Whether you are a new screenwriter, producer and/or director, you may be looking for that one chance to make a difference in your life and the lives of other people, but Hollywood has said no to you.

That’s okay, because more and more companies are coming out to support new filmmakers and you may be looking for them while they are looking for you.

The average Joe isn’t interested in many of the movies that come out on the big screen like you assume. Instead, he is more interested in what is happening in his own neighborhood and his wife is just as interested. Why is it your family movie hasn’t been shown at the local high school gymnasium, church or your R rated movie at the neighborhood bar? What about working with the owner of the neighborhood video store to get it in his or her store? Why don’t we see fliers promoting your movie? How come you haven’t bothered to employ your local college students to help you get the word out about your movie?

Some filmmakers have no professional affiliations and that causes many obstacles for them as well. How do filmmakers know how to successfully market their movies when they don’t bother to put into action what they observe others are doing?

Twelve marketing strategies filmmakers are presently using in their marketing campaigns include:

1) Creating a website about their film.

Filmmakers provide a simple teaser that draws the viewer into the film wanting more than they cut it, leaving you wanting for more. Every site has contact information which is easily found and all links are fully functional.

2) Maintaining blogs about their film.

Everyday someone is posting something on the site related to the synopsis of the film, photographs, the company or individuals involved with the production, or some other related information.

3) Registering with social networking websites.

Whether they are adding friends, keeping the “about me” section current or discussing related topics to the film in the chat rooms, they are keeping communication live about their film.

4) Sending press releases to Internet and local media outlets.

Every local media outlet that bothers to print a press release has received something about the film whether it is a short, a poster, or something else that promotes their new film.

5) Distributing fliers to local movie, book and music stores.

The information is professionally designed and easily accessible in the store. Sometimes it is located next to those free neighborhood newspapers.

6) Purchasing email lists.

The filmmaker has an idea of who his or her target market is such as what gender, age group, background and general film interest of the person who may be watching the film. With this information he or she knows what kind of email list to buy.

7) Professional memberships related to the film industry.

He or she is networking with other people who may be able to assist him or her with the film. The bigger the circle the more opportunities to meet the right person or group.

8) Getting listed in internet movie databases.

The average Joe should be able to get online and find your movie in someone’s database, if he or she can’t find you somewhere, then you know you have a lot of work to do. Try this, type the name of your film in the search engine window, if it doesn’t show up on the first page, this is a good indication that you haven’t been doing a good job marketing it. Find someone who can write an article about you, your company and the film. Then have an article distribution service distribute it to other article websites (this tactic is called article marketing.) Once you get this done, watch how easy it will be to locate information about your film online when someone searches for you.

9) Hosting screening parties.

No more partying for the pure joy of it, filmmakers use every opportunity to party as a way to get their film out there. Change the typical way you host parties.

10) Uploading movie stills to photography sites.

Look at what other filmmakers have done with this, just type in an independent film you really like and see what kind of presence they have on the photography site.

11) Uploading trailers to video sites.

Once again, see what your competitors have done with this, then go to a site that offers books on the subject rather than visiting someone’s freebie site. You will want to get the instructions on doing this right the first time. Wasted time is money lost, learn from professionals.

12) Offering freebies such as t-shirts and posters advertising their film.

People love free stuff, so if you can give things away related to your movie, do it, in time you will get something in return for your efforts, fans!

All of these tactics take time to implement. Take a task each day from this list and work on it until you have completed all twelve. Once you have finished these duties, start looking for other ideas you can accomplish within a certain deadline you have set for yourself. Without a deadline, you won’t get anything done. To your success!

The Basic Basics of Screenwriting

Welcome to the “Basic Basics of Screenwriting” – I will be the first to admit that calling a book the “basic basics” is equivalent to calling myself “AAAA Plumbing” in hopes of being at the front of the alphabet. The reality is that there are a number of “basic” books out there and so, why not, toss in the second basic to get my point across.

