WEBVTT - Timur Bekmambetov: Crafting New Filmmaking Tools via Screenlife 0:00:06.280 --> 0:00:11.160 Welcome to Strictly Business Varieties podcast featuring conversations with industry 0:00:11.240 --> 0:00:15.680 leaders about the business of entertainment. I'm Cynthia Littleton, Managing 0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:19.040 editor of Television for Variety. My guest today in New 0:00:19.120 --> 0:00:23.320 York is director timur bekmom Betoff. The Russian native is 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:26.799 known for movies such as Night Watch and Wanted, and 0:00:26.880 --> 0:00:30.920 of course Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. But he's also an 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:35.440 entrepreneur who is eagerly promoting a new filmmaking software for 0:00:35.560 --> 0:00:39.560 what he calls screen Life. Features. In these movies, all 0:00:39.560 --> 0:00:43.600 the action revolves around the screen activity of unseen characters. 0:00:44.440 --> 0:00:47.280 Timore explains why he thinks this is a way of 0:00:47.320 --> 0:00:51.240 the future for filmmaking, and he also offers his intriguing 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:54.040 thoughts on the new Cold War between the US and 0:00:54.200 --> 0:00:57.400 his homeland. Welcome timur bekmm bed Off. Thank you so 0:00:57.520 --> 0:01:00.200 much for stopping by here with us today. You for 0:01:00.640 --> 0:01:04.280 inviting me. You are in town in part to talk 0:01:04.360 --> 0:01:08.160 to people about your You have a new film technology 0:01:08.319 --> 0:01:10.720 that you are trying to spread the word on and 0:01:10.920 --> 0:01:14.480 train filmmakers to use, called screen Life, and it is 0:01:14.920 --> 0:01:18.119 it is an effort to capture our sort of daily 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:20.960 lives as we live it on social media and multiple 0:01:21.000 --> 0:01:23.760 screens and multiple devices. Tell me about it and how 0:01:23.840 --> 0:01:26.520 you came to develop it. It's perfect. It's perfect presentation. 0:01:26.600 --> 0:01:31.560 By the way, I think it's sent not technology. I 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:34.480 think it's more like a language and new film language 0:01:34.640 --> 0:01:41.520 because because we we are recording screens, our computer screens 0:01:41.680 --> 0:01:46.559 or our screens of our devices. Because today, in today's world, 0:01:46.640 --> 0:01:50.920 most important events of our life happen happening not in 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:54.160 physical space but on screens, like we're falling in love, 0:01:55.200 --> 0:02:01.960 losing friends, betraying sometimes uh, making money, losing money, and 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:06.000 most important for storytelling, we're making moral choices today and 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:09.160 it's happening on screen. And there's no way you can 0:02:09.720 --> 0:02:14.600 capture this this uh, this events with the traditional film 0:02:14.680 --> 0:02:20.519 camera because uh, it's it's just two kids sitting with 0:02:20.639 --> 0:02:23.519 the iPhones in the in the in the cafeteria and 0:02:23.760 --> 0:02:26.120 talking to each other without even looking to each other. 0:02:26.600 --> 0:02:28.560 And it's very emotional, it could be very emotional, it 0:02:28.560 --> 0:02:32.520 could be very dramatic, and the camera will just capture 0:02:33.040 --> 0:02:37.720 boring two silhouettes again the window. Yes, but if you will, 0:02:38.160 --> 0:02:44.079 if you'll, if you will uh catch their screens, you 0:02:44.080 --> 0:02:47.120 will understand how dramatic. Maybe it's our man Juliet, Maybe 0:02:47.160 --> 0:02:51.799 it's uh, I don't know, bony glide planning to to 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:55.080 to to to rob the bank. And even the robbing 0:02:55.120 --> 0:02:57.919 the bank today is different like in today. And it's 0:02:58.040 --> 0:03:03.600 very funny when we see when we see in the cinema, 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:05.960 when we see the movies about rubbing the bank today. 0:03:06.520 --> 0:03:11.239 I don't know why people's filmmakers keep producing making movies 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:14.239 about the same thing, like a four guys and who's 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:20.080 with the rifles breaking the door and screaming give me cash. 