If You Were To Remake One Of Your Own Films ... ?

You should also have a "Look Book" in your package. It should have conceptual art, production photos, and mock-ups of the way you want your series to look. Even with movies, successful pitches had look books as visual aids.

Look books got the concept of The Matrix movies sold, among other franchise.

My package is like 15 pages with half or more being visual aids.

The Heroes Journey is a full page long.

I talk about the demographics and target market.

Since the producer wants hard core science fiction, I talk about the hard core science fiction story elements as well.
 
I'm actually pitching with a complete pilot episode (that if we were picked up by anybody with real money we would re-shoot). Figuring that would cover the style, tone, visual look aspects pretty well. Though You are probably right. I should add some of that as stills to the bible as well.
 
I believe the producer I am pitching to now wants me to succeed. He told me to send a 5 minute overview instead of a pilot with the initial package because a director of development will not look pass the first 5 minutes. He worked for a major studio for over 20 years. He has his own company now.
 
I'm always thinking about the things I would do differently in my previous work, e.g. the mistakes I would fix, different angles or shot choices... But I wouldn't want to revisit something I've already done simply because I'd rather take the lessons I've learned and apply them to a newer, fresher story.

But that's not to say that I wouldn't expand on an idea I've filmed before and turn it into something feature length. But I wouldn't consider that a "remake" as much as an expanded re-imagining... :D
 
Pretty much just change some of the angles really. I think I now have a much better understanding of angles conveying emotion. I often watch real movies on DVD and pick them apart, thinking the directors could have used better angles for the emotion of the shot.
 
Dreadylocks said:
Wait. I thought it was supposed to be a comedy instead of hard-core sci-fi. :huh:
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Money talks.

If we can get the funding, making it into a hard core science fiction series is doable. I can get a good team of scientist together as series science advisers with good science fiction writers to make that happen.

On a science fiction writers board I am on we are talking about the common myths being used in science fiction for space travel as a for instance and what the real world versions are that are in use by NASA.
 
I don't know about remaking, but I really want to expand one of my shorts into a feature. I almost think the short would work as something to try and raise some funding from investors. It's a comedy/horror and I truly think it has potential to be a really funny b-movie horror film.
 
Until you learn how to execute it seems like ideas are a dime a dozen and executing them is the hard part. Once you learn how to execute you realize that good ideas (worth executing) are very very rare.
 
I directed a Z budget feature with skeleton crew of 2 ppl with other 5 characters from the film helping out..

Thing's I would have done differently..

1) Rehearse the living daylight out of the script. Chances are you will be working with amateur actors or semi professionals and it just helps everyone to be on same page right from the word go. Also since I was doing bazillion things apart from directing, it helps if your actors more or less know what they are doing?But It was also a sci fi/horror film where you had hallucination bits. For that I didn't even tell them what those scenes would be like.

2) I wish I had done a more solid pre production or rather I realised how imp pre stage is? As a beginner, we tend to ignore PRE stage but now having learnt the hard way- NEVER ignore PRE Production.

3) There is a WHOLE world that can be created by the sounds of your film. Get quality audio and spend as much time on mixing sound as you do on editing or vfx.
 
Gonzo_Entertainment said:
Until you learn how to execute it seems like ideas are a dime a dozen and executing them is the hard part. Once you learn how to execute you realize that good ideas (worth executing) are very very rare.
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The problem with that logic is filmmaking is more of a we thing than a me thing. The right team working on a film can make all the difference in the world.

There are key people I am changing as I move forward to improve the look, shots, and production values.

Getting the right team to share the director's vision can make a big difference in a film.

Tim Burton's production design team and artists complain he is a tough guy to work for because they have to wrestle with him to see the vision in his head in hoe a production should look.
 
I don't get the appeal of remaking something.

I think it's important to learn lessons from each film that you make but I would always aim to apply them to another movie.
 
eraserhead_in_time said:
I directed a Z budget feature with skeleton crew of 2 ppl with other 5 characters from the film helping out..

Thing's I would have done differently..

1) Rehearse the living daylight out of the script. Chances are you will be working with amateur actors or semi professionals and it just helps everyone to be on same page right from the word go. Also since I was doing bazillion things apart from directing, it helps if your actors more or less know what they are doing?But It was also a sci fi/horror film where you had hallucination bits. For that I didn't even tell them what those scenes would be like.

2) I wish I had done a more solid pre production or rather I realised how imp pre stage is? As a beginner, we tend to ignore PRE stage but now having learnt the hard way- NEVER ignore PRE Production.

3) There is a WHOLE world that can be created by the sounds of your film. Get quality audio and spend as much time on mixing sound as you do on editing or vfx.
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That is why I just don't get filmmakers who don't think they need to rehearse their cast. And, actors who don't think they need rehearsals.

One of my actresses learned the hard way why rehearsals are necessary. She did not want to rehearse, and she clocked a fellow actor across the face with a prop chain for real because she had no feel for timing without rehearsals.
 
NickClapper said:
I don't get the appeal of remaking something.

I think it's important to learn lessons from each film that you make but I would always aim to apply them to another movie.
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It has to do with being a perfectionist. If it did not come out as was hoped, a second shot with some changes in place may make the next go around better.

This is different than what motivates the studios--profit.
 
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