Documentary Interview Techniques.

Some things becomes so glaring that the only thing that comes to mind is asking questions. As its often said, those who ask questions don't go amidst.
I just wanted to get a gauge on what my fellow NFS community of filmmakers felt about shooting interviews? Specifically, when would you shoot a standard interview - subject looks off camera to the interviewer - or when would you shoot something a little different - the subject looks into the lens a la Errol Morris? Thoughts? Experiences? Theories? Thanks everyone.

Star Wars Films: The Ultimate Visual Effects Breakdown

Star Wars Films: The Ultimate Visual Effects Breakdown
Oh the Star Wars films! After having a religious moment when watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I had to put this post together for all the indie film hustlers into visual effects.
I was so impressed by the practical and visual effects of Star Wars: The Force Awakens that I wanted to share with you how George Lucas and the gang made the magic come alive in the first six Star Wars films.

How do fan films make money?

A young filmmaker who haven seldom worried about how to make money making a film, decided to drop an open letter in other to get solutions to his continual problem. In his curiosity look at how he has decided to express his question. We seek answers... Your experience counts...

5 Ways to Be Your Own Best Script Doctor

Director Ela Thier shares some tips on how to beef up that final draft.

[Editor’s Note: No Film School asked Ela Thier to share this advice upon the upcoming digital release of her film ‘Tomorrow Ever After’.]
I've been teaching screenwriting and filmmaking since 2006 under the alias of "The Independent Film School" and have trained a couple thousand writers, actors, and filmmakers. I've written over twenty features myself, and four of those ended up on the big screen. Like many writers, I began to produce and direct my own works by necessity, and most recently I released my new film, Tomorrow Ever After. 

Is it Time To Shelve Your Film? Ask Yourself These 9 Questions

Here's how you know when to say when.

As much as we hate to admit it, there are certain times it is necessary to "murder your darlings" or, as it is more politely known in industry terms,  "trim the fat from your development slate." These two statements mean the same thing: you've wasted time, money, and energy creating a project, and now isn't the time for it to come to fruition. It's important to stick with projects you believe in through the inevitable tough times, but we've also seen plenty of folks become obsessed with projects that are doomed to fail, at least in their present state. The good news is, leaving a project for a while can also mean that you can return to it with renewed vitality and fresh ideas later.
If you think you might be in that place with a current project, here are nine questions to ask yourself to help make a decision.

How to Bypass 5 Common Composition Rules of Filmmaking

From neutral framing to the Rule of Thirds, filmmaking is full of compositional rules. Here's how to break 'em all.

Don't we all like to think of ourselves as creative cowboys and cowgirls. (Cowpeople? Nah, that's dumb.) We push the limits, take advantage of our freedom, and most of all, don't give two shits 'bout following the rules of no damn body. Here's the thing though, rules are pretty good. In filmmaking, rules like the Rule of Thirds and the 180-Degree Rule are achievable and repeatable standards that not only help to regulate the language of film but also help us to communicate as clearly as possible with our audiences.

5 Keys to High-Quality Filmmaking (Regardless of What Camera You Use)

What's one of the first things beginners do when they decide to become filmmakers? They buy a camera. They go bananas trying to find "the best" one out there. They read up on the newest releases, peruse at list after list of "Top 10 DSLRs for Indie Filmmakers," and watch hours of test footage on YouTube to see which ones offer that highly sought-after "film look."