Everything is set up, the actors showed up on time, and just as the camera is ready to roll, the camera dies because someone forgot to charge the batteries. Nothing is more frustrating than having a shoot messed up by a silly mistake that could have been easily avoided. I recently directed my first short film and it was an exhausting experience to say the least. While the finished product could have been better (said every director in the world), it is always awesome to see the conception of a vision grow into a finished product that speaks to the viewer. Here are some of the most important things I’ve learned about directing a short film:1. Everything starts with a vision. It is a good idea to trust the director with that vision. Otherwise it would be like an employee who makes fries at McDonalds trying to be that company’s CEO, it doesn’t work. If a director leads the team then he should know what he is leading the team towards. Therefore, the director needs to have the clearest idea of what the film is going to be.
2. So you have a director. Good, now there is someone who can (hopefully) lead the team to achieve the best possible outcome. But the director should not solely control the movie. Just like in America, there is a system of check and balances in the government. It is important to remember to have others to refer to for advice. For example, the chief photographer or the producer. The short film I made would not have been possible without the creative influence of certain people in the team. Always be open to suggestions. Just because it’s not your vision doesn’t mean it won’t be better than your vision.
3. The only thing harder to keep track of than your lighting crew is time. In my case, I was given 3 1/2 months to make a short film. It sounds like a huge amount of time, and it is. But with a part-time job, school, and anything else you want to do on the weekend, it becomes very hard to make time for it. Even more so for everyone on the team who is not as committed to the movie. So unless you like spending whole nights looming over a computer in a dark room like the hunch back of Notre Dome a day before a film festival postmark. Do yourself a favor and get everything done as soon as possible.
4. Every good story has one thing in common, a conflict. Nobody ever told the story of Red Robin Hood as walking through the woods and returning home safely. No, she ran into a freaking talking wolf that impersonated her grandmother until some lumberjack came and went total Rambo on the animal. Now that is what makes people pay attention. So accordingly, make your plot have a character and a conflict. It is the basic element to all stories that gives them cohesiveness and dynamics. If you can tell a good story you’re halfway there!
5. Now for the other half… Let’s face it. Not every family buys a 4K camera to film their vacation to Disney World. You might have these amazing ideas for all of these cinematic shots but they are completely useless. Why? Because you have iMovie and a HD Sony HandyCam to work with. Right. Unless you work in Hollywood, which in that case you should be writing this article, you don’t have the money to buy cinematic equipment; it is hugely expensive just to get a DSLR and a basic editing suite. In that case, know your limitations. Once you know what your equipment is capable of, you will be able to plan more realistically and make a better end product.
6. Lip dubs are possibly the spawn of satan. Just get the audio right the first time so you don’t have to have the actors come back and recite their lines perfectly into a microphone, it saves you literally days of editing time. I recommend that there is someone that has half an idea how to record and manipulate audio on the team because editing audio for the first time is just about as scary as the first time you slow dance with someone in high school. Audio can make or break a whole film.
7. The most important rule to making any video is overlooked so much. If it is, the whole staff will become completely unwilling to work, some snarky comments will be thrown around, and all of a sudden something really expensive is being thrown through a window. Not fun. Never, under any circumstances let the team go with out food! In fact, I have made a math equation for this theory. -> Quality of food = Quality of work by team , Quantity of food = Quantity of work by team <- I know, it’s an elegant equation, and it is mathematically sound! Work hard and feast like kings.
Directing my own short film was one of the most enraging but satisfying things I’ve ever done and I can’t wait to make something else. If you follow these seven tips, you will officially have a chance at making a really good movie. Good luck, you’ll need it!