My ultimate challenge for myself

[Sinoda]

Hi. I've decided to try a little live-action filming. If live-action is the right word. I think it is. Only problem is I have no friends. Seriously, none that want or are able to help me. So do you think a one-man film for an amateur like me is possible? Everything I've done is machinima, and all I did was really help out with those.. So why am I posting this in the questions area? Well I need advice for how to do this. I'll post a script as soon as it's done. Which should be sometime tomorrow/day after. Sorry to sound like such a hermit/loser about it. I know it's going to be silly, or difficult. Anyways, your advice would be nice. Right now, I need an idea for what it should be about...Should I play multiple characters using different shots and mirror effects? Or should it be like a video poem or something? Any suggestions would be a great help.

Oh right, I do have a cameraman. Sometimes. On Sundays.

Again, sorry to sound like such a loser.. I'm sure you're going to say "You're crazy to think this would work!" And I am crazy. Schizophrenia ftw.

UPDATE 1: Well I'm thinking it's gonna be about a crazy, since I know what it's like to be paranoid, deluded and hallcinatin' and stuff. So yeah, what my therapist and others might call "an expression of my emotions" or whateva. Still need advice for how to do it without any help though.

[Sinoda]

Actually...Screw this...The voices aren't too positive about this project. So I guess I'm not gonna do it...Sorry for the waste of space. Ignore this thread I guess...

[JackLawrence]

I was going to make a joke but I won't, I see your problem.

From what you've said about Machinima and your confidence problems, you seem to be a nerd, you may just have to accept that. That is however not the end.
I'm assuming you must be early teens, maybe 12-15, correct me if I'm wrong, so you could also be scared of filming with people because its not good for your image, after all to some people film is just like playing make believe.
Basically theres several ways you can get around this problem:

Ignore it for now, maybe do film at a higher level in a few years time, this way you can do as much filming as you want on a bigger scale and never get insulted for it.

Give your friends some responsibility. Lets say by now you have a friend or two in your movie, don't boss them around or they won't want to do it again. I made this mistake loads. Make sure their in front of the camera, and promise them a ridiculously high percentage of profits because you won't make any.

Work on getting some friends. Basically this seems to be some sort of deeper problem but maybe you can find a way to do it. I have no clue as why to this happened, but I'm guessing either your parents had a painful divorce or they're very controlling.

Trick the friends you do have into making a movie. There can be a bit of a social taboo on making films when you're that age, so thats probably why your friends won't be in your movies. Invite a friend around to your house for whatever normal reason, then when you're watching TV just sort of 'pop the question'.

Only show people your good videos. Don't post videos tha aren't good, or you'll look like a weirdo to people in your year which seems to be what you're scared of. If you produce quality videos then you shouldn't be picked on at all.


I only say all this because I've just been watching Frasier. Hope it helps.

[toppie34]

Also its possible look at this video blog and you will learn about the one man film
http://youtube.com/user/thelonefilmmaker

[ClayOgre]

I can think of several possibilities for "one man" stuff, at least as far as live action is concerned.

...but you'd have to have a heckuva script.

What if you did a film about a character who is locked in solitary confinement?

...or ortherwise trapped in some confined space? Like an elevator? ...or maybe a building that has collapsed in an earhquake?

There was a guy on here just a short while ago who did a very good film, completely by himself as I recall, that ended with some sort of "monster" jumping out of a closet and killing him. (we never did really see the monster).

...and along those same lines, some other type of horror/thriller piece that involves just you and some shadowy, unseen menace.

This one is kinda "out there", but what about a scene from "Waiting for Godot"? There are basically only two actors in that (except for a part where there are four for a brief period). You could perhaps play both parts in different costumes. It's kind of a funky play, but well known. And the set for it is ridiculously simple.

What about playing someone with multiple personality disorder?

[Sinoda]

Yeah..Thanks for the advice..But like I said, we decided to scrap this project for now.. Until I can think of some good way to do it. Sorry for the waste of forum space..

[bridboyross]

why does it need to be a story? No one starts off by making a masterpiece, just get a camera and start shooting something, anything, hell make a kids with guns action film where you play the good and bad guy. maybe just do shooting exercises, film a hundred different ways of opening a door (normal, with force, with a gun, whilst crying, whilst scared, whilst jubilant) to showcase a grasp of acting, shoot a montage of different locations to practice your framing skill. Use these to try and attract actors for bigger projects.

[greyroompictures]

This isn't a waste of forum space in my opinion.

I often have to do stuff on my own - I know folks who are able to help occasionally but their experience and commitment isn't always enough for me to keep a project going - either that or a great camera guy that I know lives about 120 miles away! I've got friends (as I hope you have) but not friends who want to make movies all the time!

I know I can rely on myself, however, so I use tripods and set the action carefully, in order to enable me to do some decent stuff...

My current comedy show uses a 'blog' style chat to camera but it cuts to additional comedy segments that have a little more to them in terms of angles etc. In the next episode (out by Sunday on Youtube - check the link at the bottom for more - plug plug!!) I had to resort to holding the camera at arms length to get a head and shoulder shot... while acting... I then cut to more static shots on the tripod and it seems to work relatively well. (and I went to see my cameraman friend to film some titles, in order to get a wider set of more dynamic shots). It's by no means the best approach but it got the show made...

My advice would be, if you're just starting out - grab the camera when you've got some time, shoot a 'quickie idea' or a blog or something and have loads of fun experimenting. If it's awful, then that's cool - it took me years to move from 'awful' to 'reasonable' but I probably had the most fun doing stuff in the first couple of years... (and the awful stuff is still fun to watch on a certain masochistic level!!)

Hope this inspires!