Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Tour, Casting & Other Stuff

September 29, 2009

I had a great time at the B Movie Celebration, thanks to all who attended. Now I am headed to Tulsa for the Script2Screen Film Festival this weekend. I am speaking at the Festival twice (Thursday evening and Friday morning) and then doing a workshop at the Nightingale Theater (416 E 4th Street) on Saturday from 11 – 2 pm.

Then I’m flying home for the annual Father/Daughter Dance at Fiona’s high school. It is her senior year, and I haven’t missed a dance yet. This will be fun. I am home for about 30 hours and then back out on the road and off to Southeast Missouri State University.

Let’s talk about Casting for a moment.

How do you find Actors for your films?

I go to see as much theater in town as I can. I love theater, and I love theater actors. In my experience they work real hard and they love what they do. They must, because most of them are never going to get rich working in the theaters. So how come filmmakers don’t go to the theater? At one of the panels I was on at the B Movie Celebration another filmmaker made the comment, “Most of your friends can’t act so don’t put them in your movie!” I have to agree (unless of course your friends are stage actors…). And that’s the point, nothing looks worse than bad acting in a film. The audience will laugh for awhile, and then when it doesn’t get any better, they will leave.

Find the best actors you can and rehearse the hell out of them. And don’t forget to respect them and their craft.

The studio/distribution people will tell you that you need a name. Don't believe them. They're lazy. They don't want to have to work at their jobs. We work our asses off making the movie, why shouldn't they do the same thing promoting it? And these days, to say you have William H. Macy in a movie isn't enough. How many straight-to-DVD movies have you seen on the shelves that have name stars? If there are lots of titles that you have never heard of, just think how many movies these "stars" have done that never got picked up for the straight-to- DVD route. Probably lots.

It's all bullshit! Good actors are more important than stars any day of the week. Remember, stars have to come from somewhere. Maybe your low-budget film will be the launching point for the next Parker Posey? Doubtful, but possible. I still say, stay away from "stars!"


Excerpted from my book, The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide Part One: Making The Extreme No Budget Film. It’s full of things to help you make your film. So why haven’t you bought it!

Go to my site, (www.angryfilmmaker.com) and buy it for a mere $16.95 + $3 S&H. You’ll feel better about yourself in the morning.

“This is a killer book. It tells you what your teachers can’t, because they haven’t done it. It tells you what your friends can’t, for the same reason. Jammed with tons of useful advice, Baker’s book is an invaluable “think before you shoot” guide for beginning filmmakers, as well as people who’ve been around the block, but need a refresher course.”

William M. Akers
author of Your Screenplay Sucks! 100 Ways To Make It Great
teaches screenwriting and filmmaking at Vanderbilt University
Lifetime Member of the Writers Guild

On to other stuff.

Even though Moses and I are on the road, I still have open dates on the Fall Tour so if you want us to come to your college, university, media art center, high school, theater or even to your house for dinner this Fall send me a note, angryfilminfo@aol.com.

Don’t forget to check out my tour sponsors, Show Biz Software, (www.showbizsoftware.com), Pollard Design (www.pollarddesign.com), Zoom Creates (www.zoomcreates.com), and Cheezy Flicks (www.cheezyflicks.com ). If you haven’t checked out their sites and their services, you better.

And I’m welcoming a new Sponsor, Film Slug, (www.filmslug.com) but more about them later…

As always, feel free to link to my site and you can subscribe to my blog. So what are you waiting for?

Talk later.

Kelley

www.angryfilmmaker.com

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

DC Shorts, Mustard & The B Movie Celebration

September 22, 2009

The tour is going great so far. I had two large crowds for my workshop at the DC Shorts Film Festival, (http://dcshorts.com/) as always Jon Gann throws the best film festival. I met some great filmmakers and saw some old friends. Jon, keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll come back ANYTIME you want me. If you have never been to DC Shorts, you are a fool.

I just finished shooting a 10 minute short with a group of students at the Wisconsin Film School in Madison (http://www.wisconsinfilmschool.org/). It all went really well and the weather cooperated. In fact I am even a bit sunburned. I want to thank all of the students and the professionals involved, you made it al worthwhile project. Now someone else can edit it.

I am on my way to Chicago to see a few friends and then down to Indiana for the B Movie Celebration (http://bmoviecelebration.bside.com/2009/). I’ll be teaching a workshop on Sound Design and hanging out with old friends. If you have never been here before and you love interesting movies, you need to come on down. Bill Dever hosts a great festival.

