So You Want to Make a Movie - Festivals - 2

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker. There is no shortage of books, videos, and online resources to help get you started. No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

Step 19. -  It’s your job to get an audience out to see your film.

If you have the money, you could hire a producer’s rep that has weight and pull with film festival managers, buyers and distributors. Their job is to get you noticed and get you meetings. They have the relationships. You don’t. They may be able to move you to the front of the line. But the producer’s rep does not come cheap. And remember, there’s no guarantee that the rep can get you a deal.

If you can’t hire a producer’s rep, you will have to do all of the work. One of the major goals at film festivals is to get reviewed by movie critics. Be proactive. Check to see if the local TV station or newspaper has a film critic. Call the critics directly to get them to see your film.

If your movie is not loved by one critic, move on. That’s just one person’s opinion. If you work at it, you will find a critic somewhere who is going to love your movie. Try to get your film into as many festivals as possible to generate positive word of mouth outside and inside the critics circle. It’s always better to approach a distributor with positive press and reviews. It can only help you.

Most filmmakers want to enter into as many film festivals as possible; however, you have to take the cost into consideration. I’m sure your budget is now stretched to the max. Practically every film festival requires an entry fee which is nonrefundable. And remember because you submit to a film festival doesn’t mean you are going to get in. If you enter 50 festivals say at $100 a pop, that means $5,000. If you do get accepted to a film festival, it doesn’t do you any good unless you can personally attend. That requires an airplane ticket, hotel and meals. The costs add up quickly.

You also can’t count on the festival to do your marketing. Being in a film festival does not help your cause unless you have an audience to see your movie. That means you may have to take out local ads to promote your film. You’ll have to pay for posters, promotional materials, and EPKs to help get the word out about your film. Don’t expect the film festivals to necessarily help with your press. You’ll probably have to set up your own interviews with magazines, newspapers, etc. The bottom line is you have to take responsibility for the success of your movie. You can’t count on anybody to help, and that includes the film festival director. It’s your job to get an audience out to see your film.

So You Want to Make a Movie - The Festival Circuit

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker. No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

19. The Festival Circuit

Over the past few years, the number of film festivals has exploded. Today, you can find film festivals playing everywhere from college campuses to small and big towns. But, in reality, there are only a few that really matter. Sundance, Toronto, South by Southwest, Cannes, Tribeca and Berlin International Film Festival are the big players. This is where you are going to find the distributors, buyers and film critics necessary in helping you to make a deal.

Of course, the number one reason why you as an independent producer and filmmaker spend the time and the money exhibiting your film in festivals is for a distribution deal. It used to be that if you were accepted as an Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival, you were practically guaranteed a distribution deal. That’s not true any longer. Today excellent films that play at Sundance are being bypassed. There are no longer guarantees that playing the festival circuit will get you to the Promised Land. Today, you just have to think of it as one tool to get your film noticed.

There is a significant amount of resources from books to videos that can help you to formulate a film festival strategy. So I am only going to hit a few high points. First, you want your film seen. Second, you want to get your film reviewed. And finally, you want to create some kind of buzz about your film. Film festivals are still the best option to achieve those goals. In order for that to happen, you need to get into the right festival. Remember, there are hundreds of film festivals, and they come and go like the the wind. Some are just a total waste of your time and money.

The big festivals are very difficult if not impossible to get into. You will need a big time actor or a director who has a good reputation. If you are lucky to get into a big festival, you might be assigned a 9:00 a.m. showing—not exactly the best time. This could kill your movie. On the other hand, small or mid-size festivals could feature your film on an opening night allowing you to make a big splash.

Do your research. Know the types and varieties of festivals. Go after a few that you think would be a good choice for your film. For example, if your film is a western, look for festivals that specialize in showing the western genre. Do you have any contacts or know people who work within the festival circuit who can help you? Find out the names of the festival directors and managers of the film festivals you are most interested in. The more you know the better. Festival directors are a rare breed. What they want most is a chance for a world premier. They love to discover films and find the next big thing. So use that to your advantage; however, once you give your world premier away, it’s gone forever. So it’s a big decision which festival you start with. It could lock you out of other film festivals because you can no longer offer the one thing that festival directors love the most - a world premier.

So You Want to Make a Movie - The Sound Edit

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker. There is no shortage of books, videos, and online resources to help get you started. No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

Step 18 - The Sound Edit

The sound edit is one of the major areas of the entire filmmaking process that is often overlooked by first time filmmakers. What makes a movie “a movie” is the sound track and sound effects. Without it you don’t have a film. Most editors are good at editing pictures but are not experts in sound; therefore, you need a sound editor. The sound editor is responsible for editing a soundtrack that includes dialogue, sound effects, and music score. The process involves creating multiple sound tracks layered on top of each other. The mix is essential in developing a dimentional sound and direction.

