tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75876137418634404512024-03-05T22:11:14.621-06:00Indie Film Technique - Indie Independent Film Filmmaking ProductionNo nonsense advice about the craft of independent film production from the trenches.Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-34952882294586704392021-05-01T07:56:00.000-06:002021-05-01T07:56:46.137-06:00The Director | Cinematographer Relationship<p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">Most people know that a film director works with actors. Every time we see a depiction of a film director in movies or on tv, they're yelling at actors or spitting out their cold Latte on set. Most people know the director is the boss of a film, which is true in terms of the story telling aspects of the film. And it's not uncommon for a producer to have directorial input especially in the case of an inexperienced director.<br /></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">The director primarily delegates to the department heads and works directly with the actors who are the primary instruments in telling the film story. <br /></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13z-rllstZEwB-j0iBIo8xmT1j7kip5FjN6jzqcoQybGxOgwtgV5f7fcIEINCl8EkoUfiYseM63nJza0mEvMj_O3hTNGUy-r2hvyRqcG31h05-jaUybVI-XEHfKOW8vSvSgjLX-ybw5mN/s1000/IMG_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13z-rllstZEwB-j0iBIo8xmT1j7kip5FjN6jzqcoQybGxOgwtgV5f7fcIEINCl8EkoUfiYseM63nJza0mEvMj_O3hTNGUy-r2hvyRqcG31h05-jaUybVI-XEHfKOW8vSvSgjLX-ybw5mN/w400-h300/IMG_0009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">The director of photography (or cinematographer, same thing) delegates to their camera operator, First AC, Gaffer, and Key Grip and works directly with the director to realize their vision. <br /></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">How
much control a DP has really depends, because some directors are fairly
hands off with visuals and some are not, even operating camera on
occasion. Think of the cinematographer as the photographer of the film, which
means they oversee the equipment used, the personnel setting up
lighting, and very often operating camera (not always).</p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIP9gQKKdu9F1k38fNKDwuuCvEhX38TFIUtOB098gPCED0Vcmq9MV877IFBoy1laLz7BD-F9oHl7AJctvfLHxZkZep9_FzIEga24yaGul5PCY0l0x5kdQalS-U_3aR2JSs3URCN43ZnXj/s1000/20191109_121328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIP9gQKKdu9F1k38fNKDwuuCvEhX38TFIUtOB098gPCED0Vcmq9MV877IFBoy1laLz7BD-F9oHl7AJctvfLHxZkZep9_FzIEga24yaGul5PCY0l0x5kdQalS-U_3aR2JSs3URCN43ZnXj/w400-h300/20191109_121328.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="_3cjCphgls6DH-irkVaA0GM" data-test-id="comment"><div class="_292iotee39Lmt0MkQZ2hPV RichTextJSON-root" style="color: #1a1a1b;"><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">I've
worked with directors who story boarded every frame, and some who had
zero input on visuals. Most often there's some give and take with
respect to visuals, meaning the DP will have ideas, some motivated by
aesthetics and some motivated by more practical demands, and the
director will have ideas that are motivated by the way they want to
tell the story. The DP ideally would have story telling foremost in mind and would use lighting, lens choice, and camera placement to enhance the director and writer's vision.<br /></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">If they have a
good working relationship, the DP will concede when the director wants
something specific, and the director will ideally recognize a better approach
when the DP has one. Most often, there's going to be general agreement on most things in terms of the cinematography between an experienced director and DP. <br /></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">I've worked with a number of inexperienced directors who ended up with decent looking films because they knew enough to not exert too much influence on the cinematography. The smartest thing a first time director can do (besides making at least a half dozen shorts before embarking on a feature length film production) is to hire an experienced DP and an experienced cast and try to learn from them. </p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">An experienced cinematographer knows how to shoot scenes so they can be successfully edited and tell the story at hand. Experienced actors are always willing to suggest better dialog, blocking, and even story tweaks, which may or may not enhance the storytelling. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9qf5-3JmbAaNIu9a3voVznPBjmr4K5K7umzN4AY_51WoVI-PLrz-BL9uq17BnNt8XJqDokksPToTz4dvPTDdD3B3qQVx6u_bWhkVVX32vtHylZc9rvYUEGG_2UkIlfQM63JIYK3fkEMY/s1000/IMG_0081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9qf5-3JmbAaNIu9a3voVznPBjmr4K5K7umzN4AY_51WoVI-PLrz-BL9uq17BnNt8XJqDokksPToTz4dvPTDdD3B3qQVx6u_bWhkVVX32vtHylZc9rvYUEGG_2UkIlfQM63JIYK3fkEMY/w400-h300/IMG_0081.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">Sometimes films are directed by 2 person teams, and even small groups of people, but I think in most cases, that's a bad idea. </p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM"><b><i>"One man writes a novel. One man writes a symphony. It is essential that one man make a film."</i></b></p><p><b><i>-Stanley Kubrick</i></b></p><p>Really, the vision for the film should be retained in the mind of the director. One director. Why? Because there are SO many things that can chip away at the vision for the film that the director needs to have the control required to force that vision above all else. I worked on a feature film once that officially had two directors, but really it was a committee of 7 directors, and needless to say, the film was not a success and featured many 14-16 hour shoot days due to excessive discussions by the committee of directors. <br /></p><p>Of course, the cinematographer has to have similar control as a consistent visual approach, and even though ALL department heads need to also maintain a consistent approach, it's the director who has the final say on how scenes are created. It's the director's film and if it fails, it's on them, not <i>any</i> of the various personnel who had input into it's creation. </p><p>©2021 Chris Santucci<br /></p></div></div>Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-22936571108430497392021-04-25T12:37:00.002-06:002021-04-25T12:40:36.995-06:00Budgeting & Spending Advice That Can Save Your Bacon<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Budgeting and scheduling are all-important aspects of prep that shouldn't be overlooked or fudged. The rigor required to complete an accurate, realistic budget will help you approach every other aspect of filmmaking with a more disciplined eye, especially since it involves calculation of time. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Filmmakers that self-finance their film often tend to just spend whatever they need, which can be fine for a short film being shot on a few weekends or so, but even just having a general budgetary wish list or guide is helpful and should be considered. Foreknowledge of how much you have to spend in total is one thing, but at the very least, break it down so you can start disciplining yourself because that kind of discipline goes hand in hand with time management, and poor time management can kill a long term film project.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">I worked on a feature film project that is 16 years in the making at this point (yes, really) and will <i>never</i> be completed. Even though the filmmaker spent over 2 million dollars of other people's money (or so), his poor time management resulted in copious amounts of waste of the man hours that he was paying for, and I am fairly certain he never created an actual budget. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have always ended up under budget on projects I produced because I don't lose sight of what's being spent where. It's a juggling act because some needs may become greater in certain departments, so you're constantly taking from one department and giving to another department as specific budgetary needs become more exposed and lucky breaks are realized.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span><span><b>Two very important budgeting tricks</b></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span>Always add padding to every</span> line item and always try to pay less than the budgeted amount for everything. </span></b>It's very common for producers to cry poor when they book crew and rent gear. I used to get occasional calls from a line producer who would say to me, <i>right off the bat</i>, "they slashed our budget," which was a lie - <i>every time</i>. But, if she could save a few thousand on crew rates, then she had a larger buffer in case she needed it or she could resolve the project having spent less and look like a hero to the Executive Producers.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">I worked with a Director/DP who would always go over on time on shoot days and his tactic was to offer to pay the crew that day if they excused the OT, OR he could mail them a check if they did not. Most crew would go for the immediate payment because who doesn't love getting paid right away? He was always prepared to dangle immediate payment knowing that he could save a grand or so on a few overtime hours of work.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had a friend who budgeted a large project for his new boss at a production company and he was so under budget starting out that a few odd instances of loss and damage put them in the red. <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>That should never happen.</b> </span>You cannot budget exact amounts for each line item - ever. He apparently had zero padding built in <i>and</i> really under estimated what the big city DP would require to do his job.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span><span><b>Put a square peg in a square hole </b></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><b><span><span><i>An important part of staying on budget is</i> <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>hiring department heads</b> who understand about not spending more than they have</span> <i>and monitoring all spending as you go along.</i> </span></span> </b></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you're making a low budget film, you should not bring in people who are used to working on big budget projects, even if they're willing to work for cheap as a favor. These people are used to spending money and doing things in certain ways. Some require assistants. Some only rent from certain vendors. Some just don't cut corners or ever shop around. <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>They may be affordable for <i>you</i> but their methodology is another story. </b></span><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">I booked a Key Grip once for a small project out of town in a major city and when I mentioned needing him to function as dolly grip, he suggested we hire his dolly grip. Now, this is completely normal in the real world, but we did not have a budget for another grip, so I had to tell him that. On that same project, I was thinking of booking local crew who worked for a friend who was a top tier DP, and the AD we already booked suggested we not do that because <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>"they don't care about your budget,"</b></span> he told us.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>You have to nail down appropriate personnel based on the budget.</b></span> For a large commercial project I produced, I had a bunch of indie types and I noticed they were being way too thrifty, because that's what they were used to. Even though I told the props person to spend as little as possible BUT she had what she needed, she tended to shop for junk. I should have just given her a number and told her to spend <i>all</i> of it. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Getting down to it </b></span><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">As for <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span><b>the actual process of budgeting</b></span></span>, you start with the "knowns," or the things that are fixed and unchangeable. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Starting with your most crucial <i>known</i>, you have your total budget amount, which is fixed (in most cases). That's everything you have to spend to accomplish whatever you need to accomplish, whether it's just getting the film "in the can," or completing prep, production, and post-production, or all of that plus marketing and promotion, which could include film festival costs and/or some form of promotion on social media platforms for online releases. <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>You need to start out with a complete awareness of exactly what you want to accomplish with that amount. </b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now the process of budgeting can begin and I always start with the largest or the most fixed (least changeable) line items first, in terms of cost. If there are things that just cost what they cost, with no room for negotiation, start with those, and get that stuff out of the way first. These are probably going to be things like insurance, location fees, transportation costs, and picture vehicles. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tips and Tricks </b></span><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another important thing to keep in mind is <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>"bundling."</b></span> If the DP has their own camera package, work that into their line item if it's suitable equipment. You should be able to save money as compared to renting from a camera rental house. The advantage for the DP is they use gear they're familiar with and trust and they get the rental amount. The disadvantage for production is, if the camera breaks, then they have to approach a camera rental house cold and will more than likely not get any breaks on rental rates (unless the DP has a working relationship with them). A prior rental of a camera package from a rental house would mean an immediate replacement in a hurry at no cost in the event their camera breaks. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">If the gaffer has a grip/electric package, work that into their line item. If a restaurant you want to use as a practical location can also produce a working meal for your crew, that's an incentive for them to let you work in their space, whether you can pay a full location fee or not. If one of the crew owns a house you can use as a location, then a nominal location fee could be a bonus for them (and they get to be home already at the end of a shoot day(s). </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Always consider these goodwill building, cost saving synergies and try to <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>spread the budget around to personnel who will be on the payroll<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></b><span style="background-color: white;">when possible. It streamlines where the money is going and puts more money in the pockets of the crew, which can be a bargaining chip in the event you're offering low rates.<br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="background-color: white;">Another cost saving tactic that some young idealistic producers are averse to is <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>using <i>credits as currency</i></b></span>. Certainly getting a credit on a film is a big deal to noobs, but at a higher level, you can sometimes attract experienced crew with a credit when you're offering peanuts in pay. As long as the actual crew and personnel who are being credited don't object, an "Additional ______" can be worth something to a potential crew member when you can't pay them the going rate. </span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="background-color: white;">I negotiated with a line producer once who needed a stills photographer for an indie, and the pay she was offering was very low. I would not benefit from a Stills Photographer credit at that point in my career so I recommended her giving me an "Additional Cinematography" credit because that had value to me. She was somewhat aghast that I would recommend such a thing because, as she put it, I never actually did that work. Like it matters. </span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="background-color: white;">This approach is very common with producer credits when raising money for a film, which is sometimes why you can see as many as 20 or 30 producers credited for a film, especially "Associate Producer" credits. Some of those "producers" are very often people who put money into the project. And it's common for upper echelon people who do little more than make an introduction or lend their name to a project to have an Executive Producer credit. Them just being attached to a project can get a film its financing, an A-list cast, or distribution, and they may very well not be actually doing anything in the way of <i>producing</i> on the film itself. <br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span><b><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="background-color: white;">Using Honey to Attract The Bees </span></span></b></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="background-color: white;">When I mentioned starting the budget process with the fixed, unchangeable line items, or the large numbers, that can mean <i>paying</i> for certain big ticket items that can help attract other personnel lower in the budget hierarchy. <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">For example,</span> paying an A-list (or B-list) actor, can help you attract other actors and personnel</b></span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>.</b></span> Of course, having an A-lister in your cast will help the film be more marketable, but the allure of an A-lister can also help draw in crucial personnel. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">One particularly sketchy variant of this tactic I've seen used before by a certain cult status director was to "allow" people to work on his films for no pay. He would pay the key personnel in order to adequately shoot the film and record audio, but all the 20 year old worker bees were working for free because they were <i>that</i> enamored of the director and his cult films. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">I recall once prepping for a PSA and the out of town producer telling us to "try and sell them on the heart of the project" when we had to book local crew with very little pay to offer them. This isn't uncommon when trying to crew up a low budget effort and gets into the realm of psychological manipulation and salesmanship. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">Years ago, I was hired along with another person to find extras for a broadcast commercial. We went into an indoor soccer complex and were about to start approaching people cold, and of course I asked the woman I was with, who was the point person, what production was going to pay these people, because when you ask someone to do something for you, you usually offer them some form of payment, right? She was strangely confused and called the producer, who was evasive on the phone, but finally told her to just try and sell them on the glamor of being in a TV commercial. Subsequently, I found out that was her regular approach with extras - to just get them for free, as if it were somehow a privilege for them. Of course, this dishonest approach will only work in certain places. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b><span>Buying Instead of Renting </span></b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>When heading into a film project, and either working with a completed budget or budgeting, one should always <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>consider all avenues</b></span>. That is to say, if you need to use a <i>thing</i>, whether a piece of equipment, scenery, a picture vehicle, props, or wardrobe, do the math before making a transaction and spending the money. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>What are the options? Renting, borrowing, and buying.</b></span> And with buying, there's the option to return to the store or sell the item and recoup part of your budget. It's very common with wardrobe to buy and return, and in fact some large chains have specific departments set up for wardrobe stylists who regularly buy and return clothing. Some may charge a fee, some may allow a certain percentage of a purchase to be returned and some will just accept all returns. Of course with returns, one has to budget for the time it takes someone to return the items. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Comparing rental of anything with buying and then selling after you're done should be approached with caution. There can be huge advantages in terms of cost with buying and reselling, but you have little to no support in the event the item malfunctions or breaks or is stolen. As mentioned, renting from a company means if there's an issue, you have immediate support (or should). As opposed to buying, which means you need to run out and buy a replacement or attempt a quick rental.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>I DP'ed a series of commercials once that I shot on an inexpensive </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span>hacked </span></span>camera. In this case, I used a camera I owned and bought a 2nd one to have as a backup in case I had any issue with the primary camera. In that case, I could just pick up the spare and keep shooting. We could have rented two cameras, but then they wouldn't be hacked, and we'd more than likely would end up paying much more in rental fees.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>On a feature I coordinated once, the sound mixer needed a portable mixer. I rented what was available from an hour away, a top of the line mixer that cost us $200/day. It was overkill, and the sound mixer finally just said "get a Mackie mixer from Guitar Center," which we did and it cost us around $400. to buy. He was happy, we weren't wasting money on a piece of gear we didn't need, and production sold him the mixer when the project was finished. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><b>One more anecdote:</b></span> I built a bank set once for a stills project I was shooting and needed a nice floor. We bought $1,500. in marble tile from a home store, which probably in the end cost us a few hundred dollars in labor to buy, use, and return. We had that tile for maybe a week and it was easy to return, although we weren't even sure they'd take it all back. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>If something you buy is in new condition when you want to return it and you haven't had for long, buying/returning can be a great option instead of buying/reselling or renting. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b><span>To sum up</span></b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span style="background-color: white;"><span>No matter what you do, or don't do, at the very least,</span></span><b><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span> always add padding to every</span> line item and always try to pay less than the budgeted amount for everything. </span></b><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><span style="background-color: white;">Never budget an exact amount for anything.</span></span><b><span style="background-color: #fcff01;"><br /></span></b></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">©2021 Chris Santucci<br /></span></span>Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-82477809345873365702021-04-10T08:33:00.005-06:002021-06-25T09:38:12.717-06:00What makes a film look "cheap?"<p>I had a conversation with a friend a while back about what makes a film look "cheap." I don't think there can be any confusion or debate about what a "cheap" film looks like. Everyone knows a cheap, cheesy, or low budget looking film when they see it. Lay people might not be able to verbalize or identify exactly <i>what</i> makes it cheap looking but nonetheless, as with a bad smell, we just know - it's a bad smell. We can also think of "cheap" as the opposite of "cinematic," which should just be synonymous with <i>beautiful</i>, or what we've all come to understand as what "a real movie" looks like. <br /></p><p><b>To my mind, there are 7 things that stand out in terms of cinematic technique, and what is <i>lacking</i> in a cinematic approach in a cheap looking film:</b></p><p><b>1) Deep Focus</b></p><p>Deep focus, as with wide angle lens use can be amazing and cinematic - if - production design is also amazing and cinematic. Of course, cinematic lighting also helps. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvCH_pU3ntbA4Lx04itIe2r7CrP__-G6utaQMkAh7U3EA_iIQNkQxrQIT24uT3UVCmGpuVceBHTNjneWMt9GXSulqNnhChcWtAF2y1n5GLAvvKVr7Id_tGsRfXk3zxhF5oD9up-31_t7W/s1914/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+8.27.09+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1914" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvCH_pU3ntbA4Lx04itIe2r7CrP__-G6utaQMkAh7U3EA_iIQNkQxrQIT24uT3UVCmGpuVceBHTNjneWMt9GXSulqNnhChcWtAF2y1n5GLAvvKVr7Id_tGsRfXk3zxhF5oD9up-31_t7W/w400-h214/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+8.27.09+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtaWBM84Wwn_ps1U2mip4BwJmR9zauH3N1U_C7Xf-5U-iA8ByLYIRFoKD-1bYStMTH-c_Sk4GgezbHDrtPaviP2wrWCPVLzHr_OMkOOZ4G-TKhQI13Qg8kQdBKnzXZm0Yvu89NniZhAvC/s1913/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+8.43.57+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1913" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtaWBM84Wwn_ps1U2mip4BwJmR9zauH3N1U_C7Xf-5U-iA8ByLYIRFoKD-1bYStMTH-c_Sk4GgezbHDrtPaviP2wrWCPVLzHr_OMkOOZ4G-TKhQI13Qg8kQdBKnzXZm0Yvu89NniZhAvC/w400-h216/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+8.43.57+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0-IKGBrSwRU0R2FQZh5YA68QEWPvDFPIHUjfeujgHlP-6JuEtUsuY6tuomrwSLbrKleOmDiFrAjsW9Dmu2_K8EXYGtnCSEQuQZAyejbmcwQDN65cU1N6h_Vg8x1qsg10R6kzrk200K00/s1915/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+8.39.50+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1915" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0-IKGBrSwRU0R2FQZh5YA68QEWPvDFPIHUjfeujgHlP-6JuEtUsuY6tuomrwSLbrKleOmDiFrAjsW9Dmu2_K8EXYGtnCSEQuQZAyejbmcwQDN65cU1N6h_Vg8x1qsg10R6kzrk200K00/w400-h170/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+8.39.50+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>However, with an uninteresting or aesthetically dull setting, seeing ALL of it from foreground to background in perfect focus tends to scream "cheap," especially in the case of a small sensor camera whereby everything is normally in focus. And also especially when in-camera sharpening is set too high and highlight clipping is visible. Deep focus in that instance is just drawing attention to even more flaws in the footage, especially with regard to a lack of control over production design. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0qoAc_Q64iWKIuouLo9BoJxayb7a0Na_TlW_HTePNq7dqePUICUdBJaOrf_SWuxrqZV5oyXPkVyoOGoHZ_Srb4_kusHHIdgPVB-xjDykl0Tn8Zt_TAgVzVpPePKeEqa_83Ti9fS-n5G1/s1911/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+9.02.13+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1911" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0qoAc_Q64iWKIuouLo9BoJxayb7a0Na_TlW_HTePNq7dqePUICUdBJaOrf_SWuxrqZV5oyXPkVyoOGoHZ_Srb4_kusHHIdgPVB-xjDykl0Tn8Zt_TAgVzVpPePKeEqa_83Ti9fS-n5G1/w400-h225/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+9.02.13+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQQkwXPKe-o_1AEO7yAQWbhDCp7nojHLiR1uxV2_ItarCqKQthIRYJHmq_4cECaNb9IO9VGPdhVyb2Zivl1hiqh-SiJ6IlTHe_ih2o6HEE1QtMzyRX_PGqqeiJ9BsKU0U7W9ZeGZbX_Nb/s1906/Screen+Shot+2021-04-09+at+12.33.52+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1906" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQQkwXPKe-o_1AEO7yAQWbhDCp7nojHLiR1uxV2_ItarCqKQthIRYJHmq_4cECaNb9IO9VGPdhVyb2Zivl1hiqh-SiJ6IlTHe_ih2o6HEE1QtMzyRX_PGqqeiJ9BsKU0U7W9ZeGZbX_Nb/w400-h226/Screen+Shot+2021-04-09+at+12.33.52+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>2) Clipped Highlights</p><p><i>Clipped</i> highlights are overexposed highlights. They're pure white if <i>clipped</i> but even just too close to white (overexposed) looks cheap and indicates a lack of control in recording the footage. And I'm not talking about small pure white highlights as when glinting off a piece of glass, I'm talking about areas of a frame that just should not be overexposed.</p><p>It <i>looks</i> cheap and it looks amateur. Keeping your range of tones within what the camera is capable of recording is what professionals do. Once clipping occurs, any detail or color is lost and all you can do at that point is gray it down in post which looks unnatural.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNH7XdpdB2m7_GyFn9IiD4cv8WKKOji77qVHQEoE6I_16vaPnwyQPfjib1SUBi7xeqX3_-ek7tLHVby0oTtOwSVgy1K04_WIwF5PbzyR8q5aqRkfw16BEnCRikIgIcJsx6uWtt1p3CLTyL/s1910/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+9.59.23+PM+1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1910" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNH7XdpdB2m7_GyFn9IiD4cv8WKKOji77qVHQEoE6I_16vaPnwyQPfjib1SUBi7xeqX3_-ek7tLHVby0oTtOwSVgy1K04_WIwF5PbzyR8q5aqRkfw16BEnCRikIgIcJsx6uWtt1p3CLTyL/w400-h224/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+9.59.23+PM+1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cs1MyGoGHjLNkGKKqDiUZhHtr3UoLFdiYvH617mSzcsYNlS-_uIdsCCsphAsP-K5-lBPmCa-NKMbrGMBY-PN7I3OdIDx5tOg8e-Rtj6Se2plUY7tM04tImMC6sdtjPyY1AgsOk5GfohD/s1913/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+8.55.54+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1913" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8cs1MyGoGHjLNkGKKqDiUZhHtr3UoLFdiYvH617mSzcsYNlS-_uIdsCCsphAsP-K5-lBPmCa-NKMbrGMBY-PN7I3OdIDx5tOg8e-Rtj6Se2plUY7tM04tImMC6sdtjPyY1AgsOk5GfohD/w400-h225/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+8.55.54+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwe08-Ju2Jc_x1s0NENoAzmXSIGCj_bCFfDtwldhQwpWYT9vbynypJbPnKyP506P4YzUgyjQKoeZG7GH26XQDcNu9ENyqvXVKda9uwgbrmEkCz3YL66wlVd2d4718Sl01j_UpXgI-zMVG/s2039/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+10.41.51+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="2039" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwe08-Ju2Jc_x1s0NENoAzmXSIGCj_bCFfDtwldhQwpWYT9vbynypJbPnKyP506P4YzUgyjQKoeZG7GH26XQDcNu9ENyqvXVKda9uwgbrmEkCz3YL66wlVd2d4718Sl01j_UpXgI-zMVG/w400-h224/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+10.41.51+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrCRq6pRCOPe89c1GTEyJauD1dtGFVwLZOkhwDvBbX59qyguOD-qupxfSdLzVkTnftwVWS1HwpqvtV4mtPCO-eZTgPIHqQQjjbiDdeX1jnV5D5lwIPg7ncKsYB_FOOy08cRL58W-Siwwx/s1908/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+11.48.45+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1908" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrCRq6pRCOPe89c1GTEyJauD1dtGFVwLZOkhwDvBbX59qyguOD-qupxfSdLzVkTnftwVWS1HwpqvtV4mtPCO-eZTgPIHqQQjjbiDdeX1jnV5D5lwIPg7ncKsYB_FOOy08cRL58W-Siwwx/w400-h225/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+11.48.45+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>3) Poor Composition</p><p>This is a dead giveaway and I think even lay people can identify poor composition. Again, it often betrays a lack of control as in the case of working in a practical location and not having enough room to get a suitable framing, for example in this 2-shot.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQRrziwSwLa4ABRGuSgxxq3ct9Tt7XPYCgYOGNyDmqbZIq3AHxwFjlKBDMI7RO2hFTlLPWTathtAhsU22rOhmygmBAnToOaYydEp2k7_A4lg0-Jy5XFAluJOFgjGokqWp9CMMS7ZuWZrU/s1910/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+10.01.51+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="1910" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQRrziwSwLa4ABRGuSgxxq3ct9Tt7XPYCgYOGNyDmqbZIq3AHxwFjlKBDMI7RO2hFTlLPWTathtAhsU22rOhmygmBAnToOaYydEp2k7_A4lg0-Jy5XFAluJOFgjGokqWp9CMMS7ZuWZrU/w400-h225/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+10.01.51+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />Another awkward framing that could have been improved by repositioning the camera to the right and framing a little more to the left, or just framing more to the left, or backing the camera up and framing more to the left or framing the guy out and following the ladies to the car by panning left and revealing the guy in the bench (see below clip). <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GbBdd1stGF_JzJ-4uuyq00T844uTn6ZQM70FS4PwK_QI6wrdMvxQXyol2G6kmL9Ou4zlXOemAbF4v1L6Og773ZVWxQ4bkjZuCVML8j8jFd7JgnMq-TvRnPa6DZtbc_-_3RD13zxfwpFT/s2035/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+10.34.21+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="2035" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GbBdd1stGF_JzJ-4uuyq00T844uTn6ZQM70FS4PwK_QI6wrdMvxQXyol2G6kmL9Ou4zlXOemAbF4v1L6Og773ZVWxQ4bkjZuCVML8j8jFd7JgnMq-TvRnPa6DZtbc_-_3RD13zxfwpFT/w400-h225/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+10.34.21+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>4) Shaky Hand Held Footage</p><p>Sometimes we need shaky footage as in the case of action scenes, but there's good shaky and there's bad shaky. Shaky all the time, is not good. Jerky/shaky is not good. Micro-jitter shaky is really not good. And even good shaky should be reserved for moments when it will have more of an impact by heightening the emotional effect of what's taking place in the scene. This is an example of the micro-jitter shakiness that comes from hand holding a lightweight camera. Because the camera is so light, it registers every tiny movement of the camera operator. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='627' height='364' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dySCyoHG9AOvsynjuB2kvuS5a2Sa5JqkORwrfL9zRk_AvMRrOWJdBKyrVrq81B_6_utrrHpcXZqQ9ATfENlZg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p>5) Poor Lighting</p><p>This gets down to just basic photographic technique. It's less an aesthetic approach than it is just a poor command of lighting. </p><p>Poor lighting is fairly evident in a number of ways. Frontal broad lighting tends to look "sourcey." Placing the key lights behind camera, in this case also placed at eye level height or lower, cast ugly, unnatural looking shadows. Here, there are two fixtures of the same size placed on either side of camera. You can get a lot of scenes shot using this approach for all your setups with dialogue, but it looks cheap.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmou7RL3Y4B6DRrbhZ04Q648B-stl_CuZsXfkeOHCcUQgjii_3RNGBAv-8JloCm6gXtwfFNGuI3S9got76E-tYhQUYhQYB5tjSz6hZP0Xi0lSSL3jAnxyFLC5mEXIHX-3W-DPE90WclT-m/s1908/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+9.37.33+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1908" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmou7RL3Y4B6DRrbhZ04Q648B-stl_CuZsXfkeOHCcUQgjii_3RNGBAv-8JloCm6gXtwfFNGuI3S9got76E-tYhQUYhQYB5tjSz6hZP0Xi0lSSL3jAnxyFLC5mEXIHX-3W-DPE90WclT-m/w400-h224/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+9.37.33+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2dV0NRPLi-aqyFgGYm5FE5tKdtTLQE5Y9G88dABsywi-jsMhujSKXN4JFmqyIzN_n7G7iDBd_MsJ24ryZTfHxOlfCPv4WhSKxH2UszE3zh6Ny7Cz4wSpOtT5DMTOBox4vkrK_XH7J0Kj/s1903/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+9.37.38+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1903" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2dV0NRPLi-aqyFgGYm5FE5tKdtTLQE5Y9G88dABsywi-jsMhujSKXN4JFmqyIzN_n7G7iDBd_MsJ24ryZTfHxOlfCPv4WhSKxH2UszE3zh6Ny7Cz4wSpOtT5DMTOBox4vkrK_XH7J0Kj/w400-h225/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+9.37.38+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>"Sourcey" lighting is lighting that looks like it's coming from a source, meaning a photographic fixture, not from some naturally occurring source. It looks unnatural and can be unflattering on people's faces. The goal with lighting should be to achieve a natural look, as if the light is just naturally occurring, OR by cheating and using film lighting as motivated by a nearby fixture that may be visible in a shot. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg376ikb9b8deRjcHW3PsYVJMIhKf00O2ELIxA7Z3CDyU7PfosuvyWHgDch09wL3OpLuHGHzPNMp0wgVSkBWVB84VM6sphNP0zttkAiEEUX8YFJU7LHlLasXtsYWTiQXPf4x6PbU77md3_t/s2029/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+10.36.29+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1138" data-original-width="2029" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg376ikb9b8deRjcHW3PsYVJMIhKf00O2ELIxA7Z3CDyU7PfosuvyWHgDch09wL3OpLuHGHzPNMp0wgVSkBWVB84VM6sphNP0zttkAiEEUX8YFJU7LHlLasXtsYWTiQXPf4x6PbU77md3_t/w400-h224/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+10.36.29+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>An underlit scene is what it is. At the very least, it's preferable to see highlights in the eyes of a character even when they're underlit, <i>especially</i> when they have dialogue. Again, this approach indicates a lack of control and screams "low budget." <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChbK5Pe93NppXNbzEHVUuOEyYrhmTGXVl2zsC-23OiXnG7OrA1NOz7IE8iukT8OGEvmYvKjC3FJSHx70jENOvOsVL9jm5XpmBiiW90i6sv95JEF0Nk_7Ltp-8TFPAXaNqjagx8_sHcCXG/s1907/Screen+Shot+2021-04-09+at+12.37.46+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1907" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChbK5Pe93NppXNbzEHVUuOEyYrhmTGXVl2zsC-23OiXnG7OrA1NOz7IE8iukT8OGEvmYvKjC3FJSHx70jENOvOsVL9jm5XpmBiiW90i6sv95JEF0Nk_7Ltp-8TFPAXaNqjagx8_sHcCXG/w400-h236/Screen+Shot+2021-04-09+at+12.37.46+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMOrJXfh7lQ-sguDH5FDAD4jxSacyMcpvhNBt1rsBNj8qJAUb3nmkM3L68-VD2VSQ-SkNSnDPuR63ZYS-_tUyy0_L5RvDMn9DfIkBpVvcwsvXQKJy1bFOYGb418knJd-ScmF5cwUCsRhe/s1908/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+9.05.32+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1908" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMOrJXfh7lQ-sguDH5FDAD4jxSacyMcpvhNBt1rsBNj8qJAUb3nmkM3L68-VD2VSQ-SkNSnDPuR63ZYS-_tUyy0_L5RvDMn9DfIkBpVvcwsvXQKJy1bFOYGb418knJd-ScmF5cwUCsRhe/w400-h224/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+9.05.32+PM.png" width="400" /></a> <br /></div><p>One thing I see often are available light setups where talent are placed in shade. Getting an adequate exposure of their faces means having an overexposed background. In most cases like this, a proper exposure would mean the actors would be in silhouette. This dynamic generally betrays a lack of control, meaning the cinematographer was not able to, didn't have time, or didn't know how to light the talent. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWeUYWP2lCqgza5Y7tmono-uoxGNT1IA50h3gGuzQ1gliS75y-0-x3yXI_w-LwokaWPM2PoTSzEy9k65upJUKV2c9FHyuWbS6EcC61fSk8X_adbCG21hXKX0k2SHQsXQGSKLZH6gcgNV1/s2035/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+10.35.46+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="2035" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWeUYWP2lCqgza5Y7tmono-uoxGNT1IA50h3gGuzQ1gliS75y-0-x3yXI_w-LwokaWPM2PoTSzEy9k65upJUKV2c9FHyuWbS6EcC61fSk8X_adbCG21hXKX0k2SHQsXQGSKLZH6gcgNV1/w400-h225/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+10.35.46+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FTp2lL7bcCFZoCd7AUP5hL8I8qYTojqDqaOOc3aFW0UiUL8G-1PRlfJVzbIpotI6Ay_S7eNPuICwtyhKVZ6-ZuMMvb_UAR3SJcuKnUbgyzLCcC9u6fXEhIcIXM2aU2nmJd0JyI-o9hbI/s1912/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+8.58.30+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1912" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FTp2lL7bcCFZoCd7AUP5hL8I8qYTojqDqaOOc3aFW0UiUL8G-1PRlfJVzbIpotI6Ay_S7eNPuICwtyhKVZ6-ZuMMvb_UAR3SJcuKnUbgyzLCcC9u6fXEhIcIXM2aU2nmJd0JyI-o9hbI/w400-h225/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+8.58.30+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>6) Over Sharpening <br /></p><p>Digital cameras have a sharpness setting generally, and over sharpened footage tends to look very "video." Many drones and action cams tend to have noticeably sharpened footage while also having small sensors and wide angle lenses which give them a unique, very often non cinematic look. I see a fair amount of over sharpened footage in low budget indie films. When combined with highlight clipping, over sharpened footage screams "video."<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCq4ZUeH08IGRvAHq8ATFSz_7YBSjMPeSWb9XeX7929H15xoKF_xBgkKVh-ZtGJy39FZ2d-ovIru5e1SoytuseuvtmSx9YV8gByiXqi6dblSXh_GesTglskg6nG_sHsS9DHXTznxLKAcm/s1911/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+11.47.19+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1911" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCq4ZUeH08IGRvAHq8ATFSz_7YBSjMPeSWb9XeX7929H15xoKF_xBgkKVh-ZtGJy39FZ2d-ovIru5e1SoytuseuvtmSx9YV8gByiXqi6dblSXh_GesTglskg6nG_sHsS9DHXTznxLKAcm/w400-h225/Screen+Shot+2021-04-08+at+11.47.19+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCvfJiFg1gGnjmSNMxS0x4ur5KTbyj_dpO8sge85kOh_EmL7azOchyphenhyphenc2f-5PYlkAKDLRCTSq_m7UiCsdCz8JOFCBMdumc3J0CbisBw2TGZHaQBpjmQs4wg0pxQLsX3Qjx7Ew2Iq3nFZFG/s2048/Screen+Shot+2021-04-10+at+8.55.57+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="2048" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCvfJiFg1gGnjmSNMxS0x4ur5KTbyj_dpO8sge85kOh_EmL7azOchyphenhyphenc2f-5PYlkAKDLRCTSq_m7UiCsdCz8JOFCBMdumc3J0CbisBw2TGZHaQBpjmQs4wg0pxQLsX3Qjx7Ew2Iq3nFZFG/w400-h224/Screen+Shot+2021-04-10+at+8.55.57+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC58GENrENNoQiqX47epk2aSOWojiVTsd3PbOJpVyuSiTfvIQJ4SLP5l-HUAHcTS_39CZpSQhWuE9sr5fmHonhh82eQBmR_dpN96xTw7aP-CH2Ny3TFocNLSXFB4F2qrtMmNxYYwEjdJLz/s2048/Screen+Shot+2021-04-10+at+8.54.08+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC58GENrENNoQiqX47epk2aSOWojiVTsd3PbOJpVyuSiTfvIQJ4SLP5l-HUAHcTS_39CZpSQhWuE9sr5fmHonhh82eQBmR_dpN96xTw7aP-CH2Ny3TFocNLSXFB4F2qrtMmNxYYwEjdJLz/w400-h225/Screen+Shot+2021-04-10+at+8.54.08+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>7) Production Design</b></p><p>Nothing screams "cheap," like a cheap looking apartment, a cheap car, or a cheap wardrobe. "Cheap" in this case can mean messy, sloppy, boring, dull, or just uninspiring. Many indie filmmakers tend to use whatever locations and scenery they have easy access to. This, often times means working with less than ideal settings, visually speaking. </p><p>Smart filmmakers often will avoid wide shots in cases where they just don't have a budget for control of production design, or want to avoid seeing equipment or crew that they don't have time to move. This results in a lot of closeups which can become visually tiresome for a viewer. </p><p>All things being equal, production design <i>is</i> production value. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p> ©Chris Santucci 2021<br /></p><br /><br />Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-25756998190588108072018-11-19T17:10:00.003-06:002021-04-10T08:35:21.940-06:00Too original?I <i>watch</i> a LOT of movies so I eventually came to have an understanding of the ins and outs of film storytelling with respect to what flies and what doesn't fly with audiences. Do audiences appreciate and embrace originality?<br />
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<b>Up to a point, yes.</b> <br />
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When people put a movie on or walk into a theater, they do so with certain expectations. These expectations have to do with story, the manner in which the story unfolds, and even expectations of a certain level of technical quality. People generally point their face at a screen with an expectation of what to expect which is based in large part on what they've become accustomed to (as per their preferences of course). We've been watching movies for a hundred years, so we ALL know what a movie is and what it isn't by now. Experimental cinema notwithstanding, commercial films (movies) ARE a certain <i>thing</i> and everyone knows what that thing is.<br />
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Audiences have become accustomed to a <i>known</i> spectrum of film story types, a finite number of different film plots, and a finite amount of different types of story structures.<br />
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Having an original idea for a film story doesn't mean it's a good idea. It might only mean that it's an original <i>bad</i> idea and was never entertained up to present because it was always deemed a bad idea. You won't win any prizes for making a film based on a dumb original story idea unless you're hoping lightning strikes as in the case of good bad films which are as rare as June rain in Arizona.<br />
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Most films involve human beings interacting with one another. People <i>love</i> watching other people do things. That said, a film audience also has expectations of "types" and behavior with respect to a film's characters, which also brings up the subject of casting. Generally speaking, certain "types" are cast to match certain roles/characters.<br />
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If you get a new job as a lumberjack for example, you will have certain expectations of who your co-workers are going to be. As you drive to your first day of work in your diesel Super Duty F250, you'll envision big burly men (like you), not women, not children, not senior citizens, and not scholarly looking Asians. As such, it's very much the same with casting movies and the expectations of an audience.<br />
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Film genres, and character types exist for a reason. An audience will want to see certain things and will only allow a certain degree of deviation from their reasonable expectations.<br />
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Sure a certain amount of artful genre and character <i>type</i> juggling can and should sometimes be employed but in the end it still all falls within a finite range that works for an audience.<br />
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As such, I would assert that audiences embrace the familiar far more than the unfamiliar when it comes to films (and of course art, food, music, etc.) You can lose an audience as much by withholding details (having them fill in too many blanks - being too ambiguous) as you can by throwing too much nonsense at them. If you're creating farce, that's fine, but that of course is a genre so it comes with certain rules as do all other film parameters.<br />
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I suppose it's a bit disheartening to think there's a ceiling with respect to film story telling, that we can't just use an "anything goes" aesthetic or exploit complete originality in filmmaking, but our tastes have limits as does everything else in life.<br />
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©2018 Chris Santucci<br />
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<br />Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-83444902158781173632017-12-28T19:34:00.003-06:002021-01-01T14:31:20.649-06:00What is production value & how?I had a conversation with a fellow producer a while back about production value. He wondered what it was exactly and how to achieve it. I had already been well past the point of being enamored of gear and technique, and was of the mind that production value was (all things being equal) made possible by production design, wardrobe, and the actual faces of your actors.<br />
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In other words, it's the stuff you SEE in the footage. When I say "all things being equal," I mean two productions with roughly the same script quality, tech, personnel, budget, and capability, one putting more into production design, wardrobe, and casting will have a higher level of apparent production value than one which expends more budget on equipment, effects, or crew rates for example.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdidlSt3HZgICsmRRQBmQZ6jQ0vGnY4yZ4K65mr96Lk3pQm9HS6q9Z3i0KwyMOwmv4OVlpbTO_CNiq8J77elLqMI3p3PTaUcq-oZuL-L6ep48Fs658iGW5NZHaGYX3fnnc_o9wwIyFg8o/s1600/bargain-basement-office.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="960" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdidlSt3HZgICsmRRQBmQZ6jQ0vGnY4yZ4K65mr96Lk3pQm9HS6q9Z3i0KwyMOwmv4OVlpbTO_CNiq8J77elLqMI3p3PTaUcq-oZuL-L6ep48Fs658iGW5NZHaGYX3fnnc_o9wwIyFg8o/s400/bargain-basement-office.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">For example, say you need an "office" for a scene in a film. Oh look, there's an office! It has a desk, a window, and a computer. Perfect, right? You can stop scouting now!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE35Na51u8xhf3n3BSNrRG0Bbot5vu9wUz6YRnHB6S-qlvITzP_gNbFd-0bXUasjeyInTOeYvUHVVMbJFzZ7tRK9Ub3_rjnto3XjdX9VJLAdfqyvWAJbrRrm1Ivc8ICnH_xhI3-0j8NJfO/s1600/nice-office.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE35Na51u8xhf3n3BSNrRG0Bbot5vu9wUz6YRnHB6S-qlvITzP_gNbFd-0bXUasjeyInTOeYvUHVVMbJFzZ7tRK9Ub3_rjnto3XjdX9VJLAdfqyvWAJbrRrm1Ivc8ICnH_xhI3-0j8NJfO/s400/nice-office.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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But, obviously all offices are not the same. Here we have a nice <i>view</i> (production value) of more office buildings through giant corner office windows, nice woodwork and furnishings. Of course, if you need a boring, aesthetically crappy office, then that's what you need. My point is, you can settle for a generic "office" or you can spend more time looking for one you can afford that's nicer OR you can pay for a nicer office location.</div>
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Say you have to cast a male lead to play a romantic counterpart to your female lead. Considering that actors faces tend to occupy a significant amount of screen real estate, I'd suggest taking into account the aesthetic value of your prospective cast. Movie stars are movie stars for a reason. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsFpNbZN7CdMYBPsTJrWaSDKkozL8Q9nrls97NS2IFhELafn9zvOKZHmFl7RZYk3MMr0JYCOWEKtcADrLPJrul0x6FoMKk6dQp_cBvwoqTw1zMKNgU00yu5IY6k1vNRRpBatYIL2V6Q07/s1600/franco.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="584" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsFpNbZN7CdMYBPsTJrWaSDKkozL8Q9nrls97NS2IFhELafn9zvOKZHmFl7RZYk3MMr0JYCOWEKtcADrLPJrul0x6FoMKk6dQp_cBvwoqTw1zMKNgU00yu5IY6k1vNRRpBatYIL2V6Q07/s200/franco.jpeg" width="200" /></a><i>All things being equal</i> (acting ability and experience) consider casting the best looking (or yes, most apropos) talent you can, especially considering you're asking an audience to stare at these people for 90 minutes (or 10 minutes). Human nature being what it is means people just prefer looking at attractive people. There are reasons why some very excellent actors have been relegated to character roles and only otherwise supporting roles in films. It's heart breaking I'm sure but a reality nonetheless that you have to consider. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cbp_Fn5EcExwMMuD51RvjNppMereflc-OhODxeoHyZCDyn0WOy-5HrniEgX-7intvKKVxSqLUfBSH3T256TOvPHU4hTvtP0LQyJtB4w-kaQy1Ev3OGdlzwrRlbyefF-xeDso8EQoA8Ej/s1600/actor.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="625" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cbp_Fn5EcExwMMuD51RvjNppMereflc-OhODxeoHyZCDyn0WOy-5HrniEgX-7intvKKVxSqLUfBSH3T256TOvPHU4hTvtP0LQyJtB4w-kaQy1Ev3OGdlzwrRlbyefF-xeDso8EQoA8Ej/s200/actor.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
If nothing else, having a good looking cast will at least give your audience something nice to look at. Nothing against this guy here on the right, but he'll never be James Franco<span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">. He may be your best buddy and willing to work for free, and let you use his garage, but none of that will be of value to your audience. What's that? He's a great actor? OK, fine, but he's still not James Franco. </span><br />
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<span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Remember, you're making your film for an audience of strangers (ya know, people who don't know you or care about you), not your family and friends. </span><br />
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<span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Considering wardrobe and how crucial it is to production value: years ago I filmed a friend's band playing a live gig at a club. They showed up wearing just what they normally wear; hockey jerseys, jeans, whatever. When they saw the footage, they decided they looked like a bunch of schmoes and didn't want to use the footage. They made an objectively aesthetic judgement that I couldn't really disagree with, but with a little forethought and maybe some guidance from a stylist, they'd have looked cooler to their audience and had footage to use in promoting themselves. </span><br />
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<span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">My point is, if an audience SEES it in the frame, it's VERY important and really IS what gives a film <i>production value</i>. Remember films are very illusory. You are using the magic of filmmaking to create something 2 dimensionally that isn't real. You are literally <i>creating</i> a world for your film characters to live in and your audience to become immersed in. Consider, heavily, everything an audience will see in the scenes of your film. Even if it means you use 5 year old tech to make the film so you can spend more on these visual elements, do it.</span><br />
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<span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Nobody in your audience will SEE the difference between a $10,000. lens and a $1,000. lens, but they will most definitely SEE and know uninspired mall bought wardrobe right off the shelf, an economy grade residential dwelling, and mundane locations with no depth or character. </span><br />
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<span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">©2017 Chris Santucci</span><br />
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<br />Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-35478637754462219952014-12-26T13:17:00.000-06:002014-12-26T13:18:43.859-06:00The Truth About Why Most Indie Films Don’t Get Distributed I've written about this a bit regarding the idea that there's distribution and then there's <i>distribution</i> (where you actually get paid.) It used to be that a <i>real</i> distribution deal was nearly impossible without many of the elements mentioned in this blog post as well as high production value. Now, nearly anyone (as I've mentioned) can get a distribution deal for nearly any kind of film, but most of those result in zero payment, so you have to be selective in embarking upon a feature length film project because the odds are very, very high that you will see no return on your investment in time and money:<br />
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<a href="http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/truth-indie-films-dont-get-distributed/">http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/truth-indie-films-dont-get-distributed/</a>Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-76931093436904667882014-02-28T09:55:00.002-06:002021-06-25T09:43:03.717-06:00Staying in the game - professionally. If you intend to make a living from working in the production world in part or in whole, you have to understand that there's more to getting hired than performing adequately (if you even do that.) There are a host of other things one should be aware of in order to keep getting hired which especially in the absence of experience or ability - can help get you hired often enough for you prove yourself:<br />
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<b>Don't make more work for your employer</b><br />
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People get hired to work. That's the entirety of your reason for existence as an employee or crew member. The biggest part of doing the work means you're not creating more work or problems for your boss. Adding work comes in many forms:<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>Not doing it right the first time (necessitating the need for your boss to do the work themselves or requiring redundant activity to get it done.)</li>
<li>Requiring lengthy explanations or having discussions about minutia (know your job and do it but if you're not sure - ask, and don't get mired in peripheral stuff.)</li>
