Depth of Field

Okay Filmmakers, let's talk camera.  Yes, I know many of us don't have any budget to speak of and you have to either shoot with whatever camcorder drops in your lap or choose not to shoot at all.  So what can you do?

The biggest problem with cameras, is not necessarily the resolution, which is where everyone focuses (pardon the pun).  Most prosumer cameras have enough for your quirky no-budget indie film.  If you have a few dollars, don't upgrade to a higher quality camera-- instead, spend it on getting better glass (lenses). 

For instance, I just got finished watching a small budget indie movie recently and it was shot with a decent prosumer HD camcorder.  There was a shot in a school hallway and four class rooms down, you could still read the pep rally sign hanging on the back wall.  That's a HUGE depth of field-- one that screams "home movie" instead of "cinema."

And the camera they use does have a third party platform for putting cinematic lenses in front of it.  Makes a huge difference.  I'm talking about the Letus or Redrock adapters.  Of course, they do cause you to lose some f stops (especially the Red Rock), but it pays off in the look of your movie.

For "The Imposter," I had the budgetary choice of upgrading my camera, or having two lower resolution cameras, but with prime lenses.  I chose the two camera option.  I don't regret that.  (For the newest film "Rising Star", coming out in theaters on October 22, we used to Reds).

Okay, so what do you do if you have no money and a consumer camcorder?  I bet you could beg or borrow to at least upgrade to something like the HVX200-- you can't throw a rock without hitting someone who owns one.  Except most HVX 200 users are selling there's to get the 5D or 7D from Canon.  Even better if you borrow one of these.  I shot with a 7D recently and I'll blog about that soon.

Okay, so you've struck out and all you've got is this lowly camcorder.  What can you do to get a more cinematic look with it?  You need to narrow the depth of field.  Depth of Field is affected by several factors.  One of the easiest is the f stop (a wider, or more open aperture will shallow your depth of field).  So use an ND (neutral density) filter inside and light so that you can get that iris as open as possible.  There are other factors for shallowing your depth of field, but that's enough to get started.

Month of June

Last day of June.  The most popular blog entry this month was "Telling Stories."  Jesus, my Master, was also the master storyteller.  He used stories to illustrate points.

Some people make movies to entertain.  I think just about every movie contains a message-- something the filmmaker is communicating tot he audience.  It might be that the main point is to entertain, but many film storytellers are primarily sending a message that also happens to be entertainment.

Yes, movies are entertainment and part of the entertainment industry.  But the are stories.  Some in Hollywood say there are no messages, but clearly that point of view is inaccurate.  Aaron Sorkin has something to say in every television drama he writes.  Even the flippant Larry David and Seinfeld had a message, though they took pride in it being a show about nothing.  That in itself is saying something.  And they said a lot more-- like homosexuality is okay ('not that there's anything wrong with it.")

So, my filmmaking friends, don't' deceive yourselves into thinking that you really aren't pushing an agenda or sending a message, because you are.  It's the essence of story-- you are communicate something.

It's not just entertainment.

More Lighting for Directors- Chapter 2 STRATEGY

Continuing on lighting knowledge for filmmakers (not DP's)... I write this so that the Director can better communicate with his Director of Photography.

In generations past, lighting was approached through a three-point plan.  A "key" light, a "fill," and a "back" light.  You'll see this in documentary interview situations and in studio television.  But for story-telling in the narrative, or movie, lighting is approached today different.

The movement has been for a "realism" approach.  What this means is that the DP looks at the scene and determines where the natural light would come from, and then emulates that in his lighting attack.  You might ask, then, why not just use available natural light?  Because cameras, especially non-film, have needed more light than what is commonly natural to get the proper exposure.  So a whole lighting plan is created to basically copy what is there.

For instance, shooting in a room at night-- the DP might determine that there is a yellowish glow coming from the fireplace, yellow tungsten from a lamp in the corner, and blue moonlight streaming in through the window.  So he and the gaffer will use lighting instruments to recreate this.

It gets trickier when there's no natural lighting source.  The hardest is interior car scenes at night.  A few directors are heading towards shooting this the way it is naturally-- almost dark with hits from other headlights on the driver (see Michael Mann's Collateral).  What is traditionally done, is to set "dashboard" lights, usually a small Flo or LCD light on the dashboard or on the instrument panel. Also, woods on a moonless night.  At that point, real life would be shooting "radio"-- a DP's term for not seeing anything.

