Asking the million-dollar question for a life's direction checkup

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

Whenever the lotto is exploding you sometimes see threads on forums asking what you would do with the $$. Irrespective of the lotto, that is a good practice to do once in a while, to see where you are at with your life if money was no object. 

For me...I'd be doing the same things I'm doing now. Just more of it, on a higher level, making things easier for myself and buying some help. But, one thing about being rich, you can only live 'so cushy' of a life and be healthy. Rich or poor, we all come under natural law.

 

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Selection from Whoop Whoop project 2014 D.D.Teoli Jr.

[Tyler Purcell]

I never really think about magically having money, it's too risky to get excited. However, I'd probably spend it on some land somewhere and build a nice motocross track for myself and friends. I'd then probably make a few low-budget features, as most of my scripts are between 1.5 - 5M bux, not a big deal to self fund if you've got $150M lol ?

[Brett Allbritton]

If I suddenly never had to worry about money ever again, I would immediately embark on an indefinite trip around the world, going wherever my heart desires. Then, like Tyler, I would get to work on a low-budget feature. Other than that, I'd donate a bunch to charity and help out my family.

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

On 4/3/2022 at 6:03 PM, Tyler Purcell said:

I never really think about magically having money, it's too risky to get excited. However, I'd probably spend it on some land somewhere and build a nice motocross track for myself and friends. I'd then probably make a few low-budget features, as most of my scripts are between 1.5 - 5M bux, not a big deal to self fund if you've got $150M lol ?

 

Motocross! That is something. Stay safe...the forum would miss your expertise.

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

On 4/8/2022 at 12:16 PM, Brett Allbritton said:

If I suddenly never had to worry about money ever again, I would immediately embark on an indefinite trip around the world, going wherever my heart desires. Then, like Tyler, I would get to work on a low-budget feature. Other than that, I'd donate a bunch to charity and help out my family.

 

Now, you cine' people that are short on $$ for your low budget feature. Is it because of film cost?  Is it because of the general production cost, irrespective of film? Or could you swing it OK if shot with digital?

For me, excess money means freedom to acquire more of someone else's film for the Archive.

The most $$ films I've seen on eBay, that I've missed, were about $1400 - $1600 for a small reel. And those very $$ reels can be counted on one hand. One was a home travel movie to 1920's China for about $1450. Another one was a student film made in the 1970's of the grindhouse area of Times Square for $1260. But for the most part, most of the higher priced films I missed were $200 - $500 range. And some were even $75.

Now, I can buy a $75 film or a $200 film...I just can't buy them every day of the week.

With a little bit of excess $$, one could buy most of the 16mm film shorts they desire that comes up on eBay. (But not 16mm feature films. Some features are highly sought out and may go for $2,000 or more. But, I'm not into feature films.) 

Here is the 200 foot 16mm student Times Square film that sold recently for $1260.

 

eBay photo: Fair Use

200ft 16mm b&w home movies: SLEAZY TIMES SQUARE 1970 shot by NYU film student

Hello. Up for sale is 200 feet of 16mm b&w home movies shot by a New York University film student in 1970. Excellent condition, no vinegar odor. The film comes mounted on a 400-foot reel and will be shipped in a metal canister. NOTE: This film has never been digitized. It is one-of-a-kind. Any rights I may have had as the previous owner I give to the winning bidder. The shooter was Craig Ellenbogen. In 1970 he shot the Special Effects for a short film titled: Item 72-D, The Adventures of Spa and Fon. The film starred a then unknown Herve Villechaize (Fantasy Island and The Man With the Golden Gun) as a mischievous extraterrestrial. Excellent footage of NYC. Those in the know will recognize some of the locations, but my guess is most of this film was shot in or around Times Square. One theater is showing a film titled, Tuck Me In, a tale about a woman willing to do anything to become a star. It starred Kim Pope. You’ll also see a porno shop with patrons, a place called Fascination, various storefront windows, a deli, a liquor store, beggars, a nefarious-looking dude in the window of what appears to be a gambling establishment, various neon signs and much more. Wow.

Edited April 9, 2022 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.

[Tyler Purcell]

8 hours ago, Daniel D. Teoli Jr. said:

Motocross! That is something. Stay safe...the forum would miss your expertise.

I for sure fix more cameras today than ride dirt bikes, however I had a long stint of riding 3 - 4 days a week. I also produced a 7 episode documentary series about motocross (with different people) and a 25 episode series about my riding life. I kinda got out of riding in 2019 due to getting a job that schedule wise, prevented me from riding. However, if I had my own track... I'd be riding again for sure haha. My goal is to get back into it soon. We ride trails right now. I sold my fancy MX bike in 2019. 

[Brett Allbritton]

19 hours ago, Daniel D. Teoli Jr. said:

Now, you cine' people that are short on $$ for your low budget feature. Is it because of film cost?  Is it because of the general production cost, irrespective of film? Or could you swing it OK if shot with digital?

For me it's the general production cost. I have a script I want to make regardless, but suddenly becoming rich would certainly make it easier to pay a crew fairly. My preference would be to shoot it on film, so that would be cool too, but in the real world I'm by no means stickler for celluloid.

I've browsed some of those old 16mm films on eBay out of curiosity before, there's some really cool stuff that pops up!

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

On 4/10/2022 at 12:09 PM, Brett Allbritton said:

For me it's the general production cost. I have a script I want to make regardless, but suddenly becoming rich would certainly make it easier to pay a crew fairly. My preference would be to shoot it on film, so that would be cool too, but in the real world I'm by no means stickler for celluloid.

I've browsed some of those old 16mm films on eBay out of curiosity before, there's some really cool stuff that pops up!

 

Yes, money is stored energy. Money is a lubricant. It makes things easier most of the time. And filmmaking, as well as film preservation, is a money sucking activity and require lots of lubrication. 

Can you piecemeal the project together over time with digital? (Although you risk losing people over time.)  Film is nice, but you have to be expert in it, as in shooting a lot of it on a continuous basis to be up to speed. (Or you hire people that are up to speed.)

Frank Henenlotter was good at piecemeal filmmaking aka guerrilla filmmaking. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_filmmaking

If you can get any of his early DVD's and watch the special features and commentary, he talks a lot about it.

 

Frank Henenlotter - Wikipedia

 

You could also get going with a proof of concept. Even if you never go anywhere with it as far as drumming up financing, your proof of concept can serve as a mini-record of film.

Trailers are important... 

Years ago I acquired a rare VHS collection of 25 Japanese porn trailers from the uncensored era. They were filmed probably from the 1970's. The collector as well as myself looked for many years for the 25 Japanese films or VHS. Never has any one of them ever surfaced. Maybe the trailers are all that is left for the historical record? Dunno, but with archival work this comes under the auspices of...something is better than nothing. 

I'd say keep working on doing something in the direction of producing your project - if it is at all possible. And if not...keep buying the lotto tickets!

 

Edited April 21, 2022 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.