THE 3 HOLLYWOOD FORMULAS:

(1) SCREENWRITING FORMULA: “Ain’t Written…It’s Re-Written”

(2) FILM MAKING FORMULA: “First Make-Film…Then Make-Deal”

(3) PRODUCING FORMULA: “Budget Xs 50% Xs 10% = Shoot”

(“Hollywood is a business & when a First-Timer remember “He who has the Gold makes the rules””) 

Hollywood, like life, has very simple rules for happiness (Be nice; Act with love; Trust God; Work hard.

[Click to Continue…]

HOLLYWOOD IS HIRING

POINT OF INTEREST: This post is solely to make you aware of resources available for obtaining your first movie job or screenwriting assignment… but the phrase is “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t…..”

The point being “you have to pick up the phone or click and e-mail” and “you have to have the talent” and all that I, and this article, can do is give you some direction in launching your film making and or screenwriting career.

[Click to Continue…]

WANT TO BE SPIELBERG? GET THE BASICS. START WITH CORMAN!

Want to Direct? Then learn the Directing basics.

Making a Movie is like building a building. After the Blueprint (aka: script) build the floor & walls… how you design the floor & walls is what’s called “style” or “art” and I can’t teach “art” or “style” but pour the foundation, get the floor and then put up the walls.

Now, let’s talk film making and directing.

[Click to Continue…]

THE $136,413 SCRIPT SALE

Hollywood (aka: Production company that is a signator to the WGA), according to the writer’s union minimum rules, gets paid approx. $100,000 ($72,662 to $136,413), for a Treatment and two Drafts (1st & Final),to write a script, based off an original idea they have.

“You’re first script sale you’ll be offered WGA minimum plus 10% for your agent”

QUESTION: So what do you think they’ll offer you when you come to them with the finished script that,

[Click to Continue…]

2 REASONS A PRODUCER/DIRECTOR/WRITER FAILS AS A FILMMAKER

First is falling in love with a Poor-Fair Script and the Second lies in not preparing a Production Board (aka: Shooting Schedule) to be organized for your shoot.

Huh? What do I mean (as if it ain’t obvious).

First is Screenwriting. If “It Ain’t On the Page, It Ain’t On the Stage”. If you have written a screenplay without a proper “Beat Sheet”

[Click to Continue…]

MOVIE BUDGET OR MOVIE SCHEDULE (Which Comes First)

You finished your Screenplay. It is great. Next on the list is get a Budget. However, to prepare a budget you need to know the schedule, how long is the shoot…. but to prepare a schedule you need to know the budget… and according to Vonnegut “So it goes”. and according to Heller it’s “Catch-22”

Chicken or egg? Do you budget first to schedule or do you schedule first to budget?

[Click to Continue…]

SCREENPLAYS: THERE ARE ONLY TWO TYPES:

Your script is the key to opening the doors for yourself to become a part of the Movie Industry as either a writer, producer or director.

And, as a first-time screenwriter only GREAT will do… Always remember, “Hollywood can get away with mediocrity but first-timers, like yourself, can not (Yes, life is not fair) and for you “good is not good enough and only GREAT will do””.

[Click to Continue…]

Anyone can write, produce or direct a feature film, especially with micro-budgets of under $100K, if they approach their first project knowing these time tested and proven film tips.

14 MICRO-BUDGET FILM MAKING TRICKS

Below are 14 Filmmaking Secrets or Tricks, not taught at USC, UCLA or NYU, to maximize production value for your first feature film especially when you have little-to-no money and a smartphone.

Secret #14 is the most revealing on how Hollywood works but don’t skip the first 13 film making tricks.

[Click to Continue…]

7-STEPS to FILM SUCCESS

(1) Read this Blog

(Follow these 7 Steps and practice your acceptance speech)

 (Follow these 7 Steps and practice your acceptance speech)

(2) Pick one of the Top 10 Movie Budgets (see below) that is either #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 or #6… Go Budgets #7 to #12 and you are not realistic

(3) Get the KISS Script…

[Click to Continue…]

HOLLYWOOD FR*CKIN’ LIES. 

Let’s talk budgets. Movie Budgets and how they so clearly demonstrate that “Hollywood Lies”.

PS: Hollywood doesn’t lie… It markets… It markets by telling budgets… Now welcome to Hollywood.

The Million Dollar Feature Film? The $2-3 Million Feature? The $20 Million Budget? The $50 Million Studio Feature? The $200 Million Mega-Budget Franchise? Budget amounts are all over the place and first-timers need to know “what does it really cost”

[Click to Continue…]