Would Appreciate Input as to What I should try and Make

spencer

spencer

Well-known member
Hey guys,

I'm gonna be applying to film schools in a couple of months, which will require me to send something to schools that looks really good. I've narrowed it down to a couple of ideas that I would think feasible for me to shoot with ease, and was wondering which one you guys think would be a better course for me to pursue?

Option 1: A short about a guy and his friends having to retrace their steps to figure out what happened to one of their wallets, which contains a phone number that one needs, but isn't exactlyl sure why. Bare bones story, it'd have some comedy, some detective type overtones, and probably a twist ending. More importantly, I'd be able to exercise a lot stylizing from a cinematography point of view. Wide scenic shots, cool camera work--narrative film, basically.

Option 2: A mockumentary type movie about a kid who desperately wants to find school spirit. He gets help from a couple of overzealous spirit squad type people, and they go to a football game to see if he can get into it. But he puts so much focus on the spirit that other aspects of his life kinda go sour. This one would have a lot of comedy, a lot of weird characters, but I'm not so sure how good looking I can make the movie. It'd be original I think though, which I'm not so sure of above the one above.

I'm mainly worried about getting a good image. If i did option 2 I'd be shooting handheld, and I don't know how far I could stretch the mockumentary aspect to get cool shots.

With Option 1 I'd be able to get a bunch of good shots, but I don't know if the story would lack or be a little too ambitious to do well in a time frame of 10 minutes.

Any help would be great.

Thanks
 
I'd go for option 1, but I guess it also depends on what you are in to and where you are applying?? And I got into school with a pretty lousy creative submission, not that I think Emerson is a really tough place to get in to but I know people who havent gotten in....

I'd say you are probably better off with a narrative piece that can showcase your technical skills as long as the story is decent enough, but again thats just my oppinion.

Chris
 
Which schools are requiring a media piece at this point?

Aren't most of the biggies still mandating essay only?
 
NYU film school allows you a 10 minute dvd in place of creative writing or story boards.

I know that it's hard to get into NYU, but I figure I can take a chance.

That, and I guess Emerson, and I think Chapman does it too.

Do you like Emerson Nobody356? I was looking into it yesterday

And thank you guys for the input
 
have you put together a lot of stuff in the past? if no, i would recommend the writing and storyboards. or maybe do both- write, storyboard and shoot the video. create as many oprions for yourself as you can. a short would benefit from a script and storyboards and if the end product didn't meet your expectations, you'd have the oother material to submit.
 
I'd say, go with option 1... work on the story though, make it interesting... the story is what matters... work on it till' you're blue in the face.
 
Don't make a 'mockumentary.' They are a dime-a-dozen. I'm sure they want to see your narrative story-telling skills. Not a bunch of teenaged guys making sh** up. If you do get into NYU, and I hope you do, don't forget to cough "bullshit" into your hand every now and then. Today's filmschools are the reason 4 out 5 films are recycled crap.
IMHO
John
 
John Wesley Norton said:
Brandon,
You must be spending 18 hours a day on this site! How did you ever find time to make Smuggler's Ransom?
Click to expand...

I don't spend 18 hours a day here... and SR took a lot of planning and days... but I manage to get my dvxuser time in... besides its the most valuable resource I've had throughout the process.

directinglegend said:
He has time travel capability
Click to expand...

That too :)
 
I know it takes planning, believe me. If everyone understood how important good pre-production is there wouldn't be so much this-camera/that-camera harping going on, because they would know the look and feel of the film is in the planning, not the tape heads.
John

p.s. If this time travel stuff is true, could go back and re-shoot some of my early stuff? Just don't faint at the sight of it. :)
 
John Wesley Norton said:
I know it takes planning, believe me. If everyone understood how important good pre-production is there wouldn't be so much this-camera/that-camera harping going on, because they would know the look and feel of the film is in the planning, not the tape heads.
John

p.s. If this time travel stuff is true, could go back and re-shoot some of my early stuff? Just don't faint at the sight of it. :)
Click to expand...

Ah so true... and I can only time travel when I am on dvxuser... sorry :(
 
Wow, totally didn't notice this got two pages of responses. I think this is my biggest thread ever.

Thanks for your response, guys.

Yeah, I was definitely worried about the mockumentary aspect, but if i made it, it wouldn't be adlibbed, it'd be scripted like a mofo. I mean, there'd be adlibbage, but i'd make sure i was in control and had a bunch of structured scripted events dealt with in a mockumentary aspect.

Plus, I figured that'd be a little bit more original than a teen detective typoe movie (BRICK).

But if you guys think I should go for option one, option one it shall be.

Another idea I had was about a group of students who feel angry with the current political state of america, and social trends and stuff. Feeling helpless, one kid feels they need to resort to terrorism to be heard. He then creates a monster within the other kids, and sees his error, and tries to rectofy the problem before a bunch of young and smart kids ruin their lives.

IF you wanna pick between that and option one now, I would appreciate that. I figure i could get both across pretty well, and stylize pretty well. The new one might be easier to get across in a shorter time period--option one seems like it might be a stretch to fit into ten minutes and make it realkly well written.

Anyways, let me know you guys.

Again, thanks for your help,

And John Norton, I hope I get into NYU too. :)

Does anyone have advice for just getting in, like in aspects other than the video?

Again, all help would be awesomely appreciated.

Thanks guys.
 
There's someone on this board that kicked an ant-hill and filmed the ants with his DVX--

He got into film school with that.
 
Kholi said:
There's someone on this board that kicked an ant-hill and filmed the ants with his DVX--

He got into film school with that.
Click to expand...

What school? What else did he do to get in to it?
 
spencer said:
What school? What else did he do to get in to it?
Click to expand...

Trouble with the ants.

I dunno which school, but me wants to say it was a California school. I'd have to do a search for those words. "Ants film school"
 
John Wesley Norton said:
p.s. If this time travel stuff is true, could go back and re-shoot some of my early stuff? Just don't faint at the sight of it. :)
Click to expand...
If he could do that, he'd probably go back and reshoot his first DVX video. :2vrolijk_08:
 
I'd still write an essay. You either have an existing portfolio to pull your 'best'
work from, or you don't. Creating a project from zero, just as an attempt to get
in seems sort of redundant as thats what you're going there to learn.

The art of the school essay has some pretty good books behind it that'll take
you a long way.
 
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