The most important ingredient a film maker needs when making their film.

May 15, 2012 by  

I have always wondered why sometimes the people you expect to go out and make their films, often fail to keep to their word and make their film. They seem to have the talent and they seem to have the desire to do it. They often have been well trained. Yet, they keep procrastinating and finding excuses to delay the film making. I know some people I have expected amazing things from, who are always shooting next year. Everytime you meet them they tell you about the current roadblock, that has caused them to delay till next year.

Here are the  usual  Top 10 excuses 

  1. I decided to get married
  2. I decided to have a child.
  3. I got a promotion in my job.
  4. We are not ready yet
  5. The script is not quite right.
  6. I need a few more months to get the money.
  7. I know if we hold back till Summer we will get the hot light.
  8. The summer is too wet and I think we should hold till the El Nino effect lifts
  9. I just want to take time to have everything perfect. Maybe in six months.
  10. I want to raise $10 million and get a star.
I have heard them all and generally speaking it is procrastination. So how do you get around this problem?
Take the two Prong Approach: 
I always like to have a two prong approach myself. I believe that you should have your Go Now Film and your In Development Big Budget  Film. This will help you to get around the procrastination problem.

At International  Film Base, we like to do our One Week Film School 2- 3 times per year as they absolutely prove that a group of beginners with no experience can make a good film in one week.  We give them the one most important ingredient that ever film needs and this is why they succeed. Here is an example of one of the One Week Short Films called Pocket Change    Its not perfect but it is really good for beginners who had only one week to  create the story and cast and shoot the film. And you can bet your bottom dollar that they learnt an incredible amount in one week.

On our 4 Month Film School we also have a deadline and the film is posted and edited and shot and cast and created all in a 4 month period. There never is a delay.

 

All these films have the most important ingredient that so many people miss once they leave film school. Once they lose this ingredient, all of their post film efforts will fail time and time again. Of course, they will always tell me they tried really hard. However, the hard cut reality is this. A Film Maker makes films now and is always in the process of  making films every year. I invented the Hot Talent Club to keep people making films once they left our film school.

Shooting the Go-Now Film - so much fun

The Big Budget Film.  Examples are Red Dog, The Great Gatsby and The Eye of the Storm
The Film Budget  is  in the millions and can take a development gestation period of 3 – 10 years and requries patience and persistence. If you would like to learn more, please attend our A-Listers film event on Saturday May 26th where you will meet the film makers who made the above films. 

 

The Go-Now Film Production 
A Film that is made on what ever budget is available by an exact deadline. The budget can be anywhere from $3000 for  short film to $500,000 for a feature film. This is a Go-Now film and is generally made within 3 months – 18 months of conception. In either case, both these films require the most important  ingredient.

This Ingredient is called Absolute Conviction.
What this means is a certainty mentality and mindset that says no matter what happens, we are shooting our film. This is our Deadline and once in place, we will not stop till our film is complete and sold.

This mindset moves mountains and always will deliver what you need to make your film the best that it can be.
When you have this mindset you film is a certainty.  Learn all about making films now on our Film Course and join our vision to create the film director stars of tomorrow
Category: Films

My Favourite Films this Year

April 3, 2012 by  

Wishing all my readers a relaxing and fun Easter Break. 

After Easter we have a major announcement to make in relation to something that I believe  will be a major turning point.  If you want to learn from the very best in the Australian Film Industry, keep you eyes peeled for my next post.  I will leave you in suspense till then.

As it is Easter,  I would like to mention some of my favourite films that I have seen at the cinema this year. These films should be available online or at your local DVD shop soon.  If you have time over Easter check them out. I think you will really enjoy all three of these films.  Of the 14 that I have seen in the cinema this year these three films were the most enjoyable.

 

Tower Heist (Action Comedy)

For plain entertainment value, I really enjoyed  this film. Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy lead an all-star cast in Tower Heist, a comedy caper about working stiffs who seek revenge on the Wall Street swindler who stiffed them. After the workers at a luxury Central Park condominium discover the penthouse billionaire has stolen their retirement, they plot the ultimate revenge: a heist to reclaim what he took from them.

