High School Film Maker Seeking Advise.

High School Film Maker Seeking Advice.

I'm sure you guys get these kind of questions all the time, but after searching around these forums for a few hours, I'm still a little cautious to make any serious moves regarding making films.

I'm 16 and a junior in high school. I've been interested in filmmaking for as long as I can remember, and I want to step up my game to making serious, legitimate short films for friends and the internet. My friends and I all share a common goal of doing so, but none of them have much of a monetary committment. We've made a few simple things with the "Flip Videos," but I personally want to take a more serious approach. My parents, however, think filmmaking fills my head with ideas that would make me stray away from their path of me becoming a doctor.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I have an extremely low budget, but I want to find a way to start making legitimate short films that I can actually be proud of in the long run. Does anyone have any suggestions? Sorry again, I'm sure you get questions like this all the time, and I am extremely appreciative of any suggestions you might have.

Taylor Skidmore

EDIT: I'm really sorry for the typo in the title, I just fixed it.
 
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Dang, man.

I guess if you want to convince your parents otherwise, you'll have to really impress them with something....spectacular.

As to your low budget, I'd recommend looking around- since you said you wanted a more serious approach than the FliP- at the Canon T2i, which provides a really professional image for less than most DSLRs.

Just keep loving/watching movies and keep that dream in your mind, hopefully so you can fulfill it.

Good luck! Post any questions you have, man.

Also: Look to film festivals you can enter and create a goal :D

EDIT: How about this one?

http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/young_filmmakers_competition

THIS would definitely get you some props, dude.
 
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You live once man. Don't live your life for your parents, live it for yourself. You should always love and respect your parents, but what you do directly affects you. If movies are your love, your passion, pursue it. Don't be a waste of potential.
 
What I recommend doing is practicing with the Flip. Scorsese made his first shorts on a really, really bad Super 8 camera (equivalent for today what a Flip is). Try some neat cinematography, editing. Maybe even use a skateboard/cart as a dolly, you know. Here's the scene from a movie that changed it all for me- the second I saw it- wow. I used my iPod Touch camera (millions of years behind the flip) and got some good stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ7UwnfQ2nA
 
Although I've had an interest in fimmaking since I saw Star Wars (I was obsessed with the behind-the-scenes footage detailing effects) when I was 7, the real movie that got me back into the game was easily Super 8 when I saw it in theaters.. To me, a majority of the movie seemed so simple (sans the train derailment scene, the alien, et cetera), and I thought, "I think I can do that; I really want to try."
 
Yes, do your own projects with whatever you can afford right now, but work on other peoples projects as well as an extra, a PA, grip, gaffer, go'fer, any job you can get. Watch other filmmakers at work; you'll see them do good things and make lots of mistakes. You'll start building your network of folks to work with in the future. If you work hard, above and beyond, you'll develop a reputation as someone who is good to work with, so when you need the favors you'll have a few to call in.
 
Yes, do your own projects with whatever you can afford right now, but work on other peoples projects as well as an extra, a PA, grip, gaffer, go'fer, any job you can get. Watch other filmmakers at work; you'll see them do good things and make lots of mistakes. You'll start building your network of folks to work with in the future. If you work hard, above and beyond, you'll develop a reputation as someone who is good to work with, so when you need the favors you'll have a few to call in.

Is there a simple way to find a production near me? I live in the middle of no where, but the closest city is Ft. Wayne, IN, nearly an hour away.
 
It's obviously been mentioned many times on this site, but www.filmfights.com is a great website for both project ideas, and really solid feedback if you do submit an idea. I'm a filmmaker in sort of the same state as you: I don't really have the money for a camera, editing software, or audio gear, but that's really what filmmaking is about, improvising with what you've got, honestly i've made some videos on my iPhone that I was pretty proud of. I personally recommend investing in a lighting or sound setup if you have enough money. Obviously they have a lot of support on this site, but "can" work lights are great because they are cheap, you can switch out the bulbs, and you can put them anywhere. As for audio, the Zoom H1 costs about 100$, and that would be a great investment. It's a good mic in it's own right, and you can use it with most cheap shotgun mic's if it comes to that. Other than those things (or even including them) improvise with what you have, that's the beauty of filmmaking, just get some friends together and go for it.
 
Summer's coming up.
Get a job.
Get some cash.
Invest in yourself.

There's no money in entry level amateur hour filmmaking.
Seriously, a barber with $200 worth of equipment can make more than a filmmaker with $2000 worth of equipment.

Don't knock your parents projections for you.
Consider if they think you're bright enough to be a doctor then you're probably bright enough to have more than one interest - as does most anyone.
I imagine doctors, or lawyers, or physicists, or engineers, or anyone with a degree has other interests.
Pursue both.

BOL
 
It's obviously been mentioned many times on this site, but www.filmfights.com is a great website for both project ideas, and really solid feedback if you do submit an idea.

I'm pretty new to this form so I have never seen that site before. I've shot stuff for this site, but its really hard to become a prime time show. Thankswww.channel101.com

My advice is let film be a hobby for now. There are a lot of admirable filmmakers out there that went to school for everything else, but film. And they are huge influences in the industry. Let becoming a doctor be your influence...if you want. This link is to a really nice film...When people always say they want to get into filmmaking, I say start with a silence film. It's where it all started!
This is a great little short.
http://vimeo.com/2884813
 
I hadn't really intended on going into Film necessarily, rather, I just wanted to take a more professional approach to my hobby. My main interest is computers, mainly programming, and that's what I intend on going to school for. Whether my parents choose to support that is definitely a question for another day.

After searching on a few sights suggested, it doesn't appear that there are many things being filmed near me. Maybe that's something to look more into when I move away from my dump of a village.

I really appreciate all of your suggestions, and I will definitely use all of them.
 
As far as getting money to buy a great camera.

Start saving...

Put ALL of your loose change in jars; trust me, it adds up.

At the end of the week, if you have some singles folded in your pocket, or even a $5 or $10, fold it and put it in the jar. If you do this, that camera is yours.

Ask your folks for an allowance :)
 
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