photographer transitioning to motion picture on limited budget; help?!

marko mijailovic

marko mijailovic

hi everyone,

first post here.

a little about me... i'm a 24 year old toronto-based fashion + portrait photographer who's looking to make the transition into motion picture. film is something i've always been very passionate about, but also equally intimidated by; i guess i still am to an extent.

the other day at one of my fashion shoots for a magazine i decided to shoot some video. the idea was to just create some supplementary footage for the still editorial. sure enough, i fell in love with it (shooting video) and the response has been terrific, encouraging me to invest myself more into the world of film.

you can see my first attempt here- again, keep in mind this was just shot as supplementary footage to a photo editorial so there's no storyline present (nsfw):

https://vimeo.com/86027274

before i go on, i guess i should mention what gear i currently have/am using: nikon d800, sigma 50mm f/1.4, nikon 28mm f/1.8, nikon 85mm f/1.8, and manfrotto 504hd + 546b (bought the other day).

i've got several ideas for films i'd like to create- i've been burning up with inspiration lately after almost a year off-, but don't really know where to start. that's where i was hoping you knowledgable lot could help me out.

i'm mainly looking to create short fashion films (sub-five minutes) with very little to no dialogue, so don't want to focus much on audio gear. what little dialogue there will be, i will record with my music recording gear (condenser mic-> interface-> logic) and dub over the visuals + music. my films will- 90% of the time- focus on visuals.

in terms of lighting, i'd prefer to stick to natural light as the costs of film lighting just plain scares me (and my sad wallet). i guess this kind of ties into my next bit... i'd like to stick to prime lenses only due to ability to shoot in lower light- that and i just don't like zooms much.

specifically, i was hoping you guys could help me decide on what pieces of gear to get next (read: which are most needed)... my very next purchase will most likely be a slider (thinking kessler or cinevate), but what after that?
do i need a matte box, follow focus, rod/rail system, external monitor, shoulder rig, etc. etc.?

before i started reading up much, i thought a shoulder rig was all i'd need, but then i searched up footage done with shoulder rigs (which is i guess the majority of footage) and i found it to be only slightly less jittery than hand holding the camera... so then i looked into steadi/glidecams, but the disadvantage there was inability to focus while moving... i love the effortless fluidity they provide in longer tracking shots, but i could only see myself using the with a very wide lens. is there any rig that will give me steadicam smoothness with shoulder rig control over focus?

in terms of lenses, what are some you'd recommend? i've heard good things about the zeiss line of lenses for nikon. a friend who works in film recommended the 1.4/55 otus, but that thing costs more than what i'm looking to spend on the entire rig!

back to audio for a bit... i do have one (documentary) project where i'll be interviewing people on the streets that'll require some clean and crisp audio. would something like a zoom h4 + lav mic do the trick or should i look elsewhere? would also like to be able to record environment/atmosphere sounds.

i'll leave it at that for now since i feel i've already gone on more than i should.

any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

marko m.
 
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Welcome!
Don't be scared by some harsh comments.

marko mijailovic said:
P.S. Your bit where you say there is no writing underneath to clarify... If you were better versed in the world of (high) fashion you'd not be making that statement as the footage is clearly that- fashion. I don't know what kind of porn you're watching...
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This is an interesting lesson for everyone: when someone is really deep into a 'subculture' or a 'business branch' other people may not understand that reality. So there are 2 thing someone can do: make it understandable or keep it an 'incrowd thing'.
Don't cry 'they don't understand me', although it may be true. ;)

Pr0n is a bit of a harsh statement (I think, as a Dutchman), but that definition varies around the globe. (And there probably is pr0n like this somewhere, lol.)
But you can't deny a part of the 'high fashion scene' has elements of erotica and fetishism.
Bondage-inspired wardrobe (and Marlies Dekkers inspired as well), latex gloves...
It's hard to see the blurry lines between those things when you are in the middle of it.
And it's hard to see there are any lines when you stand on the outside.
Do you know G. Argentini? (Who is clearly inspired by Helmut Newton.)
Your video looks a bit like his pictures. (All NSFW, btw)
(I think it looks nice. It's always easier to make eyecandy with beautiful people on nice locations, but still people can mess that up.
Yes, it's 'just some atmospheric video'. And I understand people in the scene will like it.)

More than gear you'll need to think about a story next time. Keep it simple and grow in the process.

