As a parent, I watch a lot of PG, family-friendly films and over the years I realised that the most successful family films have those five things in common: 1. One of the characters is an animal. It doesn’t have to be the main character, but the animal is an integral part of the whole…
filmmaking
Should You Agree to Work for Free?
This is a question many people in the creative sector will be asking themselves throughout their careers, and unfortunately, the “offers” to work for free don’t end the older you become or, the more experience you have. When I left film school, it was believed that you needed to work for at least two years…
Filmmaking Is Like Training For the Marathon
Filmmaking takes time, and I’m not only talking about the time it takes to make a film, from start to finish. I’m also talking about the time it takes to establish yourself in the industry. When I graduated from film school in 2004, the Internet was around but wasn’t dominating our lives or the creative…
Filmmakers Need to Ask Questions to Get the Job Done
I was recently talking to someone about co-operating on a project together, and I immediately started asking him questions. Very basic questions such as: – What are you offering to other filmmakers? – What’s in it for me? I had a feeling that he was caught off guard but at the same time very appreciative…
How Many Hats Does a Filmmaker Need to Wear in the 21st Century?
When you are an independent filmmaker, you must wear lots of hats; especially when you are the brains behind the project. When I was making my feature film “Anna & Modern Day Slavery” I was: – the writer – the producer – the director – the editor – the marketer and promotor (sales agent) –…
When You Are New to Filmmaking, You Should…
1. Pay constant attention to what is happening in the business. Find few of news publications you like reading and check them on a daily basis. I’m not asking you to read every article but check the headlines and see what is in and what is out. 2. Learn, learn and learn even more. This…
Why Making Short Films Is Worth Your Time?
1. Making short films gives you the practical experience on the set you need to become a successful director. Every time you make a short you become more confident in yourself and your abilities and this business is all about confidence. 2. You practice your storytelling techniques. Storytelling is not only about technical abilities or…
Independent Filmmaking in 2018
Below you will find a list of what I feel an indie filmmaker should be thinking or somewhat reminding themselves in 2018. 1. The Internet has been a Godsend tool to revive indie filmmaking, offering indie filmmakers direct road to their audience. However, you still need to build your audience/following, and that takes time and…
List of 10 Things You Need to Learn Before Leaving the Film School
Learn how to write different types of pitches (from an elevator pitch to a complete pitch) and how to pitch your projects to others using them. Learn how to write a treatment and what the difference is between a treatment and an outline. Learn as much as possible about film festivals, start attending festivals while…
What Is the Soul of the Film?
As a filmmaker and an avid film consumer (I watch several films a week), I started wondering what makes some stories work and some stories fall short of the high expectations an audience member has while waiting with anticipation for the film to be out. I don’t care about big-budget superhero movies, special effects or…