My name is Blake and I want to make films. I live in Washington, DC. I am 25 years old and do not come from money - I do reasonably well at my job, but still live paycheck to paycheck. My goal is to make literate fantasy films with inventive color schemes. Like Sword and Sorcery meets Rosemary's Baby meets the hit you over the head primary colors of Suspiria? Or the gradient weirdness of Frank Frazetta? With a 1977-1983 postpunk bent? All this makes me seem like an a-hole I think but always looking for likeminded people, so better to put myself out there and make a friend, even if makes me look like a pretentious dbag.
I know if I'm gonna make this my lifegoal, I need to commit more and more money to it, so I am trying to save what I can, but in the interim, can you provide me with some direction as to what a no-budget film maker needs to pickup? What can I buy with $100 a paycheck over the next few months and make a movie? Can you provide me a highball option and a lowball option in the $500-$100 range? I want to practice and teach myself about narrative film making. I have already invested a little in one area by buying a Minolta SRT SLR to learn about still photography - I feel like this will provide me one possible entryway into shaping my mind to see things creatively and to shape a story. I also bought a Super 8 camera at a thrift store, but there is a little black piece somewhere on the inside obscuring part of the lens, so I don't think I can use that.
I want to do this professionally someday, but I am not sure of how I will make that happen. I know it's disillusioning out there, and a lot of you are laughing on the inside. But I like telling stories! I like imagining things! I want to try!
So in short, here's what I need:
1. Of course any links to threads on this board you think would be very helpful
2. Suggestions for low-budget consumer camcorders that I should consider and why
3. Suggestions for brands or models of super 8 cameras I might want to look at and why
4. Any resource you think would be useful to someone like me and my situation
5. Any books you think I should read
6. Any stuff that I might not know about like lighting on a budget and how I might do that, sound on a budget, etc - with all of this stuff I am clueless
I realize that is a lot to ask - so really, any info or advice you can offer me would be great and is much appreciated. Thanks for your patience and guidance!
I know if I'm gonna make this my lifegoal, I need to commit more and more money to it, so I am trying to save what I can, but in the interim, can you provide me with some direction as to what a no-budget film maker needs to pickup? What can I buy with $100 a paycheck over the next few months and make a movie? Can you provide me a highball option and a lowball option in the $500-$100 range? I want to practice and teach myself about narrative film making. I have already invested a little in one area by buying a Minolta SRT SLR to learn about still photography - I feel like this will provide me one possible entryway into shaping my mind to see things creatively and to shape a story. I also bought a Super 8 camera at a thrift store, but there is a little black piece somewhere on the inside obscuring part of the lens, so I don't think I can use that.
I want to do this professionally someday, but I am not sure of how I will make that happen. I know it's disillusioning out there, and a lot of you are laughing on the inside. But I like telling stories! I like imagining things! I want to try!
So in short, here's what I need:
1. Of course any links to threads on this board you think would be very helpful
2. Suggestions for low-budget consumer camcorders that I should consider and why
3. Suggestions for brands or models of super 8 cameras I might want to look at and why
4. Any resource you think would be useful to someone like me and my situation
5. Any books you think I should read
6. Any stuff that I might not know about like lighting on a budget and how I might do that, sound on a budget, etc - with all of this stuff I am clueless
I realize that is a lot to ask - so really, any info or advice you can offer me would be great and is much appreciated. Thanks for your patience and guidance!