Making Indie Films

Today’s post is very, very short, because my deadline looms close today. But after reading about Owen Wilson and his recent difficulties, I thought I would just send a big shout out to him and hope that his situation improves. Tough times indeed. But don’t worry buddy - you will be back on track again soon. Much love and respect to Owen, his friends and family. Meantime - check out the movie that first made him famous - the original, 14 minute version of Bottle Rocket …

Above is Bill Murray and Sharon Stone from BROKEN FLOWERS - some excellent sparse writing…

Writers that I like, whether they be Indie writers or Studio level writers all have one thing in common. They write clean and crisp. What do I mean by this? Simple really.

The prose is easy to understand; without too many run-on sentences and too much punctuation, that actually makes it much harder to understand or follow exactly what’s going on.

That previous sentence is a case in point. I could have written…

Easy to understand prose. No run-on sentences. Not too much punctuation that’s hard to follow.

You see where I’m going with this? You can actually develop and deploy a writing style that is short and succint, in some cases even incomplete sentences or sentence fragments. Imagine your screenplay as an instruction manual for a very complex machine. For it to work it has to communicate on a very basic level.

Some writers will disagree with the sentence fragment approach. They will tell you that for stylistic and grammatical reason only complete sentences and ‘good’ English should be used. Whether I agree with that or not, grammatically correct sentences can also be clean and crisp. Using my sentence example above, you might have written…

Write prose that is easy to understand. You should avoid writing run-on sentences and the overt of confusing punctuation.

Same sentences. Different approach. Same result.

Here is your clean and crisp checklist to make sure that your pages are shaping up.

1) Make sure that there is plenty of air (white space) on the page. Don’t deliver cluttered pages.
2) Can I trim down my descriptions and use one word instead of three?
3) Use active, descriptive verbs. But make them simple.
4) Avoid too many dashes and elipses in dialogue.
5) Set a tone and stick to it.
6) Write either proper English or sentence fragments. If you mix the two, be wary of the effect.
7) Read. Edit. Re-read. Re-edit and proof. Polish your prose like a diamond. Make it gleam.

For my current favorite script in terms of style and proper English, you might want to read Charlie Kaufman’s Being John Malkovitch.

I am consistently sent scripts and told by other writers and colloborators: “oh yes, this is a low budget script.” However, nine times out of ten, that clearly isn’t the case. Usually, the dead giveaway is an opening scene with 500 people set in some massive, expensive location. I raise that question and the writer concerned normally replies - “yes, but it’s only one scene.” So then I say: “but there are twenty-nine lead characters” and the response is; “well it’s an ensemble piece.”

This happens to meet quite often, which leads me to the following conclusion. Most writers and even directors think they know what makes a low budget script, but somehow they have missed the point. And just because you’re going to shoot a movie digitally doesn’t mean it’s low budget.

(FYI - The above picture of Gabrielle Reece is only there because I am writing a scene about Beach Volleyball, right now.)

There are three main factors that go into a low budget script - location, cast and scope. If you can answer yes to the THREE following questions, then you’re probably on the right track.

ARE THERE MINIMAL LOCATIONS IN YOUR SCRIPT..?
Sounds obvious, but the key to a low budget script is containment or being contained. The action should take place mainly in one or two locations. It’s best if they are interiors. Renting locations can be expensive and the minute you have to move the cast and crew it costs money, too. If by page five of your script there are more than five locations, it’s NOT going to be low budget - unless of course the other 95 pages takes place in your mom’s kitchen. Be sensible as well. The minimal location rule doesn’t fly if your one location is the top of Mount Everest or The White House.

One of the best examples I could come up with of the minimal location rule is Reservoir Dogs. I’m not totally a huge fan of this movie - however 80% of the picture takes place in an bare, empty warehouse. There’s a good lesson to be learned here and that’s the rule of access. If your uncle owns an empty warehouse - set your movie there.

ARE THERE ONLY A FEW CHARACTERS IN YOUR MOVIE?
Writing a story about a handful of characters is key to a low budget script. More than a handful of actors and it gets complicated and expensive to shoot - even if you aren’t paying them much. More actors means your food and transportation costs go up. More actors means you will need more crew to light and to wrangle them. Chances are you may know one or two actors personally. Write a movie for them. Be clever and strategic - but think small. Think Clerks or the better but lesser known Following - Christopher Nolan’s directorial debut.

