I was asked why a director shouldn’t edit his/her own films today… again. I get a lot of blow-back from my usual answer, but I’m steadfast in my belief that a director should never edit their own film. I know; never is a strong word. And there are exceptions, and those outliers are part and…
If you haven’t read my article on why you shouldn’t edit your own film, read that first. In my article on objectivity, or the lack of it that we have as filmmakers, I used Paul Greengrass’ Bourne films as an example of lost objectivity. But those films are good for something else, too. Never, in the…
When setting up a small voice over studio, it is highly important you know your options and evaluate your own budget and financial position to decide just how ambitious you can be with your own studio. You might be a voice over actor, or in need of voice over for any form of media, but setting up the…
How do you go about making a professional commercial within a 5-day timeframe? As a film student (I study at Met Film School in Berlin) I am used to making short films within a limited time and with a small crew, each of us undertaking 2-3 key practical roles to get the production underway. However,…
If you fancy a filmmaking sabbatical to Hungary for autumn 2014 then the scholarship competition at Budapest Film Academy is definitely for you. Submissions are currently being accepted for scholarships in screenwriting, directing, producing, cinematography, editing and sound recording courses. Budapest Film Academy (BFA) and Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) have joined forces and launched an English and Hungarian language film academy in…
Filmmakers are referring to DSLR filmmaking as a revolutionary invention. It achieved a huge leap forward in the quality of the image and moreover it has become available to millions of potential filmmakers, helping to spread the word and passion. Basically, a DSLR has a gigantic image sensor in comparison to the film cameras that…
Even veteran filmmakers who have a certain defined and reliable style should think about how they can make their projects better. It’s relatively easy these days to pick up new skills, thanks to the proliferation and accessibility of online training and tutorials. With digital editing programs, you can give your videos a new look and feel, and…
Despite the fact external monitors have dropped in price considerably over the years, they still cause many difficulties for filmmakers and photographers that have small production crews. Even the most accessible external monitors can be fiddly and difficult to see properly in bright locations, often making their unique selling points not worth the hassle. Video Glasses can…
At a recent talk at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg made some interesting predictions about the future of the film industry. In a nutshell, they both agreed that some major changes are coming to the box office, culminating in an implosion that will forever change the face of filmmaking. The crux…
Unless you happen to be a true polyglot, chances are you’ve relied on subtitles to make sense of things at some stage, whether it’s the latest foreign art-house flick or just quiet, muffled or plain incomprehensible speech in your own language. It’s often forgotten, however, that subtitles have also long played another vital role in…
