May Status Report Thread

Tragedy strikes! While attempting to free up more space for a next to final render, I deleted the media cache file. Since I had brilliantly set the media cache file to the folder in which I store all my finished work and sound effects, I successfully deleted almost every single final project I have ever created, including many of the sound effects for my hero fest entry. I attempted to recover them with WinUndelete, but all the recovered files are corrupted. Yes...I almost cried. I have many of the files on DVD but it is simply not the same. From now on it is Back up hard drive time!! Luckily, I had been saving all my video files for this project and most of the sound to a different hard drive...I don't know why but I am glad I did. When I saw my hero fest entry was almost completely intact and safe, I almost passed out with relief. Since the last two days were spent sound editing, and I deleted a lot of my sound, it is back to the grind stone. I'll be back soon.....
 
We were to film one night scene last night But mother nature decided otherwise . No big deal we'll try tonight .
I was to do a scene this morning at 8am . I talked to the actor last night ..yes..yes I will be there !! Well I get home at 4am in bed at 4:30 and back up for 7:15 . I head down town ..no traffic , no people ..perfect.
8:15 and no actor ..I phone ..no answer ..try Cell..turned off ...It is now 9:51 and not a peep ..and the sad bit is this guy is to do a scene this afternoon...

I had thoughts of not doing another short after this one (if we make it) .
But after this kind of crap , I don't need the Bulls****.

Not sure why people do this .Do they think our time means nothing , buying props with our hard worked dollars is only chump change .

But pay backs are good ..one guy who did a no show in the Zombie flick ,bailed in the Sci_fi ..he who phoned asking to be in this one and then changed his mind later that week ...Ok this time he didn't leave me in a lurch ...but had the nerve to ask if I could work on his 4 wheeler as the cam chain was shot ..$75 an hour they want he say's ..I said sorry can't work on it , take it to the dealer ..I usually charge $20 pr Hr, not this time ..I think he was a little pissed at the thoughts of a 10 hr labour job plus parts at dealer rates.
This was my last laugh

Well I'm off to try and save this afternoons shots .
Sorry for the Rant guys .
Ian
 
All these horror stories everyone is telling have me a little worried...since I haven't shot a single frame yet. We shoot this Saturday, I know that only gives me 10 days for post....but I am doing a lot of pre-planning to hopefully avoid the dreaded on-set phrase, "We'll fix that in post"

In my last report I mentioned that we had a rehearsal where our fight choreographer, who was also playing the part of our superhero, didn't show up and didn't call. I finally talked to him a couple days later and learned he had been in a car accident that day, which is why he didn't show or think to call. The worst part is, his arm is in a cast (not very superhero-y to be wearing a cast), so here I am one week from shooting and looking for an actor and fight choreographer.

The good news is, however, I got responses from a couple guys who seem like good replacements...going to audition them at the rehearsal, which means I have less than a week to get the costume (have to wait to see what size of clothes)...it's going to cost a fortune in overnight fees. Ah, the joys of film production!! :)

On a more positive note, tomorrow (May 15) is my birthday!!! :thumbsup:

Peace,
Larry
 
It's hard to keep crew and cast on board when you can't afford to pay them.

I'm paying, but not enough apparently. Shooting for this upcoming weekend of May or the next one, and maybe I'll make the DVXfest.

Good luck everyone.
 
Kholi said:
It's hard to keep crew and cast on board when you can't afford to pay them.
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I've spent over $230 feeding my cast...they better not think about not showing up.

My composers are setting up their gear right behind me right now...I already fed them.
 
mjmcneese2 said:
I've spent over $230 feeding my cast...they better not think about not showing up.

My composers are setting up their gear right behind me right now...I already fed them.
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Not saying this will apply to every single situation, but it happens even when you're paying them what they want.

Sometimes, food just isn't enough. I mean, a lot of people know that if you're going to get anywhere, you just have to make sacrifices. But, most of the time it's just the fact that they still have to pay rent. And doing a short virtually for free that's probably going to go nowhere isn't an economical way to do so.

Not that I'm saying everyone's short is going to go nowhere (including my own), it's just that shorts, honestly, don't move beyond the realm of. Meaning that they just end up being shorts. You can only do so much with a short on your reel.

It really comes down to how much potential the short has to become a feature, or how desperate your actors are to participate in SOMETHING. You can't really blame anyone for crapping out if you aren't paying them at least one-hundred dollars ($100.00) a day for their services.

