How smart would it be to make my own film?

Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

The question you need to ask yourself about your film is: What is the reason I am making a film?

If you answered "to tell a good story" or "to have a fun time and create something good" to the question, then it won't matter what camera you use, what equipment you use. Your ability to tell the story will only be limited by your ingenuity and your desire...

If you answered "to get noticed" or "to make money" you definitely don't have the time or resources or knowledge to accomplish this. I wouldn't try to attempt this in your situation. There are a great many more people who are trying to accomplish this very thing with WAY more determination and resources than you and are having a hard time with it. People who have been doing it for years and have devoted a great deal of time to the craft and technology behind it. They know what cameras to use, they know the people to hire, they know where to get financial backing, they know where to get everything to make a great film. Their films will get noticed before your film shot with a handicam.

Now, cynicism aside, if you did answer with the first one, you're in a good situation to have a great time and make a good film. Don't pre-occupy yourself with too much of the technical stuff. Spend some of that $200 at a local blockbuster and rent some good films... our film discussion board has oogles of lists of great films to watch to learn from. I've made some good short films on WAY less than $50 with just an afternoon with some friends and a handicam. They turned out great and are enjoyable to watch...

Take your script, draw it out in some storyboards, gather a group of people from your school, rent or borrow a mini-dv camera of any king, get a tri-pod (don't go handheld, it'll ruin your story for the most part), get some people to act in front of the camera and just start filming... you'll learn the most from trying and doing. Just don't waste people's time, make sure they're as into the project as you are. It's terrible to make enemies over such a thing and far better to make friends. Spend some of that money to feed the people who work on your shoots for you.

Other than that, good luck with it... hope it works out...
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

Speedbump,  thank you for the encouragement.

A lot of the digital american movies I've watched have featured some of the most wooden acting I've ever seen in my life. I've just completely stopped watching them.

I've become more interested in foreign films for inspiration. Graveyard of Honor. Ping Pong. Ichi the Killer. Happiness of the Katakuris. They're really helping me to approach the project in a way that I'd like. I'm finding that because of the digital format, actors will need to be a little more over the top and energetic than normal to stay interesting.

I've been using digital photography to try and figure out where I want the camera to be and the tone I want to try and get for the movie through lighting.

As the for the question. The answer is that I'm doing it for both.
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

[quote author=ahmedmalik link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=15#21 date=10/10/04 at 08:28:07]A lot of the digital american movies I've watched have featured some of the most wooden acting I've ever seen in my life. I've just completely stopped watching them . . . I'm finding that because of the digital format, actors will need to be a little more over the top and energetic than normal to stay interesting.[/quote]


What does that mean? "Digital format" is only a medium. All of the same techniques of filmmaking apply. There's nothing different about digital filmmaking which forces anything different on the part of actors.

Care to elaborate?
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

[quote author=David Jimerson link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=15#22 date=10/10/04 at 08:32:01]


What does that mean?  "Digital format" is only a medium.  All of the same techniques of filmmaking apply.  There's nothing different about digital filmmaking which forces anything different on the part of actors.

Care to elaborate?[/quote]


I believe each medium has it's own special tone and feel. To me, shooting digital has always provoked a documentary or home-made tone. I have yet to view Collateral, but from what I've seen of American Cinema (Pieces of April, Open Water), my feelings. my feelings have been reinforced.

The tone of the picture is what I believe would provoke a different feel from the audience. I could shoot a movie with exactly the same style and movements on DV and film, but audiences would have wildly contrasting experiences depending on the format they're watching. I hope I explained that properly.
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

My opinion is that if you have the story and the talent that the audience will completely forget the medium its being shot on.

I havent seen OPEN WATER but have heard the critiques, yet, Pieces of April I thought was a solid film. My opinion on that one is the DP did not maximize the cameras potential (either that or they didnt use the DVX100 :D )

Both of those films were very much a 'reality' feel but I think that is more a stylistic choice.

28 Days Later (IMHO) made me completely forget the digital format. I cant say I agree with an 'Actors performance' being somehow reflective of the medium. I have seen Digital work done in the most cinematic fashion and I have seen it feel like Americas Funniest Videos.

Maybe you have just seen some really bad acting in regards to the 'Wooden' performances.
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

[quote author=John Hudson link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=15#24 date=10/10/04 at 10:40:23]My opinion is that if you have the story and the talent that the audience will completely forget the medium its being shot on.

I havent seen OPEN WATER but have heard the critiques, yet, Pieces of April I thought was a solid film. My opinion on that one is the DP did not maximize the cameras potential (either that or they didnt use the DVX100 :D )

Both of those films were very much a 'reality' feel but I think that is more a stylistic choice.

28 Days Later (IMHO) made me completely forget the digital format. I cant say I agree with an 'Actors performance' being somehow reflective of the medium. I have seen Digital work done in the most cinematic fashion and I have seen it feel like Americas Funniest Videos.

