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University of Hard Knocks Digital Film Making Graduate

  • 29-10-2006 4:01pm
    #1
    worddigger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭


    Hello,
    I am a 56 year old engineer who, in a prior life, worked in the commercial Radio/TV industry, and who for the past 20 years has worked for the U.S. Government overseas as an engineering manager. That is my professional background. Now to the story.

    Two years ago I took up the hobby of video filmmaking. It started out innocent enough, with only a small consumer grade handycam, and a simple editing program. But from there, it was a slippery slope that plunged me into what I can only call an obsession to make a good movie. And it came with a heavy pricetag.

    First, I upgraded to a professional digital editing system (Sony Vegas). Then I needed a better camera, so I bought a DVX100 24fps. After that I needed lighting kits, wireless microphones, a steadycam, etc. Then, I needed to find the right script for my first project. In the end my wife and I wrote our own. Then I needed actors, so I got friends and family to volunteer. We went into production. That is where I really began to see that I had bitten off more than I could chew.

    Handling the technical issues was not a problem. After all, having worked in the communications/entertainment industry all my life, I had all the necessary skill-sets to do my own camera/sound/lighting/editing work. That was the easy part. The hard part was the legal side.

    When I went to select music for the movie I got a quick education in the ways of the Music Mofia and had to invest in Royalty Free sources to put together a score. I certainly could not afford to hire a composer or pay the extraordinary syncronization fees demanded by most publishers. I then learned about needing actor and location release forms, copyright and fair use doctrine, and other legal issues.

    Having overcome all these issues and completing my movie, I then learned the hardest lesson of all: Landing a Distribution Deal is extremely problematic because the market is absolutely saturated with a lot of better talent than myself who have made much better movies, who also can't land distribution deals.

    In the end I have ended up doing what many who have come before me have done: Post the movie on the Internet for free and take satisfaction in knowing that a few people out there might have an attention span long enough to watch and enjoy it.

    The movie is entitled "Puss N Boots - NOT!" and is hosted on Google Video. It is a stupid little comedy, runs 23:26 and (after buying all the expensive equipment) was made on a shoestring budget of less than $1000, mostly spent on costumes, food and beer for the cast, and gasoline for location travel. We enjoyed making it. I hope you enjoy watching it.


Comments

  • #2
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,972 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Well I just watched it, (while site-hopping I will admit!). It did'nt bore me so thats a good sign and it would play well with the 4 - 7 year old market esp girls. I notice on your website you are trying to get some deals with UK TV. You might have had a chance esp over the Xmas period when the schedules change completely for a couple of weeks and there is room for 20-30 min 'fillers'. I mean that in the nicest way. :) If not this year then next maybe...

    You should properly stick it up on youtube as well.

    I can't comment on the tech end as the google vid is I presume greatly compressed but it all progressed smoothly enough with good lighting and exposure.

    Mike.


  • #3
    worddigger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭worddigger


    mike65 wrote:
    Well I just watched it, (while site-hopping I will admit!). It did'nt bore me so thats a good sign and it would play well with the 4 - 7 year old market esp girls. I notice on your website you are trying to get some deals with UK TV. You might have had a chance esp over the Xmas period when the schedules change completely for a couple of weeks and there is room for 20-30 min 'fillers'. I mean that in the nicest way. :) If not this year then next maybe...

    You should properly stick it up on youtube as well.

    I can't comment on the tech end as the google vid is I presume greatly compressed but it all progressed smoothly enough with good lighting and exposure.

    Mike.

    Thanks for the kind comments. My former Secretary back in Germany (She plays the part of Jay) is British and she is trying to find a good contact at the BBC.

    And, you are right, this thing seems to have more appeal as a Chick Flick, especially with the over 40s gals. :) Perhaps I should run a copy up to my local Public Television Station. I remember when I used to work there (over 20 years ago) they were always needing fillers.


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