You are browsing the archive for Pre-production.

How to Make Sure You’re Ready Before You Walk on the Set

Posted on February 1, 2012 in Directing, Pre-production | No Comments

As a filmmaker, be it as a producer or director or both, you are like a captain of a ship. Once the production day starts and the ship has left port, everyone will be looking to you for guidance and direction. Nothing will sink your project faster than indecision – an issue that can be mitigated with proper pre-production work.

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Rethinking Kickstarter – A Strategy for Success (the Wrap)

Posted on January 23, 2012 in IQ Podcasts | 2 Comments

John Hess explores a different way to think of Kickstarter and how to find success in online crowd-funding.

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15 Steps for a Successful Kickstarter Campaign

Posted on January 23, 2012 in Financing | No Comments

Though designed for an independent game design project, Gary Sarli provides a thorough and detailed break down of how to approach Kickstarter in a strategic manner.

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In the Casting Chair with Carolyn Pickman

Posted on January 4, 2012 in Casting Directors | No Comments

Carolyn Pickman has over 50 feature films to her credit. New England Film profiles her work and tries to figure out what she looks for in actors.

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What do Producers do exactly?

Posted on December 22, 2011 in Producing | No Comments

John August and Craig Mazin discuss what the job of a producer is (or should be). John looks at the four different roles a producer can take on: The general, The diplomat, The creative or The bulldozer.

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NYFF Forum: Women Produce Well Developed Films

Posted on November 22, 2011 in Producing | No Comments

Producers Guild of America East presents: A panel of female producers and film academics including Jane Startz, Amy Robinson, Jane Gaines, and moderator Julie Buck, discuss the history of women in film and recent changes in the production process during a free Amphitheater forum at the 49th New York Film Festival.

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Celtx Shots: New Storyboarding iPad App

Posted on November 16, 2011 in Storyboarding | 2 Comments

Our friends at Celtx have created a new app, Celtx Shots, to capture your next great idea. It is the first app with both storyboarding and set blocking built-in allowing you to create storyboards and block scenes in the field, on the set, or anytime inspiration strikes.

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Reddit to Warner Bros. “all your stories are belong to us.”

Posted on October 21, 2011 in Contracts and Law, Legal & Copyright | 1 Comment

James Erwin is a fledgling author who posted a series of short stories in Reddit’s forums about what would happen if U.S. Marines traveled back in time to fight the Roman Empire. Warner Bros. took notice and moved to buy the movie rights. But Reddit’s user agreement may turn his dream into a intellectual property nightmare.

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Writer/Director Rodrigo García on Ensemble Casting

Posted on October 18, 2011 in Casting Directors | 2 Comments

AFI Alum Rodrigo García talks to current AFI Fellows about working with ensemble casts like that in his upcoming film ALBERT NOBBS.

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The CIA Has Some Script Notes For You

Posted on September 19, 2011 in General Screenwriting, Producing | No Comments

If you are like me you can’t figure out how Michael Bay comes up with such thought provoking, emotionally powerful scripts time and time again. Now thanks to Mark Riffee with Wired we know his secret… the CIA is his writing partner.

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10 Tips for Crowd Funding Newbs

Posted on September 14, 2011 in Financing | No Comments

Crowd funding sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo are littered with the carcasses of failed projects. Though not a guarantee of success, there’s probably a good chance the unsuccessful pitch may have ignored one or more of these tips…

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Now Anyone Can Use the FBI Anti-Piracy Warning

Posted on September 13, 2011 in Contracts and Law | No Comments

We have all seen those government warnings on DVDs. You may have even seen some “indie” films include the warning before their little epic either to look “professional” or because of an irrational fear someone may steal their Zombie Space Opera.

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Steven Spielberg: “I need a monkey”

Posted on August 31, 2011 in Casting Directors | No Comments

In this 1983 thank you note Steven Spielberg writes to the editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland, Forrest Ackerman. He mentions the “insane” casting process on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom while recalling the simpler days of film school.

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A History of Copyright Law

Posted on August 25, 2011 in Contracts and Law, Legal & Copyright | 2 Comments

CGP Grey takes a look at the history of copyright law in his new video “Copyright: Forever Less One Day”.

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Set Locations for the Top 2000 IMDB Films

Posted on August 24, 2011 in Location Scouting | No Comments

Edmund Helmer of BoxOfficeQuant.com has taken the top 2000 films from 1910-2010 according to IMDB, and fed their locations into a Google Map. Click on each marker for more information, and enjoy exploring for yourself.

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