So you say you have a burning desire to make a movie and you will do what ever it takes to get the job done? You fancy yourself and "independent" type and you want to reflect that in your art? Well, you better know what it takes before you decide to launch yourself into the world of independent film making. If you do not know, your project may never see the light of day, or more importantly the light of a movie screen.
Making a very low budget or "independent" film is a double edged sword. On the one side you have the freedom to express your art without corporate considerations, but on the other side you have the daunting task of doing almost every job yourself. From writing, producing, directing, and acting to providing travel arrangements, applying make-up, and fixing broken equipment, you cover the broad spectrum of chores and responsibilities. And that does not even cover the other responsibilities such as providing meals for everyone, rehearsals, etc... All you have to do is look at the long list of credits at the end of any movie in the theaters and you can see how much work it takes to make a motion picture.
While in the midst of making my last film Mike And The Magic Lamp I almost started to doubt whether I would ever finish it. I had been working on this movie for about two years straight doing every aspect of the film myself when I suddenly started to run out of energy. The continuous filming that I was doing combined with a heavy work schedule at my real job (Stage Manager of TV shows in Hollywood) was starting to get to me. I would have to prepare everything before a film shoot, and then do just about everything during the film shoots. Once in a while I would have a loyal friend help me with the awesome responsibilities of carrying equipment, setting it up, and then tearing everything down and putting it away each day, but you can only ask them to do so much if you are not paying them.
At one point during the filming of M&TML I passed out, fell off my director's chair and hit my head on the corner of the set. I was mentally and physically exhausted while only halfway through the filmmaking process. The problem was that I was not yet creatively exhausted. The burning desire to make a movie and enter it in all the major film festivals was still alive, but the vessel (my body) that allows me to create was in need of a little R&R. I would take a day off here and there but it was always hard to rest when you have that little creative voice in your head bugging you to get your film finished so the world can enjoy your art. I was very lucky that I only suffered a minor head injury from that accident.
I finally finished the film Mike And The Magic Lamp after four long years of endless work that nearly put me in the hospital from exhaustion. The film went on to win the Silver Award at the Houston Worldfest in 1998 along with several other awards that year at major film festivals like the Santa Clarita International Film Festival. That film gave me recognition as an Independent Filmmaker and inspired me to pursue the path of making films on my own terms.
I pushed myself to the limits mentally and physically to get my movies made in the beginning of my career and it was just the springboard that I needed to get launched into the world of independent film. I may have doubted my body's ability to keep up with my creative drive, but I some how managed to strike an agreement between the two and get my films finished. Before you take on the daunting task of making a movie almost completely by yourself, you have to ask yourself one thing; AM I REALLY COMMITTED to this idea? If you are not, then I suggest you find another outlet for your creativity. If you are committed, then pursue it with everything you have inside, but make sure you realize that your creative drive cares nothing about your health.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Film Editing Software And Screenplay Formatting
Getting to Know the Film Editing Software Today
Every filmmaker wants to come up with an excellent movie that will surely entice his or her viewers. In fact, in this day and age, more and more films are made by the use of breakthrough technology, state-of-the-art equipment and of course a brilliant film editing software. However, if you are new to the film-making world do not hesitate because you can make a movie by just having a creative mind and a digital video camera.
Long ago, people who have the capital and investment for movie equipment are the ones who dominate the field. But now you do not even need to hire an expensive professional to take videos of your business projects. If you have a digital video camera you can already make a documentary all by yourself. Isn't it amazing? Well, with the help of the Internet, you can now learn or train yourself through online education. By doing researches on how to make films, edit them and even sell them, are just some of the few topics you can search for. This e-learning process can encourage you more to engage in filmmaking. Whether you are a newbie or a professional already, it does not matter.
Your main concern is on how to choose the best digital video camera, as well as the brilliant film editing software available. There are thousands of cameras you can choose from but it is better if you pick the one that best suits your needs. Make sure it has good voice clarity and superb video resolution. Pick the one which has settings for indoor and outdoor use. The life of the battery must be also assessed. Does it have special effects or is it user-friendly? There are cameras which are hard to use so try to know first how they are being operated. In terms of transferring video data, you can simply connect it to the cable to your computer and that's it. Film editing software comes into play.
There are many web sites on the Internet which contain sufficient information on the various programs available on the current market. Having the appropriate software is very crucial since this will affect the overall outcome of your film. You should be able to enhance the pictures once you have transferred them into your computer for editing. Adobe is one of the most popular film editing software over the years. Unfortunately, it is quite expensive but you can use it to your own advantage. Other programs, such as the Final Cut Pro and DV Express, are very useful especially if you are a computer with high specifications. Nowadays, Hollywood uses this software in editing movies. However, they are quite expensive. But there are other programs which are inexpensive so you need not worry.
Professional Screenplay Formatting Tips
As the number of screenwriters increases around the world, literary agents, screenwriting contests and film and TV productions companies are bombarded with more and more material. To make matters worse, tens of thousands of new media graduates enter the fray every year. The sheer number of specs flying around the industry is simply overwhelming. The Writer's Guild of America gets 50,000 new registrations a year alone!
Now some of this material is good. Most of it, though, is not. And unfortunately that overwhelming majority of scripts that are poorly formatted, poorly written, way too long or just downright amateur has created a generation of angry and jaded professional readers.
Now you might say, "What do I care what some lowly reader working a desk in the bowels of CAA's dream-making machine thinks of my masterpiece!? He's just a reader!"
Well you better care, because that kid is the gatekeeper to your future, and if you don't make him or her happy - and confident that your are indeed a professional quality screenwriter - the minute they lay eyes on your script, you've already lost half the battle.
Don't believe me? Okay, look at it this way... It is a well known fact that at every agency and production company there are three piles of scripts.
Pile "A": Screenwriters they personal know and have respectable credits (not some short film or that 'feature' you made with your mates). We're talking 'Sold' writers here.
Pile "B": Screenwriters recommend by other agencies, lawyers or companies.
Pile "C": General submissions from people they don't know - AKA YOU!
The A-Pile usually gets read quickly by someone with power and experience. Often the agent / producer herself.
The B-Pile is read by the agent's top assistant or a junior partner / creative executive at the firm.
The C-Pile is usually read by an intern, office boy, or fresh out of film school, wet behind the ears newbie.
Now don't despair. That office boy may have no power, but what he does have is a burning desire to find that diamond in the rough (your script!) and thus move his way up.
So what can you do to impress this kid? Good question. Let's ask one:
I feel the need.... the need for speed!
Damn straight I do. I'm a reader you see. I'm a 22 year-old gal in Hollywood who just got off work on Friday... But before I can let my overworked, underpaid self really cut loose and enjoy the weekend, I've got to read freaking 5 scripts AND have coverage of them ready for Monday's afternoon story meeting!
Yeah, yeah, I can read them by the pool, but when I reach into my beach bag and pull out some yahoo's 125 page rom-com, my heart sinks. My first instinct is to simply chuck it in the deep end, but since it's my job, I'll at least read enough to fake the coverage later with a big ole PASS / PASS on both script and writer.
Now for you boys and girls who don't know what PASS means... this isn't high school. PASS is not a good thing. PASS means... FAIL. As in you failed to impress me, I've duly logged such in our database (which we share with most of the other agencies in the business), and my company will most likely never read anything from you ever again. Certainly not this script, no matter how many times you tell us you've 're-worked' it.
Just remember scripts are like movies. Funny how that works, huh? They should be read in a single sitting. Furthermore, reading them should be fun and entertaining. And there's nothing entertaining about a 125 page script that takes 3 hours to read!
Ideally your screenplay should have that young gal frantically flipping pages, as she blindly paws for her mohito, she is so engrossed. And what makes readers engrossed? All together now... SPEED. Pure unadulterated speed!
Every filmmaker wants to come up with an excellent movie that will surely entice his or her viewers. In fact, in this day and age, more and more films are made by the use of breakthrough technology, state-of-the-art equipment and of course a brilliant film editing software. However, if you are new to the film-making world do not hesitate because you can make a movie by just having a creative mind and a digital video camera.
Long ago, people who have the capital and investment for movie equipment are the ones who dominate the field. But now you do not even need to hire an expensive professional to take videos of your business projects. If you have a digital video camera you can already make a documentary all by yourself. Isn't it amazing? Well, with the help of the Internet, you can now learn or train yourself through online education. By doing researches on how to make films, edit them and even sell them, are just some of the few topics you can search for. This e-learning process can encourage you more to engage in filmmaking. Whether you are a newbie or a professional already, it does not matter.
Your main concern is on how to choose the best digital video camera, as well as the brilliant film editing software available. There are thousands of cameras you can choose from but it is better if you pick the one that best suits your needs. Make sure it has good voice clarity and superb video resolution. Pick the one which has settings for indoor and outdoor use. The life of the battery must be also assessed. Does it have special effects or is it user-friendly? There are cameras which are hard to use so try to know first how they are being operated. In terms of transferring video data, you can simply connect it to the cable to your computer and that's it. Film editing software comes into play.
There are many web sites on the Internet which contain sufficient information on the various programs available on the current market. Having the appropriate software is very crucial since this will affect the overall outcome of your film. You should be able to enhance the pictures once you have transferred them into your computer for editing. Adobe is one of the most popular film editing software over the years. Unfortunately, it is quite expensive but you can use it to your own advantage. Other programs, such as the Final Cut Pro and DV Express, are very useful especially if you are a computer with high specifications. Nowadays, Hollywood uses this software in editing movies. However, they are quite expensive. But there are other programs which are inexpensive so you need not worry.
Professional Screenplay Formatting Tips
As the number of screenwriters increases around the world, literary agents, screenwriting contests and film and TV productions companies are bombarded with more and more material. To make matters worse, tens of thousands of new media graduates enter the fray every year. The sheer number of specs flying around the industry is simply overwhelming. The Writer's Guild of America gets 50,000 new registrations a year alone!
Now some of this material is good. Most of it, though, is not. And unfortunately that overwhelming majority of scripts that are poorly formatted, poorly written, way too long or just downright amateur has created a generation of angry and jaded professional readers.
Now you might say, "What do I care what some lowly reader working a desk in the bowels of CAA's dream-making machine thinks of my masterpiece!? He's just a reader!"
Well you better care, because that kid is the gatekeeper to your future, and if you don't make him or her happy - and confident that your are indeed a professional quality screenwriter - the minute they lay eyes on your script, you've already lost half the battle.
Don't believe me? Okay, look at it this way... It is a well known fact that at every agency and production company there are three piles of scripts.
Pile "A": Screenwriters they personal know and have respectable credits (not some short film or that 'feature' you made with your mates). We're talking 'Sold' writers here.
Pile "B": Screenwriters recommend by other agencies, lawyers or companies.
Pile "C": General submissions from people they don't know - AKA YOU!
The A-Pile usually gets read quickly by someone with power and experience. Often the agent / producer herself.
The B-Pile is read by the agent's top assistant or a junior partner / creative executive at the firm.
The C-Pile is usually read by an intern, office boy, or fresh out of film school, wet behind the ears newbie.
Now don't despair. That office boy may have no power, but what he does have is a burning desire to find that diamond in the rough (your script!) and thus move his way up.
So what can you do to impress this kid? Good question. Let's ask one:
I feel the need.... the need for speed!
Damn straight I do. I'm a reader you see. I'm a 22 year-old gal in Hollywood who just got off work on Friday... But before I can let my overworked, underpaid self really cut loose and enjoy the weekend, I've got to read freaking 5 scripts AND have coverage of them ready for Monday's afternoon story meeting!
Yeah, yeah, I can read them by the pool, but when I reach into my beach bag and pull out some yahoo's 125 page rom-com, my heart sinks. My first instinct is to simply chuck it in the deep end, but since it's my job, I'll at least read enough to fake the coverage later with a big ole PASS / PASS on both script and writer.
Now for you boys and girls who don't know what PASS means... this isn't high school. PASS is not a good thing. PASS means... FAIL. As in you failed to impress me, I've duly logged such in our database (which we share with most of the other agencies in the business), and my company will most likely never read anything from you ever again. Certainly not this script, no matter how many times you tell us you've 're-worked' it.
Just remember scripts are like movies. Funny how that works, huh? They should be read in a single sitting. Furthermore, reading them should be fun and entertaining. And there's nothing entertaining about a 125 page script that takes 3 hours to read!
Ideally your screenplay should have that young gal frantically flipping pages, as she blindly paws for her mohito, she is so engrossed. And what makes readers engrossed? All together now... SPEED. Pure unadulterated speed!
How Do I Sell My New Screenplay?
When new screenwriters finish their scripts, they often begin the search for a rep to submit the work around town. But is that the best way to do it? Well, sure! But it's not the ONLY way to do it.
As you prep to get your script sold, incorporate this info into your marketing strategy:
SEEK REPRESENTATION
But only if you have a bona fide "in" to their direct office line! It's very difficult to get a lit agent to read a script for representation without a personal introduction by a repped client of theirs. If you know a screenwriter or other industry member with an agent who actually is getting scripts read by real studios and funders, and you have TWO solid scripts (more on that later), ask for an introduction. Give your contact a substantial gift whether you are signed or not!
Of course, it's not necessary to have a lit agent to shop a script. Make getting an agent only one part of a broader shopping strategy.
EXPLORE LEGITIMATE SUBMISSION OUTLETS
The main places you're trying to get your script to, production companies, studios and even top-five actors' shingles, are sometimes more accessible than lit agents. If you're not already, make sure you join professional writers' groups like ScreenplayLab and Scriptwriters' Network, and attend every possible event to make those contacts.
Again, the way to shop a script in our industry is to know someone. It's tough to open a new professional relationship by asking for the considerable favor of an agent referral, so try a strategy where you're offering something they could use in exchange for the introduction. And expect them to request to read your script first - and listen to their notes without argument.
