Written By April | May 2012 : Page 20

Written by Marc Scott Zicree TOOLS Shoot Something! 14 steps for the DIY filmmaker ere’s a familiar scenario: You’ve been laboring on scripts for some time now. Some have been great, some not, but you’ve attained a level of pro-fessional polish and believe you’ve ac-complished what you set out to do on the page. Maybe some of those scripts have sold. Maybe most have landed in de-velopment hell. Maybe you’ve not seen a word you’ve written shot. Or maybe it’s been shot, but because you weren’t in a power position what the public viewed was an unrecognizable mess. To all of the above I say five words: “For God’s sake, shoot something!” It’s the 21st century, and it’s a whole new ballgame. Buy an HD camera, get a Mac with Final Cut Pro, learn to load video on the Internet, and you’re good to go. In short, get into action right now by picking up a camera and shoot-ing something that will gain you the notice of the studios, networks, and public. “But that’s not realistic,” you moan. “I don’t have millions of dollars! Any-thing I’d make would have shitty actors, lousy production values, and be a piece of crap nobody would ever notice!” You need a better self-image (and perhaps years of therapy). In lieu of that, accept these real-world examples of what can be done and what it can bring: Not long ago I teamed up with a group in upstate New York making Star Trek New Voyages a dventures on-20 • WG A W Written By APRIL/MA Y For God’s Sake, H line and, totally without a network or studio, co-wrote, directed, and ex-ecutive produced “World Enough and Time,” an hour-length episode star-ring George Takei reprising his role as Sulu. Made for less than $100,000, the piece boasted more than 700 ef-fects shots (thanks to the DAVE School, a special effects training facil-ity in Orlando). Millions watched it online. It made the front page of the New York Times and Los Angeles Times (as well as CNN and other news out-lets around the world), garnered me not only such new fans of my work as Joss Whedon and Neil Gaiman but also was nominated for the 2008 Hugo and Nebula Awards. It even won the TV Guide Award. Subse-quently, someone also nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards in the same categories was looking for a col-laborator on a book he was doing for Palace Press, so now I’m co-writing 20 12 Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curios-ities with Guillermo del Toro. Beyond this, I’m set to direct Fugitive Space, a feature I wrote. And if anyone asks if I can direct, I’ve got a sample. (A caveat: Both Paramount and Lucasfilm allow filmmakers to make Star Trek and Star Wars “fan films” as long as they’re not sold for profit; so you’ll have to accept that your work in this arena will serve as a calling card and not a return on investment.) My wife, Elaine Zicree, is in post-production on The Family Crystal, a comedy web series about a dys-functional family that she wrote and directed, starring actors from such shows as The Wire, CSI, and The Unit. With a cast and crew composed most-ly of friends, Elaine shot two seasons of webisodes (about an hour total) in two weekends. Most worked for deferred salary under such contracts as the SAG Ultra-Low. Total budget? Less than 10 grand. Mark Gantt, dissatisfied that he couldn’t land the roles or secure the high-end representation he wanted, co-wrote and starred in a pilot presenta-tion of The Bannen Way. He and his di-rector buddy Jesse Warren pooled their money to make it for $17,000. On the strength of this, Sony gave them the budget to expand it to a two-hour film that could be aired as webisodes and also sold as a feature on DVD and VOD. Made for less than $1 million, Bannen was a hit on Crackle, YouTube,

Tools

Marc Scott Zicree

For God’s Sake, Shoot Something! 14 steps for the DIY filmmaker Here’s a familiar scenario: You’ve been laboring on scripts for some time now. Some have been great, some not, but you’ve attained a level of professional polish and believe you’ve accomplished what you set out to do on the page. Maybe some of those scripts have sold. Maybe most have landed in development hell. Maybe you’ve not seen a word you’ve written shot. Or maybe it’s been shot, but because you weren’t in a power position what the public viewed was an unrecognizable mess. To all of the above I say five words: “For God’s sake, shoot something!” It’s the 21st century, and it’s a whole new ballgame. Buy an HD camera, get a Mac with Final Cut Pro, learn to load video on the Internet, and you’re good to go. In short, get into action right now by picking up a camera and shooting something that will gain you the notice of the studios, networks, and public. “But that’s not realistic,” you moan.