A long time ago, I worked on a short movie with a guy. Long story short, I found out the guy was being untruthful about money. He had hired one of my friends to build our movie website. When confronted, he told me some sort of story that was completely stupid and untruthful. Because he was a “friend,” I gave him the benefit of belief and dropped the subject.
Many would-be filmmakers waste valuable time trying to make everything perfect, when the true secret to becoming a successful filmmaker involves simply assessing your resources and making the movie you can make now.
Could you go to “networking events” and try to find folks to help introduce you to the appropriate contact? Yes. But just as easily you could pick up the phone, call your prospective contact’s place of business and try to get him or her on the phone to make your pitch.
As a filmmaker, it can be challenging to raise funds to cover production. We’re all looking for ways to be more cost-effective. The …
The presence of independent films on the internet has grown immeasurably over the last ten years. Streaming services like attract millions of views. …
There will come a day when all entertainment will be on-demand and cheap to consume. The question is, will you ignore this movement and continue to play your distribution lottery ticket in hopes of winning the dream deal…
In this filmmaking article, Carole Lee Dean provides a solid strategy for generating sticky story ideas your audience will love.
A filmmaker is also a leader. Your film will succeed or fail based on the strength of your team. And while it is …
In this filmmaking article, producer Jason Brubaker talks about the toughest part of making a movie and how to overcome common obstacles. Read more…
In this filmmaking article, Jason Brubaker shares the secrets of successful indie filmmakers. And the first secret is, don’t give up.
In this film distribution article, LA producer Jason Brubaker shares secrets movie distributors don’t want you to know. Read this fillmmaking article.
Have you ever wondered how to become a director? As a filmmaker, bringing your vision to life and sharing your story with the world is one of the primary reasons you make movies.
Looking for movie money? Don’t live in LA? In this filmmaking article, we explore simple tactics and strategies for finding people who invest in movies.
In this filmmaking article, distribution executive Jason Brubaker shares 7 lies distributors like to tell filmmakers.
This filmmaking question came from one of our readers named Paul. He wondered how to make a movie on a shoestring. So I put together five workable tips…
If this is your first feature, don’t feel bad if you cry. Most filmmakers either lose their temper or cry or both. If you have to cry or lose your temper, call a time out and take a walk. Go somewhere nobody can see you. There is no quicker way to lose credibility than losing your emotions on set—especially a low-budget set.
For those of you who are adding your own thoughts to the Modern Moviemaking Manifesto, what I’m proposing is easier said than done. It is easy for me to talk about the success of our first feature. It is much more difficult to admit that our second feature bombed miserably.
The best screenwriting books always include Syd Field, William Goldman, and Robert McKee. But in this article, we explore less obvious screenwriting books.
YOU are now responsible for marketing, promotion and distribution of your movie. And inline with this strategy, you must view regional and second tier festivals as an opportunity to build your audience list. But instead of handing out postcards to other filmmakers, your marketing strategy will be smarter.
If you’re just starting out as a filmmaker, deciding if you should attend a traditional film school is something you need to decide. And it’s a costly decision – some of my friends here in Los Angles are over fifty-thousand dollars in debt…
Do you want to write your screenplay faster but without giving up quality? Here are the top tips based both on my own experience in writing more than 100 episodes of TV as well as TV movies, a feature film, and script doctoring, as well as the experience of top writers I’ve interviewed…
Take a look at your trailer. Is your trailer congruent with your hook and the marketing elements we covered earlier? If not, I suggest you recut and refine your trailer to make sure your marketing message is consistent. In doing this you will have to find the balance between showing enough to sell your movie and giving away so much that you spoil the story. And since your movie trailer will be posted on various websites, you should also add a title card with a link to your movie website.
Creating a realistic film production budget is vitally important in prepping your project. But if you’re looking to attract investors, allocating the money …
Becoming a Filmmaking Success is challenging. In this article, we outline some ways you can become a success in your filmmaking career.
When I got started in filmmaking, one of the biggest mysteries was how filmmakers found investors. I spent countless weeks and months seeking …
Unless you’re making a silent film, every movie producer knows that recording audio in filmmaking is essential to bringing their cinematic vision to …
When it comes to screenwriting software, there are lots of options on the market. But aside from assuring proper format or making exporting …
As filmmakers, we all make mistakes. Some are big. Some are small. But there are five colossal filmmaking mistakes that I’ve come across …
As a filmmaker, when you set out to make your movie – you have to think of the process like a business. You are creating a product.You are going to take your product to market. And if the stars align, you will sell your product. To do this you will need…
You need filmmaker release forms for everybody. Point blank. Don’t skimp here. Get a lawyer. The name of the game is CYA. Get releases …