myhomemadefilmschool

We are making a short movie!

mattydunsky — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:47:58 +0000

It’s time to put our camera’s where are mouths are… or something like that.

Over the past two months we have been in pre-production for a little short movie called “Within the Woods”.
If that name seems a bit familiar to you, it probably is.

Within the Woods is a short story about four kids that travel to a cabin and accidentally disturb supernatural forces that protect an ancient indian burial ground.

Originally created by Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert, it was a half-an-hour short film used to raise funds for the first Evil Dead movie. It was shot over a three-day weekend on a family farm.

Our short will be shot in the same spirit as the original. Production will take place over one three day period at a cabin, using what we have available to try and make a short that we can use on a demo reel to fund our first feature film. It will be shot using our own equipment by a crew that has over four years experience working in film. We have also consulted a psychology graduate to assist with the frightening imagery that will be used throughout the short.

We have been in contact with the special people that created the Evil Dead series. Upon completion of the short, each one of them will get their own copy.

We are currently fundraising here: http://igg.me/p/66069 - Please visit the site and leave a comment or contribute to the project. We are offering incentives to those who donate. You can get your name in the credits, as well as our production vlogs. Please keep in mind that the original creators will be receiving a copy of the short, and have already expressed their interest in watching it.

Thanks for your time.

Wish us luck!

Assignment #2. LA Film School example. First project.

mattydunsky — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:23:22 +0000

Let's take a look at our second assignment. This one comes from the LA Film School.

Located in Hollywood California, it was founded by a group of Hollywood professionals in 1999. It is a
state-of-the-art facility that is recognized by the majority of big names in the industry. Most
importantly it’s building was used by John Williams to record the score for Return of the Jedi!

This facility is a heavy-hitter among all film schools. Their projects are quite useful to any
aspiring director. Each week students are presented with projects that will both challenge their
passion for creating movies and prepare them for any situation that may arise when they work in the
field.

The students all give off the impression that some projects are assigned without any warning. For
example, the school takes its students on a trip and presents them with a quick shooting project that
requires use of an unknown location.

First assignment:

“Lost and Found”
Students are given one week with a crew of 3-4 people to shoot one single continuous scene
(30 seconds – 1 minute). No editing allowed. You can only use available lighting and minimal dialogue.
The central character must lose something and then find it.

This project is designed to get the student to think about telling a story in a visual manner.
The student must learn to use basic camera movements as well as structure a story with little dialogue.

Grab a camera, get out there and try this out. Follow the rules and see what you can learn from making
your own version of this project. When you are all done, post it online so others can help you figure
out where you succeeded and where you need to work out some ideas. Also, post it HERE! We have an
audience that will watch your work and give you feedback.

Enjoy!

How to light your movie set.

mattydunsky — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:16:03 +0000

One of the best ways to enhance the impact of your video images is through the creative use of
lighting. Lighting can have a tremendous impact on how the viewer perceives your video. Through
creative lighting you can establish a mood or the time of day, enhance the illusion of three
dimensionality, reveal or obscure visual information, and create an artificial reality.

Have you ever noticed that your movies sometimes appear to have image issues? The dark areas of your
shot look like there are digital blocks? This is called "artifacting". This can be caused by a variety
of things including compression of your movie file or a lighting ratio that your camera cannot process.
Do not think that your shot is lit correctly because everything looks fine with your eyes.
Always try to view what the camera is processing. You can do this by looking through the viewfinder or
hooking up a field monitor and watching a live feed of your shot. Alright then, let's figure out how to
light your shot correctly using whatever you can find.

Seeing lighting: A valuable skill that is important to develop-the ability to SEE how light and shadows
fall on objects and people around us, and in the scenes that we shoot. You have to make a concerted
effort to look past everything else and concentrate on the subtleties of color, shadow, and highlights,
which are created through lighting.
You can also make an impact by "lighting with shadows". Lighting is not necessarily the art of adding
light to a scene. As Tom LeTourneau so aptly put it in his book, Lighting Techniques For Video
Production, lighting is "the art of Casting Shadows".

There are four basic elements to lighting: direction, quality, lighting ratio, and control.
Direction-
The direction of light is specifically related to the height and angle of the lighting source.
Height refers to where the light source is placed above ground level. Is it above, below, or even with
the subject? Angle refers to the slope of the light's beam. Together, height and angle determine where
the highlights and shadows fall on your subject.

Quality-
The quality of light relates to the hardness or softness of the light striking the subject.

Lighting Ratio-
Lighting ratio refers to the difference in brightness from the lightest area of a subject to the
darkest. This brightness difference is described by a numerical ratio that defines how many times
brighter the brightest area is compared to the darkest area. For example, a 2:1 lighting ratio means
that the brightest area of lighting on the subject is twice as bright as the darkest. Depending on the
sensitivity of the camera, video can accommodate up to about an 8:1 lighting ratio before the shadow
areas loose all detail. The more commonly used lighting ratios for video are 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1.
Control-
Control refers to the methods we use to shape and color the light emitted from our light sources.
Part of the beam of a light could be blocked in order to create a shadow in a specific area of the
subject. Frequent use of shadow placement can heighten the drama. Another method of controlling light
is to place translucent material in front of the light, which alters the light's beam or color.

*A little bonus -
Make your own effective "light ring" for $10: HERE

Cheap film making tools!

mattydunsky — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:00:35 +0000

Over the past three years we have come across many videos guiding new film makers with step-by-step
lessons that allow them to create functional products on a tight budget. We’ve also noticed that
because of these tutorials, every filmmaker that follows them may look like a crazed plumber. 

The following is a list of video links and descriptions that we have found helpful. Hopefully you
can step up your productions to the next level using these products and techniques.

A $20 camera slider from Indy Mogul: HERE

A $42 Steadicam from Rgsauve: HERE *This is how you hold the Steadicam by Rgsauve.

A $9 Steadicam for Iphones from Cgrusden: HERE

This is just the beginning. We will seek out other great tutorials that have footage to show that the
products are worth your time. Currently there are thousands of videos out there. Sadly, it’s hard to
find easy products that have great video footage to back them up. 

Simply making a product like these will not allow you to make better movies. You must train with them.
Use them often and for different tasks. Learn what each product can benefit. Just because you have a
Steadicam doesn’t mean your whole project should be shot using it. Each product has it’s own strength,
find out what that is and add it to your movie. 

If you decide to make these products on your own, please BE CAREFUL.

-Happy filmmaking!

Informative filmmaking books! #1.

mattydunsky — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:55:11 +0000

Lloyd Kaufman's "Produce Your Own Damn Movie!"
Lloyd Kaufman created Troma Entertainment, Inc. with Michael Herz 35 years ago. They have been
producing their own low-budget films and distributing them on their own without the help of larger
production companies. Troma has created such films as "The Toxic Avenger" and "Poultrygiest, Night of
the Chicken Dead". Trey Stone, Matt Parker, Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Costner and Samuel
L. Jackson have all been involved with Troma Entertainment in the early stages of their careers.
Produce Your Own Damn Movie! gives new filmmakers practical advice and tips from multiple producers and
directors.

“PRODUCING LESSON #127: Don’t be afraid to talk to everybody and anybody who will listen about your
idea for the awesome movie you want to make. You never know who’s going to cough up some cash for
your production.”

“Be more honest with yourself. If you want to make a film and you are not currently making a film,
money isn’t the thing holding you back. You say you went to film school. This leads me to believe
that there is money floating around somewhere in your life. One of the following may be true:
1. You don’t really want to make a film, but you don’t want to get a real job either.
2. You do want to make a film, but you haven’t invested the time in coming up with an idea and
actually writing a script. A script may be your best gateway into producing.
3. You have some good ideas, but you are afraid to begin because you are afraid of failing.
If any of those happen to be true, you need to examine whether filmmaking is truly what you have a
passion for, or whether it was the only major where you didn’t have to take Calculus at 7:00 a.m.
The budget isn’t important. Beg for or borrow whatever you may need. If you need to work for someone
else for 20 years, do that and make movies in your free time.”

This book is riddled with invaluable information that every independent producer should obtain. If
you can, get ahold of this book and take some notes. You'll come out prepared with knowledge and
motivated to start or finish your project.

Pick up your copy here: http://www.amazon.com/Produce-Your-Damn-Movie-School/dp/0240810457

Happy reading!

Assignment #1. Sheridan College example.

mattydunsky — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:57:33 +0000

Time to sink our teeth into our first assigned project.

This one comes from a school called Sheridan College. It’s based in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.
This project was taken from the “Media Arts” program. http://www.sheridancollege.ca/

Take a series of photographs (all landscape, not portrait) to create a storyboard. You must set-up
your story using a total of eight or less photos.
Each photo must use different composition (framing and type of shot). The camera must follow the 180°
axis rule. Your goal is to establish a location and set up your story.
*If you do not have access to a camera, you may draw each frame.

Storyboarding is the best way to find out if you are correctly representing your script visually.
You may have heard the expression “Shoot it on paper first.” It is a cheap way to produce a first
draft of your film. After your script is written (or you have received one from your writer) you must
put thought into how you will show the images in your head to your audience. What do you want the
audience to see? How will you make your audience feel emotion by stimulating them visually? What
shots will fit into what you are trying to achieve? Take your time and write down what you see in
your head. Do it two or three times. Make sure you don’t miss anything.

Creating a storyboard will allow you to tweak shots and cut out others that are not needed. A
storyboard will also help you plan out what you need to shoot. Try not to waste your time and all
of your actors/crew’s time on set by walking around trying to figure out how to shoot the project.
Shoot it on paper first!
Grab a camera, get out there and try this out. Follow the rules and see what you can learn from making
your own version of this project. When you are all done, post it online so others can help you figure
out where you succeeded and where you need to work out some ideas. Also, post it HERE! We have an
audience that will watch your work and give you feedback.

-Have fun and good luck!

*This is an example of a storyboard - for our newcomers.

FREE film making software. Pre & post production.

mattydunsky — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:31:56 +0000

One of the main goals we have set for this project is to make sure everyone can take part, even those
without proper funding or equipment.

Lots of people set their sights on equipment and programs first. They believe that without the best
programs and equipment they cannot create anything that can compete with everyone else in the market.
This is not true. We know this is not true because we have created content of our own without ANY
equipment whatsoever and put on a television show. You heard us right. No equipment at all. Want to
know how we lit the shot? We flicked the light switch to the ON position. The majority of laptops and
computers now come with a web cam either built-in or attached externally. We literally carried around
an old MacBook and shot whatever it was that we wrote down on scraps of paper. We found an old digital
camera (not HD by a long shot) with no external lenses and used that as well. Those were our “fancy”
shots. This isn’t a grandparent story either. The year was 2009.

We cannot allow budget restraints to deny everyone a chance at creating something that they care about.
To combat this we have come across a list of FREE ONLINE SOFTWARE. Yes. That last sentence used free,
online and software all together. We will throw a link up to the book we found it in once we get their
blessings.
Pay close attention because this is the first step you will take into joining our project/nation and
participating in a brand-new, exciting and large digital movement.
*Please note that our production company has purchased all of our own programs and do not personally
use these listed programs ourselves (Except Celtx. We love that program). We know they have been used
on feature films and they seem legitimate. If you for any reason encounter any computer issues due to
any of these programs, the issue lies with you and the program creators themselves. *Wipes hands. Now
let’s begin.

For every piece of mainstream software, there’s a free or open source application that works just as
well, if not better.

For almost everything pre-production use:

-OpenOffice.org - It’s like Microsoft Word.
-http://www.celtx.com has a program called Celtx. It’s a full-featured preproduction suite that not
only properly formats script for film, TV, theatre, radio and everything else, but it also has built-in
scheduling and storyboarding tools.

For almost everything post-production use:

-http://www.blender.org - A program called Blender is a full-featured 3D modeling software. It also
functions as a nonlinear editor. *It was used in SPIDERMAN 2!
-http://www.cinelerra.org – A program called Cinelerra will help you edit your stuff.
-http://www.cinepaint.org – A program called CinePaint allows you to retouch your movie frame by frame
without degrading the quality. *It was used in SPIDERMAN, HARRY POTTER and STUART LITTLE!
-http://www.ardour.org – All about audio here. You can lay down the music and sound for your flick with
this program called Ardour.
-http://audacity.sourceforge.net – another audio program called Audacity.
-http://majorsilence.com/devede – A program called DeVeDe that will burn your movie onto a DVD.
-http://www.gimp.org – A program called GIMP that you can create your movie’s cover art with.
-http://www.inkscape.org – a program called Inkscape that you can create cover art with.
There you go. Our first gift to you. Just look around online for these types of software incase any of
these programs don’t work on your specific platform.

Do not let not having enough money for a specific application stand between you and
producing your film. *Once again, we will post a link to the book that we found this information in
once we receive their blessings.
Happy film making!

How to navigate this site.

mattydunsky — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:36:50 +0000

Let's get down to business.

First off, welcome to the website! We hope you find this project appealing and join the cause. We are
going to build a large online community. It's very important that people stay in contact and pass this
around to anyone that has an interest in entertaining with film. All aspects of film making will be
represented. Everyone will be given a chance to give tips and hints, showcase their work and possibly
find work through networking with other people in the community.

Since this website will be the main hub for everything posted, you will need a tour of sorts.
Everything will be posted in the HOME tab up top.

 
This website enables creators to choose different categories for each post, so we will use those to help
sort out the information. These will include: Informative Books, Project Outlines, Vlogs and Tips.

Since we will be providing actual school projects for you to try out on your own time, they will be
posted under the Project Outline category. Hopefully these will give you content ideas and help you
build or enhance your demo reel. 

The Vlogs will be a video diary of our attempts at making these school projects and other projects that
our production company will be attached to. Hopefully you will be able to learn from any mistakes we
make.

Reading is an important part of film making. When we come across a book with great content that you can use
to make better films, we will share it under the Informative Books category. 

The Tips category will be used for any direct tutorials or lessons. We have connected with many
established online programs that produce "how-to" tips and will post their videos up every once in a
while in addition to our own. 

Some people have been asking how they can share their work/projects with the community. Our answer to
that is the SHARE YOUR SCHOOL PROJECTS tab. It will have a little bit of a guideline that you can
follow, but feel free to add any additional information you may find helpful to other "students". You
can also post any project descriptions that have not been mentioned on this site that you enjoy and
would like others to try out.

 
We're going to keep this fresh and fun. We'll introduce you to different things. We hope you visit us
every week. Share it with your friends. The bigger the community the better the experience will be for
everyone involved. Interact with comments and video responses. Vote on the polls! This whole project is
meant to help everyone learn and replicate an environment where you can be surrounded by others that
have similar interests. 

Thanks for checking us out! 
*We had been debating on whether or not to make this a Vlog or a Blog. Since nobody needs to see Matt's
face in order to learn something, we chose this. Do you feel it's important to have a "host" guide you
along? It's up to you really. Vote on the poll below to make the decision.

First BLOG!

mattydunsky — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:17:51 +0000

Step one on this journey: Set up a production company.

We present to you - Durable Mutation Productions.

Things are moving along quite well. The YouTUBE page is up and operational so stay tuned for VLOGS. We will try and find a certain time of the week to stay consistent. The blogs will come in whenever something interesting pops up.

To celebrate the launch of the YouTUBE site, we made a little introductory video to the new production company. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment or voting on the poll. *You’ll be able to tell which category won yesterday’s poll.

Introduction to myhomemadefilmschool

mattydunsky — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:02:26 +0000

Welcome!

The main goal of this project will be to show fellow hobbyists, students, newcomers and the general public that it is possible to follow your dreams and become a filmmaker. It doesn’t come down to where you live, what school you’ve gone to or how much money you have lying around. It’s about getting out there with a camera (could be yours, or borrowed) and making some magic.

Inspired by Sam Raimi, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and Kevin Smith, we shall start our own company and educate ourselves by making short digital films and projects.

To add some challenges and deadlines to the project, we will be researching different film school curriculums and will try to complete our own version of their assigned projects without the aid of professors, text books and school studios. We will choose our own reading material that is always available to the public at local bookstores or free online. These projects will be posted online and shown to the general public. Feedback will be noted and some of the projects will be adjusted and re-released in hopes of learning valuable lessons and properly executing what was originally intended. We will be keeping VLOGs as much as possible and blogging on this website to keep everyone up-to-date.

Hopefully by our “graduation” of one or more programs we can land a directing gig without the aid of school-networking or film festivals. If all else fails, we will have made a great demo-reel in the meantime. This project is not meant to belittle any existing school programs or anyone working for/in them. It is an experiment to see if it is possible to become a filmmaking master using public resources, the internet and goodwill.

If you have any aspirations of working in the film industry or if you’d like to see how it all works, follow us on this adventure. Let’s figure it out together.

*Check out the “YOUR school projects” tab and tell me about your school experience.
VOTE on the poll below to help decide how I will personalize these projects!