Same thing goes for crew, even more so. It's not really a question of getting lime light for them (With the exceptions of producer, 1st AD, Director, DP, And Composer... if I left something out that fits that tier let me know.) THey absolutely need to get paid SOMETHING.

Sucks, though, I still don't have enough money to pay them all what they want, but I hope to make it work before this month is over with. I really want to get on to another, more beneficial story.
 
My hard costs for for food ended up being $430 for up to 25 people for 4 days. We actually had EXTRA people show up the first weekend ... some REAL pros that just came out of nowhere, so a HUGE blessing.

Our only horror story of someone no-showing was our costumer/seamstress ... THAT sucked, as it was at possibly the most critical time & we had no costumes for our largest cast night, but we made it through & adapted quickly.

I wish we had finished on time, but instead ran at least an hour over on each of the four nights ... ending up with 10+ hour days instead of 9 as scheduled. On the flip side though, I'm hearing from various people now about productions they're on that weren't nearly as smooth & friendly as ours ... which always makes a person feel good to hear.

And we must have been fairly efficient, as those four nights have given us a 20+ minute film that we're really proud of already & thats only with the ROUGH draft that has a LONG way to go before completion.

I've at least got to get the 5 minute cut finished today & to the composer tomorrow ... THAT's going to be tough ... like open heart surgery & possibly leaving some of the most important parts on the operating table.

Happy B-Day tomorrow, Larry! I'll think of you as I'm in the air on the way to Aruba. You also share our lead actresses' son's birthday ... he turns 5. :)
 
Kholi, a lot of what you're saying may have to do with where people are at, geographically. In LA what you're saying is probably more true ... in Portland, however, I had a LOT of SAG/Union people doing this thing for absoutely free ... bringing their own gear (lights, stunt pads, rain towers, etc.), props, travel, etc.

Portland is supposed to be rated now one of the top 5 Indie Film places, so I've heard ... maybe that has something to do with it.

Otherwise, I think it just comes down to how much people love the producer/director vision, and the script. Everyone was into ours, and we also got people to be involved simply because someone else they knew & really respected was involved (that happened with both of our make-up ladies, our Key Gaffer, etc.).
 
Envision said:
Kholi, a lot of what you're saying may have to do with where people are at, geographically. In LA what you're saying is probably more true ... in Portland, however, I had a LOT of SAG/Union people doing this thing for absoutely free ... bringing their own gear (lights, stunt pads, rain towers, etc.), props, travel, etc.

Portland is supposed to be rated now one of the top 5 Indie Film places, so I've heard ... maybe that has something to do with it.

Otherwise, I think it just comes down to how much people love the producer/director vision, and the script. Everyone was into ours, and we also got people to be involved simply because someone else they knew & really respected was involved (that happened with both of our make-up ladies, our Key Gaffer, etc.).
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You're probably right. In other places, people will probably work on anything. It makes sense, because they probably don't get approached nearly half as much as they would here in Los Angeles.

Cost of Living is a lot different, as well, despite the fact that I have no problem financially here (I am blessed and I am very thankful for it.).

I know for a fact that if I were back home in Georgia, I'd be able to put together a larger production for less money, with much better locations and a cast and crew that would hold through on their word.

And I'll tell you right off that my script isn't strong enough, personally. But, I guess there are other people that will say otherwise. I honestly think that I was so tired of sitting around, I just put whatever came to mind down on paper and went with it, and even though it went through like eight drafts, I still want to move beyond it and do something I really want to do.

I am, however, glad that the script itself had built enough steam to carry me to where I am, because I know I wasn't doing the footwork. =P

I guess I just shouldn't have planned on a holiday weekend. People love their mommas!
 
Kholi said:
....they probably don't get approached nearly half as much as they would here in Los Angeles.
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I know this won't help much now, but here are some long term thoughts that will apply to L.A. as well.

Try to get to know actors. Go to plays. Talk to them afterwards. Hopefully make friends with them and friends with their friends.

Take an on camera acting class ... you don't have to want to be an actor, its a great experience for a filmmaker, it will help you work with actors, and presto you will have a peer group of actor friends that you have seen work on camera for six weeks, unknowingly auditioning for you.

Then talk about your ideas to the ones you really like. Let them know that you think they have buckets of talent and that you are thinking of writing something especially for them. You'll be able to tell who is really psyched about your idea and just dying to play the Russian Spy in your next film and whose eyes drift away while you are droning on.

