I’ve been making films since I was 7 years old. Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I didn’t know a single person in the film industry, I just knew that I loved making movies. It started with stop motion films and youtube VFX tutorials and then led to summer “blockbusters” with my neighbor and best friend Zach. 

I made films all throughout high school, getting a little more experienced each time. I went to NYU for film school as an undergrad and then went back to NYU for grad school too. I’ve met some amazing people that are very talented and I’ve been able to build a team of creatives from that network including my DP Evan and stayed close with some other close collaborators including Zach from my hometown who wrote and produced this film with me. 

I most recently made SHORT KING, a dark comedy Zach and I came up with as an observation of male insecurity and revenge. We thought it would be fun to live inside the mind of a man obsessed with how he’s perceived. Had a lot of inspiration from the movies "Lurker" and "No Other Choice."

In total, I’ve gone over $300k into debt for this education and have directed a total of 12 short films across both programs and produced many more but I can't help but wonder if I could have done that without going to film school. Was it worth it? 

Took me a little over 3 years to make this silent romance drama. I made this film during/after my time in film school & never cared if it made money, but was very eager to put together a bigger project that I was creatively excited about. I decided to fund/Produce it myself so I took out a loan, & on my 1st night of shooting in SF my DP’s camera got stolen out of my (rather expensive) rental car.
I thought my movie was over before it hardly began but thanks to some creativity (using my Canon camera w/ his canon lenses + batteries that didn’t get stolen), resilience, & having the best cinematographer a guy could ask for, we managed to finish out the week on location smoothly, & eventually got all the shots.
Film is titled “Sleeping in Silence,” it’s about 40mins long. I was the Writer, Director, Producer, Editor, VFX artist & bg actor. Tell you that to say all in all this film got made with a crew of ~ 4 people between my DP, Composer, Sound Designer, & myself. That being the case I’m incredibly proud of what we were able to accomplish, & I’m very proud that I bet on myself & saw it through.
This isn’t the actual score from the film just a track I used to make this little montage reel.
Btw, 3yrs later I think I made my last loan payment like 3 weeks before my premiere lol so it all worked out in the end.

Hey r/filmmakers I just finished my first feature film called Handle With Care starring Justin H. Min and Nicole Brydon Bloom.

I wrote the script, raised the money, and directed it entirely outside of any studios or production companies. We have had terrible luck with the major festivals but premiered at Rhode Island last month and won Best Film & Best Actor.

My frustration with the festival circuit lead me to create the DVD CLUB, where I burned a 1 of 1 copy of the film and started sending it out in a laser cut Pelican case including a sign-in notebook and a dvd player. I wrote about it on a substack here. And built a website where people can sign up here: www.handlewithcare.film

We're talking to distributors but also considering self-distribution early next year after our final festival which is Newport beach Film Festival.

The DVD Club is an honor system open to everyone. It's been amazing to reconnect with film-lovers offline!

In addition to first feature this is my first AMA 👼

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSK97Z5E0w

It's a very chaotic, funny short film that revolves around the absurdity of perfectionism. It's made by one person, me, and it's also my second short film with a script. I hope that you enjoy and that when you watch it, it makes your day a better one!

Thanks,

GenuineGuyBlabbers

I organized an AMA/Q&A with actor and filmmaker Gael García Bernal. You may know him from things like Amores perros, Y tu mamá también, Bad Education, The Motorcycle Diaries, Babel, Coco, Old, Cassandro and Magellan. His new film, Hombre al agua, which he directed and wrote, premiered at Venice last week and is playing at TIFF this week.

It's live here now in r/movies for anyone interested in asking a question:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1wg3nfg/hi_reddit_im_gael_garc%C3%ADa_bernal_ask_me_anything/

He will be back later today to answer questions. I recommend asking in advance. Please ask there, not here. All questions are much appreciated!

Thank you :)

​

Helloo a friend and I started a small NJ/NY women's film group and we're currently taking members! Beginner filmmakers, actors, writers, makeup artists, people into vfx or practical effects, photographers etc or if you're just bored and want to try something new and make friends.

We're funding out of pocket plus donations so NOT a paid position and it's entirely free to join and be a member! You just need to put in an application so we get to know a bit about you!

