Film Directing and Film Making Tips for the Independent Filmmaker

Photos of our Filmmakers “Meet & Greet” at the Santa Monica Playhouse: word of the day: PASSION!

Peter D. Marshall — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:35:18 +0000

On Saturday, November 7, Trilby and I had a “Meet & Greet” with several filmmakers in Los Angeles at the Santa Monica Playhouse. Most of these filmmakers were subscribers to my free filmmaking ezine, “The Director’s Chair.”

It was wonderful to see the filmmakers who showed up and to realize that, even with all our different backgrounds and experience, we all have more in common than we think. We talked about getting jobs, filmmaking, editing, script writing, distribution, social media and more…

In my workshops and my online courses, I always talk about PASSION – because that is the one thing you need to get you up in the morning; it is the one thing that will keep you moving forward in this business. And everyone in the room had it.

So I would like to say thanks to the following filmmakers who further ignited my passion for this business:

Jason Brubaker (and Maggie)
Arati Misro
Sheri Candler
Halyna Hutchins
Paul James Tierney
Robert Lee
Tico Clark

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Sign up now for your own FREE monthly subscription to “The Director’s Chair” filmmaking ezine and get: (1) Day One of my 201 page mutli-media Online film directing audio course, “The Art and Craft of the Director Audio Seminar” and (2) the first 24 pages (plus mp3 audio) of my 137 page “Script Breakdown and Film Scheduling Online Course For Independent Filmmakers.”

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Here are Three Fundamentals of Film Making

Peter D. Marshall — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:38:47 +0000

“Let’s start with areas that would seem obvious, however, due to budget constraints, can sometimes be harder to achieve than one may think. They are the Three Fundamentals of Film making.

The three fundamentals of film making are… I need to see it, I need to hear it and I need to believe it. If any one of these three key elements is missing the film will fail to deliver.”

Read this post from Sonlight Pictures.

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall

End of the world as Hollywood knows it

Peter D. Marshall — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:36:45 +0000

“Cut your spending. Save your money. Many of the revenue streams that have gushed into your industry for decades, some for nearly a century, are about to dry up. This will likely mean a period of belt tightening like you’ve never seen before.

The end is coming for DVDs, traditional movie rentals, and yes, much of your cable money will likely disappear.

The news isn’t entirely bad; you still have iTunes and Netflix–places where people spend money to buy or rent movies. You still have Hulu, Crackle.com, and YouTube, which are generating ad revenue by streaming full-length films and TV shows online. But the reality is that the amount of money that these legal operations generate is far less than the returns your industry is used to making.

Unless some dramatic technological breakthrough occurs that can defeat file sharing, then you are staring at checkmate. Your business is headed for the same meat grinder that has chewed up the recorded music sector and print publishing. What will come out the other side is still uncertain but will likely be much smaller.”

Read this article from News.CNET

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall

IndyMogul.com Shows You How to Make Movies on a Budget

Peter D. Marshall — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:36:10 +0000

“Independent filmmakers and the YouTube generation have received a helping hand from the folks at IndyMogul.com. The site focuses on those who love movies and want to create special effects without breaking the bank.

With videos on low-budget filmmaking tips and tricks, their backyard special effects (BFX), are a cheap and effective way to spice up a homemade video. This online television network not only brings its viewers do-it-yourself content, but also talks with industry professionals.”

Read this article from Rachaell Dama.

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall

Low-budget filmmaker bemoans indie movie industry

Peter D. Marshall — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:10:46 +0000

“Today’s independent film industry isn’t independent at all, says Kelley Baker, also known as the Angry Filmmaker.

“I’m angry with the way the independent film industry works … They all have Hollywood stars and big budgets,” said Baker, who will be speaking at Dormont’s Hollywood Theater Sunday. “So I stay away from the independent film movement.”

Baker will lead a workshop on “Making the Extremely Low Budget Feature” at the Hollywood Theater at 2 p.m. He also will be signing his new book, “The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide Part 1: Making the Extreme No-Budget Feature.”

Baker, the sound designer on films such as “Good Will Hunting,” “Finding Forrester” and “Far From Heaven,” learned the hard way that making independent movies in Hollywood is more difficult than it seems.”

Read this article from Post-Gazette.

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Cinema is diversifying says film director Peter Greenaway

Peter D. Marshall — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:10:19 +0000

“Greenaway, whose CV includes The Draughtsman’s Contract and The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, believes the laptop generation is no longer content going to a dark place for up to two hours and watching a movie.

He has even pinned down the date when he says cinema died – September 31, 1983 when the remote control was introduced into living rooms around the world.

Generation X is all about multi-media and interacting, which cinema cannot fulfil, he says.”

Read this article from News. NineMSN.

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South Africa filmmakers give back in Ethiopia

Peter D. Marshall — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:09:41 +0000

“South African producer Pascal Schmitz, director/scripwriter Damian Armstrong and DOP Richard Muller have just guided 20 filmmakers in Addis Ababa in an intensive week-long training course focused on socially responsible filmmaking. The four teams in the course were tasked with making four short documentaries about bridging social divides in Ethiopia and promoting tolerance.”

Read this article from Good News Ethiopia.

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall

Local Film Acting Resources You Shouldn’t Overlook

Peter D. Marshall — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:09:04 +0000

“Filmmakers not situated in major filmmaking areas are at a disadvantage in certain ways. Camera and lighting rental places will not be as plentiful, skilled crew members will be hard to come by, and screen actors fill not be waiting tables at every restaurant.

There are realities of regional filmmaking and one of them is that most things cannot be done like they would be in New York or Los Angeles. Even though you may not have a ready pool of waiting actors for your project it does not mean you cannot make one.”

Read this article from Illiterary Fiction.

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VIDEO: The Future of Indie Film Distribution with Peter Broderick

Peter D. Marshall — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:08:40 +0000

“Here is a video in which indie distribution pioneers discuss new strategies in distributing independent films.”

Watch this video from All About indie Filmmaking.

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Idea Lab: The Dolly Shot

Peter D. Marshall — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:44:22 +0000

“This article is another in a series exploring film making techniques that inspire us to think outside of the box in our own work. Makers of major motion pictures obviously have the resources and the budget to do all sorts of amazing things.

As technology becomes more available and accessible, its easy for anyone to make a film of their own. Just because you don’t own a ton of expensive equipment and have a crew of hundreds of trained experts at your disposal does not mean that your creative output is limited. A big vision and a little resourcefulness can go a long way.”

Read this article from Zooppa.

Film Directing and Film Making Tips for the Independent Filmmaker

Photos of our Filmmakers “Meet & Greet” at the Santa Monica Playhouse: word of the day: PASSION!

Here are Three Fundamentals of Film Making

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking How to Work (and Survive) in the Film and Television Industry by Peter D. Marshall

End of the world as Hollywood knows it

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking How to Work (and Survive) in the Film and Television Industry by Peter D. Marshall

IndyMogul.com Shows You How to Make Movies on a Budget

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking How to Work (and Survive) in the Film and Television Industry by Peter D. Marshall

Low-budget filmmaker bemoans indie movie industry

Cinema is diversifying says film director Peter Greenaway

South Africa filmmakers give back in Ethiopia

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking How to Work (and Survive) in the Film and Television Industry by Peter D. Marshall

Local Film Acting Resources You Shouldn’t Overlook

VIDEO: The Future of Indie Film Distribution with Peter Broderick

Idea Lab: The Dolly Shot

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking How to Work (and Survive) in the Film and Television Industry by Peter D. Marshall

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall

The Ten Commandments of Filmmaking
How to Work (and Survive) in the
Film and Television Industry
by Peter D. Marshall