Who wants to write

[FantasySciFi]

Originally Posted by DesperadoMan17

... Filming is what I want to do with my life ...

Originally Posted by DesperadoMan17

I have a guy that has been in the business for 30 plus years. He has a lot of other people he works with. I really dont have a budget. Well this would be my first short film so maybe like 10-15 pages. The only thing I have directed is a doritos superbowl commercial..

If you want make filmmaking part of your life, you need to learn all the facets. Writing a 10-15 page script is not that difficult. Every filmmaker needs to understand the mechanics of scriptwriting, as well as videography, editing, and acting. It doesn't hurt to study sound and lighting. You also need learn about the business side. It's a great idea to also volunteer your time on other people's sets as a production assistant to learn the ropes. Be involved in productions. Be an extra or actor to see the styles of other directors. Being a director without any experience outside of a Dorito's commercial is like trying to be CEO of construction company and unable to read the blueprints or have experience with carpentry, plumbing or electrical work. "Well, I built a treehouse...."

I'm not saying this to be hard on you, but really you need to gain more experience by doing. Relying on a guy with 30+ years experience to do the filming does not help you ... if you're trying to make this what you want to do with your life. You need to learn this business from the ground up. Even successful screenwriters often start out as readers.

Look at youTube. You got kids who are 9 putting up some very clever 5 minute shorts that they've written, shot, edited and put in special effects themselves. If this is your life ambition, you need to tackle all aspects. It doesn't mean you enjoy or will do all these proficiently, but you can't start at the top (director) without learning the basics. And you can only learn those by doing.

Write up your idea and post it here for feedback. We can help you craft a good story and screenplay that you can shoot. But, sincerely, the most successful directors in Hollywood (or elsewhere) often produce their own scripts. My advice is that you write your screenplay, let people here help you hone it, then get your experienced friend to teach you how to film and edit it. Get your friends together and shoot it yourself. Keep the setting simple to your house or a location you can easily access. That's how most of us get into it. Trying to start at the top without experience is a recipe for disaster. Every director starts out as production assistant on other people's movies.

Good luck!

[fernando97echeverria]

I may be able to help you out here.

I have a little crime short, "To Love a Gun". It's bad-ass, gritty and the plot is intricate, and smart, I dare say- but it has plenty of action- all under a reasonable budget. However, I want to fix it up a bit and make it a little more interesting- so I ask you this, can your budget handle a minor car crash (no mass destruction, just a little broadside)?

Anyway, shoot me a PM with an e-mail so I can send you a copy. Thanks!

[directorik]

Originally Posted by DesperadoMan17

So I was wondering if anyone would want to take his spot and help me write a short so I can direct.

Did you contact this guy?
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=39740

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

May I ask DesperatoMan17 who will be funding this film? DM17 or your friend with the camera with 30 years experience? Or, are you both investing into it? Money makes it real.

[DesperadoMan17]

Originally Posted by directorik

Did you contact this guy?
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=39740

Yes I have. I read one of his short scripts and its pretty good.

Originally Posted by Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

May I ask DesperatoMan17 who will be funding this film? DM17 or your friend with the camera with 30 years experience? Or, are you both investing into it? Money makes it real.

Right now I wouldnt know who would be funding for it.

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

So, how will you compensate the writer of the script?

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

Why don't you take a break and work out how the productiion will be financed and what the budget will be? Can you finance the film yourself? Will your friend with the camera work for you for low or no compensation?

[FantasySciFi]

Originally Posted by Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

Why don't you take a break and work out how the productiion will be financed and what the budget will be? Can you finance the film yourself? Will your friend with the camera work for you for low or no compensation?

Modern, you're approaching this at too advanced a level. He's never shot anything. He's never written anything. He's never edited anything. He has no clue about lighting, shot angles, or sound. He's only "directed" (whatever that means to him), a 1-2 minute doritos commercial which was written and shot by someone else with 30+ years experience and that guy's resources.

It's like your kid has a paper route and wants to open a bank account. You're advising to watch the stock market and evaluate with markets he should invest in avoid poor returns. He's looking at you blankly as glances over the columns of cryptic numbers and letters with his twelve dollars in hand.