And read about copyright and music, so you won't get in trouble :)
 
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Some of you people need to learn some manners, simple as that. I thought one or two of you were very harsh and rude. Its hard to take advice from someone who is being so condescending even if that advice is right. Dont blame the guy for giving up on this forum after reading some of the responses. He clearly stated in his opening post the video was just some test shots to accompany the photos he took and didnt have any story to it, yet some people still decided to tear it him apart for not having a story, bloody hell people. It's no different to doing a simple cinematography test. Some of you need to stop being so high and mighty and be more respectful, we were all newbies once.

In regards to the video yeah I got bored and turned it off in under 2 minutes, but I'm gonna judge it for what it essentially is - a series of cinematography test shots edited together. From reading the opening post I knew not to expect a story and thats exactly what I got. I thought it was quite nicely shot, certainly nicer than a lot of the stuff I've seen here so don't give up and maybe try turning those cinematography skills into being able to tell a story.

Dont get too obsessed with gear, you already have great gear. Maybe a shoulder rig/cage would be a good addition.
 
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FantasyFilmProductions said:
Well....what can I say....I think we killed him. But if he wriggles, someone give him another kick just to be sure.
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That post seriously p**sed me off. So treating some newbie like that is okay. It's not.

If you weren't being serious when you wrote that and were trying to be funny, then don't - many people will take that statement literally; like I did.

FantasyFilmProductions said:
Warning:
Anything posted on this site can lead to debates and disagreements.
Please put on your big boy pants before entering. if in doubt. don't post.
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No, we're supposed to be very lenient towards the newbies.
 
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IndiePaul said:
That post seriously p**sed me off. So treating some newbie like that is okay. It's not.

If you weren't being serious when you wrote that and were trying to be funny, then don't - many people will take that statement literally; like I did.



No, we're supposed to be very lenient towards the newbies.
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I thought it was obvious that I was trying to be funny, given that if you read my posts to the guy, I was in no way rude or offensive...I was more then lenient, and was trying to be helpful. Even when he snapped back at me I remained passive. I'll say the same to you that I did to him...I'm sorry if I have offended you. That was not my intention.
 
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indietalk said:
:welcome:

For the record any members that troll or are rude to newbies will be immediately banned. You chase members away... you go away.

This is a place where we welcome members and help, or you can go back to YouTube.



Thank you!
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What's wrong with youtube?
On peoples defense, it seems to me that he just didn't hear what he wanted to hear and began attacking all of us.
And in fairness to all, i'm not a big fan of photographers who jump into film just to get extra money. They put a shame into motion picture.
 
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We'll vincent laforet might have something to say about that :P

The thing is he didnt start attacking anyone, he only defended himself to the people who were giving rude and unconstructive advice which then became heated. He was also saying how he stated in his first post that there is no storyline, it is just a series of test shots - a totally valid point that people seemed to be ignoring. I'd also get frustrated if people were being so blind to the obvious.

I only care because ive had the same treatment to me before on this forum which put me off posting any of my work here ever since.
 
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rogypro said:
What's wrong with youtube?
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Youtube is good (for what it is, definitely), but there is a lot of garbage in the site, and to say the least, the majority of commenters lack professionalism and well... ability to give constructive feedback or talk kindly to someone that disagrees with them. Not to mention the trolls, spam, and jerks.

ajedproduction said:
The thing is he didnt start attacking anyone, he only defended himself to the people who were giving rude and unconstructive advice which then became heated. He was also saying how he stated in his first post that there is no storyline, it is just a series of test shots - a totally valid point that people seemed to be ignoring. I'd also get frustrated if people were being so blind to the obvious.

I only care because ive had the same treatment to me before on this forum which put me off posting any of my work here ever since.
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Agreed.
 
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ajedproduction said:
We'll vincent laforet might have something to say about that :P

The thing is he didnt start attacking anyone, he only defended himself to the people who were giving rude and unconstructive advice which then became heated. He was also saying how he stated in his first post that there is no storyline, it is just a series of test shots - a totally valid point that people seemed to be ignoring. I'd also get frustrated if people were being so blind to the obvious.

I only care because ive had the same treatment to me before on this forum which put me off posting any of my work here ever since.
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Thats not quite accurate...I was neither rude nor unconstructive when he became heated.

aaah well, I'm over it.
 
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Sometimes I just don't get what all the hubub is about. There was absolutely no reason to give this guy such harsh responses. If you wanna give constructive critiques, make it constructive.

