Filmmaker's Dream Blog

            John Carpenter's horror idol film, Halloween, has changed the genre of horror. Did you know it was an independent film? All the filmmakers were inexperienced and they were considered as kids that just wanted to make a movie. The score of the film was put together by one person and it is considered to be one of the top 5 most noticeable film scores ever. John Carpenter was barely out of film school and directing his first film. Little did he know it would become one of the most iconic horror films to exist. There was no blood or real gore shown in the film, which makes it more of a psychological thriller. John Carpenter mentioned how he would have liked to directed films in the 1940s. The budget for the film was around $300,000 which is incredibly low for a big production film to be put together. E.T. was considered a low budget film and the budget for it was around $10,000,000. The film was shot in 21 days. John asked his girlfriend to produce the film along with Irvin Yoblans. They all came together to put a fantastic story together. All of the actors were new and inexperienced, although the star, Jamie Lee Curtis brought along a legendary past. Her mother was the star of the film, Psycho. Halloween has changed so many films that incorporate masked men as horrific characters. This was posted to let you know that the most iconic films here today didn't have known actors or a big budget, but a story. Your film can make anything possible! Stay original and follow your dreams!

    Anyone in this industry will tell you to network, network, network! But how?? I have come up with some great networking tips that can boost your recognition and get your name out there.

• Promote yourself! Don't be shy when it comes to sharing your work, promote your work and meet others that are in your field. If you're in school or in college this is a great way to meet people. Go to the drama department and hang out with some actors, Visit the art department and meet people in animation, film, and communication.
• Register! Register with your state or local film commission. All cities have a film commission and are looking for crew work. This is an excellent way to contact directors and producers directly. Talk to the other crew members, actors, directors and share your work and experience.
• Comment! Leave comments and messages with other filmmakers on websites like Vimeo, Youtube, and any other websites that allow people to share their work via internet. Other filmmakers are likely to respond and communicate with you. The closer you can get with them the easier it will be to get them to mention your work to others.
• Create! Create a blog, website, fanpage, and more to show off your work. People want a quick and easy link to click on to take them straight to whatever you want them to see. It's harder for people to want to see your work if they have to search for it. 

These tips will help you network effectively, the more people hear and see your name the more likely they are to get involved with you and your work. 

There are so many film contests out there and  many times you may find it hard to find them. I've gathered some awesome filmmaking contest websites that pulls all of them into one website.
Here are the websites I've found that shows great film contests.

• Film The Next is a great site that is in collaboration with Poptent. Commercial contests are listed and the prizes for these contests are excellent!
• Possible Future Film Contests is a very clean website that makes it easy for people in all different stages to submit a film. ( fresh beginners, amateurs, students, professionals) This is important because you aren't immediately compared to big filmmakers right away . You're able to grow and compete with people on a level similar to your own. 44 countries also participate in the contests provided as well.
• Filmaka is a website that is geared to getting undiscovered filmmakers discovered! You can submit your film and connect with other filmmakers as well to get your work out there and seen.

 Getting your work out there to get noticed can be very tough, but by checking out these awesome websites you can be rewarded, network, and get noticed! Check these out now!

     Every strong filmmaker has a distinct style that comes out in all of their films. When you watch their films they could all be on different stories, but something tells you who directed that film.  How do you brand your own film? It could be the type of color correcting you do, or the angles you use, there are so many things that stand out as different to make your films say your name. Try not to perfect your films to mimic other filmmaker styles, but bring out your own style in your movies. The movies I've seen with a particular style that I like are SuckerPunch, Watchmen, 300. Although these are all different films, SuckerPunch, Watchmen, and 300 were done by the same producers of Cruel and Unusual Films.  I admire the color, tone, visual effects, and editing styles Zach and Deborah Snyder ( Power Couple) incorporate in their films.  I have my own style, but I still have a strong admiration for that particular production company's style. Here is a quick guide to branding your own film.

• Style: As mentioned above your shooting and editing style is key to making your films your own.
• Name: Every production company needs a name and creating one that is different, clever, and defines what you want everyone to see before seeing your film. 
• Campaign: Promote Promote Promote! Don't just leave your films in your computer only for you and friends to look at. Promote your films and your production. Create a blog or website showcasing your style and your films for people to go straight to.  Use Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Vimeo, and any other social networks that may open doors for you to share your films and passion with other people and network. 
• Tagline: All marketers know that having a tagline with the title of your company is important. The more the audience sees and hears the message or title of your film production the more likely they will engage in it. Create a logo to go along with your company.
• Don't Isolate: Isolating yourself is something many artists do, because they are stuck in their own vision, but in actuality it is best to network as much as possible and learn from other filmmakers. Don't isolate yourself you may be cutting yourself off from valuable information and stunt your growth in the filmmaking industry. 
• Unique: Last, but not least remain unique. You may ask, How do i stay unique? There's so many people!!! That's just it! There are so many people that all have different quirks about themselves. Find that one thing that you know contributes to what sets you apart from other people. If your films are similar in some shape or form to other filmmakers, don't become discouraged you may actually find more in common with that filmmaker than you think and you should network with them to learn more about their personalities and filmmaking techniques. You may just find something that you do different that you can emphasize in filming your own movies. 

