A CROWDFUNDING POST

I know that it has been awhile since we did this, but I have been busy with the release of my screenwriting book on audio.
Let’s get down to business a huge part of digital feature film making is fundraising.
There usually comes a time during production or in post that the money runs low and  you need to reach out for some more. thankfully Kickstarter and indiegogo are there to help. 

Yes, I know that there are other sites, but for today we are going to focus on campaigns that are live on these sites.

First up is a film titled INNER GHOST.

     

Remember that if you do not have money to donate that is fine. You can help by spreading the word. Share the campaign on Facebook or Twitter. Okay we are going back to back horror movies on Kickstarter. This one is titled The Black Gloves.



    

Over at Indiegogo we have a few campaigns that I believe are worth taking a look at. Remember the difference between the two sites is that at Indiegogo you get all the funds raised whether or not you hit your goal.

 This film is being prodced  by a seventeen year old. The coolest thing about micro budget film making is that it knows no age. You can be sixteen or sixty when you get started.  The title of
this film is A GUY, A GUITAR AND A GIRL.


 The next campaign is for the scifi film AGAIN.  This one has just started so you have almost two months to think about it and talk about it.





Anything that reminds me of Andromeda or Babylon 5 is a good thing and this next crowdfunding campaign does just that. Project Abaddon: Rise of the Destroyer




Back to Kickstarter for the last film on this list today. VOYEUR



I love to highlight crowdfunding campaigns, but to do so I need a little help.
If you have a indiegogo or kickstarter campaign for your project up and running please do not hesitate to contact this blog about it, just leave a comment and a link and I will do my best to help.
Thanks and good luck guys.

Check Out the Crime Lord Campaign

Two days left in this very interesting crowdfunding campaign. Crime Lord for the great indie film maker David P. Baker.

  

ThrowBack Follow Up and New Crowdfunding

 Of all the interviews about micro budget digital film making that I had done the one that is closest to my heart is the one I did with Travis Bain about his film Throwback that was shoot entirely using a Canon HV 20. The HV series of cameras were and probably still are my favorite camcorders and to shoot and release an entire creature feature using one of them is an amazing achievement. I still hope to do something similar with my HV 20 someday. I know that we now live in a Dslr world, but those camcorders do offer advantages for digital film makers on a budget. Some of which are the their ability to record sound, their battery life and storage ability. Most camcorders can give you at least one hour of recording to tape right out of the box. If you would like to read my complete interview about the making of Throwback you can find it by clicking here or you can read it in my book on digital feature film making.

 Here is the final trailer for ThrowBack.



 Now I would like to highlight their campaign for their next film. It is low budget sci-fi. The title is Starspawn and you can still get involved by donating or by spreading the word.

 


   


 I would now like to highlight a crowdfunding campaign for a film that I am looking forward to seeing. Many micro budget film makers imagine that if they had been born in a different era that they would have worked in the grindhouse genre. Masters of the Grind looks like to be one of the film making documentary that we will be watching and talking about for many years to come.






 The last project that I want to look at is a horror film being filmed in Nebraska. The movie is titled Endor and you still have time to donate.





   

 Thank you for visiting my site. Good luck with your projects and please take a moment to share this post on Google Plus.

The Crowdfunding and Sourcing Post

The Crowdfunding and Sourcing Post

 When sitting down to write one of these post I actual taken into account how long the videos that will be included in the post will be. I try at all times to make it a digestible amount of total time. Lately I have thought that if a suggest is very important then maybe I should pack as much information into the post as possible so today I am going to do that. 

 Digital feature filmmaking could not have become what it has without the audience or the crowd. The crowd has made thousands of good and bad movies possible. We have visions of making epic films in both size and scope and the only way to make these films (without winning the powerball lottery) is to convince the crowd to get involved. Part of the reason that I started this blog was to get to know other film makers and to build a network. Thanks to google plus I have achieved some of this. 

The first two videos that I would like to share with you are about both crowdfunding and crowd sourcing.

  


 


 

 Before we continue I have to say that money is important, but it should never be the goal and it should never stop you from shooting a film. Perhaps you cannot make that micro budget version of the Avengers, but you can shoot a film. The best way to learn film making is to make a film. Make one and then another and another. Hold on to the things that you did well and learn not to make the same mistakes a second time. If you got a dslr or a iphone or a camcorder then you have what you need to record footage. Go out and do this and after you do this find a free editing program and use it to learn how to cut scenes together. If you put together a few good scene you can save them and later they may help you with your crowdfunding campaign. 

 The next video runs about two hours. You will meet many people at different stages of the game. From film makers to those who support them in their efforts to crowdfund.


  

Thank you for visiting my blog and now if you have a free moment add me to your google plus and feel free to shave this post with a friend. Finally I would like to thank Film Courage for doing these interviews. I know how difficult it is to get film makers to sit down and table about their films and themselves. You guys do an outstanding job.

 

The Fun of Fundraising

The Fun of Fundraising


I have not posted in a while because I am at the beginning stages of raising money for a feature film. There are any number of ways to approach this and I have tried to clear some of the big hurdles by writing the screenplay myself and to pull together the basic equipment that I will need for a micro budget shoot.

Each of us view a micro budget shoot differently. In terms of how much money we expect to spend. How big the production crew needs to be. How big a cast we are going to need. The pre and post production needs such as how soon do I involve an editor and a composer if I am not planning on doing either of these jobs myself. How many days do I plan to shoot? Do I aim for a feature shoot nonstop in under two weeks or do I shoot on weekends for how ever long it takes (this worked for Christopher Nolan when he shot his first feature).

Money will dictate a number of the choices that you make. So figuring out an honest budget and then going out and raising the money needed is going to be have to be job one. There of course is an exception to this rule. If you are an actor or you live with a great actor or actress then you can go zero budget in your own home or a location that you can get for free. Film makers have done this before. The video that I would like to share with you today is over 90 minutes long and it features a ton of interviews with film makers about how they approach raising money for their projects.




Thank you for visiting my blog. Good luck with your fundraising whether you do it all yourself, find an investor or go with crowdfunding. Please take a moment to add me to your Google plus and to share this post with a friend.


 

Gotham City Sirens, The Interview

               

kickstarter

    Years ago when the words fan film were mentioned you knew that you were in for an second rate film populated by fans of star wars wearing Halloween costumes and fighting with toy lightsabers. We have come a long way since those days. Now fan films are filmed as well as the original material and sometimes much better written. Many great digital film makers have gotten their start shooting short fan films. The truth about film making is that most film makers on one level or another when they are starting out are writing and shooting versions of the material that they grew up watching. Spielberg was making his versions of the movies that he watched as a kid. Tarantino is doing his versions of those gangster and exploitation films from the 1970's that he loves so much. Every film maker begins somewhere and with this post I begin a series of post on the Fan Film.

