I am a screenwriter that has written four features and working on my fifth. Not having any luck selling my scripts nor having any luck landing an agent. Am thinking about trying to make one of my features but don't know where to start. What kind of equipment do I need, software to edit, actors, directors, etc. Have 20k to use. Any advice.
Want to make movie, need help
- Thread starter wilmywood
- Start date
you get something which is priceless from making a short first.....experience....im in a similar boat...my feature is close to getting commissioned....made 2 SHort Films during a Director Weekend Course recently...and it showed me im not ready to direct a Feature, so im looking too shoot a few shorts over coming months to see how I am progressing.....Experience is more important than talent etc (in my eyes)...shoot several Short Films with different crews, see what works, what doesn't...whats your style, etc...you'll improve your Feature, if you make it, greatly
That's why you don't invest a lot of money in a short.
Make it really cheap and a decent youtube quality.
For a feature, in a lot of cases, it's better to rent a camera or hire a DP that has his own equipment. Same for the audio side.
Considering that, for a short you should try to get away with whatever you can. You could use a HD cell phone with some basic stabilization or borrow a camera for the short.
Cheapest lighting would be filming outdoors and using a reflector panel, indoors would be a chinese lantern although they are limited in usage and brightness.
Audio yeah you would probably want to buy some some of basic recorder, like a h4n (we have some very experienced audio people that can chime in with better advice than me). With an audio recorder you don't necessarily need a nice mic to plug it in.. the ultra cheap route is to put the recorder itself on a boom pole and then use directly it that way.
What a HORRIBLE professor.
You get so much from a short. You get even more from several shorts.
You should distance yourself from that professor. Read some bios of
directors you admire. They all made shorts. And they all learned from
them.
Can you afford the best? I'll give you a list.
I'm going to watch a movie called "How not to make a horror film" at the end of the month. It sounds like it could be a similar story to you. They started a film with a $30k budget. Ended up spending $57k and walked away without a film.
It's a piece of string question.
You'll need to break down your film into it elements. That way you will work out what you need. How do you know what you'll need after you break it down? Through experience.
What will you need? All the cast, crew and equipment needed to tell your story within the confines of your budget.
A single thread is only going to give you enough information to do you harm.
It's a school of thought. While I lean more towards your opinion, their argument has some merit, though most who teach that method tend to be a little "light on the details" and focus on the producing side, instead of the creative or technical side.
I wish the OP the best of luck on his journey.
The guy who wrote whiplash had two producers but they didn't have enough to turn it into a feature so they created a short film of it instead (but they already had JK Simmons for the short), they showed it at sundance and then it was turned into a feature.
So it looks like shortfilms are the way to go. I think JK Simmons was the one who probably carried the short film/script so you have to make sure you go all out on the short film with good actors and really make it seem interesting.
So it looks like shortfilms are the way to go. I think JK Simmons was the one who probably carried the short film/script so you have to make sure you go all out on the short film with good actors and really make it seem interesting.
Chances are big that your very first movie, long or short, will be not perfect (that's an eufemism).
That's why it is better to start with a short: it saves you time, money and effort to learn not to make the same mistakes next time.
Imagine working for a year on a feature finding out you made some basic mistakes, because you were inexperienced, while you could have learned that in 2 months time as well.
That's why your professor is wrong.
He's only right if he is talking about the chances to sell a short vs selling a feature.
But aside from that you have a lot to gain from shorts: experience, skills, network, portfolio, style and credebility (that you actually can finish something).
The best camera is the camera you have access to now, so you can start getting your toes wet and dive deeper and deeper into filmmaking.
The first thing I made was shot on a webcam at 200x150 resolution
(It was the year 2000, I was a student without money or gear)
Was it great?
No
Was it fun?
YES
Did I learn from it?
DEFINITELY
And the storyboard plus 'trailer' helped me getting into artschool to study audiovisual design (aka filmmaking)
That's why it is better to start with a short: it saves you time, money and effort to learn not to make the same mistakes next time.
Imagine working for a year on a feature finding out you made some basic mistakes, because you were inexperienced, while you could have learned that in 2 months time as well.
That's why your professor is wrong.
He's only right if he is talking about the chances to sell a short vs selling a feature.
But aside from that you have a lot to gain from shorts: experience, skills, network, portfolio, style and credebility (that you actually can finish something).
The best camera is the camera you have access to now, so you can start getting your toes wet and dive deeper and deeper into filmmaking.
The first thing I made was shot on a webcam at 200x150 resolution
(It was the year 2000, I was a student without money or gear)
Was it great?
No
Was it fun?
