-When you plan the realization of a film project, what are your objectives?
To engage an audience whether streaming or cinema, and make them laugh, cry and think. I aspire to making films that last whether independent or studio.
-With Artificial Intelligence, cinema is undergoing a phase of transformation even more radical than the one that occurred in the 1920s with the transition from silent films to sound. What is your opinion on
this?
AI is already disrupting everything, not just film. Anthropic helped themselves to 12 of my 18 published novels digitally to train their AI without a request or compensation. They were sued partly by the Author’s Guild, which thank goodness I recently joined, and they put up a link to the page that has a ‘works list’ and I found 12 of my books. They didn’t upload my other five Berkley books either because they’re too old and long, a different style, or because they didn’t want to fight Simon and Schuster. I filed a formal complaint which they acknowledged. Authors everywhere are being bilked of their intellectual property, not just filmmakers. Musicians, all the creatives will face these challenges until and unless we get legal guardrails.
That said, like any other dangerous tool that can be used for good or bad, AI has its uses and creatives have to learn to use it like a tool while protecting their contributions. Michelangelo and Me would benefit if the Sistine Chapel images are AI generated but I know Pope Leo hates AI so who knows? If there’s another cheap way to human reproduce them for this script I’m all ears but I know I wouldn’t want to be the artist redrawing Michelangelo’s ceiling…wearing my business hat, I know this would already be an expensive budget just with VFX for the statues and live action. But what they did with Val Kilmer’s image after it sounds like just asking permission, is inexcusable if the estate wasn’t compensated for the full hour which is what I’m hearing. Just like copyright, whoever owns the rights should be paid before any images, print, film, novel, article, whatever, are used. And it will take the Feds to do it so we all know what’s needed come November….I hope Europe is more protective as they tend to be. The European Union is certainly more creative friendly. It will take a worldwide movement to stem this tide like a dam we can control for good uses and avoid training machines to take our jobs. But stop it we can’t. We can certainly tag it though. The Author’s Guild is working on a logo for its members to incorporate into projects that state human produced with a registration number that can be vetted and used. I think they’re also going to allow non guild members to use it for a fee. Contact them for more info.
-To which production or distribution company would you like to propose your new project? Give us a profile, including some examples.
A studio and/or an alliance of production companies. Ideally I’d like to see one or two Italian companies ally with Hollywood partners to film and distribute whether streaming or theater. But someone from the beginning needs to consider demographics, which are different here and other places. An international team could best do this. I genuinely believe, and I’m not saying this about any of my other stories with the possible exception of Monster Mash which isn’t even begun yet, that this story has worldwide allure for all ages, most nationalities, and both genders. But the film has to be great and the marketing prescient to lessen the risk. And one of my ideas? I’d love to ask Pope Leo to appear in cameo….I can’t imagine anything in this story centered on the power of dreams and believing in miracles again to be objective to him. The world needs this story right now. And it subliminally promotes great values: redemption, honor, family, even a sprinkling of spiritualism but though the Vatican plays a big role this is not a Christian story. It’s a story of humanity, who we were, who we are, and who we aspire to be. Universal. I believe that comes through, but if not, I’ll just do more revisions. But I own 100% of the copyright to both the source material, Heaven’s Rogue and the script and my very deep expertise in fiction of all types needs to be reflected.
-WILD FILMMAKER can now “sit at the table with the big players” alongside The Hollywood Reporter and Variety during the Cannes Film Festival, but we have chosen to continue being a Global Cultural Movement with an ethical mission: to bring democracy into cinema, placing the Work of Art at the center of our project rather than Marketing.
Do you think we are doing a good job?
Yes, I’d like to have your air miles, Michele lol. No , really I think ya’ll are doing a great deal for independent cinema but it’s still scattered. I’ve entered a lot of festivals and won lots of awards, but I never get any feedback or see a mention of my name in prestigious publications. Some type of digital copy would be very helpful and would, frankly, keep me writing screenplays. Right now I’m concentrating on the reissue of my third Berkley book and it’s called The Hawk’s Lady, new cover in progress below. Too long and sweeping and flowery for a script but the allegories between what we fought for in 1799 and what we’re fighting for now are scary. I researched it for months at Duke University and at one time, not sure now don’t know how to check, it was listed in the online catalogue at the Library of Congress which is surely unusual for a paperback romance. I plan some considerable promotion including a self reading at you tube of a few scenes. My goal is to get all the logistics done prior to July 4th so I have to hustle. I just want people to know I write all the time, which is one reason I don’t do social media much. I switch easily between scripts and novels and vice versa. The cover image is for you and other festivals, not intended for this article, I just want y’all to know.