Bad lighting stands out when lighting is used from no discernible source.  I remember in one of my earlier movies, it's a park at night.  Problem is, we set up a big 12K, presumably a street lamp in the park, but I never established it.  Felt very forced on the lighting and it's always bugged me when I watch.

Today, with the technology constantly improving, image quality is getting better and better with lower exposures.  The Red camera has a new build that they did a promo with Leo DiCaprio-- he's in an unlighted room and illuminates himself with just the match and cigarette.  It's amazing.  Look for the trend to head this way.  Less lights, better cameras.

Very Basic Lighting for Directors - Chapter 1 COLOR

I'm not trying to make you a cinematographer or a gaffer, this post is for the filmmaker to have a basic understanding of some narrative lighting principles and techniques.  First, as always, let's start with some definitions.

A "Gaffer" is the person who actually lights the movie.  He reports to the DP (Director of Photography).  On some foreign sets, the term "Lighting Director" is used, but here, we call him the Gaffer.  His chief assistant is the "Best Boy."  And under them you will find Electricians. 

There are two primary types (color) of light (really lots more, but let's start here)-- tungsten and HMI... which basically means 3200 kelvins and 5600 kelvins.  Tungsten is the yellowish light that you get from your common light bulb.  HMI burns at the color temperature of the sun, which is blue compared to tungsten light.  A common amateur mistake is to mix these two types of light in a scene.

For instance, a new filmmaker showed me her movie.  Near the beginning of the movie, there's a interior car scene.  What her DP did was to light the talent with tungsten (3200), while blowing in from the car windows was sunlight (5600).  So to make the sunlight natural, the tungsten is now very yellow on the actors.  Or you can balance for the tungsten and blue light is pouring in.

Now an experienced Gaffer will sometimes break the rule of not mixing the two, but it's by design because he wants a blue hint or a yellow feel.  But as I always keep saying in the seminars, I think it's best to break a rule because you choose to, not because you're ignorant.

One cheat that is employed on a regular basis, when faced with shooting in a sunny room, but you still need lights and HMI's are out of the budget, is to gel the tungsten with a light blue gel.  This color corrects the light giving the appearance of the same color of light.

I tell all of you new directors this info, because when you choose a location, it doesn't hurt to have a basic knowledge of what the resources it might take for your lighting department to pull off your vision.

Some principles for color-- the higher the definition of your acquisition footage, the more latitude you'll have in post to color it.  So it's not a bad strategy to play it safe on the set and don't color your lights too dramatically.  You can achieve a lot in post.  Remember, blue is cold, yellow/orange is warm.  Green is sick.  (Notice this in uncorrected florescent lights).

And speaking of florescents (flows), they used to be some sickly mid-range color for the purposes of film.  But now, they have a whole line up of various colored flows and over the last fifteen years, flows have become a common way to light scenes.  The don't burn hot.  You can make really small ones to put on top of the lens to punch up an actors face.  You can bank them together to give you some pretty serious light.  They're soft light, not hard or harsh.  So you can see why many DP's are using flows more and more.

I'm sure you DP's reading this will want to correct/comment etc.  I'm just trying to give director's an overview so that they will understand what you are trying to do.

Mountain Climbing Comparissons

For those who have read this blog on any kind of a regular basis, know that I often equate filmmaking with climbing a mountain. Not that I would ever really climb a mountain-- but something about Everest intrigues me. The last few years I've read lots of books and surfed lots of information, and watched all the documentaries and reality shows on climbing the worlds tallest mountain.

But the analogy is apt. Here's a list of why Climbing Everest is like making a Movie:
* The climb is made in the preparation, just like a film is made in prep.
* Tools are very important, but nothing matches pure determination and passion.
* Without the proper tools, you can fall to your death.
* You need climbing guides and partners who know their stuff, or they may get you killed as well.
* Most crashes/fatalities occur on the way down (post production/distribution/deliverables surprise people)
* A good route gives you the best chance to succeed-- a bad route often cannot be done.
* Sometimes, when the storm is blowing, you're snowblind, you've got to dig deep just to take step after step.
* When you get to the top, it's a beautiful site, but also you'll be surprised at all the garbage left there.
* When you're climbing, especially in the latter stages, you think "I'll never do this again." Only to find later, in the comfort of your house, you're planning that next climb.
* You can be a jerk to all those climbing with you, and it may even get you to the top, but it usually comes back to get you and it's a miserable way to live.
* Training is crucial... before you ever set foot on the mountain, you need to have climbed lesser mountains and trained with gear and people you'll be using.
* Sometimes, the sky clears, and the path opens up and you have a magical ascent. Other times, the conditions are horrible and it takes everything you've got just to take another step. Sometimes, those two polar opposite conditions happen on the same climb.
* A lot of Egos are bigger than Everest.
* Some people climb without clear purpose or mission.
* Some people climb with ego-driven purpose or mission and the bodies lay in their paths.
* Some people climb because they think it's all so cool.
* You have to raise the money for the climb.
* Sometimes, even total idiots make it to the top.
* Setting up Base Camp is the same as setting up the Production Office during prep.

