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If You're Ready to Stop Talking About Making A Movie and Actually Make Your Movie, You're In The Right Place
In this course, you will learn a way to develop, finance and distribute films that is completely self-starting and can be done by anyone, anywhere.
If you're willing to do the work, you can have your dream career as a filmmaker.
There is absolutely nothing to stop you making your movie.
This course will guide you from developing your script to collecting awards, ensuring that at each stage of the filmmaking process you are making the best decisions that will result in you not only making your movie...but making the best movie possible.
Because let’s be clear: I hope you’re ready not just to make any old movie, but to make a kick-ass, standout, knock ‘em down, award-winning movie that you will be proud of for the rest of your life.
Why not?
If you’re going to work your butt off this year making it (and that’s what it’s going to take), you might as well aim super high, empower yourself with the knowledge and tools you need and make it happen.
No more excuses.
Essentially, this course will end ALL your lame excuses.
• Don't know what to make your movie about? We'll deal with that.
• No Contacts in the industry? Got that covered.
• Don't know how to get the money? You'll never be able to complain about that again.
• Worried that you don't know enough about the technical aspects of filmmaking? Stress no more!
This course will provide you with a clear actionable plan as well as share the REAL LIFE knowledge you need to make an awesome movie.
Millions of people dream about making a movie, literally millions, but then they get scared. It’s far easier to be a brilliant filmmaker in your mind, rather than actually take the risk of making something.
I know what it’s like: you don’t know where to start. It seems overwhelming. The doubts creep in:
Where can you get the money?
You live in a small town, and you’ve never even met a filmmaker!
It will probably be terrible.
Who the hell are you to make a movie?!
Who the hell are you not to — if it’s your dream?
You Can Do It!
You can do it. I know you can, because I’ve done it, and I’m not special in any way, except perhaps to my family!
I don’t have a trust fund, and I was born in Dumfries, Scotland, which is about as far from Hollywood as Mars.
But I did it.
Without connections in the industry or wealthy relatives, I made a film that was selected for Sundance, won awards, opened doors, and took my career to a different level. I also had the time of my life making it.
Since then, I’ve made two more films, and I intend to make many more.
There is a way to do this that not only gets your movie made, but sets up the situation where you can do it again and again, for the rest of your life, regardless of whether or not you knock it out of the park the first time.
For real.
And in this course, you're going to learn that way.
Here's What You'll Learn
About This Course
The course is organized into eight modules, covering everything that's essential for making and distributing a standout indie film.
It provides an easy-to-reference, actionable plan to keep you on track as you go through the process of making a movie.
Once you register you will receive access to ALL of the modules, including worksheets and bonuses.
You will have lifetime access to them, as well as to any future updates.
Making a movie obviously isn't done in eight weeks (or even eight months), so it's important that you can work through the material in your own time and use it as you need it.
If you have time, I'd recommend going through the whole course beforehand, so that you can get an overview of the journey on which you are heading.
Then, plug into it as a reference and inspiration while you are actually in the process of making your movie.
At the end of each lesson, you'll find downloadable PDF worksheets that provide you with journaling prompts and actions to take. THESE ARE GOLD. Seriously, these are what will make your journey so much better. They will guide you in ways that just consuming the videos won't, so PLEASE don't skip them!
If you do the work of each lesson, I promise that not only will you make your film – you'll also make the best one you can.
I'm so excited for you, because seriously: there is nothing better!
HERE'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
In a nutshell, you'll learn EVERYTHING you need to know to make a kick ass standout indie film.
Here's how that breaks down:
MODULE 1 – The First Foundations of Success
In this module, you learn why the essential foundation of any standout indie film is a singular script, and how to make sure yours fits that bill.
Then you'll learn the importance and magic of setting a start date, as well as how to do it.
MODULE 2 – The Business of Development
Once you have a script and a start date, you need to create a package so that you can raise finance. In this module, you'll learn how to create a solid business foundation for your movie – starting with who you need to create your budget and schedule.
Even if you've never looked at a movie budget or schedule, you'll learn exactly what you should be aiming for so you're setting yourself up for success.
You'll also master the art of the movie business plan, getting access to the actual plan I used to raise $180k for a very non-commercial movie.
MODULE 3 – the Art of Development
In this module, you'll learn my unique formula for creating a concept trailer for your movie that will make raising finance easy.
To do that, you'll gather key crew and cast – and in this module you'll learn the keys to creating a team that will make pure magic together.
MODULE 4 – Getting the Money
This module is focused on an area that blocks many indie filmmakers – raising finance.
You'll not only learn who to approach for money, and how to approach them, you'll also get my tips and techniques for creating an unstoppable mindset that truly will change everything!
In addition to this, there's a lesson on crowdfunding that will take the overwhelm out of it, and turn it into something fun.
MODULE 5 – Preproduction
Now you'll get into the meat of filmmaking (or the tofu if you're vegetarian!) – you'll learn exactly which crew members you need to hire and simple strategies to assemble the BEST team, planning that need to happen in pre-production so your shoot is smooth, as well as strategies for directors to make sure you are fully prepared.
MODULE 6 – Production
This module covers everything you need to know to make your shoot fantastic.
Without good acting, your movie doesn't have a chance, so there's also an entire lesson devoted to working with actors, making sure that you have the tools to help them reach Oscar-worthy performances.
MODULE 7 – Post-Production
On a practical level, this module guides your through post-production sharing exactly what you need to do to finish your film successfully. There's also a lesson on what to expect emotionally, as sometimes this can be a tough part of the journey.
MODULE 8 – Getting Your Film Out There
In the last module, you'll get the secrets of how to create a fantastic festival strategy as well as an entire lesson on what a successful distribution looks like and how to achieve it.
I know that making a movie can feel overwhelming and this course contains a TON of information – but if you take it one step at a time, it's totally doable.
That's why you'll have lifetime access to the course, so that you can refer to lessons as you need them.
In addition to the video lessons and downloads, as an added bonus for this first session of this course, once you sign up you will be invited to a series of six group calls with me in the coming months (two in February, two in March, two in April).
In each of these, you will have the opportunity to ask any questions that are coming up for you.
I seriously want you to succeed and I'll be rooting for you all the way, providing you with the support you need to make things happen in a serious way.
WHAT YOU GET
All the things that will make your success inevitable:
- 8 modules covering the entire process of filmmaking from developing a standout script through to distributing a completed movie
- Video based trainings in each module (a total of 25 lessons)
- Worksheets for each lesson which will help you go deeper and help you make personalized plans of action for each step
- Bonus checklists and affirmations
- a sample budget and schedule, with detailed explanations of every line of them
- a sample agreement for setting up the structure of your LLC with investors
- a download of the actual business plan I used to raise $180k for the most uncommercial script ever
- Lifelong access to the material, including all future updates
AND AS A SPECIAL BONUS FOR THIS FIRST SESSION:
- Six group calls with me (two per month to be scheduled over the next three months) – each one will focus on a different part of the process and you will have the chance to ask questions.
Don't Take My Word For It
Here's what others have to say
Writer/Director and Founder of IndieFilmHustle.com
Alex Ferrari
Founder/CEO of Seed & Spark, crowdfunding and distribution platform for indie films
Emily Best
Actor (in Glow), writer/director: Good Dick; Bitch
Marianna Palka
Independent feature filmmaker (A Light Beneath Their Feet; The Archer) and television director (Suits; Chicago MD; Scandal)
Valerie Weiss
About Me
I’m Diane Bell and I'm an award winning screenwriter and director, which is pretty amazing because I didn’t grow up thinking that was possible.
My first feature, OBSELIDIA, premiered in Dramatic Competition at Sundance, where it won two awards, and went on to play at festivals around the world and be nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards. My second film, BLEEDING HEART, a drama starring Jessica Biel and Zosia Mamet, premiered at Tribeca, and is widely available on Amazon Prime and Hulu. My most recent feature, OF DUST AND BONES, is currently in festivals.
I started my career in film as a screenwriter (before that I was a philosophy student and a yoga teacher), and I’ve written numerous commissioned and optioned scripts, including two with renowned director John McTiernan (director of Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October).
I’ve been lucky enough to be a participant in the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, as well as the Women in Film/Sundance mentorship program, from which I learned tons. I was recently thrilled to be a finalist in the NBC Female Forward Directing initiative.
I’m totally passionate about sharing my knowledge to empower and inspire other filmmakers. I'm obsessed with helping others break through their obstacles and achieve their dreams. Since 2014 I’ve taught workshops on how to make a successful indie film, and I’m thrilled to share this material in an online form that is accessible to anyone, anywhere.
If making movies is your dream, don’t let anything stop you!
Making Films Doesn't Have To Be Hard
On the set of my first movie, Obselidia
BEWARE THE CONVENTIONAL PATH
You might still be thinking: this is all fine, but I don't want to have to make it happen myself. I'd rather sell my script to a production company and have them do the work!
Look, I'm never going to tell you that this method is the only way to make your movie, because that's not true, and you have to trust your intuition.
But here's the thing: if you go down the conventional route, you can spend literally years trying to make your movie…and never make it.
I personally know dozens of aspiring filmmakers who are on this path, and it breaks my heart because most of them have still never made a movie…and probably never will.
On the conventional path, you have no control over how long it will take, because you have given your power away.
You are waiting for the powers that be to greenlight you, instead of greenlighting yourself.
A NEW WAY - THE REBEL WAY!
The most incredible, mind-blowing thing about the world today for filmmakers is that, for the first time in history, not only is it possible to make an awesome film for a relatively small amount of money (a movie that no one is going to watch and think: wow, I’ve had dinners that cost more than that), but it is also possible for you to sell it.
