Film Strategy

The good people at  Script Reader Pro  have just made your life easier.  Why is that you say?  Because they've made your filmmaking life easier to manage this year with their  calendar of  all the major upcoming screenwriting contests  (orange) , awards   (blue) , festivals  (green) , fellowships and labs  (yellow)  in 2016. Like Yogi Berra says, “If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.”  Wednesday, October 5   CineStory TV/Digital Series Retreat - Late Deadline Thursday, October 6   Hamptons International Film Festival Friday, October 7   Hamptons International Film Festival Saturday, October 8   Hamptons International Film Festival Sunday, October 9   Hamptons International Film Festival Monday, October 10   Hamptons International Film Festival Thursday, October 13   Aust...

For entertainment industry junkies who see the value in understanding the major movie studios, Neil Turitz has done us a big favor by writing a great series at the Tracking Board called "The Studio Series."  With the Studio Series, Turitz analyzes each major movie studio in 2016 to assess their strategies as well as what they are doing right and wrong.  Whether you're just a movie fan who likes digging deep into the industry that makes the film he loves or a filmmaker trying to figure out where to pitch her next film, the analysis below will be sure to inform. STX Entertainment and Studio 8 To break into the film distribution business on the higher budget side seems like a fools errand. But if you’re Robert Simonds and Adam Fogelson at STX Entertainment, and Jeff Robinov at Studio 8, then you’re not thinking in exactly those terms. On the contrary, you’re thinking you can take on the system and win. A24, Open Road and Roadside Attractions A look at three o...

The good people at  Script Reader Pro  have just made your life easier.  Why is that you say?  Because they've made your filmmaking life easier to manage this year with their  calendar of  all the major upcoming screenwriting contests  (orange) , awards   (blue) , festivals  (green) , fellowships and labs  (yellow)  in 2016. Like Yogi Berra says, “If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.”  Thursday, September 1   Venice International Film Festival   American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest Deadline (TBC)   Berlinale Talents Competition Deadline (TBC) Friday, September 2   Venice International Film Festival   Telluride Film Festival   London Screenwriters Festival Saturday, September 3   Venice International Film Festival   Telluride Film Festival   London Screenwriters...

Originally published in Filmmaker magazine  and written by Sarah Salovaara. David Lowery doesn’t necessarily dole out directing tips in his  production diary  for the upcoming Disney remake of  Pete’s Dragon,  but they do seep through in the details. Currently on day 11 of 70 of the New Zealand-based production, many of Lowery’s entries touch upon the fluidity of the filmmaking process. Most recently, he recounts nailing a precisely planned sequence, only to forfeit his original design for another: Today we were back in the woods at Battle Hill, shooting a sequence that I’d planned out very carefully last summer and had no interest in altering. It was two shots, with a very precise cut point, and a camera move that required counting out loud to get the timing right. We got it exactly as I’d intended. I cut it together there on set and it worked fine and so we we moved on to the next shot, which I’d also planned out somewhat extensivel...

The 3-Act Structure rules Hollywood even though some think the 3-Act structure actually kills scripts . And as the cartoon demonstrates below in amusing and sarcastic fashion, the 3-Act structure is made up of elements that engage and entertain us while also being repetitive and derivative.  So here's a challenge to all filmmakers, from indie newbies to hollywood bigshots, do you dare tell stories outside of the 3-Act structure?  Ok, you say, I'm down but what else is there outside of the 3-Act structure? Well, my friend, that's where your creativity as a writer, director, producer and editor comes in. Plus the cojones to dare and even fail or get audience heads scratching. But if you want some suggestions for ideas well here are a few places to look: One way to start is by considering other options for narrative structures beyond just "linear narrative."  Another suggestion for inspiration is to look to the East for non-Western dramatic structure...