Sound Pt. 1 - Buying Microphones

This week on Filmmaking Sucks, Manny, Mario and Lindsay discuss the variety of microphones, the different types there are, and which one you will need for your shoot. 

Mics can get extremely expensive, but you don't always have $500 to drop on one. My new podcast, Filmmaking Sucks, is aimed at all of the budding filmmakers out there, and the newest episode discusses the basics you should know when choosing the right microphone for your indie film, especially on a budget.
Should you get a Dynamic Mic or Condenser Mic?
Omnidirectional, Bi-Directional or Unidirectional?
Whats the difference between Cardioid, SuperCardioid and HyperCardioid?

We run down the different sound profiles each one has, and how to use them, so when it is time for you to build your sound kit, you will know what to look for. Your beginners tutorial to buying the right on-set microphone is here, so check it out below. This is the first half of our discussion on sound, with part 2 coming up in the next episode, and we will cover Production and Post-Production. 

You can subscribe to the Filmmaking Sucks Podcast on iTunes and Google Play, and please rate and review us! 
You can also email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with your feedback, suggestions and questions. 

“You can use shabby equipment like cassette players or you can use high-end equipment, but it’s all about ideas, and ideas don’t rely as much on technology as you might think.”

— Christopher Shutt

Cinematography Panel at Macabre Faire Film Festival

This week on Filmmaking Sucks we are proud to bring you the audio from a Cinematography Panel hosted by Manny Serrano and Patrick Devaney at the Macabre Faire Film Festival. The panel itself discusses the importance and unimportance of certain pieces of equipment, frame rates, HD vs 4K, shooting on cell phones, tons of knowledge that we hope many of you will find interesting. 

Thank you for listening, please subscribe to us on iTunes and stay tuned for brand new episodes of Filmmaking Sucks coming very soon! 

“You make the movie through the cinematography - it sounds quite a simple idea, but it was like a huge revelation to me.”

— Nicolas Roeg

Women In Horror Panel

This week, we bring you something very special! On January 14th, the Macabre Faire Film Festival hosted a Women In Media panel, and we are proud to bring you the audio of that discussion. All of the women involved are making huge strides, advancing the way people view women working in horror today. 

Hosted by Adam Ginsberg, the panel members include:

Lindsay Serrano (Producer/Director/Writer www.massgravepictures.com)
Debra Markowitz (Writer/Director/Producer www.intentionfilmsandmedia.com)
Kelly Rae LeGault (Actress kellyraelegault.com)
Jennifer Valdes (Writer/Director/Producer www.jennifervaldesfilms.com)
Beatrice Sniper (Makeup/SFX Artist www.beatricesniper.com)
Deana Demko (Actress/Sculptress/Author www.facebook.com/OfficialDeanaDemkoPage)
Gail Wisun-Gooch (Costumer www.gailgooch.com)

Listen in and hear what these amazing women have to say about what they love to do, and how they plan to change the landscape of horror films!

Subscribe to the Filmmaking Sucks Podcast on iTunes, and please rate and review us!
You can also email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with your feedback and questions. 

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Photo: Todd Staruch - www.horrornerd.net

““Sometimes, you just have to go in there and bowl people over with your sheer force of will.””

— Jennifer Yuuh Nelson

Lesson 1 - Just Get It Done!

Over the years, we have met many people who (just like we all did at first) said they cant make their film because they don't have the right camera, or the right equipment, or the right actors, the locations, the sets, the know-how.. there's always something. What those things equate to are just excuses. It's self-sabotage. If you say you don't have what you need, then it can't be your fault when it doesn't get done, right? WRONG! 

The first, and most important lesson in becoming an indie filmmaker is as simple as this: JUST GET IT DONE! Your first film will be bad, it will be filled with mistakes, mishaps, problems, and everything will go wrong. And even if you're lucky enough to capture lightning in a bottle, a few years from now, you'll hate it because you'll know how to do it better. 

Waiting for the right equipment, or the right actor, the right location, the right set of circumstances, waiting for ANYTHING is the first mistake everyone makes. Just grab a camera and start shooting. Quality comes with experience and time. First, just get it done and go forward from there. 

Subscribe to the Filmmaking Sucks Podcast on iTunes, and please rate and review us! 
You can also email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with your feedback and questions. 

“The most difficult and challenging thing about directing a film, is getting out of the car.”

— Stanley Kubrick quoting Stephen Speilberg

Film Festivals: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly..

The Film Festival is the coveted rite of passage that every filmmaker must pass through. Film Festivals are one of the sacred combination locks we much attempt to crack, and honestly, we need to do it with limited funds. How can you do that?
Networking, Planning, and Time. How does that work..? Listen in and find out from our first hand experiences of submitting, attending and vending at film festivals. 

Don't forget, this Friday, January 13th, come on out to the Macabre Faire Film Festival in Ronkonkoma, NY and catch the premiere of our newest feature length psychological horror film, Theta States! Beyond that, Lindsay will be hosting a panel on Pre-Production, Friday at 6pm: Homework Before The Filming Begins, as well as a panel on Women In Media alongside Jennifer Valdes, Deana Demko, Gail Wisun-Gooch, Kell Rae LeGault, Debra Markowitz, Beatrice Sniper and Christina Raia. Then on Sunday, Manny will be on a panel with fellow filmmaker Patrick Devaney, discussing Cinematography at noon.

Tickets are available at MacabreFaireFilmFest.com 

Subscribe to the Filmmaking Sucks Podcast on iTunes, and please rate and review us! 
You can also email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with your feedback and questions. 

“The whole aspect of cinema and film festivals should be a moment to come together and celebrate art and humanity. It would be a shame if there was such a divide.”

— Keanu Reeves

Our Mission Statement?

Welcome to the first episode of the Filmmaking Sucks podcast! Now, we don't actually think filmmaking sucks. In fact, we love every second of it, but that doesn't mean its easy. We put our heart and souls into every page we write, frame we shoot, and scene we edit, and sometimes, it just sucks. But we still love it. 

As your hosts are Manny Serrano, Lindsay Serrano and Mario Melillo. Each week (or, best attempt at each week) we will discuss a subject in straight talk. By that we mean, no cuts, no edits, straight through our mouths, into your ears. We are here to discuss our filmmaking successes, mistakes, happy accidents, and some of the lessons we've learned along the way, and we want to be as honest as possible about it.

Full disclosure: if you do hear an edit, it is because a mic went out, a loud car passed by, a memory card was full, or something else that could possibly affect the physical audio of the show occurred. We can't control everything, we can only work with what we have, and do the best job we possibly can. 

On our first episode, we are going to keep it light, talk a bit about ourselves, some of the things we've done, and maybe help you to get to know us a bit better. 

Subscribe to the Filmmaking Sucks Podcast on iTunes, and please rate and review us! 
You can also email us at filmmakingsucks@gmail.com with your feedback and questions. 

“Our worst day on set, is still better than our best day anywhere else. ”

— Every Filmmaker Ever.

The Filmmaking Sucks Podcast!

The Filmmaking Sucks Podcast! 

In the process of becoming a professional filmmaker, you make a lot of mistakes along the way. For 30 minutes each week (or longer, who knows?), we'll run down all of our past mistakes, and talk about how we fixed them, so hopefully, you don't make those same mistakes.
A behind the scenes look on the daily hell which is independent production. 

Filmmaking Sucks, but we love it anyway, and here's why!