Category: Film Production

Non-Filmmakers Learning From Woody Allen

What can entrepreneurs learn from Woody Allen? Apparently a lot!

What can entrepreneurs learn from Woody Allen? Apparently a lot! I was intrigued by this article on TechCrunch that lists 9 things non-filmmakers can learn from his career. Of course, as a filmmaker I have appreciated his films, both the hits and misses. He has remained independent and true to his own vision through 50 years and many earth-shaking culture shifts.

Woody AllenIt’s worth digging into the details, especially stories from different seasons of Mr. Allen’s career, his disdain of the Academy Awards hoopla, etc. But here’s an excerpt:

In today’s day and age, we want to transform decades of work into years or even months. Allen built up his career over five decades and kept at it persistently, even when scandal, or a bad movie, or a bad article, would cast gloom over his entire career. But he shrugged it off.

So what can we learn from Woody Allen?

  • Wake up early
  • Avoid distractions
  • Work three to five hours a day and then enjoy the rest of the day
  • Be as perfectionist as you can, knowing that imperfection will still rule
  • Have the confidence to be magical and stretch the boundaries of your medium.
  • Combine the tools of the medium itself with the message you want to convey
  • Don’t get stuck in the same rut – move forward, experiment, but with the confidence built up over experience.

The same can be said for successful entrepreneurs. Or for people who are successful in any aspect of life. Is Woody Allen a happy man? Who knows? But he’s done what he set out to do. He’s made movies. He’s told stories. He’s lived the dream, even when it bordered on nightmare.  I can only be so lucky.

Read the whole article, “9 Things Every Entrepreneur Can Learn From Woody Allen”

VOD Rides to the Rescue of Indie Film

Are you an indie filmmaker? Amidst the chaos of dropping DVD sales, seemingly worthless deals on Netflix, and the daunting expense of even a small theatrical release, here’s some brighter news.

I’ve thought that VOD showed the only promise for true independent films. Here’s an article that says others (who know much more than me) think the same way – and are making it work!

VOD Rides to the Rescue of Indie Film | The Wrap Movies.

Eamonn Bowles, president and co-founder of Magnolia Pictures, told TheWrap. “Platform releasing, where you opened in a couple of theaters and hoped to expand later, was a recipe for disaster. The paradigm was broken, so we had no choice but to hit on something that made sense.”

After all, just a few years ago, with a number of high-profile art house distributors such as Miramax and Warner Independent Pictures shutting off the lights, it seemed like independent film might be dying.

Of course, that was when we completed our indie feature, “The Enemy God”. I thought, “What great timing! The whole independent world is dying and remaking itself into something – and no one knows what it will look like!”

But read on. Things seem to be settling, even if only a bit.

Today, independent film companies are feeling better about not just the prospects for on demand, but are also bullish about the new licensing fees being paid by streaming companies like Hulu and Netflix.

Gary Delfiner, senior vice president of digital distribution at Screen Media, told TheWrap. “There are more and more outlets for filmmakers to get their films out there. It’s not just TV and cable and theatrical anymore. If you make your product in the right budget range, you have a lot more outlets to get it out there.”

You still have to do your homework: know your audience and target them with an appropriate story and appropriate budget. That’s not always easy in itself, but at least there are some VOD platforms that seem to be viable AND give hope for a financial return.

Open Your Eyes To Other Cultures This Christmas

In the holiday season, it’s easy to become focused on ourselves and our own small worlds. If you’re looking for an eye-opening view of another of God’s diverse cultures, you owe it to yourself to watch this video clip and check out “The Enemy God” on DVD.

In the holiday season, it’s easy to become focused on ourselves and our own small worlds. If you’re looking for an eye-opening view of another of God’s diverse cultures, you owe it to yourself to watch this video clip and check out “The Enemy God” on DVD.

THE MICROBUDGET CONVERSATION: SCRIPT V. STORY | The Filmmaker Magazine Blog

As we’ve been in the process of making a ‘micro-budget’ short film, I have been thinking about the viability of such ventures.

As we’ve been in the process of making a ‘micro-budget’ short film, I have been thinking about the viability of such ventures. I know it’s possible to work like we have been working – with volunteer cast and crew and donated locations and gear. And I believe our film, structured, scripted, planned, and all that, will benefit from the approach.

This article, published a while back on Filmmaker Magazine’s blog, makes the argument that micro-budget filmmakers should embrace an alternative approach that emphasizes the discovery of stories that flow from real life, rather than struggling to come up with the perfect screenplay.

 … if our goal as micro-budget filmmakers is to make films free of budget restrictions, we need to find alternative methods that embrace the places we live, allow us to believe they are interesting, and trust the people around us to bring us some really interesting material. We all know this familiar adage: life is stranger than fiction. Once we let life leak into our narratives, I think we will be shocked at the abundance we suddenly have with the stories that are available.

THE MICROBUDGET CONVERSATION: SCRIPT V. STORY | The Filmmaker Magazine Blog.

I have a lot of experience in documentary filmmaking so I can appreciate the freedom and excitement of seeing stories unfold in the process of making a film. And I can see the author’s point that taking this approach can get filmmakers away from the computer and into the real process of making something. There is a part of me that does sometimes want to just pick up a camera and see what happens.