Quarantine: How I Made An Award Winning Feature Film In My Storage Unit
In my late twenties, I promised myself I would make a feature by the time I was 40 years old. I had a …
How To Pitch Your Film Project To Prospective Investors
Assuming you have met with a lawyer and figured out a way to protect yourself legally – If you aren’t afraid to hear the word “NO,” then what is stopping you from setting up a meeting and presenting your ideas to prospective investors? It doesn’t always mean you’ll get the money (if it were easy, everybody would be doing it.) – but it does mean that every NO is one no closer to YES!
How To Make Your First Feature Without Going Bonkers
Sooner or later the filmmaking bug hits you. . . It’s like a far off voice or compulsion. But like breathing, for the serious independent filmmaker, the need to make a feature is always present.
3 Surprising Reasons You Should Make A Horror Movie
Our first feature was a silly zombie movie. The production value was horrific. But the movie got a write up in Premiere Magazine, Fangoria and about one hundred horror related websites. As a result of this buzz, our crappy horror movie gained a cult following and sold very well…
Five Ways To Succeed As a Modern Filmmaker
The world has changed. If you are looking to become a filmmaking success, this article is for you. We share 5 ways you can succeed as a modern filmmaker.
How To Break Down and Schedule Your No-Budget Movie
If you’re a first time feature filmmaker, you do not need a gazillion dollars to join the feature club. But you will need to learn how to replace money with ginormous creatively. And once your screenplay is complete, then the next step in the filmmaking process is your initial breakdown and schedule.
How To Avoid Your Biggest Filmmaking Mistake
The biggest filmmaking mistake you can make is waiting for someone else to give you permission make movies. Read this filmmaking article.
Three Tips For Digital VOD Distribution
We have entered the era of Digital VOD Distribution. In this filmmaking article, we provide three tips for Digital VOD Distribution success.
How To Woo Private Film Investors (Even If You Hate Pitching)
You may have all the creative talent in the world, a team ready to help you make your film and an idea that’s sure …
How To Use Foreshadowing In Your Screenplay
To avoid having any one element of foreshadowing be too obvious, often the writer will throw in some red herrings–some things that could be foreshadowing but in fact don’t pay off or pay off in a different way than we expect. The person who has the gun in the drawer may become an immediate suspect in our minds, but later maybe we see him use it to light his cigarette and we realize it’s not a real gun (of course he may have a real one somewhere else….). That kind of misdirection keeps the audience guessing.
The 5 Laws For Landing Film Industry Jobs
If you’re a newbie to filmmaking, I’m going to give you the advice I learned early on. This has since become my work and success philosophy. And as you chart your film career, maybe this stuff is worth considering.
How To Achieve Your Dreams In Filmmaking
So you want to Achieve Your Dreams in filmmaking. I don’t know what your specific dreams may be. You may want to be …
How To Navigate The American Film Market
The announcement was made that the 2020 AFM (American Film Market), will be a “Virtual Market.” Cannes 2020 was the first market to …
The Future Of The Self Distribution Model
In the old days, self distribution got a bad wrap. Before DVD and the wonders of the digital age, if people wanted to self distribute, they had to haul heavy film prints from city to city all over the country… But not any more!
Do You Really Need A Distribution Company?
With DVD sales down, the traditional utilization of middle-men like sales agents and distribution companies is changing. The ripple effect of this is less traditional distribution deals for filmmakers. Take a look at the music industry, and you’ll soon see that it is a matter of time until all movies will be available for download or viewing at the push of a button.
The Indie Filmmakers Guide to Amazon Film Distribution
In a more-perfect world of Independent Film Distribution, iTunes would open the flood gates and allow all feature filmmakers to upload their work. However, at the time of writing, getting your finished feature film into iTunes is still a pain in the butt. With few exceptions, the company seems to favor traditional distributors over the indie producer. So if you one day dream of having your movie viewed on someone’s iPhone, you’ll still have to find a middle-man ask permission…
Who Else Wants To Sell A TV Show To The Networks?
So you have a TV Show idea and you want to sell it. Before we get into some action steps you can take, …
The 5 Lessons I Learned Making A Feature Film For $2,000
My name is Chris Foster. When I was 19 years old, I was obsessed with making a feature film. The problem was, I only …
How To Develop Your Film Funding Mindset Like A Mogul
What if I told you that one of the definitive keys for funding your film came from within your mind? In my personal …
How To Make Your Next Short Film With The Resources You Have
My producing partner Mike Knowlan and I recently finished a short film called KNOCK KNOCK. It is a suspense/thriller about a woman who, …
Unpacking our design and development process.
Each stage of a project is dependent on the one prior. Mollis pretium lorem primis senectus habitasse lectus scelerisque donec, ultricies tortor suspendisse …
How To Attract A Film Crew For Your No-Budget Project
Okay, you want to make a movie. You’ve got those creative juices flowing, and you need an outlet. You have a GREAT idea, …
How to Work In Film and TV Without a Film Degree
Over the last 26 years, I have been asked countless times “How do I get started working in film and TV?” The answer …
The Screenwriters Guide to Option Agreements
If you’re like most screenwriters, the scenario you’re working towards, aside from on outright purchase of your spec script, is getting an option …
3 Must-Haves For Your Sample TV Spec Script
Television staff writers hold some of the most coveted (and highest paid) writing positions in Hollywood. And your first step toward ‘breaking in’ …
The Importance Of Finding An Experienced Film Mentor
Depending on your level of skill, finding a film mentor could be similar a producing partner. If you have a mentor that’s going …
How To Brand Yourself As A Filmmaker
Everyone’s talking about personal branding these days, but not everyone understands what it does and why it’s important. As a filmmaker, you might be thinking to yourself, “do I really have to care about my brand?” In today’s Internet focused world, personal branding is…
Filmmaking 101: Five Rules To Remember
The filmmaking 101 process can be complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are five filmmaking tips!
The Friendly Filmmakers Guide to Independent Film Financing
As a filmmaker, independent film financing a major mystery. When I was starting out, I met with quite a few producers who refused to share their money secrets with me… I don’t know why they were so secretive. But it really annoyed me.
5 Easy Ways To Get Your Screenplay Noticed
In this screenwriting article, motion picture executive Scott Kirkpatrick shares five tips to get your screenplay noticed.