I Was a Teenage Filmmaker in Monster Kid Memories Forum

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I Was a Teenage Filmmaker

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BijouBob8mm		#41	[-]
Oct 17 07 11:15 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I wonder if any of the artwork done for the abandoned DRACULA movie has surfaced...? I asked about that, under the General Horror & Sci-Fi folder. (I think the thread is called "The lost Frazetta animated Dracula Project," or something like that.) Byron Orlock posted that some of Frazetta's preproduction sketches are in a couple of the artist's collections, TESTAMENT and LEGACY. It's funny, in the Frazetta Icon book, Frank mentions how he thought Vampirella's costume was ridiculous. Yeah, Vampi's costume was quite an eyebrow-raiser, even by today's standards. Even more outrageous than the design is that, in the comic, hardly anyone ever batted an eye when she showed up wearing it. On the topic of student/amatuer films, I did a short script based on the story 4-SIDED TRIANGLE by William F. Temple. The original tale hasn't aged well, and the Hammer Films version was not one of their most dynamic productions, but I thought the basic premise would make for a good 20-30 minute film. (Or longer, if someone came up with a good way to put more meat on the bones...especially since controversy over cloning has been so topical.) I used to know a pair of twin sisters that would have been perfect for the project. Last Edited By: BijouBob8mm Oct 17 07 11:44 AM. Edited 4 times.
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bipolarber		#42	[-]
Jun 28 08 5:26 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The thing I can't understand is, whay aren't there MORE kids out there making movies? Today, they could shoot an actual theatrical feature with some of the DV cams out there, and editing is an absolute snap on most computer systems... God, what I wouldn't have given, back in the 70's, when I was shooting Super 8, just to be able to get reasonably good synch sound! The basic camcorder I got last year, (a JVC, reconditined, from ebay = $100) and the editing software I have that came bundled with my now ten year old computer, was enough to let me compete in the "48 Hour Film Project" for the last three years running! And, against an average of about 40 entries, I've often walked away with awards, even over some that were done by local production houses! What gives? Don't kids understand how good they've got it with today's tech? ::: shaking my cane at them ::: Why, in my day....
tanaleaf		#43	[-]
Jun 30 08 2:12 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I know exactly how you feel. When I was a young teen, I got a Super 8 camera (silent) and a projector that could dub sound, and I was off and running... for a while. Film and processing cost money, and a teenager's minimum wage job only went so far. Dubbing music from vinyl records (copyright? what's that?) to create a soundtrack, figuring out in-camera SPFX (I used to drool over the concept of the Single 8 format, which allowed unlimited backwinds and so unlimited double exposures, splitscreens and other effects)... now all of which and more is on tap with a mouseclick. In college I had the opportunity to shoot in 16mm, and record separate sync sound on a Nagra... and also to create my own soundtrack (I had started playing guitar by then, so Hendrix-style feedback and whammy-bar dives drenched in reverb on an old Fender Strat (which I should have kept... worth $$$ today) could approach a kind of suitable sci-fi vibe -- it was OUTER LIMITS by way of URIAH HEEP, but it seemed to me to work at the time.... Too many years later to want to readily admit, and I am re-discovering (and re-kindling) something of that old passion. With (now oldish) Digital8 camcorder and iMac editing software now in hand, here's a little something I whipped up one evening, in a near-sudden fit of Wanting To Do Something. If it seems a bit OUTER LIMITS-y, it's because... well, because that, too, was a huge early influence. It's just for fun (though I do intend to carry on with it to full feature-length completion), but I'd really like to hear feedback from others; so please, if this sort of thing interests you, take a quick look(it's only 8 minutes) at this initial work-in-progress, old-fashioned homemade sci-fi video, and see (and say) what you think: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js3ZHb7h2vM (If it isn't a hotlink, just copy & paste into your browser, and give it a shot. Feedback welcomed!)
heinlein99		#44	[-]
Jul 3 08 1:02 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I had a super8 camera so I made my own little mini-movies, but while I could beg money to buy film, I never actually got the things developed! Too bad, as it would be a nice piece of my childhood. We did the usual monster-&-ghost things (one being my pal Ricky squeezing beets out between his teeth, to simulate blood); on one expedition to a local cave, we filmed the entrance and exiting of the caverns. What a great summer that was! I also did my own VERY poor version of stop-motion animation with pieces cut out from comic books. Mad-Monsters.Com
bipolarber		#45	[-]
Jul 20 08 3:40 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	When I was still living in Denver, back in the mid 80's, one of the PBS affiliates (Ch 12, KBDI) has a weekly show called "Home Movies." Every week, there would be four or five short films, and the occasional interview with the folks who made them. I really miss that show, especially the Halloween editions of it. Some truly amazing stuff was broadcast on that show, and was a major inspiration to other kids to send stuff in... amazing how short film production in the area jumped, once there was a semi "legit" venue for them to be seen. Now that I'm working for PBS here in Arkansas, I'm trying to interest the powers that be locally that we need to revive the show. I think there has to be a place for these films to be actually seen, other than in the family living room, by friends and family, for there to be an impetus for kids to put in the time, money and effort to make these things.
