Film Festival Mania

January 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Film Festivals provide a wonderful opportunity for filmmakers and scriptwriters to advance their careers. While Film Festivals provide a venue for self-promotion and networking opportunities, the festivals also provide entertainment for those that love to watch movies and socialize. There are thousands of film festivals all over the United States and around the world. Film festivals have become a favorite recreation activity for movie lovers. Film Festivals are one of the most popular social activities among avid movie fans. Film Festivals are filled with lively activities that provide remarkable opportunities to socialize and meet people.

Forget online dating and social media sites. There are thousands of Film Festivals to visit. Even the smallest and least known Film Festivals attract hundreds of people and provide excellent opportunities to meet like-minded people. Once you delve into the Film Festival world, you will be amazed and astounded by the numerous social and professional connections you can develop.

For the socially challenged, Film Festivals offer an easy way to meet new people. You will always have a subject matter to discuss to break the ice. People that attend Film Festivals love movies and love discussing every aspect of films. The evenings are filled with parties, which provide a phenomenal way to relax, socialize and have fun. While Film Festivals are designed to display the talents of filmmakers and scriptwriters, the festivals also provide an opportunity for those seeking social interactions.

Film Festivals offer wonderful opportunities for networking and socializing. You get to watch great movies from a wide variety of genres and participate in wonderful activities. Film Festivals are an exceptional way to connect with people and to have a great time. For many, attending Film Festivals is their favorite form of recreation. With so many Film Festivals to choose, you will find many opportunities to enjoy wonderful films and wonderful people.

Filed Under: History, Recreation Tagged With: , , , , ,

Size Matter: Festival Rules

December 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It was meant to be a quick film, contained within meager minutes. All scenes were to be succinct, offering power through their simplicity. But each day offered a new inspiration; and all scenes expanded beyond their original intents. Eventually your short movie billowed out to almost an hour — and you could find no frames to slice away, no seconds to cut. Everything instead seemed too vital. It all had to stay.

And so you send it now to a festival, certain it will be accepted. It is not the length you intended but it still remains far below the usual times. It should be appreciated.

It’s not.

Festivals seeking short films will not allow entries to ramble on, hovering at the hour mark and ruining their scheduling. Individuals hoping that the merit of their work will earn them recognition will be (highly) disappointed. No movie that extends beyond 20 minutes will be allowed entry into the majority of festivals; and even that number is often too much.

The most craved length for these formats is under 10 minutes. And the reason for this is obvious — festivals wish to offer their audiences as many films as they can. Each hour is to be filled with new genres, new styles. When that hour is dominated by a singular movie, however, the entire purpose of the event is lost. There can be fewer viewings and fewer chances to discover an exciting project.

Individuals therefore must recognize the importance of size. Never assume your work will be selected (even if it’s too long) simply because it’s unique. It won’t. Instead it will be replaced with a piece that follows the rules. Entering short film festivals requires an understanding of time and its demands. You must remain true to the format.

Try to narrow your frames to 10 minutes. If they refuse to be edited, consider abandoning the notion of small films entirely and create an epic instead.

Filed Under: Recreation Tagged With: , , , , ,

Persisting, Always: Filmmakers

December 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Perfection has been achieved. This is your most certain belief — guiding your every action, your every thought. You have slaved through the hours; you have dedicated all efforts to frames. A film has been created and you’re sure that all will brand it a masterpiece. You merely have to submit it for consideration and the festivals will soon be battling each other to claim it.

But such claims never come.

They are instead replaced to rejections, the easy dismissals. Your project finds no adoration within the festival circuit. It is instead refused, thought to be unworthy.

And you want to weep — but you can’t.

The truth of crafting cinema classics is that the process isn’t an easy one. While you may be certain of your own superiority, others may only hesitate. There will be rejections. There will be chides. You will face a wave of criticisms… and you must accept them all.

Because few films have the ability to earn instant acclaim. Most are instead defined to apathy, the complete lack of praise. You will be forced to endure mockery; and persistence is therefore necessary.

Do not allow yourself to lose faith. Do not succumb to the strain. You must maintain your assurance in your skills and your project. There will be complications — but these must be overcome, countered with determination. Don’t let a singular rejection (or more) destroy you. Simply seek out other festivals, other venues, and find one that will understand your intentions. Filmmakers must be willing to recognize the inevitable failures before they can find the craved success.

Your movie may be brilliant. It may also, however, be misunderstood. It’s vital therefore that you continue with your project — search for the proper audience and the proper event. Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed by worry. Believe instead in what you can accomplish and what you wish to achieve.