Onto question three and the vaguest but perhaps most important question…

IS THE SCOPE OF YOUR FILM SMALL..?
Sometimes small movies can cover broad issues. One of my favorite examples of this is Stephen Frears’ Dirty Pretty Things. The scope of this movie is a small - a foreign man and woman have problems working in a London hotel. However the very same small movie tackles broad issues of race and immigration in the UK. So keep the scope of your script small. That means set it in a contemporary time and place and cover ground that you have easy access to. Don’t set your script in the South Of Spain in 1935 to depict the rise of General Franco -unless it’s set in one room with two or three actors and already have your props and costumes ready to go. See, even that can be done if you keep the scope small. Of course, I would steer away from period peices and stick to little, personal stories that illuminate wider issues.

On closing. this discussion of low budget writing was brought to you after a conversation with my producer friend, Mr. Karl Hunter. We agreed to agree on these matters mentioned above and hope that you find them illuminating.

Onto some reading materials for today… I’m not sure that I agree with Linda J Cowgill, but her Secrets Of Screenplay Structure is certainly worth a look.

These days making a successful documentary can be a good entree into the world of indy film. Aside from being highly respected, documentary filmmaking is a good place for you to hone your skills without the same obvious expense as making a dramatic feature. Documentaries can be about anything. You don’t actually need much of a crew to shoot one either.

After you’ve selected your subject - which can be anything from “a history of your uncle’s bakery in Vermont” to “your local Bishop, like Don ‘Magic’ Juan” (as pictured above) - here are ten tips that might prove helpful.

1) PLANNING IS KEY IN A GOOD DOCUMENTARY
Know who you want to interview or talk to. Know where you’re going to shoot and what you want to get. Rough-out the storyline as you would with a narrative feature.

2) BE FLEXIBLE
Things will change. A better story might reveal itself as you are shooting. Follow your nose. Go with the flow. If the documentary turns out differently than you planned (and it will) - be flexible - roll with it.

3) PROSUMER GEAR IS FINE - EXCEPT FOR SOUND
You can shoot your doc on any kind of prosumer camera, as long as it’s a step-up from a $200 palmcorder. But don’t skimp on audio. Rent, buy or borrow a professional shotgun mic. Sound is 80% of your doc.

4) ALWAYS BRING A TRIPOD & A FEW LIGHTS
Sounds silly, I know. But a great deal of what you’re doing will be long, static shots. So always bring a tripod and if you can, bring one with a nice fluid head that can pan smoothly. Same goes for lights. Have enough to shoot an interview. But not a truck full. You’re not trying to light Vegas.

5) SHOOT DOCUMENTARY STYLE
A documentary is about documenting people and things. That should be your focus. Don’t try to be Errol Morris. Your stuff will never look as pretty as his - so don’t try to match it. You will fail. Choose reachable goals.

6) YOUR JOB IS EDITORIAL
You will be judged on your documenting and storytelling ability. Not on how slick you can shoot and light. Don’t try to be flashy. Be simple and honest in your approach. It will be evident in the finished product.

7) FINAL CUT OR I-MOVIE DOESN’T MATTER
Jonathan Caouette who made the award winning Tarnation alledgedly edited the whole thing on I-Movie. Do I buy that? Not sure. Still, it doesn’t matter what you edit on. Again, you will be judged on editorial skill rather than crossfades, overlays and video compositing. If you can do that. Great! But you don’t need it. Just solid, reasoned editing.

ADD A FEELING OR SENSE OF PLACE
Yes. I know I said don’t be Errol Morris. But whatever you’re shooting - there will be extraneous things that add to the sense of place or mood or time. If you can. Shoot these things - even if you don’t use them later. At some point, you might need cutaways, or to make a montage with a voice-over. At that point you’ll want mood shots, maybe. So get them while you’re there in the first place.

