As everyone who knows me knows, I have been interested in video and filming for years, and keep exploring new possibilities, software and equipment to make that dream a reality, even if it’s on a small scale.
If you have been paying attention to my blanketing, you know that I’m working with a friend, Paul, to shoot his script. It’s sort of a police drama/suspense short about a slightly touched (maybe?) killer who thinks he is the judgmental arm of god, and kills people he considers sinners.
Being a few weeks in to casting and planning, I think we have all of the electronics and software we will need. Some consumer grade MiniDV Cameras, some editing software (kdenlive will be the package of choice), some mics, and 4-track for the sound. We are also doing pretty good at filling our cast with local talents. This was achieved with an ad on Craigslist, which got picked up by exploretalent.com, and did a great deal towards finding the right people for the roles.
Anyway, that being said, I think what Syracuse needs is some sort of organization, guild, or something for No-Budget film making. This is a class unto itself, there aren’t multi-thousand dollar cameras, people with small fortunes to spend, or much of a budget for purchasing Adobe products. Most of it would be shot with mid to high consumer grade equipment, and edited with whatever can be found free on the internet, came with your camera, or with your computer. (iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, Ulead, Premiere Elements, etc) Boom mics might be built with duct tape and broom handles, but what is lacked in costly equipment and software is made up for with skill, dedication and determination to make something worth watching.
A No-Budget group would provide leads on Talent, help scout locations, and help out with learning how to make something actually happen with the low-end software and hardware. The group would have lists of preferred vendors for certain handy materials for effects, or links to resources that teach how to do them. It would also help suggest projects to cast and crew looking for one to work on. Pretty much everything short of actually working on the project. The group could have an annual no-budget film festival and help high ranking filmmakers get entered into larger film festivals. This could be the grassroots effort to bring passionate filmmakers together when they are looking to work with other passionate filmmakers.
So…. what do you think?