<li>Breaking/misplacing stuff (keep your head in the game 100% and be OCD about the small parts.)</li>
<li>Wasting time (your boss knows exactly how long it should take to perform a task - trust me.) </li>
</ul>
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<b>Be early - Stay late</b></div>
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As a noob, nothing shows gratitude and interest like showing up early and staying late. If you're still learning the ropes it especially behooves you to show up early and stay late because it means you genuinely want to become a better worker, it shows that you're invested in the entire enterprise, and it shows gratitude for the work. Noobs who think they deserve regular and well-defined work hours can enjoy such rigid work windows in call centers and fast food positions. <br />
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<b>Show interest</b><br />
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As mentioned, showing interest is always appreciated and noticed. This can take the form of merely your level of attention. Do you watch and listen, or do you spend more time socializing during moments of pause or breaks in the action? What you do with your time when these intervals occur says a lot about your interest. An experienced professional who is 100% effective and efficient with their time on work days is on another level than someone starting out, so bridging the gap in your lack of experience by at least watching, listening, and being nearby is<i> amazing</i>.<br />
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<b>Don't brag about averting disaster</b><br />
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You might think it advantageous to show (after the fact) how you fixed something that went wrong on your watch but you have to be careful associating yourself with a malfunction in the first place. You might feel like a hero and you might very well be, but in the end, it's the completed work that matters, not how you got there.<br />
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<b>Be responsive</b><br />
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Everyone everywhere has smart phones in their hands nearly 24/7. There's no excuse (for people living in civilized parts of the world) not to provide timely responses - ever. At the very least, confirm reception of a message even if you cannot elaborate right away. Not responding as quickly as possible gums up the works and slows down the whole machine because of the chain reaction of everyone in the chain waiting for a response.<br />
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If you're email is "screwed up," fix it. If your phone is broken, get a new one. If your phone bill isn't paid, pay it and only then try to get work. A fully functional smart phone is an essential tool for getting work. Don't cut corners with a phone or phone service. <br />
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<b>Be likable</b></div>
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No, not everyone is going to like you, but if you're likable it at least helps to keep a certain amount of people in your camp. If three people decide if you get hired again and one out of the three likes you, that can mean you get hired. Nobody wants to work with people they don't like, so being likable is essentially a prerequisite for survival in the work place.<br />
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Being generally likable as simply as it can be put involves making eye contact, showing a sense of humor, showing interest, being interesting, having some sense of style, speaking clearly and understandably, and offering to go out of your way for your employer.<br />
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And when you get "in," try to avoid being too political. Taking sides can bite you in the ass and always be nice to people you work with because you never know who may end up with the work.<br />
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<b>Be thankful</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Unless you work in a market where nobody else can do your job, you almost always have competition for your job in some form. I feel lucky to work in the industry I work in and as such, I tend to always go above and beyond whenever possible. Anyone who doesn't simply say - "thank you" in response to paying work is in trouble because when someone who's likable and at least as good (or better) at doing the same job comes along and they show the requisite gratitude, that could mean that <i>they</i> get the work instead.<br />
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A producer once told me she never got a <i>thank you</i> for the work she gave someone when she called <i>me</i> about doing that work instead. Say thanks. It's easy and it means something. People who give you work may not always (or ever) compliment you, but if they keep hiring you, that's the important thing. And don't make the mistake of ever thinking you're doing an employer a favor (by doing the work.) Unless you're a world renowned brain surgeon, the work you get is a gift.<br />
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©2014 Chris Santucci<br />
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<br />Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-3112445084117521702013-07-21T17:19:00.004-06:002021-04-10T08:42:27.781-06:00Screenwriting - The BasicsI'm not a screenwriter, nor am I a "writer." I spend a lot of time writing and I have spent a lot of time editing screenplays and reading screenplays. I have studied one book on screenwriting quite a bit which I credit in helping me form 2 finished feature length screenplays which I've gotten a lot of feedback on from Triggerstreet and American Zoetrope forums.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Tools-Screenwriting-Elements-Screenplay/dp/0312119089" target="_blank">The Tools of Screenwriting</a> is an amazing book that presents the nuts and bolts of screenwriting and also then compares all those elements to actual movies you've probably seen in an attempt to drive an understanding of it all home.<br />
<br />
In my years as a filmmaker I've pored over many drafts of many different screenplays in an attempt to make them better. One thing I would say to anyone writing or who wants to write screenplays is - read "professionally written" screenplays.<br />
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There is SO much to be learned from reading actual screenplays that got made into successful movies. Especially with regard to formatting and the manner of writing that is most accepted for screenplays.<br />
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As for my meager contribution to the craft of screen writing, please take these items to heart:<br />
<br />
<b>What a screenplay is and is not</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A screenplay is not a series of events in which characters do stuff.<br />
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I've had film stories explained to me in those terms multiple times by wannabe filmmakers, and each time I had to inform them that they in fact had NO story.<br />
<br />
A screenplay in simplest terms is a A) <i>Protagonist</i> struggling against opposition in the form of a B) <i>Antagonist</i> in order to C) achieve something and during the course of this struggle, the <i>Protagonist </i>experiences "growth," better known as a "character arc."<br />
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That, in a nutshell is what you need to do with your film story. All the gun fights and carnage in the world will not mean much if you don't have these elements firmly established in a written script and depicted in your film story.<br />
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<b>Save the drama for your mama</b><br />
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Beginner or untrained or inexperienced screenwriters tend to write stories that involve primarily arguments and similar conflict between characters. This in itself is fine, but when it's essentially all you have in a script, it can get very tiring for an audience.<br />
<br />
Many of the feature length films I worked on as DP early in my career featured primarily characters bickering and arguing, with little else of interest. Constant melodrama in a film can work IF the script is crafted by a skilled writer. If you're a neophyte writer, do yourself a favor and steer clear of melodrama.<br />
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<b>Start with an outline and an ending</b><br />
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It makes very little sense to just start writing, believing that it's somehow going to all work out by the time you reach page 90. Nobody ever sets out on a journey without a map unless they don't mind a high probability of failure. Without a guide, your script (especially if it's a first script) will more than likely end up a meandering mess or you'll spend far too much time re-writing.<br />
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Half the battle is a good outline. Think about that. Having all the major points of the story laid out in order will alleviate a lot of frustration during the crafting of scenes in the screenplay. Do it.<br />
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Don't ever start writing without an ending already determined. Again, nobody sets out on a journey without a destination in mind, unless it's only the journey that's important. To you, the screen writer, if you want something to show for your work - have the ending in mind.<br />
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<b>Consider the names of characters</b><br />
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Use character names that are easy to remember and that don't sound or look similar. Even if your story is very well told, confusion can creep in (for a reader) when lapses in scene descriptions occur or non-linear story telling technique is employed. Confusion will ruin your screenplay especially if added to those shortcomings - you also have a high number of characters in the story. Pick names thoughtfully, as you would for your own child so that they're not distracting and not adding to the potential confusion a reader might experience.<br />
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<b>Don't leave out scene intros</b><br />
<b><br /></b><u>
Consider this scene & character intro:</u><br />
<h4>
INT. WAREHOUSE - EVENING</h4>
<h4>
COLIN is wild eyed. He stands with a gun aimed at man tied to a chair.</h4>
OK... so as we're reading this, we're trying to form a mental image of the setting where the scene is taking place rather than just concentrating on the story, most likely based on the action(s) of the characters depicted. <br />
<br />
The scene intro should set the stage for the scene with just enough words. Adding descriptive words that characterize the space is helpful. What size is the warehouse? What condition is it in? Is it dry? Wet? Clean? Dirty? What else is in it? Cars? Boxes? Nothing? Is moonlight streaming in through the skylights or is it completely dark except for a single nearby light bulb?<br />
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You don't want to write a book here, but a lot could be said in one sentence about the setting your characters are in and it helps to frame the scenes so a more complete picture unfolds in a readers mind.<br />
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<b>Don't leave out character descriptions</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
As in the above scene and character intro, COLIN is not described at all. So this leaves the reader to forced into using their intellect to uncover who this person might be. THAT is not what you want a reader to be doing while reading your screenplay.<br />
<br />
COLIN is holding a gun, so we know he's probably a male with at least one functional arm and hand, and two legs...<br />
<br />
We don't know if this is in fact a male just because COLIN is a males name. We don't know the age of this character, the race, and nothing about them except that this person is "wild eyed."<br />
<br />
"Wild eyed" is not nearly enough of a character description. Not even close, and again ONE sentence of carefully worded writing can provide a suitable mental image of this character so the reader doesn't have to waste brain power putting clues together to do it themselves.<br />
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<b>Proof read - please</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Nothing says "I don't care" to a reader more than poor grammar, spelling, punctuation, and diction. It's very hard to have a 100% correct screenplay, but if you have typos, misspellings, and odd phrases throughout a screenplay, you'll lose the reader and chances are you'll be asking for feedback on your work so don't make it <i>harder</i> for readers to get through your screenplay.<br />
<br />
Take the time to proof read because not only will you look like a dumbass if you have more than a few dozen instances of the above shortcomings, but the reader's interest will wain if they sense you rushed through the writing.<br />
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<b>The writing happens in the rewriting </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Don't ever think you'll write a script and then take your first draft and produce a film from it unless you don't care about anyone ever liking your film. Rewriting is what separates the men from the boys and it's where the story and dialog are made to really work for an audience.<br />
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If you're so enamored of your own writing that you don't feel rewriting is necessary, please stop writing. Screnwriting is not like playing the lottery, it's a process of arduous work that often yields no reward. <br />
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If you're unable to improve a script through rewriting and aren't willing to pound away at the writing until it's perfect, please stop writing.<br />
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The writing <i>really</i> happens in the rewriting.<br />
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©2013 Chris Santucci<br />
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<br />Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-42258784541891733352013-06-18T22:59:00.000-06:002013-06-18T22:59:35.955-06:00Case study in independent film failureMany years back I sold an Eclair Super 16 film camera to some guy from the New England area who told me at the time that he was planning on shooting a feature film with it.<br />
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As it turned out - he did.<br />
<br />
His film went nowhere and he ended up posting it online for people to watch for free, which is really the only thing left to do when you discover nobody will buy, rent, or distribute your film. You're better off having people see your film than not ever see it, even if you give it away.<br />
<br />
What good is a film if nobody can see it?<br />
<br />
Anyway, this guy kept a pretty detailed and amusing journal of his entire filmmaking journey and it shows how all the good intentions in the world won't result in a film that will find an audience:<br />
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<a href="http://www.thedacrons.com/eric/alt.sex/journal/index.html" target="_blank">alt.sex, an independent film</a><br />
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©2013 Chris Santucci<br />
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<br />Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-60531780111433165602013-06-03T22:57:00.001-06:002014-02-09T18:46:21.136-06:00The New StyleThe internet obviously has supplanted television and now even movie theaters to some extent. Is the internet the new television? I'd say it is - and more. If the way I use the computer is any indication, I'd guess that people watch onscreen entertainment in conjunction with doing other business online on a regular basis.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBUB7sN_irzqw2ikv_nb8piEMJ4OdD6pIeH2iFpPC-_hMMH0lvya7QRv3vODZm_iQdG55DSrXdNGRfCpphge6aHV6u7jWA-414hiBznhGSMGGgxYwlpOyNtwR1tTtD4AEABunyC83xfsn/s1600/swordfish02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBUB7sN_irzqw2ikv_nb8piEMJ4OdD6pIeH2iFpPC-_hMMH0lvya7QRv3vODZm_iQdG55DSrXdNGRfCpphge6aHV6u7jWA-414hiBznhGSMGGgxYwlpOyNtwR1tTtD4AEABunyC83xfsn/s320/swordfish02.jpg" height="175" width="320" /></a></div>
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I generally have one window playing a movie while I email and/or research, and anything else I might have going on (ordering gear, paying bills, etc.) I rarely ever watch a movie or web series while not doing anything else, and I'm sure I'm not alone. I often also have a 2nd computer working for me as well.<br />
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The computer is a multi-tasking machine. Other devices are less so, obviously, due to small screen size. And people are more than adept at multi-tasking and are expected by employers to have the ability to multi-task, so it's more than a personal preference - it's a necessity for survival in the work place.<br />
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People have become accustomed to watching onscreen entertainment in smaller and smaller sizes and in smaller increments of time. Viral videos are generally never longer than a few minutes and more and more filmmakers are turning to the "web series" format to tell stories, which in essence is a feature length film broken into smaller pieces or basically an episodic television series.<br />
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Asking a potential audience to sit still for 90 minutes and watch your movie is asking a lot, which is why films with no "name" actors get such little response.<br />
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Viewing tastes have changed as well as delivery methods. People are used to watching short video clips all day long that deliver brief moments of entertainment and inspiration. People are well used to watching episodic television shows. And people, I believe enjoy the added dimension of being able to comment on what they are watching, which is almost always a feature of online video.<br />
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People spend most of their time facing the screen of a computer or a tablet or a smart phone. These machines are ubiquitous in our lives and will become the primary delivery methods for onscreen entertainment. And I fully expect interfaces to come about that display multiple streams of various kinds of information concurrently with entertainment.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH34Ryvbgm0ag4T5_F68DJeglS3RVWoLI82FY2UxozagVknXfsfuE_4J_VZ53qm7-3CSatoC6WYUBQNvieb9NA9zgEyAOtED6mKm7BUjOLMhjK-BqXhADtO9lVZDXIbrsM_jkitwwQATlz/s1600/teen-smartphone-USE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH34Ryvbgm0ag4T5_F68DJeglS3RVWoLI82FY2UxozagVknXfsfuE_4J_VZ53qm7-3CSatoC6WYUBQNvieb9NA9zgEyAOtED6mKm7BUjOLMhjK-BqXhADtO9lVZDXIbrsM_jkitwwQATlz/s320/teen-smartphone-USE.jpg" height="166" width="320" /></a></div>
