How's everyone doing?
 

Thought I would check in and see how's everyone doing. Despite having everything ready to go, I've been too busy to shoot frame #1. Hopefully that will change this afternoon.

How about you guys?

Mine is technically finished. Very simple idea. Unfortunately I have to reshoot my indoor shots because the lighting was not what I expected. I used some amber lights and thought they would look nice, but everything came out really orange.

Oh well, live and learn.

Stacy

Terrible, awful....got nothin', no idea, no nothin'...

New dog figured out she can jump a 3' fence...so we've had guys coming by to give quotes on a new fence we can't afford...
Broke the race bike Sunday, so I've been workin' on that every night gettin' ready for the next race....($250.00 in parts should show up Friday)
Mom called today and I have to look at her garage door opener....going after work today...
Racing on Sunday so all I have is Thur night, Fri night and Saturday.....

Arrggg....I was probably foolish signin' up at this time of year. Its always like this....yet I always think I can get things done.

Bob T.

Doing okay. Only half-way there, but not stressing at all, since it won't help. Our crew has a very tight schedule this week since we're all working like crazy in various jobs, so we only have about 1 hour to shoot each evening when everyone is available for a short while and while we have available light for the outdoor scenes.

So we've been shooting guerilla style around town. We scouted locations before shooting and developed a plan for everything we needed for each shot, so we can pretty much just pull up, do a quick set up, shoot, and take off pretty quickly.

Two nights ago was probably the biggest challenge, because we had to build a set in my garage to mimic a location that we can't shoot in. I think it turned out okay, but will involve a little work in post.

Tonight will involve a few simple shots of a computer screen with text moving across it, and the we just have two more nights of shooting, with Friday looking to be somewhat technically complicated since it will involve small children and a wayward balloon that we are trying to set up to follow a specific path (fishing line to the rescue)...all for a quick 2 second shot.

I'm doing all the editing on Saturday. If we did all the shoots correctly, it should be a pretty quick edit.

-Jon

Nothing at all! :(

I thought I was going to have some help this time with a group of new friends, but it turns out that they will be in CA the whole time diving and shooting sharks! So, it's just me again and I'm as tired of shooting myself as everyone else is of seeing me.

Mike

Things are moving along for me. Got the script written (and rewritten once), half the cast is cast, location secured. Currently working on storyboards and trying to find second cast member.

Scheduled to shoot saturday night. Unfortunately, that is the earliest time available because I have to wait for everyone to have time and also work around the schedule of the location. But, with all the preproduction I'm doing, it should be a quick edit.

Half an idea, and a schedule with the neighbors to meet in the morning. But at least I have a New York minute to do it in!

My script is written. I've got a rough sketch done on the story boards. Half of my two person script is cast [can't find a lead to save my life]. Locations are secured. I plan on one short shooting session tomorrow night after dinner if I can find a lead. But no lead = no short.

The editing should be straight forward, I'm not worried about that. Aside from the casting of the lead, my only worry is about using my interview lighting kit for this narrative. It'll be my first time lighting for a narrative production.

Maybe the stars will align... and not just to get my name on the wall of shame...

Good luck to all...

What's a lighting kit?


Haha, just kidding. I wish I had one though.

I'm seriously starting to wonder.

Everybody else is talking about scripts, crews, locations, yada, yada...

It's just me and my camera. What have I gotten myself into? Damn. :(

Stacy

Sometimes, that's all you need. I depends on what type of end product you are trying to create, and using the right tools to achieve the look and sound that you are striving for. For our crew, we have been using the DVCs to force us to hone our skills from lighting, sound, scripting....the whole package...and to complete the entire production in both the most effective, and most efficient way possible.

Case in point: For the first challenge, we came up with a basic idea, and immediately went out and started shooting. We ended up with awkward acting, forced scenes, and a generally cheesy look. Despite more effort than we should have put in to trying to 'fix it in post', we weren't too happy with it.

For the second challenge, we wanted to focus on a better look, so we spent most of time on sets, locations, props and framing, but the story and acting were not very strong.

For our third entry, we really wanted to tighten up on pre-production by putting alot of effort into a good storyboard. It turned out to be a fairly complicated and lengthy shot list, so a detailed storyboard was really a lifesaver. It helped to make shooting and editing a breeze. Unfortunately, we overcomplicated the story a little bit, and went way overtime in the rough cut, so alot of it had to get cut out to shorten the movie, making the storyline suffer from a viewers perspective. Not to mention that the audio was only half-decent and the lighting was lousy.

