People in Large Mobs Do Crazy Things But We Can Use That Footage for Movie Making!

When Hollywood wishes to make an epic movie, they often need to hire hundreds, if not thousands of extras. This costs a lot of money to pay all the background each day the movie is shooting the various larger scenes. Often the Hollywood films run into the tens of millions of dollars. Of course, often it is possible to use news footage, or footage from actual events in the real world, and since it comes from the real world it looks more realistic often enough.

Would you like me to give you a couple examples? Well, let's say you are making a disaster movie, why wouldn't you use the CNN footage, probably for a fee, of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami? What if you were involved in the Zombie drama genre? Well, it just so happens that there was a gigantic get together where everyone dressed up like zombies, thousands of people in fact. Imagine having that footage for your futuristic scary movie?

In Mexico City there was a group of 10,000 people marching in the streets and set a world record in fact. An article on this appeared in the LA Times on December 30, 2011 by Ken Ellingwood titled: "In Mexico, getting into Guinness can seem like a broken record," which stated:

"In November, the living dead took center stage: Nearly 10,000 people smeared with fake blood lurched through Mexico City's central plaza in what organizers said was the World's Biggest Zombie Walk. The record-setting phenomenon is, in part, testament to the eye-popping scale of the Mexican capital, the venue for many of the record-breaking stunts."

Gee, no wonder Britney Spears decided to do a free concert in the park on her visit to Mexico City - after all, if 10,000 people will dress up like Zombies, they'd probably be crazy enough to buy her latest music too! In fact, I can hear Katy Perry singing about something like this;

"Walking in the Dark, Zombies in the Park, Last Friday Night!"

Or better yet, Rob Zombie singing;

"Dead I am the one, Aztecs in the Sun, Zombies in the street, bleeding from their feet."

Still, all jokes aside, it would be quite wise for someone to take 20-50 of their friends with them to Mexico City to film something like this, and capture all those images for stock footage to sell to Hollywood. Anyone that produces scary movies would be very wise to invest in creating their own footage, or paying people a small amount of money as citizen journalists for capturing the images and videos for them. In fact they might have a contest, then claim copyrights for anything posted on a giant website. And from that website they would have tons of stock footage.

The website would get tens of thousands of hits, because everyone who went to the event would want to see themselves in the videos which were posted, and people would put links from their Facebook pages to the various videos. The owners of the website would build the stock footage for free, and then could make a movie and thus, save millions of dollars in costs, and/or could sell the footage they didn't use to other people who were also in the industry. It's a very good business model, and I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/

Original article

Vancouver Movie Producers - Making a Movie in Hollywood North

Every year, hundreds of movies and television productions are made in Vancouver, aka Hollywood North. It is the third largest centre for film and TV in the world, behind only Los Angeles and New York City. It is also home to many filmmakers experienced in making very low budget movies. These low budget filmmakers can also make videos for websites, including product promo videos, commercials, and infomercials. This article will explain why Vancouver is renown for being a centre for film and video production.

Vancouver is on the west coast of Canada, with the mildest climate in Canada. Movies shot here can be made to look like they were shot in most any part of the US, including California. Certain parts of the city can be used to portray many American cities, such as Chicago and New York City. Outlying areas of Vancouver have been used to make movies that look like they were made on farms and in small towns in Texas and the midwestern United States.

And because Vancouver is the third largest movie making centre in the world, there are a lot of actors here, mostly unknown, who are willing to work for modest pay. Similarly, there are many production crew members here who will also work for low pay. Vancouver is a multi cultural city, so actors of virtually any ethnicity can be found. With forests, mountains and the ocean nearby, spectacular scenic backdrops can be utilized. Many music videos made in Vancouver have taken advantage of the low cost of production, and the very varied shooting locations.

For these reasons, Vancouver is the first choice for low cost video and film production, and many American producers use the facilities here for multiple film and video productions. Anyone wanting to make a movie can locate the people, resources and locations they need by searching on the internet.

People to search for on the internet can include actors, writers, directors, casting agents, editors, production crew members and you can also search for camera gear rentals, and green screen studios for special effects. Green screen shooting is frequently used, to make it look like the actors are in non local locations, such as desert areas or tropical areas, and in overseas locations such as Asia, the Middle East and Europe. With these and other movie making tricks, Vancouver can be used to make most any movie that the human mind can imagine.

