Foreword...xxiii Introduction... 1 Part I: Filmmaking and Storytelling Part II: Gearing Up to Make Your Film... 47

Transcription

1 Contents at a Glance Foreword...xxiii Introduction... 1 Part I: Filmmaking and Storytelling... 7 Chapter 1: So You Want to Be a Filmmaker...9 Chapter 2: Genres in General...19 Chapter 3: Penning and Pitching a Great Story...33 Part II: Gearing Up to Make Your Film Chapter 4: Scheduling and Budgeting Your Film...49 Chapter 5: Financing Your Film...69 Chapter 6: Location, Location, Location...83 Chapter 7: Crewing Up: HiringYour Crew...97 Chapter 8: Assembling Your Cast of Characters Chapter 9: Storyboarding Your Film Part III: Ready to Roll: Starting Production on Your Film Chapter 10: Shooting through the Looking Glass Chapter 11: Let There Be Lighting! Chapter 12: Sound Advice: Production Sound Chapter 13: Directing Your Actors: And Action! Chapter 14: A Sense of Direction: Directing Your Film Part IV: Finishing Your Film in Post COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL Chapter 15: Cut to: Editing Your Film Frame by Frame Chapter 16: Posting Your Film s Soundtrack: Adding Music & Effects to the Mix Chapter 17: Conjuring Up Special Effects Chapter 18: Giving Credit and Titles Part V: Finding a Distributor for Your Film Chapter 19: Distributing Your Film Chapter 20: Exploring and Entering Film Festivals...317

2 Part VI: The Part of Tens Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Discovering New Talent Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Get Publicity for Your Film Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Avoid Murphy s Law Chapter 24: Ten Best Filmmaking Periodicals Index

3 Table of Contents Foreword...xxiii Introduction... 1 About This Book...1 Conventions Used in This Book...2 What You re Not to Read...3 Foolish Assumptions...3 How This Book Is Organized...4 Part I: Filmmaking and Storytelling...4 Part II: Gearing Up to Make Your Film...4 Part III: Ready to Roll: Starting Production on Your Film...4 Part IV: Finishing Your Film in Post...5 Part V: Finding a Distributor for Your Film...5 Part VI: The Part of Tens...5 Icons Used in This Book...6 Where to Go from Here...6 Part I: Filmmaking and Storytelling... 7 Chapter 1: So You Want to Be a Filmmaker Independents Day versus the Hollywood Way...9 Filmmaking: Traditional or Digital?...10 Traditional: Super-8, 16mm, or 35mm...11 Going digital: Standard or high-def...11 Developing Your Sense of Story...12 Financing Your Film: Where s the Money?...12 On a Budget: Scheduling Your Shoot...13 Planning Your Shoot, Shooting Your Plan...13 Hiring Your Cast and Crewing Up...15 Shooting in the Right Direction...15 Seeing the light...15 Being heard and scene...16 Actors taking your direction...16 Directing through the camera...16 Cut It Out! Editing Your Film...17 Listening to your film...17 Simulating film with software...17 Distributing Your Film and Finding an Audience...18

4 xii Filmmaking For Dummies, 2nd Edition Chapter 2: Genres in General Exploring Film Genres...19 Making em laugh with comedy...20 Getting dramatic about it...21 Horrifying horror films...22 Romancing the romantic...23 Getting physical: No talk and all action...23 Separating fact from (science) fiction...24 Indulging your fantasy...24 Go West, young man: Westerns...25 Going to war...25 Thrilling audiences with suspense...26 Stealing the audience s attention: Crime pays...26 Making music with musicals...27 Kidding around: Family friendly films...27 Categorizing Your Genres...28 Featuring films...28 Made-for-TV movie...30 Documenting documentaries...30 Shooting short films: Keep it brief!...31 Directing television programs...31 Directing commercials...32 Minding your PSAs: Public service announcements...32 Feel like dancing? Music videos...32 Industrials: Industrial strength...32 Chapter 3: Penning and Pitching a Great Story Screening for the Perfect Screenplay...33 The write way to find a writer...34 Adapting: A novel idea...34 Writing Your Own Original Screenplay...36 Structuring your screenplay...36 Creating conflict...38 Developing characters...39 Drafting your screenplay: Scene by scene...39 Collaborating with writer s software...42 Formatting your screenplay...43 Selling Your Screenplay to a Production Studio, Distributor, or Investor...44 Getting your foot (and screenplay) in the door...44 Pitching a home run...45