I'm sure I can keep adding more and more, but I think you begin to get the point. For you filmmakers, there will be times that it's hard to get your breath, every step is painful and difficult, and you wonder why in the world you're doing this. It's at this point that you need your passion. If you don't have it, you'll fail here. If you have passion, it will be the juice that keeps your feet moving, one painful step after another.

If you'd like to learn more about this, I'm giving a seminar on how to get climbing in a movie on Saturday Jan 30. Go to www.s-films.com/pov for more info.

Greenlighting Yourself

Several years ago, after speaking to different groups, I figured out that a majority of the questions asked by filmmakers and beginning filmmakers had to do with getting started—greenlighting their own film themselves.

In this do-it-yourself society, I think this is great. It’s the path I’ve taken. When I was getting started, I knew that it would be easier to make the movie myself than to get a Hollywood studio to not only greenlight, but keep me at the helm. Just wasn’t going to happen. So Greenlight Yourself was born.

Since then, I have written/produced/directed four feature films with varying degrees of success (and I’ve written/directed a fifth that other producers hired me for). I’ve learned a ton of things—pitfalls to avoid, shortcuts, helpful hints and factors that can minimize risk while giving you the best chance to succeed.

I played around with the idea of doing a seminar after my second film way back when, but decided to wait. Now, I have a lot more info to share. I’ve done the first class back in December and had some people tell me they wanted to come but couldn’t make that particular Saturday. So I’m going to offer the class again, Saturday January 30, 9am in Fort Worth at Serendipitous Films. Cost will be the same-- $99 for the day, which includes a workbook containing samples of budgets, breakdowns, and business plans, plus much more.

Here’s what students said the first time around:

"Well organized, loved the workbook."
"I would absolutely recommend this seminar to any aspiring, first time filmmaker who's looking to kickstart their career."
"Excellent. Very informative and detailed."
“Loved the small size of the group, great to see other people’s models.”
“Dan gives a complete picture of filmmaking.”

To register, go to www.s-films.com/pov. We need a minimum of 8 for the class to make. If we don’t get that, you’ll get a full refund.

We’ll cover setting up the legal entities, fundraising, business plans, the script, the 6 phases of filmmaking, distribution and deliverables, plus a whole lot more.

The Name Thing

Hey filmmakers,
Let's say you've decided that your end goal is distribution (secular, not talking about special genre markets like the faith-based arena)-- you want your movie to be picked up and distributed around the world. So you're sitting on an idea, or a script, at base camp, ready to climb the tall mountain of making a movie.

What is the singular most important factor in reaching your goal of distribution? Production value? (That's the quality of the lighting, writing, directing, acting, etc). A compelling and amazing story? Passion? Vision?

While all the above are very, very important, none of them are the most important factor. You see, to reach the goal of distribution, your "customers" are not the end user. It's not the guy perusing the shelves at Blockbusters. Your "customers" are the acquisition people in Hollywood. Your movie may be perfect for everyone in mid America, but if the suits in H'Wood don't get it, it won't be picked up.

You need to know your customer. Know the way they think. The way they approach movie business. And here it is in a nutshell.

Who's in it?

You see, when they pick up your movie, they know a movie will be bought primarily because the actor is recognizable. Sure there are exceptions. And people win the lottery too. But the most important factor in your movie getting distribution is the name recognition of your actor or actors. Let me write it again for emphasis. The most important factor in your movie getting distribution is the name recognition of your actor or actors.

And it's not that hard to get a name actor. I'll talk about ways to do that on Saturday Dec 5 (click here to find out more), and even give you some specific information about how to get phone numbers and meetings with casting people in LA. Everyone wants to work.

The First Steps Towards Pre-Production

Filmmaking. As I've discussed, there are 6 Phases: The Idea, Development, Pre Production, Production, Post Production, and Distribution. We've talked about Development and raising money which is the second hardest part of filmmaking. But let's say you've got that, what's next? As Development stage ends, there are some key steps for getting ready for Pre-Production.

