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Barbelith Filmmakers

We're The Great Old Ones Now

15:52 / 22.05.02

Interested: how many of you out there are filmmakers? Writer, directors, actors (god help you)?

Anyone got anything they want to show?

Anyone got hints, tips, links, resources they want to share with other guerilla/lo-to-no budget filmmakers?

grant

19:18 / 22.05.02

I've been involved in film locally, and am supposed to be writing a horror short script, but life has been getting in the way.

I've acted, directed (a little), done plenty of sound, set construction, "production" (anything from discussing location options to running out for food), and writing. Mostly in collaboration.

I own a 16mm Russian windup camera that I've never used. Film is expensive, and I don't have a loading bag (and it doesn't take magazines). It's also not sound-synch. I may try to sell it.
I'd like to try my hand at animation, though.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

07:33 / 23.05.02

In case you don't know (but I bet you do), Reversal film is cheaper, although it makes editing a bit fraught...does your Russian camera do single frame? A rostrum takes about ten seconds to fake...

Rev. Wright

09:26 / 23.05.02

Here's my CV. As some know I've been working hard on getting a short film made, End Game. Bang up for a great exchange.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

11:56 / 23.05.02

Er...that just gets me a passport login page.

Now...if that's the project I'm thinking of, I'd welcome your contribution to the 'Structure' thread.

grant

13:32 / 23.05.02

The Russian camera does indeed do single frame.
As far as budget for stock, though, even short ends are a bit much for me right now. And I don't have anything written or planned.

Tell me about this "rostrum" of which you speak....

We're The Great Old Ones Now

13:52 / 23.05.02

Well, a proper rostrum is a very involved affair with the camera vertically above a flat surface (I think) so that you can zoom in, pan, and so on, as well as change the image displayed on the flat surface frame by frame. Of course, there's a grid marked below the camera so that you always know where the image needs to be...it's an animator's dream. But a camera in a clamp and a carefully positioned artist's easl will do well in a pinch, as long as you keep everything steady.

Or were you thinking of claymation/stop motion animation?

FinderWolf

14:25 / 23.05.02

I'm an actor! Anyone need to work with an actor in NYC?

rizla mission

16:09 / 23.05.02

I'm going to make some films, dammit.
In the same way I'm going to start a band and write a book and so on .. so in actuality probably not at all .. but in my head I'm going to make films. By hijacking university owned equipment. Even though I know about as much about filmmaking as I do about playing the Bassoon.

I've got a story about the capers that ensue when some people, one of whom is quite demented and obsessed with trying to reinterpret proportional relationships between different sized objects, decide to make a zombie movie.

And another one about a man who drives an Ice Cream Van, who discovers that the more ice cream he gives away for free, the more his employer praises him for making a profit. It's probably gonna be a bit like Pi if Jonathan Richman directed it.

Rev. Wright

00:09 / 02.06.02

I'm currently working on a documentary project, that I warble on about here.
Personal challenge with regards to subject matter, could oh so easily go wrong. Would appreciate any feedback.

Tamayyurt

07:11 / 02.06.02

I want to make a film that's kind of a cross between E.T. and Trainspotting.

I can already see the scene where the sleazy kid uses the alien he's befriended as a shield while running from shooters. High impact bullets hitting pale gray flesh, thin arms and legs flopping around. "ouuuuuch."

Margin Walker

09:20 / 02.06.02

I'd finish my screenplay if there was a ghost of a chance that It'd be looked at, much less filmed. Seeing as I know nothing about selling scripts, I've taken the pre-emptive initiative (read: lazy) to not finish it. So there Hollywood, take that!

rizla mission

11:37 / 02.06.02

I can already see the scene where the sleazy kid uses the alien he's befriended as a shield while running from shooters. High impact bullets hitting pale gray flesh, thin arms and legs flopping around. "ouuuuuch."

I love it.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

08:24 / 05.06.02

Margin Walker, if you finish it, you could get it read. And then who knows?

