Harsh Truths About Making Your First Feature Film - Gavin Michael Booth

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[@daarco2]

He wrote a feature script and actually made a feature film at that age, thats like more then 99% of all dreamer ever gonna make, hats of in respect

[@gavinmichaelbooth]

Do it, don't dream it. I keep jumping into project after project and now have a body of work I can't even imagine having created back then.

[@AllThingsFilm1]

Yea, he can count himself as very fortunate to have worked on a feature film at such a young age. Kudos to him. I wish him much success.

[@WaterhouseFilms]

I just finished my first feature film at age 22 and am sitting here very nervous cause it premieres tomorrow at a local theater. Wish me luck!

[@filmcourage]

Congrats!

[@LycanVisuals]

He made a feature, more than we can say for so many filmmakers.

[@krane15]

He's selling himself way too short. He started a project and finished it. That alone is monumental achievement. Nobody makes an award winning film (or perfect anything else for that matter) right out the gate. It take time and practice to learn how to do it right.

[@gavinmichaelbooth]

@@krane15 Well said. My latest film "Last Call" is getting all the right attention and my previous one, a horror film "The Scarehouse" was released by Universal Studios in the U.S. - so failure can lead to victories if you are willing to keep failing and learning over and over.

[@AllThingsFilm1]

After serving as a visual effects artist since 2004, I shot my first feature film at the ripe young age of 59. I was the DP for 2/3 of the shooting. And it was actually a very good experience. Despite having to resort to cheaper solutions for telling the story, it was a mostly positive experience. It went on to premiere in three film festivals. It won the Audience Favorite Award at a film festival in Palm Desert, California. It was well received at the other two festivals. At two out of three of the festivals we had Q&A sessions that were filled with praise by audience members along with thoughtful questions about the production. Ultimately, it didn't get picked up for distribution and now lives on Vimeo for all to see for free. The budget was very small. But, personally, I am very grateful for the experience. A dear friend of mine wrote, directed and edited it. We are looking at a couple more projects to work together on. We're trying to get one going during this pandemic. Hopefully we'll get it going soon.

[@daarco2]

That was really inspiring to read. Im 42 now and have made shortfilms for about 15 years, and we are now working with our first feature script. Im glad if the movie is done when i turn 50 ;)

[@mahonrimartins1767]

Point us where to se it... What an interesting journey

[@mohamedmubeen4583]

I'm 23 so far, I didn't do anything except dreaming....

[@DyenamicFilms]

If you started on this path around 1989-90 like I did, there basically were no 'success' stories that everyone knew about and 'celebrated'. Okay, there were 'success stories', but most of those 'success stories' happened behind closed doors. There was no Sundance. Okay, there was, but it was called the United States Film Festival back then (still have an entry form) and was pretty unknown at the time. I had to go to the library and read how a Lucas or Spielberg 'broke in' to the industry or how Sam Raimi or George Romero made their first films. The film books I read back then were discouraging when it came to feature filmmaking (either working on them or making them). I remember watching a documentary on PBS around 1991 called 'The Heck With Hollywood' which was the single most discouraging thing to watch if you were venturing out to make an 'indie' film in those days like I was. Watch it if you can find it (though things are much different now of course). Yet, in 1991 when I was about 23, I still set out to make a feature film then mainly because it was my 'passion' and I wanted to gain experience and have something to show. I thought I could do it with $6,000. A feature film shot on 16mm for $6,000 in 1991. This was before Robert Rodriguez. Why did I think that I could do it for that much? A little film book I bought in 1988 called Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices by Rick Schmidt. It took a book and passion to be inspired and get off my ass, not a 'success story'. I failed miserably. Getting kicked off locations. Labs shutting down (trapping my negative), lead actor not showing up, etc. I could write a book on it. I've had my little 'success' stories in the last 30 years though (script options, 'close calls' with major studios), but it's tough to make a go of it. Would YOU continue after 30 years of 'struggle'?

[@gavinmichaelbooth]

DyenamicFilms Rick’s book still sits on my shelf to this day!

[@DyenamicFilms]

@@gavinmichaelbooth One of my favorite filmmaking books along with John Russo''s Making Movies. Still have all my filmmaking books.

