Hey man,
Firstly, well done for having the courage to start such a project.
I've been there myself, so I hope I can help you out.
Here, take a peek at my
first episode, made on a TINY budget: (skip to 2:15 for some action! :sweat: This is the Japanese dub, a shorter cut of the full episode)
See that? If I can do it, you can do it better. Here's my advice:
Above all, keep the idea in your mind. Hold on to the dream; imagine how you want it to turn out, no matter how far-fetched, and don't let go of it. If you can
see it, you can
be it.
Plan it out really well. Characters, plot, script, storyboard. All of it. Write it down, make sketches. Just close your eyes, and imagine watching the episode. Think about shots, camera angles. The order in which things happen.
Get a firm, solid idea of what you want to happen in your first episode. Write the script and embellish it with notes. Example:
John: "Alright! You're about to see a side of me you aren't gonna like..."
[
John reaches behind his belt and grasps a morpher. Camera cuts to a close up of his hand. He pulls it forward and thrusts it into the camera, the face of the morpher comes into sharp focus.
John: "HENSHIN!"
Once you have the story set, it's time to begin construction of the suits and costumes.
I can see you've got talent. You see my costumes? Every one made by hand, by me. When I started, I had never made anything. The last model I made, I used Play-Doh. So I learned and refined my skills over many months. I failed so many times, and they came out looking so bad. But each time, I got a little better. I tried new materials, researched moulding techniques.
Trust me, you'll slip up more than once. But you gotta get back on your feet and try again. And again. AND AGAIN. - You'll get there.
Once costumes are done, you gotta find people to fill them. This is hard. In my episode, we have three people playing the six characters. We literally swapped costumes around between shots. It took four weeks to film. Be creative with angles, and you'll be surprised what you can get away with.
You'll need a camera and a tripod, as well as a good microphone. You don't need a super editing suite. Heck, my computer can't even run modern editing programs. Make sure to get good shots, in good light, and follow your storyboards, and you won't need powerful software.
The sparks and lasers and stuff will be difficult. If you must, just draw them on the frame using Paintshop or something. No-one will judge you for not being Industrial Light & Magic. Tell the story, and do effects later.
Sound effects are a killer, too. Spend a few days trawling free foley archives. Things like punches, footsteps and so on will need to be put in afterwards. It's hard, be prepared to struggle with it!
That's all that springs to mind.... I'll just say one more thing:
Be patient. Be prepared to fail as well as succeed. Don't give up, and do it the way YOU want to do it. It's your story, tell it your way.
I will be happy to answer any questions and give any advice.
Keep the faith,
- Adam
