This e-newsletter is dedicated to helping independent filmmakers thrive in the film business. Presented here are interviews with the world's leading independent filmmakers as well as informational articles, written by pros, which offer filming philosophies, technical tips, and marketing strategies. For a free, one-year email subscription to the Indie Edge, call 1-800-468-9353 or simply click here.
THIS MONTH'S FEATURE:
A New Model? From backyard movies to Attila the Hun: How digital wizardry built a career for Gareth Edwards. By Lee Purcell | July 2008
"There are many art forms that have been churning out great works by individuals for centuries," notes Gareth Edwards, "painting, music, writing... The only reason we haven't had that in cinema is because the process was so industrial, you needed a factory line of people and tons of money in order to create these things. But, that isn't true anymore. What is so bad about someone going off and making a whole film on their own? Sure, it will have its disadvantages, but it won't have as much compromise. The filmmaker can picture something and go and film it, without taking out a loan, without seeking approval from 20 people. I'm really excited about the kind of films that will come out in the future; there will be no excuses anymore. If you can picture it, you can make it."
By creating many of the backgrounds, buildings, and battle scenes on the computer, Gareth was able to achieve a Hollywood-style look for a small fraction of the budget of a typical movie. Scenes that normally would have required elaborate sets, hundreds or thousands of extras, or elaborate camera techniques were generated on the computer using off-the-shelf tools.
