Choosing to work with Hollywood’s unions is a major decision for any filmmaker or producer. There are pros and cons to joining or not joining. The choices you make at the start could have far-reaching consequences for your film. If you make the wrong decision, you may find yourself in unchartered waters. Your crew members may start to dictate demands of their union. I have been on both sides of this and believe unions are a necessary part of filmmaking, so it is critical to understand how they operate. Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Working with Unions: Grieved and…
Every time I finish a film, I always hear this question: “What are your next short film ideas?” Whenever I hear it, my brow furrows, my palms start to sweat, and I squeeze out an apologetic shrug. Continue reading Finding the Best Short Film Ideas that Level Up Your Career
A model release form is important to protect photographers from liability and licensing claims that may arise down the road. In this post, you'll learn how to maximize its protections and download a free model release form template to help you get you started.Continue reading The Best Free Model Release Form Template for Photography
Casting is an art of its own. At the most fundamental level, casting directors are in charge of building a team. At the most sensitive level, casting directors hold the “keys to the city,” determining who gets put forward for a gig and who doesn’t. From running auditions to negotiating contracts, CDs are the people who bring the actors to the story and are often charged with presenting out-of-the-box options that could change a story’s essence.If becoming a casting director is your dream, Backstage has you covered. It’s a tough, competitive field still rooted in an apprenticeship model, with a…
The project’s been green lit. The script’s been finalized. I’m going to hold an open casting call! Not so fast. If you’re not careful, your open casting call can be disorganized and rushed, netting you less than amazing actors. Continue reading The Ultimate Guide to Auditions [FREE Casting Sheet Template]
Casting websites have forever changed the production process. It used to be that the aspiring actor, with their trusty headshot in tow, would make the rounds to casting offices, not quite sure what to expect.Thanks to the wonders of technology, actors now have an abundance of online resources to find legitimate casting opportunities.Here’s a look at some of the best free casting websites out there.Continue reading The 8 Best Free Casting Websites
If there’s one thing writers will agree on, it’s that character development is super critical to writing a winning script.Continue reading Character Development: Write Stronger Characters [with FREE Worksheet]
Kickstarter has helped plenty of filmmakers outside of Zach Braff bring their projects to life. It’s proved to be a great way for independent filmmakers to raise funds when other avenues may be closed off.If you think you might want to start a campaign for your own movie, then you need to look at some of the best Kickstarter film projects of all time. You can examine their Kickstarter pages for yourself to see how they convinced hundreds or thousands of strangers to give them money and then check out the films themselves to witness the final result. Continue reading…
Musicals are a special breed of filmmaking that requires a LOT of preparation and planning to pull off. There is singing, and dancing, and music. And it all has to be presented in the script in a particular way.In this post we’ll look at some of the special considerations that go into making a musical using La La Land as our guide. Continue reading How to Schedule a Musical: Breaking Down La La Land
You’ve got a script. You’re getting ready to shoot. Before you go into production, you’ll need to do a script breakdown.Continue reading How to Find and Schedule “Hidden” Shoot Locations in a Script
