Short Film Making- Production
Production is the most exciting part in the process of film-making. Production is where you actually go out with your equipment and crew and shoot the necessary footages that you have been planning throughout the pre production stage.
This is usually the part of film making where everything goes wrong. There are multiple delays, equipment that suddenly stop working, uncharged camera batteries, sick actors, a scene which just doesn’t look as good as you’d imagined, rains when not wanted, crashes, bangs, headaches and everything you can and cannot imagine. The best thing, and the only thing you can do is be prepared. A perfect production crew is a dream for this stage. If you have an efficient crew, you can completely rely on to do their jobs, you are ready to face the inevitable.
The production process of your short film starts when you start shooting the required footages and recording the necessary dialogues for your film. When shooting your film there are two things which are absolutely necessary:
1. Keep a log sheet for every shot you have for every scene.
2. Ensure continuity throughout the film.
Through the production process, you will be following what is commonly called as the shot sheet. It is a document which divides the script into a ‘shooting order’. As for continuity, what I generally do to is to take a photograph at the end of each shot and compare it critically to the new frame at the start of every continued shot. This is useful to ensure that objects don’t suddenly disappear or shift in a scene.
One more thing to keep in mind is to stick to the schedule created in pre production at this stage, as much as possible. The schedule is generally based on availability of locations and the natural elements predicted at the time. It is necessary to keep updating it throughout this process. My suggestion would be to keep a bracket and go to your locations early. Get a feel of the place, reimagine the scenes you need to shoot. It is good to follow the storyboard, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. What you need to do is take the best shot possible.
Set up the scene, let the creatives do their job. Make the location, the actors and the natural elements merge with each other to project the exact emotions you require for that scene. Get the camera to catch the best light, recreate the complete scene if required and then start shooting!
Traditionally, it is good practice to notify your crew at the start of every shot with- ‘lights-sound-camera-action’! This alerts the technical crew that the shoot has begun for that particular shot and it also assures you that the sound and camera have started recording before the start of the action in the shot. Having a slate with the scene in front of the rolling camera before every shot will make it easier while editing the film in post production. This slate needs to have the scene number/name, shot number and take number written on it.
Most of my short films needed 5–6 days f shoot at a maximum. I generally tend to avoid reshoots as there is not assurance of precision and continuity to them. While there is a lot you should do, every persons experience differs, every projects needs differ and in the end all that matters is that you get the footage you need.
Here’s a tip to everyone getting ready to go out and shoot their first film. It is not going to turn out as great as you’d expect. What really helps in this line of work is experience. Experience will teach you how to handle all the numerous issues that come your way when you’re out rolling your cameras. It is a thrilling adventure which will test your patience and take you through a rollercoaster of emotions. You will come out exhausted and fulfilled like nothing else.
