What are some techno thrillers shot for under $50K

Okay thanks. Well I am taking the advice and not going to make it. I will just do shorts for now and continue to help others with theirs. If I can find a post FX specialist, I will do a sequence from the script to see what can be done on such a budget. But I am taking the advice and holding off. I want to do more research and watch more microbudget movies to see what is do-able and not do-able.
 
Okay thanks. I watched some of that movie. But I believe that movie could have been made better even for it's budget. For one thing, lighting, camera angle choices, and costume design, was just not as good in parts. Plus choosing to set it in a places that would have to greenscreened is not a good idea either.

However one of the main problems with this movie and D4 is that the the plots just don't seem that good or sophisticated. I'm not trying to brag that I know I wrote a really great thriller or anything. But are their any thrillers shot for 50,000 or under that have really good scripts with much higher and more sophisticated aspirations? Ones where the plot, actually really impresses you? Where the script is as ambitious and sophisticated like say... The Silence of the Lambs, or The Fugitive for example?
 
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Harmonica, after over 4,000 posts no one has seen a single short from you. You are so obsessed with perfection and terrified of making any mistakes you analyze everything to death.

One short, one (1) to five (5) minutes long, one location.

Check out all of the wonderful entries at the One Minute Film Festival where the shorts are literally one (1) minute or less.

http://www.filminute.com/page.php?page=17

Here's the 2012 winner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If3wzG43PD8


I don't care if it's a bad rip-off of Action League Now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azTEw_IDh18

The fun is in the low-budget, low-tech vibe approach.


My youngest daughter is/was a huge Harry Potter fan, and for a while was obsessed with "Potter Puppet Pals". Take a look; how much budget do you think was involved? How much in the way of expensive gear? Yet this particular episode has over fourteen million (14,000,000) views.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y18LUMkVt2Y


All we ever hear from you are plans for huge projects for which you will never have the budget. All we ever hear is you moaning about you could do this or that if only you had one or another piece of gear.

All you need is a clever idea, the absolute raw basics of technology, and the cajones to pull it off

FINISH something, God damn it!!!.
 
H44, you have actors, a camera, and an editing program. Make something. Your excuses are ridiculous.

"But I want to make something longer."
"But I don't have this piece of gear."
"But I don't have enough actors."
"I need to go through several SWAT training courses to make an action film."
"I need more money."
"My script requires..."
"I can't get actors."
"Color grading will be difficult."
"I'm having problems with color temperature."
"I'm not able to do this fancy shot."
"Filmmaking is hard."
 
harmonica44 said:
...are their any thrillers shot for 50,000 or under that have really good scripts with much higher and more sophisticated aspirations?
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Pretty much all films of all genres and all budgets have higher aspirations than their budgets, probably even mega-budget blockbusters!! But, what is asking post after post about other filmmakers' aspirations and abilities with their given budget going to tell you? Film making is a highly competitive business so it's wise to objectively compare your aspirations and abilities with others but you are NOT doing this because you have done nothing with which to compare. At this point H44, the ONLY thing you have is aspirations and unrealistic expectations because you have no idea what you personally are able to do with a given budget because you've never finished a film, even a short one!

G
 
rayw said:
He aspires to ask another question. :lol:
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No, if that were the case he'd have stated that he has a really good idea for a question along the lines of "To be on not to be, that is the question" but can we please give him some examples of questions this profound but using only 2 letters. Then when we tell him he needs more than two letter to phrase a good question, he'll tell us about a friend of his who has come up with a decent (in his opinion) question using only one letter! :)

G
 
Well I come up with another short film and do a casting call. A couple of years ago, I tried doing a short which never got finished cause we could never get the locations I was told I could have, and those actors did not want to work with me again after. That's why I strive for perfection and ask a lot of filmmaking questions, cause the more mistakes I make, the more actors will not want to work with me again, and I will have to move just to find actors who haven't heard of me, just so I have a chance to work with some again.

I don't want to make a bad short, and hurt my reputation even more, which is why I keep asking questions and doing as much research as I can. Right now I am helping others with their movies, but soon I will try to get something produced, with some actors. I only know the one right now in my city.
 
harmonica44 said:
Well I come up with another short film and do a casting call. A couple of years ago, I tried doing a short which never got finished cause we could never get the locations I was told I could have, and those actors did not want to work with me again after. That's why I strive for perfection and ask a lot of filmmaking questions, cause the more mistakes I make, the more actors will not want to work with me again, and I will have to move just to find actors who haven't heard of me, just so I have a chance to work with some again.

I don't want to make a bad short, and hurt my reputation even more, which is why I keep asking questions and doing as much research as I can. Right now I am helping others with their movies, but soon I will try to get something produced, with some actors. I only know the one right now in my city.
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The only way you are going to achieve perfection as a filmmaker is by making films, and learning from mistakes. Asking questions on the internet may help you, but picking up a camera, and shooting something is the only way you will truly improve. You're not going to start out making a masterpiece, you most likely will create a terrible short film. Then you do it again, and again, and again, and again...

