Four Must See Sci-fi Films of the Summer

This summer, 2011, is the summer of the Sci-fi and I have picked out four that I think are "must see".

The first is 'Super 8'. Written and Directed by J.J. Abrams and Produced by Steven Spielberg. Super 8 is about a group of film crazy kids who run into aliens while out at night shooting a zombie movie on a super 8mm camera. Click here to see the trailer



Next up is Captain America, the latest release from Marvel Comics Studios. This awesome film features an artificially enhanced super soldier, and is set in WWII. Click here for a trailer.



Cowboys & Aliens is the third Sci-fi great this summer, starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, it tells the story of how a group cowboys stood in the way of an alien invasion. The trailer can be seen here.



Finally its the third instalment in the Transformers franchise, Dark of the Moon. Directed by Michael Bay, it is said to right the wrongs of the second film. In this film the Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets. Watch the trailer here.

How to Fund Your Film

So you've got to the stage in pre-production where the only thing in the way of getting your film off the ground is funding. Whether its £100 or £100,000,000 it has to come from somewhere. For small lo/no budget productions it should be quite easy for you (maybe with the help of some small "donations") to stump up the cash yourself. However if this isn't an option there are some alternative routes you can try.

The first is Crowd Funding. There are a few dedicated sites on the web now that allow you to post a cause, in your case the production of your film, along with a few details and a target amount of cash. People can then browse your post, and make a donation. You can also set up tiers of donation with rewards such as film credits and copies of the final film. Two of the sites that offer a service like this are indiegogo and Invested.in. You can specify how long you want your campaign to run for and once its finished they take a small percentage and you keep the rest. They also have tools on their site that allow you to let others know about your campaign on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites.

Your second option is looking for investors. You can try local businesses who may be willing to give you a decent chunk of your budget in return for having their shop/business shown in a shot of your film or just a credit. You may also find an investor willing to take a risk on your film for a return. For this route to pay off you need to have a clear and professional looking plan of how their investment will be spent and how you expect to recoup that for them.

Finally try the big industry players. If you think your script has what it takes to secure serious funding from a film production company or even a studio then don't be afraid to give that a go. Regional film councils are also a good place to try, as well as national film funds such as British Film Institute (BFI).

Good luck!

Great New HD camera: Canon Legria HF M406

Canon LEGRIA HF M406
LEGRIA HD Camcorders

Featuring Canon’s HD CMOS Pro sensor and creative cinematic tools like Story Creator, the stylish LEGRIA HF M406 effortlessly delivers superb quality movies. Two SDXC card slots allow easy sharing.

Features

Canon HD CMOS Pro sensor
10x HD Video lens, iris diaphragm
Optical Image Stabilisation
Superb audio
Creative cinematic features
Touch Decoration
7.5cm Touch screen LCD
Two SDXC memory card slots
Smart Auto, Face Detection, Instant AF
Expandable
Effortlessly create, shoot and share professional quality video

This looks like a great camera for the independent film maker looking to give their projects that little bit more edge. This camera has some of the same features that canons pro range has, as well as a few in built editing and shooting features such as Story Telling mode. For the amount of features this camera has and the pro feel it can bring to your films, I would recommend this to anyone looking to invest in some new up to date equipment, and the price is pretty decent too!

For Full details Follow this link

US Box Office Top 5 Weekend Rankings July 15-17 2011

1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 $169,189,427
2 Transformers: Dark of the Moon $21,328,545
3 Horrible Bosses $17,777,464
4 Zookeeper $12,330,512
5 Cars 2 $8,407,529

The First of Many

Welcome to Film Acre- The Blog for Film Makers. This blog is dedicated to all things film making, from Hollywood Blockbusters down to lo/no budget film making by the average person. For everyone who has ever picked up a camera and pressed the record button this will be your hub for up to date news and info on the world of film. We will have news, How To videos, info on new products across the film making spectrum as well as pictures and videos by me and you.