FEATURE: DEUCE OF SPADES - How I made a period full feature film all by myself on ZERO budget
- Thread starter Deuceofspades
- Start date
Deuceofspades
Veteran
hey, guys! Guess what I'm doing right now?
Lining up all 42 of my flashback scenes on one timeline...
:thumbup:
Yep, I am DONE editing them and now it is a matter of getting total runtime and dialing in transitions between each scene...
This is exciting!
Guess I'm finally gonna be able to get a little sleep
Lining up all 42 of my flashback scenes on one timeline...
:thumbup:
Yep, I am DONE editing them and now it is a matter of getting total runtime and dialing in transitions between each scene...
This is exciting!
Guess I'm finally gonna be able to get a little sleep
Deuceofspades
Veteran
UPDATE:
All done editing flashbacks :beer:. Runtime currently 1 hour 40 minutes.
I now officially started the last rewrite of modern day scenes. Gonna have to keep them to a strict minimum to keep the film at a reasonable length for a period drama. So if it's not moving the plot it's GOING. And I am tightening everything. Less dialogues (dialogues suck up a lot of time), I'm trimming all the fat. Down to the bare bones.
I feel like a heavy plane that is trying to take off and running out of runway. I got to throw a few things out the window so I can take off. :thumbup: "Kill my babies" as they say.
The good news is: Less modern day scenes mean less work ahead of me and less time wasted. I think in the end it's an all around good thing. Maybe now I can make my 2009 release target date? hehehe.
Meanwhile, a few new photos:
Lead actor Tim McReynolds (JOHNNY CALLAWAY)
Filming at a period correct shop with a gorgeous Rocket 88 show car
Me at work. DON'T TALK TO ME: I'm BUSY.
This gas station I filmed at for one day was in the movie TRANSFORMER.
All done editing flashbacks :beer:. Runtime currently 1 hour 40 minutes.
I now officially started the last rewrite of modern day scenes. Gonna have to keep them to a strict minimum to keep the film at a reasonable length for a period drama. So if it's not moving the plot it's GOING. And I am tightening everything. Less dialogues (dialogues suck up a lot of time), I'm trimming all the fat. Down to the bare bones.
I feel like a heavy plane that is trying to take off and running out of runway. I got to throw a few things out the window so I can take off. :thumbup: "Kill my babies" as they say.
The good news is: Less modern day scenes mean less work ahead of me and less time wasted. I think in the end it's an all around good thing. Maybe now I can make my 2009 release target date? hehehe.
Meanwhile, a few new photos:
Lead actor Tim McReynolds (JOHNNY CALLAWAY)
Filming at a period correct shop with a gorgeous Rocket 88 show car
Me at work. DON'T TALK TO ME: I'm BUSY.
This gas station I filmed at for one day was in the movie TRANSFORMER.
Deuceofspades
Veteran
UPDATES !!!
All of a sudden, it's like everybody is talking about the film. I keep getting emails from people alerting me of reviews, write ups and blurbs about my film I didn't know about!
For exemple, an article was published in KUSTOM magazine (France) and I had no idea.
A follow up blurb was published in New Zealand Hot Rod Magazine and I didn't know about it either.
I then got an email from Australia alerting me that CRUISING magazine there had published a blurb about the film...
And then today I got an email alerting me that HEMMINGS.COM (largest worldwide website dedicated to collector cars) had also something about the film in their newsletter! It's a nice little review. Here it is:
Meanwhile, I am going over my edits with a pro friend of mine and we are scrutinizing everything. I am happy to report he does not have too much to change in my already existing edits. A fourth generation filmmaker, he is very seasonned so I value his opinion, especially since he is so brutally honest. For the most part, there has been a BIG smile on his face as he watches the scenes. He is very happy with what I got so far, but does have some constructive criticism which I welcome with open arms. So far all his suggestions have been very good ones. I am learning a lot.
We have gone over 6 scenes so far with MANY MANY more to go.
On yet another battlefield, I have started the last rewrite of the modern day scenes. I am amazed at how much I have improved as a writer from filming the flashbacks alone. I am finding myself deleting scenes and entire sections of scenes without even batting an eye lash; "Don't need this! This is redundant! Already said that! Who cares about that?"
