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Made by a filmmaker who has been on set
About iFILMthings
iFILMthings is a filmmaking site run by Jay Neill, a Victoria, BC filmmaker and the Nightcrawler stunt double on X2. Since January 2020 it has published free guides, film location deep dives and production templates for anyone with a camera and an idea.
Jan 2020
first article published
440
articles on filmmaking and film
70
film location guides
31
free film templates
My story
From Stunt Double to Film Site
I’m Jay Neill, and movies got their hooks in me early. In grade 9 film studies, our class took apart 12 Angry Men and its shot sizes. I have watched films differently ever since.
I did gymnastics as a kid. When X2 came to film around Victoria, I did a cold read for Nightcrawler. It was less about the lines and more about screen presence and moving like Alan Cumming. I ended up as his stunt double. In the White House scene, that’s me flipping down the hallway and jumping off the walls.
A big set shows you how much planning sits behind a few seconds of screen time. Call sheets, shot lists, schedules and release forms. Most people making their first short never get to see any of it.
So in January 2020 I started iFILMthings to put that know-how within reach of anyone with a camera and an idea. Today I write and edit the site from Victoria, BC. I cut video on an M1 iMac and shoot on a Sony FX30. I also run Magi Studios, a web design and marketing agency.
Everyone should have access to the film resources they need to plan their project.
Jay Neill, founder
On screen
X2 (2003), Nightcrawler stunt double
Home base
Victoria, British Columbia
Find me
Six years in frames
The iFILMthings Reel
Drag or swipe the strip, or use the arrows, to run through the milestones.
2021
All year
73 new articles in one year as the site finds its voice.
2023
All year
The busiest year yet: 119 articles, with contributing writers on the team.
2024
February
Six beginner guides, from the Filmmaking Guide to acting, lighting and colour grading.
2026
October
A new look: the Rec Light logo, and every beginner guide rebuilt with diagrams.
Start here
What You’ll Find Here
Beginner Guides
Step-by-step guides to filmmaking, screenwriting, cinematography, lighting, colour grading and acting, plus a five-piece gear list.
Free Film Templates
31 templates in shooting order, from logline to movie poster, each with a filled-in example.
The Production Binder
Every template in one 155-page tabbed binder, filled in for one short film, Dead Air. $19 once.
Film Locations
70 guides to where your favourite movies and shows were filmed, with the places you can still visit.
Editorial standards
How Each Article Gets Made
01
Real sources
Film facts come from interviews, production notes and trade press. If sources disagree on a number, it stays out.
02
Made to be used
Templates come with filled-in examples. Guides show the shot, the setup or the diagram, not just the term.
03
Images with permission
Movie stills and posters come from The Movie Database (TMDB). Charts and diagrams are made in house.
04
Kept up to date
Older articles get refreshed and re-dated when films, gear or prices change.
Things you didn’t need to know
Off the Call Sheet
Scene 1991
I met John Candy at the Toronto Argonauts’ Grey Cup celebration. He co-owned the team. It’s still a core memory.
The 90s
I saw most of the big 90s thrillers at the Runnymede Theatre in Toronto’s Bloor West Village.
Scene 1999
At The Blair Witch Project, I watched people walk out because the shaky camera gave them vertigo.
The gym
One of my gymnastics teammates was Joris Jarsky, who went on to act in Saw V. We’re still friends.
Roll credits
The Credits
Founder and Managing Editor
Jay Neill
Contributing Writers
Filmed on Location in
Victoria, British Columbia
Movie Stills Courtesy of
The Movie Database (TMDB)
Special Thanks
Everyone who reads, shares and shoots
Past Contributors
Ashleigh Coffelt
Writer, director and cinematographer
A Filipina American filmmaker in Los Angeles and a Sundance Screenwriters Lab semi-finalist. Wrote 25 articles.
Courtney Birk
Actress and colourist
A Los Angeles actress, colourist and multimedia artist whose work centres on identity. Wrote 40 articles.
Alanna Birmingham
Freelance writer
A freelance writer and film aficionado who loves every part of filmmaking. Wrote 37 articles.
Free download
Start With the Free Template Vault
All 31 film templates as blank files, in US Letter and A4, with Google copies. Free.
Free. Just your email. Unsubscribe any time.
Follow iFILMthings
Brands and press: see the media kit or email [email protected].