Arnon Z. Shorr was born in Haifa, Israel, and grew up outside of Boston, where he developed a passion for filmmaking. Over the years, through stints in Boston, Baltimore and Los Angeles, Arnon directed and produced over 100 shorts, web series episodes, corporate videos and indie features. His shorts have appeared in festivals from coast to coast, and have literally crossed the country as in-flight entertainment. He lives and works in Los Angeles.
I n the process of video production, you’ll eventually need to start location scouting. But considering permits, fees, and logistics, it can be daunting to find locations that work for your budget. But the importance cannot be overestimated. Worry not! There is hope. You don’t need a Hollywood budget to get good locations. What you need is… Continue reading 11 Essential Location Scouting Tips: How to Plan a Movie Shoot
Are you sure you own your movie? You may be shocked to learn that without release forms from each of your actors, your film does not belong to you. Fortunately, we’ve got an actor release form template you can use, and a handy guide to help you use it. That way, all your hard work… Continue reading The Complete Guide to Actor Release Forms (FREE Template)
Sure, you’ve got gumption, a can-do attitude, and thick skin. But do you have the right tools to maximize your productivity? Here’s a rundown of our favorite, must-have filmmaking software, apps and gadgets for working filmmakers and producers.Continue reading 82 Best Filmmaking Software and Tools (Updated 2022)
How do you decide film credits order? Do you always have to put the director first? Do you list in order of celebrity? Pull names from a hat?Continue reading The Ultimate Guide to Film Credits Order Hierarchy (with Free Film Credits Template)
Every time I finish a film, I always hear this question: “What are your next short film ideas?” Whenever I hear it, my brow furrows, my palms start to sweat, and I squeeze out an apologetic shrug. Continue reading Finding the Best Short Film Ideas that Level Up Your Career
Cast. Props. Animal Trainers. Child Actor Trainers. They’re all production elements that make up a scene breakdown sheet, which is an organizational document with categorized lists that you need for each scene of your film.Continue reading The Complete Guide to Mastering Script Breakdown Elements
L et’s face it, shooting schedules can be super complicated. Who’s available when? How do we shoot the most expensive elements? It’s easy to forget that a production schedule is as much a psychological tool as it is a logistical one. Here’s how to make a schedule for your shoot that will increase the productivity and… Continue reading 15 Pro Tips to Create a More Encouraging Production Schedule
So you want to make a movie? Delivering a film is a LONG, involved process. Going through development, pre-production, production, post, and the festival circuit to eventual release? It can be daunting.If you still want to make a movie, this is the post for you. I’ll show you how to make a movie from end… Continue reading Video Production Process Explained: How to Make a Movie in 5 Phases
Navigating our uber-connected, tech-driven world can be overwhelming for filmmakers. Making a successful short film is exhausting enough. But keeping your crew — and followers — up to date, minute by minute, might feel like one step too many. All of the mediums might overwhelm you, but deep down you know you using them will… Continue reading Social Media and Digital Communications for Successful Short Films
Hiring a film crew can be a daunting task. You have a lot of critical positions to fill. Where should you post film jobs? How can you be sure to find quality candidates? How can you vette them?Continue reading How to Find and Hire the Best Production Crew for Your Film
S electing and booking your shooting location can be a daunting challenge. Is a permit required? How do you get the owner’s permission? What does your location scout need from you?Continue reading How to Secure Film Locations (FREE Location Release Form)
A strong foundation is the key to a successful film shoot. But the pre production process is not a straight path.Continue reading How to Produce a Movie: The Pre-Production Process Explained
Y ou’ve assessed your short film idea and determined that crowdfunding is the best fundraising tool for you. Great! Now you just pick one of the crowdfunding websites and go, right? Well, not quite. Building an effective crowdfunding campaign can be a daunting process. We’ll tackle it step-by-step, starting with the question: which crowdfunding website is right for you?Continue… Continue reading Crowdfunding Movies: The Best Crowdfunding Websites for Your Film
M ost filmmakers I know have tried and failed at crowdfunding. I failed, too, on my first attempt. But every time I researched shot film funding, crowdfunding was one of the first recommendations. It has become a ubiquitous film funding technique. So, I tried crowdfunding again. I studied successful crowdfunding campaigns and took courses on strategy. Ultimately… Continue reading Crowdfunding Movies: How I Raised $18,617 in Short Film Funding
Y ou’ve got an awesome concept for a short film. Congratulations! Now you need a short film business plan. Perhaps your idea just came to you out of the blue, perhaps you’ve developed it with my systematic process. Either way, you want to know what the first step towards turning your idea into an actual movie is. Well,… Continue reading How to Write a 4-Part Film Business Plan That Gets You Funding
Today, I’m going to show you how to schedule a ten-page shoot if you’re looking to maximize your budget constraints. Shooting ten pages in a day is a worst-case scenario, but sometimes those worst-case scenarios can happen on your production. When they do, your shooting schedule needs to be very precise and prepared.Continue reading Shooting… Continue reading Shooting Schedule Pro Tips for a 10-Page Shoot Day
So someone forwarded you a production time report (aka the “SAG Exhibit G”) to fill out for your production, and you have no idea where to start? Fear not! You have come to the right place. This quick and easy guide will walk you through everything you need to know.Continue reading The ABC’s of SAG… Continue reading The ABC’s of SAG Exhibit G: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Abbreviated DPR or just PR, the daily production report might be the most important documents a producer looks at every day. From video agencies to indie productions, having a up-to-date DPR is necessary for assessing progress, catching inefficiencies, and tracking each production daily expense. In our post, we cover the process with our free production report template… Continue reading The Daily Production Report Explained (with FREE production report template)
C asting an independent film can be a lesson in the old adage, “You may love filmmaking, but it doesn’t love you back.” You want top talent in your film, but you often don’t have the money or the professional clout to attract them. Many filmmakers take the path of least resistance and end up getting… Continue reading Indie Film Casting Explained: From Casting Calls to Callbacks
If you want to know how to make a successful short film, stop and consider a few words on fiscal responsibility. Even if you have an award winning short film script, and a short film budget some features would drool over, you could see it all fall apart. This is why knowing about every financial… Continue reading Fiscal Responsibility on a Short Film (with FREE Petty Cash Template)
