Why You Need A Producer During Production

Hiring a good producer is so important to you film, we needed two weeks to explain it. The day-of filming is the most important moment for your film, and if you're directing, the only thing you should be concerned with is getting what you need on-screen. We're sure you're setting up lights, working with actors, telling your cameraman what you want, running scenes, etc. The producers key responsibility is to create an environment where everyone can do their obs properly. Whether it be negotiating extra time with your location owner, making sure the food arrives when you need it to, getting talent or crew to set (or home) if a problem arises..

The producer is your problem solver for the day. We will explain all of this to you, with a few nightmare stories of our own, and hopefully we can convince you that you do in fact need a producer for your film.

Subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, Google Play, or your favorite podcatching app. And don't forget to rate and review us! Email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with any question, comments, or subjects you'd like to hear us discuss.

“If two men on the same job agree all the time, then one is useless. If they disagree all the time, both are useless.”

— Darryl F. Zanuck

Why You Need A Producer

Hiring a producer can be expensive, so many indie filmmakers write and direct their own films, which is just fine. But then, they decide "I'll do it myself" when it comes to producing, and they don't realize how much they have actually hurt their film by making that decision.

The truth is, it's because most don't actually know what the producer is supposed to do, and how much work truly goes into their job. Maybe you cant afford a real producer, but you do need to find someone to work as your producer. This week, we will cover the many things a producer does to get your film up off the ground and running during Pre-Production. 

From creating your production bible, to character breakdowns, to equipment and props lists, hiring department heads, breaking down the script, location scouting, casting, budgeting, scheduling and so much more. 

Listen in as we discuss everything a producer does for your film during the pre-production process on Filmmaking Sucks!

Subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, Google Play, or your favorite podcatching app. And don't forget to rate and review us! Email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with any question, comments, or subjects you'd like to hear us discuss.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with the budget of the film. It has to do with the scope and scale of ambition, and the skill that people brought to it to realize that ambition.”– James Schamus

The Casting Process

Actors. You can't make a movie without them! Obviously... well then lets talk!
How do you find them? How do you cast them? How do you pay them? SHOULD you pay them?
Is your friends brother the best choice? Are you an actor? Would you like to be an actor? 
We cover all these topics and more, along with a few casting do's, don't and a couple of horror stories of our own, this week on Filmmaking Sucks!

Subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, Google Play, or your favorite podcatching app. And don't forget to rate and review us! Email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with any question, comments, or subjects you'd like to hear us discuss.

“Casting directors tend to be the unsung heroes in this business.”

— Brent Sexton

Tips for Successful Crowdfunding

This week Lindsay, Mario and Manny discuss some tips on how to create a successful crowdfunding campaign for your film.

There's more to a successful campaign than just posting and hoping for the best. With so many crowdfunding campaigns out there, you need to stand out from the group and offer things no one else is. Breaking it down into the familiar Pre-Production/Production/Post-Production phases is your first step in planning and executing your campaign. We break your campaign down into those three phases and give you useful pointers to consider when campaigning. 
Planning your market strategy, filming regular update videos, offering useful perks (including when and if to offer the film itself as a perk!), and getting it out to the right audience. 

Subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, Google Play, or your favorite podcatching app. And don't forget to rate and review us! Email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with any question, comments, or subjects you'd like to hear us discuss.

““There are two ‘i’s’ in Fundraising – they should stand for inspiration and innovation, not imitation and irritation.””

— Ken Burnett

Sound Pt. 2 - Production and Post-Production

In part 2 of our Sound discussion, Manny, Lindsay and Mario give you a checklist of things to look out for when you are on set. How to get the best sound quality, avoiding ADR sessions, grabbing sound fx, and so much more.

Then, once filming has completed, the real work begins in sound post-production. This topic can be discussed as an entire episode on its own, so we give you some of the basics: programs, sound libraries and a few other helpful tips. 

Subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, Google Play, or your favorite podcatching app. And don't forget to rate and review us! Email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with any question, comments, or subjects you'd like to hear us discuss.

“I cannot state enough how important post-production is for the success of a horror movie. You bring so much to it with the way you edit it, the way it is sound-designed, and the way the music works with it.”

— James Wan

Sound Pt. 1 - Buying Microphones

This week on Filmmaking Sucks, Manny, Mario and Lindsay discuss the variety of microphones, the different types there are, and which one you will need for your shoot. 

