Camera/equipment/supplies/general first-timer anxiety

[Spock]

Hello all,

I guess I'd like to preface this by saying that I love filmmaking, as many of you do. I mean I LOVE it. My dream job, of course, is to be a professional writer/director and to also make music videos. I know my chances of ever having any success at this is low, but I figured I might as well try. I am 18 years old, quite young to e taking this seriously and thus my opportunities are limited, as no one takes me seriously. But here I am.

My goal is to get a film into a relatively well respected film festival. i figured that would be the best place to start with my first 100% balls-to-the-wall serious film. I wrote the script for a feature last Summer, and since then I've been trying to film it. I've been told my script was pretty good from most sources but I have mixed feelings so I have no idea about that.

I've managed to scrounge some decent actors from contacts at my high school (my hope is that if I shoot a scene 100 times one of them will be professional enough. They're skilled but far from perfect). I have no idea how I'm going to secure locations. Unfortunately my movie topics all have to take place in a high school since that's the only place I know for sure I can shoot.

I've also managed to accrue a decent amount of supplies, but this is where the serious problems are. I saved my pennies since I was little but I made some very unfortunate purchasing decisions with my life's savings, which I really feel stupid for. So far I have:

Panasonic DVX100B camera
Sennheiser microphone MKE set
XLR cables
DIY boom pole
DIY stabilizer
DIY jig (being built)
Decent tripod and dolly
DIY three point lighting kit
Tiffen UV filter set
Several camera batteries
Makeup etc
Screenplay that I'm probably going to rewrite

The rub came in when I realized my new camera recorded onto Mini-DV's. That sucked, but I decided to work around it. Until I realized that transferring the clips from the tapes to the computer ruined the quality in low-light conditions. Made them all red tinted. Correcting the color made it grainy. So hear I am, virtually broke, and I'm just now learning about cameras. I think I've decided to resell my camera and get a DSLR one, but I am unsure. So basically my question here is this: what is the best setup I can get for my needs, under a certain budget? My budget is $1000-1500 for this part. I know that's not much but there's got to be a way. If entirely necessary I might be able to push it to $4000 but that would involve pulling some serious strings and basically selling my soul for various loans, so I'd really like to have it in my original budget. It's my understanding that a DSLR with some form of external audio recorder would be best. Do those exist with XLR inputs for my mics? Should I use my mics? Also, I've been told there's software that will sync the audio to the video for you, is that true?

I've also grown tired of my script and its ideas after looking at it for months so I'm faced with a dilemma: should I edit it or write an entirely new one? This part really sucks because the movie I WANT to write takes place on a jet, but how the heck am I supposed to get access to a jet.

Is there any filmmaking equipment I should have that I'm missing?

I plan to find copyright free music for the film. I also plan to make some of my own using FL studios and a midi keyboard. Any tips there?

Finally, I know next to nothing about lenses so any suggestions on how to use them/which to get/ etc would be much appreciated.

Basically, I know next to nothing about the technological aspects of actually shooting the movie, but I like to consider myself pretty knowledgable on what makes a good movie and I think I might be able to pull this off. I've decided that even if it is a long shot I'm going to try, or else I'll regret it. I think I can handle the lighting and everything. My biggest problem is going to be taking myself seriously and working with people to make them take me seriously, as well as getting them to let me use their buildings and stuff. Any other general tips for anything would be appreciated!

Thanks! Sorry for the block of text.

 

[MissingProductions]

Here is a guy that is pretty good at composing film scores: https://soundcloud.com/jonathan-mitchell-18

I just bought a Canon T3i, because I was using an old Sony Handycam before and working with those mini tapes was a pain in the ass. It's a lot easier with the SD card. So far I'm very satisfied with the camera.

 

[Zensteve]

Dang, that's a big neurotic mess you have there.

Here's bits & pieces, in no particular order.

I've decided that even if it is a long shot I'm going to try, or else I'll regret it. (...) I've also grown tired of my script and its ideas after looking at it for months so I'm faced with a dilemma: should I edit it or write an entirely new one?

You need to find your focus. On one hand, you're talking about now or never; on the other, you're sick of your script after so long. One day at a time, dude. One day at a time.

