Budget (or how to fund your film (or how to spend as little money as possible making your film))

Ambition is a good thing but being an ambitious filmmaker can cost you a lot of money. If I want to make a film, I don't feel satisfied enough making one with available resources. I often get told to just make loads of films, keep that ball rolling but it's not that easy for me. I can't motivate myself to do something just for the sake of it. For me, there has to be specific purpose. I won't just go for a drive unless I need to be somewhere, for example, so I won't just make a film spontaneously. I wasn't always like that though. When I was younger, I would randomly make a film, as an activity with friends, with a senseless plot and random tomfoolery. These shorts that we used to make are a source of great embarrassment for my friends who don't take kindly to me talking about them. But still, I could learn a lot from my younger self, during those awkward times growing up. For me, "experimenting" as a teenager meant filming anything with a camera. The main difference these days is, if I start a project I have to finish it, meaning, I have to be sure that I will finish it before I attempt it. Used to, I would just start something without the end goal in mind and often the project would remain incomplete. Naturally, I now do fewer projects these days since the recent compulsion to finish what I started has taken over my life and guided me. 

Anyway, I digress. It's easy to forget that you're not just spending money on props and equipment. You have to pay actors and crew. Okay, so you can get people to work on your film for expenses and food only but this still costs you money. Personally, I would not make a film without paying my cast and crew. I know how frustrating it is to work for experience and exposure so the philanthropist in me feels obliged to help people out. In my first year at university, the lecturer showed us this triangle where each point was labelled with "Good idea, time and money". He then said, if you have two of these points then you can make a great film. Okay, so it's probably more complicated than that but it's a good starting point. So, for me, money is a major constraint which means I have to make do with good idea and time. The two complement each other, somewhat. If you have a lot of time, no looming deadline for example, then you can formulate your idea and write a great story. With all that time, you can also save up money and gradually build your film up from scratch. Patience and commitment is important under these circumstances and it becomes very easy to give up. You spend a little bit of money here and there, while working your day job (or jobs) then it all adds up. 

So what I am going to do over the next few months, is share my methodology for producing a movie and saving money wherever possible, hopefully helping other people in a similar situation. I have numerous documents on my computer where I have attempted to write up a proposal to use for a indie go go or kick starter campaign but I thought screw it. It won't work for me if I have a load of money suddenly thrown at me. Granted, it might be different for other people but part of me likes the challenge, the struggle and the uncertainty. As some people tell me, "beg, borrow and steal" basically do whatever is necessary to get something done. Obviously, don't steal but you get what I mean. Why not take on the role of DOP as well as director? Why pay someone to make music for your film when you can learn to do it yourself? Think of the satisfaction! There's no excuse not to these days with the internet and its ever expanding well of resources. Can't afford certain equipment? Buy second hand or borrow. Again, use the internet to find cheaper alternatives. For example, with YouTube, you can assess the suitability of certain equipment by watching reviews or examples of someone else's work and then make your mind up about a camera that shoots pro looking footage and is cheaper than the camera you originally considered. But remember, as long as you have your great idea and time then it'll be fine.     

What's a matte box? (and what is it used for)

To put it simply, a matte box is the square thing that you see on the end of movie/video cameras. They have three uses.

1. It prevents lens flare
Unless you want it in your shot, a matte box is designed to cut out lens flare. Usually, a matte box will have adjustable fins on the top and sides. This is its main purpose.

2. It holds filters
More expensive matte boxes allow you to slot filters, like neutral density filters, in front of your lens. This allows you to replace filters faster than the ones that screw directly onto your lenses. Obviously this doesn't really work well if you're using a zoom lens that extends in and out since the matte box is usually fixed to rails beneath the camera.

3. It looks pro
You put a matte box in front of your camera and it automatically looks 100% cooler. Yeah, I know this isn't a proper reason for having one but it does make a DSLR look less like a photography camera and more like a proper movie camera. Image is everything and you should do everything you can to disguise your DSLR when you take it to a video shoot.

8 ways to make money as a filmmaker or videographer

As an independent filmmaker, making money and funding your films can be a challenge. You might have to get a job that you don't like to save up or you might be lucky enough to get funding off someone. Either way, there are a number of ways you can make some cash so I wrote this guide to help you out.

1. Make videos for other people 
This should be fairly obvious but you need to spend a bit of time networking and making contacts. The good thing is, once you get the ball rolling and you end up producing high quality content for people, they're likely to recommend you and soon enough, you've got your own video production business. You've got the equipment, you just need the work. Start with shooting wedding videos for family members or friends. You might not be interested in making wedding videos but you get to put into practice all you know about cinematography and editing. People spend a lot of money on weddings and they want their special day preserved forever. Plus, with many guests, weddings are a perfect place to network and make new contacts. You never know who you might meet and what opportunities they could have waiting for you. Don't restrict yourself to wedding videos either. Music videos, artists and bands are a perfect way to make money shooting video. Videos are a great way for musicians to get noticed and many are willing to hire someone to shoot a video for them. Many music videos have a narrative which means they're basically short films and provide you with an opportunity to be creative. 

