Blog 17: Fourth Interview

1. What is most essential to creating a profitable independent film?
2. How would you define "profitable" in the context of independent film?
3. What factor contributes most to the success of an independent film?
4. What about independent film appealed to you?
5. Which departments do you most enjoy working in?
6. What do you enjoy doing most in terms of independent film in general?
7. How highly do you prioritize exposure when it comes to independent film?
8. How highly do you prioritize revenue when it comes to independent film?
9. Have significant relationships between yourself and other crew members been created as a result of one of your projects?
10. In the case of independent film, do you most value exposure, revenue, relationships, or the process?
11. How does one usually begin the writing of a screenplay for an independent film?
12. Do you find that working in several departments is a heavy workload, or would you say it allows you to utilize and apply all of your special skills accordingly?
13. How can one determine the marketability/niche market of their project?
14. How does one go about distributing their film?
15. By what means does a producer or director gather actors or other crew members?
16. For a low-budget independent film, what are production designers responsible for doing and how can they best carry out said tasks?
17. How do filmmakers acquire novelty props that they plan to implement into their project?
18. How can location scouts gain access to private locations?
19. How do sound designers act to convey the emotional accordance of a scene through the use of music and sound effects?
20. What is the most advantageous way for the actors, cinematographers, editors, and sound designers to manipulate the perception of a scene in order to achieve its optimal effectiveness on an audience?

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

1. I plan to interview my aunt, Violeta Duran, who also happens to be my contact for my summer mentorship. I plan on interviewing her because she is experienced in the film making industry, and I know she could help provide me with some insight on my topic. 
2. Additional questions I plan on asking:

• How would you define independent film? Do you believe the term applies to how the film was financed, or the content of the film?
• Does co-financing generally constitute profit boosts in films?
• In what ways have independent films shaped our lives and society as a whole?
• Would you say that independent films have created a culture that many tend to overlook, or that it gives anyone with a camera and an imaginative idea they want to express an outlet to do so?
• What are some independent films that you would recommend?