editing Input and Suggestions ...

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First: What is your goal with this? To use it as a good demo, get it into festivals or to attempt to sell it? Is this a trailer for something larger or is it a stand alone? Kind of reminds me of a low budget sci-fi power rangers.

From what I saw, the sound issues include the fight scenes having no sound, hence look fake. Even with sound, they may still look fake, but they'll be better than what's there.

With the nuclear explosion, you can have the explosion sound while you're seeing the visual, instead of the electronic interference sound, so you can then skip the explosion sound in space.

Sound levels throughout are uneven. The dialogue is at different volumes, even within the same conversation.

There was a point where the background humming sound was louder than the dialogue.

There were a few visually annoying things that you did with green/blue screen. For example at 2min 53 seconds you have the foreground girl in focus, midground girl slightly out of focus with the background in focus as though it was in the foreground. It confuses the eye and is part of the reason the scene looks odd. Also the lack of backlighting on the green screen objects can be a reason for them looking flat

There is a lot more. Did you want more?
 
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Once again,.this is a preview for a cable TV series proposal for small networks that buy content from independent filmmakers to be sent with a script for a feature tv movie, story bible, and proposed options to the networks.

The preview is like any preview, which means it is an extended trailer and not a short.

We have a 22 minute version of a pilot film ready as part of the package.

If you are familiar with The Asylum's mockbusters, our campy sci-fi comedy is targeted for that market.

So, I will bring back the sound effects from earlier versions at a lower level then.

As much as the DP who shot most of the footage likes to think of himself as a TV professional who worked for TV networks, more and more issues are coming out about his work.

Indie editors have it tougher than studio editors in that we do our best to "fix it in post" more than we would like.

With no funds available and too many one takes only with some dialogue scenes, the dialogue audio is what it is and will not get any better.

I apologizes to everyone trying to help if I appear dense and impatient at times. I am under a vise of pressure with mounting bad news about the future of things going on with my day job.
 
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Once again,.this is a preview for a cable TV series proposal for small networks that buy content from independent filmmakers to be sent with a script for a feature tv movie, story bible, and proposed options to the networks.

The preview is like any preview, which means it is an extended trailer and not a short.

We have a 22 minute version of a pilot film ready as part of the package.
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I've got a silly question. Why are you working on the trailer instead of working on the 22min version? I get the impression that the full version is incomplete otherwise it'd be a simple process of picking the cream of the crop and the money shots for the extended trailer. Trailers really need to be dumbed down. Trailers are a promotion tool for an "experience good". Apparently you need to relay that experience to the viewer so they get a taste of how it feels to watch your movie. If the experience is less than optional, then you need to... fudge it.


As much as the DP who shot most of the footage likes to think of himself as a TV professional who worked for TV networks, more and more issues are coming out about his work.

Indie editors have it tougher than studio editors in that we do our best to "fix it in post" more than we would like.
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In regards to the green/blue screen focus issue, it looked like it was some CGI background in what I'd call the cockpit. You can simply use your editing software to pull that layer out, apply an out of focus effect the appropriate amount.

I understand what you're saying about indie editors but that's true of most jobs. Editors feel it a lot in filming. A great talented editor is worth their weight in gold. The greats are kind of directors themselves. Yes they're responsible for carrying out the directors vision, but they also hold a responsibility to show other possibilities, even unseen options to make the end result better.

With no funds available and too many one takes only with some dialogue scenes, the dialogue audio is what it is and will not get any better.
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That can make it really hard. Without great planning beforehand or at least some plan to reshoot things if it doesn't work out well (or both) is a recipe for disaster.

I apologizes to everyone trying to help if I appear dense and impatient at times. I am under a vise of pressure with mounting bad news about the future of things going on with my day job.
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That sucks. I hope all goes well.

For your trailer, there are some pacing issues that should be looked at where there are some cuts that are too short, and others that are slightly too long. I'll look at them when I've had some sleep.
 
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The reason for the five minute preview is a producer who worked as a director of development for Paramount Pictures recommended it to show networks before anything else. He said people who have to look through the submissions don't look past five minutes.

The problem with the DPs lighting has been echoed by other DPs and filmmakers about the absence of backlighting.

All the planning in the world is no insurance against divas and flakes in small budget films. The best solution is to go union with the cast and stunt coordinator.

Example, have you ever heard of a union actor showing up 40 pounds heavier than the day they were auditioned and measured for fitted costumes where they are too overweight for their costumes and too sick for stunt rehearsals?

