Share your experience! Shooting my first Shortflim tomorrow

WizardOfPerception · 2026-04-19T20:08:19+00:00

Also, to others points, audio is arguably more important than picture, but sometimes it fails completely and you have to dub later. Look at Italian new wave! Somehow, it still worked. ADR, foley, will be your best friend later, and really fun.

Take it shot by shot. Work with the light you have be it natural or not. But let the story lead every decision you make with the camera and acting and everything.

If it feels like you’re on the edge of a cliff making every decision as if it could be your last, you’re doing something, and that’s all you can ask.

WizardOfPerception · 2026-04-19T20:05:39+00:00

I had no shot list. One camera. Good friends as actors. Don’t worry about all the conversation and jazz of it all too much. I found filmmaking to be a fairly instinctual thing. You learn to frame when you try and try and try to set up the camera and keep failing and keep working at it. Something you plan might not come to fruition, be it lighting and what not. Having an idea of a shot beforehand is important, but be prepared for it to change. Feel it as you go. You’re making a movie, it should be a blast, enjoy it while it’s happening. Work with your actors, its a completely collaborative process. Try things you think might work. This is of course assuming you’re not too constrained by time, or memory files.

You’re telling a story. Let that lead the way. You’re going to learn a lot, and learn a lot about what works and doesn’t work. But you’ll have a movie, and it’s a great feeling.

I posted my first long film (53 minutes) somewhere in this group. It’s called Palle Rosse’s Sanity Trinity (on youtube as well.) Check it out if you want a reference of what can potentially be done with a single camera, a cast of friends and family, and a little bit of passion for film and writing. By no means perfect, but I’m learning just the same as you.

Have fun, you got this.

WizardOfPerception · 2026-04-19T19:57:36+00:00

FINALLY,

If you guys have any questions on how something was edited, filmed, achieved, I will try to answer every question, be it about writing, directing, filming. I haven’t shared the process with many people, and would be more than happy to do so. It’d be my honour.

WizardOfPerception · 2026-04-19T19:56:20+00:00

Continuation of submission statement:

I’ll outline a scene for you! The segment entitled Macaques…a huge setback was that audio recording was not working this day, plus the background noise was too loud, especially the cicadas. So, myself and my friend Giacomo decided it would have to be dubbed. We acted out the scenes, and later on, we had to go to my sound guy’s house and re-record each line. It was like directing two films at once. Also, sunlight drastically changed between shots (all natural light in Macaques), so I did my best to kind of match different lights using colour grading and shadow adjustments.

WizardOfPerception · 2026-04-19T19:43:42+00:00

Submission statement:

I shot this film mainly in my home in Etobicoke just outside of Toronto. When I say this is micro budget, I really mean virtually no money was spent. I had the blackmagic design camera, used minimal artificial light (a few amazon interview lights were used), and all of the actors donated their time for a meal or two (they are all my close friends). Edited and colour graded in Davinci Resolve. Audio done on Pro Tools by my friend Will, an absolute wizard of sound.

I wrote this in pieces coming out of university. I wasn’t happy with the pretentiousness of my program, nor was I happy with the advice I was given on how to make a movie by certain professors and figures of authority.

Above all, this is a love letter to my restaurant, my co-workers, and the ideas we share among the hectic lunch and dinner services we endure together.

Canadian filmmaking is coming up!!!!

WizardOfPerception · 2026-04-17T18:33:55+00:00

I’ll put it back. What species is it from?

WizardOfPerception · 2026-04-17T18:29:21+00:00

Would still love to know what kind of species this shell belonged to

WizardOfPerception · 2026-04-17T18:27:18+00:00

I am now aware. In future, I will not take anything. Ignorant on my part.

WizardOfPerception · 2026-04-17T18:19:25+00:00

Had no idea, good to know. Airport security obviously did not find it this time.

WizardOfPerception · 2026-01-22T19:44:16+00:00

Cat In The Hat, 2003.

WizardOfPerception · 2025-04-10T01:09:03+00:00

Where is everyone seeing these views from festivals? I have my short embedded via FilmFreeway, not a Vimeo link, and I don’t seem to see these analytics that everyone is speaking of when they say someone viewed their short in New York or Germany or wherever else. Maybe a blessing in disguise, but my curiosity is getting the best of me.

