Archive for the ‘Film Making’ Category
Being a location scout would seem to be the most fun out of all the jobs offered in the filmmaking industry. It seems that it would be a dream vacation to travel and see if a location checks out or not. Believe it or not, headaches abound in securing a location to shoot.
There are many more details involved in securing a location to shoot a film than simply finding the location. There are permission and releases to be obtained from everyone involved. Proof of liability insurance and authorizations of access to the location may need to be obtained. The scout will convince the owner that having a 150 person crew camped out on their front lawn it going to be good fun.
Previously it might have pacified the local authorities if you gave them some small compensation, like a good bottle of whiskey, but these arrangements are no longer available. Now you must have official permission from the local authorities to use certain locations for filming. These releases must be paid for and put on file so that they can be accessed during the shoot. Once the location scout has secured the location they become the location manager. This means they are responsible for parking access and accommodations for he cast and crew.
How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.
Sometimes unusual arrangements are made in order to use a location. Stephen King’s “Rose Red” was filmed at Thornwood castle in Lakewood, Washington. This castle was brought over from Europe, brick by brick, and rebuilt on she shore of American Lake by Chester Thorne. Chester Thorne was one of the founders of the Port of Tacoma. Initially while it was a good location, the castle needed to be returned to its old grandeur. The production and location managers struck a deal to refurbish the castle.
The result was that almost $800.000 of renovations were preformed on the castle. The restoration work done to the castle can be seen at Thornewood castle’s website. The work done was in exchange for the use of the location once it was finished. The owners of the castle in exchange for the use of the location received $800,000 in renovations. I am sure they thought it was good deal. This case exemplifies the lengths to which producers will go to in order to secure a good location.
Location scouting was previously done at a time when the digital technology was not available to the location scout. Scouts were required to travel to the actual location and they usually ended up using Polaroid shots for their reference. Now there are location agencies that can give you virtual tours of locations and the scouting can truly be done online. All you need to do is put in a request for locations on the Internet and you will find scads of listings for location scouting agencies.
Now for those of you that are producing your own independent films, you will have to use your wits to secure your locations. If you are using your own house or apartment it will be no problem but if you are using a location that doesn’t have general public access you will need to secure releases from the owners of the facilities you want to use.
Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of Film Making. Share your new understanding about Film Making with others. They’ll thank you for it.
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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO
This article explains a few things about Film Making, and if you’re interested, then this is worth reading, because you can never tell what you don’t know.
Filmmaking is an orchestration of various elements that brings about the desired result, your story literally brought to life. Screenplay, crew, actors, location, camera, lighting, sound, and editing are all working together to bring you the finished product. One literally cannot do without the other. Lighting however is what makes your production look professional and if you are looking to actually market your film you want it to be as professional as possible.
There are many professional lights kits on the market and many of them are quite reasonable, but in many cases they are not necessarily needed. You can make your own light kit with a few things that can be purchased at the local hardware store. There are lights found at the hardware store used in garage repair shops that are metal and that have a high reflectance. These come with clips at the end and can be clipped and moved wherever you might need them. These are great to use and you can use a number of different bulbs that will give different wattage and color.
The next items you must have in great numbers are extension cords. These will be used in every other part of your filmmaking, but you really need them with setting up your lights. Another very useful tool would be old sheet music stands or something similar that has a 3 leg stand that can be raised and lowered. These can either hold the clip-on lights or a light diffusion material of some sort. You will also need white board for white balancing your camera before you shoot, also white boards can be used as bounce cards for bouncing light back on a subject.
The last thing in your light kit will be some sort of diffusing material. That can be any gauzy white material that the light will pass through. You can use your stands with binder clips on them to clip the material too. Shine your light through the material and this in turn will diffuse the light on the subject keeping it from being to bright or “hot” as they say in the business.
It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Film Making is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Film Making.
A consideration that most people starting out with lighting don’t consider is that light comes in different colors. Only when you start using a camera do you find this out. If you shoot in a room at night and you have only the interior lights to use, you may find the overall color of the light will be a little yellow. This is because the bulb lights in your house are Tungsten light and these give off a yellowish cast. Fluorescent lights give of a greenish cast that is quite unattractive, so if you film in an office building then that is a consideration as will. Outside light is blue light and while you always want natural light, things may be a little too blue for you, especially when you shoot in the shade.
