I'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.
Micing: The pro approach
Normally, location sound mixers like to employ a wireless lav mic and a shotgun mic simultaneously for each actor. Reasons for this have to do with safety and have to do with conditions on location.
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.
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 ;-)
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.
Using a single shotgun mic
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.
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.
Using lavalier mics
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).
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).
Try not to place a lav mic under too many or too thick layers of cloth or the sound will become muffled.
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.
The cable can then be run around to her back and out of sight.
ADR/Looping
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.
Scenes or parts of scenes are looped for the actor so they can repeat their lines until getting it perfect.
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.)
Room Tone
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 not making a sound.
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).
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.)
A word on noisy locations
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, MAKE SURE you turn the machines back on.
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).
The most important thing
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.
The closer the mic is to the actors mouth, the quieter the background noise (ambience) will be, which is exactly what you want.
©2011 Chris Santucci
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Your Name Here
It 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.
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.
Consider how our first and sometimes only exposure to a film is in just hearing or reading the title:
While in conversation with someone, the name of a film is mentioned.
A list of film names are viewed in movie listings on a smart phone.
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.
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.
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?
Like this:
The Key
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?
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 memorable, because really, the film's title is the first step in marketing the film.
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.
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.
And besides, do you really want to give your baby a dumb name that it'll have to live with all its life?
©2011 Chris Santucci
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.
Consider how our first and sometimes only exposure to a film is in just hearing or reading the title:
While in conversation with someone, the name of a film is mentioned.
A list of film names are viewed in movie listings on a smart phone.
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.
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.
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?
Like this:
The Key
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?
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 memorable, because really, the film's title is the first step in marketing the film.
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.
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.
And besides, do you really want to give your baby a dumb name that it'll have to live with all its life?
©2011 Chris Santucci
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Previsualization on a budget
I shot a short recently entitled "A Five Minute Warning" which took place entirely in one apartment set which I designed and built. In an effort to make some judgments about the set configuration and lighting, I first built a small scale model of the set out of cardboard to test with:
Once I felt like my set design was going to work and my thoughts about lighting were doable, I then fabricated a larger scale model of the set to work out set design, lighting, blocking, and composition:
By combining this scale model set with a mini-cast of 12" actors, I then spent a few weeks playing around with lighting, etc.
What I learned with my ultra low budget scale model set and action figure cast enabled me to save significant amounts of time later as it allowed me (in my free time) to determine blocking, shot ideas, composition, lighting, and make judgments about the curtains seen in many of the shots.
I spent many hours laying on the floor with my still camera moving lighting around and moving my action figures around until I felt I had most if not all of my shots worked out and of course then I had a complete set of storyboard images to use on the shoot days.
© 2011 Chris Santucci
Once I felt like my set design was going to work and my thoughts about lighting were doable, I then fabricated a larger scale model of the set to work out set design, lighting, blocking, and composition:
By combining this scale model set with a mini-cast of 12" actors, I then spent a few weeks playing around with lighting, etc.
What I learned with my ultra low budget scale model set and action figure cast enabled me to save significant amounts of time later as it allowed me (in my free time) to determine blocking, shot ideas, composition, lighting, and make judgments about the curtains seen in many of the shots.
I spent many hours laying on the floor with my still camera moving lighting around and moving my action figures around until I felt I had most if not all of my shots worked out and of course then I had a complete set of storyboard images to use on the shoot days.
© 2011 Chris Santucci
Monday, February 7, 2011
Short or Feature?
In any filmmaker's career (or impending career), the question of which to produce - a short or a feature, almost always rears its ugly and pragmatic head.
Do you step up the the challenge of pulling off a completed feature length film and possibly become the darling of the Sundance Film Festival? Or, do you create a much more modest and less glamorous short film, which is generally looked at sideways by most except those in the filmmaking world?
What's the purpose of the film? - you have to ask.
Showcase
Do you want or need a vehicle with which to demonstrate your brilliance to the world? Then the answer is easy - produce a short. You can maximize your budget and retain far more production value with a shorter film. That's just some simple math there. Stretching a budget to accommodate 90 minutes of screen time is crazy unless you're an experienced filmmaker and you have a decent budget.
A smartly prepped short produced for $20K can look and feel like a studio film if you're careful.
Vanity
Are you on fire to write, direct, produce, and (possibly) star (umkaaayyy) in your own film? Then you definitely need to produce a feature length film, and preferably one of at least 2 hours in duration, but don't hesitate to go for 3 hours, because nothing says "I am God's gift to cinema" - like a 2+ hour film (especially a first film). Good luck!
