I know a lot of filmmakers end up putting their products on YouTube for free, after all finding a way to distribute your film is one of the hardest things. How would film/tv makers feel about letting start up (not VC start up like mom and pop start up) streaming services use their content for their library without ad share while they test the waters ?

1.) Pulp Fiction (1994)

2.) Django (2012)

3.) Reservoir Dogs (1992)

4.) Kill Bill - Volume 1(2003)

5.) Kill Bill - Volume 2 (2004)

6.) The Hateful Eight (2015)

7.) Death Proof (2007)

8.) Jackie Brown (1997)

9.) Inglourious Basterds (2009)

10.) Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

I'm a full time software engineer that also works in the industry as a DP and gaffer. I was pretty sick of the high cost and terrible UX from current sites/apps that let you make organized shot lists, and production schedules so over the past 3 years I have been developing my own and it is finally ready.

SHOTAGE.io

TLDR; It's not vibe coded, has a free tier, includes pay as you go if you prefer to avoid subscriptions, works on all devices, battle tested on sets, and has a roadmap of features.

Not Vibe coded/AI Slop

I want to get out in front and recognize that any idiot with AI apps is making slop websites to pass off as filmmaking "tools" right now. I can't stop that, but I can assure you that I am a Senior Software engineer that hand crafted the UX, logic, and (importantly) the application security of SHOTAGE.

Features

Automatic Project Setup - First because it's my favorite. Upload a script/screenplay, and you don't have to type out any scene names, locations, characters, or any other data entry. The site will build your project structure for you so you can get straight to shot listing.

Shotlisting/Scheduling - What you expect, but made as intuitive and with as many QOL features as I could think of so you can get your coverage vision from your head to the list as easily as possible.

On Set Tracking - SOOOOO much easier than anything out there. The site is made to be super flexible so you can reorder, add, remove shots and notes while shooting. This was my biggest frustration with what I was using for keeping on track on sets, so I love using this on set.

Cost

First if you wanna use it on a small project right now, it's FREE.

I wish I could let it live out there for totally free, but where I'm at in life and the monthly infrastructure costs to host and operate the site just don't make that possible. That being said, I made it as cheap as I could, I'm not trying to get rich off fellow industry creatives. If it blows up and gains a ton of support to offset the cost, I will revisit the pricing model only for the better so that more features and use can be made free in the future.

I also dislike today's subscription ecosystem and think it's a leech on hobbyists/creatives so while I do offer subs, I also made a way to do Pay as you go so if you are someone who only works on a couple films a year you don't have to have a recurring monthly or annual payment to manage and shut off when you need to.

There's my spiel. I genuinely hope that it helps other filmmakers like it has helped my on my last 4 films. I am open to any and all feedback to make it even better.

First off: I always partner with a professional storyboard artist for actual shooting boards.

I direct commercials and content, which means making a ton of early "story flows" (rough pitch boards) to map out concepts for clients. Because client feedback changes the concepts, making new boards from scratch isn't an option.

I usually pull reference stills from Frame Set to build these 'boards', but I decided to give dedicated AI storyboarding tools a shot.

I tested LTX and Storyboarder, and the results were honestly terrible. Neither tool could interpret basic camera descriptions, and the overall look and feel was completely off. I pasted the exact same prompts into Gemini, and the output was 1000x better.

Has anyone else noticed this? Are dedicated AI board tools just... bad?

So I'm fairely new to the world of filmmaking, always loved movies but only recently got into the actual process of making stuff after much dreaming. I'm 22 right now and mostly self-taught and with some PA experience.

Anyways, I recently made a short horror film this past summer with a few friends of mine. I ended up submitting it to a small local festival near me which was heavily biased towards people in my area and I knew some people who were running it through previous PA work. Lo and behold I got accepted and I just feel kinda... indifferent?

I don't know, but I feel like with this being so early into me actually making my own projects, the expectation of the festival being easy for me to get into, and just the general things I've seen of small festivals being nothing but wastes of money and laurels that nobody cares about- I'm feeling not nearly as excited as I thought I would be.

Anyone have any similar situations? Should I be happy and celebrating this early win? I feel bad that I'm not as excited as I should be right now. Thank you everyone!!

