Ok so I've decided I want to buckle down and shoot a script that'll work on a no budget script.

I mean I thought this would be a perfect chance to film Shelton's "Coffee" but at the same time with that, I want to have at least 1k budget but my aim is five. Also I want better equipment for it.

However, what I do have will suffice for a lower budget film. I would write the script myself however not only do I have writers block, but I'm working hard on finishing a script to meet a contest deadline.

I would film that script, but like Shelton's, I want to give it a budget.

Here I want to shoot something kind of indie, lowkey, something that can be shot with just a camera and a dedicated crew. The deadline is in August and I want to see if I can do it.

I have ideas, but that's it.  

I mean I know I want it to be about people 18 to 22. A small cast. Kind of a mixtape script. Possibly taking place over only a few days.

More Character driven and something smaller. Though I really do need help.

1 Man, 1 Woman, 1 Apartment, 1 Night.

That's the latest thing that's popped into this head of mine, and would be filled with enough talking to drive a normal person insane.  But, it would be cheap, and hopefully interesting.

The only thing that doesn't fit is the ages of the characters.  Could you cast a little older?

I could, the idea I was working on was the idea of following three stories, One about finding love, another about keeping love, the third about loosing it.

And yeah, it would be interesting. Actually it'd be really good.

What if the apartment was after a high school prom? I mean something really honest. Perhaps about losing virginity and could be something really sweet and fit with the finding love angle.  

Or I mean even older would work too. I mean I'm open to all suggestions.

My idea is basically about a recently broken up couple, who in the hopes of remaining friends, spend one last night alone together in one of their apartments.

Some reminiscing, lots of ups and downs.  Very basic character/relationship study.

Quoted from Shelton 1 Man, 1 Woman, 1 Apartment, 1 Night.

1 jar.

Ewwwwwwww...

If you have enough people, between the ages of 18 and 22 who are willing to work on this for free, then write a script for those people.  If you have access to a laundrymat, then write a script for those 18-22 year old people that takes place in a laundromat.  When writing a zero-budgetr film, you need to know what resources you have to work with.


Phil

Shelton, that idea actually sounds intriguing. And by intriguing, I mean it's better then my idea, lol.

I mean I have access to an apartment and could find actors. Actually I could cast my friend and his girlfriend. Hell it's acting, they can play older.

Alright, just let me know what you're ultimately looking to do.  If you decide to go with my suggestion, I'd need a couple things to use as a reference.

Ah yeah I actually would think it'd be great to go with your idea. What references would you need?

Just basic stuff.  If you have any potential apartments in mind, which rooms they have so I don't have something take place in a dining room that doesn't exist.

Actor/actress appearance personality traits.  Helps take the acting out of it.

WAY early in the process for that, but small little bits would help.

Ah yeah makes sense, well I'm sure I could use my brothers apartment. It's an open place where you walk in and there's the living room, a small two step staircase and you're in the kitchen and his bedroom door is right after that.

Three room place really.

Oh my friend, I know he's that cool guy who can come off as a bit of an ass if you don't know him. I always imagine his gf as someone who could play the intellectual type, but I don't know. Both are very versatile actors.  

Colin is huge on improv.

Quoted from Chris_MacGuffin Ah yeah makes sense, well I'm sure I could use my brothers apartment. It's an open place where you walk in and there's the living room, a small two step staircase and you're in the kitchen and his bedroom door is right after that.

I can work with that.

Quoted from Chris_MacGuffin Colin is huge on improv.

That made me die a little inside.

LOL yeah, but he's good at it. Which is good, He knows how to balance it with what's written.

And yeah oh and he's a smoker, not the best good habit, but I was thinking it could be worked in there.

Okay, cool.  Send me an email or PM so we can continue this.  No reason to clog things up.

Keep us updated guys! It would be interesting for the rest of the board to know about pre production, production and post production of a movie. When I say "the board" I mean me...

Hopefully others would want to know about it too.

If you would be so kind... :)

A 1K budget? Wow, you're shooting high. I did mine on a budget of $30 because I needed to buy MiniDV tapes and parts for a homemade steadi-cam (which worked great).

I was under the impression Mr. Deadful was trying to get tips on writing his own, but it appears that he got a taker to write one for him. For what it's worth, mine was 5 people in one house.

A suggestion I would make is to make sure your actors have the ability to learn lines. It would make the shoot easier in the long run, not to mention allow you to edit it better when you can use the take with the actor on screen as opposed to the one where you're getting what appears to be a reaction shot when that actor was reading his lines out of the script off screen.

God, that was annoying...

Yeah MiniDV is a blessing because let's face it, with DV we'd be spending so much on film stock.

And yeah, I plan on making sure everyone knows their lines before hand. Another thing I plan on doing is hiding the clocks.  Reading about the problem you had with the clocks, I figure I'll cover my bases there too. I mean it's a small thing, but then again I'm looking to do whatever I can to make this as best as possible.

Mike,

As far at the improv goes - put specific places in where the guy should improv, this way he'll get his yaya's out where you want him to and he'll be less likely to muck around when you don't want him to.  It won't work perfectly but it does some damage control.

George,

How is your film going?  We going to see it soon?

Yeah, Shelton's idea sounds great, like the film Tape.  Three people in one motel room, talking about rape, drugs, cops and of course tape.  If anything you should try doin' something like that, and you know what else would be cool, if the whole movie took place in real time, like say 95 minutes or so.

Sounds great guys, keep it up.

I've had the ol' "hamster" turning on this one for about a week or so now since the idea first came to me, and I'm glad that this popped up since it gives me more incentive to complete it.  It's always hard to decide which concept I want to start on next.

Hopefully when it's all said and done, it will come off as enjoyable, but I do suspect many a "talking head" comment.

Talking heads aren't really a problem as long as it's not boring, like the film "The Perfect Score" that had a lot of dialog in it but yet you still watch it the whole way through cos you want to find out if what they're saying is actually gonna happen, if you can do that then you won't have to worry.

Yeah I'm curious to how the film is going.

And I like dialog heavy films. If it has a lot of back and forth and chemistry, then it'll turn out good.

Oh and quick update, cast is pretty much casted, equipment is ready (waiting on a mic) and I have someone to compose the soundtrack.  He's a great musician and he'll do a great job.

Quoted from mcornetto George, How is your film going?  We going to see it soon?

Mine is going ok. The rough cut has been done since December, and it has been resting in the hands of the music and sound guys ever since. With the sound, we probably could have redubbed and foleyed the whole damn thing once over by now as opposed to his piddling through the sound files like he's doing now. I know it's a learning experience, but I was hoping to have it done by the beginning of February.

The music guy is someone I've know for years, and I took a chance on since I know how he can get caught up in life sometimes. Last I heard, he had trouble with the DVD, so I tried getting him the video another way. I have yet to know if he's seen it, much less have music done.

Argh...

And Mr. Deadful, you cast a film without a script? That's very Hollywood of you.

Yeah I'm Hollywood chic.