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:23.400 It's absurd. It's a retro because there's no more cash. 0:03:24.639 --> 0:03:27.360 Theists are done with zeros and ones. Yes, because it's 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:32.280 because it's just the stereotype, and it's just a lack 0:03:32.360 --> 0:03:38.520 of lack of a sense of reality. And today's world, 0:03:38.720 --> 0:03:42.240 the hacking the banks maybe two kids sitting in cafeteria 0:03:42.600 --> 0:03:47.920 with the iPhones and and and sneaking into the bank 0:03:48.040 --> 0:03:53.080 system to to to to move money from somewhere in 0:03:53.400 --> 0:03:56.600 New Zealand. But how do you make that visually compelling out? 0:03:57.360 --> 0:03:59.760 How it can make it visually compelling without screen life? 0:04:00.600 --> 0:04:04.520 And and that's what we what we decided like five 0:04:04.600 --> 0:04:07.560 years ago that we should focus on it because how 0:04:07.600 --> 0:04:10.760 it's happened. I was on Skype with my partner, with 0:04:10.880 --> 0:04:14.680 my colleague. Her name is Olga. She was in Russia. 0:04:14.680 --> 0:04:18.240 I was in Los Angeles and during the Skype I 0:04:18.320 --> 0:04:21.080 asked you to share her screen because Skype just released 0:04:21.160 --> 0:04:25.480 the function share a screen, and she did it, and 0:04:26.600 --> 0:04:28.440 she's found the button pushed and she did it, and 0:04:28.560 --> 0:04:31.640 we discussed some poster of the movie. And then when 0:04:31.680 --> 0:04:35.000 we finished, she forgot to unshare the screen, and for 0:04:35.279 --> 0:04:40.000 a few minutes I saw what's happened on her screen. 0:04:40.800 --> 0:04:43.200 How she because she didn't pay attention to think that 0:04:43.320 --> 0:04:47.240 I don't see it anymore. And she sent messages to 0:04:47.320 --> 0:04:50.800 her mom, bought some very intimate stuff and just there 0:04:50.880 --> 0:04:56.920 was something personal, but we were still talking about some 0:04:57.040 --> 0:05:02.320 business issues. But it's this moment I suddenly understood. Then 0:05:02.360 --> 0:05:03.960 of course I said, sorry, sorry, I see a screen 0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:08.200 you should you should share. But at this moment it 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:10.920 was short, but it's moment I understood that I was 0:05:11.000 --> 0:05:16.000 inside her. And there's no tool in traditional filmmaking allowing 0:05:16.080 --> 0:05:20.120 me to do to have the same effect of intimacy 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:27.960 of engagement or I saw and I saw every move 0:05:28.040 --> 0:05:31.920 of her whatever mind you know, it's like it's like 0:05:31.960 --> 0:05:34.120 a window into somebody's mind if you can see what 0:05:34.200 --> 0:05:38.000 they do online. It's a good version of voiceover, you know, 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:41.479 like usually traditional filmmaking we have. He I was thinking 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:45.200 about how I will Maybe I will, I should send 0:05:45.279 --> 0:05:48.560 him email, maybe not, maybe I should keep it secret. 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:51.960 This is what voice over doing. But in in in 0:05:52.080 --> 0:05:54.720 screen life, I see how she tries to send she 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:59.080 types the text to send her friend. Then suddenly she 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:03.560 decided to to change your mind and deleted and send 0:06:03.640 --> 0:06:06.280 something different. And I and and if I see it, 0:06:06.480 --> 0:06:10.440 I totally understand what's happening inside the inside the character. 