Should I release the trailer for my latest film? Also sorry I've been absent with posting I was sick with C@19 these last two weeks and couldn't really focus on filmmaking.
Really solid advice, it really comes down to trusting your gut. Shoot first, ask questions later and more times than not you'll wind up with something for your film!
Yeah its fun to do it this way because it actives a very creative and singular part of your brain where you have to react and adapt to changes in the real world its a lot of fun!
From an actor's perspective, I absolutely love the idea of improv-ing a feature! I agree, definitely require a general plan for the story, but man, to take that and just lean into instinct and chemistry sounds like a dream! Yes, please. Trailer would rock!
You've got some good ideas here, Dan. Also check out Alex Ferrari's approach to making character-driven improv features, it's a little bit more complicated but worth looking into. When casting actors, especially for character-driven improvs, make sure they're good at improv and that they don't say their lines in an "improv way", which is stylized and I think unrealistic.
Yeah I definitely think so many people could learn a lot about filmmaking from doing a few improv shorts or an improv feature. It definitely stretches your creativity in a good way.
Thanks for posting this! Makes me interested in trying this method. I do feel like it helps to be familiar with acting in order to achieve this, or at least have interesting people in front of the camera so that they can interact with whatever is in the moment. Awesome stuff!
yeah I was a complete newbie when experimenting with this method. I think all you need is a passion to make it work and it can be powerful! Thanks for checking out the video :D
Great video as always Dan. What do you do for your day job, and how do you manage these big projects around your schedule and everyone elses schedules? That might make a good video because I find it to be a challenge in my life.
Im actually working on a video about this right now! So I'll explain how im able to do all these projects fast and efficient. But my job is luckily filmmaking for companies so im basically working in a very forgiving field haha. My wife also works in medical stuff so that helps a ton to keep our incoming stable as well while I expand this business!
I loved Chlorine. Doing improv can be really fun. Moving the story along can be a struggle if you don’t have a bullet point you want to hit. I would think you need some basic idea where your movie is going
What an interesting view into the unexplored development of improv features, and no surprise, the answer is variable and based on things like intuition and experience. How have improv features changed your outlook on filmmaking as a whole Dan?
Watching "Chlorine" was an interesting experience for me. I don't think I really connected with the story but the frame composition and some ideas in it was interesting for me. After it was done, for me, it's a good exercise on filmmaking. It wont define your career as a director BUT your vision is there, your ideas are there and I can't wait to see what will come next. Keep the good work!
maybe try my films sheep theater or the long con they definitely have different styles and might be more of a connection! Thanks for sticking with the channel even if chlorine didn't knock it out of the park for you. It means a lot to me and the team that people support us :)
@@The5DollarFilmSchool I will watch them this weekend! Yeah man! I'm here! Right now this is how I can support the channel, your work. When I, eventually, get in a better financial position I'll support on 922 Films' Patreon.
I love that you brought up David Lynch when mentioning Chlorine, a while ago I kinda noticed some of those elements in the film now that I think about it. I was thinking of improvising in a feature I have in mind and see where it goes since I have a hard time getting the script up to feature length. But I do wanna keep the concept as the foundation to grow the film. Was that how you did it and let the creativity do the rest?
Yeah for Chlorine there was never really a written component other than a rough outline on a notes app on my phone. Basically a catalogued a few points that I felt needed to happen, I had no idea if the film would reach feature length. It was actually a big stress doing the film if it would ever reach "feature" length. I think if you have the core concept outlined or written down than I think you are ready to go an improvise the film :). Let the natural creativity take over and you'll be impressed with what your mind can come up with on the fly.
Great video. Thank you for sharing this experience. I would add the concept of "reverse engineering" as well. Where you have a prop, location, or idea that is interesting, or unique, or special in a way that can drive your film forward. It is not special to improv and should be considered for indie/micro/no budget Filmmaking as a whole. Something that Robert Rodriguez predicated El Mariachi on.
@@The5DollarFilmSchool me too. We are using it to revive my second feature film, shot 20% in March of last year and then covid. So now we are reverse engineering the footage and writing free form scenes around it to create a completely different feature. I think Roger Corman would be proud 🤣
@@Frumess I think Roger Corman would be proud of so many of us indie/ folk filmmakers who are using what resources we have right now! My dream is to one day become the roger corman of folk filmmaking haha.
"Hopefully by the end of this video you'll understand just how easy it is to make an improv feature film." Ok, great, now explain how easy is it to afford a two-camera set-up at $65,000 apiece?
I shot the entire 5 films I've done on a 2100 dollar sony camera. All the footage you see from my films are made with that cheap of a camera. If you think you need 65k its much cheaper than that to get great results. No need to do two cameras you can just move the camera and re do the improv like a normal film, and try to match up the lines. Basically the Robert Rodriguez method which he did on film which is greatly more expensive than this! I hope that helps you.