9) PREVIEW YOUR MATERIAL AS YOU GO
The problem with shooting this kind of thing is not knowing what you have. It will be impossible to keep track. And the danger is you will keep amassing tapes - but not really know what’s on them. You may have missed things. You may have audio or picture problems. Where possible, review your material in an ongoing manner so you can fill the gaps or fix the problems. Know what you have before you finish shooting, or it might be a huge pain to fill the gaps after that.

10) LOG YOUR MATERIAL (OR FIND SOMEBODY WHO WILL)
Editing is tough and time consuming, but editing on paper is cheaper and easier. I didn’t say easy. If you got this far, you’ll know that nothing is easy. Anyway, if you can - log all your material and transcribe it. Get it down on paper or as a text document of some kind. Only start editing when you’ve done that. Better yet - edit on paper or edit as text and get a sense of the documentary before you start actually editing.

Well, there you have it. My top ten. It won’t be everybody’s top ten, but it’s mine and it works for me.

For some more insight READ an interesting interview with Ken Burns

This weekend I was looking for some kind of pre-production software that was inexpensive and I came across CELTX - not to be confused with CELTIC the soccer team. Okay, so the picture above has nothing really to do with soccer or Celtic. Anyway, back to Celtx…

Celtx offers a feature rich application that is heralded on the company website as “the first, cross-platform media application that provides support for the entire pre-production process.” I wasn’t sure that I totally bought that - so I gave the application a whirl.

On the front end, the Celtx ‘development tool’ is quite interesting for mapping out a storyline and adding pictures and audio clips - a feature that I liked very much. The ’screenwriting tool’ works adequately - but obviously doesn’t quite compare to FinalDraft - which as I’m sure you all know is actually pretty hard to beat. The ‘breakdown tool’ seems like a good idea - but when was the last time a ‘props list’ was that important to you?

Okay. All the previously mentioned stuff isn’t that great. But the ’storyboard tool’ in Celtx is absolutely outstanding and almost inspired. You can drag and drop images into this function, group them, annotate them, but best of all play them back as a ’slideshow’ loop. Loved that part. Absolutely loved it. The same is true of the ’scheduler tool.’ It is functional and intuitive. You are able to drag and drop ’scenes’ onto a calendar - effectively integrating your shoot days and shooting script. Also you can allocate resources and talent to actual times and dates. I’m not sure about the on-line ‘collaboration’ functions. Never quite got that far. Still, for a working schedule and storyboard ap - Celtx is worth downloading. Will it replace Movie Magic? Probably not. But if you’re planning a short or a micro-budget feature, this might be just the ticket. And Celtx is absolutely FREE. That’s right. Nada. Nothing. Freeware.

DOWNLOAD CELTX HERE!

Today’s literary selection is:
Location Scouting and Management Handbook which I recommend that you get from your local library, as I think that it’s out of print.

Filmmaker MIKE FIGGIS is a DV pioneer for numerous reasons. Not just for his groundbreaking digital movies like Timecode or Hotel - but because of his innovative use of new technologies and techniques. Perhaps one of his greatest yet lesser known contributions to indie filmmaking is the Manfrotto Fig-Rig…

Tripod manufacturer Manfrotto worked alongside Figgis to develop a camera stabilizer that minimized ‘camera shake’ and at the same time allowed the same freedom of motion as working hand-held. Named after Figgis, this FIG RIG was also developed as a modular system - allowing the end user to attach accessories, including zoom controllers, mics, mixers, lights, monitors and arms to the same base unit.

As you can see, the design emulates the look and feel of a steering wheel, but as well as turning left and right, you have a range of motion that is gyroscopic in nature. Any which way you want to shoot, the Fig Rig will follow. And attaching accesories like a mic and a zoom control give the thing added balance and flexibility.

Some of you reading this might think - oh, the Fig Rig - it’s old news dating back to the days of the PD150 etc. And you’d be absolutely right. However, I tested the Fig Rig with a SONY Z1 and the results were anything but old news. My hands aren’t particular steady, but with this thing I was rock solid and all those swishy pans and tilting zooms were possible. Granted the Z1 had been fitted with a VZ Zoom controller (which was strapped to the rig) - but still, using this contraption was simplicity itself. I can only imagine that with regular use anybody’s Fig Rig skills would improve - much the same as say a golf swing with practice. Okay - well maybe not a golf swing - but you get the picture.

