Project Pickle

Equipment - Gear You May Need to Get It Done

2009-01-13T13:30:00.001-08:00

Equipment
You are going to need equipment to shoot your short film or video. Even if it your cousin’s camcorder, you are going to need something. The more gear you have, the better the odds that you can capture a nicer, crisper, better imagery for your final product.

There are three categories of equipment you are going to need: camera, lights, and sound. The first step is to ascertain what you would like and afford to acquire.

Camera – Many directors prefer to shoot their work on film. Film looks spectacular (when shot correctly), looks polished (when shot correctly), and looks professional (when shot correctly). There are a couple of rubs to using film. First, it costs money. No matter what, you’ll need to rent a film camera. Even if you have favors to burn and can get a loaner camera for free, you’ll still need to buy the film to load into the camera. Even if you know some dude who’s been collecting rolls of short ends over the years and is willing to give you the film for free, you need to pay to have it developed at a processing lab. Even if you know a guy pulling the nightshift at Kodak who’s willing to sneak your film into the batch for another job, you’ll still need to pay to get it transferred from film to digital so that you can edit. Even if…

You get the idea. Film cameras are specialized equipment that is very expensive to purchase and to upkeep so you are going to have to rent a camera. You are going to have to buy film stock to load into the camera. You are going to have to pay to get the film processed. You are going to have to pay to get the film transferred to videotape. For most people, these are going to be hard costs that are hard to get around. Not to mention that film needs to be shot by an experienced cinematographer and loaded with specialized gear and shot using specialized lens’. Film cameras look great but cost money. The decision is yours.

Digital formats (miniDV and HD) are acceptable formats and can deliver good crisp images for the price. Many TV shows and some movies are now shot digitally, so it is possible to get a nice look. The prices are cheaper but can still cost a good bit depending upon the gear you rent. If you choose to rent specialized digital gear, it is good practice to have a knowledgeable camera operator on your crew.

Using film or digital, it is a good hint to rent a set of film lens’ to improve the look. Again, renting lens’ (and a crew person to handle these specialty items) costs money.

It is the opinion of the Pickle that investing in camera gear is one of the smartest ways to spend your money.

Lights – Even if you cannot get a nice camera, it is possible to achieve a better than average look with the careful use of lights. Just lighting as opposed to not lighting will step your work up a notch. Cameras are hungry for light, especially cheaper ones. If you can’t afford the camera gear, throw some dough at a set of lights.

In fact, if you are shooting with film, light is essential. Even if you are shooting in sun outdoors, you will most likely need reflectors and blinds to control the available light. If shooting film, your cinematographer will educate you on what he/she would need to properly bring your vision to life.

On big productions, the group responsible for lighting is called the ‘electric department’. The head of the electric department (the chief lighting technician) is known as the ‘gaffer’. On your small production, the electric department is probably known as ‘Earl’.

Also on big productions, there is going to be more specialized rigging of reflectors, diffusers and blinds. The group who sets-ups and operates this gear is called the ‘grip department’. The head of the grip department is called the grip department. On your small production, the grip department is probably called ‘my unfortunate cousin Karl’

Specialty Gear
If you have the dough, you have the connections, and can pull it off, at this point you may want to consider raising your production value with the use of additional equipment. The following are some of the tools of the trade you may be able to use to enhance your piece:

Dolly – A dolly is nothing more than a platform that you can use to move the camera in space. Simple dollies are nothing more than boards with rubber wheels. Fancier dollies come with track and accessories for an even smoother movement. There is nothing more cinematic than a dolly move. Some have effectively used wheelchairs, shopping carts and skateboards for dollies (the low rent version of the dolly!) but try and squeeze in the equipment if you can afford it.

Steadicam - Another version of the dolly is a steadicam. The steadicam is a special mount that an operator wears that can achieve smooth movement (like stairs and around obstacles). More expensive to use a steadicam because most set-ups require a separately trained operator who has their own gear and works exclusively with it.

Jib arm – The jib is a long pole upon which you mount the camera. The pole will rotate upwards (like a crane or lever) so that you can get sweeping shoots with some height.

Sound – Most productions need to record sound. Do not forget that every final piece is a combination of image and sound, so the sound part is ½ of final product. Quite frankly, many people look at the sound as an afterthought. They pay little attention to it, concentrating on fancy camera moves and lighting. This is a mistake. This is the kind of mistake that amateurs make.

