Guerrilla Filmmaking

GUERRILLA FILMMAKER? THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT (Actually, there are several)

By @DanielaPeinado / Edited by @leonardzelig

  

In this era of information is hard to find someone who’s not dependent on their smart phone, actually if you forget your cellphone at home, you feel like you are disconnected from the world, like you’re missing your social life. The point is, cellphones are more than just a digital way to communicate.

There is a world of applications that you can use on your phone as an extension of your computer. We want to bring you some information about apps designed specifically for Filmmakers.

You might have heard about ReelDirector, with this app you can edit your projects on your iPhone or iPad, even add musical background and upload it on YouTube.

If you want to write on the go, CeltxScript, the great open source suite, have an app for you. Write on any location, add ideas to your script and it will be automatically sync with your Celtx account.

THE ULTIMATE GUERRILLA WORKSHOP. Guerrilla Film League: Class of 2010 is open for registration

Nine months ago, Javier and I were having some drinks with a few friends. Among the crowd there was this red hair aspiring filmmaker who asked this, the minute she learned that we were producers, "Would you recommend me to get into film school?" We hear that question a lot, so the answer was automatic, "If you have the money, film school is a way to get into the film world, but if you're going to get into a humongous debt to do it, our recommendation is that you get your hands on some money, find an experienced  producer, read some books, talk to some filmmakers and go shoot your first feature, that experience is as good as 2 years of film school, and you'll have a feature". She gave us that skeptic, but also familiar look, and said "Really?"

After that conversation we decided to create the Guerrilla Film League, and paradoxically, took us nine months to design the best way to do this...

Without further ado... we present you: Guerrilla Film League: Class of 2010...

INVENTING THE MOVIES a must read! (PART II)

CHAPTER 10. COMING TO TERMS WITH THE NET.

"In a suburb south of Los Angeles, it looked as though a band of cell-phone-obsessed nomads had set up camp in the parking lot surrounding an office complex: a small village of tents had sprung up overnight, and white trailers were parked in neat rows.

A yellow AMC Gremlin was being towed slowly around the neighborhood by a truck; inside the car were the actors Morgan Freeman and Paz Vega, and a movie camera was mounted on the bed of the truck to capture their conversation.

The movie they were making, 10 Items or Less, tells the story of a famous actor (Freeman) who enters and then alters the life of a convenience store cashier (Vega). It was fairly typical for a low-budget movie made without studio support: costs were being kept under $10 million, the shoot would be completed in just fifteen days, and the script didn’t call for any flashy visual effects or elaborate sets. (In 2006, when 10 Items was made, the average cost of producing a studio movie was $65 million.) It was also being shot on 35-millimeter film, like most movies of its vintage."

INVENTING THE MOVIES a must read!

Scott Kirsner is a journalist who writes about innovation, with a special focus on the ways that new technologies are changing the entertainment industry.

He writes regularly for Variety and The Boston Globe, and has been a contributing writer for Fast Company, BusinessWeek, and Wired. He edits the blog CinemaTech (est. 2005), and is the author of The Future of Web Video, one of the first books about the business and creative possibilities of online video, originally published in November 2006 and updated in March 2007. Scott’s writing has also appeared in the New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Salon, the San Jose Mercury News, and Newsweek, among other publications.

This is so far, the book of the year for me! Scott makes you understand the future of filmmaking, a lot of the stuff that's in the book is not new, but the way he analyzes the different phases of cinema starting from 1894 untill tomorrow it's simply fascinating.

He's been generous enough to share the introduction of his book with everybody, but also he's sharing one of the best chapters, the number 10th: Coming to Terms with the net.

Today I'll be sharing the introduction of his book that you could find in the next page. Tomorrow the amazing chapter 10th, so stay tuned.

LIVING THE DREAM: Exclusive interview with Scilla Andreen, CEO of IndieFlix

Scilla Andreen is a mother, a filmmaker, CEO of IndieFlix.com and an active member of her Seattle community. Yes, in that order, that’s how I figured she’s a good mother, she put that title first: Mother.

But let’s talk about a broad meaning, we’re talking about a person that treats every project as a baby, she nurtures it, feeds it, watches it grow and then feels proud of it. IndieFlix is 4 years old and as Mozart did, is making the difference since the early years. It’s not only a distribution company it’s a distribution experience.