Chances are the sound you captured in the production process will not be sufficient. That means you will have someone to do foley, which is the process of creating sound effects. For example, when someone walks across the floor, we expect to hear the footsteps. During production, no matter how hard you try, you will never capture this sound effectively. It must be created in the post-production process. Just remember this, usable sound isn’t recorded, it must be manufactured.

You also are going to need a composer to create a sound score for your film. Music is essential for creating the emotional impact for each scene of your movie. Can you imagine watching a movie without music? It would be unwatchable, boring, and devoid of emotion. Most large churches have music directors who are capable of composing music. More than likely, they would love to have an opportunity to write a music score for your movie. The key to being a good producer is finding alternatives to the expensive process of making a movie, and that no truer than in the post-production phase.

Editing is a tough process with a lot of hard decisions. You are going to have to trust your editor. Knowing where to cut is essential. A frame here or a frame there can make all the difference. Whether you’re the producer, director, or writer of your film, sometimes you have to be willing to have your favorite scene to be left on the cutting room floor. Just because you shot 130 minutes of footage, you don’t have to use all of it. Your editor should be good at knowing what kind of pace and rhythm your film needs to be successful.

Based on the money you have, you can’t hire a fulltime editor. That means that your film editor and sound editor will have day jobs. They will have to work on your film during the evening or on weekends. For good or bad, this is going to extend the amount of time it will take you to get a finished edit. This could be as long as 12 months. I highly suggest if at all possible do not allow your edit to go longer than a year. You don’t want to lose your momentum nor do you want your investors to start to think that they made a bad decision. The longer the process goes the more the pressure builds.

On a lighter note, you’re hiring a freelancer who has a day job. That usually means that he/she will have access to editing facilities. So in essence you’re getting a two for one deal—the editor and the edit bay.

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus

So You Want to Make a Movie - The Wilderness

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker. There is no shortage of books, videos, and online resources to help get you started. No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

Step 18. The Wilderness

Just when you think it is time to come up for air and a break, you are now going to face one of your most challenging aspects of making a movie (the edit). Post-production often feels like a wilderness experience—a time in which you feel like you are wondering around looking for a way out. At this point, you really don’t have a film. You have hundreds of pieces that somehow must fit together and emerge as a watchable movie.

In reality, a lot of productions never emerge out of the post-production process. They fail for the most obvious reason, a lack of money. I hope you’ve budged your film in a way that will allow you to get to the finish line. If you’ve run out of money at this point, you may be facing a very long uphill battle.

Where do you start? Hopefully, you’ve talked to an editor way back in the pre-production process. It just makes sense to have an editor onboard as early as possible. If you haven’t, my guess is you really don’t have the money to hire a professional film editor or to pay enormously expensive hourly rates at a post-production house. A good editor knows how to edit even if he/she has never tackled a feature film; therefore, look for someone who is looking for an opportunity to move into feature films. A good place to look for an editor is at commercial and industrial video production companies, local television stations, and large churches with media departments. Always get a demo reel.

The one thing you really need to think about when looking for an editor for your film is whether or not he/she has experience in color correction and has the software and filters that will make your movie look like it was shot on film. This is absolutely critical. More than likely, you’ve shot your movie on a digital format, which is nothing more than ones and zeros.

Film is a chemical process; therefore, it is a completely different look than a video. Film has a layer of grain and texture that makes it look a bit dreamy. This is what people expect to see when they watch a movie. If it looks too realistic, it resembles what you would see on your nightly newscast or documentary. Color correction is the process that helps turn video into a film.

The post-production process is very complex and technical. You definitely need to get someone who is not only artistically capable but also technically proficient. There are a thousand and one things that can go wrong, including frame rates that don’t match, incorrect aspect ratios, sync issues between audio and video, and dead sync. You don’t need to understand every aspect of editing. Just find someone who knows his way around the edit bay.

So You Want to Make a Movie - Good Directions

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker. There is no shortage of books, videos, and online resources to help get you started. No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

Step 17 - Good Directions

If you are going to give “good directions”, you must know the script inside and out. Do you know the point of each scene? Do you understand the motivation for each action from your characters? Do you know the main emotional moment of each scene and where it leads to the next scene? Remember, your movie is being shot out of order. This can be disorienting, especially for inexperienced actors. Never direct an actor through what you want in results. Tell your actors what the character wants to achieve in the scene. Describe the action that needs to occur in order to achieve the result you are looking for in each scene. For example, don’t tell the actor to be angrier, upset, sadder, or happier. Give them the motivation and the reason why they are expressing the needed emotion.