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As such, I'd say it's well past the time to start thinking about delivering films for viewing on small devices to people who'd rather watch in parts, especially when you consider the fact that the 2nd largest movie audience is the 18-24 year old Caucasian demographic who spend every waking hour staring into the screen of their smart phones and tablets and not concentrating on any one thing for very long.<br />
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Another aspect of delivery that I find important to think about is the fact that more and more are not watching films and small screen entertainment in darkened rooms anymore. It's becoming crucial to deliver a final piece in such a way that it will be viewable in open windowed rooms during daytime. When once a filmmaker might create dark scenes in a film which would normally be viewable in a dark theater, details would become lost when viewed in the more normal surroundings of todays viewing public.<br />
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Whether they watch while on planes, in cars, on trains, in school, at sports events, or at home, the key things to keep in mind are movie theatre attendance as well as DVD sales are declining. MOD streaming is the new delivery method du jour and YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, etc. are growing exponentially.<br />
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Consider the audience above all else or you will not have one.<br />
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©2013 Chris SantucciChris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-76765981015382435062013-01-04T00:42:00.000-06:002013-02-02T22:27:28.190-06:00Film is DeadIt's almost impossible to get a distribution deal for an independently produced film anymore. These days, filmmakers are giving their films away to the public by posting them to torrent sites or putting them up on YouTube -<i> just to get people to watch them</i>. It's not even about getting into a mid level festival anymore which is nearly impossible, it's merely about just getting people to <i>watch</i> your film.<br />
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There are slews of bottom end festivals that you can get your film into, which not only gets your film seen by dozens of people, allows you to schmooze with other unknown filmmakers, and allows for the coveted laurel leaves to display on your website but the sad truth is, any distribution deal to be had through acquisition people attending those lesser festivals will generally not result in an advance, nor any real profit sharing potential.<br />
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<br />
I was party to a feature length film production where we secured a "distribution deal" that specified that once the distributor recouped their "marketing costs," (which were grossly inflated without a doubt) we would start sharing in profit from sales, rentals, etc.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Of course, that never happened.</b><br />
<br />
These days, not only are there shady film "distributors" who are more than happy to try and wring a few bucks from your film while giving you a big donut hole in return (actually, deliverables are generally on you, so less than zero).<br />
<br />
The dozens of low end "distributors" who handle no budget films <i>do</i> manage to get them into the rental realm and even into certain retail outlets for sale (until they get pulled for lack of interest from consumers), but the danger there is you are opening yourself up to the rage of hundreds of critics who will take the time to rip you and your film apart on any number of the online forums, especially IMDb, where the danger is - you end up on the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451109/" target="_blank">Bottom 100.</a><br />
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There are also plenty of shady film festivals that similarly take advantage of filmmakers. And each festival you submit to generally means 35-50 bucks out of your pocket for the submission fee.<br />
<br />
I once submitted a feature film to the <a href="http://www.filmthreat.com/festivals/30415/comment-page-1/" target="_blank">New Mexico International Film Festival</a> (now defunct of course) and found out they only accepted about 7 feature films, two of which were made by a buddy and working associate of the douchebag running the festival. <a href="http://robertamunroe.com/wtf-really-happened-at-the-2011-new-mexico-film-festival/" target="_blank">Seems fair, right?</a> Accept hundreds of submissions at 50 bucks a pop and only program 7 films, 2 of which were made by a guy you have a working relationship with?<br />
<br />
I was DP on a feature film that managed to get into the Queens International Film Festival (now defunct of course) which <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2012/01/25/a-film-festival-scammer-becomes-the-star/" target="_blank">as it turns out - was also a scam.</a><br />
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At the lower end of festivals, this is what filmmakers have to deal with. Withoutabox does not screen any festivals for the poor schmucks getting their email alerts every day about which of the 10 million festivals have a call for entries coming up. Why should they? The more festivals they can hawk to filmmakers, the more money they make. Plus, it's festival submission (not inclusion) that guarantees your film gets listed on the internet movie database (IMDb) which somehow legitimizes your film and seems to have become the booby prize for filmmakers everywhere who don't get into festivals of note.<br />
<br />
There's even a "festival" that will <a href="http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/archive/index.php/t-53108.html" target="_blank">charge you for an award!!!</a> Want "Best New Director?" It's yours - for a fee. And, there's a "distributor" that offers "international distribution" <i><a href="http://www.indietalk.com/archive/index.php/t-5395.html" target="_blank">for 2500 bucks</a> </i>(the last I checked - it's probably more now).<br />
<br />
And when Sundance, the holy grail of film festivals, gets over 10,000 films submitted each year, you can expect that any of the top 10 domestic festivals are getting nearly as many submitted and those kinds of numbers do not make for good odds of ever having a film accepted, I'd say.<br />
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Kevin Smith said recently that if he produced Clerks today, <a href="http://www.officialrejectiondocumentary.com/MAIN.html" target="_blank">it'd never get into a film festival</a> and that, my friends means - it's over, because the odds are better that you'll get struck by lightning.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">("Get you coffee?!?! I'm a <i>director</i>, man.")</td></tr>
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<br />
So now the struggle has become to just get people to <i>watch</i> your film. That's what it's come down to. If you're OK with getting into a low end festival, and there's nothing wrong with that, and hanging out with a small number of folks who like independent films and with other filmmakers - there are an infinity amount of these festivals.<br />
<br />
But it appears the recent explosion of cheap high quality cameras has resulted in an explosion of filmmakers which has resulted in an explosion of film festivals which more often than not are money making schemes which exploit the lofty aspirations of filmmakers who want to find an audience for their film. And desperate filmmakers are further exploited by bottom feeding "distributors" who offer that coveted <i>film distribution, </i>sometimes for a fee, and sometimes for the promise of actual distribution which generally means they make some DVD's and put your trailer on their website.<br />
<br />
And so NOW, we've essentially come (back?) to - <b style="font-style: italic;">filmmaking for the sake of filmmaking, </b>and that sounds kind of comforting and liberating in a way I suppose.<br />
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©2013 Chris Santucci<br />
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<br />Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-51152692505903073072012-11-03T21:04:00.001-06:002021-05-01T08:05:57.165-06:00Timesavers on Shoot DaysWhether you're trying to make up time, or just want to maximize what time you do have, there <i>are</i> some tricks you can employ that won't detract from your scenes while allowing you more of that precious time you can never have enough of:<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Coverage</b></h3>
One thing that always seems to be lacking in low budget films is *coverage*. Generally, you shoot your masters and then your medium shots, and then of course you run out of time for closeups. This happens more often than not, but the smart thing to do is allow time for closeups and cutaways for <i>only</i> select scenes and not <i>every</i> scene. Then you can plan on not shooting closeups and cutaways for certain scenes and allowing for this ahead of time.<br />
<br />
For example, say you're shooting dirty single closeups each of two characters talking and if they have any business out of frame, like if one hands something to the other - you need to see that object. You can tell something was exchanged, but it's out of frame and since you're planning on not shooting any cutaways - you have the actor work the object into the frame like this.<br />
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A good actor should be able to pull this off so it doesn't look unnatural and if you plan on not devoting time for cutaways for <i>every</i> setup you shoot, you can shoot them when they're really important to have (and you'll have the time to execute them properly).<br />
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<h3>
Adapt your formula for shooting scenes to the time you have available</h3>
Instead of using the standard technique of shooting scenes as master shot then medium shots then coverage, plan on shooting <i>only</i> the framings that you know you'll need. Yes, this cuts down on options in post, but when time is limited, this can be a lifesaver. The age-old practice of shooting master/medium/coverage is somewhat ideal when you have the luxury of time, but a more contemporary approach is to know exactly what you'll need prior to shoot days.<br />
<br />
Many directors come to the table and ask for everything they can get their hands on when it comes to shots and takes, but when you know you'll be limited on time and possibly takes of exhausting scenes, then you have to be smart and think ahead.<br />
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<h3>
Shoot with Multiple Cameras</h3>
<div>
Action scenes are generally shot with multiple cameras placed at different angles to the action, but it has become more the norm to shoot non-action scenes with multiple cameras especially on certain episodic TV shows which have horrendous shoot schedules each day not to mention TV shows shot in studios where there are generally 3 cameras on rolling pedestals working concurrently. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Shooting dialogue scenes with (for example) two cameras means you can capture more in less time and it especially means your actors won't become drained after acting out the same scene 20 times (or more) for all your camera shots. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Once a scene is lit, it's lit, and placing a second camera somewhere out of the frame of the first camera is relatively painless. It could be a camera with a long lens for shooting those hard to get cutaways, or it could just be a medium shot while the first camera is shooting a wide master. </div>
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<div>
Another aspect of rolling on scenes with 2 cameras is - continuity. If you can absolutely guarantee more takes that have continuity, it'll mean less time in post-production editing around continuity errors (like an actor using their right hand in some takes and left hand in others - it happens).</div>
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<h3>
Record Wild Sound Dialog</h3>
When you have actors giving dialog in wide shots, or in shots where their faces or mouths are not visible and these setups also present issues with micing, just forego micing for anything but reference audio and record their lines wild.<br />
<br />
Say you have an actor running through the woods in the distance, or an actor with dialog but their face offscreen, or an actor in a car shot as an exterior - skip the hassle of micing them, because it's going to save you a lot of time and you'll get better audio quality anyway by recording their lines wild in a controlled environment.<br />
<br />
Another example would be - you're shooting a scene in a practical location and there's some obtrusive noise that you can't control, but you have to shoot the scene then and there. What do you do? You can get creative with how the scene is show so that recording wild dialog later can work, OR...<br />
<br />
<h3>
Looping Dialog</h3>
<div>
This technique of recording pristine dialogue after scenes are shot, in a studio environment, is a standard practice in "Hollywood." It's called "ADR" which means "Automated Dialog Replacement." </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Generally, good location audio is recorded as scenes are shot, and then after the scenes are edited together, the actors (or completely different voice talent) are brought in to "loop" or re-record the dialog. What they do is watch the scene played on a large screen and they vocalize the dialog which is then recorded for insertion into the edit. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
But isn't this time consuming? Yes it is. But when you weigh the time and expense involved with shoot days as <i>time X crew + gear + recording acceptable audio</i>, it very well can be far less time (and money) consuming. </div>
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<div>
If you just cannot record acceptable audio on location (for whatever reason), consider looping and if you need to plan on it, plan on it well ahead of time if you can (because your actors need to be available for it).</div>
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©2012 Chris Santucci</div>
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<br />Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-40933870053492111032012-10-02T20:22:00.002-06:002012-10-02T20:22:24.461-06:00Content is KingIf you haven't heard it yet, a hundred times, it's a good thing you're hearing it now - because it's SO true and it's important to heed this oft repeated phrase.<br />
<br />
Too many lo/no budget filmmakers get WAY too tied up obsessing over gear, especially camera gear that they just don't produce much. The more you produce, the better, because you'll just get better at it and you'll have more opportunities to succeed.<br />
<br />
A reasonable level of quality I'd suggest is sufficient and agonizing over one camera over another that might offer a 3% better level of quality is just a complete waste of time in my opinion.<br />
<br />
Most lo/no budget filmmakers shoot their films with cameras they own and with cameras these days coming out like every year and a half, it's easy to understand how those of us who own what we shoot with would want to maybe step up to the newest, latest camera.<br />
<br />
<b>Don't wait - just shoot.</b><br />
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That's how I would respond to the trepidation of filmmakers who wonder if they should wait for the latest camera gear because as I mentioned, you're not exactly going to realize a major difference in quality with the next generation of camera. If you're looking into a much higher caliber of camera however, that's a different deal.<br />
<br />
That said, I'd recommend not getting tied up too much with camera choices since there are many other aspects of a potential film that will result in a higher quality film. There are bloggers who over-analyze cameras to the point of distraction when in the end, as I mentioned, you might be comparing 2 cameras that are nearly identical in what they can deliver.<br />
<br />
There are slews of posts in online forums from wannabe filmmakers asking which camera they should use when really, it's nearly irrelevant unless you're talking about a comparison between a recent camera model and one from 5 years ago.<br />
<br />
In the end, an audience only cares about the story and a seamless viewing experience, so I'd recommend delivering <i>that</i>, because nobody and I mean NO-body will care about how sharp and saturated your 4K footage is, if the story doesn't grab them, or if the actors are flat, or if your sound design is distracting, or if etc.<br />
<br />
The goal with what gear you use should be to provide a functional level of usability and quality to allow for a seamless movie experience for an audience. The film is not so much dependent upon <i>which</i> $3,000. camera you use as it is about the gear and the techniques you use not distracting from the story. I've seen quite a few no/lo budget films that I felt were wholly compelling which employed no special techniques or equipment and so their success depended much less on gear choices as on the aspects I mentioned, like story, performances, and production design.<br />
<br />
Start with a great story, cast the best actors you can, understand directing them, find the best locations you can, and just ensure good sound and picture. The simplest thing you'll have to do is shoot scenes, or it should be.<br />
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©2012 Chris SantucciChris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-56768231231525407582012-09-10T19:31:00.001-06:002013-07-21T17:21:00.263-06:00Ideas that are worth developing into stories.If you have an idea for a film story and it takes you longer than say, 2 or 3 sentences to sum up on paper, consider doing something different. In my experience, a convoluted narrative is best left to those with the ability to pull it off.<br />
<br />
The term <a href="https://www.google.com/#hl=en&safe=off&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=high+concept&oq=high+concept&gs_l=hp.3..0l4.461.2335.0.2422.12.9.0.0.0.0.268.1066.3j4j1.8.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.7XOQ-gWH4W0&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=796a316b2de06646&biw=1281&bih=874" target="_blank">"high concept"</a> means an idea that is very simple and can be summed up in very few words. This is what you should consider when on a limited budget. <br />
