There is Always Something New to Learn
 Save big now with 40% off Final DraftFinal Draft is the industry standard in screenwriting software. Used by such industry giants as J.J. Abrams, James Cameron and Aaron Sorkin, Final Draft automatically paginates and formats your script to industry standards, allowing writers to focus on what they do best – writing scripts. Save big now with 40% off - the lowest price of the year! Visit www.finaldraft.com to learn more.  SPIKE IS GONNAKILL ME By Nandi Bowe ...Without much fanfare, I was hired to work as the 2nd Assistant Director on "Do the Right Thing." I had worked on about eight films by then and had a pretty good idea of how to do the job, but I had never done it on an American film. I was excited and nervous. I was surrounded by some of the best of the next generation of filmmakers. One of Spike's greatest talents is putting good people together and letting them do good work... [Read more]  How To Be A Female FilmmakerBy Rachel Feldman There are many filmmakers who do not want their job description to be gendered. I understand why one would feel that way in a perfect world, but it’s not a perfect world by any means. I am a woman director, a female filmmaker. I have worked hard, for multiple decades, to get my foot, my voice, and yours too – in the room. And now that we’re in it, I believe we need to keep that foot on the gas pedal of progress... [Read more]  Working for Bollywood:My Experiences in the Assistant Director Department A Report by Marco Schleicher, MA In 2017, I worked in the assistant director department of two Bollywood blockbuster films. The films were shot in and around London. Bollywood is fantastic for a young assistant director, since there are many large crowd scenes. Nearly every day, we had between 150 and 200 extras to coordinate and to direct. [Read more]  Film and TV Editing Insights bySteve Hullfish First, you need a lot of "reps." You need the time in the editor’s chair or with the camera. You need to be telling stories ALL the time. The best way to get better is just to do the work. Figure out something you can shoot or edit. Nobody would consider going out on stage as a dancer or violinist or onto the field in the NFL or NBA without years of practice, the same is true for telling pictures through film. You’ve seen the kinds of movies and TV shows that have inspired your desire to be in the business. But to get to that level just doesn’t happen. You have to practice a LOT. The best way to get good at anything is to fail and learn from your mistakes. You need to have the confidence and patience to make a LOT of mistakes without losing heart in your abilities. [Read more] |
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  TV and Documentary Editing Insights from Heidi Scharfe, ACETip #1. Shoot something and edit. You are all so lucky that you can do that. When I started, film was expensive and so was the hardware. Thanks to some healthy competition you can rent software for a low monthly fee. Avid, Premiere, Resolve... any of them. Hell, you can even use your phone and just get behind the wheel and edit. There are several books on the rules which I’m sure you read in school... But there’s nothing like just doing it. [Read more]  Deborah Moran, ACE on Editing Episodic Television Series, "City on a Hill"Trust your instincts and don’t over think. When you are touched by a performance or moved by a look an actor gives or you laugh out loud at something, don’t forget that initial reaction. Sometimes you can get bogged down with the technicalities of cutting a scene, but always try to come back to your first reactions. Don’t think about what you think an audience may want to see. You are the first audience. Trust what you want to see. [Read more]  Episodic TV Editing Insights fromJanet Weinberg, ACE Tip # 1: Never say never. When a director or producer says, "but can’t we just,..." and you are thinking to yourself, "no, that will never work." Don’t ever say it. Because there is almost always a way to make it work. Keep an open mind, and don’t get married to your cut. There are infinite ways to make something work. [Read more] StudentFilmmakers Magazine Advertising and Sponsorships For advertising and sponsorship opportunities, please contact StudentFilmmakers through our online contact form here. We greatly appreciate your support. "With the rapid application of the changing technologies, we're all students." Never Stop Learning. |
