Helping Hands from 2005

Rhett Allen · January 14th, 2005, 09:40 PM

the domain "optonline.net" is one of the biggest spammers I've ever seen! I blocked them in all of my email accounts. You might want to try a different email handler, they don't inspire much confidence.

Robert Martens · January 14th, 2005, 11:37 PM

Just a quick note, "optonline" is short for "Optimum Online": the ISP end of Cablevision--the cable company here on Long Island--and the only choice I've got for broadband (no DSL at my location, and too many trees for satellite, if I wanted it). It's ridiculously fast, if a bit expensive.

My point being, by blocking that domain, you're blocking an entire ISP's worth of email addresses, not just one email service. If you don't know anyone who uses it, I suppose it's no big deal, but still...

And I suspect the reason your emails bounced back, Jim, is because the "www." should not be at the head of an email address. Try getting rid of those, it might work.

Sorry to clutter the place!

Kevin Gilvear · January 15th, 2005, 08:52 AM

Hi everyone. I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to post but here goes:

I am currently writing a script for a film that will hopefully be between 60 and 75 minutes and I hope to shoot around Summer/Autumn. My main concern at the moment is raising a budget. I can save around £3000.00 I think but I could do with more as a back up. Can anyone give me any advise as to how I can get together some more money for this? Bear in mind that I am an amateur, have no prior films to showcase so in all not a lot going for me, save for an unfinished script. I live in the UK also.

I have contacted several areas I wish to shoot in and have spoken to local councils, I've also contacted an actor to which I received a positive response and likewise a musician. For interior locations I may need to spend the bulk of my budget, it's too hard to say for sure.

I want to raise funds hopefully without going through any film institutes as many seem to be just too awkward and not guaranteed anyway and I still want to keep this as independent as possible. So if anyone has any ideas as to how I can go about this or cut costs altogether then I'd really appreciate any feedback.

Thanks,
Kev

Jim Sofranko · January 15th, 2005, 09:41 AM

Duh...of course.

Robert, thanks pointing out what I should have noticed.

Tom Blair · January 15th, 2005, 09:52 PM

Sorry folks for not being able to get through on the email addresses.Meanwhile I have a shoot on January 29th and some weekly cable show stuff coming up soon also.
Just post a reply if you're interested.-Tom

Rhett Allen · January 16th, 2005, 02:23 PM

Hey Robert, thanks for the heads up on the "optonline" ISP.
For a long time it seemed every piece of spam I got was from somebody@optonline.net so I had to finally block the entire domain. Some ISP's like mine (cox) are very strict about email use. I hope they (optonline) have changed their rules because it isn't very fair to all their users who may now be blocked unknowingly.
Good info to know, thanks. I thought it had something to do with "Opt-online" as in, please spam me.

Ahmed Malik · January 16th, 2005, 11:42 PM

Bump. I freaking desperate at this point. I will also be willing to give a percentage of the profits should there be any.

Gino Do · January 17th, 2005, 12:06 AM

We are shooting a sci-fi short and really need a DP. Everything is set for early February shoot, except for camera. We got access to a DVX100 but we think a FX1 would look better and also it'll be better for green screening. Crew consists of both student and professional level talents. It'll be a high production value and fun project. Let me know if you have a sony FX1 and want to test your cam on our project. I'm alos willing to rent it if you offer a good price.

gino
ginodo@digi-do.com

Henke Holmberg · January 17th, 2005, 10:57 AM

PRIMAL MYTH

Sarah's life is shattered when her five year old daughter disappears in the woods. A year later she sees signs that her daughter might be alive - or is Sarah loosing her mind?

Genre: Horror

PRIMAL MYTH - Seeing is believing

The woods hide many secrets...

Some are hidden very deep...

SARAH lives a happy life with her husband, and their five year old daughter ERICA. Life is good. But Sarah's life turns into a nightmare when her daughter disappears in the woods.

A YEAR LATER she sees signs that her daughter might be alive - or is Sarah loosing her mind? When looking at the last photograph taken of Erica - they spot a dark SHAPE behind her in the photo. When she unravels the truth - the ultimate terror is unleashed!

The script is WGA registered, and designed for a small budget - few locations and characters.

If you want to read the script - contact: henke@nocashfilm.com (and I'll email it to you)

Keith Loh · January 17th, 2005, 11:37 AM

//Sarah's life is shattered when her five year old daughter disappears in the woods. A year later she sees signs that her daughter might be alive - or is Sarah loosing her mind? //

LOSING her mind. Not LOOSING.

It's a bad thing to have a typo in your log line.

Rob Lohman · January 18th, 2005, 05:26 AM

I can't help you with specifics or how easy it would be to get your
foot in the door, but England seems to be the movie making capital
of Europe I'd say. Lot's of movie work going on there and there are
often Hollywood movies in production there as well.

