/Failed Filmmaker General/
Lets share stories, bros
>>66844530
My name is josh trank
>>66844530
Failed filmmaker here.
31 and never even tried. Seriously, I've never even made a short film. For someone who once aspired to become a film maker that is downright pathetic.
How should I kill myself?
One time I made a student film.
Never again
>>66844616
on film
>>66844678
>I finally make my first film and it's about my death
Poetic.
>>66844530
I literally just spent close to $800 on submission fees for a short I finished last year, which was successfully funded on kickstarter for 12k.
I submitted to 11 film festivals, just found out today two more have rejected me, leaving just 1 left.
Fuck me.
>>66844736
good luck man
>>66844736
Well done, man. Just making something is an achievement. Don't get disheartened. Keep looking. Sooner or later a festival is bound to take you. Might mot be as prestigious a festival but someone will accept it. If not, fuck it. Load it to youtube. Get an audience and then make another one.
What did you have assembled for your pitch to get funding on kickstarter?
>>66844866
Its kinda tough not to desu
I'm in my late 20s, my last legit film job was a production manager over a year ago, which I quit cause I hated my boss, who agreed to fund the film I eventually made but backed out when it was time for him to actual write the check.
And thats the thing, I only went for the higher end festivals like San Francisco International, Tribeca, LAFF, Cleveland International, etc because thats where the actual talent scouts are. So yeah, I probably could get into a C-level festival, but it won't have anyone that matters there.
Regarding the pitch on Kickstarter, I uploaded pages from the script, filmed myself and my producer at locations we were going to film and examples of our previous advertising related work.
We just barely cleared the goal, but I gotta be honest, not getting in really makes me feel like we did this all for nothing and I just e-begged my friends for help.
>>66844728
>Poetic
>Not POTTERY
Just stepping in it left and right aren't you
>>66844530
Not failed, but I'm getting there as an actor. I'm taking theater classes and am the most dedicated out of anyone I know. I also live close to Hollywood luckily.
In about 2 years is when I'll be read (need to get these braces off and make my face perfect by going to the dermatologist).
I'll give a shout out to yall when I make it big in about 6 years.
>>66845209
i don't know what I was thinking desu
i've bought a dslr to just be able to get familiar with using a camera and i've barely used it.
>>66845368
Bruh, i know that feel too well
A7S is a god tier camera, but I only made one film with it
Everything else I've used it for is family photos.
>>66845148
>So yeah, I probably could get into a C-level festival, but it won't have anyone that matters there.
There's people at every film festival. Granted the more prestigious the festival the more I guess, important will see it, but every festival has people looking for the next someone.
I just finished a small short for a college project. It's not much, but I did what I could with what I had. I'm really looking forward to actually directing one of these soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNAh4B1wIPA
>>66844616
>Failed filmmaker
>Never made a film
>>66844628
These horror stories are always really fun. Let's hear it.
>>66844616
Come on, man. You can't call yourself a failure if you've never tried.
I'm a failed sex-haver, by your logic.
should i start a failed musician thread on /m/?
>>66846129
>>66846225
Doesn't not trying make him a failure by default?
>>66846272
i meant /mu/
>>66846272
I don't care what you do on /mu/.
>>66846287
He's an aspirant, he never failed.
>>66844736
Holding out hope for the one then, buddy.
>>66844736
What's it about?
>>66844736
post a youtube link.
>>66846053
Camera was too shaky, get someone besides Michael J. Fox to be the cameraman.
My story thus far: I've always liked movies, but didn't decide to get involved with making them fall 2014. Found a cool crew, started learning. Dumped 3K of my own money into a short last summer, 2015. First time direction. I was 21 at the time. Stress of directing it, crew of 12 with 5 actors, combined with having to drive to LA to shuttle actors (I'm about an hour away) after 13 hour shoot days gave me hemorrhoids. Got deep into editing it over the Fall, only to realise that it lacked clarity, chunks of character motivation, and purpose. It was hazy and unfocused, with my DP and my lead actor, in retrospect, carrying the shoot. I wasted everyone's time, and I wasn't ready to handle it, or the project. Considered killing myself for a bit. Not sure if I can salvage the project. Maybe one or two good scenes would bring it back in.
