Any Filmmakers/Actors here?

[aintfresh]

I recently got into DSLR filmmaking and am intrigued at just making and appreciating a good video/film from the composition, acting, music etc. I didn't grow up as a "movie buff" but I'm starting to appreciate the art of filmmaking.

Here is a video I did as a final project for a class I was in. It's my first video of its kind, so I know there are a lot of things I need to improve on. Feedback is greatly appreciated though!





If any of you guys have any personal films or shorts you guys shot or acted in, I'd like to see as well.

 

[tokes99]

well done dude, some really dope transitions and shots; the silhouette shot is pretty cool! I too have grown to appreciate the craft of making movies much more as I have come to know more about the business of filmmaking. the concept for your project is a bit confusing/over my head, not really sure what it is about? I don't want to bias or spoil it for others by commenting specifically but what were the parameters of your assignment? the difficult thing about film is deciding what to exclude/include in the frame and how that relates to what you're communicating...where, when, and how you move the camera to emphasize an emotion or add to the narrative. it's all about storytelling, as long as you are thinking about that and how to do that in an interesting way you will be good money...

 

[boriginal]

This short film was shot during my last semester of undergrad film school, posted it a few days ago on here.

The name of the film is TRAP. As you know the word Trap means several things, trapping (hustling illegal products to make profit), the trap (place where drugs are sold out off), and there is Trap, a situation that difficult or impossible to escape. The title Trap could mean all three of these things, but I'm only focusing on one in this film.



This is the unseen version.

 

 

[tokes99]

This short film was shot during my last semester of undergrad film school, posted it a few days ago on here.

The name of the film is TRAP. As you know the word Trap means several things, trapping (hustling illegal products to make profit), the trap (place where drugs are sold out off), and there is Trap, a situation that difficult or impossible to escape. The title Trap could mean all three of these things, but I'm only focusing on one in this film.
 

premise is super interesting, with the play on words (why not explore those, all the elements are already there?) the intertwining of the multiple definitions with the different set of characters and how they interact is potentially really cool. while that intro gives some context, similarly to the above I am not sure I know what I was going in what I was watching, nothing really happens (my comprehension could be low tho)...you're telling us a story, even in a short, there should probably be a beginning, middle, and end; doesn't have to be in sequence, nor complete, but if convention is going to be broken it should feel like we're somewhere on that continuum of a narrative or a reason it isn't following the 'normal' format, does this make sense? I think I get that it is supposed to be mundane, but it's entirely (likely!) possible that I just do not understand...

I like the muted tone of the colors and the wide shots, and I liked the way the camera moved in the 'unseen' version much more than in the 1st vid, was much more leading as far as what I should be paying attention to. both videos seem to me to be technically well made, what camera(s) were used?

 

[boriginal]

premise is super interesting, with the play on words (why not explore those, all the elements are already there?) the intertwining of the multiple definitions with the different set of characters and how they interact is potentially really cool. while that intro gives some context, similarly to the above I am not sure I know what I was going in what I was watching, nothing really happens (my comprehension could be low tho)...you're telling us a story, even in a short, there should probably be a beginning, middle, and end; doesn't have to be in sequence, nor complete, but if convention is going to be broken it should feel like we're somewhere on that continuum of a narrative or a reason it isn't following the 'normal' format, does this make sense? I think I get that it is supposed to be mundane, but it's entirely (likely!) possible that I just do not understand...

I like the muted tone of the colors and the wide shots, and I liked the way the camera moved in the 'unseen' version much more than in the 1st vid, was much more leading as far as what I should be paying attention to. both videos seem to me to be technically well made, what camera(s) were used?

Peace my brother, the camera that was used for this was a Panasonic GH2 that I had bought and then sold to a brother of mines. The GH2 was hack through the firmware. Yes it make sense fam, the film has no structure, you are right, I posted this on another board, earlier this week, a women from told me that a story (structure) follows an arc of introduction, conflict and resolution. She then went on tell me that I have the intro/set up, there's some sort of conflict when he's buying the dope and then we have nothing, she also right. There is no resolution to the story as the problem is a never ending problem that still continues. This is real life, this is going outside my surroundings every single day and I'm 25 years old and as far as I can remember this has been going on, one of the guys who acts in the film is from my neighborhood and has been a heroin addict for over twenty years and he been in and out the jail system as far as I can remember. Of course those are fake drugs use in the film but it doesn't take away from it because the people acting in the film really use drugs, when they buy the drugs, life continues on, they are still homeless and will continue to use the drugs, and the dealers not those since (they are actors), will still continue to get money, selling illegal substance trying to escape the Trap (the messed up situation they been put in) and yet not knowing that they are Trapped, trapping into they get arrested or even killed trying to get in a better situation. The story has no resolution as the problem is a never ending problem.

