-
News & Updates
careering
March 29, 2018
Kimo Sabe Mezcal SXSW Wrap Up
26 events over ten days — thank you Austin and SXSW for the Trusted Friend welcome once again. The biggest success? The Agave Challenge’s demonstration of the incredible range of agave spirits, from the best-selling tequila, through the Oaxacan style Smoky Joe mezcal, to Kimo Sabe mezcal. With 2500 participants, the results showed six out of ten choosing Kimo Sabe Mezcal over the best-selling tequila and seven out ten choosing Kimo Sabe mezcal over Oaxacan Style Smokey Joe mezcal in our challenges at the Outdoor Stage at Lady Bird Lake and the Registrants Lounge.
People came to learn about agave spirits and taste the difference for themselves. Most patrons were shocked that an agave spirit could be so full of subtle and nuanced flavors. A huge thanks to all the Trusted Friends who came to learn more about the wonderful world of agave spirits!
Kimo Sabe Mezcal Agave Challenge – Results are in! from Kimo Sabe Mezcal on Vimeo.
Want to know what sets our mezcal apart? Building a unique flavor profile was the early quest of Kimo Sabe’s founders, father/daughter duo Jim Walsh and Ashley (Walsh) Kvamme. Both agri-business veterans and flavorists, the Walsh team focused on highlighting flavor notes derived from a variety of agave species from farmers across 11 regions of Mexico. The balance was tricky. Most traditional Oaxacan style mezcals overwhelm the palate with smoky, almost petrol notes. That character, while often an off-putting, is an important signature of mezcal. As a result, taming the smoke proved to be the challenge in creating Kimo Sabe Mezcal.
After studying old patents, they completely re-plumbed the distillation process, handcrafted a proprietary blend of agave, and finally introduced sonication into their distillation process. An innovation that brings mezcal making into the future, sonication creates molecular harmony in the mezcal — through ultrasonic vibration, the liquid is transformed into a uniform product, where every sip contains every complex note. Kimo Sabe Mezcal believes that the key to creating a strong mezcal ecosystem is through collaboration and blend.
We thank the city and every patron at SXSW for being our Trusted Friends.
Sponsored Content and Photo Provided by Kimo Sabe
The post Kimo Sabe Mezcal SXSW Wrap Up appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
March 28, 2018
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan Convergence Keynote at SXSW 2018 [Video]
“Take social media, the handful of the largest global tech companies have managed to amass an enormous amount of power over how information is consumed,” said SXSW Convergence Keynote, Sadiq Khan on Monday, March 12 at the 2018 SXSW Conference.
“Platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have bought huge benefits to society,” Khan continued. “They’ve made it easier for us to stay in touch with those we love, meet like-minded people, and have easier access to information we want. They’ve enabled talented people to share their creativity directly with the world. But, understandably, there are growing concerns about some of the ways the biggest companies on the planet have impacted our lives and the overall wellbeing of our societies. In some cases, these new platforms have been used to exacerbate, fuel, and deepen the divisions within our communities. The impact is and continues to be profound and should worry democracies around the world.”
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, focused his keynote speech on one of the biggest challenges today facing Britain, America, and countries across Europe – how we ensure that advances in technology are utilized for the benefit of everyone in society.
In the context of the rise in populism and the major economic, political and societal changes we’ve seen in recent years, Mayor Khan used his speech to address both the potential risks and great opportunities presented by the current tech revolution. In particular, he highlighted the growing power global cities have to help shape the debate about the impact of technology for the better by ensuring it is utilized to improve lives and reduce inequality.
Sadiq Khan was elected Mayor of London in May 2016 winning the largest personal mandate in the history of British politics. Before this, he had a distinguished Parliamentary career as the Member of Parliament for Tooting, a constituency in south London. He served as a Minister in both the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Transport under Prime Minister Gordon Brown, becoming the first Muslim to attend Cabinet. He later served as the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and the Shadow Minister for London.