Good directors give psychological motivation. Every direction should be geared toward giving the actor information about the scene so that your actor can achieve and experience the emotional moment of the character. That means that you need to understand the character. What does the character want, why does the character want it and from whom? Where did the character come from, and where is he/she in the present moment? It is essential for the director, to understand human nature and what people want and need from each other. If you can do that, you are on the road to becoming a good director.

The production set can be an overwhelming, scary and chaotic place because there are lots of people moving around with lights and equipment and all other sorts of distractions. As a result, good directors need to provide a safe place to work so their actors can be creative and feel secure. Providing the right kind of encouragement is absolutely a necessity to achieve the results you are looking for. Allow the personalities of your actors to bleed into the character. Let them enjoy the discovery of finding the character on their own because it’s more fun for you and the actor and will lead to believable and credible characters.

Your actors will always want more takes. The key to staying on schedule is to say no. When you have two good takes that you feel comfortable with move on. The reality is the performance will probably not be any better at the 7th or 8th takes versus the third or fourth takes. The only thing you are going to achieve is wasting time and money as well as exhausting your cast and crew. If you gave good direction, you will have to trust the results.

What does a typical production day look like? In one word—exhausting. Your production manager will create call sheets that tell cast and crew where to be and at what time. Your days will probably start around 6 a.m. and finish up around 9 p.m. In a typical three-week shoot, the first week will have a few bumps as cast and crew try to get into a rhythm. For the first couple of days, start out with something simple to build confidence. Your second week will be the most productive. I suggest that’s when you shoot your most complex and difficult scenes in terms of setups. By the third week, your cast and crew are just trying to survive to get to the end. Nerves are a little bit fried. So you might have to hold a few hands. Never the less, this is the week to shoot the more complex emotional scenes because the actors can access the emotions more readily due to stress and weariness of the production process. By now your actors should be able to relate to their characters

The sweetest words you are going to hear are “it’s a wrap”. That’s when your entire 100 page script has been shot and is in the can. That’s a total of somewhere between 75 to 90 scenes. There’s one final suggestion that might come in handy. Build into your schedule at least one day for pick-ups and reshoots. This allows your crew time to go out and shoot some B-roll and additional coverage shots.

So You Want to Make a Movie - Game Time

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker. There is no shortage of books, videos, and online resources to help get you started. No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

Step 17. Game Time

Finally, after months of planning and strategizing, it’s time to move from pre-production to the production phase. In the next three to four weeks, everything you are trying to accomplish as a filmmaker and producer will be on the line. So it’s no time to relax. In pre-production, when problems arise you had the luxury of time to find solutions. That’s not the case during production. When you have a problem, it must be resolved quickly; otherwise, it could derail your entire film. As a producer, your main role in production is to be a problem solver. You can expect problems anytime you put 20 to 30 people together for several weeks with tight schedules, long hours, and with a difficult working environment, Again, that’s no different than shooting a mainstream or Christian movie.

People are people, and human nature will rear its ugly head. People will have different opinions, personal conflicts, jealousy, misunderstandings, and other issues. You might be able to overcome equipment, budges and location issues; however, the human issue is the most challenging of all. No matter how much care you have taken in putting your cast and crew together, there will be someone who’s main task seems to be to single handedly destroy your movie. Deal with it straight on. Sometimes, you might have to tell someone it’s time to leave. It’s not if these issues will happen. It’s only a matter of when they will happen.

Think of production as the big game. You’ve spent months developing your game plan. Now it’s time for the big kickoff. But just like with any game plan, you have to be flexible and adapt to the game situation. Let’s take a look at the game plan. It’s pretty simple as a low-budget filmmaker. You are the coach, and your job is to make sure everybody executes their job. The DP (Director of Photography) has to move in a fast and efficient manner to set up the camera and lights. There’s no time for complicated and time consuming shots and lighting schemes. Your production manger has to stay on budget and on time. That means he or she must have the ability to say no. As sure as the sun comes up in the morning, your department heads and other crew members will be asking for more resources and money. The production manager must remain firm to remind everyone what was agreed upon in pre-production. Remember the golden rule—the money you have is the money you have.