Passion
Is there a story you just HAVE TO tell through cinematic means? If so, you have to consider how much of a budget you have and whether or not this story can be told in a short. I'd say, let the story dictate the film length if it's about passion and find a way to finance the film, even if it takes 5 years to produce a little at a time.
Experience
Nobody has any business producing a feature (or features) until they've produced a "successful" short film. Anyone serious about filmmaking will produce shorts, and I mean *many shorts* before embarking upon the monumental task of feature length film production.
Capturing and keeping a mass audiences attention for 90 minutes is best left to professionals and YOU are not a "professional" if you've never produced a film before, let alone a film that had any significant degree of success.
©2011 Chris Santucci
Do you step up the the challenge of pulling off a completed feature length film and possibly become the darling of the Sundance Film Festival? Or, do you create a much more modest and less glamorous short film, which is generally looked at sideways by most except those in the filmmaking world?
What's the purpose of the film? - you have to ask.
Showcase
Do you want or need a vehicle with which to demonstrate your brilliance to the world? Then the answer is easy - produce a short. You can maximize your budget and retain far more production value with a shorter film. That's just some simple math there. Stretching a budget to accommodate 90 minutes of screen time is crazy unless you're an experienced filmmaker and you have a decent budget.
A smartly prepped short produced for $20K can look and feel like a studio film if you're careful.
Vanity
Are you on fire to write, direct, produce, and (possibly) star (umkaaayyy) in your own film? Then you definitely need to produce a feature length film, and preferably one of at least 2 hours in duration, but don't hesitate to go for 3 hours, because nothing says "I am God's gift to cinema" - like a 2+ hour film (especially a first film). Good luck!
Passion
Is there a story you just HAVE TO tell through cinematic means? If so, you have to consider how much of a budget you have and whether or not this story can be told in a short. I'd say, let the story dictate the film length if it's about passion and find a way to finance the film, even if it takes 5 years to produce a little at a time.
Experience
Nobody has any business producing a feature (or features) until they've produced a "successful" short film. Anyone serious about filmmaking will produce shorts, and I mean *many shorts* before embarking upon the monumental task of feature length film production.
Capturing and keeping a mass audiences attention for 90 minutes is best left to professionals and YOU are not a "professional" if you've never produced a film before, let alone a film that had any significant degree of success.
©2011 Chris Santucci
Friday, February 4, 2011
Set Etiquette
Getting a film done, as in - shot, is greatly dependent upon a crew functioning efficiently as a cohesive unit. Otherwise, time is wasted, confusion ensues, feelings become hurt, and films become compromised or worse - unfinished.
Some of us who work in film, liken film production to a military operation during war time (not to in any way diminish that activity). When you're prepping every day for a month and then shooting every day for a month, all the while working long hours, putting fires out every day, eating-maybe, going to the bathroom-maybe, all the while maintaining a narrow focus on one thing - getting the film made, that's when it feels like you're fighting a war.
When producing a low budget Indie, it becomes even more crucial to be as efficient as possible because both time AND money are limited. When a large budget exists, money can be thrown at problems and that almost always solves problems quickly.
However, whether producing a large budget studio film OR a micro budget Indie film - efficiency is key and part of being efficient means operating on set on shoot days in a reasonable and sensible manner.
Observe and follow the chain of command
The director is at the top, most often along with the producer(s). The director, depending upon the project, (but ideally) should deal with department heads only (key crew), not those of the crew working under the keys.
Department heads delegate to and oversee what crew in their department are doing and they work directly with other department heads as well as the director and producer(s).
When I'm on a set as a DP, I almost always try to go through the AD when I need something to happen, unless what I'm doing is directly related to grip/electric or has to do with what's in the frame I'm shooting. As a producer, I tend to deal with department heads and let them interface with their 2nds and 3rds.
Avoid chit-chat
This is a pet peeve of mine, so I'll try not to rant about it. While on set, there are moments of pause that take place at which point friendly crew tend to get carried away with small talk, banter, or comparing iPhone apps with each other. Socializing on a set during a shoot day should be curtailed. If caught in conversation with a crew member, keep your eyes on the ball at the very least and don't be afraid to just walk away if you feel like you're not doing your job.
I've been on sets where the conversation level in the room became deafening while I struggled to deal with lighting problems which is an indicator of too many people not paying attention because for one - the noise level makes it hard to communicate and two - the crew should be aware.
Pay attention
Always, always, always, keep your eyes and ears open and stick to the task at hand. Wandering off to smoke a butt, staring at the monitor while the camera rolls (unless that's your job), screwing around on your smart phone, or just plain NOT paying attention is not good.
An ideal situation would be that you're watching and/or listening to the degree that you can anticipate what needs to happen so that you're already thinking about ways to make that thing happen when it's called for.
