Making A Movie Ain't That Easy!!

Soon to embark on shooting my first full length feature film, after 20 years of writing and directing sketches, plays, monologues, musicals, pantomimes, editing videos and shooting short films.

But there is a lot of frustration! And this is getting expensive! You know how you hear of film makers ploughing their savings into a project, well I can sympathise! And this is the same month as my wife's credit card is cloned and we had 3 and a half thousand pounds spent on petrol in India! Thanks guys!

So I need to film on hi def right? If you're going to do this, do it properly! Can't afford to hire a movie camera, film stock and processing charges, so you go for the best the home market can offer. So have just acquired a Sony HDR HC7E hi def camera. Cost-£699.

But what do I do? I get the camera and decide to see if my editing software will handle hi def footage. It doesn't!! Computer went pop and for the next hour kept turning itself on and off. A friend took a look and I need to get in the big guys, this is going to be expensive, video card probably blown. And more!

Needless to say the software upgrade for editing hi def footage arrived yesterday (£63.21 incl VAT), wish it had arrived earlier now! I am sticking with Pinnacle 11 Ultimate because it's what I know. Been using version 9 plus for a few years now. Of course I wanted to experiment with shooting and editing before filming began, work out how hi def will work with software and decide what "mode" to film in. I hope I still get to! Don't want too many re-shoots!

Being an advanced camera means I can adjust shutter speed. Do want a "film look" so with experiments I have made I am thinking of going for hi def, obviously, but at 25fps. As some of you know video shoots at 50 fps but makes a film look like a "making of", so I am halving the shutter speed, anyone got any advice on this, I would appreciate it!? But as we all know, film is "truth captured at 24 frames per second." Want it to look good on that huge Sundance screen!

Of course to shoot a movie well, you need a good microphone, don't just stick with the camcorder's own. So I head online and order a Sennheiser camcorder mike for £112.48 (including shipping and handling.) Arrived yesterday, looks really cool. But doesn't fit the mike shoe on top of my hi def camera!! I begin to call Germany, because Amazon want you to go straight to the supplier, but had trouble being understood! I don't know why, I spoke slowly and loudly!

Went online and discovered that I can purchase an adaptor that will make this mike work on my camera. But the 2 stores that stock it, close at 1 on a Friday and aren't open on a Saturday. Even for online purchases! Got to wait till Monday, but we are due to start shooting on Thursday! Got to do quiet stuff first.

What tape to use? Mini dv or hi def dv? Gone for the latter, forums say there is less chance of drop out and this film (which could be the only chance to direct a feature that I get) is worth the few extra pounds for more professional tape (got a box of 10 for £62.50 incl VAT.)

We will get there! Had a good time walking round Simon's school with him on Thursday, met some people who will be great in the movie and found some great locations. Also met with the headmaster who is a really nice, encouraging, supportive man. We are a go!

We hopefully have an audition this Thursday and begin shooting soon after.

So prep days-my whole life up to this point. Although Simon and I brainstormed ideas in early August and the script was finished about a week ago.

Oh, I forgot! 15 copies of the script-printed and bound=£64.51 incl VAT.

Current budget equals, all above, minus mike adaptor which I haven't been able to order yet!

£1001.70
(that's a lot of Christmases and birthdays honey!! For those of you who don't know my wife owns and rides horses as a 3 day eventer, so she is extremely understanding, as this movie budget is nothing compared with what that great big animal costs us!)