This Machine News
DOC NYC: 40 Under 40
Congratulations to honoree, Trevor Smith. 40 Under 40 celebrates emerging talent in the documentary world, including directors, producers, cinematographers, and editors. This program is co-presented by HBO Documentary Films.
Fist-ever Documentary Centered On Black Beauty
Supermodel and entrepreneur Iman discusses her involvement in the documentary "Supreme Models," the first-ever documentary centered on Black beauty, and the importance of models of color.
Iman makes the case for fashion’s humanity
NEW YORK — From the beginning, modeling was always meant to be a business proposition, not a flight of fancy or a personal indulgence. And so, fashion was a remarkable, lucrative ride for the woman who came to be known simply as Iman: the model whose swan’s neck made a world-weary editor swoon…
Iman Talks Black Excellence in Fashion — and What the Industry Still Needs to Do Better
Iman wants to celebrate the "joy" of the Black model and all the creatives in the fashion industry…
Documentary Inspired By Charles Blow’s Bestseller ‘The Devil You Know’ Coming From HBO Documentary Films And This Machine
Production is underway on a feature documentary from HBO Documentary Films and This Machine inspired by New York Times columnist Charles Blow’s book The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto.
Emmy-Winning Filmmaker R.J. Cutler Signs With WME As He Embarks On Elton John Doc
WME has signed filmmaker R.J. Cutler and his production company This Machine, fresh off the announcement of Cutler’s upcoming documentary on Elton John.
Elton John Documentary ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ Lands At Disney In Mega Deal For Hybrid Release
Disney Original Documentary and Disney+ have won the rights to a big feature documentary package, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances And the Years That Made His Legend. No one would comment, but we hear the docu, from Academy Award-nominee R.J. Cutler as well as filmmaker (and longtime Elton John partner) David Furnish, sold for about $30 million.
Elton John to Get the Official Documentary Treatment With ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’
After getting his own blockbuster biopic, Elton John will be fêted with an official documentary, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and the Years That Made His Legend.
Co-directed by R.J. Cutler and filmmaker — and John’s husband — David Furnish, the movie will be centered around John’s farewell tour, while also looking back at 1970 to 1975, the monumental period when John released 10 albums and scored some of his biggest hits. The doc will also include an array of unseen concert footage from the past 50 years, as well as John’s handwritten journals and present-day footage of the musician and his family.
‘Dear…’ Team On How Series Profiles Icons And The People Who Send Them Heartfelt Letters
The world has come to recognize the supreme talent of Viola Davis, the Oscar- and Emmy-winning actress. But she had to overcome huge obstacles to achieve her success, growing up poor in Central Falls, Rhode Island.
The enormity of those obstacles becomes strikingly clear in an episode of the Apple TV+ documentary series Dear… that’s devoted to Davis. Now in its second season, the show profiles a different entertainer, activist or athlete in each installment, built around letters written to the trailblazers by members of the public inspired by their example.
Documentary Director R.J. Cutler Expands His Development and Production Team
This Machine, the production company founded by veteran documentary director and producer R.J. Cutler, has bolstered its development and production team with four new hires. Cutler, the Emmy Award-winning director behind docus including “The September Issue,” “Belushi” and most recently with “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry,” launched This Machine in 2020 with an investment from Los Angeles-based Industrial Media.
In Deleted Scene From Oscar-Contender ‘Billie Eilish,’ Young Pop Star Sings From The Rafters Of Radio City Music Hall
The Oscar-shortlisted documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry follows the young singer-songwriter’s rise from unknown to worldwide fame. But in a deleted scene from the R.J. Cutler film, Eilish rises to even greater heights – about five stories up inside Radio City Music Hall.
ACE Eddie Awards Nominations - BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY
The American Cinema Editors has spliced together the nominees for its 72nd annual ACE Eddie Awards. Trophies will be presented during the guild’s awards ceremony on March 5 at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. The half-capacity show originally was set for February 26.
BAFTA Unveils Longlists For 2022 Film Awards - BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY
BAFTA has unveiled the longlists across all categories for its 2022 Film Awards. These lists have been compiled via Round One of BAFTA’s voting. Round Two, which determines the nominations, opens on January 14 and closes on January 27.
Oscars: Academy Unveils Shortlists in 10 Categories - BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday unveiled its shortlists for the 2022 Oscars in 10 categories, including documentary and international features. It also includes documentary short subject, makeup and hairstyling, original score, original song, animated short, live-action short, visual effects, and — returning this year — sound.
Doc Crew Behind ‘Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry’ on Capturing a Star’s Metamorphosis in Real-Time
Filmmaker R.J. Cutler’s interest in documenting Billie Eilish dates back to 2018, when he contacted director of photography Jenna Rosher about a rising star he saw interviewed in Vanity Fair. “I watched those and was completely fascinated and blown away by her from the get-go,” Rosher says of the magazine’s series, which checks in on Eilish yearly.
Acclaimed Documentary Editor Lindsay Utz Signs First Look Directing Deal With This Machine
Acclaimed Documentary Editor Lindsay Utz Signs First Look Directing Deal With This Machine. Award-winning documentary editor Lindsay Utz is turning her attention to directing. Utz, who edited 2020 Academy Award winner American Factory and this year’s Oscar contender Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, has signed a first-look deal with This Machine to direct her own documentary films. This Machine, an Industrial Media company, is headed by filmmaker R.J. Cutler, who directed the Billie Eilish doc.
Behind the Mic and in Front of the Camera, Billie Eilish Became a Movie Star in 2021
It was the fall of 2019, and 17-year-old Billie Eilish was at one of the lowest moments of her very enchanted life so far. Six months earlier, the Soundcloud supernova had exploded into a major recording artist with the release of the double platinum debut album that she and her older brother Finneas had recorded together in his childhood bedroom. Six months later, that same LP would see her become the youngest artist to ever sweep the Grammys. But for a minute in the middle there, she was just another teenager who felt betrayed and ashamed by a world that had been waiting to slip through the slightest crack in her armor.