Now you've been able to audtion and sus out people who are hungry enough to pay money to take a class and really need stuff for their real.

Last step ... you have to write your ass off. In film or on the stage actors will always be attracted to and take paycuts or work for free for work they believe in. So then the script has to kick arse.
 
Jack Daniel Stanley said:
I know this won't help much now, but here are some long term thoughts that will apply to L.A. as well.

Try to get to know actors. Go to plays. Talk to them afterwards. Hopefully make friends with them and friends with their friends.

Take an on camera acting class ... you don't have to want to be an actor, its a great experience for a filmmaker, it will help you work with actors, and presto you will have a peer group of actor friends that you have seen work on camera for six weeks, unknowingly auditioning for you.

Then talk about your ideas to the ones you really like. Let them know that you think they have buckets of talent and that you are thinking of writing something especially for them. You'll be able to tell who is really psyched about your idea and just dying to play the Russian Spy in your next film and whose eyes drift away while you are droning on.

Now you've been able to audtion and sus out people who are hungry enough to pay money to take a class and really need stuff for their real.

Last step ... you have to write your ass off. In film or on the stage actors will always be attracted to and take paycuts or work for free for work they believe in. So then the script has to kick arse.
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The script wasn't the problem. The crew was. You can only do so much with a crew when there's not much money to pay them. The actors didn't drop out. I had gotten another principal character on board but he had plans already and was willing to do the 400mile drive back and forth just to make it.

My real problem was just keeping crew. Without Sound, Make-up, and another Grip and Gaffer, things just would've been chaotic.

The actors, however, were/are totally in, including stunt guys and all.
 
Kholi said:
The script wasn't the problem. The crew was. You can only do so much with a crew when there's not much money to pay them. The actors didn't drop out. I had gotten another principal character on board but he had plans already and was willing to do the 400mile drive back and forth just to make it.

My real problem was just keeping crew. Without Sound, Make-up, and another Grip and Gaffer, things just would've been chaotic.

The actors, however, were/are totally in, including stunt guys and all.
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Didn't mean to say your script didn't rock.

Crew can be the hardest to keep. They have the least motivation to be there. A boom operator doesn't need a reel -- I lost crew myself on this shoot. Usually when you loose people their expectations or needs aren't being met. They may have really unreasonable expectations, but communication is key, if you know that they don't want to work more than 5 hours a day for free, or that they are just doing this as a favor then you can try to use them accordingly. Learning is the best motivator for everyone except the main creative forces infront of and behind t he camer from DP to Producer to Actor -- hopefully those people feel putting another feather in their cap and building their reel is payment enough, but for other crew positions its tough to find that bablance of someone that knows what they are doing enough not to be a liablility while being green enough to view the whole thing as a learning experience that they feel lucky to have.

But like I said I didn't do the best job with this one in that area. Luckily we had so many people start that the hardcore fiew that remained were unflappable and ready to get the job done no matter what -- especially Timur :thumbsup:
 
Hopefully I can pick up this weekend. So tired of waiting on it.

I'm about to go nuts waiting to start on my next project.
 
Yeah, I think being in LA or Toronto is a lot different than my location here in Ohio...for a while I had people throwing themselves at this project. A few dropped out, but I've ended up with a WONDERFUL cast and crew...yes, some of them are bringing their own props, costumes, light kits, mics, etc. A big part of it was making them feel that this project is theirs, not just mine...and that's the truth. And now that shooting is done, everyone left wondering when the next project was gonna start.

The really hard part has been finding locations...it's hard to get people to cooperate in providing a location because they are getting nothing in return from me.
 
mjmcneese2 said:
The really hard part has been finding locations...it's hard to get people to cooperate in providing a location because they are getting nothing in return from me.
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You could try getting that core crew together and chip in some money for your locations for your next shoot. This way you have another shoot and they are kind of invested and will show up. ;)
 
I had a blast filming! This was a dream of mine and it was totally fun. 2:30 AM, everyone's yawning and getting a little grumpy, but we were all still rarin' to go! 2 AM is my time to shine, I do my best work then! That's how I roll!

mjmcneese I think spent WAY too much money on food for us, as he mentioned he fed us before, but he didn't have to. Besides, you should have seen this one pizza we got. Oh man, it was just insane. Imagine if the biggest battle scene from Braveheart was re-created using cows and pigs, and they took the carnage from the battlefield and put it on a pizza. I can see some pig with sausage all around him yelling, "FREEEEEEEEDOMMM!"
 
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