MOVING PICTURE INSTITUTE
annual report 2011 // 2012
MPI
MISSION
The Moving Picture Institute (MPI) produces and promotes films that make an impact on people’s understanding of individual rights, limited government, and free markets, and supports freedom-oriented filmmakers at every phase of their careers. Who we reach MPI films reach many millions worldwide through television, DVD, video on demand, and the Internet. MPI films screen in theaters, in communities, in schools, on college and university campuses, at national and regional policy conferences, on Capitol Hill, and more.
Why MPI matters MPI is changing the culture
by shaping how Americans think about what freedom is and why it matters. MPI films are galvanizing support for property rights, free speech, market-based health care reform, entrepreneurship, fiscal restraint, and much more. MPI is changing the face of Hollywood, seeding it with a
network of talented filmmakers who are committed to bringing freedom to life in film and on television.
Why we are unique No other organization supports freedomoriented filmmakers on this scale. None has a foot in both the policy world and Hollywood. None has our potential for future impact in these arenas—and none has achieved with film what we have already achieved.
MPI films are changing how history, philosophy, and economics are taught in schools—and shaping young
people’s understanding of freedom.
Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
What’s more, through video on demand, television, and the Internet, MPI films are now available to nearly 120 million homes at the touch of a button. And major media outlets regularly feature MPI films, reaching millions more. From its humble beginnings in 2005, MPI has become enormously effective and influential in promoting the ideals and values of freedom in our society. Transcending political divides on many timely, critical issues, our films have had a powerful, immediate impact on national public policy debates. We have built a roster of talented young filmmakers that is transforming the film industry. As MPI embarks on its eighth year, we look forward to harnessing the power of film in new ways to spread the message of freedom even more widely. MPI films—and filmmakers—are reaching a wide audience and having a decisive, growing impact on how Americans understand freedom. You may already know about our enormous success with The Cartel, our award-winning film about the failures of America’s public education system. This film became a vital tool for policy groups and had demonstrable impact: School choice legislation has been passed or is on the agenda in over a dozen states where lawmakers watched the film. Meanwhile, Battle for Brooklyn, our Oscar-shortlisted film about eminent domain abuse, inspired a grassroots movement to protect property rights. A property rights bill is now making its way through Congress. And The Machine, our short film showing how public-sector unions corrupt the democratic process, helped shape the education reform and entitlement debates during the 2012 Democratic National Convention and the heated Chicago teachers’ strike. Over 110,000 people saw The Machine within the first few days of its release, and over 100 blogs and critics covered it. One of our core aims is to disseminate liberty-oriented messages to America’s young people. During the 2011–12 school year, over 15,000 middle- and high-school teachers ordered our films for their classrooms. Each teacher reaches around 100 students. In other words, every year, over 1.5 million students learn about freedom from MPI’s films. 2
Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
MPI is succeeding at building a powerful network of talented freedom-oriented filmmakers in Hollywood—and beginning to change the entertainment industry from the inside out. Our Fellowship Program has doubled in size and has become more vibrant than ever. MPI fellows’ work is reaching millions, being used in classrooms, earning bipartisan praise from major media outlets, breaking records, and winning major awards— including an Emmy and a spot on the Oscar shortlist for Best Documentary. In 2012, the MPI Fellowship Program won the prestigious Templeton Freedom Award for Innovative New Media. The MPI Internship Program is enjoying immense success as well. To date, we have equipped over four dozen interns with the skills and resources to launch their filmmaking careers. And they are well on their way to making a name for themselves in Hollywood. In 2012 alone, ten former interns landed new fulltime jobs in the industry, and two more graduated into the MPI Fellowship Program to further their own projects. We have come a long way since 2005. With the support of our generous donors, we’ve built something entirely unique that is filling a gap no other organization is filling. We are doing it all with a tiny staff of five, and we only spend 7 percent of our budget on overhead—an exceptional level of efficiency. I hope you enjoy reading this summary of MPI’s work in 2011–12. Thank you for your interest in spreading the message of freedom through film. Sincerely,
Rob Pfaltzgraff President
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INSIDE THIS REPORT SNAPSHOT OF IMPACT .......................
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FILM PRODUCTION AND PROMOTION PROGRAM .......................
18 26
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FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM ....................... INTERNSHIP PROGRAM ....................... FINANCIALS .......................
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LEADERSHIP AND CONTACT INFORMATION .......................
