DoubleDownFilmShow

On the next Double Down Film Show we’ll be breaking down an indie film case-study with writer/director, Kevan Tucker, and Producer/Editor, Tim O’Neill, the creative team behind the independent film, The Unidentified. Although a narrative film, The Unidentified was completed for $130,000, partially-improvised and shot amongst real-life events including a massive anti-war protest in Washington, D.C. After winning multiple awards at festivals across the country including Best Breakout Performance, Best New Director and Best Feature, the film is slated to premiere on PBS October 9th. · What was the most pivotal thing to raising the money? · How do you get your crew invested in your film? · How do you gather and keep project momentum? · What should you rely on beyond festivals for distribution? · How has indie film marketing evolved in recent years? · Why is it important to show up at your festival screenings? Break out your indie notebooks as we answer all these questions and many more on the next episode of the Double Down Film Show. We don’t just talk about making films, we talk about making filmmaking careers. Listen and learn every Wednesday night.

On the next Double Down Film Show we’ll discuss building a career in cinematography with veteran Hollywood Director of Photography, Julio Macat. Julio is the man behind the images of some of the most popular comedy movies of the last decade including Home Alone, Ace Ventura, The Nutty Professor, Wedding Crashers, and more. · What previous job gave him a lot of confidence as a young DP? · How can you best learn the language of lighting? · How did he survive his first big job as a DP? · What should you shoot on your first reel? · What type of people succeed as DP’s? Tune in and soak up some filmmaking wisdom and insight as a veteran studio image-maker shares his best no-nonsense tips and career advice only on The Double Down Film Show. Listen and learn and we’ll help you earn!

On the next Double Down Film Show, we’ll be having a candid chat with former Sundance Programmer and author of the book, How NOT to Make a Short Film, Roberta Munroe. A long-time short filmmaker herself, Roberta spent many years programming the shorts selections for Sundance and other notable film festivals. On the job she gained many unique and valuable insights into the festival submission process from both sides of the application (many of which she shares in her book and seminar series of the same name). · What are the advantages of shooting a short before your feature? · What goes on behind the scenes of programming a film festival? · What impact does individual cultural perspective have on festival judging? · How can you increase your 1% chance of getting into Sundance? · How can your choice of music impact your distribution potential? · How should you NOT make a short film? All of this insider festival info and more candid career wisdom will be revealed on the very next Double Down Film Show with special guest, Roberta Munroe. If you’re tired of getting film festival rejection letters, then this is the show for you.

Summer break is over, the leaves are turning and the buzz of a new school year is in the air, which can only mean one thing…Time for the new season of The Double Down Film Show! On Wednesday, September 15th @ 9pm we’re gonna kick off the 4th season with an uplifting conversation about acting and managing a career in the industry with actor/author Hill Harper (CSI:NY, Premium, Lackawanna Blues,etc.). Hill took a most unusual route to acting, first earning a law degree from Harvard and a Masters from The Kennedy School of Government, before leaving it all behind and gambling on his newfound passion - acting. It turned out to be a good bet that paid off with roles in many tv shows, plays, indie and studio features. Today Hill is reprising his starring role as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes for the sixth year on CSI:NY and just completed his third book, The Conversation. · Why did he pursue acting despite having a Harvard Law degree? · What do great actors do that others don’t? · Why does the best actor not necessarily get the job? · What’s the most important thing you can do to last in Hollywood? · What do you do if you don’t have access to great roles? All this and more will be revealed on the 4th Season premiere of Double Down Film Show with CSI New York’s, Hill Harper.