 

 

 

 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  (Thriller)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first film in Columbia Pictures’ three-picture adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s literary blockbuster The Millennium Trilogy. I have seen the Sweedish version of this film and I much preferred this years updated American Version. The Film is slow to start but once it gets going, the intriging plot takes you into the most surprising twists. Directed by David Fincher and starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, the film is based on the first novel in the trilogy, which altogether have sold 50 million copies in 46 countries and become a worldwide phenomenon.

 

 

The Descendants  (Drama)

I really liked this heart warming drama.  From Alexander Payne, the creator of the Oscar-winning Sideways, set in Hawaii, The Descendants is a sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic journey for Matt King (George Clooney) an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a boating accident off of Waikiki. The event leads to a rapprochement with his young daughters while Matt wrestles with a decision to sell the family’s land handed down from Hawaiian royalty. Very moving and engaging.

 

Category: Films

Creating the Film Director Stars of Tomorrow- Hot Talent Club is launched

March 20, 2012 by  

Post: Creating the Film Director Stars of Tomorrow- Hot Talent Club is launched

On Set at our Custom Designed Police Station

At International Film Base,  we regularly are sent job opportunities and film production requests that we can not take on. It has been a frustration seeing these opportunities going to waste.   We are also involved in many of our own feature film productions and other peoples film productions that we have been commissioned to produce. As a working production company, it has been a great pleasure to employ the very best talent from our film courses on to these productions over the years.

Late last year,  I decided that I wanted to create a non-profit Club that would support and help the most talented film makers. The club would   immediately make their advanced film dreams happen once the  four month film course had concluded.  I wanted to create a vehicle where they could quickly get film industry employment and make their very own passion film projects. This would include feature films documentaries and short films and no hanging around. These projects would happen immediately with solid enforceable deadlines.

Late last year, I came up with the true vision for our film courses and productions at International FIlm Base.  I coined the phrase “Creating the Film  Director Stars of tomorrow.”  Out of this vision, in late February this year,  the Hot Talent Club was born and launched in Sydney and  in the next few months in Melbourne.

What is the Hot Talent Club?

The Hot Talent Club is for people who have completed our 4 Month Film School in Melbourne or Sydney.   It is a mix of exceptionally motivated and ambitious film makers who want support and crew other film makers while making their very own passion film projects.

In the Hot Talent , you will  find a mix of exceptionally talented actors, make up artists, producers and Directors. These people all have one thing in common.  They all want to move to the A List. All of these people are committed to being players in the film industry, now and  in the future. What this means is that the Hot Talent Club creates the energy matrix for these players to make their mark with every film that they are involved in.

At  each  monthly meeting a project will be launced with a deadline for production and for completion and the Producer or Director is held accountable to that deadline. Out of the Hot Club we expect to see A List Film Directors and Producers making feature films and TV drama and documentaries  for the world.

Ready to shoot a scene on the Red Camera

You may ask “How do I get into the Hot Talent Club?”

Every selected  person must attend our Four Month Film School in Sydney or Melbourne.  They must show  comittment to their film projects during the Four Month Film School. The candidate should have the fire in the belly and a desire to work exceptionally hard to make their film the best that it can be.  At the end , the top 3 -4 people  are invited to join the Hot Talent Club. Each person is selected by the Hot Club Panel.

Ultimately, we want one or more of our members to go to the very top in world cinema and make films that get seen by the world. The overall purpose is to create the film production hits and the Director Producer Stars of tomorrow.

So if you are inspired to start your film career now, please look at our Four Month Film Courses in Melbourne Sydney or  our One Week Adelaide Course. There is no faster way to get on to your first serious film production completed.  We are conducting interviews for our Four Month Film Schools right now. Book by phone on 1800 131166

Category: Films

Five Film Directing Skills that make a difference

March 2, 2012 by  


Directing a Shot on the Set of Dealing with Destiny

Post:  Five ways to make your film shoot work effectively 

Most people on our Film Courses love the Film Shoot.  The Film Course Participant learn more on the Film Shoot than any other part of our four month Film School.

