FEATURE: DEUCE OF SPADES - How I made a period full feature film all by myself on ZERO budget

AMAZING stuff!!! Just checked this out and the fact that you are doing this by yourself is so inspiring and uplifting - the results LOOK great and very pro! Where did you find such good actors also?? In my country its hard as hell, I guess states is different :) I really like the theme also.

The only thing i am greatly concerned though (I dunno if someone has already mentioned this issue, tried to read the thread carefully) is the sound quality.

The obviously great actors fall into a pit with that quality of sound. They all sound like the camera has been kept under the table or recorded by a shitty dvcam from weird angles.. (at least the 1st teaser I watched had bad dialogue quality - and I think it wasn't the compression, it really just sounds to be the not-so-good recording).

Are you planning in any stage record the voices again by the same actors in a real studio (or you can even do much better with one $200 phantom cond. mic at home) or something?

And I'm saying this only in an motivating and hugely humble way, not to bring you nor the piece down.
 
teemue said:
AMAZING stuff!!! Just checked this out and the fact that you are doing this by yourself is so inspiring and uplifting - the results LOOK great and very pro! Where did you find such good actors also?? In my country its hard as hell, I guess states is different :) I really like the theme also.

The only thing i am greatly concerned though (I dunno if someone has already mentioned this issue, tried to read the thread carefully) is the sound quality.

The obviously great actors fall into a pit with that quality of sound. They all sound like the camera has been kept under the table or recorded by a shi*ty dvcam from weird angles.. (at least the 1st teaser I watched had bad dialogue quality - and I think it wasn't the compression, it really just sounds to be the not-so-good recording).

Are you planning in any stage record the voices again by the same actors in a real studio (or you can even do much better with one $200 phantom cond. mic at home) or something?

And I'm saying this only in an motivating and hugely humble way, not to bring you nor the piece down.
Click to expand...

Hi, thanks for the post.. What country are you from?

No the sound quality of the recording on the actual footage is very decent. I have been very lucky so far, and I have had pros hear it and comment that it was good. One of my old friends is a pro sound mixer guy who has mixed many many BIG hollywood movies. He just mixed one of the last Tarrantino films. So he has a very well trained ear. He thought the sound that I am getting from my 416 Senheiser shotgun and recorded directly into the HVX200 is very clean. So I know I am OK on that end. I think what you are hearing may be due to the compression that dailymotion puts on their videos when they encode them. The footage also always ends up looking darker. Nothing I can do about it.

Now did the entire teaser sound poor or just sections? And if just sections, which? Let me know.
 
WEEEEEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Coca Cola just gave me clearance to use their name brand in my film :thumbup:. That's so awesome! Cause when you say 50's you say Coca Cola ...

I was smart and shot some of the vintage Coca Cola stuff just in case they would say yes, so now I can use those shots hehehehehe...

I am happy.
 
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Deuceofspades said:
WEEEEEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Coca Cola just gave me clearance to use their name brand in my film :thumbup:. That's so awesome! Cause when you say 50's you say Coca Cola ...

I was smart and shot some of the vintage Coca Cola stuff just in case they would say yes, so now I can use those shots hehehehehe...

I am happy.
Click to expand...

Faith:

As someone who deals with studio lawyers on a daily basis...

Get it in writing!

Dan
 
puredrifting said:
Faith:

As someone who deals with studio lawyers on a daily basis...

Get it in writing!

Dan
Click to expand...

Of course :) They already sent me the contracts and I have to sign it and mail it back to them before it becomes "official". Let me just say they requested a LOT of info:


1- Full script
2- Synopsis
3- List of entire cast
4- Distribution info (if any)

It was not a simple phone call deal LOL...
 
Brandon Rice said:
Teaser looked good! How much more do you have to shoot?
Click to expand...

I have 40% left. 60% completed. I started with the hardest part of the film: The flashbacks (all period footage) and I only have 4 more shoots to complete that. Then on to the modern days part of the film (think: "the notebook" or even "Fried green tomatoes") which is what I now have to tackle.
 
Deuceofspades said:
WEEEEEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Coca Cola just gave me clearance to use their name brand in my film :thumbup:. That's so awesome! Cause when you say 50's you say Coca Cola ...

I was smart and shot some of the vintage Coca Cola stuff just in case they would say yes, so now I can use those shots hehehehehe...

I am happy.
Click to expand...

WOOOO HOOOO and WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEEEEEEE too.

Coke clearance! Well, they do say it adds life, so have one and...wait for it...lol. and a smile! Seriously though, that is cool and it speaks loudly to the time period too.

Good for you Faith and glad you got the paperwork on it too!


Michele
 
thought I'd share a few new photos today :)

Below: Pulling back, reframing and pulling focus all at the same time, what I call a 3 in 1 cameraperson... Here you can see my rig on the indie dolly with only 2 of the 4 rail section.

BTS%20scene%2027B%205.jpg



Here, building the jail set in my driveway...

SHLEENTONK.jpg



Here, a few photos I took of my friend Aaron for his portfolio, using my jail set walls as a studio backdrop.

