OK, let me be upfront here, this is not something I excel at when it comes to my movies. Every other job I've done I think people would say I was team player, but I've also always been pretty comfortable going off and working on my own. When it comes to my movies, the lower the budget (and some have been pretty amazingly low) the less I like to ask people for help. I'll ask actors and extras to volunteer, not because their time is worth less, but because I NEED them. I'll ask for sound people to volunteer because it is not my strong point at all, but camera, editing, location scouting and the like I try to handle on my own.
Fortunately, often, people will just come forward and help. The Orlando area has a very supportive little independent film community and I appreciate that. Director Steven Shea's old apartment was in "All Wrapped Up" and my backyard was in "Hoodoo for Voodoo". I've used his jib. He's used my guns. I recently gave away an old set of lights that I hope are doing some good for an upcoming filmmaker. But the equipment sharing, volunteer working and prop passing is the only way to help. There's also cross promotion.
Brian Troxell, who has been making films for a few years now and made quick strides as a director recently asked me for permission to use of my shirts in his movie, "Deep Seeded" (
http://www.deepseededthemovie.com/ ). This was a shirt he had bought, by the way, but it had a logo on it and he wanted to make sure I was okay with that. I'd be an idiot to say no. This is good for both us. My Rabbit logo gets seen on screen and Brian gets to use something besides a blank T-shirt on screen. After awhile the "no logo" world of independent films begins to look a bit stark. It's just not real.
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Shot from "Deep Seeded"
courtesy Cassion Films |
And T-shirts and hats aren't the only things that can help dress a smaller movie. Artwork, posters, photos, mugs and anything else with logos or pictures that you'd find in the real world and fit the characters can help round a set and get you noticed.
For "Stopped Dead" we made up wines and beers that used our own logos. For "Hoodoo for Voodoo" Steven and I got permission for use and some goodies from Voodoo Rum to help fill out a bar set. A set full of bottles with the labels turned in might have been distracting.
So, you're thinking, "Well, sure I'll promote a rum company, but why promote another movie company in my film? That's the competition!"
No, it's not the competition. Not entirely. Sure, film fans have to decide how to spend their hard earned dollars and if they like indie films then they're bound to be compare yours to other indie movies, but it's not like micro budget film makers are vying for shelf space at the big stores. The only way your movie competes with another independent movie is if the consumers have heard of both movies in the first place. Now, let's look at the benefits. First, you get your company name, movie, artwork or whatever out there in front of an audience. Second, even if just by virtue of saving the production money, you've helped to make a better film. This second one is more important than you may think. You don't want your film to be better than someone else's because their movie was bad. You want it to be because yours was good, right? So forget not helping "to compete". In fact, talk to any independent film buff who hasn't bought a micro budget movie in awhile and I'll bet he tells you a story about how the last movie was so terrible he's off indies for a few months. Better micro budget movies means we all have more of a chance at a bigger audience.
So, when it comes to making flicks on the cheap, do better than I do. Accept help graciously. Give it when you can (I'm usually a bit scattered here too and I apologize) and spread the swag around.
Now, who wants to get killed in a "Savaged" T-shirt and who has a big red truck they can lend me for "File Error"?
Coming in a blog soon, a small casting call.
Note: I updated
http://www.hocfocprod.com/ last night with new video, photos and links.
