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An end and a beginning Transmogrify: to transform, especially in a surprising or magical manner. Today, I’m transmogrifying Sci-Fi Maker. This is the last episode of The Sci-Fi Maker Show. This show’s purpose is to help you become better filmmakers. And there are some other good shows that cover that. I can recommend: Indie Film Hustle Making … Continue reading Transmogrification→The post Transmogrification appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

Cronus: A sci-fi film about memories Derik Presley, a first-time feature film director, has a winner on his hands with the movie Cronus. This project is an intriguing and entertaining science fiction film about memories with a Twilight Zone feel. On this week’s show, I talk to Derek and one of the film’s producers, Laura … Continue reading Science fiction feature film “Cronus”→The post Science fiction feature film “Cronus” appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

Want to be in or work on a science fiction film? Are you a filmmaker, screenwriter, or fan trying to break into the film business, but you don’t have connections or you don’t live in Los Angeles? Do you think would be almost impossible to get a chance to work on a science fiction film featuring … Continue reading Participate in the making of a sci-fi movie – The Circuit→The post Participate in the making of a sci-fi movie – The Circuit appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

Getting back to our roots This show is for you, the filmmakers and screenwriters creating science fiction. I have to confess, lately, I’ve gotten away from the science fiction focus of the show. There are a lot of great podcasts for independent filmmakers. This show is a little different. Science fiction films are special and … Continue reading Back to our future→The post Back to our future appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

Distribution for independent filmmakers I really wanted to call this week’s show “Distribution is dead” – because I suspected it had died – at least for independent filmmakers. The stories I’ve been hearing about payouts from streaming services were alarming but incomplete. It is difficult to figure out how much money you can realistically expect … Continue reading Is film distribution dead?→The post Is film distribution dead? appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

What your movie is missing Maybe your film has a likable protagonist with a clear goal worth pursuing and a formidable antagonist standing in the way. And maybe your story structure is sound—with escalating conflict building toward a satisfying resolution in the third act. You’ve studied screenwriting, read all the books, and practiced your craft. But, … Continue reading Is your movie missing that certain something?→The post Is your movie missing that certain something? appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

About your sound mix… It’s not enough that your independent film looks like a real movie—it has to sound like one, too. That’s why the sound mix is so important. If your sound mix is lacking, your audience will find it difficult to engage with and connect with your film. Your sound mix is just as … Continue reading Does your film sound like a real movie?→The post Does your film sound like a real movie? appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

The truth about independent filmmakers We celebrate the independent filmmaker success stories: Kevin Smith’s Clerks, Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi, Edward Burns’ The Brothers McMullen. Theses stories and others like them inspire people everywhere to go out and start making movies. Each year, hundreds, if not thousands, of low-budget independent films are produced in every genre … Continue reading Bad independent films are preventable→The post Bad independent films are preventable appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

Pre-production and adding cool stuff We are making our science fiction movie on the podcast! You can also watch our movie-making activities live on the Sci-Fi Maker Facebook page. This week on the Sci-Fi Maker Show, I get script feedback from Bubba and we start brainstorming ideas for the shoot. I finished the script for the short … Continue reading Now comes the fun part: pre-production→The post Now comes the fun part: pre-production appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

Add some magic to your script Want to add some magic to your film script? Rewrite! Rewriting is where the good stuff happens. “Writing is rewriting” may be a cliche, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Unlike a lot of writers, I look forward to finishing the rough draft so I can get to the … Continue reading Rewrite and watch what happens→The post Rewrite and watch what happens appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

I recently came across the following quote on Twitter: Every scene should be able to answer three questions: “Who wants what from whom? What happens if they don’t get it? Why now?” – David Mamet Last week on The Sci-Fi Maker Show Last week, we had our first pre-production meeting for  Planet Burlesque and recorded it for … Continue reading Writing the script for the science fiction short→The post Writing the script for the science fiction short appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

We’re taking you with us I thought it was time to try something new. Here it is: We’re making our science fiction film, “Planet Burlesque”, on The Sci-Fi Maker Show. What this means is we are going to podcast our production meetings, auditions, shooting, editing, marketing, the premier – everything! You can be with us … Continue reading We’re making our movie on the podcast→The post We’re making our movie on the podcast appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

Please watch my movie! One of the biggest challenges for independent science fiction filmmakers is getting an audience to watch their movie. One big reason is all the “meh” movies out there. Most of the indie movies I watch, sci-fi or otherwise, fall into the meh category. What filmmaker wants to make a meh movie? … Continue reading How to boost your creative superpowers→The post How to boost your creative superpowers appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

Who is Jarmon? Filmmaker Ricky Bell found me on Twitter. You can find him here.  He recently completed a short science fiction project called Jarmon. I asked him about the project.  It’s always been a dream of mine to portray a superhero character – so, instead of waiting for a big opportunity to come around, … Continue reading Making the science fiction short film Jarmon→The post Making the science fiction short film Jarmon appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

What is “just-in-time” learning? Just-in-time learning is learning what you need to know right before you need to know it. For me, it works better to learn a skill right before I need to use that skill than learning a skill six months or a year before I need it. Right now, based on where … Continue reading How I got unstuck on my sci-fi script→The post How I got unstuck on my sci-fi script appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

The money-making formula Alex Ferrari has a wonderful podcast for indie filmmakers called “Indie Film Hustle“. We had Alex on our show not too long ago. Recently, he did a show called “5 Rules to Make Money Selling Indie Films” These five rules are awesome! You really need to listen to the show. But he … Continue reading Make money with your indie film: the missing ingredient→The post Make money with your indie film: the missing ingredient appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

What is Planet Burlesque? The secret is revealed: our movie project for 2017 is titled “Planet Burlesque”. What kind of science fiction movie is “Planet Burlesque”? Your first clue, after the title, is the movie poster The artist known as “Bubba” William “Bubba” Flint is an editorial cartoonist, general cartoonist, and painter.  His paintings are … Continue reading Our new movie project for 2017: Planet Burlesque→The post Our new movie project for 2017: Planet Burlesque appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

My original plan: no short film I was planning to skip the “make a short film” step and go right into pre-production for my feature. Luckily, fate intervened! Listening to the On the Page podcast, I heard about Kim Adelman’s Making it Big in Shorts: Shorter, Faster, Cheaper: The Ultimate Filmmaker’s Guide to Short Films (affiliate link). The … Continue reading Make a short film before you make your movie→The post Make a short film before you make your movie appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

The secret of the 500 dollar movie How did Scott McMahon learn how to make movies for less than 500 dollars? After finishing film school, Scott worked at Sony Playstation in the early days making introductory videos for their games. Working there for 12 years, Scott ended up as the head of their cinematic division. … Continue reading The Cube: How to make a movie for $500→The post The Cube: How to make a movie for $500 appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.

  Can you afford good actors? I’m keeping this short because it’s the holidays and many of us have a lot going on. Last week, on the show I talked about how you can make your science fiction movie for less than a thousand bucks. Sidenote: Today, I found a supernatural thriller that cost $500 …Continue reading Finding affordable actors for your low budget sci-fi film→The post Finding affordable actors for your low budget sci-fi film appeared first on Sci-Fi Maker.