Category: Filmmaking

Director Thais Francis Takes On Social Media in “Late Expectations”

February 15, 2016

Scrolling through picture-perfect Instagram shots inspired Thais Francis to write her first-ever film, Late Expectations, showing at Cinema Village on Saturday, February 20 at 4:30 p.m. as part of the 2016 Winter Film Festival (February 18 to 26 in New York City). In the short film, high school senior India seems to be living a … More Director Thais Francis Takes On Social Media in “Late Expectations”

Talking Trash With Dean Dempsey, Director of Candy Apple

February 3, 2016

If you like your New York served up grimy, and filled with an assortment of intense, oddball characters that are low on cash but high on ideas, you don’t want to miss Candy Apple, showing February 19th at 9:30 at Cinema Village as part of the 2016 Winter Film Awards,running Feb. 18th through 26th in New … More Talking Trash With Dean Dempsey, Director of Candy Apple

Director Natalie van den Dungen Tells How Being a New Girl Herself Inspired “Bunny New Girl”

January 24, 2016

It’s Annabelle’s first day at a new school in the short film, Bunny New Girl, screening on February 20th at 8 p.m. at Cinema Village as part of the Winter Film Awards Festival in New York City. That feeling of anxiety is something that anyone whose family moved when they were a kid can relate to, but for … More Director Natalie van den Dungen Tells How Being a New Girl Herself Inspired “Bunny New Girl”

Don’t Fly Drones Here

January 4, 2016

Unmanned drones like quadcopters and fixed-wing aircraft are at the center of new airspace regulations by the FAA. While the FAA deliberates on rules and regulations, states, cities and other national organizations have implemented their own no-fly zones. To help find safe places to fly, the people at MapBox have created an awesome map of the established no-fly areas where drones are not permitted around all major airports, military bases, and national parks across the country. … More Don’t Fly Drones Here

18 Commonly Used Sound Terms and What they Actually Mean

November 22, 2015

Creating videos is half about the visuals and half about the sounds. But when you’re just getting started, there is a ton to figure out just on the visuals side, and when you add in audio, it can be overwhelming to say the least. This month, we’re on a mission to help you get your audio bearings … More 18 Commonly Used Sound Terms and What they Actually Mean

Inside Afghanistan’s Extraordinary DSLR Revolution

November 19, 2015

Until 2001, taking or having photographs was outlawed in Afghanistan. But after the Taliban lost their stranglehold on the country, what followed was nothing short of a photojournalist uprising. The weapons of choice? DSLR. From NoFilmSchool.com: In their feature documentary Frame by Frame, which can now be requested through Gathr’s Theatrical-On-Demand, Alexandria Bombach and Mo … More Inside Afghanistan’s Extraordinary DSLR Revolution

A Bit of Advice for Your Film Festival Submission

November 10, 2015

As we prepare to announce our lineup for the 2015 Winter Film Awards Independent Film Festival, it seems like a good time to update and repost this, originally posted last year …. A while back, we posted What Festival Directors Really Think from Stephen Follows (Blog) and Your Movie’s Been Accepted to a Festival – … More A Bit of Advice for Your Film Festival Submission

A Bit of Advice for Designing Your Film’s Poster

November 10, 2015

When dreaming of independent film, filmmakers imagine their poster displayed giant on the side of a building in Times Square. That’s great, but you must also keep in mind all of the places your poster design will display. More often than not, this will be a thumbnail — on imdb, a Fandango listing, a festival … More A Bit of Advice for Designing Your Film’s Poster

Sundance Launches New Resource Map for Female Filmmakers

July 21, 2015

Sundance has compiled a very useful list of the myriad grants, workshops, blogs, archives, film festivals, resource lists and mentoring programs out there for female filmmakers. They’ve created the database as a central information storehouse of the opportunities and programs available to U.S.-based women filmmakers. These links and programs are also searchable by resource type, … More Sundance Launches New Resource Map for Female Filmmakers

15 Sexy Things You Get to Do When You Think Your Film is Finished

July 16, 2015

Okay, you’ve spent seven years making your indie opus, another two years playing the festival circuit, and somewhere along the way you even managed to sell your film and get distribution. Hooray, you’re done and the party’s over! Your goal by this point is undoubtedly to move on and start working on the next film. … More 15 Sexy Things You Get to Do When You Think Your Film is Finished

DIY Legal: Telling the Truth Without Paying for It

July 12, 2015

Adapting a true story for film can be tricky. On the one hand, reality can be extremely powerful—fact is often stranger—and even more entertaining—than fiction. On the other hand, moviemakers may open themselves up to legal threats raised by the real-life subjects of a true story. Most documentaries show some slant in the way they … More DIY Legal: Telling the Truth Without Paying for It

Forget Hollywood: These 7 cities are becoming film hotspots

July 10, 2015

One of the biggest dramas being staged in Hollywood right now has nothing to do with a script or a set. It’s the real life struggle to keep movie making in Hollywood, as productions are fleeing for the greener pastures beyond Tinseltown. It’s been an issue years in the making. Tax incentive programs have been … More Forget Hollywood: These 7 cities are becoming film hotspots