DISCLAIMER about the CHEAP title: Strange enough, this is NOT CLICKBAIT; our film was DIRT CHEAP. The gear was free, the crew was mostly free, and the location was free. I didn't bring this up in the video because I can't speak too deeply about our budget before we sell the movie. That said, Hollywood gear, doesn't always mean a Hollywood budget. We had a good story, no sponsorships, and a very supportive producing team who believed in the script Charlie wrote. Let me know if this is something you'd like to learn more about. LOVE YOU.
Hey very good video. Hope to see the film. So if you cannot talk about the budget could you at least please explain how you got to get so many things free, like crew, gear, location? That would be a really good hint. Plus I like the tips you are giving, but I as a director myself I would go on about in so many different ways. Sometimes I don't have all the answers to the hardest questions, but I always figure something out. I just find it funny that in these videos those tips seem to be like "the rule" but everybody makes movies differently.
Also look at the amount of people on set. If they are getting paid, that is not a cheap production. I have a feeling some of them are not necessary. And for a short time period, I would have narrowed the crew so it is easily manageable.
DISCLAIMER about the CHEAP title: Strange enough, this is NOT CLICKBAIT; our film was DIRT CHEAP. The gear was free, the crew was mostly free, and the location was free. I didn't bring this up in the video because I can't speak too deeply about our budget before we sell the movie. That said, Hollywood gear, doesn't always mean a Hollywood budget. We had a good story, no sponsorships, and a very supportive producing team who believed in the script Charlie wrote. Let me know if you'd like to learn more about this. LOVE YOU.
@@Point_n_Shoot it can, but then a crucial step in the tutorial would be "have friends that will make the movie with you for free and who also own really expensive gear" and its just less effective
Dealing with actors, the best advice I was given was to draft out a one-page synopsis of each main character. I'd include where they were born, how they grew up, their education, what were their interests and prejudices, what drives them, whether they're in deep in touch or detached from humanity. I'd give it to the actor to study as a blueprint, and let them research and flesh the characters out themselves to get into the character's mind and shoes. The stuff that some actors came back with was astounding to the point where I was amazed that I had never thought of it myself. They would bring back ideas from hair, to wardrobe, to accents, to phrases, props, makeup, mannerisms, to even the way they walk. One actor even learned to some of his English-spoken scenes in different languages, as he felt that it would be more authentic for particular scenes. Two actors spent ten days shadowing a person with cerebral palsy and their carer to learn both how one behaves with cerebral palsy and the procedure and toll taking care of the patient can be. We then see what helps convey the story best. Nothing makes an actor more enthusiastic than to allow them to do the studying. I draw the picture, and providing they stay within the lines, I let them bring in the shading and color to bring the character to life.
Zach: no budget movie Also Zach: has the contacts, sponsorships and clout to be able to get top of the range kit, also the film had a bigger budget than the Winnie the Pooh Thriller that just got nominated for a National Film Award, also clickbaiting A24 because of Everything Everywhere All At Once winning Oscars even though this film has no similarities at all, also people might have actually liked this video more if I literally just said it was a Behind the Scenes video but oh well, gotta try and get more of those views at the expense of integrity 🤷♂
@@nerdyalt30s Well I mean, Zach said this film was "under a million", so why would you say that unless it was close to that number? So it was probably like 500k or more, and Blood and Honey's budget when you Google it says less than 100k, which I know for a fact is correct because I know people who worked on this set saying exactly this and some not so positive things about their experience with it 😅
Agreed, this video is horseshit. And some of the advice they give is actually quite terrible; it makes you a worse filmmaker and it doesn't teach you how to get the most out of your day to produce the best film you can with your resources.
i googled about A24 and the result says "A24 is also known for the originality and artistic style of films it produces, generally shunning the style of films produced or released by the major film studios." so i guess the A24 look is to just be wild, experimental and original with the composition, color, storytelling, etc. this video is basically clickbait bs. cheap movie? if you have connections, sponsors, people giving or letting you "borrow" equipment and people, of course it's gonna cheap lmao.
Even though it’s monetarily cheap it’s not a low budget thing. You just had some incredibly generous investors. Every single person who showed up each day invested heavily in the project, some with time, some also with gear. It was by no means a cheap film to make, but I guess it speaks volumes to finding great people who want to tell stories. I hope you fed them well!
I shot a film in 7 days on a budget of $800 bucks in 2011. It was me, a small crew of actors, friends help, and my camera. But glad ya'll are figuring it out with such a bigger budget and a crew and like gear that costs hundreds of thousands.
Myself and 4 people just made a feature for $1000. It isn’t a24 but we were proud of it. It’s just hard to do it without dedicated ppl. Your network is your net worth. Your use Of your connections to consistently create is inspiring! Wish I could have more of that. If possible I would love to work with you on a project. Until then, keep inspiring us(Me) Thank you.
How to make a no budget film look like an A24 film: Step 1 - Get an Arri. Step 2 - get a professional dolly. Step 3 - Get a professional fog/haze machine. Step 4 - Get beautiful Angenieux lenses and pro powerful lights. Step 5 - Actually, have 3 pro cameras for 'coverage'. Step 6 - Have a full crew of like 15-20 people including someone to Windex the windows for continuity. Step 7 - Have pro monitors that are bigger than a computer gaming monitor. Step 8 - Don't have 1 director, have 2. Step 9 - Don't forget the cinematographer and production designer. Step 10 - Have expereanced actors. Step 11 - Make sure the 'biggest issue with shooting your film' are clouds. Step 12 - Make sure you complain about your "big expensive beautiful cameras" at the end. Check.
