I'm Finally Making My Own Movie - "PAPER PLATES"

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Another thing I remember was from James Rolfe when he made his Angry Video Game Nerd movie that he learned was importance of fees/permits. Of course a big part of that was he was shooting a LOT in LA area, but after the experience he joked if you wanted to film a tree you needed a permit from the effin’ squirrel. LOL

It's a very fortunate thing that I live in the Midwest and am shooting in a small village. I got all permission I currently need by just meeting people and shaking their hand. People are kind, curious, and generous here and I underestimated that extent; I didn't think anyone would care. Only just a few days ago, I was talking with the mayor of the village I'm shooting in and he's looking to see if he can arrange to close the roads for me for a the first few days of shooting. All just on a man's word.

Whatever happens from this movie, I will forever be grateful for their kindness and interest in making this happen with and for me, and will do my best to repay it.

 

[animator]

I'm very excited for you! Sounds like you are planning things well!

Since your avatar is Zig-Zag from the incredible Richard Williams, I think it is worth keeping in mind a lesson from his Thief and the Cobbler... don't let it get so big you can't finish it.

I have a Richard Williams drawing by my desk for artistic inspiration and to remind me of my limitations.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

A lesson that should be well heeded, animator! Although, being I am fully funding this endeavor myself, I'm well aware of the limitations every day looking at my bank statements.

As much as I respect him for his work, passion, and dedication: Richard Williams a great director/leader was not. He's an animator. A damn great one at that. What really sabotaged Thief and the Cobbler the most was Williams himself, or rather, it was his lack of vision and discipline in the role he occupied; he could do the work on deck but he couldn't steer the ship straight. I love the movie but it's a real mess tonally and in pacing, it really needed an editor or a second director to reel Williams in and keep production on track. Williams diverged, built, and expanded beyond his means and the cut we ultimately got was the unfortunate result.

My project is built on the very limitations I already live in. There is a goal, there is an end, and it is unavoidable. How I go and get what I need is what I'm working on now with the small crew of collaborators I have.

 

[animator]

I was lucky enough to take Richard William's weekend Masterclass in 1997. I have never met anyone who came even close to loving animation as much as he did! The Thief and the Cobbler, A Christmas Carol, Roger Rabbit and even Raggedy Ann and Andy contain some of my favorite scenes ever produced, but the complete projects don't really connect with me in the way I wish they would.

I sort of think with Richard the journey (getting better at the craft) really was more important than the destination. Just a guess, he loved the art so much. He taught so many people how to get better at it. That is a legacy to be proud of.

Telling stories is hard... but I am looking forward to seeing yours! You are living the dream!

 

[CopperRevan]

Already had it done, gosh, near 6 years ago now, I think. I think I'm due for a software update.



If CopperRevan is free mid-August to first week of September, and can fly himself to Iowa, and then travel into western Illinois on his own dime, and then would be willing to work like a dog for free, then I'd be glad to bring him on!



I'm gonna register a production company through the bank and state pretty soon, I think, just to make that happen. Seed it with the production budget money and go from there. Don't know all the legalese that will entail but I gotta be safe somehow. I'd love to pick Sam Raimi's brain more but who better to take heed from than Ash Williams?

I'd have no problem with any of it except the timing...of course, our family Vacation is that week up in the Thousand Islands right before school starts. If there is any date change it could be a real possibility.

 

[CB2001]

Woah that's a trip. I remember hacking my old 5DII back in the day to get raw video out of that camera. Thanks for the trip!

SB

You're welcome.

Already had it done, gosh, near 6 years ago now, I think. I think I'm due for a software update.

Good good! Never hurts to keep things up to date. Been mostly experimenting with the Eos M because of this video, which makes it look like it's film stock from what I can tell. I still haven't been able to reproduce the look, yet. Got the adaptor for the C-Mount and a couple of cheap lenses off of eBay.

But enough of about me. As I've said before, good luck with your project.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

I'd have no problem with any of it except the timing...of course, our family Vacation is that week up in the Thousand Islands right before school starts. If there is any date change it could be a real possibility.

My dates are locked and I won't hold you to it, but you let me know otherwise and I'll give you any of the details you need.

CB2001 Hey, I'm all for it! If you can get it to work out like the video, that's a real good solution to making something look 16mm without using 16mm. That alone is worth experimenting with. There's a huge interest back in film photography, even if the prices for it now are ludicrous from when I was a kid, and that's a good way around those prices. All the conveniences of the day with all the beautiful warmth and grit of film. Not actually as good as film, of course, but a great alternative!

 

[joberg]

It's great to have allies in this movie business: mayor of small town being one already My father and I + team of like-minded people had a tendency to scout the location and the following week-end you had camera + crew + cast filming in said location without a permit.

I remember seeing Brussels 's cops looking bewildered at an old Ford 1920 with 4 guys inside and another one on the side board with Tommy guns at the ready flying pass them on the street (we were shooting a 1929 gangster movie) They didn't arrest us, or asked us questions
(I'll try to post pics if you don't mind hijacking your thread?)

Edit: here's a pic from the '70s (Sweet Jenny Lee was the title of the gangster movie) I'm the paper boy selling the "Chicago Star" (my father is behind me)

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

And all on film, boy! I hope you kept these films somewhere! They'd be great to digitize just to keep around.

 

[joberg]

And all on film, boy! I hope you kept these films somewhere! They'd be great to digitize just to keep around.

