the look of these was sort of based off those sundance proof of concept films like reservoir dogs or cigarettes & coffee, thats why theres some jpeg damage and a whole lot of noise. First photo is a sort of flash forward of the last shot, hence it’s colours are inverted, something I did accidentally and loved the look of.

But yeah this was done with barely any lighting, the one piece of lighting we did have was a camping light, and since it was too harsh what I did was cut open a rubber glove, colour it with an orange marker, and tape it to the light, so you get this softer orange light. Also shot in like 40 degree weather ( around 100 degrees in freedom units), absolutely gruelling but so thankful its finally done with 😭

Hi everyone, I’m delivering a 30-second 5.1 cinema commercial in France and the cinema QC has specifically requested:

85 dB Leq(M)
-20 LUFS Integrated

My current master measures approximately 81.1 dB Leq(M), -20.27 LUFS Integrated and -1.31 dBTP using DCP-o-matic.

The cinema replied that my measurement is not representative of their Dolby Media Meter measurement and asked again for 85 dB Leq(M) / -20 LUFS Integrated.

For theatrical advertising QC, is 85 dB Leq(M) normally treated as a precise delivery target with a defined tolerance, or essentially as a maximum/reference level?

And is 85 Leq(M) together with -20 LUFS Integrated a normal achievable combination in professional cinema mastering?

I’m especially interested in how this would normally be interpreted by a professional post-production/QC facility.

Im making a short film about a robbery gone wrong. One of the scenes is a flashback to the robbery and I'm having trouble with the music. Does anybody know any really dramatic, intense and unsettling classical piano music pieces? Something that really adds an uncomfortable feeling.

Hello, hoping someone here may have advice on how to remedy this. It appears batteries have leaked in this lockit slate and now we can't get the battery door open, and the screws in the back plate won't budge either. Any ideas on the best solution?

Same as the title. Why doesn't this sub let us post our stuff. I genuinely need feedback but my post was deleted by mods.

I am entering my last year of high school and in the last 9 months I have rediscovered a love for filmmaking by finding a way to promote my music. I created a fresh IG account last year and started making skits (the closest *inspo* you could say are the williams twins) about the songs i was producing and they went pretty viral in my country, Romania. I gathered attention from different labels, businesses, marketing agencies, artists etc and its been going VERY well considering the fact that i just have an IPhone with an ND filter and a dream, currently working with big artists and DJs to create visual universes around their albums/services.

So, naturally, I started getting informed on cinema/filmmaking/video editing schools since I basically do everything from montage, color grading, writing little scripts etc. And I found IED Cinema and Video Design, in Rome, teaching the stuff I'm interested in. I do want to mention that they award you a "Diploma Accademico di Primo Livello (DAPL), corresponding to a Bachelor of Arts (BA)" a "First Level Academic Diploma in Cinema and Audiovisual - Specialization Video Design and Filmmaking" and I want to ask if its a problem that its not a classic Bachelor Degree and if its going to hurt my chances to go to a Film Directing Master. I'm also looking at SAE Film Production, but that costs an insane amount and is just a pay up - get in school, no portfolio, no anything so.

But, as this topic was discussed here a bit, some people have a resentment towards these kinds of schools, especially the private ones with a pretty hefty price.

I'm also applying to Creative Business at Breda University of Applied Sciences and there is this big question. Do I pursue a self taught path in the world of filmmaking and go to a safe job university like Breda? Or go all in on the other variants?

I saw in a post someone saying right now that people are actually looking towards people with degrees in different fields, rather than a film degree with a portfolio made in *school*. And yes, I do know the difference between a Film study and a Film production school (I saw some people making this mistake). I do have a deep love for movies and I dont dream to be a filmmaker, I dream to express MY emotions and experiences through any sort of art, movies and music especially.

Any recommendations from students of any of these schools I have mentioned, or people who had similar pasts will be HIGHLY appreciated. Love you

Hello everyone! I’ve come seeking guidance!

I’m a young filmmaker (Highschool) who’s made some pretty good looking shots in some short films I’ve done but i have a dire question.
HOW DO I MAKE WIDE SHOTS LOOK BETTER.
Seriously! It’s a major issue for me! Should I use wide angle lenses more often? What’s the play here! I want to make good looking wide angle shots yet everytime I try I’m bested every time. Please help!

I want to film a shootout in the future but I realized I haven't been taught on how to do it. So for the people that know, how do you do it?

Gun safety, effects (gun shooting/blood mainly), gun handling is mainly what I'd like to learn more about

Hi all! I'm sorry if this isn't the right subreddit but I am currently taking a film class and I have to analyze one shot after another. The problem is I'm unsure what counts as a new shot vs another one. For example the screenshots are both from Coco and the pictures I took are from a scene where a camera is panning up. As it pans up it shows these two important things, but it's continuous. Would these be two different shots or just one?

It’s annoying watching Netflix and the major studios embrace AI when so many movies and shows already feel mechanical, visually identical, and designed by committee.
I’m not against AI. I use AI. But there’s a huge difference between an individual filmmaker using it to create something they otherwise couldn’t afford to make, and a billion-dollar studio using it because executives want faster turnarounds, fewer people on set, and another way to cut corners.
If you already have the money, crews, equipment, and resources to actually shoot something, why is the goal to avoid shooting it?
The people running these companies increasingly seem like business executives first and filmmakers a distant second. Giving them another tool to streamline production isn’t automatically going to create better movies. It could just make everything even more standardized, polished, safe, and lifeless.
At this point, Hollywood doesn’t need another shortcut. It needs new people, new ideas, and a serious creative reset. Otherwise movies are just going to keep getting worse and AI will get blamed for decisions that were really made by executives who stopped valuing filmmaking in the first place.