This is my interview with Terell Culbert, the film maker behind  The Catwoman and the upcoming Gotham City Sirens. Before I begin I would like to thank him for agreeing to do this interview and to remind you guys there is time left to check out his campaign and help out.  You can do so by clicking here.

Q) Because there has been so many versions of each and every hero and villain that populate the Dark Knight universe it has given both writers and film makers more freedom to create their own versions of these classic characters. What lead you to do select this subject material?

A) The diversity. I love the fact that this motley crew tells their own story almost immediately. Selina is a villain with the possibility of one day becoming a hero. Ivy is a boss in my book! She’s got that perfect blend of insanity and leadership abilities. Harley is a mash-up between the Joker and Billy the kid.

Q) The fan short film The Catwoman is a slightly different take on the character than we have seen before. When writing an origin story did you feel any pressure to cling to what had been done before or did you feel free to tell the story in your own unique way?

A) I didn’t really feel pressured. Catwoman has always been this flirtatious vixen with a vague amount of depth. So I wanted to give people a unique origin story that explains why Selina is a villain with the potential for good.

Q) What was the shooting schedule like on The Catwoman? Also I must ask what type of camera did you use while filming it? Where you pleased with the results and will you be using it again on the new project?

A) Our shooting schedule for the Catwoman was pretty rough. The actors were involved in other projects already. So while we used four days to shoot the actual film. We wrapped in about three weeks. The camera I used was a Canon EOS Rebel T3i it’s a Digital SLR camera. I will absolutely be using it for this project and many others. It’s so easy to transport and use.


Q) How important is it to find the right actresses for Gotham City Sirens?

A) It was very important! While casting I found a lot of Actresses who had one or the other, the look, but not the personality or the personality, but not the look. When you do a fan film it has to come off authentic, in a way. My budget is ridiculously small so I can’t depend on great stunts or CGI. My performers have to make you believe that there is a corrupt city named Gotham that inhabits these awesome characters.

Q) I have told anyone who wants to work on a micro budget digital film that they should first watch that old Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special. The one where Charlie Brown and Snoopy make popcorn, buttered toast and jellybeans for Thanksgiving dinner and then they should take away the popcorn, jellybeans and butter from the toast so that they will begin understanding how little they should expect to be compensated while working on a film shoot. On any given day how many people are working behind the scenes on your film shoot?


A) (Laughs) Great example. Normally it’s just me, sometimes I am lucky to get a second or third person to help me.

Q) With the help of your crowdfunding campaign you are going to be producing Gotham City Sirens. What is the length that you are aiming for with this project?

A) 40 minutes.


Q) You are going to be taking on some pretty (in more ways that one) iconic characters from the Dark Knight universe in the forms of Harley Quinn, Catwoman and Poison Ivy. Is this a case of going big or go home, or did the story you have in mind when you began demand that all of them be included?

A) This film really did demand that I include other female characters who could stand with or against Selina. I feel like It’s a great installment to Catwoman’s universe.

    
Q) Some fan film makers only want to make fan films. I understand that you would like to branch out from this area of film making. In an idea world what kind of films are you making in the future?

A) Drama/ horror. I really like both those genres.


Q) Any final thoughts on making fans films in general.

A) There are a lot of awesome fan films out there with amazing special effects and cool movie props. However, this should never be the catalyst for making a film in my opinion. Each fan film that I have done is due to a long experience of reading watching and caring for these fictional characters.

    Thank you again for taking the time to do this interview. We all look forward to seeing the finished film.  http://www.bamimagery.com/

Facebook Link.

Okay guys that is it for today. As always please take a moment to hit the like button on stumbleupon and to share this post on facebook.  Social media has to become a habit. This is the most important tool to the indie film maker. It is important for a kickstarter or indiegogo campaign to become a success and it is important for blogs like this to grow. By helping to grow an audience for others we grow an audience for ourselves and our future projects.

Tokyo Grand Guignol, The Interview

 This is going to be a long interview so I will not do much in the  way of introduction except to say thank you to all of the film makers involved with Tokyo Grand Guignol and their producer and production company. If I am ever in Tokyo I intend to check in with them.

    Some projects stand out from the others and this one caught my attention at first because of visually stunning it looks. There are places on earth that seem to be saturated with more color. Tokyo seems to be one such place as the stills from this film look amazing. Then I studied the concept behind the project and I came away thinking I had to know more about this film. That lead me to contact the film makers and after overcoming a bit of a language barrier I have the interview below for you.
 
    Do not forget to visit their crowdfunding campaign. You can visit it by clicking here.

    Also I would like to thank Yann Moreau for making this interview happen.



Q)Before we begin the interview please take a few moments to tell us about your Indiegogo campaign.


A) First, thank you very much for your interest in our project! It was a long road to make it but because of the interest and passion, as yours, we could make it.
To come back on the indie gogo crowfunding campaign, what we can say is it's very helpful and always positive way to work on a project. We started to talk about TOKYO GRAND GUIGNOL more than 2 years ago, so, after all this time, and already 4 shooting, we make it because we need a little extra money to finish the movie in the best way possible (especially to make post production important steps like audio mixing, some CGI, start marketing, subtitle,...). The campaign will finish on June 16, and every coin is important for us! So, thank you by advance to your great reader.

Q) It would seem that this film touches a number of areas that most low budget film makers would want to know more about.   Most film makers would find it a daunting task to shoot a film in their home country and in their native language. Taking a subject like Grand Guignol and using it in a totally new setting had to be challenging. What advice do you wish you had received before you attempted this project?

A) To be honest, we started to talk about this project so long time ago, we mostly get prepared for the badest situation. As usual in this kind of indie movie, the best advise could be "don't wait too much, don't fear too much, just take your camera and shoot".  We tried first to get budget with the regular "asking to companies" way, but the concept was little bit to strange for most of japanese producers, haha.
Of course, the main challenge was to manage communication between french directors and japanese team, but our japanese producer (Hiroei Ishihara) selected always great teams, and Gilles Landucci and me  (Yann Moreau) worked as Associate Producers, like a link between the french way to work (just do it) and japanese way (let's think, to make it better).


Q) Grand Guignol started in France, how aware were you of this subject material before you were contacted about making this film?


