If I had a pound for every time I've heard someone say “I want to make my own movie - but…” and then nothing happens, I'd be a very wealthy man.

It's a sad fact that most people never get to know the fun of bringing their idea to fruition and usually they will only have themselves to blame.

 

making your first film with a crew

If you really do want to be making your first film then read on. In this series of blogs, we will share our simple and clear overview of the process involved, the mindset you should have, and the things you will need to consider.

Your mind Set

Women looking through viewfinder of dslr

Try to be an enthusiast and an eternal optimist. It really helps if your view of the world is one of ‘glass half full’ - particularly when things go wrong - and try not to be your own worst enemy by self catastrophising before you even get started.

Your idea

This is where most people get stuck because they think they must have a ‘good idea’. They are wrong. A ‘good idea or a bad idea’ is always subjective - you only need an idea that you want to make and then get on with it. 

To help you find your idea, try thinking about the type of things you like to watch, people you like to meet, things you like to read and explore things you are interested in. Your idea will need your touch of personal passion if it is to make it to completion. 

Involve others

Man holding camera in desert

At this stage of the process, half your fun will come from sharing your ideas with others. Encourage your friends and family to input their creativity into your idea and then encourage them to challenge yours. 

If you keep your idea to yourself, you will run a high risk of soon finding yourself in a very lonely place - creatively speaking. 

Be brave. Share your ideas with others. There is always the potential for ridicule with any idea you share but there is also the potential for your idea to grow and evolve into something better than what you started with.

Work everything out on paper

 

Person writing in notebook

This is another stopping point for first-time filmmakers as it is the first time you really have to produce something tangible - written documents. You should consider the following as being important steps on the way to making your first film:

Synopsis

A short written brief describing your idea.

Your synopsis is an ‘in a nutshell’ document that you can share with others to help them quickly understand what your film is about.

Writing your synopsis will help you clarify your thoughts in a more narrative style and will make you consider critical detail.

The first script

Create a written structure for your project.

Whether it's a prescriptive style of script or a simple topic guide for actors to improvise around,  you must try to remember that your first script is just the start. It is a living document that will evolve as you get input from others.

If you know your start, middle and end then you are in a good place to flesh out what goes on in between those key points.

A storyboard

Storyboard

Put the shots you want to create on paper.

The knowledge you get from drawing up a storyboard will allow you to better control all your assets, your time, and your crew when on location. A well-thought-out storyboard can help you adapt when you need to and therefore impact your budget ambitions in a very positive way.

It's an important document because this is the point at which you will begin to visualize your film and understand the number of casts, locations, and the type of shots you are aiming for making your first film. 

It's vital you remember that it doesn't matter how well you can draw. Use stick men if you have to, but get it done.

Start Casting

 

 

This is a critical element of your project.

If you have no budget then you might want to consider using friends or people you know. The alternative is to send out to agents and agencies a brief description of what you are looking for. Most agencies have an online portal where you can at least see images and showreels of actors you might be wanting to consider.

It's a real risk to cast anyone without having them audition for you. It’s through auditions that you will discover if people can actually act, you will see how they respond to your direction and it’s an opportunity for you to better visualize them in the role you are casting.

Keep an eye open for our Part 2 in this series on ‘making your first film’ where we will get into ‘locations and permissions’,  'going commando' and ‘film scheduling’.

Meanwhile, if you have any questions e-mail us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0131 226 0226 to see if we can offer you support with making your first film.

 

Time-lapse is simple to do and the advances in technology such as within mobile phones puts it in reach of most people. It's only when you want to make a professional time-lapse video that things need to be more considered.

So if you are reading this I'll make the assumption that you’ve already looked at Parts 1 and 2 and are now ready to think about where things go from here. To find out more about what we know in regard to the final steps required to make a professional time-lapse video..read on.

Install a unit

There is no ‘one right way’ to do this,  because wherever  you are - every location presents unique challenges. However there are some ways in which to be more safe and more secure...how much is up to you. Things you should consider are:

How and where is your unit mounted? If you are using a  simple tripod mount this still requires your thoughts when it comes to secure and stable.

To secure a tripod  from movement we use weights loaded onto the base of the tripod  legs or we use rope/chain tied tightly from the legs onto secure fixings nearby to secure and immobilize it.

Assess your position for weather impact and take the necessary steps required to minimise weather effect.

Guard rails and hazard tape used around the unit can also help to highlight its existence. This is done in an effort to make sure the tripod mount does not get bumped or moved accidentally.

If you require scaffolding or plan on using a local asset such as a lamppost, find out who is responsible for them and seek their permission to do so.

Apart from permission to use scaffolding or a local asset, you will also need official evidence of ‘safe build certification’.

Public Indemnity insurance is also a good idea and should be considered alongside and just as important as a detailed hazard assessment for the job you are undertaking.

Delivering maintenance

Time-lapse set ups are notoriously very fragile. That's  because you're asking so many electronic parts to work together often under extreme weather conditions and in industrially hostile environments and continuously over long periods of time. It's important therefore that you quickly spot when things go wrong and fix things asap in order to not lose massive chunks of  data.

We have monitored in two ways.

Visiting the unit each day is the first way. This is an ineffective method and is usually attempted only when remote monitoring is not available.  On long running and distant  projects it quickly becomes not viable. We have also done this monthly. However this led to many sleepless and stressful nights between visits. You are always asking yourself Did it stop just after the visit and you're now losing a month of vital data ? Again - still not the most effective way to monitor your time-lapse unit nut we have done it on projects that lasted years.

 

Man on mobile device with laptop and dslr

Remote monitoring is the second way. This is ideal when you operate a time-lapse unit. However it's more involved and requires more effort to make it happen. Use an internet connection software such as VNC (that's what we use) and you will be able to see the output of the camera at any time of the day and from wherever you are located.

We have VNC installed on laptops, main desk computers, mobile phones and lots more, allowing us to check things at least three times a day and then resolve 95% of any issues remotely through the time-lapse software ‘Dragon Frame’ we discussed in Part 2.

Producing product

These are the file/files you will give to the client when the job is done. They  should knock their socks off your client, be better than what was expected and be something you are proud to show others when looking for new business. Here are some things you can do to get there.

Editing

Don’t leave things in your video that are not going to engage your clients and their audience. Take out the time periods where nothing is happening. This includes any nighttime and  all weekends  when nobody is working on the job. They provide no new information to an audience, extend the running time of your video and are often boring for a viewer  to watch.

Grading

As the exposure and weather conditions will have changed constantly over the time of the filming it’s important that you consider reducing the amount of bright/dark flashing these changes impose on your video. It's not easy and is time consuming but results in a  more professional product.

DaVinci resolve grading

Music

This always helps when viewing a time-lapse video. Make sure you are globally cleared for any copyright issues that your music may have and pick a track that the client likes. It should emphasize the atmosphere and energy of the project you have been filming and should not distract your audience while they watch your time-lapse.

Well that's all for Time-lapse just now and we hope this small series has helped you. 

 

time-lapse dslr on tripod

If you’d like to see the time-lapse work we have delivered for others, check out the Time-lapse page of our website. If you have any questions, e-mail us at louise@lamedia.co.uk or give us a call on 0131 622 0220.

 

Well thats it for time-lapse but we hope you will enjoy our next blog... we think it's very exciting - 10 Things you should know for a New Drone Set-Up in 2021.