Greetings from Canada!

Hello, all.I've already posted a couple of times on the forum, but I figured I should introduce myself.

My name is David, and I hail from BC, Canada's northern capital, Prince George. I've been writing stories since I was a small child, and have decided to get into short films. Something I've wanted to do for years, but my own insecurities kept me from doing it.

I'm a complete, raw neophyte when it comes to filmmaking, and I'm hoping to get into film school in the next couple of years. Until then, I'm going to learn the hard (but vastly cheaper, in some respects) way - trial and error.

I'm the type who takes advice well and criticism... well, maybe not as well as I could, but moderately well.

Anyway, that's me in a nutcase... er... nutshell. I'm always open to question.

Have a great (insert appropriate time of day here)!

Trial & error's okay - it works much better having done a wee bit of research first, though.

'sup, Canadude.

Yeah, that's definitely coming into the picture, too. My first paycheque from this job, I'm doing a major Chapters bookstore run.

Hello from the other side of canada!

canada hello

I think the best way to learn to make films is to just do it (like the nike commercial). I think that research is a good idea. the internet is a great place to learn about film making. I read a couple of interesting books on indie film making "Rebel Without a Crew" by Robert Rodriguez is good although it is more biographical then hands on useful stuff. "How to make an Action Movie for $99" was full of tips and suggestions and really useful, but the guy's movie isn't available to watch on youtube or anywhere. It would have been nice to see the finished product that he talks about in his book.

Quick tips:

-sound makes a big difference, put the mics as close as possible to the actors to avoid room echo and to get a good high level signal. sometimes a mic extension on a cheap camcorder can cause hum if the camcorder is on AC power. run off batteries to avoid this.

-study lighting and practice. good lighting is important. I am struggling with this right now.

-work out as many details as you can so that you are organized when you go to shoot. saves time getting set up and makes your actors feel like they are working with a pro.

Hello David from Canada!

HOOOO CANADAAAAA!!! Sup Dave!! From Quebec here!!!