Panasonic DVX100B (...) camera recorded onto Mini-DV's. That sucked

A decade ago, the Panny DVX was a top-of-the-line camera. Even now, it still shoots a great image. Sure, it's SD (and on tape), but a skilled camera operator with it can generate a better image than a clown with a full DSLR kit. If that's the camera you have, practise with it, and learn to use it well. There's nothing wrong with it.

clips from the tapes to the computer ruined the quality in low-light conditions. Made them all red tinted. Correcting the color made it grainy.

You are not lighting your scenes properly. If you plan on shooting this yourself, you need to know how to do this.

I've been told my script was pretty good from most sources but I have mixed feelings so I have no idea about that.

Have a third-party read your script?

Especially if you are using newer actors looking for experience/anything - they looooove a script (no matter how terrible) if they are being considered for a role in it.

my hope is that if I shoot a scene 100 times one of them will be professional enough.

A professional would not do this.

Spoiler

unless they were Stanley Kubrick, who can get away with that.

I am 18 years old, quite young to e taking this seriously and thus my opportunities are limited, as no one takes me seriously.

If you were making a short film every two weeks, people would have no choice but to take you seriously.

.

 

[Will Vincent]

My dream job, of course, is to be a professional writer/director and to also make music videos. I know my chances of ever having any success at this is low, but I figured I might as well try. I am 18 years old, quite young to e taking this seriously and thus my opportunities are limited, as no one takes me seriously.

Don't let anybody tell you that you can't do something you're passionate about. Ever. Right now someone is telling you that, and that someone is you. Stop it.

I've also managed to accrue a decent amount of supplies

Having gear and being confident in its use is a great start!

this is where the serious problems are.

Stop telling yourself no. There are no problems with the gear you've listed, save perhaps for a lack of lights.

Until I realized that transferring the clips from the tapes to the computer ruined the quality in low-light conditions. Made them all red tinted. Correcting the color made it grainy. So hear I am, virtually broke, and I'm just now learning about cameras.

First, stop trying to make a movie in the dark. Your camera responds to light, light is how it's able to make a picture... turn some lights on. Go to walmart and get some cheap clamp on reflector lights.. get some halogen work lights. Not ideal, but certainly better than going without.

Red tint _may_ be infrared light. Are you using an infrared filter when using your ND filters? I think the DVX has IR filtering internally, but I could be wrong. As for the graininess.. this is not because you're shooting to miniDV tape, it's entirely because you're shooting without enough light. You'll have noisy footage with a dslr or other higher end cameras too if you try to shoot in the dark.

Stop worrying about the gear. More expensive gear won't make you a better filmmaker. Focus on telling a good story, and embrace the limitations of your gear (which, based on your list are not many).

This part really sucks because the movie I WANT to write takes place on a jet, but how the heck am I supposed to get access to a jet.

Improvise.. you don't really need a jet.

Is there any filmmaking equipment I should have that I'm missing?

Yes, lights.. even cheap home improvement type lights.

I plan to find copyright free music for the film. I also plan to make some of my own using FL studios and a midi keyboard. Any tips there?

There are several composers right here on indietalk that would probably be happy to work with you, even if only for credit.

Finally, I know next to nothing about lenses so any suggestions on how to use them/which to get/ etc would be much appreciated.

Sounds like you've got more important aspects to worry about right now than what lenses to get and how to use them with your gear....

I know next to nothing about the technological aspects of actually shooting the movie

Happily, there's a wealth of information both here on indietalk, and around the internet. Not to mention countless books you could pick up to learn about planning a production, shot planning, kinds of shots, how they best go together, etc.

I've decided that even if it is a long shot I'm going to try, or else I'll regret it. ... My biggest problem is going to be taking myself seriously ... Any other general tips for anything would be appreciated!

As already mentioned. Don't let anyone, including yourself, tell you that you can't do it.
Read, study, and practice, practice, practice. You own a nice camera. Use it as much as possible. Shoot small projects, just a couple minutes long. Experiment with lighting, and blocking the scene (positioning things and people within the scene), camera movements, camera framing... experiment with everything. Start small, don't try to tackle some huge project right away or you'll probably end up discouraging yourself and/or wasting money. Potentially a lot of money.