“I don’t have millions of dollars! Anything I’d make would have shitty actors, lousy production values, and be a piece of crap nobody would ever notice!” You need a better self-image (and perhaps years of therapy). In lieu of that, accept these real-world examples of what can be done and what it can bring: Not long ago I teamed up with a group in upstate New York making Star Trek New Voyages adventures online and, totally without a network or studio, co-wrote, directed, and executive produced “World Enough and Time,” an hour-length episode starring George Takei reprising his role as Sulu. Made for less than $100,000, the piece boasted more than 700 effects shots (thanks to the DAVE School, a special effects training facility in Orlando). Millions watched it online. It made the front page of the New York Times and Los Angeles Times (as well as CNN and other news outlets around the world), garnered me not only such new fans of my work as Joss Whedon and Neil Gaiman but also was nominated for the 2008 Hugo and Nebula Awards. It even won the TV Guide Award. Subsequently, someone also nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards in the same categories was looking for a collaborator on a book he was doing for Palace Press, so now I’m co-writing Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities with Guillermo del Toro. Beyond this, I’m set to direct Fugitive Space, a feature I wrote. And if anyone asks if I can direct, I’ve got a sample. (A caveat: Both Paramount and Lucasfilm allow filmmakers to make Star Trek and Star Wars “fan films” as long as they’re not sold for profit; so you’ll have to accept that your work in this arena will serve as a calling card and not a return on investment.) My wife, Elaine Zicree, is in postproduction on The Family Crystal, a comedy web series about a dysfunctional family that she wrote and directed, starring actors from such shows as The Wire, CSI, and The Unit.With a cast and crew composed mostly of friends, Elaine shot two seasons of webisodes (about an hour total) in two weekends. Most worked for deferred salary under such contracts as the SAG Ultra-Low. Total budget? Less than 10 grand. Mark Gantt, dissatisfied that he couldn’t land the roles or secure the high-end representation he wanted, cowrote and starred in a pilot presentation of The Bannen Way. He and his director buddy Jesse Warren pooled their money to make it for $17,000. On the strength of this, Sony gave them the budget to expand it to a two-hour film that could be aired as webisodes and also sold as a feature on DVD and VOD. Made for less than $1 million, Bannen was a hit on Crackle, YouTube,Hulu, Amazon and iTunes. Now Mark is repped by ICM. Don’t assume you must create only features or web series.Writer-actor-director Bob Gebert launched Beckinfield.com, a mass-participation project in which folks from throughout the country play characters living in a strange small town.The multimedia website allows performers to submit their own homemade videos, with Bob giving them guidelines as to the continuing story. (This is after Bob’s previous selffunded feature Eleven Minutes Ago, shot entirely in one day, allowed him to raise millions on his next project.) Not everyone who makes their own feature or web series does so hoping for fame and fortune. Jane Espenson already had a robust career with such credits as Buffy, Battlestar Galactica, and Game of Thrones when she teamed with Brad “Cheeks” Bell to co-write and produce Husbands, a comedic web series about gay marriage. Her reason was simple: to do the show exactly as she and her partner envisioned it, with no network notes and a cast they knew the network would not have approved. Convinced? Okay. So here’s what you can do, from soup to nuts: StepS 1&2: Choose a project and Gather the funds to make it. Which one comes first really is a chicken or egg proposition, either one viable. In one scenario, you decide precisely how much money you (or friends and relatives who really like you) have available to put toward this project, factoring in other production-value elements readily at hand (an apartment—perhaps yours—that you can shoot in; a car— again maybe yours—that the hero can drive, etc.). Craft your script to suit these factors. The flipside is first selecting a script (one you write or acquire) and then pulling together the funds to make it. This can be via such sites as Indiegogo and Kickstarter, selling shares to investors, having a yard sale, whatever. The key is pulling it together immediately. Don’t waste 10 years attempting to raise $10 million. If you’ve got three grand an elderly aunt just left you, make it for that. Whichever method you choose, the story you shoot should be entertaining and something you can reasonably pull off. Don’t be underambitious (two people droning on in one room) or too grandiose (that estimation totally depends on how many friends you have who can do effects). If it’s comedy, it should be funny. If it’s drama, the characters should be credible and connected in some way to reality. If it’s science fiction or fantasy, it needs to have gosh-gee-whiz.Horror should be scary and, ideally, fresh. Which brings us to the side issue