Another credible outlet for getting your script noticed is via some of the online sites. If you're not already, make sure you're active at Inktip, for example. And be sure to explore the hundreds of screenplay competitions, like Scriptapalooza - but check first to see what success stories you can verify from their sites.
WRITE AND QC MORE THAN ONE SCRIPT
"QC" stands for "Quality Control." Do not ever submit a script that is not structurally sound, no matter how ready you are to stop looking at it! This is neither a judgment, an assumption, an insult or a joke. It truly is a requirement. I was a reader at one of the biggest prod cos in Los Angeles, I've had scripts optioned, I run a filmmaking seminar, I've taught at UCLA Ext, I've written a very popular screenwriting book. Please trust me on this. There are no second chances for first impressions in our industry. And it's not just your rep on the line, but also the rep of whoever opens that door for your submission.
Why "more than one script"? That is because if someone reads work of yours and thinks you have promise, their next request (to confirm the initial impression) is very often, "Can you send me another spec?" If you can't, that is by no means a dealbreaker. But if you CAN, and the second script is equally hot, that could be a dealmaker! The second script needs to be structurally sound, as well.
Be sure that your screenplays are structurally solid (on a first submission, nothing else will do! Trust me!). Be sure that an experienced Hollywood reader has read the script and you've addressed the notes. As I always say, "if the story does not fit, you must not submit!" If you submit a flawless first spec, you will never have to live up these standards again, but you should. If you submit a flawed first spec, you will not get the chance to live up to higher standards at that company; you will be blocked from future submissions.
CONSIDER PRODUCING YOUR WORK YOURSELF
If you find you are getting great feedback on your work, but it's never quite the right fit, consider producing the film yourself. This is a great approach when you have a lower-budget indie project (think "Open Water") versus an effects-laden thriller! It is an enormous undertaking to produce a film, but there are many resources out there for people who have compelling scripts to develop. And just as you studied and trained to write well, be sure to research and train extensively before taking on a massive project like producing a movie. Your first stop should be a professional organization like Film Independent (FIND), which can connect with you with terrific partners and/or mentors, as well as vital resources.
However, you decide to get your screenplay sold, it should be clear by now that you don't do it alone - you need community support and resources - and no one else does it for you - even an agent! It is no one's responsibility to open a door for you to sell a screenplay. It is your responsibility to create a tight script, research appropriate buyers, and relentlessly seek submission opportunities until someone buys - or you decide to produce your work yourself!
When new screenwriters finish their scripts, they often begin the search for a rep to submit the work around town. But is that the best way to do it? Well, sure! But it's not the ONLY way to do it.
As you prep to get your script sold, incorporate this info into your marketing strategy:
SEEK REPRESENTATION
But only if you have a bona fide "in" to their direct office line! It's very difficult to get a lit agent to read a script for representation without a personal introduction by a repped client of theirs. If you know a screenwriter or other industry member with an agent who actually is getting scripts read by real studios and funders, and you have TWO solid scripts (more on that later), ask for an introduction. Give your contact a substantial gift whether you are signed or not!
Of course, it's not necessary to have a lit agent to shop a script. Make getting an agent only one part of a broader shopping strategy.
EXPLORE LEGITIMATE SUBMISSION OUTLETS
The main places you're trying to get your script to, production companies, studios and even top-five actors' shingles, are sometimes more accessible than lit agents. If you're not already, make sure you join professional writers' groups like ScreenplayLab and Scriptwriters' Network, and attend every possible event to make those contacts.
Again, the way to shop a script in our industry is to know someone. It's tough to open a new professional relationship by asking for the considerable favor of an agent referral, so try a strategy where you're offering something they could use in exchange for the introduction. And expect them to request to read your script first - and listen to their notes without argument.
Another credible outlet for getting your script noticed is via some of the online sites. If you're not already, make sure you're active at Inktip, for example. And be sure to explore the hundreds of screenplay competitions, like Scriptapalooza - but check first to see what success stories you can verify from their sites.
WRITE AND QC MORE THAN ONE SCRIPT
"QC" stands for "Quality Control." Do not ever submit a script that is not structurally sound, no matter how ready you are to stop looking at it! This is neither a judgment, an assumption, an insult or a joke. It truly is a requirement. I was a reader at one of the biggest prod cos in Los Angeles, I've had scripts optioned, I run a filmmaking seminar, I've taught at UCLA Ext, I've written a very popular screenwriting book. Please trust me on this. There are no second chances for first impressions in our industry. And it's not just your rep on the line, but also the rep of whoever opens that door for your submission.
Why "more than one script"? That is because if someone reads work of yours and thinks you have promise, their next request (to confirm the initial impression) is very often, "Can you send me another spec?" If you can't, that is by no means a dealbreaker. But if you CAN, and the second script is equally hot, that could be a dealmaker! The second script needs to be structurally sound, as well.
Be sure that your screenplays are structurally solid (on a first submission, nothing else will do! Trust me!). Be sure that an experienced Hollywood reader has read the script and you've addressed the notes. As I always say, "if the story does not fit, you must not submit!" If you submit a flawless first spec, you will never have to live up these standards again, but you should. If you submit a flawed first spec, you will not get the chance to live up to higher standards at that company; you will be blocked from future submissions.
CONSIDER PRODUCING YOUR WORK YOURSELF
If you find you are getting great feedback on your work, but it's never quite the right fit, consider producing the film yourself. This is a great approach when you have a lower-budget indie project (think "Open Water") versus an effects-laden thriller! It is an enormous undertaking to produce a film, but there are many resources out there for people who have compelling scripts to develop. And just as you studied and trained to write well, be sure to research and train extensively before taking on a massive project like producing a movie. Your first stop should be a professional organization like Film Independent (FIND), which can connect with you with terrific partners and/or mentors, as well as vital resources.
However, you decide to get your screenplay sold, it should be clear by now that you don't do it alone - you need community support and resources - and no one else does it for you - even an agent! It is no one's responsibility to open a door for you to sell a screenplay. It is your responsibility to create a tight script, research appropriate buyers, and relentlessly seek submission opportunities until someone buys - or you decide to produce your work yourself!
As you prep to get your script sold, incorporate this info into your marketing strategy:
SEEK REPRESENTATION
But only if you have a bona fide "in" to their direct office line! It's very difficult to get a lit agent to read a script for representation without a personal introduction by a repped client of theirs. If you know a screenwriter or other industry member with an agent who actually is getting scripts read by real studios and funders, and you have TWO solid scripts (more on that later), ask for an introduction. Give your contact a substantial gift whether you are signed or not!
Of course, it's not necessary to have a lit agent to shop a script. Make getting an agent only one part of a broader shopping strategy.
EXPLORE LEGITIMATE SUBMISSION OUTLETS
The main places you're trying to get your script to, production companies, studios and even top-five actors' shingles, are sometimes more accessible than lit agents. If you're not already, make sure you join professional writers' groups like ScreenplayLab and Scriptwriters' Network, and attend every possible event to make those contacts.
Again, the way to shop a script in our industry is to know someone. It's tough to open a new professional relationship by asking for the considerable favor of an agent referral, so try a strategy where you're offering something they could use in exchange for the introduction. And expect them to request to read your script first - and listen to their notes without argument.
Another credible outlet for getting your script noticed is via some of the online sites. If you're not already, make sure you're active at Inktip, for example. And be sure to explore the hundreds of screenplay competitions, like Scriptapalooza - but check first to see what success stories you can verify from their sites.
WRITE AND QC MORE THAN ONE SCRIPT
"QC" stands for "Quality Control." Do not ever submit a script that is not structurally sound, no matter how ready you are to stop looking at it! This is neither a judgment, an assumption, an insult or a joke. It truly is a requirement. I was a reader at one of the biggest prod cos in Los Angeles, I've had scripts optioned, I run a filmmaking seminar, I've taught at UCLA Ext, I've written a very popular screenwriting book. Please trust me on this. There are no second chances for first impressions in our industry. And it's not just your rep on the line, but also the rep of whoever opens that door for your submission.
Why "more than one script"? That is because if someone reads work of yours and thinks you have promise, their next request (to confirm the initial impression) is very often, "Can you send me another spec?" If you can't, that is by no means a dealbreaker. But if you CAN, and the second script is equally hot, that could be a dealmaker! The second script needs to be structurally sound, as well.
Be sure that your screenplays are structurally solid (on a first submission, nothing else will do! Trust me!). Be sure that an experienced Hollywood reader has read the script and you've addressed the notes. As I always say, "if the story does not fit, you must not submit!" If you submit a flawless first spec, you will never have to live up these standards again, but you should. If you submit a flawed first spec, you will not get the chance to live up to higher standards at that company; you will be blocked from future submissions.
CONSIDER PRODUCING YOUR WORK YOURSELF
If you find you are getting great feedback on your work, but it's never quite the right fit, consider producing the film yourself. This is a great approach when you have a lower-budget indie project (think "Open Water") versus an effects-laden thriller! It is an enormous undertaking to produce a film, but there are many resources out there for people who have compelling scripts to develop. And just as you studied and trained to write well, be sure to research and train extensively before taking on a massive project like producing a movie. Your first stop should be a professional organization like Film Independent (FIND), which can connect with you with terrific partners and/or mentors, as well as vital resources.
However, you decide to get your screenplay sold, it should be clear by now that you don't do it alone - you need community support and resources - and no one else does it for you - even an agent! It is no one's responsibility to open a door for you to sell a screenplay. It is your responsibility to create a tight script, research appropriate buyers, and relentlessly seek submission opportunities until someone buys - or you decide to produce your work yourself!
When new screenwriters finish their scripts, they often begin the search for a rep to submit the work around town. But is that the best way to do it? Well, sure! But it's not the ONLY way to do it.
As you prep to get your script sold, incorporate this info into your marketing strategy:
SEEK REPRESENTATION
But only if you have a bona fide "in" to their direct office line! It's very difficult to get a lit agent to read a script for representation without a personal introduction by a repped client of theirs. If you know a screenwriter or other industry member with an agent who actually is getting scripts read by real studios and funders, and you have TWO solid scripts (more on that later), ask for an introduction. Give your contact a substantial gift whether you are signed or not!
Of course, it's not necessary to have a lit agent to shop a script. Make getting an agent only one part of a broader shopping strategy.
EXPLORE LEGITIMATE SUBMISSION OUTLETS
The main places you're trying to get your script to, production companies, studios and even top-five actors' shingles, are sometimes more accessible than lit agents. If you're not already, make sure you join professional writers' groups like ScreenplayLab and Scriptwriters' Network, and attend every possible event to make those contacts.
Again, the way to shop a script in our industry is to know someone. It's tough to open a new professional relationship by asking for the considerable favor of an agent referral, so try a strategy where you're offering something they could use in exchange for the introduction. And expect them to request to read your script first - and listen to their notes without argument.
Another credible outlet for getting your script noticed is via some of the online sites. If you're not already, make sure you're active at Inktip, for example. And be sure to explore the hundreds of screenplay competitions, like Scriptapalooza - but check first to see what success stories you can verify from their sites.
WRITE AND QC MORE THAN ONE SCRIPT
"QC" stands for "Quality Control." Do not ever submit a script that is not structurally sound, no matter how ready you are to stop looking at it! This is neither a judgment, an assumption, an insult or a joke. It truly is a requirement. I was a reader at one of the biggest prod cos in Los Angeles, I've had scripts optioned, I run a filmmaking seminar, I've taught at UCLA Ext, I've written a very popular screenwriting book. Please trust me on this. There are no second chances for first impressions in our industry. And it's not just your rep on the line, but also the rep of whoever opens that door for your submission.
Why "more than one script"? That is because if someone reads work of yours and thinks you have promise, their next request (to confirm the initial impression) is very often, "Can you send me another spec?" If you can't, that is by no means a dealbreaker. But if you CAN, and the second script is equally hot, that could be a dealmaker! The second script needs to be structurally sound, as well.
Be sure that your screenplays are structurally solid (on a first submission, nothing else will do! Trust me!). Be sure that an experienced Hollywood reader has read the script and you've addressed the notes. As I always say, "if the story does not fit, you must not submit!" If you submit a flawless first spec, you will never have to live up these standards again, but you should. If you submit a flawed first spec, you will not get the chance to live up to higher standards at that company; you will be blocked from future submissions.
CONSIDER PRODUCING YOUR WORK YOURSELF
If you find you are getting great feedback on your work, but it's never quite the right fit, consider producing the film yourself. This is a great approach when you have a lower-budget indie project (think "Open Water") versus an effects-laden thriller! It is an enormous undertaking to produce a film, but there are many resources out there for people who have compelling scripts to develop. And just as you studied and trained to write well, be sure to research and train extensively before taking on a massive project like producing a movie. Your first stop should be a professional organization like Film Independent (FIND), which can connect with you with terrific partners and/or mentors, as well as vital resources.
However, you decide to get your screenplay sold, it should be clear by now that you don't do it alone - you need community support and resources - and no one else does it for you - even an agent! It is no one's responsibility to open a door for you to sell a screenplay. It is your responsibility to create a tight script, research appropriate buyers, and relentlessly seek submission opportunities until someone buys - or you decide to produce your work yourself!
Advice for Screenplay Writers
Introduction
There are many screenplay contests available to the aspiring screenwriter. These contests can be a good avenue to getting one's work noticed and/or make a sale. So, it's important to make certain that you have written your screenplay to the best of your ability and according to industry standards.
The most important thing to do for any aspiring screenwriter is to first learn the basic techniques of screenwriting before sitting down to write one. I come across many hopeful writers who think that all it takes to write a script is a good story idea and a lot of explosive special effects. While a good story is important, with or without the special effects, writing that story using proper industry standards is equally important. -- Tips for Screenwriters link for further information.
