My movie's close to being completed

[Ravenbomb 0]

back in October, we had an assignment in English class during the mythology unit. We had to study a myth from a particular culture, and do a project/presentation about it. Me and my partner did The Iliad, and rather than do some lame poster, we made a 10 minute, super-condensed movie called The Good, The Bad, and The Iliad, with 4 people working on it total (including cast and crew), and about a day's worth of time to shoot it, and another day to edit it. We ended up getting 105% on it.

 

About a month later, I decided to do a sequil, and wrote A Fistful of Odyssey. I planned on doing it during winter break. Not enough people were available (yeah, I did a movie with FOUR people, and there weren't enough people available for this). Then I had to recast some people, and I'd planned to do it during Spring Break. But I didn't have enough people cast in time, and I didn't have the locations I needed. So, I opted for Summer Vacation.

 

All the setbacks proved to be serendipitous, because between Spring Break and Summer Vacation, I got over $6,000 worth of equipment, including lighting and bluescreens and greenscreens, and the garage is getting cleaned out and turned into a studio.

 

Last week I got about 3/4's of the movie filmed and edited, and in three weeks I'm getting the remaining fourth. It'll be done by August.

 

Tentative poster/DVD cover (some stuff from the unfilmed portions still need to be added):

[bob_barron 0]

Sounds awesome Ravenbomb.

 

Your poster isn't showing up though

[Ravenbomb 0]

hows aboot now?

[cabbageboy 0]

That's cool, man. I am also thinking of finally filming my script that I have been working on for the past 9 years on and off. Just wondering but what kind of camera did you use? I have thought of getting a Canon XL2 HD type deal, but those are kinda expensive. I do want it to look professional however. Also how exactly do you use the bluescreens and stuff like that?

[Guest guerillagenius]

That's cool, man.  I am also thinking of finally filming my script that I have been working on for the past 9 years on and off.  Just wondering but what kind of camera did you use?  I have thought of getting a Canon XL2 HD type deal, but those are kinda expensive.  I do want it to look professional however.  Also how exactly do you use the bluescreens and stuff like that?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Get a Panasonic AG-DVX100A shoots in 24fps, and is a lot cheaper than the Canon.

[Ravenbomb 0]

for bluescreen/greenscreen use, you film with the screen, copy the footage to the compy, and use whatever software. Personally, I use Ultra 2

http://seriousmagic.com/

 

the camera was a Sony DCR-VX2100 3CCD MiniDV

[Jericholic82 0]

That sounds cool Raven. Will you be putting it up somewhere online so we can watch?

[Ravenbomb 0]

I'm working on that. I've been trying to work it so that I can post the Disc Image/DVD Folder for download so's that people can download it and copy it to a DVD, but memory would be an issue.

 

So if anyone knows where one might post a 20 minute long video for free, lemme know

[cabbageboy 0]

Does anyone know what something like Clerks was shot on?

 

I took a look at that Panasonic and it sounds quite cool. Cheaper than the Canon XL2, but some on amazon said it wasn't quite as good.

 

The main problem with my script is that I have several locations that will be very difficult to do. Some stuff is in a church but given the insane profanity, nudity, and violence in the script I dunno if a minister would be too keen on me filming there. Also there's some stuff in a subway but I live in Louisville where there isn't a subway.

 

Are you telling me I can simply create these things if I have a bluescreen?

[Jingus 0]

Does anyone know what something like Clerks was shot on? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

16 milimeter film, black & white stock, the "back in the day" standard of indy filmmaking. Not shot on video.

 

The main problem with my script is that I have several locations that will be very difficult to do.  Some stuff is in a church but given the insane profanity, nudity, and violence in the script I dunno if a minister would be too keen on me filming there.  Also there's some stuff in a subway but I live in Louisville where there isn't a subway. 