Khan was born and raised in London. Before entering politics, he studied law at university and went on to work as a respected human rights lawyer for more than 10 years, helping to run a successful law firm. Khan was a councillor in the London Borough of Wandsworth from 1994 to 2006. He continues to live in Tooting with his wife and two daughters.
Watch the video above for the full 2018 SXSW Conference Convergence Keynote with Sadiq Khan. Get inspired by a multitude of diverse visionaries at SXSW – browse more 2018 Keynotes, Featured Sessions, Red Carpets, and Q&A’s on our YouTube Channel.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SXSW News for the latest SXSW coverage, recaps, upcoming 2019 announcements, and more.
2018 SXSW Convergence Keynote Speaker Sadiq Khan – Photo by Jason Bollenbacher/Getty Images
The post Mayor of London Sadiq Khan Convergence Keynote at SXSW 2018 [Video] appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
March 27, 2018
CX Field Guide: A Journey into the Unthinking Mind
Katya Andresen, Senior Vice President of Card Customer Experience at Capital One, was a 2018 SXSW Speaker at the Capital One House at Antone’s. The article below, provided by Andresen, reflects the key themes of her March 10 talk, “A CX Field Guide for the Intrepid.”
Years ago, a friend of mine told me a story about running focus groups for an electronics company that was testing boombox designs. The goal of the focus group was to understand how people made decisions about what devices they preferred. The participants were asked what they thought of the colors available — one black, one yellow. Everyone professed enthusiasm for the yellow boombox. Then, when it was time to leave, the participants were invited to take home one of the products for free. Everyone chose the black one.
“Never ask people to predict what they will do — or why they do what they do,” the researcher advised me. “We’re just not that rational.”
Technology has since changed dramatically but human nature has not. The good news is that we’re not only in an era of rapidly advancing technology — we’re also in a golden age of neuroscience. We understand how people think — in all its irrational glory — better than ever. That means we can design great products and experiences based on a deeper understanding of the human psyche. That’s an incredible opportunity, because if we understand people more deeply, we can matter more deeply in their lives.
Researchers from the fields of psychology, neuroscience and behavioral economics have concluded we are literally and figuratively of two minds: the rational, prefrontal cortex mind (system 2) and then the more instinctive and impulsive mind of our limbic system (system 1). The rational, deliberative self is the one that vows to get up at 5 a.m. The more impulsive, automatic, emotional one hits snooze the next morning. The rational, “thinking” mind sometimes gets caught in analysis paralysis; the more “unthinking” mind give you a gut instinct on how to take action.
If we want to build great experiences for our customers, we have to take both systems into account. But we tend to over-index to assuming that our customers (and colleagues) are rational. So much of our work — analyzing the numbers, summarizing the focus group results, coding the software, testing the product, projecting our P&L — strips the humanity of our customer from our minds. We begin to believe the rational answer is the full answer. So we have to encourage ourselves to depart from the realm of the rational. If we do not, we risk failing as leaders, product managers, corporate strategists, digital innovators, and just about everything else. Expanding our thinking to include the unthinking mind is the key to leadership and innovation. When we incorporate and create for this state of mind, we’re better equipped to build great companies and change lives for the better.
So how do we bring the unthinking mind to our work? Here are three takeaways:
A Field Trip into Psychology
In building an experience or a brand, creating deeply emotional connections with our customers is critical. When you ask people what they remember about an experience, they will form their opinion based on something psychologists call the peak-end rule. They will remember the most emotionally intense part of the experience and the very end.
So as you design an experience for your customers, ask yourself how you might create both an emotional peak and memorable end. When you take this framework into account, you can begin to build a beloved brand.
A Field Trip into Neuroscience
If peak moments help customers fall in love with your product, service or experience, then how do you keep them coming back for more? The question moves us into the automatic, habitual brain and involves cultivating a sense of routine, or a set of habits, for your customers. Habits – both good and bad – are powerful, as many of us know. They have a tremendous influence on what we do. In fact, about 40% to 45% of our actions each day may feel like they are based on a decision we have made, but they are actually habits in action. If we think about our experiences through the lens of habit formation, we have the opportunity to understand how to be more digitally engaging. When we approach building habits this way for our customers, we’re able to create more meaningful, lasting relationships.
