How can I make a professional movie?!


Question:

How can I make a professional movie?

I have a Panasonic AG-DVC200, it record on DV tape, I capture the video through firewire, and I want to start making a professional movie and I want some advices on how to obtain the colours and contrast and noise free videos like those on the big screen? Thank you. (I use After Effects for editing and Premiere for capturing)


Answers:

Depends what you call a professional movie.
Robert Rodriguez made "el mariachi" with a 16mm camera, a tape recorder and some good light bulbs. (btw - I highly recommend watching the movie and the DVD extras at the end where he presents "10 minute film school."
So you can make a movie with any kind of gear as long as you know how to use it to get professional results. The movie "The Celebration" was all shot on DV.
What you have to understand is that you're NOT making a movie, what you're doing is telling story. Everything should be at the service of the story. "Blair Witch Project" works because the story is about students documenting a "real" incident. Is it a professional movie? It made the filmmakers lots of money - i'd say so.
If you think you can make "Lord of the Rings" or "Mission Impossible 3" with that gear, then you're kidding yourself. But if you wanted to make "Little Miss Sunshine" on DV - that would work. Small/character stories work best with the gear you're talking about.
But you will still need more than a good camera - hopefully with good lenses - to make a quality film. You'll need good recording equipment (using the camera's mic is not a good idea). You'll want separate audio to sweeten and mix later. You'll want good lights and gels to make your film look good. You'll want things like a wheelchair for tracking shots, tripod for still shots, reflector boards and such to making the image look good. The best films look like they used available light - but they didn't. Even the French New Wave - shot with 16mm silent cameras - cheated by lighting interior scenes.
A film that looks professional does so because of a good script, good acting (great actors can help make anything look good), great lighting, great sound and really good direction. Any gear can work in the hands of a talented filmmaker.
Don't know how good After Effects is - but am familiar with Final Cut Pro. With it, you can create all the tracks you want for sound and images. I also believe you can color-correct your images in it too. Many pros use that or Avid (which is outrageously expensive).
Getting the right colors and contrast should be done before you shoot a single frame. Use a light meter. Learn how to color balance. Learn how to use f-stops to get the right look
and depth of field. Heck, get a cinematographer to shoot your movie.
So to answer you're question - how? - my answer is for you to study other films that have the look and feel you want to accomplish, shoot some "test" footage from your script and experiment with lighting (different bulb wattage give off different colors). Talk to other filmmakers in your area - or get in touch with a local university.
Hope this helps.


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