Alpha Bet - Cheap Tricks

Donald Y.
Posted 5 months ago

Sincere - but what is the movie. It's great fun to do indy film - but we all must move ahead to bigger projects. And it requires sticking in until the project is filmed.

Christy M.
Posted 6 months ago

Interesting

Jackson A.
Posted 6 months ago

Good job

Ben S.
Posted 6 months ago

Great work!

Kristi H.
Posted 6 months ago

Sweet "cheap tricks"

Mac L.
Posted 6 months ago

Very nicely done! Looking forward to more.

Crystal D.
Posted 6 months ago

No real tricks

Terrence A.
Posted 6 months ago

looks good

jane D.
Posted 6 months ago

cool

Carolyn D.
Posted 7 months ago

Seems like the teamwork is there but I didn't really catch how you actually save money ;)

Mike R.
Posted 7 months ago

Teamwork is what makes these projects so much fun to watch sometimes. Great job!

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Mike - we so agree with you :)

Aiden C.
Posted 7 months ago

Nice rebound on mission 2. It is interesting to see that you have already budgeted Alphabet out and gained more experience on some other projects.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks so much Aiden, really appreciate your comments and support! :)

Fanny B.
Posted 7 months ago

Way to be resourceful with what you've got!

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Fanny! :) Keep watching and posting, we appreciate your support - Andre, Liz & Stepehen

Heather B.
Posted 7 months ago

Shooting RED is not a "cheap trick" guys! LOL Great to see you're working hard, networking, building a strong team. Good luck.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

HAha but it so is! Red One's are renting for $250/day for Raindance premium members... It's getting so much cheaper to use great equipment that adds massive production value.

Kenya H.
Posted 7 months ago

Liked see your creativity come out with the confines of a budget!

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks so much Kenya, we appreciate your continued support!

Chantie D.
Posted 7 months ago

good teamwork

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thank you Chantie! :)

Donald Y.
Posted 7 months ago

This shows your team can work to a budget, and you can raise your game as funds permit. I think your group could do anything you set your minds to.

Mike P.
Posted 7 months ago

I really like your resourcefulness. It is nice to see people coming together.

Colin T.
Posted 7 months ago

Liked this video, awesome to see that you've already priced out this movie if it gets made, that is great. I love organization, A+ from me

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thank you SO much Colin, we really appreciate your comment and support :)

Debbie P.
Posted 7 months ago

It's always great to get volunteer support.

Andrew M.
Posted 7 months ago

Like your spirit.

Leith P.
Posted 7 months ago

Great to networking to do some great work well done

Bobbi F.
Posted 7 months ago

I cannot believe the creativity and resourcefulness that goes into all these projects. Incredibly educational.

Cruella D.
Posted 7 months ago

Dedicated and talented starving artists. It forces you to be creative...Keep it up !!!

Daniel F.
Posted 7 months ago

Cool and informative!

Jess R.
Posted 7 months ago

great video

Michelle G.
Posted 7 months ago

I'm not sure that even a million could buy you someone funny enough that it would be worth watching.

Tom H.
Posted 7 months ago

building up a reliable posse is always a cheap trick!

Colin P.
Posted 7 months ago

good stuff

George A.
Posted 7 months ago

Informative & resourseful on this effort. Two thumbs up!

Andrea B.
Posted 7 months ago

Nice and innovative

saara m.
Posted 7 months ago

Right on!

Christine W.
Posted 7 months ago

Cool!

Danny T.
Posted 7 months ago

Gotta love the RED.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

We just wanted to take a moment to mention the mastermind behind Mason Jar (the most recent film project mentioned in the video) Miss Lisa Miron Rambaldini!! A kick-ass script is the golden ticket to success and all the production value in the world can't make a mediocre script good. She was the writer, co-producer and director of this film and did it all between 7 and 8.5 months pregnant!!! She is an amazing talent and you will see her name on a movie in theatres soon!

patricia s.
Posted 7 months ago

nice

Kate M.
Posted 7 months ago

Large budget given the outcome...

Tanya H.
Posted 7 months ago

Great stuff again! Looks like a fun crew.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thank you Tanya!

Jac r.
Posted 7 months ago

Charming video….and looks like you've done your homework

Anna D.
Posted 7 months ago

Good luck guys. You two have a lot of potential.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Anna!

Kayla C.
Posted 7 months ago

Been said before but I do admire the simplicity of the video.

Gabriella B.
Posted 7 months ago

Red cam for the win!

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

totally! lol.

Julia B.
Posted 7 months ago

Impressive that you did that in only a grand.