Locations and actors are easier to find than you say it is. Rodriguez started out using family and friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InHgkJhvT_A

I knew you were going to make another excuse about actors, a certain shot, locations, etc.

H44, you have actors, a camera, and an editing program. Make something. Your excuses are ridiculous.

"But I want to make something longer."
"But I don't have this piece of gear."
"But I don't have enough actors."
"I need to go through several SWAT training courses to make an action film."
"I need more money."
"My script requires..."
"I can't get actors."
"Color grading will be difficult."
"I'm having problems with color temperature."
"I'm not able to do this fancy shot."
"Filmmaking is hard."
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At the stage you are at, you shouldn't be worrying about your reputation. You should be worrying about the fact you have basically done nothing.

If actors don't want to work with you, find other actors. Or use friends and family. It's not that hard.

Make a bad short. Yes, make a bad short. Get a feel of how of the camera works, and how to direct. Make another. IMPROVE. LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES.

I will give you a clap emoticon if your next thread is "Watch my new short film!"
 
Yeah okay. I know a couple of friends I can use maybe, if they can act. But I will keep looking for actors. It's just once you make a bad short, they won't want to come back likely. So I will have to keep looking for more and more. You say I am making excuses, but if the location owner changes his or her mind and says no, then what? If no is not an excuse how do I get the job done?

There is one short I want to make that is basically the opening of that same script. I will look for a post FX person then start casting.
 
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Oh yeah. For that shoot I took months looking for a new location and we all just gave up after that and dropped the project.

I will take a different approach this time. I will put on a suit and tie, and try to make myself look older and more mature. I will say that I am a movie producer (not someone shooting a movie), and have the location sign a contract if he or she agrees. I tried this once so far, and they asked what movies I have made and could they see them. I told them it was my first, and they weren't interested. So hopefully no one will ask next time.
 
harmonica44 said:
Oh yeah. For that shoot I took months looking for a new location and we all just gave up after that and dropped the project.
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Have a Plan B. Have a Plan C. Have a Plan D... etc. You get the idea. One of the greatest skills a filmmaker is being able to adapt to new locations, actors, and plans. If you are dead-set on your original vision, the project will most likely fail.

If you can not find a location: cut the scene, do some adjustments to the script, or shoot something else.

harmonica44 said:
I will take a different approach this time. I will put on a suit and tie, and try to make myself look older and more mature.
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:yes:

harmonica44 said:
I will say that I am a movie producer (not someone shooting a movie), and have the location sign a contract if he or she agrees. I tried this once so far, and they asked what movies I have made and could they see them. I told them it was my first, and they weren't interested. So hopefully no one will ask next time.
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Shoot short films at your house/apartment, your friend's houses/apartments, your family's house/apartments.
You could ask your friends if you could show their work pretending it is your own :lol: Seriously, that could work.
 
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I can do that. I don't have a lot of shoot time, since they all don't want to leave the house, or stay and be quiet for that long. I would have to do a scene in maybe 2-4 hours. I can do it, just have to minimize shot lists and work a lot more quickly. I am trying to plan on how to do a 12 hour shoot in 2 hours. Not just for friend's houses but every location owner does not want you their for that long they say. Not that I am complaining, I am just saying I am trying to figure out how to work quickly. I tried a scene shoot a few weeks ago, with friends, not actors or anything but we couldn't get the hang of working that quickly as of yet.
 
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poor h44 is taking a beating haha.

I personally have spent forever in preproduction hell too.. studying scripts, writing my own, learning editing and film grammar, photography, lighting, watching a ton of classic films, meditating on the idea of story.

It's a lot to take on and I understand where he's coming from. I don't want to release crap, I'm too old for that lol. Not a kid anymore. I have a really great script that I put time into, even if it is only three pages :)

but I have the script now and I believe in it.. i have the storyboards, and I have a burning desire to tell the story and I am going to do that one way or another.. even if the sound has to be recorded from my cell phone tied to a broom. sorry alcove :)
 
harmonica44 said:
I can do that. I don't have a lot of shoot time, since they all don't want to leave the house, or stay and be quiet for that long. I would have to do a scene in maybe 2-4 hours. I can do it, just have to minimize shot lists and work a lot more quickly. I am trying to plan on how to do a 12 hour shoot in 2 hours. Not just for friend's houses but every location owner does not want you their for that long they say. Not that I am complaining, I am just saying I am trying to figure out how to work quickly. I tried a scene shoot a few weeks ago, with friends, not actors or anything but we couldn't get the hang of working that quickly as of yet.
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What about your house/apartment?
 
sfoster said:
poor h44 is taking a beating haha.

I personally have spent forever in preproduction hell too.. studying scripts, writing my own, learning editing and film grammar, photography, lighting, watching a ton of classic films, meditating on the idea of story.

It's a lot to take on and I understand where he's coming from.
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But after three years and over 4,000 posts you would think he would actually complete something........
 
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