s16 micro budget film production

[Guest kaya]

Hi all,

 

We want to make a micro(almost no) budget feature film in london. Shooting format will be Super16mm , sync-sound recorded to DAT with time coded slate . Also we are shooting everything at 25 fps. After each day(days) negatives go and get developed and cleaned. footage gets telecine and comes back on the non-linear (FCP with time codes) betasp cutting room to be logged and synchronized. When everthing is filmed and transferred to NLE desk and when editing is finished, a color graded dvd production(after re-shoot and re-edit) will be made as the first part of the production.

The film will be sent to major film festivals which accepts applications on Vtape. Here is where extra funding becomes a major issue for us. Production will work on publicity and more importantly will gather feedback from people. This will give the production its first ratings.

 

There will be several options after this period, these include overall dissmissal of the film. If we have to imagine there will be some funds created for blow up process;

is it possible to get the daillies telecined to betasp(digibeta) from the very original negatives and after finishing all edit on NLE can we go back to the original negativeswith the EDLs and get then negcut and the we get the 16mmIP? (or is it possible to blow up straight from S16mm neg which was negcut?)

 

We will be very happy if any experienced help posted.

Filmmaking for us is very much about learning.

Many thanks.

Edited December 27, 2004 by kaya

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

> micro...) budget

> london

> Super16mm

 

Very, very difficult. Unless you have already got all the facilities and materials you need lined up, be aware that you need to raise at least £100,000 to cover camera-related expenses. You may have already got this sorted, of course.

 

> is it possible to get the daillies telecined to betasp(digibeta)

 

Which? They're two different formats. If you're just after offlining at this stage, get them done onto DVCAM or miniDV, and you can cut on any cheap old desktop computer (and given decent transfers, this may be presentable enough for festval submissions). Then yes, you'd go back and either retransfer or get the neg cut. Yes, you can blow up from the super16 cut neg, and the sooner you get onto 35, the better it'll look. Better still if you can scan it and laser it back out, and there's an increasing number of facilities in London setting up for this who might consider a starter project.

 

Contact me offlist if you need to get specific.

 

Phil

[Mark Allen]

We want to make a micro(almost no) budget feature film in london. Shooting format will be Super16mm

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Check out information about Primer - www.primermovie.com - read those forums - read the interviews with the filmmaker. I enjoyed his information because it was humble, observant, insightful and... did I mention humble?

[David Mullen ASC]

You can blow-up to a 35mm positive (IP or print) from a cut Super-16 original negative at select labs if the negative is cut a certain way (zero cut with frame handles, sometimes as much as five frames so talk to your lab.) This will affect how you cut the movie because you need to be aware of the excess frames needed on both sides of every cut.

 

Or you can make a color-timed Super-16 IP contact-printed off of the cut Super-16 negative, and then blow-up from that to a 35mm IN.

 

Or you can use a 2K digital intermediate process or post the movie in HD and use that as a digital master for recording back to film.

 

If your as micro-budgeted as you say, you might only get as far as an offline standard def edit to show distributors.

[Dirk DeJonghe]

by far the cheapest way to 35mm from S16 negative is to make a single strand (A-roll) direct blow up to 35mm positive. Your EDL and a 25fps video output from the offline system is the starting point. There is no need to do an AB roll unless you have dissolves.

 

If you need no more than a few prints initially then direct blow up is the way to go. if the film catches on an IP /DN can still be made for release prints.

 

Doing a 2K scan (from EDL), digital grading and filmout to 35mm is at least three times more expensive (made the calculations yesterday for a Dutch film).

 

not many labs are specialized in making direct blow-ups from S16 (fully graded after S16 answerprint).

 

if you contact the website below, we would be glad to make a quotation and show samples of work done.

[Keith Mottram]

"Hi,

 

> micro...) budget

> london

> Super16mm

 

Very, very difficult. Unless you have already got all the facilities and materials you need lined up, be aware that you need to raise at least £100,000 to cover camera-related expenses. You may have already got this sorted, of course."

 

£100,000??? They said micro budget where do you get £100,000 from? shooting with a conservative ratio, with deals on TK, a borrowed camera, plus dvcam in and out from FCP, I make it less than £10k- thats micro budget!!!

 

Although Phil's budget is definately more sensible.....

 

Keith

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

As my mother used to say when I trotted up with a chocolate bar in each fist, "one or the other not both." Unless you are getting significant freebies, and they are very significant five-figure freebies, you simply cannot make a competent 16mm feature for less than a given amount of money, which I would sensibly estimate at around a hundred grand.

 

I don't know what freebies they have lined up, though.

 

Phil

[Keith Mottram]

Hi,

 

As my mother used to say when I trotted up with a chocolate bar in each fist, "one or the other not both." Unless you are getting significant freebies, and they are very significant five-figure freebies, you simply cannot make a competent 16mm feature for less than a given amount of money, which I would sensibly estimate at around a hundred grand.

 

I don't know what freebies they have lined up, though.

 

Phil

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What you need to do is swap one of the chocolate bars for a free one light!!

 

Keith

[Guest kaya]

It is great to get responses, thanks to everyone for sharing quality information.

It was a mistake to post our production as a micro budget film because unfortunately we are nothing near to the amount mentioned as just for the "camera related expenses".

 

its more like, we were in a tunnel and it was dark. One of us said there is a little light at the far end of the tunnel and he can see it. Some would say its a challange to take or some say it is an unrealistic ego vomit and it should be ignored. We decided to walk together.

 

Honestly speaking I think chances to make a great film with all the dynamics of filmmaking working perfectly in a no budget is slim, short and even does not exist.

BUT it seems to be slightly whitin the range to tell a good story with minumum interruption(any poor performance due to budget or resources including bad directing,acting,camerawork)

 

Is this production going to achieve all its goals? Depends...on... How you define your goals and where you place them.

Lastly, virtually! off-the-topic,

Is it true that in Chinese Language crisis and opportunity is the same word? Does anyone know about this? I heard this somewhere and cant remember where.

[Mark Allen]

virtually! off-the-topic,

Is it true that in Chinese Language crisis and opportunity is the same word? Does anyone know about this? I heard this somewhere and cant remember where.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

No. The word crisis has two elements "danger" and "opportunity" but the opportunity in this case is more like "photo-op" than the traditional positive understanding of the word. Essentially this word "crisis" means more "an opportunity for danger."