"That's not my job"
There are very good reasons for crew on a film to have titles. A title defines what your job is. It creates boundaries and indicates to everyone what you do and what you don't do. When these definitions exist, then it becomes much easier to cover all the bases on a film production and ensure that the business at hand will be dealt with.
Also, I've been on sets where we'd have a crew member who also worked and was experienced in - other things, and have seen people overstep their boundaries. It's not uncommon for people in film production to work professionally as (for example) a camera operator/sound mixer/script supervisor (believe it or not). The key thing in these cases is - who is hired to do what?
I was DP on a film once with a script supervisor who kept interjecting opinion about lighting, camera staging, and shot setups. Needless to say, I had to point out to the script supervisor that I was the DP. I had to point out to the director that I was the DP. I ended up quitting because - when you hire a DP, you let the DP do the job of a DP.
Use "production speech"
Use short phrases, and speak briefly without interjecting too much in the way of superfluous verbiage. You can always spot a seasoned production crew person on a set because they speak in short, concise sentences. "Production speech" is about using the least amount of words possible to get the idea across. There are times to elaborate or pontificate, but when in shoot mode - keep it short and to the point.
Be like The Borg
All those in a given department, ideally, should know where each other are at all times and what they're doing. If leaving the set to use the bathroom, or for any reason - tell whoever is nearest to you (in your department), or (better) call it out over the radio. When someone on the crew asks for something that your department is in control of (a prop from off set, wardrobe item, set piece, piece of gear, etc.) the person who is closest to it usually responds first on the radio (or verbally sans radio if that works) that they're on it, OR the department head might dictate who does what ("No, Jimmy, you stay there and keep painting. We need to shoot on that set soon. I'll have Jane bring that thing to the set even though she's further away.")
In other words - function as a single unit.
Own up to your mistakes
It's important to just own up to mistakes right away because it cuts down on guesswork while trying to alleviate a potential recurring problem. And it also helps people determine potential issues regarding the integrity of the set, gear, and the crew.
Stay in your department
If someone outside your department asks you to do something, even as a favor, beware. As mentioned, unless it's been established that certain people on the crew can swing and/or pitch in whenever necessary, stay on your mission IN your department ("Sorry, I can't help you. I'm on a mission right now.")
One very crucial aspect of having people stick to certain tasks is, they then have intimate knowledge of the status of those tasks. Things can become very confused on a set and time can be wasted if someone either tries to "help out" or someone thinks they still need to see to something that was already taken care of.
Be nice
Film production is hard enough without having to deal with drama and petty bullshit. Generally, in my experience, film crew all tend to get along for the most part because they all share a common goal while working on a project. Personality conflicts, stress, or just general tension can be hard to avoid during production hours especially when the crew aren't sleeping enough.
Try to keep a general vibe of "nice" while on a project. Please, thank you, and you're welcome, are ALL great policies and if you sense a major issue with another personality that you might have to work closely with, think about avoiding the project completely.
;-)
©2011 Chris Santucci
Some of us who work in film, liken film production to a military operation during war time (not to in any way diminish that activity). When you're prepping every day for a month and then shooting every day for a month, all the while working long hours, putting fires out every day, eating-maybe, going to the bathroom-maybe, all the while maintaining a narrow focus on one thing - getting the film made, that's when it feels like you're fighting a war.
When producing a low budget Indie, it becomes even more crucial to be as efficient as possible because both time AND money are limited. When a large budget exists, money can be thrown at problems and that almost always solves problems quickly.
However, whether producing a large budget studio film OR a micro budget Indie film - efficiency is key and part of being efficient means operating on set on shoot days in a reasonable and sensible manner.
Observe and follow the chain of command
The director is at the top, most often along with the producer(s). The director, depending upon the project, (but ideally) should deal with department heads only (key crew), not those of the crew working under the keys.
Department heads delegate to and oversee what crew in their department are doing and they work directly with other department heads as well as the director and producer(s).
When I'm on a set as a DP, I almost always try to go through the AD when I need something to happen, unless what I'm doing is directly related to grip/electric or has to do with what's in the frame I'm shooting. As a producer, I tend to deal with department heads and let them interface with their 2nds and 3rds.
Avoid chit-chat
This is a pet peeve of mine, so I'll try not to rant about it. While on set, there are moments of pause that take place at which point friendly crew tend to get carried away with small talk, banter, or comparing iPhone apps with each other. Socializing on a set during a shoot day should be curtailed. If caught in conversation with a crew member, keep your eyes on the ball at the very least and don't be afraid to just walk away if you feel like you're not doing your job.
I've been on sets where the conversation level in the room became deafening while I struggled to deal with lighting problems which is an indicator of too many people not paying attention because for one - the noise level makes it hard to communicate and two - the crew should be aware.
