The Vine Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Vine Studio, a full-service production company in Santa Monica, CA calls for entries to our First Annual VIne Shorts Fest! Accepting short films and short screenplays from around the world, in all genres. Films from any year of production are eligible, and must be under 30 minutes in length; Screenplays must be in English, formatted to industry standards, and be no more than 30 pages in length.

What does everyone think of all the music video contests bands are hosting nowadays? I thought it was a good idea at first, but now everybody's doing them, and it just seems like an easy way for record companies to get music videos for free. The contest I partook in was run pretty badly-- they didn't even tell me I was a finalist. It took someone else to find it online and tell me.

On one hand, it's a great way for people to go out there and get their work seen. On the other hand, it seems like if this trend continues, even less money will be available for even less people to make music videos.

What does everyone else think?

- Rick

Shutter Magazine is looking for YOUR help!

Here's the open positions:

1) New writers - start writing articles about anything film related that you feel could teach an aspiring filmmaker, or that you feel is noteworthy, or something that's satirical like Todd Voltz's 10 ways to seduce a casting director (lol); write about what you love about film!!!!

2) Layout designer: Someone familiar with digitally laying out a magazine and how it needs to be designed

3) Reporters: In addition to article writers, we need to have people that take it upon themselves to cover events and to keep all of us up to date on what's going on in the local film industry

4) Sales people / Street Team - so that the magazine will generate revenue and provide writers and layout designers with compensation, so that we can cover the expense of the print and the expenses. Sales people should earn 15% of their sale.

5) Music - Someone who will oversee what local bands and acts would be willing to donate their music for independent films and make sure they get a listing in Shutter's music for your film page

6) Publishers - You will oversee the printing, the layout design, and work with the Editor-in-Chief to make sure that the magazine is properly distributed

7) Web Designer - You will oversee the Web Design, and make Shutter's awareness known on the web, keeping the myspace page up to date, sending out messages via the facebook group, etc.

Shutter on MySpace

Revver is sponsoring the Student Films Across America Los Angeles screening/awards event, taking place this Thursday, August 2nd at 7 p.m. at Cinespace in Hollywood. The event is free and will feature live music and high-quality student shorts. Come out and meet other LA-based independent creators and support student film!

In case you're not familiar, SFAA is a student-organized traveling film festival that showcases really impressive student short films on big screens across the country. The project is super ambitious and is the meaning of DIY awesomeness - they've managed to hit just about everywhere on nothing but a shoestring budget and a lot of hard work. The embedded vid is from their road blog, and you can check out some of the shorts here.

More info on the venue and the selected shorts for that night can be found here. Hope to see everyone there!

The web may be great for gaining global attention, but it also works well when trying to get the attention of locals. That's why the recent rise of local "neighborhood" comedy blogs - many of which regularly feature videos from local performers is something worth keeping an eye on. In particular, the Apiary network - which includes New York-based The Apiary, Chicago-based The Bastion, and Los Angeles-based The Coming do a great job of covering their respective local comedy scenes. Those three sites also regularly feature new videos every Wednesday and it's a great way to get some attention for your work. Tell 'em the Daily Reel sent you...

On a side note, the Bastion recently put out a call that they are looking for some new writers for the site in case anyone in the Chicago comedy scene is looking to contribute.