Need Critique of Plan for Low Budget Feature

C

cyan

I am writing a screenplay for a micro-budget 35mm feature to take place in one location. Because of time and money constraints, I plan to shoot everything over the course of one long weekend using a 1:1 shooting ratio (it will be shot almost entirely in masters, with dolly, crane moves or zoom lenses framing characters to create "scenes.") Hitchock did something similar with Rope, shooting for 10 minutes at a time (corresponding to the amount of time he could get out of a 1000' film load).

One of the questions I have is about 1000' film loads. On a fresh can, will I actually get 10 minutes out of it? To be safe, the scenes will be timed to come out anywhere between 7-9 minutes. Any additional film will be used to get short cutaways to mask errors.

Thoughts, suggestions and critiques are all welcome. Thanks!
 
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I'd say make your film..... if you are completely sure you can do it. I've found that nobody else has ever been able to tell completely what I am trying to do with a film until they see it. Even then they won't completely "get it". While I was making what most people say is my best film, everyone kept saying that it sounded boring and they would stop if they were me. I also try to remember though that this could be the time that everyone else is right and I'm wrong. Sometimes it's really hard to tell. Anyway. That's all.
 
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Haven't Started Production Yet

I haven't started production yet. In fact, the first draft of the script was only just finished this weekend. No actors cast or crew hired. And I may still decide to go with a more traditional shoot in the end. But I continue to find the format intriguing. It's one of those things that could be really interesting to watch, or just unbearable. Yup, I understand the consequences.

Which brings me back to a challenge I threw out to this group earlier. If you HAD to do a film this way (and for some of you that would mean someone put a gun to your head), how would you make it interesting?

Here's one of mine to get it started: One sequence involves a dream the mother of the main character has. She has just been asked by her son if she is going to speak up and tell her husband what she really thinks about something. She hesitates and instead of speaking, we move into a dream sequence where she belts out a Mariachi song which says everything she is afraid to say in real life. It starts with the woman in a medium shot, lit by a spot. She brings a sombrero up to her head and starts singing. As she sings into the camera, she is moving backwards, the camera moving with her. Behind her, the lights come up and it looks like a Day of the Dead festival - streamers, pinatas, dancers and a Mariachi band all move in and out of frame as she sings. She finishes singing and we end the sequence with her twirling out of frame to reveal a painting of her in her Mariachi sombrero and dress. This is a 4 minute sequence.

Now, not everything is played as a dream sequence. But even the talking head scenes have some movement and blocking to create tableaus. With some interesting blocking and camera movement and a few strategically placed fantasy sequences, I think this could be watchable. Any other ideas?
 
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You could have 20 ten minute scenes of two guys sitting at a table talking to each other with no camera movement or any other actors entering the shots, and it would still be interesting if you told an interesting story.

That's my advice, make the story interesting. With an interesting story you can have really bad cinematography and it would still work.

Look at Pi. Sure it has some great shots, but there are parts of that movie that the screen is pitch black and you have no idea what's going on. But everyone loves it because the story is interesting.

The dream sequence you posted sounds good. It's strange and obviously a dream. As long as it is an interesting part of the story it can work.

Poke
 
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First Rough Draft Ready

Well, for those of you who might be interested, I have finally completed a rough first draft of the script for this project.

If anyone would be interested in reading it, PM me and I will email you a PDF.

Just a reminder, I may or may shoot this in the 1:1 format hotly debated here a while back. But no matter how I shoot it, I want to have a solid script.

So, I guess this is where the rubber meets the road. Anyone interested in tearing into some fresh meat? Let me know. I look forward to your brutal honesty.
 
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I have already experimented the same concept

Hi to everyone
I just gone thorough the threads
I think I have already experimented the concept of shooting the 90 Min. feature in the weekday.
i.e. on sat. and sunday.
Let me share my experience with all of you.
First I have selected a suspence thriller play which was written and directed by me and well received by audience. Than I have converted it in to the screenlay.I know a person who allow me to shoot in his farmhouse for free. I visited the farmhouse and photograph every room,kitchen etc. Than I make the Changes in to the sreenplay.
I downloaded the 3d storyboard software "frame forge demo". It has a limitation of only 20 Shots.With this limitation I have completed the storyboard of my screenplay with actors and camera moves.It has now 78 scenes and 834 shots.
After that I Prepare the shooting schedule for 2 days.and 4 shifts.
I plan rehersals for one week.
Every one thought me as mad except my wife and my assistant. But I was determined to make the movie (shooting) in 2 days.
Upto here everything works as per the plan.But problem start as actual shooting start.I have hire a 3ccd dv camera.and overall 20 different lights.
There are numerous problems both technical and non technical .
In the end I have finished the shooting in 2 days and 5 shifts. But after i see the results I have decided to reshoot some of the scenes in other location which takes another 1 day and 2 shifts.
After that I have dumped the shooting in to my pc. I am now doing the editing with premier pro.
I have prepare the 1st rough version which was appreciated by our local critics.So IT IS POSSIBLE TO FINISH THE SHOOTING OF 90 MIN MOVIE IN 2-3 DAYS
I dont know how much my experience will help. But i feel like sharing with you.
Anti-climax.: I am planning a thriller in 16mm later blows to 35mm in 15-20 days schedule.with 24 ext. and 28 int. location and 5 songs.
 
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Have you considered mixing formats? The dream sequence seems like an ideal chance to switch formats. If this is the style of the script, maybe you shoot it mostly on 24p and then shoot the more vivid imagination stuff on 35mm. Maybe you can use your one weekend to shoot a portion of the film on 35mm and then stitch it together with the drab world of DV shot over a couple of weekends.

The only other off the wall idea I have to accomplish the work would be to shoot the film making the camera (think steadicam) one of the actors. If you rehearsed the heck out of it and did it all as a POV shot the audience might be more forgiving of mistakes, etc. Also, the lack of cutaways and cutting in general might be less painful. Movement of the camera could be choreographed into the blocking, possiby practicing on DV. At least it would not feel like you setup a camera and recorded a play.

That said, I have only seem one first person POV film and it was really lame. But maybe you can do better!

Update:
Whoa, didn't realize this thread was soo old!
 
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