And what about the director, who is essentially the commander and chief during the production phase? Your director’s prime responsibility is to get two good takes and move on. If that doesn’t happen, you will run out of time and not finish your movie. Considering you are producing your movie, I hope you haven’t decided to direct it as well. But if you have, here’s my advice on what you should do as a first-time director. The director’s primary job falls into three categories. First, where do I put the camera and why, second, getting all of the coverage shots you need, and third, working with the actors to achieve a performance that will make the movie work.

I suggest you delegate the tasks of where to put the camera and coverage shots to your DP. You have your hands full. Concentrate working with your actors. The most important thing you can do as a director is set the tone and the atmosphere on set. How you act and react will affect both your crew and the cast. Barking commands is never a way to get what you want. Remember, filmmaking is a collaborative event. The secret to making a good movie is getting everybody involved in the process. Keep your directing at a simplistic level so your actors can relate to it.

Weekend Report: Photo Finish in Slow Race to the Top

It's one of the tightest races ever for first place at the box office this weekend, though all three movies in contention had fairly mediocre debuts.

According to studio estimates, House at the End of The Street and End of Watch are tied with $13 million, while Trouble with the Curve isn't far behind and could ultimately move up to the top spot. Without any break-out hit, the Top 12 earned an estimated $76.6 million this weekend, which is off a whopping 28 percent from the same frame last year.

End of Watch's $13 million start is par-for-the-course for cop movies, as it fits right in between writer-director David Ayer's Street Kings ($12.5 million) and 2010's Brooklyn's Finest ($13.4 million). Unfortunately, both of those titles wound up with less than $28 million, which would be a disappointing final total for End of Watch (it's "A-" CinemaScore suggests it could push past this level). Exit polling indicated that the audience was 54 percent male and 63 percent over the age of 25, and the ethnic breakdown was 39 percent Caucasian and 32 percent Latino.

House at the End of the Street topped recent "House" horror movies
Dream House ($8.1 million) and Silent House ($6.7 million), but was a bit behind Last House on the Left ($14.1 million). The audience skewed young (70 percent under 25) and female (61 percent), and it was also predominantly Latino (52 percent). They gave the movie a "B" CinemaScore.

End of Watch and House at the End of the Street are both inexpensive, lightly-marketed movies that wound up at about average levels for their respective genres. They should ultimately be solid singles for mid-range distributors Open Road Films and Relativity Media, and they could each turn a very modest profit.

Trouble with the Curve debuted to an estimated $12.7 million from 3,212 locations, which was good for third place (though one ancillary source has it in first place, which could be where it ends up when actuals report on Monday afternoon). That's way behind Moneyball's $19.5 million opening last September, though it does at least rank sixth all-time for baseball movies. Compared to recent Clint Eastwood movies, Trouble's debut was less than half of Gran Torino's nationwide expansion ($29.5 million), but up slightly on recent directorial efforts J. Edgar ($11.2 million) and Hereafter ($12 million). The movie received a "B+" CinemaScore, which suggests neutral word-of-mouth that won't help or hurt in the long run.

One could view Trouble with the Curve's middling performance as an indictment of Clint Eastwood's brand following his bizarre chair-talking performance at the Republican National Convention last month. Instead, it's best to view this as a failure of the baseball movie genre, which has an incredibly low ceiling (the top debut ever belongs to The Benchwarmers with $19.7 million). Baseball fans spend 162 days a year (or more) following their favorite team, and so there needs to be something special for them to devote that extra time and money to a baseball movie. Also, thanks to the addition of an extra Wild Card spot in each league, late September is more competitive than ever in Major League Baseball this year, which may have kept more fans at home.

Finding Nemo 3D fell 43 percent to an estimated $9.4 million. Through 10 days, the movie has made just shy of $30 million, which is lower than any recent 3D re-release and less than half of The Lion King 3D's $61.5 million 10-day total.

After taking first place at the box office last weekend, Resident Evil: Retribution dropped to fifth place with an estimated $6.7 million. That's a steep 68 percent decline from last weekend, which is the worst drop so far for a Resident Evil movie. It's now earned $33.5 million, which lags behind its predecessor by more than $10 million.

In sixth place, comic book adaptation/remake Dredd bombed with just $6.3 million from 2,506 locations. That's less than one-third of Kick-Ass's $19.8 million, and only a little over half of the original Judge Dredd's $12.3 million (and that movie was considered a flop 17 years ago!). It's at least up on Shoot 'Em Up ($5.7 million) and about on par with April's Lockout ($6.2 million), though those comparisons suggest Dredd is on track for less than $20 million through its entire run. The audience was predominantly male (75 percent) and older (69 percent were 25 years of age or older) and they gave the movie a "B" CinemaScore. A 3D share is not currently available.