A Field Trip into Behavioral Economics
We’re told that people arrive at most decisions through a process of weighing costs against benefits. In reality, we’re at times irrational, impulsive, ruled by emotion, and limited in attention. The heart often overrules the head, so customers need incentives to help them make the best long-term choices in life — especially when it comes to their financial lives. A great example of this principle in action at Capital One is CreditWise® from Capital One®, our free credit monitoring and protection tool which helps people build, improve and protect their credit. The CreditWise app looks to nudge users by removing barriers to embracing positive credit behaviors – barriers like decision fatigue. The app identifies the most important actions a user could take to make the biggest improvement to their credit score to strengthen their financial position in life.
By embracing these three tips, you’ll be better equipped to tap into your customer’s unthinking minds and — more importantly — understand them as people. At the end of the day, that’s the number one job of anyone building customer experiences. Because if we seek to understand our customers deeply, we can matter more deeply in their lives and create a lasting relationship, however technology evolves.
Katya Andresen is a Senior Vice President, Card Customer Experience, at Capital One. To follow Katya, connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Content provided by Katya Andresen
Photo courtesy of Capital One
The post CX Field Guide: A Journey into the Unthinking Mind appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
March 27, 2018
Barry Jenkins Film Keynote at SXSW 2018 [Video]
“My first film Medicine For Melancholy premiered at this festival, world premiered at this festival. I’d like to say that SXSW is kind of like the birth of Barry Jenkins filmmaker in a sort of way. I remember being here in 2008 and sitting in a room just like this, listening to people talk on a stage behind a podium, just like this, and wondering what does it take to get from the back of that room to the front of this stage. That was ten years ago,” said SXSW Film Keynote Speaker, Barry Jenkins on Sunday, March 11 at the 2018 SXSW Conference.
Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins was born and raised in Miami, FL. A Florida State University graduate, Jenkins’ feature film debut, Medicine For Melancholy world premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in 2008, and was hailed as one of the best films of 2009 by The New York Times.
Jenkins along with playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his second feature Moonlight, which won Best Picture at both the Oscars and the Golden Globes (Drama). Jenkins is the recipient of a DGA Best Director nomination and the winner of the WGA Award for Best Original Screenplay. Most recently, Jenkins directed an episode of the Netflix Original Series Dear White People.
Upcoming projects include an adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel If Beale Street Could Talk, and an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead for television. Jenkins, currently resides in Los Angeles, is a curator at the Telluride Film Festival and a United States Artists Smith Fellow.
Watch the video above for the full 2018 SXSW Conference Film Keynote with Barry Jenkins. Get inspired by a multitude of diverse visionaries at SXSW – browse more 2018 Keynotes, Featured Sessions, Red Carpets, and Q&A’s on our YouTube Channel.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SXSW News for the latest SXSW coverage, recaps, upcoming 2019 announcements, and more.
Filmmaker Barry Jenkins at 2018 Keynote – Photo by Travis P Ball/Getty Images
The post Barry Jenkins Film Keynote at SXSW 2018 [Video] appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
March 27, 2018
The Roto Brush from Adobe After Effects Makes Rotoscoping Painless
Use rotoscoping to place text behind a person, help with color correction, or to just be super cool.Rotoscoping is a tedious task that involves …
Source: CW’s Flipboard Feed
March 26, 2018
How to Maximize Your Story’s Impact by Celebrating Your Customer Objections
It’s one of the easiest things to fix, yet most marketers are either not aware or don’t know how to do it right.
When you think of the classic 3-act story structure, we typically talk about Setting, Conflict, and Resolution. This is a core DNA of any good story.
Setting covers your hero=customer’s life before she came across that nagging problem your product/service solves.
Conflict describes that problem or challenge that prevents your customer from getting what she wants.
And Resolution is where you – the mentor=guide comes along with your product/service and saves the day.
