Category: News

When it comes to crowd funding, it’s not about what your film is about, but why.

Filmmakers, you’ve been lied to. Film school has taught you to pitch the WHAT about your project — WHAT is the story, WHAT is the cast, WHAT are the target group for the film etc — but the WHAT is not the most important element when it comes to crowdfunding. The WHY is! You see it comes down to your likability on camera. ‘But I’m cool and I’m a great filmmaker’ I hear you say. While that’s good for you, that’s not why people want to engage with your crowdfunding campaign.

More people will support something that is important to them, something that matters to them. Whether you are doing a drama, a comedy, a sci-fi project, or a documentary on environmental changes, more people will support you if you tell them WHY it matters that you make the film and therefore WHY it matters to them. You have to smitten your audience and become an ambassador for your own film.

Having run eleven crowdfunding campaigns, I can tell you this from my own experience — People don’t support WHAT you do, people support WHY you do it.

Hope For Film | Read the Full Article

Late night shopping may never be the same again after you watch IKEA’s homage to Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic,

t’s a simple enough question. But the answer is more complicated than you’d would ever expect. From the Far North to the Jersey Shore, we take a look at “reality” on film and TV, and how someone can be famous just by being famous.

Via CineFix

It’s the cult classic that inspired several re-makes, re-dos and sequels, but we’re pretty sure even you midnight-screening superfans out there didn’t know all 7 of these groovy tidbits about the original Evil Dead!

In it’s 26th season, the Simpson’s Treehouse of Terror pays tribute to the cinematic master Stanley Kubrick.

Norman Lear tells Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric that Carroll O’Connor, the actor who played Archie Bunker, was not a fan of a scene that ended up being one of Lear’s favorite moments from “All in the Family”.

Via Go Into The Story

“Once you’re in, you’re in. There is no way out!”

Is that the premise of this independent Australian action film or a comment on the fate of film makers that dive into making their own independent feature? Writer-Director Kit McDee gives us the low down on making his first feature film The Hunters Club.Over the last 4 years Kit McDee has been working on The Hunters Club, an action film full of fights, gun battles and car chases. Over the 4 years of Writing, Planning, Production and now Post, the actual shooting was squeezed into an intense 3 weeks of production.

Kit is an editor by trade and has a history of both acting and stunt work, this has given the director a strong insight into the requirements and opportunities an action film presents. A lot of planning and effort has been put into getting the most out of the script and the action.

 

Take a look at the trailer for The Hunters Club:

 

Action on a budget

With a very modest budget it was key to bring together a motivated and creative team. It was also important to make full use of the assets available to them and to not get hung up on what they didn’t have. Kit was keen to keep the camera moving as often as possible but to not over do it and end up with the shaky cam look of many modern action films. To this effect they made use of Steadicams, Segways, car mounts, hand-held rigs and more. Kit was keen to keep it controlled with a vibe more akin to action movies of the 80’s & 90’s.

Stunt people and a stunt coordinator were on board to bring together the films fight sequences and car chases. One of which features a long board Vs car chase.

 

Kit’s lessons from the film making experience:

• Don’t be afraid to be crap, it’s better to do it than be afraid of not succeeding.
• Give it a go, you can only get better.
• The first release of your film is a very important thing that can affect weather it is eligible or desirable for festivals, so think about what will work best for you.
• Surround your self with good people, they will make you be the best film maker you can be.

Interview with Director Kit McDee:

For more information take a look at The Hunters Club Facebook page here.

You can find the films website here

And if you have any questions for Director Kit McDee, leave them in the comments below or on our Facebook page and we will hit Kit up for some more information!

 

Cinefix delves into the history of Censorship from the early state run censorship boards to the modern ratings system.

You may also be interested in our very own lesson – The History of Hollywood Censorship and the Ratings System.

 

Here are 10 tips for screenwriting by one of the masters.

Even as Hollywood changes most of his tips for telling a good story are relevant today. Wilder worked with the greatest actors of his generation, constantly won awards, and never tired of his craft. Even when he “retired” in 1981 he was actively working to develop new ideas and mentor others.

Wilder’s tips from Conversations with Wilder by Cameron Crowe.

1. The audience is fickle.

You’re never going to make a movie based on a “sure thing” or something that everyone loves. The existence of Armond White is enough to prove that there’s always a contrarian waiting to be heard. Make movies about things YOU care about. Write things that matter on a personal level and people will pick up on that and it will never seem like work.

2. Grab ‘em by the throat and never let ‘em go.

You need to win the battle in the opening scene so craft something that will stick with the reader for all 120 pages. An opening they’ll never forget. Think about your favorite opening scenes – one of mine is from the first Harry Potter. An old Wizard on a suburban lane, waiting for a magical motorcycle. The rest of the story begs to be told!

Screen Craft | Read the Full Article

What is “Popular Culture”? Despite what the term may lead you to think, it is NOT just media that is numerically popular! Tom Waits most certainly is part of popular culture, regardless of his ZERO billboard hits. So what are the qualifications for “Pop Culture”? And where the heck does the internet come into play in all this? Watch the episode and find out!!