Desperado needs to get his feet wet and he needs to do it at the basic level. He needs to just write a few shorts himself, get his friends together and start filming. IF it is something that he really wants to do in life, THEN he will dedicate himself to the other aspects. Many of us have jobs that pay for the filmmaking/writing/acting side. His friend can help him out by teaching him to shoot, set up lights, work the sound equipment. He can write a few shorts and shoot them with his friends. It's the only way to really learn to make films. Unless your parent is a movie bigwig, it takes gaining skills in all the areas--including acting and writing. A good director can do miracles with $5000. An incompetent director can spend $5 million and still have garbage. Money is important, but only when combined with experience.

You're right that the 'business side' will drive the movie's production. He needs to learn what goes into that from all sides. I've known 'backseat directors', videographers who like shooting and want others to 'direct'. Somehow, though, they get to call the 'shots' ("You know, if X did Y that would look cool." "Let's try that from over here because of the lighting." etc.) I think collaborative directing can be helpful. However, when you have to direct solo and the cast and crew are looking to you, you NEED to have a good grasp of the different aspects besides the budget.

Did you break out the angles/shots/transitions for the script, maybe storyboard them? What kind of lighting and effects do you want? Will you need extra shots for special effects/green screen? Will you need multiple angles shots for conversations? Do you have permissions? What will appeal to the viewers? There are lots of considerations in telling the visual story.

Paraphrasing: "I need a 10-15 page script to shoot. The only thing I've done was a two minute Dorito's commercial. I want someone else to write it [because they have experience]. I'm going to have someone else shoot it because he has experience and people who can help out [who have experience]." I don't mean to be unkind, but directors get respect because they HAVE personal experience. It's hard to be the director when cast and crew keep turning to someone else for the answers.

I'm NOT suggesting that every director needs to go to film school or have tons of movies under the belt. I would suggest that a director MUST have the experience of going through the important roles of acting, writing, shooting and editing. Doing this a couple times on shorts magically brings things together. Lighting, sound, and set construction are also highly recommended. Then the money side makes sense (cents?).

Desperado, you're making this too hard for yourself. Just write a short 4-6 page script. Learn how to work the camera. Get some friends and shoot it. Directing is much simpler once you understand how to frame shots (Rule of thirds), how to shift angles (high/low, 180 rule, etc.), and understand lighting and focus. These take experience. Read lots of scripts, see how the writers break out shots that can help you as the director visualize the story. Write some yourself. You're not writing a masterpiece just a couple stories to play with writing! Take your favorite TV show and write a quick scene. Read up on how to make a shot list and storyboard. Practice these with a couple 4-6 page scripts. Learn about editing. Even those that come pre-installed on most computers (like Microsoft MovieMaker) are ways to get a feel for transitions and effects. Shoot some footage of friends and edit it. There are freeware applications out there that let you do more advanced effects that you can explore (Jahshaka, Wax 2.0, Blender, etc.). As you play and gain experience, you will become a better director. You will know how to tell the story visually and have a better sense of what you can do within your budget. Shotlists give you a great deal of control over what and who needs to be in a scene. As you watch TV and movies, study how the light and shots are framed. Understanding the basics of 3 point lighting will change the quality of your movies.

If the only impression you have of being a director is telling people how to act and yelling action, then it will be a surprise when you assist on other sets. I would STRONGLY encourage you to work/volunteer time on other productions. I always learn a great deal from observing different styles of direction. If you want to make filming your life try and do a little bit of everything! Being a production assistant or assistant director is an awesome learning experience that will make you a much better director.

Best wishes as you explore filmmaking.

[Flicker Pictures]

Originally Posted by FantasySciFi

Modern, you're approaching this at too advanced a level. He's never shot anything. He's never written anything. He's never edited anything. He has no clue about lighting, shot angles, or sound. He's only "directed" (whatever that means to him), a 1-2 minute doritos commercial which was written and shot by someone else with 30+ years experience and that guy's resources.

It's like your kid has a paper route and wants to open a bank account. You're advising to watch the stock market and evaluate with markets he should invest in avoid poor returns. He's looking at you blankly as glances over the columns of cryptic numbers and letters with his twelve dollars in hand.

