How do you get this type of blue sunlight cinematography?

[Ryan Elder]

Sure, I can write more scripts. Other filmmakers and actors I have worked with before tell me that the one script I wrote that is a submarine adventure is the best one. I wrote it more for practive, but was told I should make that one. But feel that it's too big of a challenge, compared to this one, which can be made for the lowest amount of money compared to other features I wrote.

But people say the submarine is better and keep pressing for that one.

[Paul R Johnson]

The best bit is that there are real submarines available for hire that work, from the point of lights flashing periscopes moving and levers that turn. They thrive on the story, the acting and the feel. Nowadays with DSLRs, stabilisers and LED lighting, the old problems with technicals are much less trouble.

[Brian Drysdale]

The current thriller doesn't seem to be that cheap, with trucks rolling over and various other things.

[Ryan Elder]

Well the truck rolling over plus the characters getting shot are just a couple of scenes really, where as for the submarine one, the submarine drives the whole plot pretty much.

[Brian Drysdale]

Once you've built your submarine set, it would be there for the entire shoot. The costs would depend on how good you are at DIY and getting material at an extremely low cost.

"Dark Star" started out as a student film.They were using film, which you aren't.

[Ryan Elder]

That's true. Another thing is is that the actors will have to have accents since it's dealing with a Russian nuclear missile submarine, or a nuclear missile submarine of some nation... But they will have to take on accents though, and wonder if that will be challenging, compared to the other script, which can be set where I am located.

But maybe accents are easier than I think.

[Paul R Johnson]

Well, Sean Connery played a very decent Russian sub Captain and his Russian accents was abysmal - in fact, he only really had one accent for every movie he did.


Seriously though, much depends on the calibre of actor you intend to employ, but the usual technique with certain accents is to produce what the audience expect. Us Brits find the American range of accents quite confusing - We sort of have an angle on east vs west coast, and the southern accents, but the extreme ones we find problematic. US actors make us smile as they have the same trouble with British accents, and generate completely terrible ones, by and large. Some actors however are really good. I discovered one actress I thought was English is an American, and then the Americans had Hugh Laurie and many didn't realise he was a Brit.

The traditionally trained actors have lessons in language and accents. Your actors may or may not be able to pull it off, with accuracy and consistency. Exactly the same accent doesn't matter they just have to sound realistic.

Beware though - if your acting people are not up to it, the accents could become the thing people will hone in on - somebody struggling can easily become comedic and you don't want that.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

In my opinion you have the wrong approach to film making. By that I mean you are trying to emulate feature films despite not having any of the resources. The advantage of small indie films and shorts they can be more personal and explore smaller ideas. Where as big budget films need to be a certain length, meet standards and expectations to satisfy the audience. For example, I recently saw a short that made a satire of 1917 set in today's pandemic. The set included an apartment scene and the rest took place on the streets. There were only 2 main actors, and a few supporting, and some extras. Where as you would try to copy the movie 1917 and do it poorly, they limited the scope to match their resources.

[Josh Bass]

If theres one thing ive learned from two years of Ryan threads its that hes gonna do what he wants and small scale personal/indie films are not his bag, baby.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Josh Bass

If theres one thing ive learned from two years of Ryan threads its that hes gonna do what he wants and small scale personal/indie films are not his bag, baby.

You're right, but I can't help state the obvious.

[Ryan Elder]

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

In my opinion you have the wrong approach to film making. By that I mean you are trying to emulate feature films despite not having any of the resources. The advantage of small indie films and shorts they can be more personal and explore smaller ideas. Where as big budget films need to be a certain length, meet standards and expectations to satisfy the audience. For example, I recently saw a short that made a satire of 1917 set in today's pandemic. The set included an apartment scene and the rest took place on the streets. There were only 2 main actors, and a few supporting, and some extras. Where as you would try to copy the movie 1917 and do it poorly, they limited the scope to match their resources.

Well I wanted to make the lower budget script but other people I know said they would rather be part of the submarine one, or were more excited for it. So I thought it was other people who were wanting me to go for a higher budget.

I feel that the the one I was already developing and doing some pre-production on, is a personal and a more smaller idea to explore in comparison.

Also, when it comes to taking advice from others on my writing, I got some feedback and was curious about something.. A lot of times if there is a plot hole according to other people, I will ask other writers and filmmakers, if they have any ideas on how to fix it and their advice is to always add a new character. 9 times out of 10, the advice is to add a new character to bridge any gaps in the plot. But I don't like adding new characters, especially if I were to do it as often as they say, then I would have way too many characters. So I feel that this 9 times out of 10 advice of adding a new character each time to solve the problem is not good advice? Or am I wrong, and adding new characters to bridge any gaps in the plot is pretty much writing 101?

[Greg Smith]

What a thread. We've now gone all the way from "blue sunlight" to "deep in the blue ocean."

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Greg Smith

What a thread. We've now gone all the way from "blue sunlight" to "deep in the blue ocean."

Out of the "blue" he switched over to a submarine movie and back. Maybe he should combine the two scripts. "Spit on Das Boot"

[Brian Drysdale]

Adding new characters doesn't always cover holes in the plot or story, quite a few films have holes if you stop and think about them. It's how you handle them with a slight of hand that covers them, so the audience don;'t notice them. Solving them may need the writer to do some thinking and may involve going back and rethinking their set ups.

An amusing thing about the time of the USSR was that a number of Russians would speak English with a North American accent.

Sometimes, I get the feeling that your film making friends like winding you up.

[Josh Bass]

then that would be very cruel of those “friends”.