Posted by Daniel Brecher at inh1ts20-qfe0.ims.bt.net on July 02, 2000 at 17:57:14:
In Reply to: Re: A direction posted by Michael Raben on July 02, 2000 at 02:16:01:
"VADER! You must confront Vader!" bah, er sorry, lost myself there...
Ok, maybe he's not Obi-Wan, but Michael voiced some very important aspects one in your position would really do well to take note of, and I know becuase I am in that kind of situation myself, although mine is in regard to a 16mm short film (and my second one at that) so I'm a little way into that research process.
Maybe it's an idea to make a couple of short films first perhaps, then use them as a showreel of some sort in regard to what you can do, thus perhaps bettering chances of getting an agent and selling an idea for a feature to a company or perhaps to even just raise funding to make a feature film independently.
>
>I'll give you a nice little cost-saving move from the start, since you >sound like you'll be in a budget crunch. Now, I'm a film purist, but if >you're working on a tiny budget, shoot DV. I still prefer film, but DV is >a more available (re: cheap) option. You can still put a professional >effort into the project and if the end result is really *GOOD*, the format >won't matter. You can also bounce some ideas around at Film-411.
>
Count me in as one of those film purists too, but having said that DV is great for experementing with, it's cheap and its easy and it will do you no harm to toy around with just to show people what you as a director and storyteller are capable of. You know?
Another idea would maybe be to shoot 16mm and cut on video, show people the video cut and see if someone will give you the funding to cut the flick together on film for theatrical presentation. Robert Rodriguez did just this with El Mariachi and it's a good way of cutting out some latter lab and editing costs. A good number of choices, and you need to research into what one suits you best!
Search the web, read a hell of a lot of books, do the best you can and never give up hope! Don't rush into it though, that can do you no good. There is something insainely kewl about seeing something you wrote and directed running through a steenbeck and when you're done, you're there and you've made the best damn film you can then you'll have a big smile on your face!
Good luck!
Dan (UK)