Serious ideas.

[Al Wilson]

Been given my brief for the film I have to make for uni this year and have a few ideas but wonder if you lot have anything to offer....

It will be a video installation ( ie my film is going to be projected on a large wall somewhere in London, hopefully a famous landmark depending on permissions etc. )

Most of the film will feature around a car ( no, not a Nova ) and lots of driving, including a chase. I have rough ideas of struture etc but just need that little bit of brainstorming.

Any ideas, or maybe things that you've thought ''I would just love to see on film''?

Cheers
Al

[Mel]

my idea couldnt be shown on a big screen. But it consists of a VERY lucky/happy good guy, involving the back seat! :D

[5_door owner]

why not have a chase where the police car's dont have the upper hand.

them l.a.p.d cop cars must have quick engine's the amount of things they keep up with in films.

anyway, why not have a pizza boy who shoots thru gridlock traffic on a shitty moped, then for the finalle he can get shot and his pizza's robbed off him!! :lol:

make the evil guy; "chavman" played by epo :D

[Al Wilson]

Trust you. I want serious ideas Mel. Otherwise I would make another pron movie like last semester.

[General Baxter]

make the evil guy; "chavman" played by epo :D


bhahahahahahahahahaha :lol: :lol:

[Al Wilson]

SEROIUS. IDEAS. It's only a degree people.......

[Mel]

Sorry :(

[Al Wilson]

I forgive you.... I always do..... :wink:

[Fester]

Maybe a 'drive through life', not literally, with different stages of the journey featuring different trials the 'person' has to overcome, although it would look shit unless you shoot it in such a way that it only implies a drive with minimal 'car' footage and more insights to the tribulations personified by the car. So it isn't really about a car, the car is just the vehicle for the delivery of the story, which is yet another parallel meaning which you can use in the report, bagging a few extra %.

Should be at least 2:1 spec without even trying :lol:

[Al Wilson]

Sounds good Fester. I trialed the idea last year with a film about a car but not actually have much of the car in it and more about the woman who was drving it. Very arty style film, black and white, mutiple meanings and it got a first somehow!

I have made a few slow paced, 'dead time' movies now so I really fancy something with a bit of action in it. I might split the film into two halves?

[Fester]

How long does it have to be?

[Al Wilson]

It has no limit and the proposal is very loose, but I guess as I have decided to make it an instalation piece, no longer than 5ish minutes as it has to keep the attention of people who walk by etc. Either that or I put the action at the beginning, a slower piece in the middle and more action towards the end. That way they should stayed glued!

[5_door owner]

why not try something like they did with the golf gti advert going thru the cars past to present includin the design an stuff, i thort it was a good advert any ways :+:

[Al Wilson]

VW ads are always good but it has to be original.

[AnThoNYnOvA]

do something on speed cameras no ideas yet but would be gud

[?Marty?]

Pretend you're filming a prodigy music video.

[Barn]

what ideas do you have for the car mate?

i think it is important that you choose the right car as people may automatically think its good or bad depending on the car you use!

Marty's suggestion is good.

[Al Wilson]

Pretend you're filming a prodigy music video.

Why pretend? I have You'll be under my wheels as my ring tone so maybe I was thinking the same? Have a lecture later so maybe i'll run some ideas by everyone then.

And yes, you're right the car does make all the difference in how it looks. Take Layer Cake for example. For whoever's seen it you'll know what I mean.

Onwards with the ideas......

[?Marty?]

Pretend you're filming a prodigy music video.

Why pretend?

Because the Prodigy is not going to commission you to make a video for them. lol

Just do something that has not been done before. Innovate. I'm sick of seeing the same old crap, and to be honest i have not seen a student film that's any good yet. The ideas are at best amateurish, cliched, or done-to-death, and the production values are allways going to make it look gritty. So just make it seem inentional. But even that in itself won't do.

It's all in the imagery really, even the idea doesn't matter too much.

But then, since it's for a degree, it doesn't matter what it is, it's how you 'sell it' that matters. same as with Art. All art is shit. It's not even what it means to someone, but who it means a particular something to, that matters. Everyone can find a meaning in something, but it's not enough.

I'd make something sick/disturbing and politically uncorrect. Push for freedom of creative expression beyond the limits of decency.

And joking about making porn is all so old. The line between porn and the mainstream is getting more and more blurred. There almost is no line.

Apart from Festeroos. Now that WAS an Underworld music video! lmao :wink:

[Stuart]

have two cars shagging on top of a person

cars get revenge for years of back seat abuse lol





umm seriously.....

two nitro RC cars (with ultra reaslistic bodies, well they look real anyway) racing through the streets.

usual car shots, wheels etc (could be tricky to film) seeing buildings look MASSIVE and so on. then finally have a nerve racking skid towards eternal doom, but one makes it. then the camera pulls back realy fast and its a real car.



could be utter pish lol

oh and have a wicked soundtrack, prehaps some chemical brothers stuff

[Jim]

What about taking a darker look at how cars kill people. Not a safety video, but more a collection of video footage from traffic accidents.