And learning that in filmmaking, less is more, and the less you explain the better off you are. In fact, I have a new theory when I write: To remove as many clues as I can until the story is about to collapse. And then keep it there, with "just enough" to make sense but nothing more. Let the audience figure things out on their own. And leave a little mystery, too..
Well as I said, learning each day and still A WHOLE LOT TO LEARN !!!!
I have a lot more news to share, but I'll save it for another post. Got to get back to my script now.
All of a sudden, it's like everybody is talking about the film. I keep getting emails from people alerting me of reviews, write ups and blurbs about my film I didn't know about!
For exemple, an article was published in KUSTOM magazine (France) and I had no idea.
A follow up blurb was published in New Zealand Hot Rod Magazine and I didn't know about it either.
I then got an email from Australia alerting me that CRUISING magazine there had published a blurb about the film...
And then today I got an email alerting me that HEMMINGS.COM (largest worldwide website dedicated to collector cars) had also something about the film in their newsletter! It's a nice little review
. Here it is:
Meanwhile, I am going over my edits with a pro friend of mine and we are scrutinizing everything. I am happy to report he does not have too much to change in my already existing edits. A fourth generation filmmaker, he is very seasonned so I value his opinion, especially since he is so brutally honest. For the most part, there has been a BIG smile on his face as he watches the scenes. He is very happy with what I got so far, but does have some constructive criticism which I welcome with open arms. So far all his suggestions have been very good ones. I am learning a lot.
We have gone over 6 scenes so far with MANY MANY more to go.
On yet another battlefield, I have started the last rewrite of the modern day scenes. I am amazed at how much I have improved as a writer from filming the flashbacks alone. I am finding myself deleting scenes and entire sections of scenes without even batting an eye lash; "Don't need this! This is redundant! Already said that! Who cares about that?"
And learning that in filmmaking, less is more, and the less you explain the better off you are. In fact, I have a new theory when I write: To remove as many clues as I can until the story is about to collapse. And then keep it there, with "just enough" to make sense but nothing more. Let the audience figure things out on their own. And leave a little mystery, too..
Well as I said, learning each day and still A WHOLE LOT TO LEARN !!!!
I have a lot more news to share, but I'll save it for another post. Got to get back to my script now.
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Deuceofspades
Veteran
It's official, I have just completed the re-writes of the modern day scenes !!!!
I was able to cut all the fat and came up with leaner, meaner, new & improved film script.
Now I get ready to do my shooting schedule. Which means that by the end of this coming week I will be back in production mode, back to FILMING.
More sleepless nights, more meals skipped, more headaches to solve...
BRING IT ON!
Auditions for the modern day main parts have already begun. I have lined up several outstanding mature actors to play today the once young hotrodders of yesterday. Matching facial features from young actor to old actor was murder, but I think I did well
... Such a great caliber of actors I am blessed to have in this film! And what is even more amazing, is just how excited they are about the film and their desire to donate their time and talent.
So here we are... And to quote TOMMY in the "Survival of the fastest" scene:
"ONE DOWN JOHNNY! ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO!"
I was able to cut all the fat and came up with leaner, meaner, new & improved film script.
Now I get ready to do my shooting schedule. Which means that by the end of this coming week I will be back in production mode, back to FILMING.
More sleepless nights, more meals skipped, more headaches to solve...
BRING IT ON!
Auditions for the modern day main parts have already begun. I have lined up several outstanding mature actors to play today the once young hotrodders of yesterday. Matching facial features from young actor to old actor was murder, but I think I did well
So here we are... And to quote TOMMY in the "Survival of the fastest" scene:
"ONE DOWN JOHNNY! ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO!"
Deuceofspades
Veteran
Shooting this Saturday )))
I have missed it! I'll be shooting on location at a Major NHRA event and will be right at start line, amidts the dragsters taking off :thumbup:. Better not forget my ear plugs!!!
I don't now abotu you guys, but when I stay without filming for a few weeks I always wonder: "Do I still know how to do this? Do I still got it?"
But then I jump right back into it, it's like riding a bicycle, you never forget !!
Hope I come home with some phenomenal burn out footage....
