Praetorian

Sounds like fun. You'd have to give me a couple of months...I barely have time to write my papers for class. Like said above, it really is out of place, but it is more of an offtopic thing. Could be interesting...

For film, yeah, of course. I meant filming like you take a camera and shoot stuff. I didn't mean movie type film. I know that teleprompters and logging are TV related. I am a n00b, but I'm not THAT bad. :lol:

:lol: I thought about that when I wrote it. But let me clarify, editing in general...not a crappy job. A pretty freakin cool job that is the backbone of the film/tape/short/feature etc... Editing a stupid short that you don't get to anything else in other than edit using tape to tape cuts...crappy job.

Thanks. My dad says he isn't going to bother to upgrade because he is planning on getting a new computer. But I get my procrastination gene from his so heaven knows when that will be. I am a freshman in college actually. I am sure they have systems...I just don't want to ask at the moment. Not for some little project that I wouldn't want to show them. (The only dialogue in the film is an expletive. :rolleyes: I didn't write it...I just film/edit/direct it) We have a lot of hands on stuff, and it is early into the semester so we have been dealing a lot with mics and lighting. I am going to scope some local stores and try to get their approval. For anyone interested, I guess I'll go ahead and explain the short. (Once again, I didn't write it.) Basically, this girl gets an IM from a friend asking her to get a cheese grater. She leaves her dorm to get the grater and the name of the short is written in lipstick on her door. Music kicks in (Modest Mouse) as she is leaving. She enters the elevator and we get a shot of the elevator closing. Next shot is of the elevator opening. We get some footage of her in the car driving to a store. She enters the store and finds that they are fresh out of cheese graters. (Remember, no dialogue, just music.) This continues for a while with various supermarkets. Finally, she says "F*ck it." That is the premise of the story. I didn't get it either. I wanted to throw in shots of her going to a gas station to look for one (just because no one looks for a cheese grater in a gas station) but they didn't like that idea. And it is their short. I take that back about just filming/editing/directing. It is more just editing...I am the only one actually enrolled in a class even remotely pertaining to film, but somehow I get stuck with the crappy job. :rolleyes:

Yeah...we have a lot of problems. For instance the only access to computers we have is at school so we couldn't use any programs on there, not to mention we wouldn't be allowed to use it for an extended time. My home PC is ten years old and is still on Win 98 so most software farts in its general direction. (My dad is a computer programmer yet we have the crappiest PC known to man). We decided to just use the DV cam. I know a guy I was on drumline with in high school who has a DV program...problem is getting in touch with him. And we were never very close...He was a goof-off and I was captain of the drumline so there weren't too many kind words. And I can't forget the problem with our location. Do you think if we just ask Wal Mart nicely they'll let us shoot there?

I'm sure sometime...but we are using already bought tapes. I guess the only money spent is spent on gas. Thanks for the advice guys. I think I am going to have to resort to editing by doing cuts with tape decks. That is, if we even get the film. 95% was supposed to be shot in supermarkets. Tonight we went to Wal Mart to do some prelim shots to get a feel for the lighting and we were told we weren't allowed to shoot. "Something about the unions" is what the manager told us. What is up with that? *totally off topic* In TV production class we spent an hour doing lighting for an interview for the college station a few weeks ago. Today we had a guest speaker come in and do the same lighting, PERFECTLY, in about five minutes. Ahh...nothing makes you feel dumber than a professional. And he showed us how to do limbo lighting and three point lighting with two lights. It was sweet. Uh...anyway, yeah. So I know I can make miniDV into VHS, but can I make VHS into MiniDV. My camera is VHS and the new camera is miniDV.

A few things: Like said before, forum guidelines prohibit politically driven discussions. If you feel the need to discuss this further, visit a political forum. Stop by politicalcrossfire.com (where I am Republican leader) and start a thread with this topic. Just be prepared to have your butt handed to you worse than it was in here. And even if political threads were allowed, there would be no need to debate further. Popular Mechanics has done the hard work for us: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/de...842.html?page=1 Have a nice day.

Yes, I realize I am going to sound like a major idiot. My friends and are making a short. The budget--0$. The cameras? Handheld 2 yr old something or other and a 20 year old something other... Both tape...so my question is how the heck do we edit it? It is just something we are fooling around with. None of us have experience.

Thanks Phil. :lol: No talking, going to drown. Sounds like a blast. :D

I am a huge Phantom of the Opera fan (*cough*the name*cough*). Books, theater, etc... But even with all of that aside: I enjoyed the movie immensely. Butler did an awesome job with the singing considering he hasn't sang professionally before. He did struggle with a few notes, according to my music major friends. I am a drummer on the drumline, so I hang out in the music hall computer lab all of the time and we have extensive discussions on the subject. The look. Unlike you guys, I am not that well trained yet. I thought they did a good job with the overall look. It was aesthetically pleasing, particularly the underground residence of Erik. Those candles that had the special wicks so that when they hit the air they lit were awesome. (The ones that rose from the water). Emily Rossum. My music major friends rammed into her a lot, but you know, she was only 16 when they started. I thought she did a good job for a 16 year old. I thought they did a great job with the movie, and I prefer it to the theater version. I loved all of the the little "shout-outs" to Weber thrown in--occasional Cats poses, etc... I give it two thumbs way up and I can't wait for the DVD to come out.

I have some not so technical questions. Do DPs and Lighting directors resent it when directors intercede? Right now I am taking TV production (freshman in college) and I love all aspects of filming (except running the teleprompter and logging tapes....yuck...), so I can imagine that when I do become a director one day, I would like to collaberate with the other directors. Judging by some responses and jokes online, DPs and lighting crew, etc... aren't fond of directors interferring. Is there a an urbane way to approach other directors so that they don't plot to kill you while you sleep? What kind of intern do you like to work with? What impresses you or makes you want to throw them to the wolves? I am working as a volunteer at a telethon for LBS (Lousiana's PBS branch) and I want to make a great first impression. I don't have any experience other than less than 2 months of a tv production class. I am going to be running the camera, and I don't want to appear too incompetent. Any advice for making it run smoothly. Are there certain things I should not do/say?

Whoa...give them more than 28 minutes to reply before freaking out. They do have work you know. I am a newbie as well (in the truest sense of the word), but make sure you check the rest of the posts in here so you aren't asking questions that have already been answered. What is the documentary about?