Hmmhmm, dooduhdooo….did I turn off the—

Hey! You’re back!

Okay, so sex and sexuality are part of the human experience. We all got to Earth thanks to some very special hugs and chances are that at some point in our lives, we’ll do some hugging ourselves. Thus, it makes sense that sex and sexuality will turn up in screenplays. But there’s a way to do it so that it makes sense and there’s a way to do it that is creepy, alienating and ineffective.

Here are 4 types of sex scenes that tend to miss the mark and what you can do to fix them.

The scene where the lame/mean/jerky guy says something inappropriate or embarrassing to a woman but she decides that there’s “just something about him” and so she pounces on him anyway.

What people intend to show with a scene like this: That despite his shortcomings, the hero is not a bad guy and this unnaturally attractive woman sees that.

What people really show with a scene like this: That their female character is desperate and/or has no self-esteem and isn’t someone the audience is going empathize with or respect.

But, Aydrea! This totally happens in real life! Girls hook up with crap dudes all the time! Yes, you are correct. But films aren’t real life. And while we may hold each other to flexible standards, audiences generally do not give such lenience to characters in film. If someone is attracted to someone in a movie, we want there to be a real reason why. Something beyond “I dunno, he’s cute. There’s just something about him.”

The person who gets pounced needs to give the pouncer something that they truly want or need. The guy can act like a bit of jerk, but if he displays a genuine soft spot for his cat or grandmother or war orphans—then he might be pounceable. But when a woman in a movie offers herself as some sort of taming device without getting anything in return, it makes both characters look weak.

The scene where the super powerful businessman/politician has incredibly rough/graphic…playtime with his assistant/secretary/wife’s friend then walks away and goes into a meeting or event like it’s totally no big deal, leaving the impossibly attractive nude lady to gather her things and get out.

What people intend to show in a scene like this: That the businessman/politician is so impressive that he can have whatever he wants and that he’s so detached from it all that he can’t even enjoy it and we should ultimately feel bad for him.

What people actually show in a scene like this: That they couldn’t think of something creative or new to show this character trait.

But Aydrea! This totally happens in real life! Powerful people sometimes have crazy affairs and don’t show remorse! Yes, you are correct. But jerky powerful people also do lots of other things that show that they’re unempathetic. Ebeneezer Scrooge was the quintessential mean ol’ rich guy and there’s nothing sexy about his story.

Also, sex isn’t the only way to show that a character doesn’t care about something of value. Spending bazillions of dollars on a car, just to wreck it seconds later and not care about the little Honda Fit he destroyed in the process because he’ll just pay everyone off would get the same point across. Flushing diamonds down the toilet or having a house full of amazing gadgets that never get used, children who never get hugged and pets who never get walked could also communicate the same idea.

But Aydrea! I’ve watched movies where people use women like playthings and we still kinda want to be like them! Yes, you are correct. But in movies like that that work, those characters usually balance out their misogyny with many other likeable traits. Also, yes, there are some filmmakers who tend to be pretty exploitative when it comes to this sort of thing, and if you are Michael Bay, then what on earth are you doing reading this blog? If you’re not Michael Bay and can’t write your own ticket, then you should be trying to impress readers, studio execs and producers with substance over style.

The scene where the guy really wants to have sex, but the girl doesn’t, so the guy kinda just goes ahead and starts doing sex to her anyway and she eventually comes around and has an amazing time about it.

What people intend to show in a scene like this: That the girl really is actually into this guy but that she’s just shy or something.
What people actually show in a scene like this: That the characters are kind of okay with sexual assault.

But Aydrea! This totally happens in real life! Sometimes girls just play coy and are totally okay with getting busy if you convince them! Yes, you are correct. However, films are not real life and on screen, a guy who coerces sex out of a woman comes across as a creep. And the woman who can’t stick to her point of view long enough to get to sleep comes across as weak.

(Also, let’s be honest, if someone is really not intent on any hanky panky, someone prodding them annoyingly while they’re trying to rest up for their big presentation the next day is more upsetting than seductive.)

A scene like this can work if it’s clear that the characters really do care about each other and if there’s a clear reason for the woman’s reluctance. A scene where an exhausted Dad reminds an exhausted Mom that they’re going to make more of an effort to make a go of it could be informative and sweet. A post-therapy scene where a concerned boyfriend reminds his girlfriend that she doesn’t need to be afraid of closeness anymore can be compelling and transformative.  But to show a guy just being greedy and inconsiderate and a woman finding that hot is insulting to everyone.

The scene where the woman uses nothing but her tight dress and low cut shirt to distract/disarm the powerful dude.

What people intend to show with a scene like this: That everyone has an Achilles’ heel.

What people actually show with a scene like this: That they think men are simple automatons who have no ability to control themselves if they see lady skin.

But Aydrea! Some guys really don’t know how to control themselves when they see lady skin! Yes, you are correct. But in a film, this type of scene diminishes the stakes and gets boring. If all the woman needed to do was flash some flesh to get whatever McGuffin she’s after, then why are we watching an entire movie? Why doesn’t she just prance through life in a bikini taking money from stunned bystanders’ wallets, walking out of stores with unpaid merch, and slowly but surely rising to the rank of Supreme Ruler of all the World! By letting sex or sexuality be the secret weapon, characters don’t have to think, plan or grow. And that’s boring.

In summation:

A sex scene is just like every other scene in a movie. It should show us new information about the characters and it should directly affect the plot of the film. It should motivate character to new action and they should be changed, if even slightly, by having experienced that scene.

If a sex scene is inserted just to seem edgy or cool, it will feel flat, unnecessary and exploitative.

Just like actual sex, when it comes to writing about sex, the tension is often more interesting than the release. While it’s titillating (pun intended) to see nudity on screen, if you’re trying to evoke the kind of emotional reaction that will make a movie really resonate with audiences, not giving it all up is really the way to go. Enter a scene (pun intended) just before or just after the act and you’ve got a lot more to work with in terms of exploring character, defining relationships and maintaining momentum.

All right, you can bring the kids back in the room…

No, Wait!

Okay, what’s up?

But Aydrea! You really like Wedding Crashers and there’s unnecessary boobs in that movie! What gives?? Yes, you are correct. First, I think the boobs in that movie are totally unnecessary, but here’s why they’re not a total turn off. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are good guys in that movie. They have a silly game of crashing weddings, but they don’t do it to be malicious and they help everyone have a fun time when they’re there. In fact, in the opening sequence of that movie, the guys help a fighting couple reconcile. Yes, they help them ultimately so that they can get off of work for the day, but their help is sincere. Because they are well-intentioned guys, their playtime with the girls feels fun and playful, not manipulative, gross or creepy.

But Aydrea! You liked Blue Valentine and that movie is totally graphic! Yes, you are correct. That sequence, however, falls into the “we know this couple is really trying to work on their relationship” category. The whole film is pretty much about them trying to work on their relationship. That sequence is full of personality and fun (Future Room? Awesome) and we learn things about the characters based on their interactions.

But Aydrea! I don’t agree with anything you’ve said. I think these kinds of scenes are awesome and I want to write them anyway. I think you’re just being sensitive. Maybe because you’re a girl! Yes, you are correct. But you know who else is a girl? Many of the people you’re hoping will read, pass along and green light your scripts.

Whatever! There are movies with nudie scenes and I wanna put one in mine! There’s a myth about town that says that nudity gets you an automatic distribution deal. I can’t confirm what I’m about to say, but this cannot possibly be true.

But even if it is, nudity will likely also get you an R-rating. R-rated movies are a harder to monetize because fewer people can go see them and so fewer people pay for tickets to them. So being a bit more modest can actually help your box office.

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Want Some Cheese with that Whine?

(Or: 3 Ways to Make a Sad Story Sad)

Death. Disease. Destruction. These things are real bummers, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to have the impact you want them to in your script. It is necessary for less-than-ideal things to happen to your characters, but not all downer events are created equal.

In order to feel bad for characters, three things need to happen

1. We must know the character and care about them. This is not to say that we’re going to laugh when an unknown character gets a bad diagnosis, but without the proper set up and character development, bad news for a character can feel at best, unimpactful and at worst, manipulative. The bad news should feel specific—like something that we definitely don’t want to happen to THIS person.

A degenerative illness will feel like a bigger kick in the gut to a competitive athlete than it will be to a homebody. A sudden death of an up and coming star, scholar or leader will hurt more than the passing of a person who hasn’t done much nor aspires to. An agoraphobe forced to relocate because a tornado destroyed his house will invoke more of a reaction than the same situation happening to an executive who’s never at home anyway.

1. The bad news should feel organic to the story. While out-of-the blue events happen in real life all the time, these deus ex machinas often fall flat on film if they’re not supported.

If we haven’t met a character’s extended family in the first 75 minutes of your story, it won’t make us all that upset if we find out that their favorite aunt died in minute 76. If a character has put nothing on hold preparing for a promotion, we won’t bat an eye when we learn that the gig went to their coworker. If we’ve never spent time at a character’s summer home, it’ll barely register when that summer home is wiped out by a late season storm.

1. The bad news should affect a character on a physical level and an emotional level. Losing a job sucks, but it is completely possible to live off unemployment for a while and get a new job, so it’s not the end of the world. However, if the loss of a job means that a character has to move back home with their millionaire, superstar sibling and their controlling parents who never supported them in the first place, that character’s in a much more painful situation.

Chronic diseases are terrible. But it is possible to get medication, join a support group and have a perfectly normal life. However, if the illness is brought on by the unregulated drug the new patient invented and rushed to market…that really hits home for that person.

Getting trapped in a storm would put a damper on any road trip. But if a character gets trapped in a storm that’s just like the one that orphaned her when her parents had to drive through it to pick her up from camp because she wouldn’t stop crying…that takes the emotion up several levels.

Your audience wants to feel bad for your characters; they’re looking forward to empathizing with them. Make sure that you give them what they need so that they can.

Background Image: Pixomar / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We return to the topic of music in film once again with London based composer Ram Khatabakhsh. Ram discusses his passion for composing music for film and working as a composer for independent film. We also spend a fair amount of time talking about his beloved Casio keyboard.

Ram Khatabakhsh- Composer

Ram started playing the keyboard at the age of six – just to figure out the melody of his favourite songs and themes. His parents bought him a small Casio keyboard at the time. He continued to play on his keyboard as a hobby after school hours and learned to play his favourite songs by ear. By age of 11, he was attending private piano and music lessons and exploring multiple musical genres. At the age of 15, Ram began to compose his own music and was instantly captivated by this. His passion for film music was apparent from the early days. He attended Kingston University in London where he obtained his degree in music composition. In November 2008 Ram was commissioned to write orchestral music and had his music performed by Kingston Chamber Orchestra in public concert.  In June 2008 Ram had his music played and work shopped at Royal Academy of Music in London where he worked along side the conductor Christopher Austin and composer Philip Cashian. In November 2007 Ram’s music was performed in the South Bank Centre as part of the PLG Group season. Ram’s music is highly motivated by film music, as this is the greatest goal in his career. He has been working as a freelance composer for several feature film projects and has written music for number of online advertisements and commercials and short films.

Ram currently directs a music production company (Motion Sound Production) based at Pinewood Studios (UK) where he collaborates with directors and producers and works with a number of talented musicians and engineers.

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Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Q: Producing 10 minute short with filmmakers I met through a friend and wanted to know what type of insurance I would need for shooting in a friends home and/or a nursing home or commercial building. One day shoot with a cast and crew of about 10 people.  I want to make sure my production company, crew and the property are covered.

Huewilly via Film Method Mailbag

That’s a great question and there are plenty of options for this type of project.  Meaning, you can find another company to co-produce with you who has insurance, purchase short-term coverage or, if you plan to make many of these films within a year, you may consider purchasing an annual policy.

I am not an insurance agent so your best bet is to contact an insurance provider for a quote.  Don’t be intimidated, you do not have to purchase right then and there.  It’s like buying car insurance, you want to shop around and get the best coverage at the best rate for your project.  I will say this; most standard insurance companies do not handle film insurance.  It is a specific kind of insurance and if you are renting equipment from a rental house, you will typically need to cover a minimum of a million dollars just to be safe.  If you are not in Los Angeles, or another major filming hub like New York, chances are you are not going to be able to find coverage locally.  You’ll want to look in LA.  To cover everything you want to cover you’ll probably need liability and work comp.  If you are using union actors, you will go through a payroll company and you’ll want to look into their insurance policies as well.  That will all be explained by SAG.

When you call, you’ll need to know your budget (including how much you have to spend on insurance), how many people you need covered, what length of time and there will be a few other questions.  Don’t worry if you don’t know, just so that and research and get back to the person.

It can be complicated at first glance, but once you talk to the right insurance agent, he/she will be able to explain it better than I can.

Congrats on your shoot and I hope it all goes well.

Thanks for listening,

Jenna

Tom Vaughan- Writer/Development Executive

Tom Vaughan studied at the University of Houston with Broadway legend Jose Quintero and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Albee. It was his work as a writer and director in Houston theatre that got him recognized by Hollywood.

He was soon writing screenplays for, among others, Phoenix Pictures, Spelling Films, Rysher Entertainment, TNT, MTV Films, Castle Rock Entertainment, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers and Disney/Touchstone.

His productions include BLACKOUT with Jane Seymour for CBS, and CRITICAL ASSEMBLY with Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy, Knocked up) for NBC. He served as writer as well as Co-Producer on ATOMIC TWISTER with Sharon Lawrence and DEAD IN A HEARTBEAT with Penelope Anne Miller and Judge Reinhold, both for TBS. His feature film debut was UNSTOPPABLE, starring Wesley Snipes.  He just completed his directorial debut, PLAYING HOUSE, based on a script written with Kristy Dobkin. They are now full-time writing partners. Most recently they wrote HALLELUJAH together for acclaimed Japanese director Kazuika Kiriya (Casshern, Goemon).

He has been teaching screenwriting for nine years between Los Angeles and Houston and finds it as gratifying as actually practicing it. He is currently the Director of Development for the Los Angeles production company Dirty Robber.

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Abstract Block Background Image: Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Producing animated content is a much different process than producing live action. The concept of creating a whole world is the same, but in CG animation, every aspect of the production is created in a computer. The process is vast and very fascinating. Join us as we speak to animation producer, Ellen Coss about her experience in the world of CG art and animation.

Ellen Coss- Producer

Ellen Coss is a 25 year veteran in computer generated imagery, starting her career at the seminal Digital Productions.

In the 1980s feature films were not using computer imagery, but theme park attractions were.  Ellen spent 2 years at Universal Studios as the production manager of the film for Florida’s Universal Park Attraction “The Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera”. The film, a motion based race through three of Hanna Barbera’s cartoon worlds employed computer backgrounds and 2D characters, optically composited.  This was one of the first projects to combine 2D and 3D animation.

Ellen then joined Rhythm & Hues as a producer for theme park attraction films such as Seafari, which won first place at Imagina that year.  She later became the Executive Producer of the theme park division and was responsible for bringing in multi-million dollar projects to the studio.

As many of the projects she worked on became creative milestones in the industry, Disney Feature Animation brought her in to produce their theme park attraction films.  Magic Lamp, employed exaggerated squash and stretch techniques common in 2D but not common in cg, and Mickey’s Philharmagic, a stereoscopic film which took nine of Disney’s beloved 2D characters and created them in 3D.  It is currently playing at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando and is the number one audience rated attraction.

Ellen then joined Dreamworks, as a Production Executive, where she worked for a year on various studio initiatives.  Subsequently she was the Associate Producer on the feature film Over the Hedge, released in 2006.  Hedge was heralded by Jeffrey Katzenberg as the smoothest running production ever at Dreamworks Animation.  During a second stint at Dreamworks, Ellen produced the Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special, which aired on NBC and Secrets of the Masters, which was the companion DVD to Kung Fu Panda 2.

Seeing that overseas production was the wave of the future Ellen headed to Prana Studios, a 325 person animation studio with offices in Mumbai India and Los Angeles. As Head of Production Ellen contributed with her years of production pipeline experience as well as her new role as a voice in the process of the company developing their own I.P.  Prana is currently producing, as a 1/3 ownership partner, three direct to DVD features entitled Unstable Fables being distributed in 2008 by TWC.  Under Ellen’s direction all pre-production including script writing, storyboarding and visual development occurred in Los Angeles, with physical production currently taking place in India.

Ellen then got a call to produce The Tortoise and the Hippo at Walden Media with John Dykstra directing.  She developed the project for 7 months until it was put on hold because of the writer’s strike.

Ellen then provided producing consulting services for the animated feature Arthur Christmas an Aardman Animation film to be distributed by Sony.

Ellen’s reputation in the industry is one of an excellent executer, and a nurturing manager, as well as a supporter and contributor to the creative vision of all projects.  Her goal on every project is to produce an excellent creative product, on time and on budget and to have the people associated with the project feel that it was one of the best working experiences in their career.

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Writer types (myself included) often love basking in the glow from their sparkling, perfectly obscure, amazingly profound WORDS. Their characters say such amazing, impeccably-timed THINGS. They talk, Talk TALK their way through three acts, telling you not just the plot points you need to know, but also how untouchably brilliant the writer behind that masterpiece is.

Not that we don’t love the Sorkins and Codys of the world. But sometimes, it’s nice to give the words a break.

Hmmm, is it obvious that I watched the new silent film The Artist this week?

The Artist uses maybe 20 lines of spoken or written dialogue in its entire 100 minutes. And yet, despite the fact that we don’t hear crackling wit snapping back and forth between the characters, we always know exactly what’s going on, we’re on board with how characters are feeling and we get to delight in the visual medium that film is.

Without so many words, you get to delight in and focus on all the other ways to tell a story: what characters are wearing, their expressions or what artifacts are in their environments. Characters in fact, can often come to life much more when they are not resting on the crutch of words. Actions, in turn, get to be much more definite, clear and decisive when you don’t have someone in the shot narrating what we’re seeing anyway.

My two favorite sequences in one of my favorite movies, Children of Men, also have no dialogue. In fact, most of the third act of that movie is, apart from score and sound effects, silent. If you haven’t seen it, it’s amazingly powerful and nothing any character could say would do those moments justice.

There are so many moments in our own lives that are made powerful not by the clever turn of phrase someone threw together at just the right second, but by what they didn’t say, by what email didn’t come, by who wasn’t at the party, or who was, or the way they just turned away when you showed up and made eye contact. A point, a smile, a frown, a tear, a step away from you, or a subtle scoot toward you, a kiss, a stumble, a something left behind when they thought they had cleaned up all the evidence…these types of things often speak loudly and clearly without using words at all.

Just for fun, try rewriting a scene or two of your latest screenplay without just half the dialogue, or if you’re feeling up to it, no dialogue at all and see how it changes the scene, or the piece entirely.

Thank you for your time this week. In honor of the topic, I’m gonna shut up now.

Billie M, Los Angeles

With the holidays upon us, it’s an opportune time to network as there are parties galore. But, if you are living in Los Angeles (and I’m sure this rings true in other places, just on a smaller scale) there are networking opportunities daily all year around. It’s really important that you get out there and meet people in your industry. It’s an industry built on who you know after all. A few tips to keep in mind:

1. Always have business cards. There is no excuse not to have a business card and if you don’t have them, people may not take you as seriously. If you don’t put what you do on the card, make sure you are able to write on the card so that you or the person you’re talking to can write it down.
2. Don’t be afraid of networking. When I first came to LA, I thought networking was so slimy and impersonal until I realized that it’s really all about getting to meet people. Don’t go into it thinking “what can that person do for me”, go into it thinking “what can I do for them” or “cool, I get meet a new person”. If your intentions are good, you will usually have a good time.
3. If you are bad at meeting and talking to people, practice! It is part of your job to interact with people. You are in a collaborative field after all.
4. Invite a friend along who is good at networking and pay attention.
5. Have Fun! It’s contagious and who doesn’t want to be around someone who is having fun?

I hope you are successful at meeting new people, welcome to LA and Happy Holidays!

Time is precious in a screenplay, so you want to get as much contextual information (not expositional information) out as quickly as possible. In order to understand your story, the audience will need to know a decent amount about each character’s personality almost immediately.

The wrong way to do this is to have another character provide spoken exposition like the following. Imagine this scene is the first scene in a movie.

INT. AMANDA’S OFFICE – DAY

AMANDA (30s) sits at her desk. Co-worker DARCI enters.

DARCI
Hey Amanda, since you are too busy and shy to meet anyone since your recent and painful breakup from Mark who works downstairs, I thought I’d invite you to a party tonight. You’ll probably freak out at all the people there since you have social anxiety, but I want to help you since I know that deep down, you really do want to connect with someone.

You will not want to watch the rest of this movie.

The dialogue above is boring, on the nose and takes all the fun out of discovering who a character is.

Following are are five effective ways to introduce your characters to the audience without spelling it out for them. Imagine each example describes the first time we see a character in a movie and notice how much information you can learn without having someone directly say who the character is, what they care about or what they want.

We’ll look at each method with the following characters:
Johnna is a focused and dedicated athlete.
Terri is a fiery and successful politician.
Amanda is sweet, shy and kind of a loner.

Show the character in a situation or environment where they are comfortable.
A character’s positive or relaxed reaction to their environment will tell the audience that this is where they belong, that these are the things that make them happy and, per screenplay logic, the world that will be yanked out from under them later in the movie. You could get a lot of mileage by showing:

Johnna:
• Happily crossing the finish line of a race many seconds ahead of the other competitors.
• Tossing yet another medal onto a pile of trophies
• Doing an ordinary task in an incredibly athletic way.

Terri:
• Shaking hands at an election event
• Posing for pictures in front of festive bunting
• Hotly debating her barista Lincoln-Douglas style over the benefits of soy vs. nonfat milk in their coffee and earning thunderous applause for her position.

Amanda:
• Happily making a reservation for one at a restaurant
• Engrossed in a book in the company break room while everyone around her chats with each other.
• Doing yoga, bird watching or a crossword on her secluded back porch

Show the character in a situation where they are uncomfortable
By showing us what makes a character uncomfortable, we get a different, but equally as informative view on who they are. You would learn a lot about our characters by seeing:

Johnna:
• Frustratedly coaching beginning athletes who are unable to keep up with her regimen
• Slowly walking a 10K for charity with her aging grandfather.
• Arguing with a teacher who doesn’t believe in ranking students by giving them grades, scores or competitions

Terri:
• Working with a deaf coworker who can’t hear her ranting
• Getting restless at a stoic, quiet event like a funeral or classical music performance
• Yelling at the TV while members of the opposing political party are talking about perfectly reasonable points.

Amanda:
• Breaking into a cold sweat while trying to give a speech
• Getting startled when strangers politely speak to her on the street
• Trying to hide on a cramped bus full of her rowdy family on their way to a reunion.

Show Us the Character’s Environment
It’s not always necessary to use other characters or dialogue to help define your character. An audience could get a pretty good idea of who they’re about to meet if they see:

Johnna:
• A state of the art gym
• An extensive trophy collection
• A race track just after a race with foot prints and an awards podium still on the field.

Terri:
• A campaign office filled with posters
• A line of cars in a motorcade
• The UN building

Amanda
• A simple and sparsely furnished home
• A hidden garden, beach or park
• The exterior of an office building with only one office light on

Show Us an Object Meaningful to the Character
Almost everyone has an item or two in their possession that defines or illustrates who they are. Giving these kinds of objects to characters helps define and illustrate them for audiences. Imagine what people might learn if they see these characters holding, looking at, putting away or taking out:

Johnna:
• A gold medal
• Well-worn boxing gloves, baseball mitts or knee pads
• A leg brace that she puts on reluctantly

Terri:
• An historic coin
• A picture of her with the President
• A newspaper with a scandalous headline

Amanda:
• A nearly full journal
• A pair of state of the art noise-cancelling headphones that she keeps at work
• A thank you note written on and sealed in beautiful stationery.

Make the Character’s First Line of Dialogue in the Script Emblematic
The first thing a character says should tell us something about them. Instead of just taking up space in the scene, that first line of dialogue should pull the audience into the character’s point of view immediately. Here are some examples of lines that might do that.
Johnna
• “What do you mean I didn’t win?”
• “I’m only on mile 67, I’ll have to call you back.”
• “I don’t walk cramps off, I scare them off.”
Terri
• “I think I’d prefer them to call me ‘Mr.’ President.”
• “While I appreciated the arguments presented, you may still not attend the sleepover as our family vacation will take precedence.”
• “If he says yes to the bill send a flower basket or beer of the month membership or something. If he says no send him to hell.”
Amanda
• “No…but thank you! I appreciate it, but I shouldn’t…can’t…. I have a … thing…”
• “Can I get three tickets for this flight in a row together…No, just one passenger.”
• Opens her mouth to talk, but can’t get words out—only quiet squeaks. Her coworkers walk away uncomfortably.

Craig T.  via Film-Method.com

I have noticed this as well and it can be a dangerous practice to get in to if you haven’t thought it all the way through. For some forms such as commercials, it might be a great thing.  But, for film, it is not a good idea to have your main editor cutting things together on set.

If you do decide it’s a good idea to cut dailies together on set, then I suggest having an assistant or 2nd editor who does that while keeping your main editor away from this part of the process.

This could actually be very helpful because you can make sure that you are getting all the shots you will need in order to cut the film together.  However, if you have done your due diligence in pre-production and you have a competent Director, DP and Script Supervisor then you should be fine.  People are people and mistakes do happen, but they can happen even if you’re editing on set.

It is a great idea to be sending your main editor all the footage as you go (this is what’s called “editing behind camera) so that they can get it all arranged and be working on their first cut while filming is still taking place.  But, it is important to keep the editor clear from any outside influence in regard to the edit.  What I mean by that is; if an editor is on set with you and knows it took 12 hours for you to get that one shot but the shot isn’t serving the film at all in the edit, what’s to keep him from leaving the shot in the edit?

The editor’s only focus should be on telling the story and it is your job as a producer to make sure they are not unduly influenced.

Jason Brubaker- Producer/Author

Jason Brubaker is a Hollywood based Independent Motion Picture Producer and an expert in Video On Demand distribution. He is focused on helping YOU make, market and sell movies more easily by growing your fan base, building buzz and creating community around your title.

Jason is a contributing author of The Independent’s Guide to Film Distributors, he is the founder of Filmmaking Stuff, a professional resource for independent filmmakers, and his articles on independent movie marketing, distribution and film production have been featured in The Independent, the New York Film Academy and Movie Maker Magazine.

Brubaker has has lectured on these subjects to filmmakers from around the globe through various filmmaking seminars, panel discussions and workshops. www.freefilmmakingbook.com
www.moviesalestool.com
www.modernmoviemaking.com

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November 29, 2011

A good producer knows his/her strengths and more importantly, they know their weaknesses.  Why do I think knowing your weaknesses is more important than knowing your strengths?  I don’t if you really think about it, because, knowing your weaknesses is a huge strength.  It allows you to fill in the gaps creating a stronger team and therefore a stronger production.

When I first started, I didn’t know the first thing about giving script notes. I knew what I liked and what I didn’t like and was very good at pointing out what I didn’t like. But I was not good at pointing out why I didn’t like something. Because I knew my weaknesses, I was able to find producers who were strong in the area of script notes. Through surrounding myself with others who had that skill set, I was able to learn and develop my own skills at giving script notes. If someone were to come up to me right now and ask me what my weaknesses were, I would be able to list them right now.  But, then I would also be able to tell them who I have surrounded myself with to balance those weaknesses out.

We are all imperfect and no one is good at everything, therefore, it is important for you to know your strengths and weaknesses in order to fill in the gaps.

Karl Hirsch- Editor

Karl Hirsch is an award-winning picture editor, post-production supervisor, and trailer producer/editor. His boutique post-production company, HirschFilm, opened in 2003.

Karl has worked on films such as For the Love of Money (James Caan, Oded Fehr, Edward Furlong, Delphine Chaneac), Officer Down (Sherilyn Fenn, Casper Van Dien), Fist of the Warrior (Ho-Sung Pak, Peter Greene, Michael Dorn), The Third Wish (Betty White, Jenna Mattison, Armand Assante), Frame of Mind (Chris Noth, Tony LoBianco, Barbara Barrie).  His films have been released by Lionsgate, Echo Bridge Entertainment, Phase-4 Films, Freestyle Media, Lifetime Television, Movieola, FunnyOrDie.com, Mini-Movie Channel, and Warner Brothers Video-On-Demand.

Other editing and post-production credits include Stuart Gordon’s King of the Ants, starring Daniel Baldwin and Kari Wuhrer; Paul Carafotes’ Club Soda, starring James Gandolfini, Joe Mantegna and Louis Gossett Jr.; bio-fuel documentary feature Gashole: Killer Movie, starring Kaley Cuoco and Paul Walker; The Tub, starring Melora Hardin and Dedee Pfeiffer; and HBO Films’ If These Walls Could Talk 2.

Karl has also produced and edited hundreds of trailers, promos and sizzle reels.  Recent work includes Lasse Hallström’s Hachi: A Dog’s Story, starring Richard Gere; 2nd Take, starring Sarah Jones and Tom Everett Scott; theatrical advertisements for the documentary screening series Something to Talk About; Smother (Liv Tyler & Diane Keaton) for Inferno and Variance Films; Jim Isaac’s action/thriller Pig Hunt; and promotional material for The Grammy Awards.  He has also produced sizzle reels for musical acts Il Divo, Bowling For Soup, and Good Charlotte.  Karl was nominated for a Golden Trailer Award in 2002, and was a Telly Award winner in 2008 and 2010.  The short thriller Clown was awarded “Best Editing” by the International Sci-Fi and Horror Film Festival in October 2005.

Karl is also a producer of English dubs of foreign-language features.  Credits include Gen (Turkey), Wolfhound (Russia), and the animated features Goat Story (Czech Republic) and Space Dogs 3D (Russia). Karl’s client roster includes Inferno Entertainment, Epic Pictures, The Recording Academy (The Grammys), Yahoo!, KidZania, Octagon Worldwide, Brainstorm Media, Siegel+Gale, Helio/Virgin Mobile, Future Engine, THINKFilm, VMI Worldwide, and Cutler Enterprises.  He was featured in Paul Osborne’s documentary feature Official Rejection, and in Kim Adelman’s book The Ultimate Filmmaker’s Guide to Making Short Films. He has guest-lectured at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona, Film Independent in Los Angeles, and has spoken on film festival panels in Victoria BC, Austin, and Phoenix.

Karl and his wife Lauren have written three monster movies together, made a short film about hiccups, and are currently producing a series of childrens radio plays.

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Q: What should you keep in mind before writing your first screenplay?

Question from EYESthatHEAR on Facebook

1. Screenwriting is a marathon, not a sprint. Sure, there are some prodigies who can whip out a perfectly formed first draft, but most professional writers will spend months or even years on a script before they plug every plot hole, smooth every character arc and crystallize every line. Be prepared to be in it for the long haul.

2. You are writing a character’s story, not your story. Even if you are writing a story based on your life or the life of someone you know, you will need to give your character their own existence. They shouldn’t do, feel, think or say things simply because you do, feel, think or say those things. Your character needs their own motivations, reactions, faults and desires.

Even stories about famous people are rewritten for dramatic effect. Most people’s lives don’t naturally fit into a three-act structure, so even if you’re basing the story on a personal story, you will have to embellish or even create some details to make a story work.

3. Structure supports your story. Songwriters need to understand music theory to make songs work. Car designers need to understand engine mechanics so they make sure there’s room for one in their latest concept vehicle. Architects need to understand structural principals so that their buildings don’t fall down. Surgeons need to understand how cells interact with each other so they don’t kill their patients.

