Film Making / Pre-Production >

Script Development
Includes: "The Myth of Development: Joan Galt on the games development people play" >>

The Role of the Producer
Includes: "Chicken Soup for Producers: Mary Jane Skalski lists 10 rules for new independent producers" >>

Film Financing
Until recently, the term "international coproduction" had little relevance for American independents. The United States has no coproduction agreements with foreign governments and no system of tax breaks or subsidies to encourage foreign film investment. However, as production finance becomes increasingly hard to obtain from domestic distributors, American independents are discovering ways in which to participate in international coproductions. >>

Creating A Budget
While studios can underwrite lengthy reshoots, artful editing, and enough F/X explosions to distract an audience from almost anything, indie filmmakers are often forced to cross their fingers and hope no one notices the boom in the shot, the hole in the plot, or the day the lead actress was having an allergic reaction to her cough suppressant. And while some flubs can actually lend a low-budget charm to the film, others are serious enough to send viewers streaming out of the theater. For beginning low-budget filmmakers, the trick is knowing which indie cliches are merely annoying and which are truly deadly.>>

Working with Designers
You're a producer working with a first-time feature director, someone whose last short film was shot in a dorm room. You're now producing his or her feature, the first film the person hasn't had to do it all - write, direct, edit, design - all by themself. To top it off, your director is nervous and convinced that there's no one else on earth who shares his or her vision. How do you strike up and then develop a relationship with a production designer, one of your film team's key personnel? How do you find the right person who can develop a common language and work with your director to realize that vision? >>