I am a low cost video and film producer in Vancouver Canada. I have won 4 awards for my short films, and I have made hundreds of videos for the internet. I have access to many actors, and I can find virtually any type of actor that might be needed. On my website, you can see about 25 sample videos. If you are out of town, we can work together by phone and email, with casting tryouts put on the internet for your review. This can be done for smaller productions such as TV commercials and web videos, as well as for a feature film. I offer free phone consultations with no obligation.
http://www.bushpilotproductions.com/

Original article

How to Make a Low Budget Movie - Bring Your Screenplay to Life

Feature length movies can be made for ten thousand dollars. However, they are more likely to be turn out better and be a success if you pay about five to ten times as much. There are exceptions of course, and some movies costing only 10 to 20 thousand dollars to make have made millions of dollars. If you want to make a movie on a low budget there are many things to consider besides just getting it made cheaply if you want to be a success. This article explains different ways that movies can be made at low cost, and the pros and cons to the different methods. It is primarily for someone with a screenplay or a movie idea who wants to see their idea come to life.

If you have a movie script or movie idea that you want made into a movie, it can be done, with difficulty, or with relative ease. And it can be completed under budget, or over budget.

To illustrate what I mean, imagine you have a house and you want to add two rooms to it and you have no building experience, but you know what you want. If you have enough money, you can explain what you want to an experienced builder, and have them do it all. If you want to save money, you may think about doing some of the work yourself. You might think, well I have a table saw and I can measure and I can pound nails, so I'll do the framing, and hire someone to finish it. When the finishing crew comes to finish it, they may find the rooms are a bit off square, and not quite level, and for them to finish it it will take lots of extra work because the basics were not done right. The total cost can then be more than if you had hired experts right from the start.

The same applies to making a movie. You have your screenplay, and maybe a camera and some of the equipment, and you know some people who will volunteer, and you have taken some workshops on operating the camera and practiced a bit. You shoot your movie, and then hand it to an editor to finish it. Like with the addition to the house, if the basics were not done right, the editor will have a lot more work to make it presentable, and may in fact not be able to make it totally professional looking because of errors that were made during shooting. It would have been cheaper to get expert help right at the start, and to only concentrate on directing and telling your story.

You might think well, what else can I do? I don't have the money to hire a big professional crew to make it. The answer is to find a very small professional crew, who are expert at shooting low-budget movies to do it. The cost will likely be less than if you tried to "save money" by doing jobs you were not expert at. You can still do a lot of the work yourself, but restrict yourself for the most part to doing the simple no brainer jobs, and let the experts do their thing. You can find filmmakers who have the experience and know how to bring your story to life, and all you have to do is find them. After all, what you really want is a nicely finished, professional looking movie that tells your story. Search, and you will find the people that you need, and be much happier in the long run.

I am expert at making low-budget movies with very small crews. I live in Vancouver, which is sometimes called Hollywood North, and many movies are made here. Movie making tricks are used to make movies shot here look like they were made in New York, Texas, LA, the midwest or many other parts of the world. These tricks are very inexpensive and Vancouver has a lot of low cost talent. I offer complete packages, or partial packages, from $14,000 up, and they are explained on my website:
http://www.bushpilotproductions.com/makeamovie.html
I offer free consultations with no obligation, by phone or email.

Original article

Screenwriter Options - Getting Your Movie Made

If you have written a screenplay and want to see it made into a movie, you have several options. You can submit it to Hollywood studios. You can also look for independent filmmakers, who may be looking for screenplays. Your final option is to make the movie yourself, learning some of the skills needed, and getting volunteers, or hiring experts to help make your movie. This article will cover the different options open to you as a screenwriter.

You can find the mailing addresses for Hollywood studios, and send your script to them. Unfortunately, they will usually send it back unread, as they do not accept anything which is not submitted by a literary agent. You can then try to get a literary agent to represent you and your screenplay, but it can be very difficult, as they usually want to represent writers with proven track records. You can also seek out independent filmmakers, who are more open to reading scripts by unknown writers. However, independent filmmakers almost always have several of their own movie ideas they are working on, and their own scripts take preference over those submitted by others. Or finally, you can make the movie yourself.

