How-To

Health Insurance for Artists

vanessa — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:12:18 -0500

As freelancers, many members of the creative community -- writers, artists, and filmmakers -- often struggle to find the best health insurance for themselves and their families. Since artists typically do not work as employees, they are not eligible for insurance through a company. And it's not always an option to tag onto a partner's or parent's policy. But there are still plenty of options out there, if you know how to find them. Emerging and veteran artists may not realize that, in fact, they are eligible as artists to join certain organizations, and thus obtain a variety of more affordable health insurance options. So The Independent put together this list, broken down by state with the aim of helping artists learn their insurance options.

Party Like a Doc Star

michele — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Filmmakers increasingly need to seek funds from as many sources as possible. A fundraising party may seem like a fun way to raise much-needed dough, but they are a lot of work. Still, securing the right host, making a personal connection to the guests, and laying the groundwork for future "asks" can have

Take a Trip, Make a Film: A Look at Study-Abroad Programs

mike — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:02:47 -0600

When it comes to taking filmmaking classes abroad, the question is not so much “Why?” as it is, “Why not?” As anyone with a passion knows, procrastination and perfectionism are barriers to creativity, and they can become all the more pernicious when you're stuck in an unchanging daily routine.

The Doc Doctor's Anatomy of a Successful Film: "Divan"

mike — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:08:54 -0600

About this new column: Many filmmakers ponder in anguish, How do other people—celebrated people—do it? Am I taking too long to make this documentary? Does everybody spend as much money as I am spending, or am I spending too little? And when filmmakers share their lessons learned in interviews in the glossy trade magazines, their tales seem to follow the arc of otherworldy heroes rather than real documentary makers, i.e. human beings like you and me. So starting this month, the Doc Doctor decided to go out into the world (this real world) of filmmakers who are successful and find out how they made it. Each month, her "anatomy" will be a chance to learn from their hits and misses in real life examples. —Fernanda Rossi, story consultant a.k.a. the Documentary Doctor

The Many Meanings of “Fair Use”

marla — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0600

So your documentary has commercial interest and high revenue earning potential.

I Blog....Therefore I Am

marla — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0600

Freak boy and Festivus poles. Gutted tuna auctioned in Tokyo. And Thanos-the-PR-man singing “Feelings” at karaoke. Whoa-oh-oh.

What Rolled Up Must Come Down

marla — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Written by? Created by? Screenplay by?

Making Room

marla — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0500

I’m the director of the low-budget psychological thriller Room (2005), which premiered at Sundance and had its international debut in the Directors Fortnight at Cannes in May. Room was produced by The 7th Floor along with Jim McKay and Michael Stipe’s C-Hundred Film Corp. Our four-week, twenty-four-day production was equally divided between two weeks in Texas and two weeks in New York City. The film centers on the mid-life crisis of a bingo hall employee and mother of two in her late 40s who leaves her family to follow migraine-induced, debilitating visions.

Acing the Deal

marla — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Distribution. The Deal. That’s the goal of any independent producer after finishing production within budget and on schedule. Ideally, a filmmaker would want to have the film or program distributed by a single company with a reputable track record that would handle distribution in every market.

Networking 101

marla — Sat, 01 May 2004 00:00:00 -0500

Everyone knows the value of networking, right?