I'm not usually one to watch indie films or go to film festivals. However, when I watched the trailer for "Victoria" recently, I was blown away by the technical difficulty of what the production crew had accomplished. This Berlin made movie has now been featured in dozens of film festivals and has won some big awards. Why? All 140 minutes of action throughout the film were shot in a single take.
The movie features a young traveling woman named Victoria who is spending three months working in Berlin. Her life consists mostly of work and partying late into the night. One evening, she meets some new friends but as the night progresses, events turn from bad to worse culminating in an adrenaline packed bank heist.
To accomplish the movie in one take, the cast and crew held rehearsals for two months before the shot was attempted. The actors developed their roles within a framework but weren't confined to a specific script or lines. Thus, there was a fair amount of improvisation that happened throughout the film. Although a few attempts were made to accomplish the single take, each one was apparently good in itself. Laia Costa, the lead actress who plays Victoria, offers some insight into the complexity of the filming process in an interview done for ZDF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2HUUAD_QV8
I personally cant imagine how difficult it must have been to accomplish all the technical aspects of the entire film in one shot. I recognize other movies like "Russian Ark" have accomplished extensive shots, but to add action sequences to the mix is incredibly impressive.
I want to write and direct a movie one day. I feel like I can pull it off but the hardest part seems like managing the actors without big budgets. I wonder how they can get so many people to work on a project like this for months without paying them a huge sum of money.
Managing cheap/free talent is easy compared to finding skilled crew to work cheap or free... especially for a feature-length project.
However, if your crew only has to work 140 minutes in one night (not counting pre-pro and setup), then maybe the challenge alone would be enough to lure them. Also, get a young sound mixer & boom op... old backs and feet won't be able to keep up. ;-)
How can you convince people to take off work for a month to film a project that you can't pay well for?
Berlin is currently a kind of melting pot of creative people in Europe. Here you can also find hundreds of foreigners who want to do something new. Therefore, it is relatively easy to find a highly motivated team.
If you havn't seen: "Variety": Berlin Film Review: ‘Victoria’
http://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/berlin-film-review-victoria-12014...
Hi Lee,
A good friend of mine is making an indie movie ( http://www.nonebutmyself.com/ ) in London on literally almost zero budget and everyone involved is doing it simply to be a be a part of something and believe in the script. It can be done but he is sinking most of his personal time into the project around other work. I am sure someone such as yourself with contacts and exposure to so many talented creatives could potentially get some help in various areas.
Lee, I would suggest you take part someday to this great movement from Canada named Kino https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kino_(movement). There are some taking place all over the world, each year (or more often). There, you will have the opportunity to meet plenty of people wanting to make a movie just for pleasure only.
It works like this. About 3 months before the sessions, there is a call for synopsis from directors (anybody can apply for about a 100 euro fee) and a organisers select a few of them. Then techies and actors sign in for the event independently (about 50 euros). At the beginning of the event (which is 3 sessions of 3 days each: total 9 days), there is a gathering. Directors pitch their film to everybody, and try to meet as many people (techies and actors) as possible in the evening to create their team. There is also a support from organisers who provide equipment (lights, cameras, set props, costumes, make up artists ... plenty of stuff !!). Then you make your movie in 3 days with the only condition being you HAVE TO show it in a cinema on a big screen at the end of those 72 hours.
To me this is where I met LOTS of talented people I work with today. This is also after participating in a kino where I understood you can achieve great things in very little time if you are well prepared and have a great motivated team ... even if you just met them ! This is a place where that kind of magic happens and is accessible to everybody. Yes, it exists !
PM me if you want to know more. I'll be happy to make you discover.
Cheers from Belgium.
I've heard of this. It sounds really awesome.
I actually photographed the cast twice here in Berlin. They all got along very well and had that family vibe. Frederick Lau is being considered a "raising star" here in Germany.
Much like photography, it's not always about the money. It's about the love and doing something to be proud of. Take that whole "personal work" outlook we photographers have and apply it to film. They believed in the director and his message. I look at it as they spent only a month out of their lives and have something awesome to be proud of. Something awesome in their portfolio they can build upon.
I'm also really impressed with the sound quality in the trailer. I wonder if they had everyone laved up or if they had to much voice over afterwards
a few years ago I was able to work with a great group of people with zero budget to create an amazing piece. while it was not 140minutes long there were months of per-production meetings held to find days and times that worked with the crew. even with heavy planning we couldn't account for thieves stealing the riding gear used the night before the final day of shooting was to start. Even with that wrench thrown into the mix I am very happy with the results.
https://vimeo.com/element56/escapism/