'Paparazzis' by Creactions, http://www.sxc.hu - used with permission
So you’ve got your idea, script, and storyboard all planned, such that you can pretty much ‘watch’ the video in your head. Now, before you actually pick up your camera and start shooting, you’ve got a few things to get ready. The most obvious thing is that you at least need a camera – so that will come under organising equipment that you will need. Then there is the people you will need to operate that equipment effectively – you can affectionately call them the crew. Then there’s the actors, both people for the parts in your script along with any extras you might need – this is called ‘talent’. You will also need to organise all your locations for shooting, and finally, get together all the necessary paperwork for the day, which will include a realistic schedule for shooting. Let’s take a more detailed look at each of these…
Organising your:
1) Equipment
- Camera – there’s a wide range, and what you use will usually depend on your budget. If it’s a one-off short film, consider hiring so you can get something better quality, and give something new a try. Unless you’re capturing your audio onto an external audio recording device or you’re making a music video, your main concern with the camera should be how you are going to capture the audio. Does it have an input for an external microphone and an output for headphones? Check out Filming Set-ups for help work out what you need. Check it’s all working properly before your filming day.
- Charged Batteries – make sure all your batteries are fully charged. You should also bring your charger and an extension cord, just in case!
- Microphone, lead, headphones, boom pole/mic stand, and possibly external audio recording device, and additional wind sock for mic – make sure you have all the equipment you need to make sure sound is good, and that you have any necessary batteries for the microphone and recorder, plus some spares.
- Tripod
- Lighting – not always necessary, but important to consider. After audio, lighting is really important. On a budget, you can get a weak flood light with some baking paper to soften, or a strong normal bulb with a paper lantern to soften. You will probably also need an extension cord, and maybe a powerboard. You may also want to get a blue gel if you want to mimic sunlight (believer it or not, sunlight is blue!). Another way to help your lighting situation when there’s already some lighting is with a reflector board to reflect the existing light where you want it, eg onto a face. On a budget, you can get a big white piece of card, or cover cardboard with foil.
- Props and Set – go through your storyboard and make sure you have acquired all the props and pieces of set you need for filming. You might buy some, borrow some, use your existing possessions, or even make some. Just make sure you’ve got it all ready to go so you’re not found short on the day.
→ Once you’ve worked out everything you need, get it all together and packed before the day you are going to be filming.
2) Crew
- If you’re just working with a camera, then this is probably just you. But if you know someone who can take better shots than you (a camera person), then you may want to ask for their help, so freeing you up to direct the talent. My problem is that I’m always far more critical of other’s filming than my own, and so I guess a bit pedantic, so I am usually the one filming. Though if you’ve storyboarded well, then your camera person should be able to tell what you want the shots to look like.
- If you’ve got an external microphone, then having someone as a ‘boom operator‘ (as in, person that holds the boom pole with the mic on the end, making sure that it’s as close as possible to the thing making the sound you want to record but without being in shot) is just gold! They can focus on the audio so you (or the camera person) can concentrate on the visual. They might also monitor the sound for you.
- The bigger the production, the more crew you will need. The thing about video is that there are just so many things that you’re trying to do well. You will never be an expert in all of them. So, that’s why the credits after a movie are so long – they have a lot of specialists working to get their part just right. If you’re wanting to get more help, then you’d at the least start with a producer (someone to organise all the people for the day) and an equipment manager (someone to make sure all the equipment and props are where they need to be).
3) Talent
After your idea and script, the actors are usually the next determining factor in how good your final film will be (before then your shooting and editing). Make sure you have the right people for the parts you are trying to fill. You will have an idea in your head as to how you think the part should be played. Know first that the actors will be different to that, no matter what. So, make sure they are versatile and convincing in their acting. By picking people suited to the part you are trying to fill, that will go along way to helping this. If you’re on a budget, then you’re going to be looking amongst your friends and contacts first. If you know this is the case, then it’s probably good to be considering this as you think of the idea and write the script. Have the actors in mind so you can make it as easy as possible for them to be convincing. You may be able to get some actors who are willing to work for free so they can get something on their showreel – you can usually find them on various websites. If you’ve got a little budget, offer them something as an incentive for working in your advertisement, and you’ll find that you get a lot of responses. Even talking over the phone with them will give you a good idea of what they will be like when they act. Audio says a lot, remember? If you’ve got any scenes that may require people in the background as extras – eg cafe, classroom, park, etc, then make sure you have sourced enough people who are free on the day you want to film to join in. Be warned though – unless you’re paying extras, they’re not always the most reliable at turning up when they say they will.
4) Locations
Hopefully after scripting and storyboarding your film, you’ve already got some ideas about where you want to set each scene. Usually to visualise a scene for storyboarding, you will have thought of a place you know, or will have been on the look out since storyboarding for the kind of place you might want to set it. Now you’ve got to work out whether it’s actually going to be possible. The biggest difficulty you will find is with public places. If you’re operating a bigger production, especially if it is a commercial production, then you will know that you need permission from council or whoever owns the property to shoot there, and your producer will be seeking this permission. These will require time to process, so make sure you’re getting in early. If you’ve got very little budget and it’s not for commercial purposes, then you can usually get away with just turning up and shooting when it comes to outdoor locations (like a street corner). If it is something like a cafe or newsagent, then just ask the shop owners until you find someone willing to let you shoot. So long as you’re not in the way, people can be pretty generous. Be careful of places like shopping centres or railway platforms – these are very public places, and highly controlled by people who are very aware of the general public’s concern with being filmed. They will often stop you from shooting if you start, and would be very hesitant to allow you to shoot their if you asked without paying a fair bit of money. You may be able to get away with it at a country train station or small shopping plaza, but I’ve got to say that the difficulty with filming in these type of locations have meant that they rarely make it into my scripts!
5) Paperwork
- Most of this is already prepared – make sure you have enough scripts for your actors, and storyboards for yourself and camera people. You may also want to get your actors, or any random people you interview, to sign a release form to say that they give you permission to film them – so you could print off enough copies of these.
- The main thing you need to prepare now is the schedule. Whether you think you’ll be filming for 2 hours, a day, or ten days, you need to plan how you’re going to approach it. Sit down with your story board and work out how many locations you have. Then plot through how many shots you need to shoot at each location (they may be at various points in video if it returns to the same location, so make sure you shoot it all while you’re there). Then try to stream line it for the actors. Some might be needed for the whole shoot, but others might only be needed for a particular scene. Now try to put down times for when you want to start shooting at each location. Make sure that you are generous with your estimates. Filming will almost always take longer than you think. Now is not the time to get ahead of yourself and think ‘it won’t take long’. It will. Assume you’ll need to shoot each shot at least three times, and plan accordingly. Don’t forget to leave space for moving props, bloopers, setting up and packing up, and late actors. Don’t forget to also make space for the unknown things that will go wrong. You might need half an hour to clean up a mess, or get a new battery, or fill up with petrol – who knows, but that’s the point. Something unexpected almost always happens. The better prepared you are, the smoother the filming will be. Please make sure you are realistic as you plan your schedule!
- One final thing to make sure you have is a list of all the contact details that you might need for the shoot – so phone numbers for all actors, crew, and locations. When things go wrong, you will probably need to call people.
Now go to it! Plan, organise, prepare! Make it as easy as possible for your shoot to be as good as it can.
Please comment if you want any more details about the above step.
If you want to see an example of this, check out my post that details a bit of how I went through the 8 steps in making a recent film.
Next step: Film your film
This post is part of the series 8 Steps to Making a Video