2. Edit videos for other people 
You might be the sort of person who prefers editing to going out and shooting. If that's the case, why not offer your services as an editor? There could be people out there who shoot so much video on a regular basis that they have very little time to sit down and edit. They might be earning enough money from their shoots to allow them to hire someone else to do the editing for them. You can then spends hours in the comfort of your own home doing something creative and film related. If you're good enough, you might be hired by the same person again or even get recommended. Also, with services like Dropbox and WeTransfer, you might not even have to travel to collect footage. Your client simply uploads their raw files, you download, you edit and then you upload it for them to download.

3. Take photos for other people
While at University, the DSLR revolution happened. Loads of people (including me) bought DSLRs and lenses but used them for filmmaking and video production instead of photography. I've mentioned in the past the reasons why (interchangeable lenses, large sensor, shallow depth of field etc). The thing is, the same principles for cinematography (composition, lighting etc) can be applied to photography. Many people from my film course at university ended up taking up photography and offered their services as a photographer as well as videographer. You've got a DSLR, you can do both! From my experience, there are more opportunities for taking photographs than there are for creating videos. Shooting video then spending hours editing it can be stressful. Taking pictures and then working on them a bit in Photoshop can be easier and you might actually prefer it. It's just a suggestion but I recommend becoming a photographer if you have a DSLR and currently use it for filmmaking/videos. 

4. Make videos for YouTube
Let's face it. YouTube has changed things for filmmakers. Thanks to the internet, many people have become famous and their work has more chance of getting noticed. There are plenty of YouTubers out there with hundreds of thousands and even millions of subscribers. With so many views per video, these people have started to make a living through AdSense. Unfortunately, it will be a struggle and it requires a lot of work and dedication. It might be years before you get regular money and it might never happen. Still, you only have to look at popular vloggers and their videos to become optimistic and imagine one day being in the same situation. It's all about regular content. Just create lots of original videos. If you've got the video production skills and are capable of creating high quality content but you're not getting regular work then do it! You've got nothing to lose but a lot to gain. Start with creating and uploading at least one video per week. After a few months, if you start getting more subscribers or loads of views, try increasing your uploads to two videos per week. I've seen videos with a million or so views but very few subscribers on the channel. Even if you don't get the subscribers you hoped for, you're still getting revenue for each and every view. You're only limited by your imagination. Create vlogs, short films, product reviews or even tutorials. Be inspired. Learn from successful YouTubers and see what attracts millions of viewers. 

5. Hire your equipment out
If you're serious about filmmaking, you've probably got loads of equipment in storage just sitting there, collecting dust. If you're not getting regular work, what's the point of just leaving it all there? It could still earn you money even if you're not the one using it. This is also why networking is important. You might own certain pieces of equipment that one of your contacts requires for a job. If they're not prepared to buy their own, why not offer to lend it to them for a reasonable price? You're effectively earning money for doing nothing. Just be warned, you might want to start with hiring equipment out to friends and people you know. Unless you have insurance that covers the hiring out of equipment, you might end up losing money if someone breaks or loses it. However, there are companies (such as All Out Hire ) that provide a service for those who want to hire their equipment out and this includes insurance cover. If you're happy with sitting back while someone else uses your equipment then fine but chances are there'll be times when they want to hire you as well. 

6. Sell your equipment 
Okay, you might not want to do this but sometimes you really need to stop and think. Is the £500 lens that sits on my shelf for 90% of the year really worth keeping? Am I likely to get much more use out of it? Will the price depreciate by next year? If you're asking yourself these questions then why not sell it? You probably won't get what you paid for it but is it really worth keeping if you hardly use it? What seemed like a good investment a few years back might have been a bad decision. Sell now and get more money for it than you'll end up getting if you leave it any longer. 

7. Crowdfunding
Remember earlier in this post when I talked about the power of the internet? It's not just YouTube but popular crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo exist to help people like you raise money for projects and that includes film projects. It's no guarantee but it's still worth a shot. You simply create a campaign for your project, set a target, offer incentives/rewards for each pledge and if you're lucky, you might end up raising thousands, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of pounds/dollars etc. Take the movie "Kung Fury" for example. Originally, the goal was to raise $200,000 but the Kickstarter campaign ended up raising $600,000! That's three times the target amount! Just think, that could happen to you. If you've got a great idea but very little money to make it happen, you might as well.     

8. Enter competitions
Again, there's no guarantee of making money out of this but you should be constantly making films if you want to get noticed. Competitions are great for getting exposure plus there's the chance that you might win a cash prize. With the internet there's no excuse. The competition can be anywhere in the world but you can still enter it. Even if you get no money out of it, you've at least produced something original. You can then do what I suggested above and upload it to your YouTube channel.

