I was 15.

I knew that in a few years I?d be 18. And then 30 as some point. I
figured I could make a cop film later. While I was 15, I?d make
movies about kids my age.

There are lots of stories you could tell. Stories that don?t have
the characters owning houses or being the Chief of police, being
a doctor or any other profession. And these stories don?t have to
have anything to do with school. Kids do things that don?t
involve school, right? They did when I was 15. Can things have
changed that much?

Here?s a film I made when I was 16. No adults, no school, just
what I had available: my house, some kid actors and a guy who
knew how to make masks. The music was done on a little Casio
keyboard by a guy in the school band and the audio was recorded by
a kid in high school who was in the A/V club. His older sister
did the make-up and made food for us. She was, I think, 17 - the
oldest person on the set.

?url? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjLQy3CXFAk?/url?

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

certified your damn awesome.
that was really good.
i suppose i am rushing into things, all i need is a good character my age and i could go from there. and your right. soon i will be 18, and i can deal with that when it comes. sorry, i didnt mean to come off all angry, i was just a little upset that i couldn't do a lot of things i wanted to. thats ok though i'm takin this advice and runnin with it

Cheers,

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But a film? Well, thats worth a thousand pictures."

-(Own3d Studios)-

www.own3dstudios.com

quote:

---

Originally posted by Own3dStudios

So now that i want to move on to something completely different, i can't! why? all of my actors are my age. we have no adults. this leaves me in quite the predicament. limiting my choice by such a wide range because nearly all of the choices i want to do, anything that spoofs shows, or movies, anything like my taste in comedy, is limited to adults.

i want to do a cop movie, oh wait, i can't. we're kids. kids can't be cops.

doctors? no way.

---

There's nothing stopping you from making a movie that includes adults. In fact, you may make better movies if you have adults on screen. Look at it this way. Most of the "kids" you are likely to use are probably not the best Actors yet.

But, if you first write a very good script AND put in the effort to plan your logistics very well so that you're not just "a kid with a camcorder," then I would suggest that you reach out to adult talent around you. Where? Community theater, University Theater Departments, and the random aspiring Actors who do local commercials and corporate projects.

Also be aware of a phenomenon that I've noticed in my twenty years of experience in the film and television world. Quite simply, the bigger the camera, the more seriously EVERYONE will take their work and the better your project will ultimately be. It's a psychological reaction that people have that shouldn't make a difference in work ethic, but it does. Imagine your reaction to walking onto a set that has a standard Panaflex camera sitting on a professional dolly and how you would likely work hard to do your own job better than if you walked onto a set that has a tiny "camcorder" that is sitting on a rickety plastic tripod.

So, I'm not suggesting that you run out and rent a Panaflex, BUT, I will suggest that if you feel your script is good enough to justify bringing in better onscreen talent, then also make the effort to get better offscreen talent and equipment too. How? Well, if there are "professional" Actors in town, then there are also going to be professional Cameramen and Sound Mixers too. And they will have access to better equipment and crew than you'll likely be able to gather on your own. Just as you have to "sell" the project to the Actors, you need to do the same for the rest of the crew because they will be taking time off of work and will be bringing in their personal equipment (camera, lights, etc). You need to put on your best face and sell everyone else on the possibilities for the movie and what it can do for them. Do your research on festivals and sales markets (AFM, Cannes) so that you know what the delivery specs and other requirements are.

If you aim for the middle, you'll likely always hit it. But if you aim high... make the script very good, get better talent, shoot with a better camera, have great sound... then the possibilities for where that movie can go and what it can do for everyone take off. Then, you won't only just be having fun, you'll also be creating projects that can help jumpstart a very real career. The earlier you begin, that's less time you'll spend working toward your goals and more time you'll have doing the job you really want to do.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com

You didn?t come across angry - you came across frustrated and a
little short sighted.

It happens. You want to do something that you can?t do. That makes
it hard to see what you CAN do.

That?s something that slows down - and often completely stops -
movie makers of ALL ages. I?ve known a guy for 6 years who keeps
putting off his movie until he can get the full budget and cast he
wants. He?s now 33 and has only made two short films. In the 6
years I?ve known him I?ve directed 6 movies. Sure, they are low
budget with no names in the cast - but I?m making movies while he
waits.

