Community Project

My greatest regret, during my time on IndieTalk, has been my failure to get a community project off the ground. We came pretty close with the organ lottery project, but it never quite worked out. The past few days has seen a new member trying to get another community project off the ground, but is, I suspect, going to fall into a number of inevitable traps.

I am currently studying for the final exams of my academic career (*sob*) so am just sitting in libraries all day, every day. I'd like something to break it up a little bit (in addition to the couple of projects I am, slowly, working on). So I've come up with a new way to do a community project.

If you would like to participate in this project as a director (or in a shooting capacity), I need the following information out of you:

What actors are at your disposal? [i.e. two men and a woman]
What locations are at your disposal? [i.e. a house, a bar, an abandoned quarry]
Can you record decent quality sound? [i.e. yes]

Please be conservative with your responses. In order for this project to be realistic and work, I need to be sure that people can (and will) shoot their scenes in the allocated manner.

Once I have a bunch of participants, I will go away and write a short script that incorporates these various shooting units into a single coherent story. I will ensure that no member has more than a maximum of two days shooting (though generally will try and keep it to what can be done in a single day). If you cannot record decent quality sound, I will give you no dialogue to shoot. Everything will be kept as simple as possible (within the constraints of a very tricky project!) so that we have the maximum chance of success.

Additionally, if you are not willing to direct (or arrange the production of) a shooting unit, there are loads of other roles that are required:

Composer
Editor - individual units should edit their scenes but a central editor will put it all together and try and ensure that the editing matches throughout.
Post-sound
VFX - will not be VFX heavy, but we can incorporate some if there's someone who can supply the talent.
Marketing - with so many cooks, would be great to have someone responsible for pushing the film.

In order to make this attempt as successful as possible, I will only accept forum regulars into the scheme. New members (and I'm talking people who've only been around a few weeks) are welcome to input and help out, but it is of paramount importance that I know people will stick around and see their unit through to completion.

The deadline for signing up is 18th April 2014, giving people two weeks, after which we will allocate two months (and a bit) to complete production of your scenes, meaning a shooting deadline of 30th June 2014. As I have said, should be no more than a day of filming over the course of two months, so if you can't commit to that then please don't!

I really hope this works, and I think it can. Let me know if you have any thoughts and get signing up!

Current units:
David.rhsc (San Francisco, USA)
cheeseandachallenge (Wellington, New Zealand)
Cracker Funk (Richmond, USA)
wheatgrinder
Flicker Pictures (Boston, USA)
mad_hatter (Birmingham, England)
Dreadylocks (Omaha, USA)
Lucky Hardwood (New Orleans, USA)
ChimpPhobiaFilms (Ohio, USA)

Fence-sitting-maybe-merchants:
WalterB
Dreadylocks
sfoster
mad_hatter
ChimpPhobiaFilms
ItDonnedOnMe
jax_rox
Flicker Pictures

Music team
JoshL
mike mcguill

Sound team
mike mcguill

Sound maybes
AudioPostExpert
Alcove Audio

Marketing maybes
RayW

And remember to fill in this form if you want to have a shooting unit in the film!

(Of course, if you're local to an existing unit, why not team up?)
 
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1) Could Simon become a girl? Makes it a bit easier for me to find actors (the female actors I'm friends with are stronger than the male friends I have who do theatre - they tend to over-act a little more). I can find a male actor, it'll just mean a little more work in casting. Also, I'm always a fan of switching up stereotypical gender roles ;) Though I do have a male friend who probably looks great for the role - skinny, bearded chap - but he's not the strongest of actors. Just some thoughts there (again if needbe I'll track someone down)
2) Are we going to do anything to establish that this is New Zealand, other than having the previous scene mention New Zealand? Do I get some establishing shots (issue is Wellington city isn't international recognisable and just looks like any small city, really). Or would it be preferable to jump straight in.
3) I actually did just get a super bare-bones audio kit ordered (low-end mic + recorder). So dialogue should be okaaaay, esp given it'll be a closed environment. I might also suggest intercutting between my scene and the one with Vern? Helps it feel more coherent, and also can do some processing to the audio on Verns end to justify the potentially lower sound quality.