If you can't see it, you don't need it

This is kind of an obvious one but it's easy to overlook. Say you're making a film and you've got a fairly low budget (or no budget) you're going to have to make a few sacrifices. With regard to set design, does it really matter if you've got a ceiling if the camera can't see it? Do your actors even need trousers if they're shown from the waist up? Okay, that's taking it to the extreme but you get the point. It's not just low budget productions though. A while back, I read about the costume design for period dramas. Very often, the designers would make parts of the costume as a one piece item. For example, the shirt part of a character's costume, underneath their jacket, might only be the part that can be seen. The reason is simple. With the same amount of material it takes to make a full shirt, you could probably make 3 or 4 other "fake" shirts which saves money. Obviously, this only matters on a large scale where you have many actors/extras who require costumes. Chances are, if you're producing a low budget movie, you wouldn't hire a costume designer. You'd just buy the required clothing items since it would be more practical than getting someone else to design/make them.

For my upcoming Vietnam War movie, I need to save as much money as possible. I simply can't afford full costumes for every single character so chances are, some costume items will be shared. I want every helmet to be a genuine Vietnam War era US Army helmet but I'll probably only buy four. However, if ten characters require a helmet, there won't be enough. The solution? Share the helmets and only give them to characters who appear in the current shot. The same strategy can be used for prop guns as well. Supplying ten characters with M16 rifles would cost me in the region of £3000. This is money that could be spent on others things so I'm better off having two M16s and sharing them between the characters in different shots. Storyboarding and previsualisation can be utilised to plan what needs to appear on camera for each shot.   

Furthermore, do you really need genuine and authentic props/costume? Does the US Army helmet need to be a genuine 1960s era one? A genuine one would cost you upwards of £100 but for the same price, you can make two replica ones. A few years ago, I bought an Austrian issue M1 Helmet, replica cover and modern scrim band which ended up costing me less than £50. I intend to do this for the remaining three helmets that I require which means it will only cost me £200 instead of £400. Spend a lot of time on planning and pre-production and you'll save money.

Dead Eyes

When I made my Final Year Project film (Malice) in 2012, I made a lot of mistakes. Despite being at University for three years, most of the stuff that I was taught had been forgotten. I didn't really pay attention to stuff like lighting in Malice especially in subtle things like the eyes. Take this screenshot from the movie as an example.

Look at the eyes. There's no life in them. They look dead. Granted, this could be interpreted as "losing his soul when he was sent to prison" but that wasn't my intention. Now, look at this screenshot.

Look at his eyes. Those white dots from the light are reflected in his eyes and he looks more alive. This guy was the antagonist though so it would have made more sense for him to have the "dead eyes" instead. 

I had an LED panel on the camera for the second shot, the intention was purely for illuminating his face. It just so happened that the light also put those white dots in his pupils. Watch any movie and I guarantee that you'll see white dots in the characters' eyes. This is carefully thought about because it gives the characters life. Remember that old saying "the eyes are the windows to the soul". It should be your obligation as a film maker/director of photography to consider this.

The angle of your lighting set-up might not always allow you to get this result. Ideally, you should have a specific light whose sole purpose is to give your character the white dots in their eyes. This could be a studio light with a diffuse filter on it or a simple torch taped to your tripod. Your audience will notice this and your shots will look more professional and beautiful.

How to make video look like film

If you want to get the perfect film look, shoot your movie on film. Unfortunately, this isn't always an option for the budget filmmaker so the next best thing is making your video look like film. This is the method I normally use when I attempt a film look. Some might disagree with it but really it's all about what works best for you.

Start by watching a movie and analysing it. It's always useful to take screenshots so you can compare it against your footage as you're grading it. I'm going to show you how to create a 16mm look because I've always loved the way 16mm footage looks. Here's a screenshot of the raw footage.

This is from my 2012 university movie "Malice". I shot this on a Canon DSLR with a 50mm lens during daylight. Picture profile was set to CineStyle so we have a flat sort of look which gives us more room for manipulation in the software. The footage is not very sharp. I can't remember if I properly focused during filming but this is okay because 16mm footage often has a soft look. Aperture was quite narrow (because of the daylight) so there's a greater depth of field. A more shallow depth of field would look more cinematic and help sell the effect better though. I also filmed at 25 frames per second and shutter was set to 1/50. 

I'm using Premiere Pro because there's an interesting effect that I discovered years ago which if useful for creating a film look. In the Utility folder under Video Effects you'll find an effect called "Cineon Converter".

Straight away you can see that this has increased contrast and the shot now looks less flat. Go to "Window>Reference Monitor" and compare the YC waveform before and after.

See the difference? The waveform monitor is a very useful tool so make sure you check it on a regular basis while grading your footage. You can also check RGB values which is useful for correcting wrong white balance (if you ever find yourself in that situation). 

Using the values within the Cineon Converter effect, I increased the contrast until I got this. Notice "Conversion" is set to "Log to Linear", the default setting. 

The blacks in the footage are crushed and overall contrast has been increased. Most film look attempts I see have really high contrast with crushed blacks and blown highlights. This doesn't really make video look like film. From what I can see, film usually has a low contrast look so blacks aren't actually black but a sort of grey instead. Don't worry, we're going to sort this out in the next few steps. You might have to tweak the Gamma and Highlight Rolloff values later to get the desired look since your footage might look different to mine. Try adjusting the other values as well and experiment until you get what you want. Remember, film has more dynamic range than video so you won't be able to get exactly the same contrast in the detail.