Dredd's awful performance is the latest example of how the Comic-Con/online fanboy crowd just doesn't make up a large portion of the moviegoers in this country. The movie came out of its Comic-Con screening in July with tons of online buzz and very strong reviews, and it maintained a 100 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes through at least its first 25 reviews (though it ultimately wound up at a more-reasonable 77 percent). As a result, the fanboy audience was very aware of this movie ahead of release, and anticipation seemed to be pretty high among this group as well. Ultimately, though, it's just not a big-enough group to drive strong business. For a good dissection of the hazards of targeting fanboys, check out this piece from earlier this year in The Hollywood Reporter.

After one of the best limited openings ever, The Master expanded to 788 locations and earned an estimated $5 million. That's higher than any of There Will Be Blood's weekends, though Blood took much longer to get nationwide. Considering the mixed buzz coming from the movie right now, there's virtually no way The Master winds up matching Blood's $40.2 million total.

At four locations, The Perks of Being a Wallflower grossed an estimated $244,000. That translate to a per-theater average of $61,000, which is the fifth-highest so far in 2012. It's also the highest average ever for a movie from Summit Entertainment, which plans to expand the movie in to more markets this coming weekend. The audience was 70 percent female and 60 percent under the age of 25.

So You Want to Make a Movie - The Plan

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker.  No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

Step 16. The Plan

If you are a first time filmmaker and producer, I suggest that you be intimately involved in every aspect of preproduction; that especially includes “the schedule”. Every film production has a bible, and it’s called “the production schedule” or “the production board”.

Your production manager is responsible for creating the shooting schedule and production board, which are based on a detailed analysis and breakdown of the script. The production board is essentially a blueprint that you follow during the production phase of your movie. It is designed to keep you on budget and on time. Without it, you have no chance of completing your movie. The production board’s main purpose is to group locations, actors, props, wardrobe, and crew in order to create an efficient and timely schedule. For example, if you need an actor for only two days and you’re shooting a 24-day schedule, it would be inefficient to have the actor work on day 6 and then on day 20. A good production board would have the actor on set on days 6 and 7.

The people you hire for your crew as well as the volunteers obviously need to do their jobs. You will have to trust their judgment, but don’t be afraid to ask questions about the schedule. The schedule has to be tight, but it also needs to breathe enough so that crew and cast are not pushed to the breaking point.

As the production draws closer, meet with your director and director of photography to look their shot list, lighting diagrams, storyboards, and blocking schemes. Have they done their homework? Do these look in order? Now is the time to find out—before you turn on the camera. All of these things are necessary as a low-budget filmmaker to stay on time, on schedule, and under budget. If the lighting diagrams and blocking schemes are too complicated, you might want to ask for revisions. “Keep it simple” should be your golden rule. Movie making is essentially an exercise in logistics. Good planning will solve a lot of problems within the production phase. Without a plan, you’re going to spend all of your time talking about what you want to do instead of actually doing it. Trust me; you can’t afford to do that.

So You Want to Make a Movie - Locations

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker. No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

Step 15. Locations

You have the choice of shooting your film on a sound stage, on location, or a combination of both. Sound stages are fantastic because you can control all aspects of your environment. They are convenient, flexible, soundproof, and protected from inclement weather. You are in total control of all atmospherics, such as fog, wind, rain, snow, etc. The only problem is they are expensive to rent, so you might want to think about shooting your entire movie on location.

A good place, once again, to get advice about locations is to check with your local film commission. Chances are they have pre-scouted every potential location within your geographical area. Tell them what type of locations you need for your movie. When scouting for locations, you as the producer should accompany the production designer, producer of photography, and the production manager. You cannot make intelligent decision about locations unless all of the principle participants are involved.

Don’t just go to a potential location once. Check it at different times of the day to get an overall feel of lighting, sound issues, and other potential problems. Don’t pick a location because it looks good. You have to think about logistics. If you have a crew and cast of 20 to 30 members, where do you put the staging area? Is there enough room for the caterer? Where does everybody park? Will there be sufficient power and are the electrical power boxes close by? And, of course, don’t forget about permits and what they are going to cost. As you can see, there’s a lot of things to consider when choosing a right location.

The one thing that either makes or breaks a location is how much money the owner wants. As a low-budget filmmaker, pay locations fees only if it is absolutely necessary. By all means, try to make a deal and offer the owner a piece of your movie for promotional purposes. If you are shooting in a city that doesn’t a lot of film production, you have an excellent chance of making a deal. That’s not true in places like Los Angeles where everybody wants to get paid because property owners are knowledgeable about the film industry, and they will expect you to write them a big check.

