I have a scene in my short film. A guy is on top of a building looking down and getting ready to jump off. I'm wanting to be able to move the camera from above his head looking down at the street and then crane down to show his face. Real life this won't be able to happen. Does anyone have any ideas of how to create this? Greenscreen? Mattepainting?

change the plot, does he have to be jumping? without bashing ur use of suicide, i will simply say that if he is thinking of killing himself, and therefore just get a gun and have the guy put it to his head. as a viewer, i really dont ****ing care how many "pretty" shots u have, shots a crap, its the story and the meaning and what you're trying to say and express through ur art that matters, not some crane shot. Any hollywood film can get the adsact shot ur looking for because they dont care about anything creatively, they just throw money at the problem, u dont have money, use ur creativity to solve ur problems instead.

P.S. Creativity believe it or not makes ur film better than the hollywood ****

lol, here we go again. I'm going to let other people disagree with you this time, Hill.

I spend a lot of time drawing out exactly what my scenes are gonna look like, I do this mainly cause I cant fit it all in my head to remember. but I never find myself making any scenes that require something I cannot do. I work with whats around me and what I have, this makes your budget drop and also makes u spend more time looking around you for things you can use.

All I wanted to know is if you can do a shot like that. If anything...and i'm sure you can greenscreen it or mattepaint it....just not sure how.

HDK i have expressed my points about your beliefs in previous posts, however this time a script change might be neccesary.

do you have to have this shot to make the film effective? probably not. look at alternatives.

fillmaker...lastr time you were 'round these boards you were heading out with $30K to shoot a remake of the crucible werent you? What happened to that? Welcome back by the way...and i second the motion that th exact shot should just be altered...get on a ladder behind the kid and shoot over his head to give some sense of height, then just cut to a side CU or something, in the end the audience wont know what you WANTEd to do, jut what you DID do

Well, you can't get it all on THE exact shot, but try something liek this.



You will have to figure out all the movement mechanics, but I could see it working. (Oh, the green on the bottom of the pic is a green screen).

is that a boat?

Doh! I hate it when freeservers takes the picture away, you can look at it here also:

http://www.forsakenproductions.scriptmania.com/photo3.html

Its all the way at the bottom of the page.

quote:

Originally posted by Hill Dawson Kane:
its the story and the meaning and what you're trying to say and express through ur art that matters, not some crane shot. Any hollywood film can get the adsact shot ur looking for because they dont care about anything creatively, they just throw money at the problem, u dont have money, use ur creativity to solve ur problems instead.
P.S. Creativity believe it or not makes ur film better than the hollywood ****

Why condemn Hollywood for using its available resources? Their resources assist them in better communicating the message or emotion they want the audience to feel. If they can make the desired impact on the audience, without using little or no money, I am positive they will go with that alternative. Its impossible to classify all individuals associated with Hollywood as "money hungry people, who dont care about conveying a message". Im sure a few of them are only in the industry for personal benefits, but I am absolutely certain that the majority of Hollywood Employees love making films in a similar way as we do. Im sure you do not enjoy the stereotypes or assumptions that people make about you when they hear you are a student filmmaker. Why then would you make negative assumptions about all Hollywood Filmmakers? Try not to make assumptions about large groups of people, because it is impossible to decipher all of their motives.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: braininabox,

it truly is suicide to care about composition of you rscenes in this case

and yes i am aware i amgoing to get eaten alive for what i am about to say...

quote:

Are you saying a film can be completely out of focus, ridiculously overexposed, horrible framing, and have extremely choppy editing, but as long as it has a good story its better than any Hollywood/big-budget movie that has ever been made? Its impossible to classify all individuals associated with Hollywood as "money hungry people, who dont care about conveying a message". Im sure a few of them are only in the industry for cash, but I am absolutely certain that the majority of Hollywood Employees love making films in a similar way as we do. Im sure you do not enjoy the stereotypes or assumptions that people make about you when they hear you are a student filmmaker. Try not to make assumptions about large groups of people, because it is impossible to decipher all of their motives.

First of all lets just sya that if I was making a film and the actor put up the performance of their life, and as u say, the editin was choppy, the sound was bad, it was out of focus, the boom was in the shot, a hair was in the frame, i crossed the line, i did everything wrong, WHO THE **** AM I AS A DIRECTOR TO TELL THEM TO DO IT AGAIN WHEN THEYVE DONE WHAT I ASKED THEM TO DO JUST BECAUSE I AM A **** UP? So yes, technical stuff is ****, and I will scrifice looking like an "amature" in order to preserve the story, which is basically the actors in this sense. And I do think that that is better than the hollywood big budget films, but only because there stuff is really really bad. And as far as stereotypes go, I'm not judging people based on the fact that they make money, im judging them based on that they make moneyin exchange for artistic sacrifices in the name of greed and a "career." Sure I can't truly decifer their motives and intentions, but i also dont buy their bull**** about supplying a demand. theres nothing worse than using the excuse that the films that are being made are good because they are what people WANT to see. Give people what the NEED to see. And that means no webslinging, ring searching, episode prequeling bull**** thats a waste of our time. Just noticed we got to the ten year anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide. They made a movie called Hotel Rwanda last year that people are praising and saying will change how people see the world. Yet ten years ago, and two months before the Rwandan Genocide was ALLOWED to happen by the western world a little film called "Schindler's List" made over 100 million dollars, looked beautiful, won best picture and director awards, celebrated the 50 year anniversary of WW2 and had ABSOLUTELY NO IMPACT WHATSOEVER ON THE WORLD! Simple because it avoided what the film was ABOUT, and instead focused on petty sympathetical emotions, and making the film about the Holocaust we wwanted to see, the good side. Where people are saved by a happy nazi oppourtunist turned hero. Maybe if they stop worring about everything that goes on behind the camera, they can start to focus on what goes on in front of it, and most importantly, WITHIN it.

