Over the next few days we’ll be posting various videos from the DIY DAYS LA event. The day consisted of a number of keynotes (Robert Greenwald, Marshall Herskovitz), panels (Tommy Pallotta, Femke Wolting, Alex Johnson, Micki Krimmel, Mark Stolaroff, Ondi Timoner, Hunter Weeks, Saskia Wilson-Brown), case studies (M dot Strange, Arin Crumley, Lance Weiler), a series of special video presentations (Matt Hanson, Brett Gaylor, Brian Chirls, Christy Dena, Timo Vuorensola) …

We often discuss the importance of embracing other models and schools of thought when it comes to filmmaking. Much can be learned from the music, gaming and software industries. Filmmakers are after all entrepreneurs and the following presentation at The Next Web Conference 2008 by Adeo Ressi, The Founding Member of TheFunded.com, holds some interesting insight into the venture funding world. Now most filmmakers won’t go searching for venture funding …

We’re pleased to welcome another contributor to the project – Mike Ambs. I had the pleasure of meeting Mike at SXSW last month and he along with Amanda Walker have created an interesting new project called Pedal. In his first post Mike shares some insight into the post production process and how various web 2.0 techniques can be applied with interesting results.
By Mike Ambs:: I should be upfront in saying …

by Marc Lougee
:: Mini Cameras: Small, like Diamonds There’s much talk on and offline concerning the advent of mini camera’s used in stop motion animation, specifically when used in tandem with DSLR’s. Some folks love’em, some hate’em, but either way, they keep proving themselves useful, relatively inexpensive and hard to boot when faced with the alternative of shooting all day only to find yourself facing a re-shoot for …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The following was originally published in Filmmaker Magazine. I thought it was appropriate to re-post since the FHTA submission period is coming to a close not to mention numerous filmmakers have been asking for info on ways to spread the word about their work. This article was one of a four part series entitled “Lessons in DIY.” Make sure to read the article it covers three other interesting projects that …

by Marc Lougee
:: Digital Image Capture and why we went there
From the outset, I wanted to shoot the film utilizing a high resolution source. My experience with digital capture for animation started while Animation Director on MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch in New York, where we had used three-chip cameras built for medical operating theatres. The image resolution & color was great for standard definition television, but held no promise of …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

M dot Strange reports – This was part of a presentation called “Adventures in self distribution” I describe the journey I took with my animated feature film “We are the Strange” From my bedroom to Sundance and beyond and back to my little studio again after turning down Hollywood deals and deciding to self distribute and make my films my way.
M dot Strange: Berlin Talent Campus 08 from M dot …

I’d like to take a moment to introduce a new contributor to the Workbook Project. Zachary Mortensen is an accomplished producer and co-founder of production company Ghost Robot. He’s produced numerous feature films, shorts and music videos. Recently, Zachary opened a new web shop called Space Unicorn which is helping independent filmmakers to build an online presence for their films. In his first article Zachary breaks down the importance of …

by Marc Lougee – In April 2007, I dropped a little article here on the workbookproject.com laying out a very basic DSLR/ shooting system that I had assembled for production of the stop motion animated short film, Ray Harryhausen Presents: The Pit and the Pendulum. Using Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera’s in place of traditional film camera’s we’d found a high quality, cost effective digital alternative to 35mm film.
So, in …

The news of deals being struck is beginning to filter out of Park City. But behind the deal making that has become legendary is the reality of having to deliver the film. Long after the buzz has dwindled producers will start the long haul of delivery. For some outlets it can be minor but for others it can be a labyrinth that will take money from you at every turn.
It …

At the beginning of 10 MPH you’ll see Josh and I trying to get sponsors to help out with the whole Segway thing. It was really tough as many of the companies we talked to felt there was no opportunity for ROI. Independent art was not worth their investment. But over time with some work on our strategies, we’ve learned how to intrigue sponsors more and were actually able to …

Tom Quinn reports – With Slamdance only a month away, I thought it may be worth detailing the process of prepping THE NEW YEAR PARADE for its Park City premiere. Fortunately for us, the IFP Narrative Rough Cut Lab had prepped us on dealing with distributors, sales agents, and planning our festival strategy. But even with their guidance, I found myself initially overwhelmed by the tidal wave that hit last …

The new Case Study section of the Workbook, will focus on projects in development, production and distribution. The first case study details the Head Trauma cinema ARG (alternate reality game) which not only promoted the movie’s DVD and VOD release but also became its own revenue stream.
Like everything else associated with the Workbook the Case Study section is an experiment, so if you have questions, suggestions or know of …

If you’ve never dealt with trying to get into film festivals and that’s in the plans, go buy Chris Gore’s