The same concept goes for screenwriting. In order to make a story work, you have to understand what the parts of a story are, how they work together, where they should fall and why they’re important. Otherwise, you may have a whole bunch of scenes, but not necessarily a working screenplay.

4. Writing a screenplay, selling a screenplay and producing a screenplay are very different things, so know what your end goal is. If you just want to write for the joy of writing, then have at it. If you want to sell your screenplay, finishing the script is only about 50% of the work—because next you’ll have to make and nurture the connections that will lead to a sale. If you want to produce your screenplay, you should make sure that what you’re writing is within your production capabilities—i.e. unless you have access to lots and lots of capital, maybe figure out another way to do that explosion on the moon sequence.

5. You’re in good company. Writing a screenplay is difficult work, but the good news is that lots of people have done it before you. There are plenty of blogs and websites (like this one) that can give you good, solid advice. There are produced writers (like this one) who can mentor you along the way. And there are hundreds of thousands of movies to watch to keep you inspired and writing!

Brandie D.  St. Louis, MO

I’m glad you asked this question Brandie because I feel like it might be one of those questions that a lot of people don’t know the answer to, but are too afraid to ask.  I didn’t know what base camp was until I had done a couple of films early on in my career as an actor.

Base camp is the location or area set up where everyone gathers away from the actual set.  It’s like the conference room in an office building if you will.  It is the area where you set up your craft service table, have your walkie station, have some tables set up for people to take a seat for a minute, it might be where you hold extras, etc.  The reason for base camp is so that you have a place for people to gather when they are not needed on set.  If you are shooting at a convenience store for example, you probably wouldn’t have enough room for all of this to be staged inside the building (unless there is an entirely different room) because you will be seeing everything in the shot.  So, you would probably set up base camp in the parking area.

Sometimes, base camp is a drive away from where the actual filming is taking place.  An example of this would be if you are shooting on a large ranch and power for base camp is near the house on the ranch but your actually filming the scenes off in the woods somewhere, you would set up base camp near the house and drive people to the location where shooting is occurring.

The reason base camp is so important is that this is the area the cast and crew come to eat, check in for the day and get their assignments, have the daily meeting, ask any questions of production they might have, grab their walkies, etc.  If you are filming on the side of a road or off in the woods or at a location too small for the entire crew to fit, then you need this area as a gathering place.  It is important to have it to keep order and let everyone know what’s going on.

That is what we are talking about when we talk about Skye Rentals.  I love these guys because they provide everything you would need to have a successful base camp.  I know it sounds silly, but having a table and chairs and some tents or heat lamps makes all the difference in the world to how professional your shoot looks and feels.  It may not seem important, but if your crew knows you took enough time to set up a base camp that has at least the basics, they are going to understand that you take your job seriously and they will treat the production a little more professionally and that will show up on screen.

Noor Ahmed- Producer’s Rep

Mr. Ahmed began his career in Ohio working as a production coordinator on various television commercials and indie feature films. Before leaving for Los Angeles, he worked on the indie feature Blue Car which premiered at the Sundance film festival and was released by Miramax.

After moving from Ohio, Mr. Ahmed worked at New Line Cinema on various productions including Son of the Mask, Freddy vs. Jason, and Dumb and Dumber 2. Following his time at New Line, Mr. Ahmed worked as an Associate Producer on the PBS documentary, California and the American Dream, a four part series that received a national broadcast in the U.S. After leaving PBS, Mr. Ahmed worked for the distribution company Roadside Attractions traveling to various film festivals as their Acquisitions Coordinator. During his time at Roadside Attractions the company acquired several high level indie films including Supersize Me and What the Bleep Do You Know. Mr. Ahmed left Roadside Attractions to join Reder & Feig where he worked with the firm as a paralegal on films including, Brick, Thank You for Smoking, La Misma Luna, Southland Tales, and other indie features (full list on IMDb) before becoming the firms in-house Producer Rep.

Reder & Feig’s Website

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1.  That is a bunch of malarkey!  Depending on the scope of your project, crowd funding can be an amazing way to raise money for it.  I do not recommend trying to raise millions of dollars, but who is to say that wouldn’t work as well.  In the interest of full disclosure, I have not used crowd funding to fund any of my projects, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t and I know plenty of people who have and their sets were run professionally and their projects looked fantastic.  Some even got great distribution deals.  So, if you are going to go out and raise money via crowd funding, I say go for it!  The key is to know your project and raise enough funds in order to make the experience for the crew and cast enjoyable, make sure you can get the equipment, locations, cast, crew, etc that will make your project look great, treat everyone with respect and gratitude and by all means, let them know what they are getting in to before they sign up.  If they are aware up front of the scope of the project and you have done your best to set yourself up to succeed then there should be no reason the cast and crew wouldn’t be happy to work on it.

2.  The most frustrating thing about this person’s post (aside from the discouraging manner in which he wrote it) is that this person is a consultant for producers.  To my knowledge, this person has not produced anything!  He does not have an IMDb page to speak of (yes, I understand that not all films get put on IMDb but it is the job of the producer to get those credits up there) and whenever you ask this person what they do, they are very vague and they change the subject and just say that they are a consultant.  I do not want to discourage anyone from doing what they love and if consulting is what this person loves, then great.  BUT, I do discourage fraud and at this point, that’s how I feel about what this person is doing.  For all of you just starting in the business, please do not say you are a producer, writer, director, editor, etc., until you have done that job.  I know, this may sound harsh and it is counter intuitive for those of us who have always been told to own what we are doing.  But, you can say, “I am an aspiring producer, writer, director, etc” or “I am studying to be a producer, writer, director, etc”.  Then get out there and make a short film, music video, web series, something that allows you to have done said job.  Then you can claim that title. Don’t start giving discouraging advice on jobs you haven’t done.  This business is tough enough and I can’t stand it when people make discouraging comments on things they don’t know about.  I may be harsh in my advice sometimes, but it is always coming from a place of love and encouragement.  Keep pursuing your dreams and never give up.  If it’s your true passion, then it will be yours one day.  Be patient and don’t put the cart before the horse and by all means, crowd fund away if that’s what you want to do.

Andrew Robinson- Director

Andrew Robinson’s career in Hollywood began eight years ago creating advertising and marketing campaigns for some of the industry’s biggest films and television shows. Upon graduating from The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California Robinson took a job at BLT & Associates working for clients such as ABC, TNT and CNN. Robinson left BLT and went to work for Shoolery Design and their primary client CBS, helping with the launch of the hugely successful CSI: Miami for Jerry Bruckheimer.

Following his time at Shoolery, Robinson worked for Crew Creative Advertising in their theatrical advertising department. During his first three years at Crew Creative, Robinson worked on various hit films, including Harry Potter, Superman, Jarhead, The Island, Rambo 4, Happy Feet, Dodgeball and The Dukes of Hazzard to name a few.

Robinson returned to television advertising as co-creative director of the newly formed Network Department at Crew Creative. While serving as the department’s co-creative director, Robinson oversaw the launch of TNT’s The Closer, Tyler Perry’s House of Pain, A&E’s Mad Men, and FX’s Dirt and Rescue Me, among others.

Robinson’s advertising and film work has been seen all over the world and has been covered by The Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, LA Times, CNN, Fox, KTLA and more.

During his five years at Crew Creative, Robinson found time to write and direct the feature film, April Showers starring Kelly Blatz (Disney’s Aaron Stone), Daryl Sabara (Spy Kids), Illeana Douglas (To Die For) and Tom Arnold (True Lies). April Showers was released by Warner Brothers in the spring of 2011.
Currently, Robinson is hard at work on his next film Love in Training, which will begin production in 2012.

Andrew Robinson’s Website

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A fractal is geometric shape that can be broken apart into infinitely smaller versions of itself. They look like this:

Photo by Idea go.

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

They show up in land formations, on some animals, in lightning and in frost patterns. They should show up in your screenplays.

How does a screenplay work like a snowflake, you ask? Well, apart from the fact that it’s unique and its existence requires you to often be cold and transient, the 3-act structure that guides your whole screenplay should also guide each scene.

Your characters should be different at the end of your screenplay than they are at the beginning. At the beginning of your movie, an inciting incident forces the character to act. At the first act turn, they should make a choice that fundamentally changes their trajectory. At the end of the second act, they should, because of their own actions, be at their worst so that they can be redeemed by making a new set of choices through the third act.

Each scene should work this way as well.

The changes and choices will be on a smaller scale, but the same emotional movement should apply.

Your character should be different at the end of each scene than they are at the beginning. If they are not different in some way that means that they’re not changing. And that’s boring. If your character is happy at the beginning of a scene and then, regardless of what happens, is happy at the end of the scene, that indicates that either nothing happened or that your character doesn’t have the ability to react to things that are happening. Also, if your character isn’t changing from scene to scene, then it is unlikely that they will be able to change as a person when you look at the whole screenplay.

Each scene should have an inciting incident—something that makes this scene necessary. Whether your character is answering a phone call, introducing themselves to a new customer or planning how they’re going to jump off a bridge, there must be something new that is happening that your character is reacting to.

Your character should take action. Even if the character chooses to be inactive, the character must do something. The character can choose to answer the phone…or not. They can choose to be nice to the customer, ask the customer a question or throw food in the customer’s face. Or they can use tripadvisor to find the perfect bridge.

Something must happen in each scene that is new or different. The phone call can be from someone unexpected, or from someone expected but who’s delivering unexpected news. The customer can deliver a present, detonate a bomb or propose. All the bridges in the country, your character learns, have been washed away.

Your character must have a physical and emotional reaction. They may hang up the phone, call the police on the customer or decide to start building their own bridge. Whatever they do, they must feel differently at the end of the scene than they did at the beginning. If they were happy before the phone call, they must now be embarrassed or defensive or scared. If they were bored before the customer, they must now be titillated or sad. If they were content before the bridge searching, they must now be determined or vengeful. Whatever the change is, it needs to happen so that the larger change can happen by the end of the screenplay.

After making over a dozen short films, the Vegan Cannibals are gearing up for a full feature film, Go To Hell. Fans of their work know their style as outrageous, visually striking, sometimes gory but always entertaining and thought-provoking.

Their short ‘The Diary of Anne Frank of the Dead was a hit on the horror film festival circuit, taking Best Short Short Film at the DragonCon International Film Festival 2008 and was chosen by Dread Central (www.DreadCentral.com) as one of 8 Short Films to Die For in 2009.

Rationed, a suspenseful, thriller won Best Picture at the Inland Empire 48 Hour Film Project 2009 and went on to place 3rd overall in the International competition.  It was selected to play at Cannes International Film Festival in 2010. And is currently being featured on www.ScariestMoviesOnline.com.

Go To Hell is written by Emerson Bixby (writer of Disturbed) and directed Scott Baker.  It follows groups of individuals as their story lines converge in a demonically possessed old movie theater. Featuring non-stop horror-comedy action, it is sure to please any horror hound and fan of outrageous cinema.

The Vegan Cannibals are independently producing the film so as not to be constrained by the oversight of studios or investors, enabling them to make the film true to their vision. They are reaching out to the horror community and lovers of independent cinema to help them fund their project.  Through Kickstarter (Go To Hell Kickstarter Page) they are looking to raise the intial funds necessary to build the FX and start the production. They are offering incentives to those willing to donate and are appreciative of any help.

Further information about the Vegan Cannibals can be found on their site www.VeganCannibals.com and you can follow director Scott Baker on Twitter @MrScottyBaker.

Scott Baker, a native of Northern California, received a degree in History from Sonoma State University and served in the United States Peace Corps from 2000-2001 in Turkmenistan.  He co-founded Vegan Cannibals Productions with Philip Stimmell in 2002.  Their first film, Brunch of the Dead was a feature-length zombie-comedy. Since re-locating to Riverside they have done several award-winning short films, including Rationed which screened at the 2010 Cannes Short Film Corner and 2 episodes for their new series Findings (think Ghosthunters meets Reno911!). Scott’s film Rationed was 2nd runner-up in the world finals of 48 Hour Film Project, aka, Filmapalooza as part of the NAB Show in Las Vegas. The film was also selected for a showcase at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival (Short Film Corner Marche du Film).

Anthony Gore-Post Production Supervisor

I have been the Executive in Charge of Post Production for the independent film production company, The Bubble Factory for over 11 years.  Most notably on the films: Playing Mona Lisa (2000), Bad Girls From Valley High (2005), The Devil’s Tomb (2009) and Creature (2011).  My other post production credits include the Adult Swim hit TV series Childrens Hospital and the cult classic television show, Sordid Lives: The Series, as well as the critically acclaimed independent films, West Of Brooklyn and Revolution Green. Currently I am supervising the independent film For The Love Of Money starring James Caan. I am a graduate of Rutgers University and I am an active member of the Motion Picture Editor’s Guild and Producer’s Guild of America.

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Jon Reiss- Producer/Author

Named one of “10 Digital Directors to Watch” by Daily Variety, Jon Reiss is a critically acclaimed filmmaker whose experience releasing his most recent documentary feature, Bomb It with a hybrid strategy was the inspiration for writing Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution in the Digital Era, the first step-by-step guide for filmmakers to distribute and market their films.  In that book he created the concept of the Producer of Marketing and Distribution (PMD) in order create a new crew member who would be in charge of a film’s audience engagement and release.

As a consultant, Reiss is unique as one of the only filmmakers who works with other filmmakers throughout the world helping them devise strategies to release their films.  Reiss has worked with IFP, the Sundance Institute, Screen Australia, Film Independent, Creative Scotland, The South Australian Film Corporation and numerous film schools and festivals to devise ways to educate and help independent filmmakers in the new economic landscape.  He has conducted over a dozen TOTBO Workshops over three continents in the last year and is the year round distribution and marketing mentor at the IFP Filmmaker Labs. He also teaches at the Film Directing Program at Cal Arts.

Reiss is working on two more book projects: the first is devoted to the PMD, the second book takes the structure of distribution and marketing outlined in TOTBO and applies it to all the art forms. Reiss is also a regular contributor to Indiewire, Tribeca Future of Film, Sundance Artists Services, Hope for Film and other publications.

For more information go to: www.jonreiss.com

FB: www.facebook.com/reiss.jon

Twitter: www.twitter.com/Jon_Reiss

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As you work on your screenplay, you will notice that your characters will need to be somewhere. Whatever is happening from scene to scene, it must happen in a location that the people in your movie can populate. And since your characters are going to be stuck in these places, why not make those places interesting!

The locations in which your characters appear should not just provide shelter from the elements and a place to hide the boom mic. They should tell us as much about your characters as their dialogue does, they should surprise us and they should provide pressure, inspiration and/or motivation for your characters.

Any location can go from being just a set to being a place unique to your character and story. Even if the location is someplace relatively simple like a bedroom, office or bar, it should still give us additional information about the people we are watching. Why did your character choose this bedroom, office or bar? What specific things are in those places that make your character feel at home…or feel uncomfortable? What photographs, art or random oddity is on the walls, shelves or floor that inform this story? Or, is it a location that your character doesn’t mesh with? What’s in the place that lets us know that? How does your character blend in to or stand out from this location?

Try this to build your locations the same way you build your characters: Think of an office. Let me guess, there’s a big window, a sizeable desk and some sort of Aeron Chair? Nothing wrong with that, but nothing exciting either, what can you do to that office to make it as memorable as your story? Are the walls a strange color? Was it decorated by a hippie? A robot? A child? A prison designer? (Don’t laugh, my dorm was designed by a prison designer. When we were told that, it made a lot of things about the space make much more sense).

Is the window too big or too small, or does it have windows at all? Is the chair one of those kneeling chairs, maybe a yoga ball or is the desk a standing desk? Is the room in disrepair? Is there a friendly spider that lives in one corner that no one has bothered to clear away? Are the plants in good shape or do they all (like every plant I’ve ever touched) have one starkly dead frond that signals its imminent doom? What was in that office before it belonged to your character? A school? A drug ring? A nursery?

While you don’t want to get overly clever and take your viewers out of the story, think of ways to make your location unexpected. For example, if your character is in someplace typically messy like a construction site, is there a way to make the site unusually clean? Or vice versa. If your character is in a typically sterile environment like a hospital, is there a way to make it messy? Are they in a cave that’s bizarrely brightly lit? Or on a porch that was built so that it can’t get any sun? Inside of a sauna whose motor has broken so it’s cold or a walk in freezer that’s malfunctioning so it’s hot?

You should also look at how changing a location changes the feel, importance, urgency or meaning of the scene. I had a director take an argument scene I wrote that was originally set in a car and set it in a guest bathroom during a party. The actors suddenly had way more pressure on them than I gave them and the scene sparkled to life in a whole new way.

What can you do to put your characters someplace where what they’re doing matters in a new way? What’s going on just outside or just off screen of where your characters are? If it is a scene with coworkers, are they at an awkward team-building event instead of the break room? Stuck in a long elevator ride? Locked out on the balcony of an office they weren’t supposed to be in? Participating in a fire drill?

And once you get away from typical locations, you can have even more fun. Are they backstage at a play that has alternately loud and soft scenes? Maybe they’re hired killers practicing at a firing range on the same day that a soccer mom meetup is there? Breaking up during a hot air balloon ride?

These things should not be done at the expense of your story. If your character needs to be in a typical location with typical features, leave her there. Chances are, however, you can take a few chances with location details and make your story even more memorable.

Aleisha Gore via facebook

There is no one-way to attach talent and attaching talent can be a daunting task.  The one thing you must have is a good script. It helps if it’s not your director’s first film and if you have some work you can show the agent.

The standard process is to send your script around to agents and have them read it and see if it’s right for their talent.  If you can go through the manager you may have an easier time of it but getting people you don’t know to read your script is a challenge. I know this sounds pretty gloomy, but I just want you to be prepared.  I have sent out scripts from directors that have worked with pretty big names and it’s still a challenge to get a response. There are a couple of things you can do to hedge your bet though.

1.   NETWORK.   You may be thinking “but how do I network with Brad Pitt?” and my answer would be, you probably don’t. But, you might network with his agent or assistant or know someone who knows someone he is close with. You may also know someone who has worked with the talent you’re looking to attach and don’t even know that they struck up a great relationship on set and are now buddies (contrary to popular opinion, people who have the actual relationships with the stars don’t go around bragging about it) so mention your desired talent to everyone you can think of without being obnoxious about it.

2.   BE PROFESSIONAL.  This may seem like a no-brainer, but I am not just talking about showing up for meetings on time and answering your phone properly (very important things BTW), I am talking about having a well put together script and a well put together plan. Why are you planning to attach this talent? Meaning, are you doing it just because their name is Brad Pitt? Have you put any thought into what the actor might get out of it? If you haven’t, then you should not approach them until you can answer these questions and have a well thought out, professional plan including a script that has been read by people other than your mom or best friends, a script that is well formatted and a script that has been proof read for spelling and grammar.

3.   HAVE THE MONEY.  Using an actor as an attachment in order to raise money is a very common practice in this business.  However, if you have a great script, have done some networking and have a plan you might not need an actor attached to raise the money. Sometimes newer filmmakers make the mistake of attaching talent too soon and/or attaching the wrong talent for the role and project. If you can raise the money before casting it will give you a lot more to work with. If you know how much you are wanting for an actor, you can always raise just that amount and do a pay or play deal with the talent. That means they get the money whether the film is made or not.

4.   CONSULT. Make sure if you are looking to attach talent that you consult with a professional. Someone who works in distribution and knows what “names” are actually worth attaching early on. You would be surprised who actually moves the needle when it comes to sales.  Also, the talent that means something to a US audience might mean very little to a foreign audience and the bulk of your sales money will be foreign.

Whether you attach name talent before hand or during, the most important thing is making sure you cast people who are right for the role and who will benefit the project.

Shaun Burdick- Sound Editor

Shaun Burdick is a Los Angeles based Sound Designer. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design’s MFA program, he got his start working on Jamil Walker Smith’s directorial debut Make a Movie Like Spike… as the film’s Dialogue Editor. For the past ten years he has leant his talents as a designer and mixer to various theatrical productions and independent films around the country.  His most recent credits have included Re-recording Mixer on the independent documentary Empty Hand: The Real Karate Kids, Sound Designer for The Night Shift, TV pilot Jalama Beach, Mother’s Red Dress, Of Silence and additional audio design on the video game Supremacy MMA. In February 2011 he was nominated for the MPSE Verna Field Award for his sound design work on the short film En Route. Currently Shaun is serving as the Sound Designer/Re-Recording Mixer for the independent feature 29000 Wishes. 1 Regret.

www.burdicksound.com

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Mike J. – Lincoln, NE

Wow, we are getting good questions lately.  I love it!  I love this one in particular because it allows me to warn people ahead of time that when you come to LA (even if you’ve been here before and come back) you are going to have to work for free for a while in order to establish yourself. It’s just a fact of this business.

This business is so intense with the 12+ hour work days, working in close proximity, and the large amounts of money spent in such a short burst of time (even if it seems small on paper, it’s still a large amount of blood, sweat and tears). It makes this business different from a typical company. Because it is so intense, you don’t have the luxury of hiring someone and trying them out only to let them go if it doesn’t work out. Sure, the interning thing is about paying your dues, but it’s really more about filmmakers being able to vet people before getting caught up in a lot of paperwork. There are a lot of people in this business and yet it is a really small community. It’s important to look at it this way, if you were a producer crewing up a project, would you choose to hire and pay for someone that you just met with a bunch of projects on their resume that you don’t know from Adam? Or, would you choose to hire someone who is new, but has worked for you in the past, shown up, been enthusiastic while doing his/her job and is trust worthy and reliable? I’m going to say that you will choose the latter. Since there are so many variables when making a film, you want to be strategic about choosing the most responsible production crew to position yourself for the best possible film shoot. So, expect to work for free and frankly work just as hard if not harder when you’re working for free because your reputation will proceed itself and you will get paid jobs faster than those who are not willing to work for free.

Now on to this lawsuit, to which I say, are you kidding me?  This lawsuit makes me so angry. The plaintiffs in this case have done themselves (and other potential interns) such a disservice by being greedy and taking NO responsibility for their own choices. Now, I don’t know all the details of the lawsuit so if they had it in their contracts that they would get paid if the movie sold, that’s another story. BUT, if it is a straight up internship then they need to take responsibility for the fact that they said YES and CHOSE to do the internship for FREE. Just because the movie did well doesn’t mean that should change.  Besides that, how many people starting out in this business would have died to have a film like BLACK SWAN on their resume? I know I would have. They were a part of a film that people actually know the name of. They could have taken personal responsibility for the fact that they agreed to be non-paid interns on this film and parlayed that into paid work. Instead they are wasting everyone’s time by suing AND making producers nervous about bringing on interns in the future.

To sum it up, you should expect to work for free (think of it as free film school) and do it happily. It will NOT be forever so know when you are at the point of taking the next step to saying no to unpaid work. Learn to network with those you are working with so that you will get brought on to future project. And, most importantly, take responsibility for your choices. If you don’t want to work for free on a particular project, say no. Don’t say yes and then sue them later. That’s just irresponsible.

Orly Ravid- Founder of The Film Collaborative (TFC)

Orly is a 12-year industry veteran whose experience in film ranges from festival programming to acquisitions &  domestic licensing and distribution, as well as business affairs, foreign sales, and digital distribution. In 1998, Orly joined veteran boutique foreign sales company Amazing Movies & Highland Crest Pictures and launched the company’s Art House domestic distribution label.

Orly then joined Maxmedia, producers of Chen Kaige’s Cannes Selection Emperor and the Assassin and the Miramax/Dimension release The Others starring Nicole Kidman. At Maxmedia Ravid worked in production and development and created FilmFixx, the company’s domestic distribution arm that launched with the highly controversial film Baise Moi. Orly subsequently consulted for various independent distributors and filmmakers under her own label, Ravid Film Consulting. In 2004 Orly launched Wolfe Releasing’s foreign sales, theatrical, and digital distribution arms and handled its acquisitions and business affairs.

In 2010 Orly founded The Film Collaborative (TFC), the first non-profit organization devoted to the distribution-education and the distribution of art house and documentary cinema. The Film Collaborative since its launch has worked with over 100 filmmakers.  It has consulted on distribution for films such as Sundance Winners GasLand and Contracorriente (Undertow), Revenge of the Electric Car (Tribeca), SXSW Winner Weekend, to name just a few.  TFC specializes in splitting rights and helping filmmakers navigate digital distribution, and it created the first ever Digital Distribution Guide (TM) utilized by filmmakers and industry alike.  TFC was commissioned to write a report on the topic for uniFRANCE to help its sales agents to navigate new media and has advised Sundance on its new “artists services” digital distribution initiative. TFC is releasing a book about distribution entitled Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul that will be available in multiple digital formats and in paperback as of September 19, 2011.

From 2007 -2009 Orly served as VP of Acquisitions and Distribution of publicly traded Berlin-based Senator Entertainment. Orly regularly moderates or speaks on panels at Sundance and other film festivals regarding new technology and digital distribution. Orly served as a Programming Associate for documentaries at the Sundance Film Festival and as Programming Consultant for Palm Springs International. Orly has served on the Board of Directors of Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival. Orly earned a B.A in English Literature and Film Studies at Columbia University and graduated with honors.

The Film Collaborative Website

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If you were to draw your protagonist’s happiness level through the course of your movie, it would look like a right triangle next to a big ol’ rhombus. You know, like this:

Act I, II                                     Act III

The straight line at the bottom is the timeline of your movie and the upward slopes represent your character’s happiness/contentment level through the course of the film. Nevermind about that backward slope on the other end of the rhombus. It doesn’t really enter into this equation; I’m just not that savvy with designing in word.

Here’s what the other shapes are about.

At the beginning of your movie, your main character has a goal. It should be a goal that is difficult for that character to achieve. It could be something that’s universally difficult like becoming President or figuring out cold fusion. Or it could be something that’s simply, for whatever reason, personally difficult for your character like finding a date or getting to White Castle.

During Acts I and II, your character is steadily marching toward this goal. There will be setbacks, but generally, they will be making progress. And they’ll be feeling pretty darn good about it. They’re feeling so good in fact, that when they get to the moments right before the end of Act II, they think they’re about to be as happy as they can be. They’re almost to their goal after all. Why wouldn’t they be pleased as punch?

Because that’s boring. And audiences don’t relate to people who are pleased as punch. And how pleased is punch anyway? In my experience, punch is pretty moody.

And that’s what that big drop-off is about. Your character has to go from being their happiest to being at their lowest point yet. They can’t be ‘kind of bummed out’ or ‘sort of full of ennui.’ They have to be devastated. Not the most devastated a person could possibly be ever. But they most devastated THIS character can be about THIS goal. They have to hurt. It has to be uncomfortable, sad and painful.

Sounds mean, right?

Well, it’s only so we can build them up again.

If someone sets out to achieve a goal and then achieves it without too many problems along the way, it’s hard to relate to or empathize with them. But if they fail big time, like the rest of us humans do, then we have a reason to invest in their recovery and to be thrilled when they pull through.

You’ll notice that the rhombus is bigger than the triangle. That’s not my shoddy design skills coming into play. That one’s on purpose.

During Act III, your protagonist will climb a whole new hill. They’ll have realized that what they thought they wanted wasn’t really what they should have been after. They will have forgotten about their want and be headed for their need.

• If the WANT is the Holy Grail, the NEED is to have faith (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)
• If the WANT is to get home/find their son, the NEED is to take risks (Finding Nemo)
• If the WANT is to have a beautiful companion, the NEED is to truly connect to someone’s inner beauty (Pretty Woman)
• If the WANT is justice, the NEED is to not depend on others to see the truth (Shawshank Redemption)
• If the WANT is to be the favorite, the NEED is to accept others for what they have to offer (Toy Story)

Abandoning the want and going after the need will make your character truly content and happier than they thought they could be. But it’s gonna hurt to get there.

Hi Pete,

Thank you for your kind words.  I am really glad that you are doing so much pre-production. Congratulations on finishing film school and continuing on after. As for distributing your short film after it’s done, there are several avenues.

There is always the film festival route. Which, it doesn’t sound like the route you’re going in but it might be a good idea to at least try to get it into a couple of local film festivals that you can attend. I say this mostly because you are going to miss out on a networking opportunity if you have a finished film that will by pass any public screenings. Just something to thing about.

As for internet distribution, I have always worked with Indie Flix and had a great experience with them. They are able to help navigate the Amazon, iTunes, digital platform world much more efficiently than I could alone. There are several companies that are like Indie Flix and I am sure they are great, I have just always worked with them.

What I have learned from distributing films online is that you should not choose between them, you should try to get your film on as many of them as possible.  The reason is that some of your customers will prefer iTunes while others prefer Amazon so there is no harm in putting your film up on both. I hope that this makes sense. I think you may be beating your head up against a wall for no reason. The more people that see your film the better and because it’s a short, you don’t have to worry as much about a strategic online distribution schedule.

Film Method has done several episodes on distribution that you might want to listen to and we have also had the pleasure of working with Filmmaking Stuff (Jason Brubaker), Think Outside the Box Office (Jon Reiss), and The Film Collaborative (Orly Ravid). These are all companies that you should take a look at as they all provide educational opportunities with their services.

I wish you the best of luck on your project and know that it will find the distribution outlet that is right for it.

Thanks for writing in and for listening.

Susan Thampi- Music Manager

Susan has worked in all areas of the film industry including development, distribution, and both live action and animation production. A graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the Thornton School of music, she got her start in post-production at Kennedy Marshall productions, after selling her couch on craigslist to an executive at Warner Bros. She has worked on over twenty freelance independent productions in various roles including production designer, editor, and producer.  She joined DreamWorks Animation in 2009, and was named Music Manager for the studio in January 2011. That same month, she released her first solo classical music album entitled Chanson Boheme, a fusion of opera and world music. She is currently working on the animated feature Puss in Boots for DreamWorks, set to release in theatres on November 4, 2011.

Susan’s Website

Paul Spaeth- Composer

Paul Spaeth’s soaring yet poignant artistry has inspired admiration from a large and diverse audience. At MP3.com, upon reaching over 1.6 million downloads, Paul Spaeth was recognized as the Top Artist in LA and remained in the Top-Ten of Amazon’s download charts for months.

Ashley Ruskiewicz is the winner of The Complete Film Production Handbook giveaway contest! Ashley’s essay displayed not only her ability to learn from a difficult situation, but she also showed her understanding of hiring people who know their role on a film set and working with people who are committed to your project, which shows that she is well versed in Film Method-ology!

“Lessons From the Backlot” by Ashley Ruskiewicz

I learned a wealth of information from an experience on a film set where I was directing and co-producing. I discovered the keys to the entire production process, but also the fundamentals of maintaining order on set. We had a very small crew and we lost one member due to the extreme heat that day on the Universal back lot. The assistant camera crew member was not cooperating with the producer, and was giving her own input for how each shot should be taken, interfering with me as the director, and our director of photography. While suggestions were welcome, the crew member was trying to change things that had already been decided in pre-production.

Because of the heat, the assistant camera thought it would be okay to sit in the shade with the slate, so after every shot I had to wait a couple of minutes to get her attention to bring me the slate and walk across set so we could slate each shot. I saw that the production could have easily been played out with just me, the producer, director of photography, and the two actors. While we all had a specific role to play we knew what we were good at and used our skills to get the film made. The producer for example, wrote the script and acted as both the producer and script supervisor, making sure everything was on time and that the crew and actors were taken care of.

