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OPINION
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Forward Thinking
Indie filmmakers can save a lot of time and money by simply planning ahead during production
So many indie filmmakers in the
Tampa Bay indie film community simply don't get it. They don't.
They come up with these cool ideas for stories. They pound out a script
as quickly as possible. They assemble a cast and a crew from their circle
of friends. They go out and shoot their film. Then, after all of this,
they edit it. It's then that they get frustrated.
They realize that they don't have all of the shots that they need. The
actors have bad delivery, and those takes are the ones that are printed.
The lighting is off. Sometimes, the indie filmmaker has to round everyone
back up and reshoot entire scenes, and maybe even the entire film itself!
Once the film is done, there may be other problems. Maybe a promotional
poster needs to be done and they don't have any production stills to use.
Just use a screen grab, right? Well, maybe the rushed composition of the
scenes, technical issues, and the fact that screen grabs don't blow up
so well leads to poor material for marketing. Thus, the filmmaker has
to set up a shoot with a professional photographer, which is more time
and money, not to mention inconvenient for the actors, and the results
may not quite match the look, atmosphere, and the ambience of the film.
How are these issues avoided?
Simply by planning ahead. Take your time and get all of the details right.
Storyboard your scenes and block them out right. Don't rush anything,
and plan out your production schedule and the logistics to the tiniest
detail. So many indie filmmakers in Tampa Bay neglect detail, and it makes
their film a lot harder to pull off with any great quality in the long
run. You've heard the saying- If it is worth doing, it is worth doing
well.
There are ways of knocking out multiple problems with the same solution,
too. Take the aforementioned issue of production stills, for example.
Simply get a photographer involved in the actual production and have them
take pictures using the sets, lighting, and actors AS you film your film.
The minute or so utilized will more than pay for itself after the film
is completed. Cooperate with your photographer, too. If they need to get
a shot, listen to them and allow them to get the shot. What? The lighting
isn't good enough to take pictures? Then you may have issues with the
actual production itself. Sure, that low lit scene may look great behind
the viewfinder of that HD camera, but blow it up in post production and
you will see noise in the footage and image quality drop-outs that you
will be kicking yourself over. Get the best footage possible. Get the
best sound possible. Use good lighting. Give yourself every advantage
in post production, and you will ensure that your film will turn out to
be something which is worth watching.
What if you making a moody indie film or you are making a horror film
in which low lighting is needed for the atmosphere of the picture? Without
going into a tutorial about lighting, simply obtain clean footage with
the best possible lighting and adjust the levels in post. This way, you
can knock out potential issues in production, such as still photography,
and give yourself the quality material that you need to work with in post
at the same time.
Although we are all passionate about filmmaking and what we do, it is
important to avoid being impulsive and to plan out the production process.
Is there anything that be done at certain points of the process to get
more done in the allotted time to become more efficient? Sure there is.
You only have to take the time to plan it all out. Pre production is critical
to achieve that success.
C.
A. Passinault
Director
Tampa Bay Film
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