Should I produce a movie and not do anything else on it?

H

harmonica44

I am attempting to break into the business with my first feature, after having participated in making several shorts of other people, helping out with production, and post production on them.

However, when it comes to writing my own script, or perfecting how to operate a camera, or other equipment, a lot of people will tell me to hire someone else to do it. They will say hire a writer, to do it for you, or hire a director to direct the movie for me, or hire a camera operator or boom operator, etc.

They say I should just hire pros and that way I don't have to do anything but produce, and leave the rest up to much more experienced people.

But if I do that, and produce only, I feel that I am not doing enough. It's hard to explain why, I just feel like I should be doing more, since filmmaking is my passion.

I mean a lot of directors do other things on set such as operating some of the equipment while shooting. And some do a lot of the post, such as the editing, other post duties.

But a lot of people still tell me to just produce only, and get others to do everything else. Do you think I should and it does make things easier? Cause I have this feeling that it could easily make things more complicated in a way. What do you think?
 
But if I do that, and produce only, I feel that I am not doing enough.
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If you're saying that, you don't know what a producer does.

I'd suggest that you foot the bill (be the Executive/Executive Producer), hire the best people you can afford. Observe and learn. Learn how to do it properly from professionals instead of telling people your version of the wrong way to do it.

I feel that I am not doing enough.
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It'll be ok. I'm sure the cast and crew will appreciate you sitting back, not getting underfoot every chance you get.
 
Blah blah blah film blah blah produce blah blah hire the best people blah blah not doing enough blah
 
harmonica44 said:
............ since filmmaking is my passion.

.............
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So, make stuff!
Live your passion!
Shoot a short and put in all the experience you gained in the past 5 years.

I know I've been giving this advice for 5 years by now, but your first short was long for a first short and proved to by a bit larger than you could chew.
If you would embark on a feature now, it will be even a bigger chunk to chew on, while you haven't been 'successfull' on producing any short yet.
You really need to get the hang of things and I'm not even talking about skills to operate equipment, but more basic stuff like creative thinking in practical situations, communicating what you mean, some perseverance (because if filmmaking is your passion, you wouldn't give up on a short because nobody seems interested in shorts) and a more independant spirit instead of thinking: 'will the audience....?'.
Make something because your heart is completely in it, make it because you think it is cool or heartbreaking or whatever, make it the way you think it makes sense (although this last advice seems a bit tricky, because your sense of logic often seems to make no sense at all :P )

So I will repeat myself over and over again: make something short.
It can even be 1 minute only.
"Okay, thanks, but...."
Make something!
Not only to gain experience and learn, but also to discover your strong AND weak points, because if you want to hire people they will need to compensate your weakpoints. But that is not always easy to see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMpdPrm6Ul4&feature=youtu.be&t=542

So make something!
Stop distracting yourself with 'should I learn to play multiple instruments to score my feature'? 'What shade of blue will make my selfies look cinematic?' 'Is my director wrong?' 'How can I fix this scene without giving you context?' 'Is this a good way to break into the business without putting the hours in it?'
Stop fantasizing about the red carpet!
Make movies because you feel the urge to make them!

There is no shortcut into breaking into the business.
All the great directors made stuff before they made a feature. Some played around with cameras since they were kids. Do you think they cared about audiences then? They had fun and learned by doing!

So, your feature should still be your goal: a supergoal.
Now set your smaller goals that will get you there step by step.
My suggestion for step one:
make a short short and use what you have learnt in the past years to actually finish it.
 
Well I keep putting adds out to hire actors, but so far none of them are liking the scripts I think.

Right now, I am making a documentary type youtube piece for someone, which is only a few minutes. I can keep going out and shooting shots of places, animals, etc, and stick with that for now though as well, if that's best. If I were to make a bigger project now though, I wouldn't go ahead without hired help, compared to the short I made before, where I did nearly everything myself.

So when I say I am practicing to make a feature, it would be a huge difference when I hire a lot of help, compared to doing everything myself of course.
 
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harmonica44 said:
Well I keep putting adds out to hire actors, but so far none of them are liking the scripts I think.