Many writers have turned their own screenplays into movies, and some have made a lot of money with their movies. With the digital video revolution, it is possible to shoot a high quality movie using an inexpensive video camera, and then do the editing on a home computer. Some writers have done this, becoming their own directors and producers, making their movie for under $10,000. But many writers who become first time filmmakers, do not finish their movies because the work involved can be overbearing, or they make a movie which is of low quality which has little chance of success.

I will outline here two low cost options for you as a screenwriter wanting to make your movie yourself. The first option is to learn the skills you will need to make your movie. You can take some workshops and seminars on filmmaking, and buy your own camera and computer with an editing program, and practice with both. You can then get some volunteer actors and crew members and make your movie. However, the best thing to do is to first make several short films, before you tackle your feature length movie. This way, you can learn as you go, making your mistakes on your short films, rather than your feature length movie. It is advisable to make at least 4 or 5 short films, to learn how to produce and direct a movie. If you have a regular job, and spend all of your free time making short films, you will do well to make 4 per year, with 2 or 3 being closer to the average. Short films typically cost one to three thousand dollars, even if volunteers are used.

The other low cost option for a screenwriter is to hire an experienced filmmaker, who is used to making low budget movies, to do most of the work. Such a person may have spent many years working with very small budgets, and knows how to utilize volunteers or low paid help to make a movie. For a writer whose main interest is in getting their movie made, rather than learning a lot of skills that may not interest them, this can be the better option. An experienced low budget filmmaker can likely save you thousands of dollars, and ensure that your movie is saleable.

I am an expert at making low budget movies. I have movie making packages starting at $14,000. You can be the director, or I can direct it for you. You may be able to find two actors who are keen to get the lead roles in a movie, rather than bit parts, who will want to share the cost. I can make your movie where I live, or come to you. If made where I live, your movie can be made to look like it was made somewhere else. This is done all the time, and it is explained on my website: http://www.bushpilotproductions.com/makeamovie.html.

To make your movie at a very low cost, there are script considerations which are also explained on the website. You can keep trying whatever you have been trying, and eventually give up, and then mumble the name of your movie when you are dying. Or, you can get proactive, and make your movie.

Original article

Enroll in a Film and Television Production Program and Become a Movie Maker

To movie lovers, creating one's own film is often a dream come true. While some famous filmmakers started off with their parents' camcorder and taught themselves everything, an arguably faster and more formal way to break into the field is to enroll in a Film & Television Production program.

Film & Television Production programs are designed to teach students everything they need to know about making, producing, and writing films, internet movies, and marketing videos. Instruction is usually full time, and the entire program lasts approximately one year. Ideally, prospective students should look for schools that employ industry veterans with strong reputations as teachers (look for a "bio" or "about" page on a school's website to see what kind of experience teachers bring to the table). At the end of the program, graduates can begin exciting careers as scriptwriters, filmmakers, producers, music video filmmakers, video marketers, etc, either for established companies, or independently.

Because they are designed to bring students from a base of zero knowledge to a complete understanding of the industry, most Film & Television Production programs cover all the critical areas of film and television, including editing, filmmaking business management, scriptwriting, audio and online video, and movie production. Typical course loads for a program would include the following:

· Editing

· Production management

· Special effects design

· History of film

· Distribution and marketing

· Delivering a "pitch"

· Scriptwriting

· Audio for film and video

· Intro to digital audio

· Intro to DAWS

· Intro to audio post design

· Audio-post workshop

· Online video

· Film and television production

· Producing and directing

· Cinematography

The comprehensive nature of Film & Television Production programs ensures that graduates will have all the knowledge they need to break into the business after finishing their studies. Furthermore, class instruction is very hands-on, and students have the opportunity to use the industry's standard software packages, including "Final Cut", "AVID", and "After Effects." Of course, students also have the opportunity to create films and videos using the latest film equipment on a school's premises, and by the end of a program, graduates are extremely familiar and comfortable with all the tools of the trade. The net result of this all-around training is a graduate who is confident, competent, and ready to hit the ground running in the film industry.

So if you love movies, or film, or videos, and you've a spectator who has always wanted to be a creator, consider enrolling in a Film & Television Production program. It just may be the career that helps you realize your ambitions.

Contact the Trebas Institute for more information on their Film & Television Production program.

