Comprehending a Reader

When it comes to readers who read a writer's work, be it a screenplay, a novel or any other form of literary piece of work, one thing is certain and well accepted: Readers can help you make your work better or can simply destroy your chances of successfully competing against other, more established writers in the business. However, not all of them are written into the industry equally (pun intended).

I have conducted a little experiment to determine how great or how awefull these readers are, and from little to no surprise, I have discovered that just like trades people and the entertainment industry, it is really like the wild, wild west out there - and not the Will Smith kind.

THE EXPERIMENT:

What I did was I sent over a sample script with all the required pieces of information that a reader could possibly ask or look for in a screenplay as well as making sure things made sense in one way or another.

THE RESULTING NOTES:

Normally, notes received by the writer should be aiming to help the writer improve his story or his work. Even though one of the qualities of being a writer is to have thicker skin so that he/she will improve on his writing and welcome criticism of any kind. Upon analyzing the readers' notes, I found that their reading and comprehension skills are either poor or non existent, with a high probability of not properly reading through the script that I had sent them. This should be concerning and does definitely answers the question about why film is at its worst these days. It should also be noted that there are readers in the bunch who read my script were complaining that certain elements or parts of my script didn't make any sense while not explaining why they didn't make any sense to them.

Upon research into the matter, I found that the 'making sense' part is completely subjective and is not universal across the industry. Trust me if everything were to make sense, the films that get produced will be super boring and will extremely lack creativity. We will end up with only mediocre films if writers tried to satisfy every individual that commented about something in the story not making any sense to them.

There's a reason why people go see movies that make them go: "What the hell just happened?"  or "Wow. That was amazing." or "That was fantastic" or "Breathtaking." Unfortunately, today's readers use the 'not making any sense' excuse to stifle the freedom to create. For instance, if you are to create a world that is captivating and interesting that defies all logic and common sense to us humans, then this can be ruined by an completely unintelligent reader saying it didn't make any sense.

Also, it is very important that the reader understands the genre of the writer's work that he/she is reading. It won't be of any help to the writer if his/her work is being read by a reader who normally reads work produced in the drama category, reads work submitted by the writer who writes SCI-FI category.

As far as I am concerned, if I were to hire a reader, he or she must possess the following qualifications:

1. Excellent reading and comprehension skills,
2. Have a complete understanding or familiarity with all genres (elements included) of storytelling,
3. Go beyond what would make logical sense by humans,
4. Understand the different forms of creativity,
5. Have a sense of humor,
6. Ignore political correctness, and
7. Understand the overall message of the writer's work.

THE VERDICT:

I don't know what the schools are teaching these individuals, but it is clearly evident that there are holes in the system when it comes to reading and comprehension - including the attitude these individuals have towards creative pieces of literary works. 

What needs to happen is having a system where the writers have a say and provide feedback as to how good or bad the reader is or how helpful or unhelpful the reader has been. The name of the reader doesn't need to be revealed, thereby respecting the current process of anonymity and privacy of said readers. That's right, right now as it stands in the industry, the reader's identity is concealed, so that the writer doesn't have direct communication with that reader or retaliate against said reader.

It may or may not give the readers an incentive to do better, but will certainly allow prospective producers or employers to choose their readers wisely.

PS: There are professional readers that charge an arm and a leg if you'd like them to read your work, but they generally cater to the more established writers in the business. They perform much better and offer more helpfulness when it comes to offering value for the money you are spending. This article is all about the el-cheapo type readers or the readers who volunteer their services to a producer or employer to gain more experience in the industry. There is nothing wrong with this approach or style of employing readers, but the expectations have been set pretty low for the readers so that their expectations of the writer can be set super high.

Unleashing your inner NewFilmmaker LA

There's never been a more pleasing time when technology has become so advanced, and so affordable to the point where you can unleash your inner Filmmaker. You can go to film school and spend about thousands (if not hundreds of thousands in my case), to learn the basics and fundamentals of filmmaking and get hands-on experience to go with it, but these days, given the state of all mass produced education, one would have to wonder if it is even worth the on-screen investment.