of quality. Often you’ll hear folks—usually agents or studio/network execs—say, “All you need is a great script.” Bullshit. All you need is something you can shoot. Remember: Half-assed is better than no ass at all. Get into action, get moving, do something. Momentum and commitment make things happen. Which isn’t to say you shouldn’t strive for quality. Better is better. But get to the finish line. Step3: plan your pr, marketing, and distribution. That’s right, do this before you shoot your project. Most folks don’t put any forethought into this and are screwed after they’ve moved heaven and earth to make their project, only to belatedly find they have no clue how to get anyone to see it.You don’t need every detail nailed down in advance, but you should ask yourself these questions: What is the promotional media hook to this story that will get it press and the public interested? (An Afghan War veteran-turned-actor doing a web series addressing the alarmingly high suicide rate among returning soldiers.) How will I market this piece so word gets out? (Paid advertising, viral marketing on the Net, festivals, etc.) How will I distribute this? (Internet, theatrical, DVD, VOD, etc.) To each of the above questions, add, “And whom do I know with personal experience on this subject who might be willing to advise me?” Step 4: Get a camera. Borrow, rent, or buy. The format should be HD. The Canon 5D is good, uses 35-millimeter lenses (which gets you a film look) and costs about $2,000, but there are many other great options at a similar price. If you want to go higher end (and you don’t need to), you can get a Red or an Alexa. Never shoot on film; it’s too expensive and totally unnecessary. Step 5: Gather a team. Look around you—who’s talented? Invite them aboard to play. Make sure it’s win-win, that there’s something in it that serves their needs and ambitions. And let everyone get their fair share of credit. Most important, make sure they’re not flakes. Ask people who’ve worked with them. The last thing in the world you want is for the guy with the sound equipment not to show up on shoot day. To that end, ask yourself these five questions regarding anyone you plan to work or affiliate with: Do I like this person? Do I trust this person? Do they do what they say they’re going to do? Do they finish what they start? Have they previously successfully done what I’m asking them to do now, or do they have transferable skills that make me reasonably certain they’ll be able to pull it off? You don’t have to be able to answer “yes” to all five of them, but you should be able to answer yes to at least three.And, ask the same questions of yourself. Keep your crew as small as possible, but make sure it can get the job done. Feed your cast and crew well, and don’t work 20-hour days. You’ll drive everyone into the ground, and no one will want to work with you. In terms of their past credits, anyone—from a talented teenager with an impressive reel to an octogenarian who Knows his or her stuff—is terrific. Mixing it up makes for a better on-set vibe.And a better world in general. Step 6: Casting Your Actors. Whether known or unknown, cast actors who can act. The quickest way to torpedo your project is to have unconvincing performances. Here’s what I look for in every moment of every role: that I believe it and it’s interesting. You can put out the word on Craigslist and Now Casting, but there’s also the Hollywood Show, a convention in Burbank held several times a year with more than 100 celebrities from TV and film signing autographs.Most of them want to work and are quite approachable. Meeting them in person changes the equation. Beyond this, science fiction conventions are a great place to meet genre actors. And many actors also are on Facebook and have their own websites where they personally read their email. We’re not talking Daniel Craig here but extremely talented professionals from TV shows and movies such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Battlestar Galactica, To Kill a Mockingbird (yes, Mary Badham, the little girl who played Scout, is acting again), and many more. Often they’ll work for surprisingly low amounts, and it’s a thrill to shoot something with actors you love. Step 7: Should You Direct? You have two options, the film or TV model.In the film model, you’re the writerdirector and have final cut. In the TV model, you’re the writer-executive producer and have final cut. It boils down to whether or not you want to direct (or put more simply, whom you want on board to possibly screw up that part of the process). Either way, you need signed paperwork spelling this out so everyone knows from the get-go who’s boss. To become a more skilled director, I recommend two classes: Jim Pasternak for practice directing actors on-camera; and Judith Weston (www.judithweston. com) for learning how to work with actors to draw their best performances out.Dov S.S. Simens’ Two-Day Film School (dovsimensfilmschool.com) is