Reality check: What's making a movie really like? Guest post from Amy Leigh McCorkle

While you are all working away diligently on your Script Frenzy scripts, I wanted to get you a little inspiration from the front lines, so I turned to Amy Leigh McCorkle, independent filmmaker and Script Frenzy participant, to give you her behind the scenes thoughts about film-making and the industry as a whole.

Thanks to Amy for stopping by and best of luck to everyone on their scripts!

Moviemaking isn’t brain surgery, because if it were, there wouldn’t be as many people like me struggling just to get by in the independent subculture of Hollywood.

In my twelve years of working and making a way for myself in the entertainment industry there are a few basic principles I have learned.

1. You had best have a thick skin. People are not generally worried about how brilliant you are unless it can help them make money. Better expressed my instructor, it ain’t called show art, it ain’t called show friends, it’s called show business. Which brings me to
2. as long as you love what you’re doing to the point of obsession, and have a strong support network of people who will have that guts to tell you when you’re being a…jerk, then this place has room for you.

Movies, as far as I’m concerned, from Hot Tub Time Machine, right on down to Precious, are pure magic. And they all had to come from poor schlub’s heart before it ever got to the big screen. Of course, filmmaking is a collaborative art, from the make-up artist right down to the Production Assistant. But if you get right down to it, it’s all about the story. And since I’m a screenwriter and novelist at heart that’s how I see things as a director. Everyone serves the screenplay—even me and my partner, Melissa Goodman. But, if you’re greatest desire is to see your hard work on the big screen, and you have the persistence and perseverance to see what could be a long, thankless, and arduous journey through to the end then go ahead. But, as much as show business is a business, the actual filming of the movie is an active art form and if you’ve got the stomach for it then a good place to start is the short film. And whenever you start the producing of a film you must always begin with a great script. And for Healing Hands Entertainment their most current production is a prime example of this.

Back On Top is the story of an unscrupulous agent who will stop at nothing to turn a buck or two, including coaxing a critically acclaimed washed up actor into perhaps taking a roll he is less than ideally suited for.

Then we have a documentary which is slightly different it’s called the Finish Line. It’s the story of how I lose weight, deal with why I eat, and the emotional and long distance running I do in order to save my life.

Writing a screenplay is fulfilling in a way a screenwriter can not completely describe. It is the first and last time you will ever have complete control over that baby. Unless you produce and direct your own work in which case Scriptfrenzy is essential.

Scriptfrenzy, and the way they have set it up makes for a blast of an atmosphere. And when I make a film I do two things. First I lay down the law that there is only one boss on the set. But once the point has been made I’m charge, I do my best to create a safe atmosphere for the actors and crew to work in. As long as everyone is having a good time in a constructive manner good work is possible and often you end up with some great results to look at.

If you’re wanting to know how to find actors and crew, and how to raise money for your film check out Dov S Simmens and his Hollywood Film Institute which breaks down everything from screenwriting to directing. In the end running a camera is like driving a car. You stick the key in the ignition and start her up. Some are just better drivers than others.

If you want to know more about filmmaking in general from me you can email me at amyleigh07@live.com or visit Healing Hands Entertainment website at http://www.Healing-Hands-Entertainment.webs.com. And as my website and fellow writer Elise VanCise likes to say Happy Scribbles.