Is FrameForge worth buying for storyboarding?

[Paul R Johnson]

That's great - Get some work under your belt, and a few credits for audio and see where it takes you. Don't run before you can walk. Develop your skills, get good and get confident.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Ryan Elder

Oh ok well i thought i was good at sound recording and boom op work.

On your say so? Even if that’s true that doesn’t mean there is demand in your area. I mean clients willing to pay you a livable wage, not passion films with no budget.

[Josh Bass]

thats true. Being able to focus on one thing may be a big city thing...many people that survive in this biz (and keep in mind I dont really mean filmmaking but rather “filmmaking-adjacent” areas of video production like coporate, weddings, commercials, training videos, events, etc. ) are basically one-person production companies that do everything from developing in the concept/script to the editing, hiring other crew as needed per project.

So the thing is you have to be good at a thing AND able to make a sustainable living at it.

[Ryan Elder]

Sure, thanks, that's a good idea.

[John Nantz]

I have to chime in with what Josh Bass said in the post above with "the big city thing."

Going on-line one can find a huge amount of resources in the Los Angeles area for anything video related. Compared to small areas, even like our Seattle area, the LA area has a huge amount of resources. People with specialities, equipment, you name it and they've pretty much got it covered. By comparison, smaller urban or metro areas are really limited and while the Seattle-Tacoma area is large it doesn't hold a candle to LA area.

Ryan - I admire your spunk and your effort to try and get it right. Being in the area you're in means you're far removed from resources so it has to be extremely difficult to get answers to your concerns.

[Ryan Elder]

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

On your say so? Even if that’s true that doesn’t mean there is demand in your area. I mean clients willing to pay you a livable wage, not passion films with no budget.

Yeah not a lot of people are hiring for audio only it seems. They want video too. But I find it difficult to do both, and do a much better job if I am audio only. Perhaps I need to look for elsewhere for the right people who do not mind a separate person recording the sound entirely, compared to the camera work.

But I was also told that people that if I don't make my first feature I am just going to keep on regretting it, so I have to do push forward and do it, or at least they say. I've been doing filmmaking work for other people for about ten years now, and I figure it's just time to take the plunge, like everyone else I know who has.

[Brian Drysdale]

Many, if not most drama directors have never made a feature film, they get their work on TV series. It really depends on what you want to get out of this feature film. The odds are that you'll lose your investment, so is the feature film to show case your directing skills or something on a bucket list?

If you succeed progressing with the directing, you'll probably have to move away from where you're currently living in order to find work.

Outside of the larger production centres the chances are that you'll need to be multi skilled and carry out all the tasks in a one or two person business,

[Josh Bass]

You were TOLD you would regret it. Do YOU want to make a feature? Seems silly to spend $20000 cause someone else told you how you would theoretically feel.

As for audio work...would you be willing to uproot your life and relocate to a bigger city? Especially considering you dont know if youre actually good at or suited to this work and you only have your own judgment —which has been called into question many times here— to go on?

Again, the reality in a small area is that often to get work video production people have to basically handle every aspect of a project in regards to development, producing and post ( hiring others to fill out crew on shoot days).

Sorry...started this and took so long to post I didnt see Brian essentially post the same info

[Ryan Elder]

I do regret not doing it now, I was just told i would regret it more, if I don't. I dont think anyone is going to give me a shot at directing an episode of a tv series though. Unless I am wrong? This is why I thought I would take the approach of doing my own independent feature to market, like others have.

[Brian Drysdale]

No one is going to stop you, just be aware that the odds of getting a return on your investment in a feature film are very small. It should therefore be regarded more as a training exercise than a commercial operation and as such you should have the script for the next project ready to go, so that you can attract possible backers.

[Josh Bass]

BUT also keep in mind that feature will be your “resume” to show your skills to those backers so you want it as perfect as it can be.

[Paul R Johnson]

so we're back to you directing again? Why would you put your money into a project where you know you're actually not that effective, or have ideas you can realise?

I don't get it.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

I think this feature film project is unlikely to help you career wise to become a director.

First, you don't seem to have the leadership and communication skills that are essential to be a director. You also struggle with the technical aspects of visual storytelling. You've even brought in someone else to take on directing the actors. This won't fly in the professional film making.

Second, a low budget movie like this is most likely going to yield bad to mediocre results that won't win a film festival award or make a compelling reel.

Third, even if you grow into a good director and the movie is a success, you'd have to be willing to move out of the area.

In the end you will have spent a lot of money to full fill your desire to make a feature film. Beyond that I think it will be just another chapter in your 10 year journey in film making.

[John Nantz]

Last year there was a long-time member here, also from Canada, who decided to throw in the towel and get out of the business. Don’t remember who that was but it might be interesting to read the thread about what his thoughts and dreams were and how he finally decided to leave. Perhaps someone can remember who that was?

[Ryan Elder]

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

I think this feature film project is unlikely to help you career wise to become a director.

First, you don't seem to have the leadership and communication skills that are essential to be a director. You also struggle with the technical aspects of visual storytelling. You've even brought in someone else to take on directing the actors. This won't fly in the professional film making.

Second, a low budget movie like this is most likely going to yield bad to mediocre results that won't win a film festival award or make a compelling reel.

Third, even if you grow into a good director and the movie is a success, you'd have to be willing to move out of the area.

In the end you will have spent a lot of money to full fill your desire to make a feature film. Beyond that I think it will be just another chapter in your 10 year journey in film making.

Oh okay, well I thought I could improve on those areas in the next project for sure. Could I do better with visual storytelling if I had the right DP do you think?

I've helped others make their features but they said it was worth it for their careers to make theirs, and one of them even got distribution, so they aren't regretting it, so I feel I wouldn't either therefore.

I can move out of the area, I just need to get a job that can pay well enough to live in such a costly city. But I can start looking again. Should I make the feature in a different city, or move before making it do you think?