Lights Film School Blog

Free Screenwriting Software

As many independent filmmakers know, acquiring the software to create your films can be an expensive endeavor. Pro versions of Adobe and Final cut cost between $700 and $1200. Then there are the after effects programs, DVD authoring programs, and script writing programs. The most popular screenwriting programs cost roughly $200 - $300. However, there is a great free software program for screenwriters called Celtx. This software helps you format your script with industry standard formatting. N...

Filmmaking Lesson: How and Why to Use Lenses in Your Indie Films

Camera lenses have a significant impact not only on the look of your film or video but also on the mood you’re trying to establish. If you choose to use your camera’s 1 default lens you’ll undoubtedly be forced to compromise your visual story. This is because lenses help establish depth, positioning and object priority to name only a few of the more obvious changes. If you currently have a video camera you may be thinking to yourself that this blog post is pointless because only more profe...

Independent Film Financing and Distribution: Director Interview Part 1

Lights Film School was lucky enough to have a exclusive and candid interview with the director Tom Whelan about his most recent feature film “The Art of Travel”. Tom speaks with us openly about how he got this film made for roughly $300,000. This is Tom’s third feature film so he understands the ins and outs of the film distribution process. The following interview is invaluable to new filmmakers seeking more information on the film financing and distribution process. Before you read the 5 pa...

Independent Film Distribution Tips: Part 2

5. Was getting financing for your film easier or more difficult than you thought? For some reason raising the budget on “The Art of Travel” was easier than anyone could imagine.  It really helped to have the other two Features under our belt and that we had already done the location scouting to show possible investors where the production would be filming.  If we had done this film using a studio budget, the cost would be in the neighborhood of 2.5 million. Using private money, we were abl...