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Max Field

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Everything posted by Max Field

  1. You, Stuart, etc. are extremely knowledgeable and passionate on the subject of film and I have respect for all of you. Was just making a light joke on the fact that a lot of threads here can get a bit... unraveled.
  2. I'd like to thank Tyler and David for directly answering my question amid 3 pages of replies.
  3. Nike and the Jordan Brand kill it almost every time. Usually touting great copy writing or mind-blowing effects. Jordan Brand and Gatorade years 2002, 2005, and 2009 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL6pYmybB9Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWBb3rxudWQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH8nTfxwByY Also The NBA's "Where Amazing Happens" time traveler commercials are mind-blowing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSbx1umN7Lo spectacular use of archived footage
  4. Try a used t3i (or any cheap DSLR with a rotating screen) for about $300. Some prime lenses are another $250 if you're frugal. Just get your hands on any kind of tripod for like $50. Use house lamps for your lights until further notice. Once you're there, just worry about competent audio gear. NEVER GET A RODE VIDEO MIC THEY SUC-- wow sorry that slipped out jesus christ. Grab an audio interface along with a decent condenser mic (a little under $200 for a whole set up) and learn the process of ADR early on. Use the microphone that's built into your camera for syncing audio. I've met so many film students who don't know how to do this and it holds their quality back for years. To me, audio with effort is more important than a quality picture. 55/45 in the favor of audio. A Walmart camcorder with a great mix of audio feels better than the best camera on the market using its built in microphone (if it has one). Once that's established and house lamps have you on the brink of suicide, invest in a light kit (starter one's like another $200) and a shoulder rig for more flexibility with your camera.
  5. Bit of a (non)film history thing here.. Facets of digital filmmaking were around before George Lucas, and will mos def be after. I remember reading something that stated he was the first guy running a major picture with some digital cameras and eventually became the first to finish an entire major film with digital cameras. There was a Rodriguez movie that did it early too, but Lucas even had a hand in that. Do we owe the Star Wars prequels a lot of credit for the clout digital holds today? Or at least speeding up the innovations?
  6. The bare minimum for equipment to simply enable you to show off your skill level pertaining to a feature film is about $2000 (assuming you're a degenerate software pirate). That'd cover basic audio gear that isn't hopeless, as well as a DSLR, steady tripod, lights, and lenses. Going past that funding point, skill is the only thing that will take you farther. Once you feel your skill has outgrown your set-up and feel you have enough money coming in, get better equipment. Rinse and repeat until you have The entire Arri arsenal. That's a very condensed version but it's 6am and I'm regretting being up this late.
  7. Heroin ought to help with that tooth ache

