rachelallen0603 days ago1 minWhat’s Your Dream?There are many ways to define “success” in this business. For some, it’s money, fame, and recognition, and the more of it they have, the...
rachelallen0605 days ago2 minGet ExperiencedIn today’s age, you don’t need to be a sophisticated or particularly wealthy businessman/woman to produce and sell a commercial feature...
rachelallen060May 121 minWrite to YOUR BudgetIf your goal is to write, direct, and produce your own films, then there’s no point in writing something you can’t afford to do or...
rachelallen060May 102 minThe Treatment Scene BreakdownThere is a cool trick I picked up when I was writing Pickings that has changed the way I write and contributed greatly to the quality of...
rachelallen060May 51 minScreenwriting ContestsOnce you have finished a few drafts of a script and have the confidence to allow other people to read it and critique it, try submitting...
rachelallen060May 31 minDon’t Let “The Great Idea” Get in Your WayWhen I was writing Prego in 2015, my “idea” was to write a movie that shows what happens when a one-night stand results in a pregnancy...
rachelallen060Apr 282 minThe ProducerMost of you reading this book are probably planning to produce your first feature film on your own. After all, you produced a short film...
rachelallen060Apr 262 minThe Cinematographer (DP)If you’re shooting a film on a shoestring budget, you may not be able to afford a Director of Photography (DP) who knows what he/she is...
rachelallen060Apr 213 minThe Assistant DirectorDirecting a feature film is very similar to playing a strategy war game; you need to know what each player on your team can or can't do....
rachelallen060Apr 192 minThe Line ProducerWhen I made Pickings, I opted to save the $3,700 it would have cost to hire a Line Producer and decided not to hire one, but instead to...
rachelallen060Apr 141 minPAs – Lifesavers SupremeProduction Assistants do everything that has to be done on a movie set, from getting coffee to making script copies, carrying C-Stands,...
rachelallen060Apr 122 minGet to Know Your CrewI’m of the belief that when you have to spend a long period of time with someone, it had better be someone you like. And so, when we...
rachelallen060Apr 72 minConnect with Talented PeopleI can say without a doubt that my movie wouldn’t have been half as good as it is if it weren't for the talented people that I partnered...
rachelallen060Apr 53 minEnter the DIY Film DistributorThis is where the current state of DIY film distribution comes into play. Some filmmakers who failed to sell their movie at a film...
rachelallen060Mar 311 minNo Movie is Written, It’s RewrittenThe main reason for the existence of bad scripts, in my opinion, is the unwillingness of the writer to poke holes in their own work and...
rachelallen060Mar 291 minAnalyze Your DraftsThose of you who are experienced in film analysis may have asked the question: “Do most low-budget indie filmmakers conduct a thorough...
rachelallen060Mar 241 minWrite With What You HaveSticking to the point of writing to budget, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Desperado) suggests that you write a script that...
rachelallen060Mar 222 minGetting Early Interest from Established ActorsAs previously established – if you can add a recognizable face to your feature film, your movie is more likely to stand out, get into...
rachelallen060Mar 171 minMy Two Cents on Script DoctorsScript doctors are an interesting phenomenon in my opinion. While it is clear that script doctoring can be a lifesaver, and many notable...
rachelallen060Mar 152 minThere is Only ONE RuleI attend the NY Book Expo every year, and every year I get to sit for a few hours and listen to famous authors talk about their process,...