Noob Indie Filmmaker making some life-critical decisions now

TruEsTaR

TruEsTaR

Hey all! I'm new to the site. Turned 21 years old last April.
Basically, I knew I wanted to dedicate the rest of my life to film when I was fourteen and I watched "Taxi Driver" for the first time. After that, I was obsessed..... A buddy told me to watch "Vertigo" and it swept me away. I saw "Star Wars", "Shawshank Redemption", and "Back to the Future" the following year. I bought a Super8 video camera at 15, but it was actually stolen from me at school.

I graduated high school in 07 and went to Toledo University for two years. I was meant to study film, but I didn't learn a thing aside from one great teacher I had who taught me about film theory. I dropped out the second semester of my sophomore year at age 20 so I could work for a year and study film on my own.

Since then I've watched thousands of classics, and some of the worst movies ever made. I studied everything about them. The lighting, cinematography, the script, editing, acting. Some of my favorite films include 8 1/2, The 400 Blows, The Red Shoes, The Conformist, La Strada, Synecdoche, New York, Ikiru, Band of Outsiders, Apocalypse Now, and Man with the Movie Camera.

Let me also throw in here that acting always interested me as well, I just don't have much training aside from a few college classes, writing a play for my class to perform in front of high schoolers in English class in college and being the lead, Being "Jesus" for my church when I was fourteen, and acting in a few high school plays.

I attended Dov S-S Simens "Two Day Film School" in Chicago last year from money that I had saved up, and he taught me a plethora of information. The only thing he didn't teach us was how to get investors, especially at the tender age of twenty-one years old.

After that, I purchased any book on screenwriting I could get my hand on. Mckee's "Story", The Screenwriting Bible, Save the Cat, The Syd Field books, and many others.... you get the idea.

I also made myself a promise that I would read a new screenplay, good or bad, every single day.

Recently, I took the cash I had saved up and bought an 27' IMAC and a Panasonic dvx100b video camera. I intend on teaching myself "Final Cut Pro", and I'm also getting very familiar with "Final Draft 8" because of the free trial.

I've lived in a small town in Ohio most of my life, and there isn't any jobs left here. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer or doctor, but I ignored them and I'm chasing my dream instead.

I honestly don't have the cash to go to film school, or a college like USC or UCLA. Nor do I think it would be completely necessary....

The dilemma I'm in right now is the fact that I'm 21, and I'm not getting any younger.... I'm stuck in this small town with all my friends gone or off at college, and all the jobs in Ohio are in the big cities. I don't know what decision to make, and no one around me could offer any type of guidance. I've been thinking about what to do for a year now....

Do I A). Join the military and try to get a job in film, save up money, and then afterwards make my first low-budget feature at 25-26ish?
B.) Try to get a job as a PA in Michigan, California, or New York and work my way up from the bottom in the next 4-5 years.
C.) Look for a mentor or an internship that will either pay nothing or very little so I can gain some valuable experience.
D.) Spend the next two years of my life working as a bartender, make short films and write screenplays on the side hoping that I sell one (It could take three months, one year, ten years, twenty years, thirty years, or it could never happen with selling a screenplay, you just never know....)
E.) Go back to a community college and finish up my associates and try to get my free ride scholarship back (it's only for schools in ohio.) Then either attend Ohio U, Cincinnati, or Bowling Green (Not going to happen), and finish up a degree. (I realize degrees are very helpful in many fields, but a guy who's worked in the industry 30 years told me degrees don't mean anything to filmmaking, it's all about experience and talent....)

I currently have about $3,000 left saved up, and I'm contemplating going to Mckee's "Story" seminar in New York on October 14, 15, 16, and 17th and staying with my buddy who recently moved down there. It would probably cost $1000 all together to do that....

My main thing is that I feel I have to relocate and leave my moms house (I've been here a year and I can't take it anymore).

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Nino
 
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Murdock said:
Etc. etc. etc. You could tell he felt the pain of his soul leaving his body as he made the annoucemnet. I don't know how to sell my soul to the devil, but he figured it out.
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I'm sick of everyone talking about him all the time and lebron dancing around in fog with bosh and wade on television.....

