Pre-Production
Developing Ideas
The first step is coming up with an idea for your movie. Idea generation can be the
most difficult part of the process or the easiest. You may know exactly what you want
to film or you may only have a glimmer. Be sure to jot down any ideas that pop into your
head while driving, showering, dreaming, kung fu fighting, etc. and every once in a while
compile these ideas into a master idea list. Keep a journal to expand on these ideas.
Some of these ideas may have to wait for Hollywood backing to be realized, but with
some creativity and possibly some open source software a lot can be done on a limited
(or non-existent) budget.
Another technique for idea generation is the following: As soon as you wake up
in the morning, before you get out of bed, write three freehand pages of whatever
pops into your mind. Don't edit, just keep your hand moving. Eventually ideas
will begin to appear upon which you can expand.
Synopsis
Once you've singled out an idea that you feel you're not only passionate about
but believe is possible with your current resources, you can develop this into a
synopsis. Write up a few pages in a word processor (Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, etc.)
describing your story, characters, and plot elements. You may want to develop this
alone or with your team, depending on your preferences.
Screenwriting
With your synopsis complete, you can begin to develop the screenplay. You can buy
script formatting software for a few hundred dollars, or you can do what I did: Download Script Smart,
a scriptwriting template for Microsoft Word from BBC
here. This
will save you some cash and produce the same results as the more expensive software
(with a little more effort).
After you’ve determined your scriptwriting method, you need to develop the
dialogue. If you have the option, sit down with your actors and work through
the scenes. If you don’t, keep the dialogue flexible so that the actors can
make their lines their own.
Keep in mind that as a rule of thumb if you’re using script formatting
software, each page will equal approximately one minute of finished movie:
1 page = 1 minute of movie
Casting
Making a film is a huge endeavor, so working with people you
like is crucial. The best thing you can do is find dependable
friends and fit the characters to their personalities. This way they can be
themselves and the acting challenges are simplified. By avoiding "acting" you also
avoid bad acting. Also, if you’re
filming on video, you can keep filming until you get
the take you need because the costs are low. This means that
your actors don't need to nail the scenes in one take. In some ways, filming a
movie is like living the ideal life. You can choose the best take and forget
the rest.
Shot Planning
I start the shot planning process by visualizing the scene
in my head and writing down a list of the shots that make
the scene happen. I’d also storyboard key scenes that required
more detail. The problem with this method is that during filming
the camera would be moved between non-consecutive scenes that
required the same camera setup. This meant that the same camera
setup (focus, exposure, white balance) would have to be set up twice.
I solved this problem by creating an Access database application
that would create a shot list that would order all of the same camera
setups together in a report. This application would also list all the
required props for a particular scene. You can download this application
here, but keep in mind you’ll need Microsoft Office with Access
(and a little Access database experience would help).
Scheduling
Get a big calendar pad. Write down the scenes you want to film on the
days you have available. Call your actors and find out if they can make
it on these days. If not, reschedule. Repeat if necessary.
Props
Be creative and cheap, but make sure the key props are believable.
For STOP
I was able to scrounge a lot of props that were passable when shooting
on video, but for the antagonist’s sniper rifle
I ordered a replica from eBay. It made crucial action scenes more powerful.
Make sure you have a list of the props you’ll need before heading
out on location. When people are donating their time and continuity
is difficult to maintain in the best of circumstances, having to come
back to a location can be a real hassle.
Fighting
The fight scenes in
STOP
were developed with the aid of Mike Rudd,
a black belt Aikidoist who trained in Japan with Morihei Ueshiba's students.
The movements were thought out with the aim of
developing the characters and moving the
story forward, rough video was shot of these movements, and then a
short video of the fight was edited and
sent to the actors.
Once on location, the actors had a rough idea of what the
sequence should look like, and Mike was able to double for the
actors in some of the more difficult sequences.
Production
Copyright © 2006 Malcolm Ferrier