At under $350 the Fig Rig is certainly an option worth considering for your next production. I am still curious if it could be used with the beloved Canon XH-A1 - I’m guessing yes. But I’m not certain how the Fig Rig would fare if your camera was equipped with a Red Rock and a bigger lens… I think I might try that next week, if the stars aline and my friends with equipment let me.

Meanwhile here are some Fig Rig resources…
The FIG RIG at a good price from Digital Foto
Various Zoom Controllers from Varizoom
Felicity Huffman chatting about the Fig Rig

I was having a discussion yesterday with my British producer friend, Karl Hunter, and it was mainly about the topic of backstory. Karl had just seen a new indie movie from the UK called SUGARHOUSE. It’s basically a low budget three-hander set on a London housing estate. Anyway, back to backstory… Karl liked Sugarhouse, but in some ways the reason that he liked it was because it vindicated the “low budget backstory theory” that we had been kicking around earlier, last month.

Our LOW BUDGET BACKSTORY THEORY is actually quite simple and although I was aware of it already - it really took on concrete form during the development phase of a thriller screenplay, entitled 8-Rivers. The L-B-B Theory is a three point system and it can actually be applied to any screenplay. It works best if you use it quite strictly and might actually improve your writing process.

L-B-B Theory POINT ONE:
No backstory can exist for your characters apart from what you can actually show in the present, directly related to the beats of your story. (Meaning: If a character was crippled in childhood - show how that complicates his/her life NOW - not him/her being hit by a car in 1975.)

L-B-B Theory POINT TWO:
No flashbacks can ever be added to your story if they create needless bulk, confusion, or extraneous locations. (Meaning: If you want to show the sadness of bereavement - integrate it into your story - don’t have flashbacks of funerals or men crying over tombstones).

L-B-B Theory POINT THREE:
Your story CAN ONLY EXIST for the 90 minutes of screentime that you can write as a screenplay - not what proceeds the story or what comes after it. (Meaning: Characters and story are only defined as a complex set of actions and reactions. Whatever motivates and informs the action is ALWAYS secondary to the action itself… So if a character robs a bank, or kidnaps a child, or quits his job - focus on that action and that action alone - NOT THE BACKSTORY that made him/her do it).

So there you have it. The theory, courtesy of myself and Mr. Hunter. It might seem very basic, even a tad Joseph Campbell-esque - however, structurally many indie films are actually closer to Spaghetti Westerns than anything else. Yes! Spaghetti Westerns - sparse, short on dialogue, mythic in nature. Think about it - your story that details a man’s return to a problematic small town is actually Yojimbo which became A FIST FULL OF DOLLARS.

Some works worth studying…
CHECK OUT the man and the myth that was Akira Kurosawa
For some SERGIO LEONE is the grandfather of the low budget indie

Today’s post is very short as I am on a deadline for a rewrite and trying to get it done by the end of the week. But fear not - today’s post is a mighty-mini epic. I have often heard myself say to friends that low-budget action pics never quite work. The action always looks weak. There’s never enough production value. But after glancing through Stu Maschwitz’s DV Rebel’s Guide I have decided to re-asses my position. What Stu does is detail a great many insider tip and tricks that explain how to shoot very plausible big-budget action on the cheap. There is also an accompanying DVD that comes with the book - but you will need Adobe After Effects to explore that fully.

Stu comes from a Studio level FX background. However - he shows how to shoot miniatures and all sorts of SFX that you might imagine were out of reach. Well, with this book they’re not.

VISIT Stu’s DV Rebel’s Guide site.
WATCH the trailer for Stu’s groundbreaking short - THE LAST BIRTHDAY CARD.

As an Indie Filmmaker, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the competition. And these days trends are as prevalent in the Indie world, as in mainstream Hollywood movies. Still, for every LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE that crosses over, there will be dozens more off-beat gems that won’t quite make that kind of splash. Searching them out on-line is great - but discovering them in a festival setting is even better. You might even meet the filmmakers behind these rough diamonds, maybe even hopefully swap some ideas on means, methods and technology.