@@The5DollarFilmSchool Well, that's truly great. If you can get professional results with a consumer expenditure, then there may be hope for us future filmmakers. I must take issue with one thing you said in the above reply. It is impossible to "re do" improv due to its very nature, definition or composition. What I think you meant was to recreate the scene from another camera position and hope to record enough footage which can then be edited/matched into the scene and hopefully preserve continuity. Improv is not redoable. It is created without preparation.
Should I release the trailer for my latest film? Also sorry I've been absent with posting I was sick with C@19 these last two weeks and couldn't really focus on filmmaking.
You should!
@@LeandroPeska Thanks :D probably going to!
yeah man, love to see a trailer
@@justjoshb Sweet! working on it this week!
Yes please.
Really solid advice, it really comes down to trusting your gut. Shoot first, ask questions later and more times than not you'll wind up with something for your film!
Thanks Joel! Yeah I agree. I love the reactive style of improv. Sometimes you don't even know what you got until you get back home and edit!
I give you so many props for doing Improve - let alone improve feature film. Great leadership to other indie folk filmmakers
Yeah its fun to do it this way because it actives a very creative and singular part of your brain where you have to react and adapt to changes in the real world its a lot of fun!
From an actor's perspective, I absolutely love the idea of improv-ing a feature! I agree, definitely require a general plan for the story, but man, to take that and just lean into instinct and chemistry sounds like a dream!
Yes, please. Trailer would rock!
Yeah improv'ing a feature film is a ton of fun! Maybe one of these days will work together on a project :D since you love improv!
As a person who had made some improv short films, really agree with your methods, maybe I should make an improv feature. Anyway thanks for the video.
I'd love to see you make an improv feature film :)
Great content and information
Thanks I'll keep at it!
Gems my man
This is very helpful. Thanks again Dan!
You've got some good ideas here, Dan. Also check out Alex Ferrari's approach to making character-driven improv features, it's a little bit more complicated but worth looking into. When casting actors, especially for character-driven improvs, make sure they're good at improv and that they don't say their lines in an "improv way", which is stylized and I think unrealistic.
Yes, please do drop the trailer! Thanks for this pep talk :)
Thanks :) I'm working on the trailer should be out soon!
Great video as always! I totally agree with what your saying as somebody who has shot many improv shorts
Yeah I definitely think so many people could learn a lot about filmmaking from doing a few improv shorts or an improv feature. It definitely stretches your creativity in a good way.
So sorry you got COVID!!! So Happy you are ok.!!!!
Thanks for posting this! Makes me interested in trying this method. I do feel like it helps to be familiar with acting in order to achieve this, or at least have interesting people in front of the camera so that they can interact with whatever is in the moment. Awesome stuff!
yeah I was a complete newbie when experimenting with this method. I think all you need is a passion to make it work and it can be powerful! Thanks for checking out the video :D
Fantastic advice. Sometimes the improv approach makes a movie feel so much more natural, but the process can be intimidating.
Yeah it can be intimidating but also freeing if you let it be :)
I can’t wait to see the trailer for your new movie !! Are you ever going to do a completely scripted movie again ?
Definitely will do more scripted films in the near future!
have really enjoyed all of your improv's....can't wait to see more of them!
One will be coming out very very soon!
Great video as always Dan. What do you do for your day job, and how do you manage these big projects around your schedule and everyone elses schedules? That might make a good video because I find it to be a challenge in my life.
Im actually working on a video about this right now! So I'll explain how im able to do all these projects fast and efficient. But my job is luckily filmmaking for companies so im basically working in a very forgiving field haha. My wife also works in medical stuff so that helps a ton to keep our incoming stable as well while I expand this business!
@@The5DollarFilmSchool Oh thats great to hear, looking forward to it!
Improv is so much fun!
So much more relaxed as well!
To answer the question about the new movie trailer, YES!!
working on the trailer now :D!
PERFECT! Thank you!
Thanks Val glad you liked the video :)!
YES drop the trailer !!!! i like your content
The trailer should be out soon!
Thanks for sharing. Great advice.
Awesome video guys.
Thanks so much :D!
I loved Chlorine. Doing improv can be really fun. Moving the story along can be a struggle if you don’t have a bullet point you want to hit. I would think you need some basic idea where your movie is going
Yeah a basic idea is critical to moving forward every step of the way !
What an interesting view into the unexplored development of improv features, and no surprise, the answer is variable and based on things like intuition and experience. How have improv features changed your outlook on filmmaking as a whole Dan?
I think it makes me feel less scared about starting a new big project, because making a film is just finding it over a long period of time.