0:06:11.200 --> 0:06:14.000 And and I decided that we should make a movies 0:06:14.440 --> 0:06:17.320 we should make we should use this to make movies 0:06:17.400 --> 0:06:21.960 about today's world and today's heroes. And the first the 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:26.839 first case, the first movie we made was Unfriended. It's 0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:31.240 a Nelson Grieves. It's when he was my colleague assistant 0:06:31.320 --> 0:06:35.440 at that time. And I asked him to write the script. Ah, 0:06:36.120 --> 0:06:40.080 and he did because he was young enough to believe, 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:44.720 to believe my crazy idea. UH. And then I asked 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:50.080 my friend Leo Gabrieze to direct this movie. And uh, 0:06:50.560 --> 0:06:55.120 and we made a movie called called Unfriended, and UM, 0:06:56.279 --> 0:07:00.560 nobody believed that it's it's serious, honestly because I I 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:07.000 screened this movie for studios, for agencies, for distributers, and 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:12.480 people said, who will Nobody will go to see UH, 0:07:13.160 --> 0:07:15.800 to stare on the computer screen in the cinema and 0:07:15.880 --> 0:07:19.960 pay money. And and I was trying to explain that 0:07:20.280 --> 0:07:22.400 the logic that we live on screens today, it's our 0:07:22.720 --> 0:07:26.000 where our life is. And people said, yeah, maybe, but 0:07:26.360 --> 0:07:29.920 maybe people doesn't stay so busy with this in the 0:07:30.080 --> 0:07:33.360 in everyday life. Staring at the screen they don't want 0:07:33.400 --> 0:07:35.880 to go to see this in the theater is not 0:07:36.080 --> 0:07:40.200 entertaining enough. What how we can cut the trailer what 0:07:40.360 --> 0:07:43.560 we're going to show. It's it's it's it's very logical, 0:07:44.520 --> 0:07:49.400 it's very logical observations. But I think the logic is wrong. 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:57.000 It's logical because we because there is no because what's 0:07:57.000 --> 0:08:04.000 happened after UH shows that I was right because every 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:06.480 movie we made, but we made seven movies since then, 0:08:06.720 --> 0:08:12.040 seven screen life movies and one web web series called 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:19.440 It's released by BuzzFeed, and and every movie we made 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:22.400 and every festival, we we we we we showed the 0:08:22.440 --> 0:08:25.440 movie We're getting the same price, which is audience a word. 0:08:26.560 --> 0:08:31.680 And it's not not jury, not critics, but audience. It 0:08:32.080 --> 0:08:36.400 shows me that that that the right It was the 0:08:36.480 --> 0:08:42.080 right concept. Audience wants to have stories about the reality, 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:46.280 about the life that we live in. Yeah, and uh 0:08:46.559 --> 0:08:49.560 and uh and it just a question. It was then 0:08:49.640 --> 0:08:51.840 it was just a question for me how we can 0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:54.280 make this movie because nobody made it before. It's a 0:08:54.360 --> 0:08:58.360 totally new language. So you have no traditional live action 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:02.400 elements in the it's all screen. You see in the screen, 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:05.720 screen to screen, so you see the perspective of characters 0:09:05.800 --> 0:09:09.240 comes through their screens. Yes, uh, we have we don't 0:09:09.280 --> 0:09:12.920 have cameras. Of course, we have production designer because if 0:09:13.240 --> 0:09:16.200 if I am front of computer in the room, somebody 0:09:16.240 --> 0:09:20.959 should figure out the background. And and we need production designer. 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:27.319 But our production designer designer must design not only the 0:09:27.360 --> 0:09:31.400 background behind the room where the character with the computer 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:37.040 uh we will place, but also to design the screen, 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:41.000 to design the folders, like what kind of folders, what 0:09:41.200 --> 0:09:43.560 kind of images, what kind of logos on the screen, 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:46.480 what kind of And it's a it's a new it's 0:09:46.600 --> 0:09:49.920 very new for for for for the business. Uh and uh. 0:09:49.960 --> 0:09:52.880 And it's about everything that the whole language is different 0:09:54.240 --> 0:09:58.800 because the sound is different. In screen life movies, it's 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:03.280 very different strategy you because in traditional movies, the screen 