I always try and approach my coverage starting with the wide. Usually there’s less intricate lighting kit to set up because you’re relying on setting the location and blocking to a good location for light and composition. Unless you’re lighting from outside the location of course, like pushing through a window, in which case your set up won’t change too much other than a bit of wrap and a bit of Neg. The main reason I like going for the wide is because usually It gives the actors a chance to work through the flow of the scene and you can spot any problems in the delivery and blocking. Then cut in for the coverage and do the more intricate lighting. Even if you’re just shooting one side at a time, at least the actors have had time on the wide. It look a few confused shoots getting lost for me to realise this but I always try and start on the wide. Even if you hardly use much of it, you have it and serves as a great playing ground for testing blocking, delivery, etc. And then what ever weather/lighting situation you had in that moment, you’re just working to keep that consistent. Which is much easier to do when you’re tight.
This is awesome! You never really get to see this much behind the scenes footage and it's cool seeing all the problem solving and conversations between the crew. It makes me happy I decided to become an animator. I don't have to worry about moving furniture, weather, or people. Just me and my computer! It's a lonely life though. 🙃
man, 10:20 looked like it was that old psychological video about our attention, when someone appears in the center of a group of people and you don't even notice it
DISCLAIMER about the CHEAP title: Strange enough, this is NOT CLICKBAIT; our film was DIRT CHEAP. The gear was free, the crew was mostly free, and the location was free. I didn't bring this up in the video because I can't speak too deeply about our budget before we sell the movie. That said, Hollywood gear, doesn't always mean a Hollywood budget. We had a good story, no sponsorships, and a very supportive producing team who believed in the script Charlie wrote. Let me know if you'd like to learn more about this. LOVE YOU.
@@ZachRamelan I’m less concerned about the budget issue than I am about the fact that you didn’t actually show us how to make a project look like an A24 movie… or even demonstrate to us that your film looks like an A24 movie. It’s just another standard “Making an Indie Movie” video, which is fine… but not at all what was promised.
this was so fascinating to watch, thanks for going in depth, so valuable. i love learning about the creative decisions but i always wonder about the logistical and business decisions, namely regarding time and money. how was the decision-making process concerning the production timeline made? also how was this funded and how were the funds allocated between paying for location, and all the crew and talent? wondering because i follow probably around 100 people on RUclips who cover filmmaking and never have I seen anyone touch on this, and it's where I have a lot of confusion and doubt when it comes to filmmaking. i know every project is different and exact dollar amount are sensitive info so i think percentage figures could be helpful for those trying to make their own films.
I did the shot all of one characters shot for a setup on my only feature thus far. It only sometimes worked as we ended up tweaking the lighting anyway. It does require experienced actors.
A french director shot his last film with the Arri Alexa 65 and explained that the data were so heavy he had to have a van stacked with hard drives and a cooling system on set all along with a tech guy hired only to manage this specific aspect of the shooting... The overall final look is amazing but damn, I can't imagine having to deal with so many gigabytes.
I would and currently in the process. The creative process, although stressful, is fun. It's also great to watch a team on set that are REALLY good at what they do.
Wide Shots are more so for safety and establishing the position of actors and props within the scenes. As to my safety point, if a close-up or medium shot doesn't work or the file gets corrupted you always have the wide to save you.
Watch some foreign films & you’ll see wide shots aren’t just for safety. Wide shots can give a feeling that you’re just watching a story unfold instead of having a story told to you
Having used the Angenieux zooms on the Alexa classic I can say the optical quality and falloff is phenomenal. not usually a fan of zooms but they have a great look.
Zach this is a very informative video. Thanks for this. I may not be able to afford the camera equipment you have but I can apply the same method with the Sony A74, Panasonic S5 Mark ii x, Canon R7 and Canon R6 Mark 2. I intend to purchase low end intermediate cameras and see what I can accomplish with them. And side note: In Super 35mm mode in 1080HD the Sony A74 is 2.5k image.
Oh yall are sooooo grimy as heckkkk LIVE A LITTLEEE!! Take the advice that was given and apply it to your films, stop over criticizing this man! I persoanlly learned so much and am very grateful for the video as an Indie filmmaker!!
DISCLAIMER about the CHEAP title: Strange enough, this is NOT CLICKBAIT; our film was DIRT CHEAP. The gear was free, the crew was mostly free, and the location was free. I didn't bring this up in the video because I can't speak too deeply about our budget before we sell the movie. That said, Hollywood gear, doesn't always mean a Hollywood budget. We had a good story, no sponsorships, and a very supportive producing team who believed in the script Charlie wrote. Let me know if you'd like to learn more about this. LOVE YOU.
There was NOTHING in this video giving advice on how to make your movie look like an A24 film. No mention of style. It was good BTS footage but a very misleading title. Lost all trust in the value of your advice.
In his "I made an $8k feature film at my friend's mansion" video, I think he said that they already had the cameras. And a bunch of people were willing to work for free because they were all friends and just liked working together. So I guess the answer to your question is to get hired on someone else's set; be chill and competent; become friends with people who have bomb ass cameras; profit.
