the "right" advices for making a high quality <8min film

Hello,
Well, the 2008 National Film challenge is coming up in October and hopefully we'll be coming up with something you guys will enjoy. And hopefully our skills will also have improved.

That said, I'm almost finished reading an article about the post production workflow of the Coen brothers using FCP and started thinking.

Does anyone have any suggestions for producing the best quality movie shot using miniDV tape?
(also take into account we'll have only Sat, Sun and some of Monday to produce and mail in on time)
Suggestions on how we should capture the footage into FCP.
How we should export it. (We usually export to miniDV tape then send two copies of that to the contests)

We will be using a Canon XL2 and a Panasonic DVX100A.

We'll most likely be shooting in 24P (to get that film look).

Maybe some effects (using AE) but that depends on time and how quick we are in putting something together.

If I'm leaving out any info let me know what else I can provide.

Thanks!!!

I'd spend less time trying to get some kind of elusive technical quality and spend more time writing a good script, working with actors, and shooting good enough coverage. Having seen several of your submissions into the contest, I've seen good improvements on acting and scripting, but I still don't think you guys have come up with a "complete" film yet. Endings are especially shaky. Really think about what you're trying to say with these movies, not just a "cool concept" that ultimately fizzles because you couldn't figure out what you're trying to say with this setup. For example:

- The "shoes" piece: What's behind that concept? Why shoes? What do shoes mean to the women?
- The "superhero" piece: What's a compelling villain for a superhero like that to have? Batman has his Joker, the X-Men have Magneto. What's the diametric opposite of your superhero?
- The "chess" piece: What are you trying to say about devil's bargains? Who is the main character, why do we care about him, and how does he drive the story?

I keep going back to the best 48-Hour Film I've seen, a VHS-quality film whose central conceit was so great that it was hands-down the winner of the L.A. group that year. All because it was a complete story -- superhero husband and wife working out their quarrels while on the job, with a satisfying ending and very nice chemistry and acting with the two leads.


www.derekmok.com

Excellent advice from Derek.

Also read the book, "How to Build a Great Screenplay", by David Howard, who is the founding director of the graduate screenwriting program at the University of Southern California (USC). Paperback, 446 pages).

By the way: Where is the article about the post production workflow of the Coen brothers using FCP?

Jack Lindauer

with DV, firewire in and firewire out is the best way to go,
nice & simple.
especialy if you are having CC done elsewhere.

i cant comment on the issues of using 2 different cameras, and the differing approaches they may have to 24p, if any.


nick

Here's the article on the Coen brothers.
[www.videography.com]

Again all your advices are awesome and we'll be doing our best to create something great.

Thanks!!

It's that time of the year again! Great hearing from you, Philly! Content is king. To add to Derek's great advice, think story, think plot, think characters, think about perspectives you can use (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person pov), think about dramatic impact, conflict, tension. Drama IS conflict, drama IS about tension. A murder on a birthday, how the bad guy is actually the good guy, or the guy in question, he even real? Good dialogue is about building drama and tension. What is the main motivation of the characters, are there any conflicts between what each of them want? Why, who, when, how, what happens? Lead the audience down a path, build up expectation, then break that expectation with something else. Put your main character up a tree and throw rocks at him. Why do we want to know about the main character? What's his 'other' side like, what are his weaknesses? Think about the "duality" of your main character, to make that character more convincing.. Think again about the build up and flow. It's like that jazz saying i heard a while back, "Surprise the audience, and when the audience expects a surprise you give them what they should be expecting. Keep them guessing." And most importantly, have fun!



www.strypesinpost.com

Philly --

Thanks for the link to the Coen Brothers article.

I see they are Apple users all the way from the power cord to the mouse, and everything in between.

Jack