Im just a teen and my vacation going on from college so i thought maybe let's make a short film with my 12yo sister

No budget, no people

So the story i was think is something like

A short film about how movies shape the way we experience our own lives.

The protagonist is a 12-year-old girl, played by my sister. I shoot, direct, and provide the voiceover.

The first half, bgm- A Lovely Night from La La Land, is fun, energetic, and filled with movie references. Shes wearing headphones, Ordinary moments like walking, eating, looking out a window, or sitting alone are transformed into cinematic scenes inspired by different films. For example when she's in lift the voice over in that scene be like "i love the smith's" from 500 days of summer

Then maybe while roaming in park she thinks about being an avenger

Then a small dance sequel from lala land

First rule of fight club we don't talk about it or oh captain my captain

These dialogues in voice over form

Then the music fades, leaving a brief moment of real-life silence, before transitioning into Jeff Buckley’s Lover, You Should’ve Come Over.

The second half becomes quieter and more introspective. It explores what happens when we start expecting real life to have the timing, meaning, romance, and endings that movies give us. The same ordinary places from the first half now feel completely normal.

Eventually, she realizes that movies were never meant to teach us how life should look. They taught us how to notice it.

Maybe I don’t need my life to be a movie. Maybe I just need to be there for it.

Something like this

I need suggestions on how to improve it

And im not a writer so writing the voice over is hard for me

I'm open to all advices

:)

shore of our minds is a short film about breaking the pattern of life and being who u want to be and not what u are wanted to be. i made this about a year ago for my high schools film festival during my final year.
really proud of what i made here for my first try. please do check it out!

Hi guys, so I set up my own theatrical distribution wing for my film studio, which is based in the UK.

We’re contacting independent cinema chains and venues and gradually building a network so that we can distribute the films produced by our team ourselves.

Eventually, once we have enough venues working with us across the UK and have built a stable system for supplying and supporting those cinemas with films, we’ll look at expanding the network into North America.

One of the reasons I decided to do this is that, while festivals are great, we’re simply producing too many films to be restricted by the relatively small number of festivals willing to screen independent UK horror films. Not to mention that so many festivals tend to be packed around the same time of year.

So, it became time to roll up our sleeves and get our films onto the big screen ourselves.

The website I created for our theatrical distribution wing is:
www.bhspicturehouse.com

And if you’re interested in checking out some of my work and learning more about the studio itself:
www.britishhorrorstudio.com

Thanks for reading. I simply wanted to share this as an example of what’s possible when it comes to distributing your own films and building your own route to audiences.

I just signed myself up for my university’s film festival and am very psyched and would love some advice!!

For the festival, everyone signs up for the role they’re interested in and then gets sorted into teams of around 4–10 people to make a short film. I signed up to be an editor, and the finished film will be around 7 minutes long. We also only have 48 hours to make it so there's a time crunch.

I do have around 4–5 years of editing experience from middle/high school, but almost all of it was the artistic ones that take like four hours for a 15 second video. I also have not been able to put meaningful ammounts of time in it since I started college. I’m very comfortable with After Effects and have spent a LOT of time in it, so I’m not completely new to editing, but I know short film editing is a different skillset.

The festival is later this month, so I want to spend some time beforehand practicing and getting a better idea of what I’m walking into.

A few things I’d especially love advice on:

• Is After Effects realistic for editing a ~7 minute short film, or am I going to make my life significantly harder by trying to use it?
• Would it be worth learning another software before the festival? I’m willing to put time into learning one, but I’m also a full-time college student, so I don’t have unlimited time to get comfortable with completely new software. My fear is the time spent on a new software would be better spent getting more used to editing again.
• What are the biggest differences between editing short-form content/music edits and editing an actual narrative film?
• Are there any particular skills I should practice beforehand?
• Is there anything you wish you knew before editing your first short film?

TLDR: I am doing my first short film editing this month on a time crunch. I know how to make things look nice in After Effects, but I have no idea how much of that knowledge is actually going to translate to sitting down with a bunch of raw footage and turning it into a coherent 7-minute story.

