Low-budget filmmaking tip #178
Some people like to show rushes to the crew, thinking it can be inspiring. Some don’t, because it can be demoralizing. However you decide to do it, at least be consistent, be clear about why you’re doing it, and keep an eye on what effect it may be having.
Me, I’m not convinced it’s a good idea unless I want the actor to see something specific. I’d rather they worry about their job and I worry about mine.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #167
Animals are very tricky to work with. Don’t expect animals to do extraordinary things. Do expect to shoot four times as much footage waiting for the animal to perform properly. In this respect, it’s like an amateur actor, except for the significant differences in potty-training. Or a kid.
Training, regardless of leg-count, matters a great deal.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #159
Know what part of the set is Hot Set. Hot Set is what can be seen by the cameras. If there’s a lot of camera motion, the Hot Set is a lot bigger than you would expect. Always keep that in mind. You don’t want to be the person who moves something or leaves a coffee cup, or — holy smokes — steps into a shot.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #156
You can rehearse until you’ve lost the feeling in your genitalia, but unless the actors understand the characters, the performance will never be better than memorized lines. The Director must work with them to help them understand the characters.
Ordinarily, I would assume between the Director and the Writer, they’ve figured out the characters, but I’ve been on projects where neither seemed to understand who the characters are.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #147
If you want to get a little experience under your belt, browsing online classifieds (such as Craigslist, Mandy, etc.) can help you find productions in your area that are crewing or casting. Usually, they pay little or nothing, but if you’re just starting to learn, this sort of experience can be invaluable.
One in general might find it advantageous to not take advantage of any crew, regardless of pay status — doing so makes it harder to keep good crew around. Eventually, you wind up with a crew of people who have crappy boundaries.
And who needs that?!
Low-budget filmmaking tip #137
There are a lot of things you can fix in editing, but crappy line delivery isn’t one of them. Try to get at least one safety take.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #136
If you’re actors want to try a variation of a line, get the scripted line first, and then let them try their variations (assuming you have the time, of course).
Make sure the master shot, however, is the scripted line. Get any extra or bonus lines in cutaways.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #109
Seagulls will act for breadcrumbs. So will pigeons and doves (even in slow motion!). Dogs can act for their favorite treats (for example, bacon, which could indicate I was a dog, too, I suppose). Good luck with cats, iguanas, snakes, spiders, or anything else. I hear cats can be trained, but I probably won’t be counting on a decent cat trainer being nearby when I need a highly trained cat.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #101
Unless there’s a voice coach involved, really think about it before you use non-native accents. People are usually excited being in a movie and will go overboard and their lines pretty much become unintelligible. Don’t get me wrong — everybody’s got at least one Dr. Who fan film in ‘em — but just consider doing takes without the accents, too. You won’t regret it in editing.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #88
Unless there’s something hidden under the hats, avoid hats on characters. All you’ll get is a lot of hat-acting.
(thanks for the tip, Ryan!)