Percey Evans is a freelance writer who works for Higher Education Marketing, a leading Web marketing firm specializing in Google Analytics, Education Lead Generation, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Mobile SMS Alerts, Social Media Marketing and Pay Per Click Marketing, among other Web marketing services and tools.

Original article

How to Make a Movie

In this article I will be talking about the many roles and challenges you face in making your own movie. We will talk about everything from how to write your own script and directing your film, to producing and finding the cost to finance your video. Each of these are all important roles when it comes to making your own movie.

First I would like to talk about writing your script. I feel this is your foundation; everything is built around your story. You want to brainstorm lots of ideas create the purpose of your story. What is the goal or plot of my story, how are your main characters involved in this. It helps to create an outline and lay out how your events will unfold on paper. You want to include details like your setting, the time of day, and your characters actions. Don't be afraid to show your work to someone who's had writing experience let them critique it and remember it's just their opinion.

Before we can talk about producing and directing your film you need to figure out how you will finance it. Now if you have an unlimited budget then you have little to worry about but if you're like the rest of us this could and can be a huge factor in creating your own movie. There are typically four methods for financing the production of a film, I will discuss two of them; government grants and tax schemes. Many governments run programs to subsidize the cost of production. Some states provide a tax credit that can cover part or all of the film cost that are filmed in the state. Governments provide these in hope it will attract individuals into their area and raise employment levels. Many countries introduced legislation that enhanced tax deductions for owners or producers of films. Governments are realizing these tax deductions are an inefficient way of supporting the film industry.

Now we can get into your production. You already have your script so your next step is hiring your cast and crew. So once you have your casting call you decide your actors and give out their roles. You may negotiate salary but most will work for scale (actor's minimum wage). Sit back and let your crew begin shooting your film. You will have tons of footage to go through as you begin your post-production editing, but this is mostly done by your editor. Once you have your final cut your best chance is distributing your movie to a prestigious film festival. Studios send there reps to seek new films.

There are many roles and responsibilities a director has and it can be very difficult. There's tons of behind the scenes work involved with directing a film. You need to be on top of everything as everyone is looking up to you. You will be creating all the aspects of the movie as you draw out each scene and break down the script into sections. Track your characters emotions and express each of these elements with your actors, tell them what you expect from them. You're there to observe and give notes on every scene give direction to your actors keep there characters on role. Spend time on rehearsal and preproduction and just keep a main over view on your team of actors. Now after reading this it won't guide you to creating your own blockbuster hit but I hope it helps you to understand the roles in making your own video.

Hello my name is Steve Bean. I work with Octo Interactive. We are an Orlando Fl Video Production Company that specializes in Web Video Production (321) 338 - 2962

Original article

How To "Read" A Movie Trailer

Below, you will find a literal "worksheet" for use in watching, analyzing and understanding movie trailers. It presumes some basic understanding of film artistry, but should be mostly self-explanatory for the regular movie goer and trailer consumer. I'm not saying that learning how to "read a trailer" will make you want to see the films they promote, but the technique should help you appreciate how much thought and labor and creativity goes into the manufacture of its preview and "sample." Enjoy!

READING TRAILERS

Worksheet

(Directions: Watch the trailer repeatedly, noting what you see, hear and understand. Use the worksheet to capture "data." Use the data to articulate an interpretation or a reading of it.)

Name _____________Year_______________Length _________ Exhibition Medium__________

1. Formal Properties: # of acts/parts? ___________ # of Music Cues? _____________ Describe? Editing speed (cuts/second) ___________ Shot types (close, med, long, pan, still, motion, zoom in/out, etc.) ________________ Transition types (wipe, dissolve, fade, smash, etc.) ____________ Use of graphic elements?_________ If yes, describe. Use of words on screen?________ If yes, describe and transcribe. Use of voice over?_______If yes, describe and transcribe. (Diegetic or extra-diegetic?) Is there an onscreen host? __________ If so, describe.

Is there a cast run? _________________(Is there mention of Producer, Director, Writer?) Describe the title sequence.___________ What KIND of trailer is it? ___________(Featurette? TV Spot, Internet? Mobile Phone; Long Trailer; re-release; DVD, Standard theatrical; teaser, sequel; special shoot, etc?) Story Presentation: _____________ (Linear? Non-Linear?)