Naturally, this is the classic narrative sequence. Advanced business narratives test diverse story sequences and outcomes (i.e., positive, neutral and even negative).
In our workshops and my online interactions, I find that most marketers are not aware of this classic narrative structure, and worse they tend to briefly touch on the conflict and 95% of their message is dedicated to the Resolution part – singing the praise of their widget.
And you know how does that feel? No one is interested in self-aggrandizing messages.
Why?
Simple. Because what really happens here, is that you, the brand is, in essence, taking away the role of the hero from your customer. If you are the hero what role do you leave for your customer? The adoring fan?
Guess what? Your customer at the top of the funnel is just getting to know you. She’s not ready yet to play the adoring fan, just yet. So, good chances she’ll intuitively classify your message as advertising noise and ignore it.
You see, the role of the Evangelist comes much later – at the bottom of the funnel – after you won your prospect’s business, she loved your service experience and can’t wait to tell the whole world about it.
That’s why it’s super critical that wh
en you develop your story the hero’s role is always reserved for your customer. And you – the brand – play the mentor or guide, helping your hero gets what she wants at each stage of the buyer’s journey.
Another visual metaphor I use to underscore the importance of narrative roles is to think about stories as “mirrors.”
They work best when they can authentically reflect your customer’s authentic world and key problem.
The moment your customer can see herself in your story, your story stops being YOUR STORY and becomes YOUR CUSTOMER’S STORY:
“Hey, that’s my pain you’re talking about here! “
A great “narrative mirror” will serve as a fertile ground for generating audience empathy and trust.
Now that you have the basic foundations of a great story, let’s go back to the importance of creating a good Setting. The first part of your story.
In this part, you describe your customer life before coming across the core problem your product/service aims to solve.
So, you want to be super descriptive and address details such as time, location, moods, and emotional state. The more details you can provide the crispier, believable, and relatable your story will mirror your audience real world.
To maximize your story’s impact, you want to ensure that your hero’s starting point is as far remote from where she lands at, at the Resolution.
That’s why after you authentically describe a detail-rich world of your customer, the core conflict she encounters, you want to delay the transition to the Resolution with real-life customer objections.
Customer objections could range from budget, timing, trust, competition, decision avoidance, internal politics, etc.
When you place your customer objections in your narrative, it allows your audience to a) find an answer to a similar doubt they carry – so it’s a seamless pre-empting exercise b) builds up authenticity and humanizes your message as the transition from non-believer to a believer is not trivial. And c) a great makeover story offers empathy hooks to transform your story from an easy-to-ignore ad to a relatable human story.
In conclusion, make sure that the narrative seams that connect your customer’s problem to your product resolution reflect your customer decision process and doubts. This sliver of imperfection and vulnerability will boost your story’s authenticity and trust.
***
Ready to empower your entire team
with effective visual storytelling?
Schedule a complimentary conversation today!
Source: Visual Storytelling
March 25, 2018
‘Aquaman’ Director James Wan Explains Why There Still Isn’t a Trailer: ‘It’s Me’
Much to the consternation of fans, “Aquaman” has yet to receive a teaser trailer despite being scheduled for release later this year. This has naturally led to speculation among those same fans, which director James Wan has apparently had enough of. The “Saw” and “The Conjuring” filmmaker took to Twitter to dispel any rumors about the delay, explaining that the problem is simple: “It’s me.”
“Hey friends, I usually do my best to avoid internet noises (especially fabricated distractions) but a teaser-trailer going out this weekend was never in the books — despite what some claim. It’s not because of anyone or any nefarious reason holding it back — IT’S ME.,” Wan wrote in the first of three tweets.
“I am simply not ready yet to share. This movie is filled to the gills with VFX, and the process is as slow and laborious as a sea-slug!” he continued. “Yes, even shots for the trailers take forever to do, and I refuse to put out anything that might be construed as subpar.”
He then concluded, “I know it seems like nothing much is brewing above the surface, but I can assure you, we’re working nonstop under the waves.”