<br />
Don't think of it as formulaic, but rather - "focused."<br />
<br />
Having a basic premise does not mean your story has to be "basic." You can have a distinct premise with which to base your story on and all it means is, you have a sun for your planetary story elements to revolve around.<br />
<br />
Here are some examples of successful "high concept" Indie films that were possible on small budgets:<br />
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The Man From Earth<br />
Primer<br />
Another Earth<br />
Buffalo '66<br />
The Blair Witch Project<br />
Lost in Translation<br />
Sideways<br />
Reservoir Dogs <br />
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Your characters can be complicated and have depth, sure, but try and keep your story well-defined, interesting, and entertaining and you just might have something.<br />
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©2012 Chris Santucci <br />
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<br />Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-84011715207084059742012-06-18T19:56:00.001-06:002012-06-18T19:56:44.446-06:00Letter to film school wannabe.This is an email I sent to a former crew member I used on a feature film who was considering attending film school. My perspective on spending time and money on a degree in filmmaking is pretty well illustrated here and my points should be considered by anyone looking into attending film school: <i><br /></i><br />
<br />
<i>In regards to that UCLA program, I could see it maybe being of some
benefit to already working producers but I can tell you from experience,
I've never met a working producer who went to "producer <span class="il">school</span>."</i><br />
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>It's not like there are help wanted ads for producers and
if you finish at UB and then go to UCLA for another 2 years, you'll
still have almost no practical experience in the field of <span class="il">producing</span> and will have to start at the bottom - as a PA most likely. It's not like you'll get hired to <span class="il">produce</span> because you have a masters degree in <span class="il">producing</span> and little work experience.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>And, you'll never learn more at a <span class="il">school</span> than you could working in the industry in less time, while getting paid, and making valuable contacts.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>I once had the good fortune of working as a coordinator with a friend who was the local PM on a huge Goodyear job <span class="il"></span> in the mid '90's that was about maybe 2 weeks of work total and was easily the best education I ever had in production.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>The producer busted balls and put us through a crash course in <span class="il">producing</span> - real world-style.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>That's
just one example of the education that is possible while working and it's possible to gain all kinds of expertise after working on
a few jobs.</i>
</div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>I've worked on a LOT of reality TV shows and almost
every PM and coordinator and producer in that realm all started out as
PAs, except for some upper level types who were already attorneys (who
sucked at <span class="il">producing</span> anyway). I've worked as a PA
on jobs for Snickers, Wendys, Channellock Tools, Eastman Kodak, HSBC
Bank, Servicemaster, etc, etc., and I never had more than a 2 year
degree (in an unrelated field) and some minimal prior experience. Now,
here I've <span class="il">produced</span> 4 feature length films, a
shitload of commercials, and I coordinated on 2 - 1 Million dollar
features - and I haven't been even TRYING to get work <span class="il">producing</span>.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<i><span class="il">School</span> and more <span class="il">school</span>
is great if you want to either teach or if you want to be a career
student, but in the film/television industry it's essentially still only
going to get your foot in the door as a PA anyway. Do you really want
to spend 6 years in <span class="il">school</span> and then still start out as a PA and have to pay back student loans while working part time as a PA?<br /><br />I mean, you can do what you want, but nothing works better than
working in the biz if you want to climb the ladder and learn and make
money.</i>
<i></i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
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©2012 Chris Santucci<i><br /></i>Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-28283176882592613762012-06-17T09:15:00.002-06:002013-06-25T10:00:50.989-06:00A word on locations...Some observations and rules I've come to know in the past 20 years regarding working in "practical locations.":<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Respect the property</b><br />
<br />
This is the cardinal rule of working at locations. "Practical locations" are those that function as spaces people normally use on a daily basis - like apartments, stores, homes, etc.<br />
<br />
Keep in mind, you're there for a relatively short while and you'll be working at an accelerated rate compared to the people who normally live or work there. You are working against the clock and there's much pressure to complete the work in a finite period of time. You'll be getting tired. You'll be moving heavy and sometimes unwieldy equipment around. You'll be distracted. You'll be agitated at times.<br />
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Be aware of the condition of the property and act accordingly. If you had a bunch of people over to your place for a party, you wouldn't like it if people dropped stuff on the floor, made a mess, and scratched your furniture. Abusing the goodwill of whomever is allowing you to use their property as a shooting location will close the door for future use by you and any other filmmakers, not to mention <i>damage</i> that comes out of your budget.<br />
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<b>Be extra nice and cover your ass</b><br />
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You'd be surprised (I've been - multiple times) at how two-faced people can be who are charged with overseeing the property you're using as a shooting location while you're there. What I mean is, you might think everything is copacetic all the while you're working and then find out later someone there had an issue with you, your crew, or something you or they did or didn't do.<br />
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Always, always, always, ASK to move or change anything at the location.<br />
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Always make it clear the full extent of what you would like to do with respect to moving, removing, modifying, or altering in any way any architectural element, appliance, piece of furniture, paint finish, foliage, landscaping, etc., preferably before you book the location, but, there certainly will be times when it isn't possible to foretell everything you might end up wanting to do with respect to the location. <br />
<br />
Of course you want to be 100% up front about your intentions with the property, but when you have to rely on a lackey (for permission) who's been entrusted to oversee the property on your shoot day, beware, and <i>do not</i> leave garbage there when you leave - even if they say it's ok (trust me.)<br />
<br />
And even if you smile like maniac, and ask, and say thank you, and everything is returned to normal before or after you leave, be aware that someone (more likely an employee) may very well complain about <i>something.</i> Some people thrive on drama and will nitpick about something, so the one underlying thing you must stick to is returning the property to it's original condition either before you leave or soon after (depending on your arrangement.)<br />
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<b>Don't say anything derogatory about the property</b><br />
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This goes for everyone on the crew. People chit-chat while waiting for other departments to complete work, so make sure nobody comments on the quality of the paint finish, the ugly curtains, the drywall finishing, or the sickly cat that lives in the house.<br />
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Pissing off or offending a property owner is not a good idea for obvious reasons. Be sensitive. <br />
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<b>Be aware of noise when loading in/wrapping out</b><br />
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More often than not, you'll be loading into a location early in the day. It may be a weekend day and if that's the case, it means people will most likely be sleeping when you're unloading trucks and moving gear, props, scenery, wardrobe, etc., into a space. <br />
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Be considerate and think about other people outside your little world. <br />
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<b>Follow up</b><br />
<br />
Make sure any lingering business with respect to the condition of the location is addressed in a timely manner. If something needs to be painted, painted back, repaired, replaced, cleaned, etc., make sure it happens - <i>at least </i>soon after you're done using the location. Leaving a mess at the location is a really bad idea even if you're running behind on your shoot schedule. The property owner/manager doesn't care about your shoot schedule, they just want their property to be returned to normal when you're done.<br />
<br />
I've been turned down by property managers without so much as ever having met them based on their experiences with other filmmakers. Don't screw it up for the rest of us. Take care of business and make sure the property manager is satisfied with the condition of the property after you leave.<br />
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©2012 Chris Santucci<br />
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<br />Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-90941191400648770662012-04-25T19:50:00.001-06:002012-07-01T19:59:26.959-06:00It ain't Sundance, but...I got word recently that a short I shot last year with Aaron Doolittle, "A Five Minute Warning" got accepted into two film festivals.<br />
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I wrote of my method for working out lighting, production design, and shot ideas with a small scale set and 12" action figures a while back on here.<br />
<br />
I especially like the idea that the festivals are outside of my sphere of influence as it's just plain nice to get some form of validation from strangers.<br />
<br />
If you're anywhere near Cleveland on Friday the 18th of May, check it out:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ohiofilms.com/node/77" target="_blank">http://www.ohiofilms.com/node/77</a><br />
<br />
If you're in or near Pittsburgh on June 2nd or 3rd, check it out there:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://pghindie.com/Schedule.html">http://pghindie.com/Schedule.html</a><br />
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And if you see me there, ask me to buy you a beer and I will ;-)<br />
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©2012 Chris SantucciChris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-46244504206315255712012-02-17T09:33:00.001-06:002012-03-12T14:59:19.703-06:00Cyber-Begging for CinemaI may be in the minority, but I'm not terribly crazy about the concept of "crowd funding" independent films. I've heard some pretty impassioned and thoughtful arguments in favor of it, but I believe there are reasons why independent wannabe filmmakers have to turn to cyber-begging to finance their dreams.<br />
<br />
If you don't have the juice to finance or to find actual financing for your film - you beg for money.<br />
<br />
If you don't have the discipline to work on your film a little at a time and pay for it yourself - you beg for money.<br />
<br />
That said, not having the discipline OR the juice does not bode well for the wannabe filmmaker in terms of their eventual filmmaking success.<br />
<br />
Films are made for audiences. If your "mass commissioned" crowd-funded film is intended for a very small audience comprised partially of those who are paying for it, that's fine. <br />
<br />
I'm still of the mind however, that movies are intended for mass audiences. And as such, since movies are monumental group efforts that take many months to complete, their production should be approached like a business operation - not an art project.<br />
<br />
When someone donates money to you, your mindset is wholly different than if you worked for a few years to save money. I'm sorry, but as grateful and well meaning as you might be for donations - you just don't approach a project the same way as if you worked for the funds you'd be spending on your film, OR, have to be accountable in some way.<br />
<br />
Case in point:<br />
<br />
Once upon a time there was a first time writer/director who managed to write a decent feature length script and convince a number of people to finance his film. This first-timer put zero of his own assets into the project and had nothing to show other than his script when he set out to raise funds.<br />
<br />
Jump to 6 or 7 years later and we SEE this person as having spent almost 2 million dollars of other people's money and still not come close to finishing his first feature film.<br />
<br />
Is this an isolated example? I don't think so. Certainly the streets are littered with reels and reels of film that was facilitated by well-to-do friends of first time maverick filmmakers who only talked the talk. Have there been crowd-funded films that were accepted into the Sundance Film Festival? Sure. And there will probably be more. <br />
<br />
However, I know from experience that when you work for what you have, you approach how you live life a lot differently. <br />
<br />
Case in point:<br />
<br />
How many heirs manage to contribute anything meaningful to their communities or culture in general? Or even develop any substantial character themselves?<br />
<br />
If you want to ruin a person, give them the means so they never have to work a day in their life. <br />
<br />
<br />
When you spend your own time working for your own money, and you intend to finance your own film with your own money, there is no guarantee of success, but, you WILL (unless you're just reckless), consider things differently.<br />
<br />
All this begs the question "Don't you normally spend other people's money even in the case of studio films?" The answer to that is - yes, but when you're spending <i>investment</i> money, there's a wholly different relationship between the producer and the financiers which makes you as the producer <i>accountable</i> for what and how you're spending.<br />
<br />
It's this built-in accountability that affects your approach as a filmmaker I believe.<br />
<br />
You are not undertaking an experiment so much in that case as if you got donations to spend. There's a bit more urgency to succeed in the case of spending the money you worked for. When you know it'll take you a year or more to have that amount of money again, you WILL think a little differently about what your doing with respect to the film's production. When you know that you could have bought a house instead, oh yeah, you WILL approach the project differently. When you have a family and you're spending money on a film that you can't spend on them, yes indeed, the urgency to succeed is wholly different as in the case of spending donations.<br />
<br />
Watch how someone treats a car that they saved up for over time as opposed to someone who had a car given to them. <br />
<br />
Are my analogies apropos? Human nature is human nature, so I'd say they are, but please do point out to me the first crowd-funded feature to get the top prize at Sundance or Cannes, because I really want to see that one.<br />
<br />
<br />
©2012 Chris SantucciChris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-41036222566554318542012-01-30T23:09:00.000-06:002012-01-30T23:09:08.419-06:00Storytelling Vs. FilmmakingI know what your thinking. <br />
<br />
How are these two things not synonymous. And yet, in SO many cases, films end up being quasi-stories at best, featuring excellent cinematography, sound, and etc., but too much activity and not nearly enough action.<br />
<br />
Yes, a screenplay is merely a literary basis for an audio/visual experience, but, if the story that the screenplay is based on doesn't make people say "I really want to see that movie," - you are missing something. <br />
<br />
A weak cast can kill a film. Weak direction can kill a film. Low production value can kill a film. Poor cinematography can even kill a film. But if the story is not there, then you have nothing. Nothing.<br />
<br />
And when you have "nothing," all hope is lost. No amount of magical filmmaking alchemy can save you, sorry to say. It's not somehow just going to magically come together on shoot days and in the editing process if it's not already on the page. <br />
<br />
Trust me on this, I've personally seen a dozen or so Indie efforts fail because of execution of a film based on a weak script. I'm talking about money and time and much effort wasted over many years on feature length films that completely failed at what they were meant for - film festival inclusion. <br />
<br />
I've seen many beginner writer/directors hold to the paranoia that if they let people read their masterpiece screenplay, someone will steal their ideas. Nobody wants to steal your snappy banter and I can pretty much guarantee you, your story has been told before, so don't get uptight about letting people peer into the chest of priceless Krugerrands that is your script. <br />
<br />
If someone steals your script and they manage to make a shitload of money, which is a long shot, you can sue them. So, there IS that. <br />
<br />
I believe that many beginner filmmakers are so enamored of the filmmaking process that they overlook the most crucial aspect of all and forge ahead into production. Don't get me wrong, I love the process of shooting scenes and editing. But when you edit scenes together and find out once and for all that the stuff is just not all that compelling (time and time again), it changes your perspective completely. This has happened to me, so take my word for it - concentrate on crafting an amazing script. <br />
<br />