For this go-round, we are not too thrilled about the story, but we are trying to cover the rest of the bases so that at least the the entire production process is streamlined, effective, and at produces a technically proficient end result. It seems odd that I spent about 4 hours on Monday evening building a little set piece in my garage for a shot that will last about 10 seconds of screen time, but hopefully the effort will be worth it after I see the final edit on Saturday.

-Jon

Newbie McNewb!!!!
 

This is My first Short Film ever so I am struggling with everything but i am happy with my idea and my actors are great! My biggest issue is lighting!!! I hate lighting!! I need ideas on how to light better! I can't seem to get rid of shadows on walls behind my talent!

Good news is I am shooting with the sony HVR-V1U and I love it!!!!

anyone else?

Trust me...your not alone.... :)

Bob

To get rid of those shadows behind your subjects, you can do one or more of the following:

1. Move your subject further away from the wall
2. Raise your light up and angle it down (the one I use most often)
3. Diffuse your light more (won't get rid of the shadow, but it will soften it greatly)
4. Move the light more to one side
5. light the wall separately (will help, but won't get rid of the shadow completely)

HTH...

Got to admit, I may be wall of shame. Shot a Heinz competition commercial instead of tending to DVChallenge business. I could use the $57,000 prize, you know....

see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLw2EAmEbUc



and this week I am doing a 48 Hour Project film......If I don't squeeze it in tonight, I'm to the wall of shame, I think...

Well, let’s see…there’s the script I wrote in the Denver airport bar ‘n grill, complete with shot list (for a change) that I can’t shoot because the lead character decided it might offend the others in the movie. It’s a long story, but I’m ticked cuz I thought it was kind of funny, and it was all ready to go.

Then there’s the concept Mason thought up yesterday, let me flesh out, then told me today that he’s busy every blessed night this week.

So, along with some of the rest of you, I’ve got nothin’ right now.

You should go watch my first two submissions. If I can do it, you can do it. :)



Anyway, my DVC9 short is in the can!

I'm feeling pretty good right now, but I might change my mind when I try to finish up over the weekend. The visuals are done, and it actually holds together pretty well silent so that's good. The couple of lines of dialog have been recorded. I'm sure I have or can find the right sound effects. What I'm most worried about is music. The kids wanted to do an adventure movie so at the end of the weekend when I asked them to pull out their instruments (which they'd brought up to the lake) and jam on an adventure riff they suddenly went all teenage insecure on me. "We can't do that, we don't have the right computer stuff here." I brought mics, just play and I'll record you. "We can't play together." What? "We don't know what to play, Dad always tells us what to do." After 10 years each of formal lessons can you not just jam? Apparently not. So now I've got to find some, or take some loops and make some. But I'm not the musician in the family so I'm a little afraid I'm going to take the fun little movie they wrote and performed and wreck it with bad music. Oh well. It was still a blast making it with them.

I Got It!
 

So, I'm lying on the couch last night at midnight and all of a sudden an idea hits me! One I may be able to do! I get dressed again and head out the door to try and procure a certain location and some help. I get the location and some of the help I need and I'm promised more! Now I'm back home at one in the morning and I can't sleep! Oh well, I'll sleep afterward.

Eureka, I may get one done this time!

Mike

Sigh... If I get this done it will be a one man show. Too much going on this week. I'll do my best to stay off the wall...

Good luck to everyone!

Mike

Yesterday was another 'wash' for me. I had gotten no sleep the night before, and went to sleep just after we finally got home, but the day lasted a touch longer than usual through no fault of my own. I'll explain in a copy and paste of my website's front page. All photos and videos (some of you will recognize a frequent member of my casts narrating these) are left at original size and compression for full effect, so if you don't want to grab all this stuff, the bottom line is there was an EF 2 somewhere in Brooklyn, and we caught the outskirts of it in Queens.

On the way into Brooklyn in the morning, my dad and I noticed some heavy rain on the LIE. Harmless enough, and it looked pretty damned cool rainin' sideways.

Eventually, after reaching a dead stop near the 188th Street overpass (saw a CBS van go past up on the service road, then later saw some shots of this very flood on the five o'clock news), and heading back up the on ramp to the service road, we reached the root of the problem. I think the owner might need new upholstery.

Of course, some people had no trouble at all, and just rolled right on through.

There was also a video of the ride in, with all sorts of rain and oddly silent lightning, but at five and a half minutes and over seventy megabytes, I don't think anyone'd be interested.