On the next Double Down Film Show, we’ll close out our 3rd season with an uplifting interview with Paola Mendoza the triple threat actress/writer/director of the new indie film, Entre Nos. Winner of multiple film festival awards, Entre Nos is a timely and personal drama about the hot-button issue of immigration based on the true story of Paola’s own mother. Beginning as an actress, Paola crossed over into filmmaking with the award-winning documentary, Autumn’s Eyes, before writing, directing and starring in Entre Nos. The film was co-written/co-directed and edited by Gloria La Morte who also edited Autumn's Eyes. · How did she shoot a feature with 2 child leads in 18 days? · What’s the most important thing she does as a director every night? · How did they find convincing non-actors as her child leads? · What perils of tapeless shooting did the crew overcome? · How can you get a community involved with your film? All will be revealed on the next Double Down Film Show with our special guest, Paola Mendoza. Paola’s new film Entre Nos will be opening in New York on May 14th and appearing on HBO later in the Fall. We’re taking the summer hiatus to get our own filmmaking jones on, but will be back this fall with Season #4 and more practical wisdom and advice for filmmakers! Join us for the season finale Wednesday, May 5th @ 9pm EST!

On this Double Down Film Show co-hosts Anthony Q. Artis and Pete Chatmon will be running down their list of 20 Things Filmmakers Should Never Do. We all know that there is no specific magic formula for success in filmmaking. Those that have achieved their goals have done so using a wide range of tactics and by taking a variety of paths. However, there is a very clear and specific list of things NOT to do that can hinder your filmmaking, bust your budget, or even completely derail your career in the industry. Unfortunately, most of us compile our personal list of things not to do through expensive and morale-busting trial and error. Listen in with pen in hand as we share with you our candid observations of what NOT to do. The more of these things you know and learn the easy way - from someone else’s mistakes - the closer you will be to finding out your own path to filmmaking success. It's just another classic episode of The Double Down Film Show. No B.S. and no holds barred, just straight talk and practical advice from the grimy trenches of indie film from our lips to your ears…not just for your film, but for your film career.

The next Double Down Film Show will be a special double-header with not one, but two hot up-and-coming directors discussing their first feature films out this year. First up is NYU film grad, Hue Rhodes, who wrote and directed, St John of Las Vegas which came out earlier this year. Hue changed careers from software programming to filmmaking at the age of 30 and was one of the oldest students in his graduate film program. His first feature, St John of Las Vegas is a quirky comedy road movie starring, Steve Buscemi and Sarah Silverman. Next on deck, is our good friend and fellow NYU grad, writer/director Alrick Brown, which many of you may recognize from the IFC reality series Film School which profiled several NYU grad students in their first year of film school. Well since that time, Alrick has graduated from the program and gone on to establish a reputation as a skilled and provocative director that sometimes leaves his audiences in stunned silence. His first feature entitled Kinyarwanda was shot over several weeks in Rwanda on the Red camera and co-directed by Ishmael Ntihabose. - How did Hue land not one, but two major stars in his first feature? - What are the perils (and rewards) of shooting in the Third World? - What really happens after (and during) grad film school? - How is shooting on the Red camera different than shooting 35mm? - What does Alrick do that leaves his audiences speechless? All will be revealed in tonight’s special first feature double-header. Filmmakers, you are not alone. Listen and learn from the mistakes, successes and hard-won wisdom of your indie film colleagues every Wednesday night. WEBSITES FOR MORE INFO: *** http://www.kinyarwandamovie.com/ *** http://saintjohnmovie.com/

Co-host Anthony Artis is in Las Vegas for NAB doing yet another sold-out presentation. In between dropping those practical tips that we've become known for, Ant has made the rounds on the NAB floor, talking to folks from CANON, VARIZOOM, PANASONIC, GO PRO HERO and several other great companies. You'll get the first word on Panasonic's new line of cameras, including their new single-body 3-D camera, as well as discuss DSLR production workflow issues with indie filmmaker Andrew Byrd at the B&H booth. And company reps will drop the scoop on a half dozen other hot products from CANON, RED ROCK MICRO, PANASONIC, GO PRO HERO, SONY, MATTHEWS and more! * What do I need in ADD to a DSLR for filmmaking? * How can you now capture 3-D HD video for UNDER $1000? * What's the DIFFERENCE between Panasonic's and Sony's 3-D? * How you use an iPhone to CONTROL a camera? * What long lost dolly design has Matthews REISSUED? Just because you can't make it out to one of the biggest electronics shows in the world, doesn't mean you can't "almost" be there. Tune in to the Double Down Film Show for the exclusive access you deserve!

