Turbulent Times, Creative Comeback – Filmmaker’s Journey Resumes

After a Long Hiatus, I’m Back!

It’s been quite a while since I last posted here. As some loyal readers may know, I stepped away in 2015 to take care of my mother until her passing in 2018. That role occupied all my time and energy and took priority over my creative career and online presence.

After her death, I was left drained, both emotionally and financially. I knew I needed to rebuild before I could refocus on filmmaking or blogging. Just as I started getting my feet back under me in 2020, the pandemic hit, setting me back once more. But now, in 2024, I finally feel ready to recommit to my passion projects and this blog.

For any new readers, let me reintroduce myself. I’m an independent filmmaker with love for independent filmmaking but as I have never been “well off”, I often go to guerrilla-style shoestring productions to make my creations. With modern advances in the tools now is no better time than to create in my humble opion. While the noise level rises along with the opportunities, I want to share as well as learn with you and other filmmakers with similar interests and needs in both content creation, manipulation and distribution.

I have a YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/flcamera) where you can find examples of my past work. I also have a short film available on Amazon Video and a short story on Kindle. You can find me on IMDb and other social media under the screenname flcamera. As well as my IMDB listing     (www.imdb.com/name/nm0489676/)

My goal with this humble blog is to share my ongoing filmmaking journey – the successes, the struggles, and everything in between. I want to provide updates on any new projects, as well as dive into how I leverage AI tools not to replace creativity but to enhance it. Expect entries on new tech, guerrilla filming tactics, crowdfunding efforts, and more.

Your feedback, comments, and viewership mean everything to me, so please subscribe and share this comeback post! Let’s see where this filmmaking adventure takes us next. I’m thrilled to have you along for the ride.

Micro Movie Model explained

If you have seen any of my short pieces on YouTube or read some of my twitter posts you might have noticed I often mention or refer to Micro Movies and or Digital Bytes. Simply said it’s a recategorizing, redefining or a rebranding (to use the business buzz word) of the term short  for the new delivery system available (new meaning enough people with fast enough internet connections to allow uninterrupted viewing of video media) and of coarse shortening attention spans. The old definition of “the short” in our world was as a student film or an example of a movie concept, scene or taste of a directors/writers idea. Digital Bytes and Micro Movies are capsulized pieces in the form of a scene or couple scenes to form a full idea or moment in time. Resulting in break time movies, waiting room movies, stuck in line movies I.E the Micro Movie or as described by the Orlando Green Room as a filmmakers version of a one liner (in the case of the Digital Byte).
This is not just a re-branding for personal interest but and important shift as I see it #imho scents just from a festive stand point a 1:30 piece has little chance again a 30 minute or in most case up to an hour long piece before moved from the short category to the feature. Other than festivals designed for shorter form content (and then there still is little time break down in most cases) most festivals short categories goes from 0 to 60 minutes. But as more shift to the net for their viewing pleasure there will be more shorter form content whether entertainment, information or ad and the categories will have to reorganize, redefine and re-describe the content offering.  If these are recognized in their new form/format they can be taken as serious entertainment & advertisement vehicles making them equally monetizable giving true independence to the Indy media creator
The breakdown as I see it;
* Digital Byte = 0 to 3 minutes
* Micro Movie = 3 minutes to 12 to 15 minutes
* Short Form Feature = 15 minutes to 1 hour
* Feature = 1 hour up
Example of a byte “Hellraiser Lost Budget
Example of a Micro “The 9”

Guerilla without a dime is back w/Kino Faux walkthrough

Ok filmmakers the Kino Faux walk through I promised a while back is finally up on my YouTube channel at

 http://youtu.be/dfqM9u1AuME

Now this is not a step by step build but  a step through of the process I went through building (with no real practical knowledge) these non dimmable 4 foot 4 tube fluorescent lights fixtures similar (durable and light weight) to the ones I have used from Kino Flo But at a fraction of the cost.  Please check it out and of coarse like, comment and share with all you can think of.  Mostly please comment you thoughts are important!!!

Intro to Coro Plast

So on my youtube channel I am toying with multiple ideas of content, as well as love sharing the tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way.  also money always seems to be short so even though I’d love to drop cash on gear, gear and more gear I find myself having to stick with the essentials.  But sometimes I find a way to get around that through either fabrication, repurposing or a tip from a peer.  In this first Gurellia without a dime I share a great find from a couple years ago.  But just as relevant as ever.  So if you haven’t seen it just out “Intro to Coro” on my channel at http://youtu.be/Y0ILAW21D9k Thanks for dropping by,  more to come…….