Pay attention
Always, always, always, keep your eyes and ears open and stick to the task at hand. Wandering off to smoke a butt, staring at the monitor while the camera rolls (unless that's your job), screwing around on your smart phone, or just plain NOT paying attention is not good.
An ideal situation would be that you're watching and/or listening to the degree that you can anticipate what needs to happen so that you're already thinking about ways to make that thing happen when it's called for.
"That's not my job"
There are very good reasons for crew on a film to have titles. A title defines what your job is. It creates boundaries and indicates to everyone what you do and what you don't do. When these definitions exist, then it becomes much easier to cover all the bases on a film production and ensure that the business at hand will be dealt with.
Also, I've been on sets where we'd have a crew member who also worked and was experienced in - other things, and have seen people overstep their boundaries. It's not uncommon for people in film production to work professionally as (for example) a camera operator/sound mixer/script supervisor (believe it or not). The key thing in these cases is - who is hired to do what?
I was DP on a film once with a script supervisor who kept interjecting opinion about lighting, camera staging, and shot setups. Needless to say, I had to point out to the script supervisor that I was the DP. I had to point out to the director that I was the DP. I ended up quitting because - when you hire a DP, you let the DP do the job of a DP.
Use "production speech"
Use short phrases, and speak briefly without interjecting too much in the way of superfluous verbiage. You can always spot a seasoned production crew person on a set because they speak in short, concise sentences. "Production speech" is about using the least amount of words possible to get the idea across. There are times to elaborate or pontificate, but when in shoot mode - keep it short and to the point.
Be like The Borg
All those in a given department, ideally, should know where each other are at all times and what they're doing. If leaving the set to use the bathroom, or for any reason - tell whoever is nearest to you (in your department), or (better) call it out over the radio. When someone on the crew asks for something that your department is in control of (a prop from off set, wardrobe item, set piece, piece of gear, etc.) the person who is closest to it usually responds first on the radio (or verbally sans radio if that works) that they're on it, OR the department head might dictate who does what ("No, Jimmy, you stay there and keep painting. We need to shoot on that set soon. I'll have Jane bring that thing to the set even though she's further away.")
In other words - function as a single unit.
Own up to your mistakes
It's important to just own up to mistakes right away because it cuts down on guesswork while trying to alleviate a potential recurring problem. And it also helps people determine potential issues regarding the integrity of the set, gear, and the crew.
Stay in your department
If someone outside your department asks you to do something, even as a favor, beware. As mentioned, unless it's been established that certain people on the crew can swing and/or pitch in whenever necessary, stay on your mission IN your department ("Sorry, I can't help you. I'm on a mission right now.")
One very crucial aspect of having people stick to certain tasks is, they then have intimate knowledge of the status of those tasks. Things can become very confused on a set and time can be wasted if someone either tries to "help out" or someone thinks they still need to see to something that was already taken care of.
Be nice
Film production is hard enough without having to deal with drama and petty bullshit. Generally, in my experience, film crew all tend to get along for the most part because they all share a common goal while working on a project. Personality conflicts, stress, or just general tension can be hard to avoid during production hours especially when the crew aren't sleeping enough.
Try to keep a general vibe of "nice" while on a project. Please, thank you, and you're welcome, are ALL great policies and if you sense a major issue with another personality that you might have to work closely with, think about avoiding the project completely.
;-)
©2011 Chris Santucci
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Leverage.
When producing a low budget film effort, it sometimes becomes necessary to find creative ways to stretch your budget. This can sometimes involve making hard decisions about what to spend the money on and what not to spend the money on. Sometimes it can involve asking for donated goods or services. Sometimes it can involve begging, borrowing, or yeah, even stealing.
The Crew
When you need to somehow find crew to work for less than half what they'd normally get (for example), you have to think about how you and/or your film project is going to appeal to them if you're going to get them to say "OK, I'll do it."
When it comes to budgeting, I always like to start at the top, with the "hard expenses" that you know you'll have to pay. If you absolutely must have 3 key crew who you know will only work for a certain amount, and this creates a major imbalance in your preferred expenditures, then it's time to get creative.
Once you've determined who you really must pay to fill certain positions, then you can start deciding who exactly you can book (for example) as PA's who are capable (and willing) to possibly help out in the art department, wardrobe department, grip/electric department, etc. Then you can start deciding how great the food really needs to be or if you can get food donated. Then you can start looking for any and all ways to cut corners to make up for the dollar amounts you know you have to spend.