@@joycechan-barretta9882 I doubt they actually own two arri cameras. And I get what you're saying but in this video it's a bit misleading. I don't think making a cheap film is spending a LOT of money before to get all the gear and just bring on people that works for free for a week. So I guess they did get paid.
This is a great point and I’ll explore it further in a future video! In short: every film I work on the concept drives a passionate cinematographer and gear place to provide their equipment at a VERY discounted rate, in some cases for free. This isn’t always how it goes, but usually for passion projects with good scripts and a good crew people are willing to push the project further with their assets. Our incredible DP Chris hoped on the project as a cinematographer and an Executive Producer in exchange for his services and gear.
Budget Mission Impossible: So yeah we got Tom Hanks to be our lead character for free as a favour, so if you dont have that then you cant complete my tutorial
I personally do my wide shot first for two reasons. First: to use as a "dry" run but still running the camera. Second: to use a video script to for the editor to lay out the movie very quickly within a couple of days. The whole movie is wide but give me a quick overview of how the movie is going to flow and sound.
I think the title of this video is wrong. Nothing really felt like you were talking about making an A24 style movie and this is certainly a higher-end shoot (even if the equipment and location were free.) Great video, I just think it needs a different title, lol
Wides are bullshit? I'll tell you what's bullshit, cutting back and forth between overs. It's lame and lazy. Better to block a scene in as few cuts as possible and allowing us to see the actors actually interacting with each other for real, preferable moving around rather than just sitting down. Those shots where it may as well be the back of a doubles while your on a mid to tight shot of the other actor are bullshit. Go wider. Also, body language can say a lot more than dialogue and wider shots are great for that. Film is a visual medium, so much can be said with the positioning of characters in relation to each other graphically with the set and how they move around within it. Interesting that you used a clip of Leo and Juno sitting there spewing expository dialogue as the holy grail of coverage. Weaksauce.
Fair points here! My argument (if you watched the full video) is that wide shots are incredibly time consuming for such a small percentage of a scene. While they are annoying they are some of the most important shots in a film. That said, ask any DP or feature director and they will agree that these beautiful shots take a huge chunk out of your day. And when you’re shooting a feature, every second counts, I’d rather sacrifice a wide shot for more time on performance any day!
Were there any specific A24 tips in this entire video? Also, pretty sure your editor hates the person slating who jerks the slate out immediately after the sticks close so the editor can’t see when the sticks come together. 😂
Oh man, the disrespectful side glance at 15:35 from your script supervisor, sizing you up head to toe before interrupting with "I don't want to chime in, but..." was not only rude, but a clear sign of disrespect to you. There was a visible lack of chemistry there, and your co-director did not seem to play along too nicely, either. Massive props to you for not letting ego come in the way of finishing the project, but those two persons come off as truly obnoxious and self-entitled. Yikes.
DISCLAIMER about the CHEAP title: Strange enough, this is NOT CLICKBAIT; our film was DIRT CHEAP. The gear was free, the crew was mostly free, and the location was free. I didn't bring this up in the video because I can't speak too deeply about our budget before we sell the movie. That said, Hollywood gear, doesn't always mean a Hollywood budget. We had a good story, no sponsorships, and a very supportive producing team who believed in the script Charlie wrote. Let me know if you'd like to learn more about this. LOVE YOU.
covering the shots from ALL the scenes on one axis and then jumping over to the other one and starting again from scene 1 doesn't seem like a great way to shoot. I get that you might want to do that for time purposes but in reality you leave no room for actors to be able to perform at their best, there's no room for improvisation, and the actors are more concerned with the continuity of their performances rather than the performance itself. IMO should've just put in that extra effort to figure out how to do one scene at a time.
This is what I thought going into the production too! Ideally it would be filming all the actors at once and sacrificing some of the lighting in exchange. That said, because of limited space, limited time, and limited budget this was the most efficient way for us to shoot. Also, our talent on the film was very use to this style of shooting so it wasn’t hard for them to give it there all, even in the most powerful of scenes. In fact it gave the actor off screen time to dial in their performance, there for making it a better scene. With less skilled actors I’d suggest shooting both at once, but in our case it didn’t sacrifice the quality of acting.
“How to make a NO BUDGET movie” *has multiple expensive cameras, expensive lenses, a decent-size crew that you usually have to pay (or at least feed), and expensive-looking locations* I get that you said you didn’t actually pay much for all this, but most people can’t get equipment, locations, or crew like this for cheap. You might’ve gotten lucky, but this is kind of useless for someone with a low budget that doesn’t have great connections.
A24 didn’t come up with this look for fucks sake, everyone saying they invented it. They are a video production company!! Film makers have made videos like that before.
The title seems misleading for me, no zero budget film would have the resources you have said Would have been more accurate if you said "Low budget" or "without the a24 budget"
First I’ll say that you’re video was very helpful. However… the title says “no budget.” There is absolutely no way within reality that all the cast, all crew, and the incredible gear and equipment boiled down to “no budget.” On full transparency what was the real, actual out of pocket expense for your entire shoot, which should include post and promo costs??? 🤨🤨
The comments here trigger me so much... this still absoloutly is low budget filmmaking. If you want to make a living out of this you need contacts to producers, rentals etc...