 

Well, how much of the church does your script require you to show? If all it specifies is a few pews and an altar, it's possible to find some other location that vaguely resembles a church closely enough to get away with it. Barring that, you could just give the minister an "edited" version of the script, if you're not above lying to the clergy. As for the subway, tough shit there, you pretty much have to have a real one, there's no good way to fake it.

 

Are you telling me I can simply create these things if I have a bluescreen?

 

Not really. George Lucas could do it with the Industrial Lights & Magic setup, but that's the type of hardware it would require to do it and make it look good. On a home movie "prosumer" level, bluescreen is essentially just a fancy new way to do rear-screen projection. You can digitally insert your actors and props in front of a shot of a subway, but unless you're really damned careful and clever with your shooting, it'll look quite fake. Plus, you still have to shoot that shot of the subway in the first place.

 

Getting access to locations is always a problem in indy filmmaking. There's often only two ways around it: shoot there anyway without permission (but don't come crying to me if the cops bust you) or just change the script so that location isn't needed anymore.

[Ravenbomb 0]

I'm not using the greenscreen for anything fancy. I'm using it to put my actors on the deck of a ship and inside a cave, and all they're gonna be doing is standing and talking (or sitting, in the case of the cave scene)

[cabbageboy 0]

As far as the church goes, it's really just for a few scenes (there is a speech given by Rev. Biggins, an assassination attempt, etc). If you wanna read the script I can send it to you in an attachment, though the formatting gets screwy. Still readable though.

 

The subway stuff I might just have to change to a bus. We have TARC (Transit Authority of River City) here, and though I haven't been on one in a long time they used to look really shitty and creepy, knife slashed seats and stuff.

[Downhome 0]

It's great to see all of this here.

 

Me an my cousin are about to begin production on a documentary, and after that we plan to shoot a "film noir" type of film.

[AboveAverage484 0]

I've thought about putting my horror movie on the net before, but I don't have the equipment to transfer VHS onto a computer.

 

It's pretty horrible, but it holds a special place in me and my friends' hearts.

[Ravenbomb 0]

I've thought about putting my horror movie on the net before, but I don't have the equipment to transfer VHS onto a computer.

 

It's pretty horrible, but it holds a special place in me and my friends' hearts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oh, man. I was an editor for a horror movie once. They kinda forgot to...have a script...or camera operator...and I mean that in complete sincerity, they did not have a script, and people playing characters who were IN THE SCENE at the time were working the camera. It was like the people in Blair Witch Project reinacting a bad 70's Friday the 13th ripoff...

 

That really held no relevance, but your horror movie story reminded me of it.

[cabbageboy 0]

This reminds me of something fabulous. In 11th grade we had a class project in English to do to video skit on the Great Gatsby. We ended up doing a Tarantino style Gatsby project at my HS friend Chris's house. I was Gatsby and some other guy named Brian was Wilson (thankfully we had the action packed last 3 chapters that were fun to film). We had a fat chick playing Myrtle, and we ran her over and threw ketchup blood on her, had her quivering on the ground and dying. I was actually Gatsby and wore a goofy old man's cap, someone's sweater, and was reading "A Boy's Sex Life" for no discernable reason. We amped it up a bit though and instead of Gatsby just getting shot I got hacked in half with a chainsaw (my jeans were soaked in ketchup blood) and had my brains blown out. You can imagine when we presented this in class, it was a great kinetic blast. I wish I had a tape of it now.

 

By the way Raven, check your PM...I sent you one just now.

[Ravenbomb 0]

check YOUR pm box, I just replied

 

 

and tsk tsk about using Ketchup Blood. Not even how it looks, but get it on your hands or clothes and it reeks. The bottle exploded on my hand once and I had to wash it for a half hour before the smell would come off...

[cabbageboy 0]

Well it isn't something I was keen on but we had like 1 day to film everything and we just did whatever came to mind really. And ketchup blood it had to be. Regardless I think we had the best video by far of anyone, but then we had the best stuff to film (Myrtle being run down, Gatsy being shot, etc). Other groups had this crap like Gatsy chatting with Nick Carraway, wasn't too exciting.