(This might be the wrong flair to use for this.. Idk) Hello! Fellow filmmakers. I am.. Literally brand new to making films.. But! I would love to start out my filmmaking journey with a live action short film (like.. A comedic skit type thing) my only problem? I have absolutely no clue what to make the film about.. There are so many things I could make it about.. But I have to keep in mind the things I have on hand rn. Which isn't a lot.. But probably enough to make something small.. Sooo, I would love to get you guys ideas on what I should make the film about! Thank you for taking your time to read this

This post is for my own business, I don’t want this to be looked at as selfless promotion, but as a general offer to small film makers out there.

I am a programming student, and I also created a film production company earlier this year. Since I’m in school, and work full time over night, I don’t have much time to create my own films to fill out the app.

I would love to host films of any kind from those willing to add to the database. We will do a formal contract.

I will handle all graphical images like movie covers, thumbnails, and even trailers if none are provided, and I will also handle all promotional material (out of my own pocket)

I will not hold any exclusive rights to any film unless otherwise discussed and signed under contract.

All authors, actors/actresses, directors, etc will be credited within movie detail pages.

My website for my business is dobettermp4.com and I plan to launch my app first to Apple App Store within the next month.

This is not malicious in anyway. I am just a small business owner who happens to go to school for programming and owns a production company at the same time. If you are interested please inbox me and we can discuss the formalities.

Thought I would share a shot of the builds on the counter. Always interesting seeing how everyone rigs out their gear differently, from compact handheld setups to fully accessorized RED, Sony, Canon, and Blackmagic packages.

If you are a Dallas Fort Worth filmmaker and have not checked out Shine Cine yet, it is definitely worth stopping by. Really cool space to prep gear, grab expendables, or just hang out with other local crew.

I don't like socialising, I'm unsure how to properly work my camera. I understand the core concepts of mise-en-scene, but I don't get the individual, behind the scenes, elements like shooting scripts or "production managers", all that stuff just seems boring.

I don't know, I really wanna make a short film, but I can't find the motivation. And my Parents are getting angry at me. I think I enjoy writing the most, but I can't even fucking do that. I have not finished a feature script in the four years I've been writing. I just get bored of the concept I'm working on, and then I end up moving onto a new script. Literally just in the three days I've been writing I've started a horror script about Millennials Vampires wanting to eat Gen Z, a spoof of Joker 2019 and a serious horror script about a mentally disabled kid killing his classmates in the Special Ed.

The thing is that I want a style, I want trademarks, I want my movies to become a genre of their own, like Tarantino or Wes. But I can't figure out if I wanna be a funny man like David Zucker or Mel Brooks, or someone strange and mysterious like David Lynch or Harmony Korine.

I don't know what to do because I don't know what I'm doing. What's your advice?

I'm writing a low-budget psychological horror short film. No CGI, no Blender, no heavy VFX just practical filmmaking, sound, lighting, and storytelling.

What makes a psychological horror film genuinely disturbing for you?

I'm not talking about jump scares. I mean the kind of movie that stays in your head after it's over.

\- What scenes or tropes work really well?

\- What completely ruins psychological horror?

\- What's something you wish more horror films did?

I'm using this as research, so be as specific as you want.

I’m an independent filmmaker based in Atlanta, GA, and I’m getting ready to make my first film. I’ve been doing photography for about 8 years and videography for about 3 years, so I’m comfortable behind a camera, but filmmaking is obviously a different beast when it comes to putting an entire production together.
I have written 2 movies so far and I am currently focused on the first one. I have Synopsis, Log Lines, Lookbook, Character Breakdowns, Mood Reel, Production Book, Shot List, and Full Script for both movies already completed and ready to go.
The biggest challenge for me right now is budget. I’m working with very limited funds, and I’m trying to figure out how to realistically make something cinematic without pretending that people’s time and skills don’t have value.
I’m not looking to exploit anyone or expect professionals to work for free. At the same time, I know there are passionate filmmakers, actors, creatives, and people building their portfolios who may be interested in collaborating on an independent project if the right opportunity comes along.
I’m curious how other independent filmmakers handled their first productions.