2. By content: What is the story? (as far as you can tell). What diegetic appeals does it make?_______(Stars? Spectacle? Genre? Story? Technology?)

3. What extra diegetic (outside the film text) appeals does it make to an audience?_________ (Provenance, Critical Reception, Audience response/box office figures, technology)

4. What film craft/specialized skills are most salient? Editing___________________ Copywriting_________ Music Librarian__________Graphic design__________ Market Research_________Sound design____________ Acting/Directing/Cinematography/FX (of film itself)_________

5. Marketing Issues: Who ARE the audiences presumed by the trailer makers?__________ What is the relationship of the trailer to the film it markets? (Descriptive? Impressionistic? Accurate? Deceptive? Concealing? Tell All? Etc.) ____________ What appears to be the "marketing brief" that produced this trailer? ___________ Is this trailer effective? If so, why? __________________ In what ways does this trailer miss the mark?_____________

6. Exhibition Technology: Aspect ratio and destined exhibition venue_______ (wide screen? Letterbox? & Mobile/Ipod? Ipad? TV, Screen?) ________

7. Music and Sound Design What are the music cues? How do they help structure the trailer? What information do they convey? (Rhythm, mood, lyrical content?) Consider the sound design and sound effects. What do they tell you about structure and mood?

8. Miscellaneous: What do you know about the film's reception? (Box Office results? Context? Critical response?) What is the tone or attitude of the trailer? ______________ What do you like (or dislike) about this trailer? _________ Why?________________

I am a trailer and movie poster copywriter who holds a recurring appointment at UCLA's film school, where I teach a graduate seminar on movie trailers. In 2006, I researched, wrote and co-produced the first feature length documentary on the subject of the history and contemporary practice of audio-visual movie marketing, collaborating with the UCLA Archive and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

I blog on movie trailers at http://movietrailers101.wordpress.com/

Original article

How To Direct A Movie

In this article I will go over what it takes to direct a movie. Directing a movie may seem easy being the boss calling all the shots but it can be very difficult and there is a lot of behind the scenes work that can be time consuming. Some directors prefer to write there own script, but that is more challenging as to searching for a script that has been written for you. Once you have your script you want to break it into sections, go over your script time after time. You want to be able to envision each scene as it would unfold in your film and write out how you want your characters roles and how you want them to express there emotions, share this with your actors. It can help to take some acting classes because you will be directing your actors and it will give you a better understanding as if you were in there shoes.

There are many software programs you can use to help you with drawing out your storyboards which can be very efficient as to saving you valuable time. Make sure you write how you want each set to look and how you will shoot each scene, also any special effects you feel you will be using. Remember to share all these aspects with your film crew you want your entire team onboard with you. They need to know exactly how you want each shot and it's your job to fill them in with your vision of this film. Get your crew together and lay everything on the table, make sure everyone is on the same page.

Before you jump into filming grab your main actors and sit down with them and read the script out loud. This will give you the chance to explain how you want your film to play out, and you can get good feedback from your actors as they see it. As you get your sets together do some "on set rehearsal" this will allow you to show your actors what specific actions you expect from them. Respect your actors but call out there mistakes let them know what you envision for this film. As Director you need to set the bar for your crew, show up early on days you're shooting make sure everything is in its correct place.

Keep a schedule for each day this will help you to know which scenes will be shot and in the order there in. Observe your actors and take notes on how they can improve there roles. Go over each scene once before you shoot and refresh your actor's memories on how you want there characters emotions and actions to play out. Give notes to your actors on how they can improve there roles and how you want you expect from there character. Don't try to control every aspect of your film, keep in mind you hired professionals so sit back and let them do there job. Over all you want to be firm with your crew but you also want them to respect you and that will make a huge difference to creating a good movie.

Hello my name is Steve Bean. I work with Octo Interactive. We are an Orlando FL Video Production Company that specializes in Web Video Production (321) 338 - 2962.

Original article

Windows Movie Maker File Conversion Often Necessary

Many people are put off by the thought of trying to edit videos, much less taking on the more complicated features in the programs. But if you keep it simple and just take it step by step, you can have a lot of fun and turn out something reasonably good.

Internet marketing, affiliate sales, and many other ventures can benefit from video content. It works two ways: one is the fact that Google loves video content, and it owns YouTube, so websites with good visual content of this sort typically rank higher. The other is that people often like to see and hear people convey a message through video, they are accustomed to the format.