Don’t forget, my book, The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide Part One: Making The Extreme No Budget Film is full of things to help you make your film. So why haven’t you bought it!

Go to my site, (www.angryfilmmaker.com) and buy it for a mere $16.95 + $3 S&H. You’ll feel better about yourself in the morning.

"Like any good survivalist, Kelley Baker doesn't beat around the bush - he gets right down to the nitty-gritty heart of the matter right way. His 12 chapter Survival Guide is a compact, no-holds-barred 12-step program to creating what Baker calls "The Extreme No-Budget Film." Baker is on fire about making films. You will be too after reading this brutally honest compilation of personal stories and practical advice from the front lines of independent filmmaking."

Morrie Warshawski
Consultant and Author (Shaking the Money Tree: The Art of Getting Grants and Donations for Film and Video - 3rd Edition)

If you already own the book please go to Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Angry-Filmmaker-Survival-Guide-Extreme/dp/1439232733/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249153618&sr=8-1) and write a review on my page, I would really appreciate it.

On to other stuff.

Even though Moses and I are on the road, I still have open dates on the Fall Tour so if you want us to come to your college, university, media art center, high school, theater or even to your house for dinner this Fall send me a note, angryfilminfo@aol.com.

Don’t forget to check out my tour sponsors, Show Biz Software, (www.showbizsoftware.com), Pollard Design (www.pollarddesign.com), Zoom Creates (www.zoomcreates.com), and Cheezy Flicks (www.cheezyflicks.com ). If you haven’t checked out their sites and their services, you better.

And I’m welcoming a new Sponsor, Film Slug, (www.filmslug.com) but more about them later…

As always, feel free to link to my site and you can subscribe to my blog. So what are you waiting for?

Talk later.

Kelley

www.angryfilmmaker.com

Friday, September 04, 2009

Micro Filmmaker, Sundance, & Other Stuff

September 4, 2009

Check this out, William Akers has a piece in the new issue of Micro Filmmaker Magazine called, Just 'Cause You Got Financing, Doesn’t Mean You’re Ready To Shoot!
(http://www.microfilmmaker.com/tipstrick/Issue46/ReadySht.html). It’s a great read, check it out.

It has been interesting these last few months watching all sorts of “Corporate Indie” folks talking about the “New Model” of independent filmmaking, you know the one I have been living for years.

-make lower budget stuff
-make it personal and targeted to a VERY SPECIFIC audience
-create a fan base for the film and yourself
-use a mailing list to market and RAISE MONEY for your production
-use your web tools (website, Facebook, etc.) to increase sales/downloads
-guard your digital rights with your life
-the future is online

Anyway, I just saw that Sundance is adding a new section for low and no budget films at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival. I have been writing about this for years. It is good that maybe someone up there is finally seeing the light. Or maybe they realize that they have become irrelevant and they need to go back to their roots. This could be an encouraging step.

You can check out the article in Indiewire (http://www.indiewire.com/article/john_cooper_we_are_looking_for_creativity_born_of_limitations/), but don’t change your plans anytime soon; we’ll see what they really mean by “low & no budget films”.

Don’t forget, my book, The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide Part One: Making The Extreme No Budget Film is full of things to help you make your film. So why haven’t you bought it!

Go to my site, (www.angryfilmmaker.com) and buy it for a mere $16.95 + $3 S&H. You’ll feel better about yourself in the morning.

“Finally, a film resource that tells it like it is! As a film festival director, I watch hundreds (if not thousands) of films a year — some good, many flawed. I wish I could afford to send copies of "Survival Guide: Part 1" to every director I encounter, to help them identify and correct potential issues before they roll the camera.”

Jon Gann, Director, DC Shorts Film Festival

Thanks Jon. I will be at the DC Shorts Film Festival next week; I am doing two workshops on Friday September 11th. It is a great film festival. I hope to see you all there.

On to other stuff.

I am still booking the Fall Tour so if you want Moses and I to come to your college, university, media art center, high school, theater or even to your house for dinner this Fall send me a note, angryfilminfo@aol.com.

Don’t forget to check out my tour sponsors, Show Biz Software, (www.showbizsoftware.com), Pollard Design (www.pollarddesign.com), Zoom Creates (www.zoomcreates.com), and Cheezy Flicks (www.cheezyflicks.com ). If you haven’t checked out their sites and their services, you better.

And I’m welcoming a new Sponsor, Film Slug, (www.filmslug.com) but more about them later…

As always, feel free to link to my site and you can subscribe to my blog. So what are you waiting for?

Talk later.

Kelley

www.angryfilmmaker.com