What Should Every Indie Filmmaker Know?

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I thought that maybe this might be a good question to ask and I knew I would love to get input from those on this board. So, in your opinion:

What Should Every Indie Filmmaker Know?

Is this question broad? Yes, it is intentionally broad. You can be technical or philosophical (I tend to lean towards philosophical myself). It can be a generally speaking answer or a personal one. Just if you give an answer, make sure you back it up with whatever you think is relevant. You can answer more than once, because you might have more than one thing to comment on.

I don't think this question has been asked before, sorry if it has. Let me know and I'll go away :D

Anyone want to get in on this :)

-- spinner :cool:
 
Audio is just as important (edit: that should read, MORE IMPORTANT) than all the cool camera moves. Spend time on audio capture and post production, dammit.
 
I think maybe alot of people in independent film enter the arena in the "wrong order" so to speak.

What I mean is when getting started, alot of indie filmmakers think from "Hollywood down" instead of "no budget up". If you have a certain amount of know-how and you are learning as you make your 'shorts' but you have no money, it might not be the best idea to try to hire someone to work on your project. I'm thinking it would make more sense to find someone who is also trying to break into the business and collaborate. Chances are you won't be able to afford the big lighting director, or the expensive light fixtures, or the expensive steadycam apparatus. And that being the case, wouldn't it make sense to try to make something that would work until you can afford the more expensive whatever-it-is?

For example: I would love to do some of my projects with the Red Camera. But hard fact is that I can't afford that camera. So now what? Do I sit around and lament my financial situation or do I figure out a way to get my film produced at a much lower cost? The cost should be lower, not the production value.

I don't think there is anything wrong with thinking big, if you're gonna go, go big. But the reality is that you might not be able to do Lord Of The Rings on your allowance or if you have a family and this is your first project. I've seen people worry about equipment when they have never shot anything ever.

I guess this is part of why I started this thread. How you do things will be different if you are an independent filmmaker who is already making a living in film or if you are 14 and in high school and are trying to find a camera to learn on. And that was what I was thinking when I was looking over the posts today and started this thread.

Its as if no one wants to start at the beginnng, everyone wants to hit one out of the part their first time out and many people don't want to even get started if they can't get paid right away.

I don't know if I think that is realistic. Realisticly I am lamenting my financial situation...

-- spinner :cool:
 
Shoot and edit, make the next one better based on your mistakes this time around.

I'm a ground - up type of filmmaker. Started with nothing but the desire to make something. Started by borrowing the gear to do it, worked up from there. Still going, still learning... always.

Never lament your current situation, work within it! You'd be surprised what you can do when you don't realize you can't do it :)
 
Learn to delegate.

Your head will explode if you insist on doing everything by yourself (both on & off set), as each subsequent project gets better, more ambitious & more technically involved.

Yeah, it takes a bit of trust - but you won't go insane. :cool:
 
spinner said:
I think maybe alot of people in independent film enter the arena in the "wrong order" so to speak.

What I mean is when getting started, alot of indie filmmakers think from "Hollywood down" instead of "no budget up". If you have a certain amount of know-how and you are learning as you make your 'shorts' but you have no money, it might not be the best idea to try to hire someone to work on your project. I'm thinking it would make more sense to find someone who is also trying to break into the business and collaborate. Chances are you won't be able to afford the big lighting director, or the expensive light fixtures, or the expensive steadycam apparatus. And that being the case, wouldn't it make sense to try to make something that would work until you can afford the more expensive whatever-it-is?

For example: I would love to do some of my projects with the Red Camera. But hard fact is that I can't afford that camera. So now what? Do I sit around and lament my financial situation or do I figure out a way to get my film produced at a much lower cost? The cost should be lower, not the production value.

I don't think there is anything wrong with thinking big, if you're gonna go, go big. But the reality is that you might not be able to do Lord Of The Rings on your allowance or if you have a family and this is your first project. I've seen people worry about equipment when they have never shot anything ever.

I guess this is part of why I started this thread. How you do things will be different if you are an independent filmmaker who is already making a living in film or if you are 14 and in high school and are trying to find a camera to learn on. And that was what I was thinking when I was looking over the posts today and started this thread.

Its as if no one wants to start at the beginnng, everyone wants to hit one out of the part their first time out and many people don't want to even get started if they can't get paid right away.

I don't know if I think that is realistic. Realisticly I am lamenting my financial situation...

-- spinner :cool:
Click to expand...

