Can I just go out and shoot stuff with my digital camcorder?
Should I tell people to enact scenes?
Do I need to get “releases” signed by these people to put them in my movie?
If I use known songs by known artists, do I have to pay them? Even if I just release the movie on the internet?
If I have people dress in Simpsons masks and costumes, and make BETTER versions of the Simpsons TV show, will I get in trouble? I could make an episode where Bart takes the unicycle out of the closet, learns to ride, and shows up at a Unatics meeting with Homer, who eats all the donuts that were for the other Unatics. And Homer has an affair with Ms. Ayelery. and Marge has fantasies to a bedroom poster of Harper, posed with his unicycle.
Is Matt Groening mean?
Is there someplace I can go to get free “movie scripts” I can use to make my movie? with lines for the actors? And a story? and stage directions?
Is there anything else I need to know about making a movie?
Is this a good way to get famous and rich?
Do you think I should go to college to learn to make movies?
Depends. What kind of movie do you want to make? What do you want to do with this movie, and were will people see it?
It’s really not all that complicated though…
How do I make a movie? Shoot some footage with a camcorder, upload it to your computer’s editing software (assuming you have one, Windows Movie Maker works fine)
Can I just go out and shoot stuff with my digital camcorder? Yep. A tripod might help.
Should I tell people to enact scenes? depending on the type of “movie” you are going to make.
Do I need to get “releases” signed by these people to put them in my movie? …not unless you sell the video… And even then, not unless you think you’ll get sued.
If I use known songs by known artists, do I have to pay them? Even if I just release the movie on the internet? No. Not on the internet. Lots of stuff happens on the internet.
If I have people dress in Simpsons masks and costumes, and make BETTER versions of the Simpsons TV show, will I get in trouble? No, search youtube, I’m sure some one has already done they’re “own” simpsons spoof, etc…
Is Matt Groening mean? Probably.
Is there someplace I can go to get free “movie scripts” I can use to make my movie? with lines for the actors? And a story? and stage directions? I don’t know, but googling it will bring up all kinds of stuff.
Is there anything else I need to know about making a movie? You’ll end up filming LOTS of footage, and cutting most of it out on your computer’s editing program. (again, assuming you have and will use one)
Is this a good way to get famous and rich? Not any time soon.
Do you think I should go to college to learn to make movies? I think you should wait 10-15 years to decide that one.
Depends what your “movie” is. If it’s a youtube movie you don’t need release stuff, but if it gets a lot of views you could get in trouble with Fox for not having their permission. You probably wouldn’t though. You don’t have to pay the artists for their permission to use their song, but you should credit them in the credits. If it’s just an internet movie, cahnces are you aren’t gonna get rich. But if it’s a success and you have a website for that movie and you get paid by advertisers, you could make a lot of money. The people from the youtubejseries “Smosh” are in their teens and probably have made around a million or more from their short films. I donno about free scripts and that stuff…But if you wanna make movie making your career i guess you should go to college for it… Hope this helped some.
There used to be a Village Voice-like publication in Chicago that was free. I can’t remember what it was called, but back when I lived there - 1983 to 1984 - they used to publish Groening’s Life in Hell comics. Since this was back before the Internet and email, I used to mail the cartoon every week to my mom, who adored it.
A few years later, perhaps after the Simpsons had first appeared on the Tracey Ullman show, my wife and I had occasion to meet Groening, first at the New York book festival on 5th Avenue and then at a signing at the B. Dalton’s on 6th Ave and 8th Street in Manhattan. This was in the mid to late 80s. (I got a copy of one of his Life in Hell books signed for my mom’s birthday.)
He was extremely pleasant and gracious both times. At the book fair when he wasn’t quite as well known he talked to us for a while. I don’t know for a fact that this is the case, but I suspect he is basically a nice person.
As for the rest, Billy, I think you should follow your heart and live your dream.