My first film

[PsychoFreak]

Hey everyone,

I wanted to all let you know about my new film, intitled "The Mad Hatter's Tea Party" which is about 13 unlucky individuals who all wake up tied to chairs around a dinner table, and are under the hospitality of the derranged and psychotic Mad Hatter.

Me and my film making companion Emilie are still writing, and then we go into pre production. We also have a website, called "Cross Bone Productions" but it seems to be down now, so i will see if I can fix that.

Let me know waht you all think, I will update soon

PF
:)

Also if any of you have made films before with friends etc please let me know how it all went and what happened:cool:

[TheLoveBelow]

hmmm.... sounds cool, good luck with it and post the site when you can

[!MorganOnyx!]

Where abouts in the UK are you? If you're, like, less than 5 miles away from me I'll give you a hand for a small fee. :p

[PsychoFreak]

We are in Brighton down by the sea, Onyx, but i'm afraid this film is a no budget film. For actors we will go around to the colleges in our area, and most of the crew is some friends. We do have some money for basics like camera stands, props, fake blood, clothing etc, but we cant afford to pay crew members! anyway, if your at all interested, e-mail me at freddygloom13@hotmail.com

PF

[Twisted]

Sounds cool. Good luck PF!;)

[the dead one]

Hope you go far, all the best to you and much success! :D

[PsychoFreak]

Thanks guys!

Here is the website:

www.freewebs.com/cross_bones

[X-Nightcrawler]

Sounds interesting. Very.

*psst psst* Pass on a screener copy for review when done. :)

[C-Desecration-]

*jabs pyscho in the arm*
Good luck, ya freak.

Oh, and when there are clips or whatever up at that website - that bare, bare, bare, bare, bare, bare website - post them or just link it.
. . . or, you know, put a reminder. Should be interesting. I don't think we've ever had a 'schmoe film' posted on these boards (even snippets).

[the dead one]

Hey, they're just getting started, give the website time.
Bare or not, I think they deserve our respect...if someone can breakout and are determined to follow their dreams. Then Im all for it!

[XvoorheesX]

I don't think we've ever had a 'schmoe film' posted on these boards (even snippets).

Ever been to the screenwriting/filmmaking forum? :rolleyes:

Which, btw, would be a better place for this, but either way, props to PF. Good luck, man.

[C-Desecration-]

Ever been to the screenwriting/filmmaking forum?


Numerous times.
And . . .
. . .
. . . oh, I meant "THIS board", as in the horror board. Yes. That's what I meant.
*covers up mistake*

But no, yeah I totally forgot.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by C-Desecration-
Numerous times.
And . . .
. . .
. . . oh, I meant "THIS board", as in the horror board. Yes. That's what I meant.
*covers up mistake*

But no, yeah I totally forgot. Told you, you just make more mistakes with every passing day. Slowly but surely, I'm eroding you, C.

[PsychoFreak]

http://www.joblo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=82473

Please help!
mucho appreciado

[John Mullets]

I'd advise you: Don't follow the script too stringently. You biggest issue is just learning what the hell you do with a camera, not following a script. One step at a time.

The first three films I did were effectively improvised (I've just started sticking to scripts, but it's damn hard).

[XvoorheesX]

I'd advise you: Don't follow the script too stringently. You biggest issue is just learning what the hell you do with a camera, not following a script. One step at a time.

No two people work the same way, but I'd strongly advise against this. A director has a million jobs to do, most of which consist of making decisions. The more work you put into pre-production, the easier your production will be. So, know what you're doing before you go in. Grab a game plan, stick with it, and if there's problems with your script, they should be handled before anyone steps on set.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by XvoorheesX
No two people work the same way, but I'd strongly advise against this. A director has a million jobs to do, most of which consist of making decisions. The more work you put into pre-production, the easier your production will be. So, know what you're doing before you go in. Grab a game plan, stick with it, and if there's problems with your script, they should be handled before anyone steps on set. I agree. Improvising a film so much leads to character chaos. Stick to your script AND the cameras AND everything else you're supposed to do.

[John Mullets]

I respect the opinions given but I was under the impression that this bloke is a first-time director handling a project staffed with a non-professional crew and running on a tight budget. If this is the case, just organising the bloody thing will be hard enough. Maybe you two had different experiences when you directed your films (have you directed films?), but as a first-time director, I was just more-or-less just muck-arsing around.

