Creating a short film can be one of the most challenging tasks for new, independent film directors. You must wear many “hats,” and wear them well if you want to be successful. Over the years, I have learned valuable information about the filmmaking process, most of which I was never told. I’ve learned what to do along with what not to do—and the best ways to get excellent results. This section is all about how I make my films from start, to finish. So whether you’re a filmmaker yourself, or you are a film-watcher who is interested in how things are made…you are in the right place!
NOTE: These lessons coincide with the YouTube playlist “Shooting a Short Film.”
Just Start
The hardest part of anything is getting started, and guess what…filmmaking is no different. Many projects never make it off of the ground because they never get stared. They never go from idea to execution. In this first episode, I discussed how it was a contest that shoved my project through the pre-production phase to the production phase. But the key word in all of this, was Pre-Production.
“Pre-Production is the foundation of all great movies.”
I’ve also heard, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” The bottom line is that you will NOT make a great movie if you don’t do the work ahead of time. I had to learn this the hard way when I was just starting. Pre-Production or planning is more than just having a script and a camera. It’s being intentional about every detail, of every second of the film. What the characters are saying, how the camera is capturing what they are saying, what the characters are wearing, what the room looks like, how will the rooms look on camera, what’s the best lens to convey the message, so on and so forth. And we didn’t even talk about logistics.
Let me give you a few of the tools that I use to help me get started with pre-production.
The first image is my notes app on my iPhone. I imagine that Android users have something similar. If you look closely, you will notice that the left column is filled with note topics for the movie. Such as, Broken Measures Shooting Schedule, Broken Measures Football Scene, Broken Measures Marketing and Distribution, and so on. You will also notice that I’m already thinking about visiting the shooting locations for a tech scout, rehearsal with the actors, etc.
The second image is an app that I use called Milanote. I have 8 tabs starting with Budget all the way to Scheduling. I have carefully thought and planned out all of these items. Meaning I have visited these locations ahead of time, I have tested wardrobe options for all of the characters, I have even come up with a proposed schedule for shooting…before I have even met the actors. It’s all thought out.
You will also notice a tab labeled “Creative Deck.” This is a visual representation of the film that conveys the look and feel of the story. Here is the one that I created for Broken Measures.
On top of all of your creative choices, you need to also think about logistics. Such as, what will the actors and crew eat, where will they go to the restroom, what forms need to be signed, what will I pay them. I know…it’s a lot. But that’s what pre-production is for. Think about EVERYTHING…absolutely everything from start to finish. Do this before you start filming. This is where you start.
Next….let’s talk about scriptwriting.
Content coming soon…come back!