Newbie Alert

[Thelma]

Hi all

Just thought I'd post a quick message - I'm new to the board and to film making in general I guess. Been wanting to get into the business for years now and have finally decided to take the plunge!

Have just found thisboard and I can see it becoming an invaluable tool for me in the future. Basically I need help as to how to start - well some tips really. I'm currently looking into starting my first screenplay (properly, have writtenone or two things in the past but never got them finished!) and also looking into buying a Digital Camcorder and editing equipment so I can have a play and get a feel for things. Any advice would be very much appreciated!

BTW Anyone out there in there in the same boat as me wanting to team up in the future - please feel free to drop me a line.

Thanks

[LAmind]

I always said "If you can't finish a script, then it was crap to begin with". Sometimes I would begin a script, and think it's great but by the 4th page i looked at it and said "Did I really write this crap?! What the hell was I thinking?!"

You're first script/film is like introducing yourself to the world for the first time. So you have to work extra hard on your first script. Write about something that's been on your mind for a long time (story wise). Write about something that you think about every day. Try to develop a story in your head. Look around you're city, and ask yourself, what kind of a story you can make happen here.

Try to be original. Tell people a story that they've never heard before. And make it really amazing.

Try reading some books on film-making. Probably anyone on this list will tell you to read "A Rebel Without a Crew" by Robert Rodriguez, director of Desperado and From Dusk till Dawn. This book is a diary of the time when he was writing and directing his first movie "El Mariachi".

As for equipmetnt. Editing is the easiest problem to solve. You can get Adobe Premiere (my friend said it was like $500)for absolutly free. Just get a pirated version from the net. Not that i'm suggesting for you to do something elegal, i'm just saying you can. My friend did it and we use it all the time.

By the way- What kind of movies do you want to make?

-Ivan



------------------
"A place for everything and everything in it's place".

[shirt]

I have no idea about the others who use to this board, and what software they use so I speaking only for myself here.

Anyways, here are a few tips.

1. Try to buy your first camcorder off e-bay or an online auction service. I have become somewhat of an ebay junkie... I just bought a Sharp DV camcorder for $350 US. Considering that it was used maybe once, and it still had the registration card for the warranty with it... plus was over half price it was a great deal! Just hunt, and look through all the cams for sale... don't bid on the first thing you see! Also, make sure the camera is designed for use in your country. ie. North America uses NSTC, UK uses PAL.

2. When buying your cam, make sure it doesn't exceed your needs. The only real tips I can give here are to buy simple, and make sure it has a Firewire (IEEE 1394) port on it. When I say simple, I mean don't buy a fancy Sony DV 60000MLZ 25 KICK ASS MOFO OF A CAM...
because honestly, chances are that if the camera can do it, so can Adobe P, or whatever editing program you choose. Another small tip is to go Mini DV. Great quality, not to expensive. For example of all of the above check out http://shopping.yahoo.com/shop?d=D&id=31258&P=cat&clink=dmks/sharp_camcorders_electro nics

My camera which sleep with and cherish greatly.

3. If you don't have at least a P3 then the most powerful editing tool (most powerful, most important purchase for any need you could imagine in life...) you can buy is a new computer. Again, buy what you can afford but make sure it will suit your needs. Non-Linear computer editing is amazing and does not even compare to old school linear crap, believe me. The bare minimum you can use now to edit is a Pentium 3... but I can honestly say that the bigger... the better.

Here is a good link to start off at when looking into buying your own NLE system: http://desktopvideo.about.com/comput...y/aa052599.htm

Personally, (for reasons of showing off) I run Adode Premiere 5.1 (editing prog.) on a Athlon 500Mhz, ONLY 64megs of RAM (I am going to buy more when it becomes cheaper) with a 13 gig hard drive. 8 gigs are set aside on a false drive for clip, and capture storage. I then put all finished vids on to CD using my CD writer, to save storage. Pretty decent system for an 18 year old. (Mind you I can no longer afford education, and have burdened my mother to pay for it!) I got the Computer w/ monitor (lil 14") for a $1400 Canadian... Plus I bought a $100 DV Firewire port kit.

Anyways, I've blurbed on too much. The best advice I can give is to go to http://desktopvideo.about.com/comput...y/aa052599.htm
and read up on all he has to say. Then following some the links and read up. You will eventually know what you want. If you want any help looking for a camera... just give a shout: [email protected]
Sorry for any speeling errors.

Shit, I forgot the whole point from the top!
I use Adobe Premiere 5.1, Adobe After Effects 4.1 (not much), etc. and you know what... I got all of it free off the internet. Why? Because I am poor.

[This message has been edited by shirt (edited August 06, 2000).]

[deepcope]

hey where exactly are you getting premiere free from !

[shirt]

Check out http://www.mirc.com

Download mIRC... (old school chat... before ICQ and the other crap!)

Use a dalnet server, and then do a channel search for "warez."

Then go to a channel and search through all the warez-servers until you find it.

You can find almost anything imaginable on dalnet.

[deepcope]

beutifull thanks

[deepcope]

ok i got mirc i got logged on, dal and warez and all .. and i am now very scared ! how do i use this thing for getting premiere !

if its that complicated feel free to ignore my plea for help

[shirt]

Well, I've had years to improve my warez finding... so here are just some things to get you started!

First, run a channel list with the search title "warez."

Now, after a few seconds, about 150 channels will pop up. The channels at the top, have the most people, therefore the most warez. Now click on any one these channels... example #masterwarez

Now, when the channel opens you will see a whole bunch of nicknames, and chatting. The nicknames with both @'s, and +'s are running warez servers and randomly you will see an ad for each server pop up in the chat area. In this are a few things to look for:
1. What type of stuff the offer, ie. Music, Apps, or games. Find one with apps.
2. The "trigger." Most likely something like !wareznick, or whatever. Now to enter a server you think might have it, type their trigger in the chat area.

After a few secs you will get a "DCC" request. Except it. Now you are connected to their server. First type "rules" this will cause the server rules to be displayed. Just ignore it.
Next type "dir" this causes a list of files, and directories to be listed. Usually there are these two directories in a server "APPZ or APPS" and "GAMES or GAMEZ"
to enter a directory type "CD DIRECTORY NAME" ie. "CD APPZ"
Now you are in the new directory. Now you must again list the files/directories available by typeing "dir"
again... files and directories will appear.
to go back a directory type "CD.." and to get a file type "get filename.zip"

Hopefully this will get you started!

[deepcope]

hey realy preciate it
youve been a great help