What does it take to make a feature film?

[ckalan1]

This is a survey to get your thoughts on producing feature films with the DVX100. I have been working in the film and television business for over 25 years so I am not looking for info on how to make my movie. I am meeting with some industry executives next week and I want to bring them your thoughts from a digital filmmakers perspective. There are no right and wrong answers so please feel free to write whatever you please.
Thank You for your input.
Craig Kitchens/Meeting Planner for the Souther Cal DVX100 User group.
Feel free to email your answers to ckalan1@netzero.net

1. What is the lowest possible budget to make a commercially viable feature film when shooting on a DVX100?

2. What are the essential pieces of equipment needed to make a feature film? Dollies, Cranes, Lenses etc…

3. Who are the essential crew members (by job title) needed to make your feature film?

4. How many days will it take you to shoot a feature film with the same quality as a low budget Roger Corman film?

5. How important is the script?

6. How important is it to have well known actors who staring in the movie?

7. How are you going to rent your film? (Marketing and Distribution)

8. How much should it costs to make a 35mm film print?

 

[Neil Rowe]

Re: What does it take to make a feature film?

..script/screenplay is EVERYTHING. even camera work and asthetic choices come after it. previous exposure of actors is unimportant, as long as they are half way decent at least. yu only need the camera for equipment. you let the distributer worry about distributing it, if its not good enough to get distribution, its probably not worth you r money to do it yourself. the distributer would do it if they though it was going to make money...if you just want exposure than use any and every channel you can to put your films name and access out there. also let the distributer worry about transferring to film. if they arent going to buy it, its 99.9% chance that its not worth your time to try and do it on your own. budget can be only what you eat, and pay in gas to get where your going. and you can make a great film. now the realism of this pends wheter you write a screenplay that makes this possible or not, but let me add one thing. "the blair witch project" . not to knock it(although didnt think it was that great, and i couldve shot that whole film in one day, and edited the next week to the final version) but thats just my point. i couldve done the same with the dvx for absolutely 0 dollars, and look its one of the highest grossing independent films of all time over 200 million worldwide with a franchise following. do you know why. it wasnt any of the other factors .. it was the one and only, screenplay/script. it was a good story for alot of people, and was told in a mediocre, but applicable way. ive watched so many small indies lately that make alot of money " pieces of april, personal velocity, one hour photo, memento, white oleander was terrific, and in this vien on and on and on. ) and what it all comes down to is the script, it didnt really matter that they werent all donr up like som hoolywood production, or that they only make 20 to 40 mil or something. i could personally live with that for sure, and maybe my next film would have more to it then,. but really if you have a budget of 40 mil, and only make 80..its the same thing as far as profit, only you spent way more time and money. and got the same amount back. but perhaps you told a story you couldnt have told for nothing. so more powaz to you. what people have to realize who have nothing, is that they need to tell there story for nothing, and come up with a story accordingly. nobody wants to see bad effects souping up the production value. so whatever your realistic budget is, make a movie for that amount, it can be done. dont go over that amount, or you film will suffer. anyway. just my two pennies in the dirt sinking down by the gutter in the rain with an old bannana smelling up the drain, and someones puke is there too. but there 2 pennies ..and i love em.

 

[Barry_Green]

Re: What does it take to make a feature film?

[quote author=ckalan1 link=board=Offtopic;num=1077914338;start=0#0 date=02/27/04 at 12:38:58]

1. What is the lowest possible budget to make a commercially viable feature film when shooting on a DVX100?
[/quote]
$0. But it depends on what you're shooting. If you're at the right place at the right time, say, you were a member of the Branch Davidians and were shooting the FBI/BATF raid, or you were at the World Trade Center and shooting the only footage from inside...

In other words, shoot something the world wants to see, and someone will pay you for it (i.e., make it commercially viable).

If you're talking about conventional moviemaking, for conventional distribution, then "commercially viable" becomes the operative term.

I spoke with a bunch of home-video distributors, and tried to get an answer to this simple question: "What will a filmmaker receive, if you distribute his/her film?" None of them would answer (which should tell you something). Finally I got ahold of one guy who gave me a straight answer: if their company distributes it (they're a small home-video, direct-to-Blockbuster type of distributor) the most a filmmaker will receive from them, THE MOST, is ten grand. Over the life of the film. Many will get maybe $3000 or $5000. That's it. And that's for a standard slasher or creature-feature type of B-movie, you know the type I'm talking about.

To make a "real" movie, with real actors and great cinematography and sets and such, it's still going to take $250,000 to $750,000 to pull that off. Charles Band over at Full Moon Pictures doesn't even use name actors (they use people like Lauren Tewes from The Love Boat, or Don "The Dragon" Wilson) and they still spend around $700,000.