Mics can get extremely expensive, but you don't always have $500 to drop on one. My new podcast, Filmmaking Sucks, is aimed at all of the budding filmmakers out there, and the newest episode discusses the basics you should know when choosing the right microphone for your indie film, especially on a budget.
Should you get a Dynamic Mic or Condenser Mic?
Omnidirectional, Bi-Directional or Unidirectional?
Whats the difference between Cardioid, SuperCardioid and HyperCardioid?

We run down the different sound profiles each one has, and how to use them, so when it is time for you to build your sound kit, you will know what to look for. Your beginners tutorial to buying the right on-set microphone is here, so check it out below. This is the first half of our discussion on sound, with part 2 coming up in the next episode, and we will cover Production and Post-Production. 

You can subscribe to the Filmmaking Sucks Podcast on iTunes and Google Play, and please rate and review us! 
You can also email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with your feedback, suggestions and questions. 

“You can use shabby equipment like cassette players or you can use high-end equipment, but it’s all about ideas, and ideas don’t rely as much on technology as you might think.”

— Christopher Shutt

Lesson 1 - Just Get It Done!

Over the years, we have met many people who (just like we all did at first) said they cant make their film because they don't have the right camera, or the right equipment, or the right actors, the locations, the sets, the know-how.. there's always something. What those things equate to are just excuses. It's self-sabotage. If you say you don't have what you need, then it can't be your fault when it doesn't get done, right? WRONG! 

The first, and most important lesson in becoming an indie filmmaker is as simple as this: JUST GET IT DONE! Your first film will be bad, it will be filled with mistakes, mishaps, problems, and everything will go wrong. And even if you're lucky enough to capture lightning in a bottle, a few years from now, you'll hate it because you'll know how to do it better. 

Waiting for the right equipment, or the right actor, the right location, the right set of circumstances, waiting for ANYTHING is the first mistake everyone makes. Just grab a camera and start shooting. Quality comes with experience and time. First, just get it done and go forward from there. 

Subscribe to the Filmmaking Sucks Podcast on iTunes, and please rate and review us! 
You can also email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with your feedback and questions. 

“The most difficult and challenging thing about directing a film, is getting out of the car.”

— Stanley Kubrick quoting Stephen Speilberg

Film Festivals: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly..

The Film Festival is the coveted rite of passage that every filmmaker must pass through. Film Festivals are one of the sacred combination locks we much attempt to crack, and honestly, we need to do it with limited funds. How can you do that?
Networking, Planning, and Time. How does that work..? Listen in and find out from our first hand experiences of submitting, attending and vending at film festivals. 

Don't forget, this Friday, January 13th, come on out to the Macabre Faire Film Festival in Ronkonkoma, NY and catch the premiere of our newest feature length psychological horror film, Theta States! Beyond that, Lindsay will be hosting a panel on Pre-Production, Friday at 6pm: Homework Before The Filming Begins, as well as a panel on Women In Media alongside Jennifer Valdes, Deana Demko, Gail Wisun-Gooch, Kell Rae LeGault, Debra Markowitz, Beatrice Sniper and Christina Raia. Then on Sunday, Manny will be on a panel with fellow filmmaker Patrick Devaney, discussing Cinematography at noon.

Tickets are available at MacabreFaireFilmFest.com 

Subscribe to the Filmmaking Sucks Podcast on iTunes, and please rate and review us! 
You can also email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with your feedback and questions. 

“The whole aspect of cinema and film festivals should be a moment to come together and celebrate art and humanity. It would be a shame if there was such a divide.”

— Keanu Reeves

Our Mission Statement?

Welcome to the first episode of the Filmmaking Sucks podcast! Now, we don't actually think filmmaking sucks. In fact, we love every second of it, but that doesn't mean its easy. We put our heart and souls into every page we write, frame we shoot, and scene we edit, and sometimes, it just sucks. But we still love it. 

As your hosts are Manny Serrano, Lindsay Serrano and Mario Melillo. Each week (or, best attempt at each week) we will discuss a subject in straight talk. By that we mean, no cuts, no edits, straight through our mouths, into your ears. We are here to discuss our filmmaking successes, mistakes, happy accidents, and some of the lessons we've learned along the way, and we want to be as honest as possible about it.

Full disclosure: if you do hear an edit, it is because a mic went out, a loud car passed by, a memory card was full, or something else that could possibly affect the physical audio of the show occurred. We can't control everything, we can only work with what we have, and do the best job we possibly can. 

On our first episode, we are going to keep it light, talk a bit about ourselves, some of the things we've done, and maybe help you to get to know us a bit better. 

Subscribe to the Filmmaking Sucks Podcast on iTunes, and please rate and review us! 
You can also email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with your feedback and questions. 

“Our worst day on set, is still better than our best day anywhere else. ”

— Every Filmmaker Ever.