3 stages of movie making. How hard could it be?
Pre-Production
Production
Post-Production
Easy…
Actually, it’s pretty hard.
When you’re young, just grab a camera, point and shoot. No one is going to care about the quality. If you have the luxury of doing that before adulthood, you will learn a lot. Like the fact that not everything goes according to plan.
Planning is your best friend
Take it from a filmmaker: if it can go wrong, it will. The best remedy for this is planning! Luckily, I have all the steps here for you to know exactly how to have a successful film shoot, from beginning to end!
Trust me, it’s not as scary as it sounds. Especially if you lay a strong foundation. Find some trusted people you want to work with. Then, you can begin.
1) PRE-PRODUCTION
The phase every higher up, or “above-the-line,” loves most. This is when you iron out all the kinks and creases. Write your script, storyboard, shot lists, schedule, and cast some actors. Let's break this down:
Scripts: NEVER make a movie without a script! This is coming from someone who has made five (5!) movies without a script. Don’t do it. It makes everything ten times harder. No shot lists. Flexible schedules. It can be a real nightmare if you’re not careful! Of course, it’s totally possible. I have made 5 successful films without a script. It simply requires extra effort.
Crew: Find your department heads. Decide if you want your crew to wear multiple hats. Sometimes, your costumer can also be an actor. Or your MUA is also a producer. Just be sure not to give yourself or anyone else too many hats. Read this article for more information about the Roles on a Film Set.
Budget: Don’t fret, it’s not that scary. Especially for an indie film. Even if you only have $50 for food and props, it’s worth your time to practice keeping a budget. $30 for food, and $20 for props. Keeping organized will make your producers happy, and make your life less stressful.
Paperwork: Everyone’s least favorite part. Audition forms, location release, talent release, and many more can pile up in front of you. These can be difficult to keep track of, especially if you’re just starting out. Often indie filmmakers don’t need too many forms. We can get away with guerilla style filmmaking.
Storyboarding: What is that, you ask? It’s where you draw your entire movie. No, seriously. Every. Single. Shot. It actually really helps when you get on set and are trying to remember how exactly you wanted to set up this shot. It can save hours on production day and help communicate your ideas with your crew. Just remember to bring the images with you!
Shot Lists: You cannot make a proper schedule without this. Break down your script into the smallest chunks possible. This strongly ties in with STORYBOARDING. Every time the camera cuts, changes position, looks at a new actor, it requires a new shot number, and often requires a new storyboard image. This helps keep things organized so your DP, Director, and all the other very important people can reference a quick list of what is done, and what still needs doing.
Schedule: The most important piece of paper in the entire process! If you don’t know what a schedule is, go back to grade school. Make sure to include in your schedule which shot number (see shot list) is happening at which time, and who in your cast and crew needs to be there. This helps people to not be mad at you for wasting their time. And don’t forget to plan your breaks!
Locations: This is one of my favorite parts. Grab your producers, location managers, and whoever else wants to come and make an adventure out of it! Hike the desert cliffs near your hometown to see if it’ll work in your sci-fi show. Visit old military forts and take lots of pictures. Just make sure wherever you are looking to film, you follow all of the laws regarding trespassing, filming on private and public property, and check if you need to pay anyone for use of the land.
Cast: The fun part! Hold auditions (you can find a variety of forms online for potential actors to fill out). You could also just cast your friends, but they might not be too great of actors. Or maybe they are and you’re really lucky.
Pre-production can be the most daunting and annoying part of the process. If you don’t have reliable, motivated people then it can take forever to get anything ready. Even if you’re just starting out, implementing at least some pre-production into your project can make things go smoother on production day, and in post.
2) PRODUCTION
My absolute favorite part of the process! There is no feeling quite like being on set, watching the actors do their thing, and making magic happen. This does not come without its difficulties, though.
Before you begin production, make sure you have gone through a successful pre-production. Poor planning is one of the major causes of a failed production.
Here is the process of Production:
Review: Make sure your Pre-Production planning was a success. Your cast and crew must all be on the same page. Send out reminder emails. Double check the schedule. Contact your locations again and remind them that you will be filming there very soon. The very last thing you want to happen on your set is for someone to forget what you’re doing.
Food: Either day of, or shortly before, someone needs to buy the food. Ideally for a full day of shooting, provide one meal (sandwiches, tacos, really anything except pizza) every five hours. Also, plan short breaks for snacks between meals. If you have a big budget, you could hire a caterer. If not, like most truly indie films, you can just hit up your local taco shack or grocery store and grab water, snacks and a meal. And don’t forget to ask your cast and crew about food allergies.
Shooting: The best part! Once all the planning is done, sit back and watch your talented cast and crew do their thing! And be prepared for when things go wrong. Have a medical person on hand. Bring extra tape.
Re-Shoots: This is not common on indie films, but sometimes it’s still necessary. When you are reviewing your footage, there may be a shot or two you missed or need to redo. This is when a good pre-production can really come in handy. You can reference your shot list and know exactly what to do, which location to go to, and which cast and crew you need.
Once everything has been shot, or mostly shot, we can go to:
3) POST-PRODUCTION
The phase some people dread, and others love.
Editing: This is the majority of post. Give all of your beautiful footage to your editor, sound mixer, colorist, and anyone else you need to work on this. Or maybe that’s just you. Make sure you get good people like these guys at Granon Films in Yakima, WA. They’ve been professionally editing films and podcasts since April 2021.
Sound: This is the stage where you add in your songs, get some foley artists, and make the sound balance perfectly. This also comes in handy when you’re recording a song or making a podcast. Never compromise on good sound quality. Trust me, you don’t want to sound like you’re recording a zoom call.
Coloring: The secret ingredient to a professional looking film. This does require proper camera work in production though, and that usually requires a knowledgeable DP…Anyways. Color correcting and color grading is SO IMPORTANT for a professional looking film. They can often be quite pricey due to such high demand and not many colorists out there. Check out the colorist at Granon Films in Yakima, WA for an affordable, professional color grade! Or, you can do it yourself! There are many videos on YouTube about the basics of color grading.
Distribution: The most intimidating part of the process. Sometimes. Indie artists will often upload their film to YouTube, which is free for them and for you. The only downside is they often don’t make money unless they are crazy popular or they are so talented and creative that a studio picks up their work. It’s happened, but it's rare. Basically, YouTube is great if you don’t care about making money. If you do, though, it's worth your time to find a good distributor. FYI, real distributors will never ask for money up front. They’ll take part of the profit. If they are asking you for money for their distribution services instead of taking a percentage, run.
And there you have it, the entire process of making a movie. If that didn’t intimidate you, then you might be one of the few who has what it takes to pursue a career in filmmaking.