Maybe you have just seen some really bad acting in regards to the 'Wooden' performances. [/quote]


Good looking in pointing out 28 Days Later! Nonetheless, the film is still foreign. I guess we just have to agree to disagree, although you may be right in that I've only been exposed to "wooden" acting and need to view the right film.
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

Well...

Let me ask you. Pieces of April. Did you think the acting was 'wooden' in this?
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

[quote author=John Hudson link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=15#26 date=10/10/04 at 11:45:29]Well...

Let me ask you.  Pieces of April.  Did you think the acting was 'wooden' in this?[/quote]


I bought Pieces of April to study for improving my own craft. I found the film moving, but it was too much like a home movie (which I understand was a stylistic choice) and thus went against the direction I wanted to go towards as a "filmmaker".  The acting itself was not "wooden" but rather subdued.

Have you seen Visitor Q?
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

Subdued? Can you go into detail on this one?

Patricia Clarkson was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in this film. (Not to mention the tons of other nominations and awards the film went onto claim).

On another thought; you mention you have turned to Foreign Films for 'inspiration'. Personally, I can't tell if an actor in a foreign film is doing a good job as I just dont speak any other languages. How can you tell?

You also said "Pieces of April went into a direction which didn't suit my personal tastes". Elaborate please? What 'style' is it that you do like?
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

[quote author=ahmedmalik link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=15#23 date=10/10/04 at 09:51:19]
The tone of the picture is what I believe would provoke a different feel from the audience. I could shoot a movie with exactly the same style and movements on DV and film, but audiences would have wildly contrasting experiences depending on the format they're watching. I hope I explained that properly.
[/quote]

It may be that digital has a different feel from film (though the DVX definitely has a film-like feel), but what does that have to do with "over-the-top" or "wooden" acting? Bad acting is just bad acting. You can't blame digital formats for that.
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

Maybe it's me, but it sounds like this young college student is going through his "it's chic to like foreign films" stage.

When I was in college, I had an ex-girlfriend that was into foreign films.  I can't recall the number of times I would have to sit through that foreign artsy-fartsy ****.  After she took me to some movie made in Holland or Denmark (I can't remember now) I dumped her ass later that night.

Any Kurosawa or a good ole fashion Shaolin Monk film is about as foreign as I get.  Oh ... Das Boot was pretty good also, but that's the exception.

shaolin.jpg
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

[quote author=John Hudson link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=15#28 date=10/10/04 at 13:45:10]Subdued?  Can you go into detail on this one?

Patricia Clarkson was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in this film.  (Not to mention the tons of other nominations and awards the film went onto claim).  

On another thought; you mention you have turned to Foreign Films for 'inspiration'.  Personally, I can't tell if an actor in a foreign film is doing a good job as I just dont speak any other languages.  How can you tell?

You also said "Pieces of April went into a direction which didn't suit my personal tastes".  Elaborate please?  What 'style' is it that you do like? [/quote]

By subdued, I meant that every single character in the movie, to me, seemed tired in one way or another. None of the actors displayed any semblance of charisma (which more than anything is an X factor than anything else). Sean Hayes was amusing.

If you watch a lot of asian cinema, you will easily spot a "character" as opposed to a "person". Captain Jack Sparrow and Gollum are good examples of characters to me.

I'm trying to go for a dark, rythmically intense feel for my first feature. "Pieces of April" isn't really a movie that could be defined as rythmic or dark which is why it didn't suit my personal tastes for the time being.

[quote author=David Jimerson link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=15#29 date=10/10/04 at 14:26:23]

It may be that digital has a different feel from film (though the DVX definitely has a film-like feel), but what does that have to do with "over-the-top" or "wooden" acting?  Bad acting is just bad acting.  You can't blame digital formats for that.
[/quote]

It's just a personal opinion. You can freely disagree, but please don't say what I can and cannot do. It's disrespectful.


[quote author=Ranger link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=30#30 date=10/10/04 at 15:53:16]Maybe it's me, but it sounds like this young college student is going through his "it's chic to like foreign films" stage.

When I was in college, I had an ex-girlfriend that was into foreign films.  I can't recall the number of times I would have to sit through that foreign artsy-fartsy ****.  After she took me to some movie made in Holland or Denmark (I can't remember now) I dumped her ass later that night.