When possible, bring on a trained sound person. A real sound dude generally has his own equipment and is prepared for all contingencies.

Even if you have a professional and certainly if you do not, the key to getting good sound can be summed up in one word: headphones. Listen to what is going onto the recording. Listen to it again after you have recorded it. Make sure it sounds exactly the way you want.

Take the time, energy and effort to make sure you are putting your microphones in a place where you can capture good, clean audio. If you have a conversation between two people, make sure both have microphones.

Do not move on with crappy audio. Make sure the sound is good before moving on. Listen to the playback before moving on. Shall I repeat it?

Set a Date, Make It Stick

2008-10-07T10:46:00.001-07:00

Every project is supposed to come to an eventual end and a film project is no exception. Hence, you need to determine when that end will take place. We call this a “due date”. Establishing a due date focuses your schedule and keeps you on track to deliver your final piece in a reasonable and timely manner.

Depending upon whether or not time is a priority for you will make this date more or less important. For example, if the project is self-funded and you are pushing for a high quality end product, your due date may slide in order to accommodate lower prices for equipment or in order to get free labor. Even if there is no reason to have a due date, it is still always best practice to have some kind of date.

If however, you are producing a job for pay or are trying to meet a hard delivery date (festivals entry, scheduled public showing), your completion date is referred to as a “deadline”. A deadline means that there are serious and catastrophic ramifications if you miss the date.

Most small or beginner projects are usually just simple due dates. Set one and stick to it.

Define Your Final Project

2008-10-03T17:25:00.001-07:00

One of the more practical things that you need to do at the very beginning of your film project is to describe exactly what it is you’re making. What do we mean?

• 3 – 5 minute short film?
• Music video?
• 45 second YouTube piece?
• Trailer for a proposed bigger project?

Sometimes, this is obvious. Sometimes, this is not. But it is very important that you describe exactly what it is you are making in clear and measurable terms so that those who are helping you can give you the best possible help, so that you are clear and focused, and so that you approach the planning of your project from the proper direction.

Unless it is perfectly obvious, make sure that your team knows exactly what you are producing. Being a collaborative medium, your direction to the crew needs to be somewhat generic nature for the most part, and more detailed in others. Consequently, you need to depend on the judgment of others in accomplishing certain tasks. Without an understanding of the final piece, you are less likely to get the proper decisions and priorities from those helping you. Make sure they know.

Secondly, it is good practice to define the end product for yourself. It is so easy for your project to creep from a test to a short film to an epic over the course of an afternoon. Once again, unless you are independently wealthy, you are wasting money if you start down one road and shift to another. Being flexible isn’t always the best way. Define your project and keep your focus.

Finally, having a clear understanding about the final product will dictate much about how you will plan the project. For example, if you are putting together a music video with a paying client, your ability to get inexpensive help will be more difficult than if you were doing a small film for personal reasons. There are so many different ways to achieve roughly the same thing that you have tons of options. The correct path will be easier to see if you have a focused vision of the final product.

Storyboard or Die!

2008-10-01T08:50:00.001-07:00

A storyboard is a series of sketches depicting the composition of the various shots for your short film. The purpose of the storyboard is to communicate the look, specifically the camera angles and shot composition to the other crewmembers on the film project. The sketches can be anything from computer-generated images, to professionally drawn boards, to a series of stick figures and arrows. Storyboards are working tools so they can literally be anything as long as they communicate what needs to be done in terms of shooting.

As a director, storyboards serve as the first draft of your vision. These sketches take written words of the script or treatment and begin to translate them from the paper onto the screen. If your crew is to bring your vision to life, they need to be able to see along with you. Storyboards can do that.

To storyboard, start with a square or rectangle in the ratio of the picture frame. Start at the beginning of the script, and work your way through. Show the key frames of action. Show the composition of shots, particularly anything out of the norm. Indicate any camera movememt with arrows. Use the space below the picture to describe the shot. There are many sources online with storyboarding templates or simply draw it.

Storyboards help the director to organize his/her thoughts and camera and movements to clarify exactly what is needed. A good board helps the director to think through the sequencing and transitions to make sure the shooting script has no holes or awkwared transition from scene to scene. In this sense, the boards serve as a rough pre-edit. It is a risk tool to make sure the script makes sense and sequences well while still early enough in the project to make adjustments and corrections.