Sometimes offering a certain credit can help attract a crucial crew member, even if it's a fake credit. I once asked a Line Producer who wanted me to shoot stills on a feature and had very little to pay if she could get me an "Additional Photography" or "2nd Unit DP" credit because I AM a DP and having a "Still Photographer" credit would do little for me professionally. She was a little shocked and couldn't figure out how it was in any way doable that I'd get a credit for something I didn't do. Because she lacked imagination and initiative, never offered anything beyond the pittance she had, I never worked on the project. Her loss, believe me.
You have to use your head a little and possibly do some research to find out how you can appeal to a potential crew member (or just ask) especially if they work a lot and don't need the low rate you might have to pay.
The Cast
Actors want to act. Period. They live for it. They want good roles that will allow them to stretch and show themselves off. Anything that can help them get to the next level will always be considered by an actor and/or their agent (or manager). In the absence of pay or enough pay, you have to sell them on the script, the director, the DP, and whatever else you can.
If there's potential for an actor to come away with some great material for their reel regardless of the prospect that the film ever does anything, that's something.
If the actor is interested in exploring new territory with respect to the role, the style of film, the other cast, or even the locations - that's something.
They know there's no guarantee that an Indie will ever be seen by more than a hundred people (if that), so there's gotta be something besides a naive hope that the film will blow up at Sundance. Certainly having a great script can help attract cast members. Having a great director and a great DP can help also, but in the absence of a great script, a great director will only attract potential cast if the director has a good reputation and has finished films in distribution.
Another approach is to have a cast member work on the crew. I shot and produced a feature length film once and we managed to have some of the cast do double duty as cast AND crew and they seemed quite happy about it. This way, in cases where you are paying low rates, you can possibly get certain cast because they're getting paid twice (to act and work as crew). Obviously this wouldn't work that well with principal cast, but it's entirely manageable with talent who act in a handful of scenes, and if they're very into the project - it gets them closer to it.
Remember, your best asset (in all respects) in the absence of cash is - a great script.
The Gear
You can always ask for a "deal." I know I've mentioned this before, but it's customary for a rental house to give you a cost that is merely a starting point. You can negotiate, always. It's not as if you have nowhere else to go to rent gear (hopefully).
Any way you can "bundle" crew with gear is helpful as it opens the door for more money for the crew if they can rent gear to the project as well as work on it. Always check with crew about what gear they own since as long as you DO need to rent gear, it may as well come from hired crew.
In some instances, it's not out of the question to ask if any of the gear owning crew can include certain pieces of gear. Also, deals can be made with crew that could make their involvement more alluring to them.
On the very first feature length film I shot, I asked for a certain amount to be paid to me plus 2 lenses for my Canon XL1 camera, plus I asked them to hire my gaffer. They met almost all my terms and I walked away with a wide angle lens after the project was through. In that instance it was to the advantage of the project to have this purchased lens anyway, so think about these kinds of arrangements in terms of how it could benefit the film as well as the crew member being negotiated with.
The Locations
Sometimes a property owner or business owner will be excited just to be part of a film project, sometimes they really won't care one way or the other. You have to keep in mind when approaching these people that their priority is maintaining their property and/or running their business. Your hopes and dreams and aspirations don't figure into their accounting, so you have to (again) think about what would make their involvement alluring to them in the absence of cold hard cashola.
If any member of your above the line team have skills that could be suggested as a benefit to those in control of the location(s) you need, then that's something to consider. If one of you is capable of designing or building websites, has access to potential customers, or in any way has some capability to promote, market, or advertise for these property or business owners, then you have some leverage.
Anytime you can trade even labor for the favor of use of a location for a film, do it. Say an apartment building manager has a bunch of garbage in the storage area and you have access to a truck and 3 or 4 people - there you go. I traded photography once to a friend of mine who let us shoot a feature length film in the newly redone apartment she was trying to rent. It may mean a little time and effort spent on your part (as a producer) and whoever else you can pull into it, but in most cases when you're short on funds, time is something you probably have to spare.
The Food
I've always been a little shocked at how easy it's been for some to get food from restaurants for film projects. There are slews of restaurants around (preferably mom and pop operations) and all you have to do is ask. If you can promise a set amount of money for a set amount of food, that's a guarantee of certain income to them. Even if you seek a discount.
One thing that helps is if you are getting press or plan to and you can mention the restaurant on the radio (or TV) whenever possible. Producing films in small cities generally allows for easier access to press who see a film project as something glamorous especially if they normally report on fires, weather, dog shows, or petty crime.
One other approach which may or may not work is to pay a certain amount to each crew member and tell them they're on their own for working meals. On commercial projects sometimes a crew, if in an area that's populated with restaurants or food shops, might be allowed to just walk away and fend for themselves.
Providing working meals to a crew opens up all kinds of logistical considerations that need to be weighed. If your craft service (you DO have craft service, right??!) is very good, then the working meals could be merely some form of sandwich food or some similar takeout food (Chinese, etc.)
