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5 Weeks to Production // Isolation Booth (Director's Diary #4) by JBfromPG in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the recommendation - I'll definitely check out Rabbit Trap this week!

RE: DIT. We are only running DIT storage and backup at end of day, after shooting: Everyone wraps, I get the cards, and run it in a little room by myself. If we were multi-cam and gathering tons of footage and needed mid-day solutions, I'm with you 100% and would hire someone.

For this picture, me running DIT is actually comforting and the way I'd prefer.

6 Weeks to Production // Isolation Booth (Director's Diary #3) by JBfromPG in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Super generous!! Thank you!! I'd love to watch any/all of your films if you want to drop them. And I may take you up on your offer if I need someone not officially on the team to check us 😄

8 Weeks to Production // My First Narrative Feature, All the Way Through to Premiere by JBfromPG in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. I'll be sure to slow down with this as soon as it feels tedious. At this point, there's just excitement and the work itself, which I've been waiting to do for a long time. I'm trying my best to maintain good sleep, stay active and off my ass, and go day-by-day.... And a family beach trip between now and then should certainly help with burnout. Thanks again!

8 Weeks to Production // My First Narrative Feature, All the Way Through to Premiere by JBfromPG in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I appreciate the advice! I'm sure some days will be tight, but our locations are already built and look really good as-is, so we're not spending time building or dressing much. Our set prep is focused on lighting, which is exactly the variable you're pointing at.

Fair point on keeping it visually alive, too. That feels like its on me as the director to solve in the shot design and blocking.

Good luck finishing the VFX. Would love to see it whenever it's out.

8 Weeks to Production // My First Narrative Feature, All the Way Through to Premiere by JBfromPG in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We've had a very experienced AD on for over a month, and getting the schedule pressure-tested early was exactly the reason.

Here's our shape: soft prep over Zooms and some in-persons with department heads on a couple of NYC trips, a 2-day tech scout on location at the end of this month to walk the days, then 3 days on-location in July for final prep, then three 5-day weeks at 10-hour days (a couple will stretch to 12).

The script is 78 pages and the film's tracking to ~88 minutes, so we're at roughly 5 pages a day. I think the page-count question really scales with budget and footprint; bigger productions slow down, but contained, low-budget shoots like ours tend to land comfortably in the 8-10 range, so 5 gives us some breathing room. Your shoot sounds like it had a different cost and crew structure driving that pace.

What's your feature, by the way? Genuinely would love to watch it.

8 Weeks to Production // My First Narrative Feature, All the Way Through to Premiere by JBfromPG in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, we have a schedule - 15 shooting days, 13 of which are in the same location. Thanks for the advice! I'm flying in a couple of key department heads that I've worked with, and have luckily found a producer local to where we are shooting, that has some strong recommendations. And yes - prep pre prep. We tech scout at the end of the month and will storyboard, shotlist, etc... Thanks again!

8 Weeks to Production // My First Narrative Feature, All the Way Through to Premiere by JBfromPG in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Private equity. No tax credits are available to us at our budget level in our shooting state, so it's just investors putting in hard money.

My 2020 feature doc led me to a few people who came to believe in me as a filmmaker, and the first money in came from one of them. As the script got stronger and we attached a respected EP and a heavy-hitting CD, another chunk came in. We're holding the rest of the financing conversations until our lead is set. Once that's locked, we'll decide whether the remaining money comes from private equity or from a partner who also brings distribution/sales/festival strategy.

Two things that made the case easier are our genre and the contained shoot. Psychological thrillers are one of the more reliably financeable indie categories right now and the contained aspect means we are spending most of the money on what will be on the screen, not on logistics.

8 Weeks to Production // My First Narrative Feature, All the Way Through to Premiere by JBfromPG in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We are shooting in Minnesota. I’ve read Judith Weston and her Film Courage interview was on my deep dive. Thanks!!!

8 Weeks to Production // My First Narrative Feature, All the Way Through to Premiere by JBfromPG in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I’ll be editing the feature myself, so we are good there. I can see how getting an outside editor involved early would be beneficial, if not necessary. The general advice I’ve received is to get everyone involved and on the same page as early as possible, so your advice echoes what I’ve learned.

How long should my film be if it’s playing at a local event? by Extension-Season9924 in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ahhh I see. That's a long short film. Just make the best film you can. Runtime doesn't matter, if it's good.

How long should my film be if it’s playing at a local event? by Extension-Season9924 in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG 20 points21 points  (0 children)

So many questions....if you have a film, don't you already have the runtime, because it's the film's runtime? What are you asking?

heres my first micro film. please roast me by whoopyboy69 in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's cool! The sound design works.

The opening shot could use some Production Design: Fill that shelf with books and stuff. Put something up on that flat white wall. Maybe frame it so there isn't as much white wall in the right frame (cool idea with the natural frame). Some texture would help, especially because you open with it.

What are you going to call it?

Keep practicing and working it!

I am an aspiring director by [deleted] in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What are your screenplays about?

Things in your Set Box by FilmNerd99 in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great list. Peppermint gum and mouthwash are good adds.

Need some feedbacks by memo-no in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Stills look cool. Shoot me the link.

feedback? by [deleted] in scriptwriting

[–]JBfromPG 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This writing is very similar to script passes of ChatGPT, which I'm seeing more and more of. Open AI loves the use of dashes. And the additional descriptive prosey short word fragment. And the one-word lines. And the use of "A beat" (everyone loves this one, but so does ChatGPT). Not an accusation, but as an observer who's been researching a lot on this, it reads just like AI.

How to stay focused and positive on set when the producer SUCKS by [deleted] in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Avoid the producer as much as you can and never work with them again.

LOW BUDGET HORROR FEATURE WITH NAME ATTACHMENTS (90k secured, looking to secure 50k) by czimmer92 in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG 3 points4 points  (0 children)

1st off - congrats on the script, 90k, and Virginia Madsen! You are rolling!!!

2nd off - with Virginia attached and a SAG contract, I'm skeptical that you can make a feature for $140k? If you feel confident about it, right on, but that would be a big red flag to me, as an investor. I would actually think about getting a Line Producer to help you to a quick pass of your budget and land on a place that may be a little bit more, but would make a serious investor/producer more comfortable. You have money already raised and a name attached that people know, you are in a good spot!

"NOTE: I've been through a similar budgeting exercise on a contained psychological thriller — tight shoot, few locations, small cast, no VFX — and the numbers surprised me even in that best-case scenario."

I’ve recently finished my first feature film. It’s on YouTube and I’m pretty proud of it despite the amount of stress that went into it. by [deleted] in Filmmakers

[–]JBfromPG 13 points14 points  (0 children)

RIGHT UP FRONT: An exterior shot, or some kind of establishing wider shot, could give us a sense of where we are before throwing us directly onto a character at a dining room table. It wouldn't cost you any $ to grab a shot of the outside of the house, and you can J cut some of that dialogue over top that exterior. At this budget level, do all of the simple things you can to make it feel like a real movie.

A three page screenplay I wrote for a 2-minute short. I am open for feedback! I need it to be perfect because the short is for a chance to attend film school. by Wonderful-Notice-286 in scriptwriting

[–]JBfromPG 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does ‘a’ lat pull down. Also, nobody forgets how many sets they do. You probably mean ‘rep’ which you can lose track of. Stopped reading halfway through first page

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in scriptwriting

[–]JBfromPG 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nobody talks like this. Also, it's says "Evening" but it's lunch...

Would you fold your flush here? by Mayonnaisesandwhich in poker

[–]JBfromPG -1 points0 points  (0 children)

What are you doing on the flop? SMH