To complicate the matter, you will hear differing opinions on what the best equipment to use is when it comes to filmmaking. This is where some would go really berserk or out of their way to try and convince you that a certain piece of equipment is better than the rest of them and they have this preconceived notion that you aren't a real filmmaker or a cinematographer if you don't have that piece of equipment. Their reasoning, the specs. Just like all things being equal in the tech community where talking about the specs of a piece of equipment is king or THE LORD OF ALL GADGETS AND DEVICES, the specs of any camera that offers recording videos as a feature reigns supreme with these guys. However, this isn't the whole story and since each filmmaker is different, choose what's best for you, since you're the one who will be embarking on this journey.

So, if you want to be a filmmaker or want to become a filmmaker, what are the options for you?

First, remember that it is not the camera or the equipment used to make the film that makes or breaks it, it is you the filmmaker and your vision. The saying: "Content is King", which is derived from the saying: "Cash is King", applies here. Same is true for NLE (Non-Linear Editing) software packages used to put the film together in post-production. More on that in this article...

So, what do you need to be able to make a good or great film when you have a vision that is calling out to you like the ring of power did in "THE LORD OF THE RINGS" with Frodo? Here's a list:

YOUR IDEA:

Make sure that your idea(s) satisfy the following:

1. Hasn't been done before: i.e. unique in one way, shape or form,
2. Sticks to one or two genres,
3. Strong conflict, and
4. Relatable.

THE SCRIPT:

In your script, make sure you:

1. Avoid all clichés (at any and all costs),
2. Avoid characters and plots that are super predictable (at any and all costs),
3. Avoid any and all grammatical and spelling errors (at any and all costs),
4. Read: "Save the Cat by Blake Synder" to get a good or better understanding of the story structure used by the industry,
5. Have outsiders (not friends and family) read your work,
6. Accept feedback and welcome criticism, and
7. Work on any plotholes or anything that doesn't make sense (subjective) to the reader(s).

When it comes to readers, you want to cherry pick the feedback and or notes that are most useful to you and then go from there. There are readers who will simply discourage you by making excuses like:

• "This doesn't make any sense", or
• "This is illogical"

If every film were to make sense or be logical like it is in our world, the films wouldn't even be interesting or unique for us to watch. The readers who make such comments neither seem to understand this nor do appreciate the creativity and thought that goes into making a film.

If you were to ask me, readers today are ruining the whole movie-going experience because of their crummy attitude.

MAKING YOUR FILM:

THE EQUIPMENT

You will need:

1. A camera (use what you have),
2. Good or great quality (if you can afford it) lenses,
3. A field mixer (for sound),
4. A Shotgun microphone (that offers professional grade sound),
5. A boom pole.
6. A shock mount for the shotgun microphone
7. A tripod (professional grade),
8. Memory cards (for recording footage onto),
9. A clapperboard (for scene or shot identification), and
10. Lighting.

POST PRODUCTION:

For post-production, you will need:

1. An NLE (Non-Linear Editing) Software package,
1. Avid Media composer First (Free),
2. Adobe Premiere Pro,
3. Final Cut Pro (Must have an Apple Mac computer),
2. A computer with an i7 processor (or equivalent CPU),
3. A GPU with 2 GB or 4 GB or more of VRAM,
4. 16GB of RAM or more installed in the computer,
5. A few external Hard Disk Drives (more than 1 or 2 TB in size) to store all your footage.

You don't need to spend too much time or money on any or all of these, but here's what's important to get you started off with barebones.

THE CAMERA:

Make sure you have or purchase a camera that records only video. The reason for this is very simple: more video recording options for recording better quality videos. You are able to get away with something like a DSLR camera that also records video, but the problem there is that the files will be compressed extensively by the camera. Meaning you won't have the dynamic range to work within post when you edit and colour correct or colour balance the footage that you have recorded. The good thing about the dedicated cameras that focus solely record video is the fact that they offer some sort of a flat picture profile that you can work with that will enable you to adjust the colours to deliver a certain look or feel of your film.

The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K is a good place to start with. It has most of the options that we are talking about and a filmmaker would look for in a starter package for a video camera in compact size package.

You also want to pay close attention to the colour science that the camera will use to process the image captured by the lens of the camera, and make sure you understand the technical terms used like F-stop (Aperture), Focus, Focal length, and so on.

Get a camera that allows you to use detachable lenses and you'd preferably want a camera that offers manual control of your image.