1) Done - I agree with you, it'll be better to have a more even spread of men and women involved (especially as all the directors are, sadly, male...).
2) We're basically thinking the same way. I've been to New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown, though not Wellington) and I was struck by how much the towns and cities basically just look like developed European cities. Other than Lord of the Rings locations, a glacier or a rugby stadium, there's probably not much that an international audience will recognise as New Zealand. So, I thought that rather than waste time on exposition developing it as New Zealand, we'd simply try and use the country as a byword for 'remote' or 'other side of the world'. I wrote that shot of Simon (now called Laura) going to the window so that we could have an exterior view of Wellington that New Zealanders would recognise, but, other than that, I think it might be too shoehorned to work in.
3) Glad you got the audio kit. I'm not sure about intercutting - in my head the units were working as a sort of relay with one another, passing the baton on and then sitting back to watch. But I guess if people think that would work then it's an easy fix. Might be more of an editing decision than a writing/directing one, in the end.

a few practical observations:

For the cell phone scene \ and footage..

Being in a wooded area gives a very small view of the sky. Full night in a wooded area is freaking pitch black and not very interesting. Very little foreground\background to make any scale.

Set it in a big open clear cut, on a logging road.. I know just the kinda place...

We also need a reason for the two guys to be out there with a camera and a cell phone? Also it would be much more fulfilling if it were a real scene OF the guys getting the phone footage rather than just the cell footage.

In my head, they are outside the forest - maybe on a road or something - watching the 'spaceship' above the treeline. But your example would be great, it's really just up to that shooting unit to find an appropriate environment. Any coniferous or deciduous sort of forest should do the trick, as it can be pretty much mimicked anywhere across North America.

I like it already :)
Nice how you connected the scenes :)
(Reminds me a bit of openingscenes of Terminator 2: they are connected in a natural way as well.)
And how you used the Pyramid location without a scene with a few dozen extras acting as cult members: great thinking!
In 'my scene' a makeup artist could be added :)
(It could make the main character more annoying/arrogant ;) )

About showing the video going viral with some shots from around the world: it's not scripted: do you think the story doesn't needs it?
I can try to get a national TV show to record a little piece for it (no success garantueed).
I have a (filmmaker) friend living in Tokyo, so we can get Tokyo skylines and Japanese voice-overs as well. Besides that: English/American should be no problem. Russian, French, Dutch are in my grasp.
It could even be done without video footage: just radiostyle during short opening titles
and otherwise a great opportunity to make it a nice visual title sequence ;)

You know what might be cool - if we get as many people who speak different languages as possible to record themselves saying stuff about the video going internationally viral, and then we could run them as a sound/subtitle collage at the start of the film. Or something like that.

I like the idea of trying to find a way of representing the spread of the video around the world.

Have started to make changes to the script based on the feedback here, and will continue with those revisions tomorrow and then post it once it's updated. Thanks for all the feedback guys, I feel like we're all moving in a really positive direction!
 
oooo.. should the cult members in the Netherlands be from the same cult in Oregon?

Regarding communicating the location, I think were going to have to expect some super imposed text, at least the first time we show a new location.

Its going to get real confusing to the viewer when we start bouncing around time zones day\night we cross the international date line at least three times.

I was playing with a GMT spread sheet last night trying to get the times all straight in my head, I think we may have a discontinuity between the new zealend shots being night and the
ca beach being mid day. New Zealand is about 20 hours ahead of CA, but that still puts it around 10:00AM the next morning... not the middle of the night.. or am I off here.. ???
 
How about this:

San Francisco - 9AM
Richmond - 12PM
Netherlands - 6PM
Wellington - 4AM
Oregon - 9AM

If those are the times at the start of the action, and everything plays out within a day, then that would make sense, right? Unless people think that 9am is too early to be at the beach! The New Zealand section would work with it being in the morning - the only reason I made it during the night was in order to accentuate the fact that it's in a very different timezone.
 
Its not so much that its too early, but its that they are about to leave as if they have been there a while.. which feels off.

Also, I dont believe SFO beaches are swimming kinds of beaches, you could make one of the friends a marine biologist or some such, and they are at the beach at low tide which could explain why they were there so early... you know what they say, "time and tide wait for no man"
 
At the moment there are no cult members in The Netherlands. The script doesn't need it, I guess.
Unless there has to be a second scene at the pyramid.

@Nick: I believe my main actor quit smoking. So that would be a little change.

