Do you want to make a short film and don’t know where to start? Here are 3 tips to help you on your journey!
Heading out to make your first short film might feel daunting, but there are ways in which you can be efficient on your first go!
Since the onset of the 21st century, filmmaking has become much more accessible than it was before. The shift from celluloid to digital is part of the contributing factor behind the democratization of cinema as an art form. Today, the technology to make a film is accessible to most, as it fits in one's own pocket in the form of a smartphone.
A high-definition camera being available to everybody is one of the major reasons why social media platforms are seeing a rise in independent content creators. However, the film has a very different approach than a reel or a short-form video. To grasp the challenge of shooting a movie, there are some prerequisites you should have in mind. These will help you translate your ideas better and map your vision before you have even started your shoot. Filmmaking is essentially problem-solving, and being a good director requires you to resolve the problem before it has happened.
Tackle your limitations with creativity
As a first-time director with no experience, it is extremely unlikely that you will get exorbitant funding for your project. Although there are creative ways in which you can bridge the monetary divide in your story, For instance, in the movie Clerks, Kevin Smith shot on 16mm black-and-white film in his own store to cut costs and cast his friends as actors. He did so by infusing their real personalities into the script.
In the case of your personal passion project, you might first have to understand what your limitations are. If shooting on an expensive camera isn't possible for you, your DSLR or phone footage should become an aesthetic rather than a limitation. The script must fit the grungy and low-quality feel of the camera. A brilliant example of this is the horror classic The Blair Witch Project, where the crew shot the film like it was a found footage documentary.