The main reason for this is  team work.   A group of people bond and make a creative endeavor.  There are many laughs, intense moments and character tests. The satisfaction of creating a film, that will be seen by millions of eyes in the future, also adds a sense of purpose and excitement to the shoot.

However the amateur film maker can make a mess out of a Film Shoot and end up having a very challenging time. How can a Film Director make the most of a Film Shoot?  Prepare Prepare Prepare.  How does the film director make a Film Shoot fun and memorable. Here are five areas that one can focus on.

  1. The Script
  2. Actor Rehearsal
  3. Plan the Blocking in Advance
  4. Shot list and/or Storyboard
  5. Pushing the Standard High.

1 Know your Script: 

This is so important. Know your script intimately.  It is called Script Analysis. What this means is that you break the script down and work out exactly what the characters in the scene are doing. Generally speaking the characters will have objectives and they will have different ways of playing the actions in the scene. A Director needs to work out the game plan in advance of a Film Shoot. The Director needs to know how he wants his actors to play the scene in advance of the shoot.  When this happens,  the director can communicate succintly and deliberately on set. Know your script.

2 Actor Rehearsal: 

It really pays to have an actor rehearsal prior to the Film Shoot. What this means is that the actors and the director can discuss the script and the scenes. When one is on a film set, there is too much happening. The Director usually is peppered with questions and other on set problems. Therefore there is no time to rehearse in detail. Have an actor rehearsal prior to a shoot.  You can  weed out cluncky dialogue through improvisation. You sometimes will find a better way of playing the scene. If the director is lucky enough to rehearse on the actual set prior to the shoot,  this will save time. The director can lock down the Actor Blocking in advance of the shoot.

3 Plan the Blocking in Advance. 

Blocking refers to the movement of the actors on the set. The Director needs to know exactly where he wants his actors to move on the set. If left to the actors to move on their own, the movement can be very limited and will probally not fit in with the shot list. So one of the key Directorial tasks, is to work out the actors blocking. This takes training and that is why you should look at a really good Film Course to learn these key film director skills

4 Shot List Storyboard

A Director needs to work out  their Shot list in advance of the shoot. This is one of the areas that definitely reqrires training. Working our the coverage of a scene,  is so important.  A great shot list will create the building blocks for the edit.  Learn all about this on one of our practical Film Courses

5 Pushing the Standard High. 

Working on a film requires commitment . However the very best directors always push for the very best. They motivate and cajole their actors and their crew to push for the very best. If the actors and the crew feel that the director is pushing for a great film, they will try 10o times harder.

One needs to learn how to make films professionally and that is why it is very important to get the very best training available on the very best film course .  Remember learn from the best and when you are shooting prepare prepare prepare.

Film Schools in the very near future 2012  

Till next time   Have a great one.     Colm O’Murchu     Director International Film Base

Why did I get this film making email?  You signed up for our Free E Course on how film directors made it big and and therefore receive our blog on a bimonthly basis. 
Category: Films

The Film Editor – The Star Crew Member

March 2, 2012 by  

POST: The Film Editor is the true star of any Film Production

Today, I want to focus on The Film Editor.

Learning all about the Tools of the Trade

This morning I read all about the Oscars.  Kirk Baxter, an Australian, has just won back to back Oscars. Kirk won last night for the film ” The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. *  Yet it hardly makes the papers.  For many people, film  editors are these nerdy characters who spend way too much time in small rooms. Yet in reality they are the true stars of any Film Production.