The absolute best time to shoot, to get that magical quality, is that time right before the sunset. The sun is hanging low and directly on the faces of the subjects and gives everything a Carmel colored warm glow. The only drawback here is that the sun sets quickly so have everything ready in anticipation of shooting the final minutes before the sun set. Look at things at this time of day during late spring or in the summer and you will see what I am talking about.
The first thing to learn is the three-point lighting set up. This is a standard lighting technique used by professional photographers, television taping, and shooting film. This consists of three things: a key light to shine on the subject, a fill light to fill in the shadow created by the key light, and a backlight or kicker to use behind the subject to add dimension the subject. You will use variations of the 3-point lighting set-up in most work you do. I advise strongly that you practice this lighting set-up and shoot it to see how effectively it works. You will have to move the lights a little here and there to get the desired effect but this is the must useful lighting strategy that there is.
It is always good to use natural lighting whenever possible. Always remember that high noon is usually a harsh lighting situation and will cast unflattering shadows under the eyes and nose of the subject making them appear tired. You will have to use a light low down on the ground to counter-act this effect. Also anytime you light a subject from the ground as opposed to above the subject, you will get an eerie spooky effect that can be used in moments of suspense. If you are not looking for this effect though it might be disturbing to viewers.
This is lighting in a nutshell and I would highly recommend that you take some production classes in order to practice and get some tips on lighting.
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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO
The following article presents the very latest information on Film Making. If you have a particular interest in Film Making, then this informative article is required reading.
Fly Filmmaking is closely related to Guerilla Filmmaking. The latter is done literally with all that there is on hand and in the shortest amount of time possible. Spike Lee did this with his film “She’s Gotta Have it” and he has received continuing critical acclaim for his first effort.
Fly Filmmaking is very similar and was conceived by the organizers of the Seattle International Film Festival. The name literally refers to filmmaking on the fly and this is a challenge done every year for about the last 10 years. This is done to showcase the filmmaking community in the Seattle area.
It consists of 3 separate teams that are given all that they need to make a film and a time frame of about 10 days. In this time they have to conceive of and create a film. The run time of the films is anywhere from 5 minutes to 22 minutes. The judges view the ending result and announce the winner at the festival.
The arrangements and actual work are done about 3 weeks before the festival starts. The producer, director, sound engineers, director of photography, actors, and post-production facilities are arranged and after everyone meets to go over the final details, the 3 crews are let loose to make their films as fast as they can. The music is even done on the fly by local composers and recorded by professional musicians.
Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Film Making, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.
This challenge is an effort to have film made without the consideration of cost and avoiding the politics that are so frequently present in filmmaking. However, the boundaries of time can be a bit of a headache, but that is the challenge. Participants are surprised by their own efforts.
This form of filmmaking has been “borrowed” by other festivals in the following years and it has always been a real crowd pleaser. It would seem that a similar plan was used with the new Fox show “On the Lot”. There may be some differences but basically it is the same model as SIFF’s Fly Filmmaking.
The results of these attempts are amazing and it would seem that they took much longer to make. Usually in the process of making a film a great deal of time is taken to make decisions about what would be best in the production. There is no time to spend making decisions or discussing ideas. You have to go with whatever comes up at the moment.
As an experiment I would suggest that as an exercise you try Fly Filmmaking. Of course you may have to use your own camera and figure out how to do your own post-production as best you can, but it may be worth it. Any film school student could probably pull this one off. Use the school’s equipment loan program and you would also have a post facility available to you at not cost. This should challenge you and teach you to economize on the time and resources it takes to make a short film.
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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO
My first introduction to film in school was during a film analysis class, although technically, it was classified as a philosophy class. The professor was quite pompous and made a big deal out of discussing how to actively view a film. No speaking was allowed, and we were to take notes while viewing. He was a little like the Movie Nazi. We discussed film theory and the power of the director in the making of a film at great length.
As a cultural phenomenon, film traces the human need to tell stories back to our oral traditions. Aside from recording history, we all want to be entertained and we all want to hear a good story. If you are going to make a film, you have to have a great story and then be willing to run with it. Talk it up to everyone you know. Enlist the help of others and win them over to the cause of your film. Give your film a catchy name–one that will pop out of people’s mouths.
