Film Directing and Film Making Tips for the Independent Filmmaker

This article was written for Script-Lizard.

“To many of us, the movie industry comes as a calling, not just a passing phase. Of course, you should have known about the struggling artists and the humble beginnings of those who made it big in the industry but started as poor and clueless. Almost all people, even those who started rich had to start from being an apprentice and/or tyro.

Now if you have finally made a decision to be part of the movie making process and you think your passion is worth pursuing then it’s high time you know how to begin it.”

Read the rest of this article from Script-Lizard.

Tags: filmmaking resouces

This article was written by Matthew Garner.

“As a dark, dank vinyl screen plastered onto a wall of hard concrete, the movie screen is a platform for your senses, enveloping them in a stark wash of sight and sound. The magical idea that a movie can take you anywhere on such limited resources is what grants the silver screen its mystical allure.

But businessmen and, more importantly, directors are now cashing in on the 3-D experience and the idea that putting on goofy glasses and charging you extra money will enhance and enlighten your movie-going experience. But what’s most important is more and more of the movie-going public are falling for their greedy trick.”

Read the rest of this article from The Man Eater.

Tags: 3D

This article was written by Charles Davis.

“Charles Davis, associate professor, Missouri School of Journalism: Today we’re talking about documentary film and its power to change the world.

Liz Lance, master’s student and “Global Journalist” producer, Missouri School of Journalism: “The Cove” is an Oscar-winning documentary that investigates dolphin hunting in Taiji, a fishing town in southern Japan. Worldwide, the film has drawn attention to illegal whaling, and within Japan, it has created a cultural maelstrom. Japanese media for the first time have begun to cover this contentious issue. In the past, any criticism of the country’s fishermen has largely been taboo.”

Read the rest of this interview from Global Journalist.

Tags: documentaries

This article was written by Jaskiran Kapoor.

“When filmmaker Onirban sat down to sort out his finances for his latest film I Am, he realised he was falling short of money. It was a bold film and not many producers were eager to invest. “That’s when I put up my film’s post on Facebook, and in no time we had money pouring in,” he says.

All donations and cheques were received via Facebook and the film was wrapped up in time. “It is one of the first films in India to be crowd-sourced,” says Onir, adding how he and his team requested users of Facebook and Twitter to be ‘co-owners’ in their venture, in the process evolving a novel model of financing movies.”

Read the rest of this article from Indian Express.

Tags: indie filmmakers, Social Networking

This article was written for Studio Canal Collection.

“As screenwriter William Goldman famously said of film-making, “nobody knows anything”. The art of cinema is, by definition, a cocktail of disciplines: writing, acting, shooting, scoring. But on top of that, there is that indefinable, intangible something that makes a movie special. It’s not about budget, or James Cameron’s Avatar would be everyone’s favourite.

It’s about much more than that: a classic movie is quite simply a phenomenon, a lightning bolt trapped in a bottle, a colossus to be aped but never equalled, no matter how hard its rivals try. So how can we define a classic? We’ve chosen the key elements we believe a memorable movie needs …”

Read the rest of this article from Studio Canal Collection.

Tags: classic movies, Film History

“Directing the Film Actor” is a 3 day hands-on workshop with Peter D. Marshall and Trilby Jeeves held in Vancouver, Canada that concentrates on the filmmaker’s main task: directing the actor!

This workshop was designed for filmmakers who want to know how to get the best results from actors.

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“Peter and Trilby are very sincere and dedicated! We shared so much during the 3 days. For this workshop, we directors, producers, and artists were able to understand more of each others difficulties and inner feelings during production period. You two have enlightened us so much. Thank you, God bless!” Taykok Peng Edmund, Singapore
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“Directing the Film Actor”

Workshop Objective – The objective of this workshop is to explore the film director’s creative process in shaping an actor’s performance.

Day One – Covers the theory behind the director’s job, the importance of script and scene breakdown, character analysis and understanding the actor’s process.

Day Two – Covers acting exercises, guidelines for the casting session, and practical blocking and directing exercises.

Day Three - Each director will block and rehearse a scene with two actors. All scenes will be recorded for review and analysis as a group.

To find out more information about this 3 day event, including the course content and how to register, please Click Here.

P.S. This 3 day intensive workshop is limited to only 10 filmmakers, so if you are interested, please register early.

Tags: directing the film actor, Filmmaking Workshops

This article was written by Jason Brubaker.

“As a filmmaker, one of the toughest parts about making a movie is knowing where to start. The following film production checklist will give you an overview of the low budget, independent filmmaking process.”

Read the rest of this article from Filmmaking Stuff.

Tags: Filmmaking Tips

This article was written by Matt Zoller Seitz.

“Is digital 3-D the future of cinema or an annoying, overhyped fad? The movie industry is understandably torn. On one hand, money talks, and some of the biggest hits of the last six months earned a major share of their box office take from 3-D exhibition: “Avatar,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Toy Story 3.” (The latest entry in this mini-movement, the tween-targeted musical sequel “Step Up 3D,” made $15.5 million in its opening weekend.)”

Read the rest of this article from Salon.com

Tags: 3D

This article was written by Angelo Bell.

“The Tribeca Film Institute asked Intelligent Television to launch an examination of the current economics of independent film and video distribution in the United States to help producers, distributors, and funders better understand current realities and trends in the film and video distribution market.

This study, supported in part by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is intended to be of mainstream value—documentary films and education film and television remain popular, and education ranks high among the subjects American viewers watch online, tied in popularity with music, after news and comedy.”

Read the rest of this article from Angelo Bell.

Tags: digital distribution, digital filmmaking

This article was written by Devin W.

“If they’re doing it as a publicity stunt, then the number of articles popping up on the subject would suggest that it’s working . . . A number of independent film makers and musicians have turned to iPhone 4 as a cheap way to produce films. CNN tells the story of Ryan Gonzalez, who managed to shoot and edit a music video with the help of designer John Garcia. It was shot in Hawaii, on a trail overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and took four hours over the course of 10 days.”

Read the rest of this article from APP Chronicles.

Tags: digital filmmaking, HD, iPhone