1. This isn’t a no budget film or if it is you sinked your budget in the wrong place, which is equipment. 2. You are not making an A24 film but give basic student advices. 3. Final, an A24 film is defined by subject and acting, not by technicality. And if you are looking for the so called A24 look, that is something that if you film “fair” you will be able to achieve in post. 4. You can not tell people how to achieve an A24 film unless your film has already been distributed or produced by A24. So before teaching people how to achieve something, achieve yourself and the best way to inspire or lead us by example. At that point, facts and results will talk for themselves. You don’t see Barry Jenkins or Sean Baker making videos “how to make an A24 film”. You know why? Because they did it. So if you want to see how an A24 film is made, just watch A24 films. 5. I would say, make some more films, be pasiones by storytelling and the craft of film and you might achieve sometimes the levels where A24 will distribute your film.
Actually if you’re just “pitching ideas” to the cinematographer and letting them figure it out… you’re a hack and shouldn’t be directing. Honestly when shooting digital- there is very little need for a cinematographer outside of the Union position of managing the camera/grip department on high-budget productions.
For a ‘non’ pro director telling people that a wide shot is bullshit is crazy. Seriously watch some foreign films, RUclipsrs again with horrible info. If you shot tights for everything than there’s no impact for any tight
05:19 - This is complete nonsense. Wide shots are bullshit if your coverage style is meat-and-potatoes coverage style, shooting wides and mediums and close-ups because you don' t know what you want, you don't know how you want to tell your story and you're relying on figuring it out in the edit. This is how television is shot, not feature films. In the same time it takes to shoot your shot-reverse-shot coverage of mediums and close-ups of your actors talking, you could shoot the entire scene in a moving master or a wide master and use that as part of your visual storytelling. Fundamentally you're saying you don't know how to shoot a movie visually, you're just recording actors talking and hoping to use the dialogue and acting to make the movie function rather than using the camera to direct what the audience sees. There's nothing wrong with television-style, meat-and-potatoes, coverage, but it means you're not directing the visuals. You're just filming everything to figure out the storytelling later and in those situations, your wide shot is useless to you. But if you actually WATCH enough A24 films, you're bound to see the works of directors who know how to tell a story visually. Who don't rely on covering every single aspect of a scene from every angle. And for whom, the wide shot is the most powerful tool in their box. Robert Eggers is a perfect example of this. Sorry, but you don't know what you're talking about. You're just speaking to what you prefer and understand about filmmaking, running a set and managing the day.
DISCLAIMER about the CHEAP title: Strange enough, this is NOT CLICKBAIT; our film was DIRT CHEAP. The gear was free, the crew was mostly free, and the location was free. I didn't bring this up in the video because I can't speak too deeply about our budget before we sell the movie. That said, Hollywood gear, doesn't always mean a Hollywood budget. We had a good story, no sponsorships, and a very supportive producing team who believed in the script Charlie wrote. Let me know if this is something you'd like to learn more about. LOVE YOU.
What about the a24 part
Hey very good video. Hope to see the film. So if you cannot talk about the budget could you at least please explain how you got to get so many things free, like crew, gear, location? That would be a really good hint.
Plus I like the tips you are giving, but I as a director myself I would go on about in so many different ways. Sometimes I don't have all the answers to the hardest questions, but I always figure something out. I just find it funny that in these videos those tips seem to be like "the rule" but everybody makes movies differently.
@@insite0385 I guess we might have to watch the full movie for that part. By the way when and wehere can we watch it though?
Yes. I'd like to learn more about.
Free" doesn't exist. Connections count as resources and those are expensive for normal people to come by. This is* click bait as hell.
Zach: "how to make a cheap movie"
Also Zach: "We have the ARRI Alexa"
i literally was like, "hold on man"
Also look at the amount of people on set. If they are getting paid, that is not a cheap production. I have a feeling some of them are not necessary. And for a short time period, I would have narrowed the crew so it is easily manageable.
instantly scrolled down when I heard that
😀😀😀😀
DISCLAIMER about the CHEAP title: Strange enough, this is NOT CLICKBAIT; our film was DIRT CHEAP. The gear was free, the crew was mostly free, and the location was free. I didn't bring this up in the video because I can't speak too deeply about our budget before we sell the movie. That said, Hollywood gear, doesn't always mean a Hollywood budget. We had a good story, no sponsorships, and a very supportive producing team who believed in the script Charlie wrote. Let me know if you'd like to learn more about this. LOVE YOU.
Ah the classic "no budget" film that still shoots on a Arri, has access to a full crew, and has great locations and actors.
If its essentially for free, isn’t that technically no budget?
@@leoelliondeux It's the same as saying you spent no money on your film because Daddy paid for it.
@@leoelliondeuxyes
@@chadclendinenIf you have friends that already have gear and/or time that work in the industry, it can be pretty cheap.
@@Point_n_Shoot it can, but then a crucial step in the tutorial would be "have friends that will make the movie with you for free and who also own really expensive gear" and its just less effective
As uncle ben famously said "with great camera's comes great data requirements"
Hahahaha
Dealing with actors, the best advice I was given was to draft out a one-page synopsis of each main character. I'd include where they were born, how they grew up, their education, what were their interests and prejudices, what drives them, whether they're in deep in touch or detached from humanity. I'd give it to the actor to study as a blueprint, and let them research and flesh the characters out themselves to get into the character's mind and shoes. The stuff that some actors came back with was astounding to the point where I was amazed that I had never thought of it myself.