The most practical reason we storyboard is to communicate what the director needs so that others can execute it. Producers, assistant directors and DP’s need to plan on spacing and equipment & crew needs and the storyboard illustrates exactly what the director wants. With these sketches, crew can begin to plan their portion of the film project, acquire the equipment, tools and manpower to make it happen.

Storyboards are vital if you wish to execute your project in a timely, cost effective manner (and we know you are broke, so that is important).

References - Yes, you are allowed to use pictures

2008-09-29T15:45:00.001-07:00

Part of directing is communicating your vision to those who are going to help bring it to life. Any production of any size is going to require that you work with others to pull it off so you need to develop a way of getting those images out of your head into a format that others can understand.

When communicating camera angles and screen composition, we use storyboards. When we need to communicate look and style and 'feel', we use something called references.

"Hey, remember in 'The Godfather' when Sonny got shot..." is a reference. "Hey, remember that outfit Heidi Klum wore to the Emmy's" is a reference. Any time you refer to something else, it is called a reference (hence the name). One of the best ways to communicate exactly what you want is to show someone an example of what you mean. References are invaluable.

In film production, we use them all of the time. When you have certain look in mind for an apartment scene you are shooting, do you want the set to look futuristic, or high society, or middle of the road, or shabby chic? Clip pictures from magazines. When you have a certain look in mind for a characters outfit, pull some pictures off of the internet of someone else wearing a similar outfit so you can show it to your stylist. When you have a certain kind of furniture in mind for a backyard scene, clip some pictures from a catalog.

Film is a visual medium and not everyone is going to understand your verbal description. Good directors have massive collections of magazines, books, catalogs, and clippings. Good directors are constantly taking notes on things they saw and color combinations and textures. Good directors are creating an entire world from scratch.

You need to have a clear idea of what YOU want, or someone else will make the decision for you.

Paying for Your Short Film - FUNDING SOURCE

2008-09-23T13:45:00.001-07:00

There is a cost to making a short film or music video. In the world of film projects, 'cost' can be either money or labor. The cost is the fuel of your project. Even if you do not spend any hard cash on your film project, it is still going to take human effort. That effort is considered part of your cost. Hence, there is no such thing as 'free' when it comes to project work. There is always a cost to getting something done.

Since cost is considered a constraint, and thus, one of the pillars of your final work, it is extremely important to have a handle on where it is coming from.

For the time being, let's talk about the money part of things. There is usually going to be some money spent. Even if you are just buying your crew water, there is money coming from somewhere. So you need to have a grip on where that money is coming from. It really boils down to two possibilities: either it is coming from you or it is coming from somebody else. Let's take a look at each...

Self funded - You are the source of all spending. From a creative standpoint, this is usually the most desirable place to get your money. You have nobody to answer to (with the possible exception of a spouse) and nobody you may be forced to bring into the creative loop. The entire risk is yours, the entire reward is yours.

There are several possible problems with this.

First, most short films or self-produced videos of any kind are more than likely to be money losers. You have to be prepared to look at this money spent as a career investment or as money spent for fun because you are not likely to ever see it again. Which means you have to get the money somehow. Which means that you probably have to go to work to earn it. Which adds time to your schedule. Unless you inherit it or already have it saved, you will have to take time to pull it together.

When you are worried about the money part of the project, you are spending energy not thinking about the creative side of the project. In order to put together the best possible project, you need to have your worries on the creative side of things and not the financial.

Secondly, when you are self-funding, there is no other creative voice to help hone your vision. Even the biggest filmmakers in history tended to have people they trusted in positions of responsibility to help hone the vision. A financial partner becomes one of those people.

Self-funding...
Advantages: No strings attached, it is your production all the way. You reap all financial and creative rewards.
Disadvantages: You take all financial risk. No partner to help clarify vision.

Third party - Someone is giving you the money either as an investment, as a donation/gift, or as a hired hand. Let's look at each...

Investment - A third party is giving you the money in the hopes of recouping the money at a later date and perhaps make a profit (Other peoples money or O.P.M.). Occasionally, you will find a someone who wants to invest in a 'promising young filmmaker' or someone with a hunch on you and is thinks your idea may be worth a shot. In these cases, the party giving you the money is expecting it back. They are hoping to make a little extra.