Tom Powers		#46	[-]
Jul 24 08 10:53 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Most of my Super 8mm movies were unfinished, most are gone. There was: Sword of Dracula, wherein I played a chubby Drac hunted by the police in modern NY. The funniest story story connected to this was that my lead and I did an a fairly elaborate swordfight scene, with me leaping from a staircase, and eventually getting nailed by the sword. (The sword theat killed Dracula in life was the only thing that could truly end his undead existence.) On the way home, I asked the friend that was supposed to be shooting it how it looked through the camera. "Great" hesaid. "When are we coming back to film it?" "Huh? We just did." "You never told me to shoot it. I thought you were just rehearsing." The Guardian: Time traveling future policeman comes the the 20th century to pursue villain hiding in the past. Shot about half, then the lead had to shave off his mustache and goatee, and spend the summer as a camp counselor. Captain Justice: a superhero spoof. Only shot one day's worth of footage. Shot some titles, and turned it into a 'trailer' for a film that was never coming to theaters. NightWalk Turned my "Day in the Life" film class assignment into a short silent "Night in the Life" about a young man who sees a vampire murder a woman, and then becomes stalked himself. Got an A. Still sorta exists -- tried to transfer it to video, with bad results as soon as it hit the first splice. The Werewolf: Shot on B&W video during college. Always needed a few more scenes. Looked pretty good. Didn't edit it in a timely fashion, and eventually the Beta tape got erased. (They cost about $20 back then.) Tales of the Undead Anthology film. My segment was a sci-fi alien invansion spoof. The whole film exists, and I have a copy on video. Semi-pro, I was part of Satan's Menagerie, shot on High-8 video which was briefly available on VHS, listed on IMDB. Troma was interested for a while but it didn't fit their mold. It's watchable, with only minor embaressment. Last Edited By: Tom Powers Jul 24 08 10:59 PM. Edited 1 times.
BijouBob8mm		#47	[-]
Jul 26 08 2:32 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	When I was still living in Denver, back in the mid 80's, one of the PBS affiliates (Ch 12, KBDI) has a weekly show called "Home Movies." And now we have MONSTER KID HOME MOVIES, on DVD. Captain Justice: a superhero spoof. Only shot one day's worth of footage. Shot some titles, and turned it into a 'trailer' for a film that was never coming to theaters. Boy does that put a smile on my face. Have a number of test shots (for FX, etc.) and footage from unfinished films I've long wanted to do that with...long before the fake trailers of GRINDHOUSE.
Tom Powers		#48	[-]
Jul 26 08 3:12 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The fake trailer is a great idea for rescuing unfinished films. Sounds like you could cut together several of your clips for a real 'epic' trailer.
timothymayer		#49	[-]
Jul 27 08 10:02 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	You had to take joy in what you could do. In my Super 8 epic, NIGHTMARE (which has the distinction of being the first amateur adaptation of an HP Lovecraft story), I worked hard just to get one two-second effect. It was of a mysterious figure watching the hero on a wall-sized TV monitor. This was eons before plasma screens. I projected the image on a screen, lit the mysterious figure watching it from above by bouncing light from a white ceiling, and created the effect I wanted. I wasn't able to even see the results until my local FotoMat processed the reel. But I was just as proud of the results as any Hollywood effects artist. And I was only 16. "It's alive!" Z7 Headquarters
Marshall Crist		#50	[-]
Jul 28 08 1:28 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	tanaleaf wrote: In college I had the opportunity to shoot in 16mm, and record separate sync sound on a Nagra... and also to create my own soundtrack (I had started playing guitar by then, so Hendrix-style feedback and whammy-bar dives drenched in reverb on an old Fender Strat (which I should have kept... worth $$$ today) could approach a kind of suitable sci-fi vibe -- it was OUTER LIMITS by way of URIAH HEEP, but it seemed to me to work at the time.... This sounds so far up my alley I may have to go to the emergency room to have it extracted!
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Marshall Crist		#51	[-]
Jul 28 08 1:30 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	bipolarber wrote: When I was still living in Denver, back in the mid 80's, one of the PBS affiliates (Ch 12, KBDI) has a weekly show called "Home Movies." Every week, there would be four or five short films, and the occasional interview with the folks who made them. I really miss that show, especially the Halloween editions of it. Some truly amazing stuff was broadcast on that show, and was a major inspiration to other kids to send stuff in... amazing how short film production in the area jumped, once there was a semi "legit" venue for them to be seen. Now that I'm working for PBS here in Arkansas, I'm trying to interest the powers that be locally that we need to revive the show. Some childhood friends of mine moved to Aurora (Colorado, not the model company) and had some stop-motion stuff of theirs shown on this.
