What's New

NEW MOVIE TRAILER -- LAST SUMMER FOR BOYS

No Author — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 22:40:40 GMT

FALL 2012

The next edit....

No Author — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:35:12 GMT

Upon completion of Last Summer For Boys came the great flood of 2011.

NoDak Films decided to make Special Edition DVDs contributing half the cost of each DVD sold towards the Flood Fight.

An accidental result came from using such a strategy. NoDak Films created a survey for all those who purchased a DVD encouraging, what they call in the industry, a 'focus group'. Upon completion of the movie, a DVD purchaser could go to an online document and fill out a series of questions pertaining to the integrity of the movie.

The feedback, so far, has been honest and critical and supportive.

NoDak Films is here to say, I am here to say that I have taken your feedback and will continue to edit the movie and move around scenes in order to make the movie better.

Make no mistake, I feel we made a great movie and I am very proud of Last Summer For Boys and all those who made this movie possible.

Before we hit North Dakota theaters a new version of the movie will emerge -- tighter, less confusing, while maintaining the great quality of plot, scenery and acting.

Thank you to all those who filled out a survey and for those who purchased a copy of the DVD, please check your email and fill out the survey.

Thank you

Nathan Anderson

The DVDs have arrived!

No Author — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:44:18 GMT

We have ourselves a real movie folks.

Don't be confused however just because our SPECIAL EDITION DVDs arrived in the mail does not mean NoDak Films is done showing this movie.

The movie industry has created a standard whereby a DVD means a movie has been promoted, advertised, marketed, put into theaters, and is now ready for the final meal ticket before the movie rests until it is re-mastered and the production company can make more money off of it.

NoDak Films took a different route. North Dakota had its worst flood in history the summer of 2011 just as NoDak Films was finishing the edit on our first film 'Last Summer For Boys'. Although our thought process was not to distribute our movie, I felt a SPECIAL EDITION DVD was in order to help the flood victims. $15 of each DVD sold goes toward the FLOOD FIGHT.

We have raised nearly $2,000 as a result, it's not going to break the bank, but we're proud of our effort.

The time is approaching where we would like to put our movie in North Dakota theaters in 2012. The goal is too have a theatrical run, which means our movie will be in a handful of North Dakota theaters at the same time for a number of weeks as opposed to a one-night special showing.

I feel our movie has the strength of plot and professionalism to successfully maintain an audience for a number of weeks at a number of North Dakota theaters. In order to successfully launch our movie NoDak Films will look for financial sponsors to help us market and advertise the movie through television, print and radio ads along with securing release dates at North Dakota movie theaters for dates to be named sometime in the winter of 2012.

We also want a kick-ass premiere and premiere party and are currently looking at dates, with the location set in Bismarck.

Thank you for supporting NoDak Films and look for us at a theater near you very soon.

I would like to personally thank along with all those who contributed to the making of 'Last Summer For Boys': Jerome Harstad, Gary Johnson, Rod & Kathy Johnson and Nathan Smith for sponsoring NoDak FIlms completion edit, which was done by Video Arts Studios in Fargo, ND.

Sincerely

Nathan Anderson, Founder & Owner

Thanks Jamestown Sun...

No Author — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:15:14 GMT

Thank you to Ben Rodgers and the Jamestown Sun for a great article about NoDak Films, Last Summer For Boys and our SPECIAL EDITION FLOOD FIGHT DVD...

click on the 'related link' tab below to view the article

Last Summer For Boys Movie Poster

No Author — Thu, 12 May 2011 16:14:46 GMT

NoDak Films debut feature length movie Last Summer For Boys.

Fun Radio Interview

No Author — Thu, 12 May 2011 16:08:47 GMT

Had an interview on Bigger Small Talk Radio out of Fargo with NoDak Films contributor and radio personality Jodee Bock.

Press Play below to take a listen.

Interview w/ NoDak Films on Bigger Small Talk Radio -- Jodee Bock by nabruralfolk

New release movies available! How dare they.

No Author — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:04:41 GMT

Here's what the article said:

Big-name Hollywood action flick directors including James Cameron and Michael Bay are slamming a plan by studios to make new release movies available to rent in homes just two months after debuting in theaters.

They slammed the offering, being made available starting Thursday to DirecTV subscribers for $30, because it could cannibalize movie ticket sales at a time theater owners are upgrading movie houses with new digital and 3-D equipment.

The directors signed an open letter saying the new offering could �irrevocably harm� the film industry and lead to more theater closings.

Studios are struggling to offset the steady decline in DVD sales.

Hmmmm....

James Cameron and Michael Bay -- the article mentions these two names perhaps because they are synonymous with big and bold theatrical adventures that break box office numbers.

