What Creates Production Value?

cameronchapman

cameronchapman

I have a vague idea of what goes into production value (talent, cinematography, editing, SOUND, etc.), but not really any concrete ideas as to how to improve production value, short of spending millions of dollars (which I would gladly spend if someone wants to give them to me).

I'm planning to film a drama feature next fall (and will hopefully be shooting a handful of shorts and possibly a web series between now and then), and want to maximize production value to increase my chances of getting distribution/getting into festivals/not embarrassing myself :cool:.

So, going on the basis that this is a drama film without any complex sets, no special effects, etc., what would you do to increase the production value? What gives you the most bang for your buck? What's the least effective thing to spend your limited funds on?

Let's also assume that the budget for this is likely going to be under $50,000, though possibly could go as high as $100,000. And let's also assume that I'm not opposed to begging if that will get things done/get me things for free. :yes:
 
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I think that production value simply grows from a meticulous approach to filmmaking.

An obsessive-compulsive approach to pre-production is certainly key, because that's going to allow you to get the most bang for your buck while shooting, which needs to be somewhat fast (but not so fast that you don't get what you need to get).

That same OCD spirit needs to be carried throughout the production and post-production processes. Don't settle for second-best if you can do much better with only a slight amount of increased time and effort. Be extremely critical of your own work, and always be looking for things to fix or improve, especially if such improvements can be done in a cost-effective fashion (and this is where experience really helps). Don't spend money on things you don't need, only on what actually makes the film better.

Keep in mind that you want to be proud of what you show to people, and don't ever want to have to excuse any element of the film after the fact.

My outlook, anyway. And I'll bet you already have a lot of this kind of attitude going for you anyway -- am I right?
 
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DirtyPicturesTV said:
I think that production value simply grows from a meticulous approach to filmmaking.

An obsessive-compulsive approach to pre-production is certainly key, because that's going to allow you to get the most bang for your buck while shooting, which needs to be somewhat fast (but not so fast that you don't get what you need to get).

That same OCD spirit needs to be carried throughout the production and post-production processes. Don't settle for second-best if you can do much better with only a slight amount of increased time and effort. Be extremely critical of your own work, and always be looking for things to fix or improve, especially if such improvements can be done in a cost-effective fashion (and this is where experience really helps). Don't spend money on things you don't need, only on what actually makes the film better.

Keep in mind that you want to be proud of what you show to people, and don't ever want to have to excuse any element of the film after the fact.

My outlook, anyway. And I'll bet you already have a lot of this kind of attitude going for you anyway -- am I right?
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I think I've got the OCD pre-production thing down. I haven't even finalized the script yet (sending it out for coverage next week), and I've already done breakdowns and budgets just to "practice". :rolleyes:
 
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I cannot stress Pre-Production enough. Make sure you have every single aspect of production planned out and planned out to the T.

My last piece of advice... take time to make sure your sets are FULLY (100%) designed. Indie filmmakers tend to forget that everything needs to be pre-planned and coordinated. Color palettes are HUGE.
 
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DeJager said:
I cannot stress Pre-Production enough. Make sure you have every single aspect of production planned out and planned out to the T.

My last piece of advice... take time to make sure your sets are FULLY (100%) designed. Indie filmmakers tend to forget that everything needs to be pre-planned and coordinated. Color palettes are HUGE.
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This is actually great news for me, because I'm obsessive about planning. I love doing it. I love lists and spreadsheets and agendas (yes, I realize how much of a dork this makes me). I've already got a notebook set up in Evernote to keep track of ideas for this feature, and I add to them everyday (and the start of principal photography is still over 13 months away), plus spreadsheets set up in Google Docs for budget items and other spreadsheet-y things.
 
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Get great locations. A cool vista can shore up some weak spots too.

Avoid the "White wall of death" -- the plain white wall you see in some dramas, usually accompanied by two people sitting on a couching talking at each other.
 
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I think one thing that is sometimes overlooked is the visual communication in the shots. Using the correct angles to give the scene the proper emotional response from the audience. Its so subtle that the audience generally never even notices it but has a huge effect on everything. Same can be said about sound design and color, so on so on.

I think thats a good low budget way to increase visual performance with your audience.
 
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Hi, Cameron

What are your distribution or promotion plans with the final product?
Theatrical or DTV?

You know distributors are going to be very unlikely to distribute to even a pair of theaters without a B or C star in it, and even then... kinda paltry.

http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=34549

What are your expectations for spending $50 to $100K?
That puts you well into no-mans-land for any return.