Otherwise, catering services can get pricey, but you could try and enlist the help of any person sympathetic to the project who might have some spare time (parent, grand-parent, etc.) to produce decent working meals.
Work any and all connections in order to leverage what little you have to get what you need and use your imagination and some creativity in coming up with alternate ways to gain what you need to get a film made.
©2010 Chris Santucci
The Crew
When you need to somehow find crew to work for less than half what they'd normally get (for example), you have to think about how you and/or your film project is going to appeal to them if you're going to get them to say "OK, I'll do it."
When it comes to budgeting, I always like to start at the top, with the "hard expenses" that you know you'll have to pay. If you absolutely must have 3 key crew who you know will only work for a certain amount, and this creates a major imbalance in your preferred expenditures, then it's time to get creative.
Once you've determined who you really must pay to fill certain positions, then you can start deciding who exactly you can book (for example) as PA's who are capable (and willing) to possibly help out in the art department, wardrobe department, grip/electric department, etc. Then you can start deciding how great the food really needs to be or if you can get food donated. Then you can start looking for any and all ways to cut corners to make up for the dollar amounts you know you have to spend.
Sometimes offering a certain credit can help attract a crucial crew member, even if it's a fake credit. I once asked a Line Producer who wanted me to shoot stills on a feature and had very little to pay if she could get me an "Additional Photography" or "2nd Unit DP" credit because I AM a DP and having a "Still Photographer" credit would do little for me professionally. She was a little shocked and couldn't figure out how it was in any way doable that I'd get a credit for something I didn't do. Because she lacked imagination and initiative, never offered anything beyond the pittance she had, I never worked on the project. Her loss, believe me.
You have to use your head a little and possibly do some research to find out how you can appeal to a potential crew member (or just ask) especially if they work a lot and don't need the low rate you might have to pay.
The Cast
Actors want to act. Period. They live for it. They want good roles that will allow them to stretch and show themselves off. Anything that can help them get to the next level will always be considered by an actor and/or their agent (or manager). In the absence of pay or enough pay, you have to sell them on the script, the director, the DP, and whatever else you can.
If there's potential for an actor to come away with some great material for their reel regardless of the prospect that the film ever does anything, that's something.
If the actor is interested in exploring new territory with respect to the role, the style of film, the other cast, or even the locations - that's something.
They know there's no guarantee that an Indie will ever be seen by more than a hundred people (if that), so there's gotta be something besides a naive hope that the film will blow up at Sundance. Certainly having a great script can help attract cast members. Having a great director and a great DP can help also, but in the absence of a great script, a great director will only attract potential cast if the director has a good reputation and has finished films in distribution.
Another approach is to have a cast member work on the crew. I shot and produced a feature length film once and we managed to have some of the cast do double duty as cast AND crew and they seemed quite happy about it. This way, in cases where you are paying low rates, you can possibly get certain cast because they're getting paid twice (to act and work as crew). Obviously this wouldn't work that well with principal cast, but it's entirely manageable with talent who act in a handful of scenes, and if they're very into the project - it gets them closer to it.
Remember, your best asset (in all respects) in the absence of cash is - a great script.
The Gear
You can always ask for a "deal." I know I've mentioned this before, but it's customary for a rental house to give you a cost that is merely a starting point. You can negotiate, always. It's not as if you have nowhere else to go to rent gear (hopefully).
Any way you can "bundle" crew with gear is helpful as it opens the door for more money for the crew if they can rent gear to the project as well as work on it. Always check with crew about what gear they own since as long as you DO need to rent gear, it may as well come from hired crew.
In some instances, it's not out of the question to ask if any of the gear owning crew can include certain pieces of gear. Also, deals can be made with crew that could make their involvement more alluring to them.
On the very first feature length film I shot, I asked for a certain amount to be paid to me plus 2 lenses for my Canon XL1 camera, plus I asked them to hire my gaffer. They met almost all my terms and I walked away with a wide angle lens after the project was through. In that instance it was to the advantage of the project to have this purchased lens anyway, so think about these kinds of arrangements in terms of how it could benefit the film as well as the crew member being negotiated with.
The Locations
Sometimes a property owner or business owner will be excited just to be part of a film project, sometimes they really won't care one way or the other. You have to keep in mind when approaching these people that their priority is maintaining their property and/or running their business. Your hopes and dreams and aspirations don't figure into their accounting, so you have to (again) think about what would make their involvement alluring to them in the absence of cold hard cashola.
If any member of your above the line team have skills that could be suggested as a benefit to those in control of the location(s) you need, then that's something to consider. If one of you is capable of designing or building websites, has access to potential customers, or in any way has some capability to promote, market, or advertise for these property or business owners, then you have some leverage.