Any Kurosawa or a good ole fashion Shaolin Monk film is about as foreign as I get.  Oh ... Das Boot was pretty good also, but that's the exception.

shaolin.jpg
[/quote]

I'm not part of the "it's chic to like foreign films" club. There are some seriously horrible foreign films out there such as The City of Lost Children. I didn't like Amelie either. The films I mentioned before (Visitor Q, Ping Pong, Happiness of the Katakuris, as well as Run Lola Run, and Billy Elliot which I didn't mention). I think it's a shame to just shun a foreign film because the featured film doesn't speak your language. Do yourself a favor and rent "Versus". It's a great action zombie movie shot digitally, but is among one of the best movies I've seen in forever. Here is the link.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0275773/


I see that you've posted an image for Shaolin Soccer. Have you watched any of Stephen Chow's other movies? You should check out "God of Cookery". It's hilarious.
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

[quote author=ahmedmalik link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=30#31 date=10/10/04 at 16:42:40]
It's just a personal opinion. You can freely disagree, but please don't say what I can and cannot do. It's disrespectful.
[/quote]

It's a figure of speech that you took way too personally.

But what you haven't done is explain why it is you think something shot in a digital format necessitates wooden or over-the-top acting. Seriously. What is it that's different from film which makes actors bad?
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

[quote author=David Jimerson link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=30#32 date=10/10/04 at 17:10:07]

It's a figure of speech that you took way too personally.

But what you haven't done is explain why it is you think something shot in a digital format necessitates wooden or over-the-top acting.  Seriously.  What is it that's different from film which makes actors bad?
[/quote]

For me, the tone of a digital movie is sterile. I can't answer how or why. It just is to me. Honestly, I've never used a DVX100 so I can't say how far it goes in comparison with film.
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

I gotta go with David on this one; bad acting is bad acting. Period. Whether it be on the stage, 35mm, 16mm or DV.

Like I said, without speaking the mother tongue of some of the foreign movies I have seen I wouldnt know a bad actor if it bit me.

I see your point in the Gollum/Sparrow take; definately characters and a bit over the top. (Depp is the master). I think the talent in APRIL was not subdued, but just playing it straight. I thought the black couple in APRIL were hilarious and not subdued at all.

I dont personally shun a film due to langauge differences but do admit foreign films are not at the top of my list. The ones I do see are usually the ones that make headlines here (oscars, ifc, sundance). Have you used a film camera?
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

[quote author=John Hudson link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=30#34 date=10/10/04 at 17:31:26]I gotta go with David on this one; bad acting is bad acting.  Period.  Whether it be on the stage, 35mm, 16mm or DV.  

Like I said, without speaking the mother tongue of some of the foreign movies I have seen I wouldnt know a bad actor if it bit me.

I see your point in the Gollum/Sparrow take; definately characters and a bit over the top. (Depp is the master).  I think the talent in APRIL was not subdued, but just playing it straight.  I thought the black couple in APRIL were hilarious and not subdued at all.

I dont personally shun a film due to langauge differences but do admit foreign films are not at the top of my list.  The ones I do see are usually the ones that make headlines here (oscars, ifc, sundance).  Have you used a film camera?

[/quote]

I believe a person who has always acted in movies, but never stage, they must alter how they preform in order to take to the stage properly. This is from my personal theater directing experience. This is not to say that my opinion is any more valid than yours. That is just the experience I came away with. I feel the same principal holds true to film and digital, although to much smaller degrees.

I've never used a film camera, although I have shot on tape and miniDV before.
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

Completely agree with a stage performing method being completly different in front of the camera (everything is so pronounced in the camera whilst the stage requires an actor to project to an audience far beyond the stage). It applies both ways for sure.


Still, bad acting is still bad acting.
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

[quote author=John Hudson link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=30#36 date=10/10/04 at 18:42:39]Completely agree with a stage performing method being completly different in front of the camera (everything is so pronounced in the camera whilst the stage requires an actor to project to an audience far beyond the stage).  It applies both ways for sure.


Still, bad acting is still bad acting.[/quote]


But what may be bad acting in one medium may be good in another.
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

[quote author=ahmedmalik link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=30#37 date=10/10/04 at 18:46:28]
But what may be bad acting in one medium may be good in another.[/quote]

I don't know about that one. It wouldn't be APPROPRIATE acting, necessarily, but it would still be good. If the actor is good, he believes what he's doing, and because of that, WE believe what he's doing. The conviction behind the lines needs to be there, regardless of whether or not it's being projected to an audience member 100 feet away, or to a boom microphone three feet away. Take a look at Jim Broadbent in Moulin Rouge, for example. Well, most of the characters in Moulin Rouge, actually - they were giving over the top performances, very theatrical in nature, and yet we still bought it. They were in their characters. Now their performances suited the style of the film, and that's WHY they were over the top - but regardless, it WAS a film. And the traditionally accepted "stage" acting transcended mediums.

I guess I'm just trying to say that a truly good actor can easily go between stage or film - it's the not so good ones that can almost 'cheat' their way into one medium, without necessarily TRULY being in character, and it's those guys who give a bad name to the greats.
 
Re: How smart would it be to make my own film?

[quote author=ahmedmalik link=board=Offtopic;num=1097207828;start=30#37 date=10/10/04 at 18:46:28]


But what may be bad acting in one medium may be good in another.[/quote]

No way.  Never. Mike said it best.
 
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