Is it weird to make a feature film if all the actors are wearing covid masks?

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

JimS2

Member
I want to try to make a feature film, but it would be a lot easier to attract actors if they were allowed to wear the masks, while on camera it seems. However, will this look really odd because you want the actors to show their faces and emote? Or will audiences accept this as normal, since it's the times we live in now? But at the same time, I don't want the movie to age poorly either, if everyone has a mask on. I've asked some others and some say do it, and some say it will ruin the movie. What do you think? Is it awkward or normal now?
 
Ryan, did you completely skip over this?

Barry_Green said:
Do something on your own. Entirely by yourself. Remove all the variables and all the problems. Make a stop-motion film, or an animated film, or a one-man show. That way you remove every obstacle against success, and you don't waste all your money.

If you can make something good and entertaining, by yourself, then you can use that to attract others to your project. And if you CAN'T make something good and entertaining by yourself, then you sure as hell can't make something good and entertaining when you add the myriad complications that people and locations and money involve.
Click to expand...

Why are you back on this feature film discussion?
 
I suspect masks will look really quaint by the time Ryan finishes writing, financing, shooting and editing his movie. If we're not all dead by then.

- Greg
 
Oh well right now I am doing a documentary project, but I need experience with actors, and making something more narrative.

As for doing animation or stop motion, I asked some animators, but they said that I don't have the budget for that and that the budget would be larger for something like that, compared to doing something with actors.
 
JimS2 said:
... but I need experience with actors, and making something more narrative.
Click to expand...

Trying to pull off a feature is not the way to do this.

JimS2 said:
As for doing animation or stop motion, I asked some animators, but they said that I don't have the budget for that and that the budget would be larger for something like that, compared to doing something with actors.
Click to expand...

You *literally* need no budget to do stop motion animation on your own. Round up some inanimate objects around your house, dress a small set, and get to it.

You *literally* need no budget to shoot something by yourself as a one-person short film if you don’t want to try animating anything.

You *literally* have everything you need to show that you’re able to do something captivating without spending a dime. As Barry said, if you cannot do that, you will not be able to pull off a feature with the complexity of budget, locations, cast, and crew.

This is the constant issue, Ryan. It was suggested to you that you create a stop-motion animation on your own. Instead of responding with “I’ll try that and see what happens”, you decided to ask someone else who told you it was expensive to animate. And now we’re back into the feedback loop.
 
Oh okay, I just don't know much about it, and thought I would need to hire someone to pull it off. Well I think I would just rather stick to live action if I can, but I am doing a documentary project now that I can post after it's finished.

Oh but there is another project I did a while back, so I posted it on the User Films forum.
 
Last edited:
Have you considered adding a poll to your threads? It might make it easier on us all.

poll.jpg

Anyway here is my answer to your question:

 
Last edited:
I was going to suggest the same thing that combatentropy suggested above.

A poll is a quick and concise way to assemble opinions and get a reading of everyone's opinion.

That being said, it is much more expedient [and satisfying] for you to make this decision rather than to assemble everybody else's opinion.
 
Oh okay, I didn't know you could do polls, and it didn't occur to me to.

As for my person opinion, my instincts tell me that a movie where all the actors are wearing masks, is not going to gel, and just be too awkward. However, I was thinking maybe I am wrong, and it might work, and thought I would ask.
 
If it was a year from now or a year ago I’d suggest cobbling together a bit of loot and going with the cheapest camera to the cheapest place to live in the world where you won’t be murdered. Get to know your neighbors and local artists and don’t come home till you’ve shot something.
 
JimS2 said:
However, I was thinking maybe I am wrong, and it might work, and thought I would ask.
Click to expand...

Right back to the heart of the problem. And we keep saying this: stop asking questions and actually DO something. See for yourself what works and what doesn’t. It is the ONLY way you’re going to learn.

And yet, you keep starting new threads and asking endless questions about circumstances you haven’t even tried to hit yet, and slipping right back into planning for your feature, instead of logging off the Internet for a while to actually do something. How many times have I said this now?
 
Burn your boats like Cortez and force yourself to make a film. Right now I’m guessing you may need a big push. You tell everyone you’re coming back with a film and if you don’t well... just a thought.
 
This is what we've been telling you on another forum.

I made a feature length Bond type film on 8mm when I was 16. The only person I could rely on to be there all the time was me, so I acted the main part with a locked off clockwork camera. You could buy 3 of your SD cards for the price of a roll of film (allowing for inflation), so it was shot in small pieces, one roll at a time. The big set piece was an attack by the Swiss Air Force on a secret air base in the Alps a la "Thunderbirds" using model aircraft followed by a bomber attacking London, which gets saved by the hero. The film was edited and since there was no sound, the film was projected with the sound track LP from "Where Eagles Dare" on the record player. Surprisingly, the music Mickey Moused with the film, people enjoyed watching it and I learnt a lot.

The point being, with all your threads and your film course, you should know more than I did and you should just get on with making a film. A short film without any dialogue would be a good starter. They can wear masks if you want, just like the Greeks. all things are possible. It's natural that someone will make a feature film involving covid masks, it's part of the world today, they're everywhere.

Just don't spend time procrastinating by asking endless questions on forums, it's very easy to become addicted and do nothing.
 
Last edited:
Ryan your heroes from Film Riot have a video where one guy talks about making a film all by himself (with occasional help from a DP, but mostly the director filming himself). No reason that couldn't be you.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top