Rob Lohman · January 18th, 2005, 07:40 AM

So if I understand you correctly this is your first movie you are
going to make? In all honousty I would not make such a long
movie as your first one or consider raising money. In my opinion
both things are too high a risk for a first timer (no offense!).

My first movie to this date isn't even finished yet and that was a
short from a couple of minutes. My second movie is finished and
is also a short. From both I've learned so very much and one of
the main things was that it takes a LOT of time for even a short
to happen.

Doing a 60 - 75 minute movie is a MASSIVE undertaking that will
take enormous (think years, especially if it is your first) amounts
of time and usually money.

Why not let this script rest and do a couple of shorts first? This
should greatly help you to:

- try your complete workflow (writing, pre-production, actors/acting, shooting, editing etc.)
- learn what works and doesn't
- hopefully build some good shorts that can inspire people to fund you in the future for your bigger projects
- better estimate what kind of work you are looking at for your large movie both in time, people and money

I'm sorry I can't give you any specific directions for your budget,
but I really thought a strong warning was needed here.

Henke Holmberg · January 18th, 2005, 08:07 AM

Thanks!

Kevin Gilvear · January 18th, 2005, 10:45 AM

Thanks Rob, that's good advice and I could well save me future headaches by keeping it short. The good thing is that my script is still at an early stage and I may be able to work it as a 30 minute film.

Joe Carney · January 18th, 2005, 10:53 AM

France is and always has been a great place to make films. Everything I've heard and read points that out. I'm pretty sure some of our members have actual experience over there. If I could I would move to France for a year or two just to make movies.

But like most of Europe, budgets are usually much smaller than in the US. Even for independents.

There is also a lot of TV being done for both the Euro and International market, so there is more than just features to check out.

Italy is a very political scene, with some strict laws about foreigners making features, but there are a surprising number of expat Americans living and making movies in and around Rome. At least thats what me son told me when he interned under Jon Jost a few years ago.

I know next to nothing about the former east block nations, but hear good things about the Czeck republic and Prague.

Good Luck.

January 15th, 2005, 08:52 AM	#48
Kevin Gilvear Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Milton Keynes, UK Posts: 126	Getting a budget. Advice please Hi everyone. I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to post but here goes: I am currently writing a script for a film that will hopefully be between 60 and 75 minutes and I hope to shoot around Summer/Autumn. My main concern at the moment is raising a budget. I can save around £3000.00 I think but I could do with more as a back up. Can anyone give me any advise as to how I can get together some more money for this? Bear in mind that I am an amateur, have no prior films to showcase so in all not a lot going for me, save for an unfinished script. I live in the UK also. I have contacted several areas I wish to shoot in and have spoken to local councils, I've also contacted an actor to which I received a positive response and likewise a musician. For interior locations I may need to spend the bulk of my budget, it's too hard to say for sure. I want to raise funds hopefully without going through any film institutes as many seem to be just too awkward and not guaranteed anyway and I still want to keep this as independent as possible. So if anyone has any ideas as to how I can go about this or cut costs altogether then I'd really appreciate any feedback. Thanks, Kev

January 15th, 2005, 09:52 PM	#50
Tom Blair New Boot Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Huntington NY Posts: 8	Sorry folks for not being able to get through on the email addresses.Meanwhile I have a shoot on January 29th and some weekly cable show stuff coming up soon also. Just post a reply if you're interested.-Tom __________________ Harbor Images

January 17th, 2005, 12:06 AM	#53
Gino Do New Boot Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 7	Anyone From Sf Bay Area With A Fx1? We are shooting a sci-fi short and really need a DP. Everything is set for early February shoot, except for camera. We got access to a DVX100 but we think a FX1 would look better and also it'll be better for green screening. Crew consists of both student and professional level talents. It'll be a high production value and fun project. Let me know if you have a sony FX1 and want to test your cam on our project. I'm alos willing to rent it if you offer a good price. gino ginodo@digi-do.com

January 17th, 2005, 10:57 AM	#54
Henke Holmberg Tourist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sweden Posts: 2	Indie Horror Script For Sale - "Primal Myth" PRIMAL MYTH Sarah's life is shattered when her five year old daughter disappears in the woods. A year later she sees signs that her daughter might be alive - or is Sarah loosing her mind? Genre: Horror PRIMAL MYTH - Seeing is believing The woods hide many secrets... Some are hidden very deep... SARAH lives a happy life with her husband, and their five year old daughter ERICA. Life is good. But Sarah's life turns into a nightmare when her daughter disappears in the woods. A YEAR LATER she sees signs that her daughter might be alive - or is Sarah loosing her mind? When looking at the last photograph taken of Erica - they spot a dark SHAPE behind her in the photo. When she unravels the truth - the ultimate terror is unleashed! The script is WGA registered, and designed for a small budget - few locations and characters. If you want to read the script - contact: henke@nocashfilm.com (and I'll email it to you)

