Fun Little Movies
Encyclopedia
Fun Little Movies is a production
and distribution
company of short films intended for the internet
and mobile devices.
It was founded in 1988 by Frank Chindamo, currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California
. Based in Burbank, California
, Fun Little Movies was the first U.S.
company to produce comedic films for mobile phones worldwide. By the time the company was in development of Psyche 101 in 2004, they had already begun producing shorts promoting internet dating services. In 2008, ROK Entertainment bought controlling interest in FLM.
, director
, screenwriter
, educator, and the President and Chief Creative Officer of Fun Little Movies. He received a Film Bachelor of Fine Arts
from New York University
and a Screenwriting Master of Fine Arts
from Columbia University
, and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California, where he teaches "Mobile/Internet Viral Screenwriting and Production", and an instructor at UCLA where he teaches "Beyond YouTube: Making Mobile and Internet Movies that Sell". He has taught at the Gotham Writer’s Workshop and City University of New York
, is a former Executive Director of the Staged Screenplay Reading Series at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
, and former Director of the Professional Screenwriting Workshops at Sony Studios
. In 1988 Chindamo founded Fun Little Movies was founded as a short-film company to develop interstitial programming for Showtime, Comedy Central
, PBS, CBS
, and Playboy TV
. As early as 1991, Frank Chindamo was creating and screening "Funny Short Movies", and in 1994 submitting his "Funny Little Movies" to film festivals such as the Deauville Film Festival in Paris. In 2003, he was vice president of development at The Pritcher Company in Beverly Hills, California
, involved in production of both features and TV shows.
In 2006 and 2007, Chindamo, was named one of the Top 40 people in IPTV
, and in 2008 he was nominated Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young
.
In 2004, Fun Little Movies became the first U.S. company to produce comedic films for mobile phones worldwide when Mobile Media Labs announced they were to begin distribution of made-for-mobile and made-for-Internet "HowTo" and "Health" related reference videos over a new movie channel to be launched on FLM.
In 2005 Sprint launched Sprint TV
as two new independent mobile-TV content providers for the carrier's premier multimedia service offerings by Fun Little Movies. In June 2005, Smartvideo added FLM and E! Entertainment
to its mobile video channel line-up. And in December 2005, FLM concluded a deal with the ZVUE family of portable media players to make over 1,000 short films available for download to ZVUE owners.
At the 2006 NATPE convention
Fun Little Movies co-sponsored the first annual MoTV Awards and presented the "Fun Little Movies Award for Best Comedy". The winner was Miami 85 by Santa Fe Community College
professor Marc Shahboz, which was said by FLM President Frank Chindamo to be "the coolest, most visually-exciting piece we saw".
In 2007 HandHeld Entertainment expanded an existing agreement with Fun Little Movies in order to stream FLM's short comedy videos on their network of Web sites, including ZVUE.com, Putfile.com, YourDailyMedia.com, UnOriginal.co.uk, FunMansion.com and Dorks.com.
In 2008, ROK Entertainment, an United Kingdom
based mobile TV provider, bought a majority (51 percent) stake of Fun Little Movies for a total of $
1.375 million.
Also in 2008 FLM debuted the Toyota series The Pool, a humorous series about a group of carpoolers, who happen to drive a Toyota Camry.
.
At the MoFilm competition at the February 2009 GSMA Mobile World Congress
held in Barcelona, Spain, out of 250 entries from more than 100 countries, Fun Little Movies's production Turbo Dates: English as a Second Language won both Best Comedy and the Grand Prix.
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Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and distribution
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
company of short films intended for the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and mobile devices.
It was founded in 1988 by Frank Chindamo, currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Based in Burbank, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Fun Little Movies was the first U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company to produce comedic films for mobile phones worldwide. By the time the company was in development of Psyche 101 in 2004, they had already begun producing shorts promoting internet dating services. In 2008, ROK Entertainment bought controlling interest in FLM.
Founder
Frank Chindamo is a film producerFilm producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, educator, and the President and Chief Creative Officer of Fun Little Movies. He received a Film Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and a Screenwriting Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California, where he teaches "Mobile/Internet Viral Screenwriting and Production", and an instructor at UCLA where he teaches "Beyond YouTube: Making Mobile and Internet Movies that Sell". He has taught at the Gotham Writer’s Workshop and City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
, is a former Executive Director of the Staged Screenplay Reading Series at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
__notoc__The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute is an acting school located at 115 East 15th Street between Union Square East and Irving Place in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, as well as at 7936 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, California...
, and former Director of the Professional Screenwriting Workshops at Sony Studios
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. is the television and film production/distribution unit of Japanese multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony...
. In 1988 Chindamo founded Fun Little Movies was founded as a short-film company to develop interstitial programming for Showtime, Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
, PBS, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and Playboy TV
Playboy TV
Playboy TV is a premium monthly subscription television channel. Since its launch in 1982 in partnership with Cablevision which eventually sold their share back to Playboy, Playboy TV has become a leading entertainment channel for adult entertainment...