Jason Momoa stars as the eponymous superhero in the film, which takes place in the same shared universe as other DC Comics films like “Justice League” and “Wonder Woman.” “Aquaman” will be released theatrically on December 21.
Hey friends, I usually do my best to avoid internet noises (especially fabricated distractions) but a teaser-trailer going out this weekend was never in the books — despite what some claim. It’s not because of anyone or any nefarious reason holding it back — IT’S ME. (1/3)
— James Wan (@creepypuppet) March 25, 2018
I am simply not ready yet to share. This movie is filled to the gills with VFX, and the process is as slow and laborious as a sea-slug! Yes, even shots for the trailers take forever to do, and I refuse to put out anything that might be construed as subpar. (2/3)
— James Wan (@creepypuppet) March 25, 2018
I know it seems like nothing much is brewing above the surface, but I can assure you, we’re working nonstop under the waves
(3/3)
(Ps: And yes, I plan to use oceanic puns/references every chance I get)
— James Wan (@creepypuppet) March 25, 2018
Source: IndieWire film
March 25, 2018
‘Isle of Dogs’: Stream Alexandre Desplat’s Score to Wes Anderson’s Stop-Motion Film
Not one to rest on his laurels, Alexandre Desplat is back in theaters mere weeks after winning the Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water.” As fate would have it, his latest score is for the same filmmaker he won his first Oscar for: “The Grand Budapest Hotel” director Wes Anderson, who’s made his second stop-motion film with “Isle of Dogs.” Listen below.
Set in near-future Japan, “Isle of Dogs” follows a group of canines who’ve been exiled by the villainous mayor of fictional Megasaki City, whose anti-dog agenda is rooted in centuries of family history. Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban, Kunichi Nomura, Ken Watanabe, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson, and Harvey Keitel all lend their voices to “Isle of Dogs,” which has earned widespread acclaim but also faced criticism for its depiction of Japanese culture.
Also featured on the soundtrack are the Toho Symphony Orchestra, David Mansfield, the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, Kaoru Watanabe, and the West Coast Pop Experimental Band. Desplat has two more projects slated for release this year: “Operation Finale” and “Kursk.”
Source: IndieWire film
March 25, 2018
‘Isle of Dogs’ Roars as Wes Anderson’s Box Office Winning Streak Continues
If there was any doubt about Wes Anderson’s continued draw as a contemporary auteur, “Isle of Dogs” removes them. His latest stop-motion epic boosted the dragging post-Oscar specialty market, opening in 27 theaters in six markets to a massive $1.5 million with a mighty per theater average of $58,000. The result came from a range of upscale theaters, not just core art houses. Fox Searchlight has a breakout.
On its third weekend, IFC’s comedy “The Death of Stalin” continues its strong run with over $1 million. Audiences that were flocking to award season contenders are carrying over to these two new releases. As the rest of the indie pack with more niche appeal play to more routine numbers, these box office breakouts are critical to the health of the specialized film community.
Opening
Isle of Dogs (Fox Searchlight) – Metacritic: 80, Festivals include: Berlin, South by Southwest 2018
$1,570,000 in 27 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $58,148
Wes Anderson has achieved levels of specialized limited release performance as impressive as any director, but “Isle of Dogs,” his latest film (the animated follow-up to “The Fantastic Mr. Fox”) ranks among his highest. Instead of a traditional New York/Los Angeles four-theater platform run (which brought per theater averages over $200,000 for “The Grand Budapest Hotel”), this opened in six markets at 27 theaters.
The grosses are massive. These include:
1. The four core theaters for a standard platform run grossed by themselves an average approaching $150,000, which by itself would have been among the biggest ever. Searchlight clocked those numbers despite having to compete with numerous New York and Los Angeles outlying theaters.
2. The PTA for these theaters ranks ahead of nearly all limited openers in multi-city runs, falling behind only high-end sensations like the first weekend of “Precious” and the 70mm runs of “Hateful Eight.”
3. This first-weekend gross in 27 theaters is about the same as third weekend of “The Death of Stalin” in five times as many theaters.
