My on-going VideoBlog, as much for me as it is for everyone else… I’m aiming for bi-daily updates, as they come, and I’ll be as forthcoming as possible. Some networks and deals are best not spoken about directly until the ink is dry, if you know what I mean, but I’d like to have this as straight up as it can be! If you’re feeling it, subscribe to the RSS Feed or in iTunes.
Apr
28
From the pages of iN Magazine:
The only thing more daunting than getting started in studio films is getting started in independent films. Why? Because you’re on your own… right? That’s where most independent Filmmakers can easily make their first mistake.
Filmmaking is an art, like painting or sculpting, or even writing. In fact it’s all those arts combined and more. But unlike those art forms, filmmaking is inherently a collaborative art. You NEED other people to make a good film.
I say a good film because, well, let’s face it, you could technically do it all yourself: write the script, direct it, shoot it, light it, act in it, do the sound recording, edit the rough cut, do the sound design, colour correct it, write the music, perform the music, do the fine cut, go to the international sales markets, write the long-form acquisition contracts, account your own books, get the insurance and copyright for the film, sell it and keep all the money yourself.
But if you’re starting out, one, a few or all of those tasks may seem pretty daunting. I’ve done most of them, and writing that list out even scared me.
So your first step is assembling a team of hungry artists and BUSINESS PEOPLE around your project. There is a misconception that a director’s primary job is “getting the shot,” but that’s not really the case.
A director’s first job is to pick all the right people to put on his team to get the shot for him and make that shot go somewhere. A good cinematographer will shoot a scene lit by a good lighting designer that sounds good because of the skilled location audio recorder that’s recording good dialogue written by a good screenwriter in a story written by a good storyteller… And so on.
If the Director has the right team, his job is the easiest one on the set, because he spent the time building that team before they got there and once his job is done, the right people pick up the finished film and take it to market. After all, it is show BUSINESS not show PLAY, and the danger of involving so many people is that their time is valuable and people should be paid for their skill.
If you’re serious about filmmaking as a profession, your project has to cost less than you will sell it for, so you can compensate your team and make a proper business model out of the most fun job on earth.
So before you crack open Final Draft, or buy your Genesis camera and Avid suite, think long and hard about who will be working that equipment on the day and who will see the project through to completion. The movie isn’t done when you watch it on your own Magnavox. It’s done when you see it on a complete stranger’s Magnavox because he rented it at Blockbuster.
And from beginning to end, that process takes not weeks, not months, but years. So make sure your team is in it for the long haul, and you’ll see some amazing results.
You may be an independent filmmaker. But your most valuable resource will be the people you can depend on.
Matt Campagna is an independent filmmaker, whose credits include the feature western SIX REASONS WHY and feature doc ROOTS OF A MAN, which he made with his brother Jeff. He’s also produced and directed webTV shows like BSGcast.com, YourGeekNews.com, WHIRtv.com and NakedWineShow.com since 2005 with his partner Anastasia.
Aug
13
So if you feel like catching a thought-provoking, post-apocalyptic Spaghetti Western on a Tuesday night in August, we’d love to have you there!
And if you can’t make it, don’t worry… you can buy Six Reasons Why on Amazon.com right here! And on Amazon.ca right here!
~Matt
PS. The Press tour is going pretty well so far, take a look:
Jan
29
"If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying hard enough."
-Mads Koudal, The Sherpa, Six Reasons Why
The destinies of four gunslingers are decided in the blink of an eye in this tale of revenge, redemption and the search for belonging. Six Reasons Why stars veteran actors Colm Feore and Mads Koudal and re-teams the Campagna Brothers with Daniel Wooster and Chris Harrison, both alumni of several Campagna projects. Produced by Campagna Brothers Independent Pictures and Internext Studios and scheduled for release in 2008, Six Reasons Why has already garnered critical acclaim and international distribution deals with companies like THINKFilm.
Check out the Trailer:
Matt’s Involvement: Co-Director, Cinematographer, Actor, Co-Editor, Visual Effects, Colour-timing
For more on Six Reasons Why Visit:
Jan
25
“Pavlo: The Greek God of Guitar ”
-News Leader, Duncan, BC
When Pavlo decided to make the leap to television with his PBS special, airing in millions of homes across North America, he knew exactly who to approach to document the event. Teaming with Your Greek News host Anastasia Tubanos, Matthew will be doing the cinematography, directing and editing, as well as final post on the feature-length Documentary “Pavlo: Stage to Screen”.
Check out the Trailer:
For more on Pavlo Visit:
Jan
1
Welcome to the new and improved MattCampagna.com
It should give you an even better look into what I’m up to on a professional and personal level; my projects, my art, my life. Because, really, they are quite inseparable.
So take a look around for video clips of the films I’ve made, the podcasts I make, and the various projects I’m making right now:
Enjoy my soul; that’s what art is.
~Matt
Nov
15
YourGreekNews.com takes it to your Television with MEGA Cosmos Canada! On November 15, 2007, Greece’s Number One television station hit the airwaves in Canada, partnered with YourGreekNews.com, and Trapezzi Supper Club on the Danforth in Toronto played host to a lavish Launch Party to celebrate the milestone!
Check out YourGreekNews.com coverage of the Launch Party:
Matt’s Involvement: Director, Editor, Executive Producer
For more on Your Greek News, Visit:
Jan
3
After a fierce mid-winter shoot avoiding traffic (both automobile and locomotive) and a flurry of editing, Code Revival’s "Coming Down" is complete and now airing on Bravo. And right here, courtesy of YouTube:
Matt’s Involvement: Director, Cinematographer, Editor, Colour-timing
For more on Code Revivial Visit:
Dec
29
"Whosoever asks me of my birth, I will tell them: I am born of Irish princes who ruled in Donegal a thousand years ago; that I am a descendent of the high-kings of Ireland; and my name is from the clann O’Dochartaigh."
An Epic story of self- discovery through the exploration of personal history, Roots of a Man follows an Irish-Canadian on his first visit to his ancestral home to learn about his lineage. Starring Daniel Wooster and shot for a meager $2000 budget, Roots of a Man has won laurels at the illustrious Seagate Foyle Film Festival and at the Gloria Film Festival. After an international tour premiering the film to audiences in Ireland and in Canada, DVD copies of the Documentary are currently selling at RootsofaMan.com.
Check out the Trailer:
Matt’s Involvement: Co-Director, Cinematographer, Actor, Co-Editor, Visual Effects, Colour-timing
For more on Roots of a Man Visit:
Mar
24
After the enormous undertaking of GENESI, Matt wanted to make a small, self-contained short film. He failed. As usual, when writing, the story spiralled into a 7-part epic anthology dealing with religion, the end of the world, and the devil himself.
Check out the Trailer for Part 1:
Matt’s Involvement: Writer, Director, Editor, Visual Effects
For more on Last on Earth, Visit:
