Reading is one of the simplest ways to immediately improve your life in every regard, even your filmmaking. A while back we reached out to some of our friends in filmmaking to see what they would recommend for some summer reading and they had some incredibly thoughtful responses. So, we thought we’d go for round two because we’re sure as hell not running out of books to read.
It’s the end of 2019, so it must be listicle time. There are a lot of them out there (trust us, we’ve looked) but, we think our take on the “best of” article is a little different. In our second of three, we’re tackling the best YouTube advice we received in 2019.
Amanda is the director of integrated production at Wunderman Thompson in Chicago. If you don’t know what that title means, it roughly translates to “person who does just about everything.” Our conversation about her producing philosophies is an apt reminder that if you’re in the film industry, you’re a creative. You have to be. She’s a veteran in an industry that’s always changing—and she seems comfortable riding the wave of that change way out in front.
Iz Harris has done a lot of things. She’s created wedding videos, branded content, tutorials, vlogs, and more, which she attributes to “creative ADHD.” We attribute it to being a good creative—and her YouTube channel is blowing up because of it. Her personality, authenticity, and editing make for a compelling watch on a consistent basis, but most importantly she can tell a good story. Simple as that. And, as we discuss in this interview, that’s all you truly need as a creator on YouTube.
Tom Rolf worked through the transition from analog editing to digital editing and managed to do it without skipping a beat. It proves that a good editor is a good editor, no matter what era.
Drea watches more than 350 films every single year and plays an active role in whether they’re successful or not. She’s well aware of the uphill climb many filmmakers face to get accepted — she said Sundance receives around 14,000 submissions every year and only 100 actually get a premiere. So, in an effort to make that climb a little more friendly, we decided to chat with Drea to put together a rough guide for getting into film festivals.