A) This project started with the intention to ask french directors their "visions" about Tokyo and japanese "culture and life". By passion, we are all fans of fantasy and "genre" in cinema, so very quickly we were thinking it will be interesting to make scary stories, with the usual Grand Guignol style (imagination, blood and sensuality), in Tokyo.

Q)Shooting an Anthology is a difficult job when undertaken by one film maker. The most obvious problem that would have to be overcome when there are many film makers involved in the same project is at the level of the camera itself. Did the four film makers have to agree on types of cameras that would be used for this production and the frame rates?


A) For the camera work, we choose to make it all with Cannon mark 2 and 3, and some lenses generously provided by Cannon. Framerate is based on NTSC format. Except that, each director manages his own style of shooting, editing, ...

Q) The anthology film has never really been given the respect that they deserve by the film viewing public or by beginning film makers.  I got introduce to this genre of film making as a child by movies like Black Sabbath and Trilogy of Terror. Movies with a clearly defined binding element. In the case of Black Sabbath theme and in the case of Trilogy of Terror a single actress starring in each film that formed the Trilogy.
Recently we have seen in the US. films like V.H.S. and the ABC’s of Death. Were there films that made you eager to tackle this form of film making?


A) All the directors of TOKYO GRAND GUIGNOL made a lot of short films previously, and we all love anthology like Black Sabbath or Creepshow (in France, we were all wicked by the old VHS cover by Melki!).
We talked a lot of time to make one, but we didn't have enough strong concept, and new, to make one. Until TGG.

Q) This project came with basic rules.  (The rules of this project are simple: A limited budget, total freedom and imaginative stories of 25 minutes which need to include a kiss and be mostly shot at night.) Did the film makers involved find these simple rules restricting or liberating?

A)I think in the case of the 4 directors, it's was a good thing to have a common base to make a strong identity to the movie. But usually, the more freedom we have, the better it is.
At beginning, 7 directors were involved, but because it was difficult to keep the schedule, budget and duration for each story (15 min become 20/25min now for each one); we split the project in 2. Now we are making the 4 first stories (by Nicolas Alberny, Francois Gaillard, Gilles Landucci and Yann Moreau), which will make a 90min feature film. Then, hopefully, we want to make a Volume 2, with the others directors already planned (Xavier Gens from THEV DIVIDE and FRONTIERs, Jean Frederic Chaleyat and Frederic Grousset. All associates producers now)



Q) About the production of the film. Where the films being shot all at the same time or where spaced out over weeks or even months? Secondly was their ever moments when the film makers and or their casts had the chance to interact?

A) Our brave producer took the good decision to set 1 shooting every 3 months, to keep the energy, but in same time to have enough time to prepare well each shooting.
Depending of the directors, each shooting was 7 days to 9 days.



Q) Also from the crowdfunding campaign I see that you all had the same production crew.  Some film makers prefer to use their own personnel particularly behind the camera or even man the camera themselves. Did this ever become an issue?


A)This movie was made in the very independant way, with a limited budget, so our plan from the beginning was to hire only director who can handle themselves the camera work, editing, ...
But because we know each others very well, and are friends, we were happy to give an hand if the director asked. There was 1 main director on each story, mostly helped by another one (for second camera, time to time, or help), with a commun base for sound, assistant, ... and always great and very gentle actors team!
Everybody was so great anyway!

Q) Tokyo is one of the most visually stunning cities on earth. I hope to film their someday. With such a canvas available to you were their times when the city itself felt like a character in your project?


A) Depending of the sensibility of each director. Some prefers focus on japanese interiors and story culture, others focus on outdoor shooting to play with the Tokyo Architecture. On the 4 directors, i think it will be an interesting 50/50 style. On my side, i fell in love of Tokyo 7 years ago. Since this time, i always wanted to show some particular places.
Each single station of Tokyo has his own personnality, style, like a small town. That’s a huge pleasure to shoot there (and live there, haha). If you like strange modern architectures, please come in Tokyo Rodney!



Q) Looking at what is called Asian cinema from a distance it is difficult to get a feeling for the state of independent film making in a country like Japan. Has the Dslr cameras and availability of low cost editing software impacted film making there as much as it has here in the US.?  Also since the directors involved are from France, how has it affected film making in their home country?


A) In Japan, there is no place for independant filmmakers, in the way of Sundance style. Or you make your movie by yourself (with your own money), or you make it in production company (and it will look like a TV Drama, for 90%). But sometimes, it's working. My friend Akira Ikeda just got many prizes around the world with his super indie "Anatony of paperclip".  Bravo!
In France, if it's very difficult, or incredibly looooong, to get money for official (lazy) producers, it's really possible to get money help from gouverment, and free services from technicians and actors (even famous).
We can not complain too much, haha. In Japan, it's almost impossible to get something free/inexpensive (locations, actor, services,...); thats why it's very difficult for indie producer.
That’s why we are very grateful to Dice Entertainment and Hiroei Ishihara.


Q) What are the plans for Tokyo Grand Guignol when it is completed?

A)First, we plan to show the movie in festivals Tour, then we hope to get a passionate distributor to take car of it, And a great co-producer to help for the Volume 2, ahah.



Q) Any final thoughts or advice for the beginning digital feature film maker?

A)As i mention, make a movie is a very long road. Most of the people will say it's impossible, or not reasonable, but now, with DLSR and strong computer, our beautifulest dreams come true.
So, we have no excuse to try. Do your best, even in uneasy situation, and you will be always proud of your work. Good luck to everyone!!!

Again thank you very much for taking time out to do this interview. We all look forward to seeing the finished product.

Each one of us during any given year will pick the one or two crowdfunding campaigns that we personally get involved with. My contribution is usually to invest my time and effort in getting the word out about a project. Some projects I like more than others. This is one of those projects that I love. The location, the story elements. The fact that it is an Anthology. The fact that they are seeking a reasonable sum of money.

 Indiegogo Page click here.

For this campaign to reach its goal it does not require much more than for you guys to spread the word about it.  Twitter is a place to do this along with facebook. I am one of those people who if anyone ask me about movies I have a dozen new ones to talk about each week along with my plans for one or two that I want to do. This is one film that I am going to mention here at this blog a few more times as they near the end of their campaign. I may even pull out the Surfin Bird song to get my point across.

Thank you for dropping by. We are going to get back to the found footage series soon. I think that their asre two interviews left in the series and then we are probably going to investigate the state of low budget film making in other countries. Also I am thinking about adding a directors reel page and an actors page. There are a lot of actors who have mentioned to me that they are looking for work, but cannot get a hundred people in a year to check out their reels.