For example:
1. How did you find your crew when you had little or no money?
2. How did you find actors who were genuinely passionate about the project?
3. Did you ever work with people who were building their reels/portfolios? How did you make that arrangement fair?
4. How did you find locations when you couldn’t afford traditional location fees?
5. Are there certain Atlanta locations, organizations, film groups, or communities I should know about?
6. What equipment did you absolutely need versus what did you realize you could live without?
7. For someone coming from photography/videography, what filmmaking-specific mistakes should I be watching out for?
8. What are the things you always make sure you have on set?
9. What should I budget for that first-time filmmakers commonly forget?
10. What paperwork/legal stuff should I have handled before shooting?
11. What mistakes did you make on your first film that you would NEVER make again?
12. If you had almost no money and had to make your first film again, what would you do differently?
13. How do you make a film look cinematic when you don’t have access to expensive cameras, lighting, locations, etc.?

I will add I have been advised to write my next movie surrounded around things I already have free access to. Which was actually fantastic advice and will be considered.
I’m especially interested in hearing from people who started out with very limited resources rather than people whose first film had a large production budget.
I’m based in Atlanta, so I’m also open to hearing about local filmmaking communities, networking groups, equipment resources, actors, locations, or other resources that helped you get your first project off the ground.
I have the photography/videography experience and I’m willing to put in the work. I’m really trying to learn the filmmaking/production side and build a team of people who are passionate about creating something together.
Any advice, warnings, resources, or “I wish somebody told me this before my first shoot” stories would be greatly appreciated.

Hi i was wondering does Academic grades matter to get in to Film School.

For example in the UK/Ireland

Or otherwise is it depndnet on judt your creative portfolios?

Do you need good high school grades in order to actually qualify to go to a film school?

If so what grades do you have to show.

Would like some perslective from students and graduates and people looking at film school!

I proposed an advert for a high end hospitality business which operates world wide and the CEO got back to me personally and really enjoyed the idea.

I (23) have just come off the back of a healthy sized production which I produced which has given me some substance of which I can use to get more work, I sent them my showreel and pitch deck for the project. They replied saying they would love to explore this further and would require a breakdown of a budget which would make this achievable, which I then did over the week and returned it to them.

it's been about 6 weeks since delivery (in fairness to them 3 weeks of this was annual leave for my point of contact) and they've got back to me offering a barter deal ( I'm not familiar with the term in this sense ).

The email reads as follows:

"We have now had an opportunity to discuss your proposal internally. Before committing to a paid project, I wanted to ask whether you would be open to collaborating on an initial barter project as a trial.

We would, of course, be happy to cover all agreed production expenses. We feel this could be a great starting point for both parties, giving us an opportunity to explore how we work together while creating a strong piece of content for your portfolio.

Please let me know if this is something you would be willing to consider. If so, we can arrange a call to discuss the potential scope and next steps."

As this is a company of reputation and of size, I feel relatively safe that this would be done in good faith but is their any advice for structuring a deal so if X deliverables were met a paid job would then follow? I was talking with a collaborator of mine and said I could offer them a skeleton crew proof of concept which they would cover costs for crew day rates bar mine as I would be the one benefiting from this relationship but would want assurances that this wouldn't be just them getting cheap work off a young career filmmaker and would actually lead to larger jobs like the ones discussed initially.

I'm just hoping to hear from the more experienced producers here and people who have dealt with this kind of situation.

I know good sound is one of the most important parts of filmmaking if not the most important one, period. But I have very little experience - when people say having good sound, what do they mean EXACTLY? Just being clear and audible? Or are there specific EQ levels to look out for that are more cinematic or professional? Or does it vary, and how so?

Thanks :)

So I just wanted to get some feedback from everybody. This was my first time editing in pro res raw I used my Sony Remus lenses all of the lighting is natural color graded in da Vinci resolve I want to know any other color grading tips that you guys would recommend

Pretty stoked on this one. Got to direct a series of spots for USAA, this being one of them. We built a miniature/scale model of an apartment building on blue screen and shot everything on a bolt. We shot all of our plates in studio to fill the various “rooms” in the building with restaurants, gyms, living rooms, etc. Then went into VFX to add all the little details in and around the building. Was such a blast and a real technical challenge in every sense, particularly given the boundaries of a :15 with pre approved voiceover and trying to make all the timing work. Lots of previz, math, matching perspectives, etc. Lots of great people involved in making this.

