Becoming a filmmaker is no easy feat – in fact, many have tried and failed at mastering the art of balancing the development of screenplays, setting locations, scenes, finding actors to play the roles, and so on. There are multiple facets that go into making a movie, and many of the important details can be missed. Here we will outline some of the most common mistakes new indie filmmakers are guilty of – and pieces of advice to prevent them from happening in your filmmaking career.
Have a Plan and Write it Down!
The very first thing that many filmmakers fail to do is create a roadmap – or an action plan for how they plan to bring their creative vision to life on screen. This involves writing down things like what sort of things are needed, from props noted throughout the screenplay to the locations necessary for certain scenes. There are plenty of other things that need to be mapped out as well. There will be many tasks that you may not have originally thought of that will be essential in the process of making your film, so you should prepare yourself for that as well.
Make a Budget
As part of the planning out process, you should also be sure to make a rough production budget from start to finish and try to stick to it as much as possible. Creating a film is an expensive undertaking, and having an idea of where money needs to go will help to alleviate later stresses when things pop up that will cost more than anticipated. In exercising on the side of caution, you should probably overestimate the cost of things so that you won’t be as surprised or anxious, so you can be sure not to have to halt the project.
Find The Right Music
It is essential as a filmmaker to be aware that music holds huge importance in the making of a film. Music has long been utilized in many different genres to create successful films, being utilized throughout to draw upon certain emotions and have an impact on audiences. Music created anticipation and strong emotions, pulling in the viewer to become engaged and experience strong feelings.
To be sure that you don’t run into any copyright issues when incorporating music into your films, be sure to use a creative music licensing agency that can successfully help you either select tracks from their library or create an original musical score. This will help make your film more innovative, since the music and sound designs won’t have been used previously, and you can really craft your vision for your movie just the way that you want.
Prepare for a Crazy Schedule
This is going to be especially apparent when you get into the actual filmmaking portion of your project. Filmmakers have to create the right kinds of lighting, which may mean shooting scenes at weird times, and it’s important to be sure to prepare yourself to have the stamina and energy to get through the process, and willingness to see your vision through to fruition. Being very organized is a great skill for this. This way you can take the time to plan ahead and do things like check the weather for the week, so you know what days are more ideal for outside shots and work to create the scenes for your actors so that you don’t have to do a lot of re-shooting in the process.
Audition Your Actors
Though it may be more cost-effective and convenient for you to utilize family and friends in your film as the actors, you should be cautious of doing so. Unless you have a family or friend that is working to be a real actor, or you are just viewing this film as a hobby, you should audition for real actors. Your film project will be as serious as you take it, and you don’t want to scrimp or cut corners on these important aspects that will help to make the film.
Market Your Film Before It Happens
Utilizing social media channels to create a buzz and anticipation for your upcoming project is key to getting some following. Word of mouth is a great way to get people interested in your movie. But you should also make sure you are exploring resources on how to broaden your outreach and how others market their films. Some ideas might include having your actors take some “behind the scenes video” as an informal ad, or those helping you work the cameras and edit the screenplay/film are taking some pictures and helping to promote your efforts through their own channels as well.
Embrace Mistakes and Mishaps
Let’s face it: these sorts of things are bound to happen during the making of your film. Actors are going to forget their lines, shots are not going to go as planned and in some cases, even accidents might occur. Keep in mind to have a positive outlook on these types of mishaps. Sometimes you might even find a perspective or interpretation from a shot or a scene you hadn’t thought of before, and it might actually work better within the film.
As a filmmaker, you’re going to be wearing numerous hats at once and balancing multiple tasks and projects. You can lean on others for feedback and assistance. Make sure to take their criticism constructively; you might even gain some new insight about a particular part of the movie, or create a new feeling to pull on the emotions of the audience that could significantly help push your story forward in a more effective and innovative way. Be open to new ideas as you go without losing sight of your overall creative vision.