Warning: an investment implies ownership. So be crystal clear with your new partner what their investment is purchasing. Is it a 50% stake in your project? Is it a 10% stake in your project? Is it a 100% stake in your project? Write it down on a piece of paper and both you and the investor sign the paper. Better yet, have an attorney draw up some paperwork.

Because you have an equity partner in your project, that partner may require creative input in the project. Is that good or bad? Hard to say. Not always bad, not always good. But ownership implies that input is acceptable so be prepared to document responsibilities and outline boundaries in terms of creative input and control. Talk about it prior to beginning to minimize heartache.

Advantages: O.P.M. is best. You take no financial risk and reap a reward. A partner can help clarify vision.
Disadvantages: You now have a partner who may also wish to make creative decisions. Your vision may have to change in order to satisfy the investors' wishes. Your vision may be asked to change in order to increase the chances of recouping the investment.

Donation/Gift - A third party is giving you the money with no expectation of you returning it. Parents, relatives and family friends are the most likely people to give you free money. An organization or foundation may be willing to provide you with a grant if your script is something that appeals to their organization in some way. Getting donated money may require you to modify your original script in order to meet submission guidelines.

Advantages: O.P.M. is best. You take no financial risk and reap the reward.
Disadvantages: There may be creative strings attached.

*Hired job - A third party has contracted with you to provide a service. Nice. Why are you reading this if you are getting paid gigs already? Geez...

c. Combination of the above

Documenting your funding sources helps to focus you and clarify your objective. Is this a hired job or a labor of love?

A Film Project is a Project - What Makes it a Project?

2008-09-18T16:48:00.001-07:00

A project is a unique, one of kind undertaking, designed to solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity. Building a patio on the back of a house is a project. Putting together a wedding is a project. Organizing a party for your ungrateful friends is a project. There’s a beginning to it, a middle to it and an end to it. You think about it, plan it out, do it, and its over. That, in a nutshell is project.

There’s one additional and important element that makes something a project. Any project, whether or not it is a film project, is governed by something called “constraints” (see the magic triangle). Constraints are limits on what you can do. In film production, there are three constraints: schedule, cost, and quality.

• Schedule – The schedule is your timeline for getting your project done. Time is one of the base factors in a film project. If you are getting paid to put together a project (ala, you’ve been hired to shoot a wedding video, or a music video, or a porn video), the schedule is more important because you most likely have a ‘deadline’. A deadline is a date that cannot be missed without catastrophic results. For example, if you are hired to produce and deliver a commercial for a local business, they most likely need it finished in a timely manner in order to get it on the air. They will have you harmed if you do not deliver on time. That is a deadline.
• Cost – The second constraint is your cost (or sometimes called ‘resources’). There are two major things considered ‘cost’: money and people. Money and people are considered the fuel for your film project. You need fuel to run the film project engine. Fuel is a cost. Money and people power are considered a ‘cost’ (note: even ‘free’ labor is considered a cost)
• Quality – The third constraint is your quality. How good or bad can you make your film project? How professional can it be? Is it a full-blown motion picture, or a backyard yuk-yuk video for YouTube?

It is important to note that these constraints are not independent of each other. In fact, they are related and tied-together.

‘Fast, good, cheap… pick two!’ is an old saying you see in barbershops.

If you want it fast and high quality, it probably is not going to be a cheap film. If you want it high quality and cheap, it’s probably going to take a long time to do. If you want your film fast and cheap, you aren’t going to be able to make it a very high quality.

The very essence of mastering the planning of your film project is an honest and keen understanding of your constraints.

Getting it Done - The Pickle Method

2008-09-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

The Pickle Method - Taught to me eleven years ago by the famous producer Henry Gantt and revised ever since...

How to get things done is pretty straight forward if you have a strategy for putting your finished film together. (BTW, this is the same method used to get music videos, short films, and creative projects done in a business-like manner since the War!).

Four simple steps:

1. DESIGN
2. PLAN
3. SHOOT
4. FINISH

Every film goes through three phases: Pre-production, production and post-production. All of your preparations and planning and acquisition of shooting supplies occurs in the Pre-production phase. The actual shooting/filming/recording of your media occurs during the Production phase. All editing, finishing, music, etc. occurs during the post-production phase. There's no way around it. Every production goes through these three phases and it is important to understand that there are certain things that need to be done in order to build your project.