I hope some of these tips help you with branding your own film production and gets you closer to your goals. Check out some of these websites that can help you out with creating your brand.

Safely naming your own production company
How to Brand Yourself Online
Protecting your Films

 Please comment below on anything that you think adds to your own brand for a film.

        As a child growing up, 'The Adventures of Tintin' were one of the few cartoons I could enjoy watching. It always held magic, mystery, and adventure in every episode. Tintin started in France as a comic book in 1929, and since then has sold over 200 million books! Steven Spielberg mentioned how he bought his first Tintin book, 'The Seven Crystal Balls'. (Grossman, 2011) He couldn't understand french, but he understood the entire story through the pictures and storyboard.
      In 1983, Steven Spielberg contacted the creator, Herge in regards to bringing the stories to life. Herge agreed to the project and immediately wanted Steven to direct it after seeing  'Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark'. Before the film could be discussed, Herge died a few weeks later. Spielberg obtained legal rights to Tintin from Herge's wife, but there were some script issues that needed to be handled and so the project stalled. Now nearly three decades later, 'The Adventures of Tintin' has finally been created and set for release.
      The production budget for this film  was a little over $130 million dollars. This film will be distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The film took over three years to complete and is being rated PG, for brief smoking scenes, action violence, and some drunkenness. The team for 'The Adventures of Tintin' worked hard to keep the characters and storyline as close to the original cartoon as possible.
      The animation and effects of this film look absolutely incredible and like many other new releases it will be in 3-D. The film uses 85% animation and 15% live action to give it that unique and eye catching look. (Lyttleton, 2011)  Some of the fans of Tintin are displeased with Spielberg's choice to  make the film in 3-D , as a lifelong fan states, "Hergé's comic-book hero is one of the great creations of the 20th century. Which makes Spielberg's film version little more than murder." (Lezard, 2011) Ouch! That's a harsh critique before seeing the film, but I guess all of us will just have to wait until December 21, 2011 to see for ourselves.

References:
Lyttelton, O. (2011, October 16). Steven spielberg says ‘the adventures of tintin’ is “85% animation, 15% live action [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/steven_spielberg_tintin_85_animation_15_live_action/

Grossman, L. (2011, October 23). Inside tintin [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2097373,00.html

Lezard, N. (2011, October 18). How could they do this to tintin [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/oct/18/how-could-do-this-tintin

Casting for your own film is tough, even when you do find actors, they may bail or become unreliable. Here are some tips to help with finding actors for your film.

• Passion! Be sure your actors aren't just your friends or neighbors(unless they're actors), find someone that is an aspiring actor that could use the experience.
• Show previous works or create a quick reel to show the quality of your work. Many actors may be interested in your story, but once they realize you may be a student, they may think the quality of your work may not be good and not even contact you back from their assumptions. Actors may become more excited once they know you produce good quality work.
• Casting websites. Check out Mandy.com, Backstage.com, Actorsequity.org, and in last resort, Craigslist.
• Be cautious! Let's be real, as needy as we are for actors, you may encounter a few delusional crazies that could in turn ruin your film and cause a problem. Interview your actors, really check out their backgrounds, and if you can afford it, run background checks.

*When using Craigslist, there are many people that may be inexperienced so use extra caution with using this resource.
Casting is pretty tough from finding the right look, to being sure they will show up on time and ready to shoot. Use a personal release form when dealing with actors and to protect yourself in some legal situations. Stay consistent with your agreements. If you promised a type of compensation be sure to follow through with it. Be honest. If you aren't a big movie director, they'll only find out when it comes to shooting and that will make them want to  bail as well. Realize that the sky is the limit, let your actors know your plans after you're done with the film. Distribute it. If aspiring actors know the film will be seen more than just on Youtube or Vimeo they will be more excited in learning there may be some recognition after they give their all into it.


These tips can really help when casting your film and make planning go smoother.