There are specific techniques to the craft of screenwriting involving everything from act structure to proper screenplay format, which must be followed. It's difficult to write engaging characters, focused plots and entertaining screenplays without having a solid framework in which to bring it all to life.
Before any money is spent submitting your work to a screenwriting contest, it would behoove the writer to first educate himself in the "tools of the trade". There are many, many screenwriting books available as well as workshops and seminars, both online and in live classroom situations. My advice is to take advantage of them. Then, armed with the basics, write, write and then write some more.
Then before submitting your work to any screenplay competition have it copyrighted and WGA registered. (United States Copyright office: Writers Guild of America:
Advice and Suggestions
I am a judge for many contests and as such, have read thousands of TV scripts and screenplays. I can assure you that the winners are chosen because their screenplays or TV scripts contain great stories and are written to industry standards. Therefore, putting your best foot forward is a must. Below are some pointers to keep in mind before you submit your screenplay.
· If your purpose is to "break into the business", make certain that the script contest you enter offers meetings with agents and/or producers as part of the prize for winning and not just cash prizes. Of course, if it is just the extra cash you're after, then go for it!
· Make certain, before you write that entry fee check and send in your material, that the screenplay contest or TV script competition is a reputable one and indeed has, in the past, delivered to its winners what it promised in its promotion.
· Presentation of your screenplay does count so make certain your screenplay follows the accepted industry standards. This not only includes using the proper screenplay format but also such things as a typo-free screenplay and the correct binding.
· Keep in mind that the industry professionals who sponsor some of these film and TV competitions do so in order to find good producible material, hopefully for lower rather than higher budgets. Therefore, entering a screenplay in a genre with a story that screams "high budget" lessens the writer's chances of winning. This means that
(1) Sci-fi special effects stories taking place on purple planets populated with giant, paisley-skinned, seven-armed, Plasmanian Wooglegorps who magically float through the air using anti-gravity belts or
(2) a 1920's Period Piece necessitating Model-T's, Zoot suits and flappers or
(3) an action/adventure story that has the bad guys blown to smithereens, along with their Lear jet, over the ocean, followed by a high-tech nuclear submarine underwater search and rescue mission while the oil slicked water burns out of control, may not be the best way to go.
· Make certain that your story is told visually. Film is a visual medium.
· Make sure you don't have "on the nose" dialogue or too much dialogue and that all the dialogue sounds natural.
· Check to make sure that your characters are interesting, engaging and have good character arcs. Nothing worse than having an unlikable hero, a wishy-washy bad guy, or a protagonist who starts out angry at the world and by the end of the story is still angry at the world having learned and changed nothing in his nature.
Conclusion
Once you've gone through your screenplay and are satisfied with it, have it read by someone else. After all, your story is intended for a movie-going audience so honest opinions from friends and family members will give you a feel for that audience reaction.
Then do yourself a favor and have your screenplay read by an industry professional that has experience and good credentials in the area of script analysis. A writer can become too close to his work and not be able to "see the forest for the trees". It is to your advantage to have any possible format, story, character, dialogue and structure flaws found and corrected before it is submitted to a movie or TV script contest.
While there is never any guarantee your screenplay or TV script will be a winner, writing one to the best of your ability and which meets industry standards is a must, as the competition is fierce.
I wish you great success in your present and future story-telling adventures.
There are many screenplay contests available to the aspiring screenwriter. These contests can be a good avenue to getting one's work noticed and/or make a sale. So, it's important to make certain that you have written your screenplay to the best of your ability and according to industry standards.
The most important thing to do for any aspiring screenwriter is to first learn the basic techniques of screenwriting before sitting down to write one. I come across many hopeful writers who think that all it takes to write a script is a good story idea and a lot of explosive special effects. While a good story is important, with or without the special effects, writing that story using proper industry standards is equally important. -- Tips for Screenwriters link for further information.
There are specific techniques to the craft of screenwriting involving everything from act structure to proper screenplay format, which must be followed. It's difficult to write engaging characters, focused plots and entertaining screenplays without having a solid framework in which to bring it all to life.
Before any money is spent submitting your work to a screenwriting contest, it would behoove the writer to first educate himself in the "tools of the trade". There are many, many screenwriting books available as well as workshops and seminars, both online and in live classroom situations. My advice is to take advantage of them. Then, armed with the basics, write, write and then write some more.
Then before submitting your work to any screenplay competition have it copyrighted and WGA registered. (United States Copyright office: Writers Guild of America:
Advice and Suggestions
I am a judge for many contests and as such, have read thousands of TV scripts and screenplays. I can assure you that the winners are chosen because their screenplays or TV scripts contain great stories and are written to industry standards. Therefore, putting your best foot forward is a must. Below are some pointers to keep in mind before you submit your screenplay.
· If your purpose is to "break into the business", make certain that the script contest you enter offers meetings with agents and/or producers as part of the prize for winning and not just cash prizes. Of course, if it is just the extra cash you're after, then go for it!
· Make certain, before you write that entry fee check and send in your material, that the screenplay contest or TV script competition is a reputable one and indeed has, in the past, delivered to its winners what it promised in its promotion.
· Presentation of your screenplay does count so make certain your screenplay follows the accepted industry standards. This not only includes using the proper screenplay format but also such things as a typo-free screenplay and the correct binding.
· Keep in mind that the industry professionals who sponsor some of these film and TV competitions do so in order to find good producible material, hopefully for lower rather than higher budgets. Therefore, entering a screenplay in a genre with a story that screams "high budget" lessens the writer's chances of winning. This means that
(1) Sci-fi special effects stories taking place on purple planets populated with giant, paisley-skinned, seven-armed, Plasmanian Wooglegorps who magically float through the air using anti-gravity belts or
(2) a 1920's Period Piece necessitating Model-T's, Zoot suits and flappers or
(3) an action/adventure story that has the bad guys blown to smithereens, along with their Lear jet, over the ocean, followed by a high-tech nuclear submarine underwater search and rescue mission while the oil slicked water burns out of control, may not be the best way to go.
· Make certain that your story is told visually. Film is a visual medium.
· Make sure you don't have "on the nose" dialogue or too much dialogue and that all the dialogue sounds natural.
· Check to make sure that your characters are interesting, engaging and have good character arcs. Nothing worse than having an unlikable hero, a wishy-washy bad guy, or a protagonist who starts out angry at the world and by the end of the story is still angry at the world having learned and changed nothing in his nature.
Conclusion
Once you've gone through your screenplay and are satisfied with it, have it read by someone else. After all, your story is intended for a movie-going audience so honest opinions from friends and family members will give you a feel for that audience reaction.
Then do yourself a favor and have your screenplay read by an industry professional that has experience and good credentials in the area of script analysis. A writer can become too close to his work and not be able to "see the forest for the trees". It is to your advantage to have any possible format, story, character, dialogue and structure flaws found and corrected before it is submitted to a movie or TV script contest.
While there is never any guarantee your screenplay or TV script will be a winner, writing one to the best of your ability and which meets industry standards is a must, as the competition is fierce.
I wish you great success in your present and future story-telling adventures.
How To Make It In Film Production
Do you, or do you want to, work on film productions? If you want to expand in your career in film, this article will help you make it!
Why aren't there more Film Directors making films. Props Masters, Sound Mixers, Costume Supervisors, Key Grips, etc. becoming Line Producers, Producers-For-Hire or UPM's? Why aren't more crew reaching the level of Department Head? Why aren't more film school students finding work? I'm sure there are lots of reasons, but take a quiet moment to really look. Let's see.... It's not competence - most crew disappear pretty quickly if they're slow witted and incompetent. Film students who graduate have shown they're pretty smart. It's not a lack of drive - again, for the same reasons. Wouldn't you agree that the biggest hurdle is getting the opportunity? Well, that's true and not true.
The biggest hurdle is MAKING the opportunity.
How do you increase the odds of landing a contract as a Film Director, Line Producer, a Department Head (if you're not one already), or even a UPM on a small independent production? Lots of film school graduates are ready to burst with ideas to get their scripts into production; how do they get to produce their scripts? First you need to get the confidence of the person in front of you. That single person in front of you needs to believe that you can control your sphere of work so effectively that he/she can get on with creating their vision.
If you're already a working professional in film, you can easily convince someone that you can control the heck out of your area of expertise. But, if you want to upgrade, what do you know about the relationship of your department to all other facets of film production? You need to be able to convince others that you understand the common denominator of all filmmaking. Nobody denies that you need to have a creative bent in film productions. But let's lay it on the table - THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND FILM PROUCTION IS MONEY!
By the time we, as working crew, start working on a film production, our creative bent is totally bent by the amount of MONEY available to us. We want to get the best product we can out of every buck. Like it or not, your performance in film production is measured, to some degree, by how well you control the money. It's like 'Directing', only you're 'Directing the Money'.
Do you want to get that upgrade? Then, learn the language of those who 'Direct the Money'. To my way of thinking, that's the only way to be taken seriously.
Here's the deal - you need to show them, with attitude, that you will provide them with a controlled environment from which they can create their vision. The only way I know of to do that is to graduate to a 'Director of Money'. From that position you can be the go-to Line Producer, Producer-For-Hire, Department Head, UPM, etc.
Let's pretend for a moment that you've met a hot new Producer, Director, Actor or Executive Producer, etc. with a script. Whoever you meet, they'll be very excited to talk with you about it. After the first ½ hour or less, how do you segue into being their Line Producer, Producer or UPM?
Well you ask them some real questions that would knock their socks off and show that you're the one to 'Direct the Money' for them - but those questions are beyond the scope of this article.
You get the idea. You need to know the 'lingo' of budgets and you need to understand that those budgeted numbers need to be directed. You'll also need to inspire confidence in the Financiers, or the Bonding Company, that you know what the weekly financial report card is all about (that is, the universally standard Weekly Cost Report).
Most of those questions, with a little imagination, can also apply to anyone who wants to upgrade to a Department Head. A Production Manager would be completely blown away!
So how does a director or crew member get familiar with Budgets and Cost Reports? I've been a Production Auditor for 20 years and I've NEVER shown a crewmember a Final Budget or a Weekly Cost Report (the universally standard financial report card issued to the Financiers and Producers every week) in that entire time. They are considered sacrosanct by Studio Executives, Financiers and Bonding Companies everywhere.
Well, I'm about to tease you with some relevant articles that will open the door enough to let you walk through. They're written for the complete novice, so be patient if you've already been exposed to budgets and cost reports. Remember, the articles are techniques on being FAMILIAR enough with budgets and cost reports to be able to 'Direct the Money'.
Why aren't there more Film Directors making films. Props Masters, Sound Mixers, Costume Supervisors, Key Grips, etc. becoming Line Producers, Producers-For-Hire or UPM's? Why aren't more crew reaching the level of Department Head? Why aren't more film school students finding work? I'm sure there are lots of reasons, but take a quiet moment to really look. Let's see.... It's not competence - most crew disappear pretty quickly if they're slow witted and incompetent. Film students who graduate have shown they're pretty smart. It's not a lack of drive - again, for the same reasons. Wouldn't you agree that the biggest hurdle is getting the opportunity? Well, that's true and not true.
The biggest hurdle is MAKING the opportunity.
How do you increase the odds of landing a contract as a Film Director, Line Producer, a Department Head (if you're not one already), or even a UPM on a small independent production? Lots of film school graduates are ready to burst with ideas to get their scripts into production; how do they get to produce their scripts? First you need to get the confidence of the person in front of you. That single person in front of you needs to believe that you can control your sphere of work so effectively that he/she can get on with creating their vision.
If you're already a working professional in film, you can easily convince someone that you can control the heck out of your area of expertise. But, if you want to upgrade, what do you know about the relationship of your department to all other facets of film production? You need to be able to convince others that you understand the common denominator of all filmmaking. Nobody denies that you need to have a creative bent in film productions. But let's lay it on the table - THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND FILM PROUCTION IS MONEY!
By the time we, as working crew, start working on a film production, our creative bent is totally bent by the amount of MONEY available to us. We want to get the best product we can out of every buck. Like it or not, your performance in film production is measured, to some degree, by how well you control the money. It's like 'Directing', only you're 'Directing the Money'.
Do you want to get that upgrade? Then, learn the language of those who 'Direct the Money'. To my way of thinking, that's the only way to be taken seriously.
Here's the deal - you need to show them, with attitude, that you will provide them with a controlled environment from which they can create their vision. The only way I know of to do that is to graduate to a 'Director of Money'. From that position you can be the go-to Line Producer, Producer-For-Hire, Department Head, UPM, etc.
Let's pretend for a moment that you've met a hot new Producer, Director, Actor or Executive Producer, etc. with a script. Whoever you meet, they'll be very excited to talk with you about it. After the first ½ hour or less, how do you segue into being their Line Producer, Producer or UPM?
Well you ask them some real questions that would knock their socks off and show that you're the one to 'Direct the Money' for them - but those questions are beyond the scope of this article.
You get the idea. You need to know the 'lingo' of budgets and you need to understand that those budgeted numbers need to be directed. You'll also need to inspire confidence in the Financiers, or the Bonding Company, that you know what the weekly financial report card is all about (that is, the universally standard Weekly Cost Report).
Most of those questions, with a little imagination, can also apply to anyone who wants to upgrade to a Department Head. A Production Manager would be completely blown away!
So how does a director or crew member get familiar with Budgets and Cost Reports? I've been a Production Auditor for 20 years and I've NEVER shown a crewmember a Final Budget or a Weekly Cost Report (the universally standard financial report card issued to the Financiers and Producers every week) in that entire time. They are considered sacrosanct by Studio Executives, Financiers and Bonding Companies everywhere.
Well, I'm about to tease you with some relevant articles that will open the door enough to let you walk through. They're written for the complete novice, so be patient if you've already been exposed to budgets and cost reports. Remember, the articles are techniques on being FAMILIAR enough with budgets and cost reports to be able to 'Direct the Money'.