You might be asking yourself: Why .99? My response to that is: Why not? The actual “book” part of this publication is approximately 50 pag

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With the proliferation of television and cable stations and our nations  addiction to ‘all things visual’ especially movies, more and more students are choosing to attend one of the nations Film and Television schools in order to enter the world of entertainment and broadcasting.  As someone who has attended both the NYU and USC film/television programs, I thought I should outline how to make the most of a structured film program to increase your chances of success in the industry after graduation.

Explore Then Specialize

One of the great things about film school is that it gives you the chance to explore different areas of film and television production.  During the first year or two I always advise students to try the unfamiliar and take risks with different roles, styles and techniques.  Perhaps you thought before enrolling you wanted to be a director but after you do the lighting for a film you realize you love cinematography.  Or perhaps you never worked with sound before and find yourself spending hours and hours creating amazing soundscapes for something you or a friend shot.  One thing to be sure you delve into is screenwriting.  While a discipline in itself that is separate from production, being familiar with story and screenplay and tv structure is very important for anyone working in the film or television business.

It is through experimenting that you can see where your natural strengths and weaknesses lie.  Remember, although many people are in film school have dreamed all their lives of being a great Director or Producer, the vast majority of time you must work your way up through the industry by working in a specific area.  Eventually, through various ways you can make the leap to Directing or Producing your own projects.  The ways to go about making that leap is complex enough for many articles so we won’t go into that here, but it is a good idea to have an idea of what kind of position you want after you graduate and hone your skills in school for that specific role while you are still a student.

Network

The Film and Television industries are very social industries.  The vast majority of people in ‘the business’ work with many of the same people over and over again and it is all based on friendships and close working relationships.  Film school is your first opportunity to create a starting network that you will then leverage when out of school to make the leap into the legitimate industry.  Make sure to be involved in as many clubs and go to as many functions as you can.  Make your goal to meet every person in your class, as well as the classes above and below you.  The larger your network of potential contacts and friends then the greater your source will be to find out about jobs in the industry.  Also, it is a good idea to work on as many fellow student films as possible so you can both meet the other students as well is see who the most talented at specific roles are.  This is especially useful if you plan to direct a thesis or do a production after graduation and want to hire friends that are the best at what they do for your production.

Internships

Internships can be an incredible resource for the aspiring film and television careerist.  Through internships you can not only get great experience in an area you are interested in, but you can also create great relationships that often lead to your first job out of school.  Also, for those thinking of moving to NY or LA that go to school outside of those areas, an internship with a recognized company is a great thing to have on your resume to stand out from the crowd and land your first gig.  The more specialized your interest and the more specific you can make your internship to ‘shape’ your resume the better.

Thesis/Final Project

Depending on the Film and Television program you are in, you might have the opportunity to do either a Thesis or Final project.  Often this involves Directing, Writing and sometimes Producing your own project along with other students as part of your ‘crew’.  This project can be used for several purposes depending on how well done it is and what format and length it is in.  Some use it as a chance to enter short or if long enough, feature film festivals.  Still others use it as a way of showing off the particular talents that they are good at.  This could be a short film that has very exquisite and complicated lighting scenarios or camera work for those trying to get into cinematography or camera operation.  Or it can be a very well directed or art directed film for those careers.  Just as you kept the ‘big picture’ in mind of what your intention is after graduation, the ‘Final Project’ can be a key part in your ‘portfolio’ to obtain work or a job after graduation.  For more great information about film schools please visit www.USCfilmschool.com

Adventures in the Screen Trade: A Personal View of Hollywood and Screenwriting

As befits more than twenty years in Hollywood, Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman’s sparkling memoir is as entertaining as many of the films he has helped to create. From the writer of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men and Marathon Man, Adventures in the Screen Trade is an intimate view of movie-making, of acting greats such as Redford, Olivier, Newman and Hoffman, and of the trials and rewards of working inside the most exciting business in the world.

