Interview: Donald Jolly
Unless we are performing and/or directing, we aren’t building the house or moving into it—we have to leave space for the other collaborators.
Strike Back - Ending Hollywood's Historic War on Workers
What effect did all of this end up having on Hollywood? A culture of abusive bosses, low pay, and hazardous working conditions that has continued for decades.
Calling All Writers: Monsters Wanted
Do most filmmakers consider it too gauche to center a film around a monster these days?
Ted Dickerson's Last Life
Today is Ted Dickerson’s 84th birthday. Or his 4,534,119,982,103rd birthday if you count his other lives, which he, of course, does. Either way, he’s determined to make it his last.
What Do Agents and Managers Do Anyway?
You’ve just signed your entire career over to a complete stranger. Whether you succeed or not in your chosen field is completely up to someone who you’ve known for about sixty minutes. What have you just done?
Artist Snapshot: Patrick Franklin
There is nothing more motivating than just observing human beings in the wild.
How NOT to Make a Documentary
Any good "how to make a documentary" guidebook would tell you to hire a qualified DP and sound mixer to get the best quality picture and sound. But we didn't have money—we just had each other.
How I Overcome Writer's Block
Knowing that even A-list authors have “my dog ate my homework” moments can be reassuring, and ironically that reassurance can help the rest of us unleash our creativity.
Stephen Chbosky: Feeling Alone, Journeys Toward Truth, and Refusing to Romanticize Pain
"I'm not interested in people’s pain; I'm interested in their salvation. I'm not interested in their isolation; I'm interested in their catharsis." - Stephen Chbosky
John Pollono and the Small Engine That Could
"... the country right now is so fucking political and divided that the only safety you have is if you feel that the art is regurgitating your own opinions and political beliefs back at you. I find that incredibly boring."
Artist Snapshot: Kelsey Grace Pfiefer
I think all artists are inherently invisible problem solvers. We see an empty space in the world and want to fill it with our ideas, our images, and our stories.
Supplemental Content Ideas So Marketing Your Film is Less Boring
As indie creators, we have neither the past notoriety, the platform, or the money to rely on classic marketing styles, so we have to get more creative.
Why Do So Many Sequels Suck?
When the lights go down in the theater, I’m always hopeful that a sequel will rise to the challenge of making more out of its task than just being a quick money-grab.
Do You Really Want Feedback ... or Validation?
Other people told me my script was good, so you should like it, too.” This is honestly one of the most naïve notions I’ve ever heard.
Artist Snapshot: Dan Williams
I have always sought to understand as many points of view as possible. I want to make these worlds accessible through empathy. To make them entertaining by surprising audiences and subverting expectations.