holding it all together

Started by Jake_82, July 07, 2003, 11:50:44 AM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Print
Go Down Pages1
User actions

Jake_82

July 07, 2003, 11:50:44 AM
I'm just about to go from a month of "pre-production" which basically consisted of me figuring out every detail of the movie with two or three days where a couple of people who wanted to help out came over and talked about stuff, but weren't extrememly helpful...

Today I'm having my last production meeting before the actor who's playing the main character comes back on Thursday. I'll want to start shooting as soon as possible, since we only have about 30 or so days to shoot 78 scenes. The only other time I've taken on a massive project like this was a little over a year ago, when I tried doing something starring all my personal friends, who thought it was a cool idea but weren't at all commited to the project, and after shooting for one day the whole thing fell through.

This time around, it's a little different, the actors are a little more professional, and at least my lead actor is really enthusiastic about the project. I have help from a few people as I mentioned, but they aren't very commited to it... Sometimes it gets frustrating when I'm trying to communicate with the other people, there's a fine line I don't want to cross between being really bossy and not being bossy enough, because on one hand they'll be pissed off at me and not want to help, and on the other hand they'll have no motivation.

I really want to do everything I can to make sure this film gets made. If it falls through like my last big project, I'll be extremely dissapointed.

What experiences have you had in the past working on film/video projects and them succeeding or failing? What have you learned about working with unmotivated actors and producers? Is there anything you can suggest to help prevent people from getting lazy without being bitchy at the same time?
your reality is at the end of your dream

TheVoiceOfNick

#1
July 07, 2003, 12:03:29 PM
My advice is no matter how small your production is, treat it as if it were a big production... that means that you make sure people do what they're supposed to do, and make sure everyone stays on track. You're the "conductor" of this "orchestra", so if it fails, it'll be on you. Also keep in mind that its just a small project... give people a reason to be there besides just helping you out... bagels, cream cheese, and orange juice in the morning, and a tray of quick-bake lasagna and sodas in the afternoon help build morale more than you'd ever believe!


Nick

SoNowThen

#2
July 07, 2003, 12:10:30 PM
But you MUST learn to delegate. There are only so many things you can do at once on set, before you need competent help to take care of the rest. Yeah, it's hard to motivate people to care as much as you do... that's been my biggest problem so far. They'll say "oh yeah, I can DP" or "oh yeah, I'll do sound", and then you watch rushes and they didn't expose properly, or the sound has bumps in it because the boom guy got bored and kept dipping the mic and shuffling his hands. I figure you've gotta be a bit of a tyrant. Then, when people get pissed at you, just apologize profusely and tell them just how bad you want to get this thing done. If they're friends, they'll usually understand.

If not, fire their fucking asses. Even if you're not paying them. Sometimes getting rid of one guy keys up the rest.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Cecil

#3
July 07, 2003, 01:23:37 PM
have fun. make sure they do to

mutinyco

...
#4
July 07, 2003, 06:42:13 PM
I'd say, keep your crew to a minimum and be skilled in as many facets of filmmaking as possible. The fewer people you need, the fewer people to screw things up. Especially on a no-budget shoot where nobody's getting paid.

And make sure the people you're working with are genuinely enthusiastic about the project...
"I believe in this, and it's been tested by research: he who fucks nuns will later join the church."

-St. Joe

Xixax

#5
July 07, 2003, 10:25:20 PM
I read messages like this and I find myself bummed that there's not more that I can do to help.
Quote from: Pas RapportI don't need a dick in my anus to know I absolutely don't want a dick in my anus.
[/size]

Cecil

#6
July 07, 2003, 10:47:03 PM
hey xixax, i know that kitten from your avatar. i believe god killed it because i masturbated.

zerocool41

#7
July 08, 2003, 12:49:24 AM
cecil...i say this in a purely friendly way....i think you're cool.  =)....i bet you write good dialogue..
I'm going to lay down a monster hand here.

Cecil

#8
July 08, 2003, 01:05:42 AM
im told i write good dialogue. i am not told that i am cool though.

Ghostboy

#9
July 08, 2003, 01:36:38 AM
Jake82, everyone else beat me to all the good stuff, so I'll just say...follow everyone else's advice because they hit the proverbial nails on the head. Passion + commitment + fun + at least semi-organization + food = good working environment on a film set.

If you have a full thirty days of shooting, I think you'll do great. I shot my DV feature in twelve days, and one of my friends shot his 35mm feature in just ten days. I think you've got some padding.

Jake_82

#10
July 08, 2003, 10:56:35 AM
Thanks for all your suggestions, they've been really helpful... I'm definitely going to find out what kinds of food everyone likes and have it on the set as much as possible. At least my main actor is commited and enthusiastic, and I think everything will work out fine. I've spent a lot of time organizing, so that shouldn't be a problem.

As for the crew, it's basically me... I'm shooting on DV and I'll be the one shooting it. Sound is basically the camera, although it does come with a nice external mic. Lighting is going to be whatever we can do with natural lighting and lamps, and that's pretty much it. Although 30 days is a long time, it's not exactly 30 days straight... most of the actors have other commitments like summer school, rehersal for plays, and we're going to have to work around everyone's schedules to make this work, so that might be a little tricky.
your reality is at the end of your dream

Redlum

#11
July 08, 2003, 11:47:39 AM
Well, good luck Jake. Fingers crossed I'll be shooting my short very soon. Shared enthusiasm would be a great thing - make the most of it if you find it!
\"I wanted to make a film for kids, something that would present them with a kind of elementary morality. Because nowadays nobody bothers to tell those kids, \'Hey, this is right and this is wrong\'.\"
  -  George Lucas

ono

#12
July 08, 2003, 02:14:23 PM
Just wanted to say "good luck with this," Jake.  Takes a lot of commitment and effort, and that alone is admirable.  It's something I want to do eventually, but I'm in more of a planning and writing stage with all the scripts I've got up in the air.

I'd definitely be interested in reading about how you went about your whole process of finding and auditioning actors, scoping out locations and getting the okay, and scheduling the shoots, and everything else that goes along with putting together your own feature.  And of course, I'd love to see the finished product, for inspiration more than anything.

Cecil

#13
July 08, 2003, 11:35:53 PM
good luck. i hope we get to see it
Print
Go Up Pages1
User actions