Independent Filmmaking

by Alex Baker

There are several factors that you need to think about before deciding on which Seattle film school to attend. First, and foremost, you must consider how it is that you learn best. Are you okay with staying in a classroom and having tons of classmates with only one instructor? Or, would a non-traditional “mentor-apprentice” program be better for you? Plenty of people are fine with the traditional classroom set-up but others are finding it more worthwhile to have a mentor that has a real-life experience in the industry. Knowing the best school for you is the same as knowing the best learning style that’ll work for you.

Secondly, know the area of filmmaking that you want to carve your niche on. If you want to direct, then ascertain that the school you are choosing has strong directorial programs. If you’re looking to do editing or lighting (or anything else on the technical side of filmmaking) you must make sure that the programs will give you hands-on experience with the right technology and computer programs that are being utilized in the film industry right now. By getting into the appropriate Seattle film school, you’ll have access to tools and equipment that will make you a successful professional film editor, grip, etc.

Finally, consider what Seattle offers you in the scope of filmmaking opportunities. While it does not match the volume of filmmaking being done in Hollywood, Seattle opens up a greater opportunity for smaller work or independent work away from the stress and hustle of California. Mind you, it’s through smaller projects that aspiring directors and filmmakers are able to hone their talent to make them ready for larger responsibilities. In Seattle, you’ll be able to show people places that they’ve not seen before and to use the natural features of the metropolis. Within a close distance, you can see beaches, forests, rolling hills, and grassy plains – as well as metropolitan cityscapes and gorgeous sunsets blazing through the blankets of gray clouds. Finding the right Seattle film school is the first step you’re taking towards a future in and exciting and ever-growing industry.

About the Author

Seattle Film School offers one-on-one mentoring from Hollywood film professionals. The Film Connection’s mentor apprentice approach to filmmaking pairs you up with a working professional on actual film and video jobs – no teachers, no crowded classrooms, to massive tuition debts.

We shoot low budget movies in Midwest. In and around Springfield Missouri. One of the biggest tasks in shooting movies around here are the locations. Sure it would be easy if we were making a movie about killer hillbillies. Unfortunately, not all scripts call for cows, trailers and salvage yards. I’m exagerating, it is not quite that bad, but it is close to it. We shot the movie “Nine Grounds” in Springfield Mo and the script calls for Cambodia. That’s right Cambodia, as in the other side of the planet. But we did it, added some digital mountains, some palm trees and other backdrops and viola Cambodia.

I’m sure that there are filmmakers in Cambodia bitching that they don’t have any good locations to shoot. Or war torn Bosnia, Naerobi Kenya, Russia, even India. See these are some amazing locations that I would give anything to film my next big flick at.

My point is, the grass is always greener…. No, it is difficult to see what you really have in the way of locations with your jaded eyes sometimes. Maybe get an exchange student to help with finding locations and you may getter a better perspective of what you really have available. Happy Shooting!

By: Christine Peppler
Online movie rental is popular. Like any service or product that sells a one billionth unit one must assume that it is valued, that the quality is high, and that customers are satisfied or it would not have reached such a mark.  Indeed, the exclusive one billion club includes some pretty impressive members and in many cases members have had to endure for many years to attain membership.

In February 2007, Netflix, the founding online movie rental service, delivered its one billionth DVD.  This was just beyond seven and half years after their initial offering in September 1999. Certainly, this was a milestone to celebrate for Netflix and one that reflects well upon the popularity of the service but how does it stack up to the achievements of other products and services which have attained this status?

One company that also recently hit the billion mark is Casio. In January of 2007, Casio sold its one billionth calculator.  Impressive, however it took Casio approximately fifty years to reach this milestone. In 2049, when the online movie rental pioneer recognizes its fiftieth year, the 7 billion mark could be realized even if growth does not escalate. Will Netflix still be around?  If it is, it will probably be a bit different, but it’s flexibility in adapting its service in response to changing technologies is a positive sign. The first step in moving toward electronic versus mail delivery was initiated earlier this year.

Computers are probably considered one of the biggest product introductions into the market during the past century.  The growth of the internet was explosive in the 1990’s. However, it wasn’t until approximately 25 years after the introduction of personal computers that the one billionth unit was shipped back in 2002; and this was a worldwide market. Likewise, despite humble beginnings way back in 1969 the internet experienced its billionth user, worldwide, in December 2005; nearly 36 years later. The Netflix online movie rental service is a more local service; providing classic, indie, and new release films for an audience based in the US. Of course, all of this could change as electronic delivery takes hold in coming years; could Netflix become an international player?

Certainly, when one imagines “billions” being sold, the name McDonald’s is bound to crop up. We all know that many billions have been served but how long did it take them to reach their first billion? It appears that it took approximately 15 years after their introduction to achieve this status. At the time of course, McDonald’s was not the mega international corporation that it is now.  In addition, families ate most of their meals at home in the early years of the fast food icon.  Perhaps McDonalds and similar services played a role in changing how Americans dine; taking them out of the home for nearly half of their meals. This change certainly played a role in hitting the billion mark. Likewise, it would seem that online movie rental services are also changing how we obtain and view movies; first from the comfort of our homes and now on demand through electronic delivery.

Global markets certainly increase the likelihood of attaining the one billion mark and getting there fast.  Mobile phones, probably more than any other product, have taken the world by storm in the past fifteen years or so.  Clearly mobile phones are used globally. In addition, these devices perform a wide range of tasks that make them nearly indispensable in the modern world.  From communication and entertainment to connectivity and personal assistant types of functions, mobile phones are multi-tasking wonders. It is estimated that at least one billion mobile phones were shipped in 2006 alone.

Apple’s iTunes has experienced similar success.  After only three years in operation the service served up its one billionth download in Feburary 2006.

Online movie rental is not currently a global service like iTunes or mobile phones.  Could this change? Perhaps. Certainly, iTunes has altered the way many people enjoy their music and mobile phones have changed the way we do business and stay in touch with others. Likewise, online movie rental appears to be gradually changing the way we enjoy movies. Perhaps recent changes to implement improved delivery will be the key to matching the success of mobile phones and the music downloads of iTunes.

Author Bio
The author, Christine Peppler, provides information on home electronics and home entertainment options through her website.  Readers are invited to visit the site and learn more about online movie rental.

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