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Something that's been on my mind for a bit is the frustration I see in filmmakers banging their head against the wall to get a film made, especially w/ the pandemic.
It can be even worse if you're a new filmmaker or someone with very limited resources. 1/?
It can be even worse if you're a new filmmaker or someone with very limited resources. 1/?
Years ago, @mikerbiz, @thraveboy, & I were discussing this on this very website when Reid came up with the idea of a #2wkfilm.
What's a #2wkfilm? Well you have 2 weeks to shoot and edit a feature-length film. Like a 48 hr film on steroids. 2/?
What's a #2wkfilm? Well you have 2 weeks to shoot and edit a feature-length film. Like a 48 hr film on steroids. 2/?
I won't lie, it's very hard and you aren't going to win an Oscar. It may or may not hold together in the end.
BUT, it will absolutely break you out of a rut and at the end of 2 weeks you will hopefully have something watchable.
It might even be good!
3/?
BUT, it will absolutely break you out of a rut and at the end of 2 weeks you will hopefully have something watchable.
It might even be good!
3/?
This is ideal if you're looking to make your first feature on a small scale anyway. You'll make a ton of mistakes, but you'll make them in a low-expectations environment and you'll learn a TON. You'll come out of it a much better filmmaker.
You will not get a lot of sleep. 4/?
You will not get a lot of sleep. 4/?
It's also something you can somewhat easily pull off in a pandemic, because you'll do it with a small crew anyway.
Shooting on an iPhone would make sense for this, but you really want to optimize an easy & fast workflow from shooting --> editing.
Trust me on this part. 5/?
Shooting on an iPhone would make sense for this, but you really want to optimize an easy & fast workflow from shooting --> editing.
Trust me on this part. 5/?
Some rules we used: You can write the film before-hand (I'd write with the 2 wk limitation in mind). I think we gave ourselves 6 weeks for writing & pre-pro.
Your clock starts as soon as you start shooting and after 2 weeks you have to have a "finished" product uploaded. 6/?
Your clock starts as soon as you start shooting and after 2 weeks you have to have a "finished" product uploaded. 6/?
I'm pretty sure all 3 of us went in after and made small changes.
I had a composer composing as we shot the film, which was tricky. But it allowed for an original score. 7/?
I had a composer composing as we shot the film, which was tricky. But it allowed for an original score. 7/?
We shot 4+ days over 2 weekends with a mostly improvised script. And then I edited non-stop the other 9+ days. We shot all around a single apartment and around town. Mostly stolen outdoor stuff. 8/?
I tried to get an actual location and was told they do not allow anyone to shoot there ever and then literally the next week there was a big Hollywood production shooting there, so we shot there anyway.
Fuck them.
9/?
Fuck them.
9/?
At the end, David Lowery asked me why I didn't just shoot the film as a 1 shot film and use most of the time to set it all up, which is why he's on the fast-track to winning Oscars and I am not.
So maybe use that idea!
10/?
So maybe use that idea!
10/?
Anyway, highly recommended if you're looking to just fucking shoot something. I may go back and do another one sometime. It wouldn't be the worst idea to do every x years or so as an exercise, if that makes sense. 11/?
Hopefully @mikerbiz and @thraveboy will post links to theirs here.
But here's mine. It has a number of issues, but it was absolutely worth it. And only cost like $900.
If you have any questions, reply and I'll answer what I can. https://vimeo.com/21048525
But here's mine. It has a number of issues, but it was absolutely worth it. And only cost like $900.
If you have any questions, reply and I'll answer what I can. https://vimeo.com/21048525
I'll add that this works better if there's multiple people doing it at once, as they can encourage each other and whatnot.