Don?t wait until you can make a movie about cops. You will still
have that idea when you are 18 or 25 or 30. Make five or six
short movies in the next year. You learn a little more each time,
right? Imagine how good your cop film will be if you have made 10
to 15 movies in the next two years instead of waiting.

Kids your age rarely make movies about kids your age. Many people
think you need adults to make better movies. But kids can be fine
actors, too. You don?t need skilled pros as crew - kids can do
it. The girl who shot my movie was 16. It looked pretty good,
don?t you think?

Sure, you could make a cop movie - there are tens of thousands of
cop movies. Can you make a good film about kids your age? You
should be better at that me, right? I?m old. While I remember
what it was like to be 15, you ARE 15. I know what 15 year olds
were like when I was that age but I don?t know what 15 year olds
are like now.

You do.

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

just so you all know, i had a revelation 😕
all of this advice is greatly appreciated,(i sort of laughed at the camera size comment because when i got i pro-camera everyone took me more seriously), but it all got me thinking.

What do i know about more than anything else?
making movies.

as i explained before, it took me almost two years to get my first project with four of my friends so...

why not make a movie about four kids trying to make a movie!
its great, the script is practically writing itself, i thought of it this morning, and I'm already 6 pages in!
its so easy to write because i experienced it you know? all of the characters are going to be satires of me and my friends.

i feel really good about this project. i should be shooting by december. i'll be sure to let you all see it so you can say, "hey, i remember when he came up with that idea! i helped him!"

thanks all,
woowwww im stoked haha.

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But a film? Well, thats worth a thousand pictures."

-(Own3d Studios)-

www.own3dstudios.com

by they way, certified do you have a website or something where i can view your work?

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But a film? Well, thats worth a thousand pictures."

-(Own3d Studios)-

www.own3dstudios.com

CI - hahah great first film.

Nothing fancy, just honesty.

Own3dStudios, the idea of students making a film is a good one. I'd also like to add that you are in a particularly good situation as most movies made for kids are written by adults guessing at what kids are like these days and trying to remember how things were when they were kids. The movie 13 got a lot of attention because the screenwriters was 13. You've got the chance to put some authenticity into your story.

So you don't do a story in a school. What about the first job. First love. Fears of college, acceptance by peers, etc.

Or stick with the school but use it. Transfer that cop flick into a story that takes place at school. Instead of a rogue cop going against his boss's wishes and continuing to investigate the crooked Senator you have a hall monitor abusing his authority because he knows the Class President cheated somehow. Or the hall monitor is the bad guy, whatever. Use the stereotypes and work them for humor.

Or instead of a Samurai playing one gang off against the other to free a town from you have a new kid come into school and play off the jocks vs the metal-heads. Instead of violence he uses tricks to humiliate and embarrass them, or get them to do so themselves until they stop bugging the nerds or whatever.

Or instead of screaming survivors trapped in a farm house while zombies converge have a bunch of kids stuck in detention when zombies attack. They can't get along, possibly even cheer inappropriately when the bully gets chomped. How would a zombie movie be different if they were kids instead of adults?

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

hahaha rj your ideas are hilarious!
they are really good transfers though.
gatta embrace being young huh?

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But a film? Well, thats worth a thousand pictures."

-(Own3d Studios)-

www.own3dstudios.com

Is this evidence that young people can't come up with good ideas......

There is a filmmaker saying. Work with what you have. You've got access to schools and school age people that a Hollywood production company would have to pay a bunch for. If you try to make a normal cop movie you are tossing that away which is a shame.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

true. and i am working with that on my next project. and i can come up with good ideas thank you very much. 😕

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But a film? Well, thats worth a thousand pictures."

-(Own3d Studios)-

www.own3dstudios.com

how bout you set the cop movie in the furture, where life spans have shortened, and people must become a adult much sooner....add something else to the plot line...just an idea

Teaser!
Check it outtt 😕
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxs0QehA8pQ

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But a film? Well, thats worth a thousand pictures."

-(Own3d Studios)-

www.own3dstudios.com