)))I have missed it! I'll be shooting on location at a Major NHRA event and will be right at start line, amidts the dragsters taking off :thumbup:. Better not forget my ear plugs!!!
I don't now abotu you guys, but when I stay without filming for a few weeks I always wonder: "Do I still know how to do this? Do I still got it?"
But then I jump right back into it, it's like riding a bicycle, you never forget
!!Hope I come home with some phenomenal burn out footage....
puredrifting
Major Contributor
Hi Faith:
Make sure that your camera lens and camera itself are well protected from burning rubber fragments and vaporized rubber in the air. A few years ago, I produced a documentary on drifting and spent about a year shooting drifters screaming by me sideways at 100 mph. As you might imagine, sliding a car sideways at 100 mph generates considerable burning of tires. Once the melted rubber dries on your gear and or lens/filter, trying to chisel it off is an exercise in fultility. Bring your lens cleaner and definitely use protective filters.
Also, I would highly recommend going to Big 5 or another sporting goods store and purchase full ear coverage ear protection used by shooters. You will find you can easily still incur hearing loss with in ear plugs and the starter may not let you anywhere near where you want to/need to be to get your shots without full ear protection. I grew up at Lyons, OCR, my dad was a drag racer back in the day.
Enjoy and have fun but be safe.
Dan
Make sure that your camera lens and camera itself are well protected from burning rubber fragments and vaporized rubber in the air. A few years ago, I produced a documentary on drifting and spent about a year shooting drifters screaming by me sideways at 100 mph. As you might imagine, sliding a car sideways at 100 mph generates considerable burning of tires. Once the melted rubber dries on your gear and or lens/filter, trying to chisel it off is an exercise in fultility. Bring your lens cleaner and definitely use protective filters.
Also, I would highly recommend going to Big 5 or another sporting goods store and purchase full ear coverage ear protection used by shooters. You will find you can easily still incur hearing loss with in ear plugs and the starter may not let you anywhere near where you want to/need to be to get your shots without full ear protection. I grew up at Lyons, OCR, my dad was a drag racer back in the day.
Enjoy and have fun but be safe.
Dan
Deuceofspades
Veteran
Well, all above sounds like really good advice so I will do both :dankk2:...
I appreciate the tips.
Meanwhile started putting my schedule together today and i think I will be done filming in 3 months (hopefully). I will be, as usual, editing as I film, so by the end of June I will have the feature entirely filmed and edited. Then on to tweaking everything, massaging some more and ...
Boy there is so much to do!!! And only one person to do it all (or just about)
Oye!
Faith, I was browsing the Vegas group over at SCS and found out about this
http://www.solid-state-logic.com/music/pro-convert/index.asp
ssl pro convert can take your audio from Acid or Vegas and convert it to/from Pro Tools. It's not cheap, but you could ask if the facility you are going to use, already has it.
Joe C.
http://www.solid-state-logic.com/music/pro-convert/index.asp
ssl pro convert can take your audio from Acid or Vegas and convert it to/from Pro Tools. It's not cheap, but you could ask if the facility you are going to use, already has it.
Joe C.
Ted Spencer
Veteran
Looks promising, Zeke. The only minor problem I see for now is that it's Windows only, and virtually all post houses and recording studios run Pro Tools on Macs. So you'd need to open the file on a PC based Pro Toools rig, save it again as a PT session file, then open it on the post house's Mac system. Not too big a hardship compared to the massively PITA alternative. Nice find.
I guess thats why they invented usb thumb drives. I have 4 and 8gig ones for cheap. 16gig ones are out there now too.
the application may be windows, but I'm willing to bet it can create a Mac compatible Protools file if needed.
Ted Spencer
Veteran
That may be true. One would hope : )
Deuceofspades
Veteran
thanks Zeke, I am going to call them tomorrow and pick their brains, I'll let you guys know what they say.
Deuceofspades
Veteran
BACK IN PRODUCTION
My shoot yesterdy went very well. It was not without challenges. Like for exemple:
1. Run and gun with an adapter (ouch)
2. Filming cars taking off at high speed when you are not supposed to go above 120 with a vibrating adapter... (ouch X2)
3. not being able to stand where you could really get the good angles, cause you could get killed if you did (ouch X3)
4. Always having some idiot standing in front of the perfect shot you FINALLY managed to capture... And not being able to ask them to move their big butts out of the shot (ouch X4)
5. Having no crew at all most of the day and doing everything alone. (ouch X5)
6. Having no control over the action, positino of the cars and any of the variables. (ouch X6)
As if all above was not enough, filming the whole thing (run and gun dragracing) with a 100mm lense (yes, I am CRAZY) and pulling my own focus.