It was a plan of his a long time.... it dates years back from the u.s.a. olympic basketball team.
they made a pact to carry out LeBron's narcissistical master plan on getting rich.
 
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TruEsTaR said:
I'm sick of everyone talking about him all the time and lebron dancing around in fog with bosh and wade on television.....

It was a plan of his a long time.... it dates years back from the u.s.a. olympic basketball team.
they made a pact to carry out LeBron's narcissistical master plan on getting rich.
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I'm in Dallas and I want him to fail...miserably...I cant imagine how you guys in Ohio feel...That reminds me of a joke...What state is round on both ends and hi in the middle...O,,hi,,O...:)...Got that from Looney tunes :)
 
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ROC said:
I was serious! It would be a good documentary - I'd watch it.
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I grew up on a farm. I want to make a documentary about a straw bailing contest they hold in a fair each year. I could even make it into a melodrama instead of a documentary and add a bunch of cheesy plot points to it.

Another documentary I think I would KILL is to follow a competitive eater around the U.S. and expose to the world what their life is like
 
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When I first saw this thread, I thought to myself, hey, there's an opportunity to impart some of your wisdom on the rare young individual who actually wants to hear it. And then, directorik went and made anything I might say redundant, and/or meaningless. This about says it all:

directorik said:
Welcome to indietalk.

My advice is to STOP taking classes and start making movies. Just
short films with whatever video camera, crew and actors you can
find. The camera doesn’t have to be good the script doesn’t have
to be good the actors don’t need to be good and the crew doesn’t
need to be experienced. What you need to do now is to make movies.


An excellent idea. Any experience is good experience.

Another excellent idea. Many directors have gone this route.

I’m liking the pattern here. This is a great way to get some much
needed experience.

Another realistic choice. Making short films has launched many
careers. And you’re right, it could take a very short time or it
could never happen. The fact is no matter what choice you make at
this stage the outcome could be a career in a short time, in a few
years or never.

The guy told you the truth. A degree means almost nothing in
filmmaking. A director with several award winning short films and
no degree has an advantage over a director with a degree and no
award winning films.

But only YOU know if college is what will motivate you. Some
people feel going to college (any college) is a good thing. I
don’t. But only based on my experience. People who went to college
or film school have a different perspective. Both are realistic
and both can lead to a career in film.

Ya know, at some point we ALL leave the homestead to pursue our
career. Being in a city where there is a lot of film production
increases the chances that you will get jobs and meet people in
the industry.


That’s because there are no investors looking to invest in a
directors first film. Investors are looking to make their money
back so they tend to look for filmmakers who have a track record.
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If you're taking votes, mine goes to the big city (any big city).
 
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You took Dov Simens School, why don't you make a feature? Instead of taking a class, you already have some equipment. Make a simple script, recruit volunteers and make it.

You have the money, get the great script and your film is almost done. Use your 3k to feed your crew and send the film to festivals.
 
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I want to perfect my skills a bit before putting a lot of money into something.
Dov didn't say that 95% of us that took the course won't win sundance, the toronto festival, or cannes, nonetheless get into them.

I believe quite a few of us have the ability, but I want to know what i'm doing in all aspects. If I make 100 shorts in one year, i'll be much better off than a person making his first movie, in many ways. Taranto said that his first movie (I think it was in 1986) was his film school....

That's what I think Dov means most of the time. Making your first film (or many short films in my case) will be better for you than a film school.
 
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TruEsTaR said:
I want to perfect my skills a bit before putting a lot of money into something.
Dov didn't say that 95% of us that took the course won't win sundance, the toronto festival, or cannes, nonetheless get into them.

I believe quite a few of us have the ability, but I want to know what i'm doing in all aspects. If I make 100 shorts in one year, i'll be much better off than a person making his first movie, in many ways. Taranto said that his first movie (I think it was in 1986) was his film school....

That's what I think Dov means most of the time. Making your first film (or many short films in my case) will be better for you than a film school.
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getsmiley.php
 
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Wait.. im confused...

so if you want to make a movie/documentary why don't you just make one?.

this thread reminds me of my good friend/co worker. He really wants to be a filmmaker, and we talk about all day at work. He always says "Man.. i need to get home, and write that screenplay!". He gets home, and just watches tv, and goes to sleep..