The Pickle Method steps you easily through these three phases in such a manner that you are more likely to succeed on time, on budget, and at the highest quality.

Step 1 - DESIGN - The DESIGN phase is a vital piece of your Pre-Production because, it is in design that you make your major decisions. Period. Most everything that you do in the planning process, the shooting process and the finishing process are off-shoots of decisions that you make in the designing process.

Don't let the word 'design' fool you into thinking that you are trying something overly complicated. Design is really about defining exactly what you are trying to create so that you can plan a roadmap to achieve it. To define your project, you need to do the following and ask the following questions:

a. Creative -
*Write the script. If you have not written a script (it is in your head), stop now and write it down. Use an accepted format (software is all over the place) and get it done. We aren't going to talk 'how to be creative' today. Whatever it is you are shooting needs to be scripted.
*Sketch out a storyboard. Even if you use stick figures, you should have a preliminary idea on what camera angles you are looking for.
*References. If you have a certain 'look' you are going for, clip pictures from magazines or the net so that others start to see your vision.

b. Who is your producer? Are you putting this together yourself or are going to trick some poor soul into helpin you? The producer's primary job is to "organize" your entire project.

c. Funding source? Where is the money coming from to pay for this? If you have an idea of budget, document that here as well.

d. Other key players? Any partners or helpers or roommates signing on to help? Is Uncle Charlie providing his farm? Are you 'borrowing' equipment from school? Document a list of key players.

e. Objectives of your project? There's always a reason. Is this for fun? Is this for a career boost? Is this to experiment? Is this to get you noticed? Ias this to make money? Whatever the reason, make sure that you are honest with yourself and those that are helping you and state the project objective.

f. Final product? Is this a short film? Is this a TV pilot? Is this a YouTube video? The nature of the final project often times dictates a production strategy. Define your final product.

g. Major risks? Are you short of money? Is your investor flaky? Does your script require you to shoot in an airplane? Do you have no crew or is your crew volunteer (which means they may not show up)? Document your potential pitfalls.

h. Assumptions / unsure of's - Is there something in your project that you are unsure of? Are you unsure of whether or not the crew will show up? Write these down as well.

All of this information gets written in one place called a project charter. Once you have a charter, you now have a preliminary design document. You've just designed your project! Click HERE for a blank charter document.

Step 2 - PLAN - Now that you have at least a preliminary design for your project, it is time to develop a plan to get it done. A good plan can be broken down into three pieces:

a) Work Breakdown Structure (task list).
b) Crew list (people list).
c) Schedule (sequence list).
d) Budget (how much dough you are spending list).

If you have at least these four elements, you have a tremendous shot at getting your work finished, completed, and done.

a) Work Breakdown Structure (WBS or super task list) - This part is not very complicated but often times requires the most work. You need to develop a task list of everything you need done on your project. Everything. The Pickle Method tries to minimize your chance of forgetting something on your project by creating this WBS. Film project WBS's are organized by phase:

I. Pre-Production
II. Production
III. Post-Production

Underneath each phase, you create 'categories' of work. For example, under Pre-Production you may have the following categories for your short film:

I. Pre-Production
A. Scripting
B. Storyboarding
C. Crew
D. Equipment
E. Location
F. Actors
G. Logistics
H. Financing

Once you've identified each of the major categories of work you'll be doing in each phase, it is time to 'decompose' your WBS until you end up with actual tasks that need to be done. For example, under the category for 'Actors' (see above) you may have the following set of tasks:

F. Actors
i. Create character descriptions from script.
ii. Create a list of characters that need to be cast.
iii. Post a call for actors on internet.
iv. Find a place for the casting call & secure it.
v. Conduct casting session, tape the auditions.
vi. Evaluate first round of auditions from tape.
vii. Conduct actor callbacks.
viii. Hire actors

Create a task list from each of your sub-categories, and you've created a good task list. As you start work and other tasks become apparent, add them to the WBS and keep developing it. The more you know and have written down, the more organized you will be.

b) Crew List (People list) - We are not talking actual shooting crew here, we are talking about your production crew who are helping you with the project. If it is just you, it is just you. Hopefully, you've convinced, cajoled and beat someone into helping you. At this point you need to assign a resource to each of your tasks from the WBS. If you do not assign a resource, by default, you will be the one doing it. Realize that. Live it. Get people to help and make it happen.