Add a channel>invert effect and select "Green". We're going to add an invert effect for each colour channel (Red, green and blue). Set the "Blend with original" to 85% but try playing around with the values to get what you want.

We now have this low contrast shot but it's a bit dark so add a "Brightness>Contrast" effect. Very subtle difference. I set Brightness to 10 and contrast to 25. Furthermore, you might want to apply the "Color Balance HLS" effect and desaturate the colour a little bit. I also adjusted the hue to -0.5 to push the skin tones to red more.

I then added film grain which I got for free off GorillaGrain. I just put it on a video layer above my footage and set the blend mode to overlay. Use a Brightness>Contrast filter to make the grain more or less intense. 

I posted a breakdown on YouTube.

So, there we have it. Film has a very unique sort of motion to it though and I have yet to find a way to replicate that. There are hundreds of film look tutorials out there and I really think it's up to the individual to develop their own style. I just keep tweaking settings until I get the look I want and it's not always as simple as copying and pasting the effects to all clips on your timeline. Feel free to comment with feedback or any suggestions/ideas you might have. 

DSLR movie making tips

More and more people are now using DSLR cameras to shoot their movies on. However, for the serious filmmaker you need to know how to get the best quality footage off your DSLR. That means ignoring automatic mode and getting used to all the manual controls for aperture, ISO etc. Most of the tips in this article are common knowledge but hopefully it'll be useful for some people. 

Start by setting your DSLR (A Canon 600d in my case) to automatic mode. Simply press the menu button while in movie mode and it's the first option "Movie exposure". Set this to Manual and you're done. At the bottom of this menu, there's something called "Highlight tone priority". Disable this then go to the next page in the menu. Set the Movie rec. size to 1920x1080 and if you're camera is set to PAL you can choose to shoot in either 24fps or 25fps. Personally, I shoot all my footage at 25 frames per second.

Next up is exposure. You can check for correct exposure by hitting the Av +/- button and a meter will pop up. Press the * button and a little tab will appear on the meter and you need to get this tab in the middle between the 1s for correct exposure. You can adjust exposure through the ISO, aperture and shutter controls. The dial on the top of the camera controls the shutter. Ideally, you should leave this set to 50 but in certain situations you might want a fast shutter so you can capture fast motion with more detail. Slow shutter = more motion blur. Fast shutter = less motion blur. 

Holding down the Av +/- button while moving the dial will adjust the aperture. A wide aperture (such as 1.8) will give you very shallow depth of field which will make it harder to focus but you get a very cinematic blurred background so your subject stands out more. A tighter aperture will provide a greater depth of field meaning more of the scene will be in focus. A tight aperture will make it easier to focus but it will require more light in the scene. You need to decide what's important for a particular shot(depth of field, motion blur etc) so plan beforehand.

The last setting which controls exposure is ISO. Press the ISO button and make sure it's not set to AUTO. The ISO on a DSLR is similar to the gain on a video camera. With a high ISO you get more exposure but it also introduces more visual noise on your footage. You shouldn't rely on high ISOs as an alternative to lighting your scene properly. On the preview LCD screen, your footage might look okay but when you play it back at full resolution on your PC, you'll see a lot of noise and this doesn't look very professional. It's generally recommended to set the ISO to a multiple of 160. On the Canon 600 however the ISO options are 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400. Personally, I wouldn't go higher than 400 and 800 would be my absolute maximum. However, for outdoor night shots you might have to bump the ISO up to 1600 and beyond. If you're shooting indoors, always light your scene properly.

Focus is something that you have to get used to when using a DSLR. On most DSLRs, autofocus is useless on video mode during recording. Set your lens to MF for manual focus. You can then twist the lens and focus on certain parts of the scene. There's also a focus check button on the back of the camera represented by a magnifying glass and + icon. You press this once to expand the frame by x5 and then again for x10. Pressing it for a third time will take you back to normal view. This is very useful as you can "zoom" in to part of the scene and get a nice sharp focus. 

Last of all, you may want to invest in some accessories to make your DSLR more practical for video work. Get a decent tripod with a quick release plate so you can quickly go from static to handheld. The Konig Kn-tripod is a decent affordable tripod which I recommend. For handheld camera work, look into buying a shoulder rig so you can get steady shots. Finally, the standard kit lens isn't that good so buy some prime lenses. The Canon 1.8 50mm lens is a good quality and affordable prime lens. Most beginners buy this lens before investing in more expensive lenses. If you're serious about film making, be prepared to spend hundreds of pounds (or dollars) on lenses.     