I'll start with Bay in an article from Forbes.com in 2009. Interestingly enough, James Cameron is also mentioned alongside Bay:

But audiences love him. Bay's seven movies have pulled in $2.6 billion at the box office, putting him in the same league with James Cameron ($3 billion, including Titanic, the highest-grossing film ever, at $1.8 billion). That means something at a time when the movie business is going through its own action thriller, as studios run low on capital and people stop buying DVDs. (Although theaters keep half of ticket sales, the gross amount is a good proxy for the movie owner's total revenue, which includes DVDs and other money streams.)

Bay brings his movies in on time and on budget, a rarity in Hollywood. Because his pay is largely based on the film's profits (usually one-third of the take after the studio recoups its production and advertising costs), he's got plenty of incentive to rein in expenses. "Michael makes me look good because he counts every penny," says Jerry Bruckheimer, who has produced five of Bay's films.

The new Transformers movie (the second full-length feature in the series) cost $195 million to make. But Bay estimates it would have cost $10 million more if he hadn't partnered with General Motors ( GMGMQ - news - people ) and the U.S. military to get free cars, helicopters and battleships. By keeping the budget (relatively) low on the first Transformers flick, in 2007, he was able to increase his share of the movie's $708 million worldwide gross, earning $80 million from the film.

Who stands to benefit when an individual's paycheck, Bay in this case, is �largely based on a film's profit.� Bay is just protecting his own ass and the $80,ooo,ooo it stands to make by releasing big budget movie redwoods in the form of action over substance � Transformers series, Armageddon, Bad Boys series, The Rock. The longer this big budget movie redwood phenomenon exists, the more reliant studios will become on redwoods.

And how about Cameron, who along with Bay is more interested in the redwood. Perhaps we as a consuming public have built our way into this redwood state. They say the male 17-24 years old consumes the most movies in the theatre so how in the hell did Titanic gross 1.8 billion (worldwide). Maybe worldwide is the catch-all. The world now consumes a movie.

OR what I like about moving movies to DirecTV and other formats outside theatrical sooner is avoidance of the herd mentality. Studios spend a lot of money marketing a movie. Upwards of almost half the amount of a movie's production budget and this type of marketing can be controlled by whoever has the most money to market to the most people at one time � ie guys like Bay and Cameron.

What DirecTV and Netflix and other formats offer is the ability to choose from a wide array of movies with a wide array of budgets without having to be told what to consume. I have Instant Watch on Netflix and I love discovering movies I never heard of, movies that have never been marketed to me. I personally believe if Avatar wasn't shoved down our throats as this epic achievement then it would be just another movie competing on merit alone, word-of-mouth.

Big studios are scared they will lose a market segment. Theatre owners are scared they won't sell tickets, but I don't see filmmakers scared to make movies. In and around redwoods are smaller trees that use the same sun and water to grow.

Hangover II trailer pulled...

No Author — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:27:37 GMT

The movie Hangover II trailer was pulled from theatres after a letter from Warner Bros and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)instructed theatres to delete the trailer from source code.

Interesting move. They give no reasons and the public is left to speculate why. I have not seen the trailer, but I am now more intriqued by the movie.

I look at this as a great marketing tool.

I just hope the movie isn't lousy and the marketing efforts have been beefed up to counter a sub-par movie.

Last Summer For Boys: A trailer

No Author — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 04:50:03 GMT

NDCA likes NoDak Films

No Author — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:56:56 GMT

From the North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA): "The board clearly appreciates the work you've done...and the fact that it's ND through and through. They requested that I get an Attorney General's opinion as to whether we can legally do this as a state agency since you are a private entity and not non-profit. I'll contact them this week and it usually takes about a week to get an answer. Will let you know when I hear anything from them."

This past Saturday, Feb. 19th the NDCA held one of its quarterly board meetings. NoDak Films requested that the NDCA act as a fiscal agent as we raise funds for distribution. As a fiscal agent, the NDCA will act as middle man between a potentail sponsor and NoDak Films. Funds will go to the NDCA and the NDCA will distribute those funds to NoDak Films. Sponsorship dollars would also be tax-deductible.

I hope the Attorney General feels as strongly about NoDak Films as the NDCA.

Movie Poster

No Author — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 22:45:30 GMT

Liking this...

SPONSORSHIP OVERVIEW BROCHURE IS HERE...

No Author — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:55:04 GMT

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BROCHURE

Coming soon...

No Author — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 06:16:12 GMT

It's time to distribute this movie in North Dakota through great North Dakota companies. More to come soon on the website...

Movie 2.0

No Author — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:33:26 GMT

A lot of "F" words, but he says exactly how I've been feeling since I started NoDak Films in 2006. Indie Film 2.0 and although I don't like the word Indie I'll rename the revolution Movie 2.0

Click on the 'related link' below to watch the video by Kevin Smith at this year's Sundance Film Festival

Watch this movie...

No Author — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 05:01:30 GMT

The mark of a great movie is that it leaves the viewer wanting more. I want more. 'Exit Through the Gift Shop' is almost unbelieveable, but it's a documentary. A documentary! I watched it 3 nights ago and I still can't get the damn thing out of my head.

