The Ultimate Question: Do I buy filmmaking gear or finance a low budget feature film?

The Ultimate Question: Do I buy filmmaking gear or finance a low budget feature film?

  • buy filmmaking gear

    Votes: 7 63.6%

  • finance a low budget feature film

    Votes: 4 36.4%
  • Total voters
    11
> I would've much rather spent money on learning my mistakes so I don't do them again when I get 40,000.

yup.
 
When you can afford to blow $4,000 ( or very likely a lot more than this ) and get no financial return at all ( most first features are financial disasters ), and be completely happy with the experience you gained from it.[/QUOTE]

- this. this is my goal in life perfectly worded.

If you can separate the notion of income and recognition from the experience of making a movie, and the patience to get to that point above, then you're a monk. You won't ever look at gear again.
 
Even though I agree that $4000 films generally suck, I still think you should prioritize creating something over obtaining some things.
 
Edit:

Make a bunch of short films, don't by any gear. Borrow gear and shoot. Your chances of making your money back on a 4K feature are slim and none.

Make shorts, and don't forget that each entry into a festival is about 35 bucks. Festivals are generally rigged, as in not fair, and the people the judges like get in not necessarily the best films. Your best approach is a shot gun approach and enter a bunch. It ads up quick.

https://www.withoutabox.com/
 
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cyclone said:
Do not shoot a low budget feature. Shoot a great short and do the festival circuit. It will become your calling card and you'd be surprised how many people in "The Business" have time to watch a well-received short who would otherwise never dedicate the time to watch a low budget feature.
Click to expand...

Great advice.
 
Gillvane said:
You know who owns gear? Directors of Photography. Camera Operators. Production companies. You know who doesn't generally own gear? Directors.

if you want to be a DP, Camera Operator, Production company, buy gear. if you want to be a director, make a movie. Screw the gear and concentrate on your shot list and getting the best performance out of your talent. Get the best people you can to light and camera operate for you so you can concentrate on directing. They will have gear, or you can rent it, beg, borrow, and steal it. Don't actually steal anything you'll go to jail. It's just a turn of phrase.

If you get gear, you'll learn how to use gear, not direct a film. If you make a film you'll definitely learn something about directing.

Forget all about image quality, mbps, DR, highlight roll off, and all that technical jargon and concentrate on your shot list, and your talent.
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A director has to be able to have an understanding about every other aspect of filmmaking though. Especially these days, and on these budget levels.

The great thing about owning camera equipment for a director is that it frees you up to play. Just go out and make things for the hell of it and develop a cinematic language.
A director that can shoot, cut and work sound both during production and in post, has a better sense of what and how to create.

Buying a 7D with three lenses instead of renting a Red One was easily the best decision I've made as a filmmaker.
 
Jawa Ex Machina said:
A director has to be able to have an understanding about every other aspect of filmmaking though. Especially these days, and on these budget levels.

The great thing about owning camera equipment for a director is that it frees you up to play. Just go out and make things for the hell of it and develop a cinematic language.
A director that can shoot, cut and work sound both during production and in post, has a better sense of what and how to create.

Buying a 7D with three lenses instead of renting a Red One was easily the best decision I've made as a filmmaker.
Click to expand...

I would definitely support that. It's cheap and you can shoot a short film every weekend. I wouldn't spend a dime on a red one unless I had a medium budget and Hollywood established actors. Otherwise, who cares really? The audience won't care if it was shot on a 7d or a Red when they watch it on youtube or vimeo or the joe schmoe film festival.
 
get a 7D... a zoom... a couple rokinon primes... and go make something. When it inevitably sucks.. you can be happy you didn't waste a ton of money on gear... but lo n behold.. you still have a camera and you can likely afford to go make something better.

hazza the world is your ouster..
 
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