Promote your film shamelessly before you ever have anything in the can. Sell T Shirts with your film logos and sell bumper stickers. Make a website and develop a fan base. Start a blog and be just as edgy and out there as you can, but make sure that people have your film’s name on their lips, regardless of how good
I have a friend who produced a film about her high school experience 10 years ago, and this summer it will be distributed. She developed a website, sold things from her film promotion stock, and made a very good fan base for herself before the film was even edited. Her fan base, through the purchase of T-shirts and other promotional items, paid for various things throughout production of the film. She managed to get it made and now her film has been picked up for distribution 10 years later.
Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Film Making, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.
To be a filmmaker is to have a big picture mentality on a small picture budget. It is tough to stay true to the storyline when you have a bottom line that is keeping you from the production. One of the reasons you want to talk your film up is that, in the beginning, you will need to find a crew. Usually you will have to use talent that is willing to work for nothing (or next to nothing). You may have to act in your own film as well….and write, direct it, and edit it. Do what you have to do to get the film “in the can” and ready to edit.
You will have to develop tunnel vision with the project. If you have a day job, get used to the idea that you may have to take an extra job for a while to buy a camera or other necessary equipment for shooting. If you have the good fortune to still be a student you have great resources for equipment. If you are not a student, then maybe you can decide to go back to school and study film. You will have at your disposal some of the best resources an aspiring filmmaker can have. Film programs at universities have awesome loan programs that are a hidden resource.
At college, while you can take film equipment out on loan, you may also have access to edit bays and sound booths. In some cases, they are available 24 hours a day. Students are up all night anyway, right? Also, when forming a production crew, students provide good talent for your film when you are in need of actors. You may want to take turns crewing for your friends’ films, and they, in turn, will act in yours. Do what you can to build a crew, gather the bare minimum of equipment needed to shoot, and develop a shooting schedule. Once you have the crew and the guns to shoot, everything starts to gel. Press onward.
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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO
Current info about Film Making is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest Film Making info available.
For the aspiring filmmaker film school is a joy. Not only does it serve to give you the rudimentary skill set you will need, but also it serves to mold your passion and give you the momentum once leaving school, to produce work that is fresh and new. There are several schools in this country that have outstanding reputations.
Of course California is going to produce more film schools than you can shake a stick at, with New York a close second, but there are plenty of film school opportunities in other parts of the country. I will discuss some of the heavies first as they are the “Pie in the Sky” for many aspiring filmmakers. The premiere school to go to would of course be the AFI conservatory. Founded in 1967, they provide 6 areas of course study: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design, and Screenwriting. AFI is particularly devoted to traditional narrative film.
California Institute for the Arts (Cal Arts), was created in 1961 by Disney in 1961, with an emphasis on animation. San Francisco State University has a film program, also created in the 60′s amid the political expansiveness of that time and their course work is heavily influenced buy experimental film. Then there is always UCLA Film School and USC as well.
In New York you have Columbia University School of the Arts and NYU. Both have heavy rosters of Directors and Film writers that have come up in the ranks at these schools. I think of Spike Lee when I think of NYU.
It’s really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of Film Making. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.
These are the most famous of them all, the ‘A’ list, and to get into these schools is practically a miracle from god, but if you do, you just scored Willy’s Golden Ticket. If you find yourself to be one of the many that are outside the golden gates looking at all the happy film students, do not despair. There are plenty of other film schools around the country that have great programs where you can get the skills and training you need.
There are some things that you must consider when picking a school off of the ‘B’ list. How much is the education going to cost? That is the bottom line, because if you get loans to get into school, you better be able to make those loan payments 6 months after graduation. To that end the next consideration is what kind of internships do they offer. See if you can have a conversation with the senior students in the film program so that you have an idea of what is in store for you once you leave school. Who else has graduated from this school that is noteworthy?
Film School is that wonderful island in the middle of an otherwise uphill battle. The equipment loan programs in themselves are worth the price of admission. Here you will have the opportunity to use cameras, recording, and editing equipment along with edit bays and sound studios. There will be a pool of actors and crew to draw from as you each help crew for each other. For this one brief time you have the benefit of all this. Once on the other side, however, you are on your own.
