We’re about to get meta on the 2 East 8th Blog. We’re bloggers who are talking about other bloggers, specifically movie bloggers so we’re getting very meta. As film producers and general fans of all things cinema, we consume a lot of film-based content. We’ve covered our favorite film podcasts and now we want to cover the film-centric blogs we already love and some we fell for while thinking about this post.
Indie Film Blogs
Indie film is one of our greatest passions in the world of film. So much so we incorporate many of the indie film techniques from our projects into our corporate film work. Keeping up on the latest trends, directors, and news from the world of indie film is not only fun for us, but a necessity! Our favorite indie filmmaking blogs give us all of these aspects in their own ways and keep us on the cutting edge.
If you’ve been paying attention to our film production blog it will come as no surprise to see Mr. Kroll’s indie film blog here. We’re kind of big fans of him and what he gives back to the indie film community. If you haven’t already, check out our favorite film podcasts where we talk about his also excellent podcast Show Don’t Tell.
Noam’s blog covers nearly every aspect of indie film production. The fact that it’s all written by him along with all his other projects makes the whole thing all the more impressive. Noam’s giving nature and insight are things we find invaluable and his blog is something we aspire to emulate.
Film independent is an excellent site with a ton to offer overall. Their large following enables them to feature great artists and guest bloggers on a regular basis. We particularly pay attention to the Education and Programs section of the blog for high-level strategy and tips for indie filmmakers. Learning from blogs has become a way of life for us and Film Independent offers some really great and well-written learning opportunities.
If you’re into indie filmmaking you already know about No Film School. This blog features everything from news to opinion and how-to posts. We’re big fans of the instructables in screenwriting and directing and have gone to school many a time at No Film School. They’re big for a reason. This is a can’t miss in the world of indie film blogs.
Video Production Blogs
Blogs can’t always just be fun and games. Sometimes you read a blog because you need to gain information to improve your craft or gain insight. We read a few video production focused blogs primarily to keep up and learn more about our filmmaking craft. Gear reviews, editing techniques, and even more how-to’s keep us coming back to these insightful blogs.
Post Perspective is somewhat unique as it really focuses on an oft-overlooked aspect of video production. Corporate and private video editing is one of our specialties and while many blogs may touch on the topic we like having one dedicated to it. The community created there is fantastic and the insight from the posts is often invaluable. If you enjoy video editing at all do yourself a favor and check out this video production blog.
Production Hub is a fantastic resource for all aspects of being in the business of video production. Just like the name suggests it’s an entry point to find video production companies and get found as well. The blog features great posts on everything a video production company might need. Tips, tricks, news, and business advice are what bring us back to Production Hub again and again.
We’ve only recently discovered RedShark but it is great for all aspects of video production. What we particularly subscribe to are the gear reviews and technology-based articles they feature. We’re geeks in so many senses of the word and geeking out over gear is a favorite pastime we indulge in with RedShark News. They also feature some pretty cool tutorials with tips and tricks we’ve implemented into our own productions.
Film Review Blogs
We love making movies. We love the technical stuff. Sometimes though we just love watching a film and seeing what other people think about it. While the other blogs on this list could all be considered ways to enhance our work, these blogs are here to entertain us, and we all need that. We tried to avoid the big film critic blogs because they get enough love without us piling on. Here are a few of our favorite and perhaps lesser-known film review blogs.
In existence since 2005 Little White Lies features film reviews that take thoughtful looks at new releases that are both mainstream blockbusters as well as indie offerings. Their movie reviews may be the primary reason we tune in, but they also have interviews and opinions on film industry happenings. As great film blogs go they have quite a lot to offer.
Everything is neatly laid out on their website and they have a delightful three-pronged scoring system for breaking down films. Anticipation, Enjoyment, and In Retrospect each get a 1-5 score that very quickly summarizes their feelings before, during, and after watching each film.
Their film review blog is regularly updated and has an expansive backlog of reviews to keep you reading for months on end. What likely ends up being our favorite feature of this blog is the numerous international and indie films reviewed here. Sure, the big film review blogs get to some of these eventually, but Little White Lies really seems to give all films equal billing.
Another long-running film review blog with tons of articles to go through and a slightly different take on critiquing cinema. This site updates frequently and features opinions of films new and old, popular and not, mainstream and indie. They even throw in TV series and anime reviews on occasion.
The blog has three alternating voices you get to hear throughout the reviews. They use a simple 5-star rating system from each reviewer and also include a bang for your buck rating as well. They don’t pull punches and quite frankly we like that style sometimes.
One of our favorite aspects of this blog is the ample reviews of films that are less critically acclaimed. We love reading reviews of films we enjoyed, but it’s fun reading the far less positive entries as well. Their slogan says it well: “Discovering good movies one bad movie at a time”.
A much smaller blog than the others in terms of the time it’s been around and its scope. That’s what drew us to this WordPress based film review blog. It has a very authentic feel and the voice of its author Amy Andrews has real charm. Also as small bloggers and small business owners, we love showing our support!
There is no rating system here, just honest feelings from a fan of cinema. Plenty of people give their opinions, but not all can do it in a way that makes you rethink your take on a film or want to take a closer look. Amy may have different views than we do on some movies but this is exactly why we love her blog! We enjoy anything that gets us to actively question our own assessments.
No matter how deep into filmmaking and the world of film in general there’s a blog here for you. As filmmakers, staying up to date and getting ahead of the curve is essential, and blogs offer some of the best ways to stay informed. In writing our own blog we’ve come across and been influenced by so many of these fantastic blogs. This is our small way of saying thanks to them for just being themselves. Do us a favor and check out these film blogs and lend them your support and while you’re there let them know we sent you!