0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:06.360 it's like a window into another world. And the sound 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:09.839 sound coming from the screen because of the reality we're 0:10:09.880 --> 0:10:13.199 talking about, is on behind the screen, except maybe some 0:10:13.520 --> 0:10:16.800 stereo movies when it's a little bit a little bit, 0:10:17.760 --> 0:10:20.319 a few few feets in front of the screen. But 0:10:20.880 --> 0:10:25.600 but in screenlight movies, the reality is front of the screen, 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:28.280 not behind the screen, because the character is sitting front 0:10:28.360 --> 0:10:30.719 of the screen, and the screen in the cinema it 0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:34.840 just a computer screen and and there's nothing behind the wall, 0:10:35.720 --> 0:10:40.600 and the sound is around you, and we use for profile, 0:10:40.760 --> 0:10:45.000 we used very very tricky atmos atmos sound to create 0:10:45.120 --> 0:10:49.720 the environment to give you a sense of take sense 0:10:49.760 --> 0:10:51.559 of that you are the character sitting in front of 0:10:51.600 --> 0:10:55.640 the screen. Are these so you're distributing these movies around 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:57.720 the world? Are they profitable? Are you able to make 0:10:57.800 --> 0:11:01.000 money off of them? Do you know what? I think 0:11:01.280 --> 0:11:04.280 you should check because what I heard from the Universal 0:11:04.400 --> 0:11:07.360 that The Unfriended First Unfriended was one of the twenty 0:11:07.559 --> 0:11:12.120 twenty most profitable movies ever made in the history because 0:11:12.440 --> 0:11:17.240 because it was because it was a million dollar budget 0:11:18.120 --> 0:11:22.800 had made no, it made sixty four sixty five theatrically 0:11:23.600 --> 0:11:29.440 and and uh and it's and there's no risk because 0:11:29.800 --> 0:11:32.640 the way how we make this movie is very specific 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:35.199 because we spent we don't spend one million even we 0:11:35.320 --> 0:11:40.920 spent I don't know, hundred thousand dollars to make to 0:11:41.040 --> 0:11:45.280 do the to shoot it uh and shooting period is 0:11:45.640 --> 0:11:52.200 uh ten days. Uh. And then you can cut, resemble it, cut, 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:55.480 see the see the what you have and then you 0:11:55.800 --> 0:12:01.000 can continue to the production or you can stop, or 0:12:01.040 --> 0:12:03.840 you can change. You know, it's it's it's slightly different 0:12:03.920 --> 0:12:06.960 the risks. You don't need to commit hundred million dollars budget. 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:10.559 You're committing only hundred southand a little budget. And then 0:12:10.720 --> 0:12:13.120 you can have we have a chance to to analyze 0:12:13.160 --> 0:12:17.800 what you've got and then continue. And in terms of 0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:20.959 you know, capturing this imagery, do you have is there 0:12:21.320 --> 0:12:23.000 do you have some kind of as you say, a 0:12:23.120 --> 0:12:27.559 technology or a language that is yes, it's what we 0:12:27.679 --> 0:12:30.800 what we what we discovered immediately after unfriended during their 0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:35.320 friend that there's no tools because cinema exists four hundreds year, 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:39.040 for hundreds of years and UH. And there's a lot 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:45.000 of tools like a tripods, cameras, lights and a lot 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:49.720 of stuff like lenses and but but for for screen 0:12:49.840 --> 0:12:53.800 life movies, we don't have it because this business exists 0:12:53.840 --> 0:12:58.840 only five years when we started. And the biggest problem 0:12:58.960 --> 0:13:03.400 is when you're recording this screen of your character. You 0:13:04.080 --> 0:13:09.720 recording five years ago ago, we recorded only the flat 0:13:09.800 --> 0:13:12.400 screen flex just video and there was no way to 0:13:12.679 --> 0:13:16.720 manipulate with this image because it was just flat baked 0:13:18.480 --> 0:13:22.280 video of the screen. And and for for for me 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:25.080 as a director, I want to be able to change things. 