7 Rules Every Amateur Filmmaker Should Know
***This is taken nearly word-for word from a post on my filming blog about how our short film failed and how to avoid our mistakes. Hopefully you find it helpful in some way!*** { johnilmsia.wordpress.com } ————————————— You know the short film project I've been talking about? Yeah, not happening. This is what happens when you have five people with equal sway over the script, the style, and the look of the film; but no director. FILMING IS NOT A DEMOCRACY. Since our 'easy' film got royally screwed up, here's some rules/tips to keep in mind on your film projects. ~Rule 1: Have a clear idea BEFORE you start anything else~ We went in all thinking different things. I thought sci-fi. Someone else wanted horror. Another was thinking more dramatic. And don't even get me started on the one who wanted to go the artsy-fartsy route... We couldn't agree early on. Everyone's opinion was equal, so the only way to "win" was to get someone else on your side. Naturally this quickly leads to tense and passionate arguments. Don't be afraid to sacrifice some sacred cows! Yes, this includes even YOU. Even if you are the person in charge, make compromises. In my project, I came up with the original idea all on my own. And then I watched all traces of my idea get reworked by the group. AND THAT'S OKAY. You have to be willing to let go and allow others to contribute too. (It also helped to get our English teacher to moderate our scripting.) ~Rule 2: Assign jobs~ Assess the collective skills your group has and distribute the responsibility. You've got to take into account their expertise, relations to others on the team, and how busy they are. I called dibs on editing. Fortunately no one argued since they knew I had the most experience with semi-advanced programs. I felt that one girl, who got along with everyone else in the group, would make a great director because she could keep us together. Another was a great artist, do they did storyboards. Another liked organising, so she arranged when we would meet up. ~Rule 3: Keep personal and professional separate~ When you come to shoot a movie, that's what I expect you to do- JUST SHOOT THE MOVIE. I don't want to hear about your break-up, or who ticked off who, or why they can't get along with someone else in the group. Shut up and get in the zone. ~Rule 4: Don't change you're script constantly~ It's one thing to add little details when you actually start to film. But unless something drastic happens that prevents you from pursuing the original idea (i.e.- someone quits and you have to write them out), STICK TO THE SCRIPT. If people in your group get the idea that nothing is set in stone, it becomes the brain-storming process all over again. ~Rule 5: Establish/enforce a shooting schedule~ What ultimately killed this project was the lack of coordination. I asked to film 3 weeks before the deadline. It took us a week to hash out the plot. And then (with only 2 weeks to film and edit!) people couldn't make it the first day. Or the next day. Or the next day. Excuses, excuses, excuses. And then there was a snowstorm so no one could make it. Eventually, we were at the 1 week away mark. And we had only shot a SINGLE scene. One week was barely enough time to edit, let alone wrap up AND edit! The moral is: Put your foot down. Make reasonable demands, like, "If you can't make it one more time, I guess you don't have to to make a movie." ~Rule 6: Edit quick, edit concise, edit clever~ I'm going to assume you will be editing since you are probably the most interested in making this thing. I called dibs on being the editor because I had the most experience editing and scoring. Speaking of which, here's my article on free-will donation music that might come in handy: johnfilmsia.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/mu You have to allow time to edit. It's that simple. Know your limits. ~Rule 7: Take criticisms~ Bravo! If you've made it this far, congrats! But wait, don't throw that victory party yet. Just because you've survived through the whole ordeal doesn't mean you're done. Show it to some people. And I don't mean throw it on YouTube for review. Show your parents. Your teachers. Your friend's friends. Most likely they will go "Wow, that took a lot of work", but if they say "that sucks" ask them why. And LISTEN. I know, I know- it hurts. How dare they criticize your hard work! They should be happy with whatever you show them, right? Except honest opinions and constructive criticism is critical to perfecting the product. Maybe you should draw out that moment a little longer, or maybe the dialogue was a little too cut up and quick. If the people you know can't follow the movie, how do you expect the Internet audience to respond? A fresh set of eyes and ears ensure you've got a solid film. Well, there you go. Hopefully this will point you in the right direction. Don't be intimidated! Just go out and DO. |
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