I learned from this experience that knowing your role on a film set is extremely important to be able to get the job done effectively. The crew as a whole was under pressure because we only had the location for a certain amount of time that day. As a producer, it’s also important to hire people who are reliable, and have interest in the project. The same assistant camera person was supposed to be in charge of post-production. She ended up flaking out for another project, leaving me to edit the short by myself. The production went smoothly, but it would have been much better had everyone stuck to their roles. I found that knowing the people you will be working with, and how they work, before you get to set is crucial to ensuring a smooth production.

Ferdinand via twitter @filmmethod

There are several places to go for film production insurance.  The thing you have to make sure you understand is that production insurance is a very specific type of insurance and most insurance companies don’t carry it.  So, if you are filming something outside of a state that is used to having films there, they probably won’t have it.  You can get it from a state outside of the one you are shooting in and it will cover it.

I recommend talking to filmmakers who have gotten insurance before and see who they like and contact that agency.  Don’t be afraid to ask for a quote during the budgeting process, in fact, that is the best way to do it.  I would get a quote while budgeting from a few different companies, for budgeting purposes, pick the highest quote and then add a little more money to that line item just to make sure you can cover yourself incase the prices change between the time of budgeting and filming. Also, production insurance is not the same as work comp so be aware of that.  If you go through a payroll company, they will usually have work comp that you can get through them for a percentage.

You are going to need (at minimum) a policy that covers up to a million dollars on equipment and locations.  Most equipment rental companies will expect that and so will most locations.  You also need to make sure you understand that most insurance claims have a deductable per claim.  For example, if you break a light and you damage someone’s property at the same time, that’s two separate claims.  Therefore, the deductable will need to be paid twice.  So, budget in there for a few claims just in case.  Also, some of these policies don’t cover auto.  So, if you need to rent a grip truck, be aware of this.

When you do find the insurance company with the best policy for your shoot you should be prepared to show them your script and fill out a form that may seem a little strange to you.  They do this so that you can’t lie when applying for insurance.  For example, if you have animals, guns, stunts (even if it’s just one person falling down), etc., that will change your policy quote.   Don’t lie on your application just to save a few bucks because it’s not worth it.  Because if they find out you did have a dog on set and you didn’t tell them, they can legally deny your claim because it voids your policy.

Oh and don’t forget about E&O (Errors and Omissions) insurance while you’re budgeting.  This is an insurance that you will need to get once the film is completed.  You can get quotes on that in the budgeting process as well.

Don’t be afraid of the insurance process, it is there to protect you.  Your best bet is to get the quotes early so you have budgeted enough to cover what you need.

Eve Light Honthaner- Producer/Author/Teacher

Eve’s career in the entertainment industry spans many years, primarily in the field of production management.  She’s worked in every capacity from PA to line producer and as a staff production executive, most recently for DreamWorks.  She’s worked on shows budgeted anywhere from $1 – $250 million and on projects that have been shot throughout the U.S. and internationally, including Titanic, Just Married and Tropic Thunder.

Eve is the author of The Complete Film Production Handbook and HOLLYWOOD DRIVE: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry.  And since 1998, she’s combined her many years of practical experience with a love of teaching to help others succeed in this fiercely competitive business.

In addition to the six-week course she teaches at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts each summer, schedule permitting, she does one- and two-day workshops throughout the country.

Eve’s Website- http://evehonthaner.com

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Summer Anderson via Film Method Mailbag

I love this question! It is so important to understand what an amazing opportunity it is to be amongst other filmmakers in such a tight space with access to equipment. My advice to you is to network your butt off (as you should be doing anywhere) with your fellow students. Work in every crew position so you understand what you will be asking of people when you are in charge.  Shoot as much as possible in the correct way, meaning using real pre-production as much as possible.  Utilize the equipment that is offered to you. If you are in a class that is not allowed access to certain equipment, then help the upper classmen with their shoots. Intern as much as you can. Really use this time to find your favorite aspects of filmmaking.  Are you a producer, director, writer, editor, or do you just love the grip department (it can happen)?  Do you love art films, action films, television, commercials? Once you figure this out, tell everyone! You never know who someone is looking for or what projects they have in the works. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS! Ask questions of the teachers, the staff, your fellow students. You should be so exhausted when you go to film school that you need a little vacation when you get out because you’ve worked on so many films. Obviously, you need to take care of yourself, but you should never be bored. Get out there, meet your fellow filmmakers and find the ones that you fit together with like a puzzle piece.  Your goal should be to come out of film school with a pretty solid idea of what you want to do when you get out and a handful of short films that show your desired area. You will have many that you did just for practice that you won’t want to show anyone, but you should have a handful that you are proud to show people saying, yeah, I did ___________ on this.

Oneita Parker- Costume Designer

Oneita Parker has been designing costumes for film, television, commercials, music videos, and theatre productions for more than a decade with zeal and excitement found in everything she creates.  Oneita got her start in Hollywood designing costumes for several award-winning short films that toured the festival circuit. Oneita has gone on to design costumes for several award-winning features that have also received theatrical release all over the world.  Many times she has been blessed to work with such amazing talents as Samuel L. Jackson, Mink Stoll, Angela Bassett, Jazmine Guy, Courtney Vance, Don Cheadle, Corbin Bernson, Piper Perabo, and Catherine Heigle to name a few. She has worked with such great directors as Mark Webb, JJ Abrahms, Jamie Babbitt, Q. Alan Brocka, and Rosser Goodman among others. Oneita Parker got her start in the rag trade catapulting herself into college a week after high school, to pursue her dreams of being a fashion designer at FiDM in San Francisco.  After a year of straight A’s it was either Los Angeles or New York.  She chose New York and continued her education at the Fashion Institute of Technology majoring in fashion design and  textiles. Oneita Parker currently lives in Los Angeles with her lovely wife and three cats.

Oneita’s Website

Charles Haine- Director of Photography

Charles Haine is a filmmaker/entrepreneur who has been working in the motion picture industry since 1999.  After completely his MFA from USC in 2005, he has worked as a freelance director, cinematographer and colorist.  Since founding Dirty Robber in 2008, he has worked tirelessly to grow the company, expand it’s infrastructure and provide cost effective resources including arrange the deal behind their no-cost office space, and recruiting talented staff. As a colorist he has worked with Radical Media, 47 Pictures, Boxer Films, Arclight films and many others for clients including Ford, Jeep, Honda, Mcdonalds, Burger King, AMC, St. Jude’s Hospital, and many others, including several feaures, and numerous music videos.  As a director of photography has has shot three feature films, his most recent receiving distribution through Lion’s Gate, and has shot commercials, music videos, industrials and several short films. He also is an associate professor at Los Angeles City College teaching cinematographer and editing, and he teaches color grading, visual design and stereography at Columbia College Hollywood.

Dirty Robber Website

Michael Fitzgerald- Production Designer

After growing up in theater in Santa Cruz, California, Michael Fitzgerald moved to LA to attend UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, & TV. One of his first jobs was creating Cuba in LA for Josh Evan’s “Che,” where only a theater nerd would make with a tobacco plant out of lettuce, rope, paint and palm leaves.   Michael has created visual stories for directors including a hippie commune and teen punk world for Adam Sherman’s “Happiness Runs,” skate ramps, clubhouses, & a con man abode in Cosmo Segursons “Nic and Tristan, Go Mega Dega,” a bachelor pad loft and Seattle News station for Slamdance 2009 hit Blayne Weaver’s “Weather Girl,” Paris apts, Drag bingo, & and Silverlake artist duplex, in Jason Bushman’s “Hollywood Je T’aime,” a creepy house and a game that comes alive for “The Black Waters of Echos Pond,” and the comic book reality for a high school of jocks and geeks in “The Secret Life of Dorks.”  Michael had the challenge of building two entire New York apartments from scratch on stage for Slamdance 2010 hit “Four-Faced Liar”.  Currently Michael wrapped a 3D version of Fred Figglehorn’s next adventure for Lions Gate and Varsity Pictures and Maya Entertaiment’s “Without Men,” where he created a whole village from scratch starring Eva Longoria and Christian Slater.  Michael has also worked on two web series with Rob Pearlstein “Matumbo Goldberg,” with Anthony Anderson and Extreme Office for Samung Galaxy Tabs.  And spent the last year on Michael Kristoff’s “Live at the Foxes Den,” with Jackson Rathbone, Elliot Gould, Brian Doyle-Murray, Bob Gunton, and Jocelyn Donahue where he got to create an entire den/lounge from scratch..the Foxes Den!

Michael’s IMDB Page

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When developing a story for a screenplay, you need to make sure that you’re considering both the physical action of the story and the character’s emotional arc. It can be easy to favor one over the other or to neglect one altogether.

I had these conversations with clients recently. Some specifics have been changed to protect the property, but apart from that, here’s how it went.

#1

Me: So tell me about your movie.

Client: Well, it’s set in 1715 on the coast in Japan. It’s about these four women. One’s an acrobat—she has a famous father, one’s an immigrant—her parents were killed in a car crash, one’s an architect—she also loves poetry and one’s a domestic worker who’s about to get engaged.

Me: Okay, so what happens?

Client: Well, they all deal with their lives and they learn to be stronger people.

Me: But what happens?

Client: Well, like the acrobat wonders if she should be following in the family business. The domestic worker wonders if she should really marry this guy—

Me: Okay. But what happens?

#2

Me: So tell me about your movie.

Client: Well, this guy finds out that the material that will save his cat is under the ground in his neighbor’s yard. So first, he calls up the vet, but the thing is the vet is actually a “vet”—like he went to war—so he gets all weird and says that he’ll help him, but only if the guy first helps avenge the death of his fellow soldiers. So the guys go and do that and it turns out that the guy who the vet wants the guy to kill is actually his neighbor, so the guy thinks that’s great because now he can get the mineral that’s in the neighbor’s yard, but the neighbor paves over the entire yard and then the guy’s wife is dying, so the one guy can’t kill the other guy unless he kills the wife too, so he has to go track her down so that he can get them both in the same place and he and the vet go on the road together. So it’s like a buddy comedy with an assassin angle.

Me: Okay. So what happens?

Both of these pitches leave out a key element. The first told us quite a bit about the characters…but lacked plot. The second had the opposite problem.

When developing an idea for a script, your story should have both elements. There should be action and events that your character initiates and deals with. There should also be an emotional transformation as well. Ideally, these two threads are related.

Here are some wildly random examples from real life:

Wall Street

Plot: An up and coming stock broker gets a chance to make millions working for his idol.

Emotion: Once after money, fame and power, Bud learns that what he really wants is his moral fiber and his father’s respect.

The Shawshank Redemption

Plot: A man escapes from prison.

Emotion: A man used to just taking life as it was dealt to him learns to stand up for himself,  takes charge of his life and escape physical as well as emotional captivity.

The Change Up

Plot: Two men switch bodies.

Emotion: Best friends come to respect each other while more deeply appreciating their own lives.

The King’s Speech

Plot: A man hires a tutor to fix his speech impediment.

Emotion: A prince who believes he does not deserve the honor of being king overcomes his lack of confidence to accept the throne and lead his country during its most difficult hour.

Inception

Plot: A man is hired to go inside a someone’s dream and change his mind.

Emotion: A man must come to terms with the death of his wife…while still seeing her spirit every day at work.

Without the emotional layer, the plots sound kind of boring. And without the action of the plot, the emotions sound kind of schmaltzy. But put them together and you have movie magic!

Well, maybe not with The Change Up, but you get what I’m saying.

Here’s how the first pitch might sound if a plot were added.

Client: Well, it’s set in Japan, 1715. Four women decide that since the country still has a ban on Western literature, they’re going to form an underground book club. They work to smuggle books across the country, teach other women English and hide their meetings from the authorities. The work affects them all differently and as they read stories, they each begin to rewrite the story of their own lives. One realizes that her family’s business is a worthwhile career choice. One realizes that she must break off her wedding. One finally gets up the nerve to publish her own book. And one adopts a child to create the family she didn’t think she deserved.

Now we know the plot of the story: Four friends form a secret club.

And some sense of the emotional through line: By taking a risk, stifled people learn to open up.

The second could be helped like this:

Client: Well, it’s about guy who’s afraid to interact with people so he loves his pet cat more than anything else. In fact, he hates humanity as much as he loves his cat. He hates people so much that when he learns that the only way to save his cat’s life is to kill 2-3 people, he’s willing to do it; so he plans and trains to be hit man. But when he begins to develop relationships with his tutors (the girl who teaches him how to fire a weapon, the guy who helps him get fitted for Kevlar, etc.) he learns that people aren’t so bad after all and faces a tough choice between his cat and his new friends.

Plot: Angry guy becomes a hit man to save his pet’s life.

Emotion: Shy guy learns to connect with people.

Your script will need both of these elements in order to register with audiences. Explosions and plot twists are fun, but it’s the emotion tying it all together that makes it meaningful and memorable.

Aydrea (via the comments section on the Film Method Mailbag)

Hi Aydrea,

Thanks for reading my September 12th post, “Do you approach investors first or talent first?” In regard to getting letters of interest, I need to first differentiate.  A letter of interest is not the same as a letter of attachment. Many filmmakers use the two terms as if they are the same. They are not. One means they are interested in the film for any number of reasons, but are not formally “attached” to the project. The other means they are attached to the project which means they have a contract in place stating they will receive X once the funds are raised. Because so many filmmakers do not understand the difference, agents, managers and talent are hesitant to do letters of interest. A letter of interest is non-binding, yes. But, the talent knows that you will be using their name to raise capital and therefore, some feel they should be compensated for that. In addition, the non-binding part can come back and bite them in the butt because the filmmaker could use their name to gain interest but then not actually use them in the film (rare but it happens) and then they don’t see a dime and their name gets somewhat watered down. Also, for filmmakers you want to think long and hard about who you are going to get these letters from because if you go out and get a letter from a lesser known actor/actress and that person is the reason the investor wants to put money in then along comes Brad Pitt or someone bigger, you may not be legally bound to the original talent, but you are going to be bound through the expectations you have set up with your investor.
Like with any aspect of the filmmaking process, there are pros and cons. You as, an intelligent and responsible producer or filmmaker need to be able to weigh those pros and cons before you get yourself into a situation that isn’t all that peachy.

Mark Moran- Line Producer

Mark Moran has helped create a wide range of studio and independent movies, including 96 Minutes (Brittany Snow), Beautiful Boy (Maria Bello), 13 (Jason Statham), Spread (Ashton Kutcher), Pretty Bird (Paul Giamatti), Walk the Talk (Cary Elwes), Bee Season (Richard Gere), Basic (John Travolta), Secretary (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Sweet Home Alabama (Reese Witherspoon), and Novocaine (Steve Martin). He has produced features shooting all over the U.S. as well as in Canada and Eastern Europe.

Mark is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America. He has produced short films, web series, music videos, and commercials, as well as the PBS documentary Chavez Ravine: A Los Angeles Story, which won the IDA Award for Best Short Documentary and was short-listed for an Academy Award in 2005.

Prior to all this, Mark started a software company at age 17, launching him on a successful career designing and programming computer games in San Francisco, where he received a patent for a CGI process combining filmed live action with computer animation.

Mark graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University with a degree in literature & writing.

Mark Moran’s Website

Molly Moran- Production Coordinator and Accountant

Molly Moran is a film production coordinator and accountant. She began her career in 2004 working on indie features in New York, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. She then spent two years working for famed producer Barbara DeFina, who encouraged her to focus on production office work as the best training for producing. This led to her spending a year working on the Will Smith movie I Am Legend. In 2007, she moved to Los Angeles and has since coordinated features shooting in Georgia, Louisiana, and California.

Kelsey (via the Film Method mail bag)

That’s a good question because it can be a bit of a catch 22. It really depends on the topic of the script. For example, the first feature I made was written and directed by a survivor of the Columbine High School shootings.  Because of the topic and the fact that a survivor was directing, we didn’t need actors attached in order to secure funding. The writer/director played that role for us in a way.

If you are going to make a movie that is a bit more typical, it might be about the same topic, but you don’t have a direct relationship to the subject, then you will most likely need talent attached.  This can be really challenging because in order to attach talent, they will require funding most of the time. You see where the catch 22 comes in. This is why it is so important for you as a producer or filmmaker to network and create the relationships within the film community. It can take years to cultivate the types of relationships you need to get someone of name attached to your project, so you should start now. But, I will say this, you NEVER know what an actor or manager is looking for so put your project out there. Start to contact agents at the same time as investors.  If it’s your first film, try to find someone who has done it before so that they can help you navigate the waters.

I wish I could tell you specifically which to go to, but like most things in this process, there is no one-way to do it.  The most important thing is to have a solid business plan, a solid script, passion and perseverance.  It will take a while and it will be bumpy at parts so if you are not 100% thrilled and passionate about the project, not only will the people you’re talking to be able to tell, but there will be nothing to get you through those rough patches.

Deloris H., Buena Vista Florida

Wow, it’s so nice of you to ask.  Honestly, my dream project tends to change from time to time.  I will say this, though, my dream project regardless of the content or the medium would be to have a cast and crew that are excited about the project.  To have a filmmaker that is honest and realistic about what the project is (i.e., they know that it’s not going to win an academy award if it’s a slasher film…which I don’t want to do anyway).  To have a group of people that love what they do, realize it’s not brain surgery, and are having fun.  To have a crew that really likes each other, respects each other and knows what each other’s job is.  I just like to make people smile, whether it’s through the process of actually making the film/TV show or by making a comedy that makes people laugh while watching it.

Thanks so much for asking, I really appreciate it.

Eve Honthaner’s Website

This uplifting documentary explores the lives of the top-singing students of the award-winning Santa Monica High School Choir, and its visionary choir director.  At a time when drastic budget cuts endanger both the quality of our public schools and their arts programs, this determined high school music teacher strives to create a thriving vocal music program that ignites in his students a passion for music, a sense of belonging, and the value of working hard to achieve their dreams.

Santa Monica High School’s Jeffe Huls is “larger than life” choir teacher with a passion for teaching and an edgy sense of humor.  His talented students practice diligently to pass the highly competitive auditions, meet daily to learn and sing challenging music, and perform both for their local community and in venues around the world.  But why is Mr. Huls so moved by the power and artistry of the human voice? Why has he dedicated his life to teaching teenagers how to sing? And what does it take for Mr. Huls’ students to rise to his high standards? Why do they dedicate so much of their time and resources to singing? What critical life lessons do they learn and how does singing in the choir affect their artistic and academic dreams as 21st century teenagers?

BIG VOICE will follow Mr. Huls and his teenage students interweaving interviews and concerts with ‘slices of life’ footage. It will explore what it means to be a teenager facing an unknown future, and an accomplished artist creating great art in the context of a public school.  In addition, this visually stunning documentary will include original songs created for and by the students with the assistance of Grammy-winning artists*.

BIG VOICE reveals the challenging journey of an extraordinary teacher who overcomes seemingly insurmountable obstacles to educate and transform students to step into adulthood as powerful contributors to a world that needs them. BIG VOICE will entertain you, touch your soul and uplift your spirit.

To see the BIG VOICE Promo Video and find out more about this musical documentary please visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bigvoicemovie/big-voice-dare-to-dream

Varda Hardy- Writer/Director/Producer

I confess. I love making movies. I want to make beautiful, truthful work that will engage and inspire. You may have seen some of my short films…Window starring Louis Gossett Jr. that screened at Cannes and aired on cable networks across the U.S.? Or Race To The Sky which aired during the Grammy Awards? Maybe you caught What Kind Of Planet Are We On? It received the “most innovative” non-profit video on YouTube & went viral with over half a million unique views. Or Ode To Los Angeles which recently won the Grand Prize from NewFilmmkers LA/LA INC? I treasure each of these films and the challenges my crew and I experienced making them. And now we are embarking on another incredible challenge, BIG VOICE! It takes a huge amount of effort to create meaningful films, but it’s worth it. I’m deeply grateful to my family, friends & community for supporting my efforts to use my creativity, skill and filmmaking ability to create good works.

This is an exciting week for Film Method! We’ve got tons of new stuff for you including a new episode with director Varda Hardy, new photos from our latest photo shoot, contests and more! A new feature, Writing Method with Aydrea Walden starts this week as well. Poke around the website- we’ve got some new images and new features that you won’t want to miss!

Film Method’s Support from Start to Finish feature focuses on Varda Hardy’s Kickstarter campaign for her musical documentary Big Voice this month.

The contest to win Eve Light Honthaner’s book The Complete Film Production Handbook starts this week as well as the race to get 1,000 Facebook followers. The 1,000th follower will win a 2 hour consult with co-host and producing advisor Jenna Edwards!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter and tell your friends about us, too!

As we near the end of the production season we circle back to the topic of directing. Varda Hardy started in this industry as a script supervisor and worked steadily until she made the switch to directing five years ago. Varda recently won $100,000 for her 1 minute film about Los Angeles for the On Location: The Los Angeles Video Project. Varda’s Kickstarter campaign for her new documentary Big Voice is the focus of this month’s Support from Start to Finish feature this month.

Varda Hardy- Writer/Director/Producer

I was born in London, England.  A year after I was born, my parents moved to Israel where my father served in the army.  My mother is South African and my father is Romanian.  He had moved to Israel to escape the communist take-over of his native land. My mother was on holiday in Israel when she fell instantly in love with the young soldier–my father.  I fell in love with “the movies” one summer night in Israel when I caught sight of A Man and A Woman screening at a drive-in theater nearby my window.

Following six years in Israel, my mother brought my older sister and I back to England where we remained for several years until we moved to San Francisco.  It was in San Francisco that I started to make my own 8mm movies with a camera my 8^th grade English teacher Mr. Mohan lent to me. He believed that there is different kind of learners and some people learn best by making things…like movies.  He was right about me.  I love to make things, especially movies.  I lose myself in the creative process, the germs of ideas bubbling up like and catching on fire like lava rising from the mysterious inner earth.

Following San Francisco came a short stay in Los Angeles and then we were off to the “big apple”.  I went to High School at Dalton New York City, where I fell in love with dance and theater.  Then I went to Cornell University where I re-discovered my passion for filmmaking under the tutelage of Cultural Anthropology Professor Robert Asher.  Like Mr. Mohan, Prof. Asher believed in alternative forms of learning and expression.  He encouraged me to pick up an old super-8 camera to create a report instead of writing it.  I went to NYU for a semester where a screening of Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now got under my skin.  That’s when I knew I would pursue directing.

I studied directing at Cornell University, received my MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, worked as an assistant director and then script supervisor of numerous film projects both for television and theatrical until about five years ago when I shifted into directing.  My husband Patrick S. Bennett and I are enjoying raising two lovely daughters Paloma and Raven, the rest is icing on the cake.

On Location: The Los Angeles Video Project
Varda’s Website
Varda Hardy on Facebook
Live Tribe Productions

Producer Jenna Edwards answers all your questions about filmmaking including pre-production, production, post-production and distribution. Send your questions to info@film-method.com.

Jenna Edwards’ Bio

Jenna began her film career in the late 1990s as an actor. She has worked in many areas in film including acting, talent representation, crew and made the move to producing in 2008 where on her first feature film as a producer (April Showers) she learned not only the ins and outs of producing, but also distribution and marketing. Jenna has since produced several more features and is a producing teacher at New York Film Academy. She is grateful for the opportunity to share her experiences and answer filmmaker’s questions through the Film Method Mailbag.

One of the challenges with screenwriting is that it is necessary for your characters to do things. There is a plot to service and so characters are obligated to take various actions. And as humans (or other thinking, feeling entities), your characters will need to puzzle through their decisions, come up with a plan and execute it.

But you know how tedious it is when you’re discussing the pros and cons of the various logistics of your evening with friends? It’s just as tedious to hear characters talking about their logistics as well.

BOB: What should we do for our date tonight?

JANE: Well, we could go to the movies.

BOB: Oh, and then we could get fro yo after that.

JANE: That sounds good. What time will you pick me up?  Or should we meet there?

BOB: Why don’t I pick you up at 8 so that we have time to find parking and get good seats.

JANE: Great, see you then.

I was so bored writing the above passage that I just woke my roommates up with my snoring. We don’t know anything about the characters other than their plans for the evening. While the plot has ostensibly been moved forward, we don’t know what it means in terms of character development. We don’t know whose side we’re on, or if the characters are in danger or if they even like each other.

When your characters are deciding to do something, avoid having them list out the details and instead, have them talk about their feelings so we can see how they’re reacting to the situation.

BOB: I cannot wait to see you tonight!

JANE: I’m not sure we should be doing this.

BOB: We’ve waited two years to have one night together, Jane. We can finally act like a normal couple–go to a movie, maybe get some fro yo.

JANE: Argue over where to sit and how much to tip the valet.

BOB: Exactly.

JANE: You’re right. I can’t wait to see you tonight.

This time, the scene was so excited, I almost peed my pants.

That’s not true. There was no almost about it.

In the second version of the scene, we still get the basic information: Bob and Jane are going on a date, they’re going to the movies and out for yogurt. But we also get so much more. We know that Bob is excited and Jane is nervous. That there’s something in their past that makes this night special. That Bob is able to convince Jane of his point of view and that Jane acquiesces to Bob without much of a fight.  When we do seem them on their date, we will be full of anticipation for them because we’ve been given a description of the stakes of that date.

The second version has plot, character development, tension and movement. The first version does not.

In some genres, heavy and specific logistics are necessary to the storytelling. If you’re writing a procedural, then at some point, the doctor is going to have to explain what she’s doing or the team of detectives is going to have to tell their no-nonsense boss what they’ve found. We can get away with those kinds of moments in procedurals because that information is important and is usually something the audience has been waiting for anyway. But if you’re not writing the next Law and Order: Phoenix/Toronto/Master Bedroom, then make sure that any logistical information your characters talk about tells us more than the next scene’s agenda.

Jake H.  Wahoo Nebraska

It’s interesting because I just did a consultation with one of my students at NYFA the other day about how to choose the right DP for their shoot.  So, I am going to make this a general how to interview someone post because I feel that each role on the set is important.  Yes, the AD is a super high pressure job and it may seem more important that you get the right AD than getting the right grip or PA, but the truth of the matter is, one person that does not fit within the team could equal disaster for a production.

The key is to know how the producer and director work.  So much of being good at these two jobs in particular, is knowing who you are as a person.  You need to know this so that you can fill in the holes and make sure to get a balanced crew.  You must know what each crew members job in general is so that you can ask for a sample schedule and ask how long it takes them to do a schedule, but the most important question is…how do you like to work.  If you know that you like to have a meeting right before the shoot, then after lunch, then at the end of the day and the person you’re interviewing really doesn’t find it necessary and in fact thinks it’s stupid, then they are probably not the right person for you to work with.  The thing is, there is not right or wrong way to do the things it takes to make a movie (as long as you’re being ethical) so it’s not a “bad” thing for you to hire people that work the way you do.  If you like to laugh and have a lot of fun on set and you are interviewing an AD or DP or anyone for that matter who is sitting across the table from you for like 20 minutes and hasn’t cracked a smile, do you think this person is a good fit for your production?  They may be super qualified and really good at their job, but you are going to have to spend a lot of time with them so they may not be the right fit.

If you’re the producer and you know that your director is very internal with his process, it’s probably not a good idea to hire an AD that is an introvert.  On the flip side, you know your director is very A.D.D., be honest (and respectful of the director) when you are talking to the AD and tell them what the director is like and ask them how they would handle that.  Part of your job as a producer is to be able to see who will work well together and who won’t.

One particular thing to remember when interviewing an AD though, is that their job can be VERY stressful, so make sure that they have a calm demeanor and that they are respectful enough to ask the crew how long it will take to set the shot and that they trust the crew to do their job, but can get them to work efficiently.  Above all, TRUST is the word you need to remember when hiring key crew members.  Do you trust them to do the job well?  Do they trust you to do yours?  Do they trust the crew to do theirs?

It can be a tricky process.  One last thing I will say on this and it’s a really hard one for new producers and that is, you may have to fire someone.  It’s OK as long as it’s because the project or the crew is suffering because this person is on the project.  It’s really not a personal thing or an ego thing so make sure that you remember that.  One bad apple on set can poison the entire shoot so you’ve got to be able to do what it takes to make sure the process is smooth.

Andy H., Lincoln Nebraska

Most unions have created contracts that work with productions specific for online distribution. They are each different and can be a bit confusing or non-solid, if you will. Meaning, the online distribution world is so new and so much like the wild-wild west that everyone is still just trying to figure it out.  They are continuing to update the contracts as they go so if you are going to shoot something with the union for online distribution, make sure you do your research, talk to as many people as you can and be as educated on the process as possible.  Each union has a website so make sure to check those out.

As for the unions having deals where they make money from online distribution, that is not the unions’ purpose.  The union is there to protect their members be it actors, directors, crew members.  So, they are not allowed to be a part of the distribution process other than to make sure their members are getting their share of the residual income from the distribution deals the studios and producers set up.

Sherif R. , New York New York

Congratulations on almost being done with film school.  There are a lot of questions so let me break it down.

First, the accountant is not the person who typically prepares a business plan.  That is up to the producers or executive producers.  An accountant MAY help you with a budget, but even that is rare.  Lawyers can prepare what’s called an offering (Jon Cones is amazing at this http://www.johncones.com/index.html) and it is always a good idea to speak with an attorney about your business plan in general and get them to look it over before sending it out.

Some things you might consider putting in a business plan (for film, TV is different) are:

• Synopsis
• Treatment
• Budget Top Sheet
• Bios of the key players (only put bios that are helpful for investments.  If your cousin is acting in it and not someone who will bring money or fans to the table then leave them out)
• Any talent attachments that you have (again, if they mean money)
• Return on Investment tables
• Any artwork/storyboards/location photos (that bring value to the project, if you are filming in your friends apartment then don’t put photos of it unless it is dynamic)
• Your plan (if you are going to film in the town you grew up in because your father is the mayor so you can get everything for free, then tell them.  Basically, how are you going to make this film for the budget you have laid out?  Don’t reveal your entire plan, this section should be about a page.  Also, what is your plan for distribution?  Make sure you mention something about where you would like the film to go after it’s completed.  How are you going to complete the film?  These are the types of things that should be in this section.)

These are some things to consider, but every business plan is a little different.  There are some great books on the subject of raising money for film and one of my favorites is by Louise Levison (http://www.moviemoney.com/) and of course Jon Cones (mentioned above).

The last three questions you have cannot be answered without specific knowledge of the process.  Each film is different; therefore, each business plan is different.  The investors are going to be different so how you attract them will be different.  Some key advice for every project you do is…1. Ask as many questions as you need to in order to get an answer that makes sense to you.  2.  Be passionate, but not pushy.  3.  Be prepared.  This is not a quick process.  It’s cliché, but you only have one shot to make a good first impression.  Your business plan is your first impression.  Make sure it reflects you, your project, your passion and your professionalism. You are going to be asking people to fork over their hard earned cash.  Respect that by giving them a plan that is well thought out and well put together.

As for knowing who is for real, that’s a tough one.  I think most people think they can raise money when talking to you about it, but it is a challenging process.  Don’t give up and above all, trust your gut.

