Guten tag film jammers
Okay
You're making your first film want to learn some hot tips on how to get started stick around and you might learn -- what's that?
You might not learn anything. He says
Shoot something that you're passionate about make a film that is you. I wouldn't make a movie about a plane because I hate flying
Seriously? bottom line
If you're more invested in a project the more fun you'll have and the better It will be
People are attracted to passion and chances are you'll attract great people to your project if you're excited about the subject matter
Be true to yourself be true to yourself kid
Assess buying versus renting your equipment
For example, if you rent a camera for your film you don't need to make as large of a financial commitment up front
But if you buy a camera you could potentially use it to make money from other jobs after your movie is done
Like this video I did for a mobile dog shampoo groomer
Do you like bubbles? Then let us wash your dog
Anyway think about what works best for you in your long-term plan
Shoot for what you have. Use minimal locations and use actors and people
You know will be available. That may mean you know, your best friend. Who's an Air Force pilot in Tahiti
You know, he might not be the best lead actor even though he's a great looking guy
I mean he's strong and he's got these cool tattoos
But if you pick people that are local and shoot in one location with just a few actors
Chances are you'll have less scheduling conflicts and it spend less money on transportation
Look at movies like Paranormal Activity or Reservoir Dogs, you know, they're filmed in low cost and minimal locations
But they had very high return on their investments
Create an awesome team. Work with people you trust and don't be afraid to delegate you can't do everything
filmmaking involves a lot of very specific jobs
And if you have a great cohesive team, you can get more done and work towards a common goal. Teamwork y'all
Look at my team look at my team
That guy. Love her. I don't know what that guy does
We got HD we got 2 K we get 4 K we get 6 K going what's going?
I don't know where I was going. This one's really exciting determined shooting format. What? Should you shoot in HD?
8k 4k, there's so many options out there
I just don't know where to start. Movies today are still distributed mostly in HD with 4k becoming more prevalent
Some companies are actively seeking 4k content though
So if you want to have a higher chance to sell to a distribution company like that
Or even Netflix shooting at 4k can be more beneficial
Create a solid budget and note your priorities. Should you spend more money on a higher end camera or notable actors?
maybe neither. If this is your first film it might be a good time to
Experiment and build experience save that connection to your uncle's mechanic who knows Chris Pratt's house-sitter for your next movie
Yeah
I'm actually pretty tight with Shia LaBeouf's poodle petter
Be careful with copyrights. Don't make a movie about something
You don't have the rights to and don't film logos or products or store signs. You don't have permission to use
Hey Adam, could you hand me that Arri Alexa mini camera over there?
Wow, I feel so good. It's a beautiful camera. What could you do with that? You mean the Arri Alexa Mini?
We've seen many people make great movies that were unable to sell them due to these copyright issues. So be careful and do your research
Have a distribution and marketing plan. Festivals can be a great way to get the word out
Especially if your film makes it into a top fest with distributors eyeing the films
But if you don't get in you can always self or direct distributor
We have two films actually on Vimeo on demand. The Skyship Chronicles and Jules Dongu Saves the World my first feature
Don't watch them. Don't do it
You don't want to
Watch them. If you have a Vimeo Pro account
It's actually free to add these on-demand pages and you can make 90 percent of your sales revenue after transaction costs
It's definitely a good option for some people
Set yourself up for your next feature don't put all your eggs in one basket and keep the long term in mind
Not everyone makes a box office hit their first time around so try to create a film that you can build on from your team
To your audience start small and work up to that million dollar budget
Hell if it was that easy, I mean I wouldn't be doing Film Jams for a living I mean
It's awesome here though, you know, it's really great. It's great. I like it here
good team good people
So these are all guidelines from our experience, what do you think are some important tips for making your first feature film
What do you kids think? What did we miss? Tell us on the comments below
And remember the most important tip is just the tip. Just get out there do it now