Webisodes – Is it the future of producing?

I was in Europe this April and I spoke to a number of companies about the utilization and monetization of the internet in relation to movie and TV projects. The discussion centered on making movie products or TV series that would attract and engage an internet audience. But how would it work financially? Could something like this be attractive to investors? Also, how would the medium of the internet change the product? We discussed for a while, bouncing ideas off of one another.

Alas! The answer! Six months later, I was in Los Angeles and I was talking to two good friends who are just wrapping a movie product specifically being produced for an internet audience. Certainly, I found this concept interesting and wanted to understand more about the process.

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10 things you should consider before shooting your first film

So you think you are ready to make a film? Before you do so, please think about what you are about to do; the time, effort, sweat, frustration and hair pulling you are about to land yourself into by making your first film. Make sure you have thought through the entire process from start to finish and it will save you a TON of heartache along the way. There are a lot of newbee filmmakers that think they will become the next film tycoon with their first try. This is highly unlikely, but if you listen to these tips, you have a much better shot.

Now that I have placed you into the proper frame of mind, let’s get into some of the things you should know before you shoot your first film:

Here are 10 Newbee Film Maker Mistakes

1 ) Thinking you have money when you do not:

Try to ensure you have the money in the bank account to fund your film and if you are using in kind services (free or deferred lighting, camera package, post deal, etc.), make sure they are reserved. These funds must be real and online before you start.

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Film Friends,

A brief story while I reminisce:  I recently visited Los Angeles, and I hiked into the Santa Monica Mountains and ended up at the MASH hit television series outside location site  MASH was my favorite TV series in England and when I joined Fox I saw MASH was shot in stage 9, at the 20thCentury Fox studios in LA.

I joined the TV division and was given certain financial control responsibilities for MASH and I remember so well being driven to the mountain shooting location of MASH, what a thrill!!

MASH was my favorite TV series when I lived in England and now to be on set with Alan Alda etc and be there during shooting was unbelievable – that was back in 1980.

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20 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR SCRIPTS

Film Script

The essence of any good movie is the script. It all starts and ends there, so you better get it right! In my many years in the film business, I have heard executives analyze scripts and have read hundreds myself. Here are a few points that may assist the budding screen writer in their endeavor of creating a winning script:

1)    DO NOT FORGET THE STORY: Tell a story, not just a never ending sequence of events that are not connected or relevant. Try and maintain act 1, 2 & 3 – a beginning, middle and end with purpose. Keeping an eye on the story will attract an audience.

2)    AVOID OVER WRITE: Remember a script is meant to be turned into a film. Therefore, over embellishment or meandering does nothing to help the audience. Focus on the event or situation and provide clarity and focus on the scene at hand.

3)    LENGTH OF SCRIPT :  As a general rule, one page of script is worth one minute on the screen so please remember if you are about to shoot “Gone with the Wind” or a 84 minute comedy.

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Pre-sales – what you need to know

Pre-sales are an important aspect of being a sales agent and are little understood by independent producers. Pre-sales can be the difference between making your indie film and not, between enticing an investor to invest in your film or not.

What are pre-sales?

The concept of pre-sales relates to the ability of a sales agent to present your film package          (script/ cast/director etc) to a distributor/buyer and have them commit to licensing your film before the film is completed or even production has begun. This is a valuable asset when the producer is trying to finalize the funding of a film at whatever stage in development, pre-production, production or post the film is in. A pre-sale can put the film into a green light position and make the project happen……….. a major celebration point if you are a hard working producer close to making a film.

Please understand anyone can make a pre-sale including the producer, but you need to know the world of film sales and distribution and most of all you need to know the buyers for your type of product and are they willing to contract with you. Here the sales agent with their experience and knowledge step forward on behalf of the producer.

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