....................
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Post your latest add here, please.
Let's see how you communicate it. Because it is not only about the idea, but also in the wording.
Maybe we can help you with that.
 
blah blah blah scripts blah blah blah blah we can help blah blah can keep going out and shooting shots of places, animals blah blah
 
I think you should give producing a try.

Go out and produce a short film. If you find it's not satisfying at least you tried and got more experience.
Maybe you'll even make a couple connections.
 
harmonica44 said:
I am attempting to break into the business with my first feature, after having participated in making several shorts of other people, helping out with production, and post production on them.

However, when it comes to writing my own script, or perfecting how to operate a camera, or other equipment, a lot of people will tell me to hire someone else to do it. They will say hire a writer, to do it for you, or hire a director to direct the movie for me, or hire a camera operator or boom operator, etc.

They say I should just hire pros and that way I don't have to do anything but produce, and leave the rest up to much more experienced people.

But if I do that, and produce only, I feel that I am not doing enough. It's hard to explain why, I just feel like I should be doing more, since filmmaking is my passion.

I mean a lot of directors do other things on set such as operating some of the equipment while shooting. And some do a lot of the post, such as the editing, other post duties.

But a lot of people still tell me to just produce only, and get others to do everything else. Do you think I should and it does make things easier? Cause I have this feeling that it could easily make things more complicated in a way. What do you think?
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If they are telling you to hire someone in remote areas like sask. then they dont know anything or listen to them. You might not be good
 
Well... h44.. Producers do more than I think you know. This conception most likely comes from being an indie.

Indie productions tend to not have a real producer. They have a director that's wearing too many hats. I'm sure you've seen directors calling people to put together the entire crew, calling and posting for funding, putting together schedules, etc ...

But in reality a director does one thing. Direct the talent.

Producers do all those things that indie directors try to do themselves. (Not a bad thing, but damn a producer could really help them out.)

Producer will hire the crew (except the DP, that's Director's call at the least), they will find the money to get the production funded (the people they find are then called Executive Producers, and have creative control), they will manage the team through post production in a lot of aspects making sure everything is done.

An indie producer may also end up being a UPM, AD, Casting Director, and more... There are tons of things an indie producer will do.

And everything that producer does is so the director can spend more time doing what his job is meant to, directing.

------------------

Also on the mention you said that you know directors work with equipment... Even on indie shoots, I've yet to see a director work with equipment. I've seen them direct a crew member for what they want, but never start actually doing it.

But I do know Camera Operators, that if a DP (or Director I guess) takes the camera and does a shot, they'll walk. The keys should trust their crew. If not, hire different people who you can trust.
 
Okay thanks. On the shoots I have been on, the directors will work camera related equipment themselves sometimes.

When I direct I am also wearing the boom op hat a lot.
 
harmonica44 said:
Okay thanks. On the shoots I have been on, the directors will work camera related equipment themselves sometimes.

When I direct I am also wearing the boom op hat a lot.
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It is preferable to not do that, because operating the boom means you have to look at what is NOT on screen, while a director must ONLY focus on what is ON screen.
You can't judge a take when your eyes are on the boom and reviewing every take, because your attention was elsewhere will drain every momentum.
 
WalterB said:
It is preferable to not do that, because operating the boom means you have to look at what is NOT on screen, while a director must ONLY focus on what is ON screen.
You can't judge a take when your eyes are on the boom and reviewing every take, because your attention was elsewhere will drain every momentum.
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It sucks but I end up holding the boom pole a lot when I direct.
Much easier to get someone else to hold a camera than it is to get them to hold a boom pole.
 
sfoster said:
It sucks but I end up holding the boom pole a lot when I direct.
Much easier to get someone else to hold a camera than it is to get them to hold a boom pole.
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I know it sucks.
I've done it as well. At least I could look at the monitor AND the action in the frame was simple so I didn't need to move the boom.

For everyone it sucks, but for H44 it is just a very very very bad idea.
Remember, ages ago, when he acted in his first short and could not watch what was being shot and how it looked AND he always had to little time to shoot everything? How he complained things were out of focus and off screen?
To make sure that doesn't happen anymore he must not operate booms when he directs.
 
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