If you are interested in film (either watching or making) let me inform you of some online resources you might find helpful.

They say the two most important aspects of a good film are good story and good actors. We'll address these two first. Imsdb.com is a brilliant website because it gives you access to basically every script for major films ever made. Read one or two of these a day and you will be inspired with all sorts of material for your own awesome original story. Or maybe you'll just copy off one of the pros... not a bad idea either.

The second site would be Chicagoartistsresource.com. This is really only usable in Chicago, but most cities/areas have their own version of this; whatever it is, find it. It basically allows you to post ideas you have for art projects that can be viewed by anyone in your local art community. This is crucial for getting good, cheap local actors. There are often many people with some acting talent who just want exposure or experience and will work for little or nothing (depending on the budget of your film; obviously you should pay them if you can); good acting makes the difference between good films and crappy ones. Just being frank.

The third is definitely Film Riot. It is a youtube channel that makes 2 episodes a week, run by Ryan Connely and supported by his brother Josh and then a crew of others. It's pretty awesome; they explore Hollywood effects, while using them in skits that are often quite comical. Plus you learn stuff. And apparently, "learning is half the battle."

The fourth is Video Copilot. It is a website (videocopilot.net) run by an Andrew Kramer; it is pretty much the greatest free Adobe After Effects tutorial site you'll ever find (it's better than the stuff you have to pay money for). The reason it is important is because Adobe After Effects is basically essential if you want to do special effects in your film and you're not in the industry or have waaay too much money. I use it all the time and I'm 16 (and I'm not the smartest 16-year-old or anything) so anyone can use it. Video Copilot features 10 basic training videos, then 125 free in-depth tutorials for advanced effects.

The fifth is Lynda. Lynda.com is a great site because it basically teaches you everything you need to know about any software, and I'll tell you today more than ever before (and this isn't going to change), software plays a huge role in filmmaking, from special effects to color correction to audio to scoring... the whole shibang. Unfortunately, it does cost money ($25 a month for the tutorial videos only, $37.50 for downloadable files to practice on), but I would say it is worth it, and will allow you to really expand your knowledge concerning the software you choose to explore.

Withoutabox.com is a helpful resource if you're interested in film festivals (particularly entering them) because it sends you a little email every time any film festival happens. Yes, most are in random places you've never heard of, but if you want to enter them, it's a good site.

If you're working on a bigger project and need funds you don't have, kickstarter.com is a good place to go to. You just put up an ad, some stuff you've done before, and then say how much money you need and what you need it for. If you have good stuff to show and a solid idea, you'd be surprised how much money you can get for your project.

I'll post more resources as I think of them, but these are a good place to start out.