Here are some festivals that might be worth a look in the coming weeks…

FILMINUTE 2007
On-line - September 5-9
I’m not usually a fan of one minute film festivals - especially the on-line variety. But this is just too good to miss and features the likes of Kevin Roberts and author Michael Ondaatje.

ROME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Rome, Georgia - September 6-9
The ’south’ is rarely known for its film festivals, but Rome 2007 has an interesting mandate - opening its doors to ‘working filmmakers’ from around the globe. This event is also tied-in with The First Annual
Southeastern Film Industry Expo (think: an Independent Feature Market [IFM] for the South).

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Toronto, Canada - September 6-15
All the big players from the industry hit Toronto. Expect, celebrities, big premieres and a host of unique movies. If you can afford the ticket - certainly worth dropping in.

SOUTH DAKOTA FILM FESTIVAL
Aberdeen, South Dakota - September 21-23
The South Dakota Film Festival’s emphasis is on films made by filmmakers from the Great Plains region (SD, MN, ND, IA, WY, and NE) or films shot in the Great Plains region. Undoubtedly you will find some unique voices if you visit Aberdeen for this one.

GREAT LAKES INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
Erie, Pennsylvania - September 26 thru October 12
Notable, in some respects, because Guns N’ Roses’ super star Dizzy Reed will not only be attending the 2007 Great Lakes Independent Film Festival, but will also be performing on Saturday September 29, 2007. All joking aside, though - there is a lot of interesting international fare being screened at The GLIFF, this year. FYI - last year, one of the special guests was JESSE JANE- pictured above.

For an extensive listing of global film festivals you might want to visit IMDB’s weighty Film Festival page.

Some people would argue that casting is 80% of your film - meaning to say that the right cast can not only get you financed, but land you both distribution and festival awards. Some directors and producers have a natural eye for casting. They may even have relationships with the hottest new ingenue in town or some great, grizzled old-timer who is looking to make a comeback. That is an ideal situation - but not necessarily the case for most of us. For most us we need help and expert help at that. That’s where a Casting Director comes in. This individual knows who’s hot and who’s not. They know who’s expensive, who’s available and who might read your script without a cash offer on the table. A good C-D (short for Casting Director) will put a new ’spin’ on your project that you hadn’t thought of. They will suggest left-of-field casting ideas that may well take your project to a higher level. Ignore them at your peril!

So where do we start and where do we find a C-D?
Personal referral is always a good place to find your C-D. Talk to other filmmakers. Go to festivals and see what C-D’s are in attendance or involved with panels. If you can’t find somebody through that route - go to imdb a look-up who cast movies that you liked - movies in a similar ballpark to your own. When you have decided who might be appropriate, you can usually either source their contact details via The LA-411 Directory or alternatively The Casting Society Of America.

When approaching a Casting Director - be smart. Unless you have a personal connection, don’t imagine that the people who cast the last JESSICA SIMPSON movie for Warner Brothers will cast your micro-budget indie. (BTW - that’s Jessica pictured above.)

Then again, if you have a unique project and a little cash - some C-D’s may well be available for the right consideration. If necessary, offer them a co-producer credit, and if they can indeed deliver the cast that you need - push the boat out - offer the a capital ‘P’ producer credit.

At the early stages of getting a production off the ground - cast is king. Remember that when you try to land a Casting Director.

Some interesting insight into Casting Directors…

An Q&A from IFP with Casting Director PATRICK BACA
An Interview with Casting Director CAROLYN PICKMAN
Who is CASTING what - right now…

I am from Manchester, England, and a week ago today, one of the great cultural figures of my home town and country passed away. For those of you who know anything about alternative/indie music - the name Tony Wilson will have great resonance. As founder of Factory Records he discovered and signed bands like Joy Divison (who later became New Order), The Durutti Column and The Happy Mondays.

I first met ANTHONY H WILSON in Castlefield, Manchester - when I was about 11 years old. There had been a segment on Granada Reports for kids to help out on an archaelogical ‘dig’ in the center of town. It was one of those ‘youth awareness’ schemes centered around local history and if you showed-up, you got a free T-shirt. I remember that it was Tony Wilson who handed me my free t-shirt.

