Filming more often

sfoster

Staff Member
Moderator
I keep feeling like I should be filming more.. not to gain an audience, but to gain experience. I wish I had like.. a hundred 1 page scripts I could fall back on, and just whip up a quick storyboard and try to film when i felt like it.

I don't know exactly what my approach is going to be, but I know I need to film more. Maybe I should be grabbing books and taking scenes out of there? Seems more original than trying to recreate an existing scene from a movie. Keep a dream journal?

Does anyone here have a process they used to force themselves to film more often? I am a slow methodical writer and I don't think a deadline on writing a script will satisfy me.. I'd end up frustrated instead.
 
Learn about challenges. Competitions usually tend to motivate. Heck, I'd have almost nothing on my channel if I didn't participate in Monday Challenges.

You can do scene recreations from films. While not a practice in great writing, it is a good way to learn storytelling believe it or not. You learn editing, sound, and camera tricks that major Hollywood films use. You can also copy shots from films. Not scenes, just shots.

Monologues and short stories are great pieces of source material for practice.

Also, do you have writer's block?

- Run or jog
- Meditate
- Do other forms of art
- Bring a notebook everywhere you go
- When you get into the writing groove, don't stop
- Watch movies and read books
- Listen to music
- Read scripts of your favorite films
- Watch good and bad short films

When you have any free time, just use what's available to you.

- Shoot nature videos
- Call up a friend and shoot a 30 second short
- Shoot a video just "starring" you
- Claymation
- Story of an inanimate object.

----

For example, I went out a few days ago, and shot a short film of a nearby pond.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg___G3FVi0

Is it anything special? No. Not in the slightest. But it was good practice seeing how to evoke mood through color and sound, as well as getting to know my equipment better and stay active as a filmmaker. You can do things like that. Not necessarily experimental nature videos, but using the resources that are available to you when you can.
 
I had the same thought as you not to long ago. What I did was to set challenges for myself, small clips to complete that contained filmmaking skills I don't have at the moment. That has really helped me and it may help you as well.

Just think of things you want to learn how to do, your weak points as a filmmaker. Then write 1-5 minute shorts to do that will challenge you to learn those skills. It is a lot of fun and educational too...good luck!
 
Learn about challenges. Competitions usually tend to motivate..

What challenges do you usually compete in ?
Sometimes I feel like they're dumb like.. make something that involves a jeep and an apple pie.. i mean thats not going to win me an audience. I would prefer challenge that is more like evoke this emotion or create tension with this situation

I had the same thought as you not to long ago. What I did was to set challenges for myself, small clips to complete that contained filmmaking skills I don't have at the moment.

What are some examples of those challenges you yourself overcame with this method ?
 
What challenges do you usually compete in ?
Sometimes I feel like they're dumb like.. make something that involves a jeep and an apple pie.. i mean thats not going to win me an audience. I would prefer challenge that is more like evoke this emotion or create tension with this situation



What are some examples of those challenges you yourself overcame with this method ?

Mainly Monday Challenges :)
 
For example I want to do films that involve visual effects. That includes compositing and working with 3d models. So I have set about learning to use a free but powerful 3D program called Blender and write small projects to learn new skills.

This was a short simple clip of compositing a ufo into scene. Nothing major but I learned a few new tricks while doing it.

http://youtu.be/kOkI7T2K9C0

Completing that challenge encouraged me to move onto the next...which involves a full 3D set, more compositing as well. It's taking me longer to get that one done because I have so much to learn, but it's teaching me so much.
 
If I really feel the need to make a movie and there's no one around to film with, I fall back on Lego stopmotion or puppetry. Obviously it's pretty crude, but you can still play with cinematography and editing.

On a different note, I am happy to see that other people here use Blender as well. I recently made my first real VFX heavy film with it. Just 2, occasionally 3, people on set, but it was fun and we learned a lot about modelling and compositing.
 
If I really feel the need to make a movie and there's no one around to film with, I fall back on Lego stopmotion or puppetry. Obviously it's pretty crude, but you can still play with cinematography and editing.

On a different note, I am happy to see that other people here use Blender as well. I recently made my first real VFX heavy film with it. Just 2, occasionally 3, people on set, but it was fun and we learned a lot about modelling and compositing.

Couldn't agree more. I remember way back in the 90's, when all my brother and I had was a handycam (which was huge and sat on your shoulder) There was no home computers to edit on and we were just starting out. So we did a bunch of stop motion videos...mock fights and even morphing (crude power rangers stuff) with stop motion. It was all very rough but helped us learn as well.