January 17th, 2005, 11:37 AM	#55
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	//Sarah's life is shattered when her five year old daughter disappears in the woods. A year later she sees signs that her daughter might be alive - or is Sarah loosing her mind? // LOSING her mind. Not LOOSING. It's a bad thing to have a typo in your log line. __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

January 14th, 2005, 09:40 PM	#46
Rhett Allen Major Player Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 607	the domain "optonline.net" is one of the biggest spammers I've ever seen! I blocked them in all of my email accounts. You might want to try a different email handler, they don't inspire much confidence.

January 14th, 2005, 11:37 PM	#47
Robert Martens Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 820	Just a quick note, "optonline" is short for "Optimum Online": the ISP end of Cablevision--the cable company here on Long Island--and the only choice I've got for broadband (no DSL at my location, and too many trees for satellite, if I wanted it). It's ridiculously fast, if a bit expensive. My point being, by blocking that domain, you're blocking an entire ISP's worth of email addresses, not just one email service. If you don't know anyone who uses it, I suppose it's no big deal, but still... And I suspect the reason your emails bounced back, Jim, is because the "www." should not be at the head of an email address. Try getting rid of those, it might work. Sorry to clutter the place!

January 15th, 2005, 09:41 AM	#49
Jim Sofranko Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: West Shokan, NY Posts: 217	Duh...of course. Robert, thanks pointing out what I should have noticed.

January 16th, 2005, 02:23 PM	#51
Rhett Allen Major Player Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 607	Hey Robert, thanks for the heads up on the "optonline" ISP. For a long time it seemed every piece of spam I got was from somebody@optonline.net so I had to finally block the entire domain. Some ISP's like mine (cox) are very strict about email use. I hope they (optonline) have changed their rules because it isn't very fair to all their users who may now be blocked unknowingly. Good info to know, thanks. I thought it had something to do with "Opt-online" as in, please spam me.

January 16th, 2005, 11:42 PM	#52
Ahmed Malik New Boot Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 10	Bump. I freaking desperate at this point. I will also be willing to give a percentage of the profits should there be any.

January 18th, 2005, 05:26 AM	#56
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	I can't help you with specifics or how easy it would be to get your foot in the door, but England seems to be the movie making capital of Europe I'd say. Lot's of movie work going on there and there are often Hollywood movies in production there as well. __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

January 18th, 2005, 07:40 AM	#57
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	So if I understand you correctly this is your first movie you are going to make? In all honousty I would not make such a long movie as your first one or consider raising money. In my opinion both things are too high a risk for a first timer (no offense!). My first movie to this date isn't even finished yet and that was a short from a couple of minutes. My second movie is finished and is also a short. From both I've learned so very much and one of the main things was that it takes a LOT of time for even a short to happen. Doing a 60 - 75 minute movie is a MASSIVE undertaking that will take enormous (think years, especially if it is your first) amounts of time and usually money. Why not let this script rest and do a couple of shorts first? This should greatly help you to: - try your complete workflow (writing, pre-production, actors/acting, shooting, editing etc.) - learn what works and doesn't - hopefully build some good shorts that can inspire people to fund you in the future for your bigger projects - better estimate what kind of work you are looking at for your large movie both in time, people and money I'm sorry I can't give you any specific directions for your budget, but I really thought a strong warning was needed here. __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

January 18th, 2005, 08:07 AM	#58
Henke Holmberg Tourist Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sweden Posts: 2	Thanks!

January 18th, 2005, 10:45 AM	#59
Kevin Gilvear Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Milton Keynes, UK Posts: 126	Thanks Rob, that's good advice and I could well save me future headaches by keeping it short. The good thing is that my script is still at an early stage and I may be able to work it as a 30 minute film.

January 18th, 2005, 10:53 AM	#60
Joe Carney Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Centreville Va Posts: 1,828	France is and always has been a great place to make films. Everything I've heard and read points that out. I'm pretty sure some of our members have actual experience over there. If I could I would move to France for a year or two just to make movies. But like most of Europe, budgets are usually much smaller than in the US. Even for independents. There is also a lot of TV being done for both the Euro and International market, so there is more than just features to check out. Italy is a very political scene, with some strict laws about foreigners making features, but there are a surprising number of expat Americans living and making movies in and around Rome. At least thats what me son told me when he interned under Jon Jost a few years ago. I know next to nothing about the former east block nations, but hear good things about the Czeck republic and Prague. Good Luck.