I can't remember the last movie to have that effect.

Watch this movie. I know I will -- again.

Maybe Roger Ebert said it best...

No Author — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:00:34 GMT

"3D is a distracting, annoying, anti-realistic, juvenile abomination to use as an excuse for higher prices"

Movie Poster...

No Author — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 01:39:08 GMT

This may be the one...

Silver lining...

No Author — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 22:49:29 GMT

The email went like this:

Dear Nathan,

On behalf of the Sundance Programming team, we would like to thank you for submitting your film to the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Unfortunately, we are not able to include it in our program this year. With over 3,800 feature films submitted for consideration, narrowing the field down to 115 was more difficult than ever. Please know that your film was carefully considered by our staff, and we viewed far more worthy films than we had room for in the program. Do not be discouraged by this decision-- we wish you the best of luck with your film, and look forward to having the opportunity to view your work in the future.

Sincerely,

John Cooper

Director, Sundance Film Festival

Initially it bothered me, was dissapointed, then I saw this:

Thank you for all your support, everyone! Here's our BIG NEWS!!

NEXT (<=>)
Eight American films selected for their innovative and original work in low- and no-budget filmmaking. Each is a world premiere.

Prairie Love / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Dusty Bias) - When a mysterious vagrant living out of his car among the snowy plains discovers a nearly-frozen local with a pen-pal girlfriend, he sees an opportunity to change his lonely existence. Cast: Jeremy Clark, Holly Lynn Ellis, Garth Blomberg.

Dusty Bias, Holly Ellis and Garth Blomberg are from North Dakota, made a movie in North Dakota. They are my peers, my friends, we all graduated from the same high school the same year.

Since we finished production on our movie, the last 4 months have been all about editing/sound/post-production and the process was beginning to slow the machine of our accomplishment this past summer into a rusty routine that was even making me a bit stiff.

Upon our dissapointment and 'Prairie Love's' accomplishment; I found a silver lining. NoDak Films made a great movie this summer and I look forward to growing up as filmmakers alongside old friends even if there perch is from a swank loft in Hollywood and mine is from the back porch of a couple acres in rural North Dakota.

2011 is going to be a great year for the moving picture set in and inspired by North Dakota.

Making a Prediction...

No Author — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 11:53:34 GMT

My wife called me the other day -- a copy of People's Sexiest Man Alive issue happened to arrive at our place. Anyway, in the magazine was a sneak peak at the animated movie Cars 2. You know, Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally, Doc, etc...

I am making a predicition now that Cars 2 will gross over 1 billion dollars.

The End

'REEL MENTAL ILLNESS'

No Author — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 19:52:23 GMT

I was listening to North Dakota Public Radio the other day when the arts and entertainment critic came on -- a local guy I think. Anyway, after tearing apart the new movie Megamind, the critic mentioned a two day film event at the Fargo Theatre called '''REEL MENTAL ILLNESS': Depictions in the movies'. According to Mental Health America of North Dakota, who sponsored the event, they would in fact show movies that depicted mental illness and then 'facilitate audience disucussion on the authenticity' of the the particular mental illness displayed in the movie.

I found this very interesting. Why? Because the movie's shown were a means to an end and not an end in itself. The first movie shown was 'Fisher King' with Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges -- a movie. The synopsis goes:

Jeff Bridges is shock radio DJ Jack Lucas, whose low opinion of humanity lends itself well to his radio talk show, where the enmity rubs off on his listeners. One fan in particular takes Jack's rants to heart and goes to a fancy restaurant with a gun, murdering innocent diners. Jack is so distraught at what his on-air suggestion wrought that he sinks into a three-year depression, drinking himself to sleep and mooching off of his girlfriend Anne Napolitano (Mercedes Ruehl, in an Oscar-winning performance), an attractive owner of a video store. Hitting bottom, Jack slumps to the river, prepared to commit suicide. To his rescue comes a crazed but witty homeless man named Parry (Robin Williams), who tells Jack he's destined for great things -- all his has to do is find the Holy Grail (conveniently located in mid-town Manhattan) and save Parry's soul. He also wants Jack to help him out with the woman of his dreams, Lydia Sinclair (Amanda Plummer), a shy type who works at a publishing company. Parry was once a university professor became unglued by a tragic event in his past; Jack soon realizes that to save himself, he first must save Parry.

For Mental Health America of North Dakota, 'Fisher King' represented a means to discuss schizophrenia. The film became secondary to the issue(s) within it.

I view NoDak Films in a similar way -- we are not making a movie that depicts mental illness, we are making a movie that depicts North Dakota and a creative contribution model and North Dakota actors, music in the soundtrack, North Dakota locations, resources, crew etc...

Oh yeah! and it's a movie too. A good movie. I tell people that what happens behind the camera is just as important as what happens in front of the camera and like Mental Health America of North Dakota illustrated, both can generate a meaningful discussion.