Desperado needs to get his feet wet and he needs to do it at the basic level. He needs to just write a few shorts himself, get his friends together and start filming. IF it is something that he really wants to do in life, THEN he will dedicate himself to the other aspects. Many of us have jobs that pay for the filmmaking/writing/acting side. His friend can help him out by teaching him to shoot, set up lights, work the sound equipment. He can write a few shorts and shoot them with his friends. It's the only way to really learn to make films. Unless your parent is a movie bigwig, it takes gaining skills in all the areas--including acting and writing. A good director can do miracles with $5000. An incompetent director can spend $5 million and still have garbage. Money is important, but only when combined with experience.

You're right that the 'business side' will drive the movie's production. He needs to learn what goes into that from all sides. I've known 'backseat directors', videographers who like shooting and want others to 'direct'. Somehow, though, they get to call the 'shots' ("You know, if X did Y that would look cool." "Let's try that from over here because of the lighting." etc.) I think collaborative directing can be helpful. However, when you have to direct solo and the cast and crew are looking to you, you NEED to have a good grasp of the different aspects besides the budget.

Did you break out the angles/shots/transitions for the script, maybe storyboard them? What kind of lighting and effects do you want? Will you need extra shots for special effects/green screen? Will you need multiple angles shots for conversations? Do you have permissions? What will appeal to the viewers? There are lots of considerations in telling the visual story.

Paraphrasing: "I need a 10-15 page script to shoot. The only thing I've done was a two minute Dorito's commercial. I want someone else to write it [because they have experience]. I'm going to have someone else shoot it because he has experience and people who can help out [who have experience]." I don't mean to be unkind, but directors get respect because they HAVE personal experience. It's hard to be the director when cast and crew keep turning to someone else for the answers.

I'm NOT suggesting that every director needs to go to film school or have tons of movies under the belt. I would suggest that a director MUST have the experience of going through the important roles of acting, writing, shooting and editing. Doing this a couple times on shorts magically brings things together. Lighting, sound, and set construction are also highly recommended. Then the money side makes sense (cents?).

Desperado, you're making this too hard for yourself. Just write a short 4-6 page script. Learn how to work the camera. Get some friends and shoot it. Directing is much simpler once you understand how to frame shots (Rule of thirds), how to shift angles (high/low, 180 rule, etc.), and understand lighting and focus. These take experience. Read lots of scripts, see how the writers break out shots that can help you as the director visualize the story. Write some yourself. You're not writing a masterpiece just a couple stories to play with writing! Take your favorite TV show and write a quick scene. Read up on how to make a shot list and storyboard. Practice these with a couple 4-6 page scripts. Learn about editing. Even those that come pre-installed on most computers (like Microsoft MovieMaker) are ways to get a feel for transitions and effects. Shoot some footage of friends and edit it. There are freeware applications out there that let you do more advanced effects that you can explore (Jahshaka, Wax 2.0, Blender, etc.). As you play and gain experience, you will become a better director. You will know how to tell the story visually and have a better sense of what you can do within your budget. Shotlists give you a great deal of control over what and who needs to be in a scene. As you watch TV and movies, study how the light and shots are framed. Understanding the basics of 3 point lighting will change the quality of your movies.

If the only impression you have of being a director is telling people how to act and yelling action, then it will be a surprise when you assist on other sets. I would STRONGLY encourage you to work/volunteer time on other productions. I always learn a great deal from observing different styles of direction. If you want to make filming your life try and do a little bit of everything! Being a production assistant or assistant director is an awesome learning experience that will make you a much better director.

Best wishes as you explore filmmaking.

[rayw]

Originally Posted by FantasySciFi

Modern, you're approaching this at too advanced a level. He's never shot anything. He's never written anything. He's never edited anything. He has no clue about lighting, shot angles, or sound. He's only "directed" (whatever that means to him), a 1-2 minute doritos commercial which was written and shot by someone else with 30+ years experience and that guy's resources.

It's like your kid has a paper route and wants to open a bank account. You're advising to watch the stock market and evaluate with markets he should invest in avoid poor returns. He's looking at you blankly as glances over the columns of cryptic numbers and letters with his twelve dollars in hand.

Desperado needs to get his feet wet and he needs to do it at the basic level. He needs to just write a few shorts himself, get his friends together and start filming. IF it is something that he really wants to do in life, THEN he will dedicate himself to the other aspects. Many of us have jobs that pay for the filmmaking/writing/acting side. His friend can help him out by teaching him to shoot, set up lights, work the sound equipment. He can write a few shorts and shoot them with his friends. It's the only way to really learn to make films. Unless your parent is a movie bigwig, it takes gaining skills in all the areas--including acting and writing. A good director can do miracles with $5000. An incompetent director can spend $5 million and still have garbage. Money is important, but only when combined with experience.

