Selecting a Film

It's been a month since my last post which was how to find a Film Festival for your film. In this post I will explain how our selection committee chooses film for the Central Florida Film Festival (www.CentralFloridaFilmFestival.com).

It's the day after Oscar Night and every filmmaker worth his salt should be inspired and ready to make their next project. Here at CENFLO we've already begun selecting some of our "Early Bird" entries as "Official Selections." It thought I would give a few tips to filmmakers in this post to help them receive a better chance of getting selected, not only to our festival but to most. We are currently accepting submissions through May 10, 2010 for our September festival. Our dates are September 3-6, 2010 (Labor Day weekend). Here are some of the basics;

1) Make sure you follow directions. Fill out the application in full and make sure of your check list. Don't send in one screening copy when they ask for five. Don't send in press kits when they don't ask for it.

2) Credits aren't necessary. This means if your entry is ten minutes, three minutes shouldn't be credits with the filmmaker in almost every category. We get it! You made a film. Let us watch it and judge it on what every good film should have story, production value, entertainment value, creativity, and technical know how. Placing yourself at Producer, director, writer, editor, camera, wardrobe, and coffee getter doesn't make the selection committee feel sorry for your film. If anything it takes the credit and makes it blame. Who ever heard of rolling end blame? However, think about it.....An editor can only put together what the DP shoots and the director hands him. Sometimes we can cut an editor some slack for at least shortening the product we had to sit through. Yet if the director, DP and editor are the same people they each have no one to blame but themselves. Same for starring in your own film with a group of friends and family. I'm not saying it's impossible but I am saying it's industry standard and as a new filmmaker you should play the percentages. At Sundance they prefer you have no credits at all when submitting shorts. Just roll right into the film.

3) Saying your film (short or feature) was made for a thousand dollars doesn't give you the sympathy vote either. Be honest if you have to say anything at all. Saying your film budget is a million because your girlfriend (who also starred in the film) said it looked like a million doesn't cut it either. You say your film budget was a million and it looks like a hundred thousand dollars your production value stinks. If your film was made for fifteen hundred and looks like a hundred thousand dollar film then your product has excellent production value. Many film festivals look at the production value to cost ratio. When it all comes down to it....it's programing and people have to sit through it and like it.

4) Stay away from over use of toys. We get it, you got some FX tools for your birthday. If your film needs visuals make sure they aren't over used or repetitive. It's amateurish and stand out like a sore thumb.

5) Tell the story. If you tell a good story - your chances are much better on getting selected.

6) Don't fall in love with every shot. Documentaries, shorts and features alike drag on and should have been tightened. Documentarians make sure the repetition sends a message and not just repeats the same information over and over. You will lost the audience and selection committee as well. Short filmmakers, there's a reason they call it a short! If a short is less than ten minutes and has production value and/or entertainment value there has to be a place for it.

7) Maintain interest. Keep the viewer's eye moving. Either move the actors or move the camera.

8) Use better actors. Did you know that the Screen Actors Guild has several contracts including one for shorts where you don't have to pay the performers? The film has to be under thirty minutes and the budget less than fifty thousand dollars. Professional actors like to showcase their work. If you have a good script don't be afraid to ask. Contact your local SAG office for details.

It also helps to be honest with yourself. As a filmmaker you've got to learn to find a thick skin. We get better with trial and error. Listen to critiques. If several critics say the same thing chances are pretty good they're right and you're wrong. Be proud you're a filmmaker but be humble. No matter how old you are it's a learning process. We learn as filmmakers every day and receive inspiration from normal day to day life. Embrace it and go out and make a film. Hopefully, it will wind up on one of the screens at the West Orange 5 during the Labor Day weekend. The Central Florida Film Festival wants to make you better filmmakers.

.....and cut!