     When it comes to putting a film together, many filmmakers are eager to get started on the film itself and may avoid some important and thorough planning. There are tons of software to help aspiring filmmakers with budgeting costs for your film. Check out Gorilla Film Production Software which can help you with putting together a budget for documentation and for other producers to see as well as staying within your own means to make sure you don't exceed costs. Project management is key when it comes to building a film. Pre-production is when all of the planning needs to take place. Many new filmmakers are low on cash and need actors and a crew. Although you may not have the money to pay them, food and drinks make great compensation. It is best to buy in bulk for drinks. Here is a quick example outline of how to keep food under $100 for 1 week of shooting and a crew of 15 people.

• Drinks: Water bottles  2 packs of 24 water bottles -$7 ( entire week)
• Food: Sandwiches are a best way to feed many people for a low cost averaging about $20 (3 days)(buying your own ingredients to make sandwiches will make it cheaper)  2 Large Pizzas- $25 *search for coupons to save more money ( 1 day) Snack tray $20 (3 days) *many people love to snack on foods in between shooting so be sure to include fruits, vegetables, meats ( wings or other meat), and other snack foods. Alternate between days with these foods. Have snacks on monday, pizza on Tuesday, snacks on Weds, sandwiches on Thursday, snacks on Friday, sandwiches on Saturday and sandwiches or snacks or pizza on Sunday *your choice or whatever your crew would like depending on your culture. Use your creativity to stay resourceful.  This averages out to about $72.00 which may leave room for incidentals out of a $100 food budget. 

    Equipment is something to also take note when budgeting. Buy extra light bulbs and backup equipment before shooting just in case something breaks to avoid running out in a hurry and buying either the wrong thing or something more expensive. Buy as many batteries, extension cords, electrical tape, and power surges  as you can. While shooting you don't want to lose the momentum due to the loss of power. *This has happened to me many times and it never turns out good. For DSLR filmmakers purchase a 1 or 2 battery grips to shoot all day without stopping the production to charge your battery for thirty minutes to get the last shot.
     Monitor and control your plan while shooting, when you see a change from your plan occur try your best to get it back to where it was to avoid future problems. Putting a film together can be very expensive especially if this is your very first film and you don't have all of the equipment, makeup, actors, and crew you need. I spent approximately $2000 on everything for my first film after everything was bought and paid for after shooting. Don't be frightened to get started just be sure to take a few of these tips to avoid pulling your hair out and throwing your camera out of the window due to frustrations. Your film may not always go as planned, but staying as organized as possible will keep your film on track.

 Also, Checkout our sponsor - HalloweenMart to get great deals on makeup, special fx, costumes, accessories, props, and more! These make a film even more real!!

Last year every new filmmaker jumped on the DSLR filmmaking wagon, along with myself. I saw the beautiful quality they could produce with video and immediately got the Canon T2i once i saved enough money. I love this camera! Every shot I take with the right application turns out to be beautiful. Not only did it teach me how to take great pictures, I also learned more about film. I found out more about different lenses and the effects they have on the shots you're achieving. There's a lot that comes with filmming with a DSLR to get the truest quality.
Here's a few tips when using a Canon T2i or any DSLR

• Stabilizer : The video quality is great but may be more shaky than other regular video cameras because it's more so meant for taking pictures. A shoulder mount is excellent for providing support and stabilization while shooting. Check out www.bhphotovideo.com for more.
• Lenses: The 18-55 kit lens that comes with the Canon T2i is great, but there needs to be tons of light when using this lens. I purchased a 50mm lens which has an f-stop of 1.4 which can provide more light to come in without altering the ISO. There are many other lenses that provide a lower f-stop. 
• ISO: Sure you can brighten up any situation with bringing the ISO up, but this bring more noise and grain to your video or picture. The beautiful HD quality you're looking for won't seem as crisp so its best to keep the ISO between 100-400 and purchase a light kit or natural sunlight.
• Lighting: I purchased a 3 light kit from Cowboy Studio for only $60. It's not heavy duty, but it gets many jobs done. As a filmmaker on a budget this was a true steal. The only drawback was I couldn't use filters, but it did come with a case and umbrellas to soften the light as well. I still use it and it provides a great source of light.
• Audio: When using a DSLR for filmmaking please be sure there is a mic input. I found the Nikon D3000 didn't have this feature and neither did the Canon T1i. A mic input is crucial, because although you can use the built-in mic and clean up the audio digitally, you want to get the best quality in production. 
• SD cards: Keep in mind the writing speed and memory space on your SD card is crucial. Your HD footage is going to take up a lot of space. 8GB gets you 30mins of footage for HD video. I found a great deal on a 32GB card for $50 on Amazon. 
• RESOURCEFUL: Let's get things straight, being resourceful is veryyyyy important when filmmaking, your DSLR already costs you a pretty penny and lenses can become very expensive a long with other accessories. I used ebay and bought an older Canon FD lens for $40 ( which is better quality than the new lenses for EOS) and bought a FD to EOS lens adapter for 35$. This total was about 85$ with shipping. The price for a new Canon EOS 50mm lens is about 105$ and many people complain about it breaking. Be sure to look into antique shops as many people have retired their old cameras for digital cameras, but the lenses can still be useful! Manual focus lenses are valued more for videographers so you can control the focus. You can also create DIY accessories such as dollys, stabilizers, and rigs. Check out the resourceful links page above that may have some great tips. Until you're in a position to splurge on high end camera equipment, staying resourceful will still get the job done. 