Then as a Grammar School boy, I would hear about ‘Wilson’ putting on gigs at The Russell Club (which he called ‘The Factory’) in Moss Side. I remember the posters, vividly - which were pasted all over the area. The one that sticks in my mind the most was when Throbbing Gristle played on May 19th, 1979. I tore one of those posters off a wall and kept it.

In later years, I would see Wilson all the time in the Hacienda. His signature ‘drop shouldered’ Armani suits made him appear especially unique. He would alledgedly buy them from a store called Jack Creme. I didn’t know anyone else at the time who could afford to wear Armani - however, I did know Jack Creme’s daughter - Caroline.

The second (and last) time I would meet Wilson was on a pilot for a late night Arts Show that Granada was producing - I can’t quite recall the name - but it was along the lines of THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT. My college friend Andy Humphries was either Producer or Head Researcher on the show and he booked me as a guest. Another friend, Jason Jules, blagged me an outfit to wear from Paul Smith. So I was sent a train ticket and they reserved me a room at a decent hotel. Backstage I hung out with the guys from 808 State. Somebody from the band had his dad there. I drank beer with this guy and we wandered around Granada a bit. It seemed vast and cavernous.

Later, that afternoon, around tea-time Wilson interviewed me about my book, TRIP CITY. He was very slick and the consummate pundit. On my way out, I told him about getting a Granada Reports t-shirt off him, when I was 11. He smiled at me, but didn’t really comment. I never actually saw him again until his cameo appearance in 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE - which doesn’t really count as it was on DVD. And then, last friday, I got a myspace bulletin from Dave Haslam which simply said: “Tony Wilson R-I-P.”

I still can’t quite believe that Anthony H Wilson is gone. I’m sure that he will be sadly missed by many people. Still, his legacy will live on. And for me, I will always remember that little smile from him as he handed me my free t-shirt, all those years ago.

READ the Obituary from The Independent
WATCH the 24 Hour Party People DVD
WATCH one of the last interviews with Tony Wilson

When you go to a screenwriting class or read a screenwriting book, you will be told that there are immutable rules to the game. You will be told that flashbacks are clunky, a voice over is the sure sign weak technique and parentheticals have no place in a decent screenplay. In many cases, all of the above is true. But sometimes in the ‘business’ of screenwriting rules are meant to be broken. And in the case of the independent filmmaker, you may have to ignore the rules to create a succesful project.

Let’s take the case of flashbacks…
We have ALL seen enough bad movies to know that flashbacks are over used. They will often play out as dreams or nightmares where the ghostly murder or gruesome crime is relived over and over - until we realize: ‘Aha! It was the Police Chief who did it!’ That’s what happens in bad commercial movies. Stupidity pervades the writing and the action.

However there are movies, even indie movies, where the technique of flashback is used smartly to pick apart the narrative and tell a non-linear story. My favorite example of this is MEMENTO (pictured above). The entire movie is one big flashback. It is bold and groundbreaking. It won awards. It built careers.

THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED?
You CAN write flashbacks into your script as long as they are sharp and purposeful. Make the flashback a unique tool for yourself. Use it well and wisely.

The same can be true of Voiceover…
Prevelant in film noir, the authorial voiceover is meant to shed new light on character and situation. It is meant to inform and qualify what we see. The reason all screenwriting teachers hate voiceover is because oftentimes people write sophmoric, corny epithets that merely affirm the action and they call it a voiceover.

However - we all know that voice-overs DON’T need to be corny. They CAN be illuminating and give an enhanced perspective. One of my recent indie favorites to explore this is A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS. Dito Monteil takes some crisp segments from his ‘novel’ and integrates them into his movie. They play as voiceover against the action - like an off-tempo riff. They give a unique sense of emotion.

THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED?
You CAN use voiceover if you use it sparingly and honestly. But make sure to be hyper-critical of your own voiceover cues. If they genuinely work - keep them. But if there is any issue as to their validity - be cautious and either minimize or remove them.