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“In MPI, I’ve found a unique foundation that not only promotes my ideals of personal freedom, but also supports my efforts with every imaginable resource.” // MPI fellow Jared Lapidus (The Libel Tourist )
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SNAPSHOT OF IMPACT
reaching millions Number of students that MPI films reach nationwide each year
Number of MPI films’ campus and community screenings in 2011–12
Views The Machine achieved in its first few days online
Average number of stars MPI films have earned on Amazon.com
110,000 1.5 284
MILLION
4.5
7505000+
118,600,000
,
Number of theatrical screenings for U.N. Me across 10 major cities in 2012
Number of homes that MPI films reach through video on demand
Number of views that MPI fellow Dorian Electra’s video FA$T CA$H achieved within 24 hours of its release
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Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
SNAPSHOT OF IMPACT
Number of combined views that MPI fellow John Papola’s videos Fear the Boom and Bust and Fight of the Century have achieved
Number of views the Honor Flight trailer achieved in 2011–12
Combined number of fellows and interns MPI has supported since our founding
6,051,574
Number of countries in which MPI films have screened
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4.76
MILLION
104
28,442
1,568 30 Number of likes The Machine has received on YouTube
Number of MPI internship production partner companies
Audience count at the record-breaking premiere of MPI fellows Clay Broga and Dan Hayes’ film Honor Flight in Miller Park, Milwaukee
Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
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“I’m so very impressed with U.N. Me. So are my colleagues, and the students are shocked.”
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//Rob Schimenz, NY high-school teacher
Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
Film Production and Promotion Program
Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
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Film Production and Promotion Program
educating while entertaining
Film Production and Promotion Program Through our Film Production and Promotion Program, MPI identifies high-quality short films, documentaries, and narrative features that are aligned with our mission, and provides crucial support for development, pre-production, production, postproduction, and distribution. MPI support may include one phase or all five, but with every film, MPI is intricately involved in shaping, supporting, and promoting a polished, hard-hitting final product. In recent years, MPI has also begun conceptualizing and producing its own original film content.
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Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
2.19 million
Number of times MPI film trailers have been downloaded
Objectives: Ensure the development and distribution of top-grade films with freedom-oriented messages Promote these films in theaters, on television, online, on DVD, at festivals, in schools, and on college and university campuses Change the culture by educating the public about the values and tenets of freedom Offer an alternative to the ideologically one-sided film industry Provide content to like-minded leaders and policy groups
MPI’s growing roster of films provides policy groups, elected leaders, teachers, and collegiate student groups with effective tools to raise awareness of critical issues central to the cause of advancing liberty.
The Film Production and Promotion Program aims to change the culture by educating Americans about what freedom is and why it matters. We are striving to promote the ideals of freedom to a public that is being bombarded by onesided messages from Hollywood, the mainstream media, schools, universities, and the government.
Film Production and Promotion Program
“Nothing depicts the borough’s backbone with more personality and urgency than Battle for Brooklyn.”
//Wall Street Journal
(above) The Cartel screens before a sold-out crowd in Madison, WI; (right) Atlantic Yards project site in Battle for Brooklyn
Battle For Brooklyn ScreeningS
INTERNATIONAL
USA Flagstaff, AZ Tucson, AZ Los Angeles, CA San Francisco, CA Santa Monica, CA Colorado Springs, CO Denver, CO Golden, CO Washington, DC Fort Lauderdale, FL
Honolulu, HI Boise, ID Chicago, IL Boston, MA Cambridge, MA Salem, MA Traverse City, MI St. Louis, MO Minneapolis, MN Missoula, MT
Chapel Hill, NC Santa Fe, NM Brooklyn, NY Bronx, NY Harlem, NY Manhattan, NY Staten Island, NY Cleveland, OH Oklahoma City, OK Portland, OR
Pittsburgh, PA Providence, RI Dallas, TX Denton, TX Arlington, VA Bellingham, WA Seattle, WA
Toronto, Canada* Windsor, Australia* * Not shown on the map above
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Film Production and Promotion Program
winning awards Battle for Brooklyn BattleForBrooklyn.com
Battle for Brooklyn tells the gripping story of how residents and business owners fought the city’s efforts to condemn their property to make way for the Atlantic Yards project, a massive plan to build sixteen skyscrapers and a basketball arena in the heart of Brooklyn, NY. This feature-length documentary takes a close look at the poorly understood phenomenon of eminent domain abuse, showing what happens when government and real estate developers collude in schemes that eviscerate private property rights—all in the name of “development.”
Uniting Americans across the political spectrum, Battle for Brooklyn is raising awareness about property rights, limited government, and free markets at a time when we are seeing a growing number of eminent domain cases nationwide. The film is contributing to the national discussion about the urgency of eradicating this governmental abuse of power, and is paving the way for change. On February 28, 2012, less than a year after the film’s release, the U.S. House passed the Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2012. The bill is now before the Senate. Many states are also adopting laws that protect private property rights. In November 2012, Virginia became the 45th state to pass legislation that blunts the government’s power to exercise eminent domain, and the 12th state to do so through a constitutional amendment.
Highlights: Shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2012. Premiered to a standing ovation at the prestigious Hot Docs film festival in April 2011. Fifth-highest grossing movie in the USA on its opening weekend on a per-screen basis. Sold out in New York City theaters on opening weekend. Earned bipartisan praise in over a dozen major media outlets, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, National Public Radio, and more. Screened in 39 cities worldwide, including theatrical screenings in over a dozen major U.S. cities. Will be available to hundreds of millions on iTunes and Amazon On Demand in 2013.
