Film Schools
Film-Friendly State: Shooting in Illinois
Chicago has served as a backdrop for a number of films...but as Jennifer Sheffield found out, Illinois has a lot more to offer than just a pretty skyline.
February 22nd, 2010 | Jennifer A. SheffieldIn the third installment of The Independent's Film-Friendly State series, we explore the indie ins and outs of Illinois, including tax breaks, the infamous skyline, and why Central Illinois is the next cinematic hot spot -- no, really.
In her role as managing director of the Illinois Film Office, Betsy Steinberg spends a lot of time talking with filmmakers on both coasts and overseas. “In Chicago, and around the state, the abundance of looks is never-ending,” she says. “Every filmmaker says it is the most under-photgraphed place in the movies.”
10 to Watch in 2010... Plus Five Runners-Up
After 10 days of Facebook-exclusive interviews, the suspense is finally over: The Independent's 10 filmmakers to keep an eye on in 2010... and the runners-up.
February 4th, 2010 | Nikki ChaseThey come from all walks of life, and each has a different story to tell. Some have found success, while others are just beginning their careers. And although their filmmaking reflects this diversity, they all have one major thing in common (other than being on this list): talent. Be sure to take notes as you read...you'll want to remember these filmmakers.
Choosing The Independent's 10 to Watch is like trying to predict the future, or the stock market, or the weather in New England. The films on this list are in all stages of production and the filmmakers range from seasoned professionals to debut artists. So you might wonder how we named this particular group. How, exactly, does one go about predicting what 2010 has in store?
The 10 Best Academic Programs for Aspiring Screenwriters
The Independent takes a look at the best degree and non-degree granting programs for screenwriters.
December 20th, 2008 | Jericho ParmsThe Independent's Jericho Parms sifts through the multitude of programs for aspiring screenwriters and boils down the essentials so you can find the best fit to help you achieve your screenwriting goal, whether that be having as many finished screenplays by the end of the program as possible, or walking away with an education that not only helps you put your ideas on paper, but helps prepare you to sell your ideas to the people who can get them up on the big screen.
Whether or not to pursue an education in the film industry has long been a hot topic. Clearly, there are identifiable pros and cons of electing to formally study film, more particularly choosing to concentrate on a single element, such as screenwriting.
The 10 Best Academic Programs for Documentary Filmmakers
An overview of the best programs from Duke to Stanford to Maine
September 23rd, 2008 | Caitlin GrahamChoosing the right school is hard, but it can be even harder when you have a specialized focus, like documentary filmmaking. Whether you're a novice or a veteran filmmaker looking to try something new, this top ten list of the best documentary film programs, both degree granting and non-degree granting, boils down the programs so you can find exactly the right fit.
These days, it’s fairly easy to find an excellent place to learn how to make narrative films. Ten Best lists exist by the fistful, and a Google search of “learn filmmaking” returns more than 30,000 hits.
Take a Trip, Make a Film: A Look at Study-Abroad Programs
Need a change of scenery? Here are five programs that allow filmmakers to study abroad.
January 21st, 2008 | Lynn TrybaIf you're looking to get away from your day-to-day routine while also brushing up on filmmaking skills, then a study-abroad program may be right for you. London, Paris, Florence, and Ottawa all play host to summer workshops. You can also take animation courses in New Zealand or work towards a degree from New York University in Singapore. And in Prague, you can brush up on state-of-the-art technology in a film-school building that dates to the 11th Century. The Independent's Lynn Tryba has compiled a guide to programs that range in length from weekend seminars to six-week sabbaticals.
When it comes to taking filmmaking classes abroad, the question is not so much “Why?” as it is, “Why not?” As anyone with a passion knows, procrastination and perfectionism are barriers to creativity, and they can become all the more pernicious when you're stuck in an unchanging daily routine.
AIVF: And What it Meant to Me
July 1st, 2006I first became aware of AIVF when Martha Gever was editor of The Independent. I marveled at this national organization that put out each month a magazine chock full of weighty, intellectual and critical articles on film and video.
Honolulu, Hawai’i
The aloha state’s burgeoning indie film community
December 1st, 2004 | Konrad NgAlthough the cinematic possibilities of Hawaiithose that lay beyond the tropical tropes of tourism and military patriotism have always been clear to local residents of the island, only recently has there been notable validation of that truth.
NEWS
Mira Nair Announces Film Lab in Uganda
October 1st, 2004 | David AlmIn July, acclaimed Indian-born filmmaker Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, Mississippi Masala) unveiled her latest project: a film lab for aspiring filmmakers and screenwriters from East Africa and South Asia.
Double Vision
The University of Texas’s progressive film program
April 1st, 2004 | John PavlusThe so-called Film Brat generation of the middle to late 1970s has been blamed for, or credited with, many things regarding independent filmmakingfrom sparking off a studio-sanctioned Golden Age (Scorsese, Coppola) to ushering in a studio-sanctioned Dark Age (Lucas, Spielberg).
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