My pals down in LA made a ten minute short film called Stranded. You can check out the site at strandedfilm.com. They've won two festivals for best short film, actually shot on a digital 8 minicam. They made it for 650 bucks. It's a funny space movie about two bounty hunters who crash land on some planet and have to survive. Their nitch is that the dialouge sounds quasi 'Clerks'. Sort of like Jay and Silent Bob go to space.
I have been meaning to make my own movie I have the hardware I have the software but where can I find good help these days. Trying to find those Hollywod is kind of hard here in Buffalo, NY I wish we had a bigger theater district but we don't. We've got some lage colleges here but acting doesn't seem to be a big course of study. And half of my freinds are bearly literate so they're no help and the other half are geeks and they can't act for Shit. So what do I do where can I find good help?
You could make a movie about barely literate people who are geeks and can't act! Seriously, one thing I learned in film school is only write what you know. That's why I made my student film on pizza delivery since I worked in the pizza industry for many many years. I was able to use the restaurant I worked in as well as the uniforms, the pizza delivery bags, and it was all for free since I worked there and my boss was cool. If you can come up with an idea where your friends can be themselves then it lessens the worry about poor acting since they won't have to really act all that much. Think of what you've got, where your parents work, where your friends work, the geography in your area etc. Come up with a story based on what you've got and what you know and it might all come together. Keep your friends in mind that hang out with you the most. Good help is hard to find when everyone you know has full time jobs. Otherwise, if you've got some money, many people will easily find the time to help you if they get paid, but I know I couldn't afford to do that at this point in time. Sounds like you've got the proper post production software and hardware which is a huge necessity you've already taken care of. Man, I wish you lived by me because it sounds like I've got what you need and you've got what I need. I don't even own a computer.
I was planning on paying them. What I do have is a large budget, a pretty expensive camera, and I have a boom and sound equipment. My best freinds GF works at a prop department so free costumes and free props. All I need is a story line and like I said before HELP. I even have sponsers that are willing to pay into the busdget and allow shooting at their businesses. If you have watched the movie Bruce Almighty you know what we have to work with the Niagra Falls and a nice waterfront. My carclub said that we can use their cars for the movie so that's atleast 65 high end pimped all Amercan cars mostly Mustangs.
My buds and I used to make the most horrific fight scenes with the use of too much blood. We've tried using everything for blood, ketchup, corn syrup and dye, but I liked using cool aid the best because you could make a sh!t load of it and it tasted good for those getting punched in the mouth and spraying it all over scenes.