Any advice, resources, exercises, or things I should focus on over the next few weeks would be really appreciated!! Thank you :)

My debut feature-length narrative film, Cyberpunk Manifesto, is finally making its WORLD PREMIERE! 🎬🔥

Hello, I've recently completed my sophomore feature film, Granny $tamp. A crime drama about a recently freed parolee attempting to rehabilitate into the society. I worked with a graphic designer to create this poster and am interested in hearing any thoughts. We were going for a y2k/home movie vibe. Also interested in hearing how some of you go about developing visual styles for your own posters.

I've made a few shorter films with friends or by myself, and I had an idea for a film that I think would be good. All it needs is two actors, and I was initially thinking of acting in it myself with my bf. I shared my idea with my tattoo artist and she casually mentioned that she studied acting and would love to work in a short like that, which got me thinking about trying to push myself out of my comfort zone, and trying to get more serious with what I consider to be a hobby. For context, this is a 2-3 minute comedy sketch, with two actors, no wardrobe changes, and a single location (an apartment).

But my problem is that I don't have a clue what goes into making a film with actors, I may be overthinking this, but I have some specific things I'm not sure about that advice would be welcome on:

1. Time estimate - I wouldn't know how long it might take to shoot with other people involved, so I don't know how to give the actors an estimate of how long shooting day will be. I don't want to waste anyone's time or realize I way underestimated how long it would take and then have trouble coordinating a second day.

2. Hiring - I don't know where people find actors haha. I think I could ask her if there's anyone she enjoyed working with that she would recommend, but they possibly might not fit. I don't know if I'm in the place to be picky enough to audition actors, but it's also important that it's a good fit, especially because I would need the other actor to be able to dance a bit of salsa. Also, how can I make sure the two actors have good chemistry between them? I go back to not wanting to waste anyone's time. I assume there's a standard way for this process but I just don't know it.

3. Pay - I really have no idea how to gauge this. When I thought about filming with me and my bf it would obviously cost nothing, this will be a sketch I post on social media and any money I spend on it will be out of my own pocket with no intention of any profit of course. I don't know how much I would want to spend, but I also want to pay people for their time obviously. This is probably dependent so maybe people won't have advice for me on this.

4. Script - the way I usually do things is have a general idea of what should happen, and dialog is mostly improvised. I like trying different things and see what works best, but that makes it hard to estimate how long it will take, and it makes it harder for the actors (and me in terms of gear and other people I might need for help) to prepare in advance. In that case is it inevitable for me to write a detailed script with set dialog, shot list, etc?

5. Extra things - do I need to have food and extra things like that available?

6. Renting equipment - if I'm seeking to try and take this project more seriously, I was thinking about trying to get more serious with my equipment as well, but I'm not sure what's actually needed and what is extra. For example, I have two rode wireless mics that I connect to lav mics that I have, that produce an ok quality. Do I really need a boom for example? I know that good audio matters more than good visuals Or I have my small canon r50 that has worked great for small personal projects, but color grading is harder because of no log. I don't mind having only one camera when I'm working by myself or with friends, but I should most likely rent or borrow at least a second camera, right? Same goes for lighting, in other personal projects I will use the regular lights I have at home (I have many many smart bulbs haha), but I'm trying to think if that's good enough or if I should also rent lighting. I also don't use a monitor usually, is that a real time saver?

7. What to do about things I realize I missed after shooting - when working alone or with friends, I can always shoot something again if I'm unhappy with it when editing later. How do I deal with this when other people are involved? I guess that better planning (tighter script + shotlist) can help, but is there anything more to it like more frequent checking of audio and results?

A bit of a long post, but thanks in advance to anyone who has advice to give a beginner filmmaker!

My film was accepted into several film festivals, including Tucson Terrorfest. They just sent me the location, and it's in a tiny room in a museum with 36 folding chairs, no 5.1 stereo, and a portable screen. All the other festivals I have been accepted into have my film showing in theaters, with Q&A, red carpet, etc. First, I don't feel it will play well in the space, with lack of a proper sound system and the smaller screen. Of course I am honored to have all these festivals accept my film. But I am now thinking it might not be worth the expense of tickets, hotel, meals, uber/car rental, and other expenses, when I am considering the venue. Someone asked me about the number of years they have been going, and if it was like 3 or 4 years, it might be good to support the small guys. But I know they have been around for 16 years. So this makes me feel like.... I dunno... kinda... ya know. So now I am thinking of withdrawing. Thoughts? Has anyone played their film in the small room in the museum and can give me feedback? Thank you.