Your locations need to be lined up weeks in advance. Make sure you talk to all the right people who have the authority to get the deal done. Be specific and lock down the time and the day or days. Whatever you do, make absolutely certain that you get it in writing. I realize asking for a location for free and then wanting the owner to sign an agreement can be scary. It’s one thing for the owner to say that it’s OK to shoot on his/her property and another thing to get it in writing. You don’t have anything unless it’s in writing. Can you imagine showing up the day of your shoot only to be told that you talked to the wrong person, and he/she has no idea you were coming? The last thing you want to do is to get into that kind of situation. And, as always, have a fallback plan in case the location doesn’t pan out.

So You Want to Make a Movie - The Look

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker. No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

Step 14. The Look

One of the areas in your budget that often gets short-changed is the “look of the film”. The truth is without a well-dressed set and characters; you cannot convince your audience that they are watching a real and legitimate movie. The visual design of your movie is just as important as the type of equipment you use to shoot your film. What exactly is the look? It includes art, props, wardrobe, and make-up. It also involves all design work, construction of sets, and set dressing. All of this stuff costs money, so your production designer, will need to be creative. Have you ever read all the titles at the end of an independent feature? You’re going to notice that the producers thank a lot of people. Without that help they would never have been able to get their film produced. You don’t have to buy everything for the movie, especially in the area of props. There are many people who would be more than glad to loan you the things that you need as long as you return it in the original condition.

The first place to start with your script breakdown is to create a comprehensive list of everything you need for your movie, how long you need it, and where do you need it. Post the list on your website and ask your friends, family, church community and the general public for their help. If your film calls for classic cars or antiques, check for collectors in your area and see if they would be willing to loan it to you for promotional consideration. Call construction companies, contractors, hardware stores and building suppliers to see if they would be willing to donate materials to build your sets. Again become a deal maker and offer them a piece of your movie. It might mean rewriting a scene to take place at a hardware store.

Another place to look for props and wardrobe is at thrift stores and second hand shops. I suggest that you call the local colleges to see if you can recruit interns to help you with art design, which includes drawings, sketches, posters, and all other kinds of signage. And, finally, don’t forget about makeup. A good place to check is your local TV stations. You may find somebody who is interested in working in a feature film for the experience. All you will have to pay for is the actual supplies, creams, lotions, pads, etc.

So You Want to Make a Movie - Getting the Gear

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker.  No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view

Step 13. Getting the Gear

Almost every seminar I have taken part in or have attended, the number one question asked the most is, what kind of camera should I use to shoot my movie. Undoubtedly this is an important issue. But if you don’t have a great script, the right cast and crew, the type of camera you use will not make a difference. I only share this with you so that you get your priorities in the right order. I’ve seen too many producers and first-time filmmakers put all of their money into fancy equipment but are unwilling to bring in a second screenwriter to help with the script or hire competent crew members who know how to use the equipment.

With that said, let’s talk about the right camera package is right for you. When selecting a camera, you want a one that is easy to set up and not complicated to operate. Your Director of Photographer and camera operator should be familiar with the camera package that you choose to use. And most important you want a simplistic work flow that offers easy file transfer and conversion. The last think you want are ugly issues to pop up in post-production.

As a low-budget filmmaker, you can thank your lucky stars that technology has evolved to digital video and filmmaking. You no longer have to break the bank by using a film camera to capture high-quality and cinematic images. Even major Hollywood studios are switching to digital filmmaking. There’s a wide range of cameras that are well within your price range.

There’s no point going into detail because it seems like every month there’s a new camera on the market. However, I will give you two cameras that are widely popular. The Red Camera is all the rage today. It’s expensive to rent and hard to use, but it offers incredible images at 2K or 4K resolution. A lot of younger filmmakers prefer Canon’s 5D which is essentially a still camera or single lens reflex camera which is capable of shooting at 1080p resolution. The 5D offers one of the best dept- of-field I have seen on any camera. Your Director of Photography should be able to give you expert opinion on which camera package is appropriate for your movie.

Following is a list of other equipment or gear you will need for your production: tripods, camera support system, lighting, generators, dolly, tracks, mics and booms, monitors, rigging and grip equipment, and C stands. Your department heads can help you to choose the proper equipment that meets your specific needs.

Knowing that money is tight, where do you find the equipment at a rate you can afford? One place to start is to hire crew members who own their equipment. It’s like getting two for one. Most DPs own a camera package that will include a camera, lenses and tripod. Most grips own their own production truck that includes grips, rigging, mounting, and equipment necessary to set up and support camera and lights. The sound mixer should have his own audio equipment.

