Written by StudentFilmmakers Magazine
by Tim Smith At some point in my life my momma said there’d be days like this, but I’m pretty sure she didn’t envision what I had going on this particular day when she said it. It was Friday, September 19, 2008, and I woke up in Washington D.C., only 200 plus miles from my… …
Written by StudentFilmmakers Magazine
by Steven Ascher Maybe you’ve had this experience: You know a song that would be perfect for your movie. You scurry around, trying to get permission to use it. After lots of leg work, you contact the rights holders and then wait. For weeks or months. Eventually, you hear that the song is not available,… …
Written by StudentFilmmakers Magazine
Payroll and Production Accounting For the independent filmmaker, there are many financial production issues to deal with; much more than any one person on a large production. From handling cost reports to dealing with payroll, there are hundreds of things that need to be managed successfully. The reason of course, is because the independent filmmaker… …
Written by StudentFilmmakers Magazine
Interview conducted by Jody Michelle Solis Vartorella Tips: Top 3 Things Investors Want to See During the Pitch (1.) Enthusiasm (2.) Honesty. (3.) Realism. Honesty is critical as it is the least-used strategy in American business. The realism part is on the money side. Know the basics of above-the-line and below-the-line costs. The… …
Written by StudentFilmmakers Magazine
by Scott Spears I talk with a lot of young filmmakers who are just starting out in the business end of the industry. They’ve made their DV shorts and are beginning to understand the fundamentals of filmmaking, but are realizing that their neat short movies don’t put change in their pockets. They want to… …
Written by StudentFilmmakers Magazine
by Richard La Motte I’ve spent forty years in the film business, worked on many films and TV shows and can say that the best experiences all happened in and on projects that were well organized, and that means designed. Maybe it’s not often taught in enough film classes but strong design is central… …
Written by StudentFilmmakers Magazine
by Richard La Motte Making a film has never been easier. With all the advances in digital cameras and editing programs, virtually anyone can make a film with limited resources, but making a film is only one-fourth of the problem. So what are the other three fourths? (1.) Come up with a saleable idea… …
Written by StudentFilmmakers Magazine
by John Manchester Music libraries, more accurately described as production music libraries, supply music for productions. Why do you need one? Can’t you just use whatever you want from your CD collection? No. If you want to do just about anything with recorded music aside from listen to it, federal law requires you to… …
Written by StudentFilmmakers Magazine
by Dean Goldberg When Apple introduced Final Cut X (now how do you say that?) filmmakers, editors, fathers, mothers and even their babies, were all left in a state one can only describe as shock. Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit about the babies, but let’s face it—after the initial rollout of Final… …
Written by StudentFilmmakers Magazine
by Jack Anderson You’ve got a chance at a job and you’re just reading the script—maybe for the second or third time. You’re preparing yourself for the crucial meeting with the director and maybe the producer. Now might be a good time to bring up a piece of vital advice: Never Say No. I… …
Written by StudentFilmmakers Magazine
by Stacey Parks Myth #1: Build It, and They Will Come There are a lot of myths about what gets and doesn’t get distribution. One of the biggest is that it’s either all about the art or all about selling-out and going commercial. If you believe that ‘build it, and they will come’ is… …
Written by StudentFilmmakers Magazine
by Christina DeHaven There are many different ways to fund a film, and not necessarily out of your own pocket. You have to start by preparing yourself for an effective fundraising campaign. Arm yourself with a few basic tools: 1. A strong business proposal, complete with references and samples of your previous work. 2…. …
