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Ten Film-making Tips

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1. Don’t rush your script
Don’t start shooting until your script is absolutely ready! If the story doesn’t make sense, all the camera and sound tricks in the world won’t help.

2. Learn about composition
New to directing? Learn about composition and find out where you should position your camera and subject so that your shot looks cinematic.

3. Be deliberate with your costume choices
Don’t let costumes be a last-minute, thrown-together decision. Think about how costumes can convey information about your character!

4. Shoot indoors
You’ll have a lot more control over audio with indoor scenes. Humid environments can also making filming a pain.

5. Limit your number of locations
Make things easy on yourself! It’s easier to stay on schedule (and spend less money) if you limit your locations. This will ideally limit the number of surprises and new problems that come up as you move from place to place.

6. Choose the right locations
There’s also a lot to remember when you choose locations – check out our post about location scouting for more about what to look for and what paperwork you need.

7. Choose the right crew members
EVERYTHING comes down to your crew! Use FilmUp to find crew members and talent.

8. Get creative with tripods
Learn how to stabilize your camera with different tripod tricks!

9. Use rocks or sand to stabilize your camera
In a windy situation, you can use a nylon bag of rocks, sand, rice or beans to keep your tripod steady.

10. Play with space
If you have to shoot in a small interior and don’t want the scene to feel claustrophobic, you can use over-the-shoulder shots from each character’s perspective but move the characters to the edges of the room so that the spaces feel bigger.

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