She’s very passionate about her life at this moment, she sounds really happy and she’s decided, along with her partner Carlo Scandiuzzi, to make IndieFlix the link between the independent filmmaker and their audience. They recently announced their deal with all the major online distributors such iTunes, Netflix, Joost, Hulu, Vudu & Tivo.

This is a long interview, almost an hour, but every second is worthy. We talked about numbers, pay-per-view streaming, DVD Distribution, Digital Distribution, Non Exclusive Rights and her latest adventure IndieFest, among many other things.

The Interview.

IFP FILM WEEK COVERING: DIY Theatrical Distribution

• As audiences for films become more segmented, how can filmmakers work directly with art house and alternative venue programmers to showcase their latest content and bring audience back to the theatres? This session will bring together DIY filmmakers and programmers to discuss what works best to market, position and program independents films in art house theatres and alternative venues to maximize financial impact for both parties.

"The old model is broken, but it's still in place and the new model it's not fully functional" this was the conclusion of Wendy Lidell, president of International Film Circuit, in other words, we're in a moment of transition where the filmmaker, specially the guerrilla filmmaker, it's in absolute control, because the studio executives and the indie filmmakers don't know how to confront the new model, but for us nothing has changed, on the contrary, we have more resources.

The panelists: Karen Cooper, Director of the Film Forum, Ned Hinkle, Director of the Brattle Theater, Cynthia Swartz partner of 42 West PR and Cora Olson, Filmmaker. Brilliantly moderated by Mark Elijah, Founder of Rooftop Films.

Highlights of the panel down here

IFP FILM WEEK COVERING: No Budget, No Problem

• How can filmmakers utilize new technologies to get their next project budgeted, developed and completed for less time and money? Hear how filmmakers around the world are actively using new technologies and innovative cross platform collaboration for creative and financial gain to get their big ideas with small budgets off the ground and out to global audiences.

My favorite quote from the panel was "Technology is no substitute for craft" by Bryan Poyser, the rest of the panel was conformed by Barry Jenkins, Todd Rohal and Melissa Scaramucci, it was moderated by Gabe Wardell, Executive Director of the Atlanta Film Festival.

All the filmmakers agreed that the best way to start is starting! Bryan Jenkins said "Film is like a sport, you need to train to be good, and the only way to train is making films".

Funny how this entry is totally in the same line of yesterday's interview.

Here the highlights of the conference, boost the volume, I was kinda far.

BECOME AN EXHIBITOR: Join the revolution, The Brave New Theaters

I am still in shock for this magnificent idea, I'm still processing how a guerrilla film can open in thousands of screens outside the system, and the answer is right there in front of our eyes: the people.

I need to interview these guys, I'm working on that, but in the meantime you can watch the video or reading The Pitch.

With the platform of The Brave New Theaters (TBNT), you can become an exhibitor, you can host a film party for you and your 8 friends in your living room, or you can go to your closest library and ask the director if they would be interested in projecting a movie for the community around your neighborhood.

Well, a lot of people did that, actually more than 7,000 so far. Right now, filmmakers have the chance to take destiny in their own hands thanks to this innovative way of distribution.

Stay tune I will bring more in depth information about  TBNT soon.

HOW TO PUT YOUR VIDEO IN MORE THAN 20 VIDEO SITES with just one upload

The answer is TubeMogul.

You finish your short film and now you want the world to watch it, ok which site is the best?  youtube, google video, myspace, revver, veoh, vimeo, metacafe? Because maybe you feel that you don't have time to put it on all of them, well you can through the dynamic interfazof tubemogul and on the top of that they give you reports of how your video is doing in every single site.

HOW TO GET YOUR GUERRILLA FILM IN iTUNES without getting absolutely crazy!

Apple is totally indifferent to your needs, I tried everything in order to get in touch with someone capable to explain me why is virtually impossible for a single filmmaker to sell his or her movie on iTunes... I'm still waiting for the answer. 

It was frustrating, I mean, I own a Mac. I use Final Cut. I have an iPhone and an iPod, but it's ok I'll try to explain how to avoid my frustrations.

So let's get into business! It's not that easy.

Guess what? Your worst nightmare: you need a distributor! if this is a turn off try the interfaz of CreateSpace to sell your film through Amazon Unbox, the first runner up on Video Downloads.

If you still want to sell or rent your film on iTunes here is the list of digital distributors for Guerrilla Filmmakers...