Spike Lee is an American film director, producer, writer and actor. He is known for such films as: “She’s Gotta Have It”, “Do the Right Thing”, “Malcolm X” and, most recently, “BlackkKlansman”.  Spike always dedicates one notebook, in which he collects ideas for a story, names of the characters, dialogue, plot points, etc. Once the notebook is filled up, he transfers all those ideas into the index cards. He puts the index cards in order, in which he would like the story to go. This process helps him visualize the story. At the same time as working on the fictional elements of the story, Spike is also doing his research (of course if this is what his story requires). The research combined with the fictional elements of the story gives him enough material to start writing the script. He believes that everyone should devote specific time of the day to just writing the script without any external interruptions such as: emails, phone calls or social media. Find out more about writing and filmmaking at Indie …

Mira Nair is a film director and producer, her best-known films include: “Salaam Bombay”, “Monsoon Wedding”, “Mississippi Masala”, “Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love”. Her recent films include: “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” and “Queen of Katwe”. 1. Make sure actors feel comfortable and relaxed during the casting process. If actors feel pressured or judged, they will be less likely to take risks. 2. During the casting process as a director, you should create an affectionate and warm atmosphere that will allow actors to breathe easier, and as a result, relax better. 3. Encourage all performances to bring something fresh and unexpected to the table. 4. Establishing the trust between you, as a director, and your actors are the key to successful collaboration. 5. Find moments in your script, which best shows the essence of each character. Find those scenes and use them during the audition. 6. Make the audition room safe space for the actors. 7. Start your casting with small talk. 8. Ask the actors if they have any questions for you before the audition …

Aaron Sorkin is one of the most celebrated and accomplished writers working in Hollywood at the moment. He writes for film, TV, and theatre. He is the creator of “West Wing” and “The Newsroom” and the scriptwriter behind “The Social Network” and “Steve Jobs”. In 2017 he directed Jessica Chastain in “Molly’s Game”, which I personally loved. 1. In order to create a solid screenplay, focus on developing strong intention and obstacle in your story. That will help you create friction and tension you need to hold the audiences’ attention. Once you have a strong, formidable intention and obstacle, you’re ready to write at least the first scene. 2. If you are writing for a feature film, you have a few minutes to introduce your intention and obstacle. If you are writing for a TV show, you can’t waste any time and need to introduce intention and obstacle right away. 3. To keep your story compelling and believable, make sure the stakes in the character’s life are high, urgent, and believable. 4. The characters are …

I believe that filmmaking is a genuinely collaborative art. Of course, as independent filmmakers, we can and often wear many hats to get our projects off the ground. Over the years, most likely than not, you have picked up a range of hands-on skills and tonnes of practical knowledge, which surely would allow you to make a whole film single-handedly if backed to the wall. However, in my opinion, this is not the point of filmmaking. Filmmaking is a collaborative art and each team member brings something unique, one of a kind, to the table helping to take the project towards the direction, which the director or creator wants. All those people from all those different departments have a wealth of knowledge that allows the director to make an amazingly unique film or show. That is, generally, one of the things I love about filmmaking the most. It is the possibility to get many people with a variety of skills involved in one project, working towards the same vision, and making it a reality. Filmmaking …

I believe that to be working independently in the creative field one needs to be highly organised, especially when you have a part-time or sometimes even a full-time job that isn’t related to your artistic career but allows you to pay your bills. If you aren’t organised, time can easily slip through your fingers and this bastard never stops, you cannot recoup what you have lost. That is the only commodity we cannot buy back, no matter how much money we have. I noticed that after a few weeks of repeating certain activities every day, those activities become easier to do and become a part of the daily, weekly or monthly routine. For years I was devoted to only making daily lists. However, recently I decided to change my approach and to divide my planning into daily, weekly, fortnightly, as well as yearly tasks. You know, operational, tactical, and strategic approach. The activities/tasks I want to accomplish in a year I write down on post-it notes. One task per note. I pick up one of …