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APE, it seems like you're projecting your own reservations about not taking the leap yourself. To me, it's simple. If you have the money to make a microbudget feature film, go for it. Why overthink it? Your chances are zero if you don't try at all. The line between hope and delusion is a thin...

You're not crazy. But you need to enlist help at the top level: get a producer. Don't go at this alone. Sharing this journey together with someone else will be that much more rewarding and constructive. Also, Netflix is your friend. Watch low budget indies on Netflix, and have IMDb on hand for...

Depends on the budget level of your project, location, etc. For example, finding strong actors can be very difficult if you're shooting a low budget project in a locale that doesn't have a film industry. Conversely, in LA or NY, you can find a ton of amazing actors. Same goes with most...

I find it amusing when folks use politics as an excuse: left-leaning governments blah blah blah. The reality has less to do with what happens in Sacramento, and more to do with production needs. TV/cable comedies are typically filmed on soundstages, and there's economies of scale by filming...

Is there a separate producer on the project? If so, bring your concerns to him/her. The onus will then be on the producer to sit down with the director.

Agreed with the comments above. The key hurdle here isn't on the filmmaker end (sounds perfectly reasonable) - but how the company will get an audience to watch these movies. What concerns me is the "customized video player." As an audience member who loves indie movies, the delivery format...

Not sure if this counts as traditional "superheroes" but this: THE SANDMAN Like Game of Thrones, this would have to be a series on HBO, as no feature film (not even a franchise) could encapsulate it all. And to capture the tone of the comics, it's got to be a slow burn -- and not the typical...

I saw EDEN (2012) at a film festival a while ago. I think it's finally getting release now. Based on a true story that happened in Texas (American gal gets abducted and trafficked in Texas). I have no affiliation with the film at all, other than having seen it as an audience member...

Lots of good stuff here. From my own experience (with feature/tv credits as an actor, and directed short films and a feature) and mistakes I've made: 1. TEAM, TEAM, TEAM Get rid of the "auteur" mentality. If you're a writer-director, find a producer. Avoid being the sole...

To be fair, we idealize what we don't know. That woman you fantasized about as the perfect girlfriend/spouse? Well, she turns out to be human. But even if she's less-than-perfect, you can still love her even though you don't like some aspects of her. Same thing with the film industry, sports...

First I totally understand how you FEEL. I'm guessing that this is your baby, your passion project, and if it was anything like my experience, at times you can feel utterly alone because your commitment level to this is magnitudes more than anyone else on your team. And that feeling of being...

I actually have a statistics and math background. Just like any profession, there are plenty of bad statisticians. Or plenty of audiences and consumers who don't know the difference between math and insight? One of the biggest maxims that I'm sure some of you may remember from your stats class...

Lavalier mics should minimize the echo. As well recording wild lines. Your sound mixer should be able to give you guidance here.

For me it's Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and the Coen Brothers because no matter what project they're directing, as an audience member what comes through is their sense of joy, fun and delight as filmmakers. I can respect Terence Malik, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorcese, etc. for their...

I may be biased, as I came into directing originally as an actor for many years. What I've found is that as a director, some relationships are more important than others. ACTORS: your relationship with your actors are the most important asset on set. If you are on great terms with them and...

As others have mentioned, get footage directly from the DP. Or if you're no longer the editor, find out who will be the editor. Same with sound - you can probably get the sound files from your sound mixer.

If you're looking for the traditional 3-act structure (which most commercial films tend to follow), it can be summed up with Pixar's 22 rules of storytelling, rule #4: #4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___...

I just watched AMOUR, and I'm in the minority that felt a bit cold from watching it. Maybe because I was expecting so much more given its rave reviews. Performances were understated in a great way, but it felt a bit clinical. I get a sense that Haneke wanted to tell the story in a...

First time poster here! I'm based in LA, and have directed a number of shorts that screened at festivals, and just finished my first feature (currently in post) that was shot entirely in LA. Lots of locations, with a minimal budget. I'm not from LA originally, but have also met plenty of...