Short Film : Cubing

[PJKCuber]

I'm making a short film on cubing, any tips?

 

[goodatthis]

If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you some things first.

What is going to be the main point of the film (one cuber's story, expository/educational, more of a music video, the history of cubing, etc)?
What kind of gear do you have?
Who is going to be involved?
Do you plan on this being a collaborative effort?
How long do you plan on making it?
What do you have in mind for the film, if anything?

Now to offer my tips/ideas:
It would be great if we had something nice to look at, but having a decent camera isn't all that important. I got my Sony NEX-5N, which is actually pretty good for video, with the kit lens for $185 used (on ebay). So if you really wanted a nice camera, I'd go for that instead of something like a T3i for $500, the NEX-5N is better than the T3i for video (depending on who you ask) and it's a heck of a lot cheaper and smaller.

Short films are hard to do on your own. Take it from me, I've had ideas for several months and haven't acted on them because of lack of help.

Make sure you get your ideas sorted out before you start. If you're going to be doing any filming that requires meeting with people or going to competitions which are one-shot deals, then you want to be sure that you know what shots you want to take. Or you could just film a shitload of stuff and do some hardcore editing.

For length, don't make it too long. Good short films are usually under 10 minutes. Most of the time, people will cut down their film in post as much as possible, then possibly start letting some frames back in if it's going by too fast.

 

[newtonbase]

My brother in law makes films for a living and I was talking to him about making a doc about cubing. He thinks it's a great subject but not commercially viable.

My tongue in cheek suggestion that he cover the world championship in Brazil next year and take me as an advisor was rebuffed.

 

[Dene]

It should be a dramatic repose of a man whose life has gone to crap. He lost his job, his wife and kids, his house and all his money. While begging for money on the street someone gives him a cube. Then through practise and overcoming a lot of adversity, he becomes the champion of the world and gets a new, better wife, new, better kids, new, better house, and new, better job.

 

[Randomno]

It should be a dramatic repose of a man whose life has gone to crap. He lost his job, his wife and kids, his house and all his money. While begging for money on the street someone gives him a cube. Then through practise and overcoming a lot of adversity, he becomes the champion of the world and gets a new, better wife, new, better kids, new, better house, and new, better job.

Nonsense, you don't get a wife from cubing.

I notice newtonbase responded to this thread recently, will he respond to me?

 

[Dene]

Nonsense, you don't get a wife from cubing.

DON'T CRUSH MY DREAMS YOU MOOFOO

 

[PJKCuber]

If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you some things first.

What is going to be the main point of the film (one cuber's story, expository/educational, more of a music video, the history of cubing, etc)?
What kind of gear do you have?
Who is going to be involved?
Do you plan on this being a collaborative effort?
How long do you plan on making it?
What do you have in mind for the film, if anything?

Now to offer my tips/ideas:
It would be great if we had something nice to look at, but having a decent camera isn't all that important. I got my Sony NEX-5N, which is actually pretty good for video, with the kit lens for $185 used (on ebay). So if you really wanted a nice camera, I'd go for that instead of something like a T3i for $500, the NEX-5N is better than the T3i for video (depending on who you ask) and it's a heck of a lot cheaper and smaller.

Short films are hard to do on your own. Take it from me, I've had ideas for several months and haven't acted on them because of lack of help.

Make sure you get your ideas sorted out before you start. If you're going to be doing any filming that requires meeting with people or going to competitions which are one-shot deals, then you want to be sure that you know what shots you want to take. Or you could just film a shitload of stuff and do some hardcore editing.

For length, don't make it too long. Good short films are usually under 10 minutes. Most of the time, people will cut down their film in post as much as possible, then possibly start letting some frames back in if it's going by too fast.

Thank You! This is really helpful

What is going to be the main point of the film (one cuber's story, expository/educational, more of a music video, the history of cubing, etc)?

More of the last 3.

What kind of gear do you have?

My Gear sucks. I have an Canon Powershot SX200 IS which can record up to 720p HD. As for other gear,nothing. I'm going to try to buy a tripod
with my own money that I have saved up, or just ask my dad to film(he has steady hands).

Who is going to be involved?

I don't quite get what you mean by this. Nobody except me. I am going to include some clips of Feliks,Mats and other fast cubers.

Do you plan on this being a collaborative effort?

No, not really, I don't know anybody who likes cubing in my area, but I do know one person who lives in my city, so I might ask him.

How long do you plan on making it?

Umm.. I haven't really decided yet, but it will mostly be in the 10-15 minute range.

What do you have in mind for the film, if anything?

What I have in mind is to make cubing "known" to non-cubers through the film, but mostly on how it is a good hobby. Not really a film, more like
a documentary.