If you want to watch a full breakdown/BTS: https://vimeo.com/1215586757?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Enjoy!

ANDYS| 2025| a sci-fi short my friend directed, edited and did the vfx for.

Sun City, 2029. There is unrest amongst the youth as robots begin to invade the minimum wage workforce.

Made by a local crew and shot in El Paso and Las Cruces, inspired by our frustrations with our modern dystopia.

We mostly used an old go pro strapped to a helmet, except for the end which was shot on a black magic pocket 4k and it was editted using a mix of davinci and blender.

Hey everyone — I’m one of the filmmakers behind Flesh for Flesh TV, a new curated exhibition platform for independent horror shorts.
We just opened submissions for our inaugural Founding Season, and I wanted to share it here in case anyone has a horror short they’re looking to get in front of a new audience.
FFFTV is currently YouTube-based. The idea is to build a curated channel specifically for independent horror rather than simply uploading everything that comes our way. We’re starting small, building an audience and filmmaker community first, and hoping to grow the platform from there.
For the Founding Season:
Horror shorts: 3–25 minutes
Free to submit
Non-exclusive
Filmmakers retain ownership
Up to 12 films will be selected
All horror subgenres are welcome
Previously released / previously screened films are welcome
Selected films will be exhibited on the Flesh for Flesh TV YouTube channel and promoted through our social platforms
There’s no cash prize or licensing payment for this first season, and I want to be completely upfront about that. We’re currently building the platform from the ground up. The goal of the Founding Season is to establish the channel, showcase great independent work, and start developing an audience that can eventually support a larger model.
Selections are made by a five-person committee, and we’re completely fine selecting fewer than 12 films if we don’t feel the quality is there.
If you’ve made something frightening, uncomfortable, bloody, strange, funny, experimental, or just unmistakably yours, we’d genuinely love to see it.
Submissions are open through November 30, 2026.

Happy to answer any questions about the platform, submission process, exhibition terms, etc. And if this kind of self-promotion isn’t allowed in the sub, mods are obviously welcome to remove it.
Independent Horror. Curated by Filmmakers.

Especially for young folk looking to a potential stint in film school or cats like me who never went, I think it's something of a treasure trove.

MIT's "The Film Experience" OpenCourseWare page
MIT's "The Film Experience" full YT playlist

Anyone know where I can get the Storyboarder by Wonder Unit download? The website says to enter an email, I did, but got nothing in my mail.

As mentioned in title.

Would it be possible to shoot 15min short film within 2week?

For the condition.

I have staff and actor ready.

Locations are already in mind, which are available for good.(I checked)

But I kinda delayed the shooting because I wanted to make some modification in my scenario.

And, I'm not quite satisfied with it.

However, I procrastinated my job too far. It passed the deadline...

I know I'm being stupid.

But can't be helped, I was too afraid to push over.

So, I'd just made up my mind to just shoot them, even though deadline is already passed.

Therefore, I need to shoot the film within 2week.

My concern is....

First, I haven't rehearsed the actor yet. And didn't check if costume which are going to be used on stage suits them.

Second, I went to the location hunting myself.

But didn't accompany with my staff yet..

And lastly, there are suppose to be 4 location I need to shoot.

2 locations where short shooting would take.

And the others with main plot going in.

I made 3 locations set up.

But last location, I couldn't get the proper location to fit in...

With these conditions.

Would it be possible to shoot within 2week?

Hello all, I’m looking for a video camera recommendation! I’ve had a Canon rebel t6i for several years, and while it’s served me extremely well, as a camera designed for photography it unfortunately suffers from the 30-minute recording limit. I’m hoping to replace it with a video camera with strong optical zoom (I would think 20x or so should be sufficient) and that can record for at least 2.5 to 3 hours uninterrupted. Thankfully the camera will not be moving, so no need for a nice autofocus or any motion controls.

Hoping to find something super budget friendly (under $1k but preferably under $700)… from my searching I think something like the Panasonic vx981 would be really nice, but as its a 10 year old model I’ve been unable to find it with retailers. Does anyone have any experience with more up to date/readily available models that might fit these requirements?