7 ADVANCED FILMMAKER TIPS SUMMARIZED
On this post we will summarize 7 Advanced Filmmaker Tips. Keep them in mind while making your film for a more pleasant filmmaking experience and these tips will also enhance your audiences viewing experience.
Without further ado, let’s commence.
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1) INVEST IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
Production design is ultimately making the setting of a scene or a film a believable world.
No matter how good your camera angles look or how great your sound is, if your production design doesn’t correlate with the narrative of the film your audience will not be convinced. If your audience is not 100% convinced that the story unfolding can and is happening on the setting your displaying then you didn’t lose your audience, you never had them.
2) …OR FIND A CONVINCING LOCATION
If production design is not feasible, find a location. Find a location that exemplifies, lives, exhilarates the feel and mood that you want to depict in your scene or movie.
3) ONCE YOU FIGURE OUT HOW MANY DAYS ARE NEEDED FOR THE SHOOT, ADD ONE MORE
You’ve got your shooting schedule and you know precisely how many days you need to shoot. Great! Now, add at least one more day to that schedule. On a film set the unexpected can happen and it will happen. For example, you may of not expected, and you didn’t time your schedule for make up for a scene to take 3 hours. But it did!
It’s Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. It applies to filmmaking as well. Be ready for it by adding at least one more day to your shooting schedule.
4) LIGHT WITH PURPOSE
Lighting with purpose is as significant as directing with purpose. Your lighting has to be in conjunction with the mood, tone and feel of the story you’re telling. When lighting a scene you have to be mindful of the narrative. Is you’re lighting enhancing the story? Is your lighting in sync with your character’s mood, temperament, etc.?
Light to enhance your story. Light with a purpose!
5) PRE, PRODUCTION AND POST PRODUCTION MARKETING
You’re going to make a film? Let it be known. You’re making a film? Let it be known. You’re done making a film? Let it be known. Ultimately that’s what marketing your film about, letting people know about it. And the sooner you start letting people know about it, the better. The marketing process can be initiated through your social media accounts and having a website (SHARE LINK) dedicated to your film.
6) GET ACTORS…WITH TRAINING!
You want a great film? Then you’re going to need great performers to give you great performances. It’s extremely unlikely that you’re going to get such performances out of you relatives or friends. Therefore, get actors with training! It’s the only way you’re going to convince your audience that your character’s are real in the movie world they live in.
However, if you’ve gone ahead and filmed with untrained actors check out How To Hide Bad Acting In Your Film for insightful information.
7) GET SAFETY SHOTS
We know. That shot was great and you don’t need another one. But the truth is, you need to still get another one, i.e., safety shot! The truth is things can go wrong on your perfect shot without you ever knowing, until post production. For example, lens flare, camera shake, audio peak/crack, etc.
You don’t want to be in post production a month after wrapping up your shoot when you notice these potential errors. Therefore, get safety shots. That means get every shot at least twice.
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Just passing through as I saw your post on Linked In Watch my movie when you get a chance. Thanks https://www.amazon.com/Womanizer-Robert-Grisar/dp/B07JLCSFF5/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_img_top?ie=UTF8
Okay, great! Thank you for sharing.
I wrote and coproduced a short film that won a Telly…the whole nine yards, two days of permitted street shooting in DC, five days in a studio, craft services, police directing traffic, professional makeup, everything. Above all, I recommend using trained actors, as this says. You will pay and be somewhat constrained by rules, but you will get good work faster–time is money. Our two leads were SAG–they brought several outfits, we paid for each, they told us when lunch and quitting time were, not the other way around, no stalling…overall, I think we paid each about $2500. You can see our film on YouTube under Star Lawrence.
Hello Star Lawrence. Congratulations on the completion of your short film and thank you for sharing your insight. Okay, great, we will check out your film. Again, congratulations!