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dhaas

Living part time in Cape Coral FL and part time Atlanta area (soon to be full time in the Atlanta area).

Came across this researching screenwriting and filmmaking information.

Would greatly appreciate any advice anyone has to offer about getting started. I am a beginner in every sense of the word. No experience in any aspect of filmmaking.

Thank in advance.
 
Welcome!

1. Check out these boards.

2. Look at various film education websites. There are so many on the net its difficult to even choose one but google is your friend.

3. Learn the basics, through the web and DEFINITELY buy some books. Spend a hundred or so for some used filmmaking books on amazon or ebay.

4. Watch films, learn to dissect films.

5. Listen to DVD commentaries with directors.

6. Join your local filmmaking community. From what I understand Atlanta is a hotbed. NETWORK. Get phone numbers. Pay attention.

7. Visit the local Atlanta festivals, and see the kinds of films and what does well there. Meet the directors. Ask them questions about how they made their films.

8. Get Celtx or other screenwriting software. Write yourself a couple of sub-$200 shorts to be shot.

9. Shoot them. At this point (a half a year from now or so or a year) you will know what equipment to buy or better yet, will have networked enough that you will know the right people to bring into a project that own equipment and know it. When they're done, Learn, get critique.

10. Shoot 2-5 total shorts, work on other films in varying capacities, and after 2-3 years you will be ready to tackle something serious.
 
Thanks for the reply. So far, I have been reading, watching and writing. No equipment yet (which would be my next question).
 
As for online educational resources, don't forget, they aren't all video production sites...light involves physics...learn what you can about the physics of light. Videography and Cinematography grew from Photography, learn photography. Acting grew from...well...acting...look up acting resources for theater and stage info too. Broaden your searches. If you read the book "In the blink of an eye" - Walter Murch, you'll see how Holistic this art form is...he goes into to anthropology, psychology and biology when talking about editing. Think deeply about how everything you do will be received by the audience, create accordingly.
 
One suggestion would be to go to your local electronics store this weekend and buy a $200 miniDV camera. Doesn't really matter which one - -they're pretty much all garbage. But get one anyway and start shooting. Come up with ideas for stories and shoot those. Recruit your friends and family to be your actors. Import your video into your PC and start editing. Both Windows and Mac OS comes with a free movie editing program. Use it to learn the basics, and you will learn alot about how and why some shots fail and others succeed. If you want to move up from there, look into a more robust editing program. There are plenty to choose from in the $100 range -- they're not professional level, but they're still a good step up and will offer more to learn. Follow Knightly's suggestion about learning the physics of lighting. Experiement with different lights and techniques as you practice with your camera. If you do this enough, you should break that $200 camera in a year or so. By that time -- you will have gained a whole lot of experience of how to make the most with very little. When you go buy your replacement camera, it will probably be time to look for a decent upgrade -- and you'll have a much better idea of what to do with the better camera when you get your hands on it.

Oh -- and WELCOME!
 
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