What Can You Do If Someone Uses Your Life Story Without Your Permission in a Film?

As you already know, filmmaking inspiration can come from any one of a variety of different sources. Some filmmakers or screenwriters will find inspiration in their own life’s stories or situations from their past. Others find inspiration from novels or other copyrighted works. But what if that source of inspiration is your life? What can […]
Do You Need Permission to Portray a Famous Person in a Film?

Famous people, such as celebrities, spend a lot of time and focus on their image which represents a brand all their own. As a filmmaker though, you’re going to draw inspiration from those around you. And from the stories that you relate with. These interactions and stories will play a key role in your filmmaking […]
Powerful Short Film Themes for Any Genre

Theme is an incredibly important element to any story, particularly because the theme acts as the central message of the narrative and represents what the audience thinks that the film is about as well as what the film says about the overall subject of the story. With short film themes, the message has to be […]
Can I Film People in a Store Without Their Permission?

You might think of a store as public property. Because many members of the public come together inside the store to do their shopping. The truth is, a store is private property. As you probably already know, the rules for filming on public vs private property differ greatly. And they can vary from location to […]
Film Crew Hierarchy: A List of Film Crew Positions & Roles

Film crew production teams are large, coordinated groups that consist of several different film crew members, each holding specific film crew positions, responsible for various roles on and off the set. When working anywhere in video production, one of the most challenging tasks early on is understanding the film crew hierarchy and related film crew […]
Do You Have the Right to Film People in Public Without Their Consent?

Filming in public places such as parks, city streets, or right outside your studio might have you wondering what exactly the rules and regulations are in regard to privacy. Most filmmakers are well aware of the fact that consent is incredibly important in the film industry and that it is quite common for lawsuits to […]
What is Backend Compensation in Film?

Backend compensation is a term that is commonly heard in the film industry, and may also be referred to as profit participation. Whenever there is an investment made into a film, or in situations in which there are other costs incurred that must be paid. Backend compensation in film financing is likely to be brought […]
How Much Does a Phantom Camera Cost?

How Much Does a Phantom Camera Cost? Phantom cameras are ultra-high-speed camera systems that represent the capacity to double capabilities that standard cameras of a similar size simply cannot achieve. These digital, high-speed camera systems are ideal for military use, scientific production environments, aerospace, the automotive industry, and similar areas but how much does a […]
How Much Do Book Authors Receive for Film Rights?

As an author, you might be pleasantly surprised if a production company were to approach you with the idea of producing your book into a movie. The authors of copyrighted books often give permission to filmmakers to produce adaptations of their book on film, but at what cost? How much do book authors receive for film […]
What is an Extreme Wide Shot or Extreme Long Shot in Movies?

The extreme wide shot or extreme long shot can be used to contribute a sense of full-scope in your film and, when incorporated into the production correctly, these shots can boost the sense of importance your audience feels towards a particular subject or landscape of your film. But before you go adding a bunch of extreme wide […]