Getting Started In Film making
Goals And Plans For Success
Why You Need A Plan?
I have said many times that the biggest mistake for first-time filmmakers is trying to do too much in the beginning. Don't make this mistake. The first thing is to ask yourself the simple question: Why am I doing this?
Look into your heart and consider the things you really care about. There is no wrong answer and your plans may change over time but it is important to try to come up with an answer to this classic question. Then tape it up somewhere that you will see it often.
Becoming a filmmaker requires much time and dedication and you aren't going to do it unless the goal is something you really want. You should probably write it down as a "mission statement" as some filmmakers strongly suggest.
Discover Your Filmmaking Plan
Now that you have defined what you want to do with filmmaking you can start to plan how to get there. On 4Filmmaking.com I assume that you want to learn how to be a well known independent filmmaker creating films that are both artistically satisfying and financially successful. I am about to describe the simple plan that has been used in some style by most of the well known independent filmmakers in Hollywood. You can use it as a beginning point to develop your own plan.
The Unpleasant Fact About Filmmaking
I would not be fully honest if I didn't begin by warning you that your odds of succeeding in being a famous and successful independent filmmaker are extremely small. There are many other people wanting to do it and only a few are going to make it. You'll have to be tireless following your filmmaking goals, make the most of your abilities, keep going despite setbacks and find more than a little bit of luck along the way.
The Not-So-Secret Plan for Succeeding as an Independent Filmmaker
Step 1 is to make a series of very short movies while you study, take classes, read books, meet other filmmakers and generally do everything you can to get smart and find filmmaking collaborators. Your films will be three to ten minute short movies that you possibly can film in a day or two on a weekend, starting using only your friends and the bribe of free food and drink at the end of the shoot.
Making movies involves many skills and many helpers cooperating together. That is why you need to be looking for collaborators, other sharp and clever people who share your filmmaking dreams and add to your skills. The first step is where you learn the basic skills of filmmaking.
Step 2 is to create better and better short films until you finally have one good enough to get you into film festivals.
This will begin to get you on the radar screen, give you more chances to meet with other movie makers gaining more collaborators, and get a sense of audience acceptance of your films. You'll observe that acquisition agents follow the festival circuit to negotiate for the best indie films from the very best filmmakers. This second step is about expanding your artistic filmmaking horizons and learning how indie films get marketed.
Step 3 is to keep developing better and finer story ideas until everyone you know is convinced you have a Great Idea.
The Great Idea has to be a story that can be filmed inexpensively. You script it into a compelling feature length screenplay. You will also create a brilliant short version drawn from the feature screenplay that can possibly be made for what you can pay out of your own pocket. You'll show this short version at festivals and to anyone who might consider financing the feature length version.
This short film is a calling-card, a teaser and marketing tool to show investors fabulous you're so they will pay you to turn your Great Idea into the Great Movie.
Step 4 is to make the movie, show it at film festivals to great acclaim, sell it to distributors, and watch it become a huge success. At the same time you will need to be developing more ideas so you always have an answer to the question, "What's the next project?"
After step 4 you should be on the map and you will get phone calls from people who wouldn't have given you the time of day last week but now they want to talk about paying for your next film. A variation on this plan is to not make the short film version by coming up with a brilliantly clever feature film that you can shoot so cheaply that you don't need a lot of money.
Does This Plan Work?
If you look in the Internet Movie Database you will find that George Lucas began by making five very short films that have never been seen. Then while in film school he made a 15 minute science fiction short called Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB. The film got him first prize in the National Student Film Festival.
That helped him win a scholarship to work with Francis Ford Coppola at Warner Brothers. They became friends, created a company together and the first film they made was the feature length version of THX 1138. The tiny success of this film helped him get money to make American Graffiti. The larger success of American Graffiti got him money to make Star Wars.
Now George Lucas is the most recognized independent filmmaker in the world.
Why You Need A Plan?
I have said many times that the biggest mistake for first-time filmmakers is trying to do too much in the beginning. Don't make this mistake. The first thing is to ask yourself the simple question: Why am I doing this?
Look into your heart and consider the things you really care about. There is no wrong answer and your plans may change over time but it is important to try to come up with an answer to this classic question. Then tape it up somewhere that you will see it often.
Becoming a filmmaker requires much time and dedication and you aren't going to do it unless the goal is something you really want. You should probably write it down as a "mission statement" as some filmmakers strongly suggest.
Discover Your Filmmaking Plan
Now that you have defined what you want to do with filmmaking you can start to plan how to get there. On 4Filmmaking.com I assume that you want to learn how to be a well known independent filmmaker creating films that are both artistically satisfying and financially successful. I am about to describe the simple plan that has been used in some style by most of the well known independent filmmakers in Hollywood. You can use it as a beginning point to develop your own plan.
The Unpleasant Fact About Filmmaking
I would not be fully honest if I didn't begin by warning you that your odds of succeeding in being a famous and successful independent filmmaker are extremely small. There are many other people wanting to do it and only a few are going to make it. You'll have to be tireless following your filmmaking goals, make the most of your abilities, keep going despite setbacks and find more than a little bit of luck along the way.
The Not-So-Secret Plan for Succeeding as an Independent Filmmaker
Step 1 is to make a series of very short movies while you study, take classes, read books, meet other filmmakers and generally do everything you can to get smart and find filmmaking collaborators. Your films will be three to ten minute short movies that you possibly can film in a day or two on a weekend, starting using only your friends and the bribe of free food and drink at the end of the shoot.
Making movies involves many skills and many helpers cooperating together. That is why you need to be looking for collaborators, other sharp and clever people who share your filmmaking dreams and add to your skills. The first step is where you learn the basic skills of filmmaking.
Step 2 is to create better and better short films until you finally have one good enough to get you into film festivals.
This will begin to get you on the radar screen, give you more chances to meet with other movie makers gaining more collaborators, and get a sense of audience acceptance of your films. You'll observe that acquisition agents follow the festival circuit to negotiate for the best indie films from the very best filmmakers. This second step is about expanding your artistic filmmaking horizons and learning how indie films get marketed.
Step 3 is to keep developing better and finer story ideas until everyone you know is convinced you have a Great Idea.
The Great Idea has to be a story that can be filmed inexpensively. You script it into a compelling feature length screenplay. You will also create a brilliant short version drawn from the feature screenplay that can possibly be made for what you can pay out of your own pocket. You'll show this short version at festivals and to anyone who might consider financing the feature length version.
This short film is a calling-card, a teaser and marketing tool to show investors fabulous you're so they will pay you to turn your Great Idea into the Great Movie.
Step 4 is to make the movie, show it at film festivals to great acclaim, sell it to distributors, and watch it become a huge success. At the same time you will need to be developing more ideas so you always have an answer to the question, "What's the next project?"
After step 4 you should be on the map and you will get phone calls from people who wouldn't have given you the time of day last week but now they want to talk about paying for your next film. A variation on this plan is to not make the short film version by coming up with a brilliantly clever feature film that you can shoot so cheaply that you don't need a lot of money.
Does This Plan Work?
If you look in the Internet Movie Database you will find that George Lucas began by making five very short films that have never been seen. Then while in film school he made a 15 minute science fiction short called Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB. The film got him first prize in the National Student Film Festival.
That helped him win a scholarship to work with Francis Ford Coppola at Warner Brothers. They became friends, created a company together and the first film they made was the feature length version of THX 1138. The tiny success of this film helped him get money to make American Graffiti. The larger success of American Graffiti got him money to make Star Wars.
Now George Lucas is the most recognized independent filmmaker in the world.
How To Make Movies Cheaply & Efficiently
Creating movies sounds fun, right?
It is.
But first, I want to shatter some illusions. Your first videos will be bad. It's virtually inevitable. Secondly, you will most likely not make money as a filmmaker at first. It will cost you money. Third, it will take way more time to make movies than you probably think it will. Expect to pour hundreds of hours into a video project if you want it to be any good.
Okay? That basically says it. But there are people, like me, who think the whole process is exciting, fun, and worthwhile, even without much of a budget to work with. Your key to success in this field will be practice, perseverance, patience, and a willingness to learn new skills and adapt to changing situations. You can be a movie director, and it's exciting, but it comes at a cost.
Learn the rules of moviemaking, but be prepared to ignore them if you have a reason to. Flexibility, people! Flexibility! There are all sorts of people who will tell you the "right" way to do something, but in truth the right way is whatever technique works for your production, and story, schedule, and budget. So be prepared to use skateboards or wheelchairs instead of camera dollies, ladders instead of cranes, compressed air instead of squibs, natural lighting or only a few lights where Hollywood would have a lighting rig.
You can use all sorts of oddball methods to save time and money, and by working for free on your project, you can do stuff that leaves others amazed.
Learn how to get things done on your budget. I've seen people make feature films below $400. Seriously. You need to take stock of what you have at your disposal, and work within those boundaries. Consider borrowing equipment if you don't have it, or renting. Or buy it - and reuse it on a whole string of projects, so you get your money's worth. I officially list some of my videos on my website as $500, $100, or $200 projects, but what I don't point out is that I had over $4000 worth of equipment on hand going into them, which meant I could pull off a lot with a little, because I make so many movies. You can do that too. It makes sense.
As Robert Rodriguez says in "Rebel Without a Crew", you can intimidate Hollywood. You can learn to do things more efficiently than professionals know how to do them.
Plan everything out ahead of time. That means costumes, locations, script, cast, everything. Without a plan, especially without a script, you're just another random person making a home movie. You don't need to get the formatting right if you're directing it yourself, but at least write down what you're planning to do.
If you are trying to pull in talent, however, good formatting is a good idea.
Get good sound equipment if at all possible. The little internal mic in a camcorder doesn't cut it. A shotgun mic might. Your lines of dialogue are useless if the audience can't hear the words.
Pay attention to the acoustics of a location before shooting there. I've seen some of my scenes ruined simply because the shape of the room was wrong. Basically, if you hear an echo, that's a problem.
If you've got the microphone on a boom, you can try aiming it up, or down, towards the actors. This is a good way to deal with noise coming from a distance horizontally, like traffic behind the actors.
Get some editing software. Get a camcorder, come up with a story that you think is interesting, and start shooting.
Try to make connections with other talented people. The more talented writers, actors, etc, that you can find, the better. Know your strengths and their strengths and split the work accordingly. Early on you won't be able to persuade pros or even semi-pros to work with you. So pick some friends and make a small first project, just to prove that you are able to create something, and use it as a demo reel to draw in talent for later projects.
Treat your actors with respect so they won't get angry and leave. Supply food. Try to pick people who are right for the part, and who are reliable. Do consider casting as early as the writing phase - that is, write your story around the list of people, locations, and equipment you know you have access to, and schedule your shooting days based on locations, actors, and basically when different things are available.
Don't tackle a huge epic first time out of the gate. Remember that short but fast-paced is better than long and tedious, and it's easier to create short videos anyway.
Pick topics that are relatable. My mistake was too many in-jokes. That's fine at first but know how to aim for a larger audience. Many people create fan films their first time out, and there's a reason for that - "Star Wars" or "Star Trek", for instance, have a built-in audience.
Label your tapes and be organized. I can't tell you how many times I've lost important stuff. Save often when working with software.
Search for advice online, or in books. There's a lot of relevant stuff out there, go look for it. College courses are useful but honestly, you can learn as much, and more cheaply, in other ways.
Shoot digital. If you're running on MiniDV tapes then it is cheap and flexible. And digital allows massive flexibility to alter things in post-production. If you have more to work with, there are some prosumer HD cameras in the $900 range nowadays. But a really good MiniDV camera is good enough for DVD.
You can remove jaggies from your video with a mild vertical blur. That makes it look a bit less like video. You should also play around with contrast and saturation. Good lighting is also key when going for a good "look", but often you'll find ways to take advantage of existing lights in a location.
Seek out constructive criticism, and learn from it. Don't give up, when some of your work sucks. Just keep at it and you'll get better.
Learn how to do visual effects, or special effects, or find someone to help who is in that field. I do VFX in videos, I'm actually earning money off of it now. It's a career. If you can do effects work, then you have the capacity to wow your audience - which is hard to do otherwise on a tiny budget.
I've done digital sets, some pyrotechnics, 3d elements, miniatures, and other effects work. It's fun stuff to do, and your audience will enjoy it. But try to have a good story too, effects by themselves can only take you so far! But yes, do keep in mind that good-quality VFX can be done fairly cheaply with tools like Photoshop, Lightwave, and After Effects. For a cheap compositing toolset, also try looking at FXhome's Compositelab DV.
For stock footage, check out detonation films, they have some great free stuff.
Finally, once you've got something done, show it to people. And use it as a springboard for gathering support on later projects. Try putting your work online. It draws attention.
I could tell you about eighty times more but the advice I've given here should provide a start.
You don't need Hollywood to make movies. Just get a camera and make one. You do that, you're a movie director.
Plain and simple.
Now go out there and make your movie!
It is.
But first, I want to shatter some illusions. Your first videos will be bad. It's virtually inevitable. Secondly, you will most likely not make money as a filmmaker at first. It will cost you money. Third, it will take way more time to make movies than you probably think it will. Expect to pour hundreds of hours into a video project if you want it to be any good.
Okay? That basically says it. But there are people, like me, who think the whole process is exciting, fun, and worthwhile, even without much of a budget to work with. Your key to success in this field will be practice, perseverance, patience, and a willingness to learn new skills and adapt to changing situations. You can be a movie director, and it's exciting, but it comes at a cost.
Learn the rules of moviemaking, but be prepared to ignore them if you have a reason to. Flexibility, people! Flexibility! There are all sorts of people who will tell you the "right" way to do something, but in truth the right way is whatever technique works for your production, and story, schedule, and budget. So be prepared to use skateboards or wheelchairs instead of camera dollies, ladders instead of cranes, compressed air instead of squibs, natural lighting or only a few lights where Hollywood would have a lighting rig.
