Shooting Troubles

As I was shooting the first part of my 2 minute film opening, I made sure that I shot all of the outside scenes in one good, sunny day.

I already have all of part 1 shot already, and I just need to make sure that when I film part 2 I'll be able to shoot it at around the same time because there has to be fluidity and continuity.

Here is a sample of what I shot today:

Shooting the Beginning Scenes

I've made up my mind completely about which film I will be creating. 

It will be a psychological thriller.

It is called  "Control"

PLOT FOR PART ONE: The film starts out with a set of serene and calm shots of the outside of a house, and the backyard. Birds chirp casually, the palm trees rustle in the wind. A couple of dead insects are swimming around lazily in the pool. The hot, blazing aspect of the environment surrounding the house evokes the stillness of the cool atmosphere inside the house. Suddenly, faint gunshots and shouts begin to be heard. They get slightly louder as they are juxtaposed with the calmness of the outside sounds. The scene blacks out suddenly as the gunshots halt, then they begin once again but this time they are louder and more surprising .The shots turn darker and darker as the camera makes its way through the house, up the stairs. As the progression of the camera continues through the house, the shots become very loud. As the camera makes its way into the upper floor, there is another pause as the screen goes dark again. Another surprising and loud shot is heard as the scene changes again and a somber and dark door is presented.

"Funny Is Money"

I've been trying to gather and put together a cast that will be effective in either type of movie that I wish to create.

As I posted before, I was looking into the genre of a psychological thriller film because it seems very enticing and I believe is interesting and cool to make; however, as I'm slowly building up the cast and looking for possible settings, I couldn't help but think about a very different, yet equally interesting genre that could work well: comedy.

I'm officially torn between the two movie types. 

There are many reasons why I would want to create a comedic film, mostly because it is my favorite type of movie. Happiness is a great emotion to feel, and the laughter evoked from these types of movies makes the audience feel good. A successful funny movie is something that not only will catch on and bring more attention; it will eventually stick with them and become the go-to movie to watch anytime for some good laughs. It is entertaining!

I searched the web again once again and found a useful article regarding "The 4 Rules of Comedy". 

These rules are great and short to the point, so here they are: 

1. Just because you can say funny things doesn't mean you can write funny things.

2. A strong story without a lot of laughs is preferable to a weak story with three jokes per page.

3. Two heads are better than one.

4. Find your genre. 

Overall this article was very, very great. Not only was it personable and fun, but it allowed me to see the do's and don'ts of comedic screenplay. I'm definitely liking the idea of a comedy a lot more now.

What makes up a psychological thriller?

I already have a bigger idea of the type of film I'm going to be creating and the type of budget that is going to support it and keep it in check, but I'm not quite sure yet on the direction that I want it to go.

One of my main choices is a psychological thriller. Movies like The Silence of The Lambs and Black Swan are among the top of my lists simply because they are so well thought out and produced. I love films that explore the human mind and its condition in several instances. It makes the viewer think and it has the shock factor and thrill that keeps the suspense coming and the plot of the story interesting. 

I found this article as I researched online for characteristics and qualities found within these types of "psychological thrillers". According to Goal Auzeen Saedi, the article's author, "smart audiences appear to be intrigued by complex storylines that when throughly plausible in real-life heighten their sense of fear."

Fear, although not an entirely desirable emotion for humans, is actually successful in gaining attention and captivating the audience. People feel for those victimized in thrillers and therefore they create a direct connection with the character. 

"But in reality, “psychological thrillers” are more creepy than psychologically relevant. They sometimes exploit and glamorize notions of severe mental illness and do not do justice to the complexities of these conditions. Most often the information they provide is incomplete, if not incorrect. If there is one thing they actually do well, it is heightening paranoia of film audiences. They leave people trying to determine the “signs” of sociopaths and psychopaths even though neither term is actually used clinically by psychologists."

Tips for producing an indie film (low-budget)

I'm going to be producing not only an entire plot line for a film, but a two-minute introduction too, so I need to make sure that I create a good budget and that I stick to it too.

I came upon this page while I was researching creative and frugal ways to produce independent movies and it contains exactly what I need.

Here are the ten tips I need to produce a "micro-budget feature"

1. Make sure the script is written as a micro-budget feature

2. Have a "home base" location during production

3. Open it up

4. Shoot while locations are open.

5. Cast matters. A lot.

6. There is no excuse for bad production values.

7. Make sure your cast and crew have worked at your budget level before.

8. Figure out how your core filmmaking team will pay their bills while you make the movie.

9. Know what you can figure out on your own.

10. Budget through release.

These tips are all I need for my own production. They are absolutely perfect for my own situation because I am a student who also wants to succeed with quality and effort.

Researching the indie film process 

Case Study 

The process for making a successful independent short film begins with the developing and financing. In the indie film "Short Term 12", "The project started with the director Destin Cretton, who had worked for a number of years at a foster care facility." 

He pitched his idea to the members of the academy although he was told numerous times that it was "going to be hard to sell". He decided to go for it anyways and after much determination and perseverance, the film was showed at the Sundance festival, where it gained much acclaim and exposure. This is where he began to make connections and where he found the group that would finance the film. 

"Goldstein adds that it is important when pushing an independent film forward to decide on a specific date to shoot the film, even if you don’t make that date. "

After scheduling down all of the specific dates that were needed to organize the film, the production part of it all is the next part of the list. 

"Short Term 12 was shot entirely on location in the Los Angeles area. “Egos were checked at the door,” Goldstein says of production, “we were very prepared and knew the amount of time we had and what we needed to do. No one was a yelling maniac. It was a very focused process, but also a very comfortable creative environment. It is difficult enough to make a film, so it is important to surround yourself with personalities who are in it to do good work”."

In the end things worked out great for Goldstein and his team. The film had substance and it was enticing, but what was most important was that it was heavily supported by being organized and well planned.