Crew

In her role as managing director of the Illinois Film Office, Betsy Steinberg spends a lot of time talking with filmmakers on both coasts and overseas. “In Chicago, and around the state, the abundance of looks is never-ending,” she says. “Every filmmaker says it is the most under-photgraphed place in the movies.”

From New Hampshire’s “no filming permits” policy to Michigan’s 42 percent tax credit, states are fighting to stay competitive with low-cost international filming locations — and each other. For filmmakers, this means a slew of incentive programs that might make financing your next film a bit easier.

In my first two installments of my Film Journal for The Independent, I wrote about the philosophy behind the $200,000 independent film. In this installment, I will talk about laying the groundwork to make our film at this budget, the period known as pre-production, and how the making of Losing Control reinforced the film's theme that faith is more valuable than proof.

Ever wonder what, exactly, independent filmmakers – both aspiring and established – should be reading?

What happened at AIVF over the last 30 years?

I first became aware of AIVF when Martha Gever was editor of The Independent. I marveled at this national organization that put out each month a magazine chock full of weighty, intellectual and critical articles on film and video.

Dear Doc Doctor:
I’m a cinematographer, and I just found out that I’m pregnant. Should I tell people? I can’t afford to lose any jobs right now.

Dear Doc Doctor:
I’m planning to make a documentary abroad. Am I better off bringing my own crew or hiring there?

Alongside our producer clients, Rudolph and Beer, LLP attorneys have weathered numerous campaigns in the trenches of independent film production. On Slingblade, Sunday, Tumbleweeds, Star Maps, Desert Blue, and many other films, we served as troubleshooters seeking to prevent problems that could devastate production.

Picking a producer is like hiring your own boss. Indie veteran Gill Holland offers some words of advice to novice directors looking for that special someone to produce their films