About Michael Korican

A long-time media artist, Michael’s filmmaking stretches back to 1978. Michael graduated from York University film school with Special Honours, winning the Famous Players Scholarship in his final year. The Rolling Stone Book of Rock Video called Michael's first feature 'Recorded: Live!' "the first film about rock video". Michael served on the board of L.I.F.T. when he lived in Toronto during the eighties and managed the Bloor Cinema for Tom and Jerry. He has been prolific over his past eight years in Victoria, having made over thirty-five shorts, won numerous awards, produced two works for BravoFACT! and received development funding for 'Begbie’s Ghost' through the CIFVF and BC Film.

NSI updates short film funding list

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Michael Korican

Kellie Ann Benz of the National Screen Institute has updated their list of funding sources for short films in Canada.

“In our third year of updating this funding list, we note an extraordinary amount of Canadian films getting made and programmed into festivals around the world. This is thrilling.”

She lists national and provincial sources of money, marketing, training and cash prizes for shorts and their makers.

See the list here.

My take: join your local media co-op, learn everything you can and make your first short for coffee money, because you can. Then graduate to these programs so you can step up your game and actually pay your collaborators.

Maureen Bradley blogs about micro-budget feature production

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Michael Korican

CineVic recently invited Maureen Bradley to speak about her micro-budget feature project, Two 4 One.

She’s cobbling the $250,000 budget together from a number of sources: the Telefilm Micro-Budget Program, the BC Arts Council, the Jim Murphy Filmmkakers Bursary, an IndieGoGo campaign and private sources, for a February 2014 shoot.

She’s blogging about the experience at microbudget.org where she gives a more detailed answer to one of my questions on Saturday.

Regarding this year’s Telefilm Micro-Budget Feature competiton, Maureen’s advice was: have a great story and really think through an innovative digital platform strategy.

My take: Thank you, Maureen, for sharing your knowledge and experience and — your insights! It occurs to me that Telefilm is in the business of making million-dollar movies, so they’re really taking a flyer with eight to ten projects for one million, and hoping that one breaks out. In the old model, a film’s profile was amassed through festival exposure, critical reviews and box office, to be augmented by media coverage as it worked its way through the standard windows. Today, a project’s profile starts with the first online exposure, carries on through the pre-production, crowd-funding, production and post-production stages and hopefully snowballs when more people can actually pay for it. The old model was mediated by distributors, whereas with the new model, the producer does it all. I foresee more creative cooperatives coming together: teams of producers, each specialized in different parts of the new paradigm — concept, marketing, social media, production, exploitation.

A brave new world envisioned by — Disney

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Michael Korican

The Washington Post reports that Disney is working on a touchscreen that lets you feel textures.

“The technology is called ‘tactile rendering of 3D features,’ and an early version of a rendering algorithm has already been developed by engineers at Disney Research in Pittsburgh. The process behind it is, predictably, both technical and confusing, but the basic premise is that small, electronic pulses can trick your fingers into perceiving bumps and texture, even if the surface is actually flat.”

The right amount of voltage makes you feel ridges, edges, protrusions or bumps!

Check out the video.

My take: This reminds me of the feelies in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Science fact catches up to science fiction!

CineVic is new Telefilm Micro-Budget Production Partner

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Michael Korican

The big news around Victoria, BC, is that CineVic is now a recommending partner for Telefilm Canada’s 2013 Micro-Budget Production Program.

The co-op joins 27 others across Canada that will write one letter of recommendation for a local micro-budget first feature that will then compete for a share of $1,000,000.

“This program targets emerging Canadian talent, supporting them in the production and promotion of their first feature-length film, with an emphasis on the use of digital platforms for marketing, distribution and audience engagement. Telefilm will support between eight to ten projects through the main component, and up to three projects in the Aboriginal component. Support will be through a non-repayable financial contribution of up to $120,000 per project.”

Projects may be narrative, documentary or animation, with budgets of up to $250K.

Producers must not have previously produced and/or directed a feature film.

Producers of recommended projects must apply to Telefilm between January 6 and February 3, 2014. The films must be finished within a year.

Recommending partners will determine their own selection criteria and deadlines.

New this year: Telefilm is not requiring a script, only asking for a synopsis. (But of course, you better have a script or how else can you thoroughly break it down to make an accurate budget?)

My take: this is your golden opportunity! You’ve got a project and a team ready to go, so contact your local film school or co-op today!

Emerging Producers: Apply for Rotterdam Lab 2014

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Michael Korican

Telefilm is inviting emerging feature film producers to apply to CineMart‘s Rotterdam Lab 2014.

