Brainerd – Jessica = Nerd
Filming TILT up in Brainerd was great in all ways but one: Jessica had to go back to Chicago a few days into filming to hold down the fort (i.e. work her ass off so we can have insurance, food, a place to live, etc.) In the short time that Jess was on set, she [...]
One Nightstand: What we read before we go to sleep
Even though Jess and I get a lot of info from the internet, we’re also still fans of books: you know, those things with the pages and the chapters and that crisp dusty smell. Here’s a peek at what we’re reading now: Bound and Gagged: Pornography and the Politics of Fantasy in America (1999, Kipsis) [...]
Go, Snow Bunny, Go!
Snow Bunny is now an official selection of the Lakedance International Film Festival in Idaho. Between our acceptance into the Queens International Film Festival last week and Jessica’s obsession with the skinny part of Idaho, we’re over the moon. Snow Bunny was our labor of love throughout the winter of 2008/2009. This 26-minute short film [...]
Ladies, Chicks, Grrls, & Dames: Women Commanding Attention at TIFF
We’ve been keeping an eye on the coverage from the Toronto Film Festival (9/10 -9/19). Love it. Excited about it. Wish we were there to live it. So many great movies coming out this year. But what are we most excited about? The women – they’re getting a lot of coverage at the festival this [...]
The Screenwriter's Dilemma: "I wrote it. Now what?"
Congrats! You’ve written the best screenplay ever! Now what do you do? No matter how much you and your friends (and your mom) love your screenplay, nothing’s ever going to happen unless you get it into the hands of an agent or producer. Unfortunately, it’s hard to do this unless you already have an agent [...]
How Do You Market Independent Films?
How do you make an indie movie? Well, that’s simple. You start with an idea. Mix in a bunch of people willing to put in a bunch of hours. Get organized. Get cracking. Get acting. Film and edit and polish. And at the end – you’ve got a movie in the can. High fives (and [...]
Movies That Inspire Us To Make Movies
We watch different movies for different reasons. Some movies blow us away with their special effects and star power; some movies encourage us to quietly reflect on our own lives. Some movies we watch because they make us think; others we watch because they don’t. We like all types of movies, but, as filmmakers, lately [...]
Adventures in Cake Smashing
Today I (Julie) took scrappy special agent Jill on a hunt for cakes for an upcoming film shoot. We need cakes to sit on. We need cakes to smash. So we visited several bakeries on Chicago’s north side to ask if they’d support independent film making by donating an expired cake or two. We weren’t [...]
The Long, Long, Long, Long Film Shoot
We had a seemingly endless 10-hour film shoot for Libidoland on Saturday. Indoor scenes. Outdoor scenes. Sex scenes. Fantasy scenes. You name it, we did it. The only thing missing was a car chase and a building demolition. Although grueling, the shoot was incredibly successful. Our leads, Beth and Andy, were troopers, and we’re grateful [...]
Libidoland: Take Two!
We’re preparing for our 2nd big day of filming for Libidoland this weekend. Here’s a sample of what’s on our to-do list: Finish shot list. Buy rope. Find out if Dan or Beth can tie a slip knot. Make 20 sandwiches. Yes. This is a glamorous life.
Filming Down on the Farm
Ever have one of the those moments when you realize that you have a vast, untapped resource at your fingertips? Last week our summer movie plans hit a roadblock when the Wisconsin location for our slapstick horror short fell through, but then we realized that we could (and should) film down at Julie’s grandma’s farm. [...]
Dance Films
And no, this post will not be about the sub-teen genre films like Save the Last Dance or Take the Lead. In addition to people making films of their pets, gardens, and salvia trips, I’ve been noticing more people with backgrounds in dance making short dance films. With the availability of digital technology, so many [...]
Thinking About D.I.Y. Marketing and Distribution?
As we write and make more movies, we are constantly on the look-out for ways to market and distribute them in a way that would either a) allow us to make a living creating and producing films ourselves or b) allow us to be recognized and hired by someone who would let us create films [...]
Short Clip of the Week
This week I’m sharing a webisode rather than a short film. Here, Film Fellas of Zacuto USA present webisode 8, “System of a Breakdown,” in which several independent filmmakers discuss the age-old question of how to make great art, get it seen, and make money doing so. This has been something that Julie and I [...]
What's so great about the Canon XH-A1?
While I loved my GL2, it was time to upgrade. After lots of research, I decided on the Canon XH-A1. I was drawn to the XH-A1 for a number of reasons. For one, the price is right. It’s one of the more affordable HD prosumer cameras on the market. While researching, I preferred the footage [...]
On directing children
We cast two of our nieces in our two most recent projects, Sound Sleeper and Snow Bunny. I’m incredibly happy with both of their performances in both projects, but there were definitely some trying moments. The main issues are very much tied to their personalities, and perhaps even their ages. Naomi, 8, is very strong [...]
Snow Hunt for Snow Bunny
We finally finished filming our first ever winter film, Snow Bunny. Last year I had hoped to film part of Girl Rods 5: Prim and Proper in the snow, but that didn’t happen. Instead we filmed it in the rain, which worked just fine. Who doesn’t want to see four girls in tank tops carrying [...]