They would bring back ideas from hair, to wardrobe, to accents, to phrases, props, makeup, mannerisms, to even the way they walk. One actor even learned to some of his English-spoken scenes in different languages, as he felt that it would be more authentic for particular scenes. Two actors spent ten days shadowing a person with cerebral palsy and their carer to learn both how one behaves with cerebral palsy and the procedure and toll taking care of the patient can be.
We then see what helps convey the story best. Nothing makes an actor more enthusiastic than to allow them to do the studying. I draw the picture, and providing they stay within the lines, I let them bring in the shading and color to bring the character to life.
Sounds helpful..gonna try this
best advice is to cast the right actor for the role and let them do their thing. Adjust form there
Zach: no budget movie Also Zach: has the contacts, sponsorships and clout to be able to get top of the range kit, also the film had a bigger budget than the Winnie the Pooh Thriller that just got nominated for a National Film Award, also clickbaiting A24 because of Everything Everywhere All At Once winning Oscars even though this film has no similarities at all, also people might have actually liked this video more if I literally just said it was a Behind the Scenes video but oh well, gotta try and get more of those views at the expense of integrity 🤷♂
did they actually spend more than winnie the pooh 😂😂
@@nerdyalt30s Well I mean, Zach said this film was "under a million", so why would you say that unless it was close to that number? So it was probably like 500k or more, and Blood and Honey's budget when you Google it says less than 100k, which I know for a fact is correct because I know people who worked on this set saying exactly this and some not so positive things about their experience with it 😅
I mean, you’re not wrong 🤷🏻♂️
Agreed, this video is horseshit. And some of the advice they give is actually quite terrible; it makes you a worse filmmaker and it doesn't teach you how to get the most out of your day to produce the best film you can with your resources.
Title misleading af, first thing I saw was a 100,000 camera with a 15 man crew
"Cheap Movie" ...no. Although i guess 'cheap' is subjective haha. And "A24 Film" ... A24 style/techniques weren't discussed once in the vid :/
Clickbait. Great title
i googled about A24 and the result says "A24 is also known for the originality and artistic style of films it produces, generally shunning the style of films produced or released by the major film studios." so i guess the A24 look is to just be wild, experimental and original with the composition, color, storytelling, etc.
this video is basically clickbait bs. cheap movie? if you have connections, sponsors, people giving or letting you "borrow" equipment and people, of course it's gonna cheap lmao.
Even though it’s monetarily cheap it’s not a low budget thing. You just had some incredibly generous investors. Every single person who showed up each day invested heavily in the project, some with time, some also with gear.
It was by no means a cheap film to make, but I guess it speaks volumes to finding great people who want to tell stories.
I hope you fed them well!
"We decided to make NO BUDGET movie. How we did it? First, we took a couple of ARRI cameras..."
I shot a film in 7 days on a budget of $800 bucks in 2011. It was me, a small crew of actors, friends help, and my camera. But glad ya'll are figuring it out with such a bigger budget and a crew and like gear that costs hundreds of thousands.
Tell me more about this and how you'd do it in 2023 :) I'm learning
My Boy Shot on Arri Alexa, With a Whole ass Crew whilst Using Dollies on Pretty much every other shot, Yet he dares calling it "Cheap"
Myself and 4 people just made a feature for $1000. It isn’t a24 but we were proud of it. It’s just hard to do it without dedicated ppl. Your network is your net worth. Your use
Of your connections to consistently create is inspiring! Wish I could have more of that. If possible I would love to work with you on a project. Until then, keep inspiring us(Me) Thank you.
How to make a no budget film look like an A24 film: Step 1 - Get an Arri. Step 2 - get a professional dolly. Step 3 - Get a professional fog/haze machine. Step 4 - Get beautiful Angenieux lenses and pro powerful lights. Step 5 - Actually, have 3 pro cameras for 'coverage'. Step 6 - Have a full crew of like 15-20 people including someone to Windex the windows for continuity. Step 7 - Have pro monitors that are bigger than a computer gaming monitor. Step 8 - Don't have 1 director, have 2. Step 9 - Don't forget the cinematographer and production designer. Step 10 - Have expereanced actors. Step 11 - Make sure the 'biggest issue with shooting your film' are clouds. Step 12 - Make sure you complain about your "big expensive beautiful cameras" at the end. Check.
To all filmmakers: Use wide angles WHENEVER you want.
Love watching your stuff Zach and the passion you bring to film making. Even better as a fellow Canadian!
You got me on "Full-length in One week" - WOW. VERY IMPRESSIVE.
I always try and approach my coverage starting with the wide. Usually there’s less intricate lighting kit to set up because you’re relying on setting the location and blocking to a good location for light and composition. Unless you’re lighting from outside the location of course, like pushing through a window, in which case your set up won’t change too much other than a bit of wrap and a bit of Neg.
The main reason I like going for the wide is because usually It gives the actors a chance to work through the flow of the scene and you can spot any problems in the delivery and blocking. Then cut in for the coverage and do the more intricate lighting. Even if you’re just shooting one side at a time, at least the actors have had time on the wide.
It look a few confused shoots getting lost for me to realise this but I always try and start on the wide. Even if you hardly use much of it, you have it and serves as a great playing ground for testing blocking, delivery, etc.
