Dear Reader,
On December 2nd, I directed my first short film, launching a year-long project to write and direct 14 short films. Check out the update from the film set on Instagram.
Why 14, you ask? There are multiple reasons, but I will give you one:
I believe quantity creates quality.
The adage “practice makes perfect” is true. I have found that when I set deadlines, work gets made: words are written and paint is applied to canvas. Sure, it always takes me longer than I think (ALWAYS), but the goal gets me motivated and moving.
Once the goal is so much larger than something I can create in a “comfortable” amount of time, I stop futzing over the small details to make it perfect. Mistakes become “okay,” expected. These are a part of the process. It turns out that the more mistakes I make, the faster I learn. I will give you an embarrassing example. Ready?
I had a feeling that I was going to screw up the audio on this first film. I didn’t know how, but I could feel it coming. So for my first script, I wrote all of the dialogue as “Voice Over,” so that when I screwed up the recording, I could just re-record it and not have to worry about the “room tone” (background noise) of the various locations. I bought Bluetooth microphones, tested them, tested them again, and everything worked great. We went into the field and shot everything, yet when I sat in the editing chair and went through my footage, all of the audio I recorded on the Bluetooth microphones was silent. NO SOUND.
WHY?!!!!!!!
It turns out that in the chaos of directing my first short film, I never turned on the microphone. I clipped the mic to my actress and hit record on my phone, but the mic was off the whole time. Thankfully my pickups will be very simple since I suspected something like this might happen, but you can bet I will never again forget to turn on the darn mic.
Thus, my project of making 14 shorts is designed to take me through the process of filmmaking from start to finish repeatedly so that I learn each of the steps and make all of the mistakes so that I can do it better with ever increasingly challenging stories.
For those curious about the process of making a film, this was my first attempt:
Write the Script.
With a screenplay, 1 page = 1 minute of screen time, roughly. Dialogue goes faster, and montages take longer. Being the first short I have ever written, directed, and edited, I kept the goalposts close and made it three pages. THE TRAVELER is more of a visual poem with a loose narrative through line.
Rehearsal
I met with the actress to do a read-through of the script. We discussed character motivations, the delivery of dialogue, and alterations to the script. This is the moment when the words begin to come alive.
Story Boarding
Every director is different in how they structure their shot list. After a little research, I learned that James Cameron is an artist. In his Master Class, he encourages directors to study artists and see how they do their work. He believes you must have an artist’s eye to make a good film, and for his first film, he drew out a storyboard for each shot. I quickly set to sketching out rough ideas for each shot.
Location Scouting
The image conveys the story as much as words, and in some cases even more so. For my first project, I could have kept the film in one location (ehem, my house) but to me, the weight of the story was so much more powerful by incorporating different settings. I visited libraries, drove around the city, and scoped out harbors. I built shots around these settings and then hunted down permits to film. It turns out the cost of filming inside a library is far outside of a brand-new indie filmmaker’s budget, so I restitched the story to make use of equally cinematic environments that didn’t break the bank.
Props
Many props were needed for this script: model ships, coasters, a poster, mail, and more. This involved reading through the script for a list of needed items, using what was available to us, borrowing books, buying online, and browsing through antique stores. By the end, we found the right objects for the ambiance this story required.
Wardrobe
On our no-budget production, this consisted of a closet raid for my actress, with me contributing necessary articles from my own closet. I made a list of the different days our character went through, and we created outfits appropriate to the character’s state of mind in each setting. (The actress did her own hair and makeup, meanwhile, the director rolled out of bed and conducted all company moves.)
Production Schedule
A standard production schedule is about 6-8 pages a day, though there are directors known to shoot 12-15 pages. As my very first project, I allowed one full day for the filming of 3 pages with 4 location changes. 1 page is estimated to take 2 hours to film. For each company move (moving location) you have to account for travel time. In researching and preparing, I learned that if you are filming outside of a sound stage, you should add 10 minutes to every hour to account for sound issues. And you must not forget to include a lunch break.
Out of concern for technical issues that might arise, I scheduled a very generous amount of time for each location and over-estimated the travel time just in case we hit unexpected LA traffic. Thanks to this planning, a very short script, and a very helpful actress, we ran ahead of schedule at each location. I had 45 minutes left over in the middle to take my actress to coffee (Krafty!)