AARON%20KING%203.jpg



Below you can see the thick walls. They are SOLID. You can pound on them and they will not budge!

AARON%20KING%204.jpg



here are a few more shots I took of Aaron:

AARON%20KING%201.jpg



AARON%20KING%202.jpg
 
Lenilenapi said:
Damn, you're a helluva still photographer as well Faith.
I'm going back to loading magazines.

Lenny Levy
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Lenny

lol i was just thinking the same thing. i don't think there is anything Faith can't do. not from what i have seen so far. it is almost scary how good she is...must be a pod person or a Stepford filmmaker....yup yup yup that is what she is :)

Faith...

Just caught up on the Home Depot. Somehow missed it before. Love the story and a garage set is a handy thing. That is what Barry Green and David Jimmerson did with Jack Daniel Stanleys "A Little Mouth to Feed". The entire house was in a garage and the moved walls and doors as needed.

I admit it...it is harder to do that. but just the fact that indie film folk can pull this stuff off and make it look like bigger sets and bigger budgets always floors me to no end!

Vive la indie filmmaker!
 
Lenilenapi said:
Damn, you're a helluva still photographer as well Faith.
I'm going back to loading magazines.

Lenny Levy
Click to expand...

LOL ... This was actually my first photoshoot done in a "studio" stype setting, meaning with artificial lighting... Wait... I take it back, my second one. I did a night photoshoot in the middle of the dry lake one time, as an experiment. It yielded some awesome shots such as the ones below:

PS: hey is your magazine hiring? I am going to need to load magazine as well, I am FLAT BROKE.

HAHA!

El%20Mirage%20Johnny%2014.jpg



El%20Mirage%20Johnny%201.jpg



El%20Mirage%20Johnny%205.jpg




El%20Mirage%20Johnny%2015.jpg
 
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Michele Seidman said:
Lenny

lol i was just thinking the same thing. i don't think there is anything Faith can't do. not from what i have seen so far. it is almost scary how good she is...must be a pod person or a Stepford filmmaker....yup yup yup that is what she is :)
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Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOO my secret is OUT :)))))...

hey Michele, I just clicked on the "little mouth to feed" banner and discovered what that was all about (yeah, yeah I know, I am NOT up to date, but at least I have a good excuse; It's called making a period full feature film on my own LOL - no time to visit the forum in way too long LOL)...

I am downloading the film as we speak, can't wait to see you in action!!
 
Michele Seidman said:
That is what Barry Green and David Jimmerson did with Jack Daniel Stanleys "A Little Mouth to Feed". The entire house was in a garage and the moved walls and doors as needed.

I admit it...it is harder to do that. but just the fact that indie film folk can pull this stuff off and make it look like bigger sets and bigger budgets always floors me to no end!

Vive la indie filmmaker!
Click to expand...

Just watched the short, and you did a great job at the "evil" mom... You guys did a relly good job with the short, lighting is good, shots look very nice, acting is very good. Geat set too. if you had not told me it was the same set over and over againm I would have never guessed. Very credible. what era is this supposed to take place in?

PS: You must have had fun filming the bleeding miscarriage scene... Boy oh boy what a mess LOLOLOL....
 
I'd love to but my God D##%^ server is down, can' t upload the photos :(.

Are you asking for screengrabs from that shoot? or ANY screengrabs? Cause I uploaded quite a few on this thread, you just have to hunt for them...

I'll try to post a few more asap...
 
Deuceofspades said:
I'd love to but my God D##%^ server is down, can' t upload the photos :(.

Are you asking for screengrabs from that shoot? or ANY screengrabs? Cause I uploaded quite a few on this thread, you just have to hunt for them...

I'll try to post a few more asap...
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From that shoot.

I've seen all the ones you have here and am just following along.

I know you have tons of work so don't over due it.


But, it's always good to keep the teasers out there to keep the interest up.


I am truly interested in how all of this will come together. :beer:
 
Deuceofspades said:
Just watched the short, and you did a great job at the "evil" mom... You guys did a relly good job with the short, lighting is good, shots look very nice, acting is very good. Geat set too. if you had not told me it was the same set over and over againm I would have never guessed. Very credible. what era is this supposed to take place in?

PS: You must have had fun filming the bleeding miscarriage scene... Boy oh boy what a mess LOLOLOL....
Click to expand...


The era is supposed to be present day but it is also supposed to be very backwoods. The kind of place where odd is the norm! They actually got all the wardrobe in 2nd hand shops and not vintage. They got modern fixtures, etc but it was always intended to seem more like the past without going there...lol..does that make sense? See, this is why I act instead of write scripts!

lol..the blood....well, it would not have been so bad if we did not finish the scene at O'dark hundred and I did not want to go inside the house and wake the family so I hosed down in the yard with ice cold water. OMG it was bitter...lol...won't do that to myself again! snicker...if i had to do that again I would risk waking people...ha ha ha

thanks for watching, that was very cool of you!

now...back to Deuce of Spades...love to know when we get more sneak peeks! so glad i got added to your email list. how often do you send something? i don't think i have gotten any yet but i did only sign up for it about a week and a half ago!
 
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