Community Project

NickClapper

NickClapper

My greatest regret, during my time on IndieTalk, has been my failure to get a community project off the ground. We came pretty close with the organ lottery project, but it never quite worked out. The past few days has seen a new member trying to get another community project off the ground, but is, I suspect, going to fall into a number of inevitable traps.

I am currently studying for the final exams of my academic career (*sob*) so am just sitting in libraries all day, every day. I'd like something to break it up a little bit (in addition to the couple of projects I am, slowly, working on). So I've come up with a new way to do a community project.

If you would like to participate in this project as a director (or in a shooting capacity), I need the following information out of you:

What actors are at your disposal? [i.e. two men and a woman]
What locations are at your disposal? [i.e. a house, a bar, an abandoned quarry]
Can you record decent quality sound? [i.e. yes]
Click to expand...

Please be conservative with your responses. In order for this project to be realistic and work, I need to be sure that people can (and will) shoot their scenes in the allocated manner.

Once I have a bunch of participants, I will go away and write a short script that incorporates these various shooting units into a single coherent story. I will ensure that no member has more than a maximum of two days shooting (though generally will try and keep it to what can be done in a single day). If you cannot record decent quality sound, I will give you no dialogue to shoot. Everything will be kept as simple as possible (within the constraints of a very tricky project!) so that we have the maximum chance of success.

Additionally, if you are not willing to direct (or arrange the production of) a shooting unit, there are loads of other roles that are required:

Composer
Editor - individual units should edit their scenes but a central editor will put it all together and try and ensure that the editing matches throughout.
Post-sound
VFX - will not be VFX heavy, but we can incorporate some if there's someone who can supply the talent.
Marketing - with so many cooks, would be great to have someone responsible for pushing the film.
Click to expand...

In order to make this attempt as successful as possible, I will only accept forum regulars into the scheme. New members (and I'm talking people who've only been around a few weeks) are welcome to input and help out, but it is of paramount importance that I know people will stick around and see their unit through to completion.

The deadline for signing up is 18th April 2014, giving people two weeks, after which we will allocate two months (and a bit) to complete production of your scenes, meaning a shooting deadline of 30th June 2014. As I have said, should be no more than a day of filming over the course of two months, so if you can't commit to that then please don't!

I really hope this works, and I think it can. Let me know if you have any thoughts and get signing up!

Current units:
David.rhsc (San Francisco, USA)
cheeseandachallenge (Wellington, New Zealand)
Cracker Funk (Richmond, USA)
wheatgrinder
Flicker Pictures (Boston, USA)
mad_hatter (Birmingham, England)
Dreadylocks (Omaha, USA)
Lucky Hardwood (New Orleans, USA)
ChimpPhobiaFilms (Ohio, USA)

Fence-sitting-maybe-merchants:
WalterB
Dreadylocks
sfoster
mad_hatter
ChimpPhobiaFilms
ItDonnedOnMe
jax_rox
Flicker Pictures

Music team
JoshL
mike mcguill

Sound team
mike mcguill

Sound maybes
AudioPostExpert
Alcove Audio

Marketing maybes
RayW

And remember to fill in this form if you want to have a shooting unit in the film!

(Of course, if you're local to an existing unit, why not team up?)
 
Last edited:
Sort by date Sort by votes
Are we bothering with the behind the scenes stuff? There seemed to be some talk about that, but not much set in stone. I've partially assembled my crew, so I need to know if I'm looking for someone to do some extra filming.

Either way, I'll have a couple of assistants who can double as on-set photographers, but if we need a dedicated camera op, I need to start looking now.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I think it's a good idea to go bold with the sighting footage, for two reasons.

First, it's necessary for the story to make sense. UFO sightings happen all the time, and nobody cares about them, except for crackpot conspiracy theorists. But that's not what our story is about. Our UFO sighting needs to be spectacular enough to attract the attention of those who would normally pay no mind. We need to inspire hipsters to sell UFO t-shirts on etsy.

Secondly, I think it'd be really cool if we released the UFO footage separate from the film, as if it were real. Forgive me if this is already in the plans, but if it isn't, it should be.

And as for the sighting footage, I think we should play it for humor. In order for it to make sense for the video to go viral, I think it shouldn't just be visually fantastic, but should have a fun human element that will make soccer-moms share it on facebook. The people filming the footage need to be funny. We can either laugh with them or at them, but we need to be laughing.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Cracker Funk said:
I think it's a good idea to go bold with the sighting footage, for two reasons.

First, it's necessary for the story to make sense. UFO sightings happen all the time, and nobody cares about them, except for crackpot conspiracy theorists. But that's not what our story is about. Our UFO sighting needs to be spectacular enough to attract the attention of those who would normally pay no mind. We need to inspire hipsters to sell UFO t-shirts on etsy.

Secondly, I think it'd be really cool if we released the UFO footage separate from the film, as if it were real. Forgive me if this is already in the plans, but if it isn't, it should be.

And as for the sighting footage, I think we should play it for humor. In order for it to make sense for the video to go viral, I think it shouldn't just be visually fantastic, but should have a fun human element that will make soccer-moms share it on facebook. The people filming the footage need to be funny. We can either laugh with them or at them, but we need to be laughing.
Click to expand...

One of them is peeing? ;)
"Shit! Now my shoes and pants are dirty!"