The Pacific Northwest has several film schools. University of Washington has an excellent film school. The Evergreen State University is notorious for their liberal/alternative education. Some take issue with the fact that there are no grades. Instead there is an evaluation system in place where the student and teacher write evaluations of themselves, the teacher, and the program. Greeners, as they are called, pride themselves in critical thinking and their program, MediaWorks, has provided the film community with radical, cutting edge filmmakers.
Whatever school you decide to attend, enjoy it while it lasts. It will be the one place you can experiment and have the support you need to get your projects done. Plan on sleeping very little and learn to love pizza and Top Ramen.
There’s a lot to understand about Film Making. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.
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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO
The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you understood. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your understanding if necessary.
For 12 days in the month of May the city of Cannes celebrates the National Film Agency. The town is filled to capacity with more than 200,000 film makers, stargazers, and film fans, who gather on the Croisette to attend the Cannes Film Festival. During the 12 day span thousands of films are screened, careers are started, and disappointment shows itself. Stars the world over come to get their share of attention.
Since the 1950′s when Brigitte Bardot ran on the beach for the cameras in her teenie bikini, Cannes has blossomed to celebrate the worlds most favorite pastimes, cinema and sex. Cannes has grown to be the most famous of all festivals of film. Cannes is spectacular with the palm trees, red carpets, stars that come out to sparkle in the flash of paparzzi cameras, and the famed celebrity parties.
Cannes may not look like the best place to host the world’s most famous film festival. Cinema was invented in France, Paris France. The weather in Cannes is nice, but that is not the best selling point. The Cannes Film Festival exists as a result of the rise of fascism in Europe during the 1930′s. In 1932 the first competitive film festival was sponsored in Venice. This was called the Mostra di Venezia, and the awards it gave, was mostly about the prestige of the countries that participated, as it was about the films. As time went by, the fascist alliances in certain countries received favoritism when it came to judging the films and giving of awards.
Most of this information comes straight from the Film Making pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.
In 1938 Jean Renoir’s “La Grande Illusion” was passed by for the top prize in the festival, despite being the obvious favorite of the festival attendees, and the jury members. Instead the award was given to two films, a two-part German film called “Olympia”, commissioned by Joseph Goebbels to show the Nazi success of the 1938 Berlin Olympics, and “Luciano Serra, Pilota, made with the supervision of Il Duces son. When the announcement came, the French were furious and withdrew from the festival. The American and British jury members resigned to protest the fact that fascism could walk all over artistic excellence.
Later that same year, a group of film makers and critics petitioned the French government to put run an alternative, international film festival in France. A festival where film makers could show their films and compete without censorship or bias. The French government was not very happy about going against Mussolini, and were dragging their feet. The group kept putting pressure on the government, and they finally gave consent to the event.
The competition is the main event of the festival today, this is where the glory and glamour come in. The films screened are referred to as being “in competition”. The most coveted award is the Golden Palm for best picture. This is one of the most prestigious awards on earth, and will give the film a huge boost. For low budget films and novice film makers, this can mean millions of extra dollars at the international box office, for foreign films it brings worldwide distribution. The competition is usually open to narrative films only, but there are times when a documentary is introduced. Michael Moore’s ” Fahrenheit 9/ 11″ won the top prize in 2004. The film makers are welcome to enter both features and shorts. There are awards in each category.
Is there really any information about Film Making that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.
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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO
If you have even a passing interest in the topic of Film Making, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of Film Making.
One thing I have learned from friends who have made independent films is that you have to start promoting your film the minute it is complete… as a matter of fact, don’t wait, as soon as you have a title run with it. This is your baby, your little brain-child so get out there and promote. Large studios have their own publicity departments but the little guy or gal has nothing but their reputation by word of mouth. In order to build that rep you have to work at it and there are various tools that you have available to you.
Previously there were only billboards or newspapers, and later on there was the television to get the word out there about your film. These were actually fairly costly and only the studios could truly afford these avenues. The rise of Internet has impacted marketing of independent film and the entire film industry as whole. There are so many different promotional tools that it offers you, it is hard to choose. The best thing to do is hit them all because you will need them.