5 Table of Contents xiii Part II: Gearing Up to Make Your Film Chapter 4: Scheduling and Budgeting Your Film The Art of Scheduling a Film...50 Lining your script...51 Breaking into breakdown sheets...52 Creating production strips...54 Stripping down your schedule...56 Scheduling software to make your life easier...57 Balancing Your Film Budget...59 Tightrope walking above the line...59 Hanging below the line...61 Topping your budget...63 Budgeting for budget software...63 Factoring in a contingency amount...65 Insurance Is Your Best Policy...65 Finding an insurance broker...67 Bond, completion bond...68 Chapter 5: Financing Your Film Creating an Enticing Prospectus...69 Synopsis of your film...70 Information about you...70 Info about your cast and crew...71 Your budget and profit projections...71 Investigating Investors...71 Locating potential investors: Show me the money!...72 Approaching a potential investor...73 Keeping the Securities and Exchange Commission in mind...74 Starting a Film Company...75 Being in the right company...75 Other things to do to set up your company...78 Going Escrow...78 Contracting Your Investor...79 Tapping into Alternative Sources...80 Pre-selling your film...80 Getting a grant...81 Getting a loan...81 Bartering: Trade you this for that...81 Chapter 6: Location, Location, Location Locating Locations...83 Managing location scouts and managers...84 Evaluating potential locations...85 Taking a picture: Say cheese and thank you...86

6 xiv Filmmaking For Dummies, 2nd Edition Sounding Off about Soundstages...86 Finding or creating a sound stage...87 Putting up walls: Using flats...87 Shooting in the United States or Crossing the Border?...89 Researching U.S. government incentives...90 Traveling to Canada...90 Locating Stock Footage...91 Virtual Locations: Creating New Worlds on a Computer...92 Securing Your Locations...93 Acquiring permits...94 Ensuring you re insured...94 Mapping out your locations...94 Policing your locations...95 Fire!...95 Shooting Second-Unit Locations...95 Chapter 7: Crewing Up: HiringYour Crew Something to Crew About...97 Producing the producer...98 Directing the direction...99 Stepping over the line producer Uniting with a production manager Supervising the script Directing photography with a cinematographer Going with your gaffer Getting a grip Sounding like your sound mixer Booming the sound Propping up the prop master Dressing up the wardrobe department Making up is hard to do Gopher this, gopher that Keeping your composer Editing: Cut that out! And the rest Finding and Interviewing Your Crew Creative Ways to Pay Your Crew Paying later: Deferments or points Giving em credit Hiring student bodies Paying a kit fee Hiring crew as independent contractors Union or non-union that s the question Putting a Contract Out on Your Crew...113

7 Table of Contents xv Chapter 8: Assembling Your Cast of Characters Hooking Your Cast and Reeling Them In Calling all agents Casting through casting directors Placing casting ads Calling casting services Accessing actor directories Screening an Actor s Information Headshots and résumés Taping their act Spinning an actor s Web site Auditioning Your Potential Cast Creating a friendly environment Inspecting an actor s etiquette Slating on video Avoiding bitter-cold readings Monologues leave you all by yourself Making the Cut: Picking Your Cast Calling back Screen testing And the winners are Agreeing with Actors Agreements Contracting union players Contracting non-union players Securing releases from extras Chapter 9: Storyboarding Your Film Understanding the Basics and Benefits of Storyboarding Setting Up to Storyboard Breaking down your script Evaluating each shot Organizing a shot list Framing storyboard panels Deciding What to Include in Each Panel: Putting Pencil to Paper Choosing the right angles Imagining camera and actor movement Boarding your special effects Sketching out the actors, props, and vehicles Looking at lighting and location I Can t Draw, Even If My Life Depended on It Designing with storyboard software Drawing the help of a professional artist...140