But you'll never find out unless...

autopilot disengaged

15:37 / 09.06.02

i've got five or six short film scripts i'm not doing a great deal with - too busy with hopefully making eventual stage breakthru.

i'd be happy for anyone to read 'em.

note: generally speaking, my style could be described as 'where documentary naturalism meets magic realism' - think a lynch/loach split.

Tamayyurt

17:43 / 26.10.02

After reading an interview with Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) I started thinking about Barbelith screen writers. Have any of you written any scripts? Shopping them around? Making movies? I think we have a wealth of talent here... why haven't we invaded Hollywood? (or um, Vancouver.)

Utopia

01:24 / 27.10.02

I'm studying film in Philadelphia, so i suppose that makes me a filmmaker. ask me not about style. ask me not about grace. i'm just taking a bunch of random shtuffa and putting it through the spaghetti strainer and seeing what oozes out the bottom. i think. life is fun when you've really got no clue about what you're doing.

betty woo

13:28 / 27.10.02

I am currently editing my first film, a feature-length DV romantic comedy. In the process, I am coming to hate working in film, mainly because it is such a collaborative medium and I've had such horrible luck in finding reliable people to collaborate with. I've got a couple of low-budget short scripts recently written, and am trying to shop them around to other people for production while completing another feature-length script. Basically in that "writing like a fiend, have been for several years, still trying to figure out how to get the damned things read" stage.

The Strobe

14:08 / 27.10.02

I'm kind-of interested in going into film-stuff, though the lure of journalism is curiously strong too. I've got two scripts kind-of on the go - one is begun, but needs major reworking, and could be alright or could be wank, I'm not sure. The other is the Hitman Movie I've been trying to make for ages, which suddenly has a decent plot and background and just might work, though I'm afraid of comparison to Leon and every other hitman-movie ever. But it has some nifty ideas, and an interesting stylistic and moral approach. Sadly, my degree gets in the way of sitting down and churning it out. And then I might send it to people, to see how much they hate it. Give me a couple of months.

Eloi Tsabaoth

14:41 / 27.10.02

Am pursuing career as screenwriter. Need better discipline, more experience, and armed guard to stop me watching TV and going on the internet. Give me a couple of years. OK, decades.
But my Hitman Movie can beat up your Hitman Movie.

Utopia

16:10 / 27.10.02

betty woo keep ur chin up. i hear so many people say "the only thing i learned from making films is that i don't want to make films." that's fine if you really realized that it's not for you, but don't let other people's sloth bring you down. keep plugging away, and do it because you have passion for it.

and as for the whole "getting scripts read" thing... remember folks, this is the video age. we're repeatedly told how films can't be made for anything less than an international audience, but think about making films and videos for your community, whether it be geographic or intellectual (if you made something i'm sure you could distribute a few copies around the 'lith).

don't squash your dreams too soon. others will try to do that anyway.

Rollo Kim, on location

19:34 / 27.10.02

There's loads of you!

Almost completed a 15 minute film I've been working on with a couple of friends (http://www.escapeart.river7.net/crackerdog/). Doing it all on a powerbook with an ancient video camera and After Effects. The words are very 'moving' (they've come a long way since the bits that are on that site). I'm just editing the sounds and visuals. I'm only in it cause we didn't want to have any 'acting'. We just sort of put it together as we went along. Not taking it too seriously, but it'll be done and then we'll see if we can get it shown somewhere.

Biz's writing is very, very cool by the way.

pointless and uncalled for

11:55 / 29.10.02

While I may personally be entirely useless in this field, I won't duck the chance to advertise a friend of mine. She's currently in Toronto but coming to London just after Christmas. She is an inspired make up and special effects artist and looking for film work in England/Europe.

She is also about the coolest person you will ever meet (if you meet her).

Frank Lee Darling

12:41 / 11.11.02

Well, I have been working in film and video (art deparment) for the last few years.mostly rap videos and the odd film her and there.But it seems everyone in this business has a script they are working on.My self included .It has a working title of Jesus Christ Supercar.
The characters are all based on people I know .They will play themselves .I want to shoot it in dv and screen it locally.If people react well to the story I may try to film a real trailer and shop it .

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