First feature film shot with HVX200

[Cineaste]

Nothing compares to actually making films. Nothing.

John is right all the way, nothing beats making films. About a year ago, I had a little bit of money and had to choose between going to film school or experiment with a little project I had in mind for a while. So I decided to go with my experimental side and finish a script I had, ended up with 90 pages, shot the film in 9 days, it was my first everything, no previous shorts, features or documentaries.
The final results reflected my inexperience, would I change my choice if I could back? never. I learned too many things while shooting my first feature and made so many mistakes that I will not make in my second feature (which I am going to start shooting this friday).

Bottom line, I rather spent 20 k in making films on my own, than being stuck in a classroom where I can handle a camera after god knows how many month.
Would I ever become the next spielberg? I doubt it but I'll be the best filmmaker I can be.

Edwin.

 

[Blaine]

Best of luck on the upcoming feature. Report back in from time to time with updates.

 

[ksteiger]

Let me just say that anyone who post clips here is to be commended. I am about to shoot a documentary on drum circles and I know I have a lot to learn.
Jan is right. There should be more support. Instead of tearing someone down, offer some helpful, encouraging suggestions. I am an audio guy primarily and have spent years mentoring people. It makes me feel better to see a smile on the face of an eager student than the smug llok on my face in the mirror after belittling someone's sincere efforts.
For the most part this is a very informative and useful site. Positivity never hurt anyone.

 

[delaro]

You are supposed to leave at the last year

i was supposed ..... yes. but i realized that it takes less time to buy the 4 or 5 books teachers were working with and read them in 2 or 3 weeks. and filmschool students discussions are quite boring.

 

[delaro]

You know what is weird here? It used to be when somebody posted that they did something with the DVx100B, everybody did a "That's Great Man", or that really great or something that was supportive. I have just finished reading through this and frankly I am disheartened.


Jan

sorry to disagree .... maybe i m wrong but there isn't any footage of the movie, only technical informations, behind-the-scene stills, .....
i personaly notice that people, here, are very supportive with people showing things they shoot, even when it's very amateurish.
but in the "samaritan" case i just read 2 pages of "how we see digital cinematography, what cam we used, who is involved in the project....." without seeing any footage or trailer, i find it quite difficult to analyse this project.
generally i see threads where someone post grabs or footages and everybody want to know how he made it, not the opposite.

 

[Drew599]

Delaro, your right about people being supportive when people post some footage or stills from footage. I think the reason why this thread has turned into a whole film scholl thing was that someone brought it up and there you go. Doesn't take much. I mean its a big subject to talk about. To me film school doesn't seem worth my time. But that's to me. I'm sure there are plenty of people that have come out of school and said, "Wow...did I learn a lot." But I know there's and equal if not greater amount that come out of it and say, "What a waste of money and time." Of course maybe that's just the people I've talked to.

 

[brianluce]

"Producer Ethan Marten: Even the most gripping script and best planning will amount to little if the final product doesn't look the part. When it came to the format and technology the Star Circle team would use, they had an ace up their sleeve. The new AG-HVX-200 HD camera by Panasonic is the first of its kind in the world. There's a lot to love: DVC PRO HD recording format; P2 solid state recording media; handheld form factor; Varicam capabilities which mirror those of cameras in the $70,000 and up price range.”

.

this producer sounds like a true knownothing.

i'd say the boys from "star circle" are in trouble. if you think a 5 thousand dollar camera is an "ace up your sleeve" you've got problems.

 

[limo991]

Hi,

It isn't the stuff about the film school and it isn't about it being done on my product, it is just the overall feeling of no support for the effort.

That's the disappointing part. This seems to have dwindeled into the nit-picky let's drag everyone's effort down site. And that is what saddens me.

It used to be fun to read folks reactions to a filmmaking effort.

Best,

jan

If this was an attempt to get some feedback on the project or support, it wouldn't appear in the HVX news section I believe. This guy joined the forum, posted this, and disappeared. Is he related to the production? I dunno I don't think anyone asked for feedback or gave anyone the impression that he will be listening. It was more like a faceless press release. Drop on news section and leave. We used this camera. Ok! IMHO that was a part of a cheap attempt for publicity using the HVX release to support the film. And pretty bad at that.

 

[menchifus]

Response

Response

To Jan - First of all, we're all just having a healthy argument about the value of film school. I'm sure you'd rather have us gush about the HVX but once in a while, we'd rather talk about something else. Second, it is so obvious that the article was a press release. Please...we're not stupid. The words coming out of the filmmakers mouths read like a brochure for the HVX. Nobody talks like that. By the way, passionate filmmakers gush about their films, not their cameras. The producers and directors in "Samaritan" talked more about the camera in highly brochure-like, descriptive phrases than they did about their film.

To John - If you didn't read my posts, I did mention that directors can get away with no formal training or even apprenticeship. The names you mention are directors, not cinematographers. It is true that some of them have photographed, like RR. But he really didn't learn to light well (does he even light well?) until he's worked with good DPs. The key is that the director position is more of a talent-based position rather than a technical one. And film school is not even absolutely necessary for cinematographers, however, I think they still need to learn from someone. Cinematography is not a vocation that you can just practice in the comfort of your own home. You have to work on a set under a master who can show you what to do with the lights. And you know what, I'm a director and I don't know what a lighting ratio is. I didn't go to film school. But again, I don' t have a technical job. My job is to envision the project and it is up to me to describe that vision to the DP. Now it is up to the DP to bring that vision to fruition. Does the DP have the TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW to give me my vision?

 

[brianluce]

can someone give me a link to the script?

thanks

 

[Ralph Oshiro]

Well, since this has turned into a film school thread, I thought I'd put my $0.01 in . . .