You can use all sorts of oddball methods to save time and money, and by working for free on your project, you can do stuff that leaves others amazed.
Learn how to get things done on your budget. I've seen people make feature films below $400. Seriously. You need to take stock of what you have at your disposal, and work within those boundaries. Consider borrowing equipment if you don't have it, or renting. Or buy it - and reuse it on a whole string of projects, so you get your money's worth. I officially list some of my videos on my website as $500, $100, or $200 projects, but what I don't point out is that I had over $4000 worth of equipment on hand going into them, which meant I could pull off a lot with a little, because I make so many movies. You can do that too. It makes sense.
As Robert Rodriguez says in "Rebel Without a Crew", you can intimidate Hollywood. You can learn to do things more efficiently than professionals know how to do them.
Plan everything out ahead of time. That means costumes, locations, script, cast, everything. Without a plan, especially without a script, you're just another random person making a home movie. You don't need to get the formatting right if you're directing it yourself, but at least write down what you're planning to do.
If you are trying to pull in talent, however, good formatting is a good idea.
Get good sound equipment if at all possible. The little internal mic in a camcorder doesn't cut it. A shotgun mic might. Your lines of dialogue are useless if the audience can't hear the words.
Pay attention to the acoustics of a location before shooting there. I've seen some of my scenes ruined simply because the shape of the room was wrong. Basically, if you hear an echo, that's a problem.
If you've got the microphone on a boom, you can try aiming it up, or down, towards the actors. This is a good way to deal with noise coming from a distance horizontally, like traffic behind the actors.
Get some editing software. Get a camcorder, come up with a story that you think is interesting, and start shooting.
Try to make connections with other talented people. The more talented writers, actors, etc, that you can find, the better. Know your strengths and their strengths and split the work accordingly. Early on you won't be able to persuade pros or even semi-pros to work with you. So pick some friends and make a small first project, just to prove that you are able to create something, and use it as a demo reel to draw in talent for later projects.
Treat your actors with respect so they won't get angry and leave. Supply food. Try to pick people who are right for the part, and who are reliable. Do consider casting as early as the writing phase - that is, write your story around the list of people, locations, and equipment you know you have access to, and schedule your shooting days based on locations, actors, and basically when different things are available.
Don't tackle a huge epic first time out of the gate. Remember that short but fast-paced is better than long and tedious, and it's easier to create short videos anyway.
Pick topics that are relatable. My mistake was too many in-jokes. That's fine at first but know how to aim for a larger audience. Many people create fan films their first time out, and there's a reason for that - "Star Wars" or "Star Trek", for instance, have a built-in audience.
Label your tapes and be organized. I can't tell you how many times I've lost important stuff. Save often when working with software.
Search for advice online, or in books. There's a lot of relevant stuff out there, go look for it. College courses are useful but honestly, you can learn as much, and more cheaply, in other ways.
Shoot digital. If you're running on MiniDV tapes then it is cheap and flexible. And digital allows massive flexibility to alter things in post-production. If you have more to work with, there are some prosumer HD cameras in the $900 range nowadays. But a really good MiniDV camera is good enough for DVD.
You can remove jaggies from your video with a mild vertical blur. That makes it look a bit less like video. You should also play around with contrast and saturation. Good lighting is also key when going for a good "look", but often you'll find ways to take advantage of existing lights in a location.
Seek out constructive criticism, and learn from it. Don't give up, when some of your work sucks. Just keep at it and you'll get better.
Learn how to do visual effects, or special effects, or find someone to help who is in that field. I do VFX in videos, I'm actually earning money off of it now. It's a career. If you can do effects work, then you have the capacity to wow your audience - which is hard to do otherwise on a tiny budget.
I've done digital sets, some pyrotechnics, 3d elements, miniatures, and other effects work. It's fun stuff to do, and your audience will enjoy it. But try to have a good story too, effects by themselves can only take you so far! But yes, do keep in mind that good-quality VFX can be done fairly cheaply with tools like Photoshop, Lightwave, and After Effects. For a cheap compositing toolset, also try looking at FXhome's Compositelab DV.
For stock footage, check out detonation films, they have some great free stuff.
Finally, once you've got something done, show it to people. And use it as a springboard for gathering support on later projects. Try putting your work online. It draws attention.
I could tell you about eighty times more but the advice I've given here should provide a start.
You don't need Hollywood to make movies. Just get a camera and make one. You do that, you're a movie director.
Plain and simple.
Now go out there and make your movie!
How to Start a Screenplay
Starting a screenplay can sometimes be as hard as finishing one.
Impatient to pull up to the front door of a classic motion picture, I want to get everything right so quickly. This impatience challenges my trust in the work, the creative process of screenwriting. What exactly does trust mean? If I don't trust my writing, then what am I? Frightened. This is the battle. If I'm scared that everything I'm typing is worthless, then what? My hands find something else to do. So trust is good and important and essential to beginning this journey, alone, a trip that will eventually take what comes out of you into millions of people. But it's just you now. And your trust.
Now, does trusting your writing mean sitting down with no ideas,
opening a new document, and starting to type? Of course. And no. What I need to do is make a decision and execute. And this decision often comes back to whether I should write an outline or treatment before I start writing my screenplay, or, with a rough idea, a shadowy shadow of something calling from my brain, start writing?
I have done both in the past. When I wrote the first draft of LOVE LIZA, I really had very little idea of where the story was going. I had a few things to start off with, and somewhere I wanted to end up down the road, but that was it. It was terrifying and difficult to remain seated. But the most original characteristics of the screenplay came out of the immediacy of trying to come up with what's next, with my fingers resting on the keyboard. I became sold on this process. Outlines killed creativity, because writing an outline is not actual
screenwriting. It's outlining.
But then I came to Hollywood and tried to tell executives the little ideas I had. I would very proudly announce an image, a picture in my head, that I knew contained the fire of an entire epic. I was shocked when they asked, "Then what happens?" I didn't have an answer. Why? Well. BECAUSE I HADN'T WRITTEN IT YET. It seemed like a completely stupid question. What happens? What happens?? Did I say I had a complete screenplay to show you?!
You know the rest. No phone calls and bewilderment and then I found myself in the city of pitches, and starting to flesh out things into 14 page screenplay treatments. I did so, convinced that it could never be that good, that it was forced, and staged, and predictable. I was shocked to find out that it did not destroy my creativity. I was still able to come up with interesting, original things. But deep down I knew. This was still not screenwriting. This was not the art of screenwriting. And I'm right.
So now what was I going to do? What was better? If I was to sit down and spec something out, how was I supposed to go about it? First off, I'm lazy, so having a treatment or an outline sitting next to my laptop to walk me through the first draft is very appealing, despite knowing that the inspiration driving a treatment is different than the juice that comes when writing the screenplay blindly. And I have sat down and written 90 pages, trying to find the story, only to simply start over.
This is a lot of work, but I've come to recognize that this work is not lost. This is the path. It hurts, it kills, it bludgeons, it fatigues, it flattens, but it's the road. Believe me.
But what about a heist movie, or a mystery? A thriller with twists? Aren't movies sometimes puzzles? Can we find this stuff without a plan? Don't you have to figure this stuff out? Yes and no. Flying by the seat of your pants often produces jaw-dropping turns the audience will never see coming. Why? The writer didn't. This is the largest reason why studio movies are predictable----the fabric of the script is shot through with the knowledge of the ending of the story.
If we are to plot out the map of our movie with a treatment, beat sheet or outline, we better be damn sure it's the real thing. Putting our best foot forward with a very strong outline is only the start of what will end up as a screenplay. Despite putting that golden outline next to our keyboard, we will find that turning it into a screenplay is still, I'm awfully sorry, a lot of work. Scenes that we imagined to be amazing will suddenly be impossible to write. And why does that upset us? Why does that frustrate the writer?
Well, we thought we had a short cut. We thought we were going to sneak into the back of a classic movie. My journey as a writer has been marked by the learning and relearning that all that wood has to be cut out there in the back yard, whether I like it or not. If I want to do this, I have to swing the axe.
But we know, if we trust our gift, that something beautiful is coming, regardless if we have an outline or not. Perhaps the writers who work from outlines should throw them out. Perhaps the writers who write like the house is on fire, with nary a note within miles, should sit down and write a treatment. Treatments are fun, too.
I do both, switching back and forth when I need to. When I'm writing and I start to feel blindfolded, I turn to jot down a few notes, sketch a few ideas, track a character arc, reorder an act. But when I think I'm caught up in pitches and notes and beat sheets and the safety of plans, I chuck it all and write like I did when I was a kid.
Did we use notes when we were kids?
Impatient to pull up to the front door of a classic motion picture, I want to get everything right so quickly. This impatience challenges my trust in the work, the creative process of screenwriting. What exactly does trust mean? If I don't trust my writing, then what am I? Frightened. This is the battle. If I'm scared that everything I'm typing is worthless, then what? My hands find something else to do. So trust is good and important and essential to beginning this journey, alone, a trip that will eventually take what comes out of you into millions of people. But it's just you now. And your trust.
Now, does trusting your writing mean sitting down with no ideas,
opening a new document, and starting to type? Of course. And no. What I need to do is make a decision and execute. And this decision often comes back to whether I should write an outline or treatment before I start writing my screenplay, or, with a rough idea, a shadowy shadow of something calling from my brain, start writing?
I have done both in the past. When I wrote the first draft of LOVE LIZA, I really had very little idea of where the story was going. I had a few things to start off with, and somewhere I wanted to end up down the road, but that was it. It was terrifying and difficult to remain seated. But the most original characteristics of the screenplay came out of the immediacy of trying to come up with what's next, with my fingers resting on the keyboard. I became sold on this process. Outlines killed creativity, because writing an outline is not actual
screenwriting. It's outlining.
But then I came to Hollywood and tried to tell executives the little ideas I had. I would very proudly announce an image, a picture in my head, that I knew contained the fire of an entire epic. I was shocked when they asked, "Then what happens?" I didn't have an answer. Why? Well. BECAUSE I HADN'T WRITTEN IT YET. It seemed like a completely stupid question. What happens? What happens?? Did I say I had a complete screenplay to show you?!
You know the rest. No phone calls and bewilderment and then I found myself in the city of pitches, and starting to flesh out things into 14 page screenplay treatments. I did so, convinced that it could never be that good, that it was forced, and staged, and predictable. I was shocked to find out that it did not destroy my creativity. I was still able to come up with interesting, original things. But deep down I knew. This was still not screenwriting. This was not the art of screenwriting. And I'm right.
So now what was I going to do? What was better? If I was to sit down and spec something out, how was I supposed to go about it? First off, I'm lazy, so having a treatment or an outline sitting next to my laptop to walk me through the first draft is very appealing, despite knowing that the inspiration driving a treatment is different than the juice that comes when writing the screenplay blindly. And I have sat down and written 90 pages, trying to find the story, only to simply start over.
This is a lot of work, but I've come to recognize that this work is not lost. This is the path. It hurts, it kills, it bludgeons, it fatigues, it flattens, but it's the road. Believe me.
But what about a heist movie, or a mystery? A thriller with twists? Aren't movies sometimes puzzles? Can we find this stuff without a plan? Don't you have to figure this stuff out? Yes and no. Flying by the seat of your pants often produces jaw-dropping turns the audience will never see coming. Why? The writer didn't. This is the largest reason why studio movies are predictable----the fabric of the script is shot through with the knowledge of the ending of the story.
If we are to plot out the map of our movie with a treatment, beat sheet or outline, we better be damn sure it's the real thing. Putting our best foot forward with a very strong outline is only the start of what will end up as a screenplay. Despite putting that golden outline next to our keyboard, we will find that turning it into a screenplay is still, I'm awfully sorry, a lot of work. Scenes that we imagined to be amazing will suddenly be impossible to write. And why does that upset us? Why does that frustrate the writer?
Well, we thought we had a short cut. We thought we were going to sneak into the back of a classic movie. My journey as a writer has been marked by the learning and relearning that all that wood has to be cut out there in the back yard, whether I like it or not. If I want to do this, I have to swing the axe.
But we know, if we trust our gift, that something beautiful is coming, regardless if we have an outline or not. Perhaps the writers who work from outlines should throw them out. Perhaps the writers who write like the house is on fire, with nary a note within miles, should sit down and write a treatment. Treatments are fun, too.
I do both, switching back and forth when I need to. When I'm writing and I start to feel blindfolded, I turn to jot down a few notes, sketch a few ideas, track a character arc, reorder an act. But when I think I'm caught up in pitches and notes and beat sheets and the safety of plans, I chuck it all and write like I did when I was a kid.
Did we use notes when we were kids?
The Major Centers Of Film making
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of film making. Though the expense involved in making movies almost immediately led film production to concentrate under the auspices of standing production companies, advances in affordable film making equipment, and expansion of opportunities to acquire investment capital from outside the film industry itself, have allowed independent film production to evolve. The film industry as it stands today spans the globe. Hollywood came to be so strongly associated with the film industry that the word "Hollywood" came to be used colloquially to refer to the entire industry.