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“Incisive.” // National Public Radio
“Has heart, soul and chutzpah…feisty but fairly reported….The time line that drives Battle for Brooklyn makes it as urgent as any Hollywood thriller.”
// New York Daily News
Battle for Brooklyn filmmakers Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley
ACADEMY AWARD SHORTLIST Battle for Brooklyn made the shortlist for an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2012. Of the 124 films that qualified in the Best Documentary category, Battle for Brooklyn was one of only 15 that made the cut.
“An incredible documentation of the eight-year fight, Battle for Brooklyn is riveting viewing…. It’s an important cautionary tale for us all.”
// Yahoo! Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
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Film Production and Promotion Program
Influencing Public Policy U.N. Me UNMeMovie.com
U.N. Me, a feature-length documentary from filmmaker Ami Horowitz, exposes the deep-seated corruption of the United Nations. A harrowing yet humorous portrait of big government’s ineptitude, U.N. Me reveals how an organization founded to foster international peace and freedom has done just the opposite— enabling evil, creating chaos, and allowing dictators, thugs, and tyrants to dominate its agenda.
The U.N. has not only failed to hold tyrannical dictators accountable for their actions, it has given them platforms to promote their policies. The organization has even been unsuccessful in protecting basic human rights, and has pacified known human rights violators. Despite its massive failures, the U.N. maintains an unwarranted role in global affairs. With billions of dollars pouring in from countries around the world each year (and almost a quarter of its funding subsidized by U.S. taxpayers), the U.N. is getting paid—and paid well—to aid and abet tyranny. U.N. Me argues that we should use our financial leverage to push for meaningful reforms. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has introduced legislation to do just that—and U.N. Me’s impact is only beginning to be felt.
HIGHLIGHTS: Enjoyed a bipartisan congressional screening on Capitol Hill in June 2012. Screened over 750 times in theaters across 10 major cities in 2012. Used in classrooms, earning accolades from teachers and students alike. Earned bipartisan praise from the New York Times, the Washington Post, Access Hollywood, the L.A. Times, and more. Available to hundreds of millions on iTunes, Netflix, and the U.N. Me online store.
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“A scathing takedown of the United Nations.” // Los Angeles Times
(above left) Ami Horowitz films U.N. Me on location in Côte d’Ivoire. (above right) High-school teacher Rob Schimenz praises U.N. Me. (below) U.N. Me plays at AMC Empire 25 in NYC.
“Very entertaining, but also provocative...a must see.” // Access Hollywood
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Film Production and Promotion Program
shaping the culture THE MACHINE The Machine explains how publicsector unions corrupt politicians, pick taxpayers’ pockets, and make it nearly impossible to hold teachers and other government employees accountable. The film illustrates how American taxpayers are being compelled to fund “the machine” by subsidizing the publicsector unions and the politicians who support them. At a time when Americans are deeply concerned about out-of-control government spending and unemployment, The Machine exposes an entrenched political system that shows how our tax dollars are really spent.
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Released to coincide with the 2012 Democratic National Convention and the Chicago teachers’ strike, The Machine helped shape the entitlement and education reform debates during the height of the election season. Developed in-house as an MPI original production, The Machine was launched with targeted publicity and advertising to maximize its impact. In its first few days on YouTube, The Machine drew over 110,000 views, was featured on over 100 blogs, and earned coverage from 27 media outlets, including theWashington Times, Red State, and the Daily Caller. MPI also partnered with over two dozen national policy groups to promote the film online. The Machine will see continued impact in 2013 as many states begin or renew their efforts to reform public-sector union contracts, benefits, and entitlements. Michigan recently passed “Right to Work” legislation, and New Hampshire and Ohio are poised to consider legislation in 2013. Many states will also consider various types of school choice legislation. MPI will redeploy The Machine as these battles heat up, offering reformers and legislators a powerful tool to promote urgently needed change.
Highlights: Helped shape the education reform and entitlement debates during the 2012 Democratic National Convention and the Chicago teachers’ strike. Achieved over 110,000 views in its first few days online. Will remain timely, compelling, and relevant as several state legislatures consider education reform and “Right to Work” legislation in 2013.
90
Number of Facebook shares The Machine got in its first 24 hours online
Film Production and Promotion Program
“Brilliant, professional and extremely well polished. Please post more videos like this!”
// YouTube user comment
Top Media Hits for The Machine
“Remember folks, smaller classrooms don’t mean better education. They mean more union teachers to feed the machine!”
Instapundit (4,367) Reason (4,044) HotAir (2,346) Fox News (1,504) 0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
// Congressman Tom Tancredo
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Film Production and Promotion Program
ENDURING IMPACT
THE CARTEL
2081
The Singing Revolution
TheCartelMovie.com Shaped the education reform debate in 2010–11.
FinallyEqual.com Debuted in classrooms in 2011.
