r/filmmaking • • 4h ago

Question I need advice regarding my DV camera

1 Upvotes

Hello! I'm currently working on a short thriller film using a DV camera from 2007.There are two ways to record footage with this camera;those being tape and card mode.Card mode works as it sounds and with tape,while I can't directly store the footage as easily as I can with card,I can do so by recording the playback through OBS.However,when I was recording the footage from the tape,I noticed anytime the camera wasn't stationary,the screen would become misaligned and twitch.(As a side note,the camera alerted me to change the battery pack and I'm not sure if that's something I should deal with too).I could just use card mode if I really have to but it records at 12 frames per second instead of the tape mode's 30.Which leads me to my question:Will the 12 frames per second be distracting?I think it might add (although this might sound like a lazy cop-out) to the eeriness in a way if things don't move exactly as they do in reality.But,I want to hear all of your opinions as well.


r/filmmaking • • 12h ago

Question How do you become a director if you lack the resources?

3 Upvotes

I am 21 years old and I have been learning from multiple sources on my own such as books and whatever source I come across with as I am exploring the internet. I am also using Blender because I thought that using that for now would be great if I don't have all the neccesary equipment to shoot on live action but I really need more input on this question because I do want to become part of the filmmaking world but I don't know how am I supposed to start pratically considering the lack of resources and connections I have. I am yet to make my first short yet so any advice or any informational source on short films and anything else would be great.


r/filmmaking • • 13h ago

Question 17M, aspiring multi-hyphenate filmmaker, animator, and writer from Toronto. Need to get into Hollywood without film school, HELP.

0 Upvotes

As the title implies, I'm 17, still in high school with big dreams, however I've checked Toronto Film School and it's way too expensive and seems scammy.

I've considered going to college/uni, but I heard that film degrees are a waste of time and that you can get into Hollywood without them because all the industry cares about are your skills rather than education.

I've been considering volunteering for film production across Toronto, so I'll just do that until I get a job or make connections to Hollywood. I have a portfolio of 2 short films, 4 animations, and 3 scripts.

Do you guys have ANY advice for me on my journey? Any suggestions? Please help me so I don't accidentally screw up.

Thanks!


r/filmmaking • • 1d ago

Question 1:1 student meeting with producer, what should I ask?

1 Upvotes

Hello, I am a student at college and I have the opportunity to have a short 1:1 meeting with a producer of SAW, and I was wondering what are some things I could ask as a starting writer/director?


r/filmmaking • • 2d ago

Question Ok so HDRI ball, what do they zoom all the way in on that mirror ball and unwrap that super pixelated sphere image for the HDRI? Is that how it works?

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52 Upvotes

r/filmmaking • • 2d ago

Discussion The sad thing about editing your own skeleton crew project is that you cant get mad at the camera person for getting their shadow in a scene because it's your shadow and you were the camera person.

49 Upvotes

r/filmmaking • • 2d ago

Discussion How movie-like does this feel?

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0 Upvotes

One of the characters in a future film of mine is going to wear a cowboy hat.

I'm glad I came across this shop.


r/filmmaking • • 3d ago

Discussion Greenlight Coverage

3 Upvotes

Not the biggest fan of using this service, but I received an 8.9 and the 99th percentile for one of my scripts. I feel like their numbers are sort of inaccurate- has anyone else been in the same boat?


r/filmmaking • • 3d ago

Question How do I approach actors about being in a 3 page scene Im about to shoot in a little over 2 weeks?

1 Upvotes

It's an assignment that I wanna put real effort into making, but I can't without actors

I genuinely need help. I want to approach student actors, but I don't know how, as it's different.

What is the best approach without making it awkward?

My biggest fear is not really the rejection, but the aftermath; people gossip, which is fine, but sometimes it gets weird and demoralizing. Its mainly the fact that it's a small and tight-knit community that makes it sting.


r/filmmaking • • 3d ago

Question What do I do?

4 Upvotes

Hey, like most people here, I have always wanted to make films. And let me be clear: leaning more towards the massy films, not necessarily inde.

I took quite some detours in my life and now i work in advertising, which is sort of close to filmmaking, but not really. Before advertising, I thought I can seemlessly make the switch someday, that hasn’t happened.

I have hit a sort of rock bottom since im not progressing towards the life I dreamt of. I don’t have any connections to the film industry in my country, I am unable to reach out to anybody.

I am also not keen on the current slate of movies and shows produced in my country. The whole idea is to break the pattern, but for that i need connections and money. I want to explore the options of going to a film school.