As a Producer/Director of your own indie film, the most important next step is bringing on an experienced Unit Production Manager. This person will be one of the most important team members-- they will pull all your bottom line crew together and if you're a newbie, they will help direct your steps.

Then as you progress towards Pre-Production, also called "Prep," you will need a preliminary budget and script breakdown (the UPM can do this). Then it's time to set up a Prep start date-- the day the production office opens. My formula is 1.5 times the shoot period. So if it's a four week shoot, then it would be a six week prep.

And finally, first steps will be choosing the other key department heads, starting with your Director of Photography. Now it's coming together and prep is about to officially begin.

Christian Video Producer

Well, we do have a cover story about "The Imposter" on Christian Video Producer magazine (click here). We've been seeing a dramatic increase in churches that are buying the movie for exhibition at their church and we're hoping to see that increase continue.

Some churches have ordered the movie as a fundraiser. Others as an outreach/message. We've had pastors order it and also a fair number of congregation members buy it for their church. If your church hasn't ordered the movie, please encourage them to do so. We're working hard to get the movie out all over the country this summer.

For the Christian Producers, I hope you find this blog helpful and informative. In between the philosophical and theological, we have posts about the technical aspect of video/film making. I hope you enjoy.

The Two D's

The following is a general missive to young filmmakers about the two hardest phases of filmmaking. It applies to experiences making and distributing a low budget secular movie.

I break filmmaking into 6 phases: The Idea, Development, Pre-Production, Production, Post Production and Distribution. In my opinion, young filmmakers are weakest in the two D's-- Development and Distribution.

Development - This is where the script is written and possibly a name or two are attached. But the hardest part of Development is pulling the funding together. I used to say this was the hardest part of filmmaking-- finding the money-- but now I think it's the second hardest part. So how do you fund your movie? Well, I know people are plopping down lots of green for seminars on this very topic. And what you find at the seminars are directions on how to apply for grants, instructions on how to find investors, and maybe in the better ones, how to setup your business entity.

I do get asked this a bunch. How do I raise the money. And yes, the answer is a hard, narrow path. You have to approach everyone you know and ask them to invest. And then you ask them for referrals. The secret is just tenacity and getting over call reluctance. There's no easy answer. If you're a first time filmmaker, your money will *not* come from Hollywood.

The first step to this whole thing is creating your legal entity and getting the paperwork to raise money. You'll need an attorney and expect to pay $6,000 to $15,000 in fees. So yes, welcome to your first Catch-22-- you need money to get the paperwork, you need paperwork to get the money. See if your first investor will front you the money so you can get the paperwork.

For those DIY'ers out there, there is software and ways to create the entity yourself-- but depending on the state you live in, it will still cost a grand or more in fees.

As for grants, I've found it's more paperwork and hassle to go after a very small amount of money than it is to raise it through private investors. But if you're wanting to do a documentary, it might be the way to go.

I could write a long time on this subject, but then you wouldn't need to go to any seminars.

Distribution -- The other D. If you've gotten a name actor, even B- name actor to be in your movie, getting distribution will be easy. If you have a no-name drama, chances are you won't get distribution. Drama's are the hardest genre to get distribution. And by the way, if you want distribution, the name value of the actors is almost *everything*.

The hardest part of filmmaking is this-- getting the investors money back. You see, the distributors are pro's at covering their bases-- making sure they have lots of profit (as much as they can squeeze out). They will make noise about wanting to help you, establish strong relationships with filmmakers such as yourself, but for the most part, this is the H'Wood snow job. Don't buy into it. They might offer you a small advance... but this could very well be the only money your investors ever see.

So work the best deal you can with distributors. If you're just beginning a movie, keep these things in mind.

Killing My Children

Before you go call 911 or CPS, this is a term used in filmmaking. Most seasoned distribution professionals cringe when they here about a "slash"-- a writer/director/editor/producer. Most of the time, what this means is a movie that needs significant cutting and tightening, but alas, it won't happen because the Slash won't kill any of his children (the cherished little scenes).

For me personally, being a Slash, I guard against this by running edits by a select group of individuals who I know will tell me straight up, the good, the bad and the ugly.

So my team has felt (along with myself) that "The Imposter" is a bit long. But not many had any specific cut suggestions. Some felt I should cut back Popeye-- great character and all, but does it move the story? Others recommended I cut back some of the music... but more said they really like the music scenes. (Pictured are Tim Grace, Russ Pond, Courtney Price. Not pictured are myself and Jeff Rodgers.