Crowdfunding Campaigns Worth Checking Out

    Indiegogo and Kickstarter have become huge parts of the indie film making landscape. Develop a kickass concept and trailer and you could be well on your way to getting the funds needed to complete your film.

Most of us have read the stories about films like the Veronica Mars’s movie raising millions of dollars. Many of us believed that the world did not need to have another moment of the Veronica Mars universe inflicted upon us, but what we believe does not matter if there were, and since it pulled in around five million dollars from its fans, thousands of people willing to donate their money to the cause.

    The pool of money out there to be dipped into is limited not by who ever else is at the pool at that time, but by our ability to find our core audience and convince them to become engaged with our projects.

    Crowdfunding is the best thing to ever happen to those of us who have zero interest in dealing with the Hollywood system. Hollywood had three things to hold over the indie film maker. Its distribution network. With the growth of VOD and theaters being equipped with digital projectors we can get our films out to the public without them. The second thing was money. Movies cost millions of dollars to make.
Now they can be done for thousands. Special effects cost millions and now you can do most of them yourself.  With crowd funding the money problem can be met and overcome. The last part is stars. They have access to quality actors while if your were a micro budget film maker you had access to retired clowns and sock puppets. I got news for Hollywood, there are some fantastic actors out here and they are starving for work.

Before I get to the campaigns I would like to do a bit of a follow up to one of the crowdfunding interviews that I did last year. It was perhaps my favorite interview and strangely the least read of all of them. Also it was the most successful campaign of them all. The interview was Me + You. If you would like to read the complete interview you can find it in my film making book. Available at the right side of this page.




    Now lets get to the campaigns. Some are ending soon so please jump in if you wish to help. Taking five minutes to share a campaign is the best thing you can do.  You reach a few hundred people with your social media and in turn they reach a few thousand. Somewhere down the line someone hears about a campaign and they will donate. This is powerful where campaigns are only seeking a few thousand dollars.

The first campaign is also a preview of my next interview. It is an Anthology shot by four French film makers in Japan. They are looking for money to help finish the film. Check out Tokyo Grand Guignol.

Next is one of my favorite topics being tackled as a live action film. The genre is Anime.





Next up is an actual horror anthology. Yeah, I know, two in one post. I have to admit that I wish that anthology was as popular as Found Footage.  This one is titled THE MORTUARY COLLECTION and can be found at kickstarter         .


The next is a sort of throwback to tradition kind of horror. The movie is titled
The Uncanny Alley.




The last film is sort of a Viking Epic that will be shot in Norway. I may have to interview these guys. I have to know how this kind of medieval film making is done. The movie is titled From Ashes To Embers.




     


Okay that will be it for today. My next post will be my interview with the film makers behind Tokyo Grand
Guignol. Good luck with you film making and remember to share this post and the films mentioned in this post. If any of you have a crowdfunding campaign leave me a message as a comment or on google plus and I will see if I can highlight it here.

Sci-fi Film Making, The Arrowhead Interview

This post will continue my series on sci-fi and low budget film making. The more I learn about how so many film makers are shoot more and more films in this genre the more I believe that someone is going to break out of the pact and we are going to see a low budget blockbuster in the same way that we witness the Blair Witch project catch fire almost fifteen years ago. Think about it this way. Producing a film that can have within it CGI that could rival that of the major studios can be done right now on a micro budget. We are at a point where the only things that are holding the low budget world back is ambition and execution.

Right now I would like to share my interview with the producer of what will be the feature length version of Arrowhead.  I would like to thank Eric for taking the time to do this interview with in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign.  The short film version of what is to come cost less than seven hundred dollars to produce.  Most Hollywood productions spend more on coffee in a day.

Arrowhead: Signal - Behind the Scenes from Arrowhead: The Movie on Vimeo.

This is my full interview with the executive producer of the film Eric Machiela.    

You can find their crowdfunding page at this link.       

Q)  There is a growing trend in the low to micro budget film world toward shooting sci-fi features. How long have you been planning to make to shoot this film?

A) There was a time when sci-fi movies were either backyard VHS fan films or multimillion dollar blockbusters. Today the technology is so much more affordable that everyone’s able to create at a much more professional level. It makes sense that the kind of film geeks interested and crazy enough to push and play with this new technology would want to create in the same genre they loved growing up. For me the Arrowhead journey started around four years ago, but it’s really an accumulation of all the sci-fi movies and comic books I consumed as a kid. Now it’s more about making good sci-fi than it ever has been, because there’s so much competition.

Q) I forgot to ask the most obvious question. What is the film about?

A) The short answer is that it tells the story of a mercenary stranded on a desert planet, battling a mysterious creature with only a computer to keep him company. But on another level it’s about imprisonment, isolation, and what it means to be a ‘good’ person. Those are some heavy themes so we’re hoping that wrapping it all up in a colourful and exciting package will soften but at the same time reinforce them.

Q)  Back in the late seventies / early eighties Australia started a revolution in post- apocalyptic road movies. You are the second film maker from your part of the globe that is attempting a sci-fi film on a low budget. Is it hard mounting a sci-fi film there through whatever studio system exist there?

A) There is a ‘studio’ system in Australia, although it’s a government funded film commission that we’re essentially bypassing because we’re involved with a subscription television channel. So I suppose the experience of pitching to a channel, being funded by them and then having to deliver a product for them to distribute is similar to the American studio process, but it’s all gone so smoothly that I can’t really say I’ve really experienced what it’s like to navigate through any system. We’re very lucky in that regard. If I had gone with the government model, based on history I think I would have had a hard time getting a science fiction project off the ground, certainly this project because of its scope. What we’re doing is a big risk on paper, as I imagine a lot of other less fortunate projects are, so it’s no wonder a lot of people attempt getting their movies off the ground using less traditional methods. And if Arrowhead’s journey in any way resembles part of another new wave like the one Australia had in the 70s and 80s, then I’ll feel like we’ve achieved something really special.

Q) The one question that every beginning film maker seems to ask no matter the size and or scope of the production is. What camera or cameras are you planning on shooting the film with? If you had an unlimited budget would your choices be different?

A) We’re shooting Arrowhead on the RED Epic, which is what they used to shoot The Hobbit, Thor: The Dark World, Pacific Rim, and countless other amazing looking productions. If I had an unlimited budget, I’d like to say I’d use 35mm film simply because of my love of classic films shot on celluloid, and to keep that tradition alive. But in the digital realm RED is the gold standard, and the end product is arguably no different. The movie’s going to look stunning thanks to these amazing cameras.