       

Panasonic AG-HMC151

Well I finally did it and got a proper video camera. The Panasonic AG-HMC151 is a full HD solid state video camera and I chose this one because I've used it throughout my time at university. The HMC151 is a few years old but the build quality and the image quality is great. The camera has three CCD sensors instead of a CMOS chip which is what my DSLR uses. The DSLR has a few problems that are not present in video cameras like this one. I realised that I needed a proper video camera to do certain projects. For a start, the weight and size of the video camera means it's easy to keep steady handheld. Handheld DSLR footage is atrocious sometimes and this problem forced me to use a tripod when making films. Also, the shallow depth of field capability found in the DSLR is good for cinematic shots but keeping a moving subject in focus is hard work.

The HMC151 pretty much stays in focus all of the time because of the greater depth of field and auto focus feature. Yeah, the Canon 600d does have auto focus but it's useless for video. I still love my Canon 600d to pieces though and I'll continue to use it for making films because the image quality is fantastic. Thing is, the Canon DSLR's data rate is 42mbps but this Panasonic camera is only 24mbps. This is almost half but it doesn't bother me because the pros outweigh the cons in my opinion. With the Panasonic 151 you get 13x optical zoom, dual XLR input for audio, manual control (no navigating through menus), HDMI output, half a dozen HD formats, zebra pattern and waveform monitor (for checking exposure). I have the zebra pattern feature in my little Panasonic video camera and it's a feature that I found very useful. Unfortunately, my DSLR doesn't have this feature and I struggled for awhile with exposure. 

I've done a few tests with the camera already and overall the footage is good. Getting this camera once again reminded me of the importance of having well lit scenes and subjects. With dull afternoon light coming through a curtain, my footage looked flat and average but when I attached my LED light, the camera was able to capture a lot more detail. I'm definitely going to have to invest in some proper lights for future projects. University has taught me a lot but the most important lesson learnt is about lighting. A lot of amateur productions overlook this and suffer in quality as a result. Anyway I'm digressing now so back to the camera.

I've tried mixing footage from this camera with footage from my DSLR (which is currently having a new LCD screen fitted). As I suspected, it's very hard to make a seamless transition between each shot because to the trained eye the differences are blatant. Footage from my DSLR is softer with certain parts of the shot out of focus (shallow depth of field etc) but footage from the Panasonic is sharp and not just the subject but the whole scene including the background. This is the most obvious difference but the colours and contrast (which can be adjusted in software anyway) are also different. Data rate (as previously mentioned) is also different with the Panasonic having half as many megabytes per second than the DSLR. 

Despite these differences, I'm confident that I can use footage from both in the same projects. I'm tempted to label the Panasonic my A camera and the Canon DSLR my B camera but for different reasons those labels should be swapped. I would definitely favour the Pansonic for moving shots where there's a lot going on and I need the greater depth of field. Conversely, the Canon DSLR would be better for close ups where the shallow depth of field is needed to blur the background for cinematic effect. Chances are, I will end up doing whole projects with just the Panasonic in the same way that I have done whole projects with just the DSLR.           

Film shoot with Canon EOS-1D C camera

Today I helped out on a film which was shot on Canon's top of the line DSLR, the EOS-1D C. This is a serious camera and they were using thousands of pounds worth of equipment. The hire package featured several different prime lenses including 100mm, 50mm and 35mm. There was also a matte box, follow focus, shoulder rig, external monitor and viewfinder. It also came with 128gb compact flash cards and I've just googled them and they cost something ridiculous like £500+ each. 

The hire package cost was about £700 for the week, quite a lot of money. And here's me using a £400 consumer DSLR with £80 lens. This doesn't bother me however because I stand by what I always say. You can still create a brilliant movie with inexpensive equipment. All you need is a great idea and determination. 

How to make professional looking films?

Like many filmmakers, I started out by teaching myself and learning from my mistakes. I would often attempt to replicate what I saw in movies and this taught me a lot of what I know. I have a degree in Film Production Technology and since I started that course my filmmaking became more serious. I want to share some tips to help other aspiring filmmakers. Hopefully this will be useful and might benefit those who are starting out.  

SOUND

I always pay very close attention to the audio in my films and I put an equal amount of effort into it as I do with visuals. Try turning the volume down next time you watch a film. Sure, the cinematography might be stunning but without sound you've only got half a film. You want to ensure your dialogue is crisp and can be heard clearly over the soundtrack and sound effects. By using an external microphone, you get more control over sound acquisition than your camera's built in microphone. However, not all cameras have microphone ports. I use a Marantz pmd660 to record my sound and it works great. I need an extra crew member to operate it on set but it's worth it in the end. Next time you make a film, try spending more time on sound design and you'll be glad you did. 

COMPOSITION

In film, photography, painting etc there's something known as the "rule of thirds". Just divide your scene into 9 equal blocks and position your actors on the vertical lines. This creates a visually pleasing shot and I was surprised at how effective this technique was. I don't know exactly what it is but it makes your film look a lot better. Every feature film I've seen does this. You don't have to do it for every single shot but it's good to have a few where your actor isn't dead centre. Check out the Wikipedia article here to learn more about the rule of thirds. Also, try and use a variety of Close Up, Medium and Long Shots because sticking to one shot type is boring.  

