Well, I think I am back in the blogging mood.....for now
My time off from the site has been due to the overwhelming stress of school. Writing papers, making presentations and preparing for my inevitable graduation this December.
Over the course of this semester I have done some amazing things but one that I am very proud of is the short film that I created. You all might remember the post I wrote about the storytelling process (if not scroll down...you'll see it) well in that post I talked about what I do to write my own material and luckily for me, I got to create some new scripts and film and edit one into a short film.
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| Myself and Kimberly Bradford, filming photo by Ryan Richard |
The process was entirely exhilarating and honestly I learned so much about myself in the process. I broke down a few times but most of the time I soared through the work day. We had a great cast and crew and I think the film came out better than what I expected.
So here is a little bit about how I made my first film.
The Challenge
When faced with a huge project of this scale, it is best to plan ahead. I started out with a simple idea that soon blossomed into a fantastic story. I wrote a script, got actors set for the parts, but then, it all fell apart.
To explain what i mean, filming anywhere is a very hard thing to do, especially if you are going to need to use locations that don't belong to you. We had a problem like that and because i didn't have insurance to cover any damages, I couldn't use any city property. I had to rethink everything.
The Story
Instead of reworking everything, I decided to use the name of the main character from my first screenplay. From there, I deciphered the name and came up with a story all its own. In my attempts to get a story out and to start filming, I wrote tirelessly for a week and came up with a twelve page script that honestly made me cry tears of joy.
For anyone looking to write a script, I say just write what you feel, It will make all the difference when you actually begin filming.
Once finished I created a story board. This element is not necessary but it does help with visualization and I highly recommend it. If you aren't an artist, you can get someone else to draw up your concepts or just go crazy with the stick-figures. Its your choice. Writing a shot list is also a good idea that way you know exactly what you want to see.
The Filming
Here is where that storyboard and shot list come in handy. Have all your equipment ready and start filming
- Camera
- Tripod
- Light Kit
- Reflectors
- Boom mic
These are what I used but I didnt have a budget and I rented them from my university for free. If you cant do that then just see where you can rent equipment. Remember that the equipment you use will reflect the quality of the film.
The Editing
I am doing a whole lot of editing at the moment. I would say for a ten minute film, it has taken about 2 weeks worth of my time. the most i can say here is to understand what you have and the story you are going to tell. Work with everything you can and make a statement. Add your music and don't forget to credit everyone who helped.
