Filmmaking | Interviews

Making Big Films on a Small Budget

1 Nov , 1997  

Written by David Kaldor | Posted by:

Who was to say that a successful action film couldn’t be produced in the Green Mountains if no one had ever tried?
He didn’t go to film school. He didn’t move to LA. Instead, filmmaker David Giancola decided to start directing his own films right where he was – in Vermont. After all, who was to say that a successful action film couldn’t be produced in the Green Mountains if no one had ever tried?

"We began in 1987 in a space my father had. We started videotaping weddings, whatever, anything we could make money doing." Hence, Edgewood Productions was born. They finished a ten-minute film Spirit based on a comic book and created their first full-length feature, a sci-fi piece entitled Time Chasers in 1991 for $150,000. Edgewood is currently preparing to sell the piece to the Sci-Fi Channel for broadcast on Mystery Science Theater. "We all watch [Mystery Science Theater] and really like it" said Giancola "None of us ever thought one of our pieces would get on there."

Now, a decade after humble beginnings, Giancola is a busy man. His film Pressure Point was just released. He edited the finishing touches of the short film Woodhead Saves the Day on Shelburne Farms which premiered at the Vermont International Film Festival in October. Currently, he’s in production for the action film Icebreaker for the LA-based distributor Artist View Entertainment.

So what does Giancola have to say to up-and-coming film directors? "Don’t quit. It’s pretty simple I guess, but everyone makes lots of mistakes." he said. "Just have a thick skin and use everything you have to offer. [Those who’ve succeeded] are the ones who kept at it."

For a hilarious account of the filming of Pressure Point in the Andes Mountains, read David Giancola’s "Why I’d Rather Stay in Vermont."

For a free copy of Giancola’s report, How To Produce Your Own Independent Film (On A Shoestring Budget) And Sell It For A Profit, call 1-800-548-7309.


For a free copy of Giancola’s report, How To Produce Your Own Independent Film (On A Shoestring Budget) And Sell It For A Profit, call 1-800-548-7309.

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