Help My Thesis Film
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- afroangel
Hey people, I'm a regular here and hope some of you can help me make my thesis film be a reality, going through some hard times right now. Please read the script too. Peace.M
- afroangel0
Oh yeah and the address is : www.whissspers.com - I figured you guys won't be able to guess :o)
- locustsloth0
first of all you might wanna spellcheck you copy. "surroundings" is spelled wrong
- you mean: "your copy" ?Jordy
- hahababaganush
- http://www.playwithl…Meeklo
- BANKattack0
the link for the script didn't work - but your site trying to find help, donations, and advice is a great resource that will hopefully lend itself to the film. Because it's a small budget film, don't try and overachieve. Short films work the best when the director really understands that it's a short film, not an attempt at a feature film.
Good luck.
- Thanks for that, the script does work it's a pdf might be your browser : http://www.silentn.c…afroangel
- afroangel0
yeah I used to be a regular years ago when I worked full time. Now I'm rarely behind computer anymore. I worked as a flash programmer before but it was weird getting back into it for the site.
Oh yeah my spelling generally sucks.. will correct thanks
- afroangel0
I Know exactly what you mean BANKattack - The film will only be about 3-4 minutes max. so really gonna focus on making the visual part a treat because about 40seconds of the movie will be in pitch black and will just be sound design.
I'm actually being coached now by one of the former DP's for Entourage, learning loads there too. For the sounds design refference check out an iranian movie called 'the Color of paradise' by Majid Majidi Amazing movie!
- Why don't you shoot Panasonic HD with prime lens adaptors - I shot commercial projects on it and looks pretty like 16mmbabaganush
- I would urge you not to make this any more than 2 minutes.chossy
- I think that depends on how it comes out in post. We're aiming for 4mins but it might be a lot less depening on how long we feel we can keep peoples attention and stay true to the essence of the story.afroangel
- afroangel0
I think the script button works now!
- chossy0
This could be very very good.
A couple of things I would suggest, don't have the arm in a cast it's too much the scar on the face is enough, spend a long time getting the vision of the two children holding on to each other at the start this is absolutely key to the eventual understanding of the film, when she is down you have to have the sound of stones being messed around with, this is because the meat of your program is in black, she fell on stones so we need to hear stones as well grass or it will lose allot of the sensual atmosphere which is paramount to the comprehension of her situation.
Great idea, good luck, show me it when it is complete please :)
- harlequino0
Not to poo poo any of this, mostly curious-
Why spend 10k on a short form film? Is it required for a curriculum or is it a dream project? Just asking, cuz you could slide that 10k toward a feature, which has better chance of getting into festivals people actually see. Is your focus visual for a future as a DP, or as a storyteller?
If it's the former, why shoot on 16, and not go to 35? If you don't have the DP 'film scruples,' then why not rent RED camera packages and save half the budget you will spend on stock and developing?Again, not poo pooing, these are the first questions that came to mind with my producer/director hat on. :)
- Yeah, I'd go digital and grade it when cash is this tight. Not sure how far 10k would get your feature...fairy steps and all thatbabaganush
- all BAD questions and BAD suggestions.pr2
- ********0
My initial perception of the site is that it doesn't necessarily address the theme of the project, visually. I might make the image of the little girl on the front page more obscured -- play with dropping down the opacity of the image more.
- chossy0
That 10k is a fucking huge budget, especially for what it is, the shoot is going to take no more than a day the sound design will not take anymore than a day 10k is a massive massive budget for what this program is,the edit and grade will take no more than a day.
- 5000 quid? Not that big to do it well as a calling card. He's gonna want time to make it well composed not a crap viral stylebabaganush
- Yah, 10k is nothing.********
- yeah initially I thought it would be a lot less, but remember we have to pay for location (a huge park), steady can operator, possibly a crane, film, renting the equipment, feeding the cast&crew, rent a truck to carry the equipment. It adds up REALLY REALLY fast.afroangel
- ********0
How come some people find it necessary to spend so much money doing incy-wincy short films? I know some total monkeys who spent £20,000 making a 15 minute film and all they ended up with was two fucking trailers and a cease and desist. Muppets. I also know people who have made several short films with budgets of £0 and had good coverage and since made a go of things.
What happened to DIY? Herzog will have your head!
- I'm a director mumsie a director look I have a chair and they bring me cookies mumsie!********
- I'm a director mumsie a director look I have a chair and they bring me cookies mumsie!
- harlequino0
^yup. But that's why I think it's all about the end goals. What are the end goals of this film and it's creator?
Is it for festival, curriculum, dream project, etc?
What are your career goals, afroangel? Is this a calling card as a DP, a director, a storyteller?
If as a DP or another specifc crew related field, i get the need for high end shoot. Makes sense, can't be a commercial DP without a serious piece like this.
If the goal is to be a filmmaker, then seriously, can the short film. No one cares. Double your budget and blow the script out to a feature. There are filmmakers shooting features for under 10k, which are getting good reviews, festival notice, and distribution in places like Netflix.
That said, I hope it all works and you make the piece you envision. :)
- babaganush0
Lots of directors have and still do make well formed shorts as calling cards - almost like perfect little scenes of films. Scorcese did it too. Or you get the hacks that make no budget meandering shit that are 'proper films' and very few people want to finance other long form projects as it shows no proof of aesthetic but is pure tenacity (which is admirable) but it isn't ONLY tenacity that will make you a film maker. Do something as small and perfect as you can and build from it.
- afroangel0
I know it sounds ridiculous to spend that amount of money on a short but trust me the money adds up scarily quick : Location (hiring a large park/ranch/garden), catering, equipment (steadicam, possibly crane), film, telecine. It adds up fast!
I just updated the script, it turns out I put a very old revision online : http://www.silentn.com/whisssper….
This basically will be my calling card as a director/DP. I wrote 3 other scripts but felt this was the best one to do mainly because as a director I am especially concerned with showing people a different way of seeing the world without passing judgment or preaching. As a cinematographer/photographer the visuals need to capture the audience and not only support the story but enhance it.
So the story is all told in one scene that will show how the protagonist 6 year old Sarah, begins to learn how to live with being blind. In doing so I’d like to make the audience feel the way I felt when I realised that being blind isn’t really a disability in some ways more of a different way of life that can be richer than what most are used to.
M.
- quamb0
i like it! And you could do it guerrilla with a super 16mm and a small crew. Spend more on the sound design.
- afroangel0
The sound design is free. I'm at LA film school and they have and amazing dub stage. I have a small crew at on the shoot day at least but prices just keep escalating more than I initially assumed, i.e if you use a minor in California the state requires you to hire a guardian , just things like that keep popping up.
Yeah kinna scared working with a kid, I really have to get a really good actress who needs to or at least look under 8 years old because she'll be playing a blind girl. I'm considering hiring a partially sighted girl but that's of course isn't easy. I'm learning a lot in the process and hoping working with kids turns out better than most predict.
- mike_litoris0
I realize you have thought this out thouroughly, but I wonder why you are you shooting film instead of digital? Seems you could save a lot of money going digital. Is it because you want the look of film?
- afroangel0
The film look of course is great but it's way more than just having grains. We'll be shooting mostly in the late afternoon on what'll probably be a sunny day. Film handles this way better than any digital camera I know of and it just has a natural warmth to it that you might be able to emulate in post but just looks better on film. I like DV and will be shooting my next project on DV but film is definitely the right choice for this piece.