by 6 people |
Welcome to my Indie Filmmaking Lens! I'm concerned with real indie filmmaking - this business of "an indie film is anything with a budget of less than $4 million" is ridiculous. Our budgets are measured in hundreds of dollars.I'm also concerned with ways to get those films in front of people. From festivals to online distribution channels.Angry Tiki God Productions is the film nanocompany my wife and I created.
We've been making movies for three years, and created six shorts. We've just finished shooting our first feature, In Character. This lens has two purposes. I want to tell you about us and about our movie, obviously. But I also want to share what we've learned. We've made mistakes I hope you can avoid, and I'm sure we've discovered things others will want to know.
We've been making movies for three years, and created six shorts. We've just finished shooting our first feature, In Character. This lens has two purposes. I want to tell you about us and about our movie, obviously. But I also want to share what we've learned. We've made mistakes I hope you can avoid, and I'm sure we've discovered things others will want to know.
Teaser Video!
The very first taste of In Character is now online! Check it out below!
Angry Tiki News
The latest posts on the Angry Tiki Movies website.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byAngry Tiki Links
The Gods Demand Links!
These are local links, for those who happen to be in the Albuquerque, NM area.
- Angry Tiki God Productions
- This is the official Angry Tiki God Productions website.
- Local Shorts
- Albuquerque's own charity film festival!
- Theater Salon
- A local performing arts community website. They also publish an informative weekly newsletter.
- NM Indie Filmmakers Alliance
- Join the New Mexico Independent Filmmakers Alliance - come to the meetup, find projects, make art!
Story
Where it all begins.
OK. You're going to need a story. Even if you're making a documentary. After F9/11, I saw a rash of bad documentaries at Local Shorts. The thing about a documentary is that you have to find the story after you're done shooting! But you've got to have one, regardless.
Usually, though, you've got a story before you begin - before you even have a script! There are a zillion books out there on story and structure and writing a screenplay, so I'm not going to cover that ground here (see below for some specific recommendations).
Taking examples from the extremes of the spectrum, it becomes clear that a good story told simply can make a wonderful movie. See: The Bicycle Thief above. A bad story told elaborately is still bad. See: Independence Day.
Plus, there's the budget to consider. Story is cheap. Spectacle is expensive.
Usually, though, you've got a story before you begin - before you even have a script! There are a zillion books out there on story and structure and writing a screenplay, so I'm not going to cover that ground here (see below for some specific recommendations).
Taking examples from the extremes of the spectrum, it becomes clear that a good story told simply can make a wonderful movie. See: The Bicycle Thief above. A bad story told elaborately is still bad. See: Independence Day.
Plus, there's the budget to consider. Story is cheap. Spectacle is expensive.
Writings on Writing
Books to Help You Get Your Story Out
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting; A step-by-step guide from concept to finished script
Syd Field is the acknowledged master in the field. Many, many, movies have been written around the structure in this book.
Amazon Price: (as of 02/09/2010) 
How to Write a Movie in 21 Days: The Inner Movie Method
My favorite book on screenwriting. I have never actually read it. But my wife wrote the first draft of our feature in seven days using this method. It works.
Amazon Price: (as of 02/09/2010)
The Screenwriter's Workbook (A Dell trade paperback)
A hand-on guide to the Syd Field approach.
Amazon Price: (as of 02/09/2010)
Places, everybody!
The nuts and bolts of making movies.
Let me be clear: I cannot tell you how to make movies in the space provided by this lens. Nobody can. Frankly, nobody can tell you how to make movies at all. You'll have to get out there and try it, whether you go the film school route or just take it upon yourself to make a flick, like we did. But I'll try to use this space to give you some effective pointers for those of you who've never done anything like this before.
Lights!
There's a reason that the phrase starts with "Lights!" If you can't see your subject, you're sorta out of luck, right? And while your eyes and brain are wonderfully suited to a huge variety of lighting situations, cameras are not. Every day you encounter and successfully work in lighting conditions that would look absolutely horrendous on screen. You need to be able to control your lighting in order to have any sort of quality look at all.
We are very lucky in that modern cameras (especially DV cameras) are much more forgiving of light quality and conditions than professional cinematographic gear is. So you don't need a fortune in lighting gear. But you have to know how you want your subject to look and have some idea how to achieve that look before you start shooting.
Our first live-action short was lit with "available light". Our second was lit (clumsily) by me with a few basic video lights. The difference was dramatic. Even amateurish lighting technique made our effort look better.
Our feature was lit by a pro - no hardware store lights for him! He'd acquired a few 1000 Watt film lights used, and with his knowledge of photographic lighting, made our efforts look a lot more "filmic". And I have to say - it made a real difference. There's a difference between just being able to see and getting a particular look. I don't think I can ever go back.
And this doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune. The lights he used cost a few hundred dollars. More for stands and diffusion material and gels and extension cords. Everything except the consumables could have been rented instead - call an A/V or film rental outfit in your area.
We are very lucky in that modern cameras (especially DV cameras) are much more forgiving of light quality and conditions than professional cinematographic gear is. So you don't need a fortune in lighting gear. But you have to know how you want your subject to look and have some idea how to achieve that look before you start shooting.
