Three West

Going Mobile - Portable Filmmaking

8. May 2009

So, I’m planning another trip out of the country and the fist thing that came to mind was how heavy my bags and gear were on my last trip. After my last trip, I’d already decided that I absolutely had to travel lighter on future international excursions. I have always made an effort to travel light [...]

Tips for Authors, Acting Talent & Film Crew: Why No One Responds

7. May 2009

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I never thought I would need to write an article of this nature, however, due to the overwhelming flood of snore inducing e-mails from readers hoping for publishing deals or to obtain acting and/or film crew jobs, I feel I must offer some advice. I’m not exactly sure what is being taught in school these days [...]

Setting The Standard: Reclaiming the Art of Filmmaking

30. October 2008

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What does the future hold for the art of making films? I’ve recently been visually consuming mass amounts of films from the 1950s to 2008 and all I can say is … WOW. It was quite disturbing to see the incredible decline in the quality of films in such a short time period. Equally disturbing [...]

Filmmakers Beware: Giving Away Your Work For Pennies

26. October 2008

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Filmmakers beware! I recently decided to explore the idea of being paid for video content. In doing so, I came across an article, Getting Paid for Content, by Sheila Curran Bernard. I’d originally been out searching for filmmakers who had actually been paid by Current.com for their work. I found none. Current TV was requesting [...]

Predatory Filmmaking: A Reflection

22. October 2008

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When I filmed my first documentary it was on pure impulse. It wasn’t until I’d finished filming that I understood one thing. I felt a deep appreciation for those who participated in my film. They didn’t know me from a can of beans, yet they agreed to share the intimate details of their lives with [...]

Documentary Filmmaking: Great Quality, No Budget

26. September 2008

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Would you like to make a Documentary film but have little or no money for a budget? I did and I’ll share with you how I did it. I was reminded recently about the importance of sharing knowledge. Although I’m not a big Hollywood filmmaker (by choice), that doesn’t mean that my methods and particularly my [...]

Documentary Filmmaking In 10 Steps

25. September 2008

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This past spring I flew to Florida from New York to film my latest two documentaries, Our Side of Joy and Charise: A Portrait of an African American with Albinism. I’d filmed my first documentary back in 2002 but I was very new to filmmaking at the time. That doc turned out pretty good but [...]

12 Step Guerrilla Filmmaking Checklist and Guide

26. August 2008

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Here is a basic checklist and guide for making a film guerrilla style from start to finish. Don’t be surprised to see how completely uncomplicated it is. You want to set a reasonable timeline for all of the pre-production tasks (a month or less). _____ 1. Acquire a camera, a good microphone, a tripod and at least [...]

Guerrilla Filmmaking - A Pep talk

26. August 2008

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One of the reasons I wanted to write a post about Guerrilla filmmaking is to help you put things into perspective when you are thinking about how to make films and what your goals are for making films. It is my thought that you have to really decide why you want to make films. For me, it [...]

What Kind of Filmmaker Are You?

9. August 2008

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So you’ve decided you want to make your own visual media or films. Well, now you have to decide what kind of filmmaker you are going to be. This is an introductory post and also appeals to home, small, and medium sized businesses who are considering making their own PSAs, Commercials and other promotional video. There are [...]