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WRITE LIKE A PRO: How Our Screenwriting Experts Overcome Common Hangups
There are times when writing can be exciting, effortless, and fun. And then there are all the other times: when you don’t know where to start, or can’t remember why you started, or when you’re buried so deep you don’t even know which way to dig to get yourself...
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LUNACY’S GUIDE TO MUSIC LICENSING — Addendum: The Composer Agreement
Welcome! If you’ve landed here that means you’ve checked out our “Music in Film” blog series and likely just finished our post on composers. This post is designed as an addendum to the latter and walks you through some critical aspects of the deal you’ll ink with...
LUNACY’S GUIDE TO MUSIC LICENSING PART III — Working With Composers
It’s hard to imagine Darth Vader striding through the corridors of the Death Star, the Man of Steel soaring over Metropolis, or a shark fin rising ominously out of the water, without also thinking of John Williams’ corresponding musical themes. An original score -...
LUNACY’S GUIDE TO MUSIC LICENSING PART II — Licensing
Every filmmaker, from Wes Anderson to Paul Thomas Anderson, knows that finding the right music to accompany your visuals can make or break a scene — or the whole movie. But whether you’re repurposing an iconic chart topper or dusting off a hidden gem, choosing the...
LUNACY’S GUIDE TO MUSIC LICENSING PART I — Terminology
At LunacyU our expertise goes beyond our popular indie film financing course. We're here to help you navigate all aspects of indie film production, from development to distribution. And now, as a supplement to our film music master class, we've created this...
THE FORMULA: How Filmmaker Tamar Halpern Directs TV Movies in 12 Days
About Tamar Halpern Tamar Halpern is a writer and director with nine feature films behind her — all produced for less than $1.2 million. We previously discussed her ventures in documentary filmmaking, and this week we focus on her work in TV movies,...
TAX PREP FOR FREELANCE FILMMAKERS: What Are Deductions and How Do I Make the Most of Them?
DISCLAIMER: This article does not serve as legal advice. We highly recommend working with a tax advisor or certified public accountant (CPA) to best assess your personal situation. Another tax day has come and gone, and for many people it brought an unpleasant...
TAX PREP FOR FREELANCE FILMMAKERS: What Is a Loan-Out Company and Do I Need One?
DISCLAIMER: This article does not serve as legal advice. We highly recommend working with your CPA to figure out what is best for your situation. My name is Derek Sepe, and as a freelance production sound mixer, I have my own small business LLC or “Loan-Out” that I...
VIDEO CHATTING APPS: A Step by Step Guide for Installation & Use
Facebook Messenger, Zoom, Google Duo, and Viber are our recommended video chatting apps for communicating with your quarantined contacts. These four are all free, easy to use, can be used on either a phone or a computer, and can be used to make calls...
ACROSS GENERATIONS: Family Interview Tips and Guided Questions
We get it: social distancing is hard, and sheltering in place is a surefire recipe for cabin fever. And your older friends and relatives have it even harder than you do — they don’t even like bingeing The Office. Everyone’s feeling disconnected. But a...
FINDING CREW ONLINE: How to Hire Filmmakers Off the Internet
We’ve previously written on characteristics to look for when hiring your crew, but here we’ll elaborate on where you can find these crew members. In the world of indie filmmaking, hiring usually happens through word-of-mouth and referrals, but don’t...
IS YOUR SCRIPT TOO EXPENSIVE? 5 Links for Low-Budget Screenwriters
Is your screenplay too expensive to produce? Sometimes, even the strongest scripts have a hard time selling because of the production costs they would incur. If your ultimate goal is to see your work on the big screen, you need to be able to write good content that...
GOOD AND CHEAP: Money Saving Tips for Your Low-Budget Feature
Who’s ready to make a movie? Who has everything they need but financing? Funding is often the number one obstacle that filmmakers face, but we are here to help you keep costs low. If you have a clear vision and simple story, you don’t need all that much...
THE ALCHEMY OF SOUND AND PICTURE: Midge Costin on Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, and Effects
Walter Murch estimates that about 98% of what you hear in a movie has been added by sound editors. Yet sound is one of the most underappreciated aspects of filmmaking — even USC professor and veteran sound editor Midge Costin dismissed it when she was...
FROM DAYS OF THUNDER TO MAKING WAVES: Midge Costin on the Story of Sound
Sound is 50% of the cinematic experience. It’s the cheapest way to raise the production value in a film. And it’s easily one of the least understood and most underappreciated disciplines in Hollywood. Veteran Hollywood sound editor and USC professor...
LOW-BUDGET FILMMAKING: How Much Does It Really Cost To Make Your First Feature?
Fellow indie filmmakers continue making micro-budget feature films. Glen Schultz (Red Trail 90) says he did it with $10,000. Mark Duplass (The Puffy Chair) suggests you only need $1,000. Those figures notwithstanding, keeping costs low can set you up to turn a...
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LOW-BUDGET FILMMAKING: How Much Does It Really Cost To Make Your First Feature?
Fellow indie filmmakers continue making micro-budget feature films. Glen Schultz (Red Trail 90) says he did it with $10,000. Mark Duplass (The Puffy Chair) suggests you only need $1,000. Those figures notwithstanding, keeping costs low can set you up to turn a...
RENAISSANCE DISNEY: 5 Filmmaking Lessons from Disney’s Mulan
The term “Renaissance” has been used by fans to describe the awakening and reinvention that brought public and critical interest to Disney Feature Animation in the 1990’s, starting with 1989’s The Little Mermaid and ending with 1999’s Tarzan. No matter...
Z-AXIS MOVEMENT: 5 camera techniques to help you raise stakes, create unease, and more
There are three directions you can move your camera: along the horizontal x-axis (pans and dollies), the vertical y-axis (tilts and booms), and the z-axis (moving forward or back). Used separately or in conjunction, these movements can serve utilitarian purposes,...
BETTER SLATE THAN NEVER: The Importance Of The Slate To An Assistant Editor
“Rushing Ramona” is a 2nd AC (camera assistant) working on a feature in Kentucky. Before each take she updates the slate (also called clapboard, clapperboard, or sound marker) with the appropriate scene and take. She announces the take, claps the “sticks,” and gets...
WOMEN ON THE CUTTING EDGE: 5 Female Film Editors Behind Your Favorite Films
In honor of Women’s History Month your friends at Lunacy will be posting content celebrating the contribution of women to the film industry. We continue this week with a look at female filmmakers who aren't household names but have nonetheless shaped the history of...