THE LENSES:

There are quite a few options on offer in terms of lenses. All major brands of camera manufacturers like Canon and Sony offer their own lenses, featuring their own lens mounting system, but here are my recommendations for deciding on what brand lenses are best for you camera:

1. Zeiss,
2. Schneider Optics, and
3. Samyang (also goes by Rokinon in some countries).

If you choose Canon or a camera that has a Canon mount for the lenses, then I would suggest either the Zeiss Milvus range of lenses or the Schneider Optics lenses. Both brands are German manufacturers and will offer you quality. However, you may want to check for deals on these lenses as they are expensive.

Samyang is a much more affordable alternative to the above brands as they are a Korean brand that offers you solid construction and quality at an affordable price tag.

IMAGE QUALITY:

There's a lot of controversy over the size of the image sensor used to make your film. The professionals in the film industry use cameras equipped with a Super35 image sensor. Panavision has a camera that films with a 35 mm image sensor with a 35mm film strip, but this is very expensive to rent and operate. You can get away with using a micro four-thirds image sensor (M43) or a camera that is equipped with an APS-C or APS-H size image sensor. These APS-C and -H size image sensors are equivalent to super 35 mm. You'll see a lot of camera models that have the APS-C type image sensors because it costs the camera manufacturers less to manufacture and sell to the general public. There is a misconception among the professional filmmakers who believe that going full frame (35mm size) is the way to go, because reasons. Nothing could be further from the truth, because image sensor technology is getting better and better - and besides, your smartphone and or your tablet computer has an image sensor the size of the tip of your pointing finger.

When recording footage for the film, always set the frame rate on your camera to 24 frames per second (the same used when using film stock and film cameras). There is nothing wrong setting the frame rate to 23.977 frames per second if you're dealing with a digital video camera, but you are making a film, so use 24 frames per second as your frame rate in your camera's settings menu.

You also would want to use a flat picture profile since it will give you the flexibility to adjust the colours in post-production to suit your needs to give the film the look and feel that you desire.

SOUND:

Sound is just as important to your film as the picture quality of your film. The major difference being: your audience will forgive you if your film has poor picture quality with excellent sound rather than the other way around. The ideal scenario is having both great picture and sound quality to add to the production value of your film.

You will need a field mixer to capture the sound record out in the field with a pre-amp that captures clean sound: i.e. no noise in the sound being recorded. You may be wondering: "why can't I simply use the built-in microphone that came with the camera?" An excellent question. If you listen to the sound that was recorded with the camera's built-in microphone and then compare it with the sound quality of a film, you will notice that there is a huge quality difference between them. The sound recorded with a professional grade microphone or shotgun microphone will offer.

Here are a few starter options for you to consider when looking at a field mixer or a portable sound recorder for your production:

1. Zoom H4N or H4N Pro,
2. Tascam DR40 or DR100 Mark 2,
3. Zoom H6,
4. Roland Edirol R-44 4 channel mixer.

There are others on the market, but the ones that the sound mixers and the boom operators (the professionals that record the sound) recommend and swear by are made by a company called "Sound Devices".

NOTE: DO NOT CUT CORNERS ON SOUND. INVEST MORE IN SOUND IF YOU HAVE TO.

As far as investing in a shotgun microphone is concerned, here are some options:

1. RODE NTG3,
2. SENNHEISER MKE 600,
3. SENNHEISER MKH 416,
4. AUDIO TECHNICA AT875, or
5. AUDIO TECHNICA AT897.

There is a reason for why the industry uses shotgun microphones: because they have a directional polar pattern that picks up sound directly in front of whatever or whomever it is pointed at. This is why they call it a shotgun microphone.

You will need to understand the polar pattern of the microphone you are buying or getting. This will allow you to select the best microphone for the job, which also includes how it sounds to your ears.

Also, invest in a good pair of studio monitor headphones to go with your field mixer as they tend to pick up any and all nuances in the sound being captured. The studio monitoring headphones are also used when editing your film.

MEMORY CARDS:

The type of memory card you get will not only depend on the camera you use, but it will also depend on the speed of the memory card and how fast data (your film footage) can be recorded without any dropped frames. Look for a memory card that either indicates on the packaging that it supports speeds of 45MB(Megabytes)/second or more. If you are recording 4K video, you would definitely want to upgrade to a card that offers up to or a minimum of 95MB/second. 4K video uses more data than the regular high definition 1080p video. Also, if your camera allows for recording of more frames per second, then the higher speed memory cards will also come in handy.

