ÉCU SPOTLIGHT: CHARLIE KAUFMAN AND “CROWDFUNDING” ÉCU is a strong supporter of the unbridled creativity which is afforded to indie filmmakers, but acknowledges the difficulties in financing costs. This week the spotlight is on the acclaimed American screenwriter, director and producer Charlie Kaufman, who defies conventions and creates inspiringly innovative work. In September he raised twice the $200,000 budget required to produce his upcoming animat...

In their sixth consecutive year, the EFM Industry Debates (Friday 10 to Sunday 12 February 2012, each at 4:30 to 5:30 in the Gropius Mirror Restaurant) highlight current trends and future developments in the industry.For the first time this year, the prominent professional event will be presented by the trade fair for consumer electronics IFA Berlin, Official Host of the EFM Industry Debates 2012. The successful panel discussions will continue to be organised in cooperation with the inte...

Andrew Shermin shares his experience of making a film and using crowdfunding. This summer I shot a documentary about Paris that I produced myself, and am now trying to use crowd-funding to finish it. The concept was simple: a vision of Paris that was taken straight from reality, just a camera and a tripod on the street, offering a vision of the city that both confirms and subverts the fantasy of Paris that different media create. The images are like “moving postcards.” I was able to...

Kickstarter, an online fundraising platform, was once the domain of unknown artists seeking funding for small, low budget creative projects. Now, more ambitious projects with higher profile names like Tim Burton and Sir Christopher Lee are beginning to materialize on the site. Buzz is building about a new a six-minute stop-motion animation tribute to visionary filmmaker Tim Burton entitled TIM, which is inspired by Burton's first short film VINCENT. Using clever rhyme and Burtonesque imagery, TI...