I don't mean to be egotistical. It's just I was told on here before that things like auto white balance and auto focus are NOT fine, cause the camera will change focus and change color at the wrong times. Color, you may be able to fix but focus you cannot. I was told on here that doing things in certain ways is the way to go. Now you're saying it's just fine and to throw that out the window? If they posted their movie on here for viewing, you would tell them all the problems and everything they did wrong, so why say it's fine, when everyone who posts movies on here is told not to do that all the time?
I don't like auto focus and auto white balance, but it works if you are shooting quickly without someone that is capable of properly pulling focus. In your original comment, you were talking about how the mistakes they make are bad, and that you know to not do that.
Sure, they are making mistakes, but it's good that they're making mistakes! You learn from your mistakes! And the only way to learn from your mistakes is by making something, which you have not done. Make something, good or bad.
v This v
It's worth you doing anything that takes you away from the computer.
I didn't know movies actually got picked up off of youtube. The reason why people aim for film festivals is because I thought it was better for business and you have to have a certain aim of quality to be accepted. When friends say they want to make a movie for youtube, it sounds like they don't care about quality at all. But if youtube is an okay place to get picked up, then I will help out. I hope later they don't tell me that whatever they do is okay though, cause it's for youtube and quality doesn't matter. Anyone puts anything on youtube, and almost nothing gets rejected, so it just doesn't sound good when you say you want to aim for youtube.
I never said features gain success from youtube. I said some directors have gotten famous because of short films that became popular on youtube and/or were seen from the right people.
You shouldn't be doing a film to get money and contacts, you need to improve as a filmmaker. You don't have a solid short you are confident about showing people.
Youtube and festivals aren't the only places to show films. There are many places to show your film around, especially on the internet.
I don't have to be the AD but I wasn't sure what else I would be, since I haven't mastered focus pulling or audio mixing on set yet. The guy who wants to direct originally asked me to help with camera and sound. Of course that doesn't mean I would be a good AD either, he as just making suggestions as to how I could help.
Maybe you should skip it, and
instead pull out your camera, and make a short film with a friend or family member.
I'm not good either, you're right. But I would hire experienced DPs, who know what they are doing and experienced focus pullers, etc, for a feature. The practice shots I post on here, for doing tests, are not at all what I would do if I was making a feature. I would get a good DP and focus puller rather than them relying on themselves, risking a whole feature. But I'm not good either, you're right. I am in the same boat is them, which is why I thought they should recruit more experienced people.
Which is for my next short film, I am not going to move on, unless I find a crew that can help pull it off first.
Can't you just write a script, pull out your camera, and shoot a short film with an actor or two, edit, and post? You're being too ambitious with huge crews and gear? Just shoot and edit something! I made my short "The Game" in one day. I shot it in 3 hours, and edited it in 5 hours. It's not perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than doing nothing.
I want to direct and act. Those are my main goals.
I can get some more equipment and devote more practice to other areas. I was told on here before not to bother getting more equipment when I would just be using the money to get people already have their own stuff anyway, and are more experienced with it.
But in order to make myself of more use, I can get more, if that's best. I was actually going to get more lights and practice some lighting I was thinking.
JUST MAKE SOMETHING!
I can pay for a crew of four I have budgeted for. DP/camera operator, focus puller, PSM and boom operator. But there aren't a lot around where I live that care to make themselves that available. Maybe it's cause I don't have short films to show off on my resume. I want to get experience with my friends though, and with the other directors I have worked for this year. But everyone seems to want to jump right into features, each one of them. No one wants to just get experience first. I even talked to an actor who is really talented and has done shorts and TV, and he says he has done enough of that and from now on it's feature time. I guess I would be more up for doing things ourselves, if everyone just didn't want to dive into the deep end first.
I can do things myself, and will have to research more on what equipment I should get. How do I operate the camera and work the audio equipment at the same time though?
You don't need more equipment and a crew of four. You need a camera, an actor, and a mic with a stand (if you are shooting by yourself). Do you know what would be a good idea? Making a short film with either inanimate objects, or yourself! Just pull out a tripod and shoot a short film with just you. Since you also want to be an actor.
The short film could be you talking on the phone, or just you getting ready for an average day of work.
If you want to direct , why don't you make some short film and post it here on the forum so people can critic it ,rather than posting a million tests of white balance ,color grading etc and asking if it's good or not .
Well , to be quite honest buddy I know quite a lot of people who just show up with an actor and a camera and pull off pretty fantastic stuff !
Think of a nice ,short , clever film without dialogue . Then shoot it . Spend enough time on foley , color grading and so on and you can do some fantastic stuff without focus pullers and DP's and boom operators and all that.
There are so many filmmakers on Youtube who work with no crew whatsoever and they make amazing shorts .
Just be creative and write something that fits your budget .
AAAAAAAAAMEN!
