How To

From Idea to Story

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Suppose that you’re thinking of doing a documentary film about Elvis Presley, or a diner in your home town, or images of Islam in American popular culture. Something about the topic has caught your interest, and you think you want to take it to the next level. First, ask yourself what it is about the… Read more »

Playing Niche

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Securing funds as an independent producer is often the most difficult and crucial aspect of successfully completing your vision. Money from the government, non-profits, corporations, private foundations, and individuals is out there for film and video projects. But most funding sources have a particular interest and seek projects closely aligned with that interest. Knowing this… Read more »

Courting cash

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Lots of things pile up after a shoot. For Steve Gentile, producer of Loaded Gun: Life, Death, and Dickinson, the end of post-production brought a surplus of bills and lots of beer. “When we were premiering at the Museum of Fine Arts [MFA] here in Boston, they said, ‘Hey, can we help?’” recalls Gentile. “And… Read more »

High-Tech Homebrew

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The past few years have seen significant advances in the tools for creating visual effects with desktop computers. Yet these tools cost at least a few hundred dollars and can quickly move into the thousands with the addition of plug-ins and ancillary tools. For the independent filmmaker interested in creating the illusions of visual effects… Read more »

Field Report

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Independent producers in Los Angeles are finding more ways of getting their work produced, critiqued, and distributed. Still, there is a need for a local group that can address the concerns shared by all independents. The active members of the LA Salon represent as diverse a cross section of the media community as one could… Read more »

Sending Video into the Wide Wired World

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After years of saving money, finding the best crew, and refining your filmmaking skills, you finally produce the short film that will prove your talent as a filmmaker. Unable to wait for festivals or other distribution, you want to share your work with the world immediately by putting the movie on the web. But what… Read more »

Opening With Style

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As anyone who has been to many festivals or film school screenings can attest, for most independent and student filmmakers, title design is a rushed process at the end of a busy editorial cycle. While it may be easy to type titles and credits into the standard titling tool in a nonlinear editing application, the… Read more »

3D Animation

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The world of 3D animation is slowly opening up to new artists. New training options, online communities of users, and lower prices now make the prospect of 3D animation more enticing for independent filmmakers. But for those who know little about the field, starting out in 3D animation is still laden with many tough decisions,… Read more »

Cleaner 5.1

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Delivering video over the Internet poses an interesting challenge to those who want to preserve the image quality of their video while giving the audience the best experience possible. Video delivered over the Internet must both look and sound as good as possible yet download quickly so that the audience does not become annoyed at… Read more »

Internet Video

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Exhibiting video on the Internet can be a quick way to show your work to producers, festivals, and potential audience members. Although the quality cannot even begin to rival the picture and sound of home video or theatrical distribution, Internet video can provide a representation of your work 24/7. As soon as you understand a… Read more »