Carla M., Gainesville Florida

I always say, “the budget is the script for a producer”. Meaning, without a budget the producer cannot do their job effectively.  Making a budget is a very creative process. It’s kind of like writing a script. When you first start to make budgets there will be a lot of research involved. You will need to make phone calls and look online for quotes and the cost of certain things in the budget. Once you’ve done a few budgets, you have less research, but there is always some research involved. Then when you get those quotes, you will need to use those numbers to fill the budget in. Like writing a script, the process of making a budget is different for everyone. You need to know the parameters:  How much money can likely be raised? How many shoot days? What SAG agreement do you fall under?  What level of crew can we afford?  Are you making a movie with friends and neighbors?  Where are you shooting?  How many locations, cast members, scripts days, etc?  For me, once I know these parameters and I’ve filled in the budget for the first time, I tend to need to process it. It is usually well over what I want it to be so I then go back and start dwindling it down. Sometimes, I need to leave it alone for a day and just let it sit in my head and I’ll come up with a creative solution to the budgeting issues I’m having. The thing to remember is that the budget is an ever-changing thing. For example; you will find that someone on the production team knows someone who can get something in the art department’s wish-list for free that you had budgeted at $100 but that the grip equipment you thought was going to cost you $50 is actually $150 and so you move the money for the art department into the grip department.  The budget is constantly changing so remember that it’s a guide and don’t get too stuck on where you put the money initially. You must be able to see the big picture and stay within your total budget cost while being flexible within those parameters. Measure twice and cut once as they say.  Make sure you’ve done enough research that you can confidently say you can make the film for the amount in the budget. There’s nothing worse than not being able to finish because of budgeting incorrectly.

Sarah V., Richmond Virginia

Pre-Production is the time before principal photography starts. It is the time when you get to plan and prepare for the chaos of the shoot. It is, arguably, the most important part of the process because if done correctly, you can spot issues with the script, the budget, the shot list, the locations, the equipment, transportation and pretty much everything you will encounter on set. Now, you must know that there will always be unforeseen challenges, but there are a number of “standard” challenges that every film faces. If you do a proper pre-production, those challenges can be dealt with before everyone is sitting on set and time is ticking away. Because, on set is where time is the most expensive. Also, if you are working in the low-budget world you don’t have money to throw at problems.  More likely than not, you will be asking to borrow equipment, locations, furniture, etc. and if you can allow for more planning time to get those things lined up the shoot will go much more smoothly. So, please, I implore you to do as much pre-production as you possibly can on your films without becoming obsessed with pre-production to the point of avoiding the shoot.

Have business cards

Please take this business seriously.  If you owned your own accounting business, it wouldn’t even be a question that you would have business cards.  Show biz is the same way (maybe even more so).  We are networking crazies. I, personally, love it!  I love meeting new people but I tell you what, if they don’t have a business card, part of me thinks a little less of them just because I don’t think they are taking it seriously.  If you are an actor, please have your picture on your card.  It’s the easiest tool for you to use to get jobs out here.

Expect to work for free

The people that work in this business and have been doing it awhile more likely than not, have a group of people they trust, they’ve worked with before and they know can get the job done. If you expect to get into that inner circle, you’re going to have to prove yourself and not many people are willing to take a chance on someone they don’t know unless that person is willing to bust their ass for free to prove they are reliable and worthy of the person’s time.  It’s just a reality of the business out here.  I’m not saying it will be forever, but there is truth to the saying “it’s all who you know”.  You have to be able to do the job when you get it, but getting it is in who you know. So, if you don’t know anyone then you need to mentally and economically prepare to work for free so that they can get to know you.

Don’t put a time limit on it

Honestly, the statistic I’ve heard is that it takes 7 to 10 years to make it as an “over-night” success in Hollywood (so imagine what it takes to just be a “success”.  So, if you’re one of those people who thinks they’re going to come out here for a year and try to make it big and if you don’t then you’ll go home, then I say, please don’t bother.  The highways are crowded enough and it’s an insult to those of us who have busted our asses for years out here.

Don’t give up!

It’s a tough business and you have to be able to find joy in the little parts of it like auditioning, networking, taking classes, reading, studying, all of that.  If you don’t, this town can surely eat you alive.  Most importantly, find a group of people with similar aspirations and support each other.  I often hear people say that LA is “fake” and “dog eat dog”, and it certainly can be.  But, for me, I have never been in a more supportive, understanding and loving environment.  Make sure you surround yourself with good, positive people and enjoy the ride because it can be quite a ride.

Get experience

I know this sounds like a “duh” but if you can get ANY experience where you are at, do it.  The more you’ve been on sets, in the casting room, in the production office, the better off you’ll be coming out here.

Brush up on your networking skills

You have to understand that Los Angeles is one big networking pool every day, all the time, so if you don’t know how to strike up a conversation with someone in line at the coffee shop or at a party, you could be missing out on some pretty big opportunities.  The great thing about LA is that there are groups set up specifically for networking.  So, when you go to one of their parties or events, there is no awkwardness because everyone knows you’re there to network.  So, research those groups and start attending their events.

Save your pennies

Los Angeles can be a really expensive place to live.  Please do your research before you come out here, have a plan in regards to where you’re going to live, what kind of work you will be doing while you are pursuing your show biz career and have some money in the bank.  The majority of people here work freelance so if you have never done that or don’t know what it’s like to live from job to job, ask people who have, read articles on the subject so that you’re not stressed when you are thrust into that way of living.  Also know that apartments and jobs come up at the last minute.  Meaning, when I moved here from the Midwest, I planned to find a place 3 months ahead of time.  Well, there were no places that had that length of notice.  Typically people here give 30 day notice so you have to be prepared to jump into a place kind of at the last minute.  It’s much less notice for jobs so just be aware of that when you are planning so you don’t get frustrated.

Have a plan

No matter what you want to do in the entertainment business, remember that it’s a business.  Therefore, you are running your own company so make a business plan for yourself.  Every successful business has one and 9 times out of 10, those who fail out here set themselves up for that failure by not having a plan.  If you want to be an actor, research the shows you would be good for, find out who the casting directors are. Do those casting directors do workshops?  How can you get yourself in front of them?  If you want to be a director, can you intern with a director you admire out here?  Do you even know the name of their production company?  It’s a great time in the entertainment industry because information is right at your finger tips so make sure you do the research and create a plan.  You’ll impress those you are talking to that have been here awhile and you’ll feel less stressed out when you get here and everything is going a thousand miles a minute.

Brian W.,  Des Moines Iowa

What’s the saying, beauty is in the eye of the beholder?  Well, deciding what the best film school is for producers is kind of similar.  It’s in the eye of the beholder.  Meaning, what’s right for me and the way I learn may not be right for you and the way you learn so I am not going to give a specific school here.  I recommend (and I know I say this a lot) researching.  There are many different kinds of producers and many different tracks to go on.  For example, if you want to be a creative producer at a studio, then I recommend a four-year university that has a lot of ties to the studio system, that really focuses on networking and creating a strong community amongst its graduates.  If you are more interested in doing every facet of producing on an independent level, from the budgeting, to lifting sandbags on set, to being with the director and editor while they are working on the project then a more nuts and bolts film school is for you.  Those schools tend to focus on hands on experience in every position on set, they tend to be shorter in time than a four-year university, they’re more like a trade school.  Then there is always the school of hard knocks.  You can go out and intern (which I call free film school) and just start making films with your friends. So, as you can see, there are many options for those who want to produce.  Do your research and choose the one that is right for you.  If you can’t afford the film school you think you need, remember some of the best producers around didn’t go to expensive schools, some of them didn’t go to film school at all.  Frankly, if you want to be a producer, I would recommend getting a business degree so that opens up a ton of options for school right there.  There is no one way to become a producer and every experience brings something different to the table when it comes to filmmaking and that’s what makes this business so special and so much fun.

Eric F., Scottsdale Arizona

This is a tricky question because there is not one answer.  It really depends on where you’re at in your career as a filmmaker, what kind of investor you are going after, what kind of film you are making, where it is going and who your contacts in the business already are.  If you are a 1^st time writer/producer, I would recommend that your first hire be a producer who has done this before.  I say this because there is a lot to navigate and this person will most likely be able to help guide you through the process.  Do your research and know when you are hiring an honest and experienced producer.  Make sure that you and that person communicate well and can work together on a daily basis.  You are about to spend a lot of time with each other and it should be an enriching process. Typically when you’re a writer, you think mostly creatively (which is good) but the process of turning your script into an actual moving picture is more business than creative in the beginning.  You will need someone who understands budgets and business and it doesn’t hurt if they are good at negotiating.  Just a heads up – as the writer/producer of the project I would be prepared to write a lot of things you wouldn’t normally be writing like the verbiage for the business plan, website content, etc.

I don’t know about the best and I certainly don’t think that being a “beginner” has anything to do with it.  The industry standard is Entertainment Partners (or EP, formally known as Movie Magic).  This program is the most widely used in the industry so it’s good to jump right in and learn it so that you can communicate with others during production without issue.  Meaning, if you are working with another AD and you’re scheduling a shoot they are, more likely than not, going to be doing the schedule on this program so they can email you files without having to convert them into another program.  It just makes things easier.  There are some other programs out there that are good as well, but they are not as widely used.  So, if you are going to be doing a single project with you and your buddies a program like Gorilla might work perfectly well for you.  But, if you are looking to pursue a career as a professional AD, then EP is the way to go.  It really depends on the scope of your project and what your personal goals are moving forward.

Trevor S., Lincoln Nebraska

The first step is finding out who represents or owns the property (book, story, article, etc.).  You can do this (typically) by looking at the book’s cover and finding the publisher, then you go to your computer and google said publisher in order to get a phone number, email or mailing address.  Then you make a call, write a letter or send an email inquiring about who owns the rights to the story.  This can be a lengthy process so make sure you plan ahead.  Once you find out who owns the property, you will go through the above process with that person/entity again.  If the owner of the property likes your pitch and wants to move forward there is a completely different process involving many, many negotiations and contract points that I would not recommend doing alone so I implore you to contact a lawyer at that step.  If it is a well known property there will, more likely that not, be several lawyers, agents, managers and publishers as well as the author all chiming in during the negotiation.  It can be quite overwhelming, but just know that you are not the first to do this, nor will you be the last so be patient and keep your eye on the prize.  If it’s a smaller property then you may only be in contact with the author, I would still recommend that you contact a lawyer and get them to sign off on any deal you make with the author.  Better safe than sorry and these contracts can get tricky.  If it is for a short film, you still need to get permission for several reasons.  1.  This property is still owned by someone else and you can be sued.  2.  There’s nothing worse than working really hard on a project, getting it done, getting it into festivals and then having someone pull it because you do not have the right to make it in the first place.  3.  You never know what is going to come of your short film.  There are plenty of ways out there now that you can distribute short film content (some of which pay), but you can’t distribute content that you do not have the rights to.

Andy G., – Philadelphia PA

You ask.

I know, I know, you’re saying “Jenna, don’t be an ass, I’m being serious here.”  But, the truth of the matter is that most people never even get to this part.  They psych themselves out.  So, the most important thing anyone making a film can remember is that it never hurts to ask.  Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…the things you need to know before you ask.  You need to know their product, you need to know their audience and you need to know what you are going to do with the product as well as what your project brings to their table.  If you are making a film about sex-crazed college kids, you probably don’t want to approach Johnson and Johnson given that their entire ad campaign and company revolves around family.  Be intelligent and most importantly, approach the situation with the attitude of, “how can we benefit you?”  They’ll appreciate you thinking of their benefit and you’ll appreciate it when they let you use their product.  One last thing to remember… ask BEFORE you shoot.  If you put the product in the movie and then you go to them and ask permission, they know that they’ve got you up against a wall.  They can demand all sorts of things and you will then have to give them what they want or cut around/blur the product in every frame you’ve used it in the movie and that can get very expensive.

Stuart S., New Holland Pennsylvania

I am a big believer in planning.  Therefore, I would interview your editor as one of the first crew members you want to bring on the project.  They are going to be able to give you great script notes and you will be able to plan a post-production schedule with their input, which they will appreciate.  Whether you have a large enough budget to go to a “post-house” or you have to piece your crew together individually (which some people prefer), get quotes and interview that post house/individuals in pre-production.  If you can, bring on a post-production supervisor as they will be able to help you figure out what your work-flow should be on-set in order to make post run more smoothly.  If you do not have a lot of funds for post-production, then you will need to do even more planning so make sure you are thinking of post-production early on during pre-production.  It will save you time and money in the end, not to mention making everyone’s life easier.  Remember, post-production is one of the most costly parts of making a film and good post can make or break your project so please budget accordingly.

Paul C., Minnesota (via the Film Method mail bag)

Go Minnesota!  (OK, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way)

I’m not sure “trend” is the right word, but yes, I have met many filmmakers who find this a viable option for raising money.  With technology being so much more readily available, making trailers or promo videos for a specific project is a great way to show your vision to your investors.  Before this technology boom, people made short films as “calling cards” to show investors and consumers what they were capable of doing.  Now, if you don’t have a short film of the same genre that you’ve already shot or there is something visually specific you want to get across to your investors, shooting a promo video or a trailer is a great way to make sure the investor understands what you can do as well as the specific look and feel of the project you are raising money for.  As I’ve stated above, raising money is one (if not thee) most challenging parts of making a film and if you can stack the deck in your favor and make it so that your project stands out, then by all means go for it!

Talk to EVERYONE you can think of, tell them about what you’re doing and make sure they know that you need the funds to do it.  Make sure you are passionate and integral with what you say you can deliver, but most of all, do your homework.  Meaning, have a business plan put together, make it look professional, know the trends, know where you’re movie is going once it is finished.  Making a movie is a business and you are asking someone to part with their hard-earned cash to make your business a reality.  Respect that!  It always floors me when I talk to filmmakers about the projects they are trying to raise money for and all they talk about is the story and the sets and the artistic part of it.  I’m going to be blunt here, 90% of the people you are going to get money from don’t care about that.  They care about how they are going to have a shot at making their money back.  It’s true that there are investors out there who have so much cash they don’t care if they make it back, but they are few and far between.  If you are a filmmaker and you don’t care one lick about the business side, then find a producer who does care and get them to put a business plan together.  My biggest piece of advice on this is HAVE A PLAN and PUT IT IN WRITING so that everyone knows what your plan is and so that you know what your plan is.

Aydrea Walden’s Bio

A former news reporter, Aydrea has since written for Nickelodeon, NBC/Universal, Highlander Films, Hawaii Film Partners, Makers Studios, iO West, The Second City Los Angeles, NowWrite! Screenwriting and Disney. She has also been featured on GOOD.is and runs the satirical blog The Oreo Experience – Life as a Total Whitey Trapped in a Black Chick’s Body.  (TheOreoExperience.com)

Todd Berger- Writer/Director

Todd is an experienced writer/director who has been making films since he was a teenager. He received a film degree from The University of Texas at Austin where he wrote and directed the nationally syndicated television show The Campus Loop. He recently wrote and directed the the feature film The Scenesters, which played over 30 film festivals and took home Most Interesting Film from The Slamdance Film Festival, Best Screenplay from The Phoenix Film Festival, and Best Director from The Edmonton International Film Festival.  His feature-length documentary Don’t Eat The Baby: Adventures at post-Katrina Mardi Gras was chosen as the closing night film of the 2007 New Orleans Film Festival. He works as a screenwriter and actor in Los Angeles, with scripts currently in development at DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures, Jim Henson Productions, and The Disney Channel. In 2006, his script Chasing Christmas was turned into an ABC Family original movie starring Tom Arnold.  On screen, Todd has appeared in many recent commercials as well as an episode of the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation.

The Scenesters Movie
Todd’s Website

Aydrea Walden- Writer

Aydrea has written for The Seattle Times, the Now Write! Screenwriting book series, The Second City Los Angeles, iO West, Hawaii Film Partners, NBC/Universal, Highlander Films, Nickelodeon, and Disney. She also runs the satirical blog, The Oreo Experience–My Life and Times as a Super White Black Person. For more information about Aydrea or to contact her please visit her website at www.theoreoexperience.com

Jenna Edwards- Producer, Film Method Co-Host

For more information about Jenna Edwards please visit the About page. To contact Jenna you can email her at info@film-method.com

Lynda Lopez- Producer

Lynda Lopez started her career in film as a Production Designer working on student films with friends from art school where she was a Graphic Design major. She then went on to assist some very talented Production Designers on studio films while still working in various capacities on short films and indie films. Due to her fascination for all aspects of filmmaking, she has become more involved with the Production side of things working as a Director’s Assistant and Producer.

Lynda is currently working on a charity project for All Hands Volunteers, a non-profit organization that provides hands-on assistance to survivors of natural disasters around the world. For more information about Lynda’s project to help this organization please visit www.hands.org

Connie Siu started out in the gaming world, but eventually found herself in development at one of the major studios. Her love of story and developing stories is what led her to development and it was there she gained insight into what writers and aspiring writers need to do to get noticed by the studios.

Connie Siu- Development Executive

Connie Siu is a business development and strategic planning professional with particular strengths in multi-media and feature film industries.  She has experience and in-depth knowledge of story development, distribution and strategic partnerships.

Throughout Connie’s career, she has pursued her passion for film and she has an in-depth knowledge of both the business and creative aspects of the industry.  She began her career in the game industry working for such companies such as Sega and Namco.  There she cultivated numerous computer skills, mastering real-time 3-D animation and becoming the lead effects animator on Paramount Pictures’ Virtuosity starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

After graduate school, Connie was chosen as a manager candidate for Artist Management Group where she analyzed scripts for marketability, demographics, character, etc. for clients such as Robin Williams and Samuel L. Jackson.  After which, she went onto POP.com as Manager of Business Development for the on-line entertainment unit of DreamWorks SKG and Imagine Entertainment. Following POP.com, Connie was recruited by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) as Senior Strategic Relations Manager focusing on the animation and special effects market.

Connie holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and graduated cum laude from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts.  Connie also attended UCLA’s prestigious Producer’s Summer Program where she began developing content for film and television.

Connie currently works at DreamWorks Animation in Artistic Development.  She is the former Chairman and the co-founder of the San Francisco Chapter of Siggraph and the former Vice-Chairman of the U.S. Sports Film Festival Board of Directors.  Connie also severed as Executive Director of the Pre-Visualization Society and on the Los Angeles Kellogg Alumni Board.

Aydrea Walden- Writer

Aydrea has written for The Seattle Times, the Now Write! Screenwriting book series, The Second City Los Angeles, iO West, Hawaii Film Partners, NBC/Universal, Highlander Films, Nickelodeon, and Disney. She also runs the satirical blog, The Oreo Experience–My Life and Times as a Super White Black Person. For more information about Aydrea or to contact her please visit her website at www.theoreoexperience.com

Jenna Edwards- Producer, Film Method Co-Host

For more information about Jenna Edwards please visit the About page. To contact Jenna you can email her at info@film-method.com

Lynda Lopez- Producer

Lynda Lopez started her career in film as a Production Designer working on student films with friends from art school where she was a Graphic Design major. She then went on to assist some very talented Production Designers on studio films while still working in various capacities on short films and indie films. Due to her fascination for all aspects of filmmaking, she has become more involved with the Production side of things working as a Director’s Assistant and Producer.

Lynda is currently working on a charity project for All Hands Volunteers, a non-profit organization that provides hands-on assistance to survivors of natural disasters around the world. For more information about Lynda’s project to help this organization please visit www.hands.org

Barri Evins- Producer/Screenwriting Teacher

Barri Evins is a successful film producer and a sought after screenwriting teacher.  As a producer, she has sold pitches and specs to Warner Bros., Universal, Fox, Nickelodeon, New Line and HBO.  Barri created BIG IDEAS to give new screenwriters what it takes to achieve their dreams by teaching them techniques she uses with highly paid professionals on big league projects.  The Big Ideas Screenwriting Seminar teaches writers to create ideas that ignite industry interest and gives writers revolutionary tools for completing a successful screenplay faster than ever before.  The seminar also includes Barri’s mentorship for a year.  Learn about upcoming seminars, bringing the Big Ideas Seminar to your hometown or get a free thumbs up or down on your next idea at www.bigbigideas.com.  Find tips and updates at BIG IDEAS for Screenwriters on Facebook.  A BIG IDEAS books is in the works.

Barri’s Website-www.bigbigideas.com

Big Ideas for Screenwriters Facebook Page

Aydrea Walden- Writer

Aydrea has written for The Seattle Times, the Now Write! Screenwriting book series, The Second City Los Angeles, iO West, Hawaii Film Partners, NBC/Universal, Highlander Films, Nickelodeon, and Disney. She also runs the satirical blog, The Oreo Experience–My Life and Times as a Super White Black Person. For more information about Aydrea or to contact her please visit her website at www.theoreoexperience.com

Jenna Edwards- Producer, Film Method Co-Host

For more information about Jenna Edwards please visit the About page. To contact Jenna you can email her at info@film-method.com

Lynda Lopez- Producer

Lynda Lopez started her career in film as a Production Designer working on student films with friends from art school where she was a Graphic Design major. She then went on to assist some very talented Production Designers on studio films while still working in various capacities on short films and indie films. Due to her fascination for all aspects of filmmaking, she has become more involved with the Production side of things working as a Director’s Assistant and Producer.

Lynda is currently working on a charity project for All Hands Volunteers, a non-profit organization that provides hands-on assistance to survivors of natural disasters around the world. For more information about Lynda’s project to help this organization please visit www.hands.org

Julie Gray- Writer

A regular contributor to the Huffington Post, Julie directs the Just Effing Entertain Me Screenwriting Competition and The Golden Age of Television Competition. Julie consults privately with a variety of writers all over the world and has taught at the Oxford Student Union at Oxford University, The West England University in Bristol, Wilmington University in Delaware and San Francisco University in Quito, Ecuador.

Julie teaches screenwriting classes at Warner Bros., The Great American Pitchfest, The Creative Screenwriting Expo and the Williamette Writer’s Conference in Portland, Oregon.

A volunteer at the Afghan Women’s Writing Project, Julie is co-founder of Stories Without Borders, a non-profit organization committed to fostering the creative voices of students and women through the medium of film. A resident of Los Angeles, California, Julie’s book, Just Effing Entertain Me will be available as an audio and E-book in August, 2011.

Julie’s Website- www.justeffing.com

Aydrea Walden- Writer

Aydrea has written for The Seattle Times, the Now Write! Screenwriting book series, The Second City Los Angeles, iO West, Hawaii Film Partners, NBC/Universal, Highlander Films, Nickelodeon, and Disney. She also runs the satirical blog, The Oreo Experience–My Life and Times as a Super White Black Person. For more information about Aydrea or to contact her please visit her website at www.theoreoexperience.com

Erick Avari- Director-Producer

During his 30 years as an actor, Erick Avari has consistently turned in finely crafted performances, from grand opera to soap opera, with stops on and Off Broadway, in regional theaters, in some of the highest grossing films in the past two decades, on hit television series and in award-winning independent films.

Avari is instantly recognizable from his roles in blockbuster films ranging from the comedic Mr. Deeds, opposite Adam Sandler; to sci fi epics such as The Mummy, with Rachel Weisz and Brandon Fraser; Stargate, with Kurt Russell and James Spader; Independence Day, starring Will Smith, and Daredevil, as Jennifer Garner’s father. He has also lent his talents to critically acclaimed dramatic roles in film festival favorites American East, with Tony Shalhoub; Dark Matter, starring Meryl Streep; Three Days of Rain, with Peter Falk and Blythe Danner; and Choose Conner, with Steven Weber.

Since his Hollywood debut in Kevin Reynold’s The Beast of War, he has been fortunate to work with some of the most honored film directors of the time, including Mike Nichols, Tim Burton, Lasse Hallström and Satyajit Ray.

Born in Darjeeling, India, Avari attended European boarding schools before attending university in the US. He launched a distinguished career on the New York stage that included leading roles in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” (directed by Tony winner A.J. Antoon), “Tis Pity She’s a Whore” (directed by Mabou Mines founder Joanne Akalaitis) and “A Map of the World” (written and directed by David Hare) at the Joseph Papp Public Theater, as well as the classic musical “The King and I” on Broadway.

He has appeared at some of the country’s most prestigious regional theaters, including the Tyrone Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, the Goodman Theater in Chicago and Shakespeare and Company in the Berkshiers, and played leading roles in Mozart’s “Abduction from the Seraglio” at the Portland Grand Opera, and in “Rasputin” at New York City Opera.

Among his scores of television roles are Chandra Suresh on NBC’s breakout hit series “Heroes,” as well as recurring roles on LA Dragnet, Stargate SG-1 and Felicity. Avari’s recent television appearances also include Dirty Sexy Money, opposite Peter Krause and Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

Versatile, dedicated and dynamic, Avari has been a trailblazer for a generation of South Asian actors in Hollywood. In his fight against stereotypical casting, he has played more than two dozen different ethnicities with authority and believability.
Chasing Eagle Rock marks Avari’s Directorial debut.

Chasing Eagle Rock on Facebook

Michael Welch- Actor

At 23, Michael Welch has worked in every aspect of the entertainment business including film, television, voice-over, and stage. Michael is the recipient of two Young Artist Awards.  First for his performance in Star Trek – Insurrection at age 10, and the second for his work as Luke Girardi on the hit television series Joan of Arcadia, which ran for two seasons on CBS.  Welch won best actor at the 2011 First Glance Film Festival in Hollywood for his portrayal of a troubled young man in Unrequited.

Michael completed filming The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn recently, the fourth in the series of best-selling novels by Stephenie Meyer. He has enjoyed wide exposure for his role as the popular Mike Newton in the Twilight series and much acclaim from within the industry and his many fans.

In the last few years, Welch demonstrates his intense depth and commitment to his craft by assuming challenging roles as the leading man.  Independent films such as Born Bad, Unrequited and Lost Dream are just some examples. In  Chasing Eagle Rock, Michael plays the role of J.R opposite Erick Avari.  Welch can be seen in award-winning festival favorites such as My Suicide, An American Crime, United States of Leland, American Son, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, and The Cover-up.

Welch is familiar to television audiences for his many starring roles on Emmy Award-winning shows, most recently Criminal Minds and Bones.   During the past few years he appeared on CSI, an arch on The Riches, CSI: Miami, Numb3rs, Law & Order: SVU, Crossing Jordan, NCIS, Cold Case, and Without a Trace. His earlier years included performances on Stargate SG-1, Judging Amy, The District, Touched by an Angel, Malcolm in the Middle, The X-Files, The Pretender, 7th Heaven, Chicago Hope, and Frasier.

In spite of his busy schedule, it is essential to Michael to give back. He received the 2005 Star Innovative Award for environmental causes and has been active with the charity Kids With a Cause since 1999.  During 2010, Welch was invited to Germany by the USO for their first educational tour for young people. Recently, Welch was Co-Chair for Walk on The Horizon, an event to raise awareness and resources for adults with disabilities.  Just last year, Michael created the $5.00 Buck Club for The Thirst Project.  His goal was to prove to young people that $5.00 can make a difference.  He raised $20,000 and is looking forward to going to South Africa, Kruger National Park and Swaziland with The Thirst Project in December, 2011.

Michael on Twitter

Larry Laboe- Producer

Larry Laboe began producing film, television, commercials and new media projects with international production and distribution company SXM. His first network series was NBC’s ‘Ctrl’ starring Tony Hale and Steve Howey. Mr. Laboe more recently began work as a producer on Comedy Central’s series Matumbo Goldberg starring Anthony Anderson, Jenna Elfman and Oscar Nominee Michael Lerner, Directed by Oscar nominated Rob Pearlstein and NBC’s FCU: Fact Checkers Unit starring Pauley Perrette, Luke Perry, Jon Heder, Donald Faison, Alex Trebeck and more. Mr. Laboe also produced two series, Disney Kitchen Jam and Diagnosis Stories for Disney Interactive and the feature film Chasing Eagle Rock starring Erick Avari, Michael Welch and Mary-Margaret Humes.

In 2007 Mr. Laboe co-founded the non-profit 501(c) 3 organization NewFilmmakers Los Angeles with partner and Program Director Susie Kim. In an effort to bring opportunity to independent filmmakers, film goers and entertainment industry professionals in Los Angeles, Mr. Laboe works as Executive Director of the group and coordinates NFMLA film screenings on a monthly basis, along with an on-camera filmmaker interview series distributed by MovieMaker Magazine.

Jenna Edwards- Producer, Film Method Co-Host

For more information about Jenna Edwards please visit the About page.

Producing Sunflowers Website
Burbank International Film Fest

Zsolt Magyar- Production Sound Mixer

Zsolt Magyar is a Hungarian born, Los Angeles based Production Sound Mixer. In Budapest, at the age of 18, he starts his study in electric engineering and joins the rock band, “Azok A Fiuk” (Those Guys). They release two albums with great success. In 1993, he opens for U2. The same year he forms another band, “Bang Bang.” They release an album that is produced by Polygram Records. From 1992 to 1998, Zsolt is a celebrity spokesperson for Roland Musical Instruments in Hungary. From 1993, Zsolt works as a music composer for commercials, movies, brand image shows and fashion shows throughout Europe.

In 2000, Zsolt moves to Los Angeles and finds a new career. He gets into the sound mixing world of the Hollywood film industry. Since he started, he has mixed many feature films, shorts, commercials and television shows. In 2004 he gets nominated by the Cinema Audio Society for outstanding achievement in sound mixing for the TV film The Hollow (2004) (V). He has a multi-channel hard disk recording system, plus a number of high-end wireless and boom microphones, and everything needed for recording sound in the most demanding locations.

Zsolt’s Website- www.productionsoundmix.com
Zsolt’s Email- productionsoundmix@yahoo.com

Brian McQuery- 1st A.D.

Born and raised in Chicago, Brian has always had a love for movies.  He wrote his first feature-length screenplay shortly after graduating high school and has since written original screenplays in the genres of crime, drama, action, thriller, comedy, horror and western.  Brian skipped college and jumped into the workforce, with jobs in insurance, sales, customer service, and telemarketing.

Brian left his job as Director of Telemarketing in 2000 because he wanted to direct motion pictures, not telemarketing.  He threw himself into Chicago’s indie film scene, built relationships with local actors and filmmakers, and in October 2002, he completed a low budget DV short, Debt, which he wrote, directed and executive produced. Debt was Brian’s first experience with professional equipment and a crew and it screened at several film festivals.  Over the next three years, Brian wrote, produced and directed the DV short films: Commitment, Snare, and Three Couples, the 16mm short film, Everybody Sins, the 35mm short, Promise, and the DV 24P shorts films, Let Go and Vacant.

Brian has a well-rounded view of feature film production and has worked as a 1st Assistant Director on over a dozen independent features and numerous short films, Web series, and other projects.  He has also worked as a 2nd AD on half a dozen independent features.  His strong organizational and management skills enable him to keep the crew moving efficiently to make the most of limited resources on independent films.  He has lived in Los Angeles since 2006 and several of his short films played the film festival circuit and won awards in 2006 and 2007. And since 2009, he has arranged for actors and filmmakers to appear at screenings of their films at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles.

Brian’s Website- www.brianmcquery.com

Aydrea Walden ten Bosch- Writer

Aydrea has written for The Seattle Times, the Now Write! Screenwriting book series, The Second City Los Angeles, iO West, Hawaii Film Partners, NBC/Universal, Highlander Films, Nickelodeon, and Disney. She also runs the satirical blog, The Oreo Experience–My Life and Times as a Super White Black Person.

For more information about Aydrea or to contact her please visit her website at www.theoreoexperience.com

Eve Light Honthaner- Producer/Author/Teacher

Eve’s career in the entertainment industry spans many years, primarily in the field of production management.  She’s worked in every capacity from PA to line producer and as a staff production executive, most recently for DreamWorks.  She’s worked on shows budgeted anywhere from $1 – $250 million and on projects that have been shot throughout the U.S. and internationally, including Titanic, Just Married and Tropic Thunder.

