Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Do you read novels? If so, who are your favourite authors? It's always been an interest of mine to take a novel I know really well and then compare it to the abridged audio book to see what the editors removed, or changed.

The trick of keeping the plot running yet removing the padding. The same thing is applied to movie scripts and that's where the skill comes in telling the story quicker.

You say you've been told the first act is too long? Too long as in it's difficult to follow, or too boring, or pointless or what? The length of a section needs to be sufficient to tell the story. If that means it has to be long, that's not a problem. The minute the viewer starts to drift into watching the scenery or seeing what is happening on their phone .... it's too long. There's no real rule that cannot be broken for a purpose.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Oh okay. I don't read a lot of books, but I read scripts and watch movies, to try to study movie structure more.

I was told too long, but I am not sure which of those to. It was on here before. It was said that I introduce too many plot points too soon, but also that I leave the audience hanging because the frist act seems too long. So both, I guess?

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

It's worth reading the books, they give other people's take on things and they have probably have thought about it in greater depth than you have.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Sure. I read some of Save the Cat before, but I could not write a story in that style, compared to The Anatomy of Story. I can try others.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

I suspect the more you read, the more your questions may have some answers, Although, you will need to write more scripts in order to improve and learn that not every script will make it as a film.

In reality, the majority will not get made as films and that includes some that are way better than ones that have been..

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Sure, I can write more scripts. Other filmmakers and actors I have worked with before tell me that the one script I wrote that is a submarine adventure is the best one. I wrote it more for practive, but was told I should make that one. But feel that it's too big of a challenge, compared to this one, which can be made for the lowest amount of money compared to other features I wrote.

But people say the submarine is better and keep pressing for that one.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

The best bit is that there are real submarines available for hire that work, from the point of lights flashing periscopes moving and levers that turn. They thrive on the story, the acting and the feel. Nowadays with DSLRs, stabilisers and LED lighting, the old problems with technicals are much less trouble.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

The current thriller doesn't seem to be that cheap, with trucks rolling over and various other things.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Well the truck rolling over plus the characters getting shot are just a couple of scenes really, where as for the submarine one, the submarine drives the whole plot pretty much.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Once you've built your submarine set, it would be there for the entire shoot. The costs would depend on how good you are at DIY and getting material at an extremely low cost.

"Dark Star" started out as a student film.They were using film, which you aren't.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

That's true. Another thing is is that the actors will have to have accents since it's dealing with a Russian nuclear missile submarine, or a nuclear missile submarine of some nation... But they will have to take on accents though, and wonder if that will be challenging, compared to the other script, which can be set where I am located.

But maybe accents are easier than I think.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Well, Sean Connery played a very decent Russian sub Captain and his Russian accents was abysmal - in fact, he only really had one accent for every movie he did.


Seriously though, much depends on the calibre of actor you intend to employ, but the usual technique with certain accents is to produce what the audience expect. Us Brits find the American range of accents quite confusing - We sort of have an angle on east vs west coast, and the southern accents, but the extreme ones we find problematic. US actors make us smile as they have the same trouble with British accents, and generate completely terrible ones, by and large. Some actors however are really good. I discovered one actress I thought was English is an American, and then the Americans had Hugh Laurie and many didn't realise he was a Brit.

The traditionally trained actors have lessons in language and accents. Your actors may or may not be able to pull it off, with accuracy and consistency. Exactly the same accent doesn't matter they just have to sound realistic.

Beware though - if your acting people are not up to it, the accents could become the thing people will hone in on - somebody struggling can easily become comedic and you don't want that.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

In my opinion you have the wrong approach to film making. By that I mean you are trying to emulate feature films despite not having any of the resources. The advantage of small indie films and shorts they can be more personal and explore smaller ideas. Where as big budget films need to be a certain length, meet standards and expectations to satisfy the audience. For example, I recently saw a short that made a satire of 1917 set in today's pandemic. The set included an apartment scene and the rest took place on the streets. There were only 2 main actors, and a few supporting, and some extras. Where as you would try to copy the movie 1917 and do it poorly, they limited the scope to match their resources.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

If theres one thing ive learned from two years of Ryan threads its that hes gonna do what he wants and small scale personal/indie films are not his bag, baby.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

You're right, but I can't help state the obvious.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Well I wanted to make the lower budget script but other people I know said they would rather be part of the submarine one, or were more excited for it. So I thought it was other people who were wanting me to go for a higher budget.

