Indie Filmmaker Inspiration: Mark Toia
Mark Toia never made a feature film before. He came up with an idea and explored it as a hobby. Soon it became an obsession, that became a screenplay, attached actor Neal McDonough, the directed and produced it, with 200 effects shots for under $2 million dollars. It looks like a $50 million dollar movie. He turned down complicated film...
Advice from Script Readers
Script readers have the difficult task of reading spec script submissions sent to studios, producers and agents, the good and the bad, and a lot of the later. I'm always interested to hear what they have to say about storytelling. They may not be great writers or teachers of screenwriting, but just by virtue of swimming in the slush...
Why you need to listen to Richard Walters Substack ‘Get Reel’
I want to direct you to a screenwriting resource that I have greatly enjoyed. It's a Substack by Richard Walter called Get Reel. Richard Walter is a great screenwriting instructor. He knows his stuff. He is also very opinionated and isn't afraid of rocking the boat or...
7 Indie Micro-budget Filmmakers Who Have Chutzpah
We are living in a new era of microbudget filmmaking. More and more filmmakers are learning how to make their own films on a shoestring and find an audience. We are no longer beholden to Hollywood for entertainment, and that's a good thing, especially for Christian...
Light & Shadow | A Conversation with Cinematographers
Christian filmmakers tend to be plagued with a debilitating problem. They focus on the message and the mission at the expense of the craft of filmmaking. Good filmmaking isn't about following actors around with a camera. Good filmmaking is about understanding the...
The Cage: A Powerful and Well-Crafted Short Film by Ricky Staub
The fourteen minute short narrative film written and directed by Ricky Staub for Film Supply has renewed my interest in the short film form. I've not been as impressed by a short film for a long time, and it has made me rethink the value of this narrative film form....
A List of Faith & Family Streaming Platforms
Streaming technology has opened the doors for the rise of new distribution platforms to curate Christian content and showcase their own material. It's really an interesting time to be a filmmaker. Here is a list of platforms to pay attention to: AGTV (American Gospel...
Dispatches from the Front Sale
The excellent documentary series Dispatches from the Front, featuring Tim Keesee, is on sale until January 15th. You can get the entire 14 part series for half off, regularly $120, now only $60. Tim Keesee was a guest on the podcast, you can find that podcast here....
Rhonwyn Kendrick’s Story, the Mother of the Kendrick Brothers
Revive Our Hearts Ministry created an inspiring and challenging video story about the mother of Stephen and Alex Kendrick. Rhonwyn Kendrick is a praying mom and grandmother—and she’s seen the indescribable power of prayer firsthand. Watch Rhonwyn and her son, Stephen...
Spielberg’s Advice to Young Filmmakers
In a recent interview with Collider, Steven Spielberg shared one piece of advice to young filmmakers. “The only piece of advice I love to give is don't worry so much about technique and don't worry so much about where to put the camera or have a light. Worry about one...
The Dogme 95 Film Movement, and What Christian Filmmakers Can Learn From It.
The Dogme 95 film movement was created in the Spring of 1995 by a group of Danish filmmakers lead by Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vittenberg. The movement was a response to the commercial, hi-tech, and industrialized methods that came to dominate filmmaking, with it's...
Puritan Collector’s Edition Released
The Puritan documentary directed by Stephen McCaskell and produced by Media Gratiae has released a gorgeous collector's edition in a steel box case. The Collector's Edition includes five hours of extended, never-before-released interviews with the guests including...