She’s the author of The Complete Film Production Handbook and HOLLYWOOD DRIVE: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry.  And since 1998, she’s combined her many years of practical experience with a love of teaching to help others succeed in this fiercely competitive business.

In addition to the six-week course she teaches at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts each summer, schedule permitting, she does one- and two-day workshops throughout the country.

Eve’s Website- http://evehonthaner.com

Jenna Edwards- Producer, Film Method Co-Host

For more information about Jenna Edwards please visit the About page.

Producing Sunflowers Website
Burbank International Film Fest

Lynda Lopez- Producer

Lynda Lopez started her career in film as a Production Designer working on student films with friends from art school where she was a Graphic Design major. She then went on to assist some very talented Production Designers on studio films while still working in various capacities on short films and indie films. Due to her fascination for all aspects of filmmaking, she has become more involved with the Production side of things working as a Director’s Assistant and Producer.

Lynda is currently working on a charity project for All Hands Volunteers, a non-profit organization that provides hands-on assistance to survivors of natural disasters around the world. For more information about Lynda’s project to help this organization please visit Film Method’s Facebook page.

For more information on All Hands Volunteers visit their website at http://hands.org/

Mother’s Red Dress, a tragic love story, is the third feature film in three years for No Restrictions Entertainment, an independent filmmaking partnership between writer/director Edgar Michael Bravo and producer John Paul Rice. The team is known among its fan base and those in the micro-budget indie community for making compelling dramatic films that deal with challenging topics in the realm of social issues.

Over the past four years, they’ve built a strong following starting with their first feature, the critically acclaimed, One Hour Fantasy Girl, (based on a true story) a poignant story of a runaway girl from the mid-west living in Hollywood who works as a no-sex call girl to pursue her dream of investing in real estate. The audience’s strongest reactions came from a majority of women who sympathized with a guarded yet vulnerable young woman making her way through a dangerous world to achieve her goal of financial independence – finding an emotionally engaging female empowerment movie. These reactions propelled the team to partner up with charities and organizations, showing the film in theaters to raise awareness and funds for abused runaways.

Now with their third film just weeks away from a locked picture edit, the team is raising finishing funds for Mother’s Red Dress via Kickstarter – one of the more popular crowd-funding platforms available to filmmakers – and combining the fundraising with charity as 10% of every dollar pledged will be donated to an organization that helps victims of domestic violence and child abuse.

Mother’s Red Dress is the story of a young man, Paul, who leaves home to start a new life after seeing his mother kill her abusive boyfriend and threatens to kill her son if he tells anyone.  Paul moves to a small town in Southern California where he meets Ashley, a young woman who also comes from a broken home yet is unaware of Paul’s troubled past with his mother. Ashley inspires Paul to apply to a local community college. All is going well until Paul gets a call from his mother who is dying of cancer and wants to see him one last time.  She offers to reunite Paul with his estranged father who disappeared during his childhood – his father, wanting to meet and convince Paul he is a changed man. Paul decides to travel back home with Ashley following the next day but the truth of what actually happened in the house and to Paul is waiting for both of them.

Mr. Bravo and Mr. Rice talk about their current crowd funding campaign, effective strategies and more on the Film Method podcast with Cindy Freeman and Jenna Edwards.

To learn more about MOTHER’S RED DRESS and their Kickstarter campaign, click here.

You can also follow the project on Facebook or connect with John Paul Rice on Twitter.

John Paul Rice- Producer

Mr. Rice attended Georgia State University in 1997 with a focus on Business. In 1999, while at college, Mr. Rice was given a rare opportunity to work on Jerry Bruckheimer’s Remember the Titans. Following three months on the film, John directed his studies toward learning the history of cinema. Mr. Rice gained hands-on production experience by working on a handful of micro- budget independent films between courses before moving to Los Angeles January 2001 to pursue a career in film production. By mid 2001, John landed a position at the Los Angeles division of the German distribution company Senator International (which later became Mandate Pictures) lead by industry veteran Joseph Drake (Juno, The Grudge, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, 30 Days of Night, American Psycho). Under Joe’s mentoring, John developed an interest and dedication to producing feature films. John left Mandate to form No Restrictions Entertainment LLC with filmmaker Edgar Michael Bravo. In 2008, Mr. Rice produced his first feature One Hour Fantasy Girl with Edgar Michael Bravo directing. The following year, he and Mr. Bravo produced the supernatural thriller The Magic Stone, set for release in 2011.

Edgar Michael Bravo- Writer/Director

Latino writer/director Edgar Michael Bravo has explored the residual effects of the North American and Latino culture clash in several of his films. During his studies at the UCLA graduate school of film (MFA, 1993) Mr. Bravo’s film Mi Casa, which dealt with Latino immigrants in L.A., won the grand prize at the A&E national film competition. This prestigious award helped launchhis directorial career and Edgar took on his next challenge:Mi Hermano which was the first drama to deal with the ramifications of AIDS and Latino immigrants. This poignant, edgy film garnered Mr. Bravo a Cine Eagle Award and was broadcast nationally on Univision and PBS. After receiving his Masters of Fine Arts from UCLA with honors, Mr. Bravo wrote and directed the feature I’ll Love You Forever…Tonight, which won national rave reviews including Kevin Thomas (L.A. Times) & Steve Holden (N.Y. Times). The project co-starred Thomas Jane (The Punisher, Dreamcatcher, Boogie Nights). Phaedra released the film nationally. Video distribution was handled by BlockBuster and Hollywood Video. Lila Cazes (producer of Leaving Las Vegas) saw I’ll Love You Forever…Tonight and hired him to complete Venus Rising, a feature that required a re-write and re-shoots. Lila was so pleased with Mr. Bravo’s take on the material, that they hired him to write the feature The Perfect Husband.
Mr. Bravo’s film Mi Hermano was viewed by Columbia-Tri-Star and Telemundo and led to his first directorial stint in television. Mr. Bravo shot an hour long episode of Reyes y Rey (1998), a popular police drama based in a fictional Latino border town. The episode received such high ratings that he was contracted to direct two episodes of their other co-production Angeles, a Latino version of Charlie’s Angels. Edgar’s following project, The Preacher’s Son received a Houston World Fest Award (2000). His next script which he collaborated with another writer The Closing Bell, received a Zide/Perry finalist award (2002) and won the Telluride Indie Fest Award chosen as one of the “best indie scripts (2002).” After reviewing his body of work, the award winning San Francisco writers Bob Vickery and Dale Chase granted Mr. Bravo rights to their stories. The result was the script The Three Stages of Stan produced in 2003. In 2008, Mr. Bravo partnered with producer John Paul Rice on their first HD feature film One Hour Fantasy Girl, set for limited theatrical release in 2010. The following year, the team produced the supernatural thriller The Magic Stone, set for release in 2011. Mr. Bravo’s great dream is to direct his script, The Conquest of Mexico, which depicts the beauty of Mexico before the treachery of Cortez and the European diseases he brought which devastated a highly developed indigenous culture.

Susan Nininger- Costume Designer

Susan Nininger was raised in the Northeast ‐ Connecticut, Boston, and New York. She began her studies as a Fine Art Student at Rhode Island School of Design. By the time she received her Masters Degree in Seattle in 1976, her work was incorporating a variety of materials ‐sculpted ceramic pieces, found objects and fabrics‐and she, and others, were wearing her ‘Costume Sculpture’. The body of sculptural work that Susan produced during the late 70′s in Seattle displayed a unique and imaginative use of mixed materials, as well as a strong sense of storytelling. Some of the pieces she produced during this time were not wearable, however, they were always about Costume ‐ evoking her deep rooted interest in not only the physicality of garments chosen as costume, but also in the Storytelling Ideas that go into the development of character through Costume Design. She received Scholarship Awards and Grants during this time from the National Endowment for the Arts and other prestigious organizations. Her work was exhibited in both galleries and museums, nationally.

Susan made the transition from working as a Studio Artist to designing Costumes for Stage and Moving Pictures in the late 70′s.  Collaborations with Performance Artists and Choreographers in Seattle, lead to being invited to design costumes for several Stage Productions. Finding that designing costumes fit perfectly with her passion for storytelling, she made the choice to pursue a career as a Costume Designer, and moved to Los Angeles in 1981. Susan’s range of work as a Costume Designer, to date, includes Costume Design for Feature Films, Television, Theatre, and Music Videos. She is perhaps most well known for her Costume Design for The Bodyguard with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. She has designed for, and collaborated with, award winning Commercial Directors, and continues to maintain a high profile as an imaginative and prolific Costume Designer. With a continued  interest in Education within the field of Costume Design, Susan is a member of the faculty at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in  downtown Los Angeles, where she teaches in the Film & TV Costume Design Program.  She is a member of the Costume Designers Guild, and served on the CDG Board of Directors from 2005‐2010.

Susan is based in Los Angeles, where she lives with her son.

If you’re looking for a costume designer for your film, please contact Maril Delly at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Maril’s email address is mdelly@fidm.edu.

Lynda Lopez- Producer

Lynda Lopez started her career in film as a Production Designer working on student films with friends from art school where she was a Graphic Design major. She then went on to assist some very talented Production Designers on studio films while still working in various capacities on short films and indie films. Due to her fascination for all aspects of filmmaking, she has become more involved with the Production side of things working as a Director’s Assistant and Producer.

Lynda is currently working on a charity project for All Hands Volunteers, a non-profit organization that provides hands-on assistance to survivors of natural disasters around the world. For more information about Lynda’s project to help this organization please visit Film Method’s Facebook page.

For more information on All Hands Volunteers visit their website at http://hands.org/

Jenna Edwards- Producer, Film Method Co-Host

For more information about Jenna Edwards please visit the About page.

Producing Sunflowers Website
Burbank International Film Fest

The script supervisor has one of the most important and difficult jobs on set: making sure what’s in the script ends up in the can (or in the case of The Office, the plastic tape case). The script supervisor, also known as the scripty, rarely has a free moment on set as she or he is constantly taking notes for each take, timing each take, and supervising the continuity of the script including actor’s lines, props, wardrobe and much more! Join us as we discuss the duties and responsibilities of this valuable position with Veda Semarne of The Office.

Veda Semarne- Script Supervisor

Veda Semarne received a Ph.D. in Art History from Yale, writing her dissertation on the Lumière brothers and the first films in France.  She taught film history, theory, and screenwriting at Yale University, Trinity College, and Long Island University until 1996, when she moved to L.A. to explore the world of film production first hand.  In 1997, she took a script supervising course at the American Film Institute and has been working as a script supervisor ever since, on feature films and television series.  She has worked in many genres, but comedy is her favorite.  She just completed her seventh season on the NBC’s The Office.  Her feature projects include Cedar Rapids and License to Wed.  She has had the honor of working with many fine directors, among them Ken Kwapis, Paul Feig, Miguel Arteta and Harold Ramis.

Veda’s Facebook Page

Lynda Lopez- Producer

Lynda Lopez started her career in film as a Production Designer working on student films with friends from art school where she was a Graphic Design major. She then went on to assist some very talented Production Designers on studio films while still working in various capacities on short films and indie films. Due to her fascination for all aspects of filmmaking, she has become more involved with the Production side of things working as a Director’s Assistant and Producer.

Lynda is currently working on a charity project for All Hands Volunteers, a non-profit organization that provides hands-on assistance to survivors of natural disasters around the world. For more information about Lynda’s project to help this organization please visit Film Method’s Facebook page.

For more information on All Hands Volunteers visit their website at http://hands.org/

Jenna Edwards- Producer, Film Method Co-Host

For more information about Jenna Edwards please visit the About page.

Producing Sunflowers Website
Burbank International Film Fest

Holden Hume- 2nd A.D.

Holden was born in Sterling, Colorado and lived most of his life in Sidney, Nebraska.  He gained a love of film at an early age, watching everything he could, which was at times difficult given the fact that the nearest movie theater was 30 miles away. When the local theater opened back up some years later, Holden began writing movie reviews for the local paper. He later went on to earn his degree in Film and Video studies at the University of Oklahoma. After graduation he moved to LA to pursue a career
in film production. He started out in LA as an intern for a small production company on the back lot of Universal Studios by day, and a night Auditor for a motel on Hollywood Blvd by night (an experience that was about as far removed from small town Nebraska as you can get). Holden’s first industry job was as a PA for 300 dollars a week on a small Horror Movie called DARK RIDE. He and went on to become a 2nd 2nd AD a 2nd AD and eventually a 1st AD for non-union productions Film and Television. He met his wife Meredith Corrado (also an AD), on a film set, and they now have a 1 year old son named Homer. They are both currently ADing, producing and writing. They live in the San Fernando Valley.

To get in touch with Holden or Meredith you can email them at hume8617@yahoo.com

Meredith Corrado- Producer, 2nd 2nd A.D.

I was born in Albany, NY, raised in Mexico, MO, and went to college at Hendrix College in Conway, AR.  After college, I moved to Chicago, IL for a few years, and at some point realized I wanted to make movies.  I volunteered my help at Movieside Film Festival and quickly fell into working on a documentary.  Around the same time, my twin sister was graduating from special effects school and wanted to move to Los Angeles, and here we are.  Finding a job in Los Angeles wasn’t easy, as I found out, you need to know someone.  I went from Production Assistant to Craft Services and eventually up the Assistant Director ladder to now Producing.  With my own production company, Corrado Studios, my husband and I get to work together doing what we love.

Jenna Edwards- Producer, Film Method Co-Host

For more information about Jenna Edwards please visit the About page.

Producing Sunflowers Website
Burbank International Film Fest

Chris T. Lewis- Lighting Designer, Chief Lighting Technician

Chris started his career in the entertainment industry in 1982 while living in Phoenix, Arizona. He got his basic training by working with a Phoenix corporate and trades production company and learned all the basics of production from the beginning of design concept stages to the end of deep storage wrap. They had a small staff and everyone was cross trained with a hands on approach. Chris then moved to Page, Arizona where he worked on commercials and videos being shot at Lake Powell including the Sports Illustrated 25th Anniversary Swimsuit Video and his first feature film Highway to Hell.

In 1992 he was offered a position on Babylon 5 and he made the decision to move to Los Angeles, California, to work full time in the electrical department. Since then Chris has moved up through the electrical ranks and is now a successful Lighting Designer and Chief Lighting Tech. He owns his own business, Corsair Lighting, which rents electrical equipment.

Chris also stays up to date with his US Passport, is Padi Certified, and Dan Insured. He’s worked all over the world including Africa, Costa Rica, and Prague. He is local to Los Angeles, CA and Kaneohe, Oahu. Currently (2011), Chris is still employed as a Lighting Designer and Chief Lighting Technician.

He has just finished Season 14 on The Ultimate Fighter television series and has upcoming underwater projects being shot at Fantasy II Film Effects in Los Angeles.

Written by: Christina Christensen Lewis

Corsair Website
Chris’ Facebook page

Lynda Lopez- Producer

Lynda Lopez started her career in film as a Production Designer working on student films with friends from art school where she was a Graphic Design major. She then went on to assist some very talented Production Designers on studio films while still working in various capacities on short films and indie films. Due to her fascination for all aspects of filmmaking, she has become more involved with the Production side of things working as a Director’s Assistant and Producer.

Lynda is currently working on a charity project for All Hands Volunteers, a non-profit organization that provides hands-on assistance to survivors of natural disasters around the world. For more information about Lynda’s project to help this organization please visit Film Method’s Facebook page.

For more information on All Hands Volunteers visit their website at http://hands.org/

Jenna Edwards- Producer

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process. Before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as; Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Superbad, The Office).

During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers and has since successfully produced 4 feature films as well as co-hosting the Film Method podcast and teaching producing classes at New York Film Academy.

After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they produced the first ever made-for-internet movie, In the Darkness, which premiered on Hulu.com. Mattoid has recently made the leap to distribution, where they have acquired three feature documentaries to be released in 2011.  The first, Adopting Haiti premiered as the #1 documentary on Hulu.com.

Aside from continuing to work at Mattoid, Jenna is busy working on budgets for several independent films, producing 2 feature films and developing projects for television as well as teaching producing at New York Film Academy.

Producing Sunflowers Website

Burbank International Film Festival

Frank Caridi- Film Worker

Frank started his film career in Chicago in the mid 90′s, first in industrial videos, then in the fast paced, insanely challenging indie film scene.  In Chicago in the 1990′s, being an indie film worker means you are comfortable wearing several hats on set, and possibly a bartender’s apron off set.  He became an integral part of a film production team headed by Christina Varotsis, and known for its resourcefulness and stretching budgets to the breaking point. That reputation landed that crew the first season of HBO’s Project Greenlight.

After a the minor notoriety and Hollywood Awakening of Project Greenlight, Frank decided to move to Los Angeles.  Although he left the bartender’s apron behind, he did manage to bring both his love of rough and tumble low budget film making as well as his solid, Midwestern work ethic.  The rush of overcoming the challenges of making a film happen without the comforts and resources of an ample budget became addictive, and a niche as a low budget 1^st AD was found…then abandoned for the paycheck of commercial production.

After years of working in commercials in Los Angeles, Frank returned to independent production to make music videos as head of production for both Propeller Productions and then for Highway 114.  Producing music videos employed the creative problem solving of indie film production, but also introduced the creative freedom that is unique to short format videos.  Everything about music video production is short, including the business model of a music video production company.  When Josh Tickell of the Veggie Van Organization approached Frank to build and promote a sustainable vehicle to promote the theatrical release of his film, FUEL, Frank became a builder and green engineer.

Frank’s Email Address: madcap1314@gmail.com

Lynda Lopez- Producer

Lynda Lopez started her career in film as a Production Designer working on student films with friends from art school where she was a Graphic Design major. She then went on to assist some very talented Production Designers on studio films while still working in various capacities on short films and indie films. Due to her fascination for all aspects of filmmaking, she has become more involved with the Production side of things working as a Director’s Assistant and Producer.

Jenna Edwards- Producer

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process. Before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as; Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Superbad, The Office).

During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers and has since successfully produced 4 feature films as well as co-hosting the Film Method podcast and teaching producing classes at New York Film Academy.

After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they produced the first ever made-for-internet movie, In the Darkness, which premiered on Hulu.com. Mattoid has recently made the leap to distribution, where they have acquired three feature documentaries to be released in 2011.  The first, Adopting Haiti premiered as the #1 documentary on Hulu.com.

Aside from continuing to work at Mattoid, Jenna is busy working on budgets for several independent films, producing 2 feature films and developing projects for television as well as teaching producing at New York Film Academy.

Producing Sunflowers Website

Burbank International Film Festival

This new feature from Film Method will highlight different crowd funding campaigns each month. Producer Steve Everson is our guest blogger this month as we focus on the Indiegogo campaign for his short film A Midsummer Nightmare.

In the early pre-production of Midsummer, our goal was to avoid two pitfalls of many of the short films that we had seen or worked on, in the past. First, we decided it is important that the story have an extremely strong hook that incorporates elements that are new to viewers. The other main pitfall to avoid, as we saw it, was to stifle the film’s creative efforts by attempting the film unprepared.

To address the former, it was decided, rather than create a typical horror film with a faceless killer stalking the cast until the end, the main inspiration is drawn from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The latter became one of the primary reasons for the crowd funding campaign for A Midsummer Nightmare – The Betrayal.

As fans, we know that the popularity of both the horror and fantasy genres are strong, but the tie-in of Shakespeare opened the door to fans that may not have donated to a horror or fantasy film.

Writer & Director Josh Siegel did a great job with this and really ran wild with the story to create something both scary and fantastical. He put all the characters that you would expect to see in Shakespeare’s play, including King Oberon and Queen Titania of the Fairies’ court, and, of course, the mischievous Puck. But then, we turned the whole story on its ear. (Including an appearance by William Shakespeare.)

The Story: England, 1596. The Brotherhood of St. George uses William Shakespeare to trap the Faerie Court within an enchanted book, sparking a secret war with the pagan Feyists. 250 years later the book is opened and the magical beings are freed in a California forest.

Lord Oberon and Queen Titania are not happy after their long imprisonment, unleashing their wrath upon mankind. Three cowboys fight to survive long enough to stop the vengeful faeries and the murderous prankster called Puck.

Once the film is complete, the film will go on the festival circuit. We have a lot of confidence in its ability to perform and compete in the festivals we have targeted. These include about 30 of the top festivals in the US and Europe that are horror and fantasy themed.

When it has completed its tour, we are working on making the film available for download from a variety of outlets via the Internet (most are still in the preliminary stages) and of course, DVDs will be available with supplemental content including concept art, cast and crew bios and interviews and much more.

On behalf of the entire cast and crew, we would like to invite the listeners of Film Method to join us at any of the following links (hopefully all of the links) to keep updated on the progress of the film, help boost the word of mouth or even throw in a few dollars, if possible.

And thank you so much to Cindy Freeman and everyone at Film-Method.com!

To checkout our crowd funding campaign

Indiegogo:

http://www.indiegogo.com/A-Midsummer-Nightmare

Keep updated with all developments

The Blog:

http://midsummerfilm.blogspot.com/

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/AMidsummerNightmare

Twitter:

@midsummerfilm

A Midsummer Nightmare – The Betrayal

Produced by Steve Everson, L. Jeffrey Moore and Joshua Siegel

Steve Everson- Producer

Steve holds a degree in Communication Design, Media Arts from CSU, Chico. He spent three years as a commercial producer for Charter Media. Following that, Steve was hired as the Cinematographer and a Post Producing Consultant for the feature film Bloodwood Cannibals. The next year, he was hired as a Assistant Director and Co-Producer on the feature film Lesser Miracles. As a MFA student at the Academy of Art, Steve has served as a Producer twelve short films and a music video.

Scott Fort- Producer

Robert Scott Fort has been a working professional in the film industry for over 20 years.  During the first stage of his career, Mr. Fort worked as a Director of Development at Walt Disney Studios for Stuart Gordon, the director of RE-ANIMATOR, developing projects such as DYNOTOPIA, AMERICAN PSYCHO and the sequel to HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS.  He also worked with Indie film producer David Lancaster on various Showtime projects, and later with writer/producer, Jim Kouf, also at Walt Disney Studios.

Mr. Fort began working in physical production as a Production Coordinator and Production Manager for Full Moon Pictures, where he supervised over 25 low budget horror films.  From there Mr. Fort worked on numerous television pilots and movies of the week at such studios as Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Sony Television, Showtime and Lifetime.

Mr. Fort has also worked as a UPM or Line Producer on numerous independent features with directors such as: Ken Loach, Christopher Coppola, Andy Fleming and Joe Dante.  He has worked in locations as diverse as Utah, Arizona, Missouri, Mississipi, New Mexico, Louisiana, Texas and North Carolina, and has developed an expertise in putting together budget scenarios for film financing packages.

Most recently Mr. Fort Line Produced THE COVER UP based on an infamous Iowa crime case and directed by Sundance winning director, Brian Jun, and Production Managed ACT OF VALOR for Legendary Pictures slated for release in 2011.  He recently Line Produced the teen action thriller, BIG BAD for Eye Vox Entertainment, and is currently prepping a psychological thriller titled CHAINED to be directed by Jennifer Lynch.

Mr. Fort is an alumnus of California State University of Fullerton, graduating with a degree in Communications, with an emphasis in TV & Film. He is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America.

Credits include: THE THACKER CASE, MARK BURNETTE’S GOLD RUSH, KISS KISS BANG BANG, WAITRESS, and LOVE SPRING.

Jenna Edwards- Producer

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process. Before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as; Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Superbad, The Office).

During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers and has since successfully produced 4 feature films as well as co-hosting the Film Method podcast and teaching producing classes at New York Film Academy.

After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they produced the first ever made-for-internet movie, In the Darkness, which premiered on Hulu.com. Mattoid has recently made the leap to distribution, where they have acquired three feature documentaries to be released in 2011.  The first, Adopting Haiti premiered as the #1 documentary on Hulu.com.

Aside from continuing to work at Mattoid, Jenna is busy working on budgets for several independent films, producing 2 feature films and developing projects for television as well as teaching producing at New York Film Academy.

Producing Sunflowers Website

Rukmani Bachal- Producer

At 19, Bachal heeded her intuition and ventured on a path away from a conventional Indian life. A formative trainee-ship emphasized ‘plusthought’ that became the foundation for the quality of work and applicability of intelligence Bachal sought in every project she undertook. Bachal received tremendous support from her family that was crucial in making the decisions to move base constantly, working in various parts of the Advertising and Film Industry in India and then finally moving to Los Angeles, a step that to her felt like arriving at her core.
In Los Angeles, Bachal furthered her passion into Producing, seeking out and producing for talented filmmakers, a diverse variety of promising short films, under her production label ‘burning ghat cinema’. Bachal’s zealous attitude, meticulous professionalism and creative problem-solving have been critical in the making of her films.

Qualia Movie Website

Derek LaPorte- Director

Born in Pensacola, Florida, Derek LaPorte, has written and directed numerous short films, gaining increased technical competence while constantly testing his boundaries as a storyteller. On the verge of enrolling in law school, he decided to move to Los Angeles in 2007 and pursue his vision as a filmmaker, a career fraught with uncertainty albeit one for which he showed much promise.
He constantly imbibes from the films of Michelangelo Antonioni, Andrei Tarkovsky, Robert Bresson, Bela Tarr and Terrence Malick, renowned names in American and Foreign cinema; filmmakers whose stories and style he considers unshakable. Not unlike his influences, Laporte’s films aspire to bring to the fore strong thematic concepts, compelling characters and situations that aim to arrive at the truth and evoke real emotions in the viewer.

From the austere style of One Note Song to the allegorical plot in The Pitch, LaPorte’s films showcase this emerging filmmaker’s visionary directing style, keenly attuned sense for perceptive story lines and cinematically appealing compositions.

Jenna Edwards- Producer

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process. Before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as; Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Superbad, The Office).

During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers and has since successfully produced 4 feature films as well as co-hosting the Film Method podcast and teaching producing classes at New York Film Academy.

After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they produced the first ever made-for-internet movie, In the Darkness, which premiered on Hulu.com. Mattoid has recently made the leap to distribution, where they have acquired three feature documentaries to be released in 2011.  The first, Adopting Haiti premiered as the #1 documentary on Hulu.com.

Aside from continuing to work at Mattoid, Jenna is busy working on budgets for several independent films, producing 2 feature films and developing projects for television as well as teaching producing at New York Film Academy.

Producing Sunflowers Website

Geoff Goodloe- Director of Photography

Geoff is a DP and Camera Operator from San Diego. While having only been in the business for 5 years, Geoff has worked on hundreds of productions, ranging from music videos and shorts to multi million dollar feature films. He attributes his success to being adaptable, and forging through when others would have walked away. Geoff currently resides in Los Angeles, but his work takes him around the country.

Geoff’s Facebook Page

Ace Underhill- Director

Ace Underhill has worked in the film and television industry for over 13 years, blending extensive technical knowledge with an award-winning artistic edge.  He founded Brilliant Screen Studios, a full service film & television studio as well as a feature film production company.  He has served on the San Diego Filmmakers Board of Directors and was part of the Advisory Group to the San Diego Film Commission.  Brilliant Screen also supplies productions of all sizes with crew, consultation, and equipment. Brilliant Screen Studios

Ace’s Facebook Page

Jenna Edwards- Producer

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process. Before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as; Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Superbad, The Office).

During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers and has since successfully produced 4 feature films as well as co-hosting the Film Method podcast and teaching producing classes at New York Film Academy.

After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they produced the first ever made-for-internet movie, In the Darkness, which premiered on Hulu.com. Mattoid has recently made the leap to distribution, where they have acquired three feature documentaries to be released in 2011.  The first, Adopting Haiti premiered as the #1 documentary on Hulu.com.

Aside from continuing to work at Mattoid, Jenna is busy working on budgets for several independent films, producing 2 feature films and developing projects for television as well as teaching producing at New York Film Academy.

Mattoid Entertainment Website

Producing Sunflowers Website

Tony Boldi- Executive Producer

Tony has completed over 500 plus projects from acting to producing since moving to Southern California back in 1996. He is the project manager for a television series which is based on an Academy Award accredited feature film from his current distribution company.

Tony is one of the owners of a very successful acting school in Hollywood (BCC: Boldi/Cardwell-Classes for the serious actor) with his business partner Steve Cardwell from his former acting school where he just received his PhD.

Tony has drummed with, performed with and been the DJ to countless celebrities over his career and was even the Key Art Awards Stage Director at the famous Kodak Theatre where they hold the Academy Awards each year. He was the casting director as well as the drummer for the Armenian Grammy Award Winning Best Music Video of the Year Ashoon starring SAKO.

Tony just recently finished writing two of his own original screen plays entitled Humble Pie and The Ultimate Chess Move which are both due out sometime in the near future.

Jenna Edwards- Producer/Co-Host

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by Agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process, before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Super Bad, The Office). During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Malcolm in the Middle, and working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers. After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they made, In the Darkness,  the first narrative feature to ever premiere on Hulu.com.  Most recently Edwards made her way back to Nebraska, where she shot April Showers, to team up with some new filmmakers on a comedy film called Trunk’d.

Tom Vaughan- Writer/Director

Tom Vaughan studied at the University of Houston with Broadway legend Jose Quintero and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Albee. It was his work as a writer and director in Houston theatre that got him recognized by Hollywood. He was soon writing screenplays for, among others, Phoenix Pictures, Spelling Films, Rysher Entertainment, TNT, MTV Films, Castle Rock Entertainment, Sony Pictures, Disney and Warner Brothers.
His productions as a writer include Blackout with Jane Seymour for CBS, and Critical Assembly with Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy, Knocked Up) for NBC. He served as writer as well as Co-Producer on Atomic Twister with Sharon Lawrence and Dead in a Heartbeat with Penelope Anne Miller and Judge Reinhold, both for TBS. His feature film debut was Unstoppable, starring Wesley Snipes. His script, Bronwyn and Clyde, which he co-wrote with Kristy Dobkin, was recently set-up at Essential Entertainment. UV Pictures, his partnership with Chris Uettwiller, is producing with Dolly Hall. It is targeted for a $30 million production and Tom is fighting hard to have it filmed in Houston.

Playing House, written with Ms. Dobkin, is his feature film directorial debut. They most recently wrote Hallelujah together, the English language debut for acclaimed Japanese director Kazuika Kiriya (Casshern, Goemon).

Since returning to Houston he has dedicated himself to small organizations aimed at expanding Houston’s theatre and film community. He has been teaching screenwriting for nine years and finds it as gratifying as actually practicing it.

Chris Uettwiller- Producer

Chris Uettwiller started his entertainment career in 1992 under the direction of acclaimed independent producer Dolly Hall. After working in a variety of production positions, he moved on to co-create and write Showtime’s Twisted Puppet Theatre, and the award winning comedy series Chop Suey TV for USA Network. Chris again teamed up with Hall in 1998 at GreeneStreet Films, serving as Head of Production and R&D for the Digital Film Division. His division’s first film was Griffin Dunne’s Lisa Picard is Famous, which competed at the Cannes Film Festival. Subsequent films included Jessie Peretz’ Inherited Chateau staring Paul Rudd, and Fisher Steven’s directorial debut Just a Kiss.
In 2000 Chris moved to Los Angeles to help start the Visual Effects/Production outfit The Orphanage where he served as Head of Production and Development. By the time Chris decided to make a move back to independent producing The Orphanage had grown to over 250 full time employees. It was then that UV Pictures was formed with Tom Vaughan.

