I've wanted to make a series of short films for a few years: something to upload to Youtube and perhaps pilot at a few film festivals.


My name is Michael Mann. REALLY. How much more of a clue do you need?


Up until now I’ve obviously been more into the music side of things, but the film bug has been nibbling, and I frankly want to do something a bit different than just a music video: An idea has sprung up slowly over the years; a series of viking/gothic fantasy shorts, and I now have a lot of themic-fantasy soundtrack stuff that just needs the technicolor bliss of swords and scenery to give it a visual identity.


Also: acting is a passion I used to pursue, and seeing as I’m also a nerd (day job: IT installation and large networks) the technical side of things appeals to me. I can record sound easily enough so why not film… its point and click right?


Besides…SERIOUSLY… Who doesn’t want to run around the Norwegian countryside waving a sword with their own theme tune playing in the background?


This page, however, is about the process of getting the FILM together. Cameras, formats and lighting and all the noob questions as I go along. For now.


Da-da-da…. Da-da-da dadu DUH.

Determined to put my money where my mouth is, I’ve now begun to invest in this idea with more than just talk. What you are now reading is the narrative of putting this ego trip together.


It started as a list of do and don't that I was building as I investigated options in cameras and costs etc. That list is now on the bottom of this page, and being updated as we go. In the meantime this blog ,I hope, is intended to keep me on the path to moviemaking by subjecting me to public (all 3 readers of you) ridicule should I fail.

But I have no illusions: this is a long term project.

This list is subject to continuous updates.

What we got:

Locations:
What we have for free in Norway is scenery, and boy do we get our money's worth, so the clue is going to be to try and capture the expansive landscapes, the majestic horizons, whilst being able to shoot rather dark intimate dialogue stuff and fight scenes. Also: I live in the woods. Blair Witch anyone?

Music and sound:
Mostly there with the soundtrack, but I’m hoping the very act of filming will give me even more inspiration. I have music that helps me visualise what I want to see. I’m hoping that when I see it, I’ll be able to write music to match it even better. I got the gear to do decent foley and voice track work, which can be dubbed afterwards in my home studio. Summary: for this venture I’m not worried about the technical aspects of the soundtrack. (tracks wil be uploaded to this site as they are picked).

Time:
I’m just growing older and not in a hurry. Chicks dig mature actors.

Actor No. 1:
I am an ACTOR. I am THEEE ACTOOR. Hooray for me.
The rest of the cast will come, I am sure, once I can appeal to others that the technical part is underway. Everyone like to roleplay.

A Title
There is a name for this piece of drama. I'm merely keeping it secret for the suspense.

!!UPDATE 14.04.2009!!
A Camera
Convas 1KCP-1M 35mm movie camera.  Built like a Russian tank.
Now all I need to do is wait for it to arrive (3-4 weeks) and then learn how to use it! EASY!
Suddenly I am most proud. Money has been placed where once only mouth existed.


What we don’t got:

A film crew.
Not a major biggie. I mean.. other people? Who needs them? DIY for the win. (On the other hand maybe you fancy doing a bit of hard labour? drop me a mail at hatter@stabbingpixies.com. This is a non-paying gig around Oslo Norway).


Film cameras (other than my little digi Aiptek handycam).
Hmm. This needs to be fixed. I need to actually be SEEN running around the Norwegian countryside waving a sword with my own theme tune playing in the background!
UPDATED: This is now a GOT: Konvas 1KCP-1M for the win! hmmm. the bug bites hard... it might be handy with a few cameras of various types tho?

Skillz.
No film skillz here. I fear this will be very much a learning-on-the-job exercise.

Props.
We seem to be missing a very large Viking ship. And some swords. Trees a-plenty though!

Other Actors.
Ref my previous statements in this regard, I remain confident that they will step forward. (want to act? Drop me a mail at hatter@stabbingpixies.com This is a non-paying gig around Oslo Norway).

Why film?


Film lends a drama and a sense of illusion that digital just doesn't do that well... At least not handycam-digital, and our budget is handycam. I want that atmosphere that I see on the big screen; an aura, if you will. There's something about lens flares and flicker that gives film a personality.


For a reference: I'm a fan of Spaghetti westerns (and after 4 spellchecks on the word Spaghetti lets just call them Spagwhettis to save on typos), where the scenery is the star for the most part. Dialogue can really go places in that jkind of vista.


SO: I want to do a Viking feature (SpagViki?) in a similar vein: Rent a longboat for a weekend (http://www.frn.no/bater.php?BatID=12&Batkat=4&L=1), stick some mates on it and get 5 minutes of in-country fjord-malarky footage to flesh out the main story.


I'm not going to go into this point further: perhaps you don't get it. But for me it isn't an option. The good parts of this project have to be shot on real cinefilm if I want the Spagwhetti effect.


OK: So technically how is this going to be done?



The idea is that dialogue stuff can be handy-cammed on a simple ..umm.. handycam, and digitally degraded, with something digitally degrading like a useful bit of….umm… degrading software tool...but we can come to that later.


Film will give a more flavour to any setpieces that we want to spend extra time on (read: when actors aren't hamming it up).


Summary: It doesnt all have to be shot with film. But the good bits will be shot with film.

What I know about film.

Nothing, or as good as nothing, apart from what I've read, which is what's on the internet, and mostly the opinions of people who spend more time talking about making films than making them.


I'm starting from the worst place imaginable: I'm a wannabe movie maker with some ideas in my head, and no training.


There. I said it. Wannabe. I’m sure a lot of you can empathise.


What I do know about film (cos I cleverly learn from other people-who-dont-make-films-really's mistakes!) is this: making mistakes in this format will end up costing me more money than I can afford, and it costs by the second anyway.

Simple math says I am going to run out of cinefilm before I get good, even if I have the best gear in the world.


Here. Let me give me this world class 35mm movie camera for free.


Now I buy a reel of tape. Shoot it. Develop it.


10 minutes of 35mm will cost me 250 dollars just to buy. Developing it costs extra, and printing to another format at a semi-pro developers will cost even more. Hundreds more.

I will need several dozen rolls of film before I get quite good with my world class camera.
Soooo.... I may think “Yes I can do this! I can get good!”


The math says no.