You've stumbled into one of the great secrets of filmmaking as to why some movies get greenlit and others don't. LOCATIONS are one of the very FIRST items on the to-do list, often before anyone beyond a UPM is hired. If you can't find the right location at the right time for the right money, the movie is shelved temporarily or permanently.

In any case, you have to decide just how important the set is to the story you want to tell. If your entire movie takes place in that one location AND it is very important that it looks the part, then maybe it is worth it to build the set from scratch. That not only gives you complete freedom to dress it properly, but you can also build in wild-walls to facilitate shooting and you'll be able to light it properly. AND, depending upon where you put it, you're not limited to the days you have to shoot in it.

Before you give up on that idea because of cost, first consider finding ways to get supplies for free or very little. Obviously, draw up proper building plans and a supply list for it. If construction isn't your thing, head to a local community theater or university and find someone in a theater or film department and let them know what you want to do. There are no guarantees, but generally, when someone like you shows enthusiasm and has the drive to complete a project, experienced people are more than willing to help out.

So, what that means is that if you lay the groundwork (by having a completed script and prep in every sort of way possible), you should seek out PEOPLE first (before supplies) and get THEM interested and nine times out of ten, the supplies will seemingly magically appear. 🙂 Somehow, that set design guy in the local theater will know someone who has extra wood or drywall or paint and he may have some spare time to help actually build the set. Where to build it? That same guy may know someone else who has a spare corner of a warehouse that you can borrow for a couple of weeks.

Need power for the lighting? Ask friends and family if they have a backup generator laying around their garage and a whole mess of "stingers" (AC power cables) because you'll have to put the genny far away (outside) and do everything you can to dampen the noise. That's if the location doesn't have enough house-power, of course.

Need a proper camera and lighting and grip gear? Instead of rushing out to buy crappy stuff (because that's all you can afford), find a local enthusiastic person who wants to be a Cameraman (or woman). Chances are that he/she will either own or have access to everything you should have AND that person will know how to use it all far better than you ever will or will want to. And that person will likely have people who want to help (camera assistant, grips, electrics) so you don't have to spend your own time hunting down a crew. This strategy gives you experienced (or at least enthusiastic) people to help you and it frees up your time and money so you can concentrate on producing and directing instead of worrying about all the technical stuff constantly.

The bottom line is that if you present a solid plan to PEOPLE, the chances are that all of the things you need to make a great movie often just fall into place.

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

Aren't there some studios that rent out hotel rooms specifically designed for shooting?

quote:

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Originally posted by Aspiring mogul

Aren't there some studios that rent out hotel rooms specifically designed for shooting?

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<<confused>>

The only time anything like that is done, in my experience, has been for press junkets. A block of rooms will be "rented" for a weekend (generally speaking) all on one floor (usually) and each room will have a two-camera setup. It's not really shooting the room because "blacks" (duvateen) are set up with some kind of one-sheet behind each talent (the talent and the reporter on the other side). The use of a hotel in that situation has more to do with the ability to contain the junket in one convenient place that is relatively quiet and has catered food available.

If someone was to attempt to shoot a movie in a real hotel/motel room with the intent of "defacing" the normal look of the room in any way, particularly one that is permanent, I'd wager that it would cost more to pay the hotel for damages than it would have been to just build a set in the first place.

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

My understanding is that there are some studios that offer props made to look like hotel rooms, high-rise offices, and so on, and they're not designed to be lived in but rather designed for filming.

In cities with a lot of production there are prop houses that offer
anything you can think of - and a lot of things you cannot think
of. Here in Los Angeles anyone can rent from these houses and
some of the collections are on studio lots. So if you mean that
some studios rent period furniture and props, you understand
correctly.

I think Ladon is asking about his options when he has no money
to spend. I would assume that furniture/prop rental from a studio
or prop house isn't in his budget.

Ladon, between your two options - building and furnishing a set
or furnishing an existing room - I'd suggest furnishing an existing
room. Not a hotel room for the reasons you mention, but the
bedroom or living room of yours, your family or a friend.

No matter how you do it, furnishing a room in the proper decade
is going to cost some money.

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

I agree about building the room. It provides significantly more flexibility than shoehorning your cast, crew, grip, etc. into an existing room that may or may not look exactly the way you hope.

Theoretically, such a room could even be built in a backyard, as long as light and noise can be controlled. Drywall is around $0.22 per square foot, 2x4 studs are less than $2 each (8ft long), plus some plaster, screws, paint... So, for less than $400, you can put together walls and ceiling for a 20'x15' room. Obviously, you'll need someone with experience in building, but that shouldn't be that difficult to find.

I'm a big fan of do-it-yourself solutions; they do save money, but for me, the fun of building is the primary reward.

I just realised you're in Australia, so my US$ budget may be totally irrelevant to you. I'm sure, though, building materials and lumber is comparably cheap there too.

quote:

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Originally posted by Aspiring mogul

My understanding is that there are some studios that offer props made to look like hotel rooms, high-rise offices, and so on, and they're not designed to be lived in but rather designed for filming.

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I think some of the big independent studios have sound stages with all kinds of sets. These are perfect, as they have everything you need (power, lights, wild walls, movable/removable fixtures, etc), but are way too expensive for someone like our original poster.

I still vote for do-it-yourself. You'll be surprised how much can be concealed by gaffer's tape...

Vasic, the fun can be in the building and the social interaction between you and your film club. 🙂

But you have to spend some money to buy the location, and you have to spend some money to buy the building materials. And, where money is involved, friendships can disappear very quickly. 🙂

Here in Los Angeles (and in other big cities) there are few standing
sets studios - meaning they have an "apartment" set, a hotel set, a
jail, a courtroom, a night club, etc. There are dozens of empty spaces
with power, lights and even equipment that cater specifically to movie
production where a set of any kind can be built. And there are hundreds
of empty warehouse spaces for short term rent where a set could be built.

I have built a room in my garage once. I needed to do a lot of blood in a
scene and knew doing that in my living room would be hell. And we shot
over a three month period - only a day or two a week. I even built a motel
room set in my backyard once. We could only shoot at night, but it was
doable.

I can't possibly imagine you would be able to rent a sound stage for anywhere near as cheap as you would need to spend to build a decent looking room yourself. Finding an inexpensive studio space is a challenge even in NYC and L.A; let alone anywhere in Australia.

Mixing friendship and money is, as you say, rather risky, though. So, I'd just put up my own money; if I don't have any, I'd save until I do; or borrow, without any significant strings attached (if possible).

quote:

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Originally posted by Vasic

Mixing friendship and money is, as you say, rather risky, though. So, I'd just put up my own money; if I don't have any, I'd save until I do; or borrow, without any significant strings attached (if possible).

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EXACTLY! Save until you do. It takes time, and lots of time, but it's worth it, because you get no hassles and no problems with bankers or partners. That's what I do. Good for you, Vasic! 🙂

Realistically besides TVs and Telephones what is the difference between a hotel room in the 60s and now? You could probably get a TV and Telephone at a thrift shop, they don't actually have to work after all.

Costumes will be a big difference, and cut-aways to outside the window and establishing shots will be huge to set the period (if you do that you might look for stock footage).

RJSchwarz

I wonder what happend with the poster on this? Did they end up using a hotel? What was the end result?...If that person is still hanging around.

I made a six minuet short for the local tv that took place in the 1920s. No way could I rent out any place. I shot the whole thing in a bedroom. Re arranged everything, placed some old furnature I already had. Got broken phones from the dump (a candlestick and a french phone) A feather boa from the dollar store and put it all in black and white. That was the easy part but the hard part was the friggen lighting.
To me, the lighting is the biggest issue with anything. I had to keep moving all the lights around with every shot of the camera..because it was a single camera..pita I might add.

Ladon posted one time and probably never even came back to read the replies.

Love your solution, ccw. I've done the same thing several times.