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I believe that every young, aspiring filmmaker’s starting point is determined by his or her own will to discover something new. RESEARCH and EXPERIMENTATION are crucial elements in the development process. Research is essential in discovering unknown depths to filmmaking and other related arts. Simply search the websites, read the books, and scan through the magazines that spark your interest; there are tons and tons available, you just need to pick the ones that suit your interests. Experimentation is obviously hands on, and I can’t tell you what to do there, there should be no framework or limitations in that regard; experiment in your own way.
Here’s a list of some of the magazines I subscribe to and visit online: Res, Film and Video, HighDef, Video Systems, Videography, Videomaker, E-Media Studio, and an occasional dose of Indie Slate, Moviemaker, Filmmaker, and Millimeter. As I said, there are plenty of resources available to conduct research, but it’s up to you to decide which resource quenches your thirst for knowledge, and even more importantly, it’s up to you to decide where to take it from there.
Do you know if you prefer film, video, both…?
Initially, I was convinced that the only way to legitimately make a movie was to do it on film. But, after researching, and experimenting, I found that DV offers me more creative space. Besides, it’s all I can afford at the moment anyway.
Of course, I’d like to learn more about traditional filmmaking, but I’m pretty committed to Digital Video. Some people prefer to use film exclusively; others use both, it varies from artist to artist. Despite acquisition preferences, almost everyone would agree to begin with…
THE STORY
I’m not saying that your work should always have a story, but I do strongly suggest that you acquire a scriptwriting software application, like Final Draft, or a similarly strong Screenwriting App, so that if you do write a script for yourself, or for someone else, it will allow for your imagination to seamlessly spill through the pages in a professional format. Final Draft recently announced the release of Final Draft 7, so finding a copy of Final Draft 6 in the patch-eye pipeline should be no problem. :wink:
So, once you have a general idea of what direction you’d like to take, I’d suggest that you find out what type of cameras you can borrow or possibly rent or buy, so that you can immediately begin to get accustomed to the world’s eye, I’ve called it that because the world’s watching your work in the end, so the camera you use is essentially the eye of the world :shock: .
Now, this is where the issue of acquisition preference comes into play, because most often times, camcorders and their media are much more accessible and easier to use, whereas film cameras and film stock have to be hunted down and used very carefully. If you have the means/resources available to ensure proper development, storage, and care of the film, then by all means shoot film.
As I said earlier though, I prefer to shoot DV, so I recommend you find a miniDV camcorder with 3 CCD’s (Charged Coupled Device, the image sensor of the camera), progressive scanning (relates to movie-like frame rates, too complicated to get into at the moment), and good low light capability (the lower number lux, the better, i.e. 1 lux is awesome) with plenty of manual control. These types of cameras tend to be pretty expensive, so you may have to borrow or rent one. But, if you cannot find a miniDV camcorder that possesses all or most of the characteristics as I’ve described above; then at least get a miniDV camcorder that is recognized for solid quality and reliability. Canon would be my first pick, followed by Panasonic and Sony; then if someone threatened my life, I’d choose a JVC. There are other camcorder manufacturers such as Sharp, Samsung, and Hitachi, but Canon, Sony, Panasonic, and JVC are generally considered the top 4 picks among most videographers.
Now, there are other pieces of equipment that tend to add great expense to producing a movie, but I don’t know how significant these elements will be to you as a beginner.
I'll summarize anyhow.
Audio equipment and Lighting equipment are two crucial areas of interest that are often overlooked by beginners. Then of course, there are camera accessories, the essential tripod, steadicam rig, dollies, tracks, etc. With the exception of audio equipment and a few lighting sources, many of these things can be built or replaced entirely with makeshift models. For instance, steadicams can be built for as low as 15 dollars out of plumber pipes and weights. For dolly shots, you can use a wheel chair, or an actual freight dolly. Blueprints for building your own tracks, and even your own crane are available on the web too.
Granted, it still costs money and takes time to build these things, but it’s much more cheaper than having to purchase the equipment that’s currently available.
Now, for post-production, you’ll have to consider editing equipment. For editing your DV footage or your scanned film footage, you’ll need a PC or a MAC that is relatively new, and is equipped with an NLE (Non-Linear Editing) software application, like Adobe Premier, Pinnacle Edition, Avid XPress, or Sony Vegas. The MAC is a different beast, aside from Avid XPress, and older versions of Adobe Premier, MAC requires use of software manufactured only by Apple, such as iMovie, Final Cut Express, or Final Cut Pro. When you buy a MAC, you basically get iMovie for free, and with a student discount, you can get Final Cut Express for 200 dollars.
I don’t like telling people how to create their art; I’m just trying to equip you with enough knowledge to get yourself up and running.
Again, I recommend you research and experiment as often as possible, technology progresses so quickly, remaining informed on the latest technology is like a job in itself. Also, never underestimate the support from family and/or friends; you never know when one of them may participate as crew, or fill a part in an upcoming movie of yours.
Hope that helps... 8)