How Are Famous Movie Scripts Created?
“To make a good film, you just need three things: the script, the script, and the script.” -Alfred Hitchcock Scripts or screenplays are where all movies begin—without a script there is no film. Yet, when asked, the average movie goer would be hard pressed to name more than a handful of screenwriters, and those they […]
A Practical Guide to the Film Production Process
Much has been written on the various jobs and positions involved in film production and the creative skills required by them. Here’s a practical guide, with an emphasis on the underlying and sometimes harsh reality of the film production process, which every independent filmmaker should know. The Development Stage Traditionally, movies go through a development […]
Directing Actors: The Basics Every Director Should Know on How to Work with Actors
“Actors should be treated like cattle.” Alfred Hitchcock. “Directing is 90% casting.” Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, John Ford, Elia Kazan. The two preceding quotes represent the two extremes on how directors should work with actors. When all is said and done, the director succeeds when actors deliver monumental performances in memorable productions. On-set, the director […]
Using a Screenwriting Template
Perhaps more than any other creative submission, a screenplay needs to be written a certain way. Manuscripts, novellas, and other written works and need to follow certain guidelines (spelling, grammar and so on), but none are nearly as in-depth as a script. “‘Twas a dark and stormy night” is enough to start a book. When […]
How to become a movie director
Just as the home computer explosion in the early ‘80s opened up the film industry to the masses, the film industry also enjoyed a boon due to technological advances. With the advent of digital video recorders, mobile technology, and accessible digital editing software, moviemaking became more accessible, too. And just as Spotify changed the way […]
How to write a movie script?
“A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order.” -Jean-Luc Godard How to write a good movie script? A movie script consists of three things: The story idea. Movie Structures Script Format The Story Idea. All movie scripts start here. The Film Connection, an immersive film school, says […]
Film Lighting Basics
Three point lighting is the basic film lighting setup. It employs a key light, a fill light and a backlight. It is designed to highlight the main actor or point of interest in a scene by making them stand out from the background. The key light is the strongest light source and placed to one […]
Film Jobs: The Grip
Everybody knows what a producer, director, and cinematographer do. But what about all of those other jobs and names that follow, scrolling down the screen after as the movie ends? The gaffer, foley artist, and gang boss (not as rough and tumble as you might think) are a few film industry jobs that you’ve seen […]
Film Production Companies
At the start of most films, you’ve probably wondered why so many companies are listed before the movie starts. A studio presents a movie, which was produced by another company, sometimes in association with yet another company. Why so many? Surely, film studios like Warner Bros. or Disney have the resources to make movies on […]
What is SAG?
SAG is the acronym for the Screen Actors Guild, a powerful union in the United States that represented film and TV principal and background performers worldwide. It was founded in 1933 to combat the exploitation of Hollywood actors. It did this by negotiating and enforcing collective bargaining agreements on how much actors were paid, the […]
GORDON MANISKAS LANDS FILM INDUSTRY WORK IN L.A!
Graduate Gordon Maniskas completed the Film Connection while living in Boston, Massachusetts and upon finishing the program and his spec screenplay, the aspiring filmmaker made the move to Los Angeles to pitch his film concept and jump into the film industry with both feet! Gordon’s screenwriting mentor, Peter Foldy, was impressed with Gordon’s script and […]
How can I get my film made?
It’s a can’t-miss story! A young boy is kidnapped by aliens just as his mom is dying. Brought up as a space pirate by the very aliens who took him, he befriends the daughter of a galactic warlord, a talking raccoon, an alien warrior that takes things too literally, and a tree that walks around […]
