In my book, “ What You Don’t Learn in Film School: A Complete Guide to (Independent) Filmmaking” the longest chapter is on pre-production and the importance of it. Problems will happen – they’re inevitable – but when you’re over prepared, they’re merely speed bumps that are easy to overcome and not major obstacles that can shut down production. It always amazed me how little attention to detail goes in to a film during pre-production which, too often causes the wheels to come off the wagon during a shoot. There is no reason (or excuse) for a set to be tense, running behind or on the verge of becoming unglued. If you waste too much time trying to fit people into something they’re not, your project will suffer and you’ll go insane during the process.Īnother important thing is preparation, especially during pre-production. I’m all for asking people to step up their game and accept the challenge, but there are some people who are just not up for the task and buckle under pressure. As independent filmmakers we often ask or expect others to do things beyond their abilities and can pay dearly for it. Shane Stanley: To lead, you have to be able to delegate and put the right people in place. Don’t try to make people in to who you want them to be. If you could share your Top 3 Tips related to indie filmmaking or working with film projects and inspired by trial-and-error and your own discoveries through working on projects what would they be? Always remember there’s a huge world out there and many territories are happy to pay fairly well for names who don’t move the needle much here in the states. Of course, sometimes you’ll get rejected but hey, Michelle Pfeiffer passed on “Silence of the Lambs” and Mark Wahlberg turned down “Brokeback Mountain” and that didn’t stop anyone. The actor’s guard comes down and allows a connection early on that is never made when an agent is playing middleman. Once you get your script read – and hopefully its well received – push to meet with the actor, as a face-to-face meeting significantly elevates the chances of it all coming together. To out kick your punt coverage in casting, be creative and approach talent you can gain access to and those who can relate to your material. But at the end of the day you have to have good product, as you’re not in the position of offering a fee that’ll bowl anyone over. Of course, having a good reputation is key and strong relationships with agents and managers are essential. Shane Stanley: Finding a good and marketable cast for small budget films can be a challenge. After 30-plus years, I’ve made a career out of doing just that and frankly, wouldn’t want it any other way.Ĭan you share with us an indie filmmaking-related Challenge and Solution? Being an all-encompassing filmmaker helps, as if you’re writing, producing, directing and editing a film, you can get a lot more done with limited resources. I work backwards and say, ‘how much do I have to make this…Okay, let’s pull the trigger and get it done.’ From there its just a matter of finding the right group who wants to sign up and go play. Since I come from the documentary background, my philosophy has always been ‘get me a subject and a camera and everything else will fall into place.’ I never look at a project from the viewpoint of needing a certain budget to tell the story. Shane Stanley: My indie filmmaking process is probably a little different than most. I also just completed working on the special anniversary BluRay edition of “Gridiron Gang” starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson which will go into over 2,500 retailers this summer and include the original documentary from 1992 my father and I made which the #1 Box Office hit was based off of.Ĭan you describe your indie filmmaking process? Shane Stanley: My latest project is “Mistrust” starring two-time Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner, Jane Seymour and Parker Stevenson. Shane offers a wealth of knowledge in his new book, “What You Don’t Learn in Film School” from several aspects of the industry focusing on educating future storytellers and helping them bridge the gap between what’s taught in the classroom and what they’ll experience in the real world. Best known for Executive Producing the #1 Box Office hit, Gridiron Gang for SONY Pictures starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Stanley’s resume as a filmmaker spans three decades. His career began in front of the camera at 9 months old before becoming a two-time Emmy Award winning filmmaker and launching his own company, Visual Arts Entertainment.
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