BijouBob8mm		#52	[-]
Jul 28 08 12:08 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Sounds like you could cut together several of your clips for a real 'epic' trailer. Actually, I think I could get 3 or 4 trailers out of all this, and use some alternate takes of films we did finish to do trailers for those, as well. (Lots of film, just little in the way of spare time.)
bipolarber		#53	[-]
Jul 28 08 12:48 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Marshall Crist, Glad to hear that someone can verify this show actually existed. Channel 12 in Broomfeild CO, never did like the show much, so they didn't support the show at all. Still, it held on due to it's popularity with the viewership. (Home Movies and Dr. Who reruns were all they had to offer that was different from the other PBS affiliate, KBDI, Denver, Channel 6) Over the years, the quality really began to slip, and it wasn't long before the self indulgent "comedian" who hosted the show managed to kill it with his "Don Rickles" style insult humor. Still, in it's heyday, they had some amazing stuff show up on their doorstep. Things that just made us all realize that you didn't need a huge budget to turn out a quality film. (Of course, that only applied to about 10% of the films we got.. the rest were pretty crappy.)
Tom Powers		#54	[-]
Jul 28 08 2:14 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Going through some old VHS tapes, I discovered I actually did manage to transfer NightWalk --back in 1993-94! Still jumps at every bad tape splice (never a real talent of mine). It's also just a irritating tiny nick out of focus, with flickering (shot 18 fps) and a hot spot. (My home VHS camera was no match for the full manual control video cameras I used in college to transfer films to video. I used to do a show for the campus TV system called Amateur Film Focus, with great results from the quick and dirty 're-scan off the wall' method. In fact, I transfered NightWalk and other films of mine and my friends there (often adding music, etc.), but never made copies for myself -- because I didn't get a home VCR until around 1987!) Now I'll have to see if I can find the actual film reel. I thought it had been badly damaged, but perhaps that happened to one of my other films, instead.
Tim Smyth	I Was a Teenage Filmmaker	#55	[-]
Oct 15 08 5:08 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Great stories to all of the above. I posted this elsewhere but figured that this was the best place to post this so the right people will see it. Starting in the eigth grade, in 1975 I made five finished films and about thirty unfinished movies. Not quite sure why I did not finish so many of them. Here is a link to my you tube page if anone cares to see any. These are mostly stop motion experiments and include my first three filmmaking attempts up to the present. Most of theses were shot on Super 8. http://www.youtube.com/user/tims44 Enjoy, Tim Tim
Tom Powers	Found Photo	#56	[-]
Jul 15 09 8:21 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	A picture of me as Dracula, actually taken at Halloween, months before starting on the movie. (In fact, we might have gotten the idea to make the movie at the party. It was either the next year or the year after we began filming the never-finished 'epic'.) For these purposes, I'll call this a 'test photo'. Last Edited By: Tom Powers Jul 15 09 8:26 PM. Edited 2 times.
bipolarber		#57	[-]
Jul 16 09 11:14 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The bowtie/bolo makes it! "[The audiance] will populate the darkness with more horrors than all the horror writers in Hollywood could think of. If you make the screen dark enough, the mind's eye will read anything into it you want! We're great ones for the dark patches." -VAL LEWTON
Tom Powers		#58	[-]
Jul 16 09 2:39 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The drawstrings of the cape -- which I still have. Big and heavy as hell, it's made of the same material they used to make Nun's habits. Back in the dark ages... When we were shooting our silent STAR WARS spoof (STAR BORES), it became "the Fabric of Space". EDIT: Forgot to mention the film was called SWORD OF DRACULA, which has been since used for a comic book series. Last Edited By: Tom Powers Jul 16 09 2:43 PM. Edited 1 times.
TheShadowsVoice		#59	[-]
Jul 21 09 8:56 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Wow, really great stuff, guys! I wish I had the equipment available now back in the day as well. I recall when I first got my super 8 camera in '79 I figured the movies would flow like water. Then reality set in, film cost, development and the fact my best friend and fellow monster kid lived some 45 miles away and we got to see each other once or twice a month, so there was rarely any time to plan a film, let alone shoot it. I had a ton of scripts I wrote, ( all lost now, damnit) which was one of the few things I could do solo. My only effort that reached completion, sadly was a solo effort one X-Mas day when i got the camera which was included on MONSTER KID MOVIES. While cringe inducing to see now, I'm still great honored to have been included on that wonderful project. ( Thanks Joe!). I guess kids today dont make films for the simple reason they require too much effort and their imaginations have atrophied due to exposure to all the super duper special effects on everything from movies to video games....
BijouBob8mm		#60	[-]
Jul 30 09 4:05 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Glad to see this thread is still alive! Great-looking stop-motion stuff, Tim! (How'd you get that prismatic streak of light behind the Enterprise as it jumped into warp speed?) And I wish Tom had been around when I was trying to do a Dracula film. A while back, I found a couple of frame blow-ups I did from some of the 8mm stuff. If I can recall where I stashed them, I'll post them here. One was a shot of a stop-motion diver from my Captain Nemo project, and the other is a shot of one of the gals from a Frankenstein film I did. (She would have been at home in a Hammer film...that's all I'll say, for now.) Last Edited By: BijouBob8mm Jul 30 09 4:08 PM. Edited 1 times.
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I Was a Teenage Filmmaker