The Attic Door

Check out our talented lead actress, Madison Davenport, in this trailer for the new SXSW hit film, Humboldt County. The film was picked up by Magnolia Pictures and will be in select theaters September 26th, 2008.

Danny Daneau
Director

It has felt like a long time has passed since our first trip to Kanab, Utah in March of 2007. It was our location scout where we first saw those epic red rocks and met some of the wonderful people in the town. On July 24th, 2007 we started production on the film and on August 23rd we wrapped.

This Friday, August 22nd, we will do a special invitation only screening of THE ATTIC DOOR for the people in Kanab and some of our crew. This will be our first trip back to Kanab since we wrapped and the first time an audience will watch the movie. Yesterday was going to be the day I fly with my family out of Ft. Myers International Airport to Phoenix, Arizona then drive to Kanab, but our flight was canceled due to Tropical Storm Fay.

Now we are sitting in the airport ready to fly. The storm has passed and is actually gaining strength as it hits further north. I am anxious about the screening as it will be the first audience to watch the movie and it will be filled with the people who helped make it happen.

We were fortunate enough to be interviewed by The Wasatch Journal after our panel at Sundance 2008. A quarterly publication, our article has appeared in the Summer 2008 issue and can be viewed via an online interactive flash link by clicking “Go” in the “Read our current Issue” box. The article is titled “Little Hollywood Rides Again” and is written by Chrisy Karras. It is found on page 63. You can also view the .pdf of the article by clicking here (large file and load time).

Note: Film is reference by working title A Monster in the Attic.

More about The Wasatch Journal:

In every issue, the Wasatch Journal delivers the stories and images that bring our distinctive passions into sharp focus. Marshaling a team of talented writers and photographers, we cover Utah’s magnificent abundance. Whether it’s fine art, architecture, or fine dining; skiing, snowshoeing, or snowboarding; golfing or horseback riding; local literature or independent film, the Wasatch Journal will remind us all why we return to Utah, again and again.

As we prepare for the upcoming BEHIND THE ATTIC DOOR Webisodic documentary series, we have posted the podcast feeds for all our post production videos to the iTunes Store. Please click here to launch iTunes and be taken to our page, subscribe to the podcast, and write a review. If iTunes sees a lot of actiivty they will feature us on their front page!

Thanks everyone! Look forward to the doc series in September!

Danny Daneau
Director

I thought this week I would share with you the first film I made while earning my BFA at the University of Central Florida School of Film. The short film is called Goodnight Charlie (2004) and it is here that I first started to explore the wonders of childhood and the tragedy of growing up. I hope you enjoy.

Goodnight Charlie from The Attic Door on Vimeo.

Also see the film on YouTube. Leave comments and reviews!

Erica Harrell
Producer

Within the past 6 months many of the major studio’s independent film branches have closed up shop due to financial cutbacks. These include Picturehouse, Warner Independent, Paramount Vantage, and Red Envelope. These closures have lead to fewer distribution deals, most that are not beneficial to the independent filmmaker.

Now several filmmakers whose work played at Sundance this year are opting for the self-distribution route. DIY Distribution means taking their films and trying to get them played in traditional venues (theaters) but also being creative with where they can play their films. For instance, the Sundance winner, “Ballast” is going to explore new frontiers and demographics by showing the film to Southern audiences via churches, town halls and museums to reach people who may have never had the opportunity to see the film as it stars African American non actors and is hard to market. The advantages of self distribution are that the filmmakers retain more control and can see more profits due to sales of DVDs and merchandise. However, the process to self distribute is long, difficult, and can be expensive. Some self distributors have been able to raise millions of dollars for their campaigns, like director Randall Miller did for his film Bottle Shock.

The New York Times has a really interesting article about the Do It Yourself distribution route. You can read the article here then find out about two impressive films Ballast and Bottle Shock. Hopefully these filmmakers will be successful in their huge endeavors and the market will soon turnaround for all other filmmakers who may not have the ability to self distribute.

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