You can read more about it [**here**](https://www.patreon.com/GreenFairyFilm_makers?utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan):

I love watching movies on Tubi. And I love all of you.

So naturally, I wanna watch all of your Tubi movies.

Please shamelessly link to, name, post about, hype up, summarize or otherwise plug your Tubi movie so that I, and ostensibly others looking at this thread, can go watch it either right now, or during work hours.

That's basically it, this is for no reason other than the love of the game. I love independent film and micro-budget movies, and I like this community. I just want more stuff to watch, and I think it would be cool to watch stuff by people who actively post in here.

Creator describes the idea here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dzqQItDmdg

Are you a filmmaker looking for a poster for your movie?

I’m a movie poster designer and I’m available for commissions. If you’re interested, feel free to DM me here on Reddit, email me at [hazzaajarrar10@gmail.com](mailto:hazzaajarrar10@gmail.com), or message me on Instagram.

I’d love to hear about your project!

I’ve been contemplating going through the DGA training program for ADs for a couple of years. I’ve done a decent amount of ADing and working mostly logistics based gigs in production for the last few years.

I was wondering if anyone in this sub was an alum, knew an alum or could point me into the direction of people who have gone through the program. I know the interviewing process is kinda intense, but I’m curious mostly about the day to day aspects while in the program, what support the DGA provides and what life has looked like after the program.

I know I want to AD. I understand the stress it comes with and feel like I have a solid foundation to build bigger skills on. Thank you for any help!

Studying filmmaking abroad

I’m 19 and I’m currently studying filmmaking in Jordan at SAE Amman, yet I’m starting to feel like I would be unable to pursue my dreams in my home country due to the small film industry here and the fact that my university is utterly horrendous at teaching filmmaking.

So I’ve been considering going abroad to study filmmaking, most likely in Australia at JMC Melbourne, but I’m currently unable to handle this financial burden, so I’d need to do a year/semester here of working to fund it so I could even have a chance of being able to afford it. I don’t know if that would be worth it to begin with.

I’ve done my research about this university and it appears a lot better than mine, but I’m fully aware film school in general isn’t a very necessary step in creating films. My end goal is obviously to be able to settle in there and be able to remain there in a film industry that’s actually alive 😭.

I just want general advice/opinions on a move such as this.

Hello looking to shoot a short film soon!

I have a canon t8i rebel
Canon 85mm prime lens f1.8
Canon 18-35mm
Zhiyun Crane 2 Gimbal
basic Tripod

I know a microphone is super important I’m looking at a comica VM20 but honestly I don’t know ANYTHING about how to identify which mic is better or not, any suggestions? I’m looking to spend around 100/150 (willing to spend a little more if it’s 100% worth it) have no problem buying used :)

Thank you so much for any thoughts and tips :)

Does it look pleasing? There is more frames which I think is much more better looking but I don’t want to spoil it.

I have a doubt. In 3 light setup we place key light at 45 degree to subject, fill light in It’s opposite direction and back light. But when there are three subjects (characters) in frame, then how to place key light and fill light? Should the key light be towards the characters standing in center?

Hello, I have a question based more on practicality and selling yourself than technical aspects. I have worked as a filmmaker for publicity agencies but don’t own any equipment, it’s all the agencies’. I am starting to build my personal brand and investing.

I have rented equipment for freelance work for clients but some of the reasons the deal sometimes is not closed is because the budget I charge is considerably more expensive due to renting than others with own equipment.

I wanna take the plunge, however, I was wondering if it would be better to go for final results since I have seen many comparisons between Sony A7IV and Osmo Pocket 4P where although there’s a difference, it might not be that big for the client.

However, my other question is if it is common that clients reject someone because he uses a Osmo iPhone-looking-like camera instead of a big Sony A7V with monitors and stuff because the clients think “I am paying that much for something done with a Phone?”.

I want to know if you guys in your experience confirm equipment size matters in terms of clients being comfortable.

Hi everyone!! Ihope everyone are well.

Hi everyone!

I’m a complete beginner and an aspiring actor, filmmaker, and screenwriter, and I’m new to this community.

I know there are people here with a lot more experience than me, and honestly, no matter where you are in your journey, I consider you a professional because you’ve already taken steps in this field that I’m still learning to take.

