Filmmaking Stuff Filmmaking tips and tricks to make your movie now!

Dear Jason,

I’m very sorry. I know you’ve been calling about the money we owe you for [MOVIE PROJECT X]. We have been incredibly busy as you can imagine – we recently upgraded our editing suite (you should come over and check out our facility – it’s awesome!) But anyway, I know we are a few months behind with those checks. If it’s OK with you, give us a call after the holiday (we are headed to Key West for the fourth. Have you been there? It’s amazing!) And I promise we can discuss payment. Maybe we can settle on half the money we owe you? Anyway, I’m sure we can work it out.

Best,
Robert Rip Off
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I know the above scenario seems pretty far out there. But this sort of thing happens in the movie business more than you know. And no matter what side of the deal you’re on (I assume you will be honorable in all your dealings) – whenever this happens relationships end. Bridges get burnt. Here are some tips I’ve learned through the years:

1. Don’t do business with people who you wouldn’t want to introduce to your mother.
2. Get everything (EVERYTHING) in writing. Even among friends. Especially among friends.
3. Always honor your word. If you make an honest mistake, work to rectify it immediately!
4. Plan for the best, but always ask yourself – what is the worst that can happen? Then plan for that!
5. In filmmaking as in life, treat everyone with respect. The man fetching coffee today, controls the money tomorrow.

Posted under Power

• Making a first feature is like a pipe dream. Then after you make one, the reality is, you can make another and another. #filmmaker #

Posted under News

This was a post I wrote for the New York Film Academy on film scheduling and the wonders of scenechronize.
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Almost 10 years ago, while working for an indie producer in New York City, I learned that making a movie happens in various stages. Assuming we found a screenplay that got us excited, the first step we took towards producing the movie involved creating an initial breakdown and schedule. Once we knew the schedule and the big ticket items (explosions, special FX, Stunts, etc) then we would work out a budget and use the information when pitching to potential investors.

To break down a script, I was given a bunch of different colored highlighters and a ruler. I then found each slug line, underlined it and numbered the scene. I also measured each scene by 1/8ths. Then I utilized the highlighters to highlight every element. For example, anything related to wardrobe would be a different color than a prop. I did this through the whole screenplay. And once complete, I then entered the information into a popular filmmaking software program.

So you can imagine my excitement last month when I started working with scenechronize, an online production management system that significantly reduces the time takes to schedule a movie. Simply upload a screenplay in PDF, and in 60 seconds the system completes the pain-in-the-butt stuff that used to take me an entire day. More than that, this system allows all departments to stay in sync and share files during the course of a production. And if you’re making a short, it only costs about 50 dollars to use. Check them out here: scenechronize.com

While making movies will always require creative human collaboration, it’s nice to know there are tools out there to help make things more efficient.

Posted under Filmmaking

• People tend to enjoy movie ideas you’re excited about. if you’re not excited, what’s the point? #filmmaking #screenwriter #
• My friend Peter put together a comprehensive filmmaking course. For info, go to http://www.actioncutprint.com/sbfs/SBFS-filmmakingstuff.html #

Posted under News

I’ve been working on a new project – and it’s surprising to me how some people are incredibly nice, hard working, responsible and smart. Yet, I’m equally surprised by the amount of people who are lazy and not-so-responsible.

The other night a friend of a friend of a friend kept telling me how upset he was that someone stole his movie idea. The story had something to do with space and time travel and a villain… I don’t remember. I asked him if he actually wrote a script, or if it was just an idea. He told me it was just an idea. Said he thinks someone overheard him at the local coffee shop.

The thing is, I stopped listening. I’m a nice enough guy. But I get frustrated when people come up with movie ideas and simply expect some Hollywood executive to magically appear and pay for ideas. I’m not saying it can’t happen (I actually know a filmmaker who was given over a million dollars to make a feature, based on the strength of his short movie) – But I’m saying this. If you aren’t preparing yourself for lucky opportunities every day – by actually completing projects, and honing your career skills (writer, director, etc) then please don’t complain.

Everybody has ideas. Few people control the rights to completed screenplays.

Posted under Networking, Power