An in depth case study series documenting the making of a short film called Cuddle Buddies, and walks you through every step of the way in how to make a short film from the brainstorming and script writing phase all the way through to completing and marketing your film and beyond

In this book, Charles Merzbacher offers a concise, definitive guide to the essential skills, techniques and logistics of producing short films, focusing on the practical knowledge needed for line producing and overseeing smaller-scale productions. Drawing on insights from real-life production scenarios, veteran filmmaker and instructor Charles Merzbacher takes producers through every stage of the production process, from fundraising, preproduction and planning to the producer’s role in postproduction and distribution. Key topics include: Finding a worthy project; Schedules and budgets; Managing the casting process; Recruiting and managing crew; Location scouting; Legal and safety issues; Running a production; Negotiating music rights; And much more! An accompanying website—available at theshortseries.com—offers document templates for contracts, call sheets, budgets and other production forms, as well as sample production documents and short video guides featuring top industry professionals.

Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video is the definitive book on the subject for beginning filmmakers and students. The book clearly illustrates all of the steps involved in preproduction, production, postproduction, and distribution. Its unique two-fold approach looks at filmmaking from the perspectives of both producer and director, and explains how their separate energies must combine to create a successful short film or video, from script to final product. This guide offers extensive examples from award-winning shorts and includes insightful quotes from the filmmakers themselves describing the problems they encountered and how they solved them. The companion website contains useful forms and information on grants and financing sources, distributors, film and video festivals, film schools, internet sources for short works, and professional associations.

The Prisons Memory Archive (PMA) explores ways that narratives of a conflicted past are filmed at the site of the experiences and later negotiated in a contested present in the North of Ireland. Given the state’s failed attempts at establishing an official process for addressing the legacy of the conflict that lasted between 1968 and 1998, there are a number of community and academic initiatives that have taken up this task. The Prisons Memory Archive is one such project, whose aim is to research the possibilities of engaging with the story of the ‘other’ in a society that is emerging from decades of political violence. The PMA filmed back inside the prisons with those who passed through Armagh Gaol (2006) and the Maze and Long Kesh Prison (2007), which were both touchstone and tinderbox during the 30 years of violent conflict. We applied protocols of co-ownership, where participants become co-authors of their own story, with the right to withdraw up to the point of exhibition; inclusivity to ensure a multi-narrative archive with prison staff, prisoners, visitors, teachers, chaplains, etc.; and life-story telling, where leading questions are eschewed in order to return more agency to the participants. Currently, the full archive, made up of 160 walk-and-talk recordings totaling 300 hours of filmed material, is available at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, where it is preserved and made accessible to the public, and a website has been designed for educational use of the archive. This collection offers critical reflections on the processes of recording, archiving and utilising the archive in its several manifestations, e.g. feature films, website, and full archive at the Public Records Office. The perspectives offer a range of reflections, including filming, editing, archiving, web design, education, and museum practice.

This book is for working film/TV professionals and students alike. If you're a line producer, production manager, production supervisor, assistant director or production coordinator--the book has everything you'll need (including all the forms, contracts, releases and checklists) to set up and run a production--from finding a production office to turning over delivery elements. Even if you know what you're doing, you will be thrilled to find everything you need in one place. If you're not already working in film production, but think you'd like to be, read the book -- and then decide. If you choose to pursue this career path, you'll know what to expect, you'll be prepared, and you'll be ten steps ahead of everyone else just starting out. New topics and information in the fourth edition include: * Low-budget independent films, including documentaries and shorts * Information specific to television production and commercials * The industry's commitment to go green and how to do it * Coverage of new travel and shipping regulations * Updated information on scheduling, budgeting, deal memos, music clearances, communications, digital production, and new forms throughout

Everything you ever wanted to know about making a movie but were afraid to ask... Lights, camera, action! We all have at least one movie in us, and the amazing and affordable advances in digital technology makes it increasingly easy to make your dream a reality and share it with the world. Filmmaking for Dummies is your definitive guide to bringing a project to life, from the comedy antics of loveable pets to the deepest, most meaningful independent film. Bryan Michael Stoller is your friend and guide, sharing his knowledge gained over 100 productions (directing and working with Dan Aykroyd, James Earl-Jones, Barbra Streisand and Drew Barrymore, among others) to show you how to take your movie from the planning and storyboarding stage, through shooting and editing, to making it available to your adoring audiences through television broadcast, streaming online or in movie theaters. For the do-it-your-selfer, the book includes tips on how to finance your project, a look at the latest software and apps, including advancements in digital technology, and for the passionate director, advice on how to hire and work with your cast and crew and find great scenic locations. Whether you want to become a professional filmmaker or just create great YouTube videos or nostalgic home movies, shooting with your smartphone or with consumer or pro-gear, this practical guide has it all. Learn how to compose your shots and when to move the camera Make the perfect pitch to sell your story Take advantage of helpful contacts and tons of new resources Get up-to-date on the latest and greatest digital technology Find the right distributor, or learn how you can be your own distributor! So, you really have no excuses to make your masterpiece. Get rolling with a copy of Filmmaking for Dummies today and start shooting for the stars!

Fully revised and updated practical and inspirational guide for students and independent film-makers, describing and explaining the whole process - from creating an original or adapted script, through producing, directing and editing, to finance and distribution.