Using a DVX will save you on film costs, but on a 6:1 ratio feature film, costs for 35mm film, processing, and telecine are only about $50,000 anyway, so it's not that big a percentage of the budget.

2. What are the essential pieces of equipment needed to make a feature film? Dollies, Cranes, Lenses etc…

Camera, audio, and some lights. Those are the minimum. Anything else is optional, and can only help.

3. Who are the essential crew members (by job title) needed to make your feature film?

Read the credits on almost any indie film. You'll see thirty or fifty crew/job titles. All of them are important. Many may be done by the same person, but those jobs all need to be done, they're all vital.

4. How many days will it take you to shoot a feature film with the same quality as a low budget Roger Corman film?

There are some stories that say that "Little Shop Of Horrors" was shot in two days. For most indies, the most incredibly short schedule imaginable would be 9 days, 9 pages a day. A more realistic schedule is at least 3 weeks, 6 days a week, 18 days.

5. How important is the script?

Without a great script, there's no point in going forward. And a great script means just that -- a GREAT script. One that makes you laugh out loud. One that makes you cry. One that makes you feel something, just from reading it. Anything else isn't a script, it's just typing on paper.

6. How important is it to have well known actors who staring in the movie?

To make it? Not at all. To sell it? Absolutely vital. You will not sell a movie without known actors in it -- unless, as I said in that other thread, your business plan is to be the one in a million breakthrough hit. Go to the AFM, and watch how movies get bought and sold. First question anyone will ask is, "where's the box art" and the second is "who's in it"? If you don't have good answers for both, they'll walk away to the next booth.

7. How are you going to rent your film?  (Marketing and Distribution)

When you get a good answer to that, let us all know! Distribution, that actually pays you something, is the elusive holy grail of indie filmmaking. For most indie filmmakers, they'd probably see more money by four-walling a theater themselves than selling it to a home-video distributor. The path to money is to win at Sundance, Cannes, Telluride, Berlin, or one of the other major festivals, and then get the major and mini-major distributors to get in a bidding war for your film. Again, that's the one-in-a-thousand, or one-in-a-million shot. But there's also home video, cable tv, pay-cable (HBO, Showtime, etc), PPV, foreign video, airplanes, etc...

8. How much should it costs to make a 35mm film print?

$30,000 to $50,000.

 

[speedbump]

Re: What does it take to make a feature film?

*sigh*

These are the million dollar questions that the Big Five ask themselves every day over their Pepto-Bismol breakfast cocktails.

Generally, almost every segment of the production process has to be a home-run. There are notable exceptions, such as Blair Witch, but they are just that, exceptions.

My inclinations are that you get a great script first, then a great cast, then a great crew to capture it, then a great distributor to wallpaper the market with it. But I'm a techno-geek, and certainly there have been plenty of commercial successes that had very little to do with any of the above.

Take a look, for instance, at the movie Legally Blonde. Here was a unique script, that was rewritten to be a good screenplay, that had an exceptional crew and cast, and that was costumed by a supurb tech director. Reese Witherspoon's performance was in large part what carried this production. Without Reese, this would have been a good story, but not the outstanding quirky comedy it ended up being.

In other words, there's too many damned variables to make an adequate estimate as to how well your production will do. So make it from the heart and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[J.R. Hudson]

Re: What does it take to make a feature film?

1. What is the lowest possible budget to make a commercially viable feature film when shooting on a DVX100?

I think it can be from $1000 to $100,000. The reason I say this is that it is indeed possible to pull it off.

2. What are the essential pieces of equipment needed to make a feature film? Dollies, Cranes, Lenses etc…

In my book, I need a Dolly, professional Lighting equipment and accessories, mic.

3. Who are the essential crew members (by job title) needed to make your feature film?

A kick ass Producer

4. How many days will it take you to shoot a feature film with the same quality as a low budget Roger Corman film?

8 to 18 Days.

5. How important is the script?

Equally as important as the rest. It must be solid.

6. How important is it to have well known actors who staring in the movie?

Would be nice to have that marketbility.

7. How are you going to rent your film? (Marketing and Distribution)

Havent thought that out yet. DVD most likely. Guerilla marketing with official website. Flyers.

8. How much should it costs to make a 35mm film print?

$30,000 just pisses me off. I mean I know this is America and all, but does it really have to cost 30 G's?

 

[Zoomforce]

Re: What does it take to make a feature film?