On the next Double Down Film Show, we’ll be giving a full Indie Film Boot Camp Recap for everyone who couldn’t make it out last Saturday. We’ll be sharing select tips and teachings from our six one-of-a-kind filmmaking seminars including: (a) Down and Dirty Filmmaking: Guerrilla Tactics - Professional Results (b) How to Make a $1 Million Dollar Video (w/o a $1Million Dollars) (c) Documentary Interview Bootcamp (d) Psychology and Technique of Directing (e) Fundraising & Pitching…Effectively (f) How to Learn, Break In, and Rise Up in Show Business Plus, we'll continue last episodes Open Q&A Session with answers to your most burning filmmaking questions as submitted by Indie Film Boot Camp attendees and show listeners. (Hurry, there's still time to email a few questions to us!) We’ll also tell you how you can get a special followers-only sale price on the full 6-DVD set of the entire Indie Film Boot Camp seminar series including our recommended resources, handouts and sample documents. So whether you are a director, actor, producer or intern, we've got something for you on the next Double Down Film Show. By filmmakers. For filmmakers. Straight up. Guerrilla.

We know you all can’t make it to NYC for INDIE FILM BOOTCAMP this Saturday, so on the next Double Down Film Show it’s all about YOU. Your questions, your filmmaking dilemmas, your entertainment industry career...Whatever YOU want to ask. As a final warm-up for Indie Film Boot Camp all three presenters, Anthony Q. Artis “The Video Evangelist”, Pete Chatmon “The Complete Filmmaker”, and Benjamin Ahr Harrison “The Video Whiz Kid” will be on-hand live for an open Q&A session for aspiring filmmakers. · How do I set up a meeting with a major production company? · What camera should I buy? · What should be in my investors packet? · How do I find paying corporate clients? · Where should I go to film school? · When should I do a script reading? The answers to all these questions and more will be revealed – but only if YOU ask them. Specific, general, veteran or newbie…we’ll take on all your filmmaking problems for 1 hour. Email us beforehand, log into the chat room or call in live at the number below to submit your filmmaking questions. Please have one precise and brief question ready for us and we will answer as many as we can from all 3 sources. Last Chance to Register for Indie Film Boot Camp: http://indiefilmbootcamp.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebtn The room is almost full, but there are a few more slots left. Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind no-holds-barred all-day filmmaking education from the technical to the practical to the psychological…we’re going to break it all down Saturday at DCTV. There will be exclusive handouts http://indiefilmbootcamp.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebtn Plus we’re going to network and party afterwards at the world-famous Whiskey Tavern! If you missed it, peep last week’s show for a special sneak preview of a few of the seminars. Get 10% off with this code now: D7LUV-327 http://indiefilmbootcamp.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebtn REGISTER NOW!!!

On the next Double Down Film Show, this Wednesday, March 17 – 9pm we’ll be giving away straight knowledge with a special preview of some of the one-of-a-kind filmmaking seminars we will be offering at Indie Film Boot Camp on Sat. March 27th in New York City. This will be a full-hour of excerpts from our most popular filmmaking seminars. (Most of this content has never been shared publicly outside of private paid seminars.) From the technical to the practical to the political, we learned it the hard way so you don’t have to. · Should you move to N.Y. or L.A.? · How does one strategically woo a potential investor? · Why is it vital to set your personal “price” upfront? · How can you quickly excel from an entry-level position? We’ll answer all of these pressing questions and more to help you succeed in the real world of film and tv and avoid the most common mistakes. Only on the Double Down Film Show. If you like what you hear, hurry to register now to get ALL of the info you need to jump-start your filmmaking journey at Indie Film Boot Camp on Sat. March 27th. It’s an entire day of practical real-world filmmaking advice for aspiring filmmakers on the rise. 6 Seminars. 3 Speakers, 8+ Hours. Get ‘em while we got ‘em. Tickets are moving fast. (*PSSST! -Use this discount code to get 10% OFF: DNDLUV-327). REGISTER NOW

On the next episode of The Double Down Film Show we’ll discuss the craft of directing with Writer/Director, Darnell Martin. Darnell is a D.P. turned director who started out as an A.C. with Spike Lee’s outfit, 40 Acres and a Mule, before launching her own successful directing career. Apart from her most notable films, I LIKE IT LIKE THAT and CADILLAC RECORDS, Darnell has established a reputation as a skilled and efficient director of more than a decade of hit tv shows including LAW AND ORDER, HOMOCIDE, OZ, SAVED, and dozens more. · What does she always try to do on the first day of production? · How well did film school prepare her for Hollywood? · What’s the different about being a Black female in Hollywood? · What the hardest part of television directing? · How has motherhood affected her directing? Find out on the next Double Down Film Show. Plus, we’ll be announcing the prize winner’s for this week’s raffle for early registrants of Indie Film Boot Camp. Join us for another session of film school through the back door.

On the next Double Down Film Show we’ll have an open conversation with writer/director, Bridget Bedard. Since receiving her MFA from NYU Film School, Bridget now crafts scripts for two of the hottest new shows on the air, the runaway hit, Madmen, and the new series, Men of a Certain Age. Along with her writing colleagues, she recently won a WGA Award for Best New Series and was nominated for an award for Best Dramatic Series for her work on the first season of Madmen. Bridget is a rare breed: a working female on a hit show in the heavily male-dominated writing segment of the business who didn’t have to work her way up from the bottom rung. · How did she skip the normal path to the writer’s table? · How does tv writing differ from feature writing? · What do managers do for you that agents don’t? · What did she learn in the “real world” that she didn’t in film school? · What are the pros and cons of writing in N.Y. vs. L.A.? Find out the answer to all these questions, plus a whole lot more practical wisdom and advice for aspiring filmmakers as we probe for the formula to a successful television writing career on the next Double Down Film Show. By filmmakers. For filmmakers. No fluff, puff, or silly stuff…just the real answers you need to succeed every Wednesday night at 9pm. Listen and learn!

On the next Double Down Film Show, we’ll take you inside the head of veteran U.P.M. (Unit Production Manager) and location manager, Jeff Stolow (Ghost Busters, Midnight Run, The Pick Up Artist ). From the 70’s to the present, Jeff has landed some iconic locations in big studio films and solved hundreds of hairy logistical problems. · What do new filmmakers often not understand? · What should UPM’s always keep in mind? · What makes for a “good” location? · What production red flags should you look for in a script? · Who is it good to be friendly with? …Jeff will be giving his answers to all these questions and more. From the firehouse logistics of Ghost Busters to swinging Wesley Snipe’s off a building, Jeff’s been there and done that and has wisdom and revealing anecdotes to spare. The answer to all these questions, plus more filmmaking inspiration and education on the next Double Down Film Show. Real problems. Real answers. By filmmakers. For filmmakers.

Almost everyone in feature filmmaking starts out as a Production Assistant. It's the standard gateway to many of the best jobs on set and off. Yet there are very few, if any, resources to explain the job, the expectations or how to do it better. The Production Assistants Handbook is one of those rare resources to help the budding P.A. stay out of trouble and graduate from the bottom ranks of filmmaking. On the next Double Down Film Show we’ll speak with Caleb Clark, author of The Production Assistant’s Handbook. * What tools should a budding P.A. never be without? * What should you do if you screw up? * What should you never be seen doing on set? * What’s the secret to locking down of a public street? * How do you get your first P.A. job? From walkie talkie etiquette to what to carry in your fanny pack, Caleb will help us break down the answer to all these questions and give best practices for Production Assistants. (Yes, fanny packs have never gone out of style for film crew!) Come listen and learn as we once again open the backdoor to film school. DOWNLOAD THE FIRST 10 PAGES HERE (or buy the book) HERE: http://www.plocktau.com/how-tos/pahandbook/theproductionassistantspockethandbook.html The answer to all these questions, plus more filmmaking inspiration and education on the next Double Down Film Show. Real problems. Real answers. By filmmakers. For filmmakers.