What it takes to make a Film (Part 1)
From the time, I was 6 years old, I wanted to be a filmmaker. From the time I got an understanding about the moving pictures, I wanted to be a filmmaker. The journey for me, till now has been astounding. Every passing day teaches me some or the other thing which motivates me to dive deeper and deeper in to the world of Cinema. Thanks to my everyday life experiences with Cameras, stories and people, I would like to list, what it takes to make a film if you are all on your own with zero budget and no experience.
I would begin here with a quote by Director-Writer Peter Jackson -
“The most honest form of filmmaking is to make a film for yourself”
1. A story :
A story is the heart of a film. Imagine watching a film/movie which is just a show of random footage or pictures or a slideshow without any clear understanding about what need to be shown. To connect with your audience, you need a story. To make them relate to your characters emotionally and to win their confidence, you need a story. A beautiful portrayal of images or footage with a crisp meaning soothes the mind of your viewers.
What it needs to write a story?
An IDEA is the seed to a story. Write it down, put it on paper. Let the amalgamation of Pen and your Mind create magic. Soon the idea will take the center stage and result into something called a ‘story’.
2. A script :
A script is a piece of story comprising of Dialogues, sequences of events and properties (Props). It contains -
- The list of events that complete the story
- Background of the characters, their Bio and details
- Properties which are part of a scene
- Scene sequences
- A greater detail about the script which also includes the Camera movements and shot selections make it a screenplay.
3. Storyboard :
Storyboard is a graphic representation or a drawing of images which depicts how your scene will unfold. Its stands on two legs -
- Images of the scene
- Description of the scene
Its chief objective is to help the director in clarifying his vision to rest of his crew members.
4. Camera :
With respect to buying a camera, I would stick to a statement — buy a cheap camera, lenses, lighting equipment, dollies, and a good editing software instead of buying a high end camera. If your story lacks the punch and imagination then even a camera like RED or ARRI would do no justice. My personal choice would be a Panasonic GH4 or a Sony A7S over any DSLR. If you are a Canon fan, then you should go ahead with Canon 5D Mark iii or 5DS. The canons are a good piece of camera with good Menu options, buttons, robust body and good battery life.
If you are just starting out and making your first amateur film, you should try the Canon 60D or a Panasonic GH1. If still these cameras are out of your budget, then you can try Canon 600D. Depending on your scene requirement and budget, you can also have multiple camera set up.
5. Lighting :
The beauty of a scene lies in the secret of how perfectly the actors (or an object) gets support of lights. Lighting sets the mood and atmosphere for a scene. A perfectly lit shot will send a message to the viewers about the character and story (about which I will explain you in my later post). If you are just starting out, below are the best option for lighting your scene.
- If you are on a zero budget, then the sun and a reflector will do the job for you
- If you are on a peanut budget, then the cheap LED panels available in a store near you would be perfect.
- Before buying a costly lighting kit, you should ask yourself a question, Do you need more than one light? The answer to this question will get you into learning the craft of lighting. (more to come about it in my next posts)
- Tungsten will be the last thing in my list.
6. Audio gear :
Without a good audio gear, their wont be any soul in your film. Try watching a short film or a movie having a bad audio or no audio at all. Sound makes the viewers BELIEVE the scene. It sets the tone for the dialogue delivery and conversations.
… End of Part 1