What comes next: 22 new markets open this Friday ahead of a planned maximum national break on April 13.
Final Portrait (Sony Pictures Classics) – Metacritic: 75, Festivals include: Berlin 2017, South by Southwest 2018
$28,214 in 3 theaters; PTA: $9,405
Directed by Stanley Tucci, Geoffrey Rush and Armie Hammer costar in this 1960s story of a friendship between a portrait artist and his subject, a famous author. The drama opened in New York and Los Angeles with top theaters and average results.
What comes next: It’s Sony Classics, so expect a maximized art house run to get this to all top markets over the next couple months.
Ismael’s Ghosts (Magnolia) – Metacritic: 63, Festivals include: Cannes, New York 2017
$19,000 in 2 theaters; PTA: $9,500
French director Arnaud Desplechin’s films usually land limited domestic releases. This latest Cannes entry with an all-star ensemble cast including Marion Cotillard and Mathieu Almaric as a troubled filmmaker opened in New York to credible results in two locations.
What comes next: Los Angeles among other initial cities open on April 6.
Summer in the Forest (Abramorama)
$8,660 in 1 theater; PTA: $8,660
This marks an impressive gross for only 120 seats in Manhattan’s Village East theater for this documentary a pioneering doctor who changed the way institutions deal with those with intellectual disabilities. With support from church groups and others, the initial result suggests interest in the subject.
What comes next: Los Angeles on April 6 begins a national release.
The Last Suit (Outsider) – Festivals include: Santa Barbara, Miami 2018
$28,127 in 6 theaters; PTA: $4,687
Following in the pattern of Menemsha films, “The Last Suit” opened initially in Miami (with an additional date in Buffalo). This story focuses on an elderly Jewish tailor in Buenos Aires who embarks on a quest to return to his native Poland. The result is in the same range as Menemsha’s “Dough” and “The Women’s Balcony” which each got to over $1 million.
What comes next: These results will generate likely additional dates.
Back to Burgundy (Music Box) – Metacritic: 48
$12,060 in 4 theaters; PTA: $3,015
French director Cedric Klapisch (“L’Auberge Espagnole”) has been a familiar arthouse figure over the last two decades. His most recent film — a family drama set in wine-making country — opened in New York’s Angelika as well as three Northern California wine country locations. The initial figures are modest, with a decent Saturday increase.
What comes next: Los Angeles is among the several theaters opening this Friday.
Also streaming:
I Kill Giants (RLJ/Toronto 2017) – $(est.) 7,500 in 11 theaters
“Flower”
Full Metal Mullet LLC
Week Two
Flower (The Orchard)
$125,767 in 57 theaters (+54); PTA: $2,206; Cumulative: $190,679
Zoey Deutch as a precocious suburban teen continues as the draw for this dark comedy as it quickly expanded to multiple major markets in its second weekend. The result is a total that looks good enough to sustain further expansion.
Seven Days in Entebbe (Focus)
$655,000 in 836 theaters (-2); PTA: $786; Cumulative: $2,919,000
The average theater grossed under $800 for the second weekend of this recounting of the Ugandan airport hostage rescue. Second weekend grosses fell over 60 per cent from their already soft initial totals.
Journey’s End (Good Deed)
$14,250 in 9 theaters (+7); PTA: $1,583; Cumulative: $30,035
This remake of the oft-filmed World War I novel added a handful of cities with the same marginal result seen in its initial dates.
Ramen Heads (FilmBuff)
$11,769 in 6 theaters (+4); PTA: $1,962; Cumulative: $22,870
The second week for this documentary about Japanese soup and the master chefs who make it expanded from its initial dates to modest results.
“The Death of Stalin”
Nicola Dove
Ongoing/expanding (Grosses over $50,000)
The Death of Stalin (IFC) Week 3
$1,060,000 in 140 theaters (+108); Cumulative: $2,091,000
A major increase for this Russian political comedy shows continued interest in the first 2018 specialized hit. The grosses aren’t at the level of non-awards seasons successes of last year “The Big Sick” and “Wind River,” which expanded more quickly, but this remains a strong performer with considerable potential ahead.
