Hi everybody. I'm interested in making a film.

[Admiral Ackbar]

Hello everyone. I'm new to the forum and have little experience in film making. While in college I did some improv theater work and hanged out with the crews from the film and theater schools. But that was a several years ago and seven states away from wheer I am now. I've done some freelance writing though and that's sort of where my artistic tendencies lay.

Anyway, the reason I'm joining is that I had an epiphany the other day about an event in my life. And while I was working on turning it into a book it would be much better as a film and a script. I have the whole thing in my head. It just poped in there. Open scenes, dialog, locations, characters, everything. I just need to put it on paper. But this is something I would definately want to do. Here's a write up I did this morning.

***

I had an epiphany the other day about how to make a great movie. It's based on a book I'm working on which itself is based on a true story, but it would work much better in a movie atmosphere. I've done improv theater work in college and I also use to hang out with a bunch of film students. Unfortunately, that was about five years ago and seven states away. And I personally don't have any film-making experience. Just writing and theater acting.

Well, people get ideas every day, but don't take them seriously. But I also had an "act of god" the same time this all poped in my head. It reinforced that this is something that could get done."

The Story

It centers around a male lead who's in his last year of college. He finds it, and most of life, an emotional wasteland. The product of a broken home, he served in the army in Iraq, and now on the GI Bill he's making his way through college. Which means he's slightly older than most of the group he hangs out with (27 vs 20's) and has a better understanding of what is going on around him. Because of this he's also sort of a big man on campus everyone can rely on.
Then, quite without warning, wanting, or understanding; he falls in love for the first time. The first half of the film is how he comes to terms with falling in love, and the second half is how he acts upon it and the conflicts between his heart and his head and all this emotion he's pent up.
The film is based on a true story."

The Characters

There's the male lead, the female love interest, the leads female adviser, her male boyfriend and buddy of male lead, the gang or three or four more characters they hang around with, and a couple ancilliary characters.

The Atmosphere

Similar to films like Good Will Hunting, Lost in Translation, and Before Sunrise.

The Reality

Being an independent film, it most likely won't have the success of the films listed above, and possibly no success at all. Lets be realistic about the filmaking process. But that doesn't mean it won't be a good film. And it's something that I want to do and willing to commit to. And if it is good, maybe, just maybe it has a shot of attracting a decent audience.

The Target Group

Based on a campus and with mostly college kids, target in the 18-34 range, but really a universal story.

The Plan.

"Literally all of this as a film idea popped in my head the other day. Originally I was planning on writing this as a book. But I think on an emotional level a film would work better. As I said, I have some minor acting experience and since I lived this I would play the role of the male lead. I'm pretty sure I could do it. I won't know until I try.

"I'm in the Philadelphia area but willing to travel. I have a daytime job but I'm flexible for schedule.

What I'd like is to find a director or someone in film school with more experience. Then we get together and discuss the project. If things hit out between us, we can then start working on the logistics this summer. Calculating costs, working on the screenplay, storyboarding, location finding.

I'm willing to chip in what money I can, and I'll work for free. I'm hoping to also find someone young like me and have this be their first movie. Also, I'll help work on fundraising. While it would be great to find someone in the Philadelphia area, I know NY is really the area heavy in film shooting. If I could find someone there, the way we would get around distances is that I could take the train up on the weekends and we could work on the film Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I also think I can network to find extras and support in the area.

The Goal.

To do a real, low cost, decent quality, independent film.

If anyone wants to contact me to learn more about the story, offer advice, or has interest, feel free to send me an email at admiral.ackbar@comcast.net or reply here.

***

Of course, lets be honest, it'll take a couple hundred thousand dollars to do even a small budget independent film. But it's something I currently feel driven to do. So, I thought I'd join the forum looking for advice and interested partners.

As I said, I'm not into film making by trade. I'm actually an engineer, currently working for a local power utility. I just graduated a couple years ago. But being a recent grad I was hoping maybe there would be someone in the mid atlantic region who's in film school or just got out who'd be interested in working in this. And then we could sit down and discuss the project.

Also, I'm hoping people in this forum could lend what advice and support they can.

 

[Spatula]

Well, your idea seems simple enough to pull off quite decently with nothing but the bare-bones equipment and crew.

My advice to you (taken from personal experience), is to write the script, and get rid of it (sell it), or produce it yourself. All to often, the actor/writer will take on too much of the work, because they feel so personally connected. It's hard to just focus on one thing (like, Acting) when you're also running around like a chicken trying to get everybody's lines right (and in my case, setting up lights, etc, etc, etc...). If you choose to produce this yourself, try and get a technically sound director, who is willing to listen to your creative imput on set. But don't hassle him about shots, tone, etc... that's his job. I'm sure you'l find someone who is willing to join with you, and I wish you all the best for your project!

Oh, another thing... it might help to do a few short films beforehand, to test some ideas, or just have fun gaining experience. Try writing something simple and get some friends together and shoot it. Then start thinking about the "big" project.

Good luck!!!!@!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Logan-

 

[SteveSutton]

Welcome aboard.

 

[alexpw]

I wouldn't attempt a feature until you're able to round up at least $75,000. Anything less is just pushing your luck with the quality of the movie. I'm not trying to say that good movies can't be made for less than that, but I think that's even less money than you will find out you need, unless you plan on using a cheaper/consumer format.

