About Dan Ochiva

New York City-based journalist and NYCPPNEWS founder Dan Ochiva writes and consults on film, video, and digital media technology.

Would a Governor Cynthia Nixon Kill New York’s Film Production Tax Breaks?

Is Cynthia Nixon biting the hand that once fed here? She may be a neophyte campaigner for New York State’s governorship, but her recent public announcements targeting the tax breaks given to film and TV production and post productions garnered support from right-leaning think tanks, not progressives. Film professionals: Still think there’s nothing to worry […]

Millions of Dollars in Stolen NYC Movie Equipment Recovered

As film production in New York soars, production gear thefts have reached into the millions of dollars Image credit: NBC New York Channel 4 Ray Villeda of NBC New York Channel 4 reports on police tracking down millions of dollars of stolen feature film production gear from a storage facility in Westchester. Here’s part of […]

Firefighter Dies on Ed Norton Film Set

Image caption: The building, which was one of Harlem’s few remaining jazz clubs before it closed, was being used for the filming of “Motherless Brooklyn.” Credit J.E. Alexander/NY Times The New York Times and other publications are reporting that Michael R. Davidson, a firefighter with Engine Company 69 in Harlem, succumbed to injuries he received while fighting […]

KitSplit Raises $2.1 Million to Democratize the Film and Video Production Process

Sharing production gear via a club or a non-profit media center offered solutions to pricey hardware.Now, New York City-based startup KitSplit updates those models, building on the more modern sharing scene…

VR / AR Association

Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment – Resources

Crain’s Columnist Says New York’s Support Money for Production and Post Essential

New York, take it from London: Defend your film tax credit Benefits could spread across the state, as they have in the U.K. (Image caption: Emily Blunt’s new movie A Quiet Place was shot in the the Mohawk Valley. Photo credit: Youtube trailer for A Quiet Place.) For millions of foreign visitors every year, New […]

D.W. Leitner Garners SMPTE Fellowship

Long-time friend David Leitner has been named a SMPTE Fellow. David wrote for NYCPPNEWS in the past, but most know him from his work as a director/cinematographer. He has unique know-how in the history of cinema that he somehow translates into working solutions for digital cinema.

Up 300-Percent in Film Spend, Hudson Valley Film Commish Rejto Spots 2017 as Turning Point

In the above photo: Producer Jen Gatien, Whoopi Goldberg, Melissa Leo, Laurent Rejto, and Tessa Thompson on the set of the film ‘Furlough’. (Photo Credit: Randy Harris) Spending funds from the New York State coffers to boost film production in Gotham has worked well for almost 15 years. To the consternation of some fiscal conservatives, it […]

Is Kodak’s New Super 8 Camera Worth $2500?

Would you pay $2500 for a Super 8 camera? An odd question to ask now, as the glory days of Super 8 format are long gone. But some still pine for what the format can deliver visually, while long-term relevance is still film’s strong card. But how feasible is shooting in a format that still […]