“The aim of the Rotterdam Lab, a 5-day training workshop, is to give starting producers the opportunity to develop international market experience and knowledge through privileged access to CineMart participants (sales agents, producers, distributors, television buyers, private investors and national funds).”

Telefilm will choose three producers. The trio will receive accreditation to CineMart and the 43rd International Film Festival Rotterdam and five nights accommodation but must arrange their own travel and food.

The deadline is October 25, 2013. Apply through Telefilm.

My take: if you have a feature in development that could be an international co-production, you should check this out.

Bell Media creates bravoFACTUAL

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Michael Korican

Bell Media has created bravoFACTUAL, becoming a major source of funding for short documentaries in Canada.

The semi-annual competition promises up to $50,000 for 15-minute “micro-docs,” which must be completed within six months.

“Budgets must reflect the story’s complexity, specific production elements, any special production techniques, required archival footage and/or, music rights, E&O insurance and any other requirements which result from the creative materials.”

New filmmakers, take note:

“…preference will be given to emerging filmmakers with limited experience who are trying to enhance their skills and credentials”

The first deadline is Thursday, October 31, 2013.

My take: kudos to bravoFACT for stepping up to the plate and funding short docs in Canada. When the Harper Government spiked the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund, they created a funding void. Now this program promises to replace the CIFVF.

The Canada Media Fund wants to chat with you

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Michael Korican

The Canada Media Fund recently came to Victoria and met with a dozen people in a hotel meeting room.

The CMF picked our brains on how they’re doing and how their future direction might change.

The discussion was wide-ranging but got most traction on ‘Triggering Events’.

It was great to chat with Valerie Creighton before the presentation.

See a PDF of the deck.

See the remaining schedule.

My take: Definitely worth going to and speaking your piece. We’re talking about how to disseminate a quarter of a billion dollars of cable TV subscription money and tax dollars annually. Show up early for great access.

Enter Pitch 360 at Merging Media 2013

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Michael Korican

You have until 5 p.m. on Monday, September 30, to enter Pitch 360 at this year’s Merging Media fourth annual conference in Vancouver.

Twelve contestants will then compete on Thursday, November 7, at the Creative BC Pitch Parlour by pitching their concepts for cross-media or transmedia projects in development. They are looking for:

“…a cross‐media property that ‘crosses-over’ into at least one other medium e.g. a multi-platform story that extends onto more than one platform, a television series with mobile App, a webseries with a mobile game element, an e-book with an Alternate Reality Game etc.”

Up for grabs is $10,000. If you live on the right side of the tracks, you might also qualify for an additional $5,000 from Telus.

Note: you need to be based in Western Canada and there is a $75 fee if you’re chosen to pitch.

My take: of course, if you’re developing a cross-media or transmedia project, you must enter!

Dolby dies

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Michael Korican

Ray Dolby, the man whose name was synonymous with noise reduction, has died.

Dolby died last Thursday in San Francisco of leukaemia. He was 80. In recent years he had also been battling Alzheimer’s disease.

I have fond memories of making backup copies of my record albums onto cassette tapes, and using the Dolby button to minimize hiss.

Dolby had many patents and became a billionaire when his company went public in 2005, forty years after its founding in 1965.

Thomas Dolby, the English new wave musician, best known for his hit ‘She Blinded Me with Science’, was not a relation but changed his last name to his nickname, one he got for his audiophile tendencies.

My take: rest in peace, Ray. In the analogue days, Dolby NR was a glimpse of better sound to come. In our digital age, tape hiss is a historical footnote, thank goodness.

Digital conversion threatens indie theatres

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Michael Korican

On the heels of my shares on exhibition formats and DIY DCP, comes a Rolling Stone article discussing the collateral damage of digital conversion.

“The National Association of Theater Owners, the trade organization that represents exhibitors, has estimated that as many as 10,000 screens – one in every five screens in North America – could go dark because they can’t afford to convert. Among those venues most in danger are independent theaters.”

Gary Susman hints that this might actually be a Hollywood plot to lessen competition.

“Hollywood studios don’t much care about the possible demise of the independent theater. (It’s not showing their movies anyway.) Besides, the potential loss of thousands of screens will only hasten the day when Hollywood doesn’t have to deal with those pesky exhibitors anymore and can go directly toward home distribution on disc or video-on-demand, where most of a film’s money is made.”

My take: if progress is gradual and change is sudden, the demise of ‘film’ exhibition is change that we may not be able to fight. If you’ve ever had to lug two heavy ‘cans’ of 35mm film up to the projection booth at the very back of the balcony, you may not care. But I’m not in favour of this if it means a restricted number of movies.

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