Raindance Success Stories
Making a Zoom Short Film during a Pandemic
In a previous article about making a short film in 2019 I said that one of the most difficult things in indie filmmaking is budget restraints. Little did I know then that a pandemic would come along and increase the difficulty level even more! I didn’t want that to...
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...
Scales Season Three Debuts After Shooting During Pandemic
SCALES' season 3 comes with much excitement and feels different. The shooting of this season will always be a memorable one. The series began filming on May 30th, which was the night after the civil unrest dealing with George Floyd's murder that sparked outrage...
Becoming A No-Budget Film Director
For as long as I can remember, movies have always been the greatest love of my life. Since I was kid, I’ve been able to watch something like 2 to even 10 movies or tv shows a day! I've always dreamed of becoming a no-budget film director. And I’ve never missed...
Hold My Hand – Finding A Funding Partner During Lockdown
I’ve always been an observer, fascinated more by non-verbal communication than the spoken word. My memory relies heavily on the 5 senses being stimulated, not just one or two. After all, I initially trained as an actor with a focus on theatre and have relied on the...
Thirst For Justice: A First-time Filmmaker’s Tale
Somehow I’d ended up on a plastic mattress in a tiny prison cell in Wisconsin wearing the infamous orange jumpsuit, after a humiliating strip search and orders to wash with anti-lice shampoo. I never dreamed my filmmaking would land me here, especially in the...
How A General Anesthetic Led To Success | That’s Gas, by Denise Deegan
I’m like a lot of writers, happiest when lost in worlds of my own creation, most uncomfortable when asked about those worlds. I want to be the person who, when questioned, raises her chin and says, “Yes, this is my project. And this is why people need it.” I applied...
The Ingredients For Filmmaking Success
For as long as I can remember, film and television have been a central figure in my life. Leaving school with no qualifications, and little choice but to work on a building site, they remained a vital source of solace and escape. Unexpectedly, a few years later, my...
Make A Film – Learn By Doing
I had been a community member of Raindance for a few years and during this time dreamed of making my own short films. As a mature aged actress, with a very independent and resourceful streak, I wanted to create. I am a compulsive learner and tried ‘teaching’ myself...
How to Process Our Pandemic Experience Into Art
Tomasz Śliwiński (director of short film “Ondine” screened at Raindance Film Festival 2020) We have all experienced this recently – the global COVID-19 pandemic. This experience is especially traumatic when you are a creative person with tons of projects and suddenly...