. As early as 1991, Frank Chindamo was creating and screening "Funny Short Movies", and in 1994 submitting his "Funny Little Movies" to film festivals such as the Deauville Film Festival in Paris. In 2003, he was vice president of development at The Pritcher Company in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
, involved in production of both features and TV shows.
In 2006 and 2007, Chindamo, was named one of the Top 40 people in IPTV
IPTV
Internet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services...
, and in 2008 he was nominated Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
.
History
Fun Little Movies was founded as a short-film company in 1988 by Frank Chindamo and developed interstitial programming for such networks as ShowTime, Comedy Central, PBS, CBS, and Playboy TV. One "infamous" FLM commercial directed and written by Chindamo's partner Noelle Aimee Kozoll, Hard Day at the Office, is reported to be the first commercial to play on a wireless handheld device in the US.In 2004, Fun Little Movies became the first U.S. company to produce comedic films for mobile phones worldwide when Mobile Media Labs announced they were to begin distribution of made-for-mobile and made-for-Internet "HowTo" and "Health" related reference videos over a new movie channel to be launched on FLM.
In 2005 Sprint launched Sprint TV
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
as two new independent mobile-TV content providers for the carrier's premier multimedia service offerings by Fun Little Movies. In June 2005, Smartvideo added FLM and E! Entertainment
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
to its mobile video channel line-up. And in December 2005, FLM concluded a deal with the ZVUE family of portable media players to make over 1,000 short films available for download to ZVUE owners.
At the 2006 NATPE convention
NATPE
The National Association of Television Program Executives is a professional association of television and emerging media executives...
Fun Little Movies co-sponsored the first annual MoTV Awards and presented the "Fun Little Movies Award for Best Comedy". The winner was Miami 85 by Santa Fe Community College
Santa Fe Community College
Santa Fe Community College ' is a public two-year Community college located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The college offers more than 72 degrees and certificate programs and caters to the academic, career and personal-enrichment needs of local residents, businesses, government and public service...
professor Marc Shahboz, which was said by FLM President Frank Chindamo to be "the coolest, most visually-exciting piece we saw".
In 2007 HandHeld Entertainment expanded an existing agreement with Fun Little Movies in order to stream FLM's short comedy videos on their network of Web sites, including ZVUE.com, Putfile.com, YourDailyMedia.com, UnOriginal.co.uk, FunMansion.com and Dorks.com.
In 2008, ROK Entertainment, an United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based mobile TV provider, bought a majority (51 percent) stake of Fun Little Movies for a total of $
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
1.375 million.
Also in 2008 FLM debuted the Toyota series The Pool, a humorous series about a group of carpoolers, who happen to drive a Toyota Camry.
Recognition
Fun Little Movies has won more than 20 awards, including a finalist's place for Best Live Action Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival. These include the 2006 and 2007 Mobile Entertainment Magazine Awards for Best Video, top prize at the 2003 CTIA's "World Smallest Film Festival", and two Golden Eagles at the American Cine AwardsCINE
CINE is a consortium formulated to depict American life and thought realistically for a global audience. CINE recognizes and fosters the highest quality of non-theatrical film and video production through its semi-annual film competitions....
.
At the MoFilm competition at the February 2009 GSMA Mobile World Congress
Mobile World Congress
The GSMA Mobile World Congress is the combination of the world's largest exhibition for the mobile industry and a conference featuring prominent Chief Executives representing mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners from across the world...
held in Barcelona, Spain, out of 250 entries from more than 100 countries, Fun Little Movies's production Turbo Dates: English as a Second Language won both Best Comedy and the Grand Prix.
Additional reading
- Mashable Are You Up for a Half-Hour TV Show About Mobile Apps?
- Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, "Still in its infancy, cell phone cinema preps for a close-up" - USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, "When the movie theater fits in your hand" - ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, "Spacey and Will.i.am back mobile content" - Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, "'I Can't Talk, I'm Watching My Cellphone'" - Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, "'THE WEB, ETC.; WEB SCOUT; Web-only series? Yep. Audience? '" - Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, "'Television; CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; Airing soon on a gas pump near you; TV, mutating and decentralized, can be whatever and wherever we want it to be. '" - Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, "'New media will get Emmy of their own; Daytime awards adds a category for podcasts, video blogs, even original content created for cellphones. '" - Nuovu (FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
), "Hollywood s'empare du mobile (Hollywood takes mobile)"
External links
- Fun Little Movies Official website
- Frank Chindamo at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- CNN video: Mobile film festival launches
- Voice of the Entenpreneur, video: Frank Chindamo
- http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/clips/2005/05/24/ComingSoonFORBES.pdf
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- http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/834305031.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+7%2C+2005&author=Matea+Gold&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=A.18&desc=The+Nation%3B+%27I+Can%27t+Talk%2C+I%27m+Watching+My+Cellphone%27%3B+TV+programs+head+to+an+even+smaller+screen+as+carriers+scramble+for+mobile+clips+to+air.
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