Making an HBO quality film - from start to finish

Learn how to make your own films from start to finish:
www.zachramelan.com/filmmaker
Music featured in this video:
www.epidemicsound.com/campaig...
0:00 How to make a film from start to finish
01:00 How to direct a film
01:50 How to simplify shooting scenes
02:30 Filming one takes
03:50 The first film you should make
05:10 The secret to making everything cinematic
06:25 the secret weapon to making frames beautiful
07:13 When you make films with no money
08:28 how to light a feature
10:15 Post-production
10:50 Matching the FX3 with an ARRI
12:00 Colouring a feature
13:50 The most important part of filmmaking
14:50 when you work with professionals
15:55 the new way of making films
16:30 How to get your film made
📲 Follow me: / zachramelan
💪 Interested in Digital Mentorship? superpeer.com/zachramelan
🎥 My work: www.zachramelan.com
🎨 Luts - www.bouncecolor.com/?ref=ramelan
📹 Gear List
🎥 Best gimbal for hybrid filmmakers: ca.zhiyun-tech.com/collection...
Camera I use: amzn.to/41Usccn
🎥 Lens of choice for everything (B-CAM) :amzn.to/41SBDJ4
🎥Lighting used for this video: ca.zhiyun-tech.com/products/m...
🎥Lighting diffuser: amzn.to/2FZNAH7
🎥Heavy Duty Stands: amzn.to/3kMPb2i
🎥Microphone: amzn.to/37NKAqj
SWAY:
Starring: Emmanuel Kabongo, Mishael Morgan, Lovell Adam’s-Gray, Brittany Raymond, Paul Amos, Karl Campbell, Prosha Hussein, Blake Johnston, Tony Ofori, Ashton Ayres, Carlisle J. Williams, Husnain Sher, Conni Miu, Chad Andrews
Directed by: Charlie Hamilton x Zach Ramelan
Produced by: Emmanuel Kabongo, James Stewart, Daniel Govia, Eric Yensu, Charlie Hamilton, Zach Ramelan
Executive Producer: Chris Morsby, Mishael Morgan, Liane Kotler
DOP: Chris Morsby
Editor: Sydney Cowper
Composer: Michelle Osis, Terry Benn
Production Design: Sayla de Goede
Wardrobe: Lucia Perna
📲 Follow me: / zachramelan
💪 Interested in Digital Mentorship? superpeer.com/zachramelan
🎥 My work: www.zachramelan.com
🎵 Best Music on a Budget (GET 2 EXTRA MONTHS FREE) Artlist - bit.ly/3XVnCs2
🎵 Cinematic Music (THAT TAKES NO TIME TO FIND) MusicBed - fm.pxf.io/Vy1eJA
🎵 Customize Dope Music for ANY Project - trackclub.com/referral-landin...
🎨 Luts - www.bouncecolor.com/?ref=ramelan
📹 Gear List
MY MAIN CAMERA: amzn.to/31lJfF5
MY MAIN LENS (B-CAM) :amzn.to/3fpnNUQ
MY TALK TO CAMERA LENS (A-CAM): amzn.to/3cqERK4
MY LIGHT: amzn.to/2RTDyKv
MY C - STAND YOU NEED: amzn.to/3kMPb2i
MY MICROPHONE: amzn.to/37NKAqj
MY LAV MICS: amzn.to/2S9RijE
MY SLIDER: amzn.to/2PDNuGV
MY DRONE: amzn.to/3ib8lxs
MY LANTERN: amzn.to/2HkRZVE
MY SMALL LED: amzn.to/2FZNAH7
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[@ZachRamelan]

You can now enrol in The 4-week Filmmaker - my masterclass on making indie films! Check it out here: www.cinematicacademy.ca/

[@thisiseric]

This past weekend I just shot my first short in 11 years. I wanted to do it all in one day so we wrapped at 4 am but because of daylight savings, it was 5 am. My short is 5 minutes so it blows my mind that you shot a full feature in such a short amount of time.

[@ZachRamelan]

Brother, so happy to hear you shot it! CONGRATS. We just got off a short that took 3 days and had a similar budget to our feature, lol. Every Project is different. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOUR FILM!

[@thisiseric]

@@ZachRamelan True! And thank you! Hopefully post production goes well and I can share it soon!

[@PascalPayantfilms]

Congrats. Doing the same around the world without a crew except a sound person. mostly 13 days per film. you did a great job my friend

[@ZachRamelan]

Much appreciated! Good luck on the shoot!

[@theresemarkham9387]

Awesome! Love how informative your videos are.

