Short Film/Web Series Thoughts

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So, I've gotten the idea into my head that I want to do a short film or maybe even a web series this spring or summer, but I'm having a hard time coming up with an idea small enough in scope that I could realistically make it happen, and still keep relatively high production values. It seems like all the material I come up with is either a bit too far out of my league for my limited resources and virtually non-existant budget, genuinely isn't that interesting to me, or has been done to death by a million other people out there in some way or another. Stuff like teen and college drama isn't that interesting or inspiring to me; and apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic stuff (zombies, plague, survivors, all that) has all been done to death, subjectively (pun sort of intended).

They say to write what you know, and I know sci-fi and fantasy, and their various sub-genres. The problem is, those are the hardest genres to do right by with the limited resources and virtually non-existant budget I have at my disposal.

I recently came up with (what I think, anyway) is a pretty solid idea for a short, rather gothic science-fantasy web series (thirteen episodes, each seven to ten minutes long) which I'd love to be able to produce, but the more I developed the story and characters, the further and further it strayed from any sort of realistic (again, read: almost zero) budget and resources I have, or will have, on hand any time soon. And anyway, what self-respecting actor would trust a twenty-one year old debut writer/director trying to pull off a project that big? That's really what irks me the most about my visual storytelling work- the fact that I'd need a lot of adults (ones older than me) to trust me and work with me on it to see it realized. While it'd be nice, I doubt it'd happen, at least not any time soon...

In short, I tend to think bigger than I can realistically attain on my own when it comes to visual storytelling. What do you think I should do for a short film or web series? Suggestions, advice, etc? And as a side note, I'm going on vacation next week to someplace warm with a beach right nearby. My dad suggested I bring along my video camera to shoot a short film or documentary type-thing while we're there. While I think it's a good idea, I'm still at a loss for what to do to tie all that footage together into a meaningful package...

1.  What kind of web series would work on a low budget?

The more complex your concept becomes, the more it will cost to produce it to the level you would like.  So maybe the key is to work on developing a concept that will work with a simple set.  Look at "Mr. Deity". Most of the episodes are filmed against a white background.  This eliminates a lot of the complexities of getting the set right.  It even reduces the amount of blocking the director has to do.  This allows him to focus only on the witty writing and performances of the small group of actors.

THX-1138 did pretty much the same thing.  You don't have to go with the white background... You could work on a show that always occurs in the same room.  Draw up a list of the limitations you face in production and see if you can find a way to use those limitations to your advantage.

2.  How do you get others to work with you?

I think I know, but putting it into practice isn't easy.  In my experience, people will happily follow someone who appears to know what they are doing.  Even if it feels like a lie, try to project a sense of confidence in your ideas.  You can best do this by being really prepared.  Know your script so well that any question an actor or crew member might have, you can answer it with confidence.  Last year I shot a film that had to be filmed in a single day.  I knew I would have to work fast so I really prepared and during the shoot, I found I could direct much more effectively than usual.

Being confident can be hard for many Aspies.  I think I would have had much more success in film if I were more confident.  Maybe the only thing to do is bluff your way through it, but with time and a lot of bluffing, you may find you will become the kind of film maker that should feel confident.

3.  What to shoot while on vacation.

Without knowing what you will encounter, it's a little hard to figure out a narrative that you would want to shoot.  If you want to shoot something about the place, I would recommend doing some research on it first.

Something I have been doing recently is a series of 1 minute long films with the concept of just looking at an object to see it in a particular way.  The first two were of a piece of packaging styrofoam.  Another was on a 1950's style blender.  There is no narrative statement in them... They are just films that try to show the beauty of a simple object. You might consider just shooting with the idea of showing what the location looks like. You might think in terms of showing a broad over view of the place and then going in for detail shots that show the complexity within the whole.

At any rate, I recommend you do some research and find something odd or unique about the place that might give you a hook to start fleshing out a narrative.

Good luck,

Lars

Watch the movie Primer for inspiration. It's a fantastic time-travel film that was accomplished with a very, very small budget. I write sci-fi, so I might be able to help you brainstorm ideas. However, I don't have any right now.

If you have an abandoned building nearby, that's make a great set for a post-apocalyptic/desolate movie A la Stalker or The Road.