The Beginning

It’s been said by Zig Ziglar and quoted often by Les Brown: You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. This is a statement that rings true with all humans but is a resounding cymbal to anyone with an great idea, a passion, that they’re not acting on!

Let’s hone that idea, that passion, to a film. You have this great idea for a film. It keeps you up at night thinking about it, you get up thinking about it, you go through the day thinking about it, but yet, you’ve done nothing about it.

Maybe you’re afraid. You’re afraid that if you write the idea down that now you’ve committed to seeing it all the way through. 

Plot! Subplots! Beginning! Middle! End!

Characteristics! Loving!? Kind!? Ambitious!?

Mannerisms? E.g., Chews nails! Sweats profusely under pressure! Etc.

But wait, that was just the main character, the protagonist! What about the supporting characters and then the simultaneously evil and charming antagonist? The list goes on.

And when you do complete the script, because it’s advisable to have one, it’s time for pre-production then production, then post production!!!

Overwhelming? Yes!!!

Impossible? No!!!

The Middle

Okay, now we see why you have to start to be great. Because if you never start then there’s no post production, then there’s no production, then there’s no pre-production. Heck, you didn’t start, so there’s not even a script. And there’s no script because you suppressed the idea to the point that now you don’t even think about it when you get up in the morning or through out your day or when you go to bed at night. And now that there’s no idea, then there’s no ambition!

You can now go to sleep. Lights out, good night.

What a relief! No? Okay, you answered “no”.

So then, turn the lights back on, get out that bed, rise and shine! You want to get that film done! We want you to get that film done! That’s why we’re providing you some practical resources to start to be great, today! You ready, let’s go!

• CELTX: Even if you start writing your script on paper, which is awesome, you’ll eventually need it to be presentable to, at the least, your actors so they can read it (though it’s probable they won’t even read it). Well, Celtx has an awesome basic scriptwriting cloud based software that is free but with certain limitations unless you upgrade to their paid version. Visit Celtx’s website and get the inside scoop. There was a time when they offered a downloadable desktop version for Mac or PC but they have discontinued it. However, with a Google search you can still find it. Many filmmakers still use it and find it great as is (but you’d download at your own risk, they no longer offer support for it). 

• THE LIBRARY: Yes, the library! Do you need a neutral place to meet up and plan with people that’ll help you during the shoot? Do you need a place to meet/interview, rehearse actors? Well, many libraries, so long as you have a library card, offer meeting rooms that can be reserved for free for such engagements. Some also have pre production software, including Celtx, the paid version.

• PUBLIC TELEVISION RESOURCES: This one is a favorite for independent filmmakers. Many public television stations have kept up with the Joneses and have modern equipment from video (DSLR and video cameras), sound (lavaliere mics, boom mics) , to post production (Adobe Suite, FCP) available to filmmakers who are residents of their municipalities. Usually the caveat is that whatever content you produce has to be aired on their public station. Get in touch with them and find out all of the details.

The End

There are other free resources out in the world, or online, that are useful to starting your film. But the goal here is to get you started, ASAP! Not to have you searching, browsing, lingering, procrastinating and debating. You’ve done that long enough, right?

Hear us out, the three aforementioned resources are not to be undermined.

Are you ready to start now? It’s the first step to being great. Ready! Set! Go!

View Some Films

Preview and check out some of these films on MarilynFilms.com, of which some were made by making use of the above mentioned resources. If you’d be so kind to view the films, we’d love to hear your take on them. Simply leave a comment on the review section upon viewing them. Also, stay in touch by subscribing to our newsletter below. We’ll keep you up to date with everything MarilynFilms.com and you’ll receive promo codes directly to your inbox. Cheers ??.

PS: We’d love to see your film once you complete it. We’re rooting for you!