On Making Films

On Making Films

When the going gets tough,
the tough call Action!

A close up of a filmmaker, with a camera, BMPCC 4K in the extreme foreground

How I Successfully Grew an Arts Business Over 10 Years

This month, I celebrate ten years in business and I want to mark the moment with a series of blog posts on what worked for me. Perhaps you’ll learn a thing or two that will help you succeed as a creative entrepreneur.

The Great Science in African Divination Systems is not Science Fiction

I discuss the relationship between African divination, hi-tech science, development on the continent.

A CGI art of a robot in a short film, designed to look like an African spiritual mask

Sci-fi Short Film: Kifaro

A scifi short film, about a man who sends a killer robot after his wife and her secret lover.

A digital drawing of a man, close up on face, wearing green kitenge cloth, made using Blender 3D software

14 Free Software For Every Artist

This is a list of free software for artists. I have used them for writing, film editing, photo editing, audio production, visual effects and digital arts

Dilman Dila doing office work

How I quit my job to become a full-time artist

Ten years ago, I quit my job to become a full-time artist. Was it a wise decision, or utter folly?

How to Successfully Become a Full-time Artist

I bought a bottle of wine in Durban, South Africa, in March 2015. It’s cheap, cost about a hundred rand, but at that time I was going through very tough times and wanted something to use in celebration when the tide turns. Today, I’m seriously thinking about opening that bottle. I wonder if it’s still good, for I travel frequently and switch off the fridge to save power. I want to celebrate for 2018 is a ten-year anniversary.

Short Films

I love creating short films, mostly because I can work on them as a one man crew. Film is a complex art. I sometimes think it is not even art, because it requires a lot of people working together to create it, and it relies so much on technology and on money. Jean Luc Godard once said that film will only become an art if the tools of making it are as cheap as pencil and paper. I think it will become art only if it becomes possible for one individual to create it with tools that are cheaper than pencil and paper. We are getting there, as cameras and software get friendlier for one-person-crews, as computing power gets cheaper, we are getting there. In most of the short films here, I was the only crew, doing everything from lighting to camera work to editing. It’s crazy fun

Move-in: My first short film with CGI special effects

https://youtu.be/aMtfeaZGSi4 At the end of last year, I started to learn CGI to improve on the visual effects of my sci-fi and fantasy films. I set out to produce at …

How to donate and support my films

I make science fiction films set in Uganda (East Africa) because we are often ignored in visualizations of the future. When they include us, we are portrayed negatively, or as victims, or our stories are told through their point of view. I want us all to dream, to imagine ourselves in pasts and futures not written by someone else, only then can we take control of our destiny.

Why I’ll Focus on Making Films for Online Distribution

My New Year resolution is to make a short film every month. I started very early, with this scifi/horror, What Happened to Jilted Lovers, and I hope to carry the momentum …

How to Enjoy A Holiday in Nigeria

Everything they told me about Nigeria turned out to be true. They are loud people. They talk as though they are quarreling, much like Indians and Nepalis. I have a …

A still from the TV series, Love Makanika

Call for Actresses and Actors

Dilstories is in the pre-production for a TV comedy series, tentatively titled The Love Makanika. We are seeking actors and actresses for the lead roles in this offbeat comedy. We …