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In addition to a week-long meeting over international animation production, AniFest, which runs through May 10 in Trebon, strives to facilitate the best contacts among Central European artists who are engaged in animation, especially after the festival through the ongoing AniFest Echoes. The Council on Foundations’ 42nd Annual Film & Video Festival in Baltimore showcases films, videos, and television programs, May 4-7, that have received support from foundations, corporate giving programs, and donor networks, with the aim of encouraging grantmakers to use media to advance their philanthropic goals. A festive party atmosphere takes shape when the 16th Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film presents a program from May 5-10 of screenplay workshops, fine art by Japanese artist Kozue Kodama, live music, and animated film in the open air festival garden at the Schlossplatz, free of charge to the public.  Representatives of newspapers, television, magazines, radio and web-only outlets will come together to discuss new-media both on the business and editorial sides, and culminating  with awards for the Best Media-Affiliated Internet Services presented by Editor & Publisher and Mediaweek, at the Interactive Media Conference & Trade Show happening in New Orleans, May 6-7.

For one day, on May 11, Content Delivery Summit assembles in New York and brings together customers, vendors, analysts, and Wall Street to discuss and define where the video delivery industry is headed. And on the very next day, May 12-13, in the same New York hotel, annual Streaming Media East 2009 Conference & Exhibition continues the topic of online video in a broader sense, catering to the needs of content owners, viral video creators, online marketers, enterprise corporations, broadcast professionals, ad agencies, educators and others that come to Streaming Media East to see and hear the latest online video technology, and to discuss the business models that are coming of age. Game Developers Conference Canada 2009 meets May 12-13 in Vancouver and covers industry-leading methodologies in game design, production, programming, visual arts and writing for big-budget multiplatform games. The CLIO Awards will be celebrating its monumental 50th Anniversary in Las Vegas, highlighting accomplishments in the industry with five new and distinct award shows, after parties, conference sessions, industry networking opportunities, and more. Cannes Film Festival gets started this year May 13, continuing through May 24.

Former US president Bill Clinton will join actress Sharon Stone at this year’s Cannes Film Festival AIDS fund-raiser in southern France, Clinton will attend the May 21 event alongside Stone, Harvey Weinstein, Carine Roitfeld, Michelle Yeoh and Donatella Versace, among others. The gala will take place at the Eden Roc, at Cap d’Antibes. The Indie Film Jam is back for its fifth year as part of the Florida Music Festival, running May 14-17, screening selected films in the heart of Downtown Orlando throughout the FMF weekend and offering independent filmmakers networking opportunities as well as industry panels designed for educating, enlightening and gaining insight into the world of filmmaking. The George Foster Peabody Awards which recognizes distinguished achievement and meritorious service by broadcasters, cable, webcasters, producing organizations, and individuals, conducts its 68th annual awards May 18 in New York, with a reception that begins at 11 am, followed by lunch, with Brian Williams of NBC Nightly News the events MC. At this year’s Seattle International Film Festival, running May 21 through June 21, SIFF will present the 2009 Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Achievement in Directing to Spike Lee, on May 23, followed by a screening of Lee’s ‘Passing Strange, a Q&A session, and an intimate Tribute Dinner celebration with Spike Lee as the guest of honor. Later in the festival, director Francis Ford Coppola  will host a special presentation of his new film, ‘Tetro’ at a June 10 screening. MUTEK is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination and development of avant-garde digital creativity in sound, music, and audio-visual art, which it does in part through the annual presentation of its namesake festival held in Montreal, this year running May 27-31. Nashville Screenwriters Conference will again offer one of its more popular panels, “Music in the Movies,” offering aspiring songwriters, composers and artists advice on how to get their music placed in films and TV, when it assembles again this year for sessions running May 29-31.