Watching "Chlorine" was an interesting experience for me. I don't think I really connected with the story but the frame composition and some ideas in it was interesting for me. After it was done, for me, it's a good exercise on filmmaking. It wont define your career as a director BUT your vision is there, your ideas are there and I can't wait to see what will come next.
Keep the good work!
maybe try my films sheep theater or the long con they definitely have different styles and might be more of a connection! Thanks for sticking with the channel even if chlorine didn't knock it out of the park for you. It means a lot to me and the team that people support us :)
@@The5DollarFilmSchool
I will watch them this weekend! Yeah man! I'm here! Right now this is how I can support the channel, your work. When I, eventually, get in a better financial position I'll support on 922 Films' Patreon.
@@LeandroPeska Thanks man we appreciate all the support :) it really helps us out!
Yes. You should drop that trailer lol
Great video!
Gotta cut one soon ;)
Hi. This was very inspiring. I'm making an animated feature film and using lots of live action reference.
Good luck on your animated feature film :) hope it goes well send it my way when its done!
@@The5DollarFilmSchool I definitely will :)
I love that you brought up David Lynch when mentioning Chlorine, a while ago I kinda noticed some of those elements in the film now that I think about it. I was thinking of improvising in a feature I have in mind and see where it goes since I have a hard time getting the script up to feature length. But I do wanna keep the concept as the foundation to grow the film. Was that how you did it and let the creativity do the rest?
Yeah for Chlorine there was never really a written component other than a rough outline on a notes app on my phone. Basically a catalogued a few points that I felt needed to happen, I had no idea if the film would reach feature length. It was actually a big stress doing the film if it would ever reach "feature" length. I think if you have the core concept outlined or written down than I think you are ready to go an improvise the film :). Let the natural creativity take over and you'll be impressed with what your mind can come up with on the fly.
@@The5DollarFilmSchool Thanks, I appreciate your feedback 👍
Is that HB?!? 😍
definitely miss honeybear!
Topic Suggestion- How to get good audio on improv film as a one man band? Also, the post workflow please
Working on an audio video soon :D! Also will do a workflow video !
@@The5DollarFilmSchool Great to hear that 🙏🏽 Thank you for listening to the community.. Inspired by you, I'm making my improv film as we speak..
Hey Dan, how do you construct a single scene in improv?
commenting even if it's just something like; hey yo.. This is a great video! ;)
Hahahah best comment ;)
Great video. Thank you for sharing this experience. I would add the concept of "reverse engineering" as well. Where you have a prop, location, or idea that is interesting, or unique, or special in a way that can drive your film forward. It is not special to improv and should be considered for indie/micro/no budget Filmmaking as a whole. Something that Robert Rodriguez predicated El Mariachi on.
Yeah I think improv should become a staple of the indie filmmaking space. I hope more indie filmmakers will use it to their advantage!
@@The5DollarFilmSchool me too. We are using it to revive my second feature film, shot 20% in March of last year and then covid. So now we are reverse engineering the footage and writing free form scenes around it to create a completely different feature. I think Roger Corman would be proud 🤣
@@Frumess I think Roger Corman would be proud of so many of us indie/ folk filmmakers who are using what resources we have right now! My dream is to one day become the roger corman of folk filmmaking haha.
@@The5DollarFilmSchool what do mean by folk filmmaker exactly?
@@Frumess its a film movement! there is a few videos on the topic if you search up "folk filmmaking." I'd link it but youtube wont let me haha.
Please drop the trailer mate
Thanks ;) working on it soon!
Hello there
Can't use random strangers in Germany. There's always the risk, that they would deny them being in your film.
Not on TH-cam tho right? Make the film put it on TH-cam avoid anyone censoring you. Sorry the system is so oppressive over there.
"Hopefully by the end of this video you'll understand just how easy it is to make an improv feature film."
Ok, great, now explain how easy is it to afford a two-camera set-up at $65,000 apiece?
I shot the entire 5 films I've done on a 2100 dollar sony camera. All the footage you see from my films are made with that cheap of a camera. If you think you need 65k its much cheaper than that to get great results. No need to do two cameras you can just move the camera and re do the improv like a normal film, and try to match up the lines. Basically the Robert Rodriguez method which he did on film which is greatly more expensive than this! I hope that helps you.
@@The5DollarFilmSchool Well, that's truly great. If you can get professional results with a consumer expenditure, then there may be hope for us future filmmakers. I must take issue with one thing you said in the above reply. It is impossible to "re do" improv due to its very nature, definition or composition. What I think you meant was to recreate the scene from another camera position and hope to record enough footage which can then be edited/matched into the scene and hopefully preserve continuity. Improv is not redoable. It is created without preparation.