Okay so I want to know the process of making a movie. Like everything to complete the film. I know you start off with a screenplay and getting a director. So where do you go from there? Also I am speaking of any type of movie(short/feature). Thanks guys!
Process of making a movie
- Thread starter DesperadoMan17
- Start date
Depends on your budget. Most filmmakers start with zero-dollar budgets, and pretty much do everything (except act) themselves. Are you talking about financing and producing a movie? Or are you also wanting to direct? And will you be able to pay cast/crew?
Films are only as good as they sound, because "Sound is half of the experience."
Films are only as good as they sound, because "Sound is half of the experience."
Films are only as good as they sound, because "Sound is half of the experience."
Films are only as good as they sound, because "Sound is half of the experience."
Films are only as good as they sound, because "Sound is half of the experience."
Films are only as good as they sound, because "Sound is half of the experience."
Films are only as good as they sound, because "Sound is half of the experience."
Films are only as good as they sound, because "Sound is half of the experience."
Films are only as good as they sound, because "Sound is half of the experience."
Films are only as good as they sound, because "Sound is half of the experience."
Films are only as good as they sound, because "Sound is half of the experience."
Well I really have no budget. Yes I would be directing. And I have also been seeing on here about funding. Could I get funding from somewhere?
Using your script, determine what will be needed logistically for your shoot. i.e. make up a shot list so you know what shots you're going to need, figure out how many actors you'll need, will they be male or female (or both,) what will you need in the way of location(s), will you be shooting interiors only or will exterior shots be needed, will they be during the day or night, what kind of lighting will that entail, what kind of camera are you going to use, what are you going to use for sound, will you need special equipment (like a jib or shoulder mount,) will you need props, will you need special costumes, will you need a crew, how many, etc...
Break everything down and put it on a list of things you need to find, buy, borrow, steal, figure out and get done. Use the list to plan your shoot. Then, take the list with you to your shoot and as you figure out what you forgot to put on it, write it down. Then use the list as a template for the next shoot. As you continue to refine the list every time you shoot, you'll find that the planning and organization becomes second nature.
I would also suggest that you keep your productions small at first, i.e. no budget. Don't even try to get money at first. See what you can do just by having some from friends show up and help you for free.
Break everything down and put it on a list of things you need to find, buy, borrow, steal, figure out and get done. Use the list to plan your shoot. Then, take the list with you to your shoot and as you figure out what you forgot to put on it, write it down. Then use the list as a template for the next shoot. As you continue to refine the list every time you shoot, you'll find that the planning and organization becomes second nature.
I would also suggest that you keep your productions small at first, i.e. no budget. Don't even try to get money at first. See what you can do just by having some from friends show up and help you for free.
If it's your first time, be sure the first project is 60-90 seconds long. It sounds easy, but with all the unexpected stuff that pops up anything longer and you'll be hard pressed to finish.
In a rough order:
Write or get a script
decide what it needs to look like and determine your budget
Scout/secure locations and cast actors
secure crew and equipment
Work on production design, plan look of sets, costumes, makeup, lighting with appropriate crew
work on a DETAILED shot list, story board and set diagram
plan logistics for shooting days: date, parking, food, working space, who shows up when
send call sheets and scripts to everyone involved
Production:
shoot according to your shot list, take breaks for food, don't get angry with a newbie cast and crew and don't bite off too much. 60-90 seconds you should be able to shoot in a long day your first time around. Take notes of good takes and shoot a lot of cutaways.
Post Production:
Sometime during pre-production think about who will edit this and on what.
Edit, send a rough to a composer or find stock music. edit the audio, mix in music and sound effects, make it look nice.
Release:
Stick it on YouTube and/or vimeo and post it here
It's your first time out, don't plan on festivals or anything. You'll probably make mistakes, that's ok, you make them on the cheap 60 second/1 day shooting stuff so that when you're working on something that "matters" you'll know what you're doing. If you're some kind of miracle savaant and it's a really quality piece, then you can think about festivals haha.
Start on a 2-4 minute piece working on what you learned the first time around.
In a rough order:
Write or get a script
decide what it needs to look like and determine your budget
Scout/secure locations and cast actors
secure crew and equipment
Work on production design, plan look of sets, costumes, makeup, lighting with appropriate crew
work on a DETAILED shot list, story board and set diagram
plan logistics for shooting days: date, parking, food, working space, who shows up when
send call sheets and scripts to everyone involved
Production:
shoot according to your shot list, take breaks for food, don't get angry with a newbie cast and crew and don't bite off too much. 60-90 seconds you should be able to shoot in a long day your first time around. Take notes of good takes and shoot a lot of cutaways.
Post Production:
Sometime during pre-production think about who will edit this and on what.