Q) When most hear sci-fi film they think special effect. I on the other hand think sound. From Forbidden Planet to Star Wars, to Alien, to Pitch Black I remember the smooth sound of those films. How important is recording quality audio going to be?

A) Sound is just as important as image, which is easy to forget because you can’t see it. You can’t put good sound on a poster. So our sound designers, location recordist and composer are all going to be working very closely together in the same way I’ll be working closely with the production designer, cinematographer and effects artists. We’re creating a desert world that has to sound unique but also has to generate a certain aural tone. The fact that our main character is alone most of the time means that filling that silence is even more important.

Q) What do you think of the state of sci-fi films and television these day?

A) In a lot of ways there’s never been a better time for sci-fi. We’re able to go and see several mega-budgeted sci-fi films on the big screen every year, so we’re very lucky. For every E.T. there was always a Mac and Me, so even though I believe the best stuff came from that 70s/80s period, it’s not like everything back then was great. These days I think the highs aren’t as good as they used to be, but the overall quality is more consistent. I’m a little put off by all the CGI saturation in everything, and the idea that sequels have to be bigger and more explodey is starting to get on my nerves. I’m a little tired of cities being destroyed in every summer blockbuster’s third act, so I’m hoping the trend will start to shift back again. Whether now is a good time to enter the game is another question, but there’s certainly enough inspiration to draw from.

Q)  I guess that I should ask a few FX questions. Will this film feature a great deal of CGI or are you going to do a lot of practical FX?

A) We’re trying to base a lot of what happens in the movie on what skills we already have. That’s why you saw a lot of digital matte paintings (alien horizons, planets in the sky) in the short film. That’s within our skill set, so we’re embracing that again. There won’t be a lot of heavy CGI, partly because of budgetary reasons but honestly mostly because we embrace practical over digital with a strong passion. Anything that we can do in camera will be done - digital extensions will only happen if they’re completely necessary. When Kye encounters the creature, for example, it’ll be a real creation that will exist on set and that can be lit and interacted with for real. There’s not enough of this happening anymore.

Q) Are you doing the effects work yourself or are you going to outsource this work?

A) If we’re talking digital effects, we’re anticipating 80% of the work will be done within our existing team (myself, our editor and VFX artists), and 20% will be outsourced. We’re completely outsourcing our effects makeup and creature creation, because it’s something we haven’t personally done. The challenge as a director is making sure all of these diverse methods and elements come together to form a consistent whole.

Q) Part of the fun of being an indie film maker is inventing new ways to get things done. To get the most production value out of the least amount of money possible. Watching the short film version of Arrowhead Signal it is amazing to think that you managed to do that for about six hundred dollars. Were there moments of doubt that it would get done?

A) The biggest moment of doubt was the second day of our desert shoot, when one of our crew cars had an accident. Nobody was seriously hurt but for the next few days it was looking pretty scary, and we lost a lot of our props. So at that point I was worried we wouldn’t have a complete story, because that was our last chance to be in the desert. In the end though, it worked out better because we lost a lot of planned scenes that weren’t needed. The climax of the short film, where Kye and Reef stand together on the mountain, was shot months later at a much less spectacular location than we had planned. But aside from this we were spared a whole lizard hunting sequence that in retrospect would have involved some terrible CGI and slowed the pace down greatly. Aside from those exterior forces that we couldn’t control, there was never any doubt we could get that short film made, and it’s that same stubborn refusal to admit the crazy ambition of it all that is keeping us going with the feature.

Arrowhead: Signal (with Director's Commentary) from Arrowhead: The Movie on Vimeo.

Q)  How will this all translate into a feature length film? How much will the cast grow?

A)The cast is still very small, and it’s still the story of one man’s struggle to survive. Cast Away had several characters but it’s only Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt and Wilson that you remember. So the cast will be similar to that. We’re hoping for audiences to be able to look back at the short film after having seen the feature and say ‘I recognize those elements. I remember that scene.’ But the feature is very different - its roots are in the short but it’s greatly expanded. I think fans of the short will be surprised but still feel at home.

 Q) You are doing a crowd funding campaign for this film. How can those who are reading this interview help you to reach your goal?

A) We’ve been funded by the SF channel in Australia and our film is getting made - the current crowdfunding campaign is aimed to help our friends at Gorilla Pictures be involved. We’re in Australia but they’re friends of ours from a film school I attended in Michigan. As Executive Producers they’ve pledged a percentage of the film’s budget, as well as an overwhelmingly generous amount of equipment, resources and crew that will help us make the film bigger and better. They’re committed to helping us but if they can raise some capital to get themselves over here, it means they’ll be able to dedicate all of these assets and for a longer amount of time. If a few hundred people donated $50 then they’ll be able to help us out and offer supporters some pretty cool rewards.

Q) Does the campaign have a Facebook page?  Does the film have a website yet?

A) The movie has a website (www.arrowheadmovie.com) where you can view our short film and behind the scenes materials, and you can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@arrowheadmovie). But our most active community is at Facebook.com/ArrowheadMovie.

Q) Will this film get made no matter what?

A) Not only will this film get made, but it is being made as we speak. Preproduction is in full swing - we’re building our sets and costumes, we’re close to finishing the casting process, and we start shooting in ten weeks! The only question at the moment is where we’ll be distributed, but we deliver to the network in late 2014 and the movie will be seen.

 Q) Some final words with the film maker. Is this going to be your genre? Are you going to specialize or are you going to shoot whatever type of film makes the most sense to you at the time. Sort of like Ridley Scott or Spielberg?

A) I’d love to make all kinds of movies, in fact after this one I probably won’t want to look at a spaceship or space suit for a long, long time. All kinds of movies interest me, but my favourites are the ones that build worlds and mythologies and create places you want to go and visit. A lot of these are science fiction, but not all of them - I love genre movies but if I’m lucky enough to make lots of movies, I’m hoping each one will challenge me in a new and exciting way.

Thanks again Eric, looking forward to seeing the finished film.  For those of you who wish to get involved you can do it by contributing to the Kickstarter campaign or by sharing the campaign page or this interview with others.  This is I believe is my eighth interview with someone involved in a crowdfunding campaign and I have monitored all of the campaigns through to the end and the ones that hit their goals all had one thing in common. Social media got them over the top. Twitter, Facebook and word of mouth got them over the top. If you cannot donate money then take the time to share.

