Re: Rant Thread

Lee Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:28 pm

I will! Our group wants to get an old picture taken with us in formation. Not like one of those old time days photos, but the real deal. The one where you gotta stay completely still.

Loyal Subject Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:50 pm

that would be cool.

Loyal Subject Tue Aug 09, 2011 11:49 am

So I have been working on this contest with a friend of mine and we really like our idea and we really think we have a shot of at least drawing some attention from the contest people. However, we need an artist to join the team.

We had an artist but now, suddenly, he dropped out giving only 'personal reasons' as a reason why he could no longer do it. Which I understand but at the same time now I need to struggle to find someone else who is willing to do it. The contest is going to end in either September or October and that doesn't give us a lot of time to find another artist. Additionally it took FOREVER just to find this artist. I'm just really frustrated right now because we probably won't win if we don't have an artist and I'm losing options on where to find one.

Of course, even though he left for personal reasons, I am still partially mad at this person for leaving the group. I can't help it.

And then, of course, my mom gives the option 'well if you can't find someone you should at least try to do it yourself'. Yes, like I have the capability to draw all the characters we need and make a badass poster for the project. Not to mention drawing what the interior of our place looks like.

Lee Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:41 pm

Well you have three options, do it yourself like your mother said, find another artist (which might be difficult with the time constraints), or pay someone to do it. You won't always get someone good for free.

That or you can always throw the towel in. I would help if I could, but we don't necessarily live next door.

Loyal Subject Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:50 pm

^ you can't pay someone. it's against the rules. i already checked =p

my friend suggested posting something on dA but i dont want to work with someone that ive never met in person and can never meet in person. you have to be available in January as well otherwise the group gets disqualified. so i dont want to put my faith into someone who i cant meet and just hope they show up.

and throwing in the towel is not an option. i only get 3 chances to enter this contest and i plan on entering all three times. i already doing some sketches but im also thinking of ways to make up for not having an artist.

Lee Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:59 pm

Well you'll just have to make do with what you got. I don't know what you're doing, but there are ways around certain obstacles which work just as well (if one doesn't have certain tools or more experience in a field.)

and throwing in the towel is not an option.

Sure it is. There's always two choices. Not that I'm supporting you to quit.

Loyal Subject Tue Aug 09, 2011 7:06 pm

^ and luckily, filmmakers work best when their tools are limited ;)

and no, quitting is not an option for me. it never really is unless it's a personal project. otherwise, i never quit. even if it's doomed to fail, i still do it anyway.

Lee Wed Aug 10, 2011 9:16 am

^ and luckily, filmmakers work best when their tools are limited ;)

I think I've heard that line from every artist field out there. Still having the right equipment does make things so much easier.

It all just has to do with being resourceful and innovative. Two traits which were always needed on the construction job. And people always say construction was just for deadbeats, pft please.

I rigged up an animation stand/slider when I was working on my senior project. Normally those things cost a thousand dollars or more, but I only spent about $30. Got myself some washers, nuts, Allthread, steel pipes, pipe joints, steel plates, split-rings, and a 2x4.

Of course if you don't have that kind of experience, it wouldn't work so well, but I made a makeshift sliding camera stand.

Loyal Subject Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:22 am

yeah, it's all part of being creative. the classic example though for filmmakers is Jaws. Spielberg's best scenes were arguably when he didn't have Bruce. and he didn't have Bruce because he broke when they put him in salt water and he had to be fixed.

what's an animation slider?

my troubles usually are trying to figure out what sort of story to tell with the limited number of people i know. i dont live on campus so its not like i have a whole bunch of fellow filmmakers at my disposal or actors. thats why i usually just force my sisters to be in them and tell stories around them =p.

Lee Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:32 pm

Using your family is fine, but sometimes it doesn't cut it. I don't know your family too well, but if they aren't actors (in the sense that they've been in plays or can perform well) your film is only going to be as good as how your family/participating actors are.

I don't know, it's just an animation stand.

http://www.michaelspornanimation.com/splog/wp-content/P/oxberry1.jpg

Something like that. See how it can slide up and down? And has all different gears, gadgets, and devices to help with recording animation. I just rigged up a makeshift one for $30.

No where near as fancy or effective as that one, but it gets the job done.