Psychofreak, what is your experience with film making? Have you previously shot shorts or otherwise? Have you had editing done to your work (do you edit yourself)? Are you working with a professional crew?

And I'm not talking about improvising the whole damn film, just not beating yourself up over deviations from the script.

[XvoorheesX]

I directed and co-produced a moderately-budgeted (a few thousand) ten minute short in june, and I'm in pre-production now for a shoot in november.

So, you need to pick up five shots and you know you're only going to be able to get two, your DA just tells you the jib you ordered for tomorrow isn't going to arrive until next week, you (and your cast/crew) of thrity people have been on set for fifteen hours already, the craft table has run out of coffee, you've got about ten minutes till the sun comes up... And you need to go to the bathroom. You've got art department asking you what looks better, the teal tablecloth or the sea-foam green table cloth, you go to the bathroom, finally get a chance to talk to your DP and your actors, and now the camera's ready to roll. Someone spills coffee on the tablecloth, so you need to go back and find the sea-foam green one, and that ten minutes has passed. The sun is pouring in though the windows, so now the grips and gaffers need to spend another half an hour to make it look like night again.

That's directing.

Problems occur on every set, even if your shooting with your friends in your own basement. But most of these problems can be solved if you think about them beforehand, and plan a way to avoid them. So again, different people work differently, but if you know you could could avoid that kind of stress with something as simple as sitting down and just going through the script, you should do that.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by John Mullets
I respect the opinions given but I was under the impression that this bloke is a first-time director handling a project staffed with a non-professional crew and running on a tight budget. If this is the case, just organising the bloody thing will be hard enough. Maybe you two had different experiences when you directed your films (have you directed films?), but as a first-time director, I was just more-or-less just muck-arsing around.

Psychofreak, what is your experience with film making? Have you previously shot shorts or otherwise? Have you had editing done to your work (do you edit yourself)? Are you working with a professional crew?

And I'm not talking about improvising the whole damn film, just not beating yourself up over deviations from the script. I haven't directed shiet . . . but it's common sense, I do know how to go around doing it. I agree with xvoorheesx here.

[John Mullets]

So, you actually have a budget, Voorhees? That's what seperates us. I make films for nothing. I'm self-produced.

Now, don't bitch at moan at me about how horrible it is making a film when you have a big crew and lots of money to throw around. I am the art department. I am the special effects artist. I am the DP and often I am the damn actor. Your pissing and moaning about "poor you" doesn't impress me, though I'm sure that was your intention.

We have a person who seems to have come out of the blue and decided he wants to shoot a film and you're coming from him with the standpoint of someone who shoots films with lots of money. You talk to him as someone who is out of touch with your average no-budget filmmaker. I sincerely believe that with no grounding in no-budget roots, your experiences with directing do not apply to him.

But come forth, Psychofreak, and tell us what your budget is. Tell us if you have a professional crew. Who can you more identify with?

[XvoorheesX]

Now, don't bitch at moan at me about how horrible it is making a film when you have a big crew and lots of money to throw around. I am the art department. I am the special effects artist. I am the DP and often I am the damn actor.

We have a person who seems to have come out of the blue and decided he wants to shoot a film and you're coming from him with the standpoint of someone who shoots films with lots of money. You talk to him as someone who is out of touch with your average no-budget filmmaker.

Did I offend you? Because I'm really not sure why. I'm not bitching, moaning, or even complaining. I'm describing just how tedious the directing process can be, especially for those people that think directing is just pushing the record button on your camera. No one said it's going to be easy, and I'm trying to show him this. Problems occurring on set are inevitable, and if you've directed anything at all that went picture-perfect, then all I can say is that I'd love to be a part of your crew.

Your pissing and moaning about "poor you" doesn't impress me, though I'm sure that was your intention.

Uhh... Don't flatter yourself. If I wanted to impress you I'd juggle some flaming bowling pins.

I sincerely believe that with no grounding in no-budget roots, your experiences with directing do not apply to him.