In 2004, Chris produced Elton John’s The Red Piano (currently running in Las Vegas) and several music videos and commercials for acclaimed photographer/director David LaChapelle. In 2006 he was executive producer on the sports/reality series Guide House: Montauk, which aired on ESPN. He also serves as Creative Director and Executive Producer for several of RedBull North America’s brand building events including Dragster Day, Flugtag and Billy Cart. His next project Bronwyn and Clyde, producing along with Dolly Hall, written by Vaughan and Dobkin will be financed by Essential Pictures.

Jenna Edwards- Producer/Co-Host

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by Agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process, before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Super Bad, The Office). During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Malcolm in the Middle, and working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers. After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they made, In the Darkness,  the first narrative feature to ever premiere on Hulu.com.  Most recently Edwards made her way back to Nebraska, where she shot April Showers, to team up with some new filmmakers on a comedy film called Trunk’d.

Barry London- Former Vice Chairman of Distribution at Paramount

Barry London started at Paramount in distribution in 1971.  He was promoted to salesman in the Los Angeles Branch in 1972 and then transferred to Kansas City in 1973 as Kansas City/St. Louis Manager. In 1981, Barry was transferred to Los Angeles as Vice President Western Division, overseeing the six western branches and in 1983 he was transferred to New York as Vice President, General Sales Manager, overseeing all distribution activities in the U.S. and Canada.  Barry was promoted to President, Distribution, overseeing all distribution functions worldwide in 1984 and in 1985 he was promoted to President, Distribution and Marketing, adding marketing responsibilities, worldwide.  In 1988 Barry was named President, Motion Picture Group, overseeing all distribution, marketing, video and pay TV operations, worldwide and in 1993 he was named Vice Chairman, Motion Picture Group.  London left the executive position at Paramount in 1998 and took a production job there for two years.  After he left Paramount he became Chairman and CEO of startup Destination Films. He left Destination Films in 1993 and has been consulting since. Some of the films Barry was involved in at Paramount were the Star Trek movies, the Indiana Jones movies, Top Gun, Fatal Attraction, The Addams Family, Beverly Hills Cop, Ghost, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games , Clear and Present Danger, Forrest Gump, and The Untouchables.

Jenna Edwards- Producer

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by Agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process, before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Super Bad, The Office). During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Malcolm in the Middle, and working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers. After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they made, In the Darkness,  the first narrative feature to ever premiere on Hulu.com.  Most recently Edwards made her way back to Nebraska, where she shot April Showers, to team up with some new filmmakers on a comedy film called Trunk’d.

Barry London- Former Vice Chairman of Distribution at Paramount

Barry London started at Paramount in distribution in 1971.  He was promoted to salesman in the Los Angeles Branch in 1972 and then transferred to Kansas City in 1973 as Kansas City/St. Louis Manager. In 1981, Barry was transferred to Los Angeles as Vice President Western Division, overseeing the six western branches and in 1983 he was transferred to New York as Vice President, General Sales Manager, overseeing all distribution activities in the U.S. and Canada.  Barry was promoted to President, Distribution, overseeing all distribution functions worldwide in 1984 and in 1985 he was promoted to President, Distribution and Marketing, adding marketing responsibilities, worldwide.  In 1988 Barry was named President, Motion Picture Group, overseeing all distribution, marketing, video and pay TV operations, worldwide and in 1993 he was named Vice Chairman, Motion Picture Group.  London left the executive position at Paramount in 1998 and took a production job there for two years.  After he left Paramount he became Chairman and CEO of startup Destination Films. He left Destination Films in 1993 and has been consulting since. Some of the films Barry was involved in at Paramount were the Star Trek movies, the Indiana Jones movies, Top Gun, Fatal Attraction, The Addams Family, Beverly Hills Cop, Ghost, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games , Clear and Present Danger, Forrest Gump, and The Untouchables.

Jenna Edwards- Producer

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by Agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process, before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Super Bad, The Office). During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Malcolm in the Middle, and working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers. After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they made, In the Darkness,  the first narrative feature to ever premiere on Hulu.com.  Most recently Edwards made her way back to Nebraska, where she shot April Showers, to team up with some new filmmakers on a comedy film called Trunk’d.

Mattoid Website

Roberta Munroe- Filmmaker/Author/Consultant

Roberta Munroe is the author of How Not To Make A Short Film: Secrets From A Sundance Programmer- described as the “bible” for short filmmakers. Roberta packed this “bible” with insider tips gleaned from 5 years programming short films at Sundance, interviewing successful short filmmakers worldwide and sharing the horrors and the brilliance of her own award winning short filmmaking career.

www.robertamunroe.com

You can contact Roberta directly at filmconsulting@robertamunroe.com

Jenna Edwards- Producer

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by Agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process, before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Super Bad, The Office). During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Malcolm in the Middle, and working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers. After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they made, In the Darkness,  the first narrative feature to ever premiere on Hulu.com.  Most recently Edwards made her way back to Nebraska, where she shot April Showers, to team up with some new filmmakers on a comedy film called Trunk’d.

Mattoid Website

Aydrea ten Bosch- Writer/Producer

Aydrea, a former news reporter, has been a freelance writer for Nickelodeon and Hawaii Film Partners, a staff writer for Disney and currently has a feature film in post production with Highlander Films. Aydrea has been a finalist in the AAA Creative Screenwriting Contest and while at Disney, one of her scripts was chosen to represent the network before the Emmy Nominating Committee. She also runs the blog The Oreo Experience.

For more information about Aydrea or to contact her please visit her website at www.theoreoexperience.com

White on the Inside Christmas Video

Jason Brubaker- Producer/Author

Jason Brubaker is a Hollywood based Independent Motion Picture Producer and an expert in Video On Demand distribution. He is focused on helping YOU make, market and sell movies more easily by growing your fan base, building buzz and creating community around your title.

Jason is a contributing author of The Independent’s Guide to Film Distributors, he is the founder of Filmmaking Stuff, a professional resource for independent filmmakers, and his articles on independent movie marketing, distribution and film production have been featured in The Independent, the New York Film Academy and Movie Maker Magazine.

Brubaker has has lectured on these subjects to filmmakers from around the globe through various filmmaking seminars, panel discussions and workshops. www.freefilmmakingbook.com

Jenna Edwards- Producer

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by Agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process, before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Super Bad, The Office). During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Malcolm in the Middle, and working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers. After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they made, In the Darkness,  the first narrative feature to ever premiere on Hulu.com.  Most recently Edwards made her way back to Nebraska, where she shot April Showers, to team up with some new filmmakers on a comedy film called Trunk’d.

Mattoid Website

Aydrea ten Bosch- Writer/Producer

Aydrea, a former news reporter, has been a freelance writer for Nickelodeon and Hawaii Film Partners, a staff writer for Disney and currently has a feature film in post production with Highlander Films. Aydrea has been a finalist in the AAA Creative Screenwriting Contest and while at Disney, one of her scripts was chosen to represent the network before the Emmy Nominating Committee. She also runs the blog The Oreo Experience.

For more information about Aydrea or to contact her please visit her website at www.theoreoexperience.com

White on the Inside Christmas Video

But behind all the excitement, you and I both know there is one nagging question on your mind. And it is the same question asked by every independent feature filmmaker. You’re wondering: “How am I going to sell this thing?”

That is a good question. And if you’re crossing your fingers for a huge paycheck and a three-picture Hollywood deal, what I’m about to tell you is going to be very different than what you had hoped for.

Thanks to technology, any person with a thousand dollars can grab an HD camera and create a backyard indie. And while this does not guarantee quality, it does create a market flooded with cheaply produced movies. Couple this with a decline in traditional sales channels and your odds of finding a profitable deal have become increasingly challenging.

For most filmmakers, this revelation comes as a shock. After all the work you put into making your movie project a reality, the prospect of putting a no-deal DVD onto a bookshelf and failing to get a return on investment is discouraging. And if it wasn’t for the internet, I’d probably tell you that a career selling life insurance wouldn’t be too bad.

But I have good news! Like you, our first feature was met with empty distribution promises and crappy deals. So by necessity, we started selling our title on Amazon as both a physical DVD and a video on demand download. At first, none of the producers liked that idea. I mean, even if a traditional deal sucks, at least there is still validation of seeing your title on the shelves at the local video store…

Then we made our first sale. We thought it was an anomaly. How could we possibly make money with our movie? We had no stars. We had no formal distribution. And most people on earth had never heard of our title (including you.) But then we made another sale… And then a third… And then a dozen…

That was 2006. Since that time, our movie has sold in ways we never imagined. As a result, every four months I get a nice check. And while it’s not enough money to buy my retirement, I can’t complain.

This success was enough to convince me that making money as an indie filmmaker is no longer about the BIG pay day. These days filmmakers need to create good work, find their target audience and focus on selling movies consistently over time. As a result, I now believe the modern moviemaking model is to eventually create multiple streams of movie income.

For many filmmakers, this sort of talk might be crazy.

Think about it. In years past, filmmakers only self distributed their movies when they had to. It wasn’t a choice! But these days, filmmakers can choose to self-distribute, because 9 times out of 10, making your title available on Amazon and iTunes and other popular VOD marketplaces can potentially pay more than a traditional deal. Because a deal that pays zero is not a deal. (Of course I’m expressing my opinion.)

The following “How To Sell Your Movie” checklist will provide you with a broad overview of how to market and sell your movie without the middle-man.

This checklist should be considered a good start – but many of you will want further information. For that, check out: www.howtosellyourmovie.com

Wherever I thought it would help, I’ve mentioned partner companies and affiliates. This means, if you follow my suggestions and use one of these services, I’ll get a commission. The folks I mention are good people. But you are welcome to ignore my links at will. I won’t be upset. As with all things, take what works for you and ignore the rest.

That said, let’s get started!

How To Sell Your Movie Checklist:

1. Create a website specific to your movie. Go to www.moviesitehost.com and grab hosting for your site and reserve your domain name there. When you purchase your hosting, a domain name is usually included in the purchase price.

2. Branding is the marketing equivalent of matching your belt with your shoes. Don’t make your marketing complicated. Make sure your colors, logos, posters and fonts are consistent.

3. Most filmmakers make a crazy website with all sorts of bells and whistles. Your website should be simple. You should have a trailer, an about page, a buy now button, links to your social networks and an audience list.

4. Out of everything I mention, getting people onto your audience list is most important. An audience list will allow you to collect a name and email address of your visitor. To build an opt-in list, which is FREE for the first 500 subscribers, check out: http://www.aweber.com/

5. Take a moment to think about your target audience. Hopefully you have a marketable hook for your movie, and a plan for reaching your target demographic. If not, figure it out!

6. Get your movie selling as a Video on Demand rental and download. To do this, upload your movie to the many VOD marketplaces, such as iTunes, Amazon and NetFlix. For an easy way to accomplish this, try www.moviesalestool.com

7. You can sell DVDs too. Amazon’s Create Space makes this easy. And even though it’s more expensive, I advise you to stay out of the shipping business. Let CS manufacture your DVDs and fulfill your orders on demand. This way, you can focus on increasing your sales, as well as your next movie projects. Not shipping.

8. Your trailer is your sales tool. Upload your trailer to YouTube as well as other, popular video sites. Make sure your trailer mentions your website. Put your focus on optimizing YouTube. Why? Because YouTube is both a social network and the second largest search engine on earth (also owned by Google.) It’s worth it!

9. Write press releases related to the availability of your movie. Include back links to your site. Send the release out via one of the online press release submission sites. In addition to this, don’t be afraid to call magazine editors and journalists who write for your target audience. As they say, if you don’t ask – you don’t get!

10. Join online forums related to your target market. Create a profile, complete with a signature link to your website. Now, whenever you join a conversation, you’ll spread your links.

11. Just because you’re in a forum doesn’t mean people care about you or your movie. If you join conversations without adding value – or if you become one of those spam happy people who talk about your movie and fail to add value to the discussion, you will be seen as a spammer.

12. If the idea of contributing to forum conversations annoys you, then just pay for advertising on the site. The whole point is to increase awareness of your movie and get prospective audience members to your site.

13. Create a Facebook page, a Twitter account and join the popular social networking sites. Again, you’ll want to build a fan base for your movie. And to manage it, try www.ping.fm This tool allows you to update all your social networking sites at once, which is cool!

14. The purpose of using social networks is to connect with your target market, spread word about your movie and once again, lead people off the networks and onto your Audience list.

15. The reason you can not rely solely on social networking for your audience list, is because many of those sites have gone out of vogue. I lost 10K “friends” on one of them. As a result, I estimate this tip is worth $100,000.00.

16. Additionally, have your webmaster put a button on your website so people can tweet, bookmark, and share your movie website with friends on their social networking sites. (Can you please click the tweet button at the top of this article?)

17. If you have the budget, purchase some offline advertising in publications related to your movie. To find related publications, go to a book store and look for magazines. Also, try Google.

18. All of these methods are intended to get people back to your website. The purpose of your site is to get people to watch your movie trailer and click the BUY NOW button. Anything that distracts these visitors must go!

19. You’ll soon realize that most people will not buy your movie on their first visit to your website. If they don’t click, then at least try to get them to opt into your audience list. Then you have a chance of getting them to buy later.

22. Out of all the people who click the BUY NOW button, many won’t buy. But some will!

23. Consider using that money to purchase more advertising and then repeat the cycle. The goal is to keep investing and reinvesting the money until you produce a self sustaining machine.

24. Sales will tend to level off after a few years. This is the normal. When this happens, find some other filmmakers with a movie geared towards the same target audience. Offer to promote their movie to your audience list. If these other filmmakers have an audience list too, ask them to promote your movie. Be willing to pay them a cut of your profits.

25. Time for your next project. But unlike before, you’ll have a strong mailing list at your disposal. And as a result, you can now ask yourself the following magical questions: “How many VOD downloads do I have to sell to recoup my investment? And how am I going to sell them?” Answer those questions, and you’ll also be talking the talk with your investors.

- – -
Jason Brubaker (IMDB) is a Hollywood based Independent Motion Picture Producer and an expert in Video On Demand distribution. He is focused on helping YOU make, market and sell movies more easily by growing your fan base, building buzz and creating community around your title.

You can find more of Jason Brubaker’s articles at www.filmmakingstuff.com

We’re also excited to continue our partnership with Jenna Edwards to answer questions from the Film Method mailbag. We want questions from YOU, the listener that pertain to all aspects of filmmaking so that we can get you the answers you need to make your film. Jenna’s next article will be released next Wednesday, January 12th.

We’ll kick off this month with a special series of shows dedicated to distribution, which will include an interview with digital distribution expert Jason Brubaker on January 12th and an interview with former Sundance short film programmer, Roberta Munroe on January 19th just in time for Sundance.

Aydrea ten Bosch- Writer/Producer

Aydrea, a former news reporter, has been a freelance writer for Nickelodeon and Hawaii Film Partners, a staff writer for Disney and currently has a feature film in post production with Highlander Films. Aydrea has been a finalist in the AAA Creative Screenwriting Contest and while at Disney, one of her scripts was chosen to represent the network before the Emmy Nominating Committee. She also runs the blog The Oreo Experience.

For more information about Aydrea or to contact her please visit her website at www.theoreoexperience.com

Jenna Edwards- Producer

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by Agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process, before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Super Bad, The Office). During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Malcolm in the Middle, and working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers. After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they made, In the Darkness,  the first narrative feature to ever premiere on Hulu.com.  Most recently Edwards made her way back to Nebraska, where she shot April Showers, to team up with some new filmmakers on a comedy film called Trunk’d.

Mattoid Website

John Paul Rice- Producer

John Paul Rice attended Georgia State University in 1997 with a focus on Business. In 1999, while at college, Mr. Rice was given a rare opportunity to work on Jerry Bruckheimer’s Remember the Titans. After working almost three months on the film, John returned to school and directed his studies toward learning the history of cinema. He moved to Los Angeles in January 2001 to pursue a career in film production. By mid 2001, John landed a position at the Los Angeles division of the German distribution company Senator International (which later became Mandate Pictures) lead by industry veteran Joseph Drake (Juno, The Grudge, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, 30 Days of Night, American Psycho). Under Joe’s mentoring, John developed an interest and dedication to producing feature films. John left Mandate in the fall of 2005 to form No Restrictions Entertainment LLC with filmmaker Edgar Michael Bravo. In 2008, John produced his first feature One Hour Fantasy Girl with Edgar Michael Bravo directing, Levi Obery co-producing.  In 2009, the team produced formed a new production entity, Bravo-Obery-Rice Productions, producing their second feature film now in post production, (psychological thriller) The Magic Stone, a journey into the mind of a homeless man who is trying to stay connected with reality as he struggles to protect a runaway boy and a girl he loves. John Paul Rice produced his third feature, Mother’s Red Dress, an unusual love story, last summer.

No Restrictions Entertainment on Twitter

On November 11th, 2010 Film Method and Mental Eclectic held their first joint Shorts ‘N Spirits Showcase together. The event featured many different web series and shorts and included industry speakers as well. Film Method was there to capture it! This is part two of the interviews we conducted at the event with filmmakers Tom Konkle and Thor Melsted from the short film Destiny’s Stop, director Doug Cwiak and the cast of The Unemployment of Danny London and actor and artist Alexander Polinsky who was one of the speakers at the event.

Tom Konkle- Actor/Writer/Producer

Tom is apart of an acting and writing team with David Beeler, often performing as a British sketch duo in shows Good Night and Double Act. They are currently developing and writing several television series and download-able content and mobile TV through their company Pith-e Productions. Tom was the founder of the infamous sketch troupe, McFwap. He also writes comic short films with Gino C. Vianelli.

Recently partnered with John Cleese as a performing team on a sketch comedy TV special. Developed three television series pilots with Beeler as well as two series with Brittney Powell.

www.daveandtom.com

Thor Melsted- Filmmaker

Thor was born in Iceland, where he lived until age 24, at which point he moved to LA and went to film school and eventually earned a degree in Cinema. He has worked on several projects, doing visual effects for multiple projects, including one feature film. He met David Beeler and Tom Konkle in 2003 when he worked on their short film, Secret to Happiness is a Bad Memory. He became fast friends with the comedy duo, and has been associated with the “Dave and Tom” team in one way or another since then. Mostly behind the scenes in various roles, but ventured in front of the camera once as a Viking opposite Tom Konkle’s time traveling documentarian. The surreal western Destiny’s Stop is the first Dave and Tom project Thor has directed.

www.thormelsted.com

Doug Cwiak- Producer/Director

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Doug went to college at the University Of California, Los Angeles and received his bachelor’s degree in Film and Television. His short film, The Beginning of December (2008), premiered at the GIAA Film Festival in New York and went on to play at 7 other film festivals. He has been professionally involved in the industry since 2000, working on projects in capacities including writer, director, director of photography, producer, and editor. He owns Industrial Media Arts a production/post-production company.

www.dannylondon.com

Alexander Polinsky- Actor/Writer/Producer

Alexander has been a working actor in Hollywood for 27 years. As the youngest actor on the set of Charles in Charge (1987), Alex often found himself with nothing to do between takes. As a result he got into arts and crafts and just kept going with it. When the series ended, he got a job making movie-prop collectibles such as replicas of the mask worn by Jim Carrey in The Mask (1994). He trained to be a master mold maker with a special-effects company.

In addition to teaching acting and voiceover Alexander is also a songwriter. He’d also like you to know that, “I make art for fun, I’m never bored, have a terrier, and I love Kombucha Tea!”
AlexanderPolinsky.com
www.avatarism.org

Scott Baker-Filmmaker

Scott Baker, a native of Northern California, received a degree in History from Sonoma State University and served in the United States Peace Corps from 2000-2001 in Turkmenistan.  He co-founded Vegan Cannibals Productions with Philip Stimmell in 2002.  Their first film, Brunch of the Dead was a feature-length zombie-comedy. Since re-locating to Riverside they have done several award-winning short films, including Rationed which screened at this year’s Cannes Short Film Corner and 2 episodes for their new series Findings (think Ghosthunters meets Reno911!).  You can find out more at www.VeganCannibals.com
Scott’s film Rationed was 2nd runner-up in the world finals of 48 Hour Film Project, aka, Filmapalooza as part of the NAB Show in Las Vegas. The film was also selected for a showcase at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival (Short Film Corner Marche du Film).

Steve Silverman-Writer/Director/Executive Producer

Steve Silverman is a critically-acclaimed playwright, with over twenty plays and musicals produced nationwide, including the three years running smash hit 15 Minutes of Fem, and Slideshow , which the LA Times proclaimed “Downright Magical,” now in it’s fifth year of monthly shows at the Fake Gallery in Hollywood. Steve is also a multi-award winning writer-producer in the world of On-Air Promotions, with stints at ABC, CBS, NBC, Bravo, The WB, and the CW under his belt, he presently spends his days (and some nights) at the FOX Broadcasting Company – you know those commercials you see that try to get you to watch American Idol and The Simpsons? He makes those. Pretty is Steve’s first swim in the vast ocean that is the ‘interwebs’ as a writer-director.

Stacy McQueen- Actor

Stacy McQueen attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and earned her BFA from Webster University Conservatory of Theater Arts where she was one of twelve (out of the nation) recipients of the prestigious Irene Ryan/ Kennedy Center Award. She moved to Los Angeles and studied with the late great Roy London (with the likes of Brad Pitt, Geena Davis, Kristen Davis, Framke Jenson…yeah, what happened there?) She was saved by Dolph Ludgren in I Come in Peace, served a two and half year stint on General Hospital playing nurse Sheila Cantillion and portrayed a whore with a heart of gold on Quantum Leap. She got her big break when she was reunited with Dean Stockwell as a series regular on the sitcom In the Mood. Unfortunately, it wasn’t picked up. She worked on the short lived Maybe this Time along with Craig Ferguson in his first TV role in the US. He went on to become a star of late night and she went on to be one of the few clothed women in HBO’s Breast Men.  She’s performed in many plays around town. Some of her favorite roles were Princess Leia Magdalene in Jesus Christ Super Star Wars and Annette, the retarded Asian baton twirler in The King and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Stacy most enjoyed Vangsness/McQueen, a show she co-starred/co-created with her dear friend Kirsten Vangsness. You can find lots more on Stacy at www.stacymcqueen.com.

Sam Pancake- Actor

Sam Pancake is an actor, improviser, and sketch comedian who hails from Romney, WV. He first came to the attention of film and television casting directors in the late ’90′s as a member of the award-winning sketch comedy troupe, Margot’s Bush, and not long after that he found himself being called, well, a “cunt” by none other than Larry David in the notorious “The Shrimp Incident” episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. That inglorious moment led to numerous high-profile recurring and guest starring television roles on many popular series, including Pushing Daisies, ‘Til Death, Friends, Arrested Development, Will & Grace, Life with Bonnie, Fat Actress, Charmed, West Wing, NYPD Blue, Without a Trace, and many more. Sam was also a regular on back-to-back critically acclaimed series, FOX’s Kitchen Confidential, created by Darren Star, and Lifetime’s improv-based sitcom, Lovespring International. Sam has also appeared in a slew of films, including Ready? OK!, Over Her Dead Body, Straight Jacket, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, Legally Blonde 2, Girls Will be Girls, and the upcoming Falling Up and Barry Monday. In addition to his film and television appearances, Sam has also been an active member of the Los Angeles theatre community for years. He has graced many production on local stages, including the “Real Live Stage” spoofs of the films Foxes and St. Elmo’s Fire, as well as the TV shows CHiPS and The Facts of Life, in which he made a lovely Blair Warner. Sam has performed his autobiographical one-man show The Head is Not Reliable: Stories from a High-Strung Appalachian Boyhood on stage many times over the last few years. And, yes, it is true: Pancake is indeed his real last name. He will be more than happy to tell you how THAT all happened!

John Carrozza-Executive Producer

John Carrozza helped form Velvet 
Candy Entertainment, LLC in 2006 with a mission to tell 
unique and compelling stories with diverse LGBT characters 
and strong crossover appeal.

The award-winning Socket (the world’s first gay science fiction thriller) was John’s first 
stab at co-producing a feature, but Velvet 
Candy has completed 
several other projects including the short films Rubdown, Screening Party, The Defenders and Reunion, which was funded by 
the HBO Shout Short Film Competition. John has also executive produced the web series Pretty which debuted in January 2010.  Coming up later in the year is the short film Rubdown, which will appear in film festivals across the country.

John has also recently produced the upcoming 
musical comedy The Mikado Project, which premiered at the 2010 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and Qwerty, a straight-ish office sex comedy completed and shopping for distribution.  John lives and works in Burbank, CA with his husband Doug and their dogs.

Craig Wilson-Producer/Director

Craig started his 12 year career in entertainment as an Artistic Director for a black box theater troop. In 2003 he graduated Los Angeles Film School majoring in Directing and minoring in Producing. Since that time he has worked as a Producer, Director, First Assistant Director, Grip, Electrician, Craft Service and Production Assistant in television and film. He has produced two independent feature films, is in pre-production for one and is in development of another, both slated to shoot 2010. He has also Event Coordinated and Produced five world premiere screenings, four monthly networking events and is currently a Producer for the San Diego Indie Festival Film Stage.

Mel Huffman-Event Coordinator/Production Designer

Mel’s passion has always been art. After creating her first work at the age of 5, she joined the Buena Park Civic Center Arts earning multiple awards for her oil paintings. Spending years working backstage with her family on productions, she found her calling behind the scenes. She has previously worked closely with such artists as Artis Lane, Richard MacDonald, and Ricky Swallow at the LA Fine Art Foundry. Mel helped these artists create their vision in fine art bronze sculpture. Mel is also the Los Angles Regional Manager for Mental Eclectic, assisting Southern California filmmakers in production, networking and marketing. She has now dedicated herself to a full time career in the film industry. Mel produced The Return of the El Diablo, which premiered at Geekfest in Mexicalli in 2009. She was also the on-set dresser for The Guild season 3 in addition to working as the production designer for Simply Simon, Art Director for the music video Feel Better by Nikki Lang and Production Designer for the web series The Last.

Andrea Gold-Animal Trainer

Andrea has been working with animals for the last 10 years. After receiving a degree in Wildlife Management and Animal Behavior, she began her career training animals for movies and television. Her specialty is training exotic animals. She works with Elephants, a Rhinoceros, Pelicans, Monkeys, Tigers, Bears, as well as dogs and cats. She has worked on projects such as: Into the Wild, Hotel for Dogs, In the Darkness, Fight Science, Eaten Alive, I Shouldn’t be Alive, and Pedigree Adopt-a-Pet. One of her greatest fears is jellyfish.

A2Z Animals

Jeremy McGovern-Producer/Writer

In the last 12 years Jeremy McGovern has worked on marketing campaigns for Hollywood films, businesses of his own, Fortune 500 companies, charities and smaller local businesses. During this period McGovern also graduated Magna Cum Laude with his BA from Columbia College’s film program with a double emphasis in Directing and Writing for cinema and television.

During his studies at Columbia, McGovern gained the opportunity to work with Participant Productions on the release, alternative marketing, and social action campaigns for Angels In The Dust, The Kite Runner and, Jimmy Carter; Man From The Plains. In this period McGovern also gained invaluable work experience on a myriad of short films, documentaries and music videos.

While still at Columbia, McGovern was recruited by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts where he worked as Operations Manager for their flagship Resort/Spa and Wellness Center for three years. After leaving the corporate world McGovern transitioned back into film by co-founding Mattoid Entertainment with Jenna Edwards and Andrew Robinson where he has co-produced, written and developed projects for the company as well as working heavily in the companies cutting edge Marketing, Distribution and Social Media divisions.

Mattoid Entertainment

Cooper Harris- Producer/Actor

A recent graduate of the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts, Cooper happily herself paying her bills acting and producing!  She recently starred in the SyFy Channel’s upcoming thriller, Meteor Apocalypse and just wrapped the title role in a rom-com opposite Josh Sussman (Glee) and Lochlyn Munro. Cooper was seen this summer as the new host for Red Bull, as well as in campaigns for DishNetwork, POM, Microsoft and the groundbreaking new LG campaign. Cooper produced and stars in DailyMotion’s first original comedy series, Squatters. She is also a writer/producer of award-winning transmedia commercial campaigns for companies such as Post It Notes, Kimberly Clark, and Krazy Glue. Upcoming, Cooper can be seen as the title character in the upcoming thriller, The Resurrection of Serious Rogers. www.CooperHarris.net

Ace Underhill- Director of Photography

Ace Underhill has worked in the film and television industry for over 13 years, blending extensive technical knowledge with an award-winning artistic edge.  He founded Brilliant Screen Studios, a full service film & television studio as well as a feature film production company.  He has served on the San Diego Filmmakers Board of Directors and was part of the Advisory Group to the San Diego Film Commission.  Brilliant Screen also supplies productions of all sizes with crew, consultation, and equipment. Brilliant Screen Studios

Jenna Edwards- Producer

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by Agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process, before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Super Bad, The Office). During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Malcolm in the Middle, and working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers. After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they made, In the Darkness,  the first narrative feature to ever premiere on Hulu.com.  Most recently Edwards made her way back to Nebraska, where she shot April Showers, to team up with some new filmmakers on a comedy film called Trunk’d.

Mattoid Entertainment’s Website
Mattoid on Facebook

For our guest bios and links please see Episode Fifty-Four: The Business of Acting Part 1

Jenna Edwards- Producer

Jenna Edwards began her film career in Minnesota where she was signed on as talent with Easter Hailey. Quickly after being signed Edwards was hired by the agency as a full time employee giving her a head-start on her Hollywood education. After two years of rising through the Minnesota film community Edwards made the move to Los Angeles.

Soon after Edwards moved to Los Angeles she was hired by Agent Jamie Ferrar. It was while Edwards was working for Ferrar that she developed an interest in the casting process, before long she had moved from talent agencies to working in casting with such industry leaders as Sally Steiner (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Boy Meets World), Barbie Block (Jonas, Pepper Dennis) and Allison Jones (Super Bad, The Office). During this time Edwards was also able to gain valuable production experience working on shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Malcolm in the Middle, and working with studios like Disney, MTV, FOX and CBS.

After several years of successfully navigating her career through the Hollywood studio system Edwards made the leap to independent film with her first feature April Showers. After her success with April Showers Edwards formed Mattoid Entertainment with partners Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Robinson where they made, In the Darkness,  the first narrative feature to ever premiere on Hulu.com.  Most recently Edwards made her way back to Nebraska, where she shot April Showers, to team up with some new filmmakers on a comedy film called Trunk’d.

Mattoid Entertainment’s Website
Mattoid on Facebook

Rachel Lien- Actor

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska – Rachel’s desire to perform became apparent before the age of eight.  She soon began acting, singing and dancing on the same stage where such legends as Marlon Brando and Henry Fonda began their careers – the nationally renowned Omaha Community Playhouse. By the age of 12, Lien was garnering praise from theater critics and audiences alike. Roles in The Miracle Worker, Gypsy, and Annie Get Your Gun would earn her the Theater Arts Guild Award for Best Youth Actress, and the prestigious Mary Peckham Award for her stunning portrayal of Helen Keller.

Although aptly described as “a bubbly ingénue who can sing and dance up a storm”, Lien’s dramatic talents began to emerge on screen as well.  Appearing alongside other rapidly rising young actors such as Kelly Blatz and Daryl Sabara in the film “April Showers” (also starring Tom Arnold and Illeana Douglas), Lien’s depiction of Jessica earned high praise from director Andrew Robinson who described her as “One of the best raw talents I’ve come across in a long time.”  Her role in “Ticket Out”, starring Ray Liotta (Goodfellas, Charlie St. Cloud) and Billy Burke (Twilight, New Moon), will further reveal her range of talent as the rifle-toting, orthodontia-challenged drugstore employee, Ellen.

