Balancing the Books: Budgets in Filmmaking

My Unsolicited Opinions of NYFF63 and the Movies I Saw

In full transparency, my brain feels a bit all over the place from all the movies I watched because a lot of them were incredibly moving and/or complex and alongside the movies I was of course getting to the movies so a lot of train travel and doing my actual job as well. So take everything I am about to say with a grain of salt.When it comes to the movies I actually really liked (or even loved), they mostly had to do with family as the primary focus: Sentimental Value, Sound of Falling, Father Mother Sister Brother, Is This Thing On?. I also really liked Late Fame, but that one doesn’t have the family connection in the same way. The Secret Agent, The Mastermind, and Rose of Nevada also had family focuses but I can only pick so many movies as my top favorites from the festival. It was difficult enough to narrow down the movies I wanted to SEE with my pass. (I was also originally going to watch Resurrection (Bi Gan, 2025), but due to the Nor’easter and NJ Transit cancelling trains, I ended up selling that ticket.) Family is very important to me so these films just resonated in an extra heavy way.Watching ALL the films at NYFF63 put me in my feels in the best possible way I think. I smiled, laughed, tensed up, and cried. Lots of crying. Nicole Kidman said it best about movie theaters, heartbreak DOES feel good in a place like this. The Secret Agent had me on the edge of the seat the entire time, Late Fame had me self-congratulating that I didn’t go to NYU, Rose of Nevada was the complete opposite movie than I expected and I was gagged, Marty Supreme had me cringing but also captivated. I watched movies that perhaps had I done more research, I would not have picked to watch but that, I believe, is the POINT of film festivals in particular.I am also grateful that for each film I was able to attend there was either an extended introduction or a Q&A following the movie. To be able to hear from the filmmakers themselves about their projects and processes is such a gift. FLC records these and puts them on YouTube, but it’s just so cool to be there live when possible! In general though, I found the majority of the Q&As to be worth my time because the directors, cinematographers, screenwriters, actors, and/or whoever else was on the panels can offer insight to the films that no one else can. I was a bit disappointed by the actors’ answers to questions in The Mastermind Q&A because the moderator asked what work they had done to prepare for the role and they all basically just said they showed up on set. On the other hand, Kelly Reichardt (the director), had some answers I found moving and Film at Lincoln Center/NYFF used one of her answers about how she couldn’t remember something that happened on set because she was making a movie and had her full energy and focus on that in their recap of week one of the festival.It would be remiss of me to not mention the most striking lack of Q&A that I experienced. Jafar Panahi was supposed to be present after the first NYFF screening of It Was Just An Accident (a movie officially produced in France to be legal since it was shot in Iran) but he was unable to attend because he could not get a visa in time to come to the USA. He was later able to attend the festival but it was a sobering reality check of the state of the world. It Was Just An Accident is the only movie I did not feel comfortable rating on letterboxd from NYFF63 because the subject matter is incredibly serious and powerful. I do recommend you watch it one day if you get the chance. Ultimately, the festival re-affirmed for me (not that I needed it) that movies are meant to watched with audiences around you! There is a catharsis that is hard to beat anywhere else.Lauren 💜Full Substack: https://laurenisadvd.substack.com/p/i-went-to-nyff63my socials 🫶https://linktr.ee/laurenschwartzbardSOURCES:https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/election-day-2025-voting-results/ https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff/nyff63-lineup/

The Following Preview Has Been Approved for All Audiences

Some people think movie trailers are useless nowadays. But I don’t know, the Wuthering Heights trailer dropped and people are upset all over the place. Luckily, all publicity is good publicity 😉Lauren 💜my socials 🫶https://www.instagram.com/lauren.schwartzbard/https://substack.com/@laurenschwartzbardhttps://www.tiktok.com/@laurenschwartzbardhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/thelaurenshowhttps://linktr.ee/laurenschwartzbard TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 01:23 What is a Movie Trailer? 06:04 The History of Film Trailers 14:55 The Modern Movie Trailer 23:19 What makes a good trailer? 24:22 Do trailers still matter? 28:24 Outro SOURCES: https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/2015/07/a-brief-history-of-film-teasers-or-turns-out-this-post-is-not-about-peter-orner/ [https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/2015/07/a-brief-history-of-film-teasers-or-turns-out-this-post-is-not-about-peter-orner/]  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailer_(promotion) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailer_(promotion)]  https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/09/04/why-is-the-new-wuthering-heights-movie-stirring-controversy-casting-and-marketing-draw-criticism/ [https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/09/04/why-is-the-new-wuthering-heights-movie-stirring-controversy-casting-and-marketing-draw-criticism/]  https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1irn2nn/what_are_the_best_movie_trailers_for_you/ [https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1irn2nn/what_are_the_best_movie_trailers_for_you/]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP34Yoxs3FQ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP34Yoxs3FQ]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID0rqEWrN44 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID0rqEWrN44]  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Granlund [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Granlund]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j81szeqFku4 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j81szeqFku4]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frdj1zb9sMY [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frdj1zb9sMY]