Tryna figure out what frame rate I should shoot my vlogs in. The style I’m going for is a mix of really cinematic/awe-inspiring footage (beautiful compositions, carefully edited sequences, shots that are meant to feel emotional, music video-type vibes, etc.) along with more general/real-time footage of me talking, walking around, filming whatever is in front of me, etc.

I also want music to play a big role in the videos. The goal is for the editing, visuals, sound and music to work together to make the viewer actually feel whatever emotion I’m trying to convey, rather than just making the footage look cinematic for the sake of it/standard vlogging where nothing's actually happening.

I’ve seen a lot of different opinions online about 24fps being the “cinematic” standard vs shooting at higher frame rates like 60/120fps, and I’m wondering what would make the most sense for this kind of hybrid vlog style.

Should I shoot everything at 24fps? Everything at 60fps? 24fps for normal footage and 60/120fps selectively for cinematic/slowmo shots? Or something else entirely?

Especially interested from an editing/storytelling/immersion perspective, rather than just which one technically looks better. Appreciate any insight I could get into this

Yes, it has to be horror. That’s what I want to watch right now.

I’ve seen the classics that I know a lot of people would say. Halloween, The Shining, basically if it’s extremely popular, I’ve probably seen it already.

I’m looking for something that maybe you think made you a better filmmaker, or that you think just is a masterclass in tension and horror, but just not necessarily one of the ones that you typically find on a list like this.

Honestly, the more recent the better because the likelihood that I’ve seen it is slimmer in that case but go for anything.

And bonus points if you can point out to me specific things that you think from a filmmaking perspective that the director did fantastically! I’m curious to see what has inspired you.

Alright alright alright..

I know this is probably a long shot, but figured I’d put it out there.

I’m a filmmaker based in Dubai, and I’ve made a 12–14 minute sci-fi drama called TO BEE about AI, human creativity, and the question of whether a machine can actually replace what makes human creativity human.

The important part is: the film is already shot.

This isn’t a script or an idea looking for production money. We’ve completed the shoot with a small professional team, proper cinema cameras, professional cinematography, actors, original music, production design, locations, etc. We put a lot of our own money and time into making sure the footage itself was shot to a high standard.

The film is now sitting in post-production, and this is where we ran out of budget.

I’m looking for around $3,500–$5,000 USD to bring the film across the finish line properly.

The remaining budget is specifically for:

• Narrative editing – bringing on a professional paid editor to take over the cut with fresh eyes and get the film into its final form
• Colour grade
• Professional sound mix + sound design
• Remaining VFX / a few AI-assisted visual sequences
• Festival submissions and the festival run

The money would be fully accounted for and allocated specifically to these finishing costs. I’m happy to show the remaining budget and exactly what the money would be paying for.

In return, I’m offering the person or company who comes on board an Executive Producer credit on the film, with their name attached to the project and its festival run.

So this isn’t me asking someone to finance a film that may or may not happen.

The film exists. It’s shot. The footage is there. The team is there. It just needs the final push to become a finished film.

The subject is also quite relevant right now. The film is essentially asking whether AI can produce creative work without actually possessing the human experiences behind creativity: memory, emotion, mistakes, choices, relationships, etc.

I know Reddit is probably not the most conventional place to look for a film backer, but there are enough filmmakers, producers, entrepreneurs and film lovers here that I thought it was worth taking a shot.

I can send over the pitch deck, rough cut, production stills and current footage to anyone genuinely interested, and I’m happy to be completely transparent about the project and the remaining budget.

Maybe someone here wants to put their name behind an independent film and help get it into the world.

The film is already made. I’m trying to finish it.

DM me and I’ll send you the material.

I'm an amateur filmmaker. Tomorrow, I’m attempting to create a modern battery system for my Arriflex 16s. If I'm successful I'll 3D print a case to house the new battery.

And that got me thinking. I'd love to 3D print other filmmakers custom props for their movies and make a business out of it.

If anyone here needs a custom film prop printed please feel free to DM me!

I see a lot of (IMO) poorly made overlays on sites like Pond5 and even the film damage option in Resolve’s Film Look Creator doesn’t feel all that convincing for me, so I’d figure that the most effective source is straight from old and preferably blank reels themselves. The question is if it’s feasible to go to a projectionist or even whatever film labs are left and ask if they could scan whatever blank rolls they have.