Evelyn G.
Posted 7 months ago

Nice video. Wish you two luck.

Martha P.
Posted 7 months ago

Good luck.

Sarah P.
Posted 7 months ago

Nice.

Martin N.
Posted 7 months ago

Creative!

Brenden M.
Posted 7 months ago

Very well done!

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Brenden!

Dougie M.
Posted 7 months ago

Nice concept

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thank you Dougie :)

Shannon M.
Posted 7 months ago

Good job

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Shannon!

Eva W.
Posted 7 months ago

The quality of your actual trailer does not make it seem like you used a Red. Good equipment, bad execution?

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

As mentioned in the video, the Alpha Bet trailer was shot on DSLR. Our most recent project to show our resourcefulness and ability to execute quality on a budget was shot on RED. We openly admit in this video that our trailer's production value isn't top notch, but we learned alot in the process and think it's pretty good considering we spent less than $1000, and we didn't really know what was up with export settings in FCP. We'll definitely get a professional editor for our trailer next time around!

Lisa L.
Posted 7 months ago

Concept trailers aren't supposed to come from an already finished film... some teams seem to have an unfair advantage just cutting from previous work (but I understand that you guys want to make into a feature).

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Our short film was always meant to be a teaser, and while we had footage already shot to work with, it was a limitation on its own - what we shot was a drama, but what we're pitching is a comedy. Finding usable footage that conveyed the appropriate tone was challenging. We probably would have been better off producing a separate trailer from cinecoup. Again, a learning experience all around!!

Ryder L.
Posted 7 months ago

Good luck guys. You two have a lot of potential.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks so much Ryder! That means a lot :)

Andre S.
Posted 7 months ago

Much appreciated Ryder

Ben St-Pierre S.
Posted 7 months ago

Been said before but I do admire the simplicity of the video.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Ben :)

Blake N.
Posted 7 months ago

Red cam for the win!

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

TOTES!

Cameron P.
Posted 7 months ago

Impressive that you did that in only a grand.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thank you Cameron... it was tricky and we know we sacrificed being competitive with a lot of these trailers by not putting as much money in, but at the end of the day, that's all we had and we weren't going to let that stop us from entering this competition!

Matthew J.
Posted 7 months ago

Nice video. Wish you two luck.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Matthew, really appreciated :)

jack k.
Posted 7 months ago

looks like a great time

Christopher L.
Posted 7 months ago

I really like the group dynamic. Always gotta keep it lively. Cheers

Catherine M.
Posted 7 months ago

I enjoyed your video.

Hannah B.
Posted 7 months ago

You guys seem like you have a good time. Godspeed!

Andre S.
Posted 7 months ago

Yes, lots of fun, lots of learning! Thanks

Sarah G.
Posted 7 months ago

Simply and elegantly done. Wish you luck.

Isabella F.
Posted 7 months ago

This is a sweet and sincere video. Good job, guys.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks so much Isabella, your kind words help us push on in this tough industry! :)

Sophie L.
Posted 7 months ago

Keep up the good work, guys. Film makers like you are greatly appreciated!

Andre S.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks so much Sophie, fans with kind words like you are just as appreciated

Brooklyn M.
Posted 7 months ago

You should definitely carry this forward even outside of CineCoup.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Brooklyn, we find the concept is strong and will definitely continue pitching this to investors and distributors even if we don't make it to the next round

Andre S.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks!

Eric T.
Posted 7 months ago

Well that answered my questions.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Haha, sweet!

Sukanya B.
Posted 7 months ago

Interesting. I wish you'd have been a little more engaging though, taking us in on the tricks and all...

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Appreciate your input Sukanya! We'll try to keep that in mind for future challenges. Cheers,
Liz

Michelle R.
Posted 7 months ago

Cool beans.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Beans cool beans.. coool cool cool cool COOLBEANS! (Please tell me you have watched Hot Rod ;) )

Andre S.
Posted 7 months ago

Liz are you drunk at work again? ;P

Samantha B.
Posted 7 months ago

Nice video. Very thorough.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

thank you Samantha!

Jacques P.
Posted 7 months ago

Kudos on your frankess and open-ness. Best wishes on your side.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Jacques! Really appreciate it :)

nithi k.
Posted 7 months ago

I agree with the comment abut the China Balls. That's definitely a Production Trick!

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

:) Totally!

Jacques M.
Posted 7 months ago

You used 3 DSLRs? Neat!

