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How to Succeed and Stay Afloat in the Film Industry with Actor John Hawkes

Robert Hardy — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:56:04 +0000

John Hawkes is one of those actors who slides under most people’s radar, even though he somehow manages to be in just about everything. I first became aware of his acting prowess with his eerie portrayal of a cult leader in Sean Durkin’s haunting character study, Martha Marcy May Marlene. Since then, I’ve noticed him in about a gazillion different films (that’s the actual number), and I’ve come to greatly appreciate him as one of a few fantastic character actors working today. He’s even been nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the meth-addled antagonist in the indie hit, Winter’s Bone. Hawkes recently wrote a short piece for MovieMaker Magazine about his seven tips for surviving in the film industry, and needless to say, the seasoned veteran has some fantastic advice for up and coming filmmakers. (more…)

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5 Things I Learned While Shooting My Low Budget Short Film

Justin Minich — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 18:05:30 +0000

Over the past few years I’ve been doing a lot of work on other people’s video projects, and this past spring I quit my day job and started freelancing. While this has all been great for my reel, my resume, learning new skills, and cementing already learned knowledge through hands on experience, it meant I had to put my own film projects on the back burner. But eventually I reached a point where I felt it had been far too long since I worked on one of my own films. It was time to utilize the abundant knowledge and resources on NoFilmSchool and other filmmaking sites and to collaborate with my talented friends. It was time for a project that would force me to stretch myself and grow as a filmmaker. It was time to make Fugue, a project I’m running a Kickstarter for. Here’s what I learned from the process that started with preproduction and culminated with the first shoot earlier this month: (more…)

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What's in a Name? 9 Do's and Don'ts of Picking TV Titles

E.M. Taboada — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:01:57 +0000

Coming up with a good title can be a royal pain. Is it intriguing or just vague? Is it descriptive but too dry? Does it suggest a dynamic concept or sit on the page? In television, good titles can determine whether a project gets backed by development executives, or viewers tune in for a premiere. As part of a larger feature exploring how shows like Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond and Lost got their titles, the Hollywood Reporter put together a list of 9 Do’s and Don’ts for picking a solid TV title — and there’s plenty for a DIY content creator to mull over as they consider their own projects:
(more…)

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20 Independent Filmmaking Pointers from SXSW

E.M. Taboada — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 22:05:47 +0000

If you’re like me, you probably weren’t at this year’s SXSW festival — but through the magic of the internets we can still reap some of the knowledge shared there. Filmmaker Magazine’s blog covered two filmmaking related panels, “The Great Cinematography Shootout” and “Making it Happen: Financing an Independent Film”, and boiled each down to 10 ponderable tips. The first panel looks at how cinematographers handle low budget constraints while the second provides insight into what independent producers face while putting films together: (more…)

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9 Basic Tips for a Smoother Indie Film Production

Guest Author — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:17:00 +0000

This is a guest post by cinematographer Angelo Lorenzo.

So there we were: my production partner rented some of our gear for a music video and roped both of us in to camera operate. The crew was made up mostly of film students still in, or just recently out of, an expedited 6 month film program. The director had bailed the night before principal photography and had left our DP in charge. Throughout the course of the two day shoot we watched the production slowly implode; not because these guys lacked knowledge or enthusiasm, but because they hadn’t gained the experience to “turn the ship around” when a production starts sinking into turmoil. With this recent experience in mind, I wanted to share some advice to novice filmmakers to help their days on set go as smoothly as humanly possible. If you’re battle worn then let this serve as a gut check when shooting lean. (more…)

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Fifteen Things to Prepare for when Making a Film

Ryan Koo — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 19:01:47 +0000

This is a guest post by filmmaker William Speruzzi.

1. Use SAG talent (if you can) – If the budget can take the hit, go for people who have experience and know how to conduct themselves on a set, rehearse, etc. It will save you time and aggravation in the end. The last thing you want to do is teach someone how to act while you’re making your film. If you can’t go this way, get non-union but make sure all the talent is non-union. If you have a cast of ten actors and one actor is SAG then you still have to become a SAG signatory. An audience can forgive a scene that’s shot a little too dark but they will never believe a film that has poor acting. (more…)

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A Dozen Career Tips for Aspiring DPs

Ryan Koo — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:41:28 +0000

At ProVideo Coalition, DP Art Adams has posted some good advice for young cinematographers. His article is a response to a thread on the Cinematography.net CML-chat list, for which anyone can sign up. These are all practical, realistic tips not about which HMI to use for a particular situation, but rather how to conduct yourself on a set and what to keep in mind for building a career from job to job. He’s posted a dozen points; here’s his first: (more…)

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Ten Valuable New Year's Resolutions for Filmmakers

Ryan Koo — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:17:18 +0000

We’re a week into the new year, and it’s certainly not too late to make some filmic new year’s resolutions. I would come up with my own list, except NoFilmSchool interviewee Scott Macaulay has already posted a great set of ten new year’s resolutions over at Filmmaker Magazine. Here’s the list of ten, along with one of the resolutions: (more…)

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