8 xvi Filmmaking For Dummies, 2nd Edition Part III: Ready to Roll: Starting Production on Your Film Chapter 10: Shooting through the Looking Glass Choosing the Right Camera Rolling with film cameras Recording with digital camcorders Do You Need Glasses? Types of Lenses and What They Do The normal lens Chapter 11: Let There Be Lighting! Lighting Up Your Life Shedding Some Light on Lighting Jargon Big Foot-candles: Lighting for film cameras Lux (and cream cheese): Lighting for digital (SD and HD) Taking your color temperature Illuminating with soft light versus hard light Chapter 12: Sound Advice: Production Sound Testing, Testing, 1, 2, Assembling a Sound Team Mixing it up with your mixer Making room for the boom operator Choosing Analog or Digital Sound Analog: The sound of Nagra Falls DAT recorders and dat s not all In the field with digital recorders Recording with Microphones Shooting with shotgun microphones Omni-directional mics Lapel microphones Wireless microphones Using Your Headphones Walking and Talking: Walkie-Talkies on Set Listening for Quiet Shushing the camera: Barney hears you Silencing footsteps with sound blankets and foot foam Getting Up to Speed Safe and Sound Slating with the clapper board Syncing picture and sound with timecode Capturing On-Set Ambience Reporting Your Sound...196

9 Table of Contents xvii Chapter 13: Directing Your Actors: And Action! Getting Your Actors Familiar with the Material and Each Other Remembering that familiarity breeds content Reading through the script: The table read Adjusting dialogue to make it read naturally Being a Parent and Mentor to Your Actors with No Allowance Preparing Your Actors before the Shoot Rehearsals, yea or nay? Rehearsing the characters, not just the lines Discovering the characters backstories Reading between the lines: Subtext Exercising and warming up your actors Acting is reacting Speaking with body language Directing Actors during the Shoot Encouraging your actors to ask questions but not too many Reminding your actors that less is more more or less Feeling the words, not just memorizing Blocking, walking, and talking Taking care of business Matching actors actions Commending the actors Chapter 14: A Sense of Direction: Directing Your Film Focusing on Directing Directing traits Training yourself as a director Translating Script to Screen Understanding the screenplay Rewriting or adjusting the script Visualizing your screenplay Mapping Out Your Plans for the Camera Designing storyboards Creating a shot list Sketching schematics Making notes on the script Planning with models (not the high-fashion kind) Continuing Continuity with Your Script Supervisor Got a match? Inserting coverage and cutaways Screen direction: Your other left Taking Your Best Shot Where the heck are we? Establishing a wide shot You don t have to be a psychic to get a medium shot Two shot: Three s a crowd I m ready for my close-up...226

10 xviii Filmmaking For Dummies, 2nd Edition Picture This: Deciding When to Move the Camera and Why Playing with dollies Craning to get a high shot Steadying the camera Part IV: Finishing Your Film in Post Chapter 15: Cut to: Editing Your Film Frame by Frame Editing Your Film: Putting One Frame in Front of the Other Choosing an editor: Who cut this? Shooting enough coverage Assembling a first cut Building a director s cut Photo finish: Finalizing a final cut Listening to the sound editor Linear versus Non-Linear Editing Editing in linear Editing in non-linear Editing on Your Computer Hard driving Cutting it with editing software Posting your production in your computer Outputting formats Developing a Relationship with Your Film Lab Developing negatives, producing prints, and more Being positive about a negative cutter Color-correcting your film: As plain as black and white Answering your first film print Cloning, Not Copying; Cloning, Not Copying Chapter 16: Posting Your Film s Soundtrack: Adding Music & Effects to the Mix Finishing Sound in Postproduction Stirring up the mixer s toolbox Mixing the right balance Looping the loop Creating Sound Effects with a Bang Listening to sound-effects libraries Creating and recording your own sound effects Getting to know Jack Foley Adding room tone: Ambience or background sounds Scoring Big with Music Conducting a composer to set the mood Composing your own music The sound of music libraries...260