I hope these tips help anyone thinking of getting into DSLR filmmaking. It is easier to handle and produces great quality due to the large image sensor that looks like it came right off the movie screen. There are pros and cons to everything, but for a filmmaker, I'd highly recommend this for getting started.

Paranormal Activity 3 was just released yesterday, October 21, 2011.  The film has brought in over $26 million in the first day being released. It is said that producers only spent $5 million on the entire film. Paranormal Activity 3, is a prequel to the previous films and shows the main characters from 1 and 2 as children. I got the chance to view the film myself and was very pleased. The effects were awesome and very believeable. Seeing the first two films really brought this last film together and actors, especially the children, made it very real. I don't know how they did a few things, but I'm sure with $5,000,000.00 those can easily be done.  The film held a pretty good story and with it being set in the 80s, the producers did an excellent job.

  My mother decided to rent some films today, many of the time she will get films I have NEVER heard of. I'll say is this a low budj mom? and she'll get defensive and explain that it's not. Anyway on to my review for Camp Hell. I thought it would be some sort of knock off Jason film with an axe murderer killing off teens doing God knows what in the woods. From the first 10 minutes I realized it would be a religious film or maybe a film about demons. I noticed that Jesse Eisenburg * star of Social Network, Rio, and many other films* was filming in this movie, he's even on the front cover. Once it came to his role, his scene was there for about 5 minutes. I thought, maybe he'll appear later on in the story. As I continued to sit through the film I was very confused. The story takes place in a strict "christian" camp, yeah you know the ones that don't allow you to do a thing and everything is a sin? First off, it was completely confusing, because they were mixing Catholic and Christianity religion together, which shows the writer probably had no real knowledge base in the religion at all. Throughout the film it is mentioned repeatedly how masturbation is one of the largest sins you could probably make because it brings you closer to the devil.. If that was the case I'm sure about a minimum of 80% of the world would desecrate in the pits of hell. The main character, Tommy, shows interest in a girl going to the camp and they go off in the woods and begin kissing and then dry humping with a few breast grabs. Meanwhile during this entire scene Tommy has a leaf just sitting right on top of his butt which totally throws off the sensuality of whatever this scene was trying to achieve. After this happens a particular "evil" is unleashed and a priest now has headless doves under his pillow, a young teen is "possessed" sitting in his own urine, and well... that's about it. I still have no clue what was going on and where was Jesse Eisenburg? I mean he's on the front cover! A second scene flashes towards the end of Jesse slashing his wrists and sitting in a bathtub... and it ends there. That's it that's what got him on the front of the cover. Anyway, Tommy is again confronted by the priest and all of sudden the "evil" appears and takes over the priest's body. He runs to a chapel where his mother is basically the statue of Mary, the statue falls on him, and the "evil" appears again. He wakes up in a hospital.... says he doesn't believe in God anymore and about 5 minutes  later throws some kind of bible out of the window ... THE END. This movie was absolutely terrible, even for an aspiring filmmaker, I know just how hard it is to get a strong cast, funding, equipment, special fx, etc. , but none of this matters if your story is not good. This film could have had so much potential, but failed miserably. If you see this in your local RedBox just skip to a movie you've actually heard of or one that is just not Camp Hill... or Camp Hope , it seems that they didn't decide on the title either.

    Many people are looking to Youtube to get famous and potentially get their films noticed. Do you feel this is the best way to go? It's an easy access and quick and free way to promote your film and possibly became famous and gain sponsors. So which is the best way to market your Youtube channel to promote short films? Be different but be alluring as well. When you watch something how does it capture your attention? Are you instantly interested ? and what is it that draws you in? Share. Sharing your ideas in tutorials and other formats to teach others how to do something you know how to do will gain views. Everyone wants to learn. Have a professional youtube design. Upgrade your background and design. When first starting out, you have to really make sure your audience knows where your coming from and that you're serious about your work. Comment on other youtubers and share links with each other, do not isolate yourself. People will naturally become interested in what you have to share. If you have any more ideas please leave comments below.