Film
The major business centers of film making are concentrated in the United States, EU, India and China. Distinct from the business centers are the locations where movies are filmed. Because of labor and infrastructure costs, many films are produced in countries other than the one in which the company which pays for the film is located. However, five of the major film studios are owned by East Coast companies. The Indian film industry is multi-lingual and the largest in the world (1200 movies released in the year 2002). The industry is supported mainly by a vast film-going Indian public (the largest in the world in terms of annual ticket sales), and Indian films have been gaining increasing popularity in the rest of the world -- notably in countries with large numbers of expatriate Indians. One third of the India's film industry is mostly concentrated in Bombay, and is commonly referred to as "Bollywood" as an amalgamation of Bombay and Hollywood. However, there are several smaller centers of Indian film industries in regional languages (Apart from Hindi,Telugu and Tamil) centered in the states those languages are spoken. Hong Kong, China is a filmmaking hub for the Chinese-speaking world (including the worldwide diaspora) and East Asia in general. Despite an industry crisis starting in the mid-'90s and Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty in July 1997, Hong Kong film has retained much of its distinctive identity and continues to play a prominent part on the world cinema stage. Unlike many film industries, Hong Kong has enjoyed little to no direct government support, through either subsidies or import quotas. The first feature film ever made was that of 'The Story of the Kelly Gang. In 1906 Dan Barry and Charles Tait of Melbourne produced and directed 'The Story of the Kelly Gang', a silent film that ran continuously for a breathtaking 80 minutes. It wasn't until 1911 that countries other than Australia began to make feature films. By this time Australia had made 16 full length feature films.
Although electric lights existed at that time, none were powerful enough to adequately expose film; the best source of illumination for movie production was natural sunlight. It has had many owners after 1953, including Kling Studios, who produced the Superman TV series with George Reeves; Red Skelton, who used the sound stages for his CBS TV variety show; and CBS, who filmed the TV series Perry Mason with Raymond Burr there. HollywoodBollywood, Mumbai formely referred upon as Bombay City, the state capital of MaharashtraLollywood, Lahore the provincial capital of Pakistan Independent films Category: Cinema by country.
Film
The major business centers of film making are concentrated in the United States, EU, India and China. Distinct from the business centers are the locations where movies are filmed. Because of labor and infrastructure costs, many films are produced in countries other than the one in which the company which pays for the film is located. However, five of the major film studios are owned by East Coast companies. The Indian film industry is multi-lingual and the largest in the world (1200 movies released in the year 2002). The industry is supported mainly by a vast film-going Indian public (the largest in the world in terms of annual ticket sales), and Indian films have been gaining increasing popularity in the rest of the world -- notably in countries with large numbers of expatriate Indians. One third of the India's film industry is mostly concentrated in Bombay, and is commonly referred to as "Bollywood" as an amalgamation of Bombay and Hollywood. However, there are several smaller centers of Indian film industries in regional languages (Apart from Hindi,Telugu and Tamil) centered in the states those languages are spoken. Hong Kong, China is a filmmaking hub for the Chinese-speaking world (including the worldwide diaspora) and East Asia in general. Despite an industry crisis starting in the mid-'90s and Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty in July 1997, Hong Kong film has retained much of its distinctive identity and continues to play a prominent part on the world cinema stage. Unlike many film industries, Hong Kong has enjoyed little to no direct government support, through either subsidies or import quotas. The first feature film ever made was that of 'The Story of the Kelly Gang. In 1906 Dan Barry and Charles Tait of Melbourne produced and directed 'The Story of the Kelly Gang', a silent film that ran continuously for a breathtaking 80 minutes. It wasn't until 1911 that countries other than Australia began to make feature films. By this time Australia had made 16 full length feature films.
Although electric lights existed at that time, none were powerful enough to adequately expose film; the best source of illumination for movie production was natural sunlight. It has had many owners after 1953, including Kling Studios, who produced the Superman TV series with George Reeves; Red Skelton, who used the sound stages for his CBS TV variety show; and CBS, who filmed the TV series Perry Mason with Raymond Burr there. HollywoodBollywood, Mumbai formely referred upon as Bombay City, the state capital of MaharashtraLollywood, Lahore the provincial capital of Pakistan Independent films Category: Cinema by country.
A Digital Filmmaker’s Guide
Making Video Look Like Film
You have your script. You have your camera and computer editing software. You have actors, a crew, and some locations. Now you begin to shoot your "digital" film. Although the "filmmaking process" described in here uses the "film" word, what we're really talking about is the overall project, not the medium on which it is shot. In recent years many traditional filmmakers have made the jump from film to digital video as have many television series. The reasons are clear: even using the highest quality digital video formats available, the cost savings over shooting traditional 35mm film are not to be ignored, as well as the fact that today many traditional film shoots use a "digital intermediate" (a fancy way of saying the film footage is scanned frame by frame into a series of digital still images) to provide color correction, add special effects (if needed), and in the case of regular television series, are output directly to tape or disc and never see film again.
In the independent film world, these recent changes have had an enormous impact on the affordability of production. "Prosumer" digital video cameras ranging from $1000 up to $10,000 provide relatively clean, clear images. Also extremely affordable are computer hardware and editing software which provide single-source solutions, not only for editing of images, but also color correction, special effects, sound mixing, and DVD authoring. Just a few short years ago, a feature-length independent film shot in 16mm color film would have enormous costs simply in the rental/purchase of a proper camera; the cost of a film (400 foot reels at more than $90 each), processing, negative cutting and color correction costs, and all this even IF one chose to output to videotape and edit the final footage there (a la Robert Rodriguez's "El Mariachi"). Now a single mini-DV tape costing around $4 can record up to an hour of footage. Portable laptops and/or proprietary hard drive systems can record directly to disk format ready for editing without even the need for capturing from tape. However, one fact still remains - you are still shooting "video" and, unfortunately, video does not look like "film". There are several reasons why:
FRAME RATE
Film is shot at 24 frames per second (fps); video is shot at 30fps (although because standard video is interlaced, i.e. each frame is made up of two fields which are scanned at odd/even intervals, it actually appears more like 60 fps). The extra frames of video provide more detail in an object or person's motion, making the image look more realistic in nature However, as a society we've become so used to the 24fps look of film that video does not create the "suspension of disbelief" when we watch it.
IMAGE CLARITY
Standard definition DV video uses a frame size of 720x480 pixels. Doing the math, that's a paltry 345,600 pixels to reproduce each frame. If printed on a sheet of photo paper at 300 dots per inch (DPI - the minimum amount needed for a clear printed image), it would barely be 2 ½ inches wide. By comparison, today's digital still cameras now operate in the 5 megapixel range and up, providing 14 times more image data than standard video. This approaches the clarity of 35mm film, which, although not having a specific pixel count, can be magnified and blown up to larger proportions (i.e. 8x10 photo or projected onto a 30 foot screen). However, newer High Definition (HD) video formats provide much sharper images (the two most popular formats are 720x1280 pixels and 1080x1920 pixels).
IMAGE QUALITY
Although film technically has more resolution than standard video, the overall look of the image is "softer". This is due to colors on the film emulsion blending gradually from one to another, whereas each pixel in standard video has specific boundaries between itself and its neighbors. New digital cameras have special circuitry to help create smoother images, especially in areas of color than approach skin tones.
ASPECT RATIO
Until recently, video was shot with a picture height that was ¾ of it's width (often referred to as 4:3, or in film terms, 1.33:1) For years, film has been projected with aspect ratios ranging from 1.85:1 to 2.35:1. New high definition television sets and portable DVD players use a compromise aspect ratio of 16:9 (or 1.78:1, close to the 1.85:1 number mentioned above). This does not have as much of an effect as the items mentioned above, however it goes a long way to selling the "look" of video as film.
DEPTH OF FIELD
This is a range of distances from the camera lens in which an object stays in focus. It is based on several factors, the most important of which are the actual frame (in film) or CCD (in video) size. The larger the frame surface, the less depth of field at a particular aperature setting. Traditional film cameras receive light through a lens onto a square that is 35mm (1.4") diagonal. Many of today's smaller DV cameras use 1/3" or even ¼" diagonal CCDs. This is why a traditional 35mm film image will have a subject in focus and the immediate background out of focus. This effect also helps separate the foreground character or object and allows the filmmaker to force the audience to concentrate on a particular part of a scene. Video cameras tend to allow more objects (foreground and background) be in focus at the same time.
MOVEMENT
Another way to generate a "cinematic" look to a moving image is by moving the camera as opposed to using the zoom lens. Except for a brief period during the 1970s, zooming in the film community has been rarely used. Instead, the process of physically moving the camera helps create a more three-dimensional feel and is more closely related to what we observe through our eyes every day (remember our eyes cannot "zoom" the way a camera lens can). Zooms are also more typically used in television programs (news, sports, talk shows, etc.).
So, what can we do to overcome the "video" look in favor of the more pleasing "film" look? First of all, the selection of a proper camera is the key. Many newer cameras (starting with the groundbreaking Panasonic DVX-100 series) are capable of shooting at 24fps. The resulting set of images is then laid down onto DV videotape using a 3:2 pulldown method (similar to how traditional film at 24fps is converted to 60 interlaced fields). This allows compatible playback on any standard DV camera or deck. The byproduct of the 24p mode is also that the image is scanned progressively, which yields a slightly sharper image than the typical interlaced video frame.
Other cameras just out on the market (such as the JVC HD100 and the Sony FX-1) shoot in HDV mode (an abbreviation for High Definition DV), which again utilizes a standard DV videotape to record more pixels per each frame. The drawback is that this system uses MPEG-2 compression, a method of compressing data which is used in standard DVD discs and players. Because of the large amount of data that has to be "squeezed" onto the tape, occasional artifacts can appear, especially in scenes with a lot of motion.
Finally, true HD cameras such as the Panasonic HVX-200 provide "true" HD recording capability, however here the cost of the recording media begins to rise. Although the HVX-200 has a mini-DV tape drive built-in, in order to realize the higher quality images, one must use Panasonic's proprietary "P2" storage system, which records the data onto a series of removable memory cards. At this point, these cards are still extremely expensive, however as technology improves and memory price falls, this may prove more affordable in the future.
When shooting on video, several key factors can help avoid the "video" look. The first one is to avoid overexposing even part of the frame. Overexposed film reacts much differently than overexposed video, which tends to sharply lose all color and generates a noticeable "blooming" along the edges of the overexposed part of the scene. By closing the iris of the camera ½ to 1 full f-stop, you can bring potentially overexposed highlights down into a usable range. With the color correction tools in most major editing programs, the image can be brightened a bit later if necessary. Also, some of the newer DV cameras have selectable gamma settings which expose the mid-tones of the scene in different ways to better match the way film reacts to light. Also, the use of soft, diffused light is extremely important - this helps keep shadows to a minimum and softens the image that is captured by the camera's CCDs.
The aspect ratio of your video frame is relatively easy to change. First, you can shoot full-frame, then add black bars across the top and bottom while you edit. Although this gives the video a "widescreen look", you have essentially thrown out 25% of your image data. Many DV cameras have 16:9 widescreen modes, although they vary in how this is accomplished. Some simply add the black bars across the top and bottom and record the frame that way; others will turn off the top and bottom portions of their CCDs and "squeeze" the rest of the information into a full frame (referred to as anamorphic), which yields slightly better results. The resulting "squeezed" frame is then restored to normal aspect when viewed on a 16:9 monitor or projector, which then "stretches" the frame out to its normal width. With standard definition DV cameras, the highest quality method for obtaining a 16:9 image is to use an anamorphic lens, which optically squeezes the image to fit into a 4:3 frame, allowing you to use all of the available pixels on the camera's CCD. Unfortunately, anamorphic lenses can cost upwards of $800 or more. With Some of the new breed of HDV and true HD cameras, the CCDs within them actually have 16:9 aspect ratios and the pixels to match.
Unfortunately it is extremely difficult to match the narrow depth of field look of film. Even large professional cameras with ¾" CCDs still have trouble matching that of 35mm film. There are other factors which affect depth of field, however, one of which is the aperature setting on the camera lens (also known as the iris). The more open the iris, the more narrow the depth of field. So even if you're using a lot of light on a particular scene, you can force your camera to shoot with a narrower depth of field by using built-in neutral density filters, which most prosumer cameras have, or by putting neutral density filter in front of the lens to darken the image coming into the lens. Another factor is the focal length, or how far the camera is zoomed in to a subject. The more telephoto a zoom setting is, the more critical the depth of field. However, this must be used carefully; by setting up the camera too far away from the subject and zooming too far in, it can cause the background, even if slightly out of focus, to seem closer to the subject than it is in reality.
Camera movement is an issue that can be solved either with a larger budget, a bit of ingenuity, or a little of both. Simple hand-held movements are the cheapest, but also require some skill, even if the resulting shot is supposed to look "a bit shaky". Simulating the use of dollies can be done in the age-old tradition of using an old wheelchair, placing the camera and/or operator on it, and rolling it along a relatively smooth surface. For high angle shots, nothing beats a crane; even lifting the camera up 10-12 feet above your scene, especially with the lens set as wide as possible, will achieve impressive results. Again, with a bit of skill you could construct a simple crane system using some 2x4s, a trip to the hardware store and some old exercise weights. However, some new affordable (around $300) crane systems have become available in recent years. There are varying styles of camera stabilization systems (i.e. "steadicam"), some as simple as a counterweighted platform requiring the operator to hold all the weight with his/her arm; others come equipped with vests and spring systems which transfer the weight to the body and allow for even smoother movement. Again, using systems like this take practice, but can achieve impressive results when implemented correctly.
By taking all of these items into account when shooting, one can create a believable film look which is enough to "fool" most audiences. Of course, ultimately the overall production value of the shoot (lighting, sound, acting, set design, makeup, etc.) will also determine how "professional" the finished film is, regardless of whether it looks like film or video.
You have your script. You have your camera and computer editing software. You have actors, a crew, and some locations. Now you begin to shoot your "digital" film. Although the "filmmaking process" described in here uses the "film" word, what we're really talking about is the overall project, not the medium on which it is shot. In recent years many traditional filmmakers have made the jump from film to digital video as have many television series. The reasons are clear: even using the highest quality digital video formats available, the cost savings over shooting traditional 35mm film are not to be ignored, as well as the fact that today many traditional film shoots use a "digital intermediate" (a fancy way of saying the film footage is scanned frame by frame into a series of digital still images) to provide color correction, add special effects (if needed), and in the case of regular television series, are output directly to tape or disc and never see film again.
