Hey there, a few months ago I wrote a script in here and said I would film it in the summer, I'd never wrote a script or filmed anything either. We made this film for free using things we had at our disposal like ice cream van, mustang ect.  

The only thing that I bought was some equipment although I had most of it with being a photographer.

Half the actors are in an amateur dramatics club and the other half are my mates.

This was like a test run just to get going, lots of mistakes were made along the way and it's still not perfect but lots have been learned so the next one will run way smoother.

I'll be happy to share what I've learned along the way if anyone is in the same boat as I was.

The dialogue will be hard to understand if you're not Scottish but I'm sure you'll get the drift.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTKNe6Y8XAo&feature=youtu.be

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You can read the script on the discussion board

Hey Athol - congrats on getting this made - quite a difference from the first script you wrote on it :). Overall I think it works pretty well - some editing glitches here and there (noise & light continuity)and I'd definately get a separate mic & audio recorder (pretty cheap all in & a lot of people are using the H4n).

So how'd you go getting the locations? That's pretty tricky. Liked the naked man bit - a little bit out there... So did you know the amatuer dramatic people before hand? Good call if not. But for a first job this is pretty impressive - what you got planned next???

Hiya Forgive, Yeah it changed quite a lot from the origional script but that's what happens when there are a few people involved with ideas, I'm dont mind changing the script if I think it works better or if it's more practicable.

As for the locations, that was easy, the carnival was in town and the harbour is right nect to it, a friend of mine owns a pub and one of the actors owns the hairdressers. another mate owns the ice cream van. The car park is public and the police station is open to use to anyone.

I know the boss of the amatuer dramatic place so she put me in touch with the actors.


I was using an H4N and a rode mic on a boom but because I was only using one camera the ambient noise changed, I did record a couple of mins of ambient noise on each location but it's tricky to match up as Ive never done any editing before.

The naked man bit is a guy I know that streaks at football games so he didnt mind doing it.

So overall it' was pretty easy to put together, just took abit of time and thinking.

As for the next film, It's the other script I have on here, not sure if I'll have time this year but if not, I'll do it at the start of next year.

Cheers :)

This one is a lot better than the clip I saw. I spoke with the sound guy who's working with us about outdoor filming a couple of days ago and he said we could do with some lapel mic's. Also he did mention that we may have to use ADR in some places.

Did you try a bit of ADR near the fairground at the start? It echoes a bit, like they're talking in an empty room.

Mate, I wouldn't even attempt to do all of that myself. In that respect, you've done an amazing job. Nice work.

I had to google what ADR was there, I had to do that with the bar scene and here's why, When we shot that bit, we had to get my mate to open the bar early (9AM) on a Sunday as everyone in the scene works and that was the only day they could all make it, so we only had 2 hours to shoot it before the punters came in.

Anyway, I used a Zoom H4N recording on it's own mic and also a Rode mic on a boom. The problem was, it sounded okay through the headphones but when I got home, some parts had a bad humming noise coming in and out. I racked my brain to how this had happened  and it endid up being the beer  fridge coming on and off when the thermostat kicked in.

Anyway, I had to get all the actors to come to my place and do what you said, the ADR thing. It was a head fuck but at the same time, a learning curve.

There's 2 reasons I did most of it myself. The first is people that do this for a living want paid and the whole idea was to try to do it on no budget. The second was, the best way to learn stuff is to try it. The next film I make I might get a sound guy, so at least now I'll have an idea what's going on.

This was like a test run for me so in that respect it's been a massive help to me to understand the ropes a bit better.

Anyway Dustin, I hope your project runs well and be as hands on as you can.

I would definitely get a sound guy. Sound was the hardest thing for us to find, we were almost at the point of having to pay someone. Definitely be easier for me living in a fairly large city though.

Good luck with your next project.

Haha, great stuff Athol.

I guess your positive way of thinking made this possible; that your first project is entertaining. What a success. Congrats to you and your team.

I enjoyed the way the story went. Felt a kind of you brought up different entertaining scenarios which could have even worked on their own, in order of a completely straight storyline. Great use of 80's, 90's music. That was indeed stylish and well-balanced. I can see the actors gave their best.

It has a trashy 90 look and that's not meant negative because it fits so perfect to the whole concept. I mean the fighting scene at the washroom for example.

I maybe just get the half of it, but if I see it right King Billy has the cops on his side. So it's the good old American Psycho kind of ending which is one of my favorite ones.

The cut at 11:23 isn't good, especially when I compare that to the great cross-fade at 13:19. I heard that "hard cuts" are a lot more difficult than "dissolving cuts".  But I don't have a clue about that.

IMO It's a lot better than all those technically perfect looking shorts of today with nothing but hot air within.

Keep it up.

Hey Mosby, thanks for the kind words. Your glass is always half full rather than half empty. For that, I take my hat off to you :)

Athol,

A lot of this is really good. And nearly up to pro standard. The sound was the main letdown for me, as a lot of it appears dubbed, giving it that Monkey Magic / Bruce Lee type feel. Sergio Leone used to do it too, but that was a long time ago.

Far as I know, and for what my advice is worth, you should always try to capture the dialogue as best you can at the scene. Worry about all the other sound later.

I see from your posts you learned a lot on this one. I do look forward to see your next.

Watched Transcendence last night. Have to say I enjoyed Billy a lot more.

R