Blender is quickly becoming an addiction for me. It's got a steep learning curve but well worth the effort. I create my models in Blender and edit/composite in Vegas Movie Studio. For any indie filmmaker who wants to do VFX on the cheap...it's totally the way to go.
 
I know I could learn software stuff.. but as far as 3d animation goes i can't even draw very well 2d on paper. is that a necessary skill set for working with something like blender? i am not that kind of an artist

chimp - i don't know what the monday challenges are. link ?
 
No you don't really need to know how to draw to work with Blender, but it helps. The cool thing about Blender is that you can find free models to work with on sites like www.turbosquid.com and then do some simple animations with them for practice.

What ever kind of artist you are, just set a challenge you will enjoy and go for it. Try to remember that it's all about entertainment...it should be fun for you.
 
What challenges do you usually compete in ?
Sometimes I feel like they're dumb like.. make something that involves a jeep and an apple pie.. i mean thats not going to win me an audience. I would prefer challenge that is more like evoke this emotion or create tension with this situation

Uh, the challenging part of a "challenge" is to evoke emotions or create tension or whatever - you know, 'filmmaking' - the required elements are just a starting point, it doesn't really matter what they are.

What are some examples of those challenges you yourself overcame with this method ?

The 48 hour projects are pretty much how I got myself back into filmmaking after burning out and taking several years off. They force me to start and (more importantly) finish a project in a defined timeframe, and they make it easy to fit it into my work schedule (which can be very unpredictable and insanely busy at times). Now I've got 30 finished projects from the past few years and I'm a much better filmmaker than when I started doing them. I'm starting to get back into planning some longer-term projects outside of the competitions, but I'll be using much of what I've learned from the competitions in order to pull them off with limited time and resources.
 
I've wanted to jump on some of the Monday Challenges, but haven't yet, usually because of scheduling conflicts (I have a wife who demands I actually spend time with her doing things for some odd reason... lol)

Here's the link to the latest Film Riot, so now you know where to find them on YouTube.

Anyway, sfoster, I'm with you on feeling the need to film more... I don't feel like I'm doing enough right now.

CPF, I like the idea of just getting out there and filming nature just to get the practice like you did with your pond film. I've been hung up on the need to get out and film with people, when really that isn't always necessary.
 
I loosely committed to putting out one of these every two weeks until my dance ticket filled up with other obligations: http://www.youtube.com/user/placesofnature/videos

I found it very useful in getting better and faster with my camera, technical issues, editing process, and maintaining a relationship with a community.

The trick is to find something that you can commit to on a regular basis, rather than going whole hog on a sporadic basis.

Slow and easy wins the race.
 
I keep feeling like I should be filming more.. not to gain an audience, but to gain experience.

You gotta be kidding me! I am finding it difficult not filming!

Next weekend I am shooting a music vid, the weekend after this I am editing a dance piece, tonight I am editing a music vid, next week I am editing a different music vid...

I'm looking forward to a bit of a rest from filming!
 
Challenges seem to be doing a lot for people here.

You gotta be kidding me! I am finding it difficult not filming!

Next weekend I am shooting a music vid, the weekend after this I am editing a dance piece, tonight I am editing a music vid, next week I am editing a different music vid...

I'm looking forward to a bit of a rest from filming!

Ah yes well I don't have your experience or client list ;)
Sounds like you mostly film over weekends? Do you have a day job too?

Some good news for me, I had a moment of inspiration last night. New idea for a one or two page crime thriller! Maybe I'll write that today
 
Time, time, time...

If only we had more of it.

It's tough finding the time to write and film with a full time job.

I sacrifice a large part of my social life to write and film - mostly at the weekends, some evenings too.

As you know, the more experience we get, typically the better we get.

.
 
Tonight is a really good example of setting small challenges to stay sharp. I am doing security over night in a place that has a lot of paintings and sculptures. Since I am by myself for close to six hours...nothing to do but film something.

I used my cell and shot a mock promo for the event they are doing tomorrow and cut it on my phone as well. Nothing special...but it was a blast to do. When filmmaking is a passion for you...you will end up finding a way to slap something together Lol!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhXuDNkpQbA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
 
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Im done shooting and editing my weekend project video haiku (didnt know I was going to do it until I posted above)
Fun challenge..
sound design will be especially cool for this..
 
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