  8. How low are we talking here?
  9. Could I please get a sample video of super8 footage that isn't shot with the intent of being a nostalgic home movie? Every time I look it up on Youtube I still get the faults I was speaking of. How do you feel it stacks up with the footage of an older DSLR? Even if the frame is small, does it still have all that dynamic range 35 or 16mm is appreciated for? Thanks guys.
  10. Not everyone with dedication or a brain for the craft. It is rare (not impossible) you find a good actor for the screen that isn't already out of the price range for a bare bones indie project, which to some extent we are all dealing with. That's one of the reasons to reinforce the concept of making sure your vision/talent is contagious, especially if your vision is a unique one. Not everyone is capable of that, but you won't know until you try a few times. As for your casting of 1200 kids, you had to have had some kind of platform/budget/extended time to pull that off, I word this to someone who might not have that so they can work to that level. Also meeting one's "acting goals" is a very subjective point of reference that's, again, based on vision. I don't doubt that you had the right kids who played to the back row and all that, but there are certain factors with acting for the screen which are much more specific than stage. The frame of sarcasm/insincerity (and not the "haha I'm British, look at me" sarcasm) is something that I always have to teach, even if the actor I'm working with is considered accomplished in stage/voice over/etc. Now that's just something that speaks to my style. This guy with the really good car shots could have some other kind of emotion he likes riding which is very specific in his network as well. In that case, encouraging him to turn nothing into something could be beneficial. Nearly everything I've done involving other actors up until this point has been with what you would consider the "wrong actors" (and you're 100% right about that). However I have never has a bad read or fell behind deadline because I have the ability to quickly convince people that they want to be on the same wavelength as me. That's a major chunk of what being a film director is all about. A lot of those actors I mentioned were working for free for their own portfolio, and another chunk of those actors weren't even actors. If I was doing stage my advice would not apply, but this guy's asking for screen advice. End of the day takeaway; plan around your resources, then you can plan on having resources.
  11. I've seen people throw up 16mm clips they've shot themselves which have looked pretty good. However every 8mm clip/short I've seen online has always had an overwhelming amount of grain/scratches/splotches/etc. Is this the nature of the format? Does the camera cause this? The film itself? Is it because the majority of available equipment is of an older era? Can no one get it developed right? I'd love to try working with film as this being the intro phase, but if 8mm will always strictly look like 8mm film no matter what I'll probably look elsewhere. Also is Kodak's new 8mm film/digital hybrid camera going to solve any of these factors? Thanks.
  12. I wouldn't necessarily say "find", because you can only do so much with a given budget (but yes if given a budget, that's a serious skill). Just know how to work with what you have. In voice direction for example, you can make someone sound like an entirely different actor with the same vocal tamber if you talk it into them enough. I'm a stickler with the points I brought up because they're free to fix.
  13. Off the top of my head, the number one thing that stood out as needing improvement was your management with non-actors (or bad actors, depending on what experience they have). If an actor can't quite reach an emotion, I put that on them. If they're all over the place or not even close, I put that on the director. The scene at 3:08 is what I'm primarily referring to. Secondarily, the composition on the walking scenes in the night time street came a bit awkward with the lack of steadiness and subject placement. I understand that handheld can have a cool effect, but it was maybe a bit too much. As for sound, your ADR lines at 13:40 need a total overhaul. Look into mic placement and EQ when it comes to mixing in loop lines. For that particular shot, get almost 3 feet of distance from the mic to the talent and pass out those bass frequencies. The timing could be tightened up as well. The alley scene at 3:08 could've also benefited from ADR (or a more refined process if you did ADR). I could show you a couple processes for ADR on Skype if you had the time. I'd recommend you make a street-racing movie cause for some reason the quality of your cinematography and sfx skyrockets with any shot involving a car.
  14. I made a carpet out of my own fingernail clippings and my 8th wife disowned me

  15. Then I'm $16 short on the budget for my first feature and proceed to jump off the Sears Tower
  16. Something I'm wondering myself, what are some legitimately entertaining features that never went on to get that sought after DVD/theatrical distribution deal? Multiple people here have talked about how it's better off saying that goal is statistically impossible. Could that just be that having legitimate talent combined with work ethic alone is statistically impossible with most human beings? I have no opinion on anyone here specifically, but in my line of work that deals with a lot of online content creators, I've maybe encountered the work ethic and vision of a Woody Allen/Kanye West/Michael Jordan once in 3 years.
  17. Solved, yeah both of your points ended up being what I did. Made a thread in an attempt to avoid a $16 purchase of pliers. Both the port and cable are still functional so I'm livin' the large life.
  18. Just curious, is the budget displayed on IMDB a close estimation? People tell me those are BS all the time, figured I could get a solid answer here. Thanks.
  19. I feel like a god damn moron right now (more than usual). I'm trying to sell a camera body (F3), caught a good offer, but it's going to be really awkward when they see a 3 foot SDI cable is mechanically glued to the outgoing port. Because of the plastic housing around the SDI port, it's very difficult to untwist the cable. Just realized this today because I never have a need to take it out. Has anyone else had this issue before? Should I get a fancy pair of pliers from Home Depot and go to town or would I risk damaging the port/cable? Thank you.
  20. Is using a Rokinon 35mm, a Zeiss 50mm, and an old Russian 85mm (those just for example's sake) all in one scene frowned upon if you aren't intentionally going for a different look by using a different brand of lens? Could an experienced DP be able to tell from a glance even if all the glass is relatively sharp? For some reason I've been really paranoid about this lately. Thank you.
  21. If fingernails doesn't work for you I also have an N64 covered in dried gatorade

  22. Who wants to make a pokemon fan film with me? I can pay in my exgirlfriend's fingernails

  23. I thought all spiders were that big in Australia anyway
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