MOVIE BUDGETS & SCHEDULES: (Want Money? Then Do a Budget…But How Long the Shoot? Solve the Filmmaker’s “Catch-22”)
by Dov S-S Simens on May 7, 2019
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?
2 CommentsWant to make a successful independent film?
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SCREENWRITING: You Only Have 1 Shot (Rate Your Script)
by Dov S-S Simens on April 26, 2019
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””.
3 CommentsFILM MAKING SECRETS (Micro-Budget Film Tricks… #10 Is My Favorite)
by Dov S-S Simens on April 22, 2019
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.
5 CommentsPRODUCE YOUR 1st MOVIE… GUARANTEED ($10K-$500K Budgets)
by Dov S-S Simens on April 1, 2019
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…
4 CommentsMOVIE BUDGETS LIE (So What’s Your Budget? $1M, $2M, $2-3M, $3-5M, $10-12M, $15-20M, $50-70M…?)
by Dov S-S Simens on March 29, 2019
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”
12 CommentsFINDING & HIRING A-LIST ACTORS (B Cooper, G Clooney, J Depp…Got $20,000,000 for a Name… Don’t Pay… The Secrets)
by Dov S-S Simens on March 25, 2019
HOT ACTORS: “How to Find a Bankable Actor”
You got the script. You’re sure its great and you’ve been told “You need a name“. And, you actually have the name of an actor in mind. Now how do you get to him or her? And how do you him or her to talk to you? And, according to Shakespeare “Now, There’s the rub”.
(Ever hear of Pay-to-Play? [Click to Continue…]
$1 MILLION MOVIE IDEA (Be Careful. Ideas Get Stolen… 1st Write a Treatment. Then Own It. Then Sell It)
by Dov S-S Simens on March 4, 2019
GOT A MOVIE IDEA! BE CAREFUL.
Movie ideas are a dime-a-dozen and I am sure that you are sure that yours is worth a million bucks…
And “Yes great movie ideas are rare.”
But beware, even if you have a great idea, an unbelievable variation of one of Shakespeare’s “20 Master Plots” or an amazing twist on Joseph Campbell’s “The Heros Journey” (superb storytelling books you can obtain at the www.WritersStore.com or www.SamuelFrench.com websites…
No CommentsWOMEN WANT TO DIRECT?… (Learn the 4 Secrets to Being a Female Director)
by Dov S-S Simens on February 28, 2019
HOLLYWOOD GLASS CEILING: 1st PBS IS DOABLE
Yes, with respect to women, Hollywood is a Glass Ceiling and the way to break through is to approach it not as an Art Form, not as a Cultural Entity, not as a Social Entitlement but for what it is… a business … after all, it’s called “Show Business”.
However, PBS (Public Broadcasting System), which is not Hollywood but a government funded program, supported via under writings,
1 CommentGET AN AGENT: THE SECRET (Power Agents come from Power Attorneys… Top 25 are)
by Dov S-S Simens on February 19, 2019
HOLLYWOOD
MOVIE AGENTS
Yes you need an agent.
Further you need a Hollywood agent powerful enough to get calls answered and, of course, knows how to sell scripts, create packages, attach names, take meetings with deal-makers and help with pre-sell financing.
And the secret to securing a powerful Hollywood agent is to retain a powerful Hollywood attorney and literally buy your way into the system.
However, to succeed,
3 CommentsWANT TO DIRECT? (The Secret: Hire a DP… DPs are Directors without Egos)
by Dov S-S Simens on February 16, 2019
WANT TO DIRECT…WANT TO DIRECT GREAT? Then Hire A DP.
Confused about shot selection? Where to put the camera? What lens to use? How to dolly? How to frame shots? When to get a Master, a Medium, or a Closeup? When to use a Dutch Angle? When to do the cool Zoom-In Dolly-Out shot? How to make sure your setups cut together?
How? How? How?
Well, stop being confused. Why? Cause that’s not your job…
3 Comments