This part has me completely baffled. I didn't just happen to stumble upon grants hidden in a sock drawer, and nobody called me volunteering to work with me. I'm in the position I am now because of the shorts I made on my own with my own money. I learned how to make my films better by planning ahead, outlining, and putting a hell of a lot of work work into them. Fortunately, some people saw these and offered me a position. All I'm saying to him is to try and stick by his script, which I don't think is anything too extreme (Why would you write a script if you weren't going to follow it?). I'm actually having a hard time understanding why your so threatened by that.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by John Mullets
So, you actually have a budget, Voorhees? That's what seperates us. I make films for nothing. I'm self-produced.

Now, don't bitch at moan at me about how horrible it is making a film when you have a big crew and lots of money to throw around. I am the art department. I am the special effects artist. I am the DP and often I am the damn actor. Your pissing and moaning about "poor you" doesn't impress me, though I'm sure that was your intention.

We have a person who seems to have come out of the blue and decided he wants to shoot a film and you're coming from him with the standpoint of someone who shoots films with lots of money. You talk to him as someone who is out of touch with your average no-budget filmmaker. I sincerely believe that with no grounding in no-budget roots, your experiences with directing do not apply to him.

But come forth, Psychofreak, and tell us what your budget is. Tell us if you have a professional crew. Who can you more identify with? First off, that might get you banned.

Second of all, what does the budget have to do with how you direct, really? Spielberg and Psychocandy and you should be worrying about the same aspects of filmmaking when you're directing. Budget makes no difference.

If you want to/need to do more than just directing, then do but don't lay off your job as the director.

[John Mullets]

Voorhees, are you daft or something? I work on no budget, so I understand stress and upset on, well, set. You seem to think your experiences are unique.

Maybe he does not realise that directing can be a very boring, frustrating and occasionally upsetting process, however, that will be something he will learn very quickly.

I'm not impressed by these strawmen you're knocking down. I am not threatened by following the script, nor is it a shocking and unthinkable thing that people attempt to follow the script as stringently as possible. I am simply informing him that occasionally deviantions from the script will happen and some actors may improvise.

Occasionally, I have to duck out on something for budget-related reasons or the actors refuse to do something, or whatever. The art of a director to deal with changes or limitations is one of their most important skills.

It's great that you're a medium shot and I direct films for no money. I enjoy the position I'm in and I'm sure you enjoy not having to deal with as much problems as I encounter with the gang of nobodies I call my crew. You fail to realise that with your money that you can buy your way out of problems. You can build huge rooms and afford CGI technitions to make that huge monster. I and I'm assuming Psychofreak have to deal with problems ourselves, without the art department of our DP to deal with it and too many people have been discouraged by directing "difficulties" to persue directing. Too many people beat themselves up because they have to cop out on stuff. Directing is comprimising and I'd rather improvise a little than sell myself out to get the big money and make baby food.

[XvoorheesX]

A guy asked for advice. You told him one thing, I disagreed with you and told him something else, something which most people wouldn't disagree with. There is absolutely no reason for any of this arguing, let alone personal attacks.

So, I'm respectfully backing down. If PF has any other questions or queries I'll do my best to help him. Hopefully you won't feel the need to start another rant against anything myself or anyone else tries to help him with.

[John Mullets]

I'm sure I have a vastly different directing style than you, and these differences will probably just have to be accepted. You have presumably found your niche, and I've found mine. Your's involves stringent script-following and decent budgets, mine involves improvisation and low, low budgets.

We do things differently, which keeps our styles of films unique and interesting. I, naturally, am going to disagree with you on which style is better, as you with me.

I do, however, object to making out like I'm a fucking idiot for the style I choose and comments from the peanut gallery that my directing style is wrong even though they know nothing of directing.

I'll admit I went over-the-top, but I jump at percieved eliteism. Sorry about that.

[XvoorheesX]

I do, however, object to making out like I'm a fucking idiot for the style I choose and comments from the peanut gallery that my directing style is wrong even though they know nothing of directing.

I'll admit I went over-the-top, but I jump at percieved eliteism. Sorry about that.

A couple last little things. Nobody called you anything negative about your style of directing, nobody even commented on it. That's how everybody starts. And I wouldn't say either is better, just more suited to what you're trying to accomplish.

About the perceived eliteism, which bothered me most of all. PF asked people to share their directing experiences, and then you asked me what (if anything) I had directed. I told you, and used examples to back up my technique, for lack of a better word. Anything negative you received from me was a result of you attacking me for that.