How I perfectly executed a bad short film: A mini guide to short filmmaking
It all began in an empty parking lot, surrounded by dumpsters, that led to a single door, to an unnamed Italian restaurant. Even thinking about the day gives me shivers. A week prior, I had tried to inspire a PA on my set to set his eyes on the stars, not realizing that with the [...]
Are You Weird Because You Don’t Like The Godfather?
Why do you watch films? We love watching films. We love taking out the time and experiencing a reality that we haven’t experienced before. Now the key to creating that reality obviously is to ground it in something that we have experienced before. The everyday speech patterns, occurrences, and blunders make a film beautiful. Heroism [...]
Our own Cari Ann Shim Sham* goes to Cannes
Dance is transformative, it has the ability to change lives through bonds that are not easily altered, dance has heart. The short documentary ‘Sand’, recently selected as a Finalist in the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmakers Showcase at Cannes, tells the story of a father and son’s relationship through a form of dance, known as sand [...]
Q: I’m making my first short film, I have little to no budget, where is my money best spent?
A: As far as the film world is concerned that is the easiest question in the book, which is why I’m delighted I get to answer it. While I would say sound, sound, and sound, there are other considerations to be made. You are a new filmmaker who is doing her first project. Well what [...]
Monsters without a Monster budget
“If ‘Cloverfied’ was 9-1-1, then ‘Monsters’ is the war on terror.” Gareth Edwards on his film Monsters. Gareth Edwards graduated film school ten years ago aspiring to be a director. Like many filmakers his childhood dreams were put on the back burner when his career took a turn into the visual effects lane. It was [...]
Our new home, your new home
The Topanga Film Institute has a new home! Now nestled on a quiet tree-lined street with a breath-taking view of the canyon, the Topanga Film Institute provides year round support to a collective of filmmakers through frequent salons, panels, seminars, screenings, and mentorship programs. The Institute fosters a creative space for filmmakers and visionary thinkers [...]
