Tips for Independent Movie Makers

By now, everyone knows that I review stuff for Dread Central, the greatest horror-news site on the planet. Mostly I do books, but I pretty much review anything that winds up in my mailbox. Because of my work ethic, I've gotten to review some really wonderful movies. I've gotten to see movies that no one ever sees. I've also been subjected to some of the most banal and horrible things ever committed to tape. So I thought I'd take this opportunity to give a few pointers to independent film makers to increase your chances of actually being reviewed, and of getting good marks from me.

1. Don't hire your friends as actors - Hear me out...What I mean is, don't populate your cast with your buddies just because they're your buddies. Make sure they can actually, you know, act. Nothing kills a film more than bad performances by the actors, and you, the film maker, have so many resources to cull talent. Local colleges, theater programs, hell, even CraigsList has a section where indie films are being cast. Granted, most of them seem to be porn...But I digress. The point is everyone...say it with me, everyone...has to audition. Cast whomever is best for the part. Your friends who believe in you and understand what you're trying to do will understand.
2. Make nude scenes count - Nudity for the sake of nudity does not equal art. Nudity in general doesn't equal art. Granted, I for one enjoy seeing a naked body as much as the next guy. But in the case of making a movie, if you want your flick to be taken seriously, make sure there's a reason for that person to be naked. The random shower-scene is just cheesy, and having a girl in the flick just so she can show her enhanced bosom and die is just plain bad film making.
3. Make the blood count - See above.
4. Tell a good story - The script is what's important. Your movie could have all the coolest special effects in the world, could have the most beautiful actresses, and be slick and gorgeous, but without an actual story, you've got a pile of crap. A story has to have a plot, a beginning and an end, motivation, inciting action, conclusion...all those little things that some English professor somewhere tried to teach you. If you were paying attention, you're already past this point.
5. Don't be hampered by a tiny budget - You don't need the latest and greatest cameras, light rigs, etc. to make a movie. You need heart, you need technique, and you need intestinal fortitude. I've seen some truly wonderful films shot on high-8 and I've seen some real garbage backed by the Wienstiens. Learn your craft. Watch movies (good movies) and learn from those film makers. Hell, watch the bad ones too and learn from their mistakes. You can learn an amazing amount about filmmaking from watching Plan 9 From Outer Space. Camera angles, lighting, composition...all these things are your friends, and all these things separate your movie from ninety percent of the garbage out there. You can do amazing things with just a camera, a single light, and a little thought.
6. Be proud...But not too proud - When you're done with your movie, chances are you're going to screen it for your nearest and dearest, and most of them will tell you how brilliant you are. Enjoy it. Soak it up. Then get back to reality. If you submit your work to the public (i.e. film festivals, critics, etc...), someone is going to hate it. That's the nature of the business. No matter how much you've put into it, someone will call it a stinking turd, and it's your job to suck it up, smile, and move on. Don't argue, don't start an internet campaign against the critic, just accept his statement, acknowledge in your own mind that he's probably retarded or was an abused child, and move on. It's only an opinion. Remember what they say about opinions.
7. Take care of your actors and crew - I cannot stress this enough. Don't be a dick. Again...Don't be a dick. Without your actors and your crew, you have nothing but you, a camera, and an unrealized vision. It truly is a collaborative effort. That doesn't mean suffer the idiot ravings of a Prima-Donna on your set. But be gracious to your actors and crew. Thank them for working with you. And when you're done, you'll have something that all of you can be proud of instead of another war story.
8. Avoid stereotypes - Especially the bad ones. A cage full of giggling, drooling over-the-top lunatics is...well...cliche, lazy, and just not interesting. A cage full of giggling lunatics in which ONE is standing calmly, watching you and smiling...Now that's unsettling. The point is, if an audience has seen your characters in a hundred thousand movies before, they won't be interested in them. Give them something new, real, and original.
9. Continuity is key - Remember the famous movie in which the lawyer changes clothes a dozen times in the span of one trial in one day? Go to this site: MovieMistakes. Sad, isn't it? Make sure there is someone on set who's whole job is to make sure everything matches. Trust me.
10. Hire a local band - Unless you're Motzart, John Williams, or Danny Elfman, you're not a composer. The "music" that comes from you playing chords on your Cassio keyboard does not work as a movie soundtrack. Sorry, but it doesn't. But guess what? In every city, town, neighborhood, there is a garage band. There are local kids that are dying to get their sound heard. If you like them, approach them and ask them about using a song or two in your movie. Go (again) to the local college and seek out the music department. Guaranteed, there are at least a few folks there with some ideas as to what music would go with your opus, and they'll be happy to work with you for a credit in your film (and maybe one on IMDB...You never know).

