When you want specific techniques to learn more about film-making, here are some additional exercises that really help.
1. The basics
There is a base line of filmmaking that every person making a movie should master. This should be taught in school along with reading and writing. Why? For one thing, it’s unlikely that you will finish your school career without some teacher asking you to turn in an assignment as a movie. Maybe it’s a language teacher asking for an advertisement or cooking lesson filmed in a foreign language. Maybe it’s an English teacher who announces you can turn in an assignment in any media. Maybe you’re documenting a process, such as a science experiment, to share with others. Maybe you’re actually taking a film class, in which case I don’t doubt these basics will be covered right away. But for anyone turning on the “record” button, please, for the sake of your audience, do these few things that will make your film watchable.
- use a tripod
- use lots of light
- get great sound
- keep it tight
If you just do those four things, you’re already going to make a film that’s miles better than most student films, and a film another human being can stand to watch. You’d be surprised how often amateur filmmakers don’t do those four simple things. Remember, professional filmmakers are always conscious of their audience.
2. The slightly more advanced
You will use the basics no matter what you are filming. Here are a few more techniques to take your amateur work in the direction of professional filmmaking.
- use varied angles
- direct your actors
- plan your film ahead of time (aka “pre-production”)
- solid script
- shot list
- storyboard
- production needs list
- location list
- master editing skills
- add post-production sound and music
- add opticals (fade-ins, fade-outs, transition effects, and opening and end titles)
These are just some of the things that will instantly improve what your films look like.If you follow all of those techniques, you will be well on your way to making screening-worthy films. Click on the Fabulous Filmmaking category for more ideas. If you want to improve your story-telling, look at entries in the Super Storytelling category. Book Reviews will give you ideas of things to read to improve your knowledge of film-making, story-telling, and movie history. Quippy Quotes will provide insta-snippets of inspiration. And of course watch lots and lots of marvelous movies to keep learning. Check out the What Are We Watching? book that combines great filmmaking strategies with great movies you can watch to learn more.
Any film you make, even if it’s just a two minute exercise for a language class, or a 12 second Vine, should be taken as an opportunity to practice your techniques. Have fun trying to make things look closer and closer to what you envision. As you do, you will become increasingly more professional, and people will want to watch your films, and enjoy their content instead of being distracted by amateur slapdashery. This is definitely a situation where you learn by doing, and don’t let the fear of making mistakes hold you back. Make many, many films, and you will only get better at your craft with each one. Your point of view is important; share it with us in a way that makes sense so we can appreciate your vision.