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:27.480 I want to be able to change the timing, to 0:13:27.640 --> 0:13:31.200 change the composition, to change the elements, and I couldn't. 0:13:32.320 --> 0:13:34.680 Then I decided, what if it will make a new 0:13:35.240 --> 0:13:39.800 recorder recording not the image, but recording the programming code 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:46.560 like the code UH computer generates to create the image. 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:50.520 Then if we're recording the code, then we can use 0:13:50.640 --> 0:13:54.520 any element and change it. And you know, because it's 0:13:54.559 --> 0:13:59.079 more it's more flexible this type of the file. And 0:13:59.400 --> 0:14:02.719 we spent two and a half years now two and 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:08.200 we've got we received two patents invented the new recorder 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:14.480 allowing you to record UH your screencast as a as 0:14:14.559 --> 0:14:19.200 a code with the consequences which are which are First 0:14:19.240 --> 0:14:21.520 of all, I can target the movie like for example, 0:14:21.600 --> 0:14:24.840 you will see you will watch one movie in New 0:14:24.920 --> 0:14:27.160 York and if you will go, if you will fly 0:14:27.280 --> 0:14:31.360 to l A, you will watch different movie because computer 0:14:31.480 --> 0:14:34.880 can understand where you are and change the elements for example, 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:37.520 banners or something. I mean, I'm not talking about the 0:14:37.520 --> 0:14:40.720 whole movie, but I can adjust and if if you 0:14:40.760 --> 0:14:43.040 I'm the movie I'm watching, a movie you're watching will 0:14:43.080 --> 0:14:46.960 be different movies because I can make a movie when 0:14:48.680 --> 0:14:52.280 we will understand who's watching and adjust the the slightly, 0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:55.960 just the elements to the story and the story. But 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:59.320 this is for somebody watching in a streaming or yes, yes, 0:14:59.360 --> 0:15:03.280 of course there story different, not in cinema. So you 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:05.680 have patents, So do you have It's a great idea. 0:15:05.760 --> 0:15:07.240 It could be even in a cinema because with like 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:09.280 mended reality, because if you will put the glass like 0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:15.600 mended reality glasses, then everyone can can just different different meals. 0:15:15.720 --> 0:15:18.120 They do it in sports right now, in sports right now. 0:15:18.360 --> 0:15:20.520 So you have a couple of patents, Do you have 0:15:20.920 --> 0:15:23.720 a kind of proprietary software to use this and or 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:25.800 is this is this a business for you. Are you 0:15:25.880 --> 0:15:28.800 trying to license this to other filmmakers and other companies 0:15:28.800 --> 0:15:30.720 around the world. Yes, it's what we do now we 0:15:31.040 --> 0:15:33.440 uh in September, we will release it because now we're 0:15:33.480 --> 0:15:37.640 testing ourselves and we're using to produce our movies. Uh 0:15:38.560 --> 0:15:42.920 and uh and now we we will license from September 0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:49.240 for a few months, we will licenses to different like colleagues, 0:15:49.360 --> 0:15:55.640 whatever businesses uh. Uh and then uh from from December, 0:15:55.960 --> 0:15:59.160 it will be free for everyone to use, like people 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:02.120 can just record themselves. We will release it for free 0:16:02.520 --> 0:16:06.400 for millions of people. Because because I believe that about 0:16:06.400 --> 0:16:09.320 in today's world, So what I said, because our most 0:16:09.400 --> 0:16:12.880 important events of our life happening on screen, why we 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:16.480 take pictures, why we make photos, is putting it on 0:16:16.560 --> 0:16:19.000 Instagram because it's not where we leave today, you know. 0:16:19.160 --> 0:16:22.840 I mean, of course, I'm I'm sorry, I'm a little 0:16:22.840 --> 0:16:27.320 bit more. I'm trying to radicalize the problem. But I'm 0:16:27.360 --> 0:16:29.320 saying that, like if half of my life is on 0:16:29.440 --> 0:16:32.840 screen today, that half of the images on in Instagram 0:16:32.880 --> 0:16:35.600 should be screencasts. You know, it should be about how 0:16:35.720 --> 0:16:39.040 I got a message from my girlfriend, or how I 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:42.200 learned that I lost a lot of money, because the 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:45.120 release of the movie was not successful, and it's a 0:16:45.240 --> 0:16:48.800 very important events and and it's it's what I should 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:52.200 remember and it should share with my friends and uh, 0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:57.600 and it's what we're trying to promote. Please pay attention 0:16:57.720 --> 0:17:00.760 what's happening on your screens, Remember it and share with 0:17:01.040 --> 0:17:04.080 with share with your friends, with your whatever enemies, if 0:17:04.119 --> 0:17:07.520 you want to to to to pull somebody, it's it's 0:17:07.600 --> 0:17:11.240 what what This is an interesting perspective on our visual 0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:16.800 lives from from a director. But I can, uh, I can. 0:17:17.400 --> 0:17:20.800 We can do one step forward, which is what's the mission? 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:23.399 Why we do it? Why we do this movie? Not 0:17:23.560 --> 0:17:25.560 because we want to make a lot of money, it's not. 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:29.920 It's not the case their passion projects it is. It 0:17:30.080 --> 0:17:35.320 is it is kind of what we intuitively, I feel 0:17:35.359 --> 0:17:40.119 that it's important, and I try to understand why. Uh. 0:17:40.280 --> 0:17:45.160 And one of the explanations for myself I found, as 0:17:45.520 --> 0:17:51.639 we we leave, we're entering the different, different universe like 0:17:51.800 --> 0:17:54.240 reality now. Because it's what I said, If we leave 0:17:54.440 --> 0:17:59.840 on screens, if we if we sending messages each other 0:18:00.040 --> 0:18:04.159 like I love you digitally as an SMS, it's happening 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:07.640 on screen, and it means we live in different reality 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:10.520 now with with entering different reality within the reality of 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:17.280 social networks and messengers and and like many browsers and games, 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:20.960 and it's a different reality. And we spend our life 0:18:21.440 --> 0:18:24.639 in this world more and more. But we don't know. 0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:27.800 We don't have a trust yet, you know, we never 0:18:28.200 --> 0:18:33.160 because it's so new civilization. We all like human beings. 0:18:33.240 --> 0:18:35.560 We don't have a trust yet. We don't know what 0:18:35.640 --> 0:18:38.560 does it mean? Death? For for example, my friend died 0:18:39.160 --> 0:18:43.240 two years ago, still sending me happy birthday messages and 0:18:44.440 --> 0:18:46.240 and we don't know. I don't know how to react. 0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:50.399 It's scary, you know, it's really scary. And and we 0:18:50.480 --> 0:18:53.520 don't know what what what does mean family in internet? 0:18:53.880 --> 0:18:59.520 Like if wife cannot excess access the information of her 0:18:59.600 --> 0:19:03.880 husband or not or kids for example, like the movie 0:19:03.960 --> 0:19:07.840 calls Searching we're releasing in August. It's a story about 0:19:07.880 --> 0:19:15.760 the father uh suddenly discovered the world his daughter lived in, shocked, 0:19:16.320 --> 0:19:22.840 And it's what every problem and and and and and 0:19:23.200 --> 0:19:25.440 I and what we don't have this realization. What's the 0:19:25.520 --> 0:19:32.720 mission for us now? How we can together create the 0:19:33.040 --> 0:19:36.600 trust what this world is for us? And how we 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:40.080 should live in this world? And as we know there's 0:19:40.119 --> 0:19:44.760 only one way to to to create this virtual document 0:19:45.080 --> 0:19:48.840 or like a rules or let's called trust. Yeah, to 0:19:49.000 --> 0:19:52.760 tell stories. It's how it's happened thousands years ago, when 0:19:53.440 --> 0:19:59.160 when our ancestors told first fair tales and myths and legends, 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:03.240 and then novels and and Leo Tolstoy a route word peace. 