Diving into the Complex World of Immersive Entertainment (feat. Theme Park Concepts)

originally published May 16, 2025 on YouTube [https://youtu.be/p1GhQvoyixw] Ever wondered about theme park design, history, and guest experience metrics? If so - this is the podcast/video for you! We discuss Disney, Universal, Six Flags, and more! Check out Kira and Theme Park Concepts here: https://www.themeparkconcepts.com/ [https://www.themeparkconcepts.com/ ] Connect with me on all my socials HERE [https://linktr.ee/laurenschwartzbard] :) TIMESTAMPSIntro 00:00The Discussion 00:40Lightning Round Questions 45:20Conclusion 51:23

True Crime's Allure of Adaptation: The Devil in the White City (feat. The Menuscript)

originally published September 27th, 2024 on YouTube [https://youtu.be/xcR56lK4ex8] Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City is one of my favorite books and I'm so happy I got to go on my sister's podcast, The Menuscript, to talk about how I would potential adapt the book into a movie or limited series. It combines a world's fair, architecture, and America's first serial killer - so it would be quite the feat.Find The Menuscript Podcast [https://linktr.ee/menuscript] Everywhere!Follow The Menuscript on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themenuscript/] Connect with me on all my socials HERE [https://linktr.ee/laurenschwartzbard] :) TIMESTAMPS:INTRO 00:00BOOK SYNOPSIS 02:26WHY ADAPT THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY? 04:16MOVIE, SHOW, OR LIMITED SERIES? 07:43WHAT TO KEEP, WHAT TO CUT 10:47QUOTES TO STEAL 16:18HOW GRAPHIC SHOULD TRUE CRIME BE? 23:47FANCASTING 27:17FAVORITE MOVIE SNACKS 32:04OUTRO 34:28 SOURCES:https://www.newberry.org/calendar/deconstructing-the-devil-in-the-white-city https://allthatsinteresting.com/hh-holmes-hotel

Balancing the Books: Budgets in Filmmaking

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 15TH, 2025 ON YOUTUBE [https://youtu.be/hOT1qfTrqTA] Ever wondered about the fascinating world of filmmaking and how movies achieve different results regardless of their hollywood budgets? 🎬 Through examining box office performance and film cost breakdown, we explore the surprising relationship between budget size and film quality. Connect with me on all my socials HERE [https://linktr.ee/laurenschwartzbard] :) TIMESTAMPS:Opening 00:00What IS a film budget? 01:53What is IN a film budget? 04:11Shoestring Budget 12:47Low Budget 14:56Mid Budget 18:25High Budget 22:39How is a film successful? 27:05The Box Office 28:17Why go to the movies? 29:22The Awards Race 34:42Conclusion 38:18 SOURCES:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_budgeting https://www.ep.com/blog/budgeting-basics-how-to-create-a-film-budget/ https://filmustage.com/blog/cost-of-cinema-an-insightful-exploration-of-movie-budget-breakdowns/https://rentman.io/blog/film-production-budget https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/budgets/all https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/production-budget/ https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/the-essential-guide-for-crafting-film-budgets-with-free-film-budget-template/ https://filmustage.com/blog/how-to-break-down-a-film-budget-by-department/ https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fringe-benefits.asp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(2024_film) https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/17j6bel/what_are_some_shoestring_budget_movies_with_a/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blair_Witch_Project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalopolis_(film) https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinereid/2023/02/26/star-wars-the-force-awakens-becomes-the-most-expensive-movie-in-history/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_films https://paisano-online.com/44324/opinion/commentary/oscar-voters-are-supposed-to-watch-the-movies-right/#:~:text=However%2C%20what%20raised%20eyebrows%20among,abstaining%20from%20watching%20said%20films. https://www.reddit.com/r/oscarrace/comments/17s9lt6/can_you_guys_give_me_some_examples_of_what_movies/ https://www.thefilmagazine.com/marie-antoinette-art-of-historical-inaccuracy/ https://culturacolectiva.com/en/entertainment/movies/oscar-voters-skipping-films-voting/