Loyal Subject Wed Aug 10, 2011 6:13 pm

^ well it certainly wont cut it for my final project. but for now, it's okay. the problem with my school is the film students are not in very good communication with the actor students. so a lot of times, the film students are just using each other for their films so it's the same thing as using my family for mine.

of course, i fortunately know the actor kids a little so when i go to do a movie that requires good actors, i know where to find them. im even signed up for the theater honor society newsletter so i have all their emails ;)

Lee Wed Aug 10, 2011 6:39 pm

Well you can't just expect someone to work with you for free. You would have to offer some service to them, like your film skills, paying them, or whatever. There's not a lot of people who will do things for free. (Especially if you hardly know them)

Loyal Subject Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:13 pm

If you want to make it in theater, you have to do things for free just to gain experience. It's the same thing with the film industry. You can't expect to always be paid or get anything in return other than a chance to work with so and so and a chance to add it to your resume as experience for a future career. The theater students understand this because they're going into a difficult field. Plus, it's not like you don't give them anything. Obviously, if they need something in return, you give it to them and you give them a copy of what you've made so they can add it to their portfolio. It's all a part of building connections. You have to be able to network yourself and in doing so, you will do things for free.

It's the same thing in the animation industry or, at least, the big industries like Disney, Dreamworks, etc. Yes, you can get lucky and get a decent job right away but a lot of the time you're going to have to get coffee for everyone or do things for free just to get an in.

Lee Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:01 am

When I say not for free, it means anything. Giving them a name representation in your work counts as getting something out of it.

Loyal Subject Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:51 am

^ why wouldn't you put their name in the credits though? XD

Lee Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:54 pm

I'm not sure if I ever told you about this, but I once acted in a Civil War movie. It was nothing huge like Gettysburg the movie. Just a few film makers who needed some extra reenactors. A few of us from our group decided to help them out. It wasn't like they were around the corner either, they were another state away.

So we get there and there, with our guns, gear, and uniform. We had about four Union all together and they had so many Confederates. I was confused, it's not like we were doing a reenactment, so there was no reason for some of them to just portray Union to even out the odds.

(If you don't know there's tension from some dumb Confederate/Union reenactors who have this idea that portraying the other side will belittle them. They actually aren't putting on a persona when they stare coldly at you and spit on your shoes. Exaggerating, but you get the idea)

So anyway we help out, do some skirmishes, entrenched firing, and all that good stuff that we do at reenactments. We give them enough footage for small scale battles for their film which they called Sons of Virginia. They write our names down and whatnot and we all leave.

A few years go by and I remember the name of the film so I Google it. Low and behold it has an IMBD file, I know cause I recognize some of the actors names on the list.

They go on to list the entire lot of us, but guess what? The four Union guys who actually went out of their way and travel far to help them. They weren't listed anywhere.

Get this, this is a real kicker. They won several awards from the Sundance Film Festival. Half of them were because of us. (Best costume design) Well no ****, we're the ones who brought our own uniforms.

Loyal Subject Thu Aug 11, 2011 4:46 pm

The four people weren't listed on IMDB or they weren't listed in the credits of the actual film? IMDB is very unreliable so I wouldn't be surprised if people were missing from the IMDB list. Even though it says 'full cast and crew' IMDB doesn't actually list everyone.

Lee Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:17 pm

No, the people who worked on the film made the page. We weren't listed in the credits. I never even received a call, was notified of anything. They didn't even give me a copy of the film.

Loyal Subject Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:40 pm

^ then that's bs.

Lee Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:41 pm

Especially since most of the awards were due to us reenactors lol.

Loyal Subject Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:47 pm

though, even though they didn't give you credit, you can still put it on a resume if you want to XD

Lee Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:59 pm

I've never even seen what it looks like. So I'm not taking that chance.

Loyal Subject Thu Aug 11, 2011 6:03 pm

you'd only really put it on a resume if you wanted to be an actor. and, it doesn't matter how bad it is because chances are, whoever's looking to hire hasn't seen it either XD

Lee Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:04 pm

That's true, but still I don't know anything about it. Hell for all I know they could had said thanks for the job guys. Then when we left they cut out all of our parts.

Although I highly doubt that as they didn't have much up close action shots, which is what we were being filmed for. I think they didn't have many or none at all.

And they really can't take too much credit from most of their action sequences from what I was told by them because most of it was filmed from reenactments.

Loyal Subject Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:25 pm

i think you can still put it in a resume even if you get cut from the final project. but im not sure.

well, there's nothing wrong with filming from reenactments and making them look like action sequences. When the guy is in the cage in JAWs and the shark is attacking, the shark actually just got stuck XD

i honestly dont know how you're supposed to treat extras in film. like, i dont know if they put all the extras in the LOTR's charge sequence. i would think they would though...

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