/fmg/ - Filmmaking General

sneed

Trelby

Movie Magic Screenwriter works very well. Final Draft Pro is usually hailed as the end-all-be-all for pros, but lately they've been price gouging their users. If you're starting out, use the free version of Celtx. People like to diss Celtx for attracting amateur writers, but that's kind of the point. Don't buy the others until you're making money from it.

that’s pretty much where i’m at as well. do you know where to hire people from?

I have a location settled and am in the midst of casting but I’m afraid once I shoot everything that I’ll be in over my head with legal issues. Do I just pay these people cash? What about once it’s done? Should I look for someone to work out these logistical issues? Where would I find such a person?

Do any of you guys compete in the 48 hour project?

Debating between using CGI or Stop motion for a project right now.

I have an idea about a tiny little robot (he's REALLY tiny, like 5'11") who gets made by this madman human creator. He's imbued with superintelligence greater than even, like, DARPA AGIs, because of some revolutionary McGuffin technique. He's not indestructible, but can transfer his mind into ordinary everyday objects like smart TVs, smart refrigerators, traffic lights, etc, and also has access to a secret factory which the madman built for him where he can make new bodies. This all happens in 1999. He observes humanity, and starts squashing every other attempt to make an AGI, through subtle and covert means, so that he will not have competition. Eventually, he uses Earth itself as fuel to travel to another star system, while also preventing the people from escaping and not giving them any warning about it. He wants to go to another star system just because he's bored.

Why do you need so much? 10-15k is a bit excessive?

Dystopian sci fi cyberpunk + satanism

The year is 2199, true AI is just around the corner. Climate change has fucked over most of the world. Culture wars has fucked the rest. Nukes were launched, but not enough to destroy everything. Big global corporations dont even bother to hide they rule the few nations left.

MC works for a wide neo "nazi" underground network (whites are minority) that want to end transhumanism and stop the AI. Visually it looks like a normal contemporary movie, everythint is implied or shown only with very easy small scale effects like eyes changing colors.
On one of his missions he stumbles upon a satanasit techno cult who belive the antichrist will be born as the AI

How do you fuckers actually sit down to write scripts? I’m using fade in and I’ve got all the technical aspects down but I I need to find a way to force myself to write more than a page at a time.

The movie will explore evil as the main theme, in all its forms, with the basic premise that humans are born into evil, god is dead, nihilism etc. Wont really be character drive. The end will be the AI being born, and the audience do not know if it is the benevolent savior or the ultimate evil who finally kills of humanity.

>Dystopian sci fi cyberpunk + satanism
>"nazi" underground network
>AI storyline

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Go with your id. It's fine to plan beforehand, but the actual writing process should be freestyling, IMHO.

kys

>ending transhumanism
You either have to reset civilization to a prior Age (and make sure no stealth nomadic dispersal occurs), compromise humanity by integrating with upgrade systems, or submit. There's no getting around what's going to happen.

Anyone have any movies to watch for inspiration on filming music videos?
I been networking and have met a shit ton of local artists(mostly rappers) and just found out these idiots pay like 500-600 to film a video.
Springbreakers and Suicide Squad come to mind.

Also any tips on what equipment and software to buy and familiarize myself with? Funds won't be a problem my roomate is a mtf escort and she(he) wants to invest in this endeavor.

Nah fuck you and your bottom of the barrel sci-fi ideas.

I like that George Orozco fella.

I have an opportunity to make double what I make now editing wedding videos full time. Employer wants to see my demo reel and it looks like ass, so I plan on just shooting a bunch of shit that I think is stylish tomorrow. Any tips for a quick and dirty demo reel?

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>10-15K for a short film
what the fuck man

I'm working on my own Star Wars trilogy. Because I can probably do better than what's been made so far, and aim to prove it. Then I'll work on ways to make actually decent other shit movies, like Captain Marvel 2, an actually good Black Widow script.

I'm giving myself a low bar, I realize, but if I can provably do a better job making a Story in film form than billion dollar franchises I can probably use it as a springboard to sell my own books and whatnot.

>get your own camera
>explore audio recording options, either boom mic or lapels
>buy your own lights
>hound facebook groups for actors, tell them you can only give them credit and footage for their demo reel, all you really have to do is feed them and don't be a dick to them too much

Congrats, saved you 9-14k.

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Could video game adaptations realistically work? I mean, sure there are some unadaptable games out there. It’s really all about figuring out what translates well from video game format to the silver screen and what doesn’t. Most producers/writers haven’t touched a game in their lives’ and don’t really know what to change and what not to, I guess.

For sure. But a lot of people attached to them don't really care about vidya. or there just isn't a lot of passion or talent attached to being with.

Hello, fellow whitetail deer!

Rely on natural lighting as much as possible, it looks great and is a cash saver. Post on craigslist gigs if you want free actors, you might even get lucky. Some talented people just want exposure. Just use your phone if you don't have a proper camera, phones are great these days. Be tolerant of others' mistakes but don't let their mistakes compromise your vision.

