What's the best American city to make films in?

[Niki Mundo]

I heard New Orleans in the place right now.. a devistated inner city, police force etc.. lots of room and locations..

 

I live in Seattle and I'm having the worse time trying to shoot my no-budget epic. I can't get actors to show up, locations- Women hate me, men hate me. Everyone hates filmmakers here. I wanna leave and go somewhere else.

 

 

Actors are the biggest problem. I can't get ANY. Actually, that's not true- I got 3.

 

Besides NYC/LA - where can an indie filmmaker operate with ease?

[Niki Mundo]

I want to move to L.A.

 

That's were they make movies and that's were I should be.

[Saul Rodgar]

I want to move to L.A.

 

That's were they make movies and that's were I should be.

 

If you have no budget you'll have as much luck in LA as anywhere else. No budget films are usually done over a long period of time, and you have to have gone through MANY actors and crewmembers to find the keepers. It is a labor of love. Maybe try watching Cecil B Demented by John Waters to get some inspiration!

 

Otherwise remember, if you are not paying your actors/ crew: YOU HAVE TO BE NICE TO THEM!!

 

No one wants to work with an A-hole, PARTICULARLY when there is no money in it for them!

 

AND do you have to shoot an epic? Yeah, I know you want to validate yourself and think someone is going to hand you $50 mil to make your next project after this one has swept Sundance and the Oscars, right?

 

But seriously, if you are having trouble with a long project, why not try a short one?

 

ANY producer/ investor would rather see 5 minutes of well shot, well acted and produced material than 2 hours of shite, believe me . . .

 

Oh, I forgot, no one is going to want to distribute your masterpiece if it is only 5 minutes long . . . SAD.

[James Steven Beverly]

LA is cooperate, big money, NY number one indy scene BUT bigger money, too damn cold and cut throat, so you'll need armor plated skin to survive there. Boston's too expensive, Chicago eah, if you want to go to an indy town, Austin, Texas. They've got the South by Southwest festival, lots of good locations and the right attitude also Santa Fe New Mexico, artist's community, good weather, New Mexico has a great attitude towards film makers, you can get stuff done cheap (so you won't have to live in your van)! ;)

[Saul Rodgar]

also Santa Fe New Mexico, artist's community, good weather, New Mexico has a great attitude towards film makers, you can get stuff done cheap (so you won't have to live in your van)! ;)

 

Don't come to New Mexico unless you are willing to be nice. We are not fond of out-of-towners who think they are god's gift to the state . . .

 

We have had some lately, with all these movies coming in. Can totally do without them.

Edited March 23, 2008 by Saul Rodgar

[Jess Haas]

Don't come to New Mexico unless you are willing to be nice. We are not fond of out-of-towners who think they are god's gift to the state . . .

I know exactly what you mean. In Austin I often have to deal with people from LA who think that simply being from LA makes them important and that everyone in Austin should bend over backwards for them just because they are from LA. The funny thing is that it isn't usually the experienced guys who have this attitude instead it is the PA from LA who is producing his brothers no budget indy feature with their daddys money....

 

As far as good cities to make films in I would highly recommend Austin although I don't think there is a city in existence where making a movie for no money is an easy task. I have seen a lot of movies made in Austin for very little money, although sadly very few of them were any good.

 

Hmm, just noticed that you said that everyone in Seattle hates you. I don't mean to be negative but if you have made everyone there hate you than I am not sure I really want you coming here.

 

~Jess

[Owen ONeill]

I heard New Orleans in the place right now.. a devistated inner city, police force etc.. lots of room and locations..

 

I live in Seattle and I'm having the worse time trying to shoot my no-budget epic. I can't get actors to show up, locations- Women hate me, men hate me. Everyone hates filmmakers here. I wanna leave and go somewhere else.

 

 

Actors are the biggest problem. I can't get ANY. Actually, that's not true- I got 3.

 

Besides NYC/LA - where can an indie filmmaker operate with ease?

 

You must be joking, Seattle loves independent filmmakers. Its a veritable love fest over here hehe

 

You must be looking in the wrong places. For actors I would suggest checking the local colleges and community colleges. Yeah, your not going to get great actors but for a no budget film your not going to get great actors in any city.

For crew I would suggest talking to the people that work or volunteer at the Northwest Film Forum. They can give you some great tips and advice on finding good people to work with (possibly even finding actors).

Craigslist is another option, but not the best in my opinion. I see multiple adds per day on there asking for people to work for free. I tend to pass them up in favor of working with people I know (for free).

 

I have worked on many low to no budget productions in Seattle and had a great time, its possible dont give up.

 

If you havent already guessed, I live in Seattle. To the best of my knowledge I dont hate you.

[Duncan Rice]

The latest issue of Moviemaker magazine has an article on the 'Top Ten Movie Cities' of 2008. They look at many different aspects, including how 'cheap' it is for independent films to be made there.

 

Here's the online link:

MovieMaker: Top Ten Movie Cities 2008

 

Though I don't think the whole article's up there so you could try grab a copy to thumb through!

Edited March 27, 2008 by Duncan Rice

[Niki Mundo]

You must be joking, Seattle loves independent filmmakers. Its a veritable love fest over here hehe

 

You must be looking in the wrong places. For actors I would suggest checking the local colleges and community colleges. Yeah, your not going to get great actors but for a no budget film your not going to get great actors in any city.