Film stock ain't cheap, and neither is camera rentals, so make sure you have the money before you dive in to production. There are various grants you can try applying for etc. There's always a source for money if you look hard enough.

 

[Zensteve]

"It's a trap!"

I can network to find extras and support in the area.

Networking is one of the best things you can do. That's half the battle right there.

Right now you need to be solidifying that story. (It sounds like you just have a rough outline?)

Btw, I see you live in Newark. I lived there for a year. The college kids take their parties very seriously there.

 

[Admiral Ackbar]

Thanks for the advice so far guys.

That's one reason I'd like to meet someone with more experience. I could help him out with his projects and gain experience that way. I'd also get to know him and they'd get to know me. Also, it'll take time to write a screenplay and line up money and so on. And frankly, while I just got my first professional engineering job, I'm poor as a recent grad. So we'd have to work on the finances and how to get it done.

But you're definately right, this isn't something you can just start tomorrow or by yourself. And you need money. Lots of money. A truly professional looking film, even indie, might cost 200 to 300 thousand and that's the bare of bare bones.

That's a hell of a lot of tupperware parties.

But if it's something I eventually determine I really, really want to do then I think I should at least look into it. Personally, I'm willing to volunteer time and labor at the moment while looking for a collaborative partner. And if worse comes to worse, this summer I'll write my screenplay and that'll at least be something. And if it isn't crap, maybe it'll sell. I don't know.

One thing that concerns me is that if I was to do something like this, and we put all this money into it, it has to look like a film. I've seen a ton of indie films that the people involved are very happy with. But they don't understand that to the audience it doesn't look like a professional or "hollywood" film. And whether that's fair or not, it's just not going to have any chance of mass appeal based on that impression. There are exceptions, but I find the exceptions prove the rule.

And finally to be brutaly honest, I may just suck at this. There's nothing to be ashamed of if that's true. Everybody has their own talents. But if you don't try, you don't know. I don't know a lot.

 

[Admiral Ackbar]

"It's a trap!"

Networking is one of the best things you can do. That's half the battle right there.

Right now you need to be solidifying that story. (It sounds like you just have a rough outline?)

Btw, I see you live in Newark. I lived there for a year. The college kids take their parties very seriously there.

You're right they do. I've lived here most of my life in newark but before that I went to Florida State. That's where I hung out with the film and theater students. And they really, really party down there. Mostly because there's nothing else to do.

As for the story, that's something I can work on this summer. I literally have it all in my head down to individual shots and a lot of dialog is drawn from actual events, which helps. And that's actually different for me, because most of my writing is fiction and non-fiction instructional. Not bio or auto-biographical in nature. But that actually makes it easier, because everything is in the noggin. Line, settings, tone, characters, everything. I can even picture scenes.

For example, it would open with two college kids in their 20's on a couch making out. I mean, real hot and heavy petting but no nudity. And the main character is in the chair next to the sofa a foot or two away. He's got his feet propped up on the coffee table and he's slouched in his chair, casually reading a magazine, like nothing is going on. A modern but sexually suggestive song is playing. Say, "Summertime Cowboy," or something like it. The opening credits roll during this shot for a minute or two showing these conflicting images of passion and dispassion at the same time. And from the outset an image like that would chalenge the audience and draw them in.

But that's just my mental image of that opening shot I have in my head. The actual director probably would have something different and that's his call. But if he asked for my input, that's the way I personally visualize it. But I have it all in my head in minute detail. Because as a writer I'd have to explain things in greater detail. I just need to get it down on paper.

 

[iuhoosier336]

the best thing you can do before you start writing it is to read some screenplays, say one a week for a few months this summer. it will help you learn the stucture of a screenplay and give you a feel for dialoge.

 

[Admiral Ackbar]

the best thing you can do before you start writing it is to read some screenplays, say one a week for a few months this summer. it will help you learn the stucture of a screenplay and give you a feel for dialoge.

I found a great website and already started doing that.

http://www.sfy.ru/

I started on more modern scripts. Three Kings. Enemy of the State. Do any of you have any suggestions for books so I can get a better grasp of the structure.

One thing I find suprising is that In what I've been reading about writing scripts, it's better to focus on dialog. That you want to put bare detail in and let the actors, director, etc fill in the detail.

But in what I've read so far, there seems to be quite a bit of detail in these screenplays.

Another thing I''m concerned is length. I read to assume that one page equals one minute of screen time. That's assuming Courier New at twelve point. I'm sure I can get it under a hundred and twenty pages. Idieally it would be a hundred but I don't know if I can achieve that. But, being a romance and a story about love, it's not going to be action heavy and mostly long periods of conversation. Does that make a difference?

For example, this weekend I decided to give it a rough go. It opens with the main character Mike walking his friend Sarah to a bar/club at night. The first span of conversation is a little long. It's six pages. Then the next scene is when they reach the bar. Before they go in Mike sits down and explains to Sarah what attracted him to this girl in his class. That's only three pages. Then they go into the bar to find Sarah's boyfriend and Mike's buddy Bill. That's only two pages. So its interesting how you can break things downs via pages/scenes. When writing fiction I don't visualize things in that way. I don't focus on timing with dialog because dialog is broken up by descriptives.