I knew I couldn't afford to film on location, so made do with what I had. I used some reflected light from a white board and some fairy lights to brighten the area up, and made sure to film in a way that didn't show all the junk in the garage. For the price of some fairy lights I'm pretty happy with how this short turned out.
Like many of us I have become tired of the lack of opportunities for writers. I have several scripts on my hard drive that have only ever been read by my eyes and have nowhere to even send them. Even when an opportunity does come along, they are often so ridiculously specific that I want to scream – I can’t be the only one who doesn’t have a 12-page short film script around the subject of grief and vampires ready to go, can I?
So, I decided that, with no training, I was going to start making my own films. Last year I made two short films to test out my skills, and this year I made my first feature. Here are my tips for making a film without a production company:
· Assess what you have BEFORE you write a script. How much money can you spend? What locations do you have free access to? Who can you get to help you? There is no point in writing an epic space adventure film if you live in a studio apartment. Work with what you’ve got.
· Unpaid people are unreliable. I have tried to get local people involved in my films before and not got anywhere. I think this is likely because I cannot afford to pay anyone. I got my husband to star in my film and paid him in snacks. You could make a film with just one person; you just need to get creative.
· Sound is VERY important. Almost as important as the script. Focus your funds here. You can use any camera, an old digital camera, the camera on your old flip phone, but you cannot scrimp on sound. Remember the last time you watched a found footage film – the visuals were grainy and wobbly, but the sound was smooth.
· Most importantly, have fun! It’s very unlikely you will get everything right the first time. I am still learning and will do things a bit differently next time I make a film.
I hope this was helpful. I have also shared a link to my feature film below in case you’d be interested in having a watch.
I've set up an online screenwriting group for writers in the Scarborough area. The plan is to share a scripts, read through some scripts (or excerpts) in the meetings, get feedback and share ideas, and connect with local writers. We meet 1 Sunday a month 10:00-11:30. Drop me a message if you would be interested in joining.
I've set up an online screenwriting group for writers in the Scarborough area. The plan is to share a scripts, read through some scripts (or excerpts) in the meetings, get feedback and share ideas, and connect with local writers. We meet 1 Sunday a month 10:00-11:30. Drop me a message if you would be interested in joining.