Example from above:

F. Actors

TASKS	WHO'S DOING IT
i. Create character descriptions from script.	Me
ii. Create a list of characters that need to be cast.	Me & Betty (my producer
iii. Post a call for actors on internet.	Betty
iv. Find a place for the casting call & secure it.	Betty
v. Conduct casting session, tape the auditions.	Me, Betty, my brother Lou on camera
vi. Evaluate first round of auditions from tape.	Me & Betty
vii. Conduct actor callbacks.	Me, Betty, my brother Lou on camera
viii. Hire actors	Me & Betty

c) Schedule (Sequence List)

Once you have a list of tasks (from the WBS), you have to put them in some type of order. Especially if you are doing a great deal of the work yourself or are borrowing and favoring people, it is always best that you be as organized as possible in order to get the most value for your time. The easiest way to order your tasks is to use a project network (see example below):

It looks a little more complicated than it really is... basically, you are taking each of your tasks and putting them in order. You are either doing one thing before another or there are some things you can do at the same time. Period. These are called dependencies and concurrencies, which means 'what has to happen before something else' or 'what can happen at the same time'.

One you've identified the flow of your work, it will be easier for you to know when and where you are going to need people or time in order to get your project complete.

d) Budget (how much dough you are spending list) - Once you know what you are doing, who is doing it, and in what order, now is an excellent time to figure out how much it is going to cost. In the Pickle Method, we derive the budget from the work we are doing. So let's return to the WBS and look at the example below:

F. Actors

TASKS	WHO'S DOING IT	How Much
i. Create character descriptions from script.	Me	$0
ii. Create a list of characters that need to be cast.	Me & Betty (my producer	$0
iii. Post a call for actors on internet.	Betty	$25
iv. Find a place for the casting call & secure it.	$100	Betty
v. Conduct casting session, tape the auditions.	Me, Betty, my brother Lou on camera	$375
vi. Evaluate first round of auditions from tape.	Me & Betty	$0
vii. Conduct actor callbacks.	Me, Betty, my brother Lou on camera	$75
viii. Hire actors	Me & Betty	$600 ($200 x 3 actors)

Step 3 - SHOOT - Now it's time to create a little magic! For the shoot day(s), we need to develop two final lists that are equally as important:

Call sheet - This is the list of your crew, times, locations and relevant information. The call sheet reflects whether or not you are shooting on location, on a stage or somewhere else. One on sheet, every person who is required to be there, knows where to go and how to get there.
Shot sheet - The shoot day needs to be planned out to the minute in order to efficiently maximize your shooting time. You and your assistant director need to plot out the schedule to account for the following:

*The actual shooting at each set-up.
*The time it takes to transition from one set-up to another.
*Breaks/meals/set-up and clean-up.

Step 4 - FINISH - Post Production on your project begins the moment you stop shooting...

If you shot on film:
A) Take the film to the processing place.
B) Transfer the film to a digital format.
C) Input the footage into your computer for editing.
D) Edit
E) Edit some more.
F) Add music and EFX.
G) Export out of the computer.
H) Online

A) Take the film to the processing place.
No way around this one. Unless you have a last name of "Kodak", you are going to have to fork over the dough to get this film developed. You can shop around on rates a little bit, but the bottom-line is the bottom-line.

B) Transfer the film to a digital format.
Once the film is processed, it has to be transferred over to some type of digital format like mini-DV in order for you to work with it. This happens at a place called 'telecine'. This is also the place where you can color-correct the footage and make it look spectacular. However, that is another hard cost and you little flexibility here as well. But Pickle Head has been able to get a favor or two in his day. Try to fit the color correction in if you can. The difference between okay and poppin' is a good color correction.

C) Input the footage into your computer for editing.
Depending upon what you transferred your footage to, you'll need a deck or camera in order to import the footage into your computer for editing. This is time consuming but unavoidable.

D) Edit
Most every slob in town has Final Cut or Avid on his/her computer. Get a copy or borrow a copy or find an apprentice. Editing takes forever so favors are hard to come by unless they are really desperate and you are very persuasive. You can learn to do cuts on your own very, very fast. Learn how to do cuts and do as much as you can on your own.

