xmephestox
Carbonite Member
or in the very least, i'd restructure, re finance this into a SHORT film, shop it around and try to get a feature deal with it, which is the most common route for people without a lot of money.
Craigslist is chock full of great work... look here...
- Thread starter TimurCivan
- Start date
xmephestox
Carbonite Member
that 9k will only cover the food for the crew of 1.
ME.
and rethinking a bit, a 2 man crew can shoot a feature film for 9k in 5 days, Timur's done it
but add the rest of the post, and it is something to raise an eyebrow it. It's just insanity.
Shh dont tell anyone that.. and you know what, that 9k went to a crew of one. ME. lol.
that 9k will only cover the food for the crew of 1.
ME.
and rethinking a bit, a 2 man crew can shoot a feature film for 9k in 5 days, Timur's done it
but add the rest of the post, and it is something to raise an eyebrow it. It's just insanity.
Sure. But it's all a question of degrees, isn't it? I mean, this guy is asking for too much. But some will argue that you are asking for too much as well. In fact, if you ever ask for any favor, instead of paying for everything 100% like a big budget studio project, you are asking too much. So who is to say? It's all asking too much, it's just a question of degree. So no, I'm not going to ask for anything, instead I'll finance as much as I can out of pocket, and do the rest myself. It's like a bunch of petty thieves clucking their tongues at the big outrageous thief who stole "too much"... they're all thieves anyway. Let him who is without [any] sin cast the first stone.
Ryan Patrick O'Hara
Veteran
Can't be real.
snowleopard
Well-known member
I would say that's a false dilemma. There are more than two choices. You left out the choices of shooting smaller projects, working with others to help them out on crews so you don't have to ask strangers when it comes time to your project, or saving your money up working legitimate jobs so you can afford better crew.
But most of all to me it's just unrealistic expectations this person has. They should be shooting smaller projects, building up their skills, building friendships, building a network so they don't have to ask blindly on Craigslist, hoping to find someone desperate (stupid?) enough to help them. It's just setting yourself up for a letdown.
MattinSTL
Sound Modulator
I've been trying to make something like that happen in STL for the past 10 years. I know people who are absolute, 100% pro... and will work on OTHER people's projects who are in the same boat... meaning these guys pull $600-700 day, and work a lot, will occasionally help out another guy who consistently makes $600-700 day.
They've never even heard of the "regular guys" that want me to bring everything I can (gear, time, and myself) onto their project dujour... and none of them have heard of the "real pros" that I work with. I'm somewhere in between... and so I'm willing to do what you describe above.
Where it gets weird... is the people who are the most likely to shoot with me locally... get uber-serious about the ownership of the project and issues like that, as soon as you get the FIRST nice shot... where you play it back and everybody thinks, "sh*t that looks good!"... at that very instant half the people involved get worried about who owns what, and where it's going, etc. TOTALLY sucking the fun, and life out of the whole damn thing.
When you see a craigslist ad... where they have nothing to offer, but act as though you'd be lucky to be any part of their project... that's EXACTLY what you're in for. A small group of dudes that think they're one quick film away from Sundance... and you better realize how lucky you are that they allowed you to bring your camera, lights, grip package, sound... and ALSO allowed you to shoot it so you could get a PA credit.
Yeah... that's why I still haven't got anything going locally. Supplying all the gear + myself for a 3-week long gig... all for a DP credit on a literally ZERO budget script... where the best actor for the part isn't used so a "friend" can have that role... well... I don't sign on for those.
But if I were shooting the BTS of such a potential disaster... where I was free to use my own footage as I pleased? I'd show up and work on that project then... only if it was sure to be bad enough.
snowleopard
Well-known member
Great use of Occam's Razor there Matt. Couldn't have said it better myself.
Scott F
Pug Life
rogar-Shock(DBG):
Doc Bernard
Indie Arms Member
But Matt......you'd have to move out to So Cal. Everyone knows only things done out here become successful. Just look at all the production calls on CL Los Angeles.
Truth be told thats how i got my break into the industry....
Did a gig for nothing, brought all my gear, and wound up paying for lunch. but i was 20, and stupid.
However, i used the footage to build a reel, and it got me another job.... that one was paid.
MattinSTL
Sound Modulator
There's some food for thought.
I guess the real lesson is to look at the people involved... what the project is really capable of... and what you can get out of it, whether that means new friends, good connections, reciprocated favors, etc. Every situation is different... but I've met a few people that got what they could, and then I never heard from them again... and the project wasn't reel worthy anyway. I also eventually found my way into higher and higher level productions... through doing lower-level work as best I could.
It is DEFINITELY better to shoot something, then to shoot nothing... but it's a good idea to be aware of what you have to gain out of it... one way or another... which is what I've been saying all along.
Don't just sign on to a project... only to be used and discarded, until you're needed again. You made your own lemonade... and as long as a guy does a gig like that with that potential, then that's the thing that's in it for them
I guess the real lesson is to look at the people involved... what the project is really capable of... and what you can get out of it, whether that means new friends, good connections, reciprocated favors, etc. Every situation is different... but I've met a few people that got what they could, and then I never heard from them again... and the project wasn't reel worthy anyway. I also eventually found my way into higher and higher level productions... through doing lower-level work as best I could.
It is DEFINITELY better to shoot something, then to shoot nothing... but it's a good idea to be aware of what you have to gain out of it... one way or another... which is what I've been saying all along.
Don't just sign on to a project... only to be used and discarded, until you're needed again. You made your own lemonade... and as long as a guy does a gig like that with that potential, then that's the thing that's in it for them
Sometimes i just do a student film for nothing to keep the skills sharp... plus in NY the films school shoots are incredibly well equipped g&E wise and often, i waive my pay, to get some budget for a pro G&E wunderkint, and this way my job is easier and i can actually get something pretty out of it. The b&W film on my narrative reel is a student film.