learning

[chrisparr]

Hi,

I am interested in learning 16mm filmmaking and editing but I am not interested in any formal qualification or going to film school for a year.

I could try trial and error but that would get WAY expensive with the film.

Oh yeah, I am new to filmmaking of any sort and I live in the UK.

Anyone got any suggestions for me or point me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance.

Chris

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ August 13, 2003 05:03 AM: Message edited by: Chris Parr ]</font>

[Filmmaker58]

When you say filmmaking, i'm going to assume you mean the whole craft, so here are some requirements. Get your hands on a 16mm camera and learn how to load it. You can get the American Cinematographer's manual, or Verne Carlson's cameraman's handbook which has instructions for most cameras. Learn about lenses, focal length, and depth of field (again, the Cinematographer's manual) Get, and learn how to use a light meter with a setting for a 50th of a second (the shutter speed for motion picture cameras running at 24fps). Learn about film stocks (the different ASA/ISO etc.) You'll most likely be using Kodak 500asa (7298)for interiors & night shooting, and there are several options for exterior day shots. Find a lab to develop, and a transfer house to transfer to tape. I don't think that anyone edits film anymore. It's all done non-linear until the negative cutting process. Get Sonic Foundry (now Sony) Vegas4 for editing. You can do all of your editing, both video and audio, inexpensively on this program in 24p(making window dubs with edge code for conforming a negative if required. There, that's it, besides learning about lighting, sound, camera movement (cranes & dollys) the 180 degree rule, composition, scene coverage, editing..... you get the idea. I suggest you make a few films on miniDV until you learn the ropes, and then graduate to 16mm. In Robert Rodriguez's book "Rebel Without a Crew" (which I highly recommend by the way), he states than everybody has about 30 bad movies in them, and it's a lot cheaper to do them on video than film. Good luck.

[Kev Owens]

My suggestion to you Chris would to actually read-up a little on the industry you say you want to get into. Also, don't rule out two options off-hand like you just did- as there are plenty other people out there wanting to do the same thing who would do anything to get into it.

You have no chance of getting straight into 16mm and editing with no experience- so you're gonna have to try and get a job on a film set as a tea boy/ runner or at a production comapny and work your way up- or make your own digital films and try to break into the industry that way. Try looking for local film production companies in your area.

It's not gonna happen overnight. If you think you can stroll into this industry then you might as well forget it.

[Filmmaker58]

I disagree. I've seen lots of people stroll into this industry. All it takes is cash. Never treat the teaboy badly, or tell someone they'll never make it, because if they come into some money, you might be working for them next month. I still recomend that you start slow and learn as much as you can, or hook up with someone you can trust with a lot of experience, before sinking a lot of cash into it, because there's a lot to learn.