School choice legislation has since been passed or seriously considered in over a dozen states where lawmakers watched the film.
To date, over 12,700 teachers have requested the film, and it has reached over 1,219,200 students nationwide.
Anchored the first National School Choice Week in 2011.
613,716 unique visits to the website to date.
The trailer has been viewed over 142,000 times.
The trailer has been viewed over 490,000 times.
Available to hundreds of millions through Amazon, Amazon On Demand, and Netflix.
Available to hundreds of millions through Amazon and Amazon On Demand.
SingingRevolution.com The film has been screened hundreds of times worldwide, and was broadcast over 1,000 times on PBS in 2011. 3,209 teachers requested educational DVDs in 2011. In 2013, the film is expected to surpass 9,000 orders— reaching over 1 million students in the next year. The trailer has been viewed over 114,000 times.
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Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
Available to hundreds of millions through Amazon, Amazon On Demand, iTunes, and Netflix.
Film Production and Promotion Program
12,700 Number of teachers that have requested 2081 to date
What teachers are saying about 2081
“One of the best educational videos I have seen in 30 years of teaching. So well done and so thought-provoking.” “I have never had the kind of response from students that I had with this video.”
3,000
Number of The Singing Revolution teaching units that were ordered in the first week of the film’s educational release
“The Singing Revolution had a profound impact on my students….what a powerful story. In fact, it made such an impact that one young man has chosen this topic as his focus for an independent research project this trimester.” // Elementary school gifted teacher
MPI FILMS IN SCHOOLS
In 2011, MPI began distributing select content to teachers across the country through the Free to Choose Network. The response has been overwhelming. Our films 2081 and The Singing Revolution are immensely popular with teachers and students alike, and more teachers are requesting them every day. Our most recent release, Pups of Liberty, received over 1,200 orders in just 4 days! Given the broad distribution and popularity of MPI films in schools, we hope to make more MPI films available through Free to Choose in the coming years.
“This was a fantastic interpretation of Vonnegut’s short story. I’ve long wished for something like this to show my students— and this video definitely delivers when it comes to connecting what they’ve read. Thank you so much!” (right) Armie Hammer (The Social Network, J. Edgar) as Harrison Bergeron in 2081 Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
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“I want to emphasize how important it is for me and other filmmakers like me that MPI is supporting what we do. It is so easy to be hidden or swept away by studios, or to be discouraged from making films with strong and vital messages of freedom. Now that I have started I can’t imagine stopping. I have found in MPI guidance, support, and advice that I have not found anywhere else. To know that they recognize what I am trying to do is tremendously reassuring and helps me to continue on this course.”
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// MPI fellow Jennifer Cardon Klein (Pups of Liberty)
FELLOWSHIP Program
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“A luxury Italian fashion designer uses philosophy to improve the lives of his workers. MPI’s visionary sponsorship provides the conditions for the possibility of asking how he does it—support that is as rare and brave as it sounds.” // M PI fellow David LaRocca on his upcoming film, Brunello Cucinelli: A New Philosophy of Clothes
(above) MPI fellow David LaRocca (right) interviews Italian clothier Brunello Cucinelli
FELLOWSHIP Program The MPI Fellowship Program supports the career development of rising freedom-oriented filmmakers involved in marketable film projects. MPI fellows receive financial support for their work, as well as guidance on scripting, production, marketing, fundraising, and distribution. In return, fellows help MPI talent scout and build our network, mentor MPI interns, and provide technical assistance to other grantees. Recognized as a force of innovation and impact, the MPI Fellowship Program helps promising producers, directors, and screenwriters launch their careers. Along the way, we’re building a powerful network of talented, like-minded filmmakers in Hollywood and beyond.
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MPI fellows are: Reaching millions The trailer for MPI fellows Dan Hayes and Clay Broga’s Honor Flight has achieved over 4.7 million views. MPI fellow John Papola’s online videos Fear the Boom and Bust and Fight of the Century have been viewed more than 6 million times. One clip for MPI fellow Ray Griggs’ I Want Your Money has been viewed 2.5 million times. Winning major awards MPI fellow Michael Galinsky’s Battle for Brooklyn was shortlisted for a 2012 Academy Award for Best Documentary. In 2011, MPI fellow Landon Van Soest won an Emmy for his film Good Fortune, and MPI fellow Lucas Abel was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the History Channel’s WWII in HD. In 2012, the MPI Fellowship Program won the Atlas Economic Research Foundation’s prestigious Templeton Freedom Award for Innovative New Media.
