Doug Block is a multiple award-winning, New York-based documentary director, cameraman and producer. My discovery of his blog was quite by accidnt but I’m glad I found it. His latest series of blog posts are about (naturally) documentary Film.

He had the occasion to speak as a guest in Anthony Kaufman’s NYU Contemporary Documentary class. What he gave was his list of The Ten Rules of Personal Documentary Filmmaking. They’re fun and irreverent and best of all. . . true.

• RULE #1: Don’t make it all about you (even though, of course, it’s all about you)
• RULE #2: A personal doc is not your personal therapy.
• RULE #3: Don’t tell us your feelings. Show or indicate your feelings.
• Rule #4: A sense of humor is essential (especially self-deprecating humor)
• Rule #5: Put your story in context.
• Rule #6: Don’t make yourself out to be better than your other main characters.
• Rule #7: If you’re in it, don’t overstay your welcome.
• Rule #8: If you’re shooting it, learn how to shoot. (this is a big one)
• Rule #9: You’re not really you. You’re just a character in a story.

These are all great rules and if you look arefully, you can put them to use in your own life.

If you want to read more of Doug Block’s blog, click here

Originallly printed at FilmStew.com
They cast their extras via MySpace, found locations and props through CraigsList and raised part of their $8,000 filmmaking budget by buying and reselling used horror film DVDs. They also relied upon MySpace to recruit their film’s soundtrack composer, a member of the Church of Satan, and for the critical role of babies, enlisted the services of a newborn nephew and niece.

Now, Baltimore pals Chris LaMartina and Jimmy George have a Best Feature Award from Shockerfest 2007 and a screening at the Charles Theater on October 23rd to show for Book of Lore, their indirect homage to the horror films of the 1980’s. Blending together the intrigue of a string of 1985 murders, a contemporary killing spree and a found book urban legends, Lamartina’s follow-up to his horror anthology film Dead Teenagers has been garnering solid reviews.

Given the fact that Teenagers was made for $300, it may well have the capability to cause brain damage, which happens to be the name of company distributing it on DVD via the Internet - Brain Damage Films. But say what you will, going from a budget of $300 to one of $8,000 is an exponential leap; at this rate, LaMartina and George may well be playing with a couple hundred thousand in a few years. In the meantime, there’s another small budget to raise for their next film, Dismember the Dolls.

“It’s an anthology, a sardonic splatter flick,” LaMartina tells the City Paper of Baltimore, where he works as a videographer for the office of Mayor Sheila Dixon. “It’s this guy who has to go around on Valentine’s Day and get all the body parts of the women he used to date. I’m thinking of it as Phone Booth meets The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.”

We are not going to kid you. Making money making movies is hard work and it doesn’t come easy. This is the real deal: if you want to make a living from movies if not to be rich, you have to think business. Think about what the audience wants to see. It is NOT about what you want. This website provides a bunch of helpful articles to help you on your way of becoming a successful moviemaker.

Most feature films are produced either by the major Hollywood studios or by hundreds of U.S. and foreign independent production companies. The independents range from major companies just below the rank of the well-financed, all-purpose studios, to medium and small continuing companies, to firms that go bankrupt after just one production.

Since the introduction of DV technology, the means of production have become more independent; called independent filmmaking. Filmmakers can conceivably shoot and edit a movie, create and edit the sound and music, and mix the final cut on a home computer. However, while the means of production may be independent, financing, distribution, and marketing remain difficult to accomplish outside the traditional system.

Most independent filmmakers rely on film festivals to get their films noticed and sold for distribution. However, the Internet has allowed for relatively inexpensive distribution of independent films; many filmmakers post their films online for critique and recognition. Although there is little profitability in this, a filmmaker can still gain exposure via the web.

The filmmaking production cycle consists of five main stages: 1-Development, 2- Preproduction, 3-Production, 4-Post-production, 5-Distribution.

Technologies such as DVD, FireWire connections and professional-level non-linear editing system software make movie making relatively inexpensive.

Popular software (including commercial, consumer level and open source) includes: Avid Xpress Pro, Cinelerra, Kino, Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express, iMovie, Sony Vegas,

Popular digital camcorders, mostly semi-professional equipment with 3-CCD technology, include: Canon, GL2 XL-1s, XL-2, Panasonic AG-DVX100/AG-DVX100A/AG-DVX100B , Panasonic AG-HVX200, Sony VX-1000/2000/2100, Sony PD-150/170. Most of these camcorders cost between US$2,000 - $5,000 in 2003, with costs continuing to decline as features are added, and models depreciate.

Additionally, open source software holds the potential for increasing high-level editing capabilities being available for also increasingly lower prices, both free and paid software. I would recommend to take a look at this website http://www.internetvideomag.com/index.htm.

Posting videos for profit is a great way to make a lot of money from your own movies. Look at these sites: -eefoof.com - Make It. Post It. Profit., -Podtrac Podcaster Home, -Revver, -VideoEgg:,

Other High Traffic Sites are: -Google Video, -MetaCafe Funny Videos & Movies, -YouTube Broadcast Yourself.