The standard for all consumer and prosumer memory cards of choice for filmmakers is and always has been the SD (Secure Digital) card, first invented by Panasonic for their digital still cameras. There are other formats in use today. CF or Compact Flash cards are sturdy and well-built memory cards that are used by professionals. Unfortunately, these are slowly being phased out in favour of the new CFast card system that allows even faster record speeds. SONY have developed their own card format called the QXD card format. This is smaller in size compared to the CF (Compact Flash) card, but it is still sturdy and well built like a CF card.

LIGHTS:

The only thing you need to do is learn the basics of a three-point light set up:

1. Key light,
2. Fill light, and
3. Backlight.

The Key light simply lights parts of your subject, leading to what is referred to by industry professionals as the Rembrandt effect. The fill light is self-explanatory. It fills the sections on the subject where the key light couldn't light up. The backlight is what separates the subject from the background, causing the audience to pay much attention to your subject than the background as well as the subject.

WORKING WITH ACTORS:

So, you've found the right actors to play the part in your film. You've held auditions and picked them carefully. Now what?

Now, you need to memorise and remember this cardinal rule: "actors understand action verbs". Meaning, they do not act out states of minds: i.e. being angry or sad. Give them a subtext or an intention behind the dialogue that they are delivering to work with. This is what separates an amateur director/filmmaker from a professional director who the actor is willing to work with time after time.

It will also be helpful if you took an acting class yourself, or if you aren't getting the performance that you are seeking from the actors. Directors make the mistake of explaining too much to their actors or not making it clear what kind of performance that they are looking for.

Actors also bring their own take to the roles they play, so make sure you understand this and work with it, adjusting accordingly.

Here are a couple of books to help you with this process:

1. Directing Actors by Judith Weston
2. Actions by Marina Caldarone

PRODUCTION VALUE:

You will hear this about your film or any other film through the course of your career. What this means to you is basically, being asked this question: "does your film have a high production value or a low production value?"

A high production value is where everything in the film, from the sets, the actors, the locations, and or the props used in your film is not only awesome but adds value to your production. If you are able to achieve this in your film within a low budget, then you have achieved a quality film for less money. This is the ideal scenario for most producers, but there are producers in Hollywood, who will spare no expense on things that don't necessarily add to the story. A low production value is the complete opposite of this.

THE VISUAL ELEMENTS OF DIRECTING:

There are seven visual elements of directing. They include:

1. Style,
2. Shape,
3. Colour,
4. Rhythm,
5. Space,
6. Tone, and
7. Mood

There's a book that you can get that explains all of this: The visual story by Bruce Block 

FILM SCHOOLS:

If you are keen on going to film school, make sure you are going to one that will teach you the seven visual elements of directing and how to successfully work with your actors. Pick one that doesn't have students that make mediocre films. You want them to not only cherish you the filmmaker, but you also want them to bring out the best in you to succeed in films above all else. They should also tell you about dealing with the legalities and the business of making films.

Always remember: It is you the filmmaker and your cast and crew that makes or breaks your film, not the equipment used to film it.

Here's a quote from a Boeing employee:

Quantity is something you count, quality is something you count on.

Here's another one (by moi):

I am not impressed by the 10,000 films you've made, but the one film that you have perfected.

Show us a story worth telling and we can completely fall in love with.

Digital Justice

Let’s start with the small claims courts that deal with civil matters.

Current system of dealing with civil matters:

Where it stands, a complainant or plaintiff has to not only go to his/her local small claims court and file the necessary paperwork and pay the required fees for filing the paperwork with the courts, but the defendant, whoever it is and wherever the defendant is located, has to make a special trip down to the local small claims court in order to defend him/herself in the small claims court. This adds time and expense of having to drive or travel down to the court house where the complaint was filed, and even though the defendant has the option to not make an appearance at the small claims court, the case can and may be ruled in favour of the plaintiff. This is how I understand the process to be in the American small claims court system, and I assume it is a similar scenario with small claims court from around the world.

Also, there is the inconvenient truth that all of the evidence that is required by a small claims court to strengthen a plaintiff’s case so that the ruling will more likely to be in the favour of the plaintiff, is to be presented as hard copies. This means that there is waste of paper that could be better put to use towards something else that is useful.

I do believe that there is a better way to approach this where the option for the defendant to still not make an appearance to defend him/herself in small claims court is offered. There is a way to streamline this process where the plaintiff can simply file a complaint from wherever the plaintiff is located at the time of filing the complaint, and the defendant is located somewhere else. However, this new streamlined process will only work when the plaintiff meets certain requirements for the complaint to be accepted and processed by the courts.