I'm thinking out loud now:
what about making 3 video's and put them on a dedicated youtube channel.
We plan when we release the video's one by one as if the channel is some kind of vlog of campers/hikers/whatever.
First video: sleeping in a tent filming a selfie commenting on a weird sound in the night that is in the background.
Second video: a week later: weird footprints in the same area.
Third video: starts as a joke: "I found the source of the weird sound" filming the pee-er in the back when that noise starts again: the UFO!

And even before those video's we can put some trivial outdoor/nature/travel/pub stuff online to make the channel more 'real'.

(I know: a lot of work)

BTW,
I think it would be great to shoot making of footage, so we can have BTS from every unit. Plus we can make one bigger making-of combining BTS footage and maybe some interviews from different units plus edit and sound post BTS footage.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Tomorrow I'll be scouting my location with cameras and discuss the plans with the owners.
pyramide+van+austerlitz.png
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Cracker Funk said:
But that's not what our story is about.
Click to expand...
What IS the story about?

What will inspire consideration of relevance beyond it's viewing?

District 9 was about human rights related to ethics.
Elysium was a bout human rights related to ethics.
The Alien franchise has been about corporate greed.
Never Let Me Go was about rights to our selves and our clones.
Close Encounters was about information rights.

What is this story about?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
rayw said:
What IS the story about?

What will inspire consideration of relevance beyond it's viewing?

District 9 was about human rights related to ethics.
Elysium was a bout human rights related to ethics.
The Alien franchise has been about corporate greed.
Never Let Me Go was about rights to our selves and our clones.
Close Encounters was about information rights.

What is this story about?
Click to expand...

This is the big question, which so far we have left unanswered.. it may be unanswerable with the limited amount of information we have so far in the script.

How about something like:

How groups of folks coopt headlines in service of theirs own beliefs and agendas.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
WalterB said:
BTW,
I think it would be great to shoot making of footage, so we can have BTS from every unit. Plus we can make one bigger making-of combining BTS footage and maybe some interviews from different units plus edit and sound post BTS footage.
Click to expand...
It'd be useful if there was someone in charge of this, so there is some coherence between the units. But I guess everyone with free time/actually interested is already involved?

Also, Nick, and thoughts on when the next script revision will be out? I've just about locked in my team, and would like to start discussing our scene with them. A bit hesitant to do so if it might get further changed up.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
@ray:

first proof of a marketing mistake has been delivered. :)
A good lesson for every filmmaker!

Let's keep a list of 'lessons-learned' to be published on IT and the blog later :)

Everybody is busy, so am I :P

BTW,
my location has been confirmed and secured :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
wheatgrinder said:
if were going big with the UFO sighting, gimme some ideas.. write something.. one character on screen one holding the camera.
Click to expand...

As I have said I would be willing to try to create the sound of the UFO, but would like something visual to base the sound(s) upon. With a big UFO you'll need a big sound, so perhaps your characters can be aware of the sound before they see it? "Do you hear that?" "Look, over there!" or whatever. Hey, I'm no writer; that's your job. :D
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
rayw.

Something that you can do that would be very helpful if other people including yourself agree, is to create a single page flyer about the project for use by the remote units when scouting locations or asking for volunteers. Its great to have something to give interested parties to look at and keep.

This would be for NON film people so keep the jargon to a minimum, but somehow communicate the "all volunteer" "international cooperation" "no budget" aspects.
Leave space for the remote unit to jot a note or write their phone number.

yeah?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
rayw said:
What IS the story about?

What will inspire consideration of relevance beyond it's viewing?

District 9 was about human rights related to ethics.
Elysium was a bout human rights related to ethics.
The Alien franchise has been about corporate greed.
Never Let Me Go was about rights to our selves and our clones.
Close Encounters was about information rights.

What is this story about?
Click to expand...

wheatgrinder said:
This is the big question, which so far we have left unanswered.. it may be unanswerable with the limited amount of information we have so far in the script.

How about something like:

How groups of folks coopt headlines in service of theirs own beliefs and agendas.
Click to expand...

Indeed.
It's something like people reacting to the radioshow of War of the Worlds in a less naieve, more connected, cynical, sceptical world.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
wheatgrinder said:
Something that you can do that would be very helpful... is to create a single page flyer about the project for use by the remote units when scouting locations or asking for volunteers. Its great to have something to give interested parties to look at and keep.
Click to expand...
E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T idea!

I'll complete that by Sunday evening, will the unit directors please clear at least one space in their IT PM mailboxes here if there isn't an alternative "preferred" contact address on the GMXP Contact Sheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RvQUKGU6bvj_s92MZNYl50NQgEVen_Ky-vY-BFxoA7g/edit?pli=1

There's still just five of you guys, right?
C&C
CF
David
Walter
& Wheat

Any more unit directors I need to include, update, and add?

Also, do you have a sort of something I can template off of to create this sheet with?
Inspiration goes a long way with me!
I love theiving ideas!

And in a very related subject, I've also three batches of production questions to forward to each of you that I'll be compiling and posting on the blog so that you will each have a reason to A) blow you own horn, and B) attract attention to this project you're involved in.
http://globalmoviexp.blogspot.com/

The sooner you guys can provide one to three sentence answers the better!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Contracts and legal stuff

Do we have anything sorted in terms of contracts yet?
I'd like to get my team to sign something soonish.

If not, it turns out someone on my team is friends with another filmmaker who happens to be a lawyer. Which is useful. But in order to draw up contracts, we need some basic information - e.g. what happens to any (unlikely) profit from the project?
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top