[@JonathanEBoyd]

Wow what a story could be a short documentary I respect that you did it

[@DyenamicFilms]

@@JonathanEBoyd Thanks. It could be a documentary. In a way, there is one. If you haven’t seen American Movie, watch that. It’s eerie how similar it is to what I was doing at around the same time with my second attempt at a 16mm feature (though Mark Borchardt is a much more interesting person than me). Same type of setbacks, actors, camera, problems. You'll get an idea of the 'reality' of trying to make any film for no money. As an addendum to the above post, I don’t know if this will be encouraging or discouraging, but I did technically complete 2 feature films (the one mentioned above on 16mm for $7,200 in 1996 (includes BUYING the 16mm camera) and one on HD for $10,000 in 2012). Also made a music video and short film on 16mm in 1993 (sat unedited until 2010) and a few other HD short films over the course of the last 30 years (finished and unfinished). Not to mention countless failed starts. Clips of some of these projects are on my KZbin channel if curious (flaws and all. 16mm clips are uploaded from a poor VHS copy). Scripts (which I wrote) weren’t very good and seemed to be the biggest issue (along with some not very good acting). I almost always pull the production trigger too fast. While it’s not guarantee for success, at least have a great script and actors to work with.

[@JonathanEBoyd]

@@DyenamicFilms wow I'll have to check that Film out it's not discouraging just interesting ,there's always a lesson to be learned Thanks for sharing your experiences

[@NIKONGUY1960]

Never completed my first due to setbacks after setbacks. But I learned what not to do, mistakes I won’t make again.

[@krane15]

Not entirely raw talent and raw ability but a great deal of that success can be contributed to being in the right place at the right time. A lot of opportunities open up everyday and if you're not there when it does, that success may never have happened.

[@JonathanEBoyd]

Brilliant Interview as always many lessons to Be Learned He Made a big Achievement getting an Indie film done period . To answer your question I think 17 is the perfect age to make a Feature Film you're old enough to know what to do and pool some resources but young enough to recover if it doesn't go well and Technically not an adult so might even get more press and organic marketing

[@jinchoung]

that movie has a great premise tho.

[@interstellarbeatteller9306]

It ain't ever gravy. Tarantino's 'first' movie was an unwatchable pos...He'd been witing for years when his first studio movie Reservoir Dogs was nearly shot for 30 grand, before Harvey Keitel got involved...It also grossed twice as much in the UK than in the US then they all passed on Pulp Fiction so even he must have thought of giving up. Never give up!

[@lizanye]

I'm working on my first feature now... due to the pandemic pretty much impossible to get extras, But it's fun to work around things. I personally think when you don't have mush of a budget and don't have producers telling you what you can and can't do, why not make something out of the box and not another low budget horror or rom-com? I feel like a TON of "filmmakers" just want to be called a filmmaker and don't even consider themselves artists. Just a thought. good interview I have mad respect for the dude now i'm going to try to watch his stuff.

[@filmcourage]

Best of luck to you Lizanye!

[@victorallencook7107]

I'm banking everything on the Writers Guild of America , Los Angeles and New York . Never know , I may get that email or phone call . That's my plan . 📒✏

[@Califragistico]

I didn't understand. What are you doing?

[@victorallencook7107]

@@Califragistico Mailing in screenplays . I've done my homework years ago . If someone wants to produce/direct one of them, all that I ask is to let me be a part of the process of the green lights .

[@Califragistico]

@@victorallencook7107 Hey, I don't want to throw you under a bus, but I think your mindset is right, but your plan isn't. But yes! There's a list of 10k e-mails of agents, so if you got 1/1000 in someone reading your screenplay, you got 10 peoples that would read your screenplay. THAT'S A LOT. So keep it up buddy! Make your best screenplays and mail it to them!

[@victorallencook7107]

@@Califragistico Yes indeed . Thanks .

[@AlexiOuzas]

Haha! "Making an amazing movie for no money when you have no idea what you're doing is near impossible" - Failure is the best teacher. Great insight into the realities of making your first feature thank you!

[@Rockthenashtah]

What I learned: you need to budget for post just as much as budgeting for the overall production

[@filmcourage]

If you could have made your first feature at any age what would it be?

[@farkham4]

Tomorrow

[@JustSayin993]

Age 71 - to best exploit the wisdom and experience of a lifetime.

[@alexispapageorgiou72]

@@JustSayin993 I would reverse that ... That's where the magic and life is. If you lose that, you only got 2/3 of what's needed.

[@JustSayin993]

Alexis Papageorgiou . ‘Reverse’ what? Please clarify.

[@krane15]

@@JustSayin993 Someone once asked, why is it that the best writers (in general) are usually in their 40s and older? Answer: Because before that you haven't lived long enough to write about anything interesting that most people want to read. But really, writing is not really an age specific profession. I don't think I've ever read anything I liked and cared about the age of the writer.