[@jackbynum]

Great stuff as always! I appreciate how you get into the more macro view of directing without the need to rehash things that have already been covered at noisome on the platform.

[@thewellvideoproductions8244]

Uber helpful tips, your channel is on point! Thanks

[@jmanchester]

Amazing vide! I've written a feature that we are hopefully getting ready to film and also writing two others. It's a long, fun, humbling, yet satisfying process. Thanks for letting us inside your world of getting it done! It's always fun to watch.

[@Marcus_Visbal]

Really amazing video with a lot of information. Thank you 🙌

[@ZachRamelan]

Glad it was helpful!

[@djbapeck]

This is incredible would love to see what you do next

[@Auraboy444]

Great video

[@jaylamb218]

Looking forward to seeing the completed project and will definitely be buying your course! You’re a great inspiration to so many of us!! Keep up the great work!!

[@ZachRamelan]

Awesome! Thank you so much! You can check it out here: www.cinematicacademy.ca/

[@judichristopher4604]

I have chill bumps watching this video... I am so excited for you... "YOU GO GIRL" (I tell that to all my students) Thank you for sharing this video... I can't wait to see more.

[@AlbowaSinema]

He is a man though! Just use appropriate identifiers! smh!

[@picxlmedia7856]

Love this! Someone on KZbin that uses the term filmmaker and are actually making films!

[@miavoce1]

Terrific stuff, looking forward to seeing the movie. Do you know roughly when you expect your training course to be available ?

[@schoeferfilm]

Really awesome insights Zach 🙏 thanks a lot 😉 we are working on an action trailer 🎥 it is a hard way to realize this with low budget but we all are passionate filmmakers 😅 best cinematic greetings from 🇩🇪

[@11.Pierre]

Based on what I’m watching though, looks like you had a decent budget. Of course it was independent but I’d say maybe $50k minimum. You can def make a film a lot cheaper with relationships though but even those take time for most people! Keep up the great work, keep cooking. It looks like yal are using the mkh50 for audio! Correct me if I’m wrong on the audio!

[@FDFchannel1]

thank uu

[@michael_braithwaite]

Super Inspiring, I'll be getting into feature films soon

[@ZachRamelan]

YES!!!! Do SHORTS! make lots and lots of short films before features.

[@eleventhvision]

Very well done, Zach! Where will this film be distributed? or are you just doing a festival run and seeing what happens from that point ?

[@AlbowaSinema]

Congratulations!

[@MarkoXJunior]

Where to get arri for the lunch?

[@vividmotion66]

Cool! What lenses did you use, specifically on the fx3?

[@iyobosastudios]

This is very interesting.

[@ZachRamelan]

Thanks!

[@danielellis8685]

As someone who works in the industry, I enjoy watching your channel. However, I've never seen anybody get a Chapman for the price of lunch. What was the budget?

[@ZachRamelan]

Unfortunately I can't share the budget of our film until we sell it. That said, our DOP legend Chris, lent us a lot of his gear because he believed in the film and will get compensated after/if the movie sells.

[@danielellis8685]

@@ZachRamelan Ah I gotchq. Relationship currency in this business will go further than cash. Always. Congrats on the successful shoot!

[@nhlanhlasithole2899]

My advice. Dont focus on aesthetics. Make a movie thats absolutely intriguing. Dont copy people. And if it looks bad, it's bad. Dont keep a bad shot, angle, environment.

[@11.Pierre]

I’d say focus on aesthetics and a good film like you said. If it’s good it’s good, I mean go watch tubi !

[@user-ej3sz6bz3z]

WHERE CAN I GET THE MOVIE ....CANT WAIT

[@ebayless]

Super impressive job! Looks awesomeee!!! I’m planning an ambitious short film to shoot in the spring. Any tips or advice on how to get access to locations such as gas stations, etc to shoot at for cheap or maybe even free?? Would really appreciate any response!

[@ZachRamelan]

GO ask! Find a local business, tell them about what you're doing, and maybe even offer your services to shoot a promo for them if it's a location you really like.

[@ebayless]

Thanks for the response Ill be sure to do that! @@ZachRamelan

[@deepaksrinivasmondal]

Would really want to understand how you funded the movie and how you (and/or the producer/financier) intend to recoup that money? I am willing to spend some money on my short film, but then if I could get help with distributing or recouping some amount of that, it would be a tremendous help!

[@kamikaze1213]

I’m most interested in the sound. Can you do a video about that?

[@ZachRamelan]

Absolutely! our next film is heavily rooted in sound

[@Hashaam_Official]

I'll JOIN on your journey, sure.

[@ZachRamelan]

YES!!!! HAPPY to have you on it!

