The Big Plunge, First Feature. Any advice/words of wisdom?

capitalP

capitalP

Veteran
A feature film is a scary thing, especially for indies like us, so I've heard. But I'm about to make the big move, just finished the final draft of the script and next month I begin auditions, then I start production in May. So that lives me 3 months to get as ready as I can, budgeting, equiptment etc..

My question is, to those who've done a feature, any advice as I head into this? Even if you haven't done a feature I'd still like to hear your thoughts. I got 5 shorts under my belt and I think it's time. I'm ready to have a feature under my belt, I know there's great opportunity during the course of filming to just give up and become depress and so on, but I'm ready for that... I know it's gonna be hell!

But my ultimate goal during the course of filming is to just have fun, you could never go wrong having a good time on set, figured that will keep the level of stress down a bit.
 
Get someone else to pay for it.

But I agree with Issac, you can never prepare enough. I would include in that the script. Bang on it and bang on it and bang on it.
 
Mark Harris said:
Bang on it and bang on it and bang on it.
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Don't be such a perv.
haha

I agree though, over prepare, leave no rock unturned.

I'm happy for you dude. We only met once but I could tell that you're a strong dude with a good head on his shoulders so I'm 100% confident that you can handle whatever drama births during the process of pre & post production
 
Over prepare... you will find though that no matter how prepared you are... a week before shooting you'll feel totally unprepared, even if you've done the best preparing ever... just expect that feeling.
 
Survey your locations and/or lay out your set plans thoroughly, so as to smooth planning and avoid surprises when you're shooting on them. Storyboard your sequences and note your approximate setups ahead of time. Fully advance and rewind your blank tapes pre-shooting, to minimize dropouts, and pre-label them. Sequential tape-to-tape T/C is organizationally handy. Anticipate your craft-service/catering needs (fed crew=happy/hardworking crew). Have more lights on hand than you think you will need, plus heavy-duty extension cords. Allot overrun time for pickups and reshoots. Make at least a loose paper schedule for each shoot day. Have one PA responsible for every three actors. Wear a sweater. Wait 1/2 hour between eating and swimming. Always cross with the light. Don't put your eye out, kid.
 
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Yes, overplan. Storyboard everything and if you can scan them into a NLE and throw some dialogue to them pictures. Watch your scenes unfold and see what works and doesn't work before you go and shoot it. This will also help you to figure out what shots you absolutely need and what you can live with out, so the day your running out of time you can just shoot the one's you need (master for example) and forgo the close ups or take out a shot and or scene entirely.
 
Thanks fellas, overall, great advice. I figured overplanning would be a major factor, that's why I'm giving myself 3 months. Mark what's up you crazy sonnavab$@ congrats on bloody Mary getting on Sci-Fi, thanks for the kind words J and Briceman, isn't Smugglers Ransom a feature? How's that been for you.

Believe it or not, I'm not nervous at all going into this feature, scared yes! nervous no... if that makes any sense.
 
Ok, my advice: When you feel overwhelmed, pick the single most important thing you need to get done, and just focus on that. As that starts to get done, your mind will calm down. Then slowly stack the other 49 things back on yourself.:beer:

Congrats and Godspeed.
 
capitalP said:
and Briceman, isn't Smugglers Ransom a feature? How's that been for you.
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Not quite. 43 min. time without credits. After doing such a long project though, I am going to be doing my first feature endeaver this summer! Good luck on your project!
 
Good advice so far. I just wanted to throw in one thing. When scouting your locations, do the best you can to check them out during the time and days you anticipate shooting there. For example, that quite city street, that you scouted on a Sunday morning, is not going to be that quite mid day on a week day. That peaceful clearing in the woods you scouted on a week day may be the epicenter of a four wheeler club on the weekends.

Good luck.
 
Yeah, I hear locations is also top priority, I have lots of prep ahead of me, I'm also excited at the same time... best wishes on your first feature Briceman!
 
Let as many people take care of their jobs as possible so that you can focus on what YOU need to focus on. And what should you focus on? THE PERFORMANCES!

