From One Novice to Another

I'm waiting for some footage I just shot to import into Final Cut for Episode Nine - I thought in the meantime I would respond to a question from Dustrotter. In the comments of our last blog post, Teaser 004, he said:

Hey Mike, would you mind filling us in on your background specifically your education, and professional experience working in "the biz" and how you came to know so much about film? I'm sure it would help guide some of us novices out here. ;-)

Now this background-post might turn out to be very short, because I a) have very little (to almost zero) experience in what anyone would consider the "biz". And b) I would argue I know embarrassingly little about film... or film-making for that matter.

As for "a)", I never took a film class in college, my old friend (now turned sworn enemy), Chuck, took a class at Washtenaw Community College and I was allowed to sit in the back two separate times just because I helped out with the student videos. When I moved out here I had very little interest in interning for a low-budget production house, or being an errand boy on a blockbuster set. Although, I have met some people here who were part of the crew for The Departed. Which I am quite jealous of.

So... as for the "biz", I'd be laughed off the set I'm sure for having no clue as to what role I'd play on a film requiring more than 5 people to shoot. Two years ago, I was lucky enough to edit full-time for NBC's "dot com" department. Mostly cutting behind the scenes interviews, but I occasionally got to leave the dark-windowless editing "office" and help film. Which was always a blast. I'm quite happy behind the camera.

Here I am on the set of Deal or No Deal... I'm not sure what I'm doing with my hand, but I don't think I was digging in my nose :P

So that's the extent of my experience with the more established side of... entertainment'ish stuff.


As for "b)", I don't really have any advice or tips of tech-stuff. I always liked how Olivier put it while we were filming last summer, "what ever *looks* good". I don't know what lenses give what looks (for the most part), I don't know what lights or filters are helpful... I don't shoot in 24p, I don't think it really matters. I just am happy whenever I shoot something that "looks" good, I'm usually quite satisfied with "decent" also.

If I had any advice what-so-ever, I would just say that releasing episodes during this whole process has helped in ways I can't even fully lay-out. The episodes help us see what works on paper and not on video, helps see what story techniques get good reactions from people. Amanda and I have been able to test many of our ideas on a small more personal scale, before the film is even finished... which will hopefully help us avoid many mistakes we've already made. Mistakes that would quickly spoil our entire film.

So if you have a project, a short film, a series you're putting together. Do not keep it together, put it all out there for people to see and give feedback on. The things I've learned in direct reaction to this site has been amazing.

I feel this post wasn't as helpful as Dustrotter probably hoped it might be, I guess I'm still very new at this.