Hello,
I'm Johann(17) from Leipzig, Germany. I always wanted to make my own movie and now the time has come. In the past I was just lacking of original ideas. Now I finished producing a storyboard. Even though I cant draw I know the rough plot of the film and I know how to cut and edit it afterwards.
Me and a friend of mine now discuss the money factor in this. If this should be good quality, we'd need lights, a microphone and somehow a camera stabilisator. Indeed we can't afford all of this because we are bound to our pocket money.
I'm asking you experienced filmmakers how to go around this money barrier somehow.
Thanks for reading
Try to rent? Looks like there might be a few rental options in Leipzig! It might be worth finding a couple people who have done this before who believe in your project to help out.
Thanks for the recommendation, I think renting could be a possibility for my short film, but If I want to do a continuation(which is also planned) It'll be too much cost. I hope I find any Leipzig filmmakers from whom I could borrow stuff.
I always liked the way Brian Herzlinger did "My Date with Drew." He went to one of those big corporate electronics stores with a 30 Day return policy and "bought" a camera, shot his movie, and then returned the camera. Companies are more aware of that now than in the past, so they sometimes have a restocking fee, but you should check it out. I suggest a Sony A7S ii with a couple of good lenses and a Canon 5D mark iii. Don't worry about something like a Steadicam. Be creative. A tripod, a long ladder and an old wheelchair can get you some amazing results (not all at once though... that's a recipe for a hospital trip).
Hang around film schools and check instagram from photographers and people with equipment. Formulate a team and make something epic
David, I already own a good cam, also the wheelchair thing is already planned out but for different shots it might be good having a kind of stabilisator. However I really want to get this storyboard to life. Somehow this will happen ^^
I'm feeling a bit feisty right now - so I'll see if I can't get a strong discussion going in here. The operative word in the question is "cheap" - why so much emphasis on cheap? If you want a career in medicine, law, engineering or any other such profession, you will need to obtain the required training, knowledge and skill set to make your dream come true - you're gonna invest time, effort and money on schooling/training. At 17, you're still in/fresh out of high school. If you want a career as a professional filmmaker - invest the time/money/internship in film school. It'll cost a lot, you'll be in debt and there's no guarantee that you'll make it. Are you worth the debt/risk? Are you serious or not?
I wont have any big debts here in germany. I see your point though. There's an idiom for that: " You forget the price but not the quality" So I could just save my money and wait
Stanley I your story is awesome but I dont know if this can be applied to me. I like the idea of finding a film school student and using the gear of the school.
Doug, usually I agree with you, but not on this one. The kid's in a hurry. Why not take Dov Simen's two-day film school instead of paying off student loans for half his life? Hands-on experience with a borrowed camera beats class lectures every time. Ever hear of a guy named Spielberg who ditched school, wore a suit to fool security, and sneeked onto the studio lot every day to get his film education? I've got a feeling Johann is that same kinda guy.
Well that's true. I know I am more of the impatient person^^
Erik - knew Stephen back in the days he was shooting THX 1136 (or something like that) in the East Bay back in the early days - he was a student at UCLA Film School. Sneaking onto the lots in those days was quite simple (you could just walk in) but it's not so simple now. Dov's got a nice little course going but it's hardly a real career making venue. Developing a successful career (in anything) takes dedication, commitment and time at a minimum - and there is no guarantee. (The myth of the overnight sensation lives on.)
1 person likes this
Erik ,before recommending Dov Seaman class to anyone, do you know anyone who has taken it and become successful? If film school is a waste than Columbia, NYC, UCLA and others would be eliminating their studies in film. No two seminar is going to do more than just touch on all the skills you need.
1 person likes this
Doug/JD ~ Might want to check your credit roll. George Lucas was the filmmaker credited with THX1138... and the school Spielberg left to crash the back lot at Universal was Long Beach State, where he finally graduated. And yes, it's still easy to sneak onto lots.
Dov's two-day overview of the biz is "a nice little course"? Apparently it was VERY nice to Will Smith, Quentin Tarantino, Guy Ritchie and many others since they've allowed Dov to use their names/testimonials to promote it.
I've attended both USC and UCLA and love film schools. But come on, guys, we're not talking about "Gone With the Wind" here. It's a 17-year-old about to shoot his first SHORT film! Get some perspective!
Erik You're correct - I'm old and I'm getting my Georges and Stephens mixed up - forgive me. But I stand by me assertion that becoming an over night success takes a hell of a long time & dedication.
I don't necessarily want to achieve an overnight success. I just try to make it as professional as possible so I myself am happy with the outcome.
Get in touch with colleges and university film departments and see if any students want to help make your film - that's a very cheap way of doing it and they (the colleges/uni's) usually have quite good kit to hand.
Johann, take a look at The Time Fixer. Shot quite a while ago with an iPhone. All the real work was done in post. Shoot with what you can get a hold of and do the best you can. Fix most of it in post and have good sound and you'll be set.
Look at Robert Rodriquez. Shot with what he had and that film is still talked about today. Get going on it and don't be bogged down with the little things! Shoot that film!!
I think somehow we could just get started and then see how it turns out. In my film it wont
't be much about the effects but rather the escalating "mindtwisting" story. I try to contact some film students in Leipzig. Thanks.
2 people like this
Jeff, "Fix most of it in post.", really? Have you ever shot anything? You can't fix everything in post, you can't fix bad exposure in post without adding noise, you can fix poor acting in post either.
Regarding what RR accomplished, he did it in a place and a time that couldn't be duplicated today. Think that's not true? Go to your local police department and tell them you are shooting a short film with a running gun battle between cops and drug dealers. Tell them you need their officers in appear in the film (for free) and to bring their automatic weapons which they will fire in the town streets. Lets us know what they say, after they release you from jail.
Whilst there is a lot you can fix in post, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
JD, the thought was to get him to get going and shoot the film. You can sometimes get bogged down and make enough excuses to not do anything. The "Fix most of it in post" again just was to get him to get him to get moving. He said he didn't have a very big budget, so he can't get the equipment he really wants to get to make a good quality film. My comments were to let him shoot with what he can and learn from the experience. He's 17. He wants to film something. I'm trying to get him to go out and do that!
And about your other comments to me. I'm no idiot, and assuming so would be a mistake on your part. He's also not in the US, so he would have to check with local authorities to see what he can/can't do. Nowhere in my post was it assumed I told him to run off and do anything illegal, nor would I encourage anyone to do so. Think before you post next time. ;)
Sorry to derail. Point of my original post: Nobody is going to make an Oscar winner on their first film. You want to make a movie, get it done.
Do you have any production experience? Any video editing, any sound? From your bio, it would appear not. No presence on IMDb either. Did I say you encouraged him to do anything illegal? No. Nobody said you were an idiot either, but you appear to be speaking from a position of inexperience.