10 Ways to make your film “A Cut Above”

Filmmaking Central by Dave

A movie can have fabulous actors, a compelling story and be beautifully filmed but without good editing your audience will still be running for the doors. Independent films fall roughly into three categories: those that are A Cut Above, those that have potential and all the rest. Here are ten tips to get your movie into that first group.

1. Don’t use Independent Film as a platform to tell your life’s story. To begin with the format is wrong. Life stories take time and there is precious little of it in a movie. ‘Film what you know’ isn’t literal unless you are Oprah. No amount of editing can save the average home movie
2. Budget plenty of time and money for post-production. Just because you are an Independent Filmmaker and you don’t have a big score or tons of special effects doesn’t mean that post-production isn’t important. If anything the opposite is true. Independent Films have precious few bells and whistles to hide behind. Therefore your editing and your movie has to be even better and more flawless to be A Cut Above Indie film.
3. Choose your editor carefully. Hire the best editor you can. Above all you must like their work. Take time to talk to other people they have worked for and take even more time to view the films they have worked on. read more...