I'm constantly trying to help him out, and tell him, if its such a pain in the *** for him to write the screenplay, just film ANYTHING! Film yourself walking to the main door, opening a fridge and pour a glass of milk! Thats already way better than saying "I want to be filmmaker".

Want to make a movie- you've got a camera.

get out.

record.

I've got nothing else to say lol

RANT!
After my friend gave me an idea that he wants to be a filmmaker, I wanted to help him out a bit to come up with some cool story. Next day my mind was going 100 mph, because it sounded so interesting to me, the process of making a movie, and letting people watch it.
Same night I got home after work, got a camera, living room lights, and made some weird video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYxHd7AIELc

Done. Ever since i got sucked into the filmmaking :-D

PS. "Rebel without the crew" is my friends book. He was surprised to find that as soon as I told him "I want to make a little short movie", that I actually went home, and made a short movie lol
 
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I cant speak for anyone else, but I know why I hesitate.
Its the embarrassment factor. Making movies IN PUBLIC is scary, its like really dull performance art made by "those people!" .. "Id NEVER do that in public" is very hard to get over. I still struggle with it.

I get butter flies in my stomach when I take my camera out at the park! What if someone sees me, they'll think I'm pretentious.. or what ever.. its a lot safer to just read this board and plan to make movies..

I think Im lucky, I a have lots of space around my place so I don't have to go anywhere..
 
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wheatgrinder said:
Its the embarrassment factor. Making movies IN PUBLIC is scary, its like really dull performance art made by "those people!" .. "Id NEVER do that in public" is very hard to get over. I still struggle with it.
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Unless it's the 'tarded uncle?


PS: I'm glad you at least got over your fear of being on camera! I'm still really proud of you for that :)
 
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dlevanchuk - I understand what you're saying bro and I agree with it. I'm just taking the steps I need to so I can create the BEST possible short film I can.

I've written a ton, but yes, I strive for perfection and have a fear of making something bad. That's probably why I've read too many books and studied too much. But I realize the only way to overcome this fear is to make movies now.

We're going through rehearsal today and going to shoot next week. Don't be surprised if the editing isn't perfect, but I'll do my best.

- d
 
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Truestar,
ibefore I made my very first short movie, I read a lot about camera positions, framing, lighting.... but when I had my friend (Kactor") standing infront of the camera, and when I pressed that big red "rec" button all of that i ve READ - kind of went away lol. The short movie turned into a disaster..

I said "oh well", and shot another one. It still sucked, but not as bad... then I did another one, third short, and I loved it! :) even other people (non relatives or girlfriend) and strangers thought it was good haha

So, from my own experience - of course, read and ask, but until you ll actualy do it - that's when real learning steps in :))
 
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It is kind of eerie how familiar your story is, TruEsTaR. I grew up in a farm town on the Michigan, Indiana, Ohio borders. I went away to college, got my film degree. I know a lot of people hate on college, especially indie filmmakers, but for me, my degree has been very helpful. I have used it to make a nice life for myself and my family. However, that life meant getting "real" jobs that sucked up a lot of time and energy, that left little in the tank to make my own stuff.

I recently quit my job as a web project manager because of the stress. Suddenly, I am in a similar situation as you again, at crossroads. I am 30 and have a young family. I spend about half of my time trying to lineup work and half working towards making movies again. It is a tough thing to juggle. My advice to you would be always remember what your goal is. You are going to have to make sacrifices in order to make ends meet, but don't sacrifice your dream. My hope is to be able to freelance for a while and give myself the flexibility to carve out real time for my movies, while still being able to provide for my family. I don't know how or if it will work out and I am really conflicted about juggling the two.

As a side note, as a former small-town boy, I recommend the big city. I have been in Chicago the last couple of years and it is wonderful. Michigan's film incentives have done a number on the amount of production happening here. A few years ago the scene was booming, but things have abated a bit. Don't get me wrong, there have been and continue to be some really big movies shot here. Chris Nolan's Batman movies, the latest Transformers, some Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn movies. The problem is that there are so many production folks in this town the competition is really stiff for that work.

Good luck to you.
 
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