I always hear famous directors say that when someone asks them for advice for beginners, and I always though it was complete bullshit advice.
Pardon my language there, but I live in Brazil and I have a script ready for a short for a few years now, and I really want to get this thing made, but I also want everyone to be paid for their jobs, and the only way we can finance anything here is through incentive laws, which are all frozen due to Covid right now.
And even if Covid weren't the case, there's a kind of "mafia" involved in it because it's always the same group of people that are able to finance their projects, there's little to zero incentive for begginers trying to get in the market, and I realize networking plays a huge part in it, not trying to play the victim here, so my question is:
I really wanted to do this by the books, right, so everyone have a good work environment, got paid for it, have contracts and so and so, but this "just pick a camera and film" thing leaves a lot of room for interpretation, so what do you guys think about it?
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Robert Rodriguez sold his body to medicine to get nuff money to film his ultra low budget Mariachi...rest is history. George Miller worked ages on graveyard shifts at ER to grow enough money to film Mad Max...rest also is history....so filmmaking is taking great chances after spilling some blood, sweat and tears....no justification if you don't do it - you're just not up to the chance....I know, I wasn't when my turn came up.
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Look at these kids. They're using cellphones, zero budget, cheap props, making movies with whatever they got.
https://twitter.com/IkoroduB/status/1275769895163252737?s=20
Note: the following comment is not a sales pitch.. but.. you could create a 3D animation of your script in Moviestorm. It's like a pre-visualization, it will give you a means to start bringing your script to life. Since Hollywood isn't beating a path to my door, this program gives me the means to bring my stories to life.
Here's a link: https://youtu.be/wT2Tum8KH-8 - This video is an ending scene I did in the program. I wasn't sure about the story and seeing the scene in 3D has allowed to grow on me.
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When they recommend just picking up a camera and filming, the point is purely for the purpose of gaining experience learning. When you go out and about and you look through that viewfinder, you gradually learn about all the unthought about variables that wannabe's seldom ever think about.
Why the people look weird at an angle, why a big shadow casts off their nose, why you can't hear their dialogue due to the traffic, why children can't sit still, why Police surround you after shooting a prop gun, etc.
It's all the knowledge you want to acquire first for smooth inexpensive productions.
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Cezar Turek As Brad Mason says, when they say that, they are talking about getting experience as a director. You can't hope to do anything saleable without having experience. As far as financing, you do whatever you have to do to get the finances to make your film. It's the same from bottom to top in the industry.
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As Julia says, there are plenty of reasons NOT to do something. And she is right - there are many way to compensate people - from credit and education to a percentage of ownership. The key is to decide to do it, to move from wishing something would happen into the realm of making something happen and working with it.
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Interoperate it however you want but don't just talk about it - get out there and DO something.
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Thanks everyone for your input, I'll definitely have a lot to think about from now on.
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I'm all for the "just grab a camera and shoot something". I come from a production background, including theatre, so "shut up and shoot" is definitely a close proximity to my motto. That being said, just as screenwriters have the liberty to "write something that no one reads", you, too, are at liberty to film something that no one else sees. Well, ideally you allow your talent and crew to see it, but you can always shoot it once to see how it goes and then revise for the "final shoot". Consider how fight choreographers film things to figure out stunt and camera blocking. Maybe that footage will never end up on the big screen, but it could be great BTS, fantastic reference footage, and above all, allows you to flex those skills without worrying if you've got it all right the first time.
That all being said, you mentioned something about by the books? No matter what, you still have to run a safe set and create a safe environment to film in, and you definitely have to have a discussion about compensation. Not paying people isn't the end of the world, but be upfront and clear about what you can and cannot provide. This is where the human resource comes into play - if you've collected friends in your travels, then you may have also generated enough grace to ask some of them to work with you at whatever their minimum is. I was once asked "what would it take to get you on set", and it was a fantastic question.
My final thought on this is - collaborators of any form are more likely to be impressed with good work done with a limited budget than good work done with a large budget. So, find a way to shoot no matter what and make it look as good as you can with what you've got. Here is one of my favorite YouTube videos about this very topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-_cipTR6DI&t=414s