Based on a popular insult from a strict principal of the film Back to the Future, I decided to take the moniker of "Film Slacker" and make something of myself. In the digital age, there are many new avenues to go about it now and new ways to connect with resources and people. I will cover film making in general, which can include reviews, interviews and personal opinions.
Where I go, there are no roads.
Besides just the camera equipment, props are another asset that tends to suck out a lot of the available budget. When you are making a simple modern drama film, props are not that big of a deal since anything at home will work. Once the films goes into either sci-fi or horror however, that is when things get complicated. Futuristic props or monsters and gore can be incredibly tricky and things simply bought from a costume store just do not cut it. Thus we get into DIY territory. Whether you are actually skilled in craftsmanship or are simply dedicated to the project, filmmakers end up just making their props. Even cardboard can be turned into something awesome.
Cardboard Man
Why Do It?
The choices available to you at the time are to buy the props, hire someone else to make the props, or make them yourself. Depending on what you need, the first two options can get pretty pricey. Also there is no guarantee that what you try to buy will live up to what you want.
A principle of making films is to think of it as a magic trick. With science fiction movie props particularly, a lot of props that look futuristic are everyday objects. Don't believe me? Take a look at Nerf guns. When I was a kid Nerf guns looked more like this:
Nowadays they look like this:
Look at that and tell me that does not look like a sci-fi gun. With enough ingenuity and some paint, you can end up with some pretty cool looking science fiction guns. Hollywood has been doing this sort of thing for years. Only now do everyday people have the resources to pull something off similar to that.
So maybe you just plain stink at making it. That's okay too. There's bound to be someone you know who can help make something you need. Part of the reason why making a prop is preferable is that it will be personal to you. Instead of a generic prop, it will have your own flair.
Grab the duct tape and raid the recyclables. Go and get making.
For the longest time, it was believed that you had to go to a film school if you wanted to learn how to make films. Over the years as technology advanced to where it is at now, this sentiment is no longer set in stone. Instead of learning from solely teachers and books, people can go on the internet and find what they need. However that is not to say schools are completely out of date. It truly depends on each person, so the options must be weighed out if film school should be considered.
It Is Not for Everyone
Film school is the same for any sort of education at a college level; it is not for everyone. That is not to say someone is not smart enough to attend a school. People have different ways to go about things and sometimes school just does not work for them. For example, I knew a talented cinematographer from my freshman year in college. Near the end of that year, he told me he would be dropping out. It was certainly not due to a lack of skill or knowledge; he was one of the most informed people about film that I knew. He explained to me that he felt like he would be wasting his time and parent's money to stay there for the next few years. Instead he planned to make it out on his own. While I did not follow that path, I knew that he would probably do fine enough on his own.
What Do You Want to Get Out of It?
For those who think film school is a good place to go to cruise through college, head out the door. Of many fields, films is certainly the most difficult and labor intensive. If you are looking for that easy A, it will not be here. People who also want to go here for the hope of a career with a lot of money should look elsewhere. Film jobs can be sporadic and if you intend to support yourself only though film, it can get as bad as barely living paycheck to paycheck. Granted this is the same with any job, but getting jobs related to film is more or less a crapshoot.
People generally want to go to film school in order to learn how to make a film. There may be hundreds of books and videos out there, but nothing quite beats having a professor to actually teach you how to go about it. Depending on the school, it can also be a great place to get your hands on various equipment that is used in the business.
My film program actually had various studios, editing suites, and an equipment cage that offered cameras, microphones, tripods, and everything else an independent filmmaker could use. As long as you were not docked from the cage, a student could rent any sort of equipment to make whatever they please. The usual restriction was that the person could not make any money off of what they filmed; which is fair since the equipment is there for purely educational purposes.
What film school can offer you besides an education is a chance to network. Many famous filmmakers now were actually classmates at the same film schools. Not everyone can be good at everything, so it is good to talk and make friends with various people with different skills; sometimes you know someone who is good with sound and in exchange you can help them with filmming. Outside of classes, there are also the occasional internships and trips to film studios. Connections mean a lot in the business and sometimes your college can get you inside a film studio and meet executives. Experience will be your best teacher, and film schools can offer you the chance to get those experiences.
What Should I be Doing if I Go?
When you get out of school and take clients, most of the time you end up working on projects that they want. This leaves you with little to no time to make your own passion project. During your time at film school. you should go nuts and make exactly what you want. Do you want to have an senseless action movie? Make it! A suspenseful thriller that boggles the mind? Go for it. This is the place where you will have access to equipment and people more readily available than you will ever have outside the campus. Do not let insecurities or criticism from your peers stop you from trying. If they do not like your work, take the criticism and use the time to make it better.
All in all, it should always be your choice. If school is not in the cards, that is okay. Art can be accomplished, no matter what you have. Lack of resources become less of a limitation and more of a challenge to greatness in the mind of an artist.
Control the Image
For the most part, no one wants to be the jerk. You don't like it when people are mean to you, so you try not to act like it to others. Thus when it comes to filmmaking, the first instinct is to make sure you are on everyone's good side. The truth is, however, that that is a mistake if you want to make a film true to your vision. I am not saying be mean to your crew because you should always treat them with respect. What I mean to say is you cannot act like everyone's friend on set. You are the director and have to make sure you are getting what you want out of the crew.
The Film is Your Idea... Not Anyone Else's
You have to make sure you idea is being shot and this was a lesson I learned from experience. I had a cameraman who was very good at getting certain shots. However he was the more artistic type who would take as long as it would take to get the shot. The problem with that is we only have so many hours in the schedule.
On the first day, I let him do his thing. Looking back on it, it was a pretty bad rookie mistake. We fell behind tremendously and if it wasn't for my producer at the time, I might not have realized soon enough the effects of what was going on. Also there were certain shots that I would not have wanted. It looked good artistically, but I felt as though the shots did not have the same weight to tell the story. The next day, I made sure to push him forward. I did my best to not sound angry, but I was stern enough to mention we were running out of time. Luckily for me, he was understanding so there was no tension between us during and after production.
No one likes to be "that" guy. The one barking orders and making people angry at him. Still if you want the film done the way you want it, sometimes you got to make those choices. You can't be everyone's friend on set, but you HAVE to be a good director.
Do not panic... One of the many mantras that filmmakers have been taught. I try to remind myself every time I am shooting something. It makes sense after all. If I waste time panicking, I have less time to actually fix things. Unfortunately I am also the type of person to fixate on whether or not I left the gas stove on, despite checking it numerous times. Considering this, filmmaking is probably not the best path I should take. Still I find it to be my calling, so I am willing to take the stress... The unbelievable, heartbreaking amount of stress.
Picture this if you will. Imagine you are on the last shoot of your senior project. What is to be shot today will be what holds the film together in editing. It is also shot during one of the last days in fall and the place you are at has winter sucker punch you when you least expect it. The scene has to be during the fall, but snow tends to ruin that illusion.
At times like this, everything you want to go right will probably go wrong... As the responsible director, I got onto set first. It was an overcast day and the forecast said there would not be any rain. So far so good. My crew arrives, and by that I mean two people, and it all seems to be on track... Then it dawns on me that my cameraman is not there. Do not panic...Do not panic...
You overslept?! Reallly!?? Of all days, today!!!!? Now granted this was not said during my phone call, but I certainly felt that. Breathe. Just breathe. After about 30 minutes of pretending not to try and destroy my car in anger, my cameraman arrived. The actors arrived soon after and production moved ahead. Five shots down. Seven shots down. I think we might pull this off.
I just had to have that thought... Just when my guard was down, Mother
Nature cold clocked me. In the middle of the shoot, snow flurries
started to fall. Maybe... just maybe they were too small to see in the
camera... Bang! The snow fell harder. I sent back the actors to the cars
to warm up while I contemplated what to do. In full view of my crew, I
started to prey to whatever deity figure would listen to me. I just need
to get this out of the way. PLEASE!!!!
It kept snowing for a good 20 minutes. Just then, the flakes started to get weaker. They were just light enough to be invisible in the camera. This is as good as it will get, so we are doing this. I called for the actors and we got down to business. Heaven knows when it will snow harder again, so it was a race against time where the deadline was more or less unknown. Only one thing mattered...Get the shot!
And cut! After 5 hours of stress and fighting mother nature...the last possible shots needed were done. I thanked everyone involved and helped pack up the equipment. Now off to months and months of editing and color correcting... That, however, is for another time.
The filmmaking world has an old saying: "it's not what you know, but who you know". In other words, if you know the right people then talent does not matter as much. On one hand, it shows the unfortunate truth that the wrong people can often get positions that they are not qualified for. However this phrase also demonstrates the importance of networking. Making a film is a team effort and it is incredibly hard to create one if you don't have a team to begin with. If there is a skill set you don't know, it's best to know someone who does.
What Can You Offer?
Starting out, you need to find out what your strengths are. While you may be well-rounded in skills, it is best to have one particular talent. For example, you are really good with sound mixing or color correcting. It is even better if the skill you are advertising is something you actually enjoy doing, since for you it will seem less like a job. In my case, my talent is in fight choreography. I can take people with little to no skill and make them look dangerous.
Test Out the Waters
If there is a local film group around you, don't be afraid to contact them. Most people who start out don't mind doing collaborations for they offer good experience; at the very least, they would appreciate the extra crew members. One of my first instances of this involved the now defunct IndyMogul. When they showed one of my videos on their show, they expressed interest in working with me. I found out they were in the area, so I sent a message saying I wanted to work with them too. Soon enough, I made two episodes for their show.
Learn to Mingle
While it is convenient to contact people via the internet, sometimes a face-to-face provides a better opportunity. Be willing to go to film festivals or other film gatherings to promote yourself. Keep a demo reel handy, work on a 60 second pitch, and sell yourself as a person who is destined for greatness.
Whether it is extra people to work with or a distributor, you are going to have to find others in order to make a film work. Brush up on your people skills, print those business cards, and take chances. Rarely does opportunity come to you, so you must go to it.
Every Story Has a Beginning...
When I started out making martial arts films on my own, I barely had a clue as to what I was supposed to do. Also being a big guy, I was not that confident in my abilities to perform in front of the camera. This changed when I found a guy named Joey Min online. Here I was worrying about my size while this guy, who was slightly bigger than me, was making videos left and right. His speed and technique were excellent and his fight scenes were good. Joey Min inspired me and is now a good friend, so I wanted others to know who sparked my call to action.
Can you please introduce yourself and what you do?
My name is Joey Min and I am a indie filmmaker / action choreographer. When did you start making films and what kind?
I started making films when I was 16 and they were usually martial art
videos. Though martial arts was an easy topic to translate onto film, I
found myself doing other genres, from comedy to romance.
What do you like about martial arts films?
What I love about martial arts is not the application of techniques, but
more on the concept of the movement of the human body. If there is such
a thing as poetry in motion, martial arts is definitely my example. Now
apply that to choreography and you have the amazing motion of technical
mastery of one's body in a deadly dance of duel (aka it's badass to
watch martial art masters fight each other).
What martial arts styles do you know?
My main style is Shaolin Kung Fu for 20 years.
Senkotiros, a Filipino Martial Art, translated as "the 5 strikes," and focuses on single stick fighting, for 12 years.
Kyokushin-Kai Karate for 10 years.
Hakkyoku Ken, a Japanese interpretation to the Chinese style Bajiquan, for 8 years.
Bajiquan, for 5 years.
What
do you think about film making today considering the technology now
available?
Filmmaking is definitely easier for someone to get into, but of course,
the mastery is still difficult. Digital filmmaking reduces the time of
process of filmmaking, so practice of the craft is much more accessible. Are there people you look up to in the field?
Since I am an action filmmaker, I usually looked up to previous action
filmmakers and choreographers, like Lau Kar Leung or Yuen Woo Ping, but I
also appreciate the work of directors like Edgar Wright, who I consider
to be one of the great visionaries of visual storytelling and uses both imagery
and auditory techniques to immerse someone into their films.
What is the hardest part about your craft?
If we're talking about the process, then pre-production is the hill that
I loathe. Planning for filmmaking can help you, but those who are privy
to it will tell you that nothing goes to plan. Sometimes I feel that I
need to force the start of projects, even the big ones. What is your dream project?
My dream project is to create a great romantic martial arts action
comedy. Then again, that might change... since basically, what I'm doing
at the moment would be what I consider to be my dream project. Any advice for people trying the same thing?
Like martial arts, the only wasted movement is the ones not taken. If
you are to pursue this art form, then do what you feel is right. It's an
art form that is ever evolving that freely expresses the visions of its
creators. Don't stop filming.
If you are interested in seeing more of his work, please visit his YouTube channel.
Film and video games have had an interesting relationship for a few decades. At first, it was never really considered that video games could be adapted into feature-length films. The most popular game around at one point was Pac-Man and there is no story to that arcade classic that could possible carry an hour long film. However as time passed on, technology improved and video game creators became more ambitious. Better tools meant the ability to add a story to the game play. With this added story, Hollywood now saw an opportunity to make more money. What resulted was a film genre that tended to bring disappointment for everyone: moviegoers and fans of the games.
Regarded as THE worst of this genre. (IMDB)
Fall of the Mushroom Kingdom
Even if you are not familiar with video games, you are at least somewhat familiar with the character of Mario from Super Mario Bros. The premise of the game is simple: it is about an Italian plumber who has to save a princess from a dinosaur/turtle. Because of its popularity, Hollywood saw a chance to make a quick buck. The film was a disaster. Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, the leads of the film, hated the experience and would often get drunk to get through filming. Although it was one of the first live-action adaptations of a video game, it certainly was not the best. In fact it would be more accurate to say it set the stage for how bad these films can be.
Why Do These Films Mostly Fail?
A film from the infamous Uwe Boll, known for his video game adaptations.
It should be noted that how you enjoy these two media is fundamentally different. A film you watch passively while a video game allows for interaction; as such changing one to the other takes away how the material would have been enjoyed in the first place. One of the biggest reasons why these movies do not work is because the ones who make it do not understand the source material. By straying away from the source material, you alienate the fans (the target audience). Since there is not enough effort put into understanding the video game, the same lack of effort would occur toward making the film competent. Case in point would be Street Fighter: The Movie.
The game Street Fighter 2 had the simple premise of being a fighting tournament with Ryu, a karate master from Japan, as the main protagonist and M. Bison as the final boss. The film abandoned that concept completely and made the main character Guile, an American. It also shoved in too many characters from the game for the sake of fan service, and thus you could not care about any of the characters. While today it is enjoyed as 90's cheese, at the time of its release it was a big disappointment..
Are There Any Good Ones?
There have certainly been more misses than hits, but good video game movies do exist. I will warn you that your mileage may vary. If you do not like the video games adapted, then it is likely you may not enjoy these movies. Nevertheless, here are some of my choices:
Mortal Kombat- Considered by many to be one of the best video game adaptations. What this movie does right over Street Fighter: The Movie is focus on fewer characters and keep the central premise alive. It is a fighting game about a tournament, so it was a movie about a tournament. While it is PG-13 compared to its gory origins, for the most part it stays faithful and is a fun time.
Tomb Raider- Starring Angelina Jolie, this film was another faithful adaptation that knew what it was. Tomb Raider was about a woman who was a modern day treasure hunter, thus the movie followed the same route. It had entertaining action and Jolie certainly had fun with the role.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time- What makes this interesting is the fact that this was made by Disney as another attempt to re-create the Pirates of the Caribbean magic. Although it did not do so, it certainly did not bomb completely. It is certainly a competent film and the effects with time manipulation is interesting enough to take a chance on it.
These movies are nothing to close to Oscar worthy. Nevertheless, the good ones at least entertain and that is what film should be able to do: provide a slight escape from the norm.