Here are some more Video Sites: -blip.tv (beta), -Bolt: Watch Videos, Share Photos, and Upload Music to your Online Profile, -Buzz Net, -ClipShack, -Dailymotion Share Your Videos, -DropShots Free Video Hosting & Photo Sharing. Upload Video Now!, -Jumpcut [Make Amazing Movies Online], -motionbox: Videos, -Video Bomb - Most Bombed All-Time, -Watch, Share, Create - Grouper Video, -Welcome to eyespot, -Welcome to vSocial - The Video Clip Sharing Community.

ARTICLE BY filmanchor.com. © 21/08/2006 This article is available for reprint in your ezine, website or ebook. You MUST agree not to make any changes to the article and the RESOURCE BOX MUST be included. info@filmanchor.com Article Source: http://www.filmanchor.com/

About The Author

Film Anchor is an online resource for media makers. Here we can exchange information helpful to the production and distribution of projects. The site includes articles, FAQs, a dynamic database of links to other sites and film and video related files.

We bring you together at http://www.filmanchor.com. Learn the secrets of filmmaking.

You may believe a thorough knowledge of filmmaking and the entertainment industry is enough to make you a good movie producer. While it certainly helps to know the nuts and bolts of movie production, and even the details of financing and marketing a movie, that knowledge is not enough to create a good producer. It might make for a good studio executive, or other job out of the fray, but you need to develop specific skills, to help you make an independent film.

The first and most important skill you need is organization. If you were the kid who kept the minutes of the club meetings, edited the yearbook, or organized the prop-closet by era, you already have this skill. It is something that is hard to teach, but you can certainly learn it, to become more organized.

If you are the person who can’t find his keys and has no idea how much is in your checking account, you need help. Get organized. There is simply no substitute for it.

Buy a book about getting organized. I recommend “How to Get Organized When You Don’t Have The Time,” by Stephanie Culp. http://snurl.com/gqg5

Or take a Franklin - Covey course. Do whatever you have to do, but get organized.

Second, you need to be able to make decisions quickly. Despite the best planning, things change moment-to-moment during production. You will have to decide right now whether to set up the next shot despite the looming storm clouds, or to move on to another location, completely disrupting the schedule.

The best way to develop this skill is to completely bury your doubt. Know that you are in charge, any mistakes to be made are yours to make and you will suffer the consequences of bad decisions. If you act decisively, and accept blame when necessary, your cast and crew will accept your decisions unquestioningly.

Third, you must be a good negotiator. You will have to make deals for every single thing on the set - the equipment, the sets, the crew, the film stock, everything. Even if you’re borrowing your mom’s station wagon, you will have to convince her you will take good care of it, and return it washed, and with a full tank of gas. Everything will have to be negotiated.

When negotiating rates, know the maximum you can pay for any one line item on your budget and try to shave 20 or 30 percent off of it. If they negotiate up, you may still save 15 percent or so off what you expected to pay.

There is one thing you need to know when negotiating: You can always say no. If you can’t get the deal you want, just say no. Practice it. No. There is no need to be a jerk, just make it clear that you will take your business or offer elsewhere. If a crew member doesn’t want to accept your day rate, he doesn’t have to. You will find someone else (assuming you set your rate at a reasonable low-budget level).

Fourth, a producer also needs diplomacy. It’s surprising how often a film shoot devolves into a third-grade playground. In just a few short weeks, cliques form, rumors start and friendships are formed and ruined. Crew members and actors will, believe it or not, come tattle to you. Sometimes you will have to intercede in petty squabbles and personality conflicts. The trick is to smooth ruffled feathers while not making one combatant feel like you’ve taken another’s side. That will only set factions against you, and that’s the last thing you want on your set.

And fifth, of course, you will need energy. Lots and lots of energy. Caffeine helps to get you started after only a few hours sleep, but it is no substitute for real, healthy human energy. One of the things you must do during pre-production is get yourself in shape for the rigorous weeks of shooting. You’re in training, not for a sprint, but for a marathon.

Working on lower budgets, independent films often have a much tighter schedule, making for longer days and fewer days off. Take it seriously beforehand, and train like a champion. Exercise, eat healthy, and take vitamins and supplements to build your energy stores, so you can get through it.

After you have these five basic producer skills down, you will be ready to develop your knowledge of the filmmaking process and the entertainment industry, by producing a successful independent film.

About The Author
Angela Taylor is a Hollywood producer, and a seven-time Telly Award winner. She teaches Independent Producing at http://hollywoodseminars.com

© 2005 Angela Taylor, All Rights Reserved.

You may forward this in its entirety to anyone you wish.

Hollywood Seminars, Box 2449, Hollywood CA 90078 USA

This article is available for reprint in your ezine, website or ebook. You MUST agree not to make any changes to the article and the RESOURCE BOX MUST be included.