Cinematography Equipment
For cinematography purists, cover your ears (eyes?) and just skip this section. For those indie artists all about guerilla filmmaking, read on.
I filmed on an iPad Pro, 12.9”. For my purposes, the lens was great, though I am very much a novice. I used an iOgrapher case for handheld shots, which also screwed into my Manfrotto Be Free tripod, as well as my NEEWER dolly. I tested all of this equipment beforehand and frankly, it worked great. An excellent go-kit for a new low-budget filmmaker. As the day progressed, I got faster and more adept at adjusting my tools to appropriate heights and levels. I was very pleased with all of the equipment, especially the Manfrotto tripod.
At one point, the tripod head was stuck to the tripod. It wouldn’t budge. This was a huge issue because I depended on that piece to detach and re-attach to the NEEWER dolly. I kept my panicking entirely internal, did some quick googling, and with some WD40 the tripod head detached easily and I was back in business.
You guys already know about the Bluetooth mic debacle, though I will say that when I tested the PQRQP Wireless Lavalier mic ahead of time, it worked great.
Filming.
On sight, we encountered seemingly endless fortune and favor. First, though I wanted a sunrise shot, since this is the West Coast I didn’t believe I would get anything particularly cinematic. Oh, how wrong I was. My first shots of the day were stunning. The location I found on a whim was perfect for the shots I had pre-visualized. There was even a public access dock, and I had previously given up on the idea when I saw all of the locked gates.
Second, the shot list included a mural on a street in Venice. For this to work, and be remotely cinematic, there had to be no cars parked in front of the mural, and a wide enough gap on the opposite side of the street for me and my camera. But this is LA, so traffic is guaranteed. I crossed my fingers and showed up early. Lo and behold, no cars in front of the mural, and a wide enough gap on the opposite street… dead-center on the mural.
Divine favor is real, folks.
Krafty & Lunch
On my first film set, every time someone mentioned the Krafty table, I was endlessly confused, privately thinking, “I don’t think we have time for arts and crafts on a film set, but to each their own.”
I know… I know, roll your eyes, but we all have to start somewhere.
For those outside of the entertainment industry, Krafty means “snacks,” and is a vital part of every shoot. We broke for lunch (and coffee) and I gave my actress a steak dinner as a huge thank you for everything she did on this project.
Post-Production
After passing out and taking the following week to recover, I finally turned my attention to postproduction. I have heard it said that cinema is really the editor’s medium, and as an artist, I can completely see why. Everything up until this point has generated content for the editor to cut, shape, and stitch together.
In previous months I asked various editors I trust and respect, did some research, and settled on DaVinci Resolve editing software. (If you want a fuller explanation for why I chose Da Vinci, watch this video by kold. There is also a very robust free version.)
I am currently in a very steep learning curve, reading manuals, weeping over short keys, gnashing teeth over trimming footage, glaring at incorrect cross-dissolving, and wincing towards color correcting. I must confess, there have been many moments of despair and self-doubt as I work to wrangle this footage into something remotely entertaining. About every two hours I have to walk away, eat something, and watch a movie, before I finally slink back to the editing chair to take another run at this project. Editing is this generation’s gladiatorial arena…
Joking aside, the next time you see an editor, hug them. They do more work than you will ever know.
Music
Scoring a movie, even a short film, is a very important step. Music can make or break a film. Need an example? Watch JAWS.
I am slowly wading into the deep waters of music licensing, and I am thrilled to report I am in communication with two artists who are very excited to begin collaborating with movie makers.
Delivery
Once this short film is finished and polished, you will be the first to learn of it in this newsletter. As always thank you for supporting me by staying up to date with this artist’s adventure. If you enjoyed this post, please pass it along.
There are many more steps I did not touch on because I have not yet discovered them. Making movies is a complex, multi-layered, and dynamic journey that I am only just embarking on. However, thus far, the views are stunning.
One down. Thirteen to go.
Adventure Awaits,
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Loved reading this!! The process of filming always seems to unfold in really interesting ways, and I'm keen to hear more about it (and, obviously, to see the final product). Best of luck with the next 13 short films :)