The internet is a great place to gain exposure. There are tons of sites that allow you to upload your short films so you can share them with people all over the world. Who knows, you might even get discovered.
Here are some sites to upload your video to:
Youtube – Revver – Veoh – Blip – MySpace Video – iFilm – Google Video – AOL UnCut – DailyMotion – Yahoo! Video and my favorite… Vimeo
Audacity is a free audio editor and recorder for beginners that will give you an idea of whether or not sound production is something you will enjoy. Audacity is completely free and is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. If you do decide that sound is the thing for you, I would suggest moving on to Pro Tools, which is the industry standard for sound production.
The folks over at Cinematical, one of my favorite movie blogs, feature a weekly column called “The Write Stuff” in which Patrick Walsh interviews screenwriters and answers viewer submitted screenwriting questions. The column goes live every Wednesday and is worth a read.
Want to add some sound effects to your movie but don’t want to pay big bucks to purchase a sound effects library? Well, guess what? You don’t have to. If you look hard enough, you can always find a good, free alternative, much like the Celtx screenwriting software.
At SoundSnap, you can find thousands of free sound effects ranging in categories from Animals, Comic & Film FX, Industrial, Nature and Unreal. Finding the right effect is very simple. Simply search for what you’re looking for, example: Machine Gun, and in a few seconds you’ll see a list of all the available sounds which you can instantly preview without having to waste time downloading. Once you find the sound you want, simply click on the appropriate format: mp3, wav, aiff and the sound effect is yours. It’s that easy.
Thinking of going to film school? Don’t know where to start? I would suggest looking over IMDB’s list of film schools. The list is divided into three categories: United States, California and International. Check out the list: http://www.imdb.com/filmschools
If you’re a student on a budget then you probably don’t have money to purchase software. Worry not as you can download CELTX, a 100% free screenwriting program for Windows, Mac and even Linux! I have personally used the software and I highly recommend it. Along with the screenwriting aspect it also includes storyboard and scheduling support, among other things. Definitely check it out, you won’t be dissapointed.
If you have any questions about cinematography such as lighting, lenses and camera suggestions then you must check out the awesome Cinematography.com where 16,000 members, of which a big portion are actual working professional cinematographers, are waiting and willing to help you out! Definitely sign up and participate in the community.
If you’re like me, you’re a broke film student who doesn’t have the cash to go out and buy fancy equipment. I don’t know of any student who owns an actual steadycam or mount. They’re expensive. Luckily there are people out there who are into film making and can also build stuff. And thanks to the wonderful internet, these do-it-yourself plans are available to everyone!
So whether you want to build a $14 steadycam or a sweet camera jib for only $60, DIY Life has you covered. Check out their awesome DIY Film School: Rigs and Mounts feature.