Filmmakers spend hours and hours agonizing over what equipment to use and what technique to employ while the script never gets re-written. While the script never gets multiple table reads. While the script never gets critical feedback from multiple sources.<br />
<br />
Nobody will care how sharp or well lit your footage is if the story has no direction and nothing particularly compelling happens. Nobody will care how much time and effort you put into your film because ALL they see is what's on the screen. Your friends and relatives will watch it (once) and will be polite about it, but in the end all you have on your hands is an ugly baby. <br />
<br />
An ugly baby may be beautiful to you, but to the world, it's awkward and something they'd rather not have to deal with. <br />
<br />
<br />
©2012 Chris SantucciChris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-82520317768104205422012-01-06T22:28:00.001-06:002012-03-08T20:33:53.666-06:00On Being ProfessionalEven if you aren't a bona fide "professional," as-in - You get *paid* to do a specific thing and that's all you do for a living, you still can (and should) adopt a professional approach for maximum success.<br />
<br />
Whether you're a weekend hobbyist or serious amateur or whether you just hope to make a film someday, keeping a professional demeanor and operating in a professional manner will only make things easier and will give people you deal with confidence that you're serious and not going to waste their time (or worse).<br />
<br />
<b>Be clear in your communication.</b><br />
<br />
Whether it's face to face, phone, email, texting - whatever - don't be a putz. Communicate your thoughts effectively and efficiently. Try to edit too much extraneous blather and tangents. Watch the tangents. Be direct and get across what it is you need to get across.<br />
<br />
I have worked with people who are poor communicators and I myself have had to struggle with saying the right things in the right way, so I know it can be a hurdle more for some than others. That said, if you truly want to be viewed as being professional - learn how to communicate. Take some time and learn how to organize your thoughts, words, and speech.<br />
<br />
Some people like to preface everything they say with a "build-up." It's tedious and time consuming and generally unnecessary. If you start off by beating around the bush, people may become impatient or they may think you're trying to put something over on them, or they may develop a perception that you are unsure of yourself and your mission.<br />
<br />
Another thing I see often are people who expect others to understand 100% of what they're saying when they only provide 10% of the information. People don't read minds. <br />
<br />
Take your time, figure it out, write it down and rehearse if you have to - but present yourself when you can be reasonably clear and concise while also being personable and polite. <br />
<br />
<b>Be responsive.</b><br />
<br />
When taking part in any ongoing communication pertaining to work projects you MUST be responsive. Generally, this means email communications because that's the predominate method of "talk" these days. <br />
<br />
People know you're on a computer (or smartphone) on a daily basis, so you can look like a real douchebag if someone is waiting for you to respond to an email (or text), and not getting a response while it's obvious that you're screwing around on Facebook all day and night.<br />
<br />
Avoiding questions or people just because you don't feel like dealing with them is a bad idea because it can offend people and can limit resources and options in the future when they decide to reciprocate and not return your calls.<br />
<br />
During any ongoing communications related to an ongoing project or job, you MUST be responsive because people wait for answers before answering other people or before making moves. Not giving a timely response these days, is essentially inexcusable in my opinion what with phones in everyone's pocket that are email capable.<br />
<br />
When it takes someone 3 full days to respond to a simple query about their availability for work, I'd say that's inexcusable. Sorry - it just is. If you sit on the toilet for 2 minutes anytime in those 3 days, you have the ability to respond. These things are a given by now. <br />
<br />
When a simple query about anything doesn't warrant at the very least a simple and direct response especially from someone you had a prior successful working relationship with, I'd say that's inexcusable. <br />
<br />
Always, always, always, respond to emails that have attachments. Generally these are in relation to a "job" or a project and it's customary to, at the very least respond, letting the other party know you received the attachment.<br />
<br />
Don't leave people hanging. Online communications are not infallible. A simple "got it" response to an email at the very least is a necessity. <br />
<br />
<b>Don't be annoying.</b><br />
<br />
This is a grey area, but seriously, try and be observant in order to determine whether you continually lose people's attention, or make people withdraw, or cause people to cut short their interaction with you (or worse - avoid you completely). <br />
<br />
Some people talk too much. Some people go off on tangents consistently, some people have ticks or mannerisms that put people off. <br />
<br />
Pay attention and make adjustments.<br />
<br />
<b>Be responsible.</b><br />
<br />
Integrity is doing what you say you'll do and owning up to the results of your actions. Nobody wants to deal with someone who is always screwing up, but what's worse is blaming others for your shortcomings or failures.<br />
<br />
Being wrong is ok. Everyone makes mistakes on occasion. We're not machines. Anyone who can't relate to humanness is not someone you want to deal with and it's not someone you want to be.<br />
<br />
Following through on promises and at the very least making best efforts to complete tasks to the best of your ability is essentially the bedrock of what you are in a work environment. Some things can be excused, but laziness and deception are generally not tolerated, and too much talk and not enough action even if you're a good ass-kisser, will piss off co-workers.<br />
<br />
Be a mensch. Get it done. Don't be a bigmouth.<br />
<br />
<b>Don't waste people's time.</b><br />
<br />
Being organized is the best way to not waste people's time. When you don't think enough of your craft and others you deal with while making things happen, it will show as wasted time. <br />
<br />
Unless you're doing a project on Jupiter and a sudden acid tornado blows in, you have NO excuse for not being prepared.<br />
<br />
It's a pretty simple exercise to sit alone, maybe with a pen and and some paper, and map out, plan, and consider all aspects of whatever it is you want to do. If you need help with this exercise - get help.<br />
<br />
Maybe you want to present yourself to a community as a potential facet of film projects. Maybe you want to solicit the help of potential unpaid crew. Maybe you want to ask a property owner for permission to film on their property.<br />
<br />
KNOW what you need. KNOW what you have. KNOW how it (whatever it is) needs to happen. BE organized.<br />
<br />
<b>Be Prepared.</b><br />
<br />
Do everything in your power to know your craft and don't go into a project blind with regard to particulars. If you're hired or asked to be involved with a project, ask the questions you need to in order to do your job effectively without having to figure it out while on the job. <br />
<br />
If you're going to be working under certain conditions, you need to know what those conditions will be. If you're going to be working with equipment that's different from what you're used to - research the gear before you work with it. If you have to drive to a remote location for the work, make sure you know where exactly you're going and how you're getting there well BEFORE you start driving.<br />
<br />
Being prepared shows you actually care about what you're doing, who you're doing it for, and the others you're working with. <br />
<br />
<b>Pay people and get paid.</b><br />
<br />
The foundation of all personal and professional relationships is <i>trust</i> and "the exchange." You exchange something for something else. <br />
<br />
Obviously this is a grey area when it comes to hobbyists and amateurs. Regardless, consider what you get when paying someone as opposed to not paying someone:<br />
<br />
When you pay someone, you get an employee, not someone who's only doing you a favor. Someone doing you a favor can come and go as per their schedule. They can show up late and they can leave early. <br />
<br />
When you pay someone, there's a definite expectation that they'll show up and that the work will get done.<br />
<br />
When you're a professional, you get paid. The relationship of "work for pay" is as old as the hills and is essentially what makes the world go around. Expecting to get paid for work is normal and the grey areas generally involve workers on the bottom rungs of the career ladder. <br />
<br />
With low budget stuff, there are no rules as it all depends on what deals can be made, but again - the concept of "employee" Vs. "friend doing a favor" should always be considered because in my experience, delays and conflict can arise from unpaid crew working on films. <br />
<br />
In the no-budget realm, people trade time for time and more than likely keep a mental accounting of what's received and what's owed. When you're not spending money, anything goes, but when you have a quality project, I'd recommend raising money and spending it on the film. <br />
<br />
Spending money means you have more of an investment in the project and that says something to those of whom you ask to be involved. The old adage "money talks and bullshit walks" should always be considered, lest you be viewed as a rank amateur. <br />
<br />
Starting out as an amateur is fine obviously, but still not paying or being paid after a number of years marks you as a hobbyist, so consider the stigma associated with being one.<br />
<br />
<br />
©2012 Chris SantucciChris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-18339080624172054362011-12-08T21:34:00.000-06:002011-12-08T21:34:07.343-06:00Light Without PowerI see an awful lot of posts in online forums from people wanting to know how to shoot in remote areas at night without electrical power. This always sets my daydream motor in motion because I've had more than my fair share of experimentation with various kinds of explosive substances many of which are powdered metals like magnesium.<br />
<br />
I usually think of flares which burn very brightly, some of which are based on flammable metals, but also produce smoke and can be noisy. The other trick is to find something that will be bright and steady enough and not be excessively red like fire. <br />
<br />
Since we're now using cameras with amazing light sensitivity, I'm starting to wonder if a simple gas or propane powered camping lantern could provide usable amounts of remote non-powered lighting.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Two-Mantle-Dual-Powerhouse-Lantern/dp/B00006IS32">Coleman Two-Mantle Dual Fuel Powerhouse Lantern</a> and <a href="http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=2000001439&categoryid=31027#.TuGAHEpdF74">Coleman PerfectFlow InstaStart Lantern</a> supposedly provides 250-300 candlepower of light which I'd think could be usable in certain setups and more so if ganging up multiple lanterns.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzP5xK9qHBXaaNKRTO8ml7u3sDtSGtGUwN0EO3UJ_78kmlykwJkzLj-I67-dL4VD3wXNUcWH2IIEYAKSInNwD3kP1qlkBsF2nHQ86z0lhMF_qPPkqvu9-lv6SOWWQ83Y2izF6vEPkZgTB/s1600/dualfuel2mantlelantern_110563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzP5xK9qHBXaaNKRTO8ml7u3sDtSGtGUwN0EO3UJ_78kmlykwJkzLj-I67-dL4VD3wXNUcWH2IIEYAKSInNwD3kP1qlkBsF2nHQ86z0lhMF_qPPkqvu9-lv6SOWWQ83Y2izF6vEPkZgTB/s400/dualfuel2mantlelantern_110563.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lFQHyCkz-iWi3v4zWzy_SJ5PRNi-wEGWHBk7_FT7pGfmNZ8CUYXr2iOmGBSRTqQskxnI7vL1hDStYyImk62JRA0SiUDDCr5fEs-agbYE0J1HuKGZT03-eJ2PvbcY7HAjCxZZwuZFnwp4/s1600/CLM1037_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lFQHyCkz-iWi3v4zWzy_SJ5PRNi-wEGWHBk7_FT7pGfmNZ8CUYXr2iOmGBSRTqQskxnI7vL1hDStYyImk62JRA0SiUDDCr5fEs-agbYE0J1HuKGZT03-eJ2PvbcY7HAjCxZZwuZFnwp4/s400/CLM1037_l.jpg" /></a></div>Chris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-42301876805609128532011-11-05T11:44:00.000-06:002011-11-05T11:44:37.302-06:00What makes a film a film?I often wonder what it is that really validates a film into the pantheon of cinematic achievement. <br />
<br />
I tend to feel that a certain level of film festival acceptance at the very least makes a film a film. Certainly the ultimate gold star is <i>distribution</i> even if it's only DVD sales/rentals or sales of streams.<br />
<br />
Films are made for audiences, and if a film ultimately finds an audience of maybe a few hundred people or so, I'd tend to label it a failure, or more appropriately - an experiment.<br />
<br />
That said, I think it's the responsibility of a filmmaker to make films for audiences, and without constant consideration <i>for</i> the audience throughout the filmmaking process, films (in my experience) tend to fall apart. <br />
<i><br />
Filmmaking with a purpose</i> should be the approach taken by all filmmakers, otherwise, much time, effort, and possibly money is wasted, and then you have to ask - what's the point?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
©2011 Chris SantucciChris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-1295183474295522772011-09-05T11:49:00.000-06:002011-09-06T22:21:54.293-06:00Cheap film gearIf just starting out, on a low or non existent budget, or just a cheapskate, there are ALL kinds of readily available and usable items that can be had at a fraction of the cost of regular and generally expensive film/video gear.<br />
<br />
I have a tendency to suggest that people wanting to make films try and get real film gear because there's a greater inherent degree of safety and functionality with real film gear as opposed to re-purposed stuff, but it IS possible to get away with lesser gear.<br />
<b><br />
Work Lights</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiaKN06sIljxGsKbg6ilOG222_1EmCx3-tSI_G8lKA8tkbGdnGDR_PvR2MVjmTv4AV6H3Ppgd4u-g0iiF-SGa_4IHjEVVAhyd9ZsHUzbzZW7aman8SeVLZKft-r8wiSnZNq8XasRkbDN9/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-09-05+at+1.51.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiaKN06sIljxGsKbg6ilOG222_1EmCx3-tSI_G8lKA8tkbGdnGDR_PvR2MVjmTv4AV6H3Ppgd4u-g0iiF-SGa_4IHjEVVAhyd9ZsHUzbzZW7aman8SeVLZKft-r8wiSnZNq8XasRkbDN9/s400/Screen+shot+2011-09-05+at+1.51.13+PM.png" /></a></div><br />
This is a popular tool with no budget filmmakers and these 300, 500, 1,000, and 1,500 watt work lights are actually fine for producing high quality quartz halogen light. The trick with these fixtures is being able to stand mount them and finding a way to control the light. The stands these lights come with are too short and too rickety to be of any use.<br />
<br />
These kinds of fixtures can easily be bounced off of walls, ceilings, or bounce board, as well as being aimed through diffusion material for a more soft quality of light. <br />
<br />
A cheap work light with the addition of a TVMP, for stand mounting can become a very usable source of light on a film set: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6j5sjBBPADAja8W5eapTthSJnbOgZ7fJ6DHT8TG6uNxGlUcaVEMwQ3YcEL0tjYdT5hEPl_z9uSEJKn1ag0VJ9H_ze0A7WqJS3_s4DRFz4p2muv2npVwWHjdseiBJILfQrQlaaF_yMW0Qr/s1600/E390-AVENGER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="221" width="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6j5sjBBPADAja8W5eapTthSJnbOgZ7fJ6DHT8TG6uNxGlUcaVEMwQ3YcEL0tjYdT5hEPl_z9uSEJKn1ag0VJ9H_ze0A7WqJS3_s4DRFz4p2muv2npVwWHjdseiBJILfQrQlaaF_yMW0Qr/s400/E390-AVENGER.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Adding the ability to mount to a stand with use of some inexpensive <a href="http://www.filmandvideolighting.com/blstforo12.html">"black wrap"</a> (as a light modifier) gives you a safe and cheap source of very good light. <br />
<br />
<b>China balls (paper lanterns)</b><br />
<br />
This is something that IS actually used quite frequently in the film world as a great soft light source that you can put virtually anywhere which costs about the same as a decent lunch for two at Subway. With a cheap socket/cord, and a tungsten light bulb, you've got a great soft source for key lights or to create pools of light further into an interior set.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sHvKPrdj-Me2mY5C9rAHSN0LWHBRSmNXg2rQsCNinaXnT7v_sTPu6tR-zBQoP3atlNcWq2-Dng4TMLE9LYdPDF5XI5xJ8BXI3KrhEsdqjsuCDeJCthpbehBCHZtMsT6frOOHDlOjzOBZ/s1600/china-24-inch-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="381" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sHvKPrdj-Me2mY5C9rAHSN0LWHBRSmNXg2rQsCNinaXnT7v_sTPu6tR-zBQoP3atlNcWq2-Dng4TMLE9LYdPDF5XI5xJ8BXI3KrhEsdqjsuCDeJCthpbehBCHZtMsT6frOOHDlOjzOBZ/s400/china-24-inch-1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
If needed, you can go for a slightly more expensive CFL instead of tungsten.<br />
<br />
If you <a href="http://www.google.com/#q=round+paper+lantern+white&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=ivns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=wgBlTq-nHYTE0AGU6sm4Cg&ved=0CJUBEK0E&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=1dca6e94c0a6bd95&biw=1270&bih=978">poke around online</a>, you can find some dealers selling various sized china balls for very cheap.<br />
<br />
<b>Older TV & film lighting</b><br />
<br />
Tungsten film style fixtures are almost as simple as a table lamp in your home. They either work or they don't, and they're easy to repair. I see little sense in buying a brand new fresnel fixture for 5 times what you could pay for a used fixture of identical design and quality. <br />
<br />
Don't overlook the quality of an open face fixture. Lowel has specialized in open face focusable fixtures for years and these fixtures are essentially identical in function and quality of light they output as some older used units that can be had for a fraction of the cost.<br />
<br />