[Ravenbomb 0]

to tell you the truth, I'd rather go with the talking. It's more challenging as far as filmmaking goes to make it interesting, and you can get way out there with dialogue scenes, too

[cabbageboy 0]

Thing is, it was for English class so if there was a lot of talky stuff people mostly half assed it and just did the actual book dialogue. We had some amount of dialogue but there was a lot of action in it.

[Ravenbomb 0]

yeah, there's the problem of people half-assing it, but if I personally were in the class, I'd want a dialogue scene just as much as I'd want the actiony stuff.

 

 

Of course, I didn't read Great Gatsby, so what do I know...

[cabbageboy 0]

Raven, I am trying to decide what sort of camera to buy for my movie. I've basically narrowed it down to either the Canon XL2 or the Panasonic AG-DVX100 listed above. The Panasonic is cheaper and is said to be the closest DV camera to actual film, but the Canon has a truer 16:9 ratio. I've seen some Sony HD cameras but it doesn't seem like any are 24fps.

[Jingus 0]

Find out what cameras they shot 28 Days Later with and buy that. It's the first shot-on-video movie I've seen where I never really noticed that it wasn't done on film.

[cabbageboy 0]

I took a look and another forum said it was shot on Canon XL1. I've been wanting to at least check that one out but I can't FIND it anywhere. Everywhere on the net just says "This camera is no longer available" and directs me to the XL2, which is a lot of money.

[Ravenbomb 0]

ugh...

 

I keep calling the bloke playing Polyphemos, and whenever I call I get his mom, and she says he's asleep. And it's like 3 in the afternoon. I mean, I've slept way in before, but c'mon...

[cabbageboy 0]

Yeah I am getting a feeling that will happen a lot to me too. Stuff like people not showing up on time, etc. After all, there's really no money in it and it's a lot of work.

 

Just wondering but what all accessories do you need to film something that looks decent?

[Ravenbomb 0]

a camera, capture card, and a decent editing program. I use Ulead 9, personally.

 

If you filter it right, use some colour correction et cetera, you can make it look damn good, so you can barely tell it was shot on video

 

 

 

and on the subject of people not showing up, lemme tell ya about a little movie called SoYCD. A while ago I had the idea of making a movie that was a making-of about its self. Given the subject, I didn't think we'd need a script, not that that holds any barring on the story, just saying that as great an idea I think it is, I fucked up the execution totally. ANYways. Day 1, all four of the people (myself included) that I called showed up. Day 2, I'm sitting at my house (the primary shooting location) alone. Bottom line, ya gotta get people who you KNOW will show up. And if there's someone you're not sure will show up but you really want to use them, work around it. Like this Polyphemos bloke. He's a lazy sod, so I cast him as a character in one scene and did coverage for that scene. That way I can shoot his stuff whenever I can get him out of his house.

But if you get the right people it'll be so great. I can't even describe how much the peoples helping with Odyssey have helped out beyond what their job was for the day. And this was a 5 hour shooting day in a park in the hot sun, with 0 pay. People were helping with line readings, working the camera when me or the DP couldn't, driving people, and stuff I know I'm forgetting.

 

so yeah, there are people who won't show up, but some people will be awesome and help out a lot more than you even ask them to.

[cabbageboy 0]

How about the sound quality though? Does the camera's mic do a good job of picking up voices, or are boom mics and such needed?

 

Oh and I keep reading this stuff about Firewire. Is that basically the same thing as a capture card?

[Ravenbomb 0]

the built in mic varies in power, but they all pick up the camera's noise (tape rolling, et cetera). You might not need a boom mic, but an external mic is pretty much a must, attached to the camera or not

[cabbageboy 0]

How about some sort of wireless mics? How much do you think those would be?