Anytime you can trade even labor for the favor of use of a location for a film, do it. Say an apartment building manager has a bunch of garbage in the storage area and you have access to a truck and 3 or 4 people - there you go. I traded photography once to a friend of mine who let us shoot a feature length film in the newly redone apartment she was trying to rent. It may mean a little time and effort spent on your part (as a producer) and whoever else you can pull into it, but in most cases when you're short on funds, time is something you probably have to spare.
The Food
I've always been a little shocked at how easy it's been for some to get food from restaurants for film projects. There are slews of restaurants around (preferably mom and pop operations) and all you have to do is ask. If you can promise a set amount of money for a set amount of food, that's a guarantee of certain income to them. Even if you seek a discount.
One thing that helps is if you are getting press or plan to and you can mention the restaurant on the radio (or TV) whenever possible. Producing films in small cities generally allows for easier access to press who see a film project as something glamorous especially if they normally report on fires, weather, dog shows, or petty crime.
One other approach which may or may not work is to pay a certain amount to each crew member and tell them they're on their own for working meals. On commercial projects sometimes a crew, if in an area that's populated with restaurants or food shops, might be allowed to just walk away and fend for themselves.
Providing working meals to a crew opens up all kinds of logistical considerations that need to be weighed. If your craft service (you DO have craft service, right??!) is very good, then the working meals could be merely some form of sandwich food or some similar takeout food (Chinese, etc.)
Otherwise, catering services can get pricey, but you could try and enlist the help of any person sympathetic to the project who might have some spare time (parent, grand-parent, etc.) to produce decent working meals.
Work any and all connections in order to leverage what little you have to get what you need and use your imagination and some creativity in coming up with alternate ways to gain what you need to get a film made.
©2010 Chris Santucci
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Beware of the video gurus.
When it comes to gear, it can be difficult to determine which tools are best for one's use especially when considering a purchase with limited funds. Some could have a certain amount to spend on a piece of gear and then would have to live with that purchase for many years, so the impetus in cases like that are always on - what's the best choice when there are multiple valid choices?
Using online forums like DVXuser can be invaluable in gleaning actual user feedback of a chosen piece of gear. I've learned a great deal about certain pieces of gear and technique from such online forums and try to share what I know and have learned on my own in the process.
In fact, I've always sought out actual user feedback as opposed to "reviews" created by supposed "experts" who more often than not are being paid to write or appear in online videos reviewing video equipment. Without naming names, I'm sure anyone who has spent some time online researching on forums and blogs has come across posts and blogs attributed to these tech gurus.
These tech gurus generally run online forums (or are moderators) where most of their "helpful" replies to posts have to do with buying something or have to do with one particular manufacturers products. Some run blogs that not only feature ads for certain manufacturers but they also tend to push said manufacturer's gear heavily.
I'm not about to begrudge anyone trying to make a living, but you have to be able to discriminate when considering the validity of suggestions regarding gear made by XYZ, Co. and the value of opinions about that gear voiced by someone being paid by XYZ, Co.
Consider the following passages taken from an almost 7,000 word "review" posted online for the Panasonic AF100, dated October 20, 2010:
"I've decided that the Panasonic AG-AF101 film-like HD camcorder is absolutely, unequivocally the all-new independent low-budget filmmakers weapon of choice"
"It’s the camcorder filmmakers have been waiting on for 20 years."
"In fact it’s the camcorder we’ve ALL been waiting for"
"It would appear that the world jumped on the 5D MK2 for video for one reason and one reason only; shallow depth-of-field; that’s it."
"The AG-AF101 is a serious digital SLR killer."
"The AG-AF101 is quite simply one of the best HD camcorders I’ve seen in many years."
"It is totally revolutionary,"
"This camcorder is totally freaking awesome."
"The AG-AF101 has a beautiful large 4/3rd MOS sensor that is virtually the same size as a 35mm film camera; this should mean the picture quality produced by it should be absolutely breathtaking..."
"The image quality was/is absolutely hideous, full of aliasing, artefacts and other retarded gremlins due to the line-skipping technology (and a bloody crude technology it is too) and lack of optical video low-pass filtering. Did I mention the unusable ‘form factor’ of DSLRs yet?"
"The days of DSLRs are well and truly over."
"The Panasonic AG-AF101 is quite simply revolutionary."
"The AG-AF101 now gives us that last missing piece of the jigsaw; total depth-of-field control combined with interchangeable lenses, with that cinematic look that we have all been waiting for."
"With the price in mind I simply have to give the AG-AF101 a massive recommendation with 5 out of 5 stars."