If you don't have a tripod then buy one now. Every film maker needs a tripod because it will help you a lot. Handheld shots are good for certain scenes like if you're conveying a sense of disorientation but an audience doesn't want to sit through an hour of shaky footage that will make them sick. A tripod also lets you pan the camera smoothly and can make a scene seem more interesting. Have a balance of static, moving and handheld shots in your film and it'll look great. Buy a tripod from Amazon and don't worry about it fitting your camera because they're universal. If you're filming with a mobile phone then don't. Buy yourself a camera because you can't attach a phone to a tripod. (Just googled "mobile phone" tripods and they actually exist. I've seen it all now)     

LIGHTING

Light is very important because without it your movie will be a black screen. Outside during the day is perfect for filming because the sun is the best light source out there and it's free. However, if you're filming in your mom's basement you're gonna need some artificial lights. Most standard light bulbs won't do because they're not powerful enough. You can buy special light bulbs that are more intense but I prefer using  LED light panels because they're cheap, bright, use very little power and can be mounted on tripods. 

There's something that your camera probably has which you should never use and that's artificial gain. If you increase gain, your image becomes brighter but it also adds a lot of visual noise. This may look okay on your camera's small LCD screen but when you play it back on your computer or TV you'll realise too late how crap the image looks. Your camera has an aperture that restricts how much light enters it. Obviously, when there's too much light (like outside in daylight) you'll want to reduce the amount of light that enters the camera. If you're indoors, set the aperture to as wide as possible and increase the light in the room without touching that gain button. Make sure your shutter is set to at least 1/50 because if you decrease it further then you're going to be getting a lot more motion blur. 

FILMING

Many cameras these days have 25p (or 24p if you're in the USA) which offers "cinema" like video. If your camera has this option then use it if you want that film look. Also, shoot in high definition because your footage will obviously look better. Many filmmakers are using DSLRs to make movies these days because they're cheap, have large sensors and can accept a wide variety of different lenses. I use a Canon 600 DSLR which is a consumer camera but it's great because of its ability to use all those Canon lenses on the market. The lenses are expensive but they will greatly improve the quality of your footage. 

PLANNING
Before you even start filming your production you must complete the pre-production stage. Plan every aspect of your film beforehand so you know exactly what you want. Obviously you'll have to write a script or at least some sort of guide (if you want your actors to improvise) but it's also worth making a storyboard. If you can't draw that well then just do it on a computer. There's plenty of storyboard software on the web which will make storyboarding fast and easy. Last of all, compile a shot list and shooting schedule for effective time management.    

EDITING
After you get your footage it's time to put it all together. I'm not going to say one editing application is better than another but you're going to need something a bit more advanced than Windows Movie Maker. Movie Maker is good if you're starting out but it's limited in what it can achieve. I personally use Adobe Premiere Pro and that provides everything I need for editing. When I film on my DSLR, I tone down all the settings so I get as flat an image as possible. This allows more scope for colour grading in post production so I can shift contrast and adjust whites and blacks more. Pay close attention to the pace of you film as well. Think about the sort of mood you're trying to convey. Action sequences should be fast with a lot of cuts while a slow pace with very few cuts will build up suspense.  

KEEP AT IT

That's probably the best advice I can give. Everyone has to start somewhere but if you're dedicated enough then eventually your films will look better. I look back at my old stuff and it makes me laugh and cringe but it all helped me get to where I am today. I'm still learning everyday though and my stuff is still far from perfect.

I want to shoot on film

I want to shoot on film because the film look has always appealed to me. There are three main formats to choose from. 8mm is the smallest and the cheapest and was targeted at consumers for home movies before video cameras became affordable. The quality of 8mm is not great because of its small size but using it will make you appreciate film. Once you expose that reel of film there's no going back and you must then pay to get it processed before you can view your footage. 

Did you know: It's called "footage" because they used "feet" to measure the length of a film reel.

Next up there's 16mm film which is a favourite for low budget productions because it's cheaper than the professional 35mm format but better quality than 8mm. The BBC used to film a lot of outdoor scenes for their programs using 16mm film because decades ago the film cameras were more portable than studio video cameras. Take Only Fools and Horses for example. Interior shots such as the flat and pub were filmed in a studio set so they were filmed with video cameras. Exterior shots however were filmed using the 16mm film format and there's an obvious difference between the interior and exterior shots because of this. Believe it or not, a lot of modern TV dramas in the UK are actually shot on 16mm film. You can see what's shot on what on imdb by clicking on the "see full technical specs" option. 

Last of all we have 35mm film which is the industry standard and the format that most films are shot on. It's expensive to buy, process and scan to a digital format and the equipment required to use it is also very expensive. This makes it unsuitable for amateur filmmakers but the quality is fantastic which is why it's still used to this day. A lot of US TV shows are shot on 35mm film which is why American shows generally look better. I just hope that they continue to use 35mm because I would love to work with it someday if I ever get into the film industry. If I had more money then I would probably buy a 16mm camera and experiment with real film. Eventually (if I get even more money) I'll make a full movie shot entirely in 16mm. 