I noticed today a couple of very young lads driving like idots around my estate, cutting corners on roundabouts, nearly ploughing into the side of my car as it was parked on the street. Not impressed! Theres no point talking to these lads as it goes in one ear and out the other.

Sometimes in order to get the message across you need to show people the concequences.

Also, I have reservations about trying to shoot a fast paced car chase using University equipment. The one thing people like to see are big explosives and cars being blown across bridges, and I dont think you have the budget to pull off this type of thing.

Going back to the footage about accidents, I suppose you can have fast driving footage with a camera mounted on the front, then mix in footage of the accidents, maybe try and flash the images in as the car is speeding along the road, almost send out a subliminal message?

Anyway, I'm sure you'll think of something.

Jim

[?Marty?]

It doesn't really matter what you film, ALL of the other students films WILL be crap, i can guarantee it.

Make sure the soundtrack FITS, it's what will make or break the whole thing.



Thing is, the whole fast moving car....blaaa blaaa has been done to death! Like Jims idea of the car accidents, mangled cars and etc. Scrap yard, etc.

Fester knows his stuff.

And Cambridges idea is good, and would look AWESOME if only you could get a high quality finished product. Which you won't, as you can't strap a high quality camera to the top of a RC car, or follow it fast enough! lol

I just realised that i haven't really read any of oyur original thread! Sorry. lol

Why cars? Who will be acting in it? If anyone.

Go to the Drama department and ask if some of the people in there will act in your piece for free (rather than getting mates for it, but who can't act for shit lol). Personally i'd do something that's very well scripted, as the quality of the actual 'movie' will never be that high using university equipment.

[Stuart]

ooooh oh oh

do a slow speed chase with dodgy facial expressions

[Al Wilson]

They are some good suggestions guys, I am impressed.

Alex - Don't worry about not reading it, probably hardly anyone has! lol I am in negotiations with the students in the drama department as you're right, friends cannot act and ruin an otherwise polished 'performance'. I can make the film look good as although the shot footage maybe rough, post-production and the wonders of DV filmmaking has made it possible on a relatively low budget to make it look halfway decent. It will never be as good as using 35mm film (that is unless you George Lucas and own ultra expensive digital cameras) but its the best thing and now even the BBC use it for live broadcasts etc.

The soundtrack I am writing myself so I don't infringe on any copyright laws like last year.... I will get the rough cut of the film before I start composing though as i find it easier that way round.

Cambridge - A good idea but as Alex has pointed out it would be extremely hard to film it without them looking like models from the outset. The focusing on the camera I will use does not focus very well in extreme close-ups ie: >1cm. I will look into seeing if it can be inproved with another lenses.

Jim - As you said speaking to the kids and even showing them these 'Think' advertisments do not work, it has been proven. They will always act the way they do even thought they know the possible circumstances and outcomes. "it will never happen to me." is the way they look at it. I also think I woud be infringing on copyright laws again by using other footage and I'm sure there is a law restriting or banning use of footage and photographs were people have died or been seriously injured?? Unless the injuried parties/family give permmission which again would be very problematic??

There are ways around making university films with cars look fast paced - it's all in the direction...... I have ideas. And ultimately everything has been done before - I can't remember who said it, but I'm sure there's truth it, that there is only 10 film plots ever been written and every film falls under one or more of those categories. All it is is making it look different and 'original'.


And does anyone know how to stream or put up movies? I'll compress the one I made last year, 11Spoke, and hopefully put it up for you critics to rip apart! lol

Al

[Alex]

I haven't said a word in this thread, yet you keep mentioning me :lol:

[Fester]

Pretend you're filming a prodigy music video.

We had to make a music video last year and did this!

I've just compressed the vid down to 48 megs so if anyone wants it add me to MSN, should only take 15 minutes max to send across? That means you Al!

[?Marty?]

I haven't said a word in this thread, yet you keep mentioning me :lol:

Every reference to you was quoting my 'words of wisdom'!! lol

[Stuart]

is that what you were trying to send me last nite fester?

my 2K3 machine has no media players since its not got the drivers to run the hardware effectively lol

[Al Wilson]

I haven't said a word in this thread, yet you keep mentioning me :lol:

Every reference to you was quoting my 'words of wisdom'!! lol

My bad, I didn't read it properly as was flitting between uni work and this during a workshop. You are both amazing people with equal status, I don't want either of you to feel 'rejected' lol.

Fester, that would be good when we're both on MSN next. - See, I READ the name right that time lol.