PRODUCE AND SHOOT YOUR OWN MOVIE
by Maxie CollierI’m not an attorney but I’ve done a couple of low budget features and I
have experience with Limited Partnerships (LPs) and Limited Liability
Corporations (LLCs). In both, the number of participants as well as the
number of people you can approach about investing varies by state.
Additionally, there are sometimes conditions about selling shares (LPs)
or inviting adding members (LLCs) from other states.There are also stipulations about advertising for investors, disclosure
laws (Blue Sky Laws), and other State and Security Exchange Issues
http://www.sec.gov.The best way to receive concrete advice for your situation is to:
1. Hire an attorney experienced with these issues (while most can draw
up the documents, not every attorney is familiar with state and gov.
laws concerning investors)2. Search yahoo for your state’s agency that deals with this, usual the
Secretary of State and/or Taxation Board. For example, here in CA you
can find all the forms online (for free) you need to set-up a
corporation, LP, and LLC. http://www.ss.ca.gov/These free forms can get you up and running, but you still need to be
very careful and clear on the SEC issues. And be very careful of generic
layman’s advice. It can cause you problems later.By the way, for small investments, I have used a commonly found
renewable promissory note. With this document people can loan me small
amounts with me promising to return by a certain time (I my case 3
years) at a certain interest rate (12%) with the option to extend the
loan if I do not have the funds by the due date. Pretty straight
forward. The forms are available at Staples or other office supply
stores.One quick shameless plug, I have a new monthly newsletter and website
that will be launched Oct. 18th. The DV Filmmaker’s Report is for people
interested in producing low budget films using digital video (DV).I’m launching them following the DV Expo (http://www.dvexpo.com) this
week. Anyone interested please email me for details.
son_number1@hotmail.com~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&~&
Condensation of the article by Anita Sands
German documentary maker ULrike Koch shot SALTMEN OF TIBET in 1996. It was filmed on a SONY DCR-VX 1000, the first digital video camcorder, edited on a desk top computer and transferred to 35mm for theatrical release. Director Koch was able to shoot with only three other people on the crew, check the sound and image by simply playing back tape. Cost was not a problem.
Small size, weight was a help in TIBETAN locales. Philip Dolin has done music videos, just did B MOVIE using VX 1000. A tale of two park rangers who find a Hippie Community. 12 days, l7k cost. DV is fast, too.
Bennett Miller used one for THE CRUISE, showed it LA INdie film festival, and got distribution. Camcorder gives flick an intense, graphic quality, Director said "I over-exposed back (fill?) adjusted aperture on camera, enhanced contrast to emphasize effect. (Edges of this article are torn, as I ripped it out of a magazine that I didn't buy. I destroyed COVER so no one else would buy it, either.
Danish director Thomas Vintererg did THE CELEBRATION with a SONY DCR PC7, pocket size predessor to today's PC1. Budget 1 million.
Star Wars Episode 1 utilized some DV. Karen Weissman did 'LOVE IS DEAD, a low budget zombie movie with VX 1000. Lance Weiler and Stefan Avalos did LAST BROADCAST, with a VX 1000 and with a 50$ Tyco child's video camera. This can be viewed at http://www.tebweb.com/lastbroadcast/ Weiler was asked to re-do it on film and refused.
A basic set up for an hour of film is SONY DSR-PD100 DVCAM camcorder for 3k, an hour of profes. DV tape, 30$, desk top computer, editing software, 7k, then transferring the final edited video to 35mm is the studio's cost, maybe 40k. l0k is artist's cost to make the video film. Never worry about transferring it to 35mm film, it's the studio's cost. They buy your film, they do it.
COST OF VIDEO SET UPS. Cameras. PD 1000 is 3k, VX 1000 is 4k. In L.A. NYC they're at pawnshops. RECYCLER NEWSPAPER has them. In L.A>
We are a hair away from being able to order indie prod play for pay
movies online! No cable, just a monitor. We will watch full length features
on big tv screens as an alternate choice, piped in by our PC. Indies will
provide us
with the same dark horse hits reg flicks do. We should be encouraged
to go ahead, make that independent film or that issue oriented
super watchable DOCUMENTARY ! -- Step into the movie marketplace. Watchability
will out! http://www.masterjules.net/docu.htm
.. Imagine a film made by your own loving hands at home,
maybe an expose video on HAITI or orphans or tent cities in USA. http://www.masterjules.net/tentcitydocu.htm
reason to buy ourselves 700$ worth of used video equipment which gets us
into the game. We warm up doing UTUBE movies. I hear it's easy. ZEITGEIST
and THE SECRET made
its makers 40 million bucks each. Then there's that fast food movie. For
writers with ideas, with a grip on the issues, it's a terrific hobby, amplifying
what they can do And it looks good on your resume when you knock on studio
doors. Now the one thing I don't know about is an video editing set up.
Called a POST, right? But you draft some sophomore cinema student to be
part of your team...Do tv commercials for local biz for cash. You're good
to go. I'd hang in college cafeterias. That's where I'd eat midday. Chum
the DP's If you ever thought of doing documentaries or going into
journalism to make a living read "HOW
TO DO IT"
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