With every film, we’ve always learned something new and when we made our short film The Asylum Groove this was definitely true.
In this video, we are going to share 24 filmmaking tips, tricks, or hacks which can help you, make your short film.
Let’s get straight into it.
1 - Use your character's costume to help tell the audience about their backstory. For example, clothes that don’t fit shows they can't afford new clothes and may have been handed down to them.
2 - The same goes for clothes that are unironed, this shows the character does not take much pride in what they are wearing.
3 - Or it helps to show a turning point when your character has stopped caring about what they look like for whatever reason.
4 - Create a mood board from past films to help with how you would like your film to look. This will give you a direction to work towards when it comes to creating your film.
5 - It will also help others to see what you are trying to achieve.
6 - Don’t just use reference images from films, look at other pieces of art. Google Images can be your best friend.
7 - A good prop can introduce who a character is without any words of dialogue being spoken. If someone flashes a police badge we know straight away they are police.
8 - The version of a prop you use is also important. A plastic mop and bucket are a lot more modern than a wooden mop and metal bucket. A vinyl record can also help to set the film in a particular era or shows your character is a little old school.
9 - Build your story around a pre-existing location you already have access to. This will give your set a bespoke feel with a lot less work.
10 - The right crew is more important than the camera, chose that first.
11 - When casting an actor, let them read the whole script. Don’t be too precious about other people reading it; it might convince a great actor to accept the role.
12 - If your script doesn’t include many lines of dialogue, ask your auditionees to read a monologue which they think suits the role instead.
13 - Then once they have performed it, direct them to act the same monologue but with a new character motivation. If they can take the redirection now, it is a good indication that they can mold to your vision on set.
14 - If you have many different actors coming in to read for the same role, ask them to read from one particular scene. This will allow you to see many different versions of the same character.
15 - Record auditions so you can review them side by side later on.
16 - Use these DIY T-Brackets as t-marks so your actor knows where they need to hit their mark.
17 - Gaff tape the DIY T-Brackets so they can easily be seen.
18 - Don’t underestimate rehearsals. The more time you spend with your actors, the more they will understand what you require from them before the shoot day.
19 - In fact, spend time talking to your crew before the shoot so everyone is working from the same plan.
20 - Create key phrases for each character’s emotional beats throughout the script and add them to the storyboards. This will help you give quick directions when on set.
21- When you need an authentic shock from your actor, pop a balloon next to them.
22 - Use a door wedge to help level out your camera when it’s on uneven ground.
23 - Add tape your lens so you can set the focus marks you need to hit.
24 - When working with other filmmakers, find out which areas they are most passionate about, and take advantage of their skills.
If you want more filmmaking tip and tricks, check out our 100 filmmaking tips in 10 minutes video here.
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