Blog
It’s April Fools’ Day – Hand Me The Chicken Bladder
April Fools Day is comedy’s religious holiday (and the Ukrainian city of Odessa’s actual holiday). It goes back 1500 years to the Feast of Fools. The Feast had plenty of pranks and tricks but also a lot more than that; it was a kind of medieval rave meant you could do...
In a Foreign Town – Raindance Director Q&A
Michael Shlain is an agent turned writer-director working in Los Angeles. Shlain is a co-founder of Butcher Bird Studios, a premiere creative production studio. The filmmaker has directed a wide range of narrative, branded and commercial content for clients including...
![[Book Review] Romantic Comedies, by Pamela Jaye Smith](https://www.raindance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Romantic-Comedies-Pamela-Jaye-Smith.png)
[Book Review] Romantic Comedies, by Pamela Jaye Smith
Aren’t romantic comedies cute? People fall in love, fall out love, meet-cutes happen, broken hearts mend, lovers cheat, and partners forgive… This is the genre where things go wrong in all the right ways. This is the magical place where the mysterious powers of love...
Making a Short Film on a Micro-Budget
For aspiring screenwriters, directors, and actors everywhere, there is hope in the form of the microbudget feature. Spending countless hours revising the perfect script, gratuitously studying Joseph Campbell and Blake Snyder, writing pitches, contacting producers,...
![[Book Review] The Power of the Dark Side, by Pamela Jaye Smith](https://www.raindance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Power-of-the-Dark-Side-Pamela-Jaye-Smith.png)
[Book Review] The Power of the Dark Side, by Pamela Jaye Smith
Who doesn’t love a good villain? Audiences love a good villain. The best ones can strike a chord in our imagination like few heroes can, resonate with members of the audience individually, and make a mark in the culture at large. If you think of the role of the Joker...
![[Book Review] Producing with Passion, by Dorothy Fadiman and Tony Levelle](https://www.raindance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Producing-with-Passion.jpg)
[Book Review] Producing with Passion, by Dorothy Fadiman and Tony Levelle
“Movies can change the world” is a sentence so worn-out, it often feels entirely void of its meaning. As soon as it reaches your ears, you want to object that making movies that could, maybe, change the world are beyond your grasp. It takes money, time, resources,...
The Filmmaker’s Bible: 5 Ways To Thrive In Today’s Economy
There is nothing better for the arts than a good old fashioned recession. It forces everyone to look at existing structures and due process. And the dead wood and stale ideas get thrown away, leaving a vacuum where new, fresh and better talent can thrive. And hasn't...
The Biggest Film Industry Challenges of 2021 Post-Pandemic
Film industry challenges are never easy or straight forward. For example: Viewers will likely return to the theatres to see their favourite stars on the big screen after the pandemic gets over. On other hand, many people are happy watching movies on online streaming...
The Filmmakers Who Fail the Most, Win
Today I am going to be dwelling on the famous Seth Godin quote: The persons (or filmmakers) who fail the most, wins. It might sound like an oxymoron - but it is true. Let me explain why failure is the best teacher and mentor that an independent filmmaker or...
Tips For Making Creative Films
Are you a budding filmmaker looking to expand your creative endeavours and tap into something great? Perhaps you are a well seasoned professional who feels as though they have recently hit a rut and want desperately to get their creative juices flowing back how they...