Becoming the WRITER/DIRECTOR of your first film project

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Re: Becoming the WRITER/DIRECTOR of your first film project

    If you live in L.A., take her workshop - it's the best kept secret in show business. Many beginning and working directors take her 6 week course. It teaches you the most important skill a director can have: how to get good performances from actors. Go to http://www.judithweston.com for info.
    Good info, FaveDave. It never occurred to me that she offered courses. Have you taken her 6 week course?
    If you really like it you can have the rights
    It could make a million for you overnight

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: Becoming the WRITER/DIRECTOR of your first film project

      I have taken her 6 week course a total of 7 times.

      Anytime I am not working, I take her course if she's giving it at the time. It's especially helpful when in the middle of the writing process. Getting a scene on its feet and seeeing how the actors respond to the material is tremendously helpful. It's nice to "fire the writer" in me for a time and see what the director in me does with the material.

      Most illuminating.


      I have learned something every time I take the course.

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: Becoming the WRITER/DIRECTOR of your first film project

        Wht FaveDave said.

        A friend of mine spent a whole bunch of money on a 15 minute short. He won't tell me the budget, but I'll bet we're talking $50k-$75k. Film was shot on 35mm with a pro crew....

        And looks much like stuff I shot on super 8mm with just me as the crew.

        In fact, for what my friend spent on his short, you could make a feature on HiDef....

        And that's my 2 cents. First - make a bunch of cheap shorts to learn how to make a movie. If you want to direct, you've probably already done this. Then, when you've worked all of the bugs out and made enough mistakes to learn not to make them again, put together a feature.

        I know for a fact that there are features made for under $10k on digital format. I think Uli Lommel's films cost under $10k... and get distribution (they're on every Blockbuster shelf). So, if you want to write and direct - just go out and make the movie.

        - Bill
        Free Script Tips:
        http://www.scriptsecrets.net

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: Becoming the WRITER/DIRECTOR of your first film project

          Originally posted by Hairy Lime
          Well, for short films you are restricted to festivals or internet distribution.
          I don't know about the USA, but here in Australia there are two extra distribution mediums:

          1. Filler for in-flight movies. QANTAS uses short films to pad out the different channels on their on in-flight entertainment system. Since decent airlines now have individual screens (one per traveller) they can have a dozen channels which they all want to pad out to be the same length.

          The ones they use seem to either very light comedy or something a bit quixotic - but certainly nothing dark/violent etc.

          2. As filler between advertisements for the TV screens in the back of taxi-cabs. These need to be less than 3 minutes long. These are for the cab-screen system being introduced in Melbourne in about March.

          I can't claim that they are high paying, but they are still distribution mediums!

          Mac
          New blogposts:
          *Followup - Seeking Investors in all the wrong places
          *Preselling your film - Learning from the Experts
          *Getting your indie film onto iTunes
          *Case Study - Estimating Film profits

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: Becoming the WRITER/DIRECTOR of your first film project

            Originally posted by wcmartell
            Wht FaveDave said.

            And that's my 2 cents. First - make a bunch of cheap shorts to learn how to make a movie. If you want to direct, you've probably already done this. Then, when you've worked all of the bugs out and made enough mistakes to learn not to make them again, put together a feature.

            - Bill
            I would heartily agree. Cheap cheap shorts is the way to go.

            I was already a professional writer when I made my first short, and it was well received and accomplished its objective. But I could've done the same thing for much less.

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: Becoming the WRITER/DIRECTOR of your first film project

              The guys who made SAW signed with a manager when they got out of film school, then they wrote and rewrote the script and nothing else for a year solid, then they shot a short/trailer and their manager shopped them around (as an exec prod).

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: Becoming the WRITER/DIRECTOR of your first film project

                Honestly, I'm not sure why I wrote that. You can, of course, sell short films in the US to TV networks who are willing to play them (very few channels) and also to DVD distributors who put together themed short film DVD anthologies. I suspect video phones and podcasting will soon be viable distribution outlets for short films.
                http://confoundedfilms.com

                http://www.myspace.com/confoundedfilms

                Comment

                Working...
                X