Also tokes99, that format you are speaking only applies to old and new hollywood style of telling a story within that structure.

 

[boriginal]

Check out this other film, a brother of mines directed, which I was the dp, shot it on a 16mm film camera and also co produced. 

 

[tokes99]

Peace my brother, the camera that was used for this was a Panasonic GH2 that I had bought and then sold to a brother of mines. The GH2 was hack through the firmware. Yes it make sense fam, the film has no structure, you are right, I posted this on another board, earlier this week, a women from told me that a story (structure) follows an arc of introduction, conflict and resolution. She then went on tell me that I have the intro/set up, there's some sort of conflict when he's buying the dope and then we have nothing, she also right. There is no resolution to the story as the problem is a never ending problem that still continues. This is real life, this is going outside my surroundings every single day and I'm 25 years old and as far as I can remember this has been going on, one of the guys who acts in the film is from my neighborhood and has been a heroin addict for over twenty years and he been in and out the jail system as far as I can remember. Of course those are fake drugs use in the film but it doesn't take away from it because the people acting in the film really use drugs, when they buy the drugs, life continues on, they are still homeless and will continue to use the drugs, and the dealers not those since (they are actors), will still continue to get money, selling illegal substance trying to escape the Trap (the messed up situation they been put in) and yet not knowing that they are Trapped, trapping into they get arrested or even killed trying to get in a better situation. The story has no resolution as the problem is a never ending problem.


Also tokes99, that format you are speaking only applies to old and new hollywood style of telling a story within that structure.

i dunno...the art of storytelling precedes hollywood, from the early griots who told oral histories & lessons through fables, religious texts, shakespeare; there is a blueprint & cues that people are used to.

i think i get what you want to convey, all of what you said gives a great deal of context to how you view the film, can you expect for every viewer to have that same context or glean all/most of that from a 7 min vid? there is little exposition from the characters (my spanish isnt too good, so i couldn't make out most of what was being said), nor did i get the feeling that any of the characters were trapped, knowingly or unknowingly (and to get philosophical, the argument could be made that most of us are 'trapped' in one way or another).

and i'm not saying convention can't be broken, so i don't necessarily agree that every story must follow an arc of inro, conflict, resolution but i'd ask what it is you'd want the viewer to take away from the vid? to be entertained? educated? feel something? (anger, confusion, surprise, etc.), what the imaginary (or their real life counterparts?) lives are like of characters in the flick? ultimately i'm just a guy on the internet throwing in his uninitiated opinion in-i'm not a filmaker, it is your vision; but the thing about being involved in any creative endeavor is that people will rarely see things the way you see things...you can fight that and maybe they eventually come around to your way of thinking or you can help them see what you see by using familiarity as a tool

 

[boriginal]

i dunno...the art of storytelling precedes hollywood, from the early griots who told oral histories & lessons through fables, religious texts, shakespeare; there is a blueprint & cues that people are used to.

i think i get what you want to convey, all of what you said gives a great deal of context to how you view the film, can you expect for every viewer to have that same context or glean all/most of that from a 7 min vid? there is little exposition from the characters (my spanish isnt too good, so i couldn't make out most of what was being said), nor did i get the feeling that any of the characters were trapped, knowingly or unknowingly (and to get philosophical, the argument could be made that most of us are 'trapped' in one way or another).

and i'm not saying convention can't be broken, so i don't necessarily agree that every story must follow an arc of inro, conflict, resolution but i'd ask what it is you'd want the viewer to take away from the vid? to be entertained? educated? feel something? (anger, confusion, surprise, etc.), what the imaginary (or their real life counterparts?) lives are like of characters in the flick? ultimately i'm just a guy on the internet throwing in his uninitiated opinion in-i'm not a filmaker, it is your vision; but the thing about being involved in any creative endeavor is that people will rarely see things the way you see things...you can fight that and maybe they eventually come around to your way of thinking or you can help them see what you see by using familiarity as a tool

Tokes99, the art of storytelling you speak off is what classical hollywood and most off modern cinema and the way they tell a story is based on. I want each viewer to react differently to this short film. Each viewer should react and think different to the film, some viewer might get it, some viewers may not, as long as they react I'm satisfied. My main objective is for the viewer to think and feel, not just for what they are seeing on the screen but into their own lives, and yes you 100% right my brother about, "philosophical, the argument could be made that most of us are 'trapped' in one way or another".

My next film, which I'm writing now, 90 % done, is a talkie, and one of the subject I'm going to be speaking on is how 85% of Amerika is trapped.

 

[ayzee]

Looking for a good starter camcorder to shoot some HD and do a little editing. What would you recommend OP? My price range is <$500.

 

[am1x90xnike]

Looking for a good starter camcorder to shoot some HD and do a little editing. What would you recommend OP? My price range is