With a year to go at the University of Nebraska – the urge to head to Hollywood was too great.  Armed with a trunk-load of talent, along with a sparkling, fresh and determined spirit, Rachel Lien recently arrived in Hollywood. She is presently working on Young and The Restless in a recurring spot, and is decidedly on track to become one of our next great American actresses.

Rachel Lien’s Reel
Rachel’s Twitter Page

Bryan McClure- Actor

Ever since he was young, Bryan has been interested in the arts.  He has studied many different art-forms over the years from studio art and graphic design, to acting. Bryan received his Bachelor of Arts degree at Creighton University in Graphic Design and now has his web business called Momentum Creative Studios.  His acting studies began at The Omaha Community Playhouse, where Marlon Brando began his studies. Bryan was heavily involved in the The Nebraska Film Group and film community in Omaha, Nebraska prior to relocating to Hollywood. In addition to working with Tom Arnold in Andrew Robinson’s film, April Showers, Bryan’s other notable credits include Lucky starring Colin Hanks, Easy to Assemble with Illeana Douglas, and The Scientist with Adam LeFevre and Bill Sage.

Recently, Bryan was nominated as Best Supporting Actor at the 168 Hour Film Festival for his performance as Marko in the movie Bountiful. Additionally, he worked his way to the final audition (a Network test) for Nickelodeon’s new Power Rangers. He is currently studying the Meisner acting technique at the William Alderson Acting Studio in Hollywood.

Bryan McClure on IMDB
Momentum Creative Studios- web design
Bryan’s Personal Website
Bryan’s Twitter Page

Lore Haroutunian- Director of Photography

After graduating USC’s School of Cinematic Arts production program, Lore began finding her way as a cinematographer through shooting independent short films, web and viral videos, and teaching. She spent some time as adjunct faculty teaching 16mm camera techniques at the Colorado Film School, and after that, joined Denver’s Binning Family Foundation to teach film as storytelling, as well as lead an after-school film school program for teens. She now lives and freelances as a cinematographer in Los Angeles, and writes a rather nerdy blog for cinematographers called I Should Write This Down.

Ace Underhill- Director of Photography

Ace Underhill has worked in the film and television industry for over 13 years, blending extensive technical knowledge with an award-winning artistic edge.  He founded Brilliant Screen Studios, a full service film & television studio as well as a feature film production company.  He has served on the San Diego Filmmakers Board of Directors and was part of the Advisory Group to the San Diego Film Commission.  Brilliant Screen also supplies productions of all sizes with crew, consultation, and equipment.

Brilliant Screen Studios

Video courtesy of Brooklyn Girl Productions.

For information about our guests see the Episode Fifty-Two Part 1 episode page.

Sheri Candler- Independent Film Marketing and Publicity

Sheri Candler is an inbound marketing strategist who helps independent
filmmakers build identities for themselves and their films. Through the
use of online tools such as social networking, podcasts, blogs, online
media publications and radio, she assists filmmakers in building an
engaged and robust online community for their work that can be used to
monetize effectively.

Sheri Candler’s Website

Jenn Page- Actor/Director/Producer

After obtaining her degree in theatre performance form Southern Illinois University Edwardsville she earned her wings in New York City acting in independent films including the multi-award winning short Off. With the intention of furthering her acting career she moved to Los Angeles. Shortly after her arrival she decided that the best way to get work was to make her own. She began producing projects for herself and formed her first production company. Since then she has acted, produced, and/or directed feature films, short films, music videos, and stage shows. Directing has become the main focus for Jenn as she found that not only does directing allow her to utilize everything she has learned over the years, but it is her true passion.

Luminave Films
Reel Star Makers

Important Information & Links

Facebook Vanity URL
Bonnie Gillespie’s Facebook Page (casting director)

Boosting your Google rating

1. First, find out who you are now
- www.onlineidcalculator.com (log out of Gmail first before you run it for
more accurate results)
- www.addictomatic.com (makes a dashboard of your personal mentions)

2. To Boost Your Rating
-Get a LinkedIn account, even if you don’t plan to use it
-Get on IMDB
-Join actor and filmmaker networking sites, not just Facebook and Twitter
Examples for filmmakers: Production Hub, Massify, indieProducer.net
-Leave comments on prominent industry sites
-Check Technorati or Alexa for well trafficked sites, and leave comments of value, do not just say “great post”. Make sure you fill in your name, email and website, this is good for building inbound links on your site and for raising your profile.
-Another site to check out to post yourself on many social networking sites in one go, Knowem. I don’t like it much myself as my goal is to only be on sites I actually visit, but if you do want to spread yourself out or you are just getting started on social networking and would like to go to one site and sign up for many at one time, try Knowem.
- Use Websitegrader to evaluate how you are doing with your site and see what can be tweaked to raise your score.

A chat with the creator and stars of the new indie web soap The Bay premiering online Fall 2010. Tune in as we speak to creator/director Gregori Martin and cast members Jade Harlow, Kristos Andrews and Derrell Whitt.

The Bay’s Website
The Bay on Facebook

Following the life of socialite SARA GARRETT and the people around her, THE BAY is a new web series in the vein of Aaron Spelling’s 1980′s classic primetime soap opera, DYNASTY. Filled with sex, lies, scandal, and everything required to make a hot 1980′s soap opera, THE BAY stars several soap icons including Mary Beth Evans (Kayla DAYS), Tristan Rogers (Scorpio GH), Lilly Melgar (Lily GH), Martha Madison (Belle DAYS), Charles Shaughnessy (Shane DAYS), Nicolas Coster & Lane Davies (Lionel & Mason SB), Matthew Borlenghi (Ziggy B&B), Matt Ashford (Jack DAYS) and many others.

Click to view the Icons Photo Gallery

Perry S. Chen- Film Critic/Animator

At 10 years old, Perry Chen is the most influential and award-winning child film and entertainment critic, speaker, TV personality, radio talk show host, reviewing movies and family-friendly entertainment with his unique, kids-friendly starfish rating system on a multi-media platform on TV, radio, print, and web. He is an entertainment critic for the San Diego Entertainer Magazine and was the first child film critic invited to present at the prestigious Annie Awards for animation, the youngest blogger on Animation World Network (AWN), the youngest member of Asian American Journalist Association (AAJA), and San Diego Press Club, and the youngest honoree of Cox Communications annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Perry has been a frequent star on the red carpet and credentialed journalist interviewing filmmakers and stars at major film festivals, movie premieres, and press junkets. He is a speaker at a TEDx conference.

Perry has become an authoritative spokesperson for his generation about movies with his insight and humor from a child’s perspective, combining entertainment and education for kids.  Perry is also an award-winning artist, filmmaker and animator, partnering with Oscar-nominee Bill Plympton to create a new animation short, Beyond the Forest, about a young Jewish girl’s survival during the Holocaust.  Perry became a national sensation on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and NPR with Liane Hansen.  He has been extensively featured on regional, national and international media.  Perry’s Previews webseries is slated to launch in the summer of 2010. Visit http://www.perryspreviews.com for details.

Kevin Sean Michaels- Director

Kevin Sean Michaels was born and raised in New York City. He started making films at age thirteen with a Super 8 home movie camera in the style of silent movies. Michaels was the Art Director for Troma Entertainment for three and a half years, working closely with filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman on Troma’s film Poultrygeist! Night of the Chicken Dead,  as well as numerous DVD extras. He founded his own production company, Vamp Productions in 2005.

Michaels is known for his documentaries, Vampira: The Movie was his first documentary released on Alpha Video in 2008. Since then, he has produced The Wild World of Ted V.Mikels, about the grind-house filmmaker, due in stores March, 2010 also on Alpha Video. In 2008, Michaels met David Lynch and is producing a documentary, Beyond The Noise about a teenager’s journey learning Transcendental Meditation.

He is working on a project with horror legend Ingrid Pitt on an animated short on her experiences in the Holocaust with 10 year old art prodigy Perry Chen and two-time Oscar nominee Bill Plympton.

POP- Video Games

Pitfall, Adventure & Journey Escape
Video games were a big part of my childhood and that’s probably why I was inspired to write this blog after watching Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World last weekend. About halfway through the movie I knew that the director of the film was my age, or at least within five years of my age. I happened to be right as Edgar Wright was born in ’74 and I came along in ’75. His use of crude video game visual and sound effects took me back to the living room of the first house I lived in where I played countless hours of Atari with my brother, Brian. Some of our favorites were Pitfall, Adventure, and E.T. I remember when Brian beat Pitfall as he completed all of the hundreds of screens (that pretty much looked exactly the same) only to be taken back to the very beginning. That was big. A friend of Brian’s was the first in the neighborhood to get Pitfall II when it was released and I remember that Brian and said friend were nice enough to let me go to his house one day to play it. There were many many more “adventures” in the new game that included the ability for the Pitfall dude to float up many different levels in the caves on a balloon! There was also more than one background! It was huge. I also remember playing Journey Escape, which was based on the band Journey. The soundtrack to that game was the song Don’t Stop Believing, which upon hearing always takes me back to the basement of my cousin’s house, which was the scene of muchas Journey Escape game playing. Atari 2600, you gave us such joy.

POP-Film

Star Wars: The Original Trilogy
In my humble opinion, Star Wars should be on the favorite list of every filmmaker who grew up in the 80′s. This trilogy is probably the main reason that I wanted to be a filmmaker. I was two years old when the first movie came out and probably didn’t see it until I was about six or seven when it played incessantly on HBO. The Empire Strikes Back was released in ’80 when I was five and Return of the Jedi in ’83 (you do the math). Brian and I collected many Star Wars action figures and toys. I had the Death Star (that’s right, a seven year old girl had a toy Death Star) and Brian had the Millennium Falcon and various other ships and things. But besides just having great toys, these films were important for a number of other reasons including, oh I don’t know, maybe its cinematic genius! A New Hope was the epic set-up to a groundbreaking trilogy. There are the obvious grand and brilliant elements such as the earth-shattering score by John Williams and the amazing special effects (yes, those were real explosions) done by ILM that made the film grandiose and larger than life. But underneath all those layers of score and effects was a story; the story of a young man who had suffered great loss and who found his purpose in leading the fight against an evil empire. This team of filmmakers brought us into their world of droids, wookies, and mystical planets and sold us on an oft told and classic tale of good vs. evil. These movies weren’t about special effects and people in strange costumes, but rather those things supplemented the strong story and powerful characters. They immediately pulled us into the magical realm that they masterfully created and compelled us to care about Luke, Leia, Han, Chewy, and yes, even Darth Vader. A New Hope proved that it doesn’t take an unlimited source of money to make great movies, but rather a team of people dedicated to excellence and a whole heap of creativity. P.S. Marcia Lucas, wherever you are, Hollywood really needs you back.

POP- Comedy

Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, and Eddie Murphy
My comedy education started at a very young age. I believe I started watching SNL around ’83 or ’84 and Late Night in ’85 or 86. I heard my first Eddie Murphy album at the tender age of nine. I guess my dad thought he was buying us a tape of Eddie Murphy singing the hits, but no, that wasn’t the case. Don’t judge dad too harshly, though, they didn’t have those clever little “parent advisory” warning labels back then. The classic album included hits such as Buckwheat, Doo-doo, and Hit by a Car. Ah yes, those were the days. If it’s any consolation, those bits were much tamer than Eddie’s later material! Some of my earliest SNL memories include the sketch with Billy Crystal and Christopher Guest who play janitors that try to one-up each other with ideas of self-mutilation while completing each other’s sentences and Phil Hartman’s Anal Retentive Chef. Some of the best years in SNL history were from ’87-’89, which included cast members and comic geniuses Dana Carvey, Jan Hooks, Nora Dunn and Phil Hartman. Not surprisingly these are the first years that Conan O’Brien wrote for this legendary show as well. Around 1985 I began watching a revolutionary new late night show aptly called, Late Night with David Letterman. My family had been fans of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson so I guess Letterman was the next natural step. I found his sense of humor to be fresh (from what I knew of comedy at ten years old) and it definitely appealed to my odd and early-shaped comic sensibilities. Although Letterman’s crude interview style offended many, I found it to be honest and refreshing. Carson was the consummate professional and could mock you while making you feel that he was still on your side, but Letterman took brutal honesty to another level while still staying somewhat personable. I believe that Letterman was also the first to bring the concept of the “remote” to late night. He actually LEFT the studio to throw things off of buildings and to meet the employees at the neighboring businesses including the one hour photo mat and the Hello Deli sandwich shop.

POP- Music

Michael Jackson, et al
I have an uncanny knack for remembering which year certain songs from the 80′s were released. Invincible by Pat Benetar from the movie The Legend of Billie Jean: 1985, U2′s With or Without You: 1986, Don’t Dream it’s Over by Crowded House: 1987. Most of my memories of these songs have to do with where I was living at the time of their release. My family moved around a lot in the 80′s (six times and three states between ’84 and ’89) and music became a sort of bookmark in my mind depending on the bedroom, friends, or emotional growing pains I was experiencing at the time. After my family moved for the first time in my young life we had a hard time adjusting to our new town. Brian and I, who were already close, spent a lot of time together during that time as we were trying to cope with the new surroundings. There were a lot of pop culture elements that we bonded to such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. Last summer when Michael Jackson died, there were so many cars that drove down my street blasting songs from his discography (which was awesome and I kind of miss it). When Billie Jean or Human Nature would drive by it would always take me right back to 1984, complete with all the mix of emotions that came with growing through a tough situation at the age of nine. The cool thing about those memories is that they also include the unforgettable time I spent with Brian, who is one of the greatest and most important people in my life. I didn’t know at the time, but those would be some of the last true childhood moments we would share together.

POP- Television

Days of Our Lives

There were many great TV shows in the 80′s, but none more memorable to me than Days of Our Lives. Of all the shows I was taken with in the 80′s including Family Ties, Cheers, Moonlighting and The Wonder Years to name just a few, it’s a soap opera that takes the #1 TV spot of that decade. You may be saying to yourself, “A soap opera was your favorite TV show of the 80′s?” and to that I say, “yes, it was”. Now before you totally loose all faith in my artistic sensibilities, just hear me out. I really think it was a different time for soaps in the 80′s and that there was much more time and attention invested in fleshing out the character’s stories. Besides, this is a list of what was most influential to ME in the 80′s so I get to put whatever I want on it. : ) It was 1986 when I began watching Days of Our Lives religiously and it had to do solely with the super-couple of the millennium, Patch and Kayla. I was eleven years old at the time and had never watched soaps except apathetically with my grandma when she used to babysit Brian and me. The chemistry between Stephen Nichols and Mary Beth Evans was astounding, even for an eleven year old and I was captivated by their characters and their story. It was the bad boy meets good girl story that we’ve seen thousands of times, but it worked because the characters worked and these two actors brought something spectacular and unique to this genre. I recently went back and watched some old clips on You Tube and was impressed with the writing, directing, and of course the acting. I’ve read interviews with both Stephen and Mary Beth where they talked about how hard they worked in those days. You can tell that they completely threw themselves into these characters and that they weren’t just going through the motions because they were on a soap opera. Like a good Robert Redford movie, the story took its time, paid close attention to detail, and gave us as viewers time to get on board with this relationship instead of just throwing us in the deep end and expecting us to swim. One of my favorite things to do with a movie, a TV show, or a script is to break down why something does or doesn’t work. Looking at the old Days clips makes me realize that part of why I liked the show so much back then and why it worked is not very different from why I love Lost today. Both shows (Days then and Lost) invested in their characters to make them multi-dimensional. If it’s not about the characters, then I usually don’t care about the material and don’t get involved. I stopped watching Days around 1993/1994 when I started college and when both Stephen and Mary Beth had moved on to other projects. It seemed like a good time for me to get on with my life as well.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little walk down memory lane. I know I did. I always like an excuse to reminisce about all-things-80′s and any excuse to bring up Lost, which has nothing to do with the 80′s. Stay tuned for more great podcasts!

Click to view the Icons Photo Gallery

Bonnie Gillespie- Casting Director/Producer

Bonnie Gillespie began her casting career in 2003 with three shows for the Fox Broadcasting Company. After four months in television, Bonnie cast a $25,000 budget SAG feature film and her specialty was born: Helping visionary filmmakers tell amazing stories at a low-budget level with the finest actors working today. Through a casting philosophy that includes choosing excellent material, working with outstanding people, and pursuing storytellers who aren’t in it for the money, Bonnie has developed a reputation for attracting award-winning actors to bring festival-bound indies to life. Bonnie has been named one of Hollywood’s top casting directors in Back Stage West’s “The Best of Los Angeles” issue four times. She has been interviewed on BBC Breakfast, on UTV-Ireland’s Gerry Kelly Goes to Hollywood, on CBC Radio One’s show Q, and for the E! gossip column and podcast The Answer B!tch. She has also hosted Inside Casting and The Reel Deal for Virtual Channel Network, a website run by Breakdown Services and The Hollywood Reporter. She is co-founder of Your Actor MBA and exec producer for interview series Casting Qs on www.somebodysbasement.com. For more information about Bonnie Gillespie, visit www.cricketfeet.com.

Scott Baker- Writer/Director

Scott Baker, a native of Northern California, received a degree in History from Sonoma State University and served in the United States Peace Corps from 2000-2001 in Turkmenistan.  He co-founded Vegan Cannibals Productions with Philip Stimmell in 2002.  Their first film, Brunch of the Dead was a feature-length zombie-comedy.  Since re-locating to Riverside they have done several award-winning short films, including Rationed which screened at this year’s Cannes Short Film Corner and 2 episodes for their new series Findings (think Ghosthunters meets Reno911!).  You can find out more at www.VeganCannibals.com
Scott’s film Rationed was 2nd runner-up in the world finals of 48 Hour Film Project, aka, Filmapalooza as part of the NAB Show in Las Vegas. The film was also selected for a showcase at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival (Short Film Corner Marche du Film).

Philip Stimmell- Special Effects Make-Up Artist/Actor

Philip Stimmell is a award winning makeup artist who works for VeganCannibals since 2002. Philip graduated from Joe Blasco school of makeup in 2008 and has been seeking out the most challenging effects and makeup to conquer since. Phil did most his growing up in Sonoma County Ca with his friend and director of VeganCannibals ‘Scott Baker”. They have been working on films together since. Phil aims to gross out audiences with his wicked style and gore he brings to the table.

Irving Martinez- Director/Writer

Irving M is an alternate world variation of the 25th Century Human Artist of the same name. Meet Earthbound M, specializing in Cinema, Graphic Design & Illustration. Primarily a director, congruently a writer, involvement in the storytelling process including art direction, story boarding and sometimes acting. Strongly motivated by mixing genres as a storytelling signature; early work is best known for harmonizing the comedy and sci-fi realms as exemplified by the 2011 web series Hysteria, California, and earlier works such as: The Return of the El Diablo (with Blast Radius Productions), and (Devil’s) Day Job (with comedy sketch troupe The Insanities).

Visit www.imbeta.net for a collection of works presented in chronological order as conception begets regeneration.

Click to view the Icons Photo Gallery
Universal Dead Website

Director Vernon Mortensen has led an amazing life.  The son of Christian Missionaries, he was born in Bangkok, Thailand and by the age of twelve, had traveled all over the world.   After finishing high school in the USA, he went on to serve as a US Navy SWCC (pronounced “swick”) commando in the Navy’s elite Special Boat Teams where much of what he did remains classified to this day.  His life has always been very eclectic and although always considering himself to be a filmmaker and businessman, he has also worked as an engineer, a photographer, a bodyguard, an emergency medical technician, a private investigator, a librarian, and as a substitute teacher for the inner-city schools of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Vernon is a master storyteller and filmmaker who applies his wealth of knowledge and experience to fuel his creativity.  As a writer, he has written screenplays, short stories, plays, novels, and essays in a variety of genres and subjects.  As a filmmaker, Vernon’s movies have been sold to markets all over the world and have been featured at many prestigious international film festivals.

Vernon is currently studying for his Doctor of Business Administration at Alliant International University’s Marshal Goldsmith School of Management.  He has a Master’s Degree in Professional Writing (Screenwriting) from the University of Southern California’s prestigious Professional Writing Program where he received an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Fellowship.  He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film from the world renowned Art Center College of Design, as well as Bachelor of Science from New York State’s Excelsior College.  In 1999, Vernon was selected for a highly coveted Director’s Internship at the Los Angeles classical repertory theater, A Noise Within, where he studied under celebrated stage and theater director, Sabin Epstein.

 Shortly after graduating from USC in 2003, Vernon was recalled from the Naval Reserve to serve on active duty in the Special Boat Teams one last time. After completing his term of service, Vernon permanently retired from the United States Navy in 2008 and returned to filmmaking.

Writer Kelly Parks is the world’s only ex-CIA, Rocket Scientist, Stand-up Comic, Screenwriter! Kelly grew up in Wisconsin (mmmm… cheese) and spent his youth watching sci-fi and horror movies as well as gazing up at the heavens, wishing he could live among the stars. After high school, Kelly moved to Arizona to study Engineering Physics and one fateful day he met a recruiter from the CIA. Soon after, Kelly was recruited as an analyst into the CIA’s Space Systems Division (he highly recommends getting a Top Secret Clearance if you ever have the opportunity) where he and a few other hand picked scientists kept track of what the Russians were doing in space. Realizing that The Agency was never going to fulfill his dream of space travel, Kelly left public service and took a job in the private sector as an aerospace engineer specializing in Orbital Mechanics. These days Kelly writes screenplays and recently won 1st prize at the International Horror & Science Fiction Screenplay Competition. Kelly’s greatest writing honor came in 2007 when he was a semi-finalist for the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship, a feat rarely accomplished by a screenplay in the sci-fi/horror genre. In 2008, he became a partner in Unconventional Films and finished writing and directing the awesome comedy web series, The Crusader, and is now producing Universal Dead, a new horror/sci-fi web series that he also wrote.

Actor Valerie Perez – Besides appearing alongside D.B. Sweeney and Doug Jones in Universal Dead, Valerie currently stars in the online hit Paula Peril and the upcoming series Slice of Hollywood Life.  She has also made appearances on G4, Entourage, and The Military Channel.  You might have seen her photo work in Femme Fatale magazine and Geek Monthly or her likeness on comic book covers of popular Marvel and DC titles.  Last year she returned to the stage with the Road Theatre company under the direction of Lost’s Sam Anderson.  She has a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and still does not know what she wants to do when she grows up.

Actor Gary Graham has had many TV and movie roles, including Vulcan Ambassador Soval in Star Trek: Enterprise and Detective Sikes in the TV series Alien Nation. He was also the star of the sci-fi classic Robot Jox. He is currently starring as Dr. David Macavoy in the new horror/sci-fi web series Universal Dead.

The Icons event at Comic Con was full of wonder and surprises! We had a total of four panels on Saturday. Here is the recording from our first panel of the day with Cooper Harris, Brenden Bradley, Sean Becker, and Eric Loya. More to come!

Click to view the Icons Photo Gallery

Cooper Harris- Producer/Actor

A proud graduate of the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts, Cooper recently starred in the SyFy Channel’s upcoming thriller, Meteor Apocalypse, as well as appearing in SyFy’s cult hit Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.  Cooper can be seen this summer as the new host for Red Bull, as well as in campaigns for DishNetwork, POM, Microsoft & LG. Cooper produced, and stars in, DailyMotion’s first original comedy series, Squatters. She is also a writer/producer of transmedia commercial campaigns for companies such as Post It Notes, Kimberly Clark, & Krazy Glue.  Upcoming, Cooper can be seen as the title character in both Amy Alyson Fans, and upcoming thriller, The Resurrection of Serious Rogers.

Brenden Bradley- Producer/Writer/Director/Actor

Born and raised in North Carolina, Brendan graduated with Honors from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. To further hone his skills, Brendan spent time in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). As a Producer, Brendan has enjoyed a decade of developing successful theater and transmedia content through his own established companies in New York and Los Angeles. He writes, directs and stars in Squatters which was picked up this year by DailyMotion as their first comedic original series.  Brendan has also developed and produced transmedia commercial campaigns for Post-It Notes, DentaBurst, Kimberly Clark and KABC’s Frosty, Heidi & Frank. Currently he is wrapping principal photography on the feature film Amy Alyson Fans, helping develop a new web series for Viacom and can be seen in the newest season of The Legend of Neil.

Sean Becker- Director/Editor

Sean Becker is an Emmy award-winning director as well as a Streamy Award-nominated director and editor. After graduating from San Jose State University in 2003, Sean directed video segments for a variety show which aired on the UPN network. This resulted in a regional Emmy award in 2005 for the short film Parallel/Parallel. In 2006, Sean co-founded Awkward Pictures along with producing/writing partner, Payman Benz. Together they created Comedy Gumbo for Sony Pictures’ online division, Crackle.com. Just recently, Sean completed production on season 3 of the popular Microsoft-Sponsored online series, The Guild, and is currently in production on a new sketch show entitled The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour.

Eric Loya- Writer

Eric Loya is one of the very few native Southern Californians. He grew up in places that those not in the know have never heard of but have fun saying, like West Covina, La Verne and Rancho Cucamonga. He made the move to LA proper a few years back, and has since kept very busy. He’s appeared in many student films. The less said about those, the better. He’s also appeared on stage at Straitjacket Society, No Shame Theater, and ACME Comedy Theater. His writing has been featured in the Cricket Feet Showcase as well as, obviously, every episode of “Robot, Ninja & Gay Guy.” He is also one of the writer/performers of the web series, “The Best Friend.” He’s having a blast popping up all over the internet, as it’s the first step toward his ultimate goal of taking over the… pie. Uh, he meant to say “making pie” and nothing more.

Links
The Business of Music

Sandra Rostirolla- Music Consultant

Sandra has an MBA (La Sierra University) & BAppSc (University of Sydney). She entered the music industry as singer/songwriter playing in and around Los Angeles with her band, Thyme. She has worked as a freelance Music Supervisor and Talent Manager and has been involved with music licensing and contracts for over 10 years.

Kurt Oldman- Composer

Kurt studied the Conservatory of Music, Switzerland, The Lucerne Swiss Jazz School and UCLA. He also undertook master classes with famed film composer Christopher Young (Spiderman 3, The Grudge). Kurt has scored several award winning films including: All Along, Best Romantic Feature, Hollywood Film Festival; Learning To Swim, Showtime Award; Babysitter Wanted, Best Feature, Nuremburg Film Festival and Callous Best Film, IndieFest & Audience Award RIFF. Other notable projects includes the Killer Tracks licensing CD, Homicide By Kurt Oldman and the score for Konami/Cartoon Networks Ben 10 Force.

Join us as we talk to blogger The Oreo Experience about what it’s like being, well, an Oreo. TOE opens up about what it’s like being a person of color who is white on the inside. She shares her thoughts on everything from Tyler Perry to classical music and hair.

Oreo: Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a black person who is regarded as having adopted the attitudes, values,and behavior thought to be characteristic of middle-class white society, often at the expense of his or her own heritage.

“My grandparents have really cool recessive genes for black people. They have this rich, dark skin with bright blue eyes.

I also have an interesting recessive gene for black people: the one that makes me love Renaissance Fairs, Kristen Chenowith and cat shows.”

Links
The Oreo Experience Blog
The Oreo Experience Facebook Page
The Oreo Experience on Twitter

There won’t be a podcast this week because of the holiday, but we will resume next week. We at Film Method hope that you and your family had an awesome Independence Day!

Links
Sabi Pictures
Cinefist Website
The New Year Parade Website
The New Year Parade on Facebook
Carnivalesque Films Website
Dead Center Film Festival
Workbook Project- Radar
Crowd Controls Website

Zak  Forsman- Filmmaker and Cinefist Founder

Zak Forsman is an American interdependent filmmaker whose emotionally-charged work is known for authentic performances and beautiful compositions. In 2006, he co-founded SABI PICTURES and has produced and directed several award-winning motion pictures. In response to the changing landscape of independent cinema, he co-founded CINEFIST to focus all of SABI’s direct-to-audience distribution and exhibition endeavors. Zak also serves as the editor of the NEW BREED blog at THE WORKBOOK PROJECT and you can follow him on Twitter at @zakforsman. (www.sabipictures.com)

Tom Quinn- Filmmaker

Tom Quinn grew up in Bucks County, PA, where he directed a few shorts and freelanced as a camera assistant. His directorial debut The New Year Parade was selected for the IFP Narrative Rough Cut Labs, won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative at Slamdance, and was a Gotham Award and Independent Spirit Award nominee. Tom has been listed one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine and Ten Young Writer-Directors to Watch, by MovieMaker Magazine. He was fortunate to be the first American filmmaker accepted to the Toronto International Film Festival Talent Lab and is currently working toward his MFA at Temple University.

Join us as we speak to Jeanette Di Pinza, who represents The 48 Hour Film Project in the Inland Empire and Scott Baker, the filmmaker whose film Rationed was 2nd runner-up in the world finals of 48 Hour Film Project, aka, Filmapalooza as part of the NAB Show in Las Vegas. The film was also selected for a showcase at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival (Short Film Corner: Marche du Film).

Show Links
Inland Empire Film Commission
48 Hour Film Project- Inland Empire
48 Hour FP Posterous Website
JDS Actor’s Studio
Vegan Cannibals Productions
Independent Filmmakers of the Inland Empire

Jeanette Di Pinza- Festival Coordinator/Producer

Full Filipino yet Guam born and -raised Jeanette Di Pinza joined the Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival as a staff member in 2008, and although still staff, she has successfully weaned herself from many duties in the pursuit of more sleep, less stress, and a chance to do other film-related activities. Jeanette dabbles in filmmaking – mainly as a screenwriter, producer or anonymous crew member – but is making her directorial debut with a short film that will finally see principal photography at the end of 2010.

Scott Baker- Filmmaker

Scott Baker, a native of Northern California, received a degree in History from Sonoma State University and served in the United States Peace Corps from 2000-2001 in Turkmenistan.  He co-founded Vegan Cannibals Productions with Philip Stimmell in 2002.  Their first film, Brunch of the Dead was a feature-length zombie-comedy.  Since re-locating to Riverside they have done several award-winning short films, including Rationed which screened at this year’s Cannes Short Film Corner and 2 episodes for their new series Findings (think Ghosthunters meets Reno911!).  You can find out more at www.VeganCannibals.com
Scott’s film Rationed was 2nd runner-up in the world finals of 48 Hour Film Project, aka, Filmapalooza as part of the NAB Show in Las Vegas. The film was also selected for a showcase at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival (Short Film Corner: Marche du Film).

Shorts & Spirits on Facebook
Mental Eclectic on Twitter
The Crusader
Universal Dead Web Series

Kelly Parks- Writer/Producer

Filmmaker/Buisnessman Kelly Parks is the world’s only ex-CIA, Rocket Scientist, Stand-up Comic, Screenwriter! Kelly grew up in Wisconsin (mmmm… cheese) and spent his youth watching sci-fi and horror movies as well as gazing up at the heavens, wishing he could live among the stars. After high school, Kelly moved to Arizona to study Engineering Physics and one fateful day he met a recruiter from the CIA. Soon after, Kelly was recruited as an analyst into the CIA’s Space Systems Division (he highly recommends getting a Top Secret Clearance if you ever have the opportunity) where he and a few other hand picked scientists kept track of what the Russians were doing in space. Realizing that The Agency was never going to fulfill his dream of space travel, Kelly left public service and took a job in the private sector as an aerospace engineer specializing in Orbital Mechanics. These days Kelly writes screenplays and recently won 1st prize at the International Horror & Science Fiction Screenplay Competition. Kelly’s greatest writing honor came in 2007 when he was a semi-finalist for the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship, a feat rarely accomplished by a screenplay in the sci-fi/horror genre. In 2008, he became a partner in Unconventional Films and finished writing and directing the awesome comedy web series, The Crusader, and is now producing Universal Dead, a new horror/sci-fi web series that he also wrote.