Our first live-action short was lit with "available light". Our second was lit (clumsily) by me with a few basic video lights. The difference was dramatic. Even amateurish lighting technique made our effort look better.
Our feature was lit by a pro - no hardware store lights for him! He'd acquired a few 1000 Watt film lights used, and with his knowledge of photographic lighting, made our efforts look a lot more "filmic". And I have to say - it made a real difference. There's a difference between just being able to see and getting a particular look. I don't think I can ever go back.
And this doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune. The lights he used cost a few hundred dollars. More for stands and diffusion material and gels and extension cords. Everything except the consumables could have been rented instead - call an A/V or film rental outfit in your area.
Camera!
It's no surprise to you that you're gonna need a camera. I can't tell you what camera to get - though below I point to some that I'd like. What I can do is give you some basic pointers regarding what you want in your camera, and let you go from there.
First, you want a microphone input. That's the biggest mistake I made when buying my first camera - I discounted the importance of a microphone input. The on-camera mic included with most camcorders is abysmal at worst, and just adequate at best.
The second thing to look for is a 3-CCD design. A 3-CCD camera uses one sensor for each primary color (red, green, blue) while a 1-CCD camera puts that burdon on a single sensor. The difference between the two is night and day. 3-CCD designs are so cheap these days that a single CCD should only be considered if it's the difference between making your movie and not.
I went with SD (standard definition) this time. Next time, HD (high definition) for sure, though that incurs greater costs and complexity all through the rest of your process. For your first efforts, I recommend you stay with SD. You've got enough going on, enough to worry about without being on the cutting edge of technology. Get a solid script. Learn to be a visual storyteller. Visual splendour can come later.
First, you want a microphone input. That's the biggest mistake I made when buying my first camera - I discounted the importance of a microphone input. The on-camera mic included with most camcorders is abysmal at worst, and just adequate at best.
The second thing to look for is a 3-CCD design. A 3-CCD camera uses one sensor for each primary color (red, green, blue) while a 1-CCD camera puts that burdon on a single sensor. The difference between the two is night and day. 3-CCD designs are so cheap these days that a single CCD should only be considered if it's the difference between making your movie and not.
I went with SD (standard definition) this time. Next time, HD (high definition) for sure, though that incurs greater costs and complexity all through the rest of your process. For your first efforts, I recommend you stay with SD. You've got enough going on, enough to worry about without being on the cutting edge of technology. Get a solid script. Learn to be a visual storyteller. Visual splendour can come later.
Books and Movies
If you're like me, you want both textbook-style discussion and examples of excellence in the field. Here are my favorite books about movies and some movies you should know.
How to Read a Film: The World of Movies, Media, Multimedia: Language, History, Theory
This is a wonderful book. Get it. Read it. Think about it. Rent and watch some of the films in here that you've never heard of and never seen.
Amazon Price: (as of 02/09/2010)
Used Price: $2.24
The Bicycle Thief
I went through a period of trying to educate myself on "film", since I knew "movies" pretty well. This is the absolute gem discovered in that effort.
Amazon Price: $20.49 (as of 02/09/2010)
Used Price: $14.94
Usually ships in 24 hours
Amelie
Think foreign films are all hopelessly dark and obtuse? Think again.
Amazon Price: $12.49 (as of 02/09/2010)
Used Price: $8.85
Usually ships in 24 hours
Notorious - Criterion Collection
You can keep Psycho. Hitchcock doesn't get any better than this. I'm not sure anyone does.
Amazon Price: (as of 02/09/2010)
Used Price: $29.96
The Princess Bride (Special Edition)
Possibly the greatest movie ever made. Seriously.
Amazon Price: (as of 02/09/2010)
Used Price: $2.34
The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style (Hollywood Standard: The Complete & Authoritative Guide to)
Think you know how a script is formatted? Think your software will take care of it for you? Think you know WHY all those rules are there? Maybe, maybe not. This is the screenwriter's style bible.
Amazon Price: (as of 02/09/2010)
Used Price: $7.58
Getting Your Way
Film is among the most capital-intensive art forms ever devised. And even indie filmmakers are going to need some capital. But studio filmmakers use money to substitute for things we've got more of than money: Goodwill and time.
So, don't forget to capitalize on your abundance of time, and don't forget that you're going to need the goodwill of strangers to get things done.
I'm thinking particularly about procuring locations. Start early. Be friendly and respectful.
Remember that magic word from kindergarten? Get used to saying it, writing it, and meaning it. You may think, "We just want to take some pictures in your restaurant! Why are you being such a hard-ass?" But in reality, you're saying, "We want you to give up your opportunity to make money with your restaurant for as long as we're there, we want your people to be quiet and take their orders from us instead of you, we want to use your property for free!" So, remember to put "Please" in there somewhere.
And start early. If you're shooting in June or July, you should be talking to locations in February or March. Give them time to get used to the idea. Give them time to schedule it. Give yourself time find another location if they can't be convinced. Once, we got an emergency location by saying, "We need a restaurant - our other location just cancelled - can we shoot there tomorrow morning?" The emergency location was happy to help us out after our previously locked location flaked at the last minute. But I wouldn't bet on that ever happening again.