Excuse my capitals i know you all hate me

Film can be used as both a medium for entertainment and also as a medium for ateaching a lesson/making a statement. Its seems to me that you do not believe in that first category, HDK.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: braininabox,

Um...all I wanted was some advice on a shot.

Thanks forsaken...that helped me very much!

About Forsaken's diagram:
If the camera cranes down, wont the ladder that the cameraman is standing on will be in the background of the shot?

What are you planning to key in for the green? CG? Model?

TO THE HOLLYWOOD HATING SCHMUCK AND ALL OTHERS LIKE HIM:

a good film combines the best of all art forms.
yes acting is important, so is story, and so is an important message and good music. but if the director lacks the ability to understand the importance of the image, timing, and all other aesthetics, they are dis-respecting the story, the actors, and everyone else involved. if you dont think the image is important you should not be trying to be a film maker. it is the job of the film maker to understand the images and bend them to their will, affecting the emotions of the viewers. and a director that does not believe in making the shots interesting because he hates hollywood is not a director. he is a schmuck who is wasting time chasing after a future he dosnt have. no matter how hard you argue against visual aesthetics, the fact will remain that no one will pay money to watch a botched excuse for a film. directed by a flake that dosnt believe that the "pictures" in a "motion picture" have any relevance. you need to quit blaming hollywood for your lack of talent and figure out what you are really good at instead of chasing something you will never have, and blaming everyone but your self for your lack of visual creativity. your films rank among the worst i have ever seen, and with your anti-image attitude you wont get any better. you arent fit to operate a casino security camera.

IN REGUARD TO THE ORIGINAL POSTING:

i too would say re-think the shot. it is very hard to get moving shots to work well with a greenscreen especally one with that kind of perspective shift, and no motion control system. if you broke it up so that the shot looking down had no movement it would be easy. then cut to a close up

P.S.
HDK dont bother responding to my post as i will not waste my time argueing with a sterio-type of a angry hollywood hating student-hack. enjoy your time on this site as it will be the pinnacle of your film career

aufvetersehen

First of all OTG, welcome to sf.com

quote:

no matter how hard you argue against visual aesthetics, the fact will remain that no one will pay money to watch a botched excuse for a film.

I know you're new here so i will let you know that all of the films here can be seen for free. Yes that's right, many filmmakers, including me, actually pay to have our films put on this site for free, and that's how I feel about films, they are art and therefore should be seen and free for all as a general expression and interaction as humans. yes, i'm a talentless schmuck, ive never denied that. and for the record, I know absolutely nothing about filmmaking, but I do like to think that I know a thing or two about life, so I just go from there. im not aiming for a career in filmmaking, i would much rather continue working at my minimum wage job than sacrifice my morals, opinions and freedom of speach and expression. unfortunately you won't be replying to this, or probably any other post, but I hope you won't let our different opinions discourage you from becoming a prominant and constant member and contributor to this site, because I really stand alone on almost all issues, most people here are very friendly and helpful, not bitter and hostile like me. wish i could type more but im busy listening to music. Bob Dylan in fact. He can't sing worth ****, i hate his voice. in fact it annoys me, always has, i hated him when i was young. but that doesnt stop him from writing some of the greatest poetry ever anbd expressing it. cause its what you SAY that's important, not how you say it, sing it, or show it. Peace

quote:

Originally posted by Forsakenproductions:
Well, you can't get it all on THE exact shot, but try something liek this.



You will have to figure out all the movement mechanics, but I could see it working. (Oh, the green on the bottom of the pic is a green screen).

I think this needs to be made into some kind of SF.com banner ad Bonus points to forsaken for the effort!

OTG, theres a fine line between arguing and flaming, and I think you crossed it.

Without motion control, this shot will really be difficult to duplicate.

Can we not have this discussion everytime hdk makes his anti-artistic remarks, which is in my opinion what his remarks are... however hdk has some good points, and in a filmmaking world that is currently dominated by special effects and therefore artistic side of things his pro-creative views are very welcome.

free speech and opinion is a part of this community i though this issue had been sorted ages ago in an agreeal to disagree. unfortunately it hasnt, why cant we just move on?