E) Edit some more.
Edit. Let it sit. Show it to people. Revise. Edit again. There are a million ways to edit anything. Pick a direction and go. If it doesn't work, start over.

F) Add music and EFX.
After you are satisfied with your cut, find a cat to score it! Music is the spice of life. Keep efx to a minimum unless you are shooting a space epic. And why are you shooting a space epic?

G) Export out of the computer.
Once it is done, it needs to leave your computer. Get it out and save at least two copies. Disk drives go bad so have at least one copy on something more permanent.

H) Online
If you've shot film, you export your EDL and send it (along with the film) so that you can get your final piece.

Shooting TIP #1 - Where to Get a Camera & a DP?

2008-09-10T14:59:00.001-07:00

FILM CAMERA - Not many choices here. Most likely, you are going to have to rent a camera from a camera house.

Advantages: You know it will work, you know when you are going to get it, you have tons of flexibility.

Disadvantage: You need money and insurance. You probably have neither.

The best way to find a camera is to find a DP and let them find you a camera.

How to find a DP? Craigslist. Internet boards. Friends. As part of your normal networking strategy, befriend a DP. There are plenty around, you just have to find one.

The best way to find a low-cost, hungry DP is on a film set. Follow the yellow signs to find a set. If the set has any size, there will be camera department composed of two or three or maybe even more people. You'll know them because they hang-out around the camera and wear belts with air cans and colorful tape. Find the lowest person on that camera crew. They are probably the LOADER which means they are getting the least amount of money and are paying their dues. They want to be DP's one day. They studied DPing in film school. They may even have their own camera (cha-ching). And they certainly want to enhance their reel by shooting a real project. Find the loader and you've found your new low-cost DP.

Warning: They are somewhat new at this as well so there is a risk it may not work out. As Pops used to say, you get what you pay for.

One thing DP's talk about amongst themselves is 'where to find a camera?' DP's know where cameras are. That's their business. Find a DP. Find a camera.

What to Do With a Short Film?

2008-09-08T13:50:00.001-07:00

What to do with your short film?

1. Show it to your Mom & Dad.

2. Show it to your friends.

3. Show it to the world.

Why did you do a short film in the first place? There is no money in short films. There is no career in short films. There is no future in short films.

Or is there...

No money? - Wrong! Depending upon the length, subject matter, (and whether or not you had your actors sign release forms), there are many outlets that may be willing to pay you for a short film. Particularly with so many cable and satellite channels, there is ample opportunity for fill-in programming. HBO, Showtime and anybody who shows movies are always looking supplemental programming. Money? Not tons, but it is there...

No career? - Wrong! Are you kidding me? What do you think a music video is? What do you think a commercial is? What do you think a promo is? These are short films. In fact, there is tons more work in the short arena than in the longer form so if you are looking for a career, short form is your shot. Short form content is harder to do than longer stuff. It takes more editing and more concise and precise work. Get good at this and you eat well. Especially if you can do comedy. Especially if it is fairly clean.

No future? Wrong! How do you think you are going to get noticed to do music videos or commercials or promos? You need to show those who hire for these jobs that you have the chops. Post your short film on YouTube or on your blog or anywhere that will allow you to post. This is your calling card. This is your resume. Make 'em good. Make 'em often. Spread 'em around.

Guess That Budget!

2008-09-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

Anybody want to know how much the below video cost to produce from soup-to-nuts? I know how much, and I know how they cut the corners to make an "A-list"-looking video on an "F-list" budget. Go HERE and enter your suggestions. The answer soon...

Film Project MAGIC TRIANGLE

2008-09-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

Every project, whether it is a film project or a tree house, is composed of three separate and competing facets that limit and define your project: the SCHEDULE, the COST, and the QUALITY.

There's an old saying, "fast, good, cheap... pick two." What this proverb is telling us is that if you want it 'fast and cheap', it probably won't be very high quality. If you want it 'fast and good', it probably won't be very cheap. If you want it 'cheap and good', it probably is going to take a long time.

Projects aren't always as black & white as this old saying, but you get the idea. There is always going to be trade off between the three competing demands of TIME or SCHEDULE, your MONEY & RESOURCES, and the QUALITY of your film project. There is no way around it.

