FAQs

Question: Is this a good time to be in the filmmaking business?  

Answer:  This is a very exciting time ahead of us in Hollywood and the world when it comes to filmmaking.  There are a lot of clever independent and studio filmmakers out there and sometimes I think that if they got some guidance and clear no nonsense advice, they would have an easier time trying to “break-in”. The bottom line is no matter your experience you all have to start at the bottom and work yourself up.  Yes, each case is different but the rules are fairly simple in Hollywood and the filmmaking community.  You have to as a filmmaker understand the foundation and ground rules of making a film.  This can be applied to any creative endevour that you undertake as an artist.

Question: What can novice filmmakers do to protect themselves when they arrive in Hollywood?

Answer: Hundreds of filmmakers arrive in Los Angeles all looking to make their dreams come true.  Many have attended some of the really great film schools and think that their diplomas will immediately open doors and that once they have arrived it will be easy -- that they won’t have to get their hands dirty or start at the bottom and work their way up. Sadly, the reality is that like any other business, it takes time, effort and a learning curve.  There is no such thing as an overnight success.  Most assistants working in Hollywood for a production company are college grads.  Some work as interns or mail room clerks and others end up pulling cables for other filmmakers.  This is an extremely competitive business.  We see more and more filmmakers becoming disillusioned and leaving Hollywood because it isn’t as easy as it seemed in the safety of film school.   Students don’t compromise what they want, and in the end don’t get anything.  I always tell the ones who ask, you know, Alfred Hitchcock didn’t have "Final Cut  Pro"®™ or "Final Draft"®™ software to create his masterpieces.  What you do need, is to have an imagination, stamina and the will to succeed.

Question:  Do you need to be in Hollywood to make a good film?

Answer:  I strongly encourage young filmmakers to stay put and learn.  Shoot a few features before heading out to Hollywood.  Create a great reel for yourself and learn the craft.  Hollywood is expensive and a hard place to crack.  You have to understand that no one is going to put you in charge of a multi-million dollar project until you have proven yourself.  So bring some work with you. Show what you can do and then make your move.  Hollywood, like any other business or community, is a place of supply and demand.  You supply a great film and the public will demand it.  No one can predict what films will hit and which will miss – if we did know that, we would all be superstar directors and producers.

Question: What does a producer actually do?

Answer:  Producers are by and large the hardest working people in Hollywood.  Why would I say that? Well, you have to understand that producers are like generals.  First they have to believe in their film more than anyone else and then they have to strategize how to get the film made when hundreds of others are thinking the same way about getting their film made!  Producers have to be really great at networking and working a room. "Pitching" a film is a key function.  A producer has to be able to synopsize a film in such a way that a studio and/or funder will open the wallet and pay to have the project funded.  Producers need to be able to spot talent, and bring together all the disparate people to work a project and make it successful.  A typical day in the life of a producer normally starts off with reading the trades – this helps determine the trends and informs him or her what is happening throughout the film community.  Then a lot of time is spent returning phone calls, answering questions, taking meetings and doing whatever it takes to get a film made.

Question: What should filmmakers do when they arrive in Hollywood?

Answer:  What most filmmakers forget and what they learn in a hurry when they get to Hollywood, is that most films take quite a few years to come together.  That is the reality, so you have to be in for the long haul.  The producer of a film is the person who keeps the momentum going.  Even if you have an A-list talent attached and the best director and writers on board, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a hit on your hands.  No one can predict the future – which is why there are so many remakes in Hollywood.  I personally think it is time for a change and the introduction of new talent and material to shake up the status quo.

Question: Do they need an agent to help with all of this?

Answer:  I get asked this question a few times a week and the answer is simply this.  The agents only make 10%, so unless you are someone who has a hit, and that they can introduce around town, they will be spending more of their time with their money-making clients.  I strongly suggest that at least for the first few years or until you get a major opportunity, be your own agent.  It’s a great way to learn about selling and pitching your film and you will make valuable contacts.  Another great place to network is your local film festival and film events.  Go and introduce yourself and start building your Rolodex.  I get into this in one of the lectures. Like I said,  this is a business first and foremost and you have to treat this seriously – and no one will ever be able to sell you as well as you can sell yourself.

Question:  What makes a good story? What makes you want to produce a film?

Answer:  The first thing I look for is the STORY.  Is it original?  Can this be made on a fairly decent budget?  Can I see the big picture?  One of the lessons I teach is that you should look at the end result before you write a word.  Of course everyone has his or her own ideas for this.  But at the end of the day, the hardest thing to do is to find distribution for your picture.  You have to ask yourself, “Will this project be for the film festivals?  Am I going to sell this film outright?”  I also need to point out that in today’s digital age and the proliferation of outlets for online and "New Media" distribution, I say, "go for it.!"  Anyone with an imagination can make a film.  What we can’t say is, that it will be a great film.  No one can teach talent.  Use your own strengths.  At 123 Film Easy!, we add our many years of experience to your passion and talent, offer the guidance and techniques you need to streamline the whole filmmaking process helping you to achieve your goals.

Question:  What are some of the traits of successful filmmakers?

Answer:  The first and foremost trait, is PASSION!  The second is TENACITY.  NEVER GIVE UP!  It take YEARS to bring a project to completion.  Filmmaking is hard work and entails very long hours.  You have to want to succeed more than anyone else on the planet does.  You really must understand the history of film.  I suggest that since film history is barely 100 years old, go do some research and learn to understand film.  Watch movies.  Examine them.  Feel them.  You have to really know and love the medium to succeed in it.  Another thing I tell young filmmakers – learn how the whole process works.  It doesn’t matter if you are a director, producer, or screenwriter – take some time and work a few films in a different capacity.  This will teach you to appreciate the entire process and understand how the whole process comes together.  Another important aspect I want to point out is – All filmmakers must understand STORY and where words come from.  Read the Greek comedies and tragedies. Read Shakespeare, and other great playwrights – and understand the subtext - see what makes them shine.  If you need help – get the cliff notes, but learn what is beneath the surface.  We get into this in the screenwriting lecture.  The bottom line is– without PASSION, TENACITY, AND HARD WORK your film simply will not  materialize, and that's the harsh reality!

 

Question: How are the 123 Film Easy! Programs different than what is already on the market?

Answer:  This is a very simple question and probably the easiest to answer.  At 123 Film Easy!, all of the training is "hands-on" mentorship programs., NOT THEORY.  We are based in Los Angeles, California and we simply arm our filmmakers with the foundation that tis needed to have a fighting chance to navigate the waters of the entertainment industry.  There is no ‘Handbook” in Hollywood, as each student is unique and has their own strengths and weaknesses.  That, I believe, is our key difference to other programs on the market.  The best way to learn anything is to do it and get actual experience.  Then keep repeating that process to engrain the knowledge and gradually refine the process, making it your own!  We guide students with whatever they have chosen to specialize in.  You have to master each creative endeavor separately.  If you want to be a producer then you, at the very least, should write a few screenplays and read as many as you can.  Think about it, if you don’t understand the fundamentals of what a screenwriter goes through, then how can you possibly give constructive notes to a screenwriter?  No matter what you specialize in, you must understand how all personnel above-the-line and below-the-line function, AND bring all these talents together to achieve a seamless completed film project.