Setting world records The August 2012 premiere of Honor Flight in Miller Park, Milwaukee, set a new Guinness World Record for the largest film screening in history, with 28,442 people in attendance. Setting the standard for freedom-oriented viral video content MPI fellows are regularly commissioned to produce videos for national public policy groups. MPI fellows Clay Broga and Dan Hayes founded Freethink Media with MPI fellowship support; it has become the go-to production house for freedom-oriented policy groups, and its videos on the debt crisis, produced for congressman Paul Ryan, have been screened on The Daily Show and Colbert Nation. MPI fellow John Papola founded Emergent Order, which produces a steady stream of viral content on free markets and Austrian economics. MPI
FELLOWSHIP Program
(clockwise) MPI fellow Dorian Electra on the set of her music video FA$T CA$H; MPI fellow Sheryll Franko films in Tahrir Square, Egypt; MPI fellow Erin Kruger works on the set of Hysteria's History, a forthcoming project of the Pacific Research Institute.
fellow Nick Tucker recently produced an educational film series on free markets for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, centered around Leonard Read’s classic essay “I, Pencil.” Providing teachers with powerful classroom content Fear the Boom and Bust and Fight of the Century are being used in classrooms around the world. 2081 is the most popular education video on the Free to Choose Network. MPI fellows Jennifer Cardon Klein and Bert Klein have also released their animated film about the Boston Tea Party, Pups of Liberty, through Free to Choose. MPI fellows’ films will reach 7.5 million students over the next five years.
Transforming public policy When New Jersey governor Chris Christie saw MPI fellow Bob Bowdon’s film about school choice, he said, “When I saw The Cartel, it helped mold for me the final outlines of what I wanted to do if I were lucky enough to become governor.” Major policy groups and think tanks also use MPI fellows’ work to fulfill their missions, including the Heritage Foundation, the Institute for Humane Studies, the State Policy Network, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the Institute for Justice.
2011 & 2012 fellows Lucas Abel David Alvarado Courtney Balaker Ted Balaker Naomi Brockwell Clay Broga Sean Buttimer Jennifer C. Klein Dorian Electra Toby Fell-Holden Anthony Fisher Sheryll Franko Ray Griggs Dan Hayes
Bert Klein David LaRocca Drew McCullough Rob Montz Alec Mouhibian Rob Raffety Cyrus Saidi Tim Sessler Anna Smith Eli Steele Landon Van Soest Phil Williams Vanessa Workman
To date, MPI has supported a total of 55 fellows. Advancing the ideals of freedom in a compelling, creative way, MPI fellows’ films are changing minds, changing laws, and bringing the history and philosophy of freedom to policymakers, professors, teachers, pundits, journalists, voters, and, crucially, young people. Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
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FELLOWSHIP Program
Spotlight on MPI Fellows Dan Hayes and Clay Broga are co-founders of Freethink Media, a video production and multimedia company that specializes in freedom-oriented storytelling. Founded with MPI fellowship support, Freethink grew organically out of demand for video content from free-market public policy groups.
MPI fellowships also allowed Dan and Clay to make their first feature film, Honor Flight. The film tells the story of Stars and Stripes Honor Flight, a nonprofit group that sends World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the memorial built in their honor. After its recordbreaking premiere at Miller Park in Milwaukee, the film screened in theaters in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C. The film enjoyed a congressional screening on Capitol Hill in December 2012. In early 2013, Honor Flight is set to screen in theaters in 18 states across the country. HonorFlightTheMovie.com
Dorian Electra is a singer, songwriter, filmmaker, and visual artist who writes and produces entertaining, idiosyncratic videos that promote free-market economic concepts. One of her first videos, I’m in Love with Friedrich Hayek, has drawn over 140,000 views and won praise from National Review Online. She also produced the music videos We Got It 4 Cheap, about supply and demand, and Roll With the Flow, which explores the problems of trying to centrally plan an economy.
Dorian’s most recent video, Fa$t Ca$h: Easy Credit and the Economic Crash, was written and produced with MPI fellowship support. Fa$t Ca$h reveals the disastrous effects that monetary easing has had on our economy. The film debuted in November 2012, earning almost 10,000 views in its first week online. Rather than talk in abstract terms about economic policy, Dorian aims to communicate free-market ideas in a hip, youthful, energetic way. In doing so, she inspires young people—especially young women—to embrace individualism, free markets, and limited government.
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JOHN PAPOLa, an award-winning director and producer, has been working in entertainment for the past decade with major brands including Spike, Nickelodeon, and MTV, as well as leading agencies such as Crispin Porter, Razorfish, and JWT.
John is the co-creator of global sensations Fear the Boom and Bust and Fight of the Century, two “rap battle” videos that set the ideas of Friedrich Hayek against those of John Maynard Keynes. The videos have a combined 6 million views on YouTube and are being used in classrooms worldwide. John is also the co-creator of EconStories, a groundbreaking media brand dedicated to re-imagining economics education through creative storytelling. MPI fellowship support was crucial to EconStories’ launch. On the strength of his success, John founded Emergent Order, a content development and production company dedicated in part to the exploration of the values of a free society. Currently, John is collaborating with MPI on a short film promoting education reform entitled Bad High School Musical. EmergentOrder.com EconStories.tv
FELLOWSHIP Program
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Evan Coyne Maloney is an award-winning documentary filmmaker based in
New York City. An early pioneer of video blogging, Evan got his start in filmmaking by posting short videos to his website, Brain-Terminal.com. Released in 2003, his first video quickly went viral, years before the advent of YouTube. Picked up by the cable news program Special Report with Brit Hume, it was discussed for days on talk radio programs across the country. That success led to Evan’s first feature-length film, MPI’s Indoctrinate U, which takes a humorous look at the state of free speech and free thought on American campuses. Since then, the film has become a campus cult classic, screening thousands of times at hundreds of campuses around the country. It is also one of the Documentary Channel’s best-selling films of all time.
