When producing a short film, what must I have before we start filming? How do I get these requirements?
Question by Tekky: When producing a short film, what must I have before we start filming? How do I get these requirements?
I’m producing a short film. We have the crew, we have the script, and we have the camera, green screen, video editing software, etc…
Where can I find out how to credit the following into the credits:
the crew, the actors, and the things we used in the film.
Also, what type of forms should they be signing, and where can I get those?
I need to think of these things, because we may sell it.
Thanks in advance!
Selling it really doesn’t matter.
Just want to make it…
Best answer:
Answer by The Filmmaker
Not wanting to dash your dreams… but how do you hope to sell your short? Shorts don’t generally sell- they make calling cards. But assuming you can sell it- then you need to know the business end, which you don’t seem to.
1st- There is a fairly specific order to credits. Watch a few movies and you will see what can come at the beginning and what comes at the end. And what positions come where on the list. ALSO, go through a few movies on www.IMDb.com see how the complete list of credits and misc. info is laid out.
2nd- The Complete Film Production Handbook (3rd Edition- is what I have) by Eve Light Honthaner (I bought through Amazon a few years back) comes with a CD that has almost every form that you will need. REMEMBER- Every single person associated with your production needs to sign multiple forms. There are simple contact info forms, forms for your image to be recorded, forms to be allowed to use a person’s name and likeness. There are crowd notices to put up incase you are shooting in an open area and someone becomes an inadvertant “Extra”. Then there are forms for any distinct product or logo or artwork. And of course ANY music- there are so many forms for music depending on what you are doing with it.
If you hope to sell the film there are a lot of different things that need to be done than making a YouTube video or even a film just for film festivals. No one will consider buying a film that does not have all of it’s forms complete.
I was told a story about how someone had made a short that was travelling the festival circuit and getting good buzz. Until Madonna heard about it. It seemed that in one important scene a car drove through and you could hear a couple seconds of a Madonna song. They did not have the rights and couldn’t cut the music without losing the rest of the sound. The scene was cut out and the film did not work.
I have a blog where I have begun talking about my trials and tribulations of making my 1st short film. Check it out or contact me if you want.
http://onefilmmakersjourney.blogspot.com/
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