also very good for learning the nuts-and-bolts of film production. Step 8: Do Your Paperwork. Have signed contracts with everyone. And remember that the phrase, “I don’t need contracts, they’re my friends,” is just another way of saying, “Why don’t we jump directly to the lawsuit?” Step 9: Shooting the Sucker. It’s hard work, and inevitably you’ll be blindsided by something. But keep moving forward until you’re done, and ask for help as you need it. My mantra while making the Star Trek episode was, “I am made of iron and nothing will stop me.” Be positive and upbeat, compliment everyone for a job well done—and fire the bad apples when you need to, immediately and without hesitation. One toxic individual can deep-six any production, if left to his own devices. And oh yes, wear comfortable shoes and remember to eat and hydrate regularly. And wear a hat when out in the sun (what am I—your mother?). Step 10: Finishing it. Postproduction, especially if it involves special effects, can seemingly take forever. Be patient and don’t give up. Take as long as you need to make it good. Again, ask for help from those who have the Skills. There’s an old cliché that in any production you have money, time, and quality—choose two. If you don’t have scads of money, take the time to get the quality. And paying a little (some up front, some on delivery) often gets you a good deal further than trying to get everything for free. Step 11: Getting It Out There. Look at who’s succeeded at what you want to do, whether you know them or not, and reverse engineer it. Go to conventions, trade shows, festivals, anywhere and everywhere you can meet people who’ve taken the journey down the road you want to go. You’ll find that many of them are happy to answer your questions, especially if you treat them to a meal. Always have material with you, DVDs and jump drives of your web series, feature, etc. Attach your contact info on every piece of it, in case it gets scattered. Be friendly, enthusiastic, and present—really listen.And remember that it’s a two-way street.Ask if there’s anything they need. Goodwill has a ripple effect. Step 12: Ancillary. Here’s the cool thing about finishing your handmade project—you can generate revenue from the spin-offs. When my friend Don Glut made his first film, Dinosaur Valley Girls, he also released the novelization, making-of book, comic, model kit, etc. Now, thanks to sites like Café Press, your project can have the t-shirt, coffee mug, hoodie, bumper sticker to promote it. Step 13: Basking in the Glory. Take the time to enjoy the fact you succeeded. If someone compliments you, realize that in all likelihood they mean it. One of my best moments was when a total stranger, a Brit, came up to me on the street in Tokyo to tell me how much he’d loved my Star Trek episode. Step 14: Doing the Next One.Whether or not this project lands you a studio deal or a network show, get started on the next one. Don’t ask permission.Ray Bradbury once told me, “Looking back over a lifetime, you realize love was the answer to everything.” Creating good work and getting it out to a broad audience is a pure expression of that and will help give your life meaning. Here’s a few more bits ‘n pieces, in no particular order: If you affiliate with someone famous, you gain their fame. For instance, if you shoot a Stephen King short story, you don’t need to work as hard to get people to pay attention. This works with famous source material, actors, directors, and so on. Keep in mind that public domain material is free, and that guys like Charles Dickens, H.G. Wells, and Jane Austen are still household names. Have good sound. Hugely important.Bad sound will wreck good work faster than anything else. If you have to pay for this (and you usually do), don’t hesitate. How long should it be? Webisodes in the past have generally run two to five minutes. But the new model is five or six 22-minute episodes that can be bundled into a two-hour direct-to-DVD feature. In general, comedy is harder to sustain over a longer running time.But the real rule of thumb is it should be long enough to get the job done and not so long as to be tedious. That answer works in any number of situations. Remember: A great five minutes is better than a mediocre two hours. Where should it be shown? The real question is, “Who do I want to impress, and what do I need to create in order to impress them?” Or put more simply, “What am I trying to accomplish here?” Most of what we do boils down to two things: auditioning for the job or actually doing the job. The beauty part of this process is that you’re actually doing both—advertising yourself and reaching an audience. When Mark Twain gave his first public lecture, the ad read, “The trouble starts at eight!” Go and do likewise. Marc Scott Zicree is a writer, director, producer, and raconteur. He can be reached via www.zicree.com or his Facebook page.

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