“By definition, what independent filmmakers lack is access to the infrastructure needed to take an idea and turn it into a finished product. What MPI is great at is finding talented people with interesting ideas, and then helping them execute successfully.”
Recently, Evan wrote and narrated The Machine, MPI’s short film about how public sector unions corrupt our political system. He also produced Hating Breitbart, a feature-length documentary about how the late Andrew Breitbart upended the traditional press and repeatedly found himself the target of a media feeding frenzy. Released in select theaters in October 2012, Hating Breitbart sold out in St. Louis and Washington, D.C. Indoctrinate-U.com
// MPI fellow Evan Coyne Maloney
(top): MPI fellow Evan Coyne Maloney, (right): students at Northern Arizona University hold an Indoctrinate U screening, (far right): Scene from Indoctrinate U. Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
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FELLOWSHIP Program
Captions clockwise (from top left): Ut est justo, scelerisque non tempus sit amet, varius dolor lorem euismod, dolor at feispum.
In 2012, MPI’s Fellowship Program won a prestigious Templeton Freedom Award for Innovative New Media. A project of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, the Templeton Freedom Awards honor organizations that have done outstanding, cutting-edge work advancing the ideals of individual rights and free enterprise. In receiving the Innovative New Media Award, the MPI Fellowship Program was recognized for using film and multimedia technologies to promote freedom in a unique and innovative way.
TEMPLETON AWARD (above) MPI president Rob Pfaltzgraff (center) accepts the Templeton Award, with Atlas Economic Research Foundation president Alejandro Chafuen (right) and J.R. Clark of the John Templeton Foundation (left). (right:) MPI fellows Dan Hayes (left), Anthony Fisher (center) and Ted Balaker (right).
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Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
“Amazing night. Amazing organization. Amazing filmmakers. Amazing new friends.” // MPI fellow Erin Kruger
ANNUAL FELLOWS DINNER Each year, MPI hosts a dinner at the Tribeca Film Center in New York City to honor our fellows’ achievements. Fellows come from across the country to meet, build new professional relationships with other fellows, and network with MPI constituents.
Fellows also have the opportunity to see exclusive clips of one another’s work, giving them insight into the diversity and depth of the freedomoriented film work that is currently under way in this country.
Two dozen fellows attend the dinner each year, and they value it enormously for the inspiration, connections, and sense of community it provides.
“What a wonderful MPI fellows event,” fellow David LaRocca enthused. “Thank you very much for your continued work and facilitation. This was another great meeting—with so many exciting projects newly completed and underway. I was especially pleased to learn more about the work of established fellows and to make the acquaintance of new ones.”
(this page, clockwise from top left:) MPI fellows Jason Sussberg (left) and David Alvarado, MPI fellow Dorian Electra, MPI fellow John Papola.
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“My internship on the set of Taken 2 was my first big break in Hollywood. This amazing experience was not only packed full of great insights and lessons but it also catapulted my status amongst future employers and enabled numerous opportunities in film and TV since then. I cannot thank MPI enough for making this opportunity a reality.” // MPI intern CJ Saraceno
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Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
INTERNSHIP Program
Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
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INTERNSHIP Program
transforming Hollywood INTERNSHIP Program Like our Fellowship Program, MPI’s Internship Program offers a unique and learning-intensive experience for young freedomoriented filmmakers. Placing talented, dedicated individuals directly in the film industry, MPI facilitates the training and networking essential to building interns’ skills and jumpstarting their film careers. Interns work closely with industry professionals, build mentoring relationships, acquire vital knowledge and skills, and learn the culture of the business. MPI’s Internship Program is proving to be a highly effective vehicle for launching the careers of future directors, producers, screenwriters, studio executives, and distributors. As such, we are seeding Hollywood with talented filmmakers who share the MPI vision of freedom in film, and who can bring that vision to life on the screen. At the same time, we are preparing interns to transition into independent filmmaking—as writer/ director entrepreneurs launching their own production companies. Because our programs are organically integrated, exceptional MPI interns can graduate 28
Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
into the Fellowship Program to pursue independent film projects. In 2012, two former interns were awarded MPI fellowships.
Objectives: P lace promising young freedom-oriented filmmakers directly in production companies to help them secure a niche in the film industry. rovide support, guidance, P and training to help these filmmakers fully reach their potential. Build a network of like-minded filmmakers who can share ideas, pool resources, and collaborate on projects. Seed Hollywood with talent committed to bringing freedom to life on screen.
