Guest post by Ewan Thomas, Writer / Director I started working in the film industry 10 years ago, in post-production. But I’d always wanted to shoot my own film, so I moved to London wanting to “make it” as a film director. Shoot my first feature film. This means facing challenges and obstacles – so […]
Over the weekend, three girls from Mexico went viral with a cover of classic metal anthem ‘Enter Sandman’ by Metallica. And these three girls, Daniela, Paulina and Alejandra, simply SLAYED IT! If you haven’t seen it yet, watch above So what can we take away from this success and apply to our own projects and […]
More than once I have heard successful creative people complain that it’s too hard for people to break into the business as there is simply too much competition. It’s an easy assertion to make from the top. Made with good intention I am sure. It’s an even easier assertion to make from the bottom too, […]
As a kid, science fiction was the most exciting genre to me. Perhaps this was because it writ ideas large. Sure character, plot and authenticity were often there, but they always seemed to play second fiddle to the BIG idea. And I loved that. It was the purest form of imagination that to my mind, […]
The first film that impacted on me significantly was ‘The Ten Commandments’ which I believe was the first film I saw in a cinema. It was, for a five year old by in the seventies, a quasi religious experience that has never left me. Whether god truly exists or not, to me, God was present […]
It’s hard to write anything about Steve Jobs without being awed by his life and career. Apple and Pixar. What a stunning legacy. Above is his Stanford Commencement speech from 2005, and it’s as inspiring as it is instructive. What a man. ‘Just make it great.’ ‘Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living […]
What is the primary job of a story teller? To tell the truth. Every so often, someone tells us a story that stops us dead in our tracks. On rare occasions, the telling of that story is also a milestone for that person recounting the tale. And this act of sharing can be transformative. I […]
Earlier this year I wrote on the blog about a seminal documentary that aired in the 80’s, about how ILM created visual effects. It was made by the BBC as part of the Horizon series. And when I discovered the doc in my old archives and posted it, I found that many other film makers […]
Yesterday, we hosted a cracking ‘Script To Screen’ event at the Apollo Cinema with writer director Jonathan Newman on the opening weekend of his feature film ‘Swinging With The Finkels’. You can hear the whole podcast by signing up to our ‘Script To Screen’ email list below – just add your email and we will […]
It’s official. We have finally analysed the feedback from The Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass and of the 210 film makers who filled out their feedback forms, we scored a whopping 94% average delegate score. HOW AMAZING IS THAT! The weekend has proven SO successful that I have already locked in dates for 2012 – February […]
‘It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know’ goes the cliché. I know this is true and I kind of hate that fact. Surely talent trumps everything? I wish. Consequently, a large part of the The Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass was about networking. About confronting fear, embarrassment and generally being British when it comes […]
In life I find we come to believe that there is a certain and fixed way that things are done. A prescribed way to success. Sure there are deviations and back doors, but fundamentally, there is set process and track to take. After ‘The Kings Speech’ has taken over a half a billion dollars, and […]
I am spending the weekend building and updating my presentation for The Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass on June 4th and 5th. (90% sold out now, so don’t wait if you want to come, and use the discount code CHRISJONESBLOG to get it for £60, reduced from £119.00 – go here http://www.guerillamasterclass.com) And I wanted to […]
Watch the short film and read the feature script now… (plus get access to extra drafts and production paperwork like schedule and breakdowns) Then on Saturday June 18th, at the Apollo Cinema, watch the movie (on the weekend of its 200 screen release), followed by a 2 hour seminar with Writer/Director Jonathan Newman. Finally, […]
Following last weeks post where I offered blog readers the contracts you could use on your film, I thought I would add a list of tips for contracts. I called it the ‘Top Ten’, but of course, like any contract negotiation, that expanded…! So it’s a top fourteen! You can read about the free film […]
