Filmmaker In A Box http://filmmakerinabox.com Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:47:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 The teacher learns from the lesson… http://filmmakerinabox.com/blog/the-teacher-learns-from-the-lesson/ http://filmmakerinabox.com/blog/the-teacher-learns-from-the-lesson/#comments Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:43:39 +0000 JayHolben http://filmmakerinabox.com/?p=571 I’ve been teaching for many, many years. For three years, when I was younger, I taught an extra-curricular program at a high school in Phoenix, Arizona for three years. Since, I’ve taught dozens of workshops and seminars and written more than 200 articles on the art and science of filmmaking. When Ryan Harper first pitched the idea of FILMMAKER IN A BOX to me, I was very excited. This was exactly the kind of thing that I loved – a chance to share a truly unique perspective on the independent filmmaking process. I partnered with Ryan on this project and we set out to produce the first Case Study on a film that Ryan had produced. Unfortunately the film was already completed and there was no behind-the-scenes footage from the set. There was scattered photographic evidence and I had a list of 40+ people to interview to try and re-create the experience of making that film… It just wasn’t going to work. So when my project with director Jamie Neese and executive producer Steven Bordelon got it’s green light, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to create the first FILMMAKER IN A BOX Case Study. From the very first moment of pre-production, the FIB team was with us, documenting our progress. Having them on the ground from day one was the only way to provide a truly comprehensive look at the production process.

Producing both FILMMAKER IN A BOX and 2 Million Stupid Women was no easy task, but that kind of incestous – if you will – relationship was the only way to really make sure that FIB had a true, unadulterated, carte-blanche, full-disclosure look at the production process.

We spent six months in post production on FILMMAKER IN A BOX including conducting some 20+ hours of interviews. What truly amazed me – and really excited me – was that even though I have 20+ years of professional experience as a producer in this business. Even though I was a producer on 2 Million Stupid Women and involved with the project from day one – I learned from FILMMAKER IN A BOX. I learned several aspects about my own project that I didn’t know throughout the process.

I’m certainly not infallible. I’m not perfect. In fact, if you watch FIB, I’m very candid about my mistakes and missteps. But if I can learn something about the project that I spent almost two years on, being active in nearly every phase of prep, production and post… Then, I guarantee you… You’ll learn something from this, too.

All the best,

Jay Holben
Los Angeles, CA
January 2011

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