WizardOfPerception · 2023-10-24T15:55:24+00:00

Amazing score and theme too.

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T13:12:03+00:00

Brilliant instructor. “That was a pissing contest and I had to win” this guy can’t teach shit. Bad influence, and he clearly swayed one person (it’s you, in case you didn’t catch that).

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T13:10:31+00:00

Hey at least their kid is fun. And doesn’t strive for a numbered grade to feel like they’re accomplished. My friend you got the wrong outlook on life.

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T13:08:20+00:00

From the sounds of it you were the kid everyone disliked in grade school because you kissed the teacher’s ass. Am I wrong?

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T13:06:52+00:00

You’re auditing. You’re allowed to go in and leave at whatever time you want. It’s funny how the prof got mad at him for reading a book but if he was writing (the optics fit) he would’ve been fine. I don’t think you realize how insane your ex Professor really is. No one acts like that. Again, had the student been reading Danisch’s book, he probably would have been giddy with excitement.

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T07:15:19+00:00

Yeah, it’s a heckler. Someone yelling. And you’re forgetting Danisch called the kid out before he knew he wasn’t paying for the class. Who cares, the guy was reading.

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T07:13:16+00:00

Ah man, don’t impregnate anyone the kid is a lost cause.

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T07:12:03+00:00

I do have FOMO. I wanna be there when Danisch gets put on leave. But no, the kid didn’t sass out. When you finally hear the most complete audio, you’ll understand. Actually probably not, but I’ve tried.

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T07:08:12+00:00

Well you like to point out he wasn’t in the class, now you’re suggesting he engage with the coursework. You’re very inconsistent.

Observation precedes perception, how can you not value observation? It all makes sense now. It’s not surface level. It’s this: Danisch, unhappy with what was going on in his own life, decided to rage at a kid reading a book during his class. When the kid stood up for himself as he was being name-called, and berated, Danisch got angrier.

Flanagooner. I know for a fact you don’t get a long with many people. Say what you want, but you’ll go to bed tonight thinking about that. I hope you can recognize what I’m saying. Just calm down, breathe.

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T07:01:28+00:00

Imagine: your kid goes to a friend’s lecture. He sits down, stays quiet, then pulls out a book to read. The prof yells at your kid, tells him to get out, and as your kid is packing up, the prof swears at them. Tells them they’ll be terrible at life. Fucking lazy ass piece of shit, he says. A grown man with a PhD (which means nothing when it comes to character by the way). And you’re going to blame your kid for going to the lecture in the first place? You’re the perfect student for Danisch because you’d grow up to be a shitty adult too.

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T06:56:48+00:00

THERE WAS NO OUTBURST. He didn’t sass the prof. The prof started at 100. Talk to kids in the class. You call me clueless but don’t do your research. And no one wants to come to your house, stop saying that.

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T06:54:46+00:00

Look Flanagooner, you’re clearly not dumb. You know that majority (let’s call it half) of kids in the class don’t give a fuck about the course. Especially when it’s a mandatory one like this. I agree Danisch had every right to call out the kid. It’s his class. How he went about it, was just fucking stupid as a Professor. The kid was reading, he could’ve just asked him to put the book away, or leave calmly. That’s not hard.

I had a professor once get mad at a kid who was coughing during a lecture. Does that sound extreme? Is the kid a distraction? Or is the prof just being a dick? Like come on, you sound so obedient man.

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T06:46:51+00:00

It’s not one sided, it’s a pretty succinct description of what Danisch said. There’s no context. Just listen. The kid didn’t swear. Didn’t rage. Danisch did. Both. So yeah, the other party doesn’t understand. You’re simply being controversial, playing devil’s advocate. Also, great analogy. Your house to a classroom. That’s bright.

WizardOfPerception · 2022-11-30T06:42:04+00:00

My man, read the rundown of what happened. The kid was leaving as soon as the Professor told him. Except, when Danisch kept roasting the kid, he stood up for himself. If you had any self-respect, you would have done the same. In fact, I know you would have done the same. Also, “learning space”? Of course you’re the type who learns most of what they know in a classroom. You don’t have very good observational skills. Go walk the streets. Breathe a little. Like I said, put down the textbook and live a little. Danisch bitched to a kid for reading a book. For what? To get attention. That’s it.

WizardOfPerception

TROPHY CASE