[@wandaworx1217]

Cool i like the Michael Bay style, makes the cinematography feel crisp, and now

[@ZachRamelan]

YES! Hate on him all you want, there's lots we can learn from the Bay style of filmmaking

[@wandaworx1217]

@@ZachRamelanagreed I'm also learning from you. Keep it up bro.

[@poikatiikeri]

What gimbal did you use?

[@ZachRamelan]

Ronin S2

[@MrJayColes]

What metric are you using to qualify this as “HBO quality?”

[@mattabeln]

Man, the coloring is insane! Like Bad Boys intro scenes. Tutorial/BTH?

[@ZachRamelan]

YEAH!!!!! I'll see if I can get our colourist Walt on!

[@mattabeln]

@ZachRamelan literally waiting right here until he arrives!!

[@Endimione17]

well the grading in my taste is a bit overdriven

[@ZachRamelan]

That's why we have a taste. Everyone's is different.

[@Endimione17]

@@ZachRamelan Yep, but I mean: that's the overall industry trend, the tone and saturation; anyways I guess the 'vibrancy' is so anti-naturalistic

[@Bandkstudios]

Is it out yet?

[@ZachRamelan]

Not yet but we're in the middle of finding a home for it on a streamer

[@Bandkstudios]

@@ZachRamelan dope, I’m definitely going to watch it when it does come out

[@breveganlyfe]

Dru from Power 😂

[@MediaBuster]

No money or small budget? Which was it? The video is confusing, but very deceiving to make people think anyone can shoot all those days at those locations with all that crew and cast, with that equipment with no money. That's ridiculous. You shot this for peoples lunch?

[@utooboobnoob]

I dislike the clickbait title too. However anyone that watches this, seeing the gear / people / locations involved, and thinks it was “no budget”, has bigger issues than being deceived by a KZbin video.

[@MediaBuster]

@@utooboobnoobTotally agree. He is just luring people into paying for his course thinking they can make these films with THAT many crew/cast, locations expensive equipment etc for no money. Don't forget there are a lot of gullible people out there, but it is really this guy's DUTY and responsibility to be open and up front about exactly what he spent or didn't spend.

[@ZachRamelan]

Hey, unfortunately, I can't share the budget until we sell the film, but I promise this was for a fraction of what typical Hollywood features get made for. And yes, the price was close to what these big productions pay for craft services AKA lunch.

[@MediaBuster]

@@ZachRamelan That's kinda vague, because a big movie can have $300,000 set aside for lunch, but lunch for most people sounds like $20 or for a group of people $100 and we both know you didn't spend $100 making this film, with over 5 production companies listed on IMDB, including . "a fraction of what typical Hollywood features get made for." That could mean 2 million dollars as a typical Hollywood film is made for 40-150 million.

[@MediaBuster]

This was really just a paid advertisement for your paid course. You never told us how much the budget was or how much you spend, but the language was kinda veiled in secrecy to make it appear you did it for nothing but then you said "low budget." Kinda deceiving TBH.

[@RonaldReidJr]

You could say that, but technically speaking from the other content on his channel, he really does a great job at showing the possibilities of making a great short film or a film in general for a little to nothing. It really comes down to preproduction and planning and building a story around resources that you have a story can be made anywhere, it’s up to you to figure out how to use a simple location like your apartment to make a film. I think what he is trying to do is show us that it’s not impossible and we don’t need to wait for a big budget or approval to create something filmmakers with the Camera, are waiting for an opportunity to get a budget, or investor to make their first film. The point here is that you should go outside and make something no matter the budget.

[@ZachRamelan]

Thanks for watching the video. Unfortunately, I can't share the budget of the film until we sell it. To recoup my cost/time spent on this video (which was days), I'm plugging my own course. Sorry if it felt like an ad.

[@ZachRamelan]

Thank you for sharing this @RonaldReidJr

[@MediaBuster]

@@RonaldReidJrYou can literally take an iPhone and make a film in your apartment. That was not my point. He made this seem like they made it for nothing, or as he said for the price of lunch, which is just ridiculous, when they have 5 production companies listed on IMDB, but he is making it appear it can be done for nothing at that scale.

[@JJ-ff3bj]

@@ZachRamelandon’t listen to that frickin weirdo OP - i thought this video was super informative. I’m brand new at shooting short films and I think this was great

[@user-ny6yr5lw3h]

Take down a good story first with the help of bad equipment, not the other way around

[@ZachRamelan]

I agree! We got to this point by shooting hundreds of bad-quality videos with good stories. Eventually the quality of video meets the quality of content.