0:20:03.640 --> 0:20:07.480 It was the whole culture was about creating this trust 0:20:07.640 --> 0:20:09.520 to like it, to create the rules how we should 0:20:09.920 --> 0:20:15.040 behave and uh and and the screen life movies. It's 0:20:15.080 --> 0:20:18.600 a way for us now to explore this world, to 0:20:18.760 --> 0:20:21.200 learn who we are, to express ourselves, and to tell 0:20:21.359 --> 0:20:27.320 stories about our lives and how they're very interesting. My 0:20:27.440 --> 0:20:29.040 question for you now, if you're going to try to 0:20:29.160 --> 0:20:32.160 license in September but give it away for free in December, 0:20:32.440 --> 0:20:35.119 why would anybody pay you? Because there's a there's a 0:20:35.200 --> 0:20:37.720 few there are a few versions of there's a professional. 0:20:38.160 --> 0:20:40.200 When you have more tools, you can change things. You 0:20:40.280 --> 0:20:44.919 can you can even re like you can record one website. 0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:47.520 You can change the content, move things around. Oh, there 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:54.160 is a very simple recorder for for for broad audience. Interesting. 0:20:54.240 --> 0:20:55.679 Do you do you have a sense do you think 0:20:55.720 --> 0:20:59.040 you'll have some takers? Yes, I'm sure because we tested it. 0:20:59.400 --> 0:21:02.320 We tested it and uh, we've got we've got an 0:21:02.359 --> 0:21:05.280 unbelievable number. If you know what its means CTR click 0:21:05.359 --> 0:21:09.040 through rate, it's a CULTI merry engagement. Now usually it's 0:21:09.080 --> 0:21:11.959 a one percent. It's it's a good number, like one 0:21:12.000 --> 0:21:16.640 percent of people clicking. We have FI average it could 0:21:16.680 --> 0:21:21.840 be eighty. It means our our, our recording provokes people 0:21:21.880 --> 0:21:27.680 to click because you see somebody's else life and and 0:21:27.880 --> 0:21:32.600 you want to participate. You want to co co exist, coexist, 0:21:32.760 --> 0:21:38.600 you know, you want to how to say this connect connect? Yeah, 0:21:38.600 --> 0:21:41.440 you want to be inside somebody's else life and we 0:21:41.640 --> 0:21:45.800 can we can provide it. I mean if when I 0:21:45.960 --> 0:21:48.719 was when I was yes, when I was fourteen, if 0:21:48.800 --> 0:21:51.359 somebody will give me this tool, I will talk to 0:21:51.520 --> 0:21:55.560 my friends and girls and flirt and I will do 0:21:55.640 --> 0:22:00.880 it because it's I'm recording my uh my life, recording 0:22:01.160 --> 0:22:03.639 like thirty second one minute of my life and sharing 0:22:03.760 --> 0:22:08.320 with with my friend. And my friend can enter my life. 0:22:08.440 --> 0:22:13.600 Can you can explore my piece of my life. It's 0:22:13.680 --> 0:22:20.040 something very uh game. It's a game changer, I think, 0:22:20.400 --> 0:22:23.639 a right interesting. Now through your company, you have a 0:22:23.840 --> 0:22:27.280 you have a Moscow based production company, baselofs ye. If 0:22:27.320 --> 0:22:30.240 I said that, right, and you do your you do 0:22:30.560 --> 0:22:32.520 a range of material and a lot of you know, 0:22:32.800 --> 0:22:37.240 more traditional live action live action features, buzzle lifts exist 0:22:37.359 --> 0:22:42.080 for twenty five years. It's how old we are. Uh 0:22:42.280 --> 0:22:47.760 and uh, it's a tough time for independent filmmakers and distributors. 0:22:47.840 --> 0:22:50.640 How are you guys faring in the new world order? 0:22:50.960 --> 0:22:57.000 We're looking for? Easy answer is very very simple. We 0:22:57.160 --> 0:23:02.879 are not. We're not ducing traditional stuff. We are because 0:23:03.040 --> 0:23:07.360 it's a company driven by creators, not managers. It's why 0:23:07.520 --> 0:23:12.800 every project we make we produce. Uh. It's it's something 0:23:13.680 --> 0:23:18.520 new and unpredictable. Like I can give you some examples 0:23:18.560 --> 0:23:20.640 of like we made a night Watch and they watched. 