Film Making is an interesting industry that everyone takes interest on but with only few people being successful on it. There are many factors affecting a successful film maker. Unlike any creatives, film making is not just something that you can purchase out of the internet with Wayfair coupon 20% discounts. Film making is a little more complicated task that needs dedication.
But for all starters and aspiring film maker, here are some points to look into when you want to start your own film.
The first steps in making your first film is to come up with an idea before contacting a cinematographer. You will need a simple story line. It may only consist of a couple of sentences but to whoever you pitch the idea to should be excited to see the final output.
Write your Story
Your initial story line maybe different than your final product but this is important as it is your stepping stone to creating the script. The script may take from weeks to months to accomplish depending on the writer and the time they are giving.
Generally a screenwriter under a contract is allowed a 12 week running period for the first draft and another couple weeks for rewrites and polishing.
Here are some tips when writing a screenplay
1. Make sure there are no spelling or grammar errors. You want our first written screenplay to be professional as possible. You want to impress publishers, producers, and big film companies. Therefore it is important to make that first great impression so that they are going to take your work seriously.
2. Write in the right format. Thank goodness for technology. Writing screenplay these days has become easier than it was with the help of screenwriting softwares available for download. Some examples of these software are final draft, sophocles, movie magic screenwriter, and scriptware.
Financing your Film
Budget your money correctly depending on the requirements of the script.
Contact a financial advisor who are experienced in the industry. They can help you stretch your budget to complete the project.
Go through the project together with your financial advisor. With every aspects of the film project covered, they will tell you where and how to get the money to finance the film. If there are a few resources to fund the film, there are options to cut the cost.
Making Lists and Schedules
When budget and financing had been taken cared of, you will now have to make a lists and schedules. For every scene of the script, you will have to plan and make lists and schedules. This includes but not limited to the following:
- Location
- characters
- costumes
- props
- crew members
- special items
- call time and etc
Other considerations
Organizing a crew of producers to help you get organized. They will help you hire the right people so that it stays within your budget.
Finding Location. You can either hire a location scout or look for yourself. When looking for locations, it is always best to have 2nd and 3rd location for backup. There are a lot of circumstance affecting locations so be prepared for a tedious searching activity.
Building an Audience. As soom as you start production, this is also the right time to build an audience. A great way to do this is to create a website for your upcoming film. You also want to involve the press and other social influencers who can help you create some noise and eventually build an audience for your coming film.
Casting. Auditions are not the most favorable part in film making. The activity is always nerve racking. Sometimes there are over three thousand people auditioning for just one role in a popular movie. The casting director will lead the audition, usually by asking people auditioning to slate and do a couple of different things.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. So imagine how a film is starts and when in production and the shoot itself. There is still the after shoot dilemma of editing and and polishing.