Another option is to look for places that may donate equipment to use during your shoot. You’d be surprised of the number of churches which have purchased high-end equipment for their media ministries. It’s worth making a few calls. It could save you thousands of dollars. Just remember, if you break, you own it.

The next option is to either buy it or rent it. Sometimes it’s just cheaper to flat out buy a piece of equipment. If you decide to rent, you definitely need to know what the going rates are. Call around. Get competitive bids. Practically every major city has a production house that rents everything you would need to shoot your film. Try to make a deal by bundling your equipment rentals. If you don’t like the rates, look for alternatives. Your local universities and colleges may have a TV or film program. Chances are they will be willing to rent their gear to you at a substantially lower rate than a high-end production rental company.

So You Want to Make a Movie - Where to put the Money

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker. No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

Step 12. - Where to put the money

Let’s start with the Director of Photography or DP. This is the most important person in your crew other than the Director. I suggest that you don’t take any shortcuts in hiring a competent DP. This is where you want to put your money. Why? Because a great deal of your production value will come from the images you capture on film and the DP’s ability to convince your audience that they are looking at a big-budget movie. Your DP is responsible for the visual look of your film. He/she knows how to deal with light issues and make pretty pictures out of nothing.

Next, I’m putting my money on the sound mixer/recordist. If you don’t capture usable audio and dialogue during the production phase, it will be nothing short of a nightmare when you get to editing. You must have someone who knows how to do this.

The next important person on my list is the Production Manager. He/she is the architect of the production schedule and is responsible for keeping your movie on budget and on time. Depending on the budget, the people I would hire in order of importance are Director, Director of Photography, sound mixer, and Production Manager. You simply cannot do your movie without them.

The other two department heads are Assistant Director and Production Designer. Even though they are essential, you can find some workarounds. The Assistant Director runs the set and is responsible for the logistics. He/she handles call times to the actors, maintains paperwork and time cards, and supervises extras. It is possible for the Production Manager to handle this position; however, he/she will probably hate you for it.

The Production Designer creates the physical look of your film. He/she could be described as part architect, part carpenter and part artist. He/she is responsible for every aspect of your set from construction to design. You need someone who is resourceful in scouting materials, props and locations that fit your budget.

Finally, one other position that probably should be paid is the gaffer. A gaffer is an electrician, who is responsible for the rigging, mounting, and construction of the camera and lighting support systems. You really need a professional for this position. If equipment is not properly set up, somebody could be hurt.

Most low-budget films are shot with 20 to 30 crew members. At the low end, I think you can get away with probably 15 to 20 crew members with a minimum of 12 paid positions. As a first-time filmmaker and producer, you will need to count on your department heads to do their jobs. You don’t need to figure everything out. They will know what is needed in terms of personnel and skills.

It is essential to how to mix experienced and non-experienced crew members together. They need to know how the team is going to be set up. Your inexperienced and volunteer crew will be “hungry”. They will want to learn and be part of the movie business; therefore, they are going to be willing to work long hours and endure hardships. Experienced professionals, on the other hand, may not be used to this environment. If they are in-between jobs and accustomed to working on high-budget films, your schedule and work requirements may be alien. It’s challenging to bring in professionals who may be willing to work at reduced rates. You have to ask yourself, will it be worth it, and can they really adapt to the challenges of low-budget filmmaking? There is no easy answer to that question.

The best way to blend experienced crew with volunteer crew is to present this to your seasoned professionals as a teaching opportunity and a way to give back to a younger upcoming generation. Your volunteers will appreciate the fact that they have access to the wisdom, knowledge and expertise of the professional crew. Your younger volunteers will also do a lot of the physical work and heavy lifting. It’s a win/win situation for everybody. And, the most important rule concerning crew is a happy crew is a well-fed crew. In other words, don’t cut corners when it comes to providing nutritious and delicious meals for your cast and crew.

So You Want to Make a Movie - Hiring the Crew

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker. No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

Step 12. Hiring the Crew

One of the most important tasks you will perform as a producer during pre-production is assembling cast members. Finding competent production people who will work for no money or at a substantially lower rate will be a challenge. Remember, you can’t pay everyone top dollar and finish your film. Once again, you must become a deal maker and give potential crew members a reason to work on your movie. Everyone is trying to move up in this business and will look for a production credit. For example, a First Assistant Camera Operator aspires to be a Director of Photography. A First Assistant Director wants to be the Director. The boom operator wants to be a sound mixer. I think you get the point. So the best way to get crew members on your budget is to offer them a credit on the next rung up on whichever ladder they are climbing. As long as you think they can do the job, this is a great strategy.

