Film School Journal.com

“It’s Just a Movie.”

Hector — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 02:55:40 +0000

One of my favorite professors when I attended UCLA film school showed us the following short film. When it was over, he said something along the lines of, “When you’re worrying about your films, remember… It’s just a movie.” — Meaning, when you put your film into perspective with everything else going on in the universe, you realize it isn’t as significant as you thought it was… it’s just a movie. Whenever I find myself worrying about a script, an edit, etc I remember my professor’s advice, and you should too.

Avoid the “Get out of there” cliché

Hector — Mon, 10 May 2010 08:21:53 +0000

Here’s another cliché to avoid when writing your script: the use of “get out of there.” You’ll understand when you watch the video. Check out previous clichés to avoid here.

Interview with screenwriter Sheldon Turner

Hector — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:30:02 +0000

Interview with screenwriter David Goyer

Hector — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:22:03 +0000

Interview with screenwriter/director Paul Haggis

Hector — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:20:10 +0000

Advice from Raimi, Del Toro, Tarantino and Rodriguez

Hector — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 08:09:41 +0000

Directors Sam Raimi, Guillermo Del Toro, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez give aspiring filmmakers some words of advice.

The Power of Green Screens

Hector — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 07:51:06 +0000

Watch and be amazed at just how far technology has come.

Avoid the “Mirror Scare” cliché

Hector — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:24:35 +0000

Here’s another cliché to avoid when writing your script: the overused “mirror scare” trick. You’ll see what I mean when you watch the video. Remember to try and be different when writing. Don’t rely on things that have been done before. Be different! Check out previous clichés to avoid here.

Film Festivals for February, 2010

Hector — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:50:49 +0000

February 4-7
Hollywood Brazilian Film Festival (Hollywood, California, USA)

February 4-14
Santa Barbara International Film Festival (Santa Barbara, California, USA)

February 5-15
Boston Science Fiction Film Festival (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)

February 11-21
Berlin International Directors Lounge Festival (Berlin, Germany)

February 14-21
Southern California Business Film Festival (Los Angeles, California, USA)

(more…)

Avoid the “Enhance” cliché

Hector — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 07:20:07 +0000

I’ve already featured the cell phone “no signal” cliché here, and now it’s time for you to realize that the idea you had to feature a cool “enhance” bit in your script is a terrible one. What do I mean by “enhance” cliché? Watch the video.