(Mostly) about Jack's movies

Almost posted this huge comment on Jack's blog, but since it might be of general interest, it goes here.

Every Christmas my brother and I fish out the camcorder and go through the obligatory takes: parents preparing the meal, us four eating at a nicely Christmas-decorated table, us four opening presents, plus other fun stuff that isn't really fun if you weren't part of it. This year, however, it occurred to me I'd tried something different. I was shooting my brother watching my father cut the bird, and heard dad say "see you have to cut it like this". I stopped the camera, quickly approached the scene, so the turkey was filling all the screen, and then hit record. That was the beginning of a long series of movie-like moments that night, some of them more acted than others, so that the final product was quite interesting, looking edited, but not really, since all I had was a VHS tape camcorder. Watching it was so much fun! What a thrill to see my dad walk over to the table, take out a match, making the striking match motion, and before he hits the box, a close-up of the match-striking action, and the candle being lit. That particular moment wasn't acted, dad simply had to use two matches to get the candle lit, and I walked in on his fingers on the second match-strike.

Ever since then I've been contemplating making a movie.
1) No script yet. It would be mostly me as the main character, since I don't have any friends in the area yet. I might need a short female role, and this would also be a great pickup line.
2) It would be about someone like me, since, of course, I've to work with what is available. Basically this is me wanting to see how easy/hard it is to make a believable movie.
3) Everyone has experience as a director. In other words, if you watch films on a regular basis you're bound to have a rough idea of what works. This would be my only education (so far).
4) I'm thinking of contacting the local community theater. Never tried acting, but would love to. This would be a good opportunity to start something completely new, stretch myself, and meet new people.
5) The main obstacle to this project: no camera. Ah yes. More thoughts on this.
5a) I don't mind the Dancer in the Dark feel, the camcorder feel, but I'd much rather have the film feel. You can see my level of technical expertise here... I don't know how to explain it, but sitcoms and home videos don't look as good as films. I think it has to do with the camera being used, or the film.
5b) It will have to be a digital camera, since a film camera would entail buying film and developing, and this is only a hobby. I'm a computer programmer.
5c) I bet there's a way of shooting digital video (i.e. using a camcorder) and processing it so it feels like film.
6) I've been observing actors much more carefully now. Last night I saw People You Know, the Al Pacino PR movie. He's amazing. Some people can pull off amazing performances, they immediately strike you as heavy and serious and trascendental.
7) I went to Jack's blog, hunted down the link to his movies. For those who don't know him, Jack graduated from Dordt, as most of us, and spent a semester in L.A. doing a film studies project, where he did these 3 movies. My favorite one is Perfection. Jack, this bit is for you. I think that girl is really good, especially the bit when she's on the phone. Very believable. He's too stoic for my taste, almost no emotion. There's a couple of really cool camera moments, one where the girl is on the left side of the screen, and then she's on the right side, at a different time. Cool. How did you do the bit where the camera moves from her feet to her face, rapidly moving vertically upwards? During the meal, did you have two cameras, or one? Just noticed that this girl is prettier than the one in the other movie, the widescreen one. This is, of course, subjective, but in your opinion, is it easier to be drawn to a pretty face? I mean, if she would have been ugly, would I say "she's very believable"? Maybe you have some thoughts about it. Finally, how did you do the last shot? Did you use a crane?
8) Jack, can you explain how I can get the "film" feel without $15K?

That's all for now. I might go read Sartre's Nausea now. It's about a man living by himself. Since that's me as well, it might provide some good ideas for a script.

Will post Lochcarron pictures later.