BeltFedLeadHead

Also remember that you should only write the bare minimum to convey a concept that cannot be told by pictures alone. Reread your script, and think, "Can this be SHOWN, not told?" Less is more, and also more elegant.

I'm about to start my first film and I need a line on some good mics. I plan on using a boom mic at least. Should I get wireless mics as well? Can I plug the above directly into my GL2 MiniDV camera? any suggestions would help.

Is it me, or is APPro the most difficult and non-intuitive program ever written? I've used lots of other software, so I'm very familiar with the non-linear setup. I'm having a hell of a time learning to use the program, and the help files aren't much use. Is there a guide or tutorial online I can access to help with the learning curve?

+1 on showing it to someone else. Why are you rewriting it? Is it your call or someone else's? When you DO show it, make sure it's someone you trust to give you honest feedback. Most people will just tell you nice things that they think you want to hear. I'm in the same situation, to a degree and I am trying to find someone to give me notes on the screenplay. My biggest problem is changing my mind too often.

Anyone have a suggestion of where to start looking for a grant for a short film? I am ready to begin preproduction, but need some cash to get things going. I can't bankroll a whole movie by myself!

Anyone have any experience with this setup? It's very attractively priced, and since I wasn't doing well building my own I am seriously considering buying it. Glidecam Smooth Shooter Thanks!

Has anyone ever tried this? I've experimented a bit, but I don't think my GL-2 is quite up to the task.

I'm glad you mentioned LOTR. I'm a huge fan of forced perspective, and I don't think it's used NEARLY enough in films. I'm wondering if people are taught to think in those terms. One shot that stands out in my mind was not purely forced perspective, but it got my gears turning at an early age. It was a scene from Labyrinth where the characters walk into a courtyard through some odd stones, which then, as the camera tracks, form David Bowie's face. Incredibly creative. I've seen things like that off and on in movies since and was excited to see it in LOTR, and done so well. When I see behind the scenes docs of actors on bluescreen sets with NOTHING there to interact with, I lose a lot of interest in the film. SW epI being a perfect example. Was it me, or did Liam Neeson sitting on the blue-fabric draped "animal" look at the camera once or twice with a certain forlorn expression?

My apologies. I'm used to anonymous forums. I'd be interested in your perspective on this discussion.

It seems to me that CGI should be relegated to the beginners. People who don't have the budget for a thousand extras or a fleet of a hundred spaceships. Even then, amazing things can be done with miniatures. Once your ability level and budget improve, your reliance on CGI lessens, and you gradually wean yourself off the digital crutch. Finally, at the pinnacle of your career, you're shooting LIFE or at least physical representations thereof. Your film doesn't look like a video game, and there are no tired, cheesy cliched homages to certain sci-fi films that feature "bullet-time technology". As a side note, it's interesting to think that the afore-mentioned technology was possible at the very birth of filmmaking. All it required was a series of cameras all synchronized with a cable or timer, and a bunch of film. Voila! Sure, the end result wouldn't have been as polished, and the filmspeeds were MUCH slower, but the concept is sound. I'd like to see someone try it with a bunch of old fashioned Brownie cameras, or the like. I feel as though CGI should be used as an absolute LAST RESORT to things that cannot possibly be duplicated physically. Nuclear explosions? Ok. Huge laser battles? Ok. CGI might actually look GOOD in those respects. George Lucas doesn't need CGI in his films. If he asked for extras to make their own costumes, and sit unpaid in the desert for days waiting to be in the next movie, he'd have more people than he'd possibly know what to do with. I can spot CGI a MILE away. It cheapens the experience and detracts from the credibility of the director. I believe it amounts to laziness.

What is generally accepted to be the best keyboard to buy for producing music for soundtracks? Also, what's a good sound and music editing software package to use it with? I am on a budget of under 1000 dollars for both, so I'm aiming to keep it in that ballpark. Thanks again.

I'm trying to put together a kit of bulbs for a small lighting kit. What temps/wattages/styles are recommended? What's a good range of bulbs to have? Thanks in advance

The XLR adapter being mentioned can be found at beachtek I would test the audio input capability of any digital camcorder before purchasing it. Most digital cameras' audio quality varies MUCH MORE than the picture quality. Video is an audio format first and foremost, so it makes sense to test the audio capabilities of any digital camcorder you are thinking of purchasing rather than fall in love with the picture quality. It is imperative that you be able to turn off the automatic audio input feature on any digital camera that you purchase. The auto audio input on virtually every video camera will raise the background ambience levels to unnacceptable levels for most dialogue driven scenes. You MUST be able to turn this auto audio feature off or you will minimize the dynamic audio range a good quality microphone can deliver. In other words, the best quality microphone will not sound good if you cannot first turn off the auto audio input feature found on all digital video cameras. Should I record sound separately from the camera, and then combine them in post?

I have a Canon GL2 DV camera. I am looking for a decent mic for a boom to plug into the camera. Any suggestions for a brand or make of mic that would be a good starting piece? I know next to nothing about sound equipment, also if anyone knows a good sound editing program for the PC, please let me know. Thanks in advance.

I have a Canon GL2 DV camera. I am looking for a decent mic for a boom to plug into the camera. Any suggestions for a brand or make of mic that would be a good starting piece? I know next to nothing about sound equipment, also if anyone knows a good sound editing program for the PC, please let me know. Thanks in advance.

I was in the same boat as you back in college, so I bought a Kras-3 16mm to start with, but it ended up holding me back a great deal since film and processing is extremely expensive, I couldn't shoot as much as I needed to. So, 4 years later,I just got a GL-2 DV camera from Canon, and I've been able to shoot and learn much more in a shorter amount of time because of the immediacy of the medium.