Kevin Smith has set out to prove the critics wrong! After spending years making stoner comedies in his own little world called the Askiewniverse, Smith has broken his own mold and made a horror film close to his heart. Smith shopped the script for Red State around to all of the usual suspects but was only met with rejection. Smith raised the money to shoot the film on his own and at Sundance earlier this year decided he would distribute the film himself!
(watch the trailer after the leap!)
Continue Reading…
Posted 6 months, 1 week ago at 4:05 am. Add a comment
It’s been a very productive week so far with the successful completion of the Muticia’s Movie Morgue segments for Tales From Mutantville. Cast and crew spearheaded by the lovely Vanelle brought the character of Muticia to life. The shoot went very smoothly and we had an absolute blast shooting the scenes. Big thanks to everyone who came out to make it possible – and of course a big thank you goes out to everyone that helped make Tales From Mutantville possible – we couldn’t have done any of it without you!
This weekend we’re still racing to get ready for the big convention next week – the Fright Night Film Fest in Kentucky. We’re prepping shirts, updating websites, completing post-production on Tales From Mutantville and so much more in an effort to be ready for the con. Actually, we’re getting ready for two conventions, because this year promoter Ken Daniels is putting on two great cons for the price of one with the addition of Fandom Fest.
(Continue reading after the leap!)
Continue Reading…
Posted 6 months, 3 weeks ago at 3:59 pm. Add a comment
From ASAP TRIP: The Film Sensei’s Six Quick Tips to Keep Your Indie Film From Sucking!
And here, my loyal students, are those tips to help you avoid some of the pitfalls I encountered as a beginning low budget filmmaker.
1. Lay Off the Zoom!
Yes, I know that George Lucas did it in the new Star Wars films and, yes, I know it was popular in the new Battlestar Galactica show, but all playing around with the zoom on your camera will do is make your footage look like a tourist shooting vacation movies out on the Florida Keys. A really good cameraman can make a zoom look ok (or semi-acceptable)…a really really good cameraman, that is. For the most part, though, a zoom will look shoddy and amateurish. Your best bet is to break your zoom controller or, at the very least, the finger closest to it. A dolly, stedicam or even hand-held track in will all look 1000% better than a crappy zoom.
2. Vary Your Angles
One of the most common mistakes of most new directors and a whole heck of a lot of indie and guerrilla filmmakers is shots all looking alike. Most low budget films are shot very tight and never really open up for a long view – they’re full of close-ups, two shots and cramped quarters. They also tend to be diagram shots framed at eye level. If you want to make your film more excited, or more interesting, pull back for longer shots, tilt your camera, shoot from a bird’s eye or worm’s eye angle – use your camera angles to help set your mood and control your audience’s level of tension/suspense/drama. A good guide is to pull back further than you think you should (or push in further). Make sure to change things up a bit or your footage and your film will become stagnant and boring.
3. Use Proper Lighting
One of the hardest things for most indie, low budget and guerrilla filmmakers to learn is how to properly light for the DV or HD cameras they’re filming on. With a much lower contrast range and higher need for light than the human eye (and film), lighting for DV/HD cameras can often be a bit counter intuitive. In other words, what looks good to your naked eye often won’t work for your finished film. If you’re not careful you’ll wind up with footage too dark to use. If you’ve worked with, or lit for, film cameras then it may take a little while to get used to the change in methodology. I’ve shot with a number of really good DPs recently who made the mistake of lighting for their eyes and not for the camera we were shooting with. Shoot some lighting tests before you begin principal photography so you can get used to your camera’s dynamic range.
4. Write for What You Have
Since most low budget, indie and guerrilla filmmakers also happen to write their own material, the number one thing you should keep in mind when putting your new screenplay together is: write for what you have! The best way to give your film a higher production value is to make use of anything and everything you’ve already got access to. It’s tough to go out and find a cemetary or a muscle car or an airplane, but if you’ve got friends/family with unique locations, props or wardrobe then you can make your little $5000 movie look like you spent tens or hundreds of thousands on it. It worked for Robert Rodriguez and it will work for you.
5. Get a Good Tripod
Hand holding is great on a date with your girlfriend (or boyfriend, we’re not sexist here at the Film Sensei’s DOJO), but it should be used sparingly on a film set. Get a good fluid head tripod and make use of it as much as possible to give yourself a solid base to work from. Remember, hand held footage is great as long as it is used for a purpose and for an effect. If you’re just doing it because you’re too cheap to spring for a good set of sticks then your film will suffer for it.
6. Get a Good Mic
I feel like I’m starting to sound like a broken record after yesterday’s post about essential audio equipment for indie and guerrilla filmmakers. However, it’s a point well worth repeating over and over. While your audience may forgive a little wonky storytelling, dark images or even bad acting, the one thing no one will forgive is bad sound. There is almost nothing you can do that is worse than poor sound quality, and nothing that will make you look more like an amateur – well, short of accidentally filming all day with your lens cap on. Decent mics are available even for those of us on a more modest budget and there is absolutely no excuse to be shooting with your camera’s onboard mic – EVER!
There you have it: the extent of my wisdom. Yes, I know there are a lot more things to keep in mind and that will help (like making sure to get a good AD to help run your set properly or not hiring actresses you want to sleep with), but if you follow these six tips you’ll have a good head-start on keeping your first low budget film from sucking worse than a two-dollar whore.
That’s it from the depths of the DOJO for tonight. Until next time, Keep Shooting!
-Mat N., the Film Sensei
via Six Quick Tips to Keep Your Low Budget Film From Sucking | Asap Trip.
Posted 2 years, 2 months ago at 7:33 pm. 1 comment
Kevin Smith has set out to prove the critics wrong! After spending years making stoner comedies in his own little world called the Askiewniverse, Smith has broken his own mold and made a horror film close to his heart. Smith shopped the script for Red State around to all of the usual suspects but was only met with rejection. Smith raised the money to shoot the film on his own and at Sundance earlier this year decided he would distribute the film himself!