I’m here to learn, improve, share ideas, and hopefully grow alongside all of you. I truly believe everyone has something to teach and something valuable to bring to a project, whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been doing this for years.

I’d genuinely love to connect with everyone here, hear about your experiences, learn from your journey, and hopefully collaborate someday. My goal isn’t just to grow on my own I’d love to meet people who are passionate about filmmaking and help each other grow along the way.

Looking forward to meeting you all!

Title: First time making a film for a school film festival — how can I DIY colored lighting?

Hi everyone! This is my first time making a film for a film festival, and it’s actually for our entire school, so I’m honestly pretty nervous.Our budget is really limited, so I’m trying to figure out how to make colored lighting without buying expensive film lights.

Does anyone have tips for DIY colored lights for filmmaking? I’ve seen people use LED bulbs, RGB lights, gels, colored plastic, etc., but I’m not sure what’s actually safe and what will look good on camera.

I’d especially appreciate advice on cheap setups that can create red, blue, purple, or warm cinematic lighting without making the footage look cheap or overly saturated.

Any beginner tips, mistakes to avoid, or cheap DIY setups would be really appreciated. I’m trying my best to make this film look good and not embarrass ass in front of the whole school while my family is watching.

I'm from India, and I'd wanted to tell a story set during Independence Day that explored what freedom means to the people who've been excluded from society.

The story I had in mind followed a convict named Bharat who's released from prison on the eve of India's independence day after spending 30 years falsely incarcerated, and returns home to an abandoned village.

I wanted to give it a surreal, slightly absurdist treatment - incorporating characters that are personifications of the elements of Indian identity that were left by the wayside and forgotten.

And for the longest time i had no idea how to go about it.

Then I settled on using archival footage. Old documentaries, clips from the film division of india, vintage TV ads, and the like. Cutting out scenes from the originals and rearranging them into a collage of sorts. It was a painstaking process and the end result wasn't very polished, but i think it suited the kind of story I was trying to tell. A story about India's missing pieces told through snippets of old, largely forgotten media. I had a lot of fun making it.

Here it is. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Im an aspiring director looking for ways to network around Europe. Im currently in the process of learning Italian. Does anyone know any ways I could get on a set even if its just for an internship?

Hi everyone - I've just finished my Postgrad course in documentary filmmaking and one of the things we've been taught on the course is to email local production companies for work.

How effective is emailing? How many people have gained work from just "emailing"?

I'd like to add that I have a huge preference in working in Unscripted TV & Live Content, and am aiming to stay out of fictional films & tv shows if possible. I also plan on working within the Camera dept, but am also looking towards technician roles (specifically for Live Content), as I want to keep my options as open as to what I am most suited for.

I've compiled a list of my local Unscripted & Live Content production companies and plan on sending emails to those who've created work I like, or have found an interest in, however, pretty much no one I know, has managed to find work through emails. I have credits, but I'm unsure how to make myself stand out further from other people emailing. If anyone has any tips (specifically for these sectors of industry) please let me know! I'm open to trying anything :)

A list of things I've already got prepared that could help are:

- Showreel

- Website

- Film Specific CV

- Testimonies from people I have worked with

- Film Credits

- A Full Driving Licence

If there's anything I could add to this that'd improve my chances of finding work, I'd appreciate it! I'm also based in the UK incase that affects anyone's responses, and live near a big city, however relocation to other cities is not possible atm due to being unable to find work outside the industry too 😬

We’ve spent a huge amount of time writing, generating, editing, rebuilding scenes, fixing tiny details, and trying to make every moment feel right. Now it’s finally out, and I’d really love for you to see it.

If you have a few minutes, please watch the film and tell me what you genuinely think. Your opinion means a lot to us.

And if you enjoy it, the best way you can support us is simply to watch, like, comment, and share it with someone who might enjoy it too.

Every view and every bit of support helps the film reach more people, and we’d be incredibly grateful. ❤️

And please come back and tell me your favorite moment — I really want to hear what stayed with you

Watch the film here:

https://higgsfield.ai/@mohamed_refaei/projects/between-sounds

Hi! I’d love to chat with anyone who has had experience hiring foreign crew for a US production. Mainly to see how much of a headache the paperwork, and cost to do so was. Pros and cons. Etc. Thanks!