Hammad Zaidi

Since January 1997, I’ve produced and/or executive several independent productions. I’ve also been honored to serve as a film festival jury member, screener, or panelist at several festivals worldwide. From the far north reaches of Dawson City, Yukon, to the …

Greetings from Redondo Beach. As tormented waves crash into the cool sand behind me, I thought now would be a good time to post a column on dealing with potential investors.  So, whether you have a start-up, a film project, …

It was February of 2006. I had just returned from my annual birthday trip to the Super Bowl when I learned that an indie producer from the East Coast wanted to hire me to rewrite a modern-day pirate script. So …

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re having a great day. Today I’d like to discuss a trap that all filmmakers fall into at some point in their careers (I know I did). It’s called the Indie Filmmaker Trap and is more …

Sundance is a festival I love and have attended over 20 times, so I thought I’d share some insight on Film Festival Strategies. Now every festival – big and small – has its DNA, and the cinematic fabric they possess …

I was nursing an Arctic-cold Dr. Pepper at the American Film Market (AFM) on Santa Monica Beach a few years ago, when a fiercely confident independent filmmaker interrupted my moment of bliss by asking me why he couldn’t sell his …

Hey, friends.  I hope you’re had a wildly productive week, or at least a mildly relaxing one. Today I’m presenting a $50,000 question: I’ve got $50,000 and a cinematic dream.  How I can maximize my money into order to launch my …

Hey, friends. Here’s a tidbit that you may not be aware of: Family Films involving kids and pets continue to sell well overseas. Did your stomach just turn? Do you feel the early stages of a violent hurl brewing in …

Today we’re highlighting two key changes that affect every filmmaker, big or small. I’ll keep sharing game-changing events as they happen, but for today here are two climate changes you should be aware of. Development Money Has Gone The Way …

Hey, everyone. Welcome to Going Bionic.Today we’re reaching into my email account, and pulling out a handful of recent questions I’ve received.  So without further ado, let’s dive into to our Going Bionic mailbag. I Was Recently  Rejected From Sundance, …

One of the most amazing talents filmmakers are instilled with is the ability (or humility) to deal with constant rejection. However, most filmmakers don’t know how to react when they hear the most beautiful three-letter word in the English language, …

One of the most interesting social tidbits I’ve heard is Kim Kardashian West once asked for $750,000-$1,000,000 plus expenses, to tweet for an undisclosed brand.However, by recent accounts, she charges $10,000 per tweet, or 100 times less than her reported …

  Hey, everyone. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I hope you a a fun (and safe) day! Being a Pakistani-American growing up in Overland Park, Kansas, it may seem as if I was the furthest person from celebrating anything Irish. However, my …

Today we’re tackling the overtly treacherous world of acquiring life story rights. I’ve acquired a handful of life story rights since 1993. These have ranged from buying the rights to a virtually homeless 15-year old boy who went from becoming …

Welcome to Going Bionic. I hope you’re having a fantastic Friday morning. Today we’re exploring three “finance killers” that will likely kill, or at least severely injure the chances of your picture being funded. So, for the sake of your project …

Welcome to Going Bionic, your source for creative insights, inspiration and information, all wrapped up in an easy to swallow pill. As some of you may have heard, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish just issued a statement saying Paramount intends to …