MAKING FILMS

DSC_0012There are some superb web sites and resources on the internet (listed below).  More importantly, there are a great many things to consider before making films.  This is known as pre-production.  Most pre-production can be done in a classroom and basically this is planning.

It is also possible to make films without a camera.  This is the best place to start.

If you really want to make films right now in a classroom or with a group, and have no knowledge, then I advise finding some professional input.

Planning and Pre-Production

  1. Story – find, or create, a great short story. You will have creative constraints – list them  first.
  2. Work on your characters, develop them. Hotseat them to get a backstory. Try to use adults for adult characters.
  3. Location, if it is an animation, they will need to be created. For fiction, scout it out and get permissions.
  4. Think about sound.  How will it be produced?  What style? How will it be recorded?
  5. Light, what is the light doing? Can it be improved? Made dramatic?
  6. Costume, very important for realism.
  7. Music, it is illegal to use copyrighted music for anything other than your own purpose.  Create your own or look at creative commons websites.
  8. Storyboard
  9. Shotlist
  10. Decide upon roles and choose them.