Making a movie can be something youre doing for fun with friends, or as something youre completely serious about. Either way, its a process that takes a little bit of time, between choosing a script, casting your actors and shooting the actual movie, but once youve got the basics down, youll be good to go. See step 1 to get started with the directing process. Part One of Four: Preparing for Filming 1Choose a script. A good script can make even a mediocre director look good, so choose wisely. You can also write a script yourself, if thats something you enjoy and are good at. When youre writing, or choosing a script there are a few things to look out for that can help you pick the best script possible. Structure is key to a good story. The three-act structure is a device commonly used for scriptwriters to come up with a good story. It works like this: set-up (Act 1), confrontation (Act 2), resolution (Act 3). Key turning points happen at the end of Act 1 and Act 2.[1] A good script shows rather than tells. You want your audience to guess at what is happening based on body language of the actors, what theyre wearing, what they do, and how they say the lines. Screenplays are, by nature, extremely visual.[2] Each scene has to be headed by a slug line, which tells whether the scene is interior or exterior, whether it is night or day, and where it is. (For example: INT. LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT.) When describing action all you are describing is the actual, factual of what will be seen on the screen. For example, instead of saying John enters the living room. He is angry because his girlfriend left him, you would say John enters the living room. He slams the door behind him and kicks the sofa. 2Storyboard your script. Storyboarding is incredibly important so that you know how best to direct each scene, what camera angles you want, what you want it to look like. You dont have to stick to the storyboard as youre shooting, but it will give you a place to start.[3] Things that youll be covering are: what characters are in each frame, how much time has elapsed between current frame and the previous frame, where the camera is in the frame (what the shot looks like). Your storyboard doesnt have to be perfect. It simply needs to give you a sense of the script and how the script should be shot. Decide on the tone for your film. A gritty film about a private detective in the 1920s is going to have a very different feel than a light-hearted comedy about the perils of parenthood. A great way to make your movie fail is to switch the tone midway through, so that the light-hearted comedy suddenly becomes a tragedy without warning. This doesnt mean that a comedy cannot have elements of tragedy, or vice versa, but your film, especially if youre new to directing, should stick to one tone. 3Get financing for your movie. You cant make a movie without some kind of financing, especially if you want it to be a movie that people other than your family watches. Filming equipment costs money, youll need props, locations, actors, and tech people. Most of these things cost money. If youre going to indie film route, you should still try and find a producer for your movie, someone who will figure out funding, get you filming locations. 4Cast actors for each role. If youre low on funding youll probably have to do the casting yourself, but otherwise its a good idea to hire a casting director to do that job. Usually a casting director has access to more avenues in which to find appropriate actors for your movie. You want people who have been in other films and understand how it works. Theater actors are not great for this, as acting in a theater and acting for a movie is incredibly different. There are good up and coming actors who arent too expensive. What youre looking for is charisma and talent. This usually means not just casting your friends in the roles (unless youre just directing a film for fun, in which case, have at it). 5Find the locations, props, and materials. Movies require locations (a bedroom, a living room, a street corner, a garden, etc) in which to film. Sometimes you can film in these locations for free and sometimes you have to pay. Likewise, youll be needing props, costumes, make-up, and materials for filming (a mike, cameras, etc). If you have a producer this is what they will be doing. Making sure that you have everything you need and the permission to film in certain locations. Otherwise, youll have to do this yourself. If youre on a really low budget, talk to friends and family. Maybe you know someone whos good at make-up to do the make-up for you, or maybe your aunt happens to have a bunch of period clothes up in her attic. 6Plan appropriately. If you dont have a clear vision and plan for how youre going to film, what its going to look like, its going to be a difficult filming process. You need to have the specifics laid out and you need to know all the things to do that make a filming process successful.[4] Create a shot list. This is basically a numbered list of all the shots in the film that describes the framing, the focal length, camera movement, and things you need to bear in mind (like possible filming concerns). You can also double this up with the storyboard, whatever works best for you. Create a script breakdown. This is basically the process in which you identify every single item needed for shooting the movie, including location, props, any effects, etc. Again, it will be easier if you have a producer to help you out with this. Tech scout with all your tech people. This means going over to the movie locations and go over every single shot with your tech people so that everyone knows exactly what to expect for each shot. You can discuss problems that may arise (things like specific lighting, sound issues, etc). 7Schedule the shots. If you can get a good 1st AD (assistant director) youll want to. Theyre the person who yells at the actors if needed and who does things like, takes down all the notes during the tech scout, and who schedules all the shots. Scheduling the shots basically means setting up the schedule for when the shots are going to be filmed. This is almost never in chronological order, but usually has more to do with lighting or camera set-ups. Edit Part Two of Four: Working with the Actors 1Practice the script before shooting. This seems like a very obvious step, but its really important. When you get to the actual filming part you want the actors to be comfortable with their lines and their blocking. Start off by having a script run-through, where you and your actors sit around a table and run through each scene. Theyll be getting more comfortable with the words and with you and with each other, which will make the filming part much easier. Really talented actors dont necessarily need much of a rehearsal before shooting and it can be better to not over-rehearse highly emotional scenes so that they will be fresh for the actual shoot, but that only works with seasoned and talented actors, so if youre working with amateur actors, practicing the script before shooting is a good idea. 2Make sure the actors have learned their lines. An actor cant give a stunning performance without knowing their script backwards and forwards. You do not want them to suddenly turn up on set the day of the shoot without having learned their lines. This is why rehearsals are so important. 3Explain the subtext in each scene. This means what is going on in the scene beyond simply the dialogue. It will also tell an actor what his or her characters true intentions are, in the scene and in the movie, which will determine how you direct them.[5] Less is more in acting in a movie. What you want for your actors is a strong presence that shows even when they arent doing anything. An actor that can draw viewers into the character without doing much. For example: John, our angry protagonist from above, is going to be played differently depending on whether he hates his girlfriend for leaving him, or if hes still in love with her (or both). 4Be calm, focused, and clear. The cliche of the angry, screaming director is just that, a cliche. As the director youre the one in charge (if you dont have a producer) which means that everyones going to be looking to you for calm and clear direction. This is why the storyboard and script breakdown are so important. You can refer back to them for each scene and for showing your vision to those who are working for you. Remember that a movie gets made based on the contributions of a lot of different people, even if the director and the actors get most of the credit. Its best not to behave like youre the most important thing on set, when youre dealing with your cast and crew. 5Give specific instructions. This is for the actors. If youve explained the subtext to your actors and your vision for the film, there shouldnt be too much of a problem of them doing what they need to do in their scenes, but it is important that you give specific instructions, even ones like try that line again faster. Take copious notes. On your shot list write down specific camera critical things you are going to want your actors to do. The clearer and more detailed you can be in your feedback and your requests, the easier it will be for the actors and the crew to follow through on your vision. Give negative or detailed feedback to actors in private. You can even do this when other people are around, just as long as only the actor who is receiving the feedback is hearing it. This way no one gets embarrassed or offended. Make sure to give positive feedback. Actors like to know that their work is being appreciated and that they are doing the right thing. Make sure you let them know that, even if its something as simple as I really liked what you did in the last scene; lets try that when were filming the shot. Sometimes, if you have a really good actor, its best to let them do their own thing without a whole lot of direction. While it may not always go in the direction you had planned, scenes and the movie itself have a possibility to go in a new and fresh direction.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 13:24:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015