Today we are going to talk about how to make a short film. In fact, although the short film is short, there are many doorways behind it! Everyone says that if you want to make a good short film, you must think of a good idea first. The idea should be small, but bright and memorable.
The first step is to start with a good story. If you want to, how can this story be read with relish? This story doesn’t need any earth-shattering plot. Sometimes the little things in life can touch people’s hearts. For example, your dog’s day, or the chatter between Lao Zhang and Lao Li, the village head, is vivid and the audience likes to watch it.
Next, we have to start preparing our shooting team. Don’t think that you don’t need people to make a short film, even a short film needs people to cooperate. Find a few knowledgeable friends to help, find a camera (cameraman), a sound recorder (sound engineer) and an editor. These add up to our “team”, which is enough!
Choosing a place is also very important. This place should not only be suitable, but also save money. We can shoot anywhere for free and do more with less money. For example, the country river and the village path are all good shooting places. If the scene matches your story, this place is more suitable.
When filming, we can’t shoot blindly. It is very important to make a “shooting plan” in advance. There is everything in this plan, such as how to shoot the lens, how to come in order, where the characters stand and what to say, so as to avoid the confusion of patting. To put it simply, we have to arrange the shots one by one according to the story.
Let’s talk about acting, which is really the key to the success or failure of making a short film. You have to make the actors match the feeling of our story. That kind of natural and simple performance is the most popular. If you are on camera by yourself, talk to people in your life when you are acting. Don’t pretend, or the audience will see you are acting at a glance.
In the process of shooting, you have to pay attention to the angle and light of the lens. In general, don’t always shoot from the same angle, so the audience will get tired of watching it. The light is preferably natural light, and the light is soft, so that the effect is natural. Especially when shooting, the light and shadow when the sun goes down is particularly beautiful, and the pictures taken at this time have that sense of reality.
After filming, the most tiring thing is editing this job. You have to go through the material from beginning to end, pick out the most suitable shots, arrange them in story order, and sometimes add some background music to make the short film more atmospheric. Don’t underestimate editing, it’s an important step to make your short film look serious.
The last, the last, is the pilot broadcast. Show the film to people and see how they react. If some people find it boring, we’ll change it, and if some people find it good, we’ll be relieved. In fact, filming is such a truth. If the content you shoot can make the audience feel, then your film will be a success!
To sum up:
Step 1: Think of a small and bright story.
Step 2: form a small team and find a camera, recording and editing.
Step 3: Find the shooting location, and the free one is the best.
Step 4: Make a shooting plan and arrange the shots and lines.
Step 5: Pay attention to the angle and light when shooting.
Step 6: Choose the right shot and add some music when editing.
Step 7: Show it to people for feedback and then modify it.
After such a lap, although it’s a short film, if you really want to make it, it’s almost like making a big movie seriously. The key is the heart. As long as you have the heart, you can shoot anything well.
Tags：[how to direct a short film, short film directing tips, short film production steps, filmmaking basics, rural storytelling]