I feel that the the one I was already developing and doing some pre-production on, is a personal and a more smaller idea to explore in comparison.

Also, when it comes to taking advice from others on my writing, I got some feedback and was curious about something.. A lot of times if there is a plot hole according to other people, I will ask other writers and filmmakers, if they have any ideas on how to fix it and their advice is to always add a new character. 9 times out of 10, the advice is to add a new character to bridge any gaps in the plot. But I don't like adding new characters, especially if I were to do it as often as they say, then I would have way too many characters. So I feel that this 9 times out of 10 advice of adding a new character each time to solve the problem is not good advice? Or am I wrong, and adding new characters to bridge any gaps in the plot is pretty much writing 101?

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

What a thread. We've now gone all the way from "blue sunlight" to "deep in the blue ocean."

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Out of the "blue" he switched over to a submarine movie and back. Maybe he should combine the two scripts. "Spit on Das Boot"

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Adding new characters doesn't always cover holes in the plot or story, quite a few films have holes if you stop and think about them. It's how you handle them with a slight of hand that covers them, so the audience don;'t notice them. Solving them may need the writer to do some thinking and may involve going back and rethinking their set ups.

An amusing thing about the time of the USSR was that a number of Russians would speak English with a North American accent.

Sometimes, I get the feeling that your film making friends like winding you up.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

then that would be very cruel of those “friends”.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Yeah most movies I have seen have holes and the movies were still successes, no one seems to care, but for maybe beta readers are more picky about them because the are looking compared to most viewers?

Oh well the submarine script would be set in modern times and not the former USSR I don't think, if that makes any difference.

But for the current script I was wanting to do as well, which I think would still cost less, it was said before on here, that I am trying to emulate movies that are too big budget.

What microbudget movies should I try to be inspired by more, in the crime thriller genre then, if anyone has any ideas on that?

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Do the Russians still have an operating submarine fleet?

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

The submarine used in the plot is older, but the plot is still set in modern times.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Here are some low budget examples: https://screenrant.com/low-budget-th...-blockbusters/

https://www.raindance.org/25-low-bud...nched-careers/

Although, most have a bigger budget than yours, especially if you allow for inflation.

Regarding Russian subs:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/hisutto...h=33e39c807a6e

https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/se...submarine-show

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Oh okay thanks. I've seen two of the movies but I can chek out the rest. Well normally in a crime thriller there is going to be physical altercations between the characters, if you want someone to get killed especially, so would something like these be do-able on a low budget, if it made sense to the plot to have them:



There are also scenes of people being shot though, since cops bring guns to arrests of course, so would something like this be do-able, with today's low bduget effects:


I don't want to go for anything too flashy or over the top but develop the characters through the violence, that drives the plot if that makes sense.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

You want to drive the story, not the plot.

The needs of the characters will drive the story, to meet their need some characters will use violence.

Physical altercations are doable on a low budget, rolling trucks are less so, unless you've got connections and old trucks.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Oh okay thanks. Well I was thinking for the truck, we just shoot it with a green screen behind the truck, and we just flip it in post and have the actors climb out of it, as if it was flipped over, when it's actually right side up during shooting. But this would just be a bonus and I do not have to have this, but still wanted to try and experiment to see if it would work.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

The truck was discussed earlier, if you're shooting on a tight schedule, you could easily spend a couple of hours getting one shot.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Would this just look totally unrealistic. I’m not sure I could make this look real. So many problems. Hair, loose items etc. Sounds like a nightmare and time consuming and equipment heavy

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Reminds me of the SNL Toonces the cat skit. Features stock footage that 70s movies were so fond of the car driving off a cliff into a canyon.

Speaking of doing things you shouldn’t. What ever happened to recording the gun shots? You spent months planning and talking about it. Did you ever do it?

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Well perhaps if I do the effect I can show them start to climb out of the truck, but then cut away quickly, so the audience just got the idea that they got out and escaped. The characters are wearing hood masks though, since they are in the commission of crimes, and do not want to be recognized. So loose hair may not be a problem therefore.

