Blood Covered Chocolate Review (2023) American Courtyard Productions
Here we have a film directed by Monte Light entitled Blood Covered Chocolate, being described as a homage to the one-hundred-year-old F.W. Murnau classic Nosferatu. So when a recovering drug-addict named Massimo is bitten by an ancient, shapeshifting monster, he must fight to save his girlfriend Tien from the same bloody fate. Overall the film plays with the usual vampire tropes that we all know with a few spins.
Shopping for Props: The Weird Stuff Filmmakers Buy
You know, as a filmmaker, we tend to buy some pretty weird stuff. This all depends on the needs of the film and story you are trying to tell of course. But I am pretty sure I confuse the amazon algorithm on a weekly basis. Anyway, today, let's talk about props. A prop is any inanimate object that an actor interacts with in a film.
How to crowdfund your movie and be successful at securing money.
So you want to make an epic film, but the only problem is that you are lacking the funds to successful see it off the ground. Now crowdfunding sounds like an easy plan on paper, but it's actually on of the more tricky routes to be successful at it.
Michael reacts to your Letterboxd Reviews for Sophie and the Serial Killers
I just wanted to take a moment and thank anyone who has left a review for my film over at Letterboxd. I read every review and comment on the film, and I greatly appreciate these people who took the time to not only watch the film, but leave some thoughts on it. Now here is my chance to react to your reviews. Let’s a start.
Filmmakers: Here's why you need a website!
One thing that kinda surprises me in the indie film scene is that a lot of filmmakers don't have their own websites. One filmmaker I spoke with said that he didn't need a website, since he would just let IMDb, Letterboxd, and Google do the the work for him. "People can see my films there." he said. But, I would strongly disagree with this approach. Having a website dedicated to your work can be a great advantage in your filmmaking quest to conquer the world!
The Guard Room Diaries
In exciting news, production on our third film begins later this week. Entitled "The Guard Room", this film was inspired by my time in security work. I am excited to start work on my 3rd feature film, and hopefully the start of production goes well.
Indie Film Soundtracks: Why does your music suck?
The Indie film scene does have its strengths, but I would say that one element that gets often overlooked is the musical score and soundtrack for most indie films. You often notice how must indie films out there tend to have forgettable soundtracks? But why does the soundtrack get ignored like a cheeseburger being served at a Mexican restaurant? Let's a break, break, break it down!
Short Film VS Feature Film: How long should your film be?
So which format to choose, it depends on your story, strategy and what you wish to accomplish. A short film should be kinda like poetry. It's short, sweet, and every single moment needs to count. A feature film is a narrative that is still relatively encapsulated but has more room to explore ideas and issues in greater depth.
The Perfect Hand 2023 (Wild Dogs Productions) Review
Here we are with Wild Dogs Productions 53rd feature film, The Perfect Hand. In this film, Michael Fredianelli returns to his comfort zone of the western genre. The film centers around a sharp-shooting sheriff who tracks down a con artist and his henchmen that took his hand in a rigged poker game.
The Franchise Killed the Director Star
As the franchise and sequel machine has taken over Hollywood, Film Directors find themselves ever more increasingly interchangeable in the corporate filmmaking world. No longer does the directors creative vision take priority, as the executives want to protect the brand and franchise.
Why is Pizza the most common Filmmaking Crafty Food Meal you find on Set?
You arrive for your fifth day on set, and there you are greeted with boxes of pizza, again! You ask yourself, what is the filmmaking gods' obsession with pizza? Can't we have a little variety in our short lived lives, or shall I be forced to dance with the ZA till the day I part. Well my friends, let's dive into why pizza became the popular on set movie star.
What Casting Directors look for in a Actors Self Tape and how to avoid Audition Common Mistakes
If you avoid these common mistakes, you'll be on your way to mastering the art, that is the self tape. Of course, the more you do it, the better you'll become. You'll get to the point where if you didn't get the role, it was just because you weren't the right fit, and not because you had goofy pitch shifted voices haunting you in your kitchen while you were wearing a bathrobe.
Are Film Festivals a Scam or Worth the Investment? Beware the fake festivals.
Filmmakers are asked to pay hundreds of dollars for submission fees and if they make it into the festival, they’ll receive a special prize. The prize being a PDF-file with a laurel which you can use for distribution of your film, which is in reality, pretty pointless due to the amount of laurels they hand out nowadays.
Autumn Moon 2023 (Wild Dogs Productions) Review
Honestly, Autumn Moon blew me away. Michael Fredianelli has been refining his craft over 50 feature films, and here we find him and the Wild Dogs Crew in top form. I don’t know how long we’ll have to wait for Michael Fredianelli to continue the horror monster series. But when he does tackle a Frankenstein or Swamp Monster movie, I’ll be here for it!
Why it's tough to be a artist and make art in the 21st Century
Right now with the state of corporations, AI Technology, and the gig economy, being an artist today is tougher then ever and things only look bleaker from here. Let's dive in what makes this century a toughie.
Why the 20th Century was the Greatest Century For the Arts and Artists
But with the advent of technology, we saw rise to some of the greatest movements the art world has ever seen. Movies, Metal Music, Animation, and Video Gamers were all birthed in the 20th century. Artists were given some wicked tools, and they decided to created some of the most bewildering innovative art we have today.
Directing a Disney Live Action Remake Must Be Depressing
A reason why these remakes feel forgettable is that what director is going to pour all of their energy and creative time into such a project. You can't really take creative risks or do something new since the script, characters and story beats are already there for you. Who is going to try and make an Disney Live action remake their magus opus in their career?
Don't get discouraged and depressed by low view counts, followers and likes!
You log in to see how it's doing, and you see it's gotten 7 views within a few days. You then search for other videos and short films getting 250,000 views easily. Then you start feeling down and a bit sad from the social media blues. Welcome to the ‘compare and despair’ attitude friends.
5 Tips and Strategies to writing an Original and Engaging Screenplay
Coming with the idea is the easy part, while writing the script is the hard part. Not only are you writing an screenplay, but hopefully your goal is to write an exciting original and engaging screenplay that people want to see be brought to the screen. Here are some tips and strategies to help aid you on your screenwriting journey.
Why you always see Welch's Fruit Snacks on a Film Set Production
Why is that these Fruit Snacks have become such a staple of the Filmmakers diets? Well my friends, the simple honest answer is you are not a "Tr00 and Kvlt" film maker unless you are eating these on a daily basis. Now some might see this as a form of gatekeeping, but let's break it down.