Also, when investigating the city, see what equipment rental houses there are. I live in Little Rock, AR, and there's nothing. No lights, no cameras, nothing. There are professional production houses, but they don't rent out equipment. I have to buy any equipment I use, which makes filmmaking difficult, because most of my budget is eaten by gear. I would rather rent at the fraction of the price, and get the best look and feel.

Good point!

heath

Boca was pretty nice. Glad I left Little Rock a long time ago though I've heard Eureka Springs has become quite the artist center. Arlington VA /DC area has a lot to offer, talent, rentals, post houses, beautiful countryside..
I'm about to find out what Germany has pretty soon.

Just hoping the JVC HD100E is about the same price as the US version.

Whatever you do, stay away from Austin....
there are too many of us here already.
:)


Very funny...but not really. I spent 2 years in Austin and I did get that feeling from some people. I've never had so many unreturned calls/emails. Austin definitely has a little of that "we don't want everyone to move here" attitude. (Before I started visiting these boards, I think there were even some unreturned emails from some San Marcos guys...but I'm forgiving.)

Austin is a great city and has a hugely vibrant filmmaking community. I joke that everyone I met had a guitar in one hand and an XL1 in the other. There are a ton of groups there Reel Women, Digital Filmmaking Resource Group (which I founded w a partner), Austin Film Festival, SxSW, etc. Several good places to take classes including Austin Filmworks and Michael Morlan. Several websites including one I still have there: www.austinfilmmaker.com (I haven't promoted it much, so it's a little bare these days.)

So, yeah, make films anywhere, but the place in which you settle can definitely keep you motivated and inspired by it's support, people and resources. Places where a lot of indy films happen are great training grounds, so you have a better chance of getting talented actors and crew when you're ready to shoot your film. Getting experience people around you when you are taking on a new challenge is HUGE and very helpful.

Ultimately, Austin is a great place to do indy filmmaking...now, don't bother asking about how to make money doing it. The downside to having a huge group of broke people walking around with cameras...(I imagine L.A. is 100x worse and that is scary.)

Kevin

Austin definitely has a little of that "we don't want everyone to move here" attitude.

A friend of mine always says that everyone wants to be the last one to move to Austin. Very true.

Although, I was obviously being sarcastic when I said no one should move here.
There is a HUGE population of people who will tell you they want to make films, there are very few who are actually working on making films.

Anyone who is willing to bust their hump and do what it takes to get something on the screen is always welcome ... and there are never enough of those people around.

Getting experience people around you when you are taking on a new challenge is HUGE and very helpful.

Reminds me of something else a friend of mine once told me, "the easiest way to succeed is to surround yourself with people more talented than yourself."

Not sure if I agree with that literally, but the spirit makes sense.
And that's something you can do no matter what city you're in.

The great thing is, forums such as this one have made the world a much smaller place....and much larger at the same time. You know what I mean.
:)

In L.A. there's work, good paying work. Same with NYC and other places. From what my friends tell me in Austin, it's a bunch of filmmakers, like me, that are making (or trying to make) movies and looking for work. Which makes the demand for work high and the supply low (like houses in my area). That's why I decided not to move to Austin.

And, as Dave Attell once said, people walk around Austin with their film on their head. <g>

Many local filmmakers in Palm Beach County (home of West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and more cities we've talked about), including me, are working hard to make this into the next hot indie filmmaking areas. We're growing by leaps and bounds!

heath

I think the obvious and primary difference is that there usually isn't much money in the micro or non-budget indy movie scene. It's true that Austin is an awesome place for indy filmmaking, but like I said, don't plan on making money doing it. You'd better have another job lined up if moving there. Jobwise, I found it much more "closed" than the market I'm in now...Raleigh/Durham.

Again, great city, but tough to make a living doing certain occupations there.

KW

Kevin, then you're not too far from Wilmington? I thought that was a great place for indie production.

Heath, I'll tell my son to keep an eye out for what you are doing. He is working overtime to get his first show on the air May 22 on the Sunshine network.
If you ever need to get some great underwater diving/fishing stuff, he would be a great resource, and after this weekend he will be living in Boca.

"It's true that Austin is an awesome place for indy filmmaking, but like I said, don't plan on making money doing it. You'd better have another job lined up if moving there. Jobwise, I found it much more "closed" than the market I'm in now...Raleigh/Durham."

It's true, I've been here for going on 10+ years now...
the number of people trying to make a living here either shooting or editing is really staggering, and because of that pretty much everyone knows someone who does that kind of work. The result of that is that most jobs wind up being 'referred' instead of 'applied for.'

I answer ads here and there when I see one that happens to fit.
But 99% of my work comes through word of mouth from a few key people that I've done work for or with. And, it took years of barely getting by to get to the point that I'm at today, where I actually feel decently secure in my position as a freelancer. But, now I'm doing pretty well, and the phone rings on it's own most of the time. It's a hard community to 'break into' jobwise, like you said, and actually make any money.

That's why I was only half way joking when I said 'dont' come to austin.'
I really don't think I could survive if one more editor moved into this city.
:)

Come to Palm Beach County, Florida and make some movies!

heath

How about Michigan?
Those beautiful great lakes.
That grass
and those trees
and the unpredictable weather.
and the seagulls.
Hmm..
Well I do have this really nice willow tree by my house.
How is dripping Springs, Texas? I've never seen it.
But it sure Sounds creepy.

I would say california San diego you've got every kind of city type and weather/environment type in close proximity, you've also got a foreign country right at your doorstep, mexico( not really foreign but a great location non the less) plus close to where i live there are plans to build a full on studio lot supposed to be finished in 2007 but who knows, i will believe it when i see it.