Be confident in your abilities. Be supportive of your work.

Filed Under: Recreation Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Entry Dilemma: Festivals

December 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It is a film of exceptional beauty. It is a work of undeniable appeal. You have crafted the rare masterpiece, devoting yourself to cinema for long months. Such time was worth all costs, however — because the finished project is one you wish to share with the world. You merely need the appropriate showcase for it.

But there arrives a sudden dilemma: the festivals that would best receive your work (the ones most internationally known and therefore able to offer far greater appeal) demand entry fees; and you are uncertain of whether you can afford such things or whether you should even try.

The answer is a complicated one.

The world’s most prestigious venues — the Cannes Festival, the Sundance Film Festival, the British Urban Film Festival and more — require fees. No project may given to them without first offering dollars (and these amounts can be considerable). For many fledgling directors the notion of devoting their already weak funds to this seems unworthy. There are, after all, many other reputable events that demand nothing beyond a completed movie. No money is needed.

For those wishing to reach a larger audience, however, the entry fee may be the only solution.

When considerind festivals you must be aware of your intentions: is the purpose to simply seek a screen, to be accepted? Or is it instead to gain total notoriety, wanting to meet the giants of the cinema industry? The distinction between these two philosophies is vast and must be understood.

And, should you desire more than the smaller venues, you must then submit to the need for fees. These will demand your time, effort and pleading (asking others to help you generate the necessary amounts); but they can also reward you with great exposure. The results can be gratifying — and immediate.

You must first simply recognize what you desire and how much you are willing to provide to shape those desires into a reality.

Filed Under: Recreation Tagged With: , ,

Movies Becoming Digital

November 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Photo © by Jeff Dean
Image via Wikipedia

There used to be a time when using anything but 35mm film on a movie set was considered low rent. The idea of digital wasn’t even possible. But now it’s all you see in movies these days. Everything has gone from film to digital and to those who have been watching, it isn’t any surprise.

The switch to digital starting in the early part of this century. There was a movement from one medium to the next thanks to innovative directors like Robert Rodriguez. He started seeing that good films could be shot on less money and look just as cool and maybe more stylistic than on film and yet hollywood was bucking the innovation and continuing to work in the tride and true methods of hollywood. But it wasn’t long until it started to really speak to a language everyone understood: money.

The plain truth of moving making is that it’s expensive and there aren’t too many things that are more expensive than using the traditional 35mm film. It costs over 35 dollars per second to use 35mm. But then there is the cost of using digital which doesn’t cost much at all. While the cameras can be expensive the film themselves are incredibly cheap by comparison.

Of course the reason doesn’t stop at cost even though it has a lot to do with this. The other reasons have everything to do with the development with special effects. Using special effects and the boom of the computer age has made recording through digital so much easier for everyone involved. It can be inputed right into the computer and from there it can be edited right on the spot. The manipulation of digital film is easier and allows for better development of special effects. There is no question that digital has changed the face of movies forever.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Making Movies For Less

November 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Image via Wikipedia

If you watch enough television and read the press on the yearly film festivals you will see one trend is true of young filmmakers. Everyone seems to be doing it for less money than ever before. If you are the aspiring filmmaker watching and reading about your favorite movies doing big things on little bucks then you are probably wondering what it is you can be doing to get your film to the next big festival and how you can do it for cheap. Well now it’s time you found out just how good your film can be and just how cheaply you can do it.

There is no substitute in your film for good acting. While you won’t be able to bag an Oscar winner you should be able to get some really good local talent. The first instinct is going to be to bring in your friends to play the parts. You should think a little bit before doing that. Keep your friends involved where they belong. In front of the screen is fine if they are truly that talented but get better actors for your biggest parts. Most actors will do it for a copy of the film and credit in the budget.

Lights are another source of big money that doesn’t have to be. The easiest(but most complicated scheduling wise) is to film in the daytime. Natural light shows up the best on film but isn’t right for every shot. For the other indoor shots use a set of work lights and buy some gels. You can do this all for under 150 dollars and should last you for a four or five day shoot.

Make sure that with a solid script and solid acting you don’t miss anything in the footage. If you shoot on digital then you can shoot extra.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Recreation Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Doing A Movie For Less

November 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Planet Movies by AMC was a joint partnership b...
Image via Wikipedia

One of the biggest trends in Hollywood and for movies all over the world is doing the movies for less. If you look at some of the smaller, more independent features that have come out recently you’ll see that there is a lot of movies done cheap. You might be holding on to that script and thinking you hold the idea to the next great movie but the only problem is, you don’t know how to do it for less. This isn’t the end of the world and it isn’t the end of your movie career. You just need a little friendly advice. If you are ready to take the plunge into cinema for less then let the lesson begin.