When you are at the beginning stages of making your film start a blog. Once you have that going and you are making regular entries turn your attention to making a logo and then a website. The logo will carry though to many other things but for the moment it will help in making your website come together visually. There are services out there that will make a logo for you but, as in all things, it is always better if you do it yourself. The website can be made by you as well. There any number of sites out there that offer domains and website building tools.
Those of you not familiar with the latest on Film Making now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.
Once you have built yourself a website then you can submit it to a search engine. Make T-shirts and hats with your film logo on them. A friend put her logo on panties and sold them. More girls bought those panties. These items made enough money to help her get through post-production. So, after you have made the regular website go to Myspace and build a Myspace page for your film. After the Myspace page is done, put something up on YouTube. These are all free for the most part so take advantage of them. Music artists have used Myspace to promote their music and it has worked really well so why not use it for the purposes of promoting film.
One of the more simple things you can do is to find someplace small that shows your type of film and will be willing to let you show your film. Make some eye-catching fliers and post them at the local college. There is usually an area for student public postings and fliers are all over these boards. College students love to see new and different material so if you can draw them in to view your film, that is a very effective way to build a following (dare I say cult film) especially if your film is quirky.
This about exhausts all the free or ultra cheap methods of promotion. Once you have your film to the point where you can do a premiere showing, you can consider preparing Media Kits to distribute to the local TV and radio stations. If you have gotten this big with your movie then you might even need a publicist. Now things are on a roll. Next stop, distribution
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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO
When most people think of Film Making, what comes to mind is usually basic information that’s not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there’s a lot more to Film Making than just the basics.
Audio is one of those things that you have to have for your movie but don’t want to really think about. You want it to just magically happen and let’s face it, nothing in filmmaking happens “magically”. It might look that way but it doesn’t. What you need is a good audiophile, somebody that loves to hold a boom with a microphone on the end of it.
You can look for someone talented with sound or you can figure it out yourself. I suggest that you get at least 2 decent remote mics that sync with your camera. While your camera may have sound it is usually really bad. The remote mics can be worn on the body of the actor. These will work adequately but proper mic placement it necessary.
When placing the mic on the talent use your fist with thumb extended up and pinkie extended down in the ol’ hang loose hand sign. Place the thumb under the chin and at the end of your extended pinkie is where the mic should be placed. This places the mic close enough for good sound but far away enough from the mouth to prevent popping and sibilance.
If you are fortunate to have a mic with a boom then this is the way to go with group scenes. It is a real pain for a boom operator to handle a boom for an entire day of shooting, but those audiophiles just love this stuff. They will hold a boom for days and love it.
It’s really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of Film Making. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.
Once you get your sound back in the studio you will need to edit it along with the image. Previously filmmakers had non-linear systems to edit their sound but now you have available non-linear editing. This means that NLE gives you the ability to move sound clips back and forth within the video itself.
Along with recording the dialog of the film there is always sound effects and a soundtrack to provide. The movie would be quite dry if there is no soundtrack or sound effects. Making a soundtrack can be quite difficult unless it is all original work. This is when you might look for music that is already recorded but that could present quite a few problems.
Violating copyright on anything belonging to another artist or their agent that owns the rights to the music, can hold up you up in post-production and keep you from being able to release your film. There are ways around this but only a couple. You can always use music that is public domain. Any piece of music or image that has not ownership attached to it means that there is no person or organization that has a proprietary interest in this music or image.
The second solution for adding a soundtrack to your film is to simply use original work. This is easy if you happen to have a friend that writes and performs music that works with you film. Many budding composers and musicians are looking for a chance to work with a filmmaker so that they can partner their music making talents.
You can’t predict when knowing something extra about Film Making will come in handy. If you learned anything new about Film Making in this article, you should file the article where you can find it again.
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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO
Are you looking for some inside information on Film Making? Here’s an up-to-date report from Film Making experts who should know.
To find a job in film making is quite a difficult task, film making is not widely advertised. Film makers looking for a crew rely on networking and the gossip route to communicate. Positions are filled by the time production starts.
When a film is being made, any jobs are only the duration of the production. Film makers and producers are only into one project at a time, they do not hire a permanent crew especially when they are an independent contractor and not part of a major network.
It is based on what and who you know, and most importantly, what you have done in film lately. Anyone who has worked in film making knows you are always thinking ahead to the next job while you are on this one. If you do not know how this business works and what the hiring process is, you will not get anywhere. You need to formulate a few strategies to get hired.
