This afternoon I was listening to Rex Sikes Movie Beat chat show live where he had Entertainment Attorney Paul Baptista on the show. It hit me how valuable the information being given on the show was, how rare these crucial nuggets of wisdom are and how few of my fellow filmmaking friends even know of the show, let alone listen in every week.
I wonder what their excuses may be. Sure, some of them are hungry and just don’t know what’s out there. Some don’t think they need it, many don’t know what they need in the first place.
So I have compiled a list of my most valuable resources… which reminds me that my A-List of must-follow filmmakers on twitter also needs to be updated. I think it’s been over a year now and I’ve met some fantastic new people over the last 12 months that belong on my A-List.
For now here’s a quick rundown of resources I use every day (or in the case of Sheri Candler’s new book launched yesterday, resources I will soon use every day.) Some you may already know these, some may not.
GENERAL FILM BUSINESS
Filmcourage with David Branin and Karen Worden – http://www.filmcourage.com
Film Courage is a weekly show on L.A. Talk Radio, and it’s really an hour every week at midday PST on Sundays that cannot be spent in any better way.
Follow @FilmCourage on twitter and you won’t miss a thing!
Rex Sikes Movie Beat – http://www.rexsikes.com
Rex Sikes, and his guests offer up a priceless amount of insider information which is both inspiring and full of down-to-earth practicality. This is another show that is simply not worth missing for anyone who takes their career seriously.
Follow @RexSikesMovieBT on twitter.
MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION
Selling Your Film Without Selling Your Soul – http://www.sellingyourfilm.com
Authored by Sheri Candler, Jon Reiss (of Think Outside the Box Office fame) and co-authored by The Film Collaborative (Orly Ravid and Jeffrey Winter), this is a freely available e-book which cannot be missed.
Follow @SheriCandler and @Jon_Reiss on twitter.
Hope for Film - http://blogs.indiewire.com/tedhope/
Ted Hope is a legend in his own time in independent film. Hugely pro-active, sharing and approachable he was one of the first people on my own A-List. He provides answers and insight, and often just puts forward provocative questions. One of the best things you can do is subscribe to his blog here and you won’t miss a post!
Follow @TedHope on twitter.
SCREENWRITING
Raindance – http://www.raindance.org
Raindance Resources - http://www.raindance.co.uk/site/Raindance-Film-Festival-indie-tips-for-independent-filmmakers
Elliot Grove is seriously one of my heroes. The Raindance website is easily the first place I go to when I’m stuck with something in the middle of writing a outline, a synopsis or a screenplay. There is a whole catalogue of downloadable screenplay collections that make fantastic reading and study material. The online search functionality and articles provided are second to none.
Follow @Raindance on twitter.
I’m going to keep this short and sweet. Those are by far the most valuable resources I refer to regularly on the web.
Enjoy!
You’ve got no excuses now!
Thanks for helping us spread the word Richard! We are grateful for the mention.
Thanks for sharing Richard! They are really helpful resources.