What I learned this fest

This is what I learned this fest and with SPYFEST.

1. Limit your after effects work unless you have a dedicated AE artist... comping can be very time consuming.

2. Building a set costs twice what you estimate. Buget for it. You will be happier in the end.

3. It is hard to make people passionate about your project. Find out what they are passionate about. If it fits your needs then approach them with that. Make it important to them. If it doesn' fit completly, then look for someone else to help. People loosing steam, in the end when it gets tough, really puts the pressure on you, and that is rough.

4. Casting a top notch actor that you can trust to deliver a great peformance is priceless.

5. When you do pre-production and set your schedule of events... stick to it or complete tasks earlier than planned. Stuff always comes up so being ahead really means that you will make it on-time.

6. Seak out crew... go out there and hunt them like a big game hunter. If they turn out to be good then make them like family and keep them around. You're only as good as your team and if you feel like asking for help is imposing on them, then your work suffers.

With all of this said, my crew this time was great!
 
Mattykins said:
20) One should never produce and direct at the same time.
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If that's the case, I'd never be able to make a movie again!:beer:
These are all great, but chin-up & lessons learned...you'll get the film made.

As a one-man show, all I can say is the more time you can spend planning and getting things organized, the better. I create a binder for every production that contains the script, storyboards, lists of required props and most important...the SHOT LIST. This was the only way I could have gotten 2 films finished for this fest.
 
* Putting too much on your plate can back fire...and leave you broke and playing catch up...

* Having someone else edit your movie was an exercise of trust, but it turned out great! (thanks Jason)

* Steel Reserve is death in a can...it makes you hate your momma!!!

* Chicks dig it when you have goals in the movie biz... hehe

* Old ladies are creepy when they *not saying cuz its in jpsheets movie and don't wanna ruin it* but it scared me i'll say that

I learned other stuff...but yeah...pretty much what everyone else has said before

Rogan
 
From the Barn Dance thread, here's my list:


John LaBonney said:
The Top Ten Things I Learned So Far About Directing While Working on Barn Dance



10. Those 5-in-1 reflector things are super-cool and I have to get one of my own.
We used one during the filming of Gun for Hire but I didn't really understand how useful it could be or get the hang of using it properly at the time. Now I've got a better grip on it and I'm getting one, like it or not. I might even get two.

9. You can't make a film without gaffers tape and spring clamps.
Simply can't do it.

8. DIY stuff is fun to make and a cool way to save money, but the pro version of equipment is probably worth the rental cost when it's important. I built a DIY dolly which we used on this movie which works pretty well, but it isn't user friendly. Denis and I discussed this on the way home and he said he thinks that even though it costs some money, renting a solid professional dolly for the day is worth it, for the sake of time, ease of use, and quality of the shot. After all is said and done, I agree.

7. You have to take command, even if you don't feel right doing it.
There were times that important, but totally unglamorous jobs needed to be done. I would certainly be willing to do any of them myself, but it meant that I would have had less time to concentrate on directing the talent and communicating what I wanted to the DP. During the day I asked Denis to set up the crew services canopy, John to police up empty water bottles and soda cans, Paul to take command of doing BTS interviews and entertaining the parents that visited the set, and our production assistant Nick to make sure the cooler was loaded with bottled water (by the way, they were all very gracious and willing, and I appreciated that very much). Everyone was there to help make a film, and I didn't want them to think that I was asking them to be the maid or servant or mover of heavy objects. But I had to have the resolve in me to say, "Hey, can you do [whatever menial/unpleasant/yukky task needed to be done]?" even though it made me a little uncomfortable to do so.

6. An impression of making progress is important.
There's a lot of hurry up and wait on a film set, and often it seems like there's not much progress being made, which can be discouraging. It took us two hours from arrival until we managed to get the first shot. That's just the way it goes. I found myself trying to find ways to keep people busy with tasks and jobs just to keep them from feeling like they were doing nothing. At some points I set an arbitrary deadline to keep us on schedule: "Okay, five more minutes to set this up, then we're rolling!" That did seem to help in some cases, but I haven't figured out how to create this feeling of "yes, we're making progress here" just yet. Or at least how to spread that feeling to the cast and crew. But I do think that creating an impression of making progress is important and gives everyone on set a feeling of confidence.

5. Directing is in many cases gathering talented people in different areas with skills and experience far greater than your own.
There's simply no way I could get some of the incredible images that we got if I was handling the camera. No freaking way. I just don't have the experience or knowledge that Jeremiah and Kevin have. I learned a tremendous amount from watching them, and I expect that my own shooting with the HVX will be much improved from this. But the fact is that they're much better at it then me. I've received a huge amount of compliments on the poster for Barn Dance (and I think it's a great poster), which was created by the very talented Mike Manning. I can hardly get around Photoshop, but by getting Mike to do the poster, I've got one that is much better than anything I could create. There were about a hundred and six questions I asked of Mark Johnson and Carleton Torpin when planning this shoot, and they knew all the answers. By getting them to contribute their knowledge to me, we were able to keep things on set much smoother and the movie that much better than it would have been had I tried to answer all these questions myself. Point is that the movie, however it turns out in the end, will be far better than I could have made it had I tried to do and know everything myself (and my sincere respect and compliments to all you filmmakers out there that are a one-man band).