The first thing you must do is sure up that script. Nothing will sink your movie quicker than a script that no one wants to see on the screen. Do your best to make sure that it works. First thing to do is get a set of eyes on that thing that aren’t your own. Sometimes having an honest outside perspective will allow you to see your script for what it is, and what it isn’t.

The next thing to do is have a table read. This is where you get a group of perspective actors and let them read it out loud. This will be valuable as you can’t often find the holes in your language until you head others read it outloud. Take the time after the reading to get real feedback from people. It will help to hear how the actor was able to pick up on the words that you wrote. Don’t get upset by anything you hear. Everyone is trying to help you. Once you have your script ready to go then everything else will fall into place and movie magic can officially begin.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Why Big Stars Do Small Films

November 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 22: Actor Betty Whi...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

A growing trend in hollywood these days is having top level stars take part in movies that are less than large scale. Sometimes you might be surprised by what you are seeing these stars in. You know the movie was made on a shoestring budget but yet they are fully involved in the movie. You are looking at that movie with stars of your own in your eyes. You are imagining your movie and how it would look with a top name in the industry. Well it would be a shame to burst your bubble but the truth is there isn’t much chance of that happening. Big stars only do smaller films for a few reasons.

The main reason is that they feel its a good career move. Let’s say you are a big action star who is killing it at the box office but what you really want to do is a dramatic movie to show you can act. However the studio doesn’t have any desire to put you in a lower budget film considering you do so well in the big actions films. So you take on a role for a scaled pay(and industry term where the actors get paid the SAG minimum for their daily work) and hope that you do well and the film gets the attention of critics so you have leverage to do the kind of film that you want.

The other reason a star will agree to do a lesser film is because they owe someone a favor. Don’t underestimate this as a real reason for having to do projects. There is a lot of handshakes and scratching backs in hollywood so that means that there are lots of people who owe people favors and doing smaller films to drive up the funding and the marketing of it are a real reason.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Steps to Making A Movie For Less

November 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Czech movie poster to American movie Noah's Ar...
Image via Wikipedia

Making a move for less is easy. Making a good movie for less is rather complicated and unless you are ready to buckle down and be smart your movie will look like a slightly upgraded version of a home movie. Film festivals are proving that smart, young movie makers with the right kind of know how can play with the big boys, or at least get their foot in the door. You need to be able to say you know how to do the same. So here are just a few of the ways to make a movie for less, and make it a good one.

The first thing you need to do is get the right sound equipment. Nothing will make your movie appear like a cheap version of the real attempt more than bad sound. Scout the local colleges or talk to your friends who might be going to an art of film school. There are students there who are always looking to get involved and network. They are looking for the opportunity to get themselves a reel they can use after they get out of school. If you go ahead and tap into that you can get someone with the know how that you need to get the sound right from the beginning.

There is an added bonus to getting the college kids to be a part of your vision. Many times these kids have access to higher end equipment that they can rent, or they know friends that they can borrow from. If you look into these avenues you might get a free upgrade on your already existing sound equipment. Don’t be afraid to ask these kids about their contacts you might be surprised at what they come up with. There is no shortage of ways to make your great movie for less.

Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Weird World of Movie Marketing

November 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Research on Iran. by Negar Mottahedeh Social M...
Image via Wikipedia

Getting the word out about a movie is a very tricky business. Movie companies put almost as much time and energy into spreading the word about the next big movie as they do when it comes to making the movie itself. The reason is there is so much at stake to get people into the theater. Many times the actors have points on the backend. This means they have given up a substantial amount of their upfront money for money on how the film does. There are directors who get another movie deal as long as this movie makes money. It’s the entire machine that drives movies. If a movie makes no money, everyone suffers.

These days though, getting the word out there is a lot more complex than it used to be. Up until recently there used to be the basic medium of a few print ads and then bombard the television with commercials. But those days have changed and now movies companies are looking at ways to attack people with advertising in the one place that it matters the most: the Internet.

One of the things that movies are doing is getting themselves outfitted with websites. This is a great way to get people involved in the movie. These websites will have extended trailers and will have cast interviews and on set photos. It brings the audience in.

Another way companies have changed is by looking to the films starts to use social media to spread the word. Big stars with Twitter and Facebook accounts have millions of followers and getting the right star to plug the movie like mad will help immensely to the films buzz. All a movie really needs is a buzz and from there anything can happen. The internet is the new place for buzz.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts