Los Angeles to minor response so far.

What comes next: The topic and Cohen Releasing’s involvement ensure further bookings ahead in major cities.

Sundance

The Catcher Was a Spy (IFC)  – Metacritic: 49; Festivals include: Sundance 2018

$122,494 in 45 theaters; PTA: $2,520

This retelling of how a top baseball player (Paul Rudd) got involved with combatting German efforts to develop nuclear weapons posted some decent numbers in its best theaters in nationwide release, with an effort to reach urban older Jewish audiences. IFC is hoping word of mouth works to overcome the mediocre reviews, with initial signs they may have some success.

What comes next: There could be additional theaters, but it appears IFC has found the bulk of its audience already.

Week Two

Eating Animals (IFC)

$23,056 in 6 theaters (+4); PTA: $3,843; Cumulative: $62,390

This passionate documentary about animal farms and how meat is produced added Los Angeles this weekend. The gross continues to show niche interest at least in the subject.

Gotti (Vertical)

$812,000 in 466 theaters (-37); PTA: $1,742; Cumulative: $3,254,000

This much derided gangster biopic with John Travolta dropped by more than half from its first weekend. Still, its modest gross with a far less than wide release isn’t quite the disaster it has been made out to be.

Ongoing/expanding (grosses over $50,000)

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Focus) Week 3

$1,875,000 in 348 theaters (+252); Cumulative: $4,131,000

The Mr. Rogers life story proved this weekend to be an even bigger breakout success than the already successful “RBG.” Playing in fewer theaters than the Justice Ginsberg documentary in its third weekend, this grossed about 50 per cent more, and in a more crowded release period repeated the earlier film’s Top Ten placement with only a fraction of the theaters of other titles on the list.

The film appears to have the momentum to add substantially to its total despite its summer release date. This will increase to over 500 theaters next week, with more likely beyond that. Along with that should come an ultimate gross that will place this above all but “Isle of Dogs” among this year’s specialized releases.

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

American Animals (The Orchard) Week 4

$576,215 in 339 theaters (+257); Cumulative: $1,462,000

The major expansion of this true-life college library heist has a mixed result about equal to the recent similar expansion of “First Reformed.” The Saturday increase (48 per cent over Friday) shows a combination of older audience interest and initial positive reaction.

RBG (Magnolia) Week 8

$425,000 in 209 theaters (-79); Cumulative: $10,864,000

Already established as Magnolia’s top-grosser, this review of the life of the Supreme Court Justice is still showing impressive results nearly two months into its release.

Hearts Beat Loud (Gunpowder & Sky) Week 3

$319,349 in 104 theaters (+21); Cumulative: $795,020

This father-daughter music success story continues to see some heartland interest with the per theater results about the same despite more screens added this week.

A24

First Reformed (A24) Week 6

$228,000 in 151 theaters (-122); Cumulative: $2,858,000

The remaining theaters for Paul Schrader’s acclaimed crisis of faith drama scored higher than last week. If A24 hangs onto a core number, the film could still reach $4 million.

The Seagull (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 7

$97,071 in 145 theaters (-66); Cumulative: $1,057,000

This Chekhov adaptation starring Saoirse Ronan and Annette Bening hasn’t caught on despite its cast.

Isle of Dogs (Fox Searchlight) Week 14

$(est.) 52,000 in 57 theaters (-28); Cumulative: $(est.) 31,790,000

Wes Anderson’s animated success is still holding in some theaters very late in its run.

Also noted:

The Rider (Sony Pictures Classics) – $41,646 in 54 theaters; Cumulative: $2,204,000

Summer 1993 (Oscilloscope) – $22,500 in 17 theaters; Cumulative: $133,226

Disobedience (Bleecker Street)- $21,811 in 24 theaters; Cumulative: $3,417,000

The Guardians (Music Box) – $13,582 in 6 theaters; Cumulative: $103,761

On Chesil Beach (Bleecker Street) – $12,353 in 22 theaters; Cumulative: $714,671

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Source: IndieWire film

June 24, 2018

‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’: Tom Holland ‘Accidentally’ Reveals Title on Instagram — Watch

We’ve known for some time now that a sequel to “Spider-Man: Homecoming” is in the works, but we didn’t know the title — until now. Tom Holland, who has a habit of inadvertently revealing spoilers, made good on his reputation by “accidentally” revealing that his next film will be called “Spider-Man: Far From Home” in an Instagram video yesterday. Watch below, but beware of spoilers if you’ve yet to see “Avengers: Infinity War.”

“I wanted to apologize because there’s no real revelations coming out this weekend about ‘Spider-Man 2,’” he says as the video begins. “I don’t know much about it. I’m a little confused because I died, so I don’t really know how it all comes into play,” he adds, referring to Spidey’s fate at the end of “Infinity War.”

Then the “accidental” reveal: “What I do know is I got the new script, I’m super excited to read it, and it’s gonna be great,” he says as he holds up a tablet that clearly reads “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” “So yeah, ‘Spider-Man 2.’ Let’s do this.”

Spider-Man was among the many, many heroes to disintegrate into dust at the end of “Infinity War,” though the fact that a sequel to last year’s “Homecoming” had already been announced was a clear giveaway that he shan’t remain dead for long. In any case, “Far From Home” is due in theaters July 5, 2019.

Source: IndieWire film

June 23, 2018

Judd Apatow Thinks Roseanne Is ‘Crying Out for Help,’ Not a ‘Hateful Person’

Judd Apatow has known Roseanne Barr for decades, and as such appears less quick to condemn her than many of his contemporaries. A tweet from the actress and comedienne led to the cancelation of her revived sitcom “Roseanne” last month despite massive ratings, with sympathy for Barr in short supply from most corners. Not Apatow: “I think you have a person who’s in a moment of success and maybe that’s uncomfortable for her, and whatever urges she has to be rebellious have overtaken her in some way,” he tells Vanity Fair in a new interview.

“I haven’t spoken to her recently to know where her head’s at generally, but I see it more as someone who’s crying out for help than someone who’s a hateful person … for the most part, I hope she’s okay and I feel bad for people who got hurt in that. Everyone who worked with her, it’s tragic,” Apatow adds. The two have known each other since working together in the early 1990s.

“She’s not really built to be on top of that pyramid, in charge of a lot of people, responsible for them, because she has her own struggles. I’ve never heard her say anything that was racist in decades. So I don’t know where that comes from. It’s as mysterious to me as anybody else.

“But there’s a lot of people who get pulled into these worlds of conspiracies and I really don’t understand it because all she was was a proponent of women,” Apatow continues. “The only way I can process it is, in some way, Roseanne is in some sort of altered state of her mind. And I just hope that she finds her way back to the values that were really important to her when I first met her.”

Following last month’s cancelation of “Roseanne,” ABC announced this week that a spinoff featuring the entire cast aside from Barr called “The Conners” will premiere this fall.

Source: IndieWire film

June 23, 2018

‘Kumiko’ Directors David and Nathan Zellner Got Offered Horror Movies, But They Made a Feminist Western Instead

David and Nathan Zellner had been making oddball shorts and features out of Austin, Texas for more than 15 years when their 2014 Sundance-winning “Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter” became an unexpected cult hit, grossing over half a million dollars in limited release and generating a new international fan base for the brothers over the course of a year. It wasn’t your obvious breakout: the story of a Japanese woman (Rinko Kikuchi) who believes the story of “Fargo” was real and journeys around the world with her pet bunny to find the hidden briefcase of cash from that 1994 film.

But the outrageous premise meshed with a surprisingly poignant tone that caught audiences by surprise. Suddenly a pair of filmmakers known mostly on the festival circuit and around the Austin film scene was getting offers for more work — just not the kind they wanted.

“We were very quick to turn stuff down,” said David, the chattier of the two, in a joint interview. “The stuff that was coming our way wasn’t anything that was interesting to us.” He added that the bulk of the offers were horror movies and cyber thrillers. Instead, they pressed ahead with “Damsel,” a loopy feminist western less like “Kumiko” than the surreal blend of cartoonish pastiche and surrealism found in the Zellners’ other work. Released in theaters this weekend with Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasichowska leading its cast, it marks the biggest platform for pure, unbridled Zellnerian storytelling to date.

There’s a lot of it. They made their first feature, “Plastic Utopia,” in 1997; it played at a few festivals but never got released, and the brothers later distanced themselves from it. Instead of trying to make more commercial work, they went deeper into an emerging aesthetic of weirdness. Their second effort, 2001’s “Frontier,” was shot in a made-up language. Then came the shorts. The Zellners cranked them out, directing five between 2004 and 2007, when they made “Goliath.” Their third feature, the anarchic tale of a recently divorced man losing his mind in the suburbs, took them to Sundance. They continued to make shorts.

Much of the Zellners’ work felt like the product of deranged home movies made by hyperactive children from another planet. “Sasquatch Birth Journal 2” is exactly what it sounds like. The three-part “Fiddlestixx” translates the qualities of a cheesy ‘50s sci-fi movie into psychedelic variety show. “Flotsam/Jetsam” spends an interminable amount of time watching a shipwrecked man drift around before abruptly destroying him with a shark. They kept the Zellners on the frontline of the festival scene, mingling with filmmakers and programmers on a regular basis. “You don’t ever want to take those relationships for granted, but you kind of forget that’s what you’re doing,” Nathan said. “It’s still work, but you’re going to show your stuff. And there’s always a pay off, and a community that you’re building that’s not in the town where you work.”

None of these shorts would make a reasonable case for the directors’ potential to handle a complex, bigger-budget project. Collectively, however, they allowed the Zellners to gain confidence in their creativity while stabilizing their lives with day jobs. In the meantime, they were writing a lot of scripts. “Damsel,” which starts out as a traditional western with a masculine hero trying to rescue his kidnapped gal before flipping that premise around, seemed like a natural step for the brothers: another refashioning of movie tropes that toyed with audience expectations.

But they kept struggling to put it together. “There were so many occasions where we almost made it, and then the financing fell through,” David said. Two years before production on “Kumiko,” the two were on location in Minnesota, ready to shoot “Damsel” with a different cast. Then the financing fell apart. “It was so many fits and starts,” David said. “It was just heartbreaking. We had to pull stakes and regroup.”

They went back to doing what they knew how to do: working fast and loose. Producing the shoestring “Kid-Thing” —an eerie, enigmatic story of a young girl who discovers a mysterious voice emanating from the well near her house — back on their home turf proved cathartic. “We’ve never had the luxury of controlling the order we do things,” David said. “Kid-Thing” went to Sundance, showcasing a gentler side to the brothers’ work than “Goliath,” and rejuvenated interest in supporting their work. That led to “Kumiko,” and finally they quit their day jobs. “It wasn’t just a leap of faith,” David said. “It was many, many years of gearing up to that and being ready for it.”

“Kumiko” brought them the resources — and the interest from name actors — to make “Damsel.” In the movie, Pattinson’s character isn’t the only one pining for Wasichowska’s affections. The movie is a playful treatise on the male gaze. “Every new guy objectifies her in a different way, projecting his desire,” David said. “I think the western is the most American genre, in terms of manliness.” The Zellners are among the few contemporary directors who excel at poking holes in American mythology. “In the 1800s, the country was growing so fast,” Zellner said. “There was this idea that everything was going to be life-changing and positive, but in reality, nobody had a good time. It was stumbling on top of itself.”

They’re now dead-set on increasing their scale each time out, though they haven’t finalized any plans. “We want to keep going bigger and bigger,” David said. “We’ll always write our own stuff, the stuff we want to do.” The pair is repped by ICM, and the agency regularly sends them scripts, including some studio projects. “It’s amazing how much IP is floating around, and how little of it makes it to the screen,” Nathan said. “Hopefully, we can control our own destinies, because you can always do the stuff you want to do if you created it, because you know it’s a match.”

“Damsel” is now playing in New York and Los Angeles, with a national rollout to follow.

Source: IndieWire film