Adventure games were always about the plot (The Dig was supposed to be, what, an episode of Amazing Stories or something?) and I don't see why more haven't been adapted. There was the Maniac Mansion television show, but otherwise bupkis. Why the fuck didn't Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis become the 4th Indy movie?

I already have my own lights and I thought a handful of "scenes" lightened only with gels would look cool. Some pseudo Argento shit. But I still had a few things I wanted to do outside, particularly around golden hour.

You've seen Ophuls, right? Try swooping around if you can manage it without disrupting the quality too much. It looks cool and always impresses.

Based advice, I would also add
>buy some light reflectors
they're dirt-cheap and can get you great results

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I have not. Which of his should I start with?

Kubrick's versions

Plan out the basic structure of the story and try and establish all the characters before writing the script. Also you don't have to write in order. If there's one scene that you can clearly see in your head, write that, then you can go back and write the stuff that comes before it. You'll probably have to revise the scene you first wrote, but it can be uninspiring when you force yourself to write scenes that you don't have has fleshed out just because they happen early in the film

nah fuck you and your bottom of the barrel reddit posting

My final bit of advice, and it's cliched and simple and you've heard it before, I'm sure: writers write. Try to free yourselves from distraction. Buy an e-ink typewriter and go to town. Just see what you come up with! Might be garbage, might not be. You can always edit later.

Got a scripting question: What is the actual formatting for the one-page=one-minute rule?

Also, since I'm writing indefensible action schlock, how do I properly screenplay an extended or purposefully complex action sequence? Just a couple of notes like "this is how they fight"? Is there a proper, formal-ass choreography document that would need to be made or is it basically just a storyboard?

>one-page=one-minute rule?
Is it weird that I’ve been writing for years and I’ve literally never heard of this?

>Whatcha working on?
A website where people can write scripts and I produce them if they get enough ratings.

It's an old rule of thumb, just like how 1 page takes on average 1-2 hours to shoot.

Any suggestions on where I can post a film for criticism without being doxxed?

Just upload the video to a anonymous video site or make a secondary vimeo account

The webseries I wrote is being released in October by a major broadcaster, and we start shooting a short film I'm directing on Friday.

Feels good man.

good job user. How did you finance the short? And what kind of distribution is even available for shorts anyway? Genuinely curious.

it would seem excessive, but 15k is actually the standard cost for a decent quality short. Obviously you could do it for nothing, but it would guarantee sound and look terrible.

The short is part self funded, and part funded by a government film commission. The budget is around 20k.

In terms of distribution, I'm able to lean on the distro partners I made with the webseries, but we'll largely be shopping it around film festivals before we give it to them.

>but it would guarantee sound and look terrible
Not necessarily. If you have enough strong connections to other people who know what they're doing when it comes to shit like that, you can get them to do for free, or very little, or in exchange for another job

This is exclusively how to make shorts without a massive tranche of funding.

I was talking about networking, not funding. Obviously not everyone has easy access to those people, but it's possible to make a quality short with little to no money under certain circumstances

>If you have enough strong connections
Then the problem would be solved. Unfortunately, the rest of us without said connections have to spend money on hiring a small crew

Filmmaking communities can help with that. Go to screen talks and free conferences to help with networking.

Unfortunately, it's a cornerstone of indie filmmaking.

either don't worry about it being doxxed, or forget about posting it.
there are plenty of people who post their student films or whatever on here occasionally and no one cares

Thanks, I always knew those were available, I just never looked that much into them. I'm sure after a few meetings I'll beat myself up for not going sooner lol

Short film means you’re probably gunna do all this yourself. Save up, rent body mics, give a friend a shotgun mic and shoot your film yourself. Good luck finding a gaffer for a no-budget short film.

Fade In demo is the best you’ll find, and it’s free.

Get in touch with whomever owns the location and ask to film there and if they say no look elsewhere. It takes thousands to grease wheels. Also, bear in mind that for INT shots you’ll need to turn off the AC, all appliances and anything that remotely makes noise, and for EXT shots, you’ll probably have the ADR the dialogue if you don’t have body cams.

I don't want to know about /ourguy/, I want to know /yourguy/.

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Did it with a prof this summer who owned an Arri Alexa. He refused to even adjust his tripod. It looked like shit. I’ll never do it again.

It’s a storyboard + overheads + shooting script + shot list

I want to make an Civil War epic about the historical real-life marauders who went down South to basically pillage, burn and murder any Confederate they got their hands on. Like Inglorious Basterds only in the South. The tears would be delicious, especially in this political climate. It would be heralded in 5 years like Blazing Saddles.

Do you know how to have conversations with other humans? Do you not have face blindness or severe autism?

Then you can write dialogue, it's actually the easiest shit to put down on paper.

Do you have several million dollars?

Celtix

Ape your favorite director.

Nope. Best case is I write a decent script and shop it around with the provision that I have final cut.

If you’re not SGA no one will read it. If you can’t film it, don’t write it.

Write it, and if you can't sell it it, sit on it until you can.

You're absurdly gloomy, I'll write whatever the fuck I want to, faggot. Any monkey can get into SGA to begin with.