My journey into filmmaking

I started making films in 2003 when we got our first digital video camera, a JVC mini-dv one. I still can't believe that was 10 years ago. I spent the summer making random videos with my brother and I had no editing capability. Being able to tell a visual story appealed to me and I wanted to learn more about filmmaking. In 2005 I finally got hold of a firewire cable and this allowed me to transfer footage to my PC so I could edit it for the first time. This opened up a whole new dimension for me and the quality of my films would increase from that point. Initially, I used Windows Movie Maker but then I moved onto Pinnacle Studio which had a lot more features. During the summer of 2005 I made a weird horror movie that I forgot all about until I found it on my old computer recently. This was probably the first time I used fake blood extensively and it looked like crap. Too pink and obviously fake. 

My special effects improved the following year when I found a tutorial on the internet demonstrating the compressed air blood squib effect. Eventually, I was able to create this special effect myself but it took many years for me to perfect it. I still had a lot to learn but the internet was there and much of what I know is down to stuff I have found on the web. In 2007 I delved into visual effects and this allowed me to experiment with adding muzzle flashes to gunshots. A year later, I started to experiment with green screen effects which I created using a Subbuteo mat. That same year, I discovered Grindhouse. This inspired me to make my films look old and damaged like the exploitation films from the 70s and 80s. I actually made my own fake trailer back then titled MacHaggis which was about a stereotypical Scottish guy defending his village from the British army. 

I got a High Definition Panasonic video camera for Christmas and I used it a lot throughout 2009. This was also my last year at sixth form and I had to start planning for the the future. My school organised a lot of visits to different universities and one particular university made me finally realise what I wanted to do. Staffordshire University had a Film Production Technology course and their facilities and equipment impressed me a lot so I decided that I wanted to do film after I left school. In my last year of sixth form, I was a senior member of the school's newly established TV channel and I coordinated the production team as we reported on events. This developed important skills in teamwork and communication that would no doubt benefit me when I started projects at university. After my A-levels, I had the whole summer to make more films. I also filmed a band at a local venue and produced a DVD for them.

In August, I went to the school for the last time to collect my A-level results and I was disappointed because I didn't get the required grades. For half an hour I thought that I had missed out on my chance to study film at university but at home I checked online and to my relief the university had offered me a place on their film foundation course. This would last for 2 years but would then allow me to top-up with the degree course. I was so relieved because it meant that I would be going to the same university and eventually I would get to do the degree.

So the summer ended and I started university. Everybody was a stranger but I made new friends straight away because for the first time I was around people who had the same passion as me. In my first year I studied many different modules including film, scriptwriting, digital image production, 3D modelling, website design and history of film. My first year at university was probably the happiest I've even been in my life. The work became more intense in my second year but I still enjoyed it because it was something I loved doing. By summer 2011 I had done my big project for the foundation course and got a very high mark (a distinction). This allowed me to move onto the degree course and I graduated with a HND that same year. 

In my third year (technically my second according to the university level) the modules became harder but I managed. I passed all my modules but I was close to failing a few of them. In my final year, I only had to do the Final Year Project dissertation but I only had 3 months to do it in. I worked very hard and I no longer had the support of working in a team. I managed though and got all my work in before the deadline. I also started my own film production company. So what does the future hold?

I want to get more experience working in a film environment. I've already worked on a few video projects for my local football club and I've approached various organisations offering my film and video services. I'll also continue to make my own films and maybe one day I'll get a top job in the film industry.  

    

Back Again

Well it's been something like 4 months since my last post and a year since I first started this blog. I've just finished my third year at University which means I've now got 4 months off. I've got my dissertation to do next year before graduation so I need to think of a specific area of film making to study. I also plan on spending the summer working on my feature film. This film has been in pre-production for 3 years and I've only got a few minutes worth of footage. Hopefully I'll have enough footage for a trailer this summer.

I'm not revealing anything yet but I'll post this screenshot from the opening title sequence. It's probably obvious what genre the film is so I won't say anything else. More updates soon. 

What Camera?

Today I'd like to talk about cameras because obviously a film can't be made without one. I'm talking about live action films obviously since computer animation doesn't require a physical camera. Technology has improved vastly since the 80s when consumer camcorders started appearing on the market. A modern camera for a few hundred pounds can now record images in top quality and often in High Definition. The fact is, for £300 today you can get a camera that's better than a camera that cost £3000 a decade ago. So, for this post I have compiled a list of cameras which all have the potential to record films. Remember, it doesn't matter what camera you use. If you've got a great story to tell then potentially you can turn it into a great movie. The audience won't know what you used, they can't see the camera.

WEBCAM

Yeah seriously. It's still a camera isn't it? Probably not the best idea since you're restricted to where you use it but if it's good enough then why not? It'll record straight to your computer's hard-drive which means you don't have to worry about SD cards or tapes. Of course if you have to film outside then you may find it a bit hard to use.

Benefits: Cheap and it records video.

Negatives: Small, restrictive and doesn't paint a professional image.

Cost: £10 for a cheap one to £50 for a better one

Rating: 3/10. Unless you're making videos for YouTube or your vlog, don't bother.