Okay that is it for today. I have something on Found footage coming soon, but this will not stop me from finishing the series of sci-fi post. My steampunk post is not going to come until January. I am having fun with the whole steampunk universe so I am taking my time to get it right.

Good luck guys and try to enjoy the film making process.

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Kickstarting Angel Dust

Kickstarting Angel Dust

Today I have for you an interview with the film maker  Matt A. Cade. This interview will be as much about his kickstarter campaign for his next feature film Angel Dust as it will be about the problems that came up with the distribution of his previous film Underbelly.

I have written a little about distribution, but have not gotten into all of the pros and cons of doing it yourself versus finding a distributor. The  distribution guru Jon Reiss (Thinking Outside the Box Office) preaches that we should all be our first and best promoter and in the digital on demand world a distributor as well. Some others have go as far as testing a venue like Indiegogo as a way of distribution their finished movie. That is another post. This one is about Angel Dust, Underbelly and how one film maker can inspirer another.


Now my interview with Matt A. Cade.

Normally the interview would begin with questions about Angel Dust and its crowd funding campaign, but you campaign begins with a mention of your previous film.
I think the natural place to begin is with Underbelly and the problems that you had with the distributor.

Q)Many young film makers dream of finishing their film and letting a distributor take over from there. Many of us who have heard the horror stories involving distributors plan to take the DIY approach to launching our films. Could you tell us a bit about what happened with the distribution?

A) Sure. Once we wrapped post production on Underbelly it was promptly submitted to film festivals and, if memory serves me correctly, a few of the larger DVD distributors at the same time. The film was anything but cookie cutter horror, it had several musical numbers and other eccentric touches, but it still had all the staples I felt genre distributors would look for such as strong performances, violence, nudity... you get the idea. Well, I was dead wrong. Nobody was interested. No distributors, hardly any festivals, no press, NOBODY. So we just sat on it because we simply didn't have the resources or, to be honest, the interest in self distributing the film. In my eyes the respect you were given as a filmmaker in regards to making your next movie was directly associated with how your last one performed. I, personally, saw self distribution as a failure. Now a lot has changed in the last five years where perhaps that is no longer the case.

Everyone had given up on Underbelly, considered it dead, but I would still scan through Fangoria Magazine's "Chopping List" previewing new horror DVD releases every month in the hopes of discovering a new distributor who might take a look at my film. And one day there was a new company listed that was putting out quite a bit of product and I figured I'd chum the waters one last time. Amazingly, they made us an offer to release Underbelly! And it was all downhill from there.

The film was released with no fanfare in September of 2010. I had to arrange almost all of the press interviews and podcast promos myself. Even when I could get a website to agree to review the film, the distributor wouldn't send them a screener. Worst of all, the film itself looked and sounded lousy. The color transfer and sound mix in some scenes was just laughably bad and there was nothing that could be done at that point. If I had been given an advanced copy prior to the release perhaps that could have been avoided but I had to wait on my DVD from Amazon just like everyone else. To top it off, we had agreed to a smaller percentage of first dollars earned in exchange for the distributor not having to recoup any of their costs. An insanely uneven split in their favor, just brutal, but they were the only girl at the dance so we danced. It's still a bit embarrassing to talk about but maybe it'll open some young filmmaker's eyes to what's going on out there. And I really felt that getting the film out in the marketplace via a legitimate distribution entity would make financing the next film easier. I was, of course, dead wrong again on that front.

Months upon months went by without us getting paid a single royalty check or given access to any financial reports as we were promised in our contract. The check was literally always "in the mail". Eventually they stopped taking my calls and returning my emails so we had no choice but to take legal action to get control of Underbelly back to the producers. I spent more on lawyer fees than I will ever make on that film. It was a nightmare. But a lot of folks really seem to enjoy Underbelly so there's that.


Q)Do you plan on seeking a distributor for this project or do you plan on doing it yourself?

A)Yeah, yeah I do. But I'm no longer married to the idea.




I have noticed that every film maker is referred to as a fan of this great filmmaker or that one until they have a success of their own. Brian De Palma was a fan of Hitchcock until his first hit and then he became a disciple of Hitchcock. It seems that you are a huge John Carpenter fan. One could argue that he was the reason that you picked up the camera for the first time and the reason you have returned to film making?

A)You are absolutely correct on both fronts. John Carpenter is the reason I first started writing scripts and making VHS horror films in the late 80's and he's why I didn't allow the soul draining experience that was Underbelly to extinguish my passion to direct twenty-five years later. Ask anyone, I am never more happy than when I'm watching a Carpenter film. You know it's a JC film from the first frame, the man just composes a shot and orchestrates the story like no other artist in modern cinema. The onscreen heroes he's created, or his antiheroes rather, are all outsiders just like me. I'm very comfortable, obviously, with the Carpenter disciple tag.


Q) Let’s look at Carpenter’s film career for a moment. He has done suspense, horror, scifi and action. Do you believe that one of the things that has kept him from being considered one of the masters is that he has done great work in more than one genre? This could be called the Robert Wise curse.

A)And he's the only filmmaker I know that could mix all those genres and then some together in a film like Big Trouble In Little China and make it work!

I honestly haven't a clue why he isn't mentioned in the same sentence with Scorsese, Spielberg, or Coppola. Or even many of the younger genre directors with a much smaller body of work like Tarantino or del Toro who get so many accolades. I'm not saying they don't deserve the respect they get, they absolutely do, but it's clear that Carpenter has been underappreciated his entire career. Hell, didn't Kubrick make a film in every single one of those genres that you listed? But that's somehow different because it's KUBRICK. The academics drool all over Cronenberg's filmography as well these days but, cmon, Carpenter buries the guy.

Maybe it's because he worked both in and out of the studio system and didn't let anyone behind a desk put him in a box. I really don't know.


Q)People who read this blog know that I am a huge fan of Carpenter’s version of The Thing. Everyone has seen that film. What is the best Carpenter film that no one ever seems to mention?

A)Great question. First film that pops into my head is In The Mouth Of Madness. Talk about a master class in Horror 101, that film has a little bit of everything and its executed perfectly. I was just a kid working at my local movie theater when the film was released and I'd sit in the back row and just study it over and over and over.

I always felt that The Fog and Christine were never given the credit they deserved either. Although they seem to have been getting some new appreciation over the last few years which is really cool. I think Christine contains some of his best character work ever.


Q)Before the questions about your campaign begin I should ask two questions about Underbelly. This a low budget film making site so the two questions have to be,


Q)How long did it take to shoot Underbelly?