As far as the nudity is concerned, I think it's worth noting that women have boobs, and most of the world doesn't share America's puritan views on nudity.

I think the video is shot nicely. It's clear that the OP comes from a photography background, as everything is framed up quite well.

Marko, I disagree with your thoughts on lighting. I've shot plenty of stuff with natural light, but every time I've done so, it's been at the sacrifice of quality. If you want your product to look good, you gotta light it.

And there's no need to spend a million dollars on lights. With a little research and ingenuity, you can build a DIY light kit for not much money at all.

Also, though I know you weren't attempting to tell any kind of story, I do have one critique for this video you've posted. I think it should be cut much more rapidly. Regardless of your reason for shooting/showing the video, I think you still want to hold people's interests, no? You can show beautiful imagery, but each image only holds the audience's attention for so long. In my opinion, you linger a bit too much, and would benefit by keeping things more tight.

Welcome to filmmaking, and best of luck! :)
 
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Marko, very nice work. I liked the models and the nudity. It felt chic, sexy, and cool. I like the music you chose for it too. It did get a little ho-hum for me about three quarters of the way in. But that's just because it did lack any real change. But it still looked lovely throughout. I thought the lighting actually turned out quite nice and interesting, whether that was through design or with a bit of serendipity. But I'm sure CF is right about considering the use of lights and modifiers.

I am not jumping on the bandwagon with the "you must have a story" in you videos. That's not what you were trying to do with the above video. I like what Jax recommended, though. You might consider maybe even just implying the hint of a narrative in future fashion videos. Doing so might give them just that little bit more of an umpf, a touch of magic, or a hook, so to speak, to knock them outta the park, if that's your sorta thing.

I guess it sounds like you already have a nice tripod? Is one of your heads a nice pan & tilt fluid head? Though I suppose that a tripod won't be of much help in such a shot included above where you're trying to move with your models.

This reminds of another thread a short while back in which folks assumed the newbie poster was just a hit-and-run self-promoter. That was apparently not the case. But folks proceeded to trounce him. It was unfriendly, to say the least.

I was glad to see Indiepaul's, Indietalk's, Jax's, and Ajed's comments. They were a kind of antidote to the hostilities.

Hollywood and the filmmaking industry generally may be ugly, rough and tumble, mean, and cutthroat. I get that. But I don't see why that should mean Indietalk.com needs to be too. You can say your excuse is that you're "just tellin' it like it is." Or that, "Hey, it's mean out there. I gotta be cruel to be kind." But you know, there's also the possibility that you're just being an @#$%^&.

FantasyFilmProductions said:
I was kind, I was gentle, and the guy came back peeved lol....
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I can't agree with you, FFP. First, the gist of your first sentence is that Marco's video may be a porno. Even better, you say it might be an ad for a brothel.

That sounds exactly like a put down. Usually, when you call somebody's work a porno or an ad for prostitution, like say that of a fashion photographer who is clearly trying to present a fashion shoot piece, then it's an insult.

Later, you imply his model looks like a hooker, though he's clearly stated that the video short he shared with us is not a short story about a hooker, nor about anything. It's not a story.

Now, any good photographer with even a little bit of integrity, and who cares about his models and how they're received, treated, and spoken about is almost by definition going to take that as insult, first to his model, then to himself. I know if I were in his shoes, that would have stirred my blood.

I wouldn't be surprised if that's in part where Marko was coming from.

So Marko didn't take it lying down. I don't blame him. Still, all in all, he managed to keep his response relatively measured, and pretty much civil. Good on you, Marko.

YouTube is good for posting and sharing videos.

And this is what makes YouTube suck compared to I.T.
 
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Richy...I disagree. I did not mean it as an insult, nor would I take it as an insult if somebody said that about my work if I made such a clip. For me, I don't care if its porn, brothel related, or fashion, its all just footage to me and I don't judge those that make any of the above footage, or are involved in any of the above work. Its all legal in my country anyway so there isn't any social stigma attached. Perhaps thats where I went wrong. I didn't have the same attitude toward whatever it was that you say you would take as an insult.

So for me I look at it purely as footage, and for me I could not decide which kind of footage it was. In the same way if you had a horror with lots of drama and comedy, I would also be confused and point that out in the same way.

The only thing I would take offence to is that somebody found my work confusing, but then I would look at it, see if they have a point, and change it accordingly if I felt that they did.
 
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