Pre-production is the overwhelming, often monotonous, any essential part of making any film. But especially a micro-budget independent one. It requires diligent attention to detail, communication, and organization. If you pre-produce right, the rest of the process runs that much smoother. Pre-production as a whole is such a dense topic, Make This Movie will cover it in two separate episodes, outside what we've already explored. In Part 1, we'll look at nailing down locations, hiring key crew members, providing necessary contracts getting the right gear, props, and wardrobe. And that's just the half of it! We talk to location manager Rachel Meyer (heard in Episode 4), Director of Photography/Co-Producer Mike Elliott, Location Sound Mixer Tim Kahn, and Creative Director/Co-Producer Andrea Tolbert. For exclusive access to documents, guides, and detailed breakdowns, expanding on this and other episodes, sign up and ShoHawk.com/makethismovie! This week’s guide is extremely … [Read more...]

PODCAST EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Michael Hall: From ShoHawk Media, this is Filmmaking Footnote with your host Michael Hall. You're listening to episode 4. This is the show where we give you the best filmmaking and production information so you can make the best project possible. Without having to spend a bunch of time or money at film school. Let's do it! Hey guys, welcome to another episode of Filmmaking Footnote I'm your host Michael Hall. Thanks again for joining me for another great day. Today we are talking about the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A lot of you will know this by their shorthand they go by the Academy or as a lot of people like to call them the Oscars. so the Academy the Academy Awards the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a really interesting concept, and it's an interesting group of people in recent years they have had some some controversy a couple years ago. They were called out by a lot of African American actors and filmmakers for … [Read more...]

Casting is among the most important filmmaking processes, and here the window opens to its nuances. Counterintelligence's rockstar casting director Rachel Meyer takes Chris through what it took to cast this movie, and other films she's worked on. She and Chris take us from how they were put in touch initially, through her review of the script, up to audition days and locking in the film's pitch-perfect cast! The second half of the episode reveals the specific workflow Rachel uses to cast movies. She covers organization, outreach techniques, and overall efficiency practices, from working with agencies to reaching out through social media. This deep-dive presents how important and difficult a casting director's work is, and how micro-budget filmmakers and producers can replicate this work if they're strapped for cash. For exclusive access to documents, guides, and detailed breakdowns, expanding on this and other episodes, sign up and ShoHawk.com/makethismovie! This week’s … [Read more...]

PODCAST EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Michael Hall:  From ShoHawk Media, this is Filmmaking Footnote, with your host Michael Hall, you're listening to episode three. This is the show where we give you the best filmmaking and production information so, you can make the best project possible. Without having to spend a bunch of time or money at film school. Let's do it. This is your host Michael Hall, thank you so much for joining me for our third installment of the podcast. I am very very excited to have you here and today we are jumping into some financial information, which I'm sure some of you are your eyes are starting glaze over your ears are starting glaze over. I swear this is actually pretty pretty interesting stuff. I am biased I will say that I actually spent all day wrapping out a couple jobs so I've been staring at budgets all day. So this is actually the perfect time for me to talk about this stuff. And I actually also have a background in accounting my dad my Dad is a … [Read more...]

In the first half of Episode 3, with the help of former co-producer David Pennington and ShoHawk co-founder Michael Hall, the first half of this episode follows along as Chris unfurls some key attributes of successful film-financing. They explore past experiences, mistakes, and victories relating to both crowdfunding and raising equity finance from investors. Then, Chris synopsizes all the crucial lessons learned throughout self-financing Counterintelligence. The second half dives into the nitty-gritty of taxes, as they apply to independent filmmakers and film production companies. Assisted by his accountant, Steve, Chris breaks down filmmakers' options, what to expect come tax-time, how to plan accordingly, and how to start a production company from the ground up—including his own setup for Counterintelligence Motion Pictures LLC. For its funding analysis, this episode underlines the importance of focusing on relationships over dollar signs, having a clear vision and … [Read more...]

PODCAST EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Michael Hall: From ShoHawk Media, this is Filmmaking Footnote with your host Michael Hall. You're listening to episode 2. This is the show where we give you the best filmmaking and production information so you can make the best project possible without having to spend a bunch of time or money at film school. Let's do it! Hey guys, it's Michael Hall - I am so happy to have you here for our second installment of Filmmaking Footnote. Today we are jumping right into it and we are talking Abby Singer, Abby Singer. So, if you've heard that name before, or if you've heard that word before, if you've been on set and you've heard that and you just don't know what that means... You're not alone. I remember the very first time I was on set and I heard the term Abby Singer shot and I looked around and everyone seems to know what was being talked about, and I had no idea. I felt so out of the loop and it just felt so commonplace for everyone to know like, … [Read more...]

PODCAST EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Michael Hall: From ShoHawk Media, this is Filmmaking Footnote with your host Michael Hall, you are listening to episode 1. This is the show where we give you the best filmmaking and production information, so you can make the best project possible. Without having to spend a bunch of time or money at film school Let's do it! What's up guys, welcome to Filmmaking Footnote I'm your host Michael Hall, and thank you so much for being here and downloading the very first episode of this new podcast. if you're joining me that means that you and I have a very very specific goal in mind and that is to make you a better filmmaker or film student. The way we're gonna approach this podcast is very detail-oriented and focused. Each podcast episode is going to be broken out by a different filmmaking term. and that's very different than the other filmmaking podcasts that are currently out there and the reason we're approaching it this way is because I think it … [Read more...]

  Make This Movie is ShoHawk's serialized 12 episode filmmaking podcast. It chronicles filmmaker and ShoHawk co-founder Christopher Sakr's journey through producing his feature length film, Counterintelligence. THE SHOW Moving episodically through the entire filmmaking process—from writing and budgeting, to pre-procution, principal photography, through post and release—Sakr chronicles this micro budget production and how Counterintelligence came to be for just under $12,000. Throughout the production's journey, he's helped by his collaborators and friends, who lend their skills and voices. Don't forget to subscribe to this show in iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts to stay tuned, rate and review it, and share with friends who like the same stuff as you! By the end of each episode, you'll have everything you need to execute the same exact stage of filmmaking Chris covered, and by the end of the show, you'll have everything you need to make your movie. So … [Read more...]