I've picked up some indie feature work since then. Have a shoot tomorrow for a partial pilot for a reality tv show. Now in a couple weeks I've got another shoot. Documentary, aiming for about 50min run time. No budget, but thankfully I know the people who are the subject matter. It works out to be pretty cheap, and the objectively more experienced people I've really discussed things with have all said there's enough there to chase. I've learned to scale back crew, and really carve out my subject matter. Failing was probably better for me than succeeding would have been. Fingers crossed for the doc.
So don't give up. Failing isn't failing unless you never try at all. Otherwise there's always something to learn. Hopefully someday I'll be shitposted at/about on this board.
how dumb can you be to pursue an artistic career let alone a super competitive and closed as the cinematic one?
you guys are laughable lolol, you are like these who say "I'm gonna make games!!111!!"
I'm working on a web series for youtube. Made a couple of short films in university and found working with crews, actors, budgets, etc. too stressful for me. I just want to make shitty little videos with my friends where we film and act in it together.
>>66846053
This is the scariest thing about making a film for me.
What if I make something and it turns out like this?
>>66845318
how old are you atm
how did you get into it? did you do high school productions or decide after school you wanted to
>>66846642
Decided after high school, but I've acted in project videos for school, and I'm taking classes in uni right now. I'd rather not say what degree I'm getting, but I'm minoring in theater. I'm 20.
>>66846629
You gotta make a lot of shit before you can churn out something half decent. This, for me, is just another stepping stone imo.
>>66846515
Thanks. I wasn't there for some of the filming so I couldn't tell them to fix that.
>>66846549
Wait a second. Were you the guy who's short started out with that one parking scene?
>>66846808
Dont ever give up. I only have a crappy showreel and I am 22. I dont practice seriously enough at the moment but its difficult when you have to work your ass off in a bar to pay the bills but the important thing is you keep at it. Even when you cant sleep from the pain your ankles are giving you from working a 12 hour shift, even after talking to your family who have long given up on your ambitions and even when others tell you your not going to make it. Keep on going to those auditions and keep on giving them hell because if theres one thing to life its having a dream and doing whatever it takes to reach it. Anyway. I have to sleep now. Got an audition today. Give 'em hell son
>>66844530
I got some friends to star in one of my films my first film and one of them who is best friend was surprised how passionate and serious I was about the movie even though I have been passionate about movies,my scripts and my shorts thought it was hilarious that it took her almost 2 years for her to notice that I love what I want to do for a living it was a fun shoot.I made a decent experiment and an amateur film
>>66846962
>tfw i graded a screenshot of that ITT
>>66844736
Submission fees are a bitch but its the best way to get your film in theaters all over
>>66847189
You know, movies and acting are already on my mind 24/7 and I'm extremely determined.
But I really appreciate the support, and I won't quit despite whatever happens. Good luck to you, and thanks bud.
>>66846512
>implying I want to become /tv/'s newest dank meme like video related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuHM2bVXcQE&list=WL
>>66846476
It's a crime thriller about a guy raised by his mafia father to be the gang's secret doctor. He moonlights as their medic and when people find out about his private life, he struggles to keep both lives private.
>>66846053
Work in your title safes
>>66846053
That was the worst thing I've ever watched. Well done.
>>66844530
Got my first short into 2 film festivals. Waiting for 10+ to hear back from
I'm in Pre Production for my second short
>>66847345
Good to hear!
>>66847342
Eh?
>>66847322
>It's a crime thriller
Stopped reading right there.
The thing that still gives me hope about making it someday is how talentless my competition is.
>>66846053
tragic tier
>>66847249
English not your first language?
>>66847506
Thank you!
>>66846053
The acting was pretty off putting for the tone of your short.
Good lighting however there are times when it doesn't match in the confession booth
I know you lacked gear but the low angle of the priest walking was just too shaky
The cracking of the bone in the fight was just too much. Didn't sound realistic and its too loud on the audio.
The first project is always the worst. Work on the mistakes in your future projects.
>>66847597
I don't think you replied to the right guy, but I do know the short you're talking about.