The new streamlined process or system of dealing with civil matters:

The new proposed system of streamlining the process of dealing with civil matters in the small claims court will not only make it easier for a plaintiff or a complainant to file a complaint in their local or national small claims court, but it will utilise existing technologies to make this happen: meaning that there is no need for an infrastructure overhaul of the court system. If this process proves to be successful in the small claims court level, then this can be successfully adapted into the criminal courts process.

• Plaintiff visits a website and selects his/her local small claims court from a list after the website detects their current location.
• Plaintiff then files a complaint using the same process as he/she would when actually in a small claims courthouse.
• Plaintiff submits evidence relevant to the case digitally by uploading all documents in digital format to the website.
• The digitally uploaded documents, along with the plaintiff’s complaint and any relevant contact details that the complainant provides is then forwarded to a randomly selected judge, who will  then go over the evidence and reach out to the defendant named in the complaint.
• The defendant is then given an opportunity to upload their evidence that is relevant to the case on to the same website so that the judge can cross check with the evidence already submitted by the plaintiff.
• The judge then arranges a video conference call with both the plaintiff and the defendant to hear both sides of the argument/story.
• The judge will then deliver a verdict in the same video conference call in the same manner that he or she delivers the verdict in an actual courtroom.
• If the defendant fails to respond to the judges invitation to the video conferencing call, then the judge will rule, based on the evidence submitted by both parties (if the defendant has submitted their evidence already).
• If the defendant is absent and has not submitted any evidence in his/her defence, then the judge will have no choice but to base his verdict on evidence submitted by the plaintiff, which may be circumstantial.
• The defendant is then advised of the verdict, if the defendant was not at the conference call via email or post.

You may have to read the above list more than once to make sense of it, but it does spell out the basic structure of the new streamlined process for dealing with civil matters.

Now on to the requirements of filing the complaint:

• The plaintiff filing the complaint must be a permanent/legal resident of the country where the complaint is filed (assuming this is against a citizen or business in that country), who has resided in the country for more than 90 consecutive days.
• The plaintiff must supply evidence of his/her legal status in the country or the complaint will not be accepted for processing.
• The plaintiff cannot be a visitor or a tourist to the country when filing the complaint against the intended defendant.
• The plaintiff must supply any government issued identification (it’s okay if that identification was not issued by the federal government of the country he/she resides in) to verify their identity. This will be authenticated or verified with the government that issued the identification.
• All documents uploaded digitally to the website must bear the contact information of the plaintiff so that the randomly assigned judge can verify or clarify the details of the complaint.

This is only the start and I cannot stress enough the beauty of this system: the use of existing technologies, infrastructures and the processes already in place. It will also save a considerable amount of time and money in commuting for both the plaintiff and the defendant.

The system is not fool proof as there is potential for fraud to occur, but I am confident that there are technologies already in place that will detect this form of deceit, resulting in fewer cases of evidence fraud, and the sooner this new system is implemented and widely accepted and used, the better.

Setup for filmmakers wanting to film using an iPhone or iPad

Most of us have a smartphone or tablet these days that are on par with a camcorder, that have virtually negating the need for purchasing one. Despite having image sensors the size of a human finger tip from your pointing finger, techniques of filmmaking can be applied to successfully make a film. In fact, there are accessories and apps for your preferred OS platform that enable you to make a film with better sound and capturing a better image using your iPhone or iPad's 8 or 12MP cameras.

Let's start with the hardware for your iPhone or iPad.

For a better image, you will need:

1. Specifically designed lenses for your iPhone or iPad like the moment lenses (you will also need to purchase a case to attach these lenses to your iPhone,
2. DJI osmo mobile gimbals for iPad and iPhone (for moving shots)
3. A professional grade tripod (for static shots),
4. A Drone (for Aerial shots if your project calls for it).

For better sound, you will need:

1. The RODE Videomic Me-L or the RODE NTG4+ (Shotgun microphone),
2. The RODE iXLR adaptor (to connect the Shotgun microphone).

In terms of software:

1. Filmic Pro (Paid app and a filmmaker's choice for filming),
2. ProMovie (Free app with an option to pay to remove watermark)
3. LumaFusion (If you plan on editing on your iPhone or iPad).

This setup will work for you if you are on a shoestring budget and cannot afford to fork out the cash for a dedicated, professional grade video cameras and accessories for the camera.