Do you think it gets harder as you get older?
 
barnaclelapse said:
Do you think it gets harder as you get older?
Click to expand...

I don't know....

My observation is that even though the people I work around are younger by nature of what I am doing (videotaping rock bands), I have been told by people in(around?) the industry, manager types, that they don't want to "babysit" a band. That means even though they will sign a band with very young members, they don't want to have to watch the kids who are just turning 21 and wanting to get drunk. They don't want to deal with a lead singer with a substance problem. They do want people who understand the "business of music" and that often means someone who is older, but ideally skews younger. I know a number of people my age in the bands I am pursuing or at least just younger.

I am lucky because even though I could lose a few pounds :rolleyes: I get carded alot. But I also have some good work under my belt so I think that goes on ahead of me. I will say that I tend not to 'skew' my age, but I do act like me, not younger or trying to be younger, just me. I will admit to the fact that vanity might make me color my hair somewhat, but thats only because the grey streaks didn't come in like Lily Munster. (I woulda sported that proudly.)

I will say that I do worry alittle about what I don't have access to. There are alot of kids just out of school who have access to computer programs I want to learn. I am trying to figure out how to get the FCP Studio 2 so that what I do will improve. But I know from experience that just because you know all the bells and whistles doesn't mean your final product is all that great. I guess I worry more about the perception that younger is better. I worry about when I started and the fact that I should already be out there, though I am just beginning. I don't worry about my age.

I think that if my work is good, that will be the decision maker. My work needs to be distinctive and have its own voice and its own spirit. And then it has to stand up next to everyone elses, so who cares how old I am if I do a good, hopefully great job? Only an idiot would let your age be a dealbreaker if your work is up to par. I want my work to always be up to par. Maybe I should have started younger, but I didn't. I am here now and that is what I want to focus on.

So do I think its harder as I get older? I think it is hard across the board, but your talent (?) should make you stand out regardless of your age...

....did I make that clear as mud?

-- spinner :cool:
 
knightly said:
Never lament your current situation, work within it! You'd be surprised what you can do when you don't realize you can't do it :)
Click to expand...

When I say that I mean from a monetary standpoint. Financially, I am getting killed by bills and all that. But that hasn't stopped me from pursuing filmmaking. I don't know what I would do if I had to give it up. I would be pretty grumpy :grumpy:

After the holidays I am going to work on putting together that DIY light kit, money schmoney! :D

-- spinner :cool:
 
Don't forget you can rent. I see all these threads "Which **** should I buy," or "How do I make a ***," well, you can rent anything you need for a film, so consider that as an option as well.
 
Say you are a filmmaker or screenwriter and you plan to go to LA. What is the FIRST thing, not including room/board/temporary work, what is the first thing you as a filmmaker or screenwriter should do?

In your opinion, of course....


-- spinner :cool:
 
spinner said:
Say you are a filmmaker or screenwriter and you plan to go to LA. What is the FIRST thing, not including room/board/temporary work, what is the first thing you as a filmmaker or screenwriter should do?
Click to expand...

Work on the movies of other independent filmmakers.
 
Hi. well though i am not experienced but when i imagine i will start my first project i will keep these things in mind

1) Backup of actors specially for the lead actors.
2) Visitng the location and deciding earlier that how the scenes will be shot and deciding camera angles and shots (my story board is more than worse so will not rely on it)
3) Rehalsels of actors is a must for me.
4) i know hitting Hollywood for my first movie looks impossible. But i always belive "Every thing is possible, but not by every one and i am not that every one". So try to be optimistic no matter even if ground realities say your movie cant enter Hollywood, still try out.
5) Try to search other markets too for my film. There are atleast 192 countries. I will atleast try some 10 countries any where in this world.
 
#2, make sure to listen to sound as well while you are at the location. Anything that will interrupt your shooting (airplanes over head, traffic noise, noisy neighbors).
 
Well 2 most important thing from my point of vie that every filmmaker must know are
Its niche market...:D...

i mean should be very clear about it

secondly in which genre he is the best.. I believe that majority of the filmmakers (specially who write scripts themselves) are best in 1 or 2 genre but they cant be good in all the genres.


Regards
 
Get a camera. Any camera. It doesn't matter if it is your grandma's 1988 VHS camcorder. If you got one at your disposal use it! Don't worry abut what the next grand camera is. There will always be a bigger, badder camera on the horizon. If you spend all of your time waiting to get that new piece of equipment, look at all the time you have lost by not doing something. Every project will make you better.
 
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