Right out of high school, I first studied still photography at a local community college, but I always wanted to work in film someday. So I submitted my portfolio (I shot a short and won third place for a national Sony contest) to California Institute of the Arts, and was accepted into their live action film+video program. I attended for a year and a half. I shot a 16mm black and white film that featured a naked Mexican prostitute masturbating to fashion magazines while drinking milk out of a baby bottle. I met a pretty Brasilian girl there and she became my girlfriend. We did a lot of drugs and partied a lot. But I got frusutrated with the boring curriculum, and all the boring art films they made us watch, and soon quit to start working as a cameraman. I worked for a while, but was struggling, so I went back to school and got a bachelor's degree in business marketing at Cal State Fullerton.

Film school was more fun.

Moral: If your parents have the money--go to film school. It's more fun!

 

[Luis Caffesse]

I can't believe how negative this whole thread is. Sad.

I don't think it's become negative about the actual filmmaker, the conversation has just shifted focus.

And as far as the original reaction to the article, I think it came as a reaction to it being written more as a press release for the camera than an article about the content.

EDITED TO ADD:
Sorry, just realized numerous people already responded with this (albeit a bit harshly in places) Didn't mean to repeat what was already said.

can someone give me a link to the script?
thanks

Here you go. It was posted earlier in this thread

 

[SPZ]

Film school is a place where people with experience in some fields in film production share their experience and vision of the world with apprentice filmmakers. (depends of the quality of the school, though)

I'm not an avid reader, but the truth is, behind every good book is a person's hard work andd knowhow. The experience the writer gathered from the field and from probably other persons experience and influences made him capable of writting something publishable and respected. A book is often a work of someone's lifetime. Reading them somethimes makes us prevent loosing time in trying to figure something someone already wasted their lifes thinking about. One shouldn't take every info as absolute, though. Only keep what you feel better conveys your world and the way you are developing it.

Still, I should read more than I do I prefer watching (and doing!) films...

 

[Justyn]

hey justyn,
MY KUNG FU IS BETTER THAN YOURS MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahhh.. your kungfu is no good. What style to do you do? I've done a few in my time and now I'm a stuck on Ving Tsun/Wing Chun.

 

[joelnet]

this producer sounds like a true knownothing.

i'd say the boys from "star circle" are in trouble. if you think a 5 thousand dollar camera is an "ace up your sleeve" you've got problems.

The way that article is written is so "flowery" I have a hard time believing these guys actually said this stuff word for word. I mean, who talks like that?

I think they were paraphrased by a poor writer and made to sound.... well... like they sound. Maybe they've got a good short. I didn't really like the stills they put up though... man was that white shirt blown out.

 

[joelnet]

I shot a 16mm black and white film that featured a naked Mexican prostitute masturbating to fashion magazines while drinking milk out of a baby bottle.

In the Business college I can tell you we never got a chance to do anything like that. Just an FYI for people reading along who are trying to choose their major.

 

[izoneguy]

Originally Posted by NBCshooter
"I shot a 16mm black and white film that featured a naked Mexican prostitute masturbating to fashion magazines while drinking milk out of a baby bottle."

This is exactly the kind of videos I will be shooting with the HVX!!!

 

[Justyn]

NBC... Certainly my point too. I had scholarships and parents willing to pay for school so I postponed reality and went to film school and had a great time. Learning aside, it was a really good time. Went to London to film a doc; and seemed to be shooting one hackneyed project after another. I even ended up somehow graduating with a BFA and a 3.8... plus an extended beer belly and a Kronic addition to taco bell and late night movie screenings.

I think that film school isn't for all people.. but it's a good time, and a lot of the bashing comes from people out there doing the hard knocks and scrapping buy. I made a film that won a student Emmy and a regional Studen Oscar and then got jobs and representation right out of school.. which ultimately lead me to gettting screwed by Hollywood quicker and at a ripe old age of 25. So film school... sped up the disallusionment and cynicism for sure.

The one annoying thing I can see about film school people is the unrealistic views of being the next bigtime director... and not having a clue. It's also a biz that is run with nepotism.. and family insiders. The few people I knew with relatives in the biz... did certainly get out to work right away.

The one last film school grip.. being a film school grad, is for those that go to these over-priced tech/It schools like the one here in town. Fullsail. For the cost of one year of their filmschool which is now like 36k a year, I could have gone to school at FSU filmschool for 6 years.. and that's even paying out of state tuition... If I was in state, it would be more like 12 years....

At fullsail, they certainly do tell you how expensive everything is... Hey, you are sitting in a 5k chair.. Hey that mixing board cost a million dollars---- I TOOK THE TOUR for shitz and giggles. They do use equipment that is top of the line... but it's equipment that no one in the real world can afford. I mean, how many people or companies own a Quantell Edit box.. or the Flame and that crap.

The one statitstic that fullsail doesn't report is that it has the lowest job placment stat in the entire US. I think their grad job retention rate is lower than 1 percent.. and at 36K per year that's amazing.... The other thing that's amazing is the quality .. or lack their off.. of their professors. They hire just about anyone.. I know at FSU the faculty certainly came with some chops and some experienc.. for the most part.


So, go to film school if you have the time.. and the money and if you also want to get a degree. Atleast this way ya could get an MFA in business or something after.

 

[brianluce]

The way that article is written is so "flowery" I have a hard time believing these guys actually said this stuff word for word. I mean, who talks like that?

.

i had the same thoughts. it's soooo pretentious sounding.
there's something fishy about the website and project. i think it might all be a front for a white slavery ring. not sure though.

 

[izoneguy]

i had the same thoughts. it's soooo pretentious sounding.
there's something fishy about the website and project. i think it might all be a front for a white slavery ring. not sure though.

Isn't Hollywierd a white slavery ring??