Edit, send a rough to a composer or find stock music. edit the audio, mix in music and sound effects, make it look nice.
Release:
Stick it on YouTube and/or vimeo and post it here
It's your first time out, don't plan on festivals or anything. You'll probably make mistakes, that's ok, you make them on the cheap 60 second/1 day shooting stuff so that when you're working on something that "matters" you'll know what you're doing. If you're some kind of miracle savaant and it's a really quality piece, then you can think about festivals haha.
Start on a 2-4 minute piece working on what you learned the first time around.
Okay, cool. Nah, you don't need funding for your first video. It's more gonna be about the experience, and what you learn from it. Practicing new skills, etc. Here's how you'll do it:
Step #1: Point a camera at something, and press "record".
Seriously, though, do all the stuff everyone has listed above. Good advice there. One thing I don't think anybody has mentioned, yet, is that you need to first learn the basics. Do you know how to take a nice picture? That'd be a good place to start. You could spend years learning photography, and if you want to do that then you're probably a cinematographer. Even if you're not a cinematographer, you should at least learn the basics -- do a google search for "photography 101". Soak it in.
You also of course need to learn the basics of filmmaking. There are "rules". These "rules" are made to be broken, but it's best if you understand the rule, so that you'll know when and why you want to break it. There's the 180-rule, the 30-degree rule, the 90-degree shutter rule. You should learn about coverage, cutting on action, continuity, 3-point lighting. Then, there's sound, and that's a whole other discussion in and of itself (I still suck at it).
That's all I can think of, off the top of my head, but you'll never run out of new things to learn. The point I make is that you have to be an active student of the craft. This is a pretty good place to do that.
It's also important to note that the best way to learn is by doing. There's so much to learn that you can't learn it all at once. So, on each short film, you practice something new. Be patient with yourself, have fun, and just keep making movies.
Welcome to the Thunderdome!
I don't get it... I think you are trying to say something about sound being really important, but I'm failing to grasp the concept.
But seriously, THIS.
When I watch stuff I shot when I just started, I realize how bad visuals were, but sound... Holy crap, it made me wish I could go back in time and hit myslef with a boom pole.
Hi, DMan
You're in the same boat as many of us, especially between the no budget and self directing aspects.
Being the director will likely be the first of many roles you'll need to get a handle on, producer being the broader role.
Don't worry about budgets just yet. Frankly, a lot of people spend all sorts of mad money and still make cr@p shorts and features.
What does that mean?
It means throwing money at a project doesn't overcome it's problems.
Literally - spend as close to $0.00 as you can for your first few shorts projects.
Your focus is going to be on:
- creating a story (Writer)
- assessing locations (Scouting)
- props and costumes (Set designer)
- shooting (Director of Photography [DP]/Cinematographer)
- audio collection & foley (Sound engineer)
- editing (Editor)
Director is somewhere in there, I think.
Begin by considering what your FREE assets or resources you have reasonable access to.
Talent - Family & Friends. Don't write a story that requires some emotional output they're likely to balk at.
Locations - Don't write a story that requires a populated restaurant sequence. Stick to your own private property or that of friends, or open public property like parks. And don't pick locations that're gonna cost you a half tank of gas to get to.
Props and costumes - Don't write a period piece or spaceman vs. alien sasquatch. Be sensible. Your no budget filmmaking term for the day is "found object", AKA normal sh!t you find around an everyday house & home.
Okay, now, with these sensible limitations figure out a story that you can practice engaging the audience (story), visuals (cinematography), audio (audio), and editing (editing).
$500 spent on securing locations, minor talent, costumes and props isn't going to make periodically out of focus shaky cam dead centered on the talent with a aperture of 11 with the shutterspeed set at 50FPS on a bright and sunny day with shots that begin 1 second too long and end 1 second too late and sounds like they were recorded either in the bathroom or from across the windy meadow while cars drive by behind you "short" that drones miserably on for eighteen minutes isn't going to impress anyone.
"But... But... I spent $500 and forty hours!"
No.
You wasted $500 and thirty seconds of my life before I turned off the video with a deft click of the button.
Money ain't gonna make all those problems magically go away.
Also, consider for every minute the final product you intend to have = about 1-2hrs thinking about it + 1hr securing locations/props/talent + 1hr shooting it + 1.5hr editing it, including color correction and grading + 1.5hrs fooling around with the audio.
Script to screen process?
- Consider assets/resources
- Write acordingly
- Secure talent, locations, costumes, props
- Rendezvous on site, get organized
- Set up camera, lighting & audio
- Shoot several takes of each scene or cut
- Edit for story & timing
- Add SFX and audio effects (that you may have "build" yourself)
- Impress the pants off us all
Tha's pretty much how it goes.
GL & BOL!
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