Then we started sending it out. Most people like the movie, but the only comment I heard repeated more than once, was that it's a bit long. So since December, I've been thinking about where I can cut and tighten and over the last week, I've trimmed the movie of 10 minutes of poundage. I think it's much more svelte now.

Some have already asked about what they'll be missing, so chances are, I will include either deleted scenes, or even a "director's cut" that will be the original 113 minute version.

Self Greenlighting

One of the most common questions I get is how to get started making a movie. So here's a little primer for all those go-getters who have gumption and initiative. This is not how to get H'Wood to hire you to make your movie. This is for those who want to DIY.

1. Have a good idea, and preferably a great script. Whether you write it or talk a friend into letting you have it (and signing an option agreement for a dollar or something), make sure you have clear title to the property.

1B. Find some seed money to pay for the attorney coming up in 2 and 3. ($10K would be a good start).

2. Create the legal entity. Some create an LLC (limited Liability Corporation). Others create an LP (Limited Partnership, with a corporation as the general partner). If you've never done this before, seek an attorney-- each state has different rules.
2B. You'll need to decide how much to raise, what size are the units (mine are typically $5K each), and how the returns will be divided up.

3. Get your paperwork together. For an LP, this might include: The LP Agreement, the Offering Memorandum, Subscription Booklet and Business Plan. Keep the first three together. Keep the BP seperated from the others. The Offering Memo is "every reason why not to invest." The BP is "every reason to invest." Your attorney will create the first three. You'll need to create the BP or hire someone to do it. On the left is the original cover for The Imposter business plan.

4. Now work the phones etc. Call every wealthy person you know. Get appointments. Prepare a presentation. Pitch them at the meeting. Hopefully, you will get them to agree to come in. After their attorney has time to review the paperwork, have them sign the last page of the LP agreement, fill out the sub booklet, and paper clip the check.

5. When you have raised enough-- go make your movie!

Did Paul's Tents Have a Really Cool Branded Logo?

So you want to be a Christian filmmaker? You want to make money to support yourself. So is this a job? But it's Christian-- therefore its ministry as opposed to being a job? A career? This falls into what I call:

Ministry versus Tent Making.

Paul had an incredible ministry. And I'm sure his non-profit organization paid his salary some of the time. And Paul Evangelical Association probably had a call center in Damascus raising gifts. But I digress. Actually, what we do know is that, at times Paul *worked* so that the people he was ministering to would not have to support him. He did this also to set an example (which I don't think is followed much today).

2 Thess 3
6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers[c] who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received[d] from us. 7 For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. 8 We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow.

Okay, so we know Paul was a tentmaker. I bet his tents were good. He worked night and day. And on top of that, he ministered.

There are some that have a ministry of making films for Jesus (stories). I think of the Kendrick brothers at Sherwood. They have a salary paid by the church. Clearly, making movies is part of their ministry. They work hard. They don't have to go get tentmaking jobs during the day and make movies at night. The body at Sherwood works and then tithes and from this, they can provide for their family.

My situation is different (not better or worse-- no value comparison here). First, my ministry is not telling stories. My ministry is discipleship. My family, the crew, the people around me. I don't believe a story (movie) can effectively disciple. I think it can raise questions. I think it can make a person think. I don't think a movie has the power to save anyone. So my ministry is not the films. Now if God decides to use a movie of mine for His ministry, then fine. In the meantime, I must work hard at whatever He puts in front of me to do.

So yes, at this point in time, my movies are my tentmaking. I'm sure Paul worked hard on his tents and sold them for what they were worth. I do the same here. I'm sure his tents ministered to people as they slept in them out of the rain and cold.

"The Imposter" has a powerful message directed to us in the church. Let's get back to the Author of Truth and pull down the masks we carry in front of our faces. I know I have some pretty serious ones. So do buy The Imposter and benefit from the rain it keeps off you. And maybe at some point, the merge of moviemaking and ministry will blur. Or maybe not. Whatever my Master decides is fine by me. I've got some more tents to sew. See ya.

Not Suicide (well figuratively maybe)

And if I don't succeed in killing myself, I'll really die.

The Apostle Paul, especially in the letter to the Romans deals with the "duality" of man. There's the flesh (which I'll call "the Ego") and then there's the spirit man. Paul goes on to say how important it is to mortify (make dead) the flesh. Later he writes that he dies daily.

I've got some pretty big ego strongholds that don't need fixin'. My ego doesn't need education to make it better. My ego doesn't need sympathy, placation, or coddling. It needs death. I want to kill my ego. Every day.

This blog will be my personal journal that will encompass my journey as a filmmaker, father, husband and disciple of Jesus.