Pre-Production You may be surprised how much planning is absolutely necessary to guarantee the success of your directorial debut. It has been proven time and time again that theres nothing quite like skimping on this process to ensure chaos. If youre going to beat the odds, planning for contingencies and making sure youve got a road-map to will guide you through the entire process is essential. Dont kid yourself – making a movie is a very expensive proposition. Regardless of how you go about it, you will have to be extremely careful about how you spend your finite resources. Every moment you spend in production costs money, whether the camera is on or not. You can reasonably expect to spend 6-8 hours in pre-production for every hour in production. Examining Your Motivations and Goals Just what are you planning on doing with this film, anyhow? If your goal is to spend a weekend running around in the backyard with your pals and a camcorder, thats great. The pressure will be off and you can concentrate on having a good time. While youll go through all the same basic steps, there will be less urgency and panic. Though the finished product wont likely look quite like what youve been seeing in your minds eye, thats okay. As long as you dont go broke doing it – no harm, no foul. If you cant expect to get money out, youll at least be aware that cash is only flowing one way and can plan accordingly. On the other hand, if you want to put together a short or feature-length film to bring around to festivals, thats quite another thing. This route is the classic long shot, but is also a chance for you to jump right in with both feet. This is most especially true in the case of short films of under 30 minutes. There are many festivals that specialize in such films, and this is a good way to impress potential investors with your skills and build notoriety. Should you be considering a feature, you should be aware that most successful film-makers recommend against this. Its just a lot to fund or bite into, as a time director. Funding concerns usually keep this from happening. If they dont, youve either found a sugar daddy or are doing things even more cheaply than is advisable. Of course, there are stories of folks whove gone against all such advice and made a name (and new directorial career) for themselves, but be advised, they are few and far between. Its often best to start small, even if you plan on ending up in the big time. Another “middle road” type of film project is to put together a trailer for a feature-length film. This will serve as a portfolio piece that you can “shop” around and hopefully attract investment in the longer piece. Such a trailer, usually between 3-4 minutes, will prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that you know how to tell a visual story, bring a good crew together and create something that embodies all the elements of the feature-length film you hope to create with someone elses money. In the end, you need to ask yourself if youre looking to actually make money from your first film or if youre willing to use this as an expensive crash course in film-making. Much of this book will focus on money-making prospects, though most of the concepts presented will apply, regardless. The Right Script Whether you write it yourself, hire someone to write something for you or find the very thing has landed right in your lap, youll need a script (or at least a well-fleshed out idea) to begin the process. There are plenty of books available that outline the entire process, but there are a few basic ideas to keep in mind when deciding how to go about getting the script you need. Writing it Yourself Though there certainly are exceptions to this rule, it is considered good operating practice to refrain from writing the script yourself. There is such a thing as being “too close” to a project, and this is an easy way to do it. Many people consider the film-making process to be the essence of reinterpretation between words and images. If both parts of the process are yours, this can become confused, and that confusion will appear on screen. Be careful not to fall in love with your own words. Its far easier to pick dialog (and discard the rest) when its written by someone else and theres no personal investment. A beautiful line is of no use to you if it doesnt move the story forward. Screen writing is, to some extent, minimalist, so you can expect to make some significant cuts from what youve written in the process of getting it down to a shootable script. If you do choose to do the writing yourself, you will at least have the advantage of being able to pen it according to your strengths. For instance, if you live somewhere with lots of space to shoot near ship-yards, you can set your tale near a wharf – that wouldnt work nearly as well in a land-locked area. You can also make allowances and plot twists that youll be able to work around without spending extra money. In short, you can start with the ideal script. One way that many directors choose to start is to make a series of note cards that generally block out scenes and ideas. Theres no need to actually put down dialog in such cards unless you have a good idea as to a key catchphrase you want to use. Otherwise, these will serve as your road-map to be knit together later, either by going directly to a script or to storyboards from which the actual script will be crafted from. Hiring a Writer to Script Your Idea Perhaps more often, youll need a “words person” to take your really great ideas and put them into something that resembles a usable script. Even if your plot outline is fairly well-formed, stiff and unbelievable dialog and gaping plot holes will most certainly be a problem. This is where a professional comes in. Even if he or she doesnt have a great deal of scriptwriting experience, getting a writer to put a bit of polish on a script will certainly help you to sell your final product. Since film is inherently a collaborative effort, the scriptwriter you choose will have to be someone who actually can see your vision may be better at putting together If the relationship turns adversarial for any reason, you may need to simply call the deal off, give them their work back, and start over. It never hurts to have a contract that spells out the rights and responsibilities of each party in case of success or failure. Though it may seem a bit heavy-handed, its when people dont have contracts that things can turn ugly. Optioning a Script Another option is to purchase someone elses existing script. As a first-time film-maker, you will be limited in what youre able to offer someone for their script. Given that most scripts take months and several re-writes to put together, it is very reasonable for a screenwriter to expect to be paid accordingly. That alone makes buying a script a somewhat less attractive option for a first-time director. There are, of course, ways around this. If possible, youll want to see if you can offer a screenwriter a percentage of future profits rather than money up front. Sometimes youll find new screenwriters who are so eager to have their work turned into a film they can show around and reference to in a resume, that you can get such scripts for a song. Though youll limit yourself to young and “hungry” writers this way, if youre very picky about the script you use, this can work out