Howcast

How to Choose the Perfect Valentine’s Day Movie

Howcast — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:45:52 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Have a laugh If laughter makes you feel all warm and gooey inside, choose a romantic comedy for Valentine’s Day. You’re in for carefully tempered jokes built into an inoffensive plot.
TIP: Avoid particularly bawdy movies — too much potty humor can ruin the mood.
Step 2: Get dramatic To put some romance in the air, find a tear-jerking drama in which an obviously perfect couple faces incredible odds. Bonus points if the characters are torn apart at the end.
Step 3: Get some action Does a rush of adrenaline spur your passion? Look for intense explosions, a crazy villain, and couple-centric stunts.
Step 4: Go back in time Pick a black-and-white classic if you’re feeling nostalgic. Don’t get held up on the plot’s plausibility — what’s important is that it involves a fedora.
Step 5: Mix the elements Blend styles together for a perfect Valentine’s Day movie. Choose an emotional love story set in the past with a high-stakes plot and witty one-liners. Then, get comfortable and let the magic of Hollywood capture your heart.
FACT: The 2010 film Valentine’s Day earned $67 million in the U.S. and Canada during its opening weekend.

You Will Need

Movies

How to Get Invited to Movie Premieres

Howcast — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:01:17 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Work on the film Work on the film as cast or crew, or have a friend on the set. This is the best way to ensure you get invited to a premiere.
Step 2: Write about movies Write about movies. If you don’t make movies, then write reviews about them. Critics and bloggers may be invited to attend premieres.
Step 3: Join an organization Join a specialized group or organization, such as an environmental, religious, or academic organization. Specialized groups are invited to premieres of movies that are targeted for specific audiences.
Step 4: Be in the right location Be in right place at the right time. On occasion, movies premiere in the towns where they were shot, and sometimes a select few fans waiting by the red carpet get picked to watch the film.
Step 5: Enter contests Enter contests or sweepstakes to win free tickets to premieres.
Step 6: Sign up with a screening website Sign up with a website that notifies you about movie premieres and reserves a place for you on the guest list. Now you’ve increased your chances to be the first to see a great movie.
FACT: As of January of 2010, Avatar earned over $1.8 billion, making it the highest grossing film of all time.

You Will Need

Job on a film set
Job writing reviews
Blog
Internet access
Membership to a specialized organization

How to Get Sneak Preview Movie Tickets

Howcast — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:01:30 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Move to a major city Move to a major city as studios give away sneak preview passes in areas with large, diverse populations.
Step 2: Get to know somebody important Rub elbows with important people at a radio or television station with access to sneak preview tickets and passes.
Step 3: Join studio mailing lists Join a studio mailing list as they will often offer sneak preview opportunities to specific demographics hoping to cash in on good word of mouth.
TIP: Universal Studios has a Sneak Previews Club that fans can join at their website.
Step 4: Start a blog Start a blog and write movie reviews. Studios contact critics with sneak preview opportunities in hopes of getting good reviews.
Step 5: Scan movie sites Scan popular movie sites that post blogs, reviews, and the latest news as they will often promote sneak preview opportunities for certain films.
TIP: Movie theaters will often list sneak preview times on their website.
Step 6: Work on a film Work on a film, even if you’re at the bottom of the totem pole, to get an invite to the cast and crew screening before the official film premiere.
TIP: Cities that have movie studios will often have opportunities listed on job-search websites.
Step 7: Start your own theatre Buy and fix up an old cinema. Then get yourself invited to a sneak preview of the latest film with hopes it will be shown on your screen.
FACT: As of 2009, there were over 39,000 movie screens in the United States.

You Will Need

Important friends
Internet access
Job on a film set
Old cinema to run
Persistence

How to Get Copies of Movies to Review

Howcast — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:07:37 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Get a film club membership Join a film club that allows its members to attend screenings and receive free DVDs in exchange for time and input.
Step 2: Contact small movie studios Contact small movie studios looking to spread the word about their films and offer to write a review if they will send a DVD copy, also known as a screener.
TIP: Start a blog to build up your credentials, hone your skills, and gather a fan base.
Step 3: Join a film festival panel Join a film festival panel for movies you enjoy such as horror, romantic comedies, or science fiction to get dozens of DVDs in the mail for review.
Step 4: Attend a convention Attend a film convention and seek out businesses and studios that need people to watch and recommend their films and shows. Soon you’ll be sought after.
FACT: According to USA Today, in 2009, DVD sales in the United States dropped by over 10 percent, but digital downloads of movies increased by 31 percent.

You Will Need

Internet access
Patience
Savvy
Luck
Blog (optional)

How to Become a Movie Buff

Howcast — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:02:47 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Make a list of titles to find and watch. Start with classics you’ve never seen and contemporary features getting a lot of buzz. Ask for recommendations.
TIP: Go to screenings at independent movie theaters showing hard-to-find films to broaden your knowledge.
Step 2: Watch movies with friends; then talk about them together. The more you practice analyzing and talking about movies, the better you’ll get at it.
Step 3: Read reviews and articles by respected film critics. Compare their evaluations to yours; then bring up those comparisons in conversation to sound like an expert.
Step 4: Be honest. If you haven’t seen the movie being discussed, don’t fake it. If you didn’t like a movie, speak up and explain. You’re more likely to impress people with a carefully thought-out critique than by pretending you know what you’re talking about if you don’t.
Step 5: Focus your efforts. Now that you’ve seen a little of what the film world has to offer, pick one director or style of movie, and watch as many of those movies as you can.
TIP: If you’re not enjoying one particular director or genre, don’t force it. Try something totally different.
Step 6: The only surefire way to educate yourself on the subject of film is to watch as many movies as you can. So roll up your sleeves, pop some popcorn, and get watching!
FACT: Did you know? The 1924 film Greed originally ran over nine hours, but the studio cut the film to 140 minutes over the objections of its director.

You Will Need

Spare time
A plan
Easy access to movies (optional) (optional) (optional) (optional)
Focus (optional) (optional) (optional) (optional)
Friends to watch with (optional) (optional) (optional) (optional)
Access to an independent movie theater (optional)

How to Get Free Movie Tickets

Howcast — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:01:09 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Be a test screener Sign up to be a test screener by contacting Nielsen NRG MovieView. You’ll get to see movies before they’re officially released!
Step 2: Attend previews Sign up to attend film previews by contacting Film Metro and/or Campus Circle.
Step 3: Look for promoters Be on the lookout for film promoters outside your local theater, where they try to sign people up to be movie screeners. They are the pushy people holding colorful flyers who are trying to get your attention as you enter the theater, so don’t ignore them!
TIP: Theaters in shopping malls are good places to find studio representatives looking for test screeners.
Step 4: Scan newspapers Scan the arts and entertainment sections of your local newspapers, both daily and weekly, for ads regarding test screeners. This is where you’ll find news of ‘sneak previews’ as well; you’ll have to pay for one movie, but you’ll get the sneak peek free.
Step 5: Listen to the radio Listen to the radio; major stations often receive tickets to give away, especially for long-awaited blockbusters.
Step 6: Become a critic Become a film critic by writing for a small paper or website. Even if you don’t like the idea of having to write reviews, think of the free movies!
Step 7: Get a job at a theater Get a job at a movie theater. Now you’re on the inside—sit back and enjoy!
FACT: E.T. was supposed to die on Earth at the end of the film—until test audiences protested.

You Will Need

Determination
Press credentials