» Posts Tagged ‘independentfilmmaking’
What Happens When a Hurricane Hits Your Indie Film? A Chat with 'Lily & Kat' Director Micael Preysler
Director Micael Preysler had a unique set of circumstances for making his debut feature film, going from the creation of a simple teaser to the now nearly completed film. Hurricane Sandy proved to be a challenging obstacle, hitting the film’s 16 day shoot right in the middle, destroying key locations and making transportation impossible. Read on to get the full scoop, see how they rose to the challenges, and watch the new theatrical trailer for Lily & Kat: More »
Watch Spike Lee's Behind the Scenes Footage for 'Do the Right Thing'
Some awesome relics from the past continue to float to the internet’s surface, and this series of videos goes behind the scenes on Spike Lee’s 1989 breakout film Do the Right Thing, which constitutes a day (the hottest day) in the life of a community in Brooklyn. Spike brought a small camera along to document the development of the actors, and provides a candid look into the heart of the independent filmmaking process. Hit the jump to watch all three videos: More »
DIY Co-Directors Talk About Their First Feature Film Experience 'Hills Green'
In between their 9-5 jobs, filmmakers Ryan C. Glover and Krista Dzialoszynski have been working diligently on their feature film debut Hills Green, and after several years are proud to say it’s finally complete. It’s a story about two friends’ escape to the country to discover what their relationship is made of, and is brought to life with the power of real-life nostalgia. The duo is now set for the film’s Canadian premiere at the ReelHeART International Film Festival on June 24th in Toronto. Hit the jump for the trailer and our interview with the first-time feature filmmakers: More »
Filmmaking is a logistical nightmare. This much we know to be true. Every department has to be on top of its game and meeting its deadlines, and the entire cast and crew has to be in-sync for a set to work properly. With so many independent, yet crucial variables that have to come together in seamless fashion, it’s amazing that people are as successful as they are making films. But that’s not to say that things don’t occasionally go terribly and utterly wrong, and that’s just what happened today to a production that I’m DP’ing. Read on for both the story, and what my production team and me are doing about it. More »
Think about that for a second. Just a few years ago everyone was talking about how the bottom had fallen out of independent film funding. While that may be true to a certain extent, Kickstarter has completely changed the way smaller films are funded, and they’ve created a new golden age of film funding. Who knows if the funding on Kickstarter will ever dry up, but for now, it’s one of the best places to go if you’re trying to make a movie or web series. Check out some of the incredible statistics below: More »
You’ve probably seen at least one of them if you’ve ever been to a film festival. Some of them are long, some are boring, some are downright brilliant, but one thing the biggest ones have in common is that they can launch an indie career. Suzanne Ballantyne, the Head of Programming over at the Raindance Film Festival, has put together some tips for budding amateurs from her experience watching over 500 potential festival feature films per year — and hopefully by the end you’ll have the knowledge to fake being an “Indie Auteur.” More »
Why Do We Let Creative Pursuits Take Over Our Lives? A Lesson in Perspective from Linds Redding
I once edited for an entire weekend. I’m not exaggerating — I went into the media lab on a Friday afternoon, and left on a Sunday night after my girlfriend and some friends dragged me out. I was obsessing about the latest episode of our sketch comedy show, and completely missed one of the best homecomings my college had seen. When I came to my senses, this caused a sense of regret. It was an important lesson on getting out, having a life, and generally not letting creative pursuits ruin my life. More »
When is Harsh Criticism Appropriate? Mumblecore's Joe Swanberg Boxing His Toughest Critic, Literally
Whatever your opinion of Joe Swanberg, and his contributions to the “mumblecore” indie movement, the guy is prolific, having directed over a dozen feature films in less than 10 years, and a total of six in 2011 alone. While he’s got his defenders, there are many detractors, and he got the chance to fight it out in a boxing ring at this year’s Fantastic Fest with one of his strongest critics, Devin Faraci, who is the “Badass-In-Chief” at Badass Digest. Swanberg’s argument against the harsh criticism is certainly food for thought, but first, check out him pummeling Faraci. More »
[Update: Mike Birbiglia and Ira Glass have responded.] For too long now independent and low-budget films have been taking attention away from more important Hollywood films. While most of us work more hours on our films than we would ever think possible, highly paid actors and producers are slaving away trying to produce quality, fun-filled, and family-friendly (albeit violent) entertainment. It’s time now to boycott these heartfelt and powerful independent films because they are taking away dozens, maybe even hundreds of screens away from more deserving spectacle films, especially a little film called Sleepwalk with Me, a partially true story from the mind of Mike Birbiglia. If your sense of humor is broken, it’s probably best to look away now… More »
Making a low-budget independent film is hard - there are budgetary limitations, crunched schedules, and the inevitable last-minute change of plans. It’s no surprise then that some traits might make you better at handling these conditions and constraints. Are you the kind of director who will halt production if the right extra isn’t on set? Or someone unwilling to be a jack-of-all-trades over the course of a film’s production cycle? Can you offer creative alternatives at the drop of a hat? Independent film producer Mynette Louie outlines what she believes to be the 12 key traits that make for “indie-friendly” directors, in what ends up being a revealing and challenging list for all filmmakers: More »
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