1. What is the lowest possible budget to make a commercially viable feature film when shooting on a DVX100?

Commercially viable? $100k. No way can you make a Commercial movie for cheaper, Even if everyone works for peanuts. Maybe $50,000 if everyone works for free and eats a happy meal everyday.

2. What are the essential pieces of equipment needed to make a feature film? Dollies, Cranes, Lenses etc…

None of those, Lights/Silks etc. are the most essential. Doesnt matter what type.

3. Who are the essential crew members (by job title) needed to make your feature film?

DP/Operator, Director, Sound, Key grip, actors.

4. How many days will it take you to shoot a feature film with the same quality as a low budget Roger Corman film?

Depending on your crew. If you have one guy wrangling lights, doing sound, operating the camera it can take you 4 months. IF you have a good crew of at least a dozen you can pull it off in 15days, depending on the script.

5. How important is the script?

Critical.

6. How important is it to have well known actors who staring in the movie?

To sell, an absolute must. I went to a Buyers Convention in Hollywood back in October and talked to the actual buyers. First question was who is in it, if the answer was nobody they wouldnt even give it a chance. Selling a movie with no known talent is like winning the local lottery.

7. How are you going to rent your film? (Marketing and Distribution)

Go international. Germany/etc. love american films even if they are bad and if the movie is decent you have a good chance of getting the costs of the production back. Then whatever you sell nationally is just gravy.

8. How much should it costs to make a 35mm film print?

If you sell your movie you dont need to worry about that, whoever buys it will take care of those costs.

 

[Neil Rowe]

Re: What does it take to make a feature film?

interesting to see the difference between my opinion and everyone elses. i guess thats cause im thinking of going the festival circuit route, and seems as though everyone else is looking at a commercially produced, and marketed route(which is probably more what the original post was reffering to). these two things are really apples and oranges. i would give the same figures if i was talking about making a film get distributed through the viable commercial pathways. but im not. just wanted to be clear on that. im talking about winning some award at sundance, and selling your film for a few mill, and making a few more off its release, then stepping it up from there with your newfound talent badge to toss around. and the realistic chances of that happening are well.. entirely up to how good your story is , and whether or not you tell it respectably well. which has been proven over and again to be able to be accomplished for next to nothing, with no name talent, and little to no real equipment..yada blah blah .. in this case, its just a contest, and you simply have to make a film good enough to win.. nothing else really matters. this years grand jury prize winner was shot for apx 7,000. which was likely almost entirely the cost it took to buy the film for the 16mm camera. so this is the orange method. very differnt than the apple method. but still a fruit. a tasty one.

 

[Staven]

Re: What does it take to make a feature film?

Excellent post, excellent answers. This is very informative, everyone should check out all the replies, this is good learning. Hey Jarred, are Canadian films popular overseas also?

1. What is the lowest possible budget to make a commercially viable feature film when shooting on a DVX100?

Quarter of a million. You'll need talent. An actor who when consumer looks at DVD box knows his or her name or at least his or her face. Most of the budget will go to them. I know Stephen Baldwin cost $150,000 for one particular straight to video movie(for like 10 days work). Another one was the movie "Silencer", starring Michael Dudikoff(the American Ninja). Apparently the budget was $500,000 but the show ended up with little to no production value as most of the budget ended up in his pocket.

On the other hand, if you had the most unique original script that no one had ever conceived before and it would move everyone who ever saw it... you could shoot a micro budget, sell your soul to the devil and you might get distribution.

2. What are the essential pieces of equipment needed to make a feature film? Dollies, Cranes, Lenses etc…

Obviously a good lighting package. A Crane. - easiest way to show production value, have your first establishing shot done with a crane, you're in.

3. Who are the essential crew members (by job title) needed to make your feature film?

For a show with a budget - everyone is important.

For a micro budget - lets say you are the director/producer, so you've got that covered. Everyone else is volunteering. You want to ensure good picture and good sound. You need a real good DP who KNOWS HOW TO MAKE THE DVX LOOK GOOD. Someone who has worked with the camera and knows it's strengths and weaknesses. A Good Location Sound Crew. First sign of a junk moive is **** sound. Good sound saves so many headaches. A Good Gaffer(who hopefully has some crew under him). The DP knows what he wants - you want it done fast. A good gaffer is a speedy gaffer.

4. How many days will it take you to shoot a feature film with the same quality as a low budget Roger Corman film?

12 days to max a month. Month would be five shooting days a week. Note - if this is a Straight to video show, do not have script longer than 90 pages. Save yourself shooting days.