 

[Will Vincent]

Jeez, a few hours ago I was on the exact same wavelength as knightly.. seems I'm tuned in pretty well with Zensteve tonight too.. lol

 

[Spock]

Thank you for all the advice guys. It really is a bit of a mess. I guess the only question I have now is more about the Mini DV conversion. I do have some clamp lights from Home Depot; I hadn't used them in my test shots. When I filmed the shots, though, it showed up fine on the camera but the redness only showed up on the computer. What's going on there? How do I compensate for the fact that what I film isn't what it's going to look like on my computer? I'd hate to have to keep returning to a location because the footage I shot was useless because I guessed wrong at how much light I needed...

@Whoever said a professional director wouldn't shoot a scene 100 times: Of course not, but seeing as I have some kids from school who are in thespians and not professional actors Im going to have to hack my way through some stuff. Not to mention I've never directed seriously before, so.

Thank you for all your help guys. It really is appreciated.

 

[rayw]

Watch the video:
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?p=353909#post353909

In fact, you will likely benefit from reading the whole thread:
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=44510


Camera options: http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=51888

Caveat...

Is this a direct-to-youtube film?
What can you tell us of the film's distribution plan?

 

[Sage Pictures]

Sounds like you are right where you need to be. You've got all you need - passion, basic equipment - to make a film. No need for worry, the DV100 is a great camera, and the Mke set can be worked with. [Fwiw, your equipment will serve you best in outdoor, daylight shots]

If you'd like to switch up your camera - here is one that can compete with the best in a pinch (install the hack):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USED-PANASO...141409?pt=Digital_Cameras&hash=item35d0034321

And you'll need this for xlr recording:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/832911-REG/Tascam_DR100MKII_DR_100mkII_Portable_Linear.html

If you'd like to record all inside, switching the Mke set for this is recommended:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audix-SCX1C-/131112219831?pt=US_Pro_Audio_Microphones&hash=item1e86e5b4b7

If more outside, then switching for this is recommended:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rode-NTG-2-...=US_Pro_Audio_Microphones&hash=item338aa5ae25

No matter the camera, I'd recommend lighting non-daylight shots, by bouncing clamp lights off of ceiling corners or walls close to the actors. Just don't get the lit portion of the wall in frame. That will give you a professional high end look (no matter the cam). And of course, outside cloudy days do this for you - or try the magic hour before the sun goes out. Hard 3 point lighting is not ideal. (something film schools latch on to from 1930's Hwood, when you had to torch the actors to expose ISO 20 film)

 

[Sage Pictures]

It really is a bit of a mess

No way. You've really got everything together.

On natural modern lighting; this was done with a few china balls (big, diffused source that naturally lights the actor in ratio to the room) suspended about the room, with halogen bulbs inside (note also the practical lamp as a background element & slight hair accent):

This is a bedside practical lamp, with a sheet of diffusion in front used on the close up (diffusion taken away for the wide bedroom shot):

& here is cloudy daylight, being awesome:

In real life, things happen between lights (lights closer to say, walls, than the 'actors'). In movies, things have to necessarily play around light sources (cameras feed on light, & we humans like pretty images). Just make sure the light going to the actor's face is coming from a large diffused source, and is stronger than in ratio to the backdrop, for that natural, high end look.

 

[ItDonnedOnMe]

Basically, I know next to nothing about the technological aspects of actually shooting the movie

This is a bigger issue right now than the equipment you've currently got (unless of course you somehow find the budget to hire people who do know the technical aspects!). That's why Zensteve's last comment is so important:

If you were making a short film every two weeks, people would have no choice but to take you seriously.

I don't think you should be worrying about getting new equipment - you've got enough to get started, and if you actually use it for a while you'll learn the tech aspects so that when it is time to upgrade you'll better understand your needs and be able to confidently select the appropriate gear.

Right now you should be shooting and editing as much as you can. Don't focus on making one big film - do a bunch of short projects that take advantage of the resources you do have. It doesn't even matter if they're any good, you have to learn to see them as a means to an end, a part of a process that will lead you to where you eventually hope to be.

