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Just venting...

G

gorillaonabike

Aaaaargghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was feeling so smug. We shot all the footage, recorded it all (thanks to everyones' help on here) and it all went without a hitch. All the actors / crew turned up on time in the right place, everyone did what they said they would do and the rehearsals paid off. There were a few little niggles but it was all pretty smooth.

I was feeling so smug as I tracked the footage down (it ended up everywhere) and handed it all over to my editor on my supersized computer. And then... nothing.

The one element which I did not take into account was an editor who did not have the time to edit! When he moves, it's great and I love what he does but it's just getting him to move. To be fair, he's a great guy and apologised profusely but I just needed to vent.

Thank you all as I am just venting and thanks to everyone who proffered the advice which allowed the shoots to go almost without a hitch.

Is this just me? Despite inch perfect planning to have something go wrong at the last second...
 
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It is really sad. I lost an entire film due to indifference and irresponsibility from a team. And worst: it was a film about abandoned children, which the cast is formed by very poor kids who I selected in what in Brazil we know as "favela", a place of extreme misery. They see on this movie a way to make their life better (because I told it to them).

So I took my broken dream (and their too) and started again. Rewritting the screenplay, working and buying with my money all what i will need to make this film happen. That is my life right now.

I think sometimes filmmaking is all about the vision you have in your life and the way you fight for it, because the movie will receive a lot from your soul. Your independent film can depend from you as a son, and you have to carry it even in the arms. So, don't give up, you are almost on the finish line :)


* Here a little trailer of the first and failed attempt on my movie (without audio work because the audio team just abandoned it): http://vimeo.com/33365673

Good luck!
 
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An organization can be identified by it's projects or process approach along a maturity model.

Screen-shot-2011-09-15-at-10.11.292.png


I believe many of our rather sporadic filmmaking projects would fall under Level 0 or 1, an ad hoc or reactive approach, where an abundant supply of bumps, big and small, are the norm.

However, depending upon the dimension of your own particular project, even a Level 4 or 5 process should reasonably expect some "less than clockwork" activities.

GL & be patient.
Do you have back up copies of all the files?
 
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Speaking as both the guy that's taken a while because I'm either overcommitted/uninterested/have bills to pay and the guy who has had to wait an unusually long period of time for something that may or may never be finished...

Go with someone else. If you can find someone else to do it or you want to do it just politely let him know that you're needing to have this done by X deadline. If he can really do it, great. If not, no hard feelings, we'll go another direction.
 
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I was wondering what had happened to you; it's been a while!

Anyway, I guess the question is do you want it done fast, or done well. As you said, you like the guy's work, so maybe if you can motivate him a little (a well-timed unexpected delivery of beer and/or spirits-of-choice?) you can get it wrapped up.

Hang in there, and I can't wait to see the finished film!
 
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rayw said:
A prostitute with spirit of choice, maybe? :yes::no::blush::D
Click to expand...

It's happening... slowly. And then will come sound engineering plus music.

Fortunately it's my first short and it's not particularly good. My partner looked at what little footage had been shot, told me it was boring and then asked if I wanted to watch a Bridget Jones DVD for the zillionth time.

That being said, he's editing and colour correcting it for free and he's very, very good so I can't exactly complain.

But I will so there...
 
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gorillaonabike said:
It's happening... slowly. And then will come sound engineering plus music.

Fortunately it's my first short and it's not particularly good. My partner looked at what little footage had been shot, told me it was boring and then asked if I wanted to watch a Bridget Jones DVD for the zillionth time.
Click to expand...
Fair enough.

Re boring: No, slam on you, especially since it's sight unseen, but this is an almost given occurrence with not only first time or rookie filmmakers but also with the majority of "true independent filmmakers."
Much of what I've seen from Sundance 2010 & 2011 are bo-rinnnnng!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsBznn8D13zOdGlCeDRmWTFCYXJRWjJ3SUphZDNzMGc#gid=0
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsBznn8D13zOdHh6cHJBMW5aQkZSMzZYR2V3VUxQVUE#gid=0

It's something which I kinda cast a hyper-analytical eye towards, (failingly) attempting to deconstruct the mechanics of "why" are so many of our film projects unemotionally boring.
Lovely execution.
Boring story.

The editing can be fine.
The acting can be fine.
The story structure, where it all begins, looks good on paper with all the characters and plot points and motivating factors all in good order, but D@MNATION! it does not transfer well to screen.

We've all seen these films, big budget studio films included.
My goto example is Babylon AD. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_A.D.
It's got all the right elements.
- dystopian fantasy action
- locations
- stars
But... giiiccckk. WTH happened?

I'm just as guilty myself.
I don't get it.
I don't understand.
I can see it but not understand it with my little pea brain.
I dunno.
 
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rayw said:
Fair enough.

Re boring: No, slam on you, especially since it's sight unseen, but this is an almost given occurrence with not only first time or rookie filmmakers but also with the majority of "true independent filmmakers."
Much of what I've seen from Sundance 2010 & 2011 are bo-rinnnnng!
Click to expand...

Part of this is personal engagement. It's abstract, artistically-driven, there is no action to speak of (sure, there's a bit of movement but it's pretty tame) and she couldn't connect with the message.

Also, I showed her a rough cut which hadn't been colour corrected so already it looks a bit weird. Hell, it's a bit of an abstract piece so it's wierd anyway!

Oh and I haven't musicked and it is lacking sound engineering.

But I took her overall comment on board... after being upset that opus number 1 is, erm, mediocre and I'm not Spielberg. But then again I wasn't expecting anything less.
 
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It isn't the work, it's the work ethic. Most people under 40 nowadays rarely have it. Everyone gets sidetracked by the smallest thing. Especially their cell phones.

The fact is, if someone commits, then commit. If you hate it, and you're not getting paid, politely tell them that this isn't working. But, if you're getting paid, do the work. It's really that simple.

There's a million excuses. But, if you say you're going to do something, you do it.

I was hired to make a trailer. I was sent all the minidvs and a script. It took about 10 hours to download all the footage, and a day or so to create the trailer. As I watched the footage being imported, all I could think of was how sorry I felt for the person that would have to make a movie out of this. After seeing my trailer, the guy fired his editor and hired me to do the job. He was paying a decent amount of money, so I jumped at it. I had that thing edited in no time at all. Because, I committed to do it. So, I just did it. It received World Wide Distribution.

Some guy hired me weeks ago to make a slide show presentation of his high school seniors. It's 300 photos and I've yet to get one. I'm doing it in FCP by hand, so I can transition on the beats. I have to have it done by the end of May. I might be up nights doing it. But, it will be done.
 
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