Filmmaking Tips to Start the New Year

"2012 is done and gone, and the world is still standing. While there wasn’t a cosmic revolution of the Mayan-apocalyptic sort, you can start your own microcosmic revolution:

Make this the year you finish that script or shoot that movie. Start that web series. Take the film festival world by storm—or at least learn how to make the most of the festival circuit. We’re talking stop-dreaming-and-start-doing full on revolution; don’t settle for the anemic resolutions a new year too often brings.

To help you get started, here are our top 10 filmmaking posts of 2012, which cover everything from crowdfunding and post-production tips to getting your start with commercial directing and festival publicity—oh, and did I mention crowdfunding? Topping the list: an empowering clip from the Forum keynote speech by Oscar®-nominated director John Singleton that is anything but anemic. In fact, I’m thinking “just make it and shoot it, and don’t give a fuck” would make a great motto for 2013.

Top 10 Filmmaking Posts of 2012:

10. Kickstarter Teaches Us the Craft of Crowdfunding

Our second crowdfunding post in 2012′s top 10, this one gives highlights from a class led by Kickstarter with guidance from filmmakers Julia Meltzer and Laura Nix, whose project raised over double its initial funding goal. Here are some of their tips for crowdfunding success.

9. Armed to Sell: Tips From a Film Financing Pitch

Money makes the film world go ‘round, so it’s no surprise emerging filmmakers are forever seeking financing advice. During the Armed To Sell panel at the Forum, producing lab Fellows were invited on stage to pitch their projects-in-progress; here’s a rundown of the insights given to help them meet their budget and make their film more attractive to financiers.

8. Indie Film: The New Wild, Wild West

FIND Fellow Lisa Robertson shares what she learned at the 2012 Forum: a pretty thrilling, ultimately empowering education as a filmmaker in financing, equity, distribution models — the producer and distributor’s point of view of filmmaking. Even if you consider yourself a creative, this is important to know if you want to communicate with producers and distributors."

Read the full article