After deciding to do “In the mixx: Dj’s doing the work” one of the first things I had to remove from my mind was the thought that I could do everything on my own. I always felt like I had a very diverse skill set. My background is in journalism and have written everything from…
Almost three years ago, our son came home from a summer filmmaking program and wrote a script for a musical video he called “School for Boy.” He was 14. Jeff had plenty of motivation and energy at first. He wrote the script, about a girl whose father was headmaster of a private boys’ school, in what seemed…
As a general rule, we don’t do coverage of film festival calls for entry as there are just too many festivals out there, but in the case of The Trailer Festival, we’re going to make an exception as there is a great filmmaking upside to this event. The first Trailer Festival took place in June 2010 and…
It’s a common question of amateur filmmakers. “How do I make my video footage look like film?” and also “What camera to buy?” As a low budget amateur filmmaker myself I had even a more pertinent question; “How can I even afford a high end camcorder if I’m broke?” After much research and frustrated head-bangs,…
As a screenwriter, the ability to craft dramatic suspense can turn your script from a basic, by the numbers story into something memorable, and the basis of a movie that people will remember. Film is a visceral art, and a thousand things have to go right in the execution of a story to make it…
As a screenwriter, there are a few ways to get your script sold and -possibly – made into a movie. Screenwriting contests have emerged as a way for unknown writers to get their name out there, but this requires either winning the contest or placing very high, and more than likely having to do it…
Here’s an unusual twist on the “get a filmmaker to make us a commercial for free” fad that seems to be sweeping the marketing and PR business at the moment: create an infomercial for director Stephen Gyllenhaal’s next film! Here’s the lowdown from their press release: GRASSROOTS Director, Stephen Gyllenhaal is passionate about indie filmmaking…
When we compare modern moviemaking to widget production, it oftentimes seems as though we are saying that the end product of our work carries with it so much more human, emotional weight and experience than the mere production of a widget. And while I understand that watching a feature film has so much more value to ME, and…
The Internet is certainly awash with new players in the online TV market and all are seeking content. Many of these have been little more than YouTube-alikes and probably don’t represent much in the way of value for the indie filmmaker. Entering this crowded space in December 2010 is a new service called itzon.tv, which aims…
A new web app for product placement has launched, with a different take on how product placement deals can be approached. Product Place Me, founded by Rex Riepe, co-founder of Presskit’n and HootCourse, seeks to take on bad product placement with a “scripts first” policy. The web app works as a simple mailing list which puts filmmaker-submitted placements in front of advertisers. By only accepting concrete, already-in-the-script placements, Product Place…
Freelance cinematographer, Tom Antos, has put together a series of useful video tutorials on a wide range of cinematography topics, from shot composition and basic lighting, through to green screen and colour correction techniques. Here’s a sample: Check out the full set at Tom’s YouTube Channel.
The Guerilla Filmmaker’s series have been a staple of the indie guide bookshelf for over a decade now, and the winning formula of down to earth advice from real world industry people as lead to sales of over 100,000 copies. The latest edition of the guide has been reformatted to be “pocketbook” sized (although we’re not exactly sure why?), but…