And then what ever weather/lighting situation you had in that moment, you’re just working to keep that consistent. Which is much easier to do when you’re tight.
This is awesome! You never really get to see this much behind the scenes footage and it's cool seeing all the problem solving and conversations between the crew. It makes me happy I decided to become an animator. I don't have to worry about moving furniture, weather, or people. Just me and my computer! It's a lonely life though. 🙃
man, 10:20 looked like it was that old psychological video about our attention, when someone appears in the center of a group of people and you don't even notice it
Title’s pretty misleading but still an interesting video for what it is.
DISCLAIMER about the CHEAP title: Strange enough, this is NOT CLICKBAIT; our film was DIRT CHEAP. The gear was free, the crew was mostly free, and the location was free. I didn't bring this up in the video because I can't speak too deeply about our budget before we sell the movie. That said, Hollywood gear, doesn't always mean a Hollywood budget. We had a good story, no sponsorships, and a very supportive producing team who believed in the script Charlie wrote. Let me know if you'd like to learn more about this. LOVE YOU.
@@ZachRamelan I’m less concerned about the budget issue than I am about the fact that you didn’t actually show us how to make a project look like an A24 movie… or even demonstrate to us that your film looks like an A24 movie. It’s just another standard “Making an Indie Movie” video, which is fine… but not at all what was promised.
This title doesn’t correlate to the video.
1-minute in and I know this is going to be value. Yes!
Wow, really appreciate it
this was so fascinating to watch, thanks for going in depth, so valuable. i love learning about the creative decisions but i always wonder about the logistical and business decisions, namely regarding time and money. how was the decision-making process concerning the production timeline made? also how was this funded and how were the funds allocated between paying for location, and all the crew and talent? wondering because i follow probably around 100 people on RUclips who cover filmmaking and never have I seen anyone touch on this, and it's where I have a lot of confusion and doubt when it comes to filmmaking. i know every project is different and exact dollar amount are sensitive info so i think percentage figures could be helpful for those trying to make their own films.
I did the shot all of one characters shot for a setup on my only feature thus far. It only sometimes worked as we ended up tweaking the lighting anyway. It does require experienced actors.
how's that even a video title now wtf
Brilliant video Zach! Thank you
A french director shot his last film with the Arri Alexa 65 and explained that the data were so heavy he had to have a van stacked with hard drives and a cooling system on set all along with a tech guy hired only to manage this specific aspect of the shooting... The overall final look is amazing but damn, I can't imagine having to deal with so many gigabytes.
Would you make a feature? Why or Why Not?
I would and currently in the process. The creative process, although stressful, is fun. It's also great to watch a team on set that are REALLY good at what they do.
I’m about to work on one now
If there is any time in history when making a feature is modt easy and accesible for the guerilla spirited maker, it is now.
Wide Shots are more so for safety and establishing the position of actors and props within the scenes. As to my safety point, if a close-up or medium shot doesn't work or the file gets corrupted you always have the wide to save you.
Watch some foreign films & you’ll see wide shots aren’t just for safety. Wide shots can give a feeling that you’re just watching a story unfold instead of having a story told to you
Having used the Angenieux zooms on the Alexa classic I can say the optical quality and falloff is phenomenal. not usually a fan of zooms but they have a great look.
These lenses kicked ASS!
Love your videos. So informative
Zach this is a very informative video.
Thanks for this. I may not be able to afford the camera equipment you have but I can apply the same method with the Sony A74, Panasonic S5 Mark ii x, Canon R7 and Canon R6 Mark 2. I intend to purchase low end intermediate cameras and see what I can accomplish with them.
And side note: In Super 35mm mode in 1080HD the Sony A74 is 2.5k image.
Great stuff, man!
Oh yall are sooooo grimy as heckkkk LIVE A LITTLEEE!! Take the advice that was given and apply it to your films, stop over criticizing this man! I persoanlly learned so much and am very grateful for the video as an Indie filmmaker!!
There’s a lot of click baity talk in this title. Idk how I feel about that.
DISCLAIMER about the CHEAP title: Strange enough, this is NOT CLICKBAIT; our film was DIRT CHEAP. The gear was free, the crew was mostly free, and the location was free. I didn't bring this up in the video because I can't speak too deeply about our budget before we sell the movie. That said, Hollywood gear, doesn't always mean a Hollywood budget. We had a good story, no sponsorships, and a very supportive producing team who believed in the script Charlie wrote. Let me know if you'd like to learn more about this. LOVE YOU.
Zach... Did you have a Story Bible for this film... FYC?
The title of this video should be "How I tricked you all bwahahaha".
this was cool like really cool but where is the part on making something look like A24..lol . maybe I missed that part.. ?
"...WIDE shots are B.S."
The Revenant: "Hold my beer"
(No judgment. Just a joke xD)
Thank you for this, it helps
Costume design deserves a shout out here! Speaking of which, id on that actress' shoes?
Such a good call, we had a stellar team on this and I’m planning on doing a video around costume in the future!
There was NOTHING in this video giving advice on how to make your movie look like an A24 film. No mention of style. It was good BTS footage but a very misleading title. Lost all trust in the value of your advice.
Great video and thanks for sharing. Would love to know how you get access and to use Free Gear!
love this
You said cheap film, so i was wondering how you afforded the Alexa 35 and the anjeneux lens while still paying for location, crew, etc
Not even one, but two arri cameras.
tubers really be saying anything lately.