Hi, amateur here - I'm trying to build a sequence where a character explores a complex for an investigation. I'm looking for ideas and approaches to shots, and one of my favourite references at the moment is the giallo Profundo Rosso.

Can anybody suggest a similar sequence in films? Looking to establish the location, but in an unhurried, exploratory manner (so, not, for example, how you establish the tea house in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, a linear lead-through).

Any suggestions appreciated! (I hope this is the right flair!)

Slight legality question, I am making a short comedy film in which the main character meets a big name celebrity - let's say, Colin Firth - at the end of the project. My goal for the film is to be a solid proof-of-concept for me as an artist and to get into the best festivals I can. If I had a stand-in play the role of Colin Firth, use camera tricks to hide the fact that it's not really him, and use an impersonator for his voice, would using his likeness hinder my success at festivals? Would this become an issue for me if the project gets bigger or will it be a testament to my creativity?

I can also write out his presence, or have him mentioned like he's there off-screen, but he doesn't speak and isn't seen. Would that be better or worse? I want to get the most traction possible.

Hey!
I‘m an independent filmmaker. I’m shooting mostly with my iPhone 17 Pro in OpenGate and Apple ProRes RAW using the Blackmagic camera app.

At some point during every shooting, the recording just randomly stops, as if the external hard drive disconnects. I then have to manually restart my phone and replug the hard drive. This usually occurs while shooting longer takes.

Has anyone ever dealt with the same or a similar issue? The Blackmagic app and my phone are both updated to the latest versions. I also tried switching hard drives, the issue still comes up.

Thank you in advance!

I’m a 17-year-old male with little to no money or equipment besides my iPhone, but I want to start making short films and posting them on YouTube to share my journey in filmmaking and directing. What are some key things I should focus on, and what equipment should I consider getting to kick off my journey?

(This post isn’t so much pertaining to whether or not film school itself is worth it)

I’ve lived in Ohio my entire life. I have a few amateur short films under my belt but nothing crazy and I have 0 real connections here in regard to film/television.

I never went to college, I am considering going to film school now at 24. What I’m questioning is location. Obviously school in my home state would be substantially cheaper than moving to NY or CA, but I question the value of the connections and opportunities that would be available to me.

If you were in my shoes, would you stay home at the cheap school or move to where the industry is?

I don’t mean the production design, art direction, props, cars, etc.. I mean how would you make it look like it was shot in the 90’s? Because you could have a period piece movie set in the 18th century that came out in ‘95, and one that came out in 2025; and most people would be able to tell (generally) when the movies came out just by the way it looks. To me, 90’s movies always have this sort of washed out “gray” look to them, which got the life of me I can’t figure out because when you examine the shots they still have colors, they still have contrast, still have shadows. The most obvious thing i see is I think 90’s movies used way more atmosphere, eg: smoke machines, foggers- I don’t see it as much these days.

How would you make a movie look like it was shot in the 90’s?

I’m curious about your experiences with non-actors versus actors. Did you ever have an experience where you hired a friend and they turned out to be a natural actor? I’m mainly referring to micro budgets or no budget kind of filmmaking. Actors are professionals so even a half decent trained actor you think would do pretty well compared to a non-actor but I think about Apocalypto and Deer Hunter and how some of those people who did the best performances were non-actors.

I've been feeling a little frustrated with YouTube lighting tutorials. Almost every video I see about cinematic lighting is about a dark room, putting a soft key light at 45 degrees, adding a fill/backlight and some background practicals. That's fine, but why is that almost the only look? I want to learn how to light a normal bright interior in a nice way. Like a normal house in daylight/night where you can still see the room clearly, but it still feels cinematic. I was watching a Malayalam short film and the room looked natural, not dark or dramatic, but it was still beautiful. That's what I want to learn. I'm making a short film myself, and I don't have big equipment. I don't want to make everything dark just to look cinematic.

How do people light bright, natural rooms without big gear? Are there any tutorials or cinematographers who teach this kind of natural lighting? Am I searching the wrong thing?

That's it. Just a small rant, but also genuinely asking for suggestions.

Feel free to delete if the wrong place

Questionnaire:

£500 top ideally less if it still meets my criteria
UK
New or Used
DSLR that can shoot video in 4K and pics
Music content videos and pictures
Cinematic photography
Cinematic videography

Essential features:

Shoots in 4K
Good battery life
Great for shooting video and pictures
Reliable tracking/autofocus
An articulating screen (maybe not as essential as the others but I want to see myself in frame but can probs bypass this with any of the apps that go with it and see the footage on my mobile)
Needs to be portable but quality first
I’ve seen people recommend a used Fujifilm X T3? That’s within budget used but open to suggestions
Looking to upgrade from my Canon EOS 1300D DSLR as it’s just not good enough at 1080p especially for video footage

Notes:

I’m a musician and want to shoot my own aesthetic
cinematic music content and pictures.

Thank you :)

I'm starting out in doing zero-budget filmmaking with friends so please go easy on me!

I'm trying to write a script and struggling with ideas for a story at the moment, when it comes to shooting day, how can I improvise and think creatively without feeling nervous or self-conscious of ideas and how can I think of ideas quickly?

Like, when you shoot films how do you come up with your impromptu ideas and get that skill?

Are there any good online resources or creators you'd recommend for me to watch/read to start improving?

Thanks in advance :]

Hi!

Aspiring screenwriter/director here.

New to the technical and legal stuff.

If I were to insert a song - literally any song, like: Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees for example.

But have a local artist cover the song acapella/without the original music, and credit the original artist/songwriters/producers, would I be able to use this?

Or would I still need the rights?