Should I go for it?

Ewan L

Ewan L

Active member
I'm just coming up 14 and I'm thinking of making a feature when I'm late 14, early 15. I mean a proper one. Not some film I make overnight being improvised and changed every 5 mins. I'm talking about proper planning, screenwriting, schedules, hard work in post, lot's of funding etc...

And hopefully submit it to a film festival and see where it take me from there. I've heard how hard making a feature film can be, especially your first.

I really want to do it and I'm constantly learning more..

Should I just go for it?
 
How many shorts have you made? That would be the place to start. I definitely recommend trying something, the worst that can happen is it fails.
 
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Sure, why not. At your age you have nothing to lose, you will have friends with enthusiasm and time to burn and a spectacular failure may teach you a great deal. Keep the costs low and recognise that it won't be brilliant.

Came across this link the other day in an old thread somewhere on here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2004/may/14/1

Making a feature will be hard and you probably won't finish and if you do it will likely be rubbish. But even if it is you will be able to look back on it fondly as a snapshot of your childhood that is fairly unique. Better than a legacy of youtube videos filming your mates jumping off the roof.
 
You definitely should. I've found the older one gets, the higher the cost of failure, financially and psychologically.
 
hell ya, man.

If you think you have the resources or can pull the resources go for it.

We at DVXuser are here to help you. Feel free to contact me if you ever have any questions. Just know it's super hard and expensive, so I hope you have the ability to get donations in the way of donated food for crew, donated locations, volunteer actors, etc.
 
Thanks everyone!

There's a problem Ryan, I struggle to get people to voluntarily act. I don't want to pay people as it's going to get expensive quickly. I also don't want to just hire people off Craigslists as it would be hard to take seriously, and would still cost too much.

I'm thinking of trying it one man, but then doing some post work to clone myself? I've done it before and think it could work by splitting certain parts of the frame. I'd obviously have a hard time keeping the story alive if it's just me but it's meant to be in the future where I'm one of the last people left in the country.
 
Ewan L said:
Thanks everyone!

There's a problem Ryan, I struggle to get people to voluntarily act. I don't want to pay people as it's going to get expensive quickly. I also don't want to just hire people off Craigslists as it would be hard to take seriously, and would still cost too much.

I'm thinking of trying it one man, but then doing some post work to clone myself? I've done it before and think it could work by splitting certain parts of the frame. I'd obviously have a hard time keeping the story alive if it's just me but it's meant to be in the future where I'm one of the last people left in the country.
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That's what friends are for. If you don't have any friends, I'd advise finding some theater and filmmaking groups to join in your area. Not sure if they have Meetup.com in Scotland.

Once you get your friends or peers together, just figure out what is that you guys like to do. I remember a few years back a 13 year old girl making a zombie film (if I remember correctly) and the documentary about her making the film was obviously more popular than the film ever could have been.

I think even something as simple as wearing a HD cam on your head and going through your school life, etc might yield something. Remember that your perspective is incredibly unique and short lived. I'd focus on the very limited perspective you have right now as a young teen. The goal is to find something that people who are not in your situation could not possibly think to know or write about. Maybe wearing the camera as you try to invest yourself into opposing social groups? That's something that's always attempted at in film but is rarely ever realized with any authenticity.

But the very first thing you're going to have to learn to be a successful filmmaker is how to be brave. Cloning and filming yourself is not being brave. Think of the social situations that terrify you and attack them with a camera. You'll be surprised how quickly you earn respect, which might lead to more people wanting to help you.

Be fearless and reckless and severely self critical use only exactly what you know and then maybe you can create something that no one but you could have created -- which is what every filmmaker should strive to achieve.
 
Ewan L said:
Thanks everyone!

There's a problem Ryan, I struggle to get people to voluntarily act. I don't want to pay people as it's going to get expensive quickly. I also don't want to just hire people off Craigslists as it would be hard to take seriously, and would still cost too much.

I'm thinking of trying it one man, but then doing some post work to clone myself? I've done it before and think it could work by splitting certain parts of the frame. I'd obviously have a hard time keeping the story alive if it's just me but it's meant to be in the future where I'm one of the last people left in the country.
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http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?130082-The-Lone-Filmmaker&highlight=lone+filmmaker
 
I think Cassius brought up a good point earlier asking how many shorts you've made. Not that there is any magic number before doing a feature, but doing shorts allows you to practice your craft with less investment (in all aspects) and most importantly it would seem for you, it lets you build your contacts. If you don't have friends that want to help then go to Craigslist or a local club or something. However if you approach that thinking that people won't respect you because you are young then then that is what you'll get.

It's perfectly fine to make mistakes and learn, but tat doesn't mean you can't be confident (though it cocky) in yourself and your story and what you are making

The other benefit of shorts is for the people who choose to help. I would definitely help a 14 year old out on set if he/she had a good story, knew what they wanted and a plan to execute it. BUT It would be a lot easier for me to commit to a 2 day shoot for a short than it would for a 3 week or more shoot for a featureif I didnt know you/have worked with you/ you didn't have a bunch of work to show.

There is really no wrong decision here but if you haven't done many shorts with real actors (as in not just your buddies who want to help) and few people on crew who at least have an interest in film, then I'd opt to do that a few times first. Either way you will learn, which is the point, but doing a few well thought out and executed shorts first will yield much better results when you dump a bunch of time and money (of yourself and others) into a feature.


