I want to make a film – where to start
Idea
If you don’t know what the film is about, I’d suggest that you should give up on going to the cinema. In this case, your motivation is probably not really there. You may think you want to make a film so that you can win awards or get rich, but you actually just want to feel loved and accepted by filmmakers. Movies are a form of art, and it is vital to put your hearts into them. Although talented filmmakers, they need to consider filming conditions. However, movies have always been an art – they will always be so.
Scenario
If you have an idea and can’t decide which one to go with, you should choose the most intriguing one. Choose the idea that fascinates & captivates (you most of all) – an idea that will never be lost, no matter what life throws at you, along a difficult path stretching two or three years. Once you’ve made up your mind about your idea, there are 2 options – either contact an experienced screenwriter or learn how to write scripts yourself. A good story is an interesting story. The art of writing engaging stories can be learned.
You’ll be able to produce better work when you write the script yourself. To do so, in addition to knowledge and skills, you’ll need perseverance and an objective view on your content. When your screenplay is ready, the reader will get so absorbed in the story happening on the page that they won’t want to stop reading. The script pages will be turning themselves and it won’t matter if your eyes are looking at them or not.
Preproduction
Growth hacking proves to be a useful supplement to traditional marketing and fundraising as it can achieve monetary growth which is similar to acquisition, as well as creating a fanbase. To do this, you need to start by planning. I teach people how to plan in my course “Fundamentals of the full cycle of low-budget filmmaking.”
Preproduction is the stage of a film’s production process during which most preparation for filming takes place. It begins with the end of script work and ends before shooting. Preparation is a mandatory part of filmmaking. Being as careful as you can up front will only make the filming process smoother. Although being on set is always busy, filming can be much more pleasant if you fantasize about the scenes you are filming and how they might fit into the film. Multiple times daydreaming can improve your work quality. One of the director’s jobs on a film set is to plan the next day’s shoot. This is usually discussed with the executive producer, who also approves it. If you’re making a film on a tight budget, you may have to fill this role yourself. But don’t forget that you’re still a director and producer!
Search for actors, locations and crew
Start by posting an ad on social media that you are looking for actors for such and such roles. Briefly describe the project, honestly write that the budget for the film is about zero, and include your email. Let resumes and photos of those wishing to play in your film begin to flock to you. From these photos you will select a pool of those that you will call for casting.
Look through some of your friends & family members’ homes/offices for objects that interest you. Once you’ve found the perfect location, be sure to take a look at what you can do with interior objects for shooting like desks, tables and chairs. Or if you want to go outside and find some natural props like roads & sidewalks, street signs or maybe even old mail boxes. The most practical way to find a good backdrop is to find objects next to interior objects – this will save you time for moving or moving from object to object. If you’re filming in a cafe or restaurant, try negotiating the closure of the business at that time. In the region, one can rent a room at a small cafe for six thousand rubles on a weekday. A room in an apartment can be rented for three thousand rubles a day. The following is a list of the expenses that need to be considered. This first one is necessary and unavoidable: paying for the use of furniture, appliances, etc.
Search for technology
One of the inevitable expenses that come with filmmaking is the rental of equipment. You will also need a recording device. At a minimum, you’ll need a recording device and at least two microphones – one being a boom mic and the other being for use as a loop.
It is possible to buy a camera or borrow one from a friend and use it as a camcorder. The final product may not be the same quality as cinema films, but you can get better results than with naked camera. You will need a camera stabilizing device or a Steadicam, a shoulder pad. You will also need to get an on-camera monitor. And what if you are shooting with two cameras? Then the cost of renting auxiliary equipment will be multiplied by two. It’s absolutely worth it – if your operators know how to handle working with two cameras, you’ll end up creating a much higher quality shoot.
So you talked with the director of photography and together you agreed on which objects are to be shot by whom, how are these work days organised, who is in charge of the casting.
Casting
If you want to do a casting recording, you will need a small room, any camera on a tripod and an assistant who will give the candidates a number written on an A4 sheet so that they can be captured on camera with them. The contact information of each candidate should also be entered onto the sheet for your reference. Place the camera close to the actors for an audition – you’ll be recording their auditions and also checking to see if they’re appropriate for the video. You can point it at other people nearby or focus on something nearby. To cast your film you need to choose parts for the main characters. Choose dialogue that really brings out their personalities, not stuff they say in their daily life.
Have you picked your actors yet? And your film crew now consists of the bare minimum – a director, an assistant director, a director of photography, a second camera operator, and finally a sound technician & his assistant. You ask: “where are the stage director, stylist, and make up artist?” However the director can also take care of these tasks. Ask each actor what look they have in mind beforehand so there are no conflicts. Actresses know their face better than any make-up artist, so they can easily get by without foundation on their face. But sometimes an actor has problems with their skin which need to be covered up – so it’s best to call a professional make-up artist for shoots with low budgets.
Editing and post-production
You will need to transfer your footage to two media. The first copy should go to a large, powerful hard disk for the sound files, and the second copy should go to an external hard disk for film shots. Be sure to organize your audio files according to the videos they correspond to. When the editing process begins, all this material will be handed off to the editor. The editor’s fee, like the salary of the color corrector, sound engineer or composer (or the payment of rights for using existing music) already belongs to the expense item associated with. Hiring a multifunctional sound engineer will allow him to take over color correction and titration, meaning that you no longer have to manage those functions on your own. The sound engineer will also be able to help with rewriting dialogue and cleaning up noise levels. Film distribution has always been complicated with high costs. Plus, when your film is finished in post-production, you can easily appeal to potential producers that they have something to work with already. That’s because many people are more willing to join a project that’s already picking up pace rather than the one that just got started. You can also send a complaint about the editing director via Facebook. There are now a lot of professional mixing and re-recording sound studios in the film industry in all price ranges. It’s easy to find them through the Internet.