9AM at the beach could be a bit early: when I was in SoCal I saw mostly surfers, bikers and runners at that time.
However: why not? :P If it's a sunny day :)

Maybe the timetable can swift a little as the story progresses.
Too bad we don't have a unit in Tokyo: it could be really night in there :P
(If we had one I would have an idea for it :P )

I guess I will have to shoot the scene backwards if we decide to shoot in the early morning to escape possible tourists at the location :P
 
2) We're basically thinking the same way. I've been to New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown, though not Wellington) and I was struck by how much the towns and cities basically just look like developed European cities. Other than Lord of the Rings locations, a glacier or a rugby stadium, there's probably not much that an international audience will recognise as New Zealand. So, I thought that rather than waste time on exposition developing it as New Zealand, we'd simply try and use the country as a byword for 'remote' or 'other side of the world'. I wrote that shot of Simon (now called Laura) going to the window so that we could have an exterior view of Wellington that New Zealanders would recognise, but, other than that, I think it might be too shoehorned to work in.
3) Glad you got the audio kit. I'm not sure about intercutting - in my head the units were working as a sort of relay with one another, passing the baton on and then sitting back to watch. But I guess if people think that would work then it's an easy fix. Might be more of an editing decision than a writing/directing one, in the end.
2) Yep, it's not like what you see in films for the most part (and even the stuff in LOTR is completely different parts of the country cut together - our landscape isn't that dynamic, sorry to say).
3) Oh, I think intercutting through the entire piece might be a bit confusing. But the phone conversation could cut between Vern and Laura once or twice (i.e. Laura starts talking > reaction shot of vern listening > Laura talking > vern hanging up > Laura confused confused about hangup) as a kind of transitional thing. Sup to you (though would probably need to write it in, so Vern's shooting unit gets some footage of him reacting).
 
We also need a reason for the two guys to be out there with a camera and a cell phone?

Perhaps they begin hearing noises and there is some rumbling noises, and the video clip starts with the intense noise, buildup, then the light in the sky.

Oh, and Nick, what if we went a different direction with the video? Perhaps instead of the light just flying by, there's light about them or near them. That could allow for some interesting sound design, compositing, and lighting. We could start the clip with low and heavy sounding rumbling, then a progressive buildup, the appearance of the light/near them, flashing, perhaps silhouettes of something occasionally seen through the light, screaming and high frequencies that become incredibly distorted and peak, then the camera looses audio, falls to the ground, and the screen goes black.

Perhaps the outcome of the hikers could be different too. Maybe the people on the beach aren't yet to the beach and are driving in the car, and begin to hear a radio report about two people found dead or ripped apart, or strange cell phone footage found, hence, the reason for the beginning of their conversation about aliens. Or maybe the screen stays black, and we just hear a radio/news report and a debate of what happened. Or perhaps as the events are happening, we see crime scene (just requires tape and perhaps some cones and such) pictures with blurred out parts, or if whoever is there couldn't bring simple props with that, we just do the black. But I feel like the aftermath of the event could be a bit more eerie and tense then it is now.
 
Perhaps they begin hearing noises and there is some rumbling noises, and the video clip starts with the intense noise, buildup, then the light in the sky.
What would or could be (Nick, brace yourself. Yeah go ahead and just start flinching now) increase marketability would be to design a signature audio sound for the spacecraft.

You guys might wanna start kicking that can around over at the [Community Project] Sound Design thread.
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=53557

'Close Encounters' http://www.cellsea.com/ringtone/detail/RT4d8765a6b7768.htm
'War of the Worlds' http://www.zedge.net/ringtone/484411/tripod-horn/
'Star Wars' TIE fighter fly by http://filmsound.org/starwars/tie.wav (More SW sounds: http://filmsound.org/starwars/)
(Doggone! More fun sound-nerd resources: http://www.filmsound.org/sound-effects/libraries.htm)
Gah! 'Star Trek' sounds:
http://www.trekcore.com/audio/
http://www.mediacollege.com/downloads/sound-effects/star-trek/tos/

But, you get the idea.
 
I don't really mind about the design of the spacecraft, other than the fact that I feel it should be plausible, not overly flashy and doable within our resources.

It's also worth us keeping in mind the fact that the 'viral video' section (which, in my opinion, should be shot as close as possible to how a real viral video might be shot) needs to be completed before the other shooting units start work. Many of the other sections interact directly with the video, and all will need to have a clear idea of what they are talking about, so, ideally, we'd start working on that ASAP.

I actually only scripted the video because I felt it would add some cohesion for people coming fresh to the script - there's no reason why whoever tackles making the video couldn't go off and do whatever they like with it, so long as it works within the rest of the plot.
 
It's also worth us keeping in mind the fact that the 'viral video' section (which, in my opinion, should be shot as close as possible to how a real viral video might be shot) needs to be completed before the other shooting units start work. Many of the other sections interact directly with the video, and all will need to have a clear idea of what they are talking about, so, ideally, we'd start working on that ASAP.
Now that this project seems to be gelling from nebulous principle to actually getting done a facebook, wordpress, or blogger site also needs to be set up for "the normal people on the periphery of filmmaking" to subscribe to and bookmark - and do it PDQ, I might add. :yes:

Time to start chumming the waters to build a fan base beyond Gilligan's Island.
grpnanadance.gif
 
Now that this project seems to be gelling from nebulous principle to actually getting done a facebook, wordpress, or blogger site also needs to be set up for "the normal people on the periphery of filmmaking" to subscribe to and bookmark - and do it PDQ, I might add. :yes:

Time to start chumming the waters to build a fan base beyond Gilligan's Island.
grpnanadance.gif

Sounds like a job for Super Ray the Marvellous Marketing Man!
 