In his "I made an $8k feature film at my friend's mansion" video, I think he said that they already had the cameras. And a bunch of people were willing to work for free because they were all friends and just liked working together. So I guess the answer to your question is to get hired on someone else's set; be chill and competent; become friends with people who have bomb ass cameras; profit.
@@joycechan-barretta9882 I doubt they actually own two arri cameras. And I get what you're saying but in this video it's a bit misleading. I don't think making a cheap film is spending a LOT of money before to get all the gear and just bring on people that works for free for a week. So I guess they did get paid.
This is a great point and I’ll explore it further in a future video!
In short: every film I work on the concept drives a passionate cinematographer and gear place to provide their equipment at a VERY discounted rate, in some cases for free. This isn’t always how it goes, but usually for passion projects with good scripts and a good crew people are willing to push the project further with their assets. Our incredible DP Chris hoped on the project as a cinematographer and an Executive Producer in exchange for his services and gear.
Budget Mission Impossible:
So yeah we got Tom Hanks to be our lead character for free as a favour, so if you dont have that then you cant complete my tutorial
Great video man !! Your going to be big keep it up.
I personally do my wide shot first for two reasons.
First: to use as a "dry" run but still running the camera.
Second: to use a video script to for the editor to lay out the movie very quickly within a couple of days. The whole movie is wide but give me a quick overview of how the movie is going to flow and sound.
Love this, we shot our last short this way and it was a great method, start wide and push in.
Awesome! Stoked to see more.
swear you made filmmaking videos when u were super young.... like tutorials.... I waTCHED I swear
Always such a privilege my brother! Fantastic job 🙌🙌🙌
C
Always a pleasure brother
Having a great story is truly the core! Loved watching this breakdown, great music choice too ;) 🎶
I think the title of this video is wrong. Nothing really felt like you were talking about making an A24 style movie and this is certainly a higher-end shoot (even if the equipment and location were free.) Great video, I just think it needs a different title, lol
So much great information.
Thank you so much!!!! ❤️
Wides are bullshit? I'll tell you what's bullshit, cutting back and forth between overs. It's lame and lazy. Better to block a scene in as few cuts as possible and allowing us to see the actors actually interacting with each other for real, preferable moving around rather than just sitting down. Those shots where it may as well be the back of a doubles while your on a mid to tight shot of the other actor are bullshit. Go wider. Also, body language can say a lot more than dialogue and wider shots are great for that. Film is a visual medium, so much can be said with the positioning of characters in relation to each other graphically with the set and how they move around within it. Interesting that you used a clip of Leo and Juno sitting there spewing expository dialogue as the holy grail of coverage. Weaksauce.
Fair points here! My argument (if you watched the full video) is that wide shots are incredibly time consuming for such a small percentage of a scene. While they are annoying they are some of the most important shots in a film. That said, ask any DP or feature director and they will agree that these beautiful shots take a huge chunk out of your day. And when you’re shooting a feature, every second counts, I’d rather sacrifice a wide shot for more time on performance any day!
@@ZachRamelan BTW, thanks for your reasonably level headed reply to what probably seems like a fairly aggressive comment from me! 🙂
Yea the back and forth cutting is a very American style, watch some foreign films like Yi Yi & say wides are bullshit lol
Were there any specific A24 tips in this entire video? Also, pretty sure your editor hates the person slating who jerks the slate out immediately after the sticks close so the editor can’t see when the sticks come together. 😂
Oh man, the disrespectful side glance at 15:35 from your script supervisor, sizing you up head to toe before interrupting with "I don't want to chime in, but..." was not only rude, but a clear sign of disrespect to you. There was a visible lack of chemistry there, and your co-director did not seem to play along too nicely, either. Massive props to you for not letting ego come in the way of finishing the project, but those two persons come off as truly obnoxious and self-entitled. Yikes.
Id love to hesr about it all I LOVE PRODUCTION
File size is the reason I'm very selective with shooting Raw.
Waiting for SWAY ❤😊❤️🫵🏼
Where can we watch the movie?
Still working on the distro plan! Will let ya know when its RELEASED!!!
BRAND OF THE HEADPHONES YOU USED IN THE SET?? Plis
I never blocked someone on youtube before. Can you do that?
"Cheap" movie but shot on an Arri Alexa 35 lol
DISCLAIMER about the CHEAP title: Strange enough, this is NOT CLICKBAIT; our film was DIRT CHEAP. The gear was free, the crew was mostly free, and the location was free. I didn't bring this up in the video because I can't speak too deeply about our budget before we sell the movie. That said, Hollywood gear, doesn't always mean a Hollywood budget. We had a good story, no sponsorships, and a very supportive producing team who believed in the script Charlie wrote. Let me know if you'd like to learn more about this. LOVE YOU.
covering the shots from ALL the scenes on one axis and then jumping over to the other one and starting again from scene 1 doesn't seem like a great way to shoot. I get that you might want to do that for time purposes but in reality you leave no room for actors to be able to perform at their best, there's no room for improvisation, and the actors are more concerned with the continuity of their performances rather than the performance itself. IMO should've just put in that extra effort to figure out how to do one scene at a time.
