How To Achieve A Cinematic Film Look (On Your Next Production)
If you’ve ever watched a film, you have experienced the cinematic film look. While the aesthetic is hard to describe, you know it when …
The Indie Filmmaker’s Guide For Smashing Debt (And Acquiring FU Money)
Most independent filmmakers want to save money but feel too strapped to take action. This is because each month is filled with bills and other unexpected expenses. For this reason, most people put off saving until the end of the month. The problem is, by that time, there is nothing left to save. Despite the expenses of living, there are ways to save money. Here is how I was able to pay myself first.
Do You Make These Mistakes In Documentary Funding?
In this guest filmmaking article, documentary filmmaker Faith Fuller shares tips on how to avoid the top five mistakes made in documentary funding. Read this article and fund your documentary.
Nine Reasons Why Documentary Filmmakers Are Heroes
In this filmmaking article, Faith Fuller shares 9 surprising reasons why documentary filmmakers are heroes.
7 Steps For Thriving As An Independent Film Producer
Going up against the major film studios can be daunting for an independent film producer, especially when budget constraints and access to shooting …
Warning: How NOT To Find Investors For Your Movie
Those who know me know that I’ve devoted much of my career on how to find investors who fund movies. And those who’ve …
Fueling the Next Media Evolution: Lessons for Pandemic Filmmaking
Last year inextricably altered the ways that we connect, collaborate, and create. While physical distance poses some challenges (and likely many disappointments), it …
The Secret to Getting Film Financing (The Smart Way)
“How do I get film financing?” is a question that filmmakers ask over and over again. This makes sense because funding a film …
Get a Movie Made: 5 Things You Need To Know
In this filmmaking article, film finance expert Tom Malloy shares tactics on how to get a movie made, with the 5 essential strategies you need to succeed.
Question: Should Filmmakers Move To Hollywood?
One big question asked in the indie film community is this: Should filmmakers move to Hollywood? Take a quick sec to read this filmmaker’s response.
The 5 Immutable Laws of Successful Filmmaking
Serious indie filmmakers stop at noting until the movie is actually in the can – or these days – in your hard drive. Still if you’ve been working to make movies for any length of time, you know there are days when you hit obstacles, sometimes so seemingly insurmountable that you just want to give up on your project. Don’t do it!
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 …
Are Dentists a Way to Raise Money For Your Film?
If you’re looking to raise money for your film, you’re probably heard some other filmmaker (who never raised money) tell you that, “Dentists …
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 …