A)Principle photography took place over 11 days. Nine days straight and then a following weekend, if I'm remembering correctly. It was ridiculous, it was maddening, but we had some fun too.


Q)What did you learn about shooting a feature length horror film from that experience?

A)I learned EVERYTHING, it was my film school. But there's a few things that stick out for sure.

Rehearsal time is invaluable. the more time you can give really talented actors to find out shit for themselves the better. Otherwise, in a rush for time, you end up cramming your ideas for the character into their heads out of necessity and that's not the ideal environment for anyone to flourish. Time, both in preproduction and on set, is your friend and as an underground filmmaker it just seems you never have enough of it.

I did a lot of everything on Underbelly and the film suffered from that. I've never been fortunate enough to just show up on set and direct but I imagine that would be an incredible experience. To simply concentrate on the storytelling components as opposed to dealing with location issues, catering nonsense, applying actor's make-up and whatnot... a man can dream, can't he?

I learned that the need for a publicist is crucial. People need to know about your film before a DVD shows up on their desk. You have to personally work those angles early and hard or, ideally, find someone who is talented and capable of getting the word out there about what you're doing. It amazes me to hear guys who've been in the indie trenches as long as me still believe they're going to strike gold at Sundance. That's their entire strategy for success, a padded envelope in the mail. Best of luck with that.

And, finally, don't shoot long dialogue exchanges in moving cars. Just fucking avoid it at all costs, make them talk anywhere else.


Q)You are right now crowd funding for your new feature film Angel Dust. What is it about?

A)In a not so distant dystopian future, a depleted ozone layer has rendered most of Earth helpless under a relentless, pulsating, unforgiving sun. The government can't be trusted, everyone is essentially on their own to survive, and some very strange sinister things are happening in the big city. A masked killer is wiping out female radio hosts (the "Ladies of the Air") one-by-one and it's up to our reluctant antihero Angel Dust, a former war hero turned underground DJ, to stop the homicidal slasher before she's his next victim.

The film is completely original in its concept and narrative but it will be a tribute to the films of John Carpenter in its execution.


Q)This is not your first feature film. Nor is it your first screenplay. Every screenwriter has a different approach to writing. How do you go about it and does it get easier once you have seen a script filmed?

A) It doesn't get easier but the final screenplay draft itself does seem to get more efficient the longer you've been in the game . I've found that every subsequent script I write is leaner and meaner because I have a better sense of what will and what won't earn its dinner in the editing room. Especially if I continue to operate in this micro-budget world, the days of me beaming down smiling at a 120 page script are over. I'm crazy but I'm not insane.

I've also found that I have a better sense of how, as a director, I'm going to prolong or pace certain scenes or moments and that will lead me to try and deliver a shorter screenplay. For instance, if I know that I'm going to insert a ton of "Carpenter Montages" to set the mood then those have to be accounted for even though they're not represented accurately on the page necessarily.

As for how I go about the writing process - coffee and music. Soundtracks, everything by Mike Patton, anything that fits the vibe of what I'm reaching for in the storytelling. I also have a very close friend named Fritz Beer who's willing to compose music for me if I can't track down what I'm hearing in my head. He creates it for me. Now that's fucking talent.


Q) I have to ask the equipment questions. What did you shoot your last movie with?
What are your planning on filming with this time? Did you keep track of the advancements in camera equipment and editing while you were away from film making?

A)We shot Underbelly on the Panasonic DVX100B with the LA7200G anamorphic lens adaptor. We might have been one of the last features to go with miniDV 24P, I don't know. It was right at that transition time when everyone was starting to go HD and it still didn't look right to me. I preferred the organic look of tape, especially for that project. Underbelly was a dirty little movie and HD was just too damn crisp and clean. It still is in a lot of ways but, obviously, it's a whole other world cinematography wise now then it was back then.

We will be doing extensive camera testing once we have some financing behind us but as of right now my DP and I are really impressed with the Blackmagic cameras. And we will be shooting 2:35:1 of course.

While I did try to follow the latest and greatest camera improvements over the last few years, I probably stayed a little more up to date on the editing side of things. I don't know... I'm not a tech guy, never have been, I like leaving that to the pros who are a lot smarter than me. Let me concentrate on the frame and what's going on inside it and I'm happy.


Q) Horror films have risen to a level slightly below A level releases these days, but the quality has not kept up with the quantity. Are we missing out on a chance to make this a new golden age of horror films by not going out and making things other than haunted house and found footage films for a quick buck?

A) I'm trying, man. I'm trying. You're preaching to the choir.


Q) One of the advantages that John Carpenter had over many other film makers was that he usually managed to hit a home run in the casting department. Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Adrienne Barbeau and Kurt Russell. Have you begun the casting process yet?

A)Yes, some familiar faces I've worked with before are onboard and some new talent I've met along the path are already in place. There's also a "name actor" or two that are circling the film but I need to lock in financing to get their commitment obviously. One of the cool things about this film is that I was able to write my leading role for a female for the first time ever so that's going to be amazing to watch an actress breath life into Angel Dust. I think she's the best character I've ever written.

And you're one hundred percent dead on about Carpenter and his casting. The man just knows how to find real talent, real professionals, REAL FUCKING MOVIE STARS and they make great movies together while having fun doing it. Despite whatever limitations there may have been, I've never raised my voice on set and that's a lesson I learned straight from JC. Try to have fun dammit.

Q) Are you going to be wearing all the hats on the production of Angel Dust or do you have someone who handles the producer’s side of thing?

A) That'd be awesome but, sadly, people with those special skill sets are very hard to find at this level. At this early stage I'm it as far as a day-to-day "producer" is concerned. I do have a co-producer, Jason Tuttle, who brings a really impressive technical knowledge to the table that has already proven invaluable. For example, the Kickstarter campaign would still be a murky thought in my head if it weren't for him bringing it to life. He's new to the world of independent film but he's learning fast, I see his talents expanding daily, and we make a great team.

Now, if we are successful in raising our budget we will immediately begin filling in the missing members for this production. A lot of those folks have already been designated for assignment they're just eagerly awaiting the phone call. I don't believe in people working for free.


Q) One last question. Does the project go forward with or without kickstarter funding?

A) I don't know. It takes a lot of guts and humility to mount a Kickstarter campaign like this. I've put my failures under a microscope and my dreams under a spotlight for all the world to see. Including ALL my family and friends. That's ballsy. But I'm seeking a lot of money and I think people should know exactly who they're supporting and why. Granted in the sense of shooting a film of this scope it's mere pocket change but times are tough and I know every dollar counts... So I can't answer your last question, not yet. Hopefully in a month it'll be irrelevant.