Make sure they're consistent from shot to shot, scene to scene. On my last shoot I was shooting many multiple angles of the same performance and I just let my head get wrapped up in the technical stuff. When I went to edit and cut from one angle to the next (each angle filmed maybe 20 minutes apart) I realized the tone was shifting all over the place and I was limited to only a couple of angles. It's so easy NOT to do. But your actor's performances are utlimately the most important thing.

on the same note: Don't know if anyone's seen Rocky yet, but when he goes back to the skating rink where him and Adrian had their first date, he says this line to Paulie: "She always loved you Paulie", and it was just soooo terrible, so actor-y. It totally took me out of the movie because for one second the director (in this case, Stallone) took a break and let a false performance through.
 
Really good advice. Overpreparing is not possible so beat your pre-production like a rented mule. Three months is pretty tight. If your script is as you put it a "first draft," then it would take most people more then 3 months to properly take a first draft to a shooting script. Assuming you do have your shooting script 3 months of fulltime pre-production coordination is, again, very tight. Sometimes casting alone can take several months. Rehearsals and blocking can take a long time depending on your cast's schedule.

Before you lock in a starting date, really do the initial leg work on figuring out all your needs. Rushing prepro could leave you with a less then stellar final movie.

Remember all positions are critical. Start with a good production manager and work your way out from there. Finding an experienced PM that shares your passion (even if you have to buy his/her passion) will really help to smooth out pre-production.

Good luck
 
Wabbit, what takes so long going from a normal draft to a shooting draft? Are you saying he should just refine the script by writing more drafts? Or are you saying there are technical things he has to do to make it a shooting script? If so, what are they?
 
Ok. Aram cool, I'll look out for that. C.G & Wabbit, you guys are making some good solid points... wow! I'm getting alot of help here. I kind of figured 3 months would be kind of tight to prep everything, but I know I could do it. The casting alone could take a while, but I'm giving myself 2month to get a great cast I'm happy with.

Auditions starts next month and I figured by Feb I should have everyone cast. Because I know a good cast is critical, I could have a great script, the film could be shot well, but if the performances suck, then all that work was worthless, so yeah I"m definitely focusing on getting a great cast.

As for the script, I actually been working on it for six months. The reason I call it "First Draft" is because I really took time to fine tune it. Right now I'm on the second draft just reading it and tighten it up even more, by the end of the month I should have a final draft. Believe me, I'm not rushing through the script at all, I'm being extra anal with it.

Now as far as a shooting script, that's the same as the final draft right? Just with camera angles and so on...

Also great point on leting people do thier job, I'm trying to get as many people to come on this project with me so I can focus on just directing.
 
Different people take different amount of time to originally write and then rewrite their scripts. Taking your script to writing groups, getting some screenwriting experts to give you feedback, etc. Of course some people can get a solid final draft quicker then others but I was just pointing out that there is time needed between a first draft and and a final.

If you are 100% with your script Capital then 3 months for pre-production still sounds tight but doable, depending on the size and scope of your film. I would just make sure you stay honest to getting the pre-production done right as opposed to being married to a date.

It sounds like you have your head on straight so I am not implying 3 months is not enough time but just that it might not be and you should be prepared to adjust it in favor of nailing down the best cast possible, securing good locations (instead of moving a great scene to someone's basement or something similar), time for rehearsal & nailing down the beats of your story, and just generally getting all your ducks in a row.

No one watching your film will say, "Yeah the production value is low, but I understand they got it done really fast." They are only going to see what you get on that screen and getting it done well usually takes time. This is where my sig comes into play, sometimes known as the production triangle: good, fast, cheap; pick any TWO.

As a rule most good films are measured not in months but years.

Your milage may vary

Good luck
 
Definitely, thanks. I'm not marrying a date. I say May 2007 if everything goes according to plan, but if I have to move it to June then I will. It's just good to give yourself a deadline to make you work harder and push yourself... by no means I'm I lock in May. The fun part about all this is, It's my production so I can change the shooting date when ever I please... but since people are going to be coming along with me I like to give them a date so they know when to expect production to start.

As for your Sig I'll pick(Good & Cheap)
 
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