editorial ..مرحبا بكم

PART II

 PREPARING FOR SHOOTING AND POST PRODUCTION

Now you have a script, here are a few tips to help you  make your film on a low budget. Remember that the more time you spend on preparation at every stage, the less time you will spend shooting and the less  risk you run of making costly mistakes.

5. Make a shot list and draw or create storyboards.

Draw out a storyboard, illustrating the shots you plan to use. It is important  to know what shots you want to have in the movie before going out to shoot them. Storyboards don't have to be drawn by an artist, either. You can draw stick figures, take pictures of action figures, use storyboarding software like Storyboard Quick or whatever you think works best.. Don't worry about following the storyboard perfectly. It's just a good idea to get your thoughts on paper and a great way to see if you can communicate an idea "visually" rather than needing the actors to verbally communicate the concept. The viewer is watching first and listening second.

6. Choose your actors and  rehearse sufficiently with them

The strength of the actors' performances will make or break your film. You wont be able to get a De Niro or Pacino, but there are plenty of talented and hungry actors looking for a break, who will work for expenses and a copy of the film. This is important for them, as actors are always looking to improve and expand their show reel. If you don’t know any actors, don’t worry, but avoid casting your friends, mother etc… Get on the Shooting People site or try Casting Network. Write a synopsis that sells your film to all of the talent out there and conduct a casting day. On these casting days, you cant expect the performance to be precisely what you’re looking for.They won't know the character in intimate enough detail and obviously wouldn’t have spend much time preparing  with you, the director. Look for personalities that you are happy and comfortable working with and a spark that catches your attention above the competition.

Rehearsing  allows your actors to get a real feel for the scene before they go out and waste time, tape, and/or film. This way they can learn the lines together or, if you're allowing them to improvise, they can start now and generate ideas for lines they'd like to use.

7. Select the location(s)

Location fees can easily drain a film’s budget, but since you don’t have a budget, this doesn’t apply to you.. If your film needs a specific indoor location (office, shop etc…) ask friends, parents, friends of friends, parents of friends and friends of parents. Offer to give them a credit on the film for allowing you to shoot. Invite them to watch you in action, and make them feel a part of the magic.

When filming in ourdoor locations remember that there are laws against using video of people and certain places without permission. Always ask the subject or the owner/operator of a building if it's ok to record them and be sure to tell them what it's for. For added protection, have them write it on paper when they give permission.

8. Find your crew and equipment
 
Next, you need to assemble a crew but since you have little money, keep this to a minimum. Apart from costs,  they will be easier to manage and co-ordinate. A cameraman, sound recorder and a runner should be sufficient. If you don’t know any potential crew members, get in touch with EM Media, Intermedia or log onto www.shootingpeople.org for help putting your team together or  put an ad in the paper and find people  who went to film school and  know  about lighting, recording sound or working a camera. If  this is a no budget film, you will more than likely be working with inexperienced, but enthusiastic people. Alternatively, if you want a more hands-on approach and want to learn more about the various aspects of film making, ask some of your friends to hold mics or positions lights with you. That way, you'll both learn and you just might appreciate it more.

 Many cameramen have their own equipment so try and do a deal with them to get as much equipment for as little as possible. If you or your cameraman have no cameras, sound  or lighting equipment , try to borrow  what  you can for free from educational establishments, film training schools, non-profit making groups. If this is not possible, contacts in the film business may be able to tell you where to rent for low cost.

Since the advent of digital cameras, especially Mini-DV, filmmaking has become much more accessible to the enthusiast. Nowadays, you don’t need to rent expensive cameras and buy a few thousand feet of celluloid to make your film. Maybe all you need is passion and a mini DV camera.

9. Organise Props and Production Design

You need to make the most of what you have. You can’t spend any money, so be creative as possible. Utilise objects/props that you have access to and make them a part of your film. Look at everything you have access to and let your imagination run wild. Think of how to make best use of your possessions. Robert Rodriguez made a list of all the cool things he had access to when making ‘El Mariachi’, these included a bus, an old prison and a tortoise. He wrote the script around these and made an award winning film that launched his Hollywood career. What do you have lurking in the dark corner of your basement…? Do you know someone who owns a hardware store? They can get you lights and maybe some props. Tell them you're making a movie and they might give you a discount.  Explain that you're making a movie and most people will give you stuff. People love movies and they want to be a part of one.

 When organising your production also remember you'll also food and drinks for your cast and crew, and  transportation for some of them and the equipment. You will also need to find a volunteer to make-up the actors.

10. Make a Schedule and Start Shooting

Ok, so now you have your cast, crew, equipment, locations, script and props in place, its time to shoot. You need to devise a schedule now so you know what you are shooting, where and when. Dependent Films contains a plethora of very useful resources (for free, of course) that will help you plan your film and get ready for the first call of ‘Action’. Do bare in mind that the cast and crew are not being paid, so the shorter your schedule the more likely people will be willing to work with you for nothing. In order to shoot your film in the optimum time you need to have a very clear and intimate knowledge of your film. You need to know it shot for shot, which angles, where you cut. Your vision is key here.

When you start shooting, be nice to everyone and try to explain to them what you want without making them feel stupid. You're supposed to be having fun, and so let everyone else have fun, too. Remember to watch your footage as often as possible. You don't want to lose a shot because it was too dark and not be able to go back and redo it because you only had the location for one day. It's a good idea to review your footage after each "take".  Remember to make note of takes and use a clapboard. 

11. Invest time in Post Production

Many filmmakers see editing as the most satisfying part of the process as it is here that your vision literally materialises before your eyes. These days you don’t need to worry about processing, printing and splicing celluloid, the edit can be done with the click of a mouse (well, several clicks…). Learn to cut your film on a computer system. Using your old PC or Mac, you can install editing software and start cutting. If  you don’t have  cash to spend on sophiticated editing systems,  Adobe and Avid have free versions of their systems to download from their website. These pieces of software are sufficient to cut your film and assemble to your final cut.If you have some money to spend, you can use  use a more up-market  software like particle illusion or an FX product like Fx vision lab studios.

If you don’t have a computer yourself, or cannot teach yourself these programmes,  why not enrol on an editing course that teaches you how to edit. You can use your current project and work on that in your sessions. Most programs are easy to learn and will allow you to sync sound and music with almost no trouble. And don't rush it. Editing takes time.

Alternatively, some cameras edit in limited ways and some have special effects. Learn how to "cut" pieces of your footage together and put music or speech over your video. Check your camera's manual or use a software package like iMovie to make your final cuts.

Remember to create movie credits.You can use a title creation system like Videotagger.