The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the “Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events” page. Video and podcast versions of this news summary are also available at popular video sites around the Web like MySpace, YouTube, Daily Motion, as well as on The Actor’s Checklist podcast blog. Leading entertainment industry publication Back Stage has redesigned their Backstage.com website to allow for better resume and picture upload, casting and job alerts, and much more. Follow the posting of the news summary on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/actorschecklist  This month on the video news summary you will again see a dynamic array of artists in performance of film and music. Last month’s video news summary showcase featured New Jersey based Mindbreak Entertainment’s with murder mystery thriller The Secret, directed by Ian J. Kenney. The futuristic 4D virtual gaming arena ‘Turbo’ a short film from Jarrett Conaway, in the tradition of the Karate Kid and Tron. Los Angeles based Rooftop Mind, with ‘Sex Text’ and The Moonlit Road. Music video production company, THEfilmboyPROJECT, of London with ‘Never Wanna Lose You’ performed by East End hip hop, r&b group, DNA. A documentary segment in which film composer Jermaine Stegall conducts the Hollywood Studio Symphony. These videos are now available on the Free Home Video Showcase which now serves as an archive for all past video presentations but without the audio news narration.

Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know

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What the industry’s most succcessful writers and directors have in common is that they have mastered the cinematic conventions specific to the medium.

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Is your film career worth 30 minutes of your time everyday?

As you make your professional journey through the film industry, you will encounter both challenges and uncertainty that might leave you feeling hopeless and discouraged.

But there is always an answer/solution to any problem you might face as a movie director, producer or scriptwriter.

“There will never be a new problem. Somewhere… someone had the same problem as you, find the solution and wrote it down in a book”   – Will Smith

Here are 5 must read books for any passionate moviemaker:

1) Reel to Deal: Everything You Need to Create a Successful Independent Film by Dov S-S Simens

This is an easy and informative read. Very inspiring for someone who’s interested in making movies. Especially for independent film producers. I really like his advice about “first make a movie, then make a deal”.

Also, Dov S-S Simens has a very successful online and DVD package web film school loaded with priceless industry knowledge that helped launch the careers of several high profile Hollywood directors like Guy Ritchie, Christopher Nolan and Baz Luhrmann.

2) The Film Director Prepares: A Complete Guide to Directing for Film & TV by Myrl A. Schreibman

Loaded with a vast amount of useful information for newbie film directors ranging from topics like directing actors to camera coverage to how to be professional and efficient onset.

3) Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez

Robert Rodriguez is the modern day king of D.I.Y. moviemaking. His book chronicles how he made a feature film for ,000 that launched his film career. What I love about this book is Rodriguez cuts through all the Hollywood noise and b.s. and gives you real,honest, useful tips on what you really need to succeed as an independent movie director.

4) The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters: Insider’s Secrets from Hollywood’s Top Writers by Karl Iglesias

Based on conversation with successful working Hollywood script writers like Eric Roth, Akiva Goldsman, Ed Solomon, Nicholas Kazan, Leslie Dixon, Scott Rosenberg, Gerald DiPego, Steven DeSouza, Tom Schulman, Michael Schiffer, Amy Holden Jones, Robin Swicord. This book gives you the real deal about the daily routines and how to break into the industry tips from the writers of many of today’s top Hollywood movies. I really loved what Ron Bass (Rain man) had to say about succeeding as a screenplay writer.

5) Stop Waiting and Make Your Movie by Ian Agard

This is a feature film financing guide with 32 information-packed pages of valuable tips and strategies used by both established and emerging filmmakers to secure money for their film productions. For a novice or expert. If you are an independent moviemaker who needs ,000 to 0,000 to make your feature film, then this e-book is for you. To learn more about it, click here.

To learn more useful filmmaker tips, visit The Indie Filmmaking Blog.

To Your Success!