Your job is to balance the three sides of the magic triangle and pull it together. Be aware that 'fast, good & cheap' is impossible. If you have little money (which most of us don't), and you want it to be spectacular (of course you do), you are going to have to make some trade-offs:

*Free or very cheap labor (friends, favors, colleagues).
*It will take a long time (weekends, evenings, and whenever free workers are available.

The magic triangle is your friend! Learn it. Live it. Love it. Use it well... you know what I'm saying.

Post Production 'Let the Games Begin'

2008-09-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

Post Production on your project begins the moment you stop shooting...

If you shot on film:
A) Take the film to the processing place.
B) Transfer the film to a digital format.
C) Input the footage into your computer for editing.
D) Edit
E) Edit some more.
F) Add music and EFX.
G) Export out of the computer.
H) Online

A) Take the film to the processing place.
No way around this one. Unless you have a last name of "Kodak", you are going to have to fork over the dough to get this film developed. You can shop around on rates a little bit, but the bottom-line is the bottom-line.

B) Transfer the film to a digital format.
Once the film is processed, it has to be transferred over to some type of digital format like mini-DV in order for you to work with it. This happens at a place called 'telecine'. This is also the place where you can color-correct the footage and make it look spectacular. However, that is another hard cost and you little flexibility here as well. But Pickle Head has been able to get a favor or two in his day. Try to fit the color correction in if you can. The difference between okay and poppin' is a good color correction.

C) Input the footage into your computer for editing.
Depending upon what you transferred your footage to, you'll need a deck or camera in order to import the footage into your computer for editing. This is time consuming but unavoidable.

D) Edit
Most every slob in town has Final Cut or Avid on his/her computer. Get a copy or borrow a copy or find an apprentice. Editing takes forever so favors are hard to come by unless they are really desperate and you are very persuasive. You can learn to do cuts on your own very, very fast. Learn how to do cuts and do as much as you can on your own.

E) Edit some more.
Edit. Let it sit. Show it to people. Revise. Edit again. There are a million ways to edit anything. Pick a direction and go. If it doesn't work, start over.

F) Add music and EFX.
After you are satisfied with your cut, find a cat to score it! Music is the spice of life. Keep efx to a minimum unless you are shooting a space epic. And why are you shooting a space epic?

G) Export out of the computer.
Once it is done, it needs to leave your computer. Get it out and save at least two copies. Disk drives go bad so have at least one copy on something more permanent.

H) Online
If you've shot film, you export your EDL and send it (along with the film) so that you can get your final piece.

Pickle Head's Corner: Make 'Em Want to Mess with You

2008-09-08T12:52:00.001-07:00

You are trying to break into Hollywood to be a film director. You are trying to get signed by a record label in order to be a recording artist. You are trying to become a published author and you're not sure how to bust through. How many times has Pickle Head been asked for advice on how to break through? One billion times.

The answer: 'Make 'em want to mess with you'

If Pickle Head has learned one thing, it is that nobody (besides Mom) is going to recognize your talent and bring you along. You are not going to impress anybody with your smarts or your potential or your willingness to learn. Nobody cares. Nobody is interested in anybody who has nothing to show for themselves. Potential is for kids.

You've got to create the opportunity for yourself.

The people who make it, have created something for themselves that somebody in a position of power wanted to take advantage of. Period. With few exceptions, the way to get somewhere in the creative fields is to create on your own, achieve some level of success or notoriety or acclaim in order to catch the attention of someone else. Then, leverage that to a greater opportunity.

Make 'em want to mess with you.

In other words, you've got to make some noise on your own. Make a series of short films that everyone talks about and forwards to their friends. Make local banging song and get the local DJ to play it in the club. Develop a following on the internet for your writing. Develop your own fan base.

What you are doing is demonstrating to the powers to be that you are less of a risk to bring aboard than a complete unknown.

Make 'em want to mess with you!

Philosophy #1

2008-09-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

This is the first blog entry for Project Pickle. PP is a site designed to help those who are starting out, with a little experience, or a lot of experience who need help "getting things done". There are tons of tips and techniques to help get things done. A focused, thought-out approach is a great way to accomplish creative work and get it out into the world. The big secret: if you want to make a career as a creative, the best way to break-in is to produce work that gets you noticed.

We'll do whatever we can to help...