5. How important is the script?
Not very, if you aim to do a Roger Corman type movie. Straight to Video movies, or B movies are never well written. They are formulaic, predictable, and written fast - as the producers don't want to pay big bucks for the script. Rent a couple movies from the local video store that are recent and star Stephen Baldwin, he's on like every second box. Or try a C.Thomas Howell flick or anything with the guy from the tv show "Booker" or anything starring Lorenzo Lamas. They ain't winning any Oscars. You should in your story have a hot love interest(Angie Everheart - or that chick from Sliders) for your hero to win over. They should also have a love scene where she gets naked, and in the first act you should show her showering.

for a micro budget - script is everything. It's gotta be f***ing phenomenal.


6. How important is it to have well known actors who staring in the movie?

Essential. But change it to just get known actors in the movie. Go to IMDB.(Internet movie database www.imdb.com) Look up Roger Corman. It will list all the shows he's done. As a producer he's done a **** load. Click on some of the movies and check out the stars. You've heard of all of them, maybe from a long time ago, but you know they're faces. You might be able to get some of these guys for cheap.

If you have a knock out script. You might be able to get a good actor. But, you'll have to have your foot in the door to get them to read it. Take this for an example. Bryan Singer & Christopher McQuarrie. They made they're own indie show "Public Access" with no name actors. It got into festivals cuz it was good. Kevin Spacey saw it, and visited with Singer and MacQuarrie at a viewing. They told him about another script they were working on. Spacey jumped aboard and we got Usual Suspects.

7. How are you going to rent your film? (Marketing and Distribution)

Roger Corman style movie - find a straight to video distributor. Look on the box of any s-t-v, and look up that distributor.

Micro - festival route. - but I gotta believe my show is good. Get lots of opinions. Last thing you want to do is fork out for the ridiculously overpriced registration fees and not have your film accepted. Slamdance Festival had like 10 spots for 1000's of applicants. Make sure it is damn good movie.

8. How much should it costs to make a 35mm film print?
What the other guys said.

I personally feel that the DVX is more of a festival route camera. If I'm gonna go for a budget with priced actors, I'm gonna go with HD or 35(not like I could actually do this though).
Looking at all the trailers and footage on here, I think that Shai Levy guys got the best looking stuff for commercial release. Kind of a gritty look.

? How do you guys get the box around the guys question?

 

[Barry_Green]

Re: What does it take to make a feature film?

Corman wrote a book, it's called something like "How I made a hundred movies in Hollywood and never lost a dime." Well worth reading.

 

[Zoomforce]

Re: What does it take to make a feature film?

[quote author=Stabb_Films link=board=Offtopic;num=1077914338;start=0#8 date=02/28/04 at 10:53:40]  Hey Jarred, are Canadian films popular overseas also? [/quote]

Not really, unless they are very American in nature.

Canadian films really dont do that well, in general, and I have talked to producers in LA that like to use the term "Crying Canadian Crap". For some reason Canadian films seem to be very dramatic and deep and try to teach you something. I think the problem(?) is we write like europeans and shoot like americans. This is changing though.

that said, US companies love to film up here cause they get huge kickbacks from our government, let alone the exchange rate.  

 

[Staven]

Re: What does it take to make a feature film?

I know what you mean by deep and dramatic. What are good Canadian Films? If I see a movie is Canadian in the tv guide, I skip by it without even thinking. The only shows(movies) off the top of my head that are good are: "Fubar", "Hard Core Logo", and also liked one called "Joe is So Mean to Josephine". Anyone else got any good ones... And don't even think of mentioning Anne of Green Gables!

I actually fear being known as a Canadian Filmmaker. It's like getting typecasted. Sure I hope a new generation of filmmakers can break the mold. Got any household Canadian names that are successful Hollywood Directors. I only can think of Norm Jewison.

In my feature I played it out as if it took place in the States. Don't know if I pulled it off, but it seems that people around the world don't care too much to watch a story that takes place in Canada. Take "The Score"(Montreal) and "Eks vs. Sever"(Vancouver). Both bombed, (didn't help that they were crappy movies to begin with). Another problem is perception. So many people saw X-men. We meet Wolverine in Alberta at a dingy bar that allows pit fighting while fat drunk truckers cheer. Oh and there's five feet of snow.

There's my rant. Know of good Canadian Films, and established Canadian Directors outside of Canada, post em.

Guess this is off topic, but this is the off topic area.

 

[J.R. Hudson]

Re: What does it take to make a feature film?

James Cameron! David Cronenberg! Ivan Reitman!

Lorne Michaels of SNL is Canadian isnt he?

 

[Staven]

Re: What does it take to make a feature film?

Nice. Totally forgot about James Cameron. Good call on all those. Cronenberg did Spider? How could I forget about the guy that brought us Meatballs and Ghostbusters!!!