If you are new to film making never send a resume unless it is asked for. Producers and directors don’t have time to read through these and they will usually end up trashed. When a job in film making is in the classified ads, they are usually taken before the ad is in print. Quite a few personnel departments advertise jobs that they already have someone in mind for, to show good intentions when it comes to equal opportunity. They are able to show that the job was open and in the papers before anyone was hired by the number of resumes they received before they hired someone.
Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.
Do not make demands at the interview or spout off a list of the errands or tasks you will not perform, you may as well stay home if this is your plan. A job in film making or television, means schedules and even tasks are constantly being adjusted. There is no set quitting time and a work day is usually 10 to 12 hours long. Your family and friends are put on a back burner while you are working on a project. Those who work in the film making industry love their jobs and wouldn’t think of doing anything else.
Never act like a beginner, even if you are, as you will find you will not get anywhere in this business. No matter if it is your first day, the moment you are hired you are a professional. Always think and act professionally, if you don’t you may be let go as the powers that be may feel you are not competent to handle the job.
Professional people produce high quality results, no matter how long they have been on the job. They never worry about the pay, long hours, or tasks they need to perform. A professional has learned the rules of the trade before they step onto a set, and will act accordingly to achieve excellence in their work. They are always working to be the best at what they do to convince the film maker that you were the right choice for this job and hire them for the next project.
You need to maintain a good attitude most of the time, nobody wants to work with someone who constantly has a poor outlook and is sour all of the time. Everyone has an off day, but that shouldn’t be every day. If you are a downer most of the time or have a great deal of personal problems, this type of job is not for you.
If you really desire a job in the film making industry you may need to accept an internship or volunteer and show them how professional you are. You will need to be willing, as a beginner, to work for little money or even free. Once you have your foot in the door and show that you are willing to go the distance and do an excellent job you will have a good chance of being hired on future projects.
There’s a lot to understand about Film Making. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO
Have you ever wondered if what you know about Film Making is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on Film Making.
You need to practice caution when thinking of investing in film making. Many people who are quite financially successful, often loose their investment, when putting their money into film making. Investing in film making is exciting and glamourous, but not every film becomes a hit, and a flop can mean a huge loss for you. Never invest in anything, unless you can afford to lose the amount you have invested with minimal damage to your finances.
The winners in the film making business have proven that they are successful, and are already completely financed. These film makers have many years of experience in the film making field. While it is possible to invest in film making and make money, it isn’t very easy. There are several people out there who are waiting to give you poor advice and take your well earned cash.
A few quick tips to set you on the right track:
1. 30% to 40% in equity should be enough to make most films if others will agree with the idea.
2. Keep the budget low, foreign should cover at least 50%, 70% would be even better.
3. Search for a script carefully and take your time, don’t grab the first script that interests you. You need to make sure film makers will agree with the use of the script.
Those of you not familiar with the latest on Film Making now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.
4. You will need to take care of distribution with your own money, distribution is where you can make a good deal of money from your investment.
5. If you invest more $5 million or more, you will be able to buy into more than one film.
6. Never put up more than 50% of the total amount it will take to make the film, the producer should be able to drum up the rest, if they can’t- withdraw now.
7. Do not look at hit movies made by major motion picture studios as a guide. You will be working with independent film makers, and there are big differences.
Do your homework and become knowledgeable about the workings of independent film making. Know the film trends that work and what is popular, and what trends will be expected to last for a year or more. Has the film maker worked in the industry at all, if so to what extent is his expertise?
While investing in film making can be quite lucrative, you should believe in the film project and the ability of the film makers before you invest a dime. Meet with them to see how professional they are and what their goal is when it comes to the film project at hand. How excited are they about the project? Do they seem like the go-getter type that will be able to see the film making project through to completion? Are they opposed to you visiting the set once in a while to quietly see how the film is progressing?
These are all things you should check out before you decide to invest in film making. There may be other issues you will be concerned with, make sure you write them down while they are fresh in your mind and bring them with you to the meeting. There is never a guarantee when it comes to investing in anything, but if you believe in the project and are satisfied with the film makers there is a good chance you will see a profit.
About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO