It's another one of those things - just like a writer doesn't want to give the director/cinematographer camera directions they shouldn't be giving the actors too much direction as well. Obviously you have to give a basic level of characterization but you don't want to write delivery. That's probably why the scene was completely different.
I'm not sure I follow your need to rent gear out to your own production company. I think when you're doing low budget stuff you take what you can get, and if it's your own equipment there's nothing in festival submission etc that makes you justify how you shot your film. The most festivals will ask for is music licenses and MAYBE some other legal paperwork but yeah...when you're low budget i doubt you need to worry about that stuff. Or maybe I'm missing the point (I probably am). Given it's your production company though I don't see what issue you're trying to avoid.
As for renting to others...depends what kind of gear you're giving out. I would take a pretty big security deposit though, draw up some pretty serious contracts. Especially regarding lenses and things of that nature. I don't do it personally, most of my cinematographer friends don't rent out their equipment, they only use it themselves and they will just let their camera crew on a given set use it. Long story short, if you really want to rent out your equipment to make some money, do so but by not having your equipment you're denying yourself the chance to use it yourself.
Renting gear without myself: No, but if I did I would a) make sure I was getting market value, and most crucially b) make sure my insurance was on the up and up.
As for selling your personal gear to your corporation, absolutely you can. Not only can you, I highly recommend it. I mean I don't know how it works in the States but here if you're making a movie, you budget for for instance camera rental. Then you rent the camera from your production company. Office space? Home office rented to your production company from you personally.
It's hard to make a living as a film creator here. I'm not saying everyone owns all their own equipment, but what ways you can make sure the money comes back to you you take.
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JohnnyCacheStarting DefensePlace at the tableRegistered Userregular
Krubix, the ostensible rrason for the double companies is because you need a corporation to protect your production, and to structure your investors (who are obviously partners in a given film only) but that corporation won't be enduring, so you want an overarching corporation to channel your equipment purchases and such through, so that you can carry over the losses and deductions over more than one tax return
JohnnyCacheStarting DefensePlace at the tableRegistered Userregular
edited June 2012
Ps: i know it's blowhard nonsense to a degree to be asking for very basic technical advice one day and talking about the business setup of my first feature film the next, but I do have a plan for crossing the huge gap in between.
For what it's worth, I consider myself a massive blowhard whenever I give advice in this thread, and if I were any of you I'd take anything I say with a pinch of salt. Both because things may not automatically be applicable across borders and because I don't really know nothing about nothing.
Now, back to the keyboard. Where did I put my monkey suit?
I'm an unimpeachable authority on everything, forever.
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JohnnyCacheStarting DefensePlace at the tableRegistered Userregular
maybe blowing hard is how I can fund this...
I just watched "popatopolis" ... I could probably take an outing as "alan smithee" and flip a b softcore/horror movie real fast, pay for a bigger movie...
ehh this camera direction in script talk is interesting, i avoid camera direction completely (going to do shooting script/storyboard for that stuff) for a better read but then i notice you all mention parenthesis and it just hit me like a ton of bricks that i really have no idea what its there for and you all say its for actor direction? and i was thinking it was for adding to a scene and enhance character to have shit like (sarcastic) (clenched fist) and such and such, and it is totally fucking actor directing on page and i have this shit all over my pages.
funny thing was i never used to use it till i read a script noticing how they were using it to enhance a scene (it was probably a shooting script too) and i was like "aw yea man, thats how you do it!" and then i had every other dialogue using it thinking it would make shit better.
ahhhhhhh and now i'm reading the script for goodfellas and the parenthesis is all over the fucking place, like every other dialogue.
what gives.
or is this one of those things where its basically "oh but its scorsese/sorkin/tarantino they are allowed to do that but you're not." type bullshits?
The conclusion i am coming to is yes, the egos in play matter, as does what stage of production the film is at...later scripts have more direction in them when you read multiple drafts...
ahhhhhhh and now i'm reading the script for goodfellas and the parenthesis is all over the fucking place, like every other dialogue.
what gives.
or is this one of those things where its basically "oh but its scorsese/sorkin/tarantino they are allowed to do that but you're not." type bullshits?
there's a bit of that, but also scorsese and tarantino usually write or co-write their own scripts, so things like parentheses, stage directions, little notes, and weird bits of quirk are basically acceptable not because "theyre them" or anything but because they're going to be referring to these scripts themselves rather than handing them off to someone else who might have different ideas for how to shoot a given scene.
For what it's worth, I consider myself a massive blowhard whenever I give advice in this thread, and if I were any of you I'd take anything I say with a pinch of salt. Both because things may not automatically be applicable across borders and because I don't really know nothing about nothing.
Now, back to the keyboard. Where did I put my monkey suit?
This. Also @AnActualBear it is probably one of those cases. Cases where the director writes their own script they get free reign. Kubrick for instance didn't particularly like scripts, he wrote most of his important stuff in prose and the script was extremely bear bones since he would make the executive creative decisions later on.
You know what movie has a surprisingly read-able script? Children of Men. Pretty sure it's easy to find in public domain, you guys should check it out if you haven't.
You know what movie has a surprisingly read-able script? Children of Men. Pretty sure it's easy to find in public domain, you guys should check it out if you haven't.
scripts are hard to find as hell these days on the internet, used to be mypdfscripts had a brilliant robust collection (all scanned originals) until they got hit by lawyer letters and then a studio started selling un-scanned scripts for kindles that no one is buying.
but yeah you're right about the children of men script.
question: if all my footage is living on a hard-drive anyway is it feasible to just edit on a Macbook Air
i guess it depends. if it's all really big HD files, you might have a hard time, but if it's all you've got available it's worth a try. i don't know what a macbook air's specs are but i'd wager i've edited on slower things before. it ain't fun but it might be doable i guess
Like he said if you have another option...use it but if it's all you got you might as well try, I wouldn't expect spectacular results and it might take you a long...long time.
I learned everything I need to know about script writing from John Travolta.
in an old short i wrote with two other people that never got produced, i had a line that was something like the character mentioning how everything worked out fine in dog day afternoon because thats what john travolta told her. (they were planning on a robbery, crime caper way) i thought it was a great random line but the other two thought i was insane and kept removing it every time they went to rewrite. assholes.
Deaderinred on
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Zonugal(He/Him) The Holiday ArmadilloI'm Santa's representative for all the southern states. And Mexico!Registered Userregular
I learned everything I need to know about script writing from John Travolta.
in an old short i wrote with two other people that never got produced, i had a line that was something like the character mentioning how everything worked out fine in dog day afternoon because thats what john travolta told her. (they were planning on a robbery, crime caper way) i thought it was a great random line but the other two thought i was insane and kept removing it every time they went to rewrite. assholes.
@Deaderinred, I think it is a nice throw-away line.
Oh yeah, what are your guys' favorite movie-related websites (could be relating to any aspect)? Just out of curiosity.
News/reviews, AVClub. Formatting questions, John August's blog. Business questions, Artful Writer.
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JohnnyCacheStarting DefensePlace at the tableRegistered Userregular
Ok. So i want to shoot some footage of a band on stage, to use in a video. Obviously the concert audio is shit - it will blow out completely so i might as well just mute it. But wilm the pressure from being close to the stacks DAMAGE the muted mic on my camera? Do i need to cover it or disconnect it or somethimg?
JohnnyCacheStarting DefensePlace at the tableRegistered Userregular
edited June 2012
Second question... if i have a live band re record a pop song for a movie, how does that change clearance of the rights? Or if they do a cover live and I'm recording the show for a dvd?
Second question... if i have a live band re record a pop song for a movie, how does that change clearance of the rights? Or if they do a cover live and I'm recording the show for a dvd?
i'm pretty sure technically you need a license just to cover a song live in the first place. if you're putting the cover in a movie or something, you definitely need to license it.
I think you'd need to get mechanical rights from whoever the rightholders of the material are.
Mechanical Rights, which are aquired from music publishers and copyright holders, give you the right to record, manufacture and distribute another copyright holder's musical work.
A mechanical license is written permission from the publisher to manufacture and distribute a record, CD or audio tape for a specific copyrighted composition. The amount of the royalty paid to a songwriter from a mechanical license is determined by how many recordings are sold.
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JohnnyCacheStarting DefensePlace at the tableRegistered Userregular
But its on a per sale basis? I don't have to guve them $texas upfront?
Yeah, if it's a cover you still need rights unfortunately. Sure you can't convince them to play one of their original songs to use instead? With the right persuasion that's free (if they're not signed).
What you can do for music rights is get a festival license...something to that degree. In these cases it's wise to go to the music company very much saying "I have money but we are not professional" (even if you see yourself that way) and sometimes you can work out discounted licenses that they have for amateur filmmakers and considering how expensive they are...get it. Then again, this was in England, so it might be different. But depending on where you're screening your movie...I would choose to care or not care about the rights too much. If it's a festival you'll need the rights to submit it (sometimes) and if it's just on your vimeo page you can probably get away without it as long as you credit it. Worst case scenario you'd maybe get someone saying "don't use that song" and you just go into the edit again and replace it or go about acquiring the rights.
KrubixCube on
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JohnnyCacheStarting DefensePlace at the tableRegistered Userregular
What I'm looking at is doing a sort of parody of a movie that had a very particular soundtrack.
It's got loads of scripts for TV, radio and films they've produced, and they include soaps, dramas, science-fiction, sketch comedy shows, children's shows, etc.
It's really the best kind of resource for anyone wanting to write scripts.
On that note, if anyone finds any sources for TV mini-series scripts I would be much obliged. Stuff like John Adams, or Rome or Spartacus and the like.
Posts
I host a podcast about movies.
I'm not sure I follow your need to rent gear out to your own production company. I think when you're doing low budget stuff you take what you can get, and if it's your own equipment there's nothing in festival submission etc that makes you justify how you shot your film. The most festivals will ask for is music licenses and MAYBE some other legal paperwork but yeah...when you're low budget i doubt you need to worry about that stuff. Or maybe I'm missing the point (I probably am). Given it's your production company though I don't see what issue you're trying to avoid.
As for renting to others...depends what kind of gear you're giving out. I would take a pretty big security deposit though, draw up some pretty serious contracts. Especially regarding lenses and things of that nature. I don't do it personally, most of my cinematographer friends don't rent out their equipment, they only use it themselves and they will just let their camera crew on a given set use it. Long story short, if you really want to rent out your equipment to make some money, do so but by not having your equipment you're denying yourself the chance to use it yourself.
As for selling your personal gear to your corporation, absolutely you can. Not only can you, I highly recommend it. I mean I don't know how it works in the States but here if you're making a movie, you budget for for instance camera rental. Then you rent the camera from your production company. Office space? Home office rented to your production company from you personally.
It's hard to make a living as a film creator here. I'm not saying everyone owns all their own equipment, but what ways you can make sure the money comes back to you you take.
I host a podcast about movies.
I host a podcast about movies.
Now, back to the keyboard. Where did I put my monkey suit?
I just watched "popatopolis" ... I could probably take an outing as "alan smithee" and flip a b softcore/horror movie real fast, pay for a bigger movie...
I host a podcast about movies.
funny thing was i never used to use it till i read a script noticing how they were using it to enhance a scene (it was probably a shooting script too) and i was like "aw yea man, thats how you do it!" and then i had every other dialogue using it thinking it would make shit better.
what gives.
or is this one of those things where its basically "oh but its scorsese/sorkin/tarantino they are allowed to do that but you're not." type bullshits?
I know my opinion is very important to you
I disagree with you.
What do you think about that, eh tough guy?
But no seriously its a great film except for the "and then this happened" ending which is bullshit added because God forbid you had a downer ending.
The conclusion i am coming to is yes, the egos in play matter, as does what stage of production the film is at...later scripts have more direction in them when you read multiple drafts...
I host a podcast about movies.
there's a bit of that, but also scorsese and tarantino usually write or co-write their own scripts, so things like parentheses, stage directions, little notes, and weird bits of quirk are basically acceptable not because "theyre them" or anything but because they're going to be referring to these scripts themselves rather than handing them off to someone else who might have different ideas for how to shoot a given scene.
This. Also @AnActualBear it is probably one of those cases. Cases where the director writes their own script they get free reign. Kubrick for instance didn't particularly like scripts, he wrote most of his important stuff in prose and the script was extremely bear bones since he would make the executive creative decisions later on.
You know what movie has a surprisingly read-able script? Children of Men. Pretty sure it's easy to find in public domain, you guys should check it out if you haven't.
scripts are hard to find as hell these days on the internet, used to be mypdfscripts had a brilliant robust collection (all scanned originals) until they got hit by lawyer letters and then a studio started selling un-scanned scripts for kindles that no one is buying.
but yeah you're right about the children of men script.
http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/children_of_men-script.pdf
Not done, merely uninspired as of late.
in an old short i wrote with two other people that never got produced, i had a line that was something like the character mentioning how everything worked out fine in dog day afternoon because thats what john travolta told her. (they were planning on a robbery, crime caper way) i thought it was a great random line but the other two thought i was insane and kept removing it every time they went to rewrite. assholes.
@Deaderinred, I think it is a nice throw-away line.
might need to upgrade the RAM but it should be okay
also EDITING ON A 44 INCH HDTV YES YES YES
and got an offer to join the writing staff of a comedy puppet show
think battle of the bloodbath might be a thing I should make
Then you should fit right in with the current crop! Burrrrrrrrn.
That dude is ludicrously nice. And I can't imagine a better home for you than Troma. Love that place, and your shit's a great fit.
News/reviews, AVClub. Formatting questions, John August's blog. Business questions, Artful Writer.
I host a podcast about movies.
I host a podcast about movies.
I host a podcast about movies.
What you can do for music rights is get a festival license...something to that degree. In these cases it's wise to go to the music company very much saying "I have money but we are not professional" (even if you see yourself that way) and sometimes you can work out discounted licenses that they have for amateur filmmakers and considering how expensive they are...get it. Then again, this was in England, so it might be different. But depending on where you're screening your movie...I would choose to care or not care about the rights too much. If it's a festival you'll need the rights to submit it (sometimes) and if it's just on your vimeo page you can probably get away without it as long as you credit it. Worst case scenario you'd maybe get someone saying "don't use that song" and you just go into the edit again and replace it or go about acquiring the rights.
I host a podcast about movies.
Don't know yet. Straight to video or premium movie channels, probably. Depends if I actually end up shooting it or just sell the script.
I host a podcast about movies.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scripts
It's got loads of scripts for TV, radio and films they've produced, and they include soaps, dramas, science-fiction, sketch comedy shows, children's shows, etc.
It's really the best kind of resource for anyone wanting to write scripts.
On that note, if anyone finds any sources for TV mini-series scripts I would be much obliged. Stuff like John Adams, or Rome or Spartacus and the like.