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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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RECENT POSTS
THE BALANCING ACT: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend AD and Independent Film Producer Meta Valentic on Balancing Work and Personal Life
About Meta Valentic Meta Valentic has worked as an Assistant Director on films like Avatar and on television shows like Bones, Castle, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. She was nominated for two Directors Guild Awards for her work on Lost. Meta has also produced multiple...
THE FUTURE IS FEMALE: 4 Indispensable Resources For Female Filmmakers
In honor of Women’s History Month your friends at Lunacy will be posting content celebrating the contribution of women to the film industry. This week we look at the five best internet resources for female filmmakers (and a few extras you should check out as well)....
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...
“NOW START CRYING” AND OTHER ACTOR PET PEEVES: 5 Things for directors to avoid when working with actors
You’ve cast the perfect actor. They nailed the audition, they were great in rehearsals, and everything is going smoothly on set, and then… you accidentally say or do something that pisses them off. Suddenly they are pouting, questioning your judgement, or just less...
THERE IS NO MAP: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend AD and independent producer Meta Valentic on the challenges of indie filmmaking
About Meta Valentic Meta Valentic has worked as an Assistant Director on films like Avatar and on television shows like Bones, Castle, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. She was nominated for two Directors Guild Awards for her work on Lost. Meta has also produced multiple...
THE RIGHT WAY TO RIGHTS: A beginner’s guide to acquiring IP
Anyone can write a script based on an original idea, but preexisting material, with a built-in audience and some track record of success, is often prized by studios. Be it comic books, best selling novels, remakes of old films, or true stories, established...
UNEXPECTED WAYS TO FIND YOUR NEXT STORY: 5 Brainstorming Methods You Definitely Haven’t Considered
So you’ve written a screenplay. It was a passion project for you, and it was a great learning experience. Better yet, it landed you a meeting with a big time producer! You go in and pitch your script, and things seem to be going well. When you finish, she nods...
WE DO THE JOBS WE GET: Career Insight From Editor Melissa Kent
Melissa Kent is a film and television editor who has worked with both Francis Ford Coppola and on Sofia Coppola’s directorial debut, The Virgin Suicides. She was nominated for an American Cinema Editors (ACE) Award for best editing of a made-for-TV movie for The...
DOT-COM DOS AND DOT-COM DON’TS: 5 Tips For A Better Freelancer Website
In an increasingly digital industry, it’s easier than ever to find crew for your projects or crew up on someone else’s. But since the internet has become such a popular place to find work, it’s also easy for talented filmmakers like yourself to get lost in a sea of...
HANDLING “THE TALENT”: Five Pieces of Advice On Dealing with Difficult Actors
So you’re shooting your first feature and you’re working with Hollywood megastar Bristian Kale! Suddenly, maybe to no surprise, he throws a tantrum on set. What do you do? Well… you suck it up. It’s a small price to pay to get Bristian Kale in your first film! The...
THE IN-BETWEENERS: Making a Living as a Filmmaker Between Projects
Pursuing a career as an independent filmmaker has never been more exciting. With the continual expansion of digital mediums and the growing demand for content, it’s easier than ever for new filmmakers to find an audience. This is especially true if they have a...
THE SECRET TO A SMOOTH PRODUCTION: 5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Storyboard Art
Storyboard art is one of the most underrated tools in the film industry. It’s usually the last thing filmmakers think they need, and the first to be cut from budget. What many filmmakers don’t realize is that hiring a storyboard artist can help streamline the...
THE DIGITAL PAPER TRAIL: Communication in a Professional World
We cannot stress this enough: filmmaking is a collaborative process, and one of the keys to effective collaboration is good communication. Conveying information to your team quickly and concisely is a must, as is being able to recall that information at a moment’s...
LIFE’S KNOCKING ON THE DOOR: Practical Advice On The Film Industry From Actor William Mapother
HAVE SOME CLASS: 5 Reasons An Acting Class Will Make You A Better Director
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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...
