Finding and Adapting a Development Model

I have had an idea percolating in the back of my mind for a few weeks now. It is deeply personal, yet I think it holds some universal elements as well. I think it could be a really strong project, if done right.

But that is the problem. When ever I really fall in love with a project, it becomes too precious and I am terrified to move it along, for fear that I ruin my perfect concept. This is obviously unacceptable.

So, I am looking for a new, well any, development model that will help me get over this analysis paralysis and provide a framework for incremental work towards completion.

I have a lot of texts and hands-on experience with production and even writing, and have found them invaluable for accomplishing objectives and completing projects. However, I have never spent much time in the development phase. I have Linda Seger's Making a Good Script Great, which is a great book, but it is fundamentally a book of rewriting, so is obviously light on development.

Where will I find a model that works for me?
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Practical Experience Gained from Using My Equipment

A few months ago I bought new camera equipment: Canon HV40 camcorder, Letus Mini adapter and three old Canon FD lenses. Now that I have used the setup a few times, I have some real world data on usage. This is important because I have building this knowledge as I move towards making "real" movies.

Below are my random list of observations:

• The camera isn't great in low-light
• But with a little work, you can squeeze manual exposure control out of it (shutter speed, aperture, gain)
• The adapter and 35mm lenses eat light.
• The combination of the first and third above means that shooting indoors is not advisable if you aren't going to light.
• A movie should be lit anyway, even outside
• I knew low-light would be an issue going in
• A little gain might not be so bad, maybe.
• The footage can feel big, expensive. Sticking with 180 degree shutter, shooting at 24p and aiming for the angles of view that Hollywood uses all add a tremendous amount of production value.
• The bokeh is great.
  
• HDV, so far, is a pain. My machine is operable, but struggles to cut it, especially with a couple of layers.
  
• My computer is definitely under-powered and is incapable of running pro editing systems. HDV is lightest weight, non-proxy source material that I am going to be dealing with going forward.
  
• I am cutting with Premiere Elements 9. I don't think consumer editing apps will every be comfortable for me after using real Premiere, Avid and Final Cut so much.
• Additionally, the "user-friendliness" of Elements means I don't have a lot of control over the capture and preservation of my data. I am not even sure what the real specs are of the captured video.
  
• Color correcting is doable under these conditions given a properly white balanced and exposed scene. However, the heavy compression, color bit depth and lack of even a simple tools (three-way color correction, levels or curves) mean that color grading is complete out of the question.
• Still, the image looks pretty damn good, until you start messing with it.
• In order to retain maximum control over exposure, especially shutter, I do not use the cinema setting. Also, to try to give myself the most flexibility in post, I use the custom image controls and turn the contrast, saturation and sharpening all the way down. But given that I can't effectively manipulate the image in post anyway, I might start shooting with the image punched up. It at least merits a test.
  
• After three years out of the game, my workflow skills are rusty. Of course, a lot has changed in that time. DV becomes HDV, SD becomes HD, interlaced becomes progressive, 29.97 becomes 23.98, XP becomes windows 7, etc etc. I just realized how few codecs I have on my system.
• HDMI Out capture was one of the reasons I bought this camera, though that feature is a lot more common now. I would need a capture device, and to thoroughly test the workflow.
  
• Faster lenses would be awesome, but exacerbate the shallow depth of field issue
  
• Shallow DOF is hard
  • following focus is tough on non-cinema lenses (due to focus throw) especially without a follow focus system
    
  • gauging what is in focus is tough without a monitor or assists (e.g. false color). I am trying to use the Peaking assist that baked in, but the haven't found it to be too useful yet.
    
• Shoulder mount rig would be really nice.
  

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Five Movies in 2011

I am going to make 5 movies in 2011. They may not be large. They may not be great. But they will be made.
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