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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Including myself. I have a career in video but I need to earn money and pay bills. I still take on small creative projects but no feature films. I had a small interest but listening to Ryan's struggles eliminated all desire to make one without any regrets. Not that I don't think I could make a small short for a film festival, I just don't feel the need to put myself through the wringer. I have a better understanding of the process where as it used to be shrouded in mystery and appealing in that respect. Ryan to me represents the extreme of recklessly and doggedly pursing something despite lacking the aptitude. But I'm frequently pleasantly surprised by the creativity and great work by other small "unprofessional" film makers. There's never been a time that you could do so much with so little. A golden age of amateur video.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Well I am trying to develop my aptitude further as best I can, hoping that will help.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
You know what the best way to do that would be? GO OUT AND MAKE MORE SHORT FILMS, ANY POSSIBLE WAY YOU CAN.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Oh well it's just that I feel they will turn out the same way, and with bad acting and bad cinematography, if they are no budget, with hardly any money spent on them though. So will they improve if I do not have more actors or a new DP to choose from? I was advised by other filmmakers not to bother if I cannot get better actors or better cinematography, if they have a point?
It's just I thought it would be better to save up more money for it, and wait for covid to be over more, so actors a people will want to make it more. |
Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Surely a good small budget movie would work better for you than a big budget flop?
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Oh are you saying I should make it a zero budget pretty much?
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
You could spend a bit more on your short films, so that the quality improves. However, even with that, you may still be stuck in a cycle.
The problems you have on your short films are going to increase by an order of magnitude on a feature film. Currently, from the questions you keep asking here and on other forums. you don't seem to have yet grasped many of the basic skills and the judgment required to make a no/low budget feature. |
Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Oh okay, well I thought that having more actors to choose from and more DPs to choose from would make it better. Even in the casting calls, I need more options I think before I can do something better, or at least that is what I feel.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Where did I suggest otherwise? Allowing some budget on a short for actors will increase the options..
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Oh I just meant I am not sure how to solve the problems I am having if they are going to increase in magnitude, other than by hiring more people, and having more options. I thought that my problems would reduce on a feature if I did that as well.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
The problems only increase, to believe otherwise is naive.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Oh okay, because I thought that on the last short film I had less problems, and things went along smoother than before. There were still things that went wrong of course, but I felt it was easier than before and things were more organized, based on new approaches. Things will get harder with as the challenges get bigger, but I thought that was normal.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Yes, but you're still a long way from having the skills needed for making an acceptable feature films, especially on an extremely low budget.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
But that is where I thought having more actors to choose from and a better DP would help out with that, especially since I was told it was the acting and cinematography that were my biggest issues.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Your biggest issue appears to be a lack of judgment in how to put together the elements involved in making a film. Casting actors correctly for the roles is just one part of the jigsaw that needs to be put together,
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Oh okay thanks. Well I will try to do the best I can judgment wise, I just thought that getting more acting options would severly help since that is what most of my critiques were from others.
However, at the end of the day, don't you still do your best and hope for the best when making a movie and that is all you can do, or no? |
Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
In the end, you do and no one is stopping you.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Well if the problem is me, then perhaps I do not need a different DP and actors, and I just need to direct the actors I have and the DP I have better, in order to get top notch performances, and better cinematography out of them, if that's the problem?
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
No one's stopping you from doing so, but that doesn't mean that people think that you're going about things in the best way.
Part of the job is selecting the right people for the roles and knowing if the people have currently cast have the talent to manage "top notch performances". Although, I suspect they're capable of doing better than they've been doing in your current films. |
Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Oh okay. Well what I could do is set my standards higher if that helps. Even before when I made other shorts, I thought to myself in the auditions, "well this actor doesn't seem right but I will just cast anyway and hope for the best in order to get footage in the cast",
But maybe I should have higher standards and should not cast, unless my instincts are higher than that? |
Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
How good the acting will be is decided at the casting stage. If you feel that an actor isn't right for a part don't cast them, it's not personal.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
The trouble is that you are unable to spot potential, and nurture it because acting is not one of your skills. You have a poor pool of locals and then cast them bizarrely. If your instinct says don't cast this person, then that's the decision made. If you determine they are not good enough, then including them dilutes the product as a whole. What is the point of auditioning if you have to cast them anyway? Just give them the role and stop pretending to do real auditions.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Indeed, you need to have a choice if you're doing effective auditions.
With one film I was extremely lucky with my casting, even though there wasn't really any choice other than who was going to play which part. On the other films we spent days going through the auditions. I probably met most of the local professional actors along the way. |
Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
I daren't post this on social media where my friends might read it but the current series of Britains Got Talent rather highlights the problem. The majority of acts were mediocre, I thought, and some of the judges were clearly voting with an agenda. Then at the very end, after the winners were announced they had Cameron Macintosh's professionals - most of whom had not rehearsed together before a few days before the show, brought together for an amazing finale - and these professionals, many of whom the general public would not even recognise wiped out the contestants with their sheer ability and professionalism - a huge chasm in the talent spectrum. The weakest of the professionals making the best of the newcomers look very, very lacking. It just showed how poor some people are, and how they 'think' they're good.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
I imagine only a handful of people want to be in his movies. So when he says auditions, I doubt they resemble anything we would expect. I don’t think he has the luxury to be too picky. It’s painful reading him struggle through every conceivable phase of making a movie. One intractable problem after another.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Well before I would pick whoever I could just to get footage in the can. So I went against my instincts before to get a short film made.
But I can not cast if they do not feel right now, and keep looking then, for people who fit the parts more so. |
Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Pre-production is just as important as shooting a film, be it a short or a feature film. It usually involves a lot more time than the shooting days.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Yep that makes sense. I usually have to rush pre-production because someone is only available for a certain amount of time, or a location is... Unless I should cast before looking for locations? I feel if I do that, then everyone has to wait for who knows how long of amount of time before I can find locations then.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Spend time doing both, no wonder you end up with problems. Are the actors going to live in a different country?
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
No they won't live in a different country. Why?
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Why does changing location change the actors? If you can travel to the locations so can the actors unless they live ridiculously far away. You are planning these things really, really strangely. If you decide to feature a castle in your screenplay and you don't have a castle, don't try to mock up something you hope will look like its in a castle unless you really can afford to build it. In your strange way of doing things, I'd suggest getting the sets sorted before you even put pen to paper. All your problems seem to emerge from not having things. Not having the locations, not having the actors and not having the right crew and technical support. You spend all your time fighting fires that should never have happened with proper planning. If you have a local castle, that the owner says you can use, write a movie set in the castle. Do not include a scene set in an underground cave if you don't have one.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
I didn't say that changing the location changes the actors, did I? Unless I mislead you, or what did you think I meant?
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Oh sorry, what I meant was, is that they are only available until their job gets busier season wise, or they have other acting projects coming up. I have to find locations before their other commitments up, if I cast them before I have found locations I meant. I didn't mean to imply that I would be moving.
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
I never suggested you would be moving.
January and February is a good time for shooting low budget films because the rental kit is mostly available and the cast and crew are in the slack season. |
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Re: Do I tend to overthink things in filmmaking?
Kinda true. I’ll make the popcorn.
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