Digital Film Production Basics

Free filmmaking software is not going to teach you the workings of digital film production. How many of us know people with a digital camera and some free digital editing software that has shown us a awful movie they made? The movie world premiere is in their living. Family and close friends get together to eat microwave popcorn and lend their support. They won't say it out loud, but they are thinking, "this is the worst movie I've seen." When the final credits finally role the movie maker gets some feeble words of encouragement.

Digital film productions that looks amateur should be kept to homemade sex tapes and cheesy wedding videos. Owning some digital film production software and gear is not going to help if you do not know how to use them like a seasoned indie filmmaker. Putting in extra time and effort to grasp the basics of digital film production will make your movie a whole lot more entertaining. As with life, the more you put into learning a craft the better you become at it. Stick with me as I pass along to you some cool digital film production tips that can help you be a more savvy filmmaker.

Regardless if you plan to shoot your movie on a mobile phone or digital camcorder drill on operating them before you shoot one frame. There is no worse situation then learning how to use a camera on location. Even a loyal cast and crew will lose patience leading to anger leading to lackluster effort. Technical mishaps can be overlooked while they get sorted out. Not knowing how to work the camera will not. A cast and crew will turn on a filmmaker fast. It does not matter if it's a volunteer cast and crew they expect the filmmaker to appreciate their time and not piss it away.

Indie filmmakers love to use shooting locations they are given open access to. Grab your script and walk as many of your locations as possible making notes of what you want your camera positions to be for each scene. In simple film talk this is where camera shot sheets and storyboards enter. A shot sheet is a sequential list of camera positions you want to capture an entire scene. It's like simple directions to find a place. In this scenario the place is the end of a certain scene. Storyboards act serve the same function, but they guide using images. It is wise to know the visual direction of your movie or your movie could turn out to be really bad. Following your visual directions ups the odds of you being more creative because you are not asking yourself, "where should the camera be now?" ""

Call in every favor you have to get your hands on a shotgun mic for your movie shoot. Terrible audio will turn viewers off faster then a cheetah runs. A couple of mistakes first time indie filmmakers make it they do not think mic placement and do not make notes of locations with audio problems. You would be surprised how crucial mic placement makes to overall audio quality. Only using a so-so shotgun mic instead of relying on built-in camera mic ups audio quality big time. With a shotgun mic in the mix you have that freedom to find the choose the best spot to pick up audio from. On one film shoot found we got sweeter sound quality by capturing dialogue from below the actors as opposed to having the mic above them. Our sound person went from standing on a step ladder to lying flat on their back. It worked fantastic for audio.

Do not get hung up on how cool a location looks if it has audio problems. Avoid locations near busy train tracks, airports, or high traffic areas if there is important dialogue that needs to be recorded during a scene. Most indie film budgets cannot afford the cost of automated dialogue replacement (ADR). Go in thinking any audio you record on location is what you will have when you edit your masterpiece.

There is much more to digital film production then what I was able to cover for the limited time I have had your attention. But I'm confident these tips will make you a more savvy indie filmmaker. If you are serious and hungry for more detailed information on how to make a successful movie join the list for Movie Biz Coach. I've signed on as a regular contributor and have tons to share on making movies from screenwriting to distribution.

If all you want to do is make personal sex tapes, bad wedding videos, or movies that stink this where we go our separate ways friends. Sid Kali signing off.