The distribution of films has always been next to impossible without the backing of a major company; but now, with the advent of online streaming, you can sell your film directly to the audience and make serious money.
What you’re going to learn in this book is a new, self-empowered model for making and distributing your movie.
You raise the money you need, and you make the movie you want to make.
No compromises.
You have an awesome, inspired, creatively fulfilling time doing it. You plan the distribution from day one, so that you make money from your film, and here’s the best part: you get to do it again, as often as you like, for the rest of your life.
The aim is not to make a single film, but to make many. To create the situation in which you can keep making them, no matter what.
There’s often huge pressure on filmmakers to hit a home run with their very first movie, which is totally nuts and utterly unhelpful. Like any art or craft, filmmaking needs to be practiced in order to be mastered.
Hitchcock made over thirty films before he made Rear Window. Ingmar Bergman had made eighteen films before The Seventh Seal. More recently, Sean Baker has been lauded for The Florida Project, his seventh film.
The idea that we make a masterpiece on our first outing is ludicrous.
Sure, some people pull it off (Orson Welles is the patron saint of that club, debuting with Citizen Kane, which is still considered one of the best movies ever)—but they are the exception, not the rule.
Many filmmakers manage to make one movie, and when it doesn’t set the world on fire, they give up.
They’ve often maxed out their credit cards, or remortgaged their house to make that movie, and they can’t imagine how they could ever make another one anyway, they’re so deep in debt. To me, this is a crying shame, because how many of those film-makers might have become a Hitchcock or a Bergman, if only they had had the chance to continue?
What I’m proposing is a method in which you don’t use your own money, and that you plan so that no matter how your first film turns out (or your second or your third), you’ll get the chance to learn your lessons from it and do it again. So that you can keep getting better at what you do, until one day one of your films legit does start a box office, award-winning inferno.
A PROVEN METHOD
The method I’m going to share here is largely based on my own experiences, both good and bad, making my first feature, Obselidia (and if you’re reaching for your dictionary, thinking, “what the heck is that weird word?” Stop right there. I made it up, and for the record, it’s an encyclopedia of obsolete things).
This film was made for $140k using private equity finance that I raised myself, with no star names or connections.
It was made as far off the conventional film-world grid as you can imagine, and yet Obselidia premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won two awards. It went on to play successfully at film festivals around the world, and was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards.
In this course, I will share with you exactly how I’ve done it, step by simple step, giving you a manageable blueprint of how to make it happen yourself.
It’s a rebellious model, because it doesn’t fly with conventional wisdom of how to go about making a movie. But it works, and there’s nothing to stop you except your own doubt. From dreaming about making a movie to watching that movie premiere at Sundance took little more than a year for me, and seriously: It could be the same for you.
Obviously, I can’t guarantee that your film will get into Sundance, sell for a million and win big awards.
No one can guarantee that, and I know that I was super lucky.
But what I can guarantee is that if you follow the steps in this course, you will make your film—or, at the very least, you will lose all your excuses for not doing it.
And if you really pay attention, you won’t just make one film, but you will hold the keys to a successful career as a filmmaker, should you wish for that.
A NEW WAY
A SELF-EMPOWERED WAY
The method I teach is different – because you don't need anyone to give you permission to make a movie.
You raise the money you need, and you make the movie you want to make.
No compromises.
You have an awesome, inspired, creatively fulfilling time doing it.
You plan the distribution from day one, so that you make money from your film…and here’s the best part: you get to do it again, as often as you like, for the rest of your life.
The aim is not to make a single film, but to make many. To create the situation in which you can keep making them, no matter what.
That's what this course will give you: a blueprint for freedom as a filmmaker for the rest of your life.
IS THIS COURSE FOR ME?
Let's be honest: this is not for everyone.
If you're the kind of person who believes that you really do need name talent and big money to make a good movie, this path isn't for you.
If you are not willing to take risks and move well out of your comfort zone to achieve your goals, it isn't for you.
If you're not 100% committed to the idea of making a movie, I'd give it a skip (and seriously if you're not 100% committed, I wouldn't even try to make a movie).
HOWEVER, THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU IF:
-you're ready to roll up your sleeves and make shit happen yourself
-you're tired of waiting to be greenlit and you want to take control of your filmmaking career
-you've never made a movie before but truly want to make a great one
-you've made a movie before (or perhaps even movies) but weren't happy with the experience or the result
-you want to blow your own mind about what you are capable of
-you want to make a movie but don't want to make the mistakes that sink so many of them
-you're a screenwriter who wants to take the leap into directing
-you are intimidated by the technical aspects of filmmaking
-you've never been to film school and want to make a movie
-you've been to film school but need the real world, how to make it happen yourself lowdown
-you've wanted to make a movie, but you need an inspiring kick in the pants
-you are ready to step up, raise the bar on yourself, and go after your dream.
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