0:23:20.640 --> 0:23:27.040 It was first fantasy movie in Russia. It was very 0:23:27.400 --> 0:23:30.760 h new for Russia. And at the same time it 0:23:31.080 --> 0:23:35.280 was very new, very unusual, very innovative for uh, for 0:23:35.480 --> 0:23:39.240 the fantasy for for the American fantasy movies, because it 0:23:39.320 --> 0:23:41.680 was first out rated. You know, I think it was 0:23:41.720 --> 0:23:46.240 one of the first out rated edgy tonally graphic novel 0:23:46.359 --> 0:23:50.640 type of the movies. And and also then we made 0:23:50.680 --> 0:23:54.040 A nine with the Tim Burton, it's animation, animated movie 0:23:54.080 --> 0:24:02.200 about for Edgy dark post epiccalyptic, uh uh cartoon. And 0:24:02.840 --> 0:24:09.000 we made Hardcore Henry. It's a first person movie. Crazy movie, 0:24:10.240 --> 0:24:14.800 very talented director Gianna Ruler. Short in Russia was released 0:24:14.840 --> 0:24:19.560 by STS. We made now seven screen life movies. I 0:24:19.640 --> 0:24:23.359 mean every every movie we we make, we're trying to 0:24:24.440 --> 0:24:29.920 surprise ourselves. And it's not only about the esthetics. Usually 0:24:30.520 --> 0:24:35.240 in my mind, usually business ideas provokes you to figure 0:24:35.280 --> 0:24:40.600 out the new language, new new esthetic, and in opposite, 0:24:40.800 --> 0:24:43.400 like if you need something like now, for example, I'm 0:24:43.440 --> 0:24:47.560 working on the project, cooking the project, working developing the 0:24:47.600 --> 0:24:55.600 project where the artificial intellect creates images and uh and 0:24:57.400 --> 0:24:59.840 and it's very very exactly it's it's not it's it's 0:24:59.840 --> 0:25:02.879 a very early stage, but it works. And I think 0:25:02.920 --> 0:25:07.120 we tested it and I saw a computer generating images 0:25:07.320 --> 0:25:13.600 not not um, I'm not talking about generating images. I mean, uh, 0:25:14.080 --> 0:25:18.840 serialistic images. But what what a computer with think if 0:25:18.880 --> 0:25:23.840 it was it's like like like for example, people said, oh, 0:25:24.000 --> 0:25:28.280 there's a visionary director and I use this idea and 0:25:28.440 --> 0:25:34.480 just developed the software. When it's a visionary, how is 0:25:34.520 --> 0:25:38.840 it not director of visionaries software? Whatever, it's it's a 0:25:38.920 --> 0:25:43.280 it's a it's an interesting it's because it's it's why 0:25:43.800 --> 0:25:47.680 we don't have competitors. We can fail. We can fail 0:25:47.800 --> 0:25:53.320 because sometimes sometimes idea could be not you cannot reach 0:25:53.400 --> 0:25:58.000 your audience. But but but usually we we we have 0:25:58.080 --> 0:26:01.400 a good result because it's a cost effective because there's 0:26:01.440 --> 0:26:05.199 no there's no competitors yet in the world. We uh 0:26:05.600 --> 0:26:09.560 in the project we producing and uh and it's exciting. 0:26:09.640 --> 0:26:14.320 And distributors they like movies we make because we do 0:26:14.520 --> 0:26:17.800 something new. Have you done anything in television content and 0:26:18.040 --> 0:26:22.720 any TV series or only in Russia? We uh we 0:26:23.040 --> 0:26:26.240 we produced the TV show it's quite it was this 0:26:26.520 --> 0:26:30.520 was quite traditional. It was a really good story a 0:26:30.560 --> 0:26:35.240 long time ago. And and now we produced web series. 0:26:36.080 --> 0:26:42.880 It's released by by BuzzFeed. It's a project calls sorry, 0:26:46.359 --> 0:26:49.320 it's a it's a web serious screen life, web serious 0:26:51.359 --> 0:26:58.440 entertainment because the story of of presented in today's uh, 0:27:00.520 --> 0:27:03.600 in today's reality. Like so like if you can imagine 0:27:03.640 --> 0:27:08.439 that there was a there was a Instagram and Facebook 0:27:08.560 --> 0:27:12.000 and and it looks like so the events the incredible 0:27:12.040 --> 0:27:15.359 events of ninety six Martin Luther King, Rob Kennedy getting killed, 0:27:15.600 --> 0:27:18.480 but as if they were today. Yeah, it's like fifty 0:27:18.560 --> 0:27:22.480 years like the same week, but fifty years ago, and 0:27:22.560 --> 0:27:25.360 it's every week we released, were releasing a new episode 0:27:25.600 --> 0:27:29.639 about the same week fifty years ago, and very very 0:27:29.800 --> 0:27:33.879 very exciting and very relatable because suddenly you understand the 0:27:34.040 --> 0:27:39.600 history because it's because it's uh, it's very relatable. What 0:27:39.920 --> 0:27:42.880 is um? I think the Russian media market for even 0:27:42.920 --> 0:27:45.879