Making my 1st movie

[steve_halluk]

Hi Guys,

I've just about finished a script, not the first I've written, but I am going to make it into a movie. I have a lot of friends who are actors, and composers, and also a professional editor, so I'm very lucky there.
I have the option to shoot on DV very cheaply, but I'm quite keen on shooting on 16mm. What are your thoughts? How easy is it to get film developed in the UK, and put onto 3/4" or digital video for editing? Is film tremendously expensive, or is the cost worth while to get a good look. The film is a feature length action movie, and I'm going to have very little crew - just me!
[img]confused.gif[/img] [img]confused.gif[/img] [img]confused.gif[/img]

[Generic Skinhead]

Dont shoot film. Its not user friendly-you really need to know what you're doing. And yes its very expensive. It would cast thousands to shoot a feature.

Why not try your hand at a few dv shorts first. Everyones first movie is really bad, but they learn from it, trust me. Dont put any money on the line untill you've learned a lot more.

It'll be more fun for you and your friends too, because they're will be no pressure.

[deanl]

Hey there.

"Don't even mention 16mm features to any of us again until you've got a budget of at least ?60,000!"

I think it's doable for a lot less than that.

Despin out.

[Kev Owens]

Alot less you reckon eh?

Camera hire for production window, film stock, lighting equipment, cameraman (as he's untrained), neg processing, neg to rush prints, sound synching, edit, sound mixed, neg cut, final processing into release prints...
Originally posted by Charchar
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="90%" bgcolor="#333333" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#FF9900"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> The film is a feature length action movie, and I'm going to have very little crew - just me!
</font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

For a feature length action movie, I think that ?60,000 as a minimal budget for using film is pretty reasonable actually!

However, I don't contest the fact that there are no rules, corners can be cut everywhere- but in the realm of film the costs sky rocket, especially in post=production.

I'm not getting into an argument into how cheaply you can shoot a feature on film- in this thread it's not the point... but hey, an action film on 16mm with a budget ALOT less than ?60k that isn't **** - I'll believe it when I see it!

"Kev out" [img]graemlins/hmmm.gif[/img]

[MattEBoy]

I agree with pretty much that's been said so far. For your first movie it makes perfect sense to shoot digital. There's no pressure, since tape is cheap. Don't be scared to shoot lots; it'll help the editor to have decent coverage for each scene. Just don't go overboard and have a shoot ratio of 5000:1!

But above all else, just have fun making it!

[GREATwarEAGLE]

We'll all say how stupid he is for trying this.
Then he'll actually do it and succeeed.
So we'll congratulate him, showering him with praise.

And we'll all be hypocrites.

[Xendar]

Although I do agree with most of what's been said already, the only way to learn is to do it. And learn from your mistakes.

[Yammeryammeryammer]

Film isn't cheap. DV is. Shooting a feature might cost you 15,000 pounds in film stock alone to shoot comfortably, when it could cost you 30 pounds in tapes. If you were perhaps more experienced or had a crew that had experience with film, then it may be worth looking into finding some more money to be able to shoot on film. This first attempt should be a learning experience no matter what the medium, and DV allows you to learn almost as much, but with dramatically less repercussions if things don't pan out. However, with that said it has been done. Robert Rodriguez, Darren Aronofsky, Sam Raimi, all made a film on 16mm by themselves and it worked. But for every one of them there are hundreds of aspiring young folk who were shoved into crushing debt. So, all I can say is good luck.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ July 03, 2003 07:19 PM: Message edited by: Yammeryammeryammer ]</font>

[Kev Owens]

[img]graemlins/hmmm.gif[/img]
I agree wholeheartedly with what Generic Skinhead said.

Have you thought this through properly? Do you know how to use a film camera? Load it? Process it? Cut it? Etc...

It is a difficult process to go through, one which would definately take more than just your barebones crew of yourself. Plus, how much do you think using 16mm would cost? A feature too! [img]graemlins/hmmm.gif[/img]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="90%" bgcolor="#333333" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#FF9900"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"> I've just about finished a script, not the first I've written, but I am going to make it into a movie. I have a lot of friends who are actors, and composers, and also a professional editor, so I'm very lucky there. </font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

Friends as actors? This is a very common thing to do- and we've all done it! I'm assuming from these comments that you're running a small operation, which definately calls for Mini-DV. Cheap, easy to use and almost definitely the only way to go for your production.

Don't even mention 16mm features to any of us again until you've got a budget of at least ?60,000! But remember, just becasue film's more expensive definately does not mean it's better- digital frees you up in so many ways and allows to experiment alot more. Use the freedom of the camera and the gritty real look of digital to your advantage.

Plus try to get yourself a few crew members...

[james2183]

I agree with what most people have said. I finished my first short film the other day and it being your first film you dont want to be worrying about money. Just go out and have fun. Remember Danny Boyle filmed 28 days later on Mini DV so it cant be all that bad