Yep, it's all transferred from 16mm B&W to compact disk

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

So, update on the lens rehousing attempt: It didn't work!

It would've helped had I known what I was doing. Ah, well. These vintage glass lenses are fairly cheap so I wound up just buying another prime to replace the one that was sacrificed. I can still use the Fuji parfocal but I'd have to get a 4x3 camera to do it. Dunno if that's the route I'll go, or maybe find someone with actual skill to rehouse it for me.

 

[Link8367]

An actor friend of mine passed along the casting notification. Do you have an email for audition submissions? It sounds like a great project.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

An actor friend of mine passed along the casting notification. Do you have an email for audition submissions? It sounds like a great project.

I'm gonna tell you now, after looking at and answering 170+ submissions already from across the country, if you're not in or around the area where I'm at, I'm not entertaining the idea of an audition. It's a small, local film and I want to keep it that way. I cannot afford to accommodate travel and lodging at all.

It's on Backstage if you still want to submit your info. Just look for "PAPER PLATES."

 

[Link8367]

I'm gonna tell you now, after looking at and answering 170+ submissions already from across the country, if you're not in or around the area where I'm at, I'm not entertaining the idea of an audition. It's a small, local film and I want to keep it that way. I cannot afford to accommodate travel and lodging at all.

It's on Backstage if you still want to submit your info. Just look for "PAPER PLATES."

Oh I completely understand. I'm out of the country at the moment, but typically Chicago-based, if that's close enough. I'm not on Backstage because it costs a couple hundred dollars, but I am on Spotlight if you'd like a profile. Been working professionally for 15 years in Theatre, Film, TV.
But if you want to keep it streamlined through Backstage it's no problem and wish you all the best with the project.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Oh I completely understand. I'm out of the country at the moment, but typically Chicago-based, if that's close enough. I'm not on Backstage because it costs a couple hundred dollars, but I am on Spotlight if you'd like a profile. Been working professionally for 15 years in Theatre, Film, TV.
But if you want to keep it streamlined through Backstage it's no problem and wish you all the best with the project.

I am entertaining some folks from Chicago but they'd have to take care of themselves outside of filming. Again, I can't help with travel or lodging because of the movie's size. PM me your details.

 

[joberg]

I am entertaining some folks from Chicago but they'd have to take care of themselves outside of filming. Again, I can't help with travel or lodging because of the movie's size. PM me your details.

That was the main problem when working in the "Amateur Circuit": the lack of funds/people/pay. Thank the Maker that we had a doctor who threw fist full of money, for years, to pay for just the film/lab fees, etc. All of our friends and acquaintances worked for the love of making movies...that's it. They were enthusiastic and patient (a must while shooting any movie) and ready to work week-ends or even nights (when the story asked for an evening/night shoot) without any pay! Ah...the good old days

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

joberg I hope I can muster that kind of loyalty or passion for the work based on the strength of the material. Unfortunately, I don't think so. Nobody I know, not my family and especially not my "friends," want anything to do with this. Even the ones that said they were interested in helping me make it happen in the first place. They all have said some form of "It'd be a cool thing to get done, so good luck!" and have completely stopped talking to me. I'm left high and dry now when it comes to help.

This movie is going to happen whether or not I have anyone's faith, belief, or trust in me. I just need the money. I want to pay the people I have rightly. I think I have enough to just get by but it's that extra I'm trying to raise just to be comfortable that people get what I said they'd get. Not haggled down to tooth and bone.

 

[joberg]

joberg I hope I can muster that kind of loyalty or passion for the work based on the strength of the material. Unfortunately, I don't think so. Nobody I know, not my family and especially not my "friends," want anything to do with this. Even the ones that said they were interested in helping me make it happen in the first place. They all have said some form of "It'd be a cool thing to get done, so good luck!" and have completely stopped talking to me. I'm left high and dry now when it comes to help.

This movie is going to happen whether or not I have anyone's faith, belief, or trust in me. I just need the money. I want to pay the people I have rightly. I think I have enough to just get by but it's that extra I'm trying to raise just to be comfortable that people get what I said they'd get. Not haggled down to tooth and bone.

Yep, then a official contract with amount of hours or days performed by leads/extras and the pay rate should be "de rigueur"
As you've described; not everybody is ready to put many week-ends/days off to be on a set...waiting.

I know that it's sounds bizarre; but many of times, nothing happens during principal photography and the additional difficulties to shoot outside, for example. You don't have the luxury of a second unit (or third for that matter) and everything is directed/shot by you and only you.

Best plan goes really out of the window...fast (not that I'm saying you don't have to have a storyboard or set-ups well in advance)...it's just that Mother Nature does what She wants
And, unless you're very patient, it can make for a very frustrating environment

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Really nothing much to post about at the moment as a lot of my efforts are being put into finding the right people to fill the cast. Just some props that I've had to make thus far. Guns are all airsoft; the slate is currently the thing I'm most proud of. I've always wanted an "old fashioned" clapperboard and after seeing MAKE BELIEVE thread on his collection, it really spurred me into making my own for my movie. It's themed, too!

The grenade was initially a cheap, brightly colored PLA print I found on eBay. I rectified that by making it more "serious" looking. Which meant gobs of paint applied until it was dripping the stuff and replacing the handle, clip thing with a metal replacement.

 

[joberg]

Great props so far! Is the clapboard made out of white board?