Posts

Showing posts with the label editor

PRODUCTION TIPS: 3 Tips to Working With a Tight Budget

Image
Filmmakers, no, you will not go to jail for bankruptcy. Fraud on the other hand... It is difficult to plan ahead and come up with the perfect budget for a film but the allure of making a film can not be denied. And so, the filmmaker plods ahead come what may to make that film. But for low-budget indie filmmakers all it takes is one misbudgeted item to derail the whole project. So when you gotta make that film even if you lack enough funds then you must be efficient and flexible to make it to the finish line. Here are 3 tips to get there: ATTRACT TALENT WITH PARTNERSHIPS Find the best Writer, Protagonist Actor/Actress, DP, Sound Mixer, Line Producer / Production Manager, Lawyer and Editor you can afford. Develop a professional relationship and friendly rapport with them. Think long term. If you can't afford their fees, put together a compensation package that is more than just credit and deferred compensation. Even low pay is better than nothing. Some other forms of comp

CASE STUDY for Love Never Dies (a short based on a Stephen King story)

Image
LOVE NEVER DIES... Sometimes it kills! One could say that we make films because we are so haunted by the movies we saw in our past that we feel compelled to create new ones. That might explain why director/producer Peter Szabo has been wanting to make films ever since Jaws scared the wits out of him as a little boy.  It also hints at the haunted protagonist at the heart of Peter's latest short, Love Never Dies .  Thematically, Peter is attracted to dark and tragic tales so it's no surprise that he adapted "Nona" by Stephen King for Love Never Dies after acquiring the non-commercial adaptation rights through the Dollar Baby Scheme . TITLE: Love Never Dies GENRE: horror/thriller short (35 minutes) DIRECTOR:   Peter Szabo PRODUCERS: Peter Szabo and Reese Eveneshen BUDGET: $10,000 FINANCING FROM: In-kind donations and Self-financing PRODUCTION DATES: March 13 through April 3, 2011 POST PRODUCTION DATES: April 2011 through November 2012 CA

PRODUCTION TIPS: 4 ways to make your editor's life easier and your film better

Image
The importance of the editor in film and video can not be overstated. For many, what makes film a unique artform from all others IS the editing. Furthermore,  many famous directors “made their bones” as editors and credit that experience as the reason why they can direct.  And while many top directors switch DPs and crews for each production, they consistenly trust their work with one editor . That’s why as a producer-director it’s important to hone and heighten that professional relationship with your editor to serve your film well.  This is the case even if you’re editing a film you directed yourself since you have to change hats when you step off the set and into the editing room to look at your footage with fresh eyes.  So, what are some things the producer and director can do to make the editor’s life easier, and by default, lead to a better finished film?  To find that out, I spoke with professional film and video editor, Liette Pedraza , who had the following thi