We had an actress living in NYC all of her life who could not find shooting locations and an Eastern Eueopean Union actress show her up by being on time to every location every day.

You can't plan for some of these things.
 
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That makes sense of the trailer then.

In regards to the DP, did s/he have sufficient resources/time to do the job properly? I'm not trying to defend him, but sometimes its the fault of the producer/director as much as the fault of the DP. For instance, what was the director and/or producer doing letter the errors creep in? There is plenty of blame to go around, worrying about it won't really help now that the damage is done. Its best to move forward and work out a plan how to make a poor situation better.

Part of planning are the planning of contingencies. If you have the slightest inclination that your actor is going to pump on 40 pounds, was there a check put in place to ensure this didn't happen. I'm sure it wasn't over the course of a few weeks that they gained 40 pounds. If months go by perhaps checks are a good idea? Common sense isn't that common, and expecting everyone around you to have it can be a recipe for disaster. Hell, there are even situations in professional films: I've heard of a story where Mark Hamil was injured in a car accident which cut up his face before Empire Strikes Back was made. I don't remember a big scar across his face in the sequels, so I suppose they dealt with the problem. If you're surrounded by people who cannot work out the contingencies on the spot, it's even more important to plan them beforehand. Or even better, get at least a few around you who are quick thinking problem solvers.

For instance: I saw that you had some outdoor shots. Was there an alternative plan of action in case of bad weather? If the director took ill, was someone lined up to handle his duties. If the lead actor turned up 2 hours late was there a plan of attack to either replace them or to continue shooting the scenes that they weren't in? If a piece of equipment broke, could you continue?

Not everything will go perfectly. In fact it rarely does.

In regards to the actress that couldn't find shooting locations: Did the 2nd give call sheets that had specific directions on how to get to the location and how to find the location once you got there? If so, if she was unable to follow instructions, was a fix for the situation found or was she replaced? Was an option to pick her up from her home used? Problems like this are easily solved.

Just because its indie doesn't mean its unprofessional or it has to be of poor quality.

I've had a situation where I was sick with food poisoning so was unable to lead my team. Though I still made sure I was there, they were able to fill my shoes, adjust, shift some positions around and do the job and only go 1 hours overtime.

My motto while working is along the lines of: I don't mind mistakes, though I expect everyone to learn from them and fix them and move on. I don't like the blame game. There is always more than 1 person to blame if something goes wrong.

So where do we go from here?
 
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Sweetie said:
That makes sense of the trailer then.

In regards to the DP, did s/he have sufficient resources/time to do the job properly? I'm not trying to defend him, but sometimes its the fault of the producer/director as much as the fault of the DP. For instance, what was the director and/or producer doing letter the errors creep in? There is plenty of blame to go around, worrying about it won't really help now that the damage is done. Its best to move forward and work out a plan how to make a poor situation better.

Part of planning are the planning of contingencies. If you have the slightest inclination that your actor is going to pump on 40 pounds, was there a check put in place to ensure this didn't happen. I'm sure it wasn't over the course of a few weeks that they gained 40 pounds. If months go by perhaps checks are a good idea? Common sense isn't that common, and expecting everyone around you to have it can be a recipe for disaster. Hell, there are even situations in professional films: I've heard of a story where Mark Hamil was injured in a car accident which cut up his face before Empire Strikes Back was made. I don't remember a big scar across his face in the sequels, so I suppose they dealt with the problem. If you're surrounded by people who cannot work out the contingencies on the spot, it's even more important to plan them beforehand. Or even better, get at least a few around you who are quick thinking problem solvers.

For instance: I saw that you had some outdoor shots. Was there an alternative plan of action in case of bad weather? If the director took ill, was someone lined up to handle his duties. If the lead actor turned up 2 hours late was there a plan of attack to either replace them or to continue shooting the scenes that they weren't in? If a piece of equipment broke, could you continue?

Not everything will go perfectly. In fact it rarely does.

In regards to the actress that couldn't find shooting locations: Did the 2nd give call sheets that had specific directions on how to get to the location and how to find the location once you got there? If so, if she was unable to follow instructions, was a fix for the situation found or was she replaced? Was an option to pick her up from her home used? Problems like this are easily solved.

Just because its indie doesn't mean its unprofessional or it has to be of poor quality.

