How to Make a Movie
We all love watching movies. Learning how to make a movie doesn't have to be that difficult. Sure, it's a lot like trying to juggle oranges and chainsaws convincingly. But overall most folks absolutely LOVE the filmmaking process! So let's cover some of the basic steps. We'll assume you already have a great story and script. If not, then check out my Filmmaking Crash Course for some great writing exercises.
Get a Camera
Now you might say, "Well, I know how to make a movie, but I don't have a camera." Don't worry. When I say camera, I mean any sort of device that shoots video or film. These are all cameras:- Smartphone
- Camcorder
- Your Granddad's Super 8
- A Laptop
- Tablet
Here's a tip: Once you have a great story, ask around to find a cinematographer, or just someone comfortable with a camera. Depending on your budget, you can hire someone who already has a great camera, you can rent a good camera for the shoot only, or you might have a friend willing to let you borrow their camera.Build Your Skills
You might have a good story, but it will be hard to get the point across if there are airplanes and dogs barking over the dialog. Build your skills. You can't master every filmmaking skill. You will find that you are better at some skills than others. For example, maybe you are a great video editor or cinematographer, or you dominate in making realistic zombie makeup. Get friends involved, especially ones that know more than you do. Learn from them.PreProduction
Seriously, 75% of a film is done on paper before the first day of the shoot. You need to organize shooting days, figure out the actor's schedules, do auditions, acquire a location, get the caterer, etc. Don't try to jump in the first day without planning out every shot. You want a shot list that has every shot with corresponding angles, props, and actors need. You also need a call sheet sent 24 hours ahead of time. Preproduction is IMPORTANT!
Be Prepared for Anything to Go Wrong
You know why you prepare so much? Because something will definitely go wrong. The biggest issue? For low budget films, expect that several people will cancel on you at the last minute. If it's not a paid gig, people will prioritize other issues, emergencies, work, the weather, etc. over your film shoot. That's why you need to be organized. Be ready to sub in actors or use different props or change locations.I've had my share of very disorganized shoots. For example, for a 48-hour film project, where we had a weekend to create a short film, the director chose two locations that were very, very far apart from each other. Then the one location did not have any electricity, was outside in the rain, and at a dog park. We had to fight off dogs who wanted to eat our burgers, shoot around folks coming into the shots, figure out what to do without any electricity for charging equipment or lighting, and then after a crazy day of shooting, we had to run over to the other shoot. The final edit ending up missing some important plot points because the audio was not synced properly with the video.
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Production
After you have your actors, the set, props, gear, etc. -- it is time for production! Honestly, this is the best part of filmmaking. The production process involves shooting the film, scene by scene, with multiple takes. Production can be tiring and it takes a great director to keep things on schedule (or honestly, a good AD to keep the director on track). Enjoy the production part of making a movie. This is the stuff that you will talk about for decades to come.
Cut Your Film
Thankfully you don't have to send the film off to be processed anymore. In fact, many cameras include video editing software or allow you to edit the video in the camera itself. Some folks even use their smartphones for editing.Editing a film is a tedious process. It can be rewarding to see how your film comes to life. However, it can be incredibly time-consuming, especially once you see inconsistencies, lighting problems, audio issues, and all the other things that pop up in post-production. Contrary to popular belief you cannot fix everything in post. However, if you have a skilled editor he or she can work around many issues, clean up audio, and do many little movie tricks to cut the film together.
Show Your Film
Do you want to show your film at a festival, on YouTube, in a class, or to your family? Before you post your film on YouTube realize that many festivals are now being very, very picky about whether or not you have your film available online. This means that you should find out the rules of the festival prior to uploading your film to Vimeo. You can have a private showing or rent out a theater.Distribution
Some festivals will help filmmakers connect to distributors. Many filmmakers have found that self-promotion using Amazon has been more profitable than waiting for DVD distribution revenues to come in. Or you can do the heavy legwork of finding out the key distributors in your niche and setting up meetings with them. Another key distributor today? Netflix, which procures festival winners and hires popular indie directors for their new shows and films.You can learn how to make a movie. It takes some time, a lot of sweat and tears. But it is totally worth the joy of seeing your film on the silver screen at the end!
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