5 MOVIE MAKING TIPS FOR BEGINNERZ: Movie making involves a lot of investment regarding money, time and effort. In terms of capital, there are ways of creating a movie without spending thousands of dollars. The final product may not resemble those produced by Hollywood, but this should limit the potential of an independent film. The following are some tips for beginning filmmakers to help them along the process of making their first films. 1. Be Creative in Obtaining Equipment Students can take advantage of their school’s multimedia department and see what cameras, microphones and other equipment are available. If not, look for people who may own similar equipment and see what arrangements can be made. Try negotiating to use the equipment in exchange for a major role in the film. Networking is an essential skill that budding filmmakers should have or learn to have to be successful in the industry. 2. Control the Amount of Light Available Using auxiliary light sources can be expensive. Filmmakers that are starting out should use whatever light source is available in the area to their advantage. Try shooting outside or during the day time. For indoor shots, look for an area with several large windows that let the light in. Take advantage of the light coming from the sun. It may be uncomfortable working under warm temperatures, but the light will produce better quality footage. To produce a night time effect, cover the windows with blankets which will let some light in but not all. Turn on the lights in the house if the lighting levels are still insufficient. 3. Make the Shots Look Steady Production companies with larger budgets use a dolly or a SteadiCam to create steady shots. There are ways of creating the same effect without spending large amounts of money. To create the dolly shot, mount the camera on top of a skateboard or a car. The shots will be steadier but the filmmaker may have less flexibility in adjusting the camera and the settings while in motion. There are online manuals which can teach filmmakers how to make a makeshift SteadiCam. Another alternative is to attach the camera on a tripod. Hold it some distance away from the body to reduce any wobbling effect produced while walking. 4. Lining Up Audio and Choosing a Great Soundtrack The audio can help make or break the movie. To line up the video and audio recorded on multiple devices, one trick is to clap a few seconds after rolling but before the action starts. This will make it easier to align the video and audio during post production. For background music, use instrumentals. Choosing the right instrumental music can help set up the mood of the scene. It can also help mask low quality audio and any undesired sounds. 5. Cut the Scenes Close To make the movie appear more professional, learn how to edit the scenes. Unless it is part of the script, edit the end points closer and remove parts where the actors are standing idly or waiting for the scene to start. If the scene involves a shot of the person walking or moving, the edited shot should start half a second after the actor started moving for a better effect.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:50:58 +0000