If Your Job Sucks, Make A Film Instead

I know you need to keep at the dull and boring day job - you've got a landlord, right? Well, according to the latest addition to the Raindance team, Rob Levanthall, there might be an alternative: make movies instead! Even if you don't go to film school.

Whay not take a few minutes out of your stressful day and read what Rob's suggestions are. They might make you laugh too, as well as inform.
Read: Your Job Sucks: Make A Film Instead!

Raindance Filmfestival 2013 Sizzle Reel

This year's festival is nearly a month away - and fading from memory quicker than a handover. I was given this sizzle reel by filmmaker James Arden and it's brought back fresh memories of the 21st Festival this afternoon - and pleasant they are.

I hope you have a spare 63 seconds to watch the 2013 Raindance Film Festival Sizzle Reel, and even better to be the first to comment on YouTube.

Raising Film Dough? 3 Ways To Derisk Your Film's Finance

With the 21st Raindance film Festival done and dusted, and with record breaking crowds and an astonishing 600 filmmakers from 5 continent attending, we learned a lot about filmmaking - often by just hanging out in the lobby of the swanky VUE Piccadilly Cinema.

What were most filmmakers talking about? From Carlos Cuaron (yes the bro of the Famous One) to film producer Julian Assange (yes That One) to filmmakers attending Britain's first Web Fest, the question always was (and is): Where's the movie money.

It get's a whole lot easier to raise money if you can offer potential investors some ways to protect the downside.

Here's a bunch of ways you can de-risk your film's finance:

If I Was Looking for film Work, I'd ...

When I started out in the film business I didn't have any training, I had no film school background and I hadn't been to university. I painted sets for nine years in Toronto, and I was a runner at the BBC here in London for two years during the last year of Monty Python.

But what if I was trying to break in now? What are the 3 most useful jobs, the 3 hardest crew members to crew in today's digital age?

Read my article: The 3 Key Jobs No One Can Fill

Theatrical is Dead - Long Live Theatrical

Jon Reiss is filmmaker (Bomb It, Better Living Through Circuitry), , author (Think Outside the Box Office) and media strategist who works with filmmakers, companies and organizations to help them utilize the most recent techniques of direct film distribution and audience engagement. It was Jon who coined the acronym PMD: Producer of Marketing and Distribution – a term widely used for this new key film industry job.

I have met Jon Reis, author, filmmaker, entrepreneur several times and admire his work. He has carved himself a niche as the go-to person for advice on ‘self distribution’ – a term he and I agree is derogatory. Better to call it distribution. But distribution handled by the filmmakers themselves.

Jon’s current crowdfunding film campaign has just ended successfully. He has written a series of wonderful articles about how filmmakers make money in movies in an age of abundance.

In Theatrical is Dead – Long Live Theatrical, Jon goes through 9 different ideas and techniques to create live events which he sees (as do I) the way forward in 'self distribution.

Filmmakers Stay Cool In Heatwaves - 10 Ways

I have grown to hate the hot weather here in London. A week on consecutive 30+ degree days is enough to make one's blood literally boil.

So here I am - the founder of Europe's largest and oldest film festival, the biggest independent film festival in London - sweating like a circus act.

the it dawned on me - Independent filmmakers stay cool! They are cool!

read 10 Reasons Independent Filmmakers Are Cool

What Filmmakers Can Learn From Tour De France Cyclists

Believe it or not there are 4 important things that filmmakers can learn from the professional cyclists running in this week's Tour de France!

Read them here: Four Things Filmmakers Can Learn From the Tour de France Cyclists