Yes I did record the gunshots.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

So what were the results? I assume they didn’t sound like what you hear in movies and would have been better off buying professionally recorded sound effects. I think that was the consensus in that thread.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Yeah they didn't sound the best, but it was still a good sound recording learning experience. Some movies do use the live gun shots, like I read Heat (1995) did, so I guess the live recordings are preferred sometimes then, if that's the case?

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

I don't know why you put in the "if that's the case" question. There is reasoning behind using live audio in "Heat" because of the building's reverberation etc so it was probably recorded in stereo. They were also using assault rifles which are puncher than pistols.


What works in "Heat" may not work in your film because you don't have the resources. However, there lots of times in documentaries and news where live gunshots are recorded. It depends on what you want, bearing in mind that most feature films replace the live shots and that seems to drive you more than anything.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Oh okay. I can use sound effects. As for recording in stereo, why does that make a difference, if the mics are right next to each other? Don't the mics need to be significantly further apart for stereo to be effective?

I was also wondering in my script, it said before that I reveal too many plot points too fast. I was wondering, how long should I wait in between plot points before revealing the next one, if there is a good guideline for that?

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Stereo recording is a subject that allows a listener to close their eyes and perceive a stereo field. As in you can point to where something is with varying degrees of accuracy. Your brain is able to determine two functions. Differences in level between left and right and differences in time. There are broadly two different techniques, but hundreds of subtle differences. A/B where microphones are spaced, so there is time and level differences between what they capture and X/Ywhere the microphone capsules are as close as possible and the only differences are in level, not time. The right technique for a given circumstance sounds real, but the wrong one sounds wrong and your brain views the scene and the sound and they fight. TV and movies usual cheat and recreate stereo field to suit the bigger screen and home viewing setups, hence why voice centre effects in stereo has become the norm.

It is usual to use coincident techniques not spaced, because you have more versatility and mono compatibility hence why X/Y and M/S are more common. Gunshots being impulse sounds respond badly to spaced microphones.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

Oh okay. Should I record everything in stereo then, including the actors' dialogue?

But if two mics are both pointed at the same thing, such as the muzzle of the gun to record the gunshot, then most people cannot tell the difference if the mics are right next to each other, when pointed at the same source, right?

But right now I have two boom mics, but they are both mono. Should I trade them in for stereo condenser mics?

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

No, you record the actors in mono. Any stereoscopic positioning will be created in post, although dialogue is commonly keep cental.

Stereo recording is usually only used for at atmosphere tracks. Effects are recorded in mono.

M/ S..is the usual method used by sound recordists. https://www.soundonsound.com/techniq...ides-recording. In this case, the stereo part would come from the reverberation from the surrounding buildings, not the gunshots themselves. I imagine there was work done in post if they were going for that effect, since M/S offers flexibility. That will give them both the mono and stereo information.

You should read up on that, you'll need an additional mic for the side and a windshield for the double mic arrangement.

On one of my shorts we recorded a PA system in the middle of some buildings in order to catch the echos. The actor's voice was prerecorded and was feed into the PA speaker..

This is going over old ground, it was discussed in another thread. Reading some of the books on film sound recording techniques wouldn't go amiss and would act as a reference.

You still seem to be confusing plot with story, they;re different. Using set ups earlier will prepare the audience for the reveals, You seem you be looking for rules again, it depends on your characters and the actions they take that will create the reveals. Look at the first three Bourne films for reveals and how Bourne's need drives the three films.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

You really need to actually read people's posts. It seems you just cheery pick little bits of posts and remember a few facts and totally discount everything else. Recording dialogue is totally different to recording the sound of spaces. With speaking, the mic does not want to capture the background, so it follows the actors, but when you are recording BIG spaces, like maybe a shopping mall - the mic is FIXED and records the wide stereo field. On a football field, the same thing applies - a fixed stereo field, however, if you wanted to record a motorcycle entering right at speed, leaving the area left, you have a decision to make. You can record the motorcycle with a closer perspective, following it with a directed shotgun in mono, or you record the stereo image with the fixed pair of mics in X/Y or M/S. It's easy to pan mono right to left, but the fixed mics will also capture the doppler shift, making that more realistic.

Re: How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?
 

I mean, you guys remember there was a whole other thread that went on for pages about this?