Why You Should Cut Ties With Companies Like TopSpin Media

Archives For Filmmaking

Our thoughts on the craft and practice of making movie magic.

Why You Should Cut Ties With Companies Like TopSpin Media

Dan Baker — January 31, 2013 — 2 Comments

I’m a busy man, as all independent filmmakers are. I don’t have time to fiddle and fuss around with my website, which is why I rely on WordPress and DreamHost. They’re great. Set it and forget it! And if there’s ever a problem, there’s always somebody I can talk to.

When I had to settle on an e-commerce partner through which I could sell our films online, TopSpin came highly recommended. Many self-distributing artists I look up to use TopSpin, and their product, by far, seemed the most appropriate for what we wanted to do.

Turns out, that was one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made (and I’ve made some bad ones).

In Filmmaking customer service, ecommerce, topspin

Premiering a Film? 3 Ways You Can Screw It Up!

Rachel M Taylor — November 26, 2012 — Leave a comment

I recently premiered a short film called Avarice, and it would be a great understatement to say that a few things went wrong. A LOT went wrong. It’s incredibly frustrating to work yourself to a point of exhaustion and to end up looking like an inexperienced kid with a movie while showing it to hundreds of people. Learn from my mistakes because I know I certainly did. Here are 3 things I will forever do before a screening.

In Filmmaking avarice, Films, macedonia films, Movies, premiere

Are Comic Conventions The New Film Festivals?

Rachel M Taylor — November 19, 2012 — Leave a comment

As I was growing up, Hollywood was the place every aspiring young filmmaker hoped to end up. I certainly spent hours daydreaming about what it would be like to work on a Hollywood set. However for me, independent film soon after became the next “cool” thing, at least for a teenager interested in film. I used to look for the Sundance laurels on every film I rented at Blockbuster and thought that a movie had to be good if it played at Sundance, and I soon began believing that film festivals would be the ticket to making it as a filmmaker.

However, times have changed and so has the film industry, and it would appear that the future of successful filmmaking might not be at film festivals but instead at comic conventions. If you’re a filmmaker, here are some reasons to check out comic conventions for your screenings.

In Filmmaking comic conventions, Fans, film festivals, Filmmaking, Films

Behind the Scenes Film School: Ways to Learn Filmmaking from DVDs You Already Have

Rachel M Taylor — October 15, 2012 — Leave a comment

The best part of owning a DVD or Blu-Ray is the behind the scenes featurettes that most of them include. Besides being just plain interesting, some of them can offer some very useful tips as a filmmaker.

Some of them will break down how they accomplished a certain effect while others simply film a tiny interview and call it a behind the scenes. So if you’re looking for something educational, definitely pick up the ones that break things down and explore new frontiers in filmmaking.

Here are 3 DVD extras chosen at random with information about what/if you can learn from them and apply the information to your own filmmaking. (Also, the rating is based on a scale of 1-5). Continue Reading…

In Filmmaking Atonement, Behind The Scenes, black swan, darren aronofsky, Joe Wright, m. night shyamalan, unbreakable

The Essence of a Filmmaker: Kubrick, Aronofsky, Tarantino, and Anderson

Dan Baker — October 2, 2012 — Leave a comment

I like Japanese food. I read once that one of its main tenants is to highlight a food’s natural texture and flavor in it’s most pure form. If a dish is to feature mushrooms, then it’s flavor must be unmistakably mushroom; all seasonings and garnishes must work to accentuate and compliment the mushroom.

I don’t know if anonymous Vimeo user kogonada is Japanese or not (British maybe?), but kogonada has done for film what Japan did for the mushroom. In the following four “supercut” video essays, kogonada boils down Stanley Kubrick, Darren Aronofsky, Quentin Tarantino, and Wes Anderson into their cinematic essence.

While the video essays are a work of art in their own right, they open up and explore the habits of these four directors in a way that leaves you pondering their choices.

In Filmmaking darren aronofsky, quentin tarantino, stanley, Wes Anderson