The Leisure Seeker (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 7
$315,427 in 110 theaters (+61); Cumulative: $717,024
Quietly showing some strength as it widens, this senior road trip movie with Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland sustained close to last weekend’s averages despite more than doubling its theater count.
The Shape of Water (Fox Searchlight) Week 17; also streaming
$250,000 in 236 theaters (-522); Cumulative: $63,278,000
It looks like the post-Oscar haul for the year’s big winner in theaters will be around $6 million, parallel to home viewing choices. The total worldwide take is over $175 million.
“Thoroughbreds”
Courtesy of Sundance
Thoroughbreds (Focus) Week 3
$160,000 in 117 theaters (-447); Cumulative: $2,747,000
The delayed release of this suburban young female noir lost most of its wider release dates, with remaining theaters pushing this closer to a minor $3 million result.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Fox Searchlight) Week 20; also streaming
$110,000 in 125 theaters (-357); Cumulative: $54,130,000
Two acting Oscars have sustained the successful run of Martin McDonagh’s film, which has passed $150 million worldwide.
A Fantastic Woman (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 8
$100,454 in 121 theaters (-69); Cumulative: $1,700,000
The Chilean foreign-language Oscar winner has played wider than normal because of its win. Theater totals are now declining, with those remaining grossing on average $1,000. Still $2 million — the lower end among recent winners in the category — looks doable.
Call Me By Your Name (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 18; also streaming
$69,713 in 61 theaters (-57); Cumulative: $17,884,000
Another post-awards end-of-run film still shows some theatrical interest, with $18 million in sight.
I, Tonya (Neon) Week 16; also streaming
$63,715 in 102 theaters (-58); Cumulative: $29,884,000
Much additional revenue is coming from home viewing choices as this inches towards $30 million in theaters.
“Foxtrot”
Foxtrot (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4
$76,529 in 26 theaters (+14); Cumulative: $270,056
Still in its early stages, this Israeli film continues to show above average results for a subtitled film.
Also noted:
The Party (Roadside Attractions) – $47,930 in 70 theaters; Cumulative: $677,064
Itzhak (Greenwich) – $41,760 in 29 theaters; Cumulative: $115,608
Loveless (Sony Pictures Classics) – $31,799 in theaters; Cumulative: $445,186
Lady Bird (A24) – $30,200 in 46 theaters; Cumulative: $48,913,000
The Insult (Cohen) – $18,359 in 11 theaters; Cumulative: $964,758
Source: IndieWire film
March 25, 2018
Aki Kaurismäki on Why He’ll Never Make a Digital Film: ‘I Am a Filmmaker, Not a Pixel-Maker’
Conventional wisdom suggests that 35mm film is going the way of the dodo, but Aki Kaurismäki has never been conventional. Long a favorite among arthouse audiences, the Finnish filmmaker has made an unsurprising — though not unwelcome — pledge: never to make a digital film.
“I will die with my boots on. I won’t make a digital film in this life,” he tells the Sydney Morning Herald in a wide-ranging interview. “Cinema is made from light. I am a filmmaker, not a pixel-maker.”
He doesn’t plan on making a movie about the wealthy anytime soon, either. “Of course, the working class is not such a sexy and commercial subject, I understand from the popcorn audience,”Kaurismäki continues. “But I couldn’t write dialogue for upper-class people because I wouldn’t know what they say. I don’t know if they talk at all. Maybe they are just shopping. And selling and buying stocks. Stocks and stockings. I find rich people boring.”
Also unsurprising to anyone who’s seen films like “Drifting Clouds” and “The Match Factory Girl”: Kaurismäki’s droll sense of humor is paired with a cynical worldview. “I never had very high hopes of humanity,” he adds. “I had hope 20 years ago, but not now. Greed will kill us – and maybe that’s OK for the planet. Because it all goes back to money. Everything goes back to money.” Read his full interview here.
Source: IndieWire film