Once you have a camera, and start taking footage, you'll be happy to know that Windows Movie Maker is included in all Microsoft operating systems bundles. iMovie is great also, but I don't know much about that program, but it is what you need if you have a Mac.

One way to solve a lot of video problems in advance is to download the freeware DVD Video Soft. This is a fantastic set of about 40 programs that is completely free, no spyware and no obligations, much less the obnoxious efforts to sign up for other stuff before you get to use the program. And there is no period you can use it before you have to buy it, no "watermarks" that are embedded in the images. Just remember when installing it to decline the toolbar it wants you to allow, and then install it.

The reason you need this set of programs is file conversion, a critical capability if you plan to edit different types of footage from different makes of camera. The 30 gig HDD Sony camera I use creates files that Windows Movie Maker can use immediately, but the my Cisco Flip camera footage needs to be converted. In addition, WMM does not work with the DVD format, that also must be converted. AVI is the gold standard format WMM and many other editing programs prefer to work with.

You hook your camera up to the computer, usually through a USB port, though some older Panasonics go through a 1394 firewire connection, which not all computers have, especially newer ones. If your camera does have the firewire requirement, only buy a computer with that type of jack, or be prepared to buy a box that converts firewire into USB, and more complexities.

Once the footage is in the computer, go to "import video" in the upper left panel. If it won't import, it tells you right away. Then you need to convert with DVD Video Soft, though you might not need to do that if you know how to add file formats with one of the options in WMM. But I found it a little cumbersome, and actually capable of crashing the program. I'm not sure what happened, could have been my computer or some other variable.

Once I found DVD Video Soft, I could just convert footage quickly, and not bother with the control panel in WMM. For example, if you have one of the flip cameras that saves footage in MP4, you just open up the FREE 3GP Video Converter. This is a mobile phone image format that is apparently designed for the many types of files that show up in that world, yet it works great in WMM.

Browse for your files you want to convert, and then highlight them all. Tip: If you click on the first file, and then look for the last file in the batch and click that one while holding the "shift" key, it will highlight all of the files between. Then import them to the program.

Go to the bottom and leave the setting on "High Quality," and look over to the left, where a tiny black triangle is in a window under the word "Formats." When you click on that, you get a menu with a number of options, you want AVI as the format to convert to, WMM can use that one best.

Once you have everything set, click on "Convert," and wait a few minutes, it's pretty quick, depending on the number of files you have. When it is done, click on the folder to the right, and you'll be in the 3GP output folder. I always copy those files I've just converted and put them in their own folder on the desktop, or other place you can easily find them. For some reason, WMM does not like to import directly from that folder, it's far easier from the desktop.

If you want to convert a DVD into AVI, use FREE DVD converter option in the control panel. Make sure the output format is AVI, and also, do not use "Perfect" quality; instead use the next option below it, "High" quality. I tried Perfect once, and it ran for hours and hours and still was not finished. In most cases, High quality is just fine, and it converts in a relatively short time.

I've actually error corrected files by running them through the 3GP format option, it can work magic on some files that won't play or import into WMM.

If you are looking for the ideal internet business that has a great reputation, check out my site http://www.greenlivingintheusa.com

Brooke Saunders
Richmond, Virginia
804-687-7062
http://www.greenlivingintheusa.com/

Original article

Marketing Strategy and Movie Distribution Plans

It's too easy to neglect having a marketing strategy and movie distribution plan when producing on an indie film budget. Producers are focused on fleshing out a tight screenplay, hiring cast and crew while keeping track of every dollar they spend. Studio budget movies hire goliath companies to develop a marketing strategy and movie distribution plan for their latest blockbuster.

Indie filmmakers have to get creative with their marketing strategy and movie distribution plan so their creative hard work doesn't just disappear after it's done. I've been learning a lot of good stuff by following what other filmmakers are doing to market a movie in order to make film distribution money.

One movie with a sexually driven theme created artwork and an attention grabbing marketing package that included condoms with the name of the film printed on them. I read they stood out at film festivals with this creative approach. There are also rare indie produced movies that are so damn entertaining they secure meaningful movie distribution without a strong marketing strategy to promote them.

