Production Tips

Production Tips

 

1. Pre-production
2. Production
3. Post-production

 

Storyboards

 

A well planned storyboard should give you:

• Settings
• Shots and settings/ lyrics
• What characters/ actors will be needed in those settings
• What props/ costumes are needed in those settings
• An idea of timings

Location/ setting

 

• Do a recce!
• Plan your time there to the hour (especially if it costs to get there or there will big variations in lighting/ environment)
• High streets should be fine: shopping centres need to get permission - be polite, explain the purpose and again, plan in advance!
• Take into account health and safety considerations

 

equipment and props

 

• Make, beg, buy, borrow (don't steal)...
• Make a list of what you need and tick it off as you require it
• Be specific but not too ambitious
• Book out what you need for the shot

 

shooting

 

• Plan for weather
• For most of your shooting try and shoot for fewer longer periods rather than lots of small chunks
• Shoot 5-10 times more footage than you need
• Its good to watch it back but don't waste time constantly watching stuff back. If your not sure if a scene is good- shoot it again
• Don't delete footage- some might be useful
• Do plenty of cutaways
• Use plenty of shots (multi-camera shooting is a possibility if planned well)
• Get the footage off quickly and label it all carefully
• Use the clapperboard if necessary to help with this
• Back up your footage
• Film 5 seconds before action and 5 seconds after cut
• Use tripods - handheld shots are difficult and often look sloppy
• Practise tilting and panning with tripods
• Start the plan well before the shot so you get some clean movement and finish after
• Film in as light a location as possible

 

Shooting and post-production

 

• Doesn't have to be 'shoot the film' the 'edit the film' if you are well organised
• Don't view post-production as 'clearing up the mess' - think in advance about what effects, sounds or tilting you want and work out how to do them. This will also help with your filming

Audio

 

To get the right audio, film as close up as possible.