This is what I thought going into the production too! Ideally it would be filming all the actors at once and sacrificing some of the lighting in exchange. That said, because of limited space, limited time, and limited budget this was the most efficient way for us to shoot. Also, our talent on the film was very use to this style of shooting so it wasn’t hard for them to give it there all, even in the most powerful of scenes. In fact it gave the actor off screen time to dial in their performance, there for making it a better scene. With less skilled actors I’d suggest shooting both at once, but in our case it didn’t sacrifice the quality of acting.
How u expose fx3 for feature films
It was overkill. Taking that much time to shoot in one location with 3 cameras is crazy.
The title does not fit the actual video
This was sooo informative
What was the total production budget? Curious.
no budget, just using the NEWEST Arri Alexa model.
You didn’t talk about A24 enough
By saying "feature film" do you mean feature film or a single room, single scene short?
No budget is a very wide description it seems.
Nice video but please remember that sound is as important as video
I don't have 2 arri alexas, but I do have two Gh5's. Can I still make an A24 film? Also, good call on the wide shot for that scene.
yes. :) and you should!
“How to make a NO BUDGET movie”
*has multiple expensive cameras, expensive lenses, a decent-size crew that you usually have to pay (or at least feed), and expensive-looking locations*
I get that you said you didn’t actually pay much for all this, but most people can’t get equipment, locations, or crew like this for cheap. You might’ve gotten lucky, but this is kind of useless for someone with a low budget that doesn’t have great connections.
How long is this movie going to be.
I will be the best film maker in Africa 🌍
I just saw glimpsed at your channel and one of your top videos is titled “why filmmakers give hypocritical advice” lol oh the irony
The homeonwer wanted their stuff back in place every day? 😂 I would have let you guys keep your furniture in place till the last day of shooting.
Cheap means, we paid only the camera and lenses. Everyone worked free. Even location is free too and no food.
A24 didn’t come up with this look for fucks sake, everyone saying they invented it. They are a video production company!! Film makers have made videos like that before.
You really have to change your title Zach.
I’m gonna say this is just bizarre-big cameras they look good…..
The title seems misleading for me, no zero budget film would have the resources you have said
Would have been more accurate if you said "Low budget" or "without the a24 budget"
First I’ll say that you’re video was very helpful. However… the title says “no budget.” There is absolutely no way within reality that all the cast, all crew, and the incredible gear and equipment boiled down to “no budget.” On full transparency what was the real, actual out of pocket expense for your entire shoot, which should include post and promo costs??? 🤨🤨
How do you say cheap and you are literary using very expensive gear
I'm 6 seconds into this video and can already tell that this is gonna be a very loose definition of a "no budget" film lmaoo
No budget? Damn
The comments here trigger me so much... this still absoloutly is low budget filmmaking. If you want to make a living out of this you need contacts to producers, rentals etc...
1. This isn’t a no budget film or if it is you sinked your budget in the wrong place, which is equipment.
2. You are not making an A24 film but give basic student advices.
3. Final, an A24 film is defined by subject and acting, not by technicality. And if you are looking for the so called A24 look, that is something that if you film “fair” you will be able to achieve in post.
4. You can not tell people how to achieve an A24 film unless your film has already been distributed or produced by A24. So before teaching people how to achieve something, achieve yourself and the best way to inspire or lead us by example. At that point, facts and results will talk for themselves. You don’t see Barry Jenkins or Sean Baker making videos “how to make an A24 film”. You know why? Because they did it. So if you want to see how an A24 film is made, just watch A24 films.
5. I would say, make some more films, be pasiones by storytelling and the craft of film and you might achieve sometimes the levels where A24 will distribute your film.
"how to make a24 film" ...... "wide shots are BS" ....
has he not seen an a24 film? 😂
Actually if you’re just “pitching ideas” to the cinematographer and letting them figure it out… you’re a hack and shouldn’t be directing. Honestly when shooting digital- there is very little need for a cinematographer outside of the Union position of managing the camera/grip department on high-budget productions.
Continuity...
Nothing cheap about anything that they have I wish I would be more honest we all make these type of videos
For a ‘non’ pro director telling people that a wide shot is bullshit is crazy. Seriously watch some foreign films, RUclipsrs again with horrible info. If you shot tights for everything than there’s no impact for any tight
05:19 - This is complete nonsense.
Wide shots are bullshit if your coverage style is meat-and-potatoes coverage style, shooting wides and mediums and close-ups because you don' t know what you want, you don't know how you want to tell your story and you're relying on figuring it out in the edit.
This is how television is shot, not feature films.
In the same time it takes to shoot your shot-reverse-shot coverage of mediums and close-ups of your actors talking, you could shoot the entire scene in a moving master or a wide master and use that as part of your visual storytelling.
Fundamentally you're saying you don't know how to shoot a movie visually, you're just recording actors talking and hoping to use the dialogue and acting to make the movie function rather than using the camera to direct what the audience sees.
There's nothing wrong with television-style, meat-and-potatoes, coverage, but it means you're not directing the visuals. You're just filming everything to figure out the storytelling later and in those situations, your wide shot is useless to you.
But if you actually WATCH enough A24 films, you're bound to see the works of directors who know how to tell a story visually. Who don't rely on covering every single aspect of a scene from every angle. And for whom, the wide shot is the most powerful tool in their box. Robert Eggers is a perfect example of this.
Sorry, but you don't know what you're talking about. You're just speaking to what you prefer and understand about filmmaking, running a set and managing the day.
but A24 is cheap.
Define cheap