For crew I would suggest talking to the people that work or volunteer at the Northwest Film Forum. They can give you some great tips and advice on finding good people to work with (possibly even finding actors).

Craigslist is another option, but not the best in my opinion. I see multiple adds per day on there asking for people to work for free. I tend to pass them up in favor of working with people I know (for free).

 

I have worked on many low to no budget productions in Seattle and had a great time, its possible dont give up.

 

If you havent already guessed, I live in Seattle. To the best of my knowledge I dont hate you.

Great for you,Owen. I didn't say you can't make independant films in Seattle. It's a "veritable love fest".

[Jim Keller]

You know, I'm going to be an iconoclast and say that the best place to make an indie film is wherever you happen to be.

 

There will be positives and negatives to working anywhere. But if you let your geographical location be an excuse, you'll never get anything done. Rather than trying to figure out where to go, look at what you can do, and then do it.

[Gus Sacks]

Philadelphia is no-budget heaven for most people. Lots of freelancers, film schools, good film office, free locations, cheap rent and food.

 

Eyup.

[Miguel Cruz]

I gotta agree with Jim Keller. Unless you're needing some specific local color that can't be had just anywhere, then there's no point in relocating.

[James Steven Beverly]

Aaaaaah......Niki, I took a look at that list of best indy film cities and ah....Seattle is # 7. So IF you can't get a film made in the seventh best city for independent film makers in the US, what makes you think you will do better anywhere else? I would HIGHLY recommend a 3 pronged re-evaluation of your project in order to make it more... let us say.... achievable.

 

No 1: from your earlier descriptions of your story, you seem to have a LOT of very expensive stunts, too many locations and too large a cast for a no-budget film, therefore you need to either completely renovate for low budget or save this script for later on when you can get better backing and write a new script specifically for a NO budget production....which would probably be the smarter idea.

 

No 2: If EVERYONE hates you.....maybe it isn't them......MAYBE you're doing something (or several things) to turn people off to you and your project. Perhaps you should re-evaluate the way you've been approaching people and how you have been treating them....after all, you're asking them to work for NOTHING in order to make you famous.....that probably is worth at least the appearance of politeness, respect and professionalism towards the people you want to work with you (Note the word WITH, not FOR) and the project it's self.

 

No 3: Re-gear your approach to being a film maker in other words, get serious and realistic about what you can and cannot do. You need to learn EVERYTHING you possibly can about the craft and stop living in some fantasy world where you get the glory without fighting the battle or doing the work. Film making is a job. It's a highly skilled craft that must be learned and practiced the same as any other artisan's craft is learned and practiced, Because it is the single most expensive art-form there is, a no-budget filmmaker can't afford to make mistakes. You have to train really hard in order to know what needs to be done on a set when you step onto one because with no budget, you're not going to get an experienced cast and crew unless you are extremely lucky. Everyone is going to look to you for even the most basic of questions and you better have the answers or they're gonna get frustrated and walk. The only incentive they have to work on a no budget film is the chance to do something they would otherwise never get to do so YOU have to make that happen for them and you can't do that if you, yourself don't know what you're doing, Capish? B)

Edited March 31, 2008 by James Steven Beverly

[Eric Diosay]

Aaaaaah......Niki, I took a look at that list of best indy film cities and ah....Seattle is # 7. So IF you can't get a film made in the seventh best city for independent film makers in the US, what makes you think you will do better anywhere else? I would HIGHLY recommend a 3 pronged re-evaluation of your project in order to make it more... let us say.... achievable.

 

No 1: from your earlier descriptions of your story, you seem to have a LOT of very expensive stunts, too many locations and too large a cast for a no-budget film, therefore you need to either completely renovate for low budget or save this script for later on when you can get better backing and write a new script specifically for a NO budget production....which would probably be the smarter idea.

 

No 2: If EVERYONE hates you.....maybe it isn't them......MAYBE you're doing something (or several things) to turn people off to you and your project. Perhaps you should re-evaluate the way you've been approaching people and how you have been treating them....after all, you're asking them to work for NOTHING in order to make you famous.....that probably is worth at least the appearance of politeness, respect and professionalism towards the people you want to work with you (Note the word WITH, not FOR) and the project it's self.

 

No 3: Re-gear your approach to being a film maker in other words, get serious and realistic about what you can and cannot do. You need to learn EVERYTHING you possibly can about the craft and stop living in some fantasy world where you get the glory without fighting the battle or doing the work. Film making is a job. It's a highly skilled craft that must be learned and practiced the same as any other artisan's craft is learned and practiced, Because it is the single most expensive art-form there is, a no-budget filmmaker can't afford to make mistakes. You have to train really hard in order to know what needs to be done on a set when you step onto one because with no budget, you're not going to get an experienced cast and crew unless you are extremely lucky. Everyone is going to look to you for even the most basic of questions and you better have the answers or they're gonna get frustrated and walk. The only incentive they have to work on a no budget film is the chance to do something they would otherwise never get to do so YOU have to make that happen for them and you can't do that if you, yourself don't know what you're doing, Capish? B)

 

 

This is very good, sensible advice.