Should I go ahead with a movie shoot with no PSM?

H

harmonica44

I wanted to make decisions on whether or not to shoot a short I put out a casting call and crew hire for. I was not able to find much crew accept for a camera experienced person who might be in. I have to fill one of the actor roles though. Two actors minimum to make the story work, and I only have one so far I could find. So if I can either act and have someone be behind the camera, or vice versa, that should be good.

But I have no PSM or boom op, and really hate doing ADR, and wonder if it's even worth it, to make a watchable movie to show people. Should I wait or should I jump on it while I have an actor and possible camera operator available? Any tips if no PSM is present?

Thanks.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Hi, harmonica44--

Do you have a major urgency to shoot this? Timeliness, time of year, financial, marketing or other pressing reason? If not, and you really want this to be good (and feel good about yourself) for web or other distribution... I'd put out another crew/cast call and see what happens.

I'm concerned that you're stretching too far right now. Are there other projects you can work on while this one jells with more talent (and then go full-tilt)?

My 2 centavos--
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
harmonica44 said:
I was not able to find much crew accept for a camera experienced person
Click to expand...

You mean except.

ex·cept
preposition
1. with the exclusion of; excluding; save; but: They were all there except me.

ac·cept
verb (used with object)
1. to take or receive (something offered); receive with approval or favor: to accept a present; to accept a proposal.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Post a new casting call saying you still need someone for sound and an extra actor.
Ask the actor you got if (s)he knows someone who might want to join.
Ask all your moviemaking contacts for suggestions.
Or offer more in return.

'Hanging a single note' and waiting isn't the best strategy.

Be prepared for having less crew than wanted, but don't stop looking for it.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Are you talking about single shooting days or for the entire shoot?

I personally wouldn't go ahead without either a PSM, Camera Op or the actors that are required for the scenes. Of course, you can do without the PSM if the scenes don't need sound to be recorded. Other positions can be fumbled through with proper pre-production planning and prep, though you don't want to be missing too many people at once.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
That all being said, it depends on what you're aiming for. Another way to look at it is, you need runs on the board. You need some decent projects under your belt to both gain confidence and to allow you to start building your network, so it might not be the worst idea to continue without the PSM.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Pardon my ignorance, what does PSM stand for? :huh: :huh:

Harmonica44, I'm with MileCreations, I think you should go for it.

As WalterB suggested, doesn't your actor know any others actor who would want to be involved? There's got to be someone you can get?? Otherwise post another (wider?) casting call and see what happens.

If you still come up empty-handed then ok, try and adapt to your limitations. How can you work around your problems? Personally, I acted in many of my early short movies so if that's what you have to do to tell your story I say do it.

Good luck. :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Are we really back to this again?!

And do you really need to ask?!

Quit going into things like this il-equipped and half-assed. Seriously, you should have figured all of this out after almost 4500 posts. If you don't have what you need to accomplish what you want, you have a few options:

1) Postpone it until you have what you need in terms of equipment, crew, and cast.

2) Make use of what you've got, including re-writing to utilize the actors you do have or even going with a completely different script suited to the existing actors.

3) Find a new calling in life.

Just when it seems you might be catching on and learning something useful, you come back to this type of useless discussion. You went out recently and put together a short edit of city shots. Good for you for actually doing something instead of bemoaning on this forum about how/why you can't. So, go do it again. This time, and again just you and your camera, try to tell a story without people. Make an experimental film, even.

In fact, here's a great article that came out recently on why experimental film is an important tool: LINK
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
MileCreations said:
Do it H44
Click to expand...

DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!

1465smack-ass-and-pie-to-the-face.gif.pagespeed.ce.aiMt2wxdcH.gif
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I can hold the boom, but I also have to act in it so far, or be behind the camera. I have a DP who seems really interested in doing it, but I don't want to wait too long before he looses interest. I can put out another casting call, but there are no venues available right now for auditions much, and that's what's been turning a of actors away is that I have to tell them I was not able to secure a place, and have to ask them to either meet up in person to see their acting, or ask for an online audition, when I think a lot of them would rather see me have a professional audition venue going on. Maybe that's why I have been unable to find other actors who will still stick around after telling them that.

And no matter how much I teach friends to boom and use the field recorder, they still don't seem to... understand the concepts. I can do it as long as I have the other jobs filled.

I know what you mean, I really want to get something done but at the same time, I don't want to disappoint my actor and DP. I already drove away one cast with my first short film, and if I do it again, trying to find and build a team will just even harder. So I want to do well too of course.

For now, how do I get actors to want to audition, without really being able to audition, if that makes sense?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
how do I get actors to want to audition, without really being able to audition, if that makes sense?
Click to expand...

No, it doesn't. You want actors who can't audition to want to audition? Why?

You know what, I change my answer. I think you shouldn't go ahead with this movie. (I'm pretty sure that's the answer you were hoping for anyway.)

Maybe find a new hobby for now. Sorry if that's blunt but if you can't make simple decisions using your own common sense (which it seems you can't) then you are probably not ready to be a filmmaker.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Seriously...

You don't have to mimic Hollywood.
Most short stuff I casted without auditions.
That can be tricky, but at least it saves you the 'I can't audition' part...

You scare people away because you are showing you can't do something.
Besides that: some actors may not even want to audition first for a short: maybe they just want the part.
You are creating your own barriers (again).

If you can't find a PSM try recruiting someone to hold the boom.
Rephrasing a casting/recruiting call can mke a difference.

As long as you can't think for yourself, you wil never succeed.
As long as you can't improvise solutions, you will never succeed.
As long as you don't take any action, you will not succeed.

So something needs to be done.
NOW
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You scare people away because you are showing you can't do something.
Click to expand...

Yes, but also, when he can, he still manages to scare people away. It's kind of sad in a way. Networking isn't really his thing. Leading isn't really his thing.

Yes, he needs to do it. Should he? Maybe. Will it work? Probably not.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Rent a couple of wireless lapels, hide them under your clothes. Only two people means only two mics, then have your camera op listen on headphones for clipping/interference while you shoot. I have to run audio and camera all the time for most of the shoots I do (granted, they aren't narrative) and it works out.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top