In the independent film world, these recent changes have had an enormous impact on the affordability of production. "Prosumer" digital video cameras ranging from $1000 up to $10,000 provide relatively clean, clear images. Also extremely affordable are computer hardware and editing software which provide single-source solutions, not only for editing of images, but also color correction, special effects, sound mixing, and DVD authoring. Just a few short years ago, a feature-length independent film shot in 16mm color film would have enormous costs simply in the rental/purchase of a proper camera; the cost of a film (400 foot reels at more than $90 each), processing, negative cutting and color correction costs, and all this even IF one chose to output to videotape and edit the final footage there (a la Robert Rodriguez's "El Mariachi"). Now a single mini-DV tape costing around $4 can record up to an hour of footage. Portable laptops and/or proprietary hard drive systems can record directly to disk format ready for editing without even the need for capturing from tape. However, one fact still remains - you are still shooting "video" and, unfortunately, video does not look like "film". There are several reasons why:
FRAME RATE
Film is shot at 24 frames per second (fps); video is shot at 30fps (although because standard video is interlaced, i.e. each frame is made up of two fields which are scanned at odd/even intervals, it actually appears more like 60 fps). The extra frames of video provide more detail in an object or person's motion, making the image look more realistic in nature However, as a society we've become so used to the 24fps look of film that video does not create the "suspension of disbelief" when we watch it.
IMAGE CLARITY
Standard definition DV video uses a frame size of 720x480 pixels. Doing the math, that's a paltry 345,600 pixels to reproduce each frame. If printed on a sheet of photo paper at 300 dots per inch (DPI - the minimum amount needed for a clear printed image), it would barely be 2 ½ inches wide. By comparison, today's digital still cameras now operate in the 5 megapixel range and up, providing 14 times more image data than standard video. This approaches the clarity of 35mm film, which, although not having a specific pixel count, can be magnified and blown up to larger proportions (i.e. 8x10 photo or projected onto a 30 foot screen). However, newer High Definition (HD) video formats provide much sharper images (the two most popular formats are 720x1280 pixels and 1080x1920 pixels).
IMAGE QUALITY
Although film technically has more resolution than standard video, the overall look of the image is "softer". This is due to colors on the film emulsion blending gradually from one to another, whereas each pixel in standard video has specific boundaries between itself and its neighbors. New digital cameras have special circuitry to help create smoother images, especially in areas of color than approach skin tones.
ASPECT RATIO
Until recently, video was shot with a picture height that was ¾ of it's width (often referred to as 4:3, or in film terms, 1.33:1) For years, film has been projected with aspect ratios ranging from 1.85:1 to 2.35:1. New high definition television sets and portable DVD players use a compromise aspect ratio of 16:9 (or 1.78:1, close to the 1.85:1 number mentioned above). This does not have as much of an effect as the items mentioned above, however it goes a long way to selling the "look" of video as film.
DEPTH OF FIELD
This is a range of distances from the camera lens in which an object stays in focus. It is based on several factors, the most important of which are the actual frame (in film) or CCD (in video) size. The larger the frame surface, the less depth of field at a particular aperature setting. Traditional film cameras receive light through a lens onto a square that is 35mm (1.4") diagonal. Many of today's smaller DV cameras use 1/3" or even ¼" diagonal CCDs. This is why a traditional 35mm film image will have a subject in focus and the immediate background out of focus. This effect also helps separate the foreground character or object and allows the filmmaker to force the audience to concentrate on a particular part of a scene. Video cameras tend to allow more objects (foreground and background) be in focus at the same time.
MOVEMENT
Another way to generate a "cinematic" look to a moving image is by moving the camera as opposed to using the zoom lens. Except for a brief period during the 1970s, zooming in the film community has been rarely used. Instead, the process of physically moving the camera helps create a more three-dimensional feel and is more closely related to what we observe through our eyes every day (remember our eyes cannot "zoom" the way a camera lens can). Zooms are also more typically used in television programs (news, sports, talk shows, etc.).
So, what can we do to overcome the "video" look in favor of the more pleasing "film" look? First of all, the selection of a proper camera is the key. Many newer cameras (starting with the groundbreaking Panasonic DVX-100 series) are capable of shooting at 24fps. The resulting set of images is then laid down onto DV videotape using a 3:2 pulldown method (similar to how traditional film at 24fps is converted to 60 interlaced fields). This allows compatible playback on any standard DV camera or deck. The byproduct of the 24p mode is also that the image is scanned progressively, which yields a slightly sharper image than the typical interlaced video frame.
Other cameras just out on the market (such as the JVC HD100 and the Sony FX-1) shoot in HDV mode (an abbreviation for High Definition DV), which again utilizes a standard DV videotape to record more pixels per each frame. The drawback is that this system uses MPEG-2 compression, a method of compressing data which is used in standard DVD discs and players. Because of the large amount of data that has to be "squeezed" onto the tape, occasional artifacts can appear, especially in scenes with a lot of motion.
Finally, true HD cameras such as the Panasonic HVX-200 provide "true" HD recording capability, however here the cost of the recording media begins to rise. Although the HVX-200 has a mini-DV tape drive built-in, in order to realize the higher quality images, one must use Panasonic's proprietary "P2" storage system, which records the data onto a series of removable memory cards. At this point, these cards are still extremely expensive, however as technology improves and memory price falls, this may prove more affordable in the future.
When shooting on video, several key factors can help avoid the "video" look. The first one is to avoid overexposing even part of the frame. Overexposed film reacts much differently than overexposed video, which tends to sharply lose all color and generates a noticeable "blooming" along the edges of the overexposed part of the scene. By closing the iris of the camera ½ to 1 full f-stop, you can bring potentially overexposed highlights down into a usable range. With the color correction tools in most major editing programs, the image can be brightened a bit later if necessary. Also, some of the newer DV cameras have selectable gamma settings which expose the mid-tones of the scene in different ways to better match the way film reacts to light. Also, the use of soft, diffused light is extremely important - this helps keep shadows to a minimum and softens the image that is captured by the camera's CCDs.
The aspect ratio of your video frame is relatively easy to change. First, you can shoot full-frame, then add black bars across the top and bottom while you edit. Although this gives the video a "widescreen look", you have essentially thrown out 25% of your image data. Many DV cameras have 16:9 widescreen modes, although they vary in how this is accomplished. Some simply add the black bars across the top and bottom and record the frame that way; others will turn off the top and bottom portions of their CCDs and "squeeze" the rest of the information into a full frame (referred to as anamorphic), which yields slightly better results. The resulting "squeezed" frame is then restored to normal aspect when viewed on a 16:9 monitor or projector, which then "stretches" the frame out to its normal width. With standard definition DV cameras, the highest quality method for obtaining a 16:9 image is to use an anamorphic lens, which optically squeezes the image to fit into a 4:3 frame, allowing you to use all of the available pixels on the camera's CCD. Unfortunately, anamorphic lenses can cost upwards of $800 or more. With Some of the new breed of HDV and true HD cameras, the CCDs within them actually have 16:9 aspect ratios and the pixels to match.
Unfortunately it is extremely difficult to match the narrow depth of field look of film. Even large professional cameras with ¾" CCDs still have trouble matching that of 35mm film. There are other factors which affect depth of field, however, one of which is the aperature setting on the camera lens (also known as the iris). The more open the iris, the more narrow the depth of field. So even if you're using a lot of light on a particular scene, you can force your camera to shoot with a narrower depth of field by using built-in neutral density filters, which most prosumer cameras have, or by putting neutral density filter in front of the lens to darken the image coming into the lens. Another factor is the focal length, or how far the camera is zoomed in to a subject. The more telephoto a zoom setting is, the more critical the depth of field. However, this must be used carefully; by setting up the camera too far away from the subject and zooming too far in, it can cause the background, even if slightly out of focus, to seem closer to the subject than it is in reality.
Camera movement is an issue that can be solved either with a larger budget, a bit of ingenuity, or a little of both. Simple hand-held movements are the cheapest, but also require some skill, even if the resulting shot is supposed to look "a bit shaky". Simulating the use of dollies can be done in the age-old tradition of using an old wheelchair, placing the camera and/or operator on it, and rolling it along a relatively smooth surface. For high angle shots, nothing beats a crane; even lifting the camera up 10-12 feet above your scene, especially with the lens set as wide as possible, will achieve impressive results. Again, with a bit of skill you could construct a simple crane system using some 2x4s, a trip to the hardware store and some old exercise weights. However, some new affordable (around $300) crane systems have become available in recent years. There are varying styles of camera stabilization systems (i.e. "steadicam"), some as simple as a counterweighted platform requiring the operator to hold all the weight with his/her arm; others come equipped with vests and spring systems which transfer the weight to the body and allow for even smoother movement. Again, using systems like this take practice, but can achieve impressive results when implemented correctly.
By taking all of these items into account when shooting, one can create a believable film look which is enough to "fool" most audiences. Of course, ultimately the overall production value of the shoot (lighting, sound, acting, set design, makeup, etc.) will also determine how "professional" the finished film is, regardless of whether it looks like film or video.
Cinematography
A Brief Historical Overview
Cinematography is one of the man's efforts to portray to others, through the use of techniques that combine motion pictures and text, the world and the messages it transfers as these are understood by the artist. With the term cinematography, one today describes the discipline of making lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema use. Based on two Greek words, cinematography etymologically means "writing in the movement" and was introduced as a new technique to record images of people and objects as they moved and project them on to a type of screen. Combined with sculpture, painting, dance, architecture, music, and literature, cinematography is today considered to be the seventh art.
It is very difficult for a researcher to find and pinpoint the one individual that could be named the "father" of cinematography, accepting that the word symbolizes a technique used for motion pictures' creation. But, it is apparent that man has experimented, very early in human history, with different methods that would allow him to record the movement of images. Very closely related to still photography, which has been a catalyst to the development of cinematography since the mid 19th Century, the technique that would allow images to be recorded while in motion has been extensively studied. One of the first attempts to analyze the element of movement with the help of photographic machinery was made by the British photographer Edward Muybridge in 1878. After successfully developing a new method of producing consecutive photographic images, he recorded the movement of a running horse. Through the motion pictures he produced, he managed to prove that there are instances when a horse is running that none of its feet touch the ground. Around the same period, the French physicist Etienne Mare managed to capture, also by using photographic machinery that could record 12 images per second, the movements of a flying bird.
Based on the developments of the early 1880s in exposing images on light sensitive elements, attributed to pioneers like Thomas Edison and the Lumiere brothers among others, the new art form of motion pictures introduced a new type of aesthetics that captured the attention of people wanting to explore its applications and create art. One of the first cinematographers that decided to examine this dimension of moving images was the French Maries-George-Jean Méliès who became one of the first cinema directors. With his film, Trip to the Moon (Le voyage dans la lune) in 1901, he created a fantastic story of a trip to the moon using motion pictures. He was also the one that introduced the coloring technique in films by painting each one of the frames by hand.
During the infancy stage of motion pictures, the cinematographer had multiple roles, acting as the director and the person holding and moving the camera. As the years pasted, this new art form was further developed by the new technological tools introduced. New art-related professions emerged and due to cinema's ability to capture the attention of vast audiences worldwide, by appealing to more than one the five senses, cinematography emerged to what is known today as a multi-billion dollar industry and one of the favorite art forms in the world.
Got a Great Idea for a Movie? You Could Make Millions
You've seen one or two bad movies in your time, right? And you've told your date, "I could do better than that." Your instincts are probably right.
You already know Hollywood seems locked into making the same tired, old plots, over and over. But you have an idea for a better movie rolling around inside your brain.
Well, here's opportunity knocking.
A former Hollywood executive is willing to make your screenplay into a movie if you're the winner of a winner-take-all competition. John Hart, former vice-president for BrightStar Productions, has founded an independent studio in Oregon, a state that is now known as "Hollywood North," and he's ready to make the winning idea into a movie.
The competition is called MakeMyScreenplay and it's the only one of its kind. The winner gets his or her script made into a feature-length movie, and here's the best part: the winner also gets fifty-percent (50%) of all revenue generated from theatrical, televison, and DVD sales.
What kind of money are we talking about here?
Well, "Blair Witch Project," a low-budget independent movie, made outside of Hollywood, grossed $140,530,114 dollars in the U.S., according to the Internet Movie Database. Another recent independent hit also made outside of Hollywood, "Napoleon
Dynamite," grossed $44,540,956 in the U.S.
Can you write something like that? Or better? If you can, MakeMyScreenplay will make the movie, and you'll get half the money.
Writing a screenplay isn't that difficult. The format is a breeze to follow. What you really need is a good idea and some screenwriting software, and the will to finish it. Make it a group project. Get your whole family involved.
The rules are pretty simple and you can see them all at [makemyscreenplay.com] You aren't eligible if you've already won before, or you have a produced theatrical or television movie.
The winning script will be shot in Oregon in High-Definition format, with Sony's new high-definition camera, the HVR-Z1U, and we'll edit it, add music and sound effects, and send you a DVD when it's done. Then we'll show it off to the world. Neither of make any money unless we get it sold somewhere, right?
Cinematography is one of the man's efforts to portray to others, through the use of techniques that combine motion pictures and text, the world and the messages it transfers as these are understood by the artist. With the term cinematography, one today describes the discipline of making lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema use. Based on two Greek words, cinematography etymologically means "writing in the movement" and was introduced as a new technique to record images of people and objects as they moved and project them on to a type of screen. Combined with sculpture, painting, dance, architecture, music, and literature, cinematography is today considered to be the seventh art.