But why take the gamble that your movie will be one of the rare ones? Thinking about a marketing strategy and movie distribution plan early as possible is what successful indie producers do. I don't read entertainment industry trades like The Hollywood Reporter or Variety because they don't have information based off the real life indie cinema scene.

I've been turning to blogs more and more that are ran by indie producers and filmmakers that share what marketing strategies and movie distribution plans have worked for them. I really like reading Indie Slate Magazine and MovieMaker Magazine because they spend time focusing on the business of indie filmmaking not just the creative part of the process.

Creating an online buzz for an indie feature is one of the most effective ways to market a movie without having to spend money you don't have. It only takes personal time to run a movie blog, Twitter account, Facebook page, Google +1 and other popular social networking outlets. Crowd funding for indie movies has really shown that people do respond to online marketing. The effort to keep a movie blog fresh and stay connected with people pays off in the end. Building interest for a movie online is the way to go.

Having an idea of what the movie distribution plan is going to be will depend on what you want as a producer. Are you going to self-distribute or look to land a distribution deal with a company?

Movie self-distribution makes financial sense for smaller budget indie films. Self-distribution allows the creators to keep control of the rights to their movie. Less money has to be made from direct sales to make a real profit from a movie because there aren't distribution fees and percentages taken out by a distributor. Many filmmakers have made money for their film investors and themselves from their work through self-distribution combined with an aggressive online marketing push they do themselves.

Landing a movie distribution deal normally offers greater exposure and more people see a movie that is released by a film distribution company worldwide than a self-distributed titled. Movie distributors that cater to releasing indie films usually don't put together a big marketing strategy. They have relationships with film buyers all over the world that receive their catalog of available titles or see what they have at film markets.

Avoid a past mistake I made by sitting back after signing a distribution deal expecting the distributor to market the hell out of the title. It's important to still have a workable marketing strategy after you sign a movie distribution agreement. You'll have to check with the distributor to see what you can and can't do to market your movie online. But overall it's a win-win for both parties in exposure and film sales.

Get the inside scoop on writing, producing, directing, and movie distribution at Slice Of Americana Films. Check out the life and times of filmmaker Sid Kali.

Original article

How To Make A Home Movie

In this article I will be going over simple steps to creating your own home made movie. First you will need a device you can record with, this can be anything from your webcam on your computer to your families old camcorder basically anything that can record. Now you will want to get familiar with your camera, start out by just playing with the buttons learning each function you have available. There will be a couple tools you may want to invest in, a tripod is a great tool this will make a huge factor in the quality of your film. Also you will need to use video editing software, most computers now come equipped with editing software Macs have iMovie and PCs come with Windows Movie Maker.

There will be three basic shots when filming, close ups are used to show specific things happening. Wide shots will establish your location and your medium shots are typically used to follow action in the scene. Now if you are not using a tripod you will want to avoid zooming in all the way this will cause a lot of accidental shaking and you will want to refrain from little camera movement. You will need to establish where you want to film your movie, whether it is in your house, backyard, front yard, or even your basement. Also get your friends and family involved as you will need parts to fill. Discuss how you want them to play there roles and who will be doing behind the scenes work, keep in mind there are many jobs in making a film. You will need actors, director, editor, and you may need someone to do the make-up for your actors.

While you are filming you will want to have 2-3 takes for each scene, keep in mind you will face all kinds of problems there's no escaping it. Just bear in mind small problems are ok it is the big problems that can ruin your movie. So take the extra time to rehearse and remember it's not hard to go back and change a few words. During your action scenes you will be tempted to zoom in and out but remember you want to avoid the least amount of camera movement. While filming you will want to keep your actors eyes in the top of the screen, leave about an inch or two of space above there heads. Don't make it confusing for your watchers to know what is going on keep in mind your main audience will be your friends and family.

The main rule is to have fun and be creative. Keep your outtakes if there funny it makes for good bloopers, and add some background music to some of your scenes. Try to add some special effects if you can get a fog machine or make someone fly whatever you can do to add extra excitement is always good. Once your movie is complete show it off, publish it on You Tube or put it on a DVD, and if you want to get fancy add some opening and ending credits. Don't get stressed out with this remember it is suppose to be fun!

Hello my name is Steve Bean. I work with Octo Interactive. We are an Orlando Fl Video Production Company that specializes in Web Video Production (321) 338 - 2962

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