Low-budget filmmaking tip #202
Once your production gets to a certain size, seriously consider insurance. A carrier can offer you a policy even for a single project, and it’s a lot cheaper than you might think.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #201
Setting up and “balancing” a multicamera shoot is a lot of work at the beginning, but the results in the editing room can be miraculous — all the continuity and action matches perfectly. And if you organize it right, you shoot in half or less the time!
Low-budget filmmaking tip #199
For any project with more than two or three of anything (people, props, sets, shooting days, etc.) organize it all using a good tool. CeltX, Yahoo groups, FaceBook, Voodoo Pad, whatever works for you and everyone else. Don’t let your org tool be the bottleneck, though.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #157
If you’re shooting a fight scene, get a lot of coverage. A lot. Every possible angle you can. Overshoot. Maybe even a few takes on slow shutter speed to give you blurry motiony stuff. Whatever. Just get a lot. Your editor will love you for it. If you are your own editor, you’ll love yourself for it. In a good way.
By the way, if you’ve ever taken our workshops, we totally cheat on this — we’re trying to get so much footage in so little time that we usually only take a master shot. This is not very wise and it does ding us on occasion.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #154
If there’s going to be any sort of mess on set at all, such as effects or rain or anything, bring an extra set of clothes. Even if there isn’t going to be anything tricky, having an extra set of clothes handy won’t kill you.
Clothes are small, but invaluable if needed.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #153
Always make sure your permits are in order before lighting anything on fire. If you’re not sure if you need a permit, find out first. A pleasant phone call and a $35 permit fee are much preferable to a steep fine or worse.
(thank you, Brian Oberquell)
I’ve never once regretted talking with the police before filming an outdoor scene. Each time there was trouble (and I know of several incidents involved with our last production!), the police already knew about everything and we were perfectly legal and nice. Zero hassles (although for one incident, we had to stop filming for an hour or so until the cops found all the lost terrified teenagers, but we needed a break anyway)
Low-budget filmmaking tip #148
If you want your video to look like film, one of the most effective choices you can make is to light it like film. An ounce of good lighting is worth a pound of “film-effect” plug-ins for your editing software.
All shots, whether or not they are visually interesting, should be lit well.
A poorly lit visually interesting shot is still poorly lit.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #146
You know those stories about a filmmaker who maxed out every credit card and spent all their savings and retirement in a mad gamble at success? In those stories, just as this debt is about to rebound back, the gamble pays off, the movie is wildly successful, and everything turns out great? By and large, that only happens in the movies. In real life, these people are crushed by their own debt and ruined. Spend in your budget, be careful and wise.
For every exception, there are least a thousand filmmakers who have ruined themselves, possibly more.
Anyone who can beat these odds might have a better chance simply buying Powerball tickets.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #133
You might think having a setpiece that consists of video monitors tracking action all over a location is a cool thing, and in a lot of ways it can be, but think of each one of those video feeds as a completely separate short movie you have to make before you make the movie. Unless you’re better at doing bluescreen than I am. Which probably isn’t hard.
And do I need to remind us all that security camera footage does NOT have cuts and dissolves and angles in it. If you’re going to show security camera footage, then grab a Handicam or something, jam it up in a corner, lock it down, and shoot some real-looking security camera footage.
It’s tedious, yeah, but it’s not hard.
Low-budget filmmaking tip #132
The night before a shoot, check all costumes, props, locations, actors, gear, food, and crew. make sure everything’s ready. Make sure batteries are charging, tapes are striping, etc. Prepack the car. Double-check everything. Call other people to make sure they’re prepared, too.
I used to have a checklist, but the last big project kinda scotched that idea. On the other hand, the last big project’s “checklist” was “Bring the trailer. Everything’s in the trailer.”