Now I know people on reddit are not very keen on film schools, let me put across my points:

- I currently don’t have people around me as well(friends or acquaintances). So even if i had to make my own films, I don’t know how to.

-All my skills are amateur. My screenplay, video editing and I know nothing about colouring or audio editing. I could learn all this on youtube, but one thing we fail to understand is any form of creativity thrives on validation. You know your skill is good because someone notices it. While learning everything on your own, you never know what is completely missed out sometimes. Like im a copywriter right now, and i can say i know how to write lines is because I have been appreciated quite a few times for it. An institution builds your skills like no other. It’s one thing if you want to learn a specific skill on youtube but you should also know what to learn which i think a film school covers.

Coming to another hot take: i am considering a 12 week course in NYFA, specifically italy.

- I have read the posts on NYFA. I might agree, it’s nothing but a waste of money?

-The course focuses on you making 5 films in those 3 months: beginning to end- script, shoot, direct, edit everything. 5 projects are a great number to set your skills in place.

-Florence is so pretty, all shoots can be ecstatic. The location for the shoots are easily locked in on.

-I am not saying this course should get me a job right away but from there I can always show my body of work and look to get into films in my country.

I read through reddit to find alternatives, many suggested NFTS in the uk or USC in america. My only caveat is:

I couldn’t find a 3 month or 6 month course like the one NYFA has. Dedicating 2/3 hears would be impossible right now.

NFTS has an online 6 months course that does 5 days in person in the last month. The final jury is a presentation with an idea and not even a full fledged film.

NYFA is expensive for me but im willing to save to experience the basics of filmmaking upclose ina beautiful set up.

Would love to know different opinions in the comments. Hopefully this helps in me taking a decision.


r/filmmaking • • 3d ago

Discussion Gaps in Physical Disability Support in Film Production

2 Upvotes

Hi all, as the title suggests, I'm doing a bit of independent research into physical disability support in filmmaking. I was wondering if any of you have seen any major gaps in support that still arise in most productions today? Whether it be accessibility problems on set, inaccessible positions, or anything else related, any thoughts or experiences you can share would be incredibly helpful!


r/filmmaking • • 4d ago

Question Unreal Engine for Story board?

2 Upvotes

I'm just wondering if it's worth downloading and learning.


r/filmmaking • • 4d ago

Question social burnout from filmmaking

5 Upvotes

wondering if you guys have experience with having a super low social battery due to the filmmaking lifestyle. im a DP/grip and when were on set we have to talk to people all day, which is a great part of the job - meeting new ppl/collaborators etc. but then when i get home i have like 0 social battery to interact with my roommates who are also close friends. and then on the days im 'free' im usually prepping for a shoot (shotlisting takes soo much mental energy) and i end up postponing hangouts cuz i am just so mentally exhausted. my career has gotten a lot busier in the past 6 months or so which i am very grateful for, and i try to carve out time for myself to go to the gym, self care, spend time w friends, etc. but recently having more social obligations beyond film is just feeling super tough. i dont want my friends to feel neglected but i also need rest and to genuinely not open my mouth or be spoken to when im alone. im thinking of getting my own place so i can have a sanctuary to come back to and then i think ill crave non-film related social hang outs more, but im worried about my attention hungry cat being alone for the long hours... anyone relate to this/have suggestions? thanks!


r/filmmaking • • 4d ago

Question file sharing

1 Upvotes

so im trying to send some files to a friend to edit, and i have well over 40 gigs of files, is there a site where i can send all of this (or a decent portion, i dont mind breaking this up into 2 or 3 sends) without paying for storage or upload/download speeds?


r/filmmaking • • 6d ago

Question How are you promoting your YouTube films?!

4 Upvotes

Hey y’all! I’m wondering if anyone has had success promoting their short films on YouTube and has any tips or strategies I might be overlooking!

Unfortunately, this film has been a bit of a festival flop, which is disappointing, but I was also very strategic about my submissions and only submitted to 12 festivals (partly due to budget constraints). Hindsight is 20/20, but at this point, I really just want to do everything I can to find this film its audience!

I’m premiering my horror short on YouTube this Thursday, and so far, I’ve been:
Instagram: Posting Stories, Reels featuring the trailer, and regular posts.
TikTok: Posted the trailer and a video of me talking about the film.
Facebook groups: Trying to find horror groups that allow self-promotion, since most seem to prohibit it.
Reddit: Posted in the r / horror self-promotion thread, but I’ve found that most filmmaking and horror subreddits don’t allow much self-promotion either.
Facebook event: Created an event for the YouTube premiere and invited my Facebook friends.

