Hello everyone. I have wanted to be a film director almost all of my life. I am 14 years old. I really want to make my own films. My friend also wanted to be a film director. I make $5.00 or $7.00 a week. I have about $94.00 from my birthday. I am saveing it with an exception for the Star Wars Ep.3 dvd. Christmas is comeing and I would like to put some stuff on my list. I don't have a video camera. Basiclly I don't have anything to do what I want to do. I don't know how to recruite cast members. At least enough for the movie. Also what is the best but cheapest things I need to do what I want. Please help. Also thanks so much for all of your feedback.
King of the Jawas
I guess the two things you need are a camera and a reasonable mike: you can probably get away with using the camera mike for practice, but eventually you'll want to record audible sound :).
Given how cheap the low end DV and Digital-8 cameras are these days, I wouldn't be surprised if you could find a used camera for $100, or possibly an end of line deal. Then you need a PC or Mac with a Firewire connector to edit (or, as a last resort you could do linear editing with a VHS deck).
Super-8 would be an option, but while you can probably get an old low-end super-8 camera and basic editor for $50 or less, you'll pay a lot for film and processing. Also it's not synced for sound, so you'd have to shoot without dialog.
I'm 16 1/2 years old now, and I became interested in making my own movies when I was about 14. When I first started out I got a Digital-8 camcorder and some in-expensive editign software, called my friends up and just made movies. They were all about 10 minutes or less, and the very first one was AWFUL. But, with each movie I made I got a little better. I also wrote my first script when I was about 13 and that was AWFUL. However, today- even though my writing isn't Oscar caliber- it is amazingly better than that first one.
So my advice is to get your hands on a camera, any camera you can get and just make movies. Also write everyday and write alot of screenplays. You don't need hardly any money to write, so that's easy. Right now I've kinda moved away from the 10 minute shorts and I'm trying to make a feature. Now a 80-90 minute move is deffinetly harder, and takes longer to do, but after two years of practice with shorts I think I can do it.
Any questions feel free to email, seeing as how we're about the same age and can relate a little easier than say a 25 or 35 year old guy that tries to answer your question.
Good Luck!
