What Should Every Indie Filmmaker Know?

TuckyWood Productions said:
Get a camera. Any camera. It doesn't matter if it is your grandma's 1988 VHS camcorder. If you got one at your disposal use it! Don't worry abut what the next grand camera is. There will always be a bigger, badder camera on the horizon. If you spend all of your time waiting to get that new piece of equipment, look at all the time you have lost by not doing something. Every project will make you better.
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I agree with this completely. I've seen some stuff that's been shot on a handy-cam. Like the old saying goes-it's not what you have, it's what you do with it :)


Though Still want that nice 3000 dollar Sony pro camera I saw the other day....*L*
 
This has since become my work and success philosophy. Assuming you take some entry level jobs in the industry... As you chart your film career, maybe this stuff is worth considering:

1. The person who fetches coffee today, will control the money tomorrow. So first, make sure the coffee is hot. Second, treat everyone well!

2. If the call time is 7AM, get there at 6:30AM.

3. If the work feels overwhelming, ask for more work. Busy people are rewarded.

4. Your word and your work is your reputation. Do not violate this rule. If you agree to do something, you do it. No excuses.

5. If you turn down freelance work, always say: “I’m already booked.” Don’t say you're going on vacation, etc.
 
great thread I love the comment to just go out and shoot no matter what. The best way to learn is to make mistakes.

My issue now is the actors want to know how they will get money for doing the film. All I can do is offer a percentage so can I sell them that the movie will potentially make money. or convince them in general to spend the 6 months putting the movie together with no money up front.
 
dwhs said:
great thread I love the comment to just go out and shoot no matter what. The best way to learn is to make mistakes.

My issue now is the actors want to know how they will get money for doing the film. All I can do is offer a percentage so can I sell them that the movie will potentially make money. or convince them in general to spend the 6 months putting the movie together with no money up front.
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No disrespect to actors, but a copy of the film on DVD, food, and transportation is totally acceptable. They are in this for their reel, not a few bucks. Well, not yet. The crew however, they usually get paid. Save cash for the crew and offer the above to the actors. They'll take it as long as you offer it. They're probably testing you.
 
FilmmakingStuff said:

3. If the work feels overwhelming, ask for more work. Busy people are rewarded.
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Oh, HELL no.
Yes, sometimes busy people are rewarded, but that is because the work they are doing is getting done. To be overwhelmed is to have too much work. What you need is to handle that which is overwhelming and then keep going, this way you are busy but you won't be adding more work to an overwhelming workload.

I know from whence I speak when I say, sometimes people will take advantage of the fact that you can do everything and will expect you to just do it. Be careful of the phrases "we think/thought you can/could handle it,"; the other is "we're offering you a 'challenge'." No, what you want is to dole out the work of 3 people onto one person and reserve the right to say "you didn't step up to the challenge." Those are backhanded compliments which put the person in a catch 22 situation. What is the person supposed to say? No, I can't handle it, its too much work? The employer gets to trot out that statement when they feel the need to. "Well, we didn't promote you because we thought you couldn't handle the workload or challenge." Plus if the work is overwhelming, you stand the risk of not doing anything efficiently and that's worse because your work will be sub-par.

I have seen people 'handle it' because they had no choice and the employer has no intention of giving a pay raise or even recognizing the fact that it is the work of 3 people. So, it's also important to know when someone is taking advantage of you. So I would amend this by saying, if the work is overwhelming, get it done. If they offer more work, take it and do a good job. Hopefully, you will be recognized for your efforts and good work. If not, at least your butt is covered.

Pardon my rant. I am really not that cynical, just a little jaded from seeing this sort of thing happen to good people around me and having it happen to me. I was surprised to find out how often this sort of thing happens. Its not fair, but it is the way things are done nowadays. It's a sad state of affairs.

-- spinner :cool:
 
One more

I understand where you're coming from. My thoughts were based on some success strategies I utilized, all of which garnered me favorable results. I can understand what you mean... I guess there is some point when everyone has to decide if they are getting taken advantage of, and draw the line. But for me, the more work I did - and did well, the more jobs I got. I suppose there is a point when this equates to diminished returns for the employer, but I never experienced that.

