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Originally posted by melarsoprol
Is there any general rule of thumb things i should know about before starting up on my new project?

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Not really. You can start the way all of us started. Take the
experimenting to the next level and write a script, cast it,
set shoot dates and make the movie. You will learn what work
and what doesn't so when you do it again, you will be a little better.

And then you will be a little better the third, forth and fifth time.

Don't forget to look through old posts right here on the boards. A lot of people have asked a lot of different questions and gotten some great answers. But nothing is more important than just going out and doing it!

Welcome to the boards!

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

I guess my question was too broad.
I guess ill start with this one...

I've seen those scenes in movies where a certain object, such as a penny or a cigarette is slowly flying through the air.

Is the camera zoomed it? or is the camera up close? I know there is some definite slow motion there but how do they get the object in the middle of the frame so well? Is there a certain trick to this?

First, get a good cinematographer that can keep it close to the center of the frame. Second, shoot the same thing a million times until you have a shot where the object is close to the center of the frame. Third, take the chosen cut into your editing program and zoom in slightly. You'll lose a bit of resolution but you can center it exactly how you want it. If the first two steps worked out you won't need to zoom to much.

Another way is to cheat using a greenscreen. You can control the movement of the object far better so keeping it in the center of the frame would be easier.

A third way is to create the object in a 3d program. A coin is a coin, should be easy to fake. A cigarette might be harder with the smoke and all but is probably still doable.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

Hey, 1st things 1st the most important thing is having a good idea for a film like you say. That you have done, you think?

You then need to sit down and format your idea, which means putting it in to either a script or a screen play format so that your actors (When you have cast them, which comes later on) understand what is happening in each scene.

The next stage is one of the most important stages in the whole production, and thats your pre-production planning. This is where you need to work hardest as if you dont give it your all here then your goping to encounters lots and lots of different problems that are going to make you feel as though you want to give up.

Thats the best advice that I can give to you is to plan every thing to the very last detail and things will go smothley.

You just then need to film it and edit it all together to make it presentable to your audience.

Just know this, good planning saves you time, which in turn saves you lots of money. Hope that this helps, Cleary.

www.myspace.com/b31_film_productions

That effect can be achieved several different ways.

For an object that small, you'll want an excellent lens, not the
kind found on most video cameras. But you can sure give it a try
with what ever camera you have.

Try it with the zoom all the in and try it with the camera up
close. Sometimes it done with high speed photography - the object
is tossed in the air and a camera running at several hundred FPS
follows it. Yep, that's really difficult and dozens of takes are
needed. But most of the time the object is attached to a
monofilament wire and lit well against a greenscreen. Then the
image is manipulated in post - placed against a background and
kept in the middle of the frame.