So yeah, my day was dragged out a bit; got to the traffic jam at six thirty, arrived at our location in Brooklyn just before ten. Jamaica, Hillside, all the avenues were clogged, the Van Wyck was backed up like you wouldn't believe. Some locations saw hundreds of people standing in the streets, waiting for buses since most of the subways were out of commission. Seems to be a slight drainage problem in the area.

I should still be able to shoot this movie, though, so no worries on my mind. Just wanted an excuse to show off my purdy pitchers.

How's it going? HOW'S it GOING?
 

Until today, not very well.

I don't even have the first thing done. I had two ideas, so I thought I was ready to go, but all of sudden, all of my "talent" decided they couldn't help, so I had to do something else.

I was feeling like it wouldn't happen, but then I came up with an idea last night. So a quick rush to see if I could put it together; and, we are going to film this afternoon! What a relief.

Now, I just need to find enough time for all the things I want to do in post!

I am looking forward to all the videos.

Good luck to all.

Thought I was done
 

Shot and edited the whole thing, but my cast decided the pathos ending I had didn't fit the mood of the piece, and now I have to reedit the ending to make it fit with the comedic mood of the rest of the film.

Plus, I was going to record original music, but this is my weekend with the kids so maybe I'll just let them bang some pots and pans around and use that.
The pots and pans would have worked with the pathos ending.

I got Diddly. Oh...and Squat is here too.

Where is this Heinz comp going on at? Is it too late to enter? I could use that money for back surgery!!!!



Dylan,

I have something shot and done, everyone LOVES it. The only problem, I need to get legal clearance to use the theme from 2001 Space Oddessy, otherwise it loses 90% of its value.... fun. So either we'll shoot something else or maybe just submit a pre-disqualified piece for the heck of it. If anyone has any suggestions on how I could obtain the rights without more than 3 digit$ to the left of the decimal that would be great.

Hey Bruce, we could both drive half-way to each other's city and "meet" in the middle, filming stuff going on along the way, LOL....

Richard Wagner's "Also Sprach Zarathustra" is public domain. Any commercial recordings of it are not. You can do your own recording of it - on kazoo if need be, or all your friends singing "Dum... Dum... Duh-Dummmmm" etc.

That is exactly what I wanted to hear as I have a recording studio two streets away and access to a full piece band and engineer!!!! WOOHOOOOO!!!!


thanks!

Even if it wasn't public domain, perhaps there is a family relation there that you could use? You're Great Great Great Great Grandpa's name isn't Richard by any chance?

LOL, i was thinking about the irony in that as well. Just happen to have my ex-bass player from my band days now working on reconstructing the song, with a little of his flavor added. He lives three streets away and after seeing the footage probably won't sleep for two days. He pretty much has a full blown recording studio in his house, sound room, software, guitar, drums, many bass, mics, and a 24 track mixer I believe.

This is SO cool because I just by chance threw that 2001 Space...audio track on some of the raw footage and we died laughing.

You can purchase a commercial copy for use in your project that sounds pretty good for $29 at sounddogs.com. Go to sounddogs.com and search for Zarathustra.

Bill
(sadly watching from the sidelines while on vacation in Santa Barbara)

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's feeling very sorry for you! :)

Mike

Status
 

Done. It was fun. Can't wait to see everyone else's.

Thanks William it is VERY good to know that if my sound man doesn't come through, $29 will CMA.

Could Be Close!
 

Well, I have my location and a helper. Start shooting about 2:00am Sunday, if everyone can stay awake!!! Nothing like starting the shooting 22 hours before the film is due.

Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that we all make it to the shoot. We have auditions for another full length film early Saturday morning in West Palm Beach, that will last all day. We all will be tired at two in the morning.

Mike

Thats pretty funny! I guess it would satisfy the requirement, a desert meeting.

Finished principle photography last night. The shoot ran long, but I'm getting started on the editing as we speak (as I type?). Hope it goes well, I'll have to buy some royalty free music to make the mood complete, but what the heck... at least I had fun shooting it and got to meet some nice people that helped out.

Best of luck to all...

Anybody have any idea how open grocery stores are to letting you film inside?

Good news and bad news. The bad news is, I will be on the wall of shame this time. The good news is, my idea for this contest took off into a very large film project. I would not have it finished before the deadline and it's way over the time limit so it's disqualified. But still, I'm making something at least!

To my mind that alone means you win.
:-)

In my neck of the woods - they will toss you out as soon as you pull out a cam, even if it's just a small consumer cam. Of course, you could always try it guerrilla style and see what you get.