Filmmaking (Actually)

Join Koura for part one of her workshop, "How to Make a Great Film On a Deadline", hosted by the Organization of Independent Filmmakers.  With so many elements going in to every step of creating a film, what are the key points to check when rushing a project through from  development to completion? In this workshop, Koura covers how to make a great film on a deadline and give you an over...

Join Koura Linda in Part Two of a bonus panel discussion about Space Dream  Productions' first film, "Names on the Wall," which actually just wrapped its festival run back in April at the 2021 NOVA Fest and Capital Film Market. Following our full cast & crew panel after our opening night screening, we had a lot of audience questions that we were not able to get to due to running out of ti...

Join Koura Linda in Part One of a bonus panel discussion about Space Dream  Productions' first film, "Names on the Wall," which actually just wrapped its festival run back in April at the 2021 NOVA Fest and Capital Film Market. Following our full cast & crew panel after our opening night screening, we had a lot of audience questions that we were not able to get to due to running out of ti...

Join Koura Linda in Part Two of a discussion about Space Dream Productions' first film, "Names on the Wall," which actually just wrapped its festival run back in April at the 2021 NOVA Fest and Capital Film Market. It was an honor to be the opening night film, and to have opportunity - thanks to the virtual nature of the festival, as well as the support of Mr. Fernando Mico - to bring together our...

Join Koura Linda in Part One of a discussion about Space Dream Productions' first film, "Names on the Wall," which actually just wrapped its festival run back in April at the 2021 NOVA Fest and Capital Film Market. It was an honor to be the opening night film, and to have opportunity - thanks to the virtual nature of the festival, as well as the support of Mr. Fernando Mico - to bring together our...

Join Koura on Episode 20 of Filmmaking (Actually) to learn about...knowing what you're worth!  Also, to learn about...what others are worth! With budgets being estimations of revenue and expenses over a specified period of time, it is usually compiled and re-evaluated on a periodic basis. For those who want to be hired and for those doing the hiring, this usually means that a timeless back-an...

Join Koura on Episode 19 of Filmmaking (Actually) to learn about...making a feature length film! Fresh off of directing, writing and producing her first feature length film herself, Koura gives you the scoop on what it was like after working primarily in short films, giving advice and words of wisdom along the way. Also, how do you stay safe on a film shoot during a pandemic? What should you know...

Join Koura (and Spacey and Bryan!) as she offers a podcast update. Enjoy! If you want to ask a question or just want to say hello, write to filmmakingactually@gmail.com ! Check out spacedreamfilms.com as well for all the latest projects that Koura is working on.

Join Koura on Episode 17 of Filmmaking (Actually) as she learns and discusses sound in film with Mac Smith, Sound Designer and Supervising Sound Editor at Skywalker Sound, the sound effects, sound editing, sound design, sound mixing and music recording division of Lucasfilm Ltd.. Mac has been working on films since 1999, and has worked on such projects as the Disney+ series Marvel's What If...?, C...

Join Koura on Episode 16 of Filmmaking (Actually) to learn about...casting! Defined as the assigning of parts in a play, film, or other production, specifically to actors, casting is one of the most important parts of filmmaking. Any discussion about casting calls and auditions must give equal attention to actors who want to fit the part and the filmmakers who need to find just the right actor for...

Join Koura on Episode 15 of Filmmaking (Actually) to learn about...networking! Defined as a group or system of interconnected people or things, a network is not just about computers when it comes to your work as a filmmaker. It's been said that it's not about what you know, but who you know! Listen as Koura explains what it means to truly collaborate with other artists so that all can work togethe...

Join Koura on Episode 14 of Filmmaking (Actually) to learn about...business! Defined as the practice of making one's living by engaging in trade, commerce and dealings, it's important know how to run a business in order to sustain yourself, whether that business is filmmaking itself, or what you do in order to make films! Listen as Koura explains how she runs her Etsy shop with her business partne...