MPI incorporates training and networking components into the program to enrich the interns’ experience. Each year, interns participate in a virtual seminar where they have the opportunity to learn from freedom-oriented professional filmmakers and industry executives. Interns are also afforded numerous networking opportunities at both MPI and industry events, to help acclimate them to the MPI network and the filmmaking community at large.
Over the past two years, the MPI Internship Program has grown into an exclusive, learning-intensive program that has partnered with 30 production companies and fostered the careers of over four dozen interns.
49
Number of interns MPI has sponsored since our founding
2011 & 2012 INTERNs Colin Albea Janet Alexander Patrick Bowers Rich Camp Armando Doreste Jason Gross Will Hocker Craig Knepley Katharyn Lisman Jerry Liu James Mackenzie Kimberly Mathews
Madeline Merritt Tanner Mobley Aaron Moyer Francesca Parise Jefferson Poole Tiffany Pransky Paul Rezzo CJ Saraceno Terra Strong Kyle Tuckness Brian Warzak
Film Production and Promotion INTERNSHIP Program
“MPI’s generous internship program provided me with the tools I need to succeed in a fast-paced and competitive industry. I couldn’t recommend it more highly for anyone hoping to learn about, and ultimately work in, today’s cinema.“
// MPI intern Brian Warzak
(top) 2011 MPI intern Brian Warzak, (above) 2011–12 interns James Mackenzie and Francesca Parise
WHERE DO MPI INTERNS GO NEXT?*
Film Industry jobs Liberty Movement, New Media, or Other INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING
35% 19%
(of this number, 57% have gone on to become MPI fellows.)
46%
“I met MPI intern Francesca Parise on a phone call and knew instantly we would have a great summer together. I had no idea we would churn out more creative content in two months than I had in the last year without her! When her internship was over, I hired her, and now I couldn’t live without her! Then, when MPI intern James Mackenzie became available for a summer internship, Francesca and I jumped at the chance to work with him. Now, months later, he is still with us. Some of the best and brightest are finding their way to MPI and by the grace of God they found their way to me!“ // M PI production partner Meredith Scott Lynn, Circle Up Entertainment
*Out of the 37 former MPI interns who have graduated Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
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INTERNSHIP Program
Spotlight on MPI INTERNS Francesca Parise holds a bachelor’s
in film studies from the University of California, Berkeley. In the summer of 2011, she interned at Circle Up Entertainment, serving as production assistant to actress, producer, and director Meredith Scott Lynn (Legally Blonde, A Night at the Roxbury). Working closely alongside Meredith, Francesca created storyboards for a TV pilot, materials to pitch and sell creative content, and more. One of her pitch books was developed for Meredith and Karen McCullah Lutz, an A-list screenwriter. Francesca was also regularly hired to perform script coverage for several of Meredith’s industry contacts—including Kristin Hahn, Jennifer Aniston’s producing partner. Meredith was so impressed with Francesca that she hired her fulltime in 2012. Francesca is now vice president of creative development at Circle Up. She is developing a treatment for a scripted television series about a liberty-minded girl like herself for A-list showrunner and writer Gina Fattore (Californication, Gilmore Girls), and illustrating a short story for ABC Television Network. Her career goal is to be part of a new movement of filmmakers whose films reflect the spirit of liberty-oriented film.
RICH CAMP is a New York University
Tisch School of the Arts graduate with a bachelor’s in film and television production. Rich interned at Solar Pictures in the summer of 2012. His responsibilities included script coverage, film project research, and administrative assistance for the start-up company. Within a matter of weeks, Rich was asked to provide script coverage for the company’s industry contacts and sit in on development meetings. He was also introduced to Solar’s visiting international partners. Recently, Rich was hired as an independent contractor for the head of post-production for the Cooking Channel’s Road Trip with G. Garvin. Rich was so energized by his internship experience that he plans to apply for an MPI fellowship in 2013 to make a feature film about excessive government regulation and interference in our private lives. Ultimately, Rich aims to write, produce, and direct freedom-oriented films that are commercially viable. “As a firm believer in freedom, I always find those values deep inside my work,” he notes.
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Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
Madeline Merritt, a 2011 graduate
of Hillsdale College, holds a bachelor’s degree in history. In the summer of 2010, Madeline spent her internship working for Mpower Pictures (An American Carol,The Stoning of Soraya M., Bella). She did so well that they asked her to return for a correspondence film production and development internship through the fall of 2011. Madeline worked in Mpower’s development department, conducting research and writing coverage, among other tasks. All in all, she read nearly 3,000 pages and wrote more than 150 pages during her 10week internship (18 coverage pieces total, including novels and scripts). She found a great mentor in her supervisor, and also had the opportunity to sit down one-onone with Mpower’s founder, Steve McEveety (The Passion of the Christ, Braveheart, We Were Soldiers). Madeline is now a fulltime freelance teleprompter operator for NBC Universal, for E! Network and the G4 channel. This is a plum position with many opportunities for industry advancement. Motivated by Hollywood’s declining standards of storytelling, her career goal is to produce films that not only promote and protect the ideal of liberty, but also deserve a place in cinematic history.