Another reason why confident production people may consider working on your movie is if they believe you have a great script and that their work will be seen by a large audience. Even thought the pay is minimal, this kind of motivation makes your offer attractive. As a deal maker, you have to understand what buttons you have to push and what type of incentives you need to have to convince professional and experienced crew members to work on our film. The best place to find potential crew members is to call your local or state Film Commission, commercial production companies, and large churches that have media ministries. Get referrals, references, and a demo real. With some research and doing your homework, you will find out “who’s who” in production in your area.

There are various issues you have to think about. (1) How many crew members do I need to get the job done? (2) Which crew members get paid and which ones don’t get paid? (3) How do I mix professional crew with inexperienced crew? (4) How do I get my crew to work as a team? (5) How do I get my crew to work long hours?

You need to be upfront with your crew. No secrets. Here are the paid positions. Here are the nonpaid positions. Believe me; this is going to save a lot of hard feelings and other potential problems down the road. You need to be frank about the schedule and long hours. As a low-budget filmmaker, you are shooting your film on a shoestring budget; therefore, any crew member either hired or volunteer needs to understand this. There is no big stack of cash that you’re hiding somewhere. Make sure they want the job, understand the facts, and are on board with the plan. When you are open and honest, you will have a happy and productive crew. Take care of the trust issue up front. And I don’t care if you have a Christian crew, the same issues will apply.

Hiring crew should start with the department heads, which include the Director of Photography, Production Manager, Assistant Director, and Production Designer. I’m sure by this time you’ve either hired someone to direct your movie or you are planning on doing it yourself. So, doing the math: that’s five key paid positions.

Also, there are three key positions which fall under the department heads that are a must. They include sound mixer/recordist, camera operator, and gaffer. Now we are up to eight paid positions. Here’s how most films work: you hire the department heads, give them a budget, and they hire the positions that fall within their departments. Remember, the money you have is the money you have. If they can stretch it to hire more people, great! Either way, eventually you are going to have to count on volunteers and inexperienced crew members to fill out the roster.

So You Want to Make a Movie - The “and” Actor

You’ve caught the bug, and you’ve decided to make a movie. But where do you start? The good news is today there are fewer barriers to overcome in order to produce a film. Thanks to digital filmmaking, the costs have dropped dramatically. In reality, practically anybody can become a filmmaker. No one article can answer all of your questions or take you through the entire process; however, I want to offer you 20 key steps that will at least steer you in the right direction. Think of these steps as the big picture or the 30,000 foot view.

Step 11 - Casting ( part 2 )

I’ve saved the best for last. I’m going to give you a tip that may very well make your movie and significantly increase your chances of finding a distributor. Take a look at a few DVD covers for movies you are not familiar with, such as independent and low-budget features. Chances are you are going to see four names at the top of the cover. The first three names you probably never heard of. But the last name will be followed by “and”, and that name and face will be familiar. He’s probably not an A-list actor but probably someone you have seen in several major films. The “and” actor is the key to distribution. Here’s how it works. And trust me; it’s no real secret in the industry.

First, you need a movie that has a key part that requires an actor to be on set only for two or three days. The actor might appear early in the film and then later in the third act. It’s an important part, but it’s not even close to being a major supporting role.

If you can tuck away $10,000 to $20,000 from your budget, you can play this game. About two weeks out from the time you start production, you send offers to agents for actors you are interested in. It’s a risky move because you don’t know if you are going to land somebody. That’s why you need to have a backup plan with an actor you have already auditioned.

Most actors want to work, and that includes actors who have a recognizable name and face. They have a choice. Do your movie and pick up a paycheck or sit at home. What do you think they will do? I can’t believe how many big name actors are now appearing in relatively small, unknown films. And some of these movies are downright awful. So if you think you don’t have a chance to sign a named actor, you would be wrong. If you can write the check, he/she will come and play. You will also have to provide an airplane ticket, a nice hotel room, and meals to make the deal. What you get in return is a recognizable name and face. And whose face do you think will be featured on your DVD cover? Trust me, it won’t be your star or co-star. The truth is in the entertainment industry it’s the star who sells the movie—not the director, the story, or the concept. You need an “and” actor who will be your star.

This strategy will not work several weeks or months before the start of production. It has to be last minute. You have to catch a named actor between jobs and at a time he/she is willing to work at a reduced rate. Do yourself a favor. Keep this option open. Make sure your script has a part for an “and” actor.