>>66847653
Pretty sure that's pasta for Confession.
Not even sure it's still on youtube. Think the guy took it down after we kept harassing him.
>>66847653
Sorry. It was for that short called Confession.
>>66847322
Sounds pretty solid, anon
>>66847441
Like you've got anything better, you're probably that 31 year old anon that hasn't done anything yet
>>66847732
Confession is right here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuHM2bVXcQE&list=WL
Literally the only youtube video I've ever saved
>>66847944
https://youtu.be/8Q-SNDp0g_U
This some sort of cliche that college kids do?
I'm trying to get into being a DP but feel I will fail
>>66844530
Not a filmmaker but I'm a failed film crewmember.
I was always told the best way to get into the industry was to start from the bottom and work your way up, get real experience. Tried for fucking years to get a job as a PA on a film down here in Louisiana when everyfuckingthing was being shot down here. Applied to everything I could and followed up. I couldn't even get a call back for something that was literally shooting 5 minutes away from me.
My only credits are being an extra on a shitty wrestling film, helping a more successful sibling on a film they were working on for a day unpaid, and working one day on a commercial shoot.
The industry down here is very insular and people only hired friends and people they used to work with. My more successful sibling barely helped me because they think I'm retarded and didn't want anything I might have done to go back on them, something I think I'll always hold against them. I got so disillusioned and frustrated that I just stopped applying for jobs a long time ago. Now the industry has mostly left the state and so have my dreams.
>work shit jobs
>make low budget short films with my own cash
>each one wipes out my savings
>have 8 short films as a director
>one film festival entrant (rejected)
>since rejected, can't get an imdb credit
>dream reach would be to direct for money
>like commercials or industrial instructional videos or anything
>then I would get to join the DGA
>don't even sleep with slutty wannabe actresses as it would be disrespectful to my craft
>get the reputation around my flyover state college town that I'm a great guy to work for because I'm not sleazy to female talent
>females "actresses" are moving to LA with money they made from stripping
Are we going to make it bros?
>>66844736
Go to filmfreeway and just submit it to like a thousand free festivals. I got rejected by a few so far, but I have like 40 pending and didn't spend a dime, save for a couple that were like five bucks. I'll see how it does with those before I start dropping a lot of money on any more.
So idk if I'm a failure yet, but even just making something I'm proud of has been reward enough. It didn't really cost anything for me but time though.
I've made some videos where I review soup as a PTSD ridden superhero.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D-XM57_lVE
>>66848182
>The industry down here is very insular and people only hired friends and people they used to work with.
That's how it is everywhere. Nepotism and cronyism are more rampant in film and tv than in any other industry.
im dirt poor and the only place that will hire is is mcdonalds
just going to sell my equipment
>>>>66848478
>hire is
me
>>66848441
I know. I can't bitch about it too much since I was wanting my sibling to help me get a job.
>>66846580
Bait? Art is about the cathartic nature of expression. And not to mention, there are lots of people making independent films and games that are successful without being mega-successful.
>>66844616
>31
And? Most people in film don't get there big break until they're close to 35. It takes years sometimes to get into places so you got time fám
>>66848478
How the fuck is McDonalds the ONLY place that will hire you? If you can work there you can get a job at most fast food places. Save up, get a shitty car, start delivery driving, you'll make like $17 an hour on an ok day. Get your shit together you fuckboy.
>>66846580
Except you can make a living doing indie shit
>>66844530
I've made a couple shorts and worked on a few others. I'm gearing up towards my first real shot at a feature, been saving up money and vacation time to make this happen for a while now. It's comedy sci fi and I plan to release it online in four parts. If people like it, stick some adds on it and if people really like it, edit all four parts together into a feature and stick it on a blu ray with a ton of extra features.
One of my dreams is to do a Cannibal the Musical style commentary over my own movie with my friends who helped make it.
So who knows what'll happen, and maybe I'll go broke but fuck it, I'm gonna try regardless.
Ask me in three months when I'm knee deep in pre-production and I'll probably talk about attempting suicide just to get a nights rest.
>>66846580
You have no idea how big the movie/tv industry is if you're saying that.