I've had a situation where I was sick with food poisoning so was unable to lead my team. Though I still made sure I was there, they were able to fill my shoes, adjust, shift some positions around and do the job and only go 1 hours overtime.

My motto while working is along the lines of: I don't mind mistakes, though I expect everyone to learn from them and fix them and move on. I don't like the blame game. There is always more than 1 person to blame if something goes wrong.

So where do we go from here?
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Yes, he did, more than the director / producer who had to recast roles daily for 4 months around flakes right up to a day before rehearsals. In spite of it, locations were locked down with permits, there was a preproduction meeting where the shot list was handed out and gone over. He was juggling other productions around our's and even had to take time off during our production for another production.

Google maps with public transportation were provided. Someone who lives in the city all of her life should be able to follow them.

An actress visiting here on a work visa from Serbia here for two other productions had no problem finding the locations.

There is no inclination of actors just being so stupid as to gain 40 pounds so they cannot work or fit into a fitted costume. Common sense should dictation they need to maintain their weight. Now, it will be in future actor contracts to do so. That's another reason I'm going union, for a smarter breed of actors.

SAG would be over actors with attendance like white over rice because SAG gets paid and they in turn pay the actors. I've known SAG actors to lose their union cards for pulling stunts that these nonunion divas get away with.

I pulled one of my better actresses aside for being a few hours late to tell her Steven Spielberg fired Megan Fox for lateness and spending too much time on her cell phone like my actress was doing.

Small production have no backup funding. That's the reality of life. This year, two rain days killed my pockets for pickup footage.
 
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One thing I will do better as someone suggested off line is to make it mandatory that all crew people have their own vehicles, instead of me having to hire people with vans who can be very unreliable, since they are part time artists they don't have their heads plugged into responsibility.

The backup plan was to setup a tent, which I had in the back of my car. It only took the van driver seven hours to round up the crew because, like a fool he was only getting them one at a time and goofed off after he got each one hiding to read a newspaper. One of my actors called me to show me the driver doing the same.crap over and over.

Needless to say, the driver will.never work for me again.
 
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One thing my returning crew people and I saw is the new 2nd Unit DP works WAY faster than the guy I let go. He may not have his own vehicle and have taste in food not affordable for small productions but he is more precise with his lighting and setting up shots. And, he works much faster. There is a good chance he would have completed the shoot on time inspire of diva setbacks.
 
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What was the plan for the writer director producer getting sick?

I was sick a few times and I still came to work. I worked around a stomach virus even during auditions a few times.

With the mounting stress and tension with cutbacks in salary and benefits as the cost of living keeps rising, I get sick more and more often. But, I need options because the place I work does not guarantee a future.
 
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I have a few more questions.
Do you happen to work in a circus?
Did your entire staff watch Faulty Towers for training?

It seems that the people you're choosing to work for you are the wrong kind of people. Just an observation.

Anyway, how about tomorrow we take another look at your trailer and make some suggestions starting from the beginning.
 
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Sweetie said:
I have a few more questions.
Do you happen to work in a circus?
Did your entire staff watch Faulty Towers for training?

It seems that the people you're choosing to work for you are the wrong kind of people. Just an observation.

Anyway, how about tomorrow we take another look at your trailer and make some suggestions starting from the beginning.
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No, but it appears an IQ test may be in order.for some of them for employment.

These are the issues small nonunion productions have to face.

As I am getting older and in the category of too young to retire and too old for a new career, I am looking for a business partner who is young and energetic with experience doing business with cable TV networks. So far, I have been unsuccessful in locating one.
 
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Don't get me started on the stunt coordinator I had to fire for being a sexist and a racist.

That's another reason I'm going with SAG from now on even with stunt coordinators.

Even though there is no price break for a stunt coordinator for small productions. The peace of mind working with a real professional is worth it.
 
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Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
There is no inclination of actors just being so stupid as to gain 40 pounds so they cannot work or fit into a fitted costume. Common sense should dictation they need to maintain their weight. Now, it will be in future actor contracts to do so. That's another reason I'm going union, for a smarter breed of actors.

SAG would be over actors with attendance like white over rice because SAG gets paid and they in turn pay the actors. I've known SAG actors to lose their union cards for pulling stunts that these nonunion divas get away with.

I pulled one of my better actresses aside for being a few hours late to tell her Steven Spielberg fired Megan Fox for lateness and spending too much time on her cell phone like my actress was doing.

