The Complete Online Filmmaking Reference - Film Distribution ...

Film School Online, Learn Filmmaking for Free
Filmmaking Lessons Start Here
How do I get started?
Take a little time to learn basic filmmaking skills. It's a lot easier than learning a foreign language.
What is this site?
The single most comprehensive collection of filmmaking information on the net
Free information on every aspect of filmmaking
A portal to all the web's useful filmmaking sites.
An option if you can't attend an expensive film school
Be bold! Don't let ANYTHING stop you!
Do you want to learn to be a filmmaker? Well ... you can.
What is filmmaking? - your first free lesson
How can you become a fimmaker without spending thousands on film school?
Read articles on this site that interest you, study movies and access all the in-depth information linked to from
this site. Select from recommended books, DVDs and other filmmaking resources scattered throughout this site to
fill out your knowledge.
You also need to get out, meet other filmmakers. Ask questions. Volunteer to help on film sets. You can contact
me directly with specific questions.
And, of course, you'll need to make movies!
Most people imagine filmmaking is mostly about making films ... directing actors, shouting "action" and "cut"
and all the glamour. While that is part of the job, in actuality that exciting phase is about 5% of the time spent.
The biggest part of the indie moviemaking job is the development, or scriptwriting, phase where filmmakers
typically spend one or more years looking for ideas and writing screenplays until they have a great script to film.
Another six-months to a year is spent in pre-production gathering the resources, people and money, required to
make the film.
The exciting production phase of filmmaking, when the motion picture actually gets made using video cameras
or other film equipment to do the cinematography, often lasts less than two-months. But round-the-clock activity
takes all the energy you can muster.
The post-production phase of filmmaking goes on for six-months to a year of editing and assembling the most
effective presentation of the story.
Finally another six-months to a year may be spent traveling the film festivals circuit and meeting with distributors
while you search for a good deal selling the film.
Most successful filmmakers have several filmmaking projects in various phases of completion at any
given time so the phases are all overlapped. Many story ideas are in development at the same time as a finished
screenplay is in pre-production and a finished film is still making the festival rounds.
Movie-making can be one of the most exciting things a person can be involved in. Sound like fun? Great! Then
read on. Let's start your free film schooling.
Goals and Plans: Your first step is to come up with some Goals and a Plan. All successful filmmakers started
with some goals and a plan. Many of them used the same plan. There's no big secret to it. You'll learn the tried
and true road in this section.
Buzz: Next you need to understand what is involved in marketing and selling a film so you make sure your
Great Idea is one that can be sold. Read this section to understand the important first steps necessary to improve
the chances that your movie gets distributed.