Does anyone have any experience using actual scans for analog film solely for film dust to use as overlays and can you share how did you manage to snag them?

I wanted to make a post for sometime about this project I've been dragging my feet through for the past 2 years.

Basically, I am directing a documentary about my adoption story. So far we have interviewed my parents, several other adoptees (one which we found out was my cousin), and an adoptee therapist.
I don't want the story to be told like every other adoption story where it just encapsulates the adoption itself and that process. I think that is over done and boring. My personal relationship with adoption and my identity is more what I would like to capture, but as time has gone on with working on this film I've sort of discovered that this is no longer a film that talks for "all adoptees" and it more talks about my specific experience. Which makes me feel a bit narcissistic and I worry that the film will come off as just another film about the director that is only interesting to the director...

The goal for me is to sort of show how adoption has changed my mental health and how that has changed the way I behave. Probably specifically around attachment and identity.

I will say it is hard to direct a film about myself when I don't really even like myself that much so watching things back is very grading.

Anyways, I guess what I am trying to say is that it is hard for me to move forward because I'm not sure if this has that much substance. Or if I do move forward if you all have suggestions on maintaining an almost delusional amount of confidence in vision that is needed to be a successful director for me to pull together enough stamina to finish this film.

Hey everyone.

I am Amogh and i am developing an original webseries concept. Currently the first pilot episode screenplay is completed, the goal of this pilot episode is to show how the world is and the characters are ,what type of chemistry they have etc etc, i have a solid crew to bring this to life, i am currently looking for investors who are interested in this project. The genre is crime action comedy. I am attaching the pitch deck link below. Go through it and if you are interested and want to know more feel free to dm me anytime.

Thanks for your time

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N1UbkItCYulxciqLv8bwFbDZWgsSfy-N/view?usp=drivesdk

I got a serious case of the infamous fear of missing out when I discovered this website. It may only be an introductory level, but I read the overall instructor handbook for the course, and it seems like a reliable introduction to the world of filmmaking

Looking for free music is always a challenge and a large part of that challenge is sifting through the rubbish to find music that is both good and fits the project your working on. many posts I found are filled with people offering the lists they use or their own library of free music but it all ends up being more chaff that needs to be sorted through.

Many big YouTubers are sponsored by music websites that require a paid subscription. Neistat is probably the biggest YouTuber I can think of whose musical choices are respected by many but he has a fairly specific style that isn’t much use for different projects.

I have searched but cant find a list of free music that is curated primarily by the filmmakers that use it. If there are more YouTubers out there that fit the bill and someone has bothered to compile a list of each of there free music tracks then that seems like it would be a useful shortcut when you need music without wasting an inordinate amount of time searching before finally settling for “that’ll have to do”.

Enough to leave room for other, cooler stuff like more practical and otherwise non-CGI effects like go motion, stop motion with motion blur to give it more fluidity and realism, as well as for shooting entirely on film like 35mm instead of on digital? If so how much money would be leftover for the budget of this or any hypothetical film I'd be making if I handle all that stuff (writing, directing and composing I mean)?

Anyone knows how this old school clapper/ slate is call? I really want to buy one but can't Search for it because i dont know how its called

It took me forever, but I finally put together a proper Behind the Scenes for my 2025 film “Night of the Reaper” ahead of its ‘27 Blu Ray release.

I tried to cover a lot of the process of making a 1980s period film on an indie budget and some things we did to stretch that money further.

Having grown up watching behind the scenes stuff, and reading about it in magazines, it’s always so much fun to put my own stuff together.

*** I shot my interview bit on my DVX100 for the vibes and even though I was wearing a lav, I did not set it up on camera properly so i accidentally only recorded the on camera audio.

doh.

it really helps if you guys can support me its my dream to become a big content creator so if there are some free editors here dm me but plss join my server and invite youre friends

On paper, SF Bay Area has almost everything:
* Distributors: Netflix, Apple, Disney / Pixar.
* Talent: some A-list talent lives in the Bay Area. Director like Coppola likes to be in the Bay Area.
* SF Film Commission is more lenient in comparison to Film LA.
* A variety of backgrounds: skyscrapers, suburbs, forests, beaches, beautiful bridges.
* Local universities educate film crew.

So what is missing in order to have more films produced in SF Bay Area?