11 Table of Contents xix Playing with original songs Orchestrating the rights to popular music Cueing up cue sheets Singing songs in the public domain Outputting Your Final Mix Surrounding sound Separating music and effects tracks for foreign release Chapter 17: Conjuring Up Special Effects Creating Effects: In or Out of Camera? Dropping in Backgrounds Turning blue and green Dishing out special-effects plates Painting scenery into your shots: Matte paintings Have you seen scenic backdrops? Clipping your magazines Weathering the storm Downsizing Miniatures Looking down on miniatures Forcing the perspective, forcefully Climbing the walls Creating Effects Right in the Camera Backward about reverse photography Double exposure, double exposure Speeding slowly Creating effects with lenses and filters Exploding Effects on Fire Making Up Your Mind about Make-Up Effects Applying prosthetics Here s looking at scleral lenses Take a bite out of this Chapter 18: Giving Credit and Titles Titling Your Film Writing a Running List of Names and Positions Spelling it write Entitled to a credit Designing Your Titles and Credits Designing the style with fonts Animating your main title and credits Digital or optical credits Crediting without a computer Rolling Your Title and Credits Timing the opening and ending credits Ordering your title and credits Ensuring the safety of your credits Covering Your Eyes: Stripping Titles for Foreign Textless...293

12 xx Filmmaking For Dummies, 2nd Edition Part V: Finding a Distributor for Your Film Chapter 19: Distributing Your Film Understanding How Distribution Works Presenting Your Film to Distributors Posting a poster of your film Picturing the set photographer Pulling your audience in with a trailer Premiering your film Distributing Your Film Domestically Minding media rights Anticipating ancillary rights Meeting domestic buyers at the Home Media Expo Distributing Your Film around the World Selling your film at the super markets Negotiating: How much for your film? Speaking their language Chapter 20: Exploring and Entering Film Festivals Demystifying Film Festivals Judging the difference between a film festival and a film market Screening the benefits of entering film festivals Entering and Winning Secrets Submitting a work-in-progress Don t! Entering the right festivals for your film Choosing the appropriate genre and category Writing a great synopsis of your film Picture perfect: Selecting the best photos from your film Sending the best format Entering without a box Getting an entry-fee discount Part VI: The Part of Tens Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Discovering New Talent Viewing Independent Films Watching Local Theater Attending Actors Showcases Visiting Acting Schools Talking to Agents and Managers Searching the Academy Players Directory Schmoozing at Film Festivals and Markets...331

13 Table of Contents xxi Walking Down the Street Holding Talent Contests Starring Your Family Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Get Publicity for Your Film Submitting a Press Release Doing a TV or Radio Interview Getting a Review from Movie Critics Mailing Out DVD Screeners Attending Film Festivals ing and Setting Up a Web Site Designing T-Shirts and Other Premiums Planning a Publicity Stunt Organizing a Screening Party or Charity Event Placing an Ad Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Avoid Murphy s Law Testing the Camera Scouting Locations for Noise Watching the Weather Channel Backing Up Locations and Actors Using a Stunt Double Standing by with First-Aid Kit or Medic on Set Anticipating that Cellphones and Internet Don t Work Everywhere Mapping Out Directions Providing Plenty of Parking Securing Security Overnight Powering Up Ahead of Time Chapter 24: Ten Best Filmmaking Periodicals The Hollywood Reporter Daily Variety Backstage Videomaker Entertainment Weekly People Magazine American Cinematographer DV Magazine MovieMaker Magazine StudentFilmmakers Magazine Index