Ian

The Bare Bones Book of Screenwriting

The Bare Bones Book of Screenwriting uses a ‘let’s-get-down-to-brass-tacks’ approach to screenwriting concentrating on the foundation of essential creative, technical and business principles in the market. Written in a simple, straight-forward witty style by a professional in the field, The Bare Bones Book of Screenwriting is a treasure chest for anyone interested in the screenwriting trade. “The perfect guide for new writers. Sharp prose and practical advice in simple English with all the nu

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Your first movie is the toughest. Even more so when dealing with smaller budget movie projects. It’s a creative fight where you’re nose will get bloodied and you’ll learn what humility means. To go from movie idea to treatment to script to completed movie is an accomplishment at any level. I make movies under the banner of Slice of Americana Films that go straight-to-DVD. Many of us have read or heard an Hollywood backed movie getting bashed for not making it into theaters and going straight-to-DVD. The straight-to-DVD label is a meant as an insult. I guess considering the amount of cash spent a well funded movie with name actors going straight-to-DVD isn’t a victory. There’s also viewers that put down straight-to-DVD straight away. Which is cool. When you make movies you’re putting yourself out there for people to say your movie, “sucks.”

Working in the trenches outside of Hollywood I think a smaller budget movie that can land a straight-to-DVD or video-on-demand release is a success story. A lot of smaller budget film shoots fail at different stages. I always try to avoid using the term “independent film” because some movies made for a million or more are considered independent in some industry circles. I prefer using “smaller budget film.” The smaller budget film community who make movies on budgets from ,000 to a 0,000 is where making that first movie can be disastrous. It’s usually due to a lack of experience, money, time, or unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved with limited resources.

Before making my first movie Consignment I thought I knew what to expect from reading well known books. I learned the hard way that I knew a fraction of what it takes to make a smaller budget movie (having read books on making movies Hollywood style). I respect the attitude and passion of guerrilla filmmaking, but I was able to secure enough funding to pay for production insurance to protect cast and crew. Able to secure permits to avoid having filming stopped and feed cast and crew well.

There’s a huge difference between physically shooting a movie, seeing it completed and finding a larger audience than your friends and family. Bottom line is nobody sets out to make a movie and fail. Making a smaller budget movie is not for everyone. It may sound exciting and glamorous at the start, but those feelings quickly fade as the amount of work gets overwhelming before you even begin to shoot. After a couple of well meaning production meetings and cast rehearsals, some people will drop out of the movie when it becomes clear the time and energy involved.

Others will drop out because they landed a bigger part, higher paying gig, or lost interest in being involved making a smaller budget movie. There is no glitz, star power, or money to burn when making a smaller budget movie. It comes down to a group of hungry actors and crew that want to pay their dues as they work their way up the movie ladder. Surround yourself with people that share your passion and drive to make movies. Everyone has to make a living, but until Hollywood calls you have to show you can make a movie. I’ve taken so many lumps chasing my dream it inspired me to write a book.

The book The First Movie is the Toughest grew out of the tough lessons I’ve learned making independent movies with limited money, time and resources. Taking a lead from the Abbie Hoffman “Steal This Book” manual of survival. Steal The First Movie Is The Toughest is a manual of survival for independent filmmakers.

You can’t wait for the perfect time to make your movie, because there will never be a perfect time. “Now” always beats “soon.” The book is packed with no nonsense advice, help, and entertaining stories about making movies outside of Hollywood on limited budgets.

This book is for aspiring screenwriters, directors, and producers along with the casual movie viewer with their own great story idea for a movie. No hype, no bull on making and selling movies. The information shared was not learned in a filmmaking workshop, movie boot camp or film school. It was learned the hard way by making movies and learning the business by doing.

There are tons of books on making movies, but not many are as personal, entertaining and informative as this one. This is one filmmaker’s story of how their movies got done and distributed. Nothing is held pack. Save yourself real money and grief before shooting your movie. The First Movie is the Toughest is available at Amazon in paperback and online in a PDF download. Good luck with your movie.

The Collected Works of Paddy Chayefsky: The Screenplays Volume 2

A collection of screenplays by this brilliant writer. Includes: The Hospital, Network, and Altered States.

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