The most helpful guide to becoming a filmmaker we’ve seen in a long time.
And it’s only 6 and a half minutes long – proving that somebody really knows their stuff.
How to be a Filmmaker
Month: March 2015
Leesa Dean: How NOT to do Social Media
Adventures of a Web Series Newbie Chapter 95
by Leesa Dean
I have a friend who has a fair amount of Facebook friends (about 800) and hardly any twitter following (about 50 followers). He’s launching a creative project online and we had a long conversation about promotion last month. Since I’m prepping for my new series and am ultra-focused on promo, am just curious about what other people are doing. But we spent most of the convo with him just telling me all about his project. I figured he wanted to keep his promo plans under wrap. I was wrong.
I was actually shocked to hear from him this week via text. Turns out he just launched his project and the way he’s promoting it is totally old school. And by old school, I mean, kinda like the way I launched Chilltown billions of years (ok a couple of years ago). Without any real social media strategy to speak of.
I thought I’d put together a few things NOT to do when you’re launching an online project. These are kind of no-brainer tips but it’s shocking how many people (my friend included) don’t pay attention to them. And believe me, I learned these the hard way:
Kelly Jo Brick: The Write Path With Kellie Griffin
A series of interviews with hard-working writers – by another hard-working writer!
by Kelly Jo Brick
Aspiring writers often wonder how the pros got where they are. The truth is, everyone’s story is different, but there are some common elements: dedication, 
persistence, hard work and not giving up.
A one day gig as an audience page started writer Kellie Griffin’s path that took her from receptionist to writers’ assistant to writing for House of Payne and Reed Between the Lines.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY?
JOHN OSTRANDER: DEATH AND VANDALISM
by John Ostrander
Writing a weekly column can be a funny thing at times, especially when you wait until the last moment to do it. Not only does it irritate your editor but the blamed thing can morph from its original topic. Such as this week. I started with one topic and then found two others that I wanted to comment on as well. I think I’ve found a connection within all three; let’s see if I can make it without stretching too much. Wish me luck.
We’ll start with the death of Leonard Nimoy, a.k.a. the original Mr. Spock in Star Trek. He was 83 and died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Spock was an iconic character not only on Trek or in science fiction but around the world. “Live long and prosper” was his signature phrase and his cool, logical, and scientific manner created an army of fans, me included.
My friend Lise Lee Morgan and I met Mr. Nimoy in person many years ago in a guest suite at a Star Trek convention. My friend Stuart Gordon had got us the opportunity and Mr. Nimoy was charming, engaging, and enthusiastic about Stuart. I liked him even more than I liked Spock.
TV’s Most Realistic Mom-Child Relationships
And why are they so real?
Because of the writing:
by Alison Natasi
There was something oddly comforting about watching Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson having an awkward mother-daughter spat
with mom Melanie Griffith on the Oscars red carpet. When asked if Griffith had seen the film, in which Johnson plays an oft-nude virginal initiate into the world of BDSM, she said no and that she didn’t need to see it to know her daughter was a good actress. Cue a familiar eye roll and a few fed-up expletives from a bratty Johnson.