Regarding the overt intent of the original post: Craft a d@mn good story.
Not a rehash of a known winner, although that might help.
Create a supremely unique story, buttoned up, and miserable.
Indie films seem to subsist on dark, miserable fare the studios shun. ;)
 
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rayw said:
Hi, Cameron

What are your distribution or promotion plans with the final product?
Theatrical or DTV?

You know distributors are going to be very unlikely to distribute to even a pair of theaters without a B or C star in it, and even then... kinda paltry.

http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=34549

What are your expectations for spending $50 to $100K?
That puts you well into no-mans-land for any return.

Regarding the overt intent of the original post: Craft a d@mn good story.
Not a rehash of a known winner, although that might help.
Create a supremely unique story, buttoned up, and miserable.
Indie films seem to subsist on dark, miserable fare the studios shun. ;)
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My absolute top priority is to get someone with at least a recognizable face into the film. That's where most of the budget will be spent: paying people (including paying travel expenses and lodging for anyone not local). Locations I can beg/borrow (I wrote it with that in mind). I'll be filming in an area that doesn't require permits. Set dressing and props can pretty much all be found in thrift stores with the exception of a couple things, which I think I can borrow. The rest of the budget is mostly going into craft services and equipment rentals (I'll either rent from a rental house or from my DP/sound mixer/boom op/etc. if they have their own equipment).

My biggest goal is to be able to pay everyone working on the film a livable wage. I'm aiming for a minimum of $200/day for both cast and crew (that will have to include benefits if I'm forced to go SAG), though I'd love to be able to pay double that.

I'd love theatrical distribution, but I'm also looking into all sorts of other options, including online and VOD (similar to what Magnolia is doing). I've considered doing something along the lines of what Kevin Smith did with Red State, and doing a national tour to promote it (I've been looking for an excuse to buy an RV and travel around the country anyway). I'm still working on the business plan, but I'll have a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C in place for distribution prior to doing anything.

As for the story, it's basically the "real life" version of most romantic comedies. You know the ones: girl goes home after years away and her high school sweetheart is still around but he's become all successful in her absence and once she finds that out she does nothing but swoon? Well, from my experience, most guys who were losers in high school, are still losers ten years later. So what does she do then?

It's different from the usual storyline while still being familiar (so then it's easier to market because you can say it's like movies X, Y, and Z, but different).
 
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cameronchapman said:
What gives you the most bang for your buck?
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Move the camera AND TRIPOD after every take, good or bad. Do not shoot take after take until you get the perfect take. Its better to have 10 DIFFERENT angles of the same scene to choose from and edit the bets parts together combined with the use of cutaways, you'll nearly always have a perfect scene without having to get the perfect "one shot take".



What's the least effective thing to spend your limited funds on?
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Cranes, dollies and other gizmos that consume time to set up. Its better to just keep moving the camera and shooting more takes. Besides, crane, dolly and other such motion shots don't always edit together well, so by gosh, that crane shot HAS to be perfect or you can't use it.

Good luck.
 
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It's a style and aesthetic choice for sure. What I like is not what everyone else likes, but all static or even worse all handheld shots, to me, screams "amateur". The fact that jibs, cranes, dollys, etc... tend to up the "production value" is precisely because they take a while to set up, and require a large measure of planing. Spray and pray filming has it's place for sure, and digital has made that style possible, but that doesn't make it the best approach. To each his own.
 
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Gonzo_Entertainment said:
What I like is not what everyone else likes, but all static or even worse all handheld shots, to me, screams "amateur". .
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I think static shots are safe, as long as you don't hold on them forever. Handheld is tricky IMO, if everything else is right, they're so effective, but if it starts to look cheap, the cool hand held stuff starts to look like home video.
 
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brianluce said:
I think static shots are safe, as long as you don't hold on them forever. Handheld is tricky IMO, if everything else is right, they're so effective, but if it starts to look cheap, the cool hand held stuff starts to look like home video.
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Indeed. All static can work with a lot of coverage and very good editing. Also, even a stationary camera can seem not so stationary with a very skilled operator panning and following.
 
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Production value = love.

Love the idea
Love the story
Love the equipment
Love the people
Love the time you get to spend on this

If you love it, it will be beautiful, simply because you would want nothing less for something you love so much.
 
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wheatgrinder said:
Production value = love.

Love the idea
Love the story
Love the equipment
Love the people
Love the time you get to spend on this

If you love it, it will be beautiful, simply because you would want nothing less for something you love so much.
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Very well said. "I'll fix it in post" doesn't happen when you love your movie. :yes:
 
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