Onto parentheticals (which for those who haven’t heard the term) are the little cues in (brackets) under your character slug and above your dialogue. In bad scripts they will generally say (angrily) or (screaming) indicating how an actor may perform the dialogue.

Good actors don’t need parentheticals. They will hate you for them. They will think you are an amateur. However, before you hire actors, you might be dealing with money people or investors. They probably will need sign-posts in the script when they read it. This might include some parentheticals to make your story more easy to grasp for somebody who is inexperienced with the screenplay form. If a scene seems ambiguous and a parenthetical will help - add it. Add a hundred of them if it will help you raise the money you need. You can always take them out when you send to actors.

THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED?
If you need to add parentheticals or (needless) extra touches to make your script a better read for the money folks. Add them. This is about being practical. About getting stuff done. About getting a movie made.

Do what you have to do. That should be your mantra. Break the rules if you have to. But get it done.

Some very practical books that might help you hone your techniques…
BUY your Practical DV Filmmaking
BUY The Digital Video Production Cookbook
LEARN Storytelling with DV, HD, and HDV Cameras

Filmmaking is hard and independent filmmaking is even harder. There will be days when nothing goes right. You just can’t seem to start that new draft… The actors you have been dealing with suddenly seem impossible… Your finance has fallen through… These things happen. And they may even happen often. But for me, the key is to remember where you started and why you do this. It’s not for the money or the fame - is it? No. It’s not about being behind that camera, so you can act like a big shot. No - of course it isn’t. You LOVE to do this - remember? You LOVE telling stories and writing and casting and shooting. You LOVE all of it - even the rough parts - because you know you’re going to come out the other side with a finished piece of work, or at least a learning experience. And even just learning to be a better filmmaker is something to be proud of.

At times like this, I think back to the beginning. I think back to how it started for me and where my interest in all of this comes from. When I was a small boy, my older brother, Bernard, was involved with Altrincham Cine Club - a group for amateur filmmakers, in Manchester (England). The group would meet regularly and put together various film productions. Some of their Super-8 films were quite simple, others very ambitious - but many times, these would be award winning films, regularly reaching the ‘Ten Best’ Amateur Film Awards in the UK.

Back then my brother was a keen Super-8 filmmaker. He made numerous short films - involving both animation and his own homespun visual effects. I remember vividly when he took me to a very long screening of the ‘Ten Best’ amateur films. It was in a rather musty theater with uncomfortable seats. Many of these ‘award winning’ films seemed quite boring at the time - I’m guessing because in some respects they were quite experimental. The pair of us were sitting in that theater for hours. Still, that’s how it all started for me. Almost at that moment, or at least around then, because decades later I would find myself going to festival screenings and thinking exactly the same thing. Boring. Too long. Uncomfortable seats. It’s amazing really - the more things change, the more they stay the same.

If I am honest, my brother was always (and continues to be) a great inspiration to me. No matter what, his interest in movies has always been a constant in my life. It was his interest, in some respects, that sparked my own - and we can still talk for hours, arguing about what movies we saw and which were good or bad.

When your production slows, or shooting isn’t going right - I suggest that you stop for a minute and remember the person or the event that inspired you to be a filmmaker. If you can focus on that, you will realize that all filmmaking problems (like any life problems) are merely transient and can probably be solved. You will come out the other side. You WILL succeed. Just remember why you do this.

Here are some interesting filmmaking links from the UK that characterize my early experiences…
Institute Of Amateur Cinematographers
One of the World’s Largest film libraries

If you’re on the west coast and are into Super-8 you should also check out FLICKER LA

I had a chance to tinker with the Sony HVR-V1U - Sony’s pro version of the HDR-FX7. It shoots native 1080i - with a robust 24p setting that compares favorably with the Canon XH-A1. In some respects, I have always liked the solid feel that you get from a Sony - which maybe dates back to the fabulous PD-150. But what I like most about the V1U is its ease of use. This is not complicated to handle or get used to. The settings are easy to navigate and quite responsive.