quite well. Remember, screenplays are sold – not leased. You are able to change anything you like without consulting the author, so dont let yourself be bullied into accepting any part of a script you dont think works in your film. Often times, such a script will contain a great idea that you can then finesse into something usable yourself or with the help of another writer. Storyboards The best way to get people to really see your vision is to commit it to paper. If youre a reasonably talented artist, you can do this yourself. Otherwise, dont be afraid to spend a few coins to pay someone else to do it. They certainly dont have to be works of art, but they must portray a preliminary vision of the film as you want to see it shot. Essential Storyboard Elements When youre putting storyboards together, you want to make sure you get at least one frame for each different shot within each scene. Some scenes might have one or two frames and some might have 20. It should give you the visual clues you need to put the finishing touches on your shooting script and a semi-solid shooting plan. Generally, you need to boil down what is happening in the entire shot into a single picture. This wont look like a finished comic book, but will indicate, without words, exactly what action will occur in that scene. This might indicate a camera pan with arrows or join two scenes together. They need not be an example of fine art, but it should be apparent to anyone what is supposed to be happening. You may include with these some basic directions, or a general outline of whats happening, but when youre putting them together, it should be obvious (to you at least) what is going on. One trick, when using storyboards to assemble a shooting plan is to cut them into individual frames and to physically put them into order. This can help you get a visual handle on how your shooting is going to proceed, and make you better able to convey that information to your cast. Assembling the Cast, Crew and Locations Film is a partnership between yourself, as the director, and your crew. They are certainly there to follow your lead but, also, to give you their time, labor, expertise and suggestions for how to make this a good production they will feel good about seeing their name in credits of. One important aspect of a low-budget shoot is that it should be as short as possible while still allowing enough time to get the coverage you need. This is especially true if folks are volunteering their time, as a commitment to an entire year of weekends is far harder to make than just two of them. Consider what youll be asking people to do and youll get a feel for just how much you can reasonably ask of them. Finding Competent Professionals to Assist Youd be surprised how many working professionals are willing to help you put together a trailer for your good idea if they think you can actually sell the idea. For many, helping your movie get sponsorship, by giving their all to make it look good, is akin to a job interview. This is especially true when you are able to assemble a highly skilled and experienced crew. If youre looking to create a film that his both bold and fun, while seeming to have a chance in heck of actually getting funding (for this or another film), you may have access to folks who can guide you into success. When you stack such folks into some key positions, youll have time to focus on your vision. They are, of course, in demand, so you could loose one or more crew members to higher paying gigs, often right at the last minute (or even in the midst) of your shoot. Be ready to leap in and make a bold change or promotion on the spot. If you trust your intuition and consider the recommendations of other crew members, one can often find at least a suitable stand-in. Ideally, each basic part of the production will have a professional leading their own part of the crew. There certainly can be some overlap – a professional Director of Photography (DP) may be able to use a semi-professional Lighting Director and a small group of amateurs to assist, especially if theyve worked together before. When Amateurs Will Do Maybe its holding the boom or keeping the shoot free and clear of interference from gawkers. You may not have considered just how many different jobs there are to do in a high-intensity shoot. As long as there is someone to tell your amateurs what to do, its mostly a matter of getting reliable folks who are genuinely interested in giving up their evenings or weekends to assist. This is true of those “behind the scenes” as well as the actors. Non-speaking roles can be easily handled by your friends and family, as long as they have the right “look.” Other jobs can be fairly easily taught with just a few moments of instruction from yourself. Casting Actors Though some will swear by it, one of the cardinal rules of being a first-time director is to NOT star in your own film. Sure, make a cameo appearance is fine, but this is not the opportunity to impress anyone with your acting ability. The end result is almost always a less-than-impressive job on both fronts. Choosing actors is partly a matter of getting people who simply look the part and convey in their look the essence of your characters. Casting for type means that the best looking actor you know might not be the best person to By the same token, if youre casting a hero, they should look heroic, no matter how good of friends you are. Of course, acting experience is useful. This doesnt have to be film experience, as many theater actors have the chops to follow your direction, even if you do have to subdue their performance a bit. Most importantly, you want someone who wont freeze up when the camera is rolling. Most cities have plenty of actors who are looking to expand their resume, especially if its a cool project and the finished product will be a piece of video that can be added to their resume. In fact, it is often easier to get actors to volunteer their time than crew members. Location Scouting Of course, youll have to make the film somewhere, be that on a set or at an existing location; indoors or out. Even if you plan on starting off with a blue or green-screen trailer, youll have to put it somewhere. While some folks might recommend running down alleyways, youll usually want somewhere with reliable electrical outlets, protection from the elements (in the case of a set) and a reasonable noise level. The ideal situation is to find a warehouse or other inexpensive/free location to put a minimal set together. Shooting spaces, when rented as such, are quite expensive. It is not unusual to find that someone on the crew you assemble knows of the very place or the right folks to put you in touch with. Even a building that is still under construction can be a good place, as long as everyone agrees that its a “no lawsuit” area and that anyone who get wounded has only themselves to blame. Outdoor shoots are often more complicated because of the reliance upon natural lighting, weather and lack of interference from the inherent uncooperativeness of the natural environment. If your shoot is to take place in any sort of inclement environment, such as rain or snow, there will be additional challenges in keeping the equipment from being damaged.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 08:24:21 +0000
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