YES
Did I learn from it?
DEFINITELY
And the storyboard plus 'trailer' helped me getting into artschool to study audiovisual design (aka filmmaking)
It's time for Uncle Bob to give his obligatory advice...
Don't be in a hurry to buy a lot of gear. What you want to do is make a film. Instead of straining your budget and straining your brain learning all about cameras, production sound, lighting, etc., etc., etc., "hire" people who already have the gear and know how to use it. You're the director, but instead of running the camera yourself you'll have a DP; instead of handing off the production sound to a friend and hoping for the best you'll have someone who knows their way around a boom-pole. Probably a 1st AD to keep you organized and a few sharp PAs.
At the low/no/mini/micro budget level everyone wants something for nothing, but a financial show of respect goes a long way. At least pay travel expenses and take really good care of them (great food, craft table, etc.). If you can give, at the least, the cast leads and the key crew a stipend your people will work really hard for you. Work with an editor and someone who does audio post. Same rules apply - treat 'em good. Keep in touch but don't pester; actually, the good ones at any level give you regular progress reports anyway.
Your script needs to be solid and realistically shootable (i.e. within your budget). You need to preproduce the hell out of it. Back-ups and redundancies and Plans C & D. And at the end, instead of frustration, a pile of half-understood gear, and a crappy short you will have a decently shot project that sounds okay. The quality of the creative components - script, acting, directing - is up to you. But you will actually be directing, not fighting technology, while trying to shoot and post your project.
You are investing 20 ,ooo.
even each movie cost 5,000. it's great.
you got your 4 movies done.
point is, are you sure your script are best.
when you know you are investing that big amount, then my suggestion would be:
first movie :
get best script and unit and produce movie.
assistant director /assistant camera man(learn this job)
producer and market for your movie(most important to learn)
second movie:
Write dailog for the best script.
asst director/asst cameraman.
look if you can get money back from what you have invested.
third movie:
some one else best script,
your direction.
do audition.
Expect actors who want great showreel for their profile take part.
get great script, convince them to pay 1000 or 1500 to bag the main lead role.
If the lead is of 2/3 , then easy to earn almost 3/5 thousand from them itself.
screen movie on local television if possible.
they won't agree.sell it for free telecast.
convince somehow , and do it.
fourth movie:
your script
your direction.
If possible ,do start to act in your movie.
compelling story with 1/2 characters , try to offer roles for new ones want to be serious in acting field and also earn from them.
1000 dollar =lead role !!!!
it's lucky draw for them !!!
the business section might ruin your interest to make movie.
when you have thought of spending all money on making movie, then just do it.
even each movie cost 5,000. it's great.
you got your 4 movies done.
point is, are you sure your script are best.
when you know you are investing that big amount, then my suggestion would be:
first movie :
get best script and unit and produce movie.
assistant director /assistant camera man(learn this job)
producer and market for your movie(most important to learn)
second movie:
Write dailog for the best script.
asst director/asst cameraman.
look if you can get money back from what you have invested.
third movie:
some one else best script,
your direction.
do audition.
Expect actors who want great showreel for their profile take part.
get great script, convince them to pay 1000 or 1500 to bag the main lead role.
If the lead is of 2/3 , then easy to earn almost 3/5 thousand from them itself.
screen movie on local television if possible.
they won't agree.sell it for free telecast.
convince somehow , and do it.
fourth movie:
your script
your direction.
If possible ,do start to act in your movie.
compelling story with 1/2 characters , try to offer roles for new ones want to be serious in acting field and also earn from them.
1000 dollar =lead role !!!!
it's lucky draw for them !!!
the business section might ruin your interest to make movie.
when you have thought of spending all money on making movie, then just do it.
you got great english command in grammer.
hahahaha\
wish i had written skit in good english to impress you !!!
only attraction in your videos these days is ur gf.
like the dailogs in your videos.
what about that teen cute solo singer.
still that teen girl could have been great attraction too , if joined.
-------------------
and misster mrpink89 , well cum too my klub.
you got great english command in grammer.
hahahaha\
wish i had written skit in good english to impress you !!!
only attraction in your videos these days is ur gf.
like the dailogs in your videos.
what about that teen cute solo singer.
still that teen girl could have been great attraction too , if joined.
-------------------
and misster mrpink89 , well cum too my klub.
This is a reply.
to mussomn
with that much equipped and unit , you could have made good movies.
most are jealous of you .
you got that team.
with that much equipped and unit , you could have made good movies.
most are jealous of you .
you got that team.
I too am jealous of the huge team he has helping him out on his videos.