Make movies yourself. Distribute them on your own. 10 MPH’s director Hunter Weeks writes a thorough overview of how he and Josh successfully made 10 MPH one of the most talked about indie films of 2007.
AN INTRODUCTION:
If you watch 10 MPH, you’ll see that Josh and my approach to getting into the film industry was one of blind faith. We had no formal training in making films and very …

This edition of POV comes from Christopher Rice. He has worked professionally as a script reader and is now working on his own material. In “May the Spec be with You!”, Christopher shares some insight into the process and gives a glimpse of what a reader looks for in a spec script.
Read More
If you have something that you’d like to share we are always on the look out for how …

Since I’m knee deep in pulling together the next HEAD TRAUMA cinema ARG, I thought I’d share some of my promotional materials. The following is an invite followed by a press release for the event. We started by hitting horror blogs and then moved into some indie film and general movie outlets. When I come up for air next week I want to layout a detailed description of how we …

There is a new resource for those looking for information on ways to fund work. “The Film Finance Handbook – How to Fund Your Film,” provides a comprehensive look at traditional and new models of funding.

“With information on funding and tax incentives in over 50 countries, details of more than 1000 funds, a new chapter on the Internet, 400 entry glossary and significantly expanded information about low and microbudget production, …

Cutting through the static
by Lance Weiler
Last November the internet hit a major milestone, over a 100 million sites with registered domain names and active content. The web is considered to be the great equalizer for filmmakers, one which promises cost effective promotion and distribution. But where do you start and what’s the best way to design a cost effective online promotional campaign that can help you build an audience for …

How your favorite video games can help you make a film that is not the sux0R
By: M dot Strange

Recently I did a few lectures on animation and film making for San Jose State University students. One of the students asked a question about how video gaming had influenced the way I developed the narrative in We are the Strange. At the moment I hadn’t really thought about how video games …

Shooting The Pit and the Pendulum with a Mac Mini computer & a Nikon D70s DSLR camera
By Marc Lougee
We shot the short stop motion animated film, The Pit and the Pendulum using Nikon D70s DSLR’s Apple mac Mini computers, and a low cost frame capture software program called Frame Thief (available for Mac). The basic system consisted of the Mac Mini computers, 15” flat screen monitors, Canopus analog / …

By Arin Crumley (co-creator of FOUR EYED MONSTERS)
If you make art of any kind – film, music, fine art, etc… – and do it well, or even if you don’t, at some point, someone might see a way they can make money off of your creations. At this point, a deal needs to be made. I just came back from the Guadalajara Film Market where I only made one …

Today I’m joined by Steve Balderson (Pep Squad, Wamego: Making Movies Anywhere, Firecracker, Phone Sex) and Christopher Garetano (Horror Business), two independent filmmakers who are creating their own work on their own terms. In our discussion we cover a variety of issues facing filmmakers today – funding, production, post and distribution.

To listen NOW click the play button below.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Today’s guest is Stu Pollard. Stu is a filmmaker and a fundraising specialist. Besides raising funds for his own movies, Stu has helped to secure over 7 million dollars in private equity for a number of films. He recently started a company called Pollard Film to help guide filmmakers through the fundraising process. In our discussion, Stu sheds light on what goes into a business plan, how to find the …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Topic: How to create your own news feed mashup
Skill level: moderate
One of the web promotions that was used for HEAD TRAUMA, is what I call “scatter shot.” The approach made use of about 13 different domains. The goal was to increase the visibility of the phrase HEAD TRAUMA within search engines. To read more on the approach click here.
In order to simplify the updating of all the domains in one …

Today’s podcast is a special DIY roundtable on film production with Mark Stolaroff (producer and founder of the No Budget Film School), and Paul Harrill (filmmaker and blogger Self Reliant). Over the course of the discussion we cover a number of topics such as; fundraising, producing, directing, casting, working with cast and crew, and how to obtain high production values with little money.

More about today’s guest:
Mark Stolaroff is an …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Film is all about collaboration. Filmmakers are starting to engage in new ways with their audience, that’s plain to see with the projects the Workbook project is covering.
The Internet allows us to take this collaboration further, into the realms of crowdsourcing. This is an emerging area that we’re pushing the edges of with A Swarm of Angels, a participative film. As we just made Number 1 …

Topic: How to create your own embeddable flash audio player
Skill level: moderate
Something that worked well for the promotion of my newest feature, HEAD TRAUMA was the creation of digital swag. Our mantra became “embed and spread” as we made everything easy to access and share. The approach worked well within social networking sites like myspace, where you can embed flash and html into your profile.
This digital swag, consisted of simple …

From time to time I’ll touch on elements that will be covered in the first edition of the workbook in detail. Tonight I wanted to share the online press kit that I made for HEAD TRAUMA.
Since I was handling all the press for the movie, I needed to have a centralized place where I could send the press. Because I was on a tight budget, I wasn’t about to put …