Again, what I write is based on my experience and is not necessary the appropriate philosophy for everyone.
 
Downsizing seems to be the word of the day where I am.

The point is to do the job well. It is possible to stretch yourself too thin and the result may be that nothing gets done because everything is half-done. I don't criticize the philosophy, I even get the point you are making. We are just coming from two different experiences. Its up to everyone to find the happy medium after listening to both sides.


-- spinner :cool:
 
Every indie filmmaker should know

Every indie filmmaker should know photography. Become an awesome photographer and then translate it into your film. The advantage is that your only dealing with one frame at a time and you have all the time in world to get it the way you want it. Once you become an awesome photographer then you can apply those same techniques to video.
You'll be able to achieve any look you desire. Including the ever illusive "FILM LOOK" which by the way isn't some magical button on some magical camera. It's kick ass photography. It's knowing how to create gorgeous images. So become a kick ass photographer...but don't forget all the other crazy sh#t that goes along with film making.
 
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Networking, Networking, NETWORKING! You have to be able to sell yourself, if you cant sell yourself, you cant sell your work.

This is an industry where you need to be extremely extroverted. Meet people, make contacts.. That is how you get more work. ANYONE in the industry will tell you that networking is one of the most important rules.
 
They should know how to do every job on the set, and well. You may have a boom operator and someone sitting at your field recorder monitoring levels, but you want to know exactly how it all works and how to do it yourself, so you can advise them if something isn't to your liking. Know how to light, how to use the camera, etc.
 
From my experience as a low budget filmmaker, I plan a shoot with the mindset that EVERYTHING can be done cheaper. Improvise. I didn't have the money for light kits so I used natural lighting and household lamps, made my own dolly out of a golf bag carrier (the ones with wheels, I just mounted a tripod on it and it worked tremendous & I bought the golf bag carrier at a thrift shop for just a few bucks.) SAG certainly doesn't mean better. I used all volunteers and get compliments on the acting in House Of Poets all the time. And without the union headaches. Let's face it. If you're serious, you can make a film. Period. I made the house movie for under $500 and with just 48 sales have nearly doubled my investment after a short period of time. Write the script with the locations & actors you KNOW you already have at your disposal. This all is of course, just my opinion and my way of starting small & working up to larger projects.
 
indietalk said:
No disrespect to actors, but a copy of the film on DVD, food, and transportation is totally acceptable. They are in this for their reel, not a few bucks. Well, not yet. The crew however, they usually get paid. Save cash for the crew and offer the above to the actors. They'll take it as long as you offer it. They're probably testing you.
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I share these golden tips with you all because I've found some of you have taught me a few things in the short time I've been browsing this site;

As an actor I'd agree, 99% of Non-Union actors will be happy to do the project for free. 50% of the time there happy to PAY you to be in the project lol. As actors we depend on building a resume. With that resume we can obtain larger roles with bigger productions/for pay. So yes, definatly do not pay the actors. Just re-cast if they insist. There's always another actor looking to put a role on there resume.

Here's a great quote a director on a TV series once told me;

"The 3 most important things to consider when directing a film are; 1) Story, 2) Story, and 3) Who you cast."
- Francis Damberger
Director - Mixed Blessings / 2nd unit Passchendaele

And finally... Lighting and Cinematography. What good is the film if we cant see it? Learn a bit about 3 point lighting. Learn a bit about bouncing light. You'd be surprised what a simple 1 day bit of research on the internet will help.
 
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Anthony Martin said:
I would have to disagree it is this lazy attitude that really ticks off an editor (like me). Plus i believe a shot with REAL lighting, scenery, etc will nearly always look better than what it looks like after many hours of post work.
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agreed, as a student film maker I discovered this to be the case, we had a proffessional Film Editor in doing a workshop, and while taking a look at some of my colleague's work he said "even I couldn't fix that my friend"...
 
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