Okay, these are just a few hints about making movies. I can't tell you how many filmmakers break these "ten commandments," and whose work turns up as steaming piles of bunny-dung because of it. Don't take my word for it, though there are others out there that are MUCH more knowledgeable than me. If you want to read what I pretty much consider the bible of micro-budget film making, get Gregory Lamberson's book Cheep Scares. There are literally thousands of books out there about indie film making, so grab a few and learn. Learn your craft, work hard, and remember names like Kevin Smith, Robert Rodriguez, George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg. All of them have one thing in common: They started off EXACTLY where you are right now.

Until next time...

DEADLANDS Re-Released!

When my book, Deadlands, went out of print because the publisher closed its doors, I was sad, but I figured all good things had to come to an end. I mean, after all, it was my best seller, and (according to the publisher) it almost sold out of its first print run of 5,000 copies. So I thought that was it for my little zombie story. Then along came Dr. Pus and the Library of the Living Dead press. He said it just couldn't die (it's a zombie, after all...) and picked up the reprint rights. So here it is, new, fresh, and gorgeous, with a new cover, new layout, and two new short stories added to the back of it. I absolutely love this book and I'm proud to see it in print again! If you haven't read it, and would like to, head over to my web page, AmericanHorrorWriter.Net and get it through my bookstore, or you can get it directly from Amazon. The dead must shamble on!

Finding the Time

It's a statement I hear every day. "I'd love to *insert artistic activity here,* but I don't have the time." My general response to that is, well, then I guess you don't really want to do it, do you? Not to be cynical, but let me take you through a typical day for me: Up by 6 a.m., at work by 7:45, lunch for an hour around noon, home by 6pm. After that, there's the karate class, the children, dinner with the wife, and about a dozen other things that I do. The point is, I lead a really busy existence. So how do I find the time to sit down and write? It isn't easy, but here's how I do it.

I make time.

See, to me, writing isn't a hobby, or something that I do in my free time, or something that is a burden. It's something that I genuinely love to do. I don't find time to do it, I make time. It became a priority in my life, and so I set up my life accordingly. Now, I'm not saying that everyone in the world has to do what I do, but this worked for me. If it works for you, great. If not, figure something else out.

First, I decided that I was going to take this whole "writing" thing seriously. I gave it a priority status in my life, and moved on from there. For me, my priorities are 1) my wife and kids, 2) my job, and 3) writing. Everything else that I do comes after that. Period. Karate, music, television, you name it, it takes a back seat. Ask anyone who is serious about their craft (no matter what it is) and I'm betting they'll tell you the same thing.

Step two: Once you decide that you're going to pursue your artistic endeavor, take a look at what you really do in a day. You can't ignore the wife and kids. For me, that's my whole reason for writing. Without them, I'd be pretty directionless, and I love them dearly. So whatever activities I'm doing with them come first. Then there's the job. Well, that pays the bills (mostly), so I can't really stop doing that, now can I? So now what? How much television do you watch? And how much time do you spend surfing the internet (reading blogs like this one)? How much of that time is wasted? Surely reading this blog isn't a waste of time, but c'mon, television? Biggest black hole time-waster of all time, and it doesn't really stimulate the imagination. Instead of watching the latest episode of "Big Brother" or "Dancing with the Stars," go sit down behind your keyboard and let your fingers do the dancing.

Third and final step: Set a goal. How much can you write in a day? How much before you feel you've earned a break? Setting a modest goal will help you sharpen not only your writing chops, but also your time management skills. There is no magic number of how many words to write. Everyone's is different. Stephen King advocates something like 10,000 words a day, I believe. I'm nowhere near that prolific (yet) and I do have other priorities, so mine is a more modest 1,000 words per day. Come hell or high water, that's what I do. End of story. Lots of folks write more than me, and lots write less. But do the math: If the standard length for a novel is between 80-90,000 words, how long will it take you at that rate to complete a first draft? Oooh...The possibilities are endless!

The point is, if you want to do this, you have to train your brain to work for you, not against you. Time? P-Shaw...You have all the time you need. You just have to make yourself use it wisely.

Write On!