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How to Film an Amateur Movie

Amateur filmmaking has become much more accessible to a larger number of people with the advent of affordable, high-quality camcorders and home PCs powerful enough to run editing software and post production packages. You can make a great movie without a billion-dollar budget, provided you ensure that you have a practical, executable plan for every aspect of your production. It may seem like a huge hurdle, but if you know what you're doing in advance, and plan every detail, you'll find it's possible to achieve your vision.

Instructions

    • 1

      Write a screenplay, making sure to include specific technical details such as characters' reactions, the types of cuts and the level of zoom. These notes can then be used as a reference document as you produce your storyboard and start to film your movie.

    • 2

      Read through the script and draw out a storyboard for each scene in the script. Break down each scene to its individual shots and draw a storyboard panel representing each one. Try and include every detail such as movements of the camera, or lighting effects. It doesn't matter if you aren't the best artist; only you need to be able to interpret it.

    • 3

      Meet with all your crew members, including camera, sound and lighting, before you start shooting. Work through the storyboard with each of them in order to determine exactly how you will accomplish the desired effect and what equipment you will need to do it.

    • 4

      Separate the scenes into individual documents and group them together according to what you need or where you need to shoot. This will determine the most efficient order in which to suit the scenes, preventing you from having to dart back and forth between different locations.

    • 5

      Work through the list, referring to the storyboard and scene documents as you go. Let each of the crew members handle their own tasks and focus on keeping everyone working toward the same goal.

Film Production

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