IndyMogul was a staple resource for me in creating my films that required a little special effects for a much lower cost. They take a DIY filmmaking approach, so the things that seem you can't do, you quickly find a solution. Their tag, [Fun, Cheap, Filmmaking] I enjoy watching their Youtube videos and I must admit, their techniques are quite effective. It makes you really want to get into creating more films and going as far as you can without spending loads of money. Putting a film together can become very expensive very fast, so anything that helps towards cost is very beneficial to the producer.  They also have another site which is Beyond the Trailer. It gets the reviews from audiences of new films to find out just how good the new releases are. I enjoy the critiques, because it makes me think twice about spending all of that money for a snoozefest during a movie. Doing it yourself until you make the big screen is the way to go for aspiring filmmakers. I give this site many thumbs up!
IndyMogul Website

     It's time for a review! Earlier I came across Filmmaking.Net, a website with resources for filmmakers. You can find books, film schools, events, festivals, and more. The layout is okay, not very eye catching or alluring, but it's there for the information! The site itself looks unfinished. I wish there was some more interaction to the site, or was a little more interesting for me to get into. Someone with strong marketing skills may be able to turn this site around. I do however respect the resources given, any information is better than none. Please visit www.filmmaking.net to find out more!

Time Warner Cable Announces Short Film Contest

Sat, 10/02/2010 - 13:10 — Waldo Here are portions of the press release on this...
Time Warner Cable announced the launch of the Time Warner Cable Short Film Contest in association with IFC. Video submissions will be accepted from September 15th until October 31st via Time Warner Cable’s new YouTube® channel. Four Grand Prize winners will receive a 4-night trip for two to the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, January 20-30.
The Time Warner Cable Short Film Contest in association with IFC calls on aspiring filmmakers across the country to showcase their talents in creating their own short 2-to-5-minute film. To enter, contestants must upload their short film entries to Time Warner Cable’s new YouTube channel.
A panel of expert judges will choose up to 25 finalists based on creativity, quality and content. Consumers can view entries and vote for their favorite on Time Warner Cable’s YouTube channel from November 9th through November 16st.
Each of the four winners will receive a trip for two to the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, including hotel, air transportation and ground transportation. Additionally, the prize will include $500 spending money, two tickets to a film screening at the Festival, an invitation to an exclusive Sundance Channel VIP party, attended by select industry stars and executives, and a one-year subscription to Time Warner Cable digital cable and Road Runner high speed internet services.

       'Gun Hill Road', is a film I have yet to see, but I am dying to see it. It's based on a story of a Puerto- Rican transexual and the things he goes through in life. The director, Rashaad Ernesto Green spoke about directing the film in an interview. Rashaad had no intent to become a director, but spent 3 years in the MFA program of acting at NYU. "Being an actor first was a great way to jump behind camera first", he says.  Rashaad also said, "I thought, “I’m going to be in class with kids who have had a camera in their hands since they were five years old. I am really going to have to work my butt off.” Which I did." It's funny how many people perceive a role before jumping into it. I always thought I just wanted to be an editor, but when I became a director amongst the rest of the roles I took to put the film together, I realized that this is something I truly love to do. Rashaad also mentioned how one of his short films also opened doors to even creating the feature film, 'Gun Hill Road'.  Rashaad tells the interviewer how it was inspired by someone in his family and decided to take the story further. During the casting process, Rashaad explained he didn't do the casting traditionally and spent most of his time on the streets in NY searching in clubs and other places for the right character. This interview was so inspiring to me I decided to follow Rashaad on twitter. Below are some links and references to the film and the interview.
http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/news/2011/08/rashaad-ernesto-green-gun-hill-road/
http://twitter.com/rashaadernesto
www.gunhillroad.com

   As a filmmaker, any and every tip is highly beneficial due to budget and access to many other things. I came across a blog site called, 'The Filmmaker Magazine'. It includes news, festivals, director interviews, and much more. I find it to be useful for me, because it ignites my passion as well as letting me know what's going on in the world. It even features 25 new faces of independent filmmaking. This is such a crucial blog for any filmmaker out there that can sort of get distracted from their passion. The more you surround yourself with your interests the more likely you are to become of it. This is not only just a blog site, it's also a magazine you can get a subscription to. The entire site is something that can be interactive as well as resourceful. Filmmaker Magazine has inspired me to network more with filmmakers, even if they aren't in my local area. This is a great find for any future or aspiring filmmaker.
http://filmmakermagazine.net/news/category/news/