Movie Production Forum

[Glenn Gipson]

Is it a good idea? I see that there is a forum for Wedding/Event Videograpghers, but none for Movie Makers. I would guess that a large percentage of the members here at least dabble in Movie Production, while a tiny few (like myself) are professionally committed to it. Just an idea...

[K. Forman]

I think it would be a great place for all of those production questions. It seems that there are almost as many film makers here, as there are wedding videographers.

[Josh Bass]

I thought the whole site was a movie production forum. :-)

[Ken Tanaka]

Chris is a sucker for logic and he considers all such propositions for new sections. Several of our existing sections were the genesis of such propositions.

But you need to bake that tater a little longer. Josh is basically right; the topical focus of most of the forum's sections came about because folks needed more specific discussion venues from aggregated areas. The wedding section may seem like an aggregated area but it's anything but. It's highly specialized for topics unique to wedding and event coverage issues.

"Movie production" encompasses a wide variety of specialized subjects, from cameras to lighting to legal issues. All of these subjects would seem to be well covered here.

So, as Chris needs to populate a new forum with existing threads, give us some links to current threads that you believe would be better served in such a "movie production" section.

[Josh Bass]

I wasn't trying to be snarky. I just remember that when I found the site, it was all about indie filmmaking, much of it focused on the XL1s. The event/wedding/depo stuff came later, it seems. I could be wrong.

[Glenn Gipson]

<<<--
So, as Chris needs to populate a new forum with existing threads, give us some links to current threads that you believe would be better served in such a "movie production" section. -->>>

I would say that the threads are there, you just have to type in a phrases like "Movie Production," or "Directing" in the search tool. I would bet you that there are more then a hundred threads that mostly pertain to the craft of movie production, but I don't have enough time to dig them all out.

[Chris Hurd]

Yeah, Glenn, like *I* have the time to dig them out! Just kidding, heh.

Anything is possible here at DV Info -- many of our boards came into being as a result of direct requests from members. I would have to ask, how would you define a movie production forum. Not only what would go into it, but what would not.

We already have camera-specific boards for camera-specific questions, and we have a "Film Look with DV" board, a "Helping Hands" board for seeking out crew members and productions, and so on. So if we boil it down to the specific topic of "independent film production" as in, not film per se, but narrative story-telling for entertainment purposes, as opposed to, say, wedding and event video techniques), what exactly would fall into that category? I'll need some examples of what we'd discuss there, keeping in mind that we already have dedicated boards for tripods, cranes, audio, lighting, P+S Mini35 adapters, and so on. I need some enlightenment.

[Christopher C. Murphy]

I'd be hugely into an "Independent Film Production" forum.

We could discuss "pre", "pro" and "post" - everything and anything. To get specific.....story ideas, storyboards, crew roles and objectives, screenwriting tips, audio/video issues related to SCRIPTED material, HDV production in relation to indie film (because it's so damn hot), get lots of colleague encouragement regarding our specific films....also, archives of important running topics of each others films.

The biggest benefit I see? Having a dedicated thread (within a new "Independent Film Production" forum) of your film.

I'd love to start a discussion about my latest film and see the thread grow. We have threads here that go for months (years!) about a piece of equipment. What about actually film projects!

That's my 2 cents..

Murph

[Glenn Gipson]

The forum could discuss any or all of the following topics:

1. Script Writing
2. Casting
3. Budgeting
4. Directing the Actor
5. Directing the Camera
6. Producing
7. Gripping
8. Art Direction
9. Editing for Motion Pictures
10. Catering
11. Crew & Cast Relations
12. The Motion Picture Market
13. Sharing Financing approaches
14. Sharing Market experience
15. The state of the Movie Industry

But like you said, it would probably be best to see how many people chime in on wanting such a forum via this thread.

[Pete Bauer]

If it is practical to do, I'd be happy to see an Indie Filmmaker's forum. But it probably isn't really ESSENTIAL, either.

While I do think that Josh's comment, "I thought the whole site was a movie production forum" is fair, if you change that to "indie movie production" then it wouldn't be. There are so many other ways to make use of DV; wedding/event video is the one (so far) that has risen to the level of earning its own place in the Special Interests area. FWIW, making an "indie film" never even crossed my mind until I started seeing some scattered posts here on DVinfo. Yet now that it is on my To Do list, I am finding it difficult to find very much solid information on the subject...it is a bit scattered through the various existing areas rather than being a topic unto itself.

Then again, if people are really interested in a topic such as making indie films, there's nothing to stop them from posting a question in the most appropriate existing forum. I've done that a couple times and gotten some good information back from helpful folks. It simply requires a little more "digging and searching." Just my 2 cents.

[Chris Hurd]

Thanks for the insight, Pete.

I'm confident that we can come up with a good number of existing threads to kick off such a board. My only real reservation concerns cross-posting. We've had to endure an onslaught of them recently. Somebody new may come in, they've got a DVX and they're in pre-pro for their little indie. Do they post on the DVX board, the Film Look board or the Movie Production board? All depends on what they're asking, I guess.

Now let me ask you guys this question: what would you call this new forum? I'm resisting "movie" because well, doesn't it sound kind of cheesy? And it definitely isn't "film" when you get right down to it, although it's well known around here that in the past I've gone on record stating that the term "filmmaking" applies even if you're using a camcorder and even if you're not transferring the project to film.

"Narrative Storytelling" might be a bit too clinical. And a production may not actually be "Independent." So I'm open to ideas. Matter of fact, somebody should wake up Chas and get him in on this! Truth is he's probably busy on set somewhere right now.

[Joshua Provost]

Not to be too highbrow, but I think the difference between a movie and film is the approach and intent, whether it is primarily an artistic endeavor, or a commercial one. Emphasis on primarily, since almost all Hollywood movies are commerical endeavors, but some are better than others. Example: Batman, film; Batman Forever, movie. Both shot on film, though I would hesitate to refer to the latter as a film.

One of my favorite lines is from Bowfinger: "We're making a movie here, not a film!"

I just realized I have contributed nothing to advancing this thread, sorry. :)

[Chris Hurd]

Actually Joshua you just gave me an idea. What if we called it "Digital Cinema." I wonder if that term would step on anybody's toes.

[Glenn Gipson]

<<<-- Originally posted by Chris Hurd : Actually Joshua you just gave me an idea. What if we called it "Digital Cinema." I wonder if that term would step on anybody's toes. -->>>

Perfect. I also think that Indie Film production can encompass documentary as well, and I don't think that should be the focus of the forum. Another option is simply calling it "Digital Movie Production," but Digital Cinema is definately more classy.

[Pete Bauer]

Brilliant! One vote in favor.