Getting Started

[Kristofer]

About how much money would it cost to make a 15-20 minute long movie on b&w film done on the first take every time without sound?

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"Ugggggh"
-some zombie from NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

[MovieStuff]

Are you going to edit "in-camera" as well? No, this is not a silly question. It will make a difference on how much film you use since you won't have any pre-roll or waste. If you can do it, I'll be darned impressed! What's your plan?


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Roger Evans
MovieStuff
http://www.afterimagephoto.tv/moviestuff.html

[Scottness]

Do you really want to risk single takes? - 15-20 mins isn't very long with that in your favour surely you could afford more takes? - There's alot that can go wrong with or with out anyone realising it at the time that it may happen --- the cost of the stock is easy to work out - get your lenght times how many takes (shooting ratio) times the cost of the stock - then factor in all the other stuff - sets, props, lights, transport etc - to whatever degree it's begged borrowed or stealed --- best thing is grab a few books from a library on independant film production and look at what they say on budgeting and model it on that


Scot M

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[mattias]

ok, assuming you own all the equipment and that you will edit your film and not try long takes and in camera edits, this is your budget: you will need at least twice the amount of film, and probably three times, even if you only do one take of each shot. so, one hour of stock, which means 25 cartridges at 24 fps, which means approximately $500 with procesing. shooting color might actually be a little less expensive, like $350 or so. what else? you want sound? sound striping of the locked picture, 30$, and maybe an audio tape or minidisc for recording sound effects: $2. splicing tape for 500 splices, $50, and leader, 20 feet, $10. and that's it? well, yes, but add another $100 for things like postage, tape and copies. safety. total: $750. noticed the bad math? it's intentional.

good luck.

/matt

[miguelito]

You might consider shooting on video as
though it were film. Shoot only one take of
everything, then if you have a computer
editing program at your disposal, put
together a five minute version of your movie.
You'll be able to see if the "one-take"
method works for you or not. If it does't,
at least you won't be out the cost of film
and processing. Just a thought.

Miguelito (michael)

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[Matt Pacini]

I started out thinking I could do this.
It's a huge mistake, and it's really NOT even possible.
Believe me, you can't make anything worth watching on single takes.
You're thinking that a bad take is just when someone flubs a line, but when you actually start shooting, you will find a bad take is when:
1. A light burns out during the shot.
2. Some dweeb bystander walks into your scene, stops and looks right into the camera and does something stupid like backs out of the shot.
3. Someone trips over a cable, pulling a light & stand crashing into the shot.
4. A car horn honks right when your actor is saying their line.
5. Some idiot bystander tries to get into your movie by walking into the scene and waving to the camera like a dork.
6. A cop or the owner of the great location you thought you could just film in, shows up and tells you you have to leave.
7. A helicopter flies overhead, gunshots are going off in the background, a tractor shows up to grade the road you're on, someone starts cutting wood with a chainsaw, etc. etc.

All of these things have happened to me!

And this doesn't even address the fact that you need coverage if you want your footage to look like anything but a home movie, which means you CAN'T shoot a 1 to 1 ratio.
Coverage, meaning close-ups, different angles, etc.
If you don't shoot coverage, (like I didn't in some scenes in Lost Tribes), it is going to be a nighmare editing your footage, and you DO need to be able to edit.
Like when an actor pauses for too long between words, etc.
If you don't cut stuff out, your scenes are going to go on forever, while the audience has to sit through watching someone walk ALL the way to the other side of the room, etc.
Ya gotta do it: just save, sell and scrimp, and get a ton of film. You're going to need it if you want your stuff to be watchable, it's just the way it is...

Matt Pacini

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[jocko]

Matt,
You are so right..while doing a night shoot..we had this A-hole pull up on the intersection where we set-up..and he would wait till he saw us mark a scene..and then wheel out/burn rubber?(I don't know if these are universal terms)..then drive around the block and..wait.and start all over..and really there was nothing I could do about it..cause of the stolen location..and we would get people that would just drive by and yell at us ..it sucked..and of course the infamous..."what are you filming?.."are there any STars in the film?..million kids on bikes..headlights ruining a perfect shot..the list goes on and on...what ever can go wrong...WILL

Neil

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[jocko]

Matt,
You are so right..while doing a night shoot..we had this A-hole pull up on the intersection where we set-up..and he would wait till he saw us mark a scene..and then wheel out/burn rubber?(I don't know if these are universal terms)..then drive around the block and..wait.and start all over..and really there was nothing I could do about it..cause of the stolen location..and we would get people that would just drive by and yell at us ..it sucked..and of course the infamous..."what are you filming?.."are there any STars in the film?..million kids on bikes..headlights ruining a perfect shot..the list goes on and on...what ever can go wrong...WILL

Neil

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[jocko]

Matt,
You are so right..while doing a night shoot..we had this A-hole pull up on the intersection where we set-up..and he would wait till he saw us mark a scene..and then wheel out/burn rubber?(I don't know if these are universal terms)..then drive around the block and..wait.and start all over..and really there was nothing I could do about it..cause of the stolen location..and we would get people that would just drive by and yell at us ..it sucked..and of course the infamous..."what are you filming?.."are there any STars in the film?..million kids on bikes..headlights ruining a perfect shot..the list goes on and on...what ever can go wrong...WILL

Neil

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[Matt Pacini]

You can say THAT again.
You can say THAT again.
You can say THAT again.

har har!

Anyway, that's a good motto: anything that can go wrong WILL go wrong.
Of course, it's an exaggeration, but only slightly.

My motto now is:
No matter how you calculate it, it's going to be ten times harder and four times more expensive than even your most dire predictions.
And that goes for even if you follow this rule, and times the work prediction by ten and the money by four.
Somehow, it will STILL end up being ten times harder and four times more expensive even than THAT!
It's what I call Pacini's rule of exponentialism: times everything by ten.
Then do it again.
Then do it again.
Only then, will you come close to what it's really going to take in money and labor.

By the way, this sounds like we're joking, but it's really a HUGE problem, because when you get financing, if you're a newbie, you tend to underestimate grossly what it's going to take.
Partly from ignorance, and partly to get people involved, as in "come on, it's only going to cost $_______ dollars!!!!!!!"
Or... "can you help? It's only for ______days!!!"

Then, when cost overruns happen, where are you going to get all the extra money?
Because now, you have investor A being promised 40% of the profits for $1,500 or whatever, then investor B ends up getting 10% of the profits for investing $3,200 or whatever.
Guess what happens when he finds out about investor A's deal?
So always grossly overestimate costs.
Nobody ever gets upset that it cost less than you said it would...

Matt Pacini


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