Filmmaking Stuff Filmmaking Stuff provides resources for independent filmmakers. The website includes articles on how to take a story idea from script to screen, including articles on scriptwriting, producing, finance, shooting, editing, directing, marketing, distribution and how to build an audience. Filmmaking Stuff also has articles detailing how to make money making movies – including interviews with Hollywood Producers, Directors, writers and other filmmaking professionals.

Filmmaking has come a long way since this picture. But one thing hasn't changed - Filmmakers Need To Make Movies to prosper. Image via Wikipedia

If you’re filmmaker seeking practical filmmaking tips you can use TODAY, I’d like to share some thoughts with you.

The world of filmmaking is changing. Producing content is getting cheaper. And distribution outlets are becoming increasingly accessible. While these changes have not fully hit mainstream Hollywood, you can rest assured that it’s only a matter of time until the ripple effect has a leveling impact.

And when these changes hit, will you be ready?

Here are my 5 filmmaking tips on how to prepare for these changes.

1. Filmmaking Tip #1 – Build Your Fan Club. Like any business, in order to prosper, you need to create, build and keep customers. For filmmakers, this means building an audience of people who like your work. (If you like this website, you can sign up for my fan club by going here: http://www.FreeFilmmakingBook.com)
2. Filmmaking Tip #2 – Create content. If you’re serious about your filmmaking future, you need to have a YouTube page and you need to be making creative short movies at least every month. Why YouTube? Because I believe the site will become a hub for Video On Demand movies, they are owned by Google and YouTube allows you to create community around your work.
3. Filmmaking Tip #3 – Create new products. Every business needs to sell a service or a product to survive. As an independent filmmaker, your primary product is feature films. To make this business viable for yourself, you need to fill your file cabinet with story ideas. Then you need to figure out how to turn those stories into feature films, ready for sale.
4. Filmmaking Tip #4 – Surround Yourself With Talent. You can’t do everything yourself. Find a group of 10 other filmmakers who have complementary talents and an equal level of passion and enthusiasm. Then join forces and create some (movie) products!
5. Filmmaking Action Tip #5 – Learn how to sell. You will need sales skills on two fronts. Firstly, you should know how to sell, so you can raise movie money. And secondly, you should know how to sell so that you can accelerate sales of your movies. Once you learn the basics – stop fetching coffee and take a sales job outside of the industry, selling something tough. If you can master sales skills, you will start cold calling heavy hitters with no hesitation. This make pitching your ideas or (independent movie) products a cinch.

Anyway, I hope these filmmaking tips are helpful.

As always, if you have thoughts or ideas or questions, feel free to comment or email.

Posted under FILMMAKING

For those of you who already wrote your feature script, congratulations. It’s a super cool accomplishment to write a screenplay. But don’t go crazy. Just because you have a script doesn’t mean Hollywood is going to knock down your door. Like any business, you now have something to sell. And like any business, part of your job is seeking out and finding the appropriate buyer.

In Hollywood, agents and managers have long standing relationships with the heavy hitters. It is through these relationships that material gets read and sold. But assuming you don’t have representation, you’ll have to get crafty and creative in order to get your material read. The biggest hurdle to overcome is the fact most industry players will refuse to read your work. Why? Because they don’t have a trusting, working relationship with you.

Even if you mail your script directly to a prospective buyer, more than likely it will be sent back or go in the recycle bin without being read. Think of it this way: What if I (as a producer) spent the last 3 years developing and raising money for a zombie movie about ninjas (currently in development) and you happen to send me a ninja zombie movie? Then all a sudden you think I’m stealing your idea. Then we go to court or some other form of litigation… Frankly it’s just not worth it.

Hold on… Before you get discouraged, here is the thing. What I just described is the front door. It’s the conventional route to getting your work read. But like most things in life, when the front door is locked, rest assured there is always a back door or a window. Back doors and windows are always opened by people who know you.

Friends will do more to help friends than they will to help themselves. For example, when I couldn’t get my stuff read, I did two things that opened every door to me. One is, I read screenplays for a producer in NYC, which eventually led to a more detailed role in development. When the time came, because I had the relationships, it was very easy to get my script into the hands of a capable producers. Around the same time, I also sent my script to an actor friend who was getting quite a few mainstream gigs in Hollywood. Because the work was good, he felt good telling other people about it.

All of these actions led to further credibility and stronger relationships, which made getting the next script read – well, it was very easy.

What if you don’t live in Hollywood or New York? This is simple. Make friends through the internet. At the same time, research screenplay contests for places that traditionally favor your type of work. Then submit your finished work to the contests. These contests are a great place to have your work read by industry folks. Even if you don’t win, many offer detailed feedback and coverage. If you do win, you can then leverage your win to make phone calls to all the industry folks you otherwise wouldn’t call.

The point is, there are ways to get your work read. So don’t give up at the first rejection.

And please do not track me down… I do not accept unsolicited screenplays.

Posted under SCREENWRITING