You're right that the 'business side' will drive the movie's production. He needs to learn what goes into that from all sides. I've known 'backseat directors', videographers who like shooting and want others to 'direct'. Somehow, though, they get to call the 'shots' ("You know, if X did Y that would look cool." "Let's try that from over here because of the lighting." etc.) I think collaborative directing can be helpful. However, when you have to direct solo and the cast and crew are looking to you, you NEED to have a good grasp of the different aspects besides the budget.

Did you break out the angles/shots/transitions for the script, maybe storyboard them? What kind of lighting and effects do you want? Will you need extra shots for special effects/green screen? Will you need multiple angles shots for conversations? Do you have permissions? What will appeal to the viewers? There are lots of considerations in telling the visual story.

Paraphrasing: "I need a 10-15 page script to shoot. The only thing I've done was a two minute Dorito's commercial. I want someone else to write it [because they have experience]. I'm going to have someone else shoot it because he has experience and people who can help out [who have experience]." I don't mean to be unkind, but directors get respect because they HAVE personal experience. It's hard to be the director when cast and crew keep turning to someone else for the answers.

I'm NOT suggesting that every director needs to go to film school or have tons of movies under the belt. I would suggest that a director MUST have the experience of going through the important roles of acting, writing, shooting and editing. Doing this a couple times on shorts magically brings things together. Lighting, sound, and set construction are also highly recommended. Then the money side makes sense (cents?).

Desperado, you're making this too hard for yourself. Just write a short 4-6 page script. Learn how to work the camera. Get some friends and shoot it. Directing is much simpler once you understand how to frame shots (Rule of thirds), how to shift angles (high/low, 180 rule, etc.), and understand lighting and focus. These take experience. Read lots of scripts, see how the writers break out shots that can help you as the director visualize the story. Write some yourself. You're not writing a masterpiece just a couple stories to play with writing! Take your favorite TV show and write a quick scene. Read up on how to make a shot list and storyboard. Practice these with a couple 4-6 page scripts. Learn about editing. Even those that come pre-installed on most computers (like Microsoft MovieMaker) are ways to get a feel for transitions and effects. Shoot some footage of friends and edit it. There are freeware applications out there that let you do more advanced effects that you can explore (Jahshaka, Wax 2.0, Blender, etc.). As you play and gain experience, you will become a better director. You will know how to tell the story visually and have a better sense of what you can do within your budget. Shotlists give you a great deal of control over what and who needs to be in a scene. As you watch TV and movies, study how the light and shots are framed. Understanding the basics of 3 point lighting will change the quality of your movies.

If the only impression you have of being a director is telling people how to act and yelling action, then it will be a surprise when you assist on other sets. I would STRONGLY encourage you to work/volunteer time on other productions. I always learn a great deal from observing different styles of direction. If you want to make filming your life try and do a little bit of everything! Being a production assistant or assistant director is an awesome learning experience that will make you a much better director.

Best wishes as you explore filmmaking.

http://www.indietalk.com/showthread....895#post255895

[directorik]

Originally Posted by FantasySciFi

Modern, you're approaching this at too advanced a level. He's never shot anything. He's never written anything. He's never edited anything. He has no clue about lighting, shot angles, or sound.

Excellent post, Fantasy.

Someone just starting out is not thinking of compensating
people, they are looking to meet people who share their
dreams. Sometimes meeting a writer and putting together
a project is what get the ball rolling. Making movies at the
very beginning of your journey isn't "business" it's exploration
and learning.

[Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC]

He is better off doing a production without his friend he seems to need to impress with a great script and work on something he is more able to handle on his own.

Instead of impressing his friend, just work on something smaller and just learn the ropes.

[rayw]

Originally Posted by Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

Instead of impressing his friend, just work on something smaller and just learn the ropes.

Agreed.

He needs to write more than we are. Ahem.




EDIT: Would it be offensive if I copied all of this thread and pasted into screenplay format just to see how many pages this conversation alone has... blossomed into?

[newcitypictures]

Hey I would b willing to work with you contact me and we can talk it over