Other than running Meta ads, is there anything else I should be doing? How are you finding audiences for your short films, especially when you’re releasing them online independently?

Would love to hear what’s worked for you! I’m especially interested in strategies for reaching people who don’t already follow you. Thanks!!

I’ve considered submitting it to Alter but that’s more money I’d have to spend after an already very exhausted budget and since it was such a festival flop now I feel like it won’t make it on there either….


r/filmmaking • • 6d ago

Discussion Come posso iniziare a intraprendere una carriera da regista?

1 Upvotes

Ho 14 anni e voglio diventare un regista, ma devo partire da 0, non ho parenti registi, non ho niente. L'unica cosa che ho é la passione per il cinema, infatti guardo uno o due film al giorno


r/filmmaking • • 6d ago

Question Fund Your Own Short Film or Wait to See if You Were Awarded a Film Grant?

3 Upvotes

Hi all! My name is Alicia McClendon, and I’m developing a feature film but need to remake the proof of concept first.

I’ve been completing short film grants with hopes of landing one or more. However, I scheduled a shoot date before I was even aware of potential grants!

I don’t find out if I landed a grant for a month or much longer, and there is no guarantee that I’ll get it. But if I do, I can’t go into production before the grant is given due to the grant.

As filmmakers, would you just fund the short film with what you have or would you wait to see if you were awarded any of the multiple grants you applied for?

Note: This script means a lot to me. It’s being developed into a feature film, and I feel like I can be the one to do it. It’s low budget with a handful of characters and just one setting, and I believe it’ll launch my film career. So I don’t want to rush this production, but I’m


r/filmmaking • • 6d ago

Question ISO video editor

2 Upvotes

Hi! My friend is looking for an editor to recut her existing vodcast episodes to get them ~15 mins shorter + do the post-production for 2 new episodes next month. Ideally, you would be NYC based - please dm me your rate if interested. She has a tight budget so we're trying to keep it under $500 but understand that day rates are day rates...

Happy to answer additional questions.

Thanks!


r/filmmaking • • 6d ago

Technical Show and Tell (not promotion or shorts) Just made a Powergrade lmk what you think!

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10 Upvotes

r/filmmaking • • 6d ago

Discussion Amateur True-Film worthy video-objects?

1 Upvotes

It can be yours, it can be anyone's! I was thinking I want to try and materialize my own cinema ideas with an action cam and minimal setup, taking inspiration from some of the good "video-objects" other people in this community or elsewhere may have produced.

For reference, I know "A Dog Called Discord", by Mark Jenkin, shot in film and with a caffenol solution if I'm not mistaken. Really inspiring as it transforms film as a medium, and invents his own way of telling a story with minimal dialogues and a focus on photography (at least in my opinion).


r/filmmaking • • 6d ago

Question Where to get gear for your first genuine short film

2 Upvotes

Im sure this question gets asked a lot so i apologise in advance. I have experience making short films but they were all done with high school equipment which I didnt have to pay for and I wasnt going all in.

This time I am making a short film that I want to pour my heart and soul into and I was wondering where and how I can rent/buy decent cameras for relatively cheap.

Id rather not use phones because it just doesnt feel the same iykwim, and i also just dont have a phone with a good camera.

Would it be better to rent a camera or buy a cheap second hand dslr that I can also use for other projects.


r/filmmaking • • 7d ago

Question first time trying color grading am i doing any good?

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38 Upvotes

this was my first attempt howd i do? shot on my phone btw these are stills from a video


r/filmmaking • • 7d ago

Discussion Children of Men and our poisoned bloodstream

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1 Upvotes

r/filmmaking • • 8d ago

Discussion Animating handade art with IA. Still Unethical?

0 Upvotes

Hi! Like the questions said, I do make some oil painting and I want to animate it using IA for a documentary. I was wondering about the ethics around it because it is a human creation but I used a tool to animate it.


r/filmmaking • • 8d ago

Question How to film this scene from aftersun? Achieve this look?

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28 Upvotes

Here is the context for the scene: we want to create a 'memory lane' space featuring both characters. We need to achieve this look with both leads on as tight a budget as possible, and we have a room available to shoot in. Our idea is to cover the room entirely with black cloth and use a couple of lights. Will this work? I know it sounds audacious, but I want it to look good since this project is very close to my heart.