Q&A: steps to creating an short film? please help!?
Question by spadoinkle: steps to creating an short film? please help!?
im making a movie with some friends, mainly for fun because were bored this summer. were taking it pretty seriously though, we wanna make it look good! are we on the right path to making it good, staying organized and all?
we have our plot
we made our roles
looked for materials
were trying to plan our budget
weve found locations for shooting
we also know how to edit our shots and do effects
are we missing anything? any tips on how to keep a low budget movie with fair quality? any help at all would be great 🙂
Best answer:
Answer by vyperbyte
Organization is one key. You seem to be on the right track. If you want it to look good, make sure to do a little research on filmmaking in general – cinematography, lighting, and so forth. Read a few books or look up filmmaking tips online. Framing a scene correctly can do wonders for capturing a great looking film.
Sound is also something you must take into consideration, an aspect many new/indie filmmakers overlook. Bad audio can ruin a great film. I’d recommend either having an experience sound person or making sure you have good audio during filming – make sure your locations aren’t near busy streets, using a windsock on your boom mike to help muffle wind noise, using a boom mike instead of the in-camera mike if at all possible, use lavs (small microphones that are attached to the clothes of the actors) when possible, ect.
For keeping it low budget but good quality, the key is getting everything you can for as little as you can. Don’t be afraid to barter, ask for discounts, ask for donations, call in favors, and so on. Sometimes a local business might donate a little something for publicity or just to be nice. Maybe a local pizza place will give you free or discounted pizzas for a crew meal, or a local clothing store will give you a few shirts or wardrobe pieces. Ask anyone you think would help, and even the ones who you don’t think will. What’s the worst that can happen, they say “no”? If they say no, thank them politely for their time and move on. Let the “no”s roll off your back and you’ll get those coveted yes’.
Most of all, have fun. Shooting with friends can be tough sometimes as some might treat it like just another afternoon game. It can be difficult sometimes if your friends aren’t into it. Be as professional as you can, of course, but enjoy it. It’ll show in your film if your heart, as well as your actors and crew, are into it.
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