Tropfest was one of the big film events in February.  Tropfest is the worlds largest film festival which takes place at the Domain in Sydney. On the Saturday I attended Tropfest Roughcut with about 150 other film makers.     Speaking at the event were non other than

Geoffrey Rush, Actor (The King’s Speech, Pirates of the Caribbean)
Kieran Darcy-Smith, Director (Wish You Were Here), Actor (Animal Kingdom)
Jason Ballantine, Editor (The Great Gatsby, Wolf Creek, Wish You Were Here)

Jason Ballantine is certainly one of the most talented Film Editors with a raft of great film credits all ready attached to his name. Yet he is very humble.  Yet, he is one of the most important  creative people working on Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio

I always find it amazing that Film Editors never get the credit that they are due. I am going to be controversial and say this the Film Editor is the single most important crew member after the Film Director.

Many outsiders do not realize the following fact.   The Film Director will spend most of his or her life in post production. The Shoot might be only 6 – 10 weeks while post production will often consume about 9 months after the film is finished. Peter Jackson spent just over  a year shooting the Lord of the Rings trilogy and then spent three years in Post Production.

It is the attention to detail in Post Production that pays off. If time is spent on post production, this will dramatically make the difference between a  really good film and an average film.

Let me clarify Post Production. Post Production includes the

Picture Edit (today’s subject)
Colouring and Grading
Visual Effects
Titles
Music
Sound Postproduction
Conforming formats such as DCP.
The Film Director is involved with all of the above.

Booming and getting the very best location sound

On the film set, the film director only gathers the building blocks of  the film and of course it is very important to get the very best building blocks. However the edit and full post production is where the film is made. There is a gulf of difference between a really good edit and an average edit. In the former,  the film is dynamic and engaging. In the latter the film stinks and is considered a Turkey.

However the edit is one area that is neglected in the short film arena. Many emerging film makers believe that the film is complete, once the shoot is over.

The mindset is this …..  ”Oh yes there is still a bit of editing and music to do but the film is now shot and it will only be a short time till the film is complete.”
The emerging film maker  then confronts reality. Post Production can suddenly feel like a never ending process.

Picture Editing  is an art form that  only came into existence when  motion picture was invented back in the late 19th Century.  Before 1896, there were many fine actors who acted in theater  and there were many stories been told in different mediums. Photography had been around for a long time. Music had been around since the dawn of man.

Motion Picture editing only started once we could shoot motion picture.  Therefore it is the purest season of film making. It exists totally out of the need to cut motion picture and create the illusion of a story.

Editing up to the early 1990s was a cumbersome process. I remember my first films back in the late 80s. We used to edit on Steenbacks. We would literally chop the film with a small guillotine and splice it back together with splicing tape. Any visual effects would be chalked on the film print and sent off to an Optical House where the effects would be created.

How times have changed for the better.  We now edit in the computer and anyone can do it from anywhere. I often edit on the airplane when I am on long flights. You will only know the difference great editing makes once  you start to make your own films. One of the areas we focus on in our film courses is Post Production. A large part of the course is dedicated to post production with 5 sessions spent finishing the film.

Many emerging film makers find the shoot so exciting and fun. The adrenalin is running and once the film is shot, they then are

Course Production Filming on Set

confronted with post production which is insular and slow.  Suddenly there is only two people.  The Director and the Editor sitting in front of a computer actually making a film. Not so exciting for many people.

To me personally, editing is one of the best parts of film making.  When one sits down to create magic and a memorable engaging story, the hours fly by.  I believe that if you want to be a Film Director it is important to love this season of film making.

You have a choice as a Film Director.

  1. Learn editing and become an expert at editing and cutting your own short films and anyone else you can volunteer for. I  personally think that if you can learn to edit, it will pay off in the  long run.
  2. Find an experienced or up and coming editor and work closely with them on your films

How do you do this?  The first step is to enroll on a really good film course

 

Till next time , have a great one.
Colm O’Murchu      Director
http://internationalfilmbase.com/

* If you have not seen the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, please see it. It is a wonderful film that engages you from the beginning to the end. David Fincher  is at his best in this very engaging thriller set in Sweden

Category: Films

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