If you have an iPhone model earlier than the iPhone 7, then a few other options include the Schneider Optics iProLens for the iPhone or the Zeiss ExoLens system for the iPhone.

On that note, keep in mind that since the size of the image sensor that is included with the iPhones and the iPad fits on the tip of your pointer finger, you will need to supply more light to the iPhone or iPad or have one that has a wider aperture like an f1.8 or lower, or adjust the ISO to the point where it doesn't introduce noise or grain to the image. Filmic Pro will let you adjust these options and this is why filmmakers and cinematographers alike love it.

It is imperative that you have good or great sound, because your audience:

1. will forgive you if you have good or great sound with terrible image quality but,
2. will not forgive you for if you have good or great image quality with terrible sound quality.

To end this list, I will say that filmmakers typically have dual system recording: meaning one system for recording moving images like a camera and accessories, and another for recording sound such as a field mixer.

Here are some options.

The cheaper option:

1. The ZOOM H4N Pro,
2. The Tascam DR40,
3. The Tascam DR100 Mark 2.

The advanced more expensive option (if money isn't an object):

1. The Roland Edirol R-44 Portable Field Recorder (I have this),
2. The Sound Devices 552 Field Recorder

With this information, you should be able to make a decent film that doesn't suck and contribute to the trend of using mobile devices for filmmaking.

Good luck with this venture.

Making an iFilm

With apps increasingly flooding the App store of both iOS and Android, one would have to wonder whether you could technically make a film just by using a smartphone and or your tablet such as the iPad. The answer is yes. Considering the fact that the camera modules installed in the various smartphones and tablets since their conception, it is increasingly becoming common place to shoot videos alongside taking the holiday pics on your smartphone or tablet, virtually killing off the camcorder and the point and shoot cameras that were prevalent some 10 to 15 years ago.

Why am I such an expert on the subject, you ask? This blog is about my analysis and opinion on the subject and I answer the question, given the advice that a lot of beginner filmmakers get: “Use what you’ve got”, I would assume that since most of the civilized population now carries a smartphone that is capable of shooting moving pictures using one resolution or the other, any one who is anyone can shoot a video and upload it to a streaming site like YouTube.

Even though the smartphones and tablets people buy come standard with their own dedicated photo and video apps, they seriously lack the ability to allow the user to control certain variables like the ISO (how sensitive is the image sensor to incoming light), shutter speed (motion blur) and the codecs (the file format) of the video used to shoot the video. There are apps like Camera+ or Filmic Pro, that allow the user or filmmaker to have complete, if not partial control over the image, like a professional or semi professional cameras offer. We are also seeing third party manufacturers like Zeiss and Schneider Optics, two of the most popular German manufacturers of camera lenses make lenses specifically for smartphones like the iPhone and custom cases to accommodate those lenses.

Back in the old days, when smartphones were still emerging and in their infancy stages, processing power was seriously lacking for it to play complex games like Grand Theft Auto or other graphics intensive games. Processors and graphics have improved since and so have the codecs used to record the videos captured. The images that the cameras were able to capture were also inferior to what can be produced today compared to back then. This means that videos can be recorded in 4K and stored (provided you have the required space on your phone’s storage drive) for retrieval later and editing is now also possible without the use of an uber powerful computer and the expense that goes along with it.

So, the question is: With the limitations of the smartphone and or the tablet’s camera’s image sensor and the size of the sensor, are you able to make a professional quality film considering the fact that content is king? I say yes. This is because there are quite a few films that I have come across that were filmed using a camera from a smartphone or tablet, and the professional apps that allow you to control all or some of the variables of the image like ISO and shutter speed. However, you have to consider the fact that because you are using a camera sensor that can potentially fit on the tip of your pointing finger, you will need to supply it with more light than a professional or semi professional video camera sensor needs. On top of this, sound is also another important factor in making a watchable film. They say that sound is as important as your visuals you show the audience who are watching a film.

To sum it all up, if you are on a shoe string budget and want to make a film, then this is definitely an option for you rather than spending a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars on a professional camera that degrades over time. This method of filmmaking is an option if money is an object and you do not have the means to afford a dedicated professional or semi professional camera to make your film. Just make sure that the techniques that you picked up in film school or from wherever you learnt basic filmmaking from are applied in making your film.

Good luck with your current and any of your future film projects that you will be engaging in.