Thank you again for taking time out to do this interview Matt. Good luck with the crowd funding campaign.

Again if any of you wish to get involved with the campaign you can visit the kickstarter page by clicking here.

You can visit the facebook page by clicking here.

You can visit the website by clicking here.



    

Horror Without CGI, The Sky Has Fallen

Horror Without CGI, The Sky Has Fallen

Today I am posting the first part of my interview with Doug Roos, the film maker behind The Sky Has Fallen, an award winning horror film that depend totally upon practical FX and character driven story telling. Before we begin the interview I wold like to direct you to his kickstarter page by clicking here and his website by clicking here  .

Before we get to the topic of Practical FX could you tell us what your film, The Sky Has Fallen is about?

-It's a post-apocalyptic love story. After the world's population becomes decimated by a new plague, people flee to remote locations, trying to avoid infection, but mysterious black figures appear and start experimenting on the dead. Now, Lance and Rachel, two survivors determined to fight back, set out to kill the leader of these figures before the rest of humanity is wiped out.-
    

 You are doing a crowd funding campaign for your film. What are you hoping for with just a few days left?

-It'd be nice if we could get a few more backers, but I'm really happy with how the project has gone. I love Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. They've changed the game so much for independent filmmakers. They're an amazing way to help out other people. You can really help make someone's dream come true, which is a wonderful thing in a world too often filled with negativity and cruelty.-

I grew up a fan of visual effect because I grew up watching the work of Ray Harryhausen. His brilliant work in the area of stop motion should have carried over to the world of digital effects, but instead we have ended up with a George Lucas influenced world where just because it can be done with low cost software or even an iphone app it is done all the time. Why have you not taken the easy way out and instead embraced going totally CGI free?

-I also grew up watching the skeleton fight in Jason and the Argonauts along with all kinds of other incredible practical FX like Stan Winston's work on Aliens and Predator, Rob Bottin's unbelievable accomplishments on The Thing, Rick Baker's genius on An American Werewolf in London, etc. so all that made me absolutely certain I only wanted to do real practical effects, not computer-generated crap. CGI can be done well and look phenomenal, but often, it's overused with horrible rushed results. For example, CG blood. It always looks like sh*t, and there is no excuse for it since you can do squibs (or a weed sprayer equivalent), use a blood cannon, etc. For the kind of horror films I want to do, practical FX are always better, and that is all I'm ever using. I haven't seen any CG monster that came anywhere close to Bottin's creations on The Thing. People cite Jurassic Park as an excellent example of CGI, and it is, but what so many forget is that movie has a ton of practical effects to bolster the very limited computer work. Look at the sequel, and you can see what happens these days with them going completely overboard on CGI.

- I am a huge fan of the movie The Thing, I believe that it is Carpenters best film. The animatronics used back in the early eighties actually look more realistic than the CGI in the recent prequel. I also believe that it hurts the performances of the actors. They have nothing to react to. Did practical FX help to bring out a better performance from your actors?

-Yeah, the real shame with the prequel is ADI did a ton of mind-blowing practical effects that then got painted over with cruddy CGI although the story and the characters in that film were another monumental problem (you can't beat Carpenter's film and so much of the prequel is a pale imitation, copying scene after scene without going in its own direction). I think the Harbinger Down Kickstarter was a huge milestone in the fight against CGI, because you actually had Alec Gillis explaining how studios opt for CGI due to the tax incentives despite practical being cheaper, which is just absurd. But yes, I think practical FX also get better performances from your actors. Telling them to stand in front of a green screen and look at a smiley-face ball is ridiculous. Heck, I watched Movie Magic all the time as a kid. Seeing those guys make real monsters was the coolest thing to me. I loved that show. That's exactly what I want to do.-

I draw like a three year old wearing mittens so I have always envied those who can draw.
Are you story boarding scene by scene or down to shot by shot like Hitchcock was known to have done?

-I storyboarded every shot... it took about a year. Then I scanned in all my storyboards and edited them together into a movie with temporary sound effects, subtitles, and music. I put that on a DVD with some test footage and gave it to my actors and crew so I could show everyone what I wanted to do. I think storyboarding is very important. It's a huge help when you're filming especially if you're wearing a lot of hats.-

The look of the Zombie makeup is different from what I have seen before. Who was the makeup artist and did it turn out as story boarded it?

-We actually had a couple makeup artists. One was Nathan Shelton. I gave him my concept art to look at, and he sculpted the masks. The zombie whose upper lip and nose are disfigured he came up with all on his own. For the main creature with the creepy white eyes and no mouth, he followed my design, improving on it. He's an extremely talented guy who went on to work on Winter's Bone, which was nominated for four Academy Awards, and he did a ton of other projects too. The other key FX guy was Mike Strain. He did the effects for You're Next (in theaters now) and countless other films. Besides doing prosthetic application, he did the squibs on my movie. He's another insanely talented artist, and I'm honored to be working with him on my next project. I also did a little bit of makeup and some FX shots here and there, learning from Nathan and Mike when I could.-
    

 When someone tells me that they have just seen a great horror movie I always asked them to tell me about the main characters. They usually respond with the name of the star if the star was an actual known actor. When pressed they fall back to character descriptions. The tall guy, the blonde girl, the fat guy, black guy, cute dark haired girl in shorts. You can tell that it was a quality film if the names of the characters stick with you after you leave the theater. Everyone who saw Aliens could point out Ripley, Hudson, Hicks and of course Vasquez. The idea that if the audience does not know the characters then they will not care whether they live or die has been lost in an effort to produce epically grizzly ways to dispatch then. Do you think that you have created characters that will be remember?

-I hope so. That was my goal. If you want to make a really great film, it's essential to create good memorable characters that people love and relate to or else no one will be invested in your story. If you don't spend time to develop your characters in interesting ways or they make stupid decisions all the time when they're supposed to be smart, you'll lose your audience.-
     

This concludes the first part of my interview with Doug Roos. The second half focusing mostly on the film making side of the production of his film will be posted tomorrow.

During the next few weeks I am going to offer a post about using your social media to help to market your work and yourself. Remember you can and should be as much of a brand name as your film. Think in terms of Spielberg, Tarantino and Christopher Nolan. Also I am hoping to post my first ever interview with a actress film maker. The writer, actor/director is a completely different world, think Orson Welles, than being completely behind the scenes. That will be it for today.

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