I always think of a quote from Michael Mann: "It's terribly important to make terrible films." He said that in reference to his early film school work - the idea being that in your early work it's what you learn and discover that matters, rather than the actual film itself. Right now you have the luxury of making films that no one but you and your friends will ever watch, so you can experiment and take chances and figure out the best way for you to do things. That gets harder and harder to do as the projects get bigger and more money (or other people's money) is involved, so you want to do it now so you're ready when you get to the point where the end product really matters.

So get out there and shoot!

 

[Sage Pictures]

you should be shooting and editing as much as you can
So get out there and shoot!

++

 

[ItDonnedOnMe]

When I filmed the shots, though, it showed up fine on the camera but the redness only showed up on the computer. What's going on there?

There could be a few issues here. How are you getting the footage into your computer? If it's through some sort of capture card and an analog connection there may be something wrong there. If it's over firewire then that's not likely the culprit. Are you white balancing the camera to the scene lighting? It may be that the camera's display is turned up so bright (or otherwise mis-calibrated) that you aren't seeing the color cast from an incorrect white balance setting. It could also be that your computer display isn't calibrated correctly... hard to tell without some sort of reference to start with, but I'd start with checking that your white balance is correct.

How do I compensate for the fact that what I film isn't what it's going to look like on my computer? I'd hate to have to keep returning to a location because the footage I shot was useless because I guessed wrong at how much light I needed...

You'll need to do some experimentation and adjustment to get things close enough that they match - at least enough that you're confident in what you're seeing when you shoot. As I noted above, somewhere along the line something is calibrated incorrectly.

 

[Spock]

Ah, the white balance could be the culprit? I'll check into that. If that's not it, how can I go about checking if my computer's display is calibrated correctly? I use a FireWire cable.

 

[ItDonnedOnMe]

What's your computer setup?

 

[oli5d]

Hello all,
This part really sucks because the movie I WANT to write takes place on a jet, but how the heck am I supposed to get access to a jet.

Ha! This part took my attention. I am a private pilot for hobby, nothing fancy, small aircraft, but I do get to hang out at the airport every once in a while and get to see all kinds of little airplanes, sometimes a jet or two. It would be a good exercise for you to learn some people skills and also get what you want if you go talk to some of the people at your local airport, if you explained what you wanted and you're nice about it, I'm sure someone would help you out, so they might even let you take a couple of shots. I mean that's what I would do anyway

 

[Will Vincent]

Ha! This part took my attention. I am a private pilot for hobby, nothing fancy, small aircraft, but I do get to hang out at the airport every once in a while and get to see all kinds of little airplanes, sometimes a jet or two. It would be a good exercise for you to learn some people skills and also get what you want if you go talk to some of the people at your local airport, if you explained what you wanted and you're nice about it, I'm sure someone would help you out, so they might even let you take a couple of shots. I mean that's what I would do anyway

And if that fails, CG that shit.. or write within the limits of what you have access to.

 

[stef]

You might be able to build a set for reasonably cheap that could fit in a single garage if you can somehow get a few rows of seats. You could build an entire set of half an airplane in the space of a car, with well-lit greenscreen outside the windows.

I haven't looked into cost of old seats, but I'd bet jets replace them somewhat regularly.

 

[sfoster]

Ha! This part took my attention. I am a private pilot for hobby, nothing fancy, small aircraft, but I do get to hang out at the airport every once in a while and get to see all kinds of little airplanes, sometimes a jet or two. It would be a good exercise for you to learn some people skills and also get what you want if you go talk to some of the people at your local airport, if you explained what you wanted and you're nice about it, I'm sure someone would help you out, so they might even let you take a couple of shots. I mean that's what I would do anyway

PA is not too far from MD. He could theoretically drive down to you

 

[Spock]

Wow, thanks for all the support guys. I didn't expect this much response. Thanks for all the ideas and all the help, I'll get to work on some of your suggestions.

 

[oli5d]

PA is not too far from MD. He could theoretically drive down to you

He doesn't even have to drive this far, any local airport will have a jet or two, and pilots love to brag about their toys lol