A company called Berkey-Colortran manufactured lighting at one time which was used in TV studios all over the world. There's almost always older used Berkey-Colortran stuff on eBay (generally open face style fixtures) that are completely usable and definitely a step up from Home Depot work lights. These fixtures use readily available lamps and can be repaired and serviced fairly easily.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyACqJfFd0sG3oxdAhqYcNzJlClQy26xMY3GJVkhTaReLLYTpMjQF79Qdlaa7NBdCt2BU8H59UHyf3qVme4pIqEMI-ZZOaWt3v3pGYavrcIOW4CUWLf1QeQwf_1842zwPRepG9TEgK7tpy/s1600/colortran_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="299" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyACqJfFd0sG3oxdAhqYcNzJlClQy26xMY3GJVkhTaReLLYTpMjQF79Qdlaa7NBdCt2BU8H59UHyf3qVme4pIqEMI-ZZOaWt3v3pGYavrcIOW4CUWLf1QeQwf_1842zwPRepG9TEgK7tpy/s400/colortran_1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Companies like Mole-Richardson have been in business for long enough so that there are generally always older used fresnel and broad style fixtures for sale. Parts can be ordered directly from Mole for any units that may need servicing and lamps are readily available.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAs361Ci5npuQlAYryz5edxYmr6PkhgMt8oQxb2k_vW9jOIf1KQ9fKesBZBdktkMIeW2PgguSD7M9Jmf0CibsQDk9Y9_XR0dLwYoZuKmJmnba28JGTsD8cOA4V4I_kk0b8TiPL14sXc9i/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-09-05+at+1.17.36+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAs361Ci5npuQlAYryz5edxYmr6PkhgMt8oQxb2k_vW9jOIf1KQ9fKesBZBdktkMIeW2PgguSD7M9Jmf0CibsQDk9Y9_XR0dLwYoZuKmJmnba28JGTsD8cOA4V4I_kk0b8TiPL14sXc9i/s400/Screen+shot+2011-09-05+at+1.17.36+PM.png" /></a></div><b></b><br />
<b><br />
Light Stands</b><br />
<br />
Light stands are pretty simple devices. They either work or they don't, so I would suggest seeking out used stands when in the market. I've purchased a lot of used stands over the years for half or less than half of what new would cost and have had little to no issues with their usability. <br />
<br />
Some people use lower cost stands like a musicians microphone stand or still photography lighting stands. Beyond that, I've seen people make stands out of a bucket, a pipe, and some mortar mix by mixing the mortar, dumping it into the bucket and then positioning the pipe (or paint roller pole) in the bucket until the mix cures.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNXZdB_SoTQD5TOEvQMTKUpGm16FtwthubiPd2DiiMO9L87PpTVo5lHhg4vYSpc1tIssQxNbORZBj-vfd4x1OSlDuCEOfMrsD7whGtBcla2OOwowjXtxTAU0pmTY3VEsYOQiRmPD-yAGP/s1600/bucket.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNXZdB_SoTQD5TOEvQMTKUpGm16FtwthubiPd2DiiMO9L87PpTVo5lHhg4vYSpc1tIssQxNbORZBj-vfd4x1OSlDuCEOfMrsD7whGtBcla2OOwowjXtxTAU0pmTY3VEsYOQiRmPD-yAGP/s400/bucket.png" /></a></div><br />
<br />
This provides a very solid foundation for lightweight lighting, but transportability would be a bit of a chore so these would work best in a studio setting. <br />
<br />
Other options include some very handy items made by <a href="http://www.lowel.com/clamps.html">Lowel</a>, which allow the ability to clamp or mount onto things, thereby negating the need for a stand. In any instance where you clamp onto something overhead like a light fixture, plumbing, wall - make sure you safety tie the rig to something solid nearby so it doesn't land on someone in the event it comes lose. <br />
<br />
<b>Tripods</b><br />
<br />
There are slews of used Manfrotto and Bogen tripods and fluid heads floating around that can be bought for a fraction of what the newer stuff costs. I've used a number of older Manfrotto fluid heads and although some have had very minor issues, while still being functional, you have to be realistic about your skill level, the type of shooting you want to do, and how much you have to spend.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DH1CdZZfYClKcbBPikAo6vZjlo_PGCaKdt_zKpwPSB97elWHRX1m4pL0DDJE0qjs3UKsKjbbX3NUrsRLla2-wWIc9LRtKzl4wuFNX2_9_v1ZPoGPerPdvtY47z9hjrUKOvjxNj0IC2Hi/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-09-05+at+1.26.50+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="396" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DH1CdZZfYClKcbBPikAo6vZjlo_PGCaKdt_zKpwPSB97elWHRX1m4pL0DDJE0qjs3UKsKjbbX3NUrsRLla2-wWIc9LRtKzl4wuFNX2_9_v1ZPoGPerPdvtY47z9hjrUKOvjxNj0IC2Hi/s400/Screen+shot+2011-09-05+at+1.26.50+PM.png" /></a></div><br />
One thing I would say to definitely not do is try to use a still camera tripod with a video camera. You might be tempted to do this with the thought that you might only shoot locked shots, but the moment you try to shoot a pan or tilt shot with merely a 3 axis head, you'll be sorry.<br />
<br />
<b>Microphones</b><br />
<br />
There are plenty of older used microphones that in many cases out perform some of the latest microphones that can cost the same as new. <br />
<br />
Sennheiser and Rode are currently offering some very nice inexpensive shotgun mics aimed at DSLR users.<br />
<br />
The older Sennheiser ew100 Wireless transmitter/receiver models can be found used for less than half the newer versions and while being slightly larger, they perform just as well with the addition of a trim pot which the newer models do not have.<br />
<br />
<b>Mixers</b><br />
<br />
Again, used gear is the best way to go as long as you know how to shop and can weed out the garbage. There are a LOT of used Shure mixers floating around in the used market which are acceptably quiet and offer enough features and quality for just about any low budget filmmaker. A used 4 channel Shure FP42 can be had for 250 bucks, and it's loaded with features:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJyhUWH4w2jYDtEQV0GyOl_oUgJW9Gh0IlNZtH2TJA_0JABtXbAfHfLto2CBEITSxj70jwcC7mwPU9CSg_woX5aXGofCzIwevl0twJcu9Iss735Kvb74V9zvK44TXghZ1Dwc8GPaZWolC/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-09-05+at+1.34.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="250" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJyhUWH4w2jYDtEQV0GyOl_oUgJW9Gh0IlNZtH2TJA_0JABtXbAfHfLto2CBEITSxj70jwcC7mwPU9CSg_woX5aXGofCzIwevl0twJcu9Iss735Kvb74V9zvK44TXghZ1Dwc8GPaZWolC/s400/Screen+shot+2011-09-05+at+1.34.11+PM.png" /></a></div><br />
In new gear, Rolls is currently offering some very inexpensive portable mixers that seem to be fairly highly regarded and also don't rule out a live music style Mackie mixer either like the older 1202 series units which I've seen in use on a few feature film sets:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXUFQrIzNaxJj0ABVBuciUqNqGGwM-D1kr0GjM9nvdl9cEymYQ91-MYUXnxPpBO9krtYyRbW48SBSTjqlJZ2PK5gAD_H1It1VbtgHJDfDnYhZvrhLwMZqVacTEHDBaTBzYZ2fHuhYxdOf/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-09-05+at+1.40.23+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="307" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXUFQrIzNaxJj0ABVBuciUqNqGGwM-D1kr0GjM9nvdl9cEymYQ91-MYUXnxPpBO9krtYyRbW48SBSTjqlJZ2PK5gAD_H1It1VbtgHJDfDnYhZvrhLwMZqVacTEHDBaTBzYZ2fHuhYxdOf/s400/Screen+shot+2011-09-05+at+1.40.23+PM.png" /></a></div><br />
<b>Equipment Cases</b><br />
<br />
Everything manufactured for use in film/video production comes with a high price tag whether the materials and manufacturing warrant it or not. As far as cases go, I see little sense in shelling it out for Pelican cases unless you rent your gear out on a regular basis or ship or travel with your gear on a regular basis.<br />
<br />
As an alternative to the venerable Pelican case, I've found the Seahorse brand to be <br />
extremely close in design, materials, and craftsmanship while costing in some cases 1/2 as much as Pelican (while also being American made and with a lifetime warranty like Pelican).<br />
<br />
Other favorites of mine as alternatives to costly cases include:<br />
<br />
Golf bag hard case - <br />
For $100/$150 you can have a nice shippable hard case for stands and/or tripod:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-5aMWKkNOloQ3vjTFGArgaRzIdjy9frXrDEruLl6zG0GbQ5uDTDoQ-R640rOuZOoX7ASUFVQC0elLai49SHQiXm8dH1cgWs3K7oboSYS0UaSqVJGihSuskJbutsGT2IW9sWaEOkdjxS1/s1600/golfbagplace_2170_713031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-5aMWKkNOloQ3vjTFGArgaRzIdjy9frXrDEruLl6zG0GbQ5uDTDoQ-R640rOuZOoX7ASUFVQC0elLai49SHQiXm8dH1cgWs3K7oboSYS0UaSqVJGihSuskJbutsGT2IW9sWaEOkdjxS1/s400/golfbagplace_2170_713031.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The "universal photo/video hard case"-<br />
With a little glue here and there, you can improve and extend the life of this type of case which can be found just about everywhere for around 25 to 50 bucks. And, these come with foam and/or dividers:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZnY0Ki29BWPlQCtMuPTGVs_-Xxg-bHIQW3_BOHMG6nNx48V3LDDrPL9iDJ1Kv7r5219znPajWU9brIKIdJlwnmoiNO8vS3lqqx0Djdgp1sem1iq0pvAa_otHDuRoUfsAA8bY5HLlUEnr/s1600/aluminum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZnY0Ki29BWPlQCtMuPTGVs_-Xxg-bHIQW3_BOHMG6nNx48V3LDDrPL9iDJ1Kv7r5219znPajWU9brIKIdJlwnmoiNO8vS3lqqx0Djdgp1sem1iq0pvAa_otHDuRoUfsAA8bY5HLlUEnr/s400/aluminum.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Musical instrument cases-<br />
I use a bass guitar hard case for 4' fluorescent tubes and it works great. Economy cases meant for musical instruments or sound gear come in usable dimensions and sizes and can be had for less than film/video cases.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvj50lX0EOV61pLbY1DJ-9mO3N2PqyAP8GTPiRhTmxpDDZLi9mZ8z8-8K0zRgiUi6DZoHwQoPzxDwWGOfhWyTHfVaktzzXaB2CLZwoUmd0GyaAA_bltRqq8E4cK6c0lBFzFT3BC3LXEID/s1600/GPEBass-xlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvj50lX0EOV61pLbY1DJ-9mO3N2PqyAP8GTPiRhTmxpDDZLi9mZ8z8-8K0zRgiUi6DZoHwQoPzxDwWGOfhWyTHfVaktzzXaB2CLZwoUmd0GyaAA_bltRqq8E4cK6c0lBFzFT3BC3LXEID/s400/GPEBass-xlarge.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Luggage-<br />
I've found large size hard luggage with wheels in thrift stores that I use for gear when traveling by plane, most of which I find for around 5 bucks or so. You won't look very pro showing up on set with a bunch of suitcases, but then you can also enjoy the anonymity that comes from not having your expensive gear in expensive cases.<br />
<br />
<br />
©2011 Chris SantucciChris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-74705962234081183612011-08-10T17:50:00.000-06:002011-08-12T23:08:59.043-06:00Recording Location SoundI'm not a sound mixer, but I've done a lot of it, which is somewhat of a normal aspect of operating camera on low budget projects. As such, I've learned a few things about recording clean, usable sound on location.<br />
<br />
<b>Micing: The pro approach</b><br />
<br />
Normally, location sound mixers like to employ a wireless lav mic <i>and</i> a shotgun mic simultaneously for each actor. Reasons for this have to do with safety and have to do with conditions on location.<br />
<br />
Sometimes a wireless lav mic will be subjected to occasional radio interference which can create short bursts of static over dialog. Having a recorded channel from the shotgun mic can alleviate having to shoot another take if you have a clean recording with it.<br />
<br />
Also, a lav mic's battery might start going dead during a take and having the redundancy of the shotgun mic can save you, especially if the take is a keeper. The last thing you want to do after a perfect take is shoot it again, even though you will anyway ;-)<br />
<br />
Having two usable audio channels to employ in post each with their own different sets of characteristics is favorable. As an editor, I have repeatedly switched from one channel to the other as needed.<br />
<br />
<b>Using a single shotgun mic</b><br />
<br />
I've shot multiple feature length films with only a single shotgun mic and this can work fine if you're careful and always record "wild lines" whenever needed to use in the edit. For example, when shooting a very wide shot where you can't get close enough with a shotgun mic, or when the actors action makes it too difficult to record and their face is not visible.<br />
<br />
Issues with only using a shotgun mic are room acoustics (echo/reverb), picking up ambient noise, and too much distance from actor depending on the shot.<br />
<br />
<b>Using lavalier mics</b><br />
<br />
The key thing with placement of a lav mic is to eliminate ALL clothing movement near the mic by taping the clothing to the actors skin, and taping all layers of clothing together where the mic is places. This can be done with tape loops made from paper tape (black usually, unless it's visible through light colored cloth) or moleskin (available at drug stores).<br />
<br />
As for where to place a lav mic, it's not always the same on every actor as it really depends on what they're wearing more than anything. Sometimes it can be placed under a collar just out of sight of the camera. Sometimes it can be taped under the garment (facing forward and as close to the mouth as you can get it).<br />
<br />
Try not to place a lav mic under too many or too thick layers of cloth or the sound will become muffled.<br />
<br />
Generally, placement of a lav mic is most problematic with women because they tend to wear low cut tops which sometimes leaves almost no place to hide a mic. One trick in this instance is to cut a makeup sponge wedge part way (to run cable through), place the mic so it's just sticking out the top (larger end of the wedge), and place sponge/mic in the actresses breast cleavage.<br />
<br />
The cable can then be run around to her back and out of sight.<br />
<br />
<b>ADR/Looping</b><br />
<br />
ADR ("Automatic Dialog Replacement") is generally a regular practice with studio level motion pictures. Certainly location dialog is ALWAYS recorded, but large budget films go for spectacular audio quality, so they will re-record the dialog with the actor in a recording studio as they watch the looped scene on a large screen so as to match their new dialog sound take with their mouth in the scenes.<br />
<br />
Scenes or parts of scenes are looped for the actor so they can repeat their lines until getting it perfect. <br />
<br />
This process is actually quite simple to achieve even on a low budget, but of course it's always desirable to get clean location dialog recordings in almost all cases. Sometimes it's just not possible, as in the case of shooting a scene in a noisy environment (office with loud air circulation, bar/restaurant with loud coolers, exterior location with loud traffic, etc.) <br />
<br />
<b>Room Tone</b><br />
<br />
This is generally forgotten about, but oh so important during the post process, especially if ADR is required. Generally it's adequate to record 30 seconds of room tone while still on your set with everyone still in place and <i>not making a sound</i>. <br />
<br />
Having this ambient sound recording makes it possible to create acoustically matching dialog by mixing the room tone with your ADR recording. Also, it can come in handy for filling in gaps in an audio channel if a noise is removed (because you lose the ambient tone by doing so).<br />
<br />
Of course, sometimes the location is noisy and if so and you intend to loop dialog later, you'll have to get quiet room tone from somewhere else (that matches the location to some reasonable degree.)<br />
<br />
<b>A word on noisy locations</b><br />
<br />
With low budget films, you generally are at the mercy of whomever's property you're working on (or neighbors). That said, it generally means, NO you cannot shut off the walk in freezer, or NO you cannot make those people be quiet (because they're open for business), or NO the lawn crew will not stop cutting grass, etc. In cases where you either secretly or openly shut off machinery that hums in order to record clean location dialog, <b>MAKE SURE you turn the machines back on.</b><br />
<br />
Write a note to yourself, tell at least one other person, AND somehow make it impossible to leave without turning the machine(s) back on. I worked on a feature film once in a restaurant where certain coolers were never turned back on after shooting scenes, which resulted in $1,400. damage (that production had to reimburse for).<br />
<br />
<b>The most important thing</b><br />
<br />
No matter what, keep in mind with any mic use, you want to place the mic as close as possible to the actors mouth while making sure they are not breathing on it. Take notice of where they will turn their head predominately during a take and place the mic(s) accordingly. <br />
<br />
The closer the mic is to the actors mouth, the quieter the background noise (ambience) will be, which is exactly what you want.<br />
<br />
<br />
©2011 Chris SantucciChris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587613741863440451.post-4340011215078412162011-07-29T23:24:00.000-06:002011-08-01T09:06:57.893-06:00Your Name HereIt might seem like a minor thing, but a film's title, even more than a song's title can, I believe can have a significant effect on the success of a film.<br />
<br />
At the very least, I think real thought needs to be given to film titles because in some cases, all a potential viewer knows of the film IS the title.<br />
<b><br />
Consider how our first and sometimes only exposure to a film is in just hearing or reading the title:</b><br />
<br />
<i>While in conversation with someone, the name of a film is mentioned.<br />
<br />
A list of film names are viewed in movie listings on a smart phone.</i><br />
<br />
What you want is a title that conjures up imagery in the mind well before someone even sees the film. You want it to intrigue people and make them curious about the film. You want a title that gets a positive response from people.<br />
<br />
Certainly if a film gets good word of mouth or reviews, then really, the title isn't nearly as important because frequency forces a title into the public's memory. But with a film of limited release, if one is lucky enough to get a theatrical release or even an online or DVD release, having a memorable title can translate into interest when little is known of the film itself.<br />
<br />
Consider a title when searching online. What if your title is identical to films made in the past, present, or future? What if someone who has an interest in renting or buying or streaming your film looks the up the title online and finds there are 30 or 40 films all with the same name?<br />
<br />
Like this:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/find?s=tt&q=the+key"target="_blank">The Key</a><br />
<br />
How long do you think someone will spend trying to find the actual title they're looking for? Especially if all they have to go by is the title and a vague recommendation from someone?<br />
<br />
Titles can be ambiguous or they can elicit a feeling or they can very succinctly sum up the essence of a film, but in my opinion, what they should be whenever possible is <i>memorable</i>, because really, the film's title is the first step in marketing the film.<br />
<br />
A confusing title, a overused title, a title made up of very common words, a silly title that makes people reluctant to utter, or a completely forgettable title will handicap the potential success of a film when you're an unknown filmmaker trying to get the attention of film festival programmers and an audience.<br />
<br />
Nothing is better than having a great title that's wholly unique and memorable because it also means online searches will deliver less garbage and more of your film in search results and it will stick in people's heads.<br />
<br />
And besides, do you really want to give your baby a dumb name that it'll have to live with all its life?<br />
<br />
<br />
©2011 Chris SantucciChris Santuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01240864534047067018noreply@blogger.com0