Indeed!
I'm in post next couple of days.
After that I will start with breaking down the going viral worldwide sequence to see what we need and can do. (My Tokyo connection can shoot some skyline and streetshots :) )

Plus I'll make a draft for the first press release that can be customised by each unit.
I think it should be released once the script is more or less finished.
A second release should be send to the media by each unit after shooting their part, so they can add a still to it.

Remember: it's a global project, but it is also interesting for local media: for the town the unit is from, where the actors are from, where it is shot, for film and acting schools that keep track of their alumnis.

Actually:
after the second draft we should consider the idea to interview different unit directors and Nick about the project to make a little teaser/trailer thing. "It's gonna be exciting to see how the pieces will fit together." "It's a leap of faith: we never met in real life and yet we trust we will pull it off together." "This is quite an unique project: I had to jump in and e part of it!" "Indietalk brought us together in sharing our passion for filmmaking. Now we will even share making a film together."
(You get the idea!)
It will make it more interesting for media to pick up.

Or use pieces from previous works from the different units to make a teaser.
"What happens when filmmakers from around the globe join forces to make a short film?
You will find out soon when the directors of this, this, this, this, this, that, this as well and this join forces with the writer of this.
A global movie experience powered by Indietalk."

Let's make a marketing thread as well!
To keep this thread a little bit clean as Ray and I probably not the only ones with ideas :P
 
can we get a sense of scale on the space craft? Independence Day mother ship, District Nine or Close Encounters Of The 3rd Kind?

You hinted at a trajectory and have it passing near Mt Hood and landing near Carson Wa.
Can we move the landing to near "Vernonia Oregon" I have some rural property near there, and more importantly, contacts with just the right small holdings out that way. Its VERY remote, its all logging company land, NO housing, restricted access etc. Very good place to hid a UFO. ;)
 
Sounds like a job for Super Ray the Marvellous Marketing Man!
Groaaan.
I know you said this was a non-profit venture + there will be no real "marketing" budget, only FREE! social media + this is for a short, not a feature + I forget if this is even going to be shopped around the short film festival circuit* = your expectations are really really low for public awareness of this yet unnamed collaborative project's existence.

I'd only have time for very sporadic social media bursts and coaching.
I'd turn over the blog to you guys and encourage you to both continue the relevant conversations and updates over there so that the tied-in, cross linked social media alerts can go out.

Is that really what you want? A sporadic part timer to hawk a quixotic noble-goaled short film?

I can set up FB, YT, & Blogger, but you guys will largely be providing unsupervised content.

* Is there any notion of raising funds for short film festival submission fees?
Or are you guys truly doing this just to be doing it, there will be only a token one or two paid SFF submissions, otherwise free SFF submissions?
I'm cool either way, I'm just kinda... hazy on that particular issue at this time.
Thanks.

Let's make a marketing thread as well!
To keep this thread a little bit clean as Ray and I probably not the only ones with ideas :P
Yeah, there are some things the public doesn't need to see.
How we're trying to manipulate them is probably at the top of the list.
I know "transparency" is the vogue workplace word to bandy about these days, but a little too much transparency is not good.
 
We have the units. We have a rough idea of the locations and props required. We need to smooth out the script and begin to discuss and further perfect our viral video concept.

I'm thinking we should release the viral video, perhaps hit up some of those science fiction/alien-related forums and Youtube videos, as well as Twitter, Facebook, etc., and promote it. We can go to all different sites, like posting pictures from the video on Instagram, and perhaps release screwy messages and such on other sites, and just try our best to grab the attention of internet users. We could provide a link in the description to the site of the film as well. Who knows. Let's play with the concept and see what we come up with.
 
I think releasing the phone video is premature until the project is at least in the final days of post production. It would suck to build some buzz only to fail to deliver in a timely manner.

Sure. Definitely. What I meant is to release it before the film to grab the attention of people. Although as you mentioned, to do it near the end of post production or at least shortly before the actual film is released. Not sure if that was something that we were thinking about or not... or rather creating a viral video that will only appear in the film and not separately beforehand then later in the film. Or perhaps that was something that I just missed. In that case, I'll shut up now :bag:
 
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