The propriotary 3 CCD ClearVid CMOS system gives high quality imaging. Amazing clarity. Good color saturation. Not as good as the XH-A1 in terms of color - but that’s always the Canon vs. Sony trade-off. Still, the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 20x (optical) zoom is a very nice ‘peice of glass.’ It feels almost ‘meaty’ with adding too much weight or bulk. This is a nicely balanced camera. It feels solid, like a DVX100 - only with a little more heft.

Some people have told me that for under $4k, this unit is the perfect, flexible tool for the Indie Director. In some respects I agree. However, the unit I tested was then fitted with a Cinevate Brevis 35 digital imager and a nice Nikon prime. The difference was staggering. Sure the Brevis 35 adds around a grand in price to your rig - but with the extra glass it delivers 10,000 times the result. Terrific depth of field and range of focus. A giant leap in aesthetic terms.

I would definately recommend this camcorder - but it was Cinevate attachment that perhaps intrigued me more.

VISIT the Cinevate site.
FULL SPECS ON The Sony HVR-V1U

So you have raised some money or got a new credit card and gone out and bought an HDV camcorder. The playblack of the 24p setting looks amazing. Yes - I know. And a you got ahold of a Red Rock Micro M2 and a few 35mm lenses - kicking the picture up another seven notches. So you think you’re ready to start shooting? Okay. But what audio solution have you picked-up? If you’ve spent $1,500 on a SENNHEISER shotgun mic and another three hundred on headphones, then read no further. However, if you are like me, when I was new to this - you might have just spent $75 on an external ‘field’ mic hoping that its specs will be more than sufficient for your movie. Well, if that’s the case - think again.

BAD AUDIO WILL KILL YOUR PICTURE FASTER THAN AN INAPPROPRIATE TONGUE-KISS (as pictured above).

I can’t stress too often that in low-budget or micro-budget movies; audio is king. Say it with me: “AUDIO IS KING.” Despite what you may have read or been told - audio will account for a great deal of your picture. The dialogue, which will probably occupy 60-70% of your screen-time is reliant on being crisp, clear and audible. Sure if you messed-up, you can try to fix it in ‘post’ - but the truth is, if you go that route, you are in for a world of pain.

In the immortal words of Aristotle, later appropriated by Mary Poppins : “Well begun is half done.” What does that mean in the case of audio? Well, simply put, you will need THREE things to acheive quality audio on your production. In themselves they don’t seem like much, but together they make for a powerful package.

1) SHOTGUN OR RIFLE MIC
You can spend anywhere from $500 to $1,500 on a shotgun mic and all the extra bits that you might need to run it. Aside from the mic itself, you will need some kind of ‘blimp’ or windshield. Also a boom pole and shock mount. And in some cases you might even need a thing called ‘phantom power’ - which is basically a little box that another battery goes into - to power the mic via long cables. All the extras soon add up. But they are usually worthwhile having and can mostly be purchased inexpensively as ‘used’ items. Myself - I bought an Audio-Technica because of its specs and price point. But I know others who will only use Sennheiser products. So you might want to shop around.

2) HEADPHONES
It makes no sense to have good, clean audio going into your camera, if you are monitoring it with your $20 i-pod headphones. Invest in a pair of ‘pro’ headphones, that feel comfortable. Get ones with good padding and ear coverage. It makes most sense to have headphones with a long cord - which adds to flexibility of use. Again price points range from $130 to considerably more. It is invaluable to be able to monitor your sound effectively.

3) A SOUND PERSON/BOOM OPERATOR
Yes - you can set up your mic on a c-stand or hide it behind a potted plant. And yes - your camera-person can monitor the audio. Don’t get sloppy here. Remember audio is king. If you don’t know an experienced sound person - try to find one on the likes of craigslist. The right individual will be worth their weight in gold. But if you don’t have that individual - find a person with good ears and attention to detail. Let them wrangle the boom and monitor your audio. Do some field tests with them. Remember - a shotgun mic is very sensitive with a narrow ‘cone.’ That means it must be directed correctly for proper reception.

With the above three elements in place, the technical quality of your movie will increase a great deal. So happy shooting and may ‘good audio’ be your mantra.

You can search specs on AUDIO TECHNICA MICS HERE
You can search specs on SENNHEISER MICS HERE