Who writes the screenplays? How long does it take? How many drafts do you go through?
In the beginning we wrote our own screenplays to help save on budget and to shoot subject matter that we were familiar with. The fact is I've written/co-written, we've optioned from within the company and we have also sought outside scripts. I still write as time allows, most recently I did (8) scripts for "Monster Theatre" on www.monsterchannel.tv

Is the screenplay strictly followed in the filming? Yes. With the exception of dialogue when it just isn't working. The script has had to be altered before because of time constraints, lost locations, sick "stars" and other small reasons. For the most part we try not to alter the framework too drastically.

How did you finance the projects? Our movie projects have all been financed by private investors. We are getting into other finance models using certain state programs and looking into co-production deals with other production companies and distributors.

Did you story board your scenes? We have done storyboards for certain action sequences. And if so, did you use a program or an artist or? We used an artist.

How did you find your actors? Most of the casting comes from agency casting calls and now after several movies we have a great talent pool. We have casting agents in L.A. for our "name talent" and then we have a great stable of actors to put in front of our directors.

What kind of pay, if any, did you offer your actors and crew? We have paid up front ever since the 1st CDI film "Knight Chills." My Southern company Lionheart Filmworks, in Richmond, VA is doing a deferred pay on the current project "No Retreat From Destiny" but we paid descent on "Wicked Spring." At CDI we are now SAG qualified and so we pay at least scale.

Did you create a budget and did you stay on target throughout the process? Our COO, Dean West helped us create a software for our company that you enter your budget and it can give you a daily variance report of what % of each department remains. In the early days it was legal pads and I have to say we have always been good about staying on budget. First you have to treat the budget like it was your money. Making 3-4 calls for a line item or service might only save you a few dollars but that adds up day after day, week after week. This creates padding for when you have a run-over in your budget.

DJ ON FILMING

Did you shoot with DV, 16mm, 35mm, other? I've shot in all formats save 70mm. I've shot on Super 35mm while working on "JUDGES." DV on "From Venus" and Super 16mm on "The Flock." More recently "An Ordinary Killer," "GPS," and "Wild Michigan" were shot on the 24P HD cameras and I think it is the way to go. I do love film as well but HD makes much more sense.

What type of film stock did you use? Why? Type depends on day versus night and what look/grain you are trying to obtain. Brand types are dependent upon your budget but as I stated HD is a cheaper. HD can be manipulated in post quite a bit.

Where did you process it? And Why? Any Advice? With "An Ordinary Killer" we used FOREST POST in Detroit to down convert to Beta SP footage and then to reconstruct the HD master.

Did you rent, buy or borrow? Was it a one-camera shoot? We rented one Panasonic P-900 for the shoot.

However many cameras you used, how did you handle setups and coverage for the shots? Any advice or warnings you can give? Preparation between the key crew and the director makes for good coverage and keeps setups moving along with everyone on the same page. Time is money!

What was your approximate shooting ratio? On HD we shot 5-1 as an average.

How did you handle sound on the shoot? Sound has been an evolution that started with running sound into camera, to small field DAT to hiring a full location sound mixer. It pays for itself in the end with good quality location sound.

What kind of lighting did you use and how much of the indoor and outdoor scenes were lighted? Almost everything gets lit or light bounced, filtered, etc…Poorly lit scenes (which we've had before) is a sure beacon of amateurism.

What type of obstacle did you encounter when shooting outdoor? In Michigan: Cold rain/snow/both, loud ducks. In Virginia: Copperheads, ticks, black widows. Mexico: Distracting chicks in bathing suits & tequila shots. In PA: Blizzard

What were the obstacles you encountered while shooting? Any Advice? Wrong trailer hitches for generators, lost smoke machine, poor catering, lost actors, cliffs at night with little light, military chopper getting in Civil War scene, wardrobe person lied to about waist sizes, extras pushing actors into exploding flash pots, bad aim with dust ball gun, flat tires from rough roads, lightning!!! Safety first and plan, plan, plan!

What kind of shots, dolly shots, crane shots, steadicam or other types do you use and what resources did you use to accomplish these? Early on it was tube dollies, steadicam rigs, ladders, cherry picker bucket trucks. Later on we had full jibs, panthar dolly's, giraffe dollys, etc…Plexi-glass is also useful in certain shots using fire or water.

What other equipment do you find useful on your shoots? Is there anything you wish you would of had and didn't? We used the floating light that you fill with helium and it lights up a large area. We used it in a large courtroom and a parking lot. There is always better car rigs etc…that you wished you had. Always the bigger toys!

DJ ON POST-PRODUCTION

How do you edit the film? Did you transfer to tape and edit via computer? We use to downconvert to Beta SP and edit but now we are going more to DV and using Final Cut Pro. Previously we used a Media 100 editing system.

What were the obstacles you encountered while editing? Any Advice? The real obstacles in editing are creative. Keeping running times reasonable and making hard cuts. I mean great scenes that don't move the story along or break the flow of the overall picture. It is sometimes really hard and you have to remember that it is a business commodity as well.

Where did you get the music for the film? With CDI I have worked with Dennis Therrian since our 1st film and my Lionheart Filmworks company works with David Russell out of L.A. Both are very talented men that breath soul into the pictures with moving scores.

How much Foley will you end up incorporating in the editing process? I try to add as much as needed. You can use sounds from the actual tracks but sometimes they need to be re-created. It can make a huge difference in the final film.

Did you have any trouble with sound in the post-production? AlwaysJ Much of it has to do with synch, different platforms and just production sound that was not as good as it could or "noise" that has to be reduced or removed. To this day it is still an area that we seek to enhance.

What are the main suggestions you would give other filmmakers, based on your experiences on these films? In planning, in post-production, in scoring, in editing, in pre-production, etc.? KEEP DRAMA ON THE SCREEN. All your crew and cast should respect one another. They are all team members with a common goal. If a production crew/cast is having fun then it will translate to the screen. Filmmaking is WORK. When you are having fun doing what you are doing then it doesn't really seem like work. It becomes a labor of love. LOVE what you do!