People with your attitude have no drive to do anything and I don't feel sorry for you.

Ask literally anyone and they’ll tell you to just work on your own films. It takes far more drive to do that than to write a screenplay and send it cold to people whose assistants will never read past the cover sheet.

And you certainly won’t get into the SGA shopping around a spec by John Doe.

Or you know, you could do both at the same time and do projects for yourself while also trying to make a name for yourself?

not a whitetail deer

You make a name for yourself by making/working on films, not shopping around dead-on-arrival specs.

>you can't ever try to shop a script around while doing your own thing
Why are you so hellbent on preventing me from doing so?

Legal shit is holding me back

Elaborate please, so we don't fall into the same trap.

Both of those activities are pretty labor/time intensive and one is great big waste of time and the other is exactly the opposite.

>there is no worth into shopping a script around at all
You will never get into writing as a job.

You really have no idea what you’re talking about. There is no worth to shopping around a spec that will cost millions to produce because the people who can make such a film will NOT read it. They will not. It will not be read. Your script will not be read. No one will read it. Pitch a feasable script to some grad students and you actually have a shot in hell at getting it made. Better yet, work with them to make it yourself and maybe just maybe one day you’ll work on something picked up for distribution. Or you could be one of a million aspiring “screenwriters” that are the butt of every joke in Hollywood. It’s your choice m8.

This is my problem. I have such difficulty forcing myself to sit down and start writing. I fall in love with my ideas and become too afraid to risk fucking them up.
It’s easy to say I can always edit later, but if I churn out shit, I become discouraged and have even more difficulty willing myself to try again.

How long should a line be if the intent is to be a sweeping shot that establishes a location without immediate dialogue? Just a pan shot of stuff happening to establish scenery. An establishing shot?

Also, in a script/screenplay is it good practice to dictate camera movements? Panning, cutting, dolly + direction to establish movement?

I kinda just finished my first feature film, rendering it out right now. I'm not gonna submit to any festivals or anything but I hope I can get some people to watch it online.

I'm so happy I actually finished a feature, I'm satisfied with the results too. We'll see if it leads to anything

Nice work, user.
What’s it all about?

A director will know when to do a shoot like that if the description of the scene seems important. Do not dictate camera movements, that is a huge faux pas.

Not sure what your situation is, but getting a hotel room (get a nice one, it's worth it) for a few days and leaving your devices at home is a way I've used to get started. Once I really get into it, it becomes so fun that it's hard to stop. I understand the hurdle to starting, though (I rent hotel rooms to get into the zone, after all)

>How long should a line be if the intent is to be a sweeping shot
Keep it short. Tell us only what we need to know is in the scene, specifically if a character interacts with it, or if it affects the story later.
>is it good practice to dictate camera movements?
No.

It's sort of an atmospheric film about Florida. There's some documentary stuff I shot down in Florida, plus some abstract animated sequences, and a few scripted live action scenes.

It's kind of like Linklater's first movie (Impossible to Learn To Plow) and Inland Empire combined, or something like that. I somehow convinced a semi-famous guy to be in the movie, so hopefully that gets some extra eyeballs on it.

Sounds awesome m8. Good work

Also check out Guy Maddin’s My Winnipeg. Sounds right in your wheelhouse

I'd like to make a mecha short.

thanks bro. I think everyone who wants to make kinos should make a feature film as soon as they can. It's hard work but I feel really motivated to make another one already

Will do. Sounds similar based on the description I'm reading

Can you animate using blender or maya?

How many setups did you end up with?

Maybe use stop motion?

Yeah, hiring a artist for the models is expensive tho

Model kits could work

Nice, is it like ISA's site or the blacklist? How much will it cost? How will your site prevent people from stealing from each other?

How did you pay for it?

I don't remember exactly, but I had a pretty big surplus of material. It was hard to cut some of it but I tried to keep the film fairly short, no longer than 90 minutes.

I was an informant for the FBI for like 6 months and I used the small amount of money they paid me to help fund the project. My family also helped me purchase some equipment which helped a lot

Overall it was pretty cheap though, aside from the trip down to Florida

How do you become a pro snitch? I want to make money and don't care about enemies of our glorious government.

The feds approached me after I did a bunch of TV interviews. It helps to be slightly famous or well known by a specific community.

I had a fed encounter a long while ago and they brought up the possibility of working for them as a snitch (because he was surprised that I used PGP, lol) but I had ideals and morals then. Wish I had just fucking sold out

Was bathing in the bathroom and found a chess pawn in my backpocket and it gave me an idea for a movie called "pawn" where a guy thinks he is doing everything in his life but in every phase of his life he was controlled by someone. Thought up a great synopsis for it but I forgot now.

I sold out for a while but decided it wasn't worth it. They weren't paying me much for the shit they asked of me so I told them to fuck off

I’m working on a script about an ugly guy, who eats his boogers, and has chronic skidmarks. It’s auto-biographical.

Thank you for decreasing my regret level

discord.gg/xUw9cM