Btw this was on my phone so I apologize for any spelling errors
 
Also if you were talking about taking Craigslist actors seriously and not them taking you seriously I would have to call you out on being a little too arrogant there. I have found some very good talent through Craigslist that I've used on multiple projects. There are certainly those that aren't as great, but there's plenty of people willing to give you their time for free for a project that they believe in and will be dedicated to, and to overlook that if you don't have many options would be foolish. I'd guarantee you could find better talent than just having your buddies act. Plus they will likely help you learn more.

I imagine you were talking about them not taking you seriously though so I'll let it slide ;)
 
Thanks again for the info people.

Interesting link about the lone filmmaker.

I would try and get some people off of Craigslist but I'd end up spending way too much money. I don't have many people willing to do it, or at least take it seriously. I could also imagine it being a bit awkward, adult's being told around by a teenager. But I'll see what happens... :)
 
Yes. Go for it.

Make sure you have a damn good story.

With a good story, *ALL* filmmaking endeavors (in my experience) are worth it. It feeds my soul, gives me meaning, and makes me love what I do.

And, as others asked - have you made shorts before? Familiar with the process? If not, tackle a few shorts first, before trying a Feature. Feature films are huge undertakings!

Got a great story?

Dillon

Ewan L said:
I'm just coming up 14 and I'm thinking of making a feature when I'm late 14, early 15. I mean a proper one. Not some film I make overnight being improvised and changed every 5 mins. I'm talking about proper planning, screenwriting, schedules, hard work in post, lot's of funding etc...

And hopefully submit it to a film festival and see where it take me from there. I've heard how hard making a feature film can be, especially your first.

I really want to do it and I'm constantly learning more..

Should I just go for it?
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Thanks.

I'm still working on the storyline because I can't really get many people to do it. I've got one other person who could be in the frame.
 
Just for clarification.....in what sense would getting people from Craigslist be too expensive? If you are just offering copy meal and credit would you still come out about the same as feeding your friends on set?

Also again, don't hold yourself back because of age. If you have a good story and cast people that are a good fit, and clearly care, the age difference should be no issue even if in theory it would be. There are always going to be excuses/distractions/reasons not to do something.....overcoming those is a big part of filmmaking.
 
Things to be ready for:

Long hours.

Frustration.

Not being able to get the exact look you want. Strive for perfection, but in the back of your head know that you will never attain it (no one does).

People poo-pooing your work who have no real clue. Take all criticism with a grain of salt and always consider where it comes from. On the flip side, also beware of people gushing over your stuff (friends, family, etc.). You need honest feedback, so you can learn what went wrong and where.

Did I mention long hours and frustration?

As long as you realize that these thing come into play and could get in your head to discourage you, I say do it too. Learn from everything that happens and use it as an object lesson for your next project.

ALWAYS be learning!!!!!! Never end a day without learning something new about film-making, whether from a book, forums, hands-on............
 
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I say go for it as well.

TO reiterate what others have said.

- find a local theatre group and stay in touch - talk to them about what youre doing
- write a good story, find people who can give honest feedback on that before you start shooting. Refine your script. Dont take criticism as an attack on your ability when its offered with good intention. So coming back to the first part, its imperative you find people who know what a good script looks like to begin with. Its amazing however, that when you reach out, how many hands extend to you to do just that.
- Make sure each day is planned out from start to finish. Sure, sometimes the unknown takes place, but planning helps you back on track faster.
- Communicate to everyone you find who wants to get involved. From the time you meet them to the time you finish editing.
- DO NOT expect family and friends to give you honest feedback..... EVER. These people have an agenda - your feelings and emotion are their number one priority. Ahh nice as it is, it's useless for constructive feedback.

- Can you shoot it so the production will have some level of quality. Now this is something easily forgiven should the story be brilliant - but be damned if your story isnt any good - go back to my previous point on story.

- Before shooting test some components of your story in locations to get it down. As Ryan said ask questions here - being more specific in what you ask will get better responses so testing will help you get there.
 
Thanks, Doc.

I've heard all about the frustration and long hours that come with it, but I'll be prepared. I suppose it will be worth it in the end. I'll post some clips of it and stuff here to let you's know how I'm getting on.
 
Noel Evans said:
I say go for it as well.

TO reiterate what others have said.

- find a local theatre group and stay in touch - talk to them about what youre doing
- write a good story, find people who can give honest feedback on that before you start shooting. Refine your script. Dont take criticism as an attack on your ability when its offered with good intention. So coming back to the first part, its imperative you find people who know what a good script looks like to begin with. Its amazing however, that when you reach out, how many hands extend to you to do just that.
- Make sure each day is planned out from start to finish. Sure, sometimes the unknown takes place, but planning helps you back on track faster.
- Communicate to everyone you find who wants to get involved. From the time you meet them to the time you finish editing.
- DO NOT expect family and friends to give you honest feedback..... EVER. These people have an agenda - your feelings and emotion are their number one priority. Ahh nice as it is, it's useless for constructive feedback.

- Can you shoot it so the production will have some level of quality. Now this is something easily forgiven should the story be brilliant - but be damned if your story isnt any good - go back to my previous point on story.

- Before shooting test some components of your story in locations to get it down. As Ryan said ask questions here - being more specific in what you ask will get better responses so testing will help you get there.
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Thanks for the advice.

I'm looking for some theater groups just now, preferably people my age for it (teenagers) so I can interact with them easier. I shouldn't be expecting to pay too much should I?

I suppose some could see it as an opportunity rather than "school" if you know what I mean.
 
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