Mel Huff man- Event Coordinator/Production Designer

Mel’s passion has always been art. After creating her first work at the age of 5, she joined the Buena Park Civic Center Arts earning multiple awards for her oil paintings. Spending years working backstage with her family on productions, she found her calling behind the scenes. She has previously worked closely with such artists as Artis Lane, Richard MacDonald, and Ricky Swallow at the LA Fine Art Foundry. Mel helped these artists create their vision in fine art bronze sculpture. Mel is also the Los Angles Regional Manager for Mental Eclectic, assisting Southern California filmmakers in production, networking and marketing. She has now dedicated herself to a full time career in the film industry. Mel produced The Return of the El Diablo, which premiered at Geekfest in Mexicalli in 2009. She was also the on-set dresser for The Guild season 3 in addition to working as the production designer for Simply Simon, Art Director for the music video Feel Better by Nikki Lang and Production Designer for the web series The Last.

Craig Wilson- Producer/Director

Craig started his 12 year career in entertainment as an Artistic Director for a black box theater troop. In 2003 he graduated Los Angeles Film School majoring in Directing and minoring in Producing. Since that time he has worked as a Producer, Director, First Assistant Director, Grip, Electrician, Craft Service and Production Assistant in television and film. He has produced two independent feature films, is in pre-production for one and is in development of another, both slated to shoot 2010. He has also Event Coordinated and Produced five world premiere screenings, four monthly networking events and is currently a Producer for the San Diego Indie Festival Film Stage.

Ivana is a self -proclaimed video street fighter from Belgrade, Serbia. She has shot, directed and co-produced three short social documentary films in Belgrade and New York City on low-to-no-budget, with the aim of both helping the people she filmed and producing social change.

In 2006, Everyday life of Roma children from Block 71 about Roma children living in shanty town in Belgrade. In 2009 A Harlem Mother about a mother who after losing her only son, she decides to fight despair by organizing her Harlem neighborhood against gun violence. In 2008, Rapresent about 19 year old homeless man, Bojan, who is a passionate graffiti artist and hip hopper surviving on the streets in Belgrade.

Her documentary films have been shown in over 40 International Film Festivals around the world, and have been used in educational settings for high school and university classrooms, including NGOs, in order to bring awareness to social issues. Films have won acclaim at the Mixed Messages Film Festival in New York, the Ethnographic Film Festival in Belgrade and the Human Rights Film Festival in Montreal.

Links

Raprasent & A Harlem Mother
Ivana Todorovic on Facebook
Newfilmmakers LA Website

Larry Laboe- Producer/Executive Director

Larry Laboe has been working as part of the professional media industry for over 8 years, in a truly collective experience of various mediums; film, TV, radio, print advertising, new media and most recently film exhibition. While in New York City, Mr. Laboe was employed on TV, print and radio campaigns by the world’s most prestigious marketing and advertising firms, including McCann-Erickson Worldwide, Publicis Groupe, J. Walter Thompson (JWT) and Arnold Advertising Worldwide.

After Relocating to Los Angeles Mr. Laboe began consulting with key entertainment venues, promoting their properties through corporate media events. These events included film premieres and television series launch parties for such networks as Showtime and CBS. After working on numerous narrative short and feature film productions, Larry began producing television and new media projects with international production and distribution company SXM. The first network series was NBC’s ‘Ctrl’ starring Tony Hale and Steve Howey. Larry more recently began work as a producer on Comedy Centrals newest network web series ‘Matumbo Goldberg’ starring Anthony Anderson, Directed by Oscar nominated Rob Pearlstein and NBC’s ‘FCU: Fact Checkers Unit’ starring Jason Alexander, Jon Heder, Donald Faison, Dave Navarro and more.

Larry co-founded NewFilmmakers Los Angeles in 2007 with partner and Program Director Susie Kim. In an effort to bring opportunity to filmmakers, film goers and entertainment industry professionals in Los Angeles Larry is working as Executive Director of the organization and coordinating film screenings on a monthly basis, along with on-camera interviews with MovieMaker Magazine for each filmmaker selected as part of the festival at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood.

Not only will this be a networking event, but we’ve decided to help out the Haiti relief effort by holding a fundraiser as well. All proceeds from the event will go to a special organization that we’re partnering up with called Life Time International. LTI has been working with local Haitians for several years on multiple projects, including installing water facilities, community development training, and recently helping send a three year old earthquake burn victim to a children’s hospital in the U.S.

Red Mile Road Brewery and Izze Sparkling Juice have generously offered all proceeds from donations for their products to Haiti relief.

We are also excited to be working with Mental Eclectic for this event and will be showing a few short film selections from their Shorts and Spirits Showcase.

It will be a fun evening and it’s for a good cause as well!

Last night was the series finale for one of the most daring and original television series ever made: Lost. Unless you’ve been hiding out in some dark cave or under some black rock, you are already aware of this. If you aren’t a fan of the show, you know someone who is and you’re probably very confused by the obsessive and manic dedication that your friends, coworkers or family members have shown towards this television show. Why all the hype? It is JUST a television show, right? I suppose that I can understand people who have this attitude, as I have this same feeling about sports fanatics. When I see sports fans jump up and down, hoot and holler, and plan their entire lives around Monday Night Football, the World Series and March Madness I wonder, “Why? Isn’t it JUST a game?” No, apparently to many people it’s more than just a game, and to me, and millions of other people around the world, Lost is much more than just a television show.

I have watched Lost since the spring of 2007. I believe that I held on longer than others did because I watched the first two and a half seasons back to back, without breaks or re-runs in between. Although the current short and quick TV season format is most likely a result of the dreadful writer’s strike, I believe that this new way of doing TV was exactly what a show like Lost needed to retain its audience and to keep the momentum started in season one. Watching continuously helped me see the building blocks of the foundation and, save for one or two shows, I never felt that the building was in vain. There was always another layer and another level being added, which continually enhanced the story.

The brilliance of Lost is in the strength of its characters. From day one it was about the lives of these crash survivors. I truly believe that the island is a metaphor for the struggles that we go through in our lives that build character and shape us into better human beings. Lost is and has always been about the human struggle for purpose. Whether or not the island ever really existed is up to interpretation. I believe that the ending spoke for itself and am excited for the discussion that the finale will continue to spark beyond the life of the series.

Many people have asked and will continue to ask for answers to all of the so called “loose ends” that were left undone in Lost. In my opinion, those things are peripheral to the real story and don’t matter in the larger scheme of things. There are many mysteries in our own lives that will never be answered. In Lost, as in life, it’s easy to get caught up in the details, but the details are the things which are leading us to greater meanings and understandings. There are connections that seem so intentional, and they are, but they aren’t the end all be all. Those connections are pointing us to more important truths, just like the numbers, Charles Widmore, the Dharma Initiative, and the subtle and overt ways that the characters’ lives intersected in the past, present, and future.

A week and a half ago I was privileged enough to attend Lost: The Final Celebration, which was a concert of the music from Lost conducted by the wonderfully talented and Oscar winning composer, Michael Giacchino. Sitting in an auditorium with 1,800 other fans was an experience that I will not soon forget. It was a joining together of two of my favorite art forms: music and film. I say film because Lost has never been just another television show. Lost has always taken the medium to another level with it’s epic writing, acting, directing, production design, music, editing, etc, etc, etc. Each episode is like it’s own film and is on a scale too grand to be categorized as another TV show. The evening, like the show, was on a grand scale and was perfectly executed with introductions of the cast and producers, live music from Lost and a viewing of the penultimate episode. As the orchestra swelled with familiar Lost themes, the screen portrayed still photos from the past six seasons. We laughed together and cried together and had a unique moment that most television viewers don’t get the opportunity to experience. We celebrated our passion for this wonderful art form together and it was magical.

Last night Lost came full circle. The story began with one man, alone, walking through the carnage of a plane crash, and it ended six years later with one man, alone, walking through the jungle on the journey to his deathbed and ready to meet his Maker. At the end, Jack was assembled with the people in his life who meant the most to him and who helped shape his life. I would bet that if you asked anyone at the end of his life what the most important thing was in life that he would say the relationships he had and not the jobs, status, or money. The struggles and challenges make us who we are and it’s in light of those struggles that we can truly appreciate the end of the journey. I’ve delighted in the journey that Lost has taken me on these past few years and am excited to see the journey come to an end for one reason: now I can finally get some work done.

John Paul Rice attended Georgia State University in 1997 with a focus on Business. In 1999, while at college, Mr. Rice was given a rare opportunity to work on Jerry Bruckheimer’s Remember the Titans. After working almost three months on the film, John returned to school and directed his studies toward learning the history of cinema. He moved to Los Angeles in January 2001 to pursue a career in film production. By mid 2001, John landed a position at the Los Angeles division of the German distribution company Senator International (which later became Mandate Pictures) lead by industry veteran Joseph Drake (Juno, The Grudge, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, 30 Days of Night, American Psycho). Under Joe’s mentoring, John developed an interest and dedication to producing feature films. John left Mandate in the fall of 2005 to form No Restrictions Entertainment LLC with filmmaker Edgar Michael Bravo. In 2008, John produced his first feature One Hour Fantasy Girl with Edgar Michael Bravo directing, Levi Obery co-producing.  In 2009, the team produced formed a new production entity, Bravo-Obery-Rice Productions, producing their second feature film now in post production, (psychological thriller) The Magic Stone, a journey into the mind of a homeless man who is trying to stay connected with reality as he struggles to protect a runaway boy and a girl he loves.
John Paul Rice will produce his third feature, Mother’s Red Dress, an unusual love story, this summer.

Links
http://www.norestrictionsent.com
The Magic Stone Movie
John Paul Rice Facebook Page

Katrine Lieberkind- Makeup Artist

Katrine Lieberkind is a self-starter, a celebrity makeup artist, and a makeup and special effects instructor. She is experienced in high fashion, print, runway, commercial, film and TV.  Katrine moved to Hollywood after working as a freelance makeup artist in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is a full-time freelance makeup artist, but has also been teaching makeup and special effects at the Joe Blasco Makeup School in Hollywood. At the school she teaches on HD cameras and works with award winning makeup artists every day. Katrine is a Danish girl with a mission: to create opinions and open the mind of the audience by making them believe in the reality she presents to them through her work in makeup and special effects.

Links
Katrine’s MySpace Page
Katrine’s Twitter
Katrine’s Facebook Page

Craig started his 12 year career in entertainment as an Artistic Director for a black box theater troop. In 2003 he graduated Los Angeles Film School majoring in Directing and minoring in Producing. Since that time he has worked as a Producer, Director, First Assistant Director, Grip, Electrician, Craft Service and Production Assistant in television and film. He has produced two independent feature films, is in pre- production for one and is in development of another, both slated to shoot 2010. He has also Event Coordinated and Produced five world premiere screenings, four monthly networking events and is currently a Producer for the San Diego Indie Festival Film Stage.
Mental Eclectic Website
Mental Eclectic on Facebook
Mental Eclectic Twitter Page
Twitter search- #indiemm
Twitter search- #webserieswed

Kurt Braun- DP/Grip/Gaffer

Kurt Braun brings a wealth of practical know-how including: construction & design, logistics, budgeting, sourcing and mechanics as well as a background in camera & lighting. He has worked extensively with international crews both in the U.S. and abroad as a Production Designer, Art Director, Cameraman, DP, Grip, and Gaffer.

Kurt’s Website
Kurt’s IMDB Page
Kurt’s Myspace Page

Keegan-Michael Key is an actor and television personality who is quickly gaining a national reputation through his roles as Curtis on Gary Unmarried and host of The Planet’s Funniest Animals on the Animal Planet. He’s also known for a number of memorable characters such as Coach Hines and the Whole ‘Notha Level Guy on Fox’s sketch comedy program, MADtv. He has also made many appearances on Reno 911.

Aydrea ten Bosch- Film Method Guest Host

Aydrea, a former news reporter, has been a freelance writer for Nickelodeon and Hawaii Film Partners, a staff writer for Disney and currently has a feature film in post production with Highlander Films. Aydrea has been a finalist in the AAA Creative Screenwriting Contest and while at Disney, one of her scripts was chosen to represent the network before the Emmy Nominating Committee. She also runs the blog The Oreo Experience.

For more information about Aydrea or to contact her please visit her website at www.theoreoexperience.com

The Oreo Experience

John & Justin’s Links

For Info on Tax Code 181- Google info on Bill HR4213
Books by John Cones
John’s Website
Hard Money- Article in Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine by John Cones
Jeff Steele’s Film Closings Blog
Justin Evans Twitter Page
Humble Magi Facebook Fan Page
Humble Magi Website

Books about Business Plans:

Getting the Money: A Step by Step Guide for Writing Business Plans for Film by Jeremy Juuso
Filmmakers and Financing, Fifth Edition: Business Plans for Independents by Louise Levison

Jenna & Jeremy’s Links
In the Darkness on Netflix
Indiegogo for Who Killed Jane Finch?

John Cones- Securities Attorney

John Cones is a securities/entertainment attorney who has practiced in Los Angeles for eighteen years advising independent feature film producers and others on matters relating to investor financing of feature film and other entertainment projects.  He has prepared or participated in the preparation of business plans and/or the required securities disclosure documents, along with Blue Sky compliance for more than 250 such offerings during his 18 year securities law career, including public and private production-money offerings for feature films, television pilots, documentaries, infomercials, live stage plays and Internet companies. His clients have produced or distributed some 51 feature and documentary films with funds raised through such offerings. Mr. Cones also works with entrepreneurs on investor financing of business start-ups. In addition to several articles, he has authored six books on those same topics including Introduction to the Film Industry- A Guide for Students, Filmmakers and Scholars, Dictionary of Film Finance and Distribution- A Guide for Independent Filmmakers, Film Industry Contracts, 43 Ways to Finance Your Film, The Feature Film Distribution Deal and Hollywood Wars.  He also hosts a Q&A Internet site about investor financing of entertainment projects at http://www.mecfilms.com/coneslaw/finforum.htm He is a member of the California and Texas bar associations. Mr. Cones resides in Westlake Village, California.

Justin Evans- Producer/Writer/Director

Justin Eugene Evans began his first theatre company at 14 and began making films at 15. He is the only undergraduate in NYU’s history to complete a feature film while in school. Justin is the founder, former CEO & Creative Director of Mystic Arts in Beijing as well as the owner and producer of Humble Magi, LLC and Oojah, LLC, which have offices in New Mexico and Michigan. He has been a film professor and art director in the video game industry. Justin was also the writer, director, cinematographer, producer, editor and art director for the 2007 film, Saturday Night Special.

Recently, Justin finished the feature film, A Lonely Place For Dying. The preview screening of this film won the Heineken Red Star Award at The Santa Fe Film Festival in 2008 and won rave reviews at its premiere at the KiMo Theater in Albuquerque, NM in 2009.

Justin has been featured twice in Variety, twice in Moviemaker Magazine, and a mini-doc about his film aired on IFC throughout January 2009. Justin is a skilled graphic designer, photographer, production designer, screenwriter, cinematographer, director & producer and resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Although the name of this podcast is Film Method, we recognize the importance of all aspects of the entertainment industry including TV and the Web and it seems appropriate to publish a blog about Conan O’Brien the day after he broke his silence on 60 Minutes. As most of you know from listening to the show, I am a huge Conan O’Brien fan. I’ve been a fan of his comedy for many years now and when he took over The Tonight Show almost a year ago, I was beside myself with excitement and as giddy as a school girl in the springtime. I also believed that it was a new day for late night TV. Traditionally, The Tonight Show was hosted by old white haired men (most funny, one not). When I saw Conan running across the United States, from New York City to Los Angeles, in that landmark television moment just before Andy Richter announced him as the new host of The Tonight Show, it was a watershed moment for my generation and it seemed that The Tonight Show wasn’t just for old people anymore.
Since the day it was announced that NBC wanted Jay Leno to move back to the 11:35 time slot, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and reflecting on how it all went so horribly wrong after the new day had just dawned only to be cut short by a meteor that hit the earth sending dirt and ash into the air thus blocking the sun and ending the beautiful new day. When I got over my initial anger and bitterness towards the incredibly short-sighted NBC executives who had, in essence, set Conan up for failure, I began to think of the very antiquated system which dictates who wins and who looses in television: the Nielsen ratings system. I also began to think about the demographic of the average Conan O’Brien viewer and the viewing habits of myself and most of my friends, who rarely schedule our lives around prime time television let alone any sort of late night television. Most of us don’t even own DVRs, which is pretty amazing considering that many of us are fans and regular viewers of popular shows such as Lost, Glee, and The Office. How do we do it? Are we all “taping” our favorite shows on VHS recorders? No. We’re watching our favorite shows online when we want to and not stopping our lives to tune in during the regularly scheduled time slot. Now, I must admit that I am generalizing a bit. Do I really know exactly what the viewing habits are for every single one of my friends? No, I don’t, but I can say that I do have discussions about these things with the friends that I hang out with regularly and they just happen to be in the very sought-after 18-49 age range. Watching online is how most of those friends view their favorite shows.
Interestingly enough, from all of the information I’ve found online about how the ratings are calculated, it doesn’t seem that internet viewing plays into the numbers that networks use to sell space to advertisers. Apparently, although it’s easier to track what people are watching online, it’s not easy to track who is watching it, and there lies the problem. I can only hope that with the myriad of new technology being birthed every day that the ratings system will soon catch up and start including these internet numbers in order to track what we are really watching.
When the news came out that Conan was going to TBS I saw many comments online disparaging his move from network TV to basic cable. My attitude was and still is that Conan should be on television and it doesn’t really matter where as long as the show is available online and is broadcast in the English language. I’ve noticed that many fans on Conan’s Facebook fan page (pop. 994,928) feel the same way. Unfortunately for NBC, they may not realize the gravity of their mistake of throwing Mr. O’Brien under the bus for another few years, when most of Leno’s fan base has moved on to the afterlife. By then, it will be too late, though, as building a successful late night franchise takes many years and NBC will probably be selling Sham-Wows in the current Tonight Show time slot while other progressive-minded networks will be capitalizing on all sorts of crazy new media outlets. Now that the dirt and ash have cleared, I can see that this, Conan O’Brien, is really your new day, and what a glorious day it is.

Links
Lemonade Facebook Page
Lemonade Movie Website
Erik’s Twitter Page

For my first official Film Method blog post I thought I’d write about something very near and dear to me. It’s what I refer to as the “slash” phenomenon. Maybe you’ve seen it. Maybe you’ve read about it. Maybe this is you. I recently worked on a film that was produced by two actors. The two actors also happened to be the producers of the film and one of the actors was also the writer and director. He was the actor/director/writer/producer. That would be 3 slashes and 4 titles in case you’re counting.

I’m not sure exactly what makes people say, “I’ve never directed anything before, so I’m going to start by directing something that I’m also starring in”. Why does this make sense to people? Many times I wonder if these people who have suddenly decided to take the huge leap into the world of directing have been on set in any capacity other than as an actor. Have they ever been a producer, an A.D., a grip, or, god forbid, a P.A.?? I have to say that I’ve learned more about filmmaking as a P.A. then I believe I ever would in any other position with the exception of producer and maybe 1^st A.D. This is because you see how every department works and you interact with every department.

Being a film director requires so much more than many of these new directors seem to take into account and this is reflected in the extremely inefficient way the set is run. Planning the shot list with the DP is just the tip of the iceberg. You will also need to work with all the department heads to ensure that everything that’s in frame will fit with the look of the film (art dept, make-up, hair, costumes, props, etc). Have you or your DP done any storyboards? Do you know anything about lighting (you might want to learn in case your DP doesn’t)? All of these things must be considered in addition to knowing how to get the performances you need out of your actors. If one of those actors happens to be you then how do you know you are getting the performance you need from yourself? Are you going to depend on your DP to give you performance notes or will you just rely on camera playback? Have you figured that into the planning? I hope so, or you most definitely will not make your day or any day in your schedule.

Something else I notice when watching these very new directors direct is a behavior pattern that is quite disconcerting. It seems that the less experience they have, the more needy and entitled they act. They are more demanding and less concerned about respecting the crew’s time. This is quite an insult considering that these are normally very low-budget films where most crew-members are working way below scale.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe that it can’t be done it’s just rare that it can be done well, especially at this level of filmmaking where everyone is generally very green. I’ve listened to new directors talk about their reasoning behind why they feel that they are the best person for the job and honestly it’s pretty frightening. They’ve written a script and they haven’t been able to find anyone to direct it that will understand their vision. Translation: I can’t find anyone that I will be able to manipulate into doing exactly what I say. If that’s the case, then you’re right, you don’t need a director, you need a P.A. Film is a collaborative art, but you wouldn’t know it from working with some of the people that I’ve worked with lately. If the vision and scope of your story can’t be correctly communicated or translated to another director, then maybe it’s not a story worth telling. If you can’t convince one other person to believe in your vision, how are you going to convince a room full of people at your first screening?

The title of director is a prestigious one, but one, nonetheless, that comes with a heap of responsibilities. Are you ready for the challenge to direct/produce/star/write? If so then I hope you’re ready for the ride of your life. Oh and remember, a little respect goes a long way when it comes to how you treat your crew, so does a good pancake breakfast.

Links
The Guild
Jeff Lewis 5 Minute Comedy Hour Facebook Page
Jeff’s Taco Bell Video
Jeff Lewis’ Twitter Page
Jeff’s Facebook page
Sean Becker’s Twitter
Sean’s Awkward Pictures Page

Scilla’s Links:
Scilla on Twitter
Crowd Controls
WorkBook Project
Beyond the Box
Fans, Friends and Followers

About Scilla Andreen

CEO and Co-Founder of IndieFlix.com Scilla Andreen is a producer, director and Emmy nominated costume designer with deep roots in the entertainment industry; producing several award winning films including festival favorites, “Outpatient”, “The Flats” and Sundance hit, “Bit Players”. Her first film, “Mutual Love Life”, received Oscar Consideration. She began her career in film while attending NYU as a political science major, working part time as a photographer covering the United Nations for the Wall Street Diplomatic World Bulletin. She and her partner Carlo Scandiuzzi created IndieFlix to be a fee-free, one-stop shop for filmmakers to reach the broadest on-line audience while keeping their rights and the lion share of the profits. She has spoken on numerous panels and immersed herself in film related organizations worldwide. Her favorite past times are thinking up tag lines, reading, sailing, Fly fishing, cooking and napping on the beach. She is best known for her contagious loud laughter and when she’s not staying up too late working or buying domain names, Scilla can usually be found hanging out with friends and family.

Sean Becker- Director/Editor

Sean Becker is an Emmy award-winning director as well as a Streamy Award-nominated director and editor. After graduating from San Jose State University in 2003, Sean directed video segments for a variety show which aired on the UPN network. This resulted in a regional Emmy award in 2005 for the short film Parallel/Parallel. In 2006, Sean co-founded Awkward Pictures along with producing/writing partner, Payman Benz. Together they created Comedy Gumbo for Sony Pictures’ online division, Crackle.com. Just recently, Sean completed production on season 3 of the popular Microsoft-Sponsored online series, The Guild, and is currently in production on a new sketch show entitled The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour.

The Guild Website
Awkward Pictures Website
Sean’s Twitter Page

Jenine Mayring- Producer/Director/Writer

Born and raised in the Big Apple, award-winning multi-hyphenate Jenine Mayring began her career as a stage actor. Today, she is a producer/director/writer and President of Brooklyn Girl Productions. Jenine has won numerous awards including a Davey Award and a Telly Award. Her producer/director credits range from theater in New York to films and commercials in Los Angeles. Simone, a psychological thriller that she wrote, produced and directed, had its world premiere at the 2009 LA Femme Film Festival and was nominated for Best Short Thriller at the 2010 Trail Dance Film Festival. Jenine produced the award-winning documentary From Silence to Sound (Best Inspirational Documentary, New York International Film Festival) which tells the miraculous story of a deaf man who hears for the first time at age 27 (available on IndieFlix and Amazon). A former American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter and instructor, Jenine’s credits as an ASL consultant include the hit TV shows ER and Nip/Tuck. Jenine earned her bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts (Acting & Directing) from the State University of New York at New Paltz (alma mater of John Turturro) in only three years. Prior to that, she graduated with honors from the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School with a major in Graphic Communications.

A certified SCUBA diver, tennis player and four-time marathoner, Jenine lives in West Hollywood.

To find out more about Jenine or her projects, please see one of the following links:

Brooklyn Girl Productions Webpage
Brooklyn Girl Productions Twitter Page
Jenine’s Twitter Page
From Silence to Sound
Getting Started on Twitter

Jeremy McGovern- Producer

Jeremy McGovern was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado.  From a young age McGovern showed a knack for the arts and his interest was cultivated by his Grandmother (a prominent local artist).  In Colorado McGovern was accepted to and finished several rigorous art programs with honors.  After graduation McGovern took his first independent leap into the business world when he owned and operated his own successful business and founded a non-profit organization while attending Colorado State University where he studied Clinical Psychology and Biology.

In the Darkness Movie

Fernando Chien – Stunt Performer, Stunt Coordinator, & Actor

Fernando Funan Chien was born in Taipei on October 6th, 1974 and has followed a diverse road consequently landing him in Hollywood as a budding Asian actor. Fernando immigrated to Toronto, Canada from Taiwan in 1978. At the age of 17, Fernando reluctantly moved to Montreal and attended McGill University where his interest in performance and film was sparked. While majoring in Evolutionary Biology, Fernando took film courses, attended circus school, studied martial arts, worked as a personal trainer and was a member of Canada’s top breakdance crew Mtl Redmask. In his junior year, Fernando was approached to play a small part in a film called False Pretense. This sparked his film career. In 2000 landed a role in The Art of War starring Wesley Snipes. During the filming Fernando was impressed with the stunt performers and befriended actor Ron Yuan. Yuan encouraged Fernando to move to LA to pursue a career in stunts.

In the winter of 2002, Fernando relocated in Los Angeles to pursue his dream. He began his training first at the Lee Strasberg Academy then at the Howard Fine Acting Studio to develop his craft. During this time he also began to train under legendary Gene Lebell and Gokor Chivichyan at the Hayastan Academy in Mixed Martial Arts. In 2004, Fernando studied Wushu Kung Fu and met Sam Hargrave and created Reel Kick Films, an underground martial arts stunt team. Impressed with Sam’s action skills they wrote, filmed and produced many underground action shorts when between jobs. In 2005 at the referral of Sensei Gene, Fernando was cast as Saul the Augment in Star Trek Enterprise. This launched his professional stunt career with titles such as Crank, Flags of Our Fathers, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, The Mummy 3, Monk and various commercials for Diet Pepsi where he doubled Jackie Chan.

What set Fernando apart from others was his ability to act. In 2008, Fernando was cast in the web-series The Guild which allowed him to act and display his action skills. Since then he has appeared in NBC’s My Own Worst Enemy and The CW’s Melrose Place as an actor. 2009 has been his break-out year as an actor playing in the remake of Red Dawn as Lt. Yee and in Lionsgate’s MMA film Warrior as gym-rat Fenroy which will be released in 2010.

Dream Kasestatad

Dream Kasestatad grew up in Lubbock, Texas. As a young boy he was very influenced by his grandfather, Choochai Rittiluechai, who was a famous Thai Boxing Champion, and actor in Thailand. Dream spent most of his childhood training and competing in amateur boxing competitions, and carried his passion and discipline from boxing into his love for acting. At 21 years old he went to Tisch School Of The Arts, NYU to study theatre, with a focus on the Meisner Technique. After spending time training in NYC, he moved back to Texas to help with the family’s restaurant business, and in 2004 moved to LA. It wasn’t long before he started landing national commercials. Dream is the founder and director of a new film, music and art festival that is scheduled to kick off this summer called, Tight Shortz Film, Music, and Art Festival. Dream began Tight Shortz to empower artists to stop waiting for opportunities to happen, but rather take matters into their own hands, and create their own opportunities. Two weeks ago he took Lil C (So You Think You Can Dance), Miss Prissy (Rize), and Deuce (Step Up 3-D) to perform at Loyola Marymount University for the 40th anniversary gala for the African American Students at LMU, and Dance Marathon at UCLA for a pediatric AIDS fundraiser. Dream will be hosting events to promote the festival every month until the festival premiere in July 2010.

To find out more about Dream and the Tight Shortz festival, visit the Tight Shortz website. They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Episode Twenty-Seven Guests

Melissa Wilson- Costume Designer

After graduating with her BA in Design for Performance four years ago at Central Saint Martins in London, Melissa began working in Los Angeles in both theater and film in the costume department. For the past two years she has been employed as an Assistant Costume Designer to the German designer Swinda Reichelt. Melissa is currently working as the costume designer on a contemporary musical at The Flight Theatre, which will open at the end of next month.

Jenna Edwards- Resident Producing Advisor

For more information about Jenna see the About page or click here.

Episode Twenty-Six Guests

Justin Besemer- Locations

Justin Besemer is a Location Professional who grew up in San Diego, California. After graduating from Loyola Marymount with a degree in Film/Television Production, he quickly threw himself into the filmmaking process. Justin has had tours with Camera, AD, and Accounting departments. Around five years ago, a Location Manager talked him into trying Location Scouting and Managing and Justin hasn’t looked back. He has worked on feature films, episodic television, and commercials. While enjoying the challenge of time constraints, logistics, and working with a budget in Los Angeles, his favorite part of the job is being outside everyday and getting to meet new and interesting people all the time.

Jenna Edwards- Resident Producing Advisor

For more information about Jenna see the About page or click here.

Ronalds Brothers Episode Guests

Brian & Dean Ronalds- Filmmakers

The Ronalds Brothers (Brian & Dean), owners of Ronalds Brothers Productions are passionate filmmakers culminating in a string of award-winning, audience favorite feature length and short films. Their uncanny knack for marketing, and generating excitement has made them among the most exciting up and coming filmmakers. Their film they directed and produced Netherbeast Incorporated was released nation wide in 2009 as well as writing for Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns Season II. More recently their film they produced and co-star in, The Graves hit theatres in January 2010. Also, their new comedic web series they wrote, produced and directed will be released QTR 1 of 2010 starring Judd Nelson and co-starring Traci Lords and Alexis Arquette.

Bill Lippincott- Actor/Editor

A veteran of theatre and IO West’s main stage, Bill also works in commercials, TV, new media & film. You can currently see him in Twisted Pictures upcoming The Tortured, Brian Pulido’s The Graves and Blank Page Entertainment’s H4J. A maker of short films, such as Saft, which is currently finishing up it’s festival run. Bill can also be found as an editor for hire. Bill digs working with the Ronalds Bro’s and this podcast!

For more information about Bill or to contact him, visit his website at www.BillLippincott.com

Jenna Edwards- Resident Producing Advisor

For more information about Jenna see the About page or click here.

January 29, 2010

We’ve got a special podcast today with the makers of the new film The Graves. Brian and Dean stop by the show to talk about their new movie that was released in theatres today!