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Yah, it definitely helped with our pacing... That said I'm not sure I'd use more than 2 cameras at once moving forward, because it was a major challenge for audio: making sure the boom got close enough but remained out of frame for all three camera angles. Stick to 2 cameras max and your Boom Op/Sound Mixer will thank you :)

Andre S.
Posted 7 months ago

I found it awesome cause were able to shoot 3x the amount of coverage in a weekend. Biggest issue was quality comparison... we used a 7d, 60d, and T2i, and in alot of the interior shots the T2i was so grainy it couldnt be used

shilpi s.
Posted 7 months ago

I like the pictures - specifically the China Bowl. Would love to hear how you saved money with that.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Shilpi! China Ball's are AWESOME! Ikea sells them in a package of 6 for $24.00, the cords we used are $5.99 each. Combine this with a $9.99 dimmer switch from ikea + coloured bulbs and you have yourself an inexpensive alternative to studio lighting and gel's.
In our more recent project, Mason Jar, we used a Chinaball with a standard 100Watt bulb placed in front of the camera as an inexpensive alternative to an eye-light. It was nicely diffused and add's that neat little sparkle to your actor's eyes. Watch any Hollywood film and you will notice that eye-light and how it can be used to set the tone of a scene.

Michel P.
Posted 7 months ago

I watch films, but don't make them. Some of the things you mentioned - like a 3 point setup - are greek to me!

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Haha, aww Michel, when you go to film school you learn very quickly about how to use three lights to light a scene. When lighting a project you are essentially painting with film. Light is what makes a camera work and capture what we see. Big budget films use many lights in creative ways to make them look so good! With our project we've proven that all you NEED need is 3 lights. More will obviously increase the production value, but when working on a budget, you make do with what you have.

Charles B.
Posted 7 months ago

I really liked the fact that you were honest and upfront about what you have and what you don't. Wish you guys luck.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thank you Charles, we're doing the best we can and staying inspired to follow our dreams! I hope you do the same :)

Antoine C.
Posted 7 months ago

I'm happy to hear you guys have a good team behind you, but would have appreciated more technical input.

Louis L.
Posted 7 months ago

I wish you guys great success on all your projects - this and beyond.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thank you so much Louis! Same to you :)

Nidhi c.
Posted 7 months ago

I think you guys are honest and sincere - love it!

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Nidhi, We so appreciate your comments and support :) xox - Andre, Liz & Stephen

François G.
Posted 7 months ago

I liked this video. Unlike a lot of what I am seeing, this actually talks about how to increase production value.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks so much Francois! REALLY appreciate your support! Have you seen any of our other videos?

Pierre G.
Posted 7 months ago

Some good tricks in there.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Pierre!!

Joseph M.
Posted 7 months ago

Got a RED, eh? ;-)

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Well... RENTED a RED, Sim Video became a sponsor for our project Mason Jar so they cut us a deal. It was the best decision we could have made & Sim is wonderful to work with.

Andre S.
Posted 7 months ago

Would you believe REDs are considered bottom of the barrel in the rental houses at the moment? Everyone wants the Arri, so you can get a RED body for 300$ a day which is a damn good price generally speaking. Also helps if your DOP personally knows the rental staff :)

Gabriel B.
Posted 7 months ago

Me too! Hope you two nothing but success.

Andre S.
Posted 7 months ago

You too Gabriel!!!

Marie A.
Posted 7 months ago

Appreciate your honesty, folks! Hope you get it.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thank you so much Marie! :)

Akshay S.
Posted 7 months ago

Did you guys get your budget vetted somewhere?

Andre S.
Posted 7 months ago

Do you mean for the productions in the videos, or for the feature length of Alpha Bet?

manoj p.
Posted 7 months ago

Really impressive to hear you guys pulled it off for less than $1k!

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Manoj! That's all we could afford, but we weren't going to let that stop us from shooting something and entering this competition :)

Andre S.
Posted 7 months ago

So many people have equipment these days, your friend has a friend with lenses, or some lighting equipment, another girl knows an editor... It was surprisingly easy to find materials for little or no cost!

Vaibhav R.
Posted 7 months ago

Good to know that it could be done in $300k!

Aakash s.
Posted 7 months ago

The competition in CineCoup is definitely intense. If you guys don't get it here, I wish you luck anyway!

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thank you so much, we really appreciate your support! We feel our concept for our film is strong and well suited for Cinecoup... that said, we recognize we don't have as strong a trailer as some of these $10K+ ones...

Alexa S.
Posted 7 months ago

I admire the simplicity of the video - well done you two.

Liz M.
Posted 7 months ago

Thank you so much Alexa! :)

Aaron j.
Posted 7 months ago

Impressive. Good luck!

Andre S.
Posted 7 months ago

Thanks Aaron!

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