Join Koura in this follow-up episode, regarding the 48 Hour Film Project, about what MORE you should know about that wild and sleepless weekend in which you and a team make a movie - write, shoot  and edit it - in just 48 hours!! COVID Quarantine Blues got you down? Going a little stir crazy while  stuck at home? Why not channel that excess energy into a creative  endeavor...like ma...

Join Koura as she discusses what you should know about that wild and sleepless weekend in which you and a team make a movie - write, shoot and edit it - in just 48 hours!! The 48 Hour Film Project is fun for amateurs and pros alike, but no matter your level of experience, it's good to know a few things before you are assigned your genre, character, prop, and line of dialogue...so listen now! If yo...

While this is not legal advice from a lawyer, join Koura Linda as she discusses a side of the filmmaking world that should be talked about - the legal side! Don't let yourself get screwed over by bad contracts by educating yourself. What should you know about contracts and loopholes and contradictions and legalese and so on and so forth? Listen and learn, and know your rights. And then ask an actu...

A very special PSA from Filmmaking (Actually).

Join Koura on the tenth episode of Filmmaking (Actually) as she discusses what she calls the "most wonderful time of the year" - not Christmas, not Hanukkah, not Festivus, but the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah! As she is gearing up for her seventh year of Sundancing, you may be doing much the same. Learn from her perspective and, as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "reach out eagerly and w...

Join Koura Linda in part two of a two-part series as she discusses film distribution with Erik Lundmark, CEO of Leomark Studios, a film production, post-production, and distribution company with more than 50 film titles in its catalog. Film distribution is changing day by day, and while there’s no one model for the trajectory of a feature film’s release, this conversation highlights some of the ba...

Join Koura Linda in part one of a two-part series as she discusses film distribution with Erik Lundmark, CEO of Leomark Studios, a film production, post-production, and distribution company with more than 50 film titles in its catalog. Film distribution is changing day by day, and while there’s no one model for the trajectory of a feature film’s release, this conversation highlights some of the ba...

Join Koura on Episode 7 of Filmmaking (Actually) to learn about a timely topic for those of you who are headed to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Located at over 10,000 feet above sea level, the winter weather during Sundance can get very cold very quickly! So grab your headphones along with your earmuffs, scarf, windbreaker, and waterproof boots: it's going to get hot in here if yo...

Join Koura Linda in part two of a two-part series as she discusses the ins and outs and ups and downs of making documentary films with award-winning producer and director Ansley Sawyer! Along with director Brandon Li, their films Hong Kong Strong and Nomads of Mongolia were featured as part of the National Geographic Short Film Showcase. And Ansley's directorial debut, Like We Don't Exist, focuses...

Join Koura Linda in part one of a two-part series as she discusses the ins and outs and ups and downs of making documentary films with award-winning producer and director Ansley Sawyer! Along with director Brandon Li, their films Hong Kong Strong and  Nomads of Mongolia were featured as part of the National Geographic  Short Film Showcase. And Ansley's directorial debut, Like We Don't Ex...

Join Koura on Episode 4 of Filmmaking (Actually) as she answers her first listener e-mail - from none other than her Mom! What belongs on the page when a writer is crafting a screenplay? How much room for collaboration should be given to directors, producers, actors, etc.? Listen as Ms. Linda answers the question on the airwaves of the world wide interwebs.  If you want to ask a question or j...

Join Koura on Filmmaking Actually in episode three: Revenge of the Script! How do you go about writing in the first place? How do you avoid and overcome writer's block? How do you avoid writing the same old clichés, tropes and stereotypes so common in screenplays of today? How do you ensure that your stories and characters have real depth? And how do you know your script is ready for production? A...

Join Koura on Episode 2 of Filmmaking (Actually) to dig into what she calls 'intentional filmmaking.' Based on your resources and what you want to do with your film, be it a short or feature-length, there are a jillion ways to approach the process. Once you decide what you want to make, whether you simply want to gain experience or show off what you can already do, you'll learn in no time that the...