Now... those of us with a functioning BS detector, will see this "review" for what it is - an advertisement. Rife with hyperbole, it's an obvious marketing piece deliberately aimed at the DSLR user market. It's debatable whether or not the writer of this piece is any kind of expert as there seems to be no substantial industry credits available online or substantial examples of work available online.
In the case of unreleased equipment, it's impossible to really make a determination as to the quality or suitability of a piece of gear. In those cases, many people wait to see what the eventual user feedback is before making a decision to purchase, well enough AFTER an item is available to purchase. Certainly hype can be built up in support of a soon to be released piece of gear and the more naive of us might buy into it and put down a deposit or pre-order something essentially sight unseen.
I'd suggest being smart and efficient and using gear that other people are using with success. It's far less a gamble to use what's being used than it is to take chances that something nobody else has yet will work for you. Seek out the word on the street when it comes to gear when you're considering purchases and take "reviews" written by the gurus with a grain of salt.
These are my favorite sources of consumer/user feedback on gear:
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/
http://www.cinematography.com/
http://www.youtube.com/
http://www.vimeo.com/
©2010 Chris Santucci
Using online forums like DVXuser can be invaluable in gleaning actual user feedback of a chosen piece of gear. I've learned a great deal about certain pieces of gear and technique from such online forums and try to share what I know and have learned on my own in the process.
In fact, I've always sought out actual user feedback as opposed to "reviews" created by supposed "experts" who more often than not are being paid to write or appear in online videos reviewing video equipment. Without naming names, I'm sure anyone who has spent some time online researching on forums and blogs has come across posts and blogs attributed to these tech gurus.
These tech gurus generally run online forums (or are moderators) where most of their "helpful" replies to posts have to do with buying something or have to do with one particular manufacturers products. Some run blogs that not only feature ads for certain manufacturers but they also tend to push said manufacturer's gear heavily.
I'm not about to begrudge anyone trying to make a living, but you have to be able to discriminate when considering the validity of suggestions regarding gear made by XYZ, Co. and the value of opinions about that gear voiced by someone being paid by XYZ, Co.
Consider the following passages taken from an almost 7,000 word "review" posted online for the Panasonic AF100, dated October 20, 2010:
"I've decided that the Panasonic AG-AF101 film-like HD camcorder is absolutely, unequivocally the all-new independent low-budget filmmakers weapon of choice"
"It’s the camcorder filmmakers have been waiting on for 20 years."
"In fact it’s the camcorder we’ve ALL been waiting for"
"It would appear that the world jumped on the 5D MK2 for video for one reason and one reason only; shallow depth-of-field; that’s it."
"The AG-AF101 is a serious digital SLR killer."
"The AG-AF101 is quite simply one of the best HD camcorders I’ve seen in many years."
"It is totally revolutionary,"
"This camcorder is totally freaking awesome."
"The AG-AF101 has a beautiful large 4/3rd MOS sensor that is virtually the same size as a 35mm film camera; this should mean the picture quality produced by it should be absolutely breathtaking..."
"The image quality was/is absolutely hideous, full of aliasing, artefacts and other retarded gremlins due to the line-skipping technology (and a bloody crude technology it is too) and lack of optical video low-pass filtering. Did I mention the unusable ‘form factor’ of DSLRs yet?"
"The days of DSLRs are well and truly over."
"The Panasonic AG-AF101 is quite simply revolutionary."
"The AG-AF101 now gives us that last missing piece of the jigsaw; total depth-of-field control combined with interchangeable lenses, with that cinematic look that we have all been waiting for."
"With the price in mind I simply have to give the AG-AF101 a massive recommendation with 5 out of 5 stars."
Now... those of us with a functioning BS detector, will see this "review" for what it is - an advertisement. Rife with hyperbole, it's an obvious marketing piece deliberately aimed at the DSLR user market. It's debatable whether or not the writer of this piece is any kind of expert as there seems to be no substantial industry credits available online or substantial examples of work available online.
In the case of unreleased equipment, it's impossible to really make a determination as to the quality or suitability of a piece of gear. In those cases, many people wait to see what the eventual user feedback is before making a decision to purchase, well enough AFTER an item is available to purchase. Certainly hype can be built up in support of a soon to be released piece of gear and the more naive of us might buy into it and put down a deposit or pre-order something essentially sight unseen.
I'd suggest being smart and efficient and using gear that other people are using with success. It's far less a gamble to use what's being used than it is to take chances that something nobody else has yet will work for you. Seek out the word on the street when it comes to gear when you're considering purchases and take "reviews" written by the gurus with a grain of salt.
These are my favorite sources of consumer/user feedback on gear:
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/
http://www.cinematography.com/
http://www.youtube.com/
http://www.vimeo.com/
©2010 Chris Santucci
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