It is very difficult for a researcher to find and pinpoint the one individual that could be named the "father" of cinematography, accepting that the word symbolizes a technique used for motion pictures' creation. But, it is apparent that man has experimented, very early in human history, with different methods that would allow him to record the movement of images. Very closely related to still photography, which has been a catalyst to the development of cinematography since the mid 19th Century, the technique that would allow images to be recorded while in motion has been extensively studied. One of the first attempts to analyze the element of movement with the help of photographic machinery was made by the British photographer Edward Muybridge in 1878. After successfully developing a new method of producing consecutive photographic images, he recorded the movement of a running horse. Through the motion pictures he produced, he managed to prove that there are instances when a horse is running that none of its feet touch the ground. Around the same period, the French physicist Etienne Mare managed to capture, also by using photographic machinery that could record 12 images per second, the movements of a flying bird.
Based on the developments of the early 1880s in exposing images on light sensitive elements, attributed to pioneers like Thomas Edison and the Lumiere brothers among others, the new art form of motion pictures introduced a new type of aesthetics that captured the attention of people wanting to explore its applications and create art. One of the first cinematographers that decided to examine this dimension of moving images was the French Maries-George-Jean Méliès who became one of the first cinema directors. With his film, Trip to the Moon (Le voyage dans la lune) in 1901, he created a fantastic story of a trip to the moon using motion pictures. He was also the one that introduced the coloring technique in films by painting each one of the frames by hand.
During the infancy stage of motion pictures, the cinematographer had multiple roles, acting as the director and the person holding and moving the camera. As the years pasted, this new art form was further developed by the new technological tools introduced. New art-related professions emerged and due to cinema's ability to capture the attention of vast audiences worldwide, by appealing to more than one the five senses, cinematography emerged to what is known today as a multi-billion dollar industry and one of the favorite art forms in the world.
Got a Great Idea for a Movie? You Could Make Millions
You've seen one or two bad movies in your time, right? And you've told your date, "I could do better than that." Your instincts are probably right.
You already know Hollywood seems locked into making the same tired, old plots, over and over. But you have an idea for a better movie rolling around inside your brain.
Well, here's opportunity knocking.
A former Hollywood executive is willing to make your screenplay into a movie if you're the winner of a winner-take-all competition. John Hart, former vice-president for BrightStar Productions, has founded an independent studio in Oregon, a state that is now known as "Hollywood North," and he's ready to make the winning idea into a movie.
The competition is called MakeMyScreenplay and it's the only one of its kind. The winner gets his or her script made into a feature-length movie, and here's the best part: the winner also gets fifty-percent (50%) of all revenue generated from theatrical, televison, and DVD sales.
What kind of money are we talking about here?
Well, "Blair Witch Project," a low-budget independent movie, made outside of Hollywood, grossed $140,530,114 dollars in the U.S., according to the Internet Movie Database. Another recent independent hit also made outside of Hollywood, "Napoleon
Dynamite," grossed $44,540,956 in the U.S.
Can you write something like that? Or better? If you can, MakeMyScreenplay will make the movie, and you'll get half the money.
Writing a screenplay isn't that difficult. The format is a breeze to follow. What you really need is a good idea and some screenwriting software, and the will to finish it. Make it a group project. Get your whole family involved.
The rules are pretty simple and you can see them all at [makemyscreenplay.com] You aren't eligible if you've already won before, or you have a produced theatrical or television movie.
The winning script will be shot in Oregon in High-Definition format, with Sony's new high-definition camera, the HVR-Z1U, and we'll edit it, add music and sound effects, and send you a DVD when it's done. Then we'll show it off to the world. Neither of make any money unless we get it sold somewhere, right?
Film Directors
Most Film Directors have elected to stay away from film budgets and production costs. The heavy grinding SHOULD be left to accountants - but, let's lay it on the table:
The Film Director is at the helm of a big money-burning machine. It is the Film Director's job to produce his/her vision of the script - on time and on budget. At his service is a team of film production experts (the Line Producer, Unit Production Manager, the AD team, Production Accountant, etc.) all there to assist the Film Director to do just that.
Film Directors make it their business to understand the basic functions of on-set filmmaking, without being able to fully light a set, or operate a crane, or focus a steadicam. In the same spirit, the Film Director must understand the basics of Budgeting and the extremely important Weekly Cost Reporting process. Every creative decision involves money. It's only good sense to learn to translate creative ideas into costs.
Experienced Directors know of The Weekly Cost Report. If you're not yet familiar with it, let me introduce it to you:
The Weekly Cost Report informs all Producers, Studio Executives and Financiers of the costs you're expending and how those costs compare to the Approved Budget. If you are unable to challenge, or defend, the conclusions made by those who read that financial 'Report Card' (that is, those who hold the purse strings) your ability to control your career is significantly weakened.
Find a comfort level where you can, at the very least, know what to ask during the Budgeting phase, and have a good understanding of how you can trade-off one cost overrun with a cost savings in another area. Know how to formulate general concepts of trading off costs to arrive at your vision and you'll impress the money belts off the Studio Executives.
Picture the following scenario:
You're the Film Director of an Independent Film Production. You've shot the exteriors called for in the script and you've seen the dailies; however, you KNOW that there's a better shot of that exterior in Oklahoma that would give the perfect hook to the opening of your film.
You know that you can convince the producers of this on a creative plane. But, you also know that most producers will shudder at the task of dropping that bombshell on the Financiers/Bonding Company that you need to dip into the closely guarded Contingency funds. (Oh, did I tell you that we're going to Okl...)
1. How do you pose solutions to those added costs?
2. What's the right way to approach the game of cost trade-offs?
3. How do you defend those cost trade-offs?
It's always going to be a challenge to present this kind of choice - but, a very doable challenge if you know how to translate your needs to cost trade-off's by using my Walk The Talk ideas.
Usual Way:
As the Film Director you sincerely express your view that the Oklahoma shot would be a perfect opening for the movie. What kind of response do you think you'll get? Here's the most likely, from my experience:
Film Producer/Bonding Company Rep - This will put us over-budget by $150,000. I'll talk to the... 'whoever' - (it's a stall for sure).
Walk The Talk Way
Alternative: Film Director
- The cost of shooting 1 day of exteriors will not require a full crew in Oklahoma. I've called the Film Commission there (see my web site for internet links to all Film Commissions and major Unions) and they have assured me that there are plenty of local crew available to work at a very decent rate.
- I estimate it should cost about 1/2 of your estimate, say about $75,000 to give us a bit more than we absolutely need. I can get that back over the next 5 days here in New York. (Note: you'll need to pick-up a copy of my eBook to see how I arrived at the $75,000 figure - see Figure 17.2, Table 3)
- You see, I've rehearsed the next five days with my very experienced cast and there's no way that we can't complete the scenes scheduled in 10 hours a day instead of the budgeted 13 hours a day. And, as you all know, that last 2 hours in New York costs about $10,000 a day (see Figure 15.1 in my book).
Alternative: Bonding Company Representative - Oh. Have the accountant make a schedule of the costs and we can check them. (That's a Financier's last stand - it's up to the accountant to verify your estimates.)
You get the drift. You are simply applying a cost trade-off technique in the same technical way as you would use focal points, storyboards, crane shots, etc. You are 'Directing The Money'; the money isn't Directing you.
Some Directors, through the school-of-hard-knocks, have developed a 'knack' for conceptually streaming their creative ideas through a 'what's the cost?' process. But that process is all too often tainted with blame on 'the blue suits' and 'the money guys' and 'all they're interested in is the money', etc. It's also often based on misinformation, biased toward a predetermined decision. Take my word for it; unless you, as the Film Director, can be familiar enough with the language of money in film production, you're up the proverbial creek.
You, as the Film Director, are at the helm of a money burning machine. The best way to get the confidence of those who hold the purse strings is to know how to participate in the budget approval process, and then to trade off costs to get YOUR vision during the shoot. You could think of it as Directing, only you're Directing The Money.
The Film Director is at the helm of a big money-burning machine. It is the Film Director's job to produce his/her vision of the script - on time and on budget. At his service is a team of film production experts (the Line Producer, Unit Production Manager, the AD team, Production Accountant, etc.) all there to assist the Film Director to do just that.
Film Directors make it their business to understand the basic functions of on-set filmmaking, without being able to fully light a set, or operate a crane, or focus a steadicam. In the same spirit, the Film Director must understand the basics of Budgeting and the extremely important Weekly Cost Reporting process. Every creative decision involves money. It's only good sense to learn to translate creative ideas into costs.
Experienced Directors know of The Weekly Cost Report. If you're not yet familiar with it, let me introduce it to you:
The Weekly Cost Report informs all Producers, Studio Executives and Financiers of the costs you're expending and how those costs compare to the Approved Budget. If you are unable to challenge, or defend, the conclusions made by those who read that financial 'Report Card' (that is, those who hold the purse strings) your ability to control your career is significantly weakened.
Find a comfort level where you can, at the very least, know what to ask during the Budgeting phase, and have a good understanding of how you can trade-off one cost overrun with a cost savings in another area. Know how to formulate general concepts of trading off costs to arrive at your vision and you'll impress the money belts off the Studio Executives.
Picture the following scenario:
You're the Film Director of an Independent Film Production. You've shot the exteriors called for in the script and you've seen the dailies; however, you KNOW that there's a better shot of that exterior in Oklahoma that would give the perfect hook to the opening of your film.
You know that you can convince the producers of this on a creative plane. But, you also know that most producers will shudder at the task of dropping that bombshell on the Financiers/Bonding Company that you need to dip into the closely guarded Contingency funds. (Oh, did I tell you that we're going to Okl...)
1. How do you pose solutions to those added costs?
2. What's the right way to approach the game of cost trade-offs?
3. How do you defend those cost trade-offs?
It's always going to be a challenge to present this kind of choice - but, a very doable challenge if you know how to translate your needs to cost trade-off's by using my Walk The Talk ideas.
Usual Way:
As the Film Director you sincerely express your view that the Oklahoma shot would be a perfect opening for the movie. What kind of response do you think you'll get? Here's the most likely, from my experience:
Film Producer/Bonding Company Rep - This will put us over-budget by $150,000. I'll talk to the... 'whoever' - (it's a stall for sure).
Walk The Talk Way
Alternative: Film Director
- The cost of shooting 1 day of exteriors will not require a full crew in Oklahoma. I've called the Film Commission there (see my web site for internet links to all Film Commissions and major Unions) and they have assured me that there are plenty of local crew available to work at a very decent rate.
- I estimate it should cost about 1/2 of your estimate, say about $75,000 to give us a bit more than we absolutely need. I can get that back over the next 5 days here in New York. (Note: you'll need to pick-up a copy of my eBook to see how I arrived at the $75,000 figure - see Figure 17.2, Table 3)
- You see, I've rehearsed the next five days with my very experienced cast and there's no way that we can't complete the scenes scheduled in 10 hours a day instead of the budgeted 13 hours a day. And, as you all know, that last 2 hours in New York costs about $10,000 a day (see Figure 15.1 in my book).
Alternative: Bonding Company Representative - Oh. Have the accountant make a schedule of the costs and we can check them. (That's a Financier's last stand - it's up to the accountant to verify your estimates.)
You get the drift. You are simply applying a cost trade-off technique in the same technical way as you would use focal points, storyboards, crane shots, etc. You are 'Directing The Money'; the money isn't Directing you.
Some Directors, through the school-of-hard-knocks, have developed a 'knack' for conceptually streaming their creative ideas through a 'what's the cost?' process. But that process is all too often tainted with blame on 'the blue suits' and 'the money guys' and 'all they're interested in is the money', etc. It's also often based on misinformation, biased toward a predetermined decision. Take my word for it; unless you, as the Film Director, can be familiar enough with the language of money in film production, you're up the proverbial creek.
You, as the Film Director, are at the helm of a money burning machine. The best way to get the confidence of those who hold the purse strings is to know how to participate in the budget approval process, and then to trade off costs to get YOUR vision during the shoot. You could think of it as Directing, only you're Directing The Money.
Film Acting
The Benefits Of Film Directing Schools
In this article I will be talking about the true benefits of actually enrolling in a drama school as this drastically improves any actors chances of really succeeding in this industry as well as the hurdles that come along way.
Most actors in today's films have had some sort of guidance before they made it to where they are. I guess there are some actors out there that do not need such help as for these special few the skills needed to achieve in this business have always come naturally. For the most of us we have no acting skill what so ever and then there are some who do not know there true talents until someone or something comes along and shows the person the right direction and then this magical thing happens and an actor is born.
A great way that determines if you have what it takes to become an actor or not is to really understand what is involved to become a successful actor. This can be done many ways for example hanging around movie sets, reading up on acting, and learning from instructional videos. The dedication required to make it in this business is what sets the big screen actors apart from the b-list movies you never hear about. Learning the material from someone who has been involved in this industry for sometime now and to inquire if possible where to start acting is your best bet in the beginning. There are many books and DVD's out there that explain in detail just what is required to even have a chance at the red carpet. Also by grabbing these books or audio tapes or even instructional videos, one can learn exactly if this is what their career will be and have a better understanding if this is for you or not. This way also will save you hours of casting calls if you are already at that point or even better thousands of dollars running around dealing with agencies, creating portfolios and getting no where.
Another way but more expensive and I only recommend this path if you have some what of an understanding how the movie business works is to enroll in a film directing school and acting workshop. This method is not only the best but also the most expensive and let alone an audition must take place in order to qualify you into the school. You must also be at least eighteen or older to become a professional actor but once an audition is passed a place in the school is offered along with your ten's of thousand tuition and not to forget the living expense as you most likely will have to move to another city to attend the campus. I still believe that to start acting, you really need expert advice from actors in the real world that will tell you how to get into acting as they have been film acting for sometime and now and have the best knowledge if this is really your true calling or not. Film acting schools can take a lot out of you because these are extensive two or three years intense training for you to succeed. These schools take you by the hand and teach you every aspect of acting including facial expressions, voice impressions, gesture, and space and movement to name a few.
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