4. Location, location, location.
Location can add production value and really make the visuals that sell the story of the film. We had a really hard time with getting a location for Barn Dance. The first barn we found was awesome, and we were really excited about shooting there. But regardless of what we said or offered, we couldn't get permission to shoot there. "We'll pay a location fee." No. "We'll have insurance." No. "We'll bring in our own porta-potty." No. "I'll give you credit in the movie." No. "I'll give your second cousin credit in the movie." No. We thought the situation was hopeless. So I went on a search of Southern Nevada for barns. And I became the barnmaster: I now know where each of the hay barns within an hour of Las Vegas are (there are five). We managed to find the incredible five-story barn at Eldorado Canyon and strike a deal with the owners. It cost us a location fee, and we were required to have insurance (which was ridiculously expensive), and the remoteness of the location forced us to shell out considerable funds for a charter bus, but considering the uniqueness of this location and the images we were able to get there, it was totally worth it. While it may be much cheaper, easier, and simpler to shoot a movie that's set in the living room, a cool-looking location is worth it.

3. Food is hyper-critical.
We took this often suggested piece of advice very seriously and feeding everyone was our number one expense. We didn't skimp. I wanted people to know that we cared enough to get the good stuff. We got name-brand drinks and snacks and restaurant prepared food. I got individual bottles of water instead of big gallon jugs. You could have invaded a small country for what it cost us but was totally worth it. I felt good about having decent food for people to eat, and had we tried to cut corners here I think that it would have haunted me through the whole day of production.

2. Casting is really important.
I can't remember where I heard it said, but I remember the phrase, "Ninety-percent of directing is casting." I'm not sure I agree with this, but I can tell you that I went to what a lot of short filmmakers might consider ridiculous lengths to cast Barn Dance. We had three separate casting sessions. I looked at untold numbers of headshots. We struggled on the final decision for each part. I didn't settle on actors for the lead roles just because I had to have somebody. I didn't rely on friends or relatives to star in the film. I made a serious effort to get people that had decent acting ability and really fit the part. None of this work we did trying to cast the right people guarantees that Barn Dance won't suck. But I think it gives us a leg up.



and number one thing I learned so far....




1. Family support is essential.
Even if my wife wasn't a participant in this project, it couldn't have happend without her support. I couldn't have spent the time, the money, the effort, and suffered the heartache if she wasn't 100% in agreement with me doing it.





and REALLY the number one thing I learned so far.............





1. Fear must be conquered.
I had to conquer all the fears that I had about taking on this project. And there were plenty. Fear that it wouldn't come out right. Fear that I would look inexperienced. Fear that I would look like a dork. Fear I would piss somebody off. Fear that I would spend too much money. Fear that I didn't have enough equipment. Fear that the story wasn't good enough. Fear that there would be dissension on the set. Fear that people wouldn't show up. Fear that I would forget something critical. Fear that my movie will finish dead last in the fest. Fear that I would appear fearful to others. Fear of the unknown.
:Drogar-Mark-04(DBG)
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What I learned:

1. Faith manages.

Every single production I've ever done, both professional and passion projects, at some point comes within one second of completely imploding. Press forward always knowing in your mind and your heart that you will get it done. Faith manages.

2. We have the best job in the world.

No matter if you're writing, directing, producing, holding the boom, or just delivering food to the set, there's nothing better than making a film.
 
What I learned this Fest....

I learned that communication is key when locking down a location or set. If they don't get back to you go down there and make it happen. I have Mark Johnson to thank for that advice.

Don't be afraid to reach out for help. Yes, mine is basically a one man show on the shooting side but I managed to get a great PA this time around and plenty of help from the German community here at DVXuser.

Don't give up!
When you are lighting a scene and trying to check the sound while running back and forth to look at the cameras little LCD display and things are not going well because the wireless mic is acting up... don't give up. Even though you might feel like saying.... F*ck it! I'll fix it in post. Take your time, get it working, and get it right the first time.

Patience is key. Even when time is running out.

And yes, there's no better feeling than seeing your work come to life after the hardship is over.

Cheers,

Mike
 
I learned "How to be a Director". Before I did EVERYTHING but act and so it was really more like painting a picture with moving images rather than filmmaking. Making movies with others is a whole other experience.

I learned that getting others involved doesn't mean "giving up control." That was a big one for me.

I learned that when it comes to your crew, it's quality over quantity. We got more done on the day when we had 4 people than the day we had 8.

I learned that the Oregon Film and Video Office rocks the Casbah!

I learned that working with "grown up" actors isn't so scary.

I learned that I have kick ass filmmaking friends.
 
Dick Campbell said:
Rogan - you forgot: only make motel arrangements with the owner:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
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Or just say "I would like a room for the night" and not say anything about filming a movie

I still wish I'd peed on the toilet seat or something, might have done that hotel some good.

oh well live and learn, there was a reason I picked that motel...and it wasn't for the view. Guess they thought too good for my movie...pssh...

Rogan

*ps I showed the bar owner the final version of the movie and she was blown away. That means either I done good...or she's easily impressed lol *
 
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