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For every filmmaker who has maxed out their credit cards and never seen a dime in profit, this story will be sure to drive them crazy. A pair of brothers have shot and produced a feature film for “no-budget” (or at least a very minimal budget) and earned a reported $200K in iTunes sales.
Not a single dime was spent on filming or producing the movie. The brothers’ only expense was hotels, food and taxis which they would have incurred had they been on vacation instead of shooting a film.
The movie climbed as high as #43 in iTunes Top 100 Movie chart and has grossed over $200,000 in profits. There was no expensive marketing budget, either. Most sales were generated by word of mouth or circulation on social networks.
Jambe Davdar worked for four years on the ultimate Star Wars commentary fan film. Clips from the original trilogy and behind-the-scenes recordings are accompanied by explanations from those involved in the films, with text added when more information is available. Like the trilogy, these commentaries are divided into three parts: Star Wars Begins, Building Empire, and Returning to Jedi. Find links to all the YouTube segments at Metafilter. This could keep a Star Wars fan busy the rest of the winter. Link
Flickr user Ambrosia Voyeur found a fascinating map published in 1927 that Hollywood studios used to find relatively nearby locations to film far-away places. As you can see, certain spots in California were considered good for filming places like Siberia, Sherwood Forest, the Sahara Desert, and other movie settings. The source is The American Film Industry by Tino Balio. According to the book, the variety of available geography in southern California is one of the reasons Hollywood became the center of the film industry. Link to image. Link to book. -via Buzzfeed
Check out this award winning short film (it’s only 3 minutes long). It’s a nice shoutout to the gothic horror films of the 20s and 30s. Simple but effective.
Plot Synopsis:
A leasing agent prepares an apartment with a mysterious past for an
afternoon viewing. While awaiting the arrival of the prospective client
the leasing agent learns that she’s not alone in the apartment.
– via fightingowlfilms
From the Upcoming 
ueue, submitted by 
Ever wonder what some of the big-name Hollywood directors’ pre-fame student and short films were like?
Long before Star Wars or even THX-1138 George Lucas was an ordinary USC film student. For his Senior thesis film he, along with 13 other film students, produced an 8-minute short film known as 1:42:08. The dialoge-free film follows racing driver Peter Brock as he takes a Lotus 23 through Willow Springs Raceway at full-throttle.
– via autoblog
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by 
The crack of Indy’s whip, the bleep-blips of R2-D2, and the asthmatic breathing of Darth Vader. These unique and memorable sound effects are all products of an often overlooked art form – the art of sound design. A Sound Designer’s duties include creating, editing and applying sound effects and all non-compositional elements of a film, video game, theater performance, recording or television program in what amounts to a very daunting job.
From the Upcoming Queue, submitted by whitespace.