Film Production and Promotion Program
“The Moving Picture Institute has set me up with the experience and skills that have put me far ahead of my class.” / / MPI intern Terra Strong, who is now working at the Independent Institute and, in her spare time, writing a screenplay for a freedom-oriented feature film
(above) Terra Strong interviews a Students for Liberty member, photo by Judd Weiss; (right) CJ Saraceno
CJ Saraceno, a 2011 graduate of Tufts University, is an avid filmmaker and aspiring producer. He has been making films and working as a digital video editor and content producer for multimedia firms since high school. He first interned for MPI in the summer of 2009, working with Gita Pullapilly, producer of the award-winning documentary The Way We Get By. CJ’s work included social networking and online marketing on behalf of the film, as well as coordinating its Los Angeles premiere.
Impressed with his potential, MPI invited CJ to return as an intern in 2010, working for Big Hair Entertainment (later Circle Up Entertainment) with Meredith Scott Lynn. He worked as Meredith’s assistant, where he provided script coverage and production assistance, developed reality shows, pitched programming to potential partners, and edited TV pilots. He was also a liaison for Meredith’s VIP clients. Since then, CJ has interned for International Creative Management, working as interim second assistant to literary agent Lars Theriot and talent agent John Burnham. He also worked on the set of Taken 2, an $80 million action thriller line produced by MPI Creative Council member Michael Mandaville. His job included assisting star Liam Neeson and hand-delivering footage. This position opened several doors for CJ, and led to a fulltime job with Bravo Network’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, where he served as production assistant during the spring and summer of 2012. Currently, CJ is working as a brand content strategist for NCLUSIVE, Inc., a digital and creative consulting firm in Los Angeles.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
6
Number of 2011–12 interns that were asked by their hosts to return for another internship term
Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
31
“The MPI fellowship program has provided me with the tremendous opportunity to establish Mad World Media, a New York–based production company, and work towards the completion of three powerful freedom-oriented films.”
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// MPI fellow Nicholas Brennan
Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
FINANCIALS, LEADERSHIP, and CONTACT
Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
33
FINANCIALS
FINANCIALS This report is a statement of MPI’s financial position for the 2011 fiscal year, Jan 1 – Dec 31.
2011 Income* TOTAL
$1,579,857
A more detailed report is available on our 2011 audit, available on the MPI website.
admin
7%
INTERNSHIPS
9%
FELLOWSHIPS
Programs
12%
93%
FiLM Prod / Promo
79 %
2011 ExpenseS 2011 Expenses —Programs breakdown Film Production & Promotion Program Fellowship Program Internship Program
Programs Administrative
TOTAL $1,526,593
$1,123,644 $176,687 $124,591
TOTAL $1,424,922
* MPI is entirely supported by the generous contributions of individuals and foundations. 34
Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
$1,424,922 $101,671
LEADERSHIP AND CONTACT INFORMATION
LEADERSHIP Thor Halvorssen, Founder
STAFF: Rob Pfaltzgraff, President Erin O’Connor, Vice President Maurice Black, Vice President Adam Guillette, Director of Development & Outreach Stacie Fulcher, Program Director
Board: David Thayer, Chairman, Philadelphia, PA Rob Pfaltzgraff, Secretary & Treasurer, Philadelphia, PA Michael J. Friedman, NewYork, NY Kevin Harper, Philadelphia, PA Marc Leader, Wayne, PA
Creative Council: Cecilia deMille Presley, Producer Howard Hogan, Attorney Harry Kloor, Producer/Director Frayda Levy, Former President of MPI’s Board Rob Long, Writer/Producer Evan Coyne Maloney, Writer/Director Michael Mandaville, Writer/Producer John Papola, Writer/Producer/Director Duncan Scott, Producer/Director
Contact New York office:
375 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10013 Los Angeles office:
1414 N. Harper Avenue, Suite 12 West Hollywood, CA 90046 Phone: (646) 926-0674 Fax: (212) 202-3705 info@thempi.org MovingPictureInstitute.org
Facebook.com/MovingPictureInstitute Twitter: @theMPI
Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
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“What an amazing Field of Honor event at Miller Park to honor our WWII vets.”
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Moving Picture Institute Annual Report 2011–12
// Governor Scott Walker
(opposite page) photo by: Visual Image Photography
Report Design by DesignMint Printing by Chelsea Partners This annual report has been printed on Flo Dull paper with vegetable oil-based inks. Manufactured acid and elemental chlorine free.
New York
MovingPictureInstitute.org
Los Angeles
375 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10013
(646) 926-0674 info@thempi.org
1414 N. Harper Avenue, Suite 12 West Hollywood, CA 90046