Small production have no backup funding. That's the reality of life. This year, two rain days killed my pockets for pickup footage.
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I don't think that going union will solve the problems you are having.

I'm all for SAG, but there are plenty of unprofessional union actors around as well.

I know some won't like what I have to say, but personally I wouldn't deal with SAG unless you are going after "names" or you're working with a bigger budget.
You are financing this out of pocket and shooting with no-name actors, becoming a SAG signatory production would just be another hassle that I don't think you need.
And chances are the union actors you would be hiring under the SAG agreement would probably work on a non-union shoot as well.
Many experienced union actors, even bigger name actors work non-union all the time.

And just to be clear, SAG doesn't pay your actors, you pay them, SAG will want a deposit, after you've wrapped and they've confirmed that everyone's gotten paid you will get the deposit back.
So you not only have to pay your cast members, you have to pay SAG as well, even though you'll get the deposit back, you still have to budget that in.
Allthough I know some who have negotiated themselves out of paying any deposits with SAG, it's always negotiable.

Regarding Megan Fox, I believe the story goes that she got fired by Spielberg because of her antisemitic statements, but who knows what the truth was.

Regarding backup funding, that's what a contingency is for. Every production, no matter how small, should have a minimum 10% contingency in their budgets.

I really am sorry to read about your problems with this production.

When you hired your crew, did you ask for referrals?

Instead of posting wanted ads for crew members, have you tried to contact filmmakers and production companies near your area and ask them if they can recommend anyone for you?

Whoever you hire, always try and talk to a producer or a director they've worked with in the past who can tell you how that person was to work with.
 
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EuropeanDistributor said:
I don't think that going union will solve the problems you are having.

I'm all for SAG, but there are plenty of unprofessional union actors around as well.

I know some won't like what I have to say, but personally I wouldn't deal with SAG unless you are going after "names" or you're working with a bigger budget.
You are financing this out of pocket and shooting with no-name actors, becoming a SAG signatory production would just be another hassle that I don't think you need.
And chances are the union actors you would be hiring under the SAG agreement would probably work on a non-union shoot as well.
Many experienced union actors, even bigger name actors work non-union all the time.

And just to be clear, SAG doesn't pay your actors, you pay them, SAG will want a deposit, after you've wrapped and they've confirmed that everyone's gotten paid you will get the deposit back.
So you not only have to pay your cast members, you have to pay SAG as well, even though you'll get the deposit back, you still have to budget that in.
Allthough I know some who have negotiated themselves out of paying any deposits with SAG, it's always negotiable.

Regarding Megan Fox, I believe the story goes that she got fired by Spielberg because of her antisemitic statements, but who knows what the truth was.

Regarding backup funding, that's what a contingency is for. Every production, no matter how small, should have a minimum 10% contingency in their budgets.

I really am sorry to read about your problems with this production.

When you hired your crew, did you ask for referrals?

Instead of posting wanted ads for crew members, have you tried to contact filmmakers and production companies near your area and ask them if they can recommend anyone for you?

Whoever you hire, always try and talk to a producer or a director they've worked with in the past who can tell you how that person was to work with.
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Some of the best actors in the production are getting their SAG cards from SAG merging AFTRA. So, if I want to continue to work with these fine actors, I will need to go SAG.

The van driver was recommended by one of my actors. He saw for himself what a headache his friend turned out to be.

I did not ask for referrals for the crew. Now, I will.

The stunt coordinator tried out for work under a different name with one of my crew guys in my crew guys own production. As soon as he discovered who was applying, he disengaged from him.

Part of the problem with finding good help is living and working in a city where studios pay PAs $400 a day to show people where to park in a parking lot. $400 a day tops the greatest salary I can pay anyone.

Talking with local filmmakers the percentage of headaches with SAG actors is considerably less than headache nonunion actors.

Reading through SAG contracts, I pay SAG and they in turn pay the actors. It sounds to me like they also take out union dues when they do. SAGs involvement will help insure better attendance and behavior with the actors.

I read the Megan Fox story from several sources. Spielberg did cite she was late for rehearsals and spent too much time on her cell phone. When the director spoke to her about it, she had lip for him and some name calling. Her refusal to come to rehearsals on time and put her cell phone away is what got her fired from Spielberg's side of the story.
 
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The reason why I have to go with these guys is they are the only ones responding to job ads for positions I need to fill.
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This made me want to curl up in a corner and cry.

You are often better not filling the position, than spending cash on someone who's going to be a hindrance.
 
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