MOBILE PHONES

Let's face it. Almost every modern mobile phone can record video. I remember back in 2003 I was amazed when someone had a mobile phone which could shoot video. And today we have iPhones which record in 720p HD. If you're interested in making films and have a mobile phone then why not start now. Practise with your phone's camera and then plan your movie. I've seen many YouTube videos where users have made films using what looked liked their mobile phone's camera. Regardless of their image quality, they entertained me more than most of the stuff I see on TV. Of course there is a downside and you should consider this when your filmmaking becomes a serious hobby. You have to remember that a mobile phone's primary purpose is to make phone calls so don't expect to be able to attach it to a tripod. You could always drive a large stick into the ground then gaffer tape your mobile phone to it (N. B. Gaffer tape is the second most important tool in your filmmaking arsenal. I'll be writing a gaffer tape article sometime soon.)

Benefits: If you've got a phone in your pocket then you probably have a video camera. Yay!

Negatives: You can't attach it to things and the microphone probably sounds like a paper bag.

Cost: Most phones are cheap these days.

Rating: 4/10. Good to start off with but won't be suitable in the long term.

CONSUMER CAMCORDERS

The best option for indie filmmakers is to use a modern consumer camcorder. I'm talking about Panasonic, Canon and Sony who all produce fine video cameras that cost less than a £1000. These modern cameras are small, lightweight and shoot in 1080 HD. Nowadays, you no longer have to worry about tapes because they all use SD cards which range from 4-32 gigabytes in size. I personally use a Panasonic HDC-SD9 and it has served me well for 3 years now. The size may put you off though because it may not look like it's up to the job.

Benefits: Great Image quality, High Definition and an easy to use format. Great for filmmakers.

Negatives: They seem to be getting smaller which means less space for attaching peripherals.

Cost: You probably won't have to spend more than £1000.

Rating: 7/10. If you don't mind the negatives then you should definitely consider this type.

DIGITAL PICTURE CAMERAS OR DIGITAL SLRs

Every digital picture camera has a video mode and if it doesn't then it shouldn't have been bought in the first place (unless you bought it in the 90s and it takes floppy discs). By turning that dial to movie mode you can capture excellent video and in high resolution. Still not convinced? Search for "Canon 7D" on YouTube and take a look at some of the films people have made with it. The 7D has a massive image sensor and the quality of video is comparable to film. Many filmmakers have actually stopped using their big bulky video cameras and switched to Digital SLRs for the aforementioned reasons. Since it's a dedicated camera, it'll have a threaded base for tripod mounting.

Benefits: Superb video quality, extensive manual control, High Definition, Removable lenses.

Negatives: If you shoot video handheld it may look odd and you'll definitely need an external mic.

Cost: From £100 for a simple digital camera all the way up to £1000 for a digital SLR.

Rating: 7/10. Definitely recommended.

PROSUMER VIDEO CAMERAS

Every indie filmmaker dreams of owning a high end camera made by Canon or Panasonic. These cameras are big, covered in buttons, dials and have a massive lens sticking out from the front. They look the business and anyone else who sees it will think the same. You can change the lens, plug in a microphone via XLR connector and there's so much manual control that it will confuse you for a long time. I have only ever used these cameras at university since I can't afford to buy one for myself.

Benefits: A lot of features, High Definition, Professional (and the list goes on...)

Negatives: The cost will put you off and you'll have to spend a lot of time getting used to it.

Cost: £3000 plus. If you can find one for cheaper then please let me know.

Rating: 8/10. It's safe to say that this is what you want and need.

FILM

In this age of modern digital technology what do you think they shoot films on? Yes, that's right. The Film Industry still use actual film and they'll continue to do so for many years to come. Currently, the quality of film is unmatched and they want to keep it that way. 35mm is the industry standard and that's the width of each film frame on a reel. The resolution is far greater than 1920x1080 HD and film handles very well in low light conditions which makes it perfect for directors to work with. So why can't people like myself use it? Well apart from a 35mm camera costing upward of £50,000 you'll have to pay a large amount of money for the film stock and for processing afterwards. Be prepared to waste a lot of film as well because you don't get to go back and see what you just recorded like you can with a video camera. Imagine having to do 5 takes for one shot because your actor kept forgetting his lines. For an average 90 minute movie you'll probably have to spend another £50,000 on film.

Benefits: Varies because it depends on how much money you've got.

Negatives: You'll get a lot of negatives out of using film because it needs processing before you can watch it. (bad joke, I know)

Cost: Probably £100,000 at the very least.

Rating: 10/10. If you can afford it or 1/10 if you're a low budget filmmaker like me.

Life as a Film Maker

I've been making films for several years now. I'm actually studying film at university and it's something I'm considering as a career. Before University, most of my knowledge evolved out of curiosity. I would learn about certain techniques and watch films then attempt to replicate them using what I had available. These days it has become so much easier thanks to the internet and high quality consumer technology. I urge all those who have a keen interest in film making to pick up a camera and get creative. I hope to make regular posts on this blog that will share film making tips, information on current projects and general film making ideas.