Hello/need advice

[SonofStan]

Hello everyone. Very nice to be here.

I'm more of a visionary and a script-writer than a filmmaker so far, but I am hoping to bring at least one idea to fruitiion this year.

I have friends who are students of film, and filmmakers, but we don't seem to be on the same page regarding filmmaking. For example, I will never, ever use a green-screen and CGI, whereas every project I've been involved with has had a greenscreen onset, and I probably voiced my opinions a bit loudly at the after-parties. I also have difficulty finding scripts that I think hold any merit...

SO, although I've been on film-sets and such, I have had trouble garnering support for my own projects, which I keep under a bit of a tight lid. I asked one of the directors for some advice about how to get my hands on a good camera and a boom mike for a week or two, and he said, "Show me your script." Thing is, this director hasn't made any good films yet, and I don't feel like discussing my script or looking for approval regarding it, I simply want to make my film.

Maybe I'm naive? Dunno...anyhow, it's nice to be here, and if anyone has any advice about getting access to a camera and a boom mike for a while, please let me know!

I'll try not to annoy or bore you guys too much while I'm here on the Forum...

 

[markcheng]

hey man,
Filmmaking's the most collaborative art for there is, so IMHO one of the director's strongest assets is his/her ability to get along with people, motivate them, organize them, and rally them. it takes a lot to put yourself out there, open up, and share your vision with people. do you due diligence of protecting and copyrighting your ideas, but the best way to get things done is to excite ppl about your idea. my 1 cent...good luck!

mc

 

[JimT]

Getting the Film Made

Getting the Film Made

When it comes to getting your film made, it is going to be series of compromises. Since it is your project, you get to decide what and how much gets compromised. So, you could hold tight and keep your project as it is now without compromises, and perhaps never get it produced. Or, you could give it totally over to a director you are not sure about and hope for the best...those are the extremes, but somewhere in the middle is where you are more likely to end up...you are going to have to make compromises, negotiate the story in the same way you negotiate your deal...fortunately or unfortunately, that is the way it works. Best of luck. JimT

 

[Bob Kessler]

The old Hollywood mantra - But what I really want to do is direct!

Okay, you have a script.

Now you need a budget. Your budget will dictate your compromises from day one. People who work for free may be talented, but are usually weak in technical, organizational and logistical matters; that's why they are working for free, to gain experience. You get what you pay for.

Does your script call for dolly shots, crane shots, special FX, towed vehicles, etc.? These will eat up your budget like sharks in a feeding frenzy.

Are you using film or HD video? These will greatly increase your costs as well as time spent on the set.

Don't forget about the post process. Like most new film makers you will probably completely disregard the location audio of your film during shooting and have to spend a lot of time and money doing ADR, Foley, etc. How about color correction, Telecines, etc.?

And don't frown on CGI; it will soon become cheaper to do things in front of a green screen than to pay the fees for permits, security, image rights (like they charge in NYC) and a dozen other costs associated with location shoots.

If you are really serious about this find a producer with which to work. Their job is to assist you with every aspect of the film making process and to take some of the load off of your shoulders.

Get down to the nitty gritty. Find a producer and start conferences with your core crew. These meetings will determine the difference between what you want and what you can afford.

 

[Dan Selakovich]

Hi Sonofstan,

I think you're going about this all wrong. I often see students who are so afraid of having their ideas ripped off, that they don't show their stuff to anyone. The obvious result is it sits on the shelf forever. First, send it to the copyright office for protection (the Writer's Guild is OK, but an official copyright is MUCH better). Then the best thing to do is just the opposite of what you've been doing: show it to as many people as possible. Besides, if you only show it to people whom you think are worthy, how far is that going to get you? In my life, there are those who I didn't think were good at this or that, but would hit on some nice ideas for scripts I'd written.




Dan

 

[Rogue Crew]

Collaborative?

Collaborative?

I've heard that, "the most collaborative art of all.." but I personally think that's rubbish. It is certainly the most cooperative of all arts, but collaboration involves giving away substantial chunks of your vision to those who might think its success relies on adding a couple of zombies to the mix. So my advice, be true to yourself, and open, polite and cooperative with others. Otherwise, you'll end up with the fabled horse designed by a committee.

If you need gear from a director, you have to involve him to some extent - at least let him read your script - else he has every right to ask you to shove off.

 

[Bob Kessler]

Film IS a collaborative art form. The key is to collaborate with people who share your vision. As a sound designer I approach a project from a much different perspective than, say, a DP; he/she sees the project, I hear it. My job is to provide the director with options. I'm not smarter than anyone else, I just have experience with my craft which others probably don't have.

 

[Dan Selakovich]

Re: Collaborative?

Re: Collaborative?

I've heard that, "the most collaborative art of all.." but I personally think that's rubbish

That's really not what that saying means. What it means is that one can't possibly be all things on a film, and it must be a collabortive effort between many artists. The writer probably can't DP, the costumer can't script supervise, the director is always a much worse editor than he/she thinks they are. When I've been told by "suits" trying to change my resistance to something they want by saying: "well, Dan, this IS a collaborative art". I can always shut them up by saying: "oh, great, so when I'm on set, I can tell the DP which lights to use and where to put them"

Dan