A lesson from the feature shoot: Confirm, confirm, confirm. Let's say that today you get a "yes" from the honcho at a location regarding using his space in two months. Do not presume that he will remember. Do not presume that he will tell the right people. Call him back in a week to confirm. At that time ask who you should contact about this in the future (Honcho will be tired of talking to you now and happy to fob you off on someone else). Call that person the next day, introduce yourself and say something like, "I'm the filmmaker that Honcho told you about, and I just wanted to get in touch with you and make sure everything was settled." The person will never have heard of you. But now they'll call Honcho and ask about you. Call again two weeks before you shoot. Again a week before you shoot. And then a couple of days before.
So, don't forget to capitalize on your abundance of time, and don't forget that you're going to need the goodwill of strangers to get things done.
I'm thinking particularly about procuring locations. Start early. Be friendly and respectful.
Remember that magic word from kindergarten? Get used to saying it, writing it, and meaning it. You may think, "We just want to take some pictures in your restaurant! Why are you being such a hard-ass?" But in reality, you're saying, "We want you to give up your opportunity to make money with your restaurant for as long as we're there, we want your people to be quiet and take their orders from us instead of you, we want to use your property for free!" So, remember to put "Please" in there somewhere.
And start early. If you're shooting in June or July, you should be talking to locations in February or March. Give them time to get used to the idea. Give them time to schedule it. Give yourself time find another location if they can't be convinced. Once, we got an emergency location by saying, "We need a restaurant - our other location just cancelled - can we shoot there tomorrow morning?" The emergency location was happy to help us out after our previously locked location flaked at the last minute. But I wouldn't bet on that ever happening again.
A lesson from the feature shoot: Confirm, confirm, confirm. Let's say that today you get a "yes" from the honcho at a location regarding using his space in two months. Do not presume that he will remember. Do not presume that he will tell the right people. Call him back in a week to confirm. At that time ask who you should contact about this in the future (Honcho will be tired of talking to you now and happy to fob you off on someone else). Call that person the next day, introduce yourself and say something like, "I'm the filmmaker that Honcho told you about, and I just wanted to get in touch with you and make sure everything was settled." The person will never have heard of you. But now they'll call Honcho and ask about you. Call again two weeks before you shoot. Again a week before you shoot. And then a couple of days before.
Equipment Suggestions
Stuff I love, stuff I want
- Vegas
- Vegas is my editing software of choice. High-speed, high-power, high-efficiency editing, and great sound editing. Good stuff. And it's built around the act of editing video, not the act of editing film. So it works like it should work, not like film editors were forced to work.
A friend of mine picked up the "Vegas Movie Studio" version - which seems to be Vegas limited to four audio and four video tracks. Plenty for a lot of projects. - DVX100B
- This is an excellent pro-grade SD camera. It used to be the camera of my dreams. Regrettably, my dreams have increased their expectations. I have seen this camera online for under $3000 and have found it from a reputable local dealer and service place for around $3500.
- M2 DOF adapter
- Video doesn't have the narrow depth-of-field that you can get on film. This is wonderful if you're taking video of your son's birthday party and want everything in focus. But we've come to expect narrow DOF and tight control over that field in cinema. This reasonably priced adapter gives you film-like DOF for under $1000.
- Silicon Imaging Digital Cinema Camera
- This is the camera I would buy if I had backing. From the looks of it, this puppy will destroy 16mm filmmaking. RAW format output, 35mm-like DOF, the whole enchilada.
- Indicam stabilizer
- For my next big project, I intend to rent one of these stabilizers if at all possible. It's a Steadicam-style rig for small cameras.
- JVC GY-HD100U
- Ok. Apologies to the DVX100B. This JVA HD camera blows it away. Of course, new, this camera will cost you $2000 more than the Panasonic. But after seeing footage from my friend's unit - I can say I won't be buying the Panasonic.
Movies on Movies
Self referentiality is fun
Sometimes, you just need to watch someone else make a movie. Here are some great opportunities to do so.
Bowfinger
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 02/09/2010)
Living in Oblivion
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 02/09/2010)
The Player (Special Edition) (New Line Platinum Series)
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 02/09/2010)
Indie Films
What are the other indies up to?
Moviemaking Techniques and other indie film tips
Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 02/10/2010)
Munich Mambo / The S.I.N. (Indie Film Double Feature)
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 02/10/2010)
IN THE TRENCHES OF AN INDIE FILM
Amazon Price: $15.99 (as of 02/10/2010)
The Final Homecoming / The Champagne Club (Indie Film Double Feature)
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 02/10/2010)
A&E Indie Films: Bearing Witness
Amazon Price: $29.95 (as of 02/10/2010)
The Nude Traveller Club Orient St. Martin, French West Indies
Amazon Price: $44.95 (as of 02/10/2010)
by TikiGod
I'm a programmer, guitar player, and filmmaker living in the natural splendor of New Mexico. (more)
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