That said, it was a breeze (yeah, right!)...
but I still managed to capture some cool racing footage and I have more than what I need for my 30 second sequence.
Footage looks better than grabs, since I was framing for momuntum of cars, and not for "photography" composition. A few grabs do look pretty cool, so I will share them here:
I like this one, because of the back lit effect and brown color of smoke. This is the only time we could see the actual rubber vapor color:
Otherwise it is mostly a white cloud:
the cars were cool looking and embellished the shots quite a bit!!
My shoot yesterdy went very well. It was not without challenges. Like for exemple:
1. Run and gun with an adapter (ouch)
2. Filming cars taking off at high speed when you are not supposed to go above 120 with a vibrating adapter... (ouch X2)
3. not being able to stand where you could really get the good angles, cause you could get killed if you did (ouch X3)
4. Always having some idiot standing in front of the perfect shot you FINALLY managed to capture... And not being able to ask them to move their big butts out of the shot (ouch X4)
5. Having no crew at all most of the day and doing everything alone. (ouch X5)
6. Having no control over the action, positino of the cars and any of the variables. (ouch X6)
As if all above was not enough, filming the whole thing (run and gun dragracing) with a 100mm lense (yes, I am CRAZY) and pulling my own focus.
That said, it was a breeze (yeah, right!)...
but I still managed to capture some cool racing footage and I have more than what I need for my 30 second sequence.
Footage looks better than grabs, since I was framing for momuntum of cars, and not for "photography" composition. A few grabs do look pretty cool, so I will share them here:
I like this one, because of the back lit effect and brown color of smoke. This is the only time we could see the actual rubber vapor color:
Otherwise it is mostly a white cloud:
the cars were cool looking and embellished the shots quite a bit!!
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Deuceofspades
Veteran
I like this shot:
Plus the burn outs looked gorgeous
and the walls, although restrictive, did provide for some cool lines:
All in all, a good shoot and NO I DID NOT FOGET HOW TO FILM it came right back to me, I was like a fish back in water.
Plus the burn outs looked gorgeous
and the walls, although restrictive, did provide for some cool lines:
All in all, a good shoot and NO I DID NOT FOGET HOW TO FILM
it came right back to me, I was like a fish back in water.
Ted Spencer
Veteran
Great work, Faith. I just love those vintage dragsters. It looks just like I remember them when I was a kid drawing pictures of them in study hall...
A Studebaker...wow...
And that's a really nice shot of you at the end.
A Studebaker...wow...
And that's a really nice shot of you at the end.
JonathanLB
Carbonite Member
Faith, I agree with you. I think a less saturated 'dull' look for the modern sections will serve better with your story and your reasoning is definitely relative. Ironically I had dulled down my feature (also shot with the HVX200) because i didn't want the film to be 'beautiful' and I wanted it to reflect the mood and environment.
You are on to something and I wish the best for you (and as I said before, I love the fifties and I look forward to seeing your film!).
Todd
http://drawingchalkpictures.com/video/dwc_trailer.mp4
Yup, it depends a lot on the look you want. My first somewhat higher budget project, my music video Winded, was given a really glamorous, gorgeous, saturated look with vibrant colors and all of that. It looks fantastic. But then the next music video I shot, Ignis Fatuus, we desaturated the colors and made it look pretty grim, very dark, and that was a fantastic look for the theme of the video. So it's really all about what you're trying to achieve.
I personally believe that is best done in post, though. As long as you know the look you're going for in general. Obviously we had more minimalist lighting in Ignis anyway, so it wasn't supposed to be a big concert feel, you should know from the start what you want to do during post (ideally), but that's definitely where the look comes together for me.
Deuceofspades
Veteran
Yes, my "darker" scenes in the film (hospital scenes and jail scenes) are very desaturated and look more depressing that way.