How would one go about making his own movie? (1 Viewer)

[Dan Brecher]

This is to keep in mind way way down the line, but I just wanted to add, when you feel you've done something worthy of of showing off your true talents, consider getting an agent. You're going to hear a lot of bad things about agents I am sure (classic stereotypes), BUT, what they do for their clients is pretty damn incredible.

Again, I highlight Rodriguez's book as it paints and a different picture on agents, an extremely positive look at them and what they do in their strange little world. His book is essentialy a diary he kept from Mariachi's conception right through to release. It really is a good and positive read.

Rodriguez has a nice saying, backing up his feelings of starting out on video. His take is that everybody has at least one bad movie in them, and it's better to get it out of you without spending much money before you tackle something with a semi-serious budget.

Dan

 

[Scott Simonian]

Don't buy a cheap capture card, you'll regret it later

[rant]This is VERY important!!![/rant]
Dont skimp on a good capture card. Im 17 and I have been filmmaking for 2 years now. When I first started doing digital movies I had a 300mhz, 64mb RAM, and a Pinnacle StudioDV capture card. Now, I liked StudioDV; very easy and intuitive but it was incompatible with my camcorder. It would not export off the camera. (I found out the hard way, working for hours then trying to put it on tape. )
About $1500 later, I ended up with a new computer, a $500 capture card and software, (which ended up being imcompatible with my camcorder as well) and irritated director.
Eventually, I disabled the capture cards software and used the windows drivers. I also used Adobe Premeire exclusivly. Its quirky and sometimes unstable but it gets the job done.
EDIT: Okay, I think that was just ramble and I didnt answer any questions.
I dont know how much or how little money you have so Ill give some cheap advice. If you stay analog, go find a analog to digital converter and purchase a "generic" fireware card. Get Adobe Premeire, its hard but very powerful. Just practice.

 

[Francois Caron]

How about starting out by making commercials? Just like feature length movies and short subjects, they require a script, a storyboard, a camera, a crew, editing, post-production... You come into contact with all the same filmmaking elements as a big production, but you're dealing with a 30 second to 1 minute spot instead of 90 minutes of hell on your first try.
Many big name directors started out with commercials. In many cases, they continue to make commercials even after they've established themselves. And you never know where the commercials may end up. The Super Bowl maybe?
About synchronizing sound. Just use a clapboard or your hands. When synching the sound, match up the point in the video where the clapboard/hands come into contact, and the waveform of the soundtrack suddenly spikes. Perfect synchronization every time!
You can even make your own clapboard with a pane of chalkboard/whiteboad, and two 2x4 sections attached with a hinge. It's good practice to write down and pronounce the title, scene and take of every sequence you're filming otherwise you're gonna have a lot of trouble later on remembering which video section goes with which sound clip!
Same advice goes for the storyboard. By rehearsing the scenes on paper, you're less likely to waste precious time and money on the set trying to figure out exactly what it was you wanted to shoot. They are your bible! Treat them as such! Being the son of a minister, you should relate to this.
As for using film, avoid it for now. It may end up being more expensive than simply buying new video equipment and a couple dozen tapes which you can use over and over again. I worked with 8mm and Super 8 material a few years ago strictly as a hobby, and even then it was a bit expensive. After I was done editing the sequences together, almost half the original film wound up on the cutting room floor. At close to $30 Canadian for 3 minutes and 20 seconds of Super 8 film, a completed five minute film could cost me over sixty bucks!
Above all, AVOID THE PORNO!!! You only go into that domain if that's what you REALLY want to do! You don't dive into that sticky stuff just to get into film production!
Have fun!