Need help with first short.

C

calif0rnian

I'm in the makings of writing my second short 3-5 minutes. I'm finding it fairly difficult to write something cool but also plausible in terms of shooting. Living in California there are tons of opportunity, but it seems I can't come up with any ideas that are actually doable.

This is a no-budget film for my film class I'm trying to do. One of my screenplay's involves a camp fire, which is illegal most places here unless you have a fire pit, which in my opinion ruins everything.

Anyone got any good ideas to what I can do? I've been playing around with tons of ideas, but I'm getting shut down when calling to find it out if I can film at that location.
 
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I actually wrote something amazing today, I think it's amazing at least thanks to one small idea that gave spark to something great.

How does one proceed with filming areas that are owned by the government? Do they tend to waive the fee's for that when it's just a no-budget student film?

What about Alcatraz? *no it's not going to be another the rock*

I'll let you know when / if I get the permit. If not I might just say f it and do it anyway.
 
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It is illegal to shoot pretty much anything anywhere, without proper permits, blah blah blah, whatever. That doesn't stop a million people, all over the place, from shooting grand projects, 100% guerrilla. Yours truly included.

Fuck a permit. Just write a cool story, and shoot it wherever the hell you think you can get away with it. Which is pretty much everywhere. Just don't get dangerous, with weapon-play, or whatever.
 
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calif0rnian said:
How does one proceed with filming areas that are owned by the government? Do they tend to waive the fee's for that when it's just a no-budget student film?

What about Alcatraz? *no it's not going to be another the rock*

I'll let you know when / if I get the permit. If not I might just say f it and do it anyway.
Click to expand...

There are usually no fees required to shoot on public land in California. Insurance
is required and sometimes you must pay for a security guard. As a student, some
schools have the required insurance. Ask them. You have many options available
to you as a student that you will not have after you graduate so take advantage
of them now.

http://www.filmsf.org/
 
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Ok so, here's thing thing. I want to shoot at Point Reyes. A lighthouse in Marin. It seems like an amazing location for one of my stories. Another would be in Fort Ord and the USS Hornet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2bFXT0OXKk

The story is about a crazy man living in a lighthouse. He keeps on checking the weather.
On a table / or in is pocket depending on permission here.. he has photos of shipwrecks. He looks at them, laughs and then looks disappointed.
Later... he wakes up hearing a ship horn. camera shot closes up on his face as he has a huge grin and a tear runs down his face.

I appreciate you guys taking your time explaining all of this to me.

Edit: I got a call back from the guys over there and they told me it was fine I just had to apply for a permit and pay $50 instead of $200.

Ian
 
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Have to think outside the box a little.

An establishing shot of the exterior of the lighthouse (which you could probably easily get without a permit), then everything else inside at a more accesible location that PLAYS for a lighthouse. Just one suggestion for how you have to approach the problem.
 
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I actually got permission to film at Point Reyes,( the lighthouse). Which is great., but I still can't go outside the public boundaries.. :( but I'll work with it. I wish I could get an actor in his 50s to star as the lighthouse guy.. but I'll just have to work with what I got.
:) I'm excited.
 
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