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So you want to make a movie?

Article Submitted by:

ArtistsforJustice

about 1 year ago

2 articles submitted

Making a movie is not about just picking up a camera and hitting record. There are millions of factors to consider. Have you written a script or an outline at least? Who is going to star in your movie? What are you gong to do for lighting? Do you need to dress a set? There are schedules, budgets, grip gear, midgets, moles, buttplugs, Elvises, and a number of other things that would make you go, "wtf? Filmmakers are completely crazy."

There are also familiar things to those of you who are photographers or even painters. There are color palettes having to do with lighting, props, set dressing, wardrobe, and makeup. There is capturing a series of decisive moments each of them in a single frame and then in 24 frames that make up a second and so on and so forth.

Composition, angles, Close ups (CU), Long Shots (LS), masters, inserts, and considering how you are going to get your audiences eye to move across the frame but still focus on getting your point across.

F-stops also play a role, as do shutter angles, film stock, and focus rings. If you are shooting in digital, most everyone does now, these things still come into play. Instead of film stock you must consider whether you want to shoot in 24p or 29.97 or in HD. And then you have to think about 720p or 1080p and then there interlaced.

And all the while you must be thinking about how you are going to edit this. Are you going to have effects? Titles? Graphics?

So consider all these things before you go out and shoot some video. I like to think of it like this: If a picture's worth a thousand words, what will you to with 24 a second?